So, it looks like I’ve been bitten by the Amazon Kindle bug.  Although, it’s not buying books for the Kindle that I’m addicted to, it’s writing them!

As of last night, I’ve now published five personal finance books to the Kindle, with the two latest being 5 Money Lessons I Learned from My Blue Collar Middle Class Parents, and Save Money Without Even Noticing.  Needless to say, I think they’re pretty awesome.

For the faithful readers of Saving Without a Budget, you may recognize the blue collar title, since it was one of my more well-received posts, even getting picked up by Time.  Rest assured though, the ebook is not just a cut and paste from Saving Without a Budget; I’ve added lots of new content and insights.

As for “the other” ebook, it gives a bunch of easy ways you can start saving a bunch of money without affecting your lifestyle, or, as the title might suggest, without even really noticing.  This includes ways to save money on utilities, groceries, entertainment, etc.  You name it, you can save it.  (I’m a poet and don’t even know it.)

I’d love it if you’d check out the books and let me know what you think!

Without a doubt, the holidays can be one of the most stressful times of the year. It seems you’ve got one family gathering after another, you’re busy trying to get your decorations up, and you’re stressed about getting gifts for everyone without blowing your budget.

While I can’t help with the first two problems – and let’s be honest, having family gatherings is a good problem to have – I can help with helping you get gifts without blowing your budget.

I’ve written The Frugal Christmas Gift Guide: Holiday Shopping Without Busting Your Budget for the Amazon Kindle as a general guide to help you get through the most wonderful and expensive time of the year without having a horrible credit card bill waiting for you in the new year.

In The frugal Christmas Gift Guide, I talk about how to take advantage of awesome holiday sales – not just Black Friday – as well as other ways you can give gifts without spending a ton of money (hint: the gift of time goes a long, long way).

I’d love it if you checked out the book and then let me know what you think.

Happy Thanksgiving and happy kickoff to the holiday shopping season!

I know things have been quiet on The Personal Finance Program lately, and I apologize. That being said, I have a legit reason – I’m now a published author!

Over the past month, I’ve been working to get my ebook How to Make a Budget: Simple Budget Techniques and Ways to Save Money up on the Amazon Kindle platform. As of this morning, it is up and running, which I’m super pumped about! In fact, I’ve already made a few sales – that I know of – and have gotten three likes. No reviews yet, but hopefully soon enough.

Anyway, I would be absolutely thrilled if you headed over to Amazon and checked out the book – at the very least, clicking the like button up by the “write a review” link.

Thank you for your patience with The Personal Finance Program. I hope you enjoy How to Make a Budget: Simple Budget Techniques and Ways to Save Money so much that you forget all about the fact The Personal Finance Program has been dormant for the past month!

Image courtesy of Danny

Are you struggling to manage your finances during this never-ending recession? Are your energy bills just too high for you to even bear thinking about? Well, you can save a few dollars, maybe even a few hundred dollars, per year with these energy saving tips.

Without doubt, the best thing you can do to cut down on your energy expenditure is get a comparison of gas and electricity prices on websites like moneysupermarket.com. This particular website has recently conducted a few surveys that have shown that customers are frequently paying over the odds on not only their energy bills, but on their auto insurance and travel insurance, too. They compare a whole list of energy tariffs for you to have a look at and choose the best one for you. Switching providers can often be a very effective way of cutting back in this respect.

Aside from this, there are plenty of things you can do inside the house to save the cents. The easiest and most effective thing to get into the habit of doing is switching everything off when it is finished with. This applies to everything from the TV (in every room), the radio, the cooker, the microwave and the toaster. It could be a pleasant surprise when you find out how much you can save – every little effort helps on the money-saving campaign.

Try to avoid using electricity when you don’t really have to, like perhaps when you’re in bed reading a book. You obviously need light, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be of the electrical variety – use candles instead if your eyesight allows.

When we move to the kitchen, even more money-saving opportunities arise. It helps to be sparing when using the cooker or boiling the kettle, as using only the necessary amount of energy will keep the dollars in your wallet. Defrosting your freezer regularly to make it more efficient is another helpful trick. It really does make a difference.

When the weather gets harsh, you could try to wrap up with more layers so you can turn the heating down a notch. Fitting a jacket around your boiler will also contain its energy, wasting less and saving you more. You might need to keep the heating on very low if the weather gets really harsh just to save your pipes from freezing. Fixing these could well end up being much more expensive than the extra few dollars on your bill, but you’ll still need to be sparing it.

Every cent you save builds up over the year, which means that you could end up saving a few hundred dollars by the time you get your next bill.

Image courtesy of Bess Sadler

In the middle of a seemingly never-ending recession, saving money wherever it is possible is at the top of the list in most households across the country. All the necessary expenditures come first, like mortgage payments, auto insurance, building insurance and groceries, but when it comes to renovating your house, money can be frustratingly scarce. Even if it isn’t particularly scarce as such, you might want to save as much as you can regardless so you can save up for things like new clothes and vacations. If you’re about to become a part-time renovator in your own home, then here are some tips that will help you save some money along the way.

Wallpaper is expensive at the best of times, so you would be wise to opt for a complete repaint instead, even if it is just in one or two rooms. Depending on how big the rooms you wish to decorate are, you could potentially save hundreds of dollars by reaching for the paintbrush.

Saving energy is important when it comes to renovations in the house. If you plan to install new lights around your home, then be sure to fit them with energy saving light bulbs to save yourself a few bucks in the long run.

If you’re planning on renovating your kitchen, there is a copious amount of things you can do to keep more of your hard-earned dollars. You don’t even have to rip out the whole kitchen: a great way to make it look new and fresh is to only replace the worktops and doors on all your cabinets.

If you want to save even more money in this respect, then simply painting the doors of your kitchen cabinets can revamp the overall style and appeal of the room. Even if you reinstall the same appliances, as long as they are environmentally friendly, the kitchen will look like a whole new place to you, your family and all your guests.

Installing a new alarm system during the renovation is a great way to reduce the cost of your insurance premiums, as your house will be a much safer place for you and much less appealing place to criminals. Even ‘mock’ alarms are available on the market now, which will do practically the same job as the real thing. It’s all about image – how it looks from the outside.

The best thing for you when you’re renovating is seeing what your whole home looks like from the inside when you’ve finished. It’s an incredibly rewarding experience and this is especially true if you have saved a few dollars in the long run.

Image courtesy of Keith Ramsey

I believe it was Benjamin Franklin who wisely told us, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”

He’s right – and what’s more, Mr Franklin’s little mantra is appropriate for any of life’s situations – including, of course, your finances. The best way to prepare for financial stability is to make sure you plan ahead, and to plan ahead is to prepare a comprehensive budget.

While at first, the task at hand might seem pretty daunting, once you get going, you’ll be fine. And while you might be shocked at first, you’ll notice that the financial enlightenment you’ve sought will make you feel lighter, more in control, and just all round better. Trust me, I’ve been there and done it.

If you’re the type of person to bury your head and ignore a problem, then you’ll know that it feels pretty awful. Well, as awful as you let yourself feel as you ignore the problem and your feelings about it! You may believe that you’re able to shove your finances right to the back of your mind, but deep down, the problem will weigh on you, which is altogether worse for you and your finances than the initial pain of confronting it.

Bear up, take stock, and list every single one of your incomings and outgoings – it doesn’t matter whether you work on a monthly or weekly basis – just make sure you’re consistent. Make sure that you account for everything you’re spending your money on: rent or mortgage, food, auto, home, and other insurance, credit cards, gas, loan repayments, childcare, clothing, utilities, school trips, school books etc. Get everything down on your list.

So this is crunch time – you might be pleasantly surprised to find that your finances are in relatively good order, and you just need to tidy up your spending a little. However, you may also discover that there’s a huge discrepancy between your incomings and your outgoings – but don’t be overwhelmed and crumble, because you’ve done the very hardest bit, and things can only get better.

Now, make two lists: the essential items (food, rent, etc.) and the non-essential items (clothing, leisure etc.). Calculate out how big the discrepancy is and examine where you can afford to make sacrifices.
You’ll very soon discover that you can cut out a lot of the non-essentials to save a huge amount of money, and that you can also probably acquire your essentials cheaper than you already do.

Use energy, auto and home insurance comparison sites to shop around for better deals than those offered by your current providers, look at your groceries and see whether you can buy less expensive brands or even spend time making healthier homemade meals instead.

Do you buy your lunch from the shop next to work every day? Perhaps you have a coffee on the way to work every day or a few times a week. It all adds up, especially if you’re talking about budgeting for yourself and your family.

Control your finances – don’t let your finances control you. It doesn’t take much to get on the path to financial stability, so why not take the plunge and start today?

Insurance – be it for the car, the home or travel – is a substantial drain on the financial resources of many Americans year in, year out. The constant cycle of having to pay and renew on a continual basis to get covered can be hugely frustrating and expensive. If this sounds familiar to you then take note of the following to secure yourself a better deal for your dollars.  

Image courtesy of Images of Money

Car insurance

Getting cheaper car insurance quotes is pretty straightforward really, as long as you’re willing to do your bit. The Internet should always be your first port of call as policies work out considerably cheaper if purchased online, especially if you source a wide range of quotes from many different insurers using a price comparison website. Once you’ve got a few quotes to ponder over, consider offering to pay a higher excess to get more money knocked off. Find out what difference it would make to your policy by doubling your excess, although always be mindful of the fact that you’ll be expected to pay that fee in the event of making a claim, so be realistic as well. Other more general tips include improving the overall security of a vehicle, reducing your mileage by being more selective about how often you go out and about on the roads and leaving your car in a safe and secure spot at night. Some companies also offer multi-car policies, which may be relevant to households that have more than one vehicle.

Home insurance

It’s amazing what difference a bit of DIY can make to the price of home insurance. Get an alarm fitted and always remember to set it because your policy could be rendered invalid if you fail to do so and end up needing to make a claim. Another security factor to think about is having motion-sensor lights installed in your back yard or garden or at various access points around your property. An alarm and security lights will hopefully collaboratively deter any unauthorized persons from entering the house and, therefore, reduce the insurance premium. Keep windows locked as well as it only takes a few seconds for a thief to gain access to personal belongings that could be worth thousands of dollars and plant a few thorny bushes directly under windows to make them harder to reach. Raise your deductibles, set timer switches on lights and electrical items to give the illusion someone is home if you’re on vacation and buy a safe if you own an expensive jewellery collection. Again, shop online to secure the best deals.

Travel insurance

Jetting around the world on vacation without travel insurance is not worth the risk as all manner of different scenarios may arise that could leave you massively out of pocket as a result or compromise the safety of you and your friends and family. As with most expenses nowadays, you can surf the net to take advantage of some of the brilliant online discounts available. Depending on how frequently you go away, look into the possibility of getting annual multi-trip cover instead of buying it on an individual basis as it should work out much cheaper. Increase your excess, again, to trigger a cut-price policy.

Since the recession and banking crisis of 2008, almost all news about getting financing has been discouraging. People with above average credit ratings are unable to get loans to buy homes, and businesses complain they are unable to grow because banks are so stringent in how much they will lend to them. Tight lending requirements include personal loans.

So how is it possible that individuals can borrow small amounts, between $100 and $1500?

In fact, personal loans are still possible. They come under different names and in different forms:

a. Credit card cash advance – This is the type of personal loan that millions of people have basically used for decades. If you make a purchase or get a cash advance on a credit card – not a debit card drawn from a bank account – you are basically borrowing the money. Major card issuers only take new customers who meet minimum credit rating standards.

b. Collateralized loans – This is when you offer an item of value that is greater than the value of the loan as a promise to repay on the loan (you forfeit the item if you cannot repay the loan). This ranges from home equity loans to car title loans to jewelry or other valuables offered at a pawnshop. For car title loans, you usually need to own the car outright (i.e., not have outstanding payments to make on it).

c. Payday cash advance – Anyone with a job and a checking account can get a personal loan based on the value of their next paycheck. State banking laws regulate the amount this can be, and the amount is also determined by the borrower’s pay rate. Online payday advance companies can help a borrower figure out what that amount could be. Credit histories and collateral are irrelevant to payday cash advance personal loans.

While the options each come with their own requirements, each also enable individuals to get a personal loan with relative speed – which is often something that borrowers need.

Disappointing June employment data. Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Despite hope that the job market was on the verge of turning the corner, June employment data left a whole lot to be desired with only 18,000 jobs added for the month.  This came in much lower than what economists were expecting, and was even lower than May’s paltry 25,000 jobs added.

And with this, unemployment ticked up to 9.2% from 9.1%, with the total number of unemployed Americans climbing to 14.1 million!

According to an article published on CNN Money the aforementioned statistics might not even be the worst data to come out of this month’s jobs report:

A whopping 44% of those folks, or 6.3 million people, have been unemployed for 6 months or more.

The average length of unemployment is 39.9 weeks — an all-time high.

The underemployment rate, which includes people who want to work full-time but are forced to work part-time, rose to 16.2%, its highest rate since December.

Overall, the job market is still far from a full recovery. The economy needs to add about 150,000 jobs a month just to keep pace with population growth.

So far, the nation has only gained back about a fifth of the 8.8 million jobs lost since the recession began.

All of these stats point to, at best, a jobless economic recovery and, in my opinion, a double-dip recession.

None of this is good news.  What are your thoughts on the subject.  Are things getting worse or getting better?  Is this a jobless recovery or a double-dip recession?  Leave your comments below.

Related articles

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Prices will likely continue to fall. Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Even though housing prices have fallen nation-wide by nearly 1/3rd over the past five years and affordability is at record highs thanks to historically low interest rates, most economists feel we have yet to hit the point where home prices are ready to appreciate.

According to an article on CNN Money we can still expect home prices to fall for the foreseeable future:

Of the 22 [economists] who had specific predictions for the closely watched Case-Shiller home price index, the median forecast was for a 3.9% decline in the second quarter compared to a year earlier, and a 2.9% drop in prices over the course of the full year.

Only three economists expect prices to rise this year.

The outlook for 2012 is only modestly better — a 2% increase in home values, with six of the economists forecasting another drop in prices next year.

This mirrors recent comments by Robert Schiller, one of the most respected minds when it comes to economics, who said housing prices could fall another 25%:

Housing “might fall [another] 10-25% in the next few years,” but forecasting housing today is harder than predicting the weather, Shiller says. “I don’t see how anyone can quantify a forecast because it’s such an unusual event.”

The above comments came from an article recently published on Yahoo! Finance and certainly illustrate a scary point: while we don’t know how much further down it is before housing prices hit bottom, they almost certainly will fall further.

So, what do you think will happen? Leave a comment below and share your opinion!

Related Articles:

• 2011 Seen as Historic Turning Point for Housing – Robert Shiller (johnmurphyreports.com)
• U.S. Economy At ‘Risk’ Of Falling Into Double-Dip Recession: Shiller (huffingtonpost.com)
• USA house prices, ok or not? (propellresearch.wordpress.com)