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Clear These Hoarded Items To Save Money, Space, And Effort

Start your year with a clean slate by tossing out, repurposing, or donating these 5 hoarded items that are scattered all over your house…

1. OLD GREETING CARDS

One of the common things that people hoard are greeting cards because of its sentimental value. You may keep the special or handmade greeting cards given to your by your family and friends as long as they hold a significance.

But toss the cards that are for novelty, company greeting cards, or those who are given to you by people whom you barely know. It is nice to cherish these cards during the season but once the holiday is over, all these cards do is just create a stack of clutter.

2. CONTAINERS WITHOUT A LID OR VICE VERSA

When you store your leftovers, you will realize that some plastic containers do not have a lid while other lids do not have containers. Save your effort of trying to find these missing parts by tossing the extra pieces. Another thing that you can do is to use big containers as a place to store your make-up or remote control. This way, you do not have to buy a new organizer.

3. CARTON OF CORDS AND CABLES

Every house has a carton of cords filled with extra cords that are perceived to be useful in the near future. Guess what? They never are. Cords and cables get obsolete as technology advances so, toss everything to the garbage bin. Label your current cords and cables by putting placing a masking tape so that you can easily find what you are looking for.

4. OLD AND MIS-MATCHED CLOTHING

Arrange your closet and search for old t-shirts and mis-matched clothing. Toss your mis-matched socks because you do not have any use for it. While, your old t-shirts can be used as rags. But, if it is still in good condition, donate it for charity.

5. FREE MUGS, CUPS, AND WATER BOTTLES

Who can resist something that is free? You probably got one to many free company mugs or water bottle freebies from your rewards card. These things only stack up so, unless it fits your home decoration and you actually use it, sell everything online.

Image Credits: Tomi Tapio K via Flickr

Go to Gumtree, eBay, and Carousell to sell your mugs, cups, and water bottles that you have not used. By doing so, you did not only save space but you also made money.

5 Financial Steps You Must Take After Getting Your First Job

So you got your first full-time job after graduating…what happens next? You may be lost and unfamiliar with the new responsibilities ahead. So, it is best to keep your finances in check. These steps will help:

1. ALLOCATE YOUR FINANCES BY BUDGETING

List down your expenses (i.e., fixed and variable), your income, and debts. Be aware of your cash flow for at least 2 weeks to help you set up a budget. Do not panic if you still have to pay your student loan because a budget will help you plan your income allocation.

2. REDUCE YOUR STUDENT LOAN

Do not wait until the lender notices you have graduated, start now. The earlier you start making payments, the more you will save. Furthermore, if you have a private loan that you took out when your credit score was lower, there is a potential to borrow again at lower rate.

3. THINK ABOUT YOUR FINANCIAL GOALS

You may be living from paycheck to paycheck at the first few months but how about 4 years from now? Think about your long-term financial goals and start planning your budget accordingly. You may consider buying a house, traveling, or having kids, so start setting aside some money every month towards your goals. This will lessen the load and the stress.

4. CONSIDER BUYING THE INSURANCE YOU NEED

Insurance maybe in the back of your mind because you are young, healthy, and you got your life ahead of you. But, it will be the best thing you have ever invested on once accidents and unforeseen things happen. It is cheaper to buy insurance now while you are young because the risks are low. Many employers offer group life and group disability insurance, so it is more affordable and cheap enough to consider.

5. OPEN YOUR RETIREMENT ACCOUNT

I stressed this issue so much before and I will say it again. The best time to start your retirement savings is before you hit 35 years old. Wouldn’t you want to have a relaxing life with no financial worries once you retire?

Image Credits: 401(K) 2012 via Flickr

Then, set aside at least 5-10% of your income per month for retirement fund. Also, avoid debt as much as possible and get educated about your finances. Know how and why you should save for retirement before your mid-30s here.

8 Earth Friendly Ways To Save Money On Utility Bills

1. UNPLUG

You do not need a PhD to know that unplugging your cables and electronics when not in use can help you save energy and reduce your bills. Even if you turn the switches off, appliances will continue to use energy if they are plugged in.

Image Credits: Chris Potter via Flickr

2. KEEP IT COOL

Cold running water uses lower amount of energy than heated ones. So, use cold water when washing your clothes and dishes or when doing other tasks.

3. CHOOSE WISELY

If you are buying a new appliance, make sure that it is an energy efficient model. Smaller appliances not only help you save more on space but on bills also. Opt for a relatively small microwave than an oven and smaller lamps than the overhead lights.

4. REFRAIN FROM REPEATEDLY OPENING THE FRIDGE’S DOOR

Ensure that you know what you must get before opening the refrigerator’s door/s. Repeatedly opening and closing the door/s will only cause cold air to escape and for the appliance to work more than it should.

5. PUT DOWN THE BLINDS

During summer and hot days, put down the blinds to prevent extra heat from coming in and prevent your air conditioner from running more on energy. Do the opposite during the cold weather to keep your home naturally warm.

6. PAINT THE ROOF WHITE

In Color Psychology, white symbolizes new beginnings while in Business, it symbolizes efficiency. By merely painting your roof white, findings suggest that it can cause a 40% drop on the energy consumption. It also cools down the whole house.

7. COVER THE POTS

Cover your pots when boiling because if you leave it open, the boiling period will only be longer and therefore requiring more energy.

8. DOUBLE CHECK YOUR BILLS

Image Credits: Phillip Stewart via Flickr

Double-check your billing amount to ensure that you are paying accurately. Do this by checking the reported bill usage and comparing it to your meter.

Use These Brain Techniques To Save More And Spend Less

1. EMPLOY THE “URGENCY TEST” WHILE SHOPPING

When you are thinking twice on purchasing an item, ask yourself if you are willing to try it on the dressing room at that very moment. If you are not really excited to wear it then, do not bother to buy it.

2. AVOID “GIVING UP”, USE “SAVORING” INSTEAD

You will only feel deprived if your perspective is to give up something in order to save more. So, change your perspective and start “savoring” the moments that you indulge on lavish things. The goal is to change your frequency of indulgence and not to hinder you from enjoying life’s goodness.

3. WHEN YOU ARE NOT EARNING, YOU ARE SPENDING

Keep in mind that when you are not earning, you are just losing the money you earned. If there are opportunities to work more and your body feels okay then, take on the challenge. Sometimes, the feeling of losing money is more painful than missing it.

4. MAKE TIME A CURRENCY

To get a clearer perspective, break down the monetary value of things by the hour. For example, if you make S$10 an hour and a bowl of bean curd is S$2 then that is 12 minutes of your work and life. This technique will help a lot to cut down your impulse purchases.

5. BE MOTIVATED WITH A SLOGAN

If you are struggling to be frugal, make a tangible slogan or a poster that you can hang on to. For example, you can use this slogan to help you think critically when purchasing: “Use it up, Wear it out, Make it happen, or Do without it”.

6. UTILIZE THE “GAS OR BREAK METHOD”

Compare your financial progress to driving. In every decision you can either get closer to where you want to be (gas) or slow down (brakes).

Image Credits: loveheels via Flickr

So, the next time you have to make a monetary decision then ask yourself this: “Am I stepping on the gas or the brake? Is it worth it?”

How To Save Huge Money On Kid’s Clothing

Long before you give birth to your child, the desire to buy adorable child’s clothes kicks in. But, quickly growing children, changing of fashion trends, and huge deals may put a hole on your pocket. Giving your child fashionable clothes does not have to be expensive. Here are 5 Ways to Save Huge Bucks On Your Kid’s Clothing…

1. OUT WITH THE NEW

Since your toddler grows increasingly in the first few years then buying new clothes every year will surely break the bank. Try buying stylish clothes that are very cheap in thrift stores, garage sales, or online (e.g., Carousell or Gumtree).

There are a couple of neat thrift stores in Singapore namely: Praisehaven Thrift Store, New2U Thrift Shop, Oakham Market, and O-Mighty. Most of these thrift stores are donating its proceeds to charity. Visit Yelp.com.sg to read the reviews of these stores. The best part, of course, is that you’re contributing to a great cause while shopping.

2. HAND-ME-DOWNS

Hand-me-downs are totally free! Ask your family and friends (whose kids are older and bigger than yours) if you can have their children’s outgrown clothes. You will not only help your family or friends to de-clutter their space but you will also save more.

3. USE CLOTHES FOR MULTIPLE PURPOSES

Get your child leggings that she could wear during the cold weather then keep wearing them as capris the next summer. Same thing goes for dresses, you can use them as a dress or a shirt once its outgrown.

4. BORROW OR SEW YOUR OWN

For occasions that require special outfits such as Halloween, weddings or other formal parties that you only wear once a year, you can just borrow costumes to save loads of space and money. If you are good in sewing, use your creativity to sew your own “princess or prince” costume for Halloween.

5. KEEP IT SIMPLE

Avoid buying a matching set because it is more costly and it limits your options. Instead, buy solid colored pants and simple patterned skirts that you can mix and match with funky shirts. You will save more buy these items during clearance sales.

Image Credits: mahalie stackpole via Flickr

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