This week’s expenses were mostly on the official exception list, with a few added costs thrown in for lack of planning. Yesterday was my niece’s 1st birthday, celebrated on Saturday
No Spend Month, Week 2 Update: Broken Furnace Edition
This week hit us with a slew of “necessary” (but unexpected) expenses. Some were definitely more necessary than others—take the furnace, for example. Waking up cold in the middle of
No Spend Month, Week 1 Update: Icepocalypse Edition
As far as our No Spend Month is concerned, Indy’s Icepocalpyse couldn’t have come at a better time. It’s pretty easy not to spend money when you’re trapped in your
2011: The Year of IRS-efile and Free Online Tax Preparation (Ad)
This is the year to take your taxes online and to efile your tax return. During the 2010 Tax Season almost 70% of all U.S. individual taxpayers have either efiled their taxes
February No Spend Month Challenge
As we went through our budget last month, it became clear that we need something drastic to really get us moving on debt repayment. We have our household expenses down
New Year, New Finances: 31 Days to a Better Budget
Tonight, we ring in 2011—our annual homemade pizzas are in the oven, the champagne is chilling and the noisemakers are ready & waiting. Tomorrow, we all start fresh—a whole new
Five Scams That Steal Your Christmas Twinkle
It’s that time of year again when cyber criminals are hard at work trying to separate you from your holiday joy. They’re busy tricking victims into contributing to made-up charities, investing in Ponzi schemes and bidding on phony auctions. All in an attempt to take advantage of your generosity and to steal your cash.
Rethinking the Budget: Debt Elimination Time
As we approach the end of the year, we’ve been keeping a close eye on our finances. This is partly due to holiday expenses and partly due to my realization
Make Open Enrollment Work For You
Are you happy with your health insurance plan? Or are premium amounts, deductibles and copays draining your bank account? Are you paying for services you don’t need or want, like smoking cessation classes or a life coach?
Could your family save a bundle by opting for a plan with a higher deductible that offers lower premiums and copays? Or one that covers prescription drugs in the GAP?
Open enrollment is the time period you’re allowed to make changes to employee benefits like health, dental, vision and life insurance plans. Dates and time frames vary by company and providers, but are always held at least once a year. For those folks who receive Medicare benefits, open enrollment always occurs from November 15 through December 31.
Personal Finance Lessons From Your Toilet Paper Roll
Money is a little like toilet paper—you don’t think about it much, until you run out. Have you ever taken the time to think about how much TP you use