“Make Your Money Talk!”

Budget Cooking is sure to be on numerous minds in these bad economic times. Meals on a budget are a great saving to your household budget…whether you are a stay-at-home mother managing a family, a single mom with three children, or a working mother trying to manage a career and household, then you are going to need to know how to cook on a budget while still trying to preserve a heart-healthy diet.Food Market costs are than ever and many homes are looking at how they can cut some costs without jepordizing their health.

It is critically significant to account for your spending habits by carefully watching what you are purchasing, in order to save money as well as eat balanced healthy meals. To get you started today, here are some great points on home cooking food you can start with now:

1.) The first step is to decide on a grocery budget and ensure to stick to it before you go to the grocery store.

2.) Every week many families will receive grocery flyers in the mail that contain discount sales items. Sit down and go through the flyer making a list of the discounted items that you plan on purchasing before you leave to the grocery store. A substantial amount of money can be saved by taking the time to do this.

3.) Non-perishable goods are great items to stock up on. Canned beans, soups and tuna fish can be stored in your kitchen cupboard for a long time. Stocking up on these foods is a great idea should you find them at discount rates. Other items that can be stored for a few months include dry goods such as breakfast cereals. Stock up on large quantities when you see these low prices.

4.) An excellent place to store foods are in the freezer. There are many foods that you can purchase in large quantities and then brought home too freeze. The freezer is a great place to store bulk sized bags of fruits and vegetables. Storing them this way will allow you to keep them for a few weeks which in turn will save you money in the long run.

Other items that you can freeze are various meats such as chicken, turkey or burgers. It is a good idea to stock up on these items if you should find them on sale. Double wrapping them in aluminum foil or freezer bags will allow them to be stored for longer periods of time. Purchasing a few loaves of bread can also be a good idea. You can freeze the other loaf of bread and eat the other one over the next few days.

5.) Do your best to try and buy foods that are in season. Choosing out of season foods can be quite costly.

6.) Cut out and gather vouchers in your local newspaper flyer. Keep an eye out on coupons for brand name foods, always compare them with the prices of generic brands, they can be cheaper. Coupons are best used on food items that you buy weekly. You will only be increasing your grocery bill if you buy items just because they are on sale.

If you are searching at some essential ways to cooking at home then you will want to read the excellent digital report “Times Are Tough – So Eat Cheap”. It is filled with cost-savings tips, guides and ways of helping you save money during these serious economic times.

Money Saving Resources Helps You Stop Living Pay To Pay:

Save Up to 80% on Retail
Learn The Secrets To Everday Savings
Stop Living From Pay To Pay
Home Made Energy
Energy4Green – Build Your Own Wind And Solar Power System!

Have you calculated how much superannuation you need for your retirement.? It’s well known that many of us do not have enough money to help us enjoy our twilight years… or for the ones who want to retire early and enjoy travelling while their health is good.

It’s important to get professional financial help but I’ve found an online calculator to help you take a look at what you need to enjoy your retirement years…. financially comfortably. ==> Click Here

Ask yourself this question…..If you had a 3 week old child, no job and separated… how would you survive financially?

This is an amazing financial success story I wanted to share to show you what can be achieved. Some of the smart ideas… is not to use credit cards, pay for everything in cash or use a debit card. Using coupons and savings cards when eating out and for groceries and toiletries is another great idea.With knowledge and determination there are ways to move forward. Don’t let challenges deter you from seeking financial success! [Read More]

Do you often feel like you’ll never see the light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to paying off your debts? Use these calculators to determine how long it will take you to pay off your credit card balances. Even more frightening…..See how much you’ll pay in interest by only making the minimum monthly payments.

http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/debtplanner/debtplanner.jsp
http://www.genus.org/scripts/calculators.pl?function=credit_card

By just adding a few dollars to the required minimum each month, you can greatly decrease your time in debt & even start to save… and you’ll be singing just like the tv ad jingle “Oh What A Feeling!”

Tip: To see results quicker, especially if you have more than one credit card I’d concentrate any extra payments on the one with the smallest balance debt. You can achieve results with focus & determination..Believe you can do it… because you can!!

America’s Cheapest Family written by Steve & Annette Economides Gets You Right on the Money: Your Guide to Living Better, Spending Less, and Cashing in on Your Dreams.

So if your credit card is screaming out for relief their revolutionary system America’s Cheapest Family will teach you hundreds of ways to save money on everyday household expenses.

Taking control of your finances today will stop them taking control of you!

How To Make Money Work For You

Over the last few months I’ve seen an ad on tv about the Understanding Money Booklet but has yet to pick one up.

Luckily… while in the library the other day I picked up a free copy.

In the Introduction Paul Clitheroe states he is often asked “What is the secret to being good with money?”… Paul says Understanding money means understanding how much money you have and where it goes. It means being in a position to make the most of what you’ve got. And it means protecting what’s yours.

No matter who you are or what you earn, it’s easier than you think to take control of your money. Start taking action today!

To get your free copy of Understanding Money… You should be able to pick up a copy at your local library like I did or visit http://www.australia.gov.au/understandingmoney

Copies of the handbook are also available in Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Italian, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese. These can be downloaded to your computer or order the free book to be mailed to you.

Remember, it’s your money, and learning how to make the most of it can really pay off. Put Yourself In Charge.

Memory Triggers Help Keep Savings In Your Pocket

And you may ask yourself…What are Memory Triggers? Memory Triggers are bright red stickers!What difference could putting little red stickers around the house make to you? The reason they are so vital is that a marketer’s ultimate goal is to get you to reach for your wallet and give them money without you thinking about it.

If you ‘re wanting to win the consumer game, you need to have something in between you and the marketers to protect yourself and your wallet. You need a visual barrier – something to remind you to stop and think before you hand over the cash.

The ‘Memory Triggers’ that you put on your shopping list or in your wallet are a constant warning to keep on guard and to always follow the Eight Steps.

The Eight Steps are:-
Step 1. Guard your wallet
Step 2. Are you hungry?
Step 3. What else could you buy?
Step 4. Is it worth the bother?
Step 5. What will you gain?
Step 6. What will you lose?
Step 7. What is the smartest way?
Step 8. Do you have spare cash?

The stickers really help with Step 1 of the Eight Steps by reminding you to ‘Guard your Wallet’. Step 1 is the most important of all the steps, because without it you will never make it to Step 2, 3, 4 and so on.

The stickers are bright red so they jump out at you and remind you to be alert. It’s a warning that if you don’t start thinking soon, you are not going to like your life or the consequences in a few years time. Follow the Eight Steps to avoid very costly purchasing errors. Keep savings in your pocket!
==> Learn More

Have you considered yourself a DIY handyman? Bunnings Warehouses host a range of DIY classes…Need some advice on your latest home improvement project? You can join their team at your local Bunnings Warehouse for our FREE D.I.Y. Workshops. A series of helpful workshops are run throughout the year offering helpful advice on a wide range of subjects. These are just a sample of whats available…..

Adult DIY Workshops include:
Pool Maintenance
How to Build a Water Feature
How to Build a Worm Farm
How to Save Water Around the Garden
Power Tools Knowledge
How to Lay Laminate Floors
How to Sand and Polish Timber Floors
How to Grout and Regrout Tiles

Ladies DIY Nights include:
Pot Plant Bench
How to Draw a Scale Plan for Landscaping
How to Build Retaining Walls & Drains
How to Build Paths & Paving
How to Lay & Build a Timber Deck

Kids DIY Clinics include:
Nail and Shell Chimes
Australia Day Placemats
Australia Day Crafts
Wooden Spoon People
Imagination Creation Day

Have fun meeting new people & learning the tricks of the trade for your next DIY project at a Bunnings Warehouse DIY workshop.

Water Saving Rebates & Offers

Rainwater Tank Rebates
Sydney Water has a Rainwater Tank Rebate Program offering customers up to $800 to install a rainwater tank. A special Rainwater Tanks in Schools Rebate Program is also available for schools.

Washing Machine Rebates
A rebate of $150 is available to customers who purchase a new washing machine with a water efficiency rating of 4-star1 or AAAAA. The rebate offer commenced on 1 March 2006 and will run until 31 July 2008. 4-star1 or AAAAA water efficient washing machines save more than 21,000 litres of water a year compared to older machines. The rebate offer could help to save one million litres a day.

These are some of the many ways the NSW Government is helping you to help secure Sydney’s water for life by saving water in and around your home. To find out more and to take advantage of rebates and offers visit the website links above. Please read all information to qualify for rebates & expiry dates of offers.

Save Water, Save Money, Save the Environment!

This is great savings for anyone…. 50 & over….

A National Seniors Card entitles you to a range of excellent benefits including insurance, travel, discounts, a free lifestyle magazine and social activities to name a few.

This card is not the same as a Seniors card…

There is an annual fee of $24 or reduced fees for longer memberships. If you have a friend who signs up under you… you receive a discount on your next renewal.

So… If you’re 50 & over why not apply for your discount card… Save on electrical purchases, your coffee get togethers… You’ll be surprised who does accept this National Seniors Card.

For more info contact www.nationalseniors.com.au & Leave Money In Your Pocket!