How to Pay Off Credit Card Debt

I have been trying to get a grip on my finances lately. I spend lots of time looking at how much I make versus how much I owe. I put numbers in spreadsheets and try to forecast out how long it is going to take me to pay off credit card debt, then I speculate what would happen if I convince someone to lower my interest rate on this credit card and that loan. Evaluating my credit cards is just frustrating because I know I am the only one to blame for the situation, but it is something that I have to do to make me feel like I have some control over my money, instead of it controlling me.

I started looking around at other people's sites to see what tips they may have for helping me with my revolving door of money anxieties and came across a Credit Card Payoff Calculator and thought I would share. I started playing with it and found it to be very useful and somewhat depressing all at the same time, because it clearly shows you how much interest you are paying. But, if you are going to play with credit cards, interest is always going to be on the opposing team.

I know there are a lot of Debt Calculators out there, but I like this one because it specifically targets credit cards, and it shows a couple of graphs, which are very conducive to visual learning.


As you can see, you can calculate your payoff two different ways. One is to input a monthly payment and one is to input the total number of months in which you would like to pay it off.

It is a free download and can be used with Microsoft Excel, Google Docs, and OpenOffice. Try it out and see if it helps you get your mind around your finances. It definitely has helped me. I should be debt free in about 92.48 years...not really, but that is what it feels like sometimes! Let's hope your debt free timeframe is a lot shorter than mine. You can download your own copy of the Credit Card Payoff Calculator here. Be sure to read the entire site entry as there are some other tips to help pay off credit card debt.

Online Coupons and Discount Codes

In the 1970s, I had a paper route to earn a little spending money. It was an afternoon route except for Sundays, of course. So everyday after school, I would load up my bike and deliver papers to my 100 or so customers. Wednesday and Sundays were the worst because I could only take half of the papers with me due to the coupon sections making the papers so large. It almost seems nostalgic now to think about that even though it was only 30ish years ago. Nevertheless, coupons aren't typically used the same way today as they were back then. But should they be, especially in today's economy? Well, if you haven't thought about it before, it might be worth thinking about now. After all, every little bit helps.

Fast forward a couple of decades from my paper route days, and we find ourselves in the world of the internet. More and more people are buying online, which begs to question do they have the same opportunities for coupon usage as we did way back when? The answer is yes, although it is more often times called a Discount Code or Online Coupon Code, but work just the same as the old fashion coupons clipped from the papers.

So, if you have ever found yourself at a website checkout page and see the box that says, "Enter Your Discount Code Here" and said to yourself, where the heck do I get a discount code, then it should be a sign that the codes are out there, somewhere, lurking, just waiting for you to find them.

I want to give you a couple of places to start. Again, these are only a couple of suggestions because there are many, many sites out there that offer discount codes, you just have to find them.

RetailMeNot.com offers online coupon codes for more than 20,000 stores. The website it easy to use by offering a search function as well as a front page listing of the most popular featured stores. I am sure you are bound to find something with more than 20,000 stores to choose from.

CouponAlbum.com features coupons, promotional codes, coupon codes, and free online coupons to variety of stores, and there are a lot. Their front page lists handpicked deals of the day, featured coupons, links to popular stores with the featured current promotion.

Again, these are just a couple of suggested sites to get you started, but I just wanted to plant this idea into your head as we head into the holiday season. Wouldn't it be nice to get that extra little discount for Christmas? Here's to Happy Shopping!

State of the Ecomony: Should I Panic?

Wow, I just checked my 401k and to say I am disappointed at its current state of affairs would be an understatement, and I am sure I am not alone in my thinking. With the Dow going up and down along with all of the other market indicators, some of you may be in panic mode right about now. So what should you do? The main thing to do is not to panic! Easier said that done, right? Well, here are some things to think about.

1. Check your portfolios and review where your money is and how each of those avenues is performing at the moment. If you need to tweak your allocations a bit, be wise and do what makes you comfortable, but remember that the time to buy is when stock prices are low. If you can afford it, now is the time to buy.
   
2. I would suggest NOT pulling all of your money out of the market, bank, or other money saving realms and stuffing it in coffee cans and burying them in the backyard. The economy and stock market will rebound. History proves this to be true. It may be a little scary but you will be best to ride it out. What I can guarantee is that your backyard will give you a big fat doughnut of an ROI on your investment whereas the market may scare you a bit, but will, in time, give you a positive ROI.
   
3. Evaluate your everyday spending habits right now and cut back if you need to. If you can save a little bit now, it will pay off in the long run. Please remember, the banks are insured within the limits of what the majority of the people actually have in their checking and saving accounts.

I know this sounds easier said that done, as mentioned previously, but you just have to trust the system. Our economy has always been strong and even when tested, always bounces back. Just take a deep breath and do what is comfortable for you, but whatever you do, DON'T PANIC. Make wise and educated choices, especially now.

How Much Does It Cost To Go Camping?

Last weekend, we went camping at Palo Duro Canyon State Park, which is said to be the second largest canyon in the United States next to the Grand Canyon. I had no idea this place even existed when I moved to Texas many years ago, but I'm really glad to have found it. It is amazingly beautiful in it's own right. It is 120 miles long, as much as 20 miles wide, and has a maximum depth of more than 800 feet. Its elevation at the rim is 3,500 feet above sea level.


We had never camped there before, only done day visits for hiking and mountain biking, but we spent 3 days and 2 nights at the campgrounds this time and mainly hiked during the day. It was an amazing adventure. The only thing I didn't like about it was that, as everything does, it costs money to go there. However, I want to give you some tips on how to save money while spending time with your families at your national and state parks.

Tip 1: State Park Passes
Many state parks charge any number of fees, including entrance (resident and non-resident in some cases), parking, camping, hook-up, etc. While some of these fees are necessary and not outrageous (especially when compared to hotel and entertainment prices), some of them can actually be curtailed just a bit if you do them right. The main fee that you can curtail after a minimal initial investment is the entrance fee.

For example, our 3 day 2 night stay at Palo Duro cost us $37 for the campground fee and $16 for the entrance fee. Did you know that with a Texas State Park Pass, we could have saved the $16 entry fee not only at Palo Duro Canyon, but all State Parks in Texas? The pass costs $60 annually for one vehicle regardless of number of passengers and is good for 12 months from the time of purchase. The Texas Pass will pay for itself in 4 outings. Not too bad if you camp or visit parks a lot. And, did you know that Texas is not the only state that offers this kind of pass?

Tip 2: National Park Pass
If you and your family frequently visit state parks you may want to investigate whether or not there is a State Park Pass program you can invest in. I have included a website that lists all of the State Park Pass programs as well as a National Program that costs a bit more ($80) but gets you into any National Park in the United States and Canada.

State Park Pass Info
National Park Pass Info

Camping is a fantastic family adventure. It typically costs less than a weekend outing to a ballgame or other event, and really gives you the opportunity for quality time with our families that we so often overlook these days. Here's to you finding more ways to save money while enjoying your time in the great outdoors.