October 2011

Savings In The Age Of Austerity

Ever since the world economy went belly up in 2008, life has been harder for all of us in the age of austerity. One particular group who have felt the pressure more than most are savers. Central banks across the Western world have set interest rates ever lower – so low in fact they can barely go any lower at all. This, of course, means that savers who keep money in bank accounts are feeling the pinch more than others as their money isn’t benefiting from very good interest either.

There are some routes that can be explored to see if we can make the most of our savings. Many people have been looking at websites like Bullionvault for investing in gold which is generally thought to be a more stable investment. Gold is a particular type of investment however and there may be a variety of reasons why you prefer another investment.

Top 3 Easy Places to Find Money in a Pinch When Times Are Tough

by Hank Coleman

Surveys have shown that most Americans, 60% to 70%, live paycheck to paycheck. There will always be hiccups in your personal finances, and those tough times are often multiplied if you do not have a written monthly budget. But, how do you find money to pay your bills on short notice if you are in a pinch? Going to a payday lender should be one of your last resorts because of the enormous amount of interest you will ultimately pay on such a short-term loan. Payday lenders provide a horrible service that preys on struggling people and allows you to roll short-term loans over with interest continuing to build and build. But, you do have other options if you need … Read more

Top 10 Simple Ways to Save on Your Electric Bill This Winter

by Hank Coleman

This past week has marked a turning point in the South, with temperatures noticeably dropping and long sleeves and pants making their comeback out of the depths of our closets. I routinely see my electric bill almost double during the winter while switching on my home’s electric heating unit. Electricity costs can eat up a substantial portion of your monthly budget if you are not careful. Households that use heating oil and gas do not fair much better either. In fact, the average home using heating oil spends over $320 per month, and gas users pay over $160 each month, according to Money magazine. But, there are ways to curb the cost of electricity, lower your heating costs, and save … Read more

The Biggest Mistake You Can Make After a Business Conference

by Hank Coleman

I have talked briefly for the last few days that I have spent the past weekend in Schaumburg, Illinois outside of Chicago for the first annual Financial Blogger Conference (FINCON11). Two hundred and eighty of my favorite personal finance bloggers came together at a business conference to learn from each other, swap ideas, trade business cards, and garner insight into how we can make our personal finance blogs better in order to ultimately help you, our readers, take better control of our finances.

But, all of the networking and idea exchange will all be for naught if you make one of the biggest mistakes immediately after a business conference. We all forget one of the best techniques immediately after a conference or network event that can have a big impact…the follow-up.

You Must Follow Up To Build On Those Relationships

If you do not follow up on the contacts that you made and the ideas that you floated at a conference, you are making the biggest mistake. One of the most important steps after a conference or convention is not following up with the people that you met.

Did you talk to people about a collaborative project? Did you ask someone for a piece of advice or someone ask you for help later? You took the first step of planting a seed in order to build a relationship with someone. Now that the conference is over, it is the perfect time to follow up with that contact.