I have a big issue. It’s with people that think they need to ask for my social security number. It is such a hot button for me.
One reason this may be such a sensitive topic for me is because a member in our family was a victim of identity theft. Thankfully, it was caught very early before any damage was done. The person committing the crime? An office worker at a doctor’s office. Yes, you heard me correctly.

Come to think of it, this has been an issue for at least 14 years. I remember going into a drug store and writing …read more

While I’m sure mentioning this topic is going to bring some eye rolls and heavy sighs, we can’t deny that Christmas will be here soon.  So rather than avoiding the issue, let’s take it on and discuss some ways to plan and stay out of debt.  As Dave Ramsey says, “Children do what feels good.  Adults make a plan and follow it.”  I propose that we make a plan to stay out of debt this Christmas.

1)  Audit your spending.  See if there is anything that you’re willing to cut out.  I’m thinking things like lunch out with coworkers, movie rentals, …read more

If you lose your wallet, say on a trip to the store, then go back and find it in lost and found, or with the clerk, and all the cash is accounted for, none of your personal info (soc sec cards, licence, etc) are missing, and your credit cards are all there, is there anything you need to do?

Just because everything is in your wallet, which I know is REALLY good news, it may not mean you’re ok not reporting it. If you kept any passwords in your wallet, say for your ATM, you absolutely need to change that card …read more

Saving for a rainy day, or building an emergency fund and paying off debt are both smart financial moves, but obviously it’s tough to do it all at once so what should you do first? Should you pay off the debt or sock away cash in an emergency fund?

Aim for creating a small emergency account and put a larger bulk of your cash into paying off your debt. Why?
Paying off debt builds confidence which better prepares you to handle your finances. It feels good to save as well, but it feels much less stressful to have less debt.
Paying off debt …read more

We’re finally selling our house.  You’d expect me to be jumping up and down with excitement, but I’m not.

You see, almost four years ago we bought a house.  We lived in it, fixed it up, and cared for it.  We wanted to make it a special place for our family.  Now here we are selling it and taking a loss.  A big loss.  We actually have to borrow money to sell it.  You may be wondering why I would be borrowing money to sell a house.  Well, it’s been on the market for eight months.  As you can imagine, the upkeep on …read more

It’s pretty easy to check your credit report, and you should at least annually. It’s smart to look your report over because one, bad credit can stop you from getting a new credit card, an apartment, a car loan, and plenty of other things, and two, there may be incorrect info on your report. Either way, you need to know in order to fix your credit. Another reason you may want your report is if you’re planning on car shopping, buying a home, or doing some other large activity involving credit. This way you know where you stand and can …read more

If you’re getting married or considering a life with a significant other, then you should discuss money matters before hooking up for the long term. Some money issues just need a little discussion, while others are MAJOR warning signs that late on there could be problems.

Things to discuss:
Your spending priorities: Are both of you interested in saving for a house, kids, a car, or is only one of you into that? Do you have different spending styles? I.e does one of you live to shop while the other is a minimalist.
Do you agree on how much money should go …read more

From inactivity fees to balance transfer fees to double ATM fees and more, banks can really stick it to you with all the lame excess fees.

To avoid fees do the following:
Read the fine print: Of course this is an obvious, but many people don’t read all the fine print information before signing up for bank services. Some people also don’t read the mail their bank sends them later on which may have change of service notices that can include new fees. If you do get mail later that says new fees are active, call your bank and complain.
Ask for one-time …read more

To get your free credit score try Quizzle.com, CreditKarma.com or Credit.com.  These sites do not offer the not the official FICO, but an approximation of it.  
The only place to get your free credit report once a year is AnnualCreditReport.com.  Accept no other source!
Thanks to Clark Howard for the information.

Welcome to part 2 in our series with Mom of 14.  Today she tells us how she saved money with her babies ( and she had plenty of them) and how she saves money with groceries.  Hope you enjoy.
I saved the family money by ALWAYS using cloth diapers (we’re talking the prefolded cloth with large pins and vinyl pants…no bum genius here). Amazingly, the 4 dozen received as baby gifts for baby #1 served me well throughout all 7 birth children and some survived for the babies I’m now raising. My children were all beautifully dressed….i had learned to sew …read more