Lynnae at Beingfrugal.net gives some great tips on how to be able to pay your bills and buy the things you need, despite a job loss.

Here’s some of her suggestions:

1. Declutter your house and sell what you can on Craigslist. While these things won’t necessarily bring in a lot of income, they certainly can help in a pinch.  Just remember, one persons trash is another persons treasure!
   
2. Scour Craigslist for short-term jobs.  Again, while these may be short term & only part time, they may be able to help bring in something while you are looking for more permanent work.
   
3. String together a couple of part-time jobs while you look for full-time work. If you find the the previously mentioned work just isn’t cutting it, considering getting a few.  You can set certain times to work at one job, and then the other times can be at the other job.  Just remember to not overdo it!

Check out Lynnae’s other suggestions as well.  Also, you might consider subscribing to her feed.  She’s always offering some great, practical suggestions such as moving tips, or how to have a frugal thanksgiving.

Here’s what she has to say about getting out of debt: “Most people can get out of debt if they really want to. It’s not easy though. The best way to get out of debt is to increase your income and decrease your spending. Because I’m a stay at home mom, and my husband and I both agree that’s what I need to be doing right now, I focus on decreasing spending. I’m already a fairly frugal person, but I know I can still learn a lot. And that’s what this blog is about. Me learning to be more frugal. And hopefully my readers will learn as well. And then we can learn from each other’s experiences.”

You can also learn from others experiences by connecting with Geezeo users in our groups section.  Feel free to jump right in and join the conversation.  Or you can even start your own!

Halloween is now over, and the stores are filled with 50% or more off of some yummy snacks.  What could you do with these delicious treats?

Andrea over at Wisebread has provided their readers with a list of 10 Things to Do With Leftover Halloween Candy.

Now, is the time to start thinking ahead to your Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.  Thankfully, we have 5 Tips For Saving Money This Holiday Season from Money Crashers.

Maybe you are planning on traveling this holiday season.  Cash Money Life gives us some good advice on How to Get the Best Deal With Priceline.

It would also be a great time to jump into our groups section to connect with other users to get some great ideas for inexpensive, yet thoughtful gifts for this season.  You can also share your ideas with how to cut some costs not only with gifts, but with travel expenses, decorations, or even with your grocery bill (especially if everyone ends up at your house for dinner)!

Also, whether you are being naughty and spending way more than you should, or nice, and learning to be frugal (which doesn’t have to mean CHEAP!), share with us your Money Confessions!

If you are like most Americans, you are looking for ways to save money on everything, from your grocery bill, to your car expenses.  And it should be simple enough to google your way through the many websites out there to find some information.  But wouldn’t it be easier to have a good amount of information listed, all in one spot, for easy reference?  Look no further than My Two Dollars.

David has compiled a list of of 47 links that contain nearly 1,020 different ways to save money.  (Thanks for sharing these David!)

Here are a few of the links that we feel Geezeo users might find most useful:

7 Great Ideas For Packed Lunches

25 Ways to Save Money on Gas

10 Ways To Save Money On Heating Bills This Winter

5 Ways To Make The Holidays Less Expensive For Your Friends

40 Little Things You Can Do To Save Money And Our Planet

12 Frugal Things You Can Do This Week

If you find any other sites that you feel others could benefit from, feel free to share them with us in the comments below!

You could also post the link in one of our many groups focused on saving money such as It’s Time To Budget.  Or if you have some tips that hit closer to home, you can look at a few of our local budgeting groups in areas such as Chicago, Tallahassee, or Charlotte.  Don’t see your area listed?  That’s ok, you can always create your own group here!

Or if  what you have to share deals more with getting out of debt,  you can visit our groups that cater to that need here.

Either way, our groups section is a great way to get and give feedback on these and many other topics!  Spark up some conversation!

Are you looking for a way to feel empowered when it comes to managing your financial future?  Look no further than Blue Jeans Millionaire, Richard Epley.  Richard has more than forty years’ worth of experience, education, and professional licenses under his belt.  So it could be well worth your time to jump on over to Blue Jeans Millionaire, and find out what he has to say.  But for now, you can get to know him a little bit better here.

So Richard, how long have you been handling your own personal finances?

I’ve been handling my own finances since I started working for wages some forty years ago.  My first passbook savings account was started at age 15, checking at age 18.  But it wasn’t until I turned thirty that I seriously started investing in both the stock market and income producing real estate.  That was also the year I launched my first solo business venture.

So it would be safe to say that you may have experienced many ups and downs when it comes to your own finances.  If you don’t mind sharing, are there any major pitfalls you’d like to mention & how did you/are you recovering?

Like all investors I encountered numerous pitfalls.  I tended early in my career to over concentrate in sectors like real estate, which meant that when that market cooled off, I was caught off guard.  I’ve also been guilty of having a one stock concentrated position which came to grief, and got caught in the tech market bubble this decade.  Once I took asset allocation seriously, and got our consumption spending under control, there have been no major reversals.

Would you like to offer any insight on why it seems that so many others have trouble managing their money?

They think it is too complicated and esoteric.  They have been led to think this way by the investment/retirement complex.  Prospect theory says the thought of making a bad decision is so painful that investors retreat into the mode of postponing financial decision making indefinitely.

Thanks for the insight.  On your blog, you have also looked at why it seems to be so much easier for some families to save and invest, mentioning that “it is not a function of intelligence or education, …yet the simple acceptance of delayed gratification as a life skill.”  Very well said! Moving along, I’ve also read the reasons that you started a blog about personal finance. I must say, I personally like your comment about needing someone who was “once serving on the dark side to let you know what to expect in your dealings with so-called financial professionals.” Would you share some of the other reasons with our readers?

I started my blog when my career was at the point that I had nothing to lose by being a whistle blower.  I’ve always enjoyed writing, but not the business of publishing in the pre-internet era.  I had a lifetime of experience to share, and needed the audience.

Something strange happens when you approach normal retirement years…an overwhelming desire to mentor someone.  It’s also a nice fit with my boutique wealth management practice.  Research in either pursuit spills over and reinforces applications in both pursuits.

Finally, I needed the nudge and support of technical and marketing expertise in taking the plunge, and that is my partnership with Christine Lerios at Mixed-up-Media.

That partnership seems to be doing well.  Good for you two!  So moving forward, do you have any goals that you are working on for the remainder of 2008?

My goals, oddly enough, started with two negatives.  The desire to never work for anyone else, ever again.  And the desire to work a 30 hour week, rather than a 60+ hour week.  Once accomplished, my goals now are to build the private wealth management practice to a comfortable level, and expand the blog until it finds its targeted audience.  I could not even contemplate a life without work and achievement, no matter my age.

What about any long-term goals?

My long term goal is to impart core investment and life skills to my adult children, and by extension, anyone else who would like to eaves drop on the dialogue.

Richard, I am sure you will succeed at anything you want to do.  We wish the best for you and we hope to hear more from you soon.  In the mean time, if you have not already, please visit Richards’ blog over at Blue Jeans Millionaire, and partake on this wonderful knowledge that he has chosen to share with all of us.

Please feel free to join in on any discussions within our many groups such as Guide to Financial Solvency, Millionaire Blueprints Teen Magazine, or Am I Diversified?

(photo courtesy of Richard Epley)

There are many things that we probably shouldn’t do with regards to our money.  For instance, spending money without keeping track, not having a budget, or splurging with credit cards we can’t afford  to pay off are all things that could cause problems financially.  But what may be some of the not so obvious ones that can easily burn through our money and possibly even make us feel guilty afterwards?  No, it’s not that occasional Starbucks you splurge on and not tell your significant other about.  (Although, that may be an area that can still make you feel a bit guilty.)

No, these are things that you may pay for every month, and not even think twice about them.  Or maybe you do, but it’s not until the middle of next month.  Then you realize that they weren’t really necessary to begin with, and wonder why you paid for them.  These may also be things that cause you to not do what you should be doing.

Jay White, founder of Dumb Little Man, wrote about such financial expenditures that often times “fly under the radar.”

The first one he mentioned was Subscriptions.  This could be magazines you get because you might find the time to read them at some point.  Or HBO Channels that you may think you need in order to see one or two of your favorite shows.  Jay asks a really good question here:

“Are you still as excited about the purchase as you were on the day you signed up?”

He goes on to say:

“If not, ask whether you really need the item in your life or if you are willing to continue paying the monthly or annual fee. Remember, this is more than magazines and cable TV. Consider gym memberships, website forum memberships, cell phone data plans, the Wifi card subscription you don’t need at Starbucks anymore, etc.”

So it’s time to sit down and really calculate all of these subscription costs and see if you can find better ways to use the money.  Remember too, when it comes to magazines, if you still want to occasionally read them, you can most likely find them online now.

Jay continues on to mention two things that many people struggle with.  The first one is procrastination.  You don’t want to put off doing today what you think you will have time to do tomorrow (but most likely won’t be able to fully complete).  Jay suggests setting up an “automatic withdrawal that goes into a savings account not attached to your checking account. If your income level allows for it, put some cash into a Roth IRA, etc.”

The other thing Jay mentions is the act of making assumptions.  “You have to plan your finances in a way that will all but guarantee your needs are met. If you do get a windfall or if Social Security exists in five years, you need to treat that as a bonus. You can NOT rely on anything that you don’t personally control.”  Websters dictionary links assumptions with arrogance.  Therefore, if you do not plan for your future on your own, one could almost claim you to be a bit arrogant, or that you feel like you are superior to others, and deserve to be taken care of in the future no matter what you did or did not do prior.  However, that is why there are options in place now that allow you to save for later on down the road.

Don’t assume tho that it is too late to start.  In fact, if you want some advice on trying to get started with your retirement savings, check out one of our many groups, such as Investing For Our Future.

Jay gives many more good examples of areas we could improve on that goes deeper than just spending less than you make, or only using credit cards when you can pay them off.  Check them out and see if there are any areas in which you could improve and possibly save money now and for the future.

Related:
How To Determine Your Needs vs. Your Wants
Get Control Of Impulse Purchases
Three Reasons Uncle Sam Is Your Investing Partner
Saving For Retirement During a Recession

I’m not sure if I speak for the majority of people, but when I think of retirement, I think of being 70+ years old.  (Then again, I have enjoyed most, if not all, of my jobs at some point, and as long as I am happy, I don’t mind working until I am at least 70.)  However, you may not be as lucky as I am to enjoy what I do.  If this is the case, then maybe you are looking at trying to retire early.

Can this be done?  Of course!

Madison, over at My Dollar Plan, recently left the workforce in order to focus on her children, as well as enjoy her freedom.  One should not assume that she woke up one morning and decided to just quit.  This plan took time to organize.  Thanks to Madison, we have an idea of what it took to get her to this point.  She outlined 29 steps that allowed her to leave the workforce at the age of 29.  Here are a few of her thoughts:

The very first one that Madison mentions is to “Start Early.”  She started her first IRA at age 16 based on advice from her mom.  Proof that teaching your kids about money is very powerful.

She also mentions that being organized is the way to go.  It’s very important to stay on top of all of your accounts so that you know what you have, what you don’t, and what you can and need to plan for.  (Geezeo can help you by allowing you to see all of your accounts in one place.)

You should also endeavor to set some goals.  They can be big, however, just be sure to break them down into smaller, attainable sections so that you do not get overwhelmed with it.  (Again, Geezeo can help here by letting you see what your goals are and if you are making progress to achieve them.)

Madison also said that she has been frugal, but not too frugal.  There were a list of things she was just not willing to do.  And that’s OK!  However, the important thing to remember is that if you aren’t willing to compromise in one area, then it’s important to replace that with another one that is doable.  It doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

Learn from your mistakes (and the mistakes of others).  To keep tabs on yourself, keep a journal (it doesn’t have to be detailed) outlining what your goals are, how you plan on achieving those goals, and any slip ups you may have along the way.  You can also find out how others have fared  by checking out some Geezeo groups such as It’s Time To Budget and Penny Pinching to Early Retirement.

Whatever your decision, don’t look back.  Madison says: “Once you make your decision, enjoy your new life. There will be a transition period, but give it some time. I’ll be reminding myself of this in the next few weeks as I settle into my new routine.”

Congratulations Madison, on your new found freedom.  We hope that things go well for you, and we can’t wait for the updates on how you are spending your time.  If you would like to keep up-to-date with Madison’s journey through early retirement, you can check out her blog over at My Dollar Plan.

Related:
Kids and Money - Can They Mix?
Yearly Goals - Need Reviewing?
The Perks of Phased Retirement
Saving For Retirement During a Recession

Ever wanted to get just a little bit of background information on one of your favorite bloggers?  Well, I have had the pleasure of doing just that.  I was able to ask a few questions to one of my personal favorites, Blunt Money.  In case you are wondering, she is a re-married mother of one who has had her own fair share of ups and downs and over $15,000 in credit card debt.  However, just so you know, the only debt they have remaining is their mortgage - how great is that?  Let’s get started getting to know her a bit better.

Blunt Money, tell us, how long have you been handling your own personal finances?

Since about the age of 16.

And since then, have you encountered any major pitfalls & how did you/are you recovering?

Yes, quite a few pitfalls, although I think that’s probably just part of life.  Living paycheck to paycheck, periods of unemployment and underemployment, going through a divorce, and just plain not thinking things through.

And if you had to pick, what do you think is the common reason that most people have trouble managing their money?

I think that the most common reason that people have trouble managing their money is that they are not in sync financially with their significant other. (How many times do we hear “one person was the spender, one person was the saver”?)

I would agree with you on that 100%!  On your blog, you discuss many topics revolving around money.  Some include Student Loans, Stocks, and Credit Cards, as well as figuring out if a Steam Cleaner is really worth the investment.  What prompted you to start a personal finance blog?

I got interested in simple living, read “Your Money or Your Life” while on vacation, and realized that I paid very little attention to my finances. So I decided to combine two of my goals (writing something every day and focusing on my finances) by starting a blog of my own.

Do you have any goals that you are working on for the remainder of 2008?

Yes, my biggest goals for the remainder of this year are working on reducing my monthly expenditures and increasing my income.

That’s a goal most of us have I think.  I know that I would like to figure out ways to do that personally.  So, what about any long-term goals that you may have?

I have a whole slew of long-term goals, with probably the first one being to save up enough money to pay off our house while still contributing 30% or more to retirement.

If you’d like to keep up-to-date with Blunt Money’s goals, please do! Blunt Money, you’re doing a great job, and we hope that you can reach your goals soon!  Thanks for stopping by Geezeo and chatting with us a bit.  It’s always nice to see how some people may have had similar struggles to our own, and they are able to keep pushing along and making progress towards a better financial future.  How encouraging!  If you are having any struggles of your own and feel like you need some advice, please feel free to join one of our many groups such as Getting Out Of Debt, or more specifically, Surviving The Split (for those who are dealing with divorce), Bankruptcy, and/or those who need to learn how to Use Credit Wisely.

Related:
Prenup Agreement…Is It For You?
Focus On The Payoff To Eliminate Your Debt

Are you among those who have committed financial infidelity?  Don’t know what it is?  I’ll define:

Basically, financial infidelity is where you are less than truthful about your financial situation, or your  purchases, no matter how large or small, with your spouse or partner. To clarify further, “less than truthful” means purposely not telling them about how you’re handling money.

Diane McCurdy, author of How Much Is Enough?  Balancing Todays Needs with Tomorow’s Retirement Goals,  says that “Lies erode trust, compromise the tellers integrity - and can make the person who’s lied to feel really bad.”

You and your spouse fit one of two catagories:

• A natural saver, seeing your freer-spending spouse as childish and irresponsible
• A spender spouse, viewing the saver as a miser and a kill-joy

Either way, both you and your spouse need to work hard to see the others perspective on things.  It may be that there needs to be new comprimises.  Let the spender learn to curb their shopping adventures some, while the saver loosens up the purse strings a bit.

Much can be done to help you and your spose get back on the same page, but do not expect this to happen over night.  It could be good to seek help from a professional counselor.  However, if you don’t think that you two need to go this far quite yet, then it may be beneficial to get the book “Financial Infidelity : Seven Steps to Conquering the #1 Relationshop Wrecker“, written by Dr. Bonnie Eaker.

If you want more advice on how other couples are managing their finances, check out the groups Couples & Money and DINKS - Dual Income, No Kids.  Have a confession regarding your own financial infidelity?  Post here - don’t worry, you can keep it anonymous!

Also, you can check out Clever Dude’s take on this book, as well as his own experiences with his financial life.

Photo Courtesy of : biewoef / stock.xchng

Geezeo is all about community. It’s a great place to share ideas and tips. So I wondered, what’s the best money advice you’ve received? Did you get it at Geezeo, or somewhere else?

Here are my “top 3″:

Pay Yourself First

Where I Learned It: From my father, at age 18
When I Actually Did It: Um, uh… not consistently until age 30. Too bad! It really makes a difference.
What I Learned: Now it’s even easier to have the discipline. Route that money electronically into an account you can’t easily spend!

Invest a portion of every payday in your 401(k) and/or IRA

Where I Learned It: From my father, age 22
When I Actually Did It: Age 22 — thank goodness! But, there were times when I put in very little, and years when I didn’t contribute anything at all.
What I Learned: Even if you don’t work for a company that offers a 401(k), you should still contribute to an IRA. You won’t get any “company match”, but you will see this account grow over time.

Credit Cards Can Really Suck

Where I Learned It: School of Being-Out-On-Your-Own-And-Buying-Too-Much
When I Actually Did It: Credit card debt really stressed me out ages 23-26. Harsh lesson, but well-learned.
What I Learned: Overspending is a habit you can change. Credit cards are useful, but should be paid in full every month. Go without rather than charge it and think you can pay it off later…if you can’t afford something right then, chances are good you can’t afford it at all.

What if you weren’t lucky enough to have a father give great financial advice (even if you didn’t take his advice at first)? Or, what should you do to deal with your credit card debt and spending habits? Speak up and befriend people here at Geezeo! You never know what good tip you’ll discover.

With all the emphasis in the press these days about tightening the belt I thought it would be nice to think about life with less money. Does it always mean sacrifice?

Self-employed writer Rita Farin had these points to say. I’ve added my own comments, too. Thanks for the thoughtful writing, Rita!

* Life requires living, whether you have the money or not. It also requires a plan. If you have a plan for your new life, then you can start really living by doing what you love.

One way to start planning is to write it out. The list doesn’t have to be in any particular order. The important things is to get it all out. Some items you’ll commit to doing and others you’ll think, “that’s a cool idea but I’m not ready to commit to that, yet!”.

Even though we’re talking life goals the same could be said for your financial life. Your list could include goals like “Save 10% of my income”, “Give 10% to charity” or “Start a secondary savings fund for Goal X”. In the end you may decide that you can only commit to one of these immediately.

As they say, you must start with the end in mind.

* You have more money than you think you have. Even with a budget in place, it’s hard to know how much money you actually have until you have to spend it without bringing in any income. I had no idea until I started a business a couple of years ago and lived off of my savings. That savings lasted a lot longer than I ever thought it would. And I found pockets of money that I had forgotten about, lasting me nearly two years.

I totally agree here. I literally saved my “lunch money” for 9 months and then lived off of it for nearly the same amount. How did I do this? With a budget. Get yours here at Geezeo.

* You can easily learn to live on less. Having less money taught me how to do more for myself and become more resourceful. I used to shop retail. Now I don’t.

This is great advice because it works. There are multiple groups here at Geezeo with a living-below-my-means emphasis. Find one or more that you’d like to do (or currently do!) here.

* Not having money helps you overcome your fear of not having money. Ask yourself, what’s the worst that can happen? For me, the worst that can happen is going back to a career that I once loved and still enjoy.

This is a common fear among freelancers or the self-employed. Pursuing your life dreams shouldn’t be dictated by money. But the reality is money plays a role in that it can make it easier or harder. To gain control you have to control your money. While no one should “plan to fail”, there are always ways to get back on your feet.

* There are resources for living with no money. As long as you have good credit, you can take out loans or lines of credit. You can also research grants and other available money.

Rita makes a good point here. But I’ll add the caveat: be careful not to lean into these resources too heavily and find yourself with debt you cannot manage. Be sensible in your approach.

* Having no money is a choice and is temporary. It’s a time of investing in your future to rebuild. Transitioning to a life you love at every level brings abundance. Whenever I’ve needed money, it’s come—through opportunities that land on my doorstep.

It’s said that “broke” is a mindset. Don’t let it be yours.

* You always have something to fall back on. We have so many skills. If you’re transitioning out of a career, you can always go back if really necessary. Or you can turn that knitting hobby into a money-making endeavor.

Be flexible with what you can do and you’ll be able to do more.

* Listen to yourself and commit to your passion. Friends, family and strangers may tell you you’re crazy when you decide to make a change. “You can’t make any money doing that,” they may say. Just remember that they’re expressing their own fears, and you can in fact make money from anything you love and commit to do.

We’ve all experienced naysayers. That’s part of the reason money — and by extension, dreams — are so infrequently discussed. Rather than keep your dreams to yourself, find people who will support you and guide you. If these people aren’t in your life, look for them in any of the groups here.

Think big, take action, and believe. Money itself won’t make a life worth living. Yet, managing what you have will make your life easier and increase the chance you’ll reach whatever goals you pursue.

Good luck!