Not Made Of Money

2008 Black Friday: The Big Sales Are Just Around the Corner

Dana Joseph — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:21:49 +0000

Since Thanksgiving Day is growing closer, it’s time for my annual “Black Friday” post. If you didn’t already know, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. On that day, online and brick and mortar stores kick off the shopping season by enticing shoppers with special deals and discounts. (I have to wonder if the sales this year will be better than in prior years due to the current state of the economy.) I usually visit the GottaDeal Black Friday site to see the sale ads. I’ve already seen several Black Friday ads from this year, including Target and Kmart.

I do have some Black Friday strategies that I’ve shared in prior years but I’ve listed below just the basics:

1. Preview the ads as early as possible and compare current prices to sale prices. Sometimes you can get the item at the Black Friday price now, which would make it a lot easier than trying to fight the shopping crowds on that day.

2. Know the store policies on price guarantees, returns, refunds, and price matching. Price matching is a very popular method of maximizing one’s dollars in the Black Friday sales. You’ll also want to find out if you can purchase an item prior to Black Friday and get a refund of the difference if the price on Black Friday is lower.

3. Check to see if the store will make their Black Friday sale prices available online as well. Why bother to go wait in the line at the store (and fight for a parking spot) when you can order the same item at the same price from the comfort of your home.

4. Look for items that people have hidden on the morning of Black Friday. I know it sounds crazy but people like to “hide” items ahead of time to ensure they will snag what they want come Black Friday. I’ve found the same thing to be true during Target’s clearance times. The most popular hiding places are in the bedding, housewares, and furniture departments. I once found an Oneida stainless steel flatware set (that had gone on clearance to 75% off) hidden between the boxes of bookshelves in the furniture department.

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Weekend Roundup - Getting Ready for Thanksgiving Edition

Dana Joseph — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 10:11:04 +0000

Well with Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, I’ve been busy making my shopping list and my cooking plan. As has been my tradition for years now, I cook our Thanksgiving meal on the day before Thanksgiving, and then reheat it for Thanksgiving dinner. This way I can enjoy the holiday and not fuss over a sink full of dirty dishes or the fact that I spend all my time in the kitchen.

Here are some interesting articles I came across this week from the Frugal Blog Network and beyond:

From the Frugal Blog Network:
Tight Fisted Miser shares some thoughts on finding affordable health insurance.

The Frugal Duchess muses about her dream house.

Frugal Zeitgeist writes that conspicuous consumption is no longer cool.

Frugal Babe outlines her holiday gift giving plans.

Almost Frugal shows how to look fabulous, frugally.

From beyond:

Living Well On Less lists some ways to buy time between haircuts.

The Saver Queen throws a tea party at home and saves a bundle.

Money, Matter, and More Musings shares the silver lining to the dark financial cloud.

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Financial Goal Setting for 2009

Dana Joseph — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 13:22:09 +0000

Although it may seem crazy to be thinking about 2009, these last months preceding the beginning of the new year are the perfect time to start setting your goals for 2009. As the curtain closes on 2008, you are ready to assess the past events of the year and start dreaming about the next year. Did you achieve your 2008 goals? If you didn’t, do you need to adjust those goals?

Beginning your goal setting for 2009 early allows you plenty of time to decide what goals you really want this year. Hold a family meeting and talk about the things your family wants or needs. Look over your finances and decide what is actually possible. Then, you can put your new goals down on paper and start your progress towards them. Common goals you might consider are…

Getting out of debt – Almost every household has some debt they’d like to vanquish from their lives. Why not make 2009 the year that you defeat yours? Take some time to chart out a course for your path out of debt. How much money will you devote to your debtors each month? How will you avoid accumulating any additional debt? With a clear plan, you can be certain to take a bite out of the debt that is strangling so many families.

Set up an emergency fund – To avoid having to go into debt whenever you’re faced with one of life’s unexpected curveballs, you need to have an emergency fund set up. For a barebones emergency fund, you should work towards saving $1,000. That’s enough money to provide you a little cushion in the face of an emergency. However, a healthier emergency fund would include enough to pay your household expenses for at least three months.

Buy a new home – Although there is a lot of talk about people being unable to buy a house right now, people who have the ability to qualify for a mortgage in the traditional manner may be able to find quite a steal in the home market right now. First, though, you have to be financially prepared for homeownership. You will need to save enough money to make a down payment on your new house. You will also want to have enough money to pay for the mortgage costs and to cover any unforeseen move-in costs like paint or carpet cleanings.

Upcoming major purchases – As you make your plans for 2009, be sure to take stock of any major purchases you may need to make. Has your refrigerator been making odd noises? You may need to include purchasing a new one in your plans. Is your family planning to take a vacation in 2009? Determine how much you’ll need to save to cover those expenses.

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How to Deal with Financial Stress in Your Life

Dana Joseph — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:12:13 +0000

The day-to-day workings of personal finance can bring a lot of stress into your life. As you create your family’s budget, you have to mark hard choices about what you can afford and what you can’t. You also have to make decisions about life-changing topics like insurance, retirement savings, and mortgages. Personal finance can sometimes feel like being in a big pressure cooker.

As if the normal stress of dealing with money isn’t enough, you also have to deal with financial crises. There you are, struggling with getting your finances under control. Then, just as you start feeling like you’re making progress, something unexpected happens, car trouble or a job loss. Suddenly, your finances are out of control again. No wonder you feel stressed out.

Nothing is going to allow you to eliminate all of the stress that comes with dealing with the financial aspects of your life, but there are a few ways you can mitigate your stressors. The next time you feel tension building why not try one of these methods of lowering the pressure?

Find the factors you can change. One of the most frustrating parts of personal finance can sometimes be dealing with all of the things you can’t change. Try to focus, instead, on the factors that are in your hands. For instance, if you find yourself out of work due to company down-sizing, try not to spin your wheels over the layoff. Instead, focus your energies on finding a new job or whittling your budget down to the bare minimum.

Make your peace with unchangeable factors. I know we’ve already touched on this part, but it’s worth repeating. Don’t beat yourself up over past decisions that didn’t work out or things that are beyond your control. Just accept what’s already happened as a given and work forward from there.

Plan for the unexpected. Obviously can you can’t plan for specific, unexpected events. But you can have a contingency plan in place for those little surprises life tends to throw your way. An emergency fund can take all of the stress out of unexpected expenses like car repairs. Keeping your resume current will help you find a new job quickly after a layoff.

Take a break. Every once in a while, you just need a break from all of the pressure of dealing with your finances. When you reach your breaking point, don’t hesitate to step back relax for a minute. Indulge in a small luxury like seeing a movie with friends or getting a pedicure. Then, you can tackle your financial problems anew with a more relaxed and focused mind.

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Year End Charitable Contributions - What Can You Deduct?

Dana Joseph — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:46:58 +0000

Charitable deductions play an important part in many income tax returns. In essence, by helping someone else you can help yourself and reduce your tax liability. If you plan to make a charitable contribution in 2008 you can decrease your tax liability for this year. However, in order to take advantage of the tax benefits of your deduction you have to know the basic rules related to them.

There are several types of contributions that could result in a tax deduction. Cash donations and other donations are both eligible in some cases. Below are a few highlights to guide you through the issue. You should, however, discuss any contributions you make with your tax professional. He or she will be able to give you a definitive answer on the topic.

Receipts – You’ll need a receipt for each of your contributions, whether they are cash or something else. The receipt should include the date of the donation, a description of the donation, and acknowledgement that you didn’t receive anything in exchange for the donation. If this sounds too detailed, don’t worry; most charities already know what the receipt needs to say and will provide you everything you need. Just be sure to tell them you want a receipt.

Cash donations – Cash contributions are the easy tax deduction to justify. You don’t have to worry about estimating the value of the contribution because it’s inherent in the dollar amount. Again, just don’t forget to get a receipt.

Other donations – Material donations are just as eligible for tax deductions, but you’ll need to do a little more work. For instance, if you donate clothes to your local thrift store, the receipt they give you may say nothing more than “one box of clothing.” You’ll want to count and list the times in your contribution yourself. Then, you’ll need to make a fair market value assessment to determine how much your donations were worth. Your tax preparer will be able to guide you a little in this matter.

Large asset donations – Aside from the average donation to your local thrift store, some people donate major assets like cars or boats to their favorite charities. If you make this kind of contribution, there are other steps you will need to take to justify the worth of your donation. An appraisal might even be necessary if the item has enough value.
Volunteer work – As important as volunteer work is and as valuable as your time is, volunteer work is not eligible for a tax deduction.

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Open Enrollment Time

Dana Joseph — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:43:25 +0000

As the new year comes hurtling closer and closer, many people find themselves faced with making some major decisions about their healthcare choices. For a great deal of employers, the first of the year marks the advent of their health plan’s open enrollment period. This time of year allows eligible employees to make changes to their health insurance coverage regarding their health coverage. However, since the employee and their family will have to live with these decisions for the next year, there are many things he should consider before he makes his election.

Adding additional family members to your health coverage is one type of change you might make during your employer’s open enrollment period. If you couldn’t afford to add your family members to your coverage last year, you should reconsider that affordability now. Bear in mind, however, that if your family members weren’t covered under some other type of policy before you added them to your medical insurance they may be subject to a waiting period before your insurance will cover certain types of illnesses or injuries. Make sure your human resources director explains these limits to you.

Many employers will allow you to choose between PPO or HMO medical insurance coverage. PPO’s typically allow you to see any doctor you’d like, although you may see reduced benefits with providers that are outside of the PPO’s network. HMO’s, on the other hand, require you to see providers within their network. Unless there is an emergency, HMO’s usually offer no benefits with providers outside of their network. Take a look at the way you and your family use your benefits to decide which type of coverage is best for you. Remember, though, that you can’t usually change this election for another year.

Finally, you’ll want to take a look at the other types of coverage that are available for you and your family at this time. Are you enrolled in your employer’s dental coverage? If you’re not, should you be? Paying for your bi-annual cleanings out of your own pocket isn’t usually too expensive, but other dental work can quickly get out of control.

Vision coverage is another popular supplemental coverage offered by employers. For a relatively small amount, you can add your entire family to this plan. If you have a lot of eyeglass wearers or contact lens users, this may be a worthy investment for you.

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Weekend Roundup - Thrift Shop Edition

Dana Joseph — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:12:42 +0000

I spent some time this weekend visiting some of my favorite local thrift shops. I found a few bargains but mostly I noticed that the store shelves seemed a little more bare than I remember from past visits. I don’t know if this was just a fluke or not or if it is a statement about the current economic climate - maybe more folks are shopping at thrift stores because they have to.

Here are some articles I enjoyed from the Frugal Blog Network this past week:

Tight Fisted Miser is getting rid of his car.

The Frugal Duchess shares how her teen son saves money on clothes.

Frugal Zeitgeist writes about talking to your parents about their finances.

Frugal Babe discusses Adventures In Baby Food.

Almost Frugal reminds us to take care of our appliances.

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Financial Steps to Take Before the Year Ends

Dana Joseph — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:45:45 +0000

What a year it’s been! Okay, it’s not over yet, but with all of this talk about the holidays, it sure seems like the end of the year is hurtling towards us at a crazy pace. Before we know it, we’ll be talking about New Year’s resolutions. Yikes!

Before the end of the year really is here, there are a few things you should consider doing. These things will leave you ready to face the new year and to enjoy what’s left of this one.

Verify that you’ve paid enough into the IRS for income taxes. Now, I’m not a proponent of paying a lot of extra money into the IRS; that’s like loaning them your money without getting any interest. But, unless you’re expecting your tax return this year to be drastically different than last year’s return, you should have paid in at least as much as you owed last year. You can quickly check this by looking at the YTD amounts on your W-2 and comparing them to the total tax amount on your tax return. You still have time to make changes to your withholding if you need to.

Make plans to contribute to your retirement fund. If you’ve been doing it all along through your employer-sponsored 401(k) plan, that’s great. If you don’t have access to that kind of luxury, though, you’ll want to put some thought into opening a traditional IRA or Roth IRA for yourself. Although you don’t have to make these contributions before the end of the year to take advantage of the tax benefits (you have until April 15th), it’s not a bad idea to start thinking about it now.

Make sure you’ve used all of your cafeteria plan funds. Again, you may have some extra time to use these funds after the year is over (check with your employer for those details), but you should at least be making a plan to use all of the money in your cafeteria plan. Hunt down receipts for items you haven’t sent in yet such as over-the-counter medication, contact lens supplies, and child care invoices. If you don’t use this money before the end of the year (or your grace period) you will forfeit your claim to it. Leaving your money for someone else to use is always a bad idea.

Take a moment to reflect on the past year. Now is the time to decide what things worked for you and what things didn’t. Did you take a stab at the envelope method, but then realize that using nothing but cash didn’t work for you? What went wrong? Maybe you can try a modified version of it next year. How did you do with your savings goals? Did you save enough to replace your refrigerator like you planned? What things should you planning to save for next year? Congratulate yourself on the things that went well and look for ways to salvage the attempts that didn’t go as smoothly. Either way, you probably learned a lesson or two about your finances.

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Thanksgiving Turkey Dinner - Trim the Budget without Forfeiting Taste

Dana Joseph — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:25:17 +0000

What’s your favorite part of Thanksgiving? For some people it is spending time with family and friends. For others it is remembering how blessed we really are; no matter what trials we endure there is always something to be thankful for. For some folks, however, the absolute best part of Thanksgiving is the traditional turkey dinner.

You know the dinner I’m talking about: the one with all of the fixings. A traditional turkey dinner includes a gorgeous baked turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, rolls, candied yams, cranberries, and pumpkin pie. While your family may have its own version of this dinner, you can’t argue that it’s an important part of your family’s celebration.

Even on a tight budget, you can provide the ideal Thanksgiving dinner for your family. You already know how to cut corners in your day-to-day grocery shopping. You may even be an expert at it by now. The last thing you want to do, however, is skimp on things that will make your dinner a less tasteful version of the real thing. Follow these tips to keep your turkey dinner within a reasonable budget without sacrificing this great meal.

Shop ahead of time. This means that you will have to have your menu planned ahead of time. This probably isn’t a problem at Thanksgiving, however, since you prepare the same meal every year. Shopping ahead for non-perishable components of your meal will allow you to take advantage of any great sales at your local grocery store. Canned vegetables and stuffing mix will last quite awhile in your pantry stockpile.

Skip the side dishes that no one eats. As I was growing up, my mom always made green bean casserole and traditional green beans. No one ate the casserole, but she always felt like she “had” to make it. You could save money and preparation time by getting rid of the items that no one enjoys and focusing your efforts on the dishes that really contribute to your meal.

Share the load. Now, I’m sure you don’t want to farm out responsibility for baking the actual turkey. However, maybe your cousin Suzie makes a mean dish of mashed potatoes. Why not call her and tell her how much you’d love for your turkey to share the table with her special dish? She’ll probably be honored that you love her dish so much.

Scale back on your quantities. Of course, you want to have plenty of food for everyone. You don’t, however, need to be eating turkey for two weeks after Thanksgiving. A more appropriately-sized bird or side dishes, can help you save money without changing your menu at all

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Weekend Roundup - Too Much Candy Edition

Dana Joseph — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 11:24:23 +0000

Well the kids had a grand time with last Friday’s holiday - and we’ve all eaten our fair share of candy the last few days. I made my weekly Target shopping trip yesterday and saw the Halloween candy all on sale! It would be a great time to stock up on candy for Christmas gifts for the teachers, etc.

Here are some articles I enjoyed from the Frugal Blog Network this past week:

Tight Fisted Miser reflects on his worst financial habit.

The Frugal Duchess shares 11 Tools for Teaching Kids about Money.

Frugal Zeitgeist lists some thoughts on leadership.

Frugal Babe outlines some frugal choices for your eyes.

Almost Frugal tells how to make your own wrapping paper.

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Four Ways to Earn Extra Cash in Time for Christmas

Dana Joseph — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:15:53 +0000

Now that stores everywhere are starting to sparkle with Christmas merchandise, you may have found yourself going into a panic. How are you going to afford all of the things you want to do this Christmas? Maybe you’ve got your heart set on buying your children some really snazzy gifts. Or maybe you want to make the trek home to your parents’ house for Christmas. Whatever your holiday plans, you can almost bet that you will need some extra money to make them happen.

Before your panic turns into a full meltdown, you should know that there are some simple ways to earn some extra cash in time for your holidays. Depending upon whether you have an abundance of time, talent, or stuff, you can turn your excess into money in no time.

Sell your junk. Selling your unwanted items on eBay just gets easier and easier. Simply take a picture, type a short description, and click a few buttons and your product is out there for someone to find. Maybe there is someone, right now, looking for the old edition that magazine that’s collecting dust in your closet. Do a little research by looking at similar items to help you decide the best way to list your treasures.

Work at your favorite store. Almost all retailers need extra help on the holidays. Why not cash in on the time you spend in your favorite shop and earn a paycheck? You may even get the benefit of a bonus on your purchases there.

Put your talents to good use. Bake breads and treats to sell at a local market. Knit tiny baby blankets to sell on Etsy. You may even be able to help your neighbors by starting a Christmas light hanging service. Just look for ways to use the things your good at to benefit someone else. You can advertise online in a community bulletin board or by hanging flyers in your neighborhood.

Become a salesperson. Do you enjoy going to Pampered Chef or Home Interiors parties? You can earn your own little stash for Christmas by becoming a salesperson. Start a little early (You don’t want to be trying to talk your friends into hosting parties during the holidays), and you’ll be able to build your own Christmas fund. Be sure to choose a company that allows you to minimize your initial investment, as well as finding a product that you really enjoy selling.

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How To Organize - Set up a Filing System

Dana Joseph — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:57:53 +0000

An important part of being in control of your finances is being able to keep the records you need. You have to do more than keep them, though. You have to know how to organize them so you will be able to find them when you need them. Organization is vital to keeping your financial records in order.

Setting up a working filing system is the best way to keeping your records organized. With well-labeled files and a neat place to hold them all together you will be on your way to a streamlined method of accounting for your finances. You won’t have to dread looking for the receipt and warranty paperwork from a major purchase because you’ll know exactly where it is.

Six easy steps are all it takes to get a working filing system up and running:

Step 1: Sort the papers you have now. Make piles of similar types of records (one pile for electric bills, another pile for your 401(k) statements, etc.) and discard anything you don’t need.

Step 2: Make folders for your categories. I tend to lean toward the idea of making a lot of folders. It’s easier to find things if I can narrow down the number of things that go into that folder. You should, however, choose a system that works for you. Maybe you don’t mind having the all of the utility bills in one folder.

Step 3: Use color to segregate your categories. This can be as easy as sticking blue stickers on the tab of one category’s folders and red stickers on another. Or you could go the extra mile and get different-colored folders for each category. The important part of this step is to find a way to differentiate your varying types of records. You might use green for assets, your bank statements and retirement account statements. You might use yellow for warranty information. Red might be good for expenses like your credit card statements or mortgage statement.

Step 4: Group your folders together by category. This is where the color comes in handy. Once you start putting your folders away, you’ll be able to quickly tell when something is in the wrong place. One lonely blue folder stuck in a sea of red folders is sure to catch your eye.

Step 5: Store your folders. If you have access to a filing cabinet, use that. But if you don’t, there are a couple of other options. You can buy one of those metal systems that allow you to convert a regular drawer into a filing space. (Pay close attention to the dimensions of your drawer as you select one of these systems.) Another option is to buy one of those mobile filing systems. Unfortunately, these don’t always hold a lot of files, so you could need another one pretty quickly.

Step 6: Use your system. Avoid the temptation to keep piling papers on your desk or table; now that you have your files set up, you can easily drop each statement or invoice away as soon as it has been reviewed or paid. By taking an extra minute to put things away the first time you handle them you can avoid having a mountain of filing at your desk.

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Best Budget Meals for November

Dana Joseph — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:22:41 +0000

Trying to come up with budget-friendly meals is a given for any family in a budget. However, November meals have to be more than cost-effective. November meal planning requires you to come up with ideas that battle the cold of winter, nourish your family, and still allow you to stay within your food budget.

Check out these great meal ideas to add a little zest to your November evenings:

Sloppy Joes – Nothing is as hearty and satisfying as good old-fashioned sloppy joe sandwiches. Simply mix the sloppy joe seasoning with some browned ground hamburger. Then, build your sandwich on hamburger or hot dog buns. Even your pickiest family member will love sloppy joe night.

Home-made Quesadillas – Normally enjoyed at many different restaurants, quesadillas are easy to make and customize in the comfort of your own kitchen. Begin by layering cheese and browned pieces of chicken or beef into a flour tortilla. Add peppers, onions, or spices to your own tastes. Then warm the concoction in your oven until the cheese is melted. If these tasty treats don’t keep the cold away, nothing will.

Baked Spuds – Oversized-potatoes dressed with bacon bits, cheese, and any other goodies that you like can be used to create a warm, comforting dinner. You can buy large potatoes inexpensively during almost any season. Then, choose your toppings according to the grocery stores’ sales. Bake the potato, split it open with a knife and heap on the extras.

Spaghetti & Meatballs – What family doesn’t love pasta? Spaghetti is an easy to make, low-budget favorite on everyone’s list. Simply boil pasta to build a base for this Italian entrée. Roll tiny hamburger patties into small balls and brown them to add meatballs to your meal. Now all you need is a jar of your family’s favorite sauce, bought during a sale, of course.

Tacos – Another dinner idea that allows you to put your family’s own spin on your dinner plans is making tacos. Choose hard or soft shells depending upon your preference, or price. Brown hamburger and add all of the fixings you like. If your family enjoys things on the spicier side of life, don’t forget to add a packet of taco seasoning to your meat.

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Holiday Shopping Tips – When Is the Best Time for Bargains?

Dana Joseph — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:29:12 +0000

Getting the best bargain on your holiday shopping is very important when you have a set budget and a seemingly limitless shopping list. Every time you are able to score something from your list at a bargain price you are able to stretch your shopping dollars a little further. But how do you find the great bargains everyone is also talking about?

While there is no definite recipe for finding real bargains, there are some definite patterns in bargain shopping. By taking note of these trends, you may be able to avail yourself of some deals to help you with your shopping endeavors.

Black Friday – Okay, I know it’s clichéd, but sometimes there’s an element of truth behind clichés. The Friday after Thanksgiving can be the source of some great bargains for holiday shoppers. That doesn’t mean, however, that everything on sale that day is a bargain. Remember to compare your pre-made shopping list to the special offers on that day. Then, plan to get up early and do some power shopping. With some determination (and possibly some backup help) you should be able to snag some great buys.

The Week Before Christmas – It seems unfair to those of us who plan our holidays weeks in advance, but the week before Christmas can offer a ton of sales, especially if retailers are experiencing sluggish sales. Shopping procrastinators can take advantage of these offers if they’re willing to wait and face the hordes to finish their shopping. You should note, though, that you may have to have alternative gift ideas for the folks on your gift list; popular items can be sold out by this time of year.

The Week After Christmas – While it may be too late to get gifts for Christmas after the holiday has passed, the week after Christmas is a great time to stock up on supplies for next year’s festivities. I’ve also been able to take advantage of these specials for gifts that I don’t exchange until family gatherings after the holidays. No one ever had to know that I waited until the last minute to do my shopping, and I was able to get much better gifts for my family.

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Weekend Roundup - Waiting in Line For Early Voting Edition

Dana Joseph — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:28:57 +0000

Yesterday I went to my county’s designated early voting place only to find myself at the end of a very long line. There were nearly 100 people ahead of me. After waiting out in the heat for about 10 minutes (had 2 of the kids with me), it was very apparent that this was not going to be a quick process. I chose to leave the line and will attempt to vote again today (leaving all 4 kids at home with Mr. NMOM :)) Hopefully, I can find a time that is not too crowded but no matter what, I will be voting sometime this week, long wait or not.

Here are some interesting articles I read this past week from the Frugal Blog Network and other places in the blogosphere:

Almost Frugal has a new addition to her family and shares some frugal pet tips.

Frugal Babe shares a cool new way to make homemade pizza by improvising a biscuit recipe for the crust.

Frugal Zeitgeist asks her readers what types of changes they’ve seen from the current economic situation. The stores still seem pretty busy around here, but I have seen a few more garage sales than usual and more stores with huge “going out of business” signs.

The Frugal Duchess shares another way to save at the grocery store: bag rebates.

Tight Fisted Miser relates his experience with identity theft.

The Wisdom Journal provides 10 Tips to Stretch That Health Care Dollar.

The Digerati Life gives 8 Tips For First Time Home Buyers Entering This Real Estate Market.

Wisebread shares five calls you can make now to save hundreds to thousands of dollars.

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