Blogging Away Debt

Took the time today to get on the phone with our auto insurance company and consolidate all of our policies. Sea Cadet and I had remained on the same policy, but since History Buff lived away from home for a couple of years, he had his own.

Auto Insurance Savings

The motivation was two fold: 1) save History Buff some money on a monthly basis and 2) be prepared for Sea Cadet leaving at the end of next month. (We have determined that Sea Cadet will be covered by an Americorps policy while he is working there, so I will be able to remove him from ours while he is away without worrying about a gap in insurance.)

By moving History Buff over to my policy and applying for the good student discount (maintaining a 3.0 GPA) he will save about $60 a month for the same coverage. Woot, woot!

The call did take about 45 minutes of my day, but I think the coverage and peace of mind is well worth. Have you called your insurance broker lately to check on your policies and coverage?

Do You Bundle Your Insurance

I have all my insurance coverage with USAA – renters, life and auto. Do you use different companies for different insurance or do you bundle yours with the same carrier? When the twins turned 18 I had them do a school assignment where they had to get insurance quotes for auto and renters policies from three different companies. No one came close to USAA rates. Not to mention their service and access has always been fantastic.

I would love to hear more about your insurance experience. As the twins grow closer to leaving the nest, I am encouraging them to research and make the best decision for themselves in these matters. But I always emphasize not only checking rates but also reputation. There is nothing worse then having a none responsive insurance company when tragedy happens.

Even Little Steps Count…

by Hope

Over the years as I have read about different people’s get out of debt journeys, there are always those little changes that make a big impact. For many it’s been giving up their daily Starbucks stop, for some it’s taking lunch to work every day and many more.

After I gave up soda a few years ago, I didn’t really have any of those little steady expenditures to give up. But I continue to monitor me spending on a daily basis and watch to make sure I’m not starting any new bad habits. And thankfully, thusfar, I haven’t noticed any “leaks.”

I Have a Problem

However, there is one area that I have a long history of being terrible about spending unnecessarily…and don’t laugh. It’s LIBRARY LATE FEES. Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not a regular issue, but it has definitely been a habitual failure over the last few years…okay, more than a few years.

We have always been regulars at the library…both for our homeschooling years and since for our pleasure reading. But my notoriety at returning books let has caused me to often comment that I should “own stock in the library” as often as I have had to pay fines.

Started a New Streak

BUT…in continuing to make better financial decisions, I have been extremely diligent about 1) returning my stacks of books on time and 2) renewing my check out period when I want to keep a book longer. In fact, I’ve now gone two whole months with NO LATE FEES!

Ok, now before you jump down my throat, my fees over the years are typically no more than $1-3 each time. But I do know how that adds up. And I’m happy to report that I have finally broken my late fee streak. Go me!

I know it’s a small win, but it is a win. What little bad habits do you have that you need to break? No shame how silly they sound…I mean, seriously, mine is library later fees. That is pretty pathetic.