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personal money,personal budget,spending money,managing money | personal finances home | personal finances
One of the best ways to control your spending is to force yourself to use a mandatory waiting period before making any unnecessary purchases. Tell yourself that you will buy nothing until that waiting period is up. A waiting period gives you time to cool off, get away from the temptation, review your finances, and decide if you really, really want and can afford this thing that has you so captivated in the store. A waiting period can save you a lot of money (or time on the return lane when you decide to return the thing because you really didn’t want it anyway).
The first thing to do is to decide how long your waiting period will be. I like to use two weeks because I find that two weeks is usually enough time for me to make a rational decision. Use your waiting period to review your finances, compare prices, think about how you’ll use or store the item, inventory your existing possessions and look for duplicates or very similar items, look for used, free, or rental alternatives, and look up product reviews and specifications to make certain this is something you’ll like and use. Some people only need a week, others need a waiting period of a month. You know how you think, so set a waiting period that will give you enough time to decide whether this item is something you want to own.
At the end of your waiting period, one of four things will happen: ...
When we get bored or stressed, some of us tend to head for the stores to look for something to do. Maybe we want a new book, a new CD, or a new movie. Maybe we want new clothes so we can jazz up our wardrobe. Maybe a new board or video game will do the trick. This quest for new stuff might alleviate the boredom or the stress for a while, but it can get expensive and lead to a lot of clutter in your house. The next time you feel the urge for something new, try going shopping in your own home, first.
What do I mean by shopping in your own home? Many of us (except the most disciplined of people) buy things that we never get around to using. We buy books and forget about them or don’t have time to read them. We buy CD’s and listen to that one great track and never listen to the rest. We buy movies and never get around to watching them. We buy board and video games but then never get around to playing them. We buy clothes, shoes, and housewares that we see on sale and then we put them away to be used when other stuff wears out. We receive gifts that we’re not sure what to do with so we stuff them in a closet. Wherever it comes from or whatever the reason it has been ignored, chances are you’ve got something hiding in your house that will be “new” to you.
When a foot injury (and bitterly cold weather) recently sidelined me from my regular running routine, the doctor suggested that I find some low impact exercise to see me through my recovery time. Biking was out, at least for a while, because biking in sub-zero temperatures holds no appeal for me. I was already doing a lot of yoga and pilates as cross training to give my body a break from running, but I get bored if I have to do the same things over and over again. Doing the same pilates and yoga DVD’s every day, without being able to go out and run to break the monotony was likely to make my recovery seem much, much longer.
So, I gave some thought to joining a gym. I thought that maybe some exercise classes and a variety of machines would keep me entertained and in shape while my foot healed. Well, when I found out that a gym membership in my area would cost me about $600 for a year (including enrollment fees), I got serious about finding something else to keep me entertained. I looked into exercise DVD’s but found that, while they were cost effective, most of the ones I rented were either too short to be challenging, boring, or too hard on my injured foot. And, as I noted above, if I have to do the same exercises every day, I tend to get stir crazy. With DVD’s, once I’ve learned and mastered the routine there’s no more challenge. It becomes rote exercise. So I looked for some more alternatives.
Despite the fact that it’s the middle of winter here, my dog has fleas. I got this great news at the vet’s office when she went in for her checkup. He said that the weather conditions here have been perfect for growing a huge flea population and now that it’s cold, all those fleas are moving indoors. Great. To top it off, he told me that the veterinary community is starting to see fleas evolving resistance to many of the popular topical treatments like Frontline and Advantage. So what’s a pet owner to do in the face of a flea invasion when the usual approaches aren’t working?
I did not want to launch an all out chemical assault in the house if I could avoid it. I didn’t want to have to break out the bug bombs, the carpet powders, or the special shampoos. And I really didn’t want to call an exterminator. Aside from being toxic and messy, chemical flea controls are expensive. So I went looking for lower cost, less toxic alternatives. I came up with several good ideas, most of which have worked very well.
A while back I wrote about twelve things you could do with an old shower curtain liner. In the same spirit of saving money and cutting down on waste, I now offer you fourteen things you can do with an empty jar. Of course, what you’re able to do with a jar will depend on the size of the jar. A big spaghetti sauce jar can be used differently than a baby food jar. But in general, here are some ideas for all those jars.
Glasses: I’ve been in several restaurants where the beverages were served in Mason jars. It brings a country feel to the meal and it’s a cheap source of glassware. A plus: Jars are harder to break than fine glassware.
Vases: A big jar makes a great vase, especially if you tie a ribbon around it or decorate it in some way.
Gifts Maybe you make a great sauce, jam, or dip. Make your best recipe, put it in a jar, and give it away.
We all know (or should) that living above your means for the long term is a recipe for financial disaster. Living above your means is spending more than you earn on a consistent basis. When you do it occasionally, as in the case of an emergency or a planned splurge, it’s not detrimental. However, it becomes detrimental when you do it consistently. Most of us know this and try to avoid it, with varying degrees of success.
There is some confusion, however, as to the difference between living within your means versus below your means. Many people assume that they are the same thing, but really they’re very different. I’ve heard many people claim that, “I’m living within my means, therefore we’re all set. We have no financial worries.” When I ask them if they have emergency funds, retirement accounts, or low debt levels, the answer is often no.
“Then how is it possible that you’re all set financially?” I’ll often ask.
When the talk turns to weekend plans, usually ideas that involve spending come to mind. Dinner out. A movie. A night out at the clubs. A sports event. These things are fun and fine to do in moderation. However, they can get expensive if you do them every weekend or if you are on a limited budget. Enter the frugal Saturday night with friends. This is something that is fun to do, very easy to put together, and something I’ve been doing with my friends for years.
First, choose the location and the theme. When the weather is cold and wet, we usually choose someone’s house. If it’s nicer out, we may go to a park or to the nearby lake. All of these locations are free and, unlike clubs, have no cover charge. Sometimes we theme the night, as well, just to add some variety. We’ve done Monte Carlo night, Oscar night, sports night, Jimmy Buffet night (great for the summer), a variety of ethnic nights and more. If you choose a theme then the food and entertainment should reflect that theme. To add to the fun, everyone can dress up to reflect the theme, as well.
Several years ago I started looking for alternatives to commercial laundry products. I had two main reasons for doing this. First, commercial products were becoming more and more expensive and I was having trouble finding ones that worked well, or at least well enough to justify their price tags. Second, I wanted products that were more environmentally friendly, less toxic, and less wasteful. No more fumes and chemicals. No more big jugs and bottles to recycle and no more one use dryer sheets heading for the landfill. Through a lot of trial and error, I found several recipes and ideas that make every aspect of doing the laundry cheaper and better for the environment. Here are my picks:
Laundry Detergent: You will need: 1/2 cup of Borax, 1/2 cup of washing soda, and one bar of shaved soap. For the shaved soap you can grate an Ivory bar or use Fels-Naptha laundry soap. (Borax, washing soda, and Fels-Naptha are not hard to find. All are available in the laundry aisle at stores like Target, Wal-Mart, many grocery stores, and online at Amazon.com.) Mix the ingredients for about five minutes. When well combined you will have a powder that looks just like regular detergent. Store in a covered container. You only need to use one tablespoon per load, although heavily soiled loads may require a scoopful. (Use an old scoop from a commercial detergent.)
It's hard to imagine life without images. Images are used to convey messages, enhance life's dull facades and more importantly, images are used to sell products. It's amazing how advanced graphic design software have become, evolving from the simple shape and line utility to the complex 3D rendering, effects-heavy and mind-blowing manipulation tools of today. With the advent of suchsoftware, practically everyone thinks they qualify as a desktop publisher.
What a Web/Graphic Designer does
A desktop graphic designer designs collateral for businesses like letterheads, envelopes, business cards and marketing materials. This includes brochures, postcards, self-mailers and newsletters. If you have a background in computer graphics, you should already be aware of what you can offer as a desktop publisher.
Using computer software, desktop publishers format and combine text, numerical data, photographs, charts, and other visual graphic elements to produce publication-ready material. Skills and requirements to be a Freelance Web/ Graphic Designer.
Growing up is tough enough without the worries of your financial future, so Money101 is here for you. E-mail your questions to Money101@FOXBusiness.com, and let us take off some of the pressure.
Dear Money101: I received a couple Visa gift cards [as a present]. Are these supposed to be debit cards? Can I use them online? How long can I use them? -Sarah
Great question, Sarah. Especially ahead of Valentine’s Day, when grandparents and parents often like to send you a little something.
