Are you too busy in purchasing fresh turkeys, vegetables, and Christmas gifts from the supermarket? Are you spending your evenings in planning for the Christmas celebrations? Do you even realize that the New Year is knocking at the door? If you make some time out of your busy schedule and have a look at the calendar, then you’ll realize that the New Year will be arriving within a month. Due to this reason, you should start making your financial plans for the year 2012 at the very beginning of the December 2011. This will enable you to start the New Year at a good financial note. Read along to dig out the secrets to stay financially healthy in the next year.

Secrets to stay financially fit in the New Year

Here are the 7 secrets to remain financially fit in the next year:

1. Behave smartly in front of your banker: You’re not compelled to accept whatever your bank says. You are an independent person who needs to think wisely before accepting a new checking account fee introduced by your banker. If you don’t feel like a paying the new fee, then express your opinion to the banker before switching banks. Tell your banker that you’re not ready to pay this fee and can close your account any time. Talk smartly with your banker. In the year 2011, several consumers have switched banks. Some have even shifted their loyalties to the credit unions. If the banker is not ready to lose any customer, then he can tell you the ways to avoid the new fees. Read the rest of this entry »

Glance through the article to know about the 5 financial tips for the 4th week of November 2011.

Tip no 1 – Get advice from trusted sources to decide which loan option will be best suited for you.

You may need to take out a loan for purchasing your home or a new car or for some other purposes. There is no big deal about it. However, make sure you get advice from the trusted sources to decide which loan option will suit your financial situation. Your friends and family members have a good idea about your financial health. So, they can easily tell you which loan option will be suitable for you. They can tell you about the loan which you’re most likely to pay off within the loan term. This will help you avoid defaulting on the loan and getting into financial mess.

Tip no 2 – Get rid of services you don’t need.

Do you actually need the services you’ve subscribed to? If not, then you should get rid of the services you don’t need in your life. Getting rid of the unnecessary services can help you get out of debt in the long run. For example, do you read all the newspapers and magazines you have subscribed to? Do you watch all the channels offered by your cable operator? If not, then you can unsubscribe the channels you don’t watch at any time. You can just go for the basic package and save money.

Tip no 3 – Invest in forex market wisely to gain profits.

Proper research and planning can help you gain profits from foreign exchange (forex) markets. Gather knowledge on the kinds of trades that are done in the forex market. Get acquainted with the basic terms of the forex market. Know when you should book your profits and cut your losses. Consult an experienced broker and educate yourself about the factors that affect forex market.

Your capital is important to you. So, it will be a sheer madness to waste it by investing in the forex market without any proper planning and strategy. Spilt your capital into different groups and invest it consciously.

Tip no 4 – Avoid financial blues by increasing the flow of your income.

Increase your cash flow if you’re really interested in avoiding financial blues. You can do a part-time job during the weekends. If you’re not interested in working on Saturdays and Sundays, then you can even try out freelancing. This will help you boost your cash reserve. Another good way to increase your cash flow is through selling off your old items. You can get good money by selling the items you don’t need any more. There are plenty of people who wouldn’t hesitate to spend money for buying the used items.

Tip no 5 – Take advantage of discounts before shopping for Black Friday.

Several stores offer special discounts to the people shopping for the Black Friday or the Thanksgiving Day. They give flat discounts on the items so as to boost sales during the festive season. You can purchase the items at flat discounts, and save money on your Black Friday shopping.

You can browse through the different websites if you want to go for online shopping. Some of the shopping websites offer good deals to the consumers before the festive season. They offer heavy discounts on the products. This means that you can get the items by paying much less than the original price.

Thanksgiving Day is round the corner. It is the day to have a delicious meal with your friends, and thank God for whatever you have. However, inviting your close friends for dinner when price of the food items are increasing with each passing day can be quite expensive. Organizing a dinner party on the Thanksgiving Day may not be good for your financial health. It is said that people had to spend around $4 (per person) for cooking a traditional meal on the last Thanksgiving Day. As the price of the turkey and other vegetables are expected to go up on this coming Thanksgiving Day, so it can be easily assumed that you’ll have to pay more for having a feast on the special day.

It is true that organizing dinner parties on the Thanksgiving Day can be expensive. However, if you do some planning and shop frugally, then you can enjoy the special day without getting into a credit hangover. You can have the peace of your mind even after the Thanksgiving party is over. There won’t be any need to reduce your Black Friday shopping list if you do some important calculations before the arrival of Thanksgiving Day. Read along to know some tips to have a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner party without crossing your budget.

Follow some tips to save money on the Thanksgiving Day

Here are some tips that may help you save money on the Thanksgiving Day:

1. Make a checklist: Create a list of the items you’ll need to serve a delicious meal to the guests. You’ll want your guests to be well-fed. So, chalk out the essential items you’ll need in a piece of paper. Visit the stores and purchase the necessary items a few days early. There will be fewer crowds at the stores during this time. You can choose the items at your own comfort. The price of the items will also be comparatively lower than that of Thanksgiving Day. So, you can get the best items at a cheap price.

Use coupons to do your Thanksgiving shopping. This will help you save more money. Make sure you buy all the items on a single day. Extra trips will cost you money and time.

2. Cook a few items: Instead of serving several dishes to your friends and family members, cook and serve a few delicious items on the plate. You don’t need to prepare 4-5 side dishes on the special day. The guests can hardly eat so much. Lots of food and money will just be wasted. You should never allow this. Plan your menu wisely. Cook few tasty but trusted recipes on the Thanksgiving Day. Your guests will gobble all the foods within a few minutes.

3. Purchase a frozen turkey: The price of a fresh turkey was around $17.66 in the last year. The price is expected to increase in the current year. So, a wise decision will be to purchase a frozen turkey by paying 30%-40% less than the normal price in this year. Make sure you keep the turkey in the refrigerator and cook it well. You can even go through various recipes which can be cooked with a frozen turkey. Your guests won’t be able to demarcate between a frozen and fresh turkey.

4. Serve home made pumpkin pie: Ready made pumpkin pie from the confectionery will cost you good amount of money. Instead of purchasing it from the store, you can make your own pumpkin pie. It is not too difficult to cook a pumpkin pie. All you need to do is get hold of the authentic recipe from the websites, and follow the cooking instruction properly.

5. Organize a pot luck meal: If you’re hosting the dinner party on the Thanksgiving Day at your house, then it does not mean that you’ll have to shop and cook alone. It will create a great pressure on your wallet if you take the responsibility of doing all the cooking alone. Ask your friends to cook and bring one dish to the party. Your friends won’t mind if they are asked to cook a dish of their choice. Rather, they will cook the dishes with enthusiasm. They will become involved with the party and will feel happy to help you in some way.

So, if some one makes an amazing roasted turkey or pumpkin pie, then ask her to bring that dish to the party. Ask each friend to bring something. This way you’ll be responsible for only one dish. It will help you save your precious time and money.

Finally, if you’re inviting your parents or grand mother to the dinner party, then you must be making transport arrangements to make sure they reach their home safely. In such a situation, get to know the gas price in advance. The fuel price is expected to increase in this season. You can make carpool arrangements if required. This will help you lower the transpiration cost.

Check out the 5 financial tips for the 3rd week of November 2011

Tip no 1 – Don’t shop when you’re hungry or sad.

Research shows that people end up taking hasty decisions when they are ravenous or not in a good mood. They don’t make decisions judiciously. This is why it is advisable to avoid going to a departmental store when you had a fight with your spouse or are extremely hungry. You’ll not be in a good state of mind when your stomach is empty. Your mind will be focused on food, and not on the other things. Read the rest of this entry »

For most people, shopping is an integral part of the festive season. In a recent survey, it has been found that nearly 140 million people have shopped to their hearts’ extent on Black Friday in the previous year. However, with debates surrounding the debit card fees, most people may turn toward the credit cards for shopping during the festive season. Nevertheless, too much usage of credit cards can put credit health into risk. Glance through the article to know how you can take special care of your credit health during the festive season.

Safe guard your credit during the holiday season

If you’re planning to use credit cards for purchasing various items during the festive season, then chalk out a financial plan right now. This will help you steer clear of credit card debt, and protect your credit simultaneously. You can begin your New Year on a good financial start.

Here are the 4 tips to avoid credit card debt hangover and shield your credit at the same time. Read the rest of this entry »