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4 Simple Tips to Save Money on a Tight Budget

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Many Americans today live above and beyond their means. Learning how to save money is a can be a challenging lesson to learn. You have to ask yourself why you need the latest tech gadget, biggest sports utility vehicle (SUV) and the latest high-end fashion accessories – especially when it puts you in debt. Instead, investigate ways to save money on a tight budget!

Maintain the Vehicle You Have

Front of Car
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This is the usual course of action for the average American consumer: pay monthly for an auto loan for five to seven years only to then purchase another automobile, pay for another five to seven years and basically continue a never ending cycle of payments. If you’re paying for a $15,000 car with an average car loan length of 60 months (five years) with about 7 percent interest, you’re giving up about $18,000 during that period of time, which includes interest. Instead of committing to plunking down another $18,000, maintain the vehicle you’ve already paid for instead.

Ask yourself three questions to decide if you need a new vehicle:

1)      Is the current vehicle safe and reliable?

2)      Is the current vehicle good on gas?

3)      Were you happy and excited when you initially purchased you vehicle?

If you answered yes to all three questions, re-evaluate the desire for a new vehicle. Maybe it’s not necessary. Maybe you can invest just $2,000 or $3,000 in your car during that next five years to keep it in tip-top shape and looking like it’s brand new.

Make Your Home a Constant Vacation Spot

The average American expects to spend an average of $1,200 per person while on vacation, according to a 2012 American Express survey. Does spending that amount make sense when you already spend hundreds or thousands per month on your home? Why not make your home your vacation paradise since that is where you invest a large portion of your salary every month?

For the cost of a week-long vacation for the family, you can purchase an indoor pool for your yard to enjoy for years to come. Besides the enjoyment, it may also enhance your property value—that means that your luxurious vacation pool could be making you money while providing you with a getaway. You could also have a deck or a screened-in porch, Jacuzzi or game room built in your home for your continual pleasure that may cost less than a vacation for a family of four. Once again, these improvements might add to the value of your property.

Get Your Cable and Entertainment Costs Under Control

According to a study by the NPD Group, the average monthly cable television bill was around $86 as of 2012, and could rise to as much as $200 per month. This is a compelling argument for subscribing to a less expensive option such as Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Instant Video starting today. Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Instant Video cost significantly less (around $8 to $10 per month as of 2014) and provide just as must entertainment value as cable. Even if you were to opt for all three services it would cost under $25 per month, which is a savings of over $60 per month.

Make Your Own Detergent

It may seem like a small issue at first, but if you look at the cost of the leading brands of laundry detergent, it is clear that an alternative could save you a lot of money each year. There have even been stories of people stealing laundry detergent and trying to resell it due to its high value. Luckily, you can make your own laundry detergent to save yourself some money.


According to the EPA, the average American family washes about 400 loads of laundry per year, which works out to about 7.5 loads per week. An average 50 ounce, $15 bottle of leading brand detergent covers about 30 loads.

If instead you make your own detergent you can yield enough laundry detergent to take care of as much as three years of laundry for around $10 by buying Borax Natural Laundry Booster, Arm & Hammer Baking Soda, a bar of Ivory Soap and combining it with three gallons of water. Experiment with a bit of each to find the right mixture for your clothes.

The idea of making even small changes to your daily routine can be difficult to grasp at first, but once you see the amount of weekly, monthly and yearly dollars you can keep in your pocket on average by making minor changes to your household habits, you will probably want to learn about even more ways to save.

 

Sources:

money.cnn.com/2012/05/10/pf/expert/vacation-spending.moneymag/

epa.gov/greenhomes/Basement.htm

huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/11/cable-bill-200-dollars-2020-study_n_1418779.html

Tips for Being a Good Step Parent

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When you meet a new person that you like, one of the first questions you’ll want to know is if your new potential partner has a child. If so, and things start to get serious, you’re naturally going to start wondering how you will handle becoming a step parent to this child. Here are a few simple tips to keep in mind if you want to be a good stepparent.

Tip Number One: You Are Joining the Family; Not the Child

As the non-birth parent, you must accept and realize that you are the one joining the family—they are not joining your life, you are joining theirs. Learning how the household structure works takes time and patience. At the beginning, it’s important to observe and learn the personalities and habits of the child. You must also be willing to do any and everything the birth parent would do. For example, be willing to make dinner, help with homework and have quality family time doing what the kids love to do. Most of all it is crucial that you show genuine concern and attention to the children at all times. If you truly love the child’s parent that means you also must love and care for her kids.

Tip Number Two: The Children Always Come First

Raising children is very demanding and challenging—especially if you’ve never done it before. Learning to love a child means that you will incur plenty of daily sacrifices. Being a parent or a step parent can be the most thankless job a person could have.

For example, after a long tedious day at work, you may realize on the way home that there’s nothing at home for dinner. When you were single, you might just eat a hamburger from a fast food restaurant, go home and go to bed. But when you have kids you have to consider their needs. So do you go somewhere to purchase food for everyone or just feed yourself? A good parent or step parent always considers the needs of the children first.

Tip Number Three: The Birth Parent Is Always the “Bad Guy”

When a child commits an act that is deemed punishable in the household, the birth parent is always the disciplinarian. The couple should have a private conversation to discuss this possible scenario in advance, but the final decision about disciplining a child must always come from the birth parent. You may wonder why this is the case. It’s because the child should not believe that the birth parent has been influenced by the stepparent in making the decision to punish for bad behavior. If that happens, the stepparent instantly becomes the bad guy and resentment starts to build. The child must first develop a strong respect and trust for the new stepparent before he or she is allowed to “lay down the law.”


The stepparent must always adhere to the decisions of the birth parent regarding the child. If the stepparent is home alone with a child who has behaved badly, the step parent must immediately consult the birth parent before enacting a punishment. If the birth parent enacts a punishment that the child is confined to his room, the child must remain in his room. This makes the child aware that the birth parent and stepparent are now a team, which prevents potential problems and conflicts in the future.

In conclusion, it is possible to raise well-rounded children in a blended family, but to do so it is essential to put the kids first and make it clear that the birth parent is in total control of all child-rearing decisions. When the child-rearing process is done correctly, as adults the children will realize that the step parent was in their lives to provide love, nurturing and support.

How to Inspire Kids to Be Great

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Children are very impressionable and attentive. Even when you don’t think they’re listening, they usually are. They need a responsible and caring adult in their lives to help them grow up with the same values. You can be a positive inspiration to a young person just by giving her encouragement and a new perspective. Commit yourself to inspiring the young person in your life to be great.

Identify Their Strengths

The first step to inspiring a child to be great is to observe him and try to figure out his strengths. For instance, if he’s the class comedian, he might be good at public speaking or even acting. If he likes to argue his points, he might make a good lawyer in the future. If the girl in your life is a Chatty Cathy, she might make a great talk show host or newscaster.

Tell the Child Exactly Why She’s Great

Once you identify the child’s strengths you should tell her about them. Children are not ignorant — they are very smart and intuitive, especially now that they have so many forms of technology and information at their disposal. One of the top questions that a child will ask is “why?” So if you’re trying to inspire the child in your life to reach amazing heights in the future, tell her exactly why you think she’s great. Explain to her that you noticed she is very good at debating her points and communicating with people, or that she’s very graceful and might make a good dancer. Talk to her about the various careers that require those same skills so that the wheels can start turning in her head as to what she wants to be when she grows up.

Show Them the Results

Kids also need to see the benefits of hard work over many years so that they will be more motivated to do the same thing when they get older. Find a person who has been successful in the field of interest of your young charge and ask that person to show the child what he does and how he lives. This experience can make a very powerful impression on a young person.

While it is important to encourage children to be great, be careful not to push your own personal agenda onto them. Plant seeds of positivity and then allow the child to flourish on his or her own.

4 Ways to Live a Better Life

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Happy Girl
© Phildate | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Living better requires taking steps to improve yourself physically, emotionally and mentally. When you’re making positive progress you feel better, think more clearly and generally feel happier. Here are four simple ways to live a more fulfilled and happy life.

Make Time to Exercise

Exercising is proven to improve your mood. It sends healthy endorphins to your brain and revitalizes your body. Researchers at the University of Vermont found that people who exercise have a better mood for up to 12 hours after working out compared to those who don’t. The earlier you exercise in the morning, the better your day. So adding more exercise to your schedule is one way to live a better life.

Experience Nature More

Have you ever heard someone tell you that you should take time and smell the roses? Listen to that advice starting today. Taking the time to experience and enjoy nature can have an amazing effect on your overall mindset. When you’re blessed with a beautiful, sunny day, take advantage of it — go outside. Grab a book and visit your local park. Put on your headphones and play some calming music as you enjoy the sights.

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Reward Yourself

Oftentimes we go through life bypassing our successes without pausing to acknowledge and reward ourselves. Even if it is a small success like learning a new skill at work, reward yourself after you achieve your goal. Take yourself out for a nice lunch at your favorite restaurant or buy yourself a new outfit.

Stop Watching What Others Are Doing

When you’re constantly comparing yourself to others, your life never really seems like it is that wonderful. Other people (like you) are naturally inclined to put on their best show for their friends and loved ones. If you spend too much time watching and comparing your life to that of others around you, your life suddenly doesn’t seem as fulfilling. So focus more on what makes your own life great and less on what others are doing.

Of course, there are myriad other ways that you can take steps toward living a better life, but why not start with these and use them as a springboard. Just open your mind and let new ideas flow in as time goes on.

 

Sources:

usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2009-06-02-exercise-mood_N.htm

 

Does It Make Sense to Buy a House Now?

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Before the mid-2000s, home buyers were excited, optimistic and eager to embark on the challenge of home ownership. But when the real estate bubble burst, as many predicted it would for years, many of these homeowners were hit with unprecedented home value losses.

So the question now is does it still make sense to purchase a home in today’s real estate climate? Is owning a home still an American dream or a potential nightmare?

Home Repair 2
© Chrisharvey | Dreamstime Stock Photos

Have the Prices Hit “Bottom?”

The first issue to explore when deciding if it still makes sense to buy a house now is if the real estate prices in your area have bottomed out or if the prices are at least close to the bottom. Examine the historical market prices of homes in your chosen area on a site like Zillow. Did the average prices make a steep decline and then remain steady for a year or more? Is it still on a decline? If yes, that may be an indication that the prices are as low as they will go and it is a smart decision to buy. Consult with a reputable real estate agent from that area before making a final decision—they are more familiar with trends than the average buyer.

Examine Your Unique Situation

The next question to ask yourself is if your unique situation is ideal for buying a house. If you have a family with several kids who need a stable place to call home then yes, buying a home might be a wise choice. When you rent a home you are at the mercy of a landlord. You can be uprooted at any time if the owner decides to sell or raise the rent beyond what you can afford.

On the other hand, if you’re a single person with no kids who is still figuring things out in your life, buying a house may not be the wisest choice. Your opinions on what is the right move for you can quickly change just a couple of years or even a couple of months from now. So keep that in mind before you commit yourself to a long-term mortgage—it might be wiser to rent for a year or two more before you decide that you want to plant your flag in that one place for 10 to 30 years.

Take Your Time

If you’re unsure about whether it makes sense to buy a home at this time, do your research and take a close look at your personal situation. In the meantime save as much money as possible, take your time with the decision and observe trends in your area of interest before starting the process.