How to Set a Budget
If you are living pay check to pay check and are always trying to scrape pennies for your extra coffee, you can stop without having to get a second job or changing your living situation. All it takes is setting a budget to see where you are at financially. This is an easy task to do and will let you have a realistic view of how to change your living situation.
1. Figure out exactly how much you make per month. This is simple if you have a pay check that comes in once a month. Add in your partners, if needed as well. If you have any extra, steady cash that comes in, make sure that you add this as well.
2. Grab all of your bills and add them up. You will want to have two lists with this one. The first is the individual amounts of what you pay per month. The second will be how much you owe total on all of them. Make sure that you have totals for all of the payments you have made.
3. Add up extra spending money that you have. Be sure to include food, entertainment and all of the other things that you love to do. Then, add this up with the bills that you have.
4. Take the amount of payments you have and subtract it from the amount of money that you have coming in. That is how much you should be spending on ‘the extras’ every month. If you are with a positive number, congratulations. You can keep up on your payments and it will probably be wise to save some of the extra cash every week or over pay on your bills - just in case.
5. If you are in a negative number, it’s time to figure out where you need to cut back. You may need to wipe out some of your bills or find ways to re-consolidate it. Or, you may need to cut back on the entertainment for a while until you get into the positive. If you cut and paste a little, you can figure out how to move back into the positive number.
It’ just that simple. You don’t need an accountant or a miracle in order to keep up with your bills. Figure out where you are spending and how much you should be spending and everything will be back to normal.
Pay Attention to the Little Things
When you’re searching for housing, location, price, and whether or not you can bring your cat are often high up on the priority list. One of the things that many people overlook is the condition of the apartment or house. Since utility bills are quickly reaching unheard of highs, below are some questions you can ask the landlord before you move in that can save you hundreds of dollars in heating, cooling, and water bills later on:
(1) Is the house all gas, gas and electric, or all electric?
(2) Ask the landlord if they can tell you what the previous renters paid for utilities in January and August, two of the coldest and hottest months of the year.
(3) Are the windows new? Do they have screens? Do they latch properly? (Drafty windows really rack up the heating bills in the winter)
(4) Is the attic (if there is an attic) insulated? An uninsulated attic is a heat (and therefore money) sucker.
(5) How old are the heating and cooling units? Older appliances aren’t as efficient and will cost you more money to use than newer units.
(6) What type of thermostat is installed in the house? A new digital thermostat is relatively inexpensive but can save a lot of money simply because you’re able to be more specific with the temperature.
(7) Does the utility company that provides service to the apartment or house offer payment plans? These plans allow you to pay the same amount every month. This can help prevent those surprise bills at unexpected or inconvenient times.
(8) Does the house or apartment come with a washer and dryer? Paying to do laundry at a laundromat can cost you $10 or more a week while doing a load of laundry in your house will only add up to about $40 for the year.
(9) How old is the house or apartment? It’s a simple, known fact that older constructions are more drafty. The newer the place, the tighter everything should be.
Hope these tips will help you prepare when you’re searching for a new place to live!
10 Money Saving Grocery Shopping Tips
A Little Homework
Planning before you head off to the supermarket will help you shop more economically. Take the time to do a quick inventory of your kitchen to determine the food that you need. Prepare your shopping list and make notations of applicable coupons that you may want to use. Read the newspaper and circulars for the best deals.
Choosing the Right Store
For basic grocery needs many grocery stores now offer excellent product and price selection, frequent shoppers programs, and double coupon days. However, for bulk buying, you may want to tackle the warehouse clubs or superstores. Non-perishable items are often at unbeatable prices at these types of stores. For the best prices on health and beauty products, check the national drugstore chains and superstores.
Eat First!
Grocery stores know the power of the sweet smell of freshly baked bread. Just one sniff will ignite the appetite and send even the most hardened shopper down the aisle grabbing for anything that looks good. Remember, everything looks good when our stomachs are screaming, “feed me!”
Coupons, Rebates, and Frequent Shopper Programs
You can save hundreds of dollars a year by taking advantage of product incentives. Even the less enthusiastic coupon clipper can shave an average of ten percent off their bottom-line by cashing in a small handful of coupons per trip. In addition, if your store offers a frequent shopper program, why not sign-up! You will receive advanced notice of special loss leaders, double-coupon days and other money saving information.
Store Brands - Try it, You May Like it!
The days of generic type packaging and bland tasting food in store brand products is over. Companies have worked hard to improve their private-label brands and often the taste is equal to the national brands. Do not be afraid to experiment. If you find the product meets your standards, you can save an average of 40 percent off your annual grocery bill.
Setting Limits on Impulse Buying
Avoiding spontaneous shopping trips is one of the best deterrents to impulse buying. A well thought out shopping list that you stick to will help cut-down on grabbing for things that you do not need. In addition, giving yourself enough time to shop will help prevent dashing in and reaching for the first item that you come to. Setting a dollar limit for impulse buying will help soothe the craving without busting the budget.
Comparison Shopping
To determine the true value of a product, read the unit price, not just package price. The unit price information is usually on a sticker located on the shelf that holds the item. The package price only tells you the cost of the entire item. The unit price shows the cost per pound, ounce, etc. Taking a moment to compare this information in similar products will help you get the best value for your dollar. Also, be certain to check “expiration” and “use by” dates for the freshest products.
Beware of Marketing Strategies
Avoid marketing ploys designed to draw your attention to a particular product. Knowing some of the tricks of the trade will ultimately save you money. Beware of end-of-the-aisle dump bins, island displays, recipe related item placement, and “middle-shelf” items. This is typically, where higher priced and impulse products are placed.
Learn to Be a Label Reader
Reading the product label is the best way to find out more then what is advertised on the box. Ingredients are listed in order by the quantity actually used when making the product. The ingredients used the most are listed first . So for example, if you are looking for avocado dip you will want to see avocadoes listed in the first part of the ingredient list, not the last part. If you are looking to cut fat from your diet, watch being sold with words such as lite or fat-free which have a broad usage allowance. By reading the label, you can get a better idea of what the fat to calorie ratio is as well as other valuable nutritional information.
Watch the Scanner
It may mean you need to put down the magazine but this is not the place to get lax. Keeping your eyes peeled to the scanner has dual advantages. First, it will keep the cashier more alert. Secondly, it will allow you to stop the checkout process if an item is showing the incorrect price. Keeping the store circular nearby is also helpful in disputing and incorrect price. You can also ask the cashier to stop ringing while you accompany the employee to the aisle to check the price of an item.
Gas Saving Tips
The surest way you can improve your fuel cost problem is to change your motoring habits. Listed below under four categories are 30 effective methods of doing so… no need to buy expensive add-on equipment.
ENGINE WARM-UP
1. Avoid prolonged warming up of engine, even on cold mornings - 30 to 45 seconds is plenty of time.
2. Be sure the automatic choke is disengaged after engine warm up… chokes often get stuck, resulting in bad gas/air mixture.
3. Don’t start and stop engine needlessly. Idling your engine for one minute consumes the gas amount equivalent to when you start the engine.
4. Avoid “reving” the engine, especially just before you switch the engine off; this wastes fuel needlessly and washes oil down from the inside cylinder walls, owing to loss of oil pressure.
5. Eliminate jack-rabbit starts. Accelerate slowly when starting from dead stop. Don’t push pedal down more than 1/4 of the total foot travel. This allows carburetor to function at peak efficiency.
HOW TO BUY GASOLINE
6. Buy gasoline during coolest time of day - early morning or late evening is best. During these times gasoline is densest. Keep in mind - gas pumps measure volumes of gasoline, not densities of fuel concentration. You are charged according to “volume of measurement”.
7. Choose type and brand of gasoline carefully. Certain brands provide you with greater economy because of better quality. Use the brands which “seem” most beneficial.
8. Avoid filling gas tank to top. Overfilling results in sloshing over and out of tank. Never fill gas tank past the first “click” of fuel nozzle, if nozzle is automatic.
HOW TO DRIVE ECONOMICALLY
9. Exceeding 40 mph forces your auto to overcome tremendous wind resistance.
10. Never exceed legal speed limit. Primarily they are set for your traveling safety, however better gas efficiency also occurs. Traveling at 55 mph give you up to 21% better mileage when compared to former legal speed limits of 65 mph and 70 mph.
11. Traveling at fast rates in low gears can consume up to 45% more fuel than is needed.
12. Manual shift driven cars allow you to change to highest gear as soon as possible, thereby letting you save gas if you “nurse it along”. However, if you cause the engine to “bog down”, premature wearing of engine parts occurs.
13. Keep windows closed when traveling at highway speeds. Open windows cause air drag, reducing your mileage by 10%.
14. Drive steadily. Slowing down or speeding up wastes fuel. Also avoid tailgating - the driver in front of you is unpredictable. Not only is it unsafe, but if affects your economy, if he slows down unexpectedly.
15.Think ahead when approaching hills. If you accelerate, do it before you reach the hill, not while you’re on it.
GENERAL ADVICE
16. Do not rest left foot on floor board pedals while driving. The slightest pressure puts “mechanical drag” on components, wearing them down prematurely. This “dragging” also demands additional fuel usage.
17. Avoid rough roads whenever possible, because dirt or gravel rob you of up to 30% of your gas mileage.
18. Use alternate roads when safer, shorter, straighter. Compare traveling distance differences - remember that corners, curves and lane jumping requires extra gas. The shortest distance between two points is always straight.
19. Stoplights are usually timed for your motoring advantage. By traveling steadily at the legal speed limit you boost your chances of having the “green light” all the way.
20. Automatic transmissions should be allowed to cool down when your car is idling at a standstill, e.g. railroad crossings, long traffic lights, etc. Place gear into neutral position. This reduces transmission strain and allows transmission to cool.
21. Park car so that you can later begin to travel in forward gear; avoid reverse gear maneuvers to save gas.
22. Regular tune-ups ensure best economy; check owner’s manual for recommended maintenance intervals. Special attention should be given to maintaining clean air filters… diminished air flow increases gas waste.
23. Inspect suspension and chassis parts for occasional misalignment. Bent wheels, axles, bad shocks, broken springs, etc. create engine drag and are unsafe at high traveling speeds.
24. Remove snow tires during good weather seasons; traveling on deep tire tread really robs fuel!
25. Inflate all tires to maximum limit. Each tire should be periodically spun, balanced and checked for out-of-round. When shopping for new tires, get large diameter tires for rear wheels. Radial designs are the recognized fuel-savers; check manufacturer’s specifications for maximum tire pressures.
26. Remove vinyl tops - they cause air drag. Rough surfaces disturb otherwise smooth air flow around a car’s body. Bear in mind when buying new cars that a fancy sun roof helps disturb smooth air flow (and mileage).
27. Auto air conditioners can reduce fuel economy by 10% to 20%. Heater fan, power windows and seats increase engine load; the more load on your engine, the less miles per gallon.
28. Remove excess weight from trunk or inside of car - extra tires, back seats, unnecessary heavy parts. Extra weight reduces mileage, especially when driving up inclines.
29. Car pools reduce travel monotony and gas expense - all riders chip in to help you buy. Conversation helps to keep the driver alert. Pooling also reduces traffic congestion, gives the driver easier maneuverability and greater “steady speed” economy. For best results, distribute passenger weight evenly throughout car.
30. During cold weather watch for icicles frozen to car frame. Up to 100 lbs. can be quickly accumulated! Unremoved snow and ice cause tremendous wind resistance. Warm water thrown on (or hosed on) will eliminate it fast.
EXTRA TIPS
Install pressure regulator valve (sold in auto parts stores)… Use graphite motor oil… Beware of oil additives, regardless of advertising claims… Add Marvel Mystery Oil into gas fill-ups… Investigate fuel/water injection methods and products… combine short errands into one trip… Use special gas additives to prevent winter freezing of gas lines… convert your V8 engine over to a V4 - no special kits needed!!!
How to Become a Millionaire
Have you seen the “new ad” lately? Over night, you can become a millionaire! You can make thousands of dollars a day with a click of the button and without having to do hardly any work! You can have your dream vacation, live on the beach and spend time with your family.
Yeah right.
If you want to have good finances, don’t buy into what these guys are telling you. Instead, build your own way to being a millionaire.
I study millionaires a lot. Not the front guys, like Donald Trump, but the millionaires that are really living the lifestyle that they want. Without even having money, you can start to become a millionaire too. Here’s how to work your way up.
1. Be wealthy. Even if you are poor, you can find wealth in the small things and inside of yourself. One of the hard knocks that I’ve learned… whether you have money or not doesn’t make you rich. It’s how you feel that makes you wealthy. When you start to get that inner wealth, than there is a manifestation of possible money.
2. Think inside yourself, then outside of the box. Once you start seeing the inner wealth, you can physically change things. I truly believe that each of us has creativity and capabilities inside of us that help to build our own wealth. When we start finding out what we are supposed to do, that is when we become a millionaire. Then, it is just implementing it. By the way, I didn’t say it would happen over night.
3. Plan and stick. You have what you really want to do and what you are passionate about and what makes you wealthy. Now, do what you have to do in order to get there. Make some business plans, investments and start trying to find ways to build your own wealth. It could be something as simple as becoming an affiliate of a coffee shop or starting a craft business. Whatever it is, if you feel like it is right, you will be able to get to the next step.
This pattern is the one that is truly magical and will lead you to true wealth. Millionaires that grab and take - come and go. They will probably need help with finances too. But, if you are doing what you love and are passionate about, doors open and magic happens.
Here’s to your wealth!
Live Within Your Means
Money may buy “things”, but money can’t buy true happiness. Often, financial stress is the cause of many negatives in a person’s life. Even if you have lots of money, but are in debt, your situation won’t change until you learn to live within your means.
Some people take their earnings for granted. They may have a large income, but have terrible spending habits. If you spend more than you make, you will always have a financial strain.
Ways to live within your means:
Lower debts - save money by cutting down on eating out, that latte you get each morning or anything you do regularly that isn’t necessary. Put this money toward your outstanding debts.
Think before buying - before purchasing something new, think hard about why you need the item. Will it only add more clutter to your home? Does it truly serve a good purpose? Unless it’s a necessary item, don’t buy.
Use money wisely - instead of throwing money away on items that don’t mean much to you, eating out more than you should or buying more clothes that you’ll never wear, put your money toward something more fulfilling. Take a class to learn something new. Take a trip to some place you’ve always dreamed of. Create positive experiences that will have lasting memories.
Create a budget - create a budget and stick to it. Figure out how much goes toward necessities. Be realistic about what is a necessity, such as food, utilities and what is a non-necessity, such as every tv channel available or a cell phone for every family member.
Living within your means doesn’t have to hurt. In fact, it can greatly enhance your life. But, you have to be fully aware of what you do with the money you have and the lifestyle that will bring the greatest joy into your life and weed out the financial stress.
Get Paid To Review Products and Services
I know that there are many of us who are looking for additional ways to supplement or income, or we are looking for a way that we can stay at home and be able to earn a living. I enjoy writing so I blog about freelance writing opportunities, personal finance, relationships, and life. However, if you are interested in earning money from the product and services that you use, ReviewStream.com will pay you to do so.
I joined ReviewStream.com a week about. I have written approximately 20 articles so far and have received $2.00 for each of my articles that I have submitted. Reviews submitted to ReviewStream.com are paid based upon a regular rate or a bulk rate. To receive the regular rate, reviews must be based upon your opinion and not a description. The regular rate does change and you can find that information on the website. The bulk rate is a rate in which ReviewStream pays for reviews that does not necessarily meets their criteria. The bulk rate is calculated based upon the regular rate divided by five. Currently, the bulk rate is .40.
ReviewStream.com has a referral program. The referral program works when reviewers refer people to ReviewStream.com and their reviews become published. The referring reviewer earns 1% of the rate in which the referred reviewer earned. There is also a voting program. So, if you invite someone to read your review and they vote on it, you earn .10. This is also subject to change. So I invite you to take a look at ReviewStream.com. It’s not much but every little bit helps.
Use Your Hobbies to Create Income Streams
Whether your goal is to pay off debt or build wealth, chances are you can use some of your interests to generate extra money. Some of the ways to make money with your hobbies are to offer lessons, blogging, selling arts and crafts or providing services.
If nothing else, monetizing your interests can offset the costs of enjoying them in the first place, leaving more money for an emergency fund or investments.
Etsy and Silkfair.com are two Ebay auction alternatives to look into if you’re crafty. Rather than looking for the “best deal”, customers are looking for beautiful handmade items and recognize fair prices.
Are you a hobby photographer? Look into selling microstock pictures. Prices are low and buyers pay no royalites, but you cna sell the same picture hundreds of times. One major player is IStockPhoto.com, which requires quality approval, but a search on microstock brokers will yield many results.
Selling services related to your hobby is another way to build wealth. For example, if you are an animal or nature lover, advertise on places like Craigslist for dog sitting or organic landscaping. Painters can translate their experience to mural painting and faux finishes for peoples homes. Musicians can give lessons. Are you great with computers? Or writing resumes? The possibilities are endless.
Blogging about your hobby can also yield small amounts of money that add up. Pay per post forums, paid blogging networks, or monetizing your own blog with adsense are all ways to make money online with writing. Sites like Ehow pay your for your “How to’s” via revenue share and Associated Content pays $3-$20 plus a page view bonus.
While you won’t “get rich” from most hobbies, you can enrich your life by incoporating them into other income streams. How does an extra $50 a month towards debt or savings while still being able to enjoy your interests sound? Priceless.
Money-Saving Cleaning Remedies
Save some extra money on cleaning supplies for your home with these easy home-made solutions!
Furniture Polish (so expensive at he markets):
Try 1 qt. mineral oil
10 drops lemon extract
Mix together mineral oil and lemon extract. Pour into spray bottle.
To Clean Your Drains try:
1 c. salt
1 c. soda
1/4 c. cream of tartar
Mix ingredients together. Dissolve one cup of cleaner in one cup of hot water. Put in drain. When bubbling stops, rinse drain with hot water.
Window Cleaning Solution:
1/2 c. ammonia
1 pt. rubbing alcohol
1 tsp. laundry detergent
2 qt. water
Mix the ingredients in a large bottle. Makes 2 quarts.
To Clean and Deodorize Carpets:
2 c. baking soda
1/2 c. cornstarch
4 to 5 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. cloves
Mix all ingredients together and store in a coffee can. Sprinkle on carpet and let stand for a couple of hours. Vacuum.
Try these solutions, and take the money you save and put it in a savings drawer, can, box, etc. Watch it add up, then deposit the savings in an account at your bank!
Spring Shopping Deals ( If You Have To Shop)
Even if you are on a budget that includes no shopping except for necessities, sometimes you just have to open the wallet and make a purchase. Whether it be for a wedding gift, a replacement vacuum cleaner for the one that just quit on you, or some other unexpected purchase that comes up, it might help to know which items stores will tend to put on sale in the Spring.
Cookware. Spring means graduations and weddings, so stores will be likely to have sales on everything cooking related. They figure you’ll be shopping for those presents, so make it tempting, right?
Tires and Car Care Items. April is car care month, so keep an eye out for deals on everything auto related!
June brings out the new vacuum cleaner models (did you know that?)….so if yours is ready to retire, you may be able to get a good deal between now and June.
Flowers. Different flowers can be abundant and priced at lower prices throughout the year. If you are looking to buy flowers as a gift, check out which flower seems to be prominently displayed in abundance in stores. Those will probably be the best-priced florals for your money.
Other Spring Time bargains, according to bankrate.com, are : Boats, daffodils, ham, irises and spring produce such as asparagus and broccoli.