HowToDoThings.com Recent Budgeting Articles

How To Find the Right Prepaid Credit Card

prepaid101 — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 14:05:40 -0500

Finding a prepaid credit card online can be time consuming considering the many available offers. Not every prepaid card is the same; each offers a different set of fees, features, and benefits. Use this how to article to guide you through the process of finding the best prepaid credit card online.

How To Free Up Your Debt

coffeebuzz — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:02:31 -0500

How To Get Out of Debt Easily

bronwyn — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:54:27 -0500

How To Save Money Without Making Drastic Changes in Your Budget

teacher — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 13:22:17 -0500

How To Make and Manage a Household Budget

ramb37 — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 14:27:31 -0500

Making a realistic budget is a cornerstone to building a good financial foundation for you and your family. It really doesn't have to be too detailed or restrictive, though you do have to make some tough decisions on how you spend your money.

How To Feed Your Family on a Budget

QueenMum — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:13:55 -0500

All over North America, grocery prices are going up. The increase in cost of simple staples like bread, cheese, and milk from five years ago can seem overwhelming. But before you let the anxiety of feeding your family lead to the loss of your hair, take a few moments to consider what you already have in your cupboards, and what your family likes to eat. You might find you have more meal options than you thought.

How To Save Money in Your Everyday Life

bronwyn — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:27:38 -0500

Most people are constantly thinking of how to save money, but not very effectively. There are some very simple ways to save money in your everyday life; although they may seem like small steps, they definitely add up!

How To Save Money on Grocery Shopping

bronwyn — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:41:42 -0600

As gas and oil prices go up, so does the price of food. Since groceries are not exactly a luxury, it is important to find ways to save money while grocery shopping. Luckily, there are some easy and effective ways to spend less money when you go to the supermarket!

How To Ruin Your Credit Rating

bronwyn — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 15:38:43 -0600

Read at your own risk - these steps are guaranteed to ruin your credit rating and destroy your financial future faster than setting your wallet on fire!

How To Eliminate Personal Debt Faster

omehaney — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:41:40 -0600

Do you remember when it was difficult to get a credit card? Well, these days it's not too hard at all. All the major retail stores have them and with on-the-spot financing, making it easier than ever to load up your wallet with plastic. And if that's not enough, you needn't look further than your mailbox to find credit applications or even pre-approved credit cards and loans. All this readily available credit makes spending more money than you have all that much easier.

Here are a few useful steps to follow to get out of the black hole of credit card debt a little bit faster:

How To Save Money When Buying a New Car

omehaney — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 20:41:34 -0600

Buying a new car is something most people do several times in a lifetime but not a lot of people take the time or have the know-how to negotiate the best deal they possibly can. People drive off the car lot every day with cars that they could have saved thousands of dollars on. You may have done the same and even felt as though you paid too much. By following some of the tactics listed below, you can put yourself in a position to better negotiate the price of a new car. Of course, all dealerships and sales associates are different and the results of these tips will obviously vary. Regardless, I'm sure you will have fun getting a better price on your new car and you will definitely feel much better when you do.

How To Create a Budget

Mr. Finance — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 23:22:11 -0600

Are you one of those who always manage to have more month by the end of your money? Do you wonder where it all went but are not sure how to track all the "stuff" you pay for? Would you like to know how to keep up with how much you spent on the dentist last year? Then chances are you need a budget! Here are a few questions I always get from people I counsel.

How To Teach Your Children About Money

bronwyn — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:15:19 -0500

All parents wants their children to be happy and successful. Teaching children about money from a young age is one way to ensure their financial success in later life. Even very young children can be taught about money, by words and actions.

How To Save Money on Prescriptions

bronwyn — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 14:32:34 -0500

We all know that health care costs keep going up. Luckily, there are some ways to save money on prescription drugs so that you are not struggling to afford necessary medication! Savings will depend upon your health insurance plan and prescription drug coverage, but there are ways for everyone to save on their prescriptions.

How To Opt Out of Giving Your Personal Information

mbustamonte — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 14:09:59 -0500

The credit reporting agencies sell your information to creditors that are looking to make offers to the public for credit cards and loans. This information can be very specific (depending on the credit card company or lender's request to the credit reporting agency). This information can include your current debts, employment information and mortgage information.

If you are looking to apply for a loan, an increase of 10 to 20 points on your credit score can mean the difference between getting approved, a good loan or a great loan depending on your current credit score situation.

Here is what you need to do to Opt Out from the selling of your personal information;

Execute a lifetime opt out (as opposed to a 5-year). This should cut down on the number of unsolicited credit offers you receive and bring up your score at the same time.

The web site below is sponsored by the three credit reporting agencies and is secure. Use it with confidence.

How To Earn a Reasonably-Priced College Degree

aljacobs — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 18:04:57 -0500

The matter seems settled in the minds of the American public: It costs a fortune to obtain a bachelor’s degree at any of the nation’s institutions of higher learning. Annual tuition and fees of $40,000 or more are not unusual at many prestigious universities, and a thriving student-loan industry exists to provide funds for millions of students.

The fact is that many graduates find themselves deeply in debt the moment they first set foot into the working world. It’s not uncommon to find these college loan obligations remaining unpaid a decade or two after graduation, with increasing instances of offspring of these graduates applying for college loans before the parents have paid their own off.

I’d like to offer a different scenario. It’s my belief that a first-rate diploma can be obtained inexpensively. I think of it as college-on-the-cheap. Let me describe how it’s done.

How To Budget on an Irregular Income

John187 — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 22:47:00 -0600

Living life on an irregular income can be difficult, especially when you need to make a budget in order to make sure that all of your bills are paid on time and that you will be able to meet the basic cost of living. It is possible to budget an irregular income, of course; it simply takes a little more work and a more thorough examination of your various bills and expenses so that you can prioritize them when money does come in. The following steps should help you to prioritize your expenses so that you can set up a budget of your money, even though you don't always receive money at the same time every month.

How To Create a Daily Budget

Stacy451 — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 11:26:00 -0500

The most popular type of budget to create is a monthly budget. This is a budget where you decide how much money you want to spend in different categories within one month. A daily budget works the same way but it allows you to really concentrate on your day-to-day purchases. Creating a daily budget can be much more effective because it will be a daily reminder to you that you need to be on track with your budget. It does take some work but the savings you see can be truly amazing.

How To Set Up a Personal Budget

Sara403 — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 23:31:00 -0500

Throw out the topic of a personal budget at your next gathering of friends, and odds are that everyone will (a) groan and change the subject, or (b) look shifty and change the subject. That's because budgeting has gotten a bad rap as being difficult, time-consuming, and a real drag. In reality, nothing could be farther from the truth!

How To Use Budgeting Software

John187 — Sat, 01 Jul 2006 04:08:00 -0500

With all of the stress in the world today, it's great to be able to take a process that's usually quite stressful and make it easier. By using computer budgeting software, it's possible to take an activity that might otherwise be hours-long and less enjoyable than having teeth pulled and make it not only bearable but also relatively simple. If you've had as much as you can take of trying to create your own household budget and would like to try a computer budgeting program to see if it makes your life easier, then you should do the following:

How To Teach Budgeting To Kids

Victoria116 — Wed, 10 May 2006 05:01:00 -0500

Do your children understand the value of a dollar? Kids often think that getting money is as easy as going to the ATM machine, where the money magically appears. In fact, the concept of earning and budgeting money is foreign to most kids. Teaching your children how to budget is an important step in instilling in them a lifelong respect for money. Here are some tips on how to teach budgeting to kids:

How To Set a Budget for Debt Reduction

Victoria116 — Sun, 07 May 2006 11:10:00 -0500

Paying down personal debt is a problem for many people. If your debt has become a problem and you are having trouble making the monthly payments, then it may be time to set a budget for debt reduction. Here are some tips to get you started:

Stop spending. If you are serious about debt reduction, then the first thing you must do is stop spending. Put away your credit cards or cut them up. You should also avoid situations where you will be tempted to spend money.
Write down all of your debts. Many people are in denial about how much debt they actually owe -- they just pay the minimum payment on their bills each month and ignore the grand totals. In order to set your budget for debt reduction, you must first be honest with yourself about how much you really owe.

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How To Set Up a Family or Household Budget

John187 — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 00:10:00 -0500

Managing money isn't always easy...especially when it doesn't always seem like there's enough money to go around. Bills, rent or mortgage payments, living expenses, and the rising cost of gasoline can all make your money appear to vanish before you've even had a chance to count it; you're then left holding the bag when your children or even your spouse comes to you seeking a few dollars to help them get by.

This is where creating a household budget can be a lifesaver. By creating a budget, you can better see where your money is going...and where it needs to go. Your budget won't make you suddenly have more money, but if used properly it can help you to limit unnecessary expenses and to let you know exactly how much you can afford to spend on non-essential items. If done correctly, a family budget can even help you to set up savings for the future and establish habits in your children that can assist them in saving money later in life.