Browsing Category: "Personal Finance"
Back On The Frugal Bandwagon
Welcome back!
Like many things frugal living is all about building habits and sticking with them. Once you have formed the habit of making frugal choices it becomes very natural to save money and really just a routine part of life. Unfortunately, I think we all fall off the frugal bandwagon from time to time, and it can be hard to snap right back into the habit of making money-wise choices. Especially if we let is slide for a few weeks, or even for a few months. Then we have replaced our frugal habits with non frugal habits, and those can be difficult to break!
I hate to admit it, but I haven’t been at my frugalist lately, and while I haven’t been spending wildly, or anything of that nature, I haven’t been saving the amount of money that I would like to.
Anyhow, I am now back on the frugal bandwagon and plan to start back again with a bang — 15 “no spend days”. What I mean by that is I won’t be spending money on anything but essential items until at least the end of the month. No Starbucks, no take out and no clothes (I have enough at home). It doesn’t seem like a very long time, but fifteen frugal days can leave a back account looking significantly healthier!
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If you like this then please subscribe to the Credit Card Basics
Keeping your credit cards in solid standing is important for establishing a good credit score. A good credit score will allow you to receive a favorable status with lending institutions, utility companies, and even your employer.
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Moreover, the site provides news, articles, and customer service help for any credit questions you may have.
5 Phone Calls That Can Save You Big Money
During the current economic crisis we are going through it’s a good idea to see where we can save some money on our bills. It is possible to cut back on expenses by negotiating with some of our most common service providers, for example:
1) Car Insurance - Phone your car insurance agent if you: got married recently, changed your career to a more solid profession, drive less miles per month than you used to, or moved to a residence that is closer to your work. It’s also a good idea to shop around for cheaper insurance quotes and see if your current insurer will match those.
2) Home Insurance - For home owners with a current mortgage, it may be possible to raise the deductible for a lower rate or shop around for a lower quote.
3) Your Credit Card Company - If you have a credit card balance, the credit company may be willing to reduce your annual interest rate.
4) Cancel cable or subscription TV - Did you know that many network and cable shows are found on legal sites, such as Hulu.com or other station-specific sites. You can also rent TV episodes from your video store, at an overall lower cost than cable subscription.
5) Cellphone - Make sure that you actually need all the bells and whistles that the cell phone company offers you. Either downgrade or shop around for other companies that offer cheaper prices.
In the current economic environment, companies are trying to retain customers, and they might be willing to accommodate your requests for reduced fees. This could realistically save you hundreds, and even more, dollars per year.
