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Saving Money Panic

Thanks to Roman May

I’ve recently come really concerned about saving money. I know it sounds silly but when my son was born last year I immediately started panicking about whether or not we’d have enough money to send him to college one day. I realize that’s decades away but there’s something to be said for planning ahead! I went to http://www.electriccompaniestexas.net/ambit-energy-texas/P/Palmhurst/ to look into cheaper energy companies and I talked to the bank about refinancing our mortgage. I also started selling some of our old stuff on Ebay to make some extra cash and then I began cooking more meals at home to save money there, too. We used to go out to eat far too much – we’ve all lost a little weight and I know we’re saving money! It’s nice to feel like I’m finally in control over our finances and they’re not just worrying me all the time. I was at a point where I was staying up nights worried about how low our savings account was but you know, there comes a time in everyone’s life when you just have to let go. My husband and I started talking about having a second baby and I knew when that happened I was going to have to let go even more. I can’t go through life being scared of my own shadow and being scared of money is no different. There are things you can control and things you can’t, my mom always said, and she’s right. We can control our finances but only to a point – if we don’t have enough to pay for my son’s college education then he’ll just have to figure out how to get loans and scholarships like we all did. There’s nothing special about growing up in a middle class family nowadays and I shouldn’t worry about making sure my son has everything handed to him on a silver platter. It’s good for him to work for things he want, I think, and my husband agrees.

Save Cash With a Splash - 5 Ways To Do It Right!

If you're like most small businesses today you're looking for leverage to increase the bottom line without loading up at the top. Yes, it's possible. You decide.

1) Barter Services
There are a number of ways to barter what you do or sell for what you need. There are even companies that make their living by brokering barter services and products for a percentage in the middle. For a local barter company in your area, just Google 'barter service "My Town"' to find someone local.

Let's assume you are a muffin shop with a growing customer phone room. You need to hire, but you need to furnish too -- each and every call center station. Why not barter the cubicle furniture, new or used for a few muffins or bagels per day? They're just crumbs now -- but profits a coming.

2) Interns
For entry level or even specialist tech work, why not hire an intern from you local college or trade school? You've never seen the enthusiasm that an intern can bring to your company until you hire one. They are ready to work 'day one', aren't looking for vacation time or pay and certainly add a lot to the lunch room chatter. Our youth is our future. And sometimes, just sometimes, they will become your next great employee, manager or leader. Besides, they're looking to you as a mentor. You can't go wrong on this one.

3)Expectations
Not everyone is motivated as you are. Many just need their pay check to meet their car payment. Fit your employee's needs and motivation to the job you expect them to fill. There is nothing more deleterious than to expect more than someone is willing or capable of providing.

For them, you may just be supplying the child care expenses or the extra cushion for retirement. How can you expect a hero when your employee has different needs. Edison said: “Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration". Don't expect inspiration and only get perspiration. Let's be fair. It's your job to find the geniuses.

4) Negotiate
 There is nothing honorable or purposeful in business if you don't negotiate your price for business products or services. Stand up! Negotiate! Fight for rights! That's right. For example, companies that carry your overnight deliveries, your bottled water, your coffee and recyclable shredded paper, they want your business. Don't lay down for their first offer. That's their offer to improve 'their bottom line'. It does nothing for yours. Shop around. Get bids and contract proposals. Expect that they have a better offer up their sleeve and you will usually get it. I know you just want to succeed, but so do they. And do so -- on your back. Negotiate for your survival and succeed!

5) Finance
 Never, never, never have only one banking relationship. Every bank has a bottom line and a different set of needs at different times and under different circumstances. None of which you can predict or adapt. At one moment, your 'main bank' may have open arms at another their competitors down the street are more inviting. Who, are you in business for, them or you? Don't lock your allegiance to any one bank. They don't see you in this same warming light. Be the commanding customer --- not the fondling fool.

Charlie Stone is a banker by day, blogger night. Having recently started his first blog, a family story, he is always ready to shell out advice. However, he also takes good advice when he can it. When he needed new dental insurance this past year, a friend suggested that he check out http://www.dentalinsurance.net/ for a great deal. He did- and found a wonderful deal!!!!

Staying Home No Longer

Contributed by Cameron Hodge

I loved being a stay at home mom but I reached a point in my life where I had to do something more. My kids were in school so it was really boring being at home all the time and I knew I was going to lose it simply volunteering. I started looking into WA T1 and hiring someone to build me a website and then I just did it – now I’m a totally recognizable name in my community! I started the organization business about a year ago and things are far better than I ever would have thought. I’ve got clients coming out of my ears and I’ve even hired interns! My husband wants me to open up a store but I don’t think that’s the best idea as of right now. It’s a lot of capitol and we need to make sure this little company has roots before we go pouring tons of cash into it you know? I love his drive, though, and appreciate all of his support!

Develop your personal finance habits – Save money always

One of the most important aspects of your life is managing your personal finances properly. There are a number of instances in which you have messed up your financial condition because of bad personal finance habits. It is important that you should put things into right places before your finances get out of hand for you. Here are some good personal finance habits that should help you to get your everyday finances under control and live a financially stable life.

1.Use cash instead of cards – When you are out for shopping, it is best that you take as much cash as possible with you instead of carrying your cards with you. This is because there is a limit to which you can carry cash, however, when it comes to credit cards, they allow you to spend without any restraint at that point of time. Thus if you refrain yourself from carrying credit cards you will put an end to all your impulse shopping and thus reduce the monthly bills drastically.

2.Take a list with you when grocery shopping – When you are going out for grocery shopping, it is best that you carry a shopping list with you. This puts your perspective in the right place and thus you can abstain yourself from buying things that you don’t need. What you need to do is stick to your shopping list and then come out of the super market as soon as you are done. The more you linger around to do window shopping; the chance of you buying things that you don’t need but want increases.

3.Pay down your bills within a month – All your credit card bills have one month of billing cycle. Thus when you are using your credit cards to buy items, you should pay your bills in order to avoid paying interest on them. If the period of one month, within which you are supposed to pay your bill is over, you are charged interest rate on your debts. Then you have to pay more than what you had borrowed to get out of debt.

4.Use utilities judiciously – One of the major costs in your everyday life is your utility bills. The electricity bills, cell phone and telephone bills and fuel cost are some of the main utility costs that you have to incur. In order to reduce your electricity bills you should use a programmable thermostat and not keep the electrical appliances running when not in use. You can also disconnect the landline and use your cell phone only for making important phone calls and not for making chit chat with your friends. When it comes to fuel, you should save on it by using public transport or carpools while going to work and coming back. You should also try and cover short distances on foot instead of taking out your car every time.

5.Pay off your high interest debts first – In order to save money on your debts, you should pay off the debts which have higher interest first and then move to the next lower one. This method is also called debt avalanching. If you pay off the higher interest debts as soon as possible then you save the money that you keep paying on the interest rates in the long run.

Thus you can see how the above personal finance habits can address different aspects of your life and help you to save money in each of them. A culmination of all these can help you to get out of debt and stay out of debt.

Author's Bio: Marie Lewis is a financial advisor for EasyFinance.com. She brings an unique perspective on personal finance, frugality and all kinds of consumer financial products and services.

More is better

The article written by Landon Gilbert

Whenever my husband and I decide to buy something, we always add up the pros and cons before we make our final decision as to what to buy. Like when we got our new car, we were trying to decide between a brand new car that did not have a lot of extras and would lose value as soon as we drove it off the lot as compared to a used car that was not very old and had a lot of extras and low mileage. Well the one with the most extras won out with us, and that is the one that we bought. Recently we were trying to decide between Direct TV vs Cable. We already had the basic cable television that did not have many extras. If we wanted more than we had, we would have to fork out a lot more money. When we checked into Direct TV, we found we could get a lot more for less money than we were going to have to pay to get a similar set up with cable. So needless to say we went with Direct Tv and have been very happy with our choice.

Staying at home

Guest written by our friend Mason Abbott.

Being a stay at home mom means I get to take care of the house – it’s my responsibility. I know that some people think they’d love to be at home all day but it really is kind of suffocating after a while – I get really bored here all day long. Not only that but it’s a lot of work taking care of this place…I’m also in charge of a lot of home stuff like paying the bills and looking into home security family which takes up a lot of my time. I’m really happy to be able to spend so much time with my kids and watch them grow up – I don’t know how working moms sleep at night knowing they’re missing so much of their kids’ lives. I think it’s important to note that there’s nothing wrong with being at work during the days I just know I would have a tough time missing some of the special momentsI’ve gotten to witness being here at home. I love my husband for giving me this opportunity.

6 Steps to Becoming a Freelance Writer

Many parents wonder how they can earn more money, without being gone from home longer hours. One possible answer is to become a freelance writer. Here’s how!

1. Decide on a Goal
The first step is to decide on what you want to do with the extra money that you will be earning. This will help you stay motivated to work on it every day, like you would go to a real job. It is important to know exactly what you want. While many people start a writing career, very few stay with it, because they lack the motivation.

2. Search the Internet
The second step is to search the Internet for possibilities. There are several out there. Decide if you want to write articles or term papers. Opportunities also exist to write magazine articles. Look, in particular, at what you will be paid. Some sites pay as low as $1.00 an article, while others will pay up to $15. Decide what your time is worth and do not settle for less. There are great opportunities out there.

3. Study
Once you have decided on what site you want to try to write for, it is important to learn their rules. Look at what style of writing they will judge you on. Some sites use AP style, while others use MLA. Knowing the style will help you score high when you apply. Do not rely on grammar and spelling programs, they are filled with mistakes. You must learn the rules for yourself and be able to follow them.

4. Apply for a Job
Once you have decided on the right place for you to write, apply for a job there. They will ask you some personal information and a writing sample. When writing your sample, it is important that your content make sense. Make sure your  words tell the story the best. Furthermore, make sure that all your punctuation marks are correct according to the style that you will be writing. Make sure that you have spelled all the words correctly. Proofread your application carefully. Then, an experienced writer would recommend you proofread it yet again. Many experienced writers suggest that you read your work out loud to make sure that it makes sense. It is much easier to get a good rating early than earn one later.

5. Submit Your Tax Information
Most companies you will want to work for will require you to submit a W9 form. They will report your earnings to the government just like a regular job. Make sure to set aside part of your money to pay your taxes. Plan on filing your taxes quarterly.

6. Write Great Articles
When the company hires you, many companies require a probation period in which they will look at your work very carefully. Make sure that you submit great articles each time. Make sure that you understand exactly what the client wants before you write the article.


Jan Roffle likes to write about personal finance, communications & Mint.com Promotional Deals.

Fixing gluten-free food for our upcoming Halloween party

Guest post written by Patricia Ernest.

When we have a Halloween party in our family, we have to make sure that the food that's served is gluten-free, or that at least there are a few gluten-free options. Two of my nieces are actually allergic to gluten, so this is something that I've become aware of as a result. It's my time now to host a Halloween party, so I've been planning for it.

I looked online for some good seasonal gluten-free recipes and while I was doing that I came across some info on internet serivce providers in my area. I showed them to my husband and after that we decided to change over our internet service to one of those providers.

I was pretty excited to try out this gluten free peanut brittle, so I made an early batch of it to test. It was really good! I think it will be a hit with everyone at the party and they won't even be able to tell it's made especially to be gluten free. Besides, I think that's the goal of special cooking, doing such a good job on it so that you can't tell it's any different!

Being a Mom

Thanks for the post from Sylvester Campbell

My mother always warned me that staying at home with the kids was going to be harder than I thought but boy, was she ever right (and I really hate to admit that.) I got really bored after the first year and I hated the feeling of just being a drain on the family and not contributing anything back to the pot. So last summer during a bout of the flu I had a brainstorm – I’d start a home-based business! I don’t want to say exactly what I do but it’s a unique craft that I now sell all over the US. I started small with an Etsy shop but it didn’t take long before I was on bank-card-processing.com figuring out how to accept credit cards over the phone and talking to my accountant about an LLC! I love my new role as mom and entrepreneur and I know my husband likes all the extra cash coming in. I feel like I’m getting to do everything I love at once!

Should You Take on Credit Card Insurance?

Many people are concerned that they won’t be able to meet their credit card payments. Some people have actually turned to credit card insurance. Credit card insurance plans will help you meet the minimum monthly payments if you are suddenly unable to make your payments.

Credit card insurance plans can be helpful if you lose your job or get sick. However, there are a number of possible problems. You should take all these factors into consideration before you sign up for a credit card payment protection plan.

First and foremost, you need to consider the cost of a credit card insurance program. You will have to pay a portion of your balance each month. The fee for credit card insurance is usually a little less than 1% of your balance each month. Over time, this can add up, especially if you use your cards regularly.

Another problem with credit card insurance programs is that they give you a false sense of security. When you take out credit card insurance, you may be a little more liberal with your spending habits. Over time, you are still going to rack up your balance and have to pay more for it, whether or not you end up needing to activate the insurance.

You also need to know what your insurance will cover. Typically, you can use the insurance if you lose your job, become disabled or seriously ill or become deceased. You will not be able to use your insurance just because you racked up too much debt.
Obviously, most people face problems with their credit cards because they can’t spend carefully. Credit card insurance is unlikely to help them deal with their financial problems.

You may benefit from participating in a credit card protection plan if you have concerns at work. These days, businesses may lay employees off at a moment’s notice. However, that doesn’t mean that insurance is your best bet.

Instead of buying credit card insurance, you may want to consider putting money into a high yielding annuity or bond each month. Over time, your money will grow. That way, if you are unable to meet your credit card payments for a few months, you will have something to draw from. The advantage of investing your savings in high yielding investments is that you stay focused on growing your wealth. It makes more sense to keep your money growing than to lose money in anticipation of the worst case scenario.

Consider the costs of a credit card insurance plan before your enroll in one. The chance that you will lose your job or become critically ill is probably a lot lower than you think. There is no sense paying hundreds of dollars for an insurance plan that you will probably never have to use. It’s good to be cautious, but you don’t want to lose money being paranoid.

Kalen Smith is a personal finance writer who blogs about family finance issues including bank and credit card charges and mis-sold PPI claims as well as other personal finance topics such as consumer debt and saving tips.

5 Most Common Economic Debates

There are some debates that seem to stand the test of time and be an issue no matter how long they go on. When it comes to economics, there are some debates that may change a bit over time but they are essentially the same year after year in their substance.

1.  To spend or not to spend: This economic debate ranges from a personal level all the way up to government so it’s common and applicable in almost any situation. This particular debate often derives from the necessity to purchase certain things and not having the funds to support it. When this comes about in a government type of manner where it affects so many people it can be scary. This takes into question if spending is absolutely necessary for the good of the people or if spending will actually hurt the society that it supports. Too much spending has been to blame for the number of economic issues that exist. However sometimes you do have to spend a bit to get out of a hole and so the debate and controversy rages on.

2.  How to trim the fat: When the time comes to cut expenses, this forms one of the most controversial debates out there. This is an age old question that comes about in workplaces, in government, and even in personal usage. There comes a time when there must be some cuts made to get things to work from an economic standpoint. This debate takes into question exactly what should be cut to make it all work. This covers a wide range of things from pay cuts to unemployment to the removal of services that many people rely on. When this debate rages on, there is often not a middle point where people can agree upon things.

3.  Balancing the checkbook: This debate has been around since the beginning of economics and it’s a tough one. This is often looked at on a larger and broader level such as the government balancing their budget, but it could be applied to a married couple fighting about money too. To balance a checkbook or a budget and to get everything to work is no small task. This debate takes on why things are out of whack and more importantly how you get them to balance out. This often involves some maneuvering and some rather painful steps to get things to work the way that they should have in the first place.

4.  Taxes up and down: When things go wrong at a government level, the first thing that many people look at is raising taxes. When things go well or if there is the desire to create a stimulus of sorts then there is the question of lowering taxes. Though taxes are an inevitable part of life they are also a very debated aspect of economics. Though we all recognize that they are essential and that they will always exist, they are also the first thing analyzed and debated in a failing economy. Depending on which side of the aisle or the issue that you sit upon, you are likely to have a very real and very legitimate point of view on the subject.

5.  How to get things back on track: When things go wrong there is always the time for recovery. Once things hit rock bottom, there is the question of how you can get things back on track and this is something that is very often debated over. Some will say that putting an economic stimulus in place is necessary and others say that buyer behavior will improve and the problem will fix itself. There may be no right or wrong as it’s more situational than anything else, but this question and the accompanying debate still exists all too often.

When the economy goes bad or things are amiss, there is of course the desire to fix everything. If you take a look at these debates you can see that through the years, the same issues are still fought about and are likely to stay that way for quite some time.


MJ Frederick generally blogs about potential career paths for students who are interested in earning their masters degree economics.

Hotdogs for Everyone!

Guest post written by my buddy Aldo Mays
Who would have guessed opening a tiny hotdog stand was going to be such an undertaking? I had originally wanted to open a new truck, but those are just really too expensive when you're just getting off the ground. I decided instead to purchase a gourmet hotdog truck from someone I knew and really turn it into the business of my dreams. At first, it took a long time to get all permits situated so I was legally allowed to sell food on the street. The next big hurdle was figuring out a way to process credit cards from my mobile station, but I found a lot of really helpful websites like online merchant services which eventually led me to a good credit card processor. I opened the store a couple of weeks ago and business has been great, but I'm still tweaking the recipes a little bit. I had no idea there were so many territories issues when it came to selling food on the street, but I learned really quickly!

Ways to Get Out of Debt

Debt Management Plan

A debt management plan is an informal arrangement between you and your creditors, planning out how you intend to repay your debts. It’s technically possible to arrange this yourself, but many people prefer the convenience and experience that a professional debt management company can offer.

A debt management plan can allow you to repay your debts at a more manageable pace. You will agree smaller monthly payments to each of your creditors, based on how much you can afford each month, and interest rates and other charges can also be frozen – meaning your debts won’t continue to grow.

Debt consolidation loan

A debt consolidation loan is particularly useful for people with several debts. It is a new loan that allows you to repay your existing debts, after which you will repay your new lender in single monthly payments.
Read more on this article here.

How Renting Can Help You Get Out of Debt

Renting an apartment can help you get out of debt and give you the mobility necessary to find a better job. If you are burdened with debt from credit cards and payday loans, you can free up extra cash each month to pay down debt by downsizing your living arrangements. Renting offers several cash flow advantages that homeownership does not have, like no maintenance costs. If you find you need to free up cash to pay down debt, one of the biggest ways to free up hundreds instantly is to move to a cheap apartment.


Renting is Temporary

A lease is usually only one or two years, making your move to a smaller place temporary. However, during that time you can save quite a bit of money and use that to be able to pay off your debts. Once the debts are paid off, you use the extra cash flow generated from paying off your debt to build a down payment for a home.


Rent an Apartment, Not a Home

If you rent in an apartment complex, you have no lawn care, no maintenance fees, and usually some nice perks like a community pool. If you rent a home, you will still have to do the lawn and not have any extra perks. Keep your lease for as long as possible to avoid rental hikes and still be able to move reasonably soon if a better job offer came along. Take the difference between your old place and your cheaper digs and apply it to your debt repayment plan. With hundreds more going towards your debt, you can get out of debt much sooner than if you insist on buying a home or getting a large apartment. Housing is one of the most expensive items in a budget, but it can also be used to quickly and effectively generate hundreds of dollars in extra cash flow by downsizing.

Effective Debt Management Strategies

People easily tend to get into debt especially if they spend more than they actually earn in a month. Unfortunately, getting into debt is a common problem for numerous households these days.
The best and most logical solution to overcome and prevent debt is to spend less than you generate as an income each month. However, as you may know by now, that is not as simple as it sounds. Getting out of debt or preventing to accumulate mountains of it entails financial discipline. Here are two debt management strategies that would certainly be effective for you.


Snow ball strategy
Of all the debt management strategies that may be known to consumers, this one could be considered as the most analytical. This is because there is a need to identify and classify the most expensive among all your existing loans and debts. Expensiveness is classified through the interest payments required and all other charges that come with those.
To use and implement the snow ball strategy in debt management, identify your current most expensive debts and have the resolve to pay them off first before all other loans. Those debts that do not come with high APRs could be less prioritised for a while. Intend to pay minimum required payments on those less expensive debts as you concentrate on the more expensive ones for the meantime.
Experts assert that ‘snowballing’ would surely help anyone in financial distress to be more organised and systematic in managing and handling debts. It is like putting off more difficult problems first before dealing with the easier ones. In reality, you may agree that solving harsher problems first would make you resolve the less difficult ones easier.


Prioritising debts
Most debt management strategies entail prioritisation of specific debts. This second strategy is different from the first in that priorities do not favour the expensive loans. You could prioritise your debts based on the nature and possible effects.
For instance, you should always prioritise not losing your home. Thus, mortgages should always be on top of your list of debts that should be paid off first. Your home loan may not be as expensive as your other debts but you should not falter in repaying the dues required for it. Thus, intend to always make your mortgage payments on time, no matter what happens.
After your mortgage and other loans with security, prioritise your debts that incur higher interest rates. You may consider consolidating or transferring such loans into a low-interest credit card. It is a logical and wise action to take. Just be sure your card’s balance transfer feature is not limited to just a specific period or you may get into a bigger trouble because many credit cards with introductory 0% or lower balance transfer costs impose much higher rates after a prescribed period.
Which of these two debt management strategies is more appropriate and applicable to your current personal and financial situation? If you intend to get out of your debt problem, you should start taking actions to do it now.

Andrew has been working in the finance industry for several years as a debt consolidation specialist. When he is not working, Andrew likes to share his knowledge and help people.