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.

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.

Save Money With Aromatherapy At Home

With all the stress that people experience in this time and age, they tend to resort to different forms of relaxation. And one of these is through aromatherapy sessions in various wellness centers. Although these can very well aid relaxation, they can be quite expensive. If you are one of those who are into aromatherapy, one of the best ways to save money is to learn doing it at home.

Aromatherapy at home

The people who are licensed to conduct aromatherapy sessions include the aromatherapists, the spa owners, the massage therapists, as well as other healing arts practitioners. But, this doesn’t mean that ordinary people cannot do it. With proper research and some first hand tips from the so-called “authorities,” you can conduct an aromatherapy session at home.

If you are thinking of using aromatherapy at home to save money, you should be very particular in buying essential oils—the basic requirement in aromatherapy. Experts say that knowing the proper usage of aromatherapy oils is important to ensure that the consumers will get the therapeutic properties as well as the safety of their health and well being.

Those who are new to aromatherapy are advised to be very careful in buying essential oils because the products available in the market today can be quite deceiving. Experts agree that it is a must to conduct research first before buying or using any essential oil or aromatherapy product so people can identify which ones are best and safe to use.

The label should also be of utmost priority when buying essential oil. By looking at the label intently, the consumers will know what exactly is the content of the product. People are advised to buy essential oils that are placed in bottles and labeled with “essential oil” to ensure the content’s purity. It is also advisable to inspect the package or the container carefully for any cracks and damage and they should only buy only from reputable sellers.

Once the high quality essential oil is bought, proper usage should be paid attention to ensure the success of the aromatherapy session at home. Experts agree that one of the best ways to use essential oils for aromatherapy is to inhale it by placing a couple of chosen essential oil drops to streaming water placed in basin or bowl. Then, all you have to do is mix the essential oil to the water well and breathe its steam for less than an hour. One of the best benefits of inhaling aromatherapy oils is clearing the sinus as well as reliving headache when you have colds. You can also inhale essential oil by placing a drop or two of your favorite essential oil on a hanky and place it near under your pillow.

Essential oils can also be used by spraying it by utilizing or by mixing it with ounces of distilled water and used as a spray inside the room. By mixing it with water and used as a spray, you can enjoy aromatherapy comfort anytime.

Another option is to apply it directly but only if you mixed it with water. Experts say that aromatherapy essential oils should not be directly applied on the skin because it can cause rashes and burning.

Once you have mastered buying and using aromatherapy, you can do the sessions on your own at home. Instead to going to spas and wellness centers, learning it is one of the best ways to save money and your time and energy as well.

Save Money On Travel

The country may be in a recession but there is an upside to it. Hotels and other resorts are slashing their rates by more than 50{c52a10b7e08e9c2d7a1926146b17d7677c51e665563998c7b5df51c724457d14} during the peak and off season which means you can take a vacation. But to do that, you have to know the different ways to save money if you decide to travel.

First, plan your vacation way ahead of time and travel to places that are not frequented by tourists at that time. During the summer, head to winter resorts instead of the beaches. If it gets too cold, go to places that are warm like the tropics.

Before you buy your ticket and book your reservation, go online and compare the rates of the different travel organizations. You may find a 3 day 2 night package to a destination of your choice that is less than $500 per person. You just have to look carefully through each one by not only looking at the price but also what is included in the package.

People who fly often on business can save money on travel by gaining more frequent flyer miles. After traveling a certain distance, you can redeem it which could get you a round trip ticket to a destination of your choice so check regularly how many miles you have earned.

If buying a ticket is not in your budget, take a road trip instead. You might enjoy seeing something nearby instead of flying hundreds of miles away. If you calculate the costs, the money you pay for gas and food could still be cheaper than going somewhere else. You can also save money if you decide not to stay in a hotel but rather camp out in a tent.

For people who do have the money for airfare, you can still save money by staying in a smaller establishment rather than a 5 star hotel. You have the option to rent a condo or an apartment that are bigger than hotel rooms and even have their own kitchen which allows you to cook.

Some locals even rent out a room or have a dorm that they can offer which is great especially if you and your group are going backpacking or simply want to save your money for other thrills.

If you are up to it, try what other people have done called house swapping. Here, you exchange your place with another homeowner for a few days. The nice thing about it is that you don’t pay anything for your stay.

You don’t have to take a vacation on the road or take to the air to have a great time. You can also take to the sea since there are cruises and if you get lucky, you could be a huge discount if there are some passengers who cancelled in the last minute which means there is room for you on board.

Chances are, you have probably made a bid on EBay or some other auction site and know the mechanics. Did you know some sites allow you to bid for a vacation? To win, you have to give the lowest bid which is the exact opposite of what you do when you bid online.

There are ways to save money on travel. You should compare the rates and consider your options before planning your vacation.