If you are about to get married, there are probably about a million thing on your mind.  Plans for the ceremony, how you’ll pay for the ceremony, all the little details, and everything else.

But, and I cannot emphasize this enough, if you are about to get married or are even considering getting married, I would not underestimate the importance of having “the money talk”.

What is “The Money Talk?”

To me, the money talk is a pretty comprehensive discussion about how you and your future spouse will handle the money that comes in and goes out of your life. If you come from two different “schools” on this topic, it can be a difficult discussion to have. For someone that’s more of a “spender” they may try to deflect having the conversation at all.  This could be a huge mistake.

In a very simplistic sense, I think that in life, there are “spenders” and “savers”. If you and your future spouse are both of the same school then this conversation should be a pretty easy one to have because more than likely, your thoughts will be the same and you’ll only have a little ironing out of details to do.

If you’re not of the same school, it can be a difficult conversation to have, but to me, that makes it all the more important.

Without trying to scare anyone, I can tell you this from very personal experience.  Money can destroy a marriage. It is not something to be discounted or dismissed.  If you want have a long and successful marriage, then have the “money talk” well before you decide to tie the knot.

What To Discuss

While this list is certainly not comprehensive, here are most certainly some of the things I would get straightened out before marrying.

• If you have credit card debt, what are your thoughts on it?  Is it something you view as a part of life, or is it somewhere in the future to get it paid off? If one has it and one doesn’t, will it be paid off jointly?
• How do you feel about purchases that you can’t afford? Do you go into debt to get them or do you wait until you can pay for them?
• How will your finances be set up? Will everything become joint, or remain separate?
• How does each spouses’ salary come into play? If one makes more than the other, does that change the makeup of the financial relationship? Meaning, will that person have more say in financial decisions, or not?
• Do both parties have a good understanding of what good credit means, and how important maintaining a good credit score is?

And the list goes on.

On a personal note, I generated this list from my own mind.  It was a list of all the questions that I wish I had asked my wife before getting married.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—money can destroy a marriage.  Especially, when there’s not a lot of it.

Have the talk, no matter how difficult it may seem.  At some point in time, you’ll be glad you did.

Before we begin, I just want to let you know that this is one of those posts that is just as much about asking for information as it is providing information.  I guess what I am trying to say is—I need your help.

I got into this whole frugal living thing a few years back.  I have gotten more and more into it of late, and recently, it seemed to me that I am really saving everywhere that I can possibly save.

Actually, I thought I had gotten to that point several months back. Back then, I really began to think to myself—is it possible to get to the point that you are saving everything there is to save?  Can you get to the point to where there is no area left in your life in which you can impact in some financial sense?

Well, whenever I get to the point of seriously pondering this question, there always seems to come along some idea or some technique of saving that I have not yet incorporated into my life.  And when I say this, I am not speaking about getting to the point of actually being “cheap” or to the point of where I am sacrificing any kind of quality in my life in order to save a few pennies.  I am referring to genuine ways of saving that I had not yet put into place in my life.

So, as I said, this post is as much about asking for information as it is providing information.  What I would like to know is…have you got to the point to where you think you have saved all you can save?  And if not, what are some of the ways that have come a long recently that you have put into place in your life?  What are some of the ways you are saving that are really creative, or really intuitive?

Recently, I got into the realm of making my own household cleaners.  I had always resisted because I did not believe you could actually save money by doing it, and I also thought it would be too time consuming. I was wrong on both ends.  You can save money by doing it and it really doesn’t take that much time.

I also recently figured out a way to cut down my weekly trip to my national grocer to once every two weeks.  This does not so much save me money as it does save me about 45 minutes out of each week.  This might not seem like much but it is huge to me, because the way my life is now, any kind of time that I can “create” in order to work more on my side businesses, the more income I generate.  So this idea was huge.  It really just involved stocking up on the things that I buy from that grocer.

Also, I recently cancelled text messaging from my cell phone.  You may or may not believe this, but I have never sent a text message in my life. I don’t even know how to do it.  Regardless, this did not stop my cell phone company from charging me fifteen cents each I received a text message.  It was costing me $3-$4 per month.  By cancelling, I saved myself almost fifty bucks a year.

So, there you have it.  A few of the most recent new ways that I have found to save in my life.  I am anxious to see what kind of responses I get from my readers and visitors.  I would love to find a new “gem” out there that I can throw into my life.

Obviously, your comments and feedback and ideas would be greatly appreciated below.

Here we go everybody.

The hottest in this week’s personal finance blogs.  They are so informative and cutting edge—they’ll probably blind you!

Well, maybe not blind you, but they should be pretty good.

All coming to you courtesy of Manfred Mann’s Earth band.

Have a great weekend!

Personal Finance by the Book brings us How Minimum Credit Card Payments Will Keep You in Debt Forever

All You writes about 30 Secret Cleaners (You Already Own)

Here’s a great one.  Time–Its Your Money writes about 5 Weird Ways to Save

Debt Free Aventure talks about how to Start Living On One Income

And finally, Money Crashers wrties about How to Avoid Letting Social Media Ruin Your Career

Feel free to chime in bleow….

Nothing like a little George Thorogood to get you through the week!

Here we go, the best in personal finance articles that I was able to find during my travels across the internet over the past week.

As always, I hope you find them informative and useful….

Wealth Pilgrim gives us what I think is invaluable information for all of us with How To Correct Credit Report Errors for Free.

The Centsible Life gives us something else near and dear to my heart with Living on One Income.

Frugal Dad writes about great stuff NOT to do in 44 Ways to Ruin Your Financial Life by Age 30.

Money Smart Life writes about How To Prepare Your House to Sell For More

And finally, one of the best PF blogs out there, Money Crashers, gives us Why You Should Not Lend Money to Friends and Family.

Take care everybody!

As always, feel free to give me your comments and suggestions below.

The following is a guest post from my good friend Mark Brown.

Mark Brown writes about personal finances for an Australian comparison website where you can find the best credit cards and compare everything from balance transfer credit card offers to cards for frequent flyers.

While the name might sound somewhat silly, if you are on the ball when it comes to your money and you are willing to invest a little time, stoozing can be a lucrative investment strategy. While this doesn’t mean stoozing is for everyone, and not without risk, there are certain benefits to stoozing of which you might be unaware.

Here is a brief explanation of what stoozing is, what you’ll likely need to get started with the process, how to be more successful at stoozing, as well as some potential problems or pitfalls.

What is Stoozing?

Without going into great detail, stoozing is the process of making use of 0% credit card rates to transfer funds from the credit card company into a bank account and earn interest off that money during the term of the 0% rate. Sounds easy, right? Well, not so fast. There are more factors to consider than just sliding some money into your account, making a quick buck, and giving it back.

1. Not every card provides the essential aspects needed for successful stoozing. You’ll have to find a card that offers a 0% introductory rate and determine how long that rate is good for, as well as whether that card pays off existing debt only in a consolidation process or will actually allow you to transfer funds into a bank account.
2. You must be approved for the card necessary for stoozing; otherwise, it does you no good.
3. You’ll need to find a bank account that offers a decent rate of return on your money, which may be easier said than done.
4. You’ll likely need to determine whether you will want to move a lump sum transfer from a card to a bank account, or instead use a 0% rate card to make your usual monthly purchases (being sure to make minimum payments and pay off the balance before any interest is accrued), and take the cash you would have spent on those purchases and place it in an interest bearing account.

So let’s say you find all these precursors to the program. What else do you need?

What You Need For Effective Stoozing

Probably the most important thing you’ll need for effective stoozing is attention to detail. Watching out for and understanding credit card terms and fees is critical to the success of your stoozing. Getting a credit card that enables you to transfer cash to your bank account, only to find the transfer fees are three times the return you’ll get upon your account, probably won’t do you a much good. Sites like Stoozing.com or Whatsthecost.com may provide helpful calculators and information that can enable you to run your numbers in advance of making a decision on certain cards or accounts. Doing so can provide you with a better idea of what your choices will earn you, and this way you can run various scenarios without putting your money at risk.

What to Watch Out For

There are plenty of ways to get burned when stoozing, and snoozing when you’re stoozing can cost you big time. Besides the obvious transfer fees or earning too low a rate on your bank account, there are other potential pitfalls as well. Not paying back the full balance on your card or not making the minimum monthly payments (depending on your stoozing strategy) can make stoozing a loosing proposition. It is also important to bear in mind that if you decide to go the monthly purchase route, if you end up spending more that usual due to having the credit card available, you may be negating the profits you could have made from stoozing.

OK, OK, so the music references may be getting a little corny, but what the heck..it’s my blog.  And it’s a great song.

Anyways, here goes this week’s “best of” personal finance articles. I try to find the ones most informative to my readers and visitors, but I also try to feature some blogs out there that may not necessarily be new, but are new to me.

Of course, it’s always the best stuff in my opinion.

Here goes:

Money Crashers (one of my all-time personal favorite blogs) talks about “8 Ways to Save Money on Car Insurance“.

The Digerati Life brings us:  “Angie’s List, Craigslist, Yelp: Help Wanted for Products & Services”.

Bible Money Matters elaborates on “5 Money Questions for Parents with Kids on the Way”.

MoneyTalksNews talks about a subject very near and dear to me:  “Five Steps to Turn Your  Hobby Into a Business”.

And finally, Single Guy Money talks about “Home Inspections Can Save Money and Headaches”.

Have a greeat rest of the week, and be sure to include any comments or suggestions below.

The following is a guest post from Elisa. Elisa is a writer who writes about travel and personal finance writer for FrequentFlyerCreditCards.com.au where you can get advice on airline loyalty programs, review and compare the best cards for frequent flyers.

If you have been shopping around for a new credit card, then you might have noticed that there are quite a lot of frequent flyer credit cards available. These are credit cards with which you can accumulate “miles” (or points) for every dollar you spend. Some cards will award a free airline mile for every point, and some cards will even award 2 or 3 points for every mile. So is a frequent flyer credit card something you should consider? Let’s take a look to see if you are the type of person who would benefit the most.

1. You Already Travel a Lot

If you already take a lot of plane flights every year – whether for business or pleasure – then you are probably already a member of at least one airline’s reward program. Perhaps you already enjoy earning points toward a free flight every time you buy a ticket. With a frequent flyer credit card, you’ll be able to earn the same points much more quickly. Further, frequent flyer credit cards often award twice as many points when you use them to buy a plane ticket. You’ll not only enjoy these extra points, but you’ll get the points from the ticket itself. You’ll be able to get more free plane tickets faster.

2. You Have a Favorite Airline

There are two general types of frequent flyer credit cards. The first type offers “flexible” miles. These can typically be redeemed for free tickets on any airline. However, the really powerful frequent flyer credit cards are the “airline specific” cards. These can only be redeemed for a ticket on a particular airline, but they typically accumulate points 2 or 3 times as fast. If you are the type of person who is loyal to a particular airline rather than someone who always shops around for the best price, then which type to get is an easy decision.

3. You Like to Travel in Style

Perhaps you don’t fly very regularly; but when you do, you like to do it in style. Your points can be redeemed for other things besides plane tickets. You can use them to upgrade your ticket to first class or to get a discount on a high class hotel.

4. You Spend a lot Every Month

If you spend a lot of money every month, then it makes little sense to always pay cash. With a frequent flyer credit card, every purchase you make builds toward something that you can redeem at a later date. However, it is important to always pay off your balance every month, or the interest rates can far outweigh the benefits you receive.

5. You Want to Take a Vacation One Day

Even if you never fly at all because airline tickets are too expensive, this is your chance to finally make it a possibility. You can slowly build points so that one day you’ll have enough miles to get free plane tickets for the entire family. You can redeem your points for not only free plane tickets; but also for free car rentals, free tour packages, and free motels. Your entire vacation can be paid by a frequent flyer credit card.

Frequent flyer credit cards aren’t for everyone, but they can provide many benefits depending on your situation. If you don’t yet have one of these cards, then you can start by comparing different programs today.

As always, your comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated below…

This weeks blog-round up is in honor of my son’s favorite morning time cartoon.

Of course it’s a little corny, but hey, just trying to have a little fun.

Anyways, here we go with the week’s best personal finance articles that I have been able to find.

I hope you find them helpful and useful.

Have a great rest of your week.

The Money Beagle gives us The Most Important Shopping Tip To Remember

Main Street talks about Six Tips for Using a Safe Deposit Box.

Rainy Day Saver touches on a subject I’ve recently taken a great interest in with their article Home Remedies:  Yea or Nay

Debt Free Adventure talks about what to do in the case of unemployment in Save Money or Get Out of Debt.

And finally, one of my all time favoirte PF blogs, Money Crashers, gives us a telling review of a new service on the market in Angie’s List Review:  Find Trusted Services in Your Area

Till tomorrow everybody!

In the second part of a two-part series on credit cards, we go over some of the other more popular types of credit cards, along with their advantages and disadvatanges.

 This series is a guest post from a colleague of mine Fred.  Fred is a
personal finance writer for CreditCardFinder. He helps people compare  rewards credit cards and business credit cards online.

Before you can choose the credit card which is right for you, you need to choose the type of credit card you need. There are different credit cards available for different spending habits, purchase volumes and financial needs, so before you apply for a new credit card, find out what it means to choose  one with no annual fee, or a gold or platinum credit card.

No Annual Fee Credit Card

 There are credit cards without annual fees – then why don’t all credit cards offer a $0 annual fee!? We hear your question, but the answer is not as straightforward because while not paying an annual fee means one less charge on your card, you are often trading that advantage for a disadvantage. As with any financial product, you need to find the card with the right balance of features and fees so you can manage the charges with the benefits you get.

 Advantages of a no annual fee credit card:

• One less purchase to pay off. A credit card annual fee is charged to the card account just like any other purchase. Therefore it is added to your balance and you have to pay it off with your monthly payment. However, if there is no fee, that’s one less payment you have to worry about.
• Encourages you to operate your credit card for free. A no annual fee credit card will also usually have a long interest free period, making it perfect if you manage to repay your balance within those interest free days, because you don’t get charged and annual fee either and you can use your credit card for free all year round.

 Disadvantages of a no annual fee card:

• Can be subject to conditions which encourage you to spend. Some credit cards will offer a $0 annual fee if you make a certain amount of purchases in a year. This can easily encourage you to buy things you don’t need, just to meet a minimum purchase amount, getting you into credit card debt you can’t afford.
• Can be an introductory offer for the first year. This means you can become used to not paying an annual fee, and get used to the features of the card, only to find in the second year you have it that you can’t afford it.
• The condition could be fewer rewards. Annual fee conditions or introductory offers can determine whether or not a $0 annual fee card really is fee free. However, on a no annual fee credit card without such conditions, the only condition may be that there will be fewer rewards offered.

 Gold Credit Cards

 A gold credit card can lend a certain prestige to your wallet and if you enjoy the exclusive feeling of having a credit card not everyone is eligible for, then consider the advantages weighed against the disadvantages of a gold card before you sign up.

 Advantages of a gold credit card:

• Rewarding rewards programs. Just about every gold card will offer some sort of rewards program. Not only that, it is usually easy to earn rewards and you can redeem them not just for airline rewards points, but for gift vouchers and merchandise that you will actually want and use.
• Travel insurance. Most gold cards will also include travel insurance, which can cover you overseas and domestically when you travel, and often extends to your family travelling with you too.
• A long interest free period. One of the concessions you make in having a gold card is accepting a higher interest rate, however your gold card will also give you every chance to repay your balance before it accrues interest because a gold card interest free period is usually 55 days.

 Disadvantages of a gold card:

• A higher interest rate. In exchange for the extras, the insurance, the rewards and the service you get with a gold card, you’ll also usually have a higher standard interest rate applied to your balance.
• A higher annual fee. Similarly you may be hit with a higher annual fee on a gold card, in exchange for the rewards and benefits of the card, and the higher running costs the bank faces to offer you those features.

 Platinum Credit Card

 The platinum credit card is at the top of the credit card hierarchy with regards to the rewards and prestige they are selling you, to encourage you to sign up. However, a platinum card can also come with higher costs so it is important to consider whether those fees are reasonable for the rewards, whether you will get real value out of the rewards, or whether that particular platinum card is overpriced, and you can make comparisons to find a better deal on a platinum credit card.

 Advantages of a platinum credit card:

• Personalized and priority service. Many platinum credit card providers will give you a separate customer service number so you don’t have to call their regular call centre, pressing buttons and waiting on hold, you can instead be put directly through to someone who can help with your question. You may also receive access to what many banks call their concierge service where you can make one call and have your ‘virtual personal assistant’ book dinner, order flights or call you a taxi.
• Greater rewards. Where the rewards programs of a gold card are good, those of a platinum card are even better and you will often earn more rewards points per dollar you spend, and have access to more valuable rewards deals.

• More inclusive travel insurance and protection. Where the travel insurance offered on a gold card may be for three months, a platinum card will offer you six; where the extended warranty on an item may add 12 months when you use your gold card, you can be eligible for a 24 month extended warranty for purchases on your platinum card.

 Disadvantages of a platinum credit card:

• A greater annual fee. While in general the annual fee of a platinum card will be more than that of any other credit card, it doesn’t mean you can’t shop around for the lowest annual fee platinum credit card.
• A greater interest. Similarly the interest rate on a platinum card may be higher than a standard credit card, but at the same time, many providers work hard to offer you the same interest rate on their platinum cards, as on their gold card and standard card offers – the hope then is that with your increased credit limit, you build up a higher balance and are tempted to let it roll over, earning the bank more interest anyway.

 When comparing the types of credit cards available, understanding what all the options mean, can help you discard those cards which don’t suit your needs. You can also take advantage of great offers you didn’t even know existed, but which can help you control your finances and be rewarded at the same time.

I thought it could never, ever hurt to throw in a little Beatles reference to things.  Plus, nothing like a classic Beatles song to break up your week.

Anyways, here we go again everybody.  The best that I was able to find these week in my persual of personal finance articles on the internet.

I provide this service to my readers and visitors for several reasons.  First, I want to let you know that by no means do I consder myself the only sourse for great personal finance advice.   Secondly, and just as important, I think it is important to feature some personal finance blogs out there that I think have quality content and desevere more attention.  Certainly, my blog would not be where it is today without the gracious help of other PF bloggers out there.

So here we go, the best of the best from this week.

Moneyning brings us Five Tips for Remodeling Your Home the Right Way.

Bargaineering gives us some great advice in their article titled Have You Ever Been Scammed?

Money Crashers, one of my all-time favorite blogs out there, gives us some fantastically relevant advice on How to Survive Life With an Overspending Spouse.

MoneyBeagle talks about The Most Important Shopping Tip to Remember.

And finally, The Saved Quarter brings us Dialing for Dollars: Cell Phone Savings.

Have a great rest of the week.

And, as always, your comments and suggestions are appreciated below