Archive for the ‘Home & Real Estate’ category

Saving Money in 2010 Family Guide – Part 4

March 30th, 2010

Save Money on Bills

In previous blogs I pointed out some ideas that will help families save money with their grocery bills, entertainment and dining out bills, and much more. Today I am going to focus on the “fixed bills” – the ones you can not get rid of such as utilities and more. If you missed the previous posts please take some time and read them here.

How to Save Money on Your Phone Bill…

  1. First thing you need to do is decide if your household needs both traditional and cellular phones.  Many modern households have done away with landlines and have gone strictly mobile, unless you absolutely have to ditch the land line.
  2. If you do want separate mobile and house phones consider the Magic Jack.  I know the thing looks like a TV gimmick but it’s really a VOIP that uses your internet connection to place calls and can save you tons of money on your phone bill.  You can replace your phone bill and pay less than $30 a year. » Read more: Saving Money in 2010 Family Guide – Part 4

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Ways to Save Money in 2010 – Part 3

March 23rd, 2010

Family Summer Fun

To continue our coverage of the 8 simple ways to revamp your home budget and save money in 2010, this post will cover savings on your Travel, Vacation and Entertainment category. If you have missed our previous posts about saving money in 2010 please read our previous entry (part 2) here.

Spring is here and summer will come around the corner in no time. Most American families will soon start planning for their yearly summer vacation and I think this post will really be helpful with this planning as far as saving some money. So without further delay here are some of the most important and effective ways to save money on your next summer vacation.

How to save money on your Vacation:

  1. Vacations are a necessary part of a balanced and sane life but they can be expensive. You can cut the cost of a vacation significantly by planning and booking ahead of time. Bookmark travel sites for finding inexpensive airfare, hotels, rentals and so on.  If you know your schedule try to book months in advance to save money.
  2. Look online for sales and discounts before making a purchase. For example, use travel deal sites like Priceline, Expedia, Travelocity, and Hotels.com before booking so that you can make some comparisons. » Read more: Ways to Save Money in 2010 – Part 3

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Ways to Save Money in 2010 – Part 2

March 11th, 2010

Save Money at the Grocery Store

A few days back I started a series of posts highlighting ways to save money in the new year. It is a more of a family guide to savings more than a list of unrelated and irrelevant corner cutting techniques.

In the first post I have talked about saving money in your commute/ automobile budget area and if you missed it you can read that post here.

Today I’m gonna cover one of the largest expense that a family budget has – food.

Saving Money on Food

Saving on Groceries:

  • Never go to the grocery store without a list. This is the best way to control impulse buying, buying unnecessary things, things you already have or even worst not getting what your family needs.
  • Coupons, Coupons and More Coupons. Having a list also allows you to look in the paper for coupons you will needs. Group them together with your list and it will make using coupons and saving money a breeze.  Don’t just settle for the coupons you get in your bulk mail, do a search online or visit manufacturer’s websites and see what they have. There is not one time that I have went to Goya’s website (a specialty food manufacturer I tend to buy a lot) and not find a good recipe or a great coupon. » Read more: Ways to Save Money in 2010 – Part 2

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Ways to Save Money in 2010 – A Family Guide

March 5th, 2010

Saving Money in 2010

A sluggish economy, even worst employment market and an escalating national debt all add up to one thing – it’s time we all find ways to save money. Personal finance is at the forefront of everyone’s mind these days and saving money is probably the most important topic at the family dinner table.
Most find it impossible to cut down spending but that is only because they are looking in the wrong places. Nowadays it is time to be creative when it comes to saving money, it’s time to be informed and well educated about the choices you have.

As a rule of thumb each and every household should have a budget. It’s how fortune 500 companies operate and it’s how your family should too. Get a list of your bills and expenses for each month ( in the business world those are your liabilities). Also put together a list of your salary and all other revenue sources (much like a company has an income chart). This will be able to paint a pretty good picture of where you are financially and what you have to work with. » Read more: Ways to Save Money in 2010 – A Family Guide

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Why is America Obese – The Truth About Sugar

February 26th, 2010

It appears that nowadays everyone from the president to the guy at the McDonald’s counter is talking about obesity and how to deal with the issue. Countless shows and investigative journalism are flooding the airwaves covering many aspects and faces of obesity none however offering much of an explanation on how we got here. 1 in 5 Americans is overweight or obese and the trends are pointing upward.

No longer than 5 decades ago, the majority of our population used fruits and vegetables rich in natural sugars – aka glucose – as a source for sweetness. However in 1975 the food processing industry adopted a new standard – High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) – a sweetener devastating to our health but exponentially cheaper to produce than nature sugars and get this – as a bonus it is also 20% sweeter pound for pound. With the introduction of HFCS sweeteners in everything from mac and cheese to juices and salad dressing, the food processing industry has basically modified drastically our lifestyle and our intake of fructose. » Read more: Why is America Obese – The Truth About Sugar

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Rehab Facilities

February 13th, 2010

Rehab Facilities

The state of our rehabilitation facilities:

My mother was recently entered into a rehab facility.  On one of the days I went there to visit there was an old woman sitting in a wheelchair.  She sort of reminded me of Grandma Moses (if my idea of Grandma Moses was accurate).  She sat there in the hallway in her wheelchair looking very old and very decrepit and very, very sad.  If that wasn’t bad enough, when I returned the following day, the same woman in the same wheelchair looked to be sitting in the very same spot.  I can’t positively say whether she remained there overnight, nor can I say that she hadn’t been moved and then returned to the same position.  All I can say for certain is that she hadn’t looked like she had moved very far.

My mom has always been a very active sort.  Being confined to a bed with period bouts of therapy didn’t sit very well with her.  After having visited four different facilities (the facilities that her insurance would cover) I had deemed the one she wound up in to be the best: that didn’t mean it was great by any means.  It had decent food; it had a pretty good amount of therapy time provided for her; and it had activities to keep her amused throughout the morning/afternoon.  » Read more: Rehab Facilities

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What To Do When You Lost Your Credit or Debit Card

February 13th, 2010

Stolen ATM & Credit Cards

I have been a long time advocate against credit cards. Yes they are great for boosting your credit score but also horrible if you can’t pay it off or fall behind. Many financial planners will argue with me on this point but at the end of the day… buy what you can afford now and avoid worrying about how you gonna pay it later.

But all of us pretty much have a credit or debit card, and sometimes we either lose it or it gets stolen. So with all the risks of the credit card how do we manager to protect ourselves in cas we lose our credit cards?

Follow those steps outlined by the Federal Trade Commission and with the law on your side you should not be liable for anything more than $50.00. The Fair Credit Billing Act (FCBA) and the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (EFTA) offer procedures for you to use if your cards are lost or stolen.

Credit Card Loss or Fraudulent Charges (FCBA). Your maximum liability under federal law for unauthorized use of your credit card is $50. If you report the loss before your credit cards are used, the FCBA says the card issuer cannot hold you responsible for any unauthorized charges. If a thief uses your cards before you report them missing, the most you will owe for unauthorized charges is $50 per card. Also, if the loss involves your credit card number, but not the card itself, you have no liability for unauthorized use. » Read more: What To Do When You Lost Your Credit or Debit Card

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