Smart Spends

Free Kids' Educational Worksheets

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 19:38:00 +0000

It's been a while since I've posted a new blog, but today I found something that I think all families should have. During the summers, throughout my childhood, my mom used to give me homework assignments, from standard educational workbooks, each week that I was required to complete. I have two young daughters and one day I went to Kmart to see how much these workbooks cost. I found one for $7.95. At first thought you might say that's not much for a quality education, recognizing that a college textbook generally costs $100 or more. But, when I saw the price I thought, "Wow that's expensive, for a 20 page workbook for one grade, one course, and one child." My girls are only 2 and 3 now, so they're actually too young for those books anyway (these books are for school-age children).

This week, my mom and nieces and nephews visited us from out of town. Today, while there were here with me, I thought about those workbooks and decided they needed to do something educational today. Being the "internet search engine guru" that I am, I decided to search for something online that was similar to the workbooks. I was only looking for something to give them to read as well as some grade-appropriate mathematics problems.

I FOUND IT! http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/. This website is great for several reasons:

1. It's free
2. It's grade-appropriate
3. It covers several subjects
4. It's awesome
5. I was able to print out worksheets (stories, with questions/answers, mathematics problems, etc) for each of my nieces and nephews

It was great. It's a free online website that allows you to print worksheets for your kid so they can continue their education throughout the summer. I encourage you to share this site with others and use it for yourself if you have school-age kids. It's definitely worth it.

Please post your comments and thoughts.

Smart Spends Tip: Teach children the value of learning and self-education, and their opportunities will be limitless.

Calendars 50% off

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 06:00:00 +0000

Most calendars go on sale for 50% off after the month of January. The places where you can get these deals are at bookstores and the Kiosk calendar shops in the mall. If you haven't gotten a 2011 Calendar yet, now's the time.

Learn for Free

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 04:36:00 +0000

Education is the key to success: be it on the job training, in class training, online training, or personal reading/studying. Everyone who wants to get ahead knows they must have the knowledge necessary to complete the tasks required for positions they seek. The first thought that comes to mind for most people is, “I’ve got to get a master’s degree”. And the next thought is, “Oh my gosh, graduate school is expensive!” In many cases, these are people who have families and responsibilities. They usually don’t have an extra $30,000 sitting around to pay for an education. Depending on the specialization required for the position you seek, a graduate degree may be required, but there are many positions that require certain skills and knowledge that don’t require graduate degrees. You can get a lot of those skills free, and today I’ll introduce you to some places you can go.

Learn Microsoft for Free

Many companies require employees to have a proficiency in Microsoft Office. The primary Microsoft Office programs people use are: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. A lot of people also use Outlook and Access. These are all programs that enable you to either establish written communications or analyze data. These programs can be very powerful and helpful. If used properly, you will be able to effectively convey your message to the target audience.

There’s so much to learn and “so little time”, and companies want you to know how to use these programs on the first day of employment. Guess what? You can learn them free. Microsoft has lots of audio/video trainings available. They even have a guide that will help you select the sequence of trainings you need to take. This prevents you from spending endless time trying to find the right training modules. Click the below link to get started:

Microsoft Office Training

Take Graduate School Classes Free

Graduate school is expensive, but what you learn in graduate school is priceless. Depending on the specialization required, you may need to attend a graduate school and earn your degree or certification in order to be considered for a position. But for those career paths that don’t require the degree or certification, there are several universities that provide free: lectures, homework assignments, quizzes/tests, and study guides. The free information is provided on special sections of the university’s websites and is available to anyone interested in learning. Don’t believe me, see for yourself:

The free information on these schools’ websites is called Open Courseware. Keep in mind, while all this information is free, you won’t get a degree from the university by doing the work. You are required to enroll in the school to get the degree, but the knowledge: they’ll let you get that for free. If you would like to search for free college material at other universities, just go to your favorite search engine and type the name of the university and type “Open Courseware” next to the university’s name.

Smart Spends Tip: Learn all you can, apply all you learn!

Treasure: Out With the Old, In with the New!

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 04:23:00 +0000

Out with the old and in with the new. Have you ever heard that phrase before? That’s exactly what technology companies are doing right now with their merchandise. Laptop computers, televisions, desktop computers, stereo systems; you name it, it’s changing. Guess what they want you to do? They want you to buy the new stuff. I, on the other hand, would suggest you consider the old stuff. Guess why?

1. It was the “hottest”, “newest” product some time ago (which probably wasn’t that long ago).
2. Most of the features are more than what you need right now.
3. The price has just dramatically dropped!

4. The new technology hasn’t gotten all the kinks out yet

Let’s discuss #3 for a second. The PRICE of the most recent model device has just DRAMATICALLY DECREASED. What was new a few months ago is now a “Clearance” item. Case in point: I just bought a brand new computer with an Intel processor, a 15.6” HD screen, 320 GB hard drive, 3G RAM, DVD Super-writer drive and Windows 7: All of that for only $379. I’m sure you’ll agree – that’s a bargain. The price was originally $499. The only reason they dropped the price was to get rid of the old inventory to make space for the new laptops. Yea, the new ones have a few more bells and whistles, but for me, it’s not worth the extra 300 bucks to get the bells and whistles that I’ll probably never use.

Don’t feel like just because a product is new, that you have to buy that one. If there’s a recent model that completely fits your needs and is selling at a cheaper price, then that’s the one you need to buy. Sometimes the older item is the real treasure.

Credit Worthy?

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 16:19:00 +0000

Happy New Year! It’s January 1^st, 2011 and you know what that means: “New Year’s resolutions”. Lots of people focus their resolutions around losing weight, getting healthy or getting more active in something they disregarded last year. Why not consider your financial health?

The economy is slowly bouncing back, and during this transition, it’s getting tougher and tougher to obtain credit to buy houses or other big ticket items. You may have been one of the thousands of people who received a letter from your credit card company in 2010 stating they were “lowering your credit limit” or “increasing your interest rate”. Just because you received one of those letters, doesn’t necessarily mean that your credit is bad.

Want to know if you’re in good shape or not? There are a couple things you can do.

1. Get your annual credit reports (for free)

2. Get your credit score (for free)

You are eligible for one free credit report from each of the three major agencies: TransUnion ®, Experian ® and Equifax ®. There are many websites that enable you to do obtain them. My preference is: https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp . The site allows you to obtain all three reports at one time all from the same site. All reports are FREE. Keep in mind, you can only get each report free once per year. When you get your credit report, look it over with a fine tooth comb and identify any/all inaccuracies or discrepancies. If you’re lucky, there won’t be any, but there’s a chance (during this age of identity theft) that there are lines of credit on your report that you didn’t open or there may be a discrepancy about “late time” payments. If you find any, you must contact that creditor in writing to dispute the inaccuracy. This is how you clean up your credit. Also, most credit agencies will offer to provide your credit score for an “excellent price”, I suggest you pass up that offer and get your score the free way.

You are able to obtain your credit score for free whenever you choose. All you have to do is go to your place of banking (i.e. credit union or bank) and meet with a loan agent. Tell them you want to know your current credit score. Now keep in mind, they are “running your credit”, and it’s not good to have your credit ran often. Only get your credit score once per year (around the same time you obtain your credit reports). If you have your credit ran several times during a short time, it will cause your credit score to go down.

Now to the good stuff; How do you know if your credit score is good or bad? Well, I’m glad you asked. When you receive your credit score it will either be your “FICO” score or “Vantage” score. Here are the ranges and ratings. Compare your score to these charts to identify where you stand.

FICO Score

Credit Rating

760 – 850

700 – 759

660 – 699

620 – 659

580 – 619

Below 579

Excellent

Very Good

Good

Below Average

Poor

Very Poor

Vantage Score	Credit Rating
901-990 801-900 701-800 601-700 501-600	A B C D F

Here’s what the credit scores are based on:

Vantage Score	FICO Score
– Payment History – Utilization – Balances – Depth of Credit – Recent Credit – Utilization	– Payment History – Length of Credit History – Amounts Owed – Type of Credit – New Credit

Once you have your credit report and credit score, you will have a better idea of where your credit stands. It’s important to know your circumstances because if there are some legitimate issues, you want to know about them so you can address them. Take charge of your credit situation and reap the benefits of having excellent credit. If you have questions regarding your personal credit situation, please seek expert advice. I hope you found the above information useful. Have a great 2011!

(The information in this article is intended for informational purposes only. It is published with the understanding that the author is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional advice. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, please seek the services of a professional person.)

After Christmas Sales!

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 17:50:00 +0000

Now is when the real fun begins with Super discounts at stores. I wanted to establish this post and ask you to post all the great deals you've seen or heard about. Please add comments.
(Technorati - RUQGHHH9UCN2)

Buy a Television Now

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 16:25:00 +0000

It’s never been a better time to buy a flat panel television. What used to cost $6,999.99 now only costs $699.99. In the spring of 2002, I remember going to a furniture store in Houston, TX. While in the store, we saw a brand new Panasonic 42” Plasma television. It was the first time I’d seen one, and I was captivated. My first thought was, “Wow, I want one”. Then, I looked down at the price tag - $6,999.99. My jaws dropped, and second thought was, “Look at that price, Wow, that’s a lot.” It was the first time I’d ever seen a Plasma television as they had just recently became available. I really wanted one, but I knew there was no way I could afford it. I saw that same television in the Sunday ads for $699.99. I know what you’re thinking, “well that was 8 years ago”. While that’s true, the point still stands; televisions are a lot less expensive now. I’d even venture to say, flat panels and plasma TVs are now affordable.

I bought my 52” HD television in 2006 for $1500 and that was a great deal back then.

Take a look at this:

The above television is a LCD HDTV 1080P with all the recent technologies (minus the 3D capabilities). Excellent color & quality picture as well as PC-IN & HDMI hook-up, which means:

1. You can connect your laptop or computer to the television
2. You have Blu-Ray capabilities with up-converting video quality

You’ll never guess who’s selling this HDTV at such a great price: Circuit City! Yeah, I thought they closed the business too, but they still have products available online.

Keep in mind, the televisions I'm referring to don't have the "3D" or Quattron. Please refer to my earlier blog written on October 7, 2010 to find out why.

Smart Spends tip: Take advantage of the great deals on high quality electronics that don't have the latest technology gimmicks

Empty Printer Cartridges Pay Cash

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 23:10:00 +0000

Ever wonder what to do with those empty ink cartridges that build up near your computer printer? Turn in them into money. Office Max has a program which enables you to gain $3 per empty cartridge turned in. The payment is paid out as a store credit that can be used towards the purchase of any items from Office Max.

Office Max Ink Program

What’s interesting is that most people don’t even know programs such as this exist. As a result, many people end up throwing the cartridges away or letting them build up in a dusty corner. Know of any other payment recycling programs? If so, please add comments to this entry with those programs.

Online Free Access

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 01:40:00 +0000

Can you imagine a world where you can view almost any television show you want for free anytime you want? How about the opportunity to read all the daily news articles without having to figure out what to do with those mangy papers as the piles build up in the den corner? How about being able to see all the Sunday news ads without having to order a subscription to the local newspaper?

Well that world exists today, and believe it or not, you’re living in it. I remember, in 1997 when I was in the eleventh grade, my high school Economics teacher Mr. Carpenter said, “I believe people will soon be watching TV from their computers.” The entire class laughed at him in disbelief, but he got the last laugh? While it’s not required, everyone who has access to the internet has access to watching television programs online for “free”. That is, no extra cost, than the standard cost incurred as standard with the internet price you’re paying. That’s right, you can watch full episodes of some of your favorite shows on the below major networks anytime, any day.

(CLICK THE LINKS)
FREE TELEVISION EPISODES:
• Fox
• NBC (click “Watch Video”)
• ABC
• CBS
• TNT (click “Full Episodes)

Most of you probably already know that you can access major and local newspapers online for free. If you didn’t, well, now you know. I read an article months ago where one of the major newspapers attempted to charge people for online access. They had such a same amount of online subscribers that they kicked that idea out the window and made access free for all. Some of the papers do require you to obtain a username and password, but they don’t ask for payment information. Below are just a few, but I’m sure you’ll find more as you search.

FREE NEWSPAPERS:
• New York Times
• New York Daily News
• Wall Street Journal
• Los Angeles Times
• Los Angeles Daily News

And here’s my favorite. I know so many people who ONLY get the newspaper for the Sunday Ads. It’s like they can’t live without them. I must admit, at one time, I was one of those people. Recently I found a website that provides links to all the Sunday Ads. Now I must admit, there are some links that don’t work, but for those stores, I just go to the store’s website and click “weekly ad” or something to that effect.

FREE SUNDAY NEWSPAPER ADS:
Sunday Saver

Black Friday Deals Aren't Real!

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 03:36:00 +0000

Black Friday Deals…Myth or Reality?

Well, both actually. There’s an old saying that comes to mind when wondering if Black Friday Sales are really good deals or just mumbo-jumbo fancy marketing to get you in the store. “If it’s too good to be true…then it probably isn’t”. Most people know the difference between a really good deal and a deal of a lifetime. A deal of a lifetime only comes once in a lifetime, not every year the day after Thanksgiving.

I’m not saying the super-duper discounts are fake prices where when you enter the store you’ll see a different price. What I’m saying is your chance of getting that product (it being available when you arrive at the store) is slim to none. Even if you are one of those people who will get up at 2am and stand in a long line for hours with hopes of being one of those people who get the product at the super low discount, it’s just not worth it. It’s very ironic that the stores seem to have small limited quantities of those products that are very low priced, but they have unlimited quantities of the products that aren’t offered at such discounts.

Now that Black Friday is over, there are still some good deals out there. The Black Friday gimmick is a great way to spark the holiday shopping momentum, but stores know they have to keep the deals coming in order to keep the momentum going for 4 weeks until Christmas day! It’s a lot easier to find deals in 2010 than it has been in past years. The internet is so easily accessible and a lot of people have smart phones now. You can find a website or a free app that will tell you where the good deals are, for the products you want. Most popular items: electronics, clothing, cologne and household products. Search and find online. And also, keep in mind: there are websites that sell most of the products you can buy in the store. Since these websites don’t have to pay for a “store-front” facilities, they can offer much better deals.

If you know of any stores or websites with great deals, please post comments below.

Thanks and Great Shopping!

Stating the Obvious and the Unclear

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 02:19:00 +0000

It’s obvious that if you don’t pay it off each month, every time you use your credit card, you’re going to spend more money for that item than the price you were charged. The additional amount you pay is interest. What’s not so clear is that…using cash wisely will actually save you money. I know you’re what you’re thinking, “you just said the same thing flip flopped”. Yes that is true, but let me ask you this: how many people actually look at it that way?

Not many.

Using a credit card is like throwing money out the window!

So, let’s ask the obvious question. Why do people use credit cards? Well that’s easy…because they don’t have the cash on hand. Here’s something not so obvious. If you don’t have the cash on hand and you’re tempted to use your credit card, have you ever thought…do I really need this? I mean really need it? Not “do I want it” or “is there a strong temptation”, the question is do I need it? Most of the time, the answer is NO!

So what’s my point? Establish a cash-based budget that is very disciplined and specific. In your plan specify how much will go towards required monthly expenses (bills, mortgage, groceries, gasoline for vehicles) and how much will go to discretionary spending (clothes, entertainment, snacks). For anything outside of that budget, or if you end up in a situation where you feel you must use your card. Think really hard about if you can live without it. (Please re-read that last sentence- it’s a doozy). If you can live without it, then DON’T buy it.

Spend Spends tip: The more purchases you pass up, the more money you save. In the end, you’ll end up with less junk and more cash.

Impulse Buying

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 19:49:00 +0000

Ever heard the term? Maybe. Have you ever done it before? Probably. Here’s an example scenario: you’ve just finished grocery shopping. You have all the food and home supplies you need and you get in line at the cash register. There are a few people in front of you and you have to wait. You look to your right and you see your favorite magazine, so you pick it up. Then you move closer as one person has finished and the next shopper proceeds to ring up their stuff. What do you see next, and ice cold pop (or soda if you’re in the south). Hmm looks good. So you get one. You move a little closer to the front of the line, and what do you see? Your favorite candy bar or snack, and you grab a few for the road.

The items in check-out line are what grocers call, “Impulse products”. They are low-cost, high margin products that they can sell at a relatively cheap price. They’re compact and easy to grab. Which means, they’re great for tempting people to grab them “last-minute” and “on-the-go”? Just think about it, when’s the last time you saw a single Twix candy bar on sale in the grocery aisles. Most times you won’t…Why? Because, it’s during that time, most shoppers are taking their time. You’re more likely to see a bulk pack of Twix in the grocery aisle and a single Twix in the check-out line.

The best is when they sell candy “2 for $1”, you really feel like you’re getting a deal then. But the catch is, you really don’t need it. When’s the last time you drove on the way to grocery with “candy bar” on your grocery list? You probably never have. You go in, with the intentions of buying groceries and get suckered into buying snacks while waiting in the check-out line because they’re cheap, fast and easy.

FIGHT THE URGE AND DON’T SUCCUMB TO IMPULSE PRODUCTS!

NEW Electronics – Worth It? REALLY??

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 01:32:00 +0000

NEW Electronics – Worth It? REALLY??

Everyone rushes out to Sprint to buy the new phone, Best Buy to buy the newest TV, the Apple Store to buy the newest Apple Gadget. WHY????

Because, it’s the newest thing out and they must have the latest technology. It doesn’t make sense to me. The product is not proved out. The price is the highest, and it’s the “original” version, which means…..UPGRADES are on the way!

So here’s my perspective NEVER BUY ELECTRONICS WHEN THEY FIRST COME OUT!

Here’s an example: WINDOWS VISTA! When it came out, everybody ran to the stores because it was Bill Gates’ new thing and “anything Gates touches must be incredible”. Yeah right, everybody HATED it! So much that even after the “upgrades” Vista was unable to lose that bad image they had in the marketplace. What did Bill do? He scrapped Vista and came out with Windows 7.

How about Motorola DROID? Everyone ran to get Droid. When it came out it, it only came with the original Android software. You don’t hear much about problems people had with the Droid, but Droid 2 is a faster, more updated, and more versatile phone…and guess what? The price didn’t increase, it stayed the same. If you did like me, wait until the Verizon promotion, you could’ve gotten it free!

Smart Spends’ Tip: Don’t rush out to buy electronics when they first come out. Let them get proven and prices lowered. You will be happy you waited.

Discounts NOW! - Macy's / Dillards

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 03:01:00 +0000

The discount season has begun. Just two weeks ago, I went to Dillard’s and Macy's just to check out the deals so I could tell you about them. Guess what? The 75%off plus 50% off sales haven't begun yet, however, there were racks upon racks of clothes on sale for 70% off.

I know what you're thinking...Why buy something for 70% off when you can wait a few weeks and buy it for 75% plus an additional 50%? Well, I'm glad you asked.

The reason is: MORE OPTIONS. First off, I must say, I agree that it makes more sense to buy clothes for 75%off plus 50%off. As a matter of fact, I will probably go back to the stores at the end of the month (next week) to see if they have any better deals. The problem is, the better the deals, the quicker the clothes are sold (interesting phenomenon...right?) :)

Today's blog is to encourage you to go to the stores this weekend and get good deals on the clothes you want while they're still available.

Good Luck and Good Shopping!

More than 75% off Clothes

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 03:28:00 +0000

Every year Dillards has two huge sales to get rid of off-season inventory. All brands are sold 75% off plus up to an additional 50% off. That means you can buy a $75 Polo shirt for only $17.

Talk about Smart Spending: Knowing the time to buy makes a world of difference. Now I know what you may be thinking, “Why would I want to buy off-season clothing?” This is a great question, and the answers to it are even greater! The answers are based on two conditions:

1.) It really depends on where you live.
2.) Are you willing to invest in your future?

Let’s discuss the first condition. If you live in the Midwest or the Northern states (colder climates), based only on condition #1, this may not be a good idea to you. Those states will get cold soon and even colder 3-4 months down the road. But, if you live in Southern states or Gulf Coast states (warmer climates), it may not even begin to get cold until January. The bottom line is this: if you live in the warmer climates, the weather is still good enough to wear these clothes now. Even though the clothes are “off-season” due to the fact that they were intended to be sold in the Spring/Summer and it will soon be Fall, it’s still great warm weather outside and you can buy them at these discounted prices and wear them.

Now, the second condition basically refers to “buy it now and wear it later”. I know most people want to buy clothes now and wear them now, but why? Because the marketing and sales promotions trigger your instincts to want to have the “latest/greatest”, but let’s face it, clothes don’t change much year over year (fashion experts may disagree). They do change significantly over the course of several years, but take this for example, how long have the standard polo horse three button shirts been out and looked the same? SEVERAL YEARS. Look, just buy the clothes this year, stock them the away during the cold months (if you live in cold climates) and pull them out, “brand new” for the following Spring season. You will do two things: Save Money and Look Good.

Now for the good stuff. When will the sale take place……

Now these dates may not be exact, but they are very close:

The week of Sept 26, 2010. (for the summer clothes)
And
The week of Feb. 26, 2010. (for the winter clothes)

Start checking that week, and beat the crowds. (Call them or go to the store)

Free Fast Food

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:15:00 +0000

Freshly Brewed Coffee
Golden Fries
100% ground beef
Only 99cents
Value Menu

Hungry Yet! These word pictures are what get you HOOKED and craving fast food. Just think, commercial designers only have about ten seconds to capture your attention and their aim is to trigger cravings and desires. Using terms like, “mouth-watering”, “tasty”, “drizzle”, they reel you in immediately, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

They awe you with word pictures and the subconscious promise of an intense satisfaction. Many people fall for this every time. The #1 reason is they are not prepared for it. It’s like preying on the innocent. Even though you see and hear those commercials almost every day, most of us don’t turn on our defense mechanism and resist the temptations of instant gratification. Most fall victim to these intense desires.

In order to stop falling victim, you have to do three things:

1. Recognize
2. Resist
3. Reroute

Recognize that you will continuously be bombarded with these commercials on the radio and on television. Resist the temptations, establish mental discipline and don't fall into the rut of craving this food. It’s fattening and unhealthy. Reroute your thoughts, plans, and focus. Think about whatever task you initially had at hand, and focus your mind on completing that task. Good Luck Smart Spenders!

Budgeting Basics

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 09:53:00 +0000

Has anyone ever told you how much of your monthly paycheck should go to bills or mortgage? Do you have a firm understanding of how you should budget your money so that you stay on top financially rather than going under into deep debt?

Well, today I'm going to provide you the bare bones basics of budgeting. I encourage you to use this information as a guideline to measure your spending habits and establish a monthly budget for yourself if you don't already have one. This guidance is shared by many, but is only to be used as a reference. Please review your own financial situation and decide if this is a model you can transition to. If you have any questions or concerns, please seek expert advice. I disclaim any liability for any damages or loss which is incurred as a result of implementing these basics.

Now that the legal stuff is out of the way...Let's get on with it. Here's a standard suggestion of how you should balance your monthly income:

1. Housing - Mortgage, rent, utilities, insurance, taxes and home maintenance.

2. Transportation - Car payments, public transportation, auto insurance, maintenance, gas, parking, & license and registration fees.

3. Debt - Loans, credit cards, taxes and medical bills

4. Other - Everything else (incl food, clothing, childcare, etc.)

Here's the big question: How much are you saving each month? You should aim to save at least 10%.

On to the next one....Buying a house. Do you know how much is "affordable"? I don't mean how much the bank says you can borrow. While the half million dollar house may be beautiful and tempting, you don't want to find yourself in a foreclosure because you can keep up with the payments. Use this guideline: 28% of your gross monthly income (before taxes). So if your monthly income before taxes is $4000. Then you should only consider purchasing a house if your payments are 4000 * 0.28 or $1120/mth. So you're probably thinking, how much is that in regards to a house price. Well, I'm glad you asked:

At $1120/mth with a 6% fixed interest rate on a 30 year mortgage, total house cost equal $186,500. That means if you make $4000/mth gross income before taxes, you should only look at houses that are $186,500 and under.

MAXIMUM CAPACITY SYNDROME

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 02:10:00 +0000

MOST SHOPPERS COMPLETELY FILL THEIR SHOPPING CARTS

–Just as you want your Large Fries carton from McDonalds completely full, most people at the grocery store want their shopping cart completely full also… Even if it’s full of stuff they don’t need. Some stores have tried to help you out by offering mini-push shopping carts and baskets.

It’s psychological that people have the tendency to fill their cart. Strategist for grocery stores know this and take full advantage of it. In some cases, grocers have increased the size of the standard shopping carts, just to take advantage of what I’ve called “Maximum Capacity Syndrome”. As soon as the cart size increased, their monthly revenue increased. That's because people bought more due to their attempts to fill the cart. Most of those customers didn’t even realize the cart size increased.

Smart Spends tip: Create your shopping list at home and only buy what’s on your list. If you identify an item, while shopping, that you think you need, don’t buy. Create another list while shopping of “I think I need” items.

This will save you money, time and prevent you from buying unnecessary/un-needed items.

Books on Sale for a $1.99

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 10:16:00 +0000

Every single day, thousands of people purchase books from Barnes and Nobles. Ninety plus percent of them pay FULL PRICE for their books. Have you ever purchased a book online? Did you notice that fine print that says " X number of books from 1.99"? Probably Not. Why? Because you see the blaring red price for $12.20, and that's what you assume the best deal price is. Well, I'm here to tell you IT'S NOT.

For most books posted on http://www.bn.com/, there's a small print under "Add to Cart" that states "....used from $1.99". Do you know what this means??? Of course you do. So let me explain why you can get them so cheap: The used books are not sold by Barnes and Nobles, they are sold by smaller book stores/distributors. All used books available are rated. After clicking on the link, "...used from $1.99", a list is displayed of all available used books with the book's rating, plus the rating of the company offering it. In a lot of cases, if you buy a book rated "Very Good" or "Like New", chances are you will get a BRAND NEW BOOK FOR $1.99. Granted, this does take some risk, but come on, isn't it worth saving $10 or more for the potential to get a brand new book for under two bucks. I think so.

So, next time you're in the mood for a new book, consider checking on BN.COM. Find out if you can get that book for $1.99. If so, get it, and enjoy your "Smart Spend".

Walmart Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Charles J. Phillips) — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 14:25:00 +0000

Walmart seems more like a bill collector than a grocery store: $300, $400, and sometimes even $800 a month contributed to Walmart or otherwise known as "Wally World".

I went to Walmart to buy toliet paper. By the time I left, I had $150 worth of stuff. Some stuff I needed like milk and eggs, and mostly stuff I didn't need like: Little Debbie snacks, a case of coke, a bottle of wine, Nacho Cheese Doritos and a 10lb bag of potatoes.

Then what happens? I gained weight from the junk food, the whole bag of potatoes went bad, and I realized I already had milk and eggs at home.

Sound Like You?

This is just one example of the many situations we find ourselves in that cause us to reduce our wealth and waste our money. The reasons we purchase impulsively is not by coincidence, wer're tricked by strategic marketing tactics.

1. One reason this blog was created was to teach you those tactics so you can beat the system, stop wasting money, and not be taken advantage of anymore.

2. The second reason this blog was created was to inform you of the "REAL" sales and discounts. For example, twice a year, Dillards has a GRREAT sale: 75% off the already 50% discounted price. Another is Macy's has a sale where most all women's clothes are $4. I will tell you about these sales, so you can gain the MAXIMUM benefit from the REAL DEALS.