Archive for February, 2009

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Do It Yourself Debt Reduction.

Debt consolidation loans, debt settlements, debt management programs ““ as an increasing number of people find themselves trying to climb over a mountain of debt, the number of companies offering various types of assistance increase. Before you join one of these programs however, you should try to reduce your debt on your own and avoid company fees or the potential for a dishonest company to make your financial situation even worse. Here’s how you can set up a do-it-yourself debt reduction plan:

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debt
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5 Inexpensive Ways To Have A Great Valentine’s Day.

This post was originally from last year, but hey – recycling is the “in” thing right now. Besides, they all still work!

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Frugal
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State Excise Taxes On Cigarettes – What’s Your Take?

Yes, we know – cigarettes are bad for you and not too many people dispute that fact. They also supposedly increase everyone’s health care premiums and medical costs, making them public enemy #1 sometimes. One way that states are trying to both raise money for insurance coverage and reduce the amount of people smoking is by raising the taxes owed on each pack of cigarettes. According to The Tax Foundation, these per-pack taxes range anywhere from a low of $.07 in South Carolina to a high of $2.75 in New York State. This is in addition to whatever the packs are being sold for at retail, which in New York makes a pack of cigarettes about $7-$9 depending on where you get them. That is a lot to pay for something whose only job is to give you cancer, and if you smoke a pack a day that would be $2,920 at $8 a pack over the course of a year. That is a lot of money. So here is my question – do you support making smokers pay higher taxes on every pack of cigarettes? Should they, because of the damage they are doing to themselves, have to pay more into the health care fund in every state through these taxes?

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taxes
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The Six Worst Tax Cuts in the Senate’s Stimulus Plan Package.

According to Citizens for Tax Justice, here are the six worst tax cuts (PDF Download) in the Senate’s version of the stimulus package, which will cost $123 billion more than the original House bill would have:

1. The Alternative Minimum Tax “Patch”

Projected Additional Cost Compared to House Bill: $70 Billion
Why It Won’t Help the Economy: Bulk of benefits go to richest 10%.

2. Home Ownership Tax Credit

Projected Additional Cost Compared to House Bill: $35 Billion
Why It Won’t Help the Economy: Benefits wealthy taxpayers and could inflate housing prices.

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saving
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Don’t Bury Your Financial Head In The Sand.

Of all the times you could choose to ignore your finances, now would not be the time. Between the banks being more choosy about who they lend to, the unemployment rate nearing 8%, and the future of the economy in question, now is the time you should be paying the most attention to your finances! When everything was good, I was nowhere near as careful with where my money went as I am now. And even though I am self-employed and have only really felt a little of the downturn, I am sure I will anytime now and I need to stay vigilant about our financial situation. So while it may seem easier to just ignore what is going on because it is so depressing, you should be doing just the opposite – taking stock of where you stand, what you can do, and where the future might bring you. Because I have been giving some thought to how we will survive if the economy continues to plunge, I figured I would share some of the things we are focusing on right now.

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Lifestyle
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