Are you REALLY ready to buy a new home? Are you buying more house than you can actually afford? Are your friends and Realtor trying to convince you to buy more than you need? Don't dig yourself into a hole... Here are a few things to think about before you sign on the dotted line.
For a couple purchasing a house, it might be a better idea to use only one person's income to qualify for your home loan. By using only one person's income on your home loan, you are guaranteeing that you are not purchasing a house that you will not be able to afford should you find that one person is unable to work for any period of time. But wait, there's more!
There are good reasons to have separate finances and there are also good reasons to have joint finances. Here are some of the benefits of having separate finances, compared to the benefits of combining finances when you're married.
Because we have high-speed DSL through our home phone line, I have been ignoring the high amount we have been paying on our home phone. However, even with DSL, $120 a month is just too much to pay for a home phone when your household already has 4 cell phones. Here's what I did...
if you just can't afford all of your expenses, the best thing you can do for yourself is to let something go -- which can mean downsizing your home, moving into an apartment, or giving up a car. The result of letting go is a better relationship between your debts and your income. You'll find a comfort zone that you can live with -- day in and day out.
If you have managed to keep your credit rating in good standing during this time of home foreclosures, and made all of your payments on time, there are ways that you can get a bit of financial relief, too. You don't have to be in over your head to get good deals on a home loan.
Is your mortgage with Bank of America, Citigroup, Countrywide, J.P Morgan Chase and Co, Washington Mutual, or Wells Fargo? If so, then Project Lifeline can help you with your past-due mortgage. If not, then read on, there's help to keep you from losing your house.
Save money for your future... increase your retirement savings... start investing... but when is it too much too soon? I realize this sounds a bit crazy. But for many, saving at all costs means running up credit cards for basic living expenses. What's wrong with this picture?
Here's a clever approach to teaching children about money. Give them a budget... no, I mean part of your actual household budget! Then, see how they do. Here's an example where the kids became more responsible, as well as better shoppers and savers. See how it works...
The state of Georgia is facing serious financial problems. Georgia educators plan to fix this by adding financial literacy and financial planning to the state's high school curriculum. This means they'll have to remove 20% of social studies lessons to make room for the new finance and economics classes. Is is the right thing to do?
