December will be the last month we do the Gas Card Giveaway, but we’re coming back in 2009 in spectacular fashion. Be sure to stick with us for our next great contest and of course more great money saving tips for the new year. Make sure you earn as many tickets as you can, so you can benefit from $25 gas money!

Contest Rules:

The rules are simple. Each visitor has two ways of entering the contest.

1. 5 Entry Tickets: Link in a blog post on your site the words ’save gas articles’ with the following link: http://www.savemoney.com/transportation/gasoline.html. It should appear like this: save gas articles.
2. 1 Entry Ticket: Subscribe to the Save Money Blog’s RSS feed via email. The signup box on the right column makes this process very simple. Only verified emails count - so be sure to respond to the initial email.

Each person can gain up to 6 entry tickets!

On January 1st we will tabulate the contest entries, assign a number to each one, and visit the random.org number generator to select the winner. The winner will be mailed a gas card for $25 or given an equal amount via Paypal. Anyone in the world can win, just follow our easy steps to enter today!

The government has been ripe with bailout money lately, passing it out like candy to trick-or-treaters. The financial times have hit home in a big way. Wouldn’t it be great if you didn’t qualify for the stimulus check in 2007, if you could in 2008? According to a Yahoo.com article, that is the reality of the tax law.

Under the economic-stimulus law, which was enacted in February, eligibility for this tax break is based on your income and other factors, such as family size, as reported on your federal income-tax return for either 2007 or 2008, says Mark Luscombe, principal tax analyst at CCH, a Wolters Kluwers business. [Source: Yahoo]

Many have lost jobs this year due to the economic downturn. The reality is those people will probably benefit from the way the tax law was written for the stimulus check.

There are those too who maybe had a mistake on their 2007 tax returns, which caused them to lose their stimulus check. These types of problems were bound to happen. Unfortunately the IRS didn’t allow for amended returns to be considered for the stimulus check. Those who found they didn’t get a check will have to file a special form that should be available with all 1040s next year.

Congress has reportedly been considering another stimulus check. The economic crisis combined with a newly elected President make it all the more likely for this to happen. How much and how soon remains a mystery. We’ll be sure to update everyone as soon as we hear about it.

So if unfortunate times have fallen on you and your family, you can at least find solace in the fact you might benefit from a stimulus check either from last year or the future one. This may not be the good news many Americans were hoping for, but at least it’s a start.

Time is closing in fast on April 15th. This means many of you may be scrambling to finish your 2007 taxes. At Save Money.com we have articles focusing on saving you money on your taxes. Do you want to file your taxes online? The IRS site has a free file service for those who qualify.

If your adjusted gross income was $54,000 or less in 2007, you can use Free File to prepare and e-file your taxes online. If you need more time to file your return, some companies also offer free preparation and e-filing for Extensions (Form 4868). [Source: IRS.gov site]

So if you qualify why not use their service. We have compiled a few other helpful tips to make your date with the tax man less difficult.

1. Before you begin crunching numbers, pull all your 2007 tax forms, including your W-2s, 1099s, 1098s, and receipts. Once you have everything in front of you, the online forms should be easier to fill out.
2. Use the Free File service from the IRS if you can. We also have a list of links available under Taxes on our Resource page.
3. Look over your previous year’s taxes to see acquaint yourself with what you did last year. Examples are our greatest teachers.
4. Consider using the direct deposit method to receive your 2007 tax return. The service grants you quick access to your refund check. The difference could mean a couple weeks to a month’s time.
5. If you earned less than $12,590, then you may be eligible for an earned income credit. This credit means you receive money even if you are not owed any in a refund.

If you’ve waited til the last minute, and realize you cannot file on time, then you can ask for an extension. If you have everything in order, you may save some money and receive a little back this year. Good luck to you all!