5 Brilliant Ways to Cut Spending

Do you want to find ways to stretch your money, so it goes farther and is there when you really need it? Here are some suggestions for knowing how much money you have, how much you need for expenditures, and how to reach your goals by cutting back on what you spend.

1. Practice self-control.
To avoid making a quick decision to buy something just because you saw it featured on display or on sale:

• Make a shopping list before you leave home and stick to it.

• Before you go shopping, set a spending limit (say, $5 or $10) for “impulse buys”—items you didn’t plan to buy but that got your attention anyway. If you are tempted to spend more than your limit, wait a few hours or a few days and think it over.

• Limit the amount of cash you take with you. The less cash you carry, the less you can spend and the less you lose if you misplace your wallet.

2. Research before you buy.
To be sure you are getting a good value, especially with a big purchase, look into the quality and the reputation of the product or service you’re considering. Read “reviews” in magazines or respected Web sites. Talk to knowledgeable people you trust. Check other stores or go online and compare prices. Look at similar items. This is known as “comparison shopping,” and it can lead to tremendous savings and better quality purchases. And if you’re sure you know what you want, take advantage of store coupons and mail-in “rebates.”


3. Keep track of your spending.
This helps you set and stick to limits, what many people refer to as budgeting. “Maintaining a budget may sound scary or complicated, but it can be as simple as having a notebook and writing down what you buy each month,” said Janet Kincaid, FDIC Senior Consumer Affairs Officer. “Any system that helps you know how much you are spending each month is a good thing.” Also pay attention to small amounts of money you spend. “A snack here and a magazine there can quickly add up,” said Paul Horwitz, an FDIC Community Affairs Specialist. He suggested that, for a few weeks, you write down every purchase in a small notebook. “You’ll probably be amazed at how much you spend without even thinking.”

4. Think “used” instead of “new.”
Borrow things (from the library or friends) that you don’t have to own. Pick up used games, DVDs and music at “second-hand” stores around town.

5. Take good care of what you buy.
It’s expensive to replace things. Think about it: Do you really want to buy the same thing twice?

A “need” is something you cannot live without. A “want” is something that would be nice to have but isn’t necessary. “A need may be a pair of sneakers, but a want is the $125 pair advertised by your favorite athlete,” explained Paul Horwitz of the FDIC. When you can control your spending on life’s wants, you’ll have more money available to save for what you need in the future.

Visit Online Freebies to save money.

Avoid eBay Scams and Fraud

Many people have been scammed on eBay. Although eBay is a fun place to bid on items and to sell items, you must know how to recognize a scam, and how to avoid them, them or you quickly join the ranks of those who have lost their money to eBay scams. Of course, if you are scammed, there are some actions you can take the correct the situation – but in many cases, the scammer does indeed get away! The best option is to avoid being scammed.

You can easily avoid many scams with the payment method that you use – whether you are a buyer or a seller. eBay owns Paypal, and in most cases, Paypal is the payment method you should use. First, as a buyer, if you are scammed or less than satisfied with the item when it arrives, you can dispute the charge easily, and demand a refund. The seller must reply and show proof that the item was shipped, and that it arrived in the condition that you expected, or Paypal will return your funds to your account.

You can protect yourself, as a seller by only accepting Paypal. This will eliminate the chances of receiving a bad check or having the buyer dispute a credit card charge. Instead, they must dispute the charge through paypal, and you of course will be able to prove that you shipped the product. However, you can't prove that the product arrived in the condition that was expected. In this case, you should demand that the product be returned to you before the refund is issued.

Another common scam that buyers use is the bidding scam. This type of scam is run either with two separate eBay accounts – with one person in control of both of them, or with two friends with separate eBay accounts. A very small bid is placed on your item, using one account. This is followed by a very high bid, from the other eBay account. Right before the bidding ends, the high bid is cancelled or withdrawn, leaving the low bid as the winning bid. This bid can only be avoided by setting a reserve price – the lowest bid that can be placed is the same as the reserve price that you set.

If you are an eBay seller, you can further protect your auctions by placing a notice on your auctions page, declaring that you have the right to back out of the sale if you suspect potential fraud. As both a buyer and a seller, also beware of spoofed emails. These emails appear to be from eBay. The email may claim that you need to verify your information, and ask you to login to your eBay account, using
the link provided. If you follow that link, the site looks exactly like eBay, but it is actually a scam to get your eBay login details, as well as your credit card
details! eBay will never ask you to do this. If you suspect a spoofed email, report it to eBay immediately!

Don’t let scammers ruin your eBay fun! Just use good common sense, and a reasonable amount of caution, and everything should run smoothly. Report suspicious activity to eBay, and if a deal doesn’t feel right, simply back away from it and move on to the next auction.

The Difference Between NSI and Banks of Premium Bonds

When looking for investments such as premium bonds, you could be confused by the difference between a bank and the National Savings and Investments. Banks are usually private institutions. When you save you receive an interest on your money. The interest is determined and set by the bank which generates profit off of your money. The profit is then shared by the owners or if it is a credit union, the members share in the profit. The Savings and Investments is an agency of the British government. When you invest your money goes to pay for governmental expenditures and the government guarantees the safety of your money. You can't find that kind of guarantee at a bank.

The National Savings and Investments offer several different investment packages including the sale of premium bonds. You can either save your money in an easy access account where you can claim your cash at any time or you can go for a longer package where your money is invested for several years. These packages can be and most are tax free. A lot of people do not trust short term investments so they opt for a fixed rate savings bond. Here the bank will give you a certain interest, usually higher than a savings account, if you promise to keep your money with them for a certain length of time. You usually have a penalty fee if you take it out before it is matured.

If you want to save money and maybe even get a 500 percent interest or more you may choose the premium bonds program. Premium bonds can be bought at your local post office at that bond will be exactly worth what you paid for it when you cash it out. The good thing is that your bond number will be included in a monthly lottery where you could win as little as a million pounds and as much as a million pounds. Almost one and a half million winners will be picked out and paid each month. At 21,000 to 1 odds, you are better off saving with premium bonds then with the conventional savings account.

If you are buying for a child you can buy premium bonds for children under sixteen. If you have a thrifty teenager, then at the age of sixteen they can buy them themselves. Some people opt out of premium bonds and go for more secure, lower interest bonds that will make some money to help the child through school or to help them financially in the future.

So whether you choose a bank or National Savings and Investments, be sure to ask a financial advisor what saving program bests suits you. The investment strategy that you choose can determine happiness and prosperity in your later years or the type of education your child will be able to afford. Interest rates are variable and if there is a national financial crisis, you, your money and your future could be hung out to dry.

How To Avoid Foreclosure

Foreclosure may occur. This is the legal means that your lender can use to repossess (take over) your home. When this happens, you must move out of your house. If your property is worth less than the total amount you owe on your mortgage loan, a deficiency judgment could be pursued. If that happens, you not only lose your home, you also would owe HUD an additional amount. Both foreclosures and deficiency judgments could seriously affect your ability to qualify for credit in the future. So you should avoid foreclosure if possible.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

1. DO NOT IGNORE THE LETTERS FROM YOUR LENDER. If you are having problems making your payments, call or write to your lender's Loss Mitigation Department without delay. Explain your situation. Be prepared to provide them with financial information, such as your monthly income and expenses. Without this information, they may not be able to help.

2. Stay in your home for now. You may not qualify for assistance if you abandon your property.

3. Contact a HUD-approved housing counseling agency. Call the housing counseling agency nearest you. These agencies are valuable resources. They frequently have information on services and programs offered by Government agencies as well as private and community organizations that could help you. The housing counseling agency may also offer credit counseling. These services are usually free of charge.

WHAT ARE MY ALTERNATIVES?

You may be considered for the following:
Special Forbearance. Your lender may be able to arrange a repayment plan based on your financial situation and may even provide for a temporary reduction or suspension of your payments. You may qualify for this if you have recently experienced a reduction in income or an increase in living expenses. You must furnish information to your lender to show that you would be able to meet the requirements of the new payment plan.

Mortgage Modification. You may be able to refinance the debt and/or extend the term of your mortgage loan. This may help you catch up by reducing the monthly payments to a more affordable level. You may qualify if you have recovered from a financial problem and can afford the new payment amount.

Partial Claim. Your lender may be able to work with you to obtain a one-time payment from the FHA-Insurance fund to bring your mortgage current.

You may qualify if:
1. your loan is at least 4 months delinquent but no more than 12 months delinquent;

2. you are able to begin making full mortgage payments. When your lender files a Partial Claim, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will pay your lender the amount necessary to bring your mortgage current. You must execute a Promissory Note, and a Lien will be placed on your property until the Promissory Note is paid in full.

The Promissory Note is interest-free and is due when you pay off the first mortgage or when you sell the property.

Pre-foreclosure sale. This will allow you to avoid foreclosure by selling your property for an amount less than the amount necessary to pay off your mortgage loan.

You may qualify if:
1. the loan is at least 2 months delinquent;
2. you are able to sell your house within 3 to 5 months; and
3. a new appraisal (that your lender will obtain) shows that the value of your home meets HUD program guidelines.

Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. As a last resort, you may be able to voluntarily “give back” your property to the lender. This won't save your house, but it is not as damaging to your credit rating as a foreclosure.

You can qualify if:
1. you are in default and don't qualify for any of the other options;
2. your attempts at selling the house before foreclosure were unsuccessful; and
3. you don't have another FHA mortgage in default.

Web 2.0 Models

Web 2.0 is changing everything about the way we search the Internet. With its integration into our world, we are not passively practicing read-and-click. Instead, we post comments, modify search engines through the use of our own vocabulary, and share photographs, videos, and information with each other. Web 2.0 is very easy for visitors to understand. They can learn the applications easily (and often it’s not even considered “learning”). They readily see what you are looking for, and it requires nothing more than an Internet connection on their end in order to work. Check out some of the best web 2.0 models below that you must consider to utilize it to promote and market your business.

EBay

Started as a sole proprietorship in 1995, EBay has grown into a gigantic online auction house. The company itself doesn’t sell anything; instead, users join (the membership is free) and list items for sale for very small fees. EBay’s money is made from the nickel-and-dime insertion and listing fees; they also charge a commission at the end of the sale. This site would have been useless without people to offer products and other people to bid on them. Instead, it’s one of the biggest sites on the Internet. Users are “rated” by those who do business with them. If a person tends to list items for sale and not deliver, or if he’s slow in shipping, buyers can readily find this out before placing a bid.

Some EBay users write online guides, which you can read in order to perform research on a particular kind of item. For example, let’s say you like buying porcelain dolls. A quick EBay search reveals that there are 81 related “guides” to dolls. You can learn what constitutes a “collectible” doll or an “antique” doll. You can find out how to care for the dolls, and the difference between bisque and porcelain. There are tons of other guides, covering every topic from how to do your taxes to comparisons of plastic andwooden accordions.

EBay also offers user reviews of products like cameras, computer monitors, and video games. The review scores are averaged to give the total rating for the product; the reviews themselves can also be rated as helpful or not helpful. All of these factors serve to help EBay retain its customer base. Users are apt to turn to the guides and user reviews first as their research source, so they’re more likely (since they’re already on the website) to bid on EBay listings than to go to other sources.


Craigslist

It’s an online classified advertising site; membership isn’t even required in order to post an ad, although it’s easier to control your ads or the ones you’re interested in if you do have an account. You can find almost anything there—jobs, services, romance, and goods. Officially, it covers 450 cities; don’t discount it if your city isn’t listed, though. With over 7 billion page views per month, users aren’t necessarily limited to a certain geographical area.

Craigslist was started in 1995 and became incorporated in 1999. It is user-oriented and, rather than being run as a typical corporation, depends on users to find more ways to create income for the site. Craigslist aficionados are a loyal lot, tending the site as if it were their own—which is the whole point of the Web 2.0 concept. They tend to be active on the message boards and are quick to flag postings that are inappropriate.


Del.icio.us

It's a newer member of the Web 2.0 community, is an application that helps bloggers increase traffic. It also has created a new method for the Internet community as a whole to create searches. The users themselves define methods to determine how searches work, which should make searching both more effective and more productive.

Shopping on eBay Pros and Cons

Are you a relatively new fan of online shopping? If you are, you may have not yet had the chance to examine eBay. Even if you have never shopped on eBay, there is a good chance that you already know exactly what it is. eBay is an online auction website that allows internet users to sell items that they own, but not longer need or want to have. This is what makes eBay the largest online market place, as just about anyone can buy or sell there. However, with just about anything else you find online, shopping on eBay has its pros and it cons.

One of the biggest pros to shopping on eBay is the large selection of products that you will have to choose from. You can find just about anything on eBay, within reason of course. It is not uncommon to find cars for sale, baby toys, clothing, home décor items, computers, gaming consoles, and much more. Items found on eBay can be purchased in either new or used conditions. It is also important to note that many eBay sellers end up selling the same or similar items. For you, this also enables you to compare prices; to get the best deals.

Another pro to shopping on eBay is that it is relatively easy to do. Once you have registered for a free account with eBay, you are able to start shopping on eBay. When shopping on eBay, you can easily find what you are looking for. In fact, that is another pro of shopping on eBay; the ease of finding what you want. With a simple eBay search or even an advanced search, you could find a number of products that fit the description as to what you are looking for. By viewing those items, you can then decide if you want to purchase them or not.

Speaking of making purchases on eBay, you will also find that it is easy to do. As stated above, eBay allows internet users to post items for sale that they no longer need or want. While still following eBay’s rules, these sellers have a little bit of flexibility, such as how much money they want to charge for their products, as well as what methods of payment they accept. Although some eBay sellers are limited on the methods of payment that they accept, you will find that most are fairly flexible. For instance, common forms of accepted payments of eBay include PayPal, money orders, and personal checks; making it easy and safe to buy on eBay.

Although there are a number of pros to shopping on eBay, it is also important to mention the cons, as there are some of those as well. One of the biggest cons or downsides to shopping on eBay is that eBay is home to a number of scammers. While eBay works hard to eliminate these scams and shield buyers, like you, from them, there are some that get past security. With that in mind, if you proceed with caution, you should be able to safely shop eBay, without any problems. The few eBay scams that you will want to be on the lookout for involves sellers that advertise they have products that they don’t really have, sellers who claim products are in excellent condition when they are not, and others along those lines.

In connection with eBay scams, another downside to eBay is that just about anyone can become an eBay seller. This means that someone who has every intention of taking your money, but not delivering a product can register for an account with eBay and start selling. Of course, eBay catches onto these sellers pretty quickly and, most of the time, their accounts are disabled. With keeping that in mind, you just need to watch who you do business with. Be on the lookout for any sellers with a large number of negative feedback ratings or sellers who are new to eBay.

As you can see, there are a number of pros and cons to doing your shopping with eBay. For the most part, most eBay buyers have a positive experience with eBay. If you watch what you are doing, namely what you choose to buy and from whom, you should also be able to have a positive experience on eBay; one that will likely bring you back for more shopping.

Article Marketing Tips To Help You Out

Article marketing can do a lot for your business. You just have to know a few things and here are some tips to help you out.

1. First, you have to make sure that whatever you are writing about is relevant. If you know for a fact that your product could be very useful, then do some research about it and then end the article with a link to your website. Before you upload the article, check if the site you plan to put this has this as one of their topics.

2. Just like what you read in the newspaper or see on television, the article must be both timely and newsworthy. This will allow you stay in touch with what is happening in the world. One good way is signing up with a site that gives you alerts with regards to certain topics.

3. Some writers post one article and that’s it. Just like movie producers in Hollywood, you should post a sequel to this because there could already be new information available which you could share to the public.

4. You should also make your articles viral. What this simply means is allowing other people to publish your article just as long as nothing is changed and you are given credit for it. Another way of doing this is offering your writing services to others which will become added revenue for you.

5. Each article you write must be short and simple. It must be short so that it will not bore the reader. Simple so that they will be able to understand the message you are trying to convey.

6. Just how many articles must your write to increase traffic? The good news is that you only need 2 to get things started. A good title will be “ how to do something” and “ x number of tips for something.” If this catches their interest, that person will most likely click on the link to your site and then buy something. The bottom line is that it increases web traffic.

7. You can stop at just 2 articles to promote your site. If you have other products, you can write articles on it as well and then mention in the resource box. This is known as cross-referencing which a lot of webmasters allow their contributors to do.

8. Aside from posting your written work in other websites, don’t forget to also put these in your own. If you have written 10 or more about the same topic, put these together to what is known as an e-book and then pass this along for free. Again, if people like what is written there then people wouldn’t remind reading it several times.

9. Aside from posting in websites, make use of RSS feeds. There are plenty of them around so make use of it.

There are two ways to get into article marketing. The first is to write it yourself and just hope that people will appreciate your writing style. The other is to hire someone to do it. Some charge by the hour while others charge per word. It may be worth it if this increases traffic to your site.

By following these article marketing tips, it won’t be long before you get a lot of hits.

How to Claim Your Premium Bonds Winning

Premium bonds are a great way to save money and at the same time have a chance to winning up to a million pounds. Each one pond bond has a unique number on it that is put into an automatic number generator machine that produces numbers for a monthly lottery. If your number is picked you and a million and a half other investors have a chance to win a cash prize from fifty to a million pounds. If you have premium bonds you have twelve chances a year to receive a significant amount of money in lieu of the percentages from a regular savings account.

Some people have won a cash prize for the premium bonds and don't even know that they have won. They could have moved and their new address wasn't registered with the National Savings and Investments agency. A notice of their win would have gone out and the recipient would have never known. The National Savings and Investments agency will keep the money until someone claims it. You just have to step up to the plate and claim it. But like many investors, you don't know how. There may be money out there you just have to ask.

There are online services that will search the National Savings and Investments unclaimed prize list and let you know that if you have a payment or prize pending. The great thing about this service is that it is free. You just give them the bond numbers and they will tell you if you have won. They cannot do anything with the bond numbers themselves. The bond itself is the proof that you won when you present it for the prize. The bond number itself is useless to anyone trying to scam the system.

The investor must remember that the bondholder number is a unique code given to each holder. The bondholder number will allow the finding service to search all premium bond numbers you have in your account. If you don't know your number, it is the number tat was given to you when you bought your first premium bonds. The numbers are arranged in eight digits and a letter at the end. The premium bond numbers will have letters throughout the number sequences and will be distinct from any other sequence. This way you can discern between your bond holder number and your actual bond identification number.

With most online bondholder checking services, the list of prizes is updated on a regular basis. Again, just your book holder number is needed and not the individual numbers from your individual premium bonds. The service will match the numbers and give you the results, either positive or negative, by email. You don't have to worry about moving and having the notice sent to the wrong address. You can even be out of the country and be able to be notified. Both recent and past numbers will be matched and you will have an answer within a few days.

Money Saving Exercise

There is a simple money saving method that anyone in this beautiful world should do at least once in their lives. It is ultimately one of the best ways to save your moolah, because it is not about pinching pennies, but about discovering what you really want and getting it. It is so easy you may hesitate to try it. Just try it. Here it is:

List everything that you have spent money on, are currently spending money on, or might spend money on.

Don't just read this and think of a few things. Take the time to actually write it all down. Review your bank statements if you have to, in order to remember and include everything.

Now go through the list, and carefully consider each item. Take the most time on the big items - past, present and future possibilities. If your timeshare on the beach is worth half what you paid, costs $1,000 per year in expenses, and is rarely used, you need to learn from that - not to punish yourself, but to have a richer life.

If you think honestly about the number of times you will use that Recreational Vehicle, and the cost, it may be $250 for each day of use. That's okay if that is worth it to you, but maybe you really would enjoy $100 hotels more. Or maybe you can rent an RV for less overall cost, thus freeing up money for other important goals.

You see, saving money isn't about sacrifice. We all are aware of the scrooges in life that pinch their pennies, bank the savings, and then do nothing with it. The point should be to save money in one area of life so you can use it in ways that make your whole life richer.

Suppose you notice you're spending $8 per month on subscriptions to magazine you don't read, or on insurance for a motorcycle you almost never ride? Cancel the subscriptions or sell the
motorcycle, and what have you lost? Is it a big deal? What will that $8 get you instead?

- Bank it for ten years, and use the $1200 to take a second honeymoon.

- Use it to pay for a day off work once a year, to spend with the kids.

- Invest it, to have an extra $50 per month during your retirement years.

- Buy six good books a year, to learn something new.

- Make banana splits for the family once a month.

- Give $100 per year to a worthy cause.

$8 per month can do a lot if used wisely. Imagine what you could do if you stopped wasting $200 per month. That's why it is so important to discover what you really want - and what you don't want. This is one of the most intelligent ways to save money.