Personal Budget Training

Food Saving Ideas

2008-08-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

I came across a great source of ideas for saving money on your food budget.

A good book to get is Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely. The website has cheap, easy recipes, menus, shopping lists. She also has a variety of weekly menu mailers available on a subscription basis. Now, tens of thousands of kitchens across the world are busy creating simple, delicious meals with her weekly Menu-Mailers, freezer dinner kits, and best selling cookbooks. Sign up for her free newsletter.

Photo credit: Sunshine Hanan

Evicted Family Lives In A Car

2008-08-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

A desperate family with a baby on the way are living in their car after their home was repossessed because they could not afford mortgage payments.

A couple became the latest victims of Britain's credit crunch when they could no longer afford to pay their $125,000 mortgage.

Laura Whitney, aged 28, who is four-months pregnant and her partner Richard Webster, 32, have spent the last two weeks crammed in their family saloon with children Jessica, seven, and Jack, two.

The family could no longer pay their mortgage, which has an interest rate of 10.9 per cent, when their sub-prime lender increased payments by $360.

They were forced from their house at Batemoor, Sheffield, and moved straight into their car.

Laura claims her family had not been given priority for housing by the local council. They were turned down for private-rented housing because the repossession gave them a bad credit rating.

Increasing payments strained the family budget and in December, Laura and Richard had to choose between a mortgage payment and buying Christmas presents for their children.

Laura's former husband agreed to lend them the money for a month's installment, while she contacted the Citizens' Advice Bureau who advised her to ask for an interest-only mortgage. It took two further months for the mortgage provider to respond and they refused the request.

Amazon + TiVo = Broke People

2008-08-01T10:13:00.001-05:00

I just read in PC Magazine that TiVo is teaming up with Amazon to provide its own shopping channel. This will turn the average TV watcher (with TiVo, of course) into the stereotypical QVC-junkie.

If you are one to spend a lot of time in front of the ol' boob-tube and you have a TiVo, watch your wallet closely. Have a financial plan to keep you on track and to keep impulse buying in check.

As Dave Ramsey says, "the average millionaire can't tell you who got thrown off the island."

I'd go so far as to say that if this kind of spending is a problem, the root problem is spending too much time in front of the TV. Spend your time reading good non-fiction books, interacting with people... being human - not a broke couch potato!

Free College

2008-08-01T07:00:00.001-05:00

Read on for a free ride for college.

Through Project Working Mom, eLearners.com will be a catalyst for communities to come together to help establish resources for the working mother population. There are three barriers associated with moms returning to school: time, money and confidence.

The full-ride college scholarships through Project Working Mom 2 are for online programs from the associate's to Ph.D. level at American Sentinel University, Ashford University, Capella University, Everest University and Penn Foster College. To apply for the scholarships, working moms submit a short application and an essay with their life, education and/or career goals, and explain how an online education will allow them to achieve those goals.

If you are interested in applying, you have no time to waste. The deadline to apply for a scholarship at Project Working Mom is August 31, 2008. The recipients will be announced in September. This program could really fit into anyone's budget.

Are Credit Cards The Next Financial Crisis?

2008-07-31T07:00:00.000-05:00

Please tell me with all the technology and resources available why the government, the fed or anyone could not tell in advance that all the easy money the last seven years was a recipe for disaster?

In this article, it discusses that credit card companies are having to make up for losses by raising interest rates and lowering limits.

No one should feel sorry for these credit card companies or these banks. They make an unbelievable amount of money from the interest everyone has to pay each month as well as every time someone swipes a credit card for a purchase. The person at that cash register has to pay a percentage from each transaction. The "life takes visa" commercials are briliant for acheiving their goals. It is obviously working at getting everyone to just pay with plastic instead of cash. Everytime that card is swiped they make money from that transaction as well as from the interest you pay every month on your credit card bills. They also raise the interest rate when ever they want without telling you.

Should You Rasie Your Credit Score?

2008-07-30T07:00:00.002-05:00

I came across a post that gives 7 steps to raise your credit score.

OK, here are the highlights of this post I found entitled 7 Tips for Raising Your Credit Score:

1. Pay your bills on time and every time.
Nothing wrong with this, that is one of the ways to stay debt-free.

2. Dispute inaccurate information on your credit report.
According to author, up to 40 percent of people have bad information on their credit reports.

3. Monitor your credit report regularly, at least once a year.
Just head over to AnnualCreditReport to review your free annual credit report from the Big Three. You will have a lot of pop ups and offers, just say no thanks.

4. Do not close old accounts, even if you no longer use them.
As long as you are not paying yearly fees on a credit card, then you could leave it open. But if you are on a budget, you shouldn't be using a credit card.

5. Do not try to open too many new accounts at once.
As I said before the idea of being on a budget is that you do not spend more than you make. Therefore, there is no reason for you to open ANY accounts.

6. Never charge more than 30% of your available credit on any of your cards.
This is one of the reasons why there is a subprime mortgage market. People with bad credit, looking for more credit.

7. If your credit score is low, consider getting a secured credit card.
A good budget with a fully funded emergency fund, can keep you away from credit card use and debt. I was looking for work for four months after retiring from the Navy last year and I was still able to support a family of 11 on our regular budget amounts because of a full emergency fund.

Don't even be tempted to sign up for a credit repair company, the only things that you can remove from your credit report are inaccuracies. If something is not right, you have the right to challenge it by writing to that credit bureau that reported it and say the item is inaccurately reported. The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act gives them 30 days to fix the item or remove the entry. You can send a letter certified mail to take care of it.

Do you know what your credit score really is? It is your "I Love Debt" score. The only way you get a big FICO score is to get in debt, stay in debt and make a lot of debt payments.

Living the High Life in a Shed

2008-07-29T07:00:00.001-05:00

Dave Ramsey speaks of gazelle intensity when trying to tackle your debt. Apparently this man making about $100K in NY is a good example.

In a report issued Monday by the NY inspector general's office says a maintenance man who earned $100,000 working at Rockland Psychiatric Center has been living for free in a paint shed on company grounds and even had his mail delivered there. It says he had some of the creature comforts; he had a couch, microwave and refrigerator.

The worker is being charged $2,500 for the time he lived there. Now he's living with his wife at a home in Pearl River, about 3 miles away.

I am sure there is more to this story than poor reporting. It would be worth knowing his reason(s) for living there, debt maybe?

Gazelles learned that the cheetah is only the fastest animal on earth while running in a straight line. So when being chased, the gazelle bobs and weaves and runs in circles until the cheetah gets tired and gives up.

When dealing with debt, it is time to think like a gazelle. If you are a gazelle and the marketing and credit card companies are cheetahs, bob and weave and run; do whatever it takes to get away. When you get that new credit card application in the mail, you know, the one that promises low introductory interest rates and lots of bonuses, scream CHEETAH! and destroy it as quickly as you can!

A More Enjoyable Shopping Experience

2008-07-28T06:40:00.000-05:00

I just found out that Hy-Vee grocery has online shopping, check it out.

Have you ever wished you had an extra pair of hands?

Think of it. After a busy day at work and with the rest of the week's schedule not looking any better, you can simply pick up your phone or get on the internet and order your groceries. It is that simple, they will do the rest. Hy-Vee will shop for your groceries and bring them to you or you can stop by their store on your way home and they will put them in your car for you.

Whether you order your groceries on your computer at work or from your car on your way home, you can order up to seven days in advance, 24 hours a day, seven days a week for one low fee. For $10.00 you can pick up your order at the store and for an additional $10.00 they will deliver them for you in the local area of the store location (at some locations).

Why wait, all you have to do to shop is go online to shop or go to their store to register and pick up a catalog. You use your own phone to place an order or if you want to register online.

My only problem is getting the list from home early enough to have it submitted in time for me to pick up the groceries. I could shop at Hy-Vee and Sams and be home for dinner. Wow!

Specifics of the Program:
Ordering hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Delivery or Pickup Schedule: Twice Daily Monday through Friday, except Holidays
Delivery: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Pick-up: 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

*A four-hour period is required to complete your order for delivery or pickup.

*Orders placed for delivery or pickup on the same day, must be placed by 7:00 a.m. to be ready for the 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. shift or by 12:00 p.m. to be ready for the 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. shift.

*You may pay by check or credit card if you have already registered your credit card (Visa, Master Card, American Express or Discover Card) with the Hy-Vee Home Shopping Department.

*Due to Federal Regulations, Food Stamps cannot be accepted, nor will the driver accept cash or WIC vouchers.

*The total amount you pay may differ due to out of stock items, substitutions, or if you order random weight items.

Image vs Debt Free

2008-07-25T06:42:00.000-05:00

Which would you choose?

Getting on the road to being debt free is not easy. The hardest step for many people is amputating the toys and luxuries. We are taught by commercials that if you work hard you deserve toys and luxuries, no matter how high your credit card balance is. We have been lulled into false security, taught that these toys will make us happy. We are worried that down grading will make others think we are having financial problems.

The good news is as you go about this journey you will learn that the toys and outside appearances really do not matter. Your grandma was right, it is what is inside that counts. I can testify to you that the financial peace of being strong financially and not living on the edge will bring more joy to your family than any toy will.

The first step is learning to separate a need from a want. The next step is taking control of the inner child, you know the one that pouts, stamps it's foot and says, "I want it, I want it now." You can assure the inner child that you are not closing a door to having the toys in the future. You are instead teaching the inner child there are other priorities that must come first.

At this point you need to identify your needs, no more, no less. Don't let the consumerism enter into the picture at this time and start the debt cycle.

The decision to cut back gets easier with each little decision you make. It is behavior modification, pure and simple. I am not saying it is easy. I hated making an excuse when our best friends called and asked us to go for dinner with them. I hated giving up impulse shopping. I loved the first time we were short on cash and I realized that I could make all of my payments and could keep Murphy away with emergency fund. My brother-in-law really found out how powerful an emergency fund could be.

Some benefits of being debt free:
*a marriage free from financial stress
*money in the bank to pay for the doctor bill when your son/daughter breaks an arm or leg
*the ability to invest in your children's futures with money set aside to help them get the education they need
*a retirement with dignity

No butterfly makes it without squeezing out of the cocoon. Dave Ramsey says to live like no one else (follow the 7 baby steps, live on a budget and remain debt free) so you can like no one else.

Dude, Where's My Car

2008-07-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

A fairly new carsharing company that helps out those who do not need a car all the time.

Zipcar is a for-profit, membership-based carsharing company providing rentals to members, billable by the hour or day. With this service, you are able to view a vehicle's availability and reserve it via the internet or by telephone. The increments can be as short as one hour and pay only for time you reserve, which includes up to 180 miles each 24 hour period. Every vehicle has a home location, a reserved parking space located on a street, driveway or neighborhood parking lot in your area.

Members are given an access card that opens the vehicle they have reserved only at the time they have reserved it. Each vehicle records hours of usage and mileage, which is uploaded to a central computer via a wireless data link.

Zipcar also offers its service for businesses, universities and organizations. These programs typically provide a discount on the annual membership fee. They have also partnered with over 30 colleges and universities to provide students with access to their car sharing service, which is a great way to keep within your budget and keep college costs under control.

So, basically, you drive by the hour from $7 or drive by the day from $70. This includes gas, insurance, reserved parking and 180 free miles. See if ZipCar is in your area.

There are several of these membership carsharing throughout the United States and here is a list of what is available:

Austin CarShare - Austin, Texas
City CarShare - San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley, California
CityWheels - Cleveland, Ohio
Community Car - Madison, Wisconsin
HOURCAR - Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN
I-GO - Chicago
PhillyCarShare - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Zipcar - Major operations in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, London, UK, New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh,Portland, Oregon, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, Ontario, Vancouver, BC, and Washington, D.C.. Smaller fleets with 1-10 cars can also be found at some US universities.
U Car Share - Ann Arbor, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Madison, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, D.C.

Tuition Savings Idea

2008-07-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

I came across some information on a tuition forgiveness program for teachers and other state programs.

The Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program is intended to encourage individuals to enter and continue in the teaching profession. Under this program, individuals who teach full-time for five consecutive complete academic years in certain elementary and secondary schools that serve low-income families and meet other qualifications may be eligible for forgiveness of up to a combined total of $5,000 ($17,500 for certain highly qualified secondary math and science teachers, and elementary and secondary special education teachers)in principal and interest of their Direct Loan and/or Federal Family Education Loan Programs (FFELP) loans.

Additionally, here is a list of loan forgiveness programs by state.

Even if you are not a teacher, you get the general idea that this field is in need and that could assist you paying for a particular career field. At Kansas State University, the Veterinary Training Program for Rural Kansas offers after graduation, $20,000 worth of educational debt is forgiven for every year up to four years that these new graduates practice in rural Kansas.

And don't forget, you do not have to go into debt to attend college. There are options like College of the Ozarks, aka, Hard Work U where you work at the college for tuition. Of even greater help is getting some budget training, you will be surprised where your money really goes.

Photo credit: Delta Niner

Free College

2008-07-22T08:00:00.002-05:00

Another college you can attend without incurring student loans. Check out Berea College, in Berea, KY.

A recent article in the New York Times told about Berea College, in Berea, Kentucky.

What provides the education is Berea's $1.1 billion endowment, which puts the college among the nation's wealthiest. But unlike most well-endowed colleges, Berea has no football team, coed dorms, hot tubs or climbing walls. Instead, it has a no-frills budget, with food from the college farm, handmade furniture from the college crafts workshops, and 10-hour-a-week campus jobs for every student.

Berea'sapproach provides an unusual perspective on the growing debate over whether the wealthiest universities are doing enough for the public good to warrant their tax exemption, or simply hoarding money to serve an elite few. As many elite universities scramble to recruit more low-income students, Berea's no-tuition model has attracted increasing attention.

At most top colleges, only 8 to 15 percent of students receive Pell grants to help with tuition costs. At Berea, more than 75 percent of the students receive Pell grants.

Overall, Berea's statistics speak worlds about the demand for affordable higher education; this year, the college accepted only 22 percent of its applicants.

The best quote was at the end of the article from Berea's president, Larry D. Shinn:

"You see some of these selective liberal arts colleges building new physical education facilities with these huge sheets of glass and these coffee and juice bars, and charging students $40,000 a year, and you have to ask, does this contribute to the public good, or is it just a way for the college to keep up with the Joneses?" Mr. Shinn said. "We are a tax-exempt institution, so I think the public has a right to demand that our educational mission be at the heart of all of our expenditures."

Headed Down A Dead-end Street?

2008-07-21T08:00:00.001-05:00

Is your pay check stretched to its maximum? You may want to consider moving to one of these cities to get more bang for your buck.

Salary.com revealed the top (and bottom) US cities for building personal net worth, taking into account local salaries, cost of living, and unemployment relative to the national average. This year's list also factored in qualitative measures including diversity of industry, education level of the cities' population, proximity to post secondary institutions, percent of population below poverty level, and median travel time to work.

If you currently live without a budget you should try our free budget spreadsheet and some budget training. This alone can help stretch your dollar.

Top 5 Cities
Rank City
1 Plano, TX
2 Aurora, CO
3 Omaha, NE
4 Minneapolis, MN
5 Albuquerque, NM

Bottom 5 Cities
Rank City
1 New York City
2 Washington, DC
3 Los Angeles, CA
4 Honolulu, HI
5 San Francisco, CA

Things A Millionaire Does Not Do

2008-07-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

I came across this post a few months back.

This was from a financial blog and it is so true these days.

A Millionaire Nest Door Does Not:
1. Pay for Lawn Service
2. Go to a Hair Stylist
3. Use Time as a Measurement for Success
4. Buy Brand New Cars
5. Carry a Monthly Credit Card Balance
6. Eat Out on a Regular Basis
7. Think They Know It All
8. Socialize with People Who Waste Money
9. Desire Instant Gratification
10. Pay Retail for Name Brand Clothing
11. Keep Their Money in a Checking Account
12. Replace What is Not Broken
13. Visit the Tanning Bed
14. Impulse Buy
15. Waste Time on Senseless Activities
16. Bet The Farm
17. Fly First-class
19. Rent
20. Earn Every Dollar They Make at Their Day Job - no investing.

I would like to add one more: Live without a budget.

Photo credit: nate bachiller

Starbucks Store Closings

2008-07-18T15:12:00.004-05:00

Starbucks will close 600 stores, how will it affect you? I know Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears will be devastated.

You can check the map of locations for a store in your area.

Starbucks expects once those underperforming stores have shut down, a process the that will gradually happen until the first half of 2009, earnings will increase by $100 million a year.

I personally am not affected by their closings. Occasionally, I will get some java from them, but most of the time I save it for when I am home. We buy in bulk from Coffee Bean Direct and end up paying just under $4.50 for a pound of delicious Italian Roast. We haven't really seen how many espressos we can get out of a pound, but it would be safe to say we are saving a lot of money for the amount of coffee we drink. Our grocery bill may be a little high, but the difference is that we budget for the coffee and with good budget training you could too.

Photo Credit: caralynnsummers

Thinking Of Trading In Your SUV

2008-07-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

Here is a handy gas guzzler calculator to see how long of a payback it will take to buy a more fuel efficient set of wheels.

Going to the gas station and filling up that guzzling SUV makes trading for a hybrid a reasonable solution for most, and it could be reality punctuated by the Gas-Mileage Savings Calculator from Edmunds. The calculator takes the value of a trade-in compared to the cost of a more efficient vehicle and, based on driving distances and the cost of gas, determines how long it would take to break even. For example, I took our big 1995 Ford E350 15-passenger van and compared it to a 1995 Toyota Camry wagon and at $4.25 a gallon and 300 miles a month. At that rate it would take almost three years to make up the difference.

There is something else to consider that is not built into this calculator, it's reality. SUVs and trucks are dropping in trade-in value like the coolness meter after you found out your parents owned and drove an AMC Pacer. If you cannot get the estimated value in the calculator, your break even period is going to be further away than this tools demonstrates. So, that is something else to consider, how much can you really get for your SUV or truck?

Overall, I would say it is a good tool that gets you thinking about costs and payback periods. Sticking to a budget develops your self-discipline and increases your ability to say no in these situations where is just doesn't make sense to buy.

Splurging Is Good for Your Health

2008-07-17T08:00:00.002-05:00

Please tell me you are kidding.

Buying overpriced indulgences may feel good in the short term, but you pay the price later. Or at least that's the conventional wisdom.

A recently published study by a couple of business school professors says splurging now makes you happier later. Something even more surprising was noted, that controlling the splurging now gives you pangs of regret later.

I would caution you to take this study with a grain of salt, since it explored the regret felt by college students over their conduct on recent winter breaks and by alumni remembering winter breaks of 40 years ago. This is a typical article that oozes of junk science.

After one recieves budget training early in life, it will allow you live like no one else and travel first class.

Photo credit: Abitibi

10 Ways For A Professional Athlete To Go Broke

2008-07-16T08:00:00.008-05:00

I came across this article at ESPN about professional basketball players filing for bankruptcy. Apparently, 60% of NBA players, according to the Toronto Star, are broke five years after they retire. This article could be for any professional athlete, so show me the money.

A few years back I had read the book The Dark Side of the Game by Tim Green, who was a former #1 draft choice for the Falcons NFL, and is now a television broadcaster, lawyer and author. One part of the book that got my attention was the section that discussed the players finances. He talked about the typical player who never had much money, relied on scholarships and now is an instant millionaire. Not far behind are the agents and "friends" that suck the athletes dry.

Never mind living within your means and sticking to a budget. Just think, the median salary in the NFL in 2007 was roughly $770,000. In one year, a player, who lived like a normal person, could go through all of Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps.

So here are the 10 steps on how a professional athlete can go broke:

1. Screw up, deny it, then fight by using every lawyer and dime you have.
2. Buy a house the size of Delaware.
3. Buy many, many cars - not just for yourself.
4. Buy a jet, yes they really do buy jets.
5. Spend stupid money on other really stupid stuff, not to mention bailing out family members who know you will bail them out of their stupid stuff.
6. Hire a slick agent.
7. Be sure to give the agent general power of attorney, so he can take care of all your needs without troubling you for a signature.
8. Spend like the money will never stop.
9. Just perform, don't worry about your house or family.
10. Most of all, set up a huge support system around you and keep your posse comfortable.

You can go HERE to read the whole article and see some real examples.

Unscrupulous Business Practice

2008-07-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

Credit card companies are dropping your credit limits without notification, and this could affect your credit score.

Card companies are reducing borrowing limits for tens of thousands of consumers, which then can lead to lower credit scores.

Those consumers facing this predicament might not even know it until they apply for a loan and then get denied because their credit score has dropped.

Banks and other card lenders are trying to better protect themselves from more massive losses like those in sub prime mortgage market. As a result, they are looking for ways to reduce their exposure to cardholders more likely to default. That is why they are lowering credit limits, which means they are reducing the maximum amount of credit extended to an individual, along with boosting card interest rates and allowing fewer balance transfers.

Great Part-Time Income

2008-07-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Yea, that's right. You can get paid to be a guinea pig.

I saw a brief report on CNN about joining paid medical research and as usual they don't list their internet source. People have many different reasons for joining a clinical study or medical study. Some are healthy volunteers who may join in exchange for payment. Other volunteers are individuals with different illnesses, like diabetes, liver disease, depression or anxiety. People with known illness may enter a trial because it may directly help them get better, or because they know they are helping others with similar problems. You DO NOT always have to take drugs.

A number of study volunteers participate primarily to earn extra money. Payment is most often used as an incentive to recruit healthy volunteers who derive no direct benefit from the research, such as in most phase I studies. Depending on the trial, testing phase and the company sponsoring the research, this can be a significant amount, from $100 to more than $1,500. Some of the testing involves overnight and multi day stays and requires you to do nothing. Sounds like a great opportunity for a blogger to get a lot of postings accomplished with minimal interruptions.

There are a lot of sites that you have to pay for a newsletter that will provide you with links or you can use this free service provided by Uncle Sam. Most of your questions and concerns can be addressed in this publication, Informed Consent: A Guide to the Risks and Benefits of Volunteering for Clinical Trials before joining a study. This publication also lists additional sources for you to find studies that you can join.

Money Crazy

2008-07-12T08:00:00.001-05:00

Both money and debt can make you loose your mind.

A banking error either on a student's new Visa Electron card or a fault with the cash machine meant he was about $4 million richer. At first he did know how much he had in his account, it was only when he went back to the ATM to check his balance later that he realised quite how much money he had in hand. He is now $600 in the red after spending part of it on a few luxuries for himself. Too bad he reached his withdrawal limit.

The brother of a millionaire lottery winner hanged himself the day before his family was due to be evicted because he could not bear to ask his sister for another handout. The brother had faced final notices on his mortgage payments twice before and his sister who won over $8 million nine years ago, paid off his arrears.

Looking For A Financial Calculator?

2008-07-11T08:00:00.001-05:00

I've stumbled upon a great resource.

Over at DollarTimes, they have calculators for car, home, investment, savings and personal finance. There are even a few that will show you how much you could save by stop smoking or cutting back on the multiple Starbuck runs.

And you really can buy the his and hers calculators.

Credit Card Smackdown

2008-07-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

Credit card recruitment gets the boot from Tennessee universities and colleges.

Tennessee House Bill number 3393 prohibits credit card issuer or any other issuer of credit to recruit potential student cardholders or customers for credit card business or other credit services on campus or at college or university facilities, or through student organizations. The law also prohibits the use of promotional incentives to students on campus in order to entice such students to apply for credit cards.

Gas Relief

2008-07-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

Here is a possible relief to the high gas prices.

MyGallons is similar to joining any other price club such as Sam's, COSTCO, etc., there is an annual membership fee of $29.95, with $1.95 per fill up and it is backed by a money-back guarantee.

Basically, you pre-purchase fuel at your current MyGallons price and when you are ready to fill up your vehicle, simply visit any of the over 200,000 participating filling stations. The web site states that if a station can accept a regular credit card, it can accept a MyGallons card.

Text messages or e-mails alert MyGallons members to the daily prevailing gas price for their area, helping them not only to decide whether the time is right to redeem pre-paid gas but also whether it is a good time to load their account up with more gas if the price drops.

Recently it was reported that the company received an "F" from the Better Business Bureau citing what it called a material omission of fact in the publicity material distributed as part of the service's launch. MyGallons said its gas redemption program used the Voyager fleet network, a bank-card processing service owned by U.S. Bank, but the bank failed to honor their agreement. MyGallons is currently looking for a new payment network.

You can look at the historical gas prices and see how much gas has risen this year. There is also a good article you can read on fuel speculation.

Photo Credit: hrtmnstrfr

Looking For A Good Deal?

2008-07-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

How about a FREE checking account with CD-like rates AND that offers ATM fee refunds?

If you are tired of your noninterest-bearing checking, the accounts on CheckingFinder are FREE checking accounts that have CD-like rates AND offer ATM fee refunds. The qualifications and rewards vary for each account.

If you meet the qualifications, you receive the highest APY shown. Some financial institutions have a cap on the applied balance. For example, they may offer the highest APY on balances up to $25,000 with a middle tier applied to balances over $25,000. If you do not meet the monthly qualifications you still get the displayed base rate APY.

This would be a great place to keep your fully financed emergency fund of 3-6 months of living expenses, and there is always ING.