State of Your Credit: What the Creditors Don’t Want Us to know & What You Need to Know to Reform Your Credit Card Spending

It can be difficult to think of an issue that touches more people, or can get a rise out of more people, than credit card fine print, fees, and staggering interest rate hikes. For some it is an irritation, for others who may have already hit a rough patch, it can become a brutal weight. – WhiteHouse.gov

What matters to your life? Take the weight off you and your credit by making the reform work for you.

The credit card reform goes into full effect next week; here are some of the numbers that will impact you:

1. 60 Months increase free: Credit card issuers cannot give your interest rates an increase for next 60 months.

2. 45 days notification of changes: Credit card changes in terms of conditions must come with advance notification of minimum of 45 days

3. 21 day statements: Statements must be mailed 21 days before payment is due, up from 14 days

4. 0 Fees: No fees because you decided to call to make a payment



To live your life and live it well, LiveSisterLive, wants you to live right by your credit cards. Here’re some add’ tips to reform your credit card use:

• Use them wisely and timely which means also pay your bills on time


• Use them for your life needs, not to get you in more debt

• Use them as long as it doesn’t wound your credit card reputation

• Use them understanding the impact of the new terms

• Use them to get rewards and points but pay them off quickly

• Use for emergencies but still make cash your queen and king


LiveSisterLive!



Watch, Engage, Discuss - Monday at 2:00: Credit Card Reform Kicks In The White House

LiveSisterLive and the State of Your Heart: Valentine's Day isn't Just for Lovers

"Valentine's Day makes me bitter. V-Day is one giant conspiracy ...And if you don't receive anything then you're a loser. Think of Charlie Brown staring mournfully into his empty mailbox, praying for one solitary pink envelope to validate his existence." -  Source: From the Bittersweet central website.


What matters? You have to think you're special every day, including holidays.

Are you having a Charlie Brown Valentine's Day?


Today isn't a happy day for many women. In fact, there are many websites dedicated to protest valentine's day. One of my girlfriend's was sharing that when she was young she wanted a gift or a card, anything to tell someone she was remembered, special and loved. There were years of disappointment for her.

Every woman has had a disappointment day in her life: Valentine's Day, A friend's wedding, etc.  My dissappointment day in my early twenty's was not Valentine's Day. New Year's Eve was my night of blues if I didn't have a date. Then I grew up and learned how to have fun on any day. I didn't have to always have a date to live my life and live it well.

The Charlie Brown Valentine's Day tv specials used to get me as I watched the heartbreak stories of Charlie Brown watching everyone get cards but him. At one point he asks Lucy "Can you cure loneliness? Can you cure deep-down, black, bottom-of-the-well, no-hope, end-of-the-world, what’s-the-use loneliness?"

Peppermint Patty wanted him but he didn't notice. Lucy chased Schroeder to give her a card. Sally chased after Linus who didn't pay attention. Snoopy always had a full mailbox of cards and the writer left us wondering who love's Charlie Brown?

Who loves me, many women may ask today.  My response? Love you and remember God loves you. If you want others to do something for you and they're not, do it for you.  Do it for yourself and enjoy it.
Find other ways to share the love that you would want on this day if it is not shared with someone else.

Treat someone else. It  is a day of love, so extend it to others. Some women think it's exclusive to couples. It's not. So many cards say Happy Valentine's day to others: mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sisters, cousins, kids and more.

Remember it's one day and you can define it the way you want it to be. Let's also teach our daughters to not grow up with the expectations that Valentine's Day is a day of validation. Learn from Snoopy who let love come naturally.


Love you and LiveSisterLive! May you be your own valentine today.

LiveSisterLive Living on Less but Giving More Love

Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go. - Mother Teresa

What matters? Giving of ourselves and from our heart rather than just from our wallet.

• I am on this project to live life on less as I can continue to work  on my book, Live Sister Live!.  While I'm loading you up on what you need for your life matters I'm also writing on what you can do to live life on less. I've got a whole year of plans for living on less but right now it's in the financial area, for 21 days.

• I give Michelle Singletary the credit, so can't make the 21 financial fast mine, it came from a wise sister.  I love it and I'm trying to live it.

• My hubby and I share some things in common like you can't buy love. We're always each other's valentines but tomorrow we aren't going to use the day to spend money, buy cards, order flowers, pay for dinner, charge a card for a love gift.

• We are going to spend a day giving to our self.  He doesn't know this but I'm going to do something that he loves that I don't. 

• Do your life a favor, Love you tomorrow, not just because it's Valentine's Day. Love you because your life matters and you matter. Love you whether you are married, whether you are single, a parent, divorced, go through or getting over.  Love your child with an extra hug tomorrow. Love your sister with forgiveness. Love what you have not what someone else has in their hand.  Love your home no matter how small or empty.  Love your past but love today and your future.  Love God who loves you no matter what you do.

If you are living in a state  recession or  less, live in a state of love for you and others.

When it comes to living a life that matters, it comes down to words, time, money, and loving and giving to you and others. Enjoy these links for some time together, words, and a giveaway.

1. http://www.valentinesdaymovie.com/#/home
2. http://fordvehicles.emipowered.net/valentinesdaymovie/landing.html?
3. http://www1.americangreetings.com/ecards/display.pd?prodnum=3177548&N=108556

Live,Sister,Live! Live Life Like It Matters tm

Excerpt from the 2010 LiveSisterLive!: Supergoal Your Life tm

The Superbowl is the championship game of the National Football League (NFL) - Wikepedia

What matters? Learn from the Superbowl and make your life a championship. Celebrate the achievement of your goals with your  friends and family as if you are in a football league.


Excerpt from LiveSisterLive!:

I love having fun and attending a good party. I wanted to share a list of  ways to goal your life and create a Supergoal Your Life League tm

There are so many ways to get you on the road to reaching your life goals.  One way  is to not just set your goals on the first day of the year but use the Superbowl to create new goals. Join with a set of friends to challenge each other to compete to reach your goals by the next Superbowl.  Start at the beginning of football season or kick it off at Superbowl.

Women can do this; couples can do this; families can do this; college students can do this; men can do this:

Ready for some goalball?

Here's a quick list of things to do to get started:

1.Plan a Supergoal Your Life tm party and invite friends to join you. Make it fun and make it festive.
2. Send invitations that look like Superbowl tickets, and share information in a fun way about goals and importance of setting them.
3. Kickoff the party on Superbowl Sunday or any other day that  is covenient for you and your guests. If you want to incorporate a pep rally,  also plan an activity for your half-time entertainment or sing a motivating song.
4. Plan a menu with festive foods or have your guests each bring something in keeping with the idea of sharing goals. Afterall, it is one of the top food-consuming events in American life.
5. Invite a speaker to help facilitate as a coach. Decide the rules for winning. The host can dress like a cheerleader or team mascot.
6. At the party have everyone write down three goals; fold them up and put them in a jar that you as the host will keep and pass on to next year's host if you decide to rotate.
7. Have each individual come up with a name from one of the NFL teams,  as if they were a team in a football league. If you want to have teams of two or more, that's fine too.
8. Have each person share one goal, why it's important and their plan to reach their goal and any support needed
9. Ask someone to be the Supergoal Your Life tm communications contact to send encouragement reminders. Hold a monthly or bimonthly call to keep each person charged up.
10. At each party, ask your guests to show up wearing their  favorite football team jersey.
11. Give a Supergoal Your Life tm Championship prize to the person who finished first, overcame the most obstacles and gifts to everyone for trying and/or completing their goals. Women may want to create their own version of the championship ring to move from sister to sister.


Enjoy your Superbowl and Supergoal Your Life too!  Do it with friends, family and others.

Can't wait for your to read the ideas above and  other unique ideas to host life goal parties in the 2010 book, LiveSisterLive!  I want to share them all right now, but you have to wait. In the meantime, if you are married, think about doing what I do: party with your spouse to set yearlong goals. Don't take it personally if he decides that your party can't be held the day of the Superbowl. 

Live,Sister,Live and Live Life like it matters. Live like a champion!  May your life have many positive touchdowns! Have to go now, pre-game party is about to start!

© 2010 LiveSisterLive!

State of Your Life: Lessons from the Secret Life of the Bees

Your Time to Live - Queen Latifah in the Movie, The Secret Life of the Bees

What matters?  Making and taking time to live life and enjoy every moment you are given.

What a wonderful Saturday I had in the midst of 20 inches of so snow.  Last night I watched the quietness of the snow that embraced many of us in the northeast.  It may have held us in, but I didn't feel like a hostage.  I felt free. I felt beautiful, wonderful and happy.

God has taken a snow storm to remind me I should take more time to stop,  live and enjoy my life.

I watched The Secret Life of the Bees. Alicia Keyes plays one of three sisters who learns to take time for love.  Queen Latifah plays her sister who shares about not messing up the time we've been given to live life.  Dakota Fanning plays a child who has runaway from life, and in one part of the  movie she says to her father  "My whole life has been a hole where you left me aching."

Let's agree to take  time today to not mess up nor put holes in others lives.   Let's fill ours and others with beautiful things like sharing time together, enjoying quiet moments, and taking the ache and pain out of life's hurts.

State of Me: My Life on Less with Spend Temptations Everywhere

A penny saved is a penny earned - Benjamin Franklin

What matters?  My motto: Keep your eye on your money not those things you want and may not need.  Save every penny you can, and look at it like you've earned it.
 
Dear Sisters,
 
It's midweek of my first week and third day of living on less. I cannot tell a lie. I realize I spend money every day without even thinking. I'm not talking about big bucks either. Reasons to spend money grab me everywhere.  Seventy-five cents a day for chips. One dollar a day for water, and up to One dollar and fifty cents for gatorade.
 
Go to work; pass the vending machine, see some chips or see some chocolate. I have a reason to spend money.  Sisterfriend  stops by with a fabulous outfit, I ask one of a woman's favorite questions:  Girl, where'd you get that?  She tells me what she paid for it. I want it,  so she  being the sharing sister she is answers and tells me there's more from where her  outfit came.

I go for it. Thanks for sharing friends.  Another reason to spend money. Go home tired; open the fridge; it's empty; I don't feel like cooking, and tell myself to order a pizza.  I spend some money.  Turn on my tv and hit the remote; on comes QVC, HSN, great deals, good payment plan.  More tempting spend money moments. 
 
How about you, fighting  to live on less but your eyes see more? You  browse the net and have an OMG moment when you come across some fabulous , no phat shoes that grab you and want your wallet.  You don't check the price, but your mind can see you in those shoes and the dress to match.  You fall over at the price, but wonder if you had it would you spend it?
 
Ha!  Live on less you say? You have to fight the money temptations that come in all forms.  I wonder how many sisters would forfeit living on less for shoes as funky as these for the ticket price of $1595.00. 

Run with your  money sisters, but aren't they funky?