It’s easy to promise that we won’t spend excess money as we’re sequestered away in our living rooms, relaxing in our easy chairs. But when we’re standing within arm’s reach of the best-looking jacket we’ve ever seen, well, that easy chair promise seems so very far away. That jacket has jumped into our psyches and hit directly on the hard-to-ignore impulse button.

Hey, there’s nothing wrong with rewarding yourself once in awhile with an off-the-chart purchase. After all, you keep your nose to the grindstone; a little reward can be in order. The problem steps in when that reward becomes more of a standard practice, happening on a regular basis. Your budget could suffer, which in turn means you could suffer down the road.

The object here is to put some real clamps on impulse buying. But how? The peeps at Freeintenyears.com have some tips.

Aunt Jeanne already has enough cowhide-themed knick-knacks in her kitchen, and your brother doesn’t really need another tool. What to get them this time around? How about the gift of choice? Give them a pre-paid Visa gift card from Vantage, and they can choose whatever they want from just about anywhere they want it.

East St. Louis. Florissant. Sunset Hills. Warrenton. Vantage has a presence throughout the St. Louis Metro area. We’ve been entrenched in the community for over 55 years now, and we consider ourselves lucky to be in a position to give back, whether through donations or services. Here are just a few things we’re proud of:

When it comes to the average amount of debt in U.S. households, our credit card balances are behind only mortgages ($149,782) and student loans ($34,703). American consumers are in debt to the tune of over $11 TRILLION, with just under half carrying a credit card balance, with an average balance of over $15,000*.

If we take the average credit card balance for U.S. households ($15,000) and attach the average interest rate (around 14%), according to Bankrate.com’s Credit Card Calculator, the minimum payment (at 2% of your balance) would be $300.

According to the Farmers’ Almanac, the winter of 2012-13 will bring colder-than-normal temperatures to our region. Is your family’s wardrobe ready for the chill of Old Man Winter? Winter clothing can get expensive, but we’ve found some tips from thefamilywallet.com on how to save money on winter clothing.

Well here it is, October. Already. Fall is officially cooling down a long, hot summer, and the holidays are lining up to take us through the New Year. Some serious shopping will be here soon (if it hasn't already started for some), but don't jump the gun on select items you may have your eyes on. October is just not the month to get the best buys on many items. So in the spirit of saving you some money, let's take a look at stuff you'll want to hold off on buying until prices hit more budget-friendly levels.

So you were hurrying to work, late for a meeting, and you backed out of the driveway a little too quickly...YIPE! YIPE! YIPE! It’s all right, Gizmo is going to be fine...after a hefty vet bill. And you were just getting ahead financially. Sheesh. File it under “Life Happens.”

Kids. Car trouble. Spending spree. Unexpected illness. Yes, life happens, with or without our consent. It’s filled with twists and turns, many times with expenses for which we haven’t planned.

And when life happens, everyone has a story to tell.