Other 'Easy Budgets' reviewed: iPhone app, PDF file

Since titles aren't copyrightable not everything with the same name is related.

We noted a few days ago that an iPhone app called "Easy Budget" ($1.99 by Easy App World, screenshot pictured) isn't related to the e-book sold here, and we promised to buy the app and review it for you.

Result: We couldn't make head nor tails of it. We're not saying the app isn't good, but there were no instructions and we didn't find it intuitive enough that we could figure out its workings on our own. (If you've tried the app and like it, email us at owentew {at} gmail, or leave a comment on this blog entry, and we'll pass the word on to readers.)

Two reviewers at iTunes loved the app, one giving it 4 stars, the other 5. Comments were "Simple to use and very useful. Great graphics too!" and "IT'S WONDERFUL APP."

If it does work well, it would be a perfect complement to our ebook for those who prefer not to use pencil and paper or a purse full of labeled envelopes.

Another "Easy Budget" we've run across is "Easy Budget Blueprint." It's a 23-page PDF file that sells for $19.95. We didn't buy "Easy Budget Blueprint" because we didn't know the seller, but there are VeriSign Trusted and McAfee Secure labels on the purchase page. If you've bought the product and would like to give us a review, follow the instructions from the previous paragraph.

We do feel, however, that there can't be any better instruction than our own "Easy Budget" ebook, which can be bought through Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and iTunes and is one-fourth the cost. (We're not knocking competitors -- just trying to give you all the facts. If we hear a good review of the product, we'll be happy to let you know.)

You should follow "The Easy Budget" on Twitter here and become a Facebook fan here.

'Easy Budget' press release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: owentew {at} gmail {dot} com

‘THE EASY BUDGET’ E-BOOK HELPS START
NEW YEAR OFF WITH HEALTHY FINANCES
$4.99 from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com and iTunes

In a tough economy, more people are paying down credit cards and trying to live within a budget. It can be hard to start if you don’t have practice or discipline. That’s where “The Easy Budget: How to Always Have the Money You Need” by Owen Tew comes in. This handy, must-have ebook will help readers get their personal budgets together by getting down to the basics of money management.

Author Owen Tew knows from personal experience that household finances can be tamed without having advanced money knowledge. This book helps prioritize and implement a plan that works.

At only $4.99, this affordable ebook, published through ebookstalktome, contains thoughtful advice that can help readers rest easier because they know exactly where every penny of their money is going.

The author has taken a topic he knows a great deal about and organized it in instructive ways. Readers won’t get lost in jumbled financial terminology. Here’s a budget that doesn’t require software, a computer or a lengthy book about the philosophy of money management — and the best thing is — it works!

Paring down the concepts of money management to its essence, “The Easy Budget” implements the best of finance fundamentals to enable a person to pay bills, plan for future expenses or those that are unexpected. It’s easy to get started immediately. There’s no need to read through a 300-page tome with thick financial terminology. Reading those books can come later, but just to get the ship sailing in the right direction people need the basic equipment, and this ebook is it.

“The Easy Budget,” available for the Amazon Kindle and ereaders that read .epub formats, including Barnes and Noble’s Nook and Apple’s iPad. It can be read on e-readers, PCs or Macs.

If you are a member of the press or write a blog and would like a review copy or to interview the author, contact owentew {at} gmail {dot} com. Specify Kindle or .epub version. .Epub may require free download of Adobe Digital Editions; the address is www.adobe.com/products/digitaleditions.

Blog: theeasybudget.blogspot.com
Twitter: twitter.com/theeasybudget
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EasyBudget

The addresses to purchase the book are:

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Budget-Always-Money-ebook/dp/B004D4ZQO4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1290295304&sr=8-1

Barnes and Noble.com: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Easy-Budget/Owen-Tew/e/9780983149705/?itm=1&USRI=%22owen+tew%22+%22easy+budget%22

iTunes: http://www.apple.com/itunes/?cid=OAS-US-DOMAINS-itunes.com

'The Easy Budget' eBook now on iTunes

For those who have been waiting, you now can buy "The Easy Budget" eBook on iTunes. You have to be on an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch and logged in to iTunes to find it. So if you want to read it on your Mac laptop or desktop computer the best bet is the Barnes & Noble version. Then download the free Adobe Digital Editions reader to see it. (This also works perfectly well with a PC.)

An iTunes search will also bring up an app called "Easy Budget" and "Easy Budget Lite." These apps are unaffiliated with "The Easy Budget" eBook, but our staff is testing out the app and we'll let you know on a recommendation soon.

You should follow "The Easy Budget" on Twitter here and become a Facebook fan here.

Read a sample of 'The Easy Budget'

With a free online chapter being all the rage these days, we've decided to let folks have a free look at "The Easy Budget." But since the book isn't extremely long, that much would pretty much give it all away. So here's the first page as viewed on a desktop computer. Click on the image to enlarge. (Click again if that's not large enough.)

As always, you can buy it from Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

You should follow "The Easy Budget" on Twitter here and become a Facebook fan here.

$99 Nook at Best Buy

Since we told you about the Amazon's Kindle giveaway, it's only fair to share that Barnes & Noble's Nook eReader will be on sale at Best Buy on Black Friday for $99, which is $50 off regular price.

Take $4.99 of that savings and buy "The Easy Budget" to read on it, and you'll be teaching yourself to find these kinds of bargains every day.

We're not schilling for anyone here, though, so as we always say, you can read "The Easy Budget" on your laptop, desktop computer or any other device you already own.

Have a great day finding bargains!

You should follow "The Easy Budget" on Facebook here.

Win a Kindle, buy the Easy Budget to read on it

We see that Amazon.com is giving away a free Wi-Fi Kindle a day through the end of November on Facebook. If you don't already have one, go click the Like button and, if you win, you won't even have to subtract any money from your budget.*

Then head over to Amazon.com and buy your copy of "The Easy Budget."

If you don't win, you still can buy "The Easy Budget" and download a free Kindle app for whatever device you own. Or get the Barnes & Noble or iTunes version.
You should follow "The Easy Budget" on Facebook here.

*Note: The Kindle giveaway is entirely an Amazon.com promotion and has nothing to do with "The Easy Budget."

Use cash, stick to budget while Christmas shopping

You want to bring smiles to the faces of your family and friends this Christmas -- but you don't want to bring a frown to your own when the bills come due in January.

Experts advise using cash rather than credit cards, and as this site is constantly reminding you, create a budget and stick to it.

Read more details in The Birmingham News here.

You should follow "The Easy Budget" on Facebook here.

Creative Commons photo courtesy: http://www.flickr.com/photos/51486173@N00/223052548

'The Easy Budget' now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and iTunes

"The Easy Budget: How to Always Have the Money You Need" e-book by Owen Tew is now available on Amazon.com , Barnes & Noble.com and iTunes.*

Just click on the links above or the icon on the upper right of this page to whichever online store you'd like to purchase from and you'll be on your way to better budgeting!

And you can still buy the book on Lulu.com.

You should follow "The Easy Budget" on Facebook here.

*You must be using an iPad, iPod or iPod Touch to find the ebook on iTunes. To read it on a PC or Mac laptop or desktop computer, buy it from Barnes and Noble. Also the Easy Budget app on iTunes is not affiliated with "The Easy Budget" ebook.

Kardishian credit card a pretty bad deal

Not only is it targeted at teenagers, the Kardashian sister's new credit card also comes with some fees that aren't too hot, Newser reports.

But if you read this blog, you already figured that, right?

UPDATE: The Kardashian sisters are now suing to have their names and likenesses removed from the controversial cards.

Woman Paying With Credit Card by Petr Kratochvil

Creative gift-giving on a budget

How do you figure gift-giving into your budget?

Some people set up specific accounts, like Christmas clubs of the past. I've opted to use my budget, which doesn't designate specifically to gifts, so I'm forced to be creative.

In my case, I've got lots of money left over in the Food and Clothing categories -- so if you're on my gift list you can expect something to wear or something to eat. (Food-related items work, too: dishes, etc.)

Since I have no young children to buy for this works out, but obviously I'd have to find a way to get toys if I had kids making desperate pleas.

Usually, your Miscellaneous fund will take care of you here, but if not you'll have to look into Entertainment or other areas. If you're flush with cash in your Auto/Travel fund try a gas station gift card.

You should follow me on Facebook here.

Photo by Petr Kratochvil, PublicDomainPictures.net

Don't Let Bank Fool You Into Automatic Savings Plan

I can't speak to anyone at my bank anymore without them trying to sell me on a so-called automatic savings plan in which $1 will be taken from my checking account and added to my savings account every time I use their bank debit card.

Do they take me for a fool? Obviously, they do.

They act as though this is a savings plan, but all it does it take money from one account and put it into another. The problem for you -- and bonus for the financial institution -- is that they are banking on you forgetting to keep up with all these transactions. Next thing you know, you've gone below your minimum deposit in your checking account and the bank charges you a fee for it.

I've always had a love-hate relationship with banks. On the "love" side, I don't want to stuff my savings in my mattress, so I have to keep my money somewhere safe. On the "hate" side, I see a lot of their tactics as nothing more than legalized thievery. And this is one of those tactics.

If you want to take some of the money from your checking account and put it into savings, just do it yourself and make the subtraction in your checkbook register. You're smart enough to do things like a grown-up -- and you're smart enough not to be robbed by your own bank.

(Photo by Alan Cleaver)

Money-saving tips

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alamosbasement/ / CC BY 2.0

USA Weekend offers "8 Super-Smart Ways to Save" in today's edition.

From buying cars online to renting dresses, they'll all keep your budget in better shape.

Read here: 8 Super-Smart Ways to Save

Editor heaps praise on The Easy Budget

True, she was "The Easy Budget's" editor, but we'll take praise any day, and Wanda Carruthers has lots of nice things to say about the e-book. Read her comments on ebookstalktome blog. She also has lots of advice for hopeful e-book authors.

Budget airfare tips

It's not necessary to go to these lengths to save.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ma1974/ / CC BY 2.0

Matt Gross of The New York Times shares his expertise on getting the cheapest airfare.

Numbers professionals share car-buying secrets

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hugo90/ / CC BY 2.0

The Phildelphia Inquirer talked to accountants, economists and finance professors about what they look for when they buy a car. (Hint: They're hardly ever new.) Check out their suggestions here.

5 Money-Saving Tips

Don't do this to your money -- even figuratively.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/seeminglee/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

MSN Money offers "5 (more) dumb deals and to do instead" for the cost conscious.

Saving money, doing more

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rileyroxx/ / CC BY 2.0

During the recession, we're saving money while doing more with our friends and family, reports The New York Times. Let's keep it up after the economy rebounds.

Tips to avoid drowning in debt

http://www.flickr.com/photos/paalia/ / CC BY 2.0

Did you overspend for Christmas? The Birmingham News offers tips on how to avoid drowning in debt.

Financial literacy tips

http://www.flickr.com/photos/betsssssy/ / CC BY 2.0

College students are learning financial literacy, reports The Los Angeles Times. Even if you've already graduated -- or never went to college at all -- it's not too late. And The Easy Budget is one step toward achieving that goal. Download your copy for just $3.50 today.

10 ways to save money

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vinish/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

SmartMoney.com offers 10 ways to save money in 2010, and that makes your Easy Budget even easier. Check out their list here.