If you have spent any amount of time online reading personal finance articles you are probably more than well aware that creating and sticking to a budget is one of the main keys to financial success. While you know that creating and following a budget is important, many avoid this important step either because they don’t feel they need it or they don’t want to eliminate some of the luxuries they enjoy most.

When you utter the term budget, many people think that they need to deprive themselves by cutting out all luxury expenses in order to save some cash for a rainy day. While this may be true if your current financial situation is in dire straits, it should not be the case for those who would like to get a better handle on their finances and don’t know exactly where to start. Here are some simple tips to successfully living on a budget while still having the option to enjoy the luxuries that matter to you most. (more…)

The recession may indeed be almost over, and the urge to splurge is coming right around the most tempting time of the year - the holidays. You may be finding some economic relief with the stabilization of the economy, and this can put you in a better mood. It can also be a justification for overspending again on the holidays, something that can lead to financial difficulties the following year. Even if there is more cash to be found this season, and you want to have a better holiday season than last year, you can find ways to splurge without it forcing you to pull out the credit cards or get a paycheck loan. All it takes is a little awareness and a whole lot of creativity. (more…)

Some areas of the country have been in a deep recession, like nationally known Elkhardt. There jobs dried up in the RV industry and few other industries remained to offer a job opportunity. Many workers were faced with either poor job prospects or the decision to move to a more booming area, which were also few and far between. As the recovery picks up steam, some areas will begin to boom more heartily and it’s here that many people waiting to make the decision to move can finally start looking at the pros and cons of moving to find employment elsewhere. There are so many factors, not the least of which is the cost of moving, and financing moving costs on your own which you will have to fund someway, either through conventional or payday advance loans. (more…)

Regardless of whether you dream of being a millionaire, or you would just like to be able to go out to dinner at a nice restaurant, your finances can make or break your chances of achieving financial success. While most may make all the right choices when it comes to dealing with their finances, others hit the occasional speed bump which when not addressed can cause serious damage to your financial health. A large number of improper choices can result in loads of debt which can lead to foreclosure and even bankruptcy, which can turn anyone’s life upside down. If you have hit a rough patch, and are not sure where to turn, here are some simple tips that can help you improve the health of your finances so you can get back on the road to financial wealth. (more…)

When you think of coupons, you may think of small ads that promise a few cents off a purchase for the hours spent pouring over multiple coupons, cutting them, filing them, and then using them. That’s the reason couponing, while saving people money, was never that popular with most people. That’s changing though as electronic coupons are bringing in a younger crowd of fans, while providing businesses with savings in printing and greater Internet exposure. They truly can provide a lower price while shopping, at the same time also making it easier and less time consuming to implement them into your budget. It’s time to take another look at coupons, whether you’re on a budget or trying to gain new customers for your business. (more…)

That’s a question that many new college students are beginning to ask themselves. In this recession, the horror stories of graduates going into the worst job market in decades armed with a degree that cost them $30,000 or more in debt, have made some college students reassess decisions for college. Too expensive options are frequently being put aside for more reasonable choices: community colleges, in-state colleges, and foregoing the on-campus experience. A college degree may be more of a necessity than ever, but the debt that goes along with it can easily be done without. (more…)

If you’re trying to remain frugal in this tough economy, here’s a bit of news: Not spending some money could cost you in the long run. It seems contrary to the idea that “a penny saved is a penny earned,” but it’s actually true in some cases. Take for instance, technology. There are a number of technologies out there that can save you more than they cost to implement. Would you rather stay in the Dark Ages for the virtue of being a saver, or would you rather have a modern lifestyle that is penny wise too? It’s no contest! Everyone wants to maintain their lifestyle, even with a bad economy, it’s just they may not know exactly how to do that without having or opening a swiss bank account. (more…)

The formula for how much money you need to sock away for retirement is 80% of your pre-tax net income. This takes into account the fact that your living expenses decline when you don’t work, from transportation to wardrobe and eating out. However, what isn’t mentioned in this formula is that taxes are supposed to drop too, giving you a bit of a tax break from tax-deferred retirement accounts. When you were working, you might have been in a 28% tax bracket, but upon retirement, you may end up lowering that tax bracket due to a lower income. If you have planned for the same income though, you may find that’s not the case. To get the most bang for your buck in retirement, it becomes even more important to pick a strategy that includes reducing your tax burden. (more…)

Are you handy in the kitchen? If so, you have probably found that cooking from scratch saves you tons of money in grocery bills. How about extending your skills to other types of activities that can help save you even more? It can also come in handy in a pinch, when some emergency bills steals your grocery money. While you can opt to get a short-term loan, like a payday loan, the other possibility is to have your food stored away in the pantry or refrigerator to allow you to weather the small financial setback.

Harvest Is Here

Notice food prices being low right now in grocery stores? That’s because the harvest is here and with that comes an abundance of produce. A large supply and average demand means lower prices. Take advantage of that to buy up large quantities of cucumbers for pickling, fruit for jams and jellies, and vegetables for freezing. Take them home and have yourself some fun in the kitchen, while preparing an edible emergency cushion.

Canning

This requires some equipment to do, but it’s relatively inexpensive. Be sure you can raise the temperature of the water in your canner to boiling. Some older electric stoves have too small a burner and difficulty reaching the right temperature. Take a canning class at your local community college or check out a book from the library. It’s not as hard as it sounds and the jars are reusable for next year. Once you’ve invested in some quality canning equipment, it can be re-used year after year, except for the lids that need to be replaced.

Canning can allow you to store items on a room temperature shelf without fear of spoiling. You can make pickles, jams, and jellies very easily at home, and for a fraction of the cost it takes to buy them. After you start experimenting you will find that the produce tastes better too, than canned goods from the grocery store. It allows you a way to be creative with recipes and provides hard to beat enjoyment during the winter time, when fresh foods are costly.

Freezing

If you don’t want to go to all the fuss and bother of canning, there is still freezing. This is the modern way to store lots of food. You don’t even have to cook it, if you don’t want to. You can buy an entire steer from a butcher, share it with a family, and freeze the rest in a large chest freezer. You can take extra produce from the farmer’s market, and freeze fruits and vegetables for use in pies, casseroles, and stews in the winter time. Freezing is very easy, but may have less “shelf life” than canning. It also tends to taste fresher than canning. It can be used with herbs, butters, cheese, and other types of unusual products that you would never consider canning on your own too. Just buy the items when they are cheap at the store, and store them in the freezer until you have a need for them. Add the date you refrigerate them, so you know how old each item is and don’t eat anything too old.

In these times of economic crisis, it is good to know that there are solutions and ways to save money on our bills. From using coupons at the grocery store to cash back programs that allow us to get money back on purchases, there are outlets in our time of need to help us retain our current salaries, especially when we have big expenses to take care of. There are corners that we can cut to save and adjust our budgets to stretch what we do have so that our quality of life does not suffer. We want to live well and save money and one area where we can make headway is our technology and the money we pay to be “connected”. There are many areas where we can save on technology costs and although it may not seem like much, these savings can really add up to a respectable amount. By saving this money, we may be able to increase our retirement fund or afford that great vacation that we have never been able to take. (more…)