In the days when credit was cheap, anyone with a secure job paying a check every month could borrow. There were still millions on or below the poverty line, but the majority in the US could buy what they needed and then some. People did still get into trouble. But, mostly, banks and finance companies were forgiving. They just added a penalty or two, and increased the interest on what was owing. Life was only rarely interrupted by bankruptcy. Today, people live from paycheck to paycheck. Unemployment threatens everyone, even the middle class. Foreclosures and evictions mean that people are no longer secure in their homes, and bankruptcies are more routine. Some will get too deep into debt and it’s not their fault. There are accidents and illnesses. With the recession, millions have been thrown out of work. Their problems are not of their own making.

The recession is more than a year old and anyone who has not changed their ways is either seriously rich or deluding themselves. Looking around the bookstores still in business, there are new books and magazines offering helpful advice on how to cope. There are radio and television programs with experts talking good common sense solutions. There’s even the internet with useful articles like this. People no longer have ignorance as an excuse. Those Chicken Littles whose problems are self-inflicted will get no sympathy when the sky falls on them. But those who have used the internet or professional counselors to get guidance on how to manage and consolidate their debts are far more likely to get a constructive response from lenders. So where should you start? There are a wide range of Consumer Credit Counseling Services, legal aid and other non-profit groups prepared to offer advice and help to reduce indebtedness. But a word of warning – many dishonest people have been setting up in the counseling business to take the fees and leave the “suckers” deeper in debt. Before you approach anyone for help and advice, check them out. Make sure they are members of a reputable regulatory body before you sign up for their programs.

Debt management is difficult, but everything is possible if take a responsible and disciplined approach. At this point, you run into a distinction between personal management and the renegotiation of liabilities with your creditors. There are many things you can do to save money on your household budgets and make it easier to keep your payments up-to-date. But there comes a point when you cannot manage your own way out of the problem. A professional counselor will always look at the big picture, and aim to consolidate and simplify all your liabilities into a package that’s easier to manage. But one basic rule always applies. Unless you are literally penniless, always pay something to your creditors. Even if you have a counselor trying to negotiate a solution, pay something. It shows good will and a responsible attitude to your liabilities. That, more than anything else, is going to get you through to a successful conclusion and is our debt settlement tip of the day.

A while ago, before the price of gas rocketed up to stratospheric levels, there was some research on travel habits showing that men preferred to drive long distances whereas women preferred to do the same journeys by air. When the price of crude oil did reach record levels, both genders were hit. The drivers were paying $100 to fill up the tanks of their guzzlers and surcharges were making the price of seats on an airplane ever more expensive. Now we have a different problem with the recession. The price of gas may have dropped but people no longer have the same amount of disposable income to pay for their travel. The business and holiday travel industry has taken a big hit. Aircraft are flying with empty seats. Hotels are half empty. So the big question is whether you can still afford to travel by air.

If you look around the internet, watch TV or read the newspapers and magazines, there are advertisements everywhere promising to save you big dollars. As with all advertising, some of it is true, while the rest is just the standard come-on to hook your interest. In some cases, there are real airfare wars with limited time promotional fares being offered by the major airlines feeling the need to generate some cash flow. If you are flexible on when you travel and, for holiday purposes, where you go, some of these deals are very attractive. But, for the more general traveler, let’s start with the simple tips that work no matter which website or agencies you use to buy the tickets, and no matter where you want to go. The first could not be more straightforward. Fly midweek on a Tuesday or Wednesday. These are the “dead” days of the travel industry and most airlines offer between 8 and 10% discounts if you are flexible enough to travel on these days. Saturdays are also discounted to some extent. The same applies to the unpopular time slots, i.e. the “red-eye”, late-night flights, and those flights that are the first off the ground once it’s officially morning. Flights with at least one stop are also cheaper than direct flights.

The second general way of saving money is to survey the prices from all the airports near you. Assuming you are flexible and prepared to travel to slightly more distant and smaller airports, you can often save several hundred dollars on your air tickets. It’s all about supply and demand. If there are fewer people traveling to and from from an airport, you can save on air tickets. The same logic applies to the landing fees. The smaller, secondary airports have lower landing fees. The airlines will still pass them on, but the savings can be significant. For example, if you are going to New York, you can save up to $200 if you fly into and out of Newark or Philadelphia. Now the only question is whether the cost of the extra time and transport from the smaller airport to your final destination is less than the savings on the tickets and fees.

One of the ways to make a boring flight more bearable is the knowledge you have the cheapest ticket on the plane. With all the security restrictions at air ports and the lack of comfort on the air planes themselves, traveling has lost its appeal. Now, it’s just a way of getting from where you are to where you want to go. The recession is helping because the airlines are having to compete to fill their planes. This is bringing down the retail price of seats and there are a lot of attractive “special offers” being advertised. The fact of a bargain always helps to lift your spirits. The big question is therefore how to get the discounts. If you are planning in advance, there are savings if you book around two months ahead. This gives you a so-called “early bird” discount. When you want a flight in the next few days, the airlines know you probably have to travel and keep the price high. If you book too far ahead, there are uncertainties about costs, particularly of aviation fuel, so airlines tend to keep the price higher to hedge against possible rises in their operating costs. When you book, if possible, always fly as a round trip. One-way tickets are more expensive and, if you are looking for connecting flights, try to stay with the same airline.

Traveling on your own gives you the maximum flexibility. You can decide when you want to fly and how much inconvenience you are prepared to accept to get a discount. Most airlines start offering discounts for groups when there are at least six people in the party. So, if you are prepared to put up with the hassle of organizing friends into a package deal, the savings can be substantial. The emphasis here is on a package which includes hotels and other add-ons. There is another general rule at work here. Never rely on a single internet site for making a booking of any kind. Always get multiple online quotes and pick up the telephone to talk to the airlines and travel agents about travel packages. The moment you start talking about adding a rental car or hotel rooms, you have their undivided attention. Indeed, asking what the options are for saving money will often produce unexpected offers not mentioned on the websites. In this, remember to identify the consolidators or aggregators. These are the travel agents that buy tickets in bulk from the airlines and sell at a discount. Also remember that many of the no-frills budget airlines do not sell through the standard internet search engines. You have to approach them directly.

Learning how to save on air tickets is not difficult but it does take up time and requires some effort. You should also be wary. Many discounted air tickets come with restricted rights to change flight times, exchange tickets, or cancel and seek a refund. Always read the small print before confirming the purchase. You should also use your credit card because many have insurance provisions that cover you should you fall ill and be unable to travel.

When buying their homes, most people never really think about the costs of insurance. Yet the building you choose has a direct effect on the amount of premium you will pay to insure it. Where you buy is critical. Should there be a track record of hurricane, tornado or flood damage in the area, many insurance companies will either not offer insurance or will want high rates to match the increased risks of a claim for storm damage. Now come to the age of the property and the building materials used. Older buildings may have an ageing electrical system more likely to catch fire and a plumbing system more likely to leak. So you should never finalize your decision to buy any property until you have competitive quotes from local insurance on what the annual premiums are likely to be. In today’s market where there are difficulties in finding mortgages, you may not be able to finance the purchase of a new place to live. This at a time when there are thousands of properties about to be or actually foreclosed going at eye-poppingly low prices. Never allow yourself to be seduced by the purchase price. Always look at the hidden costs of ownership as well.

To reduce the costs of insuring your existing home, start by shopping around to get as wide a set of quotes for renewing as possible. Always make sure you get quotes you can compare, i.e. always use the same set of information when using the online sites or completing a questionnaire on a site operated by an insurance company directly. That way you always compare like with like. Then get a different set of quotes for an increased deductible or for combining your home and auto insurance with the same company. There are several different packages available from insurers that will give you a discount. If you are in doubt, start talking directly with the insurance companies that seem to be offering the best terms. That way, you can explore what’s on offer with a human being and get a better idea on how much you can save. There’s just as big an incentive to get new business for the companies and many offer welcome discounts to encourage people to switch their policies.

In all this, make sure you are insuring at the right value. Remember, the insurable amount is the cost of rebuilding not the purchase price you paid which includes the value of the land. Even though the resale value may have fallen in the recession, this does not mean the cost of rebuilding has fallen. Before you firm up on your home insurance policy, talk to some local builders to get guideline quotes for rebuilding costs. It may also be worth spending some money to make your home more secure against burglary, and renewing old wiring and plumbing systems. The better your property is able to withstand storm damage, the cheaper the premiums. So, to sum up, always shop around by using the free insurance quote sites, getting as many insurance quotes as possible before deciding which policy to buy, renovating and rebuilding where it will save you money in the longer term. That way, you should maximize your insurance savings.

Most people fail to think ahead. That means they get caught up in a panic when an emergency arises and, more often than not, end up taking short-term finance at very high rates of interest. This does nothing more than make the emergency worse. So, even though you may already be on the margin and living paycheck to paycheck, there are a few simple steps you can take to save yourself from the pain of these high-priced loans. The first involves joining a credit union. Almost every major city across the US has a credit union and their membership rules are reasonably easy to satisfy, being aimed at working families. Running a basic checking account is free at many credit unions or charged at a nominal level if you have your paycheck paid into the account. With an account in place, you are entitled to apply for a personal loan if a crisis arises. In most cases, approval comes through within one or two days. Some unions allow people to hold an application form on file so that a loan can be processed more quickly. The majority of unions charge around 18% for smaller amounts of short-term finance. The rules for larger amounts varies but the aim is to provide affordable finance to families in need. When other forms of finance can be charging 200% and more interest per year on short-term loans, credit unions are well worth investigating.

If you prefer conventional banks, some offer short-term loans of up to $500 if there is a crisis. You need to read the small print carefully before you sign up. The terms vary. Some banks require you to hold the account for a given period of time before you qualify for a loan, others have penalties if you fail to repay the loan within preset periods of time. Worked out over a year, the interest rates rise above 100% but they are still cheaper than the other short-term loans. Some credit unions and banks allow you to have a credit card linked to an overdraft facility. Under normal circumstances, a check written with inadequate funds in the account will be refused payment. But with the right agreement in place, the unauthorized overdraft will be considered a cash advance on the credit card. This is more expensive than a conventional overdraft but it will give you access to funds you might not otherwise get. Finally, you can search for a company still offering a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) facility. These have become more difficult given the credit crunch and falling property values, but if you do still have a reasonable equity in your home, you may be able to find a bank or finance company prepared to lend. If you are lucky, you should never sign up for a significant amount of money. Go for the minimum amount available. This is only intended as an financial emergency facility to avoid you having to take a payday loan.