Financial Information

Economic downturns are never much fun, but as Adam Smith observed centuries ago, these cycles of paucity and plenty are a fact of life. Though no one can say for sure when this most recent slump will reverse, there are at least sure ways of saving your money in the meantime. Here are some penny-preserving ideas tailored to our 21st-century lives:

 

1. Plenty of people are in the habit of cutting out paper coupons, but even though many of us do some of our shopping online now, not as many of us seem to have learned to coupon-hunt on the Internet. Sites such as CouponCabin.com, CouponMountain.com, and DealofDay.com list thousands of current offers at merchants all across the Web.

 

2. Use price-comparison websites like Pricegrabber.com, Shopping.com, Google Product Search, and mySimon.com to find the best deals online.

 

3. When you’re out at a store, send a text message to 46645 (Google’s text number) and enter the letter “f” and then the name of the item you’re looking at. Google will reply with a text message quoting its online prices. To compare prices at stores near you, go to ShopLocal.com.

 

4. If you don’t already belong to one, consider joining a warehouse club such as Costco or Sam’s Club and buying in bulk. This can be especially helpful if you have a large family.

 

5. Buy generic instead of brand-name products. A lot of the difference is often in the marketing hype and not the products, anyway.

 

6. Withdraw your money from surcharge-free ATMs, which can be located on AllpointNetwork.com and MoneyPass.com.

 

7. Buy locally-raised food at farmer’s markets or stores that sell local produce. Prices there are often lower since the food doesn’t have to be transported far.

 

8. Shop at dollar stores. You shouldn’t have a hard time finding them since they’ve been popping up all over the place in the recent past.

 

9. Purchase discount prescription drugs from online pharmacies. You’ll often end up paying well under half as much for the generic pills stocked by these discount prescription drug stores than you would for the same brand-name medicines at brick-and-mortar pharmacies.

 

10. If your car is seven years old or older and/or worth less than $2,500, consider dropping comprehensive and collision from your insurance.  Your deductible may be closing in on the value of your vehicle anyway, in which case a major collision would send your car to the junk yard and you to the dealership.

 

11. Keep cell-phone expenses under control. Kids today love to send text messages, so save yourself from unexpectedly high bills by paying the flat monthly fee for unlimited text messaging.

 

12. Use online classifieds to buy used items. Sites like CraigsList.org and Kijiji.com are excellent resources for finding everything you need, from pre-owned furniture to baby gear. By buying from locals, you can save on shipping costs too.

 

13. Go to matinees. The matinee showing is frequently more reasonably-priced than peak-time showings.

 

14. Install Power Planners (see www.energycsi.com/energysmart) to lower the energy consumption of your electrical appliances.

 

15. For your next date, plan a romantic picnic instead of going to a pricey restaurant. Pack a blanket and a cooler full of your favorite foods and you’ve got yourself a low-cost rendezvous. Add some color with a bottle of wine.

 

16. Instead of paying for software, look for (legal) free software from websites like Download.com and SourceForge.net. Depending on how you use a given type of software, the free alternatives will often be just as good as the commercial versions.

 

17. If anyone in your house is a student, get the Student Price Card from SPCLive.com. It’s only $8.50 and it will get the holder 10% to 15% off in scores of participating stores.

 

18. Control your thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature will save energy when you’re sleeping and away. Prices range from $30 to $120, but you’ll reduce your bill by 10% to 20%.

 

19. Consider leaving your health club. More economical options may include a gym at your work, in your building or community, or at a nearby parks and rec. center.

 

 

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Personal loans are a single payout lent by a financial institution to individual borrower. Specific terms, such as the amount of money to be lent and the interest rate, are agreed to in advance by both parties. The 's got a certain amount of time within which to repay the loan. Regular payments, including the interest, are made until the loan is paid back. You must be sure to do a personal loan comparison before agreeing to anything.

It is really quite easy to qualify for a personal loan. The interest rates and fees associated with borrowing these smaller amounts of money are very often quite high.  Although there are high fees, there will always be a way to find the cheapest personal loans. The cheapest way to apply is through an online lender. Another method to ensure cheaper loans is to do some comparison shopping. There is a lot of competition in the loan industry, so you're sure to find someone that has cheaper rates.

It is very important to do a personal loan comparison. Personal loans vary widely from lender to lender, and even the same lender will offer differing terms depending on the type of loan you take out or the amount you borrow. Only by taking the time to compare personal loans will you know if you are making the best decision.

Interest rates are an enormously important factor to take into consideration. One of the first comparisons you should perform is to weigh the pros and cons of fixed rate loans versus variable rate loans. You and the lender agree upon this rate in advance, and it will not fluctuate, no matter what happens with the market. A variable interest rate is a loan with interest rates that varies depending on the prevailing interest rate set by the Federal Reserve.

Chances are you already know about how much you need to borrow and what your ideal repayment period would be. You will likely find a number of lenders that can accommodate your needs, but it is unlikely that the terms of their loans will be exactly the same. In addition to interest rates, you should compare the added costs such as loan fees, default penalties and minimum monthly payments.