better
TIMELY' ' TIPS •
FO R ' M EETING' ' YOUR' ' B U D G ET
added value
W
O R L D L Y W
R A P S
A junk drawer full of old
transportation maps
inspired us to put a
colorful and educational
spin on gifts this year. It
saves a few bucks over
buying single-use gift wrap
and helps the environment
a little. If you lack that
drawer full of maps, try
cutting up old scenic
calendars.
money watch
T IM E T O C O N V E R T T O A R O T H IR A ?
2010 brings extra incentive to switch all or some of a traditional, tax-
deferred IRA to a Roth IRA. Chances are, the value of your IRA is down, so
you’d pay less income tax on a transfer in 2010 than you would have last
year. And the income tax you do incur can be spread over tax years 2011 and
2012. Just as it’s im portant to diversify your investments, it’s a good idea to
hedge your bets in the way you pay taxes, says fee-only certified financial
planner Sheryl Garrett, author of
Investing in an Uncertain Econom y for
Dummies.
She’s betting that income tax rates will rise in the future and
likes the idea that qualified withdrawals from a Roth are always tax-free.
going rate
$35-$45
N _ at most families
will pay for a
6-foot Christmas
tre \ at a choose-
and-cut farm or
urban lot this
season# according
to Rick Dungey,
public relations
manager for the
National Christmas
Tree Association* ,
"You m 'ght be able
to find a tree for
$20 in some
pCices,” he say^
°b g |ii?<dj ^ ? uy
from the first place
you visit.”
site cents
H O U S E O F C A R D S
A few years ago, a friend of Kwame Kuadey asked if there was an easy way
to sell or exchange unwanted gift cards. Not really—at least not until the
Ghana-born entrepreneur launched GiftCardRescue.com. At this site, you can
sell a gift card for 60 to 80 percent of its value and receive cash for it
through PayPal, or exchange it for a more useful card. A guarantee protects
you for up to a year in case a retailer goes bankrupt.
254 DECEMBER 2009 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
