United Kingdom and Europe

According to a recent survey published in the Telegraph, high living costs and stagnant wage growth have forced one third of people in the UK to cut back their savings or stop putting money aside in the next 12 months. Four in 10 customers (38%) have no cash left for savings at the end of the month. One in nine (11%) customers are dipping into their savings on a monthly basis to cover unexpected outgoings and daily living expenses. Also reported in The Telegraph in March 2013, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the independent forecaster set up in 2010, reported that inflation has risen more than average saving rates since a decade ago. Savings have been shrinking in the UK since 2002.

Most European households have been affected by the impact of the financial crisis. The latest Genworth Index revealed that the number of financially vulnerable UK households has increased since 2007. A fifth of the UK households (21%) felt vulnerable with rising living costs, poor levels of income and savings, and are worried over job security. In terms of ranking by country, the UK was fifth among the European countries – Germany and France were faring even less well but the UK lagged behind Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland. Poland, Italy, Portgual and Greece were at the bottom of the table. Apart from Norway, cost of living is also an important concern for households in all the European countries.

US

According to a recent survey by the Commerce Department, Americans increased spending in February by 0.8 percent from January while incomes increased 0.2 percent. If you take inflation into account personal income declined for the past 3 months in real dollars. Americans saved a paltry 3.7 percent of disposable income, the lowest rate since August of 2009. The lowest rate of personal savings occurred in 2005 at the peak of the housing bubble when Americans saved a mere 1 percent of disposable income. The highest rate of savings occurred shortly after the recession of 2007/2008 began and reached a peak rate of 8 percent before settling at 5 percent.

Middle East

A survey of 1,000 Saudi residents by Souqalmal.com, reported in Arab Business.com in April 2013, found that 60% of Saudi nationals save less than 10% of their income. Among them, two-thirds said they save nothing whereas one-fifth replied that they do not know how to save. Among the expats living in Saudi, 37% of Western expats claimed to save their earnings compared to 40% of Asian expats. On the other hand, 42% of Arab expats in Saudi Arabia did not save anything and 12% said they did not know how to save. As CEO of Souqalmal.com, the company that conducted the survey, has said, there is a need for greater education about savings plans.

A survey by Towers Watson, a global professional services company, found that expats living in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region were more likely than nationals to save and to have larger savings pool. The main reason to save was for housing (25%). Expats were also concerned about setting aside money for their children’s education (21%) whereas only a minority of the nationals (7%) rated this as important.

Simple Saving Money Tips

All of us need to be prepared for the future and make a resolution to start saving. With the tumbling interest rates, we need to have a way that helps us budget how much to save and spend. As shown by the survey results in the Middle East, Saudis and nationals in the GCC region particularly need to be educated on how to save. Begin with a small amount in order to get into the habit of putting aside some money each month. One of the best ways to save is to set up a basic savings account. Savings accounts also have other features, for example if you have a savings account in Jordan and you are eligible, your bank will issue you an ATM card that you can use in ATMs located in other places in the GCC or worldwide. However, you should not be tempted to use the savings account frequently for cash withdrawals as this defeats the purpose of keeping it for a rainy day.

Some of you might be thinking that putting aside money each month is too difficult. However, if this is the case then perhaps you need to think about cutting some of the small luxuries in your life such as your daily coffee from the local shop, walking to work rather than taking the car, or signing up for an online film rental service rather than taking trips to the cinema. It’s surprising how these little sums can add up.

Overall it’s important not to let the figures get you down, you are just one person in a wide pool of statistics, and you don’t have to be the average saver!

The Frugal Toad - Money Saving Advice for Everyday Living

Backyard Luau

Aloha means hello and good-bye in Hawaiian. Say hello to the summer and good-bye to the school year with a family-friendly luau. Accessorize with colorful poly leis or fabric flower leis with matching hair clips for each guest. Raffia or plastic grass skirts for kids and adults are a must-have for a luau. To keep costs low, make it a pot luck or serve manageable foods like fresh fruit skewers, cold ham slices, grilled ham or chicken and pineapple kabobs, banana nut bread, macadamia nut cookies and citrus-garnished punch. Create a limbo stick with a broom handle or a pole and tie balloons, raffia or crepe paper streamers to the ends for a more festive look.

Independence Day Picnic

Keep the theme red, white and blue. Use cups, napkins and plates in a mix of patriotic colors. Party decorations are simple with streamers, ribbons, luminaries and balloons. Keep the menu simple with hot dogs and fresh vegetables on the grill. A fixings station will help guests personalize their meal. Kick off the event with a neighborhood parade, inviting the kids to decorate their bikes or wagons, march with friends and family, then head to the picnic afterward.

Watermelon Day

Celebrate National Watermelon Day on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2013. Have a watermelon rolling contest, a basket carving contest and, if you’re daring, a seed spitting contest. Slice up some fresh watermelon, providing plastic tablecloths and plenty of napkins. Decorate red and green balloons with felt-tipped markers to make them look like watermelons. Include red, white, green and black crepe paper streamers for decorations. If it’s too hot or rainy outside, hold your get-together in a screened-in porch or carport.

For some fun activities at your event, put on some music, play some simple games and provide party favors as frugal prizes for the winners. Remember, it doesn’t have to cost a lot to be a lot of fun. You can always use the leftover party decorations and supplies for other events, like birthdays, family reunions and a back-to-school party.

Nikki is an independent writer for DollarTree.com. Dollar Tree offers great deals on office supplies, party supplies and more.

Readers: What fun and frugal ideas for get-togethers would you like to share?

The Frugal Toad - Money Saving Advice for Everyday Living

John S presents 5 Great Ways to Save Money When Buying a New Car posted at Frugal Rules. Buying a new or a new to you car can be a stressful time as you need to figure out how much you can afford as well as negotiating with the dealer. With a little homework, comparison shopping and outside the box thinking you can generally save a nice little sum of money on your car purchase.

10. “The Empty Child”/ “The Doctor Dances” season 1, episodes 9 and 10, aired in May 2005.

Kristen Hawley presents How to Deal with Your Student Loan Debt posted at ReadyForZero Blog. Financial strategies aren’t the only way to deal with student loan debt – there are quite a few mental affects this debt can have on you. That’s why we’re talking about how to break through those mental blocks and motivate yourself to meet this challenge head-on.

Sean presents Financial Rules Stay-At-Home Spouses Need to Know posted at One Smart Dollar. If you are a stay-at-home parent you will want to make sure you are following a few basic rules.

Mark presents Why the Rich Stay Rich, and the Poor Stay Poor posted at Modest Money. Why do so few people have real wealth? Certainly, there must be some fundamental differences between the rich and the poor that can account for the differing levels of success.

Crystal presents Who’s Your Real -Head of Household-? posted at Married with Debt. My husband’s name appears under -head of household- on our tax forms. But his actual role doesn’t exactly fit this title.

9. “The Eleventh Hour” season 5, episode 1, aired in April 2010.

Crystal presents Become a Product Tester for Free Swag posted at Budgeting in the Fun Stuff. If you are not interested in medical studies. then below are some legitimate, non-compromising, product testing opportunities for you.

Kyle presents Put Your Pet to Work for You posted at The Penny Hoarder. If you find that your beloved Fido or Fluffy has a natural knack for acting, you might want to consider putting them to work for you. While it can take some time and and does require a lot of effort on your part, it is possible to make your pet the next star if you try.

Tushar presents Want To Save More Money? Look At Your Waste posted at Finance TUBE. Hi! Today I will be talking about if Want To Save More Money? Look At Your Waste. How many pounds do you think the average American waste in food each week? Well according to ABC news the US waste in food each week is 14 pounds.

Tushar presents 3 Things You Absolutely Must Do if an Investment Fails posted at Start Investing Money. However good you are at picking investments, you will have one that fails every now and then. It is impossible to go through life picking all the right investments and never tripping up.

8. “Army of Ghosts”/“Doomsday” season 2, episodes 12 and 13, aired in July 2006.

SFB presents How Much House Can You Afford posted at Simple Finance Blog. Most of the problems happening these days in the real estate market are mainly because of the homeowners outstretching their budgets to own the houses they really couldn’t afford but desired.

Corey presents Tax Deductions for Having a Baby posted at 20s Finances. Your life changes dramatically when you have a baby. Your taxes change too.

Mr. Frenzy presents 10 Ways to Work Toward Financial Independence posted at Frenzied Finances. Achieving financial independence relieves stress that people suffer in their lives. Looking to become financially independent? Here are 10 how-to tips.

Kevin presents Could Someone Have a Life Insurance Policy On Me Without My Knowledge? posted at Passiveincometoretire. It is highly unlikely, but yes it is possible. Almost all circumstances, however, would prove fraudulent and today’s insurance companies are quite savvy when it comes to debunking such activity.

Debt Guru presents Stuck in a Rut? How to Get Out of Unemployment posted at Debt Free Blog. Stuck in the unemployment rut? We feel for you. That’s why we’ve provided some good, helpful tips on how to get out of unemployment. Read here to find out!

Wayne presents Computers for kids: The Pros & Cons posted at Young Family Finance. Children see computers all around them. As soon as they start school they will use a computer in the classroom, and many toddlers are used to using tablets from their early days.

7. “Midnight” season 4, episode 10, aired in June 2008.

Tony presents The 80/20 Rule and Procrastination posted at We Only Do This Once. The 80/20 Rule has been one of the most helpful concepts for my time and life management. Also called the Pareto Principle after the Italian economist, Pareto recognized that people in his society were divided into two group. The vital few were the top 20 percent in terms of money and influence, and the trivial many, the bottom 80 percent.

MR presents Everything Goes Trash Night – Bizarro Christmas Year 3 posted at Money Reasons. Once a year, we have a trash night in my community where everything can be put out. Oddly, I’ve come to enjoy this day, and so far each year the stuff I toss out is better and better. I enjoy giving stuff to people who are opportunistic and clever!

LaTisha presents How to Save Like The Terminator posted at Young Finances. Saving money doesn’t have to hurt your wallet. The key to saving money and saving lots of it, is to make your savings automatic.

Hank presents How To Use Prepaid Debit Cards To Budget For Big Purchases posted at Money Q&A. Sometimes a trick can save you money on purchases. One of my favorite techniques is using prepaid debit cards to budget for big purchases!

CAPI presents For Rent: Do’s and Don’ts of Renting Out Your Space posted at Creating a Passive Income. So you’ve decided to rent out your space! This can be a great income source if you do it right. Here are some do and don’t tips of renting out your space.

Jacob presents Online Sources for Personal Finance posted at AllPersonalFinance. Money is our lifeblood. Without it, we would be destitute on the street, starving, sick and unhappy. To keep ourselves comfortable then, it is necessary to manage the cash we have by looking at income and expenses and figuring out how we should proceed to meet our financial goals.

6. “Human Nature”/“The Family of Blood” season 3, episodes 8 and 9, aired in May, June 2007.

Jester presents Organization is key to balancing family life with a career posted at The Ultimate Juggle. Its tough juggling family life with a career and sometimes the pressure of it all can make you feel unappreciated, even desperate. The frantic commute back and forward to work each day seems to take forever and the boss demands more and more of your time.

Brent presents Earn some extra cash by hiring your property out as a film location posted at PersonalFinance-Tips. If you’re looking to earn a little bit of extra cash and have run out of ideas you might just be sitting in the best money maker of them all: your house. There’s quite a bit of money to be earned in renting your property out as a film location, but it may take a while before you get any interest in your property.

Kanwal presents Want To Invest Successfully In Only 15 Minutes a Month? posted at Simply Investing. Heres how you can invest successfully and spend only about 15 minutes a month on your investments: Keep it simple, Ignore the media noise on TV, Internet, Radio, and Magazines, Reduce the fees you are currently paying knowingly and unknowingly on your mutual funds, Keep it simple, Invest in quality dividend-paying companies when they are undervalued.

Suba presents Sold! How We Got An Offer On Our House In Less Than 2 Weeks posted at Broke Professionals. Our house spent six months on the market in 2012; here’s how we managed to sell it in 2013 in less than two weeks!

Amanda L Grossman presents How to Extend Your Cell Phone or Smartphone’s Package Almost for Free posted at Frugal Confessions.
Unlimited data, texting, and talking are a pipe dream for some, especially the unlimited data.

SBB presents The Good and Bad Sides of Coupons posted at Simple Budget Blog. Looking to save money? Maybe you’re big with coupons. We have some good news and bad news about coupons. Read here to learn about this common money saver.

5. “The Impossible Astronaut”/ “Day of the Moon” season 6, episodes 1 and 2, aired in April 2011.

Maria presents Shopping for Satisfaction posted at The Money Principle. This week Alex discusses shopping for food. When one is unemployed they should shop smart not hard but could young people today do it?

Sam presents Cost Saving Ways to Reward Employees posted at Simplefinancialfreedom. In a down economy, many companies are going through financial hardship, freezes, and eliminating bonuses.

Kevin presents The Marshmallow Experiment and your Finances posted at 20smoney.com. While many people who possess large amounts of money are very smart, others are not necessarily but where able to be at the right place at the right time.

Daniel presents How Much Do You Need To Save To Retire 1 Day Early? posted at Sweating the Big Stuff. Do you want to retire earlier? Find out how much you need to save today to be on the golf course one day earlier.

4. “The Stolen Earth”/“Journey’s End” season 4, episodes 12 and 13, aired in June, July 2008.

DPF presents Finding a Way to Get Things for Free posted at Digital Personal Finance. Getting things for free is always fun. Especially when it happens due to your resourcefulness!

Amy presents Hwo to Save Money and Eat Healthy Part 1 posted at Money Mishaps. There are affordable healthy foods available.

Daniel presents Easy Ways to Save Money Regardless of Your Income posted at Make Money Make Cents. It’s easy and straightforward for everyone to save money.

Danielle presents The Best Ways to Sell Your Stuff posted at Saving Without A Budget. Spring clean and make money at the same time.

3. “Vincent and the Doctor” season 5, episode 10, aired in June 2010.

David Leonhardt presents Laundry costs and how to save money posted at The Happy Guy. Put clothes to the smell test. If they smell like sweat, put them in the laundry. If they don’t smell like sweat, they are still good to wear. If a person is in the habit of tossing their PJs in the wash each morning, they could save close to $100 per year just by wearing them 3 nights. $100 per person. A family of five could save $500 a year.

Everything Finance presents How to Prep for a Garage Sale posted at Everything Finance Blog. Garage sales are often touted as a great way to give your debt repayment morale a boost when you need it most. If the idea of throwing a garage sale is just too daunting, break it up in these simple to-do chunks to make the process easier.

Little House presents Cutting Down on Bills and Everyday Expenses posted at Little House in the Valley. Bills aren’t going to go away and there’s not much you can do on that front, but you can lower them if you look into them enough. By examining your spending each month, you’ll be able to better assess what you actually need (versus what you think you need) and look into ways to saving money such as switching to a better electricity provider.

harry campbell presents 5 Ways to Save Money at Amusement Parks: Sea World San Diego posted at Your PF Pro. For some reason, the April showers haven’t quite hit San Diego like they normally do and the weather has been fantastic lately. Warm days and a nice breeze are why I love living in Socal and this past weekend I decided it would be a good time to take my sister(age 5) to Sea World. Even though it wasn’t too crowded, there was still a ton of people there and I couldn’t help but think about how much money everyone was spending.

2. “The Doctor’s Wife” season 6, episode 4, aired in May 2011.

Penny Thots presents Waiting for What You Want posted at Penny Thots. You might have to do just enough repairs on the old car to keep it going while you’re searching. But eventually you’ll find the right car, at the right price. (Don’t forget to haggle, while you’re at it.) And you will save.

Steven presents Bitcoins: Will They Make a Viable Currency? posted at Canadian Personal Finance. The recent hype in the bitcoin market has drawn a lot of attention to this digital currency. The question in many people’s minds is whether or not these can make a viable currency. It leads many to question the feasibility of bitcoins to stand the challenges it is currently facing.

Glen Craig presents How to Spend Less on Some of Your ‘Needs’ posted at Free From Broke . We tend to think of many items as needs when they really aren’t. Still, if you can save money on them then all the better.

Jacob @ My Personal Finance Journey presents posted at My Personal Finance Journey. This post describes 5 frugal living tips you can do to save money in your life every day.

1. “Blink” season 3, episode 10, aired in June 2007.

Emily presents Debate over Outsourcing Cleaning posted at Evolving Personal Finance. My husband is adamantly against outsourcing cleaning, even if we are both working and have small children. Is paying for cleaning a worthwhile luxury for you?

Mama Squirrel presents Frugality, second (or third) generation posted at Dewey’s Treehouse. Kids can be frugal too! Our daughter improvised a “bedroom suite” for her birthday doll.

Darwin presents What’s a Stay at Home Mom Worth? posted at Darwin’s Money . What is a stay at home mom worth? It’s a tough question to answer and this recent study thinks they have the answer. I beg to differ. Weigh in on how you’d value moms.

Lance presents Don’t Mix Family, Friends and Money – Our Townhouse Rental posted at Money Life and More. We were going to rent our townhouse out to someone we didn’t know, but my fiancee mentioned that one of her friends wants to move soon and loves our townhouse so we decided we could rent it out to her instead. That was the plan… until things went wrong!

Michael presents Is Angie’s List Worth the Money? posted at Financial Ramblings. Ever wondered if Angie’s List is worth the cost? Well, I tested it out last week and wrote up my experiences.

Don presents 5 Overlooked and Expensive Home Repairs posted at My Dollar Plan. Buying a house is usually the largest purchase people make. but during the home buying process, we rarely stop to think about all of the increased expenses we will incur as a result of purchasing the home.

Super Saver presents Frugal and Productive Exercise posted at My Wealth Builder. By cutting my grass, I get my exercise for free, but I accomplish something productive: lawn maintenance and composting.

The Frugal Toad - Money Saving Advice for Everyday Living

Explore Rapids with White Water Rafting

These days, a lot of companies offer white water rafting trips centered around rivers and camping excursions. If you’re a newbie—as many are—you can start off with a less-intense river. Rapids vary from Class 1 (the most gentle whitewater and requires little skill) to Class 5, which requires an immense amount of skill. Many companies offer Class 2-Class 3 type rapids for the beginner. With life vests and experienced guides, there’s usually very little to worry about on one of these whitewater excursions. Just be sure to research a well-reviewed company.

Attempt to Fly with Zip Lining

Zip lining has become increasingly popular thanks to popular tourist destinations, like Costa Rica. But you don’t have to travel far or pay the outrageous airfare to experience the adrenaline rush of zip lining. Treetop Quest in Buford, Georgia offers a whole nature park devoted to adrenaline junkies. Participants can defy gravity with suspension and monkey bridges, Tarzan jumps, flying foxes, and soaring zip lines up to 55 feet off the ground. The recreation park also offers information on environmental sustainability and ecology with education displays at each stage of the self-guided course.

Have Fun in the Sun with Parasailing

If your travel partner is adamant about heading toward the beach this summer, don’t let that spoil the adventure for you. Many popular beach destinations offer a plethora of water sports like water skiing, wake boarding or jet skis. If you’re not coordinated enough to attempt a water sport, check out parasailing. With parasailing, you can sail high above the water and gaze at all the sunbathers lounging on the beach.

Get Romantic with a Hot Air Balloon Ride

A hot air balloon ride is a perfect compromise for the couple who wants to feel adventurous but isn’t quite ready to go hard core with white-water rafting or zip lining. While a hot air balloon ride may not seem adventurous, flying high above the ground with only some heat to keep you soaring will definitely raise your heart rate a bit.

Pair your balloon ride with a weekend getaway somewhere. Wine tasting areas, such as Napa Valley, are perfect backdrops for the beauty of a hot air balloon ride during sunrise or sunset.

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There are plenty of adrenaline-pumping adventures awaiting you this summer. It’s only a matter of figuring out which one is right for you.

Readers: What is your dream adventure vacation?

The Frugal Toad - Money Saving Advice for Everyday Living