Category Archives: Uncategorized

Going through bankruptcy can be challenging because it requires work (e.g., completing paperwork, meeting with your attorney, meeting with the trustee, etc.), and money (e.g., paying the filing fees, paying for your attorney, etc.).  But most people don’t really consider how emotionally stressful the experience can be as well.  Filing bankruptcy is often a last resort for people because they are ashamed of declaring bankruptcy.  They may be afraid that their family or friends may find out and look negatively upon it.  It helps to take comfort in the fact that millions of people have filed bankruptcy—maybe including people you know. 

In addition, some of the most common causes of bankruptcy are: job loss, divorce, and large medical expenses.  These types of events can happen to anyone and sometimes there is very little that can be done to prevent them from occurring. 

It’s helpful to view bankruptcy as a stepping stone toward achieving a more financially stable life and not to let it affect your own self-esteem or feelings of self-worth.  Joining a support group for people also going through the process or seeing a licensed therapist can help achieve this goal.  

-A. Geving, Ph.D.

According to U.S. News, (http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/05/22/americans-spend-61-billion-on-pets-annually) Americans spend an average of $61 billion each year on their pets, which winds up being about $500 per household per year.  Since so many households spend so much money on their furry (feathery, and scaly) little friends, it’s helpful to discuss how to spend this money wisely and save money where you can.  Here are a few ways to save:

1)      Consider buying a mixed-breed pet.  With dogs especially, pure-breds often get sicker more frequently and require more health care. 

2)      Trade pet-sitting services.  If you need someone to watch your dog or feed your fish while you’re away for a short while, ask friends and family if they will do it at no cost.  In return, offer to watch their pet while they are gone.

3)      Do the math before buying pet insurance.  Think about how much you usually spend each year on pet healthcare, and if the annual premiums are less, consider buying it.  If not, consider setting some money aside each year in case of an emergency rather than buying the insurance.

4)      If you need to buy medicine for your pet, shop around.  Buying meds at the vet’s office is often more expensive than buying them online or at a pharmacy.

5)      Buy pet food in bulk. Buying large amounts of pet food at one time from Costco or Amazon can often save you a lot of money.

6)      Go in for preventative care.  By taking your pet in every so often for a check-up and vaccinations, you can prevent them from getting sick later on.  

As you probably know, this past year, many Target customers had their Target credit or debit card information stolen due to a security breach.  Target asked customers to report any unauthorized card expenses to them so they could reimburse their customers for these charges, and the company provided one free year of credit report monitoring to any customer who wanted to sign up. 

It looks like a similar security breach may have occurred recently at the DMV.  The DMV is now investigating the situation.  (For more information, visit kpcc.org’s website at: http://www.scpr.org/programs/take-two/2014/03/24/36614/dmv-investigating-possible-credit-card-data-breach/)

Since this seems to happen frequently, what are some things you can do?  First, monitor your credit.  Annualcreditreport.com can provide you with one free credit report per year.  Be sure to review your report annually and check for anything inaccurate.  If you see any errors, report them to the credit bureau to ensure they are corrected.  Second, consider signing up for an ID theft monitoring service.  For a small monthly fee, these companies will alert you immediately if something occurs that might be due to identity theft.  Third, be diligent about protecting your credit card information: destroy unused or unwanted cards, don’t leave cards in vehicles where they can be stolen, and don’t provide card numbers to any companies who call you or email you unless you know what the transaction is for.  Lastly, ensure you have a method for paying for things in case your card information does get stolen.   It happens far too frequently to not have a back-up plan.  

Earlier this month, I read a very helpful article describing some possible ways you could save money that most people don’t consider.  The article is available here: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304302704579332291392874138.  Some helpful tips from the article are: 1) you can save money from buying mass-transit passes from a pre-tax account, 2) buying a car at the end of the month rather than earlier in the month can save you $500 to $2000 off the sticker price, and 3) it can save you money to check in once a year with your car insurance and homeowner’s insurance companies to see if they can offer a better price and/or policies that fit you better.

-Allison G.

Warren Buffett was recently in the news again.  Quicken Loans is offering a $1 billion prize to anyone who can successfully choose every winner in this year’s men’s NCAA basketball tournament.  Warren Buffett decided to insure Quicken in the event that an individual wins the prize.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the odds of successfully picking every winner are
between 1 in 150 million and 1 in 9 million trillion.  In other words, this
is an incredible long shot, and it is unlikely that anyone will win the $1
billion.

However, Warren Buffett did provide some helpful advice to those of us not winning the prize.  He said that the best thing that anyone can do to improve their financial situation is to start saving money as early as possible.  So, even if it’s only $100 a month, start putting it away as soon as possible!  

-Chad G.

There’s almost no situation where asking for a discount is a poor idea…but here are some where you surely should:

1) If you’re visiting a tourist attraction. If you are a military veteran, federal government employee, or American Automobile Association (AAA) member, you’re likely to get some sort of discount at many attractions and hotels.

2) If you’re buying a floor sample. All floor samples should have reduced prices because sitting out on the floor makes them experience some wear and tear.  Also, clothing or home goods that are “imperfect” should be sold at discounted prices.

3) If you’re at a flea market.  Vendors at flea markets expect customers to bargain for the best price.

4) If you’re traveling to another country.  In many other cultures, vendors expect their customers to negotiate for the best price, no matter what they are buying.  

5) If you have kids. Most places provide discounts for kids and ones that don’t may be willing to do so if you ask.  Restaurants almost always have inexpensive kids’ meals and many of them offer “kids eat free” nights.  

So ask for a discount the next time you are out buying something–it never hurts to ask!

-Allison G.

According to money.cnn.com, it will cost about $240,000 to raise a child born in 2012.  This doesn’t even include the cost of college!  Here are a few tips for saving money if you have kids.

First, if you have more than one child, always ask for a sibling discount.  Most camps, pre-schools, kids’ gyms, etc. will offer some sort of sibling discount, usually between 10%-25%. 

Second, trade clothes with your friends and buy them from garage sales.  Most kids under age 9 or 10 don’t care too much about what they wear or where their clothes came from.  If you have a friend with a child older than yours, ask him/her for their hand-me-downs.  Also, buy clothes from garage sales and second-hand stores.

Third, pick up childrens’ books at used book sales.  Our local libraries in Los Angeles all have used book sales once a month where children’s books are sold for 50 cents. 

Fourth, have your older children join Amazon.com as a student.  They can get discounts on textbooks and shipping discounts.

Fifth, give your time instead of your money to your children’s schools.  If your children’s schools are asking for donations, offer to volunteer to help file books in the library, run a bake sale, etc. instead of giving them your money.

Lastly, if you like to eat out, find out what children’s discounts are provided by your favorite restaurant.  Many restaurants have “kids eat free” nights, and the Souplantation charges only $2.99 for a 3-4 year old’s meal.  

-Allison G.