Practical Personal Finance Tips and Advice
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July 18, 2011 Guests: Christine Dychiao Cindy Meghrajani-Sajwani Host: Ria Tanjuatco Trillo Executive Producer: Martha Vinzons Associate Producer: Maia Yco-Luna Writer: Koreena Tulio…
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In these uncertain times, keeping a close and careful eye on your personal finances is more important than ever. To make sure you’re making the most of your money, here are some tips and ideas that are easy to implement, covering just about every aspect of saving, spending, earning, and investing.
When in doubt about borrowing money-don’t. Interest is extremely expensive, adding up to 20% or even more to your purchases, which is the same as making 20% less money! Wherever possible try to save up for a purchase on your own, and buy it later rather than taking out a loan to get it now.
When going for a procedure, find out if there are lower cost options available to you. You may be able to save money by using a different facility than the default facility assigned. Check with our insurance company and your doctor to see if using a different facility is an option for you before a procedure.
Get yourself a free checking account. Checking accounts these days charge an average of about .00 in monthly fees, and usually require a minimum balance to keep the account free. Switch to a no-fee account that requires no minimum balance and does not charge per transaction. Try smaller banks in your community, online-only banks or credit unions.
Cut down on impulse purchases and frivolous spending by converting your cash to gift cards that can be used at your preferred grocery store. This gives you less money to waste on unnecessary items, yet ensures that you still have the financial resources to purchase necessities like groceries. Grocery stores with gas stations often offer fuel discounts on purchases made with gift cards.
If a person is not using their old textbooks that they may have from previous semesters or years of school these books can often be returned for a nice bonus to ones personal finances. This boon of money that came from an unused source can be a nice chunk of money to save away.
To help get your finances back on track, you should keep a spending journal. This way, you can keep track of where your money goes and then, adjust it accordingly to what needs to be prioritized. If you have no idea where your money is going, it then becomes too difficult to save.
If one has a specific purpose for which they are going to use their dog, they should also look into getting a specific breed of dog. Because of the large variety of dog breeds available, one is often able to find a certain dog for a specific job. There are many dog breeds specialized for different things such as retrieving, guarding, or herding. The right breed can make a big difference in ease of training.
These tips will help you save more, spend wisely, and have enough left over to make smart investments. Now that you know the best rules of the financial road, start thinking about what to do with all that extra cash. Don’t forget to save, but if you’ve been especially good, a small personal reward could be nice too!
With the economy being in as much turmoil as it is, it is important to have a good hand on your personal finances. It is important to be organized and to closely watch your expenditures or else you’ll find yourself in debt before you know it. This article can help prevent that.
When you are putting together a family budget, make sure to get all in the family involved including your children. Since money is spent on each family member, having your family’s input on how much they spend and how much to save, a compromise can then be made on a budget. It is easier to stick with a budget when you have a family consensus.
To reduce unnecessary waste and keep your credit cards a positive thing, never make just the minimum payment. Remember that paying the minimum payment also means paying the maximum interest. If you stretch out your credit card debt for years, then you end up paying far more for items than you would have had you paid with cash.
This might seem painful, but if you want to save money, cut out monthly cable. This could save you 0 yearly or more, and it forces you to engage in more productive and healthy forms of entertainment again. Go outside, read books and interact with your family for entertainment.
If you are the type of person that likes to use a credit card, make sure you are using one that offers rewards. You can earn things like cash back or you can pick out items in a catalog. These can be great presents to give to people for birthdays or holidays.
If you are struggling to get by, look in newspapers and on the internet for a second job. Even though this may not pay that much, it will help you get through the struggles that you are currently going through. A little goes a long way, as this extra income will help extensively.
Make sure to adequately shop around for better financing. When dealing with loan officers email them questions and concerns and try and get as much of their responses in writing as you can as loan officers often change terms of finance deals all the time to get you to pay more than you have to.
Breeding birds can yield one great amounts of money to increase that persons personal finances. Birds that are especially valuable or rare in the pet trade can be especially lucrative for an individual to breed. Different breeds of Macaws, African Greys, and many parrots can all produce baby birds worth over a hundred dollars each.
Consider working with a financial professional if you want to truly take the reins of your financial situation. A financial professional can come to you via a one on one meeting, or even by taking a class. The information they can provide you with will allow you to get your debt under control. You can also learn valuable tips about investing and saving for the future.
These hard financial times don’t have to envelop you like they have nearly everyone else. If you are prudent, wise, and organized, you can prevent the tragedy of debt from befalling you. This article has armed you with the advice necessary to prevent and prepare yourself from falling into the hands of debt.
Pursuing a mortgage is almost like a right of passage for adults. When the time comes to move from renter, or parents’ home dweller, to home owner, you need to do some research. For example, the article below gives you some handy pointers which will assist you in the mortgage search process.
Before trying to get a mortgage approval, find out your credit score. Mortgage lenders can deny a loan when the borrower has a low credit score caused by late payments and other negative credit history. If your credit score is too low to qualify for a mortgage loan, clean up your credit, fix any inaccuracies and make all your payments on time.
There are loans available for first time home buyers. These loans usually do not require a lot of money down and often have lower interest rates than standard mortgages. Most first time home buyer loans are guaranteed by the government; thus, there is more paperwork needed than standard mortgage applications.
Avoid fudging the numbers on your loan application. It is not unusual for people to consider exaggerating their salary and other sources of income to qualify for a larger home loan. Unfortunately, this is considered froud. You can actually be criminally prosecuted, even though it doesn’t seem like a big deal.
Know your credit score before going in to get a mortgage. Your potential lender will do their own homework on this, but you should arm yourself with the intel as well. Knowledge is power in terms of the negotiations to follow. If you aren’t clear on your strengths and weaknesses, then a lender can more easily use the knowledge against you.
Get mortgage loan estimates from at least three different mortgage lenders and three different banks. By shopping around, you may get a lower interest rate, pay fewer points and save money on closing costs. It’s almost always preferable to get a fixed interest rate. With variable rates, you may not know from month to month what your mortgage payment will be.
Always read the fine print before you sign a home mortgage contract. There are many things that could be hidden inside of the contract that could be less than ideal. This contract is important for your financial future so you want to be sure that you know exactly what you are signing.
When you decide to apply for a mortgage, make sure you shop around. Before deciding on the best option for you, get estimates from three different mortgage brokers and banks. Although, interest rates are important, there are other things you should consider also such as closing costs, points and types of loans.
You should look around to find a low interest rate. The bank’s goal is to lock in the highest rates they can. Don’t let yourself be a victim of this. Make sure you do some comparison shopping so you know your options.
Whether you are moving out of your parents’ basement or an apartment you’ve lived in for a decade, the time is now to become a home owner. As home prices continue to increase, you’ll see your investment grow. Use the tips you’ve read today to help you find a great mortgage soon.
Couponing has been a godsend for many as prices rise and budgets shrink. The advantages of using coupons is obvious, but the technique of using coupons effectively is sometimes hard to grasp. The article below is full of useful tips that the best couponers use. Continue ahead to learn and start saving.
To find some of the best deals, join couponing blogs. These blogs offer not only methods to find the best coupons, but many will also tell you what stores have the lowest prices to begin with. These match-ups will help you figure out where the cheapest place is to shop.
To maximize your savings when using coupons, use them to purchase items that are on sale and at supermarkets that offer double or triple coupon savings. When you buy an item that is on sale and use a coupon that is doubled or tripled, you may find that you pay pennies for the item or even get it for free!
Though it has been the common source for coupons, the Sunday paper may not be as valuable a source as the Internet. Most products have coupons on the Internet. The best part is that you do not have to spend hours clipping these coupons; simply print them out and voila!
Keep all your coupons in one place. Some coupons are really small, and you don’t want to lose them. You also don’t want to have coupons all over the house. When you keep them all in one place, you can locate them when you need them without too much trouble.
When you are going to venture into extreme Couponing, you have to be a highly organized person. That is the key to this game. You must keep all of your coupons on file and know what you have, even if you have to write down what you have or keep them on a spreadsheet.
A great tip if you’re someone who likes to use coupons is to look into whether specific stores have an online coupon that you can use. All you have to do is log onto their web site, and you can usually tell within minutes, whether they’re offering their own coupons online.
Take advantage of any reward’s cards programs that your local grocery store provides. Often times the store will allow you to load certain coupons right onto your card. This is so nice because you do not have to clip them out, but you also have to remember to note what you put on the card so that you are sure what you need to buy. Furthermore, you cannot use more than one coupon at a time, and they often limit doubling.
A good tip if you like to use coupons is not to get carried away with simply clipping out coupons. Only keep coupons that you intend to use. If something is on sale that you’re unlikely to buy, then you should just leave it. Time is also money so you don’t want to waste more than you have to.
Clipping coupons is a fantastic tool to use when you are living on a tight budget. As this article has shown there are many options available for coupon users. Enjoy some extra shopping with the money you save.