Does It Cost More for a Homemade Lunch?

I started out making homemade lunches for my first-born child for financial reasons. It just seemed cheaper that way than to buy lunch from the cafeteria. Years later, all of my kids still pack their lunch bags every day. They actually prefer it because they don’t have to spend time waiting in a cafeteria line or trying to decide on food they might not like. A friend of mine agrees with the preference but not with the cost. She says she winds up spending more money when her kids pack a lunch compared to when they buy it at school. … Continue reading

How Being a Stay-at-Home Parent Saves Money

Are you a stay-at-home parent or want to be? Good news! While you may not be earning and income, chances are you are saving a ton of money. Here is how. Child Care Fees Let us start with the obvious, child care fees. If you aren’t staying home with your children, you will probably need to pay for child care. The cost of child care can be high, sometimes wiping out any income you are gaining by working. Obviously this depends on your position and income level, but it is the first expense you should allow for in your budget. … Continue reading

Extra Expenses of Caring for an Elderly Parent in Your Home

If you will be caring for an elderly parent in your home, you may need to budget for some extra expenses. Even if your parent has his or her own income to pay for items such as prescription medication, you still may have additional costs that creep up and raise your bills at the end of the month. Make sure to put a little extra aside in the following categories of your budget. Electricity With an extra person in your home, you may see an increase in your electric bill. Many elderly people can’t get around and tend to watch … Continue reading

Could Your Old Books Make Money? How to Check Book Value

If you have bookshelves full of books you may also have a source of income. Clearing out those books could not only mean a more organized home, but it may also mean less debt or more savings. That is because you can often sell your books for cash. Before you consign them all to a yard sale (where you can still earn some money for the most common books), make sure to check book value. That is because among all of the best sellers and summer reads, you may just find a few books that could make you some real … Continue reading

Increase Your Earning Power Right Now!

There are two ways to be more financially solvent: cut your costs or earn more money. While there is nothing wrong with using coupons or getting the best prices on your purchases (we stretch our money in many ways), you may get a bigger bang for your buck, so to speak, when you increase your income. After all, while there may be a limit to how much your save, there isn’t a limit on how much you can potentially earn. 1. Earn money on the side The easiest way to increase your earning power is to start a side business. … Continue reading

5 Steps to Getting Your Car Paid Off Early

Paying off your car loan early will save you hundreds of dollars in interest charges, eliminate a monthly expense, and increase your credit score as your rate of debt to income goes down. Plus, you’ll get a real sense of accomplishment knowing that your car is completely yours, free and clear. 1. First do your homework Review your loan paperwork before you start. Most car loans are simple interest loans. That is, the interest accrues during the life of the loan, so paying it off early will save you a lot of money. In a precomputed interest loan, on the … Continue reading

Manage What You Can to Increase Your Income

Increasing your income can be easier than you think. You just need to stop concentrating on the things that you can’t change and start focusing on the things that you can. Managing the areas that are under your control is a quick way to start making your money grow. There are some things that you just can’t control when it comes to your money. Two good examples are if the stock market goes down or if gas prices go up. You can’t really manage those things. You can, however, manage other areas to increase your income. Manage Your Debt Finding … Continue reading

When You Want to Stay at Home

Many moms, myself included, learned how to live a frugal lifestyle in order to be able to stay at home with their kids. If you are feeling the same way, but you don’t know where to begin, whether or not staying home could be a reality, or how to convince your spouse that it is possible, keep reading. I have real life advice and experiences. It Costs Less Than You Think For most people, having one parent give up an income to stay at home has less impact on your daily finances than you might think. This is because there … Continue reading

Moving Towards Your Home Based Business

Since starting your own business is no small feat, it can seem overwhelming. If you break it down into smaller, more manageable steps that you can take action on day by day, you increase your chances of moving “start my business” from your to-do list to your to-done list. Here are a few suggestions to get you started. First, have a good brainstorming session to get yourself moving in a direction towards figuring out what business you will start. Make some time for yourself to do it, and get a piece of paper (or two, or three) and write down … Continue reading

Book Review – Home Based Business for Dummies

While I would not consider myself stupid, I have found that I really like reading books from the “For Dummies” collection. The books are straightforward and informative, and presented in an engaging and sometimes humorous manner. They are very easy to digest and hard to put down. It seems like there is a guide to just about everything “For Dummies”, and home-based business is no exception. “Home Based Business for Dummies” is written by Paul Edwards, Sarah Edwards, and Paul Economy. Since I am always looking to increase my knowledge of how to succeed with my home-based businesses, I thought … Continue reading