How to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half. Food is expensive.
The average family spends just over 10% of their household income buying groceries–over $6,000 a year–and even while average wages have gone down, the price of food keeps going up. When you are just trying to feed your family, that is a pretty scary prospect. That said, as more and more people are beginning to realize, coupons can be a great way to save money on food. If you’ve ever watched TLC’s Extreme Couponing, you probably already know that sometimes those savings can be quite dramatic. The problem is that those dramatic savings often come from seasoned coupon users who have spent countless hours clipping & sorting coupons and searching for the very best deals. Quite frankly, who has time for that? A few weeks ago I was asked by the nice people at WINK News to share some tips for saving on groceries for an in-depth segment that would air November 1st & 2nd.
Like anything in life, you have to find the right balance. 1. 2. Let me make it more clear with an example. News and Advice for a Lifetime of Financial Decisions. The Krazy Coupon Lady « Extreme Couponing. Ways-to-make-money-small. Ace Budget: Your Personal Financial Control Tool. 6 Money Mistakes Everyone Makes. Photo: Thinkstock By Jack Otter Money Mistake #1: You Used Your Debit Card to Pay for Gas, an Appliance, a Rental Car, Reserve a Hotel Room or Online Buy a coffee at Starbucks with a debit card and $2.01 will be deducted from your checking account--end of story. But fill up your car for $30 and the gas station might put an $80 "hold" on your checking account for a couple of days until the station reconciles its accounts and transmits your purchase to the bank.
While that money is locked up, you can get hit with overdraft charges for subsequent purchases--even if you have enough money in your account. The worst move is to check in to a hotel with a debit card but pay the bill with a different card. Use a credit card--which also comes with protections such as extended warranties, travel insurance and the ability to withhold payment if you don't get what you paid for.
Money Mistake #2: After a Financial Crash, You Transferred Your Savings to "Safe" Investments {*style:<i> Mint - Personal Finance, Budgeting, Money Management, Financial Management, Money Manager, Budget Planner, Free Budget Software, Online Banking. 5 Tax Tips for Graphic Designers. While Shakespeare’s Caesar should have heeded the soothsayer’s warning regarding the Ides of March, the rest of us have a different “ides” to contend with: the Ides of April.
Yes, the taxman cometh; and if you’re a freelance graphic designer you should take care to heed the following tax tips, lest you befall a fate nearly as bad as Caesar’s: overpaying on your taxes. The following five tax tips for graphic designers will help you keep as much of your hard-earned money as legally possible, and keep Uncle Sam’s evil twin Uncle IRS at bay. 1.
Invest in accounting Many freelance graphic designers find accounting to be a bore – and it is, until it’s time to do your taxes. 2. I know keeping receipts is a royal pain, and they don’t really do you much good stuffed in a shoebox. 3. You might not have to charge your clients sales tax, but you can believe that every dollar you earn is subject to income tax and self-employment tax. 4. 5.