Debt Management Blog

“I Don’t Make Enough to Save”

Four Ways We Talk Ourselves into Financial Disaster   You make plenty of money – enough, at least, to allow you to pay bills, eat, get to work, and save for the future.  You even made a budget once; a neat and attractive Excel spreadsheet that organized and allocated...

How’s Your Financial Health? Time For An End-of-Summer Money Checkup

August is the Perfect Month to Assess Your Finances   So back in January, you decided that this would be the year you finally got your finances in order:  you’d pay off all of your credit card debt (or at least you’d avoid acquiring any new debt).  You’d build...

Saving Money, One Call at a Time

Four Phone Calls That Can Save You Big Money   If you’re looking for a new way to save money this summer (and really, who isn’t?), I’ve got some great news for you:  You’ve already got access to a free, easy, and incredibly powerful tool that can help you...

Why Credit Cards Lead to Overspending (and What You Can do About It)

As someone who deals with debt for a living, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people defend their credit card use.  “I only use my credit card for emergencies,” they tell me.  Or, “I just use it to get the airline miles/reward points/cash back.” And of...

Bad Habits that Can Ruin Your Credit Score

Bad Habits that Can Ruin Your Credit Score   Everyone wants a better credit score, but there’s more to the credit game than simply making your payments on time.  Other factors – such as how you use credit, how often you use credit, and even what kind of credit...

Savvy Money Moves For Any Income Level

Financial advice is rarely one-size-fits all:  If you read financial blogs regularly, you’ve probably seen your share of tips that just don’t apply to your situation.  To a family of four living on an income of $20,000 a year, the idea of starting an “emergency fund” with six months’...

Simple (& Painless) Strategies To Build Savings

Maybe you’re looking for a way to start your much-needed emergency fund – or perhaps you’re just trying to scrape together some extra cash for your summer vacation.  Whatever the reason, you know that you want to start saving.  But how?   It’s easier than you think.  In fact,...

Five Frugal Mother’s Day Ideas

According to the National Retail Federation, the average American is expected to spend $150 on Mother’s Day gifts this year.  That’s a pretty big chunk of change – but when you factor in about $30-$40 for a flower arrangement and $75-$100 to take the family to Mother’s Day brunch...

Six Simple Ways to Improve Your Budget

When it comes to budgeting, I think a lot of people expect that they’ll sit down with a few weeks’ worth of receipts and a pad of paper, do a little math, and create a household budget so perfect and balanced and practical that it won’t need adjustments or...

Five Smart Ways to Spend (and Save) Your Tax Return

According to the IRS, the 2010 tax refund for the average American was around $3,000.  That’s a pretty substantial chunk of money.  Chances are, you already know how much to expect back from Uncle Sam this year – and you probably have some idea of what you want to...