Saving Money

Savings Challenge: $1000 by Black Friday

October 2, 2019 By Flanice Lewis Leave a Comment

There are eight Fridays between now and Black Friday. Those are eight opportunities to save up for holiday shopping, especially if you budget or get paid weekly. If you get paid biweekly, you have four or five paydays to save up. If you don’t think you have room in the budget to save, then you’ll need to get creative to reach $1,000 by Black Friday.

Reaching your goal will be easier if you break it up into small chunks. Here are five ways to save $125 per week.

Easy ways to start saving are to cook more of your meals at home and use coupons for groceries. Also, bike, walk, or take public transportation instead of driving if it is more affordable. Skip happy hour and try potlucks at home to spend time with friends. Additionally, review your subscriptions and services you may not use. Cancel Netflix and sign up for free with a new email address for 30 days. You will have saved $12.99 already. If you don’t think that’s a lot, keep in mind that everything will be on sale for Black Friday so that $12.99 plus any interest earned can buy a toy, doll, action figure, coloring book, or pair of kids’ shoes. Dig deep into your budget to see where you can save.
Now is a good time to shop around for new car insurance, cell phone plans, or bank promotions. You can make hundreds of dollars by lowering your monthly expenses and putting the savings into a new account. If you decide to have $125 per week or $250 every two weeks direct deposited, you could have an extra $100 or $200 in your account by the end of November.
Sell items to earn $1000 without having to change your lifestyle. If you’re going to purchase the latest gadget, then sell your old one. You’re probably going to buy clothes and shoes, so make room by selling items on Poshmark. Additionally, You should sell things that still have tags because you will get more. Do you have any watches or other jewelry collecting dust? You can sell them on eBay. If you handmake items, sell them on Etsy. Some brick and mortar consignment shops will buy unused products from Bath and Body Works and Victoria’s Secret.
Extra Work. Side hustles are old faithful for extra money towards a goal. Wash cars, mow lawns. If you’re in the northwest where it’s already snowing, plow driveways and sidewalks. If your job offers overtime, take advantage.
Get a seasonal job. Many businesses hire seasonal workers. Some start earlier than others. Know that it will be two to three weeks before you receive your first paycheck. Plan to set all of the money earned aside for holiday shopping. If you know you want to purchase items at a particular store, try to get a seasonal position there. Many offer employee discounts, even during the holidays. I worked as an associate at Coach after college during the holidays. I started as a seasonal employee and became eligible for the discount and other perks in time for Christmas.

If you’re not into holiday shopping, this plan is an easy way to beef up your emergency fund or save towards a goal. These tips are useful for any dollar figure or event you’re planning. If you have an anniversary trip six months from now, you could have $3,000 saved by following the same plan.

How to Get Huge Savings When Shopping Online

Best Savings Rates For September 2019

Tips on How You Can Save on Vehicle Insurance

Which Unlimited Plan is Best for One Device?

September 25, 2019 By Flanice Lewis 2 Comments

I’m in the market for the lowest-price, unlimited data cellular plan that works internationally at no additional cost. It’s time to revisit my service to make sure I’m getting the best deal.

Current Plan

I’ve had my current phone plan, Google Fi Flexible, for almost a year, and it’s incredibly inexpensive and easy to use. However, it does not have unlimited data, so I pay $10 per gigabyte (GB), or fraction thereof. My base costs are $20 for unlimited talk and text. My total comes out to about $25 with taxes and fees before data.

Generally, metered data isn’t an issue because I work remotely and am on WiFi about 80-90% of the time. I only have a problem when I have to travel and can’t connect to a secure network. My last long trip resulted in more than double my normal data usage, and my bill was $72. On average, my statement is $37, which includes several months where credits canceled out my charges. The Google Fi Unlimited plan starts at $70 per month.

Unlimited Plans

If I stop working remotely full-time or increase my travel, an unlimited plan that works internationally is the ideal solution. Currently, Google Fi operates in over a hundred countries by switching to the local cell towers. I used it when I visited Europe last year without needing data unless I was sending photos to an iPhone.

T-Mobile

T-Mobile has a similar international setup, and it offers WiFi calling. Google Fi is essentially the same network with the same perks, but T-Mobiles services will work on my iPhone. Google Fi works best with Android phones, so not all functions work on my phone. T-Mobile’s Essential unlimited plan for one phone is $65 without autopay, plus $4 for voicemail transcription, with international capability. I could save $5 by using autopay, but it still doesn’t seem more affordable long-term. I already have the transcription service included and cheaper rates internationally. Taxes and fees would have me paying my highest bill consistently.

Sprint

Sprint’s Essential plan is $60 per month and includes Hulu. I currently only pay $1.11 per month for Hulu, so that doesn’t help me. It only plays video in standard definition (SD) and will degrade service in congested areas. Its mobile hotspot is limited to 500 megabytes which is an odd amount for an unlimited plan. This plan sounds like it’s secretly a metered plan and Sprint hopes you won’t notice.

AT&T

AT&T’s lowest unlimited plan is $70 per month with autopay and after two billing cycles. It has unlimited talk and text in Mexico and Canada, but it streams in SD and also meters for congestion. It offers live television, but I don’t watch TV enough to justify paying over $70 every month. As the most expensive so far, this is at the very bottom of the list.

Verizon

Verizon’s unlimited plan pricing is similar to AT&T’s. However, Verizon is also promoting a metered data plan comparable to Google Fi’s. It offers unlimited talk and text, plus two GB of data for $35. The drawbacks are you have to add international functions, every additional GB is $15, and you need to lease a new phone for an additional $20 per month. I was interested in switching at first, but it doesn’t fit my criteria.

Final Decision

Based on my research, I have the most affordable plan for my needs. I can manage my data usage to keep my statement balance low, especially when traveling. There is WiFi for everything else.

Cell Phone Plans: Family Plan or Multiple Individual Plans: What’s Cheapest?

Top 6 Cheap Cell Phone Plans

5 Best Cell Phone Plans for Singles and Couples

Can I Have Micro Wedding for $5000?

September 23, 2019 By Flanice Lewis 2 Comments

I have a Pinterest page dedicated to my dream wedding, and I always assumed it would be small. It would be more cozy and economical, so it was a win-win. I even considered having a courthouse wedding. Then I caught wind of the micro wedding trend, and I realized I’d been planning one all along.

A micro wedding is just as the name implies. It is a smaller version of a regular wedding. It’s been compared to eloping, but it isn’t a secret and guests are invited. The number of guests and decor are all scaled down, saving time and money. The average wedding costs around $30,000, and I refuse to pay that much.

I have a huge family, so limiting attendance will save me a ton of money. One hundred person guest lists are the norm, but I can’t afford that. I once considered a destination wedding to limit my guest list for me. However, the travel costs would make it less affordable for everyone involved. My micro dream wedding has my immediate family and my five closest friends.

To include everyone else, I like the idea of streaming the wedding online. That can fetch about $2,500. Alternatively, feeding each guest can cost between $30 and $100. I can have a guest list of 100 with just my relatives, not to mention the groom’s side. My estimated cost just for food ranges from $3,000 to $10,000 for my guests alone. The savings are apparent, and everyone will get to see the ceremony.

To make sure everyone can participate in some of the fun, I want to have a potluck party versus a reception. The venue can cost almost half of the average wedding costs. If I go to the Justice of the Peace or borrow someone’s pretty backyard, I can save over $10,000. I can then use those funds toward a down payment on a house or for several trips, including my honeymoon. By having a potluck, I save on catering costs. I don’t like cake, so I save $350 to $450 there. My mother could probably feed 100 or more people with that budget alone. She did something similar for my sister’s reception.

Another way I plan to save money on my wedding, and my marriage, is avoiding the mined diamond ring. I played around on the Tiffany & Co. website to see what a two-carat engagement ring in my style would be valued. It came out to over $49,000. I went to Brilliant Earth and compared it to a similar ring with engineered stones, and it totaled slightly over $9,000. If I decrease the size or clarity, the ring price decreases even further.

Considering I don’t generally wear rings, I may go for something understated for my engagement ring and band. My husband-to-be can have whichever wedding band is his style and in our budget. If I have my way, the rings, ceremony, and reception will cost less than $5,000, and I will pay cash.

Is Your Wedding Budget Ready? Not Till It Includes These 7 Post-Wedding Costs!

Wedding Registries That Offer Free Gifts When You Sign Up

Opinion: Don’t Wait To Talk About Finances Until After Marriage

How to Save Money on Ironing Clothes

September 10, 2019 By Kathryn Vercillo 1 Comment

I don’t own a clothes iron. My lifestyle simply doesn’t require me to have ironed clothes. So, if someone were to ask me how to save money ironing clothes then my best advice would be: just don’t iron. However, I know that other people do iron their clothing. Whether it’s required for their professional lives or simply a preference, many people engage in this practice weekly, if not daily. Is it possible to save money on ironing clothes?

Buy the Right Iron and the Right Clothing

Most of the time, the key to really saving money on anything is to shop smart. If you buy the wrong materials to begin with, you waste more money over time. For example, you might find that paying a little bit more for clothes that iron easily saves you money in the long run. It can also be more efficient, saving you time. Likewise, spending money on the right iron (one that will last a long time) can help you avoid having to waste money replacing the item in the near future.

Buy the right iron.

You don’t want to buy the cheapest iron on the market. You also don’t need to buy the most expensive one. Shop around. Get the features that you need but no other frills. Find an iron with good reviews that emphasize long-lasting durability and good performance. Look for energy-saving models.

Buy clothing that doesn’t need to be ironed.

When looking for professional clothing, you can often find a “no iron” mention in the product description. You can also learn about different materials that generally stay wrinkle-free without ironing. Wool and other knits, denim, and rayon are just a few examples of fabrics that don’t typically need to be ironed.

Proper Preparation: Before You Iron

It’s important to have a routine for everything you do regularly in your life. Setting up the right routine can help save time. Done correctly, it can also help you save money. There are certain things that you can do to prepare your clothing for ironing. Here are those tips:

Remove clothing from the dryer immediately.

Hang clothing neatly as soon as you remove it from the dryer. Therefore, you minimize wrinkles. Even if you need to iron the item, you won’t have to spend nearly so much time doing it as you would if you had left the clothes in the dryer for days and allowed wrinkles to set in.

If you are the type of person who irons your linens, then the trick here is to fold them rather than hang them. Remove them from the dryer promptly. Fold them on top of the warm dryer, smoothing them down so that they are crisp. This typically eliminates the need to iron. At the very least, you won’t have to iron for long.

Don’t do your laundry and then let it sit. Don’t let it sit in the dryer. Make sure you don’t just move it from the dryer to a basket. If you want to have wrinkle-free clothing, make time in your routine to hang or fold everything as it comes out of the just-finished drying cycle.

Steam out wrinkles while you shower.

You just woke up. Your work clothes have wrinkles in them. Take them into the bathroom with you while you shower. Hang them up and shower as usual. The steam from your shower will help remove some of the wrinkles. You may find that you don’t even need to iron after all. If you do, the clothes are ready for very quick ironing.

Get your items ready to iron.

Generally speaking, you shouldn’t actually just iron one set of clothing at a time like in the above example. Instead, you should iron as much as possible at once. Just like it’s a waste to put one item in the dryer, it’s a waste to turn your iron on just to iron one thing. Therefore, you should set aside ironing time and do sets of items all at once.

Before you even turn on the iron, you should sort your items into piles. At the very least, sort into lightweight items and dense, heavy items. You should iron all of the lightweight items first, warming up the iron. Then you should move on to the batch of heavier items.

How to Avoid Energy Waste When Ironing

As you can see, a lot of the money that you can save on ironing happens before you even begin the ironing process. Once you start ironing, the most important thing is to avoid wasting energy. The longer an iron is on, the more energy you use; therefore, the more money you spend to use it. Here are some tips to avoid energy waste with your iron:

Clean the iron.

If your iron is dirty then you cause yourself unnecessary hassle. It also takes longer to iron your clothes. Therefore, make sure that you begin with a clean iron. Wipe the face of it down before you begin ironing.

If it’s a steam iron, check for mineral deposits before you start to iron. If they’re on there, they can get steamed into the clothes, which can ruin your clothing. Then you’ll have to buy more clothing, which is a waste of money.

Use the right heat setting.

You do not have to use the highest heat setting every time that you iron your clothing. In fact, each type of clothing does best with a specific level of heat. If you use too much heat, you might even burn your clothing and have to replace it. More than that, though, you’re just wasting your iron’s energy if you’re ironing with more heat than it requires. Figure out the best heat setting for each of your clothing items. Write it down so you remember it for next time.

Additional Tips to Save Money on Ironing Clothes

Finally, here are some additional tips to keep in mind to save money on ironing clothes:

Don’t iron if you don’t have to. It’s truly not always necessary. Relax a little about it when you can.
Iron when you have time to iron. If the iron is just sitting there while you do other things then you’re wasting energy. Focus on the task at hand. Turn the iron on, do all of your ironing, and then turn the iron off.
Try using spray starch. Some people find that they enjoy the crisp feeling of spray starch. Plus, it cuts down on ironing time. Of course, you do pay to buy the starch, so this might be a financial wash. It’s a personal preference.
Turn the iron off as soon as you finish ironing. Make sure that you immediately unplug it. Don’t allow vampire energy to run up your electric bill.

Read More:

Looking For Higher Interest Rates-Check Out These Online Banks

August 7, 2019 By Tamila McDonald 1 Comment

The average interest rate on a savings account is a measly 0.09 percent. If you want to see your savings grow faster, online banks can be a great choice. Since their overhead costs are lower, many of these banks can offer customers higher interest rates, including some in excess of 2 percent. If you aren’t sure where to go to get a great rate, here are a few online banks worth checking out.

Betterment

Betterment, the robo-advisor, has hopped into the world of high-yield savings accounts with its Betterment Everyday option. Along with a great rate of up to 2.69 percent APY, you won’t have to deal with any fees. Plus, there are no minimum balance requirements, ensuring even a smaller account can start earning solid interest.

UFB Direct

With a UFB High Yield Savings account, you can earn up to 2.25 percent APY. There are no minimum deposit requirements or maintenance and services fees. In order to land that rate, you do need at least $10,000 in the account. Otherwise, you won’t earn any interest.

CIT Bank

CIT Bank’s Savings Builder Account comes gives you the ability to earn up to 2.30 percent APY. If you want to earn the highest rate, you either need a balance at or above $25,000 or make a $100+ deposit each month. You get daily compound interest to up your earning potential and don’t have to deal with any maintenance fees along the way.

Marcus by Goldman Sachs

The high-yield online savings account through Marcus by Goldman Sachs gives you a chance to earn up to 2.15 percent APY. There is no minimum balance requirement for the account and no transaction or monthly maintenance fees. If you want to make a little more on your money, you can also explore their CD options.

SoFi

From a company that initially focused on student loan refinancing options, SoFi’s Money is a strong online savings account option with an up to 2.00 percent APY. This option is also fee-free and, for added convenience, you won’t have to deal with any ATM withdrawal fees either at any ATM that accepts Visa. If you get charged a fee, SoFi will reimburse you automatically.

Ally Bank

One of the most recognized names in online-only banking, Ally’s savings accounts can earn up to 2.10 percent APY. Like many of the others on this list, there are no minimum balance requirements or monthly maintenance fees. The account also has daily compounding interest, helping your money grow even faster. Plus, Ally is known for exceptional customer support, which is great if you have any questions or want a hand opening an account.

CIBC

CIBC originated in Canada but is now available in the US. The Agility online savings account can earn up to 2.39 percent APY, making it incredibly competitive. There are also no maintenance fees, so you won’t lose any of your cash along the way. You do have to deposit at least $1,000 to get started, but that’s about the closest thing to a drawback you’ll find here.

All of the high-interest online savings account above are worth exploring if you want to earn more with your money. Consider checking out the above online banks and see which one might work for you.

Do you use an online bank because of the higher interest rates? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

If you enjoy reading our blog posts and would like to try your hand at blogging, we have good news for you; you can do exactly that on Saving Advice. Just click here to get started.

Make huge savings on your flight tickets with a VPN

July 28, 2019 By Susan Paige Leave a Comment

Did you realise that it is possible to make huge savings on flight tickets with a VPN? Well let me tell you that it is. Along with enjoying some great deals on last minute flights or booking in advance, you can shave even more money off the cost. How? Read on to find out.

What determines the cost of flight tickets?

Have you ever stopped to think what determines the cost of flight tickets when you book them? Not many people do. However, when you make a search online one of the things is your location.

Yes, where you are actually located when using the internet to book tickets plays a big part in how much you have to pay.

Travel search websites and airlines know your location by your IP address. This is a set of numbers given to every device that connects to the internet by the server. Along with this, every country has a range of IP addresses (numbers), so when you visit a site your number determines where you are located.

Travel companies and comparison websites discriminate by location, so offer different prices based on your location at the time of booking. This is something you can use to your advantage and I am going to show you how you do so below using a VPN.

What is a VPN?

A VPN is a Virtual Private Network and it can be used for many reasons, with one being to make savings on flight tickets by hiding your location.

You connect to a server based in another country and that server provides you with an IP address from that country. When you visit a comparison site, it believes you are located in the country whose server you chose and this is how you can make savings.

How to save on flights using a VPN

Now let us look at the steps required to make those savings.

First choose a VPN provider and there are plenty out there
Sign up, download and install the software
Find flights that you want using a comparison site without connecting to the VPN software and make a note of them and the price
Now open up the VPN app and connect to a server based in a different country or state. It can help to choose a state or country with a low income or destination country
Search for the flights again, this time connected to the VPN, and compare the prices
You can complete the above steps as often as required by reconnecting to a different server to find the lowest prices and book them.

We hope you enjoyed this short guide on how to make savings on flight tickets using a VPN and you save money.

Thank you The-bestvpn.com for this useful infographic that you can find there : https://the-bestvpn.com/save-money-flight-tickets/