8 Tips for Slashing Your Pet Food Bill…

You can search around for the best prices on pet food. You can buy in bulk at warehouse club stores, join free rewards programs, and other ways to cut pet food costs. Try the following tips:

1. Get coupons at coupons.com
2. Use Amazon Subscribe and Save
3. Use a discounted gift card
4. Join a pet store’s repeat delivery program
5. Enroll in a rewards program
6. Check out pet food manufacturer’s websites
7. Buy in bulk
8. Make your own pet food

For more information visit: https://www.moneytalknews.com/slideshow/8-simple-tips-for-slashing-your-pet-food-bill/

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Home-School Your Kinds About Money

The school system does not provide students with the forma financial education that need, but parents can still tracy financial literacy at home.  Let the kids make a grocery list, with your guidance and then show them how to compare prices in the grocery store. If they save money, give them the extra money to use for themselves. Shopping online for clothes and shoes and look for specials as you comparison shop.   https://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance

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The next test for new graduates: Budgeting.

As new graduates enter the workforce in the next few months, some will be ill-prepared to manage their personal finances. Many will spend and not save as they experience the thrill of their first post-student earnings. Learning to budget is a crucial skill that university and college graduates will need to achieve their independence. Budgeting takes the stress out of your financial situation and time to decide between your ‘needs’ and ‘wants’. Budget your necessities first, include paying yourself, before shopping, eating out or loaning others money. Once you see what is leftover, place part in a checking account and part in a savings account. If possible delay moving out of your parents home to save as much as you can before moving out.and to set your spending. Take advantage of budget apps such as www.Mint.com, which is a free budgeting app. Start right away living below your means to discipline yourself to live on your own – without roommates of course.

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/next-test-graduates=budgeting-090000113.html

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Save money on utilities in your home or condo. Take time out for maintenance of your furnace, cooling and heating unit. Also, clean or change you air filter every month to ensure your HVAC unit is working at it highest efficiency. Cleaning will remove dust, dirt, pollen and other items that are collected by you filter. Regular maintenance will add years to the life of your HVAC unit and often reduces the costly repairs and may avoid breakdown during the hottest days of summer and the cold winter days. Be certain your repairman is certified to repair the HVAC system in your home. You may find coupons online to save on your routine maintenance and repair costs.

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12 Smart Things to DO with Your Tax Refund

Saving money is similar to eating a healthy diet. You know you should do more but it is hard to avoid those spur of the minute choices that make you happier now and worse of later.

1. Create an emergency fund
2. Send it to savings
3. Pay off debt
4. Fund your retirement
5. Buy life Insurance
6. Look to the future such as child’s IRA
7. College fund
8. Invest in the stock market
9. Kickstart your career training or courses
10. Prepay your mortgage
11. Start a business
12. Make home improvements

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There are 5 Easy Ways to Cut the Rising Cost of Gas

Gas prices recently hit their highest levels on 2018. Here are five ways to save money every time you fill up.

1. Join a Warehouse Club such as COSTCO, which often (not always) has lower prices for gas.
2. Get discount gift cards such as Cardpool.com and Raise.com sell gift cards for Shell, BP, and Chevron.
3. Open a credit card account such as BP VISA and you can save 5 cents to 25 cents per gallon for every $100 purchase.
4. Use a smartphone app to locate lower gas prices in your area. GasBuddy.com or AAA app.
5. Take advantage of grocery fuel programs Kroger and Giant have program where you earn points for every $1 you spend.

https://www.moneytalksnews.com/5-ways-slash-the-cost-gas/

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Student loan interest rates may increase when the Federal Reserve increases rates in a few months. If you have a student loan check to see if you have a variable interest rate. Variable interest rates vary with the interest rates set by the Federal Reserve. If this applies to you, refinance your loan to save money over the life of the loan. Depending how much you borrowed this can translate to be thousands of dollars that you can save.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/zackfriedman/2018/04/13/student-loans-interest-rates/amp/

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Did you know that credit scores will likely increase for many this week due to the new policy to remove tax liens from your credit report? If you are thinking about purchasing a new car, home, or boat will not be inhibited by the tax lien listing on your credit report. This may be great news for many, however if you do not pay your debts on time this will eventually catch up to you. Beware of this new policy it may only encourage consumers to be untruthful in reporting their outstanding debts to a potential creditor.

https://www.wgrz.com/amp/article?section=news&subsection=local&headline=your-credit-score-might-be-going-up&contentId=71-538101763

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Yet again, Wells Fargo is subject to penalties of one billion dollars in fines for unsavory business practices. It is not surprising that Wells Fargo once known as Wachovia has an extensive ‘corporate rap sheet’.

• November 2009, Wells Fargo agreed to buy back $1.4 billion in auction-rate securities to settle allegations by the California attorney general of misleading investors.
• May 2011, Wells Fargo was fined $1 million by FINRA for failing to send disclosure documents to customers.
• July 2011, Wells Fargo agrees to pay $125 million to settle a lawsuit in which a group of pension funds accused it of misrepresenting the quality of pools of mortgage-related securities. Also in July 2011, the Federal Reserve announced ans $85 million civil penalty for steering customers with good qualifications into costly subprime mortgage loans during the housing boom.
• Today, Wells Fargo is fined $1 billion for both mortgage and auto loan abuses. Here are the details:

http://money.cnn.com/2018/04/13/news/companies/wells-fargo-mortgage-auto-fine/index.html

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It’s tax time! If you haven’t already opened an Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, or a 401k to save pre-tax dollars. If you already have a retirement account increase your contributions to reduce your taxable income for next year. Remember to receive a employer match you must contribute a certain amount to receive the match. For example, if your employer provides a match for up to 5 percent. You must contribute at least 5 percent, otherwise you are giving away free money.

Remember to SAVE for emergencies, SAVE for retirement, just SAVE!

Compounding interest works best the longer you are able to save. If an amount of $5,000 is deposited into a savings account at an annual interest rate of 5%, compound monthly, the value of the investment after 10 years can be calculated to be $8,235.05.

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