Yahoo! Contributor Network News Archive - Yahoo! Finance

First Person: Air Travel Is Expensive, But We're Making it Work

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

My family and I do not fly on a regular basis, but we have taken a few vacations. Flying is a challenge for our family budget, but it can also be a logistic hassle. As noted by this article, families may find themselves in a position where they are spending a lot of money but also sitting in separate seats. Over the years, I have tried to keep the costs down, and attempted to keep the family together. Neither is particularly easy, particularly in a tough economy where airlines are desperate to make money wherever they can.

First Person: We Worked Out a Payment Plan With Our Hospital

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

If you've recently had surgery, delivered a baby, or made a trip to the emergency room, you can expect a hospital bill in the mail within a few weeks of your visit. While some hospitals require full payment within 30 days of the discharge date, other hospitals are more willing to work out a payment plan that fits into a family's budget.

First Person: We Lost Money on Our Home Sale ... Twice

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

To say that my husband and I haven't had the best of luck in real estate is putting it mildly. In the last 7 years, we've bought and sold 2 homes at a loss and refinanced one of those homes unnecessarily. Of course, hindsight is 20/20 - had we known what our future held, we wouldn't have made some of the decisions that we did. But, here's a recap of how real estate just hasn't been our forte thus far in our marriage, and what we've learned from our mistakes.

First Person: The 6 Common Tax Return Errors We All Keep Making

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

When it comes to filing taxes, the unfortunate truth is it is easy to get them wrong. About one out of five of us will file an amended return at some point to correct a mistake or two on our original filing.

First Person: Beauty on a Budget

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

Looking back at pictures of myself as a child with lipstick smeared across my face, wearing fake pearls and oversized heels that I'd stolen from my mother's closet, it's no surprise that I grew up to have a love for fashion. Unfortunately that love is one that comes with a price tag and now as an adult, with a family to support and a budget to maintain, keeping up with the latest trends isn't always financially possible.

First Person: 5 Common Tax Myths That Are Costing You Money

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

In written form, the tax code could make an encyclopedia set blush. With so many codes occupying so much shelf space, no wonder we are confused at times trying to determine what is a fact and what is a myth.

First Person: Are You at Risk of Foreclosure?

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

Before I quit my job, I worked in the mortgage acquisitions department of a large mortgage lender. That is right - I managed foreclosed homes for a living. Sadly, over the years I worked there, I started to see an unfortunate truth to things: Many homeowners could have saved their homes, they just didn't know how to do so.

First Person: Saving Money on Summer Travel

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

Summer generally involves some kind of travel plans for families everywhere. Whether a family, couple, or single decides to fly or drive, everybody can benefit from a few travel tips to help save money.

First Person: Controlling My Spending Is Saving Me $400 a Month

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

It's easy to spend $5 here and another $5 there without really thinking about it after all, it's only $5 each time. Eventually however, that $5 here and there add up to $10 and then $15 and so on. Pretty soon, all of my spending money was flying out the door and I was hard pressed to remember where I'd spent it or worse what did I have to show for it. I knew I had to get my spending under control.

First Person: We Focus on Saving for the Future, Not Paying Off the Past

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

Sometimes it's easy to lose sight of our true financial goals by focusing too much on just trying to make it day-to-day. It's kind of like not being able to see the forest for the trees. And sometimes, by focusing too much on our financial past, we could be hurting our financial future.

First Person: We Bought a House With Our Wedding Savings

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

We could have easily blown $36,000 on a wedding, but instead my husband and I used our wedding savings to buy our first home together.

First Person: Is Renting to Own Always a Bad Idea?

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

Rent-to-own stores can be good or bad for your budget based on how you use them. While I generally advocate against them, they can serve a purpose.

First Person: When Layaway Makes Sense

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

When I think about shopping for big events, sometimes things can get overwhelming. Birthdays, Christmas, and other holidays can mean spending a lot of money that I may or may not have. We live on a pretty tight budget in my household, so I like to plan ahead for events like these. My favorite option when trying to handle things like this is layaway.

First Person: The Surprsing Costs of Home Ownership

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

When my husband and I bought our new construction home several years ago, we couldn't wait for the builders to be finished. We thought we were financially prepared for the responsibility of a new home because we saved up the money so we'd have the 20 percent down payment. In retrospect, I know that we should have also saved for unexpected expenses that come with the purchase of a new home.

First Person: Why I Didn't Buy Into the Facebook IPO Hype

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

COMMENTARY | "Buy Facebook," brokers cried. Wall Street experts and talking heads touted the mega million dollar to be the hottest IPO since Google. And people everywhere bought into it by the thousands, save yours truly. I was one of the few who didn't buy into the hype. I had a feeling that Facebook stocks weren't going skyrocket as predicted. I hedged my bets and avoided adding this volatile IPO to my portfolio for three very compelling reasons.

First Person: The 3 Tricks We Used to Save an Extra $2,200 This Month

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

June is an expensive month for our family. Between property taxes, vacation plans, and repairs on our rentals that come vacant at the beginning of summer, we have to reach deep into our pockets to cover all these costs. While I usually have this money already in savings, an unexpected emergency drained our accounts several months ago leaving us short of cash. To cover these costs, my family and I implemented three financial strategies that resulted in boosting our savings account by $2,200 in just one month.

First Person: Is It Time to Refinance My Mortgage?

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

Your home is your biggest investment. Many people seem to think that once you purchase the house all you need to do is pay the mortgage and that's it. Of course that's possible but the shrewd financial manager keeps up on the market trends and interest rates. You never know when you can refinance and pay even less for your home than you originally thought.

First Person: Home Values Are Bouncing Back in My Neighborhood

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

For the past several years, I've watched the value of my Florida home steadily decrease. But this past month was the first time I've seen a substantial jump in the value when researching the estimated value on Zillow.com.

First Person: I Cut My Auxiliary Spending in Half Without Giving Anything Up

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

As a middle-class American, it's difficult enough to allocate my paychecks properly so as to pay the bills that are necessary: mortgage, car insurance, grocery bill. When I sat down recently to calculate where the money from my paychecks was going, I realized that the most unnecessary spending was on auxiliary expenses: gym membership, cable, phone, and internet bills, and newspaper subscription. When I calculated the cost of these together, it baffled me.

First Person: When Landlords Need a Lawyer, and When They Don't

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

For several years, I've managed a rental property for a great landlord. For the most part, he makes a good side income. He knows how to market well and prices his rentals competitively. But in other areas, he's hemorrhaging money because he hires a lawyer for everything. Frankly, he's doing it wrong. His income would be a lot higher if he knew when to hire a lawyer and when to do it himself.

First Person: Getting Creative With Home Decor Saved Us $1,000

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

Giving your home a facelift is something most people feel the need to do from time to time. The expense of revamping the home front may be out of your budget - but not if you plan a money saving success strategy! Here's how I saved $1,000 when I redecorated my home.

First Person: What Not to Put in a Rental Ad

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

I post rental ads for the properties I manage on nearly a dozen websites. While one or two sites give me nearly-unlimited space for crafting my ad, most limit the number of characters I can type in each section. Which begs the question - what do you write when you have to explain a rental in 250 characters?

First Person: I Never Pay Admission Fees at Chicago Museums

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

It takes a little work to put together an itinerary that gives me free access to most of the major Chicago cultural attractions, but it's worth the time spent if I don't have to open my wallet to gain admission. My secret? I take advantage of each institution's free day programs and spend days strolling wonders that would collectively cost me more than $120 if I paid for the admissions. I flash my Illinois driver's license and enter worlds of wonder. Schedules change from time to time, so I never leave home without checking the venue's website first.

First Person: 10 Dollar Store Buys That Work for Us

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

I've been a long time fan of dollar stores. While we certainly have to pick and choose what particular stores we buy from and what items we purchase from those locations, I think that there are typically some pretty good buys to be had in such stores if we plan ahead and keep an eye out for items that we know we'll use and that are worth the dollar.

First Person: A Pay Increase Put Me Deeper in Debt

Fri, 25 May 2012 16:48:00 +0000

Several years ago, I had a dramatic boost in my yearly income by about $20,000. I expected the pay increase would mean I'd get out of debt more quickly; instead, I ended up deeper in debt. I learned a lot from what I call my experience with "lifestyle inflation."