While sitting down and going over my finances and bills, I've noticed more money is going out than coming in. I've also noticed my credit card bills are starting to grow high balances. I knew something needed to be done before I get myself into a deeper financial hole I can't get out of.
I've decided I needed to start cutting back and making sacrifices on the things I buy and do. I've created a list of things I will be cutting back on. First.... 1. Start bringing my lunch to work. I use my lunch breaks to pick up my oldest daughter from school. While I'm driving, I past by a lot of fast food restaurants which makes it tempting to stop and get a quick bite to eat. I decided before around the time I pick my daughter up from school, I'll eat the lunch I brought from home at work so when I'm driving past those fast food restaurants I wouldn't buy from them since I wouldn't be hungry. I've noticed by bringing my lunch to work, I started losing weight which is a plus! 2. Cut back on Starbucks. After dropping off my daughters to school, I like to stop by my local Starbucks for a frappaccino or an ice tea to give myself a treat and boost of energy before work. But those drinks that are about $5 can get expensive! So I knew I needed to cut back buying Starbucks. This will be a hard one for me so I decided to buy myself a Starbucks two times a month instead of every other day. 3. Go to the grocery store every two weeks. I use to go to the grocery store pretty much every day! Anything that runs out in my household, I would go to the grocery immediately and that created impulsive shopping. And what is worst, I've always seem to go to the grocery store hungry which makes me buy unnecessary items I don't need. Now I will start creating a list and stick to it! If I need to go to the grocery store between those two weeks will only be on emergency bases, like if we run out of milk, need water, or bread. 4. No more impulsive clothes shopping. Everyday I receive emails from my favorite clothing stores of sales which make it so tempting to buy. I'm a fashionista and I love to keep up with the latest trends and fashion but this is really hurting my wallet. I really have to stop and think, "Do I really need that dress on sale?" To stop this problem, I've decided to only shop when the seasons has change. So instead of me shopping for clothes and shoes every month, I will shop every 3 to 4 months and this rule will also apply for shopping for my kids clothes and shoes. 5. Stop using my credit cards. I've really been maxing out my credit cards which created high monthly payments and my credit rate to drop. I'm going to start paying more then the minimum balance to start bringing my balance down more faster. I may start shopping around to consolidate my credit card debts to get one low monthly payment. Once my debt is paid off, I'll start closing some of my credit card accounts and only use the ones I keep open for emergencies. 6. Stop going out to eat so much. There's times when I do not feel like cooking, so my family and I would go out to eat. Going out to eat has became very expensive, so I've decided to go out to eat twice a month. So if my friends ask me if I would like to go eat out with them and I've already eaten out twice that month, I would have to say no and go out to eat with them the following month. 7. Finding cheap activities to do on the weekends. Going out to different places during the weekends can be costly like going to the movies, museums, kid's play places, etc. I'm not going to completely wipe out my activities on the weekends and stay home but I will limit them. Also a fun free place for kids is the park and I'll start taking my kids there more often. Also I signed up my kids for Kidgit Kids Club with Simon Malls which is a kids club that is $5 membership a year and they offer free to almost free kids activities at participating Simon's malls. (Check your local area) I've been cutting back my expenses for the last couple of weeks and I noticed the money I've been saving already. Have you had to make sacrifices in order to save money? If so, what did you cut back?
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If you're interested, click here. Today, with the rapid growth of online retail shops, shopping from site to site to find the best product at the best possible price can be a time consuming task. Fortunately consumers now have a better way to shop online. A price comparison website is exactly what online shoppers need to find a product at a price that meets their shopping budget. A price comparison website allows consumers to search for products they want across several stores at the same time. Shopping comparison websites gives consumers the ability to get the best possible deal on items. When you visit a price comparison website, you can find the product you are seeking either by searching in the search box or by navigating through the many product categories. You will be shown you a list of shops selling the product you are seeking as well as the price and the cost for delivery. By shopping this way, you can pick the online store offering the product that you want at the right price for you. It is the fastest and easiest way to shop online. It is important to note that when you choose a site, you should review their return policy to make sure you can return the product if there is a problem. Comparing Prices The most notable benefit for a consumer is they get to view various prices for the same item. This ensures they get the best deal. Price comparison sites prevent a consumer from buying an item and then discovering they can get the item cheaper from another online retailer. When online retailers are involved in these price comparison sites, they will try to keep their prices low to maintain competitiveness. In addition, the shopping experience is very easy. For instance, when you have located the product you wish to buy at the price that is in your price range, you just click through to the online retailer selling the product and make your purchase. The item is then shipped directly to you. It is both fast and convenient. Shipping Costs Varies Another important benefit of using price comparison sites is you can compare shipping costs. You can even find sites offering free shipping. When there is a shipping fee, you can view all of the shipping fees from each site so you can avoid paying a high shipping fee. In addition, comparing prices online allows you to read customer reviews about the product and the service of the online retailer. It is very helpful to learn about other shoppers' experiences so you increase your chances of buying from a reputable and professional site. More Variety Along with getting the best value, price comparison sites that offer a variety of products to compare such as clothing, electronics, computers, etc, makes it a very convenient shopping tool. You can use the site to compare a whole host of products making the site a one-stop shopping source. You will never have to search through numerous sites to find your product at price in your price range. You will become an empowered consumer when you shop using a price comparison site. Price comparison websites make the online shopping experience easy and fun and shoppers will save money. Because most of us now have very little free time for shopping because our lives are so busy, using a price comparison site just makes good sense. This article is written by an online price comparison shopping website Go-2-Shop. http://www.go2shop.com It’s that time of year when we get to show our beloved mothers and grandmothers just how much they mean to us. This year, like the past few, has not been the best of financial times for many, making holidays and celebrations a bit tighter on wallets than in times past. If I could, I would buy my mom the yacht that she’s always wanted, but let’s face it: it’s 2012 and our nations is just breaching the hump of its financial quandary. Many of us are still unemployed, struggling to dig out of debt and rectify our credit score situation, and putting our much-needed tax return towards bills. That being said, I’ve put together some ideas for the budget-conscious of us who still want to treat mom to the special day that she deserves. Because it certainly can be done! Where to Go and What to Eat:
This is a classic Mother’s Day treat. No mother will turn down a homemade meal, especially one she gets to enjoy from the coziness of her own bed! But this year, personalize it: hand-squeeze the orange juice; pick some flowers and display them on mom’s night table while she eats; create a “Mother’s Day” play list of songs that remind you of her to play as she dines; DVR one of her favorite shows and tell her you’re treating her to “breakfast and a show”; go outside and wash her car as she’s eating. Use any of the above or a combination to put a thoughtful and creative spin on a tried-and-true Mother’s Day favorite. 2. Outdoor Picnic Instead of dinner out at an expensive restaurant, put together a delicious and inexpensive meal then take to the outdoors for a picnic. You can even blindfold mom and lead her lakeside, or to a local park, for a surprise. The food doesn’t have to be fancy, just homemade. Toss a delicious fresh salad with ingredients from your local market, grill some chicken on skewers for easy finger food, and slice up some ripe fruit. For dessert, try this incredibly easy and inexpensive recipe from Homecooking.com that is a mix between a cobbler and a cake and only uses 3 ingredients. (You can use any fresh, frozen, or canned fruit you like for the inside.) 3. “Surprise” Day Out Research free local events in your town, such as outdoor concerts, free local theater, art gallery openings, or museum tours. If all else fails and the weather is nice, you could always take mom on a walk, hike or bike ride. What to Gift Mom With:
This one might take a little time, so it’s a good idea to get started early. An inexpensive photo or scrapbook album will be the main expense for this project. Besides photos, you can include funny or touching quotes, fond memories, personal drawings, printouts of favorite pastimes or maps. Craft stores like Michaels issue discounts weekly emails, so sign up to receive coupons and use them for any additional details like colored paper, lettering, paints, or stencils. 2. Photo Book If you don’t have time to put together a hand-made scrapbook for mom, or consider yourself creatively challenged, have no fear: websites like Shutterfly.com or Snapfish.com specialize in creating beautiful photo books. Check siblings and other family members’ Facebook accounts to find pictures you may not have to include in the book. Waited until the last minute and don’t have time to wait for shipping? Go in to CVS or Walmart with a USB, memory chip or CD of images and a personalized photo book will be ready for you in one hour starting at $8 (at Walmart.) 3. Calendar Similar to the photo book idea, a personalized photo calendar is something mom can keep on her desk or in the kitchen to look at every day. Walmart has a photo calendar starting at just $10, and the websites listed in the above section have many other options depending on what style you’re looking for. You can personalize the background and even mark the dates of birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and other memorable days for mom. 4. Non-traditional Flowers What mom doesn’t love getting a big bouquet of fresh flowers on Mother’s Day? This year, think outside the box and consider getting your mom a potted plant or flowers for her garden. Cut flowers only last one to two weeks, whereas she can transfer a potted plant into the ground or grow it indoors for much longer. Another gardening trend I’ve seen is seed bombs, small compressed balls of soil packed with wildflower seeds. Their claim to fame is the lack of even needing to dig a hole for them, just tossing them in the backyard will do the trick. This version is Anthropologie’s take on seed bombs, only $6 for five, which are packaged in a pretty bag and come in five different varieties specific to US location, pet owners, and herb gardeners. If you’re really strapped for cash, I’m sure a simple packet of seeds in a home-made card and a date to help mom plant them would go a long way too! 5. New Music My mother is always asking me for new music ideas. This Mother’s Day, consider downloading a new album from one of your mother’s favorite artists onto her iPod, or pick a new artist in a genre your mom enjoys. You could also spend some time and compile different play lists for her, so that she’ll have some new, fun music to listen to while she’s at the gym, driving, doing housework, cooking, or at work. Dk is an avid finance blogger. You can find him at RoadFish.com Did you just finish paying your taxes and feeling a pinch in your wallet?
Check out Taxdayfreebies.com and get some free stuff on tax day 4/17/2012! Are you single? IF you are, and you are planning to go to college, you may want to know where you will have the opportunity to meet a lot of new people. College is about new experiences and if you are looking to find someone new, you may want to go to school in one of the best towns for singles. Because you won’t know anyone, this can seem a bit scary, or it can seem perfect. Knowing no one allows you to have a fresh start. So, which towns are the best for going to college while you are single? It all depends on you and what you are looking for. If you are a small town kid who wants to meet someone similar to you, you may be interested in going to school in a smaller town where the student body isn’t huge. This may also seem more comfortable to you than it would for you to be from a small town and go to school at NYU. However, if you want to experience a change from small town life, you may find that going to school in a city is far more appealing to you. There are schools in big cities as well. You could attend New York University, Hoffstra University or even the University of Delaware. If you go to school in a larger town, you will have the opportunity to meet more people and especially lots of different kinds of people. However, if you don’t already have a college in mind that you want to attend, you may just want to know which college towns are the best for singles and see if you can find a school in that town to attend. The best college town for singles, according to sources, is Austin, Texas. Other popular college towns for singles include Boulder, Colorado, Colorado Springs, Colorado, San Diego, California, Raleigh, North Carolina, Durham, North Carolina, Seattle, Washington, Charleston, South Carolina, Norfolk, Virginia, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Springfield, Massachusetts and Honolulu, Hawaii. Even if you are not attending a main campus in one of these towns, chances are that you will be able to find a campus of a state university in these towns so that you can attend classes. Because these are the best college towns for singles, you should have no problem meeting a significant other in no time at all! While being single while you are in college can be fun and have its perks, it is always nice to have someone by your side. Going to school in one of the best towns for singles can help you to meet that special someone. You will be able to get an education and still make friends at the same time. If this sounds like the perfect plan, you should not hesitate to apply to a school in one of these towns. Making the move can definitely prove to be worth it, especially if you find love in a place you didn’t expect it. About the Author Tery S. is a writer for AspiringNurse.com.If you are wondering how to become a nurse practitioner, this site will help you find the best online nurse practitioner programs. At this point, you may be a bit confused about what school supplies you will need for your college classes. You want to be prepared, but you don’t want to spend a lot of money on things you won’t need, right? Odds are, the first day of classes will have you scrambling to pick up some items that are required for your courses but you can be fairly prepared by getting the basic items ahead of time. At the minimum, make sure you have these items on hand: 1. Planner – College is nothing like high school. You will have more to keep up with and nobody to help you do so. A planner will quickly become your best friend if you use it correctly. Carry your planner with you at all times and immediately record any assignments, special dates, exams, and other information so you will have it available at a glance. 2. Graphing Calculator – You will need a graphing calculator in many of your mathematics and science classes at a minimum. Make sure you have a quality calculator. If you are strapped for cash and have a smart phone, you can download an app for around 99 cents that will provide all the functions you need. 3. Laptop – While you can make do with a desktop computer and/or the school computers, a laptop will make your life much easier. You can take it with you everywhere to watch DVDs, complete research, do your homework, study, make money, take notes, and more. 4. Flash Drive – Every college student needs at least one good flash drive. You can save your assignments and stow them in your backpack or pocket to reference on any computer later on. 5. Digital Voice Recorder – You will quickly learn that many professors cover material at a lightning fast pace. In such classes, it can be difficult to take notes on everything that matters. With a voice recorder, you can simply record lectures and refer back to them later on. If you want to make the most of it, look for a recorder that also plays mp3s. 6. Sturdy backpack or messenger bag – Gone are the high school days of being ‘too cool’ to carry a bag. You will have to walk great distances to get to your classes. Using a good bag will keep everything organized and will also make it much easier to carry everything with you. 7. Colored pens – Studies have proven that using different colored pens for note taking can help you retain more of the information more quickly. That means less time studying and more time having fun. 8. Binders, college ruled notebooks, and highlighters – Goes without saying. These will be a basic for every class you take. You may also want to consider making sure you have some good mechanical pencils and quality erasers. Some professors will demand that you write everything in pencil. It is also a great idea to dedicate one notebook to every class. This helps you to keep material organized more quickly and makes it easier to find when you need it. About the Author Wes S. is a writer for Mycriminaljusticecareers.com. For those that have decided that they want to learn how to become a police officer, this site can help you learn more about this profession. I'm looking for moms that resides in Mexico, and must be between 18-40 years of age, with children ages 3-12 years old to join a paid panel.
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I'm Louida from Atlanta, Georgia and I'm a mother of two daughters, and a full-time blogger/influencer.
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