Money Savings

Money Saving Travel Tips


Financial Editor Farnoosh Torabi reveals the tips you need to keep your costs down when booking your holiday travel this year.

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How to Keep Fit Easily and for Free

Getting in shape is a constant battle for most people that can sometimes put a strain on your wallet. Although exercising at the gym or with a personal trainer can be a great way to lose weight and keep you motivated, but it can also be incredibly expensive. So for individuals looking for alternative ways to get fit without spending a considerable chunk of their bank balance there are many options available.

If you are like me and constantly looking for beneficial ways to cut costs, but still maintain results then you understand the importance of being financially aware. Many of the authoritative business blogs that I frequent routinely stressing the importance of looking for cost effective alternatives that produce the same (or better) results. Therefore, I think the following tips, that have been researched on behalf of wonga.ca, will prove very useful to you in helping you develop ways to exercise for free.

One of the best ways to still gain access to gyms without paying is to look for school gyms. Most school gyms offer open days weekly that allow visitors the ability to work out for free during predetermined hours of the day. Since this accessibility is free it is usually only allowed with time constraints. However, if you are aware of the scheduled open hours you can plan your schedule ahead of time to ensure that you get to work out free of charge. This option provides you with all the facilities and equipment of a commercial gym without having to pay the costly monthly bill for the privilege.

Another way to stay fit without having to drain your savings involves just watching your TV. There are many stations available that have exercise programs on for you to follow. This will allow you to get the same benefits possible with a trainer without having to spend a fortune. You can even record exercise programs so that you can perform the exercise routines in your free time when it suits you. This option is free and easy for anyone that is self-motivated, if you happen to be lacking a little in the motivation department (cough, yours truly) I find that actually working out to a video of the exercises is incredibly useful as I adopt a different mentality to my regime when the pace is being dictated by someone else.

If you are looking for alternative forms of exercise that also give back to the community then there are great options available. Charities are always having walks or runs for causes and always need individuals to participate. You can usually receive sponsorships to join these types of activities and your workout will be beneficial to your entire community, and there’s nothing like the prospect of helping out a worthy cause to make sure you stick to your regime.

Exercise is necessary to promote a healthy lifestyle, but traditional exercise options aren’t the only types available. There are many ways to get fit without having to reach into your wallet.  Try these tips and see the results that they bring to all aspects of your life.

Author: This is a guest post by wongaforbusiness.

How to Play the Dating Game without Breaking the Bank

Planning a date without having to bust up your bank balance can be a real challenge. In one way you’ll not want to appear frugal, but these days many couples are responsible and pretty much in the same boat when it comes to planning finances and going careful with the cash. A few tips have been outlined below by the money experts at https://www.wonga.co.za that should help you deal with this tricky balance. But fundamentally it shouldn’t be too hard if you’re with the right person, for example if you were to suggest to your perfectly matched other half that you both should spend a cosy night indoors and watch a movie, then he or she would fully understand and probably support the idea. To keep yourself amused you could swap the usual bottles of wine for pear cider and rather than order that expensive take away from the local Chinese or Indian, why not cook something up yourself that you have purchased from the local cheap supermarket?

Cooking food yourself rather than buying food from a take away is definitely more romantic anyway and you could begin preparing the meal hours before your date comes round. If there is not a good movie on the box and you want to keep the costs down from hiring off the local DVD rental store, then scour the television listings for some quality entertainment you believe both of you would enjoy.

If you really don’t like the sound of just sitting and watching television, why not try and see if it’s a warm enough to put a blanket out in the garden and see if you can see any stars together. Obviously you’d need a clear night, but during the fifties, romantic dates often consisted of a night sat in a stationary car watching the bright lights of the city from high up on a hill. There is no need to even dip your hand in your pocket to pull out the money on this kind of date.

Again, depending on weather conditions, an evening on the ice rink together in the local park is a very cheap option. Most cities might not have such a luxury so find out if there is an ice rink indoor arena or a roller skating rink somewhere close.

If finding a skating rink or ice rink is just not happening in your town, why not take your partner to the local arcade. Here, many of the machines take very small amounts of change and you could buy a cola and some candy floss for a very low price.

There are a couple of websites that do some great deals for couples or those who are just going out on a first date. Living Social and Group On are often flagging up 2-for-1 deals that may offer a night out in a Chinese or Italian restaurant, meaning you would only pay for one meal as opposed to two, so it’s a bit like getting the deal half price.

Another restaurant tip is to avoid buying drinks in the establishment but get your drinks from a nearby pub instead. This will definitely avoid the restaurant’s high alcohol tariffs.

Author: This is a guest post by wongaforbusiness.

When Is The Best Time To Start Investing In Your Future?

Your financial future is contingent on the preparations you make now. You cannot “hope for the best” and believe that you will be secure. Saving and investing into your future should start as early as possible in life, and it should continue on as a lifelong commitment.

What Should I Do If I Have Not Started Saving?

If you have not begun to save for your future, regardless of your age, you must make the commitment to yourself to begin now. While it is much easier to get into the habit of saving when you first enter the workforce, in truth, it is never too late to begin.

You can start with your very next paycheck, even if it is just a small amount, and set aside money for your future. There are many options that you can use, and anyone from any economic background can create a stable financial future for themselves.

How Do I Save Money For My Future When Everything Is So Expensive Now?

Rising prices throughout the economy has made it more difficult for people to save. However, it is not impossible. There are several ways that you can generate wealth for yourself that will not require you to deny yourself necessities or even entertainment. The first thing that you must do is commit to the idea that you are going to build a stable financial future for yourself. Once you have made the commitment, you will be able to find ways to make it happen.

The following ideas are simple ways that you can “find” extra money to save for your future.

• Use Coupons. Use coupons for everything, not just groceries. Every time that you save money with coupons, take this amount and place it into your future fund for investing. While this may sound like a silly way to save, it adds up quickly. If you save $20 using a dinner coupon, $20 at the grocery store, $10 on an oil change, you have the potential of saving $50 on one weekend afternoon while you are running errands. As you can see, it will quickly add up.

• Pay Off Debt. Look at your outstanding credit lines. Do you have a high interest credit card? This credit line is costing you more than you may think. On average, a credit card with a 25 percent interest rate and a $1,500 balance could take up to 20 years to pay off if the minimum payments are being made. This is almost as long as a mortgage. Pay off this card and commit the money you would have been paying on it each month to your retirement fund.

• Change Your Programming. Many people simply do not realize how much extra money they spend each month on their cable bills. Do you really watch 500 channels? You can find up to $100 a month to invest by trimming your cable bill to only the channels you really watch. With the ability to stream movies and TV programs on demand, the cost of movie channel subscriptions no longer makes good financial sense.

Saving for your future is possible, if you are willing to make the commitment. It takes a little creativity, especially in harder economic times, but it can be accomplished.

Nisha Sharma is a freelance writer currently helping to represent the charity MHA.

ConEdison Offers $25 Rebate for New ENERGY STAR A/C

Buy a new ENERGY STAR air conditioner this summer between May 15 and August 22 and cash in on a $25 rebate! Project Manager Jessica DiDonato tells you how to take advantage of this offer, save money and energy, and keep your cool this summer. Scan the code to watch this video, or visit conEd.com/videos to see these and other go-green tips.

*Rebate applications must be postmarked no later than August 31. Rebates will be paid until funds are depleted.

 

Groupon $10 Offer


Groupon is offering a $10 bonus for me and a $10 bonus for the person I refer. The person needs to make a purchase by January 25, 2011.

About Groupon
Groupon negotiates huge discounts—usually 50-90% off—with popular businesses. We send the deals to thousands of subscribers in our free daily email, and we send the businesses a ton of new customers. That’s the Groupon magic.

Some of the past deals include:

74% Off Zipcar Membership

69% Off at Pure Power Boot Camp

Up to 85% Off Dental Services

Please sign up using the link below.
http://www.groupon.com/r/uu6298533

Offermatic Offers Automatic Savings

Offermatic is a service that provides discounts, savings and rewards automatically for you.

Automatic Rebates

  • Rebates applied directly to your card
  • No coupons or codes to deal with

Exclusive Discounts

  • Hot deals based on purchase history
  • Discounts always 50-90% off!

Reward Points

  • Earn points automatically
  • Redeem points for gift cards & more!

Watch the video below for a quick explanation of how Offermatic works. Then, sign up and register at least one credit or debit card with them and they’ll do the rest of the work. It’s quick and seamless. They will access your credit or debit transactions and compare them to their database and try to match you with offers and discounts.

I have signed up for this service and after registering my credit cards, I have received 5 offers in less than 10 minutes, 3 of them are highly relevant to me. They also have a points system that allows you to receive better deals as you accumulate more points. Sign up today:
http://www.offermatic.com/refer/2838

Groupon Offers Great Daily Deals

Groupon features great daily deals on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in a variety of cities across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The daily deals offers deep discounts to Cruise packages, ZipCar membership, restaurants, massage sessions, tickets to popular shows and more.

I recently purchase $50 Worth of Apparel at Gap for only $25, a whopping 50% off. An email was sent to me a day after my purchase, with a link to print out the code for $50 of purchases in Gap.

If you would like to sign up for Group, click here.

2010 Tax Day Food Freebies and Deals

Tax day just got better. Now companies are giving out big bargains or even free stuff on the day of the tax filing deadline.

On Wednesday 04/14/2010 (the day before Tax Day)

Whole Foods – free cup of offee at participating locations. See local ad for details at wholefoodsmarket.com.

On Thursday 04/15/2010 (on Tax Day):

Chik-fil-a [dailypress.com] (YMMV) – Some locations may be offering free mini-biscuits from 6-10:30AM.

Cinnabon – two free cupcake bites from 6-8PM.

MaggieMoos’ – free sample of their new ice cream pizza.

Taco Del Mar, Del Mar’s or Mondo’ – Sign up online and get a free taco.

Whole Foods [bizjournals.com] – Tax-free shopping in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and the Carolinas.

McCormick and Schmick’s – $10.40 dinner and drink specials at the bar. You’ll also get a “Tax Relief Certificate” for another $10.40 of free food and drink.

McDonald’s [coupondivas.com] (YMMV) – Some locations may be offering a Big Mac or Quarter Pounder for a penny when you buy one at regular price. Call or check to see if your location is offering it.

P.F. Chang’s – 15% discount on all food (does not include alcohol).

Jamba Juice Buy 1 Get 1 Free (4/12-4/25)
Jamba Juice is having a BOGO sale to celebrate their 20th anniversary. Buy one drink off the menu, get another drink of equal or lesser value for free. The coupon can be printed from their website: http://www.jambajuice.com/#/home/

Boston Market: They have a BOGO coupon good from Apr. 15-18.

HydroMassage: Print out this coupon and schedule a free massage any time on tax day through April 18. Bonus points for going multiple times each day.

Mr. Jim’s Pizza: Most of their locations in TX, LA, WY, and NC are giving away a free pizza if you first fan them on Facebook and print out the coupon.

Starbucks: Bring in any reusable cup and get it filled with free coffee.

Taco Del Mar: FREE TACO!

How I Cut Down On Food Expenses

I eat out frequently and I have noticed that I have spent a lot of money on food. In 2008, I spent more than $8,300 on food-related items (including drinks and dining out), and this is only for one person. I thought that I should cut down on my food expenses. I went to the supermarket and went food shopping. I came home with many bags of groceries. I prepared sandwiches at home and brought them to work over the next 10 work days.

In the morning at work, I usually buy breakfast from a deli and would pay $3 for an egg-and-meat sandwich. Now, I could prepare the same sandwich at home for a fraction of the cost.

In the afternoon, I would buy lunch in different food places and spend around $10 for a meal. Now, I could prepare a sandwich that would cost much less.

My Groceries Bill from Pathmark

My Grocery Bill from Pathmark

My Bags of Groceries

My Bags of Grocery

My fridge stocked up with grocery

My fridge stocked up with grocery

Bread for My Sandwiches

Bread for My Sandwiches

A sandwich I prepared for work

A sandwich I prepare for work

My Breakfast / Lunch Savings for 10 Days
Average Cost for Breakfast: $3
Average Cost for Lunch: $10

10 Days’ Cost for Breakfast: 10 days x $3 / day = $30
10 Days’ Cost for Lunch: 10 days x $10 / day = $100

10 Days Total Cost: $130
Cost of Groceries: $55.85

Net Savings for 10 Days = $74.15


Long Term Savings
The savings will add up over the long term. If I can save $74.15 in 10 days, I can save $741.50 in 100 days. And in one year, I can save approximately $2,706.

I have done this savings only for breakfast and lunch. If I decide to cook my own dinner, I could extend my savings even further.

My Statement

The brown bag lunch concept has worked out pretty well in terms of money savings. Many of my coworkers bring lunch to work on a daily basis and they have saved a significant amount of money over the years. But when I asked several people why they bring lunch to work, I learned that the main reason is not just to save money. Surprisingly, the primary reason to brown bag lunch is because lunch from home is much more healthy than lunch from “outside.” In addition to eating healthy, they also happen to save money, thus killing two birds with one stone.

The only downside to this brown bag lunch concept is that I get tired of eating the same sandwiches after a while. But this is mainly because I have limited cooking skills. Once I become more creative in making better lunches, I believe this brown bag concept will work out well in the long term. I can see myself preparing and brown bagging tastier meals which will be beneficial to my health, and at the same time,  save money, which will be beneficial to my wealth.