Posts by Guest

Energy Efficient, Financially Independent

Posted by Guest on Apr 25, 2013 in Recommendations | 6 comments

The following is a guest post

Bills are unfortunately a way of life. With the ever-increasing cost of living, it may seem near impossible to cut costs. Do you really need that high end latte? Making purchases less habitual and more of an every-now-and-again treat will certainly help with budgeting restrictions. I, for one, am a lover of coffee. Sweetened iced coffee, to be exact. Chocolate drizzle, whipped cream, and maybe even some tasty sprinkles to top everything off. These drinks, however delicious, could be cause for financial ruin. One latte a day at five bucks a pop would total over a whopping $1800 over the course of a year! Say to yourself, “Is it really worth it?”

We live in a time when scrimping for change is necessary to control our finances. Every penny counts. Now, I wouldn’t go so far as to buy 2-ply toilet paper and separate the layers to create two distinct 1-ply roll. That’s going a little overboard. However, I do brew my own coffee at home, refrigerate it and make my iced latte before heading to the office in the morning. It gives me just as much energy as the brew from the coffeehouse, and can be just as tempting with the right toppings. I reserve the high-end stuff for the occasional pick-me-up, or when I’m running late.

But saving money isn’t just about restricting expensive purchases. In fact, there are little things you can do in your home throughout the year to cut back on costs. For starters, the energy efficiency in your home determines how much you pay in utility costs. According to construction and energy companies, a house’s insulation is the main cause for absorbent power bills. Fiberglass insulation is a must in any home, but the amount you need varies by state and local municipalities. The factors that determine the amount needed is based on the climate the home is in. For example, more insulation is needed where average temperatures are extreme; in more moderate climates, less is more.

Along with the fuzzy stuff in the attic, the right windows will not only add aesthetics to your home, but they also insulate the insides of the house from the outside elements. Security and peace of mind for your family and your wallet are the end result if you decide to have your windows repaired or replaced. Simply re-caulking old or loose window panes may do the trick, but you should really take a longer look to see if that window is worth salvaging (or better yet, have a pro assess it). Nowadays, vinyl replacement windows offer an elegant look, higher energy efficiency, and relatively low financial burden. Experts estimate a house with all-new windows saves the homeowner up to 31% in utility costs. In fact, the energy savings are so significant, the government is offering tax credits for installing these and other energy saving devices.

Over the course of the first year after replacement, the savings in your energy bill should come close to deferring the price you paid for the new windows. You see, it pays for itself, and it gives your home more value. The curb appeal alone will have prospective buyers banging down your door to have a look around the inside of your home.

A simple way to lower power bill payments is to review your consumption of anything plugged into the wall. Some suggest unplugging your charger when you have no device connected. Sure, it may cut back on costs, but probably in tiny amounts. Still, over time, those pennies add up. Remembering to keep my charger disconnected from the outlet when I’m not using it is not my priority. I’d rather look into larger electronics that are always on the ready.

In our home, the television seems to always be on. It’s an older model flat panel unit. Whether anyone was actually in the room watching a show was hit or miss. Someone would turn the TV on for “background noise”. No one likes a quiet house. But it burns warm. I found that fact disconcerting, as the TV is rated by Energy Star. Still, even an efficient appliance uses electricity. I compromised with my family to leave the television off if no one was actually watching it, but using the radio as background noise is totally acceptable. As a result, our power bill has dipped a little.

One more bit of sound advice when controlling the costs of things may actually have you scratching your head. It may appear you’re locked in with whichever energy company is in your area. Truth is, this would cause a monopoly. You do have other choices when it comes to energy providers; you just need to find them. Texaselectricityproviders.com provides Texans with comparison rates on local utility companies. The site is designed to help you determine which business will help you best budget for your household. You can also find detailed tips to help make your home more energy efficient.

Doing without gourmet caffeine, efficiently upgrading your home, and being mindful of energy consumption will leave you with more funds at the end of the month. Feel free to treat yourself to that iced mocha-loco-frappe when you see what these steps can do to your bank account. Stow away the extra cash and save for retirement or pay down your debts. Thinking creatively about saving on bills will help you cut costs and up your appreciation for home ownership.

Last Minute Car Rentals: 4 Tips That Will Save You Money!

Posted by Guest on Apr 20, 2013 in Recommendations | 2 comments

The following is a guest post

Generally, last minute deals are either offered directly from the car rental companies, or can be found from online deal websites such as Expedia or Priceline. These significant discounts—usually offered online only—tend to pop up after car rental companies experience cancellations, as they can still cover operating costs, as opposed to taking a full loss.

If that little insider’s tidbit is something you weren’t privy to, here are a few other tips, tricks, and advice that you might find financially enlightening. You can find out more about car hire Melbourne at DriveNow.

1.       Wait to Kick Off Your Search… but Be Careful!

If you want to wait and try to take advantage of last minute deals, it’s a good idea to kick off your search about two weeks before your trip. This will give you a week to do your research as most deals come into effect a week prior to the rental date.

Remember: Timing is everything! If you’re travelling during a peak season for your desired destination, you do take the risk that the car rental you need won’t be available, or will be highly expensive. This is especially likely if your booking is for the weekend, or for a holiday; book during the week where possible.

2.       All the Best Deals Are Found Online

 There are three ways to find great last-minute car rental deals online:

• Check out deals offered directly from the car rental agency websites. For example, National has their own Last Minute Specials section that is updated every Tuesday, usually a week to two weeks in advance. You can check out this section under their “SPECIALS” tab, or you can use coupon #6600435 while making your reservation.
• Diligently search through the various online deal websites: Expedia, Priceline, and Hotwire are a few for you to start with. These websites are ideal for comparison shopping, as they’ll layout all of the deals from all of the different agencies.
• Use Google! Search for eCoupons for various agencies, or for those online deal websites and you can sometimes save an additional 25%!

3.       When Possible… Go for an Economy Car

Economy cars are small and not always ideal for most people’s travel plans; due to that, these are usually the cars left available when you get down to the wire. If an economy car works for your travel plans, you’re likely to find bigger discounts.

4.       Weigh “Non-Refundable” Against What the Deal Is

Here is where it’s important to do the math. If there’s any chance that your trip could be cancelled, you should make a reservation with an agency that allows for refunds.

Furthermore, going with an agency that doesn’t have “non-refundable” in the fine print can save you even more money, as you can continually check back for better deals and exchange your deal for a new, cheaper, one.

In fact, you might want to consider booking through the online deal company Autoslash, as they not only offer comparative shopping, but will also search for better deals after your reservation and auto-book you for them!

Paying Off Credit Card Debt

Posted by Guest on Apr 14, 2013 in Recommendations | 13 comments

The following is a guest post

Most of us have probably accumulated some sort of debt over the course of our lives and it’s no secret that the more we get, the harder it becomes to pay off, especially when you factor in interest rates and potential late fees for those times we simply can’t make it.  Getting out of debt often feels like a hopeless endeavor but it doesn’t need to be that way.  With only a few tips and some common sense, anyone can start chipping away at their debt starting immediately and can potentially get themselves squared away in no time.

More often than not, a large chunk of debt people have under the belts comes directly from credit cards.  Credit cards are great for people to begin establishing credit and as long as they’re paid off every month, they can do a great job at raising already broken credit scores.  Unfortunately, relying on credit cards alone can cause quite a bit of debt to accumulate and if you aren’t careful, you could end up paying more in interest each month than you’re paying toward your actual debt.  Whether you’re in the market for a new card or are looking to get your first one, it’s important that you set your sights on the lowest credit card apr, as this will drastically reduce the amount of interest you see on the money you spend with the card.

In general, the best credit card to have is one that has a low interest rate and offers some kind of reward system for purchases made such as cash back or airline miles.  It might take some time to list and compare all of the credit cards out there, but it will definitely pay off in the long run and can help save you a few hundred dollars in debt if you’re serious about it.

Create a budget that will enable you to pay off your credit card debt in a timely fashion in such a way that will allow you to really start chipping away at it.  It might be painful at first, but you’ll need to really evaluate your situation and see where you can save money even if it means you have to go without your morning Starbucks run.  After you get this underway, you’ll start to see you have quite a bit of extra money available to be put toward your debt.  It’s important to update this budget every month or so however, which is something few people do.  By redoing your budget regularly, you’ll be able to better examine where your money is going and you might see that after a few months of regular cuts in frivolous spending, you have even more money to put toward your debt.

The great thing about setting up the aforementioned budgeting system is that it allows you to usually pay more than the minimum amount due each month, which is the biggest thing you need to keep in mind when it comes to really getting out of debt.  Just paying the minimum won’t do much in the long run and the interest will keep growing.  Pay as much above the minimum as possible in order to keep the interest costs down and to make sure that you’re paying a good chunk of actual debt each month.

Debt is something affects most people at least once in their lives and for most of us, much of it results directly from credit card use.  It’s nearly unavoidable, but that doesn’t mean all hope is lost.  With just a few tips dealing with where money should be placed, people will find that they have a much better chance at getting themselves out debt in just a short time.