Simple Money Saving Tips Everyone Can Use

Back in the day when I was younger, I used to spend money like it was water. I know that I'm not the only one who've done this, and I think that happens because at those times our responsibilities haven't caught up with the amount we get paid. Many a times the older, wiser folks tried to give me some advice on how to save money, it all went to deaf ears for, at that time, I did not care. Now, had I listened to some of those advice. Things might have come together for me a lot sooner.

It really does not matter how long you've fooled around, it is never too late or too early to use some money saving tips to make things a bit smoother in life. No matter how much money you have there should always be a way to save, and truthfully, always a need to do so. Some of the best money saving tips that I have gotten throughout the years were in regard to my paycheck..

After the initial bill payments every week, and the things you need to buy, it may seem as if there's not much left to save. How much you make is not really the issue, you should be putting aside at least a few dollars per week. In case you happen to have direct deposit, prior to accessing your money, you should put aside a few dollars in your savings account. This way you really don't miss the money.

Some other useful money saving tips might involve saving on your bills, saving on groceries with coupons, saving on your heating bill by winterizing your home, and saving on your water bill by using less. There are hundreds if not thousands of little things you can do right now to start saving money.

The trick is to put more and more of them to use everyday until it becomes a habit. For many, retirement might seem like light years away, but it has the tendency to sneak up on you before you know it. It would be wise to put these and other money saving tips into practice in order to be better off for tomorrow.

For More Tips on Money Saving Ideas for you and your family. Visit The Financial & Insurance Tips Journal We can help guide you towards your money saving needs.

By Emmanuel St Cyr

4 Ways For Students to Save Money

Students - Learn How to Save Money

Everybody in this world loves money and you probably want as much of it as possible. The thing that most college students struggle with is how to save money correctly. There are so many easy ways to save money in this world that some students just completely overlook it. The purpose of this article is to show you how you can start saving your money today even if you don't make a lot of it.

Keep yourself busy the cheap way

The more involved you're with school activities and work, you'll find that you don't have time to spend your money. Even if this sounds boring, make sure that you find hobbies that don't cost a lot. A lot of the times you'll find that most school clubs and activities don't cost anything at all! If you're currently the type that likes to party, eat out, and do everything else under the sun everyday, you're going to have to change your habits before you start saving up all of the cash.

Hobbies equal cash

Sit down for a second and think of the things you love. I guarantee that you can turn any hobby you like into a money making project. If you love to bowl and you're good at it, you could possibly offer bowling lessons to fellow students or others for a fee. In order to save money, you're going to want to make money and if you're making money doing the things you love, it's going to be a win-win situation.

Check out your wallet

Open up your wallet or purse and check it out closely. The cards you're carrying such as an AAA card or a student ID card, you'll find that a lot of places offer discounts with these type of cards. For example, a local movie theater in your neighborhood may offer a student discount on tickets. Even if this discount is two dollars, you're still saving money!

Compare before you shop

Instead of going out and buying that new xbox game, make sure that you've looked at a bunch of other stores before you go out and shop. The Internet is a great tool to check out other stores prices. You'll usually be able to get prices, if it's stock, and you can even buy it and pick it up in the store if you'd like. Not only will you save on gas from going store to store, you're going to save yourself some time and energy.

Saving money isn't that hard. It's going to require some dedication and motivation. If you just set a little aside each month, it will add up quicker than you think. Be sure that you look into money market accounts and CDs. This will give you a bigger return on your money. Remember, it's yourself that chooses your own saving fate.

By Tom Tessin

Tom Tessin is an author for FINDcollegecards.com that is geared toward students looking for a student credit card

How to Save Money on Groceries

The grocery store is one place that can make or break a budget. Some families spend a fortune, while others barely spend any at all. If you're looking to save money, then the grocery store is one of your best bets.

Take a look at some of these ways that you can save at the grocery store:

.Join the club. Most stores offer significant savings to those who are members. If your grocery store offers a membership, then it's a good idea to sign up.

.Use store coupons. Coupons offer savings, but sometimes there are better deals out there, or you end up buying something you don't really need "just because you have a coupon". However, store coupons are almost always a great deal.

.Plan some vegetarian meals. Meat is expensive and by eating a few vegetarian meals each week, you can eliminate some of that cost.

.Don't take the kids. If you go with your kids, you are very likely to end up with a few extras in your cart. Shopping alone ensures that you will only buy the things you need.
Make a list. Don't wander the store aimlessly. Make a shopping list and stick to it once you get there.

.Shop late at night. During the later hours, you can do your shopping much more quickly. This will help you to avoid seeing something that's not on your list and grabbing it just because it looks good.

.Don't buy junk food. The cost of snacks quickly adds up. Instead, stick to wholesome foods that provide good nutrition.

.Hit the dollar store first. You'd be surprised how many things on your list you may be able to pick up at the local dollar store. Because the dollar store's inventory changes frequently, you may want to stop there before the grocery store and see what you can get there first.

When you go into the grocery store with a good plan, and avoid temptations, you can really save a lot of money at the store.

Would you like to build a better nest egg? Are you sick of living paycheck to paycheck?

By Shannon Tani

Shannon TaniLevel: Basic PLUSShannon Tani and her husband saved enough money to quit their jobs, move across an ocean, and start a brand new business. She writes the Save ...

Then check out Shannon Tani's Save to Quit blog, which offers many tips for saving money

Create a Personal Budget with These Simple Steps

There's no question, a budget is the best way to gain control over your finances and live a life free of financial stress. Here are the simple steps to achieve this:

Step 1: Collect your financial information together. This will include every credit card statement, bank statement and your receipts. Anything that documents your expenses for the last three months needs to be collected. What are you going to do with this information? You're going to use it to categorize your expenses. What do you spend on your home? What do you spend on your car? Your food? Your health? Entertainment? You're not tracking your expenses right now, you're simply coming up with expense categories and sub-categories for your budget. If it makes it easier, begin by drafting the categories and sub-categories you think your expenses will fall into. As you go through your expenses you can verify your category decisions.

Step 2: Gather your income statements or profit and loss sheets and determine how much money you really have to budget with. You can use either your net or gross income as your number, just be consistent. Also, if you choose to use your gross income, make sure to account for your taxes on your list of expenses.

Step 3: Using the same documents you used to create your budget expense categories and sub-categories, now examine how much you spend each month on each. I highly recommend that you write this number down. It may be an eye-opening exercise, but it will also help you predict how much you will spend in the future. You want your budget to be a realistic reflection of your spending habits, not a financial diet.

Step 4: Find a method of recording your budget. This could be a simple spreadsheet where your columns are a list of your categories, your weekly or monthly available spending amount, how much you actually spend and the difference between the two numbers. Your rows will be the income and expense categories you've already established.

Step 5: Create a budget, keeping in mind that you will want a budget category devoted to savings goals too. Once your budget is created, spend a month or two following it. Keep your budget close at hand so you can track your finances closely. Assess your spending on a weekly or monthly basis. Re-evaluate your budget if you need to. Your budget is not set in stone and some of your expenses are variable, meaning you control how much you spend on them. For example, entertainment is variable and your mortgage is fixed.

A budget is nothing more than a spending plan. It isn't a financial diet. It is a tool to control your money and be knowledgeable and smart about where it goes. It's your money after all, and isn't it great to have the upper hand?

Author: Eddie Lamb

How To Save Money With Your Business Long Distance

Making the right long distance decision for your business can save you plenty of money. There are lots of long distance providers so how do you find the deal that's best for you? Here are some tips for saving money with your business long distance.

ServicesWith costs for T1 service going down it has become a viable solution for even small and medium sized businesses. A T1 is a high-speed digital circuit that transmits at a speed of 1.544Mbps. This speed is faster than many modems.This digital line uses fiber to connect allowing for 24 channels.

These channels are flexible allowing for everyone to access any available channel. This technology gives you the most use for your money. T1 channels free up for use as soon as calls are complete. A T1 for a typical business may be able to accommodate 50 to 100 users. Fractional T1s are available to provide both voice and data over the same T1 circuit.

This makes a T1 cost effective even for small businesses.Voice T1 long distance gives you the best long distance services at the lowest prices available. You can still get as many or as few frills as you need but with lower price tags. Plans can be custom tailored to meet your specific needs. Qualified long distance companies then provide the services.

PricingWhen evaluating long distance pricing it is helpful to understand and compare similar services. This can be difficult when looking at packaged plans. In order to do a proper price comparison breakdown the costs into several common categories. These should include one-time charges such as installation fees and equipment costs as well as recurring costs such as monthly fees, line charges and service contracts.

Whenever possible try to make accurate cost comparisons among the companies you are considering. What looks at first to be the best deal may be filled with hidden costs that you need to determine before making a final decision.Once you are comfortable that you are making price comparisons based on similar options you can concentrate on prioritizing your needs. Be sure to consider things such as service response commitments if an outage occurs. This alone may be a determining factor in choosing a wholesale long distance service.

Be sure that the service hours coincide with your hours of business. If not you should consider adding an additional more comprehensive service plan to your package. This will ensure that an outage will be dealt with immediately so your business will not be impacted.Future GrowthAlways take into account the future growth of your business when choosing a business long distance service.

The costs of adding additional services at a later time may be much greater incrementally than just adding the services now. Always allow for at least 10% growth per year. If your business warrants it you may need to grow even more quickly.Besides the future growth of your company you should also be prepared for new technology that you may want to take advantage of.

Choosing a plan that allows for growth will ensure that you can use new technology as it becomes available. This can end up saving you money in the long run as you are poised to take advantage of new advances, putting your business on the cutting edge.

Author: Van Theodorou

Budgeting: Tips on How to Save Money on Transportation

Prices go higher every year, especially the cost of gas. Transportation is one big factor that makes the household budget difficult to cover all your expenses. Here are some guidelines to help you save money from transportation:

1. To save money, you must always check on your vehicle regularly. A well-maintained vehicle can get you out of trouble on repair expenses. You can actually spend only $50 on maintaining your vehicle and save up to $800 on repair costs in a year. You can even save more if you do the maintenance yourself and not bring your car into an auto shop.

2. If you want to save more money, it is recommended not to buy a new car. The value of a car depreciates automatically when you drive it out off the showroom of the car dealer shop. You may buy a car that is used at least one year. It will save you thousands of dollars to the actual worth of the car when it was new. The owner will then pay all the depreciated value of the car.

3. Save money on buying used cars by comparing the prices of the car dealer and the actual price on the list of the used car dealer ads. To ensure the car that you buy is well conditioned, you may ask for the help of a mechanic to check if the car is good enough for its price. It is better to buy a used car from a person you know and trust. This will help you make sure that you have a good deal in acquiring a car.

4. Try to compare gasoline rates. You may refuel your car with the gasoline station that offers the lowest price on gasoline. You can even save more by pumping gas yourself and use the lowest octane in your car’s manual. It is also recommended that you pay cash than credit cards that charge extra rates. Do not forget to check the gas cap if it is tightened to ensure no gas is spilled out.

5. Always keep your engine tuned-up and have your tires inflated to their desired pressure to save you more money. A well-maintained engine consumes less gas. Keep your car’s trunk clean to save more fuel. Heavy loads in your vehicle can consume more fuel because of the excess weight it carries.6. Try to limit the use of your car on your daily route. You may take the bus or the subway to save gasoline. You can also save time by ignoring the traffic that you encounter everyday on the streets.

Author: Nicholas Tan

Money Rules for Couples!

If you're thinking about getting married or have been married for years, it is never too late to establish some money rules for your relationship. Below are some money guidelines to help you as a couple.

1. Do not make the mistake of starting your marriage by purchasing everything it took your parents a lifetime to accumulate. Try to plan your lifestyle on one salary.

2. Do not take for granted that you and your spouse think the same about money and how you should spend it. Good names and credit are ruined daily because couples fail to plan their spending, shopping, purchases and paying of bills.

3. Save for the unexpected by having an emergency fund. Set aside savings first from your paycheck. The goal is to save three to six months of wages in case of emergencies, because anything can happen.

4. Plan for your kids and family. Kids get more expensive with age, so plan and determine how many your family can afford.

5. Honor and respect your credit rating. Pay your bills on time to keep the best credit score and interest rates. Better credit means more money saved.

6. Do not be an impulsive buyer. If so, you can kill your chances of enjoying the good life. Avoid door-to-door sales people and shopping on television. Compare products and prices. Do not be penny wise and dollar foolish.

7. Do not sign a contract or agreement without reading it completely. Be sure that all blanks have been filled in and that all verbal agreements have been put in writing.

8. Do not rob yourself of future wealth by securing new high interest loans to pay off old due bills. This method buys you time, but does not pay your bills.

9. Do not purchase a car or anything on an installment plan without looking into the true annual rate of interest, taxes, and maintenance. Shop for your credit as well as your merchandise.

10. Compare the costs of renting versus buying by including all of the costs of home ownership. Besides monthly payments: down payment, taxes, insurance, closing cost, and maintenance.

By Sharman Lawson

Sharman Lawson is the President of Freedom Concepts USA and author of the book 12 Steps to Eliminate Debt Forever! Visit her website at http://www.freedomconceptsusa.com

Extreme Money Saving Ideas

If you've already been on the frugal path for awhile, it's hard to believe that there are ways that you can be even more frugal.

But it's true. Following are some ideas that people have used to save money that are a bit on the crazy side. I don't necessarily recommend them, but they're up for consideration if you are hoping to save even more money.

*Get your furniture for free. You may have to do without for some time, but always try to hold out and get things for free. You can check out Craigslist or your local Freecycle. Or you can simple drive around town on garbage night and see what's available for the taking.

*Teach your cat to use toilet. Pets can be very expensive and one unnecessary expense is kitty litter. With a bit of effort, you can train your cat to use the toilet. Over the lifetime of your cat, this adds up to quite a bit of savings.

*Collect cans and bottles. If you're lucky enough to live in a state that offers a refund for recyclable cans and bottles, collect empties from around town. You never know where people are throwing them out. Check large apartment buildings especially. I once got more than $15 from bottles that someone was throwing out.

*Shower just once a week. Showering uses a lot of water, not to mention soap, shampoo and conditioner. If you shower just once a week, you will save money on these things.

*Sleep with the sun. If you adjust your body to sleep when the sun sets and wake up when it rises, you won't have to pay money for electricity needed to light your home in the evening and nighttime.

Obviously these ideas are quite extreme and they are not recommended for the average frugal person. But they are perfect for those who wish to take things a bit further.

Want to read even more extreme savings tips? Would you like to build a better nest egg? Are you sick of living paycheck to paycheck?

Then check out Shannon Tani's Save to Quit blog, which offers many tips for saving money.

By Shannon Tani