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Archives for February 2014

Why Eating Out is Hurting Your Savings

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Cooking at HomeIt’s so easy to complain that you don’t have time to cook. You’re too busy. It’s so much easier eating out. The kids have demanding schedules, or you work too much. These excuses can be physically and financially destructive. The truth is that no matter how busy you are, you have time to cook. You just have to prioritize it, and feeding your family home cooked meals should be a priority for your physical and financial health.

 

Save It for Special Occasions

Decades ago, eating out was a special occasion. Having the occasional dinner out with your family won’t put you in the poor house. It’s the habitual routine of picking up dinner on your way home from work, running through the drive-thru with the kids at lunchtime or stopping by the bakery for breakfast each morning that makes your piggy bank run low. In most cases, you’ll spend at least $20 – $25 to feed a family of four, but that price can go much higher. That money can be stretched for several meals by making a trip to the grocery store instead. Try cutting back on dinners out to once a month. You’ll be surprised at the savings.

 

You Don’t Have to Be a Chef

Don’t worry if cooking isn’t your forte. Your family doesn’t expect a gourmet meal at home. To throw together a quick breakfast in the mornings, keep English muffins, deli meat and fresh fruit on hand. There are many healthy cereal options, too. Lunches prepared at home can consist of a healthy salad, a tasty sandwich or some hearty soup when the weather is cold. Dinner needn’t be a three-course meal. Sloppy Joes made with ground turkey and served with sweet potato fries will please kids and adults.

 

Start With a Plan

Your biggest hurdle to overcome is a lack of planning. Every weekend, plan all of your meals for the week. Shop for the ingredients, and use things you have in the cupboards or freezer to cut down on your grocery bill. Use your slow cooker whenever possible for a no-muss, no-fuss cooking experience.

Once you get into the routine of creating meal plans with foods that your family will actually eat, you’ll wonder why you ever bothered with all those trips to your local restaurants. You’ll be healthier. You’ll have more money in your wallet. Finally, you’ll have more time together with your family in your own kitchen. What’s more valuable than that?

The Top 3 Tips For Saving On School Expenses

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school suppliesWith skyrocketing education costs, rising fuel prices, and a lack of affordable housing over much of the country, finding ways to save money whilst at university is as important as ever. Luckily, there are a few things you can do while you’re in school to save money and avoid an excessive amount of debt. Sure, you still need to have a great time whilst you’re getting your higher education, but, if you want to have a bright financial future, then it’s wise to save what you can – wherever you can. Here are 3 tips that can save you bucket loads whilst you’re still at school.

 

1. Grants and Scholarships

We know this is an obvious one, but so few students actually put in the time and effort to apply for grants and scholarships. There are lots of companies and organisations out there who are waiting and willing to subsidize parts of, or all of your education. So do some research online, and speak to your university about all available options. You may just be surprised at what you find. By all means, apply to all those you’re eligible for. But don’t be put off approaching other independent organisations and companies about possibly securing some form of financial help. For example, if you already work part-time for a company, ask them if they’d be willing to pay for some part of your education. You never know, and god knows you could use all the help you can get!

 

2. Make a Budget

When it comes to the world of finances, having a budget never hurts. You need to be aware of how much you can realistically spend each week, without going into debt. Set aside a spare Sunday and write all your upcoming expenses down. Having an idea of all your outgoings, as well as your incomings, will give you a full picture of your financial situation, and help put things in perspective.
You’ll then know how much you can play with each week without going into debt. Also, if you currently have credit card debts with multiple companies, then it may be a good idea to see Fox Symes about debt consolidation. Lumping all your interest payments into one can save you lots of money at the end of each month. Of course, as with any budget, you’ll need to stick to it almost religiously if you want to come out of your degree in the black. But learning this kind of self-discipline during your early years will only help you in your future.

 

3. Live Off Campus

Another way to save money while going to school is to live off campus. Whether you choose to live with your parents or a group of friends, this can save you a lot of money in the long run. Of course, before committing to any lease, or promising to live at home, do some calculations to find out whether living off campus will actually bring your total costs down. Sometimes, transportation costs can offset any savings to be had by living outside the campus grounds.

There are many more ways you can save money whilst attending school. Keep an eye out for what your classmates are doing to save money, and see if those things can work for you too. But in any case, the above suggestions will give you a great start on your savings goals, and hopefully you can come out of your university years with a degree in hand, and little to no debt.

What other tips do you have to save money on school supplies?

What to Do If Your Family is Involved In a Car Accident

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car accident familyIt’s the time of the year when car accidents are prevalent. The snow is quickly accumulating in most areas and vehicles tend to slip and slide on the road.

As careful as you might be you can’t control other drivers on the road and a car accident can come out of nowhere. If your family is involved in a car accident here’s what to do.

Stay Calm and Call for Help

It’s important to stay calm if you’re in an accident and it’s even more important if your children are with you.

If you haven’t sustained any injuries check on all of the members of your family and the passengers in any other vehicles involved. Quickly assess the situation and call for help.

Even if no one has been injured it’s still important to call the authorities and file an accident report.

The calmer you remain the better you’ll be able to help your children. Even if they haven’t been injured they’re most likely very scared.

Contact Your Insurance Agent

After the authorities have been contacted and medical treatment has been provided for any injured passengers, you should contact your insurance agent.

If the accident was your fault your agent can take necessary information from you and file a claim with your insurance company. If the accident was caused by another driver your agent can file a claim with the at fault party’s insurance company on your behalf. If you don’t have the insurance information from the other drivers involved your agent should be able to get this from the accident report.

Your insurance agent will be able to walk you through the claims filing process and assist you with any questions you have.

Seek Legal Counsel if Needed

If a serious injury was sustained by a member of your family you may need to contact a disability or personal injury lawyer.

A disability lawyer such as Preszler Law Firm or an accident law firm like can assess your situation and help you determine what kind of damages are owed to you by the insurance company. It’s especially important that you contact the best personal injury lawyer in your area if you or one of your family members have sustained long term injuries.

Since personal injury lawyers work with insurance companies on a daily basis they’ll be able to look at your situation and evaluate what type of compensation you should receive for your injuries. You might be entitled to payment for your long or short term medical bills, pain and suffering, and loss of wages.  If you to learn more about costs, see this.   Its the webpage for Obrien and Ford, a solid accident firm in Buffalo, New York.  They have some solid information for people who need legal counsel.

If you aren’t sure whether the insurance company is treating you fairly, a personal injury attorney like this can help.

Talk to Your Children

As parents we want to shield our children from everything bad in the world. Unfortunately, accidents happen.

Being in a car accident can heavily impact a child. Talk to your child about what she is feeling and do your best to comfort her. In some cases a child may need to talk to a professional counselor to help deal with her feelings.

Car accidents happen.  Do you have any other advice?

Why You Need an Emergency Fund Before Buying a House

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Emergency FundBecoming a homeowner is a dream for many. However, the dream of homeownership quickly turns into a nightmare for those who aren’t prepared for the unexpected costs that come with owning a home.

Switching from renting to owning a home comes with many changes. As a renter you were able to call your landlord any time something went wrong. As a homeowner you are responsible for the maintenance and repairs of your home like Water Heater Replacement – this can be very expensive.

As a homeowner there are many times when an emergency fund will come into play. Here are some of the surprises that come along with being a homeowner.

 

Unexpected Maintenance

As a homeowner you should save for routine maintenance issues like getting a regular Furnace Tune-up, sealing blacktop driveways, or getting your septic tank pumped. Then there are unexpected maintenance issues that pop up.

A prime example is waterproofing your basement. If your house has a basement then waterproofing it is extremely important.

Many new homeowners find out that they have flooding issues in their basements only after purchasing their house. To prevent flooding. the drain systems outside have to be fixed and waterproofing inside the basement needs to be performed by a professional to prevent mold and mildew. You can check out basement waterproofing in St Louis services, or services closer to your home, and discuss with them the best way to waterproof your basement for optimum protection.

 

Costly Repairs

Making repairs to your home has crossed your mind but you don’t understand just how much of a financial impact these repairs can have until one has occurred.

In some circumstances your homeowners insurance will cover repairs, such as wind blowing the roof off your house but you’ll still have to pay the deductible portion of the bill. However, if your roof is deteriorating you’ll have to cover the cost yourself. A new roof for a small house can easily cost in excess of five thousand dollars. So it’s worth picking a long-lasting option from someone like an otsego metal roof contractor who can help you with what you’re looking for.

Other common repairs include plumbing and electrical. In the winter your pipes could freeze and bust causing major plumbing issues that could call for an emergency plumber. Your hot water heater could go out, also requiring plumbers like Express Rooter to repair it for you.

Other costly repairs that might come up are:

  • Replacing appliances
  • New windows
  • Exterior siding
  • New garage door
  • Rewiring electric

You never know what can go wrong when you own your own home.

 

You Need to Be Prepared

Your refrigerator could stop working. Your lawnmower could break down. Your furnace could die. Your hot water heater could go bad. You just never know what will happen when you own a home.

It’s important to have savings for routine maintenance that will help prevent costly repairs and also enough money to cover those unexpected expenses. At the very least you need enough money to cover your homeowner’s insurance deductible. Although it’s wise to have a much larger buffer for all of the repairs that may arise.

Even though owning a home is a dream for many it can quickly turn into a nightmare if you aren’t prepared financially. When it comes to owning a home it’s better to be safe than sorry.

What are your thoughts on making sure you have enough savings before buying a house?

How We Plan To Financially Afford More Children

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pregnant and toddlerBefore I had any kids I thought I’d want a house full of kids. Three or four. Not necessarily because I want to be pregnant that many times or, if I’m being honest, spend that much money, but I want my kids to have each other when they get older. However, since having one child, I am surprisingly content. She’s a great kid who you’d think I’d be looking to clone ASAP but I’m not. As of right now, as our little one approaches 20 months, we have no immediate plans to extend our family.

However, if we can control it, we would like to have at least one more (in a few years). Sure we’re looking forward to having another baby but more than that, again, we want our daughter to have a sibling. Family is very important to us. Though I believe there is no real perfect time to have kids, there will always be something on your to-to list, you can still be more prepared than we were with our first.

We went into having our first sort of blindly. We had no idea how long, or if at all, we would take to get pregnant. It took a lot less than we ever expected which sort of threw us through a loop. We lived on a ”it will all work out” mantra and luckily for us, it did, barely. Come baby #2 we will be much, much more prepared.

 

Deal With Debt

Ideally we’re debt free by the time kiddo #2 is born, but if we’re not we will try to save enough extra money during the (ideal) nine month pregnancy to continue making our extra debt payments so my 12 month maternity leave doesn’t hinder our efforts. Unless someone has other plans for us, this is something we should be able to control. Having this sort of financial freedom will be liberating and allow me to have a stress-free mat leave.

 

Use What I Have

There will be huge monetary savings with kid #2 in the aspect that we don’t need any baby ”stuff” since we bought almost all gender neutral baby stuff (minus clothes). We chose to buy a lot of quality baby clothes which we kept so if we have another girl, there will be additional savings with cloths. If we have a boy, I’m confident we can sell the clothes we have to get a good start on a new wardrobe for a little man.

 

Be More Selective

I’ll be way more selective about what I buy. There was a lot of baby stuff and mom necessities I ran out and bought out of sheer ignorance and barely used most of it. Now that I know what I’ll want and need I will be able to better predict how much money we will really need. I’ll also utilize family and friends in the sense that if it’s an item I can borrow instead of buy, I will.

 

Diapers

I’ll try cloth diapering. I opted out of cloth diapers this child simply because I was scared and overwhelmed with the whole process. I have friends who have since started cloth diapering and I’ve done research myself and it doesn’t seem so overwhelming. For an upfront cost of approximately <$1000 I’ll definitely give it a shot. If it doesn’t work out I won’t worry since there is a large market for second-hand cloth diapers regaining a large portion of what I put into it.

 

Breastfeed Again

I was fortunate enough to be able to breastfeed our first for over a year. If I can do it again I would love to for the many benefits and huge cost savings!

How did you proceed with children after your first? Does it get any easier?

Why Should I Contribute Extra to My 401(k)?

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max your 401kMany people contribute to their 401(k) to get the matching contributions from their employer, if that is offered to them. However, a lot of people do not contribute more than the amount that their employer will match. Unfortunately, by not contributing extra to your 401(k) account, you’re missing out on plenty of benefits. Here are some of the top reasons why you should definitely contribute extra to your 401(k). You can check out the Suncorp superannuation calculator to find out how much you really need to retire.

 

1. You Get Automatic Savings

Contributions to your 401(k) plan are taken out of each of your paychecks every pay period, allowing for simple, automatic savings. You don’t ever have to make a bank transfer or write a check to deposit funds into your 401(k) account, making this an excellent option to save money, especially for those who don’t feel like they have the discipline to add to their savings regularly.

 

2. Tax Breaks are Available

When you contribute to your 401(k) plan, you are reducing your taxable income, as the government allows you to put a certain dollar amount each year into your plan before taxes are calculated on your gross income. While your funds are in your plan, taxes on all of the interest you make on both the money you contributed and any matching contributions your employer made are also deferred.

So, you don’t have to pay taxes on them until you take the money out of your 401(k) plan when you are ready to retire.  In addition, your contributions into your 401(k) plan can also help to drop you into a lower tax bracket where you would pay a lower rate on your taxes.

 

3. Your Contributions are Portable

All of the funds you contribute to your 401(k) plan are portable, allowing you to take those funds with you even if you switch jobs. It is important to keep in mind that you only have a 60-day deadline to do so, though, before you have to pay taxes on those funds, as well as a 10% penalty if you are less than 59 ½ years of age.

 

4. You Can Contribute More Than an IRA

The government allows for higher annual contributions to 401(k) plans than IRAs, which have a much lower limit on the amount of tax-deferred money you can contribute each year. In fact, you can contribute more than triple the amount each year to your 401(k) plan than you can to your IRA.

 

5. Social Security Will Not Provide Enough

Social security is only supposed to provide a percentage of your retirement income, not the full amount. So, a 401(k) could definitely help to make up another part of your retirement income, so you can live comfortably in your retirement. Contributing money into your 401(k) plan each month could definitely help you save up plenty of funds for your retirement, allowing you to retire when you want to and without worry of financial stress.

Do you try to max out your 401k contribution?

How to Develop a Healthy Lifestyle without Depriving Yourself

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joggingHow many times have you tried to stick to a diet but failed after about a week? If that sounds like you, you’re not alone.

It’s often said that 95 percent of dieters fail. While that number isn’t technically accurate I don’t think it’s too far off. If you’re stuck in the dieting trap let’s look at how you can maintain a healthy lifestyle without depriving yourself.

 

Change Your Lifestyle

Going on a fad diet is not a good way to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Whether you’re trying to shed a few pounds or just live a healthier life, you need to develop long lasting habits. To maintain long term results you need to gradually transform your bad habits into good habits.

It’s important to start small and slowly incorporate changes into your life that you’ll be to maintain long term. For instance, if you want to try using vitamins or supplements to help you reach your health goals, then you may want to look into a liver detox supplement or something within that line, so you can weigh up your options and choose the right thing for you.

 

Start with Your Diet

Changing a diet is where most people fail. And, this is all due to perception of the word diet.

Whether you’re trying to lose weight, tone up, or improve your health a diet should be looked at as a long term solution not a temporary fix. Having a consultation with a reputable nutrition expert or internist such as Dr. Amy Lee or simply reading their published material can be the realisation you require to start moving your diet in the right direction in the long term for the betterment of your health in the future. Doing a fad diet might have excellent results for you but if you can’t hold it up long term then you’ll end up going back to your old ways.

The changes you make in your eating habits should be sustainable. If you can’t imagine living your whole life on a liquid only diet – don’t even try it.

They key to maintaining better long term eating habits is moderation. If you currently take in 2500 calories a day don’t try to limit yourself to 1,000 calories right off the bat. Slowly work your way down to a more healthy level, your brain will tell you it wants to see results quickly for having a habit changed however you need to remember it is a gradual process. In order to make things easier some mental reinforcement can help – a detox of your body can help to expedite the process of eating healthier by aiding in cleaning out all the unhealthy addictive components in the food of today and set you towards feeling cleaner, there are many available, such as Easy Detox, which you can search up online to see reviews and decide if this would work for you.

And, it’s also important that you occasionally treat yourself. You don’t need to cut everything out of your diet. Focus on serving sizes. And, occasionally treat yourself. Everyone needs some Ben and Jerry’s every once in a while!

 

Find an Exercise Routine You Enjoy

If you hate exercise it could be that you’ve never found the right exercise program.

There are so many things that you can do for exercise. Anything from running on a treadmill to taking a kickboxing class, dancing, or even swimming can benefit your health drastically. Yoga or Pilates are other popular choices, and if you’re wondering, do I need equipment to do Pilates?it can be as simple as using a mat in the comfort of your own home!

Exercise doesn’t have to be boring. You can check out free exercise videos on YouTube and start your search from there. Exercise can also be more enjoyable when you have a friend by your side.

Ask a friend or family member if they’d be interested in taking an exercise class or meeting up at your house to do an exercise video.

Once you find a program you like be sure to slowly incorporate more and more exercise into your life.

 

Don’t Beat Yourself Up

We all fall off the bandwagon at one point or another. The difference between failure and success is admitting when you’ve messed up and taking that step back into your more healthy routine.

You’re not going to develop a healthier lifestyle overnight. It’s going to take time to build up your new, healthier habits. Remember to do things in moderation, treat yourself occasionally, and find exercise that you love. Take it one step at a time and you’ll develop a sustainable, healthy lifestyle.

How to Save Money by Going Green

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going greenDo you want to save money in an environmentally conscious way?

Going green can sometimes seem expensive. Especially when you compare the shelf prices of green products verses regular products. But, by trying to live a more environmentally conscious lifestyle you can help make the world a better place for future generations to come.

If you’re trying to go green without breaking the bank here are three ways you can do just that.

 

Make Your Own Cleaners

Going green is becoming increasingly popular and because of this many green items have a hefty mark up. One of these items is household cleaners.

Instead of purchasing cleaners from a big box store you can make your own for much less money. Here are some natural alternatives to chemical cleaners:

  • Baking Soda: cleans and deodorizes.
  • Lemons: kills household bacteria.
  • Isopropyl Alcohol: can be used as a disinfectant.
  • White Vinegar: will remove grease, mildew, and some odors.
  • Cornstarch: can be used as a window cleaner or as furniture polish.

There are also all types of combinations you can create to replace your favorite name brand cleaners. You can easily find a natural recipe for the cleaner you need online.

In addition to household cleaners you can make your own toothpaste, soap, and laundry detergent.

 

Don’t Throw Away – Recycle

The next time you think about throwing something out check and see if it can be recycled. By recycling you can help out the planet and even put some cash back in your pocket.

You can recycle things such as aluminum cans, copper, steel, plastics, and paper. You should also think about recycling appliances and electronics. You can reduce your carbon footprint by practicing computer recycling, cell phone recycling, and the recycling of your other electronics.  You just need to find a recycler like Vernon Technology Solutions to help.

Don’t forget about up cycling, either. A lot of times you can breathe new life into an old item. Things like small furniture, fabric, and old flower pots can be refurbished or turned into something new. If you don’t want to up cycle an item consider selling it or donating. This way your unwanted items won’t wind up in a land fill somewhere.

 

Rent Instead of Buy

Another great way to reduce your carbon footprint is to rent instead of buy- this is especially true with electronics.

If you occasionally need a tablet you can rent ipads instead of buying them. The same goes for renting computers. When you’re in a bind you can rent a computer for a specified time rather than shelling out hundreds of dollars for a new one.

 

Other Ways to Be Green and Save

Reducing the amount of harmful impact you do to the environment isn’t limited to just these three things. There are others things you can do to help out the planet and your pockets.

Here are a few:

  • Shop for clothing at thrift stores
  • Take shorter showers
  • Unplug appliances and electronics not in use
  • Don’t waste food
  • Drive your car less

There are many green things you can incorporate into your everyday life. The little things you do can have huge impact.

How do you save money by going green?

3 Tips for Maintaining Healthy Cholesterol Levels

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heart healthKeeping your cholesterol levels under control is important to protect you from heart attack, stroke, and also to improve your overall health.

It’s also important to recognize that not all cholesterol is bad. There are good types of cholesterol and bad types of cholesterol. Looks take a look at both types of cholesterol and how you can keep both under control for a healthier lifestyle.

 

Good Cholesterol

Good Cholesterol is HDL (high-density lipoprotein.) HDL actually removes any unneeded cholesterol in your body. When you look at your overall cholesterol levels, HDL will be one of the numbers measured. For women a healthy HDL level is 40-60 mg.

 

Bad Cholesterol

When you hear someone refer to bad cholesterol they are talking about LDL (low-density lipoprotein.) LDL is made up of fat and can leave fatty deposits in your arteries causing forms of heart disease.

Luckily LDL can be controlled by diet, exercise, and if needed, medication.

Now that we have your good and bad cholesterol level explained let’s look at the three most common ways you can maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

 

Maintain a Healthy Diet

The number one culprit for unhealthy cholesterol levels is your diet.

Bad cholesterol is found in foods that are rich with saturated and trans fat. By limiting the intake of these foods you’ll limit your intake of bad cholesterol.

LDL is found foods like these:

  • Fatty Meats
  • Dairy Products
  • Fast Food
  • Egg Yolks

Look at the saturated and trans fat content of the foods you’re eating and slowly decrease the amount you consume. Cutting the bad fats from your diet will decrease your bad cholesterol levels.

Some heart healthy foods you can incorporate into your diet are oatmeal, salmon, avocado, nuts, nut butters, and olive oil.

 

Incorporate an Exercise Plan Into Your Routine

Exercising can help lower your cholesterol in two ways: first losing weight (if needed) will help lower LDL cholesterol levels. Secondly the enzymes you produce by practicing moderately intense exercise will increase your good cholesterol levels.

Experts recommend that you find a moderately intense exercise like walking, jogging, swimming, or riding a bike that you can partake in for 10-20 minute bursts. It’s recommended to get a total of 30 minutes of this exercise per day or 60 minutes of moderately intense exercise if you’re trying to lose weight.

If you don’t currently have an exercise routine, start small. Try to incorporate 30 minutes of exercise into your day three times per week. Remember, it’s okay to exercise in small ten minute bursts. Gradually try to increase the number of time you exercise per week. You’ll be more likely to stick to a new exercise routine by going slow and steady.

 

Use Medication if Needed

If you are unable to naturally lower your cholesterol levels then medication may be needed.

If you think your cholesterol levels are at unhealthy levels you should consult with a doctor before changing your diet or exercise plan. A doctor will help you come up with a plan to get your cholesterol levels under control and will be able to prescribe medication if needed.