Helpful Suggestions for Saving
You and your spouse have come to an
agreement on the family budget. Part of that budget and part of
your goal as a family is to have a regular savings program and
save for high-priced items. The plan sounds great but how you
go about implementing the plan is another issue altogether. The
task seems quite difficult and overwhelming. The key to
remember to help you get started saving is to start small. Take
small steps to start getting in the habit of savings.
Think of this: if you were to just put aside one dollar a
day you would have $365 at the end of the year to put into
savings. Just two dollars a day would double that. Think about
it carefully. Some of us spend two dollars a day just buying
coffee at the coffee shop when we could maybe cut back and find
another more economical way to get our coffee, such as have our
coffee fix in the morning right before leaving for work. We
could start at the one dollar a day and over time increase it
to $5 a day or $150 a month. $150 a month is $1,800 a year in
savings. It adds up very fast.
Some experts suggest that a family should set aside 10% of
their income for savings. However, if a family studies their
budget and realizes that they cannot save 10% then it would be
wise to save whatever they can. It would be better to save 1%
than to not save any money at all. The key is to start small,
as the overall task won’t look so overwhelming. Just look
around and carefully analyze where you spend your money on a
daily basis. Look at the small things like those two sodas you
buy from the vending machine everyday. You could buy a week’s
worth of soda at the grocery store at a much cheaper price and
put it in the refrigerator at work for usually a lot less and
save the difference.
Other Resources:
Channel Title: SavvySugar - Women May Be Selling Themselves Short
 Sisters are doing it for themselves - but aren?t super confident about it. According to a new study by Prudential, 95 percent of women are involved in financial decision-making in their households, and 25 percent of us are the primary decision-makers. But somehow, most women - 86 percent - feel like they don?t know how to choose financial products (like mutual funds, annuities, and stocks). Seems like a contradiction, no?
My guess is that the women polled know about as much about IRAs and bonds as anyone else (men included), but are more willing to admit that they?re sort of figuring it out as they go. Are these findings in line with your approach to finances? See a few more stats from the study and weigh in after the jump. - Multitasking First Ladies
For a job you marry into, being first lady is a lot of work. You're expected to meet, greet, wine, and dine foreign dignitaries, accompany husbands on trips and to numerous events, and be a fashion icon.
But these first ladies - well, they're not all technically first ladies, but are wives of countries' leaders - find time for their own interests and careers. See what these ladies do when they put themselves first.
 - Don?t Travel With Pets Before Answering These 5 Things
It?s a sweet idea to include pets in your trips, but isn?t always the smart thing to do for money or safety reasons. Over 1,200 people were surveyed on the subject in a TripAdvisor study and the results gave me some questions of my own. See five points to consider before including a pet on vacation this Summer when starting the slideshow.
 - Savvy Community: How to Renegotiate Everything
 Colbie recently shared a tip about renegotiating bills in our How Do You Save? group and it inspired TidalWave to dish on her favorite tips. Here's her guide to getting what you ask for.
This works for everything!
Car Insurance:
When I finally paid off my car, I called Progressive to tell them to take off collision. Then, just for kicks, I asked if there were any other discounts that I was eligible for. Apparently, there is a discount just for being a college graduate! I had no idea! After the 15 minute phone call, my monthly bill went from $120 down to $85! All because I asked!
Credit Card Interest Rate:
Before I had my Discover card paid off, my interest was just off the charts and I knew I could never pay it off with that rate. I called Discover (had been a customer for a long time) and asked if I could my interest rate decreased so I could pay off the bill and start using my credit card again. They cut my rate in half!
Keep reading for more savings tips straight from TidalWave. - Savvy Links: Essential Tips For Chatting With the Boss
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