Most of us need to insure a lot of things. Our vehicles, homes, lives, and health are a few examples. If you have had insurance policies for awhile, you have probably had to make some sort of claims.  We all want to save on insurance, but at the same time, we want to pay for a good value!

At the very least you probably had to deal with the billing department and customer service. I hope you have been treated very well. At some point, many consumers do feel like complaining about unhelpful customer service reps, confusing bills, or shoddy claims service.

When you do have problems, it may be very tempting to just find another company. You may be smart to shop around, and you may even save some money if you can find a more competitive company.

If you do have an outstanding claim or bill to pay, finding a new company will not really solve your current problem though. You still have to handle your insurance complaint before you can really move on!
How can you take steps to settle insurance disputes as quickly as possible? I suggest doing these three things, in order, to minimize your aggravation and get the best results. I cannot promise that every problem will get fixed to your satisfaction, but many consumers have felt better after they tried.

Do not feel like you are all alone either. Insurance is very strictly regulated, and you may have a lot of protection on your side. The state and federal government keep a sharp eye on insurance companies.

I suggest starting with your insurer first though. You can call, write, or email them. Some problems are caused by human errors. When you contact your insurer, they will review your file, and this could be all it takes. At other times, you may find that the company representative has some discretion about the claims decision. If you can state your case well, you may be able to get your payment increased. If the matter can be settled between you and your company, that is certainly easiest.

If contacting them does not really do any good, make sure you understand their reasons for the decision. Gather up all the documentation you can. Then you can contact your own state’s insurance department. You can find your own state insurance department by searching on the web. You can describe your problem, and they will take the time to look into it. If the company is breaking a rule, they will be forced to fix it. If not, you may get a good explanation for the decision.

Your last step is probably to seek the services of a lawyer. A good lawyer might cost a lot. You may be able to find some lawyers that will work on a contingency basis though. Most lawyers will, at least, offer you a free consultation. You can use that opportunity to figure out if you have a good legal case or not.

I cannot promise that everybody will get a better deal if they try to dispute an insurance company decision. However, if you believe you were wronged, you should take some time to pursue the matter. You do have rights, as a consumer, to make sure you are treated fairly! Sometimes, just a little effort can reward you with a fairer payment amount!

Learn more! http://oninsurancequotes.com/onlineinsurance/

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Today, it is not shameful to be more frugal. In fact, with all of the past economic troubles, being more frugal has become a fad. We all hope it will not just be a more passing fad. Some families are pursing extreme frugality, while others are taking smaller steps. You need to do what you are comfortable with.

Here are some obvious signs that you need to be more frugal.

• Do you find yourself waiting by the mailbox on payday because you still have last pay period’s bills to pay?
• When something does go wrong, like your heater breaks or the car needs a new tire, do you have to rely on credit to get back on the road?
• Even worse, have you over-extended your credit so badly you cannot even rely on that?
• Has your emergency fund dropped to $0?
• Have your retirement savings stagnated?

If you find yourself relying on credit, or even worse, behind on credit, you will do yourself a big favor by trying to solve this problem. Even if you do not have a lot of credit balances, you should also have short term, medium term, and long term savings in order to enjoy a secure lifestyle.

Some Quick Fixes For More Frugality!

Here are some fairly quick, but also fairly painless ways, to get your finances back on the track! When families start having financial problems, it can seem hard to even begin fixing things. That is why you need a plan. The plan should involve realistic steps that you can take over a period of time. But your plan should also include some fixes that should start benefiting you by next month.

Also note, that you can find a variety of online financial calculators that can give you good answers to your financial questions. You can actually get good answers to questions like the benefits of renting vs. buying, or how long it may take you to pay off credit cards.

Budget. Budget. Budget

Your first steps are to make a budget you can live with, but which will help you spend less money. You need to gather documents that will help you understand your current expenses. You may be able to free up some extra cash by simply cutting out a few conveniences.

You may also be able to get cheaper rates for some of the things you do need. Why not shop around for cheaper cell phone service, or get an insurance quote online to see if you could pay less for good coverage?

Plan Your Credit Strategy

Some people like to pay off their biggest, or their highest interest, debt first. This sounds logical, but it may not be satisfying. You may be better off by paying off your smaller balances first, and that way you can get quicker satisfaction.

One helpful tool is this credit card payoff calculator. You can try a variety of monthly payments to see how long it will take you to reduce your balance to $0!

Try To Stick To Your Frugal Plan!

Once you have made a plan, it is important to try to stick with it. If you have set some reasonable milestones, or even challenges, this will be easier to do. This will come up that will force you to deviate from your plans, but you will certainly be better off than you were before when you could not control your expenses before.

Good little article in the health section of our paper on how to change doctors. Why would you want to leave your doctor? If you feel any of the following is happening to you when you visit your doctor then you might want to find a new doctor:

Feel ignored.

Friends or family don’t understand what is going on with you medically because you can’t explain it.

Many people hesitate to change doctors because they fear will have go through testing all over again. But that is not always the case. With your permission your new doctor can request your records, look at your history and formulate a plan of treatment without having to re-test.

Here are some recommendations on how to find a new doctor:

Ask someone you trust for a recommendation

Research reputable web site for information on your condition.

If you are older you may be looking for a doctor who is more familiar with problems that older people experience and you may also be looking for long term care information. See our post Are Long Term Care Premiums HSA Contributions

Want another great health tip read our post How to Have Healthy Eyes

Credit Card Cash Advance Rates

New law passed in May 2009 which went into effect in the beginning of this year will require credit card companies to make bills easier to understand.

For instance, they will need to provide a table showing how much interest charges will cost if only minimum payments are made. Cardholders will also be shown how much they need to pay each month to erase a balance within three years.

Available credit – Credit card companies don’t have to stop you from exceeding your credit limit. But they will charge you a fee for doing so – about $29.00 on average.

A transaction can still be denied before your so –called available credit is used up. This might happen if your spending habits are deemed risky or out of character.

For instance say you start carrying a balance after years of paying off bills in full that could trigger a clampdown. Another red flag might be if you get too close to drying up your credit.

Another common mistake is confusing your available credit with your cash advance credit line. To understand credit card account terms you should know the two different types of credit will be listed separately, with the advance credit line coming with a significantly higher interest rate.

Average daily balance – It is easy to dismiss this amount because the purpose is not clear but this is the amount used to calculate finance charges

To determine your interest charge, the card company starts with the average daily balance – which is your balance at the end of the day during a billing period, divided by the number of days in that billing period.

That number is then multiplied by a monthly period rate, which is the annual interest rate divided by 12. Some banks use a daily periodic rate, meaning they divide the annual rate by 365.

So what does that mean for you? Now that you understand credit card account terms you realize paying off bills early – even before the due date will lower your average daily balance and subsequently your financing charges.

Due date – Even if you mail your payment so it arrives by the due date, don’t be surprised if you’re hit with a late fee.

One reason is that deadlines can be for a specific time, sometimes as early as 1pm so if your payment is not processed until later in the afternoon – you get hit with a late fee. The time your payment is due is usually buried somewhere in the terms on the back of your bill.

According to Consumer Action, most card issuers 78% immediately charge late fees if payments aren’t received by the due date. The majority 90% also said a late fee is levied even if the due date falls on a Saturday or holiday.

Online and phone payments aren’t always instantaneous either, so give some time for the payment to be processed and cleared.

The new law will push due date deadlines back to 5pm and require that they don’t fall on a holiday or weekend.

Residual interest – Let’s say you pay off a $1000 balance you’ve been carrying. You are not debt free because the following month you will get a bill for interest charges on the 1,000 dollars – this is called residual interest.

Interest continues accruing on debt in that window of time between when your statement was issued and when you make your payment. By the time you get your statement and submit the payment, you’ve racked up more interest.

If you understand credit card account terms you will now know to one way to avoid residual interest is by paying off your balance in full each month, since this gives you a grace period in which you don’t rack up any charges. Carrying a balance for just one month, however, can result in charges.

Another good way to avoid residual interest is to check your statement online and pay off a balance as soon as the statement is issued.

One of the best ways to protect your credit card from fraud is not to use it for internet transaction but to use a reloadable prepaid credit card online. See our post Are Prepaid Cards Reloadable Online

Find out about what credit card companies hope you won’t notice on your statement. See the post

Credit Card Balance Smackdown higher fees lower limits

You see so many advertisements on raising your credit card score but you really don’t know if these people are telling the truth. There are some things you can do on your own to raise your credit score. So here is your self help credit repair guide.

Bill Hardekopf author of the Credit Card Guidebook and chief executive of LowCards.com offers these tips on raising your credit score. Your credit score is what lenders use to decide if they should give you credit and at what interest rate you will be charged for your credit.

Pay your bills on-time. Make at least the minimum payments on your credit cards and loans each month.

Keep your oldest accounts open. Longevity looks good on a credit report.

Don’t use more than 30% of the credit you have available to you.

Pay off your balances. Don’t keep transferring your balance. If you can’t pay your bills contact your creditors to work out a payment plan or see a credit counselor. Try going to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

Want more good tips on Self Help Credit Repair go to Bad Credit Blues and find out how mistakes on your credit report can hurt your score.

How to Organize Your Kitchen

Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

Want to know how to organize your kitchen pantry?  It is not really hard to do. There are basically two things you must consider when organizing your kitchen pantry. One, make sure you can easily see what is in the pantry. Two, make sure you have it stocked with the right ingredients. Read on for some very simple ways about how to organize your kitchen pantry.

Throw away anything past its expiration date and consolidate multiple items that are half used.

Transfer dry goods to airtight containers to prolong their shelf life.

Label shelves so that everything has its place. Knowing where to find items makes cooking more efficient.

Group like items together. For example, make sure all your spices are together on one shelf or two if you they won’t all fit. Put all cereals together etc.

Use clear containers whenever possible so you can easily see what is in them.

Stock your pantry with dinner essentials so you will always have something to make a meal with. Here is a very basic list:

DINNER ESSENTIALS

Baking powder
Baking soda
Beans, canned
(black, garbanzo, Mexican-style chili, white)
Bread
Biscuit Mix
Bread crumbs (dry)
Broth or bouillon
(beef, chicken, vegetable)
Catsup
Cornmeal, yellow
Cornstarch
Dressings (honey-mustard, Italian,
vinaigrettes)
Flour (all-purpose white)
Fruit, canned (pears)
Garlic (bulb, bottled)
Graham crackers (crumbs)
Honey
Hot pepper sauce
Milk (evaporated skim, sweetened condensed)
Mustard (Dijon-style, honey, spicy brown, yellow)
Nonstick spray coating
Nuts (almonds, cashews, dry roasted peanuts,
pecans, walnuts)
Oats (quick-cooking, rolled)
Oils (olive, roasted garlic, vegetable, peanut)
Olives (green, kalamata, ripe)
Onions (green, red, yellow)
Pasta, dried (bow tie, orzo-rosamarina, ramen noodles,
shells, tortellini)
Pasta (angel hair, fettuccine, macaroni, spaghetti)
Peanut butter
Potatoes (red, russet, yellow)
Rice (brown, instant, long grain white, pilaf mixes, wild)
Salsa
Soy sauce
Spaghetti sauce
Sugar (brown, granulated, powdered)
Tomatoes, canned (Italian-style stewed,
stewed, tomato sauce)
Tomatoes, fresh (common, roma)
Tortillas (flour)
Tuna, canned
Vinegar (balsamic, cider, distilled white, red wine,
rice wine, white balsamic, white wine)
Worcestershire sauce

Want a great quick easy breakfast recipe? Check out The Frugal Pig for their recipe for homemade kolaches.

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How to Grow a Container Garden

Supplies you will need:

Pots (terra cotta or ceramic are best, plastic gets too hot)

Peat-based potting soil which will drain easily and let roots spread (ex. Miracle Grow)

Raw Eggs, in shells

Seeds – Use herbs such as sage, thyme, basil, and rosemary and vegetables such as lettuce, green beans, peas, eggplants, peppers, summer squash, and tomatoes are good for containers. When buying seeds look for packages labeled “compact” or “space saver”.

Plant markers

Gardening Gloves

Trowel - something you dig with

Screwdriver

Step 1 – BEFORE YOU PLANT

Look for a location for your container garden. You need a place with at least six hours of sunlight. You can’t get by with less. You can group plants in one large pot or use several small ones.

Step 2 – PREPARE THE POT

The size of your pot depends on the size of your plant. 20 inch diameter pots and good for tomatoes and eggplants, 4 inch pots are fine for herbs and 6 to 8 inch for lettuce. Fill the pot with 2 inches of potting soil. Place one uncracked raw egg in the pot – as it decomposes it will serve as a natural fertilizer and cover with soil.

Step 3 – MAKE HOLES

Using a screwdriver or your finger, create five to six holes that are i inch deep. New seeds tend to have more successful germination rates than leftover packets from last year – check for dates on the package. You can purchase seeds at your local nursery or order from a seed catalog. Expect one plant to grow for every five seeds planted.

You need your back for so many things – sitting, standing, lifting and bending. Having a strong back can help prevent back injuries and can improve your posture. Back injuries are painful and the treatment is often lengthy and expensive. So do yourself a big favor and get your back muscles in shape. Here are some easy and inexpensive ways to strengthen your back:

Work your core muscles 3 days a week –

Core muscles are those muscles that stabilize the spine and pelvis and run the entire length of the torso. These muscles stabilize the spine, pelvis and shoulder and provide a solid foundation for movement in the extremities. Pilates exercises emphasize core muscle strength. No need to go for expensive classes – get yourself a good DVD (I like Denise Austin’s Pilates) with a 20 minute workout.

Leg exercises - Exercises such as lunges and squats help your back placing your core on a firmer foundation. Strong legs also mean your heart does not have to work as hard. Strong legs also help you pick up things properly. When you bend your knees to lift an item your legs will take the stress not your back. Squats and lunges can be easily done at home. Look online for the proper technique. A good way to begin is to get one of those big exercise balls and put it between your back and the wall as you squat.

Elevate your feet - I remember reading this tip as advice for pregnant women but it is good advice for anyone. If you have to stand for a long time you can take stress off your lower back by elevating one foot on a step or curb. When sitting, put your knees up higher than your hips.

Good posture also helps your back stay strong and helps reduce strain. See our post Practicing Proper Posture and-Body Alignment

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Small banking fees can cost you a small fortune if you don’t pay close attention. An article in Parade magazine discussed how to avoid bank fees you probably aren’t even aware of:

Transfer fees – When you move money around between linked accounts, watch out! Some banks now charge $3 or $5 for each transfer you make online. Consider making only one transfer a month or redirecting a direct deposit.

Annual fees – If the balances on your checking or savings accounts drop below a required amount, you may be charged a fee. Make sure you know what your balance needs to be. Some banks also require you to make a specific number of transactions during the year. If you fail to do so, you may be charged with an annual “inactivity fee.” Read the fine print on your account terms, and move your money elsewhere if you don’t expect to reach the minimum number of transactions.

Account-maintenance fees - You can get charged as much as $12 a month for simply keeping your checking or savings account open! Unfortunately, it’s become more difficult to avoid these fees, so know the terms of your account and since terms change, call your bank if you see an unusual charge that wasn’t there last month. Bank with the right bank for you – the one that suits the way you use your account.

If you do have a fee on your statement that you feel is unfair, contact your bank. Sometimes just a phone call will get the fee removed.

Having trouble with your credit car company? Check out our sister website Bad Credit Blues and get some tips to help you reduce credit card debt or negotiate with your credit card company.

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Here is what Patricia Weber creator of the website Motherinlawhell.com has to say on the subject. Weber created the site to vent about her own mother in law. The site is interactive so you can post stories and get feedback quickly. The two biggest complaints are: My MIL (mother in law) is interfering with child-rearing and my MIL competes with me for her son’s attention. Patrica says if you can’t get along with your MIL treat her like a colleague. Be amicable but to the point.

Here are some ways to get some perspective on the situation:

You’ve won: Remember that. Her son lives with you.

Good terms: If you cannot be loving, treat her like a co-worker. Be friendly but to the point.

Turnaround: Remember you could be a mother-in-law yourself someday.

A thick skin: Try not to take every comment as a criticism.

Include her: If she offers to help – with cleaning, cooking or her grandkids – let her. You could probably use a break.

Now here is advice for mother in laws

The boss: Remember that she who runs the house sets the rules.

Take a holiday: Don’t get attached to outcomes; just focus on having a good time.

No contest: Remember love is not a competitive sport.

Think back: Remember when you were a daughter in law.

Smile: Speak authentically and kindly; season with humor.

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