New Frugal You
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Gary Foreman: Can a new mom afford to stay at home? -- A new mom who really wants to stay at home may be closer than she thinks to getting by on one income, if she includes the commuting and child care savings that come with not working ... (See Stay at home mom) Gary Foreman: Tips for landing a good, reliable used car with bad credit -- With bad credit and a car that's falling apart, a single mom with $3,000 saved up wants to know where to turn for a reliable used car ... (See Bad credit and car buying) Gary Foreman: 8 questions to ask to make sure of wise buying decisions -- Ask these eight questions before you pull out your wallet and you'll be sure that you're buying the right thing at the right time at the right price ... (See 8 questions before buying) Gary Foreman: Worried about burglary? Here's how to choose the right insurance -- About one in 140 Americans suffers a home burglary. Here's how to take inventory and choose the right insurance to limit the damage ... (See Insurance) Gary Foreman: You're marrying your fiance's debts, too -- If your future spouse has present debt, discuss it openly, keep your accounts separate and consider a long engagement to see if your intended can straighten up financially ... (See Fiance's debt) Gary Foreman: How to teach your children basic financial concepts -- If you teach your kids to 'sleep on' major money decisions and learn the power of compound interest, they'll have gained important lessons that will serve them a lifetime ... (See Teaching money lessons to your kids) Gary Foreman: Bad credit mortgage alternatives -- You must start with the basics -- paying your bills on time -- but there are other alternatives for people with bad credit trying to buy a house ... (See Bad credit and mortgages) Gary Foreman: Broke? Bad credit? Recent bankruptcy? Say humbug to lousy holiday loans -- If you're recovering from hard times, don't succumb to the lousy loan choices you have available. Find frugal ways to enjoy the season ... (See Bad credit and holidays) Gary Foreman: How to set children's allowances -- Setting an allowance, and deciding whether to tie it to chores, is an art form, but one that teaches money lessons for life ... (See Setting allowances) Gary Foreman: Easy, inexpensive home heating tips -- Some of the fixes won't win you awards from design magazines, but these inexpensive solutions will keep you warm without busting your budget ... (See Inexpensive home heating tips) Gary Foreman: Beyond couponing - How big families can cut their food budgets -- A mother of a family of five who's already couponing wants to know how to trim her food budget further. Gary Foreman gives her an array of tips ... (See Big family food budgeting) Gary Foreman: How (and why) to calculate your net worth -- It's not a display of coin-stacking greed, it's a necessary, periodic step to make certain you're on track with your personal finance goals ... (See Calculating your net worth) Gary Foreman: Common tricks and traps in credit card fine print -- The appealing big headline in the credit card promo is often hedged and limited by the fine print -- so you had better understand it ... (See Beware credit card fine print) Gary Foreman: Why every student needs a bit of economics -- You may not become an economist, but everyone needs to have basic knowledge of how they spend today impacts their saving for tomorrow ... (See Economics and spending) Gary Foreman: Moves to make if you expect another economic storm -- Just as you plan ahead for hurricanes, you can weather rough financial times more easily with good preparation ... (See Plan for tough times) Gary Foreman: Losing a job can be a big downside of 401(k) loans -- Unemployment triggers a swift demand for repayment, and you better have the money or be ready to face financial consequences ... (See 401(k) loans and lost jobs) Gary Foreman: If my company goes bankrupt, is my 401(k) retirement fund in danger? -- A company going bankrupt does not directly endanger your 401(k) -- unless you've let too much of your investment pile up in that company's stock ... (See Bankrupt 401(k)) Gary Foreman: Where are you financially vulnerable? -- The economic storm clouds still haven't parted, so wise consumers know their potential money weak spots, and have a plan if something breaks down ... (See Financially vulnerable) Gary Foreman: How charge-offs work, how they affect your credit -- The phrase charge-off comes from the world of financial accounting, but if one happens to you, expect the damage to your credit to be substantial ... (See Charge-offs) Gary Foreman: Bride and groom from different financial worlds? Talk, budget -- If he's from financial Mars and she's from financial Venus, premarital discussions about money expectations will help prevent problems later ... (See Premarital money talk) Gary Foreman: How to calculate the energy cost of appliances -- By knowing the right formula and "watt" each appliance consumes in electricity, a landlord and tenant splitting an electric bill can divide it fairly ... (See Appliance energy costs) Gary Foreman: You've got to know your 'monthly nut' -- Your 'monthly nut' is the minimum amount you need to make to keep ahead of your bills and avoid always coming up short ... (See Your monthly nut) Gary Foreman: Rich bride, poor groom and mom can't pay country club reception tab -- Mom should be honest with herself and her wealthy in-laws about her financial limits, and their kids should discuss money expectations before the ceremony ... (See Rich bride, poor groom) Gary Foreman: How to figure out how much rent you can afford -- Renting? The rule of thumb is spend no more than 33 percent of your after-tax income on housing; these money-saving tips will help you get there and into a home you can afford ... (See Renting: How much?) Frugality's about value, not about being cheap -- For both practical and personal reasons, on some items, it's OK to go ahead and splurge ... (See Spend it, frugally) Gary Foreman: Credit card rate too high? How to negotiate a lower one, how to leave if you don't get it -- Credit card rate too high? Here's how to ask for a lower one -- and how to leave if you don't get it ... (See Negotiate your credit card rate) Building a better envelope budgeting system -- With a few refinements and simplifications, this old cash-based system still works, says our expert ... (See Envelope budgeting) Gary Foreman: Alternate strategies to saving for emergency funds -- If you have trouble leaving emergency funds untouched, you may be able to prepay some items, or just make your savings tough to tap ... (See Emergency fund strategies) Gary Foreman: Tips for finding fun while staying frugal -- You may have 'frugal fatigue,' but lamenting the good old days when you could spend freely will only make your mood worse ... (See Frugal tips) Gary Foreman: Tips for getting grown children out of the nest -- Yes, jobs are tough to find, but kids need to stand on their own financially and leave the nest. It's a parent's job to know how to help them learn to fly ... (See Financial independence) Gary Foreman: How to diagnose your financial health -- There are parallels between financial and physical health: Both need to be properly diagnosed and the right steps taken to cure the ailments ... (See Financial help) Gary Foreman: Inflation is coming; here's how it will hurt -- Before inflation returns in force, there are steps you can take to readjust your investments and loans to minimize its impact ... (See Adjusting for inflation) Living frugally? 6 ideas for enjoying life without busting a budget -- A tight budget doesn't mean giving up all the things that make life enjoyable. You just have to find inexpensive ones ... (See Frugal fun) Gary Foreman: In your 40s? It's not to early to plan for retirement -- Now's the time to take a broad look ahead, define what you expect from retirement, estimate expenses see if you have the income to live out your dreams ... (See Retirement plan) Gary Foreman: With gas prices skyrocketing, will an electric car save money? -- Thinking about ditching your gas guzzler and going electric? Here's how to make a compare by calculating your overall cost per mile ... (See Buying a car) Gary Foreman: Should you put your money in a mattress? -- Savings rates are still horrid, housing prices are still falling, but hoarding money in a mattress still isn't wise ... (See Money in a mattress) Pull the plug to save some money on a little-used refrigerator -- A fridge is your most expensive appliance because it consumes a lot of power, but it's made to be turned on and off ... (See Appliance costs) Gary Foreman: Want grocery store bargains? It's easy: Look high and low -- Grocery stores study their shoppers, so they know most customers grab first for the name brands at eye level. Want bargains? Look at the top and bottom shelves ... (See Grocery store bargains) Buying a car? Know your budget, save up, buy what you can afford -- Car shopping is the most fun, but it should be the final step. Knowing what you can afford (and not just the monthly payment) is the first ... (See Car-buying plan) Gary Foreman: How to cut back on credit card spending -- A reader who gives in easily to credit card temptation needs to take ever-stronger preventive steps ... (See Cut credit card spending) Gary Foreman: In hard times, keeping credit lines high may trump paying off debt -- Ordinarily consumers should use spare cash to pay off highest-rate debt first. But for those with shaky income, that strategy might not be the best ... (See Credit lines) Gary Foreman: Renters: How to protect yourself if your landlord faces foreclosure -- A federal law temporarily provides some protection against instant eviction, but check to see if the mortgage is being paid ... (See Renters face foreclosure, too) Upside down in your mortgage? Consider your credit before walking away -- Short sales and deed-in-lieu deals may get you out from under an upside-down mortgage, but they're just as bad on credit as a foreclosure ... (See Walking away from a mortgage) Prepaying your auto loan: How to see if you can, how to do it -- If your car loan doesn't include prepayment penalties, it's good to pay down car debt quickly. Here's how ... (See How to prepay an auto loan) How big a home can you afford in retirement? Size your 401k, sharpen your pencil -- If you want to figure how big a house you can afford in retirement, first size up your 401(k), then sharpen your pencil. There's math involved ... (See How big a home can you afford in retirement?) Retirement in sight? Balance your risk tolerance, need for growth -- As retirement age approaches and a recession ends, it's natural to be skittish about taking risk with your nest egg, but some may be necessary ... (See Retirement nest egg) Gary Foreman: Save 401(k) hardship withdrawals for true emergencies -- You gave up total control over the account when you agreed to take the tax breaks, so weigh other choices before robbing your own retirement ... (See 401(k) hardship withdrawals) Gary Foreman: How to budget when starting a new business -- A nervous wife asks for advice on how her family should budget to handle the inconsistent income that comes with the starting of a new business. ... (See Start-up budgeting) Gary Foreman: How to start using credit cards again after handling them badly before -- To get a good credit score and the best loans, you have to get back in there and start using credit again, even if it burned you the first time ... (See Re-establish credit) Even if first credit card's terms aren't the best, think before canceling -- Your first credit card sets up your future credit choices, so use it wisely and weigh the impact of canceling it ... (See First credit card) Gary Foreman: Transfer car loan to a low-rate credit card? Yes, but carefully -- On the surface, transferring a car loan to a 0 percent credit card looks like a no-brainer. The fees and fine print may say otherwise ... (See 0 percent credit cards) Interchange fee changes coming, and what that means for consumers -- Cash payers had been subsidizing card users at stores, but that system's under fire; if it changes, so could rewards and prices ... (See Interchange fees and consumers) Gary Foreman: Thinking of closing little-used credit card accounts? Not so fast -- Think twice before closing little-used credit card accounts because you're mad at the issuer. It could backfire by damaging your credit score ... (See Closing credit accounts) Gary Foreman: The first step in any budget: monitoring spending -- If the money always runs out before your payday, the first thing to do is find out where it's going. Here are tips for that crucial first budgeting step ... (See Budgeting steps) Gary Foreman gives a 'live for today' man his best 'save for tomorrow' motivational advice -- Our frugality columnist reminds a man who lives for today that he could get hurt or laid off and quickly face financial devastation ... (See Live for today) Gary Foreman: Want to cut electric bills? Beware the 'phantom loads' -- Many of today's devices continue to sip power in 'standby' mode, so cutting off the worst offenders can cut your bill ... (See Cut electric costs) Gary Foreman: Ask for a lower credit limit? Unless you can't control your spending, don't -- Unless you can't control your spending, don't ask your credit card issuer to lower your limit; you'll be lowering your credit score, too ... (See Credit limits) Gary Foreman: How to deal with debt after a divorce when ex won't pay -- Even if there's a court order, getting money out of a deadbeat ex isn't easy ... (See Divorce and debt) A generic budget: Guidelines for spending categories -- These rules of thumb for how much you should spend for housing, entertainment, etc., help you know if your spending's a little out of whack or a lot ... (See Budgeting guidelines) How to haggle to reduce your credit card debt and rates -- You've heard the ads promising quick and easy debt reduction, but there's nothing easy or quick about them ... (See Negotiating lower debt, rates) Gary Foreman: How to re-establish responsible credit card use after debt problems -- After cleaning up past debt mess, the first question to ask is whether you've learned your credit card lesson and can handle credit responsibly now ... (See Re-establishing credit) Gary Foreman: After co-signing daughter's mortgage, both the loan and retirement plans turn upside down -- When their daughter's home loan went upside down, a couple's retirement plans went topsy-turvy. But there are options ... (See Co-signed mortgage troubles) Fill your car's tires with nitrogen, not air? It's not worth it -- Although proponents say nitrogen reduces leakage and prevents tires from deteriorating, the claims don't stand up to scrutiny ... (See Nitrogen-filled tires) Save money with online coupon services -- Traditional paper coupon-clipping is fine, but as long as you steer clear of the too-nosy ones, online coupon sites have advantages, too ... (See Online coupons) Credit Card FAQ: Gary Foreman: Should you co-sign a loan? -- Each day this week, our columnists will answer one of our readers' most frequently asked questions. Today, 'New Frugal You' columnist Gary Foreman ponders, should you co-sign a loan? ... (See Co-signing) How to create a price book to help you comparison shop -- It takes a while to gather the information you need, but once you do, you'll never be fooled into buying an overpriced 'sale' item again ... (See Price book) Gary Foreman: Don't use 401(k) to pay off credit card debt -- Yes, you could pay debt off and cut back to a three-day work week, but the price would be working many, many more of those weeks ... (See 401(k) and credit card debt) Is Dad responsible for stepmom's credit card debt after her death? -- Responsibility for debt after the debtor's death comes down to who signed the contract and what state they're in ... (See Credit card debt after death) Buying a car? Know the 3 main costs of auto ownership -- As with the car itself, the decision on what to buy has a lot of moving parts, so weigh the cost variables carefully when comparing new, used autos ... (See Buying a car) Making a budget? Break down the 'Big 4' expenses first -- A debt-laden, recent business school graduate wants to trim some expenses to help pay his student loans. Our expert says the key is consider the four biggest areas of expense first ... (See Big 4 budget) When must you start to make 401(k) withdrawals? -- A 70-year-old is about to retire and wonders if he'll soon be forced to start making withdrawals from his 401(k). Our expert has the answer. ... (See 401(k) withdrawal) A 'workout plan' to shed debt, build credit scores -- Just like an exercise plan helps you shed weight and build muscle, a credit plan can help you shed debt and build your scores ... (See Credit score workout plan) How to plan for, face a student loan debt disaster -- Deep in student debt and needing to borrow much more to graduate, a student looks ahead to try and plan a debt escape route ... (See A plan for student debt) Go used: A new car's value will fade faster than the new-car smell -- When considering whether to buy a new or used car, remember the 40% rule: New cars' value fades that much in just three years ... (See New vs. used car) How to keep up the enthusiasm for saving, fight 'frugal fatigue' -- Staying on a tight budget is no fun. To keep your enthusiasm for saving from waning, indulge a little in luxury -- cheaper imitation luxuries, that is ... (See Stick to a budget) Odds are, you're better off retiring debt with a windfall than saving -- Sure, you could save it, but paying off high-rate loans is your best bet ... (See Use windfall on debt) Your first budget in 3 easy steps -- Don't be scared of budgeting, it's really not very hard, says New Frugal You columnist Gary Foreman ... (See Your first budget) New Frugal You: You've cut out the obvious budget killers. Now go for the big stuff -- The New Frugal You, a weekly reader Q&A feature on CreditCards.com, debuts with frugality expert Gary Foreman advising a reader to aim at the big targets ... (See Spending cuts) | 
