saving money

Bartering To Save You Money In The Down Economy

Like most people, you have probably been hit by this bad economy. While some are worse than others, I have a way of easing the hit on your wallet that this economy is having. I am speaking of bartering ; yes trading your skills for money. The great thing about bartering is that almost anyone can do it. Can you tutor? Can you do odd jobs or cook? Then great, you can barter. You might even be able to find a way of using your on the jobs skills elsewhere.

One thing that can help is finding others who can help you ply your trade. If you live in a big city, you might even be able to find a bartering club. These can be easy to find by doing an online search. If you don’t have one, it might be easier to contact individuals and small businesses. Typically you will not have much success with larger businesses.

Another way of helping your success, assuming you do not already have one, is by starting your own bartering club. This might be hard work, but it will certainly help others out. You can do this by taking out an ad and getting in touch with other interested individuals.

So go help your wallet by bartering!

Minimize Expenses With Essential Grocery Shopping

The weekly trip to the grocery store is a good litmus test for determining one’s budget and surplus. People will usually shop for groceries up to a certain limit, and even during times of self- indulgence, rarely will they spend more than 20 or 30 dollars over their budget. There are of course small ways by which people can save up a dollar here and there when going out shopping.

The grocery list is a good place to start. As with anything in life, if it’s not written down, it’s probably not that important. A grocery list helps people stick to their budget, and makes the shopping experience more efficient as there’s a clear goal for the shopper to see.

Some families purchase a particular item or brand every week. There are times when these can be purchased on sale or at wholesale prices, cutting down expenses in the long run. Coupons can also give amazing discounts when used regularly.

Food items such as vegetables are best purchased frozen as they can be stocked for longer periods. For fresh food items such as fruits, these are cheapest and more nutritious when they are in season.

At home, remember to store all of these items efficiently. The worst way to spend money is to buy items that only spoil because of neglect. Thus, only purchase items when they are absolutely needed.

Grocery Bill: How to Keep it Under Control

 

Want to reduce your grocery bill, but finding it challenging to bring it under control? Let me share a few simple but effective tips with you.

First and foremost, prepare a list of grocery items that you would require for one week. The list should cater to five meals consisting of different food items such as salad, vegetables, rice, fish and meat. Here you might also include the food that you want to take to your work. The variety in the food items provides you with a balanced diet and prevents your extra spending from eating outside food. The meal plan and the list hold the key to the majority of your saving, so take time to prepare them with thought and care.

Visit the grocery shop on Sunday or Monday every week with this list in hand. Avoid visiting the store when you are hungry, too filled up or emotionally unrest. Better still, try to shop online. This helps you substantially by preventing unnecessary purchase happening through temptation.

Always check the expiry date of the item you purchase. The expiry date should always be after the date you intend to use the item. In this way, you can save money which goes waste when we discard the unusable food items.

Purchase containers of different sizes and label them to store extra food items for later use. Sometimes you can cook food in large quantities and store it in these containers for consumption on another day, thus saving both cooking time and fuel.

 

How Mortgage Length Affects Annual Payments

 

Over the past few months, changes in residential mortgage terms are affecting how ordinary homeowners pay for their own home loans. The most recent change is with regards to the length of an average mortgage. Previously, a typical home loan would cover a period of 35 years. Today, it has now been reduced to 30 years. While five years doesn’t seem that long, it can increase a homeowner’s monthly payments by as much as $100 per month.

This increase isn’t such a big concern, especially for those who are already living within their means, but it might be hard for households who are already living on a budget. For those haven’t yet put down their first payment on their new home, they have the option of borrowing from their Registered Retirement Savings Plan. As of now, the limit is $25, 000 from each spouse. This means that the total possible down payment for those who qualify with their RRSP is $50, 000.

Couples who have a Tax- Free Savings Account are also able to take up to $15, 000 in contribution amounts. This can be doubled if both spouses are co- signatories. For those who already have their mortgage going, many banks and cooperatives can offer advice to these homeowners on how it will affect their bottom line. Some of these institutions will even offer some form of debt restructuring if the homeowner is unable to cope with the new change. The new mortgage term will therefore not be as detrimental as some people make out to be.