Everyone knows Christmas is a budget buster, but between graduations and weddings, May/June can leave your wallet crying for mercy, to and that’s before you even think about taking a family vacation!
Here are a few tips to keep things sane when it comes to honoring new graduates.
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Gas prices are on the rise again, and even though there is no actual correlation between supply, production, demand, and cost, the result is the same when it comes to your budget. Even a $0.10 increase per gallon can have an impact, and in the last few weeks the increase has been double that.
Fortunately, there are ways to minimize your gas usage and costs.
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If you’re like the majority of Americans, you have not put together a last will and testament. Let’s face it, thinking about what will happen to your money and property after your death is not a pleasant way to spend your time. However, it’s irresponsible to leave these decisions up to chance. Here are some reasons why you should make sure that your wishes are spelled out in a will.
Dying intestate can leave your minor children vulnerable. My husband and I were shocked to find out that if something were to happen to us, the state of Indiana would decide the best situation for our 8 month-old son. Within our family, we have already decided and asked a family member to be his guardian should the worst happen, but without putting it down in writing, the state has no way of knowing what we want—and what is best for him. If you have children under 18, it’s absolutely imperative that you write a will and name a guardian, just in case.
Without a will, your money and property will be split up. While these decisions are different from state to state, generally you can expect the following money and property breakdowns:
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Rather recently, I received some disturbing news: The PlayStation Network had been compromised. I have a credit card stored on PSN, so I was immediately concerned about what could happen to my credit card number. I figured that I would need to be on the look out for fraudulent charges. But then, after some thought, I decided that I didn’t want to wait for someone to use my card. Here’s what to do if you need a replacement credit card:
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When the iPhone first came out several years ago, my husband decided that he needed a single device to streamline his life. Since we are dyed-in-the-wool Apple users, we looked into what it would take to get him set up with an iPhone. After one horrified look at the price of changing service (we were not with AT&T), plus the price of the phone, plus the price of the data plan, we backed away slowly and figured out how to make do with a Blackberry even though it was still ridiculously more expensive than the previous phone and plan that my husband had.
Smart Phones are incredibly convenient, a lot of fun, and a great way to stay connected. What they are not is cheap. However, since you end up paying for them in bits and pieces, it can be hard to know exactly how tough your constant connectivity is on your budget. Here is a breakdown of what you can expect to pay for your Smart Phone:
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“My student loan debt is more than most folks’ mortgage.”
I have a blog post on my personal blog that discusses how much I hated being a lawyer, and offers ways to get out of a profession you hate. The discussion in the comments section is fascinating, and heartbreaking, because so many young people are feeling trapped in a profession they hate, because they must repay huge student loans.
It’s not unheard of for a law student or a med student to amass serious debt, to the tune of $100,000 or so. And that would be OK if they earned so much after graduating that they could repay those loans fairly quickly and move on. But the sad reality is that while college graduates have traditionally earned more than high school graduates, this gap in earnings has remained stable, while college costs have skyrocketed.
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