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• Why you should always keep your receipt

  Posted Jul 28 2008, 09:40 AM by Donna Freedman
  Filed under: Spending, Credit, Donna Freedman, Budgeting
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  The past few days would have gone a lot more smoothly if I'd listened to MSN Money columnist Liz Pulliam Weston regarding the wisdom of those economic stimulus gift card promotions. For weeks I'd been mulling over the pros and cons of those cards, which are sold in $300 increments and come with a 10% bonus.
  

  Liz thinks it's a punk idea (more on that below), yet I decided to go ahead. This move seemed cursed from the get-go (much more on that below), yet the experience reinforced a basic Smart Spending credo: Always keep your receipts.   Read More...

  Discuss ( 14 comments) 10,981 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this

• Use 'reverse credit' to stick to your budget

  Posted May 12 2008, 05:18 AM by Karen Datko
  Filed under: Spending, Credit, Get Rich Slowly, Budgeting

  This post comes from J.D. Roth at partner blog Get Rich Slowly.

  Ralph sent me an e-mail recently describing a clever budget trick he picked up from a friend:

  My wife and I had dinner last night with a couple of young women we know. We talked a little about personal finance. One of the girls has an interesting idea on forced savings. She calls it "reverse credit."

  "When I want to buy something expensive, I go to the store and buy a $20 gift card," she said. "I save these up. When I'm ready, I take all the cards and go get my new thing."

  I think this forced savings plan is brilliant, and told her so.

  I've actually been doing something similar.   Read More...

  Discuss ( 9 comments) 3,373 Views Digg this | Email this | Link to this