Ever go food shopping and think you need only a few items?
You do your shopping, thinking you didn’t buy much and then you get to the register.
The amounts on the register screen start piling up.
When your order total pops up you do a triple take saying “what?!?”
You’ve just spent way more than you wanted. What’s worse is you get home and you don’t really have much food for meals. Ends up you have a lot of snacks and such.
Ughh.
There’s a lot to be said for paying your bills on time, but some quick and easy negotiation can actually save you money each month on your credit card account if done properly.
The key is to never take the number on your billing statement for granted, as everything from the fees to the interest rate can usually be lowered with some tact.
However, you cannot expect to simply ask for a lower debt and get it without effort.
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I think most people want to eat healthy.
But for many it’s too tough to start (especially eating healthy on a budget). We get into eating habits, that aren’t great, and its just too much to give them up and change our lifestyles.
So what do we do? We don’t bother; it’s too hard.
Does this help a person?
Nope. Does this sound like anything else we don’t take care of because its too hard? Yup, personal finance! So what’s the answer to eating healthy? Just like your personal finances, you can start with baby steps and move from there. Make small changes to your habits, little by little, and build up over time.
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Our move is over!
Whew.
That was really a tough couple of days. For sure most moves should NOT be like ours. We were waiting to get a closing date on the sale of our co-op before we committed to a move so we did a lot last minute. It was very stressful and in hindsight there was a lot we could have done earlier to make our move easier (some things couldn’t be helped). For sure we learned a lot in this experience that we’ll remember for the next time we move.
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The cost of prescription medications is alarmingly high, as is the number of Americans who aren’t treating their condition because they can’t afford the medicine.
Whether you’re under-insured or uninsured, there are ways you can save money on prescription medication. You can even get the medicine for free, if you meet certain guidelines.
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.
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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We already know the importance of adequate savings don’t we? Well here’s an additional benefit for having savings – You can save on your car insurance!
You know about your car insurance deductible? This is the amount you have to pay on an insurance claim before your insurance kicks in to pick up the repairs. Say you have a $500 deductible. You get into a fender bender and file a claim to have your bumper repaired. An estimate for the repairs is $1500. You have to pay $500 and insurance picks up the $1000. If your deductible were $1000 then you pay $1000 and insurance covers $500. Get it?
So why not make the deductible as low as possible?
Sounds reasonable. You would rather your insurance pay more and you pay less. Things is though, the lower your deductible the higher your premium is! You pay more on your plan when your deductible is low. This is the insurance company’s way of getting that extra cash layout back before an accident. The opposite is true too. The higher you make your deductible the lower your premium payments are.Continue Reading
So you’re expecting? Congratulations! A new baby is an exciting event in one’s life (how’s that for understatement of the year!). In preparing for the little one’s arrival you’ll start to think of all of the things you are going to need for the baby as well as the costs! But it doesn’t have to always be expensive.
Places like BJ’s, Costco, and Sam’s Club will be your friend when it comes to shopping for your baby. We love the big boxes of diapers and wipes that we get at BJ’s. They also have great deals on car seats and strollers from time to time. Do your homework on what you expect prices to be of course, but we find that things like diapers are always worth getting at a wholesale store.
If you know anyone else who had a baby before you then talk to them about what they have. Not only can they give you some practical advice on what they bought but odds are they have a ton of stuff that’s relatively new that they would be happy to give you! Baby stuff takes up space and parents love to clear out the clutter. We’ve gotten tons of clothes (it’s great when you can be clothing kids close to free), toys, bassinet, high chair, swing, and much more from friends and family. Sometimes it was to keep while others said just give it back when we’re done. Understand that many items will be used for a baby for a few weeks or months and will still be like new! Heck, there was a time when we had to rush to put our little guy in clothes before he outgrew them. Seriously, reach out to friends, family, and co-workers!
Remember my point above about parents wanting to get rid of clutter? Same idea here. A parent buys X for their baby, uses it for a couple of months, and now it sits in the garage practically new. We picked up a huge toy chest for $25 that originally cost about $75. It looked like new and the Mom was more than happy to have us take it off her hands. Bargains like that are all over the place! You want to be careful with something like a crib or anything that the baby would be supported in to make sure it’s fully intact and has all the parts. Safety first! Bargains second! (Car seats may not be a good idea to get used as they wear out over time).
This one is a personal choice for sure. But by breastfeeding you don’t have to buy formula! Plus it’s natural and better for your baby. But what about a pump? First, you may not need one, it depends on your situation. Second, you could rent them out if needed or possibly you may have a friend that doesn’t need theirs anymore. My wife bought her pump when her daughter was born. It was well worth the money as it was used for our son and will be used for the little one on the way.
If your employer has this option you can set up flexible spending money to be taken out of your paycheck pre-tax for child care expenses. If you already have a plan but re having an additional child you can make flexible spending account changes to account for costs on the additional child. You then apply with a receipt to get the money back. The benefit here is this money isn’t taxed! The limit is $5000/year when I last checked. That’s a lot to not be taxed.
Same idea as dependent care but this can be used for things such as prescription medication and doctor’s visit co-pays. Check with your employer for the contribution limit.
A 529 plan doesn’t only save for college in the future. Many states offer tax benefits now for money you contribute to a 529 plan.
I’ve heard parents-to-be say that they don’t want a baby shower; that they don’t like the idea of a registry. But the truth is this is one even in your life that people genuinely want to help you start off on the right foot and want to contribute to your child’s well-being! You don’t know who may be planning a surprise shower for you or who wants to send you a gift. One thing they’ll ask about is a registry to get you something you need. You don’t have to get a baby registry. But it could also leave with a TON of onesies, bibs, and clothes as gifts rather than items you really need (nothing wrong with onesies, bibs, and clothes, but there comes a point where it too much). Maybe your aunts and uncles will chip in to get you a crib? Perhaps your college roommates will get together to buy you a car seat? You don’t know! Give them the option. Also, most places that have a registry make it very easy to return gifts. You’re going to find that you have extras you don’t need or items you thought you needed but don’t use. We had a registry and were still fortunate to get two car seats! We returned many a bib that we never used too.
If I’m making a big purchase I scour the web for product reviews! I want to know what everyone is saying. I’ll try to get as much information as I can. I want to know the pros and cons of an item from people who are not salespeople in the store. There are a ton of choices out there for expecting parents and it can be a daunting task trying to figure out what is best. Do your research! You may find that for some items spending a little more will save you in the long run. I’m thinking about products like strollers which take a lot of abuse. Amazon Bonus: They now have a program called Amazon Mom that offers discounts and free Amazon Prime for a time.
photo credit: lepiaf.geo
We recently put our home on the market to sell. Man, do we have a lot to do to get the place in ship shape! We have been busy for the past couple of weeks doing what we could to make the place look more appealing to a potential buyer. Living there for so long we didn’t realize how much stuff we had and how many little things could be fixed. I’d be lying to say we weren’t concerned about getting a good price in today’s market!
Our goal is to make our home look as clean, big, and attractive as possible without breaking the bank! Fortunately there are many things we can do to help achieve this.
Yes, it takes some work on your part to do these things. But if it will help you sell then it will more than pay off!! A couple of years ago you might have had a bidding war for a home that wasn’t all done up. But in today’s economy you have to put your best foot forward just to get the sale! Don’t let something small keep a buyer from wanting your place.
Any other ideas?
