• Long-term short-term loans. Payday loans are meant to be short term--a couple of weeks at most. But many lenders will be only too happy to let you stretch out your loan's payback date, since it means they can keep charging interest. Make sure you know exactly how much a late repayment will cost you before accepting this kind of arrangement.

Beating Online Payday Loan Lenders at Their Own Game: Tips

• Take advantage of no-interest payday loans for new customers, just as long as you are absolutely sure you can pay them back on time or they'll go from free to expensive. After all, biggest risk for any kind of cash advances are enormous fees if you don’t pay on time. If you can avoid paying interest, your problems are mostly solved.

• Make sure your online payday cash advance or loan lender is legit. Check to see whether lender is a member of Better Business Bureau--the site will display logo prominently if business is a member.

• Before you get your payday advance, create a quick budget for how you are going to pay loan when it is due. Take into account any additional bills or expenses that will come up between now and payback day—and between payback day and your next pay check.

• Mark payback due date on your calendar, your computer at home, your computer at work, your cellphone, your refrigerator magnets--you get idea. Online payday loans only become risky and expensive when you don't pay on time.

• Compare lenders' annual interest rates and fees. Make sure you know exact cost of repaying loan so you can make an accurate comparison.

You have to do your research if you want to get a good payday loan, but thanks to internet, that's one part of payday loans that's actually easy.

How Much Car Debt Can You Afford?

1) Make a list of your average monthly non-car expenses, and subtract them from your earnings. ____your monthly after-income-tax income -___any other taxes -___housing (including any fees and property taxes, and utilities) -___food -___health insurance or HMO -___life insurance -___debt payments -___401 (k), IRA, or other long-term savings -___short-term savings -___telephone, cellular phone, cable, internet, etc. -___entertainment and fun stuff (be honest!) -___cost of yearly vacation(s) divided by 12 -___other expenses

= ____what you can spend on a car

2) Subtract your monthly car-related expenses from amount you have left over from your other expenses.

___What you can spend on a car (from above) -___Amount you’re spending per month on gas (raise or lower this figure depending on whether you are getting a car with higher or lower gas mileage). -___Monthly maintenance (remember: your new car won’t stay new long, so maintenance will be an issue). -___Monthly insurance (remember that for a new car, your insurance premiums may go up). -___Tax. = ____ Maximum monthly loan payment.

Now plug number above into a vehicle loan rate calculator to figure out big of a car loan, and how much interest you can afford.

Final Hidden Auto Loan Danger: Unnecessarily High Rates

If you simply take first loan dealer offers you, you are probably paying too much. Do some comparison shopping on internet, and bring a list of best loans with you when you negotiate loan terms with dealer.

Don’t let dealer cheat you by shifting cost from car loan to car price to deal on your trade-in. Make sure you get a good deal overall.

Congratulations! You now are far better prepared to stay out of an auto loan money pit than vast majority of car buyers. Now you’re ready to go shopping for a loan.