Monthly Archives: January 2016

Take Control of Your Credit Score

credit reportFunny how your credit score can be this mysterious, intimidating thing. At our house, we don’t use credit cards, we pay our bills on time, etc. IN THEORY, our credit score should be A-OK. But I’m in no hurry to crack open my Experian report to confirm my FICO score. It freaks me out.

Other folks don’t have a choice. If you have been turned down on a loan, or maybe you got approved but with crappy conditions and interest rate, your credit score is something that’s right up in your face.

Like anything else we build up in our minds, though, your credit score – and fixing it if necessary – doesn’t have to be this huge intimidating thing. According to DailyFinance.com, there are “7 Ways to Raise Your Credit Score in 2016.”  Let’s hit the highlights…

  1. Get your credit report, and report any errors you find: What kinds of errors? Read the piece.
  2. Get a new credit card, and use it sparingly: Utilization rate is very important – your actual debt versus your debt limit. If you can raise the limit by getting another card (and not using it!!) you can lower your utilization rate. (I did not know this!)
  3. Make payments more frequently: Your credit report is one of those “snapshots in time.” With more frequent payments, you’re more likely to have a better-looking snapshot.
  4. Make larger payments: At least, make more than the minimum payment.
  5. Pay off the card that is closest to being maxed out.
  6. Become an authorized user: Sort of like having your dad co-sign for your first car, I think. Piggyback on someone else’s credit score. All the usual risks apply – oh, you bet they do!
  7. Commit to keeping it simple: Make your payments, carry less debt and don’t have a bunch of credit cards!

So, a plan, some discipline, and a few tricks. Not so intimidating! There is a lot more info at the original article, so check it out! Are you going to get a grip on your credit score this year? Have you already done it? How did it go? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

Drugstore Deals

drugstoreDo you look to your drugstore for deals? I admit that I don’t. My drug store, which I won’t name, spits out half a dead tree in coupons every time I pick up my prescriptions. They know who they are dealing with, so they tell me “Give these to your wife!” So I bring them home, all excited, thinking I have done something swell. And she tells me that they are so full of restrictions and exclusions that they are hardly worth the effort.

Oh well… it’s a place where I get my pills and, occasionally, an emergency or convenience item. No big deal.

Apparently, though, if you aren’t a big lazy quitter like me, you CAN get good deals at the drug store. According to DailyFinance.com, it takes a lot of elbow grease; you have to read the circulars, cut coupons and join the loyalty clubs. If you do the work, you can often find deals on the following:

  • Cereal
  • Dairy   
  • Eggs
  • Toothbrushes
  • Toothpaste
  • Makeup
  • Personal care items
  • Store-brand garbage bags
  • Drugstore-brand diapers
  • Hair color

There is plenty of detail at the original article, along with a couple of links to saver sites that concentrate on specific drug stores, so check it out!

How about you? What’s your fave drug store? Do you find deals there? What kind? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Preparing for Winter Storm Jonas

iciclesAccording to the Weather Channel, “more than 85 million people – or roughly one in every four Americans – were covered by either a blizzard watch, blizzard warning, winter storm watch, winter storm warning, winter weather advisory, or freezing rain advisory from eastern Kansas to the Carolinas to the New York City area.”

Even here in not-a-chance-of-snow Charleston SC, people are freaking out. But I’m not going to make any jokes about “OMG! Snow-pocalypse 2016!” Not this time, because this sounds like the real deal.

Preparedness for you and your family is key. So, as a public service, here are some useful links on winter storm preparedness.

Well, there’s some winter reading for you. Though, chances are, you’ll be reading it by candlelight! From MindField Online, we hope everybody stays safe and warm!

Jump Start Your Savings

savepiggyI have been brainstorming lately – looking for ways to cut costs and generate more income. Sound familiar? So, something with the title “How to save money: Start your financial savings plan with these 18 simple tips” definitely caught my eye! From Today.com, this article offers a bunch of interesting ideas for saving on taxes, housing, transportation, food and healthcare. Here are some highlights…

Tax savings tips:

  • Saver’s credit: get credit for the dollars you put in your 401k
  • Itemize job hunting costs:If your job hunt expenses reach 2 percent of your income, you can write them off!
  • Use tax software: It’s usually cheap, and it hunts for deductions you might miss.

Housing savings tips:

  • Challenge property tax bills: My mother did this, and she saved a bunch!
  • Reduce utility costs
  • Shop around for insurance breaks

Transportation savings tips:

  • Buy a cheaper car
  • Pocket your gas savings
  • Hunt for lower car insurance

Food savings tips:

  • Set a personal policy: Limit the times you eat out or order in.
  • Shop your pantry: Don’t buy groceries you already have. (I am BAD about this!)

Healthcare savings tips:

  • Shop around for lower prescription prices
  • Ask if tests are necessary: I have been burned on this one. Apparently, saying “Money is really tight, so I need to limit this to whatever insurance will pay” wasn’t clear enough. So, please, pile on $1000 in unnecessary tests!

I hope these are useful. Be sure to read the original piece for more ideas and explanation. Are you looking for ways to cut back and make more money? Are these good ideas? Can you think of any others? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

A Fast 50 Bucks?

job adsHappy Friday MindField-ers! How are your new year’s finances? What does this next year look like for your pocketbook? About this time of year, I start adding up all the potential projects that are rumored to be coming my way. I have come to realize that if my year EVER matched my rosy January predictions, I could have retired years ago.

So, in the meantime, you look for ways to make more money. Maybe a big new job. Maybe a part-time thing to help pay the bills. Maybe it is a lot of little things, which is today’s topic.

MoneyTalksNews.com has compiled a list of “50 Ways to Make a Fast Fifty Bucks.” You will find a lot of the usual things (have a garage sale!) but there are some unusual ideas, as well – many of which relate to opportunities you can find on the web. Here are some highlights…

  • Performing tasks: Lists about ten websites you can visit to pick up odd jobs
  • Sitting: House, pet, baby, etc. Includes links
  • Selling: Garage sales, Craigslist and more. Lots of links.
  • Renting: Airbnb, etc.
  • Crafts: From swap meets to Etsy.com, sell your crafts! Links aplenty!
  • Claim lost money: I have done this. It can be a hassle but, if the money’s big enough, it’s worth it!
  • Medical Research: Like those two dum dums on the old Drew Carey show!
  • Manual Labor
  • Using your talents: Be a math tutor, teach piano, etc.

I don’t know about you, but I have stumbled onto this article at just the right time. I will be looking into this for sure. Here’s that link again. How about you? Could you use a few extra bucks to help pay off those holiday bills? Have you tried any of these ways? How did it work out? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

New Year$ Re$olution$

newyearrezFor many of us, our New Year’s Financial Resolutions begin and end with “win that record-breaking $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot.”

New Year’s Day arrives, and we all make Resolutions. Some are serious, some are frivolous, most are in-between, and many are forgotten. I think many get swept under the rug because we don’t know what an achievable goal looks like, and we don’t know where to start. Fortunately, everybody and their brother with a consumer or personal finance blog is here to help! Here are some common New Year’s Financial Resolutions!

  • Spend less
  • Save more
  • Invest more
  • Pay down debt
  • Set aside money for an emergency
  • Have a budget and stick to it
  • Save more for retirement
  • Buy a home
  • Save for your kid’s college
  • Learn more about finances

I’ll add one more: Take advantage of unexpected windfalls. Last year, I got a notice about a pension payout (one that I didn’t know existed) from a job I quit 15 years ago. I could have done a LOT of cool things with this chunk of change, but I did the responsible thing and actually put it toward retirement! BORING!

Anyway, do you have New Year’s Financial Resolutions for 2016? Have you already started? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page! Here are some links!

January’s Best Buys

jan dealsPersonally, I am in a bit of a spending hangover after the Holidays. Sometimes, though, our spending is dictated not just by need, but by the calendar. If you have a need in your household, there is likely a “best time” of year to purchase that thing. So let’s take a look at your best buys for January, as well as some things you might want to wait to buy  later.

Buy it in January:

  • Suits from last fall
  • Big Appliances left over from the previous September rollout
  • Carpet and Flooring: lots of home remodels happen in time for Holiday parties. What’s left at the home center will now be on sale
  • Christmas Supplies and Decorations: Naturally. We just saved 80% on decorations and cards at Michaels!
  • Winter clothes
  • Cars: People buy cars in spring. Right now, they are just sitting on the lot.
  • Fine Jewelry: Christmas and Valentine’s, January is DEAD at the jewelry store. Take advantage!
  • Big Ticket Electronics: Remember we talked about the Consumer Electronics Show? All of those amazing rollouts will begin happening, and the old stuff must go!
  • Fitness Gear and Health Clubs: Resolutions, man!
  • Furniture: The new models come out next month. The old stuff must go!
  • Star Wars Merchandise: We talked about this earlier. At some point, everything there is to have, is HAD. Buy the leftovers!
  • Bedding: Of course, it’s White Sale month. Linens and bedding are cheaper now.

Skip it in January:

  • Luggage: wait until closer to Spring Break.
  • Tax software: Wait until closer to Tax Day
  • Gaming Consoles: Wait until April
  • Big Screen TV’s: Unlike the rest of electronics, TVs are usually cheaper in February
  • Mattresses: Again, unlike the rest of bedding, mattresses are a better deal in February.

So, there is a (hopefully) useful list of purchasing Do’s and Don’ts for January. Links are below. How about you? Any planned purchases this month? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

Electronics: Not Just for Men?

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woman gadgetOr, still mostly just for men? This week, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) blasts off in Las Vegas. It is the largest show of its kind in the world, where gadget producers bet their entire fortunes on grabbing the public eye and becoming the Next Big Thing.

According to Time magazine, this year’s Ones to Watch include advancements in Wearables (FitBits, smart watches, etc.), a new selection of car gadgets to make our driving even more distracted more interactive, innovations in virtual and augmented reality (which is what, exactly?) and more fun with drones. And about a million other things.

It’s no big secret that the gadget world has historically been aimed at dudes. Why is that, do you think? About a million years ago I was in a record store (remember them?) and I said to my then-girlfriend, “This place is packed, and it’s all guys!” She said, “If I have $15 to spend, I spend it on makeup.” True? Not true? Likely? Maybe in 1985 but not now?

If you read an article about “Hot Gadgets for Guys ‘n Gals!” (such as this one) you will see some really gender-neutral items like FitBits and smartphone accessories. Then, you see things such as the Electronic Baby Shusher, an even smarter Roomba, and gadgets to make cooking easier and faster.

So, gadgets and women… are we there yet? Are you a Gadget Gal? Are the gadget makers reaching you? Has this improved, or are they still just taking the dude items and painting them pink? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Nutty New Year’s Traditions

new year2One of my favorite New Year’s traditions is writing a consumer blog in my pajamas. It’s a tradition that goes all the way back to the old country (in my case, West Virginia.) Anyway, time to check in with New Year’s Eve traditions, some familiar, some downright NUTTY.

Auld Lang Syne: What’s the story behind this classic? Find out HERE.

Kissing at midnight: if you don’t, it’s “a year of loneliness” for you, according to tradition.

Black-eyed peas and collard greens: In the South, they represent pennies and dollars. In other words, prosperity!

Colorful undies: in Latin America, the color of your unmentionables at midnight will affect your fortunes in the coming year.

Ooh, MELTY! Those crazy Germans drop molten metal into a bucket of water, and whatever twisted shape it takes reveals your fortune for the coming year.

Fireworks: The Chinese invented them, and set them off at midnight to ward off evil spirits.

Polka dots: In the Philippines, the circle represents prosperity. So wear those dots. Similarly, the Filipinos eat round food, too!

The night for white: In Brazil, you wear white on New Year’s Eve. Otherwise, bad luck!

Renewal in Japan: New Year’s is super important in Japan. Lots of emphasis on flushing away the troubles of last year, and hoping for better in the new. Temples strike their gongs 108 times, to banish the 108 types of human weakness. Personally, I have 137 kinds of human weakness. So GET ON IT, Japan!

Burn that mother down! In the Netherlands, they build bonfires in the streets using their Christmas trees, while in Chile they torch scarecrows representing last year’s misery.

Watch for falling furniture: In South Africa, a potential new tradition of throwing old furniture out the window was quashed when someone was injured by a falling refrigerator.

Chew carefully: When eating New Year’s cake in Greece. One lucky person will find a gold coin, bringing good fortune in the New Year.

12 grapes: In Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries, you eat one grape for every stroke of the bell. Statistically, it’s the New Year’s tradition with the most Vitamin C.

You dropped something! In Mt. Olive NC (oddly, the home of the Mt. Olive Pickle Co.) they drop a lighted pickle instead of a ball. Meanwhile, in Eastport Maine, it’s a lighted sardine! And in Brasstown, NC 25 years of tradition (and 25 years of controversy!) continues as the town lowers an opossum in a Plexiglas box (and PETA hates that!) Personally, I would be more offended by the Miss Possum beauty contest, in which burly truck drivers and lumberjack dudes compete in the evening gown competition!

So, we’re all from somewhere else… do you have any different or oddball NYE traditions to share? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a happy, SAFE New Year!

Sources: Here, here , here , here and here!