The following article is a guest post.

No, I am not joking, I really want to talk openly about debt. For many American’s living with economic challenges has become quite normal. Of course, most of us don’t really view the stress of mounting credit card debt as a ‘challenge’, but more of an inconvenience to be dealt with eventually…like retirement.

Paying off or consolidating debt is one of those things on our to-do lists, something we resolve to work on with the New Year etc. But, it’s not something we actually deal with, not until we have to.

It is the lack of familiarity with their options that holds most people back from finding debt help. It can be confusing to understand the difference between debt consolidation, debt management, debt settlement, bill consolidation, loans and more. The only well-known way to get rid of debt is bankruptcy and that is not really a solution as much as a last resort.

So let’s make this a reality. Take a few minutes, get online and do some research. There is a wealth of information available on; blogs, providers of debt relief services websites, and reviews sites, all talking about debt solutions or debt relief service providers.

This information is free for the taking. Once you understand the debt lingo, you can then determine if you can do things on your own to expedite paying off your debt, if you could benefit from a debt management plan or if you are in need of more serious services like settlement or bankruptcy. Don’t hesitate to contact these providers directly and ask questions, lots of
questions, but do not feel obligated to do anything until you feel ready and until you fully understand how the plans work.

Whatever you do, just be sure to do something. Don’t push off tackling your debt head on and giving yourself a second chance financially. If you are ready to have a conversation about your debt, here is a provider checklist to help you evaluate different debt relief service providers.

Suzanne Coblentz

Suzanne is a CareOne Debt Relief Services community moderator and works in the Social Media department. If you have questions about CareOne Debt Relief Services please visit www.CareOneCredit.com or call and speak with one of our certified credit counselors, 1-888-888-CARE.

At this time of year I hear people asking the same question over and over again. Everyone wonders if they should do their own taxes or if they should hire a professional tax preparer. Both methods of tax preparation have their benefits. However, no one wants to waste the money on a professional if they don’t have to.

While I can’t tell you exactly what to do, I can tell you what factors we look at as we make this decision each year. Hopefully, having the factors disclosed in black and white will allow you to examine your own situation and make a decision that works for you and your family.

Do you feel comfortable with each of the aspects of your return? If there is some portion of my tax return that I feel uncertain about, then I definitely consult a professional. For instance, if you recently became self-employed, you might be a bit shaky at filling out the Schedule C that is required. You get into a ton of questions about deductions for a home office, mileage expenses, and supplies. If you need help discovering what your true business expenses are, then it might be a good idea to consult a professional. Next year you might feel confident about filling out the form on your own.

Have there been any big changes in your life? Did you get married this year or have a baby? Maybe you bought your first home and think you may be eligible for the first-time homebuyers credit. New situations can call for a lot of changes in your taxes. You don’t want to miss any breaks you might qualify for. A professional can help you make sure that you don’t pay any more taxes than you have to pay.

Will you e-file? If you want to file electronically, you have a couple of options. You can use an internet service like TurboTax to file your return or you can use a professional and have them file it. You may decide that if you’re going to go to all of the expense of paying for TurboTax that you might go ahead and hire a professional. Alternatively, if you aren’t in a hurry to get your refund and like paperwork, you can file on paper forms for free.

You may be wondering, after all of this discussion, what we do in our household. We use TurboTax – it costs around $50 and we file our federal returns electronically. In addition, I never have to worry that a silly math error has fouled up our return (one of my biggest worries). Finally, TurboTax remembers our information next year. Then, if there are any big variances between the returns, I can make sure that it is an intentional variation.

Do you do your own taxes or use a professional?

I don’t know about you, but my grocery budget has been experiencing a lot of price creep lately. I clip coupons and plan my meals but on really busy weeks I find myself resorting to more expensive pre-made foods. Unfortunately, taking the time to clip and organize coupons and shop the best sales at my local grocery stores can take a lot of time. And lately time is what I’ve not had the most of. I’ve been so busy with the kids and school and sports that finding the time to clip, organize, and shop has been difficult. Here are five quick tips I use to keep grocery costs down:

1. Skip the soda.
Carbonated beverages are almost never economical. Even when they are on sale, they are much more expensive than drink mixes like Kool-Aid. In addition, they offer no nutritional value for your family. If you can avoid buying soda at all, you will certainly save money. I limit the sodas and sports drinks to the weekend only.

2. Shop the outer edges of the grocery store.
Raw foods like fresh vegetables and dairy products are located on the edges of most grocery stores. You will need to invest more time in preparing these foods, but you can also prepare much more nutritional meals by using these foods. I’ve found if I immediately prep the food when I get home, it has a better chance of getting eaten before it spoils.

3. Shop alone.
Shopping with the kids can be really trying. As you are shopping, little hands often start grabbing things and adding them to the mix. The easiest way to avoid this is to leave the kids at home if you can. You can concentrate on making wise food choices if you are on your own. Saturday mornings at 7 am is the best time I’ve found to go without the kids – they are usually still in bed sleeping and the stores are vacant!

4. Look for discounted meats.
If you pay careful attention, you will notice that the meat department in your favorite grocery store marks down their price of packages of meat as they approach their “sale by” dates. There is nothing wrong with these meats; they just need to be sold and used soon. You can get a great cut of meat for a discounted price by looking for these reduced price stickers. Always check with the butcher to see if these meats can be frozen.

5. Check out discount stores like Aldi’s.
If you don’t mind shopping without the frills of your local grocery store, you can cut a pretty big chunk out of your grocery budget. Green shoppers who already bring their own bags won’t mind. Others, though, may not like the idea of having to pay for the store’s bags. Most of the products at Aldi’s are generic brands, so don’t expect to find your favorite name brands there. You can expect, though, to save a lot.

Do you have any fast tips for saving money at the grocery store?