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The Do’s and Don’ts of Mobile Banking
If you’re like me, you remember the days when you had to swing by an ATM machine or call your bank’s toll-free 1-800 number to verify your account balance or make sure a check cleared. That seems like a lot of effort, but it was still faster than going to the actual bank or waiting for your monthly statement to arrive in the mail. Times sure have changed, haven’t... -
How to Build Credit Without Using Credit Cards
If you read this blog regularly, you know that I’m a big proponent of responsible credit card use. I believe that, when used as intended – as in, you don’t overspend and you pay your balance off in full each month – credit cards can be helpful and useful tools for establishing good credit and good financial habits. When you have good credit, it’s much easier to do things... -
9 Money-Saving Tips to Try This Week
Trying to save a little extra money this week? Searching for easy ways to curb excess spending? Want to make your next paycheck last a little longer? Well, look no further. This week, I’m sharing some of my favorite ways to save money and cut spending. The best part? Every item on this list is quick and easy – you don’t have to block out an entire Sunday afternoon... -
Three Creative Budget Ideas: Waterfalls, Envelopes, and Nicknamed Checking Accounts
Budgeting isn’t for everyone. Yes, you read that right. But let me explain. What I really mean is, the standard budget – as in, the fussy, spreadsheet-style, track-every-penny type of budget – doesn’t work for everyone. Fortunately, there are several budget options out there, and I try to make a point to keep up with the latest money-management and debt-repayment strategies. Whether your money management plan is focused on... -
Money Mistakes That Make You Poorer
When money’s tight, it’s easy to forget basics like budgeting, saving, and paying down debt. Broke folks tend to stop thinking about the long term and get caught up in day-to-day worries. The problem is, though, that losing sight of your long-term financial goals can have some serious consequences. Behaviors like making minimum credit card payments, not budgeting, and relying on less-than-legit sources of cash (like payday loans) can... -
Five Common Money Scams – and how to Avoid
In a previous post, I wrote about ATM skimming, an increasingly popular technique that some tech-savvy thieves are using to steal sensitive financial information, such as bank account and PIN numbers. But skimming isn’t the only scam that you should watch out for. Want to protect your hard-earned money? Want to make sure that your sensitive personal information stays, well, personal? Check out this list of five common... -
Frugal Spending: Five Questions to Ask Before You Buy
There’s a misconception out there that “frugal living” is somehow synonymous with “deprivation” – that frugally-minded folks never spend a dime and always purchase the cheapest, bargain-bin option when they do find themselves forced to part with a few hard-earned dollars. It’s a misconception that I think turns a lot of people off. After all, who wants to live in a constant state of self-denial? People who are new... -
Delaying Your Spending Can Take a Big Bite Out of Your Credit Card Debt
When you’re struggling with high-interest credit card debt, you’re always looking for new ways to bring down your balance faster. There are quite a few debt-repayment strategies to choose from, including a couple of my favorites: the snowball method and the snowflake method. Both of these are fairly flexible and can be combined with other savings and debt repayment strategies (in fact, you can even use them together!). ... -
Five Questions to Ask About Your Credit Card Terms and Conditions
I’m not opposed to credit cards – but I do believe that the only way to use credit is to use it responsibly. And one of the best ways to ensure responsible credit card use (in addition to paying your balance – in full! – every month) is to know how your card works. How much do you really know about your credit card? Sure, you probably know... -
The “Snowflake Method” Turns Spare Change into a Powerful Debt Reduction Tool
Chances are, you’ve heard of the “snowball method” for paying down credit card debt. In a nutshell, the snowball method encourages you to tackle credit card debt by focusing on one credit card at a time. By prioritizing which card you pay first and increasing your payments over time, you build up enough debt-repayment momentum to get all of your credit cards down to a zero balance. The snowball...