It's Census time in the U.S. Every ten years the United States conducts a census to determine who lives here. The count is used to figure out many things from how many Representatives each state has in the Congress to how much federal funding is needed in certain areas.
Census Day is April 1st, this Thursday. This year's census has caused some controversy as the government has also sent many homes a Community Survey, which asks for personal information some people are not willing to give. The law requires that each person living here participate in the Census. It might seem pointless and obtrusive to you, but it is important that you participate. The main reason being that you will have proper representation in the Legislature.
Today's Tip: Vote! In addition to letting the Dept. of Commerce know who you are and where you are it is imperative to your future that you send men and women to Washington who have your best interests in mind. We are a ways away from Election Day but this is an election year and the campaigning has begun. Vote for Congressmen and Senators who want to keep taxes low and cut government spending. This way you'll keep more money in your own wallet!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Check Your Statement
I have written before about the cost of credit. I'm not sure if this is part of the new credit card law, but I have noticed recently that our statements now include a section with bold type reading Minimum Payment Warning.
This is not the responsibility of the creditor (at least it wasn't under the old laws), but it is kinda handy. In the Minimum Payment Warning section the creditor has figured up for you how much you will pay in interest and how long it will take you to pay off the balance. For example, our Sam's Club bill this month would take two years to pay off with only minimum payments according to GE MoneyBank. We would pay an extra thirty per cent on the amount of our purchases. No thanks. I think we'll just pay for what we bought.
Let me be clear. It is not the credit card company's responsibility to keep track of your spending. That falls on you. It's also a good idea to look over each item on your statement to make sure there are no charges that should not be there. I just looked at one today that had on one line "***APR*** This Period 51.92%." I called to make sure that was incorrect and it was, in fact, a typo. While there was no balance affected by this rate, a rate like that means your credit is probably not that great and you want to take care of it before it becomes a problem!
This is not the responsibility of the creditor (at least it wasn't under the old laws), but it is kinda handy. In the Minimum Payment Warning section the creditor has figured up for you how much you will pay in interest and how long it will take you to pay off the balance. For example, our Sam's Club bill this month would take two years to pay off with only minimum payments according to GE MoneyBank. We would pay an extra thirty per cent on the amount of our purchases. No thanks. I think we'll just pay for what we bought.
Let me be clear. It is not the credit card company's responsibility to keep track of your spending. That falls on you. It's also a good idea to look over each item on your statement to make sure there are no charges that should not be there. I just looked at one today that had on one line "***APR*** This Period 51.92%." I called to make sure that was incorrect and it was, in fact, a typo. While there was no balance affected by this rate, a rate like that means your credit is probably not that great and you want to take care of it before it becomes a problem!
Monday, March 15, 2010
March Sales
"Not all those who wander are lost." -J.R.R. Tolkien
Here are some things to shop for in March while they're on sale...
-Spring clothing
-Wedding gifts
-Air conditioners
-Washers and Dryers
-Garden supplies
-Outdoor Winter Sports Gear
-Luggage
-China (the dishes, not the country. You'd have to borrow money from China to do that)
*Remember- If it's not on sale now, it will be someday. Be patient and get the best deal you can!
Here are some things to shop for in March while they're on sale...
-Spring clothing
-Wedding gifts
-Air conditioners
-Washers and Dryers
-Garden supplies
-Outdoor Winter Sports Gear
-Luggage
-China (the dishes, not the country. You'd have to borrow money from China to do that)
*Remember- If it's not on sale now, it will be someday. Be patient and get the best deal you can!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Mr. Coffee
Tip of the day- Brew your own coffee!
I know I have hit on this before. I just wanted to share some more math I ran across the other night. It is the daily extra from my desk calendar I received last Christmas.
"Make your own coffee. At $4 a pop, a daily serving of coffee shop java can add up to nearly $1,500 a year. Making coffe at home costs only cents."
How many cents? Here's what we're paying. We bought five cans of Folgers for $4 dollars each when they were on sale a few months ago at Lowe's Foods. So far we have gone through one and a half of them in two and a half months. If the rest of the current can only lasts until the end of this month then we're on a pace of two cans of coffee every three months. That's one every month and a half. We make an average pot of six cups each day. That adds up to 270 cups of coffee per can. The can was $4 so each cup is costing us a penny and a half!
I know I have hit on this before. I just wanted to share some more math I ran across the other night. It is the daily extra from my desk calendar I received last Christmas.
"Make your own coffee. At $4 a pop, a daily serving of coffee shop java can add up to nearly $1,500 a year. Making coffe at home costs only cents."
How many cents? Here's what we're paying. We bought five cans of Folgers for $4 dollars each when they were on sale a few months ago at Lowe's Foods. So far we have gone through one and a half of them in two and a half months. If the rest of the current can only lasts until the end of this month then we're on a pace of two cans of coffee every three months. That's one every month and a half. We make an average pot of six cups each day. That adds up to 270 cups of coffee per can. The can was $4 so each cup is costing us a penny and a half!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Check It Out
"The words stubbornness and perseverance are not synonomous but it is distressing to observe that some people do not understand the difference."
-Waite Phillips
Savings tip of the day: Go to the library. No, there is not some magical money ferry there that will give you a bag of cash. But it's free to check out a book you may pay up to $20 for at your favorite bookstore. The library also has DVDs to check out. Instead of heading straight to the chain movie store see if your local library has a copy of the movie you want to see. And if you must rent, find a Red Box near you.
-Waite Phillips
Savings tip of the day: Go to the library. No, there is not some magical money ferry there that will give you a bag of cash. But it's free to check out a book you may pay up to $20 for at your favorite bookstore. The library also has DVDs to check out. Instead of heading straight to the chain movie store see if your local library has a copy of the movie you want to see. And if you must rent, find a Red Box near you.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Counting Chickens
Don't count your chikens before they're hatched!
This is one of those wise old adages I heard many times growing up. While the debate continues as to which came first, one thing is a known fact. Chickens now come from eggs. I don't know who first coined the phrase about counting chickens before their hatched, but I'm sure it's been around awhile. Of course, the saying means to not count your eggs and assume they are all going to produce healthy, living chickens. It's applied in many cases and best suits the subject of money.
I began this post several weeks ago and have been waiting to publish it on a day that seemed fit. Today is as good as any. You may have noticed that there are no ads on my blog today. For the past month I have allowed Google to place ads on my site with the agreement that I would be compensated for the advertising. As my readership grows and as more of you have been utilizing the services being advertised, Google has made a decision to disable my ad account.
According to an email I received, Google intends to break the contract we have and not pay me for ad revenue that has accumulated in my account with them. Here is the quote, "While going through our records recently, we found that your AdSense
account has posed a significant risk to our AdWords advertisers." I plan to have more ads up soon but it will most likely be through another service. I apologize for the inconvenience if you were trying to use one of the vendors you found at my site. I am working with Google to resolve the issue and I'll let you know how it comes out.
The check I was supposed to be receiving soon from Google was not a very large sum of money. I was not banking on the extra income to feed my family, but it was nice to be working with some advertisers that appeared relevant to the subject of this blog. I can only imagine how much Google has actually been paid by the same advertisers. You know they are getting paid!
Knowing what Google stands for I am not surprised at their failure to uphold our agreement. Still, it's a little disappointing that they have taken this action. It may be for the courts to decide whether my eggs should be chickens...
Tip of the day: Don't spend it before you get it and when you get it, don't spend it unless you have to.
This is one of those wise old adages I heard many times growing up. While the debate continues as to which came first, one thing is a known fact. Chickens now come from eggs. I don't know who first coined the phrase about counting chickens before their hatched, but I'm sure it's been around awhile. Of course, the saying means to not count your eggs and assume they are all going to produce healthy, living chickens. It's applied in many cases and best suits the subject of money.
I began this post several weeks ago and have been waiting to publish it on a day that seemed fit. Today is as good as any. You may have noticed that there are no ads on my blog today. For the past month I have allowed Google to place ads on my site with the agreement that I would be compensated for the advertising. As my readership grows and as more of you have been utilizing the services being advertised, Google has made a decision to disable my ad account.
According to an email I received, Google intends to break the contract we have and not pay me for ad revenue that has accumulated in my account with them. Here is the quote, "While going through our records recently, we found that your AdSense
account has posed a significant risk to our AdWords advertisers." I plan to have more ads up soon but it will most likely be through another service. I apologize for the inconvenience if you were trying to use one of the vendors you found at my site. I am working with Google to resolve the issue and I'll let you know how it comes out.
The check I was supposed to be receiving soon from Google was not a very large sum of money. I was not banking on the extra income to feed my family, but it was nice to be working with some advertisers that appeared relevant to the subject of this blog. I can only imagine how much Google has actually been paid by the same advertisers. You know they are getting paid!
Knowing what Google stands for I am not surprised at their failure to uphold our agreement. Still, it's a little disappointing that they have taken this action. It may be for the courts to decide whether my eggs should be chickens...
Tip of the day: Don't spend it before you get it and when you get it, don't spend it unless you have to.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
What Makes You Tick?
For where Your treasure is, there will your heart be also. - Matthew 6:21
I have no profound money saving solutions today, just some words that might shed some light on why stewardship of money is important to me. We each have a unique view of money, earthly treasures, and how and why they should be spent. My whole life has been shaped by an event that happened 21 years ago today.
Those of you who know me know the close encounter I had with tragedy at an early age. I won't go into much detail here, but for those who don't know I'll summarize. I was in the seventh grade and a freak accident at school left me folded up on the floor in the hall. A massive head injury that resulted in a blood clot on my brain and partial paralysis nearly took my life. I awoke in the hospital to learn that I had had emergency brain surgery, a procedure with a 50% survival rate. Thanks to a praying Mom and Dad, church family around the world, and a loving God I walked out of the hospital a month later on my way to a 100% recovery.
I was not yet 13 years old and suddenly life had a brand new meaning. Things that were important before now seemed quite trivial. What was once insignificant and taken for granted now appeared very meaningful. Life itself was a gift. As I have grown older I have come to learn that everything good in our lives is a gift and not to be treated lightly. Not exempt from this is the treasure with whiich I've been entrusted.
Again, I have no money saving tip for you today. For me it is a day of reflection, the day I was given a second chance. I merely ask you to reflect upon how you are spending your money. You are drowning in debt and for what? On what have you spent all the money you've been gifted? Do you have all of the nicest material things this world offers and discovered you can't pay for it all? Have you given all you can to those who need it most? Remember it is a gift and the more you give the more you will be given.
I have no profound money saving solutions today, just some words that might shed some light on why stewardship of money is important to me. We each have a unique view of money, earthly treasures, and how and why they should be spent. My whole life has been shaped by an event that happened 21 years ago today.
Those of you who know me know the close encounter I had with tragedy at an early age. I won't go into much detail here, but for those who don't know I'll summarize. I was in the seventh grade and a freak accident at school left me folded up on the floor in the hall. A massive head injury that resulted in a blood clot on my brain and partial paralysis nearly took my life. I awoke in the hospital to learn that I had had emergency brain surgery, a procedure with a 50% survival rate. Thanks to a praying Mom and Dad, church family around the world, and a loving God I walked out of the hospital a month later on my way to a 100% recovery.
I was not yet 13 years old and suddenly life had a brand new meaning. Things that were important before now seemed quite trivial. What was once insignificant and taken for granted now appeared very meaningful. Life itself was a gift. As I have grown older I have come to learn that everything good in our lives is a gift and not to be treated lightly. Not exempt from this is the treasure with whiich I've been entrusted.
Again, I have no money saving tip for you today. For me it is a day of reflection, the day I was given a second chance. I merely ask you to reflect upon how you are spending your money. You are drowning in debt and for what? On what have you spent all the money you've been gifted? Do you have all of the nicest material things this world offers and discovered you can't pay for it all? Have you given all you can to those who need it most? Remember it is a gift and the more you give the more you will be given.
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