Category: Spending

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5 ways to save while back-to-school shopping| America Saves

America Saves on Potencial Millonario with Felix A. Montelara
Source: Americasves.org

5 ways to save while back-to-school shopping

Source Americasaves.org

Families sending children back to school in the fall plan to spend a record $917 per child,according to a new Rubicon survey. So why the high price tag? It turns out over a third of families’ budgets are expected to go to technology.

In addition to spending more, parents are starting their back-to-school shopping earlier. In fact, more than a third have started. The good news is there’s more than enough time to get the shopping done and save some money in the process. Here are five ways to save money while back-to-school shopping:

1. Set up a neighborhood swap meet

Gather your neighbors with kids around the same age and size for a swap meet. Here’s how it works: everyone brings gently used clothing, books, and school supplies, and receives a ticket for each item they bring. Each ticket entitles you to one item from the swap meet. If you contribute six books, you can leave with up to six new-to-you books. If you contribute seven items of clothing, you can leave with up to seven new-to-you items of clothing. All leftover items are donated.

2. Offer your kids a bargain bonus

Teach good savings habits and encourage your children to reuse old school supplies or find good deals at nearby retailers by offering a “bargain bonus,” or set percentage of the money you save. So if they’re able to reuse all their old colored pencils, offer half of what you would pay in the store to buy them new. When school starts, open up a savings account for those funds or add the bargain bonus to the kids’ existing savings account.

3. Wait it out

We know that it’s tempting to get back-to-school shopping checked off your list, but in this case, being the early bird could cost you. According to the National Retail Federation, the best deals on schools supplies are usually available in August closer to school start dates.

And be sure to think through if each purchase needs to be made before the first day of school. Certainly take advantage of bargain basement pricing that’s offered on things like paper and pencils before the school year, but clothing and technology are often less expensive after the back-to-school rush. There will be good deals on clothes during Columbus Day in October, and if you can hold out long enough, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are a good time to buy tablets and laptops.

4. Make a budget and stick to it

The first step to saving more efficiently is to keep track of what you spend and budget. To get started, keep a careful record of all (and we mean all) of your spending for a month. One method is to save all your bills and receipts over the month and stack them into categories like “utilities” and “groceries.” Or download our free budgeting worksheet here. Be sure to create categories for back to school and holiday shopping sprees so that you’re saving up for those budget busters throughout the year.

5. Put your savings to work

Savvy shoppers can save big bucks by taking advantage of back-to-school sales and comparison shopping for the best prices. But don’t just spend less, put the money you save into a savings account to plan for college expenses, retirement, or an emergency fund that can leave you financially better off.

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How to get your financial house in order by age 30 (USA Today- Money)

Author: Anne Godlasky, @annieisi, USA TODAY5:38 p.m. EDT May 16, 2013

New wrinkles. Pressure to procreate. And what have you checked off your bucket list lately?

leticia saberter
leticia saberter

Turning 30 can be stressful, even before thinking about personal financial goals and how to achieve them.

Adults 34 and younger grade themselves worse than any other age group in their personal finance knowledge, with 48% giving themselves a C or lower, according to a survey by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling. Financial planners say that needs to change. Millennials have a lot to do to get their house in order.

“I think every birthday you check your credit score and your weight, and one should be going up, and one should be coming down,” says Jean Chatzky, 48, a personal finance expert whose Money School webinars launched last month. “People around 30 are under more pressures than any prior generation,” she says, citing “tremendous” student loan debt, “stagnant” wages, the burst housing bubble and the burden of retirement and health care costs moving increasingly from employers to individuals.

In fact, the average net worth of those under 40 in 2010 was 7% below that of people in the same age range in 1983, the Urban Institute reported in March.

“Thirty today isn’t what 30 was a few decades ago. It could mean single and 30, or married with children,” says Megan Rindskopf, 26, a certified financial planner with ClearView Wealth Management in Charlotte. “I think the biggest issue for people in this age range is knowing how best to deal with competing priorities. A lot of people are living paycheck to paycheck. This is kind of the age where you feel you need to grow up.”

WHAT FINANCIAL GOALS SHOULD MILLENNIALS SET?

A good benchmark is to have one year’s salary saved in retirement accounts, such as a 401(k), by age 30, says David Weliver, 32, who created the financial advice websiteMoney Under 30 after recovering from his own problems with debt. Weliver calls the goal “income-based, so it’s not comparing a kindergarten teacher and a Wall Street banker.”

Financial experts recommend saving 10% to 15% of every paycheck to retirement and savings accounts.

However, saving newbies shouldn’t start with 10%, some advise.

“It’s like going on a crash diet — if you go too high, it’s too painful and too likely to fail,” Chatzky says. “Once you manage to set aside 2% for three to six months, then notch it up another 2%. … I’ve never seen a budget where I can’t find some wiggle room.”

As you save money, here are steps to take:

1. Meet obligations. Pay your rent and minimum loan amounts on time to avoid charges and fees.

2. Build an emergency fund. If you have nothing, start with $500-$1,500 to avoid overdrafting your checking account, says Weliver, then grow that buffer into a savings worth three to six months’ salary, to support you in case you lose your job.

3. Pay into 401(k) up to company match. If you don’t do this, “you’re missing out on free money,” Rindskopf says. If your company doesn’t match your 401(k) contributions, Weliver still recommends donating 3- to 5%.

4. Pay off credit card debt. “The biggest payoff is going to come from two things — capturing any matching [401(k)] dollars and paying back credit card debt,” because it is high interest, says Chatzky.

5. Increase savings. Once you’ve paid off debt, built an emergency fund and started saving for retirement, “look at shorter term goals and figure out how much you’ll need in two to five years,” such as paying for a wedding, car or down payment on a house, Weliver says. “You don’t want to put everything in retirement if you don’t have enough to pay for the things you’ll need.”

6. Buy life insurance. “I absolutely recommend it if you’re starting a family or if you have a spouse who depends on you to pay the bills,” says Rindskopf. “Do a little research before you jump in and buy a policy.”

7. Increase 401(k) contributions to 10%, even if it’s beyond company match, Weliver says.

8. Pay off student loans on schedule. Student loans are “tax-deductible and the interest rate is generally low,” says Chatzky.

9. Open tax-advantaged accounts. “If you’ve maxed out [other savings], but you still have money to put aside, look at other tax advantaged accounts you can open. If you have a child, look at the 529” to save for their college education, Chatzky says.

10. Invest. If you’ve done all of this, increased your retirement and your savings and still have money to spare, you may consider investing in taxable brokerage accounts.

THE GENERATION OF ADJUSTED EXPECTATIONS

Chatzky, a mother of two teens, 18 and 16, says many young adults will need to “choose a smaller lifestyle than earlier generations.”

“It’s very demoralizing to think that the next generation won’t have a shot at doing as well as their parents did,” she says.

Weliver agrees that his generation has a different standard of living.

“We need to lower our expectations,” he says. “Retirement age may be 70. … That just may be the reality of our generation.”

With 32% of those 18-34 saying they put nothing toward retirement, according to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, even a later retirement date requires getting serious about personal finances as soon as possible.

“When you turn 30, it’s a really good time to make a five-year plan for your finances. Your 20s are notoriously uncertain — you may be moving, in and out of relationships and different jobs — so it’s hard to stick to a five-year plan because things change so quickly,” Weliver says. “By the time you’re 30, things may slow down a bit and there may be a natural progression in terms of savings and salary.”

Follow Anne Godlasky on Twitter @annieisi

How to get your financial house in order by age 30

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Majority of Americans Live Paycheck to Paycheck

PR Newswire: news distribution, targeting and monitoring

SAN ANTONIO, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ — More than two-thirds of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, according to results released today from a survey by the American Payroll Association.

The “Getting Paid In America” annual survey asked respondents how difficult it would be to meet their current financial obligations if their paychecks were delayed for a week. More than 22,500 of the more than 31,000 respondents, 72 percent, said they would find it somewhat or very difficult to meet their financial obligations if their paychecks were delayed.  This is up one percent over the 2009 result of 71 percent.

“This result reinforces the notion that Americans are still struggling in this current economy,” said Dan Maddux, executive director of the American Payroll Association. “Employees should use free payroll-related benefits such as direct deposit, 401(k) plans and Flexible Spending Accounts to ease savings, reduce tax burden and maximize paychecks.”

Thankfully people feel confident that their paycheck will always be accurate.  The survey showed 89 percent of Americans are very or somewhat certain the amount of their paychecks is correct each payday.

Increasingly complex tax laws and benefit structures make paycheck calculation a challenging task.  The high percentage of employees satisfied with their paycheck accuracy is a testament to the payroll professionals who calculate paychecks each pay period.

“Automated technology solutions make managing payroll easier to ensure checks are accurate and get out on time,” said Joyce O’Donnell Maroney, managing director, Workforce Institute, Kronos Incorporated.

The “Getting Paid In America” survey was held in conjunction with APA’s annual public awareness campaign, National Payroll Week (NPW), held annually the week of Labor Day. More than 31,000 employees responded to the survey, providing insight into how workers are paid in America. For complete results, visit www.nationalpayrollweek.com.

Established in 1982, the American Payroll Association is the nation’s leader in payroll education, publications, and training. The nonprofit association conducts more than 300 payroll training conferences and seminars across the country each year and publishes a complete library of resource texts and newsletters. Every year, nearly 20,000 professionals attend APA training sessions. Representing more than 23,000 members, APA is the industry’s highly respected and collective voice in Washington, D.C.  Visit APA online at www.americanpayroll.org

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Golden Rule #4 From The Book Potencial Millionaire- Spend Less Than You Earn

By Felix A. Montelara

Author & Host of:

Potencialmillonario.com

 

Spend less than you earn, Golden Rule #4

From Potencial Millonaro by Felix A. Montelara

I a moment I will tell you the secret to winning in the game of personal finances

The secret is that you have to generate more income than expenses . In other words you have to make more money versus the money you spend. Simple right?

A survey conducted by the American payrolls Association indicates that 72 % of families in the US would find it difficult to pay their monthly debts if their pay checks were stoped fr a short period of time .An example of this is  the recent Federal government closure  I received several calls for consultations people living paycheck to paycheck . These people were desperate because they could not make their monthly payments when their payroll salary stopped during the shutdown.  The folks asked what can I do now?  How can I prevent making late payments that will cost me more later?  I advised them  to communicate with  their lender and reach an agreement since this situation was temporary. I also advised that the ask family such as their parent to loan them money short term with the understanding that they would get reimbursed once the government reopened.

Now let’s talk about the situation where the discontinuation of your check or payroll salary is interrupted for an extended period of time, such disability without pay, a closure of the company, or an unexpected layoff.  Then the alternatives are different. These are the reasons why you have to spend less than you earn. Let’s take for example a family of four generating $5,000 a month. What do you think they would say if asked . How much do you spend each month? Most likely the answer is  going to be $ 5,000. Hey why not ?Now we have another family of four with an income of $6,500 per month. They are generating  $1,500 more than the first family What do you think will be the answer when they ask how much they spend each month? Yeah probably $6,500 . Why not?

No matter what the income of people it is our nature to spend de maximum of our income to maintain a certain lifestyle. In other words, people elevate their lifestyles as much as possible to the point of living beyond its what they earn, and accumulate substantial debts to kept that lifestyle. However it is a lifestyle you can not afford .

Then I wonder…

What happened to the extra $ 1,500 that was earned the second family ? Why can they not make ends meet. It’s simple they don’t have the millionaire mindset. The millionaire mindset is a philosophy that is accompanied very different lifestyle from the one described n this program  Nevertheless, the problem is evident  as the survey says 72% of our families live paycheck to paycheck. So, If you want to win with money the fundamental rule or what I call the secret with getting ahead financially is to spend less than you earn. This is true whether you are earning minimum wage  or you are making millions. This  may be common sense , but certainly not a common habit f most folks.

You have to educate yourself about the philosophy of the Millionaire Mind and apply the concepts like spending less than you earn. I ask do you have the millionaire mindset? and me know your opinion at 334 357 6410 and we will it along on the radio. But above all remember that we all have the potential millionaire within us.

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