ideas and suggestions!!!!  Always looking for a way to get more $$$.

Phyllis

Write down a wish list.  This is not for the big things in life, the house, the kids, the family, the retirement years.  This is for the little things in life.  The new skirt or the new watch.  The brand-name cookies that you prefer.  A dinner out.  A massage or a housecleaning.  A babysitter for next Saturday.

The purpose of this is to plan for things you WANT as well as what you need, and to see the difference between them.  If you only plan for things you NEED, or long-term future dreams, you won't ever be able to stay on budget. 

Since we KNOW we're going to spend some money on things we don't need, the best thing to do would be to determine how much of an allowance you should give yourself each week or month as play money.  If you have a partner, talk to him or her about it, and decide on a reasonable amount that fits your financial situation.  Determine a cash allowance for both of you, and establish that there will be a no-questions-asked (and no-guilt!) policy regarding it.  Whatever you have left of your allowance at the end of the month is still play money for the future.  That way, you begin to save for things you want, as well as things you need, and the two don't conflict. 

Give it a try.

Connect with someone you haven't recently.  This is a low-cost way of feeling good and making your own life better.  Make sure it's a person whose company you sincerely enjoy, and who will not tempt you to go out to an expensive restaurant for the reunion!  Invite them over to watch a movie at home (ask them to bring a favorite!) or arrange to get your kids together for a playdate. 

Or...just call Mom, your sister, etc., to catch up.  If it's long distance, wait till your night-minutes begin on your cell, or shoot them an email instead.

Refreshing healthy relationships we once loved and enjoyed is a guilt-free way to de-stress.  It's good for us. 

Scheduling can be a mess, whether you're a one-person family or if you have to rent a bus for family trips.  Making sure your schedules jive isn't easy when you live with someone else, or have a significant other, and sometimes it can cost you money when you're not organized.

Today's assignment is to sit down with the calendar or your day planner.  (If you don't have either of those things, go to the store now.  Go on.  We'll wait.)

See what you've committed yourself to for the next two months.  Are there any deadlines approaching?  Do you need to get tickets to something before the price goes up?  Do you need to shop for or make a gift?  Waiting until the last minute adds to your stress, and also ensures that you have to pay top dollar for what you need.  Looking ahead two months gives you enough time to plan.

http://www.naupa.org/mainframe.asp?VisitorType=owner

Government-run website for unclaimed cash and property.  Who knows?  I didn't find anything under my name, but it'd be cool if someone else did!

Decide on a gift someone could get for you that wouldn't cost them any (or would cost very little) money, for your next birthday or holiday.  Then ask your friends what they would want that wouldn't cost anything.  For example: babysitting for them.

http://money.cnn.com/2004/04/07/pf/saving/willis_tips/

Today's Assignment is easy.  Just check out this site!

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/67829/tips_on_saving_money.html

Same assignment, different site!

It's that time again.  Go through your paperwork, your mail, your bills, etc.  Make sure you're paying everything on time.  That makes a huge difference to your credit report!

Tips For Saving Money

Still living from pay to pay? Or envying those great wealth accumulators and wondering how they did it? Every month you make a resolution of saving some dollars from your paycheck, but only end up breaking it. Looking for some magic formula for saving money?

Well, there’s no magic formula—only some simple rules to be followed with determination and persistence.

Have you ever taken consumer credit—the credit used for personal finance? If not, then that’s where you’re lacking. Those wealth grabbers, who are the subject of your envy, have smartly used the borrowed money and became rich. They didn’t hesitate in taking credit, and considered it as a valuable financial asset.

Credit is not something bad. On the contrary, it makes your life convenient and prevents you from falling in a tight spot. Yes, I know that your goal is to be a financially secure individual. We all have the same goal, don’t we? Despite harboring such strong goals, many of us are scraping every month, with no money left to fall back up on at the end.

I don’t intend to entangle you in the intricacies of finance, but want to present before you, some simple rules that would help in saving some dough. But promise me that you’ll put them to practice regularly. Though it takes some time—years maybe—to get the full results, yet the trick lies in perseverance.

Spruce your knowledge—get smart!

I’m not telling you to glue your eyes to the television watching the stock market or enrolling for a finance degree. What I want you to do is arm yourself with the basics of the market so that you don’t make wrong decisions that cost you money. Intelligent decisions are the key towards a flourishing business.

Patience pays!

Unless you win a lottery, don’t think of getting rich overnight. But with time you can certainly think of owning bundles of those crispy dollars. So start saving your money as soon as possible. Let compounding interest bestow you with its benefits. I hope you know about compound interest—it is the reinvestment of your already invested earnings. However, don’t lose heart when you find your first reinvested earnings to be a petty amount. Initially, they are small, but over the years you’ll watch them magnify.

Set a flexible goal

Don’t be a ship without anchor. Set some financial goals in life so that you know your target. This will boost your confidence and you’ll be able to visualize yourself better in the future years. I would suggest having flexibility in your goals. This is because situations are never the same, they keep on changing and you’ll have to change with them too. Hence, you can’t be rigid in your ways. Keep reviewing your goals and—better still—select a good financial advisor that would assist you in achieving your goals.

Change your thermostat by 2 degrees.  It'll make a huge difference, but you won't feel it till the bill comes!

Go around your house/apartment and count how many bulbs you need to change to fluorescent.  Take note of any that need to be smaller or differently shaped than normal.  Then go to the hardware store or order some online. You'll be glad you did.

Give it a try.  

Air dry your dishes instead of running them through the dry cycle on the dishwasher.  You'll save money on your electric/heating bill, and it's pretty unnecessary!!

Today's assignment is for those who own their home.  If not...just enjoy your day off.

If you have an attic, consider getting it insulated.  You're probably losing a lot of energy, both in summer and winter, through the attic.  And if you have a basement, you need to maintain it to be sure you don't have leaks.  Fixing them BEFORE they're a problem is far better than waiting till you do.  So venture up into the attic and down into the basement to see how you can save money.

It's the end of the month.  Take a look at how you did this month, and how you can do better in May.  Pat yourself on the back!