It’s no secret that medical bills are among the most significant expenses we face in our lifetimes. While we often can’t control the cost, there are several ways to soften the financial impact.Let’s perform a diagnosis—and a treatment plan: Verify Insurance Processing: When you receive a medical bill, confirm that your insurance claim has been fully processed. It’s common to receive a bill before insurance adjustments are applied. Ensuring the claim is complete helps you avoid overpaying and req...
Apr 15, 2025•3 min
For most owners, when they purchase their homes, the monthly mortgage payment is a fixed amount for 30-years and sometimes 15, people still become accustomed to a standard payment each month. On top of the mortgage payment is an escrow account established by the lender to manage payments typically for property taxes, homeowners insurance, and, in some cases, private mortgage insurance (PMI). So each month these expenses are wrapped up as the total monthly payment and the lender pays them on the ...
Mar 05, 2025•3 min
In the prior personal finance tip #97 which was how to save on the little things, we mentioned how to be awarded with Amazon digital credits for delaying delivery and we mentioned buying a monthly car wash plan. We also covered the value of buying long term products and services rather than single use items which occur multiple times. Lastly, we covered the value of buying products on the basis of consumption needs. Employing this mindset with all of your spending will watch your dollars add up....
Feb 03, 2025•4 min
Website https://www.somethingonmymind.net/ Merchandise https://www.somethingonmymind.net/shop Social Media https://www.instagram.com/somm.podcast/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChec5qcZBcGkIhUU3belNDw https://www.tiktok.com/@somm.podcast?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/somm.podcasthttps://twitter.com/Somm_podcast When it comes to budgeting, people think about the monthly expenses for items such as the mortgage/rent, car payment, grocery bill, subscriptions and so on. On the flip side there a...
Jan 15, 2025•3 min
According to Bloomberg, auto insurance rates in the US have increased by 37% since January 2020, and as of December 2024, the trend shows no signs of slowing down.This is understandably concerning. When you factor in car payments, fuel, and maintenance along with insurance, auto expenses can easily become one of the largest budget categories. Several factors contribute to this rise, with two major ones being the complexity of modern vehicle technology, including sensors, and the escalating cost ...
Jan 03, 2025•3 min
In times of high interest rate environments, most people will not refinance due to the cost. With that being said, circumstances arise to warrant this, such as divorce, marriage or a job relocation. For the most part, people wait for the federal reserve to cut rates so that borrowing money is more palatable. For example, at the time of this recording, the average interest rate for a 30-year mortgage is 7%. So when the rates begin to drop later this year, people will rush in to refinance. For exa...
Apr 17, 2024•4 min
Today is 2/11/24 which is the Superbowl with the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the San Francisco 49’ers and this marks the 57th time that this game will have been played. This is a large amount of years, so we decided to run some math based on the amount at which things are consumed and what they cost. Let’s start with advertising and the cost for a one minute spot during the game: In 1967: $37,500. For 2024: $7 million. This equates to an increase 185 times. To further that, this means gas would be $6...
Feb 11, 2024•4 min
After the December holidays we often hear people talk in social groups and in the media that the credit card bills are coming due as a result of shopping during the December holidays. Obviously, this means only one thing: that if you have payments coming, debt was compiled that can’t be paid off in one billing cycle. Moreover, the simple fact is that when this occurs, it means that people are buying things that they cannot afford. We have talked about this many times . . . this is not a good pra...
Feb 08, 2024•3 min
Okay, you’ve got to be escheating me. What on earth does that mean? The definition derives from medieval times, in feudal law. When a landowner (tenant of a fief) died without an heir or committed a felony, a process was needed for the ownership of the land. In modern times it is the right of a government to take ownership of estate assets or unclaimed property in the event there are no heirs or beneficiaries. In layman's terms, you may have a variety of financial assets that you can claim and t...
Jan 23, 2024•3 min
The United States culture tends to recognize many types of celebrations and this has created a common theme of replacing presents with gift cards. They are easy to purchase, simple to use and the beauty is that people can shop for what they want without having to wrap and return items. Throughout the years gift cards can accumulate in wallets or desk drawers and many people are waiting to redeem them for a special occasion. According to USA Today, 47% of Americans have one unused gift card, vouc...
Jan 15, 2024•3 min
According to Zippia.com, in 2021 the average amount homeowners spent on home improvement was $10,341 which was up 25% from 2021. This makes sense as people spent their cabin fever time improving their homes and now that Covid is more controlled. People are spending more due to M1 money supply with unemployment and stimulus checks. Now that labor rates are rising due to lack of resources, the general contractors and landscaping companies are raising their rates and passing them onto you. This is ...
Jan 06, 2024•2 min
If you have a dog and a fenced-in yard, this helps your furry companion with better overall health as it provides him the ability to be outdoors, exercise and have a consistent marked territory. On the other hand, if you do not have a fenced yard, this is where the invisible fencing comes into play. Other than the shock factor that your pet will adapt to, this is a fantastic option. This has been a common choice for pet owners for many years; however, the cost for a system is expensive as it ave...
Dec 24, 2023•2 min
According to AgHires, Over 74 million Americans grilled out for the 4th of July. Of this food, burgers will be cooked by 85% of people, steak 80%, and chicken 73% and not to mention, 150 million hot dogs. When it comes to grilling, 61% of people choose propane and 49% for the charcoal purists according to statista.com. Now that we’ve had some heat on this topic, the last thing that you want to do is run out of propane when you're in the middle of dinner preparation. A common question is . . . ho...
Dec 16, 2023•3 min
When it comes to using a couch, sofa or chair, many people simply use it and do not think about maintenance; however, this may leave you with furniture that wears out prematurely. So to avoid this, let’s go through some tips: 1. Rotate and fluff seat and back cushions regularly. This simply extends the life of the furniture 2. Rotate identical upholstered accent and dining room chairs when one or more of them are not used regularly. This will extend their life even further 3. Vacuum furniture wi...
Dec 07, 2023•2 min
Even in times of rising inflation, people seem to be going out and spending money. This is likely to occur for some time until things are too expensive and we fall into a recession or in stagflation state. At the moment the world has a handle on Covid and entertainment venues are filling the seats. So when going to an event, the question is: do you buy your tickets right away or do you wait? If it is a can’t miss, people will pay up. If you decide to wait, there are many apps out there to buy ti...
Nov 28, 2023•2 min
The Earth might seem like it has abundant water, but in fact less than one percent is available for human use and we are running out of it. So let’s push down the handle on some Flush Facts: According to the EPA, the average American uses 300 gallons of water per day or about 80 gallons per person. In addition, roughly 70 percent of this use occurs indoors. So it goes without saying that there is always something that we can do. So let’s talk about toilets. With that being said no one goes out a...
Nov 17, 2023•3 min
In times when inflation is rising, we experience higher prices for our goods and services as well as shortages. For example, In the grocery store, we’ve experienced products in limited supply from toilet paper to baby formula. When a desired product is available, it is emptied as soon as it was stocked. When it comes to gasoline, supply chain disruption was experienced in 1973 and 1979. This also occurs during natural disaster situations where shortages shoot up prices and then we hear about gau...
Oct 02, 2023•2 min
This week’s personal finance tip is about Better Battery Co’s Recycling and Delivery Program. Can you imagine how many batteries are in landfills considering every household uses them? According to The California Department of Resources and Recycling, it is estimated that 4 billion disposable batteries are shipped to the US each year and that means the average US household uses an estimated 47 batteries per year. Now this is a daunting piece of information; however, there is good news. You can n...
Jul 28, 2023•2 min•Season 2Ep. 2
It seems that everyone has a cell phone and back in the day that was the sentiment for owning a television.The difference is that people’s devices are attached to the palm of their hands. The interesting thing is that a cell phone can cost more than most T.V. 's but we tend to test their durability. It is plausible to say that people drop their phones at least twice a day. Moreover, we’ve all heard or had stories of losing them and dropping them into a lake. I actually dropped one into a toilet ...
Jun 30, 2023•2 min
It seems that everyone has a cell phone and back in the day that was the sentiment for owning a television.The difference is that people’s devices are attached to the palm of their hands. The interesting thing is that a cell phone can cost more than most T.V. 's but we tend to test their durability. It is plausible to say that people drop their phones at least twice a day. Moreover, we’ve all heard or had stories of losing them and dropping them into a lake. I actually dropped one into a toilet ...
Jun 22, 2023•2 min
When it comes to our finance tips, we haven’t covered reusable batteries as this seems like a no-brainer; and that exactly a case; however, sometimes we need a reminder. Rechargeable batteries have been around since I was a kid in the 70’s and they juiced up my remote control cars and my giant dual tape deck boom box radio. Now that we are in the 2020’s we still have an insatiable need for batteries for just about anything due to the advanced technology in our daily lives. So let’s run through s...
Jun 15, 2023•3 min
This week’s episode is about the stock market and inflation capitulation. At the time of this recording the stock market as a whole is 20% down from its previous high water mark and inflation hasn’t been this high since Luke and Laura were popular on General Hospital. So when this occurs many people begin to panic about what to do with their investments. Now this is a logical thought especially for the Millennial generation and beforehand where these people have been through the 2008 Financial C...
Jun 08, 2023•2 min
There is no doubt AI will impact the amount of jobs available in the future and how much money people can make. What jobs are at risk? Social Media https://www.instagram.com/somm.podcast/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChec5qcZBcGkIhUU3belNDw https://www.tiktok.com/@somm.podcast?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/somm.podcast https://twitter.com/Somm_podcast
May 12, 2023•40 min•Season 2Ep. 142
The average cost for a gallon of gas as of this recording is $4.22 according to AAA. Not to mention that this has been going on for weeks and it may stay this way for several more cycles. So what can we do to get more out of our tanks of gas? #1 Use apps such as GasBuddy which is our PFT #23 to find the lowest costs in your area. I always go to Costco. #2 Keep your speed in check. According to Consumer Reports, driving 65 mph instead of 75 mph on the highway can increase fuel efficiency by 7 mpg...
May 04, 2023•3 min
We review the top ten worst college degree choices. Social Media https://www.instagram.com/somm.podcast/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChec5qcZBcGkIhUU3belNDw https://www.tiktok.com/ @somm.podcast?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/somm.podcast https://twitter.com/Somm_podcast...
Nov 25, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 136
The new climates chage communties are protecting themselves from the results of typical major disastors. Social Media https://www.instagram.com/somm.podcast/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChec5qcZBcGkIhUU3belNDw https://www.tiktok.com/ @somm.podcast?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/somm.podcast https://twitter.com/Somm_podcast...
Nov 13, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 137
What is the best country to live in? Hint - it is not the United States. Are you suprised? Social Media https://www.instagram.com/somm.podcast/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChec5qcZBcGkIhUU3belNDw https://www.tiktok.com/ @somm.podcast?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/somm.podcast https://twitter.com/Somm_podcast...
Oct 17, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 132
Should NFL rookies have to pay $3,000 - $50,000 for hazing dinners with veterans? Social Media https://www.instagram.com/somm.podcast/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChec5qcZBcGkIhUU3belNDw https://www.tiktok.com/@somm.podcast?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/somm.podcast https://twitter.com/Somm_podcast
Oct 04, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 130
Should congress have age and term limits? Is that discriminatory? There are brginning age limits to hold a position so why isn't that the case on when one cannot hold a position? Website: https://www.somethingonmymind.net/ Social Media https://www.instagram.com/somm.podcast/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChec5qcZBcGkIhUU3belNDw https://www.tiktok.com/@somm.podcast?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/somm.podcast https://twitter.com/Somm_podcast...
Sep 14, 2022•26 min•Season 2Ep. 128
This week we talk about the the future of tiny home apartments where the walls and fixtures move by way of robotics to create five different living spaces. Website: https://www.somethingonmymind.net/ Social Media https://www.instagram.com/somm.podcast/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChec5qcZBcGkIhUU3belNDw https://www.tiktok.com/ @somm.podcast?lang=en https://www.facebook.com/somm.podcast https://twitter.com/Somm_podcast...
Aug 22, 2022•51 min
