Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Giving and Spreading Joy Without Breaking The Bank.

Yes the Holiday Season is upon us and everyone is in good cheer and merriment abounds.

Yet here we are assaulted by Specials and commercial messages that tell us we need to spend, spend, spend to make our loved ones love us back. Materialism is the message of the advertisers and if they are to be believed (NOT!) that is the meaning of the season.

Ah but intelligent people know better, but still we are ingrained that the season does require the exchanging or giving of gifts, no matter which Holiday you are celebrating (Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Festivus). And of course one must give in order to receive.

Ah but what do good budget conscience people do when money is tight or not in abundance? Well that is what thrift shops and flea markets are for. Yes if you are smart and discerning you can find wonderful gifts at places like the goodwill, Salvation Army and other similar stores.

Most of these stores I have gone through have aisles and aisles of toys, electronics, books, and knick knacks to rival any boutique one finds in the malls. Depending upon the area you live, there are usually dozens of sports related memorabilia from Jerseys, hats all the way to clocks and videos of one's favorite teams.

Baby clothes are another item that is in abundance and one can find a wonderful selection, just take care and a god look as sometimes things get by with nasty stains. But usually those items are rejected at the inspection phase before making it out to the sales floor.

It is amazing how many rare books I have come across in my ventures. One of my favorites is a History of World War I published in 1919, a year after the war was over. It included commentary from General Pershing, and a few other dignitaries of the day. Of course the language used to describe the vanquished nations was a bit harsh, but it reflected the feelings of the age. It always fascinates me to read old books and I get a good laugh at the peculiarities of the language and thoughts of the times (I am sure someone in the future is going to be repeating this about the foolishness of our beliefs and political/editorial writings as well).

Other great items I have found include old videos, cassettes, LP's and CD's that have enhanced my collections. If you have a person on your list that is into these it is amazing the treasure store of classic media that awaits. Of course you might have to go to the electronics section and pick up a VCR, Record Player or Cassette tape player to go along, but it will be worth it to see the joy in their faces of a memory long forgotten revealed.

Camera buffs will also be amazed at what ends up in these stores. I have a nice collection of old cameras and other photography equipment that still work (but finding film for a Kodak Brownie is difficult) and are basically collectors items.

Computer equipment is another matter, and usually the monitors and boxes are obsolete and unless someone is a die hard collector, or a nostalgic gamer, they are pretty much not worth anything. However one can still get a decent smaller printer for those occasional letters etc. Heck I have an older Okidata Laser printer that I picked up for $10 that still works beautifully.

One thing to be wary of, if not avoided) is Women's Clothing. The speed at which women's fashions go out of style is mind boggling, and unless you find a rare coat or hat that your loved one has been pining for and can't be found anymore, then I would avoid it like the plague.
All in all Holiday Shopping doesn't have to break one's budget if done right and one shop's smart. One can save money without being a “Scrooge” and still be a hero on the appointed day of gift giving. Oh and while you're at it you just might find something special for yourself as a reward for your intelligence and generosity.

So get out there and remember, it's not what you buy, but how you buy it that counts.

Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.



Mahalo.





******************************************************************

Must Have Finance Tools and Resources

Want to save money while learning how to save money? Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection. Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?

For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources

http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html


******************************************************************

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Inquisitive Explorer's Guide To Better Budgeting

The talking heads from the financial media are telling us the economy is improving. However we all know that on the street level things are still a bit tight. So with the holidays nearing and the new year almost upon us, one should really sit down and figure out their personal financial situation and make sure the ends meet. That is where having and keeping to a good budget is helpful.

A budget is basically a money plan, outlining your financial goals. Having a budget, you can well establish and regulate funds, set and achieve your financial objectives, and make advance decisions as to how you want your finances to function well for you.

The main idea in budgeting is for you to put aside a certain amount of money for expected as well as unexpected costs.

Simply put, budgeting means an estimation of monthly home expenses basing it on previous expenses and bills.

The initial step to take in budgeting is to find out how long will your compensation last. Define fixed expenses like car payments, home rental, insurance, etc. Likewise follow up your expenditures thoroughly for a month so you can discover and understand where your funds are going. Through proper determination of your “spending patterns”, you can immediately identify solutions for effective budgeting.

For instance, when you have a steady monthly income of $4,000, you should subtract all your identified monthly bills from that income.

Other bills can be assessed and then subtracted from the amount of your income. The balance that remained after fixed costs can now be your budget in the household. Rather than allocating money for miscellaneous like gas, clothing, entertainment and groceries, financial planning will allow you instead to use proportions or percentages of it.

The strategic solution in order for budgeting to be successful is inflexibility as well as flexibility; there are fixed expenses so payment must be an inflexible factor.

Budgeting will best work when very scarce omissions are made to greater limits. The idea here is to formulate goals and plans, then abide by it as much as you possibly can.

Here are tips on how to budget:

1. Have good sense of money management. Your attitude is essential. Reach an agreement and compromise and know the significance of reducing expenditures; it all involves a lot of sacrifice.

2. Plan your situation. Make a listing with your earnings to one side and your overheads on the other side.

3. Know the difference between luxuries and necessities. List down what you believe as luxuries, with it, split the list in half, crossing out half the list.

4. Practice frugality but with dignity. You can have fun with little or without spending at all. Rather than going shopping, play with the kids at the beach or at the park.

Budgeting is an effective and fundamental tool that is readily available to everyone. Consider it, and benefit from it.

Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the
Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for
you.

Mahalo.

******************************************************************
Must Have Finance Tools and Resources

Want to save money while learning how to save money? Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and
receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection. Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?

For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources

href="http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html">http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/fina
nce.html


******************************************************************

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

How to Choose The Right Credit Card Offer

The World is definitely on its way to a cashless economy. Sure “Cash may be King” as they say, and there is always the old checkbook, but more and more credit cards are the preferred method of payment. First of all because of the uncertainty of the massive fraud done by unscrupulous people writing bad checks, one needs a credit card to make purchases that one used to be able to use checks. Also many retailers don't want the hassle of dealing with employee or outsiders theft of cash, that they would prefer plastic over paper. So one needs to get a credit card.

But with so many credit card offers, what is one to know what to do?

Just browse through the daily newspaper and you will be overwhelmed by the number of credit card offers advertised. Move around the town and you will find credit card offers being advertised everywhere. Same is the case is with television which seems to host a number of credit card offers too. So, the credit card offers are there everywhere. Why are there so many credit card offers? Well, quite simply because credit card business is a highly profitable business for the credit card suppliers.

In this situation, when there is no dearth of credit card offers, which is the best credit card offer?

There is nothing like a best credit card offer, really. A better question to ask would be “Which credit card offer is the best for me?” The spending habits of one person are different from that of another person. Their living styles vary and hence their needs vary too. So for deciding on which credit card offer is best for you, you need to evaluate your needs vis-à-vis your lifestyle and your spending habits (and not go just by the recommendation of someone).

For example, if you frequently travel by air, a co-branded airline credit card might be more suited to you than the general purpose one. These airline credit cards offer discounts, rebates and other kind of rewards when the credit card is used for making payments (the rewards are even higher when these credit cards are used for paying for the airline tickets or other airline products).

Similarly, if you have a favorite retail store where you do a lot of your shopping, it would be beneficial to check if the retailer is a credit card supplier too and if there is a credit card offer that suits you. A lot of big retail chains do offer co-branded credit cards to their customers and these credit cards offer rebates/discounts etc when they are used for making payments at the retail store. As such, you get reward points for making payments at any place but the rewards are higher on the payments made at retail store. On similar lines, we have credit cards for gas stations and grocery stores too, which you can opt for if you have a favorite gas station or a favorite grocery store where you shop a lot.

So, if you look around, you will find a lot of lucrative credit card offers. However, this doesn't mean that you enroll for all the credit card offers. You need to first evaluate your needs and rank them. Then you need to evaluate what all credit card offers suit your needs. And finally you can make your choice and go for a credit card offer that covers most of your needs and gives maximum benefits.

Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.

Mahalo.
******************************************************************
Must Have Finance Tools and Resources

Want to save money while learning how to save money? Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection. Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?

For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources
http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html
******************************************************************

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Save Money and Avoid Temptations

Okay so you decided to make a budget and are determined to keep to it. But all of a sudden out of nowhere comes that fantastic new smart phone, or maybe a new designer dress, or some other item that you feel you just “can't live without”! That folks is where people get in trouble when trying to keep to a budget, those tricksters that tempt us out of the blue. Well here's some tips on how to avoid those temptations and save money for what you really need.


Saving money and financial management is very crucial in one's life. Money is very important in order to survive in this world but only a few people know how to manage their household budget properly. Many people have a hard time saving money even if it is for their own good.



Most of the time, you may be motivated to save money but there are times when temptations come your way and before you know it, you have already spent the amount that was supposed to be added to your savings account. Here are some helpful tips on how you can avoid temptations and be able to save money:



1. Try hard to avoid those things that keep you from saving. If you are fond of buying shoes even if you don't really need them, try very hard to stay away from them. Keep yourself away from shoe stores so that you will not be tempted to buy one.



2. When going to grocery stores. Always bring the exact amount and bring with you a grocery list. If you have limited money in your pocket when in grocery stores, you will be forced to buy only those important things that you need. Preparing a grocery list will also help you get organized and will help you in deciding the things that need to be prioritized.



3. Go to the malls only when needed. Do not go shopping if you do not need anything important to buy. Window-shopping will only tempt you to buy the dress you saw in the boutique even if you don't really need it.



4. Do not bring with you your credit cards all the time. Having a credit card in your pocket will only tempt you to buy things that are not necessary. This will also help you lower your balances and have a good credit score.



5. You may want to save money in the bank or invest in time deposits. You will not be tempted to get money from the bank every time you need cash, if they are placed in a time deposit account.



6. You may also want to consider consulting a financial advisor. There are a lot of programs that offer these services for free. They may be able to help you and give you advice on how you can avoid temptations and save more money.


Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.



Mahalo.





******************************************************************

Must Have Finance Tools and Resources



Want to save money while learning how to save money? Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection. Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?



For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources



http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html



******************************************************************

Monday, October 4, 2010

Using A Mortgage Calculator: Don't Do the Math Yourself

The residential real estate and housing crises have bottomed out and are starting to rebound. The economy is starting to come around and people are once again, albeit slowly, to buying houses. This means getting a mortgage. If you are in the market and don't want to get caught up in the problems of overextending yourself, or to see if you are getting the best deal you should consider using a Mortgage Calculator.

When considering a mortgage loan, knowing how much money you have and will have and how much you are willing to pay for the loan including the interest and principal is very, very important. To help you decide on projecting how much you will be paying bi-weekly or monthly, depending on the payment term you choose for the entire loan period of your mortgage, various mortgage calculators are available.

These mortgage calculators are categorized into 15 classifications depending on the type of mortgage you want and the terms in interests and principal you want to apply. These classifications for mortgage calculators are the following:

a. Mortgage calculator to determine a borrowers ability to afford a house. This type of calculator can be classified into two. There is a mortgage calculator that determines if a borrower can afford a house and mortgage calculator to help the borrower determine if it is better for him to make a small down payment or no down payment at all or save up first, then make a bigger down payment later on.

b. Mortgage calculator for consolidating non-mortgage debt. There are three types of calculators under these. The first one is used for borrowers who want to consider merging non-mortgage debt in their bought mortgage. The second type of mortgage calculator is for those who want to consider refinancing their mortgage by cash-out or by taking another mortgage. The third kind is for borrowers who already have 2 mortgages for a particular loan and are considering other options to help pay off the 1st mortgage.

c. Mortgage calculator to determine the monthly payments of their mortgage. The types of mortgage calculator to be used will depend on the terms you choose. There is a mortgage calculator for fixed rate mortgages, adjustable rate mortgages without negative amortizations, adjustable rate mortgages with negative amortizations, adjustable rate mortgages with flexible amortizations and mortgage payments with temporary buy downs.

d. Mortgage calculator to determine how much interest borrowers can save should he decide to pay an additional amount for the principal value during payment. The mortgage calculator varies depending on the number of payments a borrower is willing to give. These are extra monthly payments, bi-weekly payments applied monthly, bi-weekly payments applied bi-weekly and extra monthly payments to be paid in a specific period.

e. Mortgage calculator to determine if refinancing a mortgage will reduce its cost. This type of mortgage calculator can be applied to a borrower who wants to refinance a mortgage or 2 mortgages. Other calculators are used to determine if refinancing one mortgage into two can reduce costs while others are used to determine if cash-out refinancing is better than deciding to take on a second mortgage.

f. Mortgage calculator for determining the length of time borrowers have to pay insurance premiums applied to their mortgage.

g. Mortgage calculator to determine amortizations. There are 2 kinds of these. One determines the savings a borrower can have on his tax on the interests and the second mortgage calculator determines the appreciation of property being mortgaged.

h. Mortgage calculator to compare two mortgages. These are different types of calculators that compare the various mortgages that include amortizations and non-amortizations, government and non-government loans, fixed rate and adjustable interests.

i. Mortgage calculator to compute points and fees in a mortgage. The calculator is used to determine the rate of return of ARMs (Adjustable Rate Mortgages) and FRMs (Flexible Rate Mortgages) and the amount that can be saved or lost by using paying points for interest reduction on FRMs.

j. Mortgage calculator for determining amounts to be paid for a mortgage insurance and down payment

k. Mortgage calculator to determine the feasibility of having a mortgage loan in a shorter term.

These mortgage calculators and other various mortgage calculators are available for use in the Internet. Most banks and mortgage companies have interactive pages in their websites where you can do your calculations online. Aside from these, other sites give free downloads of their loan calculators.

Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.

Mahalo.

******************************************************************

Must Have Finance Tools and Resources

Want to save money while learning how to save money? Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection. Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?

For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources

http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html

******************************************************************

Thursday, September 30, 2010

How To Reduce Your Credit Card Debt

Here we are heading towards the holiday season and people are starting to plan out their shopping a bit early this year due to the economic conditions. But before one starts building up more credit card debts, one should look to where they are and if they need to , reduce any credit card debt they already have.

Reduce credit card debt and eliminate it before it assumes a horrifying shape. This is really the gist of the story. So, how do you reduce credit card debt? Well, you reduce credit card debt by preventing it from increasing and by paying off what it is currently. Simple, isn't it?

Not really. If it was that simple to reduce credit card debt, then we wouldn't have had so many people with credit card debt related problems. We would have been able to reduce credit card debt problems and finally eliminate them (or reduce them significantly). There are all kinds of advice available on how to reduce credit card debt, but still nothing much seems to change. The problem still seems to persist and in fact, worsen. However, it's not that difficult to reduce credit card debt. As we just said, there is a lot of advice available on how to reduce credit card debt and the only thing you need to do is put that advice, on how to reduce credit card debt, to practice in real life. Well, no one but you will benefit if you reduce credit card debt.

So the first step to reduce credit card debt is to prevent it from taking dangerous proportions. The 2 most important ways of implementing this step are; balance transfers and use of cash.

Balance transfer is often treated as the number one measure to reduce credit card debt. This is really something that can help reduce credit card debt by slowing down the pace at which your credit card debt is getting built. It also provides you relief in terms of the APR being 0% for initial 6-9 months (and hence helps reduce credit card debt faster). To reduce credit card debt using this mechanism, you need to transfer your balance from your current credit card(s) onto another credit card that has a lower APR than your current card. Thus you reduce credit card debt by preventing it from increasing so rapidly.

The other preventive measure to reduce credit card debt is to use cash instead of card (as such, hard earned cash is difficult to get out of pocket as compared to just a credit card). So you reduce credit card debt by not adding more to it. That is the simplest way to reduce credit card debt.

However, you can reduce credit card debt only if you stick to your resolution to reduce credit card debt; otherwise it will fail miserably.

Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.

Mahalo.

******************************************************************
Must Have Finance Tools and Resources

Want to save money while learning how to save money? Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection. Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?

For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources
http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html

******************************************************************

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Claiming State Held Missing Money that Belongs to You

According to Missingmoney.com, within the United States alone, billions of dollars of unclaimed missing money is collecting dust in state Abandoned Property offices. If extrapolated to include the funds held world wide by similar organizations in other countries, the sum of unclaimed missing money could exceed $500 billion dollars. Hmmmm, that's almost enough to bail the economic community out of its current financial debacle.

Every day, for various reasons, People move away and do not update their address, they lose track of some of their investments, they die without a will, and who knows why else...but, they leave money in banks, in utility accounts, security deposits, and many number of other ways. Some of these monetary items end up in the state's possessions after they are declared abandoned by the organization or financial institution that held them. These forgotten bank accounts, un-cashed stock dividends, insurance payments, safe deposit box contents, utility deposits, travelers checks, money orders and other financial instruments are turned over to the state's Treasurer's Escheats, Comptroller's, or Revenue office who then try to track down the owners and return the money.

By the amount of unclaimed and missing money on record, it appears these state offices are under staffed and not very successful in locating the owner's of the missing money. All 50 states have a Department of Revenue and Unclaimed Property or some similarly named division. This is the office responsible for maintaining the missing money and processing claims for it. Some states have limitations on how long they keep abandoned property before turning it over to state coffers; however they most keep it indefinitely. Some states even pay interest on the money if the property was originally an interest bearing instrument. You must check with your individual state and find out what their procedures are.

If you think you may have missing money held by your state, your first step is to contact the correct state agency to find out whether your name, or in the case it is the estate of a deceased individual, their name is on the list. Each state maintains a publicly available list of abandoned property holdings. If you or the person you represent is on the list your next step is to file a claim and return the form with the required identification or proof of ownership. Requirements for proving ownership vary from state to state, based on the amount of the claim and other factors. Acceptable identification many include copies of driver's licenses, receipts, social security cards and numbers, bank account numbers, savings passbooks, checking account and bank statements, or other notarized documents.

It has been speculated that ten percent of the U.S. population is owned money from abandoned property and missing money coffers. The state departments do not have the resources to investigate every case; therefore much of it goes unclaimed. There are professional finders, or heir searchers who locate the owners of missing money and charge a fee or commission in exchange. Professional finder's of missing money generally limit their activity to large estate findings. Be careful if you enlist a professional service to locate your potential missing money.

There are billions of dollars in unclaimed property and missing money sitting in your state coffers. There is a good chance that some of it belongs to you. You, your neighbors, relatives, co-workers, friend, and many many others have an interest in what happens to all of this missing money. Are you going to stake your claim or be a loser because you failed to take advantage of the services that your state offers? Are you going to claim your missing money?

Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.

Mahalo.

******************************************************************

Must Have Finance Tools and Resources

Need to find missing money? Want to save money while learning how to save money? Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection. Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?

For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources

http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html

******************************************************************

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Investing Basics – Determining Your Investment Goals

The stock market is starting to turn to the positive after being down for the last year and a half. That means it is time to start thinking about getting back in and getting your fortune abck on track. Bit before you start investing, or reinvesting, you need to ask yourself the most important question:

What are my investing goals?

When it comes to investing, many first time investors want to jump right in with both feet. Unfortunately, very few of those investors are successful. Investing in anything requires some degree of skill. It is important to remember that few investments are a sure thing – there is the risk of losing your money!

Before you jump right in, it is better to not only find out more about investing and how it all works, but also to determine what your goals are. What do you hope to achieve with your investments? Will you be funding a college education? Buying a home? Retiring? Before you invest a single penny, really think about what you hope to achieve with that investment. Knowing what your goal is will help you make smarter investment decisions along the way!

Too often, people invest money with dreams of becoming rich overnight. This is possible – but it is also rare. It is usually a very bad idea to start investing with hopes of becoming rich overnight. It is safer to invest your money in such a way that it will grow slowly over time, and be used for retirement or a child’s education. However, if your investment goal is to get rich quick, you should learn as much about high-yield, short term investing as you possibly can before you invest.

You should strongly consider talking to a financial planner before making any investments. Your financial planner can help you determine what type of investing you must do to reach the financial goals that you have set. He or she can give you realistic information as to what kind of returns you can expect and how long it will take to reach your specific goals.

Again, remember that investing requires more than calling a broker and telling them that you want to buy stocks or bonds. It takes a certain amount of research and knowledge about the market if you hope to invest successfully.

Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.



Mahalo.





******************************************************************

Must Have Finance Tools and Resources



Want to save money while learning how to save money? Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection. Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?



For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources



http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html



******************************************************************

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Get Started With Online Trading

After a turbulent year, the Stock Market is getting back on track and moving in the right direction again. So more people are starting to inch their way back into the market and most are deciding to use an online broker and do their investing over the Internet.



Now we all know that the the Internet has brought about many changes in the way that we conduct our lives and our personal business. We can pay our bills online, shop online, bank online, and even date online!



We can even buy and sell stocks online. Traders love having the ability to look at their accounts whenever they want to, and brokers like having the ability to take orders over the Internet, as opposed to the telephone.



Most brokers and brokerage houses now offer online trading to their clients. Another great thing about trading online is that fees and commissions are often lower. While online trading is great, there are some drawbacks.



If you are new to investing, having the ability to actually speak with a broker can be quite beneficial. If you aren't stock market savvy, online trading may be a dangerous thing for you. If this is the case, make sure that you learn as much as you can about trading stocks before you start trading online.



Even with a good smartphone and the right apps, you should also be aware that you can't always have a computer, or other device with the available access attached to you. You won't always have the ability to get online to make a trade. You need to be sure that you can call and speak with a broker if this is the case, using the online broker. This is true whether you are an advanced trader or a beginner.



It is also a good idea to go with an online brokerage company that has been around for a while. You won't find one that has been in business for fifty years of course, but you can find a company that has been in business that long and now offers online trading.



Again, online trading is a beautiful thing , but it isn't for everyone. Think carefully before you decide to do your trading online, and make sure that you really know what you are doing!




Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.



Mahalo.





******************************************************************

Must Have Finance Tools and Resources



Want to save money while learning how to save money? Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection. Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?



For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources



http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html



******************************************************************

Monday, August 16, 2010

Cutting Schooling Costs Without Hurting Your Kids

Ah yes it's the middle of August and the time is here for parents and kids to start thinking about the new school year. It seems every year school related costs keep going up and parents are struggling to keep up with the additional expenses. Clothes and school supplies are one of the biggest expense they face each year. Here are some ideas to help you cut some of the school related costs without hurting oyur kids chance at a quality education.

Whenever the school season is just around the corner, there's only one thing that parents are thinking about - the impending costs. Education is a primary right and a pertinent need of every child but it can become very costly. Availing of scholarships and education grants for your children is the best way to get them through schooling. But of course, only a small percentage of children can be given these privileges.

There are simple and effective measures that parents can employ in cutting the costs of their children's schooling, especially during the back-to-school season. Most often, these measures are often taken for granted, but don't miss out!

Organize and Save

Keep an inventory of your children's school supplies and keep it organized. If you are not organized, you will be spending more money on replenishing your supplies. Small things like pencils and crayons may not cost too much, but if you replenish your supplies unnecessarily, you are losing valuable money.
Look for sales and coupons and buy the supplies that are consumed and needed every year, (pens, notebooks, paper), on sale as much as possible. Just look to the newspapers for your local ads.

You should also try involving the kids when making the inventory. This will give them a sense of ownership for their things and would know where to take and put their things.

Tax Holidays

Tax holidays are often offered by many states during the back-to-school season. Price ceilings will be put on different school gears. You might want to do a little research and ask about the schedule and the details of the tax holidays in your area.

Bulk Buying

It's a basic economic principle - "the more you buy, the more you save". Well, this is applicable if you are buying a specific item which you will really need in the near future. In buying pencils, for example, you might want to buy a box rather than buying one for each of your kids. Face it, you will be needing to replenish these after some time, so might as well avail of the lower price by buying in bulk.
Even the “Dollar Stores” offer deals on many of the commodity items without sacrificing quality.

Transportation

You might want to consider buying your child a bicycle for him to bring to school. This, of course, is not always feasible. Finding a cheap and safe way to bring your children to school daily is an important thing. Car pools and school transportation services are options that you can look at.
Snacks

Whenever you have the time and energy to prepare food for your children, do so. You will not only be saving on the pocket money that you will give to them but you are also secured that your children are eating healthy and safe meals. You also teach your children good eating habits early on in life.

Getting your children through school is a hard task and a costly one. Saving money through practical and simple means can assist you in this endeavor. The benefits will eventually add up to bring a brighter future to your children.

Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.

Mahalo.


******************************************************************

Must Have Finance Tools and Resources



Want to save money while learning how to save money? Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection. Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?



For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources



http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html



******************************************************************

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Save Money, Save the World

Even though the financial press and some politicians are trying to convince us that everything is fine, most of us are still hurting from the economic mess from the last two years. Saving money is the game now if you really want to bank on a good future for you and your family. By budgeting properly you can insure your family has all it needs. And by making a few minor adjustments around your hme, you can save money and combat global warming/climate change as well.

This is one definite way to ensure that you make yourself able and ready for whatever big plans you have ahead, be it getting a new house, buying a car, sending a kid to college or even a grand vacation.

There are many ways to save money. It can range from setting aside a portion of your monthly paycheck or avoiding the little temptations for you to spend. Make it your goal.

Start at Your Own Home

Saving money should be part of your way of life to make it most effective. It is best that the effort to save be shared by everyone in the family.

Little Efforts

Do not drive if you really don't have to. If you can, just take a walk or take the bus. Riding the bike can also be very good for your body. Have a car pool with friends or neighbors. You can also suggest doing errands together like doing the grocery store.

Avoid the little temptations that may come your way. It is naturally fine to reward yourself after a hard work every now and then, but do stay away from splurging. Cut back on your expenses.

Use Less and Save Energy - Becoming and Eco-Super Hero With Little or No Effort!

Electricity - Turn off appliances that are not used. Turn the TV off if the show is not worth it. Close the refrigerator after getting what you need. Use lower wattage bulb for rooms that do not need much lighting. These will definitely add more data to your savings!

Water - Check for any leaks in your pipes. Always make sure that the faucet is not dripping. Avoid long showers. Use a glass when brushing your teeth instead of leaving the faucet on.

Phone - Choose a provider that has savings plans especially for long-distance calls. Or better yet check out Skype. It's free to call others who have Skype accounts online, and costs very little to make long distance calls to landlines and cell phones. Trust me, the quality is great.

Gas - Have your car tuned up so you can save on gas. Get membership benefits also from stations. Fill up the tank when the prices go low. You can also do a research on gas saving cars if you have to purchase a new one. Turn off the air conditioning. If there is no need for that, simply keep the windows open. Enjoy the ride and the cool wind.

You may not realized this before, but your household's basic utilities can actually be your key to saving more money. This has a two-way benefit. You get to save some dollars for your family. You also contribute in addressing the energy crisis.

Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.

Mahalo.

******************************************************************
Must Have Finance Tools and Resources

Want to save money while learning how to save money? Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection. Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?

For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources
http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html

******************************************************************

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

SAVING MONEY AT YOUR VACATION DESTINATION

The vacation season is upon us again and we are all looking for ways to travel in style without incurring a lot of unnecessary expenses. It is too easy to go over budget by ignoring the little things while traveling. Here are a couple of tips to assist you in staying on or even under budget.

When traveling independently you will almost always do better in terms of price and quality if you veer away from the traditional places to eat and shops that the guide books mention. Going off the beaten track can mean you pick up a real bargain.

Restaurants
Follow the locals; if you head for a tourist orientated restaurant or shop you will find that the prices are substantially higher and often the food is not of the same quality.

Another good tip is to visit the local market where the locals shop. Not only will you get fresh products at good prices but you will also enjoy the experience of mixing with the locals. Ask those around you where to go, after all, it is the locals that are best placed to tell you where to go for a good deal!

A good way of working out whether a restaurant is geared towards tourists or locals is to see when it is at its busiest. Tourists tend to eat a lot earlier than the locals in most foreign countries. Any restaurant that is empty until around 9pm and then fills up is probably frequented by locals.

Car Rental
When it comes to rental cars the costs can vary widely and it really pays to shop around. Sometimes you will be offered good deals as part of your hotel stay or airfare, consider these as combination deals will also be a lot cheaper than you could get on your own.

Booking car rental when you have reached your destination is normally cheaper than reserving in advance if you have not got a good combination deal.
Make sure that you have suitable insurance, as any accident could make a huge dent in your holiday budget! There are good ways to save money, but insurance is not an area that you should scrimp on.

Always select the smallest car that is suitable for your needs, this will be cheaper and will cost less in gas. There is also a reasonable chance that you will be upgraded for free. If you are feeling bold, it is worth asking at the counter if there is any chance of a free upgrade, you never know your luck!

If you are booking car hire from a distance, look at the costs of car hire from the airport as well as from the city that you are staying in. Car hire companies will pay more to have an airport franchise and you may find this reflected in the prices that you are quoted.

Always fill up the gas before you get back to the car rental office. Car rental companies will charge well over the odds for any extra gas that they need to replace on your behalf so take the time to tank up before you get back if you do not want a large bill at the end.

Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.

Mahalo.


******************************************************************
Must Have Finance Tools and Resources

Want to save money while learning how to save money?

Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection. Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?

For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources

http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html

******************************************************************

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Lessen The Risks While Gambling

Summer time is here and that means a lot of us are traveling and taking vacations. Some of the more popular destinations are land and ship based casinos. While I have nothing against gambling, it can be a great source of entertainment, one still needs to be wary of the risks involved.

There is no foolproof way to always win when gambling. That is why it's called gambling, you take risks and reap the benefits when lady lucks sides by you, but this isn't always the case. Most of the time people end up being addicted, losing all that they've worked for all in the belief that gambling is the real get rich quick solution.

Gambling is addictive; therefore there is no real risk-free solution. But a person can still continue gambling without really getting addicted or getting drastically affected.

High risk gambling doesn't necessarily mean you spend a lot of money. Think of gambling as a form of entertainment. Like other ways to get yourself entertained, you sometimes spend nothing and sometimes a lot. Think of it as a play that you watch, except you participate in it actively. Therefore, low-risk gambling is essentially avoiding the mindset of losses, if you don't think you lost then you probably didn't.

Low risk gambling is essentially a mindset, not a drug, not a shrink; you can avoid gambling risks by thinking like a low risk gambler.

A low risk gambler knows that as time passes, most people will lose. The only party that wins in this gambling arena is the company that runs the casino. Never expect to win back what you've invested as this can only set your mind to play and play until you realize that you don't have any money left to play anymore.

A low risk gambler should know that he is only playing for recreation, for entertainment, and like all forms of entertainment, gambling has a cost. By doing this, you don't recognize the losses as losses but rather expenditures. Just put it in your mind that the money you lost is the amount you pay for the entertainment, and don't necessarily have to be won back.

Low-risk gambling is social gambling. The gambling part should be done with friends, family and loved ones. The presence of friends provides a content sensation that is very different from winning, and can help you focus away from winning. Gambling on your own can make it seem like a form of work, making it serious, letting you focus on losing rather than enjoyment.

Low-Risk gambling should be limited, both in frequency and duration. If you're trying to lower offline gambling risk, you should be able to draft a timetable for yourself. Compulsive gambling should never be tolerated, and this may be a sign of a starting addiction.

Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.

Mahalo.

******************************************************************
Must Have Finance Tools and Resources

Want to save money while learning how to save money?

Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection. Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?

For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources
http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html

******************************************************************

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

TIPS FOR SAVING MONEY ON TRAVEL

The vacation season is almost upon us and during these tough times we are all looking for ways to save money when we travel. Sure we could always cut back and take smaller trips, but what if you don't want to compromise quality? Well here's a few tips that can help you save money while taking the vacation you desire.

As well as the usual ways to get a bargain flight or holiday, it is also important to consider other money saving tips for when you are actually traveling. Money saving tips while you are away should not be overlooked, as they can save you a substantial amount of money in the long run.

Another issue that you should consider before booking is what potential specialist discounts you may be entitled to; for example, many agents offer discounts to students, seniors or individuals that are members of certain organizations may also be able to get better deals.

When it comes to student travel you may find that the discounts are available for anyone aged 26 or under, regardless of whether they are actually students. If you are a student or under 26 then contact the specialist student agents such as Student Universe, STA and Council Travel to find out what deals they have available.

Similarly there are specialist deals for seniors find out which of the airlines you are considering offer discounts for AARP members. If you are getting a senior rate you may find that your companion can also benefit from the same rate. Be sure to ask about these rates and any coupons or vouchers that are offered to senior travelers.

Clubs and Award Programs

Being a member of an airline or hotel awards program is a superb way of finding out about the bargains and also for making ongoing savings every time you travel. As a general rule there is no limit to the number of award programs that you can join, but normally you will have to decide which of the award programs you wish to assign any points you earn during a vacation.

Frequent Flyer Points

Large airline companies now offer frequent flier incentives as a matter of course. Take some time to locate the best deal based on your own individual circumstances. As well as gaining points every time you fly you can also become part of a mailing list that ensures you are notified of the hot deals of the day!

The largest frequent flyer programs in America are United’s Mileage Plus, Delta’s SkyMiles and American’s Aadvantage. On average they have 20 million members each.

Hotel Award Programs

Hotel chains are keen to ensure that they have loyal customers and as such the larger chains will almost always offer some incentive for repeat bookings. Always ask what incentives are available, particularly if you can’t choose between two different hotels. If one offers a good ongoing program, this may sway your decision. Some of the more popular offerings include a free upgrade if you stay for 10 days over the course of a year, free nights, free wine in your room.

Holiday Inn was the first hotel chain to begin to offer incentives and in the early days it was an impressive offer! After 75 days stay a traveler would get 2 airline tickets to Europe! Needless to say, this program was popular but soon had to be discontinued due to the amount it was costing the company. They do now have a very good awards program, just not quite as generous!

Combined Award Programs

Although some hotels and airlines offer frequent flyer points that encourage you to use their specific company, these sometimes will not offer you the best deal in combination. There are now plenty of companies that allow you to gather points whenever you use transport or goods that are affiliated to awards company.

Affiliates can be anything from hotels and flights to restaurants and clothing. Joining is normally easy and free, and with a bit of careful planning can yield huge rewards. What have you got to lose?

Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.



Mahalo.





******************************************************************

Must Have Finance Tools and Resources



Want to save money while learning how to save money?



Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection. Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?



For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources



http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html



******************************************************************

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Enjoying The Frugal Lifestyle

The word frugality has left a more negative connotation for most people than simply being a saver, a cheapskate or tightwad. There is a thin line difference to saving and too much frugality to the point of being awkward and ridiculous. This is where the negative connotation comes from.
But if you are guided with the right principles and reasons in deciding to live a frugal life, you would never go wrong.

If you have decided to live frugally, no need to be worried of insults. Keep your head up high. And keep your focus through these tips.



1. Eating Out - Having gimmicks with friends on a Friday night is fine if you do it once in a while. But this can be expensive if you add them up at the end of the month.



2. Clothing - Naturally, if you are the kind of person who adores signature and designer clothes, do not expect that there will be something left of your take home pay. Instead of being trendy, wear clothes that can easily be matched with your other clothes.



3. Own Home - If you are planning to move out and find a place to settle, do not be overwhelmed by the excitement, instead be practical. As a start, buy a smaller house or try other ways like rent-to-own, do-it-yourself arrangements, and owner financing.



4. Buying Your Own Car - Shy away from sports cars or SUVs. Just stick to your purpose of buying a car which is to transport you anywhere you need to go. Check out also program cars like a new car warranty. Maybe this is not just the best time to replace your car with a new one.



5. Shopping for Groceries - As much as possible do not go with items that are branded. Choose non-brands and try looking for items on the highest or lowest shelves for best prices. Grab the opportunity and shop during sales or use coupons.



6. Family Out - There are inexpensive ways to bond with your family and be entertained like going to libraries, local parks, malling, picnics, visit friends and local church.



7. Buying School Supplies - Stock school supplies at home and do not buy anything fancy.



8. Be contented with what you have and try to live within what you earn.



9. Plan your Child's College Education - Teach them the ways to be independent and self-supporting by encouraging them to apply for scholarships and on campus jobs.



10. Be Aware of your Financial Limitations



11. Anticipate your Failures by Planning - Have always a budget plan so you would avoid impulsive buying.




Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.



Mahalo.





******************************************************************

Must Have Finance Tools and Resources



Want to save money while learning how to save money?



Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection. Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?



For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources



http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html



******************************************************************

Monday, April 5, 2010

How To Lose Your Money, Fast

You want to lose money fast and easily? Gamble it away on “sure bets”, and “can't lose propositions”. Sure having a small wager can make things interesting from time to time, but watch overdoing it. As they say, gambling is a game of chance. This means that nobody is sure when one will lose or win.

However, there is only one fact that remains. In gambling, there is bound to be a loser. In fact, most people contend that a game is not to be considered as gambling if it will not have losers. This goes to show that when people gamble, they are bound to lose than win.

Today, more and more people are getting hooked up with gambling. They see this kind of activity as an outlet of their problems, a place where to get unwind from a hard day's work, or simply a form of recreation. What they don't know that when somebody starts to get hooked up with gambling, chances are he or she is bound to lose great things in the end.

So, how does it feel to lose gambling? Is losing really a part of the game? There are so many questions, yet, just a few answers. This is because people are not aware of the probability of somebody's chance in winning the game of chance.

Here are some facts about gambling and its losing characteristic:

1. If people gamble more, chances are, they will lose more.

This is one great way how to lose in gambling. People just have to continue gambling and they will continue to lose more.


2. Because gambling entails a lot of money, most people tends to think that gambling is more about winning. They just don't realize that losing in gambling has more impact and has more probability of getting it.

3. People will never win in gambling.

Statistics show that most of the people, who play gambling, will never be able to win because of the little chances that they have.

For example, in a game of card, there are 52 cards in a deck of cards, thirteen of which are four suits. A person's probability of drawing the card that will make them win the game is only 1 in every 52 chances, and the chance of having a perfect hand of cards is 1 in 635,013,559,599.

Other examples are the games that use dice. Normally, each dice has six sides. This goes to show that for every 6 attempts people will throw, they will get 1 chance to get the number that they want. Though, there's only 1 in 216 if the person will be using three dice.

Indeed, gambling is really a game of chance, even if some people contend it uses skills. With gambling, people are really bound to lose.

Lets face it casinos and bookies don't get rich giving away money. The odds are against you, so be careful, have fun, but be smart. So choose your risks carefully and never gamble beyond your means.

Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.

Mahalo.

======================================================

The opportunity for you to earn $200 or more an hour presents itself.



As a Money Finder, you assist these individual locate their missing assets and collect a commission for doing so. You only collect a commission when you reunite some one with their unclaimed property .



The Inquisitive Explorer's Unclaimed Money Finder's Guide explains it all.



It takes very little money to get started!





http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/MoneyFinder/moneyfinder.html



And as a bonus I will throw in the Inquisitive Explorer's Guide to Free Government Money.



You have nothing to lose and everything to gain in this exciting business.





================================================================

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Why The Stock Market?

We are past the market meltdown of 2009 and things are looking up for investors once again. With the new financial regulation being pushed through congress one can safely start thinking about getting back into the game.

The potential for higher returns are far better from the stock market than from many of the safe investments available. $1 wisely invested in the stock market can bring many multiples in returns when compared to leaving money in a bank (where interest can be shockingly low).

Many people believe that the stock market is too risky – yes, there is an element of risk, and yes you could potentially lose your capital…but investors who take the time to educate themselves and fine-tune their investment skills have a far better chance of getting much better returns on their capital than those who opt for 100% safe investments. It’s also important to note that often, when one leaves their money in a bank, the actual returns from the interest do not even cover the cost of inflation – in some cases it’s possible to actually lose money in real terms because inflation is higher than the general interest received.

In fact, investing in the stock market offers something for every type of investor, from risk averse to those who are willing to take on calculated risks in order to achieve higher returns. There are also scores of investment funds where the investor does not need to know anything about stock markets or investment – the fund manager invests on your behalf, usually in return for a fee. There is of course no guarantee that a fund will deliver outstanding performance (or will not incur a loss) but if anyone ought to know about beating the market it would be fund managers.

Having said all this there are also risks inherent with stock market investment. When you deposit your money in a bank your capital is not really at risk – with stock market investment you run the risk of losing all the money that you invest if the stock goes bust. Also, while many analysts look at past performance of companies and markets we all know of the disclaimer that says “the past is not necessarily a guide to future performance” – in other words what has brought success before may not always bring success in the future. The market can be a real enigma at times.


Why The Smaller Investor Has Advantages Over Huge Multinational Funds When It Comes To Scooping Up Higher Investment Returns

You would be forgiven in thinking that with all the professional managers, funds and resources at their disposal that investment funds would win head over heels against the smaller investor like you and I. In fact this is not at all the case – smaller investors have several advantages over the big funds and have every chance of beating their returns on investments. Here’s why:

The individual investor does not have to invest millions and so they can invest in small caps (tiny growth companies) that have the potential to grow many times over. These stocks are typically far too illiquid for funds to enter.
The smaller investor can get in and out of a stock with the simple click of a mouse or a phone call (and get roughly the same sale price per share). The larger funds have to gradually sell their holdings in a company (they may have millions of shares to offload – not an easy or quick thing to achieve).
Individual investors can effectively trade positions for small gains – something that larger funds simply do not have the ability to do.

On top of this, the internet has more or less facilitated the smaller investor to have access to the same information at the same time as the big city fund managers. Arguably, the individual investor also has the added advantage of speed – a fund manager may have to get approval in order to buy into a company (not a case for the individual investor) and cannot take advantage of special situations (such as buying on breaking news and so on).

Remember however, if you really want to become a “professional investor” – one who is savvy enough to beat the market and essentially make a living from investments then you need to learn as much as you can about how the market works, how to analyze companies, the part psychology plays in driving markets and how to create an investment/trading system that’s right for you. Even the masters of investing such as Warren Buffet and Jim Slater all started from scratch. Warren Buffet once did not know what the PE of a company meant. Jim Slater once did now know how to read the balance sheet of a company. They educated themselves and discovered how to pick stocks that have excellent potential – you could be doing the same. The first step to investment is to invest in yourself and your education. To offer an overused yet apt phrase – KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.



Mahalo.





******************************************************************

Must Have Finance Tools and Resources



Want to save money while learning how to save money?



Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection. Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?



For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources



http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html



******************************************************************

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Avoiding Insurance Fraud

Now that Health Reform has been passed, one needs to be wary when shopping for Health Insurance. Yes it is now mandatory just like Car Insurance for drivers. I'll leave the debate about the constitutional legalities for another day. The fact is you will need to get it if you are not covered by your employer, or one of your family members. But be wary, very wary when researching Health Insurance companies. Just like the Auto Insurance Industry, there are a lot of fraudulent companies out to make a quick buck out of you and your needs.

Everyone knows that the health insurance industry is continually raising monthly premiums, and many feel this is unjust to you as the consumer. However, the health insurance industry has had to fight increasing health insurance fraud. The amount of money spent on investigating and prosecuting fraud is then passed on to policyholders. Many people do not understand what health insurance fraud entails, though. With reports estimating health insurance fraud is a $30 billion to over $100 billion industry per year, the topic should not be taken lightly. Every health insurance policyholder should understand what health insurance fraud is and its consequences. By doing so, you are more able to recognize and fight fraud.



Health insurance fraud is typically defined as intentionally deceiving, misrepresenting, or concealing information to receive benefits from the insurance company. Essentially this means that you assert that you paid for certain medical procedures or expenses out-of-pocket which you have not actually received, and you are submitting claims to the insurance company to receive reimbursement. Another example of member fraud is to conceal pre-existing conditions or to alter medical documents so that non-policyholders or ineligible members receive medical benefits under your policy. Perhaps your sister does not have insurance and needs medical attention. Having her use your name and policy to cover the expenses is health insurance fraud. While you may think that this is a small issue in comparison to your sister receiving treatment, it is actually very serious to your health insurance company and industry, and will result in fines and possible imprisonment if your are caught.



Not only policyholders commit fraud, but providers (physicians, hospitals, etc.) do as well. Since physicians and hospitals bill the insurance company for services they provide for you, they are also receiving reimbursement from the insurance company. When providers commit fraud, they may be billing the insurance company at higher rates for services rendered or they may bill for services you never received. In these cases, you will probably be asked to cooperate in the insurance company's investigation.



Another type of health insurance fraud that has developed recently targets the policyholder more than the insurance company. Schemes have developed where fake insurance companies or agents sign unsuspecting customers for coverage at surprisingly low premium rates. They often act much like a regular insurance company for the first few months, paying for smaller medical claims like physicians visits. But once you have a more serious medical condition that needs treatment, the insurance company will disappear - along with the money you have been paying in premiums.



The rule with health insurance fraud is much like that of any other scam: if a deal seems too good to be true, just remember - it probably is. Remember to be honest in your dealings with health insurance companies and expect the same in the return from these companies, as well as your health care providers. Stay legal to avoid fines and prison and to continue receiving health insurance coverage.


Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.



Mahalo.





******************************************************************

Must Have Finance Tools and Resources



Want to save money while learning how to save money?



Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection. Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?



For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources



http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html



******************************************************************

Monday, March 8, 2010

Save Money by Avoiding those Little Temptations

It's the little things that tend to really add up when you find yourself with more month at the end of the money. It is too easy to say, “It's only a dollar, its only five dollars etc.” but these little purchases is what brings about the biggest trouble when one tries to save money.

Saving money and financial management is very crucial in one's life. Money is very important in order to survive in this world but only a few people know how to manage their household budget properly. Many people have a hard time saving money even if it is for their own good.

Most of the time, you may be motivated to save money but there are times when temptations come your way and before you know it, you have already spent the amount that was supposed to be added to your savings account. Here are some helpful tips on how you can avoid temptations and be able to save money:

1. Try hard to avoid those things that keep you from saving. If you are fond of buying shoes even if you don't really need them, try very hard to stay away from them. Keep yourself away from shoe stores so that you will not be tempted to buy one.

2. When going to grocery stores. Always bring the exact amount and bring with you a grocery list. If you have limited money in your pocket when in grocery stores, you will be forced to buy only those important things that you need. Preparing a grocery list will also help you get organized and will help you in deciding the things that need to be prioritized.

3. Go to the malls only when needed. Do not go shopping if you do not need anything important to buy. Window-shopping will only tempt you to buy the dress you saw in the boutique even if you don't really need it.

4. Do not bring all your credit cards with you all the time. Having a credit card in your pocket will only tempt you to buy things that are not necessary. This will also help you lower your balances and have a good credit score.

5. You may want to save money in the bank or invest in time deposits. You will not be tempted to get money from the bank every time you need cash, if they are placed in a time deposit account.

6. You may also want to consider consulting a financial advisor. There are a lot of programs that offer these services for free. They may be able to help you and give you advice on how you can avoid temptations and save more money.

So watch out for those little “nickel and dime” purchases that eat away at your finances. Be careful and mindful and you will find that you will soon have more than enough money to last out the month and beyond.

Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.

Mahalo.

******************************************************************
Must Have Finance Tools and Resources

Want to save money while learning how to save money?

Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection.

Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?

For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources
http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html
******************************************************************

Monday, February 15, 2010

Do You Have Unclaimed Pensions Funds?

Is it possible that you or someone you know may be owed a pension benefit without knowing it?

If you have ever changed jobs, or have been laid off, or have retired, you may have accrued pension assets and they may be lying in the state's unclaimed property funds where you or your family member worked. Pensions are not as plentiful as they once were with all of the IRA's, 401(k)s, and other self administered retirement programs, but there's still plenty of cash left from people who forgot to claim them. There's about $133 million in unclaimed pension funds, according to Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the federal pension insurance program. Who also estimates that approximately 35,000 people are affected and may have pension money just sitting around.

The PBGC takes over pension plans if a company goes out of business. If the employer can't locate people that have left the company, the PBGC tries to track them down. If you think you may have left a pension plan somewhere, you can check with the PBGC at search.pbgc.gov/mp/. There, you can type in your name and company in a search tool.

Private Pension Plans:

Many private pension plans are federally insured even if the company terminated its plan or filed bankruptcy, it is possible to retrieve these unclaimed pensions. Although the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation which was created by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 has been successful in reuniting many people with their pensions, many people have not been located yet.

Former employees of certain companies, or their survivors, may be able to claim significant benefits as a result of a class action legal settlement. The benefits are payable under a 1996 settlement with the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), involving some 12,000 pension plans nationwide that were terminated between 1976 and 1981.

If you worked for a company, for as little as 5 years, in the past that went out of business or ended its defined benefit pension plan, you may still be entitled to pension benefits. Workers in those plans who did not receive appropriate benefits are now entitled to them plus interest. Many thousands of missing workers identified thus far have received payments averaging between $10,000 and $12,000 as a result of the settlement with PBGC. However, thousands of employees or their survivors have not yet been paid because they have not been located.

Public Pension Plans:

Federal and State employees retirement plans are generally cover under some type of public Federal and State Employee Retirement Plans. As with all other jobs, these employees also leave this type of employment for many different reasons and leave behind unclaimed pension funds. The administrator of these plans are charged with locating these individuals to return their unclaimed funds. Many government retirement plan administrators are also trying to find lost participants to assist them (or their beneficiaries) in claiming their accounts.

The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is a retirement savings and investment plan for Federal employees. Congress established the TSP in the Federal Employees' Retirement System Act of 1986. The purpose of the TSP is to provide retirement income. The TSP offers Federal employees the same type of savings and tax benefits that many private corporations offer their employees under "401(k)" plans. TSP regulations are published in title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Parts 1600–1690, and are periodically supplemented and amended in the Federal Register. (On October 30, 2000, the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act was signed; it extends participation in the TSP to members of the uniformed services, including the Ready Reserve.

Every state in America holds millions of dollars worth of unclaimed pension funds that belongs to people who don't even know that it exists. You may very well be among these people. It is important to locate your unclaimed pension funds. There are databases you can access that contain over tens of thousands of unclaimed pension plan participants with the last known addresses and employer information, for whose account have been declared abandoned. Look below for a resource that will help you find these, as well as help others.

Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.

Mahalo.

======================================================

The opportunity for you to earn $200 or more an hour presents itself.



As a Money Finder, you assist these individual locate their missing assets and collect a commission for doing so. You only collect a commission when you reunite some one with their unclaimed property .



The Inquisitive Explorer's Unclaimed Money Finder's Guide explains it all.



It takes very little money to get started!





http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/MoneyFinder/moneyfinder.html



And as a bonus I will throw in the Inquisitive Explorer's Guide to Free Government Money.



You have nothing to lose and everything to gain in this exciting business.





================================================================

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Decoding Bargain Holiday Packages

Ah January, that long month after a festive holiday season that turns to the blahs, especially here in the northern climes with the subzero temperatures and blowing snow. So to keep ourselves sane and to get through the workday we turn to planning vacations. However in this economic clime one has to budget smartly, so a lot of people turn to the old standby “Package Holidays” to save money.

Package holidays are simply holidays where the travel operator offers the whole trip, including the flights, hotels and in some cases the transport when you arrive at your destination. Bearing this in mind, a lot of the tips for getting cheap flights will be the same as they are for package holidays. Having said this, there are some specific ways of bagging a package holiday bargain.

The reason that many tour operators offer such cheap deals for packages is because they buy a certain number of flights and hotel rooms which they then try and sell throughout the year. By definition, they will have more possible holidays during peak season, but then there will also be greater demand meaning that the bargains may not be what you would hope.

Last minute package holidays are readily available if you are not fussy about destination and can wait until the very last minute. If you simply want somewhere hot, tomorrow, you will almost certainly bag a bargain; if you want a specific type of destination or resort then you may find that you are not able to get that last minute deal.

Optional extras are big business for package tour operators and they will often make most of their profit from these extras such as insurance, excursions and transport at your destination. Whilst these will often be available elsewhere cheaper, you may find that purchasing these from your package holiday operator will allow you to negotiate a discount on your holiday. You may even be able to get a ‘free’ extra if you agree to book on the spot.

Another thing to bear in mind is that accommodation is not the expensive part of the package and you will sometimes find that a package holiday to a particular destination will end up as a cheaper alternative to trying to book flights on their own. Last minute package deals are often so cheap that you can take the point of view that even if you hate the accommodation you can always phone around for your chosen hotel. On a similar note, the best bargains are often those that are classified as ‘allocation on arrival’. This simply means that you will be allocated accommodation when you arrive.

Some operators offer a halfway option where you will be told the resort, the type of hotel or the grade but the final selection will be done when you arrive.

Sure these might sound a bit cheesy, but if you want to go to an unfamiliar destination, this could be your best option to travel. Once there, you can freelance as you wish.

Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.



Mahalo.

******************************************************************

Must Have Finance Tools and Resources



Want to save money while learning how to save money?



Well Order the Budget Mega Pack and receive two valuable bonus ebooks for your collection.



Hey, you earned it, why not keep it?
For more info and to Order Today so you can save On These Valuable Resources
.


http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/finance.html



******************************************************************

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Does The IRS Owe You Money?

Unclaimed IRS refunds:



Within the past few years, the IRS had over 88,000 income tax refund checks totaling more $75 million returned undeliverable. That is an average of more than $750 per return went undelivereable due to unreported changes of name or address or due to a marriage, death or divorce. Could one of those undeliveed income tax refund checks belong to you?

Actually that is nothing, small potatoes, additionly, each year approximately $450 million dollars in IRS refund checks are delivered but are uncashed. That totals over one half a billion dollars annually in unclaimed Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funds. Now if you think the IRS owes you money, you can call their toll-free assistance line at 1-800-829-1040 or visit their web site at http://www.irs.gov/. However, if you have had dealings with the IRS before, you know navigating that bureaucracy can be somewhat daunting.



According to the Internal Revenue Service, there is more than $2 billion in unclaimed refunds awaiting over 1.7 million people who failed to file an income tax return in the past few years. Unfortunately there is a statue of limitation on collecting late filed IRS refund checks. In order to collect the money, a return must be filed with the IRS office no later than three years following the year in which the return was due to have been filed. The IRS estimates that about half of those who could claim refunds would receive on average of $600 or more. Some individuals may have had taxes withheld from their wages, but had too little income to require filing a tax return.



In cases where a return was not filed, the law provides most taxpayers with a three-year window of opportunity for claiming a refund. If no return is filed to claim the refund within three years, the money becomes property of the U.S. Treasury. For 2006 returns, the window closed on April 15, 2010. The law requires that these returns be properly addressed, postmarked and mailed by that date. There is no penalty assessed by the IRS for filing a late return qualifying for a refund.



Accessing database and information that contain the 100,000's of unclaimed or undeliverable IRS refunds from the past 3 years is something you can do yourself if you have the time and knowledge. If you do not, we can aid you with resources that offer access to these refunds for many localized regions to assist you.


Come back next time for more tips. Tricks and techniques to assist you in Living the Champagne Life on a Beer Budget. Remember we're all in this together and I'm pulling for you.



Mahalo.


======================================================

The opportunity for you to earn $200 or more an hour presents itself.



As a Money Finder, you assist these individual locate their missing assets and collect a commission for doing so. You only collect a commission when you reunite some one with their unclaimed property .



The Inquisitive Explorer's Unclaimed Money Finder's Guide explains it all.



It takes very little money to get started!





http://www.renspubhouse.netii.net/MoneyFinder/moneyfinder.html



And as a bonus I will throw in the Inquisitive Explorer's Guide to Free Government Money.



You have nothing to lose and everything to gain in this exciting business.





================================================================