I have been putting off getting a gym membership because they all seem expensive. At school it was great, the gym was only 5 minutes away and “free” with the cost of my tuition. But now that I have graduated, I’m not sure where to start looking or what to do!

I live in a tiny town in Massachusetts that doesn’t even have street lights, so obviously the nearest gym is about 20 minutes away. This puts another cost onto my trip to the gym…GAS! I’m so reluctant to put money into a gym membership when the gas to go to and from the gym is just as expensive.

So I started looking into other things I am able to do that can fit into my budget.

Crunches, Jumping Jacks, and Push-Ups – Okay, so this doesn’t seem like much, but they really do work out your body. Although they seem like a minimal workout, doing these each day doesn’t cost you a thing and also helps you to stay fit. TJMaxx and Marshalls sell many workout products on the cheap that can supplement your workout. I am often tempted to buy them, but have told myself that I need to get myself into a routine first and then add the products. These products include things like ankle weights, those blow up balls that help with your crunches, and small hand weights. Also, if you are into yoga, sometimes you can find those products (yoga mats, videos, etc.) at these locations as well.

Running/Walking Outside – Again, this costs you nothing! However, I can see when this isn’t always the easiest thing to do. On those hot summer days/nights it is hard to motivate yourself to run outside (and obviously, this becomes a bit more difficult in the winter if you live somewhere where it snows). Walking is one of the best exercises for your body and so easy to do! If you like to hike you could even do this on the weekends for some great outdoor activity/exercise for your body.

Eat Out Less – Making your own food helps! Not only are you not spending that extra money (plus a tip) on food, you are making sure that you are cooking the things the way you like it. There has been so many times this summer where I have gone out to eat and not been satisfied by what I ordered. At home my meals usually consist of all vegetables and some meat. This is much better for me and I try to make a sandwich for lunch instead of stopping somewhere for fast food.

Use Work Benefits – According to an article on MainStreet.com by Lyneka Little, 46% of employers offer or plan to offer financial incentives to promote health. Many companies are also including a gym at the workplace that you can use for free (or at a discounted price). Take advantage of these benefits! Even joining a softball team that your company may have going is great exercise and gets you out of the office with your peers to do something fun!

Gym Membership – If you still feel like you need to get a gym membership to motivate you to actually work out (which many people do), do your research before signing up! Some gyms are overly expensive for what they offer you. Figure out what each of the gyms near you offers and find which one is the best for you. Don’t skip the research just to find out you could have saved over $100!

I know it seems easy to let go of your fitness when the economy is tough, but you will regret it in the long-run. Just make sure to do something each day (even if it is going for a quick walk outside on your lunch break). Too often people are caught behind their desks all day at work…break the habit and take advantage of any free time you may find to stay healthy and fit (hopefully for free)!

Photo: jzlomek

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With 11 major company’s information being hacked into, including Barnes and Noble and OfficeMax, consumers have even more reason to be concerned about identity theft and how they can protect themselves.

Although this is a problem in itself, an even bigger problem is that one of the biggest leaks of private information is that from the U.S. government. According to an article from MainStreet.com, there were more than 230 security lapses from local, state, and federal governments between 2005 and 2008. This breach of security caused the exposure of more than 44 million records!

This is a much bigger problem than some could imagine. It is strange to think that the people you would think to trust in the government are somehow leaking the personal information of thousands of people.

But, let’s be honest, it is definitely not all the governments fault. There are things that we can do to protect ourselves from identity theft as well.

It is much easier for people to get a hold of your information than it used to be. With consumers using online banking, putting their passwords into public computers, and using their credit and debit cards at retailers more than ever, it seems easy to see how people would find a way to hack into this massive amount of information.

Try to do some of the following:

Monitor Your Bank and Credit Card Accounts – This one really is not that hard to do. Everyone can now check their accounts online and banks have made this procedure really simple. Check your account every few days to make sure that your card has not been compromised with charges that are not yours. Also, try to check your accounts from your personal computer and not a public one. You don’t want people to get your passwords or information because you forget to log out of your account.

Pay With Cash – Whenever possible, don’t use your credit card or debit card. I know this is not always convenient, but if you are buying something from a store or location that you may not trust their security, then use cash! It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Don’t Carry Important Documents With You – Make sure to leave things like your social security card, passport, and resident card at home so that if your wallet or purse gets stolen, this extremely important information is not in there. Also, try to keep the minimal amount of cards in your wallet as well. You don’t want to carry all your cards with you every time you go out just in case.

Use a Shredder – Once you put your trash on the street or sidewalk to be collected, it is on public property not your own private property. Shred your information so that people cannot find it in the trash. I know this may sound a little bit skeptic of people, but honestly, think of all the private information you throw away everyday! And not all shredders are expensive either. My mum bought me one the other day (with a store rebate) for only $20. Shop around! Having a shredder can really help you out.

I know that sometimes it isn’t always easy to do the above, but you really want to try to protect your identity as best as possible. Although you can’t control everything, you are able to control certain things that will help you to protect yourself. Better to be safe than sorry!

Photo: Jane M. Sawyer

Related Articles:
How to Protect Yourself From Hacker Data Scams
Vanishing Money: Consumer Debt Attacks
How to Know if Your Bank is Safe

If you have a car, then you know that you are legally required to have car insurance. So unlike other insurance policies where you can maybe opt out, this is not the case with car insurance. However, you so still have a choice on which car insurance might be best for you.

There are several ways that you can save money on your car insurance (without necessarily switching to Geico as the commercials say!).

SHOP AROUND
Finding the best insurance really is not that hard. With the internet as large as it is now, you can find everything you need to know on the company’s website. Insurance companies are all over the place; Geico, AllState, Progressive, etc. Just look at what each company has to offer and decide for yourself which one you think would be best.

KEEP YOUR CREDIT GOOD
Watch your credit reports to see what they say and make sure you are paying your bills on time. Although this may seem like a completely separate issue, the reason that car insurances may consider this as important is because they want to weigh the risk that you bring with you. Insurance companies want to be sure that you are going to be responsible.

DRIVE LESS
Often times insurance companies will offer you a discount if you drive less than other drivers they insure. Try using public transportation instead of driving everywhere. With the cost of gas being high, this may also prove to save you even more money.

DRIVE SAFELY
Lets be honest, talking on your cell phone, drinking a coffee, and driving all at once — not that safe! Make sure you are being responsible. Don’t put yourself and other at any unnecessary risk just because your hands and minds are anywhere else but on driving. It’s funny when I drive with my mum we can always tell when someone is on their cell phone because either they are being an inconsiderate driver, driving too slow, or driving way too fast. Also, avoid drinking and driving. You may think you seem fine, but even being a tiny amount above the legal limit can raise the cost of your insurance and put you in other trouble as well.

WHERE YOU LIVE
You will always pay more insurance if you live in an urban area vs. the suburbs. The likelihood of theft in a city is much more likely along with the chance that your car may be damaged. If possible, move out of the city, however, I know this is asking a lot. If you decide to stay in the city, you might as well just accept that you will be paying a little bit more towards your insurance and include this in your budget.

AVOID FLASHY CARS
Often times insurance costs more for red cars…the reason being: they are easy to spot as they speed by you and tend to get more tickets. The same is true for nice sports cars. My brother this morning was talking about how on business twice he got a Mustang when he was traveling on business and both times he got pulled over for speeding (luckily he didn’t receive a ticket!). If you do have one of these cars, try not to speed although I’m sure it is extremely easy in such a nice car!

I know that some of these may seem like common sense, but often times people do not realize why their insurance costs might be higher than their friends or family members. Just keep in mind what you can do to keep your costs low.

Photo: John Pilge

Related Articles:
Driving Costs Add Up
Ten Ways to Beat High Gas Prices
You Think Oil’s Going Down? Think Again

Learn How to Turn Collectibles Into Cash
Jeffrey Strain | MainStreet.com

Much like when the stock market turns bearish and there is an opportunity to pick up undervalued stocks, the same can be true with collectibles during rough economic times.

When people are hard up for cash, they often dip into their collections to raise needed money — and even people that don’t collect may scour their attics for valuable items to place them into the collectible market.

Hard economic times can mean there are more collectibles available for sale at the same time there are fewer numbers of people willing to buy them. This can result in bargain finds that can pay off handsomely in the years to come.

Before talking about collectibles as an investment, it’s important to understand that a collectible is anything that has value which increases with time due to other people wanting it or because of its rarity. This means that virtually anything can be a collectible and many items that you would never consider probably are.

Becoming an expert in at least one collectible area, and preferably a few, can go a long way to greatly improving your personal finances. In fact, beginning and investing in a part-time collectible business in your spare time is an excellent way to bring in extra money to supplement your full time job and may eventually produce enough that you can do it full time.

To make a profit on a collectible, you need to know these basic rules:

Know Your Collectible

Don’t invest in any collectible if you don’t know what you’re doing. The biggest problem with investing in collectibles is that people hear something is a good investment and put money into it without understanding what they are buying.

As with most investment vehicles, if you don’t understand it, you shouldn’t be investing in it. The value of a collectible for the average person is difficult to determine, so you need to have enough knowledge in that collectible area to know the items worth.

It’s Active Investing

Many people believe collectible investing is passive investing. If you think that all you need to do is buy the collectible, wait, and then sell it for a big profit down the road, collectible investing is probably not for you.

If you want to make money with collectibles, you need to participate actively in that culture so you know what’s going on, when to buy and when to sell. Collectible markets can be fickle, and prices can change rather quickly at times. If you simply buy, hold and hope that when you are ready to sell it is worth a lot more, you will likely be quite disappointed.

Enjoy Your Collectible

What ever collectible you choose to invest in, you should enjoy that particular collectible. You’ll need to spend quite a bit of time learning about the collectible market and learning what makes that collectible more or less valuable. If you don’t enjoy it, you are likely to do a much poorer job in your research than if you enjoy doing it.

Know Your Objective

On the flip side, you don’t want to fall in love with the collectible so much that you are never willing to give it up. Many people say they are investing in collectibles, but if you refuse to ever sell when a good opportunity to make a profit arises, the investment return is never realized.

The person who inherits the items after your death isn’t likely to know the true value meaning that they, too, will not receive the investment gains. In this light, it is important to know your objective in investing in the collectible and not forgetting that.

Time and Value

Many collectibles can take a long time to increase in value depending on what the collectible is and there is no guarantee that they will quickly increase in value.

This is another reason it’s important to be active in the collectible community, since it will give you a better understanding of what’s increasing in value and what is not. While flipping collectibles is possible in a hot market, you need to look for quality items that have long-term value when buying during a poor economy.

Lack of Liquidity

In the past, one of the biggest issues was lack of liquidity — that is, it could often be difficult to find a buyer for a your collectible when you were ready to sell. Online auction sites such as eBay (EBAY) have greatly reduced this negative, as it’s now much easier to get rid of something than it was before online auctions existed and you are now selling to the many more collectors (in fact, the whole world) instead of your local neighborhood market.

Most of us will get stressed out about money sometime in our lives.

Some common stresses surrounding money include:

Left unchecked, stress about money can have devastating effects. What to do?

First, identify the main cause of your money stress. Debt is one of the most common stresses. Sometimes stress is due to one specific issue (e.g., credit cards), and sometimes it stems from a combination (e.g., divorce and job loss). Regardless if you have one or many money stresses, write them down. Do not underestimate this simple step. Seeing your concerns listed out allows you to look at them head on. This is good. Because you’ll be mowing them down and “taking care of business”!

Second, decide that you are capable of solving your money stress. Yes, you must consciously decide you can do it. Then, you must make the personal commitment to do so. This is the step that separates those that give up from those who solve problems. Be a person dedicated to solving problems.

Third, make a new list. This list will have two columns. On one side write everything you can think of to help solve your problem and therefore reduce your money stress. Do not edit. Just write out every possible, even far-fetched idea.

Using the debt example: brainstorm the ways you can simultaneously make more money and reduce your expenses.

The other side of the column you list everything you “don’t know”. You might ask, “how can I write down the things I don’t know?”. Here’s an example using debt as a major stress-inducer:

What is my interest rate?
What is my APR?
Can I negotiate a lower rate?
Can I consolidate this debt?
Is this debt tax-deductible?
Where can I learn about managing my debt?
Whom should I ask for advice?
How can I reduce this debt by $XX a week?
What opportunities am I not seeing?

And then: walk away for a few days. Yep, I said walk away. Not because you’re walking away from your money stress. You’re just allowing the questions you’ve raised to settle in your mind. This is an important step, too.

Doing all of these steps will help you:

It is easy to shut down and think nothing will help your money stresses. In fact, you are quite capable of solving whatever stress exists so long as you commit to the process. Identify what you can do and what areas you need to learn more about so you can solve your problem(s) and reduce your stress.

You can do it!

Here is a creative way to enforce savings. Have any of you tried this approach? From our partners at MainStreet.com.
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“Pay-to-Use’ Helps You Save Cash
By Jeffrey Strain | MainStreet.com

With the souring economy, people are realizing that they really need to find ways to save more money.

One way to do that is to initiate a “pay-to-use” program, which is fairly simple. When you use, say, an appliance that you own, you pay a predetermined amount to your emergency fund.

For example, if you did not own a washing machine or dryer, you would have to go to your local laundromat to wash and dry your clothes. In order to use the machines there, you would have to pay for each load you washed.

When setting up a pay-to-use system, you simply pay yourself for using the machines you already own, rather than the laundromat owner.

In the above example, you might decide to pay a dollar toward your emergency fund each time you wash your clothes. You might also decide to add two dollars to your emergency fund for every laundry load that you placed into your dryer.

By making small payments for the appliances you use, your emergency fund should start to fill up quite quickly.

Even better, you’ll develop additional skills that will boost your budgeting and personal finance skills. Here are just a few benefits of pay-to-use.

It teaches details about your spending.

People often think about spending in terms of shopping, but every time you turn on a light or get into the car, you are spending a little bit of money. Most people probably aren’t aware of how often they use many of the appliances and other items they own, but a pay-to-use program will clearly show you.

It creates better organization.

A funny thing happens when you have to pay each time you use something that you already own. You begin to organize your life so that you don’t have to use those things as often.

It makes you rein in your impulses.

When you have to pay up-front to do things you normally do without a thought, you’re likely to take a minute to question whether you really need or want to do it.

If you must pay $5 to watch an extra hour of TV, you’re likely to reflect on whether the TV show is worth that much money, when otherwise you would just flop down and watch without thinking.

It will change your habits (for the better).

When you adopt a pay-to-use savings program, you will notice that your habits change. Just like $4-a-gallon gas changes driving habits so you don’t waste as much gas, you will notice that you will begin making changes to your lifestyle that will help reduce the amount that you spend.

You’ll learn what is important and what things are worth to you. Finding out this information is a good way to find out which costs you can eliminate without them causing much heartache.

It will reduce your spending.

Not only will you be creating a stash of cash, you’ll also be reducing your spending at the same time.

If you set up the system correctly, you’ll probably charge yourself to do things that cost money, time and energy, or are wastes of time.

For the pay-to-use system to be successful, you need to pay the cash to your fund as soon as you do whatever it is you have to pay to do. If you simply write down the amount you owe or tell yourself that you will pay it later, the system will fail.

One easy way to make sure that you pay is to set up a central piggy bank or money jar in a well-trafficked area of your house where all payments should be deposited. Once a week or so, you can take the proceeds to the bank and deposit them into your emergency fund account.

Include all your family members when setting up this program. The system works best as a family unit, rather than a single person within the family.

Yesterday in our “back to basics” series we focused on how to gain an overview of your financial health. We also explored why knowing your top three financial goals is critical to your success. Today we climb the so-called “Risk Pyramid” and highlight five investment purposes.

Like the U.S.D.A.’s Food Pyramid, a personal finance “Risk Pyramid” is open to debate and interpretation. Still, it’s handy to know what the experts recommend. I take this overview from Paula Ann Monroe’s excellent book, “Left-Brain Finance for Right-Brain People”, (Chapter 6).

Here’s the structure of Monroe’s version of a Personal Finance Risk Pyramid:

Foundation - Shore Up The Basics:
Property, Casualty, Liability Insurance (to protect your assets)
Healthy and Disability Insurance (to protect your health and also your income-earning potential)
Life Insurance
Emergency Fund (I like to call this the “Emergency Prevention Fund”)
Personal Residence
Specific Savings Goal or College Fund
Retirement Plans

Income
Bonds and Government Securities
Income Mutual Funds and Blue Chip Stocks

Growth and Income
Rental Real Estate
Mutual Funds and Limited Partnerships

Growth
Common stocks and Growth Mutual Funds
Growth Limited Partnerships (e.g., movie rights, commercial real estate), Hard Assets, (e.g., works of art, precious metals) and Land (you know what land is…)

So, from bottom (basics) to top (growth) these are the financial components that make up your personal finance “risk pyramid”. As you move toward the top the investments have more associated risk.

Yes, owning empty land is one form of “risky”. This is one example where folks disagree on risk pyramid structure. Sure, they aren’t making more empty land. Unlike other investments, land value is associated with uncontrolled nearby conditions. In contrast, an asset on that land (like a home) could always be sold off or insured for financial protection against an unforeseen event.

How do you evaluate all these different investments? It breaks down like this: look at each asset in the pyramid on these criteria. Compare what you find to your goals, your tolerance for risk, and your specific situation. Here are the things to consider:

Safety
Liquidity
Income
Tax Advantages
Growth Potential

If you’re a beginner, focus on strengthening the base of your financial risk pyramid. Educate yourself and get professional opinions before attempting more sophisticated investment strategies. Use Geezeo’s tools and social resources to make more informed choices.

Finally, and the most important: finding purpose in your investments is a head and heart activity. Use your head to evaluate and implement your investment strategy. Use your heart to determine why you want to improve your financial situation. Incorporate giving to others as part of your strategy and you’ll find true purpose to stay financially fit.

Climb that pyramid!

Everything from the price of gasoline to the midwestern floods will affect your grocery bill in coming months.

Here is a report showing the cost increases of common food items, 2007 to 2008. The cost of celery is up 106%. Not surprisingly: the cost of meat is kept artificially low thanks to massive lobbyist subsidies. Here’s the cattleman’s report. Lesson: Eat fewer lentils and more tangerines.

Some solutions to food cost increases?

Get a grip on your budget. Know how much you can spend so you do not endanger your ability to pay for other necessities like housing. A good budget will stretch and maximize your available dollars. At Geezeo you can set up personalized spending targets.

Buy in bulk/buy items with less packaging. Bulk purchases are consistently cheaper. So are purchases of items with less packaging.

Buy seasonal items and freeze or can them for later. Summer is a great time to load up on fresh fruits and veggies. Freeze them for use later on when seasonal changes force prices up further. If you know how to can veggies you’re ahead of the game (teach me!).

Consider planting a WWII-style “Victory Garden”. Whether you live in urban or rural environments a few food-bearing, or herb-bearing plants are possible. It’s not too late for items like lettuce you can grow in a sunny window.

Related:
* Three Food Stocks with Upside Surprise
* Whole Food Stock Prices Has Me Dancing in the Aisles
* How to Invest in Food Stocks
* How to Invest in Food Stocks: The Middleman Plays
* How to Invest in Restaurant Stocks

Speaking of job stability… here is a great post about job interview techniques by guest blogger, author, and Geezeo user Robyn Collins.

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What not to do as you interview for a job, a.k.a. things interviewers hate
By Robyn Collins

Don’t forget to turn off your phone when you are on an interview.

Even if you are in the middle of the mall on a bench with a 20 year old manager named Amber for your interview at the chain record store… no one is impressed by your friend’s Rianna remix ringtone, this will not help you land the job. I’m sorry if your fingers are itching to text that you just saw Rachel walking in the mall with Matt and he was holding her hand, DO NOT PICK UP YOUR PHONE.

Don’t wear torn jeans.

Sure, your bf/gf thinks you look “hott” in your new jeans from Abercrombie that look 20 years old, but your future employer sees an accident waiting to happen. If you are applying for a dog walking job, the owner sees a potential choking hazard for her teacup chihahua named Pixie. If you are going to be schlepping sodas at Sonic, the holes in your jeans are no protection whatsoever from potential scrapes and bruises… workers comp waiting to happen.

Don’t use slang when interviewing.

What you really don’t want to do is make yourself hard to understand. For example, do not say the following things:

Interviewer: “Tell me why I should hire you.”

Interviewee: “Yo, dawg, I mean, I’m just really feelin’ it up in here. I’m like, molten hot, dawg. And I know I can turn this joint out.”

Or

Interviewer: “Tell me what you will bring to our organization that we do not already have.”

Interviewee: “Well, like, first of all, you totally have no personality and no style. I can SO bring that, I mean, I like love to shop and am totally good at matching and colors and design-type stuff. I’m gonna own a clothing line one day. I’m like so good at putting stuff together. Yeah. I’ll bring style. That’s what you do not already have, let me tell you.”

Don’t Apply For a Job You Don’t Care About

This seems obvious, but since the only way to get experience is to experience things, you don’t want to waste valuable recon time doing something you know you will never care about. If you have no interest in the hospitality industry, do not bring straws and lemonade to tables of 8 yr. olds. If you believe that photos are a waste of time … for the love of all that is good and right, do not subject the first time mothers at Kiddie Kandids to your attitude. Use each job to learn more about yourself, not more about what you don’t enjoy.

Don’t Be Late

If you are late, you might as well leave. This is never acceptable, it implies that what you have going on is more important to you than what your potential boss has going on. If you send the message that your business is more important than their business, you can kiss that minimum wage check you worked your butt off for, goodbye. This is something that will serve you well throughout your life. Whatever you do, show your respect to others. One good way to do this is by being on time.

—
Robyn Collins is the author of Prepare to Be a Teen Millionaire, a contributing writer to Millionaire Blueprints magazine and the senior editor of Millionaire Blueprints Teen magazine, a columnist on several sites, including The Leader World Online magazine. To contact Robyn regarding writing and speaking requests, email robyn[@]mbteen.com or contact her in the Geezeo group “Millionaire Blueprints Teen magazine”.

Tax time is over for another year. Did you swear this was the last year you’d have the hair-tearing, math-heavy, where-is-the-box-of-wine-to-calm-my-nerves? weekend sorting through your financial life? You’re not alone.

Now that tax season is over, it’s a good time to start looking for an accountant. Here are three tips to manage your tax professional or certified accountant.

1. Hello? Yes, it’s me, I had a question. Choose a professional that returns your calls promptly. Sure, cut them a little slack during the heaviest weeks of tax season. Generally speaking, however, you want someone who welcomes your calls. Seems obvious, right? You’d be surprised. It took me three pros to find one who was willing to talk with me at length.

2. You’re the pro; I’m in the minor leagues. Hiring a numbers professional doesn’t get you off the hook. To really maximize your use of (and relationship with) your tax professional make sure you are as educated as a non-pro can be on topics relating to your specific situation. This allows you to say, “I’ve read about XYZ approach and think it sounds appropriate. What do you think?”

Don’t care to be that proactive? Make sure you find someone you can trust, and read up on any unusual recommendations. You shouldn’t blindly sign something when your “professional” says, “I think we should structure this as a Ponzi…” This is doubly-important if your pro also sells investments.

3. Tune-ups every 10,000 miles. Found a great accountant or tax professional? Now make sure you keep them informed every year about life changes that may impact your finances. Life events such as children, divorce, inheritance, home purchase, or starting a business all can influence your tax return. Updates ensure they know your situation and have your best interests in mind. Sometimes these changes reveal new ways to structure your taxes.

In summary: find someone you can trust who returns your calls. Keep yourself accountable to your accountant because you’re ultimately responsible. And keep your pro up-to-date for best results. Here’s to a less stressful tax season next year!

Related Geezeo groups:
Grim Reaper: Death, Taxes, Wills, etc.
Bookkeeping Women