Jill Russo Foster

Tips for Successful Personal Finances

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Financial Literacy Month #28

Now that we are past the frost, it’s time to start our garden.  I save our cardboard egg containers to use to start my seeds.  Buying seeds (our library gives out free seeds) and starting them indoors will create a budget friendly alternative to buying vegetables at the grocery store.  Don’t worry if you don’t have a yard, container gardening works just as well.  Simply start with growing your own lettuce or herbs.  It’s easy and will help your budget. #JillRussoFoster #FinancialLiteracyMonth

Financial Literacy Month #25

Do you cook at home or eat out (that includes take out)?  There is a huge difference in your cash flow by the choice you make.  Consider cooking at home and make double portions, so that you can freeze one for another time or take it for lunch. #JillRussoFoster #FinancialLiteracyMonth

Financial Literacy Month #24

Some of the things that we do in our household to save money:  I cut my husband’s hair, we take our own recycle and trash to the transfer station, we walk to do our errands, we do our own yardwork (cutting lawn, trimming bushes, snow removal, etc.) #JillRussoFoster #FinancialLiteracyMonth

Financial Literacy Month #20

Consider paying your bills annually.  Most times paying once a year (or even twice a year) could save you money.  For example, Amazon Prime is $14,99 / month versus $149.99 annually – that’s a savings of $30.88.  We pay our auto insurance annually to save money. #JillRussoFoster #FinancialLiteracyMonth

Financial Literacy Month #13

Have you cut the cord or do you want to with your TV provider or streaming service?  When was the last time you used your local library?  With your library card you can download the Hoopla app and stream movies at home for free. #JillRussoFoster #FinancialLiteracyMonth

Financial Literacy Month #8

While thinking about saving money, what can you eliminate from your life that would save you money?  Can you bring your choice of beverage from home versus buying?  Can you stop buying bottled beverages?  Do you bring your lunch with you from home? We have eliminated the trash removal / recycle bill by taking it ourselves.  We went from $75/month to $25/year.  How can you save? #JillRussoFoster #FinancialLiteracyMonth

America Saves Week – Reducing Your Expenses

This is a favorite of mine. I am always looking to reduce the cost of things.  Here are some ways that we have reduced our expenses:

  • Bringing beverage and lunch to work instead of purchasing
  • Stretching out the time between personal services – haircuts, nails etc.
  • Asking for discounts – just received a discount code to take an online safe driving class to reduce the cost of auto insurance for the next three years
  • No fee bank accounts and using online bill pay (not paying for postage)
  • Eliminating annual costs – warehouse clubs, magazine subscriptions, TV subscriptions, etc.
  • Using the local library for more than books
  • Contacting your bill companies to see what offers are available.  We received a $25 monthly discount on a bill for being a loyal customer
  • We do things ourselves – lawn mowing / snow removal, taking our own trash / recycle to local facility and more

What bill bothers you the most?  Have you looked into ways to reduce or eliminate it?  Have you checked out the competitions pricing?  Have you asked your family and friends for suggestions?

Do You Want To Find Hidden Money?

Yes, please – don’t we all.  I can remember as a kid finding a $5.00 bill on the floor of Radio City Music Hall and I was thrilled. That’s not what we are talking about today.

How can you find hidden funds in your budget?  Here are some of the ways that we have reduced or eliminated expenses to find money without any struggle:

  • Do you have subscriptions and/or memberships that you don’t use?  Cancelling those things and put more money in your pocket.
  • Shop with a plan.  We make a list of meals for the week and then look at what we have in the house then make the grocery list for shopping.  Without it, we would be making duplicate purchases and spending more money at the store.
  • Do emails make you shop?  Unsubscribe from temptation.  If you didn’t need the item before you opened the email, you probably don’t need to spend money on the item.  If you can’t unsubscribe, then consider having those emails come to a different email that you only check when you need an item.  Don’t be tempted to shop because of an email sale or daily deal.
  • Are you paying bank fees?  Stop! We have several bank accounts and don’t pay and monthly fees for any of our accounts.  Find out what you need to do to avoid the fees associated with your account.
  • You’ve heard this before, bring your beverage, lunch and snacks with you from home.  A coffee for $3.00, a snack for $2.00 and lunch for $10.00 is $15.00 a day or $75.00 a week and $3,750 a year.  What else could you do with that savings?
  • Use your rewards points / rewards for items.  We have a credit card without an annual fee, that gives us points for using.  When it comes to our holiday shopping, we are able to use point for gift cards and this reduces our holiday shopping budget.
  • Do you know your discounts and use them?  What benefits does your company offer it’s employees?  Take advantage of these savings opportunities.  We get a discount on our monthly cell phone bills just for showing a paystub once a year.  Our bank debit card offers us savings offers.  We review the website and when we make the purchase then a percentage of the sale is deposited back to our checking account.

For more savings tips, pick up a copy of my books 111 Ways To Save.

The Holidays Are Here

The holidays are here. Yes, with many retailers starting there holiday shopping sales early this year, are you ready?  This is a good thing, if you need to stay within a budget, start early.

First, make a list of all the people on your holiday gift list, then see if you can make changes.

Could you give a family gift instead of individual gifts?

Can you go in on a gift with someone else and share the cost?

Would a name draw work for the family party? With a name draw, each person buys only for the person whose name they drew. It’s fun and inexpensive. Do a separate drawing for the children so each child receives one gift and gives one gift. Make sure to set a dollar limit that everyone can afford.

Once your list is complete, set a firm amount for each person and don’t go over. The grand total of all your gifts should be a realistic amount that you can afford. Be honest with yourself and don’t overspend.  You’ll regret it when the bills start coming in.

When shopping, keep your list of people and your budget amounts with you. Check the sales fliers now because holiday sales are already starting. Big retailers are also adding holiday layaway plans.  Layaway plans work great if you know your budget. They allow you to make affordable payments without using a credit card.

You could also try giving gifts that don’t cost a lot of money. Service coupons are a wonderful gift. For example, you could cater a meal for a family that has a busy lifestyle. Try an inexpensive but meaningful gift, like a photo CD or memory album. The choices are endless if you take the time to think of what each person might enjoy most.  This year with being at home more, I have come up with some great gift ideas that are meaningful, but not a budget breaker.  I can’t tell you what they are as family members ready my newsletter.

The most important thing this holiday season is to have fun and enjoy your time together. Create new memories instead of new debts.

2020 A Year For The Records Books – Part 2

This is part 2 of 2020 A Year For the Record Books – click the link to read part 1.

We must learn to adapt our finances to changing times.If you live in the tri-state areas, we had a hurricane Esaias.  Many people had damage to their homes / property and lost power for days.  Having to replace all the food in your fridge and freezer is a huge expense, that you probably weren’t expecting.  Look into reimbursement from your renter’s / homeowner’s insurance (and possibly the power company) to ease your budget.

Spending more than you have. With more time at home and less going out, did you find yourself spending more online than your budget allows?  Just because something is a good deal, doesn’t mean you need to purchase it.  As they say, you don’t need to keep you with the Jones’s.

Credit card debt.  You know that debt is the enemy of your budget, so carry a balance month to month on your credit card in not good. Yes, I know that right now creditors are working with you if you are having trouble payment your debt.   But think long term, what is it costing you?  Make a plan to payoff your debt in full each and every month, so this won’t be an issue with your finances.

With the holidays just around the corner, that will be another big expense for many.  Think about what your plans are and how they may need to be adapted to fit your finances.  Another words, don’t overdue it.  Now is the time to make a plan and stick to it.

Now that I have shared with you some of the ways you might be accumulating debt, what are you planning on doing (or have done) to stop debt from accumulating?