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Posts Tagged ‘personal finance’

Having convenience foods, like those meal-in-a-box dishes, in your pantry is a definite plus when you’ve got a busy family. Sure, it’s convenient to grab a box, mix up the stuff, and have a meal ready, but the expense is really taking a bite out of the family budget.

Convenience does not have to be expensive. You can create your favorite boxed meals in your very own kitchen, saving money and choosing ingredients that you prefer to feed your family. Fill your pantry with just a few homemade mixes and you’ll have the convenience you need to whip up dinner in no time, at a fraction of the cost of those store-bought boxed meals.

It’s amazing just how many boxed foods you can make at home in your own kitchen. Rather than roaming through your grocery store’s aisles grabbing overpriced cardboard boxes of quick meal solutions, create a couple counterparts easily in your very own kitchen and save an unbelievable amount of money while maintaining the convenience factor.

Let’s look at a couple recognizable meal ideas that start out with your own pre-packaged mix. Of course, this is just something to start you, the inventive cook, on your way to creating quick, healthy, and inexpensive meals for your family.

Red Beans and Rice Mix: A traditional Southern dish, you can just add the beans to the cooked mix, or you can add other ingredients to create a real Cajun meal. Consider adding sausage, seafood, ham, chicken, vegetables, and the like to make jambalaya. Anything goes with this mix!

Suggested mix ingredients: 1 cup long grain brown rice, 1 tablespoon dry onion flakes, 1 tablespoon dry celery or celery seed, 1 tablespoon dry green pepper, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 vegetable or chicken flavored bouillon cubes, 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper, 1/4 cup bacon bits. Of course, this is a suggested dry mix recipe. You’ll want to experiment with your own ideas. Cook according to the rice instructions, then add your beans, sauteed vegetables, or whatever other ingredients you choose.

Rice & Roni Mix: You’ll no doubt recognize this classic boxed side dish. Improve it by adding ingredients to turn it into a full meal; ingredients like diced cooked chicken, fish, and vegetables. This mix makes a good starting point for many delicious and filling meals.

Suggested mix ingredients: 3/4 cup long grain brown or white rice, 1/4 cup broken spaghetti or vermicelli, 1 tablespoon dry onion, 1/4 teaspoon garlic, 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning or a combination of dry thyme and dry sage, 1 tablespoon dry parsley, 3 chicken flavored bouillon cubes or 1 tablespoon powdered bouillon. Again, this is a basic suggestion for a dry mix recipe for a classic dish. Experiment with the flavors and the addition of meats and vegetables to create your own specialty.

Creamy Parmesan Rice Mix: Families need kid-friendly dishes that are quick and easy, as well as delicious and nutritious. This creamy and cheesy mix is possible because you are using powdered milk as opposed to fresh milk. That way, the milk is in the mix, ready to go when you are. Isn’t it great to have a ready-to-use mix in the cupboard when your hungry family is relying on you for a quick and hearty dinner?

Suggested mix ingredients: 1 cup long grain brown rice or long grain white rice, 2 teaspoons chicken or vegetable bouillon, 2 tablespoons dry milk powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, dried (in canister) not freshly grated. When you prepare a dish using this mix, you may want to add some diced cooked chicken, and perhaps stir in some frozen sweet green peas just before serving.

The cooking instructions for these mixes will depend on the amount of rice in the mix. The ingredients you use in the dry mix will depend on your own personal tastes. When it comes time to cook the meal, follow the rice cooking instructions from the box of rice you used, then add any other ingredients you wish, being sure the ingredients have been properly prepared and cooked if necessary.

Once you discover how easy it is to create some of your own boxed dinners at home, you’ll want to start experimenting with some of your own ideas, creating your family’s favorite dishes. These homemade convenience foods are perfect for expanding by adding meat, chicken, seafood, vegetables, or anything that makes your dish uniquely yours.

Just a few of these basic go-to mixes in your pantry is all you need to quickly stir up a delicious and nutritious meal for your family. We all know that pre-packaged meals help make it possible for a busy household to get dinner together and on the table quickly and easily. But, unlike those store-bought boxes, these mixes are inexpensive and have your own special ingredient… love! Mix up a few of these ready-to-go mealtime shortcuts for your own busy family, and save yourself valuable time and money.

When buying a home you have two options, a new home and an existing house. Both have their own benefits and drawbacks. Here are some points about each of these alternatives you should think about before putting in an offer to buy.

Newly Built Homes

New constructed homes generally are held to high quality control criteria with up to date construction methods and higher energy efficiency rating than those that present in existing houses. Most builders provide a one year or longer house warranty and attractive financing options that make purchasing a new home extremely easy. It should be noted that it can be difficult to resell the home for a few years because the builder is continually building more new homes in the subdivision.

The purchase price is often higher than you will find for an older home with comparable square footage. New homes usually require very little up-front money, and many builders will give thousands of dollars of upgrades and incentives to purchase. If the new home is located in a new subdivision that is not established, there will likely be very few shade trees like you would find in an older neighborhood.

Existing Houses

These are owned by homeowners who want to sell their houses. The houses have been lived in and may be better constructed than newer homes. Any settlement that is going to occur, likely already has occurred. You can obtain a history of the homes performance by examining utility bills and renovation history from the homeowners. Many say that older homes have a since of character and their age gives them respectability.

Existing homes are mainly located in neighborhoods where there are established school systems and neighbors who look out for one another. The yards have tall trees which provide plenty of shade and help to create that at home feeling. They often are much easier to resell soon after you buy one as the demand for homes in the neighborhood are high.

Depending on what your needs are will determine if a new home or an existing home is the better option for you. By evaluating your current needs and your future plans will go a long way towards making that buying decision.

You may have heard of these and asked, “why are they called credit cards if you receive no credit?” To answer that question and many others, let’s look at them in detail.

Nearly all of the major issuers offer these. The concept is very simple. Once you are approved, and nearly everybody regardless of their history is, you get a card in the mail. It looks identical to a regular one typically with a Visa or MasterCard logo. It can be used anywhere that Visa & MasterCard are accepted and nobody will know that it is prepaid.

The first thing you have to do is fund it. The amount of money you deposit in to your account is the amount of money available to you. You can’t carry a balance, you can’t pay interest or over the limit fees. To avoid any kind of fee, set up a direct deposit. Also bank transfers, ATM deposits, and even a mailed check can fund it.

Most valuable perks including free bill pay, free direct deposit, balance alerts sent to your e-mail or cell phone, and if you have damaged credit report, your positive payment activities will be reported to the bureaus.

These companies are making money off of each transaction that you make yet still, some companies try to charge annual or monthly fees. Make sure to do a lot of comparison shopping and find one that is 100% free to be issued and activated. Some may require that you set up direct deposit in order for it to be free.

As American’s become more conscious of how they borrow money, this card represents one of the safest ways to build positive marks on your report and without the worry of finding yourself in over your head in debt.

Additionally these are a good alternatives for individuals in chexsystem and don’t have a checking account. This is because to cash a check you have to pay a check cashing fee. To pay a bill you must buy a money order. These expenses add up quick.

However a good card will let you use direct deposit for free and may have a program to allow you to pay your bills without having to buy money orders.

Persons with high amounts of debt can reap considerable benefits from debt relief programs. These programs are designed to help people who are unable to pay their debts. Nonetheless, finding a program and negotiating the terms of the plans could affect each individual’s economic condition differently. In order to free yourself from debt, you should select a debt relief program that meets your exact goals.

For instance, debt negotiation is a common debt relief program. It saves you money because you are able to pay a reduced amount of your original debt. You will also save time, as licensed debt negotiators are the ones discussing the debt reduction process for you. Plenty of people inherently know the benefits of finding a dependable debt relief program, everybody, especially those who are most vulnerable, must be aware of businesses that are only out to make a quick dollar.

Common Scam Techniques There are many legitimate debt relief companies. Unfortunately, there are a few others who are only looking to take advantage of your desire to settle your debts. Similar to legitimate debt relief companies, they offer debtors the possibility of becoming debt-free. They take your money and your debt stays the same.

There are a few common telltale signs that the debt relief program you are dealing with is a fraud. If they charge to fix credit reports, offer to loan you money, or are encourage you to assume another identity, they are probably trying to scam you. Thus, it is important to be able to identify these ploys. It will help you discern which firms are trustworthy and allow you avoid a painful lesson.

Charging to Fix Your Credit Report A number of debt relief programs offer to clean up your credit report if you are willing to pay substantial fees. The process of cleaning up a credit report can be quite intricate. This is the reason why most people hire professionals. Many persons do not realize that they can fix their credit report free of charge. By law, you are entitled to a yearly credit report from the three foremost credit bureaus.

Loaning To Fix Bad Credit This scheme hurts you in two ways. A smooth-talking sales person informs you that you have qualified for a substantial unsecured loan. They tell you that you will be able to use this loan to pay back your debts. At this point, they ask you for a processing fee, a good faith payment, or some other type of sum before you obtain the loan. Once they have your money, you never hear from them again. Not only is your credit not fixed, but you have also been scammed out of money that you desperately need. If anyone asks you for upfront money or tells you to wire them money, run away!

False Identity Certain companies will ask you to create a new identity. They state that this new identity will help you attain a higher credit score. This is a completely illegal. Everybody should be aware that creating a false identity is a clear cut violation of the law.

Make it a point to screen the credit repair company you are dealing with and look for these red flags. If you are serious about getting rid of your credit debt, then there are a lot of legitimate methods to do this. Do not let your condition cause you to fall for these ploys. Rebuilding credit is a lengthy, careful process. Yet, doing it the proper way will pay off over time.

Families all over the world are reevaluating their spending priorities and with financial hardships being a reality for most of us we need to think of how are investments today will save us money in the present and future. A car is a necessity for all of us but buying a brand new car when there are numerous well maintained used cars on sale seems a bit spendthrift these days. Whether your prefer a Honda or a Suzuki, you’re bound to find a car that fits your budget and needs.

One of the main benefits of buying a used car is getting a reliable vehicle within your budget. A well-planned budget means less stress and there literally dozens of cars that will suit your tastes and needs within that price range. Make sure you get the car examined thoroughly or if you’re a car lover, do it yourself. Always take the car for a spin on a variety of roads to check how it performs under different scenarios.

The other advantage of buying used cars is the minimal drop in resale value when you sell your used car after a few years. New cars lose a large chunk of their market value within the first couple of years of use and the drop in price, in percentage terms, is far greater than that of a used car. This allows you to loose less cash in the future and is a prudent investment for households with a limited car allowance.

Insurance premiums can be a significant contributor towards costs if the car you purchase has a high market value. New cars have far higher premiums compared to those of used cars. If you already have a car, and you’re buying a second used vehicle, approach your existing insurance company for a discount in the second car because of the additional business you’re providing them.

The increase demand for used cars has helped make the industry more professional and service oriented. Used cars can be found on sale not only by dealers but also by individuals in a variety of newspapers and online classifieds. Although newspapers arrange cars by make and model, online classifieds are far easier to use due to advanced search features which help you filter results by make, model, year, price and other important specifications.

The simplicity of identifying and purchasing a used car along with a wider selection has made the benefits of buying a used car hard to ignore. Our unstable economic environment has taught us time and time again that saving for the future is critical to survive comfortably in times of hardship. The good news is that a greater variety of used cars available has minimized the number of features we have to sacrifice to own a inexpensive, reliable vehicle. You get to own your dream car and loose less hair. Who wouldn’t want that?

The foreign exchange market is mystifying to many people. There is good reason for this, since these financial markets are among the riskiest in which to trade. This article will explore the topic of the foreign exchange market, what makes it so risky and how to understand it a little better.

What exactly does foreign exchange mean? What are the nuts and bolts of this market? Quite simply, it’s the money used in different countries around the world. An investor buys money (known as currency) from one country with the sale of money from another. Without this transaction process, the global economy would stop. Whether you know it or not, you have probably engaged in the foreign exchange market already. In fact, it may be an everyday occurrence for you.

Maybe it was on your last vacation; maybe you went to Rome on business, changing some money for a night on the town. Even if you used a traveler’s cheque or swiped a credit card, you aren’t operating with your native currency if you are in a foreign country. Welcome to the exchange market, which you’ve already played.

An example of indirect participation is when you buy imported products in your home country. Products made overseas are usually sold in the currency of the country they were made. When they are sold in a country which is different to the one where they were produced, at some stage someone will need to make a foreign exchange transaction, translating the price of the product from the currency where the product was produced, to the currency where the product was consumed. It could be the producer, an importing company or the retailer that does this. Regardless, when you buy imported products, the currency translation will have occurred and therefore you have indirectly participated in a foreign currency transaction.

Part of the confusion surrounding the FX market is the fluctuation of currency. As with the price of most items on indices, supply versus demand factors heavily in the equation. As a certain currency is wanted and demanded on the market, the price will rise, as sellers realize they have something with which to bargain. Buyers are willing to pay more, supporting the whole transaction. On the other hand, as a currency ends up heavy on the supply end, anyone wishing to dump it will have to accept a lower price. This part of currency exchange makes sense when you stop to consider it.

The hard part is determining the root of supply and demand fluctuations. Therein lies the complex part of foreign currency exchange. Not even economists can pinpoint exactly the cause of demand and supply changing like the tides. Being a good trader is having a grasp on the big factors and investing accordingly, but there is definitely no simple answer and thus the market of currency exchange is not a simple game to play. There are no formulas.

The currency figures of a particular country represent the economic value of that country, thus compared against that of another country. When you start to consider the endless number of factors which can affect an economy in one direction or another, and how some of them defy all logic, you will see the dilemma of anyone who is trading currency for a living.

But your countries economy is only half the equation. We are not measuring the value of your economy alone, rather comparing it against the economy of a different country. Therefore, even if you have a really good understanding of your own economy, you need the same understanding of the other country’s economy also.

Beyond these concerns, you’ll have to gauge the economy and currency of the two countries in the scheme of the world economy. To determine if one country’s currency will become more valuable over time, you need a lot of information and considerable foresight, as this is a complex equation.

And if you manage to get all your analysis correct, you then need to hope everyone else does too. Currencies can move on investors opinions, expectations met or expectations not met, global sentiments of what is likely to happen as much as global opinion of what has happened. There are fundamental traders (who look at information such as the above to make their decisions) and technical traders. (who just follow graphs and don’t care why) Both trader groups can impact the price as they impact supply and demand.

There are also types of investors who buy currencies far in advance of any hopes of selling, waiting to see the long-term growth. Many use this investment to support other, unrelated ventures. Naturally, this will affect the prices. It’s a complicated equation.

Then there are Foreign Exchange Trading Strategies which don’t need to predict if a currency is going to go up or down. It doesn’t matter which way the traded currencies move, they make small incremental profits in both directions.

Getting a handle on the FX Markets is never a simple matter, and hopefully this explanation has helped.

Tip 1 – If you currently have any debt on your credit cards then it is important that you clear this as soon as possible. Although credit cards are a convenient way for you to purchase those items that you want if you can’t pay off the balance on your card each month the debt will soon mount up. If you do find yourself in such a situation consider taking out a small low cost loan to pay off the balance on your cards and doing this could save you 100s each year.

Tip 2 ” It is sometimes a good idea to use the local classifieds market when making an essential purchase. There are many classified sites both online and in the papers where an impressive bargain can be found. After all, everybody wants to save money, time and effort so why not use the local classifieds market to your advantage and bag yourself a bargain!

Tip 3 ” As the price of household bills has increased somewhat over the last year or so it could be worth doing a little shopping around for a bargain online. Many companies will offer better rates and sometimes a better service too. Comparison websites offer an easier way to compare all of the offers available to you.

Tip 4 ” Never go food shopping when you are hungry and always take an itemised shopping list with you. This will help you to avoid buying unnecessary items and in turn help you to save some money too.

Tip 5 ” There may be items belonging to you which are no longer wanted or in use, these have the potential to earn you money. With a little time and effort they can be sold using any good classified website or newspaper. Why not turn your unwanted junk into another mans treasure whilst making a few pounds at the same time.

Tip 6 – When you need to get new insurance for your home, car or travel then don’t go with your current insurer but shop around instead. The quickest and easiest way for comparing the prices quoted for different kinds of insurance including that of life insurance is by going online. You may well find that you are able to save yourself quite a tidy sum.

Tip 7 – When it comes to your holiday arrangements try and book yours as early as possible as this can save you quite a considerable sum each year. Also rather than booking through a travel agency instead try and make all the arrangements yourself. There are hundreds of websites that can help you to book all your travel arrangements at one time and still help you to make considerable savings on each part.

Tips 8 ” Faults around the home can be early cleared up cheaply, rather that hiring a tradesman. It is worth having ago yourself and learning a thing or two on the way!

Tip 9 – Although it may seem difficult try and put a little money aside each month to cover any emergencies that arise or to help pay off your mortgage a little more quickly. So rather than going out drinking every weekend with your mates spend it at home and use that money towards other essentials you need including paying off your credit card.

Tip 10 ” Cut down on extravagant spending, this is seriously dangerous. If you can not afford to pay cash, then you can not afford it! Cut down and save money!

If the above is followed then staying clear of debt will be very simple. Try not to spend too much money and save for those rainy days.

It has become apparent that the term “U.S. Housing Crisis” and nothing less than just that. It’s not some overblown Media stunt to scare the people and give Politicians a chance to play superhero for some Great Cause which has emerged from the eruption. No this is not a hoax, not an over exaggeration, this is a truly devastating time in U.S which has not truly unfolded. If you are one of the population struggling, you are not alone. The numbers are grim.

The Mortgage Bankers Association numbers as of August 20, 2009 show nationally 8.22% of all loans are in default (30+ days late) and 4.3% of all loans are in foreclosure. That means out of 45 million mortgages 13.6% are in distress. The even more disgusting|disgraceful| thought is the statistic which states that over 70 percent of Homeowners in distress go into Foreclosure without putting up a fight. If you have a family and you are responsible for their well being, how does one just ignore the impending doom of Homelessness? I myself have been in the same scenario and could not sleep at night much less not act.

During my time working for the Law firm I have identified many mental errors that are common among owners at risk of losing their home to foreclosure. many times they are their own worst enemy over analyzing their situation so much it makes them concerned to act because they are in fear of making the wrong decision. I can give you my sincerest opinion when I tell you that the sometimes when we try so hard not to get screwed we end up screwing ourselves. We are our own worst enemies. Remember, Analysis equals Paralysis which inevitably leads to an unfortunate conclusion.

In the Best interest of anyone who may read this, if there is only one message I can pass on to a Homeowner or Family in distress it’s Never Give Up, never loose hope, and try your best to do everything you can, exhaust every possible option and most importantly try and seek out the help of qualified Legal Council. The only thing that a Person who says they can and a Person who says they can’t have in common is that they are most likely both right! I wish the best of luck and good fortune to anyone who may be facing or suffering though one of so many truly unfortunate hardships and tragic situations that are becoming so common among todays Families and mortgage holder.

How to sell my gold? This gets brought up quite a bit for newbies to the selling gold field. Whether its gold jewelry, coins, bullion, or even gold scrap you can sell your gold for cash both safely and easily if you take the time to learn how. You just have to be on the lookout for con artists and scammers looking to take advantage of you. In the following article I will explain just how you can do that.

The first step, no matter which type of gold you’re looking to sell, is always to find out how much gold is worth. The best way to go about doing this is to go straight to a jewelry store or pawnshop. Most jewelry stores or pawnshops will have an experience jeweler on hand that can estimate the value of your gold right there in the store. They do this based on the current spot price of gold which changes daily so you may have to check the price again later on before you actually sell. You can also figure this out by yourself but it will take an article in itself to explain it.

When you finally figure out how much the gold is worth you can go about finding a gold buyer. There are plenty of gold buyers out there in fact may be overwhelming at the number there are. Just keep in mind that you need to research any company that you may think about selling to beforehand is so you don’t get ripped off.

For scrap gold and the like, you would be best off selling to a gold refiner or dealer. They buy all kinds of different gold based on the current price of gold. If you can, you should try and find one that pays out at least 90% or more.

If you have valuable gold jewelry that is worth more than just the gold content in the item you should probably think about selling to a jeweler or pawnshop owner. They will take into consideration the aesthetic value of your piece not just the gold value like most other buyers.

The final type of gold that most people sell is gold coins or bullion and you can sell them to several different places. The best though is straight to a bullion deal or gold coin dealer depending on which type you have. You can still go to refiners but it may be less than what you could get at a dealer.

That’s all there is to “selling my gold”. If you will follow the advice listed above you will be able to sell gold easily and safely. Just remember the major points like researching companies before dealing with them.

As we have all seen in recent months, the price of houses in the current UK property market have been in decline. In fact, in the last few months we have seen the price of UK homes falling quite substantially and in January 2009 the value of properties fell by a further 1.3%.Which now makes the total decline percentage at 16.6%.

There are many articles online which give you an idea about the future of the UKs economy. It seems unlikely that any improvement will be seen for some time to come, if anything the condition of the housing market looks set to decline further still.

It has been predicted, by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) that there will be a further 10% decrease in the number of houses sold, this year. The housing market is currently in the worst position seen in many, many years.

Although house prices will begin to rise again in the year 2011 a further 10% decrease is expected this year, therefore people will have to recognize that the price of their house is currently much less than it was not so many years ago.

The UK housing market has been damaged by the current economic climate therefore a number of houses are being repossessed and resold at a far cheaper rate, therefore it is a very good time to purchase, for first time buyers and people looking to invest in property alike. However, it is not such a good time to sell property within the United Kingdom.

Due to the current economic climate, house repossession is presently at an all time high. People are struggling to meet their repayments and finding themselves in very difficult situations. It has been predicted that a further 34,000 homes will be repossessed, within the UK, this year.

Below are a few reasons why the UK property market has seen a fall over the last year.

(1) Mortgage companies are lending less and less, so people are finding it very difficult to find a mortgage.

(2) In order to obtain a mortgage, finance companies require the buyer to provide a much larger deposit. So for first time buyers, being able to get a mortgage to buy their first home has virtually become impossible.

(3) Many people expect house prices to fall further making them hold off buying now.

(4) Bank base rate cuts still have not changed peoples minds in remortgaging, even with the cuts the average mortgage has not altered within the 2-3 years.

Above we have looked at the reasons why the UK property market looks the way it does. As we watch the market closely, there certainly seems to be no chance of the problems easing for many homeowners in the coming months. But it is not just homeowners who are suffering with this current slump. In recent months there have been many construction workers laid off and many estate agencies closing.