How to Prepare for a Financial Emergency

how to handle personal financesThe best time to prepare for a financial emergency, of course, is well in advance. If you wait until your car dies, or your roof springs a leak, or your air conditioning unit fails in the middle of August...you could find yourself scrambling to be able to find the needed funds.

You'll want to start making a list of all of your expenses - rent or mortgage, car payment, insurance, utilities, grocery bill, cable, gym membership, transportation costs including gasoline or bus fare. If you find ,even this,  too daunting a task, you can simply multiply your present monthly take home pay times six. That number is your minimum money cushion.

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Staking A Claim On Financial Control

Debt diet resources center how to steps financial healthAmericans recently declared their top priorities are to loose weight and gain ground financially. This is the perfect time to begin your six step debt diet. 

Six Steps Toward Financial Health

Step One: Know where you stand.Do you know exactly what you owe and how long it will take you to pay it off? If you have been paying the minimums on your credit cards in 2006, you've lost financial ground. Gather each of this month's statements. Make an itemized list that includes each account balance and interest rates. Having your total financial obligations at your finger tips can help you make better financial decisions.

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College Budgeting 101

Giant portions unhealthy and add calories but not nutrition. Businesses are reporting more Americans are sampling healthy eating options. A new study reports that almost two-thirds of U.S. adults consider themselves healthy eaters. One indication of changing grocery cart contents was reported in the annual survey of American Eating Trends. The number of Americans reporting they are buying more fruit increased last year, reversing a 14-year decline. If America is eating healthier, why is it getting fatter? Many dieticians and nutritionists are pointing to portion size as a key reason more people are becoming super-sized. 

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