Budget

It’s not always easy to make ends meet these days. Even in a good economy, most Americans are struggling financially. We work hard, but the bills just keep coming, and it is all too easy for debt to grow and paralyze our finances.

But not all of our financial problems are beyond our control. More than 1 in 5 working American adults do not set aside any of their earnings as savings, experts report. That’s a very bad thing, because long-term savings will help you protect yourself from sudden expenses and grow your net worth through investments.

It would be easier to save if you made more money, of course — that’s true for everyone. But, for many of us, there’s another factor. We’re simply wasting too much money. If we reigned in our spending and were more careful with our hard-earned money, we’d have more cash left over to save for a rainy day or for our long-term financial goals. You can find places in your regular budget and general personal finance strategy that you could tweak for bigger savings. Here are some things you should do.

Use tax-advantaged accounts more

Hopefully, you’re saving some money in tax-advantaged retirement accounts like 401(k)s, IRAs, and Roth IRAs. But these types of accounts are not the only tax-advantaged accounts that you have access to. You can also save money in tax-advantaged accounts that are designed for things like education- and health care-related expenses. You can withdraw money from these accounts for their intended purposes, so this has nothing to do with your insurance coverage, explain experts at neurosurgical offices. If you have health care expenses, you can be quite confident that you’ll be able to draw from your tax-advantaged health savings account.

Making more use of tax-advantaged accounts will save you money on your taxes, naturally. And every penny that doesn’t go to Uncle Sam could be used to bolster your own financial future, so make sure that you’re familiar with all of the important tax-advantaged accounts.

Wait longer to upgrade your phone

Most of us are pretty reluctant to drop $1,000 on something — in fact, most Americans don’t have $1,000 in the bank, experts say. But when we get sick of our old phone or break its screen, many of us are all too willing to rush out and buy the latest iPhone. Sure, the expense may be paid out month by month, but it will be paid monthly for a long time to come — and you could avoid this expense by just fixing up your old phone and using it for a little longer.

An iPhone 7 may not be a wonderful as an iPhone XS, but an iPhone 7 screen replacement is a whole lot cheaper than a brand-new iPhone XS. Be smart, and be more careful with your money.

Cook for yourself

If you work hard, you may find that you rarely have the time to make your own meals. But consider this: While you may be helping your career by working so much, your financial gains are being eaten into (no pun intended!) by your spending on takeout and restaurants. If you’re buying lunch for $15 at work every day, then you’re spending $75 a week — or nearly $4,000 a year.

While it’s not always easy to make time to cook, it’s important that you try. Consider meal prepping, which will give you multiple meals with just one cooking session. Or grab some quick meals that you can just heat up and serve (try to pick healthy ones, though). If you’re cooking more at home, you’ll be spending less on take-out, delivery, and restaurants — and that’s money that you can use to grow your wealth and protect your long-term financial health.

 

 

Driving a car is convenient. You can go to places you want to visit at any time. You can also go to work and head back home without any problem. You can also go on a road trip with your family or visit your friends in other areas.

The problem is that cars are expensive. Some people wait for a while until they have saved enough money to buy a vehicle or at least have enough for the down payment. You might also look for a financing option that suits your financial capacity.

Before you think about buying a new car, you need to determine first if you are doing so out of practicality. It is possible that you are only buying one for bragging rights. Some people say that when public transportation is affordable and convenient in your city, it makes no sense to buy a new car.

Consider your needs

If you reside in a place where you can find public transportation any time, and you live close to bus or train stations, you do not need to buy a car. However, if you are going to many places and you want to make things convenient, a new car might be an excellent choice. Not everyone has the same needs. Therefore, it is understandable if you desire to have a vehicle to meet those needs.

There are cheap and fuel-efficient cars

Some people say that cars are unnecessary and expensive. Although it is true, you need to check your financial capacity to see if you could afford the car you want to buy. If it is within budget and you are not burying yourself in debt to buy it, you can go for it. Besides, you can also find fuel-efficient cars that do not waste energy. You can lessen the amount you spend on gas.

You do not like to get stuck in a crowd

When using public transportation, you need to prepare for the crowd. It is worse during rush hours. You have no choice other than being patient and waiting since other people are also using public transportation just like you. If you want to be away from the crowd and be comfortable, you can buy your own car. You might have to beat traffic, which can also cause an inconvenience, but it is not as bad as getting sandwiched by several people inside a train. You are also protecting your valuables because they are safe in your car.

You can determine what you need and buy a car if you think it is necessary; otherwise, you can continue taking public transport until you are ready to buy a new vehicle. You can also check out a truck dealership Wyoming offers if you want to buy a new truck for business purposes. Compare the models and study the price differences to help you in negotiating the final price.

To read more on topics like this, check out the budget category.

Many companies are being more aggressive in terms of offering life insurance policies to people who are currently employed. Nowadays, one of the most common misconceptions about investing in insurance is that many believe that it is only for rich people. However, little do they know that many flexible insurance policies are tailored to fit your needs and budget. You can even ask the question, can I sell my life insurance? Below are just a few of the valid reasons why it is essential for you to invest in life insurance.

Added Investment

Some people ask if it is possible to sell their life insurance, in case they need the money. The answer is yes because there are a number of companies that are allowing their senior clients to cash out their life insurance policy once they reach a certain age bracket and remain in excellent health. They can use the money to pay for remaining loans, fund medical expenses or for leisure and travel purposes. Think of getting life insurance as an ideal investment that you can benefit from once you reach your retirement age.

It Gives Your Family Fewer Worries

Upon signing up for an insurance policy, you will be required to declare an individual family member as your beneficiary in case of sudden death. In case you get diagnosed with severe illnesses such as cancer, heart attack and stroke you will be able to file a medical claim that can help cover a significant portion of the bill.

It is a sad reality that if you do not have insurance your family has no choice but to take responsibility for the remaining expenses which will be an added burden for them.

Insurance Premiums are Now Affordable

Not everyone is aware that many insurance companies are now making sure that most people, mainly minimum wage earners, can access affordable policies for themselves and other family members. You can also get additional protection for your home, car and even your valuables in case of fire and calamity by obtaining general insurance.

It Offers Flexible Payment Options

Since more and more people are being encouraged to get different policies, most companies have made it a point to provide their products and services at a more affordable price.

You have the option to choose your policy plan depending on how much money you can afford so that it will not have a significant impact on your current expenses. You can choose to pay monthly, quarterly or annually. If you are having second thoughts about getting insured do not hesitate to speak with a licensed financial advisor who can help you decide on which package to get.

To earn extra money that you can use for future needs you can grow your wealth through investments and the stock market. You might want to check out Variable Unit Life Insurance or VUL as an option. Before choosing a policy make sure that you are a hundred percent committed to paying for the premiums to avoid cancellation of the plan and potentially losing the invested money.

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Equity release, as in any other type of loan, comes with a risk. You are borrowing an amount of money tied to the value of your property. When you die, and someone buys the property, the people you leave behind will only get a small amount of the property’s value, depending on how much you borrowed when you were alive. Therefore, you need to think twice before you decide to take out this loan.

On a positive note, even if you opt for equity release, you can stay in your property until you die. You also don’t need to pay rent.

Some people would caution you on how to spend the amount you borrowed. However, it is your property, and you worked hard for it. You can use the money in whatever way you think would be beneficial for you.

Home improvement

It is one of the most famous reasons for borrowing money through equity release. It is a smart move because home improvement increases the value of your property. Therefore, when the time comes that the property is up for sale, you can expect your estate to get the right amount of money from it. Even if the company where you borrowed the cash from deducts their share from the sale, the amount will still be high. Besides, you are staying in your property until you die. You will still enjoy whatever changes you decided to make.

Go on a holiday

Some people think it is unwise to borrow money to go on a holiday. However, at your age, you need to enjoy whatever you worked hard for in the past. You might also be suffering from illnesses, and you only have a few years to enjoy your money. Once you hit a certain age, and your illness worsens, you might be unable to travel anymore. While you can, you need to enjoy your life.

Pay Debts

Although equity release is technically a loan, you need not pay the amount immediately. You can even opt not to pay anything back until you die. The only downside is that it could increase the interest due, and the sale of the property will go almost exclusively to the equity release company. Despite that, you are not leaving behind a tremendous amount of debt for your family to pay. You don’t want them to have to think about how to pay off loans when you are dead. It is a smart move to choose equity release to pay off all other loans that you have. You can even clear the outstanding mortgage you have using this loan.

Consult an expert

A lot of people have benefitted from equity release. It comes with a risk, but you can get the amount you need if you take this loan. To help you out, consult an expert. Ask for advice on how to apply, and how much you can borrow. Once you are ready, check out http://www.55plusequityrelease.com for more information on equity release. They are experts in this type of loan, and they will help you make up your mind.

Image: Pixabay.com

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If you’re looking for simple ways to slash your monthly expenditure in half, simply continue reading to discover 6 effective money saving tips to use on a daily basis.

6 Money Saving Tips to Incorporate Into Your Life:

1. Wait to purchase all of your clothes until your favorite stores offer sizeable sales

If you’d love to be able to dress in your favorite brands without having to pay a small fortune it’s well worth putting off purchasing new clothes until your favorite stores hold an annual sale. As an example, most stores offer great sales on Black Friday and Memorial Day.

If you know that a massive sale is due to take place within the next few weeks, it’s well worth trying on any items which you’re interested in purchasing, so that when your chosen store begins their annual sale, you’ll be able to purchase items which you’re interested in straight away. As sizes may sell out fast.

Better yet, if you’ve tried on items which have caught your eye in advance of a sale, you should be able to purchase the items which you liked online.

2. Sign up to receive email notifications from your favorite online stores

In order to stay up to date with your favorite store’s sales, it’s well worth signing up for emails from your favorite brands as you’ll normally be notified of upcoming sales before they start.

Better yet, you may even find that your favorite stores may begin sending you exclusive coupons, which you’ll be able to use to make your online shopping hauls a little cheaper!

3. Consider sharing a meal, with a friend or loved one when you dine out

It’s well worth dining out at cafes and restaurants which serve generous portions for a reasonable price as that way you’ll be able to save money by sharing a meal with a friend or family member when you dine out.

4. Order off the children’s menu, if you’re not feeling particularly hungry

Another way to save money when you choose to dine out is to order an inexpensive menu off the children’s menu at a cafe or restaurant when you’re not feeling particularly hungry. As children’s meals offer great value for money and are usually a lot larger than you’d expect.

5. Find cost-free ways of socializing with your loved ones

If you normally spend a small fortune, on alcohol, food, and movies, when you arrange to catch up with your family members and friends, it’s well worth searching for cost-free activities and attractions to bond over instead of meeting at a bar or cafe. As examples, you may want to go for walks with a friend who lives locally or to visit an art gallery or museum with a friend.

In the warm summer months, you should also have no trouble finding free festivals, outdoor movies, and concerts to attend with your friends and family members.

6. Sign up for as many loyalty programs as you can

If you want to be able to receive free goods, by shopping at your favorite stores, it’s well worth taking the effort to sign up for as many loyalty programs as you can. In order to reap a wide variety of rewards.

So if you’re looking to increase your savings, it’s well worth following all 6 of the effective money saving tips listed above.