Many of you are aware that I like to travel. I’ve had the pleasure of visiting a few foreign countries and taking a handful of cruises, and I intend to do more in the not-to-distant future. Because you know me, you know I don’t finance these trips–I plan ahead and save for them. And if you’ve followed my blog for a while, you are also aware that I do use one credit card for which I earn flight miles, and I use this card on the trips where I see the world. There is one thing about my credit card for which I am especially grateful–whenever there is suspicious activity on my account, I get a text notification. The credit card company recognizes that charges abroad MIGHT NOT BE LEGIT, and they send me a message. All I have to do is confirm that it is, in fact, me that made the peculiar purchase, and I’m good to go. If I did not make the purchase, I respond in kind, and my card is deactivated. Note to self and others: one could avoid these potential interruptions if one calls credit car...

Almost 20 years ago, I bought a used van with very low miles, under 30,000, but it had a salvaged title. The alternator went out on it and I had to be towed to the tune of $175.00, cheap by today’s standards. Anyway, because it was a salvaged title, it was no longer covered by manufacturer’s warranty, so I paid for a new alternator out of pocket (ouch), but I wrote a letter to the auto manufacturer explaining my towing-bill dilemma. Guess what? They sent me a check to cover the cost of the towing. What’s the point, you say? It is this: It never hurts to ask. Back on September 5 and 19, 2019 I wrote blog posts about credit cards and how they work. Feel free to review them: “ Knowthe Difference ,” and “ CanYou Handle It? ” In the latter post, I assigned some very telling homework, and, I suggested that you shred all your plastic if you couldn’t “handle it.” This leads me to the clever title of my blog post. Okay, I’ll explain it to you. If you heeded the advice in my almost-two-y...

The other day while driving, I messaged my sister (I have Bluetooth in my car and used the voice feature so I was legal) and said that I was “stopping for gas in 5 minutes although I might have to refinance my car in order to fill up my tank.” I don’t know about you, but I am just disgusted with gas prices. I could go down the blame road, but because this is not a political blog, I will refrain from doing so. It is what it is, we just have to make the best of it, and I’m just here trying to help. Summertime can allow us to do some things that we aren’t able to do when it’s too cold outside, like walk or bike to the store. But because the price of fuel isn’t the only thing that’s at a record high this year (there were 7 days over 100 degrees in Northern Utah IN JUNE–that’s just NOT normal) we need to be smart about it. If you are going to walk or bike to the store, choose a time of day where it’s cool enough that you can do that. And make sure you hydrate well before and after. Wear...

Have you ever noticed that if you don’t buy a swimsuit by Memorial Day that you probably can’t find one at a local store? Thank goodness for online shopping! I once needed a pair of flip flops for a cruise I was taking in early December; Amazon saved me.  Now, retailers are ahead of the game. They start gearing up for back-to-school (and sometimes cold weather, and the holidays follow shortly thereafter) as early as July–right after the 4 th . Maybe there is something we can learn from that. I know you are probably barely settled into your summer routine. You probably haven’t yet taken your vacation or been to your family reunion. I highly doubt you are thinking about fall and everything it brings. But it IS a good idea to get a look at what’s ahead. The start of a new school year isn’t always just about new clothes, colored pencils, and backpacks. There are lots of activities that coincide with it: sports, martial arts, music lessons, clubs, etc. If you are a normal American...

Wow! The year 2021 is officially halfway done! School breaks are fully upon us, the Fourth of July is this weekend, and it’s just about time to take that relaxing summer vacation (okay, maybe it’s a “staycation” since you’re working off your debt). I’d sure love to have time to catch up on some reading. Speaking of reading… Why not relax and read a good book yourself? No, not some trashy romance novel–do your pocketbook some good and grab a book that will help you get instructed and, dare I say MOTIVATED, to better your financial self. Want a few recommendations? I never thought you’d ask! How about The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley & William Danko. Then there’s The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason. We cannot forget Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. This list could probably get pretty long depending on who you ask. But my favorite is The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. You know, reading about self-improvement, including financial self-improvement, wi...