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Swap Books You Have for Those You Want
Dear Mary: I had the address of a Web site that allows you to list your books by ISBN and swap them with other members. My plan was to let my daughter enter all of our books into the system so she would have an allowance for her book purchases. …Read more.
Post Office Clerk Demonstrates New Flat Rate
Today's first great reader tip, from Shirley in Indiana, brings new meaning to the term "flat rate" and also earns Shirley a one-year membership to Debt-Proof Living Online (at http://www.DebtProofLiving.com). You are going to love this:
…Read more.
How To Jump Into the Coupon Game
A recent column about couponing produced a lot of mail. I recommended The Coupon Clippers as a way to choose the grocery coupons that you want and need, instead of taking a chance that you'll find them in the Sunday paper or elsewhere. I learned …Read more.
5 Lessons I Wish I'd Learned Sooner
While I refuse to live with regret, I must admit there are a few things I wish I'd learned sooner. Because I don't want you to make the same mistakes, I'm going to give you my top five so you don't have to learn the hard way.
1. The lottery is a …Read more.
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The Checkbook Balancing ActDear Mary: I have an embarrassing question for you. I will be 70 years old soon, and I never have been told how to balance a checkbook. People just assume I know. Is it too late to learn? — Bobbie Y., e-mail Dear Bobbie: You're not the only reader who's been embarrassed to ask a question about money and finance. I filled a book with these questions and my answers. Keep an eye on your mailbox. I am sending you an autographed copy of "Can I Pay My Credit Card Bill With a Credit Card? And Other Financial Questions We're Too Embarrassed to Ask!" I think you'll have fun reading it, and you'll learn a lot in the process. You should balance your checkbook monthly to catch the bank's mistakes. There are great software programs and online tools that can do this for you. Some of them are free. Check out Mint.com and http://quicken.intuit.com. Here are the basic instructions to reconcile your checkbook against the bank's statement: Step One: Determine whether you have outstanding checks that haven't cleared your bank. Using your statement, check off your cleared checks in your checkbook register. Make sure that the amount of each cleared check is the amount you recorded. Step Two: Verify that each deposit recorded on your bank statement is recorded also in your check register, including your direct deposits. Make sure the statement shows all deposits you made. Check off your deposits just as you did for your checks. Step Three: For ATM withdrawals or debit card purchases, check off each transaction on the bank statement against your check register. Step Four: Check your bank statement for bank fees, such as monthly fees and those for (gasp!) bounced checks, and record them in your register. Record any interest earned in your register, too. Step Five: Go through your checkbook register or duplicate checks and list checks that have not cleared the bank. These will not be listed on your statement. Make note, also, of outstanding debit card purchases or ATM withdrawals that have not cleared the bank. Total all of these items. Step Six: List any outstanding deposits that were not included on your bank statement. Total these deposits. Step Seven: Using a piece of paper, your checkbook register, or the form on your bank statement, list the ending balance shown on your bank statement. On another line, enter the total outstanding deposits. On a third line, enter the total amount of your outstanding checks. Step Eight: Using a calculator, enter the ending balance on your statement. Add the total amount of your outstanding deposits. Finally, subtract the amount of your outstanding checks. This should equal the balance shown on your checkbook register (or, if you never have reconciled your checkbook, this will be your new balance from which to start). 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 SYNDICATE INC.
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