Let’s toast to extraordinary savings! At Aspire, we save you money. But sometimes, our message may seem too good to be true, and we must admit, it can be hard to convey just how much Aspire can potentially save you. There’s just nothing like hearing the actual savings from one of our members. Take a look at this testimonial, provided graciously by Sharlenea K., after her experiences with purchasing our discounted Mechanical Breakdown Protection. Not only did she pay less for the extended warranty with us than she would have with the dealer, but she saved $9,900 in auto repairs along the way! “I purchased my car, a Honda, with 35 miles in August of 2008. From my past experiences with my previous used Honda, I knew that this time around I should purchase the extended warranty. So I did my research and checked the price at my dealer vs.…

The IRS has a tool to help people who have to repay their First-time Homebuyer Credit. Reminder letters will no longer be mailed to taxpayers who have to repay the credit, but you can now use an online lookup tool on the IRS website to check your repayment obligation. The following four tips will help you look up information on your First-time Homebuyer Credit: 1. Who needs to repay the credit? If you bought a home in 2008 and claimed the First-time Homebuyer Credit, the credit is similar to a no-interest loan and must be repaid in 15 equal annual installments that began with your 2010 return. Also, anyone who sold their home, or stopped using it as their main home, may have to repay the entire credit whether their home was purchased in 2008, 2009 or 2010. 2. Information needed to access the tool – The First-time Homebuyer Credit…

To manage your money well if you are in a relationship, you and your partner need to sit down and really communicate about how much money you actually bring in and how much money actually has to go out the door every month for you to survive. Be careful of falling into the trap of having “his money” and “her money.” While that might seem like a modern thing to do, you won’t really get to know what the truth about your financial reality is unless you figure out what you bring in together and what you pay out together.…

“About 30 cents of every take-home dollar is spent on household and grocery items,” says the nonprofit Institute of Consumer Financial Education (ICFE). Here are 20 tips from the ICFE to help you spend less on groceries. 1.    Always use a list and minimize number of trips to the store. 2.    Design the list based on the store’s layout to save time and money. 3.    Shop alone and avoid going to the store just before a meal. 4.    Always check store ads and flyers for sales and specials. 5.    Take advantage of coupons and rebates. 6.    Shop at stores that…

Does money trickle out of your wallet like a lazy river, a babbling brook, or rushing white water rapids? Government figures show that many households with a total income of $50,000 or less are spending more than they bring in thanks to the liberal availability of credit. This doesn’t make you an automatic candidate for bankruptcy, but it’s definitely a sign you need to make some serious spending cuts. A budget is the only practical way to get a grip on your spending. Creating a budget requires that you: Identify how your money is spent today. Evaluate your spending. Set goals that take into account your financial objective. Track your ongoing spending to make sure it stays within your established guidelines. Here’s how to put a dam on your uncontrolled cash flow: Watch out for cash leakage. If withdrawals from the ATM evaporate from your pocket without apparent explanation, keep…