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As Gas Prices Soar…What is a Girl to do?
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Gas prices are going to soar, possibly as much as 4.00 or more a gallon by this summer because of the political unrest in the Middle East. What can a girl do here, today to offset those rising prices? Here are some tangible ideas.
1. Plan your menu for the month and make fewer trips to the grocery store. It may not sound like much but every trip for one or two items is gallons of gas.
2. Plan all of your errands for the same time so you are not making multiple trips to town from your home. Stopping on the way home from work or bunching errands together in one trip will decrease your use of gasoline.
3. If possible, depending on where you live, consider these alternatives: walking, public transportation, car pooling, or staying home an extra day.
4. Buying a more economical car may be possible for some, but for others their need for a larger vehicle or the timing is just not right to buy something new. Don’t allow yourself to get into more debt under the disguise of being gas friendly and being more economical. It may not be worth the added payment with interest that a newer vehicle will cost.
5. Stock up on items like toilet paper, toothpaste, and soap. These items are likely to be the reason for fast trips to the store. Keeping items on hand will help you to avoid extra unneccesary trips to the store.
6. Pay cash for gas whenever possible. It will be more costly to charge gasoline if you don’t pay your balance completely every month. The interest on the credit card adds more to the price of a gallon of gas in the long run and is not financially responsible.
7. Vote: go out there and make your choices known by voting on election day. This will be your say in how our government handles issues that affect the price of gasoline and other services that cost the taxpayer money.
Keep these things in mind as you plan for more expensive fuel prices in 2012. Every penny saved makes a difference.
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Count Down to What?
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The count down will begin soon for many things, including the end of a year, the end of the Christmas holidays, the end of financial woes for the past 12 months, and even the end of our mild winter. It will be a beginning for new financial goals, new winter weather, new hopes and new dreams. What are you counting down for?
If you are like most women, you want to be more financially secure. What better place to start then with the beginning of a new year. Here is what you need to get started. I hear that sigh…. I know what you are thinking. You think that this is the same old lecture about saving, not spending, and climbing out of debt and to some degree you will be right.
Lets put a different spin on it. How fun would it be to add rewards for small successes into our budget? Rewards for meeting new goals before the entire goal is met? Pats on the back for being awesome women who take finances seriously but also enjoy little presents to ourselves for working hard and meeting timelines?
Make a list of your goals for 2012, big and small.
Make a list of your income and your expenses.
List all of the debt you need to be free of in 2012, 2013, 2014. Let’s safely assume you can become debt free within 3 years. I am right there with you so we can stay accountable to each other.
Now set a time line for meeting certain goals and state your reward.
Repeat this weekly, monthly, or quarterly. It should look something like this:
January- Goal one-pay off sewing machine
Goal two-write and polish one piece for publication
Goal three-Stay within the weekly budget for 4 weeks in a row
January Reward: New office supplies with cutsiie notes and matching file folders.
Do this for every month and put in the reward you want. Don’t go buy your reward until you finish your goals. Don’t make the goals unattainable. Do make the goals work towards your ultimate financial or career goal and do make your rewards realistic.
Make 2012 your best year by pulling yourself up by the bootstraps and making good things happen. It doesn’t matter if you are on assistance or if you bring in a decent income, we can all budget with what we have and make it stretch further than we realize if we have solid goals and a solid plan of action. Let me know how you do for the first month on your personal plan of action.
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- How to Set Financial Goals?
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- Monday comes to a close….
- Friday: Debt Reduction Review Day….
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December 28, 2011
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What Type of Insurances do You Need?
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The topic of insurance coverage can be daunting. What kind you need and how much coverage should you have are matters of opinion but there are basic guidelines to help you out.
1. Health insurance. Everyone needs some sort of health insurance coverage or a personal savings account that will cover health expenses. We will discuss different types of health coverage in another post.
2. Auto insurance. Everyone with a vehicle needs auto insurance, it is a law in most states and it protects you from being sued if you are in an accident. If you have a loan on the vehicle, complete coverage is necessary. If your vehicle is paid off, then you might feel comfortable with liability coverage only, but everyone with a vehicle needs some level of coverage.
3. Dental and Vision insurance. It is a plus if your policy includes this but some policies are so expensive that many drop this coverage. Weigh the benefits and the costs before you decide. One dental visit for a crown or a couple of fillings can set you back close to a thousand dollars if you do not have insurance, but it is a personal choice.
4. Pet insurance. This is another personal choice. I have too many pets myself to be able to afford coverage so I save for the yearly shots and neutering that is needed and take my chances on not needing extensive coverage on my pets. Others may feel it is necessary to have this security. It depends on what you can afford. To buy pet insurance when you can’t pay your other bills doesnt’ make sense to me but still, it is a personal choice.
5. Flood or natural disaster insurance. This depends on what your homeowners insurance covers and the geographic area you live in. Again weigh the options before deciding and read the small print. Be certain that the policy covers what it is you think it covers.
6. Added warranty on appliances. In most cases I have read that it is not necessary to carry this extra insurance. Most forget they have it so don’t use it and again, sometimes it doesn’t cover regular wear and tear on your items so you must buy new anyway. Personal choice again, but do your homework before you decide.
Other types of insurances such as long term disability, cancer insurance, or gap insurance on a vehicle should be investigated and researched before you spend the money. Weigh the options of taking the insurance and the results if you do not. The beginning of the New Year is a great time to evaluate what you have and what you think you need. Don’t put it off, research now so those extra costs can be worked into your 2012 budget.
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Make a list, Check it twice….
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Christmas is over so you may think that making your lists is over until next Christmas. Sorry ladies, but making lists will keep your focus on the things at hand. And what we need at this time of year are lists to get our New Year off right.
Here are the topics of my lists:
1. Financial goals
2. Personal goals
3. House goals
4.Career goals
5. Things I Must do in 2012.
See what I mean about lists. If I wrote down everything on one list it would be overwhelming and I would be doomed before the New Year even started. So this is my philosophy… make several smaller lists under big topics. This gives me several smaller tasks that I can cross out as I get them done.
Here is an example of things for my Finanacial goals.
>Monetize my blogs
>Pay cash for everything (debit works but NO CREDIT CARDS)
> Make a snowball budget for paying off debts
>Build up my savings
>Investigate and purchase appropriate medical/health insurance for self employed writers
See how I have several goals to accomplish in 2012. As I make this list more complete, I need to keep in mind that goals must be attainable, measurable, realistic, and specific. Under building up my savings I can make it more specific by stating that I want to have 1200.00 in the account by December 31 2012. That means I must find the extra money to save at the rate of 100 dollars per month. Can I do it? Yes I think it is attainable. Is it measurable? Yes because I will be able to see my balance every month to see if I am on track. Is it specific? Yes, 1200 dollars is very specific. And is it realistic? Yes, but I will re-evaluate in 3 months to see if my income still supports putting that much money away.
Will I have to be careful? For sure, it will take work to put that much away for me. For you, maybe not so much. Maybe you can put away 1200 every month. Maybe you can only put away 12 dollars every month. Doesn’t matter, girls. What matters is that you make the lists, take action to complete the tasks, and don’t beat yourself up if you fall short. So you better get busy, the New Year is approaching fast.
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December 24, 2011
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Holiday Shopping is Winding Down…. Start Planning for Next Christmas.
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As shopping is winding down and it is time now to sit back and eat, socialize, and spend time with family and friends, it can also be time to start planning for next Christmas. Why you say? Because now is the best time to stock up on a few good items for next Christmas.
These are the things to stock up on for next Christmas:
1. Socks, Christmas print pajama pants, gloves, scarves, and things that make good stocking stuffers year after year. These items don’t go out of style and can be picked up for up to 80% off the day before and the day after Christmas. Pack them away for extra gifts for next year.
2. Wrapping paper, Christmas cards, gift tags, holiday cupcake and candy bags, and paper decorations, paper plates, and Christmas or holiday napkins. Consider grabbing thank you cards, empty notecards, envelopes, and holiday printer paper too. All of these are discounted the day before or after the holiday too because the stores don’t like to store them. Keep them in a moisture free container and be prepared for next season.
3. Jewelry and items that won’t go out of style can be picked up for birthday gifts or other events throughout the year. Big discounts can be found after the holiday.
Avoid anything that would tarnish, spoil, or deteriorate over the course of the next year. Keep purchases in a safe, clean, and odor free container to preserve their fresh look. Shopping wisely at this time of year can help you to save money in the long run but again, don’t spend what you don’t have or what you won’t use. Hoarding is not the same as buying on sale for a specific purpose. Take care not to buy just to add to your clutter, instead, buy to save and be prepared for one season at a time.
Merry Christmas and Blessings to All.
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December 22, 2011
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Final Days before Christmas
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We are in the final days before Christmas and the economical news isn’t good from Congress. Never the less, ladies… let’s be good examples and spread some joy.
Tips for spreading joy in these economic times:
1. Share what you have with others. It doesn’t cost much to drop a couple of cans of veggies off at the food pantry or bake some cookies to share with a neighbor.
2. Show gratitude even when you don’t feel it. Making a conscious effort to be grateful will show others an example and it may help you to begin to feel grateful rather than pretending.
3. Make a plan to do small changes to help your financial situation in 2012. Saving coins may be the only savings plan you can manage right now, but take that small step to gain control of your personal economy.
4. Think about eating fresh food, not processed. It has been shown to improve moods, increase weight loss, and improve an overall feeling of well being. If you feel well, you will look at your situation with a clearer focus.
5. Make a list of 3 or 4 things that you want to change about your personal or financial situation. Think about what small ways you can begin to make those changes and work that into goals for 2012.
6. Reward yourself for the good things that are happening in your life. Looking at the positives instead of always concentrating on the negatives will improve your mood and help you to feel empowered.
7. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Others can’t be of service if they don’t know your needs. It may be a loan for school that would improve your job or food stamps to provide meals for the time being. Seek those that can help you and not enable you to stay frozen in time.
The economy for all of us is not moving in a very positive direction but that doesn’t mean we have to stay negative. Taking small positive steps towards positive goals will improve our little corner of the world. Give it a try and let me know what you discover.
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December 21, 2011
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The Tax Man Cometh…..
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As of this evening here in the States, our government is at a standstill when it comes to passing laws that will extend unemployment and decrease the taxes for the next year for middle income citizens. Some of you ladies may not think this will affect you but for most of us there will be a pinch somewhere in our financial lives.
If you are unemployed and your benefits will not be extended this could present a very serious situation. I know of many who may loose their homes because of the decrease in assistance. It may mean taking a very low paying job just to bring in some kind of income.
For other women, the tax issue may be the problem. It might mean evaluating whether or not both you and your spouse should work. If you are married and both of you work, it might be time to evaluate whether the cost of child care, gas, clothing, and meals outside of home are worth the income the second income brings in. Many men are choosing to stay home to do the household chores and child care because the wife can make more money.
The bottom line is this. We are all going to have to evaluate where we are financially. Women who are the sole support of themself and their children will be hit harder than those women who share the financial burden with a working partner but between the taxes and the lack of extensions for the unemployed all of us will feel the pain.
Begin now working on your financial plan for the coming year. List your debt and list your income. Brush up that resume and pack away the pride. We may all need to hit the streets doing jobs that we never thought we would just to put the roof over our heads and the food on our tables. Give it some thought anyway.
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December 20, 2011
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Private or Self Employment Health Insurance… Any tips?
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It has come to my attention from others who are seeking health insurance as a private or self-employed person that it is impossible to obtain without selling your home and your first born child. How can this be if there is health care reform protecting the average person?
I will be investigating this matter in the next few weeks and would like input from our readers. I personally have a husband who has a job and who provides us with health insurance. We pay a darn good portion of the premium ourselves to the tune of 400 dollars plus but we do have insurance. What does a self employed person do for health insurance?
One friend I know shopped around for the government program (not Medicaid) that was to provide the mandatory health coverage every citizen deserves and it would cost them a hefty 1,000 dollars a month. This is not reform in my books but what do I know.
So as an independent contractor and freelance writer, where would I go for insurance if my husband could no longer work and provide this coverage for our family? Do I google to find companies, call the listings in the yellow pages, check with an insurance mascot…. gecko, duck, ….. you get my meaning. Why does this process have to be so difficult? Washington really does not understand the average American that I am sure.
My friend found coverage at 999.00 per month with no coverage for pre-existing conditions. Not a bargain to be sure. Check back here to see what I can find and by all means, share what you know about the process. I am confident that our readers will appreciate the information, maybe even more than my sarcastic view of the whole insurance/political situation for the average consumer.
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December 19, 2011
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Fast and Furious….I Want Out of Debt
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I am sharing this epidsode that happened to me to help you realize your dreams of getting out of debt. I want out as fast and furious as I can get there.
I was waiting for a contract check for my nursing job and it is late. So like many women, I had to juggle the financial side of my life to accomodate the lack in funds especially around the holidays. I paid off the smaller balance of one of my credit cards thinking that the check would be there in time to pay the payment on the next one on my pay off quick list.
Well to make a long story short, the check still isn’t here and I wasn’t thinking so I didn’t get the payment off to the credit card company. Mind you, I have been a customer for over 10 years and have been late maybe twice in that time. This is my reward. Harrassing phone calls at all hours including 7 am on a Sunday morning, 11 am on the same Sunday, and 3 pm on the exact same day. I have transfered the balance to a zero interest account but the transaction has not taken place yet so truthfully I am still in late. I understand and take full responsibility for the late payment, but seriously. To hassle me by phone and then to be rude … simply not good business.
This is the action plan for me as a result. Continue with the transfer to the zero interest card that currently has a zero balance as well. I have made arrangements to make a payment every month for 12 months to pay this in full in one year. I also will pay the transaction fee and any minimal amount left over from the card I transfered the amount from and I will be closing that account ASAP.
Fast and furious, I will be out of debt but more importantly I WILL NOT USE A CREDIT CARD AGAIN. Who is with me here? Why should we over pay interest rates and deal with rude people and harrassing phone calls when we are truely trying to pay things off? Can I have a witness? Make your plan today to get out of debt and get rid of those pesty credit cards with their high interest rates and their annoying fees. Financial freedom is within our grasp if we stick to our plan.
Let me know how you feel and where you are with your financial plan.
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December 16, 2011
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The Last Hook…..
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Ladies, do you feel bombarded with sales ads that appear to be the very last hook to savings for those Christmas gifts you still need to purchase. Shopper beware……
Beware of what you say……?
Spending money you don’t have.
Buying things that you don’t need.
Impulsive buying at the last minute because we ladies feel guilty that we never have enough.
Why does all of this matter? If you swallow that sales hook and think that an item is just too good to pass up but you use a credit card to pay for it, you are actually paying the sales price plus interest for however many months it takes to pay the balance off. For the sake of example, lets say you just have to have that 47 inch screen TV at 300.00 because it is the deal of a life time. You decide to use your Visa which had a 9 percent interest rate so you are feeling pretty good.
Then January comes and you miss your minimum payment by a day so they up your interest rate to 27.9 percent ( it was spelled out in the small print but who knew your car would break down and you wouldn’t be able to make the minimum payment) You are now paying an extra 81 dollars every month you don’t pay that balance. If you pay only 25 dollars as the minimum payment, you may not pay that TV off two years from now.
Did you really need that bargain?
Stop and think before every purchase you make this last weekend before Christmas. The sales hooks will be out there and you need to hang tough, sticking to what you have budgeted and what you have cash for. Be strong ladies, you will thank me in January.
Merry Christmas and happy shopping.
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