BY SARA CLEMENCE
D
e b
t
o
f f e n
s i v e
Plenty of people overspend during the holidays, and credit card debt can linger for
years if you don’t clean it up quickly. Danielle Marquis, adjunct professor of personal
finance at the State University of New York at Albany, says a good way to start is to set up
a system for avoiding the same situation next year: Open a holiday savings account and
plan gift-buying throughout the year. Then do an assessment of everything you owe and
what the interest rates are so you can pay off the most expensive debt first. (You might be
able to get rates down by asking the credit card companies or by consolidating balances.)
Finally, declare January the Month of Nothing, and don’t spend on anything but necessi-
ties. That doesn’t mean not having fun—gather for a potluck instead of dinner out or rent
a DVD rather than hitting the multiplex.
t h e m o t h e r b o a r d
a million women strong
C
h a n g e
y o u
c a n
b
e l i e v e
i n
Who isn’t looking to pinch a few pennies? We asked our online community, The Moth-
erboard, for some painless ways to save. Automatic deductions from paychecks was a
favorite, as was going out to dinner less. The surprise hit? Rolling change! “I saved
$700 this year by rolling our loose change,” one mom crowed.
F
a t
t a
x
One more reason to start that diet: Being overweight can cost
you big money—an average of $4,879 a year in medical costs,
sick days, lower wages, and even extra gas, according to a recent
study by George Washington University researchers.
C
o u p o n s
2
. 0
You don’t have to worry about clipping—or forgetting—coupons, thanks to online
services that let you add discounts to your grocery store loyalty cards. Most sites let you
pick and choose your coupons; others simply download everything to your account
when you visit the page, says Rachel Singer Gordon, author of
P o in t
,
C lick a n d Save.
All
automatically deduct the coupon values at checkout. Go to
S h o rtcu ts.co m
for Safeway
and Kroger stores.
C ellfire.com
partners with Shoprite, Tom Thumbs, Randalls, and Vons.
A&P, Waldbaum’s, Superfresh, and other chains participate in
Z a v ers.co m .
And Procter &
Gamble has its own program at
pgesaver.com .
■
1 2 8
B E T T E R H O M E S A N D G A R D E N S | J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 1
| B H G . C O M
PHOTOS: (CREDIT CARDS) VEER. (CO M PUTER) MARTY BALDW IN
