We went out the other day with some friends for dinner.  We were a bit short for supper, so we stopped at a cash advance store along the way.  Even though payday was a few short days away, I didn’t want to feel embarrassed that we couldn’t afford to go out with them.

But I felt guilty.

I felt very much like I was cheating on a diet.  You see, we just went through a debt consolidation in an attempt to get our finances in order.  We were doing really good until my husband’s best friend came to town, and he has been trying to keep up with his spending.

I was hoping that we could get our debt under control so that we could get a home refinance loan and renovate our home a bit.  The wallpaper from the 1980s is kind of getting to me, and I think that we need to spruce up our home a bit.

Until my husband and I are on the same page financially, I don’t think that it will happen.  I just hope I can sit down with him and he will listen to me - I just don’t want to feel guilty borrowing money anymore.

Even though I do own a house, mortgages confuse me.  I know the reason is not that I am not smart enough to understand, rather I am just not familiar with mortgage loan terminology.  You can’t blame me for my lack of understanding - I am not a real estate investor, so I do not use it everyday.

There are just so many options when it comes to picking the right mortgage - it just doesn’t seem as easy as it used to be.  In the olden days, the only thing that you needed to watch for was the mortgage loan rate otherwise everything was pretty much standard.

Things have changed.

The last time I went to get a mortgage I had so many options I just about cried.  Thankfully my broker suggested a few good mortgage loans websites that explained everything I needed to know in English.

Now I don’t feel so bad, but I still feel a little confused - I will just make sure I ask enough questions and get the answers I need.

For some of you being in debt is something you can handle.  You bought your house, you bought your toys and you can handle the monthly payments.  For those of you that are like that - you don’t need to read any further.

But if you are someone that is struggling with the amount of debt you have, or maybe even falling behind, you probably need a solution, and need one fast.  Sure you could go bankrupt (if things are that bad) but the effects of that bankruptcy will be felt for years to come. 

Instead of destroying your ability to get credit in the future (as you would with bankruptcy), you could and should explore other alternatives.  Some examples would be taking part in a debt negotiation program or credit card negotiation services.

For those of you who are in really big trouble, and behind on your debt and bill payments, you can get some credit and bill consolidation help to reduce your monthly payments and your debt load.

If you are in debt - I mean in trouble - talk to someone that can help.  It is better to deal with it before bankruptcy is your only option - get the help you need before it is too late.

Now let me open this up saying that having your home repossessed is never a good thing.  It can mean that you are homeless and stuck with bad credit.  To be honest, it won’t look good to any landlord that you submit an application to - if you couldn’t make your mortgage payments, then how will you pay rent?

Instead of heading down this road, there is a way to avoid becoming another one of your bank’s repossessed properties - and not have to move.

You see, there are companies that have a sell and rent back program.  Now, I am sure that you have never heard of this before, but the way it works is easy: they buy your house from you (which solves your current money crisis) and you can rent it from them.  That way, you do not have to move and can still have a roof over your head.  In fact, many of these programs also allow you to buy your house back at a later date when your finances are in order.

In the world of business, when you need financing, you need it now.  Time is usually of the essence, and there seems to never be enough.  Someone definitely had the right idea when business cash advances were created.  They are a great alternative to getting a business loan - and I will tell you why below.

A business cash advance tackles the issue of time remarkably well.  Unlike business loans for bad credit (which approval can take more than a week), a business cash advance approval takes less than 24 hours.  You will also see the money in your hand in less than a week.  Quicker access to cash can allow a business to be in the position to take advantage of any opportunity that comes their way.

The other issue that a business cash advance addresses is simplicity.  Unlike an unsecured business loan, where there is a pile of paperwork and financial information required, a cash advance has only one simple form to fill out online - that’s it.  So, instead of spending your time (or paying someone) to get all the documents together and take the lengthy process of filling out the forms, you can do it yourself in less than ten minutes.

Whoever came up with the concept for business cash advances was a genius.  With quick access to capital and a simple application process, a business cash advance is a novel idea.

Home refinancing can be a good option for many families.  It allows you the borrower to roll other debt into your mortgage in order to lower your monthly payments, and reducing the stress on your budget.  Quite often, people will refinance their homes to reduce their credit card debt or other consumer loans. 

There are many methods to go about doing a home refinance.  For example, if you have your loan through a bank, you could approach your bank about the refinancing and they will take you through the necessary procedures.  I would encourage you to shop around and find the best rate for your income level.

Speaking of income level, there is one thing I should mention for lower to middle income earners.  You can apply for a FHA mortgage refinance loan and in most cases get a lower initial interest rate.  Check with your lender for details on the program.

I would suggest speaking to a qualified professional before making decisions of this nature, as the advice that is given here is general.  They would be able to offer specific advice for you in your situation.

My grandma is getting older now (83 years old to be exact - don’t tell her I told you) and she has been considering downsizing from her home.  She lives in one of the most beautiful houses I have ever seen on an acreage just outside of town, but the five bedroom house is a little big for her to maintain.  She was thinking that she would like to purchase a condo in town with a view over the river.

I did help her find a few places, but she also needed help figuring out what the Arizona mortgage rates were, so that we would be able to figure out what she could afford.  We found them online, and with a simple calculation, we were able to figure out what she could afford.

We then contacted a realtor to look at her home to find out what she could expect to sell it for and then asked what was available in her price range.  We have arranged to get together with him this week to look at a few places - and hopefully one of them will be just right for Grandma.

If you were to read the personal finance news of the not so-rich and not-so famous (people like myself) in the paper you would read that we struggle with mortgages and our car insurance.

We work our butts off, not to get ahead and get rich, but just to stay above the surface of the water.  And don’t think that me working my butt off is not making someone rich, because it is.  And chances are that the person you are making rich doesn’t have a mortgage that he is struggling to pay each month.

A group of co-workers was asked the other day if they thought they were smarter than their boss.  I was the only one who admitted that my boss was smarter than me.  When asked why, my replay was:

"If I am spending the winter here working 40 hours per week while he is spending his in Arizona, he must be doing something better than me, and therefore he is smarter."

When it comes to money, I don’t like to part with it.  I like to compare my options on absolutely everything related to money: the saving and spending of it.

I compare credit cards before I fill out the application.  That way I get the lowest interest rate, best features and the lowest fees.  You might also find that your bank doesn’t offer the best card for your situation - and chances are there is one tailor-made for you. 

Another thing that is important to do is a car insurance comparison at least once a year.  If you haven’t notices all the commercials on television urging you to compare or switch insurance companies, take notice.  There is a lot of competition in this area and almost every year I can save myself some money.

Lastly, I want my money to grow, or at least hold its own against inflation.  But I want the liquidity that a bank account offers.  So, periodically I look for the best savings accounts - and most of the time my bank doesn’t offer what I need.  I am not afraid to switch institutions provided it meets my goals.

If you don’t want to get so hands-on on your finances, hire a financial planner.  They can help you out with the nitty-gritties, but it doesn’t hurt for you to be a little informed - then you will know what you are talking about.

I’ll admit it, our bathroom is kind of ugly.  Nothing like showing your friends your ugly green tub and toilet to make your friends laugh.  To be honest it is embarrassing.  What tops it off for us is the "nice" wood paneling - which is completely nasty.

We decided to go to our bank and see if we could get a loan for our planned renovations.  The night before we went to the bank, we looked online to compare loans and get an idea about what was available.  We printed off some of the more promising offers to take with us to the bank.

We walked into the meeting expecting to get a personal loan.  The thing is, we weren’t as educated as we thought.  It ends up since we own our home, we qualified for a secured personal loan which allowed us to get lower monthly payments and the bathroom we wanted.

Now we can show off our new bathroom, it is almost sad to see no green toilet anymore.  No longer ashamed, we feel more at home now.