I always start talking about and planning for the Christmas season around this time. Although we save for it all year long, I like to start planning early, to give me plenty of time to decide what gifts I want to give to loved ones and have plenty of time to find deals on those items I want to purchase!

What if you haven’t planned ahead like us? Well, even $10 a week from now until Christmas will give you almost $200 to spend on a nice dinner and some small gifts for your family, that you didn’t have to put on a credit card!

I know we all get busy, but it’s no excuse for using credit cards to buy gifts for family members because you “forgot” Christmas was in December! It’s like I always say; No one wants you to go into debt to buy them a present. So, what do you do? Take the initiative. Start saving now if you aren’t already. Make this year the year you pay Cash for Christmas!

So, as most of us know by now (unless you live under a rock), congress passed the debt ceiling bill, and avoided some tough decisions of who and what to pay. What did they do next? Went on vacation of course! They’ve all left for a 5 week vacation, which normally I only make fun of, but this year I can’t laugh, because they never finalized a temporary measure to keep funding the FAA! Why is this bad? Because those people cannot get paid, not until the government hammers out a deal, but until congress has had a vacation! Absolutely ridiculous!

This is why we want everyone to have am emergency fund! If, because of something like a congress vacation, you couldn’t get paid for 5 weeks, could you cover your bills? Or would you have to be selling things and looking for a second job, in the hopes that congress cuts their vacation short so you can get back to work?

What are your thoughts? We want to hear them!

This situation is indicative of the problem in Washington DC. Polarized views and no desire to work together can’t keep our economy on track. Looking on this the way I would if it were my finances (crazy, messed up finances, haha), and I had the worlds largest credit card debt ever (government spending) AND millions of children and foster children that I had to feed and take care of (welfare, food stamps, and yes, social security) then I would know that I not only HAVE to spend LESS but also HAVE to raise my INCOME! It’s the only way to balance my budget. Now, most politicians agree on this, but are polarized on how much spending they want to cut or how much taxes they want to raise.

What do you think? Do you think we don’t need both? Do you think Washington DC is doing a good job?

Tuition hikes. This situation isn’t limited to California. All across the nation this happens. I can’t remember how often it happened while I was in college, but, it was relatively often. The disturbing part is where some of the money goes. A SIGNIFICANT portion of the funds go to financial aid. Now, I’m all for people getting help and assistance to get a higher education, but, I believe it shouldn’t be passed on to other students as part of their tuition! If they want to opt in or donate, that’s their choice (a good choice), but, why should higher tuition demands be placed on every student to fund additional financial aid?

The fact is that while we hope that higher education will be available to everyone, no matter their socioeconomic status, it just isn’t the case. Not everyone can afford college, the same way not everyone can afford a yacht, or a pricey car etc., and, when you pass the cost on to the student the way California is, you make it less accessible to middle class prospective students in the process. My problem isn’t with philanthropy(I believe donating to charity is essential for us all), my problem is with FORCED philanthropy. Maybe you don’t agree. That’s ok with me. We’re all entitled to our opinions, but, I think we can all agree that higher tuition costs stink.

1) Pack a cooler- this is a must for a road trip, but I would go a step further. Check out sales tax rates in your state and the other state(s) you’ll be traveling to. If your state’s tax is cheaper, stock up on snacks and drinks there, to save money. If the tax is lower elsewhere, get the bare minimum before you leave, then stock up in the cheaper states! And don’t stock up at the gas station if you can help it, cause you’ll pay double.

2) If you have no kids or young kids, plan your trip for late summer, when many places drop their rates to fall prices. This will save you a bundle.

3) Don’t eat your vacation. Many of us Americans think vacation calories don’t count and we should indulge. While I agree that a little indulgence is ok, overindulging all the time not only packs on the pounds, but also eats into your vacation money. Buy the experiences, not that second dessert for the day!

Check out the Forbes article for more great tips!

Take a minute if you will and think back on what the government has done since this crisis hit a few years ago. Bailing out banks and auto workers, bailing out mortgage lenders, the stimulus bill etc. Should they have been allowed to fail? Maybe. Could they have restructured so that collectively everyone took large benefit and pay cuts, making these companies solvent again? Probably. Did anyone DARE consider taking a pay cut (that includes everyone, from janitors to executives)??? I doubt it. They’d rather get a government hand out and pretend that the company they work for will magically become solvent. It won’t. And the problem is this; the government stepped in and gave them some cash, but cash doesn’t fix it by itself. They needed to make major changes, and yes, maybe some needed to close their doors. I hate it for those workers, but when you expand too much too soon, you end up in a risky position.

Here’s an example:

The stimulus bill gave lots of money to the school systems to create new jobs for both classified and certified school workers. The problem? Well, they hired all those people, and yes, for a couple of years that helped boost the economy, but now that the stimulus money is running out, those positions are being eliminated because the schools can’t afford them! That means most of those people are out of work again, and we as a country took on all that debt for temporary jobs for those people. Im not sure, but it probably would’ve been cheaper to keep them on unemployment for a few months until they found a job that didn’t have to be created for them. A job that wouldn’t disappear in a couple of years!

I could stand on my soapbox all day, thanks to our government, but I’ll just let you guys go read the article and fume about it with me. Some day, we’re all going to have to fume aloud though, if we want Washington to take notice.

If you want to keep your fiscal house in order (I’m pretty sure we can all do a better job than Washington), check out our checkbook and budgeting software here!

1. This article assumes retirement at 65, so if you want to retire before then, you need to save more aggressively and in a shorter period of time because you’ll need more money because you’ll work less over your lifetime!

2. I agree that saving and investing at least 15% of your income will get you to a great retirement, but if you’re behind because you’re getting out of debt, paying off your house etc. don’t worry, you’ll make up a lot of it on the back end. And by the way, getting out of debt is the first thing you should do. Saving your money when you owe somebody else is irresponsible.

3. His yardstick asses you’ll collect Social Security. If you’re a Gen Y’er or younger, you shouldn’t assume that Social Security will be around for you. Yes, you’re paying into it. But forget about it. Consider it a government stupid tax. I don’t count on it. If I want to stop working and still have money, I have to save for that day. Period. Therefore, you need more than 12 times your income.

Where do you fall? Are you saving enough? Getting out of debt? If you’re just starting, get moving!

So, put in simple terms, what’s going on in Greece? The people and the government of that nation have spent beyond their means and defaulted on their loans for decades, and are officially not able to “borrow on their name” anymore. Why should this matter to you? Well, it’s very similar to what’s been happening in the U.S., with the exception being that our lenders have more confidence in us. However, if we keep borrowing and not paying down our debt, they may lose that confidence. This is what is being debated in congress right now. The way I see it, it can’t be fixed quickly. It took us YEARS to get this far gone, it will take years to fix it, but with spending cuts (lots of them) and yes, higher taxes, and YES, American assets values adjusting downward even more, it can get right. The problem wasn’t that our economy grew, it was that it was projected to be growing faster than it was! So yes, everything you own is really worth less than you paid for it. The good news is that should really only matter to you if you are planning to sell those assets!

So, you should be watching Greece. We all are going to have to saddle the burden of correcting our economy (although I know many of us would like to pass the burden on to someone else, we all overspent, we all suffer the consequences) if we don’t want to end up with many of the same problems plaguing Greece right now!

WordPress is flaky today, so sorry for any typos and for the long links (check them out below)!

http://www.moneyweek.com/news-and-charts/economics/global/bill-bonner-the-us-is-in-worse-shape-than-greece-12408

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/16/ba-markets-forex-idUSN1617624320110616

Today I found an article that both made me happy and made me cynical. This article, which I found on CNN Money, tells how schools are getting creative and posting their yearbooks online, for students to purchase them, as a way to save money. I think this is a fabulous idea! It’s great to see people coming up with creative ways to save, but, I have to wonder what the sacrifice was made for? Was it made to keep teachers employed? Excellent! Was it made to get better textbooks or supplies? Fabulous!

As much as I hope for this, I’m sad to say I don’t believe it. It certainly wasn’t going to improve school lunches from the deep fried, high fat, French fries count as a vegetable system they have in place. It will probably be used to build another parking lot.

Thoughts? We’d love to hear from you!

This could be a great tool for you to be able to lower your grocery bill without sacrificing the quality of food and goods you buy, thereby enabling you to get your grocery budget (are you using our software? It helps you create a budget! Check it out here!) in check! Give it a look and come back and tell is what you think, or leave some feedback on how you’re creatively using coupons!

A little back story:

My husband is in the security industry, and so he knows the value of keeping things safe. A desktop program can be a safer choice than a web-based program, and therefore, we chose the desktop version as our initial product. We do plan to offer a web-based version of the software in the future, but we want it to be a very secure product. YOUR FINANCIAL INFORMATION should be secured above and beyond anything else! You don’t want someone stealing your personal banking information! Instances like the recent hack attacks on Cloud systems and the Playstation Network are prime examples of why web-based programs have to be secure. That’s why we feel confident that SCG Checkbook for your PC is a great choice to keep your finances secure.

Not sure what I’m talking about? Want more opinions than just mine? Check out this article , and this article, and this article and this article. And check out SCG Checkbook here!

Why am I so certain you want or need to buy it? Well, an article in the Wall Street Journal (which you can read here) shares a study in which people were asked if they “had to come up with $2000 in 30 days, how would they do it?”. HALF of Americans said they probably or definitely couldn’t come up with that money for an emergency, and are therefore, financially fragile. That is code for paycheck to paycheck, or, as we southerners like to call it, broke. So, if half of us are broke, then I know at least half of us could use a tool that not only helps us balance our checkbooks, but also gives us basic guidelines on creating a budget, which is how you REALLY learn to save money!

Check out the article, it’s worth the read, and if you’d be the person struggling to come up with the money for an emergency, go check out (purchase??) our software!

Have a great week all!

This week we are focusing more on the emotional and relational side of living better, thanks to this (admittedly lengthy) article sent to me by one of the aforementioned friends. It focuses on a sample of 111 life lessons from the website community Everyday Life Lessons. Check out the article to get this weeks dose of morals and feel good quotes, or maybe use them as a way to get yourself back on track, if you’ve veered from who you want to be.

Some of my favorites:

Spend more time with those who make you smile and less time with those who you feel pressured to impress.

Laugh at stupid jokes. Apologize. Tell someone how much they mean to you. It’s the small moments that make life grand.

Life is way more enjoyable when you stop trying to be cool and simply focus on being yourself.

Negativity breeds more negativity. When you focus only on the negative, obviously that’s all you will see. You will not seek out positivity, and even when positivity comes into your life, you’ll look for the negative side of things.

If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.

And last but not least;

A hero is someone who makes a positive difference in someone else’s life – even if it’s only one other person’s life.

Incidentally, my hero is my husband. Everyone have a great day!

Check out the article, and, leave some feedback or ask a question if you’d like to! We’d love to hear from you!

Remember, don’t let your life happen to you; happen to your life! And when that just won’t work, accept it and go attack something else!

Check out the descriptions in the article(they are worth the read) but here’s the short list:

1) Buy experiences, not things.
2) Help others. It makes you feel good about you.
3) Upgrade several small items, not the big ones (cause honestly, can you tell a HUGE difference between the 47″ and 50″ tv?)
4) Buying the protection plan is not worth it. Great line from the story:”Think of it as the penalty you pay for not having enough savings to cover a catastrophic loss, and buy only what you need.”. Love that!
5) Save for an experience (or anything for that matter), then pay cash! Duh, this is what I always say! You get just as much feel good feelings when you wait and buy when you have the cash without getting a credit card hangover!
6) Think about all the other stuff involved in your purchase! Want to buy a boat? Who’s going to take care of it when it’s docked, etc.?
7) Don’t obsess and buy it already.
Mimic. If simple things make others happy, they should you too. Don’t think buying more makes you happy. If a picnic in the park sounds silly, I suggest you try it before pronouncing it worthless.

First, nobody needs that much stuff. If you have so much stuff that it won’t fit in your apartment, then you need to have a yard sale. I’m not suggesting you get rid of everything you own, but perhaps you could get rid of the stuff you aren’t using and haven’t used in the last year.

Moving on to renting. Let me just say that I have a problem with the notion that owning a home is “the American dream”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for owning your own home if you gave a down payment, can finance it for less than 20 years (preferably 15) and still keep your payment at less than 25% of your annual income. If this scenario doesn’t describe your current situation, however, then I don’t think you have any business owning a home and it shouldn’t be your end all be all goal. Why not have a goal of being debt free? You and your friends can’t see it, it’s not tangible, but it IS a direction toward wealth, and, home ownership is not always headed that way. Think about all the people whose homes lost value in the last few years. They didn’t BUILD any wealth and they LOST any gains they might have made. Renting might not be glamorous, but at least you can live cheaply to pay down debt. I suggest your new American dream be to be debt free, not to owe your bank for a mortgage.

Just some thoughts! We’d love to hear your feedback!

First, nobody needs that much stuff. If you have so much stuff that it won’t fit in your apartment, then you need to have a yard sale. I’m not suggesting you get rid of everything you own, but perhaps you could get rid of the stuff you aren’t using and haven’t used in the last year.

Moving on to renting. Let me just say that I have a problem with the notion that owning a home is “the American dream”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for owning your own home if you gave a down payment, can finance it for less than 20 years (preferably 15) and still keep your payment at less than 25% of your annual income. If this scenario doesn’t describe your current situation, however, then I don’t think you have any business owning a home and it shouldn’t be your end all be all goal. Why not have a goal of being debt free? You and your friends can’t see it, it’s not tangible, but it IS a direction toward wealth, and, home ownership is not always headed that way. Think about all the people whose homes lost value in the last few years. They didn’t BUILD any wealth and they LOST any gains they might have made. Renting might not be glamorous, but at least you can live cheaply to pay down debt. I suggest your new American dream be to be debt free, not to owe your bank for a mortgage.

Just some thoughts! We’d love to hear your feedback!

I watch it like I watch a train wreck. It’s awful and it’s unnerving, but I can’t take my eyes off of it. These people (for the most part) are so out of touch with reality I just can’t believe it. They may appear wealthy but most spend money they don’t have. I feel sorry for them. I watch them making mistakes and wonder at what point they lost touch with the real world and their actions became normal. I worry that they are teaching their kids to make the same bad choices. But mostly, I think they’re ridiculous and they make me angry.

Why do they make me angry you ask? Because the uninformed may believe that the average housewife actually has a lifestyle like THAT! Trust me when I say it’s nothing like! I do not have a nanny (can you really be a stay at home mom if you have a nanny? I think you’re a stay at home wife then, which is fine, but tell it like it is), I do not have a maid or cleaning service, we don’t eat out every night and I certainly don’t get manicures, pedicures, fancy material items etc. every day of the week. Thinking back on it, I think I had 3 pedicures TOTAL in 2010 that were done professionally. I did the rest myself. Yesterday I was up to my elbows in soft scrub cleaning the shower…yeah, real glamorous.

So, why am I telling you all of this? Money management is all about realistic expectations and delayed gratification. Neither of which are displayed in the Real Housewives TV shows. They are entertaining (in a ridiculous kind of way), but they are not a model to go by. Keep your lifestyle realistic and you’ll have something one day. By the way, every pedicure I skip is money in the bank when I retire…now that’s glamorous!

Also wanna give a shout out to a couple of friends who made great strides toward becoming debt free! Way to go guys!

With our budget, we have bi-annual budget committee meetings; one in the summer and one at the beginning of the year. All yearly special occasions (birthdays, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, anniversary etc.) are a continuous part of our budget and were added in the beginning when we created it. So, what do you do about baby showers, bridal showers, weddings etc? They get budgeted too! Just because you can’t call them fixed expenses doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t put it in the budget asap!

So, where does the money come from to fund the occasion? Well, if you’re broke, you shouldn’t be buying gifts anyway (other than a card…they’ll understand)! If you’ve paid off your debt and are saving, then you can feel ok about gift giving. How do you pay for it? Simple; you can either pay for a reasonably priced gift out of your saving envelope, make a little extra cash or cut your expenses temporarily to pay for it!

Here’s an example:

At the beginning of this year, we knew that we had a good friend having a baby(whose shower I wanted to help with) and 2 good friends getting married(1 of them being a very close friend, we are both in the wedding and I wanted to throw her bachelorette party on top of it all)! We knew better than to wait and try and fund it on the fly, so we adjusted our budget to pay for each! Now, when each event rolls around, we easily have the cash without worrying, and, isn’t the point of budgeting to get control of your money and stop worrying?!?

Take it from me and budget a special occasion when you find out about it! You don’t want to worry about money while you watch a best friend walk down the aisle!

With our budget, we have bi-annual budget committee meetings; one in the summer and one at the beginning of the year. All yearly special occasions (birthdays, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, anniversary etc.) are a continuous part of our budget and were added in the beginning when we created it. So, what do you do about baby showers, bridal showers, weddings etc? They get budgeted too! Just because you can’t call them fixed expenses doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t put it in the budget asap!

So, where does the money come from to fund the occasion? Well, if you’re broke, you shouldn’t be buying gifts anyway (other than a card…they’ll understand)! If you’ve paid off your debt and are saving, then you can feel ok about gift giving. How do you pay for it? Simple; you can either pay for a reasonably priced gift out of your saving envelope, make a little extra cash or cut your expenses temporarily to pay for it!

Here’s an example:

At the beginning of this year, we knew that we had a good friend having a baby(whose shower I wanted to help with) and 2 good friends getting married(1 of them being a very close friend, we are both in the wedding and I wanted to throw her bachelorette party on top of it all)! We knew better than to wait and try and fund it on the fly, so we adjusted our budget to pay for each! Now, when each event rolls around, we easily have the cash without worrying, and, isn’t the point of budgeting to get control of your money and stop worrying?!?

Take it from me and budget a special occasion when you find out about it! You don’t want to worry about money while you watch a best friend walk down the aisle!

So what are you doing to combat the inflation? If you’ve stopped clipping your coupons or are back to name brand items, it’s time to renew your cash saving efforts! I know, summer’s coming up and you’re itching for new clothes or summer fun toys (jet ski anyone?)! Well, if you are out of debt or have budgeted correctly I don’t mind you treating yourself! That said, I would suggest checking out consignment shops or Craigslist for your treasures, since you’ll save some cash and be reusing and not wasting! Now, if you’re looking for a swimsuit, I suggest Target, Forever 21(if you’re built like a stick) or TJ Maxx (certainly not a consignment shop)! They usually have great prices and cute styles! Remember, it’s not the brand that matters, it’s how confident you are when you wear it (or carry it if you are a handbag snob)!

On another topic, as part of our Love More motto, I just wanted to say that this is one of the times of year when we start to take our significant others for granted (Christmas and Valentine’s Day over, we get busy). If you’ve noticed that this is the case, perhaps it’s time to renew your affections and appreciation for your partner! It can’t hurt, right?

Keep up the good work!

Check it out, and, if you’ve been having trouble with your bank, maybe there will be a good alternative.  Another tip when choosing a bank: check out the smaller “hometown” banks.  They are more likely to work with you and less (albeit a very little bit less) likely to sell you a product you don’t need or that will get you in trouble in the future!

Well, if you want to pay more taxes, go right on ahead, but leave me out of it.  We pay enough already.

If you’ve read us before, and you’re married, then you know we support having a Valentine’s Day line item in your yearly budget, that way, the stress isn’t on where you will get the money to celebrate, and you can actually focus on celebrating!

But, you say, what if I’m only dating (seriously or casually)?  Well, it is our opinion that you should have a dating line item in your budget!  You know that you’re going to go on dates  here and there, so it should be in your budget!  Even if you’re not dating now, just let the money stockpile and use it when you need it.  That way, if you’re dating and Valentine’s Day rolls around, you can take your date to a nicer than usual restaurant and not feel guilty (or be cash strapped) because of it!

Another little tidbit I wanted to mention…check out swagbucks.com.  This is a search engine that awards you “swagbucks” for searching through them (that way you see the ads from THEIR partners).  The search engine is decent, but the rewards are great.  Save up the “bucks” and cash them in for Starbucks gift cards, Amazon.com gift cards etc.  Free stuff is always good, right?

Also, if you were bad this Christmas and paid for it on credit (because you were surprised when December rolled around and brought Christmas again), don’t sweat it.  Don’t let it beat you down.  Just write out your plan of attack for paying it off NOW!  Even $10 toward the balance helps, although we’d love for that amount to be higher!

SwagGrabber

Money Saving Mom

Deal Seeking Mom

All of these websites have great daily and weekly deals listed on them, although, sometimes they have the same info.  Just have to check them out and see what’s going on that day!  Good luck, and hopefully I’ll be posting soon!

Bidnip.com is an auction sniper site that will swoop in at the last minute on an auction, and, for a very small fee (generally less than a quarter), snag the item for you!  If you don’t win, you get your change back!  This will help you save up to 50% on your item, which will make you feel a little better about the ridiculous shipping costs that the sellers charge!  Also, if you’re not sure you want to sign up with them, they let you have a free trial, just to be sure.  No obligation, no worries.

Happy shopping!  Save some money.

In our case, a new baby in the house is definitely a strain on our sanity as first time parents.  There are bottles to be made and diapers to be changed, all while the baby is crying.  It’s a lot on the nerves.  The only way to make it through, that I can see anyway, is to work together.  When you share the responsibilities you are not only showing respect to your partner, but you are directly impacting their stress level in a positive way.  This keeps the blood pressure low and, if your lucky, keeps the sleep deprivation to a minimum, haha. 

Identify the stressers in your relationship.  Sit down and discuss them together, and see if you can agree on a method to work together and remove the stress.  Show each other the love and respect that you felt for each other when you got married.  That is how love and respect grow throughout the years.  I love and respect Jerrill more everyday.  And the love and respect I show him, he shows to me as well, and that, people, helps you keep your sanity when you have a million things to do and no time to do it in.

As our regular readers are aware, your favorite southern couple now has a daughter.  At around a month old, her requirements are mainly food, diaper changes and sleep (and the pacifier, haha).  Another requirement, we have learned, is that of gas relief drops, like Mylicon.  The stuff is like liquid gold.  We go through an ounce a week, for crying out loud, and at about $13 an ounce, buying that stuff at the grocery, frankly, hurts.  The good news is that while at another local grocery store, we found their generic brand drops for only $4 an ounce!  That’s a savings of $9 a week, or $468 a year!  For those of you looking for a good start on your vacation fund, saving on generics like this is a fast track to making it a reality. 

Review your weekly expenditures and try and find the name brand things that can be swapped for generic.  It doesn’t have to be all of your weekly expenses, but $10-$15 a week adds up, and will be a nice boost to your savings, or a good start on a vacation (or at least a nice long weekend)!

• Taxes – Gross versus Net, FICA versus income taxes…it’s all confusing to a teenager.  Actually, it’s confusing to a lot of adults as well (unfortunately), so if you don’t understand the difference, look it up, then sit down with your child when they get their first check and explain the differences to them.  It’s important for them to know what they make versus what they bring home, and where what they’re not bringing home is going.
• Bank accounts – Help your teen open up both a savings and a checking account.  It’s not only important for your teen to learn how to use a checking account, including balancing a checkbook (which you should teach them…again, learn how to if you don’t know, because you want your child to have a good financial start, don’t you??), but it’s also important for them to learn how to save money, like starting their own emergency fund, car fund or iPhone or iPad fund etc.  Delayed gratification is a very good lesson for a teen to learn, in a world of “My super sweet 16″ TV shows and teens who expect to be bought $200 blue jeans.
• Micromanaging – The above stated, let them mess up with the first paycheck.  New fancy shoes or video games might be awesome to have right then and there, but when they have no more money because they blew it all, don’t give in and give them money from your own wallet.  Let them see what it’s like to be broke.  It needs to hurt a little. 

This is a great article, so check it out!  Don’t let the opportunity to impart good financial lessons to your teenager pass you by!!!

With this information in mind, if you’re reading this article as a citizen of the U.S., you are already lucky in that you have all of the opportunities afforded to the citizens of this great land.  Given this revelation, why would you waste any of the opportunities you have??  You should be out in the world, making your future better by learning to be frugal and save money for retirement.  And, if you’ve been lucky enough to meet a significant other who shares your views and your luck in being born in the U.S., then you both owe it to yourselves to make the most of everything that comes your way.

This doesn’t mean that you should spread yourself too thin, or that you MUST take advantage of EVERY opportunity, but it does mean that ANY person, no matter their socioeconomic status, has the same ability to get ahead in the U.S., and feeling sorry for yourself or deciding that you can’t do something only hurts you in the long run. 

It”s easy to have a negative and defeatist attitude.  Don’t do easy…have a positive attitude and take advantage of the opportunities that come your way.  That is how you become more powerful in your own life.

Not only is it a good choice for saving money, since the cost of bottled water is ridiculous, but also, the plastic that the bottles are made from fills up landfills if you don’t recycle them.  As an added punch in the gut, the plastic bottle is made from oil, in case you didn’t know, and so, is yet another reason to look into alternatives. 

I know some of you might like the portability of the bottled water, but you can buy a reusable water bottle and just wash it!  When I go to the gym, I use a reusable water bottle, that I fill straight from the tap (tap water has fluoride in it, something a lot of people are lacking for their teeth right now because of bottled water).  When I get home, I wash the bottle and let it dry, so that it will be ready for the next trip to the gym.

It’s just something to think about.  There are many good reasons to switch from bottled water, but the monetary savings definitely tops my list!

My favorite item on the list has to be weddings, since I have somewhat of a personal vendetta against high cost weddings.  It’s not that I don’t want people to have a nice wedding full of memories, it’s just that I don’t think we need to spend an average of $19,000 (according to the article) to make these memories.  Friends and family make the memories of your wedding (trust me on this), not the decorations.  Use less expensive decorations/venues to cut costs.  Have a friend throw you a “stock the bar” shower as opposed to a lingerie shower, since we all know that the lingerie ends up on the floor anyway, and save a ton on booze.  Either way, cut your costs, and put that money into savings!

Another favorite off the list?  Kitchen gadgets!  We all love them and we all buy them (unless of course, you use your kitchen as a closet or can only cook 5 meals, and therefore eat our a lot), but do we really need them?  Be honest!  Do you really need that pasta maker?  Have you ever made pasta from scratch?  Or is it more likely that you bought the gadget and still buy your pasta pre-made from the grocery?  Whatever the gadget, chances are you don’t need it!  You should either save that cash, or put it toward something useful, like saving it up to buy a good set of knives or cookware!

There are 8 other items on the list, which I strongly suggest you check out!  Some are funny (electronic litter box, anyone??), and others are practical, but all are a waste of money!

We would like to take this time to wish everyone a Happy Father’s Day this Sunday, and would also like to notify you that we will be taking next week off from writing, as we celebrate the birth of our daughter.  As our regular readers know, we take family time very seriously, and think that spending time loving each other is a key element in a happy marriage, and of course, loving more and living better.  Therefore, that is what we’re going to do next week!  Have a great week next week, and we’ll see you soon!

• Better Budgeting - Some great ideas here!  My favorite is the idea of yard service.  This is great for the father who doesn’t relish the idea of getting out in the heat and working in the yard.   A truly thoughtful gift.
• About.com - As for this website, I personally like the “week of special lunches”, since Jerrill takes his lunch to work everyday.  I think this might top my list for next years Father’s Day!
• iVillage.com - This has some good tips for the 1st Father’s Day for a new dad!  The big idea here is keeping it simple and inexpensive, and I wholeheartedly agree, since most men I know wouldn’t want you to break the bank on their Father’s Day gift anyway.  Men are men.  If they want something for themselves, they generally go get it!
• Associated Content - This has some sweet ideas and some funny ideas for the new dad.  I LOVE the “new dad diaper changing survival kit”!  This is a great little funny gift for the dad with a sense of humor!

So, with my baby about to be born any day now, you might be asking what your favorite southern woman has done for her man on Father’s Day.  Well, I have 2 presents in store for him (I don’t mind sharing…he’s a little busy with baby stuff right now, and won’t likely be reading this week’s posts, haha).  The first is a picture frame that will have our first family picture in it, that he can take to work.  The second is my favorite however.  I have had his wedding band inscribed, something personal from just me to him, because even though it is Father’s Day, the joy of our baby would not have been possible without our love and devotion to each other, and it’s always good for couples to remember that.

Hope these links help you find the ideal and frugal gift for your dad!  Good luck!

Buy building relationships with people who are also involved in these organizations, you will build a reputation as a solid and concerned citizen, and will get your name, and the name of your business out in the business world.  Just remember not to join more groups than you have time to dedicate to them.  While there are many local groups that you can join in the town/city you live in or near, there are many national groups as well.  Try to pick groups that are relevant in some way to your business, if that’s at all possible.  What are some of the national groups you could join?  Check these out:

The Boys and Girls Club of America  – Get involved in mentoring children with hard luck backgrounds.

Kiwanis International - Global volunteer organization that helps communities and children.

Volunteers of America - Service oriented organization that helps people get “back on track”

Volunteer.gov - A database that has volunteer opportunities able to be sorted by state, agency and type of opportunity.

Habitat for Humanity - A nonprofit organization that builds houses for those in need. 

There are countless others to choose from, but these are a few volunteer options to get you started.  Don’t forget, though, that you can join other groups that focus on education or professional development in your local community!

I myself am currently named as an Executrix of an estate, although I hope not to have to be saddled with the job for many, many years, and, after I got to reading the little article on CNN Money, I began to wonder what the  basics of executing a will were, and whether or not I knew any of them.  I mean, I have no doubt that I can and will carry it out to the best of my ability, but I am no expert, and therefore, would like to have some tips on the process and legal issues that might arise.  The article I found surpassed my expectations.  From contacting the funeral home to contacting a lawyer (if necessary), this checklist has a little bit for everyone.  An important question raised is how to pay for the funeral if it has not been paid in advance.  Life insurance “isn’t paid in a week” as it says, and therefore the author recommends that the owner of the estate have money set aside for these expenses if they don’t pay for them ahead of time!  What a great suggestion!

This article not only has tips for the executor of the will, but also, at the bottom of the checklist it has some tips for the person with the estate.  This is fantastic, if you ask me, because more often than not, the issues that arise from a will (other than people being petty over material mementos) are because the deceased person doesn’t have their affairs “completely” in order.  For those of you with a will, I would double check this list to be sure you haven’t missed something.  The best tip (in my humble opinion) was to have a specific folder, binder etc. that is stored in a place that the executor and another family member know of that has ALL of your important information in it, from wills to passports to divorce decrees…and not copies either!  They need to be the originals!

I suggest to all of our readers to check out the article.  This just seems like information that could be useful for most of us in the future, especially if you follow our suggestions and get yourself our of debt and start building wealth.  You could have a “nice chunk of change” to leave to your family, and you don’t want them to get a headache from your gift!  Happy reading!

I have always been opposed to the excessive use of tech, especially when you are supposed to be focused on your family.  The fact is, there are times when it’s OK to tech binge, and there are times when it’s not.  Children should not have these tech things that can distract them from their family, and the parents shouldn’t set a bad example by using their gadgets all the time either.  There have been numerous studies that prove that multi-tasking is only possible for 3% of the population without the loss of quality.  With that fact in mind, what do you think happens to the quality of family time when each member of the family has a gadget in their hands and in their face?  Obviously, the quality goes down!

Am I saying that people shouldn’t ever use the tech they have?  No, of course not.  But when “family time” is really family time, it’s probably a good idea to put the tech away for the duration.  For example, when we go on vacation, we heavily limit our use of our tech.  We take our laptop with us to be able to stream music or play it from our music library while we are hanging out at the condo/hotel room.  We take our camera for pictures and the OCCASIONAL video (I’m not a big video fan since I sound every bit the hillbilly that I am ).  We take the GPS to get us there safely, and our cell phones in case of emergency.  We DO NOT use the cell phones while on vacation, with the exception of the phone call made to family informing them of our safe arrival.  We limit the tech because while on vacation, there are PLENTY of other things to do and we should focus on each other, not the world around us.

Think about your household (or, like our example, your vacation).  Do you spend too much time in front of the computer?  Your gaming system?  Your smart phone?  Does your significant other have to ask you the same question 4 times before you hear them?  Have you been caught up in something on the Internet andnot heard your child call to you, or, like the article, have you forgot to pick your child up from school (etc.) because you were too engrossed in something online?  If you struggle to find the time for your family because of your gadgets, I would suggest limiting your time on them, and limiting how much your children see you on them.  If they see you do it, they will also do it, and teaching a child how to ignore their future family isn’t exactly a great life lesson.

Along with the companies distressed driver services (roadside breakdown, flat tire, a dead battery and car keys locked in the car, to name a few), they also offer features like Triptik, their online travel planner (which my mom has used for years and loves it) maps and apps for your GPS and your iPhone, and tour books!  On top of all this, some local AAA offices are affiliated with your local DMV and can allow member drivers to take care of vehicle registration, lost license plates and car stickers and transfer out of state vehicles (a serious pain in the neck, if you’ve never had to do it)!  Another benefit?  They have recently added identity theft monitoring with specialized people in their fraud relosultion support department, which is a free program included in your membership…all you have to do is sign up!

The other great benefit to a AAA membership?  All the discounts!  Discounts can range from 10%-30%, depending on the location, and can include locations like hotels, rental cars, gym memberships, restaurants, sporting events, prescription medicines etc.

With all of these benefits, a Classic AAA membership seems like a great deal, and, if you have your budget on track (i.e. no debt except the house), this should be a great way for you to save some money!  Now, if your lifestyle dictates that you’re on the road a lot (salesman, for example), then you should consider this service, out of debt or not!

On a personal note, your favorite southern couple is fast approaching the due date of their first child, and therefore, will likely miss a post or 2 in the upcoming weeks.  If, you, our wonderful readers, visit the site and find no post for the day, please be assured that we will be back soon, and will post pictures of the newest addition to our clan as soon as we get the chance.

• Krispy Kreme – 1 free doughnut per customer, no purchase necessary!
• Dunkin’ Donuts – free doughnut WITH the purchase of a beverage!
• LaMar’s – 1 free Ray’s Original Glazed Doughnut, no purchase necessary!
• Shipley Do-Nuts – Free glazed doughnut WITH purchase UNTIL noon!

Don’t have one of these shops near your house?  Check with local mom and pop shops to see if they’re celebrating the day!  If not, explain the day and see if you can get a freebie (or freebie with purchase).  Hey, it never hurts to ask!  Have a great National Doughnut Day and happy eating! 

A special thanks goes out to Amy for bringing such a yummy article to our attention!

Obviously they both speak for themselves, but many times we either don’t think things through or apply them in our lives.  IF, for example, we are the average of the 5 people we surround ourselves with, and we surround ourselves with people who choose to be frugal and manage their money wisely, it stands to reason that we would find it easier to stick to our decisions as well.   

So, the question is, have you thought through the people you spend the most time with these days?  Are they the type of people you would want to be if you had to be someone else?  Would you let them step into your life and run your house and job/business in your stead, making all choices and decisions for you?  If you would not trust them to make the wise decisions you would make (or wiser even), then I say perhaps you need to reevaluate the friendship.  This doesn’t necessarily mean I want you to ditch all your friends that don’t “measure up”, but maybe you need to develop better relationships with friends who meet your new found requirements, or perhaps YOU need to be the role model for your friends, encouraging them in their endeavors.  Whichever of these choices you feel you were meant to do, implementing them isn’t difficult (just being aware of the choices in front of you with regard to your friends is a step in the right direction, but also, I find that deciding to be the type of friend you want to have makes a big difference as well, since so many people are NOT the type of friend they want to have), and the rewards can be plentiful, both in wealth and in personal fulfillment. 

So, I did a little math, and if these people, who don’t make above the poverty line, invested that 9% of their $13,000 a year, which works out to $97.50 a month, over 50 years with a 9% return over that time (reasonable rate of return), they would have a little over $1 million dollars at the end!  Yes, you read that right!  $1 MILLION dollars at the end!  That means that there is a good chance for ANYof those people earning $13,000 a year to have a million dollars when they retire, if they are disciplined enough to invest what they spend on a chance at instant gratification! 

And that’s the difference, isn’t it?  Most of us DO NOT win the lottery.  We know that it only parts fools from their money.  What truly helps people build wealth is discipline with their money and the ability to wait for the payoff over time.  Problem is, I don’t know if a poor person would believe me if I told them that they could have $1 million dollars when they retire.  However, given the study and the little bit of math above, we hope you decide that the lottery is a waste of money and perhaps saving to become a millionaire isn’t as hard as you once thought it was!

Let’s talk about being a teacher.  It’s a truly stressful job.  They have 100 students (at least) every day that need to be educated with not only the subject that the teacher is charged with teaching but also the life lessons that some of our more lackadaisical parents “don’t bother to” or “forget to” teach their children at home (FYI…it is NOT the job of a school teacher to teach your children the good morals and values of our society…that is in YOUR jurisdiction!).  Needless to say, it’s a little overwhelming.  What’s more, the money system set up around the education system (at least the parts I know about, as I am not an expert) is ludicrous.  For example, the school system allots each teacher a certain number of copies that they are allowed to make per year on the copy machine, and if they want to make more, they have to pay for them!  That puts added and undue pressure on the teacher, because let’s face it, toner and copy paper are cheap.

 However, silly as it is, it is the workplace version of “living within your means”.  But not all teachers do.  They will either spend money out of their own pocket to buy supplies, or send home a list of supplies that the parent MUST provide for all of the various projects the teacher wants to do.  All I have to say is, my oh my, what a mess!  Teachers are given a budget.  They should have to work within that budget (and yes, I am absolutely certain that their budget is too low and doesn’t help much, but it is what it is).  By buying supplies out of their own pocket, they are saying that the budget is meaningless, and that sets the wrong example for the students.  I love the generous nature, but they shouldn’t take the burden on themselves and set a bad example for the children.  And if they decide to pass the cost onto the parent?  Well, the parents at home have their own budgets and money problems to worry about, and the decision to have all of these wonderful projects impacts them too!

So, what is a teacher to do since they’re being squeezed on both sides?  Get creative!  If they figure out less costly projects and methods for teaching the same lesson, they will be able to stay within the budget the school set for them without passing the cost on to the parents!  I know that the replacement projects won’t be as full of bells and whistles, but the object of the lesson is to teach something, and that usually doesn’t require fancy projects.  Also, as long as the teacher has a computer with an Internet connection, she can show the students whatever she wants to show them!  For example…let’s say the teacher originally wanted to have the students build volcanoes for science class.  All she has to do is have them read the chapter, discuss it in class, then show the students this on the projector.  It’s not AS cool, but it works and it’s pretty much free!

I’m not trying to pick on teachers, just so you know.  I just wanted to give an example of how we have a mental disconnect between living within our means at home and at work.  We shouldn’t be frugal at home and a spendthrift at work.  Apply the same principles at both places, and get creative on your savings!

Plugging in some numbers on Bankrate.com, a 30 year, 6% fixed rate mortgage on $150,000 runs about $899.33, whereas a 15 year 5% fixed rate mortgage (they will usually give a lower rate to a shorter term loan) on the same $150,000 is $1186.19.  Given this information, yes, it’s obvious that the 15 year mortgage is more money per month, even with a lower rate.   However, what I wanted to point out to you is that it’s a little less than $300 a month extra…to pay your mortgage off in HALF the time!  Not only will you be paying off your mortgage in half the time, but the total cost of that 30 year loan will be $323,757.28 versus $213,514.28 for the 15 year loan.  That means you save $110,243 over the life of the loan!  I bet you’d rather that money go toward retirement as opposed to lining the pockets of the bank!  I know I would!

So you say you can’t afford the extra $300 a month?  Well, what can you afford?  After making sure that you don’t have the type of mortgage that penalizes you for paying it off early, you should look into how much extra you can pay toward the principal per month (that doesn’t interfere with your retirement).  Every little bit helps, and you will save thousands more by paying it off early.  Another option, is that if you’re “Gung-Ho” about getting that 15 year mortgage, but can’t afford the payment on the loan amount, perhaps you should look at a less expensive property.  We all have to buy within our means.  This means that some people can afford a half a $500,000 house, and some can afford a $100,000 house.  You shouldn’t be upset or discouraged if you can’t afford the more expensive house…what you should be is excited when you pay off the house you can afford in only 15 years, and know that it is ALL YOURS!  I’d rather own a modest home then be drowning in debt in a nice home that I’ll never realistically own, and I bet most people would if they took the time to think on it.

So, my advice to you for saving on your mortgage is to consider spending a little more now on your monthly payment, as it will save you a bundle over the long run!

• With regard to your career, the author suggests that you heed your enemies.  The logic behind this advice is that the people you have trouble with are generally those people that have the greatest insight into you and your attitudes and faults.  What these people have to say will help you improve as a worker/entrepreneur…if you only take the time to listen.
• With regard to the stock market, buy and hold your funds.  The author and I agree on this…people think that they can beat the stock market, but in reality, almost no one can (and you are probably not the exception).  If you buy funds and then keep them over the long run, you’re more likely to make money, at the very least thanks in part to the ability to avoid taxes and other fees.
• Don’t be a fool with regard to your love life.   When lovers quarrel, each has the blame around 50% of the time.  Understanding this fact will help you build the kind of relationship that isn’t as susceptible to a divorce.  And as all of us know, either from personal experience or the experience of a friend or loved one, divorce sucks.  We don’t want it and should avoid it at all costs (both financially and emotionally). 

That’s it.  3 very simple little lessons that might save you a lot of headache or heartache as your graduate enters the post high school, trade school or college life that they have worked so hard to achieve.

I LOVE this statement.  It shows the power that your thoughts and your point of view can have on your life and your future.  You see, all too often we take the “glass is half empty” approach to life.  We are pessimistic, we expect the worst out of life and out of people we know and meet, and more often than not, we shouldn’t be doing that. 

I like to say that if you want a different outcome, you have to take a different path, and that you shouldn’t let life happen to you, you should happen to your life.  This way of thinking/doing things puts you in a better position to make positive and, on occasion, very lucrative/beneficial decisions for your future because you’re not just following the simple path or a previous path…you’re challenging yourself to be better.  This is the same idea behind Ms. Godfrey’s statement.  By telling people to raise their children to make a job and not just get a job that someone else is offering, she’s not just telling people to be entrepreneurs, she’s telling them to think for themselves, think of what they can make of themselves, and to learn how to plan for their future.  In my opinion, one key difference between the “haves” and the “have nots” of this great nation is that the “haves” have created and are on a plan.  They think positively and shape their point of view to the path that best benefits them.  It doesn’t ALWAYS matter what plan you’re on…more often than not, it just matters that you’re on a plan.

Just a little food for thought in the middle of your week.  Try a different approach.  Think positively.  Create a plan.  See how things turn out.

• Raise your deductible to $1,000 – Let’s face it…if you ‘have to use your insurance for your home, you’re likely to have to spend WELL OVER$1,000 on whatever the repair might be , and you could save up to 25% off your yearly premium!  It’s a good choice!  Plus, if you have an emergency fund, like we suggest, of at least $1,000, then you would have the money to cover the deductible.
• Use the same company for both your auto insurance AND your homeowners insurance – This is a no brainer!  Most insurance companies offer discounts when you have multiple accounts with them, which could amount to 10% off your premium.  No sense paying an extra 10% just to be able to use 2 different companies.  Find the company with the best rate for both policies and go with them!
• Check with your insurer to see if they offer loyalty discounts – Not all of them do, but the insurance companies that do will give discounts up to 10%.  It’s worth looking into, although you might have to have been with them for several years (at least 5).
• Install dead bolts and/or a security system – Not only is it a safety issue, but it’s a good way to save an extra 5% on the homeowners policy.  Check with your insurance company to see if other safety features can be added to your home to increase the discount even more!

Whether you implement all or just one of these tips, you will see the difference on your bill, and that money can be used as savings, debt payment or additional funds for another under-funded budget category.  “Trimming the fat” out of each bill is a key way to making your budget work for you!

As of this past Wednesday, Microsoft released its Office 2010 Suite to businesses around the globe, and is planning a release date in June for individual consumers.  Why is this big news?  Because this release includes an online component called Web Apps…for FREE! 

So, what are Web Apps?  They are applications that have the ability to create, edit, view and share files online, similar to GoogleDocs, that are accessed on Microsoft’s SkyDrive website.  And the best part is that you don’t have to buy the software suite to be able to use the online tools!  Microsoft has made the decision to offer most of Office 2010 (some things are disabled) for free to anyone in an attempt to compete with (squash??) the rising popularity of Google Docs. 

Basically, they want you to use their software!  They want that brand loyalty to continue!  They DO NOTwant you to switch to Google Docs or Open Office!  Microsoft finally realized that in order to keep their brand in use and popular with the younger and future generations, they were going to have to offer some things for free.  On top of that, they are offering free storage space on their SkyDrive website for your documents, so you don’t even have to save it to your own PC (which is a little weird to me, but I’m  skeptic). 

For those of you that want “your own copy”(those of you who are even more skeptical than me), there are some acceptable price point packages.  For a middle of the road package, you can get Microsoft Office Home and Business, which sells for $279 in a box (in the store), or $199 for a product key and includes Word 2010, Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010, OneNote 2010, and Outlook 2010.  If that is more than you need, you can pay $149 for the box version or $119 for the product key card version of Microsoft Office Home and Student.  This package offers Word 2010, Excel 2010, PowerPoint 2010, OneNote 2010, and the Office Web Apps.  The best part about this package is that it is available in a Family Pack, allowing use on three computers in one home, and let’s be honest…for the average user, this would be all you’d need. 

Our suggestion is to use the Web Apps tools online for free.  Learn to do what you need within the free version (as there will be disabled parts) so that you can save a bundle! 

As a person already in an established career, you continually have to plan for retirement (which we talk about all the time).  This is a normal practice in life.  Unfortunately, something else that has become even more commonplace is finding a new career.  With unemployment high and layoffs climbing, many of you in established careers are finding yourself without a job as companies have to make cutbacks to stay solvent.  You are therefore planning for the near future, and have to figure out if you want to stay in your current career or if you want to change paths.  You are therefore in the same boat as the high school student and the college student.  Having the right information can help all of you make your decisions easier. 

A recent article on Walletpop.com and another website offer great information regarding the top career choices for graduating college students and the top salary earning careers in general.  These resources should help those of you in the process of planning your future careers or discovering potential new careers get an idea of what you can expect (it is a guideline…salaries do vary based on your geographic location in the U.S.) as far as monetary compensation.  Keep in mind that not all careers will be on the lists, and if you’re looking into a different career, you can check out Salary.com for more information.

Is this information necessary to plan a future career?  No.  And you certainly shouldn’t choose a career ONLY based on the income.  We would never recommend that, since it would mean the potential for an unhappy work life (which is not successful living).  However, if you have a few career choices in mind, and feel you would be equally happy at all of them, it doesn’t hurt for income to be a factor in your decision.  After all, more income means a heftier nest egg, college fund (for the kids) and hopefully the ability to spend more quality time with your family.  That kind of information is always welcome when making a decision!

While goofing off this weekend, we ran across this article and this article that talked about sperm/egg donations, and we thought it was a great idea for a way to make extra cash! 

Now, you should know ahead of time that it isn’t the shady type of operation that most of us picture it to be.  These are upstanding businesses that are helping infertile couples get pregnant.  Are they doing it for free? NO!  Of course not, because they are a business.  So if you have moral problems with making money off of helping people achieve pregnancy, this is probably not the route for you.  Also, if you worry that you will have children running around everywhere marrying each other, this is probably not for you.  If, however, you believe it to be a good and vital part of our society that helps people create the family they have always wanted, then you should consider donating, especially given to income potential!

Does it pay well?  Yes, as a matter of fact it does!  After the routine psychological and physical screenings that a potential donor has to pass, they are admitted to programs that can make them $500-$1,000 a month (for sperm) and $5,000 -$10,000 per removal (for eggs).  That’s a lot of money for something we already have in our bodies!  I’m sure that you noticed the compensation disparity in eggs versus sperm, and I want you to know that there is a reason.  While men can donate relatively easily, women have to go through hormone therapy and a minor surgical procedure to donate, so the risks are higher. 

Does everyone get accepted?  No!  The screening process is very stringent, and most applicants don’t make it through.  Those that do, however, get a decent sized paycheck and the knowledge that they have helped couples all over the country, and that is a truly worthwhile extra “job”!

As the title of the article indicates, it appears that there has been a shift in the public mentality regarding our television viewing.  The article points out that around 90% of U.S. households subscribe to some form of pay TV (which is disturbing, since according to the last data available from 2008, 15.4% of households don’t have health insurance.  I guess that means more people will pay for TV than will pay for health insurance…I hate to say this, but if you don’t have health insurance, you shouldn’t have cable or satellite TV…you should be using that money toward health insurance), but that that number is trending downward, now that you can watch many of your shows on the internet on demand, and at least for now, for free. 

This isn’t an unheard of precedent.  Many households have cut the cord to their land line telephones, keeping their cellular telephone as the sole form of communicating in many cases.  The reasoning behind the declining interest in pay TV is also similar to the decline in interest in land line telephones:  The cost just keeps going up!  Cable and satellite TV are, frankly, both outdated technologies in comparison to the Internet and it’s current speeds for your PC (and in some cases your mobile phone).  In spite of this fact, they still have average yearly rate hikes of around 5%, putting current prices around $71 per month.  The 5% rate hike could end up being worse too, because the 4 big broadcasters (ABC, CBS, NBC & Fox) have cost the cable and satellite providers nothing to air in the past (this is because they are available for free over the airwaves anyway), but now, these networks are demanding fees for their programming comparable to other cable networks, and unfortunately, they are receiving them!  This is ridiculous, because the fees get passed on to those of us that subscribe!

Don’t be fooled though.  The networks who provide this entertainment might be offering the content for free online right now, but they will start to charge eventually.  They’re not going to allow one cent of profit to fall between their fingers.  Any lost revenue through cable/satellite will be made up in other ways.  Eventually, I predict there to be a fee for both cable/satellite and a ”subscription fee” to watch your shows on sites like Hulu.com on demand.  At that point, you as the consumer will have to decide which service to go with, or allow these people to “double dip” once again and convince you to subscribe to both services!

Check out celebrations.com to get ideas on:

• Mother’s Day cupcakes
• Gifts for your wife to be
• Photo or herb bouquets
• Mother’s Day poems

Check out abcnews.com for great ideas including:

• Customized bracelets
• Customizable vases
• Photo books
• DIY Flip flops
• “Me” books (a great idea…very sweet)

There are plenty of low cost/no cost options to make mom happy on these sites, however, most of you should keep in mind that all most moms want for their special day is to see you and spend time with you.  A greeting card would be a nice bonus, but even that is probably optional.  Most moms really just want to know that you care and that you think of them.  So, if you don’t have the time or money, any gesture (like going for a visit) will do.  If, however, you want to do something special for Mother’s Day, these are some great low cost options, which is especially important for those of you following our guidance on frugal living to get out of debt! 

Good luck and  happy shopping to all the children out there.  To the mothers??  A very Happy Mother’s Day to all of you!

Now, as with any other free offer, their could (will) be some limitations for your particular Olan Mills location, but they are still free photos!  Even if they come out in poor quality, it’s no big deal because you didn’t spend any money on them in the first place!  Keep in mind that the coupon is only valid for children 3 months of age or younger, and that the are only going to give you the pictures from the first picture they snap. 

This isn’t a big money saver for everybody, but it can be a great little treat for those of you who are having trouble finding the money to pay for baby himself, much less professional photos!

I love this tool, but I should tell you that it slightly deviates from our views in a couple of places:

• They suggest keeping your house payment under 28% of your gross income.  We suggest you keep it under 25% of your gross income.  I know it’s just 3%, but that can add up!
• They suggest that you keep your debt under 36% of your gross income (including house payment).  We want your goal to be no debt.  First, we want you to become debt free except for the house, then we want you to pay off the house.  Given this view, there is NO percentage that it acceptable debt to carry on a regular basis.
• We are in agreement on the emergency fund.  3 to 6 months worth of expenses is what you should aim for!
• Their diversification “bubble” suggests being conservative in your retirement savings, and making use of bonds and other funds that are less risky.  When you’re older, it is wise to be conservative with your money…this is true.  However, we prefer diversifying into good growth stock mutual funds. 
• Company stock is not something that we generally talk about, but we agree with CNN Money.  You shouldn’t hold too much of one stock, even if it is your employer.  Just because YOU have faith in your employer does not mean that they are doing well in the world market.
• Regarding life insurance, they suggest having 5 times your yearly salary in life insurance.  We suggest having 10 times your yearly salary.  This is supposed to be for income replacement.  So, if you don’t need to replace your income for anyone, then you don’t need 10 times your income, and probably not even 5.  You do, however, need enough to cover any final expenses and debt you might have.
• The last “bubble” of the calculator is about retirement savings, but doesn’t really tell what you should be saving…it only tells if you’re on track to retire at age 65.  As we have always said, you should save 15% of your gross income (minimum, if you can).  This should put you on track to retire with a very comfortable nest egg.

Use this tool as a loose guideline for your finances, but don’t forget to replace their information with our information from this post in the appropriate places. 

Well, the first thing you should notice when you find yourself out of debt (including or not including the house is OK in our opinion) is all of the extra cash you have per month!  After doing your own version of ”the happy dance”, it’s time to sit down and figure out what to do with that money.  You already have an emergency fund started ($1,000), but at this point you should go ahead and increase the fund to 3 to 6 months of your living expenses.  For most people this amounts to at least $10,000.  I know that this might seem like a HUGE amount of money, but in actuality, when you find yourself without any payments, it isn’t that hard to achieve. 

After fully funding your emergency fund, you should then move onto saving for your retirement.  The economy is always fluctuating, but some decent “long term” vehicles for building your nest egg would be a Roth IRA and good growth stock mutual funds.  I know that trying to figure out which are good funds to invest in can be difficult, so if you’re having trouble, check out morningstar.com.  This is a great tool, and they update their website often enough to keep you apprised of how the fund is performing.  Need a place to stash some short term cash, like your emergency fund?  Try an interest bearing checking account or a money market account (with check writing capabilities).  They aren’t bearing a lot of interest right now, but your emergency fund is supposed to be liquid, so that you can get your hands on the money quick. 

We suggest saving at least 15% of your household income, pre-tax.  So, if you make $2,000 a month before taxes, then you should be saving $300 a month.  Now, sometimes it is hard to reach that amount.  IF that’s the case, then do ALL you can, to get as close to that number as you can.  Even if you fall short, you’re still ahead of the game, and doing better than many others.

I know it can be overwhelming to plan your retirement savings, but if you don’t take an active role in your future, who will?  And when you think about it, why should anyone else be responsible for YOUR future other than you?  Take the time to figure out your savings plan, and guarantee yourself a better chance than “the average Joe”!

If you’re in the market for a home (hopefully your other debt is paid off, like we suggest, and you have a down payment), then you should be aware of what your family truly needs.  If there are 3 of you (mom, dad and baby), then a 4 bedroom house IS overkill.  If no one in the house cooks (or likes to), then you don’t REALLY need the chef’s kitchen now, do you?  You should get just as much house as is required by your families needs, that way, you can save more for the future and have your “comfortable” home paid off sooner. 

Struggling with your current home’s mortgage payment?  Maybe it’s time you downsized!  Many people get into houses that they can’t really afford, and then think there isn’t anything they can do about it, but this isn’t true.  If you bought more house than you can afford, chances are, you’re struggling.  Now, many people like to blame the banks (and there are some at fault), but they are not the only place to lay blame.  It’s easy to find and attack a scapegoat, but in reality, many people who bought more home than they could afford should have known they couldn’t afford them.  I know that the interest only loans and the ARM’s made it difficult to understand the EXACT terms of the loan, but let’s be honest…if you were approved for a $200,000 home, and you make $20,000 a year, sirens should have been going off in your head.  You should have been confused as to why you could afford so much.  You should have paused during your jumps for joy…if you were jumping for joy, saying “WOW, look what I can afford”, that WAS the warning sign! 

So, now you have more home than you can afford.  Sounds like it’s time to downsize!  I know that it can be hard to sell a home in this market, but as long as you keep your price competitive, and keep the home looking great, then you’ve got a good chance.  And something else of note?  Even if you have to take on a small personal loan to get out of the house, you’re still better off.  For example:  Let’s say your house is worth $225,000, and you put it on the market for $230,000.  Someone offers you $215,000, and they pay closing costs.  Well, after looking (really looking) at your finances, you realize you can’t afford more than a $150,000 home.  It’s better to sell the house for the offered price, take on a $10,000 personal loan, and find a house for $140,000.  You’re going to be better off, even if you did have to “take a hit” on the other house, because you will actually be able to make your mortgage payment now!  Sometimes, you just have to look at the bigger picture!

Remember, sometimes saving money IS the obvious choice.  Don’t buy more than you should.  Sounds simple, so try and live by it!

As most of our readers know, just a few short years ago, the savings rate in the U.S. was in the negatives, and had been for a few years. That doesn’t even seem possible, does it? No, but unfortunately it is. So, what does it mean? It means that as a nation, we were spending more than we were bringing in. We were living beyond our means. Then, the economy started to tank and many of us woke up and started to save for the future. Out of all of the bad things that came with a down economy, this was a bright point. Now, however, we’ve decided that we were saving more than enough and that it is time to blow through our money again! WHY would we be convinced of this? Did we all suddenly wake up rich? I don’t think so! We need to realize that the more we save now, and the earlier we start saving, the more we will have when we retire!

The recent 1.5% decline in savings, if continued over 30 years could mean the difference between retiring comfortably and retiring on “just enough”. It could mean the difference between taking trips to fun locations when you retire, or having a need to have a part time job when you retire. I don’t know about you, but I’d say that it’s worth a few sacrifices now to get to retire without the stress of money problems. Getting out of debt now and saving for the future should be a top priority for all of us. Read the article. Get motivated. Then get started on saving, or try and do more than you already are!

When a person agrees to a 90 days same as cash gimmick, they are saying that they will pay the full amount (and not a penny less) within the 90 days allotted.  How many of these people actually do that?  Well, according to Dave Ramsey’s website (and a few others), only 12% of people who do 90 days same as cash financing actually pay it off within that time frame!!  Hello!  9 out of 10 people don’t do what they say they’ll do!  This means that you shouldn’t even think about doing this!  But you say, “Oh Emily, I will be the one that pays it off in time”.  Oh really?  Well, if you can make such a guarantee, then you should just pay cash in full in the first place! 

IF, however, you decide that you want to fall for the gimmick, and you don’t pay it off on time, the company will backdate the interest on your purchases to the 1st date of purchase.  And how much interest will you be charged from day one?  Probably around 24%!  So, you went from no interest to 24% over the entire length of time you have the loan (it is a loan, even if you didn’t realize it).  What a ripoff!

What you should know as a consumer is that there is NO financing option offered by any business that is a “good deal” for you!  They will always find a way to part you from your money.  Do the smart thing and just say no to their gimmicks!

So, as many of our regular readers now know, we’re expecting a baby this summer!  This means that we’ve been getting up to speed on ways to save on babies/children, and I can’t think of 2 things mothers and fathers need to save more than money and time!  As such, I have 2 great tips to share today!  We are attending a maternity fair (kind of like a career fair) very soon, which is a great way to save some money.  There is no admission charge, and many of the vendors offer giveaways, so you could end up with lots of free stuff!  The main sponsor of the fair, in this case a hospital, is also offering a grand prize that includes labor and delivery of your baby!  Obviously, not everyone will win, but it’s worth a couple of hours one day to try! 

Now for the time saving part…IF you do decide to check out vendor sponsored maternity fairs, or food fairs or career fairs etc., be sure to take address labels with you.  Many of these places expect a name and address to register you to win their prizes, and if you have address labels with you, you will save yourself plenty of time, so you can see/do more things at the fair!  It will make your life less stressful! 

As humans, we are always coming up with ways to save time.  Hopefully, this will benefit you in more ways than just trade shows and fairs!  Good luck!

The article  revolves around 3 tax problems…the Bush administration tax cuts, the Estate tax and the investment income tax.  The Bush administration tax cuts are about to expire.  This isn’t a concern for many Americans, but to those it affects, it will mean a large chunk of money out of their monthly budget. 

The Estate tax, however, will affect many more people, since it covers anyone who leaves behind an inheritance between $1 million and $10 million dollars.  Don’t think it’s a big deal to tax estates?  Well, If you’re planning on having a nest egg, saving your pennies now for retirement, then you should think it’s a big deal.  Many of you will reach the minimum $1 million dollar cut off, and if you fall into that estate range, you should know that your estate will be taxed at a 55%  tax rate!  And for most of us, we will just barely break into the $1 million dollar range, which means that you proudly managed to save up all of that money, only to have $550,000 of your $1 million dollars taken by the government.  Take my advice and start “gifting” (check into yearly limits on how much you can gift per person) some money while you’re alive if you fall in this category.

The last tax issue covered in the article is the investment income tax (also called a capital gains tax) that is slated to raise in 2013.  I know this sounds like it only affects people “on Wall Street”, but I’ve got news for you; If you have stocks, bonds, precious metals or property, and sell them for a profit (with few exceptions), then you will be feeling the raise in this tax.  Stocks and bonds outside of retirement accounts might not be something many people participate in, but lots of people buy and sell property, and if you do, you will feel the change!

I know it’s hard to look 20 or 30 years in the future and see how these things might affect you, but you have to go there.  You have to know what you’re up against.  These changes in the tax code will be painful on more of us than we are led to believe.  Remember, saving $1000 a month will (on average, based on assumed 8% return) put $1 million dollars in your bank account in 28 years.  That isn’t too far fetched.  You could definitely do that.  And given that fact, you should worry about how it will be taxed.

The first steps they should take toward getting their finances in order should be to find a person to whom they can be accountable.  This can be a parent, a best friend or even the pastor at their church.  It doesn’t matter who they choose, it merely has to be someone that they can trust with their private information that also has good financial sense (this doesn’t mean the person with the flashiest car or house, because those people are usually in debt themselves).  After finding someone to help keep them on “the straight and narrow path”, they need to sit down and write out their budget.  Don’t know where to begin?  Well, for now I’ll suggest this form to help you singles get started (be on the lookout for a better form from us in the future).  The important thing, no matter if you’re single or in a relationship, is that you’re on a plan and working toward a goal (hopefully to be debt free and saving for retirement). 

We always encourage our readers to leave comments with questions they might have and today is no exception.  Single or married, feel free to ask us what steps to follow up with, or any other questions you might have! 

First, if you’re lucky enough to live in a few select cities throughout the U.S. (unfortunately, I am not), you can go to your local tool-lending library (find a list of cities here) and borrow the tools you need, saving perhaps hundreds of dollars per project.  This is a great idea!  I think this service should come to more cities and grow into something that can help us all save money and encourage us to learn how to maintain our own homes again.  Even a project like adding a small flowerbed involves purchasing a $200 or more tiller/cultivator (if you don’t want to have to dig the hole area out with a shovel, which, is totally fine in a money pinch).  Better to get the tools from a tool library! 

Don’t have a local tool library?  Then you’d better learn to do what we do, and that is borrow the expensive but seldom used tools from friends or family.  This is a little more tricky however, since if you don’t return the tool in the same condition in which it was given to you, you will have to replace it or run the risk of a damaged relationship with that friend or family member.  Our advice?  Treat the borrowed tool like it is on loan from a store, or has been rented.  That way, the fear of having to pay for it will keep you careful!

Clearly, I wasn’t too happy about the price of one of those tiller/cultivators after seeing the price.  As I said above, we don’t have a tool library in our area, so we are borrowing one from a family member.  The way I figure it, I just saved us $200!  Wouldn’t you like to save money this summer too?

Normally I am a big fan of Dave Ramsey’s School Curriculum, and although I still am, FoolProofMe has one feature that Dave Ramsey’s education tools don’t have:  They are free (thanks to contributions from credit unions and non-profit organizations).  FoolProofMe is a program that has specific lessons (based on age group) teaching people about finance.  They show young people what happens with their finances when they make poor decisions regarding money in their web based videos.   On the website you can find individual programs for high school teachers to use in their classrooms, college kids, as well as for parents who are home-schooling their children and grandparents, which is the same set up as Dave Ramsey’s school curriculum.

Whether you choose one of these options, or simply send us your question regarding helping you or your young child/friend with a money question (we will soon be adding a feature for you to be able to leave an anonymous question), you need to choose some method.  Our population needs this education.  It is crucial.  Without a financial education, we aren’t capable of making the informed financial decisions that we all face as adults.

I want my readers to understand that I don’t say this lightly, but I feel that the Baby Boomer generation made choices that, while right for them at the time, have shaped the attitudes of us Gen Xers and Gen Yers to rebel against the way our parents taught us. 

What am I referring to?  What choices did they make?  Given the innovation of the times, and the changes in attitude toward working women, the Baby Boomers were able to send both parents to work, which resulted in a higher income, but took parents away from their children.  This meant that they weren’t there all the time to ensure their children were learning all the life lessons they should, and given that they had VCRs, game consoles and personal computers to contend with, this might not have been best for every family.

Instead of learning to eat healthy and get plenty of physical activity, some of us only learned what TV dinners were and were allowed to sit and play game consoles instead of physical games outdoors.  Instead of learning to save money and pay for what we wanted with cash, we watched as our parents (and other influential adults in our lives) charged what they wanted, to be paid for over time at a later date. 

Watching this happen, most of us started off as adults who charged everything and ate whatever we wanted without caring about exercise or health.  How did this affect us?  Did we sit back and let it happen to us, teaching the same to our children?  For many of us, we did not.  We decided to take better care of ourselves and our finances.  We decided that dinner should be made from  healthy ingredients, instead of being microwaved in a box.  We decided (or were forced to realize through too much debt) that financing everything we want isn’t a smart financial decision in the long run…that living paycheck to paycheck just to “have it all” right now isn’t really living.  We decided that family time IS more important than 70 hour work weeks just to make a few extra bucks. 

Does this make our parents terrible parents?  Of course not!  We are who we are because of them!  Different parenting styles make the world go round.  It just means that some of us have to dig ourselves out of a hole, be that weight gain/health issues or debt.  Either way, we’re teaching ourselves the lessons we missed, and now just have to remember that for our own children!

Your favorite southern couple has a little announcement to make: We are about to become your favorite southern family! We are expecting our first child early this June!  Because of this, I have been doing a lot of catch up on finding ways to save money for new babies!  Consignment shops like Once Upon a Child or Kid to Kid offer a great way to save some money on baby clothes (and some toys), and pay you for your gently used or unworn baby/toddler clothing that you don’t need anymore.   Some good news?   They don’t just accept any clothing…it has to be in very good condition. 

Although I haven’t even given birth yet, I’ve already checked out some local consignment shops, and was very impressed!  I found 2 little every day rompers that still had the tags on them from the original stores, both originally around $10 a piece, now marked down to $1.50 and $2.50!  What a steal!  The selection was INCREDIBLE, and the merchandise ranged from low end store wares all the way to the designer brands found at high end stores.  Every item was clearly priced and sized on their tags, and the staff was helpful. 

Here’s a shocker: Children and babies are messy.  There are mud pies and markers and dirty diapers and spit up.  Their clothing (for the most part) should be bought to reflect their messy lifestyle, i.e. semi-disposable, which means that spending a ton of money on their regular, everyday clothes is silly.  Take my advice and check out the consignment stores, even if it’s normally not a place you would go, it’s worth the trip, since you are almost guaranteed to save some money!

Lots of companies offer so called “free” credit reports, but many of their claims aren’t worth a hill of beans.  Once you go to their websites, or bricks and mortar locations, you find out that they want you to sign up for subscription services.  Some of them even offer monthly monitoring services for your credit, and come with a monthly fee as well.  As of yesterday, however, they can no longer claim to offer free credit reports without a disclaimer on their websites, and in September, the disclaimer will also have to be included in radio and TV ads.  Under the new rules of the Credit Card Act of 2009, any website advertising free credit reports has to include a disclosure  on the top of each page that says “This notice is required by law and you can read more at FTC.gov. Also: You have the right to a free credit report from annualcreditreport.com, or by calling 877-322-8228, the only authorized source under federal law.”

I love it!  It’s about time something was done about the misleading advertising I see all over the TV with regard to credit reports.  It is a great way to keep people from being tricked into signing up for services they don’t want or need.   The fact of the matter is, there is only 1 website that actually offers a free credit report, and that website, as stated above, is annualcreditreport.com.  You should run your credit report every year, but don’t fall for the scams!

In general, it’s not a good idea to even have a a tax refund.  It’s better for your bottom line as well as mathematically to get that money in your paycheck throughout the year, instead of giving the government an interest free loan for a whole year, but I understand that some people just like to get that lump sum at the end of the year.  That’s fine.  However, if you choose to get the lump sum refund for your taxes from the government, you shouldn’t be counting on it for regular bills or expenses.  This money should be used to pay down debt, start (or add to) an emergency fund or invest for your retirement.  These choices will help better your life and your future, whereas buying a big screen TV will only give you short term entertainment.  Do yourself a favor and don’t budget your tax refund into your budget!

Also, I wanted to share a friendly reminder.  Tomorrow is the first day of April, which means that summer is only a couple of months away.  Have you started planning your vacation yet?? More specifically, have you started planning how you’re going to pay for your vacation?  If not, now is the time to start!  Review your budget and see if there is money left over (assuming you have no debt other than your house and are already saving for retirement) for a vacation, and if there is, you should start saving for it now!  Nobody likes to be caught off guard, and that is usually what happens at Christmas time and vacation time.  People are always surprised that vacation time and Christmas came as quickly as it did, and so they aren’t prepared.  This reminder is an effort to be sure that doesn’t happen to our readers!

In the past, our only solution was to go to the store and try to find something that we would want or just forget about the gift card altogether.  These days, we have another alternative: plasticjungle.com.  Plastic Jungle is a website that allows you to sell your unwanted gift cards for up to 85% of the value or swap the card for another card from a store you would actually shop at of the same value!  It’s incredible!  We don’t ever have to be stuck with a crappy gift card again!  Now we can trade for gift cards we like or get cash for the ones we don’t.

Another idea?  It’s a great place to get discounted gift cards for friends and family!  This way you can give them a gift you want to give them and save some money in the process! 

This website offers many options in a world where there weren’t many just a few short years ago.  With gift cards becoming the top choice gift for many people, it’s nice to know that unlike the Scottish terrier sweater your grandmother gives you for Christmas, you can exchange the Bass Pro gift card for something a little more “you”!

Now, in the case of Blockbuster, I am referring to the fact that they have been lagging behind in innovation for years at this point, and appear to finally be doing something about it.  You see, when Netflix came around, 13 YEARS ago, I guess Blockbuster didn’t see them as a threat, and ignored them.  They ignored them until 2004, when they finally launched their own DVD by mail operation!  This gave Netflix a 7 year head start, which means that Blockbuster wasn’t innovating, they were merely trying to catch up.  You see, innovation is defined as a new way of doing something, and that isn’t what Blockbuster was doing.  They were merely trying to compete.  Now that they are almost near bankruptcy, with actual brick and mortar stores becoming obsolete, they are trying everything they can to get out from under their $1 billion dollars in debt, and luckily for them, that includes innovation.  They have announced a deal that makes them the first in the market for mobile devices.  What does this mean?  Smart phone owners will be able to purchase or rent movies from Blockbuster over their phone to watch on the go.  The problem?  Right now the service is only available at T-Mobile.  It has been said it will be available on Android and Windows Mobile phones soon, but not now.  What about the I Phone?  Well, Apple is in talks (rumored) with Netflix.

As far as things go, I applaud Blockbuster for trying to innovate to save their company, but I fear it is too little too late.  Their business model of their brick and mortar stores became obsolete a few years ago.  Not only do people find it easier to just “update their queue” with the movies they want to watch, but they can stream movies live and save money since the monthly fee generally works out to be cheaper (and no late fees).  I mean, I remember when Blockbuster was charging almost $5 to rent a movie, and would charge a late fee if it wasn’t back in 2 days.  There is NO WAY that business model can compete with Netflix, or Redbox with its $1 for 1 day movie rentals.

What is the lesson here?  Don’t let the opportunity to innovate your job, your business or your life pass you by.  If you figure out a new way to do something in your business or your life, see what you can do with it.  Maybe it’s just a way to make some darn fine chili very fast (I am very proud of my chili), or maybe it’s a way to revolutionize how we look under our clothes, like the inventor of Spanx, Sara Blakely.  Maybe you decide that there is a better way of doing something at your job that will save the company money (and possibly get you a nice bonus), or maybe you decide to innovate your whole life, and do everything in a different way.  Either way, don’t wait to act on an idea! 

Why does it cause you so much trouble?  Well, because when you’re intolerant of something, you’re the one experiencing the turmoil, not generally the person of whom you are intolerant.  So even though they might be the one acting like the idiot, you are the one irritated and fuming.  That doesn’t exactly help your mental well being (or your blood pressure)! 

It’s a personal growth experience when you learn to tolerate someone or something.  The drama that occurs during that “experience” is something that I’m sure most of us would rather avoid (as pointed out above), but instead, we need to learn from it and create a working/lasting relationship with the person(s) in question. 

How can you give yourself a better opportunity to be a tolerant adult?  Well, honestly, I’m still learning myself, but my advice from what I’ve learned so far would be to learn tolerance as early in your life as you can!  Learn to accept that people are different, we do things differently, and if someone does something that irritates you, try to be understanding of them and their point of view.  Don’t let them get to you! 

A quick note:  Before you read this and quickly move on, saying to yourself that you are tolerant and this doesn’t apply to you, I really want you to stop and think about how you handle those types of situations…we all have room for improvement!

• If you haven’t done an energy audit of your house, then you should!  Contact your local utility company to see if they will do it for free (they usually will), and if not, then check out energystar.gov, and use their guide to do it on your own!
• Buy and use a programmable thermostat.  These things are great.  We love ours!  We set it to lower the temperature in the house at night when we go to bed, since we’re going to be under the covers anyway, and raise the temperature shortly before the alarm clock sounds.  It’s a great way to save a few bucks!
• Buy CFL bulbs!  Compact fluorescent bulbs will save you money over the long haul and the last longer as well.  I won’t deny the color is a little different and the bulbs  look weird, but they are well worth it!
• Put on or take off that sweater!  I know that our preference is for a nice temperature controlled house, and most people don’t have a problem with putting on the sweater in the winter, but it’s just as important in the summer!  I know that we can only take off so many clothes, but the wearing lightweight fabrics, fewer clothes, and running the thermostat at a higher temperature is a great way to save in the summer.  We all (well, a lot of us) love to go to the beach, right?  So why is it that we can stand high temps at the beach and not in our house?  I say if the temperature is hot, deal with a little heat and raise the temp!  For each 1 degree you lower (in the winter) or raise (in the summer) your temperature, you will save roughly 1% off your bill each month!

As of Saturday, we are officially in spring.  Make these tips part of this years spring cleaning to do list, and save yourself some money this summer!

The first thing you should know is that the census has 10 questions (some with multiple parts), and none of those questions should ask you for a bank account, credit card or Social Security number.  If the actual form is followed up by an email or phone call, that is a scam.  The census will never contact you by e-mail.   Another little tidbit that most people don’t know:  If you don’t mail back your census form, it’s possible that a census official will come to your home.

If and when a U.S. census worker shows up on your doorstep they will have a badge.  You should ask to see their badge and personal identification and write down that information.  Do not answer any questions before seeing their ID.  They should only ask the same questions that are on the form (no bank account, credit card or SSN questions) and should not ask for any cash.  You DO NOT have to pay for the census.  If you are unsure about the form you have received or anyone who has contacted you about your census, check out the U.S. Census Bureau’s website to be sure.

Now, I am quite positive that most of us have heard people say that communication is the key to a good relationship.  Well, that statement is not only inaccurate, seeing as it has to be GOOD communication to be worthwhile, but it also leaves out a couple of other very important parts of a healthy relationship: Respect and appreciation.  Although we all know that respect and appreciation are important, we are all generally so self-centric that we only focus on when we aren’t receiving them.  And what I have to say to you is this: Why?  Why do you think that your partner should show you respect and appreciation if you aren’t showing them that same respect?  It isn’t a one way sort of thing!  It’s just like saying please and thank you!  You should WANT to show respect and appreciation to the person that you love, just as much as you want to receive it.  I don’t wake up in the morning wondering what ways my husband can show me his love, respect and appreciation!  I wake up wondering what ways I can show him my love respect and appreciation! 

Here’s the short and tall of it:  You can communicate until you’re blue in the face, but if that communication (or any other part of the relationship) doesn’t include respect and appreciation, then the relationship will suffer.  Not sure how to get started??  How about saying please and thank you?  How about asking your partner if you can do anything for them?  That way, their emotional piggy bank fills up and overflows, making it easier on them to reciprocate!

So you say you don’t know how to do certain things around the house?  Learn.  Lack of knowledge is no excuse for not doing something!  Check out the Diy Network for instructions on how to fix lots of common things around the house.  Every time you fix something yourself, you’re saving money for your future!   If you’re hiring out lawn mowing and driveway shoveling, stop.  Unless you are not physically capable, there is no reason you should be paying someone to do things around your house!  Besides, a little extra physical activity is good for us all!

Your favorite southern couple hates to hire out work.  We try to do as much as we can ourselves, and only hire out when absolutely necessary (having a broken tree removed from our yard, for example).  If we don’t know how to fix something, we research it.  We do understand that not everyone is “handy” around the house, however.  If you’re not handy, then befriend someone who is, and trade services.  Whatever your talent, exchange that for their help.  Maybe they fix your toilet and you help them (as a personal trainer, for example) teach them a basic fitness program in return. 

Whatever the circumstance, figure out a way to do things for yourself!  Not only will you save money, but you will become more self sufficient!

If the child decides not to go to school, there will be penalties in an ESA or 529 account that isn’t used for schooling, so you can just kiss some of that money goodbye.  Now, this isn’t a totally terrible thing, since had you not saved it for education, the money would’ve been taxed anyway, but I’m sure it will still sting a little.  I don’t have a huge problem with a child that decides not to go to school, financially anyway, because it’s not impacting your budget, only (possibly) their future. 

My problem, as I’m sure our regular readers know, is with the child who asks for (demands?) the money you saved for their education, to be paid out to them in cash, since you paid for their siblings education.  In spite of what your child seems to think, your money is NOT their money.  I know that you want to be fair with your 2 children, but this money was set aside for their education, not for their amusement.  It’s your money, and if the child decides not to go to school, it should STAY your money!  Like the article says, if the child wants money, tell them to get a job! 

I know a woman who demonstrates a dedication and voracity that is rarely matched, with an eye for creativity in the face of her problem.  This woman has 2 children, both boys.  She would very much like to try for a girl, but she needs to have a surgery to be able to try for her baby girl.  This will cost several thousand dollars that is not covered by her insurance, so, she was faced with a difficult situation.  She did not cower or give up, though.  Instead, she has decided to start a side business outside of her normal job.  She is quite talented at decorating cakes, and so, she has taken that talent and turned it into income!  She is offering cakes to friends, family, and anyone else interested in visually interesting cakes for a reasonable price.  Her goal is to save up enough money to pay for the surgery.  This is not a woman beaten by her circumstances.  I always say that you can’t let life happen to you, you have to happen to your life…and she is doing just that!

What type of dedication do you have?  Do you rise to the occasion when you are faced with a problem, or ponder on it too long, or do nothing?  Whatever your answer, you can be sure that others are starting businesses in their kitchen, getting their extra slice of the money pie.  Will you let your opportunity pass you by, or rise to the occasion?

Our local library (and hopefully yours as well) offers audiobooks to be downloaded on their website for free!  Our local library connects us to NetLibrary, an eBook and eAudiobook content distributor.  They have a huge selection for their members to choose from, and offer the content FOR FREE for a set time.  The audiobook we wanted to listen to was available, and with an access code, we downloaded it for free for 20 days, which is more than enough time to listen to an audiobook!

Take it from me when I say that this is a great way to read or listen to books!  Not only is it free like your local library, but you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home!  What a great way to save some money!

An example of the worst increase?  The University of California, which estimates a 30% increase in the 2010-2011 year, thanks to the huge state deficit that’s been in the news for the last few months.  But irregardless of these increases in tuition prices, public schools are still much cheaper than private schools, which average $26,273 a year!  And people pay the price tag, so there is no deterrent to raising the rates…so it will continue. 

So what do you do?  You start saving for college, for you or your child, and you start saving as soon as you can!  Dig into our past blog post that has tips for saving for college.  With rates going up so often, you should be looking into savings plans before you go to college or before you have children.  Planning for the future is always a good start on the road to success!

Instant gratification is having a lack of impulse control, and, conversely, delayed gratification  is having the ability to wait for something you want (i.e. willpower or impulse control).  In our society we tend to think of children as having no impulse control, and learning this ability as they get older and become an adult.  Well, what happens when the child isn’t taught impulse control, and grows up with the same attitudes they had as a child?  We think that these children grow up to be the people who struggle with any vices that require willpower/impulse control, such as spending money and overeating etc.  These people still have the “I want it now” attitude, and whatever “it” is, they don’t deny themselves the treat, because they “deserve” it.  Can you imagine what the little girl with the spa package at age 5 will act like as an adult if she  doesn’t learn to have self control (which is not likely to be learned from her mother, I’m sorry to say)?  So, what’s the good news?  If you struggle with impulse control, you can learn it as an adult.  You just have to take each instance where you need willpower and ask yourself why you need the item now, and if it’s worth it.  It’s not easy.  You will fail on occasion.  But every time you don’t fail, that’s one step closer to mastering the skill!

Delayed gratification is one of the biggest tricks up the sleeves of people who succeed.  They know how to wait for what they want.  Knowing this, as a parent, make sure you teach your child how to have willpower, and as an adult (who lacks willpower), decide that you aren’t going to fall victim to your childhood whims of instant gratification and help yourself succeed!

So, what are you good at making?  Perhaps you make jewelry, or flower arrangements, or perhaps you do woodworking, or use leather to make belts, purses and vests.  Whatever you’re good at, now is the time to make some extra money on it!  Here are a few tips for getting started:

• You need to decide on only a few options you will be offering, since the more you can reuse things, the lower the cost per item will be for you, making your profits higher! 
• Look into local arts and crafts shows and fairs that where you can sell your creations, and plan to attend.  Be wary though.  It is better to run out early than to have a lot leftover, so put some thought into the amount you’ll make for each show.
• Look into selling your craft on Etsy.com, an online seller driven marketplace for everything handmade.  Perhaps you will be the next big thing, since everyone loves “one of a kind” or unique items that are reasonably priced.
• Go to local stores/boutiques that are privately owned to see if they would want to include your items in their store inventory.  These locally owned stores thrive on having something different than the mall, so they are more likely to be interested in something locally made.
• Keep in mind that it takes time to build a successful side business, so if it doesn’t happen right away, keep plugging away at it!

That’s it!  These tips should get you started down the right path to starting a side job and making some extra money!

Now, I’m sure you can tell from above, we believe if you can’t keep a minimum amount in your bank account, or can’t keep from overspending because you aren’t diligent, then you shouldn’t have a bank account, and should operate on a cash only (money orders to pay bills) system.  However, if you choose to have  a bank account, and struggle to keep funds in it, then use the other services that many banks offer, that don’t come attached to a ~$35 fee PER TRANSACTION! 

The scary stuff you get in the mail from the bank, that says your debit card will stop working and the like is true, because OF COURSE it should stop paying people if you don’t have any money in your account!  That is the way it is supposed to work!  The card is not supposed to let you spend more than you have!  Overdraft “protection” is like you receiving a mini loan from the bank…kind of like those payday check cashing places, but wrapped in a prettier sounding name.  Ignore these letters from the bank!  You don’t want to keep paying $35 a transaction loan fees for the rest of your life!  DO NOT opt in to this plan, just learn to watch your account and don’t over spend. 

If you absolutely CANNOT LIVE without overdraft and refuse to be on cash only (hard headed, aren’t you??), then there are a couple of alternatives.  Many banks will allow you to link your checking account to your savings account to prevent overdrafts.  Some will also link it to a line of credit (not something we recommend) to prevent these overdrafts from happening.  Neither of these programs are free, but they are cheaper than overdraft, and won’t catch you off guard either, because, let’s face it, if you don’t have the money to cover your purchase, you definitely don’t have the money to cover your $35 a transaction overdraft “protection”.

If or when you start receiving these notices from your bank, do yourself a favor, and “just say no” to overdraft protection…instead, be more diligent with your account, or switch to cash!

And let’s not forget the nasty divorce between Alec Baldwin and Kim Bassinger.  That situation was all over the entertainment magazines and shows when it was top news, and most of us remember the not so distant and very public fight he had with his 11 year old daughter, in which he called her a pig.  I don’t think he’s the best choice for helping a couple work things out.

To be fair, I think that this show will be hilarious, but only because the advice offered from the celebrities will be, to put it politely, “sub par”.  I worry that people watching it will give them credit as being an “expert” on fixing relationships, simply because they’re a celebrity.  We have a tendency to give people more credit than they’re due in our society if they’re on TV, which is ridiculous.  Just because someone is on TV does NOT make them an expert, and I hope our readers never forget it!

The first is the obvious choice: Use only your own bank’s ATMs.  Not one on your current daily route?  Look into changing routes, or possibly changing banks to a bank with ATMs near your home or on your daily route.  One caution though:  Be sure if you decide to change banks for a more convenient location that you don’t switch to a bank with less features or worse interest rates/customer service. 

A better choice?  Skip the ATM and get cash back when you’re buying groceries or picking up something at the drugstore…any place that offers a cash back feature is a substitute ATM, without the fee.  Another good reason to use this method?  You definitely do not have to go out of your way to get the money you need!

Another option is to switch to an online bank that refunds its ATM fees (a new benefit, recently cropping up).  A great place to find a bank with this feature is Bankrate.com. 

With any of these options, you can save money on your bottom line every month.  The money you save can be allocated to paying off debt or go into savings, because let’s face it, you weren’t missing it in the first place.  It might as well be put to good use!

Like furniture rental places, you can apparently also rent the rims you’ve been dying to have for your car as well, that way, you can look cool, and rich, even if you’re broke.  Dan Miller has a knack for talking about topics that are important to me, and there are few things that get my blood boiling more than people who spend themselves into debt chasing status.  He highlights the new book from Thomas Stanley, author of The Millionaire Next Door and The Millionaire Mind, both of which are excellent books (I will be buying and reading this newest addition to his works).  This new book highlights some of the habits of the truly rich (as opposed to those who only appear rich), which, in general, does not include renting your rims. 

Read the post, and go buy (or check out from your local library) Thomas Stanley’s newest book, Stop Acting Rich.  Let’s all begin to be open minded to the idea that having fancy things (for status) and spending obscene amounts of money on weddings and “McMansions” are not the real way for the average person to become wealthy.  Once you stop believing you are going to simply luck into a fortune, or become famous and rich out of the blue, you can focus on becoming rich the way most people do…through saving, working hard, and striving to be the best at their passion so they can advance themselves in that particular field over the years.

What do I do with my fashion knowledge??  I use it to shop for bargains at retail stores that aren’t going to break the bank.  Some people, however, think that they have to have what’s in the magazine, and what the stars are wearing, and they blow through their credit card limits barely noticing as they chase the current trends.  These poor people would rather be in debt than off trend or insignificant.  They chase celebrity status and think they are entitled to the best things in life.  I feel very bad for these people, because they don’t understand the damage that they’re doing to their lives, all in the pursuit of fame and appearances.  Do a google search for how to become famous, get 80 million results…search for how many people become famous, and get no relevant or accurate results.  For many people, this is an obsession, and it will cause them a lot of heartache throughout the years if they don’t change.

So, what are a couple of ways to turn the negatives of obsessing over fame and status into a positive?  Well, deciding to become the best at what you do, even if it means you’re not famous or on TV, is a good start.  That way, you’re pouring your energy and ambition into something that is likely to help you secure a decent lifestyle and a comfortable retirement in the future, and you’re not distracted by what is not likely to happen.  Also, challenge yourself to either save everything you were spending on those expensive lifestyle goods, or challenge yourself to find the absolute best price on them.  You’d be surprised at how much money you can save, if you just stop paying attention to the designer label!  

Remember, being an adult isn’t about age…it’s about character, attitude and actions…don’t let your actions reveal you to be a child, only out to get attention and the latest, coolest toys.

• Raising your deductible can save you plenty of money, if you are able to cover said deductible when and if you are in an accident.
• Skip the collision insurance if your car is worth less than 10 times what you’d pay in a year for the collision insurance.  Need to know what your car is worth?  Got to kbb.com to find out!
• Check into other discounts that your auto insurance offers, like good driver discounts and good grades for teens.  Another option to check into?  Combining home owners insurance and auto insurance at the same company can save you money too!
• Check around and compare prices at insweb.com.  You might be able to lower your rates by up to $300 less than what you’re paying now!  

Good luck!  If you have any other ideas that could help lower auto insurance, feel free to share them in the comments section!!

• Majority of scrapped GM,Chrysler dealers file appeals - Basically, what’s going on here is that GM and Chrysler, in order to stay in business, had to cancel contracts with some of the dealerships that owned the rights to sell their cars.  The dealerships, instead of finding a different product to sell, or closing down, are filing appeals to FORCE the 2 companies to keep supplying them with inventory or to pay a huge settlement.  This will cost the already struggling automakers (remember, they were bailed out already) even more money, and they probably will struggle with getting back on track and making a profit.  I hate that these dealerships will have to close and that jobs will be lost, but when a company expands too far and has to draw back to stay in business, this is what happens.  By trying for a settlement (these dealerships agreed to the terms of the contract, they knew the contract could be terminated), they are actually hurting the company more.  Nice.
• Toyota’s next problem: Lawsuits - With the multitude of recent news stories and recalls, Toyota is working around the clock to combat the bad press and sort out their problems.  It might not help, though, thanks to the over 30 lawsuits (already, and growing) and class action suit (there will probably be more later) that are already filed against the automaker.  Here’s the deal…Toyota should pay for any medical bills (and final expenses etc.) of those people found to have directly been injured or died because of a faulty piece of equipment in the vehicle, and I have no doubts in my mind that they would willingly pay these costs.  There are 2 problems that stink with this situation though; 1. Some lawyers just see dollar signs and think of a big payday, so they will file suit for ANYTHING, even things their client doesn’t deserve, and some judges will award it, which just causes more financial problems for the automaker, and could cost jobs for their employees, and 2. the more lawsuits and such that are filed, the more bad press they receive, which could also cost money/employee’s jobs.
• Your cell phone company’s dirty little secret - The big carriers have come out recently and lowered their prices on the “voice usage” side, or the “talk time” side of their business, but their secret is that they’ve started charging non smartphone users a fee to access the multimedia capabilities of their phones, whether they want to or not.  They say it’s because most people don’t know they can access the net, so they are making sure the user gets full use of their phone.  I say bull crap.  I shouldn’t be forced to purchase a service I don’t want.  I have a smartphone and DO NOThave a data package, because I don’t need one.  I did not buy the phone for it’s ability to surf Facebook, I bought it for other features like touch screen/qwerty keyboard/nice layout/and a calendar.  Maybe it’s more phone than I needed, but that’s my choice.  They know that people pick the phone they want, and so they figure they can charge you extra for service, because you like the phone.  It’s sneaky, but clever.
• The burger and beverage recession - This one actually surprised me, but not in a bad way.  Coca cola, McDonald’s and Molson Coors all reported that their product demand is stronger abroad than in the US.  These are the products that we think of as recession proof, but apparently, people are still not willing to part with their dollars for them!  I very much hope that the companies can cut costs and innovate to continue to be profitable, but I am very excited that consumers continue to be wise with their money.  Spending less and saving more is a proven way to have something for yourself as you get older.  Are there quicker, more volatile ways?  Of course.  But with great gains comes great risks.

Follow the links to see the full articles!

Well, if you are having trouble coming up with creative ideas, let me put your mind at ease that most women (not all of us, unfortunately…even though Valentine’s Day is OPTIONAL, some women expect the moon and more) are appreciative of anything you do.  So no matter what it is, the fact that you’ve done something is enough to make us happy.  That being said, if you want to get creative with the traditional Valentine’s Day ideas, to score some bonus  points, there are some great ways to do that.  For example:

• The trifecta – Flowers, candy and jewelry.  We all like roses, but get creative and get some orchids or tulips (red or pink are probably best).  Candy is great unless she’s health conscious, so either get her favorite chocolates (they don’t have to be expensive, just her favorite) or try something a little more healthy, like her favorite fruits or nuts (the expensive ones that she won’t buy herself).  Jewelry is a personal thing, but as long as you know which color is her favorite (yellow or white gold) and which type of jewelry (bracelet, earrings or necklace) you should be fine.  No matter what you choose, be sure to get creative and hide the box where it will surprise her.
• Dinner and a movie- This is a great gift for the significant other that doesn’t get to go out much.  The dinner should be to a nice place (where she can get dressed up, if she likes that sort of thing) and the movie should be her favorite (yes, that could mean chick flick, but come on, it’s only once a year, I know you’re man enough to live through it).
• Cultural – If your girl likes a little culture, a trip to the theater or a museum might suit her.  Take her to her favorite cultural outing, or to a new place (or show) she hasn’t been to yet.

If  you’re on a tight budget, some of these things can sound out of your reach.  Don’t worry!  These are ways to be sweet to your significant other while watching your pennies too!  Here are some examples of the above ideas, on a budget:

•  The trifecta – Flowers, candy and jewelry.  Flowers on a budget at Valentine’s Day isn’t too bad.  You can get them at a discount store, like Costco or Sam’s Club/Wal-Mart, the price will be what you like.  Also, it pays to buy them a week early and give them to her then, since the price will be lower (unfortunate, but yes, the florists jack-up the prices on Valentine’s Day).  Candy is easy on a budget…instead of opting for an expensive box of chocolates, bake her a delicious dessert.  This satisfies her sweet tooth, saves money and scores you points for effort!  Jewelry is easier than you think on a budget.  Most women like “costume” or “fashion” jewelry, so find out her favorite costume jewelry designer, and, if it’s in your budget, get some.  Not in your budget?  Opt for something personal, like her favorite movie on DVD, with a bag of popcorn and a note about having a movie night, or a professional massage (check your local massage school, since they often offer these services at a fraction of the cost…or, give her the massage yourself!).
• Dinner and a movie – If she likes to go out, do a dinner out, but scale back and take her to a moderately priced place.  Otherwise, cook for her.  You can buy the ingredients to make a fancy dinner at a fraction of the cost of that same dinner out.  Set the table for a formal dinner, with full silverware, linen napkins and candles.  Inform her that she should “dress” for dinner, and be dressed up yourself, since it will make the experience more memorable.  The movie can be watched at home (budget friendly), and if you want serious bonus points, a little dancing in the living room never hurt any man, I don’t care if you’ve heard rumors to the contrary!
• Cultural – Well, museums are still priced right for the budget conscious this year, but the theater is out, so if the museum isn’t your thing, you could both go donate blood together, or do some community service work together.  Not in that kind of mood?  Well, find a safe but culturally different part of town, and go on a mini “tour”.  Walking, biking or driving, it’s up to you.  Just do something to make it memorable.

There you have it!  A few (and long winded) tips on ways to get creative or stay in budget for Valentine’s Day!  Good luck, and I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!

I will be the first to admit that it is sometimes difficult to decipher fees when the bill comes in, but that’s no excuse for not knowing what is happening on your account.  If, after pouring over the bill for a little while, you still can’t figure out what is going on, call the customer service line and ask them to explain it.  A nice added benefit?  If you’re more vigilant about bills, it might carry over into your bank account, and then you won’t be charged overdraft fees (if you were overdrawing in the first place, because let’s face it, you shouldn’t be).  Overdraft fees from banks are one of the biggest stupid taxes around.  If you pay attention to how much you have in your account, you won’t be charged.  It’s only when you are unaware that they happen, and no one should be unaware of what’s going on with their money.

Now, how about “mirroring”?  Mirroring is a practice of charging you twice in the same month for only one month’s service, by companies who have access to your bank account because you’ve set them up on an auto pay function, where they have access to your account.  I use this feature myself, although, truth be told, I’m very sceptical of it.  We check our bank statement carefully each month to ensure that mirroring does not occur, and it has happened to us in the past.  Usually it’s not terribly complicated to get adjusted, if you catch them quickly.  The problems start to occur when you haven’t noticed the problem over the course of months, or a year, and them try to get your money back.  They have had it for a year!  It doesn’t always go well if you wait.  Remember, if you give a company access to your account, then you have the responsibility to yourself to ensure that they are doing right by you and only taking what they are supposed to take.  Never let them take advantage of you!

Today’s article, titled, How much should I save?by Donna Rosato, is an in depth look at an entrepreneur and her retirement portfolio.  The entrepreneur is hoping that a financial planner who looked at her portfolio will “bless it” and tell her good job.  Unfortunately, like most people, she isn’t saving as much as she thinks she is!  Most people think that by saving anything, or by getting their “company match” in a 401k program that they are set for retirement…they’re not.  Yes, it is good to get that company match, but if that is ALL you’re saving, you won’t be able to retire with the same lifestyle you have now, and that is where the misconception comes in for a lot of people.  They think, “oh, well, as long as I get my company match, I can retire living at the same level I live at right now”.  WRONG!  If it were that easy, we’d all retire with no debt and a vacation condo!!  As the financial planner in the article figures out, the entrepreneur is saving less than half of what she needs to retire at her current lifestyle level. 

What is going on here?  As adults, we underestimate things…it’s what we do.  For example, we underestimate the amount of calories we take in in a day (to the tune of 20%-40% from what I have read) and we underestimate how much we should be saving.  So, how do you keep from underestimating things?  Get some help!  You can pay for it, or get the free kind.  Either will be better than nothing, but if you’re paying for it, be sure that the expert isn’t just trying to sell you products…if they are, then they DO NOT have your best interests in mind!  Need some basic (and free) ideas on how much you should be saving?  Check out this link at CNN Money, to get a rough idea of where you are and what you need.  Some extra tips are to be diversified, preferably in growth stock mutual funds, and, the article and I agree, that small cap, mid cap, large cap and international funds are all good places to invest your cash.   Whatever you do, figure out what you need to retire.  Don’t just think that a 6%-8% contribution to your 401k is enough.  Max it out!!  Start contributing to a Roth IRA!  HAPPEN to your life…don’t let your life HAPPEN to you!!!

Small Business Tips, By Douglas C. Howard

A Message to Employees

As a small business owner, one of the hardest aspects of running a business is finding the time to do it yourself, or be willing to delegate the task to someone else.  The first course of action provides the benefit of knowing that the task was done specifically how you, the owner, wanted it done, in a timely fashion, and you do not have anyone to blame for failure except yourself.  Delegation, of course, means that you may benefit from someone else’s expertise, frees you for other important tasks, and allows your employees the chance to prove themselves.

Of course, the pitfalls for the first course of action, are that you do not have enough time to do everything, you must find some way to balance running your business with your life, and you may not be the best person to handle that specific task.  The downside to delegation is that you have to trust someone to take care of the task, they may not do it exactly how you would have or would have wanted it done, and they may not do it in a timely fashion.

“A Message to Garcia” is a short essay by Elbert Hubbard written in 1899.  No doubt many of you have already read and studied its message, being that of a short work.  But its message is still relevant today, more so than ever.  I recently ran across it and thought a brief summary of the work would be great as “A Message to Employees”.

“A Message to Garcia” is set during the conflict between Spain and the United States and takes place in Cuba.  Of course at that time, communication had to take place in person or via courier, if telegraph were unavailable.  The essay centers on an Army Lieutenant by the name of Andrew Rowan.  General Garcia was the commanding officer of insurgents located in Cuba.  He was located somewhere in the mountainous region of Cuba and would be difficult to find and communicate with.  A message had to be gotten to him so that his forces could be mustered.  How was a message to be gotten to Garcia?  President William McKinley and other commanding generals were unsure, until Lt. Rowan was suggested, stating that he was the person for the job, “if anyone can.” 

Rowan was summoned, given the message, told the general location of Garcia, and was sent off on his way.  He was not told how to do the job, or how to find Garcia, nor did he ask.  He was simply delivered to Cuba on one side of the island, and three weeks later picked up on the other side of the island, having completed his task.

So I ask employees, “Are you the Rowan of your company?” 

If you strive to be the Rowan of the company you work for, here are some general tips.

First, be available for assignments, any assignment, without hesitation.  The owner of the company or your direct supervisor may not want to ask you do something that may seem so menial, but if it is a project that they can get off of the “to-do” list, it may help them immensely.  If you are adaptable to whatever task is at hand, you will become indispensable to your company.

Second, be reliable.  If your boss asks you to get something done in a timely manner, have it done by that deadline.  Often other deadlines must be met down the line, so do not be the weak link.

Third, ask for guidance on the task, but figure out how to get it done on your own.  This is a fine line to walk, but the more you can do on your own, the more burden you relieve from your superior.  The more burden you relieve, the more grateful your superior will be.

Fourth, take action.  So often people get bogged down in the details that they become apoplectic and unable to even start a project.  Often times procrastination prevents even the first step from being taken, which is most often the hardest step to take.  As I write this, I have had to stave off turning on the television, checking my email, researching other issues not relevant to this article at hand, getting up to grab lunch, and a hundred other minuscule thoughts that crossed my mind to prevent me from writing this article.

Fifth, be diligent.  After taking the first step, be diligent in taking the next several steps.  Eventually you will come out on the other side.  See the preceding paragraph for an explanation.  Whether it takes an hour or three weeks, staying on task, will eventually get it done.  And it will show your employer that you do not need constant hand-holding or someone looking over your shoulder to make sure that you are getting your work done.

I hope this is helpful.  Since “A Message to Garcia” is short, it is well worth the read.  It is considered public domain and a copy of the complete text can be found at HowardLawGroup.com on the “Small Biz Tips” page.

Douglas C. Howard is an attorney based in Frankfort, Kentucky that assists small businesses with their legal needs and has taught “Entrepreneurship 101″ for the Thornhill Community Education Center and posts tweets and other updates on Twitter under his Twitter name, LegalPreneur.

From Wikipedia:  Elbert Hubbard was an author and philosophers who edited and published two magazines, The Philistine and The Fra. The Philistine was bound in brown butcher paper and full of satire and whimsy. (Hubbard himself quipped that the cover was butcher paper because “There is meat inside.”)  Owing to his prolific publications, Hubbard was a renowned figure in his day.

First of all, stick to your budget, but allow yourself a little indulgence on rare occasion.  Why?  Well, it’s my opinion that everyone only has so much willpower to give to something, and eventually they will break and indulge anyway, so little indulgences keep away the big ones.  So, what types of indulgences are little?  Well, when you’ve got your finances locked down, and you’re buying basic needs only when it comes to groceries, TV and movies/shows etc., on occasion it wouldn’t hurt to buy a nice meal from the grocery.  Make that a special family night with a nice meal and some board games or something.  Or, you could save a couple of bucks every week out of your grocery budget to take the family to the movies or some other inexpensive activity.  Your choice!  The point is to indulge occasionally to keep you focused and on task, without blowing through your budget.  If you never treat yourself, you might fall off the wagon.  Notice to those of you who are “used to” treating yourselves…this does not mean you can do your normal “treating”…no mani/pedi’s, or blowouts, or daily cupcake from the specialty $10 a cupcake store, or expensive clothes/shoes/tools.  This is a small indulgence.  A $20 pick me up a couple of times a month.  If you can’t stick to that, you’ll never get out of debt.  And no, you don’t “deserve” those mani/pedi’s, because they are what got you into debt in the first place! 

Trying to do 2 or more hard things, like getting out of debt and quitting smoking (for example) at the same time, means even more added stress to your willpower.  You have to give a little slack and indulge yourself  while getting out of debt, because the alternative,in this example, is indulging in smoking.  Not cool.  And indulging a little there would save you money anyway, since once you quit smoking, you would have a ton of cash to put toward paying down your debt!

What’s the take away?  Get on a budget.  Pay off your debt.  Learn to live like an adult who doesn’t get everything they want every time they want it.  But stay on this path for the long haul by making the occasional small ticket splurge!

The government is looking into extending benefits in the unemployment program for the 5th (that’s right, I said 5th) time since the recession started, just a couple of years ago!  Normally, the benefits are doled out to the unemployed over 26 weeks (aka 6 months), with the option to get a 13 week extension.  Basically, this means that you can draw unemployment for 9 months before you have to go back to work, and a lot of people do just that!  They collect full benefits before even really trying to get a job!  Why, you ask?  Well, I assume for some it’s because they think it’s “free money”, but, as we all know, that’s never the case for anything.  Somebody always pays, be it the company, the taxpayers, the government (which takes its money from the taxpayers) or the consumer (who is almost always ALSO a taxpayer).  Under the new proposed benefits, the pay outs can run as long as 99 weeks…almost 2 YEARS!

The funny thing is that some studies sited in the post indicate that people are most likely to find a job when the unemployment runs out, no matter if that length of time is 2, 26 or 99 weeks.    People seem to think that because they are drawing unemployment, they economy must really be in the toilet for everyone, and so they don’t try.  However, when there is no more unemployment, they “magically” find work.  Amazing!

There are many examples of these programs being run the wrong way and abused by some of the participants.  I’m not going to get into that, because I have a feeling many of you wouldn’t want to read a post that long.  If I’m wrong, say so in the comment section, and I’d be happy to oblige!

Dan Miller draws an interesting observation, drawing a parallel between the way bears hunt and the way we as humans acquire a job.  Bears hunt more efficiently when they aren’t given food from humans…you know, when they have to hunt.  We are the same way with money and jobs.  When there isn’t somebody giving them to us, we get creative and figure out a way to do it.  Be that start our own company, go to work for someone else or sell some stuff, we will make it work.  Can’t find work in your area?  Perhaps you should move.  Think outside the box people!

No matter what your ultimate goal is, more than likely you need to plan for it!  Are you planning for this goal that you want to achieve?  Are you working toward it as I’m typing this?  If not, then how do you ever expect to achieve it? 

Planning out your life usually gets you just as excited as doing your taxes, but is just as necessary (don’t want the government coming after you, do you?) because it not only maps out what you need to do, but gives you a sense of purpose to work toward for your future.  Basically, you can’t reach your destination if you don’t have a map to go by.  So, what are some ways to plan for the future?

First, you need to brainstorm.  What is your goal?  What credentials or money do you need to achieve your goal (college, or capital to get started?)?  Is the place you live in a good place to work toward that goal, or is there another place better suited to the goal (i.e., marine biologists shouldn’t live in the desert).  What type of friend and family network do you need to make this goal a reality?  If your goal is for a certain career, are you sure that the career is suited to your personality (i.e. if you don’t like paying attention to details, accounting is probably not a good career path for you).  If your goal is to retire wealthy, have you written out a budget and figured out what percentage of your income you need to save in order to do so (the money isn’t just going to appear, and social security, if it’s still around, definitely won’t let you live “comfortably”). 

Once you have brainstormed and figured out all the things necessary to achieve the goal, then you put them in chronological order or order of necessity, whichever seems to make more sense for your particular needs.  Now, you have a map.  Start at the top of the list and work at it, one item at a time.  For example, if the first thing you need is an education, then that is where you start.  Use the same process of identifying how to achieve each item on your list, as you did to make the list, and you not only have a plan/map to achieve your ultimate goal, but it should be easier to achieve it, because you aren’t scrambling to figure things out on the fly.

Don’t know what you want to do, or what your ultimate goal is in your life?  That’s ok.  Take time to figure it out.  If you bounce around for a few years longer than your friends, it’s OK.  It doesn’t make you inferior, it just means that your interests are too varied to settle on one thing at that point in your life.  However, once you do figure out your passion, take these steps to get a plan in action!