This ariticle is from Frugal dad it is worth reading and tells us how to become a millianire. Just think..what if we taught our children to follow this plan even if they had some set backs they would still acheive wealth.
This is frugal dads 10 year plan:
Imagine in just ten years you could have one million dollars socked away in a high-yield savings account, spinning off enough interest to live comfortably for the rest of your life. Short of hitting the lottery or receiving a lofty inheritance from a long-lost uncle, this might seem an impossible goal. Well, it nearly is, given the short time frame. However, if you are willing to make an incredible sacrifice, and catch a nice wave from a rebounding market, you just might enjoy becoming a millionaire in less than a decade.
$996 a Week for 10 Years
That is roughly the amount you would have to invest to save one million dollars in ten years, assuming an average 12% earnings rate. Historically, 12% is a realistic figure, albeit optimistically on the high side. Here is a look at how your $996 weekly contributions to your favorite investment account would add up each year:
source: DinkyTown.net
Carving Out $996 a Week
I nearly laughed out loud when I typed that heading. I often read topics like “carving out $50 a month” or “shaving $20 off weekly expenses,” but rarely do we hear someone suggest “carving out $996 a week!” That is nearly $4,000 a month! If you are like me, that is more than I have to carve! So how does the average person go about contributing nearly $1,000 a week to savings? Using the principles discussed in books like I Will Teach You To Be Rich, you can discover ways to cut your expenses significantly while boosting your income.
Get a Side Hustle
A reader once wrote in that a friend told him “everyone needs a side hustle,” something to supplement their full time job. That’s great advice! It could be a small, home-based business opportunity that generates a few hundred dollars a month, an investment opportunity with a great passive income, such as peer-to-peer lending, or a substantial part-time career that you can cultivate in your off hours.
Either way, this “side hustle” could represent the majority of that $996 you have to come up with to make a million dollars in ten years. Obviously, some of the profits from this side gig will have to be reinvested to help it grow, but for the most part, your goal should be to try to save as much of those profits as possible.
Pay Off the Mortgage Early
If you have a $1,000 mortgage payment, paying it off early buys you one week’s worth of savings each month towards your millionaire dream. Eliminating a $2,000 mortgage provides two weeks. Pay off the mortgage early, and instead of sending a payment to the bank each month, send a deposit in that same amount. This step alone will put you on the fast track to building significant wealth.
Two Income Households-Save One, Spend One
In households with two working spouses, make an effort to live on one income and invest the other. Open a high-interest online savings account at one of the best online banks, and point one spouse’s direct deposit there. All further investments, such as transfers to a top online brokerage can be automatically deducted from that account.
If one spouse brings home $4,000 a month you just found the source for your $996 a week contributions. Living on one income may require downsizing homes and cars, and living way below your means, but the payoff is well worth it in the long run. Invest some of this money in equities, either in single stocks or in broader mutual funds. Sign up for a quality online brokerage such as Zecco (check out Zecco Trading – $0 Trades offer) to put a little bit of those saving to work for you.
I don’t mean to trivialize the amount of sacrifice (and luck) required to make this plan work. $996 is a significant amount of money, and at this phase in my life I could barely afford to contribute half that amount on a weekly basis. But it is a goal–something to strive for.
It is also important to point out that there is nothing magical about the one million dollar mark. You may find that you could live quite comfortably on the interest generated from $750,000, or even $600,000. Your “number” is a personal choice, but figuring out how to make a million .dollars provides most of us a stretch goal.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
My Take on the Houshold Budget AKA Spending plan
I believe deep down we would all like to have wealth. From my friends seven year old who says when I grow up I want to be rich. To us adults who would like to have enough money to have all of our needs met. The secret that noboby tells us til it is too late is that no matter how much you make you can always spend it. When I was younger and I got my first w2 in January from my employer and it said I made 18,000 dollars that year and I didn’t even save a dime. I vowed to do better and many years later I study money and how it works for my hobby. I am love to tell others all the money secrets I find along the way. I think it is a shame that we are not teaching our youth how to achieve wealth in there lifetimes. Another secret is to start young but what if they forgot to tell us till we are older. We teach nothing about how to handle money in our school Systems. Yet we are the richest nation on earth.
Building your house of wealth
Your foundation is to live within your income, stay out of debt, learn to keep your money and learn how to have it work for you.
To learn to stay within your income you need to have a budget, the new term is a spending plan.
Everything in your spending plan needs to fit in your take home income.
If it doesn’t you are in danger of going into debt to make up the difference and debt takes you money away from you and then your money can’t work for you.. It is working for them.
After writing your spending plan make sure it fits within your take home income it has to fit either by lowering your bills or you need to make more income. You may have to 2nd job to fill in the gap.
Then once you have a spending plan tweak it you might find some hidden money call all insurance companies and make sure you are not paying too much for your services. Companies will lower rates but do not tell their current customers about the changes it is kind of like if we don’t ask they don’t tell.
At least once a year we should dissect your budget to make sure you are not paying more than you need to for the same services.
On my personal spending plan I have what I am saving as well so I don’t forget to save some of the money I am making.
Here is an example of my budget sheet that I use, it is just missing the grid lines. At the bottom there is space to write three financial goals. Your goals could be to get something paid off in the next 6 months of to save more money. I revise my budget every six months and look at my goals and see if I am making progress or if I need to adjust my goals a little.
There is also an area for the once a year expenses like car tabs and the items my escrow pays for like my home insurance and my taxes.
Budget Sheet
Payment Jan Feb Mar April May Jun Jul Aug
Tithing/giving
House (due the 1st)
Elec/gas (due the 11th)
Water (due the 20th)
Trash
Daycare
Cell phone
Car ins
Phone
Cable
Internet
IRA or 401k
SAVINGS
COLLEGE
Aflec
loans
Gym membership
TOTAL TOTAL NEEDS TO BE BE LESS THAN YOUR INCOME Income_____________________
Taxes
Vehicle Tabs
House Ins
Financial goals
1
2
3
Building your house of wealth
Your foundation is to live within your income, stay out of debt, learn to keep your money and learn how to have it work for you.
To learn to stay within your income you need to have a budget, the new term is a spending plan.
Everything in your spending plan needs to fit in your take home income.
If it doesn’t you are in danger of going into debt to make up the difference and debt takes you money away from you and then your money can’t work for you.. It is working for them.
After writing your spending plan make sure it fits within your take home income it has to fit either by lowering your bills or you need to make more income. You may have to 2nd job to fill in the gap.
Then once you have a spending plan tweak it you might find some hidden money call all insurance companies and make sure you are not paying too much for your services. Companies will lower rates but do not tell their current customers about the changes it is kind of like if we don’t ask they don’t tell.
At least once a year we should dissect your budget to make sure you are not paying more than you need to for the same services.
On my personal spending plan I have what I am saving as well so I don’t forget to save some of the money I am making.
Here is an example of my budget sheet that I use, it is just missing the grid lines. At the bottom there is space to write three financial goals. Your goals could be to get something paid off in the next 6 months of to save more money. I revise my budget every six months and look at my goals and see if I am making progress or if I need to adjust my goals a little.
There is also an area for the once a year expenses like car tabs and the items my escrow pays for like my home insurance and my taxes.
Budget Sheet
Payment Jan Feb Mar April May Jun Jul Aug
Tithing/giving
House (due the 1st)
Elec/gas (due the 11th)
Water (due the 20th)
Trash
Daycare
Cell phone
Car ins
Phone
Cable
Internet
IRA or 401k
SAVINGS
COLLEGE
Aflec
loans
Gym membership
TOTAL TOTAL NEEDS TO BE BE LESS THAN YOUR INCOME Income_____________________
Taxes
Vehicle Tabs
House Ins
Financial goals
1
2
3
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Where do you put your emergency fund?
I am currently putting my emergency fund into a cd ladder.
This way the money isn't easy to get to and can earn more interest than a regular savings account. Currently I have 5 months of living expenses in cds. I have them maturing every other month so if a bad month comes along I could catch up with a cd. Plus the money is harder to access so I try not to use this money. Currently the sixth month of emergency fund is in the savings account for easier access. If savings get to large than I can make a new cd. For security my husband wants to strive to have 12 months set aside in emergency fund cd ladder.
Let me tell you how to set this up
First start saving then after you get to five hundred put it in a cd maturing when you feel comfortable. For this example we are going to pick a year term. lets say it takes me two months to save five hundred dollars. So in two months I open a cd with one year term. I then name that cd my March cd, two months later I put another five hundred in a cd then name it my May cd. I than repeat the process til the end of the year or after a year. Then in March I can add another five hundred to my March cd and Keep doing this to every cd for the next year you now have a thousand dollars in each cd. keep going til you have enough money in each cd to cover a month of expenses. Then you can do the fill in months to get to a twelve month emergency fund. Having this money set aside will totally change your life. You will have learned to save and are financially prepared. I believe that if you plan for bad times you will only see good times.
Good luck!
More articles on the CD Ladder
Here is how the Simple Dollar tells it
his rates are old rates are at there lowest in August 2010
How Are You Doing It?
I started my CD ladder in September by purchasing three $1,000 CDs out of my cash emergency fund. The total was a bit less than a month’s worth of living expenses. I bought a 6 month CD that returns 3.75%, a 12 month CD that returns 4%, and an 18 month CD that returns 4.5%.
So, in September, I held these CDs:
A $1,000 CD that matures in March 2009 at 3.75%
A $1,000 CD that matures in September 2009 at 4.00%
A $1,000 CD that matures in March 2010 at 4.50%
and Frugal Dad Says his rates are closer to what we have now and is a little more doable because of the smaller amount in each one.
July Purchases ($2,000):
■$500 3-Month CD matures in October 2010 (0.75%)
■$500 6-month CD matures in January 2011 (1.15%)
■$500 9-month CD matures in April 2011 (1.15%)
■$500 12-month CD matures in July 2011 (1.50%)
August Purchases ($2,000)
■$500 3-Month CD matures in November 2010 (0.75%)
■$500 6-month CD matures in February 2011 (1.15%)
■$500 9-month CD matures in May 2011 (1.15%)
■$500 12-month CD matures in August 2011 (1.50%)
September Purchases ($2,000)
■$500 3-Month CD matures in December 2010 (0.90%)
■$500 6-month CD matures in March 2011 (1.25%)
■$500 9-month CD matures in June 2011 (1.50%)
■$500 12-month CD matures in September 2011 (1.65%)
*Note, I am using a 3-6-9-12 month maturity schedule to build a 12-month CD ladder. You could use a 6-12-18 month maturity schedule (or greater) to build an 18-month (or longer) ladder. A longer term ladder will earn higher rates, but will take longer to get going and will tie up your money for a longer period up front. It’s up to you to determine how much of your savings you can tie up, and for how long.
Beginning in October 2010, when our first 3-month CD purchase matures, I will use that original $500 (plus accumulated interest) to purchase a 12-month CD at a higher interest rate. In November, when the second 3-month CD expires, I’ll roll it into a 12-month CD purchase, and so on. In one year, I’ll have a rolling 12-month CD ladder of twelve one-year CDs.
One advantage of using these shorter terms is that when rates are rising, which I suspect they will be doing slowly over the next year or two, you can quickly take advantage of these new, higher rates without having to wait for a 6-month CD at a lower rate to expire.
Notice that the shorter-term CDs don’t return quite as well. Specific rates vary all the time, but it’s a rather constant rule of thumb that longer term CDs return better than shorter term CDs. Thus, instead of just buying a single six month CD, I decided to spread things out to get a better return on at least some of the money.
During September, I kept building our emergency fund as I usually do, putting around 10% of our income into it (which is around 15-20% of our monthly living expenses). I’ll keep doing this for the time being.
At the start of October, I bought three $1,000 CDs again out of the cash emergency fund. This left me with six CDs:
A $1,000 CD that matures in March 2009 at 3.75%
A $1,000 CD that matures in April 2009 at 3.75%
A $1,000 CD that matures in September 2009 at 4.00%
A $1,000 CD that matures in October 2009 at 4.25%
A $1,000 CD that matures in March 2010 at 4.50%
A $1,000 CD that matures in April 2010 at 4.25%
You can probably see where this is going. According to my calculations, we’ll have about four months’ worth of cash living expenses in our emergency fund in February 2009 after buying the CDs each month (remember, I’m still adding cash to my emergency fund). Each month after that, a $1,000 CD matures. I’ll then buy a single 18 month CD for $3,000, which would be enough to sustain my family for a month. And I’ll repeat that for eighteen months.
In August 2010, I’ll own eighteen 18 month CDs which will mature in one month intervals, just like clockwork. If I have my calculations correct, we should still have roughly a month’s worth of cash emergency fund at that point. So, I’ll basically have 19 months worth of emergency fund, almost all of it returning 4.25-4.5% or so.
Here’s what things will look like at that point. I’ll have a savings account with one month worth of living funds in it. Each month, an 18 month CD will mature and the proceeds will go into that account – both the principal and the interest on that CD. At the start of the next month, I’ll buy another 18 month CD worth roughly a month’s worth of living expenses. And as long as we’re able to get by just fine on our normal income, I’ll keep this cycle going, as it’ll serve as a huge emergency fund that also returns at a pretty solid rate.
This way the money isn't easy to get to and can earn more interest than a regular savings account. Currently I have 5 months of living expenses in cds. I have them maturing every other month so if a bad month comes along I could catch up with a cd. Plus the money is harder to access so I try not to use this money. Currently the sixth month of emergency fund is in the savings account for easier access. If savings get to large than I can make a new cd. For security my husband wants to strive to have 12 months set aside in emergency fund cd ladder.
Let me tell you how to set this up
First start saving then after you get to five hundred put it in a cd maturing when you feel comfortable. For this example we are going to pick a year term. lets say it takes me two months to save five hundred dollars. So in two months I open a cd with one year term. I then name that cd my March cd, two months later I put another five hundred in a cd then name it my May cd. I than repeat the process til the end of the year or after a year. Then in March I can add another five hundred to my March cd and Keep doing this to every cd for the next year you now have a thousand dollars in each cd. keep going til you have enough money in each cd to cover a month of expenses. Then you can do the fill in months to get to a twelve month emergency fund. Having this money set aside will totally change your life. You will have learned to save and are financially prepared. I believe that if you plan for bad times you will only see good times.
Good luck!
More articles on the CD Ladder
Here is how the Simple Dollar tells it
his rates are old rates are at there lowest in August 2010
How Are You Doing It?
I started my CD ladder in September by purchasing three $1,000 CDs out of my cash emergency fund. The total was a bit less than a month’s worth of living expenses. I bought a 6 month CD that returns 3.75%, a 12 month CD that returns 4%, and an 18 month CD that returns 4.5%.
So, in September, I held these CDs:
A $1,000 CD that matures in March 2009 at 3.75%
A $1,000 CD that matures in September 2009 at 4.00%
A $1,000 CD that matures in March 2010 at 4.50%
and Frugal Dad Says his rates are closer to what we have now and is a little more doable because of the smaller amount in each one.
July Purchases ($2,000):
■$500 3-Month CD matures in October 2010 (0.75%)
■$500 6-month CD matures in January 2011 (1.15%)
■$500 9-month CD matures in April 2011 (1.15%)
■$500 12-month CD matures in July 2011 (1.50%)
August Purchases ($2,000)
■$500 3-Month CD matures in November 2010 (0.75%)
■$500 6-month CD matures in February 2011 (1.15%)
■$500 9-month CD matures in May 2011 (1.15%)
■$500 12-month CD matures in August 2011 (1.50%)
September Purchases ($2,000)
■$500 3-Month CD matures in December 2010 (0.90%)
■$500 6-month CD matures in March 2011 (1.25%)
■$500 9-month CD matures in June 2011 (1.50%)
■$500 12-month CD matures in September 2011 (1.65%)
*Note, I am using a 3-6-9-12 month maturity schedule to build a 12-month CD ladder. You could use a 6-12-18 month maturity schedule (or greater) to build an 18-month (or longer) ladder. A longer term ladder will earn higher rates, but will take longer to get going and will tie up your money for a longer period up front. It’s up to you to determine how much of your savings you can tie up, and for how long.
Beginning in October 2010, when our first 3-month CD purchase matures, I will use that original $500 (plus accumulated interest) to purchase a 12-month CD at a higher interest rate. In November, when the second 3-month CD expires, I’ll roll it into a 12-month CD purchase, and so on. In one year, I’ll have a rolling 12-month CD ladder of twelve one-year CDs.
One advantage of using these shorter terms is that when rates are rising, which I suspect they will be doing slowly over the next year or two, you can quickly take advantage of these new, higher rates without having to wait for a 6-month CD at a lower rate to expire.
Notice that the shorter-term CDs don’t return quite as well. Specific rates vary all the time, but it’s a rather constant rule of thumb that longer term CDs return better than shorter term CDs. Thus, instead of just buying a single six month CD, I decided to spread things out to get a better return on at least some of the money.
During September, I kept building our emergency fund as I usually do, putting around 10% of our income into it (which is around 15-20% of our monthly living expenses). I’ll keep doing this for the time being.
At the start of October, I bought three $1,000 CDs again out of the cash emergency fund. This left me with six CDs:
A $1,000 CD that matures in March 2009 at 3.75%
A $1,000 CD that matures in April 2009 at 3.75%
A $1,000 CD that matures in September 2009 at 4.00%
A $1,000 CD that matures in October 2009 at 4.25%
A $1,000 CD that matures in March 2010 at 4.50%
A $1,000 CD that matures in April 2010 at 4.25%
You can probably see where this is going. According to my calculations, we’ll have about four months’ worth of cash living expenses in our emergency fund in February 2009 after buying the CDs each month (remember, I’m still adding cash to my emergency fund). Each month after that, a $1,000 CD matures. I’ll then buy a single 18 month CD for $3,000, which would be enough to sustain my family for a month. And I’ll repeat that for eighteen months.
In August 2010, I’ll own eighteen 18 month CDs which will mature in one month intervals, just like clockwork. If I have my calculations correct, we should still have roughly a month’s worth of cash emergency fund at that point. So, I’ll basically have 19 months worth of emergency fund, almost all of it returning 4.25-4.5% or so.
Here’s what things will look like at that point. I’ll have a savings account with one month worth of living funds in it. Each month, an 18 month CD will mature and the proceeds will go into that account – both the principal and the interest on that CD. At the start of the next month, I’ll buy another 18 month CD worth roughly a month’s worth of living expenses. And as long as we’re able to get by just fine on our normal income, I’ll keep this cycle going, as it’ll serve as a huge emergency fund that also returns at a pretty solid rate.
Car loans 101
A While back my husband and I chose not to have car loans. I paid my van of three years ago and he drives a $600.00 car that he loves. We also own a truck so if we buy anything from Home depo that won't fit in the car or van we can get it with out having to find someone with a truck. The truck also doubles as a back up vehicle if the car is in the shop. Vehicle wise we are pretty set. Our car and truck is worth more to us than we would get if we sold them. So as me and my husband talked our plan over we thought we would take our car payment money about $200.00 per month and pay down our mortgage faster.
I than was reasearching my favorite topic, getting out of debt/money, I found this awsome presentation on the Dave Ramsey Website that I just have to share with you it my change your life.
here is the link http://www.daveramsey.com/articles/article/articleID/drive-free/category/lifeandmoney_automobiles/
It really makes sense to me and is kind of what we were thinking but on a smaller scale because my highest car payment was $310.00. After surviving that car loan and being upside down on that car I will never go over $200.00 a month for a car payment.
My reason being cars need fuel, cars need insurance, and to have a payment on top of that is just too big of a chunck of my buget to be any bigger than that. But watch out lenders want to lend only for newer cars because of their value. So they kind of make it easier to get a huge loan with a big payment. It is harder to get money for a car that has too many miles or is too old or better in price.
I than was reasearching my favorite topic, getting out of debt/money, I found this awsome presentation on the Dave Ramsey Website that I just have to share with you it my change your life.
here is the link http://www.daveramsey.com/articles/article/articleID/drive-free/category/lifeandmoney_automobiles/
It really makes sense to me and is kind of what we were thinking but on a smaller scale because my highest car payment was $310.00. After surviving that car loan and being upside down on that car I will never go over $200.00 a month for a car payment.
My reason being cars need fuel, cars need insurance, and to have a payment on top of that is just too big of a chunck of my buget to be any bigger than that. But watch out lenders want to lend only for newer cars because of their value. So they kind of make it easier to get a huge loan with a big payment. It is harder to get money for a car that has too many miles or is too old or better in price.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Save money make your own laundry soap
I picked the easiest recipe I could find so I couldn't fail. I Have been using this recipe for a year now and I see no difference in the cleanliness of my clothes. Plus I know there are no fillers in my soap. I try to make small batches at a time so it doesn't have a chance to go bad. I have bought the washing soda and the Borax only once so your investment in those items will last at least a year. Next time I purchase them I will let you know the cost in our area of the world.
Powdered Laundry Detergent
2 cups Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated – you could also try the other bar soaps listed )
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
Use 2 tablespoons per full load. (I use an old formula scoop)
For the bar soaps required in the recipes, you could try Fels-Naptha, Ivory soap, Sunlight bar soap, Kirk’s Hardwater Castile, and Zote. Don’t use heavily perfumed soaps.
Powdered Laundry Detergent
2 cups Fels Naptha Soap (finely grated – you could also try the other bar soaps listed )
1 cup Washing Soda
1 cup Borax
Mix well and store in an airtight plastic container.
Use 2 tablespoons per full load. (I use an old formula scoop)
For the bar soaps required in the recipes, you could try Fels-Naptha, Ivory soap, Sunlight bar soap, Kirk’s Hardwater Castile, and Zote. Don’t use heavily perfumed soaps.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Where is your Financial Statement?
One of my favorite sayings is that if you fail to plan you have planned to fail.
So what is your financial plan...if you do not have one well you may be in your way to financially failing.
One of my favorite writer tells us that our life’s report card is our financial statement. Do you have a financial statement? How do you know if you are failing or passing if you never get a report card or learn about your financial statement.
Make your own Financial statement
If you do not have a financial statement you can put one together. Use a spreadsheet and list all or your assets on one side and all you debts on the other and include you home loan on the debt side. On your assest side put your savings balance, your checking balance, your cd's and your 401k. Make your debt negative balances and your assets positive. Then add both totals together are you negative or positive. Don't worry too much if your total is negative this is just your starting point and your financial statement just need to get better each year by getting that number positive and larger.
Use your Financial Statement to make your financial goals
Your Financial statement is a great tool to evaluate where you are now and where you want to be in the future. Make sure to share this financial statement with your spouse than you can write down your goals for the year. By sharing this information with your spouse they might have some ideas to increase your assets faster and they may have some ideas on how to reduce spending and get out of debt faster.
Store your Financial Statement and put the date at the top
In a year or every six months update your financial statement and see if your score is better. Is your total better? If yes your are on your way to being in control of your financial life. yea!!
So what is your financial plan...if you do not have one well you may be in your way to financially failing.
One of my favorite writer tells us that our life’s report card is our financial statement. Do you have a financial statement? How do you know if you are failing or passing if you never get a report card or learn about your financial statement.
Make your own Financial statement
If you do not have a financial statement you can put one together. Use a spreadsheet and list all or your assets on one side and all you debts on the other and include you home loan on the debt side. On your assest side put your savings balance, your checking balance, your cd's and your 401k. Make your debt negative balances and your assets positive. Then add both totals together are you negative or positive. Don't worry too much if your total is negative this is just your starting point and your financial statement just need to get better each year by getting that number positive and larger.
Use your Financial Statement to make your financial goals
Your Financial statement is a great tool to evaluate where you are now and where you want to be in the future. Make sure to share this financial statement with your spouse than you can write down your goals for the year. By sharing this information with your spouse they might have some ideas to increase your assets faster and they may have some ideas on how to reduce spending and get out of debt faster.
Store your Financial Statement and put the date at the top
In a year or every six months update your financial statement and see if your score is better. Is your total better? If yes your are on your way to being in control of your financial life. yea!!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Lets dissect your budget
Tithing
No cuts in the tithing department it is 10% nothing more nothing less is required.
House Payment
If you are paying 6% or higher interest rate I would look into refinancing to save money on interest. Then after all of your other debts are taken care of you can choose to pay your house off. I would plan to have your house paid off before you retire.
Elec/Gas
Think of ways to make this bill smaller turn off lights when you leave the room. Insulate the attic, Insulate the basement, buy energy efficient appliances
Water
Here is a cool article to check out on this subject http://www.thefrugallife.com/waterbill.html
Trash
Look into recycling more and then get the smallest trash can.
Daycare
Not sure how to save on this one I always want the most qualified person to take care of my children. One way to cut this bill is to work from home if you can find an at home job/career.
Cell phone
Make sure you are not buying too many minutes, plus you can eliminate you home line if you always are carring your cell phone with you anyways.
Car ins
Make sure you have the best rates by comparison shopping
Cable
If you need to get out of debt and need money to get started you may want to try life with out cable just for a while until you get out of debt. If you really love your cable it may motivate you to be debt free faster. Another friend of mine watches tv on their computer and doesn't miss cable at all.
Internet
Are you home enough and use your internet enough to justify the cost of your internet if not cut it from your budget. You can always go to the library to use the internet.
Loan payments
Put these on your debt repayment plan and if your credit card rates are high you may want to transfer them to a bank loan. It can't hurt to try to get a lower rate on any of your debt. But remember to pay all your debt off as fast as possible no matter and switching your debt to a different spot is not helping to get you out of debt.
Gym memberships
Make sure you need and use your gym membership get quotes and tour all the gyms in your area to make the best decision about which gym to join. If you have a gym membership and never use it, it may be time to cancel the membership
Well there was a look at my budget and ways to do some cuts let me know if you can add to these ideas. I need to impliment a few of these things so I can save even more money in my budget.
goodluck
No cuts in the tithing department it is 10% nothing more nothing less is required.
House Payment
If you are paying 6% or higher interest rate I would look into refinancing to save money on interest. Then after all of your other debts are taken care of you can choose to pay your house off. I would plan to have your house paid off before you retire.
Elec/Gas
Think of ways to make this bill smaller turn off lights when you leave the room. Insulate the attic, Insulate the basement, buy energy efficient appliances
Water
Here is a cool article to check out on this subject http://www.thefrugallife.com/waterbill.html
Trash
Look into recycling more and then get the smallest trash can.
Daycare
Not sure how to save on this one I always want the most qualified person to take care of my children. One way to cut this bill is to work from home if you can find an at home job/career.
Cell phone
Make sure you are not buying too many minutes, plus you can eliminate you home line if you always are carring your cell phone with you anyways.
Car ins
Make sure you have the best rates by comparison shopping
Cable
If you need to get out of debt and need money to get started you may want to try life with out cable just for a while until you get out of debt. If you really love your cable it may motivate you to be debt free faster. Another friend of mine watches tv on their computer and doesn't miss cable at all.
Internet
Are you home enough and use your internet enough to justify the cost of your internet if not cut it from your budget. You can always go to the library to use the internet.
Loan payments
Put these on your debt repayment plan and if your credit card rates are high you may want to transfer them to a bank loan. It can't hurt to try to get a lower rate on any of your debt. But remember to pay all your debt off as fast as possible no matter and switching your debt to a different spot is not helping to get you out of debt.
Gym memberships
Make sure you need and use your gym membership get quotes and tour all the gyms in your area to make the best decision about which gym to join. If you have a gym membership and never use it, it may be time to cancel the membership
Well there was a look at my budget and ways to do some cuts let me know if you can add to these ideas. I need to impliment a few of these things so I can save even more money in my budget.
goodluck
Its not about how much you spend but about how much you keep
How much are you keeping? Are you putting money in your 401k are you putting money in your rainy day fund and how about your vacation fund. Every time you get paid try and think how much am I paying myself when I get paid. Is your whole paycheck going out as fast as it came in? Do you only have money for the few hours on pay day? I remember getting paid only for the whole thing to be spent already. One of the best ways to save money is to have your employer hold some each pay day. Just think if you don't get it you can't spend it. I personally had them hold 50.00 out each week. At first it was hard to adjust to a smaller paycheck but I adjusted. And by doing this I paid for my Wedding and my honeymoon with no debt. Yea!
So go ahead and ask you employer if they have programs to help you save money. If not you can try your bank next and open a special savings account. They can transfer money in for you automatically each month.
If the auto thing is hard to handle I did transfers to my savings account everytime I got paid online right before I went to deposit my check into my account.
I like the automatic saving thing it helps me to not forget to save. And I don't want you to forget to save so if you can automate it....automate it.
So go ahead and ask you employer if they have programs to help you save money. If not you can try your bank next and open a special savings account. They can transfer money in for you automatically each month.
If the auto thing is hard to handle I did transfers to my savings account everytime I got paid online right before I went to deposit my check into my account.
I like the automatic saving thing it helps me to not forget to save. And I don't want you to forget to save so if you can automate it....automate it.
Have you tried a money fast
Back in my single mom days money was short and money was tight. I actually only spent money on Fridays after work and on Saturdays. I got paid every Friday and then paid the bills that were on my schedule to be paid. I put fuel in my car for the week, paid for daycare. I then got groceries on saturday as well as hit a few rummage sales. At rummage sales I looked for things for my children like clothes and somtimes I would let them get one thing for them. I always told my self that this helped with getting shopping out of my system.
After Saturdays I would then leave my wallet at home so I wouldn't be temped to buy anthing from the snack machine at work. I would drive home during lunch and eat lunch at home. If anyone needed any money from me I would tell them to wait till Friday when I got paid. Money fasting was an easy way to track where all my money was going. Since I only had to worry about two days a week of out flow of money. During this time I paid for a mobile home for me and my kids to live in and completely paid off all my debts and then bought a three bedroom home since my kids were growing out of there little mobile home rooms.
How many days can you go without spending any money? Can you leave your debit card at home? Hey it might help you to save and to reach your fiancial goals for the future.
Good Luck and let me know how it goes.
Happy Money Fasting
After Saturdays I would then leave my wallet at home so I wouldn't be temped to buy anthing from the snack machine at work. I would drive home during lunch and eat lunch at home. If anyone needed any money from me I would tell them to wait till Friday when I got paid. Money fasting was an easy way to track where all my money was going. Since I only had to worry about two days a week of out flow of money. During this time I paid for a mobile home for me and my kids to live in and completely paid off all my debts and then bought a three bedroom home since my kids were growing out of there little mobile home rooms.
How many days can you go without spending any money? Can you leave your debit card at home? Hey it might help you to save and to reach your fiancial goals for the future.
Good Luck and let me know how it goes.
Happy Money Fasting
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
How much interest are you really paying
Almost a year ago now I noticed that the interest rates were at an all time low so my husband and I looked into refinancing our home to lock into these very low rates. When looking into refinancing we found out the that in the first three years of our home loan most of our payment went to interest and about $80.00 went to the principal each month. This got me into tracking my interest and finding ways to save on interest.
If you have lots of debt tally up each month how much interest you are really paying each month. If you have 10 credit cards and pay them $30.00 to $50.00 on interest each month. That is $300.00 to $500.00 a month or $3,600.00 to $6,00.00 per year. Just think you could be investing that amount each month for your future instead your lenders are getting that money each month. In a sense you are letting them take you future, This could be the money you could be stashing away for your retirment.
I challange you to look at all of your debt statments and see how much in dollars your debt is costing you each month not just the percent. I think this number alone will motivate you to get your credit cards paid off as soon as possible.
If you have lots of debt tally up each month how much interest you are really paying each month. If you have 10 credit cards and pay them $30.00 to $50.00 on interest each month. That is $300.00 to $500.00 a month or $3,600.00 to $6,00.00 per year. Just think you could be investing that amount each month for your future instead your lenders are getting that money each month. In a sense you are letting them take you future, This could be the money you could be stashing away for your retirment.
I challange you to look at all of your debt statments and see how much in dollars your debt is costing you each month not just the percent. I think this number alone will motivate you to get your credit cards paid off as soon as possible.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
How to get Out of Debt
How to get out of debt
The debt blaster plan
Before you read this and start this program you need the desire to want to be debt free. It does take commitment after your personal plan is mapped out. Good luck!
Debt is not healthy it can make us feel sick, it can affect our physical and mental health and it can impact our relationships. Stress, anxiety, and depression are common for those with uncomfortable amounts of debt. So many times debt leads to stress and in our busy lives nobody needs any extra stress.
I chose to teach others about this topic because I love learning about how to improve my financial situation and I love to study money. I just think there is a better way than to live pay check to paycheck. After I got out of debt for myself I also felt strongly inspired to share this debt blaster plan with others.
The Debt Blaster Program
(Hint) try and make this program a lifetime habit
Step 1
Stop accumulating bad debt (bad debt is debt that doesn’t bring in a return). First we need to stop spending especially using credit cards, try to pay with cash or with your checking account. If you do use your credit card, it has to be paid off by the end of the month no exceptions!!
Second, never pay a credit card payment late, first of all this shows up on your credit report, second of all they charge a hefty fee and this is just like giving away money.
Third, don't pay fees for using your ATM card to get cash. I say this because you should not have to pay to get your money out of the bank. Some banks charge 2.00 to get your money out at a gas station.
Fourth, watch for tricky schemes that credit card companies use to get you to spend more. Don’t be seduced by credit card offers such as airline miles and points. These programs are designed by the credit card companies to trick you into using your card more than really needed.
Step 2
See where you are at financially with your debt; write down all you owe and what your monthly payments are. This process is like getting directions. In order for you to get you where you want to be financially you need to know where you are right now. This will be your starting point..
To do this you need to list all of your debts include personal loans, car loans, all credit cards, student loans and you can even include your home mortgage. Put this information into 3 columns
Amount owed – minimum payment - # of months till paid off – interest rate
Step 3
Determine the best way to pay off the debt by ranking them. Look at the column with number of months to be paid off. Rank them by putting the account with the lowest number first, the one with the second lowest number second and so on. Now you know the most efficient order in which you should pay off your debt. You have now got directions to getting your self out of debt.
Step 4
Find additional income- try to find $50-$200 per month. This may seem hard but if you really want to get out from under debt you will be able to find additional income. If you have the will there is a way, if you believe you can do it you can, if you believe you can’t you can’t. Your own belief in yourself will determine your success.
Here are some ideas on how to find additional income, get a second job, increase hours at current job, and ask for a raise. Tutoring, mowing lawns, babysitting could give you some additional income. Stop spending on movies and get them at the library instead. Does your family really need cable? (Just let go of cable til you are out of debt) Like eating out? Try picnicking. Stop shopping just to shop. Magazines do you really need them? You could sell an extra car, or trade an expensive car for a less expensive car that has no payment. Give your self manicures and pedicures.
Find our where all your money is going by making a journal of everything you spend. Just by having to write it down you will automatically spend less. What about your tax refund? Your tax refund could jump start your get out of debt plan or it could blast your way closer to your goal of being debt free and/or in control of your financial life. Analize your budget can you save even ten dollars a month by having the smallest garbage can and recycling. Call your around to see if you can save on your car insurance.
Ask for lower interest rate
Help yourself get out of debt faster by calling each credit card company and asking for a lower interest rate. This way you are paying less interest to the bank and more money on your balance.
Here is a script:
"I have [name of card] with you and my interest rate is [X] percent. I received another offer in the mail from [other bank's name] for [X] percent, but before I take it, I want to see if you can lower my interest rate instead."
Step 5
Attack the Debt you ranked number one. Keep paying the minimums on everything except the first debt to be paid off (the one you ranked number one), pay the minimum plus the additional income (this amount can be any amount you decide just keep it the same or more every month) Keep doing this until the first debt is paid off. After the account is paid off, do not close the account, keeping this account open but not in use will help your credit score. Just make sure you are not paying any annual fees on this account to keep it open.
Credit score tip: if you do use a credit card only us up to 50% of the maximum
Congratulate yourself!! (at this point you should start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, plus have less stress caused by debt)
Step 6
Attack the debt you ranked number two. Pay the minimum on every bill except the second debt to be paid off you now pay the minimum due plus the entire amount you have been paying to the first debt Continue till everything is paid off. Keep doing this over and over til you debt is gone. Then Congratulate your self!! You are now debt free!
Step 7
By this time your monthly payment on your last debt is likely to be big now take this money and build your self an emergency savings fund with at least 6 months of living expenses set aside. I personally put my emergency fund in to a CD ladder to earn more interest than in a regular savings and I can have access to a portion of my emergency fund every month. After having you emergency fund in place I suggest putting at least 15% of income away for retirement. Look to 401k and Roth IRA as places to start.
Here is an example of how to get out of debt
Here is where we are at
# of months
Bal. owed Payment till paid off ranking
Visa Card 2,000.00 90.00 23 2
Herbergers 600.00 30.00 20 1
College Loan 3,000.00 50.00 60 4
Reg Loan 1,500.00 50.00 30 3
Car Loan 9,000.00 280.00 33 5
Here is our plan (it will approximately take us 28 months to be debt free).
In our example we have $100.00 of found additional income
Pay all bills as usual except pay $130.00 (100.00 + 30.00) to Herbergers. In 5 months it will be paid off – celebrate!
Next pay all bills as usual except pay $220.00 (130 + 90) to the Visa Card. In eight months it will be paid off. Yea!
Now start on the debt ranked 3, pay all bills as usual except on the home reg loan. Pay 220.00 plus the minimum payment of 50.00 equaling 270.00. In four months this will be paid off. Half way there!
The college loan is next, pay 270.00 + 50.00 =320.00 on your college loan
7 months till paid off.
Now apply 280.00 minimum payment plus 320.00 equaling 600.00 on your car loan this will be paid off in 4 months. Celebrate!
Last step is to build an emergency fund, put away the 600.00 per month till you have six months of your income put away. Learn about a CD ladder Then start putting away money for your retirement and other goals.
I hope this information will change you life like it did mine. Please share it will anyone you wish. If you have any questions please email me.
I hope your debt free soon!
Gina Wadding
The debt blaster plan
Before you read this and start this program you need the desire to want to be debt free. It does take commitment after your personal plan is mapped out. Good luck!
Debt is not healthy it can make us feel sick, it can affect our physical and mental health and it can impact our relationships. Stress, anxiety, and depression are common for those with uncomfortable amounts of debt. So many times debt leads to stress and in our busy lives nobody needs any extra stress.
I chose to teach others about this topic because I love learning about how to improve my financial situation and I love to study money. I just think there is a better way than to live pay check to paycheck. After I got out of debt for myself I also felt strongly inspired to share this debt blaster plan with others.
The Debt Blaster Program
(Hint) try and make this program a lifetime habit
Step 1
Stop accumulating bad debt (bad debt is debt that doesn’t bring in a return). First we need to stop spending especially using credit cards, try to pay with cash or with your checking account. If you do use your credit card, it has to be paid off by the end of the month no exceptions!!
Second, never pay a credit card payment late, first of all this shows up on your credit report, second of all they charge a hefty fee and this is just like giving away money.
Third, don't pay fees for using your ATM card to get cash. I say this because you should not have to pay to get your money out of the bank. Some banks charge 2.00 to get your money out at a gas station.
Fourth, watch for tricky schemes that credit card companies use to get you to spend more. Don’t be seduced by credit card offers such as airline miles and points. These programs are designed by the credit card companies to trick you into using your card more than really needed.
Step 2
See where you are at financially with your debt; write down all you owe and what your monthly payments are. This process is like getting directions. In order for you to get you where you want to be financially you need to know where you are right now. This will be your starting point..
To do this you need to list all of your debts include personal loans, car loans, all credit cards, student loans and you can even include your home mortgage. Put this information into 3 columns
Amount owed – minimum payment - # of months till paid off – interest rate
Step 3
Determine the best way to pay off the debt by ranking them. Look at the column with number of months to be paid off. Rank them by putting the account with the lowest number first, the one with the second lowest number second and so on. Now you know the most efficient order in which you should pay off your debt. You have now got directions to getting your self out of debt.
Step 4
Find additional income- try to find $50-$200 per month. This may seem hard but if you really want to get out from under debt you will be able to find additional income. If you have the will there is a way, if you believe you can do it you can, if you believe you can’t you can’t. Your own belief in yourself will determine your success.
Here are some ideas on how to find additional income, get a second job, increase hours at current job, and ask for a raise. Tutoring, mowing lawns, babysitting could give you some additional income. Stop spending on movies and get them at the library instead. Does your family really need cable? (Just let go of cable til you are out of debt) Like eating out? Try picnicking. Stop shopping just to shop. Magazines do you really need them? You could sell an extra car, or trade an expensive car for a less expensive car that has no payment. Give your self manicures and pedicures.
Find our where all your money is going by making a journal of everything you spend. Just by having to write it down you will automatically spend less. What about your tax refund? Your tax refund could jump start your get out of debt plan or it could blast your way closer to your goal of being debt free and/or in control of your financial life. Analize your budget can you save even ten dollars a month by having the smallest garbage can and recycling. Call your around to see if you can save on your car insurance.
Ask for lower interest rate
Help yourself get out of debt faster by calling each credit card company and asking for a lower interest rate. This way you are paying less interest to the bank and more money on your balance.
Here is a script:
"I have [name of card] with you and my interest rate is [X] percent. I received another offer in the mail from [other bank's name] for [X] percent, but before I take it, I want to see if you can lower my interest rate instead."
Step 5
Attack the Debt you ranked number one. Keep paying the minimums on everything except the first debt to be paid off (the one you ranked number one), pay the minimum plus the additional income (this amount can be any amount you decide just keep it the same or more every month) Keep doing this until the first debt is paid off. After the account is paid off, do not close the account, keeping this account open but not in use will help your credit score. Just make sure you are not paying any annual fees on this account to keep it open.
Credit score tip: if you do use a credit card only us up to 50% of the maximum
Congratulate yourself!! (at this point you should start to see the light at the end of the tunnel, plus have less stress caused by debt)
Step 6
Attack the debt you ranked number two. Pay the minimum on every bill except the second debt to be paid off you now pay the minimum due plus the entire amount you have been paying to the first debt Continue till everything is paid off. Keep doing this over and over til you debt is gone. Then Congratulate your self!! You are now debt free!
Step 7
By this time your monthly payment on your last debt is likely to be big now take this money and build your self an emergency savings fund with at least 6 months of living expenses set aside. I personally put my emergency fund in to a CD ladder to earn more interest than in a regular savings and I can have access to a portion of my emergency fund every month. After having you emergency fund in place I suggest putting at least 15% of income away for retirement. Look to 401k and Roth IRA as places to start.
Here is an example of how to get out of debt
Here is where we are at
# of months
Bal. owed Payment till paid off ranking
Visa Card 2,000.00 90.00 23 2
Herbergers 600.00 30.00 20 1
College Loan 3,000.00 50.00 60 4
Reg Loan 1,500.00 50.00 30 3
Car Loan 9,000.00 280.00 33 5
Here is our plan (it will approximately take us 28 months to be debt free).
In our example we have $100.00 of found additional income
Pay all bills as usual except pay $130.00 (100.00 + 30.00) to Herbergers. In 5 months it will be paid off – celebrate!
Next pay all bills as usual except pay $220.00 (130 + 90) to the Visa Card. In eight months it will be paid off. Yea!
Now start on the debt ranked 3, pay all bills as usual except on the home reg loan. Pay 220.00 plus the minimum payment of 50.00 equaling 270.00. In four months this will be paid off. Half way there!
The college loan is next, pay 270.00 + 50.00 =320.00 on your college loan
7 months till paid off.
Now apply 280.00 minimum payment plus 320.00 equaling 600.00 on your car loan this will be paid off in 4 months. Celebrate!
Last step is to build an emergency fund, put away the 600.00 per month till you have six months of your income put away. Learn about a CD ladder Then start putting away money for your retirement and other goals.
I hope this information will change you life like it did mine. Please share it will anyone you wish. If you have any questions please email me.
I hope your debt free soon!
Gina Wadding
Why I want to be your debt freedom coach
Why I want to be your debt freedom coach
I was tired of living paycheck to paycheck and now that I am not living paycheck to paycheck (by taking control of my money and having no debt) it pains me to see my friends and family and clients living that way. All there freedom is tied up in debt payments.
Here is an example of your lost freedom: This week... A friend of mine is selling her car for $500.00 and it is uner 90,000 miles I think it is an amazing deal so I tell my circle of friends and everybody wants the car but not one person can seize this great opportunity to have this awsome car for just $500.00.
The sad thing is our society can put them in a loan for $150.00 - $200.00 per month for 6 years and tie up for freedom for for 6 years and who likes to drive the same car for 6 years.. ok I know a small percent of people who keep there cars around more than 6 years. (personally I am on three years with my van and am trying to go for 2 more) But when I was getting loans for cars I would trade every two years to get something nicer or somthing better on fuel. One car loan I had gotten was very hard to pay each month after I moved back to MN and didn't make the same salary as I did in a big town in Iowa. It felt like I had a chain around my neak I had to work and pay one weeks pay to my car loan each month, Plus the thing needed fuel to get to work and I had to have full coverage Insurance on the car too because I had a loan on the car. After trading into a lower car payment and into a older car(I was upside down in this car too). My advice to anyone in the same tax bracket as me do not have a car Payment of more than $200.00 per month even better advise is have a emergency fund and a fund for your freedom like a vacation fund, my next car fund, or any my next opportunity fund.
(I am not rich so if your are rich you probably do not need my advise unless you have a debt problem)
Well back to my point I want everyone who wants there freedom back and wants get ahold of their finances to tap into my disire to help you be debt free. I will give you tips and things that I learned the hard way and help you become debt free too.
I was tired of living paycheck to paycheck and now that I am not living paycheck to paycheck (by taking control of my money and having no debt) it pains me to see my friends and family and clients living that way. All there freedom is tied up in debt payments.
Here is an example of your lost freedom: This week... A friend of mine is selling her car for $500.00 and it is uner 90,000 miles I think it is an amazing deal so I tell my circle of friends and everybody wants the car but not one person can seize this great opportunity to have this awsome car for just $500.00.
The sad thing is our society can put them in a loan for $150.00 - $200.00 per month for 6 years and tie up for freedom for for 6 years and who likes to drive the same car for 6 years.. ok I know a small percent of people who keep there cars around more than 6 years. (personally I am on three years with my van and am trying to go for 2 more) But when I was getting loans for cars I would trade every two years to get something nicer or somthing better on fuel. One car loan I had gotten was very hard to pay each month after I moved back to MN and didn't make the same salary as I did in a big town in Iowa. It felt like I had a chain around my neak I had to work and pay one weeks pay to my car loan each month, Plus the thing needed fuel to get to work and I had to have full coverage Insurance on the car too because I had a loan on the car. After trading into a lower car payment and into a older car(I was upside down in this car too). My advice to anyone in the same tax bracket as me do not have a car Payment of more than $200.00 per month even better advise is have a emergency fund and a fund for your freedom like a vacation fund, my next car fund, or any my next opportunity fund.
(I am not rich so if your are rich you probably do not need my advise unless you have a debt problem)
Well back to my point I want everyone who wants there freedom back and wants get ahold of their finances to tap into my disire to help you be debt free. I will give you tips and things that I learned the hard way and help you become debt free too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)