Another week, another state. We are glad to announce that our new program has been cleared by the State of Washington this week. This is a wonderful opportunity to remind ourselves that Washington state produces more apples than any other state in the union, and has more glaciers than the other 47 contiguous states combined. You can find other fascinating facts about Washington state here.

This brings the total tally to 21 states, namely Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
More to come…

Seasonal price changes to your bills can make it difficult to plan for, and afford, payments at certain times of the year. Whether through a formal plan, or one of your own, you can help to even out payments and better manage your personal finances in the process.

Many utilities offer plans to charge you a fixed amount each month. These plans are often called Budget Plans or Equal Payment Plans. Though terms may differ slightly, they generally charge you the average of your previous 12 months of billing history. The result is that, compared to paying actual usage charges, you’ll be paying more in low usage months and less in high usage months. This basically spreads the high cost of high usage months across the entire year. In this way, you should expect to pay roughly the same amount each month, though rising prices may create a slow rise in the amount

If your utility companies don’t offer a formal plan, you can create your own. This isn’t always necessary, depending on the types of bills you have and when they are due. I’ve noticed that although the individual amounts vary, the total of my gas, water, and electricity bills tend to be about the same every month. Since the bills are all due within a few days of each other, I don’t really notice much seasonal change.

If your situation is not this immune to seasonal changes, creating your own plan is a simple as budgeting the average of your last 12 monthly bills each month. In low usage months, your bill will be less than the budgeted amount. The excess should be placed in a separate bank account. In high usage months, you’ll pay the bill with a combination of your budgeted amount and a withdrawal from this same account. You can easily combine multiple bills into the process.

Depending on your usage, or another factor such as a spike in gas prices, a budget plan may be a smart choice to help keep monthly payments relatively consistent. At times, the equal payment would be more than you would have paid otherwise, but avoiding an unexpectedly high bill that significantly impacts your finances may be worth this minor downside.

Do you notice seasonal changes in your overall spending? Are you currently using a budget plan for any of your utility expenses?

As any child waiting for Christmas can tell you, it can’t seem to come soon enough. Though children will have to wait until December 25th, shoppers looking for lower prices from holiday sales will get their wish.

Citing expectations of weak holiday sales and a desire by consumers to spread holiday spending over a longer period of time, big-box retailer Wal-Mart announced that it would be cutting prices on certain toys at thousands of its stores. Its in-store Christmas Shops, featuring seasonal decorations and accessories, will also be opening earlier this year. Other retailers are expected to follow suit.

Spreading inevitable costs over a longer time period is actually a smart approach for many consumers, particularly in the current economic climate. When costs are concentrated in a short timeframe, such as the mere 27 shopping days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, people are more likely to use credit cards. The interest and fees associated with using credit cards and store charge cards can add significantly to the cost of purchases.

The key word about the economic sense of spreading costs to save money is inevitable. The economic state in our country is depressed, to say the least. As a result, many families will need to make a conscious effort to spend less this holiday season. Surely, Christmas is one time of year where we often allow ourselves to indulge and spend more on wants than needs, but reevaluating what it will take to make the holidays a “success” may help to rebalance your wants versus super-wants in terms of giving and receiving gifts.

Getting a good deal, spreading costs over a longer period and avoiding the impending crowds are all great ideas. But if starting your shopping early just gives you more time to spend, you may end up worse off. Consider making your shopping lists early, keep them small (or at least within your planned budget), make purchases when good prices present themselves, and avoid the temptation to allow your list to grow as the holidays approach. Also, be sure to watch for online-only discounts and Internet coupons to get the best deals.

When do you start your holiday shopping? Are economic circumstances forcing you to cut back on holiday spending this year?

In a recent post, I wrote about how to make a plan for your financial goals. However, I'm sure you've made plans for other things, as well – such as losing weight, studying more, and other things. Chances are, you've failed a few times. Everyone has, and financial plans are no different than any other goals. How are you doing on your New Year's Resolutions for this year?

#1 - Break it down

You won't be able to succeed if your goals are huge. I suffer from this problem – if I have a huge project in front of me, I won't even get started! I'll just procrastinate and leave it alone. With a goal like "Solve my financial problems," I have no chance of succeeding. However, if I break down the goal to something manageable, such as 'Send an extra thirty dollars with my bill payment,” the goal is a lot easier to achieve! In fact, this is an excellent way to pay down your debt faster.

#2 - Try not to do it alone

Do you have any other friends who are in the same situation with their personal finances? If you know anyone – even your spouse will work, but other friends are even better – who wants to work with you, meeting your goals will be a lot easier. A partner will offer encouragement, help, and advice as you follow your plan. Even online groups, like http://43things.com, are great! (I follow a group on 43things to break procrastination habits).

#3 - Set reminders

You should be reminded of your goal every time you are in a position of temptation to break it. For example, I have a bad habit of cracking my neck, so I wear a bracelet on my hand that reminds me of my goal whenever I feel the urge. I even turned it into a game – if I fail and do crack my neck, I move the bracelet to the other wrist. If I don't have to move it once in a day, I win! You might put a reminder in your wallet, which you will see every time you are about to spend money. Think of the areas where you can improve, and make sure the goal will be fresh in your mind when the situation arises.

#4 - One step at a time

Always have a next step: a goal is achievable if it is simple, clearly designed, and realistic. Every time you complete a step in pursuit of your goal, make sure that your next step is obvious. What exactly do you need to do next to improve your financial situation?

#5 - Declare WAR

When you make the decision to succeed, to break your old habits and to meet your goal, you are declaring war on your old ways. I have a giant sign taped to my computer that simply says “WAR” – it represents my war on procrastination. When you make the decision to fix your financial situation, you have made a huge step towards winning. You have to keep that enthusiasm with you always if you want to achieve your goal. Remember: it's war! War against your old self, war towards your goal.

Yesterday on ABC, Renaud was interviewed by Jackie Hyland on "Money Matters". To check out the discussion of how social lending can be part of solving the current economic crisis, watch the video here.