How to Plan A Wedding on A Budget

Planning a wedding is never easy, especially if your budget is not that big. I fully understand this since it is our exact situation when we were planning for our wedding over a year ago. We don’t belong to a rich family and our parents can only provide very little amount to support us. My girlfriend at that time and I have both jobs but our salary is only minimum and we had a hard time saving for our wedding.

The good news is that there are some ways to still have a great wedding even if you are  financially-challenged.You could look online for advice – here for example. If not we have listed below some tips for you:

Limit your guests

You really don’t have to invite everyone you know. You can just invite the people who are very near to you like your family and very closed friends. I know this can be challenging and we failed in doing it but if you can, it’s a great way to save some money for your wedding

Look for a cheap venue

You don’t have to conduct your wedding in an expensive hotel or something. You can book for a simple restaurant and that will be fine. That’s what we exactly did and it is still good.

Find photographers and videographers you know

Luckily for us, I work as a video editor and I just asked my workmates to shoot our wedding for free. But if you are not working in photo and video industry, you can ask for a friend who can do this job, and you may ask for a discount.

Hire clothes instead of buying them

You can also hire clothes instead of buying them. Find some businesses in your area who are providing weddings attires for hire. This can cut a lot of cost in buying expensive gowns and what not.

Don’t be tempted to borrow money at expensive rates

Although it’s only natural to want a great day, you do not want to be paying for it for months or even years to come. Plan within your budget. Don’t take out a loan just for the sake of having a spectacular day. We have even heard of some people who have resorted to a payday loan firm like Omegaloans to pay for their wedding. That really is madness!

Buy silver instead of gold rings

Silver is a lot cheaper than gold rings so you can go for silver instead. The important thing here is, you have rings to use.

Be realistic, make things simple

You have to be realistic with what your budget can do. Don’t dream of having a very luxurious wedding if you can’t afford it. Simple weddings are fine as long as it is planned carefully.

Speaking of planning a wedding carefully, I highly recommend “Wedding Planning on A Budget” book. I wish I found this book before I got married. Anyway, this book can help you plan for your dream wedding even if your budget is tight. Simply click the link above and get that book.

This piece of material can lead you to come up with a beautiful wedding on a small budget like for example your wedding is 6 months away or so. You can plan cheap wedding checklist even if you have a small, amount to spend. It teaches you how to look for inexpensive  wedding dresses and a  whole lot more!

Easy Money Saving Tips

Money: That’s what it’s all about, right? It’s important alright, but man is it hard to deal with sometimes.

We’ve put together a list of money-saving tips that we’ve used. Apply some of them to your life and see how much you can save. Let’s get started……

Put yourself on a budget. Contrary to what you may think, budget is not a dirty word.And its not hard to do -  check out budgeting videos on sites like YouTube for guidance on how to go about it.

Cut out nonessentials. Hey, if you want to learn how to make your money last, cut out unnecessary expenses like cable TV and fast food.

Learn to cook. I already know how, but I was going out too often. Now, the green I’m saving isn’t just for salads.

Avoid buying sodas and snacks from vending machines. I finally figured out how much more things cost from a machine than in a grocery store, and guess what, ca-ching, savings!

Buy generic. In my opinion generics have gotten a bad rap. So I’ve put away my love affairwith brand names and save a lot of money.

Quit or reduce smoking. Does anyone have any doubt that this is a good idea? Cigarettes really add up over a year. I quit and not only do I feel much better, I’ve got a lot more spending money.

Order vegetarian. That’s right, vegetarian. I’ve been doing it, and guess what, they’re so much less expensive than meat-based meals.

Drink less alcohol. Do you know that the average young man or woman spends almost a thousand bucks a year on alcohol? Think about that. I’ve cut down, and like everything else on this list, it adds up.

Stop with the lattes and the cappuccinos. These $4 drinks might taste good, but it’s easy to get your caffeine hit with much less expensive regular coffee drinks. I’ve cut down to one latte a week.

Add another roommate. I can’t believe I didn’t think about this earlier. We had an extra bedroom that we just used for storage. But it’s helped a lot with our rent and utilities.

Turn down the heat. I’m not talking about freezing here, but you’ll be amazed at how much you would save per month if you turned it down every night and while you’re gone during the day or on weekends.

Use public transportation. Forget about driving everywhere. Have you looked at the price of gas lately? I found out that students get stellar rates on passes just try it.

Use the Web to comparison shop. I love to shop, so this is a no-brainer for me. There are awesome deals to be found.

Use the library. Do I really have to tell you that books, videos, magazines, CDs, and DVDs are free at your library? This can be huge.

If you are studying, use your student discount. You have to carry around your student card everywhere on campus, so why not flash it at local retailers, too? Again, you’ll be amazed at how that would add up.

Consider cheaper entertainment. I found out how to save by going to an early movie or splitting dinners with a friend on “buy one, get one free” coupons that are everywhere these days. I mean, why not?

Cut back on prepackaged, prepared food. I did a little simple research. One pound of individual servings of oatmeal costs $3. But, bulk oatmeal is $1 for one pound. You don’t need to be a genius to figure that one out.

Watch out for bank fees. They’re constantly coming up with new ones. And never overdraw your checking account the fees are outrageous. Being wise about these can pay big dividends. Watch any credit agreements yiou take on as these can be extremely expensive over time. For instnce steer clear of overdrafts, credit cards or payday loans, even from reputable firms like htttp://www.alphaloans.co.uk or www.omniloans.co.uk.

Make sure you take advantage of all of these money-saving tips. Who couldn’t use more money?

Buying A Home – Getting Your Deposit Organis...

I what we hope will be aseries of posts, we’ll walk you through buying a home from start to finish. There are a lot of things to consider when purchasing a home, and the process can be less then intuitive for first time buyers. Although we live in the city, these steps are largely the same for most buyers in the US, whether you live in the country or city. Throughout the series I’ll be sharing tips, tricks and the tribulations we experience while looking for our first home.

Step 1-Save a Down Payment:

Saving such a large amount of money can sometimes seem daunting, especially on a modest salary. A few friends have asked me what’s the, “secret” to saving a down payment when you’re on a tight budget? So far, I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s no real “secret”…just sacrifice. Most people already know that the key to to saving for a big purchase later, is being able to delay instant gratification, now. This may sound easy in theory, but in practice it’s much more difficult then it sounds (which is why most of us don’t do it!). Simply put, when I’m starting to feel frustrated or deprived, I remind myself that cutting back on little luxuries now, means a more financially sound future later. And that’s a “sacrifice” I’m definitely willing to make.

Here are a few of the things we’re doing to save money for our down payment:

Pay Yourself First: Since I paid off the remainder of my student loan debt last year, I’ve been budgeting/saving $1500 per month for a down payment on a house, using the pay yourself first principle. The “pay yourself first” principle simply means that I’m treating my savings the same way I’d treat a bill. Each month I know that I “owe” $1500 to the down payment fund, and I have that $1500 auto-debited from my checking account to an online savings account that we’ve named the “house down payment fund”. I like using the pay yourself first principle because the money is automatically debited and I don’t have to think about it. You pay all of your other bills each month, so make sure you’re paying yourself first!

Save Everything Extra: Any “extra money” that we receive goes directly into the “down payment fund”. From Christmas and birthday money, to rebate checks and bonuses at work. Any money that comes into the household that isn’t part of our regular paychecks goes directly into the fund. You wouldn’t think that this money would amount to much, but it actually adds up much quicker then you’d think. And since this money hasn’t already been budgeted for expenses, we don’t need it or miss it.

Work More: OK, so most people don’t get excited about working more, I get that. But when you’re saving for something you really want, working more doesn’t feel so bad. I’ve been trying to pick up more customers at my dog walking/pet sitting business and have been writing content and articles for several online publishers. It’s usually an extra $20 bucks here and there, but if I can make an extra $20 a day Monday-Friday, I’m making/saving an extra $400 a month.

Sell Stuff: If your house is anything like ours, it’s filled with things you don’t need/want. Sell it! A couple of times a month I try to sell some of the things we no longer need or want on Craigslist or E-bay. You’d be surprised at how many things you have to sell that other people want. I’ve sold everything from my grad school furniture and books, to used clothing and shoes, to gifts we’ve received that aren’t our style (those gifts won’t be named to protect the identity of the seller and the feelings of the gift givers). Of course, eventually you’ll run out of things to sell, but until then…sell away!

Keep a Separate Account: Our down payment fund is in a separate online savings account that we use solely for saving for our down payment. That way we know exactly how much money we have saved, and are less likely to dip into the account accidentally for other expenses. The account doesn’t earn much interest, but since we plan to buy something sooner then later, we don’t want our money tied up in a CD or mutual fund. If you’re saving for a longer period of time, you might want to look into options that will pay you more interest.

Shop Online; There is no doubt that if you want your money to go further the best deals available are to be found online. Whether you are after fashion items, something like animal hats or wild hats, or you want to hire a cleaning service like Proclean domestic cleaning glasgow, the best place to research prices and then ultimately buy is via the internet.

Do you have a house? How’d you save for a down payment? Are you saving now, how’s it going?

Is It Possible To Rent With Bad Credit?

Having bad credit can be a major problem in many ways. Most people will be aware that if your credit history is not great, then getting any new credit in the form of a loan or a new credit card can be very difficult, not to say impossible. But bad credit impacts on other areas too. Did you know for instance that if you are looking to rent a new apartment or house the landlord will almost certainly expect a credit check to be done on prospective tenants and if yours returns a history of poor credit, you are unlikely to get the property you wanted.

It can be a vicious circle, so how can you address the problem? Here are our top tips:

If you see a property you like, to to get in touch with the landlord directly and explain the background. Assuming you are working hard to try to get your credit back on track, you will need tobe able to demonstrate this to the landlord, who will then hopefully be prepared to recognise that you are actively addressing the issue and be prepared to view your application more sympathetically

If you have rented property, before make sure that you have paid all rental payments and utilities bills. If necessary ask your former landlord for a letter or certificate to this effect which you can then pass on as a sort of reference to your new prospective landlord.

Any new landlord will be looking for indications that you are able and willing to meet the rental payments as they fall due. Make sure that you show a prospective new landlord evidence that you are in full-time employment, together with details of your salary, so that the landlord can see that you are able to afford the commitment.

If necessary, and you are in a position to do so, offering to pay a bigger rental deposit should help a landlord look more favourably on your application. The landlord will have a greater degree of security that way and it also demonstrates to the landlord your commitment to the property. If you default in any way the landlord will be entitled to use some or all of the rental deposit you have paid to make up any shortfall due .

If all else fails, then you may have to consider asking someone to enter into the lease agreement with you as a guarantor. Perhaps you could ask your parents to do this. It simply gives the landlord another element of security because if you default in your obligations, the landlords can pursue the guarantor. Entering into a guarantee is not something to be done lightly so  you should probably only think about this as a last resort.

Struggling To Pay Back Your Payday Loan?

Payday loans have become one of the most talked about financial services products of recent times and their use among the general public soars, to the extent that there are those who claim they will one day rival credit cards in popularity. The driver for the growth in popularity of these loans is no doubt the fragile economic situation which has persisted for the last several years. Because of these financial pressures more and more people are finding that money is tighter than it was before, meaning they have occasion to rely on short term funding from time to time.

Most people find that payday loans are a useful tool to help them keep on top of their monthly budget but there are some who struggle to pay back their loans on the due date which can cause an already difficult situation to become much worse.

Payday loans are simplicity itself to apply for and the fact that lenders do not normally require to carry out a credit check on applicants means that the chances of borrowers defaulting increases.

So what should you do if you find yourself in difficulty with a payday loan?

First up – do not panic. You are not the first person to find themselves in this position and you most certainly won’t be the last. You need to face up to the problem, rather than be tempted as many debtors are, to bury your head in the sand.

Get in touch with your payday lender in the first instance and explain your problem. Payday loan companies have received something of a bad press recently, but most payday loan lenders like www.blueskyloans.co.uk  are responsible lenders and will work with you to achieve a mutually satisfactory solution. At the end of the day your lender is looking for a way ensure repayment and if this means agreeing some small concessions then most will be prepared to go down this route.

If, however, you are unable to agree some accommodation with your payday lender, then you may prefer to approach a debt counsellor, a charity specialising in debt issues or your local Citizen’s Advice Bureau. They have vast experience in dealing with these kind of problems and will be able to advise you on the best course of action.

The Importance Of Cash Flow

In recent weeks turns of events which I will post to you later (due to the fact that there are more twists and turns in these turns of events than a country road and since that road remains incomplete) I have learnt a very important lesson:

A very important lesson: cash, cash, cash, cash, cash, cash, cash.

It’s quite an easy one to remember but exceptionally important just the same. I invest primarily in companies that are investing money in research and development that in future years will given them a distinct advantage over the competition and which should hopefully allow them to become market leaders in that sector by offering the most attractive products. This means that they must forego revenue now in order to earn great revenues at a future date. This sort of investing is ideal, because when revenues are low and re-investments high (and often disguised as costs) it is likely that you will have low profits and a low P/E ratio. However, once the company is, hopefully, successful the profits will flow in, the re-investments will start to get recognised and not only will there be higher profits, but also a higher P/E ratio. This is particularly interesting, because if the P/E ratio say doubled, then if profits were to similarly double, returns would in fact quadruple. This is something I like.

However, there is an additional complexity that is almost an art form… cash flow management. Whether a company is re-investing to boost future revenues or not managing cash flow well is of key importance (particularly in the previous case). This, however, is an issue I have not as far forward in my mind, because I’ve now realised (through my experiences) that cash flow should be the most important issue in your mind. No matter how stunningly great a company is, if you do not believe that their cash flow management is up to scratch don’t invest, because such a company is only ever likely to force itself into a corner before getting taken over by a rival that does have cash. From now on if a company doesn’t treat cash as the precious commodity it is and as I would treat it then I’ll be exceptionally hesitant about investing.

In fact I am starting to wonder whether management really revolves around 3 key issues: cash management, creating a culture in which staff can succeed and ensuring the company is finding the right balance between innovation and profits in the here and now. Of these cash flow would appear to be the most important because there is no point creating a good culture and innovating ready for the future if that future ceases to exist after the company struggles with cash and either goes out of business or gets taken over by a rival.

A New Financial Day Has Dawned

The whole area of personal and business finance has changed out of all recognition over the last five years. Then one hundred per cent motgages, multiple credit cards even loans where the borrower certified his or her own income with little or no external verification, were the norm. Then came the banking crisis, precipitated by the spectacular downfall of Lehman Bros. All across the world those involved in the financial sector cast anxious glances around them, because if it could happen to a banking giant, then it could also happen to them.

And it did. In the UK there was the first run on a bank – in this case Northern Rock – in several generations, and soon a number of household banking names on both sides of the Atlantic had to be effectively rescued by the taxpayer.

The effect of all this turmoil has spread further afield with the ongoing crisis in the Eurozone a perfect example. Currently Cypriot banks have been closed for business for over a week and the economy is now effectively a cash economy only, harking back to the times before cheque books and credit cards, while politicians at home and in Brussels try to broker a deal to save the economy of the stricken island.

Where will this all end? No-one seems sure, but one thing that is for certain is that it is now encumbent upon all of us to be much more disciplined and aware when it comes to both our personal and our business finances. Hopefully the tips and suggestions which will feature on this site will help a little in this respect. The more we learn about the world of finance as it touches on every aspect of or lives, the better for all of us.