Archive for February, 2009
-
Saving for a Rainy Day
As Eeyore might say, these days it’s always raining. With the economy turning upside down and unemployment rising, it may be a good idea to take him seriously. To keep yourself secure after a loss of income, it’s important to build a rainy day fund, or emergency cushion to get you throug...
-
Saving money on utility bills: Part 2
Heating bills The furnace is still running full-blast in my home which is one of the joys of winter in the Northeast. Although I enjoy being warm, I don't enjoy paying the gas bill. I have found that the easiest way to save on your heating costs is with a programmable thermostat. If you do no...
-
Saving Money on Utility Bills: Part 1
Saving money is hard, but there are some relatively easy ways to save without having to count every penny or give up your morning coffee. Probably the easiest way to save is to do an audit of your utility bills. Phone bills Many of us have both a cell phone and a home phone. Do you really need...
-
irs.gov: actually user friendly!
It’s tax time, once again. April 15th is sneaking up on us, slowly but surely. But before you e-file your returns this year, it’s worth a visit to the IRS website. For such a generally disliked institution, the IRS has a very user-friendly site. Go to www.irs.gov to check it out. ...
-
Pay Yourself First
Everyone wants to build wealth right now, this second, as quickly as possible. If you make six figures a year (or if you’re dishonest—think Madoff), maybe it’s possible. But for the rest of us peons, slow and steady wins the race. Pay yourself first, and get a jump on the rest of the tor...
-
Free money with UPromise
Have you ever noticed the Upromise logos on items at the grocery store? Upromise is a program that gives you money for college, just for shopping for the items you normally buy. This program is great, I have earned nearly $1,500 in approximately 3 years. All you have to do is go to Upromise.c...
-
Dealing with collection agencies
I was watching a cable news financial show the other night. They had a segment on debt collectors and unfortunately, gave very bad and flat-out wrong advice, so I thought I would write about this topic. Thanks to a financially-irresponsible ex-husband (and yes, that is why he is an ex), I have l...
-
The rule of 72 (Part 2)
Now for the bad news. The same rule that tells how long it’ll take to double your money also tells you when you’ll double your debt. That’s right; this rule applies not only to the interest rate you RECEIVE, but also to the interest that you PAY. And because most debts, particularly credit...
-
The rule of 72 (Part 1)
If you’ve been reading about money for long, you may have heard of the rule of 72. If not, you should know that it’s a valuable tool in understanding the power of compound interest. This rule is that quirky little fact of compounding interest that allows us to predict how long it will take an am...
-
Getting out of credit card debt
Many financial experts give advice on paying down credit card debt. Although their advice often makes financial sense, it doesn't always make sense. Usually, the experts suggest paying off the credit card with the highest interest rate first, while making minimum payments on the others. When ...
