Best Of Money Carnival #9 – It’s A Girl Edition

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Baby Crib

Welcome to the 9th edition – It’s A Girl – of the Best of Money Carnival at Free From Broke! For those that don’t know, I’m married and live in NYC on one income which supports my wife and me and our two children. That was until about three weeks ago when my wife gave birth to a beautiful baby girl!  Now we’re a family of five making ends meet in NYC on one income.  Raising kids can certainly be financially tough but they also add priceless joy!   I’d love it if you subscribed to my RSS and my Twitter account to keep up with our financial journey!

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You Shouldn’t Buy This If…

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Living on the budget is not all about just counting pennies. To save money, you need do your homework and to know how to do research on each of your planned big purchases.  Here’s a quick but useful guide on how to investigate if both the seller and the item should be considered.

Here are some ways to check the seller’s reputation and past records as well as product reviews.

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Ways To Help Deal With Medical Expenses

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Medical Expenses

Medical expenses are one of the leading causes of bankruptcy proceedings in the US.  In 2007, 57 million people were in families who had problems paying their medical bills according to this article by Peter J. Cunningham.  However, there are ways to cope with the rising costs of medical care.  I was born with Spina bifida in 1979, and I’ve had a lot of experience in the medical care “system”.  I have a few tips to share with you, and by following them some of your burden will be lifted.
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A Goal Based Approach To Debt Management

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money-up-close

Good debt management advice is hard to come by.

Traditional financial wisdom states that certain debts, such as mortgage and student loans are good debts, while most other debts such as credit card debt, car loans, etc… are bad debts.

On the other hand, many Personal Finance bloggers express the opinion that ALL debt is essentially bad, to be paid down as quickly as possible, sometimes even at the cost of establishing a sustainable savings plan for the household.

So what is the truth?

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Credit Scores Matter More Than You Think

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credit-or-cash

Credit scores are important when you want to borrow money or get a new credit card. They’re important when you want to rent an apartment or a house, since the landlord will usually run a credit and background check on you before they’ll hand over the keys.  If you thought all those people checking their free FICO credit score were wasting their time, you might be surprised to hear that it affects more than loans.

If you thought the importance of your credit stopped there, unfortunately, you’re wrong.  There are several places where your credit score and your credit history can have an affect, even though it has nothing to do with you borrowing money.

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Car Allowance Rebate System – Cash For Clunkers

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What's your clunker worth?

In late June President Obama signed into law the the Car Allowance Rebate System or as it’s also known: Cash for Clunkers. This is a program that encourages people to trade in their cars for more efficient models.  It also helps to stimulate the economy (similar to the first time home buyer tax credit) at a time when car sales are lagging.

The program runs from July 1st through November 1st 2009.  Cars traded in during that time could be eligible for a credit of either $3500 or $4500 depending on the car and the increase in mileage the new vehicle provides.

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