http://www.spendinghacks.com All things financial including money management, saving, and investing. Sat, 20 Jan 2007 06:48:10 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en In Penelope Tzougros' book, Wealthy Choices, she asks us to consider 3 questions before making a purchase. I've addressed the questions What are the Benefits of Making This Purchase? And How Important is Making This Purchase? I think the final question - Is this the best use of my ... http://www.spendinghacks.com/2006/08/21/is-this-the-best-use-of-my-money/ Our society seems to confuse "wants" with "needs" all the time. Our family and friends, social group, and marketers for companies have done a fantastic job of tapping into our psychology and convincing us that we absolutely must have this or that to fulfill some gap in our psyche. http://www.spendinghacks.com/2006/08/20/how-important-is-making-this-purchase/ To curb impulse buying and help us make more conscious financial decisions, Penelope Tzougros advises us in her book, Wealthy Choices, to ask "What are the benefits of making this purchase?" before we buy something. http://www.spendinghacks.com/2006/08/19/what-are-the-benefits-of-making-this-purchase/ I often read books and articles that provide common sense tips on how to save money, get out of debt, or build wealth. So why is it so difficult to do so? I've been reading the book, Wealthy Choices: 7 Competencies of Financial Success by Penelope Tzougros, and the further ... http://www.spendinghacks.com/2006/08/18/how-do-you-value-your-money/ The Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Dallas has an article (via Newsweek) on how to get out of debt. Here are their tips: http://www.spendinghacks.com/2006/08/16/9-ways-to-eliminate-debt-and-6-ways-to-make-money-online/ If you're looking to save a few dollars on your electric bill, try unplugging electronic devices like your TV, VCR or Microwave. Any appliance that has a digital clock , LED lights, or a quick start mode is sucking power even when the device is turned off. http://www.spendinghacks.com/2006/08/04/save-money-by-unplugging-your-appliances/ It looks like Americans are becoming more interested in trading in their gas guzzlers for more fuel efficient alternatives. According to eMarketer, in Q2 2006, online requests for info for the Toyota Echo/Yaris rose 835% and for the Ford Escape Hybrid rose 110%. http://www.spendinghacks.com/2006/08/03/web-searchers-looking-for-hybrids-and-saving-money-on-gas/ Author: Chatzky, Jean Publisher: Portfolio Trade Year Published: 2006 Rating: Buy From Amazon.com The average American has a decent job but $8000 in debt and no savings to speak of. Money keeps them up at night and they wonder how they'll be paying their bills at the end of the month. Pay It Down offers ... http://www.spendinghacks.com/2006/08/03/pay-it-down-from-debt-to-wealth-on-10-a-day/ An article from Reuters questions some of the Tricks of the credit card trade - namely, all those offers to give you a rate as low as 8.99%. It's the "as low as" that's the kicker. Your actual rate could be much higher, but you won't know until you provide them ... http://www.spendinghacks.com/2006/05/23/do-credit-cards-engage-in-deceptive-advertising/ One of the biggest time wasters out there seems to be trekking to the post office to wait in line for a half hour (at least here in Philly). On top of that, the closest post office to me has some super grumpy people working for it. I often walk ... http://www.spendinghacks.com/2006/05/07/stampscom-vs-pitney-bowes/