Category: Thrifty Spending Issues

FEATURE ARTICLE:  What to do with your tax refund Expecting a hefty tax refund this year? You may have visions of plasma televisions and Hawaiian vacations. But with the economy locked in recession and the unemployment rate at a 25-year high, there might be more practical ways to spend the extra cash. READ MORE   [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE:  The IRS is giving taxpayers impacted by the Boston Marathon bombing an additional three months to file their taxes. The extension automatically applies to anyone who lives in Suffolk County, Mass., which includes Boston. READ MORE   MONEY SAVING TIP:  Cut your food budget in half We all lead busy lives. And it’s [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE:  Best Ways to Find Holiday Deals Online.  These shopping strategies can help you save big. Sure, doing your holiday shopping on Black Friday — the day after Thanksgiving — is one way to score deep discounts. But if you didn’t want to deal with the crowds in the stores, you can still save [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE:    Do you have adequate coverage? Do you own a clunker? Does it guzzles gas and makes strange noises.  What if you got into your car, turned the key, and it made no noise. What if you had to have it towed? Now you have the expense of fixing the car, plus towing it! Did [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE:  Speeding Ticket? How to Fight for Savings It’s a classic scenario: You’re cruising at 10 miles over the speed limit. You think you’re going with the flow of traffic when you see flashing lights in your rear view mirror. A few minutes later, you’re holding a $325 speeding ticket. READ MORE MONEY SAVING [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE:  Have you ever wondered if the expiration dates on foods are simply a marketing ploy or if they really mean something? The expiration date on foods is not exact science. If you want to know for sure if you should throw food out, you need to use other senses; smell it and taste [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE:  How to Buy Scratch-and-Dent Appliances Often, you can find great deals on brand-new appliances at scratch-and-dent sales. The trick is first finding a store that sells them, then finding an appliance with flaws that won’t affect your use. READ MORE   MONEY SAVING TIP:  How to make dish washing detergent and more According [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE: Debt Forgiveness: Is it truly forgiven or is it transferred to one’s income tax? Ever settle on a debt and wonder what will happen to the amount that was not paid? For example, if a credit card debt totaling $30,000 was settled for $7,000, what happens to the remaining $23,000? Is it just forgiven or is it [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE:  Have You Bounced Yourself Out of a Checking Account? Have you tried to open a checking account and been turned down? Or, did your bank close your account? If so, you’re not alone — and it’s important to understand why this can happen, and what you can do about it. READ MORE   [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE:  Car Ads too good to be true? Every day consumers are bombarded with cars ads on the radio and on television that grab their attention and get them thinking about trading in their current automobile.  Consumers are targeted with special finance offers such as, “no money down,” or “if you work, you qualify” [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE:  Bottom-shelf bargains at the supermarket Lots of supermarket chains claim to bend over backward to serve their customers. But experts say consumers can serve themselves by leaning a bit forward — to find overlooked bargains on the bottom shelves of grocery aisles. It isn’t where you’re likely to find imported olive tapenade or balsamic vinegar older [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE:  Looking to earn extra income? Rule helps you avoid bogus business opportunity offers Maybe you’ve seen ads for stuffing envelopes or assembling crafts at home. Perhaps a company says it can help you set up a vending business. Before you sign on the dotted line or send money to buy a business opportunity, [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE:   Payday Loans Equal Very Costly Cash: Consumers Urged to Consider the Alternatives The ads are on the radio, television, the Internet, even in the mail. They refer to payday loans, cash advance loans, check advance loans, post-dated check loans, or deferred deposit loans. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE:  What’s Behind Ads for a New Credit Identity? It Could Be ID Theft Involving Children’s Social Security Numbers If your credit is less than golden, you’ve probably seen pitches from companies promising a fresh start. Some claim you can get a “new credit identity” by applying for credit with a nine-digit number they [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE:  Secured Credit Card Marketing Scams Secured and unsecured cards can be used to pay for goods and services. However, a secured card requires you to open and maintain a savings account as security for your line of credit; an unsecured card does not. The required savings deposit for a secured card may range [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE:  Gift Cards: Use Them Before You Lose Them Some gifts keep on giving. Others – like gift cards – can actually cost you if you don’t use them within a year. If you were given a gift card over the holidays, better read on. The holiday presents have been unwrapped and most of [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE:  Audit-Proof Your Tax Return Is there really such a thing as an audit-proof tax return? A way of preparing your return to guarantee that you won’t be subject to an audit? Of course not. But there certainly are ways to minimize your risk. You don’t want to thumb your nose at Uncle Sam, [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE:  How to Dispute Errors on Your Credit Report Your credit report contains the following information: Where you live How you pay your bills Whether you have been sued Whether you have been arrested If you filed for bankruptcy Consumer reporting agencies sell the information to creditors, insurers, employers and other businesses that use [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE:  Energy Wasters in Your Home According to Maria Vargas, spokesperson for EnergyStar, a division of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), energy bills can differ depending on the size and location on your home, but the average household spends $2,200 a year. The good news is these costs can be cut dramatically. Energy Star, [...]

FEATURE ARTICLE:  You can expect more bank fees in 2012 Banks will continue to experiment with fee increases in the New Year, according to our own analysis and industry experts, as they attempt to make up billions in lost revenue due to the bad economy and new regulations. Here is some of what you can [...]