10 Tips For an Affordable College Education

(This is a guest article by Adrienne Carlson*)

It’s one of the most important phases of our lives; it’s the passage of rite we go through as we transform into adults from youngsters; and on the downside, it’s also a pretty expensive proposition. So if you want to maximize your college experience, you need to minimize your expenditure and debt. And if you’re looking for ways to do this, here are 10 tips for an affordable college education:

1. Search for grants and scholarships for which you are eligible, if you are not eligible, find out how you can change your status and work towards it. Grants and scholarships are attractive options to afford college because you don’t have to pay them back.


2. Check out the various loan programs sponsored by the Federal government to help students with their college costs. They carry a low interest rate and are your best bet if you have to borrow money to finance your education.


3. Save well in advance for your college tuition. If you’re bent on getting the best education possible, if you’re dedicated and determined to make it to college on your own steam, save from a very young age.


4. Ask your parents to put aside money towards your college education when you’re in middle school and work really hard at your grades in order to convince them that you do mean business and that their sacrifices are not in vain.


5. Get a part-time job or offer your services freelance in order to make extra money when you’re at college. It will be tough, but it beats borrowing money at exorbitant rates or being broke all through college.


6. Do your research thoroughly before you enroll at a particular college. Check out all the fees that you have to pay in a year and ensure that you have adequate funds or the means to procure them before you sign up.


7. Don’t spend unnecessarily and keep track of all your expenditure. Do not fall victim to peer pressure, especially when you know you cannot afford it and that you’re going to regret spending this money in the days to come.


8. Enroll in colleges that are close to where you live so you can save on accommodation and food expenses. Weigh the costs of travelling to school every day against the costs of staying on campus and having to pay for food and other expenses.


9. If you’re taking out a loan to finance your education, consider one that offers a forgiveness program and lets you work off your debt once you graduate. Loan forgiveness programs are available for people of certain professions, like doctors, teachers, nurses and others involved in service to the public.


10. If none of the above seems likely to be happening, choose a community college that teaches you a profession which you can use to make money once you graduate. If you’re bent on going to regular college, you could work at a part-time job even as you study in order to save money for tuition.

College is a wonderful experience; make it even better by staying debt free and graduating without a financial burden to bear.

*About the author: This guest article was written by Adrienne Carlson, who regularly writes on the topic of accredited online university. Adrienne welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: adrienne.carlson83@yahoo.com

*Image Credit: Photograph by LuMaxArt [via Flickr Creative Commons]

33 Debt-Reducing, Money-Saving Calculators for the Newly Frugal

(This is a guest article by Garrett French*)

To get ahead financially you can either make more money or spend less money. If "make more" isn't on your horizon it's time to adopt some frugal habits! Frugal habits can help you stretch your existing cash farther - or help you reduce debt sooner. Making the decision to adopt frugal habits will be easier if you can see how much extra money you'll be saving.

Here are the debt-busting frugality-growing calculators you'll find in this calculator collection:

• 6 Eating, Drinking, and Merriment Savings Calculators


• 9 Daily Commuter Vehicle Savings Calculators


• 4 Alternative Transportation Calculators for Daily Commuters


• 3 Purchase Decision Making Calculators for Impulse and Big Purchases


• 3 Kids Savings Calculators for the Early Years


• 5 Around the House Calculators for Home Ownership Savings


• 3 Appliance Savings Calculators

6 Eating, Drinking, and Merriment Savings Calculators

If you can make even small reductions to your regular expenses - drinking water instead of soda if you go out to eat for example - you'll save large amounts of money over the course of a year. These calculators demonstrate how much you'll save when making changes to your daily consumption.

1) Brown Bag Savings Calculator: "This calculator will show you how much you could save if you brought your own lunch to work instead of eating out. Plus, it will also show you how much your brown-bag savings would grow if you invested the difference."

2) Booze/Beverage Savings Calculator: "Here is a new and fun savings calculator -- the booze savings calculator. Personally, I never drink anyway, but if I did, I cannot imagine paying the prices even moderately priced restaurants and bars charge for beer, wine and mixed drinks ($2.75, $3.25 and up, often way up)."

3) Coffee Savings Calculator: "Calculate how much you could save if you stopped buying coffee or tea in the coffeeshop, and instead made your own coffee (or quit drinking it altogether)."

4) Cigarette Costs Calculator: "Calculate how much you could save if you stopped smoking. This counts just the cost of the cigarettes and not of health and other costs associated with smoking."

5) Free Printable Grocery Store Price Book (worksheet): "Create a list of frequently purchased products, track prices and only purchase products when they are truly 'on sale'"

6) Drink More Water: Are You Drinking Enough Water?: "Some people claim that drinking water before a meal can reduce how much you eat. Further, drinking water can reduce spending on other beverages."

9 Daily Commuter Vehicle Savings Calculators

Like food and drink, transportation is another of those regular expenses that can end up costing you thousands over the course of a year. Understanding what your vehicle choices may cost you - new vs. used situations, gas mileage or even car pooling - can help you put thousands of dollars back in your bank account every year.

1) Which is better: new or used?: "The debate is endless - you're the only person who can decide whether a new car or used car is a better purchase for you. Use this calculator for financial input on your decision."

2) How long should I keep a vehicle?: "Use this calculator to get a rough idea of how long you should hold onto a new car."

3) Compare MPG Savings in 2 Cars: "The real cost savings of MPG reveal themselves over the course of several years... This calculator will show you what your longer term gas costs will be."

4) Gas Guzzling Comparison Calculator: "Enter the current gas guzzling MPG of that SUV you bought when gas was $1.49 a gallon, and then enter the new MPG of that new Prius you've been thinking about. Then enter your daily round-trip commute, your driving days per year and the number of years to add up."

5) Edmunds.com - Gas Mileage Savings: "You would like to save money on gas so you're considering trading in your gas guzzler for a more fuel efficient car. This calculator shows how long will it take before you pay off the balance of a vehicle purchase and really begin saving money."

6) Gas Costs: How much can you save with a more fuel efficient car?: "Calculate how much one can save by driving a more fuel efficient car."

7) Cost of Commuting by Car: "Calculate how much your daily commute by car costs."

8) Commute Cost Calculator: "Compare the actual cost of three different commuting modes."

9) Gasoline Price vs. Cable Bill Calculator: "Some folks complain about paying an extra dollar per gallon for their gas while paying $50, $70 or much more on their cable bills..."

4 Alternative Transportation Calculators for Daily Commuters

Bikes and public transportation can save you thousands and thousands of dollars annually. Do the math for yourself and make the switch!

1) Bike to Work Calculator: "Use this calculator to see how much you can save on gas costs and CO2 emissions by riding your bike to work."

2) Calculate Your Savings by Riding Public Transportation: "This calculator will help you compare the price of using public transportation with the price of paying at the pump and then parking your car in town."

3) The Cycle to Work Calculator (£): "How much fuel & money will you save? How many calories will you burn? How long will your journey take?"

4) Bike Your Drive iPhone App: "Track your mileage, CO2 offsets and more—in real time!"

3 Purchase Decision Making Calculators for Impulse and Big Purchases

There's the 30 second rule where you think about whether you really need an item for 30 full seconds. There's the 30 day rule for larger purchases where you think about it for 30 days. Both of these methods are designed to help you prevent impulse purchases that aren't connected to your financial goals. These calculators will help you make smarter, more cost-efficient purchase decisions too!

1) What Is The Value Of Reducing, Postponing or Foregoing Expenses?: "Use this calculator to help determine what you could accumulate by not eating out as much, eliminating the newspaper, not renting as many videos and other discretionary monthly expenses."

2) FIX OR REPLACE (Digital Equipment) CALCULATOR: "Sometimes it makes more sense to repair your digital equipment (TVs, cameras, receivers, etc...) than to buy new... sometimes NOT."

3) Generic vs. Store-brand Savings Calculator: "Switch from national brand or store brand items to its functional, less expensive equivalent such as generic, store-brand, private label or regional products and this calculator will show you how much discount you will get and how much money you'll save over the course of your lifetime."

3 Kids Savings Calculators for the Early Years

Children are expensive. For years and years and years. These calculators will help you run the numbers on a few major decisions that often accompany young kids.

1) Cloth Diaper Savings Calculator: "Compare the costs of cloth diapers to disposable diapers and make the decision for yourself."

2) Stay at Home Calculator: Can You Afford To Stay At Home?: "Use our calculator to see if your household can afford for you to stay home with the kids."

3) Budgeting Child Care Options: "See what your child care costs are, and compare one income and two income options."

5 Around the House Calculators for Home Ownership Savings

Saving money around the house begins with determining whether or not it makes sense to BUY or RENT in your area. From there you can work up to protecting your heating and cooling expenses with effective insulation. Small investments can have huge payoffs over the course of several years - use these tools to save yourself money!

1) Is it Better to Buy or Rent?: "Compare the costs of renting and buying equivalent homes."

2) Home Energy Saver: Web-Based DIY Energy Audit Tool: "Find the best ways to save energy in YOUR home!"

3) Calculate Your Bulb Savings When Switching to High-Efficiency Bulbs: "Cutting energy use saves you money on your electric bills and reduces the amount of global warming pollution created to power your home."

4) Insulation Upgrade Cost Saving Calculator: "Use this calculator to estimate the cost saving and greenhouse gas reduction for upgrading your insulation or windows."

5) ZIP-Code Insulation Program: "will tell you the most economic insulation level for your new or existing house..."

3 Appliance Savings Calculators

Inefficient appliances can have a major impact on your monthly bills. Use these calculators to see what a difference an energy efficient appliance could have on your monthly power bills.

1) Refrigerator Energy Calculator: "With this calculator you can compare you can see how much you'll save by swapping an old refrigerator with a new one. Or, you can compare energy costs between two new refrigerators."

2) Washer Dryer Energy Calculator: "Compare costs over 2 washers' life time."

3) Electric Appliance Operating Cost Calculator: "Estimate the cost of operating any given electrical appliance, based on the average KWH (kilowatt hours) used per day, and on the average cost per KWH charged by your electric company."

*About the author: This is a guest post by MyCESI.org, a Debt Management Program with Certified Debt Counselors and the publisher of 103 Free Debt Reduction Calculators.

*Image Credit: Photograph by ppinacio [via Flickr Creative Commons]

17 Free Resources to Help Raise Your GMAT Score

(This is a guest article by Brandon Laughridge*)

Record numbers of professionals are losing their jobs and saturating the job market, making competition for available positions very intense. If you have the cash available, now could be a prime time to consider the idea of going to business school. An MBA will differentiate you from the competition and offer increased earning potential. Even if you're just entertaining the idea, it may be wise to do some studying and take the GMAT as scores are valid for 5 years anyway. Everyone knows about the expensive GMAT prep courses available but did you know there's a ton of free resources available online to help you raise your GMAT score? Here's 17 of my favorite free resources to check out before looking into more expensive prep options.

Math Practice

• GS Rehill's Interactive Maths Series - A nice high scool and college math review.


• Math Review - Courtesy of Beat the GMAT.


• GMAT Math Review - Free review for the math section.


• Are you weak in Math? - Another good math review from the folks at Beat The GMAT.

Verbal Practice

• Vocabulary Learning Tips - Sheppard Software presents their Top 10 Vocab Tips.


• Verbal Practice Tests - A large collection of short verbal quizzes.


• Vocab Build - 1200 of the most common vocabulary words used on the GMAT.


• Sentence Correction Practice - Commonly confused and misused word tips.

Genteral Practice Resources

• Kaplan GMAT Practice - Free practice test from Kaplan.


• Princeton Review GMAT Practice Quiz - Another free practice test.


• Manhattan Review Guide - Free portions of Manhattan's paid courses.


• GMAT Practice Software - Downloadable practice program [Windows only].


• Manhattan GMAT Practice Test - Another downloadable practive test from Manhattan [Windows only].


• Veritas Prep GMAT Practice Test - GMAT "simulator" to estimate your possible score.

General GMAT Resources

• MBA.com - The official GMAT website.


• Mark Rice's GMAT Help - Notes, tips, and study guides based on Mark's personal experience with the GMAT.


• Gmat Hacks - Jeff Sackmann's guide to improving your GMAT scores from his own admissions journey.

*About the author: This guest post was written by Brandon of Online Business Degree.org, an Online Business Degree Review site.

*Image Credit: Photograph by bitslice [via Flickr Creative Commons]

20 Free Personal Finance Podcasts and News Sites

Managing your personal investments and planning for your future doesn't have to be a confusing or costly process. There are a number of great podcasts and online news sites dedicated to helping you make the best of your financial future. This article has a list of 20 financial sites worth checking out:

Podcasts

Kiplinger - Kiplinger Personal Finance offers free weekly podcasts that cover top stories in their magazine. These half-hour long podcasts provide practical advice on managing your money and securing your financial future.

Money Girl - This podcast from Laura Adams, a personal finance author, educates listeners about complex finance issues. In each episode, Money Girl seeks to inform and motivate listeners to reach and preserve their wealth.

Feed the Pig - Feed the Pig is a practical podcast that offers tips and tools to curb your spending, reduce your debt, and increase your savings.

Plain Talk on Investing - This podcast, presented by Vanguard, provides listeners with easy-to-follow steps for reaching financial success. Plain Talk on Investing looks at the market and the best way to invest your money.

Sound Investing - This radio show podcast features clear and concise advice from financial educators. Sound Investing advises listeners about managing money and investing for retirement.

Pro Money Talk - Pro Money Talk is dedicated to helping working people save and invest for the future. This hour long podcast uses educational discussions, interviews, and success stories to cover a wide range of personal finance issues.

Money Guy - The Money Guy podcast offers financial tools and information to get your finances on track.

Watching your Wallet - The Wall Street Journal offers several different financial podcasts, including Watching your Wallet. This daily, five to ten minute podcast features little tips to increase your financial health.

No Credit Needed Podcast - The No Credit Needed Podcast offers tips and information for debt reduction, frugal living, and saving money. Each episode runs anywhere from 10 to 40 minutes and features several handy ways to manage your personal finances.

Marketplace Money - The Marketplace Money podcast offers several tips and tricks to business and personal finances.

MoneySmartz - This financial guide offers several podcasts about managing money. Along with podcasts you can also find financial guides, blogs, profiles, and reviews.

News Sites

Bloomberg - This top-notch news site provides several resources for managing your personal finances. A few worth checking out are the portfolio tracker, financial calculators, and financial glossary.

The Motley Fool - The Motley Fool is a large investment community loaded with information on personal finance, retirement, and investments. This site's personal finance page discusses spending habits, saving, debt, taxes, and even offers a link to free personal finance software.

TheStreet.com - One of the leading financial media companies, TheStreet.com features a large personal finance section. Resources include articles on managing your money, retirement, investments, and expert perspectives.

SocialFunds - SocialFunds, one of the largest personal finance sites on the web, provides the latest news and investment information. The site features over 10,000 pages on socially responsible investing.

Forbes.com - Forbes.com, a leading place to find news and information, features a large personal finance web page with resources for investing, retirement, taxes, and mutual funds.

MarketWatch - MarketWatch's personal finance section offers tips about real estate, taxes, spending and saving, retirement, career, and small business.

WalletPop - This news site from AOL Money and Finance offers an assortment of different features for understanding and managing your personal finances. The site also has the latest information about budgeting, debt management, banking, and budgeting calculators.

Yahoo! Personal Finance News - Yahoo! Personal Finance News provides top stories about investments, debt, credit, and more.

CNNmoney.com - CNNmoney.com offers a free personal finance section with tons of money saving features. This is a great site to find budgeting tips and information as well as the best investments to save for your retirement.

*About the author: This post was written by Karen Schweitzer, the About.com Guide to Business School. Karen also writes about accredited online colleges for OnlineColleges.net

*Image Credit: Photograph by Colleen AF Venable [via Flickr Creative Commons]

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25 Free Budgeting and Finance Tools for Students and Grads

(This is a guest article by Karen Schweitzer*)

Budgeting money is stressful for most but this is even truer for college students. Luckily, the Internet is loaded with free tools and apps to get you started on securing your financial future. Here are 25 sites you can try today:

Budgeting and Debt Management

Clear Checkbook - Clear Checkbook is a free, easy-to-use online checkbook register with a lot of extras. Students can balance their checkbook, get daily reminders, and set budgeting goals all in one place.

MoneyStrands - This site has useful software and tools for any budget big or small. It automatically tracks all your financial accounts, offers advice to help you save money, and compares how your goals measure up to others.

MySpendingPlan - Provided by Plans365 Inc., MySpendingPlan.com is quick easy-to-use budgeting software that can help you set goals, save money, and reduce debt. This site also offers tools and tips to help the budget conscious student secure their financial future.

Thrive - This site is a great online tool to help you organize your finances, get financial advice, and plan for the future.

Mint - This free financial site makes it easy to understand and maintain your budget. Some of the many features Mint offers include money tracking, goal setting, and money saving tips.

Wesabe - Wesabe.com is a free online tool that takes away the stress of money management. You can track all your accounts on one resource, gain insights on where you are overspending, and get useful tips to manage your accounts better.

PearBudget - Created by a husband and wife team, this free web app is a simple budgeting tool for students overwhelmed by finances. PearBudget offers budgeting and tracking tools as well as an informational blog.

Buddi - Buddi is a free downloadable budgeting program for people who are just beginning to understand their finances. It is can run on most computers and includes tutorials to help you along the way.

Geezeo - Geezo.com offers free financial tools to organize and track your finances. Students can also reap the financial rewards of an online community of experts to answer financial questions.

Mapping Your Future - Almost anyone can benefit from the information packed onto this educational Mapping Your Future is designed specifically for students and is loaded with tools and resources for managing your budget, financial aid, and college costs.

Tuition and Student Loans

College Scholarships - Every student can benefit from the financial aid and scholarship information found on this site. It contains multiple links to student loans, grants, and scholarships as well as calculators for estimating student loan and college costs.

FinAid - FinAid is a free and comprehensive guide to financial aid information. This site is a great financial tool for understanding and estimating college expenses.

CollegeBoard - The informational website, CollegeBoard.com offers a wonderful array of free tools that can calculate the financial responsibility that comes from student loans and tuition costs.

Federal Student Aid - The Department of Education has a free budget calculator that is available to all students so they can estimate the total cost of their education.

FastWeb - FastWeb has a variety of resourceful tools to guide students through the financial burdens of college. The site also offers a scholarship search engine.

Student Discounts

StudentUniverse - StudentUniverse is the largest student travel agency in the U.S. This site offers discounted prices for flights, trips, rail, insurance, and hotels.

Campus Tech - With savings of up to 85 percent, Campus Tech can help students to meet their software, hardware, and book needs while still maintaining a manageable budget.

Student Discounts - Since 1995, Student Discounts has been saving students thousands with its discounted academic software. This site offers all forms of software that a student could possibly need or want.

Student Advantage - Student Advantage is one of the leading student discount programs. They work with hundreds of colleges and distributors to provide discounted prices on things students need.

Affordabook - This free, easy-to-use website is designed for students who want to find the best prices on college textbooks and leisure reading.

Miscellaneous Sites and Web Apps

Cost of Living Calculator - This useful calculator from Bankrate allows students to compare the cost of living in different cities. You can compare prices on everything from rent to bananas.

Student Finance Domain - The Student Finance Domain is a free reference center that was created to help students make informed decisions about credit cards, student loans, and student banking.

Pay Range Calculator - The Pay Calculator provided by Payscale.com can help any student calculate salary range for different job titles and markets.

Currency Calculator - This currency calculator provided by XE.com is perfect for students who plan to travel or are studying abroad. It has great features like a currency converter, up-to-date cross rates, and a travel expense calculator.

Salary Finder - Graduate students looking for competitive pay in the job market will benefit from College Grad's Salary Finder. The tool can help with salary negotiations, hiring demand, salary calculations, and career information.

*About the author: This post was written by Karen Schweitzer, the About.com Guide to Business School. Karen also writes about college online for OnlineCollege.org.

*Image Credit: Photograph by LuMaxArt [via Flickr Creative Commons]

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Buying Insurance: Factors to Consider For Security and Savings

(This is a guest article by Barbara Waltz*)

Whether it was for an auto accident or a doctor's visit, the odds are that you have had to make an insurance claim at some point in your life. At that point you probably learned the importance of having a quality insurance in place to cover the bills. While there are quite a few great insurance companies out there who will be there for you when you need them, there are also a fair share of companies who are less than reputable. Although those companies may offer incredible prices, they will leave you lacking when it comes to needing their help. Below is a list of what you should consider when purchasing any insurance policy as well as some tips to save a bit of money while doing so.

Premium Determining Factors

Age, past history and location are some of the bigger factors that determine premiums but certainly not all of them. Each company places different weight on certain factors and this equation changes regularly. For example a driver with a great record but poor credit history may have ridiculous premiums with one company who sees him as being a risk but with another who focuses on other factors may offer him discount auto insurance based on his driving history.

Use Caution When Cutting Coverage to Save Money

Always make sure you fully understand what you are getting into by doing this. While in some cases it is a great idea to increase a deductible to save a bit of money, it may come with a greater risk than the potential rewards. There are many areas of “fat” that can be trimmed out of insurances with little risk just make sure it is not something that can come back and bite you if you are in a bind. In some cases increasing deductibles can be a huge money saver and can save more money over the long term of the policy than lower deductibles and higher premiums.

Try Before You Buy

Most companies offer a 30 day trial period of their coverage. During that period you should be able to cancel and be given a full refund. While this period is often too short to fully understand if the coverage is going to be suited for you, it can still be a nice perk.

Verify the Company's Ratings (Financial and Personal Users)

Knowing that the company has the finances in place to handle a claim if it arises is important. Although they may have the finances in place, they may be less useful when it comes to paying up,and that is why it is equally as important to see what other policy owners have said about their experiences. The internet has spawned tons of user generated review sites and the financial information is readily available as well. Each state has their own insurance complain department as well which will is a great resource for verifying information on the company.

Ensuring Your Agent is Licensed

While it seems unlikely, there are many horror stories of people being fleeced with fake policies. The “agent” takes an upfront fee and then disappears.

Shop Around

While many people will look around to find the best shoes or lowest price on a car or whatever, for some reason people are less inclined to do so when it comes to insurance, which is arguably more important over the course of your life. Depending on your situation, some insurance premiums can be 50% higher with different companies. Compare several policies before making any decision to an insurance.

*About the author:This post was written by Barbara Waltz one of the founders of 24/7 Quote Us, an online resource blog and insurance quote comparison guide.

*Image Credit: Photograph by Gravestone [via Flickr Creative Commons]

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10 steps I used to get out of Debt

(This is a guest article by Sharon Marthers*)

There were times when I used to allow my heart to rule as far as my personal finances are concerned. I thought it was the coolest approach that I could ever have until I realized that it wasn't a good idea after all! Well, I had to admit that one doesn't get into a debt situation in a jiffy because it builds up gradually and seeps into one's finances in a clandestine manner. Guess what? It even took me a long time to get out of it!

So what did I do to get out of it anyway?

I came across billboards that offered me debt help and was requested to enroll for some kind of debt relief option in the process. They seemed they might be effective initially, until I found out that they might not be the same for all and sundry. So, I took some personal measures first, such as, evaluating my financial situation and then finding the particular debt relief option that would be suitable for me. In the midst of this storm, here are some measures I used in order to withstand the storm and come out of it:

1. Avoid borrowing money to get out of debt

It is not a very bright idea to take loan from Peter to pay off Harry. It could have added up to my existing debt burden. If taking a loan to consolidate all debts, it is always better to use collateral. In case of a collateral (secured loan), the rate of interest is also less and if you fail to make payments your collateral is taken away by the creditor. So, if at all you are availing another loan, try to take a secured one as you will always have the fear of losing your assets due to non payment.


2. Use cash and minimize credit card usage

Although you are using plastic money to shop around, sooner or later you have to pay that money. You cannot defer the payment for months. So, if you are using cash, it is better because you tend to shop around depending on availability of cash.


3. Attend to debts that have higher interest rates

You can wrap up your debts and get out of debt by following 2 methods. You can either make payments for the debts that attract a very interest rate. Alternatively, you can attend to debts that have lower outstanding balances. However, I opted for the former.


4. Pay more than the minimum monthly payments

You may have come across precepts urging you to make payment for the minimum balance every month. Undoubtedly, it is true but you should pay more than the minimum balance. By doing so, you not only make payments for the interest but your principal amount also reduces in due course.


5. Work out a budget and track expenses

Work out a budget and spend accordingly. Identify expenses that can be curtailed. The amount you save can either be used to pay off debts or you can make an emergency fund with it.


6. Check your credit report periodically

You are entitled to a free copy of your credit report every year from the 3 credit bureaus. Get hold of your credit report and check for irregularities. It may be that you have managed your finances very well but the same isn’t recorded in your credit report. Your report may have inaccurate information entered. If it so happens, get it rectified without delay.


7. Read TOS while accepting credit cards

Reports suggest that majority of the credit cardholders fail to manage their credit cards well because they are not aware of the terms and conditions when they accept the cards. When they are implemented, you fail to cope with the same.


8. Save for the rainy day

Save for the rainy day. It can bail you out of a financially stressful situation when you are in real need of it.


9. Don’t be extravagant

Avoid holiday “hangovers” and impulsive shopping. If you can defer buying an article, put it off for a later period.


10. Take professional guidance if required

Don’t hesitate to seek professional help if you are not being able to manage your finances well or you are likely to face financial crisis in near future. It is rightly said “Prevention is always better than cure”.

*About the author: Sharon Marthers is one of the financial writers associated with the Debt Consolidation Care Community. With her in-depth knowledge and vast experience, she has had a profound impact through writing and advising on all debt consolidation issues and has presented useful tips to get out of debt. Her remarkable guidance and support has improved the community into a global hub for the debt related situations.

*Image Credit: Photograph by gaspi *your guide [via Flickr Creative Commons]