Every Day Finances

The little purchases can break your budget

Have you ever wondered what happened to the cash in your wallet? You cashed a check or used the ATM and suddenly the money was gone!

If this is you, you are not alone. It’s the little spending that gets forgotten. It’s also the little spending that can break any budget and lessen the amount you have to save. A restaurant meal, a few coffees, a movie, some lottery tickets, and poof! The $60 dollars in your wallet is gone.

You have to know where you spend your money to make your goals a reality. This month my husband and I are tracking every penny we spend. That means we are writing down all the credit and debit card purchases, checks written, bills paid, ATM withdrawals, and cash spent.

How do we do it? Each day we come home and put it into a tracker. How you track your spending is up to you (written, spreadsheet, or online). Already at midmonth I can see some areas that need addressing.

Our next step is to make the changes we feel are needed, by cancelling services we don’t use, calling to see if there is another option, checking out the competition for pricing, etc.

Just like us, you will see areas that need changing. We had no idea we spent so much on little things that really aren’t that important to us. Then, it’s up to you to decide if you need to address that area or not. Through your efforts, you will be able to lessen some areas of spending and put the savings towards things you really feel are important.

All these little changes will add up to extra money you can put towards your financial goals.

Tracking your expenses is the first step to understanding your spending habits as they really are. If you want a copy of my tracking form, email me. You have to see your spending to believe – only when you believe will you make the necessary changes. Saving a few dollars here and there can help you make a big start on your emergency savings.

The Must-Have Documents to Prepare for Death

In the last few weeks, I have had several people talk with me about end-of-life financial planning. They’ve told me what they’ve done and what they’re stuck on.

I was at an anniversary party and one of the guests told me that he discussed his finances with his adult son for the first time. After reading one my Quick Tips articles, he took the initiative to map out his financial picture so his son would know where to find all the details if the worst happened.

In another conversation, a reader shared that she was having trouble choosing the right person to be the executor of her will. This can be a touchy decision for all of us. She wasn’t sure there was anyone in her family who could handle it. I suggested looking outside the family for a trusted friend or professional. She was able to think of someone, but her new dilemma is moving forward.

Lastly, I was coaching a woman in her early 30’s whose goal is financial security. Her husband recently passed away leaving her a single parent facing all of life’s challenges alone.

These are people in all stages of life dealing with the financial complications of death.

That brings me to today’s tip – the must-have documents.

Do you have a will?
Do you have a living will?
How about a healthcare agent?

You need these documents regardless of your age. Any estate attorney will be able to help you with preparing these documents, but here is some basic information to get you thinking:

Your Will – Who will be the executor of your estate? You should choose someone that you trust with the intimate details of your life. My suggestion is to think of a few people. If your first choice declines, you move onto the next until you find a willing partner who can handle the responsibility.

Next, think about what you own and who you want to leave it to. Be specific with your possessions and your choices. It’s really not enough to leave all your jewelry to your nieces. You don’t want your legacy to be a family feud over who gets the first pick. Your attorney will be able to get you a questionnaire to help you through the process.

Your Living Will – If you are incapable of making medical choices for yourself, what will happen to you? Yes, this is a difficult question to ask yourself, but you need to write your wishes out. That way you can make your own choices even if you can’t express them yourself.

Your Healthcare Agent –Do you want someone to be able to make your medical decisions when you are not capable? Then this is the document you need. Most hospitals will require you to have this before a procedure. This should be someone you trust to make the decisions you would want made.

Check with an attorney for guidance and start working on your must-have documents today.

CT increases taxes and fees on July 1, 2011

The new CT budget will take effect on July 1 and will be taking more money out of our already tight wallets. Some of the new changes include:

Sales tax will increase from 6% to 6.35%. You will no longer have the exemption for clothing under $50. (It seems as if there still will be a tax-free week coming up later in the summer on clothing.) Sales tax will increase on alcohol, cigarettes and hotel rooms. You will now pay sales tax on items that you did not before, such as manicures / pedicures, non-prescription drugs , vitamins and more.

State Income tax will increase and there will be changes to the current tax brackets (retroactive to January 1, 2011). The new income tax rates are 3%; 5%; 5.5%; 6.0%; 6.5% and 6.7% (see your accountant for information on your new tax bracket.)

Motor vehicle fees (driver’s licenses and car registrations) will be increased.

What can you do about this? Adjust your your spending.

As I tell my coaching clients, start by writing out your monthly budget. I know this is painful, but you have to know where you stand if you hope to make changes.

Don’ t forget all those expenses that you pay that aren’t monthly – license and registrations, activity fees for your children, classes, gifts etc.
If you still feel like something is missing, track your cash spending with a daily log. You will see where the cash in your wallet goes.

Once you have an accurate picture of your spending, you can look at the big picture and make the changes necessary to meet the additional costs of the new state budget.

3 Things You Should Teach Your Child About Money

What do your children learn about money from watching you? I recently saw the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic. It starts off with a young girl in a shoe store, unhappy with her new, practical, sale-priced, boring, brown shoes. She remembers looking into other stores and seeing “A world where grown-up girls got what they wanted…They didn’t even need any money, they had magic cards.” The magic cards are credit cards, and when she grows up, she fulfills her dream by getting 12 of them. She soon finds out the cards aren’t so magical when she maxes them out and has to deal with the consequences.

Do your children think credit cards are the magic solution to their wants? If this is the message that is received, then they are on the path to being a slave to financial debt. There are three things that I believe children need to learn about money and credit at an early age.

1. Children need to learn how to spend less than they earn. In simple terms, a person making $100 a week needs to spend less than $100 per week. You can teach your children with their allowance or chore money and by using age-appropriate money lessons. Discuss the cost of an item in relation to their income, not yours. Talk about all the purchase options: buying full-price, waiting for a sale, buying used, borrowing, or renting from the library.

2. Children need to learn how to save for their wants. They need to learn how to plan and wait for the items they want. A great habit to get them into is taking a percentage of their money and saving it.

a. Talk about where to store their saved money. When they are small, use separate containers for saving and spending so they can see their money grow or disappear as they save and spend. When they are older, have them open a bank account to earn interest.

b. Use age-related items to start the savings conversations. Think about all the things they ask you for: iPods, game systems, their first car, or their career dreams (i.e. college). Don’t forget to discuss all the extras that go with their purchases. iPods need songs. Game systems need games. Cars need insurance, gas and maintenance. College expenses involve more than tuition. Instilling the habit of saving and planning will benefit them for a lifetime.

3. Children need to understand credit. Not just what credit is, but how it affects all their finances. You know that credit plays a major part in everyone’s lives, from employment to buying a car, from the credit terms you are offered to whether or not you will need a security deposit for your utilities. But, how do you explain that to a child?

a. Show him something he wants and ask, “Would you rather have it right now and pay $20 for it? Or would you rather wait 2 months, pay only $5 for it, and have more money to spend on other things you want.” Tell him that is what it’s like when you use credit. Credit always costs more. You get what you want right now, but you end up spending more and having less money.

b.You can also explain that when someone buys too many things with a credit card (and doesn’t have the money to pay it back), other people think less of that person and won’t give him a job or a place to live. Those are the consequences of bad credit in the simplest terms possible.

Don’t let your children learn the hard way. Being in tremendous debt is a terrible inheritance to pass on. Teach your children now so they can make proactive, informed choices throughout their lives. If you don’t know where to begin, get your copy of Cash, Credit and Your Finances: The Teen Years and read it along with your child.

Cut spending: know what you have and what you don’t need

Do you want to cut your spending? Organize your belongings and stop to think before you buy. How does that help? Read below

Organize your belongings

Have you ever made a purchase only to find out you have the exact same thing at home? If you are organized – knowing what you have and where to find it – you will save time and money. Buying duplicates of things you already own is a waste of money. I am talking about the items in your clothing closet, your food pantry, your linen closet, and your garage.

Stop to think: Do you really need it?

A great price doesn’t necessarily mean a great buy. Check your supplies at home before you buy. The same is true for coupons – don’t buy just because you have a coupon: make sure you need it, want it, and will use it in the immediate future.

Don’t panic about missing a great price. Chances are it will go on sale again in the future.

Be careful in warehouse clubs. If you only need 1 of something, then just buy the one, and not the 12-pack. If you aren’t going to use all 12 right away, you will have to find a spot to store the extras. Will you know where you stored them in a year, or will you be at the store buying another 12?

Stop to think: Are you buying for “someday” or for right now?

Be careful about buying for future fantasies. If you have a dream of doing craft projects with your children, don’t buy the items now when you don’t have kids. This someday-buying will make you spend more and cause you to have items that need to stored. Buy things only when you need them. Even buying too far ahead for the holidays can be an issue.

Simply put, know what you have in your home and where to find it when you need it. Don’t buy more than you need right now, regardless of the great price. Living with less will mean more cash in your wallet.

Would you rather have a coupon or a raise?

Question: Which of the following is worth more?
A. $100 a month pay increase.
B. Saving $90 a month by using coupons.
C. The monthly interest earned on $100.

(The answer to our trivia question is at the bottom. But first, let’s talk about your savings account.)

Do you have an emergency credit card or an emergency savings account? Using a credit card for emergencies is like kicking yourself when you’re down. Whether you need a new roof, water removed from a basement, or car repairs, you will already be spending more than your monthly budget. You don’t want to pay interest on top of that.

In 2007, Americans on average saved 1.2% of their gross wages. In these uncertain times, it is important that you have a savings account to fall back on. Experts say that your emergency savings should be equal to a minimum of eight months of income.

Do you have that much in savings just in case? If not, here are a few suggestions to get you to save more:

Have a set amount withdrawn from your paycheck every pay period. Done automatically, you won’t even notice it is missing.
Start using cash. When you break a paper bill, save the change by putting it into a bank or other container. You will be surprised by how much this can add up to monthly.
Look at your spending habits and reduce or eliminate something. Pay yourself the reduced amount by putting it into your savings account. Some suggestions: bring your lunch to work or make your coffee / tea at home instead of buying it at the store.
Just say “no.” If it cuts into your savings plan, and it’s not a life necessity, then wait. Reward yourself after your savings account is healthy.

This should boost your savings account and give you peace of mind for whatever life sends your way.

Trivia Question Answer:
B. Saving $90 a month by using coupons.

The savings you receive by using coupons are savings with after-tax dollars. Even if you are in the lowest tax bracket of 15%, a $100 raise is only worth $85 after taxes.

Using coupons is a great way to trim expenses so you can build your emergency savings account.

Spring clean your finances

Now that Spring has arrived, most of us think spring cleaning. I am going to put a twist on that for this year that will save you money, too. I want you to spring clean your finances. This is not an all day project.

Take this month’s bills and go to your computer. You can do this in as little as an hour depending on how many bills you pay each month.

You are going to do some comparison research and try to lower your rates.

1. Start with your current company. Look to see if you can reduce your bill by changing the services you pay for – do you really use all of them?

2. Then, check out the competition and see what they are offering. Does it make sense to switch?

3. See if your current company will match the great deal you found at the other company. You have nothing to lose by asking. The worst they can say is “no”. Then you can make the choice.

Do this for each bill and see how much you can save. I’ve done it myself and it works.

I switched my power company and saved about 20% each month.
I switched to a cell phone plan with less minutes and saved $20 per month.
Several years ago we switched our insurance and were able to save several hundred dollars.

Trust me, when you see all the money that you can save, you will find that this is the best hour you’ve ever spent spring cleaning, and you didn’t have to break a sweat.

Making Your Money Grow

Last week, I spoke to a class of Accounting I students at a local high school, and an interesting topic came up when we were talking about saving for the future. I asked if they knew what interest rate their bank account was paying.

There were a variety of answers, but one took me by surprise. He said he kept his savings at home. How many of you do this?

For teens and adults, the benefits of saving in a bank account is twofold – both time and compound interest. He was missing out on the second. Yes, he has easy access to the money when he needs it (that may, or may not, be a good thing). But, he was missing out on interest payments. Interest is what makes your money grow.

Compound interest is defined as “interest added to interest previously earned on a principal balance”, according to Barron’s Dictionary of Banking Terms. So, if you were to save $10 a month for a year without interest you would have $120, but with an interest rate of 2% you would have $131. Add the power of time and after five years it would be $600 versus $642 and finally after ten years $1,200 versus $1,341.

You should be saving as much as you can by using a bank account that pays you the highest interest rate without paying fees. You may have to shop around and look at many banks, credit unions, online banks etc. to find the account that is best for you.

Take 5 Minutes Each Day to Improve Your Finances

One little step each day may be the answer to your finances being in order Are you the type of person who procrastinates about your finances? Do you dread the thought of addressing issues? This is your solution.

Take 5 minutes each day and do something to better for your financial picture These are some examples of how little things can add up Make a call to your credit card company to question a charge that you are unsure of Call and cancel that unwanted service that you are paying for to save you money on your bill Make that appointment to take that class Spend 5 minutes filing your receipts so that you’re able to easily balance your checkbook when the bank statement arrives Open that high interest bank account so that you earn more interest on your money Set up the automatic deduction so that you save money on a regular basis.

I personally called and cancelled a service that I wasn’t using on my phone bill I have registered for a driving class that will lower my auto insurance premium I called a doctor’s office to question a charge instead of just paying it without thought These little steps took me less than 5 minutes each We all can find 5 minutes in our day to address these issues that get put off.

These tasks may seem overwhelming all together But if you do one each day, your financial picture will improve and you will be taking care of your finances and saving money.

A Child Finds Money on the Sidewalk…

Here’s a trivia question: What would a child do if he found money that didn’t belong to him? (The answer is at the bottom of this post.)

Unclaimed Money: Are you missing any money? Would you know if you were? Banks and financial institutions do find themselves in the strange position of having to deal with what appear to be abandoned checking or savings accounts. Unlike the child in our trivia question, banks don’t have to ask themselves any moral or ethical questions, they just have to follow the law. If the account is unclaimed for three years, they are required to turn the money over to the State.

Sometimes “unclaimed money” isn’t lost at all! For example, let’s say you opened a savings account to store the $1,000 your grandmother gave you when you graduated high school. You assumed you could just let the money sit there earning interest until you were ready to use it. You would be wrong. Interest going into a bank account is NOT considered activity. After 3 years, your money would be transferred to the state.

To avoid having your money declared “unclaimed”, make a small deposit or withdrawal from your bank account annually.

Savings accounts aren’t the only accounts that can be categorized as unclaimed. Make sure that you cash checks you receive in a timely manner – even paychecks can be considered unclaimed money. Safe deposit boxes also fall under unclaimed money – make sure you access that safe deposit box at least annually.

To find out if you have any missing money, go to www.unclaimed.org and check each state that you have lived in to see if you have unclaimed money.

Answer to my trivia question: According to a NY Times article, 64% of children who found money either tried to return it to its rightful owner or turned it in to authorities. And, 82% of children who hadn’t found money said they would to the same. That makes you feel good, doesn’t it?