Have you seemingly had a lifelong problem with debt? Do you find it impossible to save money? If so, you might have a spending problem. If you can identify these bad habits then you can work to change them and keep control of your spending problem. Here are some signs to look out for.
- Sales. You are enticed to purchase things when they are on sale, even if you don’t need it. Purchasing items when they are on sale is good – but only if it’s something you regularly buy and need.
- No money down. You are fooled by so-called deals that lure you in by saying “no money down”. Then you sign a contract to make monthly payments with interest.
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Social buying is growing by leaps and bounds. The concept is quite simple. Companies who want exposure offer a tremendous deal (usually 50% off or higher) if enough customers sign up for the offer. You see, a company may have a profit margin of $10 per service. They’re willing to have a smaller profit margin of lets say $2 per service, if they can attract hundreds of orders. It’s a win-win for companies who get major exposure and customers who get major discounts.
Since this concept of “social purchasing” was introduced, both GroupOn and Living Social have grown by leaps and bounds. GroupOn grew from two million subscribers to 85 million subscribers since 2009. Living Social grew from 120,000 subscribers to 28 million. According to Local Offer Network, social buying websites are expected to generate $2.7 billion in revenue in 2011. Experts predict the industry may reach $4 billion by 2015. Here’s a closer look at the top two “deal of the day” sites.
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The honey trap is a form of psychological manipulation that is employed by the retail industry to subliminally influence the shopper. Just as a monthly car loan payment can make you think an expensive car is affordable, a honey trap can get you into buying things you don’t really need. This methods are frequently employed at the supermarket.
This manipulation has, in the past, come under close scrutiny by advertising and retail watchdogs, the most common being the placement of enticingly designed goods like sweets, toys and corn flakes within the eye-line and reach of children.
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One of the biggest expenses we have each month is our traveling expense. Unfortunately, however, I’m not talking about flying to the beach for a summer vacation or going on a road trip with the family. With endless complaints about soaring gas prices and long commutes, most people still fail to budget for the amount of money we spend on gas each month.
Thankfully with modern technology on our side, we now have even more ways to save on fuel prices, drive less, and become more efficient. These four mobile phone applications can save you a significant chunk of change at the pump and driving.
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It may appear you have no trouble meeting your financial obligations – usually. But if you struggle from time to time to pay your creditors, your mortgage, or don’t seem to have enough cash to tackle that emergency home repair project, you must not be managing your money realistically.
Money management is an active and progressive process that all consumers need to stay involved with for the rest of their lives. Without proper understanding of exactly where your income and earnings is going each day, you will likely suffer big losses in your future during retirement when money will certainly matter the most.
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There are expenses we all have that we try to reduce. There are typically two types of expenses, the ones you can change and the ones you can’t change. The ones you can change are the “wants” and the ones you can’t change are the “needs”. Therefore we try to spend less on clothing, vacations, restaurant meals, etc., while typically spending the same amount on utilities, food and fuel.
But I would say that there are not two types of expenses. All expenses can be changed. You can negotiate or bundle your monthly utilities for a lower rate. You can purchase food in bulk or use coupons. You can also save money on your gas expenses.
Below are some tips on how you can fight the effects of high gas prices and leave some more money in your wallet.
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We typically like to save money on buying a house, a car or some electronics purchase. But you can make a real difference in your monthly budget by saving money on your food expenses. Here are several tips to keep your grocery store costs down.
Keep A List
Don’t go to the grocery store without a shopping list. If you’re at the store and want to add some more items to your cart, don’t. It wasn’t important enough to be added to your list, so you don’t need it. So keep a list and stick to it.
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I don’t drink coffee, I stick to water for the most part, but I know coffee is a party of many of our mornings. Starbucks is known for extremely high prices for coffee you can make on your own for half the price. But today, on Earth Day, April 22nd, 2011, you can get free coffee at Starbucks. Just bring a reusable mug or tumbler and get a free brewed coffee or tea, hot or iced. If you don’t have your own tumbler you can request a “for here” one and you’ll still get your free coffee.
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Part of the Ethernity
