Community Magazine April 2013

Every three minutes another person falls behind on credit card debt. It’s no wonder, since every major credit card company has nearly doubled the minimum monthly payment on con- sumers’ bills. Federal Regulators forced the change because of their concern about the growing mountain of consumer debt, which stands at $2.17 trillion. Many con- sumers can only pay the minimum payment, which can take up to 30 years to pay off. Now, relief is in sight for millions of Americans. CreditGUARD of America, a non-profit licensed debt man- agement service provider, is making a new program avail- able to lower debt payments and become free of all credit card debt in only three to five years. Consumers need only $2,000 or more in total credit card debt and behind on any account, to cut their payment by 35% to 50%, and reduce or eliminate interest charges altogether. Over 200,000 families, located throughout the U.S. have regained financial independence with CreditGUARD’s licensed, bonded and insured service. CreditGUARD of America has received high marks in consumer surveys showing high consumer satisfaction and confidence. The CreditGUARD debt management program can actually turn a person’s life around. One such case is Sandra L. who proclaimed “ Credit- GUARD cut my monthly payment by $656 and saved me over $29,206.53 in interest. They saved my way of life and gave me back my piece of mind! Now I can see myself on my way to becoming debt free.” or Jeffery C. who said “CreditGUARD of America helped me consolidate 3 of my credit cards into one affordable payment. They are now saving me nearly $200 a month. Now I will be debt free in 2 years or less” Certified Credit Counselors at CreditGUARD of America provide Debt Relief Consultations at no charge, when you call: 1-888-551-8452 See? You’re on your way to riches already! Now that you have a list of expenses, you need to come up with a list of your income. Your income is any money that you make at your job that both the government and your kids’ yeshiva see when they look at your tax return, so good luck getting any of that for yourself. You’re better off focusing on your solid assets, as follows: •Coins underneath furniture: $65.00 •Actual market value of furniture if you ever decide to sell it at a garage sale: $90.00 •Letters informing you that you may already have won a million dollars: 6 Once you have your two lists, compare the totals. If your income is greater than your expenses, great! But if your expenses are greater, then maybe you should start looking at your day-to-day expenses for things to cut out. Another way you can keep your budget down is by keeping on top of your food costs. For starters, you can clip coupons. My wife and I clip coupons, which we put in a little folder in our dining room, and we save no money at all because, sadly, we don’t take our dining room with us when we go shopping. Also, it’s not always worth holding up a grocery line until you find your coupon. When we were growing up, the average coupon would save us $1 on a $2 item. Nowadays that same item is $4, and the coupon saves 75 cents when we buy six. You can also cut your shopping bill by eliminating impulse purchases. For instance, never go shopping on a fast day. Also, don’t use shopping carts, because, as you will notice, they’re getting bigger. Instead, use those little baskets they have near the door and see how many items you buy that you don’t need when you have to carry them around the store while you look for items that you actually do need. The problem is that if you’re like most people, you’re going to look at your expenses list and say that there’s nothing to cut down. So the key is to have a friend or neighbor look over the list for you, and you can look over his. He’ll say, “What? You buy paper plates? They come out more expensive in the long run!” And you’ll say, “You use regular dishes? Do you also prewash them before you put them in the dishwasher? How much more water would it take to just wash them completely the first time?” And he’ll say, “I can’t believe you have a cleaning lady! She comes over once a week and … what? Helps you throw out your paper plates?” So then you’ll get upset and not to talk to each other anymore and you won’t have to invite each other to simchot or exchange gifts, which, if nothing else, will save you more money. And then you’ll be able to save your hard- earned money for other things, such as putting up a fence. There. Aren’t you glad you thought about your finances? Mordechai Schmutter is a freelance writer/editor and a humor columnist for Hamodia Magazine, as well as a published author. This article appeared in The Jewish World of Wonders. NISSAN - EYAR 5773 APRIL 2013 59