How To Save Money On Your Phone Bill

According to the CITA or the Cellular Telephone and Internet Association, there are over 100 companies providing different forms of phone service all across the country. This means you are using one of them at home and in a recession, you have to figure out different ways to save money on your phone bill.

But how do we do that? Well we first have to understand that the different providers offer us land based phones, wireless communication and broadband internet. Some of these companies offer two or three of these services and since the competition is intense, you are sure to find someone who could be offering you a better deal compared to the one you are getting right now.

You will never know when is the best time to switch providers unless you check your phone bills the past few months and see if there has been a significant increase in usage. This increase depends on who you called and the location of the person you contacted.

If you don’t make calls often and still the phone bill is quite high, review the miscellaneous charges. Most of the time, this is subject to tax but if you find this to be too high, perhaps now will be a good time to call your service provider and ask them to explain this further. For those who can’t accept it, now is the time you should consider switching to another provider.

To do that, you have to get a quote from the different service providers and then compare each one. You can get this information by logging on to their company website or calling someone from their office and asking them to send you a quote.

While you are talking to a potential service provider on the phone, ask if there are special rates to new subscribers. They may even have a tie up with a credit card company which will save you money and at the same time earn points.

If you think you have found a better phone provider, one last thing to ask is if there are other charges that will be reflected in the phone bill. Unfortunately, a lot of people forget to ask that before they sign up and then are shocked to see other charges when they get bill.

We mentioned earlier that the frequency of your calls determines how much you pay for month especially when the rates for local and international calls vary.

To save on money for international calls, let the other party call you instead of the other way around. So you don’t spend hours talking on the phone, buy prepaid cards so this will limit the time you spend on the line.

If you have a computer, talk to the other person using the free call service provided by such services such as Skype or Yahoo Messenger. As for those using their mobile phones to place calls, make them during off peak hours because you are charged a lower rate compared to peak hours.

There are ways to save money on your phone bill and it does not always mean having to cancel your current subscription and then switching to another provider. You just have to play it smart by so the money you save can be used for other things like paying for other necessities like electricity, food, gas and clothing.

Save Money & Get Out Of Debt

One of the things that keeps the economy going is consumer spending. Unfortunately, a lot of people are in big trouble right now for failing to pay their credit card bills and if you happen to be one of them, you should know the different ways to save money so you can be out of that mess.

The first thing you have to understand is that the reason why you are in debt is because there is more money going out rather than going in. Chances are, you spent more than what you actually have in the bank because you thought that you could pay for it on a staggered basis not knowing that the amount of money you still owe goes up because of interests.

Now that you do know that, the objective now is to pay off the debt and the only way to do that is to make some budget cuts so whatever you money you have can be used to pay off the debt.

To do that, you have to look at your bills so you know exactly how much money you have and where it is actually going.

Based on the bills, you can tell how often you do your groceries, how often you fill up the car with gas and how often you eat out.

In order to save money on groceries, the best way is to buy less and only the essentials each time you go shopping. If there is one item there that is too pricey, try a cheaper brand that can also give you the same satisfaction like the one you usually purchase.

To save on gas, the best thing to do will be to carpool several days in a week. If you work from the home, make sure that you when you go out, you are able to do all your errands in one trip. Should there be any excess baggage in the car, remove it because the added weight makes your vehicle consume more gas.

Some of the clothes we wear can last a few years before it has to be replaced. A good example is a pair of jeans. For other clothes that will wear out much faster, try buying a similar item from a thrift shop or a smaller store. This is because no one will care where you bought the outfit and what matters is how you are able to carry it when you decide to put it on and go out.

But if you really want that item, maybe you should wait until the store decides to have a promo on that item or decides to go on sale. In the recession, a lot of retailers are slashing prices and coming up with various gimmicks just to stay afloat so there is a big chance that you can get this off at a much cheaper price.

There are also ways to save money at home. If you are paying a lot for your phone, cable or internet connection, maybe now will be the right time to switch to another provider.

When you are in debt, you get a bad credit rating. When this happens, you won’t be able to get a loan. By practicing the different ways to save money, you will be able to pay off the debt and have a good credit rating. Keep in mind this will not happen overnight so you have to sacrifice in the months ahead.

5 Ways For Students To Save Money

It can be hard to think of ways to save money especially for students since they don’t have their own money yet. This is because at times, for all the expenses while on campus, there is barely left to save. Although it is hard, it doesn’t mean that it is impossible for students to save money while studying. All they need is to develop good time management skills, strict budgeting, and practicality. If you are one of those who are thinking of ways to save money while on campus or even before you enter one, here are some of the things that can help you get by.

1. Look for school that has low tuition fee rates. Since tuition fees—especially in private universities and colleges can change over a semester—it is best to enroll in a local state school. This is because local state schools usually offer relatively low tuition fee rates since these are supported by the local and national government. You can also apply for a scholarship before hand or get a job within the university so you will get full or partial tuition fee discount. To save on tuition fee, you can also apply for grants that are related to your major since these will be financial need and merit based.

2. Be wise in getting boarding. The best way to go about this is to file an application to be a resident assistant before hand. Being a resident assistant can offer you lots of reward because aside from slashing a great amount from your college expenses, it also allows you to develop your leadership skills since you will be held responsible for the whole floor. If you can’t get a slot for resident assistantship, the next best thing is to share a room with a friend. If you have high tolerance level for living with other people, you can get as many roommates as possible. This will be beneficial for all of you because you will be sharing the payment for the room. But, if there’s no more room available inside the campus or you can’t get a reliable or trustworthy roommate, it is best to get an apartment off-campus since some of these offer lower rates. Aside from that, you will have more freedom compared to living inside the campus.

3. Maximize the available modes of transportation. If you are a student, it is not good to have your own car yet or bring your own car because chances are you might not be using it too often. Most universities have a transportation system—the on campus shuttles–that can transfer you from one building to another or even and local buses to take you out of the campus. If you don’t bring a car, you can save lots of money on gas.

4. Manage your resources well. Money is the primary resource you have while on campus. To maximize it, it is ideal that you open a bank account so you can veer away from the temptation in using the cash you have at hand. Also, veer away from accepting credit card offers because these will only give you more financial lag. To make some money to be saved, try to get a part time job that will not affect your studies.

5. Live a simple lifestyle. This is one of the most effective ways to save money for students because this will cut down their major expenses while on campus. A simple lifestyle would mean that you won’t be eating in fancy diners, lesser or no shopping sprees at all, and no late night gimmicks in expensive bars.

Ways to save money without feeling poor

Yes. You are feeling the economic crunch. Times are hard and you are finding it hard to even make both ends meet with the rising costs of basic necessities and the fact that you lost one of the part-time jobs that you are holding. This is the common scenario that people, not only in the US, is feeling. They may not have lost their jobs but they have certainly found it hard to earn extra. Can you blame them then if they look for ways to cut costs and save money?

Although it looks like a pretty daunting task, it’s not impossible to do and once you get the hang of it and establish a routine, it’s not really so hard. In fact, as you become used to cutting down costs, you’ll even ask yourself why you just did it this year. Thank God for the recession right? I guess, if there is anything good that the recession has taught people all over the world is that no country is impervious and that you can save without really allowing yourself to be poor.

Here are some of the ways that you can save money without really making yourself feel or look poor.

1. Cut down on the luxuries
This does not mean that you will not treat yourself every now and then and just live in poverty. This can be depressing and at this point you need something to at least brighten up your month. This just means that you need to cut back on the frequency that you indulge in luxuries. For instance, if you are used to going outside to eat every weekend, cut that down into just twice a month. Restaurant food can be pretty expensive and besides they are not at all healthy anyway. Other things to give up on are movies and recreational trips. You can still go on trips but make sure that they will not involve a lot of fees.

2. Keep it simple
If you do not have the money to go out, you can still do so provided that you keep it simple. Go back to nature and have a family picnic in the park or maybe walk along the beachside. You can pack a lunch that you have cooked yourself at home. You don’t have to spend a lot of money just to be able to enjoy the weekend with the family. You just need the imagination.

3. Recycle
Instead always buying things that you think you need, why not use your imagination and creativity by recycling things. Use them for other than their uses. For instance, if you need a message board where you will be posting the chores, why not use that old chalkboard instead of buying a new bulletin board. It may not be much but if you do it for other things that you want to buy, you have not only saved a lot of money, you would have also cleared that garage full of junk.

4. Rework
If you cannot use something for another thing, why not transformed it into something that you can actually use. This is actually applicable to clothes and accessories but with imagination, you can even do it with other things in the house. Who knows, it may not even be just one of the ways to save money, you can even turn it into a business that will earn you more.

Saving Money Using The Internet

Are there places you want to go to or even eat but can’t afford to pay full price? Well, maybe this will help because there are ways to save money and still get in. The only thing you have to do is find the time to go online and find it.

The discounts that we are referring to are similar to those discount coupons that you will normally find when you look at the newspaper, magazines or flyer given out by the grocery store. When you are able to find these websites, you have to become a member. You don’t have to pay for anything since registration is free and when something new comes out, you will get a letter in your inbox.

Now that you know the mechanics, it is time to find these sites. To do that, you can type in keywords using a search engine and then just wait for it to come out. One example is to type online discounts and within seconds, you can explore each one until you find something you like.

One thing you have to watch out for when looking for online discounts are fraudulent sites. There are a few online and it is hard to tell the real ones from the fake ones so be careful especially when you are filling up the form and giving certain information about yourself.

If you have friends who also get discounts online, ask them for some referrals so you don’t have to look for these through trial and error.

For people who have not yet found any good discounts, perhaps changing the keywords will bring you better luck. You could type the name of the company you want because there are some retailers who offer discounts to people who buy directly from them rather than from a distributor.

Most of the time, membership to get discounts is easy since the only information they ask is your full name and email address. As a member, you may even get certain benefits such as rebate scheme which earns you points that you can redeem on other purchases.

But not all sites require you to become a member. There are some that will give it out for free and the only thing you have to do is print it out and then present this to the store.

Is it really possible to get discount coupons online? The answer is yes because there are hundreds of retailers online which are now using the web to market themselves since it is much cheaper to sell goods online rather than doing it conventionally by putting up a store.

So you don’t embarrass yourself when you present a discount coupon, be sure to check its validity. Some discounts are offered for a short period of time while there are others that can be redeemed for the next few months. If the coupon is expired, try to get in touch with someone from their company to ask if you can still use it.

There are ways to save money and if you think that you can only get it from brochures, flyers or the newspaper, think again because some companies are now offering the same thing online. You just have to find it, print these out and then present this when you want to make a purchase.

Simple Tips To Save Money

In these hard times, money is hard to come by so you should know how to save it until things get better. Since it is a balancing act that is somewhat challenging, here are a few ways that can teach you how to save money.

If you don’t want to lose your home like a lot of Americans have over the past year, you have to kill your debt first. You do that by calculating how much money you spend in a month and then see where the budgets can be made so there is money you can use to pay off those debts.

So you know you are reaching your goals, keep a record of all your expenses. To avoid confusion, write down each expense in a specific category like cable Bills, car insurance, car payments, entertainment, food, gas, phone Bill and rent. Keep it with you at all times and then balance it with every receipt.

But what if cutting down certain expenses is not enough to make you debt free? When this happens, you have to make bigger sacrifices like moving to a less expensive home, cancelling your land line or cable, not going out for some time and eating at home more often.

For those who are renting, try to invite someone to share the place with you so that you can share the rent.

Having a credit card or more than one is the reason why a lot of people are in trouble. This is because they only pay the minimum so whatever is left becomes higher because of interest. If you have a credit card, stop using it.

Right now, pay everything with cash that you have on hand. You can even do what some people practice at home and that is to bundle a certain amount and put a label on it or place this in a jar. That way, they know where to get it and be aware of how much is left since this should last for about a month.

There are even some who put a label on their wallets reminding themselves to save by writing on some tape that they have no money.

Saving money shouldn’t only mean cutting expenses. It also means earning a little more with what is available and you can do that by opening an interest-bearing savings account. This is different from the regular savings account and the best part is that the interest rates are much higher. Your other options are CDs or money-market accounts for longer savings goals.

The keys to saving money are discipline and self-control especially when the country is in a recession. If you have a job, good for you but think about the millions of Americans who don’t and have to live on unemployment checks until they are able to get a another job.

So set a goal and then stick to it. The objective here is to survive this crisis so you can keep a roof over your head and food on the table. If you need help, get a financial expert to help you plan how to budget things because it is their job to help you find answers when you are running out of options. You just have to do your share to make it happen since you know a few ways to save money.

6 Ways Anyone Can Save Money

No matter where you look at it, there will be always ways to save money if the person has the will do so. If you are one of those who are trying to come up with ways to save money in this unstable economy, it is best to start with developing a simple lifestyle. When you are able to do this, the rest will follow. But, if you are one of those who are not sure where to start, here are some eight simple ways to save money.

1. Cut down on grocery or shopping sprees. Although buying groceries is a necessity, this doesn’t mean that there’s no opportunity for you to save. The best thing that you can do before going to a supermarket is to conduct an inventory on your supplies. This will help you determine how much more you have and can help you estimate the period of time that these supplies will last. After knowing what are the things that you need, make a list to prioritize the items that are of utmost importance. The same thing can be applied when shopping for clothes and other accessories.

To save money, the key is to limit expenses on the items that you really need and keep whatever cash you have at hand. Try not to buy something that just tickles your fancy and if possible, limit your trips to the supermarket or boutiques to veer away from the temptation of buying something. If you are able to do this, you will save at least $20 every time.

2. Make adjustments to your withholding. People who are getting tax refunds every, they are the ones who are giving a free loan to the government. To save some money, you can adjust your withholding so the difference can be taken for your home pay.

3. Get as many coupons as you can. These days, coupons are not only applicable to just groceries only. In fact, major establishments such as restaurants, cinemas and even boutiques accept and give out coupons to its customers to offer a discount. If you keep these coupons, you can get a little discount on establishments that you usually go to.

4. Avoid using your own car. With the gas price hike, you can save lots of money if you take advantage of public transportation or even carpools. Aside from saving some money on gas, you can also save some since you wont have to pay for the car’s maintenance and parking anymore.

5. Take time to audit your own bills. Before, people are used to just paying whatever amount the bill states. But since there can be major discrepancies in these, it is best if you audit your charges once in a while. Auditing is best for telephone bills since some charges are being repeated, thus, making you pay for calls you didn’t actually make. Auditing can also be applied for your credit card bills since many companies add hidden charges.

6. Conserving energy means saving money. Many people do not realize it but one of the best ways to save money is to save energy. It is unfortunate that many people still don’t realize that leaving an electric appliance plugged to the electricity outlet means that appliance still consumes almost 20 percent of the electricity it consumes while it is turned on. So, to save money as well as energy through electricity makes it a habit to unplug cables from their outlets when not in use.

How to Save Money on Transportation

According to the AAA or the American Automobiles Association, the average cost of owning and driving a car 15,000 miles in one year is about $8,211. This could go higher depending on the vehicle you own especially if what you drive is an SUV. If you think about it that is a lot of money so it is only right that you know how to save money on transportation.

Ever car owner knows that gas is just one of the expenses when owning a car. You also have to deal with car insurance, maintenance, registration, financing and a lot more. For people who don’t own a car yet, it will probably be better to buy a used car instead of a new one since its value depreciates even if the vehicle is still in good condition.

When gas went up to more than $100 per barrel last year, a lot of people were feeling the crunch. If you managed to survive and still held on to your SUV, trade it in for a smaller vehicle since this does not consume that much fuel.

This does not mean though that your first choice is a hybrid vehicle since there are still a lot of regular cars being made that can do 25 miles per gallon.

Ever thought about how much you actually pay for car insurance? Believe it or not, some companies give a better and lower rate than others. Since you have to get one every year, compare what you are currently paying for with those offered by other companies then decide whether or not to change your insurance provider.

The best way to save money on transportation is to shop and compare gas prices. If you haven’t noticed, some gas stations sell their stock at a much cheaper price compared to others. So go around your neighborhood and see which one offers you the best rate. A 20 cents difference on 60 gallons of gas per month adds up to $12 per month or $144 per year.

Cars should be maintained at all times. When you go to a gas station, see if they offer a card that offers you cash back every time you gas up. Some companies offer a 5{c52a10b7e08e9c2d7a1926146b17d7677c51e665563998c7b5df51c724457d14} cash back which you can use to refuel your vehicle or avail of maintenance services. You may even find one that offers other discounts which you can use for other purchases so ask about it the next time you drop by the pumps.

If you live in an area that has a good public transportation system like a bus or a train, take this to work instead of driving. You will save a lot of money here since you don’t have to pay for gas, auto maintenance or parking fees.

The best way to save money is to car pool. If you and a few friends travel the same route when going to work, assign among yourselves who will drive today and the day after. When you car pool, you get to use a special lane that does not have that many cars which means you could get to work faster especially during rush hour.

You will save a ton of money when you learn how to save it on transportation and you should continue to practice it even when the country is not in a recession.

How To Save Money On Utilities

We all want to live comfortably but these days, that comes at a price. It will be challenging since money is a big issue but there are ways to save money even on utilities.

When we think of utilities, we are referring to things like electricity, water, cable and the phone. Will switching or canceling be the only answer? The answer is no because you can’t switch sometimes and there are ways to lower that.

First, conserve energy by making sure appliances and lights are turned off when there is no one in the room. You might think putting the television on sleep mode is good enough but it isn’t so turn off the power switch or better yet, unplug it.

Next, replace your light bulbs with those fluorescent. It does not consume that much power and when you go out shopping for them, make sure that they maintain a Kelvin temperature of 2,600 to 3,000. These may be more expensive than incandescent but they will last ten times longer so it will be quite awhile before you change this with a new one.

Do you use a water heater at home? If you do, then you know quite well that it takes time before hot water comes out of the faucet. Until that happens, you waste water so if you want to speed up the heating process, better reinsulated the pipes that are connected to the heater.

If you have a heater at home, better have it turned every couple of years. This could save you 10{c52a10b7e08e9c2d7a1926146b17d7677c51e665563998c7b5df51c724457d14} on your electricity bills.

According to the Alliance to Save Energy, you save about 5{c52a10b7e08e9c2d7a1926146b17d7677c51e665563998c7b5df51c724457d14} of your electricity bill if you lower your heat down one notch. You can do this manually or install a machine that is designed to do that so choose which one you want to do.

Should you feel cold, perhaps something is coming inside the house like a draft. To take care of that, you need to buy and install weather strips around the frames of your windows and doors.

Did you know you can save money when you wash your clothes using cold water instead of hot water? Yes you can save up to 50{c52a10b7e08e9c2d7a1926146b17d7677c51e665563998c7b5df51c724457d14} of energy and the same goes for your dryer when you decide to use the moisture sensor and not the timer.

Since we are talking about laundry, make sure you do your laundry on a full load. This also applies if you have a dishwasher.

Do you sometimes forget to turn the lights off when you leave the house in the morning? Well that should not be a problem anymore if this is wired to a timer.

When you brush your teeth or take a shower, turn off the water when you are not washing up yet. When you take a bath, maybe you should replace the shower head with one that does not consume that much gallons per minute.

Lastly, get rid of those leaks. If you live in an old home, chances are the pipes are old so have this replaced by the plumber.

There are many ways to save money on utilities so you should consider those that were mentioned and get to work. If you are able to do so, you will see a significant drop in the amount you pay for all your bills.

How To Save On Fashion & BEautry While Still Looking Glamorous

Almost everybody now is on the saving mode. What can they do? They are already feeling the after effects of the downturn of the economy. Now, instead of hanging out in the malls and scouring for the best finds, people even teenagers are, busily finding ways to save money. With the economic crunch, it seems that being a miser is actually something to be applaud of. Recession has actually become a fad.

But you don’t have to feel poor or look poor even while finding ways to save money. In fact, you can actually still look glamorous even while minding the budget. Here are some of the ways that you can save money while still looking fab.

1. Scour your closet
It’s not true that you need a lot of clothes in order to have a lot of outfits. The smart and stylish person will be able to work around 10 items of clothing and accessories and create more than 20 different looks from them. You just need to use your imagination and layer the clothes that you already have to create new looks. For instance, a really long skirt can actually be used as a tube dress. You just add a belt. A long-sleeve shirt can actually be worn as a loose jacket. It all depends on your own sense of style. So the next time you are tempted to buy a new blouse, check your closet mentally and you’ll realize that you don’t need it after all.

2. Buy from thrift shops
One of the best kept secret of stylists and fashionistas is these thrift shops. You will find a lot of clothes and accessories that are cheap but nevertheless great to wear. If you are lucky, you will even find clothes that have never been worn or those with designer labels that some people have grown tired of. These thrift shops offer vintage clothing that will not only be unique but also good for your budget. You just need to be patient in looking and must develop the eye for details.

3. Rework old clothes
If you need a new piece that will add some oomph to your wardrobe, you don’t need to buy a new one. You can just take your old clothes and rework them into the kinds that you can wear. For instance, if you have a faded jean skirt that you feel have already aged, try putting some patches on or maybe a ribbon trimming for that boho or grunge vibe. Using your old shorts, add some straps and sew the edges and you have with you a great new bag that you can wear when malling. That way, you will have a new style in your closet without really breaking the budget.

4. Accessorize
One way to save money by resisting the urge to buy new clothes is to make sure that what you have in your closet is worthy to wear outside. But what if most of your clothes are not as glamorous as you would have liked? Accessorize. Accessories will change a look of your clothes in an instant. A casual outfit for instance can be worn to a party by using the right accessories. The same goes with a simple LBD. You can even wear the same dress to different parties without anyone noticing that they are the same.

The secret darling is in the way you use the accessories.

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