photo credit 401(k)2012 via Flickr Cash vs. credit. Pay only with cash and owe no one. Use credit to build up your credit score and increase your buying power. There are so many things we hear over and over about using both cash and credit. And, the truth is neither is necessarily bad. It's just money. It is the meaning we give it, what we tell ourselves and the choices that we make when handling either that lead us to where we are today. … [Read more...]
It's been a long, cold winter, and while you may have taken steps to reduce your heating bill, there is only so much you can do when the temperature is regularly well below zero. One possible solution to your high utility bills: Budget Billing. … [Read more...]
I think most of us enjoy the idea of a fresh start. The possibilities seem so great at the beginning of a new year. That is probably where New Year's Resolutions came from. Although a lot of people shy away from having resolutions, the fresh start of a new year is a great time to set some goals for yourself. Whether you want to grow personally, financially, educationally, professionally or some other way, taking time to set realistic and attainable goals will make all the difference in … [Read more...]
I've had a credit card for more than 15 years. And I've never carried a balance. I know a lot of financial experts (Dave Ramsey comes to mind) are very anti-credit card. They advise paying cash or using a debit card for everything. Well, I'm not anti-credit card. I'm anti-debt. When used properly, credit cards can be an excellent money-management tool that can actually help you save money. … [Read more...]
The following is a guest post by Angela Quint. The summer flies by all too fast, then there’s the back-to-school rush, and just as you start to settle down, Halloween is just around the corner. There’s no turning back after that. Halloween blends into Thanksgiving and then right into the winter holidays before you know it. Despite all the holiday fun, there are also a lot of expenses such as large family meals, classroom parties and gifts. The good news is that you and your family can still … [Read more...]
When you're setting out to make your budget, you usually start by listing out all of your expenses. Then you compare it to your income and make adjustments as needed to get positive results. But how much money do you really need to get by? … [Read more...]
This post isn't really for all of you, although I suspect many of you can relate to it. No, this post is really for me. It's a message I need to hear every now and again. I've always been a saver. I would squirrel away any bit of money I came across and plan any splurges very carefully. I saved every penny of my salary that I could when I was working so that I could become a stay-at-home mom to our three boys. We were doing fine with our savings goals. Life was good. But I've … [Read more...]