|
|
Sunday, January 27, 2008
How to save money on gas!
Are you into hypermiling?
I was looking on the net for cooking help. I'm
a horrible cook, but that's another post altogether... so here I am typing "chicken easy" and somehow I found
a website that is dedicated to the fine art of hypermiling! From what I'm reading you can go from 22mpg to 32mpg (or the
like) if you follow the steps. I'm going to try it... I'm always up for a challange. Here's a link to the hypermiling
website http://www.hypermiling.com/car-mpg.html.
On another note, I haven't been to the "office from h*ll" lately. I was going to stop by and work
more on it but I need a few hours stretch and I havn't found it yet. I will take pictures when I get there. I have
a really bad feeling that it will have multiplied and filled up again, I hope not, but I bet it will have.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
What a week! My hardest project yet!
Last Monday I started a new project. A friend has been asking me for help for months now and I finally said
yes, but I knew it was going to be a big project that would take time... time I really don't have. So here's the scoop...
she is a very busy executive that spends her "free" time working/volunteering for various non profits. She owns
2 companies and numerous real estate properties and her office was a mess! No, REALLY a mess. I think she was scared to use
the trash can because she was worried she would need whatever she threw away, but when she did need something she couldn't
find it.
The thing is I really like organizing offices. It's a sickness I have and I don't often advertise
this side of my "hobby". If I got paid for it maybe I would, but making paper go where it is supposed to makes me
happy. I'm thinking it's some sort of a control issue on my part... I can control paper... and it never talks back.
Back to the crazy office...So I blocked off 4 hours on Monday. I really thought that I could get everything sorted
in 4 hours. I was so wrong. I only got through about half of the office. I will take pictures today and post them later. After
the 4 hours were done I was exhausted but happy to see the floor. I am not kidding.
This is a perfect example of
what I've been preaching for years. They need to teach budgeting and personal finance in high school and college. Not
text book teachings, but real life lessons. How many of us started our bad money habits in the college aged years of our life?
It's the 18+ years that we develop an unhealthy use of credit cards when we should be saving every penny. I see very successful
people that could use a basic lesson on personal finance and organization. It's not that these people are on the verge
of bankruptcy (although some are) but it's just that they are time pressed and overwhelmed by the piles of papers so their
options are to hire a CPA or bookkeeper to do the sorting and bookkeeping or put up with the mess.
After
organizing quite a few offices, the most frustrating thing I've noticed is that people often pay their bills late, but
not so late that it affects their credit. I hate seeing someone pay a bill a day or two after it was due. They know that the
long term affects of their laziness (it's different if you don't have the money to pay the bills on time) is JUST
a late fee, but what if you saved all those late fees in an investment account? You could have a large nest egg... yikes,
it's easy to pay your bills on time, especially with the No Excuse Budget... oh well!
So how organized is your
office? Mine stays pretty well organized, except my overflow box. I have a box that I put papers and magazine and coupons
in. Anything that I want to look at or might need in the future I put in this box. I've found that I end up throwing most
of it out without having looked at it though. I always have such great dreams of having time to read it all, but I never do.
I'm going to try and take pictures of this crazy office and I'll post them later. We're expecting a big
storm so it just depends on timing. I laugh at saying a big storm as a So Cal big storm is like a drizzle to everyone else!
Sunday, January 20, 2008
My new addiction!
Really, who new grocery shopping could be so fun... and
help teach kids about money?
Fresh and Easy has come to town and I never thought I'd be this happy! It's not just the $5 off a $20 purchase coupon that
they are giving out either (although the coupon lover in me was delighted), but the prices and freshness of their products
are what really make this grocery store great!
The first time I knew about Fresh and Easy was when I noticed that
the town next to mine was getting some MAJOR updating on one of their older, run down shopping centers... It's
always nice to see a deserving neighborhood get revitalized... it almost empowers all the surrounding areas and encourages
everyone else to care about their neighborhood again.
A few months later I saw the same thing happening in my
little town. Although my town as a whole has great character there was one shopping center that needed a little TLC and Fresh
and Easy remodled this one too! The shopping center looks wonderful now, complete with the communities quaint character shining
through... and the store hasn't even opened yet!
Back to the store itself, because honestly looks are good,
but the goods are what count. I first stopped at the Fresh and Easy in the neighboring community by myself. I figured
it was either going to be good or bad, and if it was bad I wanted out of there asap, and bringing the kids would slow me down.
The first thing I noticed was the brightness of the store. Not to the point that my eyes hurt, but to the point where I could
see the product and read the ingredients. The aisles where wide and the whole store was clean. Wondering employees were spread
out to see to the needs and questions of all customers, and there is even a sample bar in the back of the store where you
can taste all of their specialty items.
Some of our new favorite items are :
Field green salad $1.99
This salad could easily feed 4. It comes with a bunch of different lettuce types, carrot shreds, cucumber slices, cherry
tomatoes and the most delicious balsamic vinaigrette. You could easily eat it for lunch as it even comes with an individual
napkin and fork!
Ready to eat mac n' cheese $2.99 Both the kids and us adults liked it... rare!
Butter $2.08 Good price out here!
Pizza dough Ready to use $.99 Tastes great!
Frozen bag of broccoli
florets $1.29
Tomato and mozzarella sandwich $2.99 This is so good! It's a baguette with aoli, Buffalo mozzarella,
fresh sliced tomatoes and water cress. It's one of those things that you crave!
Peanut Butter $1.89
And so much more. I know that I like to see prices so I included a few. There is also a whole section of fresh baked stuff
like bread, scones, muffins, and lots of dessert items.
I could go on and on but the reason I really like Fresh
and Easy is because my kids now want to help around the house more. I'm sure Fresh and Easy had no idea that their store
could make my kids want to do extra chores to make more money to spend on groceries. It's not that we don't have more
than enough food at home, it's not that I make them buy their own groceries, it's just that they love Fresh
and Easy! They love to pick their own food (I rarely have had to say no to anything they sell), they love to budget the money
they have and discover how much more items they can buy if they use a coupon. They love scanning their own purchases and bagging
the groceries. They especially love the fresh fruit selection and the baby carrots. I love that they eat the baby carrots
and fresh fruit and don't complain when I say we need to go grocery shopping when we run out of milk!
7:13 pm pst
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
I already broke my resolution!
I had resolved to write a post for my blog everyday. By the 2nd of January
I had already failed. The truth is that I did actually write the posts, they just didn't get posted. I'm the type
that once I write it I'm over it... I'm already sick of the "idea" I wrote about. Are any of you like that?
So I'm saving those posts for a time when I'm without inspiration.
It's funny everyone thinks that April is the busiest time of year for money stuff, but in reality I think it's
January. I've been bombarded (in a good way) with questions about my budget system and that's why I never posted my
articles... just ran out of time.
So here is the number
one question and answer I've received over the past few weeks.
Question: What's the most important thing I can do to help me with organizing my finances now?
Answer: I think the most important thing
you can do today is to get a box and an envelope... and a pen!
I actually gave this as gifts this year (along with a real gift). At first my friends and family thought I was really
weird... but now they get it. This is so easy but for the beginning budgeter or the un-organized it really helps and works.
Large Envelope- The type that can hold
an 8x10 piece of paper. Write TAXES on the front. This is the time of year when all of your important tax papers are mailed...
your CPA will send your planner (if you use a CPA) your mortgage company will send your interest paid statement, your bank
will send your interest earned statement and you'll get any 1099's from any independent contractor work and your employer
will send your earning statement. You should receive all by the first week of February, if you don't call! You don't
have to do anything with all this right now, just having a place to put all of this will help tremendously when it's time
to do your taxes.
Box- I don't care
if you use a fancy plastic box or a card board box, as long as it holds papers, a large amount of paper... your good to go!
You'll need to put every important paper and all receipts into this box. Even if you have no time to file or do anything
else... you'll be set when you do have time to do more because everything will be in one spot when you do.
So those are the 2 most important steps to take now. All you old budgeting pros
I'm sure have already done this, but for you beginners this is a good place to start!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Why I hate credit cards
By Heather D. Reese
This is a follow up to yesterdays post, why I love credit cards.
I find that in my life there are things that I have a love hate relationship with,
credit cards are definitely one of them. I love the benefits they offer, and I’ve weeded out the bad cards in my “portfolio”,
but hearing others horror stories keeps the memory of the bad cards fresh in my mind.
Here are my top 10 reasons to hate credit cards.
1. Two cycle billing. Some credit cards still do this
and it’s amazing that consumers let them. Two cycle billing is often discovered by the consumer when they pay off their
credit card. The next month they get a bill for interest even though they paid off the card in full last month. Not only does
two cycle billing eliminate your grace period, but With two-cycle billing, the average daily balance used to calculate interest
charges is calculated from two billing cycles rather than one costing you more money!
How to avoid this- Check the fine print in that little
booklet that the credit card company sends you every year. If this is not your oldest most established credit card, or your
highest limit one, consider replacing this card with a friendlier, single cycle credit card.
2. Universal default. This topic alone deserves it’s own
post, but the skinny on this is that if you default on any obligation your credit card can impose a default rate. It can be
quite a shock and surprise when you open your credit card statement and find your minimum payment doubled and your interest
rate is now 30%. The ultimate betrayal is when universal default causes unrecoverable damages. Everyone has gone through issues
in life, a birth, a death, a natural disaster, etc. One late payment and all your credit cards can raise their rates and what
was a temporary situation that can be fixed is now a situation where you are forced into bankruptcy.
How to avoid this- Many credit card issuers are moving away from universal
default… are yours? Time to call them up and ask! If you can ditch the ones that still do universal default all the
better. Now before you ask why I didn’t simply say don’t pay your obligations late, let me say that all care should
be taken to pay your bills on time (more are http://www.NoExcuseBudget.com ) but there are times when these things are out of our hands as in life
events, and credit card processing errors, and it takes much time and heartache to straighten out the mess. By avoiding cards
that use universal default you avoid the whole mess.
3.
High interest rates- Not too much to say on this one other than charger be ware! There is no excuse for such
high interest rates. Even with less than stellar credit you can find a card with a descent interest rate. Credit unions are
the best for this. Last I checked Navy Federal has a card with a regular non-promotion rate of 7.9 for purchases. That’s
a great purchase rate… and it comes with rewards!
How
to avoid this- Shop, shop, shop! Not for things, but for a good card. Call or surf the net to your favorite financial
institution and see what they have to offer. Be sure to inquire about the rates for different uses. If you are often taking
cash advances you’ll need to consider that rate too!
4. Rewards that are hard to use- Can you imagine a rewards card that only lets you use the rewards on the
third Tuesday in February, but only on leap years? Okay, so this is an exaggeration, but there are some cards that make it
extremely difficult to ever even use the rewards.
How
to avoid this- Reading the rewards fine print will help,
but a good internet search for others experiences redeeming rewards will bring the biggest insight into how easy it really
will be to acquire and use your rewards.
5. Yearly membership fees- Another crap fee, pardon the
expletive. Today there are so many cards out there that a yearly fee is a thing of the past, or should be. It used to be the
cards with the best reward would always charge a yearly fee, this is not the case anymore. You can find a really good rewards
card without a yearly fee.
How to avoid this-
Sometimes it may make sense to pay a yearly fee. Often this will be
with a business card or line of credit, not so much with consumer cards. If you are really happy with the benefits your card
offers and the benefit way out ways the cost of the yearly fee, keep your card, but do call up your credit card issuer every
year to ask them to waive the yearly fee even if you have to threaten to close the account. They will often waive the yearly
fee each year, even when they say “ this year only”!
6. Pathetic fraud protection- Credit card issuers declining charges for ridiculous
reasons all in the name of fraud protection. A few years ago we were traveling for business. It was a 6 hour road trip. We
filled up on gas in our home town. About 4 hours later we filled up again. I’m one of those people who hates to get
too low on gas so we really just got about ½ a tank of gas then. When we reached our destination we again filled up
the next day before a day of driving around. I figured we didn’t know the place too well so it was best to fill up by
the hotel. Went to fill up and the charge was declined… called the issuer who told me they suspected fraud. No problem
I appreciated their vigilance against unauthorized charges. I assured them with every security question that I was me, and
that all was well. They said no problem, you’ll be receiving a call shortly, answer the questions and your card will
be good to go again… “okay, do you want my cell phone number”, I asked? No the customer service rep responded,
we’ll be calling at your home phone number… needless to say, I did not use that card for the rest of the trip!
How to avoid this- Call your credit card issuer before you travel or make out of the normal charges. Do not assume that one card is
enough if that is going to be your only payment option, always bring one or two or even three cards for trips. Always try
to make a photo-copy of the cards you bring when traveling incase your wallet is stolen, you’ll then have the 800 #’s
of the cards that were lost and you can call and have them re-issue you a new card with a new number.
7. They make it hard to actually dispute a charge and get your
money back. When you really need the fraud protection they make it as hard as possible to get your money back. Aside
from the normal questions, do you have your card in your possession, when was it last used… the questions get more
and more ridiculous and the credit card issuers try to side with the business more and more often, and it makes sense when
you think about how much money that the businesses pay to even take credit cards, but it doesn’t make it right. Jumping
through hoops is an understatement when it comes to the forms you have to fill out and then have notarized (a cost you have
to eat). You’ll feel like they think you are the one committing fraud not the true criminal.
How to avoid this- Keep
good records when it comes to using your credit card. Follow the disputed charge rules very carefully and write down the name
of the customer service rep. you deal with along with notes of your conversations. Most importantly, check your credit card
and bank statements at least monthly… if you have quicken or other money management software you should be downloading
your charges daily and looking for inconsistencies.
8.
American expresses financial review- Few have heard of this fun little game that Amex. plays until they ask
you to play! Normally Amex. only issues a financial review when you have both a charge card (no set limit, pay in full monthly)
and a credit card. This combo seems to set them off. An Amex financial review will include providing them with pay stubs,
bank statements, your blood type and your first born. Well maybe not all those things, but by the time your done you’ll
feel like you did give blood and not only will they likely still close your accounts, but it’ll hurt your credit report
to have an account read “closed by credit grantor”.
How to avoid this- Consider having either a charge card or a credit card through Amex, not both.
9. Non
existent customer service. You need an answer to a simple question. You Can’t log -on to your account online,
you need to change your address… there are lot’s of reasons to need to call your credit card issuers, and you
have been on hold for over an hour and all you can do is keep going through their automated system, yet they promise your
call will be answered by the next available rep… of and your call is REALLLLLLYYYYY important! Customer service is
just not like it used to be and credit cards seem to have the worst!
How to avoid this- There might be no way to avoid
this, but you can at least plan for it. Call your credit cards during off peak hours, normally early morning Tuesday-Thursday.
Keep notes of who you talk to and if you are not satisfied ask to speak to a supervisor. If you are still not happy send them
a letter. It’s easy to find the head cheeses info on the internet now, the office of the president normally has a “gripe”
department that really does try to help and often can and will.
10. Pre-approved offers. I hate pre-approved offers. I’ve opted-out, deleted myself from mailing
lists and I still get pre-approved offers… my shredder is overflowing with these offers. My shredder actually overheats
and smokes. I hate all the waste and I hate having to sit for hours every month and shred unwanted offers. At least most credit
cards offers now come without your name on the fake credit card in the letters, those fake cards were the worst on my shredder,
and we all know I’m too money conscience to buy a new shredder until mine completely stops shredding!
How to avoid this- Opt-out, be added to all do not call
and do not mail lists, and don’t be like me, buy a bigger better shredder. In today’s world your best defense
from identity theft is a shredder and never revealing personal information to those who really do not need it. Carefully read
all of the fine print that you are send from your creditors each year and individually opt out to each creditor.
The moral of the story is that it’s all
about finding the right card for you.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Why I love credit cards
Most “heavy shoppers” love credit cards. I used to be a “heavy shopper”,
groceries, clothes, dog food, it didn’t matter, if you could buy it, I wanted to buy it. If I could use a credit card
a credit card to pay for it, even better… Then came kids. My whole life changed. Shopping took on a whole new meaning.
I was now responsible for someone else and I could care less about shopping for all the crap I did before. I shopped for diapers,
formula and baby food, for baby clothes, medicine and juice, then one day it hit me… this baby is just going to poop
in these diapers, and I’m going to need to buy even more to be pooped and peed in. Why not try to get the best deal
on something that’s not going to increase my net worth and that in essence will be thrown away as quick as I can buy
it.
This is where my love affair with credit cards came from. It wasn’t during the
days of my overspending, it was from my days of deal shopping (today).
With any love
affair there are the good days and the bad days, but the following make my good days far better than the bad days!
1. Choose a card that offers rewards you will actually use. If you are scared to fly and only will do so
once every 10 years to go to a funeral, your miles will expire before any friends or relatives will.
2. Pay attention to the interest rate. On the off chance that something comes up and you have to carry a
balance choose a card that had a lower interest rate. Start with your local credit union.
3. Pick a good card. Stay away from double billing cycles.
4. Be aware of
any extras your credit card offers. Some offer extended warranties for all products bought on the card, others offer rental
car insurance, shop around for the benefits that you will use the most.
5. Do you
drive a lot for work? Consider a gas card that gives you cash back on your gas/fuel purchases.
A real reminder of the benefits of using a credit card vs. a debit card was sent to me right before Christmas by
one of my No Excuse Budget Readers. Sue sent me an e-mail explaining her situation. Sue was working with very limited funds
for this Christmas. Her husband had just taken a new job (a better one) but she would be loosing out on one paycheck since
her husbands new job required 2 weeks of training at no pay. She budgeted enough to buy each of her grandchildren one special
gift. She watched for sales and saw a great deal… she spent her budgeted amount at the retailer using her debit card.
They were to ship her the item as soon as they came in. By mid December she was worried, the product had not arrived. She
called the retailer and was told they were not going to be able to fill her order… and no substitutions were allowed.
The worst part was that the refund was expected to take 8 weeks because they process it via check as it was a debit card transaction,
had she used a credit card, it would have been in her account within 48 hours. To say she was crushed was an understatement.
I often preach that credit cards can be one of the best tools to your financial success
and I’m saying it again today… when used responsibly, you might fall in love with credit cards too!
|
|
|
Thank you for visiting noexcusebudget.com. We are pleased to provide you with money saving tips, free budgeting worksheets, free household budget
worksheets, and household budgeting information with complete detailed instructions. Our goal is to bring you the best money
saving coupons, paid online surveys, budget calculators and loan calculators. We want you to learn to track spending and saving,
plan and set goals, organize and maintain your personal and household budget so that you can have the best possible financial
future. By offering you a free budgeting newsletter you will learn to make more money and learn to save more money.
Our free budget plan with free budgeting spreadsheet, free Budgeting Plan, free Budgeting Worksheets & Budgeting
Instructions offer you a free simple and effective spending and saving plan using proven budgeting tools and tips to
help you meet your financial goals. Join our budget newsletter to receive our free budget plan, budget course,
budget spreadsheet, and budgeting spreadsheets. We hope you leave here knowing more about budgeting, household budget,
personal budget, planning a budget, home budget, living on a budget, budget planner, and family budgets. If you are looking
for a budget form, how to create a budget, budget worksheet, budget plan, budget spreadsheet, bill pay, money saving
tips, coupons, online coupons, surveys, paid surveys, personal finance, budget, money management, savings, saving tips, spending,
financial calculator, loan calculators and more you are at the right place! Discussed in detail are the following items, saving
money, investing, insurance basics, balance your checkbook, special free offer, coupons, surveys, free links, free stuff,
consumer credit counseling, budget forms, saving and investing, loan basics, pay day loans, insurance basics, and calculators.
Once again, we hope you find this site packed full of helpful information
|
 |
|
| |
Hi! I'm Heather Reese, founder of the No Excuse Budget
I realize the importance of having control
of your finances and this website and blog are dedicated to everything personal finance related. Times are changing and everyone
needs advise and encouragement to keep on going while working towards your best financial future.
Discover my proven system for:
·organizing your bills
·paying
your bills on time
·cutting back on expenses
·building
wealth
Check back daily for my new blog posts...and welcome to the No Excuse Budget way of life!
|
|
Quick
Links
Budget System Overview- Need a budget? Living above your means? Do you need to spend less
money and/or make more money or just get control of your spending? Learn how the No Excuse Budget wil lhelp you.
Step One, Gather Supplies- Learn what you need to put together the perfect budget. From paper
to pen and more see what it takes to create your personalized monthly budget and debt reduction plan.
Step Two, Start Budgeting- Time to fill out the free budget worksheets. You'll compiling
your bills and income so you'll have a clear picture of where you are at financial and plan for where you want to
be.
Step Three, Evaluate and Plan- Get ready to plan your future. Take control and make a budget
that works for you! Using the No Excuse Budget Free Debt Reduction Worksheets will enable you to set a plan of attack on your debt.
Step Four, Prepare and Organize- You've created a budget, but what about everything else that comes
with budgeting? Learn to pay your bills on time with the doube check method and how to protect your identiy in one easy step.
Step Five, Fine Tune that Budget- Search through your budget for ways to cut back on your spending.
Learn if it's a need or a want. Articles to spend less and save more.
Free Budget Worksheets- download the No Excuse Budget free budget worksheets.
Free Debt Reduction Worksheets -download the No Excuse Budget free debt reduction worksheets.
Save Money On Food- Save on your grocery bill, save money when eating out, learn to use
coupons to cut your food spending in half, save by ordering food online.
Online Savings- Learn to use the internet to save you money. Don't go to
the mall without reading about onine savings first.
|
|
