With record-breaking snowfall occurring in many parts of the country, Americans can’t be blamed for already fantasizing about spring. The truth is, however, that many areas have a lot of winter left to get through before warm weather arrives. In the spirit of helping you warm up to dealing with winter weather, here are some tips for making your snow removal tasks easier – and possibly even more enjoyable.
The term “holiday cheer” is often lost in the endless logistics of drafting to-do lists, coordinating family schedules and cooking festive holiday meals. Despite extra vacation time, we still find ourselves wishing there were 25 hours in a day. Here are some tips to help you stay on track this holiday season
Spring’s arrival might mean cleaning out the basement, attic and garage. But while you’re making a clean sweep, you might also want to consider other areas of your life that could use tidying up. One of the best places to start is with your finances.
It can be one of your worst nightmares, an event you hope will never happen to you. The time of day doesn’t matter – neither does the weather. But when you press your foot down on the brake pedal and your car doesn’t slow down, what do you do?
Hitting the trail on a couple of runs before the winter season ends is a great way to spend a little more time enjoying your snowmobile and the last days of cold weather. Snowmobiling clubs across the country work hard to build trails for both short trips and long, overnight adventures. If you’re planning a trip, take care to be a courteous trail user, so it will be just as nice for the next snowmobiler following in your tracks.
Whether you’re buying for yourself or someone else, you are putting your hard-earned money to good use. Unfortunately, there are also people out there with bad intentions, preying on shoppers every day.
Special events offer a way for businesses to reach audiences they might not normally reach. But being present at an event is only part of turning a special event into a business opportunity. Whether you are hosting an event, or taking part in a larger event in an attempt to promote your business, you can do many things to help maximize turnout and make attendees remember your business.
Many people set personal goals with the arrival of January, and it seems a majority of those resolutions for the New Year (link to: http://www.allstate.com/property-insurance/end-an-ominous-sign-for-holiday-safety.aspx) are forgotten by the time spring rolls around. Healthy eating, financial management and self improvement are popular goals, but they don’t work if you aren’t able to continue working on them throughout the entire year.
As the new year approaches, many of us begin thinking about our New Year’s resolutions. However, we often forget one resolution that is increasingly important – to protect the health of our PCs. To prevent malicious software and poor PC performance from ruining your New Year, consider these four easy steps.
When it comes to finances, searching online for answers on loans, credit scores, cash advances and handling bad credit can be very tedious.
Even for those who remember when it was a novelty, online shopping has become the new norm. Long gone are the days when people were wary of buying from websites – retailers have worked hard to make the process secure, and record sales are proving that customers appreciate the effort. But since online shopping is now the status quo, buyers are looking to get a little more value when they hit the Web to make purchases.
There’s no denying it. Times are tough for a lot of people right now. Millions of Americans are unemployed, and countless others have had their hours and pay cut by companies struggling to make it in the current economy.
The temperatures are warming up and the snow is melting away. It can only mean one thing: The traditional spring cleaning season is right around the corner. In addition to cleaning your home, you might want to consider giving your PC a spring scrub-down as well. Cleaning your PC can help it run faster and more efficiently and improve your overall computing experience.
In 2011, Americans get a three-day reprieve with the deadline for filing taxes being extended until April 18 due to “Emancipation Day” falling on April 15. But while the additional time may delay the pain of forking over your hard-earned money to the Internal Revenue Service, why not get a head start on your 2011 taxes?
Budget travelers are a unique breed – they have a tireless dedication to finding the best deals, a keen sense for sniffing out hidden surprises and, usually, a mental database of ways to save money when they’re doing what they love most: traveling.
Making New Year’s resolutions can be tricky. On one hand, they’re a great motivator to make a positive change in your life. On the other, making a resolution without a plan for accomplishing it is a recipe for disappointment. A plan is particularly important when it comes to finance-oriented resolutions.
Becoming better at sticking to a budget is a common New Year’s resolution – and one of the hardest to keep. Yet becoming financially fit in 2011 is more important than ever for many American families still struggling with the lingering effects of the economic downturn.
The Internet has become a great place to do a lot of things: go shopping, socialize with friends, stay informed and play games, to name just a few. However, it’s important for consumers to be aware that the Internet is also giving new life to a lot of common scams.
Today, millions of Americans interact, meet, date – and even marry – thanks to dating sites. Unfortunately, not everyone you might meet online is looking for romance. Some are looking to cheat unsuspecting love-seekers out of their valuable personally identifiable information which is then used for identity theft. If you’ll be looking for love online this Valentine’s Day, keep these safety tips in mind.
If you find yourself waking up in the middle of the night scrambling to add to your growing holiday to-do list, you are not alone. Many Americans find the holiday season to be one of the most stressful times of the year, despite extra vacation time, an over-abundance of delicious treats and ample family time.
It’s an amazing thing – tax season rolls around each year at the same time, but it seems that every year we get caught off guard with the “oh no, not again” mindset that can derail us from action dead in our tracks.
If you’re in the market for a new car, you’ve probably investigated such things as miles per gallon, fuel efficiency and maintenance costs as you looked at vehicles. Due to their design, hybrid vehicles can have different maintenance costs than traditional vehicles, which might affect your decision to purchase energy efficient cars.
If you’re one of the many homeowners who took advantage of record low mortgage rates and the recent first-time homebuyer’s credit, you most likely are looking for plenty of do-it-yourself tips and guidelines to help you turn your new abode into a comfortable and homey place for your family.
Younger generations of Americans have long looked up to their elders as paragons of good financial common sense. The “Greatest Generation” managed to get through the country’s toughest economic conditions with a dogged attitude about saving and minimal spending. So it’s surprising to find out that many seniors are facing high levels of credit card debt.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a rule to extend the safety and convenience of electronic payments to all Americans receiving federal benefit and non-tax payments.
Jan. 1 arrives every year with the hope and promise of losing pounds, improving relationships and paying off those bills from the holiday spending season. Unfortunately, at some point most every American has made a New Year’s resolution only to have that new gym membership go unused, the scale ignored and credit card debt continue to pile up. But according to New York Times best-selling author and personal finance coach David Bach, getting out of debt this year can actually be fairly simple.
Despite three extra days to file, experts encourage you to do your taxes well before April 18. Taxpayers receiving a refund naturally have incentive to file now since they can receive their federal refund in as few as eight days with e-file and direct deposit. However, those who owe Uncle Sam should also file now.
Even if you’re far from retiring, it’s never too early to start planning for it. But as you may quickly learn, it can be more challenging than you think. It can be difficult to know what opportunities are best for you when it comes to saving for your retirement. When considering retirement savings opportunities it is easy to overlook the traditional IRA.
If you’re one of the millions of Americans hit hard by the recession, it may be difficult to imagine anything good coming out of the country’s financial problems of the past few years. But experts and studies agree: Many of us are turning difficult times into an opportunity to regain control over our financial lives.
In preparing 2010 tax returns, people who’ve been unemployed should make sure they are getting every available tax break they deserve and preparing their taxes correctly.
