how to save money

International Phone Cards Save Me Money

Imagine the following situation: you’re in a foreign country when an emergency comes up. You call home from your hotel and talk for five minutes. When you’re done, you think nothing of it until you get your phone bill for twenty dollars. International phone cards save money, that much is certain, but how much?

The answer, quite a lot. Many phone cards allow calls from Europe to the U.S. in ranges of a mere two or three cents per minute, as compared to local rates of a dollar or more per minute. International cards are definitely the answer when it comes to getting in touch with your loved ones at home. Even within the context of competing phone card companies, some international cards will save you more money than other international cards. Consider using websites to compare rates and choose phone cards to go with.

But what if you’re already overseas and are worried about the comparative cost and hassle of having the card shipped to you? No problem. In today’s world, phone card companies usually offer e-mailed cards. You pay using your credit card, you check your e-mail, and your phone card PIN and directions are already there. Instant, hassle-free, and easy.

Not only do international phone cards save money, they also save trouble. The conclusion? Even if you only plan to take a few minutes of overseas conversation for your entire trip, it would be worth your time and money to look into getting yourself an international card.

An international card can enable you to save a lot of money on both domestic and international telephone calls. After you have purchased a phone card, you will be able to make cheap phone calls from anywhere in the world at any time. It couldn’t be simpler to purchase a card and start saving money today.

There are many worldwide providers who will sell you a prepaid international card. These providers buy a bulk amount of minutes of call time from line carriers at discount rates and then sell them on to you so you too can take advantage of this discount. It is possible to buy an international telephone card from many of these suppliers online.

International telephone cards are available to buy in fixed amounts and in different currencies, for example $5, $10, $20, and $50. As well as saving you money, a card can also be very helpful in keeping track of how much money you are spending on calls without any of the hassles associated with phone contracts. After using your card to make a call, the payphone will display the amount of call credit that you have remaining.

An international card is a versatile and convenient solution for making cheap calls wherever you happen to be and whenever you need it. International cards are fantastic, and sometimes vital, assets for many groups of people, including students, backpackers, and those who do not wish to be shackled to a phone contract. For all these reasons, it really can pay you to purchase an international phone card.

John Pawlett
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/international-phone-cards-save-me-money-96239.html

Biz 101, How to Save Money

Ever feel like you’re short on cash? How would you like to learn how to save what you earn? Today’s average consumer is way too focused on spending, and not focused enough on saving. In Money to Be Made Online, you’ll learn some of the ways you can save money while doing business. If you fit into the category of “not rich,” before you can go on that wonderful vacation, or buy a new house, you need to save up some cold hard cash. Nothing is better than money well spent some say. Well I think nothing is better than money well saved. Before you can spend wisely, you have to have some good savings.

So what’s the secret to saving money? I’m going to outline a few simple tricks that if followed, will leave some extra cash each and every month. Why is it that people are always spending more than they earn? Because they’re in the business of helping other people save money. That’s right, they’re providing the retirement funds for the debt collecter, or credit card executive. First, I want to let you know where some of your money goes, besides when it goes down the drain.

Most people forget completely about their money after it leaves their pocket. Money isn’t just a piece of paper or numbers on a screen. For the purpose of this article imagine that money is a type of energy, like electricity. Like electricity, most people don’t think or care where it comes from, or where it goes, and how it’s transferred from place to place. Each time you use electricity, or transfer it to another place, you lose some of it’s potential. Most appliances don’t use 100% of the potential energy available, maybe in the future but not currently. When you buy something, taxes are taken out, plus the middle men’s fees, and then profit for the top of the pyramid.

The first thing you should do is become aware of WHERE your money goes. By thinking of where money comes from, and ends up will open your mind into new avenues of perception. You have to fight your way out of the “consumer” box and create a new box, with a new label, that you’re comfortable. It’s good to think “outside the box,” for people who live in boxes they didn’t create themselves. But when you create your own box, when you design your own life and are finally free from all debt, worry, and create your own experiences, then I suggest you think inside that box instead!

So now practice thinking this in everyday life. Where is my money going? Imagine all the little middle men in between, and then maybe you’ll respect money a little more. You’ll realize how big and industrious the world actually is. After you’ve reached this stage of awareness you should be more motivated, and ready to seriously save some money. By saving money in this state, you might realize how important that one little dollar of profit is. When multiplied by a good product and millions of consumers, you’ve just made a million dollars.

If you’re ready to start saving some money, be ready to follow these simple tasks, and expect some extra cash! First, you need to be organized. Saving money is not just about being cheap, but it’s also about management. You must organize well! Most successful people are great at saving because they’re natural organizers, and when they make it big they get a secretary. After a while these tasks become natural, and don’t feel like a bother at all, so keep it up and after a while you’ll get a hang of it.

Organizing your cash flow is essential. Everywhere you go, carry a note book, small note pad, or a PDA if you have one. Most PDA’s are compatible with finance software, so buy some or find a free version. DO IT NOW! This is the most important aspect of saving money, you first need to know where it’s going! So for the first week, I want you to do two simple things. Every single thing you spend money on, write down the date, the cost, where, and how you felt. At the end of the day create another separate sheet with a total of amount spent, and list all the things you can do without. Now try to think of where your money went, and imagine the process it took to make the products you bough. Did you purchase gas? There are lots of things needed to get gas into the country, so imagine the process and your mind will open!

After one week, take a look at all the data you’ve collected. Don’t do this review until a full week’s data has been collected! Determine what was essential and what you can do without. Take your daily essential and total them up. Look where you can eliminate needless expenses! One of the things you can do, are follow the guidelines in Money to Be Made Online. Follow the experience of seasoned veterans, and save money for your business today!

Keith Londrie
http://www.articlesbase.com/marketing-articles/biz-101-how-to-save-money-73193.html

How to Save Money: Kid’s Lunches (and Yours Too)

Every parent wants to send their child off school with a good, healthy lunch. Mine did. However, many parents mistake a good lunch as one filled with attractively-packaged, sugary, expensive items. This should not be the case. Packing a brown bag lunch will be less expensive than having your child buy lunch. Also, on top of saving money by making lunches this article explains, through personal experience, how to save even more money by watching what you put into those lunches.

My typical lunch growing up was a PB&J sandwich, a bag of chips, some variation of fruit (applesauce, fresh fruit, or yogurt), and two cookies. I had this lunch, with a few changes once in a while, every day at school… for twelve years. It’s not a huge lunch but I survived, my parents saved money, and you and your kids can too.

So, you’re probably asking, “Well then, what should I put into my child’s lunch?” The answer begins at the grocery store. Divide the lunch into four categories- a main item (sandwich or leftover pizza), a side (chips, crackers), a fruit/veggie or variation (apple, banana, applesauce), and a small dessert (cookies). This will ensure that the lunch has enough to fill its owner and give him or her the necessary nutrients to succeed in school. To start saving money you need to follow these easy steps:

1. Avoid expensive, unnecessary items (i.e. juice boxes, soda, fruit roll-ups, and other sugary packaged foods)

   1. Drinks. Kids do not need juice boxes or sodas in their lunch. Every school and business place has some sort of a drinking fountain or water dispenser. Water is the best drink for you and best of all, it’s free! I never had in 12 years of school any kind of drink in my lunch. It saved my parents tons of money and forced me to be healthier.

   2. Treats. Avoid those unnecessary treats like fruit roll-ups or ding dongs. These items are full of sugar, are not filling, can cause obesity, and are very expensive. Eliminate these from your shopping list. I still believe something sweet is a good way to end a meal so instead replace the expensive items with cheap store brand cookies. They come in large packs, are cheap, and taste very close to the brand name. This way, you can stick two little cookies in a baggie and still have a treat in your lunch (except this way it will be a lot cheaper). By the way, if you are worried about the store brand thing, it’s a cookie! It can’t taste that much worse than a brand name cookie.

2. Buy your items in bulk

   1. Sandwiches. If you’re going to be buying sandwich items such as peanut butter or lunch meat, buy the biggest package possible for the best price. You’re going to be using it every day and that means it probably will not be going to waste. Buying a small jar of peanut butter every week or two will end up costing a whole lot more over the course of a year than if you bought a big jar that lasted a month or two.

   2. Side Items. Buy the big boxes of chips or Costco-sized packages of individual applesauce. Smaller packages are going to cost much more than buying the big box or bag. It might cost a little more up front but will save lots of money in the end.

3. Be Smart.

   1. Buy the cheapest bread. Your kids will not know a difference.

   2. Shop Around. Invest some time viewing the ads that come in your local newspaper before going to the grocery store. Clip some coupons and be sure you are buying at the cheapest price. A box of chips might be on sale for three bucks at one store and regularly-priced at five at another. It might take a little more time but you’ll know it is worth it when you start to see the money you save.

   3. Store brands. Stick to the store brands (unless it is in fact horrible, but in most cases, they won’t be).

   4. Lay down the law. If your kids are with you in the store, tell them that if they ask for it, they won’t get it.

Once you have your groceries, it is time to pack the lunch.

1. Have the kids make their own lunch. They will appreciate the lunch much more once lunchtime rolls around. It will give them a sense of accomplishment and force them not to take you for granted. I’ve made my own lunch since the second grade so do not think your child can not.

2. Set limits. Set a limit for what each person can bring each day. If you decide to buy cookies, make sure to let everyone know that two is the maximum per day, etc.

Note: If your children are used to much bigger lunches full of sugary treats, they might be upset at first. Do not give in. Remember, you are saving money and helping to ensure your child does not become obese.

Follow the steps mentioned above and I guarantee you will save plenty of money.

© Copyright 2009 BeatTheEconomy2009.com. This article may be reprinted with the author’s consent and proper citation.

Jason Lutterloh
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/how-to-save-money-kids-lunches-and-yours-too-725132.html

Save Money by not Using Credit Cards

Save money by not using credit cards is an option if you are on a budget and finding yourself in debt. Credit cards often come with steep interest rates, which if you roll over your payments to the following month additional interest are added. In addition, most credit cards charge fees for using the cards, or will charge you interest on each purchase you make.

You can save money by not using credit cards. In the event your bills are due and you have no money, you can use your credit cards to pay the debt and avoid late fees, yet it is wise to payoff the amount as quickly as possible so that the interest rates do not increase.

We all want extra money to spend. If you save money by not using credit cards, you will have that extra cash each month to pay bills, buy groceries and perhaps take your family out to dinner. Imagine the amount you can save if you do not use your credit cards.

Having plastic often triggers people to buy what they want. You can save money by not using credit cards if you become aware of those triggers and avoid spending money for items unnecessary.

tips for saving money: MasterCard’s and Visa’s are handy if you purchase the cards that you can add money to, since it helps you to budget and monitor your, spending. Yet, if you have credit cards, you want to payoff your debt each month. If you spend $20 for an item and make minimal payments, the interest will roll over and eventually you will pay double the amount for the items you purchase.

Avoid cash advances to reduce debt:

You want to avoid cash advances also. When you take cash advances against your credit cards the interest rates almost doubles. Since cash advances on credit cards do not have grace periods, often the interest accrues instantly.

If you are in debt save money by not using credit cards and avoid credit companies that claim, they can get you out of debt. Look for reputable companies instead.

If you are seeking credit cards and thinking of the pre-approved cards, think twice since most of these are hoax that begs you for upfront fees, especially those offering low interest rates and do not request annual fees. Likely, you will lose.

Also, avoid stapling your checks to vouchers for credit card payments. You could risk paying late penalties. Lastly, you want to avoid accepting additional protection on your credit cards. Many credit card companies will offer you additional protect, yet what most people do not know is that the government protects users of credit cards already.

Save money by not using credit cards is the best solution to help you stay debt free and to avoid getting in debt over your head.

Martin Lukac
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/save-money-by-not-using-credit-cards-108232.html

Save Money Everyday, Literally

Believe it or not, you really can save money almost everyday of the year! Here are some of my secrets to saving money on almost every thing you buy.

SEPTEMBER

Cars. Auto manufacturers release their new models in October, so a lot of dealerships have to clear out the lot and make room for the new models by discounting the older stock in late summer. Those that car shop in September, should get up to $2,000 off a car with minimal negotiating. If you want to save money at any time of the year, you can ask the dealership about a “program car”. They are cars that are driven by the staff for up to 10,000 miles normally kept in extremely good shape. They are then sold at a very steep discount. You can also browse on line at http://www.carbargains.com. You have to pay an enrollment fee but the website can save you as much as $3,000 on that new car.

Gas. You can comparison shop on line at these two websites: http://www.watch.com and http://www.gasbuddy.com. Watch your local news, they often have reports on the best gas prices being offered at gas station’s in your general area. You can also text your zip code to gas@fuego.com and they will text you back with the local station with the cheapest gas price. The ideal driving speed is below 60 mph; it can boost fuel efficiency up to 23 percent which could save you $240 a year. Avoid braking or accelerating rapidly, you will increase efficiency up to 33 percent another possible saving of $330 a year. Tune up your engine regularly it’s possible to boost efficiency by as much as 40 percent another saving of $375 a year. When paying for gas, charge it, you can get up to 5 percent back on some credit cards that are designed for gas usage.

NOVEMBER

Health Insurance. Open enrollment season starts in November for insurance providers, if possible increase your deductibles, the higher it is, the lower your monthly payments are. If you have a family, increasing your deductibles to about $2,000 qualifies you for a health savings account which has many tax as well as savings benefits. When you spend your money on health costs, you won’t be taxed on the interest. Instead of heading to the ER for a fever or a sprained ankle, visit your local national drug store, they usually have a walk-in clinic. The visits are less than $60. For operations, you can negotiate the price. Really, hospitals and doctors will negotiate the cost, they are all in the business of selling their services!

DECEMBER

Furniture. This is a great time of the year to buy it is the slowest time of the year for furniture sales. You can save even more by shopping in January. Buying more than one item and finding smaller stores where the owner sets the prices will get you the best results. You can ask for a percentage off but don’t ask for more than 40 percent, especially if your are only buying two pieces, end of line deals will always get you the best results. You can look on line at http://furniturelandsouth.com. It is a large and very user friendly website.

JANUARY

Gym Membership. This is a slow time for everyone so you can find tons of deals out there. You might be able to reduce the fees or have the membership dropped, and maybe get free personal training, remember if you don’t ask they won’t give it.

FEBRUARY

Computers. This is a great time of year, all the best deals are available with the holidays out of the way they need to sell more than you need to buy. Be very careful not to let the salesman over sell you, it’s all very nice having a tone of programs, but if you don’t really need them, leave them. Keep it simple keep it cheap.

MARCH

Home Improvements. This time of year is really slow for contractors so they are willing to book anything and negotiate as well. When negotiating, let the contractor know that you are flexible because they may be working around bad weather. You can save anywhere between 10 to 20 percent on the cost of the job. I f all fails, try doing it yourself, there are plenty of hard ware store representatives that are trained to help you with thousands of websites and do it yourself books, so your resources are endless.

APRIL

Televisions. The spring is when the new models of televisions hit the stores. The same rules apply for televisions has computers. You can save a bundle by getting last years set, you can if you take your time find discounts up to 50 percent off the original price.

MAY

Drugstore Items. There are some national stores that publish a monthly list of rebates. So if you bought items that are on the list, you can mail in the receipts and get money back.

Digital Cameras. It is a similar process for cameras as it is for televisions and computers. Save on older models there’s usually is no real difference but the overall design. You could also watch out for specials on new models, and there are specials on photo prints and free memory cards. Look for savings of 30 to 50 percent.

JUNE

Refrigerators. You can get up to 20 percent off on the floor models. If you can’t find a deal, ask the store if they have a damaged model because usually the problem is completely cosmetic.

AUGUST.

Seasonal trinkets. Summer items like kids pools and water guns take up a lot of shelf space. You can usually find that kind of stuff on sale for up to 65 percent off.

Carl Hampton
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/save-money-everyday-literally-60244.html

Cash Draining Out? – 5 Great Ideas To Save Money!

Do you want to save on money and do not know how to do it? When coming to save money do you feel like you are depriving yourself? Do not get disheartened. Try out these five brilliant money saving ideas without needing to do much.

Reduce or eliminate your magazines completely. If you are one of those typical American families, you will find that your mailbox is filled with all sorts of magazines which vary to a great extent. These subscriptions cost you like about $20 per magazine annually and at the end of it if you do subscribe like 5 magazines you already wasting $100 of your savings for the year. If you so badly want to get the information from the magazine, it is suggested that you try browsing the net and you are sure to find more than what you expected.

Always try buying things in bulk. Discount clubs and warehouses lower their prices drastically just because they get things cheap as they are bought in bulk. Hence, you can also do this. Consumables when bought in bulk will save you much more than when you buy them separately. Stock up only the fast moving products like the cleaners, kitchen towels, canned goods and other such things to prevent wasting money.

Eating at home is one more thing that will help you save money. Celebrating special occasions has now become a habit and a part and parcel of everyday life. Eating out will also eat your money up to 40% of your budget. So you do save a $40 per week on eating at home.

Plan your meals. Eating out four times a week is not a solution for a dynamic lifestyle. Planning your menu is required. Plan the meals of the following week on your free weekends. Take out the necessary things from your freezer and stock them in the refrigerator before you go to bed. Things will be ready to be cooked once you are back from your work. So when you really have an occasion to dine, you will have enough to spend.

Finally, home made skin care is what you have to opt for. You dermatologist may probably be eating out of your budget. You can save money and also look beautiful at the same time. Ingredients from your very own pantry will save you a lot. Do try out the following.

1. Dry skin can be exfoliated by using oatmeal and honey.
2. Your skin can be softened by seeping in ginger in your bath.
3. Tired skin is softened by milk and cucumber.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/personal-finance-articles/cash-draining-out-5-great-ideas-to-save-money-703626.html

Modern Methods To Save Money – 4 Tricks To Tackle Money Matters

People who wanted to be in control have always been frugal and have constantly saved up money. These people save more and more money so that their future is better established.

People find money harder and harder to save as time progresses. They are happy with spending their balance and call saving money isn’t a part of life anymore but a resolution to salt away some hard earned cash of yours.

Most people deny that they can save any more and say that they are already cutting down on everything they can and live between the paychecks. They explain that inflation has caused saving money to become next to impossible.

People do, however, have the potential to save more.

Here are a list of modern ways by which you can build your bank balance.

1. Save a portion of your salary.

Most people who build successful budgets save up to 30% of their total salary by crediting it immediately to their savings accounts. It is human nature to spend all the money we receive as our salary. In order to constrict ourselves from doing so, we must limit the cash in hand. This increases our savings.

2. Use cash

Many customers use credit cards for payment. These cards are so easy and comfortable that people use it for buying almost everything. In fact a recent survey showed that most middle class families had around $7000 outstanding on their cards. This makes them pay almost an entire grand on interests alone.
The comfort offered by these credit cards is probably the chief reason for overspending. People fail to keep a track of how much they spend and end up spending more than they can afford to.

3. Plan your work and Work your plans.
Add only things that you feel are definitely achievable in your goals. Don’t keep changing your mind about it. Use definite amounts of money and not a hazy figure like around $2000. Instead say, I will save $2000 this year.

Prioritize your life and set goals based on this. Fix a definite time period for each.

4) Use retirement benefit plans of your company.

You can save a lot of money for your future with plans like 403(b) or 401(k). These are plans where your company deducts a very small portion of your salary each month and invests the money in mutual funds or any instrument of your choice. You get this back when you retire.

All this in the end means only that saving is not a lifestyle of resolution. It is a great fruit your receive as a gift for all the labor you put in.

Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/personal-finance-articles/modern-methods-to-save-money-4-tricks-to-tackle-money-matters-703635.html

Learning to Save Money

Saving money is at the heart of all of your financial goals. Want to get out of debt? Want to save for retirement? Want to just make ends meet each month?

You are going to have to learn to save money. It can be hard to learn, but is actually quite easy once you get the hang of it. Here are a few tips for getting started.

First, you have to start organizing your finances. This will help you in seeing your true financial situation. How will you be able to get out of debt if you don’t know how much debt you have? How can you save if you don’t know what you are spending? Gather all of your financial documents and calculate what your monthly bills are. Take the time to create a budget. Be honest and include everything — otherwise your budget won’t work.

In order to truly budget, you are going to have to know what you spend each month. This helps you see where all the money is slipping out. You can use a computer and personal financial software or a small notebook. The key is to write down every penny you spend. This sounds time consuming, but can be a lot easier if you simply get receipts for every purchase. Then write them down every couple of days. Anything you don’t get a receipt for you will need to write down immediately.

Now the savings begin. You look at what you are spending and see where you can cut things. You may need to be extreme and cut out everything but the necessities. Satellite TV and cable can go. You can reduce your cell phone plan and use it for emergencies only. You can look for ways to reduce your utilities and grocery bills. If you are buying coffee each morning, stop buying it and make it at home instead.

If you have your paycheck direct deposited into your account, have your employer split it and deposit a portion into your savings. This can be $10 or $200. It doesn’t matter. The idea is to start saving money. When it is automatically put in your savings and you never see it, it becomes quite easy to forget about it. If you get a raise, have the amount of the raise put in your savings each month. When you never see the money, you learn to live without it. It is the easiest way to save.

If you want to protect your budget from disruptions, you need to start a savings account that will handle your annual expenses. These are the things that don’t come due on a monthly basis. You need to save for Christmas, holiday spending, birthdays, annual insurance premiums, property taxes and other annual events. By saving this amount, you won’t stretch your budget beyond its limits later.

With the same idea in mind, you should start contributing something towards an emergency fund. You never know when something will break down. When it does, it usually puts you in a financial pickle. You can avoid the stress to yourself and your finances by having an emergency fund. Most financial advisors recommend that you have at least three months of expenses in the fund. Don’t let this discourage you. Put anything you can in there. Even if it isn’t a full month’s worth, it will help out in an emergency.

This is ironic. One of the best ways to save money is to get out of debt. And that is why you start saving money in the first place. So I guess you could say that by getting out of debt you can save even more money. Think of how much you are paying in interest. That amount could be going into your savings and earning you interest. Instead of paying a lender, the bank could be paying you. It is important to get your debt paid off first, then work on your savings.

Don’t focus on trying to save a certain percentage of your income unless that goal drives you to save. The key in the beginning is to save as much as possible. Have goals that you are working towards. Budget wisely and make saving a habit. It will pay off in the long run.

Martin Lukac
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/learning-to-save-money-90868.html

Top Ten Ways to Save Money Rehabbing a House

Rehabbing a house can be a very expensive task that can easily get out of hand and over budget. Today more and more people are looking for ways to save money remodeling their home. I’d like to share some of my insight and experience on ways to save money when doing a rehab property or flip piece of real estate.

Here is my list of the top 10 ways to save money Rehabbing / Remodeling a house.

1. Be Your Own General Contractor – Being your own general contractor could save you substantial money. However, I don’t recommend this approach to many people. You really do need some knowledge of the house remodeling industry before you try to take on this large of a task. You must have good negotiation skills, a sense for the construction trades, and an eye for design. If you’re successful at being your own general contractor you could save as much as 5% to 10% on your construction project.
2. Buying the right piece of investment property – can save you money when you begin your remodel project. The type of house you select can be one of the best ways to save money when you invest in real estate. Buying old or out of date construction types can cost you a lot of money because of the investment necessary to bring the property up to code. Choosing a simple rectangular house with simple roof lines and standard windows compared to a complicated geometric house can save you lots of money. Choose nice siding, paint and landscaping instead of an unusual house design.
3. Sweat Equity – There’s no better way to save money than to role up your sleeves and put some sweat equity into the project. Home Improvement and DIY are so popular today that most home owners have tackled a project or two trying to save money. You can take those skills and apply them to your remodel construction project. Most contractors will agree to let you do certain phases of the project if you discuss them before construction begins and identify those items in the contract. If you have certain skills that you feel comfortable with then discuss them with your contractors so you can save some money. I’ll discuss some of the more popular tasks below.
4. Job Site Clean Up – Helping keep the site clean is one of the simplest ways I know how to save money when remodeling a house. Having a clean and orderly job site makes everyone work a little more efficient and careful. Having the sense of an organized job site will ensure your project gets finished sooner with few problems and that means less money from you. Even slight delays in the project can mean substantial interest payments and temporary housing costs.
5. Salvage Materials – Using salvage materials will help you save money and it’s the Green Thing to do. Today there are salvage yards that specialize in recycling building materials. Things such as doors, windows, cabinets, plumbing and electrical fixtures are all available at very discounted prices. You’ll be saving money while helping out the environment so it’s certainly an idea worth considering.
6. Reduced Price Products – Buying floor models, remnants and slightly damaged products is one area that I’ve seen many of our real estate rehabbers save big money. Many building material stores sell discounted projects at huge summer time yard sales. When you’re looking for fixtures make sure to consider about floor models, discontinued models and even damaged products.
7. Painting – Most people that consider themselves DIY’ers have no problem painting. If you paint your remodeling project inside and out you can save $2,000 to $10,000 easily. Painting your rehab house is a project the whole family can help out with. I’ve seen people that have a painting party with family and friends and paint an entire house in one weekend.
8. Flooring – Flooring is another project that I’ve seen customers save a substantial amount of money on. Most types of tile and wood flooring a re easy to install with very little tools. Even if you can’t install the flooring yourself check out sales for discounted materials. You can often find discontinued material and use it to tile the basement or laundry areas.
9. Landscaping – Doing the landscaping yourself can save thousands of dollars. It takes very little skill to do and can save you a ton of money. Bring along friend and family to help. It makes for a great group project. Chances are you’ll save money and do a better job in the process. You can easily plant your own trees, shrubs flowers to save money.
10. Keep It Simple - I have seen too many investors and flippers over build a rehab project and finish it exactly the way that they would want it. The problem is that no two families have the same taste. I have often driven past these homes months later to find the paint a different color, the landscaped ripped out, or even worse, everything is dead. Build the project to meet the standards of the neighborhood and make sure that everything is clean, operational, and that the home is ready to move in. NOTHING MORE. Give them a clean slate to start their new life with in the rehab home you’ve remodeled. You waste a lot of money on things that the new buyer may not like. It is better for you to save that money and offer it to the buyer as an incentive for buying or to help them with closing costs. It will end up making the deal close faster.

Doing any one of these items the next time you build a new house can save you money. The most important advice I can give you is to be speak with your builder openly about these ideas. Tell your builder you’d like to save some money by doing certain tasks yourself. Most builders will be open to this arrangement so long is it’s discussed ahead of time and properly addressed in the contract.

Kallen Kildea
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/top-ten-ways-to-save-money-rehabbing-a-house-722687.html

How to Save Money by Cutting Back Expenses

The most effective way to save money is to cutback on expenses. Start by analyzing your situation. Sit down and think about what you are paying on now. How to save money by cutting back is noted below:

Start saving money today by making some changes in areas that you don’t really need to have in order to survive on a daily basis. Are you a beer drinker? That’s ok you can have a beer; but do you really need to drink as much as you do?

Beer and alcohol;

Think about how much beer you might be consuming in a day or week. Cut it back to drinking half the amount. Think about your health. How you can improve your health if you cutback now. Think of the money you can save.

Switch to a cheaper beer. If you drink the higher priced beverage, learn how to save money by changing your taste bud.

Pop:

Cutting back on soda can save you money. We sometimes are hooked on the caffeine in soda that could be harmful to our bodies. Cut back on your pop and drink more water. Rather than paying $1.35 for a 20 ounce soda, save the money and drink water to spare your health also.

Drinking too much pop can affect your health causing diabetes; eat the lining from your stomach, as well as causing kidney problems.

Cigarettes:

Cigarettes are harmful and can cause death. Stop smoking to improve your health and save money at the same time. Smoking cigarettes is a dirty habit, that none of us needs to be around even if they are smokers. By not smoking, you can save up to $50.00 a week and improve your health at the same time. Protect everyone around you and yourself from not smoking.

House cleaner service:

Instead of being a couch potato and hiring someone to come in to clean your home do it yourself to save money. You will improve your health also, since your body will benefit from the exercise.

When we are busy, you won’t eat so much and that is a plus. You will have a healthier life and bank account. By cleaning your own house, you will get more exercise, which helps to relieve stress by keeping you busy instead of letting you sit and worry about how you’re going to pay the electric bill on the table.

Learn how to save money by cutting back expenses on beer, pop, cigarettes and paying for house cleaner service.

Martin Lukac
http://www.articlesbase.com/finance-articles/how-to-save-money-by-cutting-back-expenses-130696.html