Simply Junior

Here is a great idea, for anyone who wants to stretch their spending dollars, and get a few extra things for FREE!

Check online for people who are trying to get rid of gift cards, gift certificates and store cards. You would be surprised how many people out there receive store cards for gifts, or as a bonus from work, who just don’t want them, and would prefer the cash.

If you can match yourself up with someone who is getting rid of a card that just happens to be at a store you like, then you can save yourself some money, and in some cases a fair bit of money.

What people do, is they will try and sell the gift card for under the face value, since they would rather have the cash, to make it more attractive to a buyer. You can get cards for most stores now, especially the bigger ones that are in most cities, and for a good deal. If you watch carefully, you could get a $100.00 card for $80.00 in some cases, saving yourself $20.00 dollars, and in effect stretching your spending dollar at that store. If its not a super popular store, you could save even more as people try to unload their gift cards or gift certificates.

Depending on what you are looking to shop for, this can be a great saving tool, especially for a small business. I personally have done this many times, since I regularly purchase craft supplies, and hardware supplies. I have in effect lowered my expenses on most of my supplies.

Just make sure and check the credibility of the seller, either by feedback, or history.. and then you can go shopping and save some money.

Saving fuel is something that all drivers are (or should be) doing at the moment as we look to save money and help the environment. The environment may not be the top of the list of reasons why we should do this but by saving fuel we are saving money and at the same time, doing our bit for the environment. There are some useful tips for drivers to take into consideration, in order to cut down on their fuel consumption.

One thing that some drivers are not aware of is that it is beneficial to buy your fuel in the morning or evening. This is because petrol is denser when the temperature is cooler (typically in the morning or late evening). Doing so will help you save money because the pump calculates the volume of fuel you are putting into your car and not the density. This may mean getting up slightly earlier in the morning but it is surely worth it in order to save some money and beat the rush hour traffic.

Make sure you get every last drop from the pump. The station works out how much to charge you from how long you press down the nozzle. However, what some do not realise is that even after you have let go and you do not wish to spend any more on fuel, there is still a small flow of petrol left. Therefore, make sure you wait a few seconds and then give the nozzle a shake to ensure you get all the fuel out and get your moneys worth.

Keeping a fuel log is a good idea too as it allows you to see how much you are spending each time you visit the pumps. All you need is a little notepad to note down how much your fuel is topped up by and the cost. By doing this you can keep an eye on your spending and if you notice your mileage is decreasing then there may be a problem with your car. This can be a bit time consuming if you are in a rush but it will help you keep an eye on your fuel costs.

If you’re worried about the current economic status, you’re not the only one. With talk of recession and the obvious increase in cost on everything from gas to milk to rent – it’s a pretty scary situation. You may feel like there is no way to save money at all – after all, some people can barely pay for their own bills. However, it is possible to continue saving money, even during a recession. Here are some important tips for saving during a recession.

Eat at Home -

One important thing you can do to save money is eat at home. When you purchase groceries weekly or bi-weekly, it may seem like a lot of money at a time – but it’s much cheaper than eating out. Of course, it doesn’t feel that way because you’re spending a little at a time, but $20 here and $40 there really adds up and before you know it, you’re spending a hundred or more dollars a week on eating out.

Recreate your favorite restaurant meals by looking them up on copycat recipe websites. Then, you can save money and still enjoy the foods you love. If you’re really lucky, you can get someone else in your house to wash the dishes without paying them minimum wage. Place the extra money in a savings account and allow it to earn interest.

Cut Unnecessary Spending -

Most of us have our fits of spending – even if we don’t go shopping. For instance, if you have cable television or extra features on your phone plan, cut them out. Even if you just cut the extra features for 6 months, you can save a lot of money! Put the money into a savings account rather than spending it on something else.

Track your spending and don’t spend the money unless you need something. For instance, take a thermos full of coffee to work in the morning rather than stopping at the Starbuck’s on the way. Rather than purchasing your clothing at the department store, shop around yard sales or thrift stores. You can often find new clothing for a fraction of the price!

Have Yard Sales/Garage Sales/Fundraisers –

In order to boost your savings account, you can sell off things that you no longer want or need. For instance, have a yard sale or a garage sale on the weekend and get rid of the clothing, furniture, movies, knickknacks and other things you don’t want. Place the money you make into your savings account rather than spending it.

Another thing you can do is have fundraisers. Do you have talent for crafts such as basket making, soap making, decorative items or something else? Make some and take them to the flea market, crafts fair, etc. This is a great and fun way to make some extra money that you can dump into your savings account for the recession.

Saving money is often difficult and with the current pricing on most items, it can seem really impossible. However, using little tips and tricks like the ones above will help you save money and be prepared for difficult times.

Budgeting happens to be one of the cardinal concepts related to money saving strategies. It is considered as a great tool for making adjustments to reduce spending and start saving. In the modern globalized economy credit cards have emerged as one of the preferred choices for people from all parts of the globe. Credit cards offer instant solutions to your monetary woes. But, at the same time it may spoil your saving habits severely. Spend thrift people often end up spending much of their money in bad buys. Credit cards can only be helpful for people who have the financial stability to pay off the balance each month.

Different credit card companies offer different rates to lure their clients. So, it makes sense to do a market research before indulging in any kind of transaction. Credit card companies, which offer an introductory rate or a no-interest rate, are perhaps the best bet as that may help you save a few thousand dollars. According to a recent media news report, credit card debts exceed $2 trillion dollars every month globally. This illustrates how frequent use of credit cards can lead to indebtedness.

We may classify such credit card users in the following categories:

-Habitual spenders- a habitual spender is someone who spends more than what can be afforded.

-Everyday spenders- Everyday spenders generally keep a track of what they are spending on a regular basis and in the process use credit cards less frequently.

-Impulse spenders- Impulse spenders are those who use a credit card to make impulse purchases on different occasions. Not being able to afford the repayments they tend to carry over the loan from one month to the next one.

-Big spenders- a big spender generally is the one who spend more than other people do but at the same time has the financial viability to make proper repayments each month.

Many a times credit card companies, increase their interest rates citing universal default as the reason. Under the universal default system, credit card companies can double or triple the interest rates. This practice was largely a post globalization phenomenon. The process was initiated to deal with increase in bankruptcy filings in the 90s. It has however, now spread over the whole industry posing serious problems to consumers. Credit card companies are only aimed at making their own profits depriving consumers of their very basic right to save money.

In order to augment your saving you can do the following-

-Put a restriction on your credit card use.

-Set up a debit card account instead of using a credit card for making online purchases.

-One can also set up a savings account for meeting unexpected costs. Financial advisors generally recommend one to keep four to six months income in an account so that one can easily use it in case of an emergency.

So, next time you are facing financial woes do make it a point to reduce your credit card use to the minimal and save your hard-earned money from being wasted in unnecessary transactions.

Cash credit cards open up whole new revenues for spending and saving money. You now have a choice of saving the cash that you are going to receive or spending it for more things. Most of the lending institutions give you the opportunity to save your earnings by letting them put it into a savings account that will draw interest. Many people like doing this because for reason it helps to defer the cost of using the credit. This is often a good way to make your credit card less expensive. A combined savings with your card is the ideal way to use credit.

A cash back credit card can be used by the user as a means to help others by donating your cash back to a non-profit in return you can use that donation as a tax deduction. People normally use the cash back as a means to buy other items that will help them with their family budget. Cash credit cards are a welcome sight when the refund check comes to the consumer. Many claim it is almost like getting an income tax check refund. It depends on the amount of credit that you are using as to the amount of your cash back refund.

Remember that this refund is based on your line of credit and how much you spend. It also depends on how much you are paying the company towards the APR%. You do not want to find out that you owe a lot more than you are getting back in returns. The cash back card can be a welcome stimulus to your income so just use the credit spending wisely.