Archive for March, 2008
Newt Gingrich On Obama Budget
CBS asked:
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich takes apart President Obama’s “big government” plan to save the economy. He spoke to Harry Smith.
Cynthia Motta
Personal Finance Budgeting – Secrets To Keep Your Budget On Track
Being disciplined when it comes to personal finance budgeting is a key component for anyone seeking financial freedom. Taking control of your finances is the first step to starting down the road to building the life you always wanted and the quickest and easiest way to do this is with a budget. The most critical part of the personal budgeting journey is the emotional and mental side of the equation. Why?
Our behavior with money is the reason most of us get into financial problems in the first place. Our own wants over ride our common sense and before we know it we have a house full of stuff that we end up paying for twice over. Many financial experts say that personal finance is 80 percent behavior and 20 percent math.
This is where the household budget comes into play. In this day and age the great majority of people have no idea how much money they make each month let alone where the money goes once they cash their pay check. Before long this behavior catches up with everyone and they are in perpetual catch up mode when it comes to paying bills and meeting their financial needs. A budget, if done honestly, allows you to see exactly how much money is coming in and not only how much is being spent but also what it is being spent on.
Once you see what you have been spending money on you can come to grips with the bad behavior that has gotten you, and so many others, into a financial mess. Eating out two or three nights a week, going out to lunch everyday, that morning visit to the coffee shop, they all add up and chances are once you look over your written budget you will find many areas where expenditures are a little to high and are breaking the budget.
Here are four personal finance budgeting secrets to help keep a new budget on track.
1. Probably the hardest part of keeping a budget is keeping track of daily expenditures. One way to do this is to keep a small log book or ledger where you can keep track of your daily expenses.
2. Before going grocery shopping it is a good idea to make a list of the things you need. Check the fridge, the cupboards, and the pantry to make sure you aren\’t buying stuff you already have. Stick to the list once at the store and do not buy things not on the list.
3. Going to the store just to do some shopping is one of the easiest ways to suffer from an impulse purchase. Nothing will destroy a well thought out budget quite like an impulse purchase.
4. For large purchases over $300 or more it is a good idea to step back and wait a day or two before committing. Once given the chance to think it over chances are you will realize you don\’t really need it.
Personal finance budgeting is about taking responsibility for your money and hunting down and killing those behaviors that are costing you money. The beauty of the budget is it shows you exactly how your behavior with your money is affecting your financial situation.
By: Andrew Bicknell
About the Author:
Our behavior with money is the reason most of us get into financial problems in the first place. Our own wants over ride our common sense and before we know it we have a house full of stuff that we end up paying for twice over. Many financial experts say that personal finance is 80 percent behavior and 20 percent math.
This is where the household budget comes into play. In this day and age the great majority of people have no idea how much money they make each month let alone where the money goes once they cash their pay check. Before long this behavior catches up with everyone and they are in perpetual catch up mode when it comes to paying bills and meeting their financial needs. A budget, if done honestly, allows you to see exactly how much money is coming in and not only how much is being spent but also what it is being spent on.
Once you see what you have been spending money on you can come to grips with the bad behavior that has gotten you, and so many others, into a financial mess. Eating out two or three nights a week, going out to lunch everyday, that morning visit to the coffee shop, they all add up and chances are once you look over your written budget you will find many areas where expenditures are a little to high and are breaking the budget.
Here are four personal finance budgeting secrets to help keep a new budget on track.
1. Probably the hardest part of keeping a budget is keeping track of daily expenditures. One way to do this is to keep a small log book or ledger where you can keep track of your daily expenses.
2. Before going grocery shopping it is a good idea to make a list of the things you need. Check the fridge, the cupboards, and the pantry to make sure you aren\’t buying stuff you already have. Stick to the list once at the store and do not buy things not on the list.
3. Going to the store just to do some shopping is one of the easiest ways to suffer from an impulse purchase. Nothing will destroy a well thought out budget quite like an impulse purchase.
4. For large purchases over $300 or more it is a good idea to step back and wait a day or two before committing. Once given the chance to think it over chances are you will realize you don\’t really need it.
Personal finance budgeting is about taking responsibility for your money and hunting down and killing those behaviors that are costing you money. The beauty of the budget is it shows you exactly how your behavior with your money is affecting your financial situation.
By: Andrew Bicknell
About the Author:
For more information about making a personal financial budget please visit the website Household Budgets by clicking here.
Dennis
What is a good strategy for budgeting undergrad loan payments while attending graduate school?
Jenny asked:
I will be starting graduate school this fall and while I have a deferment on my undergrad loans, the interest ofcourse is building up. I’ve been making small monthly payments but it seems those just get swallowed up by growing interest. What is the best strategy for making payments on all my student loans? I’ve decided to make payments on my grad-school loans while I’m in school so I can manage the interest, but there sure is a lot building up! Any tips or information is greatly appreciated.
Kiyoko Hollister
I will be starting graduate school this fall and while I have a deferment on my undergrad loans, the interest ofcourse is building up. I’ve been making small monthly payments but it seems those just get swallowed up by growing interest. What is the best strategy for making payments on all my student loans? I’ve decided to make payments on my grad-school loans while I’m in school so I can manage the interest, but there sure is a lot building up! Any tips or information is greatly appreciated.
Kiyoko Hollister
Learn to Budget Money and Take Back Control of Your Household Finances
Learn to Budget Money and Take Back Control of Your Household Finances
There comes a point when the money you have going out seems to be more then the money you have coming in and if you don’t find out why your personal financial situation could go from bad to worse. This is a scenario that many people and families are facing these days and one of the best ways to get back on financial track is to learn to budget money.
Living paycheck to paycheck is not fun and those who do it find it gets increasingly hard to meet their financial obligations let alone find any extra to save or invest for the future. The problem most people are having when this happens is understanding how to stay within certain spending limits for their monthly budgeting needs. If you follow a few simple rules this can actually become quite easy.
The first thing to do is write down all your monthly expenses to get an idea of where the money is going. Once you do this compare your out go with your monthly income and that will tell you if you are spending more then you make. If this is the case then you can use your written budget to find areas to cut to free up money for more important bills and expenses.
The next thing to do while learning to budget is start paying for everything in cash. It’s a proven fact that when you use a credit or debit card you spend more then you originally intended. You’ll be more resistant to spending cash because there is an emotional factor attached to it, unlike with credit cards where you don’t see the damage until the bill arrives.
It is also important to think about what you have been spending your money on. This is where the written budget can help again. Do you go out to lunch everyday? How about that Starbucks double frappuccino you drink each morning? Or how many times do you take the family out to eat each week? It all ads up and until you see it written down you may not see exactly how much all the little expenditure are hurting your finances. Learning to budget money teaches you to change your poor money management habits.
Be sure to keep your budget balanced through out the month. It is important to keep track of expenses and income as they happen so you always know how much money you have in your checking and savings accounts. This keeps surprises like overdraft fees from occurring. How you do this depends on your personal preferences. Many people simply keep their budget written down in a notebook while others choose to use budgeting software for this task.
The hardest part for anyone who wants to learn to budget money is just getting started. Knowing that you may not like what you see once it’s all written down can be a daunting proposition. But if you want to take back control of your household finances it is time to get started.
By: Andrew Bicknell
About the Author:
There comes a point when the money you have going out seems to be more then the money you have coming in and if you don’t find out why your personal financial situation could go from bad to worse. This is a scenario that many people and families are facing these days and one of the best ways to get back on financial track is to learn to budget money.
Living paycheck to paycheck is not fun and those who do it find it gets increasingly hard to meet their financial obligations let alone find any extra to save or invest for the future. The problem most people are having when this happens is understanding how to stay within certain spending limits for their monthly budgeting needs. If you follow a few simple rules this can actually become quite easy.
The first thing to do is write down all your monthly expenses to get an idea of where the money is going. Once you do this compare your out go with your monthly income and that will tell you if you are spending more then you make. If this is the case then you can use your written budget to find areas to cut to free up money for more important bills and expenses.
The next thing to do while learning to budget is start paying for everything in cash. It’s a proven fact that when you use a credit or debit card you spend more then you originally intended. You’ll be more resistant to spending cash because there is an emotional factor attached to it, unlike with credit cards where you don’t see the damage until the bill arrives.
It is also important to think about what you have been spending your money on. This is where the written budget can help again. Do you go out to lunch everyday? How about that Starbucks double frappuccino you drink each morning? Or how many times do you take the family out to eat each week? It all ads up and until you see it written down you may not see exactly how much all the little expenditure are hurting your finances. Learning to budget money teaches you to change your poor money management habits.
Be sure to keep your budget balanced through out the month. It is important to keep track of expenses and income as they happen so you always know how much money you have in your checking and savings accounts. This keeps surprises like overdraft fees from occurring. How you do this depends on your personal preferences. Many people simply keep their budget written down in a notebook while others choose to use budgeting software for this task.
The hardest part for anyone who wants to learn to budget money is just getting started. Knowing that you may not like what you see once it’s all written down can be a daunting proposition. But if you want to take back control of your household finances it is time to get started.
By: Andrew Bicknell
About the Author:
For more information about learning to budget money please visit the website Household Budgets by clicking here.
Emil Ferm
Need Help in Budgeting for a Property Portal?
Pradeep Kumar asked:
We are going to launch a Property Portal
We need help in budgeting for a Online promotion
SEO, Viral Marketing, and some other usedful promotions. . .
We are going to launch a Property Portal
We need help in budgeting for a Online promotion
SEO, Viral Marketing, and some other usedful promotions. . .
Need HEPL URGENT . . . .
Britta Belleau
Budget Beauty from the Kitchen
BeautyOnABudget asked:
Beauty products that will cost you nothing! Hope you enjoy! Feel free to share other beauty trips from products you have around the house too. Oh, and I should mention olive oil is great for removing eye makeup too. You can also slather your feet in them before bed, put on some socks overnight, and you’ll have soft feet in the morning. They also work to moisturize cuticles in a pinch. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ MUSIC BY: B1end (www.myspace.com/b1end) Perfect Sky …
Nichelle Dorris
Obama: Cut deficit we inherited ($1.3T) by half 1st term, US Budget – Exercise in deception!
VoiceofAmericans2008 asked:
February 23, 2009 Fiscal Responsibility Summit President Obama
Sam Sickman
Is there a website that has a budgeting tool that you can use to keep track of finances?
Curious asked:
I’m thinking something like MS Money, but something you can access from anywhere. TIA!
Something you can access on the internet from anywhere.
Lucius Mierzwinski
I’m thinking something like MS Money, but something you can access from anywhere. TIA!
Something you can access on the internet from anywhere.
Lucius Mierzwinski
Obama Budget And Real People
CBS asked:
Jill Schlesinger, an economic advisor, looks at 4 Americans’ lives and explains to Julie Chen how the Obama budget will help or perhaps hurt them.
Jane Boulette
5 Steps to Create a Budget
Are you having a difficult time stretching your paycheck to cover all of your monthly expenses? If so, you are not alone. With our economy in its present state, millions of people are struggling to make ends meet and do not have the luxury of being able to save money.
Before you give up hope, you can improve your situation by setting up a personal budgeting plan. This will show you exactly where your money goes. To help you get started, consider some of the tips listed below.
HOW TO CREATE A BUDGET PLAN
First – write down your fixed expenses (house payment/rent, utility bills, insurance premiums).
Second – under your fixed expenses, write down all of your basic needs expenses (food, gas, clothing, toiletries, etc.)
Third – add all of these amounts together and subtract from your total monthly paycheck. The amount that is left is what you actually have to work with in terms of budgeting.
Fourth – list all of your remaining purchases for the month; every single thing you spent money on down to the smallest detail. Be honest. Every cup of coffee, every newspaper or magazine, every candy bar from the vending machine, every meal you ate at a restaurant, your pedicure, manicure, make-up, etc. Make sure you write down every single item.
Fifth – add up the amount you spent on all of those items and subtract that amount from the amount you had left for budgeting. How much did you spend? If you are being completely honest about every single thing you purchased during a month’s time, the amount you come up with will probably be a big surprise.
SOLUTION
Can it be possible that you spent that much on items you did not need? Unfortunately, most of us are completely unaware that we are throwing away that much money each month when we could be saving it. How do you solve this problem?
First – you must determine the things that are most important to you. Identify and list the items you must have. When you are trying to budget your money, you should only be purchasing those items that are for you and your family’s basic needs and lifestyle.
Second – now make a list of the items you want to have. Do you really need them? In order to be successful at budgeting your money, you have to be satisfied with the things you already have or you are setting yourself up for failure.
Third – you must now come up with a budget you can live with. Once you accomplish that, your biggest challenge will be to decide how you are going to use the extra money you have at the end of each month. Do you want to invest in an emergency fund (in case of illness or job-loss)? Perhaps you want to add more to your retirement fund. There are many possibilities.
These budgeting tips will help you succeed IF you have the determination to stick with your budgeting plan. You will be rewarded for your dedication by having extra money that you can use for you and your family’s future.
By: Debra Gropp
About the Author:
Before you give up hope, you can improve your situation by setting up a personal budgeting plan. This will show you exactly where your money goes. To help you get started, consider some of the tips listed below.
HOW TO CREATE A BUDGET PLAN
First – write down your fixed expenses (house payment/rent, utility bills, insurance premiums).
Second – under your fixed expenses, write down all of your basic needs expenses (food, gas, clothing, toiletries, etc.)
Third – add all of these amounts together and subtract from your total monthly paycheck. The amount that is left is what you actually have to work with in terms of budgeting.
Fourth – list all of your remaining purchases for the month; every single thing you spent money on down to the smallest detail. Be honest. Every cup of coffee, every newspaper or magazine, every candy bar from the vending machine, every meal you ate at a restaurant, your pedicure, manicure, make-up, etc. Make sure you write down every single item.
Fifth – add up the amount you spent on all of those items and subtract that amount from the amount you had left for budgeting. How much did you spend? If you are being completely honest about every single thing you purchased during a month’s time, the amount you come up with will probably be a big surprise.
SOLUTION
Can it be possible that you spent that much on items you did not need? Unfortunately, most of us are completely unaware that we are throwing away that much money each month when we could be saving it. How do you solve this problem?
First – you must determine the things that are most important to you. Identify and list the items you must have. When you are trying to budget your money, you should only be purchasing those items that are for you and your family’s basic needs and lifestyle.
Second – now make a list of the items you want to have. Do you really need them? In order to be successful at budgeting your money, you have to be satisfied with the things you already have or you are setting yourself up for failure.
Third – you must now come up with a budget you can live with. Once you accomplish that, your biggest challenge will be to decide how you are going to use the extra money you have at the end of each month. Do you want to invest in an emergency fund (in case of illness or job-loss)? Perhaps you want to add more to your retirement fund. There are many possibilities.
These budgeting tips will help you succeed IF you have the determination to stick with your budgeting plan. You will be rewarded for your dedication by having extra money that you can use for you and your family’s future.
By: Debra Gropp
About the Author:
Debra Gropp enjoys working on the Internet by doing everything from paid surveys and working for affiliate programs to blogging about her interests. Her articles pertain to some of the subjects she is most interested in, ways to save money, hobbies, work from home information, and diet, fitness, and health-related information.
Rosamaria Byon