Free money is ALWAYS worth it. ING and HSBC gave out money to people who signed up with them. This is happening at Revolution Money Exchange, too. Sign up and get $25. So, there is a new company that they are trying to roll out. Actually, they have been trying to roll out this company for a long time. It’s called Revolution Money Exchange. They are trying to position themselves as a viable alternative to paypal. Regardless, if you sign up with them you get $25. Easy. Google them. The company... Read Full Story

So you thought the idea of tracking your spending was painful? Wait until you realize that another important step in eliminating your debt is facing your demons head on. That’s right: You have to sit down with all of your debts and you have to write down each and every outstanding debt…to the penny. Impossible to discover the validity of this, but I bet that too many people who are serious about eliminating their credit card and consumer debts abandon the process because they’re overwhelmed... Read Full Story

The other day, a reader posted a comment to a post that was written in January of 2007. I think the message is absolutely crucial and wanted to highlight the message.  Per usual, I was raving about INGDirect.com . My “raves” have become considerably less vocal as I have watched the interest rate on the account plummet over the past year. Such is the way in a troubled economy, I guess. Anyway, the reader posted the following comment: I was a huge fan (of ING) too, until I tried to withdraw... Read Full Story

A fellow blogger has asked that I send on a simple survey request. He is trying to develop a debt elimination tool. If you are in debt, please head over to SurveyMonkey and take the free survey for him. All answers are confidential and the survey is less than 10 questions. Read Full Story

Often times, when we set goals, they are often worthy and laudable. Unfortunately, rarely are they attainable. We establish goals that are seemingly doable, but we haven’t honed the skills necessary to reach them. When we start back at the gym, we vow to ourselves that we’ll go five days a week, for two-hour stretches. We may keep this up for a week or two. Then we stop because we are exhausted. The plain fact of the matter: we were not in good enough shape for such a workout routine to begin... Read Full Story

When I talk to people about budgeting, the #1 complaint I hear is, “I don’t do budgets, because I can never stick to them.” Budget-busting seems to be pandemic behavior among these individuals. I am not surprised, however. Budget-busting used to be a common experience in my life, too. 1. Not Having A Budget — It is vitally important that you sit down and work out your budget. I remember Dave Ramsey explaining in perfect terms what a budget does: “It is not your money telling you what you can... Read Full Story

I was reading the LA Times on Sunday morning and came across the article “Our daily bread? It costs more” by Jerry Hirsch. In the article, Hirsch talks about how the increase in the price of wheat worldwide has caused an increase in basic wheat-based staples around the world. Pizza is more expensive. Breads are more expensive. Tortillas are more expensive. This increase in wheat prices has jumped 300% in just 12 months. A 50-pound bag of flour cost $12 a year ago. That same 50 lb bag costs... Read Full Story

It’s time to turn the lens on to you. For over two years, I have shared with you my ideas to reduce debt and save money. Now, it’s your turn. If you want to share your story on how you reduced debt or if you’d like to share any money saving tips that you employ in your life, simply send me an email. Share you story with all of us! Read Full Story

I think in this age, more and more couples are keeping their finances separate and only combining them for joint expenses. Even though I am in a relationship and we do share monthly expenses, we both make about the same amount of money. However, I was wondering what couples should do if one person makes significantly more than the other. A friend of mine told me what she does with her boyfriend. Sometimes couples make the same amount of money. If that’s true, then the monthly bills should be... Read Full Story

There was an excellent article writte by Jen Haley over at CNN.com entitled “Rogue debt collectors — how to fight them.” She reminds us of the following steps that we can take and the following rights that we have. Among them, she mentions: A debt collector cannot call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m., unless you agree. You cannot be contacted at work if the collector knows your employer disapproves. If you don’t want to hear from a debt collector, write a letter telling them to stop. By... Read Full Story