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Tips on Renting A Room For Extra Income

With the economy as it is and the job market in a bit of a slump, people are doing whatever they can to save a few dollars or make a few extra. Ebay, Craigslist, and similar sites are doing very well as people try to sell their belongings and long-kept valuables that are now antiques or collectibles. Hard times usually bring about creative means to make ends meet or to supplement regular incomes. One avenue explored by many homeowners is renting a room in their home; either to a friend or oftentimes a stranger. This can be beneficial to both parties or it could be a disaster for either or both parties.

There are many things to be considered for both the homeowner and the renter in this situation. The renter is taking a chance that the homeowner is able and willing to compromise a bit of his privacy and accommodate another person living there. The homeowner is taking a chance that the renter is willing to adjust his personal actions and behavior to adapt to the homeowner’s rules and way of life.

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Tags: Extra, Extra Income

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Cancelled Homeowners’ Insurance

Hello,
We live in the country in a home over a century year old that we have been slowly remodeling. It has been in my husband’s family for 4 generations. We purchased it knowing that there was a great deal of repairs that needed done. We felt because we had remodeled homes in the past we would be able to accomplish this task. We did not allow for health issues. Big mistake. They hit my husband first and myself about two years ago now.
We had accomplished: a new roof, new woodburner, new chimney, new electric, new plumbing, new windows and doors, insulation, new garage, barn repairs, new kitchen, new bath. The outside of the house still needs some boards replaced and painted.
The issue is that we have little income now. We pay our bills on time and manage to save on everything, everywhere possible. My husband has most skills to do what we need to do remodeling – but slowly, very slowly because of his health. Thi

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Not Your Debt? How to End Collection Calls

Is your phone ringing off the hook for someone you do not know? If a collection agency has your telephone number in their records for debt belonging to someone else, you can become a target for endless harassment. In most cases, it does not matter if you tell a debt collector repeatedly that you are not the person they are looking for. They will continue to call you anyway. Luckily, there are ways to defend yourself and end the harassment by taking a few simple actions.

Stop Harassment at the Source

According to the Federal Trade Commission, you should initiate a debt dispute by obtaining the address of the debt collector and writing a letter in which you declare that you do not owe the debtor anything. You should also request verification of the debt and conclude your debt dispute by demanding that the agency cease and desist with any further contact. One caveat, however: if it is a debt you actually owe and the debt collection agency sends you verification of the debt with your name on it, they will be able to continue contacting you.

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Tags: Collection, Collection Calls

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U.S. consumers reducing credit card debt, but credit scores not improving

If there’s anything positive about the economic downturn, it’s news that Americans are continuing to reduce their credit card debt. Credit Karma reports that average consumer credit card debt levels fell by about $1000 between January 2009 and now, which puts average credit card debt at about $6400. While paying off debt is an important financial goal, the truth may be less than uplifting. Reasons for decreases in consumer debt may include:

• Economic concerns: Cutting discretionalary spending, saving more and paying cash all make sense when consumers are unsure about job security, pay raises and home values.
• Disappearing home equity: A few years ago, homeowners were riding a seemingly endless wave of increasing property values that rapidly escalated their ability to qualify for home equity loans and lines of credit. Now t

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Tags: Card Debt, Credit, Credit Card, Credit Card Debt

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Has Your Horoscope Changed?

Fans of the Zodiac have been bombarded with the unsettling news that their astrological sign may not be what they thought.

The horror of switching from Gemini to Taurus had people rushing to the Web for answers, sending searches for “zodiac signs” into the stratosphere.

So has your sign changed? Probably not. But it all depends on what kind of astrology you follow. Let us explain.

It may come as a surprise that there are different branches of astrology. A main Eastern form, for example, called Sidereal astrology, looks to the background stars, those famous constellations, as its guide.

Western astrology — which uses the zodiac — has its signs fixed to the seasons. Most Westerners, and all those horoscope pages we eagerly check, go by the zodiac. These signs follow what early astrologers called star signs, whose reference points are the tropics that form a ring around the earth. Read full article…

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