An Easy Way To Simplify Your Business Finances

When you own and operate your own home-based business, it can be tempting to just place all of your earnings into your regular bank account and use that same account to make all of your personal and business purchases. If this is your current business accounting strategy, it may be time to rethink things a bit and consider giving your business its own checking and savings accounts. One major reason why it is important to have separate accounts for your business and personal funds is ease of record keeping. When you keep all of your money together, it can be … Continue reading

Simplify for Savings

Making simple changes can go a long way in reducing both your stress and your budget. When you simplify, you can’t help but save. Don’t worry, you won’t need to draw you own water from a well or kill your own chickens for food (although those things may save you money), but instead you can simply some basic areas in your life to reap great benefits. Reduce the credit cards Reducing your credit cards will naturally reduce your ability to acquire debt. It will also help you to stay organized with your bill paying. Having only one credit card, for … Continue reading

Focus on the Candidates – Ted Cruz

This blog is part of the series that focuses on the candidates who are running for President of the United States in 2016. This blog focuses on Ted Cruz. Ted Cruz was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to an American mother and a Cuban father. Ted Cruz has since renounced his Canadian citizenship. He was Solicitor General for the state of Texas from 2003-2008. Ted Cruz was first elected as a Texas Senator in 2012. You might recall him reading “Green Eggs and Ham” on CSPAN during the government shutdown of 2013. Health Care According to his Senate website, Ted … Continue reading

Can You Still Save on Holiday Travel?

A few weeks ago, commercial carriers, hotels and car rental agencies were scaring people into completing their holiday booking STAT! If you bought into the hype and made reservations thinking you’d be hit with horrendous prices if you waited a single second longer, you’re likely kicking yourself right now. Turns out, supply currently outweighs demand, and now prices are inching down. There is still time to score savings when making your Christmas travel plans. Visiting popular aggregate sites such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Kayak can help simplify your search for reasonable rates. However, don’t limit yourself to the meta-search sites. … Continue reading

How Many Bank Accounts Do You Have?

I have three. There’s the family account, where my husband’s paycheck is deposited. From this account, we pay the bills and keep the family afloat. Then there’s my business account, which is hooked to my PayPal account, and this is where all my business checks are deposited. We use this money to pay extra on our bills, and often, when unexpected things come up, like the growth spurt my son’s feet decided to have last week and we needed to buy him new shoes. And then we have a savings account for the kids. Why three bank accounts? What benefits … Continue reading

Turning Frugal Resolutions into Habits

Sure having New Year resolutions is great. They are a way to really make a commitment and turn intention into habit. But, the reality is that many New Year’s Resolutions don’t make it all of the way into a regular part of someone’s lifestyle. Usually, the commitment lasts only a few months, or sometimes only weeks or days. Here are some ways that you can make sure that your frugal resolutions become frugal habits. Be Specific and Vague Having specific goals can certainly help you jump start and keep frugal resolutions. For example, saying I will bring my lunch from … Continue reading

The Best Investment You Can Make

One of the best investments you can make with regard to food is an upright freezer. It may not be cheap initially but over many years it will save you time and money. The freezer makes it possible to buy in bulk. If a side of beef or lamb or pork, is too much you can by a hind or a forequarter. Or you can arrange with a relative or friends to share win the cost of a side and split it between you. For years when we had family at home, we found it an inexpensive way to have … Continue reading

Fall Money Cleanup

So often I hear the term “Spring Cleaning”… but for me, the time to really clean and cleanse your lifestyle is fall. This is especially true of families with children in school and colder climates. Once school sets in, time is more crunched and as winter approaches, you spend more time indoors hibernating. The end of summer as it merges into fall is almost like your last chance to prepare for this natural shift. Somehow we are all programmed to feel a sense of starting fresh in the fall. This often begins as school children and seems to carry through … Continue reading

Home and Family: Safety

Keeping our families safe is one of our greatest duties, and is often one of our most pressing concerns. Unfortunately, there are so many things to take into consideration, that safety can become an overwhelming job. These tips will help simplify some things: Check Your Smoke Detector and Carbon Monoxide Detector Regularly To help you remember when your smoke detector and carbon monoxide detector were last tested or when the batteries were last replaced, perform these tasks at each Daylight Savings Time change (if you observe Daylight Savings in your area). Change your reminder to “spring ahead, fall back, check … Continue reading