Yesterday I got a payday loan. Tomorrow I’m headed to New Zealand

I’m headed to New Zealand, because I have cash today, thanks to an online payday advance. Plenty of people will call that irresponsible, but plenty of people haven’t walked in my shoes. If you’ve been through the economic wringer in recent years, maybe you’ll get it. Or maybe you won’t. Either way, I’ve got money now and I’m going.

After two layoffs, I have money now

Two years ago, I was laid off from a good-paying job I’d had for several years. I collected unemployment for a few months and watched my retirement and investment accounts melt away like everyone else’s. I found a new, lower-paying job, but was laid off again after just a couple of months. This time, I didn’t qualify for unemployment benefits. After seven months, I was tapped out and couldn’t make my mortgage payment.

My head is barely above water, but I have money now

I managed to avoid a foreclosure with a lender-approved short sale, but everything I owned – other than my paid-off car and some beat-up furniture — was gone. I gave the furniture away and moved in with some friends. I finally found yet another even lower-paying job, and a couple months later, I was able to rent the apartment I have now. Luckily, I cut up my credit cards when I lost my first job, so I don’t have debts. My head is above water, but I’m still struggling to make ends meet.

The weather in New Zealand is perfect, and I have money now

I’m not in a stable financial place yet, but I’ve had my job long enough to get a personal loan. Now that I’ve got a little extra cash, I’m taking my life off hold. The coastline and mountains of New Zealand defy description. The whales are amazing. People say the Sauvignon blancs of the Marlborough region are better than the ones they make in Napa Valley. The air and water temperatures are perfect this time of year, and New Zealand is still a dollar-friendly place.

I have 23 hours plus a weekend, and I have money now, too

Last week I hit 23 hours of accumulated vacation time. Last night, I applied for an online payday loan. I had one in five minutes flat. The money was in my bank account this morning. I’ll pay it back out of my next paycheck and worry about how I’ll get by when it comes to that. Twenty-three paid hours plus a weekend isn’t at all enough time to visit New Zealand. Mostly I’ll be sitting on a plane. My grandmother is 94. I haven’t seen her in six years. She lives in Ashburton on the South Island. I fly out tomorrow morning.

Apply HERE for Money Now!

You aren’t the only one counting cash until payday

Counting cash until payday has become the new norm. We all have unique situations, but we’re all in the same boat: Ten days until payday and ten dollars in the bank. Sometimes you can scrape by on your last few dollars for an impressive stretch of time. But if one little thing goes wrong before payday – the car breaks down, the water heater stops working, or the dog gets sick – you have nowhere to turn.

Getting cash until payday is worth the cost

Sometimes — even before something goes wrong — it makes sense to get a payday loan to pad your bank account with a little extra cash until payday. The cost of a payday loan can be much less than late fees on a mortgage loan or credit card account. If you care about your credit score, think about getting a payday loan to protect it.

When you’re down to your last few dollars, paying a fee to get a little extra cash until payday is worth it for the peace of mind alone. Get a personal loan today, and if your kid needs something unexpected tomorrow, you’re prepared.

Getting cash until payday is easy

It’s fast and hassle-free to apply for cash until payday at Personal Money Store. Loans of up to $1500 are available and the funds are deposited directly to your bank account, sometimes in as little as two hours. You don’t have to fax anything or drive anywhere and there’s no credit check. On your next payday, the loan is paid back by an automatic deduction from your account. Or if you prefer to make several smaller payments over a longer period of time, you can apply for an installment payday loan.

Getting cash until payday lets you get things done

If you can make your loan payment without having to borrow again, getting a payday loan can make good sense. You have better things to do than count and recount your last ten dollars. With a little extra cash until payday, you just might get them done.

APPLY HERE for Cash Until Payday

Getting a loan till payday is misunderstood in some circles

The economy is a wreck. The jobless rate is rising. Homes are still being lost to foreclosure. Gasoline prices are creeping back up. Groceries are more expensive every week. Despite it all, plenty of people still have secure jobs and healthy bank account balances. Many of those people don’t know what it means to really need a little extra cash today. If you asked them, they’d probably say you can’t come out ahead by getting a loan till payday. But in fact, you can.

A loan till payday can be more valuable than a paycheck

If you’ve ever been to that place where it feels like $50 would change your whole life, you know something other people don’t. You know that a little cash in your hand today can be much more valuable than the same cash in your hand a week from today.

A loan till payday can help cut your losses

I learned the value of a loan till payday after being laid off from two jobs in two years. Both times, it took several months to find new work, and both times, I accepted jobs with lower pay. Luckily, my rent was fairly low, my car was paid off, and I hadn’t owned a credit card in years.

But by the time I started back to work the second time, it was the dead of winter and I was up against the wall on all my utility bills. I was employed, and had been for a few months, so the only concession I could get from my utility companies was a few additional days before being cut off. It was a bleak time, and payday was too far away to be of any help. What I really needed was to get part of my next paycheck in hand today.

A loan till payday can keep you afloat

I added it up. My total past-due utility bills (phone, gas, electric, and water) were about $380. If I didn’t get the past-due amounts paid right away, I was looking at over $600 in deposits and reconnection fees, not to mention the risk of frozen water pipes, spoiled food, and the shame of having a disconnected phone. I began to see that the only thing keeping me afloat was a tenuous tie to my next paycheck.  That next paycheck was all I had, and I decided to use what I had.

A loan till payday is fast and easy to get

I applied online for a $500 loan till payday and had cash in my bank account the very next day. There was no credit check. I didn’t have to fax anything or drive anywhere. The whole transaction was hassle- and humiliation-free.

A loan till payday can be a bargain

A two-week loan till payday cost me almost $80, and I’m not going say it was inexpensive. But I will say without any qualification that getting it was an advantageous move. Looking back, I’ll even call it a bargain. My utilities were still on, there was food in the refrigerator, and I still had hot water — a miracle, when you start to think you may not have it tomorrow. I saved more than $600 in deposits and fees, and after paying the loan back on my next payday, I still had enough money to scrape by.

A loan till payday can be a good decision

After three or four more pay periods, I was making ends meet without hitting rock bottom every time. Without that $500 loan, I would have struggled for months to regain my financial footing. So if you need a loan till payday, and you know you can get by on your next paycheck after paying it back, then maybe you should get one, too. When you need money right away, a loan till payday can make good sense.

APPLY HERE for a loan till payday

Image from Flickr.

“Project Runway” Season 6, Episode 11 was titled “The Best of the Best,” but in my opinion it definitely contained the worst decision the judges have ever made in “Project Runway” history. Althea made a horrible pair of pants, a tank top that looks like something you’d wear to the gym, and an over-sized, gray sweater. And she won!

What the hell? I have pajamas that look nicer than the crap that won “Project Runway” last night. The silver lining is that my favorite person (not the greatest designer, but love him!) Christopher managed to make it through another week. I don’t know if he really deserves to be in the top five, but he is adorable. He definitely deserves extra cash just for his personality.

Down to business

OK, all adorableness aside, let’s talk about what happened on “Project Runway” season 6 episode 11. The final six designers were challenged with making a look to complement one of their past winning looks. Well, most of them; Logan hasn’t had a winning look. In fact, as Althea, the undeserving winner, pointed out, he has never even been in the top three.

I think that comment was followed by something along the lines of “He thinks just because he’s hot he can do whatever he wants.” Well, I hope she feels vindicated by the fact that he got sent home. Yes, that’s what happened. Even though his little punk rock princess dress was a million times better than the saggy, baggy, bulky, blah outfit Althea made, he got sent home.

Catty much?

So, a good portion of the show was filled with Althea and Irina gossiping about the other designers, Logan in particular. Althea thought Logan totally ripped off her idea because he made a collar out of zippers. I thought the most ironic part of the episode was Irina telling Althea that she should “definitely say something” to him about the fact that he copied her idea. Then, once the designers were on the runway, Irina told the judges that she thought Althea had copied her idea.

So the designers are getting mean. Of course, Irina has always been mean. One of my esteemed colleagues on Twitter said she wants to punch her in the face. But Irina keeps hitting homeruns with her designs, so we’ll probably be seeing a lot more of her. In fact, I’m going to call it; I thin she is going to end up at Bryant Park. If Gordana or Christopher ends up at Bryant Park it will be a miracle. I think we may have our first girls-only finale this year.

More Tim Gunn, please!

OK, so we have already established the fact that I think the judges have gone completely out of their minds. The sanest person on the show is Tim Gunn, and I feel like I am not getting enough of him. Is there any way to incorporate more of the Gunn factor into “Project Runway”? I think producers would do well to figure that out.

So, as my favorite designer mentor always says, talk to me. What do you think about Althea’s win, Logan going home and the amount of Tim Gunn on “Project Runway” season 6 episode 11? I know there are probably a million broken hearts out there because of Logan’s departure. I never thought he was that great, but knowing that he is from teeny, tiny Blackfoot, Idaho, kind of puts things in perspective. Share your thoughts!

Scottish Thistle; photo from Flickr.com. Did we mention the painful spines?

Onopordum Acanthium

Onopordum acanthium, or the Scottish Thistle or Cotton Thistle, is a hardy plant, known for both a deep root structure and a plethora of spines, making it unpleasant to handle. Anyone who has had one of these plants in a garden, lawn, or pasture, knows how bothersome they can be to remove and would give quick cash to get rid of them altogether. The species is native to Europe, and has been transplanted to every other continent as an invasive species. It’s part of the daisy or sunflower family, and produces large hairy leaves, spikes, and a distinctive purple flower.

The Flower of Scotland

The cotton thistle is known as the Flower of Scotland, and is a national symbol of the Scottish Nation. According to legend, an invading contingent of Vikings were sneaking up on a Scottish encampment at night, and when a Viking warrior stepped on a thistle without shoes and cried out in pain, their approach and position were given away, and then they were routed and the Vikings driven out of Scotland soon after. The legend dates back to sometime around the 12th and 13th centuries, and has been a cultural symbol ever since.

The Flower of Scotland is also a song, significant to many Scots, written in 1965 by Roy Williamson and Peter Dodds McCormick.  It was adopted as a sporting anthem of Scottish teams of several sports. It is sung at Scottish Association Football (association football = soccer) international matches, but it was first popularized by Scottish rugby players on the 1974 British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa. The British and Irish Lions, for those who don’t know, are a touring team comprised of the top rugby players of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The 1974 tour is the stuff of legend, famed for a rough South African team, bench clearing brawls, and players of legend, such as Willie John McBride of Ireland, Phil Bennett and JPR Williams of Wales, Ian McGeechan of Scotland who coached the 1997 and 2007 Lions tours of South Africa, and Fran “Mudman” Cotton, the legendary English prop forward. It has been since adopted as the unofficial anthem of the Scottish national rugby union team; much like Waltzing Matilda for the Wallabies.  (The Wallabies, for the low and uninitiated, are the Australian National Rugby Union team.  If you couldn’t gather that from it being Waltzing Matilda…here’s your sign.)

Trends turns up some stuff out of left field

Google Trends showcases some interesting searches, and this is one of them. So there you go, you lucky devils that read this site – you get a little bit of knowledge about interesting trivia for free – no need for a cash advance for an encyclopedia set or anything to find out stuff about the Scottish Thistle, the Flower of Scotland.

Times are hard and people are losing jobs left and right. If you could use some extra cash, why not try writing freelance on the internet?

Yes, there are actually internet companies that will pay you $10 to $25 per article, provided your writing meets certain criteria. As a freelance writer, you sell articles to these companies to be posted on their web pages. If your articles are accepted, you can make a decent living just by writing from the comfort of your own home.

Can I really get paid just for writing?

Yes, you really can. You don’t have to have a degree in journalism to start freelance writing, but you do have to be able to write clearly and coherently. If you can compose a fluent email, are mindful of your grammar and spelling, and can easily accept critiques from an editor, you’re pretty much good to go!

Editors will reject articles that don’t live up to the standards of the website, but don’t let that stop you. Simply take it as a learning experience to improve your writing skills and keep submitting. If you’re able to write or at least willing to learn, all you  need is a computer, an internet connection, and a PayPal account.

What’s so important about content on the internet?

There’s a saying floating around the net: “Content is king.” Word content on a website is crucial because it draws readers to the site. Understanding how search engines work can shed light on the question. When you look for a topic on the internet, you pull up a search engine like Yahoo or Google and type in a word or a short phrase. These are called keywords. You hit enter and a list of your search results appears.

Internet companies go to great lengths to make sure their site appears on the first page of your search results, a process called search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is labor-intensive, but more cost effective than paying for advertisements. Internet companies don’t always have the time or manpower required to update the content of their sites, so they outsource the work to freelance writers like me, and hopefully, like you.  The continual need for new content — new words in new articles — is why freelance writing can be a lucrative business.

How do I get paid for freelance writing?

Internet businesses generally pay their freelance writers in one of two ways: upfront or residually. Upfront payment means you write an article with a certain number of words, and the website buys your article for an agreed price. For example, the company may offer $15 for a 300-word article. Residual payment means that instead of being paid an agreed lump-sum when your article is accepted, you are paid a share of the revenues generated as your article draws traffic and readers click on the ads surrounding it.

Where do I start?

Personal Money Store is a great place to get started. It’s easy to join, and the company offers several different payment options. If you’re just starting out, you may want to try the pay-per-post option first, and then build your way up to better paying gigs. Simply contact the site for more information and follow their guidelines. That’s all it takes to get started making extra cash as a freelance writer.

Not everyone is excited about the November premiere of "Kate Plus 8." Image from Wikimedia.

Ratings for “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ on TLC are down 80 percent from the season premier. Of course, it’s tough to top a much-anticipated, public divorce announcement. However, TLC has decided that because “Jon & Kate Plus 8″ is no longer bringing home the bacon, the network will start a new show.

It should be an easy one to launch. TLC’s new show is “Kate Plus 8,” and it will be exactly what it sounds like. However, The New York Daily News reports that TLC will maintain its “exclusive” relationship with Jon Gosselin. Does that mean Jon Gosselin can’t make extra cash appearing on other shows?

Details and divorced dads

All jokes about Jon Gosselin and “exclusive relationships” aside, what does this contract with TLC mean for Jon Gosselin’s career? Daily News says Jon Gosselin will still make appearances on the show, but he will have a much more limited role. This seems to indicate Jon will get paid less, one would think, especially because TLC is altering the title of the show specifically to omit his name.

A few months ago, rumors began circulating that there was a reality show in the works called “Divorced Dads Club,” which would feature Michael Lohan, Jose Canseco, possibly Dennis Rodman and of course Jon Gosselin. However, does Jon Gosselin’s “exclusive relationship” with TLC mean he can’t be on the show? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

TLC plus Kate

The Daily News wrote about TLC’s reasoning for kicking Jon — or at least his name — to the curb:

“Given the recent changes in the family dynamics, it only makes sense for us to refresh and recalibrate the program to keep pace with the family,” TLC president Eileen O’Neill said in a statement. “The family has evolved and we are attempting to evolve with it; we feel that Kate’s journey really resonates with our viewers.”

The statement also says “Kate Plus 8″ will focus on “Kate’s journey as a single mom.” Rumors are also flying about other TV opportunities for Kate. The Daily News says it’s developing another project with Kate for next year. There have also been rumors that Kate wants — and might get — her own talk show.

Nine minus Jon

I think most people familiar with the story knew that some big changes were on the way for the show after Jon and Kate announced during an episode that they’d filed for a divorce. I was hoping they’d come up with something a little more fun for the title, like “Jon and Kate Plus 8 Minus Jon,” but the journalist in me is glad they stuck with brevity, even if it’s not funny.

Now that the rumors about Jon Gosselin starting his own clothing line have been shot down and TLC is saying it still owns the rights to Jon Gosselin, I wonder what he will do? Even though he is only 32, some gossip sites are saying he’s going through a “public mid-life crisis.” So perhaps that will keep him busy for a while. When he runs out of money or loses all of it to Kate, I suppose he can go back to whatever he did before he started getting paid to be on reality TV shows. What was that, anyway?

“Kate Plus 8″ begins airing Nov. 2.

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer (Photo: schotline.wordpress.com)

At one time, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford was one of the most vocal critics of President Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky scandal. He insisted that the best thing for the country was that Mr. Clinton step down, because his actions were “unconscionable” (say that in the most condescending, self-righteous tone possible and you’ll get the idea).

Was Sanford raking in extra cash (or at least pats on the back) from the conservative Christian, right-wing Republican, straight white American males (thank you, Todd Snider) that are his primary demographic? Considering he’s completely unwilling to take such a hard-line stance with himself after his own affair, he’s a hypocrite at best. That he also abused the public trust by abandoning his job and misusing taxpayer funds should open him up to criminal prosecution, let alone impeachment.

Lt. Governor Andre Bauer of South Carolina says it’s time for Mr. Sanford to go.

Buh-bye

The Christian Science Monitor reports that Andre Bauer has officially requested that Mark Sanford take the best interests of his constituents into account and leave office. Otherwise, the circulating rumors of impeachment talk could become more than just rumors; it could “dominate next year’s legislative session instead of issues like the economy and job creation.”

Bauer is not the first Republican to voice this message. The Monitor indicates that back in June, 10 state senators said they wanted Sanford to step down. As of July 6, the South Carolina Republican Party voted to censure the governor. Yet Sanford remains, like an ox grazing in the grass. Not only does he consider himself fit for office, but he dared to invoke divine providence, saying that, “If the good Lord’s going to make changes in your life, you’ve gotta stick around for the process.” Unbelievable.

Is it true that the good Lord prefers South Carolina to Arkansas, Mark?

“Hiking the Appalachian Trail” is now etched in America’s popular consciousness. For Mark Sanford, it was a taxpayer-funded love-fest with María Belén Chapur in Argentina. Exercise in the hills will never be the same again, and Lt. Governor Andre Bauer thinks that’s the kind of embarrassment South Carolina can do without if it’s going to overcome to doldrums of the recession.

Oh, one thing that’s gone under the radar is that Sanford admitted during his confessionary press conference that he’d “crossed the lines” with a “handful of women” since he’d been married. So this isn’t a one-time mistake. But did he use other people’s money to fund those affairs, too?

And “The Family” is pulling the strings with Mr. Sanford

Yes, Sanford considered resigning. “Immediately after all this unfolded last week I had thought I would resign – as I believe in the military model of leadership and when trust of any form is broken one lays down the sword,” he said to the press. But – and it’s a big but – “A long list of close friends have suggested otherwise – that for God to really work in my life I shouldn’t be getting off so lightly.” Now that we know that he is being advised by the shadow religious group at C Street House, they’re telling him to rub his transgressions in the face of the people he is supposed to represent. Separation between church and state, anyone?

Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer has the right idea. Mark Sanford needs to be shown the door. He also should face criminal charges for using taxpayer funds for extra cash. Do it legally next time, Mark. Right here – just click the button.

Related Video:

Photo from http://s3.amazonaws.com/

Only in New York City would a 9-and-a-half-foot-wide house go for $2.7 million. That’s exactly what’s happening, though, as the house at 75 1/2 Bedford St. in Greenwich Village is on the market. It’s the skinniest house in New York City, and though it is far from being the most expensive, it might cost the most per square foot.

The house at 75 1/2 Bedford St. in Greenwich Village is 42 feet long and three stories high which makes the total square footage about 1,200 feet. Some houses in New York City, probably not far from 75 1/2 Bedford St. in Greenwich Village, have bedrooms bigger than that.

How much per square foot

So, with a price tag of $2.7 million, the house at 75 1/2 Bedford St. in Greenwich Village costs about $2,250 per square foot. Just for the sake of comparison, my college studio apartment cost 78 cents per square foot. Now that I think of it, maybe I should have stayed there. I’d have a lot of extra cash now.

Extra cash is exactly what someone will need in order to buy the house at 75 1/2 Bedford St. in Greenwich Village. Its distinction as the narrowest house in New York City is enough to make the house famous, but it has a couple of other reasons for its fame. The Associated Press says:

It’s famous for other reasons, too. Corcoran real estate broker Alex Nicholas says anthropologist Margaret Mead and poet Edna St. Vincent Millay once called it home.

Is it worth it?

Even though 75 1/2 Bedford St. in Greenwich Village reportedly has great light and a skylight, it’s tough to say whether the house is really worth $2.7 million. However, it is pretty safe to say that some buyers out there will pay the price.

The current owners bought the house for $1.6 million nine  years ago, so I’m sure they’re confident that they’ll get their asking price for the house, which was built in 1873. “Nicholas says it’s a place for someone who wants a little history,” says the Associated Press.

Greenwich Village

Other homes listed for sale in Greenwich Village right now range in price between $500,000 and $10 million. A loft apartment is listed for $575,000, so the $2.7 million price tag on the house at 75 1/2 Bedford St. in Greenwich Village is probably no surprise to the residents around it.

Of course, everyone knows real estate is very expensive in New York City. I saw an apartment listed for $6,500 per month. I can’t even imagine making that much money, let alone spending that.

World record homes

The most expensive house in the world is a 27-story mansion in Mumbai, India that cost $1 billion. The world’s skinniest house is 7 feet wide and is located in Washington D.C. The biggest house in the world is Windsor Castle, located in England, Berkshire. The castle’s floor area is approximately 484,000 square feet.

Nest eggs are hard to come by when you live on chicken feed

The rent is due

Your landlord doesn’t care why you’re down and out. He makes a bundle, but he won’t pay a penny for your thoughts. In his eyes you’re a deadbeat and he wants cold hard cash. You live from hand to mouth and every month you pay an arm and a leg to help your landlord make money hand over fist. You pay through the nose for the leaking roof over your head while your landlord lives high on the hog.

The golden rule doesn’t seem to apply when it’s time to pony up. Your landlord was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and you can bet your bottom dollar he won’t wait until payday.  You’re going to have to pay on the nail.

When you’re caught short, cut your losses with a quick payday loan. Dollars for doughnuts, you can make ends meet with an online cash advance so long as paying it back on payday won’t leave you strapped for cash again.

The weekend is coming

You’re hard up and payday is still a week away. You’re not a cheapskate, but you don’t ride the gravy train, either. Although you have generous friends who somehow manage to stay in the black, it’s humiliating when they always have to pick up the tab. You live on a shoestring, but you don’t like someone else footing the bill all the time.

For my money, a quick cash loan is the way to go if you can pay it back on payday and still have a little money to burn. Your friends may have hearts of gold, but when it comes to having fun, it sure feels good to pay your share out of your own pocket.

It’s on sale now

You aren't made of money, but that new tent is sound as a pound

At $189, that new two-person tent with mesh vents and detachable rain-cover seemed like highway robbery. But at the end-of-summer sale, it’s looking cheap at half the price. You’ve been pinching pennies all summer for a weekend camp-out at the lake, but payday is two weeks away and the sale ends tomorrow. They’re selling your tent for a song and you’re counting down until payday.

If you don’t come up with some extra cash right away, you’re going to be a day late and a dollar short. If you can pay the piper on payday and still cover all your expenses without having to borrow again, it may make good sense to get a personal loan now. A quick loan won’t cost the earth, and you’ll feel like a million bucks, camped by the lake in that luxurious tent, safe from the bugs and rain.

It’s going to bounce

You don’t have two pennies to rub together, and your math skills are in the hole, too. You just found a mistake in your check book and you’ve overdrawn your account. It wasn’t intentional, but the bank won’t let you put in your two cents: You’re going to get hit with some hefty overdraft fees if you don’t come up with some fast cash.

It sure would be nice to be loaded and to be able to solve advanced math problems at the drop of a dime, too.  But you’re not.  You’re going to take a beating and your bank is going to make a killing if you don’t do something quickly. All that glitters is not gold, but in a situation like this, an online cash advance is pay dirt worth every red cent.

Sometimes you really do need an installment loan to make ends meet. But an easy cash loan isn’t the only way to round up extra cash. Here are some money-saving ideas that might help you save cash now and make it easier to manage your expenses.

Keep moving and don’t touch

According to an article published by Joann Peck and Suzanne B. Shu on the Chicago Journals website, touching an object or even staring at it for too long increases the psychological sense of ownership. This isn’t news for retailers, who have long known the benefits of window dressings that stop passersby in their tracks and table displays that encourage shoppers to handle the goods. Staring and touching make it harder to resist buying. So tread lightly.

Be a happy shopper

Don’t go shopping when you’re in a lousy mood. According to a study published by Jennifer Lerner on the Harvard Kennedy School website, people who feel depressed when they shop are willing to spend 30% more than consumers who shop in a better frame of mind.

Don’t get started

According to marketing research published on the Stanford GSB News, for most people, buying the first item — however unremarkable it may be — opens the purchasing floodgates. The researchers called this the “shopping momentum effect” concluded that the phenomenon has important implications for how stores are laid out as well as for understanding individual shopping behavior.

A big cart can lead to big spending

Don’t make it easy

The easier it is to shop, the easier it is to overspend. Unless you intend to stock up on supplies, use a shopping basket instead of a cart. In fact, if you’re wandering around without a clear shopping agenda, don’t use a basket at all. If you aren’t willing to carry it, you probably don’t need it.

Write it down

According to MIT behavioral economist Dan Ariely, author of Predictably Irrational, making your spending limits concrete by writing them down or even telling them to someone else can help you maintain self-control when shopping. When you walk into a grocery store with a list in hand, you’re far less likely to make impulse purchases. If you stray from the list and make one impulse buy, the “shopping momentum effect” can take over.

Indulge yourself a little

Research published by Columbia University marketing professor Ran Kivetz on the American Marketing Association website suggests that occasional self-indulgence is a good thing. If you’re too hard on yourself and don’t splurge occasionally, you’ll end up feeling deprived. Deprivation fosters regret which in turn tempts you to splurge on something big in an effort to feel better.

Don’t overtax your willpower

According to Roy F. Baumeister, Kathleen D. Vohs, researchers and authors of Handbook of Self-Regulation: Research, Theory, and Applications, you have only so much willpower to work with. If, for example, you’re trying to lose weight and also trying to cut back on spending, give yourself a little slack on the spending front. Losing weight will save you so much money in the long run that you can probably afford those deeply discounted shoes now.

Pay in cash

According to a study published on the NYU Stern website by joint researchers at New York University and the University of Maryland, consumers spend less when paying in cash and spend more when using credit cards, gift cards, or gift certificates. Additionally, consumers are more frugal when they estimate expenses in detail. The authors concluded that “treating [non-cash] tender as play money leads to overspending.”

Use coupons

Coupons can yield big savings if you’re not too proud to use them. But don’t quit your day job to become a full-time coupon clipper, and use coupons only for items you would normally buy.

Save on homeowner insurance

Check with your homeowner insurance carrier about ways to reduce your premiums. Loyalty discounts for long-term customers, increased deductibles, combined policies (home and auto for example), and installation of dead bolts and security systems can help lower your premium payments.

Small houses make wonderful homes

Move to a smaller home

If you’re struggling with a huge mortgage, now is a great time to consider downsizing. Home prices in many markets appear to be bottoming out and mortgage rates are low right now. Or if the interest rate on your current loan is higher than prevailing interest rates and you plan to stay in your home for a few years, consider refinancing now.

More money-saving ideas

Find more ways to save cash until payday by reading Cut Your Spending | Part I and Cut Your Spending | Part II.

Wouldn’t it be great if you never had to borrow money again? Applying for small cash loans is one way to make ends meet when you need cash until payday. But here are some money-saving ideas that might make it easier to get by.

Lighten up on the road

If you don’t own a Prius and don’t want to trade in your clunker, you can still cut down on the money you spend for gas each month by adjusting your driving habits. Aggressive highway driving — speeding, accelerating rapidly, and braking — lowers your gas mileage dramatically. Fuel efficiency decreases significantly at speeds in excess of 60 miles per hour.

Keeping your tires properly inflated can improve your mileage. Check your vehicle-owner’s manual to determine proper tire pressure, buy a reliable dial-type air-pressure gauge, and check your tires once a week. Too much weight in the trunk can also reduce fuel efficiency. Don’t carry around unnecessary items, especially in small cars.

Sign up for a flex account

If your employer offers a flexible spending account, you can cut the cost of your child-care expenses by signing up. The flex accounts offered by most large companies allow you to use pretax dollars to pay care-giving bills (including day camp) for children and elders who are your legal dependents. You can also use them to pay out-of-pocket health-care costs with pretax dollars. Why not save money by paying less for necessary expenses covered by a flex account?

Say good-bye to excessive phone bills

Why pay for a landline if you're not using it?

Teens love to text. If your teens have cell phones, switch to a family plan with unlimited texting. College students text less than high school kids, so consider upgrading to an iPhone or other smartphone with unlimited data if your college student agrees to a limited text and calling plan.

Lots of people today are dropping landlines altogether and using cell phones only. With the right calling plan, you might save money by following that trend. If your parents are paying for cell phones that they use for nothing but emergencies, you or they might save money by combining your phones in a family plan.

Work out for less

Walking and bike-riding are free. Yoga work-out videos are more convenient and much less expensive than classes. Dance for exercise anywhere you don’t have to pay a cover charge. You can do it for hours, and when you’re ready to sit, consider your workout over. Head home instead of sitting down to eat or drink.

Save on prescription medications

Some health plans have money-saving mail order programs for prescriptions, and sometimes you can save even more by buying generic versions of name-brand pharmaceuticals at chain stores like Target and Wal-Mart. If you’re taking a prescription medication on a long-term basis, ask your doctor if he or she can prescribe it at twice the potency you need so you can cut the pills in half. Usually, your copayment for the prescription will be the same at either potency.

Refill printer ink cartridges

It’s less expensive and less wasteful to refill both black and color ink cartridges at your local drug store or shopping mall instead of buying new cartridges when your computer printer runs low.

Share babysitter costs

The more you save, the more you can do for your best friend

Organize a babysitting co-op with neighborhood parents and take turns watching the kids for free. Your kids will be happier with their friends and there’ll be fewer rounds of Battleship and Apples to Apples for you! Or go in on a sitter with another family, paying, say, $10 an hour apiece instead of the usual $14 (more kids means a higher hourly rate for the sitter).

Save on pet expenses

Instead of hiring a pet sitter or boarding your pets when you go away, trade sitting duties with other pet-owner friends. Instead of taking Rufus to the groomer, take him to the pet grooming school where prices are about half what you pay the groomer. Pet insurance isn’t cost effective. If you have it, consider letting it go.  Coverage is marginal and the premiums you pay probably amount to quite a bit more than anything you stand to save on vet bills.

More money-saving ideas

For more money-saving ideas, read Cut Your Spending | Part I and Cut Your Spending | Part III

Money is tight, but there are lots of simple things you can do to free up some extra cash. In fact, making just a few minor changes to your spending routines could mean you’ll never have to get a payday cash advance again.

Make off-season purchases

You can save lots of money if you plan ahead for seasonal purchases. Buy air conditioners in January, winter coats in May, and swimsuits in July and August.

Eat what’s in season

Produce costs more when it’s out of season in your locale and shipped a long distance. For a list of what’s in season, go to fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org and click on the Planning and Shopping tab. Organic produce costs more than the conventional kind. Cut your toxin intake by choosing organic on the most chemically-laden produce (apples, lettuce) and conventional on the cleanest (kiwi, tomatoes). To figure out which produce to buy organic, and which conventionally-grown fruits and vegetables are okay if organic isn’t available, go to foodnews.org.

Shop once a week

When you stop by the store to pick up just one or two items, you usually end up making a few unplanned purchases as well. The more trips you make to the store, the more frequently you will make impulse purchases. Try making a shopping list and making just one planned trip to the store each week.

Stretch time between hair appointments

Add a couple weeks to the time between hair-coloring appointments by using over-the-counter products from the drugstore to touch up the roots.

Cut down on dry cleaning

Many clothes with labels that recommend dry cleaning can be washed by hand in cold water or on a gentle machine cycle with cold water. For example, linens can be washed in the machine and most sweaters can be washed by hand (including cashmere and camel hair). Most silks are hand washable too.  Even so, some deeply saturated and bold colors should be dry-cleaned.

Stop the water-bottle madness

Stop drinking bottled water and instead buy a filter for your kitchen faucet. For the most part, the water you’re paying for in those little bottles is nothing but filtered tap water.

Support your local shoe repair shop

Shoe repair shops are recession-proof

Rather than spend your extra cash to buy a new pair of good shoes each season, repair the shoes your already own. Your local shoe-repair shop will charge just a few dollars to fix worn-out heels on women’s shoes, and men can extend the life of dress shoes by replacing the heels and soles.

Spend less money commuting

If your employer has a transportation reimbursement account, you may be able to get a tax break by paying your monthly parking fees or public transit with pretax dollars, so sign up. Or cut your commute costs in half by carpooling to work with a colleague. If you don’t know anyone to carpool with, check out some carpool-matching sites like carpoolworld.com or erideshare.com.

Get fit on your way to work

You might be pleasantly surprised at how convenient it can be to take a public bus to work. And why not cycle to work when the weather permits, instead of spending time and money at the health club?

More money-saving ideas

Find more ways to save cash until payday by reading Cut Your Spending | Part II and Cut Your Spending | Part III

Keble College, a constituent college of the University of Oxford

The cost of higher education is spiraling skyward. At some private schools it now exceeds $50,000 a year. Lagging government support has resulted in steep tuition increases at public universities as well. Little wonder then that educational loans have become as indispensable to college students as low cost loans and extra cash are to the working class.

Different Types of Student Loans

There are three general types of student loans: private loans made by banks and other lenders without any involvement of the government, federal direct loans made by the government itself; and federally guaranteed loans made by banks and other lenders and insured by the government. Additionally, colleges and universities sometimes make educational loans, usually in partnership with banks or other financial institutions.

In the case of federally guaranteed loans, the government pays subsidies to the lenders who make the loans and then guarantees up to 97% of the loans. Lenders are thereby protected from almost all losses on the transactions. The interest rates on federal direct and federally guaranteed loans are fixed rates established by Congress. Private loan terms are typically less favorable than those of government loans, and interest rates on private loans can change over time.

A History of Problems

In recent years, the student loan industry – which finances tens of billions of dollars of educational expenses each year — has been beset with difficulties that have attracted publicity and debate. In 2007, several state attorney generals and lawmakers in Washington exposed questionable dealings involving the endorsement of particular private lenders by college financial aid offices and the siphoning of student-loan applicants to those lenders.

In 2008, the industry was badly shaken by the credit crisis, which threatened to cut off the supply of student loans from private lenders by making it impossible for them to sell loans.  Many student-loan lenders depend on being able to sell the loans they make in order to raise funds for new loans. Investor interest in buying student loans dropped off almost entirely, and it fell to the federal government to keep the industry afloat by stepping in and buying federally-guaranteed loans.

Squeezing Out the Banks

The Obama Administration has now proposed abandoning the guaranteed student loan program entirely so that all federal educational loans would be made directly by the government. Proponents of this change claim that over the next ten years it would save $94 billion in subsidy payments to lenders, which could then be used for Pell grants to students in financial need.

Highly Technical Banking Services . . .

In the recent subprime mortgage crisis Fannie Mae and her good friend Freddie Mac were placed in conservatorship by the US Treasury.

The proposal has ignited a particularly fractious political battle. Although they collect hefty fees on loans that are virtually risk-free, private lenders under the subsidized loan program, like Sallie Mae, Bank of America and Citigroup, argue that they provide valuable services in marketing, customer relations, billing, default prevention, and collection of delinquent loans.

Or a Risk-Free Ride

Critics, however, say that because of the financial crisis, the government is directly or indirectly financing almost all federal student loans and there is no reason to continue a program that was originally intended to inject private capital into the education lending system.

A Few Million Dollars Per Banker . . .

For lenders, the stakes are huge. According to a New York Times report, despite losing $213 million in 2008, student lender Sallie Mae paid its chief executive and its vice chairman a total of $17.8 million in cash and stock. The company, which did not receive money under the federal bailout system and is not subject to pay restrictions, also disbursed cash bonuses of up to $600,000 to other executives.

Or a Few Hundred Dollars Per Student

Under the president’s proposal, the additional Pell grant money that would be available to an individual student probably would not be more than a few hundred dollars. But the money would be distributed to a large group of needy students for whom a little more money may make a big difference.

Some houses are so small all you need is a little installment loan to get one

Newly built homes are shrinking. Home builders facing the competition of better-priced foreclosure and distressed properties are reversing their decades-old philosophy that bigger is better. They’re now offering smaller, more basic homes designed specifically for first-time buyers.

Features that were important to buyers during the boom of the 1980s — massive square footage; granite countertops; separate living rooms, family rooms, and home theaters; a bathroom for every bedroom plus a spare — don’t seem to matter right now. Today, home buyers will deign to have the children do their homework in the kitchen rather than the library — if that’s what it takes to save a little extra cash and get a low interest loan.

Weight Watchers for houses?

A drive around many American neighborhoods confirms it: Houses have become morbidly obese. According to the National Association of Home Builders, the average American home swelled from 983 square feet in 1950 to 2,349 square feet in 2004 — a 140% increase in size. And it’s not just the footprints of these Garage Mahals that are huge; everything about them is huge:

Which came first, the Hummer house or the house?

three- and four-car garages, professional-grade kitchen appliances, and soaring cathedral ceilings.

Is the Hummer house really obsolete?

To be precise, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median square footage of newly built homes fell by 7%, down to 2,065 square feet, in the first three months of 2009 compared with the same period in 2008. But does a 7% decrease in square footage really mean that the romance between Americans and their monster homes has finally cooled? Sarah Susanka, author of The Not So Big House thinks so:

A new ethic is arising right now that will become commonplace — as commonplace as is recycling today, when just a few decades ago it was rarely, if ever, done. As more and more people build or remodel homes that satisfy in quality rather than quantity, there will be a huge shift in what we perceive as desirable.

Susanka believes the current shrinking trend echoes the one of a century ago, when simple bungalows supplanted elaborate Victorians.

Will bigger still be better when everything gets better?

The belief that bigger is better is deeply instilled in American culture, and the shrinking footprint of homes geared to first-time buyers could be nothing more than a bow to the current recession. In a recent CNN interview, Kermit Baker, chief economist for the American Institute of Architects, agreed: “Home size gains flatten out or decline during recessions, and we’re in the midst of the most serious housing recession in decades.”

A symbiosis of shrinkage agents

Smart-growth plans

Cities in some parts of the country have instituted growth plans that encourage development in core areas, leaving large patches of green, undeveloped territory farther out. These plans effectively limit development to areas that are already densely populated, drive up the cost of building, and discourage McMansion development.

Building restrictions and moratoriums

Reeling from the sight of towering starter castles cropping up in neighborhoods across the nation, many governments have imposed stricter building limits and have even temporarily halted new construction while they try to get a handle on newcomer settlements of 4,000- to 10,000-square-foot homes.

Affordability

The bottom line drives everything, and people will buy as much house as they can afford. With the economy in turmoil, however, home buyers simply cannot spend as much money today as they could just a few years ago.

Energy costs

The rising price of oil has driven up many of the costs of home ownership. Bigger houses cost most to heat and cool, and have more lights and appliances to run. Rising energy prices have also increased the costs of building materials, making bigger homes that much more expensive to construct.

Demographics

The aging of our population may be playing a part in the smaller-home trend. Whether it’s enough of a factor to make a difference is open to debate, but many aging baby boomers have become empty-nesters and are now downsizing.

Tight credit for big mortgages

Without question, and perhaps thankfully so, the jumbo loans needed to finance big-hair houses have become much more expensive and difficult to find.

Shopping locally preserves the unique character of your home town

A few years ago, the city of Austin planned to extend about $2 million in incentives to a developer who wanted to build a new Borders bookstore on a prominent downtown corner. The deal did not go through, but it would have been an unwelcome turn of events for two local, independent bookstores across the street. The owner of one of those stores was so concerned about the possible repercussions that he hired an economic consulting firm to analyze them.

How much difference does buying local  make?

Here’s something to think about before you decide how to spend your next payday loan. The consulting firm found that for every $100 spent at the two local bookstores, $45 remained in Austin in the form of wages to local staff, payments to other local merchants, and so on. The same sum spent at a typical Borders bookstore returned only $13 to local circulation.

Not as much as the Borders study suggests

For several years, the Borders study has fueled the buy-local movement. However, an article in The Economist last week pointed out that newer studies have shown that local businesses recycle only about twice as much money to the local economy as chain stores do. That’s significantly less than the Borders study suggests, but it’s still enough to call serious attention to the buy-local trend.

The movement continues to gain momentum

According to the same article, there are now 130 independent business alliances in the United States with a combined membership of approximately 30,000 businesses. Business and community leaders have long urged shoppers to spend their money close to home. Their reasons have included the preservation of unique independent businesses and support for local employers. Independent grocers point out that it takes much less fuel to get produce from local farms than it does to haul it halfway across the country.

Starbucks has joined the fray

Naturally, big chain stores have noticed that more and more shoppers are rooting for the home team. Starbucks recently set a notorious example of this. Last month, the ubiquitous coffee shop born and raised in Seattle opened a new store on 15th Avenue in its old hometown. It named the new place 15th Ave Coffee & Tea.

15th Ave Coffee & Tea is a thin disguise

The new shop was designed by local talent and built with at least some local materials. The table tops were obtained from a local landscaper’s stone yard and the theater seats came from a local antiques dealer. At a time when foot traffic is slow and profits are low, the willingness of retail chains like Starbucks to spin community pedigrees and appropriate random pieces of local history underscores the fact that shopping locally is on the rise.

Obviously, the name of the new Starbucks store is little more than a disguise. But if all goes well, two other Seattle neighborhoods — Pike Place Market and University Village — are also slated to become eponyms for recently remodeled Starbucks coffee shops.

The issue lives on at Whole Foods

Ironically, the spot designated for the Borders bookstore project in Austin is now occupied by the flagship store for Whole Foods Market. The publicly-traded chain of natural food stores is not local in any meaningful sense of the word, although it was founded in Austin.

Even more ironically, customers shopping in the “local flagship” Whole Foods Market are faced with the dilemma of choosing between the products advertised as local and those advertised as organic, fairly traded, made in-house, vegan, and so on. Is it better to buy the organically-grown peaches shipped all the way from Washington, or the conventional kind grown right around Austin?

And one more thing to think about, before you spend your extra cash in Austin: Is it better to shop at the “local” Whole Foods Market for organic, vegan Amy’s frozen entrées made in Northern California, or at the “local” Wal-Mart for conventional, Italian Michael Angelo’s frozen cuisine made in Austin?

The least you can do

Retail chain businesses and other critics dismiss the buy-local trend as protectionist; and to some degree, it can’t help but be. But before you decide whether to use your payday cash to buy groceries at Costco or the local health food store, remember that buy-local advocates tend not to be zealots.

Buy-local campaigns typically urge shoppers to shift only a percentage – sometimes a mere 10 percent — of their spending to local businesses. The most ethical and economically-sound practice might be to eat only whatever local food organic growers happen to be selling at independent farmer’s markets.  So, maybe somewhere between there and 10 percent?

Production is on the rise

If you need easy loans just to make it from paycheck to paycheck, and even then you could still use some extra cash, take heart. Recently there have been hopeful signs that the current recession is coming to an end.

At the end of July, the government reported that the real gross domestic product (GDP) fell at an annual rate of only 1% in the second quarter. Manufacturing activity rose to its highest level in the last year. Car sales jumped 15% and manufacturers are ramping up production. Based on the data now available for July, experts are predicting that the GDP will increase by as much as 3% in the second quarter.

Home sales are on the rise

Another encouraging trend is that existing home sales are on the rise. Between April and May, the S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city index of house prices fell just 0.2%, the smallest decline in the past two years. Stabilizing house prices are expected to reduce mortgage-loan defaults, shore up bank balance-sheets and improve the flow of credit.

Oddly, unemployment is also on the rise

Employment, however, is the single most important economic benchmark, and the outlook on that front remains grim. Unemployment rates are still on the rise, which is surprising given that economists generally predict that an increase in the GDP will be accompanied by a decrease in the unemployment rate.

The accuracy of this rule of economics, called Okun’s law, has been disputed, however; and according to Michael Feroli, an economist at JPMorgan Chase, Okun’s law would have predicted a national unemployment rate of only 8.6% during the second quarter of this year, whereas the actual rate averaged 9.3%.

Many factors influence the rising unemployment rate

Several factors may be at work in the discrepancy between the improving GDP and the worsening unemployment rate. Last week, the government revised earlier data to show that the GDP has declined a cumulative 3.7% (rather than 2.5%) since the end of 2007, tying with 1957-58 as the deepest recession since the Great Depression.

Also, expanded unemployment-insurance benefits are encouraging some workers to keep looking for jobs rather than drop out of the workforce altogether, which according to the government, could add as much as a half percentage point to the unemployment rate. Similarly, dissipation of wealth is driving people to look for employment rather than retire or stay at home with the children.

Another factor may be that employers have been quick to slash payrolls. Businesses are budgeting more conservatively because of the credit crunch, and many are pessimistic about an eventual economic recovery.

Whatever the explanation, productivity is rising and so is unemployment. According to a recent article in The Economist, Robert Hall of Stanford University, head of the academic committee that identifies and assigns time frames to recessions, says Okun devised his law in an era when productivity usually fell during recessions: “When productivity rises, the law fails.” Okun’s law, he says, is “obsolete.”

The rise in production may be a false reading

Employers are not likely to do much hiring until it seems reasonably certain that the new growth in production will continue. And some economists are doubtful that what we are seeing is real growth. These experts attribute the recent increase in production to the replenishment of inventory after an extended period of filling new orders from existing inventory in idle factories. They point out that inventory replenishment gives production a temporary boost without a corresponding increase in consumer demand.

The federal cash-for-clunkers program may also have given production an artificial boost. Recent car sales have been strong, in large part because of the program, which offers subsidies of as much as $4,500 to people trading in older, higher-emissions vehicles for newer, more fuel-efficient cars. But the $1 billion set aside for the program, which was supposed to run for several months, was depleted within the first week. The House of Representatives has now voted to spend an additional $2 billion and the Senate is expected to do likewise. But cars bought now will mean fewer cars bought later.

Numbers have a way of changing

And one more qualification: Government figures are notoriously subject to revision. Even the Great Depression is getting worse. According to the latest revisions, the GDP fell 26.7% (rather than 26.6%) between 1929 and 1933. In another 50 or 60 years, or as soon as next week – who can say? — today’s fresh new growth in production may never have happened.

Thanks to the government’s giant stimulus program, many Americans seem to be feeling a little better about their finances. Despite rising unemployment, personal incomes still rose 1.6 percent in May, according to the Commerce Department. But instead of heading back to the mall with that extra cash most Americans are making a beeline for the bank.

The U.S. savings rate recently reached 7 percent of disposable income – the highest it’s been since early 1990s. In the short term, such penny-pinching could delay economic recovery by suppressing demand. But in the long run it’s a good thing. It means families are working to reduce high debt levels, rebuild retirement accounts, and be better prepared for financial emergencies without resorting to unsecured personal loans.

Interest rates are down

Unfortunately, interest rates on most savings products are currently very low. Interest on savings accounts typically tracks the Federal Reserve’s funds rate, and right now that’s hovering between zero and 0.25 percent—its lowest level ever. One-year bank CDs are a slightly better option, recently yielding about 2 percent on average. Think twice, though, before committing to any period longer than that. “Short maturities give you the ability to reinvest so you can continue to stay ahead of inflation once rates and inflation perk up,” says Bankrate.com’s Greg McBride.

Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities are an attractive option over the longer term. Uncle Sam pays a fixed rate – recently 1.25 percent – plus an “inflation kicker.” If consumer prices go up, your principal will be supplemented.

Slightly higher online

A few banks are paying decent interest on checking and savings accounts, but you have to play detective to find them. Many smaller banks offer “rewards” checking accounts yielding 4 percent or higher in order to attract customers. But as Daren Fonda said in SmartMoney:

Does that make them a good deal? That depends. You can usually find a slightly better rate online, especially at one of the Internet-only banks that don’t have to pay tellers or other branch expenses and can pass on the savings. But the gap has narrowed as Internet banks have started to focus more on profitability than growth. “We’re getting as much money as we need,” says James Kelly, chief operating officer of ING Direct, the largest online-only bank, explaining why ING’s rates aren’t higher. Indeed, ING is now trying to get customers to branch out from basic savings to other services such as checking accounts and mortgages.

There’s only so much banking you can do with the click of a mouse, though. Most online-only banks have limited services, so you have to go elsewhere for extras like lines of credit or auto loans. Firms like ING Direct and Discover Bank don’t have their own ATMs, and customers may be charged fees if they want to withdraw cash from another bank’s ATM. Cashing a check can also be a hassle with a branchless bank. Customers either have to go through a traditional bank or mail in the check.

If you’re single and mired in a contemptible cycle of living from paltry paycheck to paltry payday loan to paltry paycheck, consider marrying money. But sugar grows better in some areas of the country than it does in others, and to optimize your chances of securing it, you may have to pack up and move. According to a recent CNN report, the five best places in the United States to find the rich and single are:

Hermosa Beach, California

Population: 19,414
Single: 47.2%
Median family income: $137,941

You can bask in the sun nearly all year long in this Southern California paradise, although you can’t rely on a suntan alone to attract sugar. To speed you along in your quest for moneyed matrimony, you’ll need to get another low-paying job – perhaps at one of the many bars near the Pier Plaza — so you can get online cash loans for incidental local amenities including roller blades, surf boards, swim wear and volley balls.

Arlington, Virginia

Population: 204,568
Single: 41.6%
Median family income: $108,815

You’re sure to meet someone in the pubs of the Clarendon district where live music and amateur stand-up comedy abound. But the singles scene in Arlington is dominated by scientific geniuses and government types, so you may have to do a little personal upgrading to meet local standards. For starters, you’re going to need another low-paying job – a regular day job, not a stand-up comedy gig – so you can get payday cash advances to fund an advanced online degree of your own. When choosing which degree to click on, think science not art.

Coronado, California

Population: 22,845
Single: 36.1%
Median family income: $106,817
Coronado is a peninsula surrounded by white sand and sparkling waves, so it’s a perfect place to hang out at the beach. But Coronado is a tall order: Golf, tennis, and sailing around the bay are the ordre du jour, so you’ll need to upgrade your employment situation before you move. Then you can make a smooth transition into a high-paying job with a commute to San Diego and qualify for those cushy $1500 online personal loans. You might also consider switching to installment loans because you’ll need extra cash for nightlife in the trendy bars and clubs of the Gaslamp district. For what they’re worth in your quest to marry money, the spectacular San Diego sunsets — sans drinks — are free.

Edgewater, New Jersey

Population: 9,582
Single: 34.3%
Median family income: $105,830

You may need to do some advance planning if you want to share a million-dollar townhouse nest with an affluent Edgewater professional. Holding hands while gazing at the silhouette of the Manhattan skyline is free. But it’s expensive to flirt with neighbors in the organic produce aisles of the local markets and to expand your social circle while ostensibly toning your muscles at one of the borough’s fitness centers. An Edgewater marriage is a lofty goal, indeed. You’ll need a good income and some correspondingly good payday cash advances to negotiate it. But once you have the necessary extra cash and have taken up that amazing line of steeples, towers, and belfries, you’ll be a shoe-in for marital bliss on the Gold Coast.

Santa Clara, California

Population: 109,756
Single: 34.0%
Median family income: $101,840

To the extent that being single in the Silicon Valley is synonymous with having a high IQ, you may need more than the best payday-loan money can buy to snag sugar in Santa Clara. But armchair sports fans need not despair: Santa Clara is home to the San Francisco 49ers’ training camp, which is open to the public on certain days. For sports fans more inclined to participate than watch, even a modest online cash advance will get you into the water – and possibly marriage — with fellow athletes at the International Swim Center.

Need a way to make casual income in an effort to find debt relief? If you know how to do laundry, then you can make a nice little side income doing other people’s laundry. But really, who would pay you to do something they could do themselves? (A side note: If you are a little squeamish about handling someone else’s dirty laundry, try using rubber gloves. Or don’t do this job.) There are, in fact, several people who would pay to have their laundry done.

Senior citizens or those who are limited in their physical abilities may be willing to pay a small amount each week to have their laundry done. Busy professionals who may not have time to do their laundry would be willing to pay to have someone else do their laundry. Think: Dry cleaners. People drop off their dry clean only clothes along with regular laundry because it is more convenient than doing it themselves. Stay at home parents who are juggling child care with a host of other responsibilities would be glad to pay someone else to do their laundry for them. And there are many other people, for one reason or another, who would be glad to be rid of the weekly laundry chore. This is perfect for you, because this job caters to all of these people.

What to Charge

If you’ve read my article about earning money cleaning houses, you know that you can only charge the amount that the market will bear. If you charge too much, you will be out of work. But if you charge too little, you won’t make enough to compensate you for your time. You must be able to make at least the current federal minimum wage per hour, or you may as well look for other work. This job can help you realize debt relief, but you must be able to make enough for it to work.

You must also factor in where you will be doing the laundry. If you are taking the client’s laundry to a Laundromat, then you must either require that your client give you the required amount it takes to do laundry, preferably in quarters, or charge the client extra per hour. This way, you will be compensated fairly. If, however, you are doing laundry at your client’s home, then you may want to charge a little less per hour to make up for the difference.

Where to Find Clients

This is always a big issue. Whether you are a large business or just starting out, finding customers or clients is paramount to your success. The best place to start finding clients is to post fliers right in the Laundromat. This is where the majority of your market will be who may need or want your services. Still, this is only a small portion of your market. This is why you also need to post an ad in the local newspapers and on local email lists. If you are involved with any local groups, mention that you are looking for laundry clients. There are many ways to find clients, and you do not need to be limited by these suggestions. Use your imagination, and I am sure you will be able to find clients in no time!

Terms and Policies

You will need to develop your own terms and policies that will fit you and your preferences. But whatever you develop, they must be legal and they must protect you and your client. Be sure to have some sort of release that your client signs that basically says that, should something happen through the normal course of doing their laundry, that you are not liable and are exempt from lawsuits, something like that.

Create what works for you and your business. You may thank me later on down the road, should someone decide that you ruined their favorite pair of $100 pants.

Grow…or Not

Once you have plenty of clients, and you are making a decent income, you will need to decide if you want to grow your service into a business and hire employees, or if you want to stay small and do this as a job. There are several advantages to each side, and you should research and evaluate this next step carefully. Take some time to really decide if you want to have the pressures and added responsibilities, along with the extra cash, that comes with a business. By this time, you may have already received debt relief, but you may want more. It’s really your call. Either way, this is a great first step towards financial independence. Good luck!