March 2009 - Busy Or Blind

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Busy or Blind - March 2009

Top Ten Things to Do with Your Kids without Spending Money

March 28th 2009 01:28

Saving money is all over the news these days: companies are downsizing to do it; consumers are delaying purchases to do it; the government is pumping out money to get us all to quit doing it… Confusing, right? But in a difficult economy, we’re all looking for ways to right-size our lifestyles without totally giving up on the “style” part. So, here are ten things to do to have fun and build memories with your kids, even if you’re on a really tight budget.

Kids Playing

1. Go to the Library

Even in the Age of the Internet, the library is still a great place… and it’s free! Read books, check out movies, surf the Web, you name it. And many public libraries have special summer programs, complete with live theater, dance, readings, and other special presentations.

2. Go to the Park

Sometimes, you’ve just got to turn off the Wii or the X Box and go outside to play! Most communities have parks with play equipment, but even if your neighborhood only sports vacant lots within easy walking distance, it’s still a great place to stretch those limbs and air out the lungs.

3. Tell Stories

Even the most sophisticated youngsters like to hear stories, especially if they’re family stories. If you’re blessed with grandparents nearby, harvest their memories and share them with your kids. Every body wins!

4. Fly a Kite

Just like the song says, “Let’s go fly a kite.” Kites can be had very inexpensively, and all you need after that is some wind. There’s something about watching a kite in the sky that sort of liberates the kid in all of us. (In this connection, also see #2, above)

5. Read Together

Whether it’s in the reading room at the local library, or snuggled up on a couch at home, kids love to be read to, even if they’re already readers themselves. Take some time to get together over a favorite book… you’ll be glad you did!

6. Explore Your Neighborhood

It’s amazing what you can see when you actually look. Take a walk around the block; spot out-of-state license plates, find the letters of the alphabet on signs, see how many different types of birds you can spot… the possibilities are almost endless!

7. Play Games

Whether you’re into Boggle, Scrabble, Monopoly, chess, or hearts, kids will love playing games with you. In fact, it’s kind of amazing the conversations you can have during a hard fought round of Pictionary or Cranium.

8. Watch TV

Okay, here’s one you might not have expected. But instead of using TV as couch potato time, actively watch TV with your kids after carefully selecting a show of educational, historical, or other special interest. Discuss themes, characters, plot, and setting. TV really can be educational, if you make it that way.

9. Draw

You can use pencil and paper, pastels, finger paint, water colors, or sidewalk chalk: the medium is up to you. But no matter what materials you settle on, your kids will love creating together with you.

10. Volunteer

Is there a homeless shelter, a nursing home, a food bank, or other community outreach organization that could use your help? Take your kids with you! You’ll lay the groundwork for a lifetime of community involvement and good citizenship.

Photo Credit: Morguefile

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Top Ten Credit Mistakes - Part 1

March 19th 2009 02:04

In these tough financial times, it’s important to stretch your dollars as far as possible. But one of the ways too many consumers sabotage their efforts at living on a budget is by misusing credit or making mistakes with credit cards that cost them money unnecessarily. By being aware of these potential pitfalls, you can either avoid them altogether or, if you’ve already made some of these mistakes, maybe you can take steps to minimize their impact on your finances.

Mistake #1: Too Many Credit Cards

With all the “prequalified” and “zero interest” offers flooding your mailbox, it’s easy to be tempted to send in those applications. After all, the credit card company has looked at your credit, right? If they sent you the application, you must be qualified for the card, right? Not necessarily. Especially during the days when real estate values were propelling many consumers’ net worth steadily upward, many credit card companies subscribed to the “spaghetti theory” of credit underwriting: they fling a bunch of credit applications against the wall, hoping most of them will stick. They figure they’ll make enough money in interest and fees off the ones that do stick to pay for the losses they might incur on the ones that don’t. Clearly, you can’t depend on the credit card companies to know how much credit you’re capable of paying for. Especially nowadays, when many people’s home values are actually falling, you probably don’t need to be trying to take care of more than one or two credit cards, and you need to keep your balances on those as low as possible. Too many consumers acquire too many cards, transfer high interest balances on a “zero interest” introductory offer, then, instead of cutting up the paid off card, they use it again and find themselves facing minimum monthly payments they can’t handle. Don’t make this mistake: keep one or two cards with small credit lines, use them only for emergencies, and keep them paid down to zero or, failing that, as low as possible.

Mistake #2: Using All Your Available Credit

Even if you’re making your monthly minimum payments on time, you shouldn’t use all your available credit. It lowers your credit score when lenders pull your credit report and see that you’re using 70%, 80%, or more of the credit you have available to you. That may not seem fair. After all, if you’ve qualified for the credit, you ought to be able to use it, right? Well… yes and no. Sure, you can use it all if you want, but you have to understand that lenders evaluate your future ability to handle credit in terms of how much credit you’re already using (among other things). To keep your credit score as high as possible, use as little of your available credit as possible, and keep those balances low.

Mistake #3: Using Credit Cards to Pay Bills

This is another item that often appears on the lists that tell you when you’re getting in credit card trouble. If you depend on credit cards to “balance” your monthly budget by paying bills with them, you’re just digging yourself deeper into the hole.

Stay Tuned for Part 2

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Top 10 Debt Relief Tips - Part 2

March 15th 2009 03:32

To read the first 5 tips visit - Top 10 Debt Relief Tips - Part 1

6. Talk to Creditors about Hardship Plans

It may be surprising to learn that most, if not all lenders (including mortgage lenders) have some form of hardship assistance available for consumers who can demonstrate a genuine financial hardship. Often called “workout departments” or “loss mitigation departments,” these organizations specialize in helping consumers find ways to get caught up on problem debt. Some of the tools they have at their disposal are reduced interest rates, temporary forbearance, loan restructuring, and temporary deferment. If you have a genuine financial hardship, ask to speak to this department the next time you talk to your creditor.

7. Scam Alert: “Clean” Tax ID Number

This one can really get you in trouble. Some companies will (you guessed it: for a fee) apply for a new federal tax identification number on your behalf. The theory is that since this new number has no bad credit events associated with it, you can use it to establish a new, more favorable credit history. The problem is that many of these operators will get for you an employer tax ID number, instead of a personal Social Security number (which, by the way, the Social Security Administration is extremely reluctant to hand out, even to people who can prove they’ve been victims of identity theft). However, if you apply for any kind of tax identification number for what can be deemed fraudulent purposes, you’ve got much bigger problems than bad credit; you could be facing jail time.

8. Make a Budget

Okay, so nobody enjoys sitting down and thinking about how much money they’ve got coming in and how much they’ve got going out. The trouble is, if you’re serious about taking care of your debt problems without involving lawyers or judges, at some point you’ve got to be able to talk intelligently with creditors about what you can do and what you can’t do. Get out your pay stubs and your checkbook (or your online bill payment record) and make a “money in” and a “money out” column. It really will help, and you might even find out you aren’t in as bad a shape as you thought!

9. Scam Alert: Credit Counseling Scams

This one is tricky, because credit counseling has been around a long time and is generally supported by banks, credit card companies, and the Better Business Bureau. But there are bogus “counseling” agencies out there who are mainly interested in an up front fee and not so much in following through with either counseling you or helping you work with your creditors. Look for an agency affiliated with the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) or the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (AICCCA). Also, ask lots of questions about fees and types of programs offered. If they require a large upfront fee (more than $100), you should walk.

10. Talk to an Attorney

If you’ve tried it on your own and been unsuccessful, and especially if you are being warned of pending legal action, you may want to consult with a qualified bankruptcy attorney. Though far from pleasant, personal bankruptcy may offer you a way to keep the assets that are most important to you and your family. The initial consultation is usually free.

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Top 10 Budget Helps for Lean Times

March 10th 2009 00:30

Stop Stressing the Finances

With the economy continuing to stumble and jobs being cut almost daily, lots of people are looking for ways to trim the monthly budget. Reducing expenses and maximizing income are definitely on everyone’s mind these days, so here are ten quick ideas for getting your budget in fighting trim for the uncertain days ahead.

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Top 10 Debt Relief Tips - Part 1

March 7th 2009 03:59

Yield - Debt Ahead

With the current economy, lots of people are looking for ways to get out from under huge debt loads. Unfortunately, when you have large numbers of people who owe large numbers of money, combined with the desperation many consumers feel these days, you have the recipe for disaster. But there are some things you can do to help yourself, and most do not cost anything. Here are some things you can do to start working on your debt, and some scams to avoid, since they will just put you farther in the hole than you already are

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Top 10 Hairstyles for Teen Boys and Girls

March 5th 2009 04:10

Photo Credit: Craig A. Hurst / Wikicommons

The year is shaping up to be a hot one and with spring right around the corner, a new do is something that is essential. Who can hit spring break with that old haircut grown out from the first days of school? Here are the Top 10 Hairstyles for Teen Boys and Girls.

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