The consumers should work on reestablishing and retaining their credit report in order to get favorable deal from the lenders. If you are struggling to come out of debt then debt management plan can help you pay off the debts and your credit report will be reestablished eventually. Therefore, if you are a smart consumer then you can easily maintain your credit score efficiently. Here are a few steps to maintain your credit score and guide you to build your credit report.

1. When you plan to take out a loan make sure that you borrow within your means. This will help you pay off the owed amount immediately without defaulting on your payment. When you start paying off your debts then you can reestablish your credit score. Therefore, if you calculate your monthly income and take out the loan then you can pay off the outstanding balance without much effort.

2. Avoid applying for a credit card if you have a tendency to spend recklessly. Plastic money can tempt you to spend more than you can afford and you can end up incurring insurmountable amount of debt. The interest on the credit card is usually high so when you default on your payment it will make the outstanding balance unaffordable to pay off. Your delinquent accounts can adversely affect your credit report so try to pay off your debts.

3. Plan a monthly budget so that you can allot a stipulated amount that you can put towards paying off your debts. Prepare a list of your daily expenses then it will be easier to curb your expenses. Try to curtail your flamboyant lifestyle so that you can save money and use it for paying off your debts.

4. Try to get a copy of your credit report from the credit report agencies like Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Review your credit report thoroughly and try to locate erroneous entries. You can request the credit bureau to remove the wrong entries if you find any discrepancies in it. Once you remove the incorrect entries then you can rebuild credit report.

Sidney Terrell is a contributor associated with Oak View Law Group and has written several articles on debt consolidation, debt settlement, bill consolidation and get out of debt for various financial websites.

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Let Them Eat Cake

I slipped into Walmart the other day to buy a loaf of sandwich bread.  We generally stick to whole wheat bread as it the much healthier choice than white, bleached bread.  I guess the price difference hit me because I was just getting bread and not other groceries.  The generic Walmart brand of white bread was just under $1 a loaf and one of the longer loaves. There was no Walmart brand wheat bread and the least expensive loaf of Whole grain bread was $2.98.  Wow… I was a bit shocked.  Prices for whole wheat bread had been running about double the cost of white bread but this is triple the cost.  It reminded me of Marie Antoinette’s instruction when the peasants couldn’t afford bread, “Let them eat cake!”    And by the way, you can buy a small cake for less than a loaf of  healthy bread.

It really made me think about the cost of eating healthy.  Prices have risen for just about everything.  Chicken prices, beef prices, fresh vegetable and fruit prices have all soared.  I know that the prices are driven by the farmer’s cost of production and then shipping all relying on gas and oil but it seems to me that the cost of producing and shipping white bread should be just as high.  I am sure that Walmart loses money on their white bread because it draws people into the store.  It was the one reason why I stopped there that day and not at our closer store.

The Solution?

The bread solution is fairly simple.  I need to start baking bread at home and my challenge is that it is difficult to slice homemade bread into sandwich sized slices.  If anyone has a foolproof way of thin slicing homemade bread, please let me know. Whole wheat flour is also a bit more expensive than white bleached flour but the cost of five pounds of flour is still less than a loaf of bread.

I am going to be checking out our local farmer’s market this week.  Hopefully, I can not only help my neighbors but I can also buy some fresh, healthy vegetables for less.  They have the added benefit of being fresher.  I can some and some go into the freezer.  If you don’t have time to can, freezing is the way to go.  Most vegetables can be frozen after washing and blanching which just kills any germs on the surface of the vegetable.  I freeze whole tomatoes and peppers out of our garden just by washing them and putting them in a bag.  The skins on the tomatoes come off easily when they thaw and I don’t have to spend hours getting all of them done at the same time.

My question to you is whether you are sacrificing health for price?  I find that there are times when I end up buying the cheaper, less healthy option instead of the fresher or healthier variety.

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According to this Gallup Poll raising the debt ceiling is unpopular among the majority of Americans and gaining.    President Obama says we need to eat our peas and Speaker John Boehner says that President Obama’s strategy is like jello.   Quit playing with your food, sit down and look at real improvement.    Speaking for those who depend on Social Security and Medicare to live, you can’t keep cutting the benefits and expect people to actually live.  Those who depend on it solely are already living below the poverty level.

I have heard a lot of people saying that we need to do away with entitlement programs and I believe they are speaking of Social Security Retirement, Disability and Medicare.  Let me ask you if your house burnt down, would you expect your insurance company to pay for a new one?   We have been forced to pay into Social Security for years and now it seems to be an inconvenience to pay the benefits back.

President Obama, threatening elderly and disabled people’s  main source of income is despicable especially when there is money to pay them and if you don’t know it, you should resign.  There is enough money in the ‘bank’ to pay the interest on our debts, and all of the social security, military retirements and other direct programs that you are responsible for paying.   Personally, I think that every politician should have to come live for a month on the income of their lowliest constituents.  It would be a revealation.

I am not the brightest economic mind in the world but it seems to me that the United States really needs to start focusing on Americans.   Hire Americans,  take care of Americans, buy American.  Quit worrying about the rest of the world and balance our budget.  Start paying down our debt so our government doesn’t implode and take the rest of us with it.

Frankly, I am at the point where I don’t want to vote for any incumbent whether they be Democrat or Republican.  Our country is a mess and both parties are equally responsible.   Quit pointing fingers at each other, Man Up and take care of business.  As a voter, I am telling you that you need to clean it up!    How does that commercial go?  ”I’m Mad As Hell And I Am Not Going to Take It Anymore!

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In the age of the internet many of us have friends in different states or even countries, some of whom we know fairly well.  Have you ever thought about trading houses with them?  It’s not really a novel  idea and there are companies that will match you up with someone who wants to trade houses in your area.  It works somewhat like an online dating service.  If you saw the movie, “The Holiday” you have a pretty good idea of how it works.

One of the sites, Home Exchange (the one used in the movie) has a membership fee of $9.95 per month that is billed annually.  They also have a 3 month membership for $15.95 per month.    It’s not a bad buy if you decide that you are seriously considering a trade.   Home Exchange also has some great advice on how to be successful at trading houses.   They also publish many of their success stories and I enjoyed reading a few of them.  They really make it seem possible and FUN!

If you aren’t sure that you are ready to spend money on this endeavor, another website Home Exchange Vacation has a free membership option.  Just like Match.com, you can list your house for free and search for others but you can’t contact anyone without purchasing a full membership.   Their full membership is under $30 for a 3 month membership.

Tips for making a Successful Trade

1. Make sure that you are comfortable with the other person.  Talk in email and on the phone before you commit to a trade.  If  you aren’t comfortable with anything, pass on it.
2. Decide in advance how you are going to handle utility bills, cars, pets, etc.
3. Whether you go through a service or not, have a written contract that specifies responsibilities of each party and liabilities.
4. Check with your insurance company especially if you are trading cars to make sure that your insurance covers invited guests and permitted drivers.
5. Make lists of emergency contacts, repair people and local attractions for your guests.
6. Just for the fun of it, leave flowers and a chilled bottle of wine.
7. Have a neighbor or friend check in with your guests the day after their arrival to make sure they are comfortable and don’t have any questions.  It also puts a friendly face with the names on your list.

I think it could be a great way to see the country if not the world.  Home Exchange also mentions that long weekends are their fastest growing segment so you don’t have to go around the world or even for a month.  You can exchange houses with someone right down the road and just get away for a few days.

Have you tried exchanging homes?  How did it work for you?  I’d love to hear some of  your personal experiences.

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Now to be fair, I knew I was going to have to have bifocals which would bump the price up to $99 for two pairs.   I have also had progressive or no line lens in the past and would prefer them to the lined bifocals.  They do not list the cost for progressive lens on the website so I figured I would ask when I got there.   And this would be where the problem started.

America’s Best was very clean and neat.  It is laid out very well and the people were very friendly.  I had made an appointment online early that morning and was a little dismayed that they had no record of my appointment when I got there.  I filled out the forms and was asked to wait.  It seems that the doctors were both out to lunch because they didn’t have any appointments scheduled.  It wasn’t a long wait and they took me back for the pre-exam.

Once the pre exam was over, I waited about 5 minutes to be seen by the doctor.  He was thorough and pleasant.  So far, so good.  After the eye exam, I was told to go out and shop for glasses.

Being on a pretty tight budget, while glasses are a necessity, they also take a pretty hefty bite out of the monthly budget.   I picked out a couple of their least expensive frames and took them to the counter.  On the counter was a placemat that explained their pricing packages or so I thought.

It was pretty simple.  I was looking at their basic package for multi focal lenses which according to the place mat included the bi focal lenses, a one year warranty, a sun or vanity tint and UV protection.  The price for two pairs of lined bi focals was listed as $99.  The price for unlined (progressive) lens was $138.  Ok, so I can live with that price.  It was $39 higher than the lined bi-focals but worth it.

The girl took the measurements and my preferences for tinting one pair as sun glasses.  She put it all in the computer and …. the grand total was $249.    So I said, wait a second, what happened to the $138???  Oh, that price is just for the lens, you still have to buy the frames.  Ummmm, that’s not what you advertised.   So I told her to go ahead and take off the progressive lens.  The total came down to $209.

Ok, so now I am getting a little angry.  I pointed out that their website advertised two pair of multi focal glasses for $99.  The girl told me that they didn’t.  She ended up calling the manager over who told me that it was because she had included the warranty and the tinting.  I pointed to the place mat with the prices and which clearly listed the warranty, and the tinting for $99 or $138.

The manager actually snatched it out of my hands and put it behind her back.  She told me that that  a package price and was just for the lenses and did not include the frames.  By now, I am more than a little angry and I specifically asked her what exactly did the advertised Two Pair for $99 include?  Was it the frames with no lenses or the lenses with no frame? She told me that I could get the tinting for $15.  So if I do the math according to what she was telling me, the frames were $49.95 each and the tinting was $15 for each pair.  The price advertised for the “package” was $99 for the lined bifocal lenses plus the 49.95 for each  for the frames would bring the total package price for the two pair of glasses to $198.90.  Without the package price, the cost would be $99 plus the $15 for the tinting for a total of $114.  This means that you are paying $84.90 for a year’s warranty.

Oh no, I could get the Two Pair for $99 without the warranty and the tint.  With Progressive lenses it would have been $199.  Well, FINALLY!!  I paid for my glasses which will be in about 7 days from now.  I must admit that I am still not sure that I didn’t get railroaded out of the progressive lenses but I did finally get the lined bifocals for the advertised price.

My problems with this are many.  Anyone who just went in for the advertised two pair would have probably gotten pressured into paying over twice as much.  I have nothing against upselling but start at the advertised price and up sell me.  Don’t try to tell me that it wasn’t what they were advertising or just upsell me without even mentioning the lower option.  The girl who waited on me didn’t even know there WAS a lower option.

I left and I am still not sure that I was charged the right price.  It’s a shame because other than the price difficulties it was a pleasant experience.  Have you tried America’s Best Contacts and Eyeglasses?   How was your experience?

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The ancient Babylonians are thought to be the first to make New Years Resolutions.  They made them to find favor with the gods and breaking them was supposed to bring bad luck.  Many of us continue to make New Years Resolutions every year and most of us fail to keep them.  The Babylonians were careful to pick resolutions that they could keep through the year and we should be just as careful.

Every year I make the same New Year’s Resolutions and every year I fail to keep them.  I might make some effort to keep them for a week or two but then other things become more important.  I have really spent some time this year determining what I want to accomplish in the next year.

The Most Common Mistake

Most of us make a very common mistake when we are making our resolution.  We make a resolution to do something to improve ourselves such as losing weight, quitting smoking, saving money, etc but we never really make a plan on how to do it.  We think about it for a week or so but then just flounder because the reason we haven’t done it in the past is because we really don’t know how to go about it.

Making a plan to support our resolutions

One of my New Years resolutions is to put and keep money in my emergency fund.  Well, that’s a pretty good resolution but it is non specific.  I have to ask myself how much money should I have?  How long should it stay there?  Or even more important why haven’t I been able to keep money in the fund in the past?   The easy answer is that I keep having emergencies but if I look closer, I really haven’t had but one emergency this year and that was when my father got sick in April.  I have taken money out of the fund for groceries, to pay bills, and to do car repairs.  All of these things should have been covered in my regular budget but our income for the month did not support the budget.

So if I make the resolution to keep money in my emergency fund, I am already setting myself up to fail if I don’t make some adjustments to my budget.  This year, instead of putting all my savings into my emergency fund, I am going to start a second account to use as an operating account.  Because our income varies drastically from month to month, I am going to start putting money aside specifically to be used to cover those months where our income is low.  In the past, we have just tightened our belts and done without and then dipped into the emergency fund to cover the essentials.

My plan this year is simple, specific and measurable.   I cannot take money out of our regular income for our emergency fund.  We just don’t have enough income to support it unless the economy does a drastic turnaround.   I do have irregular income that comes from my blog, some ebay and craigslist sales.  This income is going to go into my emergency fund.  Any boon in our regular income will go into a separate account to be used in the lean months.

Another Common Mistake

Another mistake I make every year is not looking at what didn’t work over the last year.  The answer this year is easy, I didn’t work.  I have made very few posts over the last 12 months.  My focus has been on other things and I have made less than a decent effort to write or promote my websites or internet business.  This is going to change this year and I am making a committment to write daily on this blog and several others that I maintain.  I am going to set aside time each day to accomplish this.

My Plan

Increase my internet income to $100 per month for the first quarter.

For the second quarter, I would like to double that to $200 per month.

For the third and fourth quarter, I would like to be making $500 per month.

My How

eBay -  I am going to start selling on eBay again.  I pick up knick knacks and collectibles at thrift stores and yard sales and resell them on eBay.  Historically, I have done pretty well at this, usually doubling my investment.

Blogs -  I need to double my traffic on all of my blogs.  It has dropped off simply because I have not been writing and I have lost quite a few of my readers.  I have also not been promoting them.  I will be writing at least three articles per week on each blog and promoting each article.  I actually enjoy this because so much of blog promotion is just getting out and visiting other blogs.  I learn quite a bit and make some great friends this way.

Guest Posts -  I am going to be accepting guest posts on all my blogs on a weekly basis.  I am also going to try to write some guest posts for other sites.

Results

My resolutions this year and goals are rather ambitious.  It will take time and hard work to accomplish them but it is a labor of love and I will enjoy both the process and the results.  I will keep you updated on how my financial goal is going over the months.

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Used Books

I read a lot.  Most of my family reads as well so books are always a good choice for gift ideas.  I purchase most of my books from Amazon.  I buy the majority of them in good as new used condition from private sellers at a drastically reduced price.

Free Shipping

I get free two day shipping on quite a few items by signing up for Amazon Prime .  You can sign up for a free month trial now and get all of your holiday shipping free.  I find this to be an excellent way to shop for my friends and family who don’t live close by.

Online Auctions

For those unique or hard to find gifts, you can often find them on ebay.  I buy jeans for my son in law who wears a 40 inch inseam and they are almost impossible to find in stores.  I have always been able to find them on ebay for a greatly reduced price.  Other gifts I have found are new cowboy boots, some collector items for my mom, some gorgeous handmade wreaths for my daughter and of course, ebay is another outlet for books.  I have purchased all of my laptops on eBay and always been happy with them.  Be sure to check on the shipping price before you bid or buy on ebay as some shippers charge an exorbitant rate.

Comparison Shopping Sites

There are several websites that allow you to comparison shop by price.

Nextag
Shopzilla
Price Grabber

Smart Money rated  different comparison shopping sites and Price Grabber came up on the top of the heap.  You can see the whole list of comparison sites in their article.
Shop Locally

Ok, so what is shop local doing in an online shopping article?  Some stores like Walmart and Sears offer the ability to purchase off of their website and have it delivered to the local store.  This saves shipping on most items and you can stop off to pick them up when you are going by anyway.

Check for Coupon Codes

There are many online sites for coupon and discount codes for online shopping.  Many of these codes are for major retailers such as Home Depot, Kohls, ToysRUs, etc.  Here are just a few:

Coupon Cabin

Retail Me Not

Current Codes

You can find more by googling coupon codes.  Some sites have printable coupons that can be used at local retailers.

Holiday Sales

Just like brick and mortar stores, most online stores have holiday sales as well.  Amazon is offering special Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals.  You can also check to see if your favorite stores such as Walmart, Home Depot, or Target have a website and check it out for online sales.   Many of the major retailers are offering free shipping.

Safety

Be sure to make sure that whatever site you order from has a secure order form.  This means that your credit card information is encrypted in the same manner that banks use to send information.  Do not send your credit card information through email.  The safest way to shop online is to use prepaid credit cards as these are limited.  In this way, you are not giving someone a link to your bank account or credit card.

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I really like prepaid debit cards, because they’re “prepaid.” What that means is that you can auto-load your card each month with a set amount, and then you have to stick to that amount. There’s no cheating, because unlike a bank’s debit card, you can’t spend more than you actually have. The other benefit is you avoid ridiculous overdraft fees and you know exactly what your monthly fees will be.

Tips for Using A Prepaid Debit Card for Budgeting

In my budget I have categories and money for some categories has traditionally been put into my savings account.  The problem is that this money often gets used for other things or it isn’t quickly available when I need it.   This means that when the time comes to use the money for purchases in that category, it isn’t there and I end up blowing my budget.

With Christmas coming up, I am always looking for ways to stay in budget and a prepaid credit card that I could not only shop online with but also take with me so that when I see that perfect gift, I would have the means to purchase it.

Another budget category that I might use a prepaid card for is clothing purchases.  I am definitely not a ‘clothes horse’ so my clothing purchases tend to be sporadic.  If I put my clothing budget into my savings account, I either use it for something else or don’t have the funds immediately available when I see something that I really like.

Because we travel in our business, it is often inconvenient to use cash.  I often have to make reservations at a hotel and without some kind of credit/debit card, it is almost impossible.  I can put our budgeted amount onto our debit card and then make reservations with confidence.  It’s also a true pain in the rear to have to prepay for gas.  I have to estimate what it is going to cost to fill the tank, stand in line to pay the deposit and then stand in line again when I am done filling the tank.  The prepaid card will make trips much easier.

You can also extend this to your family. For example, a prepaid debit card is perfect for a college student. Instead of giving them a credit card or cash for the entire semester, consider giving them a prepaid debit card that gets auto-loaded each month. That will force them to stay within their budget, and will also keep them from blowing through their money before the semester is over.

In short, prepaid cards are a tool that can be used to enhance your budget while forcing you to stay in a budget.  You need to shop wisely for your card and be aware of any hidden charges and fees.  As I have said before, I will never own another credit card so a prepaid card is very attractive to me.

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My Dream Card

I have made up the following wish list for my dream card.  I don’t expect to get it free but I would like it to be reasonable:

• Reasonable activation fee of under $20
• No dormancy fees
• Pay some kind of interest on my money
• No fees for purchases
• Reasonable fees for atm withdrawals ($1 or less)
• Free Online Balance Check
• No monthly fees

Is this asking too much?  There are a few cards that come close but none meet all of my requirements so I have been making comparisons.  They are very confusing and the card that might be the best for my spending habits (occasional transactions) might not be best for everyone.  If you plan on using the card several times per month, you might be better off choosing one that has a small monthly fee and free transactions.

Because Walmart has put their money card on sale I thought I would use it as an example. I honestly was somewhat skeptical about the monthly fees but after much research I have found that they are probably the best value.  All transactions are free except atm transactions.  The only way that I have found to get around atm transaction fees is to use your bank card at your own bank and that is not always free.

This is what is posted on Walmart’s cardholder agreement:

In contrast, here are some of the fees from another highly advertised prepaid credit card:
This is the NetSpend Prepaid Card as shown on another website:

Altogether though these fees may be considerably less than you are spending on your current credit card every month.   These fees are subject to change so if you are considering a prepaid credit card make sure that you read the small print and search for the best deal.

If you have any better deals on prepaid cards, I’d love to hear from you.  I am specifically searching for one that pays interest on the available balance.

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Credit card debt is unfortunately a way of life for the average American family. We’re enticed daily with the backwards motto to “buy today, pay eventually”. Many struggle to simply make the minimum monthly payment. For the many moms who are the family bill-payers, here’s some effective and easy ways you can eliminate credit card debt.

First and foremost, pay for your purchases in cash. You can prepare for this in advance, once you are determined to eliminate your debt, by setting aside at least $20 a week or more if possible, to start a petty cash fund. Commit to using your credit cards only in an emergency or a situation that requires a credit card, such as renting a car.

Review charges you consistently make on a monthly basis. These charges may include membership fees, subscriptions, automatic bill payments, gas for your car, prescriptions, sports equipment and uniforms, school tuition or orthodontist appointments. After listing them, determine how much money is to be allocated monthly for each payment. You may need to cancel the non-essentials. You can exercise at home for free; and if you don’t read half of the magazines you’re subscribed to then cancel them. Eliminating gym fees and subscriptions alone could save you hundreds of dollars per month.

One common sense method for moms to eliminate credit card debt is known as the Debt Reduction Pyramid. Basically, it’s a process of determining all debts owed starting with your smallest debt, and then pay off each one fully, working your way down to the largest debt. Predetermine to pay above the minimum payment for credit card debts. Once some of the smaller debts are paid, begin to pay full monthly payments. Continue this process until you successfully pay off all your debts in full.

Moms, a budget may sound too simple and over-rated but it can be the single most important tool for eliminating credit card debt. By creating a personalized budget and strictly adhering to it on a daily basis, you will reap the benefits and see your debt dwindle before your eyes. Remember to place your non-essential expenses at the bottom of the budget’s priority list.

Just by following these simple steps, you are well on your way to eliminating credit card debt. Reconsider those club memberships and pointless magazine subscriptions in order to organize expenses in priority-categories. With a debt as small as $10,000, if you’re only able to make minimum monthly payments it will take you 40 years to pay off that debt.

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