why saving money is like dieting or have your cake and eat it too

Why Saving Money is Like Dieting: Or, Have Your Cake and Eat It Too!Writen by Morgan James

Stop Going for the Rich Things

Sometimes when you buy something, you buy it for the designer label. You buy it simply because it is rich. Often, there is an alternative that is equally as appropriate. If you must have a certain brand, consider buying secondhand. Why spend extra money that you dont need to spend?

Similarly, when you are cooking, you can often lower the fat in your meals easily without sacrificing any of the taste. Consider substituting yogurt for oil the next time you bake muffins or a cake: this works particularly well with packaged mixes. There are hundreds of low-fat, low-calorie, wonderful tasting meals out there. You can even choose to make a low-fat dessert. Why would you choose the unhealthy option when the healthy option tastes just as good and gives you the benefit of being able to feel good about yourself?

Be Aware

Knowing your spending habits will help you make wiser financial decisions. Knowing your eating habits will allow you to establish where you need to make changes in your diet. Track yourself on anything that you want to change, because it will make it easier for you to change.

Sometimes the act of tracking yourself makes you change, just knowing that you will have to write it down. For instance, if you know that you are going to write down everything you eat for a week, you might find that you eat healthier foods because you dont want to write down that you eat junk food. Similarly, you might not make impulse purchases if you know that you have to write it down at the end of the day.

Track yourself as you begin to make changes, as well. Writing down your budget and your diet as you progress will help you chart your improvements, and keep you motivated to continue.

Avoid Temptation

If you know that every time you go into this certain bakery, you have to buy a piece of cake, simply dont go to that bakery. The same thing goes for shopping: if you know that you cant go into a shoe store or book store without making a purchase, then avoid those places. Although staying on a diet and staying on a budget both require a certain amount of willpower, dont tax yourself. Youll be happier if you dont feel constant urges, so do what you can to suppress these urges by removing the temptation from your life.

Avoiding temptation goes beyond avoiding places where you are tempted. It might also mean reorganizing parts of your life. For instance, you wont be able to pig out on junk food at work if you dont have any junk food in your desk drawer. Similarly, you wont be able to use your emergency credit card for an impulse purchase if your card is not in your wallet, but instead in a shoebox under your bed.

Plan Ahead

It is much easier to eat healthy meals when you have planned your meals ahead. This way, you have the ingredients and the groceries all available when you get home. Instead of eating potato chips while you watch TV, if you have some strawberries cut up you might eat those instead.

The same thing works with budgeting. If you plan your spending ahead of time, you will know how much to spend on different areas of your life. It is easier to not spend money when you know that you are saving for a special object, as well.

Be Realistic

You will probably not lose all of the weight that you want in one month, just like you will probably not pay off all of your loans in one month. Making monthly goals that are attainable will help you see the big picture, and show you how your progress is going.

Dont be disheartened if it seems like you are not making a difference for the first month: both monetary and dietary changes take a while to register. Your body has to get used to the change in diet. You have to wait for your statement to come back to see a change.

Instead of making unrealistic goals, such as never eating a piece of cake again, you can offer yourself little rewards. Regulate these rewards, and work towards earning them. Remember: a reward doesnt have to be a big thing. It might be as small as being able to spend $5 at the dollar store, or being able to have a bowl of frozen yogurt with fruit. If you are trying to lose weight or save money, you will be working hard, and you will deserve an occasional reward.

Move Beyond the Numbers

Its not just the amount of money you spend or the number of calories you consume. When you diet, you also need to exercise. When you are trying to back loans, you might choose to work overtime hours. Both of these require extra effort and planning.

Whether you are trying to lose weight or save money, you will need to use the same skill set. Transfer the skills from one area of your life to another. Tracking your progress and setting goals will help you reach any goal, be they financial, health-related, or otherwise. Learning these skills will stand you in good stead for the rest of your life.

Morgan James is a finanical expert who helps people learn to use their money. You can learn how to invest your money and how to find the best loan for you at The Guide To Loans

Once you've saved yourself lots of money by visiting http://www.theguideto-loans.com, consider saving your waist some inches by visiting http://www.theguideto-diabetes.com/diabetesdiet/dinnersrecipes/ for dinner recipes, dessert recipes, and tips on healthy eating to stay fit and prevent diabetes.

5 healthy ways to save on your monthly groceries

5 Healthy Ways to Save on Your Monthly GroceriesWriten by Angie Lewis

Besides using coupons and scanning your community advertisements for the grocery and sundry products that are on sale, here are several other tips and tricks for saving on your groceries and staying healthy at the same time.

1. Buy More Than Just One

When your favorite imperishable food and sundry products come on sale, dont just buy one or two, buy ten, fifteen or twenty. For an example in our family of five, we only use extra virgin olive oil and that tends to get expensive. Occasionally it comes on sale and when it does, depending on how many gallons we buy, we usually save two dollars per gallon. This amounts to anywhere between $20 and $40 dollar saving just on olive oil! Olive oil lasts indefinitely in a tinted jar or can away from light.

2. Limit Buying Processed, Boxed, and Frozen Foods

If you can limit the buying of boxed and processed foods you can save a tremendous amount of money each month and eat better too. For instance take a box of instant potatoes vs. a ten pound bag of potatoes. Which do you think is more food in the long run? Fresh potatoes are also healthier for you than the dried version.

3. Limit Buying Boxed Cereals

Boxed sugary cereals are good, no doubt about it, but they also dont last long when you have three children. Cereal tends to get expensive when the average box of cereal cost $3.50 and only last for two days. For one month buying boxed cereal for just two children will cost around $52.50 just for breakfast! Boxed cereals are a waste of money and they arent good for you.

4. Buy Oatmeal Instead of Boxed Cereals

Wondering what youre going to eat for breakfast if you dont have boxes of cereal in your cupboard? Make homemade granola, add milk and enjoy. Your kids will love it. Granola tastes good and is healthier than the other boxed sugary cereals. You can add nuts, seeds, raisins, figs, sesame seeds, blueberries, pumpkin seeds, coconut flakes to your granola to prepare it the way you like, and its healthier. The possibilities are endless.

Oatmeal too, is a tasty hot cereal. Prepare the oatmeal as directed and add apple, raisins, cinnamon, and a little real butter, yummy. Hot foods keep your children satisfied longer than those sugary cold cereals. You can also make oatmeal cookies using half the amount of sugar it calls for and you would be getting less sugar than the boxed cereals. Crumble the cookie up, add milk and enjoy! Make oatmeal honey bars. Freeze them and take out what you need the night before.

5. Cook With Your Crockpot

I know that schedules and time constraints has a lot to do with how we eat and what we eat. But did you know that healthy eating makes us more productive and happier in the long run. No one wants to feel run down and bloated because of not eating right. Get that crockpot out from under your cupboard, get a crockpot cook book, throw the ingredients in and let the pot do the cooking.

Ironically, by cooking your own beef, chicken, lamb, pork, etc in your crockpot you will be saving money. Why? Because fresh food makes way more food than those frozen dinners ever could. By putting a roast and some potatoes in your crock pot before you leave for work, you will not only be saving money but you will also be eating healthier. Your family may eat two or three times on your crockpot pot-roast.

Crockpots make better stews and soups because it cooks the food very slow and gives the food a chance to come out with all its flavors. Crockpots are very safe and can be left on while you are at work. Go ahead, let the pot do the cooking.

Angie Lewis is the author of three marriage books offering marriage enlightenment tips and wisdom filled answers tackling such issues as adultery, pornography, emotions, beliefs, feelings, marriage, children, forgiveness, communication, submission and spiritual influence in the home. Love The Man You Married is a great teaching tool that every Christian wife and husband should read. ISBN: 1411677501

Journey on the Roads Less Traveled is a book that will challenge the reader to go a step further in their faith and beliefs by helping them to identify with all the aspects of their character, namely the spiritual element of who they are and can become. This is Angies personal testimony of overcoming addiction and resentment in marriage. Very inspirational book! ISBN: 1413788904

Besides writing for her own marriage ministry, Angie also writes the marriage columns for two online Christian Magazines. KeepinOn.com and EzraWeb.com.

Please see Angies website for additional information about her books and online marriage ministry. http://www.heavenministries.com/

how to track down missing money

How To Track Down Missing MoneyWriten by Morgan Hamilton

Missing money is often associated with a lost pocketbook or wallet. However, this isn't the only kind of missing money that exists. Actually, you might have some unclaimed money waiting for you without knowing it. It is a fact that annually millions of dollars goes unclaimed. This is money which has been lying dormant in bank accounts or insurance proceeds. It is also true that income tax refunds might become missing money provided the recipient moves without giving a forwarding address.

As the majority of banks and insurance companies cannot track down the recipients of the missing money so it stays. What is really ironic is that the people who have the right to get this money don't even know about it. It is a good idea for everyone to research if they or other members of their family have missing money. This doesn't cost a lot. Of course, if you hire a private investigator he will do the job but his will cost you a big amount of money. If you wish to save these expenses then I would recommend you to consider utilizing one of the money online resources which were set to help owners get their money.

However, you often have to pay a fee to use these sites. But as the price is much less than the expenses for a private investigator, I believe you should give the Internet a try. These sites work on the premise that you can search by name without paying anything. Once you get any results you are required to pay a nominal fee for the information, contact information as well. Once you've found that either you or any of your family has missing money then you can start the reclaiming process. You should of course send out information proving that you are the recipient. A copy of your birth certificate or a driver's license would do.

In case you find missing money that is not yours but belongs to a relative of yours who has passed away, you could get the money if you are the legal heir. However, if this is the case you will have to supply more documents, a copy of the will and death certificate. Apart from that you might need to fill out other documents. Finding missing money can be a dream came true. It might not be the same as winning a million dollars from the lottery but yet you will get extra money in your pocket.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning Missing Money. Visit our site for more helpful information about Missing Money and other similar topics.

understanding the different types of stock part 2

Understanding The Different Types Of Stock - Part 2Writen by Martin Lukac

There are so many different types of stock out there that many first time investors have a hard time choosing their investments. Most simply turn to the advice of someone they trust. This isn't a bad idea, but you should also take the time to learn about the different stocks for yourself. After all, this is your money.

In part one of this series, we talked about some basic types of stocks: growth stock, value stock, speculative stock and preferred stock. Let's move to some more complex stocks.

Convertible preferred stocks start off as preferred stock, but it can be converted into a common stock. Because of this, convertible preferred stock will react to the growth of the company more than a regular preferred will.

A cyclical stock is paired rather closely with what is happening in our country's economy, and sometimes even in those overseas. You will see steel companies and original equipment manufacturers. It takes a bit of financial knowledge to be able to trade in cyclical stocks. You must also take the time to watch the economic indicators. You will usually see these stocks rising with growth. If the economy isn't doing well, you won't see the earnings you desire.

All of the Cap stocks stand for capitalization stocks of different sizes. The different sizes equal different returns, in general. Micro-caps are companies with $100 million or less in revenue. Small-caps are companies with revenues between $100 million and $500 million. The majority of publicly traded companies are small-cap. Mid-caps are those with revenues between $500 million and $3 billion, while large caps top $3 billion.

Blue-chip stocks are the largest cap stocks out there. They are the top of the pile. You have to know that all blue-chip stocks are large-cap stocks, but not all large-cap stocks are blue-chip. There are a lot of advantages to blue-chip stocks, including liquidity, earnings and staying power.

You can also purchase non-U.S. stocks through American depositary receipts. Though that is probably beyond a beginner's level of investing.

When it comes to investing in stocks, the type of stock you invest in is important. Take your time in assessing what you want to get out of your investment. What type you choose depends on your financial goals and personal risk level. Look for stocks that perform to your investment standards. If you want a lot of quick growth and don't mind the risk, perhaps you want to put some money into a speculative stock. If you want something solid that will give you a dividend no matter the future performance of the company, you might want to shop for preferred stock.

The key is in knowing the pros and cons. You have to understand the risk. And they all have risks. Remember, if you choose wisely and invest for the long haul, the stock market is an excellent place for your money to grow. All it takes is time and knowledge.

Martin Lukac represents www.RateEmpire.com, an Internet consumer banking marketplace. RateEmpire.com is a destination site of personal finance, investing, taxes and mortgage rates. RateEmpire.com provides mortgage guides and financial rates and information. RateEmpire.com also operates a financial portal #1 American Financial, found at www.1AmericanFinancial.com and San Diego loan portal www.LendingSanDiego.com

child trust funds the basics

Child Trust Funds: The BasicsWriten by Terry Till

Recently our son and daughter in law were blessed with the birth of our grand daughter Maisy Leigh, a wonderful baby who seems to have a smile on her face at all times and is a sheer delight to us all. Like all proud grand parents we only want to ensure her safety in life and provide for her future and it seems that the UK government share our concern and have now given a helping hand in the form of the Childs Trust Fund.

As with all these type of savings and benefits at first glance the paper work may seem confusing so I decided to give a brief and basic overview as to how it will benefit your child or grandchild and how you go about setting up such a Childs Trust Fund.

At the time of writing this article any child that is born within the UK will be entitled to a voucher to the value of 250, which has to be invested in a Childs Trust Fund with a view to providing a nest egg that will become available on the childs 18th birthday.

The account also gives provision for you to invest up to an additional 1200 per year and is free from personal tax under the current rules.

There are many well-known banks and building societies that are available and provide Child Trust Fund accounts and these accounts can be divided into three types of risk factor.
I like to access these three types of account as low, medium and high risk growth potential and the choice of which one you choose is purely an individuals choice, bearing in mind that the medium and high risk savings accounts involve investment in shares and of course these can go down in value as well as increasing over the course of 18 years.

The low risk account is the Non-stakeholder savings account which is similar to a bank or building society savings account and these pay interest on the money saved.

Medium risk account in my opinion is the Stakeholders share account, which invests in shares in companies however the Government has made special rules for these accounts to reduce the risk of share investment.

Third type of account is the Non-stakeholder shares account, which invests in shares but does not have the same rules to reduce risk as the stakeholder account.

Which way you decide to invest your childs 250 voucher is important and all options I feel should be considered however personally I feel that perhaps the safest one is possibly the medium risk account that gives both security with the possibility of good long term growth.

This is a very basic overview of the Child Trust Fund and how you can invest your initial Child Trust Fund voucher, I would always advise that you give great thought to this matter before you make any decisions and it is also well advised to seek expert advice from an independent financial advisor.

Copyright 2006 Terry Till

Find out more about Child Trust Funds and visit Maisy Leigh's photo album.

http://www.maisyleigh.com

Ezine and website owners can use this article provided they leave all content and links intact and without alteration.