Are Coupons Really the Only Way to Improve Your Shopping Budget?

There are very few people round these days who are not in need of a few tricks to make their monthly food budget stretch a little further. Money is tight for most people and the cost of food seems to be on a never ending increase. This has led to the explosion of 'couponing' – the art of clipping discount coupons and special offers in order to reduce your spend – which has given rise to books, websites and even television shows explaining how best to approach couponing, but are coupons really the only way that you can improve your shopping budget? Let's compare a few of the alternatives. 

The Basic Problem With Couponing 

Couponing involves collecting discount coupons and offers in order to save money, but it is a time consuming process. While clipping coupons can be a great way to save money, it also comes with the danger of creating an obsession. A large number of coupon clippers report having feelings of anxiety when they miss out on a deal because the store has sold out or because the relevant coupon has expired. It can be a vicious cycle if you become trapped in it, so it makes sense to look for alternatives to couponing. I'm not saying give it up, just that you could supplement it with alternative options. 

Changing The Way You Shop 

One easy way to stretch that shopping budget without coupons is to adjust your shopping habits. If you switch to generic brands you can trim up to an average of up to 25% off of your shopping budget. There will always be some things that just don't taste good, but you can switch to generic brands on lots of things like pasta, sugar and so on. You can also save a great deal by making a grocery list and sticking to it rigidly. 

Saving Money With A Reward Card 

Another great alternative to couponing is to use reward cards. So long as you use your credit card with care it can be a great way to save some money. Look out for a reward card that offers cash back on grocery purchases, or anything that you will purchase regularly, like fuel. With these rewards you can earn back a small percentage of whatever you spend and if you pay of the bill in full at the end of the month you will not even have to pay interest. Just be sure to keep the money aside in your bank account to cover whatever you spend. 

Other reward cards will allow you to earn points rather than cash back. This allows you to save points up over time and trade them in for vouchers, gifts and other items. Vouchers can be used to cover grocery shopping, or you could trade your rewards in to get gifts for family birthdays thus saving some additional cash. 

Couponing is a good way to stretch your shopping budget, but as I have shown it is not the only way. These are just a few of the many alternatives that you could use instead of or alongside clipping coupons. 

Tim Baker is a writer who loves travelling around the world spending as little as possible using his avios credit card and by taking advantage of shopping and travel rewards.

Life Insurance Helps Take Care of Your Family

Universal Life Insurance Company (Photo credit: Thomas Hawk)

You take pride in caring for your family. You have provided them with all they need to live and prosper. How would they manage if anything happened to you? If you provided the right insurance, they would me able to be financially secure if you should die. 

There are many types of insurance and picking the right one for you is solely determined by your age. The insurance market place has so many companies that getting a good deal is easier then ever. So you should shop around to get the best price. If you want to pay the cheapest rate for life insurance you need to acquire while your still in good health. When we are in good health and young, death is the last thing on our mind. Coming down with a terrible disease may never happen to you but people die everyday from unforeseen accidents. It's unfortunate but it does happen.

If you do pass the first thing that happens to your family is figuring out how to pay for your funeral costs. After you pass,the last thing you want your family to worry about is the cost of a funeral. Most family's barely survive on their income, having a major financial event like a funeral would bankrupt most families. The enormous costs of funeral expenses are something a family doesn't need to worry about at such a stressful time. Making sure you have life insurance policy is the best way you can provide for your loved ones after your gone. 

At one time people paid off their mortgages by the time they were 50 but today most people are still paying their mortgage well into their 50s and 60s. This is one more reason that you need life insurance. Would your surviving spouse be able to make the mortgage payments if you were gone? Over 50s life insurance can help make the mortgage payment or even pay the house off completely if you should pass away. 

You may think that life insurance for the over 50 person is not affordable, this is not true. There are still great deals available, many even guarantee acceptance. The life insurance industry has many providers all competing for your business. With so much competition the cost for life insurance is more affordable. Click here for term life insurance quotes

Adjusting to Life After Retirement

Retirement (Photo credit: Tax Credits)

You reach over to turn off your alarm and reluctantly drag yourself out of bed, only to realize that you didn’t need to wake up at an ungodly hour anymore just to get to work. Retired. Maybe the word hasn’t sunk in yet. Maybe you need time to adjust to the changes that come with retirement, like turning off your alarm clock on a permanent basis. While the alarm clock is just a trivial matter, there are other more important things you need to remember during the transition into retirement. 

Money isn’t Limitless

People often think that when they retire, they can do whatever and that includes throwing money around and splurging on a brand new sports car. Living life to the fullest doesn’t mean living it recklessly. Just because you’re retired, doesn’t mean you have an endless supply of money to burn. Yes, you may have money saved up for retirement, but if you spend it like there is no tomorrow, you just might find yourself living on a hand-to-mouth existence, worse off than when you had a job. Make sure you spend your money wisely so you can live comfortably till then end of your days. 

Investment is a Good Idea

Since you are no longer employed, you will have to rely on your pension to get by. Live life fully but remember to live within your budget. If you need a little extra, you can supplement your funds by investing in ventures that will help you earn passive income. You can look at some common options for investments and choose from them. If you are looking for something else, there is a wide variety of choices available if you search through the internet. You can also purchase a franchise if you like but it can be costly so the better option would be starting your own business and start small.

It’s Never Too Late to Start a Hobby

If you were once a workaholic, facing retirement is going to be a challenge. With little or nothing to do but relax, you might find yourself dying of boredom in no time at all. To keep busy, why don’t you get a new hobby? Plant an organic garden or learn to play golf. If you used to love writing but eschewed it in favor of corporate success, now would be a good time to pick up a pen and start writing that novel you have been dreaming about since forever. If you’re good enough, you just might find a way to turn this hobby into a money-making venture. 

Life is Unpredictable

You never know what tomorrow brings. That is why you need to make sure you are prepared for whatever circumstances that may come your way. This includes preparing legal documents like living wills, health proxies and powers of attorney. Dying is something we don’t like to think about but it is inevitable and most times, it comes when you least expect it, too. It’s better to be prepared than to leave your heirs battling over who will inherit all because a will was never made. You will need to consult an attorney for this but if you’re worried about high fees, there are prepaid legal plans available that have an affordable monthly fee, where you can still enjoy a wide range of benefits. Make sure your finances are protected and that your family’s future will be ensured even when you are no longer around.

About the Author: 

Based in San Diego California, Tiffany Matthews is a professional writer with over 5 years of professional writing experience.. She believes in the importance of saving up for retirement, even if it’s still a long way off. Tiffany also blogs about travel, fashion, and anything under the sun at wordbaristas.com, a group blog that she shares with her good friends. In her free time, she likes to travel, read fantasy books, and watch movies. You can find her on Twitter as @TiffyCat87.

Five reasons you should use a mortgage broker

Loans (Photo credit: zingbot)

When it comes time to shop for a home loan, individuals and families are not always sure where to start. Should they start looking for a home first and then worry about financing? When should they start looking into a home loan? In order to make the process a little easier, many potential homeowners are looking to mortgage brokers for advice and assistance. They want guidance from someone experienced in the industry. There are five major reasons to consider mortgage brokers when searching for the perfect home loan.

Saving Time Searching for a Home Loan

There are so many different lenders to choose from and shopping around can take days or even weeks. Once a consumer has all of the different information from the lender, it isn't always easy to make comparisons to determine which one is offering the best deal. One might require less closing costs but provide a higher interest rate.

Mortgage brokers save individuals time. The brokers know about all of the available loans, lenders and programs available. These professionals can do all the legwork and research in order to provide the client with a few of the best options available. There is no need for the customer to make multiple phone calls or visit several different locations. 

Specialization

Mortgage brokers focus on one type of loan. They don't research car loans or debt consolidation loans. Because of this, they keep up with the latest information revolving around a mortgage. Banks work with a variety of different loans and a variety of different customers. Instead of specializing, banks attempt to offer many different products to help the most customers. Customers benefit from the focus that mortgage brokers have and the time they invest in researching home loans only.

Large Network of Lenders

With so many lenders working with mortgage brokers, there is a lot of competition to get a person's home loan. It is possible for a broker to get multiple offers for the same loan with different lenders attempting to provide the best deal. The more lenders a mortgage broker works with, the better options their client will have when it comes to a home loan.

One on One Attention for Customers

Getting financial advice from mortgage brokers tends to be easy because of the one on one attention that customers receive. A broker takes the time to research the best option for each potential homeowner. There is less of a chance that a person will get lost in the shuffle when it comes to a mortgage broker when compared to working directly with a lender or banker. 

Motivated to Find the Best Deal

Finally, one of the most important reasons to use a mortgage broker centers on the fact that they are motivated to provide customers with the best deal. If they can't provide a loan that a family can live with, they don't get paid. In order to help the customer and ensure that the loan works out, a broker keeps an eye on the process.

Dane Smith has been presenting financial solutions to readers for the past 10 years. He strives to take financial advice from mortgage brokers and turn it into clear and understandable steps that any potential homeowner can use.

Budgeting 101: Simple Steps to Budget Money as a Senior

Personal Budget Plan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Spending money is as simple as breathing. Let’s admit it, we can spend thousands of bucks in just one day! That is, if you have no financial issues. But if you are on the verge of tightening your belt, budgeting becomes a part of your to-do list. When you are an elderly person, you might think budgeting is hard simply because you are at your golden age. Yes, it seems a big challenge; but in reality, there are so many techniques you can execute to make the most of every single penny in your pocket. 

Here are 4 simple ways to help you in your monthly budget. 

● List Down Sources of Money - As a senior, obviously, you no longer have monthly salary to expect from a full-time job. However, you will have other sources of income by this time. Make a list of all these sources, such as monthly pension, social security check and part-time job (if applicable). Remember to note down ALL, which means everything or every way in which you gain income is included. Get sum of these income generating sources. From this, you will get an idea of how much money available for you in a month. 

● Create a List of Expenses - On a separate sheet, make a list of all the expenses you need to have. For household expenses, it usually includes utility bills, consumable grocery, telephone service, cable TV, Internet service and house rent (if you are renting). If you own your home, add the property tax in your list. In the event that you pay your taxes once a year or twice a year, break the tax fee into monthly figure. Many seniors consider property taxes as additional burden to financial status. Other expenses include mortgages and medicines. Calculate all these expenses and get the total amount. Deduct the total expenses to the monthly available money. 

● Set Aside Money for Savings - After subtracting your total expenses from your monthly income, you will get a remaining amount of money. If you get zero or negative remaining balance, it is a difficult situation. As much as possible, set aside money for your savings. Saving money is a clever technique just in case you will need extra cash in the future. Who knows, you much need emergency fund for your home repair or car maintenance. So each month, make it a habit to put at least a small amount of bucks in your saving account. You can either open a savings account in a bank or have it in your piggy bank. 

● Look for Medical Aid Programs - At times, medical bills take up huge amount of money from your budget. For seniors with health issues, having medicine maintenance is often neglected to lessen expenses. Yes, this is very risky to the health. And so, to minimize expenses without compromising your health, look for health programs that can help you finance your medicines. There are many NGO’s (non-government organizations) and government sectors offering medical assistance. Some programs can aid you in paying for your medications or other health-care bills, and can sponsor you in buying alert systems such as medical guardian. 

Budgeting can sometimes make your head spin. That is why, it is essential to take into account a few techniques to guide you. Otherwise, you will end up miscalculating your money and getting broke. Once you get used to these strategies, you can allocate your money effortlessly.

From a Girl's Perspective - Valuable Business Lessons I Got from my old Volkswagen Beetle

English: 1973 Volkswagen Beetle photographed at the 2008 Hudson Auto Show. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I grew up as an independent individual. No, my parents aren't divorced and I did not run away from home. My folks have decided to raise me up with little assistance coming from them, so that I can learn the good and the bad that life has to offer. While I do remember the frustrating times when I had to do some menial and odd jobs to get some extra cash for certain things. One of those things happen to be my old Volkswagen Beetle. 

Funny that I should mention that car. It's no longer mine; I sold it off when I moved out from my parent's house. This was years ago. I don't even remember how much money I got out from the old vehicle, but what I do remember are the lessons I learned while I was out earning every single dollar just to buy that car. And from a business perspective, it taught me a lot of things too. 

When I saw that car while checking a used cars warehouse, I knew that the car should be mine. It's original colour was yellow, but when I told my dad about it, he was quite skeptical. He said that these types of cars were not that durable and had constant engine problems. Of course, I knew that he was just bluffing; it's his way of saying "If you want the vehicle, then you know what to do!" 

And that I did.

 
Research - The first business lesson I got from that old Beetle was to research everything about the vehicle, starting from its perks all the way to its failures. I even researched about online title loan for fast cash! I have to understand the type of vehicle that I am going to use my money for. It is my money and I earned hard to get it, so I should never waste my money on something that I might end up regretting in the end, right? 

Sadly, I've seen a lot of business owners jump right into a particular business or system without researching. Usually, these people end up losing a great deal of money because of a failed business. Even worse, they end up filing for bankruptcy. 

Do It Yourself - The second lesson I got from my old vehicle is to always do everything myself. When it comes to simple maintenance, like cleaning or changing oil, I'd do it on my own. In business, it pays to be involved with your company once in awhile. Just like a well-oiled vehicle or machine, you learn the ins and outs of the trade and you co-exist with your employees and your clientele. You learn what needs improvement for your business and the things that you need to remove. 

It sounds so simple, isn't it? Unfortunately, it's not. A lot of business owners change their attitude once business starts to prosper. They leave everything to the manager while going on a vacation to Hawaii or to Fiji. Unless your manager is really competent, there's no way he/she is going to repeat exactly what you want him/her to do, so it's quite important to run the business yourself. 

Frugality - No, it's not a Mortal Kombat move. It means being frugal. When I finally got my Beetle, the first thing that rushed in my mind is to customize the car to whatever I like. So, lists of car parts and custom paint jobs filled my notebook. By the time I realized it, the total amount was so horrifying that I immediately tore off that particular page in my notebook into little pieces.

Well, it's a good thing that I did not have the money. Otherwise, I would've gone and spent it all. 

The business lesson here is to be frugal. Even though you're business is running great, you should really find the time to invest in another business opportunity. If not, then save your money in the bank for later use. Don't spend all your money on things that are not really needed. 

Well, that's it for now. While I already have a new car, I will never forget my old Beetle. Thank you, my most cherished possession. I hope you're doing fine. Thanks for all the lessons you've taught me. It sure helped me out a lot, especially during these times of economic depression. 

About the Author: 
Jessica Greenberg is an avid blogger from San Diego, California. During her free time, she prefers to stay at home and update her blog along with a hot cup of coffee.