A Free Gift from David Bach

A piece of good advice from the elders:  Do Not Start the New Year in Debt.

Unfortunately,  for many people,  that just was not the case.   Most just did not know where to start.   Well, David Bach is coming to the rescue.    This best-selling author is on a mission to get America (and the world) out of debt and has been it is his personal mission in 2011 to “help one million people pay down a billion dollars in debt and start a new, debt-free life.”  He has just completed his 12th book ‘Debt Free For Life’ which is out in stores now.

For a limited 24-hour window,  you can download a free copy of David’s new book straight to your desktop. Then, you can read it at your leisure and let his tips work for you!  This offer is only available for 24 hours and ends at 11:59pm EST tonight.  (January 5, 2011).    Just click on this link and you’re on your way. Pass this piece of great news to friends and family members.

For more information on David Bach,  please visit his website.

 

25 Ways to Save Money

The Consumer Reports Magazine recently published a list of 25 simple ways to save money.  Some entail changing certain parts / appliances but the savings in the long run do justify the short term costs.  Here are some tips which I plan to implement soon:

1. Clean the coils behind or underneath your refrigerator with a tapered appliance brush to keep it running efficiently.
2. Put your PC to sleep :  use the hibernate feature on your computer.
3. Plug electronics into a power strip so that you can turn them all off at once.  If available,  get a powerstrip with individual switches so that you can conserve power consumption.
4. Keep car tires properly inflated. A slightly flat tire results in greater drag and lessens fuel efficiency.
5. Weather-strip old windows and doors. It’s the surest way to close the gaps around openings, reducing heating and cooling costs by 15 to 30 percent.
6. Install a high-efficiency showerhead. It will reduce hot water use by up to 50 percent.
7. Upgrade to a low-flow toilet and save 4,000 gallons per year.
8. Add insulation as this can cut cooling bills by at 10 percent,  particularly useful during the hot summer months.

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Motherhood has a very humanizing effect. Everything gets reduced to essentials. ~Meryl Streep

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Saving Money? Here are some tips

The path to Frugal Living can be lonely if you’re doing it on your own.  The key to success is surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who will provide the little extra push to get the ball rolling.    One of my favorites is Dawn and her blog Frugal for Life.  

She recently came out with her BIG list of tips to save money.  While some may not be doable in the Philippine setting,  there any many more which made me go… OO nga ‘no??!!!  

• When you go out to eat,  order water.  It’s free AND it’s healthy.
• Take your dinner from the night before to lunch the next day.
• Be obsessive compulsive and keep lists.  Don’t buy on impulse.  Planning ahead is your biggest money saver.
• Save those newspapers, plastics and soda cans.  Your junk can be turned to cash.
• Stay at home more by taking on a hobby or project (hmmm.. transition from paper scrapbooks to escrapbooks). 
• Learn to sew (alteration costs can add up).
• Spread the word when you are in need of a particular item.  Someone might actually have one handy to lend / give to you.  Or at the very least  tell you where to get it a good price.  =)

Frugal Me This

Budgeting and cost cutting are the banes of my life. I’d be the first to admit that I like my creature comforts and it hurts when I have to pass on the tall macchiato or cute bag or bestselling book or…. well, you get the picture.

In my quest to balance our books, I’ve been trawling through the net searching for tips on how to cut corners without feeling the pain too much. I found Mecca in the form of Frugal for Life.

Some of the tips are very practical. I especially like one of the more recent posts entitled: 10 Fashion Tips for the Newbie Fashionista. Now if I could only bring myself to skip the ongoing sale at Zara and Mango…..

There are actually quite a few websites and mailing lists whose aim is to get us started on the road to financial freedom. Some are better than others:
1. David Bach’s Automatic Millionaire
2. Robert Kiyosaki’s Why the Rich Get Richer
3. Efren Cruz’ discussion group for readers of Pwede Na! The Complete Pinoy Guide to Personal Finance.

As for me, I’m trying my best to stay away from temptation (after I rewarded myself with a gift – a Canon S3IS). I’ll let you know a few months from now if it’s worked.