(Red cocktail recipes linked at bottom of this post.)This time of year someone is watching you--watching to see if you are naughty or nice.Your credit card company is taking note if they see you put certain "naughty" purchases on your card. What kinds of items are red flags to them?Some are kind of obvious, like purchases at a pawn shop. They … [Read more...]
Managing Financially Awkward Situations
You are asked to go someplace you can't afford. You are asked to be in a wedding & you can't afford it. You know the situations. We all do. What to do? You can say no. You can say the budget is tight right now. You can say you are saving up for something this month. You can suggest an alternative. Just don't continually wreck the budget by … [Read more...]
HELOC as Emergency Fund
Can you use a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) as an emergency fund? Yes. But to be a true emergency fund you'll need to not use it until absolutely necessary. Don't let the line of credit tempt you to use it to buy a fancy new tv or a new couch for example. That's not a true emergency. Getting laid off from your job and needing to put food … [Read more...]
Where to Withdraw Cash in a Hurry
There are situations where you need some cash right away. Here are some ways to have it available for those times. This should be part of your emergency fund strategy. You'll need to decide how much money should be available quickly and in what order you would tap these sources of extra money.Click title for link to a good practical article at … [Read more...]