During difficult economic times, intelligently managing your personal finances can mean the difference between living comfortably, and losing your home or being forced to file for bankruptcy protection. This article was written with the average person in mind. It is designed to help you improve your financial situation by teaching you to intelligently manage your personal finances.
Always openly communicate with your spouse about your financial situation. It is a proven fact that couples fight more often about money than almost any other subject. Lying to your spouse about frivolous spending, your savings plan, or past debts, can only lead to disaster. Be truthful, open, and honest, to keep your relationship in tip top shape.
To save on college costs, strongly consider enrollment at a local community college for the first two years and then transfer to a four-year institution for your last two years. With annual tuition cost savings of 50% or more over traditional four-year universities, going to a community college for your first two years can make a whole lot of sense. Many community colleges have direct transfer programs to four-year institutions that ensure the relevance of the credits you have earned towards your degree. You will get the exact same diploma and credentials at the end of the four years, as your classmates who attended the four-year university straight-through, but your costs (and possible debt) will be so much less.
Do not charge more each month than you can pay when the bill comes in. The interest adds up if you only pay the minimum balance, and you can end up paying much more for your purchase in the end than if you had simply used your own money to buy it outright. Bonuses such as airline miles or even rebates seldom make up for the additional expense.
It is very important to budget the amount that you should be spending over the course of a week, month and year. This will give you a rough estimate as to where you should be setting your limits so that you never find yourself in a poor situation financially. Use budgeting techniques to maintain security.
If you are engaged to be married, consider protecting your finances and your credit with a prenup. Prenuptial agreements settle property disputes in advance, should your happily-ever-after not go so well. If you have older children from a previous marriage, a prenuptial agreement can also help confirm their right to your assets.
Get a checking account that is free. Paying fees to access your money can cost you quite a bit in the long run. Many banks are doing away with free accounts, but a little leg work will help you find what you are looking for. Avoid losing hundreds of dollars to fees every year.
If you’re looking for ways to save money, look into dropping your land line phone. If everyone in your household has a cellphone, what do you need a land line phone for? Most of the time calls from it are more expensive anyway and you don’t need to put out the money for a second phone when your cellphone will work just fine.
To help you to save money, set up an automatic transfer to your savings account every pay period. Making the transfer automatically helps you to get used to the idea of saving. It also prevents frivolous spending before the money can be saved. You won’t miss what you don’t see, so automate your savings process today.
Teaching guitar lessons can help one support their personal finances as well as build ties both in the music community and with people from all walks of life. As one builds a customer base or finds a music school to teach out of they will increase their finances and network at the same time.
Energy management is the best way to save your family money during the year. By making some simple changes you will find a good bit of savings on your utility bill each month. The quickest, easiest and most affordable way to start saving is by replacing your light bulbs with energy efficient bulbs.
The easiest way to grow your own wealth is to live below your means. Individuals that spend all their money will have a hard time in accumulating wealth. This is because they spend the money when they initially get it. Figure out the amount you bring in and spend less.
Burn used cooking oil in your older diesel vehicle! There are entire web pages and forums devoted to doing just that. The first diesel engine, after all, was designed to run on peanut oil. Just make sure you research your options and take the precautions you need to insure you don’t damage your engine.
Remember, intelligently managing your personal finances is the key to wealth and security. In an economic downturn, being careless or foolish with your money can have grave consequences. Carefully read the tips in this article, and apply what you learn to your own personal financial situation. By doing so, you can protect yourself from financial ruin.
