Don't Do Debt.com

Guest article: Budgeting When Your Paycheck Varies

By Terry Rigg

How can you decide how much you have for bills and expenses when your paycheck varies from one payday to the next? That's a question a lot of people struggle with.

A few of the occupations that I can think of off hand that could fall into this category are waitresses or waiters working for salary and tips, truck drivers that are paid by the mile and never know how many miles they are going to get, the self-employed that their business income varies from season to season, and the list could go on.

Trying to manage your finances with a steady income is hard enough but when you never know what your paycheck will be seems almost impossible, but it's not. It is, however, going to be a little more tricky.

Updated info, new resource & more

If you're new to this webBLOG, don't forget to read through the blog entries in archived months. There is lots of information in this blog and just wanted to make sure you know to where to look for answers you may need. The month of October contained numerous blog entries about credit card use, credit report, basic money skills and more. Please be sure to dig around. Ask questions. Post comments.

FYI: Excellent resource to check out: www.HomeMoneyHelp.com. Don't miss it. Offers lots of resources for those in debt, working on budgets, trying to make the most of money and lots more.

Please be sure to tell your friends and family about this webblog and the website, www.DontDoDebt.com.

Thanks!

"Save 10%": A real savings or no?

As I checked out after a long day of shopping at SouthPark mall here in Charlotte, I was reminded of something I like to address every holiday season. Once the sales clerk totalled up what I spent, she asked me, "Would you like to open a Belk card and save 10% today?" "No," I said, "I'm not so good with those credit cards. I tend to get in trouble with them as a matter of fact." She asked more questions and continued to encourage me to open this credit card.

She was very nice and was just doing her job. But I remember wondering to myself exactly how many people this holiday season would be asked this very question and of those, how many would respond by opening an account.

This holiday season, think before you think you'll save. An upfront 10% discount is nice but let's look at how negligible that discount is if you don't repay your balance right away.

Article: Simple Steps to Happier Holidays

I love and look forward to the holiday season as much as the
next person, but I'll be first to admit that as much as this is
true, I simultaneously feel a great sense of anxiety when the
festive season approaches. I look forward to quality time with
family and friends but money is stressful every other month of
the year and it's intensified during the holidays.

Christmas parties, gifts and great times lend well to holiday
excitement and sadly, great expense. I want so badly to be wholly
excited, yet I find myself dreading the obsessive calculations
from the frenzied activity in my checkbook, more activity than
my checkbook sees all year.

Fortunately for those of us who experience a nagging anxiety
tugging at our heart and purse strings, there are ways to relieve
these feelings to make the holidays feel almost as joyous as you
remember before you had the burden of paying for them.