Yeah, you read that right. ING Direct and Walk off the Earth are partnering together to give away $10,000 in the Superstar #SaverSearch! All you have to do is show them your most creative ways to save money.

And because ING Direct is the best bank ever, they have not only 1, but 3 prizes.

Prizing:

1^st place winner – $10,000

2^nd place winner – $3,000

3^rd place winner – $2,000

Here are some ideas. Yeah, it really is that easy!

How do you enter?

To enter the contest, all you have to do is create and upload a video that showcases the most original way you save your money. Your video entry can be a song, story, rap, dance, puppet show, poem or anything else you can think of – get creative!

All video entries must be submitted no later than May 30, 2013.

How do you win?

ING DIRECT will select 10 videos that showcase the most original ways to save money on June 2, 2013. The video semi-finalists will then be posted on this site for all of Canada to vote.

The video entry with the most votes will WIN an ING DIRECT Investment Savings Account with $10,000. The person whose video comes in second place will get $3,000 in an ISA and the person in third place will get $2,000 in an ISA.

ENTER YOUR VIDEO HERE

Thank you for being a subscriber! I'd love it if we could carry a conversation in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter so go ahead and add me, I'd love to hear from you. Get Creative. Save Money. Win $10,000! is a copyrighted post from: Thirty Six Months

Cash flow problems are one of the main reasons for businesses to struggle financially. It doesn’t matter how great your profit is, if you have poor cash flow, you will not be able to pay your bills on time. If your cash problems have only just started, you can improve it by making a few changes to the way your business runs. Here at Real Business Rescue we are suggesting five tips to quickly improve your situation.

 1.     Change your invoicing: instead of allowing clients to pay you upon completion, set a requirement that the balance is paid upfront. This means that the money is in the account before the work starts; you will not waste time on a project that works out to be a financial write off.

 If you don’t have the option of asking for the full bill upfront, consider asking for milestone payments or for the client to place the money into an escrow account; so that money cannot be spent accidentally by the other party. You will gain the funds immediately upon completion of the project.

 2.     Change your billing dates: there may be the option to contact the people you have to pay to change your billing dates. This helps them fall in line with when you are more likely to be paid. This may work out if you know that there is a set payment coming through at set stages of the month and most suppliers will agree to a change in date; as long as you pay the money.

 3.     Organise a better contract: when it comes to suppliers, organise a better deal. You could maybe get more for your current price or arrange a lower price for your suppliers. Consider whether you need as much supplies as you gain and reduce them where possible. The less money going out, the less you need to worry about your cash flow problems.

 4.     Stay on top of the collections: it’s easy to end up letting payments slide, especially if you don’t have an automated system in place. Track the bad debt and implement an effective collections strategy to increase the chances of being paid; and making it more likely that people will pay you on time.

 The best thing to do would be to create an automated system. There are many pieces of software around that will help you to do this. They will send out automatic reminders for overdue bills and alert you when an invoice gets past a certain point so you can take further action.

 5.     Have more clients: there is a general saying in business to never have all your eggs in one basket. You should always have plenty of clients as you never know when one will struggle financially; leading to financial problems for you. Never have one client that creates more than 25% of your profit.

Diversifying your client base and changing your invoicing methods are two of the most efficient ways to improve your cash flow. However, you also need to look at the money going out and seeing if you can change that to suit when you have money coming in.

Author bio:

 Keith Tully has written many business-related articles for RealBusinessRescue. She has written on many topics over the past year, including tax, HMRC and the liabilities of company directors. Real Business Rescue offers professional advice for businesses struggling with insolvency and cash flow problems.

Thank you for being a subscriber! I'd love it if we could carry a conversation in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter so go ahead and add me, I'd love to hear from you. 5 Tips to Improve Cash Flow Problems is a copyrighted post from: Thirty Six Months

You know those days/weeks where live gets away from you, and you have no idea what day of the week it is, and have to consult the calendar on your phone to know what day it was? Yeah, that just happened to me. We’re all living our lives a bit more through technology these days, and for the most part this shift has occurred for the sake of convenience and simplicity. Businesses are able to run more smoothly, students lead easier lives, and general communication has never been simpler. However, there are also negative consequences of relying more heavily on technology, and one is that we tend to make careless mistakes simply because we aren’t prepared for certain mishaps.

A perfect example of the kind of issue that many people don’t prepare for until too late is losing important documents. Computers and other technology makes our work so easy to organize and store that many of us take for granted that our files and documents will be there when we need them. However, in the event that a computer is damaged, lost or stolen, or even if a program error causes a document to be accidentally deleted, we can experience major problems. Fortunately, such problems are easy to prevent. Here are four ways to make sure you never lose important documents again.

1. Cloud Storage

Cloud storage can still be labeled as an emerging technology, but the fact remains that it’s probably the single best means of file backup in existence. Cloud providers like ShareFile give you the ability to save important documents not to a computer, tablet, or other device, but to your own “cloud” online. Because the cloud can be accessed from any device, so long as it can connect to the Internet, your files will be safely waiting for you in the event that your computer or other device becomes damaged or lost.

2. Email

If you’re looking for a simpler means of backup for the occasional file, you can simply email it to yourself. This method sort of mimics cloud storage in that you will be able to access the file simply by logging into your email account from any device. This isn’t the best idea for a high volume of important documents, simply because organization can become difficult, but it certainly works. Think Google Drive and Gmail here.

3. USB Storage

Perhaps the most common form of file backup still, USB drives are simple and convenient. You can simply store documents and entire folders on a USB device small enough to fit on your keychain. The disadvantage, of course, is that these devices can be lost. But, if you’re using it primarily for backup, a USB is a very handy solution.

4. External Hard Drive

Finally, if you need a larger source for backup storage but don’t want to rely on online tools such as email or cloud storage, an external hard drive is probably the way to go. These hard drives can store massive amounts of data, and can plug into any compatible computer for access, meaning that they can essentially hold your files securely until you need them. Many people also use these hard drives simply for extra storage.

Thank you for being a subscriber! I'd love it if we could carry a conversation in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter so go ahead and add me, I'd love to hear from you. On Attempting to Stay Wired In is a copyrighted post from: Thirty Six Months

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Investor Junkie @ Investor Junkie writes Are Retirement Accounts Flawed? – The FRONTLINE documentary “The Retirement Gamble” by Martin Smith documents the issues with retirement accounts. Overall, the documentary was ok, though anyone who’s familiar with 401(k)s will not learn much.

SFB @ Simple Finance Blog writes How College Students Can Save Money – While paying off student loans and college tuition continue to be financial burdens on most college students, saving money seems to be almost impossible in today’s world of temptations.

Steven @ MyDividendStocks writes Passive Income the American Dream – People always chase after the American Dream. They dream of sleeping in every day, pursuing their favorite hobbies and work when they want. They dream of going to the mailbox every day and receiving a check for not working at a job in years.

Sam @ Simplefinancialfreedom writes Reverse Mortgage FAQ – The HECM or home equity corporation mortgage is actually an FHA reverse mortgage. It is used to withdraw on the equity of your home.

DJ @ Money for College Project writes How to Create Your Own Scholarship – A radical change in the traditional scholarship method. Much like bootstrapping your own business, we show you how to build your college scholarship portfolio from the ground up using corporate sponsors.

John S @ Frugal Rules writes Online Brokerages I Use: OptionsHouse Review – There are many online brokerages to use as you look to invest in the stock market. The good ones are there to meet your needs and help make sure you’re doing what you can to be investing for things like retirement.

Grayson @ Debt RoundUp writes How A Door-to-Door Salesman Caused Me to Bite – Here comes a true story about how a door-to-door salesman was able to pitch me into a sale. It was the first and the last time that has ever happened! I let an alarm system salesman get the upper hand during a conversation in my driveway as I built a dog house. I needed what he sold, but I didn’t research the deal well enough. I ended up paying for it in the end. Take a gander at how a door-to-door salesman got me to bite on his pitch.

Mr.CBB @ Canadian Budget Binder writes Junk to Funk: Some Woman Down The Road Left Me With Hardwood – It’s not everyday I come across a money maker in the streets for free but when I do see it I jump on it. Often a simple DIY project can yield you savings in your budget or profits to your bank account if you can sell it. Watch me turn junk into funk and save!

Sean @ One Smart Dollar writes 5 Popular Craigslist Scams to Watch Out For – Craigslist can be a great place to buy and sell items however it also comes with risks. Here are some of the biggest Craigslist scams to watch out for.

Miranda Marquit @ ReadyForZero Blog writes How to Deal with Hospital Bills – Are you dealing with hospital bills or medical debt? This blogpost tells you all you need to know about what to do to make this more manageable.

Nick @ A Young Pro writes How to Advance in Your New Career as a Gen Y Employee – So you are a Gen Y employee starting a new career? Learn how to follow the 20/80 rule to get your career of to a great start and rise through the ranks.

Jon @ Novel Investor writes The Importance of Diversification – If you’ve ever heard “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”, it’s used to describe a simple investing principle known as diversification.

Dividend Growth Investor @ Dividend Growth Investor writes Twenty Dividend Stocks I Recently Purchased for my Dividend Portfolio – I had an old 401 (k) with Fidelity, which was eligible for a rollover. In early April I cashed out the index funds in it, and rolled the money over into an IRA. After that I decided to equally allocate the money in twenty individual dividend stocks.

KK @ Student Debt Survivor writes Spending Without Spouse Approval – There have been a lot of posts in the personal finance blogosphere recently about whether you should merge your finances together when you get married. But what about discussing large purchases with your partner? Should you spend without spouse “approval?”

Michael Kitces @ Nerd’s Eye View writes Is Capital Loss Harvesting Overvalued? – Capital loss harvesting has long been a staple of investment tax strategy – so much that the Internal Revenue Code has special “wash sale” rules to ensure that the technique is not overly abused. But the reality is that harvesting losses just defers taxes – it doesn’t avoid them entirely – and as a result, the benefit of the strategy is far less than most realize, and often outweighed by the risks!

Kim @ Eyes on the Dollar writes Are You in the Habit of Wasting Money? – While automating payments can be a great way to assure you never rack up a late fee or interest charge, it can also cost money when you automatically pay for services or products you don’t use. We all need to pay careful attention to make sure we get value out of everything we spend money on.

harry campbell @ Your PF Pro writes Writing Off Moving Costs During Tax Time – The IRS provides a lot of deductions for hard working Americans like us but a lot of people are unaware of them or maybe scared of an audit. I say bring it on, as long as you have the receipts and proof to back it all up, you should take advantage of every deduction available out there. The ‘moving expenses’ deduction is one of the more valuable ones since it’s above the line, meaning you don’t have to itemize to take advantage of it.

JC @ Passive-Income-Pursuit writes Stock Valuation Method – Discounted Cash Flow – Continuing with my stock valuation series, I look at the Discounted Cash Flow method. If you’re not sure what it is, how to use it, or just want a useful spreadsheet to calculate it for you, stop on by.

Jules Wilson @ Faithful With a Few writes Why We Want To Start A Giving Account – A giving account is a great way to set aside money in order to be a blessing to someone else. Make sure you have this in place, so you can respond when there is a need.

Philip @ PT Money writes Going Into Debt for In Vitro or Adoption: Is it Worth it? – This is a look at three families and what it took financially for them to have children.

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes Do I Need Life Insurance In Retirement? – Generally you use life insurance until you retire but there are times when you still need life insurance in retirement. See when and why.

Jules Wilson @ Fat Guy,Skinny Wallet writes Scrap Booking On A Budget – Cheap Scrap booking Ideas can help you go from expensive hobby, to a cost-effective way to cherish your precious memories. Here are 5 ways to scrapbook on a budget.

Glen Craig @ Credit Card Smarts writes Which Cash Back Rewards Are Best: Rotating Categories, or Set Cash Back? – Cash back rewards cards are awesome. But which is better – a set cash back card or a rotating category?

Marie at Family Money Values @ Family Money Values writes Review of the ‘M’ word book. – If you dread having the money talk, take a look at this! Help is on the way.

Jessica Moorhouse @ Mo’ Money Mo’ Houses writes Rich Dad, Poor Dad’s Robert Kiyosaki & a TV Giveaway! – Robert Kiyosaki is famous for his books all about personal finance and becoming rich, but is he the real deal or just a good salesman?

Jason Hull @ Hull Financial Planning writes Do You Have a Social Responsibility to Save? – If Social Security isn’t the safety net in retirement that we thought it would be, do you have a social responsibility to others to save now?

SB @ One Cent at a Time writes All About Car Tires and How it Relates to your Money – Car tires play a very vital role and are a very valuable safety feature on a vehicle. Learn how to save money on car tires, how to increase the tire life and what precautions you must take while purchasing new ones.

Thank you for being a subscriber! I'd love it if we could carry a conversation in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter so go ahead and add me, I'd love to hear from you. Carnival of MoneyPros – (Step Away from your computer and go outside- Edition) is a copyrighted post from: Thirty Six Months

Let’s talk about smart buying for a second, shall we?

You may have read my previous post about being a potential hoarder, and are aware that I can get really excited about wanting certain items. Then going out and buying 5 of the same one. It happens to the best of us. I’m happy to note that there are a lot of people like me. We just like things.  Things make us feel accomplished. Although I’m more likely to spend money on lunch or dinner with friends or go away than buy something pricey (unless its electronics).

But I digress.

Because of the fear of being a potential hoarder, and because I hate clutter, I’ve been donating/ throwing away, or handing over things to friends and family lately. My closet is slowly starting to resemble a wardrobe that is cohesive, functional and the materials are made of the highest quality.  I can justify quality over quantity. Unless its a fad or “trend” piece that I know I’ll only wear for one season.

Even though I’m buying clothes from Banana Republic, instead of Old Navy, the good PF blogger in me makes me look for coupons code online. There are tons of sites out there like Save1, which does some great things for the community and help you save money. 

There is nothing I hate more than cheap looking material. This does not mean that I’m against buying a $3 tank top, but against items that look cheap. As you may know, I am anything but frugal but I do put A LOT of emphasis on smart spending. ie. spending my money on things that will last a long time and possibly do some good for the planet.

While I’m not obsessed with having everything eco-friendly or organic, I am slowly starting to open my eyes to products that do good, and feel good. The only hiccup with this is the fact that “good” “eco-friendly” and “organic” products tend to cost more. A LOT more.

As a science major, I can’t tell you enough how happy it makes me to see people paying more attention to what we put in or on our bodies. We’re voting for better, more socially and environmentally friendly products with our wallets. Our  grandchildren might not get an inheritance from us, but at least they’ll have trees.

BUT THATS JUST IT!

Every time we chose to VOTE for something with our hard earned money, we’re sending a message and telling the world that we value our planet and our future. I’m not sure when I became more conscious of my buying habits, but I compare investing in sustainable companies to retirement planning. Yes, they are not going to be putting more directly in my pocket, but they are ensuring that our planet resembles something we are used to by the time we get old.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not perfect. Sometimes I buy things just because I like them, or because I’m already used to having them, and am too lazy to look around, but those instances are getting to be few and far between. Once you get hooked on higher end products ( particularly skincare) and see what it can do for you, you are more than happy to spend double the price.

What are your thoughts on spending more money on organic products? Is it worth it to you?

Thank you for being a subscriber! I'd love it if we could carry a conversation in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter so go ahead and add me, I'd love to hear from you. On Voting with Your Wallet is a copyrighted post from: Thirty Six Months

Hi friends,

I was tapped by the lovely folks at Twin Set Canada along with 10 other bloggers to style a look for a chance to win a trip to Milan.

While I don’t consider myself a fashion blogger, I do enjoy putting things together so I jumped all over it. It’s been 3 years since I’ve been to Milan, and would love to visit it again.

I would love for you to take 30 seconds and vote for me (Marissa Anwar – Chic Darling) on Facebook.

Direct link to the contest : http://bit.ly/17TkKxp

The contest is open till May 10th,  an you can vote every 24hours, if you feel inclined. 

Please leave me a comment, and I may have something awesome as a thank you.

Thank you for being a subscriber! I'd love it if we could carry a conversation in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter so go ahead and add me, I'd love to hear from you. Twin Set + Your vote = A very Grateful Me is a copyrighted post from: Thirty Six Months

If you follow me on twitter you know how much I hate fighting with my inbox. Its a daily battle where I try to balance replying quickly and effectively with trying to be polite, so when I came across the following post on http://blog.vrypan.net/ I knew I was in love. Can we, as a community, try to put this into practice?  I know for a fact that this will help all of us struggling with the quest for INBOX ZERO.

Originally posted here.

I get a lot of email: requests for advice, presentations, meetings, new projects/services… In most of these cases, the answer itself could be as simple as “Yes”, “No”, or “Tuesday”, or “I’ll be available after July”.

But I want to be polite, which adds a considerable overhead to delivering a simple reply.

The “I can’t”, ends up looking something like “Dear John, thank you …, I would be happy to … but right now I’m … and … and … and I won’t be able to invest the required amount of time. Please [....] Thank you”. Even saying yes, gets more complicated than it should: unless I know the sender really well, I’ll go with something more than “Great. Yes. Send me details.”.

As a result I find myself delaying replies, until get the time to write “a proper reply”, and this takes much more time than it should.

Remember “RSVP” that indicates that the sender (of an invitation) expects a reply? What if, much like in the case of RSVP, the sender had a way to inform me in advance that a very short reply is welcome?

I’ll call it VSRE, for “Very Short Reply Expected”. It will be a way to indicate that it’s OK for the recipient to give a very short reply. So when I see an email with subject “VSRE: Invitation to participate to event X”, I’ll know in advance I can safely reply with a “yes, thank you”, or even a simple “no”.

“VSRE” can also be used at the end of your email, like this

Looking forward to your reply (VSRE),

John.

or even like this

VSRE, John.

Yes, VSREs will be the first emails I’ll answer. Yes, VSREs will be the emails I’d rather answer on my mobile.

However, if you use VSRE, make sure your email can be replied using a very short reply. I mean, some questions require a long answer. If you add VSRE at the subject of an email that requires a long answer, I’ll probably reply with “VSR not possible, check out what VSRE stands for” and a link to this post.

The rules:

• VSRE stands for “Very Short Reply Expected”
• In this context, a very short reply can be a single word, and is usually consisted of no more than five.
• If you ask for VSRE, expect to get answers like “No.” or “Ping me in 4 weeks”. If you wanted the full story, you shouldn’t have used VSRE in the first place.

If you like the idea, spread the word. The more people are aware of it, the more it will make sense using it.

Feel free to copy this post (a link back here will be appreciated) or (even better) describe the idea behind VSRE in your own words.

What do you think? Does it look feasible?

Thank you for being a subscriber! I'd love it if we could carry a conversation in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter so go ahead and add me, I'd love to hear from you. VSRE: Very Short Reply Expected is a copyrighted post from: Thirty Six Months

I don’t know what part of the country, you’re in but there seems to be blowing soon outside my window right now. The weather makes it the perfect day to stay and read these awesome posts below.

Jessica Moorhouse @ Mo’ Money Mo’ Houses writes Mo’ Money Tips for the Beginner Blogger – Want to start a personal finance blog? Great! Here are some of my tips to get you started!

Emily @ Evolving Personal Finance writes Do You Want a Vacation Home? – I love family vacations to the beach, but I’m not sure I would ever want to own one of those properties – but if we did I think we would rent it out as well.

SB @ One Cent at a Time writes Few Ways to have More Spring break Fun with Less Budget – If you want to enjoy spring break, it is time to implement the best practices. Fresh aromas and fun times are in the air and you should be already shaking off your winter blues. As you may know, few days before Spring break, prices start to increase. You can still spot fabulous deals online. And you can save money from the allocated budget!

Steven @ Canadian Personal Finance writes Manufacturing Stocks: How Are They Faring? – The sudden expansion in the December of 2012 of China’s manufacturing sector boosted optimism in the world’s 2nd biggest economy. The recent upsurge in the performance of the Dow Jones is bringing euphoria to the economy. The US is poised to take advantage of the housing sector recovery.

harry campbell @ Your PF Pro writes Ever Taken Advantage of a Satisfaction Guarantee Offer? – “Satisfaction Guarantee” is a term that I hear thrown around a lot these days. My interpretation of that phrase is that if I’m not satisfied with any aspect of the service or product I receive, I’m entitled to a full refund. That seems like a pretty bold statement, doesn’t it? What business in their right mind would allow a customer to get a refund for any reason? Seems to me like they wouldn’t make any money that way, but yet we still see these guarantees all the time.

Michael @ Financial Ramblings writes Barclaycard Arrival: $444 Signup Bonus + 2x Rewards – Looking for some easy money? Consider apply for the Barclaycard Arrival which is currently offering a $400+ signup bonus plus the most generous rewards on the market.

A Blinkin @ Funancials writes You WILL NOT Save More Later – If you’re a recent college graduation, you think you’ll save more later – just as soon as you get married. If you’re recently married, you think you’ll save more later – after you travel the country. If you have children, you think you’ll save more later – as soon as they get older.

Tony @ We Only Do This Once writes 7 Tips To Succeed As A Day-Job Entrepreneur – Do you have what it takes to become the successful entrepreneur you know you’re meant to be? Many people think they do have what it takes, but never pursue it, leaving untapped energy sources, full of potential.

Crystal @ Budgeting in the Fun Stuff writes We Finally Did Our Taxes – Sheesh! – We didn’t make as much in 2012, but we paid about the same amount in taxes anyway thanks to having to pay the self-employment taxes on everything. YUCK!

krantcents @ KrantCents writes How to Use Credit Cards Responsibly – Too many people have credit card debt! As of December, 2011, according to Capital One there was $801 billion total U.S. revolving debt. 98% is credit card debt! The total U.S. consumer debt is $2.5 trillion as of December 2011. The average credit card debt per household with credit card debt is $15,799.

Marissa @ Finance Triggers writes Saving For Post Secondary Education . Want to find a great way to save for post secondary education? Here are some great suggestions.

Barry Simpson @ Money Infographics Blog writes Less Compensation due to Accident Law Change [Infographic] – A review took place in 2010 by Lord Justice Jackson to avert ‘spurious’ personal injury claims from reaching the courts of the UK. The solution he came to for this issue was to make sure that any claimant would have to pay anywhere up to 25% of the compensation they are awarded back to the solicitor that is representing them.

BARBARA FRIEDBERG @ Barbara Friedberg Personal Finance writes 3 DEBT LESSONS FROM DEAD POETS SOCIETY – Debt Heroes inspire you to get out of debt. Become debt free.

LaTisha @ Young Finances writes 9 Principles of Success – How to achieve success in your personal and professional life by following nine simple principles.

Brent @ PersonalFinance-Tips writes Being Cheap without being a Cheapskate – While many people want to know of ways to save money for some the passion becomes an obsession. Some may view this as a good thing while others view it negatively. You see there can be a fine line between being cheap and being a cheapskate.

Tushar @ Finance TUBE writes 6 Ways To Teach Your Kids All About Money – Today I will be telling you about 6 Ways To Teach Your Kids All About Money. Kids are fast learner so one of the best lessons that we can teach them is money management. However money management is often heard from an adult tribe.

Debt Guru @ Debt Free Blog writes Retiring Right – Impending poverty – that’s the way some people see their retirement. Naturally, when you retire your income may be slightly lower, but that doesn’t mean you should have an apocalyptic view of your financial few.

Luke @ Learn Bonds writes Minimizing Cash Is King – Although investing entails uncertainty, there are things you can do that definitely make you a better investor. Minimizing the whole cash is king ideal is one of them.

Evan @ My Journey to Millions writes Chooosing a Life Insurance Beneficiary – I think that the beneficiary status on a life insurance policy is an often over looked when handling one’s finances and estate planning, however, for many it is the largest asset they leave behind for their heirs and should be handled with care.

Sam @ Simplefinancialfreedom writes At What Age Should You Get Term Life Insurance? – When it comes to taking out life insurance, age should not make any difference in overall terms because life insurance is a way to protect yourself and your

Greg @ ThriftGenuity writes Which School to Choose – Is the Most Selective School the Best School? – Examines the Princeton Review’s Top Values and if spending the money on a highly selective school is worth it in the long run as compared to going to a school that offers you more financial assistance

Greg @ ThriftGenuity writes Which School to Choose – Is the Most Selective School the Best School? – Examines the Princeton Review’s Top Values and if spending the money on a highly selective school is worth it in the long run as compared to going to a school that offers you more financial assistance

Jason @ Live Real Now writes Net Worth Update – This quarter is the first time in a long time that my net worth has dropped. We got our property tax statements last week and found out that our houses have dropped a combined $21,700. Since we’re not planning to sell, that doesn’t matter much.

Matt @ Living in Financial Excellence writes 5 Easy Tips to Help You and Your Family Save Money Each Month – If your family budget is already feeling the cinch and you need to tighten it a little more, here are five simple tips to help shave money off your family’s monthly expenses:

Ray @ Squirrelers writes A Healthier Brain Equals Healthier Finances – Keeping healthy can help us financially, and one underappreciated aspect of this is keeping our brain sharp. Doing so can help us in many ways with respect to money.

Kyle @ The Penny Hoarder writes Get Paid to Eat Dog Food – The next time you’re feeding Fido or Fluffy, you might want to consider taking a taste of their food yourself. If the thought of doing so repulses you, you might not be a candidate for the next great pet food tester. However, if you’re feeling a bit more adventurous and are considering having that bite!

Mike @ Personal Finance Journey writes House swap vs couch surfing – a frugal vacation! – Simple out of the box ideas to having a frugal vacation and saving money with accommodation. How do you save money when traveling?

Tushar @ Start Investing Money writes The Benefits of Locking Up Your Money for Longer – We all know how important it is to manage our money in the best possible way. Ideally this means building up an emergency fund to cover three months’ worth of outgoings in case we should need it, and then maximizing the rest of the available cash we have.

William Cowie @ Bite the Bullet Investing writes Fear of Investing: Watcha Gonna Do? – How many people shy away from investing because they’re afraid of losing money? They already have the keys to overcome that fear. Read this post to see how.

Jester @ The Ultimate Juggle writes Will Our Kids Have Wealth Building Opportunities Like We Had? – Are there less wealth building opportunities for kids in the future? I think this is a possibility and explain why I think so.

Everything Finance @ Everything Finance Blog writes 7 Ways Warmer Weather Can Save You Money – If you think summer is more expensive than winter, consider these many ways you can save money in the summer months:

Little House @ Little House in the Valley writes Making the Most of Your Small Garden Spaces – With a few simple updates, you can create a beautiful garden, in spaces both big and small. Here’s a look at how.

Miss T. @ Prairie Eco Thrifter writes Eight Reasons to Use an Electric Toothbrush – When my dental hygienist suggested I buy an electric toothbrush from her office, I thought, woman you’re just trying to sell me something. However, I recently changed my mind. Here’s why.

Suba @ Broke Professionals writes Should You Have To Pay for Public School? – In our new school district, parents have to pay school tuition for full-day kindergarten. Is it justifiable given the economy, or an undo burden?

Don @ MoneySmartGuides writes Reader Writes: Retirement Worries – The following is am email from a reader named Jim: We’re about to send our youngest off to law school in about 3 months. Read why he’s worried about retirement, and rightfully so.

Daniel @ Sweating the Big Stuff writes The Average Age of First-Time Home Buyers – In 2009, the most recent available data, the average age of home buyers was 31 according to one study and 34 according to another. But what is normal?

MMD @ My Money Design writes How to Increase PageRank, Get Found Through Google, and Make Some Money! – If you’re struggling with how to increase PageRank with Google, then you need to try my definitive guide of tips and strategies that will build your chances.

MMD @ IRA vs 401k Central writes What Does IRA Stand For Anyways? – If you’re wondering “what does IRA stand for”, then you may be surprised to find out that the IRS defines it as an “individual retirement arrangement”. This is slightly different than the common definition of an “individual retirement account”.

Maria @ The Money Principle writes Have you paid off your Christmas bills yet? – Piling the bills for the summer holiday over the debts built during Christmas may not be the way to go if one is to be better with money.

Michelle @ The Shop My Closet Project writes Getting paid to lose weight, finally something to motivate me – My job has just launched a health and wellness program. Employees who log in an activity at least 12 times a month for the next year will be paid $300. We will be paid quarterly and I am really excited about this program. This came at the right time for me because I have finally, finally gotten serious about working through the process of getting fit.

Bryan @ BryanMaltier.com writes How To Compare Car Insurance Rates – Summer is on the way and your family is likely planning road trips and a ton of fun activities. For these reasons, and the fact that many American’s car insurance policies come up for renewal in the summer months, here is a post dedicated to helping you find lower car insurance rates. We cover what you need, how to determine the coverage you want, what to look for in customer service, how to apply for discounts, and asking the right questions.

Jacob @ AllPersonalFinance writes Ways to Save on Business Costs – We all know that a business’s bottom line is to make a profit so any reasonable steps to take to increase that companies earnings are usually well appreciated. Here are some points to keep in mind when trying to save money with your business. Buy your Checks Online. Bank Checks can be very expensive.

Kevin @ 20smoney.com writes Last Minute Car Rentals-Your Questions Answered – You might have been told that booking your car hire in advance will guarantee you the best options and the best rate, and this is true.

Kevin @ Passiveincometoretire writes Hidden 401(k) Fees Eating Away At Your Retirement Savings – Read how 9 in 10 Americans vastly underestimate their average total 401(k) fees they are paying over the course of their lifetime.

Jon Haver @ Pay My Student Loans writes Who can get a PELL Grant? – The Pell Grant is a highly sought-after form of financial aid for one simple reason: it doesn’t need to be repaid. The Pell Grant can be seen as a form of scholarship that pays off a portion of the tuition. A misconception about financial aid is that most aid comes in the form of loans that need to be repaid. While many financial aid programs are interest-bearing loans, there are also a wide variety of gift-grants available as well.

Roger the Amateur Financier @ The Amateur Financier writes First Quarter 2013 Resolution Progress (and 4 Tips to Resolution Success) – It’s been more than three months since the start of the new year, more than a quarter of the way through 2013.

Jon the Saver @ Free Money Wisdom writes Best Time to Buy Christmas Lights – Right now is the best time to buy Christmas lights. Did you know that? Get in on the savings today so you don;t waste money come December!

MR @ Money Reasons writes Investing Is Like A Skill Based Game – I describe how investing is like a game and that you should realize that losing is part of winning.

Ted Jenkin @ Your Smart Money Moves writes Four Rules Of Thumb That Are Thumbs Down – For many years I have seen articles galore in the major magazines giving consumers -rules of thumb- about making financial decisions.

Joe @ Midlife Finance writes Are Paid Diet Plan Worth It? – There are literally hundreds of plans to choose from, and each argues that they’re the best and most effective. Do you choose the plan based on its price and ease of use?

JC @ Passive Income Pursuit writes 2013 Goals – 1st Quarter Update – I take a look back at my several goals for this year to see how the 1st quarter of 2013 treated me. I’m very happy with several of the goals, but there’s still plenty to work on.

Mr. Frenzy @ Frenzied Finances writes Spring Cleaning: Getting Rid of Spending Habits – Everyone has bad habits that serve as personal weaknesses. Now that it’s Spring, read these five tips to learn how to get rid of your bad spending habits.

Hank @ Money Q&A writes Why Socially Conscious Investing May Be Costing You A Lot Of Money – Socially conscious investing may seem like a great idea for investors, but it limits your pool of investment choices, has high fees, and may not be a great investment after all.

JP @ My Family Finances writes One fifth of Brits bury head in sand over finances: shocking revelation from The Co-operative Bank – The Co-operative Bank has revealed that almost one fifth of us (19%) simply bury our heads in the sand to cope with financial difficulties.

CAPI @ Creating a Passive Income writes Get Out Of Debt Using Passive Income – Got debt on your mind? Finding yourself deeper in debt problems? Passive income may be able to help. Here are some great tips on getting out of debt.

Steven @ MyDividendStocks writes Socially Responsible Investing (SRI) – People who are afraid to invest sometimes entertain the thought of just digging a hole in the back yard and buying their cash. Of course this would be financial suicide to do so. Those who have cash in a savings account and are afraid to invest it are doing more harm than good.

Lauren @ L Bee and the Money Tree writes When Money Is No Object…. – I re-watched the film -Pretty Woman- over the weekend, and was surprised- I had forgotten how awesome that movie is! Anyway, in the movie the Richard Gere character takes Julia Roberts shopping and he tells the clerk at the store that he’s going to spend -an obscene amount of money-!

Amanda L Grossman @ Frugal Confessions writes 5 Money Saving Tips for Savvy Shoppers – This is a guest post by Mike Collins, who is obsessed with building sustainable streams of income online and achieving financial freedom so he can live life… Read his 5 money saving tips!

Corey @ 20s Finances writes Is Gen Y Really That Bad Off? – I don’t want this post to come off sounding that I think being a recent college graduate and finding a job is a piece of cake. I am simply questioning everything I am reading so that hopefully we can have a discussion. With that said, I think the media is overblowing this entire crisis.

IMB @ Investing Money writes Should You Invest Money Now? – The right timing often plays a serious role in good investing. It’s important to ask yourself – is now the time to invest money? Read here for good tips.

Crystal @ Married (with Debt) writes Thanks to These Blog Carnivals – April 2013 – Hi again! Every week, we submit our favorite posts to a variety of blog carnivals. When we are selected, it is common courtesy (and an expectation) that we link back to those that included us.

Wayne @ Young Family Finance writes Four Debunked Financial Myths – Though you’ve heard much about them, the following four financial myths need to be taken with a grain of salt and skepticism.

PK @ Don’t Quit Your Day Job… writes Inflation Adjusted Gold Return Calculator – So, I tried to search for a gold return calculator. None of them can hold a candle to the one I built – so I hope people find it useful!

Mr.CBB @ Canadian Budget Binder writes How We Saved $146.90 By Reading The Paper – It’s not everyday reading the paper can score you some money back in your pocket. Being aware of store policies and understanding them as a consumer may work to your advantage like it did for us.

John S @ Frugal Rules writes Discover it Card Review – A Good Option to Have in Your Wallet – There are many credit cards out there to choose from. The key is to find one that’ll meet your needs and be a good addition to your wallet. The Discover it card is one that might fit the bill.

DPF @ Digital Personal Finance writes 10 Things to Do to Help Get Financial Freedom – In order to achieve goals, we often have to take many steps first. For the goal of financial freedom, there are many things we can do to help us get there, as shared in this post

Jon @ Novel Investor writes Planning Around Gold And The Weeks Ahead – Enough has happened in the last two weeks to make big waves in the markets. Find out what matters and how to plan for the weeks ahead.

Grayson @ Debt Roundup writes A Gym Membership, an Auto-Draft, and a Lawsuit – A gym membership is a great way to get in shape, but sometimes things can go wrong. When I was in high school, I signed up with Gold’s Gym for a one year membership. I had used the gym everyday to get in shape and I was enjoying it. One day that all changed with Gold’s Gym couldn’t pull money from my account any more. After a few more months, I got a call from a lawyer representing Gold’s Gym. They were suing me.

Dividend Growth Investor @ Dividend Growth Investor writes Six Dividend Paying Stocks I Purchased for my IRA – I purchased six dividend stocks in an IRA. By making this IRA contribution, I was able to reduce my tax due by more than half. The amount I put in that IRA produced an instant tax savings that was equivalent to over one third of its value in taxes.

KK @ Student Debt Survivor writes Financial Lessons Learned From My 80-Year-Old Grandfather – There’s so much to be learned from older generations about saving and wealth building. My grandfather is truly the, “grandfather” of frugal.

Arnel Ariate @ Money Soldiers writes 5 Ways to Protect Yourself in a Bad Economy – Here are some ways that you can protect yourself when times are bad. By becoming more aware of what is going on in the economy, you can actually better prepare yourself for any kind of economic downturn that could affect your job in the future.

Glen @ Monster Piggy Bank @ Monster Piggy Bank writes How Getting to Work Costs Money – A post about some of the various costs associated with going to work.

Buck Inspire @ Buck Inspire writes My First Taste Of Haterade – I’ve always stayed below the radar and not ruffled feathers. Recently I’m coming off the sidelines and getting into the game. Not surprisingly, I also encountered my first taste of Haterade.

Jacob @ Cash Cow Couple writes Applying Pokemon in Real Life – I’ve admitted before that I’m a huge nerd, but it gets worse – I’m still a Pokemon fan. As such, I’ve blended inspiration, life lessons, and Pokemon into a savory blog post.

Jason Hull @ Hull Financial Planning writes Are Your Parents Losing the Ability to Deal With Money? – From age 60 on, adults suffer cognitive declines. The ability to deal with finances is one of the first cognitive capabilities which we lose. Here’s how to identify if your parents are losing that ability and what to talk to them about.

Glen Craig @ Free From Broke writes Citi ThankYou Preferred Card – $150 in Gift Cards | Review – The Citi ThankYou Preferred Card offers up an easy to use rewards point program as well as an intro 0% APR. See more details in our review.

Philip @ PT Money writes Kiva and the New Kiva Zip Helping Entrepreneurs from Little Rock to Kenya – Kiva has been giving anyone the opportunity to invest in entrepreneurial endeavors taking place around the world. Now it can be done here in the U.S. Find out all about this easy way to invest.

Justin @ The Frugal Path writes Living Below Your Means: There’s no way around it – If you want to achieve wealth or be able to retire with dignity there is one truth that must be obeyed. You must live below your means.

Jules Wilson @ Faithful With a Few writes – We were so grateful that we had the extra money which is something we wouldn’t have had in the past. I never would have dreamed having a sick household could cost so much.

Jules Wilson @ Fat Guy,Skinny Wallet writes I Finished My First 10K Race! – In training to run a 10k race I had to follow a specific plan. The race is now over, and you can read how my training paid off, and see how it might work for you.

Steve @ Grocery Alerts writes 38 Grocery Hacks to save time and money – Here is a list of 38 grocery and food hacks to save you time and money.

Paul Vachon @ The Frugal Toad writes Frugal Travel Tips: Save Money on Your Holidays – Holidays are a special time to get away, relax, and have a bit of an adventure. However, many of us put off big trips perennially due to cost and budget restrictions. With several ways to save before you go and once you’re on the road, you don’t have to let finances stand in the way of your dream trip.

Thank you for being a subscriber! I'd love it if we could carry a conversation in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter so go ahead and add me, I'd love to hear from you. Yakezie Carnival (There’s a Blizzard in April Edition) is a copyrighted post from: Thirty Six Months

I still haven’t gotten around to writing my “I quit my job” post and I just passed the 1 year mark. I am not sure why I’m dragging my feet.

I am extremely happy with my decision, but leaving a full-time permanent gig to test the freelance, consulting waters was a big risk. It is a risk  that has worked out well for me for so far. At least it looks that way when you look from the outside in. Let’s be honest for a minute, shall we? I had debt when I quit my job and while I was working really hard to eliminate that, I had also set up a emergency fund for when I made my exit.

You see, I wanted to travel and live in Argentina for 4 months. Learn the language a bit better, and just take in the sights and sounds of a different country. Having lived in quite a few different countries before the age of 12,  I was going stir crazy living in the same city for the last 16 years. Yes, I backpacked around Asia and Europe for a total of 1o months, but being a tourist is something completely different that being a foreigner in a city. The entire experience is different.   I wanted to be a foreigner. One of fondest of my most recent backpacking trip is from Santorini. We stayed on the coast for 2 weeks and it was as close to living there as we could get.

But I digress. This post is about the ups and downs of working for yourself.  And while I can write a list post like the best of them, I’m just going to focus on 1 of each.

Perks:

I get to work for myself, and as such I get to pick and chose how much work I put in and who I want to work with (NOW). This wasn’t the case when I first the plunge a year ago. This time last year, I was working 70-80 hour weeks because I was afraid that I had made mistake and I needed to squirrel away as much as I could. What I learned from my experience so far is how important picking your projects and clients are.

Yes, our clients pay us, but we’re providing something very valuable in return. Compatibility is SO important. Not only does it make any project pleasant, but almost all of my clients are referrals. We get along well, and the work is completed on time, and either on or under budget. And once you make a enough of a name for yourself, clients start trusting your judgement.

Eventually everything snowballs into me being to work from home instead of the office. Best gig ever, right?

Drawbacks:

Working for yourself, or as a consultant,  is isolating. Part of what I do involves making staffing recommendations, so I do my best to stay away from the office culture as much as possible. This works out because I like working from home, but where it sucks is the fact that I have zero sense of a normal work day anymore. I wake at 7:00am everyday, and get to bed around 2:00am. The sad reality is that most of the freelancers I know do the same thing. Just ask Andrea, for example. You can find online at 2 am with me on any given night.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the work very very much, but I’m also an extremely social person. Going from a work environment of 500 people to being by myself every day is a strange feeling.

Is it worth it?

Yes. I love what I do. I wake up everyday with a plan. I know what needs to be done and how to get there. I have coffee dates with friends where I try to talk them into quitting there jobs, and utilizing their skills in a different way.  Working from home also makes it really easy to save money. I can make sounds decisions on things like  glasses or contacts. I research to see which ones are cheaper, or if I should pull the plug and just get laser eye surgery ( click here ). I get to online shop and price compare with the best of them. I get to take a 3 hour lunch break and make up for it by working till 3:00am.

My point here wasn’t to complain or to show off, but to present the facts. Working for yourself is a gamble, sometimes you win and sometimes you don’t but its new deck of cards everyday.

Thank you for being a subscriber! I'd love it if we could carry a conversation in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter so go ahead and add me, I'd love to hear from you. The highs and lows of working for yourself. is a copyrighted post from: Thirty Six Months

I had the pleasure of being part of the TedxWaterloo team a few weeks ago. This was my third year, and I learn something new every time. The work is really hard for 5-6 months every year and we put on a heck of a show. The best thing about my role is the fact that I work with the speakers directly. This unrestricted access can get to a girl’s head really easily.  Being the nerd groupie that I am, I couldn’t help but jump at the chance to spend an hour with each of them alone when Ford Canada offered to give us two Ford Escapes for 3 days. Up until then, most of my correspondence with the speakers was via email.

While we normally have a car service pick up the speakers from the airport, the car fanatic in me decided to go and pick them up myself, and show off the Escapes a bit. If you’re a regular reader, you know how I feel about cars. The Escapes were roomy (enough to shuttle 5 speakers back and forth from events), and had features that had me  swooning. The best one being the blind spot sensor. My current car has a turbocharged engine in it which doesn’t bode well for me as I have a lead foot, but I found the Escapes to speed up at a steady pace. They were surprisingly really good on gas, too. The need to test out the cars, along with wanting to catch up and chat with some really really smart people lead me to the airport a few times.

At the wrap-up party, someone asked me what it felt like to be the dumbest person in the car, including the car. And while I could have taken that as an insult, I realized that it was true. I hung out with CERN Physicists, and NASA Engineers over those 3 days. And the car? Well the car detected if there was a another car in my blindspot.

Being in the role that I am in these days, I have the pleasure of meeting some incredibly interesting people. I, also, go out of my way to surround myself with people smarter than me at all times. That’s how we learn, right?

Take TedxWaterloo for example.  One of my new favorite people was Robert Manning, NASA’s chief Engineer for Mars Rover. He is fascinating,  entertaining, and extremely humble.  He, also, has the ability to make everyone around him feel rather special.

As I mentioned above, I get to be in a lot of rooms with a lot of really smart people all the time, and I truly strive to be the dumbest person in that room. Not because I don’t feel like I have something to offer, but because I enjoy learning something everyday. And let’s face it, (smart) people like talking about themselves. Everyone does, but that also means that you get to learn more than you realize by just hanging around and asking questions.

Next time you’re at a conference, or at an event, find the smartest people (it helps to underestimate your intelligence sometimes) and strike up a conversation. Here’s why you need to do that once in a while.

1. You learn more. I ask people out to coffee all the time. I don’t need anything from them, but an hour of their time does wonders. There are some really smart and generous people out there.

2. You stay humble. I’ve enjoyed moderate career success in my life, so there is no better way to keep me grounded that being around smarter, more successful people. If I’m interested in learning about PR, I’ll spend time with the smartest PR reps I know. If I want to learn coding better (or understand it enough to be able to have conversations with my programmers) I spent time with them. Their generosity is unparalleled.

3. You watch others interact. Like I mentioned above, people like talking about themselves. This is the fastest way to get to know people in different environments. Here’s a trick I learned from my days working in customer service- people like you more if you can get them to talk about themselves. Its odd, but true.

I know we all talk about being known as the ‘EXPERT” in your field, and becoming the go-to guy, but realizing that are way smarter people than I in the world keeps me humble and hungry to learn more, to be more, and to do more. It keeps that fire to find new ways to help my clients, to grow intellectually  and professionally every day alive.

So I urge you  to strive to be the dumbest person in the room once over the next month. Check your ego at the door and see what you learn along the way. 

Thank you for being a subscriber! I'd love it if we could carry a conversation in the comments or on Facebook or Twitter so go ahead and add me, I'd love to hear from you. On Wanting to be the Dumbest Person in the Room is a copyrighted post from: Thirty Six Months