My good friend, Dana, told me about how she was getting a better deal on her phone service.  We actually have the same service provider.  So my husband calls the provider today to verify a less expensive bundle package, and sure enough they were offering a bundle package at a better rate than we were currenlty getting.  We also will be able to save as much as twenty dollars a month on phone service.  We will be saving money on the long distance part of the bill.

I was tickled to death.  So my point is ………….spread the news to your friends if you are getting a better deal on service.  And don’t be shy when calling service providers for a better rate.  You may be surprised like we were to get a better deal for less money.

Charlotte

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I have in a span of about ten years seen some marriages really go through some hard times- personally and financially.  It’s amazing to me that these marriages survived.  But I think that they survived because of the foundation of Christ.

In particular, I know a wife who endured being alone most of the time through many, many years because the job her husband had caused him to travel weeks at a time.  I often would see her around town and my heart would go out to her knowing that her husband’s work took him across the country for lengthy periods.  How tough that is!!!

So what was the ending to this story.  Her husband finally retired!  And I see them both around town and it’s just awesome that they are together and happy as can be.

That’s not the only one.  I have seen several marriages endure hard times with jobs that took the husband away for lengthy periods of time.  I so believe that if we place our trust in the Lord that we can make it through the toughest of times.

Friends, I believe that surviving the tough times whether financial or not means clinging to the Lord who supplies all our needs according to Christ.  Are you seeking Him? 

Charlotte

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Charlotte and I thank you for all the comments sharing what you save, invest or have goals to do!  This helps others who read the blog and perhaps encourage them to save or invest.

I enjoyed the giveaway so much, we decided to donate two copies of the book!

Congratulation:       Megan  Saving Our Cents Blog
Congratulation:       Kelli

Each book will be mailed out within the next few days!  Thanks for participating everyone!

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I love that statement and posted it earlier in the week from a sermon our Pastor gave.  He saw it on a billboard recently.  So the question i have is are you acting your wage?

Are you living in a house you can’t afford?  Driving two new cars with loans?  Using your credit card for things you can’t afford?  Are you living according to what you make?  How much of your income goes to bills or your lifestyle? 

I rarely watch tv during the day but today I was a little sick and was forced to stay in bed several hours.  I picked up part of a episode of Oprah with guest speaker Suze Orman.  It caught my attention because of Suze Orman talking about people living beyond their means and in today’s economy it’s only going to get worse.  I don’t agree with everything Suze Orman says but she did make some valid points today.

I challenge you to reexamine your finances and see what you can cut out in order to save more or reduce debt.  I challenge you to stop using credit cards for things you can’t afford.  What if you are your spouse loses their job?  Do you have at least 3 months of salary saved?  Some advisors recommend 6 months to a year.  The title statement definitely made me rethink the finances for our family and question whether we truly are acting according to our wages.  More to come…Dana

Filed under: Budgeting, Debt, Perspective, Purchasing, Spending | Tagged: finances, oprah, suze orman | 1 Comment »

Here’s a few unique things I encountered during the years I did budget counseling with people:

DENTAL - If you don’t have dental coverage, check out a nearby dental/hygienist school to get your teeth cleaned.  My husband and I use to do this and it cost $7.00 to get our teeth cleaned at a nearby dental hygienist school of a local college.

DENTAL - If you don’t have coverage, also have x-rays done only every 2-3 years.  Dentists typically like x-rays done annually but our dentist allows us to extend the time inbetween because we keep up with our 6 month cleanings, have no cavities and our teeth are in good shape.  This is not recommended for children and our dentist has warned us x-rays do pick up problems with teeth that may not show on the exterior.  

CAR - Pay car insurance in 6 month increments to receive a discount.  To start, increase your savings monthly and plan for the entire amount at the next 6 month mark.  Or use a tax refund, extra check or bonus and put aside.  Call and find out if your company will give a discount for bi-annual or yearly payments.

DRYER - Use dryer only in the morning or evening. Drying during the day (warmer times) heats up the house more and uses more a/c.  Or use a clothesline (this is not feasible for me with allergies)

LAUNDRY - Use less than the recommended amount of your laundry detergent for washing.  This works great for lightly soiled items such as bed sheets or delicate clothes. 

HOUSE - Raise your house insurance deductible from $500 to $1,000 or more.  No matter how small of a claim you file, claims raise your rates so determine if it’s worth it to file a $1,000 claim with a $500 deductible or pay the entire $1,000 our of pocket.  Ask you insurance company how much a $1,000 claim would increase your rates or how much an increase in your deductible will save you.

TRASH - Do you pay for trash service?  Compare prices or ask your current company to match a lower quote you find

It’s getting harder for many of us stay within our budget but stay with it!  Don’t be discouraged!  I leave you with a statement our Pastor saw recently on a billboard:

ACT YOUR WAGE!

Filed under: Budgeting, Perspective, Purchasing, Spending | 1 Comment »

EVERY FRIDAY the Christian Personal Finance site has a giveaway.  This week Bob is giving away a 2-year subscription to Smart Money.  Past gifts have included software, books and EVEN chocolate!  I encourage you to check out his blog and giveaways.  Smart Money Giveaway!

Our own giveaway is still open for the book, Sound Mind Investing.  Submissions close Wednesday, September 24!

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That was our experience this past weekend at 11:30pm Saturday.  We were going to bed and for some unknown reason, my husband heads into the computer room.  He stepped on part of the carpet and noticed that it was wet.  He checked it out further and determined that the water heater was leaking.

When I got to the water heater, it was not like a leak.  The flow of water was more like a faucet that had been turned on gently to low flow. I frantically placed towels at the leaks, but the towels were wet in a matter of minutes.  

So after the clean up, Mike and I knew that most water heaters had a warranty of five years.  AND we were confident that we could replace this water heater with no out of pocket expense on our part. That ’s because we haven’t had the water heater for more than five years.

Mike located the manufacturer on the internet.  He then plugged in the model number and serial number into the company’s website to see if the warranty was still good.  Well, we found out that the warranty on this particular model was only one year and it’s no longer good. 

So what I am trying to say is this…………do keep up with your warranties on your appliances. When something breaks down, do not automatically assume that YOU have to spend your money out of pocket for replacement. Call the manufacturer.  If you don’t have the phone number, google them on the internet. Also I have had to send in my product information in the past to the manufacturer, so that it would activate the warranty.  You will just have to check for yourself with any new appliances that you buy.

So for us, I guess we will double check by giving the manufacturer a call on Monday.  Who knows?  There may have been a recall on this particular model.

Charlotte

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BOOK GIVEWAY!

To qualify for the drawing, leave a comment on how you save or invest.  Do you budget a certain amount monthly to go in savings?  Even if you don’t save but would like to, leave a comment of your goal.  The giveaway will close Sept. 24 - Wednesday at 9pm EST. 

We’ll draw a name and announce the winner on Thursday.  Please make sure you leave your blog or email to contact.

Filed under: Investment, Perspective, giveaway | Tagged: giveaway, investment book | 21 Comments »

Before buying a house, it’s beneficial to know all the expenses related to owning a house.  It’s not just the mortgage you have to be prepared to afford.  Here are some other expenses to consider:

Termite yearly coverage or flood coverage:  $100-$300
Pressure washing annually (siding/driveway/deck/fence):  $300 - $500
Landscaping:  $50 - ?
Fence:  $800 - $3000

Do you have items to maintain your lawn?  lawnmower, weed eater, edger, wheel barrow, shovel.  What about the temptation to purchase things to fill rooms or decorate?  furniture, ceiling fans, upgrade on appliances or new appliances, paint, curtains, spring or fall flowers. Some subdivisions require no weeds in your front yard; therefore you either fertilize yourself or hire a company to do it periodically).  Plan $50-$200 a quarter.

Are you putting 20% down?  Prepare yourself the possibility of PMI in addition to your mortgage and taxes. What will you do when the air conditioner goes out the middle of summer?  Or your backyard floods due to the neighbor changing his landscape and you have to install a french drain?  What if your septic tank suddenly backs up?  Or you notice a water leak on the ceiling as you paint your master bedroom? 

Are you moving from an apartment?  Have you budgeted your your electricity, gas or water bill increasing monthly?  Have you budgeted trash pickup?  ($15-$25 per month)

Once you own your home, you can no longer call your landlord to fix, patch or replace something.  There is always the perspective that renting is a waste of money but if you are not financially prepared for all the added expenses that come with owning property, then renting may be an temporary advantage.

I would love to hear your thoughts on expenses related to owning a home.  Charlotte has a great post planned for later in the week on this.  Dana

Filed under: Perspective, Purchasing | Tagged: buying house, house, mortgage | No Comments »

It seems as if my employer continues to place more and more demands and responsibilities on my plate.  Today I was given yet one more responsibility and of course my attitude wasn’t one of joy and roses to say the least.

But when I talked about my situation to a couple of the older folks who grew up during the Great Depression or a generation after.  I got a perspective that was different than what I was thinking  and a perspective different from the folks in my generation.

This is what the older folks told me.  During hard economic times, employers will ask more and more of you.  They will also ask you to do harder things.  If the employer asks for you to do something, then you should do whatever they tell you to do.  You don’t want to lose your job. 

This advice is coming from individuals who know what it is like to not have money rolling in and who know what it is like to have to eat the same meal everyday for months.

And I didn’t get that much sympathy from them because they have had to “work” in the fields all day long.

Well I consider this good advice.  Though I don’t want to have to do extra.  I may have to put up because there are not that many jobs out there anyway.

Charlotte

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