Supermarket Snobbery

I recently realised what a snob I was when it came to doing my weekly food shopping. My supermarket snobbery has now become a die hard habit.

If I know that Sainsbury’s is a rip-off and Asda saves me at least £30 every week, then why do I keep finding myself in Sainsburys on a Sunday morning? Even though Asda is literally less than 1 minute further from where I live.

Am I really buying into a shopping experience when I should be getting value for my hard earned cash?

There’s been times when I’ve been forced to go to Asda for one reason or another. And although I walk in desperately craving an anti-depressant or 2, I leave the checkout smiling and feeling very proud of myself.

So now although I feel like I’m giving up a crack addiction I force myself to face the doom and gloom and head off to Asda instead. What the hell, I may even give Lidl a shot!

10 Steps to Getting Out of Debt:

1. Face up to exactly how much debt you’re in. Add it ALL up so you know the exact extent of the situation. Only then will you be able to devise a plan to get yourself debt free.
2. Cut up ALL credit and store cards into tiny pieces.
3. Seek advice from a Debt Advisory Service. There is free advice available and there’s nothing better than facing your situation head on with the help of an expert. Most advice is available over the telephone.
4. You will need you set yourself a budget for general living including, rent, council tax, utility bills and food, etc. You will need to know the bare minimum you will need to live on. This is where you’ll need to be tough on yourself and ask yourself if you really need certain luxuries you may have become accustomed to.
5. Calculate exactly how much you can afford to pay your creditors each month.
6. Contact each of your creditors and try to negotiate acceptable and realistic payments (usually 60 months). This is where the advisor can come in handy, as they can contact your creditors on your behalf and not only negotiate affordable payments but also have the interest frozen or your debt written off.
7. Avoid the temptation to consolidate all your debts and take out ANOTHER loan to pay off the existing ones. You will only be adding yet more debt when you’re trying to free yourself of debt.
8. Make sure that you stick to your agreement without fault, paying on time is crucial; you want to start to repair your credit status not make it worse.
9. Become a savvy consumer. Look for the best deals, become pennywise. If you’re in the habit of being a little thrifty then now’s the time to curb it.
10. If possible take on extra work; it’ll be hard getting accustomed to the bare necessities. A secondary income will ensure you don’t miss out for the next 5 years.

Credit repair may take time but these 10 steps are a good place to start.

Bad Credit Debt Consolidation Loan

A bad credit debt consolidation loan can get you out of a financial hole very quickly. The question is if you’ve got a bad credit history will the banks still lend to you? The answer is probably.

That’s because a bad credit debt consolidation loan can make as much sense for them as it can for you.

You see the banks really don’t care about you. I know, that came as a surprise right? But they do care about themselves – second surprise! So they might be happy to make a loan to help sort out your bad credit. Debt consolidation loan is just another way of saying refinancing of course. And the reality of that is the bank will take the money you already owe them and spread the payments over a longer period.

Now what happens is that because the money they are lending you is outstanding for a longer amount of time they can charge you more interest. See what I meant when I said they don’t care about you?

Of course from your point of view you are probably going to be benefiting by having lower repayments, less worry and you’ll get your credit history back on track. So it’s win-win.

Now to actually get a bad credit debt consolidation loan you’re going to have to convince the bank or loan company that they really are going to be benefiting. Just telling them that they will make more money in the long run won’t cut it. You need to present a well thought out case as to why it makes sense to consolidate your existing loans.

You need to sit down and work out a plan before you even think of contacting them. In that plan you need to be able to tell them how your bad credit came about. Was it a problem with your job? Was it down to ill health? You also need to explain what has changed now and how you will be able to meet the new payments.

Try not to be over optimistic here. And for goodness sake tell them the truth, if you don’t they will almost certainly find out and you’ll fail. They’re trained to spot lying by applicants.

The secret to success is having a good, well-though out reason why they should grant you a bad debt consolidation loan.

Credit Card Debt – What You Should Know

Increasingly more and more of us has at least some credit card debt. Facts put out by the credit card industry and debt counsellors show that not only are we increasing the number of cards we have but that we’re increasing the amount we owe on those cards.

Those credit card debt facts can make truly frightening reading.

And it’s not just those of us in paid employment that are running up our credit card debt. Facts show that even students and the unemployed are increasing the amount they owe.

So what can we do about this situation? Well the first thing to recognize is that we are all responsible for our own borrowing. That being the case we can start to take steps to reduce the amount of money that we owe and also the amount we have to pay out each month.

Think of it this way; Credit cards are not “bad”, just like anything else they have plusses and minuses. Ok the minuses include horrendously high rates of interest but on the other side of the coin they can be invaluable in emergencies. Just don’t use them as long term loans because they were never designed for that kind of borrowing.

If you are finding that you have outstanding balances of two, three or more credit cards you will probably be well advised to look into taking out a debt consolidation loan. This will enable you to spread your borrowing over a fixed period of time. It will also ensure that you are paying a much, much lower rate of interest than you would be paying on your cards.

By shopping around you can usually find some very good deals available from the major lenders. And don’t forget to try and haggle down the rate you are offered. Tell them you have a better deal on the table across the street. You’ll be surprised just how much things can change with a little bit of competition.

Of course if you’ve got poor credit things might not be quite so simple. And if that is the case maybe the best thing would be you for you to talk to a licensed debt counsellor or visit a bill consolidation service to get some idea of how you can reduce your monthly commitments.

The important thing is to take action and stop yourself becoming one of those credit card debt facts!

Credit Card Bill Consolidation Loans

Credit card bill consolidation is something everyone who is having problems making the monthly repayment should consider. That is down to the high amounts of interest that the card companies charge on your credit card bill. Consolidation loans are usually far cheaper rates of interest and really can work out to be quite a significant saving.

And it’s not just the monthly savings that are appealing. The overall cost can be very substantial too. Of course you need to check the figures for yourself don’t go making assumptions as everyone is different.

You need to calculate how much paying your credit cards off at the minimum rate will cost you. There are a number of internet based sites that will allow you to put in your figures and will then spit out the answer for you. Be prepared for a shock though! It’s almost certainly going to be far higher than you first imagined.

Once you’ve got that figure you need to work out the cost of your consolidation loan. At least with that you will have a rough idea in advance. All you have to do is multiply the monthly repayment by the term of the loan. Having done that it is simply a case of taking the bill consolidation figure from the credit card cost. Voila! You have got the amount you will save overall.

That of course is just the start. You’ve got a ball park figure but you want to know the best don’t you? That’s where shopping around comes in.

Just like any other loan a credit card consolidation loan comes with different interest rates and it’s your job to find the most competitive. After this is your money and if you won’t fight for it you can hardly expect anyone else to do it for you!

The best place to start is on the internet. You can quickly find and compare a huge number of banks and loan companies to sniff out the best rate for you. Don’t just go to their sites though. Look for some of the magazines and comparison sites they will give you lenders you probably wouldn’t have thought of.

Once you’re armed with these figures you can start to call the companies on the phone and see what they’ll offer you. Do this well and you will get yourself an outstanding credit card bill consolidation.

Good Saving Accounts – And What To Look For

Most people begin their financial journey by opening a regular account which they use for nothing more than depositing and issuing checks. A lot of these people allow money to remain in these accounts till it reaches a particular amount and then they begin looking at options for saving accounts.

It is needless to mention why people would want the best saving accounts they can get at this stage, because their financial life is almost on the verge of or already has become stable. The account they are opening now is an instrument of savings.

Probably you are contemplating on opening a saving account too. If you are doing that, there are certain things you must look for. One of the first things that you have to remember is that the bank where you have your regular account is not necessarily the bank with the best saving accounts too.

With a saving account, the stakes are higher because banks have to pay you interest on the deposits that you make. Naturally, the bank that can provide you the best rate of interest will be the best saving account bank for you. But there are some other considerations to make here.

Here we list the four important points you have to look at when you are scouting for banks that can provide best saving accounts.

1, The first thing you have to look at is naturally the rate of interest. Since it is the bank that will be paying you the interest, you have to select the bank that provides you the highest rate of interest. This should be one of the primary points that you should be looking at, but certainly it should not be the only point.

2, The second thing you need to check is the amount that the bank needs you to deposit so that you can open the account. Different financial institutions have different limits here and hence you need to ask them personally or check their written brochures.

3, Since these are savings accounts, you will need to keep some amount in the bank each month. This amount is called as minimum deposit. It acts as a kind of security for the bank as well as it helps you to really save that amount of money, adding more meaning to the concept of savings accounts. But you have to see if you can really afford to keep this minimum deposit with the bank because if your total deposited amount goes less than this, you will have to pay an additional charge.

4, There may also be a limit on the number and the amount of withdrawals that you make from the savings account. See if that meets your needs. With some banks, you can make more withdrawals than the number that they allow but you will have to pay an additional charge for that.

5, One more point that you have to check is the notice period before you can make a withdrawal, which is typical of most savings accounts. If this period stretches out to too long (in some banks it could be as much as three months), the account may not be suitable to your needs.

Hence, choosing best saving accounts is not a very easy task because there are several things that you need to consider. But being aware of what you need to look at, you are liable to make a better decision.

Saving Money At The Supermarket

Your food shopping budget is one of the most flexible expenses you have, you can save quite a bit of money just by sensibly planning out your food shopping each week.

Your food shopping budget includes all of your food expenses for the week, so this also include eating out at any restaurants or fast food placers you decide to visit.

As eating out can be quite costly this can be a great place to start. If you can eliminate eating out all together then this is great, if not then at least try to cut down or even opt for the cheaper place around the corner, which is sure to be just as great tasting and delicious.

There are also many restaurant vouchers available with deals from 10% – 50% discount or even 2 meals for the price of 1. You can usually find these by visiting the restaurants’ websites and booking online.

Plan Your Food Shopping In Advance

That’s right just buy taking a few minutes to write a shopping list before you set off for the supermarket can help you to save a considerable amount of money. The supermarkets have spent millions developing ways to make us spend more of our money than we intended when we go shopping.

Ever noticed how the main things you always need like bread, eggs, milk, etc… are all way up at the back of the store, and that you have to walk past all the buns, chocolate and other goodies just to get there?

If you haven’t noticed this before then keep an eye out the next time you go shopping and you will see what I mean. What about the lovely soothing music playing in the background while you do you’re shopping?

That’s just two of the many ways the supermarkets get you to part with more of your hard earned money then you set out to, Not to mention all the sales and the two for one offers, but we are sure you get the point.

So how do you avoid becoming victim to the persuasive tactics of your local supermarket?

By simply planning in advance and writing a shopping list before you set out to go shopping, this will keep you focused on what you came for in the first place, so you don’t end up walking down each and every aisle thinking, “what was it I came for now?”.

Plan your list and stick to it.

Effective Household Budgeting

When it comes to household budgeting, saving money on the small things as well as the big things can help make quite a difference to your spending.

A good place to start is to differentiate between wants and needs. Decide what you need and then put aside a few of the wants, for instance do you really need that new 50 inch flat screen TV or can you make do with the one you have for just a bit longer.

We often trick ourselves into wanting to be and have the best, not to say there is anything wrong with this, but if you are buying that new car or that latest gadget just to keep up with your friends or to impress your neighbors; stretching your budget to the maximum and or going into debt in order to buy it may not be the wisest thing to do.

So next time you plan on purchasing those new items, stop and have a good think and then decide do I really need them? Or do I simply want them? Just buy picking out what you really do need, from what you simply just want will help you hold onto much more of your hard earned money.

The more you do this the more you will see there really is a big difference between your wants and needs … needs are those things that are necessary to your survival: food, clothing and a roof over your head etc…

On the other hand wants are the things that are somehow going to enhance or better your life in one way or another.

The Coupon Culture

Gone are the days when you had to scour the newspapers for coupons. Online shoppers can now make huge savings at the click of a button.

All retailers are creating promo codes with attractive and competitive deals to satisfy the savvy online consumer’s thirst for a bargain. Voucher code sites have been around for years but the current economic climate has driven bargain hunters in their droves to these sites.

Retailers are battling for exposure on these popular sites and often the most attractive and exclusive offers secure the best exposure. This much competition is forcing retailers to offer bigger and better deals.

You can find discount codes for absolutely anything. Visit some of the popular voucher/coupon sites listed below:

• Couponsnapshot.com
• Couponcodesusa.com
• Couponcodes4u.com

Are You Looking For Credit Repair Advice?

Do you have a bad credit rating?

Perhaps, this is the right time to consult a credit repair advisor about your situation. A credit repair adviser is an expert in handling credit and finances; he’ll be able to give you a better understanding of your credit report and help you take note of your credit standing. As your advisor, he can point out the areas that you need to focus on to help you to achieve a better credit rating.

Because of the growing complexity of the credit transactions in our society today, many people have seek the help of credit repair advisors and professionals to assist them as they get to grips with their debts. In the US, in excess of 90 million have incurred a 20,000 obligation, not including those who are paying for their mortgages. A huge proportion of these figures are because of credit card misuse.

A professional credit repair advisor will work in tandem with your creditors to lend a hand to you as you carry out your obligation. Generally, they will arrange for a debt consolidation loan from a debt management company so that you can settle your debts easier. He will work on your behalf and in your favour to get better and lower interest rates. He will attempt to lower your current payments.

You have to visit your advisor monthly to discuss all matters relating to your finances. Once you have paid your debts, your advisor will stay in touch to put your finances in order. Your advisor will guide you along the right path to managing your finances.

It’s his job to make sure that you stay clear of problems, which you may not be able to handle. He’ll help you to devise a financial plan, which will involve many inquiries into your finances. Taking into account their resources, a budget is set this is to be followed from then on.

When deciding on an advisor, be careful of any contracts you’re asked to sign. It’s advisable to visit the Chamber of Commerce just to check the reputation of the debt advisor you have in mind.

An advisor with good references will help you to evaluate how competent your advisor is and his ability to assist you with your credit repair. A reputable advisor will inform you of their professional fees, he will document all of your transactions with him. Immediately, you will have an idea of what to expect from their work and all other details regarding their services.

It’s imperative that you only consult with an advisor that you are comfortable with and trust to have you best interests in mind.

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