3 Easy Money Saving Tips for College Students

If you’re a college student struggling to make ends meet, you’re not alone. A large majority of college students across the country report experiencing financial instability, regardless of their parent’s financial backgrounds. Whether you’re too busy to find a part time job or working remotely for one of many top medical scribe companies as a student, there are plenty of ways to save money as a college student, including:

Eat At the Dining Hall

Most college students who live on campus are required to purchase some type of meal plan that allows students to access meals at an on campus dining hall. While this is typically costly upfront, the cost of a student meal plan is often factored into the total cost of their tuition, meaning that students can enjoy meals on campus without additional payment all school year long. While it can be tempting to dine out with friends or to get food off campus, eating at the dining hall for as many meals as possible is a great way to save money that you can use for other things.

Get a Student Worker Job

If you find that you don’t have time to work a part time job between classes, studying, homework, and other obligations, looking into a student worker position could be a good option for you. Typically, student financial and academic advisors will work with students who have the opportunity to take on a student worker position to ensure that their work schedule is easy to balance among other responsibilities, and to ensure that grades don’t slip. Plus, student workers are often paid higher than minimum wage, meaning that you will likely make more money working this job than working any other part time position.

Shop Second Hand

If you are finding yourself constantly spending money on clothing for class, parties, events, and more, shopping second hand at local thrift or vintage stores can help you cut down on the amount of money you are spending without requiring you to sacrifice these important purchases! You can also find apartment decorations, school supplies, and more for discounted prices at your local second hand store; plus, shopping second hand is a great way to reduce unnecessary waste and is better for the planet.

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3 Ways Hiring a Travel Agent Can Save You Money on Your Next Vacation

With the holidays right around the corner, many people are eager to plan a last minute vacation with their loved ones. While the prospect of taking a trip with your loved ones can be exciting, it can also be overwhelming and stressful for some to think about the high cost associated with doing so. The good news for many travelers is that hiring the help of a travel agent can help you find exclusive deals and make planning a trip as inexpensive as possible, while doing most of the difficult work when it comes to actually booking a trip. Whether you’re taking a break from your Key Interiors home office and headed off on a holiday vacation or just want to take advantage of your end of the year PTO and enjoy a short weekend getaway, here are 3 reasons to consider hiring a travel agent when planning and booking your next trip.

Get Exclusive Access to Discounts

Travel agents are able to access exclusive deals and discounts that are not available to the general public. Save on flights, hotels, attraction access, and more simply by allowing an agent to book your next trip. If scouring the internet for the best deals on flights or coupon codes for hotels doesn’t sound like fun, consider letting an agent take on most of the work and rest easy knowing that you are guaranteed to get the best deal possible.

Make Things As Easy As Possible

No matter how well you plan a trip, there is no denying that you are always at risk for unforeseen obstacles such as cancelled flights, unexpected hotel conditions, and more. Booking with a travel agent ensures that you are protected from losing money in the event of an unexpected issue, as booking flights, hotels, and attraction visits as many travel agents allow you to book a trip with all-inclusive trip insurance.

Take The Work Out Of Planning Vacation

Taking a vacation should be fun; so don’t let the stress of planning, booking, and paying for your trip get in the way of that! Allowing a travel agent to take on all of the major responsibilities associated with planning a trip is the best way to travel without sweating the small stuff.

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3 Simple Ways to Boost Your Credit Score

If you are trying to rent a house, buy a car, or make another major financial decision and are worried about your credit score, you’re not alone. Most adults in America cite a low credit score as their number one financial concern. While credit scores can be a confusing concept and it might seem impossible for you to boost a bad score, it is possible. Your unique credit situation determines your score, so there is no universal formula for raising a low score, but these 3 simple tips can help.

Make Payments on Time

One of the easiest yet most important ways to boost your credit score is by ensuring that your outstanding payments are always made on time. A helpful tip that many adults utilize to help them stay on top of bills and important payments iis setting bills to autopay each month, so that there is no room for forgetfulness. If you find that you are unable to pay a particular bill or expense on time, be sure to reach out to your credit card company right away to discuss your options. Missing payments with no explanation can cause irreparable damage to your credit score.

Limit New Applications

Every time you apply to a new credit card or program, your credit score is impacted. While this might not sound like a big deal to some, it can have a major impact on your credit score, particularly if your score is already low. Additionally, credit inquiries can build up and have a negative impact on your score over time. Opening a new account or line of credit will also decrease the average age of your accounts, which could further damage your score.

Don’t Take Out New Loans

Although it can be frustrating to wait to take out new loans for major purchases until your credit score improves, doing so is important in order to build your credit score up as you pay off existing debt. Although it might sound like a good idea to take out a small loan to help pay for a big purchase like a new car or a home renovation project with the help of keyinteriors.us, new projects will be easier to take on financially if you can complete them once your credit score is higher.

Boosting your credit score can be difficult, but it is not impossible. Use these 3 simple steps to begin understanding your credit score and how it can be improved.

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How to Budget for a New Car

After a house and maybe a family vacation, purchasing a car is one of the most expensive purchases that many of us will ever make. Even a second-hand car can set you back several thousands of dollars.

When you decide to upgrade your car, you have two finance options. You can either purchase it outright and pay the total price of the vehicle on the day of purchase or you can choose a monthly repayment plan.

Regardless of which finance option you choose, you will still need to budget effectively. As long as you have chosen a car that is within your financial reach, creating a budget will ensure you are never short on money in the future.

Here are some top tips to help you budget for a new car.

Use An Online Car Payment Calculator

Using an online calculator to estimate the total costs and monthly repayments of your new car makes it easier to create a budget. You can break down your expenses to see how much you’re going to spend each month on your vehicle.

Vehicle prices, insurance premiums, and road tax costs vary depending on where you live so you will need to find a car payment calculator that is relevant to your area of residency. For example, if you live in Salt Lake City, use a Car Payment Calculator in Utah so you can get accurate financial estimates.

Check Insurance Prices

Insurance policies are one of the most expensive ongoing costs of being a driver. Take a look at the average price of insurance for the model of vehicle that you are purchasing.

Compare the prices of multiple different providers to get an average. Depending on the level of experience that you have as a driver, your age, and whether or not you have had a previous claim, the insurance might vary. However, comparing different insurance policy prices will enable you to budget more effectively for your new vehicle.

Consider Fuel Economy

Different vehicles have different fuel economies, meaning they use varying amounts of fuel to run. When buying a new car, consider the fuel economy so that you can estimate how much you’re going to spend on filling up the tank each month.

Whether the vehicle has a petrol or diesel engine will impact its fuel consumption, as well as the size of the engine and your driving technique.

Servicing

Most of us expect a new car to be fully functioning and fault-free. No matter how much you properly care for your car, it will still need to be serviced on a yearly basis to check for damage or hidden safety hazards.

The price of a car service varies depending on the model of the car, the garage that you go to, and whether or not anything needs fixing in the vehicle. This is something that you will need to include in your budget alongside the price of the car and your annual insurance premium.

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The 3 Best Things To Do To Reduce Your Tax Bill

It is no fun getting a tax bill when you do your return. Very often it is unplanned and you never really know how much you will owe. This makes it very hard to budget and can throw many plans off when you get an unexpected bill. Since many people are having a hard time making ends meet these days and are opting for tax relief services, it is important to save as much as possible.

The best thing to do is to try to reduce what you owe for taxes every year to get that bill down. In some cases, you may even be increasing what you get for a refund. There are a lot of ways that you can find to save a little bit here and there. These things add up and the savings can be considerable. In this article, we will go over what you can do to reduce your tax bill going forward.

Max out your retirement account

Taking a big chunk of your income away and not having to pay taxes on it will save you money in the short term. In the long term, it will put even more money in your pocket than just the initial savings. This means that putting as much as possible into your retirement accounts is going to save you quite a bit on your taxes.

If you have a retirement account like an IRA then you are allowed to put in as much as $20,000 per year tax-free. This means that you will not be taxed on that portion of your income.

At the same time, it is collecting interest in your account and will be worth far more than what you saved when it comes time to use the money for your retirement.

Understand tax credits

There is a difference between a tax deduction and a tax credit with credit being much more desirable. When you find tax credits to take advantage of then you end up saving far more money. A tax deduction simply takes away the money that would be owed on the tax of a portion of your income. A tax credit is an actual dollar amount of taxes that you will not owe and may even get in the form of a refund. An example would be that you get a credit for the Earned Income Tax Credit that gives you a break of up to $6,935 depending on how many children you have.

Find out which ones you qualify for and then claim them and you will see a massive reduction in what you owe.

Make a Health Savings Account (HSA)

Medical bills are the most common way that people end up in bankruptcy. You can kill two birds with one stone by making sure that you have money for a medical emergency while also saving money on your taxes.

The money that you put into a HSA account is not taxable income. You’ll save on taxes for that amount and then have money set aside in case of an emergency. You’re able to put up to $3,600 per year into the account tax-free.

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Philanthropy Drives The Giving Spirit

Giving to others for the greater good is the ultimate form of altruism. Doing so through philanthropy is the driving force that makes the spirit of giving a reality. Philanthropic platforms serve as a base of donor dollars that can be disseminated to help individuals, communities, causes, and charitable organizations. This spirit of giving to improve the lives of others, and sustain a community, are done not for profit, but from a selfless desire to help.

Philanthropic Foundations

The most well-known type of philanthropy is represented by philanthropic foundations. Such foundations are created to serve as a vehicle for wealthy individuals and organizations to distribute funds to charitable organizations, individuals or institutions. Most foundations serve only as a grantmaking entity to various programs, but many foundations such as the one created by former CEO of EBI Consulting, Jeffrey Previte, may also have their own charitable programs, initiatives and activities designed to give back to the community.

Philanthropic Platforms

• Charitable giving comes in many forms, and they are different types of giving that fall under the umbrella of philanthropy. A few of these include:
  • Donor-Advised Funds are created as a vehicle for foundations to serve as an adviser to donors suggesting charitable recipients that match the donors’ areas of interest and focus.
  • Corporate Philanthropy is a popular form of philanthropy used by large for-profit businesses, typically via matching gift programs whereby the corporation will match the gift their employee makes to designated charities or causes.
  • Pool Money is a relatively new form of philanthropic giving where a group of individual philanthropists come together and pool their money together and use their combined funds to support a singular project or mission.
  • Volunteerism is another form of philanthropy that is non-monetary but can be very impactful to organizations, while also creating a sense of greater sense of purpose for those who volunteer.

Philanthropic Benefits

The benefit of philanthropy is two-fold. Philanthropy supports the work of organizations, individuals, missions and causes with the ultimate goal of improving the welfare of people and their communities, whether locally or globally. It creates a positive impact for not only the recipient but also the giver. Many philanthropists report that being involved in philanthropic work gives them a better understanding of people and issues, while also improving their overall sense of self.

Philanthropy’s Impact

The history of philanthropic giving dates back centuries, and its scale and ability to positively change the world is undeniable. Philanthropy has benefited organizations and individuals in the field of science and medicine with the goal of tackling diseases and finding cures. Philanthropic efforts have been successful in helping regions rebuild after natural disasters. Philanthropists have come together to support causes and programs to defeat poverty. Foundations have been formed to combat global health issues. Philanthropic programs have worked to bring about social change, and address inequities in societies.

The positive impact of philanthropy defines altruism at its best. It also dramatically illustrates the art of helping and propels the spirit of giving to others for the greater good.

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How To Begin Investing Your Money

If you’ve been considering investing your money, you might be hesitant, thinking that you need large sums to do so. This simply isn’t true. You can start investing with only a small sum if you do your research and get some help. Read on for a few investment tips and tricks.

Save Up

Your first step in investing your money is saving some money to invest. Put aside a little from each paycheck, tucking some cash away in an envelope and putting it in a drawer so you aren’t tempted to spend it. You might also take a little time to review your budget and look for some expenses you could cut out (like extra cell phone services or streaming subscriptions you rarely use). Then commit that money to investing. You don’t actually need very much to make your first investment. Even $100 or $200 can get you started.

Do Your Research

Of course, you will want to do some research about investing before you take the plunge. Make sure you understand options like the 401(k), IRAs, stocks, bonds, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Read about how each one works and what is required for investment. Know the benefits and the risks as well. You don’t need to be an expert like Larry Creel partner at Edgewood Management LLC, but you should at least have a good grasp of the basics.

Decide How and Where To Invest

All of this information will help you decide how and where you want to invest your money. First, set some goals. Think about why you want to build your investments. You might be looking toward retirement, in which case a 401(k) through your employer (who will match at least a percentage of your funds) or an IRA might be the right direction. If you’re looking more for an investment that you can draw from to spend for a home or car or vacation, you might look more toward stocks or bonds.

Get Some Help

By now you might be feeling quite overwhelmed by investments and everything to do with them. If so, don’t hesitate to get some help. You might talk to a local financial counselor or stockbroker. You could deal with a reputable trading company as well. Many of them no longer charge commissions on trades, and a broker can guide you into the best options for your needs and budget. You could even try to work through a robo-advisor that helps you build a lost-cost portfolio and automated investing plan. Be aware, though, that robo-advisors charge fees that can add up over time.

Keep Track

Finally, after you make your investments, you will want to monitor them closely, keeping track of gains and losses and making changes as necessary. As you gain more experience, you may want to branch out into other areas of investment. Your goals may change over time, too, so remain flexible, and make your money work for you.

Investment can seem rather frightening at times and certainly stressful, but if you do your homework, invest wisely and get help when you need it, you can find success.

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How to Confidently Handle Your Student Loan Debt

Getting a college education is one of the most important decisions you can make for your future. Unfortunately, with a college education comes student loan payments, which can be confusing and intimidating for most students who borrow money. Navigating the student loan process is challenging enough, but without making the best financial choices, you’ll surely fall behind in your student loan payments. Fortunately, this article will help you so that you can confidently begin paying off your student loan debt.

Make additional payments to get ahead

To avoid falling behind, you’ll want to pursue every chance you can to get ahead. Getting ahead of your student loan payments means making as many payments as you can in a month. So, maybe you have some extra money lying around from your financial aid stipend. The tax season is approaching and you’re expecting your tax return to be deposited into your bank account in the near future. To succeed in paying off student loans, recent graduates should look to use lump-sum payments to get ahead. That way, you can enjoy a little extra time should you miss some payments later down the road.

Apply for loan forgiveness or deferment options

Fortunately, there are certain types of forgiveness programs that you can use to get student loan relief. If you were disabled, for example, and were no longer able to make your payments, you can talk with your loan servicer to get these loans discharged. Remember, loan forgiveness is different from loan discharge. Being employed by a government agency or not-for-profit is more lucrative than you think. You might be eligible for loan forgiveness. The U.S. Department of Education points to resources for graduates to explore student loan forgiveness options. Additionally, if you can’t afford to pay now, student loan deferment can help you avoid paying for now, increasing your chances of earning more income to confidently manage your student loan debt.

Consolidate multiple loans

Student loans will collect interest that will hurt you financially if you can’t keep up with payments. These interest charges worry about people paying back student loan debt as they closely resemble the problem with paying late fees. Paying interest in addition to the original balance can eventually catch up to you after a few months. That’s why it’s a good idea to consolidate multiple loans into one. The benefit of consolidating your loans is now you’ll only have to worry about a single monthly payment rather than keeping up with multiple lenders. The convenience of consolidation is an option many recent graduates should explore. Choose from the U.S. News & World Report’s list of best student loan consolidation and refinance lenders. To pay your loans off effectively, you’ll have to choose an organization that can promise you the lowest interest rates.

As long as you have the right mindset, paying off student loan debt is a real possibility. Many student loan borrowers will feel frustration and confusion about how much to pay back, how often, and when. But if you can consolidate the budget, apply for loan forgiveness or deferment, or start a side hustle, you’ll be in a better position. The best expert wants you to succeed; that is, David Geithner of On Location experiences.

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Downsizing Is A Financially Profitable Move – Find Out How Much Big City Dwellers Can Actually Save

Switching to a smaller home can potentially save you hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on where you live, according to a recent STORAGECafe study that looked at downsizing in the country’s 20 largest metro areas by population. The study computed potential downsizing savings by taking into account the difference between the median home value of four-bedroom homes and that of two-bedroom homes in the metros analyzed. Other savings and expenses related to downsizing, including closing costs and tax savings over a period of ten years, were also considered.

Downsizing within the country’s top 20 largest metros can save homeowners between $400K in San Francisco Metro, which takes the top spot for potential savings, and $93K in Phoenix Metro.

San Francisco, San Diego and LA take the downsizing savings podium

Californian metros generate the highest amount of savings for their downsizing residents, mainly due to the high home values in the area. San Francisco Metro homeowners planning to downsize from a 4-bedroom home to a 2-bedroom home are set to save a little over $406K. Looking at just the city of San Francisco, and not the metropolitan area, savings from downsizing are even larger, at around 535K.

Moving to a smaller home is an option not only for empty-nesters and retirees, but for other types of families as well who are interested in keeping an active, big city lifestyle without being overwhelmed by housing costs. Moreover, you can compensate for the reduction of space at home by using self storage. A 10×10 self storage unit in San Francisco, for example, rents for about $270 per month, and you can use it to store a variety of belongings, including extra furniture and appliances, sports equipment, clothing, seasonal items, toys and books and so on.

The San Diego metro area ranks second among the country’s biggest 20 metros in terms of downsizing savings. Its residents have the opportunity to save a very useful sum of money by switching from a 4-bedroom home to a 2-bedroom one within the metro area – about $260K. When looking at city-to-city moving among the main cities of the metro area, the most advantageous downsize is from Carlsbad to Chula Vista, bringing in a spectacular $760K.

Los Angeles Metro takes the third spot among the best cities for downsizing – relocating from a 4-bedroom home to a 2-bedroom there provides homeowners with about $240K in savings. However, residents of LA City who choose to relocate to one of the other main cities of the metro area are set to save even more money. Swapping a 4-bedroom home in LA City for a 2-bedroom one in Anaheim will save homeowners over $420K, while downsizing to Long Beach results in average savings of almost $365K.

Seattle, Miami, and Boston residents can cash in well over $200K from downsizing

Downsizing within the Seattle metro area results in savings of around $234K. When looking at the metro’s main cities, the most profitable relocation accompanied by downsizing is from a 4-bedroom home in Bellevue to a 2-bedroom one in Tacoma, which results in over a million dollars in savings.

Residents of Miami are almost equally well-positioned for downsizing savings – homeowners relocating from a 4-bedroom home to a 2-bedroom one within the metro area have the opportunity of saving over $233K. The most profitable city-to-city downsize within the metro area is from a 4-bedroom home in the city of Miami to a 2-bedroom one in Pompano Beach, a relocation that results in almost $290K in savings.

The Boston metropolitan area ranks sixth in terms of downsizing savings – homeowners are set to save about $233K if they decide to move to a smaller home within the metro area. Other metros, including New York-Newark-Jersey City, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn and Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, also ensure downsizing savings north of $200K to homeowners.

The Philadelphia metro area ranks 10th for downsizing savings, giving homeowners a profit of around $194K when moving from a 4-bedroom home to a 2-bedroom. St. Louis, Dallas and Riverside metros all have the potential of bringing in savings of slightly under $190K for downsizing homeowners.

Phoenix and Atlanta metros register the smallest downsizing savings – but still an appreciable amount, hovering around $100K

The Chicago, Denver and Tampa metros, ranking 14th, 15th and 16th respectively for downsizing savings among the country’s top 20 largest metros, ensure profits of around $150K for homeowners willing to trade their 4-bedroom homes for 2-bedroom ones. The Houston and Minneapolis metros, on the other hand, provide slightly lower downsizing savings of $133K and $121K.

The Atlanta and Phoenix metros rank last when it comes to downsizing savings – but, even so, homeowners in these two metropolitan areas can get a significant amount of cash if they trade a 4-bedroom home for a 2-bedroom one. Residents of Metro Atlanta can save almost $110K from downsizing within the metropolitan area. Looking at city-to-city downsizing among the metro area’s main cities, homeowners living in Atlanta proper downsizing to Sandy Springs have the opportunity of gaining even more cash – over $280K. Phoenix Metro residents have the opportunity of saving around $93K from downsizing.

Downsizing can be a very sound financial decision for homeowners – from lower mortgage rates to access to cash you can use for other purposes, it can definitely improve your family’s finances. However, it’s important that you are truly comfortable with the lifestyle change before making the move.

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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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