Personal Finance News Monday 2/4

Phil's Personal Finance Tip of the Day:

Budgeting by the Month: February

Common (and not-so-common) February money gotchas that may getcha if you’re not careful

From Dave Ramsey.com

There is no month like February.

We don’t mean that in a romantic, it’s-the-month-of-Valentine’s-Day-so-everyone-tells-you-that-you-must-spend-a-bunch-of-money-to-convince-your-man-or-woman-that-you-love-him-or-her way. We mean that to say that February, like any other month, is unique. It has its own expenses. And since we only see February once a year, you may forget some of the costs that come up during the month of Cupid. That’s where we come in.

Here are some common (and not-so-common) February money gotchas that may getcha if you’re not careful:

• Winter clothes going on sale. Everyone loves a bargain, right? Discounts and clearances happen a lot this time of year, so if you budget for clothes that are going out of season, you can score some big buys.
• Hiring a tax accountant. You may elect to do your taxes yourself, which means the only thing you’ll pay for is the software you use. However you choose to prepare your taxes, at least know that you’re going to spend some money on it.
• Higher utility bills. It’s not surprising to see snow falling in February. Remember that when the temperature drops, your heating bill rises. Be ready to pay more by putting it into your budget.

To read the entire article from Dave Ramsey.com:
http://www.daveramsey.com/blog/budgeting-month-february?ectid=fb.20130204

Inspirational Quotes@Inspire_Us from Twitter:

I am an optimist. It does not seem too much use being anything else. -Winston Churchill

Hi my name is Philip J. Miano and I am the founder of PJM Personal Finance and Productivity Coaching specializing in Budgeting, Debt Reduction, Bank Reconciliations, Goal Setting, Time Management, and Organizational skills. Please visit my website: http://pjmcoaching.com