This featured post is presented by The Debt Myth.

Paying off debt can make a huge difference in your life. Imagine the relief you’ll feel when you no longer have the stress of figuring out how to cover everything — and when you have the freedom to do the things you want to do with your money.

Paying off debt is a matter of four basic things: not taking on new debt, making paying off debt a priority, cutting spending, and making more money. Get on track with those four things, apply the debt snowball method, and you’ll be on your way to being debt free!

Continue reading Paying Off Debt Makes the Difference at The Debt Myth.

This featured post is presented by Almost Frugal.

I found this quote on a fitness website (MyFitnessPal): “The reason most people fail instead of succeed is that they trade what they want the MOST for what they want at the MOMENT.”*

Continue reading What Do You Want Most? at Almost Frugal.

The following is a guest post.

For millions of Americans, a credit card is a temptation to debt. For millions more, a credit card isn’t accessible due to poor credit.

This is happening disproportionately to younger, working adults with college degrees. The reason is based in burdensome debt from education loans, coupled with heavy credit card debt since college. They really don’t have a lot of options – credit card companies won’t have them as customers.

Meanwhile, many people who still have credit cards wish they didn’t. Many-thousand dollar balances incur $300, $400, $500 or more of interest charges every month. The best they can do is pay on just the interest, never reducing the principle balance.

Which begs a question: Is it possible to live without a credit card – either by choice or default?

Sure. You can use bank debit cards (plastic backed by cash in the account) for many things, including the purchase of airline tickets. Of course it forces you to live within your means, your current income. Which can be a very good thing.

But what about emergencies?

If you worry about how to pay an emergency, such as a $1000 car repair, without a credit card, how else might you do it?

This may strike you as one an unlikely suggestion: Get a payday cash advance.

Cash advances can be worth up to $1500, depending on your rate of pay and where you live. But they are also best paid off within 30 days – from your next paycheck – such that you won’t carry that balance very long. It buys you time, allows you the dignity of handling that emergency expense, but doesn’t lull you into some false sense of financial well-being. You still need to cover those costs over one, two or three paychecks.

This is more commonly done than you might know. Cash advances are now online, so there’s no need to go to a cash advance loan store – and millions of working people are getting them. You spend about ten minutes on the cash advance lender website, then the money is deposited electronically overnight. You get your cash by tomorrow morning (business days).

There indeed are ways to live without credit cards. You just have to decide if you’re committed to doing it with a backup plan.

This featured post is presented by Getting Ahead.

Couponing used to so simple. You clipped the coupon from the Sunday paper and used it that week at the grocery store for face value. Oh how times have changed! Now you have to know when to use them and when to hold them. You have to understand the grocery store rules, games and tricks. You have…

Continue reading Couponing 101: Understanding the Different Types of Coupons and Terms at Getting Ahead.

This featured post is presented by My Dollar Plan.

One way to make mail lucrative and fun is to fill your inbox with rebate checks. Every year I send away for reimbursement of money paid for products, wait the 30, 60, 90+ days, and then receive a check ranging anywhere from $3.00 to $75…

Continue reading Filing My Mailbox with Rebate Checks at My Dollar Plan.