June 30th, 2007 — general finances discussion
Time for you to check out the highlights of Stop Swimming blog posts this past two weeks.
Five Ways to Know the Home You Can Afford
Are you comfortable with taking a loan? Obtaining one will greatly increase your budget, but of course that depends if you have someone to borrow funds from in the first place. Do you think any of your relatives or friends will be willing to lend you money at ideal rates?
10 Common But Forgotten Ways to Save Money on Utility Bills
Just because all the members of your home are aware of the need to save money on utility bills doesn’t mean that they’ll know how to do so much less remember to do it all the time. It also doesn’t mean that they don’t care, but since they’re not the ones managing the budget, saving money on utility bills will definitely not be their first priority.
Six Car Repair Cost Saving Tips
When you go to a car repair shop, don’t go there alone, especially if you are a woman. Not unless you REALLY do know what needs to be fixed and you can assert yourself well. There are mechanics that harass people who don’t know much about cars making them pay for undone jobs or unnecessary expenses. To make sure that you get the best service, check if the car repair shop is ASE-certified, which is a seal of approval from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, a nonprofit org).
Tags: utility, car cost, home buying, car repair
June 29th, 2007 — retirement planning, budget planning
Planning ahead is not planning in vain. People will add years into their lives until they have reached a moment when they want to retire. But with inflation, longer life expectancy and doubts on the Social Security’s future, how will you know how much retirement fund you will need?
Every person needs to retire and sometimes are forced to retire due to unforeseen circumstances. The years of retirement need not be a life of boredom and dullness but one that is happy and prosperous. Picturing yourself in the latter situation depends on the steps that you are taking today. Since there are so many changing variables in the offices, investing now with the future in mind seems like a viable idea. In addition to that, steering the wheel of your finances in the future can lead to a more comfortable retirement.
Continue reading →
June 29th, 2007 — debt management, money challenges
Since paying credit card debt is usually done once a month, I’ll be doing the results updates twice a month. I started saving money for this goal since I announced the Zero Credit Card Debt Challenge. My target is to pay the whole $850 debt little by little. And, so far, here’s how I fared:
Money from blog monetization:
Text Link Ads - $35
AdSense - $156.29
Extra Contract Work payout:
Web Content Writing - $16
Total Extra Earnings for June: $207.29
Debt Balance:
$850 - $207.29 = 642.71
Tags: credit card debt, debt payment, extra income
June 29th, 2007 — debt management, credit cards
Another way to manage your credit card debt is to look for credit unions which offer low interest rates for your credit card. There are credit unions which offer credit cards with incomparable advantages like waived annual fees, credit lines up to $30,000, discounts on automobile rentals, tours, hotel stay and cruise, and 100% protection against identity theft.
Credit unions also offer cards for people with huge debt. This allows credit card holders to have credit line starting from $300 - $1500. Credit unions provide free access of account online, free bill pay and card usage around the world. The catch with these cards is that very high interest rates and annual fees are charged.
Continue reading →
June 28th, 2007 — saving money
It’s not possible to save 100% of your money. You have to live. But it helps to have something for the rainy day. Parents should teach their teenage children this habit early on. The best way for a teenager to develop a healthy saving habit is to regularly do this.
1. Save before spending. The minute a teenager gets money, it could be from allowance of a part-time job, teach him to take out a portion of what would go to his savings before entirely spending it on what he wants.
2. Negotiate with the parents. This may work for the parent, maybe not, but you might as well try. Encourage your children to do this good saving habit and make a deal like for every $25 dollars they save, you’ll add $25.
Continue reading →
June 28th, 2007 — wise purchases
Your home, whether it’s your first or fifth purchase, is easily the most expensive single buying decision you’ll ever make in your lifetime. If you’re not careful about your decision, your home could end up as the biggest, costliest mistake of your life. If you don’t want that to happen, there are some things you must learn first when you’re ready to buy a home: pre-qualification and the local housing market.
Why bother with pre-qualification?
Pre-qualification is essentially a process where a buyer learns whether he’ll qualify for a loan or not and how much loan amount he will get pre-approval for. The loan pre-qualification is obtained from a lending institution.
Continue reading →
June 26th, 2007 — saving money
The Internet has definitely maximized the way it can be used practically. Among all benefits, convenience seems to be the number reason why many people have opted to do transactions in the Internet. But as time passes by, saving money has been a current issue in the Internet. With the growth of various online functions, the virtual world is gradually making a name when people talk about saving, cutback, and discounts.
One of the fastest and most recognized services that the Internet can offer is online banking. This particular bank service has significantly created a new world of convenience for bank depositors.
Online banking has many advantages. Among them is the way it can let you save money when paying your utility bill online. Through this, you can spare your money for your fare or gas because you do not have to go to your nearest bank just to deposit money for the payment or go to the office where you will pay your utility bill.
Continue reading →
June 26th, 2007 — debt management, wise purchases
To save money when buying a home, it is important to review your home loan options first. There are many available home loan options in the market. All of them have their positive and negative points and its up to you to consider what will be most beneficial for you.
The mode of payment should be considered, first and foremost. The one that would fit your budget with the least interest at the shortest possible time should be your option of choice. There are just too many options that you really have to take your time out to check all the details. You may want to involve a consultant in this so you are assured of making the best decision.
Here are some of the most common options you can choose from: Continue reading →
June 25th, 2007 — saving money
In my country, changing your job title can help you save money on paying community tax certificate.
Now here’s another way that one can save money by changing his or her job title.
The results showed that if a 32-year-old married male, living in Glasgow and driving a Fiat Brava, listed his occupation as ‘newspaper reporter’, he would pay £376.22, but if he described himself instead as a ‘journalist’ or ‘correspondent’, his premium would drop nearly £100 to £282.45.
The same man, listed as a barrister would pay £459, but changing his job title to lawyer could save a pretty packet, lowering the cost by 22% to £376.22.
It is also cheaper to be a bricklayer rather than a builder and publicans pay less than landlords.
“Insurance premiums are influenced by a host of factors ranging from the number of miles you drive per year through to your job title. Adjusting the way you describe your job can have a surprising impact on premiums, “explains Debra Williams, Managing Director of Confused.com.
“The reason for this lies in the fact that insurers essentially keep a record of claims history against specific job titles, “she continued. “It may be a quirk of the statistics, but if an insurer finds a glut of claims associated with a specific job title, anyone with that title is likely to be penalised with higher premiums.
“This is why it is vital to shop around so that you get a range of prices from different insurers, many of which will have a different claims experience from their rivals.”
via FairInvestment
Tags: car insurance, job title
June 25th, 2007 — saving money
One of the usual maintenance costs that usually leave us with no choice but to dip on our emergency funds is car repair services. The average car repair cost depends on the model of a car, what part of it needs to be repaired, where you will have it repaired or where you are from.
Of course, if it will be the major parts where hundreds of things need to be done or if you will choose to get your auto repaired on car clinics that will give spa salons a run for their money like Likis Car Clinic where there is a large flat-screen TV, WiFi Internet and Starbucks coffee, you can expect your auto repair cost to spike.
1. Check Your Car’s Average Cost Repair Online
Now if you would like to get an estimate of the average cost of your car’s repair online, Choice.com lets you do that.
However, if you are going somewhere there’s not much that not-so-needed luxury, you can expect the costs to go down.
2. Research on What to Expect from Your Car’s Performance in the Long Run
If you weren’t able to research on your car’s longevity because doing your homework will arm you information that a car seller won’t tell you such as this Prius hybrid issue, especially if you bought a used car, you are left with some of the following tips to avoid being overcharged.
3. Be a Car Repair Expert
Know as much as your brain can absorb about your car and troubleshooting it. It’s one of the best way to save money on car repair services because you don’t have to only rely on the mechanics judgement of your car’s damage. You knowing what needs to be replaced and fixed is a lot better than groping in the dark and always saying amen to whatever purchase or fee your mechanic will tell you to pay for, right? Autopedia.com is a good source of car tips. Free auto repair ebooks can be found here, If you prefer to listen on information in stead of reading, here’s an auto repair advice podcast.
4. Get Free Car Repair Advice
Exhaust all your free resources, I mean, if you can get a free car repair with the help of a friend, your husband, father, car geek of a brother or your neighbor who happens to be a mechanic - do so. List all of the people that you think can help you with your car. One tip I gathered from BetterBudgeting to avoid expensive car repair fees is to check out a phone directory and writing down all the nearest automotive vocational schools’ number and call all of those schools to take note of the auto mechanic instructors to get some advice. This is not an advice telling you to become a freeloader - it’s ok if you are a self-confessed one ;-D, it is a must to learn a thing or two from car experts about the extent of damage on your car to avoid getting paying for unnecessary repair expenses.
5. Avoid Getting Fined from NOT Reading the Fine Print
If you ask for an estimate of the car repair costs, read the fine print before signing on the dotted line. This is an old problem that still gets to victimize lazy or distracted car owners every now and then.
6. Let a Person Who Knows about Car Repairs Tag Along
When you go to a car repair shop, don’t go there alone, especially if you are a woman. Not unless you REALLY do know what needs to be fixed and you can assert yourself well. There are mechanics that harass people who don’t know much about cars making them pay for undone jobs or unnecessary expenses. To make sure that you get the best service, check if the car repair shop is ASE-certified, which is a seal of approval from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, a nonprofit org).
Keep a record of your repair trips to the car shop and whatever’s done so you can always go back to your notes if ever any new problem arise. These tips should help you less worrisome whenever your car needs to get some TLC.
[image from iks-ypsilon, zdotn, ahhyeah]