Guerrilla Frugality - Saving You Money

Have you ever cleaned up after Christmas and asked yourself “Why do we need all of this stuff?”  And then as the credit card bills arrive in January you think “Is all of this stuff worth it?”  Well, it’s from those questions that a movement has started to grow around the world: Guerrilla Frugality.

Guerrilla Frugality is (to many) a way of life that involves cutting costs wherever possible.  As in any activity, some people take it to extremes, but most people who live a life of guerrilla frugality are simply trying to pay off debt, save for retirement, and live within their means.  The emphasis is on doing whatever you can to achieve those goals.  Some people embrace guerrilla frugality because of their debt load, and others because they have seen their parents retire without enough savings to support themselves and don’t want to have the same thing happen to them.  Whatever the reason, it often becomes a way of life instead of just a temporary thing.

Are low interest rates actually good?

Mortgage rates look really good right now.  They have never been as low as they have been in 2009, and they probably won’t be returning to these lows again any time soon.

The low mortgage rates have helped a lot of home owners to pay down their mortgages more quickly because of lower payments and lower inters charged.  The rates have also caused some people to purchase a home they probably can’t really afford.  Let’s look at the numbers:

You are purchasing a $340,000 home and have about $90,000 to put down, meaning you need to get a $250,000 mortgage. 

Best Investment Advice: Do It

A lot of people are quite willing to sell their investment advice books about the best stocks, bonds or GIC to invest in, but I offer some very basic investment advice:

Start putting something away now, and do it regularly for as long as you possibly can.

There are two benefits to putting money away over a long period of time:

$1,218 For Christmas

As we approach Christmas time, most of us spend a lot of time thinking about what we are going to give our loved ones.  We want to get the best for them so we can see them smiling and happy.  As a result, the average household Christmas spending in 2009 will total about $1,218.   This includes the turkey, decorations and so on, but the biggest cost will be the gifts.

That is quite a bit of money, and unfortunately many people end up wasting quite a bit of it because of their eagerness to get the gifts they want to buy.  Here are a few tips  that

7 Tips For Safer Online Shopping

More and more people are doing their Christmas shopping online.  The selection is great, and you can definitely find some good deals, but you want to be careful about how you shop online.  The following are 7 tips to make your online shopping safer:

1. Make sure your information is being entered on a secure site.
2. Look for the latest credit card password procedures
3. Know who you are buying from. Use stores you are familiar with or people you know have dealt with.
4. Beware of refurbished items, usually a detail buried in small print.
5. Check the store’s return policies before you buy.
6. Use a separate credit card for online shopping, preferably one with a low limit in case the number gets stolen.
7. If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Online shopping can be a great convenience, and by following the above tips you can have a safer online shopping experience.
Jerry