Category Archive: money
Smart Spending Resolutions to Stay Debt-Free in 2025
Debt can be stressful and overwhelming, but avoiding it doesn’t always require dramatic financial overhauls. With smart strategies and mindful resolutions, staying debt-free in 2025 is achievable for anyone, even if you’re starting from scratch. By following the actionable steps outlined below, it’s easy to develop healthy financial habits and prioritize spending so you can sidestep debt and maintain financial control.
Practical Tips for Paying Down Holiday Debt Quickly
The holiday season is a time for giving, but it often leaves many individuals facing the less joyous repercussions of overspending. Credit card balances soar, budgets are stretched and the new year arrives bearing the weight of holiday debt. While the aftermath of holiday spending can feel overwhelming, developing a practical and proactive approach can help regain financial stability quickly. Here are some effective strategies to tackle post-holiday debt while creating healthy future habits.
How to Communicate Financial Hardships to Family During the Holidays
The holiday season can be joyful, but it can also bring stress, especially when finances are tight. While your financial situation is your business, you may feel the need to explain your situation to family due to the fact that you are living on a budget. While starting and having the conversation may be difficult, being open and honest about your financial hardships can strengthen your connections and help family understand your needs.
Approaching this topic requires careful thought and planning. The right words can make a big difference in how your message is received. It’s important to communicate clearly and share your feelings, as well as the reasons behind your financial difficulties.
Summer Activities on a Budget: Enjoy the Season Without Breaking the Bank
As temperatures rise and vacations are planned, summertime can often lead to increased spending that can hurt even the most disciplined budgets. Whether it’s travel, outdoor activities or simply the allure of eating out at restaurants, managing finances during this season requires strategic planning to avoid financial pitfalls and potential bankruptcy. Here are some essential tips to help navigate summertime spending while keeping your financial health intact.
Get Control of Your Finances: Decrease Your Holiday Stress
If you are struggling financially this holiday season, you are not alone. Many people living in Atlanta and the surrounding area are wondering what to do about the growing mountain of debt they are facing. If your debt is out of control and you aren’t sure what to do, bankruptcy may be an option.
Best Steps to Creating a Budget you Can Actually Stick to
Creating a budget is a huge step to financial freedom but creating one and creating one that you can actually stick to are two different things. Use our helpful steps to create a budget that works for you and one that you can be successful with.
What Can I Do if I Am in a Chapter 13 Case, but I Need a Car?
Depending on your Chapter 13 bankruptcy arrangements, you may find yourself without a car or, during your years of repayment, you may need a new car. … which often means a new car loan. Because a vehicle is often required for work or family purposes, you will have a chance to buy one if necessary. Here are the important steps in the process!
Do’s and Don’t’s of Bankruptcy
If you feel like you’re drowning financially with no hope in sight, then bankruptcy may be the solution, but what are the rules? The process is complex and overwhelming for some, which is why you hire an attorney to do most of the legwork. You can save time and money, however; by avoiding some common errors when getting ready to file.
Choosing the Right Student Loan
If you are looking into college and do not yet know how you are going to pay for it, then you are likely considering a student loan. It is a popular way to pay for college these days but before you sign the contract on one, you need to explore your options. There are several categories of student loans and they are not all created equally. View these types of student loans so you can better choose the right one for your needs.
Low-Cost Activities for the Kids this Summer
Summer is coming and that is great for your children but you may be dreading it. That is because instead of being at school all day, they will be at home and they will want to do all kinds of things. The problem with that is that it can get to be very expensive to fund all of these extra activities throughout the summer. Fortunately, we have a few summer fun ideas that will keep your children happy and entertained while letting you have some financial peace.
What to do while waiting on Chapter 7 proceedings?
While a Chapter 7 bankruptcy is often consider the fastest form of personal bankruptcy, that doesn’t mean it happens immediately. As the proceedings continue, you may find yourself waiting for court dates to be set, creditors to meet, paperwork to be filed, and so on. What should you do with this time on your hands? Here’s what you should know.
Am I Eligible for Chapter 7?
The decision to explore bankruptcy as a solution to serious financial problems is a difficult step to take. Sometimes our clients find themselves in a precarious financial position through no fault of their own and find that bankruptcy is the most sensible solution to their financial difficulties. Chapter 7 bankruptcy is available to individuals who meet specific income criteria.
What is covered in Chapter 7? What isn’t?
You may have heard that a Chapter 7 bankruptcy discharges all of your debts. A discharge removes all legal responsibility of the debtor to pay the debt. A creditor may no longer seek repayment on discharged debt. While many debts can be discharged through a completed Chapter 7 bankruptcy, some debts are not eligible to be discharged.
Avoid Utility Bill Surprises to Budget Better
The tighter your financial situation is, the more important it is to budget everything, including your utility bills. In most parts of the country, gas and electric can vary widely from month to month. Gas bills can double over a very cold snap and electric bills can be a fraction of the price when there’s no need for air conditioning. Click here to read more »
Home Budget Basics: Making A Budget You Can Stick To
Having a budget is a great way to save money and eliminate unnecessary spending. Having a budget is scary to some people while others know no other way. No matter your experience with it, there are ways to budget and save even more or make sure that you can stick to it. Follow these tips to start saving or save even more. Click here to read more »
Set Financial Goals for 2016
Very few people have all the money they would like. No matter what your income, though, you can set reasonable goals in order to better your financial position during the coming year.
Three of the most pressing financial issues that face families, especially young families, today are:
- Paying down outstanding debt, including student loans
- Building up a savings cushion
- Tracking expenses, and balancing expenses to income
5 Warning Signs That Your Financial Life is Out of Control
Financial issues carry an inherent stigma. People are often embarrassed when they can’t make their bills or afford something they need. The problem for most people who hit a crisis state with their finances is that they didn’t take action at the earliest stages of the problem.
Some people know that they have financial troubles and are afraid to really look at their spending so they don’t realize how bad it is. The only way to get ahead of your budget and begin to save is to face your finances honestly.
Infographic: Find Financial Freedom with These Tips
Are you constantly financially stressed? Do you need help starting new financial habits. Look no further, Clark & Washington has compiled 3 tips to help you find financial freedom. Contact us with more questions.
Ways to Plan for Medical Emergencies
It is difficult to plan for the unknown but there are ways to do it when it comes to medical expenses. You can prepare yourself for them in several ways. It is an important thing to do because medical expenses are one of the most common reasons people end up filing for bankruptcy. You do not want to become another person who is the victim of uncontrollable medical expenses. Instead, plan for them so you can easily handle the situation and only focus on your health.