BuzzSugar

First Look: Easy Money

BuzzSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 16:30:04 PDT

In addition to Valentine, there's another new show coming to the CW this Sunday: Easy Money, a series about a family of loan sharks that premieres at 9 p.m. EDT and PDT.

From a first glance at the plot description, Easy Money seems like the kind of show that would be more at home on FX or AMC. It centers on Morgan Buffkin (played by Jeff Hephner), the outsider in the family that runs Prestige Payday Loan. As the CW's description puts it:

While his mother, Bobette (Laurie Metcalf), the brains behind the business, dotes on him and sings his praises, Morgan has never quite fit in and he's doubting the ever-shifting stories she's woven about his childhood in the Buffkin household. Furthermore, he's having second thoughts about being the "heavy" for Prestige - running down ne'er-do-wells and gambling addicts - in an era of subprime mortgage lending and four-dollar gasoline.

I'm curious to see how a dark comedy about the bleaker side of money performs on the network of rich, materialistic teenagers and adults behaving badly. The early reviews have been mixed but mostly positive, so I'll probably give this one a shot. Does it pique your interest? To watch a preview, just

Predict the Oscar Winners and Win an iPad 2 and Prada Case!

BuzzSugar — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:10:23 PST

Dazzling, talented stars aren't the only ones who have a chance to win big on Feb. 26 at the Oscars. Predict who you think will take home statuettes, and if you are on the money, you could win a fabulous iPad 2 16GB Wi-Fi and a gorgeous Prada case!

It's easy to enter:

Step 1: Create or log in to your PopSugar account. To become a member, register now for free. (You need to be logged in before you fill out the ballot).

Step 2: Click here to fill out your predictions and submit your ballot. Keep your fingers crossed on Feb. 26, because if you predict the highest number of Oscar winners, you could take away a gorgeous iPad 2 and Prada case!

Pretty easy, huh? Let's see if you've got what it takes to make the most accurate Oscar predictions!

To see the official rules, click here.

Cool Idea: Sweet Paul's DIY Sweater Vase

Angela Swinderman Elias — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:20:24 PST

I always look forward to Sweet Paul's Crafty Friday posts, but I flipped when I saw his cozy little knit vase. As Paul points out, practically everyone has an old sweater with some sort of defect and a vase laying around the house. Instead of wasting money and time hunting for all of the necessary bits, just take a look through your sweater bins and cabinets to prep for this ridiculously easy DIY. Place the vase in the arm of the sweater, and leave a couple of extra inches of sweater material from the bottom of the vase. Fold the two inches of fabric, and you end up with the cutest Winter vase. Thanks Sweet Paul!

Photos by Alexandra Grablewski

Savvy Links: How to Find the Right Accountant For You

Emily Co — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:17:15 PST

How to find the right accountant for you - Wise Bread
What’s your investing IQ? - LearnVest
Are people judging your intelligence based on your hair? - The Jane Dough
How much Americans spend on Valentine's Day - HuffPost Women
Unique Valentine’s Day gifts for him - Real Simple
Cook once, eat twice! Easy leftover recipes - AllYou
Watch out for these travel scams in your mailbox - Tecca
How to pay off your student loans with low-interest credit cards - Money Crashers

6 Strategies to Save More This Year

Kiplinger — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:27:21 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

Saving doesn't come easily for us young adults. Entry-level salaries don't give you a lot to work with. And, well, we also tend to spend what we make - and then some - on the latest gadgets and flashiest fashions.

But don’t worry. We’re not doomed to frivolity and the wreckage it can make of our finances. Here's how you can start saving smart throughout 2012:

Periodically calculate how much you spend. What better time to review your budget than at the start of a New Year? “It’s really hard to [track your spending] each month, so aim for just once or twice a year,” says Jill Boynton, a certified financial planner in Newington, New Hampshire.

Just be sure when you do it that you track everything. Boynton recommends filling out a spreadsheet with a month’s worth of spending. Or you can try an online budgeting tool such as Mint.com (See our slide show: Which Budgeting Site is Best for You?). But note: Mint works best for those who deal mostly in plastic as opposed to cash. When you make an ATM withdrawal, the site labels the transaction as “Cash & ATM.” Unless you diligently manage your cash transactions (you can manually edit Mint’s labels), you can easily lose track of where the money goes.

The drudgery of tracking spending can pay off when you find surprising expenses you could easily cut. At the end of 2011, I crunched my own numbers and found that I shelled out about $200 a month at Starbucks and other restaurants. I’m sure I could cut that by at least half. That’s like finding a $100 bill every month in my back pocket.

Read on for more strategies.

Save Thousands Just By Itemizing Deductions

LearnVest — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:15:01 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy!

Though we all groan about having to pay taxes, the government is nice enough not to tax us on the full amount of our earnings.

There are two big buckets of deductions the government gives us: the first is called above the line, and the second is called below the line, which we’ll cover here. (The “line” these deductions refer to is a literal line on your 1040 form for the Adjusted Gross Income.)

Below the Line Deductions

Below the line deductions come in two types: one is called the standard deduction, and the second is called itemized deductions.

The Standard Deduction

The standard deduction is an amount of income that the government will not tax any taxpayer on. Most people take the standard deduction on their returns, which is worth anywhere from $5,800 to $11,600, and opt out of the whole process of itemizing. It’s as simple as saying, “I’m a single person (or married filing singly or married filing jointly), and yes, I would like the standard deduction.” For some people, this is just fine. After all, that’s a lot of money, and taking just the standard deduction makes your taxes simpler and faster. What’s not to like?

Check out the chart below to find out what the standard deduction is for your filing status.

Uh Oh! Watch Out For These 12 IRS Audit Red Flags

Kiplinger — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:06:09 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

The IRS audits only slightly more than 1% of all individual tax returns annually. The agency doesn't have enough personnel and resources to examine each and every tax return filed during a year. So the odds are pretty low that your return will be picked for review. And, of course, the only reason filers should worry about an audit is if they are fudging on their taxes.

However, the chances of being audited or otherwise hearing from the IRS increase depending upon various factors, including your income level, whether you omitted income, the types of deductions or losses you claimed, the business in which you're engaged and whether you own foreign assets. Math errors may draw IRS inquiry, but they'll rarely lead to a full-blown exam. Although there's no sure way to avoid an IRS audit, you should be aware of red flags that could increase your chances of drawing unwanted attention from the IRS.

1. Making too much money

Although the overall individual audit rate is about 1.11%, the odds increase dramatically for higher-income filers. IRS statistics show that people with incomes of $200,000 or higher had an audit rate of 3.93%, or one out of slightly more than every 25 returns. Report $1 million or more of income? There's a one-in-eight chance your return will be audited. The audit rate drops significantly for filers making less than $200,000: Only 1.02% of such returns were audited during 2011, and the vast majority of these exams were conducted by mail. We're not saying you should try to make less money - everyone wants to be a millionaire. Just understand that the more income shown on your return, the more likely it is that you'll be hearing from the IRS.

Read on for more red flags.

10 Affordable Valentine's Gifts For Him

Emily Co — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 03:05:58 PST

There are too many holidays to celebrate in a year with your sweetheart - Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, and of course, Valentine's Day. If you plan to fork out lots of money for every single gift, that might leave your wallet feeling a bit bare. Go easy on your V Day present and pick one that's affordable. It's the thought that counts!

Savvy Links: The Trouble With a Maiden Name

Emily Co — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:18:35 PST

The trouble with a maiden name - LearnVest
Does this count as drinking at work? - HuffPost Women
3 ways to save money on your checking - Real Simple
Which mobile carrier provides the best data plan for your buck? - Tecca
Cheap and easy recipes with 5 ingredients or less - AllYou
What’s in your dryer sheets and fabric softener? - Wise Bread
7 simple ways to save $2,000 - Bankrate
Things you may not know about retirement accounts - Get Rich Slowly

Savvy Links: Which Online Travel Site Is Best For You?

Emily Co — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:34:19 PST

Which online travel site is best for you? - Tecca
Navigating group coupon sites like a pro - Real Simple
Easy healthy habits that can save you money - AllYou
What real women's desks look like - HuffPost Women
14 tasty and cheap meals for one - Wise Bread
Curb your bad habits to improve your finances - Credit Karma
Find out how to get a federal job - Bankrate