Suburban living means you’ll probably have to get a car and you’re not going “into the city” as often as you’d like. But here’s what you may not see coming.
The post 5 Rude Awakenings You’ll Experience Moving to the Burbs appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
You can do plenty of things to improve your budget, and it's not all about pain and suffering, as many would have you believe. Everyone has a few things they overspend on. The challenge lies in identifying those particular items and weeding them out. A good place to begin is with restaurant spending, grocery bills, and impulse buying. A wise general philosophy is to assign a destination for every dollar you earn and place that category on your budget. Try cutting restaurant expenditures in half, reducing impulse buys at convenience stores, and shopping for groceries just once each week to regulate what goes toward food items.
If you have any education debt still hanging around after all these years, refinancing student loans through a private lender is a way to lessen your monthly expenses. Not only can you get a longer repayment period, but have the chance to snag a favorable interest rate. But the clincher for money-saving enthusiasts is that your monthly payments can instantly go way down. That means extra cash for whatever you want. Use the excess to fatten savings or IRA accounts, or pay off high-interest credit card debt.
For less than $20, it's possible to chop at least three percent off your utility bills and perhaps much more than that.
Programmable thermostats are easy to install. You don't need special tools or advanced skills. Be sensible about summer and winter settings and you'll see a difference in your electric bill almost immediately, especially during the hottest months of the year. Don't forget to program the device to go into low-use mode while you're away for long weekends or longer vacations.
Although shopping clubs come with annual membership fees, the savings on groceries, household items, and gasoline usually offset them within a month or two of actively using the membership. That leaves the other months of the year for you to save money on household necessities.
For people who drive a lot, shopping clubs with on-site gas stations offer one of the best deals going. Not only do the clubs offer gasoline for about 10 cents off the regular price, but some also offer free car washes and coupons for repair work at participating shops. Although shopping clubs are a win for most anyone, a family of three or more can log thousands per year in savings.
If you have owned your home or car long enough to ride the interest rate waves, you likely qualify for a refinancing agreement. This strategy is excellent for consumers who have better credit now than when they made the original purchase.
Young couples are perfectly positioned to refinance a home after several years of making payments on it. Likewise, anyone who still owes on a vehicle and can get a lower interest rate should look into a car or truck refi. Not only can you get additional months to pay off the obligation, but with a lower rate, you stand to save a nice chunk of money.
One of the oldest, more reliable ways to instantly cut personal expenses is to prepare and take your own lunch to work each day. Not only do you save money by not eating out or buying lunch in the company cafeteria, but you also have added control over what you eat. That means you're doing a favor for your wallet and your health at the same time.
Don't fall into the rut of eating at your desk. Consider taking your bagged meal outside and enjoying the scenery, taking a walk after eating, or joining friends in the cafeteria to socialize.
If you live on or near a bus or light-rail route, do the logistical planning necessary to travel to work at least a few times each week by public transit instead of by car.
Unless you reside in a small town, chances are you have access to buses and trains for commuting purposes. Once you get into a habit of using the public transit system, consider buying a one-month or annual pass, which can represent a major discount on one-time fare prices. Public transportation can take a bit longer to get you to your destination, but it's easy enough to make use of the time reading, catching up on work, or just relaxing.
If you use credit cards to make purchases you can't afford, you're headed for trouble. But if you use your plastic wisely, you can reap real benefits.
If you have a good credit rating, you'll likely qualify for cashback cards that give a percentage of your money back on some or all of your purchases. You can use that cash to pay for a portion of your monthly credit card bill. You could also let your cashback savings accumulate and use it to pay for larger purchases in the future.
Just make sure not to outspend your monthly budget so you're able to pay your credit card balance off in full each month. Keeping a balance on your cards is counterproductive because you'll also be paying interest fees.
Setting financial goals for your family can be exciting and overwhelming. It’s empowering to work towards saving for your family’s dream vacation or eliminating debt such as a car payment, but when your family budget is already tight, finding ways to improve your finances can seem daunting.
Good news! There are everyday ways that you can implement into your family’s lifestyle that can help you save money. Here are a few easy strategies that will prove fruitful for both your home and your bank account.
Before you roll your eyes at this suggestion, let me explain. Research shows that people in US households toss out a staggering 150,000 tons of food each day! The average American family of four spending $ $10,995 per year on food. A considerable amount of waste could be prevented if we commited to monitoring foods like produce, dairy, and meat and using them before they go bad.
Schedule a day once a week (the day before or day you plan to grocery shop is ideal) and take inventory of what groceries you still have available to prepare family meals. This allows you to take advantage of a slightly bruised zucchini and end-of-package cheese slices that you can turn into a delicious quiche for dinner rather than spending a small chunk-of-change on takeout pizza. Don’t forget the freezer. Those frozen drumsticks can be thawed and marinated for tomorrow’s Sunday dinner along with that bag of red bliss potatoes that have been sitting on your counter for weeks now.
A considerable amount of waste could be prevented if we commited to monitoring foods and using them before they go bad.
Make this a weekly habit and not only will you be able to serve your family tasty dishes, you can put the money you save toward something meaningful for your family.
It’s the little things in life that can truly make a difference! That goes for those small, innocent payments you make each month for our family’s entertainment—Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, gym memberships, music streaming services, Dollar Shave Club, and so many more.
List all your family’s subscriptions and see what your monthly total is. Decide which ones really make a difference for your family and then look at trimming the rest. You might be surprised to find out how much money you're spending on subscriptions you rarely (if ever) use!
A home filled with paper piled on countertops, loose laundry, a gaggle of knickknacks and tchotchkes, and drawers stuffed with gadgets and items that have no real purpose can be one of the biggest money drains of all.
When your living space is organized and functional, it sets the tone for everything else in your family’s life.
Look around your entryway, kitchen, family room, and even your garage. Are things neat and orderly, or do you have to dig every time you need to find your tennis shoes, the dog’s leash, and your car keys?
Clutter robs you of:
When your living space is organized and functional, it sets the tone for everything else in your family’s life. This doesn’t have to be an awful project. Get excited about how amazing you and your family will feel when everything has a place. When you eliminate the mess throughout your entire home (garage and shed included!), you’ll have a new lease on life. Disposing if things you bought and rarely used will also may you more mindful of what you purchase in the future.
There are dozens of recommended decluttering methods available, but my favorite is inspired by organizing guru, Marie Kondo. The way she goes about getting her clients organized involves a multi-step process that involves sorting by item category rather than by room. The KonMari method mandates that you only keep the items that bring you joy. (But remember, throwing out your bills because they don't bring you joy is a bad idea.)
RELATED: Clean, Organize, and Declutter with Marie Kondo's Magic: Part 1
A savvy way to save serious money is to shop secondhand stores. Not only can you find designerclothing at half the price of the original sales tag, you can score amazing finds for your home. There needn’t be a stigma about shopping thrift stores. Many have a boutique-like feel with knowledgeable, professional sales staff who are eager to help you and your home look better for less. In addition, you’re helping the environment by recycling!
Shopping secondhand is one of 2020’s hot parenting trends. Besides local thrift shops and consignment stores, there are plenty of opportunities to shop online. E-Bay, Swap.com, and ThredUp, and Facebook are a few of many online choices that offer a variety of top-notch styles for less.
Be mindful of turning the lights off when you leave a room or keeping your thermostat set at 68 degrees during the winter. To some, those types of things are already habit. But for many others, conserving energy isn't necessarily top-of-mind. The average electricity spent in a household per year is $1,368.36 and studies show that 35 percent of the power used is actually wasted.
Fortunately, this waste can be corrected. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that the typical household can save 25 percent on utility bills by implementing energy-efficient measures. (Put that towards your family’s vacay!) These tips include replacing light bulbs with energy-efficient alternatives and properly insulating your home.
You can perform a do-it-yourself energy audit, and many local energy companies will also assist with a professional energy audit. Moneycrashers also offers some helpful tips in 10 Ways for How to Save Energy at Home Now – Save $2,500 Per Year.
With a money-saving mindset you’ll soon find other creative ways you can spend less and save more resulting in valuable time with your loved ones.
The Capital One 360 Performance Savings account, commonly called Capital One 360 Savings, is a high-yield savings account with no monthly fees and no minimum balance required. Capital One makes it easy to get started, allowing you to open a new account online in about five minutes. And with the well-reviewed Capital One mobile app, you can easily manage your account on the go.
In this post, weâll cover the details of having a Capital One 360 Savings account, including the pros and cons â and how it compares to similar accounts. Plus, weâll help you decide if this is the right account for you.
There are lots of benefits to having a Capital One savings account. Here are some of the highlights:
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A certificate of deposit, more commonly known as a CD, is a special type of savings account. You deposit your money into the account and agree not to make any withdrawals for a certain period of time. At the end of that time, you get your money plus whatever was earned in interest back. Want… Read More
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These days, finding a good roommate is almost as hard as finding your soulmate! But don’t despair â with good communication, clear expectations, and a little bit of intuition, you too can find your perfect roommate. Use this step-by-step guide to write your roommate wanted ad that gets you the most suitable matches. 1. State […]
The post What to Include in a Roommate Wanted Ad appeared first on Apartment Life.
Curious about the nitty-gritty details of how to sell your home during a pandemic? Weâve got you covered. Check out the answers to the most frequently asked questions.
The post Selling Your Home in the Age of Coronavirus? Here Are All Your Top Questions, Answered appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.
With the dramatic impacts COVID-19 has left on the homebuying and selling industry, we look at the best ways to market your home in 2021.
The post Prepping Your Home to Sell in 2021: How to Attract Homebuyers appeared first on Homes.com.