Posts tagged: interest rates

How to Save Money When You’re Still Paying Rent

rent money savingsThose who have bought their own home and feed their savings account regularly seem to have it all figured out. It’s very difficult to save money when there’s nothing left at the end of the month, though, and it tastes especially sour when you have to pay down on someone else’s mortgage.

But with so many benefits to renting an apartment, it should be possible to continue this flexible way of living while still getting the piggy bank nice and fat. Here are a few of the thriftiest money saving tips from tenants out there who actually manage to save, making the world a bit less unfair.

Ditch the gym

Gym memberships should be a thing of the past already. You need exercise, of course, but you don’t need to pay up every month to get moving; with apartments often being so incredibly central, it should be easy enough to find a local park for your morning jog.

Buy yourself a yoga mat and take care of your muscles at home, either with weights or your very own body weight. Paying for a gym membership is kind of like paying someone to cook for you; sure, it’s convenient, and everything is taken care of for you, but doing it yourself just makes a lot more sense. At least when you’re trying to save money.

Buy multitaskers

You already know that you should cook every meal at home, right, so we’re not going to waste time on explaining why. Apartments are often rather small, so it’s a good idea to find functional kitchen appliances you can use for multiple things. It makes it a lot more likely that you’ll get cooking even on a grumpy Tuesday evening, and you won’t hate the look of your cramped-up kitchen afterward.

Find green apartments

While you should always try to find someone to live together with as it will save you a ton of money, it’s also a good idea to look for greener apartments. Many apartments here have gas projects that allow you to save money on energy, while the best ones also offer GE appliances in the kitchen.

It’s the kind of stuff that makes rental life a bit more manageable – and if you discover a better offer somewhere else, you can always pack up and move without having to sell first.

Get a second job

The last one may not be the one you’d like to hear, but here it goes; when you rent an apartment, you’re often a bit closer to the action than the house owners are. It means that flexible jobs are within reach and you have a variety of options to supplement your income with and live within your means.

Boost your income, find an energy-efficient and reasonably priced apartment to rent with someone, and continue to cook at home. Here’s a handy article in case you need a bit of extra money quickly, by the way.

Increasing your income is the only way to drip a bit of cash into your savings account each month, and the best way to stay debt free for as long as possible.

Stuck for Cash? 5 Short Term Solutions

money stuckWe’ve all found ourselves, at one time or another, financial strapped. It could be an unexpected car repair, a short work week or even an unexpected medical expense. Whatever the reason, it causes stress and anxiety, especially if you don’t know where to turn for solutions. These 5 short term solutions may just help you get by until your cash flow picks up again or until you can get past the unexpected expense.

1.Cash Loans/Short Term Loans

Cash loans don’t have the best reputation in the financial world, and that is mostly because they bear higher interest rates and can be easily abused. However, if you are in a bind and know that paying back the loan won’t be an issue, they can be a short term solution to a financial need. Be sure to read the terms, understand your obligations as the borrower, and plan ahead so you can ensure the money is paid back on time preventing further interest or penalties. A cash loan broker will connect you with multiple lenders who may offer different terms, rates etc. IneedmoneytodayASAP is a website that provides this service and you can visit their website here.

2. Sell Unwanted Items Online

You would be amazed at the amount of clutter you might find by simply cleaning out your garage or basement. You might find items you haven’t used in well over a year or more. These items are great candidates for online classified websites where you can sell you items locally and receive cash for them fairly quickly. Do a quick online search in your area for local buy and sell groups or even on social media for places to post your unwanted goods.

3. Visit the Pawn Shop

Similar to selling online, but much faster turn around, taking unwanted items to a pawn shop will yield you some extra cash. You will not be paid the full value of your item in most cases, since the shop will want to make money too. Alternatively, you could put valuable items in hock until you can pay to get them back. Be sure to read the terms so you know exactly how long you have before that item becomes property of the pawn shop.

4. Take the Bus, Walk or Car Pool

Simple but definitely cost effective, taking public transit or walking places will save you tonnes of money compared to driving everywhere. With the rising cost of fuel, driving is a costly commodity. You could talk to a co-worker and see about car pooling if public transit or walking are not an option. Even if you did this for a week, you would save a fair amount on gas.

5. Make Coffee at Home and Pack Lunches

While this short term solution won’t put cash in your pocket, it will keep the cash you have in there. Making a coffee at home every morning could save you between $1 and $2.50 per day for just one coffee. Packing your lunch from home will save you even more–somewhere around $10 per day! That’s around $2500 a year if you ate out every work day. Imagine that nice chunk of savings you could be using for more important things, in your bank account.

The Best Educational Investments You Can Make

invest to studyIf you look at the best ways to invest your money, many people will recommend investing in your education. The reason is that spending money on your education isn’t just a one-time investment. Adding qualifications to your resume is an investment in yourself and could lead to higher earnings in the future. You’re not buying an asset that could start depreciating or taking a risk on an investment that could end up losing you money. If you want to invest in your education, there are a few smart ways you can do it. Try the following tips to consider your options.

Go to College

There will always be controversy over whether it’s necessary to go to college. Of course, not everyone wants or needs a college education. And some people will say that studying certain subject isn’t going to help you in your career. However, even though it can be expensive, going to college can do a lot for you in the long-term. There are several options to explore if you want to find one that works best for you financially. There’s the choice of going to community college, attending a college in your state, scholarships, or even studying online. Gaining postgraduate qualifications will also often help to boost your career.

Take a Course

Whether or not you choose to attend college, your education doesn’t need to stop once you’re no longer in school. It’s always worth exploring your options for learning new skills and improving your abilities. There are many online courses you can sign up for, but Training Connection believes that classroom learning is best. When you’re learning practical skills like how to use software, it’s useful to have an instructor who can show you how to do something. As well as investing your own money in training, it’s always useful to take advantage of any opportunities you might gain from employers.

Learn About Finances and Investment

Courses both online and offline can teach you about just about anything. You can choose skills that are useful for your career goals. But if you want to make the most of your money, learning about finance and investment is one of the best things you can do. Seek out courses in investing and managing your money if you want a good way to spend money on your education. While you can find free resources, it pays to invest in a more professional and comprehensive course, or perhaps resources like books.

Invest in Your Child’s Future

Your education isn’t the only one worth investing in. If you want another way to spend your money wisely, investing in your child’s future is also a good idea. You can help them out by saving money for their education, whether it’s a college fund or just general savings. You can also help them out when it’s time for them to go to college, perhaps by co-signing loans or simply giving them some financial support.

Education is one of the best things you can invest in because it sets you up for the future. Don’t dismiss the power it can have.

Are You Really Getting The Best Loan You Can?

your loan optionsLoans are there for us in some of the biggest financial moments of our lives. Starting a business. Consolidating debt. Buying a car. Buying a home. They are not to be taken lightly and the loans you choose can have a huge long-term effect on your financial situation. So, how do you make sure that you’re really getting the best one for you?

Know the risks

As policygenius.com will tell you, there are inherently risky debts to be concerned about. Payday loans and auto collateral loans are mostly aimed at those who have no credit history or a poor credit history, often targeting the already vulnerable with much more unfavorable payment terms that can see interest as high as the triple figures. There are loans like Buy Here Pay Here car dealership loans that can be used as a last resort to help you get access to what you need, but you have to be fully aware of the risks before you take them. Often, when possible, it’s better to wait for your credit situation to improve.

Improve your standing

The improvement of your credit situation is exactly what we’re going to talk about now. If you have no credit history, you shouldn’t try and start off with a bigger loan. Instead, building that history with credit cards and more manageable, even trivial borrowing can help give you a foot to stand on. Eliminating debt and being responsible with credit is the best way to build your score. However, erroneous negatives on your report are a common occurrence, and sometimes you might need the services highlighted by sites like creditrepair.xyz to make sure that you’re able to fix those marks and return your score to where it should rightfully be. At any rate, you should never attempt to apply for credit without first checking your score and report. Getting rejected from a loan can damage your credit health even further.

Look at the options

Better credit history allows for a broader range of loan options. Not taking the responsibility to look at those options, however, is practically shooting yourself in the foot. There are comparison sites offering calculators to help you easily see the real terms of repayment in cash for a lot of different loan types. Do some research on hidden fees, poor communication complaints, and deferred payment options before choosing a loan provider, too.

Have repayment in mind

The most important point is being saved for last. When it comes to buying a home or a car, you might be tempted to take the biggest loan out you can. Many lenders, nowadays, are better about not giving out bad loans, but that doesn’t mean that borrowers don’t take on loans they can’t handle. Have your repayment strategy thought out in advance before you sign any dotted lines. If you can’t see how you can easily and reliably pay it off with your current earnings and stay on top of your finances, it’s worth taking out something smaller.

Be a more cautious borrower, a more reliable debtor, and a savvier consumer. If you skim over the risks, the prep-work, and the need for planned repayments that go into loans, you’re much more likely to end up in debt.

A Guide To Getting A Mortgage When You’ve Got Bad Credit

mortgage for youIf you’re wanting to purchase a home, but have missed paying a few mobile phone bills or have been bankrupt, you may think that you’ve got no chance. Although it’s certainly difficult to get a loan when you have a bad credit score, it’s definitely not impossible. Getting a mortgage with bad credit isn’t easy, but that doesn’t mean you should just give up. Here are a few options for you to consider before throwing in the towel.

Increase Your Credit Score

If you have a bit of time before you actually want to put down a down payment, then you should definitely consider trying to raise your credit score. This will mean that not only will you find it much easier to secure a mortgage, but you will also generally have to pay less money in the long run, as the interest won’t be as high. Checking your credit report for mistakes is one possible way to do this, as you could have been a victim of fraud in the past. Ensuring that you’re on the electoral roll is also important, as you are unlikely to be accepted for any kind of credit unless you have this as proof that you are who you claim to be and live where you claim to live.

Increase Your Down Payment

Whether you have a bad credit score or not, mortgage lenders are much more likely to approve you for a mortgage if you provide a down payment that is much larger than usual. If you have some extra money saved somewhere, whether this be in a savings account or under your mattress, then you are halfway there. If not, then you need to find a way of securing these funds. Asking family and friends is a possibility, but isn’t always an option. Even if it is possible, you may not want to ask for large amounts of money from your loved ones. Here is when you need to start thinking about a bad credit personal loan. What are personal loans for people with bad credit? Well, they’re exactly what they say on the tin. A bad credit personal loan is there to help people with bad credit secure a personal loan, for things such as making a down payment on a new house.

Have Some HOPE

If you don’t have a large enough income to make a big down payment, then the HOPE program is something you may want to consider. Hope will allow borrowers with bad credit get approved for loans, sometimes with as little as a 0% down payment. This is a great option for someone on a low income, with bad credit, as it will help you to improve your credit history when you start to make your repayments.

Buying your own home, even with a bad credit score, is definitely not impossible. You do need to do a lot more research, and often have to pay more than others with a better credit score, but it will all be worth it when you’re falling asleep in a house that you own.