If you search the web for “financial calculator,” you’ll find hundreds of sites. Many of them present calculators borrowed from other sites, some present calculators that are at best difficult to use and at worst inaccurate. Then there are a few sites that offer simple, powerful calculators. Here are my favorite calculator sites. Best Financial …
Reviewing the Popular Financial Calculator Sites Read More »
Tax refunds have started rolling in. Although the IRS told us not to expect our until mid-April, they actually sent it already. I quickly transferred that baby to our savings account where it will earn a few pennies until we start buying furniture. This year’s refund is expected to average $3036. So what should you …
So, it finally happened. I committed the most unfrugal act of getting a smartphone. However, I still managed to squeeze a bit of frugality into it, even though it’s a big budget change. Not only did I buy a smartphone, but I had to break my current contract and pay a $70 termination fee to …
As I mentioned yesterday, I prepared my taxes using two online tax software programs this weekend. Yesterday I presented the first of my tax software reviews: H&R Block’s Tax Cut. Today I’ll cover TaxAct Online. If you want to use it, here’s a link to their offer: Do Your Federal Taxes Free Tax Act Online has been …
Today USA Today ran a familiar story about various people who are choosing not to use credit cards. I’ve seen similar stories in The Los Angeles Times, Money Magazine, and various blogs. The quotes are similar – we didn’t want to be slaves to debt, we spend more with credit cards, bank are evil. Personally, I don’t …
I last posted a budget update in September and our budget has drastically changed ever since then. Not only have we finished paying off a lot of debt, but we’re now managing to put aside around $2500 a month. Sadly, most of that will go towards taxes for last year, but it’s still a nice accomplishment. We …
Several counties have begun sending out updated property tax assessments to request declining home values. You probably received notices of increases while property values were rising. Many people don’t know that they have the right to appeal the assessed amount if they feel it’s not right. If you’re successful, you could save thousands of dollars, …
You may have heard references to the “lost decade” on the news. This isn’t related to the “lost generation,” which is either a group of post-WWI literati, or the post-WW1 generation. Instead, it’s the first decade of this century. The 2000s, the Aughts, whatever you want to call it, it pretty much sucked financially. While …
Just like the living debt, sometimes old debts can come back to haunt you. This is called zombie debt. The good news is that you can fight this illegal debt collection without having to pay them a penny. I tell you how in the last of my five-part series on credit. What is Zombie Debt? Zombie debt …
As I mentioned the other day, we’re saving about 25% of our monthly take-home. We didn’t start out there, but we’ve come a long way since I started this blog. Back then, we spent every dollar we earned either on debt payments or living expenses. Now we save a substantial portion. As part of financial literacy …
