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How To Beat A Shopping Addiction

Written by The3dtechnologies · 2 Comments

Shopping can quickly become an addiction, just like any other addiction. I confess, I was addicted by shopping, especially when I was in college.

I used to buy a lot of fishing yarn in the past. I stopped when I realized that it will probably take me a lifetime to use it all up, especially since I have no time for fishing these days at all. I have some friend that have a full-fledged addiction and need to go out and buy the merchandise.

Shopping can be an extremely pleasant and relaxing, however, when you take too much used to it, you want to experience it again and again and often this pleasure can quickly become an addiction. Shopping is the best way to obtain this dependence.

According to studies humans love shiny new things and feel a sense of security when we surround ourselves with objects. For the same reason any other addictive behavior becomes an addiction.

Being addicted to shopping is damaging for different reasons. If on one hand it is damaging to your finances, on the other hand it is also damaging to relationships, because the addicted person often tends to hide her addiction from her partner.

At this point her partner could ask how she can spend so much money on things you don’t really need. Obviously, shopping isn’t something you can just stop doing – So, how you could get over my addiction to shopping?

I pretty much stopped the habit or addiction all at once . You can force yourself give up to the habit of recreational shopping.

I basically forced myself to staying indoors and away from stores whenever I have any spare time. It wasn’t easy, and I definitely went through a withdrawal process where I sorely missed my daily ritual.

So, let me know if you have been a shopping addict by leaving a comment below.

Image Credit: Stuck in Customs

Categories: Money Hacks, Personal Finance

Are You Throwing Away Good Money?

Written by The3dtechnologies · 1 Comment

I made money. What am I gonna invest in? Stocks? No. I’m going to invest in music. - Melissa Auf der Maur

This is something we seen often when someone started a new business and used every cent he can scrape up into it. When entrepreneur doesn’t reached the sucess expected, then they as approach for make the business grow, goes looking for more cash.

In some cases, can be a good move. Sometime, a business needs just a little more money to turn an idea into cash.

More often than not, though, you’re just throwing good money. Not always, a little more money will really solve the problem. The number of ideas that will help you start your business doesn’t increase just by adding more investments.

Any sorts of situation can turn into money sinks:

1. Sunk Costs - It’s very hard to recover money that has been spent without the help of a time machine. E.g. If you bought a new netbook that got totaled a few weeks later, there’s no chance of recovering the money you spent on that part if something goes wrong.

Trying to repair that notebook will require a lot more money, with no guarantee of success or a chance to sell the notebook afterwards. That’s a sunk cost.

2. Identifying the Bad Money – The common problem, for many of us, is that no one wants to work on the assumption that we have wrong. So, become a very natural thing to spend money into something, and think that we’re doing the right thing.

In general, put money on small expenses, it doesn’t really seem worth the effort. But on big stuff, though, it’s worth working on your ability to see more than the surface of why you’re choosing to spend money, especially in a situation where you’ve already put in a fair amount of cash.

What To Do, Then?

Take a look at where else we can spend money on, from the good, like putting it in to a retirement account(IRA), ot if you like fun, what about spending it on a nice trip? I also suggest you to ask someone with a little more knowledges about the situation and get some outside input.

I’d like to hear your throught about this

Image Credit: ricGjerde

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Categories: Money Hacks

Best Money Tips: 6 Ways To Entertain Houseguests On A Budget

Written by The3dtechnologies · 4 Comments

Have you never throught about how much it costs to have house guests? No? Some days ago, we’ve had a few houseguests. We had so many people visiting that every bed was full, as was much of the available floor space. Then, continue reading this article to learn more how you can save a bit of money to entertain house guests.

“House guest” means any person specifically invited by the owner or a member of the owner’s household to visit at the owner’s home whether for dinner or to a party, for conversation or any other similar purposes including for recreation, as playmates of the owner’s minor children as well.

If on one hand entertain house guests could be a joy, on the other hand can effect your spending power and cost could rise quickly. Once you add up your entertaining bills and locals from the weekend, you could observe how much money go away and how much your guests have cost you.

Each of these are important step to enjoy your guests and save some money by entertaining them as well.

1. Save money ahead – If you know you’ll have guests the next month, start putting aside money, at least each day in order to cover additional costs. Perhaps you could save a portion of your eating out.

2. Save money on food and drink – Keep the food and drink simple, this will surely help you save your money for most important thing ahead. Of course, you can also take fancy meals and splurging on gournet food, if you like it and afford it.

A simple food can be easily made with pots, spaghetti, hamburgers or hot dog. Bake banana bread or muffins before your guests arrive and you will be sure to impress them and save some money as well.

Warehouse stores is a good place where buying in bulk. So if you don’t have a membership, you can always ask to your friend if it has one and use it.

3. Don’t try to schedule too much – This process not only is it expensive, it’s also make you spend a lot of time. Make sure to include plenty of downtime.

4. Look free attractions – Take your guests to free or inexpensive local attractions like a hike through the woods or a picnic at a local park. Both might be fun for your guests and doesn’t have to cost anything to you.

5. Look for special offers and Coupons – Start looking those companies offer their employees discount tickets or passes to local attractions and entertainment venues. For instance, you’ll could get free tickets to employees. My friend had free tickets to museum from his employer. It could be a nice idea ask your employer(if you have one) if your company has any similar deals.

6. Plan ahead – Plan ahead your time instead of running to the restourant or locals at the last minute or for expensive breakfast goodies. So, you’ll be able to save money when your guests are here and enjoy the money later.

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Categories: Money Hacks, Personal Finance, Savings

4 Simple Ways To Set Financial Goals For This Year

Written by The3dtechnologies · 11 Comments

The new year arrived and is time to develop a plan to help us accomplish our financial objectives. Many of us are trying to accomplish goals such as paying off debt, buying a home as saving for retirement, as well.

However, often become hard to come up additional funds to achieve your financial objectives. However, when you combine some good tips, you can meet those goals faster.

I still feel I have a lot to learn on this topic but thought I’d take a few minutes out today to reflect on some of the lessons I’ve learned about personal finance.

These step below are meant to kick start your own financial goals:

1. Understand Your Priorities

Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work. H. L. Hunt

If you don’t prioritise, you’ll could spend your time in an uncontrolled manner. I’ve learned from my experience how many important is to understand what the priorities are and what they are not. This step come before to setting financial goals and it allows you to understand your overall plan for your money.

Image Credit: Norah Mohammad

You have to figure what to accomplish not only the next month but in the entire year to come. Try to understand what really do this year, create a list of what are really important to accomplish so it help you understand which financial objectives you have to follow. E.g You can try focusing on the smallest goal first so you achieve it quickly.

2. Setting A List For Reaching Your Financial Goals

A clear vision, backed by definite plans, gives you a tremendous feeling of confidence and personal power. Brian Tracy

Create a list of things that you want reach this year, and develop a plan of how to reach them. If you put down a list of goals you want to pursue is most probably you remember them and achieving them. This list are meant to kick start your own creative process, so be specific when you fill it. Look at the milestones you think should help you achieve your main goals.

3. Understand The Most Important Goals

Basically, our goal is to organize the world’s information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Larry Page

Now you got a list of the most important priorities to accomplish this year, it could be hard to accomplish everything togheter. So, you have to understand the most important thing you really need.

4. Remember That You Can Start Over

I bet you’re thinking a big part of the job will be done in a few weeks once your plan is ready. Unfortunaly, according to sources often New Year’s Resolutions often don’t last beyond the first few weeks of the year.

You always have to start over, or re-adjust your road map. You have to work on daily basis before to accomplish your objectives.

Categories: Money Hacks, Personal Finance - Tags: Financial Goals

How To Find The Best Online Savings Account, Best Online Savings Accounts Comparison

Written by The3dtechnologies · 3 Comments

Often people ask me for advices on where to park their short term savings. Open an saving account online is commonly used to transfers funds to regular savings and checking accounts. You can use it to pay bills or lower interest paid, replenish your checking account as soon as it has been depleted, and so on.

First to open an saving account you need to have a bit of savings. Also, remember that it can take up to 4 days to have funds from an online savings account transferred into another account.

best_online_savings_account

Image Credit:Top Bride Dresses

Find the best high yield online savings account isn’t so easy if you’ve not familiar with them. Usually, when we compare different products at first, we look at different offers but we usually end up caring about none of them after we start using the service.

How Online Savings Accounts Save You Money

Since you open an online account you will be able for transfers between this account and your regular savings and checking accounts.

As I said before you can use these funds as you want and as your needs are, but one of the positive aspect is that, in the long run, you may find that it acts as a deterrent for reckless spending.

You cannot access this account in any other way than by transfer. For most options, no checks can be written from an online savings account. What I found with online savings accounts are that:

To get started choosing a saving account all you have to check is the rate, and the history of how the institution lowers and raises rates.

Below, I’ve highlighted the main features with a different colors to help you make an Savings Accounts comparison and choose the ideal service to your needs.

Current Yield – 2.25% (Intro Rate)
FDIC Insured - The FDIC will reimburse you if the company or the security fails.
Interface and services

EverBank Yield Pledge – EverBank has the highest annual income interest in the industry. You get 2.25% APY for the first three months and FDIC insured. After that, for the first year for balances under $50,000 you still get 1.51%. Is provides exceptional service, and surely a strong contender for your money.

Discover Bank Online Savings Account – They have an annual income interest of 1.35% . They are now a FDIC member bank and have started offering an online savings account option of their own. Recently they have improved their user interface and I think it makes a solid choice for consumers. If you are interested, check them out and see how they stack up. It provides protection for bank deposits of member(FDIC insured) banks.

ING Direct Orange Savings – ING commands a big chunk of market share and was the first that invented the word of “online bank”. Its interface is very easy to use, while the current yield is of 1.10%. It provides protection for bank deposits of member(FDIC insured) banks. It provides protection for bank deposits of member(FDIC insured) banks.

FNBO Direct Online Savings Account – FNBO has the good introductory rate available in the industry with its 1.10% APY. From a local bank that started in Omaha during 1857, First National grew alot in these years and become the biggest private bank in the United State with 7,500 employees in over 150 years.

Categories: Money Hacks - Tags: Best Online Savings Account, EverBank Yield Pledge

Five ways To Save Money When Travelling

Written by The3dtechnologies · 3 Comments

Making a lot of money online is a great thing. I know, many of us are trying do it too. However, at the same time, it is incredibly important to spend your money wisely. I think one of the goals for any travelers is to keep saving even while they’re traveling. For many of us, saving for traveling is fairly straight forward, just set up a targeted savings account and put a little money aside each week or each month, right?

save_money_while_traveling
Image Credit: Fernando Gregory

However, in my view there’s something to be said more about saving for traveling. In my view, saving while traveling isn’t so easy as could be. Even the most carefull person could be surprised with unexpected expenses. Ramit sethi suggest budgeting 20% to pay for sundry expenses along the way.

Here I’ll gives you a bunch of extra tips:

Taxes and fees – Taxes and fees on tourists are different on country. A little research let you know which are taxes and fees on tourists and plan ahead. For instance, in a few countries you have to pay an extra fee at aeroport to enter the country.If you don’t know much about some fee, you could not have the money necessary in such moment.
Unexpected needs – I can’t travel without my netbook and while traveling I always need of an adapters to plug in all my electronic gadgets.
Impulse spending – In my recently article I wrote about spending personalities. Many people like me fall into impulsive spending, in a nutshell they buy something because has need for instant gratification. In every of my travels I have new experiences and seeing new things such as visit a museum, souvenir shopping, scenic tours, take a river cruise, and so on. Some of these may cost more than you’d expected. Better to budget ahead to prevent cost you’d not expected before. If for small stuff just can’t avoid to be an impulsive try going to worry about something more expensive then.
Emergencies – On one of his latest travel, my friend John has an incident, accidental that required hospitalisation. His insurance ultimately paid for her care. Unfortunatly he had to pay out of pocket for everything there, and then chase down reimbursement for it through a maze of paperwork once we got home. Having a comfortable cushion of while traveling lets you handle real emergencies as they crop up.
Be Frugal – Be thrifty or economic in the spending of money. Often you could be influenced on spending more. For instance, my friend is more frugal than I am, I often fall in to spend excessively just because I’m on the road.

If you enjoy frugality, you can use this habits everywhere you go. Of course if you have that 20% cushion Ramit Sethi suggests, then you could enjoy your travel, be frugality and spend freely too.

Categories: Frugality, Money Hacks - Tags: Frugality, money hacks

How To Save Money During College, Great Ways To Save Money In College

Written by The3dtechnologies · 25 Comments

Often a common college student is broke financially, or be in the balance for a lot of time. However save a bit of money isn’t so hard how you could to think if you’ve just the right knowledges.

If you’re a college student might be tempted to spend your money, but if money is tight, don’t hurry, you no need of spending a lot of money for buying things that your parent haven’t bought you before.

With the living cost grown, saving money is essential to student living. How about if I just tell you a few ways to save your money during you college experience?

Planning

personal finance programs
Image Credit: The Muse Online

If you start planning your finances, you’ll could to keep in order them. Here are some smart ways to do it.

Track Every Penny You Spend – I struggled with debt for years. Then I read your money your life which advices to keep track of every cent that comes into or goes out of your life”. Now I’m using Quicken to track my money. It isn’t FREE, however there are other FREE alternatives such as Gnu cash, Wesabe, AceMoney and Yodlee, make your choice.
Let’s make a budget! Remember: Expenses < Income = Good. Every month, try to check how much money you’ll receive and compare your income versus your expenses. There are 2 things you need to remember before make a budget: 1. You can’t spend more than you earn. 2. Money must go to the budget categories as soon you get paid.
Why you need to save your receipts? - Once saved your receipts, you’ll need to be able to compare them with statements at the end of the month. If you need to keep your receipts for several time, then put them in a drawer into the cabinet if you want, but hold onto it.

Money Management

guide to paying off debt
Image Credit: www.stockforfood.com

Once you’re on your own, you could be a struggle to make some purchases, so be sure that:

First all, be sure you need a credit card – Having a credit is something most people will experience within their lifetime, however if you’re still addicting to frivolous spending, isn’t so necessary. Be sure don’t get one unless you absolutely need of it.
Students should avoid additional debt – It might seem cool to buy an Iphone on a credit card or the latest netbook, but it’s not. Desist to follow the latest technologies. However, if you decide you must have that iphone, then save for it. Wait until you can pay cash.
Pay your bills as they arrive - This is one of the most important things you need to remember. If you pay your bills on time, you won’t have to worry about forgetting them. It’s a basic advice, but I’ve noticed many people forget it.

Campus

niche site

Image Credit: Heberger Site

Each of these two advices are important skill for any student

Buy used textbooks – You don’t need to buy new textbooks, just buy used textbooks and sell them back at the end of the term.
Limited the use of the car – There’s always something to do in the campus. There are campus that allows students to have fun too, for instance attend free movie festivals, or Pay a few bucks to see the local symphony every month. Support the sports teams. Attend lecture series.

Personal Life

lifestyle change
Image Credit: Cajie

Take care of yourself. Learn to do things without someone remind you to do it. Self-discipline is very important today.

Learn some basic rules – Go for coffee, take advantage of nature, use CitySearch to track down cheap hotels, restaurants, events, night clubs, shops, services.
Have your vices – Beer, cigarettes are expensive and damage your body. So, be careful to and limit them, you could save a lot of money and your heath as well

I hope you found this article helpful and maybe a bit of insiration for your next college experience.

Categories: Money Hacks - Tags: money, money hacks, save