Over the years it has become commonplace for people to own a printer just like with a television or a ,cell phone. This is a great convenience and is ,worth the money as paying for printing service over time is a much more costly affair. When it comes to maintenance, ink cartridges will need to be replaced or refilled from time-to-time. With that being said purchasing new cartridges is the most expensive option. Depending on the make and model of the cartridge, they can cost between 200 - 300% more than refilling them. When choosing this path, the first option is to find a ,retailer, typically ..read more

We are a society that has too much stuff and we have become accustomed to the conveniences that have made our lives easier than it did for our grandparents. This is a great thing; however, appliances have become increasingly expensive due to the features and warranties that they offer as well as the high rate of inflation mainly due to the supply chain shortage. With that being said, when you buy an appliance it is important to consider if there are other costs exists beyond the actual price. The first thing is to start with the discount which creates your base price and then add any tax if it ..read more

The federal student loan moratorium has been extended for the fourth time due to the ,Coronavirus pandemic and at the same time President Biden's student loan moratorium has been the subject of criticism and lawsuits. The loan relief began in March of 2020 and was set to end September 30, 2021 which was moved to January 31, 2022, then May 1, 2022 and onward to 8/31/22. Update: The extension of the student loan moratorium is scheduled to lapse 60 days after June 30 or the actual day that the Supreme Court makes a decision on the student debt program, whichever comes first. Federal student loan ..read more

As a result of the ,Covid pandemic, many ,vacations have been cancelled and thousands of people have lost thousands of dollars that can not be redeemed. This is where travel ,insurance can soften the blow. Typically it covers ,medical emergencies, trip cancellation, trip interruption, delays, medical needs, and lost, damaged, or stolen luggage. On the other hand, it may not cover glasses, hearing aids, dental bridges, ,tickets, passports, keys, cash, ,cell phones and rental car damage; however, your ,credit card or renters insurance may cover some of these expenses. So let’s get to the cost: L ..read more

Dry cleaning is one of the most overlooked items ,in the budget and oftentimes it is not accounted for. The first question is how much does it cost each year. The unfortunate thing is that this is not a tracked statistic; however, busy professionals, especially in ,dual households, can easily spend $100 per month. Ouch! Okay . . . so let’s get question number two. Can your ,clothes be washed at home? The answer in many cases is yes; however it is important to understand a few factors. One is that many manufactures just slap the “dry clean” label on the clothes to be safe from customers providi ..read more

This week’s topic is about realized capital gains before the calendar year ends. As each year ends it is a common practice for ,investors to balance losses against gains to minimize taxes that are ,paid to the IRS each year. This applies to ownership in ,stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ,options and even crypto. When owing these assets we are referring to ,after tax accounts which is a straight brokerage account meaning that it doesn’t apply to tax-deferred accounts such as a ,401(k)’s and it doesn’t apply to after tax accounts such as Roth 401(k)’s, Roth IRA and IRA’s. So here’s how it works: eac ..read more

In recent years, there has been a debate that purchasing an artificial tree is a better ,long-term solution to that of a natural tree. Let’s start with artificial trees: there are many reports that they last 10-20 years; however, if taken care of properly, they can last beyond that. The negative part is that they are ,made from plastic which is derived from petroleum which is oil. So the question becomes, does the benefit of owning a non-recyclable product outweigh the ,cost of buying a natural tree each year? Many reports say that it takes 20 years of using an artificial tree to achieve an eq ..read more

This week’s topic celebrates our first 52 ,personal finance tips. Just one year ago, we launched our two-minute tips of the week. and we couldn’t be happier with the feedback that we’ve received, because people are ,saving money and improving their lives. Some of the most popular tips include #5 about ,extending the life of your candles to keep the mood lighting in full glow. Another is #11 that detailed the process to ,buy used tires online that can save 50% over the cost of new tires. Others include the ,Ball aluminum solo-type cups, along with the value of ,purchasing a breathalyzer and how ..read more

,Radon is a silent killer because it’s an odorless ,gas that we breathe in normally; and it is the second leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking. In addition, 21,000 deaths occur yearly. So what is radon you may ask? Let’s do a quick assessment: It is the main source of our exposure to all radiation. The rocks and soil beneath ,our homes contain traces of uranium and over time, it breaks down creating radioactive decay which emits radioactive radiation. So this is not a good thing; however, it can be managed safely. For starters, you can purchase a home test kit from ,Amazon, Home Depot ..read more

This week’s topic is about the ,Ball Corporation’s new aluminum cups. We’ve all seen the classic Ball jars with that thick glass and metal top for ,canning vegetables - in my case, I use them as ,drinking glasses. As the world evolves so has Ball and they've recently announced the aluminum drinking cup that can replace the plastic solo type cups. They come with ample sizes to drink from, they are more sturdy and well insulated to keep your beverage cool. It’s a much more appealing ,drinking experience. Now here’s the good stuff: 20 billion plastic cups are used per year and 93% end up in landf ..read more