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Make Your Own Sanitizing Wipes
Dear Mary: I would like to find a recipe to make hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes. Do you know of one? — Delores, e-mail
Dear Delores: I have been thinking about the same thing, now that we're learning that products like Purell are …Read more.
7 Simple Ways To Stretch Food Further
Buying groceries on sale and cooking meals at home are excellent ways to keep the cost of food under control, but there are other things we can do. Here, for your enjoyment, are simple ways other "Everyday Cheapskate" readers make food and …Read more.
Why You Can't Afford Credit Card Debt
Last year, the Federal Reserve Board announced new rules for banks that issue credit cards. The rules will remove unfair credit card practices. Months later, Congress passed into law the new Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure …Read more.
For You: A Few of My Favorite Things
Last year, a friend of mine had the best idea. She made gift baskets for her friends filled with her favorite things. Taking a nod from her, I'd like to give you a virtual basket filled with some of my personal favorite things.
—Real Salt. I'm …Read more.
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Sorry, Buster, You've Got the Wrong NumberDear Mary: Someone who has the same name as my husband apparently has been running up his credit cards and not paying his bills. The credit collection companies mistakenly call our home with threatening messages for this man and his wife. We explain to the callers that they have the wrong person. My husband's credit reports contain no errors, and his credit is fine. We even have signed up with LifeLock, but still, we get calls. How do we get these calls to stop, and how does our number get tapped for someone else's bad credit? — Brenda M., Illinois Dear Brenda: This happened to me. I was able to convince the collection companies that they were reaching the wrong person, but it took some fast-talking. I got them to pull the original applications. It turned out that their deadbeat had given my phone number (randomly, I'm sure) on the credit applications. The situation is annoying, but you probably don't have anything serious to worry about. You are monitoring your credit file, and you have the protection of LifeLock. (So do I.) I'm guessing that your number was forged on the credit application, as mine was. In your case, the debtor took the time to find someone with the same name. I would tell third-party bill collectors never to call again. That is anyone's right under the provisions of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. Otherwise, phone features such as "call blocking" and "voice mail" can come in mighty handy. Dear Mary: I am 66 years old and employed full time. Statistically, men die before women, and I want to make sure that my wife is secure in the event of my death. The only debt that we have is our mortgage, with a balance of $126,000. If I were to retire in three years, I would lose about $66,000 in life insurance coverage, which is an employee benefit. I want my wife to be able to pay the mortgage debt with life insurance benefits. I am considering taking my Social Security payments in January and applying them to our mortgage to pay it down before I retire. My accountant indicated that if I were to do that, for every 12-month period of receiving Social Security, I would pay an amount in taxes equal to a one-month mortgage payment. What do you think I should do? — Bill W., Kentucky Dear Bill: I would start taking that Social Security and follow through with your plan. If you were to wait until age 70 to begin drawing benefits, you would receive more each month, but drawing now would give you a four-year head start. Investing the money in your debt would give you a guaranteed return on your investment equal to the interest rate on your mortgage. These days, that's a pretty good deal! Do you have a question for Mary? E-mail her at mary@everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, P.O. Box 2135, Paramount, CA 90723. Mary Hunt is the founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com and author of 18 books, including "Can I Pay My Credit Card Bill With a Credit Card?" To find out more about Mary and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2009 CREATORS.COM
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