Budgeting made easy!

Have you ever felt that keeping your budget together is impossible at times? Granted, sometimes a budget doesn’t always work out perfectly but there are plenty of tools out there to help you stay on track.  If you feel less than prepared on your budget try out one of these!

MoneyWise

A great budget tracker from the people at Life Hacker for android. Keep track of your bank accounts, budget and every day expenses – no more over drafting!

iWallet

A budget tracker for iPhone, like many of the great iPhone apps out there, that will help you stay on path. Keep track of your expenses and accounts and use planning tools for future expenses.

Mint

Visiting www.mint.com will open a whole world of budgeting resources for you! Mint is a budgeting tool that will automatically track and categorize your spending as well as helping you make a budget and stick to it. Best of all, you can use this program on your computer, smart phone or tablet.

Man vs. Debt

If you are working on keeping your debt under control or to trying to eliminate your debt this is a great way to help you keep on track!

http://manvsdebt.com/free-debt-payoff-progress-tracker/#

Banks

Almost every bank out there has wonderful online banking tools. Through your bank you can budget, manage your accounts and pay your bills online or set up automatic bill pay. Call or visit the website of your bank to find out what they can offer you!

Gangnam Style! Lessons to be Learned from the Mistakes of Celebrities

Author: Lindsey

I recently came across an article entitled ‘The Money Lesson You Can Learn from ‘Gangnam Style’. Many of you are probably familiar with the YouTube song/video from Korean artist, Psy, that took the US by storm. While amusing and catchy, this article outlines what exactly the song is about and how it ties into many financial lessons to be learned. After reading this article (see link below) I started to research other ‘celebrities’ that have other lessons for us to learn from! 

There are things we all enjoy doing and/or spending our money on, but you should always make sure it is in moderation! It was reported that Michael Jordan once lost $57,000 while gambling and over a million betting on a single golf game. While going to the casino or occasional bet is fine, that hundreds of thousands of dollar surely could have had better use!

Always spend less than what you earn! Ed McMahon, Stephen Baldwin and Tom Petty (to name a few) have all spent above their means and had houses foreclosed on! Just because you earn ‘enough’ doesn’t mean you should spend to the last penny. Always have some in savings for that rainy day! 

Always file your taxes. Celebrities such as Willie Nelson and Marc Anthony are among many who neglected to file. Trust their experience; it will be a much more painful and expensive process than if you simply filed on time and correctly. If you feel you are not ready, file for an extension! 

Finally, make sure any beneficiaries, wills and other such documents are updated. Actor Heath Ledger had a will written prior to the birth of his daughter. She was never added to the document before his passing and has yet to receive any inheritance. Don’t let this happen to your family or loved ones, make sure you update! 

What other lessons have you found to learn from?

Gangnam Style lesson!

http://blog.credit.com/2012/09/the-money-lesson-you-can-learn-from-gangnam-style/?n087e=t

It's a Layaway Time of Year

Author: Derron

  It’s that time of year again when people start looking for deals and ways to save money around shopping and the Christmas holiday.  One of this year’s returning features to many national chain stores is the Layaway option.  For a certain fee, stores allow the consumer to place their merchandise on Layaway, or a “hold”, until the full price of the purchase is paid.   Each store has its own set of guidelines that have to be followed when making a layaway purchase.  Guidelines can be anything from 10% down to a service charge to paying off the purchase in a certain time frame.  These fees can be costly if you are not careful but most believe the layaway option at store’s are an excellent way to save some money when holiday shopping.  Here is a list of a few of the bigger stores that offer layaway and some of the details related to layaway.

1.       Walmart-This layaway lasts from September 16^th through December 14^th.  December 14^th is the last day you can pick up and complete payment on your purchase.  There is a 10% or $10 dollar initial down payment (whichever is greater) and there is a $50 dollar minimum amount for the total purchase of the layaway.  There is a $5 dollar initial open fee that is refundable as a gift card at the time of full layaway payment.  If you choose to cancel your layaway, your down payment and any payments made will be fully refunded; however, the $5 open fee will not be refunded.

2.       K Mart-This layaway runs in weeks and is considered a contract.  There are 8 and 12 week options for the layaway at K Mart, with the 12 week option for purchases over $300.  There is a $5 dollar initial service fee for the 8 week layaway and $10 service for the 12 week layaway.  Both require payments made at least once every 2 weeks, which completes the full payment in either 8 or 12 weeks.  Your initial down payment with K Mart is $15 or 10%, whichever is greater.  There is a cancellation fee if you choose not to complete your purchase.

3.       Sears-Theirs is similar to K mart in the fact that they do 8 and 12 week layaway options.  The main difference is there is a % dollar initial service fee for all new layaways and $20 or 20% initial down payment, whichever is greater.  The 12 week layaway option is for purchases of $400 or more.  There is also a $15 cancellation fee with Sears.

     All of the stores listed above also offer layaway online.  Some of the other stores that have offered layaway in the past and still offer it at some locations include Toys R Us, Best Buy, Babies R Us, Kohl’s, TJ Maxx, Marshalls and Hallmark.  There are more options out there for Layaway and these are just a few but if you want to try to save some money and make payments over a given period of time, layaway may be the best option.   

WIBO Classes for Spring 2013

We are ready to begin recruiting for our Spring Workshops in Business Opportunities (WIBO) class! This 16 week course is touted as a miniature MBA course for the budding entrepreneur or small business owner. Do you have an idea for a small business? Do you already own your own business but are looking for more ideas on how to grow your business? Then this is for you!

A WIBO participant must be able to commit to the following:

1.       16 week course: The participant MUST attend each and every session.

2.       The participant must be on time for every session and willing to participate.

3.       The course costs $700+ for the 16 weeks at other locations across the US, but we are able to offer WIBO to our participants for a small fee of $50 due to generous grants from the RK Mellon and Hillman Foundations.

4.       The participant must already have an idea. This isn’t the class to figure out what your idea is, this is the class to take to turn your idea into a reality. At the end of the course, you will have a business plan in your hands. You will learn Marketing, Human Resources, Legal, Budgeting, Cash Flow, Management, etc.

We have two classes scheduled as follows:

Starting February 19^th, from 6-9pm on Tuesdays, at Family Services’ offices in East Liberty. (We are in the same plaza as Trader Joe’s.)

Starting February 21^st, from 6-9pm on Thursdays, at Family Services’ offices at Central City Plaza in New Kensington.

If anyone is interested, an application can be obtained by emailing Brittany Linville at linvilleb@fswp.org. Space is limited. Get your applications in ASAP. This is most likely the FINAL set of WIBO classes we will be teaching.

Money Saving 101: Fun Money

Author: Lindsey

We have been talking about ways to cut spending, save money, how to get more bang for your buck, budgeting and any number of other very important financial wellness topics, but what about money for fun? Fun money can be one of the most important items on your monthly budget. Here are three very important reasons why.

It will help you stay within your budget: When you have money to spend, you will be less likely to dip into your savings or money set aside for bills or other important things. We are not going to stop wanting things or spending money completely, and you shouldn’t! Life is meant to be enjoyed, responsibly. So if you love going out to dinner once a week with your family, make it a point of putting that into your budget.

It will help with stress: The sad truth is money can be stressful! Between emergencies, bills, household and child expenses; where does it all go? Plan for a little stress free fun every month – even if it is putting money aside to go to an early bird showing on a Saturday morning at your local movie theater and not buying snacks.

It will build your bargain hunting skills: When you have ‘fun money’ to spend every month, you naturally are going to want to make it last for as long as possible. Use coupons for dinners or shows, shop around for the perfect sale price on the pair of jeans, buy ingredients to make your favorite meal instead of buying it pre-made – however you want to spend it, make sure you’re spending it the best way possible!

What are some of the things you enjoy doing and have you put them in your budget? 

Winterizing Your Home

Author: Derron

With winter not too far off, I’ve decided to start “winterizing” my home and getting other things ready for an extended period of cold weather.  If you live in an older home like me, drafts, cold air and frost on the windows are a way of life.  Recently I have started to do some things in my home that help with keeping the heat in which then keeps my heating bill manageable.  Here is a list of some helpful hints that may work for you:

 Weather proof your windows- These are fairly inexpensive materials that can keep the cold air out and warm air in.  Kits for this are sold at many places such as Wal-Mart, Target and other stores which may have a home section.  Pretty simple, you put plastic on your windows, hit them with a hair dryer and it seals shut.  The kits also normally come with weather stripping for doors and cracks.

 Space heaters-My recommendation for this are space heaters that say on the box it utilizes a ceramic heating element.  These are usually safer and more cost efficient.  I use a space heater in the room my family is in.  I also have them placed around the house in frequented areas.  There is no dramatic increase in your electric bill by using the space heaters but it does cut the cost of heating with gas.

 Setting your thermostat at one temperature-This one kind of goes with the previous space heater tip.  In the winter, I set my thermostat at 62.  Then I use a space heater if I need to.  What this does is decreases the number times your furnace will turn on and off if your house is losing some of the heat.  Set it at a comfortable degree that fits your family and use space heaters for a boost of that warm air.

 Check your attic insulation-I was surprised to learn that the insulation in my attic was so old it just wasn’t working.  One of things I was told by the people installing my new insulation was to look at your roof when there is snow on it.  If, after a snow, your roof commonly keeps snow on it, that means there is cold air below it and is not allowing the snow to melt.  Usually in the attic.  If, after a snow, you notice your roof is frequently lacking snow that is due in part to the house holding its heat and the attic is warmer.  Check it out next time it snows at your house.

 Keep your curtains open (during the day) - How many times have you come home on a hot summer day and you can just feel the heat coming through the windows.  Same thing applies to the winter.  Keeping your curtains open during daylight hours allows the suns natural heat to warm your home.  If you set your thermostat a lower temperature, this will warm your home and prevent your furnace from frequent starts and stops.

These are just a few tips for what I call “winterizing” your home.  But remember safety comes first.  Avoid using ovens, oil lamps, older space heaters, candles and un-inspected fire places to keep warm.  These are all fire hazards and should not be used to warm your home.  So stay safe and keep warm.

Money Saving 101: Halloween

Author: Lindsey

I don’t know about any of you, but the first week of October flew by and before you know it, Halloween will be here! Whether you’re a fan of this holiday or not we can all agree on one thing: it can get expensive! Here are five some to save some money and still have lots of candy. 

1. Buy candy that is on sale or shop in bulk at your local Costco or Sam’s club. 

2. Don’t spend tons of $$ on costumes! There are tons of creative costumes you can make or purchase for smaller amounts of money. An average adult sized costume can run over $40! That is a lot of money for one night. Look around online on sites like Amazon for cheaper deals or hit the local thrift store for some items to create your own. 

3. Shop for holiday decorations after the holiday is over. This is true for any season! After Halloween is over, all the pumpkins and goblins you could want are going to be 50% off or more. Shop now for next year!

4. Walk your trick-or-treat route if you can. Gas is over $4 in some areas and unless it is raining, try walking from house to house and leave the car at home. 

5. Visit your local farmers markets for pumpkins and other fall essentials rather than a chain store. The prices will be cheaper and you will be supporting the local economy as well. 

Do YOU have any tips for saving this Halloween??

Allegheny Co. Financial Wellness Classes

 The following classes are those starting up in Allegheny County this month and next month. Please call (412) 820-2050 extension 419 for more information!

                                                                                                                                                                                      

October             

                                                                                                                                     

Tuesdays, 2:00PM – Catholic Charities

Tuesdays, 9:00AM – Moneythink at Perry High [to start end of month]

Wednesdays, 10:00AM – Bethlehem Haven (closed to just Bethlehem Haven Clients)

Wednesdays, 5:00PM (1^st and 3^rd of each month) – Operation Better Block

Thursdays, 9:00AM (1^st of each month) – Ways to Work

Thursdays, 1:30PM – Squirrel Hill

Thursdays, 8:00PM – Genesis (closed to just Genesis Clients)

 Fridays, 12:00AM – Moneythink at Obama                                                                                                                                                

November                        

                                                                                                                   

Mondays, 6:00PM – Primary Care (closed to just Primary Care Clients)  

Tuesdays, 9:00AM – Moneythink at Perry High

Tuesdays, 2:00PM – Catholic Charities

Wednesdays, 10:00AM – Bethlehem Haven (closed to just B.H. Clients)

Wednesdays, 12:30PM – North Shore Community    

Wednesdays, 5:00PM (1^st and 3^rd of each month) – Operation Better Block

Thursdays, 9:00AM (1^st of each month) – Ways to Work

Thursdays, 1:30PM – Squirrel Hill

Thursdays, 8:00PM – Genesis (closed to just Genesis Clients)          

Fridays, 12:00AM – Moneythink at Obama