Posts Tagged ‘personal finance’

Saving Money in 2010 Family Guide – Part 4

March 30th, 2010

Save Money on Bills

In previous blogs I pointed out some ideas that will help families save money with their grocery bills, entertainment and dining out bills, and much more. Today I am going to focus on the “fixed bills” – the ones you can not get rid of such as utilities and more. If you missed the previous posts please take some time and read them here.

How to Save Money on Your Phone Bill…

  1. First thing you need to do is decide if your household needs both traditional and cellular phones.  Many modern households have done away with landlines and have gone strictly mobile, unless you absolutely have to ditch the land line.
  2. If you do want separate mobile and house phones consider the Magic Jack.  I know the thing looks like a TV gimmick but it’s really a VOIP that uses your internet connection to place calls and can save you tons of money on your phone bill.  You can replace your phone bill and pay less than $30 a year. » Read more: Saving Money in 2010 Family Guide – Part 4

Ways to Save Money in 2010 – Part 2

March 11th, 2010

Save Money at the Grocery Store

A few days back I started a series of posts highlighting ways to save money in the new year. It is a more of a family guide to savings more than a list of unrelated and irrelevant corner cutting techniques.

In the first post I have talked about saving money in your commute/ automobile budget area and if you missed it you can read that post here.

Today I’m gonna cover one of the largest expense that a family budget has – food.

Saving Money on Food

Saving on Groceries:

  • Never go to the grocery store without a list. This is the best way to control impulse buying, buying unnecessary things, things you already have or even worst not getting what your family needs.
  • Coupons, Coupons and More Coupons. Having a list also allows you to look in the paper for coupons you will needs. Group them together with your list and it will make using coupons and saving money a breeze.  Don’t just settle for the coupons you get in your bulk mail, do a search online or visit manufacturer’s websites and see what they have. There is not one time that I have went to Goya’s website (a specialty food manufacturer I tend to buy a lot) and not find a good recipe or a great coupon. » Read more: Ways to Save Money in 2010 – Part 2

Ways to Save Money in 2010 – A Family Guide

March 5th, 2010

Saving Money in 2010

A sluggish economy, even worst employment market and an escalating national debt all add up to one thing – it’s time we all find ways to save money. Personal finance is at the forefront of everyone’s mind these days and saving money is probably the most important topic at the family dinner table.
Most find it impossible to cut down spending but that is only because they are looking in the wrong places. Nowadays it is time to be creative when it comes to saving money, it’s time to be informed and well educated about the choices you have.

As a rule of thumb each and every household should have a budget. It’s how fortune 500 companies operate and it’s how your family should too. Get a list of your bills and expenses for each month ( in the business world those are your liabilities). Also put together a list of your salary and all other revenue sources (much like a company has an income chart). This will be able to paint a pretty good picture of where you are financially and what you have to work with. » Read more: Ways to Save Money in 2010 – A Family Guide

Small Business Unemployment on the Rise

February 28th, 2010

Small Business Unemployment on the Rise

With unemployment at a 26 year high at 10.2%, its no wonder that DC movers and shakers are starting to focus more attention on small business owners.

Statistics supplied by ADP (and reported by CNN) show that small businesses (businesses with less than 50 employees) cut 68,000 jobs in the last quarter of 2oo9. A huge portion of the total 5.3 million jobs lost this year alone was due to the 2 million jobs lost in small business.

With challenges such as small business loans drying up, SBA subsidies running out, and other small business financial institutions going bankrupt, it will be harder to recover those lost jobs. In fact, large banks have axed close to $10 billion dollars in small business lending. » Read more: Small Business Unemployment on the Rise

How to Get Credit Cards for Poor Credit

February 13th, 2010

Credit Cards for Bad Credit

I will preface this blog with the following: “Credit cards are not for everyone and they are the fastest route to becoming in debt to banks and a poor credit score”! If one is already in the red with their personal finances, a credit card is not a good idea to start with. I was told by my father, a few days after I came to America, that “If you can not buy it now with cash, what makes you think you’re going to have the money 30 days later?”. That stuck with me since and I can say that I was lucky enough to not have those horrifying stories most had with credit cards.

That having been said, and you must really have a credit card even if your credit score is so poor then lets see what is the best way to get one.

1. Find credit cards designed specifically for people with bad credit. These credit cards will typically have a higher interest rate than normal credit cards because lower credit scores are inherently riskier. » Read more: How to Get Credit Cards for Poor Credit

Reasons Why Coupons Are Still a Great Way to Save

February 10th, 2010

Courtesy Associated Press

With all the buzz in our daily lives, one begs the question, “who has times to clip coupons and for what – save a dollar on cat food or some off brand detergent?“. Well guys, The Wall Street Journal published a great article  with in depth statistics and numbers on the matter of coupons. According to the article, surprisingly a lot of families! More and more Americans are going back to the coupon – mostly due to the American depression we are in. Last year alone the american people have used 3.3 billion coupons a staggering 27% rise since 2008, while online coupon redemption have rose by more than 360 %.

So why is the “Great American Coupon” so popular again?
To answer that question one would have to first find out why have they ever fell out of style. Answer is really common sense – you have to collect a bunch of fliers from your mailbox, read every single one and find items you usually buy, remember to bring those coupons with you at the store when you go shopping and remember to also use them at the cash register. I for one have done all except for remembering to use them at the cash register and only realizing it when I get home and empty my pockets :) . Well not much of what I wrote about has changed nor will it ever change, so then again why did we as a nation increase the use of coupons so dramatically?
Let’s deal with this in the old fashioned way – simple math.
According to Inmar Inc, the largest coupon processing agent in U.S., the average savings per coupon is $1.44. » Read more: Reasons Why Coupons Are Still a Great Way to Save

Easy Home Budget Tips

February 8th, 2010

When you’re trying to save for the future and still manage to eat, it can be tough to find that right balance. We all need to plan ahead and having a savings account really is essential. This can be a cushion or that “rainy day” money that you need, and it is never too late to start putting away money towards your retirement. However, a lot of us can get bogged down when it comes to handling our own finances and it is all too easy to be like the grasshopper in Aesop’s Fables and put it off until tomorrow.

You can’t put off saving for your future until tomorrow, because there is a good chance you’ll keep putting it off until you wake up one day and it’s too late. However, there are a few easy tips that you can use to start saving for your future today. » Read more: Easy Home Budget Tips

Related Posts with Thumbnails