Fiscal health has been on my mind lately, so here are some methods to keep your credit score above water and your wallet happy.
{fixing your credit.} David and I recently made the decision to shape up our finances a couple of months ago. Number One on the list is to clean up our credit scores and in order to do this, we have to pay off our debt.
Debt is one of those things that you don’t want to have and can’t seem to avoid, sort of like your in-laws. However, there is a way to beat the system and at the same time keep both yourself and your creditors happy.
Chances are, you’ve already got at least one credit card. I’m also willing to bet that you make minimum payments each month, yet continue to spend on it. Bad idea.
1. First rule is to not apply for credit cards frequently! This makes you seem sad and desperate. Also, don’t buy into the department store credit card schemes…while having 15% off your total purchase today seems nice, having to stress over an overflowing credit card balance 6 months from now is not cool at all.
2. Always pay your debt on time. You got yourself into this mess, be responsible enough to pay on time. No one likes a deadbeat.
What we are doing now is paying off all our credit cards in giant chunks. I get paid twice a month, and one of those checks is usually my disposable income. What I am doing now is that as soon as I get paid, I transfer the whole amount to the credit card balance. This is a bit depressing, but worthwhile.
3. Check your credit score frequently. I usually check it 1-2 times a year but I am starting to think that I should be checking it more often. Not only will you acquire your score, but you will also be able to see recent inquiries and any delinquent accounts. This helps you because you can see your fiscal habits, and can isolate fraud.
{making ‘mo money.} Admittedly, there are a TON of terrible ‘Get Rich Quick’ schemes out there, and I am one of the cast amount of idiots that fell for it, then had the sad realization they were all clever cunning lies.
Don’t let this discourage you! There are ways that you can make money on the side to either pay off debt or have some extra disposable income. My fail-safe method? Mystery Shopping. Now, you need to be careful about scams there too. The best way to know you’re applying for a real company is to sign up through MSPA (Mystery Shopping Providers Association) and pay the $15 to get Silver Certified which gives you an advantage over other shoppers.
Here is a list of other personal business ideas you might be interested in venturing 
into:
Adult ‘Toy’ Parties (NSFW)
I wanted to get a little more information about being a Pampered Chef Independant Consultant, so I asked for some advice from fellow blogger Mandy Chalman who writes a blog at Ramona’s World.
She says:
“I have been a Pampered Chef consultant for a month and it is going great. Better, in fact, than I ever thought it would. My original goal was to make $300 a month so that I could continue to stay at home with my one year old daughter. I needed to earn enough to pay our medical insurance bill every month. My husband’s job covered most of the bills as long as we never ate out or spent any extra money. Well, I’ve met my goal. More than doubled it actually. This month I made $800 dollars! I did 8 in-home cooking shows and made a few individual sales from my website. I never thought of myself as a sales woman. But, I guess I’m not that bad at it. I’m the newest member of my local team and the highest seller this month. In addition to my commission, I’ve received 400 Pampered Chef Dollars which I can use on supplies or products and several incentive products based on my sales this month. I would recommend the Pampered Chef company to anyone, especially stay at home moms. I can do it in the small amount of free time that I have and it’s fun! ”
{upgrade your brain.} The BEST way to keep making good money the rest of your life is to do something you love and be good at it. Yahoo just recently had an article about jobs that pay $25 dollars an hour. Some that I am interested in are Paralegal, Human Resources Recruiter and Interior Designer.
All of these take a little training and certifying. Apply at your local Community College for related coursework, and try to get your Associates. No only will you be following a calling, but you’ll be qualified for it too!
{additional sources.}
Too bad none of us can tap into the Dethklok mega-fortune!