Stop living paycheck to paycheck

Living paycheck to paycheck is no way to get ahead in this life. However, for many Americans, this is a harsh reality. They are not saving any money, and this can lead to many financial troubles down the road. Thankfully there are payday loans to help with the emergencies that come up, but while these loans are great for short term help, they should not be used as a consistent income supplement.

Here are a few things you can do to stop living paycheck to paycheck.

1. Budget – Budgeting is an important way to stop spending above your means and start keeping track of things you spend money on. Then you can figure out where your “money bleed” is and fix that by cutting back on the spending in that category.
2. Go back to school – While you will have to pay for classes with student loans and start incurring debt, getting a degree or certificate is a great way to increase your earning potential. It may take a few years, but will pay off in the long run.
3. Start saving – Once you have fixed your budget, dedicate a small portion of your paycheck and have it direct deposited to a savings account. You won’t see the money, so you will not be tempted to spend it. If your company has a 401K, invest in it the same way.
4. Get help – Talk to a credit counselor, get your bills consolidated, and then get more tricks to help you save more.

Save money on household cleaning products

Learning what the pros do when cleaning houses can save you a ton of money on cleaning supplies. I found this news article, out of Philadelphia, online and it talks about the tricks a pro uses to clean houses. Here are some of his suggestions:

• Use an old toothbrush to clean tight areas like corners
• Use baking soda to clean most surfaces, and deodorize the garbage disposal
• Use a 50-50 mix of vinegar and water for glass cleaner
• Reuse socks and dryer sheets for cleaning windows and mirrors
• Dust a ceiling fan using a vacuum cleaner with attachments
• Dust electronics using a hair dryer on low
• Use coffee filters (unused) as non-abrasive cleaning cloths

What other tricks do you use to save money on cleaning products?

Cute story about a family finding lost change

So last week I talked about taking loose change and sticking it in a jar to see how much you can save. Well I was searching around for stories of people who have been able to pay off debt doing this, and I came across this cute article about a family called the Humpherys.

Every day the family comes home and deposits their findings (lost change found on sidewalks, hallways, etc) into a plastic container. 3 ½ years later, this money has added up to almost $1100.

They blog about their money findings, and use these money findings to teach their kids a lesson about realizing that their father is not an endless supply of money. They are trying to instill the lesson that “every penny counts”.

I find this to be a wonderful way to teach kids the value of a dollar. What do you think?

Loose change

What do you do with your loose change at the end of the day? I throw mine into a jar and when it fills up I roll it and take it to the bank. I have a special savings account set up just for all that money, and you will be surprised at how much it can amount to!

I had a standard vase that I dropped my loose change into for about a year, and I was surprised to find that at the end of the year the amount of money in that vase was close to $600. I find it absolutely amazing that you can take something as simple as spare change and turn it into that much money!

I used the some of the money to pay off a loan, and then the rest went to start that savings account. Since that first vase, I have successfully saved another $500 just in spare change and random pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters I have found on the street.

Do you save your change? If so, how much have you saved?