Essential Finance Information

1. Help the environment

Most Top 10 lists end with the best that it is offering, but let’s start this one with the best, or at least most original: recycling aluminum. Check out the website called Wedding Cans. It sounds weird, but only a month after the woman started the project, it was making news. Look at the journal on Wedding Cans for the press it’s been getting.

2. Corporate sponsorship

This is another sort of strange idea that I came across on Wise Bread. It might stink of “selling out” something that’s supposedly “sacred,” but aren’t we adults here? Weddings have been as commercialized as Christmas, so grow up. If you agree to have corporate logos or feature products at your wedding, you can avoid having to pay back personal loan companies.

3. Take a dare

One pretty bizarre idea that I saw on Romance Fire is to “take a video of yourself conquering a known fear if the price is right.” In the tradition of “Jackass” and “Fear Factor,” you could play on people’s fear to get some extra financial help in your nuptial ceremony.

4. Use your registry

Worst-Case Scenarios suggests that instead of registering for gifts that you will use after the wedding, register for ceremony components such as a limousine service, floral arrangements, food and beverages.

5. Sell Stuff Off

Of course, there are numerous tip lists out there that suggest you sell your stuff, either online, at a yard sale or some other way. Maybe you could hold an auction.

6.Simply Ask

You could start a website, or social networking group, and solicit donations like other people do for other charitable causes.

7. Get guests to pitch in

Similar to the registry idea, you could ask people to help pitch in for the wedding – hey, you’re gonna eat the food? You’re gonna help with the bill. Have someone buy the cake, another person buys the favors. Pick the stuff you want and tell people that’s what you want as your gift.

8. Vacation home instead of wedding hall

This doesn’t raise money, it saves money, but it’s a really good idea, so I’m including it anyway. Wedding reception halls can cost thousands of dollars per hour to rent. Look for vacation homes nearby, and have the reception at a beautiful home or yard. You can rent these places for days and still spend less than a few hours at a hall.

9. A little help from your friends

This isn’t so much for the bride and groom, it’s for the guests who are getting fed and possibly drunk at YOUR wedding. A common custom in some places is to hold a “Jack and Jill,” which is a big party in honor of the bride and groom, and charge $5 or so to get in. The happy couple gets the cash.

10. Plan ahead

Pretty much every site I’ve gone to suggests that you plan ahead and save money in advance. They also suggest that you could get a second job or offer some sort of service and save the money you make. That’s obvious, but it merits a mention because weddings are incredibly expensive things.

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It’s no secret that these days we all want to save money. Here is a collection of money saving and problem solving tips to get you what you need for less.

Things That Last Longer:

1 – Rechargeable Batteries AA for your digital camera etc.. Many cameras don't even work with regular alkaline batteries, and they are only good for one use then you throw them away. A set of 4 rechargeable batteries can be found online for around and last a long time, so don't pay for them at the store.
(See our big money saving digital camera repair tip at the very end!)

2 – Nonstick Cookware: Testing has shown that the “Circulon Elite” brand outlasts others, so if you must buy new make sure you take a look at them. If you own them already NEVER use non-stick sprays on them when cooking or it will bond to the surface and ruin the non-stick surface and make it harder to clean! Because it is a non-stick surface you're wasting the spray.

3 - Sheet Sets: Ocasionally you will need to replace them or get another set. Take a look at the “JCPenny Home Collection” and their 300 thread count sheets to be more specific. They are reported to not shrink and fade and 300 thread count is the perfect balance between lower cost and softer feel.

4 – Clothing: You want a gentle stain remover and detergent, and “Tide Total Care” has shown to be both; helping clothing look newer for longer.

5 – Towels: When your towels need replacing, “Canopy Bath Towels” at Walmart looked good even after 25 washes. At only about for a 6 piece set they are a great value.

6 - If it's broke, fix it: "Gorilla Super Glue" can bond to metal, stone, wood, ceramics, glass and more! Exercise caution to not glue things to your skin and never get your fingers near your eyes when using any “Super” glue.

Quick Spill Cleanups:

7 – Computer Desk: Spill resistant or waterproof keyboards can save your day, and money! “Seal Shield Seal Flex” keyboards can go directly into the dishwasher for easy cleanup.

8 – Carpet Stains: If you have a puppy or young children then this is for you. The “Woolite Pod” gets out stains quick and easy can can even put the fluff back into matted up carpet. Always make sure to soak up as much of the spill as possible before using any cleaner.

9 – Carpet Cleaning: For years people have rented ‘Bissell Deep Cleaner” steam cleaners to clean their carpets themselves. When you move out of your apartment, rent a steamer for fairly cheap at most large grocery stores and make sure you get back your security deposit.

10 – On The Go: The “Tide to Go” pen can save day if you end up wearing some of your lunch before going to that big meeting at work and save your white shirt from a stain that you might not be able to get out later.

Living eco-friendly:

11 – Painting Stinks: Use paints with no Volatile Organic Compounds VOC’s when possible, it’s better for your family and the Earth.

12 – Grow Your Own: With vegetable prices rising start your own small garden in your yard. Grow your own plants with high yields such as tomatoes, zucchini, peppers and more.

13 - Weed Killer: "Preen" vegetable garden weed-preventer has a safe organic formula that stops weeds from growing in your garden. Alternatively you can pull them out by hand, it’s cheaper and guaranteed eco-friendly.

14 – Bottled Water: Don’t buy it. Get a "Brita" or "Pur" faucet-mounted water filter and fill up 1 gallon jugs to be placed in the fridge. Tap water isn’t cold enough for me and this is a great solution. Help keep millions of water bottles out of the landfill; it’s an enormous trash generator that people largely ignore. One faucet-mounted filter can replace 750 sixteen ounce single serving water bottles!

15 – Repair It: Broken electronics do not belong in the trash, they contain PCB’s (Printed Circuit Boards) that have mercury in them which is hazardous waste and is not allowed in your household trash. We can probably do your Sony digital camera repair for example,for $100 or less instead of throwing it away and spending $400 on a new one or $200 on one that isn’t as good as the one you threw away.

You may not be able to save thousands with these tips, but every bit helps. There are so many more that are not listed, be sure to look for more problem solving and money saving ideas coming soon!

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 The Proper Budgeting Methods

When folks see a thing that interest them, they make the choice of whether or not to buy in minutes or less. It really don’t matter if its groceries, a house or a car because all these things cost money.

The average household spends more than $700 a month on expenses. this includes buying other things that are needed for the family and paying the bills or loans.

In order to save money on costs and expenses, the parents must practice budgeting to make sure that there is enough cash to last throughout the entire month. If both parents are working, a portion of the paycheck must go to the bank. At least here, the depositors can be assured that this is kept in a secure place while earning interest.

Pertaining to the purchases, a rule must be set. If this exceeds for example $200, the couple must first talk about to see if this is really needed. Some of the items found in stores will likely exceed this limit. When this occurs, its a good idea to shop around for something of similar quality.

If the spouses want it bad enough, they could ask the salesperson if they could make a payment plan instead of cash on hand, this plan should be good for six months to about a year if it is paid thru credit cards. Some companies offer 0% interest while others offer rebates that can be used on the next purchase.

Many Americans give children allowances. As these kids get older, they will surely ask for an increase in the amount given to them. Should this happen, perhaps it is time to talk to the kids about getting a part time job like delivering newspapers or gardening so the extra cash can be put to good use.

Almost everyone in the household uses the phone. It is used for local and international calls and if this is too much on the budget, perhaps changing this to another service provider is advisable.

Most groceries have discount catalogs placed before entering the store. The discounts on selected items change monthly so it wouldn’t hurt to cut these out when shopping. A couple of these could be found in magazines that could be used when eating out in restaurants to the amusement park or the zoo.

Money is hard to come by especially if both parents have to work. Everyone in the household must always help out and think before buying anything since this is the only method to properly budget the monetary resources available.

Check out the Financial Tips Journal for Financial Advice and Financial Tips

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Unemployment is hard to deal with at the best of times. With the challenges now facing the world’s economies, many are going to face this emotional rollercoaster for the first time in their working life, quickly needing to find ways of saving money and identifying saving tips. It is therefore imperative to realise that you are not alone and by acting positively you will improve your chances appreciably of finding new work. You therefore need to recognise it for what it is, accept it and move on.

Taking each of these in turn:

Recognise it for what it is; a period of acute anxiety. There are many contributors to this stress, including….

• A journey into unknown territory – “what is going to happen to me?”

• A feeling that you are letting people down, particularly your immediate family. This feeling can be worse if you have younger children or dependents. Family goals will have to be postponed.

• A range of completely new practical challenges, like trying to understand the benefits system.

• Worry about mounting debts, including, in some cases, concern about having homes repossessed if there is a mortgage involved.

• Difficulty in adjusting to a new life style with a different income – “how will we keep up with our friend’s social scene”.

• Worry about how other people, friends and former colleagues will view you.

• A lower level of self worth – “how did I fail?”

• Anger at former employees or circumstances leading to the unemployment

• Lack of motivation “what is the point?”

Accept the situation. This may be hard to do, but once it has been achieved in a meaningful (not superficial) way you can get on with repairing the damage.

Move on positively and swallow your pride. You’ll need to make changes and manage the financial consequences of lost income. Do not hide from decisions. Some of the things to put on your agenda to consider include:

• Make sure that you access any benefits that you are entitled to straight away. It can be difficult and the means testing may feel intrusive, but it is important not to waste time. It is very difficult to get any form of benefits paid for the period when you should have claimed and did not know how to.

• Review in detail your budget. When you have completed this, do it again taking out the bits that you can live without. Make every penny count by finding ways of saving money.

• Speak immediately to your bank and other financial relationships before any damaging situations arise. They are professional and should give you some breathing space, particularly in relation to your house or mortgage.

• Don’t hide from the world. The best way to get back into employment is to get out and speak to people, so find out what friends and previous colleagues are doing. Tell people you are looking for work when visiting places like business networks or social events. Word gets around and generally people are willing to help. You will quickly discover that you are not alone.

• Turn the unemployment into a long term opportunity. What do you really want to do? Update you resume and make plans for the future.

Finally, try to gain benefit from any help that is available from family, friends and associates. Look online for any guidance available during this tricky period. For example, look for personal finance systems that can help you to manage your money better and to coach you about saving money. There are also a variety of sources online for saving tips that could be useful, so seek them out.

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