Saving and Managing Your Money

• Sign up for credit cards that earn cash back instead of point or miles.
  Many people are nervous to use credit cards because they think they will over spend. If this is your dilemma, then ask for a low credit limit and use the card only for paying utility bills on line. Getting cash back is better than points or miles because you can decide how to spend the money. You will likely find and excellent deal on travel anyway (see our checklist for saving money on travel checklist.)
• Pay your credit card balance off in full each month.
  Credit card interest is generally the highest form of interest.
• Consolidate debt using free balance transfer promotional offers.
  If you have more than one credit card, a credit card comparison website to find a credit card that has a 0% APR on balance transfers offer. Most will charge a 3% fee, but do the math and see if the cost is less than the saving on interest each month.
• Eliminate fees from missed payments by setting up auto payment from your bank account.
• Sign-up online with Mint.com to monitor your income & expenses.
  This free online program will download your transactions each day so you can see all of your accounts at a glance and stay on budget.
• Keep good records of your tax deductions so you can get the most back at tax time.
• Before completing a purchase online, do a search for promo codes.
  You can often find a coupon code that offers free shipping or allows you to get 10 percent or more off the purchase price.
• Sign up for MyPoints.com and earn points for view websites.
  This is an easy way to earn a gift card to your favorite shopping site. It's easy. Just sign-up online and receive emails directing you to a website. You don't need to make a purchase. Visiting the site will quite often earn you 5 points. Generally, you can earn enough points for a $50-$100 gift card without making a single purchase.