Archives for 2017

5 of the Most Profitable Nursing Specialties

September 20, 2017 | Leave a Comment

Nursing is no longer a cookie cutter job of emptying bedpans and assisting doctors.While there are programs such as Gwynedd Mercy’s ABSN program that will give you the training to enter the nursing profession, nursing has diversified to include a number of specialties. Nor are all nursing specialties paid the same. Here are the six most profitable nursing specialties, some of which are also among the fastest growing disciplines.

Nurse Anesthesiologist

Nurse anesthesiologists perform almost all the tasks of anesthesiologists, and they are paid almost as well, too. Depending on where you live and the type of facility you work in, pay ranges from $100,000 to $130,000 per year. If you’re willing to work nights and weekends or work in the emergency room, pay rates could hit $150,000 per year. Conversely, if you work part time at a surgical center or for a dentist’s office, you could earn $30,000 a year working one or two days a week.

If you already have a bachelor’s degree in nursing, you can become a certified registered nurse anesthesiologist. You will have to complete CRNA continuing education courses at an institution like Valley Anesthesia to retain this certification.

Legal Nurse Consultant

A legal nurse consultant provides medical expertise for lawyers. This may arise as part of wrongful death suits, worker’s compensation cases, or disability cases. Depending on the jurisdiction where you live, you will need a registered nursing license of some kind to work in this area, though a bachelor’s degree is not always required. The pay for full-time legal nurse consulting is around $60,000 a year, though it is often held as a second job or part-time job in retirement.

Nurse Researchers

A nurse researcher or research nurse works for a medical lab, university or non-profit. You may be writing grant proposals, assessing patients in medical studies or crafting reports based on gathered data. Research nurses earn anywhere from $75,000 to $100,000. If you work for a university, you may qualify for free continuing education courses through the school or free to reduced tuition at the institution for your own children.

Mental Health Nurse Practitioners

Mental health nurse practitioners earn between $70,000 and $90,000. They provide medical supervision and support for the mentally ill, those dealing with substance abuse, and nursing homes. Pay is correlated with demand, conditions, and risk. If you work overtime in high-risk environments like correctional facilities, you could hit or exceed $100,000 per year given how few are willing to work with there.

Certified Nurse Midwife

Certified nurse midwives earn an average $75,000 to $80,000 per year. This career is overwhelmingly dominated by women and it is an excellent choice for women who want to work in one of the most hopeful areas in medicine – bringing new life into this world. Midwives may work in birthing centers, visit the client’s home to aid in home births, or work in a hospital. This fast-growing nursing job category is driven by those who simply cannot afford to be attended by an OBGYN, so growth is expected to hit 31% by 2022.

As you can see, nursing goes far beyond the usual registered nurse positions. All these positions have their own specific advantages and some may cater to your strengths more than the other. Please make the time to evaluate each option and see which one would be a perfect match for you.

James Hendrickson

James Hendrickson is an internet entrepreneur, blogging junky, hunter and personal finance geek. When he’s not lurking in coffee shops in Portland, Oregon, you’ll find him in the Pacific Northwest’s great outdoors. James has a masters degree in Sociology from the University of Maryland at College Park and a Bachelors degree on Sociology from Earlham College. He loves individual stocks, bonds and precious metals.

Weekend Family Fun On A Budget

September 20, 2017 | Leave a Comment

Weekend family trips and activities can be really expensive depending on your choice of activities and places you are visiting. However, this is necessarily always the case. Here is a list of fun things to do on the weekend that won’t break the budget:

1. Visit The Planetarium

If you are lucky to live close by, a visit to the planetarium can be a lot of fun for the whole family and tickets gaining access are not very expensive. A trip to the planetarium for a family of four can easily cost under $100. You can bring along snacks and the kids will be blown away by the show! It is also very informative and can spark creative ideas for the kids when they get home to build toy rockets out of a toy? blocks or create their own universes with cardboard, glitter, paint, and glue.

2. Breakfast Buffet

With a little bit of research, you can find an affordable buffet in the area with enough food to satiate anyone’s appetite. It’s a lovely Sunday morning outing and at least you won’t need to worry about cooking. Try to get there around 10.30/11am and the only meal you will need to prepare later will be dinner. Usually, the breakfast menu is cheaper than lunch or dinnertime menus.

If you feel the breakfast didn’t provide enough healthy nutrients you can always keep supplements or vitamins in your bag and give it to the family at the table. Research Verified reviews like this will guide you to the most potent strength products for your family with the highest level of nutritional benefit.

3. Hit The Beach

On a hot day or even mild-weather temperatures can call for visits to the beach. The sand, in essence, is a giant sandpit and your children will have hours of fun. It doesn’t cost you anything to relax by the beach. Just bring a bag with towels, spades and buckets, a good book, some sandwiches, mineral water and wet wipes.

If you live in a city without a beach visit the local public swimming pool for a relaxed afternoon with your kids in the water. Bring along hot dogs and juice and just remind your kids not to swim straight after eating.

4. Series-Binge

Get the popcorn ready and begin a new series together that is family friendly (obviously no Game Of Thrones type series). Fun series to watch together are ‘Glow’ or ‘Grimm’ (if your kids are 16 plus), Marvel-inspired series like ‘Iron Fist’ and ‘Defenders’. This is a great activity that is fun to do but only once in a while. (The series mentioned can all be found on Netflix)

5. Go Camping

Pack the tents and get ready to rough it out in the wild. Go to a safe camping site, possibly near a river for rafting and have fun in the wild. Make it a no-tech zone and put yours and your family’s cell phones away. Enjoy the peace and it will do a world of good for your children.

6. Bake Day

Have fun exploring a new recipe together and get the whole family in on baking new delicious delights. They can take these baked goods during the week to eat at school and can be proud when they tell their friends that they helped make them. It’s also a great activity as it teaches them new skills.

7. Paint Clothes

This is a super fun activity where the whole family gets to be creative and express their unique individuality. All you need are some clothes, a paper towel, a cup of water, the newspaper, fabric paint and you are good to go!

So there you go. You need not stress about weekends that could cost an arm and a leg. With enough careful planning, weekends can be an event that the whole family looks forward to. With so many inexpensive things to do in the city and at home there is no limit to the choices you and your family can have! Go have fun together!

James Hendrickson

Houseplants That Produce the Most Oxygen (and Are Nearly Foolproof)

September 11, 2017 | 1 Comment

Even if you didn’t think you had asthma or allergies, you might have noticed some difficulty breathing of late.

[Read more…]

Jackie Cohen

Jackie Cohen is an award winning financial journalist turned turned financial advisor obsessed with climate change risk, data and business. Jackie holds a B.A. Degree from Macalester College and an M.A. in English from Claremont Graduate University.

www.jackiecohen.xyz

Pay More Attention to Your Credit Score Following Equifax Breach

September 9, 2017 | 1 Comment

Credit scores have gotten more attention this week thanks to the news of a data breach at Equifax potentially impacting about 44% of the U.S. population. To rein in the damage from this incident, Equifax is offering a free notification service that is essentially a complimentary credit monitoring tool.

[Read more…]

Jackie Cohen

www.jackiecohen.xyz

Free Ebook: How to Teach Your Kids About Money

September 6, 2017 | Leave a Comment

Readers, we’ve created an information-packed ebook on how to teach your children about money. It’s a guidebook for parents of kids at all ages.

Please click on the link below to download the ebook. After you’ve read it, please let us know what you think of it in the comments section beneath this post.

Click here to download our FREE ebook!

Jackie Cohen

www.jackiecohen.xyz

Priming for a Windfall

August 30, 2017 | Leave a Comment

What would you do if you suddenly won the lottery? Would you get a luxury car, travel the world or maybe invest in the best performing unit trusts or investments. Bonuses are often seen as a prize. We tend to spend our bonuses long before we get them and very often make poor decisions on what to do with the money.

Maybe it is time for you to think about these windfalls a bit differently. Receiving a bonus, or any unexpected income for that matter, allows you to take a moment to evaluate your overall finances. Are you saving enough for the future? Are your debts under control? Allocating a portion of a windfall to save or pay off debts will help maximize its effect. Self-control, reflection and planning can dramatically increase the longevity of a windfall. In the end it’s your long-term happiness that counts.

Reflection

Reflect on instances where you received a large sum of money: How did you spend it and did your choices benefit you in the long run? Think about all the effects of your past decisions and it will help you make better choices in the future. Usually all we’re left with after large purchases is buyer’s remorse. Tap into the consequences of your past financial decisions and it may help you resist any impulsive purchases.

Make a plan

Things rarely just work out and relying on fate is a poor strategic choice. Make a detailed plan on how best to spend your money before the ever-intoxicating holiday season arrives. Always consider your future well-being: Pay off debts, make new investments or make additional contributions to your existing investments. Take care of the important things and can happily spend what’s left.

Don’t totally ignore your desires. Small treats can make the bigger sacrifices a bit easy to handle. We often see saving as a sacrifice, but really it just allows us to continue spending comfortably in the future. Delayed gratification now will lead to a better lifestyle when you retire.

Avoiding the dangers of the festive season

The festive season has become all about spending. It is often difficult to control your spending habits when you’re surrounding by the buzz, the lights and the people. Retailers know this and will try and target you at every corner. Here are a few things to look out for:

Putting baskets/trollies at the entrance

We tend to want to fill up a basket. It happens subconsciously. If you’ve come to the store of one or a few things then avoid the baskets.

Stores are designed so that you will spend

There is a reason why all the expensive chocolates, snacks and tidbits are in the cheque out aisle. Stores are designed to make you stop and buy. The long and constant exposure to items tends to lower our self-control. By the time you reach the cheque out those treats just seem to make sense. Make a list and stick to it.

Targeted shopping

Online shopping is convenient and often cheaper than their physical counterparts. It also affords retailers to target products specifically to you and have a greater chance of getting us to open our wallets.

Take a moment

Theory often doesn’t hold up in practice. It will take some discipline and thought. What happens when that new item you desire overrides any logical plan you formulated? Well, all you need to do is pause. Break the stimulus/response mentality. Take some time and step away. It will help set you on the right path to wealth creation and financial security.

James Hendrickson

The Importance of Simply Asking: Money Saving Edition

August 30, 2017 | Leave a Comment

When you have a family to care for, saving money is of utmost importance. There have been a few times in the last few years when we needed an item or needed something replaced, and by simply taking a few minutes to ask about, or search out, discounts or replacements, we have literally saved upwards of thousands of dollars.

Healthcare

Both my husband and I wear glasses. I also wear contacts and over the last few years, my preferred method is to order both glasses and contacts online. We both have our eyes examined every 12-24 months with an optometrist, get a copy of our prescriptions and order our frames/lenses and contacts from the comfort of our home. Ordering our glasses online alone saves us a ton of money. I don’t think I have ever paid less than $150 for glasses and lenses at with an optician and the most I’ve paid online was maybe $50. I have paid as little as $9.95. It is also significantly cheaper to order my contacts online.

I recently needed to refill my contact prescription and though my contacts were still cheap, the site wanted to charge me an additional $13 in shipping and taxes. By spending a few minutes doing a quick Google search for a promo code, I was able to save $10 on shipping. I don’t know how many people would think to do this but when I order or book anything online it’s something that usually pays off spending the time to search or call.

Brand New Bed

During my first pregnancy, I noticed how increasingly uncomfortable our bed was becoming. I assumed it was the pregnancy but it wasn’t until I was home from the hospital and realized the mattress itself was actually warped. Since the bed was only five years old I decided to call the store we bought it from to see if they could offer any insight. As uncomfortable as the bed was, buying a new one on my maternity leave budget was not an option. I was happy to find out my phone call paid off. They would replace it no questions asked. I simply had to snap a few pictures for the warranty process and they cut us a cheque to buy a new bed the very next day. Not only did we get a brand new bed almost 50% off, our new bed was cheaper than our old one and we ended up with a little extra cash in hand. If you’re unsure it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Bills

One of our luxuries is paying for cable. We go back and forth about canceling it but in the end, we always end up keeping it. It’s something we all enjoy and especially with me going on another maternity leave, I wanted to keep it but that doesn’t mean I like paying full price for anything. I made another simple phone call and after talking to a few people was able to save over $50 per month off our bundle package (cable and internet). $600 per year is a significant savings!

My experience with most of my friends and family is that they’re all too quick to just deal with something before asking any questions. They rarely negotiate bills, replace before seeing if something can be fixed, and in general aren’t comfortable asking questions about money. I have experienced though, many times over that by simply asking a few questions you can save a sizeable amount of money.

How often do you question your bills or ask for discounts?

While you’re at it, here are a few posts from our friends:

Catherine

Catherine is a first time momma to a rambunctious toddler. When she isn’t soaking up all that motherhood has to offer, you can find her blogging over at Plunged in Debt where she chronicles her and her husbands journey out of debt. You can also follow her on Twitter.

plungedindebt.com

The Key Things to Know About Depression in Kids

August 18, 2017 | Leave a Comment

Depression isn’t typically an illness that we associate with children, but many mental health professionals believe that it should be. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), around one in every twenty children in the U.S. suffers from depression today. For parents, it’s important to understand the signs and be able to determine whether their child is simply unhappy, or whether their symptoms are a sign of something more serious. As a parent, you will, of course, hope that depression is something that your child never has to go through, at any stage in their life. However, it’s good to be aware of what to look out for, so that you can be there for your child and offer them the support that they need should they ever become depressed.

Depression Can be Genetic

If you or a close family member suffers from depression or has suffered from this mental illness in the past, then it’s worth bearing in mind that depression can run in the family. Studies show that around 25% of children with a parent who has suffered from clinical depression will experience symptoms of their own. If both parents have suffered from depression, then the risk of the child also becoming depressed rises to around 75%. However, bear in mind that even children with no history of depression in the family can become depressed.

It Can Manifest as Other Problems

Many adults who develop depression can find it difficult to manage the feelings that it causes, so for children, it can be even worse. Parents should be aware that depression in children can often manifest as different problems; it’s not enough to assume that if your child is depressed, they will simply be sad all the time. Children with depression may suddenly become more anxious and clingy, their grades at school may suffer, or they may become more irritable with their siblings and friends. It’s also worth bearing in mind that a large percentage of children who suffer from depression also suffer from other disorders, such as anxiety disorder.

Early Diagnosis and Treatment is Important

If you suspect that your child may be suffering from depression, then it’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to getting a diagnosis. Taking your child to see a mental health professional who can assess them as early on as possible will help them to recover quickly since treatment can then be provided to help them manage their symptoms and get back to normal health. There are a variety of treatments available for children who are suffering from depression, including counselling, antidepressant medication, and in some cases, TMS therapy such as the depression treatment Los Angeles offered by Smart Brain and Health.

Depression is a mental illness that can affect people from all walks of life, at any point in their life. Although it is not an illness that we commonly associate with children, it’s entirely possible for a child to become depressed. As a parent, it’s important to know what to look out for and what to do to ensure your child enjoys good mental health.

James Hendrickson

Free Pet Adoptions

August 15, 2017 | Leave a Comment

Kids have a way of asking for things that don’t come cheap, but fortunately there are some cute exceptions: free pet adoptions.

This year, humane societies across the U.S. are offering free pet adoptions on August 19, and including some $200 worth of free pet services with the deal.

The free pet services typically include free spaying or neutering, vaccinations, a voucher for a free first visit to a veterinarian and a coupon offering a one-time discount on pet supplies at a participating retailer.

All of this has been coordinated across the country by a group called Clear the Shelters, which publishes a map of participating humane societies posted online on its website.

Even More Free Pet Adoptions

Numerous participating shelters are extending the promotion throughout the entire weekend. Others have additional free adoption dates throughout the year, based on whenever local supply verges on exceeding facilities’ capacity.

Spring and summer are common times of the year for free adoptions – based on prevailing patterns in puppy and kitten births along with when people typically relocate to homes that don’t allow pets.

For all of these reasons, about 6.5 million animals enter shelters each year, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. About 3.3 million them are dogs and 3.2 million are cats.

Help Rein in Overpopulation

Like their names suggest, humane societies strive to prevent cruelty to animals by addressing overpopulation – from sterilization to finding homes. Unfortunately, the number of animals who enter shelters exceeds the number who are adopted.

Each year, roughly half of the animals who enter shelters each year are adopted – 1.6 million dog and 1.6 million cats this past year. Another 710,000 million animals turned out to be strays who got returned to their owners.

No one likes to talk about what happens to the animals who don’t get adopted – even at shelters that have no-kill policies. And that’s why we hope to see continued growth in free pet adoption days. It’s can be cheaper in the long run for shelters to give more pets away than have to allocate resources to euthanization.

Fortunately, adoptions and returns to original owners has driven down the euthanization rate from 2.6 million in 2011 to 1.5 million in the most recent year tallied as of this writing. Even among animal shelters with no-kill policies (like San Francisco), some pets are still put down due to failing health or behavioral problems.

The Best Gift You Can Give Your Family

Let’s steer this article back toward happy things, shall we? Adopting pets benefits society in addition to your family. This is one of the cheapest and longest-lasting gifts you can give your family.

Free adoptions represent cost savings well beyond the $100 to $200 you might pay to adopt a pet at other times during the year. It costs considerably more to buy them from a pet store and substantially more from a breeder – the latter putting even four-digit price tags on them.

We wish that the cost savings would inspire more people to adopt than buy from breeders. Ultimately no pet is free because you still have to feed them and provide at least a minimum of medical services.

One estimate puts the total first year cost of owning a dog at $1,270 and a cat at $1,070 – thereafter annual costs for both typically run about half that. In multi-pet households it can be even more affordable per animal due to economies of scale.

We Already Own Pets

Over two thirds of U.S. households already have at least one pet. As many as 47% of U.S. households have at least one dog and up to 37% of them have at least one cat, says the ASPCA.

The American Pet Products Association says that 34% of dogs are purchased from breeders, while 23% of dogs and 31% of cats are obtained from an animal shelter or humane society. By contrast around 27% of cats are acquired as strays.

Interestingly, about 40% of dog owners and 46% of cat owners learned about their pets through word-of-mouth, according to APPA. While the organization’s survey results don’t spell out whether the word-of-mouth scenarios were free adoptions or discounted sales, the implication is there.

Foster Pets

And that leads us to one other great way to obtain free pet adoptions year-round: foster-to-adopt. This might be one of the best-kept secrets among shelters – foster kittens or puppies and then if you decide you want to make a permanent home for any of them, the shelter usually waives the adoption fees.

Best of all you don’t have to choose between temporary fostering and permanent adoption – you can do both. And you can continue to foster new incoming animals even after adopting. This is a great option for households that already have pets and want to help out with overpopulation in their respective areas.

Bringing home animals from your local shelter can help instill values in your children surrounding compassion, thrift and responsibility. When you stipulate that your kids care for the pet, the learning can be profound. And watching them grow up with pets is priceless.

James Hendrickson

Juggling Kids & Life – A (Realistic) Daily Schedule for Stay-at-Home Moms

July 31, 2017 | Leave a Comment

We’ve all read blog posts mapping out our best chance for productivity, right? Ever read one and just think, “Not a chance”? As moms, juggling our kids, errands, hobbies, business, etc. turns our quest for productivity into a search for the Holy Grail. Therefore, we’re going to spend today looking at a realistic daily schedule for stay-at-home moms.

A Daily Schedule for Stay-at-Home Moms – Hot Mess Moms Welcome

The other day, I read a post by a successful online entrepreneur who is also a new father. John Meese structured his schedule around what he calls “The Perfect Day.” Here is a quick overview:

6:00 AM – Wake up, exercise, eat breakfast
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Work
12:00 PM – 2:00 PM – Lunch, rest, recharge
2:00 PM – 6:00 PM – Work
6:00 PM – End of Day – Family time

I really do think that would be the perfect day. I mean, a two-hour lunch break to just read a book? Or even nap?

Ah, bliss.

The problem is, this beautiful schedule is simply unobtainable for stay-at-home moms. It’s not Meese’s fault; he didn’t write it for us. But too often, I think we see this as the ONLY option and throw in the towel when we can’t keep up. How can a stay-at-home mom physically get up at 6:00 AM and expect to get something done after waking up three times in the night to soothe a teething baby?

And approximately how many lunch breaks do you get, mama?

How about that “work until dinnertime” notion? Guess who’ll be right at your ankles every seven minutes asking for a snack if you’re not in the kitchen working on dinner?

Hear me out. Til my dying breath, I’ll tell the world that being a mom is the greatest gig in the world. But if I want to find a balance that actually fits my lifestyle, then I need to let go of a few expectations.

Here are a few examples.

Letting Go of Expectations

You can’t expect to function with the same schedule as a breadwinner. If you signed up to be the stay-at-home mom, then your priority lies with the munchkins. Do you still deserve time to yourself each day to recharge? ABSOLUTELY. You just need to find it in different ways. Sometimes, that means swapping childcare with another mom once a week. It might mean establishing quiet time every afternoon if the children don’t nap anymore so you can have an hour to yourself. You could even hire a sitter to watch the children one day a week if that’s what it takes to give you balance.

You can’t expect the schedule you implement today to still work in three weeks.

When I first became a freelance writer, I made a simple goal to write each morning at 6:30. That worked for approximately two weeks until my infant began teething through the night and my toddler suddenly wanted breakfast at 4:00 AM. I was a hot mess trying so hard to stick to my writing schedule. Changing my plans felt like failing, but you know what? It’s exactly what needed to happen. So, I extended myself some grace, slept when my kids slept and started swapping childcare with a friend to accomplish my writing tasks.

Now, let’s take a look at a slightly more realistic daily schedule for stay-at-home moms…

A Daily Schedule for Stay-at-Home Moms to Fit Your Lifestyle

Pre-Breakfast – Tend to yourself – Whether that means to sleep in, read, exercise, shower, or just sip coffee in silence.

Morning – Tend to your family – Spend this time intentionally caring for your little ones: i.e. Make breakfast, get the children dressed, make crafts, go on playdates, visit a library.

Lunch – If you’re planning time in the afternoon for your hobby or at-home business, then find creative and simple finger foods to make for lunch. An elaborate, three-course lunch will zap your afternoon energy reserves faster than a hailstorm. Use wraps to make PB&J roll-ups, for example. The less clean up, the better.

Afternoon – Naptime/Quiet time – Once the kids are down for naps or have a few activities to play quietly in their room, it’s time to clock in. If your kids are anything like mine, then they like to sneak out of their rooms and check if quiet time is done approximately 18 times, no matter how nicely (or firmly) you ask them to stop. If that wrecks your concentration like it does mine, then leave the heavy focus for child-free time. For example, I can email, design social media graphics, or outline during quiet time, but I can’t write a chapter in my book.

Evening – Family time – Maybe your brain is able to function once you’ve cooked dinner, fed the family, cleaned up, bathed the kids, read them stories, and said good night, but I’m absolutely FRIED after 8:30 PM. My best move is to hang out with my husband watching Netflix or read a book. If you can work on your hobbies and interests, then go for it.

By the way, if you’re looking for ways to make money from home, check out these 14 jobs that are worth a stay-at-home mom’s time!

This daily schedule for stay-at-home moms is obviously just one broad stroke of the paint brush. Your life and your interests will look differently once applied to this list. Therefore, let’s hear how you find the most balance in your week.

Share some of your best ideas for a daily schedule in the comments below!

My FreeCreditReport.com Review: How Does It Measure Up With Its Competitors?

July 24, 2017 | Leave a Comment

The latest studies show that over $16 billion was stolen from consumers in 2016 thanks to identity theft. One way to monitor your personal information for signs of potential identity theft is to keep track of what’s on your credit report. A popular place for checking your report is FreeCreditReport.com, but is it secure and reliable? We’re going to find out in my FreeCreditReport.com review.

My FreeCreditReport.com Review – Is It Reliable?

What Does Freecreditreport.Com Offer?

If you read the name, Free Credit Report sounds obvious, right? Although many of the older reviews I found included complaints that the services offered by Free Credit weren’t really free, the company has changed things up and now offers some items with no monetary obligation.

Here is what Free Credit Report offers with their no-cost plan.

You can get your Experian credit score and credit report completely free of charge. The sign-up process with Free Credit Report is easy. First, fill in basic information such as your name and address.

After that, verify some personal credit or other information for security reasons. Questions may reference your mortgage lender or what your eye color says on your driver’s license.

When you’ve answered all questions correctly, you’ll find your credit score.

Since Experian owns Free Credit Report, you’ll only get your Experian FICO, and not your TransUnion FICO scores.

Here are a few other things you’ll discover:

Your current revolving debt balances
How much available credit you’re currently using
Your revolving credit limit
Any recommended action steps like credit card balance transfers.

The site also shares how you compare to others in your area regarding your credit score and credit card balances. There are call-to-action boxes that offer Free Credit Report’s upgraded membership that will allow you to view all three credit reports (Experian and TransUnion) or sign up for advanced identity theft protection.

When you sign in to the site in any follow-up visits, the first landing page will be an offer to sign up for their upgraded plan. The plan says it is $4.99 for the first month, but after that, you will pay $19.99 per month for their upgraded plan.

Below is a “no” box that allows you to continue using their free plan, so there is no obligation to upgrade and you won’t be asked to enter a credit card number with the free plan.

How Does Free Credit Report Compare to Other Companies?

Other companies offer free credit reports too, but are they legit? Do they really give you your credit report for free? Here are some of the more well-known competitors of FreeCreditReport.com and what they offer.

Credit Sesame

Like Annual Credit Report, Credit Sesame offers you a picture of your financial situation for free. However, it is a compilation made from your credit reports and credit scores, and not your actual credit report or FICO score. Here is the statement from their website:

The annual free credit report that you get from the major credit bureaus is different from the free credit report card that Credit Sesame provides its users.

So while you will get a free picture of your creditworthiness from Credit Sesame, the reports and credit scores are different from what you’ll find on your actual Experian, and TransUnion credit reports.

Credit Karma

Credit Karma does give consumers free access to credit bureaus and their FICO scores as well, but only from TransUnion. They’ll also send you a notice if anything important changes on your credit bureau.

Based on the information listed in their reports they will recommend products and services to you, but your membership to Credit Karma is totally free.

In Conclusion

Free credit reporting companies are everywhere, it seems. Therefore, you should thoroughly research a company before signing up. Your goal is to avoid hidden fees and costs. FreeCreditReport.com is one company that delivers what it promises: your Experian credit report and credit score, free of charge.

Next Up: Loans for Stay-at-Home Moms: What Are Your Options?

How do you check your credit? Was this FreeCreditReport.com review helpful? Let us know in the comments!

You can also check out this great credit score tool online:

How to Save $2,000 in Eight Months

July 17, 2017 | Leave a Comment

Are you looking to save some serious cash this year? There are many reasons you might want to save $2,000 over an eight month period of time. You may be planning a vacation. Or you might have an upcoming large expense such as a car repair.

How to Save $2,000 in Eight Months

In order to save this much cash, you’ll need to save an average of $250 per month. Here are some strategies to help you save $2000 in only two-thirds of a year.

Slash Your Expenses by Living with Only the Basics

Many people can save $250 a month by cutting unnecessary – and even necessary – expenses. Do you have a cable TV or gym subscription you can cancel, either temporarily or permanently?

Can you reduce your grocery or entertainment expenses? What about going on a restaurant ban for eight months? Make a list of every expense you have, and then circle the ones that aren’t an absolute necessity to live.

Another way to cut expenses is to work to negotiate hidden costs. Can you shop around to lower your insurance rates? Cut monthly banking fees by switching banks? Stop paying for memberships you no longer use such as magazine subscriptions?

See if you can raise some or all of the $250 a month you need to reach your savings goal by taking a serious and objective look at your expenses and seeing which ones you can live without for a few months.

Bonus Read: “35 Simple Ways for Parents to Save Money”

Sell Things You No Longer Need or Want

Many people have a good-sized collection of things they no longer use laying around the house. Is it possible for you to sell unwanted clothing, gaming systems, sporting goods, recreational items or other things you don’t need, in order to raise money?

Is it possible for you to trade in your car for a less expensive model, giving you cash in hand or lowering your monthly auto payments?

By advertising your unwanted items on sites such as eBay or Craigslist, you may be able to raise several hundred dollars or even the entire $2,000 you need.

Earn Some Extra Income

If money is tight in your current situation, you might be able to work to find money to save by looking at ways to earn extra cash.

Is there a place near your home or work where you could pick up extra hours on nights and weekends, such as a restaurant or retail establishment?

Could you use your skills to make extra money? Some ideas for using your skills to make extra money could include:

Selling your freelance services such as writing or graphic design on websites like Fiverr
Babysitting or tutoring neighborhood children
Mowing lawns or doing minor home repair tasks
Offering your home or office cleaning skills for hire

Make a list of your skills and decide which of them you could easily and quickly put to use to make extra money, or find a part time job by looking at job websites or in local newspaper ads.

(Here are 14 work-at-home jobs that can generate a solid living!)

Saving $2,000 in eight months may seem like a daunting goal, but with a little creativity and sacrifice, you can find a way.