First off, budgeting your money does NOT mean you are poor, or are in need of financial assistance. You’d be surprised to know how many considered to be “middle class”, regularly budget their money in order to make the most of what they have.

Secondly, designing and implementing a budget does NOT take a Harvard doctorate degree requiring hours upon hours of tedious work.

What is a budget?

Simply put, a budget helps you to track your income and keep your spending habits in check over a certain period of time, allowing you to reach specific goals.

Why Start A Budget

There are many reasons why a family may want to implement a budget. These “reasons” can be labeled BUDGET GOALS. The reason(s) you are budgeting your money.

It is imperative that you actually determine what your GOALS are before actually designing a budget plan.This is what you will be striving for.

Answer the question - ‘Why do I want to start budgeting my money?’ To save for a new house or car? Saving for your childrens’ college education? What about an early retirement?

These are all very important goals that many of us will have to face at some point in our lives. And these are some of the goals that can be tackled through the implementation of a budget.

** Summary - Set Your Goal(s) **

Cash Flow Analysis

It is now time to determine the amount of “cash” that comes into your pocket every month, and the amount that leaves your pocket every month.

This is one of the most important steps in planning your budget, for it allows you to get a whole perspective of your current financial situation. At the same time, analyzing your “cash-flow” allows you to actually see where your incomes are coming from and how it is being spent.

Remember, this does not have to be done professionally nor does it need to be time consuming. In addition to that, try not to track every single penny that you spend. You’ll drive yourself crazy. A budget should not frustrate you to death.

Start with your income(s). It’s best to take it a month at a time so you get a clear, concise view of what you make on a monthly basis. Don’t forget to include any benefit or interest payments you receive.

After you have an idea of the TOTAL amount you receive monthly, it’s time to add up the expenses you pay every month. Generally, you can group most expenditures into two categories - fixed and variable.

Fixed bills - mortgage, car, insurance loans, etc…

Variable bills - utilities, phone, car maintenance, entertainment, food, etc…

It is really important that you tally up EVERYTHING that is paid out monthly. That includes all taxes, social security, 401(k) (retirement funds), and any other deductions that you might have taken directly out of your paycheck.

It works best if you write down ALL the expenses/bills that you pay monthly.

If you are having difficulty remembering what is paid every month, take a look back through your financial records, checkbook or bank statements for more accurate numbers.

Remember, you do not want to spend hours and hours, sweating over this. Budgeting should not be like another 9-5 job. The quicker and easier this analysis process is, the more you will be willing to go through with it.

** Summary - Write Down ALL Incomes and Expenditures **

Review Your List

Now that you have your list of incomes and expenditures, it is time to review what you have written. Look and see what bills/expenses can possibly be lowered. Do you notice any excessive spending areas? Any bills you know for sure that can be lowered?

This is where you might have to make some sacrifices. Is your dream of a brand new BMW worth giving up your restaurant outings three times a week? These are the choices you are faced with when you must decide how you are going to reach your goal(s).

Start out small. There’s no need to become a first-rate miser overnight. That’s hard to do! Take things a step at a time. Implement one money saving strategy a week, or month. Remember though, you decide at how quickly you accomplish your goals.

** Summary - Review And Decide Where To “Cut-Back” **

Track Your Spending

In the real world, you are faced with thousands of advertisements and gimmicks begging you to ‘buy their product’.

Buy what you must, just keep in mind your budget.

In order for accurate records, track as much of your spending as possible. Simply save all the receipts you get from your purchases.This is important because you need to tally everything to see how much money you saved at the end of the month.

** Summary - Keep Track Of The Money You Spend **

Compare Results & Modify

Now it’s time to find out if all your hard work has paid off. Were you able to lower some bills? Finding out how much you saved is the best part of budgeting. It’s exciting! This is what makes the whole budgeting process worthwhile.

Stick with your budget! Modify your spending habits to try and lower bills bit, by bit. You’ll soon forget about the whole budget idea, and just see it as a game, where you try and save as much money as possible month by month.

You can find more money saving articles to help lower your bills at: http://www.SavingSecrets.com/tips.html

** Summary - Compare and Make Necessary Changes For Increased Results **

Conclusion

The hardest part of the whole budget process is starting one. Once you set your mind to implement a budget, and take the time to formulate a written agenda, the rest falls into place.

Budgeting requires some small sacrifices. Changes in lifestyle. Changes in spending habits. Be creative and have fun saving money off your bills. You are doing this for YOU, to accomplish your GOALS, so stick with your budget plan and your will be rewarded!

** Summary - Start YOUR Budget and Accomplish Your Goals! **

Gregory Thomas has been writing effective money-saving tips for SavingSecrets.com for over six years. Hop on over and you’ll find FREE money-saving articles, a monthly newsletter, and even a FREE Ebook download just for stopping by! http://www.SavingSecrets.com

It is possible to get a debt consolidation loan with bad credit, however? you just need to know what the banks and lending companies are looking at and how to make them see you as worth the risk.

Bad credit isn’t the end

If you have credit problems, then you might feel as though you’ve reached the end of your rope? after all, if you can’t get a debt consolidation loan with bad credit then how can you possibly hope to repay your debt and improve your credit?

The problem here isn’t that you have bad credit? the problem likely is that you’re looking for a solution as though you don’t have bad credit.

There are many lenders who specialize in working with people who have bad credit, and will offer debt consolidation loan with bad credit; the trick is to find them.

Often, banks and finance companies that turn you down will be able to make suggestions on where you might go? and an internet search or two will usually end in multiple hits for possible lenders.

High-value collateral for lower-value loans

If you’re having problems finding a lender while you’re asking for the total value of your collateral, then you probably need to lower your sights a little bit.

One of the keys to getting a debt consolidation loan with bad credit is to guarantee your lender that they’ll get their money back? and that’s your collateral’s job.

Asking for less than the total value of your collateral is a good way to get an approval that you otherwise might not get; after all, asking for £5,000 and offering property that’s valued in the £7,000 range is an easy way to get the point across that they’ll get their money no matter what.

Do your best beforehand

Applying for a debt consolidation loan with bad credit can make it seem like you’re simply looking for an easy way out, especially if you haven’t been making any attempt at repaying what you owe.

Do the best that you can to make as many payments as you can in the weeks and months leading up to your application? after all, a lender is more likely to give you a debt consolidation loan with bad credit if you can show that you’re making an attempt but need some help instead of just sitting there waiting for money to come from somewhere else to pay your debts.

You may freely reprint this article provided the following author’s biography (including the live URL link) remains intact:

About The Author

John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.

The first step in finding a mortgage loan is to seek out local brokers that will sit down with you to discuss you options and situation. There are many factors that may determine what kind of a loan is best. You may want to think about how long you plan to be in your home, you current income available for mortgage payments and you credit history. These factors can all come into play with your mortgage plan so it’s a good idea to ask a broker directly and work out a plan to fit your needs.

The next step in finding the best deal is to get a second opinion. This is a good idea as it allows you to compare what your local brokers are offering to lenders across the country. You may be thinking that will take a long time and will be very confusing. How can you apply to multiple lenders that aren’t in Clarksville? The answer to that is simple, the internet. If you haven’t come across them already there are many websites that will ask a few questions about your loan requirements and then compare them with a database of lenders. The result is a few lenders will contact you knowing exactly what you want and can often offer some great deals. There are lots of these sites all around but we recommend you use out site located at the bottom of the article.

As with many of these sites out services are free and there is no obligation for you to continue with a particular lender. By taking a few minutes to compare your offers that you got offline to the ones you can quickly get online you can guarantee yourself that best deal. Imagine you were happy with a local broker and you thought it was the best deal. Just to make sure you applied online and found a lender that was offering the same terms and your monthly payments were $100 dollars less. I have witnessed this many times, and the interest savings can me huge.

Mark Lambie is the founder of The Loan House a website that allows consumers to quickly and easily get mortgage quotes and mortgage information.

It would appear that even though their "friends" aren’t as flexible as they used to be, consumers are still stretching their credit cards beyond the comfort zone.

The vicious circle of debt manipulation involving banks, consumers and commercial credit companies is putting consumer spending under strain, as funds begin to dry up. In May 2005, the Financial Times reported the accusation that banks were fuelling Britain’s personal debt problem by repeatedly offering debt-ridden customers loans they were unable to repay.

As the UK’s personal debt increases by £1 million every four minutes, credit card spending habits still seem to be spiralling out of control. According to Credit Action, nearly 66% of the adult population have a credit card, with multiple card holding becoming a growing phenomenon in the UK. More than 60% of card holders possess at least two cards, with 10% holding at least five cards. There has also been a significant rise in the number of personal bankruptcies. In the year up to March 2005, 37,886 people were made bankrupt, a 30% increase on the previous year.

Credit Action reported that some credit card companies reduced their minimum repayments from 3% to 2% last month, which has been seen by some as irresponsible. To put this into perspective, a £3000 credit card balance at 17.9% APR would now take more than 40 years to repay if the minimum repayment of 2% is paid each month, in comparison to 19 years with the 3% minimum repayment. Barclays even warned of falling profits for the Barclaycard credit card division last month, as more customers missed repayments and bad debtors increased.

For those consumers with regular incomes and strong credit records, credit cards with APRs as low as 6.9% are available, that’s less than half the standard APR most consumers have to pay on the cards in their wallet. By just using a variety of online personal finance tools, consumers can save themselves considerable grief by undertaking some financial homework.

In the UK, a variety of websites are available to compare credit cards, loans, life insurance, car insurance, mortgages, savings accounts, Child Trust Funds and current accounts. With just a few clicks of the mouse, a trusty search engine and a clear definition of the relevant search terms, such as "credit card guide" or "loans guide", the consumer can have swift access to a number of useful research sites including moneynet.co.uk, moneyfacts, moneyextra and uSwitch. These companies are specially set up to provide impartial consumer information and by using them for personal finance research, the consumer could effectively save thousands of pounds by choosing the most appropriate credit card, loan and mortgage accounts, not to mention securing good deals on car insurance, life insurance, travel insurance and household insurance.

Rachel writes for the personal finance blog Cashzilla.

http://www.cashzilla.co.uk/

Cashzilla is a psychological, technological manifestation of the financial pressure Rachel faced when she graduated from her very expensive, much extended degree.

Rachel uses Cashzilla as online therapy for the state of her finances.

Rachel has used http://www.moneynet.co.uk/ and http://www.creditaction.org.uk/ in the references for this article.

When you invest, you are paying in a certain amount of money that you expect to grow with time. Most investments are considered long term investments meaning you will not get your money back right away but if you leave your money in, it can multiply dramatically over time. Types of Investing: Real Estate Investing, Bonds, Stock Investing, Mutual Funds, 401K. With stock investing, many of the younger investors see the market as a way to get rich quick. They are quick to sell off the stock that they have when it goes up or if they see it go down a little, they get nervous and sell it off. If they hold the investment and ride it out, they are much more likely to see it grow.

If you are going to be investing, the key to success is asset allocation. You need to vary your assets by investing in more than one type. So just how do you do this exactly? Well, you need to know what the 4 major types are first.

(1) U.S. Stocks are one. They are represented by the S&P 500 Index (2) Foreign Stocks is another; represented by EAFE Index (Europe, Australia and Far East) (3) Real estate, represented by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts Equity Index (4) Commodities;represented by the Goldman Sachs.

The key to a growing portfolio is finding a balance between the ups and downs of these many assets. For example, if one year stocks seem to be down, real estate or commodities may be up. So if you are ready to get started with investing, what do you need to know? First, you need to decide how much money you have to invest safely.

If you decide to invest in mutual funds, you will be asked if you want a high, medium or low risk stock. If you invest in high, there is of course, more risk involved but if it is successful, you will see much higher returns. If you go with a low risk, you will not lose as much if it doesn’t work out but you will not gain large amounts if it is successful. It’s really all about how much money you have and how much you feel comfortable with risking.

Whatever you choose, there is really no reason not to invest. There are so many opportunities that can be tried with little investment and little risk of loss. If you are considering it,it is easy to learn a little more about it to form your decisions of which way to go and then invest your money and watch it grow! The money you invest may return money for your college, kid’s college, retirement, to buy a house or whatever your needs are. There’s no reason not to get started today.

The author has discovered that wealthy people have a different thought process around money and finances. She has been helping people to achieve their financial goals for over 10 years.

Margaret Marabella is founder of Fun Investing an excellent resource site dedicated to information on investing

First you need to figure out the entire amount of debt that you want to consolidate, and also the lowest amount that you can get by on? while it would be nice to reduce all of your debt to a single monthly payment, you might have to pick and choose if your debt level is too high and your collateral value can’t cover it. Once you’ve determined about how much you’re looking for, then it’s time to head out and try to get one of the low interest debt consolidation loans.

Collateral matters

In order to get the best of the low interest debt consolidation loans, you’re going to need good collateral. The most common collateral is automobiles and real estate, and with good reason? these types of property almost always have high values and are easily recognizable as sellable property by lenders if things should have to come to that. Use the collateral object that has the highest value, and try to borrow less than that amount. The lower the amount you ask for in relation to the value of your collateral, the better chance you have of getting one of the low interest debt consolidation loans that lenders offer.

Finding the right lender

Different lenders can offer different kinds of low interest debt consolidation loans. Your best bet for finding a good rate comes from going to small local banks or finance companies? both of these are more likely to offer low interest debt consolidation loans that some of the larger chains of banks and lenders that get enough business that they don’t need to offer you as low of an interest rate. Try to go during a promotion that the bank or finance company is holding; they tend to offer special rates during promotions that you can take advantage of. If there aren’t any promotions to be had, go anyway? even if they can’t give you one of their low interest debt consolidation loans, they may be able to direct you to other lenders you should try. Get quotes from several before deciding on the one for you, and get the best deal that you can.

You may freely reprint this article provided the following author’s biography (including the live URL link) remains intact:

About The Author

John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.

Since the vast majority of financial institutions (banks) reject potential customers who are on file at Chex Systems, being reported to them can put an individual at an extreme disadvantage. But what, exactly, does it take to get a checking account closed and reported to Chex Systems in the first place? The answer the bank usually gives out is simply "closed for cause." Yet there are many ways that a customer can end up having his or her account terminated. These range from acts as serious as fraud to the simple irresponsibility that leads to excessive overdrafts. It is important to remember, however, that policy can vary greatly between financial institutions. Depending upon which bank is in question, instances in which accounts are "closed for cause" can involve customers:

? not reimbursing their bank for overdraft amounts

? misusing savings accounts, ATMs or debit cards

? offering information that is misleading at the time the account is opened

Yet while there are many factors that can lead to account closure, banks are not always forthcoming about the specific reason for terminating an account. This can lead to some confusion when one seeks the reason for being denied a new account. Fortunately, anyone who has been blocked from opening an account at a financial institution due to the involvement of Chex Systems can request a copy of their Chex Systems file and use the information provided on our website to begin banking again quickly.

For more information, including a free Chexsystems removal kit, and list of 100 non-Chexsystems banks, please visit www.NewCheckingAccount.com

Scott Felix - Formerly stuck in Chexsystems, now a consumer advocate, freely helping people get out of Chexsystems since 2001.

As with any financial transaction, there are good points and bad points to borrowing against your home to buy luxury items. The good points are numerous. Unlike a credit card or standard auto loan, a home equity loan offers deductible interest on your tax return, provided that the loan does not exceed $100,000. If you pay taxes in the 28% tax bracket, you are effectively getting a 28-cent rebate on every dollar you pay in interest. That is certainly appealing. The fees associated with a home equity loan have come down in recent years, and the application process is much simpler than in the past.

The good points make it seem like a good idea, but the bad points are considerable. Most home equity loans have terms that extend quite some time, typically ranging from 5-15 years in duration. Do you really want to pay for a car for fifteen years? It is quite likely that you’ll still be paying for that luxury car long after it has gone to the junkyard. The same applies to that around the world cruise, which will be long forgotten by the time it has actually been paid for. It may make sense to fund a luxury car with a home equity loan if the term of the loan is only five years and you actually plan to keep the car for that long. Otherwise, funding the purchase with a more traditional loan would be a better choice.

Of course, if you have already made the purchases and you are maintaining a balance on a high-interest credit card, it might be wise to consolidate your debt with an equity loan. Trading a 20% loan for a 6% loan is certainly a smart move. The best advice for anyone considering funding a luxury purchase through a home loan would be to consult with a tax advisor.

©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing.

Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a Website devoted to debt consolidation and credit counseling information and HomeEquityHelp.net, a site devoted to information on mortgages and home equity loans.

Every consumer should be maintaining their credit profiles to ensure the highest scores possible. To do so, you must first order your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Trans Union, and Experian. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) entitles you to a copy of your credit Report for free, provided you meet the following criteria:

? You have been denied credit because of information in your credit report within the last 60 days.

? You are currently unemployed and are seeking employment.

? You receive public assistance.

? You believe that your credit file contains errors due to fraud or identity theft.

Additionally, you also may be able to get your credit report and credit score from other business or companies. For example, if you live in California and are shopping for a home loan, the lender must provide you with your credit score by law. Several other states require that credit scores be disclosed to consumers.

It’s possible to receive a free copy of your credit reports annually if you live in Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Vermont and Maryland. Recently Congress passed a law which affords each of us the right to a free credit report annually. Below is a listing of the start dates for this particular program:

Consumers in the Western states - Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming - can order their free reports beginning December 1, 2004.

Consumers in the Midwestern states - Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin - can order their free reports beginning March 1, 2005.

Consumers in the Southern states - Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas - can order their free reports beginning June 1, 2005.

Consumers in the Eastern states - Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and West Virginia - the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and all U.S. territories can order their free reports beginning September 1, 2005.

To take advantage of the free annual credit report, please visit: www.annualcreditreport.com.

Why is it important to “maintain our credit profile”? You have to have good credit, or at least decent credit, for a lender to consider you as a worthy credit risk. With our credit score being used in everything from insurance to interest rates on loans, we need to ensure that we manage our credit properly.

There is also the an epedimic going on called Identity Theft. The FBI released a study in May 2005 which stated that Identity Theft has caused over $52.6 billion dollars in total losses for 2004. With over 4.6% of the population being effected by Identity Theft, you can never be too careful. Identity Theft is simply an individual assuming another identity, and often times leads to other financial crimes such as credit card fraud, mortgage fraud, and check fraud.

By monitoring our credit reports frequently and utilizing our credit responsibily, we can take control of our financial futures to ensure that our profiles are accurate.

For more information regarding your credit scores, credit reports or debt options currently available to you, please contact Gateway Credit Connection or visit us online at http://www.creditmonkey.com

Michael Goff is the Co-Founder of Gateway Credit Connection, helping empower consumers to take control of their personal and business finances.

Under Working Families Relief Act of 2004, which was signed into law in October of 2004, the clean-burning fuel deduction is limited to up to $2,000 for certified vehicles first put into service in 2005 and $500 for vehicles placed in service in 2006. No deduction will be allowed after 2006.

Federal Law allows individuals to claim a deduction for the incremental cost of buying a motor vehicle that is propelled by a clean-burning fuel. By combining an electric motor with a gasoline-powered engine, these hybrid vehicles obtain greater fuel efficiency and produce fewer emissions than similar vehicles powered solely by conventional gasoline-powered engines.

This one-time deduction must be taken in the year the vehicle is originally used. The taxpayer must be the original owner. Individuals do not have to itemize deductions on their tax return to claim this deduction. This benefit can be taken as an adjustment to income on the Form 1040.

The amount of the deduction for the Toyota Highlander Hybrid was set after the manufacturer, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. documented for the IRS the incremental cost related to the vehicle’s electric motor and related equipment.

A $2,000 tax deduction? I’m off to my local Toyota dealer!

Richard Chapo is CEO of http://www.businesstaxrecovery.com - Obtaining tax refunds for small businesses by finding overlooked tax deductions and credits through a free tax return review.