Living Simplistically

Choosing Loan Modification Instead of Refinancing Your Mortgage

2012-02-02T13:02:00.000-08:00

|Guest Post by Dick Critchlow|

Many people look toward refinancing as a way to reduce the payments on their home mortgage loans, but they are more likely to find a loan modification program more advantageous. Not only does loan modification provide debt relief for the consumer, there is a great deal of loan modification assistance available from many different sources including the government. These loan modification services can provide assurance that the consumer receives the best possible debt reduction that is possible for his or her individual circumstances. Loan modification provides some of the following advantages over refinancing.

Reduction in the Interest Rate

When homeowners refinance their home mortgage, the interest rate is one the borrower and lender negotiate contingent upon the current market rate and the borrower's individual circumstances. When a homeowner applies for modification through a federally sponsored program, the interest rate must allow the payments to fall within the payment structure: 38 percent or less of monthly income. In addition, if the loan payments must extend for a longer period of time to meet this requirement, it will also be a provision of the loan modification.

Additional Payment Reduction

When a borrower refinances a mortgage, he is responsible for the new monthly payment. Under a federally sponsored loan modification program, the government will subsidize those payments so that the borrower will never have to pay more than 31 percent of his family income toward mortgage payments

Minimize Costs of Refinancing

When a borrower refinances his home, there are fees associated with the loan similar to the closing costs you incur when you first buy a home. It will usually be necessary to pay all the fees up front, but in a loan modification all the costs of securing the loan are included within the loan eliminating the borrower needing cash up front.

Problems that May Prevent Refinancing

Another problem that may plague those looking to refinance is a change in credit standing and a decrease in the value of your home. Both of these problems can have a negative affect of those looking to refinance their homes, but loan modification programs do not take these factors into consideration. They are mostly interested in your income and how you have attempted to keep up with your payments before applying for loan modification.

Incentives for Borrower and Lender

Refinancing is an agreement between the borrower and lender while a federally sponsored loan modification involves the government. The Obama loan modification program provides lenders with incentives for closing a loan modification deal and will provide further incentives as the borrower continues to maintain the new lower payments.

While not all borrowers will qualify for loan modification, not all borrower will qualify to refinance their home mortgages either. However, because federally sponsored loan modification programs are controlled by the government, it is more likely a borrower will qualify for loan modification than refinancing. Before you make any decision weigh all the options first and make sure you know what each program entails both now and in the future.

Page Traffic Web-Tech

2012-02-02T12:25:00.000-08:00

If you are a fellow blogger, website owner, or anyone that depends on web traffic to make an income you know how important page traffic is. Your revenue is generated because of the visits to your page, and the clicks you gain on your advertisements. It is one thing to understand how to generate revenue online, success in doing so is a completely different arena. Just because I know how to sew, doesn't mean I'm a professional.

Gaining page views, clicks, and a following takes work and time. It is amazing the amount of work that goes into each and every successful blog, website, article, etc. The number one factor that can cause you to fail or succeed is the amount of time and work you are willing to put into advertising. Your other option is to pay someone else to do the work for you. That is where Page Traffic Web-Tech comes in.

Page Traffic Web-Tech offers services ranging from social networking optimization, to web design. Essentially you can pay them to do absolutely everything leaving you with plenty of time to watch your internet venture grow. You will get professional results and you are in control of everything with your campaign always at your fingertips.

The prices are a little steep, so make sure you do the math before signing up. If you are short on time, or aren't knowledgeable in the area of online advertising Page Traffic Web-Tech will do the work for you while you enjoy the benefits.

Tot Bargains

2012-01-31T12:46:00.000-08:00

Looking to expand your family? Maybe you already have. One thing that is certain is this; children are expensive. Any time you can save a few dollars is totally worth it. The TotBargains blog helps you do just that, save money. There you will find all things tot related at bargain prices. TotBargains highlights the best sales which takes the searching out of your shopping. It not only saves you money but it saves you time, which as a parent you know you don't have enough of either.

So if your in the market for a new baby swing, or maybe you just need some diapers stop over at TotBargains first and save yourself some money!

Free Health Discount Card

2012-01-30T09:44:00.000-08:00

It is no secret, Americans are struggling to pay their health care costs. Insurance, if it is not provided at no cost from your employer, is through the roof. Many of us earn to much to qualify for state or government funded medical programs, yet we don't make enough to pay for health insurance.

It is a crazy cycle, everyone needs health insurance yet only people without income or very low income can get help with health insurance and only the rich can afford to pay for health insurance. It is exciting for me to share with you what Dennis Shepard does aside from his night shift job in Brownsville, TX.

Dennis is an independent distributor of FreeRxPlus cards. He spends time going to hospitals, meeting with nurses and office managers getting these cards in their hands.

So how can the FreeRxPlus cards benefit you? This card allows you to save money on healthcare costs.

You can save up to 75% on prescriptions, as well as up to 50% on lab and imaging work. This card is 100% Free to you, and allows you to take control of your healthcare costs. If you would like to read more about how the FreeRxPlus Card can help you click here.

Ebac Water Coolers

2012-01-30T08:57:00.000-08:00

Ebac water coolers are now offering affordable water cooler rental services. You can now rent your water cooler straight from Ebac. With Ebac you can customize your water cooler, and there are no pipes or plumbing! The designs are clean, functional, and affordable. Ebac offers you the choice from traditional, to plumbed in water coolers. The rental is affordable and the designs are amazing, what are you waiting for?

Over Coffee

2012-01-22T19:06:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought about the possibilities you could have while simply drinking coffee? Well Jessica Jaffe, the creator of Over Coffee has! It is her belief that many wonderful stories have been told over coffee. She believes in giving complete strangers from different parts of the world the opportunity to chat over coffee, which is why she started Over Coffee.

Over Coffee gives you the opportunity to share your coffee related stories, connect with other people all around the world, check out new coffee shops, even learn about coffee customs and traditions from other areas of the world. It's a place where you can share and connect on a deeper level. Why not go share a cup now!

Baggage Claim

2012-01-19T12:51:00.000-08:00

So I haven't been around much lately and here's why:

I have been working on my very first book! Baggage Claim is the story of my life, it's about the battles I've faced and the struggles I've lived through. It took me a long time to finish this book for many reasons, this book has the potential to rip my mom out of my life. It also has the potential to cause me to lose everything I've gained, but I felt that this is what God's plan was for me. I've always felt that I was to share this story, and if this story is able to help just one person facing the same struggles I will be happy. If you are interested check it out. As of right now you can only read it ebook style from the Kindle store. If you don't have a Kindle Amazon offers free Kindle software for your computer so you can still read it! I look forward to hearing your thoughts....by the way what do you think of the cover? Tell me how you interpret it.

Online Gaming

2012-01-16T13:24:00.000-08:00

There are many forms of entertainment online at the moment: YouTube, Netflix, Online Games, Social Networking, etc. Online gaming is a great cure for boredom and can help pass the time. It is also very addictive. At MeinGames you can find all the games you love. This site allows you to gamble and win (or possibly lose) money by playing games such as Poker, Billiard, Black Jack, and many more. If you are the gaming or gambling type this site will serve your online gaming needs well.

Box Clothing

2011-12-27T18:54:00.000-08:00

As the New Year approaches you may find yourself searching for the perfect, yet affordable style. Though style may not be hard to find, affordable style can sometimes be hard to come by, but look no farther check out Box Clothing for some hot clothing with red hot price tags. While your there you can also learn about the latest trends, find out what celebrities are wearing and much more! What are you waiting for, check out Box Clothing now!

Converting mp4

2011-12-24T06:23:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for software to convert your mp4 files into mp3, look no farther. This free download of iOrgsoft can do that and more for you. Visit the download page for all you need to know about iOrgsoft software.

Achieve Your Goals

2011-12-24T06:11:00.000-08:00

Setting goals can sometimes be somewhat simple, however achieving your goals can take time, work, and dedication. There may be another way though, learn how to achieve your goals using guided imagery and/or creative visualization. These methods of achieving goals is used by many athletes, business professionals, and others.

Guided imagery and creative visualization are not the same thing. They are two different techniques, both helpful and both serve a separate purpose. Learn the difference as well as how these techniques can effectively improve your life. ...learn more

Sleep

2011-12-24T05:58:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows sleep is a priority for any successful person. In order to get anything done well it is essential to be well rested.

You know how cranky you can be if you haven’ had enough sleep; or how flying to a different time zone messes with your head; or how you are unable to recover from life’s accumulated stresses because you can’t sleep. Using sleep aids may seem like a good solution. But taking sleeping pills only takes care of the immediate desire to sleep. Drugs can actually be very counterproductive because they interfere with normal sleep and dream cycles. They tend to induce deeper sleep (the theta level). But bypassing the natural descent from beta (waking) to the alpha phase (relaxed yet alert, gradually slowing into light sleep) can have serious consequences such as diminished recall, irritability, confusion and even mild hallucinations. ...read more

Budget Bedroom Makeovers

2011-12-09T10:45:00.001-08:00

|Guest Post by Jade Coleman|

Many people look at a bedroom as a place where they lay their head at night, and we often forget that our bedroom is a place of sanity and the place we retire to after a long hard day to relax and unwind.

If your bedroom is in need of a simple makeover then look no further, here’s how I made my bedroom looking new and cozy with spending as little as possible.

Color

When painting your bedroom you should choose the colors very carefully. Bright lively colors can make sleep difficult so go for deep reds and light brown shades.

Lighting

Changing the light fittings in your bedroom can make a world of difference! Adding chandeliers to a bedroom may seem a little out of the ordinary but they can add a beautiful element of glamor. You’ll be surprised at the choice of chandeliers available at markets and charity shops. If you find the perfect chandelier but that is not quite the color you are looking for they can be easily spray painted to the color of your choice.

Candles

Add candles to your bedroom to give it a romantic feel – there’s no better way to relax than in the a candle lit bedroom! Tealight candle holders are an elegant addition to a bedroom and come in all shapes and sizes.

Fixture and fittings

New fixtures and fittings such as light switches and wardrobes are an easy way to give your bedroom a whole new look. Your current fixtures and fittings can be spruced up with spray paint or new styles can be found for a reasonable price from antique shops or DIY (do-it-yourself) stores.

Accessories

Adding new accessories is a fast and easy alternative to giving your bedroom a new look. Remember to buy accessories that clean easily, often, artificial flower arrangements collect dust, which is hard to remove. Pound stores and large supermarkets have a beautiful collection of bedroom accessories including wicker baskets and mirrors.

By making these few changes your bedroom will feel as good as new – and what’s more you won’t have to spend a fortune.

Mashtop |The Social Media Site|

2011-12-06T18:07:00.001-08:00

We've all heard of sites like Digg, Technorati, and Reddit. Mashtop.com is also a social media site that allows you to share your favorite top sites with others. Mashtop does things a little differently though. At Mashtop.com you will find top links, mashed up. You are the masher. Mashing is like voting, so you get to vote your favorites to the top and watch the fails fall to the bottom.

Printable Lunch Box Notes

2011-12-02T18:21:00.001-08:00

PrintableLunchBoxNotes.com provides you with free weekly packs of printable lunch box notes with self esteem building love sentences and useful life tips for your child!

How can you save money with PrintableLunchBoxNotes.com?

Instead of buying expensive lunch box notes each year for each of your children (can reach hundreds of $) you can print the pack of lunch box notes that the service sends you via email each week. PrintableLunchBoxNotes.com offers a Lifetime subscription at an extremely low one time fee.

The Importance of Communication in a Family

2011-11-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

There is no denying the fact that family communication is the most important factor in ascertaining a family?s happiness, stability, and success. An effective communication entails a number of things that improve the understanding of every family member with one another, and this includes sharing, expressing, and informing one another with thoughts and emotions that require attention. In a general sense, communication between two individuals is useful increasing their opinion and respect, and enhancing their relationship.

However, there are different hindrances to a good communication, and the most disconcerting one is hearing loss. This condition occurs when there is a difficulty or damage with a part of the ear, and the person who experiences hearing problems typically suffers from recognizing sounds. On the word of medical specialists, this is caused by aging, and other factors such as defects in genetic predisposition, exposure to noise, and illnesses, amongst others. In spite of the technological advancements in the field of medicine, there is still no cure accurate solution in reversing hearing loss aside from using hearing aid.

If one of your family members suffers from hearing loss, it is best that they are provided with a hearing aid in order to help them communicate and participate in the family?s day-to-day activities. The hearing aids? prices vary, and it depends on the type of hearing aid that you need. It is advisable that one consult with a hearing specialist in order to determine the type of hearing aid that could best suit his or her needs.

Furthermore, prior to purchasing a hearing aid, you should conduct your own hearing aid review and carefully assess a number of hearing aid providers and determine the one that provides the best services. This will be advantageous in sparing your family member from the difficulties brought by hearing loss.

Mary is a blogger for HappyHealth.net, a health lifestyle community for active adults. HappyHealth also provides hearing aid reviews and other product reviews.

Print Ninja

2011-11-22T07:59:00.001-08:00

Ebooks, they are all the rage. Cost efficient when compared to self publishing your book to an actual hard copy. Sure they are easy to distribute online, but what about when you want to distribute your book at local events? Self publishing can cost hundreds to thousands, but why pay top dollar when you can get top quality at an affordable price.

Print Ninja offers wicked low printing prices on multi-page products such as booklets, children's book, etc. If you've had the dream to see your work in print but haven't been able to afford it check out Print Ninja. See what they can do for you at an unbelievably low price!

|Blog Carnival| Fourteenth Edition

2011-11-18T13:09:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the November 11, 2011 edition of a carnival for saving and making money.

Paul Clark presents How Buying Targeted Website Traffic Can help Your Website posted at 10 Million Links Blog.
Ken Faulkenberry presents 6 Fundamental Principles of Investing posted at Arbor Asset Allocation Model Portfolio (AAAMP) Blog.

Making Money

Kyle Taylor presents How to Be On a Gameshow (18 Shows Looking for Contestants) posted at The Penny Hoarder, saying, "Participating in a gameshow is an easy and fun way to make some extra money. We’ve put together a list of 18 of the most popular gameshows and how you can audition for each one…"
vinman presents Starting Drop Shipping Home Business posted at Internet Home Business Opportunities, saying, "Those who venture into online business can opt for Drop Shipping business. There are a lot of companies to supply product for drop shipping. Know how to start it."

Saving Money

Christyn Raymond presents Avoiding Student Loans posted at Striving For Simple, saying, "Saving money by avoiding school loans when possible."
Jason P. presents How Does a Savings Account Work? posted at Comments for Childrens Savings Accounts HQ, saying, "The most commonly opened bank account in the world is a savings account so you need to know how it works."
Chelsea Prescotti presents How To improve Your Credit Score posted at CreditScore.net, saying, "Saying that your credit score plays a vital role in whether you can apply to acquire further credit, obtain reasonably priced car insurance, or take out a small business loan for example is a bit of an understatement. It plays an enormous role and it is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. In short, a credit score helps lenders and credit card and insurance companies, for example, determine the risks involved in lending a borrower/applicant money, credit, or insurance respectively. It also helps lenders and other agencies determine the specific amounts, rates, and terms and conditions to offer a borrower/applicant."
SteveR presents Tame the Taxman: How to Appeal Your Property Taxes | 2011 Taxes posted at 2011 Taxes, saying, "Doing your taxes correctly is difficult enough without falling prey to misinformation"
SteveR presents Saving During A Recession: What You Should Know posted at Debt Consolidation, saying, "Saving during a recession can seem like it is an impossible feat. If you are out of work, you don’t the income levels necessarily to put anything in your gas tank, let alone in your bank account."
Online Dividends presents Charles Schwab Credit Card - How can I pay my balance? posted at Blogging Banks, saying, "Since this Monday, November 7, the schwab credit card account holders have been sold to Bank of America. As a result, all of their online records are inaccessible. So how can we view and pay our credit card balances?"
Mitch Archuleta presents Is It OK To Keep The Ring? posted at Gemvara Blog, saying, "While not a problem for most, what is considered proper ring etiquette when divorcing? For many people, the engagement ring is an expensive asset potentially worthy of being split up."
That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of a carnival for saving and making money using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Black Friday On the Way

2011-11-17T07:37:00.001-08:00

Stores have been preparing for months, prices will drop to an all time low for the year giving consumers a chance to purchase Christmas items at incredible prices. In an attempt to save a few bucks people will rush to the stores, running through isles, throwing items into the cart without thinking. Pushing, shoving, hitting, arguing will occur.

The day after Thanksgiving, a day that brings out the crazy. The one day everyone agrees to stop caring and go for selfish whims. Is it coincidence that it occurs right after the day that we are supposed to show how thankful we are for everything around us. Is it possible that all the selflessness we show on Thanksgiving then entitles us to be completely selfish the following day?

Whatever it may be, the biggest shopping day of the season is happening in less than a week. My revelation for this day is that I am not allowing myself to look at any of the blitz ads. If I go with no expectations, I will leave without feeling disappointed. However if you would like to go knowing what you are looking for, you can check out the ads here:

http://bfads.net/

I wish you good luck in your shopping adventures, and stay out of the way when the shopping mob starts running!

PersonalFinance.TV

2011-11-14T17:29:00.001-08:00

Looking for financial advice from financial experts? PersonalFinance.TV offers just that! At PersonalFinance.TV you will find personal financial advice such as how to get a prepaid debit card with no fees, or how to buy a foreclosed home. Learn if pet insurance is really worth spending your money on, or even how to teach your children about personal finances.

This site is well organized and you can find helpful articles and videos on topics such as banking, budgeting, investing, home and mortgage, and taxes. PersonalFinance.TV is loaded with helpful information, what are you waiting for go check it out now!

PersonalFinance.TV

Make Christmas Shopping a Pleasure with Voucher Codes

2011-11-10T20:13:00.001-08:00

|Guest Post by Lucy Pitt|

Using voucher codes is the best way to make sure you have a stress free Christmas this year. With the holiday season approaching fast it’s time to start buying those dreaded presents. However there’s no need to spend hours trawling the malls looking for bargains when you can find amazing deals online when you use voucher codes.

If you love a bargain and want to make your pennies stretch as far as they can then you will love using voucher codes.

What Are Voucher Codes?

Online shopping has become incredibly popular in recent years and many of us are now choosing to buy from the web rather than hit the high street. Many online stores have realised that in order to attract new customers and keep their existing ones loyal, they need to offer shoppers more for their money.
Many stores are choosing to provide special offers and extras to customers through voucher codes. These are simple codes that you can type into a site during the buying process to get benefits like money off, two for one deals, free gifts and free delivery.

Where Do I Find Voucher Codes?

There are lots of great sites that publish voucher codes. Most of them feature codes for thousands of stores. In addition you can find codes for events, exhibitions and activities and restaurants. You can even find codes for things like groceries and airport parking. It’s easy to search for discounts on a voucher codes site. You can search by product or service, you can browse the latest offers or you can look for exclusive deals. Whatever you want to buy there’s bound to be a voucher code somewhere that will get you a better deal.

Is It Safe To Use Voucher Codes?

All voucher codes sites are highly regulated and all the codes they feature have been agreed by the stores or companies offering discounts, so they are perfectly safe and legal to use.

If you want to save money this holiday season and want to find amazing deals without stepping foot out of your house then start looking for your voucher codes today.

Reminder: |Blog Carnival| The Fourteenth Editon

2011-11-10T10:31:00.001-08:00

It's already that time again, I just wanted to remind everyone the fourteenth edition of A Carnival for Saving and Making Money is set to publish tomorrow evening. If you are wanting to be a part of this edition please be sure to submit your articles before tomorrow evening.

Submit by Click Here

(This will bring you to the submission page)

My Survey October Earnings + Picture Proof

2011-11-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

I wasn't particularly active on MySurvey until around the 18th of October, so I didn't earn many points that month. I am excited to share with you this month's earnings (but that will have to wait until next month.)

MySurvey:

(Click to enlarge)

I earned a total of 265 points for the month of October, not very impressive but better than nothing! If you want to read about Mysurvey I write about how to earn here, and if you'd like to join you can click here to register.

Check it out...Living Simplistically on FB ♥

2011-11-07T16:06:00.000-08:00

Come "like" our page!

Don't forget to follow the blog to keep up to date on money making opportunities, carnival updates, savings, and more!

October Swagbucks Earnings + Picture Proof

2011-11-07T15:46:00.000-08:00

Here are my earnings for the month of October (2011)

Swagbucks:

I am passively (for the most part) active on Swagbucks, earning a total of 752 Swagbucks!

That allowed me to cash out for $5/Amazon once with October's earnings alone + a second time with September and some of October's Swagbuck earnings combined, and that's a total of $10/Amazon in one month with Swagbucks left over to roll into November earnings!

Click on the images to enlarge.

If you are wondering how I earn so many Swagbucks you can check out my explanation here, I also write about techniques here, and if you want to join Swagbucks simply click here, register, and start earning today!