Friday, November 11, 2011

Tips That Will Help Put Your Finances On Track

By Noel Simms


Whether you're dealing with debt or trying to spend a little less money, it's important to take control of your personal finances. It's easy to develop unhealthy money habits, but those bad habits can be broken. This article will give you some great personal finance tips that will improve your relationship with money.

Be sure to satisfy the credit counseling requirement for both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy. The bankruptcy reform law that was passed in 2005 requires that anyone who enters bankruptcy must complete an accredited credit counseling course before the bankruptcy can be discharged. Don't get taken by sharks. Many non-profit Consumer Credit Counseling Services (CCCS) branches offer low-cost courses that meet the requirements.

Avoid using "alternative financial services" as a substitute for traditional banking. This includes services such as rent-to-own stores and payday loans. These places extend credit at extremely high effective interest rates, which makes it very difficult to keep up with the payments. This ultimately means you will lose money in the form of fees (payday loans) or losing your equity in the property (rent-to-own).

If money is tight and earning more is simply not a possibility, then spending less is the only way for you to get ahead. Bear in mind that saving just $40 a week by carpooling, cutting coupons and renegotiating or canceling unnecessary services is the equivalent of a $1 per hour raise.

The easiest and most obvious way to give yourself more financial breathing room is to ask for a raise. If you have been with your company for over a year without a raise and research shows that their competitors are paying as much or more to their employees in comparable positions, then use this information to negotiate your way to better pay.

Drink water from the sink. Tap water is free, as opposed to the money you pay for bottled water, juices and sodas. This can help you save a lot of money on groceries. Just make sure that your local water is safe to drink; this is particularly important if you have well water.

Use coupons and discounts. Before you make a purchase, take time to search for coupons and discounts that you can use. This can be time consuming, but you can often find excellent deals and good-sized discounts that make the time worth it. Save money by looking for discounts and you'll be happier with the purchase, too.

Clear debts as soon as you can. Many debts are collecting interest as time goes on, and the interest rates can be very high. Getting rid of debts sooner allows you to pay less on interest and therefore less overall. Save money by getting rid of debt, starting with the debt that has the highest interest rate.

Personal finance is something that must be learned. Learning to handle money well is a skill that is necessary in life, and it's a skill one can always improve. Regardless of where someone got their first money advice, using great tips like these can put one on the right path to financial freedom.




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