There are high cost and low cost gyms. Have you considered no cost gyms. Workout at home or outside and use your smartphone to find music or videos that can make your exercise routine enjoyable. Everyday you can find a different routine such as walking, jogging, dancing or even yoga. Sure you can purchase a low cost mat or use your carpet at home. You can find unique ways to exercise and even invite a family member or a friend to join you and share your success with others! You’ll feel better, sleep better and loose a few pounds as well!

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Yes, retail stores, banks, and credit cards companies are excited when consumers use their credit cards to increase sales activity! However, credit card users may not benefit in the long run. Unless your credit card offers a zero percent interest rate you may be charged between an interest rate of 19%-25%. Use your zero percent credit card for larger purchases such as furniture or appliances and you can pay the balance slowly before the interest rates begin. If you cannot pay your credit card in full each month, make larger payments to reduce the interest rates charges.

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Have you learned a financial tip that is helpful in giving you new ways to reach your goals, pay down debt, and save for emergencies? Share what you know with friends and family on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Instagram. Don’t forget to tell your coworkers, colleagues, and professional organizations can benefit when they hear the news from you. So Spread the Word and Share what you know… at the next family reunion, phone call, or coffee with a friend  — share tips and continue to Spread the Word!

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You have decided that now is the time has come to purchase an engagement ring! But what’s next? First, be smart about your purchase and don’t overpay for good quality. Make intelligent tradeoffs that will save you a bundle. Follow these tips:

1. Think like you are buying a car
2. Should you buy online or in store?
3. Sacrifice a small amount of size
4. Do the same for color
5. Choose a lower clarity
6. Never sacrifice cut
7. Buy multiple diamonds
8. Platinum could be cheaper
9. Ditch the diamond
10. Buy safely

https://improvebudget.com/10-ways-to-save-money-when-buying-an-engagement-ring/10/

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In a recent article  in Travel an Leisure by Andrea Romano, there is a way to get a bigger room for free. One way is to ask for a corner room, which is usually larger than the rooms in the middle of the hallway. This suggestion works best when the hotel in not overbooked. It is a polite way to make the request without paying more for your room. Free upgrades are not always available and you cannot rely on lunch to get the best deal on your hotel stay.  This is why lots of travelers find ways to maximize their hard-earned cash.

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Lending clubs are financial services often used to pay down debt or to acquire personal loans. Lending Clubs are becoming more popular due to easy access online in the privacy of your home or office. You don’t have to face a bank employee that may ask you several personal financial questions that may you uncomfortable. Most important, lending clubs often have fewer requirements than your local commercial bank. Be Aware! There are hidden fees and costs that make this service unreliable. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has received complaints regarding hidden fees when they were promised there would be ” no hidden fees”. The “hidden fee leaves consumers paying interest on principal that they never received,” the FTC noted. When individuals are short on cash these companies are appealing to them and one must read the fine print to protect themselves from unscrupulous lenders.

https://amp.freep.com/amp569856002

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Yes robocalls are annoying and there are ways to stop them from soliciting you. Some robocalls are scams and others are legitimate businesses trying to increase their customer base. As many as 3.4 billion calls were made in April. Your personal bank, mortgage and credit companies may reserve to right to contact you in limited ways. You can stop robocalls by doing these things:

1. Keep your number to yourself
2. Tell companies you use to stop calling
3. Don’t answer calls from unfamiliar numbers
4. Watch out for spoofing
5. Get on the DO NOT CALL Registry
6. File a complaint
7. Use software that blocks robocalls

https://www.moneytalksnews.com/7-tips-stop-annoying-robocalls/

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There are ways to save money as we enter the hot summer season. You can do these (9) things:

1. Change the filters
2. Clean the condensation lines
3. install a programmable thermostat
4. Clean the coils on the outside of unit
5. Clean the fins
6. Check the concrete slab
7. Remove debris from the outside of unit
8. Check the duckwork for leaks
9. Clean the evaporator; and if you cannot do this yourself –
10. Call a reliable heat and air conditioning repair company for bi-annual maintenance

https://www.moneytalksnews.com/how-to-get-your-ac-summer-ready/

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In a recent article by Quentin Fottrell of Market Watch found that many Americans are warehousing their money in checking accounts. Economists consider this as a sign that consumers are less confident about the economy. Consumer prices are rising while wages are stagnant and this paradigm makes it more difficult to save or to feel comfortable about saving. To make matters worse, in January, Bank of America announced it would eliminate free checking for customers with low balances. The banked population moves to the unbanked population when they are in economically fragile households that live from paycheck to paycheck without a buffer to sustain them.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/markets-are-behaving-strangely-and-this-new-data-suggest-bank-customers-are-too-2018-04-25?mod=ampfoot_mostpop

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Nearly everyone has a mobile phone but not everyone has a bank… But this is changing in dramatic ways around the world with the increase in mobile phones to conduct financial transactions. There is still a gap between men and women as well as rich and poor. One of the most dramatic changes is for women who have digital deposits made with their government checks. Women begin to have decision making power in their homes. However, there continues to be challenges for workers who receive their pay in cash. This includes more than 200 million agricultural workers and others in the private sector. In Africa and Asia there are also changes being made with similarities between men and women and the rich versus poor.

https://wwwworldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2018/04/19/financial-inclusion-on-the-rise-but-gaps-remian-global-findex-database-shows

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