Last month was a bit of an adventure with our seven year old cat. He ran away (something he’s never done) and we were worried sick. Once we got him back, we spent some money on keeping him healthy.
In addition to taking him to the vet for a check up, we also got him updated [...]

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Buying a house is probably the biggest purchase that most people will ever make. Given what’s at stake, you want to be sure you’re not buying a lemon. If you’re buying an existing home, a home inspection can save you from getting a house that needs costly repairs from either owner’s neglect or old age.
Even [...]

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In December, we’ll be celebrating our 3 year anniversary. Our little tradition so far has been taking a vacation. Since we’re getting a townhouse a month before our vacation, however, we’re scaling back a bit this year. After talking with some friends about saving money on travel, I have some more tips to share.
Planning ahead [...]

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Things are moving along with regard to our new townhouse. We have approximately 5-6 weeks to get ready for our move to the new place. I’m excited and ready to leave the apartment.
I thought it might be helpful to share our to-do list for others that are planning to move. I’m sure many of you [...]

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Two years ago, our tax preparer suggested we take advantage of tax breaks like IRAs and home ownership. We then looked at our options and started working on our IRAs. Buying a house just for a tax break wasn’t what we wanted, so we paid down our debt and saved some money on the side [...]

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Big news this week… We went ahead and locked in our mortgage interest rate. My husband called the lender on Wednesday, and we’ve since faxed back the agreement. We’re locking in our 30 year fixed rate mortgage at a 5% interest rate with a 1.017% origination fee.
To be honest, I’ve been anxiously watching our [...]

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My sister and brother both attend college and this week they received their tuition refunds. Since my mother has told us numerous times that paying for college is our responsibility, we’ve tried to get as many grants and scholarships possible.
While I attended college on a mix of financial aid grants and scholarships, so far my [...]

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Some good news has come up in the last couple of weeks, as I’ve happened upon a temporary job for the next couple of months. Since we’re buying a house, we looked at what we can do with the extra income.
For background, we’re getting a 30-year fixed rate FHA mortgage for our town house. This [...]

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With the $8,000 first-time homeowner’s tax credit deadline approaching, many people are still trying to get in on the deal. If you’re in this boat, don’t assume that just having a down payment is enough (even though it’s a big help).
Applying for a mortgage involves a thorough check into your finances to see if you [...]

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Readers often e-mail me for tips on how to keep their finances manageable. There are so many options out there that it can be overwhelming. I was speaking with my mom about this some time ago, and she felt the same way.
My mom has been responsible with her money, but she felt that she could [...]

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