Posts Tagged ‘ saving money ’

Five tips for sticking to a budget

08/05/2012
By
planning_budget

There are many things that eat up our money on a daily basis – phone bills, car insurance renewals and calling out the plumber when the boiler goes bust. Unexpected expenses, twinned with daily spending can sometimes lead to a state of panic and a feeling that there’s no other way out but to borrow from the bank – or your mum. However, if you create a budget and document your spends, you can be prepared for life’s unexpected hurdles. Here are five tips to keep you motivated to stay on the savings wagon. Focus on savings Recognise how much of your income you can save each month and have it debited into your savings account on pay-day. This way, there will be little to no temptation to spend as it won’t be in the account you use regularly for long. Even if the amount you save differs each...

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How to Better Manage Your Finances

23/04/2012
By
manage_your_finances

With the economy upside down, so are many people’s bank accounts. If you are willing to take a grip of it, it can easily be turned around. Managing your money is all about living within your means, defining budgets and spending plans and sticking to it. We take a look at some of the things you can do to better manage your finances and stay in the black! Credit Cards Credit cards are great if you pay them off in full each month, otherwise you are likely to be charged large amounts of interest. If you already have credit cards with a balance on them look at getting yourself a balance transfer card to give you some ‘interest free’ time. Then setup a monthly standing order for an affordable amount, which will get the card paid off before the interest free deal ends. Avoid Store Cards These really will...

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Is the Low Cost of Fast Food Worth the Price?

09/04/2012
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Fast Food Worth the Price

The eternal debate over whether it’s cheaper to stay at home and prepare your own food versus going out to a restaurant does not appear to have lost any ground. In fact, the rise of online social networking usage among Americans has only managed to propagate the flames of discussion. Food and money are two of the most talked-about topics in the social media realm. People love to share their thoughts about the intersection of culinary and monetary topics. General wisdom has always championed the art of saving money by staying home. The rationale behind this belief mostly applies to Western nations where free market philosophies and capitalism have taken root. It makes sense to think this way since it can be assumed that, as a business enterprise, a restaurant solely exists to make money by luring hungry people out of their homes. A family of four can stay...

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Seven Top Tips for Managing Your Day-to-Day Finances

22/03/2012
By
manage your finance

Managing your finances can be a challenging task, particularly if you are living on a limited budget. It may seem as though you have already spent each paycheck before you even receive it. Fortunately, there are seven simple strategies you can use to more effectively manage your finances and avoid the stress of financial emergencies. 1) Forecast Income and Expenses at the Beginning of Each Month Documenting income and expenses may seem like a common sense way to manage finances, but relatively few consumers take the time to complete this task each month. Forecasting your bills, discretionary expenses, and earnings at the beginning of each month will give you a clear picture of where your money will go. Use a spreadsheet to document household income, including dates when you or your spouse will receive paychecks. Income documentation should also include money derived from sources other than a job, such...

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Is Extreme Couponing For Real?

19/03/2012
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Couponing For Real

The TLC show Extreme Couponing is back on the air this week, and while it’s great to bring attention to helping people save money particularly in this economy – it’s not right to give them unrealistic expectations. The show depicts people who are getting tons of merchandise for free. But really, who needs 25 bottles of mustard at a time? If you read any of the established couponing blogs that are out there, you’ll find many of them say that this idea of extreme couponing isn’t the best way to go about saving your family money. It’s true that using coupons will produce savings, but who has 60+ hours a week to spend searching for, clipping and organizing coupons? It’s also unrealistic to expect that using coupons will always lead to free stuff. This just isn’t true, despite what you see portrayed on Extreme Couponing. Most coupon users pay for...

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Five Gadgets That Reduce Your Household Bills

28/02/2012
By
save-money

One of the biggest drains on our personal finances, our household incurs numerous upkeep costs. As economic conditions have worsened, the vast majority of Brits have been left facing a crippling amount of monthly bills with very little income. This has made budgeting and financial control far more important for the average household and finding ways to reduce these bills is now a priority. Luckily, recent advances in technology have developed a number of fantastic gadgets offering consumers many ways to reduce their household bills. 1. Smart Plugs According to figures from the BBC, un-plugging chargers when they are no longer in use would save enough electricity to power 115,000 homes each year. This makes latent energy consumption one of the main causes of large household bills. To address this problem there are many things which consumers can do. Alongside adapting how you charge and use your appliances you...

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Ways To save Money In 2012

21/02/2012
By
save-money

Money is tight for many individuals and families this year and everybody is looking for easy ways to save some money. Everybody could use a few extra dollars at the end of the month to spend on groceries, medical bills, cell phones and entertainment. By making a few financial adjustments, you can squeeze a few extra dollars out of your paycheck every month. You do not have to miss out on entertainment and necessities to save money. The best way to save money is to keep track of the money you make and spend each month. Begin with the smallest expenses first. The smallest expenses are typically the easiest to eliminate. Look at your cell phone bill, for example. Examine each part of the plan and look for a way to eliminate paying the portions of the plan you are not using. If you only talk on the phone...

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Money Management is Important When Saving Money

01/02/2012
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money management

It’s is important to save money by managing money so that we can enjoy financial freedom in the future. Perhaps, you are just realizing how imperative it is to manage money wisely. If you’re a beginner, then are few simple tips that are easy to implement and will lead on the fast track to saving money. Money Management List Put together a list of your goals and of the reasons why you want to manage your money better. In order to gain motivation, you need to know why you’re doing this. Know that this is positive step forward and being able to manage money is a very valuable skill. Take Inventory Next, gather all your bills and receipts and spread them out. Take note of where your money is going. If you notice that too much of money is being wasted on trivial purchases, then change the way that...

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5 Money Saving Tips for Buying Groceries

29/12/2011
By
Buy Groceries

Saving money is important, but it takes more than just tucking away a portion of your paycheck to really be successful at it. Cutting corners to reduce your monthly bills, as well as other measures, such as spending less at the grocery store, are equally important. Here are some tips and hints to help you keep costs down when you head out to do your food shopping. Use Coupons You don’t have to be an extreme couponing master to take advantage of the money saving opportunities found in coupons, which can really make a significant difference in the total amount you spend at the grocery store. Your first, and often best, resource for coupons is still the Sunday edition of your local newspaper, but don’t forget to look into rewards programs and bonus shopping cards that might be offered by your favorite stores, and also check online for printable...

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How to Keep Money in Your Pocket

19/12/2011
By
Save Money

The economy is forcing people to pay more attention to spending. Deciding if an item is a need or a want is hard, but necessary. Nobody likes to have to choose between paying a bill or buying a collectible, it’s just a sign of the times, so to speak. Follow these plans to keep the most money you can in your pocket! 1. Plan Your Day Taking a few minutes to plan a shopping trip can save money on gas. Decide what stores you really need to visit. If you have another appointment in the same town, try to schedule them the same day. Plan out your route to limit the amount of traveling between points. 2. Check Ads Coupons are a major craze today. Clippers accumulate dozens of the small slips of paper each week. While it seems 50 cents off a loaf of bread seems hardly worth...

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