A Fresh Start tips for Family Finances

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While 40% to 50% of us make New Year’s resolutions on January 1—a ritual that has existed since ancient times—approximately 60% to 80% of us have already broken them by the end of February, according to researchers.

It’s still not too late, however, to reset the trajectory on your family’s finances, experts note.

1. Build a Budget
If you haven’t already done so, create a realistic budget.

Approximately 85% of your income should be set aside for necessities like housing, food, health care and clothing, according to the professionals at VISA USA.

This leaves 15% for entertainment—and something many consumers completely neglect: savings.

2. Distinguish “Needs” from “Wants”
Make sure you have a clear understanding of what you need in life versus what you want in life.

You need to pay for the antibiotics when the doctor diagnoses a respiratory infection. You don’t need to buy the latest movie released on DVD to aid in your recovery.

You need to pay the rent or mortgage. You don’t need to buy the lovely accent pillows that beckon to you from the interior design boutique.

Always separate the needs from the wants—particularly if money is tight.

3. Monitor Your Spending
To see what you really spend each month, keep a running log of all purchases—no matter how small—for a full month. This will give you a visual display of where your money goes after you deposit your paycheck.

You may find that the $3 cup of coffee that starts each day adds up to $90 a month—a pocketbook pincher that may prompt you to buy a pound of coffee beans at the local market and grind them yourself. That $90 blossoms into $1,080 in savings at the end of a year.

4. Create an Emergency Fund
Life is full of surprises—both positive and negative. If you happen to lose your job or suffer an illness that temporarily sidelines you, you will need cash reserves to support you during the rough months.

“In most cases, consumers who find themselves dealing with a financial hardship are unprepared and have not saved for unexpected situations,” says Diane Giarratano, director of education for Novadebt, a U.S. financial management service agency, with multiple locations, that provides credit counseling, budgeting and financial education.

5. Educate Yourself
When you attended high school or college, you studied history, mathematics, language and science, but there was probably no course in basic money management.

If you need help in meeting a financial goal—whether it’s buying a home or reducing your debt—take advantage of community resources.

“Consumers should feel free to contact a good credit-counseling agency to obtain free advice with regard to establishing a budget or to learn how to handle unexpected hardships,” Giarratano says.

6. Don’t Become a Victim
Identity theft has become an international epidemic, so be extremely cautious when giving out your credit card or personal identifying information. Monitor your credit card bills carefully for unauthorized charges, and immediately report suspicious activity to the issuing company.

“Identity theft is often an inside job,” warns Robert L. Siciliano, a personal security expert with Boston, Massachusetts-based SafetyMinute Seminars and author of “The Safety Minute.”

“Lower-level help desk workers and frontline call center employees often have access to all our personal information in their databases,” he says. “What are you doing to protect yourself? If you’re not paying attention, you could be a victim, too.”

And when a disaster strikes, such as the recent killer tsunamis in South Asia and East Africa, be wary of scammers from fake charities before reaching for your checkbook. Unfortunately, there will always be unscrupulous individuals who seize such opportunities to profit from others’ misfortune.

“Avoid using your credit card to make contributions,” advises James Walsh, author of “You Can’t Cheat An Honest Man: How Ponzi Schemes and Pyramid Frauds Work…and Why They’re More Common Than Ever.”

“Even though this can be a convenient way to proceed, many crooks are looking for credit card numbers,” Walsh says. “They will press strongly for ‘immediate support.’ Don’t rush.”

Instead, initiate the call yourself, and select a reputable charity.

“Go with recognized names,” Walsh says. “No organization is perfect; even the best-meaning groups occasionally misallocate money or fall victim to abusive employees. But larger charitable groups—like the Red Cross, the United Way and Catholic Charities—have the mechanisms in place to audit their people and performance.”

Charitable contributions are tax-deductible, so keep good records of all donations—including small cash gifts.

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Tips to Saving Money and Making the Most of Your Retail Shopping

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Following are ten of the best inside tips I’ve learned about the retail world since becoming part of it.

1.How to Get the Best Clearance Price in Stores
In most retail stores, clearance is marked down at the beginning of the month. And for stores that use the tiered clearance system, where items fall in price as the month progresses, you will find that the best time to get the lowest price for a clearance item is toward the end of the month.

2.Yellow Tag, Red Tag Clearance Method - When the Best Price Isn’t Always the Final Clearance Price
Stores that use the yellow tag to red tag clearance method also use a tiered system to incrementally mark down items on clearance. Generally, items are placed on clearance at the beginning of the month and will be gradually marked down as the month progresses. Any remaining yellow-ticketed items are then red ticketed for final clearance at the beginning of the following month. Because this system is percentage based, when the yellow-ticketed price drops to its lowest percentage off (usually 50% off the yellow-ticketed clearance price) makes this the best item to buy. This way you can save as much as 80% off the regular price of an item. However, if you wait until the same item is red-ticketed for final clearance, you will pay a higher price and only receive about 50-60% off the regular price. This is a clearance strategy used by many major retailers.

3.Too Early/Too Late For a Great Sale – Not Anymore
Most retail stores have an unpublished policy that allows customers to receive the sale price for an item either a day before or a day after the begin and end dates of an advertised sale. You just have to ask to receive the sale price.

4.Price Adjustment – Too Late, Not Necessarily
Most retailers have a published policy allowing customers a specific timeframe to receive price adjustments and an unpublished policy that actually extends this timeframe anywhere from 7 to 14 days. Even if you are outside the official timeframe for a price change, make the request, as most stores will honor the adjustment based on the unpublished policy and because they won’t risk losing a customer.

5.Buy One, Get One Free and Buy One, Get One ½ Off Sales (BOGO) – Great for the Retailer, Bad for the Customer
The national retail store I work at part-time as Ad-Set Supervisor usually has a Buy One, Get One Free, and Buy One, Get One ½ Off Sale, also know as BOGOs, twice every sale cycle (12 weeks). It always amazes me how many people flock to the store for these sales because in the retail industry, these are known to be one of the worst sales for customers. How? By breaking the numbers down one can quickly see just what I mean. Let’s say you need a pair of jeans and find that there is a BOGO sale at your favorite store offering you ½ off the second purchase. If you paid $20.00 for the first pair and $10 for the second pair (since it was ½ off) your total purchase amount on two pairs of jeans is $30.00, with an overall savings of $10.00 or 25%. But more than likely, these same jeans usually go on sale for 30 to 40% off during one of the store’s regular sale events. That means if you had purchased these same jeans during a regular 30% off sale you would have paid $14.00 per pair or $28 for two pairs a savings of $12.00, or 30% off saving you an additional $2.00 than the BOGO Sale. At 40% off you would have paid $12.00 per pair or $24.00 for two pairs, or 40% off saving you an additional $6.00 than the BOGO Sale.

Buy One, Get One Free Sales are only good if you plan on purchasing two of the same items anyway. Otherwise, they force customers to purchase more than they had planned causing them to bring home two items they only wanted one of in the first place. A way around this dilemma is to shop with a friend or relative who intends to purchase the same type of item that you are going to purchase. Stores love these sales because it is a way of getting customers to spend more money, reduce store inventory quicker, and increase sales figures.

6.Shopping Day Savings Passes, Just Ask
Several national retail stores offer Shopping Day Savings Passes, coupons offering the customer anywhere from 10-20% off every purchase made throughout that day. These “savings passes” are available at customer service desks. All you need to do is ask. One large retailer that offers these passes is Macys.

7.Those People with the Scanners – They Know More Than You Think
Ever go into a store and see some of the associates with a scanner scanning items? Well, more than likely those are “Ad Setters” responsible for placing sale signs for upcoming sale events. Almost every store has an Ad Set Crew. Some stores have the Ad Set Crew set ads for upcoming sales after store closing. Most, however, have the Crew start setting ads a few hours prior to closing. Shop during these hours and seek these people out. Why? They are the most knowledgeable about what store sales are the best for customers and when these sales are going to occur since they know about upcoming sales weeks in advance. If you are wondering if an item you are interested in purchasing is cheaper during the current sale or cheaper during an upcoming sale, they can usually scan it and tell you. I have helped countless customers save this way and then proceeded to tell them about the day prior, day later rule covered in tip number three. Most regular sales associates don’t have this inside information about upcoming sales, nor do they have the ability to find out what upcoming sales prices are going to be on items - that’s why you need to speak to an Ad Setter.

8.Imperfections = Discounts, Even Packaging
Everyone probably knows about getting an additional discount on imperfect merchandise, but many don’t know that imperfect packaging gets the same discounts. The store I work at, like most stores, has a policy that allows at least an additional 10-20% discount on damaged items. Even if the only damage is to an item’s packaging, we gladly give this discount when someone asks. As a result, I have learned to purposefully seek out items that have damaged packaging and to always ask for this extra discount. To date, I have always received it. Being willing to purchase items with damaged packaging creates a win-win situation for both customers and the store: the store gets rid of slightly blemished items and customers save money.

9.Forgot Your Extra Savings Coupon – No Problem, Just Tell the Cashier
Many stores send out extra savings coupons to holders of their credit cards or loyal customers on their mailing list. Sometimes, however, customers get to the register only to realize that they forgot to bring their “Extra Savings Coupon” with them. If this happens to you, no problem, since most stores have a policy granting the discount to the customer anyway just by telling the cashier that you forgot your savings coupon.

10.The Clearance Merry-Go-Round
Most stores have what is called “back stock.” This usually refers to clearance items that have not sold during the previous season’s clearance sales. These items are placed in a designated area in the stockroom and then brought back out onto the sales floor during a store’s next seasonal clearance event. For example, January and February are two good months to find last season’s bathing suits on clearance in many stores. May and June are good times to find heavy coats and leather jackets at rock-bottom prices. I know our store does this routinely, and have found this to be true for several other major retailers as well.

I hope you are able to save tons of money as I have by using these ten tips. Prior to working in retail I would have considered myself a frugal and smart shopper but have since become even better and saved more. By learning the ins-and-outs of the retail world and by using these tips, I now pay less for brand-new brand-name clothing, shoes, accessories, and home goods than I had previously paid at thrift stores and I hope you do too. Happy Shopping and Saving!

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Mortgage Refinance Loan - Why Refinance Both Mortgages?

The hassle of making two monthly mortgage payments has prompted many homeowners to consider refinancing their 1st and 2nd mortgages into one loan. While combining both loans into one mortgage is convenient, and may save you money, homeowners should carefully weigh the risks and advantages before choosing to refinance their mortgages.

Benefits Associated with Combining 1st and 2nd Mortgages

Aside from consolidating your mortgages and making one monthly payment, a mortgage consolidation may lower your monthly payments to mortgage lenders. If you acquired your 1st or 2nd mortgage before home loan rates began to decline, you are likely paying an interest rate that is at least two points above current market rates. If so, a refinancing will greatly benefit you. By refinancing both mortgages with a low interest rate, you may save hundreds on your monthly mortgage payment.

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Furthermore, if you accepted a 1st and 2nd mortgage with an adjustable mortgage rate, refinancing both loans at a fixed rate may benefit you in the long run. Even if your current rates are low, these rates are not guaranteed to remain low. As market trends fluctuated, your adjustable rate mortgages are free to rise. Higher mortgage rates will cause your mortgage payment to climb considerably. Refinancing both mortgages with a fixed rate will ensure that your mortgage remains predictable.

Disadvantages to Refinancing 1st and 2nd Mortgage

Before choosing to refinance your mortgages, it is imperative to consider the drawbacks of combining both mortgages. To begin, refinancing a mortgage involves the same procedures as applying for the initial mortgage. Thus, you are required to pay closing costs and fees. In this case, refinancing is best for those who plan to live in their homes for a long time.

If your credit score has dropped considerably within recent years, lenders may not approve you for a low rate refinancing. By refinancing and consolidating both mortgages, be prepared to pay a higher interest rate. Before accepting an offer, carefully compare the savings.

Moreover, refinancing your two mortgages may result in you paying private mortgage insurance (PMI). PMI is required for home loans with less than 20% equity. To avoid paying private mortgage insurance, homeowners may consider refinancing both mortgages separately, as opposed to consolidating both mortgage loans.

10 Smart Shopping Tips

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Prevention of food poisoning starts with your trip to the supermarket. Here's how to start off safely.

1. Pick up your packaged and canned foods first. Buy cans and jars that look perfect. Don’t buy canned goods that are dented, cracked or bulging. These are the warning signs that dangerous bacteria may be growing in the can.

2. Look for any expiration dates on the labels and never buy outdated food. Likewise, check the "use by" or "sell by" date on dairy products such as cottage cheese, cream cheese, yogurt, and sour cream and pick the ones that will stay fresh longest in your refrigerator.

3. Check eggs, too. Choose eggs that are refrigerated in the store. Before putting them in your cart, open the carton and make sure that the eggs are clean and none are cracked or broken.

4. Raw meat, poultry, and seafood sometimes drip. The juices that drip may have germs. Keep these juices away from other foods. Put raw meat, poultry, and seafood into plastic bags before they go into the cart. Separate raw meat, poultry, and seafood from other foods in your grocery shopping cart and in your refrigerator.

5. Don't buy frozen seafood if the packages are open, torn or crushed on the edges. Avoid packages that are above the frost line in the store's freezer. If the package cover is transparent, look for signs of frost or ice crystals. This could mean that the fish has either been stored for a long time or thawed and re-frozen.

6. Check for cleanliness at the meat or fish counter and the salad bar. For instance, cooked shrimp lying on the same bed of ice as raw fish could become contaminated.

7. When shopping for shellfish, buy from markets that get their supplies from state-approved sources; stay clear of vendors who sell shellfish from roadside stands or the back of a truck. And if you're planning to harvest your own shellfish, heed posted warnings about the water's safety.

8. Pick up milk, frozen foods, and perishables (meat, poultry, fish) last. Always put these products in separate plastic bags so that drippings don't contaminate other foods in your shopping cart.

9. Drive immediately home from the grocery store. This will give cold or frozen food less time to warm up before you get home. If the destination is farther away than 30 minutes, bring a cooler with ice or commercial freezing gels from home and place perishables in it.

10. Save hot chicken and other hot foods for last, too. This will give them less time to cool off before you get home.

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Tips For Traveling With ME/CFS or FM

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I had the very same opinion because I was (and still am) largely housebound due to Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome (also known as ME/CFS). But as a result, I had forfeited seeing my beloved family (who live abroad) for four long years. So recently, I decided to 'bite the bullet' and go. Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome or not.

I had a lovely time there, but the voyage there and back raised quite a few issues for me as a sufferer of Post Viral Fatigue Syndrome.

When it comes to ME/CFS no one sufferer has the same experience as the next. For a start, you may suffer from this condition less or more severely than I do. You probably also experience a different mix of symptoms. But there are a few things you can bear in mind if you do plan on making a long trip:

1) Rest adequately beforehand.

This might mean not exerting yourself mentally or physically for a number of days or even weeks beforehand - easier said than done, I know. But bear in mind that resting is a BIG priority PRE-trip.

2) Plan your trip.

Leave LOTS of time in-between train, bus or plane times so that you don't have to rush. **Over-estimate** the amount of time it will take you. That way, if you get there early you can just sit and rest instead of rushing and stressing, which will only make you feel more weak and ill.

3) Get help.

If you're making a long trip then it's advisable that you ask someone (like a relative or friend) to accompany you there and back. Ideally this would be someone who understands your condition and how it affects you. If you have trouble walking (or if this wears you out too much usually) then consider asking someone from the train or plane company to meet you with a wheelchair. Most large commercial companies seem to offer this service, but you usually have to tell them in advance. You might also consider using a walking stick. Anything to help you get there in one piece, right?

4) Don't rush.

Pack slowly. Don't leave it until the last minute! I had an open suitcase in my bedroom in which I put things as I thought of them. I also made a check list for the morning of the trip, so that I didn't forget the things that I needed to pack after using them that morning (like toothbrush, toothpaste, tablets etc).

5) Pack light!

If you're going on a short trip, then maybe you can get away with not packing any luggage at all?

----- SIDE NOTE ----- If you're traveling to a different time zone, consider taking some ear plugs and a light-blocking sleep mask with you, just in case you need to sleep during the day. ----- SIDE NOTE -----

6) Don't forget to pack your medicines, vitamins, and supplements!

Don't make the mistake of not packing enough. Count out how many tablets you'll need just to make sure.

7) Warn the people you're going to be staying with about your needs.

This may be your family, friends or the hotel manager. Let them know about your sleeping habits and your dietary needs. Is there anything you *can't* eat or drink? Caffeine or dairy, for example? Should they get some special food or drink in like say, soya milk?

8) Bring a book on ME/CFS with you just in case the people you stay with are interested in your condition.

If you have ME/CFS then I really recommend Lynn Michell's book 'Shattered', because it really explains what it's like to live with the condition. AND it packs a punch - just in case you face any skepticism while you're there! No need to start explaining yourself - just hand them the book. ;)

---------- SIDE NOTE ----------

To read a complete review about Lynn Michell's book, visit:

http://www.sleepydust.net/CHRONIC-FATIGUE-SYNDROME-AND-TREATMENT-book-LM-shattered.html

---------- SIDE NOTE ----------

9) Sensory overload.

When you suffer from ME/CFS, visual and aural stimuli can be too overwhelming for your brain to process adequately. This is especially true when you're traveling...

... the noise of the train, bus or plane, the chatting people, the fast moving countryside outside, the throng of other travelers...

All of this can play havoc with your brain and can end up making you feel even *more* exhausted, and your brain even *more* foggy!

There's not much you can do about this. But say you're on a train for example - if the fast moving countryside is making you feel dizzy, then try to avoid looking out the window. Close your eyes if you have to, or wear a sleep mask. If you find that you're getting dizzy and tired when you're in a busy corridor full of commuters in the subway for example, stop and face the wall for a few seconds to regroup and regain your clarity and balance.

10) Wear some magnetic insoles.

I had made it a point to see my Nutritionist/ Kinesiologist before I left for my trip abroad. She tested me with all the supplements I took daily, and found that the 'Pure Synergy' superfood powder really raised my vital force (see point 11 below).

But perhaps even more astounding was the magnetic insoles she gave me - they raised my vital force so much that at first, it literally felt like I was standing on a power pod! I could even feel a subtle tingling sensation in my legs!

I wore my magnetic insoles on the trip and I have to say that I *did* feel more energized! It's a very subtle feeling and after an hour or so of using them the tingling went away. You may or may not have the same sensations when you first try them - depending on how severe your ME/CFS is and how susceptible you are to external forces. But they're well worth a try. I now make it a point to wear my magnetic insoles whenever I have to venture outside and now that I know how much they help me, I most certainly wouldn't be without them.

---------- SIDE NOTE ----------

You can check out my full review of wearing magnetic insoles here:

http://www.sleepydust.net/ME-CFS.html#magnetic

---------- SIDE NOTE ----------

11) Perhaps most importantly, pack some nourishing food and supplements specifically for your voyage.

It's important to eat small amounts regularly especially when you travel. It's not a good idea to eat sugary foods or anything containing caffeine (including coffee, tea, sweets or chocolate) because although that may pep you up for the first few minutes, they are likely to make you feel a lot worse in the long term.

I took a few of Dr Gillian McKeith's 'Living Food Energy Bars' with me - I always keep a spare one in my handbag for emergencies anyway. Nuts are also a great idea when you're traveling (if you're not allergic to them that is).

I also took some of that amazing 'Pure Synergy' superfood powder, and mixed it in with some cooled herbal tea in a small bottle. No sugar. No caffeine.

It was my energy pep-up drink - and I swigged it all the way back on my voyage. It did the trick.

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