Pennysaverblog – Page 212 – Smart Finance and Money Saving Tips

Household

5 Great Home Improvement Projects Under $5000

One thing about owning a house is that you are the one who is responsible for paying the price that comes with making all of the home improvements. And so, in between paying a mortgage, keeping up with the utility bills and caring for all of your house’s maintenance needs, we totally understand why you would look for how to spend as little money as possible on major home improvement projects. We did a bit of searching around for you and have provided five projects that you can get done for under $5,000. Here goes:

Landscaping. Before someone even begins to set foot into your house, they will notice your lawn. That’s why, especially during the spring and summer months, it’s important to have some landscaping work done. This doesn’t just consist of mowing the lawn, but also trimming hedges and bushes, planting flowers, installing a water feature (if you would like)—in general, coming up with an overall landscaping design for your front and backyard to last you year round. A thorough job will run you approximately $4,000.

March 13, 2013

Household

5 Inexpensive Ways To Crime-Proof Your Home

There are very few affronts that are as heartbreaking as having your home robbed. That’s the one place in the world that is supposed to be safe and secure, and any violation feels personal and seriously wrong. Regrettably, your home will never be 100% impenetrable to crime, unless you sacrifice your view and fresh air to live in an underground bunker. Short of that you can have a security system installed, but those can be quite expensive. Luckily there are some other options that often prove just as valuable. Here are five inexpensive ways to crime-proof your home.

The first step is one you may never have considered, but start your preparations by placing your garbage cans inside of a locked container. This is crucial if you don’t store your cans in the garage. Why start here? The trash you put on the curb is one of the first places a savvy thief will look. It’s chock full of information, with all of your tossed out receipts, statements and bills. And your cans will also contain the boxes from any large purchases you’ve recently made, giving criminals a clear reason to risk capture on your home. Avoid tempting the thieves or giving them the ability to attempt identity theft by simply locking up your garbage cans.

Next, get one of the signs that security companies provide their clients and put it out on the front lawn. You can order these even if you don’t use the service. Buffer it further with stickers from the security company on several of the prominent windows. This alone is often enough to force criminals to reconsider, and perhaps move on to another house. It may only be smoke and mirrors, but it’s cheaper than the security system itself, and quite an effective deterrent.

March 12, 2013

Taxes

What Is The Difference Between Direct And Indirect Tax?

Nothing is certain in life, they say, except for death and taxes. We all have to deal with taxes in one way or another, which would lead the average person to believe that we all have a relatively firm grasp on what taxes we pay. On the contrary, most of us are surprisingly uninformed about our taxes and how they work. There are actually two kinds of taxes that all of us pay–direct and indirect. While we all pay these taxes, very few of us really understand the difference between them. In order to be an informed citizen and an intelligent consumer, it is important to know the difference between direct and indirect taxes.

Some taxes are relatively straightforward and simple, while others can be rather complicated. A direct tax, to begin, is a tax that is imposed directly onto a specific group of people or organizations, and collected directly from them. Income tax, for example, is a tax that is imposed directly onto people in the United States who earn an income. This tax is collected directly from them, either in the form of pay withholding or a personal payment after filing. When you pay your income tax, you are being taxed directly, and if you overpay on this direct tax you are issued a direct refund.

Indirect taxes work in a rather different way. When an indirect tax is imposed, the tax is collected from someone other than the individual or entity responsible for the tax. If that sounds unusual, or possibly even criminal, think about it on a deeper level to see what is really happening. Consider sales tax. Depending on the city and state in which you live, you might pay a tax of anywhere from zero to ten percent on the items you purchase. This sales tax is imposed on the vendors who sell the items, but it is absorbed by the consumers who buy them.

March 11, 2013

Shopping

5 Ways To Save Money On A New Wardrobe For Spring

Can you believe it? Spring is just around the corner. That means that it’s time to pack up our sweaters and scarves and start looking for a few new pieces to add to our “it’s getting warmer” wardrobe.

If you happen to be someone who is still recovering from all of the Christmas shopping that you did a few months back, you might have the kind of budget that speaks more to “window shopping” than actually spending any money. The good news is that we have a few simple ways that you can save on a new springtime wardrobe; ways that will keep money in your pocket, a smile on your face and you looking super cute.

Write down what you actually need. Shopping for clothes is a lot like shopping for food in the sense that you tend to make smarter financial decisions when you plan ahead. So, before you head out to the mall, jot down a list of things that you actually need. It will help to keep you focused while looking at all of the pretty new trends that are hanging in the storefront windows.

March 11, 2013

Money Saving Tips

Easy Ways To Save Money On Expensive Legal Fees

It’s a pretty safe bet that all of us try and do whatever we can to avoid finding ourselves in a situation where we need to hire a lawyer. But sometimes life happens and we need some legal consultation or representation so that we can make the best decisions possible.

There’s no way around the fact that hiring (and especially retaining) a lawyer can be pretty expensive. The good news is that there are some things that you can do to significantly reduce the costs of having one. If you would like to know about some easy ways to save money on expensive legal fees, we have five for you below:

Look for a pro bono lawyer. If you’re someone who needs a lawyer due to a crime that has been committed, there are some lawyers who offer certain services for free. Although there aren’t a lot of law firms that will advertise this kind of service, you can contact them through their email address on their company website to ask. Or, you can go to your favorite search engine and put “pro bono lawyer” along with your city and state to see which ones are available within your area.

March 10, 2013

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