Cheap Gas Means More Cash! 8 Smart Ways to Use it!

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Jennifer Hernandez Senior Loan Officer The Hernandez Team NMLS# 5144972500 CityWest Blvd., Suite 750 Houston, TX 77042 Office: 713-579-3600 Mobile: 713-446-7791 my website   Cheap gas means more cash: 8 smart ways to use it! Thanks to lower gas prices, we all have more cash. Here are some smart things to do with it. 1. Protect your identity. Hackers, scammers, and identity thieves have greatly increased their activities on the Internet. Buy a good cross-cut shredder for around $100, and shred all papers with vital info such as account numbers once you no longer need them. You may also want to subscribe to a credit monitoring service to check activity on your accounts. 2. Buy a home safe. Security is important offline too. A fireproof safe is a secure place to store important documents, such as wills, birth and marriage certificates. 3. Create a will. Spend some of your extra money to craft this important document. If you die without a will, state law divvies up your estate. 4. Beef up your homeowner's insurance. Standard policies usually don't cover things like sewer backups or give you the liability limits you may need. Talk to your insurance advisor about upgrading. 5. Get a tablet computer. A tablet is lighter and cheaper than a laptop, yet lets you do many of the same things–surf the Web, email, check social media and videos, watch movies and TV shows. Available online for as little as $99. 6. Buy discounted gift cards. Go to gift card resale sites that buy and sell unwanted cards for less than face value. Get cards for online and offline retailers you regularly use. 7. Purchase a scanner. It lets you make digital copies of photos you have only as prints. This makes it easy to organize and share with family and friends. Good ones start around $200. 8. Add to your savings. The best thing to do with any extra money is to add it to a savings or investment account. Putting away just a little more money each month quickly adds up to what you may need for a home down payment, educational costs, or a major purchase.