Living on a budget has Americans feeling all tuckered out. Image: CC JoyTek/Flickr

Middle class Americans are suffering from “frugal fatigue” as they wait for the end of the recession to trickle down to them. Frugal fatigue is a weariness with tight budgets, pinching pennies and settling for less. But as living within one’s means becomes the new normal, frugal fatigue may describe a failure to accept financial responsibility.

The frugal fatigue epidemic

Frugal fatigue has set in upon a generation of Americans not accustomed to creating a budget, tracking spending and saving for an emergency fund. Two thirds of Americans are suffering from this debilitating disorder, according to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. In a recent NFCC survey, 66 percent of respondents said yes, they had frugal fatigue, and they’re tired of pinching pennies, but they have no choice but to continue for the foreseeable future. Twenty percent in the survey said they were better off living with a new sense of financial responsibility and are happy to continue. Eight percent claimed their financial habits were unaffected by the recession and 5 percent were ready to return to their spendthrift ways.

Giving in to frugal fatigue

The rate of economic growth, however slow, is encouraging some people who have jobs to set aside their frugality and splurge. After two years of decline, credit card debt is rising, car loans are boosting U.S. automakers, and investors are leveraging their debt. According to the Federal Reserve, revolving credit card debt increased 2.5 percent from $807.2 billion to $826.6 billion in December. Non-revolving debt such as installment loans rose from $1.608 trillion in November to $1.611 trillion in December. Investors have been watching and have acted accordingly. On the New York Stock Exchange, the margin of credit, which is money investors borrow to buy stock, increased to $276 billion in December, up from $233 billion in January 2010.

Frugal fatigue is all in your head

For consumers suffering from frugal fatigue, it’s important to remember that it is a state of mind, not a psychological disorder. Those who who miss spending beyond what their income can support have missed the point made by the recession. Is it better to feel stressed by a pile of debt, or feel at ease for being relieved of that burden? Many people who lose weight just end up putting the pounds back on again. Others stay fit for the rest of their life.

Sources

MarketWatch

MSNBC

Daily Finance

There are ways of getting a rate on personal loans which don't end up breaking the piggy bank. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

If you’re getting into the market for personal loans, there are a few things that can help you get the best personal loan rates.

First thing in rates for personal loans is credit score

Your credit score is one of the most important details about your financial life, and it is also significant when you apply for personal loans.  It may seem unfair, based on past occurrences and not reflective of your present ability to repay a loan, but unfortunately it is entrenched.  To better your chances to get a personal loan, you want to boost your credit score.  Pay off the credit cards, first and foremost. If you have multiple cards, pay them off until you are down to one or two, and keep the balances low.  Even if you have bad debt that’s been charged off, some payment is better than none.

Lay your money down

The more you offer as a down payment, the less you’ll owe on the principle. The less you owe on the principle, the better the interest rate will be and the less you’ll have to pay.  Typically, a down payment is something you’ll only have to worry about with a home or a car.  According to a recent Forbes piece, a 20 percent down payment on a home is beginning to get out of reach. This is part of an overall trend, as the requirements to make that upfront payment loosen.  That practice is starting to get nipped in the bud, so for any large personal loan, expect it to come up.

Shop around and don’t be afraid to refinance

As with any product or service, shop around.  One of the great things about credit unions is that they carry lower risk structurally than a bank does, and often can offer lower rates than some banks.  If a company doesn’t have lavish bonuses to shell out, that means lower overhead.  Also, if you have a large enough loan, such as a mortgage loan, car loan, student loan or business loan, don’t be afraid to refinance once you’re in the right position. Lower interest rates mean lower payments, which means more money in your pocket.

The president signed an executive order Friday for tougher national fuel economy standards that calls for better gas mileage beyond 2017 and regulates heavy trucks for the first time. Flickr photo.

Fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks got tougher in April. On Friday, those standards for cars and light trucks got even tougher and extended further into the future. Plus, better gas mileage for heavy trucks will also be enforced for the first time. President Obama ordered the government to step up fuel economy standards, and he had a group of auto and truck executives who support the regulation standing behind him. The president cited the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in his remarks about America’s long-term energy security and national fuel economy standards.

National fuel efficiency standards

The executive order on national fuel efficiency standards allows Obama to get the ball rolling without having to wait for Congress. Obama’s signature orders the Environmental Protection Agency and the Transportation Department to develop new fuel and emissions standards that are more strict than rules formally enacted in April. The April rules require that auto loans will buy new cars that average a minimum of 35.5 miles a gallon by 2016. The president’s new plan also orders more improvements on fuel efficiency in cars and light trucks made in 2017 and beyond and in medium and heavy trucks made from 2014 through 2018.

In addition, Mr. Obama’s directive orders more federal support for the development of new vehicles, such as advanced electric cars, and it instructs the EPA to reduce emissions of other  pollutants by motor vehicles, besides greenhouse gases.

Automakers want national fuel efficiency standards.

Automakers want national fuel efficiency standards. A state-by-state approach has threatened them ever since California started trying to enforce tougher fuel efficiency standards than the federal government. The New York Times reports that before the president’s initial policy a year ago, manufacturers were facing fuel-efficiency standards developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in response to Congressional legislation; separate greenhouse-gas standards being developed by the Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Air Act; and the possibility of separate standards enacted in California and 13 other states.

Better gas mileage for trucks

Environmental groups have wanted better gas mileage standards for medium- and heavy-duty work trucks for some time. The Associated Press reports that medium and heavy trucks represent only 4 percent of all vehicles on American highways, but they consume more than 20 percent of the fuel burned on the roads, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, an environmental advocacy organization. If trucks get 3.7 miles to the gallon more it would, by 2030, reduce American oil consumption by 11 billion gallons a year, the group said.

Better gas mileage saves billions

Better gas mileage standards will have a deep impact on carbon emissions as well as energy security. Reuters reports that environmental statistics show cars and trucks account for more than 60 percent of U.S. oil consumption and more than 25 percent of domestic carbon pollution, David Doniger, policy director for the Climate Center at the Natural Resources Defense Council, told Reuters that better gas mileage for cars and the first-ever efficiency goals for trucks will save consumers billions of dollars in fuel costs.

Sinkholes can be common occurrences in wetland states. Image from Flickr.

If your evening commute includes I-24 in Tennessee, the I-24 sinkhole is sure to throw a wrench into your plans. A deep sinkhole opened up on I-24 between Chattanooga and Nashville, and shut down a 13-mile stretch of the heavily traveled road. In Canada, a wide sinkhole that opened last week killed a family who was in their basement. So what is the deal with all of these sinkholes?

I-24 Sinkhole snarls Tennessee traffic

The Tennessee Department of Transportation reported today that the I-24 sinkhole opened up Tuesday morning. A tractor-trailer barely missed the sinkhole after it opened up, and nobody was injured or had to take out new car loans as a result of the sinkhole. At 40 feet long and 25 feet deep, the sinkhole will take $266,960 to fix, and authority hopes repairs will be completed by May 22. A private contractor has been given the contract. The I-24 sinkhole is between mile marker 127 and exit 127. Traffic has been detoured around the sinkhole on Eastbound lanes, though Westbound lanes have not been closed.

Canadian sinkhole kills family of four

On the northern side of the continent, a sinkhole that recently opened up in Canada killed a family of four. Just outside Montreal, a sinkhole appeared under several homes, and one family who was in their basement at the time was encased in the sloshing mud. Neighboring houses were evacuated, and the area is being treated as a disaster rehabilitation area by the Canadian government.

What is a sinkhole, anyway?

Sudden sinkholes such as the ones in Tennessee and Canada have several causes. Usually, water either running below bedrock or seeping in from above works away at the underlying support of an area. The water slowly dissolves the rock, and eventually the weight above the area simply becomes too much. At this point, a sudden sinkhole appears. Sub-surface waterways, sewer piping and abandoned mines are some of the most common causes of sinkholes. Sinkholes can be difficult to predict, though Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri and Pennsylvania tend to have the most sinkholes among U.S. states.

Kelley Blue Book has added a free iPhone app to its quiver as the universal source for pricing used cars and trade-in value for auto financing. Flickr photo.

Kelley Blue Book is the universal source to determine the market value of used cars for auto financing. But Kelley Blue Book has come a long way since Les Kelley published his first guide to used car values in 1926. Today Kelley Blue Book has evolved from a pocket-sized pamphlet into a powerful web-based resource library and automobile search engine with its very own free Kelley Blue Book iPhone app.

Kelley Blue Book, used cars and much more

Kelly Blue Book demonstrated its clout Monday with the release of its choices for the Top 10 Green Cars for 2010. The announcement that ranks the Toyota Prius at the top of the list, received major coverage from news outlets across the U.S. The Kelley Blue Book list of Top 10 Green Cars for 2010 includes a selection of vehicles for all purposes, from the Honda Insight Hybrid at number two to the Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid at number 10. Should someone want an auto loan for any of these cars, they can simply go to Kelley Blue Book, enter a zip code, and find the location of the dealer offering the best price.

Kelley Blue Book free iPhone app

The Kelley Blue Book free iPhone app offers a Seller’s Toolkit that lets you access the book value of the car you’re looking at by plugging your iPhone directly into the Kelley Blue Book database. You can also find trade-in value, dealer locations, read reviews and look at 360 degree views of the car in question. If you’re selling a car, the Kelley Blue Book free iPhone app even has quicklinks to Kelley Blue Book’s website for buyers to find your car, and tools to create slick ads for craigslist, Facebook, Twitter, e-mail or blog.

Kelley Blue Book used cars, trade in value

To determine the value of used cars and trade in value, Kelley Blue Book uses other factors besides make, model and miles. The condition of a used car is judged with tough criteria for car loans. Unless the used car is showroom immaculate, a well-kept vehicle will likely be judged as “good,” rather than “excellent.” Cars that need a little work are “fair” and smoking, sputtering heaps are “poor.” The most interesting factor in Kelley Blue Book used cars trade-in value is location, which is why you enter a zip code when you research used cars and trade-in value on the Kelley Blue Book site. For example, an SUV is worth more in Montana than Miami. A Corvette convertible is worth more in San Diego than North Dakota.

Kelley Blue Book, the used cars bible

Kelley Blue Book has been so successful in identifying its brand with its services the term “book” is universally understood as the benchmark price used cars and trade in value. Wheeling and dealing today includes standard terms like “what’s the book?” “over book” and “under book.” Kelley Blue Book has actually trademarked the terms blue book and blue book value.

This could be your next keyboard, thanks to Skinput. Image from Flickr.

Your next cell phone may not have a built-in keyboard of any kind – you may just be able to use Skinput instead. Now in development at Microsoft, Skinput is slated to become the newest form of human-computer interface. Skinput is still a few years away from being offered commercially, though with enough same day payday loans you might be able to build your own Skinput system.

Skinput based on vibrations

Despite the visions of sci-fi writers across the world, the Skinput system does not rely on implants in your skin. Instead, an armband around your elbow records and transmits vibrations via a Bluetooth connection. Tapping your fingers together or in various places on your arm produces vibrations at different frequencies, which allows a virtual “keyboard” to exist on your skin.

Pairing Skinput with a projector

The original design of Skinput is an interface that goes only one direction. You can send commands to your cell phone or computer through your armband. However, to see fully interactive menus or to read anything, you would have to pull your phone out. A small pica-projector, however, could solve this problem. The prototype projector is mounted on a frame above the arm, but there are hopes of shrinking this projector significantly.

When can you get Skinput?

The Skinput system is still about two to seven years away from a commercial application. Currently, the Skinput system is only 96 percent accurate with a five-button system. A full keyboard and navigational system built on Skinput would need at least 30 keys and up to 99 percent accuracy. Even though it is a few years away, the Skinput system will most likely start out very expensive – perhaps as costly as car loans. As the technology improves and shrinks, though, the Skinput system will become much more affordable. Some software programming specialists are already considering the possibilities for this new user interface. Perhaps the Skinput system could be paired with a contact lens display for a fully “integrated” day-to-day cell phone.

See Skinput in action

Consumer Reports cars leading in reliability include the Honda, which tied Subaru at the top of the list.

Consumer Reports cars that made the magazines “Best 10″ list don’t include the government bailout automakers General Motors and Chrysler. The best cars for auto financing are being built by Honda and Subaru, according to Consumer Reports latest automaker rankings. The automaker showing the most dramatic improvement is South Korean carmaker Hyundai,jumping to fourth place from ninth last year. Among American manufacturers, only Ford improved over last year. It scored one point better to pass Mitsubishi for 11th place.

Government bailout bottom dwellers

Consumer Reports cars were rated for performance, comfort, utility, fuel economy and reliability. The magazine tested more than 280 vehicles. It’s unlikely many will be taking out auto loans on vehicles by government bailout automaker Chrysler, which finished dead last. Fellow government bailout recipient General Motors was second from the bottom after axing a third of its models. Asian automakers still lead the pack. Despite bad publicity resulting from braking and unintended acceleration problems, Toyota finished third behind Honda and Subaru, which tied for first.

Subaru/Honda lead automaker rankings

Consumer Reports cars that stood out included Subaru’s redesigned Legacy sedan and Outback wagon–vehicles that raised Subaru into a tie with Honda in the magazine’s automaker rankings. Subaru moved into a tie for first. The redesigned 2010 Legacy sedan and Outback wagon raised Subaru’s overall test score from 78 points to 81. That helped contribute to its tie with Honda in our rankings. Hyundai models that pushed the Korean automaker up in the rankings include the Genesis sedan, Elantra, Santa Fe SUV, and Kia Optima.

American automaker rankings

American products singled out on the Consumer Reports cars list include the redesigned Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, referred to as “excellent overall packages that provide good performance and fuel economy.” Consumer Reports said that the reliability of Ford cars is average or above average. But Ford cars you may want to stay away from include the Taurus, F-250 pickup and Explorer SUV.s New GM models like the Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Equinox tested well, but with no track record as of yet, reliability for these cars wasn’t rated. Chrysler managed to squeak in a Consumer Reports recommendation for the Dodge Ram pickup.

European automaker rankings

Consumer Reports cars on the list from Europe include the Mercedes-Benz GLK small SUV. Volkswagen’s Golf was rated as excellent. The Passat and Audi A3 have improved to be merely average. And Volkswagen’s Touareg finished dead last in reliability. For people committing to car loans, reliability should be a primary consideration and Consumer Reports cars are have been a long-respected reliable source for the facts.

GM recall will affect 1.3 million Chevy and Pontiac compacts

So if you want to be accurate, this GM recall is technically a Chevy recall and Pontiac recall. According to the Huffington Post, the vehicles are sold in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. General Motors is simply the parent company. GM spokesman Alan Adler told the media that it will take time to get new motors from supplier JTEKT Corp, and General Motors will let owners know when the new parts are available.

The Chevy and Pontiac recall vehicles are polite enough to warn you

If the power steering fails in your GM car, a warning light appears on the dash and a pleasant chime sounds. This is more than Toyota and Honda have offered. If only people could be warned before brakes fail or accelerators lock, they could perhaps dive out the window and continue to live a life of fulfillment. In the case of the defective Honda airbags, the car could remind you to don face shield and body armor before driving.

What cars are affected by the GM recall?

Rather than keep you waiting any longer, here’s the current list:

• 2005 through 2010 Chevy Cobalt
• 2007 through 2010 Pontiac G5
• 2005 and 2006 Pontiac Pursuit (Canada)
• 2005 and 2006 Pontiac G4 (Mexico)

These vehicles are considered safe to drive until the new power steering motors are available to be installed by dealerships. According to Adler, it typically takes 20,000 to 30,000 miles before the power steering issues appear. Furthermore, power steering “usually comes back” when the car is restarted.

Investigation of the GM recall problem began January 27

That’s when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started their investigation. There were 1,100 complaints about the power steering assist issue, and among the complaints were notices of 14 crashes and one injury. As GM VP of Quality Jamie Hresko said in a statement, the GM recall is more for customers’ “peace of mind,” rather than an immediate safety issue.

Need an assist?

The GM recall isn’t serious, but your auto financing issue could be. If you’re worried that your credit could be a deal breaker, try Car Deal Expert. They can connect you with lenders that can provide the best possible auto loan rates for your credit!

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H2AeZhHaV4

Sometimes people think of saving money as a monumental task involving lots of personal sacrifice. This does not have to be the case, however, for those willing to make minor changes, prevent the need for more payday loans, and begin saving money right away. The following are a few very simple tips that everyone can use to grow their savings.

Stop Using Credit Cards

By their very nature, credit cards increase debt. They also are great ways of wasting money on things like interest rates, finance charges and other fees. When these additional charges are avoided, more money is made available for actual saving. Those who make it a hard-fast rule to only purchase items that they can afford to pay for in cash find themselves closer to a debt-free reality and a larger savings account.

Only Spend Paper Money

Each time coins are received as change for purchases, do not spend this money later in the day. Instead, when other purchases are made throughout the day, pay for each one with paper currency and save all change received to be deposited in a piggy bank or a coin jar at the end of the day. People have reported amazing success in saving money in this way and some have even been able to bypass the need for car loans by purchasing vehicles with spare change that they have saved for several years.

Save a Few Dollars Every Day

By developing a habit of putting a few dollars in a jar each and every day, a person can save a lot of money. For example, if a person can develop the discipline of saving just five dollars every day, in a year’s time they can save $1,825. Some people may only choose to save a dollar each day and others may choose to save more, but this is a relatively painless way of saving that everyone can afford to do.

Stop Spending Money on Vices

Most have mentally calculated the money that they could save if they stopped buying a daily latte, a daily pack of cigarettes or lottery tickets every payday. However, those who are really motivated to save money not only put a halt to these vices, but they go an extra mile in actually placing the money that they would have spent on them in a jar or piggy bank and deposit that money into a separate savings account at regular intervals.

Clip Coupons

Coupons are offered online, they are delivered free to most homes, and major manufacturers make them available in the Sunday paper each week. Entire websites are devoted to finding coupons for items used every day and learning how to maximize their value. Some retailers will double the value of a coupon or even accept competitor coupons on certain items. Most people who try using coupons give up after forgetting to use them before they expire. However, this can be avoided by planning specific shopping days, writing out a list of items to be purchased and making a note next to those that a coupon can be applied to.

Anyone Can Save Money

Saving money doesn’t have to be a major inconvenience. By simply disciplining one’s self to set small amounts aside on a regular basis, most are surprised at how quickly these amounts turn into substantial savings. With these tips, anyone can save money and those who are serious about their financial future actually will.

Not that kind of Skydeck (image by flickr)

People who have seen the Honda Skydeck concept minivan, which was unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show, call it “futuristic.” The front doors are scissor doors. You know, like the ones on the DeLorean, so that’s what I thought of immediately when I saw photos of the Honda Skydeck concept.

The Honda Skydeck concept is built in such a way that the back doors slide open like a regular minivan, and the front doors open by flipping up. There’s no divider between the doors, so when both sets are open there’s full access to the inner cabin with nothing but seats in the way.

More to come on Honda Skydeck concept

Not much else is know about the Honda Skydeck, but as is to be expected from Honda, the design is meant to appeal to a “wider range of ages and lifestyles.” Also, as expected, the Honda Skydeck is a hybrid vehicle.

Of course, Honda doesn’t want to spoil anything like how big your car loans will have to be to buy it, so there’s no word on the price yet. The fact that it’s a hybrid minivan designed to look cool indicates it’ll be on the higher end, but Honda is known for making inexpensive vehicles.

Reviews of Honda Skydeck

The official Tokyo Motor Show web site says “In designing the Skydeck, Honda transcended these traditional boundaries to create an automobile appealing to people of a wider range of ages and lifestyles.” The UK Autoblog, which claims to “obsessively cover the auto industry,” had this to say:

One of the design highlights of the show is bound to be the Honda Skydeck Concept. This futuristic, airily named family van is clearly a long way removed from being a production-ready vehicle, yet it arouses more than just passing interest. With its windscreen blending into a glass roof, driver and passengers have an impression of unconstrained freedom.

So I suppose we’ll be seeing the Honda Skydeck concept brought to reality on showroom floors in a few years. In the meantime, people who wish to own hybrid minivans will have to either order them from Japan or wait for the Toyota Sienna next year.

(Photo: picasaweb.google.com)

If you’re in the market for a new or used car or wondering if there’s a way to lower your monthly payments on the car you own now, check out the new Car Deal Expert website. It’s a great resource for anyone who owns a car or is thinking about buying one – and that’s a lot of people. Car Deal Expert can save you thousands of dollars by helping you find the very best car loan available.

A full-service site

Car Deal Expert offers a full range of financial services for car buyers and car owners. In addition to great deals on new-car loans, used-car financing, and auto refinancing, you’ll find expert answers to all kinds of automobile-related questions. Should you purchase an extended warranty? How much of your income should you spend on a car? What’s the best way to finance an RV? Can you save money by refinancing your car loan? How does a loan pre-approval affect your negotiating power with car dealerships? Can you get a car loan without good credit?

No hassle, no obligation

At Car Deal Expert, the entire loan-approval process is done online. All you do is fill out one short application and Car Deal Expert does all the legwork for you. Within minutes, you’ll be in contact with a lender offering the best available terms for your individual situation. There’s no waiting or worrying or hassling. And there’s no obligation, either. Car Deal Expert will find you a reputable lender very quickly, but whether you agree to the terms offered is completely up to you.

Improved bargaining power

Getting a quick loan pre-approval on the Car Deal Expert site before you go out to buy a car can save you a lot of headache and trouble, not to mention money. If nothing else, when you’ve already been approved for a loan, you’ll know whether the financing offered by the dealer is fair. And when you walk into a vehicle showroom with a pre-approval in hand, salespeople are less inclined to persuade you to spend more than your stated limit.

Lower interest rates

When you apply for a loan through a car dealership, you may not be offered the lowest interest rate available because higher interest rates can mean higher sales commissions. But when you apply at Car Deal Expert, you will be matched with a lender offering the lowest interest rate available, or a choice of lenders offering various rates and loan terms, depending on your circumstances.

New-car loans. Buying a new car is one of the most important investment decisions most of us will ever make. But too often, people get so excited about the car that they don’t bother to shop for a loan. Instead, they walk into the dealership and blindly accept whatever financing the dealer offers. Many online lenders have better interest rates and more favorable loan terms than dealerships do. So before you go out to buy a new car, take just a few minutes to find out how much you can save by getting a loan pre-approval through Car Deal Expert.

Used-car loans. New-car prices have risen steadily over the years, and used-car prices have kept pace. Used-car financing has become commonplace, and today, if purchase a vehicle that’s only one or two years old, your payments will be nearly as high as a new-car loan. New or used, buying a car is a huge undertaking, and it makes good sense to shop carefully for the best possible loan.

Auto refinancing. If you bought your car when interest rates were high or if you accepted dealer financing without shopping around for better deals, paying off your existing car loan with a new lower-interest loan can save you thousands of dollars. If you bought your car before you had established credit and you’ve been making your payments regularly for a couple of years, you might be able to qualify for a lower interest rate now. If you’ve been working on improving your credit score and you’re still paying on an auto loan, there’s no reason to wait until the next time you buy a car to get a better interest rate. By refinancing your vehicle, you may be able to save money every month, starting right now.

Moving on

The past few years have been economic nightmares for lots of people, but that doesn’t change the fact that most people still need cars just to get to and from work. Lots of people today are afraid to apply for a vehicle loan because of damaged credit scores resulting from the loss of a home or job. But buying a car and making regular payments on the loan can help repair the damage done. If you’re lucky enough to be back on your feet with a job, making car-loan payments like clockwork can do your credit score a world of good.

Getting an answer

There’s a comforting anonymity in applying online for a loan at Car Deal Expert. If you don’t qualify, at least you have an answer, and no one’s going to know but you. But if you don’t apply, you’ll never know; and if you do apply, you just might be pleasantly surprised. Best of all, if you qualify for a loan through Car Deal Expert, you can rest assured you’re being offered the best terms available.

(Photo courtesy of flickr.com)

Most recent college graduates focus on debt relief as they move into the workplace. Gone are the days of accumulating credit later in life and almost every college graduate has some type of debt to deal with.

Whether it’s student loans, car loans, or credit cards, students need to focus on their credit-building plans. With Visa, MasterCard, and Discover all catering to college students as their future market, students are inundated with offers of special deals to secure their business for many years to come.

Paying down debt

The first thing all graduates should focus on is getting out from under unnecessary debt. Sure, that credit card deal sounds great, but the bottom line is that credit card companies are out to make money. Whether that comes in the form of fees, charges, or penalties, they are set up to reap as much benefit from each customer’s purchases as they can. Young adults need to pay down debt as soon as possible.

Ways to manage

There are a wide variety of ways to pay down debt. Smaller apartments, living with parents for a longer period of time, or getting a roommate can maximize funds for paying down debt. Using public transportation rather than buying a car immediately after graduation may be another solution. There are many different ways to cut back on living expenses.

Another area to look at is credit card balances. If graduates find they have large credit card balances, they can look into switching to lower-interest cards. Existing balances can be transferred to these cards and resulting monthly savings can be applied to paying down debt. Again, in today’s economy, debt relief should be a priority for every student attempting to manage a budget.

Student loans

For qualifying graduates, student loan payments can be reduced under many different programs. The Federal Direct Consolidation Loan program can give information on what can be done to change payments. Many students qualify for these types of student loan repayment programs, and the monthly savings can be significant. The programs can lengthen loan terms, reduce payments, and in some cases, even forgive portions of loan balances.

Insurance

Graduates should pay attention to insurance needs, also. Health insurance is important. Uninsured medical expenses due to illness or accident can cause long-term financial disasters. Many employers offer health insurance, but graduates should be sure to understand the terms of their coverage; and if the coverage is inadequate, they should attempt to find better coverage on their own by calling major insurers for their location.

Graduates should also consider life and disability insurance. Although life insurance is most logical for graduates with dependents, disability insurance is important for everyone. Disability insurance will replace a portion of a worker’s income should he or she be unable to work for an extended period of time due to illness or injury. If an employer doesn’t offer this type of insurance, workers should call companies to compare rates.

A cash reserve

Graduates need to understand the importance of saving. Putting money away, in addition to working on debt relief, can make their financial futures secure. The traditional rule of thumb has been to maintain between three and six months of normal living expenses in savings. But given the current recession, six to nine months of expenses is a more realistic amount to cover emergencies and possible periods of unemployment or income reduction.

The Holistic Moms Network encourages people to get close to nature.

The cost of medical care is weighing down families as Congress unsuccessfully tries to finish and pass a health care reform bill. Some Americans are turning their backs on the health care industry and turning to holistic medicine and avoiding illness through holistic living.

The Holistic Moms Network is an online resource for information on holistic living. It is also a nonprofit organization dedicated to “connecting parents who are interested in holistic health and green living,” according to the Holistic Moms Network web site.

Green living and parenting ‘from the heart’

It’s easy for Americans to fall into a way of life that has their children constantly going the doctor all too often, taking prescription drugs at ever younger ages and eating food filled with chemicals. The Holistic Moms Network shows parents that there are other ways to raise  your children that promote healthier kids and as a bonus can save a lot of money. With mortgages and car loans and other big expenses to worry about, families are trying to save money any way they can. The Holistic Moms Network site says:

We encourage moms to trust their instincts, to parent from the heart, use their innate sense of what is best for their children, live in balance with the Earth, and learn about the pros and cons of all healthcare and parenting options.

The Holistic Moms Network also gives little tips, such as how to make fruits and vegetables last longer by freezing them. Any advice that helps families avoid wasting food saves them money.

Parenting tips from Holistic Moms Network

The Holistic Moms Network has several sections filled with articles and book recommendations to help parents with questions such as “Is it safe to sleep with my baby?” and “Should I let my baby cry it out?” Sections on the site include Holistic Health, Natural & Positive Parenting, Pregnancy and Childbirth, Green Living, Vaccinations, Whole Nutrition and Holistic Education.

The Holistic Moms Network isn’t totally against Western medicine. The Vaccinations section has articles about pros and cons, including information about how effective they are. There are books saying children should be vaccinated and some books saying they shouldn’t. From the web site:

The Holistic Moms Network believes that parents need to make informed and educated choices about all healthcare options for their children, including vaccination, and that they deserve the freedom to make the choice that works best for their family.

Whether or not you agree with the Holistic Moms Network philosophy, you will come away from the web site with great insight and information. I encourage people to always look for ways to save money, lead healthier lives and do what’s best for their kids, and I like that the Holistic Moms Network explores all of these things.