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Swap Books You Have for Those You Want
Dear Mary: I had the address of a Web site that allows you to list your books by ISBN and swap them with other members. My plan was to let my daughter enter all of our books into the system so she would have an allowance for her book purchases. …Read more.
Post Office Clerk Demonstrates New Flat Rate
Today's first great reader tip, from Shirley in Indiana, brings new meaning to the term "flat rate" and also earns Shirley a one-year membership to Debt-Proof Living Online (at http://www.DebtProofLiving.com). You are going to love this:
…Read more.
How To Jump Into the Coupon Game
A recent column about couponing produced a lot of mail. I recommended The Coupon Clippers as a way to choose the grocery coupons that you want and need, instead of taking a chance that you'll find them in the Sunday paper or elsewhere. I learned …Read more.
5 Lessons I Wish I'd Learned Sooner
While I refuse to live with regret, I must admit there are a few things I wish I'd learned sooner. Because I don't want you to make the same mistakes, I'm going to give you my top five so you don't have to learn the hard way.
1. The lottery is a …Read more.
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How To Stay On Track When Paying Off DebtDear Mary: I read your book "Debt-Proof Living" and was excited to implement your Rapid Debt-Repayment Plan. We did well the first month, but we have fallen off the wagon and are behind on payments again. Even though I feel discouraged, we have not tapped our credit cards. I know that we will have to start all over again. Do you have any wise words of advice? — Teresa G., California Dear Teresa: Want to know how many times I fell off and had to get back up on that wagon? Too many to count. I don't recommend it, because each time you fall off, you only delay the process. You're being too soft on yourselves. You need to get tough. That starts with getting downright angry! Get angry at the decisions that brought you to this place in your life and angry for believing that credit cards would make your life easier. Get angry that you have all this debt to repay! Then give yourselves a swift kick in the rear; grit your collective teeth; and direct that anger at your outstanding debt. It's making your lives miserable, and it has to go! Thanks for reading my book. I tell you with gratitude and amazement that it has helped untold thousands of people to get out of debt and onto a path of living below their means. I know it can do the same for you. Just keep going, and don't ever give up! Dear Mary: I am 24 and will be a senior in college next year. Dear Mariah: Banks are becoming averse to risk, and that is causing them to pull back from offering credit to students with the kind of ease they once did. As of this writing, Capital One is the only card I know of that does not charge any conversion fees on purchases made in foreign countries. However, credit card features are changing rapidly. Look at what Capital One would offer you. Then go to http://www.IndexCreditCards.com for a current list of credit card offers for students. Be sure to read all the fine print and know fully what you're getting into before you submit an application. If you plan to use a credit card abroad, I hope you are not planning to travel on credit and come home with a load of debt. Make a personal commitment never to allow a balance to roll over from one month to the next. You cannot afford to do that. Do you have a question for Mary? E-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 18 books, including "Can I Pay My Credit Card Bill With a Credit Card?" To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
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