Are you prepared for a change in the green?

No matter what time of the year, spending urges never seem to cease. Although there is a rare group that can spend and splurge on whatever they like, whenever they like… most of American’s find their spending is limited to the dollar amount of their paycheck.

However, often times, even with a clear knowledge of our limited resources we find ourselves living luxury’s we cannot afford. Thank you credit cards! The purpose of this post is to give you three basic tips on how to limit your credit-card debt.

Fun Fact: The average American household has at least ONE credit card with approximately $11,000 in credit-card debt.

1. Borrow only for those things which are MOST essential. Borrowing for college, a home, or a reasonable car is OK. Just remember, don’t ever get into so much debt that you can’t afford to pay it back.

2. DO NOT purchase with credit those things that you consume quickly. If you can’t go out to eat this month, that’s ok! If you can’t go to the movies this month, that’s ok! There’s no easier way to swamp yourself with debt than to use your credit card to purchase your day-to-day items. If eating out or going to the movies is something you love but can’t afford right now, save a little each month until you can (there’s no movie worth paying interest on for the next few months!)

3. Control your spending. Write down everything you purchase on a daily basis and at the end of the month weed out those things which are not essential. Believe me, this will put a few extra bucks in your pocket. There’s nothing worse than not knowing where or when your money has been spent (and even worse if you realize too late that somebody else has been spending it for you…).

As you stand at the checkout would you like to walk away with more bang for your buck? Here are some simple grocery shopping tips to help you save on groceries:

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The state budget in California has been the object of debate for months. The most populous state in the union is looking at a $26 billion deficit. A new budget has been proposed that eliminates the deficit – and many important state programs – including education.

Education spending will be hit hard in this year’s budget cuts. Nine billion dollars of education spending has been cut from the budget. What does this mean for school systems in California? A rough year. With the unemployment rate over 11% and the housing market still in shambles, the Californian economy has had a rough year and state programs will bear the brunt of the budget deficit.

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