Frugal Simplicity

Using a prepaid debit card has all the advantages of a credit card, but it saves a load of money by having no interest charges, plus you never owe a bill. Prepaid debit cards are only good for the amount you put on them, making them great for your budget and financial present and future.

Instead of having credit cards that can run you deep into debt and loads of high interest charges, opt for ap repaid debit card and save your money. Simple spending changes are a great way to live frugal.

Popularity: 88% [?]

Your credit and identity are more vulnerable than ever! But you can get guaranteed identity theft protection and up to $20,000 in AIG Identity Theft insurance right now.

Although computers make life easier, they also make our personal information more vulnerable than ever before. Your credit card numbers, social security numbers, and drivers license numbers are floating all over the Internet, just waiting for an identity thief to steal them and use them to rob you of your hard earned money and credit history.

Even the government recognizes this frightening vulnerability. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is now suggesting that all Americans regularly check their credit reports to avoid credit fraud.

At Get Your Credit Report Now, you can sign up for regular credit reports as well as identity theft monitoring so you’ll know the moment your credit is at risk and you’ll be able to stop it before it costs you thousands of dollars.

Click here to get your free credit report now.

Popularity: 45% [?]

Have you recently finished college? If you have, your focus may be placed on entering the workforce, unless you’re already employed. While it’s important to focus on work and improving your work performance, it’s also important that you focus on repaying your college loans. Unfortunately, many who attend college later end up in debt due to the cost of it. That’s why it’s important to start paying off your college loans as soon as possible.

When it comes to paying off student loans, many individuals wonder why they should get started with doing so right away. Whether you just graduated one month ago or three years ago, there’s a good chance that you have already received a bill requesting you to make a payment on your loan. For many college lenders, this is common practice. It seems as if you are expected to repay your college loan as soon as you graduate. Unfortunately, many people, possibly just like you, are financially unable to do so.

While a large college loan bill may seem like an issue that can’t be solved at the moment, it’s important that you don’t just push it aside. It’s important to remember that loans, including college loans, have an impact on your credit. Even if you are unable to make your full college loan payments as expected, you are advised to at least put a little bit towards your loan repayment each month. In fact, even if you have yet to receive a bill requesting payment, it may be a good idea to start making payments anyway. You can easily do this by contacting your loan lender for additional information.

One of the many reasons why so many recent college graduates have a difficult time making their college loan payments is because their life changes. Many college graduates need to not only find a job, but get their own apartment or home. This is an expense that is costly all on its own, not to mention the added cost of furnishings, food, and utilities.

If this is a change that you recently had to make, you may want to sit down and make a budget for yourself. The starting point of your budget should include all of the bills that you need to pay, like your rent or mortgage, auto insurance, food, utility bills, ongoing medical costs, and gas to and from work. These are expenses that you simply cannot avoid paying.

Once you have an idea of how much money you must spend each month, you can then calculate your monthly income by adding your weekly paychecks. What you will then want to do is determine the difference. If you have any additional money left over, it is advised that you put as much of that money as possible towards the repayment of your college loan. Despite what you may believe, you don’t necessarily have to pay your monthly loan payment all at once. There are many financial lenders that will accept $20 from you one week and $50 from you another. Often times, you will find that lenders just want their money, no matter how it arrives to them.

Although it is advised that you start making payments on your college loan as soon as possible, that time may have already come and gone. If you have been out of college for at least five years, it may be time to consider alternative approaches. If your loan lender is requesting payment in full, a payment that you cannot make, it may be an idea to consider applying for a debt consolidation loan. Although the last thing that you want to do is get another loan, your loan payments will be smaller to pay and this should be much easier for you.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Personal loans can offer individuals a way to have the funds for an array of uses. Some are necessary while others are for pure enjoyment. It is important that you consider the financial obligation that comes with personal loans. Too often, individuals access money quickly then struggle to repay it. If you don’t have a good budget in place you may find yourself unable to make the payments on your personal loan.

An area where many individuals get into trouble with personal loans is debt consolidation. Within a year most people who use personal loans for this find themselves in even worse financial shape. This is because they have not altered their spending habits any. The result is they charge their credit cards up to the limit and now have those payments to make again as well as a personal loan payment. They may soon find they are drowning in the swimming pool of debt.

Enrolling in a debt management plan may be a great alternative for you to help you meet your financial obligations. Most debt management plans involve working with your creditors to reduce interest rates as well as working with the individual to establish a realistic budget and work to change spending habits.

The first step in the process is to do some research on the debt management programs available. Find out how long they have been in business and check for any reports from customers with the Better Business Bureau. Once you have chosen one, call to discuss your situation with them and schedule an appointment. You will need to bring statements for all of your bills as well as verification of your income.

With a debt management counselor you will discuss your monthly obligations. They will work with your creditors to reduce the interest on your debt. This will reduce your monthly payments. You will then make one monthly payment to the debt management agency. They will then disburse the funds to your creditors. You will continue to get monthly statements from your creditors for your records.

It is important that you understand you can’t use any of your credit cards that you place into a debt management program. Keeping that in mind, you might want to choose one with a very small limit that you pay separately. You will avoid making any additional charges on that credit card unless it is an absolute emergency. You will want to discuss this with your debt management counselor.

Most creditors are willing to accept the terms of a debt management program because it shows you are accepting responsibility for your debt. They want to recoup the money you owe so this is a very realistic way for that to happen. Most debt management agencies have policies in place about missing payments. Generally, if you miss two payments in a row they will drop you from the program. It is important you notify the debt management agency if you are having difficulties with making a payment.

Obtaining credit is often too easy, yet repaying it can be a struggle you have for a large portion of your life. If your personal loans and other debt have spiraled out of control, contact a debt management program to see if they can help your situation.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Drying your clothes with a clothes dryer is great, but it can run your electric bill sky high, especially in the summer months when it’s hot anyway.

I’ve been using a clothes drying rack for a while and love it. I have four of them, one of each family member. Instead of running the dryer all the time and heating up the house, causing the A/C to have to work even more to cool the house, I use clothes dryer racks to hang the clothes on and dry them free of charge.

These are great for inside the house…no having to go outside in the heat to hang clothes out and then go out again to bring them back in. My clothes never get forgotten outside in the rain either.

And the best part? I save a load of money on my power bill by not using the dryer most of the time. If you want to save money on your light bill, try these clothing dryer racks out. They are so worth it!

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Deluxe Expandable Clothes Drying Rack is made from quality steel and coated with a beautiful chrome finish. Swiftly expand the unit to hang clothes of different shapes and sizes on the many rods provided on this versatile stand.

The top shelf can also be used to store dry folded clothes, towels and other garments. Storage is also an easy solution as this stand can be folded up and put away when not in use. Place this stand in the laundry or clothes room.

Features:
Sturdy steel construction
Rods to hang clothes of different sizes
Expandable for use and foldable for easy storage
Color: Chrome

Size: 46″tall x 33 1/2″wide x 18 1/2″deep

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Hang your clothes on this sturdy drying rack! This Deluxe Drying Rack by Organize It All is made from quality steel and coated with a beautiful chrome finish. This sleek clothes stand does not rust or accumulate dust easily. Simply wipe the stand with a soft cloth and it looks as good as new. Swiftly expand the unit to hang clothes of different shapes and sizes on the many rods provided on this versatile stand. The top shelf can also be used to store dry folded clothes, towels and other garments. Storage is also an easy solution as this stand can be folded up and put away when not in use. Place this stand in the laundry room, clothes room or even out in the garden. Features: Sturdy steel construction Rust free chrome finish Rods to hang clothes of different sizes Expandable for use and foldable for easy storage Color: Chrome Size: 46″tall x 33 1/2″wide x 18 1/2″deep

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Popularity: 8% [?]

Frugal Simplicity is offering free, for a limited time only, our money saving tips ebook, 15 Top Ways to Save Money. It’s loaded with helpful frugal tips to better budget your money.

Click here for the ebook to read the ebook or right click and select Save Target As to save the ebook to your computer.

The ebook is free to give away and share with others.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Credit cards are everywhere. Turn on the TV and you will find advertising for the most popular credit cards. Sign onto the internet and you will find ads wanting you to apply online for a credit card. The temptation to apply for and acquire as many credit cards as possible can be great. After all, we can charge just about anything and pay for it later. And since the web has become the most popular way to shop, the use of credit cards has multiplied greatly.

As convenient as it is to just pull out a card and charge a purchase, it’s also one of the fastest way to get deep into debt. Learning to resist the urge to use a credit card often and controlling credit card spending is a must if we are to remain out of major debt.

The holiday season is peak season for credit card companies. They want us to use our credit cards and use them often. After all, just think of the amount of interest just one person is paying for just one card. Now multiply that by the millions of cards that are used on a daily basis, especially during the Christmas shopping season. They are raking in the dough at our expense! And let’s face it, most of us are paying the charges on these bills for years.

The easiest way to avoid going deep into debt from these charges is to avoid making the charges to begin with. While it’s a good idea to have at least one major charge card for emergencies, having a pocketful of them is just asking for a debt consolidation solution. To save yourself from having to worry about seeking help to consolidate debt, resist the urge to charge items, especially during the holiday shopping season.

One of the best alternatives to using credit cards is to use a debit card. One of the most popular debit cards is through PayPal.com, who offers a debit card that works just like a credit card. There are many benefits of using a debit card instead of charging your purchases. By using a debit card, the convenience of using a credit is still available, but there are no finance charges, and no bills to pay. Using a debit card in place of a regular charge card can save thousands of dollars in finance charges alone, depending on the amount of debt owed.

Resisting the urge to pull out the credit card and charging purchases isn’t always easy. Solve this problem by simply leaving the cards at home and taking the checkbook, debit card, or cash when shopping. If it’s not with you, you can’t use it, so just leave it at home.

Not using the card for online purchases isn’t as easy to control. Having the cards within immediate reach offers the opportunity to shop and charge with entirely too much ease. While this is great for convenience, it’s not great for the pocketbook when you overcharge and overspend.

How can we stop ourselves from going over the deep end with web purchases? A lot of it has to do with simple willpower. If we allow ourselves to spend without reserve, we will end up with a mounting debt that with no end to it in sight. The trick is to use a debit card such as PayPal.com’s. If a regular charge card must be used, use one only and set a limit on the amount that will be charged before using it. If the same item about to be charged can be purchased at a local store, go to the store and buy it rather than charging it. Make a list of what is to be charged and stick to the list.

Taking control of credit card use and spending can save a lot of money. It’s worth the extra effort to avoid charging and using other methods to make purchases. The extra effort can pay off in a nice nest egg with all the money you will save by not giving it to the credit card companies.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Advertisements are everywhere. No matter where you go, it’s almost impossible to escape advertising. There are billboards on the highways, magazine ads, newspaper ads, advertisements on TV, internet ads, even ads on clothing.

Companies know how to tempt people into parting with their money, and often for things the person doesn’t even really need. In buying things we don’t really need, we spend money needlessly. This can wreak havoc on our budget. There are ways to fight the temptation and not spend money.

At the top of the list is the grocery store. Unless you live on a farm and grow your own food, you have to shop for groceries. Once you walk into a store, the temptations are all over the place to buy this and buy that. First, never go shopping hungry. Eating beforehand helps us to not fall and buy more than we planned on purchasing. Make a shopping list and stick to it.

If you go to a mall to shop for something, buy only what you planned on buying. Malls are loaded with stores wanting you go shop and spend your money. If you have a hard time controlling your spending, take only enough money to buy what you went for. Window shopping is fun, but it’s also very tempting.

Leave the credit card at home. Taking a credit card is great if you have the item you are charging planned, but it’s not great to fall to the temptation to buy things that you can’t really afford and don’t need to begin with. If you must take a credit card shopping, resolve to use it only for what you intended to use it for.

Shop at home TV shows are horribly tempting. They show awesome products and they can convince the worst skeptic that they absolutely need so and so product. The problem is that these shows work only when the person watches falls to temptation and orders products. The shows are fun to watch, but they can cause you to spend money shopping for products repeatedly. Either resolve not to spend any money if you watch or simply turn the channel.

The holiday season is the absolute hardest time when it comes to avoiding the temptation to spend money. Saving money at Christmas can be difficult if we don’t practice self control and not allow advertising to sway us form our budget. This is the time to be more vigilant in sticking to a list and a budget.

Having a budget and making a shopping list are the two main ways to fight the temptation to spend money. There will always be something to buy, something that we want, something that the advertising companies will try to sell us. Shopping can be an enjoyable experience and we can save money if we don’t let the advertising companies sell us things we don’t need and keep our money in our pockets and not in the pockets of the advertisers.

Popularity: 6% [?]