Clothing your family can get incredibly expensive–especially in our current economic slump. But there is still a way to let your children have great, fashionable clothing without having to take a personal loan. Wholesale clothing is a great way to do just that. Not only do a lot of wholesale companies have great clothing, their prices are unbeatable.

There’s no better feeling than to pay the last mortgage payment and officially own your own home! The burden of mortgage payments can cause a lot of stress, not only financially, but emotionally as well.  As my husband and I have been looking into a few different accelerated payment options for mortgages, we came across U1st’s money merge account that allows you to consolidating regular income and savings to reduce the balance owing on your line of credit.  In theory this is supposed to cut years off our mortgage.  We’re excited to check it out!

As I am looking at the next ten years of my life and the many financial expenses that are looming just around the corner (living expenses, my husband’s dental school, kids, a home) it’s a little overwhelming to think just how we’re going to financially squeeze by. My husband and I were talking the other night about budgeting and our finances and we came up with a list of must-do’s for the next phase in our life in order to help us save money and make the best of our financial situation.

1. Come up with a budget and stick to it. Decide what your monthly income is and allocate the money wisely, always making sure a good portion is going into savings.
2. It’s inevitable for most that advanced schooling will require taking out loans. Once out of school, begin paying those loans back immediately. Relieving that debt as soon as possible will lift great burdens off your shoulders.
3. Spend less than you make. Even though it seems like a simple thing to say, many people spend money they don’t have on things they don’t need.
4. Buying a home is definitely in our future plans and as we’ve been looking at our many options, we came across a Money Merge Account system that can help us pay off our home mortgage in a fraction of the time. This software helps you reposition your regular income and your unused “stagnant” money you would normally leave sitting in your regular checking and/or savings account in order to lower your principal balance each month, helping you repay your mortgage years ahead of your standard mortgage schedule.
5. Be creative with ways to have fun without spending money. Spending time with the one you love doesn’t have to cost a bundle, but is crucial in order to get through the hard times that often go hand-in-hand with financial struggles.

photo via http://www.saltlakespeaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/money_20house.jpg

Most of us have had some experience with it, and if you haven’t…consider yourself one of the lucky few. Debt is rising to astronomical proportions in the United States and the average American household carries nearly $6,000 in credit card debt alone every month. With widespread speculation that the economy is headed for a recession, the mortgage home crisis, and the rapidly losing value of the dollar, there has never been a better time to face debt head on and begin eliminating it. Freeing yourself of debt will enable you not only free you from financial bondage, but help you financially prepare for the future of you and your family.

So, ladies and gents…let’s get started!

• Cut up your credit cards! You can’t use them if you don’t have them. Taking them out of your wallet or leaving them at home is not nearly enough and you may still be tempted to use them. Get rid of them entirely!
• Tacking your credit card debt may seem like on overwhelming and entirely impossible task, but a little organization can make the job a little easier. Gather together all the statements for all the cards you are currently carrying a balance on. Figure out which one you are paying the highest interest on and begin paying that one down first. Put as much extra money as you can afford to that card each month. Once that one is paid off, start with the next one, and the next one, and so on until they are all paid off.
• If you qualify, do a balance transfer to a card that has a lower interest rate or (if you’re lucky) one with no interest for 12 months. Budget accordingly so you can have that card paid off within those 12 months and you will not pay a dime of interest.
• Reducing debt and becoming financial savvy no doubt entails sacrificing some of your luxuries. Whether it’s going to get a coffee each morning or eating out every night, cut back! Get a manicure every other week instead of each week or limit your budget when it comes to entertainment. You will be amazed by how much you can save (and put towards your debt) each month if you cut back just a little on your favorite “luxuries.”
• President Bush recently approved an economic stimulus plan in which millions of Americans will be receiving tax refunds ($600 for singles, $1200 for married couples). Use that money to pay down your debt!!!
• Review your current mortgage and car loan (if you have one); are you living within your means? Consider trading in your fancy car for a more practical one and you may be able to cut your monthly car payment in half. Consider downsizing if you have more space and a larger mortgage than you know what to do with. As far as mortgages, try researching different early mortgage payoff plans to find out how you can pay off your mortgage sooner than expected.
• While it is important to pay off your debts first, once that is accomplished, you should begin building a sizable savings account. Finance guru Suze Orman recommends having at least eight months salary saved up. This way you and your family will be financially taken care of should anything happen such as losing your job or an injury that prevents you from working.

Rather than getting a second job if you can’t pull in more money at work, organize your life and make money while doing it.

First, sell your extra items on eBay. Burn extra CDs and DVDs and sell the original. Anything you don’t use, sell.

Next, start using a wholesale dropship service to sell niche items at your own set retail price. It saves you the time of buying inventory and shipping products.

Continue this trend and you can make a great side income that may even blossom into a full-time income. Get selling!

College students across the nation are really starting to feel the monetary pain and stress of astronomical tuition costs.  With shrinking federal, state, and university financial aid resources, frustrated students are finding that paying for school without racking up colossal debt, is becoming a much more difficult and impervious task.

Enter the Get a Mentor program.  A specialized mentorship program, Get a Mentor connects students (who can range anywhere in age from 16 to 70) with professionals in the field the students wishes to begin a career in.   Now why would anyone want to complete a mentorship program over esteemed higher education?  Well, you may be surprised to find out there are perhaps a number of reasons. 

First, the program only costs a one-time fee of $6,000 (a great deal less than most schools charge for one semester of tuition).  Second, the training is done completely one-on-one providing first hand experiences and the utmost attention.  Third, the training can be done around the student’s schedule so it does not interfere with work or other obligations.  Last but certainly not least, the program allows students to obtain relevant work experience in the field they want to pursue a career in.  It helps them establish contacts and begin networking.  Not to mention, there is 100% job placement for students who fully complete the program. 

Get a Mentor currently offers mentorships within the “glamour” businesses, or media industries, similar to a film, radio, sound engineering, or broadcasting internship. 

Sound interesting?  Visit the official Get a Mentor website for further information and more details. 

Searching for property to buy or sell can be a time-consuming and sometimes frustrating task. There are plenty of realtors helping out people to sell their home, but what about help for the buyers? Although you can research different listings and compare the best price, consider also using a professional buyer’s agent. This agent represents you as the buyer, looking out for your best interest.

Besides helping you buy your home, you can also create a personalized search that has matching properties sent to your email. You can search by town, property type, minimum to maximum price, square footage, number of bedrooms/bathrooms, and even by street name and subdivision. You can also find community information and helpful buying guides on the buyer’s agent website.

If you are looking for Northwest Arkansas real estate, check out this great resource of over 6,000 property listings.

With my wedding a mere two weeks away, life is crazier than ever.  Never mind the countless hours spent planning the actual event, what I am most stressed about is trying to entwine two separate lives into one existence; habituating to living so intimately with another individual, seamlessly integrating our finances, and our housing situation.

This past year, my fiancé and I purchased our very first home, something we are super excited about.  It may not be the biggest or fanciest house on the block, but it is all mine, and I have succumbed to a new addiction – home décor!  

But along with our beautiful new home came the unavoidable mortgage.  Not that I am complaining; a mortgage is a necessity of life for most Americans.  But it would be nice to have the home paid off before thirty years, especially considering living debt-free is so important to both of us.

So we have decided to try the Money Merge Account program, an early mortgage payoff program gaining popularity throughout the United States.

The Money Merge Account permits homeowners to diminish the principal balance of their mortgage, thus reducing the interest that accumulates on the loan.    An advanced home equity line of credit is used to drive the program.  Since, we purchased the home during the first phase of a housing development project and have been able to accrue equity during the subsequent phases, we were approved for the loan.

Apparently, with use of the Money Merge Account program, you can pay off a mortgage in as little as 8-12 years.  That’s definitely what we are hoping for!  For more information about the Money Merge Account program, visit the official United First Financial website.

My husband and I recently purchased a new home and it feels like we now have a 30 year monkey hanging on us.  Not that we are financially struggling to make our mortgage payments, but as the biggest debt we have ever incurred (like most Americans), it would be nice to pay of the house in less the thirty years.

A good friend introduced us to the Money Merge Account, a mortgage payoff solution created by United First Financial.  A web-based software program, the Money Merge Account enables homeowners to pay down the mortgage principal balance, reducing the interest that accrues on the loan, and thus allowing people to pay off their mortgage quicker. 

With dedication and discipline in using the Money Merge Account, a mortgage can be paid off in as little as eight to twelve years.  Now, I don’t know any homeowner that wouldn’t like the sound of that! 

With a home mortgage, the average American family will pay nearly twice as much as the monetary value of their home in interest alone. Now that’s a sobering thought.

Imagine you could pay off that 30 year mortgage in half the time; that sounds rather appealing, doesn’t it? Apparently there is a mortgage solution, the Money Merge Account, that can help you do just that.

In a nutshell, here’s how it works: the MMA is essentially a financial software program that helps you reduce the principal on your mortgage, thus dramatically decreasing the interest you will pay on the loan. I have not used the Money Merge Account (though I am considering it) but I have a couple friends who tried it and have nothing but positive feedback for the program. Visit the United First Financial (the brokerage that created the MMA) website for further information and details.