Pennysaverblog – Page 207 – Smart Finance and Money Saving Tips

Shopping

5 Smartphone Shopping Apps To Help You Save Money

Thanks to modern technology, there are now more ways to spend your money than ever before. Internet shopping is a massive industry, with e-commerce sites driving record sales numbers during all of the major holidays. When you watch television shows online, you’ll often be subject to interactive commercials, with one-click access to the purchase of the described item. Megastores like Wal-Mart and Costco are in towns great and small and regional retailers are still doing big business, regardless of the state of the economy. Thankfully, technology is also in place to help you save while you buy. If you have a Smartphone or tablet device, take advantage of these five shopping apps that will help you save money.

First off, check out the I Love Free Things app, which is a free thing itself. It doesn’t get cheaper than free, and with this app you’ll be able to track down any short term free deals in your area. You’ll start an account and enter in your location information, and it will give you a daily breakdown of the free promotions and samples nearby. Use it on a Smartphone and it will tap into your GPS, allowing you to find free stuff when you’re out and about in town as well.

April 6, 2013

General

How To Create A 5 Year Financial Plan

Creating a five year financial plan is a great way to map out your future and plan your life accordingly. We might not be able to look into a crystal ball to see how our lives play out 20 years or more down the line, but we can usually get a clear idea of what our fiscal future will look like in the next five years by drafting a simple plan. A five year plan will also help you set certain goals and help you meet them. Perhaps you would like to start a family and you want to know if you will be able to afford things, like a new house and all the other costs that go along with having kids.

Here are some ways you can create a 5 year financial plan:

For one, you want to know exactly how much money you make in a certain year, after taxes. You also want to add up all your regular expenses and forecasted expenses to give yourself a little bit of a cushion. By doing this you will get an accurate reading of how much money you will be able to save in a year. This way you can add up the savings for all five years to get a macro perspective of your savings, after taxes and after all your expenses.

April 5, 2013

Money Saving Tips

5 Ways To Save Money And Help The Environment At The Same Time

With the economy the way it is and the environment the way it is, now has never been a better time to be more eco-friendly and frugal. Luckily, both go hand in hand. In most cases, making more earth conscious decisions will save you much more money. Almost every facet of our daily life has an impact on the environment, from the cars we drive to the showers we take. It’s a wonder why everyone is not making greener life choices in an attempt to cut back on costs and their carbon footprint. Every day the reports about our negative impact on the environment are getting worse. And the economy is barely chugging along.

Here are 5 ways you can save money and help the environment at the same time:

1. For one, you can save money on your electric bills and cut down energy use by up to 75% just by switching to CFLs and LED light bulbs. Replacing your energy sucking incandescent light bulbs with CFL or LED light bulbs could potentially save you up to $500 a year on utilities. These energy efficient light bulbs will also save you from having to go out to buy replacements, because some of the CFLs and LED bulbs last up to 35 times longer. Also, they are just as easy to install as regular light bulbs.

April 4, 2013

Investing

5 Tips For Managing Your Income In Retirement

While most Americans spend a great deal of time thinking about retirement and planning out their investments to make sure they enjoy their golden years, most people fall far short of those goals. There are simply too many distractions early in life, and too many ways that even the best laid plans can take a wrong turn. Even if you did everything right, changes in the economy and the cost of living can leave you with the scary realization that you’ll outlive your savings account. The fact that most traditional pensions are disappearing doesn’t help matters, and it’s often too late to do anything about it when you finally do realize you’re behind the eight ball. But regardless of how bleak it may seem, there is always a silver lining. The sooner you get back in action the better. So here are five tips to help you manage your income in retirement.

You won’t be able to decide on a plan of action until you fully understand the reality of your situation. So start things off on the right foot by performing a detailed cash flow analysis. Most people fall short of their goals because they don’t take the time to understand exactly how much money they need to maintain a comfortable lifestyle during retirement. You can get things rolling by making an easy calculation. If you can save around 80% of your pre-retirement income you’ll be okay. But that doesn’t leave much room for vacations and fun purchases. So take a look at your monthly expenses, and compare that number to the money you reasonably expect to take in each month during retirement. This is the baseline you’ll take action on from here on out.

April 3, 2013

Outdoors

How To Make Over Your Backyard On A Dime

Although the housing market finally appears to have stabilized, and prices are even starting to rebound, you might have decided that sticking with your current home for the foreseeable future offers the soundest financial plan for your family. But you likely still want to do what you can to increase the value of your property in the meantime, not to mention make your home more functional and beautiful while you’re still living there. You just might not want to spend an arm and a leg doing it, especially when it comes to “extra” space like your backyard. Let’s be honest: you probably feel okay about dropping a few thousand dollars on a kitchen or bathroom because you stand to see an excellent return on investment down the line. But the same cannot be said for backyard renovation. However, with a little planning and some elbow grease you can still turn your backyard into the functional living space and relaxing retreat you’re looking for. Lawn care companies such as TruGreen Massachusetts can ensure that all your hard work pays off by keeping your grounds looking great after you have completed your landscaping project.

April 2, 2013

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