The mercury is rising again and I’m starting to sweat the small stuff – in fact, it seems like I’m sweating all the stuff.

But, I’m determined to find some ways to cool off for a bargain in the process and now I’m sharing my non-traditional penny-pinching tips.

Treat yourself with AC. This is an old trick from “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn”, a great novel in which a poor, turn-of-the-(19th)-century family is trying to save money to buy land.

Admittedly, they treated themselves with heat to save cash, but you can do the same with cool air.

I cool myself as well as I can throughout the day without AC and then crank it on for the night, since I can’t sleep well when I’m sweating. (This also works great if you’re at an air-conditioned job all day – turn it off at home to save!)

Here’s some ways I save on air conditioning:

• Stretch your juice budget. When frozen, concentrated orange juice goes on sale, I buy several jars and keep them in the freezer. On hot days, I spoon a little of the slush into a glass, top it off with chilled water and voila! A chilly, healthy, flavored drink. For even more flavor, brew herbal tea, chill it and mix that with the juice. Heaven, I promise.
• Turn off the computer. Yes, I love my computer. But there’s a reason cats curl up on these things in the winter – they get hot. Okay, I know we need our electronics even in hot weather. But a little planning and diligent efforts at hitting the off switch when we don’t absolutely need our gadgets can cut down the overall heat in your house.
• Learn to love the library. Guess what. My local library has tons of free entertainment – and it’s air conditioned. Is there a better combination around? I think not. Even if you’re not much of a reader, most libraries have impressive DVD and magazine collections – great for chilling out on a sultry summer night.
• Find projects to cool yourself down. Here’s a double money-saver: when my shower curtains start to get a little less than sparkling, rather than buy new ones, I sprinkle them with bleach and scrub them down with cold water in the bathtub. In the process, I get cooled down – kind of a sprinkler for grown-ups. Other watery cleaning projects: washing the car/dog, hand-washing delicate clothes, cleaning out the fridge/freezer.

Enjoy your summer, and don’t let keeping cool for you to file bankruptcy.

In these tough economic times, everyone can use a little financial advice.

I scoured the Web looking for blogs that offered solid, helpful financial advice and tools. I received submissions from readers and bloggers across the country.

Below is my careful selection of the “Debtress’ Best,” 100 financial blogs to help you live debt free.

The blogs are broken down into five categories:

• Advice and Insight
• News & Analysis
• Share the Journey
• Start Investing
• Ways to Save

Use these choice blogs to help you on your personal journey to get out of debt, stay out of debt and live a financially independent life!

(more…)

When gas prices plummeted last fall nobody wanted to believe they’d creep up again, but last time I fueled up, I couldn’t help but notice the increase.

Luckily, there are ways to stretch your gas dollars and help the environment – without trading in your minivan for a Prius (because who can afford that right now?!).

Here’s a compilation of tips I’ve scoured from the Web that will help you get the most mileage out of your summer dollar without filing bankruptcy:

• Plan before leaving home. Restarting your car to run several short errands can use up twice as much gas as taking care of business in one run. So plot out what needs to get done and do it all at once.
• Consider the alternatives. Got a neighbor who needs stamps too? Try carpooling to the post office – some cities even have Web sites devoted to this fuel-saving technique. And why not combine shorter errands with a workout? Walk or bike when possible (and use NO fuel!).
• Drive like Gramps. I used to be a fast driver, but I started expressway driving between 55 and 65 when I heard how much gas (and money) it saves.
• Go gentle into that good night. And day. Braking and accelerating “gently” can improve city gas mileage by up to five percent.
• Take advantage of cruise control. If you’re on the highway, cruise control can improve gas efficiency. And if you’re in a major backup or waiting for someone, turn your car off – it’ll save money and lower pollution.
• Put air in your tires. This is so easy to do and can improve your gas mileage by about three percent. If you don’t have a tire pressure gauge, ask a gas station attendant for help.
• Know thy tank. Check out your car’s owner manual for details on fueling up: many cars get no mileage benefits from using more expensive, higher-octane gasoline. And avoid gadgets that promise to improve your mileage. The EPA has found that most are shams.
• Take a load off. Or rather, take a load out. Remove any extra weight from your back seat, trunk and roof. Extra weight in a car can decrease fuel efficiency.
• Don’t skimp on maintenance. Regular oil changes and filter replacements are essential to your car’s fuel efficiency and longevity. Clean filters can improve gas mileage by up to ten percent.
• Buy efficient. If you are in the market for a new car, consider fuel-efficient models. Two birds: these cars will save you money in the long run and help our planet.

Safe summer travels, folks!

You know your credit matters–especially in today’s economy–but do you know how your credit is scored?

Check it out ~ The formula for calculating FICO credit scores can be complex; but, roughly, it’s determined by:

• 35 percent = Payment history (on-time payment is best)
• 30 percent = Utilization of credit (using less than you can is best)
• 15 percent = Length of credit history (the longer the better, assuming positive action)
• 10 percent = Diversity of credit used (more is better)
• 10 percent = Recent inquiries into credit (more inquiries are worse)

Get Your Credit Information

Credit Karma (creditkarma.com) has new tools for helping consumers keep track of their credit information.

The site is fairly easy to navigate and offers a variety of tools and helpful information for interpreting the information on your credit report.

How Accurate is the Credit Score Offered?

Credit Karma calculates credit scores based on the information in your TransUnion credit report. Sound confusing? Let’s back up a few steps:

• Credit Report: This is a document compiled by three major companies in the United States, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. You are entitled to one free report each year from each of the three companies – this report is available at www.annualcreditreport.com.
• Credit Score: This is a number derived from the information in credit reports. Lenders use these numbers to gauge a borrower’s creditworthiness before lending money. Currently, the most widely accepted credit report in this country is the FICO score, calculated by the Fair Isaac Corp. FICO scores range between 300 and 850. You are not entitled to see your FICO score for free, but you can pay to view it.

The “credit score” offered at Credit Karma, though, is based only on your TransUnion credit report and doesn’t take into account information on the other two (from Experian and Equifax).

The score you’ll receive will likely offer you a ballpark range for where you fall, but don’t assume it’s 100 percent correct.

Other Perks the Site Offers

The site may still be a useful tool, though.

It’s BBB-accredited and makes money from advertisements rather than payments from those who visit the site.

If you’re looking for loan offers or trying to compare credit cards before opening a new account, Credit Karma may be a good starting point.

It also offers a credit “report card” section, which breaks down the information you’re likely to find in a credit report.

This is useful for consumers who are interested in staying on top of their credit health but unsure how to navigate credit reports.

If your credit score is hurting because of overwhelming credit card debt, you may want to see if filing bankruptcy might be able to eliminate your credit card bills.

The collapse of the housing market and the subsequent recession have left many experts hollering for improvements in financial literacy among Americans.

As many of us know, it’s never too early to introduce our children to healthy financial habits – but that doesn’t mean we know how.

Saving Activities for the Whole Family

A recent article on msnbc.com discussed the benefits of cashing in coins for “real” money – and it suggested getting children involved.

Here are some tips for getting your kids interested in – and knowledgeable about – saving money.

Gather loose change. Encourage children to collect any coins they see on the ground or get from transactions. Designate a place at home where everyone can throw this change.

Coin saving can be fun because many people consider change to be “throwaway” money and never total it to see how much they have.

You may even want to incentivize your childrens’ savings by matching any coin amount they deposit in their accounts.

Be careful, though, about using automated coin machines, because some charge significant fees (as much as nine percent) to transfer your money to paper.

Count and roll. Every so often, work as a family to roll coins together. This can help your kids learn about counting and discover how little amounts add up over time.

Head to the bank. This lesson might be most effective if you let your kids open their own savings accounts. That way, they have a personal stake in what and how they save. You can encourage your kids to save up for major purchases or even suggest putting the money toward college.

Other Recession-Friendly Change Games

Even if you choose not to open a change-based savings account, you and your family can make the most of metal money lying around the house.

• Have a grocery store challenge: Set a limit for one night’s dinner (or one week’s groceries, depending on how much change you have around): restrict yourself to the amount of change you have in the house. Encourage your kids to comparison shop and try new foods to meet the financial limit.
• Start penny wars: Choose two (or more) charities and label jars with their names. Collect coins in the jars. At the end of the month, see whose jar has more – and donate all the money to that organization.
• Make a “luxury” change budget: Collect household change as a family and decide on a goal (ice cream treat, night at the movies, etc.).

When you save enough money, celebrate by treating yourself. This helps your kids learn that certain activities are for special occasions and cost money.

The collapse of the housing market and the subsequent recession have left many experts hollering for improvements in financial literacy among Americans.

As many of us know, it’s never too early to introduce our children to healthy financial habits – but that doesn’t mean we know how.

Saving Activities for the Whole Family

A recent article on msnbc.com discussed the benefits of cashing in coins for “real” money – and it suggested getting children involved.

Here are some tips for getting your kids interested in – and knowledgeable about – saving money.

Gather loose change. Encourage children to collect any coins they see on the ground or get from transactions. Designate a place at home where everyone can throw this change.

Coin saving can be fun because many people consider change to be “throwaway” money and never total it to see how much they have.

You may even want to incentivize your childrens’ savings by matching any coin amount they deposit in their accounts.

Be careful, though, about using automated coin machines, because some charge significant fees (as much as nine percent) to transfer your money to paper.

Count and roll. Every so often, work as a family to roll coins together. This can help your kids learn about counting and discover how little amounts add up over time.

Head to the bank. This lesson might be most effective if you let your kids open their own savings accounts. That way, they have a personal stake in what and how they save. You can encourage your kids to save up for major purchases or even suggest putting the money toward college.

Other Recession-Friendly Change Games

Even if you choose not to open a change-based savings account, you and your family can make the most of metal money lying around the house.

• Have a grocery store challenge: Set a limit for one night’s dinner (or one week’s groceries, depending on how much change you have around): restrict yourself to the amount of change you have in the house. Encourage your kids to comparison shop and try new foods to meet the financial limit.
• Start penny wars: Choose two (or more) charities and label jars with their names. Collect coins in the jars. At the end of the month, see whose jar has more – and donate all the money to that organization.
• Make a “luxury” change budget: Collect household change as a family and decide on a goal (ice cream treat, night at the movies, etc.).

When you save enough money, celebrate by treating yourself. This helps your kids learn that certain activities are for special occasions and cost money. Hopefully, these lessons will stick and no one in your family will need to bankruptcy.