Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink – at least not for under a buck per bottle nowadays! Bottled water has gotten to be exorbitantly expensive, and for some, a status symbol. Even if you only drink “designer water”, you can still save some money by shopping smart, and replacing that soda pop or energy drink with refreshing (cheap) water. Here are a few tips on saving money on water.

Bottled Water

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Are you trying to improve your financial and career situation? Maybe you want a promotion, or you are trying to get a job. Perhaps you are trying to start a side business and want to let others know how valuable you are. No matter what you are trying to accomplish specifically, you need to improve your marketability if you expect to have success. You can’t expect others to hire you or pay you more money if you aren’t an attractive option.

If you are looking for ways to enhance yourself, and show your value to an employer, prospective employer, or a potential client, here are 4 ways to improve your marketability:
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Have you ever thought of getting rid of your car? Most Americans can’t fathom surviving without one, yet people do it.

Every day.

Many eco-conscious citizens just finished celebrating “National Bike to Work Week.” They, along with a steadily rising number of people are finding that there are many tremendous benefits to living life without a car.

The current average spend for owning a car in this country is nearly $10,000 per year (if the car is not paid for), with $4,000 of that is the approximate amount needed to fuel SUVs at the time of this writing.

Imagine what you could do with that $10,000.
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While we all know that leaving a debt unpaid can have serious financial consequences — from seeing your credit score lowered to having to deal with collection agencies — you may be surprised to learn what collection agencies and creditors will try to do in order to get you to pay. If you are struggling with debt, make sure you know your rights and what you can expect from the most tenacious of collections agencies:

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)

The FDCPA is in place to protect debtors from abusive practices in the name of collecting a debt. Basically, this law guarantees that debtors will not have to deal with phone calls at all hours, phone calls at work after letting the collector know that it is prohibited by the debtor’s employer, or telling any third party other than a spouse or attorney about the debt.

Despite the protections offered by this law, collections agents will often try to get around the rules in a variety of ways.

Using Social Media

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The cost of healthcare seems to rise higher and higher every year. Politics aside, there are very few solutions to the problem, but savvy consumers can learn to take advantage of a few programs to help cut healthcare costs. Here are a few ideas to help you save money on healthcare related expenses. [ continue reading… ]

It’s been almost 11 years since I last had any sort of traffic violation. Prior to that, though, I had some speeding tickets on my record, and a rather embarrassing incident involving a semi truck.

Those types of traffic violations can cost you.

Naturally, you pay your fine, whether it’s for speeding, reckless driving, or blowing through a stop sign. However, when you receive a ticket for a traffic violation you also see an increase in your auto insurance premiums. But how much extra, on average, can you expect to pay when you receive such a ticket? Insurance.com has the answer. The new “Uh-Oh! Calculator” is designed to tell you how much you can expect to pay for your lapse in judgment.

Insurance Premium Increases as a Result of Traffic Violations

You might be surprised at some of the increases you can see as a result of traffic violations. According to Insurance.com, here are the increases, in percentage, you can expect from certain traffic violations: [ continue reading… ]