I will use myself as an example. Being a 35 year old bachelor, much of my social interaction is at lunch time and evenings out with friends. I will stick to lunch for this example. If I go to a non-fast food restaurant, on average I will spend roughly 12 dollars including tip. If I do this 3 times a week, that is 36 dollars. Multiply that times four weeks and  is just under $150.00. This is really a conservative number too.

You can see from the previous example how eating can really blow a whole in your bottom line. Discipline is key, but if I cut eating out to lunch to just one day a week I am saving an extra $100. a month. That could go towards savings, or paying down debt. This is just another example of how you can save money.

Education is one of the best investments you can make. If you have not finished your degree, you should seriously consider it. A good friend of mine has started her education recently with one of the Online Degree Programs at a local community college. She is a single mother working a full time job and she finished her first semester with a 4.0 GPA. It can be done. And it really should be. Below are some possible benefits:

• Personal Pride. You will get a since of self pride from accomplishing something significant. From setting a big goal and seeing it through.
• Better Pay. Starting salaries for employees with a degree are much more and potential earning power is great that without one. And you won’t even get a foot in the door with many places without a degree.
• Job Advancement. You will stand a better chance of moving up the corporate ladder with a degree. Also, employers love to see an employee taking the initiative to improve themselves and often times will reward that.

These are but three ways in which you can see benefits of completing your degree. I am certain you can think of more. And don’ be afraid of the cost or time it takes to complete. Go to your local community college and look into it. There are programs and grants to help. It is the job of the financial counselors at the schools to help you. After all, they don’t make money if students do enroll. So take the first and most important step in investing. Get an education.

When discussing saving money this can be divided into two categories. One is putting money back in the savings account or retirement account. The other is saving money through smart purchases. Both of these methods require planning and discipline.

First we will discuss saving money into a savings or retirement account. For the sake of brevity, I won’t talk about the different types of retirement accounts. Some you can make monthly deposits in yourself. Some also require a minimum deposit to get started. I will simply discuss tips for putting money back. Not the different types of accounts and strategies associated with them. So when planning on putting some cash back each month, here are some general guidelines:

• Start small. It is easy to get over your head and too aggressive when saving. Don’t try to change too quickly because you mind end up frustrating yourself.
• Set a goal. Give yourself a goal with a set time line. This will give you stepping stones to work with.
• Make it Automatic. Set up automatic drafts with your accounts to deposit into your savings account monthly. This will take the step of you having to do this manually every month.

The second part is saving with smart purchases. Planning and discipline are a must here.

• Start by only paying with cash. Then carry only the amount you need with you for the day. This will help to eliminate impulse buying.
• Research the product you are buying. The internet is a great resource. You can find out the life of the product, how reliable it is and does it meet expectations.
• Determine the True Value. Often times we think that buying in bulk saves in the long run. However, often times this is not the case. Many times the price per item is the same or even more. Grab a calculator and figure this out before buying.

These are just a few ideas. I am sure many people have more. Just start thinking ahead and you will be well on your way.

First, on the list is to budget. I took scuba diving in college. I know, what does this have to do with budgeting? Well, there was something my dive instructor said over and over again, “Plan your dive and dive your plan.” The point here is to make a budget, and actually use your budget. Don’t stray and spend frivolously.

Second research what you are buying. The internet is a wonderful resource. You can find out about anything. You get get customer reviews, professional reviews, product specs, or anything else. Whether it is cereal or a car, do research.

Finally, buy what you can use not what is on sale. Sure, you can go to Costco or Sam’s and buy a ton of bread. However, if you don’t use it before it goes bad you have just wasted your money.

These are just a few concepts. The point here is to actively think about this. Don’t go into the New Year with wallet open. Be calculated and informed. If you do, you can and will get your personal finances in order.

Some tasks can only be performed if you have been qualified. This may require taking a test or simply requesting the qualification. Some are a little more strict and will have you jump through some other hoops on their cheaper tasks.

Bottom line is wether this is worth your time. The truthful answer is that depends. Are you expecting to make a living doing this? You won’t. I spent maybe a total of 5 hours playing around with this last week and made just under $15.00. That comes to $3.00 an hour. You won’t get rich from it.

However, if you are vegging out watching a TV show and just feel lake wasting some time. And we all do like to check out of our brains every now and then, try it out. Most of these task don’t pay much at all, but you could do a few here in there and make a little change.

-Kevin

Kevin

Both of these, in some way speak to how are leaders have failed us and we or we allowed it to happen. Obama is correct, we need change. However what we need is an overhaul of our political system. I have seen some headlines and crawls on news channels that ask, “Has Capitalism failed?” My answer is no. Our two party political system has failed us.

We have two parties that are more concerned with getting enough votes to stay in office than coming up with sound policies that will secure our nation for the future. Why are they mortgaging the future of our country to provide a few hundred dollars to ‘stimulate’ the economy. Kevin, whom I linked to earlier, suggests investing that in gaining energy independence. Sounds like a great idea to me! At the very least, update our infrastructure so that electricity can be easily moved throughout the country. Provide some of that money for alternative fuel research.

However, both sides like to talk a good game. Why are we in the state we are in now? Ultimately, it is my fault and yours. We have given in to a two party idea. Why? If neither party is doing what is good for our country, and polls show that Americans don’t think they are as I think congress’ approval rating it at 11%, then why stick with them? We need to get out of this idea that these are our only two choices. We need to stop sitting on the sidelines. Vote third party. Or at least start writing your representatives in office.

Change is needed, but I don’t think it is the change Obama or McCain really wants.

-Kevin

The wildcats were not doing well on Saturday. About a third of the way through the 4th and final quarter, they were down 20-7. UK has the ball and turns it over. The fans in the stadium, start pouring towards the exits. Yours truly, watching it on TV at a local sports bar threw up my hands in defeat and went home. Many of us gave up. Little did we know, the Wildcats made a HUGE comeback and won the game. It would have been so exciting, but many of us gave up and missed out on the joy of victory.

In a similar way It is easy to give up when it comes to personal finance. There are times when it seems hopeless. You have a mountain of debt. You can’t seem to scrounge enough to buy a pack of Ramen Noodles, much less pay down that credit card bill. It can be depressing and overwhelming. Don’t give up! you can make it through. You will make it through. Just keep making the right choices.

Much like my Wildcats, you can make a comeback and so can I. No matter how far down or how late in the game. Stick with it, and you will have the victory!

-Kevin