Catey Hill
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With Mother’s Day just days away, many of you are stressing about what to get your mom. Does she want a new scarf, flowers, jewelry? And how much should you spend?
A survey released today by coupon site RetailMeNot found that 42% of people plan to spend up to $40 on a gift for mom, 22% between $41 and $60, and 23% plan to spend $61 or more. But don’t worry, it’s not about how much you spend, it’s about showing your love — though she won’t complain about getting the perfect gift!
Here are the top four
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“What do women want?” may be one of the most-asked questions in the world (there’s even a movie about it, “What Women Want,” starring Mel Gibson), and while I can’t tell you what they want when it comes to love or a Christmas present, I can when it comes to their finances.
They want more financial knowledge.
A new study by insurance company Allianz Life finds that women’s desire for financial and retirement planning knowledge has nearly doubled since 2006. Now, 62% of women say they have an interest in learning about financial planning, retirement planning and investing,
Is there a suspicious dent in your fender that your spouse swears he knows nothing about? Did your car insurance rates jump for seemingly no reason? The reason for these annoyances could be closer to home (or more precisely, literally in your home) than you might think: A new study shows that spouses often keep car accidents and traffic tickets, both of which raise insurance rates, from one another.
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Insurance website Insure.com surveyed 1,000 married adults in the U.S. about their driving records and what they did — and didn’t — disclose about them to their significant others.
April 15th is often met with impatience, stress, sometimes even outright disdain. After all, who wants to read dense IRS forms, wait for hours to see their accountant and possibly owe money to the government? Not me, that’s for sure.
The good news is that a number of companies offer tax day freebies to ease the pain of April 15th. Here are seven.
Cinnabon:
Get two free mini-cinnamon buns (mmm, carbs and icing!) between 6 and 8 p.m. on April 15th at the roughly 1,000 participating Cinnabon stores.
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Arby’s:
If you’d like something a little salty
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Between the lackluster job market and the still-high unemployment rate, it’s hard to make a good living these days. And depending on where you live, it may be harder for you than others, according to a new study.
Personal finance site MoneyRates.com analyzed the average income, tax rates, cost of living, unemployment rate and workplace environment data for all 50 states to determine which states offered the best prospects for making a living. “Times are tough, but people in some states may be having a harder time than they need to,” MoneyRates.com senior financial analyst Richard Barrington said
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Say the word “budget” to someone, and you’ll probably get a reaction that’s somewhere between an exasperated groan and a bewildered stare. After all, making and sticking to a budget is hard for pretty much everyone to do — and depending on where you live, it may be harder for you than most, a new study suggests.
Card Hub – an online credit card resource — reveals the cities where residents are best, and worst, at budgeting. To determine this ranking, Card Hub analyzed numbers like debt-to-income ratios (the amount of debt you have compared to your income),
Debt. It’s probably the most dreaded four-letter world in your financial life. No surprise there, as the average American owes more than $47,000 to creditors like credit card and loan companies. The good news: You may be able to use your debt to help you save money on your taxes.
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“All debt is not created equal,” says Adrian Nazari, the CEO of personal finance website Credit Sesame. “Some debt gives you tax advantages and that can save people a lot of money if they know the right strategies.”
To be sure, you should aim for paying down your
As anyone who’s ever been in a relationship surely knows, money can be quite the contentious issue. Whether you’re baffled by your partners’ overspending (another new shirt, really?!) or irritated by her perceived stinginess (why does she have to count every penny?!), there’s no denying that money causes fights.
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In fact, couples fight about money an average of five times per year, according to a survey released this week by financial company TD Ameritrade and personal finance website LearnVest. While a little fight here and there isn’t a big deal, money battles can lead to bigger issues —
Car insurance isn’t cheap — the average driver in America spends $791 per year on it — so of course you want big bang for your buck. But with myriad auto insurance companies clamoring for your business, how do you know which one to choose?
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Insure.com, a site featuring insurance information for consumers, surveyed more than 5,600 drivers to find out how happy they were with their car insurance company. It looked at customer service, claims satisfaction, value for price paid, policy renewal plans and whether you’d recommend the company. “What we found is that the top
With the Oscars only days away, many of us are daydreaming about movies. Will Argo win best picture? Will Bradley Cooper win best actor? But take away all that glitz and glamour, and you’re left with a not-so-shiny reality: Going to the theater to see a movie can be pricey. Don’t worry, we’ve got some smart ways to save.
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The average movie ticket costs $7.83, according to the National Association of Theater Owners. While that doesn’t sound like a lot, think of how that can add up. For a family of four, movie tickets would top $30. Toss
Valentine’s Day is supposed to be all about the love, but it’s impossible not to at least consider how much it will cost you too. The National Retail Federation’s Valentine’s Day spending survey finds that consumers will likely spend upwards of $130 on gifts for this holiday. For many people, the bulk of that money will be spend on flowers, which can easily cost upwards of $80.
To help you save money on flowers, we’re sharing some tips from consumer savings expert Andrea Woroch about how you can save money on Valentine’s Day bouquets.
1. Buy at the grocery store
As someone who travels a lot, I’m always on the lookout for new ways to save money on airfare. Most of the time, the advice out there is more of the same (use travel rewards cards, price shop online, etc.). So when I read this recent Wall Street Journal piece, I was excited.
Basically, the author finds that “pairing two discounted tickets together to create your own connecting itinerary can often be less expensive than flying on one ticket.” The author uses this example to illustrate:
For travel from June 11 to 18, the lowest round-trip airfare from Atlanta
Like a lot of you, I’ve got a pile of accessories I don’t wear anymore. These include: a gold ring from an ex (not wearing that again…), funky feather earrings (admittedly, I got a little carried away with that trend) and more bangles than I care to count. So I decided to do a little investigating: Is it worth it to sell my unwanted accessories for cash and, if so, how can I get top dollar for them?
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Turns out, now is a good time to sell jewelry for many people. Gold prices are still hovering near record
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Taking the family to a ball game may feel like an all-out blitz on your wallet, and with the average NFL ticket price coming close to $80, it pretty much is. Baseball is more affordable at $27 per ticket, but when you factor in parking, peanuts and cracker jacks (and a beer or two for mom and dad), your bill could easily top $200.
There are ways to keep costs down that don’t involve sitting in the nosebleed section if you know where to look and when. Here are some of the common mistakes to avoid so you
You’ve just scored a killer deal on the power tool set your husband has been asking for all year. You click to check out, feeling pretty good about how much you’ve saved. Then for the rude awakening: The shipping cost pretty much negates all that savings. Sound familiar?
If so, you’re not alone. Paying for shipping is one of shoppers’ biggest pet peeves, experts say, so much so that they’re looking for a way around it: 79% of shoppers say that finding free shipping is the most important online deal they seek while holiday shopping, according to a study by
