Ways to Save Money Part 11

Today is the final day of our “Ways to Save Money” series.  We hope you have enjoyed it as much as we have.   Don’t forget, if you missed an article during the last 2 weeks you can access it by visiting the April 2009 Archives section of our website.  Please feel free to leave comments on our blogs as well.  We love to hear your feedback!

Tip #11:  Ask for Fees to be Waived!

Early in the week we recommended that you ask for any late fees that you may incur to be waived.  However, there are many other fees that you may be able to have waived as well. 

For example, a friend of mine recently booked a cruise through an online travel company.  She wanted to book through the travel company instead of the cruise line directly because the cost of the vacation was a little cheaper.  However, the travel company added some booking fees that the cruise line did not charge.  These fees would have wiped out her savings.  Therefore, she asked the travel company if the booking fees could be waived.  The sales representative did waive the fees for her and she would up saving an extra $90!

You can also try to request for fees to be waived when you sign up for new cell phone service, visit your doctor or dentist, open a new bank account, etc.  It never hurts to ask. 

If the company is unable to waive any of their fees then you can still go forward with your purchase if it is important.  Just remember, a little boldness could save you a lot of money. 

As we mentioned before, please feel free to forward your friends a link to our website if you have found this blog series helpful.  We will continue to add more informative blogs to our website in the weeks to come, so check back with us often.  Thank you again for visiting www.HOPE4USA.com.

Don’t forget, if you need professional assistance with credit problems, the HOPE4USA team can help you.  Just give us a call at 704-499-9696. 

Ways to Save Money Part 10

Ways to Save Money Part 10

There are many, many ways to make your dollars stretch further.  At HOPE, we felt that it would be beneficial to write some of our recommendations down and share them with you.  Please feel free to comment on our blogs and let us know if you have found them to be helpful. 

Tip #10:  Check to See If a Trade Is Possible!

You need a baby sitter, so you hire one.  You need a mechanic, so you take your car down to the local garage.  You need a haircut, so you drive to the salon.  These are not bad things to do; however, you might be able to trade for the service you need instead of paying for it.  Here are a few ideas:

1.  Swap Baby Sitting Services.

If you have young children and need a baby sitter from time to time you might try to find a friend, family member, or neighbor with the same need.  You can take turns baby sitting for one another and avoid having to pay your co-worker’s teenage daughter a fee for watching your kids when you need a night out.

2.  Make Other Trades.

Maybe you are a talented mechanic, an experienced carpet layer, a skilled dance instructor, or a gifted tutor.  Chances are, you have a skill which you can use to trade for other services which you need.  The next time your car breaks down you could offer to trade with the mechanic for all or part of his fees in order to bring down the cost of your bill.  For example, I know of a man who tiled the kitchen of his child’s orthodontist.  As a result, his son received his braces for free.  Another person received weekly house keeping in exchange for pet sitting for a friend who frequently traveled out of town. 

Don’t be afraid to be creative.  You could receive essential services without having to spend any money.  Plus, if you offer to swap with someone and they are not interested you can always still pay for the service you need.  It never hurts to ask.

Feel free to give us a call at 704-499-9696 if you need assistance with your credit. 

Bad credit can seem overwhelming; however, there is an answer.  You are not stuck in your current situation.  We would love to help!

Ways to Save Money Part 9

Ways to Save Money Part 9

We will be sharing some more great advice with you today on how to keep more of your hard earned money.  Don’t forget, if you find this blog useful or even slightly enlightening, please spread the word by forwarding your friends and family members a link to our website.  As a country we are facing some very hard economic times right now.  It is more important than ever to be frugal and wise with the money we make.  We hope today’s tip, and the tips we have been sharing with you over the last few weeks, are helpful.

Tip #9:  Don’t Carry Your Credit Cards with You!

There are 2 reasons why it is a bad idea to carry your credit cards in your purse or wallet.  The first is the most obvious.  If you have those plastic debt machines on your person then it is much more tempting for you to impulsively make unplanned purchases.  The truth is that, if you don’t have the cash available to buy that pair of shoes, you should not buy them. 

The second reason it is a bad idea to carry around your plastic is because of identity theft.  If you lose your purse or wallet then it is very easy for a dishonest person to get your personal account information and make unauthorized charges.  (FYI, you should not carry your social security card in your wallet or purse to protect yourself against identity theft as well.) 

Many people will argue that it is important to carry your credit cards with you for emergencies.  However, here at HOPE we disagree.  It is wiser for you to carry some extra cash, which you never spend, in your wallet or purse at all times.  Then, you will be prepared in the case of an emergency without the need of using your credit card.

For more information about the wonderful services offered by the HOPE Program, please give us a call at 704-503-3669.  We would love to assist you with your credit and financial needs.  

Ways to save Money Part 8

Ways to Save Money Part 8

We are very happy that you are visiting our site today.  Below, you will find another great tip that you can use to save yourself some money.  If you find this tip helpful, please check out our blog archives for more informative information that may help you with your finances and personal credit report.

Tip #8:  Reduce Your Entertainment Costs!

We all need a way to unwind and release stress.  It is important that you don’t let your whole life be about work and responsibility.  You have to incorporate fun and relaxation as well.  So, before you read this tip, let us just say, don’t worry.  We are not suggesting that you cut the fun out of your life.  We are simply suggesting that you cut the cost of the fun.

Here are a few things that you can do to decrease the cost of entertainment:

1.  Have Friends Over Instead of Going Out.

True, you may have to spend a little extra time cleaning up the house, but it is well worth the effort for the money you can save.  The cost of dinner and a movie out is far greater than the cost of preparing dinner at home and renting a movie.  Plus, don’t be afraid to ask your friends to bring something to eat or drink with them.  This can cut your “night out” cost even more.

2.  Go to the Movie Theater During the Week Instead of the Weekend.

Did you realize that it is cheaper to visit most movie theaters during the week?  If you wait until Monday to visit the theater instead of going on the weekend you could save around 50% off your ticket price!

3.  Buy Movies and Video Games Used. You can save a lot of money buy purchasing used games and movies instead of new ones.  Check out ebay.com, half.com, amazon.com, and your local game store for used movies and games.  You could save 50% - 75% off the original price tag.

Remember, it is important to have a good time, but you won’t regret it later if you find ways to cut your entertainment expenses.  Check out our blog tomorrow for tip #9 on how to save more money.  You won’t be disappointed!

If you need assistance with your credit, please feel free to give our caring staff a call at 704-503-3669.  We are waiting for your call!

Ways to Save Money Part 7

Ways to Save Money Part 7

Today’s tip for saving more of the money you earn will be especially helpful for many of you.  As with all of our tips, please read them with an open mind.  We don’t want for you to automatically reject a suggestion because it is too hard or too uncomfortable for you to implement.  Changes in our finances may not happen over night.  However, you can begin taking baby steps immediately.

Tip #7:  Eliminate Late Fees and Other Penalties!

One of the biggest ways to waste our money is through late fees and/or over limit fees. The average late fee charged by a creditor is $30.  Some mortgage late fees can be as high as $60 per month!  Did you know that if you pay 3 late fees per month that you are giving away an average of $1,080 per year in excess fees?  Many people lose even more than $1,080 per year in late or over limit fees!  Be honest, for most of us losing $1,080 or more per year hurts.  This is money that you could be using for more important needs and bills.

The only way to successfully stop these fees from occurring is to take control of your monthly spending.  Making a budget and, more importantly, sticking to your budget, is the best way to overcome this problem.  Once you have your budget set up, you may want to consider scheduling automatic payments for some or all of your monthly bills.  By scheduling automatic payments you can eliminate the possibility of simply forgetting to pay a bill on time.

Finally, remember that you can always call a creditor and request for a late fee to be waived if you accidentally forget to make a payment on time or if you are unable to make a payment on time.  If it is your first time requesting that a late fee be waived you are more likely to see it removed.  Also, be kind and don’t just take “no” for an answer.  If the first employee tells you that your late fee cannot be waived then respectfully ask for a supervisor.  Don’t be rude, but be persistent until you are transferred.  You just might save some money.

If you need professional help with your credit or help establishing a personal budget, please give HOPE a call at 704-503-3669.  We would love to offer you our assistance.