Winter is coming, but I’m thankful…

It’s not my favorite time of the year, but I tolerate it only because I have heat provided by my friendly natural gas provider. I’ll admit it gets kind of expensive though during the winter months because when the cold is unbearable outside, the heat is blasting on the inside. I really can’t stand to be cold, so I show no mercy to my poor HVAC system.

The Price of Winter Comfort

In the summer I can expect to spend about $45 for natural gas services. I thank God for that, but in the winter? Oy vey! The bill seems like it’s through the roof. I’m sure I’m not the only person lamenting this issue, but it is truly the price you pay for having heat.

Each year I get a notice to choose my rate, which I can leave as is or change. Unless you have an understanding of the price of gas per cubic foot, it’s confusing. I do my best and move on.

You’d think that with as profitable the gas company is, they would do something nice for those in need, right? Fortunately some companies do have a heart. I’m thankful for that and for the generosity school receive through the TrueBlue Schools program.

TrueBlue Schools Makes it Easy to Give Back

The representatives of my local natural gas company have proven they have a heart. Their TrueBlue schools program gives back to any school who needs help with equipment, school supplies, or anything else they need. Does your gas company do that?

The Gift That Keeps on Giving

The way TrueBlue Schools works is you enroll you favorite school and for every bill payment you make, $5 will go to your school every month. This has to be the easiest school fundraiser ever. You don’t pay any extra on your bill but TBS gives $5 on your behalf each month to the school you’ve listed. Schools receive their donation check every quarter and can earn as much as they want. Hint: It pays to get all the parents who get natural gas involved to get the most out of the program.

Switch, Save, & Contribute Easily

If you live in Georgia and your child’s school has been struggling because of budget cuts, over population, or they just need help, enroll in the TrueBlue Schools program. It’s an easy sign-up process and there will be no interruption in your service.

Signing up is easy:

Customers switching from another provider:

· Visit TrueBlueSchools.com

· Select a school to donations once your new gas service begins.

· Enter some basic information, and use our secure online website to switch your service to Georgia Natural Gas.

· Don’t forget to provide promotion code TRUEBLUE to receive up to a 15¢ per therm discount on your gas service, in addition a monthly $5 donation to your school.

· Remember, you can always call 1.866.ONLYGNG to sign up by phone, too.

If ALREADY a Georgia Natural Gas customer:

· Visit TrueBlueSchools.com

· Select your school to receive donations.

· Enter some basic information and you’re done.

I wish you a warm winter and an even warmer heart as you give back to help your school through this easy fundraiser.

This post was sponsored by Georgia Natural Gas TrueBlue Schools

Hear ye! Hear ye! I’ve been eyeing the Bluebird card ever since it showed up in my local Walmart. I admit, it was the color the caught my eye. The blue is so soothing and almost one of my favorite colors.

Why am I so geeked to be telling you about this? Well it’s because I get to work with them silly! Yep, I am working with the Bluebird brand to bring you more information and tips on how to maximize this new card.

If you got my FREE 79 Ways to Turbo Charge Your Financial Life ebook you know that controlling your spending is one of the first things I advise you to do.

I’ll be updating you on the various ways I’m using the card from making purchases for Back-to-school and travel expenses to staying up to date on my account information.

I hope you join me on my journey through the land of no-fee card purchases with Bluebird by American Express. It  has all of the premium features that account-holder love, such as deposits by smartphone and mobile bill pay, and no minimum balance, monthly, annual or overdraft fees, purchase protection, roadside assistance, 24/7 customer service, etc.

Registering for My Card

The first step is to register for my card. I went to Bluebird.com and was met with the beautiful blue again. I clicked the Register button and followed the directions.

I registered then received this email that it’s almost complete. I have to click the link in a separate email that will verify my email address then take me to my new account.

Now my account is all set up. The next step is to add money to my account using my regular checking, savings, payroll check, or check image capture on my smartphone. Of course I can’t use the account until I get my permanent card in the mail. I will have to log back into my account to activate it then I’ll be all set to start spending, monitoring, and distributing money in any sub-accounts I’ve set up.

A few months ago I announced that I had given up regular monthly cell phone plan because I wanted to control my spending. I have been using Straighttalk with success for quite a while. I know how much my cell phone bill will be and get no surprises. How could I ask for anything more?

Well I learned about another phone plan that may offer a little more to it’s customers. Giv Mobile is a prepaid plan similar to other prepaid plans on the market. You can choose a plan for $40 or $50 for unlimited talk, text, and web access. The prices difference is basically how much data you can stream at one time.

The big difference a percentage of your bill goes to charity. Yep! That’s a pretty amazing idea. Even better is you have a choice of three charities to contribute to each month out of a list of many charities. For anyone who has wanted to give back, Giv Mobile may be the solution for you.

I had the chance to work with Giv Mobile to see how the plan works for a month. I’ve had it for about three weeks and so far I think it’s pretty good. The phone service is on the T-mobile network which I’ve used in the past for quite a few years. I haven’t had any problems with coverage or accessing the web. I noticed a slight lag in connectivity a couple times but I learned that with the $40 dollar plan the data stream may not be as fast as the $50 plan. I can live with that and can simply upgrade if I want a better experience.

Overall I like the no-fuss, no-muss plans. I like knowing what I’ll have to pay each month and to have the added bonus of giving to a worthy cause is nothing short of amazing.

If you want to try out Giv mobile visit their website a givmobile.com. You will receive a sim card that can be used in any unlocked cell phone, which makes it a very flexible phone service. You never have to worry about being stuck with a certain carrier because of the phone.

I used the Google Nexus with the Giv Mobile plan when I tried it out. You can see my review of the Nexus in a future post. Will link it here soon.

Have you made the switch to an unlimited prepaid plan yet? What has been your experience? What’s stopping you if you haven’t made the switch?

Since this is a money focused blog I am about to share the top 5 ways cash can leak from your life. It’s hard enough to make money, so why allow any of it to be pilfered (stolen) from your purse? But it can happen without even realizing it. I know I’ve been bitten a time or two, but with financial education comes transformation. Now I am alert to the ways my money can slip away almost undetected.

Overdraft Loans

If you have a bank account you know what this is. You bank covers a payment when your money runs dry but you pay a heavy price. Most banks charge $35 per incident which can put your account further in the negative. The way to prevent this from happening is to closely monitor your account and be aware of your balance. You can check online or with your bank’s mobile app. It only takes a second to avoid paying extra money to your bank.

An overdraft loan is a transaction that your bank pays when you have insufficient funds in your account to cover a payment. Banks typically charge $35 per overdraft, which can be triggered by debit card purchases, ATM withdrawals, checks, or other payments from your bank account. Some banks charge a second fee if not repaid within a few days. Banks collect payment by deducting the overdraft amount and fees from the next deposit into your account. Overdrafts are the most expensive bank credit.

Tax Refund Anticipation Loans (RALS)

The first year this came out I used it because I desperately wanted my tax refund sooner than later. In the years that followed I weighed the cost of getting the money faster and paying as much as 50-500% in fees against waiting 8-10 days and getting all of the money I was expecting. I’ve chosen the latter option every year and have not regretted being patient.

RALs are extremely high-cost bank loans sold by tax preparers and secured by the taxpayer’s expected tax refund – loans that last about 7-14 days until the actual IRS refund repays the loan. RALs cost 50 to 500% APR when all loan fees are included. Some tax preparers also charge a separate fee, often called an “administrative” or “application” fee, in addition to the RAL bank’s fees. Tax preparers and their bank partners also offer an “instant” same day RAL for an extra $20 to $39. RALs are a declining product due to action by bank regulators and the IRS.

Car Title Loans

I have never done this because I value my transportation too much. I couldn’t stand the sleazy commercials either and before I knew how much you’d end up paying an arm and a leg to repay the loan. A typical car title loan costs 300% APR, must be paid in one month, and is made for much less than the value of the car. Most cars are repossessed so you lose money and your car.

A car title loan is a short-term cash loan where the car title is used as collateral.  Title loans are typically made without regard to borrowers’ ability to repay. Borrowers risk repossession if unable to repay at the end of the month.

Check Cashing

This is another service I refuse to use because the high fees they charge. Most people who use these services don’t have a banking or credit union account so they feel they have to use this service.

Check cashers sell basic financial transaction services, such as check cashing, money orders, money transmittal, or prepaid debit cards. Many check cashers also make payday loans in states that authorize that product. Check cashers provide these services in exchange for often high fees.

Prepaid Cards

Prepaid cards can be a blessing or a curse depending on your perspective. I’ve used them when I purchased them from a retailer like Walmart or Target. I’ve also used them when I wanted to cash a refund check and that was the primary form of money issued.

I’ve had a prepaid card from a bank once to use like a credit card. I had to deposit money into the account and the transactions would be reported on my credit report. It is used as a credit rebuilder. The down side to it are the fees that are deducted from your total amount.

Prepaid debit cards, often called stored value cards, are a payment method used by unbanked and underbanked consumers to make transactions. Funds are loaded onto the card and then spent when consumers swipe the cards at retailers or withdraw cash via ATMs.  Prepaid cards can be useful to consumers but often come with steep fees and are not clearly protected by the federal laws that apply to debit and credit cards.

So there you have the top five sneaky cash leaks. In a nutshell:

1. Overdraft Loans because of insufficient funds come with a heavy fee for each overdraft incident

2. Tax Refund Loans hit you with a heafty fee to take out the loan, sometimes as high as 50% of your expected refunds in fees.

3. Car Title Loans put you at risk of losing your car on top of paying up to 300% in interest.

4. Check Cashing services charge very high fees to cash the check. In addition to paying taxes to Uncle Sam on your paycheck you are also paying to have your check cashed.

5. Prepaid Cards tack on fees to use the card and it’s hard to get a refund if something goes wrong.

Source: http://www.paydayloaninfo.org/other-high-cost-credit-products

One of the best ways to learn about managing money is to listen to the experts. It’s especially nice to listen to women who have practical advice to share.

I am a fan of teleseminars and podcasts because I can usually download them and listen on the go. Sometimes it’s not possible but at least it’s available.

Here are a number of telelseminars and podcasts by various personal finance gurus that you can listen to and learn more about money management.

Money Wise Woman

Marcia Brixley over at MoneyWiseWoman.net has an entire series for women on finance. Check out the past shows she’s posted:

• Talking to Your Kids About Money
  Variny Paladino, Jump$tart
  Listen Now

• The Best Ways to Create Personal Wealth
  Anita Saulite, Savvy Money Gal
  Listen Now

• Women’s Money Power
  Gina Robison-Billups, CEO Women’s Money
  Listen Now

• Spending, Brain Science & Emotions
  Mikelann Valterra, Seattle Money Coach
  Listen Now

• Bridging the Financial Gender Gap
  Jayne Black
  Listen Now

• Budgeting for Right Brainers
  Kimberly Palmer, US News and World Report
  Listen Now

• Social Media Sanity — Spend Less Time and Make More Money Online
  Karen Clark, My Business Presence
  Listen Now

• How You Can Profit from Credit Cards: Using Credit to Improve Your Financial Life
  Curtis Arnold
  Listen Now

• Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office
  Dr. Lois Frankel
  Listen Now

• Where There’s an Inheritance: Stories from Inside the World of a Wills Lawyer
  Les Kotzer
  Listen Now

• Can Finances be Fun?
  Scott Saunders, PayOff.com
  Listen Now

• Cashflow & Budgeting: Patching the Cracks in Your Financial Foundation
  Mindy Crary, Creative Money
  Listen Now

• Raising Money Smart Kids
  Janet Bodnar, Editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine
  Listen Now

• Women Empower Yourselves: Understand Your Debt & Credit Report
  Hollis Colquhoun
  Listen Now

• Achieving a Lifetime of Financial Security
  Janet Bodnar, Editor of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Magazine
  Listen Now

• What Pulls Your Trigger? Four Reasons You May Overspend
  Mikelann Valterra, Seattle Money Coach
  Listen Now

Other Money Focused Podcasts

Money Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for a Richer Life – Money management in minutes

My kids and I are nuts about The Avengers and any other super hero characters. We see all the movies and have recently raved over Ironman 3 (definitely a must see).

But who knew The Avengers could teach you about money? Well they are talking savings in a new comic I discovered over at PracticalMoneySkills.com. Spiderman, Iroman, the Hulk and their friends have teamed up to teach kids the importance of saving money.

The best part is the comic is free to read online with your kids. Just click the image below to start reading.

Some rules are meant to be broken – like the one about not wearing white after Labor Day. Others should remain sacrosanct, such as the rules of good credit. Those are the kind of rules that can make life easier and happier when you follow them – and help ensure your finances stay in good order, too.

Unlike fashion rules, the rules of good credit are really not subject to interpretation or personal opinion. They derive from the formula that credit bureaus and lenders use to calculate your credit score.

So what are the 10 unbreakable rules of good credit? Here they are in descending order, a la David Letterman:

10. Create a budget and stick to it. Your budget should cover everyday expenses and allow for the smart use of credit.

9. Use credit cards wisely. Smart use of revolving credit – not carrying a balance, paying the full balance immediately – is an important component of a healthy credit score. Unwise use, such as running up debt, can lower your score. And in that vein …

8. Always pay more than the minimum balance on your credit cards. Ideally, you would pay off the entire balance right away, but if that’s not possible, pay more than the minimum – as much as you can afford. Paying only the minimum balance means it will take years – and thousands in interest charges – to pay off your debt.

7. When applying for a loan – which includes applying for new credit cards – do so wisely. Comparison shop and make your applications (if you’ll be making more than one) in a short amount of time, so that those credit inquiries will only count against your credit score once. Stretching applications over time, or making too many in a short amount of time, can negatively impact your credit score.

6. Your credit utilization ratio – the amount you owe compared to the amount of credit you have available – is a key factor in determining your credit score. Avoid maxing out your credit – including credit cards or home equity lines of credit. At any given time, try to keep three quarters to two thirds of your total available credit free for use.

5. Don’t immediately close a credit card account just because it’s paid off. Doing so can skew your credit utilization ratio. Before you close an account, be sure you understand what impact – if any – the action will have on your credit score.

4. Practice identity theft protection measures. From shredding sensitive paper documents before trashing them, to keeping your PC’s virus protection software up to date, it’s important to take steps to protect your credit from identity theft and fraud.                                                                                                                       

3. If you’re in financial trouble, don’t practice avoidance. If you can’t pay your bills, contact your creditors to work out a payment plan, but know that not making minimum payments may negatively impact your credit score. Being proactive may not solve your financial woes but it can help minimize the negative impact on your credit.

2. Keep an eye on your credit score. Maybe you’re in the habit of reviewing your credit report once a year, or only check it when you’re planning to apply for a loan, but it’s important to stay on top of your credit score all the time. Fortunately, the Internet has made it easy to monitor your credit report and score. Enrolling in membership of a product like freecreditscore.com can help you understand your credit. With enrollment, you get credit score alerts, identity protection alerts and fraud resolution support if you find an error on your credit report.

And, the No. 1 rule of good credit:

1. Pay your bills on time. A consistent, long-term history of timely bill paying goes a long way toward a healthy credit score. In fact, a solid payment history can pull up your score even if there are other negatives on your credit report, such as a high ratio of credit used to credit available. Not paying your bills on time – or at all – is a surefire recipe for bad credit.