Pennysaverblog – Page 238 – Smart Finance and Money Saving Tips

Five Money Saving Tips For Seniors

If you are a senior citizen, make the most of the savings that is available to you through a wide variety of discounts and perks. Below are just a few of the many ways you can save as a senior.

1. Save money on groceries. Many grocery stores offer discounts to seniors at a specific time each month. Pay attention to your local grocery store’s advertisements, or simply ask a cashier the next time you shop to find out what seniors discounts they can offer you. Mark your calendar and plan to do your biggest shopping on the day or time of the best discounts.

November 2, 2012

General

Should I Hire A Real Estate Agent To Help Me Buy A Home?

My husband and I have bought two homes now and both times we hired a real estate agent to help us. Many people know that a real estate agent can help you to sell your home, but not everyone knows that real estate agents also offer the service of helping you to find your home as well. When an agent helps you buy a home, they are considered a “Buyer’s Agent”.

Below are three reasons why I recommend that you hire a Buyer’s Agent to help you while looking for a new home:

1. Agents do all the leg work

They will help you find the home you want. They have access to MLS and other listings and can provide you with indepth details on the homes you are looking at. A thorough agent will also research homes that were sold in that area in the past, so you have a good idea as to what homes are worth in the specific area that you are interested in.

October 31, 2012

Money Saving Tips

How To Save Money On Halloween Costumes

I was listening to a CBC radio station last night and there was a feature about how much Canadian parents are spending on Halloween costumes for their children, and on Halloween in general. I could hardly believe my ears when I heard that parents were spending on average about $50 for one costume, and that’s not including all the accessories! Apparently by the time all is said and done, Halloween is costing between $100 and $150 per child in a Canadian household. Yikes!

This may be all fine and good for parents who can afford this, but it makes me sad to think of all the kids whose parents really shouldn’t be spending that much money on Halloween. The good news is that costumes can be made quite cheaply with some creativity and flexibility.

October 29, 2012

Banking

The Advantage Of Banking At Your Local Credit Union

Credit Unions are unique in that each client that uses their services is considered a member and not just a customer. Credit Unions are cooperatives so they operated differently than the regular banks as well. Most communities across Canada have a local credit union that offers financial services as a local alternative to the larger Canadian financial institutions.

What are some advantages of credit unions?

Credit Unions are community focused.

For one, credit unions are very community focused. So, when you become a member of a credit union, you are indirectly giving back to your community. Credit Unions often provide loans to local entrepreneurs and they often donate a lot of their profits to local programs and charities. While the big banks are concerned about their shareholders, credit unions are more concerned about the local communities in which they serve.

October 26, 2012

Debt

Should I Hire A Mortgage Broker?

What is a mortgage broker?

A mortgage broker is a person who will help you to find a mortgage by doing the leg work for you. Mortgage brokers can save you time, and sometimes, they can find you a better rate than you can find on your own. Mortgage brokers represent a large number of financial institutions and they are compensated by the financial institutions when you are approved for a mortgage. So, the services they provide to you are free.

Will a mortgage broker find you the best rate?

Although, ideally, you would expect to get the best possible mortgage interest rate when you hire a mortgage broker, this is not always the case. For instance, when my husband and I were ready to purchase our second home, we got in touch with a local mortgage broker. She took our information over the phone and was able to provide us with an interest rate in less than two hours. She was very efficient and we were satisfied with the rate. But, as circumstances would have it, we ended up doing a little leg work of our own, and we were able to get an even better rate. This really surprised me as I had expected that the mortgage broker would have provided us with the lowest rate available.

October 24, 2012

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