I have the same car I had when I met my husband, an SUV that I bought used. We have been married for 12 years. The SUV is now almost 15 years old. While it isn’t our primary car, the birth of a third child necessitated a third car seat which would not fit the backseat of the SUV, it is still used quite a bit as a second car. Unfortunately, it is getting to the point when we may have to give it up. According to the magazine, Consumer Reports, you can save thousands of dollars when you keep … Continue reading →

Sometimes a doctor will recommend a medical treatment to improve your health, but it is one that you just can’t afford. What can you do? First, you need to start with your doctor. Doctors often don’t know all of the costs associated with medical treatment, including prescriptions and other therapies. You can often work with the office staff or the pharmacy to estimate costs. They should give you a good idea of how much payment for which you may be responsible. If you find that this amount is out of reach, go back to your doctor, who can often help … Continue reading →

Owning a home isn’t for everyone. Sometimes it just makes sense to rent instead. Still, since rent is often the biggest item on the budget, it is important to do what you can to save money while keeping a roof over your head. Negotiate Negotiating up front can save you the biggest chunk of cash. If you can negotiate to lower your monthly rent, you will continue to save as long as you are in the apartment or rental home. Your landlord may be more likely to negotiate if you are willing to take a longer lease, have an excellent … Continue reading →

While no one really wants to think about life insurance, if you have a family it is an important to have it in place. Life insurance can pay for final expenses, as well as leave your loved ones in solid financial shape. Even non-working parents should carry life insurance, since the death of a stay-at-home parent means that the remaining spouse may have to incur new expenses related to child care. Should both parents become deceased, life insurance money can ensure their children’s future. The bottom line, is that your family cannot afford to be without life insurance. So how … Continue reading →

From May through August, our electric bill used to jump up high on the chart due to cooling costs. Then, a couple of years ago, we applied some serious strategies to staying cool for less. The change was so dramatic that the electric company sent out a work to check our meter, since our energy usage was so much different than they were used to seeing in the summer. Here are some of the changes that we made. Tightening up the House The major difference in our energy bill came when we sealed up the cracks and insulated our home. … Continue reading →

If you aren’t careful, you may be hit with fees on everything from banking to pizza. Businesses are now charging fees for things that they once gave away for free. In many cases, these fees are hidden, and you might not be aware of that you are paying for them. Delivery Fees Did you happen to notice that your pizza now costs an extra bit to have it delivered. I’m not talking about the tip. Major chains are adding on a delivery fee now. One of our local (non-chain) pizza places is doing so, but in a different way. They … Continue reading →

Three weeks ago, gas prices went up by 12-cents. Now, the news agency Reuters just released more discouraging news: The average price of gasoline in the United States rose again in the past two weeks, gaining nearly 3.5 cents to about $3.39 a gallon, due in part to higher crude oil prices, according to the nationwide Lundberg Survey. Gas prices are expected to continue to increase in the short term, about five cents or maybe more. This could really impact your budget. So, let us talk about practical ways that you can save on the cost of gas. As we … Continue reading →

Some monthly fees are a necessity, such as paying your rent or mortgage, while others can be eliminated without a great change in your lifestyle. Some necessary fees, such as insurance, may be able to be reduced with some research or a phone call. Here are some ways that you can reduce common monthly fees that don’t give you much back. Magazine Subscriptions Did you know that you can cancel most magazine subscriptions and then get a refund for the difference remaining, even if you have already paid? How many of those magazines are actually being read, and is it … Continue reading →

Why not enjoy savings of $200 to $2000 or maybe even more this year? It is a great time to get your property taxes lowered. In some cases, all it requires is a simple phone call! As we all know, home values have dropped, a lot, and they still have not come back. This means that your home may be taxed higher than it should be. A significant drop in home value means that your home may be worth less than it was when you originally purchased it. Why be taxed on negative equity? The first step is to understand … Continue reading →