K's best websites for managing freelance finances

I've spent a good part of the last year and a half getting my finances in order, keeping better track of bills, trying to have a longer view... So this post is unrelated to music and instead, all about the nerdy websites I've found that have really helped the cause:

1. Mint.com is invaluable. I have all of my accounts, credit, savings, debts, etc. all hooked into this free site, and in turn it analyzes my spending, lets me know when bills are due, alerts me to interest rate changes and helps me budget. I haven't racked up any accidental charges since since signing up. Plus, since all my transactions from all my accounts are categorized, this year's taxes are going to be a breeze.

2. Smartypig.com is an online savings account with a 2.15% interest rate. All I do is connect it to my checking account and have anywhere from $25 on up sucked out each month and put into Smartypig. There are no fees, and the only catch of sorts is that when I want to take money out, I have to take all of it. But that's cool, because it's designed for savings goals, in my case, long-term.

3. Billshrink.com - this one's handy for analyzing cell phone bills and figuring out what you really need. I was surprised to find out how few anytime minutes I actually use, once nights, weekends and mobile-to-mobile were taken out of the equation. I subsequently switched plans and cut down on my bill.

4. studentrate.com - not just for students. Speaking of cell phones and plans, anyone with an .edu email address can get these discounts, and some are substantial. I just switched to Sprint from Tmobile, and by using studentrate.com to make the switch, I got a $200 Sprint Evo for $125 after rebates and credits. Best of all, I get 15% off of each month's standard Sprint rate plan.

5. ibrinfo.com - a life changer for those of us with federal student loans. This new payment plan, income-based repayment, went into effect last July, but it wasn't well publicized. Turns out that you can send in a form along with last year's tax returns and potentially lower monthly payments a whole lot. IBR is a 25-year payment plan - long, I know - but after that, whatever is left is forgiven. I was on a 20-year payment plan to begin with, and this plan cut my monthly payment way down. Now I send extra payments every few months and I don't worry about the small monthly ones that get auto-debited.

6. creditkarma.com - an easy way to keep track of my credit. Its easy to use credit calculator lets you see the effects of hypothetical financial decisions, like borrowing more, or being late with a payment. It also suggests ways of improving credit.

Those are the ones that come to mind for now. Maybe I'll follow up with a second list if I remember some others or have another nerdy itch to scratch.

Well, I'm up late on a night off, tinkering with the website, new photos and video. It has been a whirlwind week or so, and I am so happy to be sitting here in a big fuzzy robe, messing with my laptop at 3am.

This past weekend we went on the road to Ohio and packed close to 25 hours of car time into a 48 hour period. It was more driving that any of us needed, but somehow we all had a really nice time, had some good barbeque, saw some bible belt small-town America. We played the Presidential Gala at Shawnee University on a nice big stage, stayed the night and headed for home. Then, following a great gig with The Big Bang Big Band on Monday, we played the 55 Bar on Wednesday back in Greenwich Village, and I kind of think that all those hours together made the music that much more cohesive and good.

It's been a good, energy-giving week for music. I hope I can hang onto that feeling. Well, goodnight for now, and thanks for reading... -K

Musings on a night off

Well, I'm almost at the end of one of my most musically eclectic months in some time. Five gigs more before it's over. I am still buzzing from the pleasure of being Dawnie Love's backup singer this past Thursday. I spend most of my time in the jazz world, and it was a great experience to work with a talented pop band. As a backup singer I got to half-watch the show from my spot on the sidelines, and by the end I was a huge fan! Happily I'll get a chance to play with them again next month at their next show. Aw yeah!

That same night, I met Brad back in Manhattan at WOR's radio station, to sing on The Joey Reynolds Show at midnight. I almost fell asleep on the couch before we went on, but as soon as we started I was wide awake and happy to be there. What a curious and interesting guy Joey Reynolds is. He comes across as a curmudgeon, and says wild, sweeping statements about anything that crosses his mind. But he is super smart and can back up everything he says. He is as honest and plain spoken a person as I have met. So, that was a nice end to the night: we played some tunes on his show and then headed for home.

And my band played last night at The 55 Bar for our monthly spot. Man, what a great place to play, and how much do I appreciate the guys I play with? More than I can say, that's for sure. They bring such a good vibe and so much good music to the table. We played some new arrangements last night, made some new fans, saw some friends. I can't wait to record again with them, and really hope that our tour plans come together.

I must admit, I'm writing this in my pajamas, at 9pm, glass of wine in hand. I am so happy for this day off! All I did was work on my website and bake cookies today :)
It's been a lot of rehearsals and new music and shows lately. Some of the prep has been for these next ones coming up, for which I have to be up to speed on all the Latin music I know and some I don't know. I like being so busy and having deadlines, and it makes having a day off extremely pleasant!