How to Save Money on Big Expenses

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bigstock-Chinese-family-saving-money-fo-85083275We’ve finished the first quarter of the year and for many of us, our new years resolutions are now just a distant memory. According to data from StatisticBrain.com, 29 percent of resolutions don’t make it past the first 2 weeks. In order to help those still hanging in there with one of the most common resolutions — spending less, and saving more — we take a look at some of the things burning the biggest holes in American pockets and how to deal with them.

Save on Airfare.

A recent study by ValuePenguin.com found that Americans collectively stand to save $200 million their airfare expenditures by utilizing reward credit cards. By examining data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the research found that approximately 10 percent of all U.S. households reported airfare spending throughout the year, and a whopping 90 percent had gasoline expenses. While the price of oil has dropped in recent years, airfare prices are still burdened by heavy taxes and fees — making them as expensive as ever.

One of the easiest ways to save on airfare is to take advantage of loyalty miles/points and reward credit cards. You don’t have to be a travel hacker to qualify for savings on airfare and hotel stays. Most credit cards can get you 1 percent back on your expenditures, in the very minimum. In the long-haul this can add up to significant savings.

All you have to do is remember to actually use the reward points you earn. A few years ago, a joint study between Colloquy and Swift Exchange showed that $16 billion worth of loyalty program rewards go unredeemed each year. With how much banks have been upping bonuses and rewards since that study was published, that number is sure to be much higher now.

Save on Housing.

Housing expenses make up the largest portion of the average household budget— a little over $10,000 is spent annually. Finding ways to reduce these costs can be tricky, and advice will usually vary depending on weather you own or rent your dwelling.

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The biggest way you can save, in both cases, is by taking on a roommate. While inconvenient, it is the fastest way to reduce your total costs down by as much as 50 percent. If you have a spare bedroom that isn’t being used, taking on a house guest should be an option to consider.

Estimates state that nearly two-thirds of Americans have a mortgage — which can be bad news given the fact that the Fed has recently upped interest rates. In order to prepare themselves for increasing housing costs, homeowners should take a moment to familiarize themselves with their loan. If you have a variable interest rate, it may be a good time to lock into a fixed rate. However, you need to offset that with the new closing costs. Consider contacting a financial planner or consultant to determine the best cost-saving option for you.

Save on Entertainment and More Along the Way.

While the average U.S. household spends just 5.4 percent of their annual budget on entertainment, it’s a category worth mentioning due to the sheer reach it can have. If you plan accordingly, and pick up the right hobby, you can save yourself a lot of money on being entertained, while at the same time save a ton of money.

One of the best hobbies you can pick up for your wallet is cooking. Eating out, especially if you live in a big city, can be a massive drain on your wallet. While you eat that plate of fancy Italian pasta, it’s taking bigger bites out of your finances. While you may not end up as the next-iron chef, challenging yourself with new recipes can be a good way to get through a boring day.

Exercise can be another way to entertain yourself, fulfill another resolution, and it doesn’t require a gym membership. You’re one quick Google search away from finding thousands of free exercises you can do from home, with no equipment requirements. Plus, if you combine this with the above cooking suggestion — your new healthier lifestyle can help partially reduce down another major expense, healthcare.

*Original article source courtesy of Robert Harrow of the Huffington Post.

13 Money Tips for Married Couples

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Fotolia_48240524_Subscription_XXL-2-Copy-1024x683Marriage brings both happy times and not so happy times – with most troubles stemming from financial issues, there are ways to get through them. For the 70 percent of people who will be married at some point in their lives, financial advisors say there many ways to benefit from the power of two. Here is a list of their best financial advice for married couples.

1. Talk openly about money even before you marry. “As soon you are married, or even before you get married, you should start talking about your goals and financial assets,” says Derek Gabrielsen, a wealth advisor with Strategic Wealth Partners in Seven Hills, Ohio.

2. Define shared goals. “You talk about building a life together – buying a home, having children, their college education and how you will protect each other’s health care and retirement,” says Diane Pearson, personal chief financial officer of Legend Financial Advisors Inc. “Financial planning might not be romantic, but there is some peace of mind in sharing the same goals.”

3. Stay in harmony with your shared financial plan. “A financial plan is just the starting point. Life happens and you need to make adjustments,” Gabrielsen says. A financial plan can serve as a reminder of what your big goals are and how to reach them. Financial planners can also act as intermediaries on tough financial questions.

4. Share costs. From home purchases to food shopping, there are efficiencies. By combining savings, couples can qualify for lower fees on bank transactions and retirement accounts. Account management fees typically fall below 1 percent a year for people with combined accounts of $250,000 to $500,000, and can be up to 2 percent for smaller accounts. Checking and personal loan fees can also be combined for significant savings.

5. Communicate about what you need. Women need to be more confident so they can engage in discussions about investing for retirement which recently issued a study on affluent women that shows low levels of participation. While 90 percent of the women surveyed said financial expertise matters, only 40 percent are confident that they have any, and fewer than half wanted to build their knowledge. Couples need to plan together, and women are too inclined to stay on the sidelines.

6. Pool long-term assets for maximum growth and safety. When you pool resources, you have more for down payments, better access to credit and you can invest more in growth opportunities, Pearson says. For homeowners, joint ownership can also add a layer of protection from creditors.

7. Share goals and diversify assets. “The more you have invested together, the more creative you can be in your asset mix,” Gabrielsen says. “It means you can diversify more widely to protect against risk if you combine assets. To get the most out of it, you need to coordinate both spouses’ holdings into one nest egg.” With a larger pool of money, “you have the leeway to add a few growth stocks with upside that you might not put in a smaller account,” he says.

8. Take advantage of tax benefits. “You might pay a bit more in income tax going from single to married, but there is a savings in taxes overall,” says Popovich, an expert on financial issues in same-sex marriages. In the case of the estate tax, couples can transfer $5 million to each other tax-free. “The ability to transfer assets to each other is really important,” he says.

9. Respect each other’s money skills. “Couples rarely have the same financial expertise, and it’s not always men who have more,” Pearson says. “The spouse with skills can lead. One might focus on day-to-day bill paying and cash flow, the other on investing. But both need to be involved with decisions or it can lead to bitterness.”

10. Support each other through ups and downs. “Spouses can really do a lot to take the pressure off each other,” Gabrielsen says. Women have moved near equality to men in terms of income and in a recent survey, they out-earned their male spouses.

11. Don’t give up on communication, even in a separation. An acrimonious divorce can be costly for both partners. Some people think they can hide income or property. “You really have to go to a lot of trouble to hide assets,” Gabrielsen says. Open communication about financial assets and costs can make the other parts of a split-up easier for all involved.

12. Use flexibility in Social Security and employer benefits. Social Security pays spousal benefits even for those who don’t work. Health care insurance and other benefits are useful, even when both spouses have their own. “Couples don’t always have the same time table for retirement,” Gabrielsen says. “They enjoy more flexibility when it comes to staggering their retirements, and I know a lot of boomers doing that.”

13. Perform regular financial checkups. “I find it very rare for couples who just want to go off and each do their own thing financially,” Pearson says. “Most people want to find a financial path and want stay on it. But it requires communication between spouses, creating a financial plan and updating it when things change.” Although it sounds basic, the Wells Fargo survey of affluent women found that less than half of them have a financial plan.

8 Energy & Money Saving Tips for Spring

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bigstock-Business-people-meditating-out-65025178The weather is warming. Wildflowers are blooming. Trees are sprouting new leaves, and people are swapping coats and scarves for shorts and colorful dresses.

There’s no doubt about it – spring is in the air. And with a new season comes a new opportunity to re-evaluate your home-energy usage and prepare for warmer months. To help kick off your eco-friendly home makeover, here are eight tips to curb your energy use and ultimately save you money this spring.

1. Give your AC a tuneup. When the temperature starts rising, air conditioners start working overtime. Give your AC a tuneup early to ensure it runs efficiently, economically and safely throughout the season. When servicing your AC, you should replace your filters, check your refrigerant levels, and clean your evaporator coils. You may want to schedule an inspection and maintenance visit from a certified HVAC technician, who can make sure your system is up to speed and catch problems before they become major expenses. Routine maintenance can reduce your AC’s energy consumption by 15 percent.

2. Check your water heater. We may not need to heat our house during the spring, but most of us will continue to use hot water to shower and wash dishes. To avoid costly repairs in the future, drain a quarter of your water heater tank to remove sediment and debris at least once a year. Adjust the thermostat to 120 degrees, and you can avoid scalding temperatures while cutting down energy costs.

3. Clean out your fridge. It’s one of the biggest energy hogs in your whole home, with the average fridge using nearly 14 percent of a household’s energy. By properly cleaning out your fridge, you can reduce its energy consumption and cut down your electricity bill. Start by rolling your refrigerator away from the wall and using a duster or vacuum hose to clear the dirt and dust from the coils. Remove unneeded and old food from your fridge to allow air to circulate and increase efficiency. You shouldn’t leave your fridge completely empty, however; by keeping it about two-thirds full, you can prevent air from leaking out when you open the door. If your fridge is located near the oven or is in direct sunlight, you may want to move it to a cooler location to make it easier for the appliance to maintain a cold temperature.

4. Seal cracks. In warm weather, cool air can escape through the cracks and openings in your home as hot air leaks in. If you uncover sources of air leakage, you can seal the openings with a clear or paintable caulk. By sealing the air leaks in your home, you can cut energy costs by almost 30 percent while creating a healthier home environment and boosting the durability of the structure.

5. Be smart with your thermostat. Most experts agree that 78 degrees is the ideal temperature to save on energy costs while maintaining comfort during warm weather. For every degree you set your thermostat above 78 degrees during warmer weather, you could save an estimated 6 to 8 percent off your energy bill. When you leave your house, it’s an energy-smart move to raise your settings so that cooling will only occur if the temperature exceeds 88 degrees.

6. Embrace natural ventilation. In the springtime, you can often create a cross breeze that flows through the house for a natural cooling effect. Open your windows in the evening to flood the space with cooler air, and then close them in the morning before the day warms up to capture the cool. You might also consider installing insulated, thermal-back window coverings to keep heat from coming in through your windows.

7. Stay out of the kitchen. When you cook with a stovetop or oven, you can end up heating up your kitchen and adjacent rooms by several degrees. Save your AC from having to work overtime by cooking with a microwave or grilling outdoors whenever possible.

8. Invest in Energy Star appliances. If you are planning to purchase new appliances this spring, be sure they are Energy Star qualified. Energy Star refrigerators, dishwashers, and heating and cooling systems run more efficiently than older models and can reduce your home energy use by up to 50 percent. Not only do these appliances help you save on your bill, they can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption. When you choose Energy Star appliances, you’re not only saving money, you’re helping to protect the environment.

*Original article source courtesy of Maria Lalonde of US News.

Money Saving Tips for the Week

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bigstock-Money-8204584We often associate certain days of the week with particular activities. For example, Monday is generally considered the start of the work week. Perhaps Wednesday is the night your favorite show airs on TV, while Friday — well, thank goodness it’s Friday.

When it comes to our personal finances, we should consider following the same trend of associating days with various activities. Each day of the week offers an opportunity to save money or improve our finances. They key is to be aware of how to save money by knowing what steps to take on which day.

Here are some tips to save money each day of the week.

Monday: Set the Tone for the Week.

On Monday, you can set the tone for the week, helping to determine if you stick to your spending plan for the remaining days, said Tom Corley, author of the bestselling book, “Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals.” For example, if you promised yourself that you would drink coffee from home and pack lunches to save money, you need to make it a habit starting on the first day of the week.

“The way to turn this into a habit is to make your five brown bag lunches the night before,” Corley said. “Those brown bags will then act as a trigger, reminding you to make your own coffee.”

You could even take it a step further and make Monday a no-spending day to start your week off on the right financial foot. Mark the day on your calendar and set up an alert, so you’ll get an email or message on your smartphone every Monday reminding you not to spend any money that day.

Tuesday: Get a Deal on a Flight.

If you need to book a flight, it’s wise to do so on a Tuesday, when U.S. airlines typically release flight sales, said Jeff Klee, founder and CEO of CheapAir.com. Browse fares early to mid-Tuesday to find the best deals.

“The caveat is that there are limited seats available at the sale price, so you have to be super quick to book when a sale is launched,” he said, adding that Tuesdays and Wednesdays are also the cheapest days to fly. Because fewer people travel mid-week, it’s smart to arrange your plans so you leave and return early in the week as opposed to on weekends.

Tuesday is also a good day to get deals on dining and entertainment because establishments tend to do less business then. As a result, many restaurants — including T.G.I Friday’s, Chick-fil-A and Denny’s — host kids-eat-free days on Tuesdays, said Howard Schaffer, vice president of deal site Offers.com.

Additionally, many movie theaters offer discounted tickets and concessions on Tuesdays, said CouponSherpa.com shopping expert Kendal Perez. For example, Perez said she pays $5.50 per ticket on discount days versus the regular matinee price of $7.50 or evening price of $9.25. To get discounts on concessions, consider joining your favorite theater’s rewards club.

Wednesday: Save Money on Groceries.

Saturday is the busiest grocery shopping day of the week, according to an article from The Street. However, it’s not the best day to go to the market if you want to save money.

“To save money on groceries, shop on a Wednesday,” said Kyle Taylor, founder of personal finance blog ThePennyHoarder.com. “That’s when most stores release their weekly discounts, but they’re also likely to honor the previous week’s coupons [on this day].”

Check your supermarket’s local sales ad, which you can generally find online or at the store’s entrance. In many cases, you can locate “buy one, get one free” deals or discounts of up to 50 percent, said Taylor. To maximize savings, craft your menu and shopping list for the coming week based on what’s on sale.

Friday: Build Your Savings.

If you typically get paid on Friday, then it’s a good day to boost your savings. Rather than give in to the temptation to indulge yourself by spending your entire paycheck, Corley recommends having a percentage of your pay automatically deposited into a separate savings account — ideally one without a debit card linked to it. Doing this forces you to live below your means because you won’t have easy access to those additional funds.

“It is hard at first to pay yourself first this way, but over time it gets easier,” Corley said.

In his new book, “Change Your Habits, Change Your Life,” the author writes that individuals should set a goal of saving up to 20 percent of their income. For best results, allocate your savings among four buckets — with half going to a retirement savings account, 20 percent for major future expenses, 15 percent for unexpected expenses and 15 percent for cyclical expenses, such as holidays and birthdays.

Saturday: Get Deals on Apparel.

Wait until the weekend to buy clothing, as that’s when you can typically get the deepest discounts. Retailers such as Kohl’s and Macy’s often have sales on Saturdays that feature better markdowns than customers would find during the week, said FatWallet.com‘s online shopping expert Brent Shelton.

Additionally, consumers can score extra discounts by using their mobile devices, he said. Download retailers’ apps to get exclusive deals and take advantage of all the best ways to save money.

Finally, weekend shoppers can take advantage of coupon codes, which are released from apparel merchants in the highest volume on Fridays, said Slickdeals.net shopping pro Regina Conway. “In some cases, you can apply the code on top of weekend sale pricing to save even more,” she said.

Sunday: Review Your Spending.

“Although Sunday is usually a day to relax, it’s also the perfect time to make sure you’re on track with your weekly and monthly spending plan,” said Holly Johnson, a credit expert and creator of ClubThrifty.com.

Johnson and her husband sit down every Sunday to review their budget and see how much they’ve spent in each category — such as food, gas and entertainment — and how much they have left for the remainder of the month. “This helps us ‘reset’ our spending and make sure we’re on track with our monthly spending goals,” she said.

On Sunday, the Johnsons also pay off their credit cards, which they use for all of their regular purchases to create a paper trail and maximize credit card rewards. Even if you don’t pay off your credit card balance each week, it’s a good idea to check your account regularly to ensure there aren’t any unnecessary fees or unrecognizable charges that could be the result of fraud.

Reconcile your spending on Sunday to start the week off on the right financing footing come Monday!

*Original article source by Cameron Huddleston of GoBankingRates.com.

4 Ways You Can Trick Yourself Into Becoming a Better Saver

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bigstock-Closeup-of-hundred-dollar-bill-26175143For many people, the biggest hurdle to saving is creating the habit. While many financial advisers often recommend that clients take the work out of the process by having savings automatically deducted from each paycheck, plenty of people still struggle to get started. “We’re not seeing progress on the savings front,” said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst for Bankrate.com, which found in a survey that 22 percent of consumers have more debt than emergency savings. “And it’s desperately needed.” Without savings, he adds, some consumers may pile on more debt when emergencies happen.

Some people need a bigger incentive, say the pressure of knowing someone else is counting on you or the chance to win money, to finally kick-start the habit. During America Saves Week, a campaign organized by nonprofit, government and private groups to encourage financial literacy, rounded up some creative ways to boost your savings. Here’s what they came up with…

1. Get your friends involved. If you struggle to have the self-discipline to save on your own, it might help to have some friends hold you accountable. Through so-called lending clubs, a group of people get together to pool their savings, giving the cash post to a different person each week. For example, say 10 people contribute $100 each for a total of $1,000. Over the course of 10 weeks, the cash pot goes to a different person each week until everyone has had a turn. For those early in the cycle, it can be like receiving a short-term loan, said Jonathan Morduch, economics professor at New York University’s Wagner school. For those who receive the cash toward the end of the cycle, it can feel like a forced savings program, he added.

In some cases, the pressure of knowing that other people are counting on you can be more effective than setting aside $100 a week into a savings account, said Morduch, who studied the approach as lead researcher for the U.S. Financial Diaries, a project that followed the weekly cash flow of 235 families for a year. “It’s different from the way we usually think about savings, as slow and steady,” he said. “This is something that works for a lot of folks.”

2. Make it a competition. Savings contests, such as the 52-week savings challenge, can make saving seem more approachable by breaking a larger goal down into small weekly sums. While it’s usually a system that’s talked about at the start of the year, the approach can work for any year-long period. Basically, consumers start small, saving $1 the first week, $2 the second week, and so on all the way to $52 for the last week. At the end of the challenge, the account should have $1,378. Starting the challenge with friends who remind one another to make contributions each week can help some people find the motivation to keep saving, even as the amounts grow.

3. Save your change. You can do this the old-fashioned way, where you throw the singles and coins left in your bag at the end of the day into a jar, McBride said. At the end of the week or month, you can take the cash and deposit it in a savings account, he said. But if you’re like the many people more prone to using plastic than cash these days, you might want to check whether your bank offers a way for you to do this digitally.

4. Have an app do it for you. New smartphone apps are making it easier for people to save by automating the process. One app, Acorns, makes it possible for people to set aside their spare change from everyday purchases. But instead of going into a low-interest savings account, the money is stored in a portfolio that invests in exchange-traded funds. Savers need to pay $1 a month in management fees for accounts smaller than $5,000 and a fee that adds up to 0.25 percent of assets for accounts $5,000 or larger. Another app, Digit, studies users’ cash flow and makes automatic transfers to a savings account two or three times a week. The program, which doesn’t charge fees, analyzes when a person is paid, what bills he has to pay and how he generally spends. Then it moves cash that could be extra, typically ranging from $5 to $50, into a separate account. “You don’t actually feel the money missing,” said Ethan Bloch, chief executive of Digit.

*Original article source courtesy of Jonnelle Marte of The Chicago Tribune.

Down to Business: Grow Your Seasonal Business

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family-freezed-ice-cream-bicycle-icicle-tricycles-ice-cream-cart-006-e1446849683144-632x597Let’s talk about seasonal businesses for a moment. If you take a drive south on Route 35 from Point Pleasant Beach through Seaside Heights, you’ll see in high definition the impact of a season.  In a matter of one month, the Jersey Shore will turn from an eerie ghost town into a bustling, crowded resort.  Blinking lights turn to stoplights, and you actually have to pay the parking meter – that is, if you can find a spot.  Lifeguards are on duty, you have to pay to walk on the beach, you can only surf in a roped-off, one block area and fishing is restricted to off hours – ay yi yi!

Seasons can be almost anything: there is football season, car buying season, rainy season, hockey season, dry season, holiday season, boating season, fluke season, hunting season, tax season, hurricane season, Lent is a season…we could go on and on and on.  What further complicates this idea is geography.  Different seasons begin and end on different dates all over the world.  How do you keep track, let alone run a business within a season?

The most successful entrepreneurs are able to support two alternating seasons, but can you?  For example, a man runs a successful parasailing business on the Jersey Shore from May-August, but Puerto Rico’s tourism season runs from October-March, so the parasailing operator sets up shop down in the Caribbean – while old man winter has the northeast in a deep freeze.  Similarly, the landscaper from March-October equips his trucks with snow removal gear for November-February, it’s a win-win.  The key is finding balance to turn the off season into a busy season.

These ideal, perfectly balanced business models are very difficult to find, especially for a new entrepreneur.  If you are a new business starting out, or even an existing seasonal business searching for balance, First Financial is here to help!  Our Business Accounts do not have a minimum balance or monthly fees, so when you are carrying thinner balances during the slower months, you won’t have to pay for it.  You can spend less time worrying about bank fees and more time searching for that winter gig to compliment your seasonal summer business! Let us help you expand and get your off-season business plan in tact – contact us by emailing business@firstffcu.com today.