TODAY WITH DAN AND CHARLY
MONEY LEAKS AND HOW TO FIX THEM From RealSimple.com• The Leak: Paying bills by snail mail. The Fix: The average household receives about 15 bills a month. With stamps now at 39 cents each, you spend about $70 a year just on postage — and don’t forget the late fees if your checks get lost in the mail. Save time and money by signing up with the billers’ customer-service departments to have your bills paid by credit card or automatic debit, or pay online.
• The Leak: Subscribing for cable TV, Internet access, and phone service from three different providers. The Fix: Consider a package deal from your local cable or phone company. You can get digital phone service, which is provided by a broadband Internet connection, high-speed Internet, and digital channels for much less than you’d pay separately. Savings: $10 to $20 a month.
• The Leak: Paying the minimum on credit cards. The Fix: The average U.S. household carries a little more than $9,000 in credit-card. At an average annual interest rate of 13 percent, you’ll spend almost $1,000 on finance charges alone in one year. Savings accounts earn little to no interest, so dip into them to pay off your balance. Pay off higher-interest credit cards first, and never skip a payment, which can result in a late fee of $35 or more and an increased rate on all your credit cards. Savings: $10 to $20 a month.
• The Leak: A cell-phone plan that doesn’t match your needs. The Fix: Too many minutes and you’re wasting money. Too few and the overages can send your cell-phone bill into the stratosphere. On average, cell-phone subscribers use only 64 percent of the minutes they pay for. If you’re still under contract, call your cell-phone company and ask it to analyze your usage. You may find that buying fewer monthly minutes but, say, getting unlimited evening and weekend minutes may work better than a more expensive plan — and you won’t pay a termination fee of $100 or more. Savings: An average of $16.50 a month.
• The Leak: Paying online shipping fees. The Fix: Pool purchases with friends to qualify for free or flat-rate shipping offers. For example, several sites, such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Circuit City, and Sony Music Store, offer free standard shipping on most orders of $25; Tower Records offers it on orders of at least $20. Savings: $5 to $20 per order. • The Leak: Letting the water run. The Fix: Turn off the tap while you’re brushing your teeth or shaving — every minute the water flows wastes up to 2 1/2 gallons. Run full loads in washing machines and dishwashers. Water plants in the early morning to ensure that the water goes into the ground instead of evaporating. And use a bucket to wash the car, hosing it off for a quick rinse, to save 90 gallons of water per wash. Savings: $189 a year, or nearly 40 percent off the average U.S. household’s annual water bill of $476
• The Leak: Bounced checks. The Fix: Sign up for overdraft protection and link a savings account, credit card, or line of credit to your checking account. Almost all banks offer this service for free or for a nominal annual fee of $5, and they typically charge $3 to $5 per transfer. You’re responsible only for paying the interest on any credit you use, and you can avoid that by using the money in your savings account as your backup. Savings: $14 to $100, taking into account bank and merchant penalties.
• The Leak: Eating out on vacations. The Fix: Book a suite with a kitchen at an extended-stay hotel, which charges on average from $30 to $100 per night. Even if you have to pay a bit more for the accommodations, you’ll easily save money by not taking your family out for breakfast ($5 a person), lunch ($10), and dinner ($15). Savings: $70 or more a day for a family of four after the cost of groceries.
YOUR MAN'S INFIDELITY TRIGGERS
Men's Health - When a high-profile man gets high-profile press for high-price sex, it's enough to get the collective voice of women asking a whole bunch of why questions. Why do men cheat? Why can't they control themselves? Why do they have to pay for it? The answer may seem simple at first (if he's not being satisfied at home, he'll roam the neighborhood). But the reasons are a little more nuanced than that.
Power (or Cash) -- pretty clear that powerful men with cash (for hotels, gifts, prostitutes) are often candidates. It's not just because they have more options; it's also because they think their invincibility in the office will also extend to their private lives, A Sudden Change in Status -- your guy gone from middle management to senior exec lately? he's suddenly separated from his office crew, facing challenges at work that you may not relate to, and looking for someone to tell his woes to.
The Family Circus -- It may not be right and it may not be fair, but some men can feel like they're last in the family pecking order once the gaggle of children dominates schedules, time, and his wife's attention. It just means that the situation can make some men more vulnerable to be influenced by...
An Unexpected Ego Stroke -- A note from an ex, a compliment from a co-worker, a good rapport with a server at his favorite bar. If the affection in his primary relationship dwindles as time goes on, a guy's hormones can skyrocket when he feels the charge of a new woman showing some attention. Most times, innocent bantering is just that, but coupled with other triggers, the chemical reaction is a dangerous one.
Cyber 'Safety' -- Plain and simple: The Internet has made it easier for men to feel safer-in everything from looking for dates and mates to sending innuendo-laced IMs to the hot coworker on the third floor. The apparent safety of flirting in his own keyboard can build an unhealthy feeling that everything he's doing is OK, making it more likely he can slip into making some very stupid choices.
