Winding Creek Circle » Money and Saving

Using Credit Cards when Going Holiday Shopping

admin — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 20:14:19 +0000

Most probably, people are going to be swiping their credit cards for those pre-holiday sales. Remember we are just into ending the year and we must be prudent with money! A lot of people take advantage of the promo offers of 0% interest for an X number of months and what’s more, most credit card companies actually will start billing your after-Christmas purchases January of the following year already. Talk about leeway. It just doesn’t sit well with me – starting your year in debt. Even if you reason it’s not technically “debt”, you still have advanced payables to pay when the cash isn’t even right there yet. That’s not really good, even if you are good in managing money – emergencies.

I am not saying I haven’t been in debt. In fact, I have been there. I’ve done that. And I’ve learned my lesson well. It is really better to pay in cash and if it’s going to be such a big ticket item, even if it’s on 0% interest, it will be advisable if you already have half of the money in cash already. Or else, there will be a hard time paying up. Six months to pay is so long for me already.

And when you have a delinquent account, that is where problems come in. However, I have to admit we take advantage of the best credit card deals from the best credit cards like citibank credit cards. We get a lot of free miles when we use them for everyday groceries – we just pay in full every time!

Debt Talk: Credit Counseling

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:09:00 +0000

Some time in our lives, whether we like it or not we will be getting into debt. We might need a little help completing or acquiring a home, or we need a new car. Simply put, we need help in getting a bit more money than we have. That’s why loans and credit cards are there. Paying them off is a must and that’s when careful spending and smart money management comes in. Unfortunately, most people are too confident in incurring debt that they fail to realize when they are up to their ears with it. Most would opt to apply for debt consolidation loans but that would be too late sometimes since most of them would have bad credit reports or low credit scores already.

Financial teachers would recommend people with financial problems undergo credit counseling or consumer credit counseling so they will be educated on the financial options they can avail of to further manage their debt problems.

Most of them would opt for credit card consolidation so that they can easily manage paying all their debt off with just one institution. Usually, they are also given longer payment options so that their minimum amount dues are manageable. The main point of consumer credit counseling service is to educate consumers how to eliminate debt without it overtaking your financial life. Slowly paying off debt without incurring more in the process is the main goal.

Beddings and Pillows.

admin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:22:23 +0000

I have quite a obsessive compulsive tendency towards beddings and pillows. I consider sleep as a luxury because I don’t get much of it so I want my sleeping place to be as comfortable as possible. I would love to have 300ct-Egyptian cotton bed sheets all the time but I don’t have the luxury to splurge on them. They very few times I was able to buy them was through the help of coupons.

Well, coupons and Overstock.com. I always shop there and use my Overstock coupons. Their clearance section always has very good steals so I make it a point to check that section.

So shopping won’t make you feel guilty, use coupons!

Getting Finances Straight

Aggie — Sun, 31 May 2009 18:54:15 +0000

Times are hard right now and while we have not really been hit by recession, we have our family and friends hit by it and we, too, suffer. We feel it because prices of commodities are high and getting loans are harder to get approved for. Finacial analysts have been recommending debt consolidation for people burdened with credit card debt – it will help make things easier to pay for in the long run. It really is time to tighten our belts a little bit!

Start of a New Week

Aggie — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 17:50:45 +0000

October flew by so quickly. Can you believe we are now just two weeks away (actually 10 days away) from November. December will come and go and before we know it, it’s already 2009. While I am so proud and happy of the accomplishments and changes that have happened this year, I am anxious about the state of our financial savings. Living on a one-income household is really draining. Even if I get to do some sideline work.

I have made a resolution to put aside a fixed 10% from my monthly earnings from my sideline job as savings. I know, this “should” be mandatory but we really have not been diligent with this. Maybe if we have enough we can look into trusted ways to let it grow. Investing on the dollar is too risky – so it encompasses mutual funds and trust funds. Monex Precious Metals are actually a good, steady (stable) investment. Gold and silver are worth more than ever because world demand has exceeded world production.

I would need to consult this with my husband and let us see if we can afford to get even one bar!

Personal Loans

Aggie — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 23:16:21 +0000

Personal Loans are a real-life saver, in my opinion. You get to borrow money for personal reasons – travel, shopping, birth of a baby, emergencies, wedding and more. Better if you get the loan from AfsLoansOnline.com! First of all, there are no application fees. While some financial companies give you a low interest, they will kill you with their processing fees – with them, there are no hidden charges at all – you get to be approved the same day you applied as well, and you are guaranteed 100% approval all the time.

Now, if I were to get a personal loan, it would either be for 1) my son’s tuition fees, 2) hospital emergencies or 3) death of family (which I hope NOT to happen in the next fifty years).

Out of Break.

Aggie — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:09:59 +0000

Last night, Edil sent me an SMS at around 12MN telling me that the jeep ran out of breaks and he almost collided with a car. Good thing he was driving slowly (a first, mind you) and that a nearby gas station was nearby.

I told him to bring his father’s RevO when he goes home tonight as Im not comfortable with him driving the jeep even if it’s fixed. He still wouldnt budge even if fuel prices had two-peso rollbacks for the past weeks. The RevO drinks like a horse when it comes to gasoline. He’d rather bring the jeep instead. So Im worried to death. I need to check if there are auto insurance comparisons I can present to him for the jeep.

Budget Concerns.

Aggie — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:37:43 +0000

So with our new house move, we calculated our monthly budget and it seems we are really going to be saving more.

Food-wise, I think we will be cutting expenses down to 75%. Yes, that big. For one, we eat around 3 times a week at my parent’s house (either lunch or dinner). I cooked afritada (1/2 a kilo of chicken) and it’s two days and we still havent finished it. Our rice can last with only 2 “takals” (around 2 cups) with leftovers. It helps that Im also on a diet

We just are big on juices, biscuits and bread. Last Monday, I went grocery shopping and our menu and grocery items were just a thousand bucks! Such a relief – we would not need to avail of the payday loans Edil’s office gives to its employees – there are many who avail of it especially now that times are hard.

Sideline Jobs

Aggie — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:05:00 +0000

I have been looking for one, for the longest time. Ever since I stayed home, I was looking for a job I can do at home that is not really taxing on time and effort (what requirements huh?) that can help me put in some money for the household income. I’m doing some article writing online but I like the guarantee of a monthly pay, so Abbie, my sister, referred me to a site that you can apply as a writer. They get to write dissertation or thesis papers for students, masteral graduates who avail of their services online.

The application part was easy but you need to fill in your credentials and submit a sample of writing so that was the one I took longest at. I had a bit of trouble deciding which health topic Id like to write about.

Hopefully, the outcome would be great and Ill have a job. If you would like to
buy essay writings, go to custom-writing.org. They have 100% guaranteed original articles.

You get to have these FREE extras too:
* FREE plagiarism report
* FREE unlimited amendments
* FREE title page
* FREE bibliography
* FREE outline
* FREE email delivery
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They have a tough application screening process making sure they only accept professionals into their writing pool. I hope I get in!!

Debited.

Aggie — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:36:06 +0000

A sad almost frustrating thing happened today. I attempted to withdraw some money from my savings accounts to pay for my son’s enrollment when my last withdrawal was debited – without the money being withdrawn. So now, I have to call the bank – wait five business days for it to be re-credited to my account. It was a good thing I didnt withdraw a big amount – this can be such a pain, especially since we need cash. One thing I learned living in the suburbs is to always have cash on hand – because ATMs are scarce and unreliable. It is such a big change for me (again) because Im someone who is dependent with online banking and cashless purchasing.

The power of change.
I need to be adaptable to it. Flexible. I can do this.