10 Financial Tips for Sexy Consumers

Being sexy can be summarized in 3 main areas: attitude, confidence and image. Attitude relates to your views on life, usually an optimistic person who can take criticism well and always remains positive. Confidence is how you feel about yourself no matter what someone else says about you or does to you. Image is the physical appearance of a person, their smile, their teeth, their hair, their walk, their laugh, their face, their body, how they dress, how they smell.

According to a study by ING 61% of the men that participated in the survey feel that women who are frugal are smart and sexy. Cash is king and having a savings account makes you more attractive and appealing. When you are in debt and have bad credit it is hard to focus on anything else and if you do, you can’t give it your all because of your financial problems especially when it comes to relationships.  Saving is smart. Investing is smarter. Good credit is smart and sexy. Saving the environment is sexy. Saving is sexy. Here are 10 financial tips for sexy consumers.

1.     Being debt free is fantastic. Save money on interest by paying more than the minimum monthly credit card or loan payment which helps pay your balance down faster so you can get out of debt. Keep debt balances at than 10% of your monthly income.

2.     Pay down debt as fast as twista rhymes. Pay ½ the balance with the 1^st paycheck then pay the remaining balance with the 2^nd paycheck or pay the minimum monthly payment when you get the bill, then each week pay as much as you can toward the balance.

3.     Act like a celebrity and go green. Help save the environment by filing your taxes electronically and get your refund in 2 weeks from the date of filing. Use tax preparation software like Turbo Tax or Tax Cut to help with the tax filing process.

4.     Stay cozy and keep money in your pocket. Do an annual check on your heating system. Insulate your attic. Automate thermostat settings and use the lowest setting. Seal drafts and cover floors to retain heat. Open blinds during the day to let heat in.

5.     Social media can be your enemy. Many debt collectors and some state taxing authorities are searching for consumers on social media networks who owe debt. If you owe debt, hide your profile from public access or just be responsible and pay your debt.

6.     Plan for the unexpected. Create an emergency savings fund to cover all of your monthly bills and expenses for 9-12 months. Create a backup plan if some financial crisis occurs and you need extra money. Have a plan A, B, C and D.

7.     Shop like the rich. Set a budget and find bargains online, use coupons or shop at holiday sales. Mix and match basic pieces with fashionable accessories such as belts, earrings, bracelets, shoes and purses. Buy knockoff pieces for extra style. Shop at discount stores and outlets for name brand pieces for less.

8.     Cut back. See what areas you can reduce spending by creating a balanced budget to stay out of debt. Thirty-five percent should go towards housing, 15% towards debt, 25% towards transportation, 10% towards savings, and 15% towards other expenses.

9.     Plan for the future. Open a retirement account and save at least 10% towards your retirement each month. You will need 60-80% of your pre-retirement salary for a minimum of 20 years to have enough money during retirement or at least $1,000,000. 

10.  Don’t be a question mark.  Know your net worth (assets - liabilities). Verify your net worth annually. Know how much you earn, how much you owe and how many assets you have. Use the figure as a baseline to increase your net worth on a yearly basis. 

10 Tips to Manage Your Money

Everyone fears the word budget but don't be afraid. A budget is your lifeline to financial peace. A budget helps you know how much money you earn and spend each month. A budget is called many different names but the main goal of a budget is to help you live below your means. Nothing stays the same forever which is especially true today. Here are 10 helpful tips to help you manage your money.

1. Needs vs. Wants – buy more needs vs. wants to help reduce expenses.

2. Reduce spending – buy in bulk, on sale, at discount stores, online or use coupons, buy generic brands. Try websites such as groupon.com, coupons.com, freecycle.org, ebay.com or craigslist.com to find bargains.

3. Groceries – don’t go shopping when you are hungry, buy items on the lower shelves and ask about specials, join store clubs to get alerts on discounts.

4. Banking – open accounts with little to no fees, ask about discounts and specials, and establish a relationship with the branch manager to get alerts about specials and new products and services that could save you money. Don’t use check cashing stores or cash checks at the liquor store.

5. Driving – buy gas in the morning, combine nearby trips on the same day, keep the trunk empty, keep tires at the proper pressure level, get regular maintenance on your car, look for the cheapest gas and buy a gas efficient car, ditch the gas guzzler. Drive the speed limit to also save money on gas.

6. Medical – buy at least basic medical insurance for you and your family, get a prescription card and fill prescriptions at discounts stores such as Wal-Mart or Walgreens to save money, negotiate medical services to save money and ask about programs for uninsured or low-income patients.

7. Insurance – buy insurance for health, life, disability and your home. Buy bundled services to save money, buy homeowners and car insurance with the same company and ask about discounts.

8. AAA – triple AAA offers lots of discounts with partner companies that are not advertised, ask each company you do business with if they give discounts to AAA members.

9. Compare – Comparison shop before making a purchase to get the best deal. Use sites like bizrate.com, nextag.com and pricegrabber.com.

10. Clothing – shop at discount stores, buy clothes in off-season, check out discount racks at stores and ask if stores if they honor competitor coupons. Buy a few jackets and mix and match pieces to stretch your wardrobe.

How to Stretch Your Paycheck

Unemployment is now at 9.8%. Some Americans have moved down an income level from upper-middle class to middle class, middle class to lower income or lower income to poverty due to the economy and job market. Many Americans are forced to live on less money while other Americans are finding it difficult to live on less for several reasons: 1) they don’t know how, 2) they don’t want to or 3) they are in denial. Here are some helpful tips to help stretch your paycheck in a tough economy.

1. Bulk. Buy items in bulk by shopping at wholesale or discount stores such as Costco, Sam’s Club or BJ’s.

2. Budget. Create a spending plan or budget to see what areas you can reduce spending. Thirty-five percent of your budget after taxes should go towards housing (mortgage/rent, utilizes, repairs), fifteen percent towards debt (credit cards, student loans, personal loans), twenty-five percent towards transportation (maintenance and car payment), ten-percent towards savings, and fifteen-percent towards other expenses (groceries, prescriptions, medical expenses, etc.).

3. Comparison Shop. Look at prices of at least three different companies to see which has the best deal. Ask if the company will honor competitor prices.

4. Online. Look for coupons and specials at online websites such as bizrate.com or pricegrabber.com.

5. Generic. Buy generic brands for food, canned goods, paper products, dry goods and prescriptions.

6. Utilities. Buy the cheapest landline plan available. Turn to the lowest settings when you are not at home and use the recommended settings provided by the utility companies to save money on your monthly bills.

7. Bundle. Bundle services to save money on insurances such as car, mortgage and homeowners.

8. Downgrade. Downgrade all your services such as cable, internet, and cell phone. Downgrade your car or home to a cheaper model. You can sell your car and catch public transportation. If you need a car you can rent a car or use a Zip car.

9. Eat at home. Skip buying lunch every day and eating out. Cook meals at home and take leftovers for lunch.

10. Get assistance. Borrow money from friends or family members. Apply for government assistance, get help from your local church or get assistance from social organizations like the Salvation Army or American Red Cross.

11. Sell Items. Sell new or used items on eBay or Craigslist for extra cash.

12. Multiple Jobs. Work multiple part-time or full-time jobs; work a combination of full-time or part-time jobs to make ends meet. Do odd jobs such as cleaning homes, shopping for the elderly or babysitting to earn extra money.