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 After many life-changing happenings, I am finally at a point to start updating this site again.  

Many new articles to come!

Elisabeth 

How to Efficiently Deal with a Financial Emergency

It happens to everyone at least once — just when you think you are on top of your finances and your budget is flowing smoothly, disaster strikes. The size of the disaster may not be huge; it could just be a blown tire during your tightly budgeted vacation. Or it could be as big as the loss of a job, a house fire or a disabling health condition. Whatever your financial emergency, you can get through it if you have planned ahead and prioritize.

A big part of making your budget is saving for the unexpected. Most financial experts agree that everyone should have an emergency fund of at least one month’s expenses. Ideally you should have savings and investments that could support you for six months or more.

Have a “No Splurge Month”

Do you need to save some money for a big purchase or recover from a large bill you just paid? Perhaps you just want to gain better control of your spending. Having a "No Splurge Month" could be the answer for you.

A “No Splurge Month” is when you designate a month where you won't spend any money on anything that isn't absolutely essential. There is no spending money on anything you don't legitimately need. When done as a family, this is a great way to save some money and learn more about what you can really live without.

5 Ways to Make Your Salary Stretch Further

Living on a budget is not always an easy thing to do, especially when expenses will arise when you least expect them. But, even though it may not seem possible there are many ways to make your salary stretch further. Avoiding needless spending, comparison shopping and utilizing budget billing are a few ways to achieve this.

1. Avoid any needless spending.

• How many times have you gone to the store to pick up one or two items and left with a cart full? Sometimes it is easy to get drawn into sales that you did not know about and spend more than you wanted to. Most of the items are not necessary or needed at the moment.

• To help you curb unnecessary spending, either wait until you have a list of items to buy or keep yourself limited to the items you only need. Wants can be purchased at a later date as your budget allows.

7 Easy Strategies to Practice Self-Discipline and Frugality

Deciding to practice self-discipline and be frugal in your spending is one thing. Actually doing so is often quite another. Our old habits are hard to break. However, if you apply strategies to your spending, you will find it easier to practice self-discipline and frugality. Here are some easy strategies to get you started.

* Change your attitude about money. How you think about money determines the role it plays in your life. Stop thinking that you have to have the same things as everyone else. Instead, focus on what you really need instead of what you just want.

Top 5 Features of a Successful Budget

Budgeting seems simple enough, but when put into practice most people suddenly realize it is incredibly difficult to make and stick with a budget if certain factors are not developed. Successful budgets, no matter the size or purpose, all have a few common denominators: reality, goals, commitment, focus, and self-discipline.

1.  Reality

• Your budget needs to be tailored to fit your particular needs. Consider your income, debt, housing payments and utilities, insurance costs, food requirements, clothing requirements, transportation, activities for each family member, the ages of family members, and your particular financial goals.

• Do you need to budget semi-temporary expenses or long-term goals? Do you have plenty of income or are you barely scrimping by? Look at your own situation and seriously consider what money needs to go where to meet the needs and wishes of yourself and your family. Don’t forget unexpected and once-a-year expenses in your planning.
  
  

Discipline Yourself to Spend Less

No one wants to go into debt. We try to avoid it if we can, but we fall into the traps of credit cards and delayed payment specials so easily. Curbing our spending requires discipline and an honest effort.

As consumers, we have to learn to live within our means. This is more than having enough money in a paycheck to pay our bills. Financial security is having something in a savings account and money left over from our paychecks to use in an emergency if we need it.

Living paycheck to paycheck can be dangerous, especially if you have a family. Children get sick; cars break down. Taking money from the bills is not a wise decision, but if you are in a bind, you do what you have to do. The way to break this cycle is to spend less money each month.

Frugal Fourth of July Party Ideas

Summer is a time for celebrating and the Fourth of July is the keystone summer holiday. Fourth of July celebrations can get quite expensive, especially if you throw a big party every year. There are ways to keep your costs down without sacrificing the quality of the party. Here are some ideas to help create the perfect Fourth of July party without the big price tag.

Close neighborhoods are famous for a potluck get together. A potluck is where each person attending the party brings a food item to share with others. This way, no one person bears the brunt of the hefty food bill. In turn, it is an excellent way for neighbors and families to try different recipes.

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Frugal Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

We all want to celebrate and honor our moms on Mother’s Day, but you may be stumped for frugal Mother’s Day gift ideas this year. Giving Mother’s Day gifts doesn’t have to break your budget if you use one of these ideas.

Many restaurants offer discounts for mothers on Mother’s Day; some even allow moms to eat for free. You can check your local newspaper to see if there are any local restaurants offering this type of deal.

If you can’t find a restaurant that allows mom to eat for free or a reduced price, that doesn’t mean you can’t take mom out for the day. You may be able to find a museum or concert that has a Mother’s Day special. Check local colleges or universities, the newspaper, or online to find a venue offering a special for Mother’s Day.

8 Tips to Help You Beat Budget Busters

If you want to have control over your finances, a budget is essential. Knowing exactly how much money you have coming in each month and how much it will take to pay bills, buy the things you need and save a little, is the best way to prevent a financial meltdown. But it only works if you follow it closely.

Sometimes sticking to a budget is easier said than done. Everyone has a lapse every now and then, and while a couple of dollars won't make a huge difference, it can add up when it happens repeatedly. This will throw off your budget, and it could leave you struggling to come up with the money for the things you truly need.

By planning ahead and avoiding impulse buying, we can beat the budget busters. Here are some tips:

Setting Financial Priorities During Hard Times

Most of us have experienced times of financial hardship at one time or another. Sometimes it's because of layoffs or reduced working hours. Other times, it's due to large, unexpected expenses. But no matter what the reason, financial difficulties necessitate taking a look at our priorities.

When money is no object, we often spend it on things that we do not really need. We might go out to fancy restaurants every week, buy designer clothes or buy expensive high-tech toys for the kids. But when our disposable income is reduced, we must often give those things up to have enough money to pay the bills and spend on necessities.

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7 Tips for Setting Up Your Christmas Budget

There are many ways you can set up a budget for Christmas. The key is to begin early. Since Christmas is only three weeks away, you will probably need to put your Christmas gift list together now.

Here are some tips:

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This policy is valid from 01 Dec 2009

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact ejcooksey@ejcooksey.com.

You should assume that the Admin of this site has an affiliate connection to the products and/or services mentioned or reviewed on this site and may be compensated if you purchase a product from an affiliate link.

You should always perform due diligence before buying products or services from anyone via the Internet or offline.

Get Personal at Christmas and Save Money

With the Christmas holidays so close, you may be checking your budget to determine how much you can spend this year. Perhaps this may be the year that personalized gifts may be more appropriate in order for you to save some money.

Over the last several years, personalized Christmas gifts have become the norm rather than the exception. Certainly, this year you may be considering trimming down your list as well as coming up with creative presents you can give to your friends, co-workers, and family members.

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Reevaluate Your Policies to Save Money

If you’re like many people nowadays, you are probably on the lookout for ways to put or keep more money in your pocket. It’s strange how that biweekly or monthly paycheck seems to disappear without a trace. Look into your insurance and medical policies, as well as tax deductions for some pennies here and there.

Our extracurricular activities get the blame for hogging all the money, but there are other explanations as well. Depending on the things you like and don’t want to give up without a fight, it could be that the things we need are also taking more money than they should. Let’s look at a few of those things.

Claim more deductions.

• Who doesn’t want to get a check from Uncle Sam? It’s even better to see that money in your paycheck each pay period throughout the year. Take a look at your refund and your W-2 deductions. Claim another deduction when possible to see more money now. Getting a refund means that the government has the use of your hard-earned cash instead of you throughout the year.

Insurance policies.

• Take a look at your life insurance policy. What type of policy do you have? Do you have more coverage than you need? It is a good idea to investigate this each year. When the kids go to school or you hit retirement your needs may change. In the meantime, you could actually be saving hundreds of dollars right now.

Bundle policies.

• Get life, auto and homeowner’s insurance from the same company. If you have separate companies for everything, you are probably spending too much. Some companies offer deals to have the chance to carry more of your business. Not sure if your company will bundle policies together, you’ll never know if you don’t ask.

Health insurance.

• What are your savings? Many employers offer health plans, but are those plans really meeting your needs? If you are in reasonably good health, you can qualify for an independent policy through providers like Blue Cross/Blue Shield for less money. If you and your spouse have the same insurance plan offered at your jobs, take advantage of that to coordinate benefits and pay next to nothing for medical services.

Car insurance.

• Financial people recommend that you reevaluate your coverage every three years or so. If you have been an excellent driver with no record of accidents, look for car insurers that reward this type of driving history with low premiums and other perks. Even if you are okay with your car insurer, see if they can offer you better premiums for being a loyal customer.

What policies do you hold? From time to time it is okay to see if you can save money on them. In fact, it is prudent to do so. The extra money you need could be in the pages of one of those policies.

The Cost of Not Having Health Insurance

One of the biggest concerns in our society is health insurance.  On the one hand, it costs so much of our pay to have a health insurance policy in the first place.  On the other hand, millions of people are living day to day without the umbrella of health insurance to cover them and their families.

These people are just like you and me.  They are not necessarily poor or destitute.  People whose jobs are part time may not be offered health insurance as a part of their benefits. 

This means that they must look for an independent policy.  Depending on their age, medical history, and other demographics, their independent policy may be more than they can afford on their salary.  As a consequence, they and their family go uninsured.

With the high price of premiums, it may cost several hundred dollars a month for health insurance for the entire family.  This means less money in the paycheck for living expenses.  Families have to make a determination of what is more important at the time.

Many people use the emergency room at the hospital as a doctor’s office.  When they have a serious health problem, they go there.  A community hospital accepts patients without insurance with their promise to pay the bill.  These bills can be high and payment can drag on for some time.

To combat the costs of uninsured patients, hospitals raise their fees for service to offset the cost.  These increased charges are passed on to patients with insurance.  Depending on what their health insurance company is willing to pay, that could mean a substantial hospital bill after your stay, even with health insurance.

Without health insurance, people cannot get the help that they need when they are feeling poorly.  Conditions worsen until they must go to the hospital.  Now, the cost is more than it might have been if the person had had the means to visit the doctor.

Children make up a good percentage of the uninsured.  When their parents can’t afford health insurance, they go uncovered as well.  Over-the-counter medications substitute for regular check-ups at the doctor’s office.  Childhood vaccinations are important for the future health of a child.  Children that don’t receive them are at risk for various diseases that the vaccines would prevent.  

Another health concern is pregnancy.  Those who have no insurance and can’t afford prenatal care are more likely to develop problems during their pregnancy, either with the mother or with the child.  Pregnancy may seem like an event that takes care of itself, but all sorts of things can happen during those nine months.  Being under a doctor’s care brings peace of mind and immediate help if something is wrong.

What is the high cost of not having health insurance?  It is increased illness, higher premiums and hospital charges, not to mention deaths.  This is a serious issue for which a resolution couldn’t come a moment too soon.

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