Date post: | 17-Jun-2015 |
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Economy & Finance |
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How to Survive the High Cost of Living in Ann Arbor
Kathryn GreinerDirector of Credit Education
First of WashtenawA subsidiary of the
University of Michigan Credit Union
(734) 663-7900
Financial Survival
• Develop a spending plan:– Spending– Bill-paying– Saving
• Find less expensive ways to meet your needs.
Step 1: Budget Analysis, or Where the Money Goes
Average Monthly Income
Monthly Take Home Pay $1,465
Total Monthly Income $1,785
Monthly Income $1,785
Less Monthly Expenses -1,450
Average Monthly Expense
Partner’s Take Home Pay -0-Other Income - roommate 320(include child support, alimony, Social Security, direct deposits for savings
Amount Available for debt $335
Cost of Credit• Outstanding balance $2,500
• Interest rate 18.5%
• Minimum monthly payment 2% of balance, not less than $15
• Interest cost over loan period $6,650
• Years to pay off 30 years
PAYMENT DUE DATE 01/20/20xx
Sale Date Post Date Reference Number Activity Since Last Statement Amount
-22.0012/09 14481030 PAYMENT – THANK YOU
* DRIVER’S EDGE CHARTER MEMBER REBATES * TOTALLast Month’s Balance 0Earned this Month 0Redeemed/Expired 0Current Balance 0
* FORD REBATES SUMMARY * TOTALCurrent Balance 109
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM ALL OF US AT CITIBANK!We’d like to take a moment to thank you for being a Citibank cardmember and let you know that we appreciate your business. Warmest wishes for the upcoming year.
FREE GIFT WITH ENROLLMENT! 30 DAYS RISK FREE!Save today on dental, vision, pharmacy, hearing and chiropractic services. Signature Dental Plan & More – the 5-in-1 health savings plan. ENROLL TODAY!Call 1-800-448-1725 and ask for offer #0410027003.
Driver’s Edge Visa With NO ANNUAL FEEAccount Number
For Customer Service, call or write1-800-967-8500BOX 6000THE LAKES, NV39163-6000
To report billing errors, write to this address, calling will not preserve your rights.
Statement Closing Date12/28/19xx
Total Credit Line$1200
Cash Advance Limit$400
New Balance$1089.22
Available Credit Line$110
Available Cash Limit$110
Account Summary Amount Due
Previous Balance
(+) Purchases& Advances
Purchases 1089.62 22.00 21.60 1089.22Advances
Total 1089.62 22.00 21.60 1089.22
(-) Payments (-) Credits (+)Finance
Charge
(+) LateCharges
(=) New Balance
Purchases Minimum Due 22.00Advances Minimum DueAmount Over Credit LineFeesPast DueMinimum Amount Due 22.00
Rate SummaryNumber of days this Billing Period 34Calculation Method Daily Daily DailyPeriodic Rate .05863% .05178% .05178%Nominal Annual Percentage Rate 21.400% 18.900% 18.900%Annual Percentage Rate 21.400% 18.900% 18.900%Balance Subject to Finance Charge 1055.52 31.65
PurchasesBefore 06/25/1997
PurchasesAfter 06/25/1997
Advances
CK 2647
$22.00
Sent 1
-4-x
x
$ .40 towards principal!
This Month’s Spending Allowance: = 433
Step 2: Monthly Plan for Spending, Bill Paying, & Saving
Spending Allowance
This Month’s Net Income: $1,785
Less This Month’s Bill & Saving Total - 1,352
Divide above figure by 4 for weekly spending allowance
= $108
Bills
Savings
• Don’t shop as a form of entertainment. If you really need something, go buy it.
• Live within your means.–Paying cash eliminates extra
interest charges, lowering the price.
– Forces you to use what you now have.
10 Ways to Save Money
• Take care of what you have.• Wear it out. Use the parts.
• Do it or make it yourself.
• Anticipate needs.–Eliminates impulse buying.–Can take advantage of sales.
10 Ways to Save Money
• Research value, quality, durability and multiple uses before buying.
• Get it for less — look for discounts.
• Buy it used.
• Borrow it, rent it, or share it.
10 Ways to Save Money
Annie Zirkel’sCheap Living in and Around Ann Arbor
The Non-Consumers:
- avoid materialism, enjoy simple pleasures
The Necessarily Cheap:
- those who must stretch every dollar
Cheap Lifestyles
The Scrimp & Splurgers:
- sacrifice in some areas so they can be extravagant in things they enjoy.
The Habitually Thrifty:
- grew up in a frugal household
Cheap Lifestyles
The Crafty Livers:- enjoy the challenge of living beyond their money means by using their wits.
Environmentalists:- motto is reduce, reuse and recycle which in cheap talk means save $, save $, save $!
Cheap Deals
• Planning• Ingenuity• Maybe some
rethinking• Knowing where to
get what you need for less
Resale Shops
• Ann Arbor PTO Thrift Shop
• Once Upon a Child
• Kiwanis Club
Sales
• Klothes Kloset for Women
• LA Designs
• Retro Threads Vintage Clothing
More Resale Shops
• St. Vincent DePaul
• Top Drawer Women’s Designer Apparel
• The Treeclosing end Sept
• Treasure Mart
• Recycle Ann Arbor Reuse Center
• U of M Property Disposition
• Woman in the Shoe
How to Shop Resale• Shop frequently and spend time looking
• Look at everything
• Plan ahead-buy for next year
• Network with a friend and buy for each other
• If looking for something unusual, call & ask
How to Shop Resale
• Check clothes thoroughly:– Buttons– Seams– Zipper– Stains
How to Shop Resale
If you really don’t like it, don’t buy it just because it’s cheap!
- you’ll never wear it
or
- you won’t feel good about your appearance when you do
Garage Sales
-Inexpensive way to buy furniture and household items.- Listed in the Ann Arbor News classified ads section. - Fliers posted on phone poles and bulletin boards.
Other Cheap Resources
• Auctions
• Estate Sales
• Rummage Sales
• Ann Arbor News– Freebies in Saturday’s paper only– Bargains section is daily
• Appliances, computers, furniture
Cheap Dates
• AA is a gold mine of cheap and free events!– Ann Arbor Observer’s daily listing of events– UM Arts weekly list of theater, dance and arts
events– Town and nature walks: Walker’s Guide to
Washtenaw County
Cheap Dates
• Take a walk around downtown Ann Arbor:– Used bookstores abound – Free birthday dinner for your companion at
some restaurants – call and ask!– Award-winning public library
• Videos
• CD’s
• Books on Tape
Free Outings
• UM Museum of Art– Campus art museum at 525 S. State St.
• UM Exhibit Museum– Dinosaurs and much more at 1109 Geddes Ave
• Kelsey Museum– Ancient archeology museum at 434 S. State
Free or Cheap Outings
Cobblestone Farm– Colonial period house, pioneer events at 2781
Packard Rd.
Matthai Botanical Gardens- hiking trails and greenhouse/conservatory
Farmer’s Market- Detroit St at Kerrytown on Saturday’s
Free Outings
• UM Marching Band practice– Hill and 5th Ave, Fridays before home games
City Parks & Recreation Dept: 994-2780- city parks- Natural ice skating rinks- Sledding hills
Renting
True of False:
“Renting is like throwing money away.”
False!
It is no more true than money is thrown away on food or clothing.
When Renting is Best• No long term commitment to that location.
• Low upfront cost.
• Move in and out quickly.
• An apartment requires less time and physical labor to maintain.
• Low upkeep costs.
Some people invest at a greater rate of return by
saving the difference
between the monthly cost of rent and the true cost of home ownership.
Your Money or Your Life, by Dominguez and Robin, Viking Books
Housing as Investment
• Grandparents bought house 30 years ago for $15,000.
• Today it’s worth $85,000.
• It’s value has grown over 5 fold in 30 years.
• That is just under 6% average annual compound rate of return.
Mortgage vs. Rent
• Mortgage interest is fully tax deductible.
• Claim property tax as a deduction.
• Homeowners are likely to get a larger tax refund.
• (Which provides money for home repairs!)
Homeownership Benefits
• Forced savings program builds equity through compulsory monthly payments.
• House equity can be leveraged.
• Rental income from second property can offset the costs.
Reducing Housing Costs
Shared housing:Roommates or tenants
Housing Bureau for Seniors’ HomeShare Program
Simplicity Movement:Fewer belongings allow for smaller dwellings.
Live close enough to public transportation or work so vehicle is unnecessary.
Cut Heat & Electric Utilities• Turn down your thermostat.
• Make sure your fireplace damper is tightly closed.
• Use bathroom and kitchen fans only when necessary.
• Reverse the direction of your ceiling fan.
• Put an inexpensive insulating blanket around your water heater.
Cut Heat & Electric Utilities
• Schedule a checkup for your furnace annually, and change filters at least twice each year.
• Plug air leaks in your home.
• Add insulation if you can see the tops of the joists in the attic.
• Home sealing and attic insulation can cut heating and cooling bills up to 20%.
Shop for Best Gas Price
gasbuddy.com
bankrate.com
Aggressive Driving • Aggressive driving can slash your
highway gas mileage by 10%.
• With gas prices at $2.70 per gallon, that’s the equivalent of paying an extra 27 cents per gallon.
• Fuel efficiency peaks at about 60 mph. After that, factor in an extra 10 cents a gallon for each additional 5 mph.
Basic Maintenance
• Properly inflated tires will save you up to 6 cents per gallon.
• Save 4 cents per gallon by using the proper grade of oil.
• Replace a clogged air filter and save 20
cents per gallon.
Maintenance
• Replace a malfunctioning oxygen censor and save as much as 60 cents per gallon.
• Check your gas cap regularly. Nearly 150 million gallons of gasoline evaporate into the atmosphere due to damaged, loose and missing caps.
Keep Up with the Upkeep
• Few things can bust your monthly budget – or jack up your stress level- like an unexpected car problem.
• A little advance planning can ward off unwelcome surprises.
“Cinderella Era”
• By keeping a well-maintained car for an additional 4 years after it’s all paid for, you could bank the new car payments and save as much as
$10,000
• So find a mechanic you can trust!
Find Good Mechanic
• See if the National Institute certifies the mechanics for Automotive Service Excellence (look for the blue ASE sign on display).
• Check the shop’s record with the Better Business Bureau.
• Get a referral from AAA-even if you’re not a member.
Do It Yourself
• Replace wiper blades and headlight bulbs.
• Install a new air filter - it’s like changing the bag in your vacuum cleaner.
• Even if your mechanic performs some of these
services for free, by doing it yourself you’ll save on the parts, which can be marked up significantly.
Do It Yourself
• Clean corroded terminals, which can damage connections between battery and cable.
• Wash your car regularly and wax it at least twice a year.