A Dream Wedding or Tax Nightmare?

October 11, 2013

I recently had the opportunity to speak with a wonderful young lady who considered herself very lucky to have won a “Dream Wedding” from a bridal magazine contest. Having a daughter in college, it sometimes crosses my mind that I’ve seen her go from preschool through entering college and her next milestones could be getting her first job in the “real world,” getting married (hopefully not any time soon!) and becoming a mother (hopefully VERY far down the road….). So when talking with this “bride to be” and hearing that she won a $100,000 dream wedding, I was incredibly happy for her. Continue reading “A Dream Wedding or Tax Nightmare?”

Contract Free at Last

October 01, 2013

For the past several months, many of my friends and co-workers have been hinting that it is time for me to upgrade to a new cellphone. I wasn’t quite at the same point as comedian Bill Hader in the commercials where he has bandages on every finger due to a broken screen, but I did sound like a broken record from another cell phone commercial as I repeatedly would say “Can you hear me, can you hear me now?” My biggest hesitation in getting a new phone was having to get locked into yet another 2-year contract with my current carrier if I took the bait of their 99 cent upgrade offer. Instead, I finally took action and went contract-free, but that entailed having to pay outright for a decent smartphone. Since I don’t have to be totally cutting edge, I went for the iPhone 4 instead of the iPhone 5 and here’s where I will save in the long run: Continue reading “Contract Free at Last”

What Bothers Me Most About a New School Year

September 25, 2013

Well, if you have kids like mine — one in high school, one in middle school, and two in elementary school — then you’re probably in the throes of packed lunches, school buses, band practice, homework, driving kids to and from student activities, PTO meetings, and a host of other September rituals. Many of these don’t bother me, and some are welcomed reminders of why I’m glad I’m not in school anymore. But there are several rituals that always come along this time of year that always get under my skin: clothes shopping, school supply shopping and fund raising events. Continue reading “What Bothers Me Most About a New School Year”

Don’t Forget the Warranty

September 18, 2013

Just about every product manufactured on the planet today comes with a warranty, but how many of us actually read it or know how or when it applies? I for one have a tendency to assume once a product breaks that my only option is to buy a replacement, but that’s not a very good assumption. For example, I recently broke the clip off of my cell-phone holster—the thing that holds my cell phone on my belt—and I was content to just buy a replacement. As I began searching, I came across a comment from someone whose holster had suffered the same fate, and they said they called the manufacturer to request a replacement under the warranty. This prompted me to pick up the phone and to see if I could get a replacement as well, and what do you know—I did! Continue reading “Don’t Forget the Warranty”

The Importance of Staying In-Network

September 17, 2013

My husband Dave recently broke up with our family dentist, and it wasn’t his idea. He felt jilted when he got a letter in the mail a few months ago notifying him that Dr. Muller was no longer going to participate as an in-network provider through his employer’s group dental insurance. In the letter, Dr. Muller encouraged patients to continue to see him, just not with the advantage of the negotiated rates. Would it really make that much of a difference? Continue reading “The Importance of Staying In-Network”

Let Open Enrollment Help You Minimize Taxes

September 13, 2013

With tax rates where they are today, and potentially going higher in the future due to the ever-increasing national debt and Congressional spending habits, I get asked a lot of questions about how to minimize taxes. That’s always an interesting conversation because taxation comes in many forms (taxes on income, capital gains, and interest, not to mention all of the consumption taxes we pay) and across many timelines. Are we looking at ways to minimize this year’s tax bite or our lifetime tax bite? Sometimes there are tradeoffs. Continue reading “Let Open Enrollment Help You Minimize Taxes”

It Never Hurts to Ask: How to Negotiate a Better Deal

September 11, 2013

About a year ago, I wrote a blog post on the importance of being assertive when it comes to managing your finances. People’s unwillingness to simply ask for more —financially speaking— has always been a pet peeve of mine. Whether it’s buying a car or bargaining at a garage sale, it never hurts to ask for a lower price or for a better deal, yet somehow as consumers we have been conditioned to just accept the price set by merchants without question; something that gets financial talk-show host Dave Ramsey up in arms. Continue reading “It Never Hurts to Ask: How to Negotiate a Better Deal”

The Rise of Banking Alternatives

September 06, 2013

One of the trends that I’ve seen with people who don’t have a great credit score and who have experienced some financial setbacks is that banks don’t really want to do business with them and it’s hard for some people to open accounts at major financial institutions. One of the beautiful things about capitalism is that when there is an unmet need, enterprising business people step in and create a service to meet that need. For this growing area, an unlikely business has stepped in to meet this need…pawn shops! Yes, that’s right. Pawn shops! Continue reading “The Rise of Banking Alternatives”

Getting Help From an Unlikely Source

September 04, 2013

When was the last time you looked forward to dealing with the IRS? Most of us only interact with the IRS when it’s time to file our income taxes or respond to a filing inquiry (i.e. an audit). We probably all know someone who has had challenges with the IRS, and hopefully we never fall into that category, but believe it or not, there are several helpful tools and resources this often belittled agency makes available to taxpayers to help them manage their taxes better. Here is an overview of what I consider some of the more useful resources that may be just a click or phone call away: Continue reading “Getting Help From an Unlikely Source”

Financial Lessons From the Amish

August 27, 2013

One of my favorite things about summer is fresh corn so I’m fortunate to have an Amish neighbor who runs Briar Hollow Farm Market, where I can buy it within walking distance from my house. When I first met the Stoltzfus family, I was amazed at their simple way of living. We can learn a lot from the Amish way of life though. Continue reading “Financial Lessons From the Amish”

Are You Looking For an Adventure?

August 24, 2013

Sitting behind my office desk on many fading afternoons, I’ve often daydreamed about a grand adventure, traveling to places far away to explore areas hidden from most other people’s view. But two weeks’ vacation never seemed like enough time to do anything other than rush around and get a superficial overview of where I was going. Maybe you’ve spent similar afternoons feeling the same way. Continue reading “Are You Looking For an Adventure?”

4 Ways to Trim Your Haircut Costs

August 20, 2013

I’ve just hung up the phone after calling my local hair salon to schedule an appointment with Michelle, my favorite stylist. Apparently, she’s not just my favorite – due to her popularity, she’s been promoted to an “elite stylist.” So what does that mean to me? Her prices have just gone up 20%. My cut, color, and highlights will now cost me $185 if I still want to work with her. Continue reading “4 Ways to Trim Your Haircut Costs”

5 Savvy Ways to Save on Back to School Supplies

August 16, 2013

As summer winds to a close every year, I dig deep into my money-saving strategies to help keep those pesky back-to-school supplies affordable, and this year I decided to dig even deeper to try and uncover a few new strategies. Where I live in Georgia, school is already back in session and after having tracked my savings to date, I’ve purchased roughly $275 worth of school supplies for an approximate out-of-pocket cost of $38. To educate yourself on how to take a big bite out of what’s typically a costly expense, read on. Continue reading “5 Savvy Ways to Save on Back to School Supplies”

The Rewards of a Road Warrior

August 07, 2013

I started my career 19 years ago as a 401(k) enroller covering the Midwest from North Dakota to Missouri to Western Pennsylvania. Having such a large territory to cover, it became clear that my primary mode of travel would be an airplane. As such, one of the first things I did in my new job was to enroll in the frequent flyer programs offered by most major airlines. Continue reading “The Rewards of a Road Warrior”

Don’t Believe Everything You See On TV

August 06, 2013

Have you ever been tempted by one of the many infomercials shown on TV for some electronic device or other product that claims to make our life so much easier? Whether it’s the Thigh Master , Snuggie, or MagicJack, it can be yours for a bargain price plus shipping and handling. I’ve typically resisted the temptation to buy due to that added cost of shipping and handling, but when my local department store added an “as seen on TV” section, I couldn’t pass up the chance to buy a few items I’d seen advertised over and over on TV. Continue reading “Don’t Believe Everything You See On TV”

Pack Your Bags For a Destination Wedding

July 30, 2013

Instead of leaving your wedding guests behind at the reception hall as you head to the airport for your honeymoon with cans dragging behind the limo, consider dragging your guests along to your honeymoon destination with you. Take a cue from my niece and start your honeymoon early by having your wedding where you’d like to vacation. This month, 85 of us will all be traveling to Virginia Beach to witness her marriage on the sand. Continue reading “Pack Your Bags For a Destination Wedding”

The Dog Days of Summer: Don’t Let Boredom Get in the Way of Your Budget

July 26, 2013

After a week off, I’m officially back in the office, sitting at my desk and staring at a checking account that looks a lot different than it did before I left for summer vacation. What I mean to say is … the numbers I’m looking at are much smaller. Given that I’m no longer in school, summer vacation is essentially over for me, and the “dog days of summer” – and the sweltery boredom that often coincides with the end of the season – are officially beginning to set in….Augh. Continue reading “The Dog Days of Summer: Don’t Let Boredom Get in the Way of Your Budget”

Anchor Away

July 23, 2013

I wrote last month about the two happiest days in a boater’s life, but for me, last Saturday was not one of those happy days. A beautiful day boating on the Chesapeake Bay took a turn for the worse when I had the duty of pulling up the anchor after a nice day of hanging out at our favorite swimming spot. As I tugged on the rope, the anchor snapped free! Anchors are expensive to replace, plus we had now added to the pollution of the bay. Continue reading “Anchor Away”

Do You BOGO?

July 16, 2013

Hardcore shoppers know to be on the lookout for BOGO deals, which means you “buy one, get one” free or half price. My latest score under a BOGO deal was at the grocery store, where Purex laundry detergent was buy one, get one free and priced at $3.39. Extreme couponers can make BOGO deals even better by adding a coupon on top of the sale. It had never occurred to me that I could use two coupons, one for each bottle of detergent, even though I was getting one free – until I watched Extreme Couponing on TLC. Since I also had two $1 off coupons for Purex, the net price for TWO bottles of laundry detergent came to only $1.39! Continue reading “Do You BOGO?”