http://theshoppingnazi.com Fri, 18 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 http://theshoppingnazi.com/document-fixed-monthly-expenses/ http://theshoppingnazi.com/document-fixed-monthly-expenses/#comments Wed, 25 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000 The Shopping Nazi http://theshoppingnazi.com/document-fixed-monthly-expenses/ Not having a idea as to your current bank account balance is just an idea. The reality can be a couple hundred dollars difference. The same holds true for where you are at with your budget. If you have your finances document it is be easier to track. Over the years, every job I have had required a certain level of documentation. In fact the more successful businesses documented every little thing that was done. I had one boss who firmly believed, “If it was not documented, it did not happen”. This holds true through out all the modern business world. If the business world requires documentation, should our home finances and budget be well documented? Seeing budget, income and expense numbers before our eyes makes for a clear understanding. If we are wanting the best for our family, we need to give them the best financial tracking as possible. Sharing this documentation of the family finances will help curb impulse purchase that can break the budget. The most basic of way to document any financial budget is a good old fashion spreadsheet. You can make one by taking a piece of lined paper. Take a ruler and pen then draw [...]]]> http://theshoppingnazi.com/document-fixed-monthly-expenses/feed/ 0 http://theshoppingnazi.com/when-not-to-file-an-insurance-claim/ http://theshoppingnazi.com/when-not-to-file-an-insurance-claim/#comments Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:00:41 +0000 The Shopping Nazi http://theshoppingnazi.com/?p=7061 Have you been in an auto accident or had water damage from the washing machine over flowing? Then got on the phone calling your insurance company for a claim that was only for a few hundred dollars. Did you know you do not have to file an insurance claim every time you are eligible to file. If you read your insurance policy carefully, you will find you will be penalized if you file to many claims with in a certain period of time. Some insurance companies have been know to raise the premium excessively high or deemed you uninsurable. Several years ago, this guy took over as director of a small nonprofit. He was a real nice guy with  a big heart. He notice three of the five vehicles had small chips in the windshields. Looking over the insurance policy he saw each of the vehicles windshields could be replaced for free. So he contacted the insurance company. Within a week  all three vehicles has new windshields. A couple months later when the annual insurance premium came due, he got quite a surprise. The annual rate went up $525. When he contact the insurance agent, he was told the increase rate was based up the [...]]]> http://theshoppingnazi.com/when-not-to-file-an-insurance-claim/feed/ 0 http://theshoppingnazi.com/health-insurance-options/ http://theshoppingnazi.com/health-insurance-options/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:00:15 +0000 The Shopping Nazi http://theshoppingnazi.com/?p=6567 Among all the hustle and bustle of the coming holiday season, this is the time of the year a great many companies will have open enrollment for their health care insurance plans. This is when employees can change or are forced to change the their health insurance. With health care costs going up and the amount of coverage going down, there may be some non-employer provided options that is better. It was not to many years ago when my employer provided a family health care plan which included dental, and optical. The trade off was a deductible of only $10 per office visit, and only $5 per medication. Unfortunately, those days are long gone. Last year I took a quick look at Open Enrollment. A couple weeks back I did a look at Health Insurance Overview. Today, I would like us to look at other Health Insurance Options. We don’t have to be lock into just what our employer has to offer us. Some of these other options maybe give us better coverage at a equal to or better price. Our Spouse - Our spouse’s or life partner’s employer may have a better deal for health and life insurance than our employer. Take advantage of their employers benefits. I [...]]]> http://theshoppingnazi.com/health-insurance-options/feed/ 0 http://theshoppingnazi.com/back-to-school-shopping-2011/ http://theshoppingnazi.com/back-to-school-shopping-2011/#comments Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:00:43 +0000 The Shopping Nazi http://theshoppingnazi.com/?p=5936 Late July and early August is the best time to go around to yard sales. This is the time to I find the best deals. People are cleaning out their garages for a little extra money. Parents are cleaning out their children’s closet getting ready to by new sets of school cloths. Last week we stopped by this one yard sale where we were met by a little boy and girl offering to sell us bottled water or soda for $1 each. Their sales pitch was the money they earned would help pay for their back to school clothes. I smiled and thought it was great that such young children were learning the value of a dollar. Last year was the first year we gave our daughter a budget for her to buy her school supplies and clothes. She amazed us how much she came within budget. So we decided it would be a good practice to do the same this year. However when we were talking with our daughter about her school budget she asked for an increase in her back to school budget. We came up with a compromise. Every year at our daughter’s birthday, in June, she gets [...]]]> http://theshoppingnazi.com/back-to-school-shopping-2011/feed/ 0 http://theshoppingnazi.com/mortgage-update/ http://theshoppingnazi.com/mortgage-update/#comments Tue, 02 Nov 2010 13:00:25 +0000 The Shopping Nazi http://theshoppingnazi.com/?p=4078 We are weeks away from Christmas. I you are like me, I am thinking more about having enough money for Christmas than what is happen with mortgage. However,  for those who are still looking to buy a new home there is a few update I want to share with you. Considering everything that has happen in the past few years. Loans given out to people who should not of have gotten. Other folks who found themselves out of work facing foreclosure. Banks and loan institutions have tighten what qualifies for a home loan. Craig Ballhagen over at MyFirstBoiseHome.com wrote on his blog about how Idaho mortgage guidelines are constantly changing.  It is very important for future home buyers to take the time to be informed. The whole qualifying for a loan is broken down into 3 areas. Credit report, employment, and income/debt ratio. If you don’t fall within the guidelines in each of these three area it is time to look at how your can adjust your finances. Credit Score – The credit score is the first thing lenders will look at when applying for a home loan. Craig say, “If a home buyer has a score of less than 580, they are not [...]]]> http://theshoppingnazi.com/mortgage-update/feed/ 0 http://theshoppingnazi.com/foreclosure-dont-give-up/ http://theshoppingnazi.com/foreclosure-dont-give-up/#comments Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:00:08 +0000 The Shopping Nazi http://theshoppingnazi.com/?p=3549 Foreclosure is a word that has been striking fear, remorse and a lot of negative emotions in virtually every home owner in the past few years. News agencies have been reporting 1 in 10 home owners are facing foreclosure. The most common foreclose is for failing to pay the mortgage. Foreclosure can all happen for failing to do something else not related to money. This can be not adhering to ruling and regulations of the neighborhood association. The reason for not being able to pay one’s mortgage can be for a host of reasons. Miss enough mortgage payment a home can be lost to foreclosure. Few choose to go into foreclosure voluntarily. It’s often an unpredictable result from one of: Being laid off, or fired from their job No being able to continue working due to medical conditions Mounting bill obligations Divorce Moving to another city or state When it comes to foreclosure emotions can blind a person logical thinking processes. Realize the rules and laws behind foreclosure do vary from state to state. However, there are a few things that one must be aware of when facing foreclosure. Most states provide a period of redemption. I would encourage you to read teh article from MND News Wire (Mortgage News [...]]]> http://theshoppingnazi.com/foreclosure-dont-give-up/feed/ 0 http://theshoppingnazi.com/money-management-from-the-mint/ http://theshoppingnazi.com/money-management-from-the-mint/#comments Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:00:13 +0000 The Shopping Nazi http://theshoppingnazi.com/?p=3502 Way back in 1995, I remember when I helped a young pest control business get their first computer. We set up their books with a new software from Quicken. Over the years, Quicken has been the only real money management software for personal of business use. Since then there has been several of money management programs to come on the market and many of them leave. Then in 2005, Aaron Patzer said there could be something better. So in 2008 Mint.com came out of beta. When I was first introduced to it. I was a clunky not very user friendly, but program was free. Today, it has grown and matured to a very impressive money management system. And it is still FREE! According to Mint.com, they give you personalized ideas on how to save money by presenting the greatest savings from among thousands of financial products. If you decide to make a change that saves you some money, they sometimes earn a small fee from that bank or company. Does this sound to good to be true to the little guy? Yes, I thought so. So started looking around at what other people were saying. DoughRoller.net say, “Before I go into specifics, [...]]]> http://theshoppingnazi.com/money-management-from-the-mint/feed/ 1 http://theshoppingnazi.com/bankruptcy-is-like-divorce/ http://theshoppingnazi.com/bankruptcy-is-like-divorce/#comments Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:00:25 +0000 The Shopping Nazi http://theshoppingnazi.com/?p=3137 A few weeks ago, a friend and I were talking. Then out of the blue he blurred out like someone who was about to be tortured. “I am afraid that I am going to have to file for bankruptcy.” I could see the pain in his eyes. He was the type of person who did not have a lot of money. He paid his bills. He took pride in providing for his family. The mere idea of bankruptcy was the worst possible thing that could happen. He believed that if he could not provide for his family he was the scum of the earth. Several years ago we where almost to the point of living on the street, before I spoke that dreadful 10 letter word (Bankruptcy). We could not afford to hire a lawyer, so I went to a self help legal organization to get help. The first words out of the paralegal’s mouth was, “you are not alone”. This was at the start of the Great Recession. He was starting to see a sharp increase in number of people filing for bankruptcy who would normally of have never considered it. Dave Ramsey call the Myth of Bankruptcy, “I’ll just [...]]]> http://theshoppingnazi.com/bankruptcy-is-like-divorce/feed/ 0 http://theshoppingnazi.com/how-much-does-a-lawyer-cost/ http://theshoppingnazi.com/how-much-does-a-lawyer-cost/#comments Tue, 25 May 2010 14:00:27 +0000 The Shopping Nazi http://theshoppingnazi.com/?p=2927 How much does a lawyer cost? Well that all depends what you need a lawyer to do for you. According to Lawyers.com the national average is $284 per hour. Then depending on they type of lawyer you need and the area of the United States, that $284 per hour can quickly turn into over $1,000 per hour. Note, I said per hour. Court appearances, filing fee, and research can put a person in the poor house before going to court. That does not say you are going to win your case. Now, I am going to misquote a fairly known saying. “He who has himself as a lawyer is a fool.” I have made the quote the say, there are times you just need to bit the bullet and hire a good lawyer. However, there are time where you can save a lot of money. Today, I am going to share three of those ways. LegalZoom.com was founded by three young men along with Robert Shapiro. Their approach is that there are some routine things the average person can do themselves; like wills, basic divorces, and LLC incorporations. At LegalZoom.com for a small fee you can get the paper work and instruction and save [...]]]> http://theshoppingnazi.com/how-much-does-a-lawyer-cost/feed/ 1 http://theshoppingnazi.com/have-you-considered-the-y-for-daycare/ http://theshoppingnazi.com/have-you-considered-the-y-for-daycare/#comments Sat, 24 Apr 2010 15:00:43 +0000 The Shopping Nazi http://theshoppingnazi.com/?p=2700 Considering the world we live, where there are single parents or both parents are working, it is imperative that there is some kind of day care the the children. Some families use retired grandparents to help the greater good of the family. Others families are not so fortunate, it is a constant struggle until the child is old enough to take care of themselves for one or two hours after school. Depending on the daycare this could be $100 to $400 maybe even more per week. Then there is the problem of getting the little ones back and forth to school. Have you considered the YMCA? Yes, the YMCA is a lot more than yes an athletic club. The YMCA has evolved to a community resource center for people of all ages. This week I checked the YMCA of the Treasure Valley. The first thing I noticed was that the two story building to one half of the city block. The parking lot was a signal level that filled the remainder. I found out later that the YMCA of the Treasure Valley was not limited to that building. A quick look on Google maps showed 4 locations that were withing a 15 minute drive of [...]]]> http://theshoppingnazi.com/have-you-considered-the-y-for-daycare/feed/ 0