- Finance - Auto
- The Benefits of Auto Insurance
- Payday Lending Cash Advance Terms and Process References
- How to Avoid Costly Auto Repairs
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- What is a Bank Term Loan
- Payday Loans: Quick Cash or Quicksand?
- Business Cash Advance
- Finance - Personal
- Diss the Disrespect of Bill Collectors with Payday Loans
- If Your Bills are Due Tomorrow, Here are Three Reasons to Get a Payday Loan Today
- Paying Bills Impossible This Month? Fix That With Cash Advance Loans
- Financial Calculators
- 3 Ways to Use a Mortgage Calculator
- What is a Mortgage Calculator?
- Money 101 A Guide to Gaining Control
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- Have You Thout About Renters Insurance?
- Do You Need Life Insurance?
- Take an Example From this Woman Without Health Insurance
- News and Press Releases
- Streamlined site features more tools for car buyers, including instant loan approval
- Payday Loans - Helpful Hints for the Consumer
- Bill to Manage Payday Lenders in Texas Senate
- Pawnbroker - Pawnshop
- Pawnbroker History and How it works
- Speedy Cash Advance and Pawn
- Payday Loans, Pawnbrokers Need More Than Regulation, OFT Says
- Personal Credit
- What You Need for an Advance Till Payday
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- Types of Personal Insurance
- 4 Questions to Ask Before Buying Life Insurance
- Do You Need Disability Insurance?
- Reference Library Finance and Loans
- Payday Lending Cash Advance Terms and Process References
- Payday Loan definition
- Third Party Research on Payday Advance Industry
Money Saving Ideas
Published: 07/08/2010
Distinguish between Wants and Needs: You will save a ton of money if you don't mistake wants for needs. Needs are pretty simple to identify--those items that are necessary to sustain: Shelter, food, clothing, transportation. Wants are those things that enhance or possibly improve our family life. A car is a need. Unless necessary for your business, a $40,000 Sport Utility Vehicle is a want, even if a lot of people don't see it that way. Have you ever heard (or said) "I absolutely need...?" when the actual meaning was "I really want?" This is not to suggest that you shouldn't be able to have the things you want--only that to delude yourself into believing that a want is a need--and busting your budget in the process--is a recipe for financial disaster.
Is less better? Perhaps it was due to the booming economy, perhaps "keeping up with the Joneses", maybe its ego, but for many of us, we often seem to insist on the biggest and the best, no matter what the cost. When a $15,000 new car may be more than acceptable, we stretch the seams of our budget to afford a $25,000 vehicle. We buy $25 shirts with $35 designer labels attached. We opt for the $100 dinner at the trendy restaurant when a $20 meal would have been just as delicious. Think about where you are spending the family money--and how--to see if there couldn't be savings found with minor changes in habits.
Try before you Buy: This goes a long way in helping to avoid the silly purchases of things you rarely or never use. Before you buy something, especially items with big price tags, borrow one, rent one or try one out before you plunk down the cash. If you are bored with it, or determine that it truly is not something you need before you buy it (and you will be on a certain percentage of items) you will definitely be bored with it, or find it not that necessary, after! Example: You feel that you absolutely must have a new Jet-Ski, at a cost of $4500 (and that is before financing and taxes). You go to the lake, rent one, and 45 minutes into a one hour rental you are saying, "geez, this is a long hour." Saved: More than $4500 (perhaps a year of college fees for the kid!)