November 25th, 2009 | Posted in Savings
The key to saving is to spend less than you earn. Yes. Learn to live below your income.
Here are 4 money-saving tips not just for the holidays but all year round as well:
1. Set aside a percentage of your monthly income as savings. It doesn’t really matter how much amount you save as long as you stash some of your savings in the bank. It will become handy in future emergencies. You’ll never know what will happen. But if you have some cash stashed somewhere, it will certainly give you a certain feeling of security and wellbeing.
2. Back to the basics. If you’re dead serious about cutting back or your overheads, then simplify your life. Cut back on expensive dinners, roaming in the malls, eating at fast food centers or watching movies at the video arcades. Limit your calls. Make do without cable TV. Buy classic dresses whirr never go out of style. If you have a compulsion to buy things which you do not need, control yourself Instead stash that one hundred dollar bill in a safe place in your wallet. You will have ended with nothing but more savings.
3. Become a handy woman. With all the sophisticated tools and paraphernalia that are available in the market, any woman can handle things that men normally do — like repairing the faucet, screwing things and repairing the car. Just because you’re a woman is no excuse for not doing men’s jobs. With the high costs of home repairs, it is but practical to do things yourself if you can help it. However you can refer the difficult things to the professionals.
4. Make a list of the things that you need to buy and stick to it. Sometimes we are tempted to buy things we do not need because of some promo sales like “buy one take one.” Do not give in to these sales talks. Hold on to your purse. Forget the urge.
5. Forced savings. Dream big. The best way to save money is to have some short-term and long term financial goals in sight like a down payment for a car or a house. It is much more motivating if you have a dream or goal to pursue.
October 14th, 2009 | Posted in Other
Here are wonderful ideas to make your everyday chore simpler and surer.
Grooming with Paper
Paper grooming aids are today so plentiful that we may forget some of their wonder power. Here are reminders:
* Do you let your eyeglasses stay smudgy? So much so that you have to peer? Lens-polishing papers (they come in small folders) keep vision clear, and crystal-clear are eye-shiners too.
* Does your face itself fog up? Paper blotting tissue doesn’t disturb your make-up when you carefully blot away oil and moisture.
* Carry cleansing tissues for sniffles and other everyday cares, but keep your handbag neat by enclosing the tissues in a folder of their own.
*When putting polish on your toenails, wear folding cleansing tissue between toes to keep them separate; the polish then can dry without the toes rubbing it off.
*Scented paper liners for your bureau drawers keep underwear lightly and pleasantly scented.
*Other kinds of paper are an aid in keeping your handbag and your personality well-groomed. Have as purse accessories an appointment book, as well as an address and telephone book, and a small loose-leaf notebook for your shopping lists. Calling cards — engraved or printed with your name only —are useful as telephone number and address jotters and as ever-ready note paper when you need to leave a message. They also serve to bear your good wishes when you send a gift.
Time and Money Savers
* Adjust brakes at regular intervals so that no one tire is forced to do more work when slowing down than the other three.
* To remove wrinkles from plastic material, place a thick bath towel which has been slightly dampened over the plastic. Iron with a hot iron and the wrinkles will soon disappear.
* Before you paint, slip old socks over your shoes. This lets you wipe up paint splatters from your feet.
* Refrigerate your nail polish and you’ll be able to use it up entirely without getting thick.
* If you are moving, pack dishes with a towel between each one. Wash cloths can be used between saucers. This will save space and protect the dishes as well.
* Buy calculator to suit your needs. Check the display panel to make sure it’s easy to read. Make sure the keys are not too small to operate comfortably. Buy a brand from an established company. Find out how to use your calculator before you leave the store. Check the warranty.
