Category: Home

Save money buying or renting a home, maintaining, improving or decorating a home, or even selling or renting one out

Home, Taxes

Save by Challenging Your Property Tax Assessment

Here where I live in New Jersey, we have the highest real estate taxes in the United States (and probably the universe as well!) with a whopping average of $3,971 per year. Now that we’re closing in on a new fiscal year in my town, and my first quarterly tax payment is due on August 1st, I am reminded again that many of us simply accept the tax evaluations we receive from our local assessor and pay up without really knowing what can be done. In fact, if there has been some kind of error made or even if you just need a further explanation as to how the assessment was calculated, there’s a lot you can do.

Save by Challenging Your Property Tax Assessment

It matters not whether you pay your taxes through an escrow account (which I don’t recommend if you have that choice) or you do as I do and pay them directly to your local office, you still have the right to challenge your assessment and you may in fact have good reasons to do exactly that!Continue reading“Save by Challenging Your Property Tax Assessment”

Home

Save on Energy Costs and Save Our Planet Too

Now that summer is upon us, and the days are getting warmer and warmer, the air conditioning is already starting to crank up. That’s why it’s that time again to look at ways to save money off your monthly utility bills.

Save on Energy Costs and Save Our Planet Too

I know saving on energy costs isn’t the sexiest money saving technique, but it can never be a bad idea to remind us all that we spend an ever-increasing amount on our utilities and appliances that “burn” our dollars almost constantly. In addition, saving energy will help in saving our planet by using less, polluting less, and keeping our own personal carbon footprint on the smaller side. That’s important to me and my personal philosophy to do so for the benefit of future generations.Continue reading“Save on Energy Costs and Save Our Planet Too”

Home

Rent versus Buy: The Age-Old Housing Debate

It’s a popular time of year for home sales, with many people looking for a new place to live, and open house signs dotting the neighborhood each weekend. Once you’ve narrowed down the area you want to live, the next big question is whether you should rent or buy. Many people point to home ownership as the American dream where you can build equity rather than renting which is considered “throwing your money away”. But financially, it doesn’t always make sense to buy over renting, and there’s often more than just financial considerations to take into account.

Rent versus Buy: The Age-Old Housing Debate

So, rent versus buy? The answer is: it depends.Continue reading“Rent versus Buy: The Age-Old Housing Debate”

Cars, Entertainment, Home, Personal Finance

Why Bigger Isn’t Always Better

As the years go by, it seems we have all been buying more and more into the cliché “bigger is better”. I have to admit, I wouldn’t refuse a bigger paycheck each week, or a bigger piece of mom’s apple pie after dinner, but there are lots of other instances where bigger can create other issues that may lead you to real trouble.

Why Bigger Isn't Always Better

Being just a little practical and more conservative financially can give you mounds of money that can be used for real life priorities, like retirement, long-term healthcare, and life insurance as well as investing in your future. I’m not a scientist, but I’ve come up with a scientific formula that I wish I had developed years ago:Continue reading“Why Bigger Isn’t Always Better”

Food, Home

Smart Gardening Saves You Money

With the spring weather finally coming to the northeast, I can see things are beginning to sprout and grow around here, from the green buds on the trees and bushes to the yellow blooms of the daffodils and forsythia. Many people are turning their attention to gardening and landscaping, and the retailers and nurseries are ready to take your money today, with one retailer even calling it “spring black Friday” (shouldn’t that be “spring green Friday”?). While I tend to have a brown thumb when it comes to growing plants, I have a green thumb when it comes to saving money. Lots of people enjoy gardening, but they can save money at the same time by growing their food and saving on groceries.

Smart Gardening Saves Money

If you don’t have a large-sized property, you might be thinking gardening isn’t for you. But all it takes is a small bit of land, Continue reading“Smart Gardening Saves You Money”

Credit, Debt, Home

Home Equity Line of Credit: Is it for you?

There may come a time when you face a situation when you need money that is above and beyond your emergency funds. We may all face them at some point, whether it’s a medical emergency, car or house situation, or perhaps something with the kids like a huge tuition bill or family issue you need to help solve. What can you do? There are several solutions, but today I’d like to address a common but often misunderstood one, the home equity line of credit, or HELOC.

Home Equity Line of Credit: Is it for you?

First, let’s talk about home equity. The equity is the difference between what you owe on your home to pay off any mortgage and the current market value of your home. For example:Continue reading“Home Equity Line of Credit: Is it for you?”