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A Survival Guide to the Deluge of Daily Deals
Tweet Share on Facebook September 30, 2011 Comment (2)Daily deal sites have become the new golden child of the Internet. Ever since Groupon turned down a $6 billion offer from Google, these sites have multiplied faster than GOP candidates for president.
For consumers, the array of daily deals can be a bit overwhelming. Not only are there now hundreds of sites clamoring for our attention, but once you sign up for one, your inbox gets flooded with deals many of us have no time to read.
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The Credit Card You Need for Each Major Stage in Life
Tweet Share on Facebook September 29, 2011 Comment (4)As with clothes and taste in entertainment, we grow out of certain spending vehicles as our financial needs and responsibilities change over time. When it comes to credit cards, this particular adjustment might not be as natural as others. It might be difficult to determine exactly when a new credit card is needed or which card to get when you do eventually come to this realization. To help prevent the financial damage and lost rewards potential that come with using the wrong credit card, here is a list of the best credit cards for different periods of life.
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5 Dangerous Debt Payoff Strategies
Tweet Share on Facebook September 26, 2011 Comment (5)Whether you’re carrying a few hundred or a few thousand dollars in loans and credit card debt, making a commitment to get out of debt is a noble goal–unless you’re using the wrong payoff strategy.
Some self-discipline with the budget and a strategic debt payoff plan will put you in a better financial position, but you’ll also need to make wise decisions about how you pay off that debt. Paying off large amounts of debt all in one go or using up a savings fund aren’t always the wisest financial moves.
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How Coupons Can Lead to Overspending
Tweet Share on Facebook September 22, 2011 CommentDo a survey among your friends to find out how they feel about coupons. Chances are, most will think they’re a good thing. One or two may say they’re not worth the time. The one opinion you probably won’t hear? That coupons are downright bad.
However, truth be told, coupons aren’t always a good thing. Here are five reasons why.
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5 Tips to Stage Your Home for the Fall Season
Tweet Share on Facebook September 21, 2011 Comment (5)If you've had your home on the market throughout the spring and summer seasons and it still hasn't sold, you might be starting to sweat. The heat and pressure are on, and it's probably hard to believe that fall is already here. Once the cold sets in, the number of buyers out there starts sinking like a weight in water. Most people just don't want to shop for a home when it's 10 degrees out.
[See Will This Home Renovation Pay Off?]
You still have some time, but you can't ignore the fact that the clock is ticking. Don't waste these days. You need to take advantage of this last buying hurrah before winter sets in, and a major part of your strategy should be to stage your home effectively, regardless of whether you're using a real estate agent or selling your house yourself by owner.
Follow these top five staging tips for autumn planning:
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6 Ways ID Thieves Steal Your Credit Card Number
Tweet Share on Facebook September 19, 2011 Comment (10)One in every 10 American consumers has already been victimized by identity theft. Just earlier this year, a major online portal lost more than 12,000 credit card account numbers. Unfortunately, identity scammers are constantly coming up with novel ways to steal our credit card numbers.
Here are 6 places they are most likely to target:
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4 Tips for Living With Relatives
Tweet Share on Facebook September 14, 2011 CommentMany college graduates and adult children move in with their parents because they can't find work, get divorced, or are laid off. Conversely, sometimes elderly parents move in with their kids because they can no longer safely care for themselves or can no longer afford to take care of themselves.
For the first time in decades, America has transitioned to "multigenerational households," in which several generations of family members live together. According to the most recent Census data, 16 percent of Americans live in multigenerational households. That's more than 49 million people, and the trend keeps growing.
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9 Cheap (or Free) Travel Accommodations
Tweet Share on Facebook September 12, 2011 Comment (6)Accommodations can be one of the most costly travel expenses. It is difficult to get a decent hotel for less than $100 a night, especially if you are traveling during the summer months or holidays. So how can you avoid expensive hotels and find a place to stay that's cheap or even free? Here are nine accommodation alternatives to consider for your next trip.
Stay at a monastery. This is a bit out of the box, but if you are headed to a largely Catholic country, you might want to consider saving money on accommodations by staying at a monastery. Some monasteries will offer travelers their own room and a shared bathroom for less than $50 per night.
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4 Things You Should Try Living Without
Tweet Share on Facebook September 12, 2011 Comment (7)There are a lot of things in life that we pay for, buy, or do simply because we've always done it. We pay Verizon $130 a month for Internet and cable television. I don't know what happened between today and the time I went to college, when cable television and Internet cost something like $30 to $40 a month, but it really ballooned. There were fewer channels back then, the Internet was slower, but Internet and cable television aren't four times better today than they were 10 years ago (well, HD is nice!)
[In Pictures: 10 Smart Ways to Improve Your Budget.]
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Talking to Your Teenage Girl About Finance
Tweet Share on Facebook September 8, 2011 CommentIf you have a teen girl in your life, you're already all too familiar with how much she thinks about the future. She’s probably spending a lot of time looking at colleges and career choices. Has she given any thought to her financial future? If that seems like too much responsibility too fast, it shouldn’t. Kids should start learning about smart money management in elementary school, and it’s not as complicated as it sounds. Running a lemonade stand? Sorting Monopoly money? It all counts. However, the high school years are an especially important time to review money management skills with your teen, because she’s close to the age when she can open her own bank account or apply for her first credit card.
