10 Steps to Improve Your Financial Situation- Your credit is important, whether or not you ever use it to purchase things, it tells anyone who looks at it how you handle your finances. See ways to improve your personal financial situation and save money.
10 Tips to Help You Save on Gasoline- Gas prices continue to be near all time highs meaning that car travel is taking a larger portion out of each of your paychecks. AAA estimates that the cost of driving a car including all direct and indirect costs has surpassed 50 cents a gallon with that price expected to rise.
After Bankruptcy Blues- My husband and I got ourselves in a bad position a few
years ago. I lost my job and went from excellent credit
to bad credit in just under three months. We couldn't believe
that we had lost control of our financial future. How can
we get back to the "good standing" that we were so proud
of? Is it true we will have this hovering for ten years?
Back to School Allowance Advice for Parents- Learning how to reflect before making a decision – learning to think in terms of choices, alternatives and consequences -- is a great life skill for parents to teach kids. Since back to school time is rapidly approaching, here are answers to the four most common questions we get from parents about allowances. When? and How much? are two of the questions answered by Eileen Gallo, Ph.D., and Jon Gallo, J.D., experts about children, psychology and money.
Bartering For Bargains- "I just read an article on joining a bartering club in order to barter for bargains. The fee to join the club is $350. Is it worth it and are there other clubs available with lower membership fees?" ~ Donna
Before The Sale- You've decided to sell your home. But before you put a sign in the front yard and hire a real estate agent what can you do to make sure that you get the most for your property?
Budgeting for the New Year- One of the nicest parts about celebrating a New Year is that it affords us a natural break in our lives to take a fresh look at things. It is also motivational in helping us dive into an old project with renewed vigor.
Budgeting When Your Paycheck Varies- How can you decide how much you have for bills and expenses when your paycheck varies from one payday to the next? That's a question a lot of people struggle with.
BudgetYes!- In BudgetYes! you will find solutions to your problems of
wandering funds, missing money and unorganized finances.
A well explained, detailed and illustrated book that lays it on
the table and will help you to get organized with your money
and account for every dime.
Bye, Bye Bills!- Does your family have credit card bills or other debt that won’t seem to go away no matter how much extra you pay each month? If so, it’s time to get vicious and tackle those bills like you really mean it.
Cancel Our PMI?- My husband and I bought a house 18 months ago. We
went in with less than 20% down, and so are stuck paying
mortgage insurance to the tune of over $80 per month. What
exactly is mortgage insurance for, and is it possible for us
to "cancel" our mortgage insurance by showing a good history
of paying on time?
Canceling a Credit Card- Both my husband and I are recent college grads who are in over our heads in debt. My credit card is the worst and I was curious as to whether I need to cancel it or not. We never use it, so is it really necessary to cancel it? What exactly happens when you close an account? Is it a strike on your credit history to cancel a credit card? Is the only benefit of canceling a card the certainty of not using it?
Charity or Scam?- You want to help those who are less fortunate. That's good.
And you're not alone. According to the American Association
of Fund-Raising Counsel, giving in the U.S. by individuals rose
to $135 billion in 1998.
Christmas Gift Challenge- "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..." You can tell because
everywhere you go someone is trying to sell you something! Stores
began decorating weeks ago and the TV commercials are starting to
have that Christmas flavor, too. So what's a person to do? Well, you
could go 'bah humbug' and hide until January or you could try taking
the "Christmas Gift Challenge".
Dress Better For Less- Style. That elusive characteristic that helps define who you are. Some people have it in great abundance. Some people spend their lives searching for it. Whole magazines are dedicated to the subject. In fact, whole industries are dedicated to making money from style. We're even encouraged to 'dress for success'!
Drowning in Debt - Behind in Credit Card Bills- My husband and I have one credit card debt to the
tune of about $3500. I cancelled the account so we
can't charge any more. We have been making
payments of $100 every month which is well below
the minimum that the credit card company requests.
We ARE making payments so how we can stop the
badgering phone calls?
End of Lease: Now What?- My husband and I have really started getting serious about
getting out of debt. About 2 years ago we decided to lease
a maxed out Suburban. It has been a wonderful car for our
family of five, but we are trying to decide what our best strategy
should be now that our lease will be over next April.
Estate Planning 101- It comes every year. Just like death and taxes, it's something we know is coming and can't do anything about. It's a time when we tend to reflect on our recent New Year's resolutions, decide which of those to save for next year, and which to pursue.
Financial Help- What credit cards are you eligible for? Should you consolidate your debt? Find out how to stop foreclosure and correct your credit and even find low cost health insurance.
Five Money Issues Couples Must Never Fight Over- Although we seldom bicker over things, at times our respective differences, particularly on the matter of money, are clearly stated. And this is as it should be, for income and expenditures are at the heart of any partnership, family as well as business. With that said, it's my belief that there are five basic issues in which both spouses must be in firm accord. These represent the most prevalent omissions and commissions that lead to untold grief for many couples.
Get Ready, Get Set, Go!- With the development of any new habit-and budgeting is just that-a habit, the standard advice is to start small. Take baby steps, push yourself forward to the next one, and praise yourself for the last one. Starting with some of these "periphery" money behaviors will provide the springboard you need to dive in!
GETting Money with BudGETing- My experience is that most of us go through our school years focused on job or career training that teaches us how to earn money, yet leaves us with no foundation for how to spend money -- spend it wisely, that is.
GETting Money with BudGETing - Part 3- Myth #1: You have to suffer to use a budget.
The truth is, you are following a budget whether or not you have consciously implemented one. Unfortunately, the "budget" you end up with by doing nothing is almost certainly an endless cycle of reactions, as opposed to a dynamic, proactive strategy.
Going Out For Less- How can I go out and have fun with my friends and not spend my entire paycheck in the process? It seems every time I go out to a movie or eat out, I spend a fortune! Help!
Grocery Budgets- I am looking for someone to tell me how to go about making a budget for our family's groceries. I have no idea as to how to even start. Any suggestions?
How to Get Your Children Brand Free- Certainly, we as parents want to make our children happy and not deprive them of a delightful childhood, but who's to say that you must give in to every one of your child's requests.
How to Keep Divorce from Devastating Your Family Finances- Getting divorced is a financial blow to any family. Even in the best of circumstances there are double the housing expenses because suddenly there are two homes to support. Ah you know, two phone bills, to cable bills, two water bills and so on.
I'm Out of Money- I already buy items on sale. I don't make extra trips in the car. I do 2 or more errands during the same trip. I don't eat out, go to movies, rent movies, travel etc. I can barely pay my current bills and have medical expenses as well. What help is there for folks like me?
Is College Worthwhile?- "But, Mom, I don't want to go to college." Mary wasn't
surprised to hear her son talk that way. He had always
been a reluctant student and she often wondered what
he would choose for a career. "Look at Billy's older
brother. He didn't go on to college and he's doing just
fine. He's got a great car and his own apartment.
What's wrong with that?"
Mother's Day is right around the corner. Celebrate mom this year with crafts, recipes and plenty of other ideas. Here are a few examples to get you started...
Did you know that FamilyCorner has its own photo gallery? Did you know that YOU can upload your own photos to it? That's right, and it's completely free!
Here are some of the fun benefits of sharing your photos in our FC Gallery:
Send your own photos as an e-card
Watch slide shows
See beautiful sunsets and other great scenic shots
Brag about and share pictures of your loving pets
Share photos of your children and grandchildren
Create your own individual album and post in category albums
Keep your favorite pictures organized online
Rate images of other members
...more!
Join us in the FC Photo Gallery. It's completely free to use, just another fabulous reason to be a FamilyCorner subscriber.
Family Matters Radio
Hosted by Caroline & Jacquie. Choose a segment below to begin listening!
Secrets of Happily Married Women Do you feel like you are constantly on overdrive? Juggling career and family, attending to everyone's needs but your own, and all the while struggling to maintain a sense of balance and harmony in your marriage? You can actually start getting more out of your relationship by doing less and we'll tell you how with Dr. Scott Haltzman, author of Secrets of Happily Married Women. Hear part 2
When Mars and Venus Collide It's a common scenario: a husband returns home from work stressed out and eager to kick back on the couch and watch TV. A wife returns home from work stressed out and wants to talk about it with her husband. What happens? Neither is on the same page, anger and resentment set in. We're going to find out how stress is impacting marriages today and what you can do about it when we talk with bestselling author John Gray Hear part 2
Your credit is important, whether or not you ever use it to purchase things, it tells anyone who looks at it how you handle your finances. See ways to improve your personal financial situation and save money.
Learning how to reflect before making a decision – learning to think in terms of choices, alternatives and consequences -- is a great life skill for parents to teach kids. Since back to school time is rapidly approaching, here are answers to the four most common questions we get from parents about allowances. When? and How much? are two of the questions answered by Eileen Gallo, Ph.D., and Jon Gallo, J.D., experts about children, psychology and money.
Does your family have credit card bills or other debt that won’t seem to go away no matter how much extra you pay each month? If so, it’s time to get vicious and tackle those bills like you really mean it.
Although we seldom bicker over things, at times our respective differences, particularly on the matter of money, are clearly stated. And this is as it should be, for income and expenditures are at the heart of any partnership, family as well as business. With that said, it's my belief that there are five basic issues in which both spouses must be in firm accord. These represent the most prevalent omissions and commissions that lead to untold grief for many couples.
Certainly, we as parents want to make our children happy and not deprive them of a delightful childhood, but who's to say that you must give in to every one of your child's requests.
Getting divorced is a financial blow to any family. Even in the best of circumstances there are double the housing expenses because suddenly there are two homes to support. Ah you know, two phone bills, to cable bills, two water bills and so on.
I already buy items on sale. I don't make extra trips in the car. I do 2 or more errands during the same trip. I don't eat out, go to movies, rent movies, travel etc. I can barely pay my current bills and have medical expenses as well. What help is there for folks like me?
Missed the last couple of newsletters? Haven't visited for a while? This section highlights articles and crafts that have recently been added to FC...
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