Can You Afford That?

When you go to make a purchase, how often do you ask yourself whether you can afford it? Now, I don’t mean whether you actually physically have a method of paying for it such as cash or a credit card, because being able to truly afford something goes beyond the simple question of whether there is enough money in your wallet, checking account, or available credit limit to make the purchase today. Believe it or not, even for small purchases this is a very important question – one that I wish I had asked myself a lot more often in … Continue reading →

Another Way to Get Money for Your Stuff

There are a few ways that you can turn unwanted “stuff” into money. Yard sales, consignment stores, and eBay are all popular options. Today I decided to look at another way to turn “stuff” into cash. Well, not really cash, but Amazon.com gift cards. I consider those to be rather valuable because you can buy pretty much anything that you could want or need on Amazon.com. Amazon.com offers a trade in program where you can send in items from a handful of categories – books, movies, video games, and electronics – and receive Amazon.com gift cards in return. This is … Continue reading →

Don’t Pay Too Much For Car Insurance

You already know that safe driving can score you a discount on your car insurance. Unfortunately, accidents can and do happen. The good news is that there are plenty of other things that you can do to keep your car insurance costs in check. For example, when you do your annual comparison shopping for car insurance, ask for quotes to insure all of your household’s vehicles. You do comparison shop for car insurance annually, don’t you? Insurance companies offer better rates when more than one vehicle and/or driver is insured. Some companies may even be able to meet your other … Continue reading →

What Not to Buy Now

You probably know that there are times when certain items are at their best prices, and times when they are not. Of course, since the things that we buy are so numerous and varied it can be very hard to keep track of what to buy when. One good resource is a book called “Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon” by Mark DiVincenzo. Not only does this book offer valuable money – saving information, it also offers other suggestions for the best times to do certain things and go certain places which can save you time and make … Continue reading →

Three Quick Money Saving Ideas

There are many ways that people can save themselves some money on things that they use every day. Today, I came across a few simple things that you can do if any of the situations involved are relevant to products or services that you use in your day to day life. The more quick and simple ways that you can find to save a little here and there, the faster your savings will add up. If you pay an annual fee for a credit card, why not take a little time to look around online and see whether there is … Continue reading →

Cut Your Food Bill By Eating at Home

If you are trying to save money this year, you may be looking for ways to cut your household expenses. If you have not done so already, you may want to think about cutting back on dining out. Dining out is often viewed as an enjoyable thing and a convenient option for those of us that are short on time and would prefer not to use our time cooking or cleaning up the kitchen. The good news is that with a little advance preparation and planning, you can spend relatively little time in the kitchen and enjoy nutritious and tasty … Continue reading →

Daily Deal Web Sites and Health Care Deals

Did you know that some of the same daily deal type web sites that you use to help keep little luxuries like spa services and dinners out within your budget can also help you to afford health care services? I was surprised to learn that sites like Groupon and LivingSocial can help consumers to fill in the spaces that are often left by their health insurance coverage. You know, those things that make you wonder why you pay so much for health insurance that does not include them. Things like dental exams and cleanings, eyewear, and the like are often … Continue reading →

Tips For Keeping More of Your Money

There are a couple of basic ways to have more money – earning more and spending less. Both involve time and effort, but there are a few simple things that you can do to make sure that you are spending as little as possible on certain items. If you go through this list and check off an item or two each week, in a few weeks you will have started the New Year with the knowledge that you are not overpaying for a few different things. One thing that you can do is to make sure that you are not … Continue reading →

Making Financial Resolutions

Tis the season for New Year’s resolutions. For many, the start of 2012 ushers in a fresh commitment to get financial affairs in order. This can take shape in a variety of ways. For example, some people may be inspired to take on another job to pay down debt. Meanwhile, others plan to spend less on necessities, or go cold turkey on impulse buys. For tweens and teens, January is a great time to line-up summer employment. With jobs so hard to come by in this dismal economy, students can no longer wait until May in order to start their … Continue reading →

Quick Ways to Maximize Your 2011 Tax Return

With only four days left in the year, you may think that there is nothing that you can possibly do short of winning the lottery to put more money in your pocket this year. While this may be true (unless you are expecting a paycheck within the next four days), there are a few quick money – saving moves that you can make now which can bring more money your way soon in the form of a bigger tax return. There is still time to make a tax – deductible charitable donation provided that you charge it to your credit … Continue reading →