artofthecoupon.com

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Payday loans and other such high interest alternatives seem to be unimaginable to a lot of financially responsible people- why would anyone take out a loan that charges sometimes up to 20% a MONTH!?  For those with poor credit, who can’t get loans from the traditional channels like banks, payday loans may be the only option.  The interest rates are exorbitant, of course, and once you get started down this path of payday loans, it is very hard to get out.  But, what if any alternatives are available for those who are cut off from mainstream credit sources?  (more…)

This April, Swine Flu (something I had never really heard of) started appearing on every news channel.  Apparently, the outbreak is dangerous enough that there are actually schools being closed in some parts of the country.  While this outbreak has only 90 cases reported as of now, it still raises important questions- how prepared are you for an emergency of any kind? (more…)

This post at Cash Money Life asks if there is a living wage in the U.S. and ponders the question of why it is so much harder today for blue collar workers to make enough to get by, and/or support large families.  I firmly believe that the “progress” this society has made has all but eliminated the ability of low-wage workers to be successful.  There seem to be several causes all working together to contribute to this problem: (more…)

To go along with the poem, A Law Students Lament, that I wrote a few months ago, I decided to write a Couponers Creed.  So, here it is, I hope you enjoy: (more…)

Thankfully, I got my car back and it cost nothing.  It was some sort of hose problem, and they repaired it and the light is off.  I am very very glad though, that I bought a certified preowned car so that I haven’t had to pay for any of these issues. I’ve had the car for almost two years now (it will be 2 years in May) and it has been to the repair shop 3 times, and each of those times I have spent nothing (knock on wood!) for the over $1600 worth of work that was done.

I know you can buy extended warranties on non-certified used cars, but when I looked into that option, it seemed like very few (if any) of these warranties were serviced by the dealers, and they all seemed to have little catches thrown in (like you had to pay out the money and then send it to be reimbursed, or you had to go to in a”in-network” mechanic).  For the piece of mind, and the 3 year warranty I have to say I am very happy to have made the choice I made.

As I mentioned, I’m trying to look for ways to bring in more income so that I can pay down my debt faster.  I know that I should just be looking for jobs- any jobs, including jobs that I am not really interested in doing (like jobs that take advantage of my degree) if the jobs pay well.  The economy is still not doing very well (duh, right), and unemployment is causing all sorts of problems for everyone, not just people who lost their jobs (who obviously are affected) but also for people who are lucky enough to find new jobs or people who already have jobs (no negotiation for pay/benefits, wage freezes, etc.).  But, as of this point, I am still resistant to applying for jobs I am not interested in, just for the sake of the income.  (more…)

I’m having car problems again.  Last month, I took the car in because the Check Engine light was on.  Thankfully, the service ended up being covered by my warranty and so I didn’t have to pay anything (including the $95 diagnostic fee that is required to see if the service is covered).  Then, a few days ago, the check engine light came on- again!  I made an appointment for tonight, but I just hate that risk of paying the $95 to see if it is covered, since if I have to pay for the service I definitely will not be getting it fixed at the dealership.

I’ve been doing a little more reading and consideration about the issue of taxing debt forgiveness, and one startling thing that I have found is that most debt consolidation firms in the U.S. do not seem to fill you in on the fact that you will be taxed for any forgiven amount of debt.  This is really shocking to me- I suppose I can’t expect credit card companies to make sure you understand that you will be receiving a 1099c when they settle a debt with you, since when they are making this deal they are losing money.  However, these debt consolidation firms that take your money, and charge you to settle the debt, don’t include this information in any fine print that I can see.  And, since they are supposedly charging you a fee to help you through the process and navigate these confusing waters, I don’t see why or how they neglect to tell you this vital piece of information. (more…)

Direct Loans has an income contingent repayment plan in which you pay a certain portion of your income for 25 years (capped at I think 20% of household income, depending on how many kids you have and other factors).  At the end of 25 years, the remaining balance gets forgiven.  At first, this seemed like a great thing to me.  Since I’m not making a lot of money, it seems like a great option to be able to still make payments and keep everything affordable and reasonable.  It also seemed like the one “out” to the rule that student loans are absolutely never forgiven or discharged no matter what your financial situation, unless you are totally and permanently disabled or dead.  (more…)

I read this post the other day over at The Simple Dollar in which Trent explained a situation at Target where another customer had to spend twenty minutes with the cashiers and manager to get $10 taken off her order because she had a raincheck.  Trent pointed out that her decision to spend the 20 minutes meant that she valued her time at, at most, $30 an hour and that he wouldn’t have spent the 20 minutes.  I, on the other hand, take the complete opposite position- not only would I have argued for the $20, but I have spent time (not 20 minutes, but definitely 5 minutes, arguing for a $2 coupon or even a $1 coupon).  (more…)