There are a few expenses that people often leave out when making a budget. Normally, they are left out because of the small amount of money we spend on them. However, small expenses like these are really “budget busters”. I call them “budget busters” because when you do your budget without them everything looks fine [...]
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From my very first costume (a ghost) to my most recent (Sarah Palin), Halloween has been one of my favorite holidays, even eclipsing Christmas on some occasions. (These occasions happen to be around when I start seeing Santa statues and tinsel in stores right after Labor Day. I’ll grant that Christmas decorations can be pretty, [...]
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In this economy, even the richest of us are on the lookout for new and unique ways to save a buck or two. Some are more or less practical (cutting back on “dry clean only” clothing buys), while others are more unconventional (washing your car with the gas station squeegee), and still others could easily [...]
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Beverly wrote in and asked the following:
I had a Shell credit card, have just now canceled because they raised the interest rates to 25.00%. I did call to see if they would lower it. Can they charge that amount on what I now have on my card? I had not used the card in a [...]
Craig wrote in and asked the following question: “If you’re already blacklisted and have judgments against your name can you still apply for a debt consolidation loan?”
Dear Craig,
Thank you for your submission on CESI’s DebtBuster site. We appreciate your question and hope that the information you receive is helpful.
I’ll start with the not so good [...]
An anonymous person wrote in asking:
“My mother got electricity under my name while I was a minor and did not pay the bill . I think that I will have trouble getting electricity now for my own apartment. Is there anything I can do about this now so this will not prevent me from getting [...]
Chris wrote and asked:
“I got all these medical bills for my gallbladder surgery. I’ve been paying them 20 bucks per month every month and they sent me to collections. Are they allowed to do this? Do I have any legal recourse?”
Thanks for asking Chris. Medical bills are a frequent cause of financial distress for individuals [...]
Ah, fruit, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: sliced in a salad, pureed in a smoothie, piled on top of ice cream or stacks of pancakes and French toast…and if you’ll excuse me… *runs to IHOP*
While my budget and waistline really aren’t quite ready for a trip to the International House of deliciousness, I definitely try to get my fruit where and when I can. Hey, not only is it good for you, but if you get it between the green and brown stages, it tastes amazing. Even the most notoriously picky eaters tend to have at least one kind of fruit they like.
Naturally, fruit tends to be the best when picked right off the vine (or bush, tree, etc.) There’s really nothing like sitting on the grass, the sun at your back, biting into a fresh, ripe strawberry. In order to replicate that experience without breaking the bank (Astroturf and artificial light optional), here are a few pointers:
Buy in Season:
Whether it’s mangos in the spring or cranberries in the fall, fruit tastes the best—and costs the least—when it’s in season. On eHow.com’s guide “How to Save Money on Fresh Fruit,” Dr. Kristie Leong suggests to not only buy fruit in season, but to freeze or dehydrate the fruit that you don’t use right then. Frozen fruit can be made into jams and popsicles, and dehydrated fruit can be mixed with granola and made into trail mix. A guide to in-season fruits and fruit dehydration can be found here and here, respectively.
Pick Your Own, or Just Buy Locally:
One of my favorite childhood memories is of going down to the Pick-Your-Own farm with my family and gathering up all the strawberries that could possibly fit in my basket (and, when no one was looking, my stomach). Since you gather it yourself and there’s no shipping involved, picking your own fruit can trim off excess expenses. Plus there’s bound to be one in your area, and if you’re not certain you can find out here.
For another trip down memory lane, I think back to trips to the local farmer’s market in the fall, where we would pick up a pumpkin or two and a bag of boiled peanuts. Make your own fond family memories by checking out deals at local farms or farmer’s markets, which you can find out more about by going here.
Sources:
· http://www.ehow.com/how_4555807_save-money-fresh-fruit.html
· http://www.ehow.com/how_2285748_save-money-fruit.html
· http://gnowfglins.com/2009/07/16/pennywise-thre-ways-to-save-money-on-seasonal-local-produce-espe/
· http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art48357.asp
· http://wellnessways.aces.illinois.edu/pdf/fruit/Fresh%20Fruits.pdf
· http://farmgal.tripod.com/Dehydrate.html
· http://www.azcentral.com/style/hfe/food/articles/2008/07/08/20080708inseason_cal-CR.html
· http://www.pickyourown.org/statelist.htm
· http://www.localharvest.org/
Do you feel like your prize-winning poodle just can’t do without that gorgeous animal-print Gucci collar you saw in the window of that fancy boutique down the street? Or that your darling little cocker spaniel won’t make it another day without a French manicure and facial down at the dog spa? (Yes, they exist.)
If [...]
Dear Sir:
You have been randomly chosen to receive a bajillion dollars! Please send your name, address, and phone number so we can scam you for everything you are worth while you desperately wait to receive your funds!
We could only wish the famous 419 scam (otherwise known as advanced fee fraud) could be this obvious. Chances [...]
How much would YOU pay for a pair of gently-used Ninja weapons? For the low, low price of $5, I could have emulated Ninja Turtle Raphael by purchasing his weapon of choice at my neighborhood-wide yard sale. Though I missed out on that chance to be a darling to children of the nineties everywhere, the [...]
A leak, left untreated can cause many problems and issues. If the leak is in your plumbing, it can cause water damage that becomes costly to repair. If the leak is in your spending, it can play havoc with your budget and lead to larger and larger amounts of debt that has begun to spiral [...]
Like many college students you may be counting down the days until classes end for the semester, exams are over and summer stretches out before you. Wise students will plan ahead for the summer and put themselves on solid financial footing as they head into another year of classes.
Here are some things to think about [...]
Understanding interest and fees charged on loans should definitely concern you. Financial institutions and banks that loan money, calculate interest and other fees in an assortment of ways. Empowering yourself on choosing the right loan can save you a lot of money when it comes to the interest and fees charged. Here are just [...]
USA Today recently ran an article titled “Consumers cut credit payments, struggle to pay bills” In this article the author discusses how the economy has dramatically affected the amount of income that consumers can use for paying down credit balances. Perhaps people are paying less out of necessity (such as a lost job) or out [...]
The stresses of debt can be harmful to your health. Loss of sleep, no appetite, depression; many people have experienced all of these and more. When you are wondering how you will keep a roof over your head, food on the table and clothes on your back, you can feel tense, [...]
Do you have goals for your financial life? Many people have vague and informal ideas about the things they would like to accomplish financially but wonder why they never see those goals through to completion.
Did you know that simply writing down your goals and keeping them visible makes you more likely to accomplish them? A [...]
January is the time for resolutions, for “turning over a new leaf”. For many, financial resolutions help motivate them to pay attention to their financial goals.
Do you have a Financial Resolution this year? Share it with the community here!
<a href =”http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1254627/” >Do you have a financial New Year’s Resolution</a> <br/> <span style=”font-size:9px;” mce_style=”font-size:9px;”> [...]
