Dollars and sense in August
BY David Uffington

Let the Labor Day holiday serve as a reminder to review your finances and begin planning for the coming winter.

Summer is winding to an end, and if vacation expenses took a larger chunk of cash than you estimated, develop a plan to get credit cards paid off in the next few months.

Start watching hardware-store sales flyers for items you know you'll need for fall fix-it and winterizing projects. Carpenters and roofers have likely finished their lineup of summer work, and you might find some big discounts for work scheduled to be completed in the next month or so.

If you're looking for a house to buy, not only is it a buyer's market in many parts of the country, but Labor Day often signals the point where sellers are suddenly willing to negotiate and drop their asking price. This is especially true if you can offer a fast closing because you're pre-approved and have a lender lined up. A fast closing allows the seller to buy another house, close on that one, and get settled in a new place before the holidays at the end of the year.