A new iPhone Application has just been released that may help track spending and see where you can make savings - Big Spender.
If you have an iPhone go and do whatever it is you do on iTunes to find - Big Spender iPhone Application!
http://www.swiftcurrentventures.com.au/mobility/
Monday, March 30, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Recycle
I don't mean re-use old stuff to save buying new stuff - although that works as well.
I mean recycle paper, packaging, boxes, plastics etc rather than throwing it in the trash.
I'm sure that there are heaps of calculating models that will give you theoretical savings based on reducing your carbon footprint and being an environmentally friendly person….. but if nothing else you will save money on garbage bags!
Think about an average day:
So the challenge is – Before you throw anything in the trash stop for a few seconds and take another look - can it be recycled?
If you recycle everything you can you should find that your recycle bin fills up quicker than your trash bin – hence the need for less garbage bags.
I mean recycle paper, packaging, boxes, plastics etc rather than throwing it in the trash.
I'm sure that there are heaps of calculating models that will give you theoretical savings based on reducing your carbon footprint and being an environmentally friendly person….. but if nothing else you will save money on garbage bags!
Think about an average day:
- Newspaper
- Cereal box
- Junk mail
- Used envelopes
- Magazines
- Pizza box
- Wrapping paper from your Fish ‘n’ Chips
- Shampoo or shower gel bottle
- Milk carton or bottle
- Soft drink can
- Beer bottle
- Plastic take-away container
So the challenge is – Before you throw anything in the trash stop for a few seconds and take another look - can it be recycled?
If you recycle everything you can you should find that your recycle bin fills up quicker than your trash bin – hence the need for less garbage bags.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Beware of scams - no such thing as easy money!
There is no such thing as
get rick quick schemes
secret to become a billionaire
jobs that pay $5,000 per week for doing nothing
If you want to make money you have to work for it in some way.
Unfortunately there are a lot of ‘people’ out there who take advantage of the fact that a lot of us will be tempted to take a shortcut at some point in our lives.
Scams are everywhere. Posted on lamp posts and traffic lights, in the local paper and all over the internet.
Golden rule – ask yourself:
Why are these people paying for Google, Facebook and other forms of advertising?
If they have found a way to make $1m per year doing nothing – why are they telling me about? Why not keep it to themselves and make $2m?
The answers are simple. It’s a scam.
Think about it – why would someone pay for advertising something that does not make them money? They wouldn’t!
Be skeptical of everyone and you will not get caught out. Always think ‘No’.
get rick quick schemes
secret to become a billionaire
jobs that pay $5,000 per week for doing nothing
If you want to make money you have to work for it in some way.
Unfortunately there are a lot of ‘people’ out there who take advantage of the fact that a lot of us will be tempted to take a shortcut at some point in our lives.
Scams are everywhere. Posted on lamp posts and traffic lights, in the local paper and all over the internet.
Golden rule – ask yourself:
Why are these people paying for Google, Facebook and other forms of advertising?
If they have found a way to make $1m per year doing nothing – why are they telling me about? Why not keep it to themselves and make $2m?
The answers are simple. It’s a scam.
Think about it – why would someone pay for advertising something that does not make them money? They wouldn’t!
Be skeptical of everyone and you will not get caught out. Always think ‘No’.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
It's your $900 stimulus payment!
What will you do with your $900 stimulus payment?
Those of you who will be receiving K Rudd’s stimulus payments may be thinking – “what should I do with it?”
Well, the consensus is – spend it. That’s what it is intended for. It’s not a bailout for the poor or a battler’s bonus. It’s supposed to be an economical stimulus payment designed to inject money into the economy.
So what should you spend it on?
Well, just because you are being told to spend it does not mean that you should blow it on rubbish that you do not need.
I suggest that you make a budget for your payment – where it is $600, $900 or even more. If you do not plan what you will spend it on it will just get absorbed into your normal spend and neither you nor the economy will benefit.
Make a list of things that you have wanted to buy during the last 6 months, but you stopped yourself as you could not quite afford it or justify it. Use the stimulus payment for that!
What about your car or your house?
Sure you could just go and blow the whole lot on a few nights out or pay some bills, but why?
Bills will always be there and will always mount up, but how often do you get $900 to spend on whatever you like?
At the end of the day this is money which you did not have in the first place – why not treat yourself to something useful and tangible.
Here are a few specific ideas:
Those of you who will be receiving K Rudd’s stimulus payments may be thinking – “what should I do with it?”
Well, the consensus is – spend it. That’s what it is intended for. It’s not a bailout for the poor or a battler’s bonus. It’s supposed to be an economical stimulus payment designed to inject money into the economy.
So what should you spend it on?
Well, just because you are being told to spend it does not mean that you should blow it on rubbish that you do not need.
I suggest that you make a budget for your payment – where it is $600, $900 or even more. If you do not plan what you will spend it on it will just get absorbed into your normal spend and neither you nor the economy will benefit.
Make a list of things that you have wanted to buy during the last 6 months, but you stopped yourself as you could not quite afford it or justify it. Use the stimulus payment for that!
What about your car or your house?
- A lot of people have put car servicing off due to financial pressures.
- Maybe there is something round the house that needs fixing, but you have not had the spare cash to get a tradesman in.
Sure you could just go and blow the whole lot on a few nights out or pay some bills, but why?
Bills will always be there and will always mount up, but how often do you get $900 to spend on whatever you like?
At the end of the day this is money which you did not have in the first place – why not treat yourself to something useful and tangible.
Here are a few specific ideas:
- Blow the lot on The Kevin37 LCD TV from Kogan - $900
- Keep water and money with a Whirlpool 7.5kg Front Load Washing machine - $700
- Fun for the whole family with Nintendo Wii Console - $400
- Upgrade your digital camera - $300
- David Jones Gift Vouchers – Buy $200 and get $220
Share your ideas - what will you be spending your payment on?
Monday, March 9, 2009
On-line shopping rewards - Rewards Central
If you shop on-line you should think about joining Rewards Central.
Basic membership is free and you can earn cash or voucher rewards for shopping on-line using Rewards Central.
The program works on an affiliates basis. Rewards Central have corporate affiliations with on-line retailers which means that they get rewarded for referring you to the retailers to do your on-line shopping. Depending on the extent of the referral fees that Rewards Central earn will depend on how any points you ear.
The key with this rewards program - like with any other is not to change your purchasing behaviour too much in order to earn rewards.
Generally the retailer offers published on Rewards Central include discounts which mean that it is actually cheaper to purchase through Rewards Central.
There are other components to Rewards Central, including a survey option, where you earn points for completing surveys on-line, but these are generally extremely time consuming.
The best way to use Rewards Central is to find what you want to buy on-line, and find the best price. Then log on to Rewards Central and see if the the retailer you identified is a member of the program or if there is another retailer listed on Rewards Central that has the same product for the same price.
Rewards Central works if you make it work for you. If you need to buy - try to buy through Rewards Central, but do not buy what you do not need just to get point - that defeats the object!
Over the last 3 years I have not changed my on-line purchasing behaviour and I have pulled $250 in rewards from the program.
Basic membership is free and you can earn cash or voucher rewards for shopping on-line using Rewards Central.
The program works on an affiliates basis. Rewards Central have corporate affiliations with on-line retailers which means that they get rewarded for referring you to the retailers to do your on-line shopping. Depending on the extent of the referral fees that Rewards Central earn will depend on how any points you ear.
The key with this rewards program - like with any other is not to change your purchasing behaviour too much in order to earn rewards.
Generally the retailer offers published on Rewards Central include discounts which mean that it is actually cheaper to purchase through Rewards Central.
There are other components to Rewards Central, including a survey option, where you earn points for completing surveys on-line, but these are generally extremely time consuming.
The best way to use Rewards Central is to find what you want to buy on-line, and find the best price. Then log on to Rewards Central and see if the the retailer you identified is a member of the program or if there is another retailer listed on Rewards Central that has the same product for the same price.
Rewards Central works if you make it work for you. If you need to buy - try to buy through Rewards Central, but do not buy what you do not need just to get point - that defeats the object!
Over the last 3 years I have not changed my on-line purchasing behaviour and I have pulled $250 in rewards from the program.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Cancel your old credit cards
Shopping around and switching credit cards to get lower interest rates, rewards, or longer interest free periods is a great idea.
BUT - when you switch make sure you cancel your old card and cut it up as soon as your new card come through.
There are 2 reasons for this.
- Firstly - if you keep the old credit card you may be tempted to keep using it and rack up 2 credit card bills and increase your credit card debt.
- Secondly - most credit cards has an annual fee. If you just forget about your old credit card and you do not cancel it, you will continue to get $0.00 statements for a while, then you will be hit with a $50.00 or $100.00 annual fee which you will have to pay.
Cancelling your old credit card immediately will mean no more annual fee for a card that you do not use.
Another $100 saved!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
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