Contrary to "Sticks and stones...," words can actually hurt you -- and cost you money. They are all around us and some are so common that we rarely think about them. Many not only often end up costing us money, but frequently have the additional virtue of aggravating us -- insult on injury. Here are some of the most egregious examples.

We, as a society, are toting around a collective waste dump in our back pockets and purses. We don't think about wallets, we take them for granted and, if asked, become defensive -- about what they contain, about how they look and about their overstuffed size. But our wallets say a lot about us and our attitudes towards money.

I am happy that our competitive consumer system is working, i.e. allegedly keeping prices down. But there are costs to us other than specie that we need to be aware of as we go through our lives. We are battered from all sides all day about "savings," "discounts," "sales," "only here," "time is limited," etc., which noise degrades the quality of our lives, even if we do occasionally save a buck. And keep in mind that "savings" always requires spending. If you really want to save big, don't buy it!

For most of us, the annual ritual of preparing income tax returns is exhausting and cringe-inducing, but it does have its uses -- aside from its costs. Review and planning are the biggest benefits, with financial "Spring cleaning" to round out the trifecta. Oh, and saving money is nice, too.

I've compiled some quotes about money, success and life in general that remind us that we don't have to reinvent the wheel -- we just need to know how to source it. We also learn, yet again, that a felicity of expression is timeless. So read on for some of my favorite quotes, and share some of your favorites with your fellow readers in the comments section.

Did you know that owning stock on the first day of the month only will return 70% more than Warren Buffet's buy-and-hold strategy?

Budgeting is hard work, but there may be some unassayed ore in that slag heap. All of us would rather make smart financial decisions rather than the ones we too often make, and if we were given the data to know and better understand what it is that we are actually doing with our money we could be better off financially and emotionally more secure. Now that's an attractive combination.

Forget about financial resolutions. Follow this checklist of money "dos" and "don'ts" in the coming year and you'll find your finances and yourself happier, healthier and more productive in the new year.

“Wealth management” is a phrase financial advisors use to attract high-earning and/or high-net-worth individuals -- and there is some sense to the concept. Talking a plan through, and then seeing it in writing, can have an impact that is hard to envision otherwise, even if time and circumstances lead to the wholesale revision or even scrapping of elements you once thought essential.

Periodically, I like to delve into financial factoids and accumulated crumbs of wisdom. It is with this in mind that I submit today's offerings.