Monthly Archives: April 2020

22 Things You Should Always Buy at the Dollar Store. The dollar store has great bargains on these purchases with rock bottom prices.

1. Greeting cards
2. Party supplies
3. Notebooks
4. Gift bags, boxes, and wrapping paper
5. Storage containers
6. Seasonal decor
7. Reading glasses
8. Hair accessories
9. Pregnancy tests
10. Tote bags
11. Vases and decorative bowls
12. Mugs and glasses
13. Dinnerware
14. Plastic food containers
15. Picture frames
16. Bagged or boxed candy
17. Socks
18. Washcloths and dish towels
19. Plastic buckets (mops and brooms)
20. Pain relievers
21. Coffee filters
22. Travel size toiletries

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Ways to Help Seniors During the Coronavirus Crisis

The coronavirus pandemic is a scary time for everyone. Elders who are living alone might enjoy your help. Consider the following:

1. Do their yard work
2. Play games online
3. Talk, text and make video calls
4. Get groceries
5. Encourage online workouts (to move muscles and limbs)

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These time-tested methods can help us live smarter today. Here are some frugal strategies worth resurrecting:

1. Mending
2. Hang-drying clothes
3. Gardening
4. Canning
5. Bartering
6. Buying used (clothes, cars etc.)
7. Salvaging (repurpose things you already have)
8. Creative reuse
9. Waiting (and saving to make a major purchase)

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Beware of these 5 Common Work-from-Home Scams

You can spot scammers and con artists with a little know-how. The idea of staying home and working in your pajamas can sound appealing. But use caution when search for such work. That great-sounding work-from-home job offer may be an internet scam in disguise.Most job websites are not policed.  Rarely are these work-at-home schemes legitimate, nor do they provide any income except for the scammers who operate them. To check out a job offer search online for the company name and job title and the keyword “scam.” Beware of the following:

1. Request for advance fees
2. Offers to become a mystery shopper
3. Offers to earn ‘big money’ through data entry
4. Envelope-stuffing job offers
5. Offers to make money through medical billing

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10 Colleges That Offer Free Tuition for Seniors

These schools let retirement-age students study, tuition-free, while earning college credit. Seniors enjoy discounts for just about everything. Did you know that can even include the cost of higher education? You can earn credit toward a degree – without the burden of crippling student loans. Admission is likely dependent whether space is available. This is your chance advance a career, change direction or finish a degree you started many moons ago.

1. University of Alaska
2. University of Arkansas
3. Clemson University
4. University of Connecticut
5. University of Delaware
6. Georgia Tech
7. University of Illinois
8. University of Kentucky
9. University of Maryland at College Park
10. Penn State at University Park

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8 Surefire Ways to Get Rid of Debt ASAP

Here’s how to painlessly speed up debt-reduction efforts. Debt can destroy your financial dreams. Whether you carry a small balance on your credit card each month or are staring up at a mountain of financial obligations, debt makes it impossible to get. Paying off debt requires dedication, determination and persistence. Here are a few smart ways to pay off debt fast:

1. Stop using credit cards
2. Pay as much as you can afford each month
3. Make cuts to your spending
4. Double up on payments
5. Use windfalls to pay down balances
6. Freelance to earn extra money
7. Tackle debts with the highest interest rates first
8. Don’t sacrifice the things you love the most

Paying off debt may require you to make few lifestyle changes, but it doesn’t have to be depressing. If you have a difficult time adjusting to new circumstances, implement gradual changes so the process won’t become too overwhelming. You have an option to call Debt.com (888) 739-9616 for FREE consultation with a debt specialist.

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15 Ways to Stretch Your Dollars in Retirement

Getting older presents new ways to save money. Study these strategies to make your golden years more golden. One scary part of retirement is knowing you could have 30 more years in front of you but only a limited amount of cash available to finance them. How do you make sure your retirement account doesn’t run dry before you say your final goodbye? Well, there are no guarantees, but the following are numerous smart strategies you can use to stretch your money – however little or much you have- over the decades to come.

1. budget, budget, budget
2. Embrace senior discounts
3. Move to a smaller house
4. Relocate to a less expensive area
5. Sell what you don’t need
6. Get the things you do need for cheap
7. Become a one-car household
8. Refinance or consolidate your debts
9. Travel wisely
10. Manage your sequence or returns risk
11. Stay active
12. Understand your health care benefits
13. Get ready for long-term costs
14. Set boundaries with the kids
15. Work as long as you can

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8 Big Purchases You Should Never Make

Sometimes a big-ticket purchase is nothing more than a big waste of money. Spending money on expensive things you don’t need is a surefire way to deplete your bank account and lower your net worth. Many big-ticket purchases are made on impulse or otherwise represent poor judgement.

If you truly can afford to buy a costly status symbol, go right ahead. However, if you want to get the most out of your money, there are many expensive items that you can and should live without. Here are several examples of big expenditures you shouldn’t make:

1. Timeshares
2. Recreational vehicles
3. New cars
4. Designer clothing
5. Cutting-edge technology
6. Toys for grown-ups
7. Watches that cost a bundle
8. Or any purchase that is above your means (or that squeezes your budget)

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7 Steps to Make the Most of an Inheritance

Don’t squander this gift – which can keep on giving to your financial security. When someone we love dies, it can be tough to make decisions, let alone financial decisions about an inheritance. A little planning can go a long way, though. These steps will help guide you through the process of managing new found wealth responsibly so you don’t squander your windfall.

1. Don’t rush
2. Find a safe place for the money (a CD, a money market, stocks or bonds, or real estate)
3. Take inventory of your finances
4. Pay down debt
5. Establish emergency savings account (6 months of your monthly expenses in case of job loss)
6. Think long-term
7. Splurge a little (for example: spend 1/3, pay debt 1/3, save 1/3)

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7 Reasons Hiding Cash At Home Is A Terrible Idea

Stashing cash around the house is anything but harmless… Should you stash some cash in a hiding place around your house? It can seem like a fun, creative way to save your money – $100 bills stuffed in the bottom of a cook jar, $50 bills stuck between the pages of a book, even more money buried in the backyard. But it is actually a dumb and unsafe way to hold on to your money. Here are several reasons why hiding cash around is a bad idea:

1. You are missing out on ‘free’ money
2. The money is not FDIC-insured
3. You could lose the money
4. The money might not be covered by insurance – in case of a fire or a home invasion
5. You are losing out on inflation
6. A loved on might end up having to search for hidden money
7. In the event of a natural disaster, it may be unsafe to enter your home to search for the money

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