With prices increasing all the time, saving money can be harder and harder to do. Here are some solutions for saving a little so that you can still meet your needs and still find ways to trim off a little for the future.
1. BUDGET ? Get one and stick with it! And set aside at least a small portion for savings while you're at it; savings for your future, your retirement, your education, your vacation, whatever. Head to your local office supply store for planning workbooks or budget sheets to use. Or head to your favorite search engine and type in, "budget planning" for hundreds of sites with articles, free downloads, tips, ebooks and other resources to help with your budget setup and follow up.
2. PLAN AHEAD ? Make sure to plan for emergencies and the unexpected, like an appliance break down or garage door malfunction. Even if you can only set aside $50 or so each monthly, place it in an account and earmark it for this "Miscellaneous" fund. Then when things go wrong, and they will ? nothing's perfect ? you'll be better prepared.
3. NON-MONTHLY ITEMS ? Work out a monthly payment for items that you don't pay monthly and set this up in your regular monthly budget. For example, for items like annual home owner or renter insurance, quarterly water bills and automobile insurance payments and annual trash bills, take the amounts and determine what they would be monthly. Then list the items on your budget log and pull these amounts aside, saving them in your account for those purposes. This way, when the bills hit, you won't be caught off guard and have to scrounge for the payments.
What works well, instead of handling multiple savings accounts for each company owed, is to use index cards and one savings account. Create one index card for each bill. Then simply log the amount you're setting aside on the card and deposit it into your savings account. Keep the index cards with your savings passbook to remind you what the balance covers. The total of all your index cards should equal the balance in your savings account. (Make sure to create an index card for your regular funds that you are saving each month in step one above and a card for your Miscellaneous fund in step two above).
So next time you get paid, take three giant steps forward. Grab your index cards, follow your budget and invest in yourself and your future. Get a grip on your money handling.
http://www.mydebtfreespace.com This site is dedicated to helping people manage their money. Latest news and articles are updated daily.
green cleaning service Park Ridge ..It's the little things in life that make it interesting.... Read More
Are you interested in saving money off your grocery bills?... Read More
I thought I was through with exams when I finished... Read More
To save on food, be an opportunist. Buy what you... Read More
If You Have an Existing Account and 5 Minutes, You... Read More
Have you ever stopped to think about how your "mood"... Read More
The first step to financial success lies in knowing your... Read More
You have probably accomplished a great deal with your life.... Read More
Frugal living is more than a lifestyle. It's a passion.... Read More
Many people graduate from college owing thousands of dollars in... Read More
Can you really afford a house? If so, how much... Read More
Next to our physical health most of us are primarily... Read More
The cries are heard from the distance, "I need help... Read More
There have been an estimated 9.9 million victims on America... Read More
Debt levels are at an all time high in the... Read More
Commonly referred to as the first of the three major... Read More
Recent findings from the Educational Policy Institute indicated that the... Read More
People haven't always written checks to buy goods and services.... Read More
Women have a love/hate relationship with money. Most of us... Read More
How many drawers did you have to look through to... Read More
Women are charged more for dry cleaning services. Don't fume,... Read More
Would you be interested in freeing up 10% to 15%... Read More
**If it's Spam, it's a Scam!- If it sounds too... Read More
Have you seen the recent article on a new "green"... Read More
If you've been to a shopping mall lately, you've probably... Read More
cleaning help near Bannockburn ..Ever wonder where address labels come from? Avery? is perhaps... Read More
Today I passed a thermometer at a bank that read... Read More
An avid cyclist and bike racing fan, I sit transfixed... Read More
Shopping for groceries is an inevitable fact of our ever... Read More
Here are ten steps you can follow to help improve... Read More
We have heard a lot about consumers' personal information getting... Read More
Would you know what to do if you suspect that... Read More
Each of us knows how to spend money, but do... Read More
1) HOW TO LOOK FOR A JOBA) The Chronological Curriculum:1.... Read More
What is it about being frugal, why do it at... Read More
One of the biggest challenges facing black RELATIONSHIPS today are... Read More
1. Don't focus on your finances.The reason most people get... Read More
I've been going through and interesting growth period lately that... Read More
As a parent you are bound to face a few... Read More
With interest rates being at an all-time low, I can... Read More
It doesn't take much for you to get behind on... Read More
The judge had to ask the question, and we had... Read More
Good money management needn't be difficult. In fact, there a... Read More
Investing is a subject a lot of people don't want... Read More
It's the little things in life that make it interesting.... Read More
Everyone needs to maintain their lives. What I mean by... Read More
Saving for a Down Payment is hard work, so it's... Read More
As the saying goes: "Buyer Beware". If you see ads... Read More
Australians, in general, constitute some of the worst savers in... Read More
Many people spend their little income haphazardly without any planning... Read More
Personal Finance |