Sharing insights since 2007 on carefully saving money, investing, frugal living, coupons, promo codes because the little things matter in achieving financial freedom!
As a teenager, I enjoyed going to dances. I liked dancing and hanging out with my friends. And, even though fashion and makeup aren’t things I’ve ever really been into, I still thought it was fun to dress up for formals like prom.
With spring comes prom season, and many families are getting ready — and saving up. According to a story from Reuters, the average family will spend $1,139 on prom this year.
Why Does Prom Cost So Much?
The rising cost of prom has a lot to do with the trappings of the celebration. Dinner. Limousines. Flowers. Tickets. Pictures. Tux rentals. And, of course, THE DRESS. [ continue reading… ]
If you’ve spent any time in the online marketing circles, you know how “easy” they tell you it is.
Since the dawn of eBay, plenty of people have been trying their best tomake it online.
Some are successful. Others? Not so much.
What makes those “others” fail while the rest thrive?
Simple: their lack of planning and persistence.
The Fountain of Fortune is elusive. Those who are making the money are those who refuse to give up — they’re forever in search of the niche needs they can fulfill.
Wherever your Fountain might lie, you can only reach it if you have the right map.
Those people willing to take on any old gig online — like selling “happy birthday” gigs on Fiverr — aren’t likely to see any riches. Once the site takes its cut, those vendors make $2 or $3. If that’s a road to success, it’s paved with crumbled brick.
What about the Etsy shop selling “crocheted double finger rings”? How much do you think she’s made?
You can’t sell just anything.
You must know what a market needs before you can try to make money in it.
Comedian John Pinette jokes that every business has their own loyalty rewards card nowadays. He’s right. You can’t check out at a grocery store, gift store, or gas station without being offered a rewards card application.
Is it really worth your time to fill out yet another application for yet another card to tote around with you? In most cases, the answer is yes.
Examples of Rewards Credit Cards Benefits
On Thanksgiving vacation last year, we stayed in a cabin in the mountains. With two families eating a large holiday dinner, we spent a lot of time and money at the local grocery store. We signed up for a rewards card, saved a total of $57 on groceries, and got a free tank of gas from the store’s pumps for the return trip home.
One Christmas, I used my Speedway Speedy Rewards points to buy gas cards as Christmas presents for four family members — all without spending a dime. [ continue reading… ]
Having a good credit score is important for many things in life. When my wife and I bought a car a few weeks ago, our credit scores helped determine our interest rate. When renting a home, landlords can use your credit score to decide if you’re a viable tenant. When buying a home, it has a large effect on the mortgage for which you qualify. Credit is necessary for many different aspects of your personal life.
Knowing and improving your credit score is easy if you follow a few tips.
Knowing Your Credit Score
There are a number of websites that offer credit reports. The FTC allows you to obtain your credit score once a year without a fee. Taking advantage of this is important.
Among other things, it shows you where you’ve used credit and whether you’ve made payments on time or not. You should know what to expect with your credit score. A low score will lead to difficulties financing vehicles or qualifying for the mortgage you want. [ continue reading… ]
The connectivity of the Internet brought many tools to help manage budgets and finances, but the information available online also helped people save quite a bit of money.
Find much better access to product information online. I no longer buy something I know little about. Before I buy a big ticket item, I become a mini expert on the product, allowing me to make an informed decision about the available options out there. I bought a TV a couple years back, and might have opted for an option that has 3D capability if I didn’t know it’s basically not available on pretty much all the medium that I currently consume entertainment. [ continue reading… ]
The phone rings, and a voice on the other end says you owe $25,000.
Impossible. You have impeccable credit. Or, so you thought.
It turns out that someone’s been using your identity and has now run up mountains of debt. Unfortunately, this is all too common these days.
According to IdentityTheft.info, identity theft strikes 15 million people per year.
Those 15 million victims suffer from $50B in damages. As e-commerce and online banking turn internet finance into the norm, these numbers could increase even further.
Identity theft does plenty of financial damage, but it does psychological damage, as well. In some cases, people have even been arrested because of activity committed by the thief that was in no way their fault. Identity theft is a painful event — filled with stress — and it’s not easily corrected or prevented.
But what happens if you don’t know that your identity’s been stolen? Your financial life could be ruined. There are services you can pay to protect your identity, and they’ll be responsible if anything should happen. There are also credit monitoring services and identity theft insurance.
But, if you’re not using those companies, you’ll need to keep your own watch on your name and funds.
Recognize these warning signs and act quickly to start damage control and reclaim your life. [ continue reading… ]
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