Payday Loans Blog

Thanksgiving recipes that are a great option for any vegetarian. Vegetarian lasagna is a great meal for any day, which makes it even better for Thanksgiving. This variation is from the classic red sauce version of lasagna. Visit theveggietable.com and find out what other suggestions they have to help you out with your Holiday feasts.

Serves: 8  Prep Time: 1hr 15min 

Ingredients:

1 pound lasagna noodles

2-3 c Italian tomato sauce

2 small or one large zucchini, grated

1/2-1 pound ricotta cheese

3 large bunches spinach, washed and stemmed

1 pound mozzarella cheese, grated or thinly sliced, your choice

1/2 pound provolone cheese *optional

Instructions:

Bring the tomato sauce to a boil, stir in the zucchini and cook for about 5 min. Ladle some of the sauce into the baking dish and spread it around until the bottom of the dish is lightly coated. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place noodles in the bottom of the pan, break the noodles if need be to make a single layer. (Pre-cooking isn't necessary but recommended). Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese lightly over the noodles and about 1/3 of the spinach on top of that. Put another 1/3 of the mozerella cheese on top of that and then a little more tomato sauce. Repeat this process twice and garnish with a light spreading of cheese.  Bake for about an hour or until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling.

To garnish your ever shrinking finances, come in to Check City or visit us online. We offer you fast, and affordable payday and title loans, and a way to get money for your unwanted gold with our new gold program!

Here are some winter date ideas, or things you can do on your own, to avoid the cold weather blues.

1.  Go Bobsledding

2.  Build an igloo or snow furniture

3.  Go Snowshoeing

4.  Catch snowflakes on your tongue (make it a contest)

5.  Go dog sledding

6.  Have a fire and roast marshmallows

7.  Yodel on a chair lift (there doesn't even have to be snow!)

8.  Find a hill and go snow tubing

9.  Have an indoor picnic

10. Have a game night

11. Go on a sleigh or carriage ride

No money for a date? Don't worry, Check city offers you plenty of options for getting money when you need it. Come into one of our locations or visit us online to learn about our new gold buying program! We also offer great rates on loans, and cash advances.  Visit us today!

 If you are still a little worried about being a little short on cash this Thanksgiving don't worry. Here are a few more tips for saving money!

1.  Save on Sides: Learn new ways to make traditional side dishes to save money.

2.  Cut costs with Drinks: Instead of buying bottled wine, buy boxed wine. You can save about 50% on costs, or go with punch, which would be even cheaper.

3.  Make your own Pie: Pumpkin pie is easy to make, is cheaper when homemade and tastes better too!

4.  Look for deeply discounted items:  Many stores have ads for items that have been deeply discounted. You can save on stuffing, green beans, and even the turkey.

5. Be aware of Price Matching: Many stores will price match. It will save you time, money and stress when you can get everything at the same store.

Check City is here for you when you need a cash advance or a loan, stop by our store today, or go to our website at http://www.checkcity.com to see if you qualify! Now you can finally worry more about the important things in life.

 

Halloween is this Saturday!  So over the next week, as you check back with us, you will be receiving Tricks and Treats on how to throw a great Halloween Party.  If money is an issue, don’t worry.  Go to checkcity.com today to see how you can cash your latest payday check, or even get a cash advance.

Monday- Overview and Top 10 Scary Movies of All Time

Tuesday – Decorations

Friday- Safe Trick-or-Treating, Treats and Tricks

Saturday (Before 10 am MST)-The Main Course, Costumes

The state of Virginia has announced they plan to compete with payday loans. Virginia said it will offer six-month loans of $100 to $500 to state employees facing financial difficulties according to the Governor.

These loans will have a 24.99% APR and no late fees or credit checks. Borrowers will be required to take an online financial course and a brief financial literacy exam.

The good news for Virginia is that they are only offering this to state employees. The reason? They would learn the hard way why payday lenders operate the way they do. Of course, they can ignore all the laws about collections and simply take whatever payments they want from teh state employee's paycheck.

But this begs the question- why only offer these to state employees? If there's clearly this better way to operate short-term loans that doesn't cost as much to the borrower, why haven't other lenders jumped on this competitive advantage? Why doesn't the state offer loans to all?

The reason is because they know an operation of this sort cannot survive as a business. That is why loans are only offered to state employees. That way no one can ever default on their loan, because the lender and employer are one in the same. The employer/lender needs simply garnish the wages of the borrower, and they get their money back.

And that is why these loans are not offered across the board to the should-be-infuriated citizens of Virginia. Pretty pathetic this blatant display of how payday loans simply cannot survive under those terms. Now maybe people are seeing the reason the APR is so high- real lenders have to account for defaults. Virginia does not.

Our friends at the Center for Responsible Lending have taken aim at payday loans yet again. Their newest study, Phantom Demand, is really a piece of work. They claim demand for payday loans is exaggerated.

Their major findings say that a majority of payday loans originate shortly after a previous loan is paid back, three of four loans are generated in a debt trap and households caught up in this pay an extra $3.5 billion in fees each year. Pretty lofty accusations.

You know what they say about assuming- it makes an ass of you and me. Well CRL, guess what you look like right now? Data is data, and if they say most loans originate shortly after another is paid off, then I believe them.

It's that fuzzy part after where I have a problem. You see, just because someone gets another loan one, two or three days after paying off a previous loan, it doesn't mean they are in some kind of debt trap. Unfortunately for CRL, no borrower is ever asked what the money is for. So they are merely guessing at intent.

But can we expect any less from the CRL? These buffoons throw out their "research" which is nothing but politically motivated bias. They make me want to puke. Payday loans, when used properly, hurt no one. Why not go after the products that when used properly are harmful? How about cigarettes? No potential for good there.

The people that unjustly fight against something have the most to gain from its demise. I wonder the CRL is standing to gain from all of this. Hopefully we never see the day when payday loans are outlawed and our freedom to choose options for ourselves is taken away from us. Then we might have two people responsible for our financial crisis running the lending industry...

Wisconsin is the latest victim of the crusade against payday loans. Lawmakers introduced a bill that would limit annual interest rates at 36% for payday lenders. This would effectively put them out of business and end payday lending is Wisconsin.

But be careful what you wish for. There are about 500 payday lenders operating in Wisconsin. Pull them out, and two things will happen. First, a lot of people will lose their jobs. Seems like rising unemployment wouldn't be a good thing.

Second, people with bad credit, the poor and others would lose their access to credit. Those with bad credit and those with low incomes are considered liabilities by banks and credit unions. These people cannot get credit from anywhere except payday lenders. Take that away and what does that leave these people?

But of course, far be it from the liberal left to ever consider consequences for actions. No, better to act now and think later. That's the liberal way. These whackos think they are doing people a favor, when its the exact opposite.

Why is it that the people most adamant about banning payday loans are those who have never used them? Why are our biggest critics those who don't need our services? Why don't they ever poll actual payday loan borrowers?

Because they know what would happen. Payday loan borrowers don't want to see a ban on payday loans. They need access to short-term credit. Over 90% of repeat borrowers pay their loans back on time. This isn't some crazy debt cycle our critics want you to believe.

Ask the people that would be affected what they want to have happen. Only let those who use payday loans or have used payday loans vote and see if they choose to ban payday loans. Now ask yourself all you lawmakers, are you really representing the people in your zeal to outlaw payday loans?

Everyone who is outspoken in this country seems to be a critic of payday loans. It seems the only people in favor of payday loans are the ones who sell them. But that's what the critics want you to think.

Their bullying tactics have gone on for too long. It is time for payday loan borrowers around the country to stand up and say enough is enough! Anyone speaking on behalf of payday loans is instantly branded as a loan shark and hater of the poor and minorities.

Look at Chris Dodd for example. A Senator attends a fundraising dinner where some members of OLA are present. He gets shredded to bits in the media for it. Now just being in the same room as payday lenders is enough to incur their wrath.

The only way to stop this is for borrowers out there to stand up together and tell their politicians that payday loans are not the brainchild of Satan. They need to tell their representatives that payday lenders are not devils in disguise. They need to tell people that payday loans, when used responsibly, can be a lifesaver.

There's not enough balance on this issue. Everyone is quickly led away through lies and deception into believing that payday loans are terrible things. The millions of borrowers who use them responsibly might have something else to say about that.

So contact your local representatives and senators. Tell them to lay off payday loans.

There seems to be no end to the ignorant people who have misused payday loans in this country. Good Morning America is looking to run a documentary on payday loans and found a few sad stories to make their case.

I have to admit, this is one of my favorite quotes of all time in regards to payday loans. This is classic uneducated borrower. Oddly, the story comes from someone over the age of 65, a demographic that makes up less than 5% of payday loan borrowers, but I digress...here is her quote:

"Things was tough. I needed money so, that's what I had to do. I wasn't getting enough."

This woman was surviving on a $575 social security check each month. Since she felt that was not enough money, she thoguht borrowing some more against her next paycheck was a good idea. Low and behold, when the next check came, she could afford the loan fees plus her other bills. How odd.

I've heard of many abuses of payday loans, but using them as another source of income is the most downright ridiculous thing I have ever heard. You aren't making enough money so borrowing a high-interest, short-term loan is going to help increase your income somehow? Wow...

Its examples like this that prove the payday loan critics wrong. They use far out examples, people who don't accurately represent the average payday loan borrower at all. I would love for the CRL to do a survey of all payday loan borrowers who have used at least two payday loans before. Ask them how they feel about payday loans.

But no, instead we're stuck with the sad sob stories of those who misused payday loans as propaganda to convince the public about how awful they are. This tactic is despicable and deplorable. Only the truth should be used in debates and arguments. Critics don't have any to back their case, so they invent some.

The Truth in Lending Act requires all payday lenders to be honest and up front about their fees and terms. People are well aware of what they are getting themselves into. Those that do and regret it later have only themselves to blame. It is not the role of the lender to pry about every detail of the borrower's personal life to make sure they will definitely pay back the loan.

We expect people to be smart enough and responsible enough with their money to use it wisely. That means only borrowing a payday loan if they know they can pay it back. We urge all lawmakers to keep payday loans as an option for people who want the freedom to choose different financial products.