Showing posts with label jobloss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jobloss. Show all posts

Monday, September 10, 2012

Health Insurance--A Necessary Evil?

Well, I believe I mentioned last week about how much our health insurance went up. This, of course happened at the same time as several other trials (can stuff just stop breaking? Nah! That'd mean you wouldn't need to buy new stuff and companies can't have that hurting their bottom lines!).

Anyway, I'll admit we seriously considered just going without health insurance period. I know some people are paying more than we are, but our share (with my hubby's employer paying half) is a little over $606 a month. The prescription benefits are crappy, our individual deductible is $1,000, the family deductible is $3,000 and honestly we just try not to use it unless it's for preventative because co-pays have gone up to $30 for a regular doctor and $50 for specialists. Our daughter's dislocated elbow that took 3 seconds to fix in the ER cost us $250. Yeah....not pretty.

We did try to qualify for UPP, but they've made it so difficult. Even though we met all the main criteria, we didn't qualify simply because we've already had the employer's insurance, so even if it was a new enrollment period and they had moved to a new plan (at a much higher rate) they said we'd have to not be on the employer's insurance before new enrollment starts and apply again during the next enrollment, period. Of all the stupid stipulations I've heard! Seriously?

But when it came down to it, we just couldn't make the jump to no insurance. Still, we can't afford to keep our current insurance. So we did some research down different avenues and ultimately decided to go out on our own with a high deductible plan with a Health Savings Account. We found a good agent who's helped us figure out the pros and cons of each plan and guided us in the right direction.

Our kids will be going on CHIP (something we'd never have even considered before the economy tanked). It'll take 90 days before they can go on it after our insurance is cancelled, which does make us a little nervous. We prefer the IHC facilities though and they have a financial assistance program for those who need it, so if an emergency occurs, we'll have to take advantage of that.

I haven't heard good things about State dental insurance, so we'll be getting our own plan for that too, for the whole family. Overall, this route is going to save us almost $400/month. That's nothing to sneeze at, for sure. We'll be able to find a use for that money easily!

I'll be honest that it's a little embarrassing to share some of these hardships with everyone here. There's always the chance that we'll be judged and found lacking. Oh well. I can't let my pride stop me from helping others out there who might need this information for their own families. We never asked for these things to happen. Five years ago we were living well and doing fine financially. Things changed--for a lot of people. We just have to make the best of it and survive how we can, I guess.

I am thankful though that my husband has been able to keep his job, even if his hours have significantly decreased. I know that there are those who have flat-out lost their jobs and their homes. We've managed, through the grace of God, to retain both. It's a miracle that with Bank of America's track record at the time of only 3% of people applying for the the government loan modifications receiving them, that we got a successful modification (not that I didn't fight tooth and nail for it~ Hah!).

So this will be a new experience for us. We prayed a lot before deciding on this course and I feel like we're making the right decision. Time will tell where it will go.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Big Things Are Happening!

Many of you know I've been been exploring money-making opportunities over the last few years. I've also talked about ways to save money and "Go Green." I've been wanting to talk about my latest endeavor for weeks, but made myself wait to see how things panned out first. I tend to be skeptical (though I prefer the term "realistic") about a lot of things, especially when it comes to making money. I don't believe in "Get Rich Quick" schemes and I tend to believe that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

Well, a few weeks ago a friend of mine invited me to a party. Actually, she invited me to 3 parties total. I really didn't want to go. It was a home sales type thing and I just don't get into that. I've tried Avon and ended up spending more than I made (that and I had a really hard time pushing the cosmetics because I felt like I was telling people they needed those products because they weren't attractive they way they looked now! Hah!) Anyway, I avoided things like pampered chef, tupperware, the jewelry parties and all of that. I felt that people could easily get by without these things and couldn't bring myself to convince them they needed them, though I do believe that many of these companies do make good products overall.

These parties I was trying to avoid were for Norwex. I finally went to one after my friend called me several times on the day of the 3rd party. I told her that even if I went, not to expect anything because I just don't get into things like this. She said that was fine, and just hoped I would come and see what it was all about. Well, I did, and it changed my mind in a big way!

Norwex is all about earth-friendly, chemical free and effective products. They have a micro-fiber cloth infused with micro-silver (which never launders out of the cloth) that does incredible things. I had to see it with my own eyes to believe it. It does these things using the cloth and water. I watched butter being wiped off a mirror and within seconds that mirror was more streak-free than anything I've ever seen using various cleaners and many paper towels. I watched it wipe up all trace of a raw chicken breast in seconds and it doesn't transfer that nastiness over when you take that same cloth and clean another area. Incredible!

Anyway, I don't want to sound like an infomercial. Needless to say I was impressed. I saw myself getting rid of my sanitizing cleaners, using much fewer paper towels and getting my cleaning done much faster with less headache. I also saw myself being able to talk about these products with friends without feeling like I was pushing something unnecessary on them. I felt so good about what I learned of this company, that a few weeks after that party, I signed up to be a consultant with them.

This is a great opportunity for those looking to make extra money to supplement lost income, or even to become their main income. It's not without effort though. You have to put yourself out there to be successful. You have to be comfortable talking with people, or at least seem like you're comfortable ;-)

Norwex talks about honesty and integrity in their core values--something that impressed me. They're generous to work for, they're generous to their party hostesses too! They also back up what they sell, which is a huge deal for me.

So how has this worked out for me? Well, so far I've done very well and am already coming out ahead in the expense/profit aspect. I've got several avenues I can explore to take this further and I'm getting more and more excited the more I use the products I'm now selling. Win-win!

If you want more information on Norwex and their products, feel free to check out my website: nelliebutler.norwex.biz.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

I'm on a Giving High

We were getting some groceries today when a man in a wheel chair caught our attention. He was holding a sign, asking for help, much like the man I told you about a few weeks ago. This man was younger though, maybe in his 30s and was wearing a thin jacket.

Because of the experience I'd had before, we'd talked about what we could do as a family to try to help and make a difference to those who needed it. We decided that instead of letting our numerous coats take up space in the closets, we would go through them, take out the ones we weren't using and put them in the car in case we came upon anyone who needed them. Today we got to give the first one. The man was grateful and never asked for any other thing from us.

It's funny how something so simple can have such an impact. We were able to give something we no longer needed to someone in distress. It was no effort on our parts, beyond going through our closet (which really needed done anyway) and it cost us nothing.

The feeling we got in return though, was priceless. If only every reward in life were that easy to obtain! I thought I'd share this with you, in the chance that you may also have some extra things in your house that you might give to someone in need. You don't have to venture out and look for those who need it if you prefer not to (and if you're alone, you probably shouldn't do it that way anyway), but there are organizations (such as the Salvation Army, Deseret Industries, etc.) you can donate your surplus items to. It takes very little effort, and the reward is instantaneous.

So if you happen to be in a giving mood, and have something you're able to give, then what better time to do it than now? God Bless!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Don't Get too Caught Up

With nine days left 'til Christmas, retailers are being swarmed with customers anxiously trying to complete those Christmas lists. Businesses are bombarding us with advertisements for all the latest and greatest gadgets for the special people in our lives. We want to wow our loved ones on Christmas day, so we scramble to get all those things on their wish lists in hopes they will feel loved and that they will love us more in return.


It's so easy to get caught up in the hype, and no doubt it's a great feeling to watch someone's face as they open a gift you've given them. But it's important to not forget what this whole thing is about in the first place. And just what is Christmas about anyway? If you ask a child, no doubt you'll get the answers: "Toys!" "Presents!" "Santa!" "Reindeer!" and "Cookies!" We have to admit, that's certainly become a big part of it. But is that really the most important message we want to send?

I have some friends and family members who have experienced job loss in this economy. They all have families to take care of and children who are anxiously awaiting that jolly old elf. Some have asked for help from their churches or from family to provide some of those presents under the tree. Others are scaling back and only providing the necessities. All are feeling the pressure from outside sources to give more than they are financially capable of this year.

It's easy to get caught up in the holiday shopping hype, and heaven knows I've done it too, but we need to try to take a step back and remember why we do this in the first place. Christmas isn't about giving our children, family and friends the latest and greatest things money can buy. It's not even about that big dinner you may serve to your loved ones. It's not about the parties or the cookies or the cards. While all of those things are nice, and feel great to both give and receive, it's the by product of the holiday, but not the reason for it.

Christmas is about the gift we all were given with the birth of our Lord. The way He came to be in this world; the lessons He taught while He was here; and the way He died for us were His ultimate gifts to us. These are gifts we will never be able to match, no matter how hard we may try.

It's so important to not let the message of the season get lost with all those material things. Christmas is about giving. Most of us got that part of the message. But it's not about having the best gift or the most gifts or the right gifts. It's about coming together and sharing, loving, caring, helping, and remembering. It's about all those good things that we all love to experience and be the recipients of. 

So maybe this year would be a good year to sit down and talk about why we celebrate this holiday, or any other holiday. You might find that the memories you create with this discussion will be more lasting than any one of those presents under the tree.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

A Little of Everything!

I haven't called this The Juggling Homemaker for nothing! It's always a juggling act here, trying to keep so many different things going at the same time. My mom is out of the hospital, but still having some struggles, so I've been trying to do what I can there, though it's not as much as she (or I, for that matter) would like. It's hard when you have your own family to take care of to do much of anything else.

We're still working on our yard and went and got more compost from Wasatch Integrated Waste Management at $25/truckload--not too shabby! :) We also got some of their medium sized bark at $10/truckload for our flower beds (okay, I'll be honest and call them weed beds--but we're working on it). We're going to whack the weeds down, put down another layer of weed barrier (better stuff, this time) and throw the bark down on top of that. Take that weeds!!! Haha! It was back-breaking labor to unload those loads from the back of the pick-up. Believe me, I'm feeling it today!

We could have saved on the back pain and had someone else come out and deliver that stuff for us, but financially that just wasn't feasible. We had to cut some things out of our budget to do it the way we did. But in reality, it will help if we end up having to sell, since it will add some curb appeal to not have massive weed jungles on all sides. It's impossible for me to keep up with it all! Hopefully it won't come to that, though. And to be honest, it probably wouldn't sell for what we'd need anyway....ah well...moving on!

We had optimistically got a movie from Redbox to watch last night. We didn't get to watch it because the work took longer than we thought. We didn't even get to staining the playset! So I'll more than likely have to pay for another night.

Yesterday was the last free weekly Monday they're doing, too. Yeah, I know, it sucks. I wish they would continue doing it weekly, as I only recently started taking advantage of it, but they're not giving us as good a deal anymore. However, they are going to start doing free monthly Monday starting next month, for over the summer. We'll be taking advantage of that. For more information you can go to Inside Redbox.

As for our HASP application, we're still waiting to hear. The waiting period keeps getting longer, as more people are learning about (good!) the program and applying for it. They said it could be anywhere from now to another three weeks before we hear. So far we're still scraping by.

I've learned this will all come down what they call the Net Present Value Analysis. That's where, after reviewing all the information they have for your application, the market, and your property, they decide if the mortgage investor would make more money on a loan modification or a foreclosure. They also weigh the risks of your situation in their decision. Hopefully, between the down market and the incentives the government is offering them, our situation will look more profitable for a modification. I found an online explanation that explains this better, if you're interested.

Anyway, we're plugging along. Overall, I'd say I have more to be thankful for than to complain about. I just have to remember that on the bad days ;)

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Lesson Learned

I had planned to write everyday, no matter what. I underestimated the curve balls life can throw, and how that can definitely influence motivation. At least I'm learning to be more flexible, right?

We've been busy figuring out some big projects we've got coming up, besides our garden I mean. Oh, did I mention we had to start over on most of our seedlings? I believe I told you they grew a lot faster than we'd expected. They outgrew their containers and we didn't know what to do with them, as it is still too early to take them outside--we can't do that for another two or so weeks. Then, hubby didn't read the section where it says to get your new plants used to the outdoors gradually. He set them outside for the day, while we were doing yard work. Only the bell peppers survived. Haha!

I can laugh because they were so inexpensive. Now we know we don't need even close to the 7 weeks we planted ahead. A few weeks seems to be sufficient for our growing conditions. So we went and bought new seeds, put them back in our closet under the fluorescent lights, and now that they're all sprouted we'll gradually get them adjusted to the outdoors. Lesson learned!

Speaking of learning from trial and error, we've decided that we're learning a lot from these experiences. We've learned so much from the hard times we're experiencing now--things that we never would have even tried to find out about if life hadn't thrown a few bumps in our path.

Come to think of it, I think that I've learned the best lessons in life during hard times. Go figure. We always dread these difficult times because we're worried we won't get through them, or at least not come out of them intact. I wonder how many of us realize how much we actually gain from so many of those trials. I know they've made me stronger and I'm a better person because of them.

It's not always easy for me to admit that. There have certainly been times when I've been sure that someone "up there" must be out to get me and I've begged for some peace. Yes, even recently I've asked that God not put any more on my plate, as it seems to be overflowing just now. But in the end, I know I'll come out of this stronger. I'll come out of this smarter.

Does that mean I'm winning every battle? No (though I sometimes wish). But I'm not leaving any of these experiences empty handed. If nothing else, I'm learning to be a better gardener, a more creative manager of finances, a competent letter writer, and a pretty good negotiator;-)

I think you'll find that you've gained some knowledge from all of your hard times too. Just be sure that you do learn from them and don't repeat mistakes. Then you can say "Lesson Learned." I heard this simple phrase from a dear friend of mine and, believe it or not, there's some satisfaction in being able to say it at the end of it all.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Reach out and Improve Your Outlook

I've got some more resources for those who are facing losing their homes. In addition to HASP, I've found some sites that are filled with useful information and contacts that can help you through this time.

Loan Safe has a lot of useful information for homeowners facing hardship. I found a ton of information in their discussion forums, too. I found some direct phone numbers for Countrywide in the forum they started specifically for Countrywide customers. There you can talk to people just like you and get ideas and advice on what to do next.

I also found NACA, a non-profit advocacy HUD certified counseling agency. They help homeowners to modify their loans and all their services are free.

You can still find the information I've gathered about loan modification and HASP with my articles here. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me. I will do my best to help, or find someone who can.

On this note, I want to talk more about what is happening as a result of our economy. More and more people are at risk of losing their homes as layoffs and paycuts continue. Families are struggling to make ends meat and many of them are turning to their governments and churches for assistance.

It's definitely a humbling experience and can be difficult for many of us to reach out for help, for fear of having our hands slapped away--or even being ridiculed, criticized and scoffed at. I suppose this fear, or even the reality of the fear, is what makes some people come to the decision of ending their own lives and often the lives of their entire family.

This is becoming more commonplace in the news and it makes my heart sick. I cry for those people because they believed they lost everything and had only one option left to them. I don't know what makes a person come to that conclusion, besides the desperation they feel in their circumstances. I only wish they would reach out to anyone and everyone, instead of setting on the course of ending lives.

I know this is a hard time. I know that so many people are losing everything. But that's just it--they're things. They give us comfort, shelter, entertainment, transportation, convenience...But they aren't even close to being the most important part of life. We're here for a reason. We're here to learn, to love, to grow and to be strengthened. The only way we can do that is by facing adversity.

Some people may feel alone in this. Some might believe they have no one to turn to. I want those people to know that they are not alone. Even a person who believes they have no one, has someone. For those of you who believe in God, remember that He will take care of you. You just have to remember that it's His plan we need to trust in, not our own.

For those of you who don't believe, I wish you did, as it would fill you with a comfort like no other. I don't know how my family would have come as far as we have without His help in our own lives.

There are many people out there (some you may have met, and some you may not have yet) who care what happens to you. They want your happiness and your well-being. They believe you can succeed even after what seems like a succession of failures. Don't give up.

I have a saying on my wall: "There is always something to be thankful for..." Even in these hard times, I believe that. One of the biggest blessings in my life is the gift of my children. I take on the responsibility for them gladly. They are looking to their father and me for guidance. They are watching closely and learning how to overcome the trials they'll face in their own lives. I will not teach them to give up.

Anyway, I'll leave you for now with that. I pray that you will find the strength to get through hard times--and then perhaps help others to do the same.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

HASP Part 3

I've realized that I only detailed half of what Obama's Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan offers so far in my articles here. I wrote about the part of the program I was applying for, and completely neglected the other side, which could benefit other homeowners in different situations from ours, but still serious.

HASP isn't just for those who have received a pay cut and are in need of a loan modification. It's also for those who need to refinance out of an ARM or higher interest rate, but their homes have lost value and so they haven't been able to do that. The catch for this part of the program is that you have to be current on your loan and the investors or guarantors in your loan have to be Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. You can call your lender to find out if your loan is eligible or check here. Don't make any assumptions until you make that call.

If you want to read some examples of families who have qualified under each of the HASP parts, you can go here. That link is in the Making Home Affordable government website. If you go to that site, you can find out if you may qualify for either part of HASP, and what your next step should be if you do.

Not all mortgage companies offer HASP, but most of the major ones do. You can go to Hope Now to find out if your company participates. If they don't, Hope Now also offers free counseling help and could help you figure out your next step. This site is entirely free, as is all HASP information and processes. Beware of scams. You can also call Hope Now at 1-888-995-HOPE.

If your loan is FHA, they are doing their own program for financial hardship that is supposed to parallel HASP. Call your lender for details on that.

As for what's happening with our HASP application, it's still up in the air. Countrywide has just started choosing eligible customers and sending out packets to them. I called them this morning (1-800-669-0102) and they said they only started mailing today, and if I qualify, then I should get one in about a week to ten days. Apparently our status isn't in the computer yet, but they didn't seem concerned by this. If, at the end of 10 days, I don't receive a packet, they said to call back and check my status again.

I'm not losing hope or getting discouraged by any of this. If we're meant to stay here, we will. If we're not, then I figure we must have a purpose somewhere else. In the meantime, I will do what I can for my family. That's all anyone can do.

Good luck to you all. If you have any questions, you can more than likely find them in the links I've given you in my HASP articles. If not though, or you just want to talk, feel free to email me.

If you don't qualify for any part of HASP, don't lose hope. You can still call your mortgage company about other financial hardship programs they offer.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Saving with Your Newspaper Subscription

Today's blog was inspired by this morning's events. I received the renewal notice for one of our newspaper subscriptions, and cringed when I realized I have another check to write--small though it may be. Some may ask why I don't just let the newspaper subscription go, especially considering I have two of them. I'll tell you why, it's because those two subscriptions (both with the Sunday papers) save me a lot of money on groceries, and consequently, more than pay for themselves.

I'm guessing, with my Sunday and groceries clues, you know how I save money with these papers: I clip the coupons. I save money on toilet paper, granola bars, cereal, diapers, wipes, toiletries, pet food, produce, etc. I have even, on several occasions, gotten coupons for free items (ranging from salad dressing, gum, cough drops, frozen shrimp--you get the idea).

Because of this, I can justify the expense of both subscriptions, but with hubby's pay cut, money is very tight. I decided to call my subscription service (MediaOne of Utah) to test what I'd heard about most companies being willing to give existing customers the promotional rate if they call in and ask for it. Turns out, it was no myth. I got one year for the price of six months, all because I asked if they could offer me a better deal! So now my newspaper is even more valuable to me.

My green readers may be wondering what I do with all those papers after I'm done reading and clipping out of them. No worries! I take them to my children's school, put them in the recycling dumpster and they get money for the school! So it's a win-win.

So if you haven't done this already, I suggest you do. If you currently have a subscription, call to see if you can get a better rate. If you don't currently have one, get one! If you aren't clipping coupons for items you're already buying, that's the same thing as throwing away your money.

If you're not in my area, then you can find your local newspaper, or whichever paper you're looking to subscribe to online. I found a site that offers discounted newspaper subscriptions, and it's backed by the Better Business Bureau. It's called Discounted Newspapers.com.

None of these things take much time. Calling to lower your rate is easy, subscribing is even easier. Clipping coupons isn't much work either. You can get a coupon organizer for cheap, or you can even keep them in an envelope or sandwich bag (I did this for years). And Newspaper recycling sites are everywhere. You can usually find them on school grounds or even in some store parking lots. If you don't know where one is, check out Earth911.

Do what you have to and lower that budget. Saving money is always a good thing, especially in this hard economy.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

We're Not Rock Bottom

Well, I got a not so great surprise when we got hubby's paycheck today. They didn't let him have the vacation day he used the day he got sick last week. I called the secretary to ask why and she told me it was against policy to use vacation days as sick leave and that all vacation days have to be pre-approved. If an emergency does come up, the boss has to approve that usage and all other non-vacation usages. I'm thinking: since when? It's not like hubby just started working there. He's been there for 14 years!

I told her that no one had mentioned this to hubby and she said, yes, they had--yesterday! Okay, so over a week after the fact (he's paid a week behind the actual work week) they say they told him? So I asked hubby what was going on with that, he said that his supervisor did tell him yesterday they might not approve his sick day. I wish he had told me that when it happened, but in any case, are they serious?

So, his paycheck is short in addition to being short. Haha (I know that makes a lot of sense)! But, we are not rock bottom. Yes, our finances are a mess right now. Yes, we are experiencing hard times and things are stressful. But, we still have some income, aren't homeless, have food in our cupboards and more importantly, we have each other.

I'll admit that I did leave a message for the boss, explaining our circumstances, reminding him that hubby rarely calls in sick (we're talking once every few years) and asking him if he would please approve the vacation day. I then called hubby so he wouldn't be surprised if he heard anything from his boss today. I don't know if I did the right thing, but I can't just sit and watch things get worse and not do anything about it. It probably would've been better coming from my husband, face-to-face with his boss, but he rarely gets the chance for that to happen.

Anyway, this situation has left things tight for Easter, as you can imagine. I'm thinking we'll go more creative this year. We'll continue the tradition of coloring eggs (the kids love to do that--and the dollar coloring kits work just fine for us), we'll have an Easter egg hunt in our back yard, and perhaps get some treats to hide, too (I have several coupons for bagged candy, so I can save money there). I think I'll go to the dollar store for baskets or buckets. I'll also be searching the internet for some other inexpensive ideas to make this Easter fun for the kids.

I really think the most important thing for them to know when it comes to Easter is why we celebrate it in the first place. It's not because some giant bunny wearing clothes hops into their house while they're sleeping to leave them little presents in their baskets. It's because our Savior was crucified and was risen. He lives. That is the most important gift.

So, no, we're not rock bottom. Yes, we are going through some really tough times right now. But I do believe, without a doubt, that we will get through them--maybe not in the way we would prefer, but in the right way--in His way.

If your family is going through a tough time too: stay strong, have faith--everything will be okay:)

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

More on HASP

As I told you yesterday, we decided to try to modify our mortgage using the Homeowner Stability and Affordability Program that President Obama set up last month. If we're approved for this, we'll be able to stay in our home, since hubby's work (as a journeyman plumber) is still hurting and his hours are low.

In fact, today his work schedule fell through (they currently have him doing service calls) and they're talking about sending him home. This would be very bad, considering he still isn't allowed to work Mondays, so that would give him just barely over a three day work week. If this happens, we'll have to use another of his already few vacation days (who can afford to take a real vacation anyway, right?) to make up for the shortage on our budget--which I'm constantly working to lower.

So yesterday we applied for HASP. I sent our Mortgage Company (Countrywide Financial) a 42 page fax--the longest fax I've ever sent in my life! Haha! Details of HASP can be found in this post I did yesterday.

I called Countrywide this morning to make sure they had all my paperwork. They did, and complimented me on how thorough I was (I'll gladly take the compliment!). They told me to continue making my mortgage payments as usual (which I planned to do anyway for as long as we're able), and that they will process everything once they know what's going on.

This wasn't really a big surprise to me. HASP is a brand new program, and while many mortgage companies are climbing on board, they are still unsure of all the details. In my mortgage company's case, they said they hope to have everything set and ready to go by April, which starts tomorrow! LOL. Anyway, they said it shouldn't take too long to get things up and running, and in the meantime they have all they need from me.

I'm telling you all this so that you will know that this is more than likely the situation with all the mortgage companies participating in HASP. They're still working out the details, and don't know everything yet, so make sure that you realize that when you call them. The company's participating in this program have said they will hold off on foreclosures for those trying to get approved for HASP.

In yesterday's post I gave you a link for participating mortgage companies, so if you haven't already, check to see if your company is on the list. The list is pretty long, so there's a good chance it is. If it isn't, you aren't out of options. Just call your mortgage company and ask what plans they offer for financial hardship. If you get someone who doesn't seem to know what they are talking about, ask to speak to someone else.

Another good resource is the Making Home Affordable website. It was set up for those looking for more information on HASP, but they offer information to anyone struggling financially.

Don't give up. This is a hard economy for so many of us. With the right tools we can all get through it together. You're not alone.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Loan Modification to Save Your Home

I spent over three hours this morning getting together all the materials I needed to do a loan modification with our mortgage company. We looked into refinancing first, but while our credit is good for the moment, our house has dropped at least $40,000 of its value in the last two years. Because of that we wouldn't meet the required loan-to-value ratio and so we didn't continue down that avenue.

We thought of selling, but we couldn't get what we needed and none of the houses in our area are selling (and there are so many!). So that idea was also quickly scrapped. I decided to find out what exactly our options were, and I'm going to share them here with you.

We were told by several of our friends the nightmare stories of trying to get the mortgage companies to work with you. We were told mixed stories of what your status on the loan had to be (some said you had to have missed a few payments, others said the loan had to be current). I decided to stop taking other people's words and experiences for it and give my mortgage company (Countrywide Financial) a call.

They were surprised, it seemed, to hear from me. "But you're not behind on your payments and your credit is good." Yes, I know this, and I'd like to keep it that way, but with no end in sight to hubby's pay cut, our savings is nearly gone, we're eating mainly out of our food storage and things don't look promising, to say the least. When I told them this, they transferred me to their Financial Hardship Department and I talked to a consultant there.

The woman I talked to was very friendly and helpful. She asked me a few questions about our situation, I answered her, and then she asked if I would be willing to tell them all of our expenses, fax them our recent tax returns, a 4506-T form, checking, savings and 401k statements, credit card and loan statements, and the last two months' pay stubs. I also had to write a Letter of Financial Hardship. I was more than willing to do whatever she asked if it meant we might be able to afford to stay in our home.

I got the 4506-T form off the IRS website. I found out what a financial hardship letter should include. I went to the Making Home Affordable Government website which I was told by the mortgage consultant to look at. On that site you can find out if you may be eligible and if your mortgage company participates in Obama's Homeowner Affordability and Stability Program (HASP) set up in February. So far, it looks like we meet the requirements.

What HASP does is lower your mortgage payment within 31% of your gross monthly income. They can lower your interest rate down to as much as 2%. If that won't do it, then they look at extending the life of your loan to 40 years. If approved, you are put on "probation" for three months. If you make your payment on time for those three months, then you get that lowered rate for five years. If, in that five years, you have made all your payments on time, they will pay $5,000 toward the principal of your loan balance.

After five years, your interest rate will increase one percent each year--but will at no time go higher than what the current rate was at the time you modified (currently around 5%). This would be a great option for us, so we've sent them all the information they've asked for and are now awaiting the approval. They say the whole process takes about a month, so we'll just have to wait and see how it goes.

Beware of Foreclosure Rescue Scams. This whole process is free and can be done by yourself. You do not need to pay anyone for this process and should not be charged for a single part of it. If you wish to know more about this program, go to the FAQ on the website.

If you're struggling to make your mortgage payment, please look into this program. If your bank doesn't offer it to you, ask them to. Don't necessarily take no for an answer. Ask to speak to someone else if you're not getting anywhere. Keep calm, you'll get further if you're clear-headed and non-threatening. Be persistent, the squeaky wheel gets the grease:)

If you have any questions throughout this process feel free to shoot me an email. I'll be happy to help if I can.

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Saving on Garden Needs

I can't believe how much money we're saving doing our garden this year. As I told you over a week ago, we decided to start our own seeds (and they're growing beautifully under the florescent lights we bought from Walmart). We decided we needed to condition our soil before planting this year. We have clay dirt here and while the fruit trees don't seem to mind it, the garden didn't do as well as we'd hoped it would last year, and didn't produce enough for us to do any canning.

We knew from all the calling we did last year that compost wasn't cheap if you buy it from companies that specialize in it. It runs over $100 for a truck load (and sometimes closer to $200). That's just not financially feasible for us this year with hubby's pay cut. Here are a few options we've looked into instead:

To lessen the amount we'd need, we started our own compost pile. Not only is this a money saver, but it's a great way to reduce your waste. We bought a bin from Sam's Club for about $40 and started putting our table scraps and grass clippings in it. We have such a large garden area though that the one little bin isn't going to create enough right now to cover the whole area we're planting. It's a good start though, and we're going to keep it up. For more information on doing your own composting, go to the article I found on Earth911.

Some of our neighbors got some compost from the local sewer district. Yeah, I know what many of you are thinking, I've been thinking it too. Poop dirt? Haha! Well, it's really cheap (about $7 a cubic yard) and the plants love it. It's really stinky though from what I hear and I'd make sure you wore gloves while working in it (as you should anyway whenever working in any kind of soil).

Many landfills offer compost too. It's suppose to be high quality and very cheap. We priced out two landfills in our area. The first one, Wasatch Integrated Waste Management, offers it at $25 per 1 1/2 yards. The second was Bountiful Landfill, who offers it at $30 per ton. The research I did says that a ton is about one cubic yard. So they're pretty close in price (though not as cheap as the sewer district).

If you're looking to get your compost for less money where you live, just do a search for landfills or sewer districts in your town or county and then go to their websites. Most will tell you on their sites if they sell compost. You can even call them and find out.

We've already spent far less this year in our garden supplies than we did last year, and we'll be planting so much more than we did before. If you want to learn more about what we're doing to become more self-sufficient and save money, go to my article on gardening here. You dont have to have a large space to do this.

We won't be planting until after Mother's Day (that's the rule of thumb here), but we're doing all we can to be ready before then. It's so easy and you can do it, too. It's not too late. So go ahead, save money, eat better and be one step closer to being self-sufficient, too!

Friday, March 27, 2009

Text Me Those Coupons!

This world is full of technological advances and I'm forever being surprised by what they come up with next. I'm happy to say that this newest way to utilize technology means more savings for me and you.

In our family, with the our recent pay cut, we are always looking for ways to save money. Unfortunately, this has meant we have much less--if any--discretionary, or entertainment money. That was one of the first things to go. It just made sense for us to not go out anymore (not that we did much to begin with), and to make all of our meals here at home.

There have definitely been times when I didn't feel like cooking and longed to dine out with the family instead of coming up with a meal to please six people. I actually do enjoy cooking, but there are days that just get away from me and I'm left feeling exhausted and still have to figure out dinner (or lunch if we've been away from home and doing errands all morning). I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

We haven't gone out to eat in quite a while, because I just couldn't justify the expense when it costs so much less to make the same meal at home. For our household, we can easily drop $40 (with tip) at Wingers, and that's with the adults drinking only water. Conversely, if we were to make everyone a nice burger (we actually do those very well on the grill) and homemade french fries at home, and even splurged on a two liter of soda, we would spend maybe eight dollars--max.

Yesterday, however, I did not want to cook. It was my birthday and I wanted to take it easy. Go figure. Well, dear hubby was fine with that. He had planned, after a long day at work (trying to get 10 hours in one day to make up for the Mondays he is no longer allowed to work), to pick up some steaks at our favorite butcher shop and make me dinner. I was very much looking forward to this.

Well, he gets to the butcher shop and finds it closed. The sign on the door said it was due to the hard economy. So....that was out. He went to our second favorite place to buy steaks and found they discontinued the ones we liked, but were offering lesser quality steaks at a higher price. I told him to just forget it and come home.

Our good friends offered to get some take-out with us, but they've already done so much for us, I couldn't possibly let them do this. Though I did like the idea of eating out with them. We decided to look for coupons online for restaurants in our town and go out to eat together.

As a result of this online search, I found the coolest site! It's called Frogzog-Mobile Frugality. You go there, type in the keyword of the type of business, or thing you're looking for, then enter your zipcode. It pulls up all businesses that work through them (and there were quite a few in our little town), and tells you the offers they have. You then choose the one you want, enter your cell phone number and they text you the coupon. That's it. No spam, no cost, just an easy way to save some money with a coupon. We got $5 off our order with this service. All we did was show the coupon when we got our check and it was taken off. Easy, easy!

So while I could feel guilty for splurging, I actually feel pretty good because we I found another way to save money. They have more than just food services participating in this, so go ahead and check it out. Of course, you do have to have a cell phone with text messaging for this to work.

There was another site I found, but it's only for the state where I live. It's called Go Utah. There you can print or email the coupons you find. We would have used this service, but the coupons we wanted were actually expired, so I think they need to work on keeping it updated.

If you don't have a cell phone, or if you aren't in Utah, just try doing a search for the coupon/business your looking for, you can usually find some great deals this way.

Also, I know that if you go to Coupon Mom, you can buy gift cards for restaurants at a reduced price and get more for less when you dine out. Sounds good to me!

I'm not planning on doing more dining out now, because we still save money by cooking at home, but it's nice to know that if we do decide to splurge on special occasions, we can find some great deals and it won't break the bank.

Friday, March 20, 2009

I Saved Money!

In my mission to cut the bottom line of my budget by lowering my bills, I'd say: Mission Accomplished! My budget plan for my gas bill came and they lowered my payment by $14 a month. I honestly think it will end up going even lower, but I'm happy to see it go down at all.

I also called my motor club company to cancel my benefits and they said if I kept it they would cut my payment 35%, so that was a win, too. They told me if I registered on their website, they even had discount offers for companies I'm already using, so I plan to look further into that to save more money. By the way, I use Allstate Motorclub, and have been with them for six years. I've successfully used the benefits they offer on a few occasions (flat tire once and my car broke down at the grocery store the other time--both times hubby was out of town!).

I already told you that I cut my phone and internet bill by switching to Comcast. I wasn't too happy with my first week of service because they kept having outages (I'm told that's rare). So I called in after the third one in a week and complained (nicely) and they credited my account for my first week of service! It can really pay to let companies know you're unsatisfied.

On that note, when I called to cancel my service with Qwest, they offered to give me six free months of internet if I stayed with them. I chose not to, but they said if I changed my mind at a later date they would offer me some good promotions. We shall see how Comcast does with my service for now, but it's good to know that I can get a good deal if it doesn't work out. See? Playing your company against their competition can save you money, too!

So, all-in-all I'd say I've had a successful time cutting down our spending. I'm not done yet, but I thought I'd let you know my progress and encourage you to do the same. We can make it through this hard economy!

If you're looking for ways to cut down on your grocery bill, you can read my article on Ehow. You can also check out the links I have on this page (toward the bottom) that will take you to coupon and freebie sites.

I wish you all the best of luck on lowering your bottom line. Now go save some money!

Scams and more scams

As cautious as I am, I suppose even I miss things. I decided to look further into the company I mentioned to you all not too long ago. It was called My-Data-Team. When I read the review, it said that there was another company by the same name who had a bad reputation, so I didn't focus too much on the name, but the detailed review I found on them.

Since then, I've continued to look into it and found another report on them on Reviewopedia. One part of that review says:

"I wouldn't call My-Data-Team.com a scam as they do provide some links to freelance resources and show you how to get jobs doing things for webmasters and bloggers such as getting paid to write articles.

They are different enough from the common data entry programs to not be called a scam but their main section on global data entry is still a training system that deals with affiliate marketing."


So while it may not be a scam, perhaps they aren't all they claim to be. I took their link off my "Make Money" listings and am going to modify my posting about them. I'm doing this because I'm not going to refer anyone to what I myself am not willing to try. That would be bad business on my part.

I found several sites that you can look up scams on. I'm going to give you the links here, so you can do your own homework too. I advise you to always check things out for yourself. Don't just take anyone's word for it, no matter how convincing they sound. I'm going to continue looking for legitimate work at home opportunities, as I know there are some good ones out there.

Reviewopedia
ScamXposer
Ripoff Report
Better Business Bureau

If ever you're being asked to pay money for something, I would advise you to go to any or all of those sites to find out more about the company you're thinking of paying. If it turns out to be legit, it will only make you feel better in the end. If they aren't, then you won't be out that money and will be patting yourself on the back.

Best of luck to you! I'm going to keep on looking for us all:)

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Shopping for Money

I can't believe I didn't know about this before now. I mean, I'm always looking for ways to make some money, and I've tried my hand at many things, but it seems there's always something else out there. Well, I'm no longer in ignorance of this particular avenue.

I received an invitation last week to join a company called Shoppers Hotline. I tend to be cautious by nature, so before I even looked further into what the company was offering me, I did a search about it online. They checked out!

So I went to their website and filled out their questionnaire. I thought I was done for when they asked me if my phone was a land line or digital. Well, as of a few weeks ago, it's digital. When I clicked on that option, it asked me if I was sure, because that could possibly exclude me from being eligible to participate. It turns out, since I was willing to use my computer to run their software, I was again included.

What software? What is all this about? Well, I'm going to get paid for doing my shopping. No, I'm not teasing. They sent me a scanner, I installed the software on my computer, and so from now on when I make my shopping trips I will scan my purchases when I get them home. I will answer a few simple questions when they come up, let them know where I shopped, and consequently I will be awarded points that will be redeemed for cash on a debit card. I also signed up for the opportunities they offered for more points by telling them when I do or don't get a prescription and let them see how I use my internet (much like the Nielson Netratings Panel only this pays a bit more). Since I'm not doing anything fishy with my internet, I have no problems with this.

Anyway, I guess that if you have a land line phone then you don't have to install anything on your computer (unless you were going for the extra points), you would plug the scanner into your phone line instead. Easy, easy! And if you decide for whatever reason it's not for you, they include a free shipping return label.

Did I mention that this program is entirely free? I didn't pay a cent. This isn't a get rich quick (or anytime) scheme. This is just a way for you to make some extra money in this bad economy. It's not difficult, it's free and I don't really have to change my habits--only add the scanning step to them. They give you 40 points each week you participate in just the scanning portion.

So, I'm going to give this a shot. I got the scanner today, installed it (easy!) and completed my registration. I then clicked on their "Get More Rewards" tab and Viola! I'm ready to go!

So if any of you are interested, go fill out their questionnaire to see if you qualify (you can find the option to email them about your interest to join). Or for an even faster response, you can call this special number: 1-877-999-2949, ask for operator 10 and tell them member #041119255 referred you (They pay for referrals, so you can tell your family and friends). There's nothing special about my family (well, not to them anyway), and we qualified. Give it a shot and make some extra money from home!

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Making Money from Home

Well, folks, making money from home isn't easy, and don't let anyone ever tell you it is. There are a lot of scams out there, and you have to weed through those to find the good opportunities. A lot of the working at home jobs are in sales, and I'm not much of a sales person (though I could be, I suppose, if I had the time and wanted to put the effort into it).

Some of the work-at-home opportunities I've been alerted to just aren't feasible for me with four very noisy little ones at home. But I'll pass on the information to you. These are call center jobs you do from home. They used to be sent overseas, but these companies realized they could still save money by letting people do these jobs from home.

The time is dedicated, so you can't have a lot of background noise going on while you do it (exactly the reason why I can't do it). Apparently you can set your own hours, so that's a real plus. I guess if I wanted to go to bed later, or get up earlier, I could do this, but I really value the little sleep I get with a baby in our home! Haha

Here's the links to those sites (thank you to Jody Connolly, for sending them my way):

Alpine Access
LiveOps
Arise
West at Home


On another note, I've made a few bucks off the survey sites (you can find the links to the ones I use on this site), and I also made a bit from youdata (which they transferred right into my paypal account at the end of the week.

My most promising opportunity ($50 from surveyspot for shopping at a location I've never been to before) has hit a glitch, in that I had problem with the links, but finally got through to participate in the 60 minute panel. There was an issue in the end where the link took me back to surveyspot and mistakenly said I didn't qualify for the survey (which obviously I did, and had already completed it), so I've emailed their member services and hopefully it will be taken care of. They are backed by the Better Business Bureau, so I have high hopes.

I've been checking out some of the employment websites we got at the agency last week. One that is all for those who want to work from home is called Rat Race Rebellion. They try to check out all their opportunities before listing them, but wisely caution you to be careful and check things out for yourself before signing up for anything (especially jobs that you have to pay for).

That's all for today. More to come.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Free Samples and Advertising

So I found out about a really cool program last night. This program is beneficial for both those just looking for ways to save and make money and get stuff for free, and also for you blog/website owners looking to generate more income. I put all the ads down below here so you wouldn't have to search for them.

First, about the free stuff. You just follow the links to the sponsors and they will give you free samples of their products:

EatBetterAmerica
FamilyPlanning
Warm Delights




There were so many offers to choose from, I couldn't possibly list them all here. If you have any in particular deals you are looking for, let me know and I'll be happy to check for you.

Now for the money-making opportunities:

Ipsos



Now you site owners are probably all wondering where I got all these, and there were many to choose from. I got them all from Logical Media. I was approved as an affiliate for them and now have access to more offers for my readers and also more revenue for me! They also pay for referrals, if you sign up with them.

So get busy saving and making money!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Another Way to Make a Little Money

I found another way to make a little cash from home, using your computer. If you have an email account and a cell phone with text messaging service, then you qualify to take part. The company's name is YouData (youdata.com). When you sign up with them you are given ads to look at, and paid for each one. You don't have to follow through with any of the offers, just look at them and you get paid. They give you a referral link so you can make money off of others signing up under you, too. It's not a whole lot of money, but any little bit helps and it only takes minutes to make a couple dollars.

To make things even easier, they also offer an email template, with much of the information I have here, for you to send to your friends and family to sign up under you. There's nothing to lose here.

By creating a MeFile at YouData.com, I now control what ads I see and when I see them. I can even put their widget on my desktop so I don't have to login to their site to see the ads I'll be paid for looking at. I can use the funds to buy music and video online, donate to charities, give to my favorite blogs and websites, or keep the change myself and do whatever I want with it.

It's real. They pay. You should check it out.

Click this link to sign up. My MeFile ID, nell79, in the "Referral Code" will tell them I sent you.

http://www.youdata.com/join/nell79


You should also know that they have excellent customer service. When I had trouble receiving the activation code via text message, I let them know and they worked quickly and efficiently to set my account up. I'd say this one is definitely worth your time to check out.

Take care!