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Frugal Month in Review: October 2008

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” – George Eliot October has come and gone, but we can still enjoy fall and the celebration of Thanksgiving and all of the great joys of the season. Take a look back at all of the ways to save money that were featured last month. October 1st Frugal Halloween Costumes It is fall and Halloween is approaching fast, are you ready? What do the kids want to be? You can make some great homemade costumes … Continue reading →

Linking Financial and Physical Health

A recent poll from the Associated Press and AOL Health took a look at the link between financial health (or lack thereof) and physical health. The poll was conducted in March and April of 2008 with more than one thousand adults from forty-eight states. The last time a poll like this was conducted was 2004. Comparing the two polls found that debt-related stress is fourteen percent higher now than it was four years ago. A research psychologist on the study estimated that between ten and sixteen million people are living in debt and suffering physically from the stress. Respondents in … Continue reading →

Holding off the Creditor and Collection Calls

In debt and over your head? Make sure you open communication with all your creditors. Call them, write them and inform them that you will be paying them off, but that ou need extra time. The key is to initiate the phone call, don’t wait until they have to start calling you. One of the worst mistakes people in debt make is to stop answering the phone calls and ignore the warning collection letters. They start too late to work with the debt collectors. If creditors are calling you, arrange a time when you can talk – away from work … Continue reading →

Rebates and Tax Credit for Windows and Energy Star Appliances

Sometimes spending money will actually help you save money in the long run. Highly efficient double pane glass windows are obviously more efficient than single glass windows and will save you money on your heating and cooling bill. – But did you know that you may also be eligible for a local rebate from your electric company and possibly a federal tax credit as well? Our local utility company offers rebates on windows, Energy Star compliant washing machines and dryers, furnaces and dual flush toilets! They also have rebates for insulation, lighting and programmable thermostats. The easiest way to find … Continue reading →

Finding and Plugging the Leaks in Your Budget

Do you have a leak in your budget? You have sat down and assigned amounts to each category. You are doing great and should have a couple of hundred dollars left over every month. But when you come to the end of the month, the money that should have gone into savings is gone and you may owe money on your credit card. If this is happening, your budget has sprung a leak! So what can you do to find the leak and fix it? First you need to find the leak. It is important to track your spending through … Continue reading →

The New Year and a New Budget…. Coming …..

It’s a New Year and time to think about my budget for the year ahead. Maybe you have already planned expenses for the upcoming year, but I am just starting to get the numbers down on paper. As I have casually mentioned in just a few blog posts, Hubby and I, well, – we’ve got some debt. In a spending spree extraordinare last year, we remodeled our kitchen, installed a gourmet coffee machine, spent our savings on our fridge and still managed to travel a bit. Then Christmas came, we hosted for a family of seven and I knew our … Continue reading →

My Peppermint Mocha – A Budget Necessity. Yumm

I remodeled our kitchen this past year, and took on a whole pile of debt that propelled me into budgeting and saving. One of the things I did was treated myself, (and Hubby) and we spent a lot of money on a coffee machine. Now this isn’t just any old machine. It grinds, presses, froths, and blends coffee with milk to make the perfect latte. When I add a bit of chocolate syrup I’ve got a mocha. With another press of a button I’ve got a mocha cappuccino. What does this have to do with budgeting? Well, surprisingly, since I … Continue reading →

Are You Behind on Your Bills?

What do you do when you fall behind on payments? You may have been out of work for a short time, and you got behind on all of your bills. You have enough to move forward, but are having a difficult time catching up. If you consistently do not have enough money to meet your obligations then you will need to find ways to increase your income. You will need to take several steps to fix your situation. First you will need to prioritize your bills. It is important that you keep a roof over your head, food on the … Continue reading →

Oh Oh. I’ve Got Too Many Bills.

My husband and I just spent a wad of cash remodeling our kitchen. Actually, I wish it was cash. We spent that good ol’ American money called credit card and now we are paying the price. We have to go on a budget. Hubby and I have been married a long time. Twenty five years in fact, and we’ve talked a good talk about budgets. Every few years we would sit down together and actually write one out, but then something important comes up. Like a new outfit for a wedding or new bike shoes for hubby. We’d spend the … Continue reading →