July 28, 2015
Can you plan a dreamy honeymoon within budget? Is it possible to gift your partner the most cherished moments of his/her life even while counting your dough? If you are looking forward to your honeymoon any time soon, you might as well want to secure a few tips with the help of which it would be possible for you to save money on your honeymoon trip. Read on to find out more.
Tips to save on your honeymoon
For many couples, savings are the last thing on mind when they are honeymooning. However, it is not really sagacious on your part to embark on a dreamy trip without proper financial planning. The moment you start paying, you understand the kind of costs you might as well end up shelling out. Your expenditures might leave you drained if you are not planning properly. Here are a few tips with the help of which you can end up making substantial savings on your honeymoon. Read on find out more.
Utilize your reward points
Your honeymoon is the right time for you to cash in on the points in your credit card. Reduced or free airfares might as well come as a huge gift under these circumstances. However, if you do not really have enough miles to be covered you can always upgrade your coach in order to ensure that you are starting and wrapping up your honeymoon in style.
In fact, it would be even better if you are ditching the airfares in favor of a fulfilling road trip with your partner. Make sure you are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that this remains one of the most romantic journeys of your life, by introducing soft music while you’re on road and taking a small detour to a romantic getaway.
Make sure you are taking advantage of the shoulder season
It is always advisable that you are avoiding the peak season for travel. Hotel and airfares generally skyrocket at that point of time. The peak and low seasons might vary with different destinations. It is only natural for locals to charge you more on lodging and food if you are visiting at a time when everything is in demand.
Research research research!
Make sure you are investing proper time in researching on the travel deals. You are not really required to visit travel offices separately in a bid to compare these deals. Everything can be done online. Please make sure you are actually taking out time to conduct this comparison between rates offered by different travel agencies. You are not required to leave the comfort of your home in a bid to find this out. Make the most of this opportunity to secure an idea about the kind of money you will have to shell out. This is an important step to ensure that you are actually zeroing in on the most affordable deals in the market. Dig deeper to look out for coupon sites carrying exciting combo offers. There are sites which might as well give away gift cards and discount coupons from the same retailer. Bundle these offers together.
Conclusion
You necessarily are not really required to browse through the pages of complicated finance journals (discussing stock markets, Real Estate Pune or for that matter any other global financial trend) in order to learn how exactly you can end up saving on your honeymoon trip. It is all about following a few simple steps— like those mentioned above! Best of luck!
Tags:
budgeting,
financial planning,
money savings,
Property,
real estate,
savings
March 6, 2015
Developing an effective and sound budget is truly important or crucial when you wish to achieve financial targets, control household costs and manage debts. A budget is the key ingredient to achieving financial goals, achieving household goals and managing debt successfully. Apart from this, by creating a budget you may pay off debt, buy a bigger apartment and get a better car.
A sound budget can only be developed when you understand your entire financial situation in a better way. You may experience a lot of challenges while creating a budget that suits your young family. In your attempt to develop a smart budget, you might wonder how to begin with it. Developing a budget is about identifying the starting point and the steps to go with it. There are a few good websites that may help you prepare an effective budget. In order to catch up with the best sites across major search engines, you may click on Check n’ Go•.
Consider a few budgeting tips that will keep you motivated –
1. Note all expenses
All of your monthly expenses need to be written in a notepad. Make a list of each single item that you purchase every month. Record all goods that you use on a daily basis, be it those ice creams that you keep on the refrigerator, your parking meter charges as well as your morning coffee.
Although it might seem tedious it will work in your best interest. Once the costs are itemized, you’ll need to go through the list and find which items are absolute necessities. You may try creating two categories namely discretionary and essential. You’ll certainly come to know how much you can actually avoid spending or save out of your list of expenses.
2. Exercise discipline
In order to stay within a tough budget, you’ll need to count on your means and exercise discipline and self-control. You must learn how to cope with the challenges of staying within a budget. There is a certain trick to get things done while staying within your budget. A budget resembles a diet; you’re bound to shed a few pounds once you start having lettuce leaves for about 7 days. You don’t need to live without fulfilling your daily necessities. For an occasional reward or treat, a certain allowance needs to be incorporated within your budget.
3. Set your targets
Set achievable targets. This way, you’ll be able to analyze each of your moves and proceed without committing mistakes. Meeting new targets will be easier once you reach your initial goals.
4. Use an online budget plan
You’re bound to come across a number of online budget planners that come for free. A majority of the budget plans are friendly towards their users. A budget planner helps you to measure the out flow of your money. Once you can measure your expenses, it will be easier for you to manage them.
5. Seek assistance
You may use free information available over the internet for maintaining or developing a budget. When it comes to promoting financial websites bearing quality budget tips, you may utilize sites like Check n’ Go•. Websites like this are aimed at educating people on budgeting and other financial areas.
Tags:
budgeting,
Debts,
Earnings,
economy,
money,
personal finance,
savings
January 11, 2015
In October 2014, the personal saving rate, the ratio of personal income saved to personal net disposable income, was only five percent in the United States. Americans are not known for being savers; the all-time high for personal saving ratio was 14.60 percent in 1975 which is lower than many developing countries.
The truth is, life happens and it can often be expensive. By building your savings into a nest egg, you will be better prepared for these developments.
A Nation of Spenders
Almost half of American households (44 percent) have no more than three months of expenses in a savings account, leaving them unprepared for medical, legal, or other emergencies. Many rely on credit which accumulates expenses through interest rates and in some unfortunate circumstances, late or missed payments.
The National Foundation for Credit Counseling conducts a survey every year on consumer financial literacy. According to the latest survey, 16 percent indicated that their emergency fund was insufficient. The same percentage also admitted to not having enough in savings to retire.
Saving Is Necessary
Relying on credit instead of stashing away money is a risky game. As your balances rise, so do interest rates and fees. Many people file bankruptcy because they do not keep up with servicing their debt.
As this pattern continues, credit scores drop but life does not stop happening. If a car needs brakes, a water heater blows up, or you get sued or face legal charges and need to pay criminal defense lawyer fees, this means having to find money quickly. A household that is liquid asset poor is also vulnerable to predatory lending that only deepens financial insecurity.
Get Started
The economy is unpredictable and only a healthy savings account ensures stability. The time to develop this habit is now. Here are suggestions to get started:
- Start Small. Even if you only transfer $5.00 from every paycheck into savings account, it is better than nothing. The trick is to make this a habit and putting aside a small amount will accomplish that. You will likely increase this amount later, due to the satisfaction of saving.
- Set a Goal. A $1,000 emergency fund covers most every day emergencies like car or home repairs. While legal fees and medical bills could easily wipe out a fund of this size, $1,000 is a good goal to start saving. Break it into two $500 goals if that seems more feasible.
- Schedule Automatic Transfers. Some employers offering direct deposit will allow you to split your paycheck into two accounts. If that is possible, arrange a certain amount for your savings account. Otherwise, set up an automatic transfer from checking to savings at each pay period so the saving process occurs despite any lapses in discipline.
A nest egg means an emergency becomes an inconvenience instead of a disaster. If you are relying on credit or living between paychecks, take it as a sign to change your financial habits. Rather than mull over your mistakes, take action today to start a good savings plan.
Tags:
budgeting,
Credits,
Debts,
financial planning,
money,
personal finance,
savings
September 9, 2014
You have a number of resources available and it is up to you to make the best of them. By organizing your available resources you will know which one can be used for what task. You will avoid duplication and end up saving money. Take a look at how you do things today and then work out how you can do them better tomorrow. Small things can make a big difference over a long period of time, so no change is too small to be not considered.
Optimizing Use of Resources at Home
Home improvement projects are important; just don’t start something which is more cosmetic than useful. For instance structural reinforcement is important but getting new cushion covers every season is not. Using coupons is good; just don’t buy something you don’t need simply because you have a coupon to get it cheap. Just because you have a coupon to get tomato soup cans at half price is no reason to buy them when you hate tomato soup. Don’t pay for a service that you can get for free elsewhere, for instance some shops charge for home delivering groceries but others may do it for free. Learn to compare deals at different shops to get the best bargain possible, this is time well spent when you are being frugal, rather than time wasted.
Optimizing Resource Usage at Work
Start with getting to work in a car pool. This way you save money on fuel, make the carbon footprint a bit smaller and do your bit towards going green. You also get saved from the hassle of driving through traffic on your own every day. The company in the car makes for a more pleasant and relaxed drive. At work, check if you need all the phone lines you own. If your job requires you to be in the office the whole day, you don’t need a mobile phone. If however you have a job that takes you all over town, you may want to consider disconnecting the landline. Buy the office supplies and stationery you need in bulk. You know you will be using pens, pencils, paper and printer reams. So get them cheap while buying for the full year’s supplies. You save frequent trips to stock up on office supplies as well.
While ready cash is your most liquid resource, it is not the only asset you own.
An asset is a resource you own that can be used to generate more income for you. If you have a large space that you use only part of the time, you can rent it out to others. Your holiday cabin can be let out during the time you are not using it to generate more income on the side. You can use this rent for the general up keep and maintenance of the cabin. That way it pays for itself. Think about other assets you own which can be put to better use. It will surprise you to see how much extra income you can generate with a little creative thinking.
Tags:
budgeting,
financial planning,
money,
money savings,
savings
July 21, 2014
Running any kind of business includes an element of risk, and this risk is all the more evident when you are running a small business. Considering the current economic climate, saving money has run to the top of many businesses’ to do lists, and it’s not actually as hard as you may think! Some of these tips are as simple as changing the way you use your phone system at work, and communication specialists like Com2 can help you save money by implementing a cheap and efficient telecommunication system. If you’re eager to hear some more, here are some more tips you might want to think about implementing in your business, as these simple steps will allow you to save a decent amount of money.
Buy in bulk
Buy essentials for the office in bulk, whether it be from wholesalers or your local office supplies store. These items include reams of paper, packets of pens, notebooks and even printer cartridges. Buying in bulk will normally get you a discount on these products, and will also increase productivity throughout the workplace –your employees will not have to waste precious time buying these essentials when you run out of them!
Don’t buy office furniture from retailers
There are now many other ways to get hold of furniture without having to pay a fortune. The advent of Craigslist and similar sites has allowed hundreds of people to sell their unwanted goods online, and this is the perfect place for you to score some normally expensive products for a relatively inexpensive price. Of course, always remember to be careful when you are dealing with strangers in an online forum.
Broaden your advertising horizons
Word of mouth is widely regarded as the most powerful form of advertisement, yet many businesses do not use this utility to the best of their ability. One way to increase word of mouth advertising might be through the introduction of a loyalty system whereby clients who refer new customers receive a reward of some kind. There are many other ways to boost this kind of advertising, especially considering the power of the internet and how fast news can travel through this medium. If your business has many different products, you might also want to try cross promotion – advertising more than one product at the same time, so as to get the most out of your advertising budget.
Use free products when you can
There are so many free tools out there that businesses can use to help them in their everyday tasks. Google provides free email, calendar and communication services, which may be cheaper than shelling out money for business branded emails, and there are many other task management platforms and templates that are also available for free.
These are just some steps you can take if you need to save money for your small business. Of course, these tips can be applied to larger businesses, as well as at home. It is always good practice to exercise caution when it comes to the spending of money, just in case something out of your control or unexpected happens to the business.
Now we want to hear from you. If you run any kind of business, whether it be large or small, what kind of things have you been doing to save money? In your experience, what has worked and what really hasn’t? Leave a comment down below and help out your fellow businessmen and women.
Tags:
budgeting,
Business,
cash,
economy,
financial planning,
investments,
money,
savings
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