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Eliminating Debt & How to Make Money Online

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May 13, 2010

Debt Reduction, Secrets to Calculating “YOUR DESIRES verse YOUR REQUIREMENTS WHEN IT COMES TO SHOPPING

Filed under: Debt Control — Jean @ 8:09 pm

Many of us have enjoys a good afternoon of shopping knows well the tension that exists between the things we want versus the things we need. In our materialistic society, it can be very difficult to reconcile this tension. We convince ourselves that the things we want are the things we need. Some of us (especially those of us deep in debt) are very good at rationalizing our purchases. Here are some tips and ideas to help you overcome the urge to buy the things we want, rather than those we need.

What stuff that we wants vs. needs battle does to your budget
Straight away buying what we want (convincing ourselves that what we want is the same as what we need) can be dangerous to our budgets. If you find yourself in debt, there is a very good chance that you have been in a losing battle against your better judgment. But it is never too late to turn the battle around. When it comes to overspending, most of the time it has to do with overindulging. Before you can turn this battle around, you have to convince yourself of one basic truth: all you need is a roof over your head, clothes on your back and food on your plate. You don’t need a particularly fancy roof, expensive clothes or gourmet food. You just need to sustain yourself, and sustaining yourself means treating your hard-earned finances with respect.

The secret of the shopping list and sticking to it
Discover the easiest and time-tested ways to buy what you need, and not what you want: make a shopping list every time you go out. Not just when you go grocery shopping, but every time you leave the door and head towards the store. Eliminate the concept of “browsing.” Browsing can easily lead to overspending. When ever you head to the store, make a specific shopping goal. For example, if you’re going back to school shopping tell yourself: “I need to buy a new notebook, pens, a new sweater and two new pairs of pants.” Be very specific and carry a list. Having your needs right there in front of you, in black and white, can be a powerful reminder of why you are at the store.

Ask yourself: Can it wait?
Outcome from buying only what you need all the time can be difficult and demoralizing. While you are at your favorite store and shopping for the essentials, you are bound to come across something beautiful that you love and want but probably don’t need, at least not right away. Instead of blaming your budget, ask yourself a simple question: can it wait? In most cases, it probably can, and you can even come back for the special purchase when your finances are (more) in order.

Associates: watch who you move with
Sometimes it is easier said than done, this can be a difficult realization to make, but it is essential if you find yourself overspending. Do you have friends or family members who overindulge or overspend? Maybe they can afford such spending behavior (or maybe they can’t), but if you know you can’t, it’s time to take a break from these acquaintances. Constantly eating out, vacationing or going shopping with these friends is bound to do a number on your financial ledger. If you love your friends, but not their financial behavior, resolve to join in low-cost activities. Invite your friends over for a home-cooked dinner, picnic or to the art museum during free admission day. Be honest with your friends if they question your behavior. True friendship can overcome these spending differences.

Discover the secret to creating your own mad money jar
Your results from always scrimping and saving is no fun. Do yourself a favor and create your own private money stash. Sock away stray dollar bills into a mad money jar and forget about it. Six months from the date of starting your jar, use the money for special purchase-something you want but don’t particularly need.


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Reduce Debt, How to Understanding Your Credit Rating and How To Fix It

Filed under: Debt Control — Jean @ 2:36 am

Before you start boosting your credit score, you need to know the basics. You need to know what a credit score is, how it is developed, and why it is important to you in your everyday life.
Lenders certainly know what sort of information they can get from a credit score, but knowing this information yourself can help you better see how your everyday financial decisions impact the financial picture lenders get of you through your credit score. A few simple tips are all you need to know to understand the basic principles:

Tip #1: Understand where credit scores come from.
If you are going to improve your credit score, then logic has it that you must understand what your credit score is and how it works. Without this information, you won’t be able to very effectively improve your score because you won’t understand how the things you do in daily life affect your score.
If you don’t understand how your credit score works, you will also be at the mercy of any company that tries to tell you how you can improve your score – on their terms and at their price.
In general, your credit score is a number that lets lenders know how much of a credit risk you are. The credit score is a number, usually between 300 and 850, that lets lenders know how well you are paying off your debts and how much of a credit risk you are.
In general, the higher your credit score, the better credit risk you make and the more likely you are to be given credit at great rates. Scores in the low 600s and below will often give you trouble in finding credit, while scores of 720 and above will generally give you the best interest rates out there. However, credit scores are a lot like GPAs or SAT scores from college days – while they
give others a quick snapshot of how you are doing; they are interpreted by people in different ways. Some lenders put more emphasis on credit scores than others.
Some lenders will work with you if you have credit scores in the 600s, while others offer their best rates only to those creditors with very high scores indeed. Some lenders will look at your entire credit report while others will accept or reject your loan application based solely on your credit score.
The credit score is based on your credit report, which contains a history of your past debts and repayments. Credit bureaus use computers and mathematical calculations to arrive at a credit score from the information contained in your credit report.
Each credit bureau uses different methods to do this (which is why you will have different scores with different companies) but most credit bureaus use the FICO system. FICO is an acronym for the credit score calculating software offered by Fair Isaac Corporation company. This is by far the most used software since the Fair Isaac Corporation developed the credit score model used
by many in the financial industry and is still considered one of the leaders in the field.
In fact, credit scores are sometimes called FICO scores or FICO ratings, although it is important to understand that your score may be tabulated using different software.
Similarly, credit bureaus and lenders often look at general patterns. Since people with too many debts tend not to have great rates of repayment, your credit score may suffer if you have too many debts, for example. Understanding this can help you in two ways:

1) It will let you see that your credit score is not a personal reflection of how “good” or “bad” you are with money. Rather, it is a reflection of how well lenders and companies think you will repay your bills – based on information gathered from studying other people.

2) It will let you see that if you want to improve your credit score, you need to work on becoming the sort of debtor that studies have shown tends to repay their bills. You do not have to work hard to reinvent yourself financially and you do not have to start making much more money. You just need to be a reliable lender. This realization alone should help make credit repair far less stressful!
Credit reports are put together by credit bureaus, which use information from client companies. It works like this: credit bureaus have clients – such as credit card companies and utility companies, to name just two – who provide them with information.
Once a file is begun on you (i.e. once you open a bank account or have bills to pay) then information about you is stored on the record. If you are late paying a bill, the clients call the credit bureaus and note this. Any unpaid bills, overdue bills or other problems with credit count as “dings” on your credit report and affect your score.
Information such as what type of debt you have, how much debt you have, how regularly you pay your bills on time, and your credit accounts are all information that is used to calculate your credit score.
Your age, sex, and income do not count towards your credit score. The actual formula used by credit bureaus to calculate credit scores is a well-kept secret, but it is known that recent account activity, debts, length of credit, unpaid accounts, and types of credit are among the things that count the most in tabulating credit scores from a credit report.

You may want to note that your financial information wherever it is keep is out there, so you need to contact the bureaus to get a copy of your credit rating so your in control. Your local yellow pages should have the contact information for your credit agencies or you can do a web search.

Excerpt from “CREDIT REPAIR STRATEGIES”

credit repair big 267x300 Reduce Debt, How to Understanding Your Credit Rating and How To Fix It

which is availble as a ebook – just click here.


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April 20, 2010

No Debt, Summer Fun With A Family Without Running Up Debt

Filed under: Debt Control — Jean @ 5:07 am

Barbeques, road trips and long-awaited travel vacations that’s what summer is for. But in these hard times, it can be hard to justify a family vacation. Remember that summer fun is never out of style and that a year full of activity and work always justifies a summer vacation. That doesn’t mean you have to go into debt just to enjoy a good summer vacation. Here are some tips for getting your good dose of summer fun without going into long-term debt.
Holiday Vacation in your state
Having a vacation isn’t a contest to see how far from home you can get this summer. Why not choose to vacation in your state or region? Staying within the boundaries of your own state can save you money on transportation and you can probably see many things and visit destinations you have never visited. State parks are usually much less expensive than national parks, and they are just as fun. So pack up the car and head out to explore your own backyard.
Save money by getting a national parks pass to save money
When you and your family are set on visiting one of the country’s premiere national park destinations, go ahead and invest in a national parks pass. Most of the famous national parks will cost you a good $20-25 a pop. If you plan on visiting often or would like to see more than one park, you would probably be better off in investing a national park pass, which gains you admittance to several national parks for one flat fee.
Train travel is fun so why not choose train whenever your destination allows
When your destination allows, choose to travel by train. The savings in gas will be significant, and you will have more time to enjoy the view. Of course, if you are planning a long trip or traveling with little ones, you will probably want to avoid extensive train travel. Use the train for short trips where you can get away with walking, bus and cabs, or break up a longer voyage into shorter legs so that the little ones don’t get restless and so you can get to see more destinations.
Look at buying a package vacation to save money
You will find many great package vacations out there that allow you to save money on air, hotel and attractions. Make sure to do the math before you sign up for a package vacation to make sure you are getting a good deal. Also, you should read all the fine print. Many low-priced package vacations have strict travel restrictions. If you can make it work, you will likely save hundreds of dollars on package vacations.
Family visits instead of theme parks can be a great way to catch up
So you and the family are excited about taking a road trip and aren’t too picky about the destination (after all, the journey is the destination, right?), why not pay a visit to loved relatives that you don’t get to see too often. Instead of driving across two states to go to an overpriced and crowded theme park, take the kids to visit grandma. In the long run, they are likely to have just as much fun without the high costs of theme parks or other tourist attractions.
Bring back the cooler and make your lunch on the road
Next to gas and hotels, eating is probably your highest cost while on a family road trip vacation. You can save hundreds of dollars by preparing ahead of time and preparing your own picnic lunches. Treat yourself to one restaurant meal per day if you like, but be prepared to visit grocery stores in order to make your own fresh and much less expensive lunches.
So take off and enjoy this summer without going into debt.


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April 15, 2010

Reduce Debt, “Financial Freedom” we need it, Debt can make you Ill & Unhappy

Filed under: Debt Control — Jean @ 1:22 am

Simply Living Debt Free is your essential guide to evaluating your life as it is right now and identifying the changes you need to make in the most important areas to gain back control of your life. Whether you’re struggling financially, emotionally, physically, or spiritually, this must have manual provides a wealth of specific strategies you can use now to re-route your life’s road map and live the life you always dreamed of living!


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March 2, 2010

Debt Reduction, Nine Natty Ways to Have a Little Extra Each Month

Filed under: Debt Control — Jean @ 4:12 am

You don’t have to suffer if you are hurting for money. Renting can be expensive, and sometimes not exactly worth the money you pay. You’ve got to pay your monthly rent, plus your electric bill, water bill, gas bill, and other bills. Consider everything monthly. The rates build up, and you can easily fall into debt. No one wants to get in debt, but sometimes it seems unavoidable. However, there is a way you can afford it, and get your money’s worth every month, while seemingly lowering your monthly payments. No matter what the situation, there’s an apartment that’s right for you.

Search out a little side Internet job that you can work from home. Many online jobs allow you to put in some time once a week or so on weekends, so you can have more money coming in. This can quickly equate to earning an extra $100 a month. Maybe you could look at becoming an affiliate; you have no start up cost. (if you are attracted to the idea of becoming an affiliate then check out Health Wise Affiliate Prodgram )

Put up for sale items on eBay. If you have a hobby of garage sale hopping, look for small treasures when you’re out shopping. Buy cheap and sell high on eBay. EBay is an online auction website that allows you to sell items quickly and easily. If you stick to it and make it a priority, you can easily earn an extra $100 a month.

Transform a hobby into a small business. If you enjoy web design but don’t do it as a career, advertise that you can create web sites for people quickly and easily. Don’t charge too much, because you want to do it as a hobby and you do want to get customers. But charging a nominal fee is a great way to turn something you enjoy doing into $100 each month.

Locate people who owe you money. If you start tying up loose ends and tracking down people you have judgments against, you can start collecting cash. Also look at cable companies that you may have overpaid. Ask for your refund. Find companies that you owe money to and it quite possibly can turn into an extra $100 each month.

Begin selling old things in your house that you no longer need. Everyone has things in their home that they haven’t used in a year or more. These items oftentimes can be sold quite easily and not missed. Start posting these items on sites like Craig’s List or eBay and you can quickly and easily earn extra income each month. This is also a great way to start sorting out the things from your home that you no longer need. Soon enough you will have a streamlined household.

Instead of having bills mailed to you, and having to worry about writing and mailing out checks to several different people every thirty days, you can negotiate one flat rate to pay every month. This payment will include your rent bill, water, gas, electric, and many other things that come with the apartment. You’d be surprised at how low the payments per month actually are.

However, if you want more luxury with the place you’re living. Some apartment rent rates are higher than others, and this is because some apartments have hidden bills and fees. Obviously, the gas and electric bills are very high due to everyone living in the apartment, but again, the bills are divided up fairly equally. Another good thing is that, within reason, you can use a fair amount of water and gas and electricity and not get charged more for it every month.

Living in an apartment and having one fixed bill per month can be a major stress reliever, and a good way to help things get organized. Apartments can be fun and cheap places to live.

Annual fees are expenses paid every year for keeping/owning your credit card. These fees are usually tracked by points. For example, 10 points equals 10% of the original credit line. So if you’ve got a $200 bill, you might have 25 days to pay it, and if you’re late on the payment, you’ll get charged a certain amount of money in addition to the original $200 fee.

You can take back control of your financial situation with a bit of forward planning, sometime when you first start to get back on track it will seem hard but just keep taking small steps and you will succeed.




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February 1, 2010

Debt Reduction, Secrets to Controlling “THE WISHES verse THE NECESSITIES”

Filed under: Debt Control — Jean @ 11:23 pm

How many of us have enjoys a good afternoon of shopping knows well the tension that exists between the things we want versus the things we need. In our materialistic society, it can be very difficult to reconcile this tension. Often we convince ourselves that the things we want are the things we need. Some of us (especially those of us deep in debt) are very good at rationalizing our purchases. Here are some tips and ideas to help you overcome the urge to buy the things we want, rather than those we need.

Things that we wants vs. needs battle does to your budget

Instantly buying what we want (or convincing ourselves that what we want is the same as what we need) can be dangerous to our budgets. If you find yourself in debt, there is a very good chance that you have been in a losing battle against your better judgment. But it is never too late to turn the battle around. When it comes to overspending, most of the time it has to do with overindulging. Before you can turn this battle around, you have to convince yourself of one basic truth: all you need is a roof over your head, clothes on your back and food on your plate. You don’t need a particularly fancy roof, expensive clothes or gourmet food. You just need to sustain yourself, and sustaining yourself means treating your hard-earned finances with respect.

Discover the shopping list and stick to it

Finally one of the easiest and time-tested ways to buy what you need, and not what you want: make a shopping list every time you go out. Not just when you go grocery shopping, but every time you leave the door and head towards the store. Eliminate the concept of “browsing.” Browsing can easily lead to overspending. Every time you head to the store, make a specific shopping goal. For example, if you’re going back to school shopping tell yourself: “I need to buy a new notebook, pens, a new sweater and two new pairs of pants.” Be very specific and carry a list. Having your needs right there in front of you, in black and white, can be a powerful reminder of why you are at the store.

Question yourself: Can it wait?

Results from buying only what you need all the time can be difficult and demoralizing. While you are at your favorite store and shopping for the essentials, you are bound to come across something beautiful that you love and want but probably don’t need, at least not right away. Instead of bemoaning your budget, ask yourself a simple question: can it wait? In most cases, it probably can, and you can even come back for the special purchase when your finances are (more) in order.

People: watch who you run with

Easier said than done, this can be a difficult realization to make, but it is essential if you find yourself overspending. Do you have friends or family members who overindulge or overspend? Maybe they can afford such spending behavior (or maybe they can’t), but if you know you can’t, it’s time to take a break from these acquaintances. Constantly eating out, vacationing or going shopping with these friends is bound to do a number on your financial ledger. If you love your friends, but not their financial behavior, resolve to join in low-cost activities. Invite your friends over for a home-cooked dinner, picnic or to the art museum during free admission day. Be honest with your friends if they question your behavior. True friendship can overcome these spending differences.

Secret to creating your own mad money jar

The result from always scrimping and saving is no fun. Do yourself a favor and create your own private money stash. Sock away stray dollar bills into a mad money jar and forget about it. Six months from the date of starting your jar, use the money for special purchase-something you want but don’t particularly need.


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January 1, 2010

DEBT REDUCTION – Are you getting the best deal from your banking institution ?

Filed under: Debt Control — Jean @ 2:38 am

You’ve got to ask yourself, depending on how long you have your credit card and how much money your credit card is worth, which option will be better in the long run. A credit card annual fee is an expense that you must pay per year in order to keep your credit card. The good news is that these fees are generally very low. Most annual credit card fees vary from $10 to $75 a year. Rewards cards fees are usually higher than this, and annual fees are normally used in the form of points and percentages. For example, 10 points is the equivalent of 10% of your credit line. When paying an annual fee for a credit card, this usually brings down your interest rate. Some credit cards have no annual fee, but their interest rate will be higher than those of a credit card with an annual fee.

Would you rather pay $10 per year, or have to spend 5 years paying off the $5,000 extra dollars you spent trying to avoid that annual fee? Credit card companies want your money, and some things, such as a waiver for annual fees, can often be tricky to see around.

Should you pay an annual fee every year for a lower interest rate, or should you purchase a credit card with no annual fee, but a higher interest rate? Some credit card companies will sometimes offer to waive your annual fee if you spend enough money each year using your credit card. While this seems like a good idea and it’s easy to make big purchases with one swipe of your credit card, you must consider that you are probably going to end up paying more in the long run.

Credit card companies will try to trick you into buying their card by flattering you with certain deals on annual fees. One example mentioned above is the waiving of the annual fee, but other card companies are even more inconspicuous. Some say they’ll give you no annual fees for the first year, but their interest rates will be higher. Some offer a low fee for the first year, but this will also make a higher interest rate. Credit card companies that offer a low annual fee for the first year normally have higher annual fees than usual, and you’ll usually end up paying the difference between your ‘low annual fee’ and the company’s normal annual fee somewhere within your interest rate.

Sometimes, when your annual fee is waived for the first year and the interest rate is high, the interest rate will not decrease when you begin to pay your annual fee.

Annual fees can be good and bad-you just have to be careful and consider each aspect from different angles before making your decision. Credit cards can be useful, but there are many fees that come along with them, and some of the fees are hidden. Not only must you pay back what you spent, but there are many other things to pay off as well. Some of these fees include interest rates, annual fees, late payment fees, set-up fees, credit limit increase fees, cash advance fees, and others.

Interest rates are additional fees you pay while paying back what you spent on the card. These rates change depending on other factors about your credit card. For example, the amount of money you’re paying back can increase or decrease interest rates, and whether or not there is an annual fee on your credit card can change your interest rate as well. So its worth taking a good look at your bank to make sure you have the best account for your needs don’t just leave it to chance, get the information and take back control of your money.


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December 12, 2009

Debt Control, How to Avoid the Debts this Holiday Season

Filed under: Debt Control — Jean @ 5:06 am

Helpful Hints on How to Avoid the Debt of the Holiday Season

With mass consumerism does the holiday season fill your heart with joy or do you go into a panic attack just thinking about the damage that it will do to your budget? If the holiday season has become something that you dread, it’s time to take control and put things into perspective. and the pressure to spend during this time of year, it can be incredibly easy to throw caution to the wind and rack up a huge credit card bill that will come back to haunt you in the new year.

Your purpose this year is to approach the holiday season with your good sense intact. Here are some helpful hints on how to avoid the debt of the holiday season and enjoy a stress-free holiday. Prepare a plan in advance of the holiday season Take that old Boy Scout adage to heart when it comes to preparing yourself for the holiday season: be prepared. When the first strains of Christmas Carols come into earshot, grab a pen and sheet of paper and get ready to make a plan. You can try planning early, but it can be easy to forget about your fail-proof holiday season budgeting plan if you draft it in July. Around Thanksgiving, take a good hard look at your current financial template and figure out how much you can afford to spend on gifts, food, entertainment, travel and other seasonal expenses without going into the red. Make a list of everyone you plan on giving a gift to, including co-workers, the mail carrier, etc.

Prioritize: who do you anticipate you will be spending more on? Write everyone’s name on a sheet of paper and put a figure next to their name. Add up all the numbers to make sure that your total figure is not beyond your budget. Stick, stick, stick to your budget You can make as many lists as you want but they won’t mean much if you don’t stick to a budget. It can be very tempting to overspend, especially if you happen to come upon the “perfect” gift for your wife, husband, girlfriend, boss, best friend, etc. No matter how perfect the gift may be, don’t buy it unless you can afford it. You won’t be doing your friends, family members and other loved ones any favors by getting into debt. Taking your budget plan to the store as you shop is an easy way to remind yourself not to overspend. Cross off names from your list after buying the corresponding gift or present. If you are buying many gifts, it can be very easy to overspend simply by buying too many presents and losing track of what you have purchased already.

Chances are that you are not the only one in your family or circle of friends who overspends during the holiday season. If you are serious about spending within your means, discuss openly your concerns with friends and family members on holiday spending. Let them know that you will be setting a cap on your holiday setting, and that your friends and family members may want to consider reciprocating. If possible, get your family to agree on a spending cap. This will help ensure a financially healthy and low-stress holiday season for all your loved ones. Make your own gifts A lot of people appreciate the warmth and unique beauty of handmade gifts. If you are lucky enough to have friends and family members who favor handmade items over store bought presents, the holiday season can not only be a great time to save money but a wonderful opportunity to let your talents shine. Are you an expert syrup maker? Do you love to make candles or soaps in your spare time? These can make wonderful and low-cost presents.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS


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December 1, 2009

Cutting Debt, Revialize Cheep & Easy Snack to Save on the Grocery Bill

Filed under: Debt Control — Jean @ 10:57 pm

You may have noticed that your habits and interests have changed as you’ve gotten older. More than likely, you exercise and participate in physical activities at a slower pace than when you were in your youth. Even the foods you enjoy today may be rather different than 30 or 40 years ago. These changes in lifestyle can make a dramatic change in the type of expenditures that appear in your current budget.

Shop differently. If you shop at grocery stores in which you aren’t normally seen at, like bulk food stores and low-cost groceries, you can often buy the same brand-name products you’re used to only at reduced costs. This type of cautious shopping is a great way to save money on your grocery bill.

You can easily cut down on your snacks by shopping more inexpensively. If you are used to spending $5.00 a day on a muffin from the corner store, shop for pre-packaged muffins at a low-cost grocery store and bring one of those to work with you each day. This is a way that can save you a ton on your grocery food bill. You can do this with snack foods very easily. Simply purchase inexpensive snacks at your grocery store when you do the shopping. Bring these snacks with you when you are likely to snack.

If you raised kids, the expenditures in your budget are probably significantly different today than when your children lived with you. Then, you probably looked for “family” discount packages for vacations and entertainment events. You probably purchased milk in a gallon container and kept a large supply of laundry and cleaning products. You probably cooked large meals with leftovers for one, maybe two, days.

Your medicine cabinet probably had lots of bandages and alcohol for those times when the kids scrapped their knees, as well as vitamins and cold tablets to keep them healthy and protected from viruses transmitted by their classmates.

When purchasing goods with short shelf lives or expiration dates, such as milk, cheese and other dairy products, avoid getting the “jumbo” or “family-sized” container for your scaled down family of just you and your spouse. Generally, dry goods can last a long time, and you may be inclined to purchase the large bag or box of rice, cereal, and flour. However, if it takes you a very long time to consume the product once the container has been opened, that product can lose its freshness and original properties. For example, homemade cookies made with old, exposed baking powder will not rise as much as when the powder was fresh.

If you are retired or no longer working, you may have noticed that your heating and cooling bills are higher now that you are in the home over more hours per day. Therefore, you may want to acclimate yourself to slightly lower temperature settings on your house thermometer. If you have a timer system on your thermometer, you might adjust the time settings as well. In fact, if your equipment is more than 15 or 20 years old, you may want to consider upgrading or replacing it with a more energy-efficient furnace and air conditioning system. Sadly, the rate of prescriptions continues to rise. So, remember to include the cost of your medication, medical services and long-term care, when modifying your budget, also.


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November 10, 2009

Debt Control, We all need an Emergency Fund.

Filed under: Debt Control — Jean @ 12:42 am

Your Emergency Fund and Ways to Fund It.

An emergency fund is necessary for obvious reasons. Unexpected circumstances include job loss, car breakdown, sick kid, and natural disaster. You can build an emergency account using one or more of the following principles: If you invest in your company’s 401K or other pension plan you may be able to take out money later with little to no penalty in some cases. Depending upon the retirement plan you participate in, provisions are often made for emergencies. Certain life insurance plans and other insurance policies make provision for an additional benefit. That often is a dividend paid back to you via company earnings. Add money to this fund as often as possible.

If you are not comfortable yet with putting away more than a few percent then start out with that. Even a dollar a paycheck is better than none at all. The recommended amount would be $25 to $50 per paycheck or more. That would provide you with over $1000 at the end of the year. Cut down on items you do not need at least temporarily. For instance, if you are not much of a TV watcher anyway why do you need cable? Likewise, if you are not online much you can get rid of your Internet service. Find a cheaper phone plan. This is one area where anyone could probably stand to save money. There really are cheaper plans out there, with the same great calling services. Use at least a portion of your tax return. That will help boost your emergency fund savings goal. If you already have an emergency fund do not brag about. Less people will hit you up for money and you will feel less obligated to give in to their pleading requests. (Besides, if your friends are your friends now they will be your friends whether you give them money or not.) Try to make it a little more difficult to get access to your emergency funds than your regular funds. For instance, you might consider starting your second fund account at a back opposite to the side of town where you live.

Change the size of your emergency fund according to changes in life. For instance, you will most likely need more of a stash built up if you have a family and children. Cut down on luxuries such as coffee, soda, and other expensive drinks. Either that or purchase them in bulk instead of the two-dollar bottles you normally buy. Put your money away in a higher-yielding type of savings account such as a CD or mutual fund. However, try to have that fund as close to you as possible in case you unfortunately need it. Get a temporary part time job. You could also market your skills and hobbies on the side. Besides, you never know when you can make your part time employment or part-time hobby into a full career.

An additional benefit of course is that you will have the funds you need in case of certain types of unforeseen circumstances. Even the smallest amount of emergency fund you set up can provide you with a greater peace of mind. Everyone wants to know that they can take care of themselves or their family. In addition to having a cash fund, one of the types of insurance that is recommended is homeowner’s (or renter’s), health, and car insurances. An adequate life insurance plan is also ideal so certain expenses are paid for after you pass away. If you seem overwhelmed when you read this, just take the process of saving for a rainy day one step at a time.

Think about what you can do for yourself versus what you cannot do.


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