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Newsletter to Your Friends (Use this link only if you receive this newsletter by email) Week of July 12, 2010This is an OPT-IN list ONLY! If you feel that you have received this message in error, please follow the directions at the bottom of this email to unsubscribe. Thank you.Click Here to view this newsletter online. Navigate This ColumnGrandpa Terry's Update
You could get your student loans forgiven under certain circumstances. Check this out: Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (Questions and Answers) Like it or not it looks like health care reform is on it's way. Here is a site that may explain how it will affect you: Health Reform Central My 17 year old grandson obtained a Walmart Money Card which acts much like a prepaid credit card and made 3 deposits totaling $100 on the card. He made 3 purchases and had the account for 3 months. He knew about being charged $3 for each transaction however wasn't aware that he would also be charged $3 per month. When he checked his balance he found that he was $6 over his limit. In order to cancel the card he had to pay the $6 plus another $3 for a transaction fee. The total cost to him was $21. I'm sure the information about the fees was in the credit card terms but with his inexperience at dealing with credit he did not read them carefully. If you are looking for a prepaid credit card I would look somewhere other than Walmart. Gas in Anderson, SC on 7/3 was $2.41 a gallon Gas today, July 4th, in Greenville, SC was $2.35 a gal That's all for now. Remember, I really enjoy hearing from you folks. If you have any comments, complaints, suggestions or just want to say Hi, please send me an email to tre2000@midwest.net If you know someone that may be interested in subscribing to our newsletter just copy and paste the below link into an email to them and have them subscribe: http://www.homemoneyhelp.com/confirmsubs.html Have a great week, Grandpa Terry Sponsor AdvertisementGrandpa Terry's Tip of the WeekHow many times have you used the credit cards to buy a TV, school clothes and supplies, fixed the car, or any number of things and not realized that you just exceeded your monthly income. You may have even realized it but thought there is always next month. Credit cards are the biggest culprit but they aren't the only way to spend more than you make. Things like payday loans or car title loans also come to mind. Paying $15 to use $100 for a week doesn't seem too bad. However, when you consider that you are paying almost 400% in interest over a years time these loans make interest on credit cards look like a great deal. Normally, installment loans have a lower interest than either credit cards or payday loans but they can still cause problems if you aren't positive that you can make the payments each month. I consider a house payment and the purchase of a car the only real legitimate reasons for paying interest. Very few people have the means to make these purchases with cash. If you aren't careful you can still get yourself into trouble by buying or renting more house that you can afford or having car payments that don't fit your budget. I just recently received an email from a lady stating that her and her husband wanted to buy a new car but really didn't know if they could afford it. This family probably saved themselves a lot of headaches just by asking that question. I wrote back showing her how they could determine if they could afford the car or not. My answer to her question was to have her develop a budget, listing all of the other bills and expenses they have, and then see what's left over. I also reminded her that she should consider the extra costs like insurance, maintenance, etc. Over the years I have seen people with as little as $500 a month income manage their finances very well while someone else with $5000 income can't make it last the entire month. It all boils down to planning. If you plan your bills and purchases each month with the goal of not exceeding your income, you can make it on almost any income. Sponsor AdvertisementAre you frustrated trying to get by on the money you make? Would you like to get a good view to where all your money is going? Would you like to start saving your money, or save even more? Looking for something easier then software like Quicken or Money? Would you like to teach your children about finance? Click Here to check out My Budget Planner Today Grandpa Terry's EmailHi Terry,I hope you had a blessed 4th of July. We traveled to see our son over the week-end. In light of that, I have a question for you. He works at a job that does not provide health insurance. Is there a reasonable company that he could get it through? He lives in Chicago. I appreciate your input in this and the many other topics that you cover. Thank you so much for all of your time and effort. Carol My Response: Hi Carol, Thank you for those kind words. I really wish I could give you one site that would cover your son and be sure it's the most affordable and best coverage he can get. But there are just too many variables like your son's current health that makes choosing a single company almost impossible. But, I do have a site that provides a lot of information about affordable health insurance. You can enter your zip code and find specific companies in your area. Have your son visit the below web site: http://www.healthinsurance.org/ I hope this helps, Terry Featured Articleby Rachel Paxton Ladder Ball Ladder Ball has been very popular for the past couple of years. The game comes with two "ladders" and balls that are attached together with short nylon ropes. Each rope has a ball on each end. Each player gets three of these ropes to throw at a ladder. Points are based on which rung of the ladder the rope wraps around. This game is fun for all ages. For young children you will have to let them stand really close to the ladder so they can hit it, but even adults have a great time playing this game. Bean Bag Toss I just picked this bean bag toss game up the other day. It was only $19 at Walmart. It is the classic bean bag toss game. It comes with two collapsable platforms that each have a hole in them to throw bean bags through. This game is also suitable for children of all ages. Even toddlers will love this game. Our 1 year old loves running up to the platform and dropping the bean bag through the hole. This game comes with a portable carrying case. The platforms have removable legs and everything folds up and fits in the bag so you can take it with you. This game can also be played in the house. It is great for rainy days! Horse Shoes This is the classic game of horse shoes, also $19 at Walmart. It comes in a portable carrying case so is easy to take along with you to wherever you want to play it. Magic Mitts / Rally Ball This game is a little different but fun. It is only $5 and istwo games in one. It comes with two mitts that have velcro on one side of them. Each player wears a mitt and you throw a ball back and forth to each other, using the velcro to catch the ball. The game also comes with two flat paddles and a rally ball to hit back and forth to each other. Croquet When I was a child, croquet was one of my favorite lawn games. It was one of the only lawn games that my family played together, and I always looked forward to when my parents got it out for us to play. Walmart also has an inexpensive portable version of this favorite game. This game is great for children that are old enough to be able to use a mallet to hit a ball on the ground. The object of the game is to be the first to hit a ball through a series of wickets that are set into the ground. Hopefully these lawn game ideas will inspire you to go out and do something fun with your family this summer. Kids love to spend time with their parents, and lawn games are a great way to spend time together and have some fun at the same time. Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom of five. For resources for the Christian family, including parenting, toddler and preschool activities, homeschooling, family traditions, and more, visit http://www.Christian-Parent.com |
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