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Will It Be a Happy New Year or Wallet War 2019?

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If you are anything like me, you are probably wondering if you might be paying more for things in 2019. Experts predict that the answer is yes you will and one of the biggest reasons, although not the only one, is because increases in tariffs can cause it. With our recent trade controversies and disputes with foreign governments like China and Mexico, there has been a claim that price increases will go unnoticed, but that is starting to prove untrue as some economists and government officials had predicted. More and more now say they expect the impact on consumers to be pretty significant.

Will 2019 be a joyful new year, or will price increases cause a "wallet war" that may leave you broke? Here are 12 areas where price increases are likely.

“Things are going to become more expensive because of these added taxes,” best-selling author and personal finance expert Chris Hogan told CNBC. “This has the potential to impact a lot of areas that people need day to day to survive or to run their business.” Continue reading

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Striking Out in Life and the Personal Finance Game

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It’s been awhile since I’ve written about what it takes for you inside to become a success in your personal finances. Most of the time, I get caught up and find myself pontificating about what you should and shouldn’t do when it comes to shopping and buying. That’s the premise of Super Saving tips, I’ll admit. But whether you are ultimately a financial success really depends on more than that. Here’s what I mean.

If you don't do the right things, you'll strike out in life and in personal finance. Read on for the 3 strikes that will send you right out of the game.

While everyone says that they want and try to be successful in their finances, some never make it. I believe there are some valid reasons why people are unsuccessful in the personal finance game, but pretty often it’s because they are lazy, stupid, or just don’t give a damn. And sometimes, shamefully, it’s all three at the same time! Continue reading

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Skipping These Will Save You Money But Ruin Your Life

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One of things you hear pretty often when it comes to trying to save money is the concept of “just skip it”. You know what I’m talking about here, don’t you? Like when you’re on your way to work in the morning if you “skip” that stop at 7-Eleven and forgo the cup of coffee and that bagel you’ll save yourself about $5 bucks, right?

There are lots of things you can skip to save money, but it's not always a good idea. Here are 8 things that you're better off keeping in your budget.

Or say, how about when you are at the restaurant and you opt for that tasty glass of Chardonnay with dinner and tack on an extra $14 to your bill? “Skip it” and have a glass of water with a twist of lemon instead, right? That’s fairly good advice and when you do it you will definitely cut costs and save some money. And truth be told, no real harm or suffering comes from that. But, and it’s a big but, sometimes we are “penny wise and pound foolish” as the old saying goes. Continue reading

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Missed Black Friday Deals…Is It Too Late for Great Bargains?

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Please note this post contains affiliate links which help to fund this blog at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

Congratulations, you just survived another Thanksgiving holiday with all of the trimmings. It probably included not only a wonderful family get-together with turkey and pies, but also enough sports to cause a major overload even for a diehard football fan. It seems every year gets even more and more like that for us, and if you were among the many this past weekend you probably also included some form of traditional shopping frenzy too! Black Friday deals, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday…holy cow does it ever let up for even a second?

So you've missed the Black Friday deals and you're worried the great bargains are gone. There's still time to get great prices on your holiday gifts!

Can You Say “Shop ‘til you drop?”

Smartphones, online shopping, and “sneak peek” discounting have changed Black Friday deals from the door-busting shopping brawl of just a day or weekend into an even more bombastic event. They’ve reshaped how retailers appeal to consumers on these “special” days which serve as the annual kick-off for the holiday shopping season. But wait, there’s more to it than that! Continue reading

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Emergency Planning – Are You Insured and Storm Ready?

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We are not yet through November and some of us have already experienced a fall snowstorm. Storms of all kinds can hit with little notice no matter where you live and even if it’s not weather related, many scary problems strike and can be very dangerous, costly, and life threatening. We have seen that just in the last two weeks with the worst California wildfires ever (and now potential mudslides) that have taken dozens of lives and destroyed so much property. For these reasons and more, it pays to have an emergency plan.

Emergencies happen, but are you prepared? You need an emergency plan in case of a storm, fire, or other disaster. Here's what you need to plan in advance.

What Can You Do About Any of This?

If storms, fires, or other disasters strike, the very least you can do is be prepared with a plan and adequate emergency supplies. Even if you need to eventually evacuate, and I hope you never have to consider it, you need a plan of action. Continue reading

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It’s Time to Get Your Federal Taxes in Order, Part 2

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Getting ready for your next tax return due by April 15, 2019 should be on your mind as this year ends. That’s why Part 1 and Part 2 of this post are so important! So here is Part 2, but first…

There have been some important changes in the tax law, so now it's time to review your 2018 federal taxes and make any last-minute necessary moves.Stop and Think

Before splurging on holiday gifts this year, ask yourself if you’re going to get a big or far bigger tax bill than you’re accustomed to next year. Or if you get a tax refund, is it likely to be smaller? Millions of Americans won’t get their usual tax refunds next year because of the confusing tax law changes. Continue reading

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It’s Time to Get Your Federal Taxes in Order, Part 1

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This year, for 2018, it’s more confusing than ever to try to get yourself ready for income tax season and decide on your deductions, if any, because of the changes that the tax bill passed earlier this year in congress. So you should start to get your federal taxes in order now.

There have been some important changes in the tax law, so now it's time to review your 2018 federal taxes and make any last-minute necessary moves.

Check Your Withholding

The IRS says that checking your withholding can help protect against having too little tax withheld and facing an unexpected tax bill or penalty at tax time next year. The average tax refund was $2,825 in 2018, up $9 from 2017, based on IRS data. Continue reading

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The Retirement You Have Always Dreamt Of?

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I’m willing to bet that almost every one of you has dreamt about the day when you no longer have to deal with your 9-5 workday routine. I have to laugh though when I think about me and that kind of timeframe. I certainly didn’t 9-5 most of my work life, especially in my jobs in retail management. More often than not my work hours spanned an earlier start time at around 8 a.m. and ran into evenings, weekends, and holidays with many weeks running 6 days.

If you're working, you may have vivid retirement dreams about the day your time becomes your own. But not so fast...things may not be as rosy as they seem.

In fact, I’d guess that I almost never worked a 40-hour week and typically did 50-55 hours as a matter of routine. So, yes, I can honestly say that I did dream of the day when I would sleep in, roll out of bed whenever I felt like it, and then do pretty much anything I’d ever want to do without worrying about the old clock on the wall! Continue reading

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Racism, Prejudice, and Finances – The Ugly Truth

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Today’s post is about a very difficult subject for most of us to discuss: financial racism and prejudice. It’s not the standard “save and earn some money” post and if you aren’t in the mood for a frank, tough read, I’d advise you here to skip to another blog today. But if you are still here, read on.

Financial racism is rampant in the U.S., and it has a profound economic and social effect. Being aware of systemic racism is the first step to stopping it.

Racism and prejudice in America is in our faces every single day whether we choose to recognize it or not. It’s not just politics and it’s not just finances, it’s not just social and it’s not just religious. It’s all of the above. Continue reading

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The Decisive Way to Obtain Your Financial Security

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Please note this post contains affiliate links which help to fund this blog at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

I have been around for a while now, almost 70 years. I’ve read a lot of books and seen and met a lot of pretty successful and unsuccessful people along the way. You get some insights about that stuff as you put some years on, and one really big takeaway from all of my experience is in the end actually pretty obvious. It’s something that you know almost from your childhood and those years like the ones I’m talking about simply reinforce what you know each day, over and over. And it is simply this: Everyone wants financial security, everyone!

Everyone wants financial security, but there's one sure way to get it. Read on for the decisive way to insure your financial future.

My experience is that it’s the “how to achieve financial security?” question that is the core of all the hub-bub about it, more than just the who, what, when, or why questions. We can all agree on those questions but it’s the “how” that mostly stumps us. So many opinions.
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