A stock broker is a torch bearer for your trades

With the availability of internet facilities, an investor can trade through any exchange in any part of the world. With thousands of shares listed in the various stock exchanges, a regular investor can not afford to keep track of the market trends, fluctuating exchange rates, the political changes that affect trade and commerce etc. One needs the guidance of an experienced broker, to be sure about trading on correct lines. A broker has opportunities of dealing with a number of his clients and remains exposed to many scenes, depending on the requirements of the investors. He is in a position to guide and advice.

Right information has the important role that will lead to right decisions. With the online facility you get convenient, quick, reliable and latest updates that provide information on different aspects of trading and make the investments a profitable venture. A stock broker helps to discuss the share market related information that a regular investor needs well in time.

A new investor, the first-timer, arrives at the exchange with certain ambitions. He has come with the hope that, in the present conditions, he can reap more returns than in any other form of investment. He has initially decided what portion of his liquidity he will invest in shares. He has limited knowledge of building a portfolio and he wishes that his capital remains secure. With such a mental frame-up, the stock broker is like the torch bearer to him. He wishes to have initial briefing about every phenomenon related to the exchange, like the shares that currently find favor in the market, general market trends, share indexes, the brokerage payable etc. After making assessment and comparison, the investor will take a decision. It is in the interest of the investor that he interacts with some brokers, before taking the final decision about associating with one or two.

The share market trends beat the best of the brains. An overenthusiastic investor is likely to fall into the trap of temptation, if in the initial stages he succeeds in making a couple of profitable trades. The mercurial nature of the volatile market, wherein the share prices change every second, a new investor stands baffled. His possible wrong moves needs to be checked by the broker.

Even before deciding to engage a particular broker, an investor needs to have some preliminary knowledge as to the types of stock broking services, normally available in the market. The important services are as under:

Execution-only, which means that the broker will only carry out the client’s instructions to buy or sell.
Advisory dealing, where the broker advises the client on which shares to buy and sell, but leaves the final decision to the investor.
Discretionary dealing, where the stock broker ascertains the client’s investment objectives and then makes all dealing decisions on the client’s behalf.

By and by, as in investor gains experience and confidence in share dealings, he will avail one or more facilities offered by the broker. With preliminary knowledge that the investor acquires through interaction with the broker, he will as well go for the specialized knowledge that is available in abundance through websites, online journals, magazines that specialize in share trade, by sharing experience with his new friends and acquaintances in the exchange, etc. The actual situation is not the lack of information, but the intimidating volume of information and the process of selecting the right tips from it. This is a tough task for an individual investor, from the point of view of both the risk and time factors. The share broker, your trusted friend, will again guide you to enable you to take appropriate decisions.

In a competitive market, over the past decade, the rates of brokerage stand considerably reduced and they are affordable for a common investor. The higher the scale of investment, the unit cost of brokerage will be less. When you are tied up to a good broker, you can trade with peace of mind.

Source

Posted under stock broker is a torch bearer by admin on Saturday 29 August 2009 at 3:25 am

Types of Investments

Investment means putting money in an asset that can yield profit in the short, medium, or long term. For a new investor, it is very important to understand the different types of investments before deciding on an investment type. A good investment is a vehicle to create wealth for the future. Investment can be classified under various categories.

1. According to the risk involved
a. Conservative
b. Moderates
c. Aggressive

Conservative investment refers to low-risk investment where investors prefer to put money in interest-bearing savings accounts, the money market, mutual funds, etc. These investments are long-term investments.

Generally, moderate investments refer to low- or moderate-risk investments in cash, bonds, real estate, etc.

Aggressive investments refer to the high-risk stock trading. Here, investors have the opportunity to earn wealth in very short term, but also have the risk of losing in the equal proportion.

2. According to the period in which investments yield returns
a. Short-Term
b. Long-Term

Short-term investments naturally refer to the stocks that yield results even in a day.

Long-term investments include bonds, mutual funds, etc.

3. According to whether it is financial or not
a. Financial
b. Non-Financial

Non-financial investment can be made in anything other than the financial instruments in the money market. This can include real estate. The increasing price of land and property makes it a viable investment options for investors. Another option can be investing in gold. Gold is a precious metal that always yields value for its investors, especially in the volatile market conditions.

Financial investment can be made in various types of financial instruments or securities.

i. Equities are assets representing the ownership in a company. They are made available to investors in the stock market or through initial public offerings (IPOs). They are generally expected to yield good results in the long term.

ii. Mutual Funds are holdings of stocks managed by fund managers on behalf of the investors. As a simplified concept, when a company and an individual buy shares of that company together, it is called a mutual fund. Mutual funds can be bought directly from the fund or from brokers. While some mutual funds, called managed funds, are managed by investment professionals, others known as non-managed funds are based on an index, such as the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The profit incurred from non-managed funds depends on the fluctuation of the price in the index. Mutual funds are always thought to be a good option for small investors who do not have a huge sum of money to invest and yet want to reap the benefits of investment. It is always a good low-risk, low-gain option for them.

iii. Bonds are issued by companies, financial institutions, and the government institutions for raising capital. They carry a low risk and provide good returns.

iv. Cash equivalents, such as treasury bills and money market funds, are also good and very liquid investment options.

v. Stocks are high-risk, high-gain investment options for investors in the stock market. Investors need to have access to various research materials available in the market in order to gain the stock management efficiency and skills.

However, an investor should observe the following while making any financial investment:

• One should always deal with professional advisors and brokers
• Investors should consider their financial situation and goals before taking any decision
• One should also consider the tolerance to risks in the investment
• Research and study of the financial market is a must for preventing losses
• Advice from friends, family, and colleagues for a professional advisor and broker can hold an investor in good stead.

Source


Posted under Types of Investments by admin on Thursday 27 August 2009 at 3:21 am

Let’s cut power bill and save the environment

I believe that every one of us is finding ways to cut the electricity bill and other household expenses wherever possible during this uncertainty economic climate. We either want to eliminate or delay unnecessary expenses like expensive vacation trip, dinning at luxury restaurant and so on and so forth. However, the electricity bill left to be the one of the most challenging bills to be reduced especially for those who have a lot of power sucking appliances at home. Accordingly to U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average family consumes around 10,656 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year or USD 900 or more if based on 8.5 cents per kwh. There are many ways you can cut down your electricity bills significantly. You can always start with easy ways to enjoy immediate power bills saving whilst working out the long term solution to change your home energy source to renewable green energy source without compromising your standard of living.

Let’s look at how you could cut your power bill significantly

1) Change to efficient Compact Florescent (CFLs) bulbs from incandescent light bulbs

CFLs last from 8-10 times longer, utilize about 75% less energy, and generate 90% less heat at the same time as delivering more light per Watt. For instance, one 20 Watt CFL (replaces a 75 Watt incandescent bulb) will save you $66 dollars over the life of the bulb (based on $.12 KWH). If you replace one 100 Watt incandescent bulb with a 25 Watt CFL, it will save you $74 dollars over the life of the bulb.

Recent statistics reveal that we spend about one-quarter of our electricity budget on lighting, or more than $37 billion annually. Although traditional incandescent light bulbs are less expensive to purchase, they are much more expensive to operate. So you should start to change them now!

2) Always keep your appliances clean, in order and at optimum operating condition.

You should carry out regular cleaning or maintenance so that your appliances are in good shape and thereby operating efficiently and also consuming lesser energy.

3) Set Air-conditioner at optimum temperature

Setting your thermostat to 78 degrees Fahrenheit is the optimum setting for your air conditioner during warmer seasons. It would increase your cooling cost by 12% to 47% if the thermostat is set at 72 degrees Fahrenheit. You shouldn’t set temperature really low at the beginning as it will not help your home cool faster but to consume more energy. If you forget to adjust it subsequently, the air conditioner will be running far less efficiently than you think. Besides, you should consider substituting fans for air conditioners on milder days as it can save 60% or more in cooling costs.

4) You should call qualified service technician to you home for an annual check up.

This will not only help you to reduce the operating costs of the appliance by around 20%, but also extend the life span of the appliance.

5) Don’t over-stuff your refrigerator with bottles and other plastic containers.

The condenser will be overloading as lack of free air circulation. As a result, it will consume more energy.

6) Turn Off un-used electric appliances and computer and lights

7) Shop around for energy-efficient appliances

8) Convert your home to renewable energy source

You should consider this option as your long term solution if you are really committed to reduce your power bill. You could either ask the professional install for you if you can afford it, if not you can also consider to DIY. There are a lot of user friendly DIY kits out there with detailed step by step instruction to guide you how to set up your own solar or wind power generation system.

Source

Posted under Let's cut power bill by admin on Monday 24 August 2009 at 3:18 am

Retirement Planning – Start Early and Enjoy Financial Independence

Everyone retires one day so the earlier you start your retirement planning, the better for your future. It really does not matter whether you would be retiring in the next 5 years or the next 20, start planning now. That would definitely improve your financial future.

The Need for Retirement Planning
People think of ideal retirement as a combination of leisure activities, financial independence and luxury vacations - all these things are possible only if you have enough money when you retire. To live a comfortable life after you retire, you need financial planning. There are many tools and resources available to help you plan better.

The Basic Steps of Retirement Planning
* How much money would you need after you retire? – This is dependent on your current standard of living. You need to estimate what your annual expenses will be after you retire. One point to be taken into consideration for this estimation is the difference between the current expenses and retirement expenses. For example, right now a large percentage of your income goes towards your house mortgage and children’s education. But by the time you retire, your children must have settled with their jobs and you would have a home of your own. When you retire, you and your spouse may have increased medical expenses and you would also like to spend money on vacations. Here, you also need to consider inflation. The average inflation rate is around 3 percent.
* How much would you need to save? – After you calculate the inflow that may come from part time income, interest on the savings and Social Security; you need to estimate the exact value that your assets will have and the income you will earn after you retire. By calculating this, you would come to know the shortfall. Here, there are many factors that need to be considered. At what age you are planning to retire, the number of years you are going to live (depends upon your health) and the return on your current investment. The first two factors roughly determine the number of years of your retirement. While calculating the rate of interest on your investment, take a conservative call and calculate the return based on around 5 to 6 percent. This would enable you to calculate the amount of money you require to save after you retire.
* How to build the retirement portfolio? – Once you have determined the amount of money needed to be save each month from now till your retirement, the next step is to find a plan that is just right for your savings needs. Ideally, you should arrange for a specific amount that is directly taken from your monthly paycheck and automatically invested in the financial plan of your choice. This type of arrangement would reduce your impulsive spending habits. You can opt for payroll deduction savings plan or 401(k) plans.

For the perfect financial planning, you need to understand the different savings and investment options that are available to you. This definitely requires a lot of dedication on your part. If you are busy and can not find enough time or do not quite understand the intricacies of various investment plans then it is advisable to hire a financial advisor, to take care of your retirement planning needs. Financial security after you retire is important – you must start planning for it now.

Source

Posted under Retirement Planning by admin on Friday 21 August 2009 at 3:17 am

How to Make Sure Your Trust and Will Avoid Probate

The words “living will trust” are not really good legal terminology. However, a lot of people use the term when they are first investigating a living trust. A will is what people naturally think of when we think of how property will be distributed after someone dies. A trust also distributes property after a person’s death, which can lead to the confusion and the use of the term “living trust will.”
A living trust and a will are separate and distinct, although a living trust can be thought of as taking the place of a standard will. So, as a lawyer, if someone asks me about a “living trust will,” I’m not sure what they would like.There is a legal document called a living trust and a different legal document called a will. Actually, there should always be a will accompanying a living trust. It is called a “pour over will.” A pour over will is a safeguard mechanism for a living trust.
Sometimes living trusts are known as –”living revocable trust” or “revocable living trusts”. The key here is that they are revocable. Being able to change or rescind the trust at any time is a key element of the revocable living trust. Living trusts will enable people to leave more to their heirs, while avoiding estate taxes and probate. Only if a living trust is properly set up and managed will the heirs be able to avoid the probate process.
Most people who get a living trust do not avoid probate. There is a legitimate argument in the legal community against living trusts, because so many of them fail to give the probate protection that was “sold” to the family. The dilemma is not caused by the trust. The way attorneys are educating their clients is the problem. In order to avoid probate, clients need to be educated on how to “use” their living trust.
The deceased’s assets will need to be probated if the living trust does not function properly. There is no other option than going to the probate court for a prolonged legal proceeding. When there is a will, the probate court will use it to help them make decisions throughout the probate proceedings. An “intestate” proceeding is what takes place when there is no will. When someone dies without a will, he or she is said to be “intestate.”
A pour over will should be drawn in conjunction with a living revocable trust. When there is a pour over will and if for some reason the assets need to be probated, the probate courts will look to the pour over will to help with the probate process. The pour over will won’t be needed if the trust works properly and actually avoids probate.
A pour over will does not outline how property is distributed in the same way a traditional will does. When property needs to be probated, the pour over will tells the court that all of the property should be “poured over” into the living revocable trust, and then distributed as outlined in the living trust. In his new book, Guaranteed Millionaire, Lee R. Phillips discusses in detail revocable living trusts and pour over wills. In addition, click the link to order Lee’s FREE DVD, “Using the Law to Make Money and Protect Your Assets.”

Source

Posted under Will Avoid Probate by admin on Wednesday 19 August 2009 at 3:15 am

How to Name a Guardian in a Will

It is difficult for the court to appoint guardians for children whose parents have died without writing a will and naming the guardians. It is really one of the saddest areas of Estate Planning law that I deal with. I have seen families torn apart when the judge names his final determination for guardian. Of course the judge does the best he can, but without a will naming the guardians, he can’t know what the parents really want. The kids are often taken away and their family seldom, if ever, sees them again.
I also have couples come in to do their estate planning and they can’t ever complete the task, because they can’t select guardians for their kids. It is a hard decision. Who wants custody of your children? Who will best raise your children? Where will your children be raised? Will the kids be treasured?

When doing your estate planning, you need to carefully pick the guardians for your kids. It isn’t easier for the judge, than it is for you. You need to act now to make sure your children are protected by naming guardians for them in your will. If you are a grandparent, you need to make sure your kids do their estate planning or at least have wills that name guardians for the grandchildren.
As a grandparent, you need to make sure your kids have wills that name guardians for the grandchildren as part of their estate planning. There was one estate planning case where the grandparents hoped to raise their grandchildren when their parents were in an auto accident and died. There wasn’t a will. No estate planning had been done.The judge appointed a shoestring relative as guardian.
The Court was petitioned by and appointed a distant relative to be guardian. Shortly after the accident, the grandparents had me make out their own living trust. Their estate plan provided that a substantial amount of their assets be left to the orphaned grandchildren. The grandchildren were just removed from the list of beneficiaries in the trust and will, after twenty years, at the grandparents’ request. It has been twenty years and the grandchildren haven’t seen and don’t even know their grandparents.
When you name guardians in your will, the probate court will make the final determination and give that guardian legal custody and legal authority to raise your children. The judge will almost always appoint the selection you have made in your will. It is important before you do your estate planning or make a will to take a moment to think about who and what you really want for your children’s guardian. You can “educate” the probate court in your will about what you want in a guardian, if you understand the whys. You should make two or three different guardian selections in your will. Suppose the first in line doesn’t work for some reason, the next in line will fill the place until one can serve. Every selection the court considers should have restrictions or things for the court to look at. You don’t know how many years from now the guardians will start to serve, so you have to take that time lag into consideration.
For example, you could restrict the grandparents’ service on the condition that they have the health to take care of the grandchildren. When you want to place the children with an aunt or uncle, put the restriction that they are still happily married to their same spouse. If it is important to you that your children be raised in your family home, or in a specific religion, add that restriction. The judge would appreciate any help you give the court. Lawyers seldom put restrictions like these in a will; it isn’t worth their time. Ask your attorney to include these restrictions in your will.
Get in depth information on estate planning including information on naming guardians in Guaranteed Millionaire, my new book. Naming guardians won’t give you a million dollars, but sometimes things are worth more than money.
Take the first step to protect your financial future by ordering my FREE DVD!

Source

Posted under How to Name a Guardian in a Will ? by admin on Monday 17 August 2009 at 3:13 am

Guardian Selection is so Important in a Will

It is always a tragedy when young parents die and it is especially sad, when they have failed to write a will and name guardians. This is one of the saddest areas of Estate Planning law that I deal with. When the judge gives his final determination for guardian, he does the best he can, but without a will naming guardians, he can’t know what the parents really want. I have seen families torn apart when the judge makes his final determination. The kids are often taken away and their family seldom, if ever, sees them again.
I also have couples come in to do their estate planning and they can’t ever complete the task, because they can’t select guardians for their kids. Picking guardians is difficult. Who wants custody of your children? Who will take the best care of them? Where will your kids be brought up? Will your children be lovingly cared for?

Who do you pick as guardians for the children when you do your estate planning? It isn’t easier for the judge, than it is for you. Protect your children by naming guardians for them in your will. Do it now! If you are a grandparent, you need to make sure your kids do their estate planning or at least have wills that name guardians for the grandchildren.
As a grandparent, you need to make sure your kids have wills that name guardians for the grandchildren as part of their estate planning. There was one estate planning case where the grandparents hoped to raise their grandchildren when their parents were in an auto accident and died. There wasn’t a will. No estate planning had been done.The judge appointed a shoestring relative as guardian.
A shoestring relative was appointed by the Court as guardian. The accident acted as a wake up call to the grandparents to get their own estate planning done. They called me and I helped with the trust, wills and other documents. Their orphaned grandchildren were to be left with a substantial amount of their estate. I just helped the grandparents update their trusts and wills, after twenty years, and the grandchildren were removed from the list of beneficiaries. It has been twenty years since the grandparents have seen the grandchildren.
The guardian is who the probate court will give legal custody and legal authority to raise your children, after considering who you name in your will. The judge will almost always appoint the selection you have made in your will. Before you do your estate planning or draw up a will, take a moment to think about who and what you really want for your children’s guardian. It is an important part of the process. As you write your will you can “educate” the probate court because you understand what it is you want. You should make two or three different guardian selections in your will. When the first selection, for some reason, is unable to serve, then the next in line will serve until one can serve. Every selection the court considers should have restrictions or things for the court to look at. Consider that there may be quite a time lag before the guardians could start to serve and anticipate the changes.
The grandparents’ service to take care of the grandchildren could be restricted on the condition that they have the health to do it. Protect the children by putting the restriction on the aunt or uncle that they are still happily married to their spouse. You could ask the judge to have the guardians raise the children in your family home, or have them raised in a specific religion. If you give the court guidance, the judge would appreciate it. Lawyers seldom put restrictions like these in a will; it isn’t worth their time. Ask your attorney to include these restrictions in your will.
Get in depth information on estate planning including information on naming guardians in Guaranteed Millionaire, my new book. Some things are worth more than money. Naming guardians won’t give you a million dollars, but it will be well worth it to you.
Order my FREE DVD now to receive more information on protecting your financial future.

Source

Posted under Important selection in will by admin on Friday 14 August 2009 at 3:12 am

General Asset Protection Information

Asset protection has firmly established itself as part of every successful American’s life. Small business owners have to worry about losing their business to the frivolous lawsuit. Government regulators, the IRS, and half the entitlement Joes are waiting to take away everything they have. You won’t find many lawyers that do asset protection planning for their clients, because the lawyer is going to make a ton more money cleaning up the mess after you are attacked than they would preventing the mess. Common disasters, like lawsuits, divorce, taxes, illness, and identity theft are something every one of us faces daily. Any one of these common disasters is a major asset protection threat to your financial security. Doing some asset protection planning today will make a big difference when you get hit by one of life’s disasters.
Most asset protection techniques are based on the concept of ownership. When you are attacked through one of the asset protection threats, you can only lose what you “own.” Asset protection planning usually breaks up assets between spouses or other family members. The trick in asset protection planning is to move ownership away from you and still have you control the assets and get the beneficial enjoyment of the assets.
Most of the houses around mine have businessmen or professionals living in them. I know all of my neighbors, but one day I looked at the land plat of our neighborhood, and none of their names appeared on the county records. They use a lot of different asset protection planning techniques, and in every case, “ownership” of their house has been removed from them. Usually the spouse is the direct or indirect owner of the professional’s house. If the spouse directly or indirectly owns the house, it will be protected when the business has a problem or the professional is sued for malpractice. Have the spouse’s living trust actually own the house, so that you don’t end up probating the house if your spouse dies.
There are only a few “legal tools” that an attorney can use to move ownership of assets in an asset protection plan. Living trusts can be used to hold assets, but you should note that they don’t give you good asset protection. The trust is not protecting the property. Corporations are good asset protection shields. They are primarily used in business structuring, but they can form part of a family asset protection plan. Limited partnerships are another good asset protection tool that can be use in a business structure or a family’s asset protection structure. When they are used in a family asset protection plan, they are called a Family Limited Partnership or FLP. In today’s legal arsenal, the most flexible tool we have is the LLC or Limited Liability Company.
In any asset protection plan, a living trust needs to be used to hold “ownership” of the other entities used, such as the LLC, FLP, and corporations. Using the living trust as part of your asset protection plan, you can avoid lots of estate taxes, avoid probate, and even manage assets from your grave.

Order my new book, Guaranteed Millionaire, and learn how to structure your asset protection plan with the living trust at the core. With you order of Guaranteed Millionaire, make sure they include the asset protection DVD, Using the Law to Make Money and Protect Your Assets. It’s FREE. Yes, the DVD, which is normally $19.99, is yours FREE. It gives you a great tour of the asset protection tools you can use today.

Source

Posted under Asset Protection Information by admin on Wednesday 12 August 2009 at 3:10 am

General Asset Protection

Asset protection is becoming an important part of middle income Americans’ lives. Small business owners have to worry about losing their business to the frivolous lawsuit. The IRS, other government regulations, and a dozen other predators are out to get them. Most lawyers don’t really concentrate on asset protection, because they make their living cleaning up the mess that comes when somebody tries to take your assets away from you. Life’s disasters, such as taxes (the IRS is a disaster), divorce, ID theft, lawsuits, major medical problems, and accidents are something we all face. When one of these disasters strike, it is a major asset protection problem. If you do some asset protection planning now, you’re financial outcome following one of life’s disasters will be a lot different than it would be if you do nothing.
All asset protection centers around ownership of property. If you don’t own it, they can’t get it when they attack you. Your spouse or children will own all or part of “your” assets. The trick in asset protection planning is to move ownership away from you and still have you control the assets and get the beneficial enjoyment of the assets.
The majority of homes on my street have doctors or other professionals living in them. I know all of my neighbors, but one day I looked at the land plat of our neighborhood, and none of their names appeared on the county records. Each one of my neighbors has done asset protection planning, and the “ownership” of their house isn’t in their name. Often the spouse, not the professional, owns the house. If the asset protection plan is set up so the non-professional spouse owns the house, then when the professional is sued, the attacker probably can’t get the house. Actually, don’t have your spouse own the house in his or her name directly, have the house “owned” by a living trust, so that you can avoid probate if he or she dies.
There are a limited number of asset protection tools that an attorney has available to “move” ownership of assets. Please note that living trusts are not good asset protection tools. The trust is not protecting the property. Corporations are good asset protection shields. They are primarily used in business structuring, but they can form part of a family asset protection plan. Limited partnerships are another good asset protection tool that can be use in a business structure or a family’s asset protection structure. A limited partnership used as part of the asset protection plan for a family is called a “Family Limited Partnership,” which is often called an FLP. The most flexible tool an attorney has for asset protection is undoubtedly a limited liability company (LLC).
In any asset protection plan, a living trust needs to be used to hold “ownership” of the other entities used, such as the LLC, FLP, and corporations. Using the living trust as part of your asset protection plan, you can avoid lots of estate taxes, avoid probate, and even manage assets from your grave.

Order my new book, Guaranteed Millionaire, and learn how to structure your asset protection plan with the living trust at the core. With you order of Guaranteed Millionaire, make sure they include the asset protection DVD, Using the Law to Make Money and Protect Your Assets. It’s FREE. The DVD normally sells for $19.99 without the book. It gives you a great tour of the asset protection tools you can use today.

Source

Posted under General Asset Protection by admin on Monday 10 August 2009 at 3:06 am

Saving Money During a Recession: Mission Impossible?

Recession is a word that fills people with dread and bad visions. It’s a time people consider bad for finances, a time capable of magically shrinking a dollar’s value overnight. It also automatically increases the cost of basic living. And where money is a huge concern, people always ask, ‘Can I still save for real during a recession?’ The answer is: of course you can. You just need to be wise and creative about the whole thing. Here are ways how:

Plan your purchases.

By planning your purchases, you’re effectively planning your expenses. This will help eliminate the danger of impulse buying and unnecessary spending. Try to look at the bigger picture when it comes to your basic needs.

Plan for a week’s worth of groceries, for example, so you’ll have an idea of which items you truly need (and want) and which items you can do away with. To make sure that you maximize your planning efforts, consider incorporating items on sale into your planning. If there are foods on sale that week, for example, why not plan your week’s menu using what’s currently on slashed down prices?

Implement the ‘B’ word.

Budget, that is. If you want to be able to save money during a recession, learn to discipline yourself and your family. Using your plan as a reference, come up with a weekly or monthly budget and then stick to it. If you must overshoot it, you should have a very good reason to do so. Otherwise, don’t spend.

Keep an eye out for bargains and discounts.

Learn to monitor stores for seasonal sales. You’ll save a lot of money by buying items on sale than in their regular prices. During a recession, that’s considered wise spending. Check out store or newspaper ads and don’t be shy about asking for cheaper alternatives, getting store rebates or using discount coupons. Consider buying at discount stores as well. Each dollar you don’t pay is a dollar you save.

Buy in bulk.

If there are items in your house that are often in use (paper towels, canned beans, yoghurt, etc.), consider buying in bulk. Many stores offer items in packs, which means you’ll save money in the long run if you buy them instead of paying for individual items.

Put off bigger purchases.

A good rule of thumb is, if you can’t afford it, don’t buy it. If, for example, you have enough money for a downpayment on a new LCD TV but will have to borrow money off your credit card just to tide you over for the next few weeks, it would be really insane to make a purchase. Wait until you can truly, comfortably afford something. The worst you can do during a recession is not just failing to get money saved but also going into debt.

Practice prevention, not cure.

If you look closely, there are many things you do in your home that are siphoning precious dollars from your wallet. Simple steps such as repairing and maintaining your home and appliances, using more efficient equipment and cutting down on unnecessary consumption can do wonders for your wallet and piggy bank. And what better way to treat a recession than to be prudent?

Earn extra money.

If, after all your efforts, the money you have saved is still not enough, don’t let recession get the better of you. There are times when your efforts are just not sufficient – mostly because you don’t earn enough. Instead of asking for a raise that might never occur or waiting for a promotion to drop on your lap, consider finding other means with which to earn (and save) money.

Consider getting a part-time job, work extra hours, do selling on the side or offer your skills as a freelancer. The extra income you earn, along with your recession-powered money-saving plan, will help you make enough until after the tough times are over.

Source

Posted under Saving Money During a Recession by admin on Friday 7 August 2009 at 2:57 am

Next Page »