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If you’re one of the many people living from pay check to pay check without having much hope of breaking the cycle of debt and repayment, you’ll be pleased to read a few tips from the experts at CNN Money. Rather than going through the obvious money saving strategies, they talk about a few ways that could net you a little extra cash and start to dig you out of the cycle. (more…)

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It doesn’t matter what the economy looks like, as Benjamin Franklin famously believed, a penny saved is a penny earned. And when it comes to our utility bills, there really is something we can do to save a bit every month.

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A lot of us imagine that to be more environmentally friendly we’d have to spend more money. But a new David Bach book called Go Green, Live Rich suggests exactly the opposite: if you live a greener lifestyle, you can actually save money.

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Continuing in their upward spiral, gas prices show no signs of relief, so it may be time to take a look at what kind of car you’re driving. Many Americans make the daily work commute along, and do so in cars built for off-road adventures or big family trips. If you fall into this category, you may want to consider trading your now-more-expensive-than-ever gas guzzler in for a more fuel-efficient model.

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When you’re trying to save money, it’s easy enough to stop going out to dinner or cut back on a vacation - but going to the supermarket is something that you can’t avoid. But here are some tips on keeping your supermarket bills lower:

• Go to the supermarket less. It’s an obvious tip, but we sometimes get caught up in rushing into the supermarket on the way home from work to grab something for dinner. Make a list, plan ahead, and try to get it down to a weekly shop - perhaps with a smaller trip mid-week for fresh fruit, vegetables and bread.
• Stick to your list. Don’t buy anything that’s not on your list, unless they’re staple items at a bargain price. Eating before you go to the supermarket also helps you stick to the list and avoid impulse buys because you’re stomach’s rumbling.
• Don’t be a brand snob - basic brands or supermarket own-brands are always cheaper but not always lower quality. Plenty of studies have shown that nobody can tell the difference. The packaging may not be so pretty, but it’s how it tastes that counts.
• Know the supermarket’s tricks. Remember that they are trying to make you buy more - that’s why they put all the candies and magazines near the checkout, so you’ll see them while you wait. They also put milk, bread and other staple items in far away spots so you’ll have to walk through the whole store. And sometimes the “specials” at the end of the aisles are not specials - check the prices to be sure you’re actually getting a bargain.

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Whether our goals be buying a first home, going on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, or tucking money away for retirement, everyone wants to save more. Unfortunately, the promise is easier than the plan, and it’s easy to let current needs — food, electricity, transportation — outweigh the plan to put money in the bank. Luckily, there are several ways to trick yourself into saving up:

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credit: b_d_solisAmerica is beginning to feel a financial crunch, and many families are looking for creative ways to rework their already-tight budgets and make a dollar stretch a little farther. Indeed, if drastic times call for drastic measures, we’re getting out our measuring tapes to draw up new lifestyle plans. One such change: we’re moving. Cost of living can vary greatly depending on city and state, especially in the cost of housing, so now might be just the time to make that big move.
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Thinking about what your financial goals are for the future is an important step in ensuring security and prosperity. But thinking about it is not enough: you also need to start writing down some concrete goals and finding ways to achieve them.

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