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Get Out of Debt – It Doesn’t Have to Be Like Prison

I know, I know – every financial website and magazine out there makes it seem like carrying debt is a prison sentence. They make it sound like it’s the end of the world, like a deep dark hole you can never climb out of, and like you can never accomplish anything unless you rid yourself of any and all debt. I am here to tell you that they are all wrong – debt is not the end, not a death sentence, and not something that should stop you from achieving your dreams. Carrying debt, and trying to climb your way out of it, is like any other adverse condition we face in life. If you were going hungry, you would find a way to eat. If you lost your job, you would work incredibly hard to find another employment opportunity. Having debt is no different – you must find a way to “solve” the problem, work hard at it, start seeing the end result, and continue to move towards it. It is not a horrible, scary, life-threatening disease – it’s debt… and you can get rid of it if you are willing to try and not be scared off by punditry.

0

My Two Dollars Interview Over At Thrift Culture Now

An article containing an interview I did a few weeks ago is now published for your enjoyment over at Thrift Culture Now. The article is titled “Learn How to Get Rid of the Debt & Get Back to a More Sensible Way of Living” and is available here. A teaser:

When David totalled up his credit card bills and realized that he owed $20,000, he knew it was time to seriously re-evaluate his lifestyle.

“I had nothing to show for all that debt! It was years of just living high on the hog and spending money as if I were wealthy, when I was anything but.”

2

How I Saved Money on My Rental Apartment Application & Credit Score Check

As I have mentioned lately, I am moving back to California in a few weeks. And in California, almost every single apartment/house/rental you apply for, you have to pay an application fee and a credit check fee to the landlord. Because I have been looking for (and finally found) a cool place to rent, I have been putting in applications for various houses, all of which initially required both the application the credit check fee. I don’t know if there is a standard charge for these fees, but the people I talked to wanted a $25 app fee and a $35 credit fee. Realizing this was going to get expensive, I decided to do something about it; I ran my own credit report and got a copy of my own credit score. I now had copies of information that landlords were going to charge me $35 for each time I applied for a place, and it only cost me a one time fee of about $7. Sweet!

4

Comparison of Average Moving Cost Estimates for Different Methods

I hate moving. I hate packing, I hate unpacking, and I hate the entire process. A few years back I swore I would never do a move by myself again, and instead have been hiring guys to help put my belongings in the truck and to take them out at my new place. It has certainly made moving a little easier, but every time I move I have to decide whether to hire full-service movers, to go the “You pack, we drive” route, or to rent the truck and drive it myself. And guess what? It’s time to move again, so it’s time to compare and contrast different moving methods again.

3

Compare Your Car Insurance Policy with Other Auto Rates & Quotes Every 6 Months

If you have been with the same auto insurance company for any length of time, you may be paying too much. Because I have a pending move to a different state coming up very shortly, I decided to use this change as a time to get new quotes on my auto insurance. Over the course of my 22 years of driving, I have been with several different auto insurance companies – MetLife, State Farm, 21st Century Insurance, Wawanesa, and Progressive. Progressive is the company I currently have, as they were the cheapest for my needs here in Colorado. I would have stayed with Wawanesa when I left California a few years back, but they only serve customers in Canada, California and Oregon. They were simply unbeatable in their prices and customer service, so since I am moving back to California I will definitely be getting a quote from them. State Farm and Geico advertise “You can save 40% or more” every three minutes on the TV, but I don’t know what you are saving 40% or more off of… off their rates? Off other rates? Off my grocery bill? Who knows. But in any case, because I am moving and will be registering my car in another state, it was time to check into getting auto insurance quotes for my Mini Cooper S – and this is what I found.

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