Changes to Calculating Credit Scores Pending in Congress

We can see how this will help most, but it will hurt some. 

More - Money Mistakes to Avoid in Your 20s

Foreclosing or Walking Away from Your Home Has Consequences

Home owners that foreclosed, walked away or defaulted on a previous mortgage are finding it hard to get financing now that the housing market seems to be turning around.  They shouldn't be surprised.  Their activity stays on their financial records and often impacts FICO scores, which is the gauge lenders use to determine lend-ability.  That's why it's key to always live below your means and have emergency savings.

More - Mortgage Relief Program

Retail Shoppers Have Disappeared

The government shutdown impacted retail sales.  With the next scheduled crisis just after the holidays, current spending levels authorized through 01/15/2014 and the debt cushion extended through 02/07/2014, shoppers aren't likely to loosen the purse strings this holiday season. 

More - "Do you want to save 10% on your purchase today?"  "No."

Tips for Cutting Back Credit Card Spending

Three tips for cutting back spending on your credit card.

"Do you want to save 10% on your purchase today?" "No."

Did you ever regret agreeing to sign up for that retail credit card?  Here are four steps to correct that. 

Saving & Investing

Start early and be consistent.

Downsizing Your Home to Save $$

"Rightsizing" was the trend just as the house market started to crash.  Though retirees continue rightsizing, it's still not a bad option for younger homeowners.  Cutting back on overhead can be profitable for a lot of people.

Worth Repeating

"The greater part of our happiness or misery depends upon our dispositions, and not upon our circumstances.” - Martha Washington

NFL May Stop Blacking Out Games

Because it's punitive and unprofitable.

Save Money This Holiday Season

If you have a credit card with unused miles, most will let you spend them in their "shopping mall".  This is good advice if you have miles and need to cut back on your spending this holiday season.  Use credit you've already earned and don't use cash or your credit cards.

Oops! Broke the Coffee Grinder this Morning.

Maybe it was too early in the morning?  I attempted to make my morning coffee today and, sadly, I had no ground coffee left.  I know!  I sound lazy.  To my credit, it was 5 AM.  Anyway, I had some sort of crazy hand spasm that caused me to drop the lid of our coffee grinder. 

Necessity is the mother of invention, right?  Okay, maybe I’m giving myself too much credit now.  I used tape to piece the grinder lid back together.  I wasn’t going to go without coffee today.

 

Now that we think about it, this will save us from having to buy a new grinder.  $20 savings, right there!  Sure, it’s only $20.  But, why spend it when it’s not necessary.  No one sees our grinder but us.  Plus, we’re curious to see how long we can make this last.     

More and More Retires Using Credit Cards to Pay Medical Expenses

This won't end well.     

DIY Home Sales

More and more homeowners are selling their homes sans real estate broker.  The 85 year old woman in the condo below us sold her condo completely on her own.  No problems.  In addition to not having to pay broker-fees, she sold it above market value.  The buyer probably should've used a broker.  

Save Money When Buying Fruit

Americans are reported to throw away about forty percent of food annually.  That’s not far off from throwing away half of our food.  As we mentioned last week, some of this may be due to confusion when differentiating between what is safe and unsafe to eat.

If you buy fruit during your weekly grocery trip, like we do, you have a lot of fruit around the house.  Fruit is great for snacking and to keep you healthy.  It’s, also, great for enhancing meals, like mango salsa with homemade tacos or a pear chutney over a pork loin roast.  Yum!

 

So, if you’re a fruit-eater, you know it’s sometimes difficult to eat your fruit before it spoils.  Here’s a solution.

When we get home from the grocery store, we put all of our fruit in a freshly cleaned sink.  Then we mix a combination of one part white vinegar and three parts water.  We let the fruit soak for about ten minutes, drain the sink and let the fruit dry.  Then, depending on the type of fruit, we store it in a fruit bowl on our counter or in our fridge. 

 

The water-vinegar mixture kills about 98% of the bacteria on fruit.  This slows down the spoiling process and helps fruit last up to a week or more after getting it home.  Before it’s time to eat the fruit, we’ll rinse it off again. 

This means we don’t waste our fruit, which saves us money or gets us a better return on our fruit investment.

Considerations When Applying for a Store Credit Card

In general, the rewards for signing up for retail store credit cards aren't worth it.  If you're considering one, ask yourself these questions.

Great American Beer Festival Winners

We're fortunate to live in Denver, home of the annual Great American Beer Festival.  We didn't go this year.  We do have a list of winners and will try them throughout the year.  If we're staying home to save money, we'll spend just a little more on quality beer or wine.  Being Money Conscious doesn't mean having a bad life.

Money Mistakes to Avoid in Your 20s

Unfortunately, some people are still making these mistakes in the 40s and 50s. 

4 Tips on Teaching Kids About Money

It's never too early to start teaching your kids personal money management.

Cut Your Cable Cord and Still See NFL Football

Apparently this technology has been around for a while, but we're not the savviest techies.  We're not sure how legal this is.  Watch free NFL Football at your own risk. 

More - Cutting the Cable Cord

If You Feel Like You're Working Harder For Less . . .

it's cause you are.