One day left until payday! I cannot believe we survived without a maid for a week and with a budget that is limited so take out food delivery isn’t an option (meaning, I really had no choice but to cook!). We are a family that lives from paycheck to paycheck so usually, before payday arrives, our budget is stretched to its limits. We even sometimes really are left with nothing but money for transportation to and from work. That is how hard life is right now. So I cannot blame people who actually apply for payday loans. Why not? It is better than selling your things at the house or pawning your jewelry. Think of it as a cash advance that you pay when payday arrives. Payday loans are usually called short term loans because the payment schemes are shorter, the loan amount is smaller and the interest rates are noticeably different. What is good about it is that cash advance loans can now also be done online, guaranteeing your anonymity, and be processed and approved faster!

You just need to meet the following requirements:

• Being Employed for at least 3 consecutive months.
• Having a valid checking account open for at least 3 months.

So next time you fell short on cash, consider applying for one!

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Why am I always talking about them? Payday Loans are actually cash advance loans you can apply for. This is actually a short term loan with amounts ranging from $100 up to $1,500. I just love the fact that it can be a great advantage and a huge help for people who deal with emergencies a few days before pay day or when they are really strapped for cash. It is not really nice that you need to sell off things to get cash (I do not see the point) so applying for these types of loans is the better route, definitely. Most of all, I cannot believe how easy it is to apply online! You don’t need to scout for banks that can loan you the amount, you don’t have to stand and wait in line, you don’t even have to fill up any forms! You just go online and apply! Faxless Payday Loans are a hit among employees not only because of its convenience, but because of its easy processing and approval and the fact that you can apply for it anonymously. Once you apply online and get approved, the loan amount will be deposited on the bank account you have specified and then payment begins by crediting the same bank account on specific dates you have agreed to. And yes, no faxing of documents also. No Fax Payday Loans are surely the way to go.

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Beware of small expenses.
A small leak can sink a great ship.

I have read this somewhere and it struck a chord in me. Times are really hard right now and even the littlest amount I can save will be a big help when pulled together.

And yes, money matters stink.

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Having your own business can be financially rewarding and involves a lot of sacrifice and risks. Struggling entrepreneurs will be happy to know that they can avail of a small business cash advance through Merit Capital without having it qualify as personal credit. They offer cash advances to small businesses when they need it the most. Based on the amount of credit card transactions you have processed from your business on a monthly basis, they will judge your eligibility for a cash advance. Sometimes, you really need cash and most of your funds are locked in checking account or are just waiting to be cleared. Applying for a cash advance from Merit Capital will really help you get through!

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Medical or health insurance is something that, in my opinion, every person should have. We would never be able to predict any illness or accident that can happen to us so it is better to be prepared. Nothing is more devastating than being sick and not having enough money to pay for your treatment. So I think everyone should be insured, if not for life, for medical reasons and emergencies. Now, getting the right health coverage plan for you can be confusing because different companies offer different premiums and benefits. Of course, we would want to find health insurance that is reasonably priced without sarcificing the benefits it covers for us. For example, if you are in Illinois, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, Golden Rule and Humana are available companies. People’s Health Insurance LLC is a licensed insurance agency that can help you get the insurance coverage you need. Their “Rate Quote” is a fast process because it gives numerous plans available for you comparing them against each other.

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Have you ever heard of cashback credit cards? These are credit cards that offer rebates or cash back for every purchase you make using your card. Usually, credit cards run these types of promos during shopping season (like holiday season) and every season change (even the start of the school). My credit card company recently offered a 3% rebate for every 3,000 pesos charged to cards and I think I got more because I use the card for grocery shopping and Martha’s milk and pampers :D. Credit card balance transfers usually are at its lowest too come year end. So I would recommend holding off balance transfers until December. Usually, interests drop at .89% - that is huge!

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With all the shopping, paying bills and spending money, I decided to just open a savings account apart from my account which accepts my salary. I plan to maintain that one as my savings account and keep my current accounts as my “spending money”. I just opened one today and I made sure I opened an online savings account because I hate going to the bank with long lines and I dont have time to go to the bank! I mostly settle all my bills onlines. There are even no bank charges, which I absolutely love - so online banking is the way to go!

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Here I am again, talking about credit cards! I just got my billing statement for this month and it came with the brochure for this year for customer rewards points redemption. If you know how to spend your money wisely and use your credit card in a practical and intelligent way, you can end saving more actually. For example, the points I have earned from the credit cards rewards program my card company offers is enough for me to get a brand new appliance. Ever since I knew how nice their rewards program is, I took it upon myself to charge almost all transactions to my card - utility bills, grocery, Martha’s milk and pampers - but I pay the expenses before the due date arrives. That way, I have earned points, and I still havent incurred any interest. The 0% credit cards are also good too - if you need to buy an item which might not fit the budget for now, you can charge it to your card, pay monthly a fixed term, and all of this is charged with no interest! No interest credit cards are really meant to help - it is up to you to use it wisely.

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When I get to have a home of my own, one of the things I would consider is to get mortgage life insurance. It would pay off my home mortgage if I were to die unexpectedly. I would be sure to get my dream home, and I want to make sure, that if I die young or unexpectedly, the roof on my kids’ heads are guaranteed to be theirs forever. It will really give me peace of mind knowing they, at least, have a house they wont worry of mortgages to pay off.

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Owning a house is dream of many. Sadly, you need to pay almost your whole life to be able to say the house is yours. By then, it might be a little too late. A house is the most expensive thing you will ever get. And that is why most people have mortgages to pay. The search for cheap mortgages is an endless task. Most of my relatives relentlessly
compare mortgages before finally deciding on which one to get. I dont own a house yet, but I do hope in the near future. In the meantime, Im set to educate myself on how mortgages work. Remortgages is something I need to learn about too. Most of the houses of people I know have been remortgaged.

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I was offered to avail of the 0% balance transfer rate of a credit company yesterday while I was doing my MoneyGram transation. While balance transfer credit cards are a great way to reduce debt, I think having two credit cards are enough for now. Im close to wiping out the balance on the other one so by 2008, I should be left with one. I really have been burned badly by credit card debt - lesson learned really well. My advice is for you to compare credit cards before finally committing to one - find the one the best works for your lifestyle and needs. I am retaining one credit card primarily because of nursing exam fees, which can only be done online, which reminds me, I need to place the application within this week!

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Such a bad combination, isnt it?

I believe this post is going to be like that, a mish mosh of things I want to say and things have happened the past weekend.

Health wise:

Im still sick. It’s manageable during the day, but it becomes a nightmare at night. I literally become a whooping barking dog every 30 seconds. It’s really dry cough - and I know drinking lots and lots of liquids will help. I think we need to replace the bed mattress though - I notice I only get wheezes when I lay down at night.

The kids are OK. Mom tells me the kids are eating every hour and having fun, despite the TV being broken a day after they arrived. There are a lot of greens, bugs and open spaces to keep them occupied. Matthew, TV freak that he is, didnt even want to go home.

The Weekend:

I had to work on Saturday so Sunday, I went to Amadeo to visit the kids and bring some groceries (turns out Mom bought groceries for them as well). Mom cooked for us - baked macaroni, inihaw na isda, liempo - yum, yum - and I slept. LOL. It feels good to sleep on a naturally cool and breezy environment, I tell you. The kids are looking good! Matthew’s puffy eyes are gone (due to rhinitis and allergies) and Martha is a wee bit taba, still a long way to go, but her milk appetite is back (I might add Pediasure to her milk diet on top of Gain Plus though. I read in the N@W group that it helps babies gain weight, not that she is underweight, I just want her back to her old chubba siksik self). I bought the SLR but did not take pictures because I got a massage..woot..and get this, for only 200 bucks. Woot some more, LOL. It felt.so.good. Im going to do it again this week when we go back plus a foot scrub. We had a great time with the grandparents.

AND, they have found an apartment - a gated, 2 story-level, with garage apartment. The apartment has two small rooms, nice spacious living room and dining room, cooking area at the back of the house (I really want this so my house doesnt smell like cooked food all the time), and a garage for the kids to play. There are cable, phone and internet lines available. And the rent is only 2,500 pesos. Not bad. But we were aiming for a house to rent. We will be looking at it this weekend. If we like it, we will get it so that we can slowly make the place livable come our transfer by Feb or March next year. Im actually pretty excited because we are making progress :D. Im actually planning what major furnitures we need (or ask for) and making mental notes on how to save for all of these. I just hope my blogging job stays strong (more on that later) and Edil gets regularized at work.

Money Matters:
Remember the money diet challenge I posted for you guys last week? Well, I kept all my expensed listed and I was ashamed of myself, LOL.
Read more… »

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I would love to own a car someday. That would be in my list of “to-haves” in my 3 year-plan. Knowing I might not be able to pay outright in cash, I will most likely invest in car insurance. Actually, a friend of Edil has offered a second hand Toyota Corolla, under five years, owned by his sister for a good price without downpayment. We are also looking into getting home insurance for some properties. You will never know what will happen in the future so it is best to be prepared for things to come.

We can also take life insurance - but we are wary that if ever our kids will still be minors when we die, the money will just be spent on things we would not even prioritize for the kids. Of course there will be legal beneficiaries for them but we can never be trustful even with family. And you would have to take into consideration that the value of money changes over the year. The one million worth of insurance coverage you got ten years ago will not buy you as much today as 10 years ago - so your insurance coverage, in a way, depreciated as well.

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This is my goal before I resign: Save at least six months worth of salary for unforeseen expenses and emergencies. That might not be doable since I might resign in a few months. So after a long talk with my husband, we came up with this solution: After Matthew’s enrollment on May 16, he will give all his salary to me, less his transportation costs and mobile load credit costs and I will do the finances. We will see if we can get by with his salary and my earnings from online jobs. We also agreed that we must be free of all debt like loans and close all our credit cards except one. We need to have it on zero balance. If ever he will get a car in six months after being regularized, we will compare car insurance first.

I honestly think this would all be doable. Im getting excited with my new role in the coming months!

Technorati Tags: credit cards, loans, car insurance, financial freedom, saving up

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Let’s talk about credit cards again. I now only have one, which I have had for four years and couting. I am really satisfied with their customer service and their over-all service in general. I can avail of their 0% balance transfers promos every year. I did this with my two other cards. Then I take advantage of 0% credit cards which mean 0% interest for fixed monthly payment terms. You need to compare credit cards to really know what would be the best credit card for your needs. I have good credit history with them so I get an annual credit limit increase.

It really is all about spending money wisely and really know that buying with credit cards are really credit or debt not unless you can pay in full when the amount is due. I dont spend what I dont earn anymore. I learned my lesson.

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