Who says Valentine's Day has to be an expensive ordeal to show your partner how much you love them? The best gifts are often those that show you put thought and effort into them, the price tag doesn't indicate the value of the gift.
Read More >>
It's winter break.... or maybe it's a snow day. Whatever it is, the kids are home from school, you're broke and they're driving you a little crazy. Besides begging a relative to take them for a few hours, what can you do to entertain and enjoy your kids when it's cold outside and you're stuck indoors?
Read More >>
With the unemployment rate at a 26 year high, an increasing number of people are concerned about the possibility of being laid off. While there is little, if anything, you can do to prevent being laid off – there are a number of things you can do if you have been laid off to make the situation more bearable.
Read More >>
As an increasing number of people are finding themselves in over their heads in debt, many are turning to various debt management programs for assistance. Before you sign on to one of these programs, you might try to make your own debt reduction plan – and save yourself having to pay a company fees for their services, or avoid the trouble of potentially dealing with a dishonest company.
Read More >>
There are three basic principles surrounding good personal finance habits, and they are: 1)Live Within Your Means by Spending Less Than You Make
2) Making the Money You Do Have Work More For You
3) Anticipating and Preparing for the “Unexpected”
Read More >>
It's that time of year again – for those of us who are financially disciplined, you've either already completed your 2008 holiday shopping or you've got the money set aside and ready to go. For the rest of us, we've only just barely thought about Christmas shopping – and believe it or not, the big day is just 20 shopping days away!
Read More >>
Going green – or saving the environment – can be extremely expensive. When you think about what it means to “go green”, you probably visualize huge solar panels on the roof, personal water treatment plans with fancy rain water collection barrels and a purification system in your backyard, or a windmill fueling your home with all the electricity it needs.
Read More >>
It's amazing to me how many of us go through our working years without too much thought of how we'll live when we retire. Thing is- we want to be able to stop working at some point and enjoy our retirement years, but the only way to do that is to be financially prepared.
Read More >>
If you don't have an actual “budget” in place for your household, you may be completely scared whenever you hear someone say they're “making a budget”. Typically, the people who would most benefit from having a budget are the ones who are most afraid of the idea. If you're living paycheck to paycheck, and feel like you never get caught up financially, a budget is probably the perfect solution.
Read More >>
It’s painful having to shell out $40 or more every time you go to the gas pump. Gas prices have tripled in the past decade and don’t show signs of stopping anytime soon. But gas isn’t the only expense you have to pay for the privilege to drive a car. Once you factor in insurance, the purchase price for your car, maintenance and all other factors, how much does that round trip to work really cost you?
Read More >>
All I really needed to know about managing money, I learned from music. Personal finance knowledge didn't come from school or family – it came right from the song titles of some of the most popular songs of all time. Here are 29 things music teaches us about better money management:
Read More >>
If you find yourself checking the calendar to see when the kids return back to school and it’s only a week into their summer break, you may want to check out this list of 90 Low Cost or No Cost Activities to Keep the Kids Entertained All Summer Vacation.
Read More >>
Millions of American's want to become homeowners. If you're like most people, you don't have the cash available to go out and buy a home; so you'll need to obtain a mortgage in order to buy a house. Getting approved for a home loan can take a little effort, and there are a few things you should understand in order to become “mortgage-ready”
Read More >>
To some people, budget is a 4-letter word! When used correctly, a budget is a tool that helps you know where you're going and how you're getting there financially. As our economy struggles, there has never been a better time to get your finances under control and work with a budget.
Read More >>
We often recommend earning some extra income on the side as a method for paying off debt. Many people reply that they don't really have a means of doing so or their situation doesn't allow them any time away from the kids, etc to have a second job. Here is a list of 101 ways you can earn some extra cash online to help you out.
Read More >>
Utility bills can consume a very large portion of your paycheck. Wouldn't it be nice if you could pay 25-50% less on these bills? There's a number of ways you can. Don't worry you won't find any low flow toilets on this list!
Read More >>
It's certainly easy enough to get yourself into debt, but when it comes to becoming debt free most people struggle for their entire lives without every fully experiencing a debt free existence.
Read More >>
It can be very easy to find yourself in trouble with your finances. With all of the credit card offers we’re constantly bombarded with and the temptation of accepting the extra percentage off at the department stores if you apply for one of their charge cards, sometimes it can become so hard to resist.
Read More >>
You knew at some point we’d have to use the “B” word. That dreaded word that rhymes with “fudge-it”. Unfortunately, in order for you to successfully bury the debt monster and regain (or create!) financial independence, it’s necessary that you don’t fudge your budget.
Read More >>
Now that you’ve taken inventory of all the debt you currently have, it’s time to do something about the amount of bad debt you have. You probably had some fun getting into debt, and took your time building that massive portfolio of outstanding accounts; unfortunately, getting out of debt isn’t as enjoyable! You will however, start feeling an enormous weight lifting off your shoulders as you start creating a plan to take over the debt monster once and for all- so let’s get started!
Read More >>
In this series of articles, you will be able to follow along at your own pace as you work to bury the debt monster and regain complete financial control. Whether you were like a child in a candy store or you simply spent a little more than you made every month over a long period of time, your debt can be crippling- and effect all other aspects of your life. Use this series of articles to turn it all around!
Read More >>
Most people have found themselves with debt that has gotten out of control at some point in their lives. Before enlisting the services of agencies that specialize in helping consumers get their finances in order, you should attempt a few self debt reduction techniques to see if you can first improve your situation on your own.
Read More >>
You probably didn’t get into debt overnight, and short of winning the lottery or receiving a large inheritance, chances are you aren’t going to get out of debt overnight, either! With discipline and consistency, over time you can pay off your debt and be on the road to an improved and more manageable financial situation.
Read More >>
If you suddenly find yourself drowning amidst a sea of high interest credit card accounts, you may wish to try a few self debt reduction techniques to make your monthly payments easier to manage and go further towards paying what you owe rather than just paying on excessive interest rates.
Playing credit card roulette is a popular method of stretching your monthly payment dollars further without having an increase in income or sending larger payments to your accounts.
Read More >>
For any person, debt is like this illness that never goes away, it persists and persists, never truly getting better until action is taken. The comparison works because like an illness, debt can cause a great deal of suffering and pain to those who have trouble paying their bills each more, or at all. Immunity against debt is non-existent, everyone is susceptible. Debt can go beyond simply the inability to pay bills on time, it can literally cause both physical and mental health problems.
Read More >>
Debt is no stranger to most Americans. Credit is becoming easier to obtain and people are charging well beyond their means and at interest rates reaching 20% or more. While “debt” is a scary word that usually is seen in a negative light, not all debt is bad. You can actually make intelligent decisions and use debt as a vehicle for building personal wealth.
Read More >>
Interest rates are calculated differently based on the type of debt that you have. When trying to determine interest rates on credit cards, it’s important to understand what provisions the lender may have for raising your interest rate if you make a late payment. Keep in mind that most credit cards can raise your interest rates even if the payment you made late was on a different credit card!
Read More >>
There are two primary types of debt: secured and unsecured. The easiest way to understand whether or not you have secured or unsecured debt is to determine whether or not a creditor can take away an object or your property in the event that you suddenly become unable to make payments on the account.
If a creditor can take away tangible property or another item that is somehow attached to the debt, then that is a secured debt. If nothing can be taken from you if you stop making your payments, then that is considered an unsecured debt.
Read More >>
There are two main ways that people find themselves crushed by the weight of their debts. Some people find that debt hit them like a ton of bricks when they lost their job, or experienced a medical issue that resulted in the inability to work or excessive medical expenses. Other people find that debt has sort of “snuck up” on them, over years of casually using credit cards for little purchases that they just didn’t have the cash to pay for; or from taking on large purchases like a new vehicle or a home mortgage- only to find that unexpected expenses or changes in income have made it near impossible to keep up with all of the monthly payments.
Read More >>
