FoodStamps Are Hitting A Record High!

Looking at the latest news of the day I saw a link to an article about how food stamps usage is hitting a record high this year. Of course people are blaming President Obama for this but ironically using food stamps to buy food actually helps the economy.

The article goes on to say that nearly 1 out of every five people are using food stamps now. Even then the same article states that even with food stamps people still do not have enough money at the end of the month for food.



I remember talking to a former co-worker one time and she told me that if I knew of anyone who wanted to sell some food stamps to let her know because the food stamps that she gets does not last her until the end of the month.


I started this blog because it has become apparent to me that if we want to master our own financial security then we have to learn as much about money as we can! Make it a priority! Study wealthy people and study how they made their wealth!


I also have a Working From Home blog where I blog about working from home.


You definitely have to find ways to supplement your income and if you are at the point where you don't even have a job now you have to make finding a job your JOB for now!


I hate to mention it but in the article there is even talk about changing the food stamp program!


Food Stamps Hit Record Highs In June 2012

A Government Grant Program That Is Suppose To HELP People?

I have a blog called Grant Basics 101 where I blog about different grant programs that are available.

Most of my blog posts on the above-mentioned blog are about individual grant programs but there are times when I come across information about grant programs, that while they are not for individuals or for-profit businesses, they will hopefully be of benefit to individuals.

Here is one of those programs:

Some states will get government grant funding to help boost oversight of health insurance premiums. The $1-million grants will help many expand public access to information about rate hikes and hire experts to review proposed charges. The grants will enable many states to expand public access to information about rate hikes and to hire experts to review what insurers want to charge.

More than a dozen states also plan to seek additional authority to block insurance premium increases they deem unjustified, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Fewer than half of state insurance commissioners have comprehensive "prior approval" authority, which gives them the power to review insurance company records and stop proposed rate increases in the individual and small-group markets. Some states do not even require insurers to publicly report proposed rate hikes.

The Obama administration and many consumer advocates had hoped that the new healthcare law would give all states full rate review authority. But, blocked from including such a provision in the final legislation, the administration has urged state leaders to push forward on their own.

Commissioners in several states with a history of minimal oversight such as Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana and Montana are doing just that. And many states that already have prior approval authority — including Florida and Maryland — are taking steps to strengthen their oversight.

The District of Columbia also will receive a grant. Said a spokesperson, "the grants would "restore some basic fairness to the health insurance market."

But expanding government power remains controversial in many states. And the insurance industry, which opposes prior approval authority for regulators, has been a powerful force in many state capitols.

Arizona, Connecticut, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Virginia have no comprehensive authority to block rate hikes and do not plan to seek legislation to bolster their oversight powers, according to the Health and Human Services Department.

Alaska, Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota and Wyoming did not did not receive grants because they did not seek them.

In California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration specifically ruled out seeking prior approval authority. Consumer Watchdog, a Santa Monica-based advocacy group, urged the administration to reject California's grant application, saying the grant would "prevent, not develop, any effective state regulation of health insurance rates." California nonetheless received its grant, which is to be used to streamline collection of data on proposed rate hikes.

The administration would continue to work with states to enhance their oversight even if they did not apply for grants.

What I take this to mean is that some states will be provided with grant money to help reveiw the cases where there are proposed hikes in healthcare premiums and if they oppose such a hike or receive enough negative feedback from the public (who are the ones that would have to pay such increases!) - hopefully the states (well at least some of them) will be able to step in and do something about it!

I have read and seen (and heard) many comments about how high a price people are paying for their health insurance and hopefully this grant program will be able to help!

Credit Report Fact!

You are entitled by law to get one free copy of your credit report per year!

The IRS! - Did You Know.........

Did you know that the IRS has outsourced their work and is putting the public's info into the hands of people who are outside of the US?

To read more about this just click below:

Don't Mess With Taxes!

Do You Have A Bad Credit Score?

If your credit score is at or below 600, then you are considered as having a bad credit score!

Have You Ever Heard Of Kevin Trudeau?

Have you ever heard of Kevin Trudeau?  He's the guy that comes on late-night TV with his infomercials.  He has written many books, ie "Debt Cures", "Free Money" and books about weight loss as well as other books relating to financial subjects.

It seems that he is in trouble (again) with the FTC who claims that he is fraudulent.  According to the FTC, he has been branded as a snakeoil salesman "who misleads consumers into buying a wide-range of products that he claims can help people beat cancer, fix their finances, improve their memory....basically, fix anything".

Trudeau continues to say that he hasn't done anything wrong.  Not one consumer has filed a complaint against Trudeau with the FTC.

He has vowed to continue on with what he is doing.

Forex - What Does It Mean?

Of course I have seen this term mentioned again and again and I even looked it up once just to see what it was all about. Personally I wasn't too interested in it but just in case you are.....

here is a definition of forex that I have found online:

An over-the-counter market where buyers and sellers conduct foreign exchange transactions. The Forex market is useful because it helps enable trade and transactions between countries, and it also allows an investment opportunity for risk seeking investors who don't mind engaging in speculation. Individuals who trade in the Forex market typically look carefully at a country's economic and political situation, as these factors can influence the direction of its currency. One of the unique aspects of the Forex market is that the volume of trading is so high, partially because the units exchanged are so small. It is estimated that around $4 trillion goes through the Forex market each day! also called foreign exchange market.

A Tax On Grocery Bags - Part 2!

This is continued information from a previous post here on this blog.

Well it seems more and more stores are starting to charge their customers for using paper bags. I saw a new post about this subject on one of the forums that I belong to.

I was surprised to see how many more places are charging their customers for using the stores plastic bags. In my own local area I really know of only one store - Aldi's that charges customers for using their bags. They charge something like 25 cents per bag.

It's going to make grocery shopping a more expensive trip.

It certainly is not going to be a good way to help people get out of debt! It is certain going to contribute to a person's credit card debt if they are paying for their groceries with a credit card!

Be Careful When You're At The ATM Machine!

Online there is yet another article warning people to be careful when they are using their ATM cards!

There are scams going on in which someone can find out what your ATM codes are and they can use that of course to withdraw money from your account - be it your credit card account or your bank account!

The article provides many helpful tips and advice on how you can save your ATM information from being stolen!

If you need credit card help there should be a toll-free number provided on your credit card

To read the article, just click here.

Purchase Structured Settlements! One Way To Get Some Quick Cash Is.......

If you are receiving structured settlements either from a lawsuit or some other means you may be able to get some "quick" cash by going to a company that will purchase structured settlements!

How this works is that the company will purchase your structured settlement and pay YOU a lump sum in cash. Companies that purchase structured settlements will purchase your structured settlements so that then they receive your structured settlements and YOU will receive a lump sum payment in exchange for your purchase structured settlement.

You do have to be careful though because there are a lot of places with the advertisement of "we purchase structured settlements" and I have even seen a few commercials on TV from lawyers and law firms saying that they also purchase structured settlements. There are also advertisements both online and off saying "we will purchase your structured settlements for cash!

Some places offer to give you a free quote before you make the decision to let them purchase your structured settlement. Some of these companies will also provide you with information on buying and selling structured settlements at not obligation or cost on your part.

There is even an option of you purchasing structured settlements yourself if you are thinking about investing your money. You pay someone cash for their structured settlement and you in turn receive the installment payments of the structured settlement yourself!

So if you're looking for a way to be able to get cash you may want to look into companies that purchase structured settlements. It is a way for you to be able to get some quick cash!



Keep in mind though that some of these companies that purchase structured settlements intend to profit from their purchase, and sometimes their offers may seem quite low so it is a good thing for you to shop around to get the best (free) quotes available from companies that want to purchase your structured settlements.

Tips To Avoid Vehicle Theft!

Nobody likes to have their car broken into! It has happened to me and it has happened to a lot of people as well! I found an online article that gives some helpful tips to help avoid one's car being broken into.

Some of the tips are obvious like locking all of your car doors but it's surprising how many people don't do this! I know that there are people who want to make a "quick" stop into a store or something and they think that they won't be long but it doesn't take too long to steal a car - especially when you don't lock your doors.

Here is a link to the online article and hopefully it will provide you with some very valuable tips to help avoid your car being stolen!

Tips To Avoid Vehicle Theft!

Banks Starting To Charge Debit Card Fees!

The online articles say that you should check your receipts to make sure that you are not being charged a fee for using your debit card!

It seems that since President Obama wants to crack down on the ways that banks charge for credit card fees the banks have found an alternative source of generating some income for themselves and that alternative is to charge people for using their debit cards.


It seems that this year more people used their debit cards than they did their credit cards which has been the first time that this has happened.

It seems that a number of banks are coming up with something called "loyalty" programs for their debit card users. However the terms still require either a fee or that the debit card user meet specific terms to be eligible for the loyalty program.

According to one online site:

"Consumers need to have an eyes wide open perspective when it comes to financial services. Fees are going to be cropping up, but that also gives you a chance to comparison shop. There may be just as many good deals at the other end of the spectrum."

To read more about this and view the article, just click here.

"Confessions Of A Debt Collector"

I found a very interesting article online about what it's like to be a debt collector. A real debt collector was interviewed about the various aspects of her job. While this would probably also be a good blog post for my Working From Home Blog because of a salary that a debt collector can make, it is also quite interesting to see how being a debt collector works.

I had my suspicions that these debt collectors got a commission off of the money that they collected but I didn't know that they had high quotas to fill (according to the online article) It also doesn't surprise me too much to know that some of these debt collectors are quite human in that some of them don't like to be harrassed theirselves or talked to in a negative way. And even sometimes they will speak to people who are in such a dire financial situation that the debt collectors "feel" for them but they still have to do their job. I remember one example from the article mentioned one person saying that they lost their job and that the wife lost the baby that she was carrying but still the debt collector asked "so when can you send in a payment.........".

It also seems that a debt collector's salary averages to about $14 per hour. BUT according to the article they have to make a certain quota or they risk losing their jobs.

The article also gives some advice on what debt collectors can and can not do as far as when they can call you and what they can say. There are also some good insights as to how sometimes the people they call can get the best of them by getting them to go "off script" or just by not co-operating.

A very interesting online article indeed!

Confessions Of A Debt Collector

Woman Feeds Her Large Family On $4 A Week!

I found another interesting article online about how a woman feeds her large family (and pets) on $4 a week!

Of course the secret to this is coupons! The online article calls her the coupon queen! In one example she bought over $200 worth of groceries and paid less than $1 for all of them!

This is definitely something you may want to look into if you are looking for ways to save money - especially on food!

Sunday papers are loaded with coupons and mailing advertisements and circulars also have a lot of coupons in them. You can also even get coupons online as well!

Here is a link to the article:

Woman Feeds Family For Less Money!

Avoiding Those Banking Fees - Tips!

I'm a very big fan of Selfgrowth.com and I found this article about tips to help one avoid those high banking fees!

I thought that I knew almost everything about how to avoid high banking fees - you know things like not using ATMs that are from another bank, etc.,....... But after reading the article I found some interesting stuff - especially about overdraft protection!

I always thought that overdraft protection was a good idea BUT I didn't know that there was a charge to have it!

It seems that there is a lot that I don't know!

Personally, I, myself, try to avoid banking fees but I have had them! I do have to make it a personal financial goal to stop incurring those banking fees! I have used other ATM's - mostly because I was in a rush and not able to get to an ATM that was with my own bank - so I used the ATM at the store I was at even though the ATM wasn't with my own bank. There was a charge for using that ATM plus there was a charge from my own bank for using that ATM! It does add up!

I realize that there may be instances where emergencies come up and you have to use an ATM that isn't with your bank but now in today's economy you have to try and save all the "pennies" you can - especially when it comes to those (high) banking fees!

I hope the article provides useful information for you all.

Buyer Beware! Especially With Your Credit Card!

I found another online article showing yet another example of why it is a good idea to read all of the small print when you buy something with your credit card! In this case is the example of a simple rebate check that may cost you over a $100 on your credit card!

To Find out more just click the link below. If you have any comments about this article please feel free to add them here as well.

What do I think about this article? I'm glad that I read it although I personally haven't ordered this particular product. It seems to be that its getting easier and easier for companies to take advantage of peoples' credit cards! I'm even leery of giving my credit card number to the products that offer all those paid survey sites where people get paid to answer surveys (which I talk about more on my Paid Surveys Newbie blog.)

So people, lets be careful out there! - Especially with our credit cards!

That Rebate Check Could End

Up Costing You More!

College Students & Credit Card Debt!

Here is an interesting article about college students and credit card debt! As soon as I read it I knew that I would be posting it here!

Paying Bills Online?

This is something that you may want to consider doing yourself! I just added another bill account to my online banking at this late hour of the night (what the heck! I couldn't sleep!) and it made me realize just how convenient online bill paying can be! Not to mention the fact that you won't use as many stamps and it will definitely help save you money on postage! (Did I mention the fact that the cost of stamps has gone up again!)


I know that people have to be careful about their money and how they handle it but since I do work from home, paying my bills online has become quite convenient for me and it might be the same for you if you give it a try.

I remember the first time I paid a bill online for the first time! When I first opened up my bank account one of the customer service people at the bank showed me how to do this! He was very helpful and he showed me how one pays their bills online. It took me awhile before I actually did it myself because I was worried about something going wrong! Goodness knows that I don't need ANY mistakes with my bank account!

But I finally managed to do it - nervously of course - and I got through it! Now I'm glad that I did do it because it saves a lot of time and it saves me a lot of postage costs!

If you would like to try paying your bills online then you should talk to one of the customer service representatives at your bank and ask them to show you how. You might be very glad that you did!

Be Sure To Keep A Close Eye On Your Bank Account!

It seems that the banking industry is finding new ways to gouge their account holders! Basically speaking banks are going to start to increase the banking fees that they charge their customers!

For instance some banks are going to double the fees that they charge for overdraft protection and some will even increase the fees that they charge for checking account maintenance.

An online article says that the banks say that consumers are using their debit cards more now than they are using their credit cards and since credit card interest is a big income generating thing for the banks they feel that they have to recoup their money (or should I say profit(s)) from elsewhere.

A good point that the article noted was that even though the banks got a big amount of money from President Obama's stimulus plan, the banks don't seem to be helping the consumers because of it. In fact it seems to be that the opposite is happening in that the banks are looking for yet other ways to profit.

The article didn't say that all of the banks would be doing this but they did give some examples of banks that will be. So if you're concerned and want to see whether or not your bank is on the list then I suggest that you check out the online article.

The Banks Are At It Again!

Want To Read About An Actual Government Grant Recipient?

If you don't already know, I do grant research as a living.

There are so many people out there who are skeptical about government grants but I'm here to tell you that they do actually exist! As a matter of fact here is a link to someone who actually got 2 government grants to get their power shut back on!