By Kate

Quicken has recently announced that it’s online software will now be available for free, and it has me thinking.  I’ve been really, really slow about moving to software to help me keep track of my money.  I still use self-made Excel spreadsheets and notebook paper to do my budgeting.  I feel pretty sure that a software solution would give me better results.  I did try Quicken once, and after hours of trying to get my checkbook balance and its checkbook balance to match, I gave up.

The new generation of financial software works online.  This makes me very nervous — I don’t really want all my financial information, including passwords, on some hackable website.  Of course, I do all my banking online already, so I’m not sure why I think this is a different concern.

I went off in search of financial software to try.  I found this clear, understandable article at Slate, but it deals with both online and offline software.  However, it’s two favorites were online:  Quicken and Mint.  Now I’m trying to decide which one to try.  Maybe I’ll try both and report back, but it seems like plenty of people have already done that for me.

So, do any of you have experience with online financial tools?  Which ones do you use?  Are you concerned about security?  Let me know — I’m really curious!

By Kate

This week, I’m on a mission to clear out the unpacked boxes and excess stuff in my house.  I’m not a good unpacker, and I don’t enjoy it, so I need some way to keep myself going.  I’m not talking about organizing (oh, how I love to organize!) but rather removing the stuff that doesn’t need to be here in hopes of being able to manage the things that remain.  Hopefully the following list of the reasons why clutter is costing me money will help give me the drive to declutter my home!

1. Being disorganized can cause you to lose money.  How?  First, the obvious.  Have you ever found money in the pockets of your clothing?  Did you know that it was missing?  It happens to me  regularly, I’m sorry to admit.  I can be  careless with my actual cash, and I can be careless with checks, too.  I recently found a refund check (from our old cable company) in with a pile of newspapers that I was taking out to the recycling bin.  I thought that I’d already deposited that check.  I’m lucky that it didn’t get thrown out — I would have lost that money and never even known it!  Second, having too much paper makes it easier to misplace bills.  That can result in those nasty late fees or other charges.  (Not to mention what you could do to your credit report!)  Starting today, I’m going back to the system I used when I was younger:  one medium sized basket for everything important that has to do with money.  Checkbooks, checks to be deposited, and bills will all live in this basket, and no where else.

2. When your home is a mess, you don’t want to be there.  It is so easy to escape the boxes by taking the kids out to lunch, or going grocery shopping, or seeing a movie.  All these things cost money.  I know from experience that when my home is pleasant, all I want to do is stay home.  Clearing out the junk makes home an inviting place, and staying home saves money.
3. Not being able to find stuff causes you to spend money.  Have you ever bought something because you couldn’t find the one you already had?  I do it every time we move.  Would you notice if your best wedding/funeral suit wasn’t in your closet?  Not if it is crammed full of stuff and you can’t see anything.
4. Having too much stuff takes up your time, and time spent dealing with stuff is expensive.  I can think of a number of ways that time can cost money:  If you have to buy prepared foods for dinner because you didn’t have time to make something from scratch, if you have to hire a cleaning service because you have too much stuff to keep it clean yourself, if you can’t find your car keys and are late picking up your kids at daycare.  If you need to take a couple of hours off work to figure out how to file a health insurance claim, then you’ve lost straight income.  Less stuff = a more workable system = lower costs.
5. Too much stuff makes you lose financial opportunities.  For example, have you ever tried to return something but you couldn’t find the receipt?  Or it has been sitting on your closet floor for so long that you couldn’t return it anymore?  What about rebates — have you ever not been able to send in a rebate because you couldn’t find the right form?
6. An over-full and chaotic house is stressful, and stress is expensive.  Stress can make you sick, make you angry, heck, stress can even kill you. 
7. Space costs money.  Ever rented a storage unit?  I have, and I hope to never do it again.  What a waste of money.  I admit, there are unique situations where a storage unit is a good idea.  Deploying and giving up your apartment?  By all means, get a storage unit.  Removing half your furniture to make your house look spacious while it is for sale?  Great idea.  However, if you are using it to store regular old stuff because you don’t have room at home, then it needs to go.  (Both the stuff and the storage unit.)  The same thing goes for your house.  Do you have a bigger house than you need because you have to have a basement or garage for all your things?  Do you have rooms that are unused except for storage?  Think long and hard about how much that space is costing.  Clearing out the clutter will allow you to enjoy the space you have, and possibly even live comfortably in less space than you thought necessary.

Lest you think I’m suggesting that you put all your things into neatly labeled plastic tubs:  I’m not.  I don’t care if the important things are in piles on the floor.  What I’m suggesting is that you get rid of everything that isn’t important.  I promise (truly) that you will improve your financial situation at the same time.

photo by:  Rob!

By Kate

If you are carrying consumer debt, like a credit card balance, personal loan, or overdraft protection balance, you are not alone.  While the calculations vary, somewhere around 50% of Americans have consumer debt that they don’t pay off each month.  Most experts agree that paying off that debt should be a high priority.  But how do you motivate yourself to do it?  Here are three steps that might just help you find a way to get rid of that debt:

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By Kate

I was going to do a post about identity theft, but in my research I came across this well written and comprehensive article written by Janet Farley and posted at the Military Officers of Association of America (MOAA) website.  She’s done such a good job that I think it would be better for me to link to it here:  Home Front:  Safe Shopping.  I know that I’ve been guilty of not being as careful as I should be.  Janet offers solid suggestions for keeping yourself (and your money) safe.

By Kate

I’ve recently read some reports of banks lowering customers’ credit limits unexpectedly, and the customers failing to noticed.  This can result in all sorts of problems, such as over-limit fees, declined transactions, a drop in your credit score, and also less available credit in case of emergencies.

While I like to think that we should all just pay off our credit cards completely and have a large emergency fund, I understand that is not the reality for some people right now.  Keeping an eye on your credit limits seems like a sensible thing to do.  I’ve just checked to make sure that mine haven’t changed (they haven’t) and I encourage you to do the same.

Here’ an article at Smart Money Magazine, Banks Lowering Consumers’ Credit Card Limits, that talks more about this potentially important issue.

By Kate

By Kate

I’m guessing that you have probably run across June at the Military​.com website, but just in case, you should check her out her column, Ask June.  June Lantz Walbert is a CERTIFIED
FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM who works for USAA Financial Planning Services, and she is also a member of the US Army Reserve.  June accepts questions at the Military​.com site and also makes video segments available on YouTube.  I’ll attach a few after this post, and try to keep you up to date as June creates more informative, helpful videos.

By Kate

Here’s some of June’s work available on YouTube. She’s great, isn’t she?

By Kate

We military people tend to move.  And whenever we move into a new house, there are a number of things we should do to make sure that our new home is energy efficient.  Which items work for you depends on a number of factors:  are you renting or did you buy?  are you paying for your utilities?  how long will you be there?

Here are some things to consider doing:

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By Kate

The real estate meltdown can affect renters, too.  If your landlord goes into foreclosure, you will most probably have to move from your house.  One piece of good news is that the Joint Federal Travel Regulations have been adjusted to allow the military to pay for the moving expenses of service members who are impacted by their landlord’s foreclosure.  This change, which has been made retroactive to July 30th, will help military members who are forced to move unexpectedly when their leases are terminated.  It does not apply to service members who move due to a foreclosure action on a property that they own.

For more information, you can also read the article at DefenseLink, and keep your eyes open here at the Paycheck Chronicles for a piece on tenants rights during the foreclosure process.  I hope to have it done today or tomorrow!