Tag Archives: savings

Saving for Retirement

Do you plan to retire? Of course you do! But… how do you know if you are preparing correctly for those days of little income? When saving for your retirement there are some important steps to consider. Review the following list and get going on any area you feel hasn’t been addressed in your current financial picture. 1. Start saving as early as possible. For every dollar you save in your twenties, it is worth multiple dollars saved in your forties. Basically, whatever age you are now… start saving as much as you can in your budget for your retirement. … Continue reading →

Week in Review September 9 – 15th, 2007

With many major problems in our life, our first temptation is to pretend they don’t exist. Unfortunately this tactic can often make our financial struggles even worse. If you are having trouble making ends meet, please read Seek Financial Assistance to help you get back on track. The communication marketplace has truly exploded. New technology has enabled far more services and competition between phone companies. Whether it is a cell phone or home line, learn to use this rivalry to your advantage in Debbie’s article Phone Bill Savings. September 11th is not a date many of us will soon forget. … Continue reading →

Travel Savings—Rental Cars and Destinations

A few months back I wrote a blog about the high price of renting a car. From my computer to the desks of rental car company execs… not really. But, whatever it was that got the big wigs at Hertz to drop their prices I couldn’t be happier. The rental car company has slashed prices to introduce their new “Simply Wheelz” program. The booking requires a computer, as it is an online deal. You can take advantage of rates starting as low as $15 per weekend day (and $94 a week) by simply reserving your vehicle online (the first rentals … Continue reading →

The Pros of “Paying Yourself” in Coupon Savings

Did you catch yesterday’s article, Should You “Pay Yourself” in Coupon Savings? It introduced the concept of paying yourself with money that you save from clipping coupons and taking advantage of bonus card savings. I talked about what “paying yourself” means, as well as different ways of doing it. But, paying yourself with your coupon savings might not make sense for everyone. And so, I’m going to examine the ways in which it can be a positive practice, and then later, in another article, how it can actually negatively affect your frugal lifestyle. Wanting to start out on a positive … Continue reading →

Auto Savings Accounts

Saving is tough, especially with so much out there begging for your dollar. It could be the crying child in the store or the fancy new car advertised on TV, whatever the item, it certainly tugs at your purse strings. In addition, budgeting is a challenge and no matter how much you make, you seem to spend it all. Where does all that money go and how can we learn better to save for that rainy day? The best method is to trick your pocketbook. You can do this easily with auto savings accounts. Have you seen the latest ads … Continue reading →

Frugal Places to Shop for School Supplies

As I mentioned yesterday, my children go back to school on Thursday, which just seems crazy to me. However, we are now in the whole “last minute” school supply mode, quickly gathering up everything we can find, shopping everywhere we can think of, and just generally trying to save as much money as possible. We have five children after all, and a supply list that covers the front and back of a legal pad size piece of paper! Besides using what we have already, there are a few other ways we are saving on school supplies this year. Discount Chains … Continue reading →

Employee Retirement Funds

Let me start today’s blog with a few questions. Does your current employer offer a 401k or similar retirement program? Do they also offer an employer match? Many do. Now, are you taking full advantage of it? If your current employer offers you a retirement program, even if they don’t give you a portion as a match, you should be utilizing this wonderful opportunity to save money for the future. The following are the main benefits to employee sponsored retirement options: 1. Matching Money Not all companies can afford to offer matching monies to their employee’s retirement fund. But, if … Continue reading →

Money in Review July 8 – July 14

When it gets hot this summer, eating out can ease some of the heat. Save Money When Eating Out by Debbie provides 5 easy tips to help you still enjoy a night out treat. So many of us put off taking the time to create and follow a budget. Miriam offers up some simple advice in Start Budgeting Now! to motivate you into that very direction – planning for your future. Does spending lots of money on your kids improve the quality of their life? Miriam explores this premise within her article Spending Money on Your Kids. With balanced judgment, … Continue reading →

Creating a Cash Reserve

Everyone has heard the statement, be sure to save for emergencies. But how does this translate into real life and your budget? To protect yourself and your family from uncertain financial strife, it is important to create a cash reserve. Essentially this is a highly liquid cash account which you can easily draw from in an emergency. Types of situations where you may need this type of cash could be: • Car Accident • House Fire • Sudden Medical Illness • Theft • Death • Loss of Job • Injuries • Lawsuit Of course, none of these things sound pleasant, … Continue reading →

What Should You Do With Your Savings?

If you have money in savings you may want to put the money to work to make your investments grow. It is important to earmark your money so that you know what type of investments that you can make with it. There are several different factors to consider. 1) First you should consider whether you would need to be able to access the money quickly. If it is your emergency fund you may want to leave it in a basic savings or money market account. It is important that you be able to access the money right away. If you … Continue reading →