How to Save Money on Utilities

Utilities are one of those expenses that you don’t think much about until the bill comes and you
can’t believe you used that much energy. Simple things like turning on the lights in the morning,
taking a shower, washing dishes, and so much more use energy that you have to pay for every
day. However, there are a lot of ways you can reduce your utility bills and save money each
month.

Create Zoned Heating and Cooling

If you live in a larger home you probably have rooms in your house that you don’t always use
such as a guest bedroom or extra bathroom. If you are rarely spending time in these rooms,
they don’t necessarily need to be kept at a temperature you are comfortable in. instead you can
close the doors and vents in these rooms so that you aren’t wasting energy heating or cooling
them. This is called zoned heating and cooling because you are creating active and inactive
zones within your house. If your heating and cooling systems do not have to work as hard as
they normally would to regulate the temperature in rooms you don’t use.

Keep Your Vents Clean

Keeping your vents clean and changing the filters regularly is another important way to make
sure that your heating and cooling systems are not being overworked. If you don’t take these
measures, the vents can get clogged and blocked by dust and debris and they won’t be able to
work as efficiently so you should change them at least once a month. In between changing
them, you can use a vacuum to clear out any dust from the filter and vent itself.
For the same reason, you need to make sure nothing is blocking any of your vents, both inside
and outside. Any furniture that could be blocking a vent should be moved to another spot, and
trees and pushes on the exterior should be trimmed if they’re blocking an outside vent. You
want the airflow to be unobstructed so that your heating and cooling systems don’t have to work
as hard. This will save energy and in turn save you money.

Be Smart About The Dishwasher

Doing dishes is a pain, but throwing everything in the dishwasher and running it every night can
end up costing you way more than you think. However, using a dishwasher generally saves a lot
of water in comparison to hand washing. Most dishwashers will use less than 5 gallons of water
for each cycle, but handwashing can use up to four times that amount.
To get the most out of your dishwasher you want to make sure it is completely full before
running it, which will also help the dishes get cleaner. You can also turn off the “heat dry” option
before you start it. Instead, just open your dishwasher when it is finished and let the dishes air dry. If you run the dishwasher overnight, you can open it up in the morning and they’ll dry
while you are at work for the day.

Insulate and Seal

When it is cold outside, heat is always going to leave your house if it finds a way to. You can
reduce the amount of hot and cool air that leaves your home by making sure everything is
insulated and sealed properly.

If you have an attic this is a very common place for air to escape from, so insulating it can make
a huge difference. Additionally, your floors, walls, and crawlspace should all be insulated
properly. After you have insulated your home, make sure other areas are sealed. If you place
your hand next to the window and the air feels cold you may need to add weatherstripping or
caulk to stop this airflow. If you don’t feel comfortable tackling this project on your own, an
experienced contractor will help you.

Jenn Walker is a freelance writer, blogger, dog-enthusiast, and avid beach goer operating out of
Southern New Jersey. She writes for a bankruptcy lawyer in Philadelphia.

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How the Cloud can Revolutionize Your Business

Is your business on the cloud? If you’re like many business owners, you’re sick of thinking about the cloud. After all, your business has done just fine with its own servers, communication, and other data systems so far.

Why should you get on the cloud? Here are a few reasons to stop dragging your feet and think seriously about putting your business on the cloud.

Easier and More Affordable Communication

A hosted VoIP system from votacall.com enables you to establish and maintain a sophisticated communication network to stay connected with your employees, clients, and contractors wherever they might be.

This cloud phone system will eliminate your concerns about technical issues end stop you from having to deal with long-distance rates. Putting your communication system on the cloud will make it so much easier for your business to stay in touch with everyone you need to talk to.

Keep Data Secure

Do you assume the cloud is a less secure way to store data? Increasingly, this assumption is the opposite of the truth. In fact, cloud storage that is managed by a competent company is actually much better at spotting and eliminating hacking attempts.

Furthermore, cloud storage is not vulnerable to attacks from internal characters like disgruntled employees as an in-house system is. If a natural disaster affects the physical location of your business, you can be confident that data is safe and secure on the cloud.

Make Information More Accessible

In today’s business world, it is much less common for everybody in your company to be located at one office location. You probably have employees nationwide or even worldwide. Some of your employees likely work in the office building while others work from home. Most of your employees probably spend some time working at home and some time at the office.

If you don’t allow employees to work from home, you may be missing out on talent that you could have attracted by offering this option. Putting information on the cloud allows everybody at your company to access and work on it as they need to so, wherever they might be.

Make Your Business Better on the Cloud

If you’re not in the cloud yet, you’re probably holding out, either because you’re suspicious of cloud systems or because you’re procrastinating about making such a huge change in your business.

However, the truth is that the cloud is the future. Putting your business on the cloud can improve communications within your company and with outside clients and contractors, keep your data more secure, and make information accessible to all of your employees whenever they need it.

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3 Tips for Saving a Few Bucks During Your Next Visit to the Amusement Park

Your kids have been begging you for years, and you remained vigilant for quite some time, but they’ve finally broken you: you’ve agreed to take them to Disneyland. Or Universal Studios, or some other amusement park, but the point is it’s going to be expensive. Sure, theme parks are a joyous experience of thrill rides and mesmerizing shows, but how can you afford to take three, four, or even five people to a land of wonder for a few days? Unfortunately, taking an entire family to a large park is rather pricy, but there are several tips you can implement to save money on your trip.

Get The Best Bang For Your Ticket Buck

Ticket costs will undoubtedly be one of the highest costs during your trip. You can reduce this price by choosing to visit during slow seasons when there is less traffic and tickets typically run cheaper. It’s also a good rule of thumb to periodically check the park’s website for deals and sales, which come and go depending on the theme park.

Cut Back on Park Dining

It can be hard to resist sitting down to a nice meal while at a theme park. It gives you and your family a chance to rest, refuel, and take in the themed atmosphere. The downside? That cheeseburger probably just you twenty dollars. Try to get your fill before heading to the park by eating a hefty breakfast at the hotel. If you can, bring some snacks into the park to tide yourself over, or get everyone something small until you leave and go out to eat at an actual restaurant. There’s nothing wrong with eating inside the park once in a while, but it’s not a great way to save money.

Create a Budget Plan

One of the best ways to ensure you don’t overspend while in the park is to come up with an agreed-upon budget plan. This predetermined amount should be able to cover any food, souvenirs, or other expenses that might arise. Do your best to remain under the budget, this way you’ll still be able to afford dinner and won’t waste money unnecessarily.

Final Thoughts

These tips will help alleviate the astronomical cost of bringing your entire family to the amusement park. Believe it or not, you can actually have a good time without having to put a second mortgage on your house. Make sure to invest in a comfortable pair of shoes while walking around the park all day, otherwise, you’ll leave with blisters and be one step closer to developing bunions–if you’re beginning to develop bunions, visit www.northwestsurgerycenter.com/ for information on how to get rid of them. Whether you implement all or just some of these methods, you can bet that you’ll leave the park with more cash in your pocket than you normally would have.

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If you have decided to take out a loan, you need to make sure that you are managing it in the best possible way. There are many reasons why people choose to take out a loan, but one still needs to make sure that they are managing it in the right way further down the line. Here is the best way to manage a loan.

(Image Source: Pixabay)

Read the Fine Print

First and foremost, you need to make sure that you are reading the fine print of all pieces of paperwork connected to the loan. Legally, lenders cannot hide anything from you or trick you in any way during the application process.

Instead, it is down to you to fully check the application and any terms and conditions you receive before you agree to anything. It is imperative that you do so, as you could otherwise potentially agree to a clause that you don’t agree with or something that could affect your ability to make the repayments, such as the APR. Do not be afraid to have someone you trust have a look through the paperwork too if you want a second pair of eyes to look at it.

Have a Repayment Plan

You need to make sure that you know how you are going to repay your loans long before that payment plan kicks in. As soon as you decide that you do in fact need a loan, you need to make sure that you work out how much you can afford to pay back, and therefore find a loan and a payment plan that best works for your needs.

Some payment plans also come with added benefits. For example, you can often find loan protection insurance for personal loans, in addition to other products that the loan companies themselves are able to offer.

Work with Your Loan Officer

When you apply for a loan, a professional from the lending company will be assigned to manage your case from start to finish. Make sure you cultivate a relationship with them as best as you can.

It is important to remember that they are on your side. They want to see you succeed and manage to repay the loan. Many lenders allow some limited flexibility when it comes to repaying the loan. If an unforeseen event comes your way that could mean that you can’t make the repayment, speak to your loan officer. They may be able to do something to help you out.

Managing a loan well is incredibly important if you want to make sure that it is paid off as soon as you possibly can. No matter what, you need to ensure that you are making those loan payments and planning effectively so you can continue to build your finances past the point of the loan being repaid. Whether you have taken out a personal loan, a commercial one for your business, or anything else you could think of, you always need to make sure that you manage it to the best of your abilities.

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6 Creative Business Collaboration Techniques to Follow

Collaboration. Cooperation. Commitment. Communication. Camaraderie. These are powerful concepts relevant in any workplace, business, or group dynamics. If you own or are planning to start a small business and have a small team, for that matter, you are dealing with people who have differing personalities, motivations, goals, and productivity levels.

Your challenge is to work with these differences such that they can be harnessed to achieve a shared goal or an aspiration. Business collaboration works this way, something that you do by using out-of-the-box techniques.

Business Collaboration in Action

Your team is collaborating when each of you contributes your talent, skill, or ideas to resolve a problem or accomplish a particular goal. For this collaboration to happen, there should be open, efficient, and effective communication flowing among the team.

Each must, ideally, have a sense of ownership of the project such that they know that their actions can contribute to the project’s success or failure. While all team members can do this on the individual level, they should not forget to work and move as a unit. So how do you foster this collaboration by creative means?

Daily Huddles to Break Hurdles

They say meetings are another excuse to get people out of their desks, but when appropriately utilized, huddles are an excellent venue for discussion and improvement. While the setting is still corporate, you can set the tone of the meeting, where everyone can freely speak up especially about their blockers. The team may be able to resolve issues that can affect their work or productivity.  

To come up with more relaxed daily huddles, you can go outside the boardroom and into a café or a nearby park to discuss, have icebreakers, or prepare simple games to get the meeting started.

Meet Outside Work for Non-work Matters

If huddles are for work, then after-work get-togethers are for fun and camaraderie. Your goal is to get everyone together.  You especially want to get those who are shy and reserved to go out and interact with coworkers.  Something like this does not happen every day because of work priorities.

Meet-ups like these provide the perfect opportunity to get to know everyone outside the realm of the workplace. See them loosen up, laugh, and enjoy themselves without the nagging fear of work.

Sell Clothes for the Community

Put collaboration outside work and into real-life practice such as by selling gently used items for fund-raising projects. One of your teammates may have an e-commerce store where you can pool together clothes in good condition and use the money raised for community outreach projects.

This exercise will foster coordination and cooperation as everyone has to work together for two goals: to raise money and to organize the project where the money goes.

Meet-ups like these provide the perfect opportunity to get to know each other outside work. Who knows, your subordinates are doing wildlife photography, playing host to weddings, or selling on Shopify in their free time. Don’t be surprised when you see them huddled together in the cafeteria, browsing online shops and establishing friendships before you know it.

Bring the Fun Back to Team Building

Over the years, team-building activities have become a tedious affair for some employees who have come to dread them. Your duty is to bring the fun back to these activities all while making teamwork and trust your foremost priority.

Try it as well as playing online games in your next team-building session. The key is to get everyone to participate and have fun.

Make the Most of Seating Arrangements

If a seating arrangement is required, you can seat the people who need to collaborate all the time in one corner or place. You’ll see that, aside from the work chat or email, these people can talk to or poke each other when they need something.

Hot desking has not enjoyed a good reputation the past years, but you can try one with a twist. That is, each one can choose where to sit, provided that they are still within reach of people they need to be in constant communication with.

Celebrate Wins and Pats on the Back

Your team has reached its productivity goals for the month. One worker has done exceptionally well. While you don’t have to hand out medals every time someone in your team performs well, that person will surely appreciate a pat on the back for a job well done.

Get your team even more motivated to hit the numbers by being generous with your compliments and treating them every once in a while to a lunch out or a happy hour. If you like, you can do your version of Japan’s Premium Fridays, when everyone can go home early when each has completed their tasks for the week.

You and your team are in for a long haul; you can work toward an open and collaborative work culture where everyone has a say on the future and outcome of any project.

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4 Reasons Why it Only Makes Sense to Rent Equipment for Your Business

Commercial equipment can be expensive. Larger companies are able to afford their own equipment, but smaller ones typically do not have the capital to pay for it outright. There is always the possibility of acquiring additional financing for your small company — but do you really need to?

As a small business owner, you have to consider all of your costs then compare them to alternative options. You need to find the best option to fit your business needs and your budget. That is why you should consider renting your work equipment instead of purchasing them.

The benefits of renting or leasing your company fleet of vehicles or your industrial machinery are many. Along with financial advantages, renting the equipment your business requires comes with additional savings, some of which are explored below.

Save Yourself the Costs

There are a lot of expenses associated with buying work equipment. While some are unavoidable regardless of the method of acquisition like fuel costs for fleet vehicles or an increase in electricity used, the ones mentioned here are the expenses you can expect to save on when you rent your needs rather than buy them.

• Purchase price of the equipment, accounting for finance charges on the loan used to pay for them
• Maintenance costs, including parts and labor, for the lifespan of the piece of equipment
• Taxes and registration fees would be the owner’s responsibility, not the renter’s
• Property rental or purchase for storage purposes may be required with certain equipment purchases

With renting the equipment your company needs, you pay a steady monthly fee that is less than all of these costs combined. You will have some short-term expenses associated with leasing or renting your equipment, such as temporary storage facilities. Even with these factored in, the monthly expenditure is still lower than the cost of buying.

Only Rent as Needed

Renting allows you to adjust your business to the needs of your clients. You can rent the basic equipment required to complete a standard project, or you can supplement your current equipment with additional pieces to help with larger projects or more time-sensitive ones. Specialized equipment can be brought in by leasing it for a specific amount of time to perform a particular, one-time task or you can bring it in for the duration of a unique project.

Fixing the Equipment

The servicing of a broken down utility van or compressor would normally require someone within a company to search for a vendor who can provide them with the best quote for repairs. This can often take time as these vendors are typically in no hurry to provide the quotes since they are competing for the lowest bid, and they are certainly in no hurry to perform the repairs once given the contract.

Renting your tools and machinery bypasses this process. The company owning the equipment is the one responsible for doing all of that. As the renter, you only need to put in a call to the company and inform them of the need for repairs. Depending on the type of equipment and the company leasing it out, they may even have an in-house specialist who can get it back in working order. The cost, as previously mentioned, is the responsibility of the rental company.

Replacement of Dead Equipment

Again, this is not your responsibility when you lease the tools you need to operate your business. If the machinery has expired or the engine on the flatbed truck you are renting is shot beyond repair, you are under no obligation to buy a new one. The rental company will replace the vehicle with another for the duration of the contract, but it is up to them to decide what to do about being one short — that is an issue beyond your concern.

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Three Ways to Save Money on Your Bills

Money is tight, and it’s only getting tighter. When at one time it was possible for a family to live off of a single income, the new millennium requires a family of four to have at least two, if not three, jobs to survive. An individual living on their own will typically have a full-time job as well as a part-time one on the side.

Inflation is constantly rising, and at an exponential rate – higher and faster than in decades past. With the cost of living constantly increasing, people are always looking for better ways to spend their money.

They are also looking for better ways to save their money. Banks will tell you to open a savings account and earn interest. Unfortunately, the interest rates are so low, you will only receive pennies each month. With people living paycheck to paycheck, putting money away in this manner is not feasible.

Instead, people are looking for immediate results that can stretch each paycheck out as much as possible. Discussed below are some of the ways you can save money on your utilities and other bills, to help you with that stretching of every dollar.

Electric Bill

Turn off your lights as you leave a room! Let the sun in to both illuminate the house and warm it. Turn off the TV when you go to sleep (some people leave it on when they go to bed). Both of these will help you save on your electric bill tremendously.

You can also invest in more energy efficient appliances, windows, and insulation for your home, but this takes money to save money. And since we are living paycheck to paycheck, there is no extra money to invest in these things.

The big money saver is going to come from your heating and air conditioning. Instead of keeping your house at 72° in the summer, keep the temperature at 74° or 75°. The system will not cool as often and will not have to work as hard to reach the desired temperature.

The same can go for in the winter. Keep the house at 68°. Again, this will keep your house at a comfortable level while limiting the energy costs it takes to heat the house.

Cable Bills

There are several options to save money when it comes to your cable bill. If you need cell phone service and Internet access, then one option would be to bundle your services into one through a cable provider (most providers offer services in all three of these).

Another great way to save money would be to get rid of cable altogether. If you purchase a Fire Stick from Amazon, all you need is Internet connectability (providers will try to pressure you into the bundle packages when you go down to just Internet, so be aware).

The Fire Stick will stream television and movies directly to your TV from your wifi connection to the Internet. Just load the apps you need onto it and you can begin saving money by not spending extra on cable.

Credit Cards

Credit cards can be tricky to manage if you have not been responsible with your spending. It can be tempting to use your credit card to pay for everything, then pay the bill on the due date. The problem is, if you are living from one paycheck to another, then it is hard to pay the balance off each month.

Do not charge so much to your card. Instead, use it sparingly so that you can pay off a much smaller balance at the end of the month. If you have a large balance and can only make the minimum monthly payment, then the interest owed on the remaining balance will add to your balance. Paying this way will cause you to owe more than you actually borrowed, forking out more money in the long run.

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Four Issues with Running a Family-Owned Business

There is probably no other family-run business as well known as Carlo’s Bakery, Home of the Cake Boss. Most family-operated businesses will never reach the level that Buddy and the Valastro family has attained, but that is alright. The extra attention the family faces from their popularity and worldwide audience can put additional pressure on the family. In a small business owned and run by members of a family, there is already enough pressure, the added attention could be crippling to some.

A family business has all of the headaches of any small company. It also comes with pains that only a business ran by members of the same family experience. The family will have to work through these issues, most often making the decisions together, if they are to survive in a fierce marketplace.

Hierarchical Structure

When a family business opens (learn how to start your own LLC here), it needs to establish a management structure. This way all family members know what role they play in the organization, and know where they stand in the decision-making processes.

If this is not established early on, then the business could face some serious problems. Fighting between family members could cause a rift that cripples the business and could ruin the relationships between members. By setting up a structure, responsibilities are clearly laid out and strains within the business and the family are reduced.

In the case of Carlo’s Bakery, Buddy actually had to fire one of his sisters. As the established head of the business, it was a decision he was permitted to make. A difficult decision the entire family had to deal with, but one that had to be made at the time. If his role had not been defined, then the situation could have escalated without any resolution.

Structure Succession

Any good business needs to have a succession plan in place. In corporate organizations, these can be a list of individuals who show promise and would benefit the company if they were promoted to a higher position. In small businesses, this can be limited because of the company’s size and fewer employees. In a family business, one of the family will have to take over a position should something unfortunate befall the family member in that position.

Unless they are able to reach a fair size, hiring from outside the family would be restricted. The family shares the profits from the business and probably would not be able to bring an outsider onboard to fill the empty position. That is why, along with establishing a hierarchical structure, it is necessary to have a succession plan in place. Even though the family is limited in choices, it is a necessary part of the business.

Hiring Relatives

Most companies, whether a small business or a larger corporation, discourage the practice of hiring family members to fill positions. Nepotism can give an unfair advantage to family members who are less qualified than someone who may have been with the company for years, or someone who has gone to college and gone through training to fill that position.

Family businesses are faced with the opposite. They are encouraged to hire family. Sometimes this is not the best option for the business. They may not be qualified for the position being filled. Pressure from other relatives may be intense and may cause a divide if the family member responsible for hiring does not hire the one in question. If possible, push the family member to pursue higher education to use the talents they have that could benefit the family business in the future.

The Cake Boss hires family members, blood relatives and those married into the family. He does so only because they are capable of fulfilling the need of the business. If the cousin or nephew is not qualified, he does not hire them. He is putting the needs of the business first.

Struggling Staffing

If a family-owned business is capable of hiring employees who are not related, then they could be faced with the possibility of high turnover. With so many different family members in the workplace, each giving orders or describing the way a task should be carried out, it is no wonder why so many people leave these types of employment.

This is another reason to have the hierarchy in place. An employee does not want to receive conflicting information from 10 different supervisors. By having a firm structure in place, each family member will know who they are responsible for supervising. More importantly, the employees will know who to listen to for instructions.

Working in a family-owned business can be difficult with so many relatives involved. Imagine what running one would be like. Sometimes, a family will hire management from outside the family. This could be a huge benefit to the business, especially when that individual is highly qualified to do so and has the experience to back them up. Again, this manager would have to know exactly who to report to in order to manage the business.

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It’s no secret that healthcare costs are on the rise. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that the annual out-of-pocket costs for American families today have gone up by 230% in just the past decade. This is leaving many Americans struggling to find the right coverage for their family, not to mention it makes even the most basic of healthcare treatment complicated and frustrating.

Many people across the country are opting to skip their annual checkups and even just go without health insurance altogether because it’s too expensive. This is a catastrophe waiting to happen, yet it’s still a reality for many Americans. How can average Americans keep their out-of-pocket health care costs low so they’re able to get the treatment they need when they need it? Here are some real-world tips to make the most of your insurance.

Image via Pexels

Understand the Cost

What does paying out-of-pocket mean exactly? Health insurance sometimes feels like it’s designed to be confusing on purpose, and this keeps many people from looking closer at how much they’re actually paying for coverage.

Out-of-pocket costs mean how much you’ll be expected to pay for your treatment even with insurance. This includes things like copays, deductible, and coinsurance, as well as paying for treatment that isn’t covered in your insurance plan. It’s tricky to understand the ins and outs of this cost and just why it’s so expensive. That’s why you need to be vigilant to ensure you’re making the most out of your insurance plan.

Tip 1: Compare Prices

Thanks to ACA subsidies, health insurance is now a bit more affordable. That being said, there are still many Americans paying over 10% of their income each month on health insurance costs. It’s easy to overpay if you don’t know where to look for the best prices. If you’re receiving insurance through your company, look for resources like payment calculators that break down the cost by the service. This is the best way to make sense of what you really have to pay for treatment.

Remember that healthcare is a quality over quantity situation. Your health is the most important thing you have. If you know you’ll be needed extensive medical treatment, don’t opt for the lowest cost plan that will leave you paying even more to see specialists. The last thing you want to do is risk your health. Click here for more information about healthcare marketplaces to compare prices.

Tip 2: Don’t Be Afraid to Negotiate

Many Americans don’t realize that prices aren’t always written into concrete. By talking to your doctor and healthcare providers, you can often lower the price. Sometimes there is room for accommodation you didn’t even know about.

The best example of this in action is in the hospital emergency room. If you don’t speak up, you’re likely to be placed in a higher-cost private room which can result in a larger than life bill. On the other hand, if you’re upfront about wanting an affordable option, there are likely alternatives available. Many healthcare providers are willing to work with patients to negotiate a price, especially if the patient is able to pay in cash on the same day as treatment. Never be afraid to ask about any discounts or pricing options.

Image via Pexels

Tip 3: Be Persistent with Claims

Claim trouble is one of the biggest reasons for high out-of-pocket insurance costs. You’ve received medical treatment only to discover weeks or even months later that it’s been denied by your insurance provider. Now you’re on the line for an exorbitant bill. You have options, believe it or not.

First, remain calm and contact your healthcare provider first. Confirm with them that the claim was filed correctly. Sometimes there was a mistake in the filing process, and this leads to issues with your insurance. Always take down the person’s name who you spoke to, and keep track of itemized bills.

It’s frustrating to go back and forth with your insurance company, but be persistent. These insurance claims are not always final, and you can still appeal the denial. Remain polite and calm, but don’t give up.

Tip 4: Avoid the ER

While it’s not always possible to skip out on the emergency room, especially for life-threatening injuries, there are many times when you can wait to see a regular doctor. No matter your insurance coverage, emergency rooms always come with expensive out of pocket costs.

A more affordable option is an urgent care center or a same-day doctor’s appointment if it’s not the middle of the night. Many urgent care centers are open 24/7, and they can deal with things like deep cuts, broken bones, and illnesses without the exorbitant costs.

Image via Pexels

Tip 5: Consider Telemedicine

We live in a digital world. Now, it’s possible to talk to a doctor without even leaving the house. These types of telemedicine startups are not only more affordable than traditional healthcare providers, but they’re more convenient.

With DoctorOnDemand, you can receive a medical consultation over a video call and even receive some prescriptions. PillPack is becoming a virtual pharmacy where you can have your necessary prescriptions delivered for an affordable cost. Finally, Nurx is an easy way for women to talk to a doctor about birth control and sexual wellness, and they can even fill their birth control prescriptions directly through the app at a lower cost than a doctor’s visit.

Telemedicine is a great way to access your healthcare on the go, and lower costs for minor treatment and preventative care. In the future, there will continue to be more options for treating your health digitally.

Healthcare Shouldn’t Be Expensive

While there doesn’t seem to be a solution to high healthcare costs in this country any time soon, that doesn’t mean you should accept paying more for quality treatment. These tips above will combat rising out-of-pocket costs. A little bit of knowledge and persistence goes a long way, so arm yourself with these tools and take control of your health.

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7 Awesome Money-Saving Tips For This Year

As it stands, we live in a world that is high on instant gratification. As a result, it can be very hard to fight the temptation to give in to certain purchases in the hopes of saving later. This is actually a terrible idea.

However, the real secret to not becoming a slave to money is to simply save and invest wisely. Saving is all well and good, but there is a significant difference between just saving and saving smartly.

Let’s take a look at seven awesome ways to save more money this year:

1) DIY

Become the master of DIY as it will pay a whole lot of dividends. Create your own style by revamping those old boots of yours, or get colorful by repainting your home yourself. Not only does it cost less money, it also improves your handy skills and can also be more fulfilling for you.

2) Maintain separate bank accounts

Having separate bank accounts will assist in structuring your spending and savings. You could dedicate a fixed account for routine savings, also have a second account devoted to emergency funds, and then have your normal account for daily expenses.

3) Conserve electricity

Start by switching out the bulbs in your home to Compact Fluorescent light bulbs. These bulbs use very little energy and will help lower your electricity bills. Another trick to reducing your electric bill is to turn off all non-essential appliances before leaving your house.

4) Cell phone plan

Sure, there is a lot of quality yet inexpensive cell phone plans. Take time to do your research and choose one that best suits your needs. Your cell phone plan might seem small in the grand scheme of things, but every penny counts.  I can recommend Cricket even though it was tricky to transfer my number.

5) Purchase quality products

It pays to avoid cheap things and to always buy quality products. Quality products should be viewed as long-term investments. This is because, while quality stuff might be an expensive purchase, you will be getting full value for your money.

6) Always have a plan

When saving, it pays to have a plan of action for your money and assets. Thoroughly research different opportunities in which you can invest your savings. Erik Gordon notes that this will not only help you make more money, it will also give you that much-needed savings template.

7) Eliminate your debt

It’s very hard to have any savings if you’re always in debt. Make it a priority to stay as far away as possible from debt. Debt is the most debilitating factor when it comes to saving money.

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