During tough economic times, it’s easy to feel the pinch when you’re short on cash. Prices seem higher than ever and the paycheck doesn’t seem to cover as much as it once did. It’s during these times that you need to tighten the belt and lower your cost of living. However, tightening the old belt doesn’t necessarily have to mean that you can’t enjoy life. Here are ten easy ways to cut down on your cost of living:
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10 Ways To Lower Your Cost Of Living
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What’s This Groupon I Keep Hearing About?
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Maybe you’ve seen some ads on the web. Perhaps you heard about it on the local news. I don’t know about you but I’ve been hearing about Groupon everywhere!
So what is this Groupon all about?!?
Groupon (group+coupon) is a site that offers up a daily deal on some of the best attractions, eateries, and shops in your area (well, in lots of areas so far).
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Seven Ideas To Set Up SmartyPig Goals
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So you’ve heard of SmartyPig, haven’t you? If not check out my SmartyPig review then come back here. I’ll wait. Good? Ok. So SmartyPig is a savings system that let’s you set up different automatic savings goals. Not only do you save but you can also make your goals social and let other help you meet your goals as well. I was thinking of different ways to use SmartyPig to set up savings goals. Just thinking about how much you need for any particular goals is a great step in budgeting and controlling your finances.
Here are 7 ways you can set up SmartyPig savings goals:
Awesome Groupon Gap Deal – Today Only
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Have you heard of Groupon? Basically they are a deal site which offers new deals every day in various cities across the country. In order to get the deal, enough people need to sign up for it. Well today Groupon is offering up a national deal with the GAP. It’s actually a pretty good bargain. Here it is:
Customers can get $50 worth of items at the GAP for only $25!! This includes sale items as well. That’s stretching your shopping dollar twice as far!!
We’re Mowing It Old School-ish
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Among the many responsibilities a home-owner can have is a lawn. For us, we’ve been pushing that responsibility on a landscaper who comes by once a week to mow the lawn, trim the edges, and weed the garden. But this will be the last week he comes because next week we’re going DIY – We’re going to do our lawn and garden ourselves!
Why take care of the lawn ourselves?
Crank Up Your Money Saving Goals With SmartyPig
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SmartyPig Review
One of the more interesting and innovative ways to save up for specific goals is to make use of SmartyPig. SmartyPig is a free online savings tool that allows you to save for for specific financial goals. Whether you want to save up $500 for back to school shopping, or $5,000 for a family vacation, it is possible to use SmartyPig to reach that goal. The concept is fairly straightforward, and works simply.
First of all, it is important to note that SmartyPig is not a bank. SmartyPig accounts are held through BBVA Compass (As of Aug 1st, 2010 SmartyPig account will move from West Bank to BBVA Compass, the 15th largest bank in the US). They are FDIC insured for up to $250,000 (drops to $100,000 on January 1, 2014 unless things change). You can set up as many goals as you want for yourself and your family. In order to start at SmartyPig, you need the same items that you would need to open a regular savings account:
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When You Save Are You Really Saving?
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You always hear from people how they saved money on this or that. That’s great and all but sometimes I wonder – Did you really save? I mean, what did you save? Did you put money into your savings? Did your wealth grow?
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What is a Health Savings Account?
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With health costs rising, and with frustration over ever-higher health insurance premiums, it is little surprise that many are looking for alternatives to the types of health insurance plans we are used to. In an effort to provide more options for paying for health care, the Health Savings Account was signed into law in 2003 as part of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act. It provides a way for consumers to set aside money for medical expenses, and provides a way for that money to grow tax free in an account that bears a striking resemblance to an IRA.
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Comparing TV Services With BillShrink
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Do you wonder if your TV provider (Cable, Satellite, Fiber-Optic) is giving you the best deal possible?
BillShrink has just introduced a service that will compare TV packages in your area based on your preferences and tell you the best television service deal that’s out there.
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It’s A Drop In The Bucket
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I’ve been studying the martial art, Aikido, for a little over a decade now. Occasionally, after class, my Sensei will tell us “What you learned tonight is just a tiny drop in the bucket. In the grand scheme of this art tonight wasn’t much. But one day you’ll look at your bucket and see it’s filled up. What you are learning will start to accumulate and you’ll need a new, bigger bucket.” When I started taking classes I felt like I would never “get” this art. But with persistence and patience it all started to take hold. I’m no longer the green student I was on that first day over a decade ago. Now I’m a black belt. My first bucket filled up but I have a new, bigger one to fill up now.
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