“When there aren’t many jobs around, grab whatever job available so that you can put food on the table or keep your home mortgage or car.” I totally agree with the above statement said by one of hubby’s buddies.

This buddy of hubby had been jobless for quite a while before he finally secured one of the limited airport jobs available at the airport.

He always advises his friends who are still jobless to grab whatever job they come across so that they can keep making payments to their loans and other expenses.

With hubby’s cooperation in controlling family budget, it’s easy for me to track the expenses using the personal budgeting software.

It was difficult to track hubby’s spending last time because he didn’t like to keep receipts or recall what he had bought. Sometimes, he simply didn’t want me to know what he had purchased.

Of course, I am not the kind of person who tracks every cent and dollar. I can’t bear with cracking my head thinking where I have spent the $1.50 or $0.95.

I do download free seo software recommended by my blogging pals so as to improve the ranking of all my niche blogs.

You know the importance of doing SEO, right? Better ranking means more traffic driven to your sites and thus increase your ad clicks and sale earnings.

I need more online income simply because there are debt repayments, home and car loan instalments and other expenses that have to be paid.

Besides, it’s bad economy now. It’s better to make more money to save in the savings account during spare time than watching television at home.

So far, I have found the amount for auto loan installment. I am still looking for auto insurance premium and road tax renewal fees.

There are still some overdue credit card payments that are supposed to be paid this month. I really don’t know where I can find money to pay the overdue credit card payments.

I am praying that God helps me. I am so tired of my hefty credit card debts. God, please approve my debt management plan. I can’t take it anymore.

I have also been controlling my spending and expenses very strictly by buying necessities during sale times.

I still want to write one more post to vent out my anger on Streamyx. You see, Malaysians call Streamyx — Screamyx. Streamyx’s lousy broadband service really makes you screaaaaaaaam.

Imagine if you have tons of pending reviews to be completed in a few hours’ time and you can’t get to the networks online! I bet you will screaaaaaaam like I do now.

I depend on my online income to pay my expenses, home mortgage, car loan and credit card debt, therefore my internet connection must be up all the time. Not being able to write more reviews on credit card solutions or Tahitian pearls will definitely affect my income.

Thinking about making a credit card purchase? Before you swipe your card, consider how much you can afford to charge. It will have an effect on your wallet and your credit score.

One of the principles of building a good credit history and staying out of debt is charging only what you can afford to pay. But just how much is that? The amount varies from one person to the next depending on each person’s income, expenses, credit limit, and other credit card balances.

Charge only what you can afford. The amount you can afford to charge mostly depends on your discretionary income – what you have left after taxes and other necessary expenses have been paid. Read more »

I like using credit cards for several reasons:

• Most of the top-of-the-line cards will send year-end summaries of your spending, which is good for those clients who do not keep up to date financial statements.

• Credit cards are good for travel and other expenses and pay only one bill every month.

• It is good to have credit card debt available for those times when cash is hard to find.

The major drawback to using credit cards is that too many people overextend and find themselves in the black hole of high interest credit card debt. Credit card debt is easy to get into and sometimes very difficult to dig yourself out of. Read more »

Money can give you a sense of freedom. With money, you can buy your own clothes, perhaps have your own phone, maybe get a car. But debt can pile up fast.

One way to avoid debt is to have a budget. Yes, budgeting can help to avoid debt.

Basically, a budget is a plan for how to spend your money. When you make a budget, you list what your expenses are. First, list what you’re spending money on every month. A health club membership? Internet service provider? A pager, maybe a cellular phone? How much was your dry cleaning bill? All these go on the list. You’ll need to estimate in most cases.

Now add it all up.

Next, look at how much money is coming in, from your job or other sources, and add that. You should have two figures now. If the incoming is larger then the outgoing, congratulate yourself. You’re in the black! If you’re like most people, though, you have more going out than you do coming in, particularly because you guessed on a lot of things.

The next step is to take a good hard look at the items you listed. You’re going to make two lists from the first–wants and needs. It’s important to remember that this is your budget, and nobody can tell you how to make it. That’s part of the fun.

But I NEED that!

Your “needs” list should include any fixed bills you have such as transportation, school-related expenses and clothing. Your “wants” list will be more entertainment oriented. The idea is to make a budget you can live with. It can get depressing looking at those hard cold numbers. Debt is even worse, though.

Say it’s payday. You’re sitting at your desk with a pile of bills, your paycheck, and a calculator in front of you, and the final sum you get (after checking your numbers a few times) depresses you.

Not only will you have to turn down the date you have on Saturday night, but you won’t be able to buy that new pair of shoes you’re drooling over and your car insurance is due. And you’re supposed to be saving for college.

It seems like there are so many places for your paycheck to go, it can make you regret you’re even getting one. Almost.

Budgeting means gaining control.

Balancing your budget means figuring out where you can economize. Know where to buy things at lower-than-retail prices. Check out your local used CD and book stores, almost every town has at least one and larger cities have lots. Think about buying clothes at thrift stores, consignment shops, or discount stores. You can find good deals if you look for them. A pair of Gap khakis can cost as little as $3.50 at the Salvation Army.

Don’t let the process get you down. It may seem like you’ll never have enough money for all the things you want and you’ll waste away alone, badly dressed and eating macaroni and cheese every night. But chances are pretty good that won’t happen. Get a handle on your finances now and you’ll make sure of it.

In life you should expect the unexpected, and this is why you need an emergency fund. Emergency fund is an absolute necessity for financial security because it gives you fund to fall back on if you become ill or disabled and can’t work, or if you or your spouse lose your job, incur large medical bills, or have an unexpected large bill such as a major car or home repair.

Without an emergency fund, you may be forced to incur credit card debt that could take you many years to pay off and end up costing you much more in the long run.

Start small. If you currently don’t have an emergency fund or find it difficult to save money the key is to start small. Read more »

Unlike most purchases, a college education appreciates in value instead of depreciating. Despite college cost increases, a college education remains an affordable choice for most families.

With tuition fees climbing up yearly, it is better to have a sound financial plan so that it would not be difficult for you to send your kids off to college when they grow up. Aside from the cash that you have saved yourself, here are the top 3 sources that can help you get your kids through college:

1. Scholarship grants
2. Part-time jobs
3. Financial aids

These are good alternative sources for your children to start off on their college education.

But as a parent, you would not want to fall in those long lines for financial aid or let your child work himself to death just to have money for tuition and other expenses. Read more »