2. Take responsibility for your finances. Your finances are your responsibility, not your significant other’s or your parents’ (or your adult children’s) or a financial advisor’s. For couples, it’s common for one person to handle the finances while the other plays dumb. Just because one person seems to have a better knack for finances, doesn’t mean the other person is off the hook. The person handling the finances could be just as clueless as you and could be digging you both deeper into debt. You won’t know if they are really paying the bills or taking out cash advances for a shopping spree. You won’t know unless you take control of your own finances.

3. Differentiate between a “need” vs. a “want“. Do you really need a fancy car, designer clothes, or the latest tech gadget? To get to this point, you’ll have to do some soul searching. If you are secure with who you are, then you won’t need “things” to make yourself feel better. Consumer debt is usually tied to underlying insecurities.

4. Create a realistic budget that includes a debt repayment plan. Track your expenses for necessities for a few months. Make sure you spend less than you make. If your budget still exceeds your income, either find creative ways to save money or earn more money. Be sure to include debt repayment in your budget.

5. Pay more than the minimum amount due. If you are only paying the minimum amount due, you are only paying the interest for your debt and none of the principal or amount you owe. It’s like running in a hamster wheel and getting nowhere. Pay off your debt as fast as you can, and you’ll start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

It’s the first week at my new job and my first time hosting a carnival. This is a wonderful week.

Editor’s Picks

Mike Ross presents The Top 22 Money-Saving Firefox Extensions posted at The Budget Life Blog. This is a great list of websites that save you money by watching deals for you.

Bret presents Overcome Money Problems | Hope to Prosper posted at Hope to Prosper. Here is a step by step guide to overcoming money problems.

Paul @ FiscalGeek presents What’s a Good Credit Score? Should you Care? posted at FiscalGeek. Ever wonder how your FICO score is determined? This is a great article with a breakdown on what the numbers mean.

Arthur Pledger presents Making it Rain posted at World Domination with Arthur Pledger. This is a funny article on how to make it rain… with money!

Saving Money

Tom Tessin presents Finding a Car Rental Coupon posted at FGC Auto Blog. Save money on your car rental with a click of your mouse.

PT presents Earn Rewards Without a Credit Card: 2% Cash Back Using a Debit Card posted at PT Money. If you’re spending money, why not earn money back at the same time?

FIRE Finance presents Smart Refrigeration Lowers Electricity Bill posted at FIRE Finance. Little adjustments add up to big savings.

Money Beagle presents Keeping Our Dormant Frequent Flier Miles On Ice posted at Money Beagle. Here is an interesting way to use your airline miles.

Lower Your Taxes

Jeff Kosola presents How to Adjust Tax Withholdings posted at DeliverAwayDebt. If you haven’t already done your taxes, do it soon. Then adjust your withholdings accordingly.

Peter presents What Documentation Do I Need To Claim The First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit posted at Bible Money Matters. Here’s another tax related article. Find out what documents you need to claim the first time homebuyer tax credit. Good stuff.

Debt

2 Cents presents The Lexicon of Debt or Is Debt Evil? posted at Balance Junkie. Is debt evil? I say yes, but check out this take on the meaning of debt.

Credit and Home Buying

Super Saver presents Our Approach to Buying a House posted at My Wealth Builder. What do you look for when buying a house?

Matthew Paulson presents Are Social Networking Sites Hurting Your Credit? This is an interesting take on why you should be careful what you post online.

Check out the previous editions of the Money Hacks Carnival.

*If you like this post, please Digg, Tweet, or share this story. Thanks!

This week’s Money Hacks Carnival includes some interesting articles, such as:

- How to File Taxes with Your 1099s

- TurboTax Online 2009 Overview

- 101 Ways To Improve Your Marriage Money Relationship

Check out the Money Hacks Carnival now.

FYI: I will be hosting next week’s Money Hacks Carnival!

Speaking from experience, I have been through a period of unemployment twice during this economic downturn. I can tell you that it’s a very tough time and it’s easy to give up. Don’t! I just found a job and that means you can too.

I’ve read articles where people have given up on their job search. But now is the wrong time to stop looking.

Companies are getting their budgets for the year and have to spend it before they lose it. That means they are hiring! There are more job openings now – in the beginning of the year, so take advantage of it.

How to get a job in this economy:

1. Stay positive. If you have a bad attitute, you’ll never find a job. You have to change the way you think and talk to yourself. Instead of telling yourself, “I’ll never find a job,” change it to something positive. Tell yourself, “I will find a job that I’ll enjoy.” Repeat it to yourself several times in a row, several times a day… until you start believing it and your attitude changes.

2. Be productive. If you’re unemployed, find a way to keep using your skills. Either volunteer, start a blog, or take this time to build a portfolio. Do something related to what you want to do in your next job. I started this blog and continued my food blog, to keep practicing my online marketing skills. It was instrumental in helping me find a job.

Besides looking for jobs, you need to keep busy. It will show that you’re productive to potential employers. When an employer asks what you have been doing since your last job, what will you say?

3. Write down your goal. What kind of job do you want to do with your unique skillset? What kind of job would make you happy? Be specific and realistic. Write it down. For some reason, writing goals down helps you achieve them. It’s like making a firm commitment to achieve your goals.

4. Only apply for jobs you qualify for. This is a strategy for not wasting time. Don’t apply for jobs that you’re not 99% qualified for. Before the economy slumped, you could apply for and get jobs that you were 80% qualified for. But now the rules have changed. If you apply for jobs you’re not qualified for, you won’t hear back from anyone.

Do you remember hearing stories of people who applied for hundreds of jobs and never got a call back? You don’t want to be one of them. It’s not about quantity, but quality.

Nowadays, there’s stiff competition for every job. Employers are only going to pick the best of the best. You will have to demonstrate that you can do 100% of the job, during the interview process. Employers will interview 10 people and only pick one.

5. Customize your resume for each job posting. When you apply for a job, make sure your resume reflects the skills listed in the job posting. If the job posting asks for 3 years of experience, be sure that your resume reflects that.

BTW: If your spouse or significant other has been looking for a job for some time with no success, don’t push them too hard. They are probably pushing themselves hard enough. You may end up pushing them over the edge!

It’s a tough job market and no one can control the job market. Instead, be encouraging and supportive. And send them this article. =)

*This article was featured in Money Hacks Carnival #105, hosted by Jason of LiveRealNow.net.

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for ◙ 10
for ♂ 11
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for ♪ 13
for ♫ 14
for ☼ 15
for ► 16
for ◄ 17
for ↕ 18
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for ¶ 20
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“A short sale occurs when a property is sold and the lender agrees to accept a discounted payoff, meaning the lender will release the lien that is secured to the property upon receipt of less money than is actually owed.” Source: Elizabeth Weintraub, About.com

But if former homeowners don’t ask the lender to release them from all obligations, they could still owe the lender money! There may be a deficiency judgement if there’s a difference between what the homeowner owed on the mortgage and what the bank could sell the house for at an auction. The lenders can go after former homeowners with these deficiency judgements, even years after the house was sold.

Read more at CNN Money.

Thought you might like this funny video on why you need an iPad. Enjoy!

True story. One year, when I was working at a small office, all of the women received roses on Valentine’s Day from their significant others. And the guys in the office felt guilty for not buying flowers for their significant other! Don’t let this be you! (Do you something for your special someone, be it flowers or something else.)

ProFlowers is my favorite flower delivery service. Why? They guarantee their flowers. If you are not completely satisfied with your flowers, they will refund your money – no questions asked!

From the ProFlowers website:

“We guarantee that all our flowers, plants and preserved items will last at least 7 days or your money back. If for any reason you are not satisfied with the freshness of your flowers, please call or email us and we will gladly replace the bouquet or refund your money. Potted plants have an extended guarantee of 14 days.”

I actually took them up on their offer. One time my husband sent me flowers from ProFlowers and they were not fresh. The edges of the flowers were deteriorating. I wasn’t happy with the flowers so my husband asked for his money back. ProFlowers offered a refund and apologies.

Their flowers are usually perfect! ProFlowers ships the flowers wrapped in plastic and safely packaged in a cardboard box. They even include some packets of plant food and a guide on how to care for the flowers. You have an option to other items to your order, such as chocolates, hand dipped strawberries, or a teddy bear.

ProFlower Deals:

Get a dozen assorted roses with a free vase for only $19.99! (This deal is only available through this affiliate link. I checked the site and it’s not available for the general public.)

$5 off, 15% off or Free Vase & Chocolates (expires 2/12)

Save 40% on 20 Sweetheart Tulips for Valentine’s Day w/ FREE Ruby Vase, only $29.99 (expires 2/12)

FYI: Keep in mind, there are additional shipping charges ($9.99 – $19.99) for guaranteed delivery by Valentine’s Day, which is on a Sunday. There also may be handling charges of $2.99 and an additional shipping charge for the vase of $1.63.

Check out Money Hacks Carnival #102 now.