Beating Broke

Personal Finance from the Broke Perspective

6 Tips for Saving Money as a Homeowner

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If you’re falling behind on maintaining your home, chances are you’re setting yourself up to lose money in the long run. Fortunately, you can find easier ways to stay on top of maintenance and repairs. Doing so ensures you protect your most significant investment without going broke in the process.

Consider these useful tips for saving money as a homeowner:

Be More Energy Efficient

Purchasing energy-efficient appliances is a smart way to save money in the long run and contribute to environmental wellness. You can reduce your emissions and lower your energy bills. You can also make your life easier because using energy-efficient appliances often requires less maintenance and replacement. Look for the ENERGY STAR label to find refrigerators, washers, dryers, light bulbs, and more. You could also have a water softener system installed since doing so extends the life of other appliances. Other ideas to be more energy efficient include utilizing solar power, installing low-flow showerheads, starting a compost pile, limiting space heater use, and unplugging unused chargers. Additionally, use cold water in your washer, and dry your clothes outdoors.

Make All-Natural Cleaners

Making your own simple, all-natural cleaners is safer for your family and pets and the planet. Homemade cleaners aren’t tested on animals, so you can feel better knowing you’re protecting your circulatory system. Furthermore, you can save money by using inexpensive ingredients such as vinegar, baking soda, essential oils, hydrogen peroxide, liquid Castile soap, etc. You can easily create an all-purpose cleaner with no negative impact on the environment. Do the research beforehand to make sure you’re mixing ingredients safely.

Improve Your Laundry Habits

You can save money and reduce energy usage in the laundry room by washing with cold or warm water instead of hot. Further, by opting to dry your clothes outdoors, you can avoid using the dryer. No matter what size load you put in the washer, you’ll still be using about the same amount of energy, so you might as well fill it up to save energy. In addition to this, try using dryer balls, turning on your dryer’s cool-down cycle if you can, and lowering your dryer’s heat settings.

Insulation is Key

Insulating your home can help you save money on heating bills and keep your house cooler in warmer months. You can apply weather stripping or caulk to doors and windows, seal HVAC ducts, insulate the pipes and water heater and fill larger gaps with expanding foam filler. Doing these projects on your own can be easy. You can search for simple online tutorials if necessary.

Start an Emergency Fund

When emergencies arise unexpectedly, and you lack the funds you need to pay for these, you’ll likely wish you saved money sooner. You can start an emergency fund right now to avoid worries and regrets. Doing so gives you extra security for household repairs or any other issues that can and will happen.

Be Prepared for the Future

You can get smarter by being prepared. For example, you can be prepared by preventing future problems from growing. As issues develop, you’ll need more cash. You can prevent problems from getting worse by regularly examining your home. When you notice something minor, be sure to fix the problem right away.

By planning, you can avoid future problems that could negatively affect you and your family. With this in mind, always remember the benefits of saving money for emergencies. Besides this, doing the right thing by being more energy-efficient helps conserve the environment and make you feel like a better person.

How To Do More With Less

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For many people, managing money and running a business is stressful. Does it feel like that to you?

Once we are living on our own we might dream of having a life without limits or bounds. But it doesn’t really work like that. In actual fact, we have to manage more aspects of our life—and make it work. Not just a little bit. But fully, all the way, all year long.

If you’ve been dreaming of starting your own business, it’s a smart idea. Basically, by working for yourself, you can have the most freedom to express your unique ideas. You won’t be tied down by a boss, a corporate structure, or a bunch of stuffy policy rules.

You’ll have freedom to work like you want, when you want, on what you want.

At least, that’s the marketing pitch.

The reality can be a little, or a lot different.

Whether you’re starting out as an entrepreneur, or have been at it for some time, here is the nitty-gritty truth.

You’ll Work More

It’s usually not the 4-hour workweek, as popular author, Tim Ferris suggests. It’s usually more like 60 or 80 hours a week.

It isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always fun. You might like to be playing with your mates. You might want to be heading to the beach for a sunny day.

But, more often than not, you’ll have projects to do, people to contact, and dreams to realize. When you recognize this fact, you can find a certain sense of calmness. You have a sense of purpose and meaning.

You’ll Be Alone

Your friends and family won’t know the ins-and-outs of your business. They won’t truly know what you’re struggling with—or what is driving you. In essence, you will be alone.

Sure, your close friends and good mates will come by to see your progress, share a cup of tea, and get a sense of what you’re up to. But, will they get it? If you’re fortunate, one or two will understand.

You’ll Need Support

No one can really build a business on their own. Not entirely. You’ll want to get help, reassurance, and encouragement. You’ll want to get support from people who have the experience and skills that you don’t have yet.

This is why it’s so helpful to talk with a counselor or coach. Check out the services in your community, city, and state. Perhaps there is a business mentorship program or council in your area.

SCORE is a volunteer organization made up of executives who have been-there-and-done that. They have the miles of experience to share with you. When you talk with a SCORE mentor, you’ll feel a sense of relief. Finally, someone understands what you’re talking about and why you’re so excited.

You’ll Do Nitty-Gritty Calculations

Once you realize the fact that being in business is a combination of art and science, you’ll dive into the numbers. You’ll look at what you’re spending in fixed costs like rent, electricity, water, and Internet.

You’ll look at what you’re spending on variable costs such as shipping, marketing, and advertising. According to recent statistics, 9 out of 10 shippers overspend. This is contributing to your fixed costs, overhead, and business expenses. You could save as much as 30% with parcel contract negotiation.

You’ll Keep On Learning

No one said that going into business would be easy. No one promised you that you wouldn’t need to learn a thing. If someone did give you those promises, I hate to break it to you. They lied. At the very least, they embellished.

Every successful entrepreneur is a passionate learner. It just goes with the territory. When you want to achieve your dreams, you get really good at recognizing your weaknesses.

Sounds funny, right? Not really. When you identify your weaknesses, you can do something about them. You can learn new skills. You can take some online training classes. You can work with a coach or mentor.

Sum Up

By harnessing your sense of purpose, you’ll have a compass for staying on course. You will be more comfortable getting help from experienced professionals, investigating finances, and staying on a swift path of learning. With these skills, you’re on a path for success and doing more—with less.

5 Tips for Saving Money on the College Admissions Process

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Are you concerned about college admission fees? Whether you are considering two, three, or ten colleges, you need to be prepared for the fees. You do not have to worry as much when you have a plan for success. Fortunately, there are a few options out there that can help you take the load off your back. Consider these five tips to make the college admissions process cheaper.

Plan Ahead

While it may be tempting to wait until the last minute to apply, this can lead to higher expenses and a more significant margin of error. Plan ahead to start the college admissions process early, and set aside some of your earnings to do it. Some colleges offer a free enrollment period for admissions each year if you sign up at the right time. If you start researching your options early, you are more likely to find a school within your budget that still meets your needs and preferences.

Pick a Path To Higher Education

There are tons of colleges and vocational schools out there to choose from, whether you want to go online or offline. Students who are unsure of where to go may spend lots of money and time sliding in applications everywhere they can think of. Suppose you narrow your selections down to the schools that are most compatible with your educational dreams. In that case, you do not have to worry about applying to so many different colleges.

Include Everything You Need

There is nothing like sending in your college application only to realize that it is incomplete. Be sure to double-check your application to ensure that all of your information, essays, and other work is attached. For example, if applying for admission to architecture school, you’ll need a well-composed architecture portfolio in your college application. If you don’t, you may find yourself paying additional fees again to resubmit it. Be sure to double-check each application that you submit to reduce your expenses.

Seek Out Academic Assistance

If you want to save money on college admissions, you can get professional assistance from your current school counselor. There are maybe hidden opportunities available for students focused on education who are not afraid to ask. Many colleges offer financial aid explicitly tailored to the individual student, including the price of admissions. Be sure to ask your guidance counselor or educational advisor what resources are available and how they may help you pay for college admissions.

Consider Public and Government Funding Sources

When it comes to paying for college costs, there are many options open to you. If you qualify in the low-income threshold, you can even get your fees paid for free. There are scholarships available for everything from community service to athletics to ethnicity, and there are grants available to help you pay for admissions. There are grants available in private and public sectors offered by businesses and organizations and grants from the government. Get started and aim to sign up early when savings are provided because resources are used quickly.

Choosing a college is one of the most important decisions you can make, and you do not want an inability to pay to block you from moving forward with your education. The college admissions process can be frustrating, but it does not have to be as expensive as you think. Students who are proactive and take advantage of the resources available can come out ahead with more money in their pocket.