budget talk
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Are You Eating Your Way Into Debt?
I’m late for work, I haven’t got time to put something together for lunch. Never mind, I’ll just go out to eat. It’s just one day, right? I had an awful day at work so I’ll go out to eat? Do the above scenarios sound like you? Eating out once in awhile is fine because we all need to splurge now and then but when it comes to be a weekly or worse still a daily habit, you could be eating your way into debt? There’s nothing worse than paying off credit card bills for food you could have prepared yourself. And here are some of the other dangers of…
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Money Motivation-Stress Reliever
Are you often stressed about money? Make a plan today to work on a budget, brainstorm ideas to make more money whether it’s starting a business or looking for a wise investment to grow your money. Make being less stressed about your finances one of your goals.
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Borrow Before You Buy
Have you ever tackled a project around your home like sanding a floor or deck and rushed out to buy a sander? Not only is this something that you probably won’t use more than once a year…if that, but it takes up room in your home, plus it’s an added expensive you don’t need. Lots of places will rent these types of items to you and here’s a list of other things that maybe it’s better to borrow than buy… Books I’m an avid reader and while I do like to keep non-fiction books for future reference and they’re most likely the books I read over and over again, when…
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Your budget Your Way
Sometimes saving money and giving up those not so good for you snacks and treats can sometimes take the fun out of life. It’s also not much fun when you have to pinch the pennies to get of debt or fund your retirement. Sometimes it just seems like punishment and you end up asking yourself, why do it? I’m a big believer in rewards and tailoring things to fit you and your personality and that includes your approach to saving money. Here are some creative ways you can help take the pain out of sticking to a budget… It’s Your Budget Don’t go it alone… get your family or even…
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Four Ways to Look Stylish on a Budget
Just about everything is more expensive than it was just a few years ago and that includes clothing. However, you can still look stylish by following these four tips… Make a list Just like grocery shopping, make a list of what you need before you head to the store or go online. For example, new white blouse, black shoes etc. Also, make note of how much you’re willing to spend on each item. Tell yourself you’re going to stick to the list and budget. Discount Days Many stores have certain days where they offer discounts, especially for seniors. And no, you don’t have to even be 65 to score that…
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Is it a Good Buy?
Can you tell the difference between a real good buy or just some company or store telling you it is? It’s easy to get sidetracked with end caps and those signs telling you buy me because I’m 20 percent off…but just for a short time so don’t be a loser by missing out. Here are five tips to help you determine what’s a good buy and not just marketing hype… Know the Value If you don’t know how much something is supposed to cost or what the regular price is for an item, then any sale telling you it’s 20% off looks like a bargain. Whenever you’re grocery shopping or…
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The Money Saving Advantage to Making a Shopping List
If you read my last post about saving money on groceries, you’ll remember one tip was to create a shopping list. I thought I’d do a follow up about the five main advantages of making one. They Help Keep You Focused The main purpose of having is it keeps you focused. Supermarkets (like everyone else are in business), exist to make money so your challenge is to keep to the basics. No thinking, that notice tells me it’s on sale so it must be a bargain. Or following the wonderful smell of baking bread and donuts making its way from the bakery, and you left the house without eating. Stay…
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Ten Tips for Buying Food on a Budget
I’ve had lots of e-mails about saving money on food and requests for more posts on the topic so here’s one to get things started… Coupons and Specials I know physical coupons aren’t so commonplace as they once were but certain stores do still have their own version of a coupon. The great thing is you don’t even have to go to the store to see what they’re offering because most supermarkets now have online flyers you can check out. Some supermarkets even have a buy one, get one free promotion and also look for savings cycles when you know certain foods will be coming on sale. For example, now…
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Create an Emergency Fund
Do you have money set aside for things like job loss, illness or even a repair on the car you need for your work? If you do, then you know all about something called an emergency fund. If not, or you’ve been putting off starting one then here are some easy tips so you can take that first step. Emergency Funds are Vital An emergency fund is a budget smart person’s best friend. One of the top reasons to have one is you’ll less to have to rely on using a credit card and getting into debt which if you’re in the middle of a crisis like an illness or…
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Making a Budget and Sticking With It
I wouldn’t know how to even begin… Welcome to a new series of posts here at Budget Smart Girl. I’ve had lots of people e-mail me asking for tips on budgeting and the above sentence has been a common one so I thought every Thursday our Budget Smart Girl community will focus on putting together a budget and best of all, sticking with it. It’s not that hard and all it takes is a little understanding and a commitment on your part to put things in motion. An added bonus is it doesn’t have to be boring… Develop a Budget Step number one is setting up a realistic budget. And…