1. Visit a National Park - If you’re lucky enough to live within driving distance of one of the nation’s 58 National Parks, it can be a great way to explore the great outdoors with your family. Pack a picnic lunch and head out early before it gets too hot. Most parks have a small entrance fee but it is normally charged per car and not per person.

2. Local Museums - How long has it been since you visited the local art or history museum? Although the kids might complain at first, this can be a wonderful and relatively inexpensive family outing. Check with your local museum for their list of special exhibits. You may be able to see something new each month.

3. Train Trips - If gas prices have got you down, consider taking the train to a nearby destination. Train travel is not only economical but is a great experience for the kids. Call Amtrak or look up their schedule of trains online. If you travel to an area where there is a lot of public transit, like San Francisco for example, you won’t even have to worry about renting a car. Taking a few day trips by train over the summer will allow you to vacation without spending too much.

4. Vacation at Home - For some families, traveling anywhere at all just isn’t in the budget. In this case, making vacation special at home can be the solution. Pick a new theme each weekend, like Water Play or Movie Weekend and plan at home activities around the house. Ban housework for an entire day and just enjoy spending time together. Do something out of the ordinary, like picnicing on the living room floor or sleeping outside under the stars to make staying at home fun. (more…)

Fortunately, there are several ways that you can pay more on your credit cards by using “hidden” sources of money. The sources are hidden in plain sight, and once you re- purpose them to be used to pay off your debt, you’ll find yourself better off financially in the long run.

One of the best ways to reduce your debt is to use your tax return each year in debt repayment. If you typically get a large tax return payment each year, it means that you are giving the government a no-interest loan! Use that money wisely to reduce your personal debt, and consider increasing your exemptions on your paycheck if you can. The more exemptions you can claim, the more of your paycheck you get to keep. You’ll get a smaller tax return back in the coming year, but you’ll get more of your money each month that you can use to pay off your debts further.

If you have a savings account built up and a large amount of debt, you should sacrifice your savings in order to be debt free. Although you may take a lot of pride in building up your savings, it doesn’t make sense to hold on to it while you are paying 18% interest on your credit cards. Most savings accounts only pay 4%, so you’re better off using that money to pay off your debt.

You can pay off debts painlessly by squirreling away any bonuses, overtime or raises that you get at your job. Use the difference between your old paycheck and your new paycheck to make extra payments on your accounts. Since you didn’t have this money before, you won’t miss it at all. (more…)

The first thing that comes to mind when you hear “save money on groceries” is probably coupons. Coupons from stores and manufacturers are a great way to save money if you know how to use them right. The key in saving money with coupons is to use them on the things you’d be purchasing anyway. Manufacturers make coupons to encourage consumers to buy new products outside of their normal spending habits. That’s why you’ll often see discounts on brand new products that you’ve never tried. If you’re not careful, you can spend a lot of money buying food with coupons that you don’t need.

Before you start clipping coupons, write down your grocery list. This way you know what you need before you start looking for discounts. Each week compare your grocery list to the coupons available. If you find a two for one discount on bread, terrific! But if you get 30% on a packaged dinner that you’ve never bought before it’s best to just pass it by. Only buy what you need and you’ll find your coupon savings will go a lot further.

Making a grocery list and planning your coupons feeds into the next simple tip for grocery savings - staying organized. If you go into a grocery store with a plan of attack you’ll be a lot more likely to stick to your budget. Planning meals and knowing exactly what you need to fix them will help you trim unnecessary items out of your grocery list, which helps you save money. (more…)

1. Decide What You Can Do and What You Must Pay For:  Home improvement doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. The best way to save money on home improvement is to do the vast majority of the work yourself. If you provide the labor, the costs of materials will be negligible compared to what you would have to pay a professional for the same job.

Keep in mind that this only applies for basic home repairs. Unless you’ve had a lot of training or know someone who can guide you, you shouldn’t try to handle your own electrical upgrades. The same goes for repairing your roof. But tiling, wallpaper and other similar projects are definitely within most peoples’ abilities.

Most home improvement stores offer free classes that will teach you most of what you need to know in order to get started on basic home improvement projects. If you don’t have a store close by, there are hundreds of instructional videos online that make it easy to learn what you need to.

2. Set a Budget:  The biggest key to saving money when you are shopping is setting a budget. When you plan our your project and know exactly how much you can afford to spend, it makes it a lot easier to ignore the special offers and upgrades that you’ll see at the home improvement store. It’s really easy to go over your budget when you go into a store unprepared. Make sure you do research on exactly what you need to complete your projects. Watch for sales and buy only what you need. Don’t use the 50% price tag as an excuse to overspend.

If you need some specialty equipment to complete your project, ask around and see if you can borrow from friends or family. Someone in your circle of influence may have just the equipment you need so you won’t have shell out money for something you’ll only use once. This way you’ll stay within your budget and still be able to complete your project.

3. Hire a “Crew” for Cheap:  Your friends and family can also be a good source of cheap labor. If you’re doing some extensive work on your house that requires more than one set of hands, schedule some time with friends and family. Make a day of it and provide them with food. Most will be happy to help as long as you return the favor when they need help.

4. Go Slowly with Home Improvements:  Once you’ve completed one project, you might feel so ambitious that you want to renovate the whole house. Not only can multiple jobs be costly, but you may find yourself burning out halfway through your projects and making mistakes which could cost you in the long run. Plan out your improvements so you can budget for them and ensure that you’ll actually get them done.

1. Be Organized - A lack of organization could have lead to you being in debt in the first place. That being said, once you’re in debt, organization is quintessential to debt management. Utilizing calendars, planners, organizers, or anything else that will help you make payments on time can be a tremendous help. Additionally, keeping track of paychecks, and keeping strict accounts is also very beneficial. The key to any type of management is organization, and it’s no different with debts.

2. Seek Help If Needed - When trying to manage debt, too many people think they can get through it all by themselves. It never hurts to seek advice from people who have been through things before. Also, if things are bad enough, professional financial help can also be very beneficial. A lot of people find debt consolidation to be extremely effect when trying to manage debt. Remember to not go into anything too hastily, and always read the fine print. Those who are too proud to seek help with their debt management, even if it is needed, usually have further financial difficulties.

3. If Possible, Pay Bills Online - This is my personal preference, and by all means you can continue to deal with checks if you prefer. However, I’ve found that paying bills online can sometimes be much easier, and can help avoid late fees. Whereas with checks, you have to make sure they are in the mail a few days before the due dates, you can sometimes pay bills online the same day. Also, for someone like myself, who finds computers to be a lot easier and more conducive to organization, online payments are the way to go. Rather than worry about filing countless amounts of papers, you can simply put a paperless statement in a folder.

4. Don’t Let Yourself Become Overwhelmed - Staying calm is central to any debt management. Even if the bills are piling up, if you panic, or start to lose focus, things can get much worse. Keeping a clear head and having a defined plan to get out of debt is the best thing to do. This can be accomplished with organization and any help you may feel you need. It’s tremendously difficult to stay organized if you are in panic mode constantly. So remember, just stay calm and focus on the tasks at hand.

So those may only be four tips, but they can significantly help anyone with debt management. Unfortunately, it is generally quite easy to get into debt, but very difficult to get out of debt. The main key to debt management is organization. Paying bills on time and slowly lowering one’s debts requires a significant amount of dedication. Last, but certainly not least, remember to not let yourself become overwhelmed, because that never helps solve debt worries.

Heather P. Johnson is a freelance writer, as well as a contributor for Credit Card Lowdown, a site for finding credit card reviews. Heather invites your comments and freelancing job opportunities at her GMAIL email address.

Bad Habit #1- Trying to Manage Money without a Budget

Budgeting is one of those terms, like dieting, that makes people cringe. But establishing and working with a budget is one of the best ways to keep yourself out of debt. When you have a budget, you know exactly how much money you’ll be spending and where that spending is going. If you see a great sale or want to splurge on something extra, you’ll either know that you can’t or you’ll spend from an allotted amount. When you work without a budget, you may end up spending money that you should have used to buy groceries, get a hair transplant, or buy that new grandfather clock for your home you have been eyeing.  In turn, you end up using a credit card and building up your debt.

Bad Habit #2- Relying on Credit Cards for Daily Expenses

When you use your credit card to buy gas or groceries, like in the above example, you’re actually paying more than you should for those daily expenses. Most people run up their credit cards and then only pay the minimum balance each month. Instead of only paying what you spent, you’ll end up paying up to twice as much.

Bad Habit #3- Making Late Payments on Your Credit Cards

If you’ve found a credit card with a low interest rate, you may be out of luck when you make a late payment. Most credit card companies switch to a penalty APR if you happen to be late on your payment. The penalty APR makes it more difficult to pay off your debts quickly, which can cause you to pay more on your credit cards than you actually owe. In addition, many credit card companies charge a late fee of $29 or more meaning that every time you are late you are digging yourself deeper into debt. (more…)

1. Keep your Travel Plans Local - There are probably a dozen different local attractions that you and your family haven’t explored. Staying in your town or traveling no more than an hour away is a great way to save one on gas and other travel related expenses. Taking a day trip means that you can pack sack lunches and keep your other expenses to a minimum. There are probably plenty of activities within driving distance of your hometown, or even within the city itself. Most towns have museums, parks and other destinations that are worth exploring or re-discovering. Pretend you’re a tourist to your area and hit all of the local attractions. It can be fun to introduce your children to places you visited when you first moved to the area, or have always wanted to visit but never have.

2. Spend a Day in the Garden - There’s no better time than this vacation to get the kids outside for a work day in the yard. You can spend a day or two working outside as a family. Have the children select special flowers they want to plant, or create a vegetable garden together that you can enjoy all year long. Other inexpensive outdoor activities can include building a birdhouse or making personalized paving stones. You’ll be able to appreciate and admire the work you and your kids do for months to come. Make sure to reward your children with a special treat after the family work day.

3. At-Home Crafts Camp - Kids of all ages love making crafts and fortunately craft supplies aren’t all that expensive. You can get ideas from websites or books from the library and then purchase your supplies at a dollar store or discount store. With a little planning, you could provide your kids with five to ten projects that will last them all week. At the end of the week, have them display their creations in an art show.

4. Organize a Rotating Group Activity - This idea works best when you have a group of local friends with children the same age as yours. You can all split the week up and each plan a low-cost activity per day. One parent can organize a craft day, another can do a garden day and another host a make your own pizza party. The possibilities are only limited by your creativity and your budget.

With these simple ideas, you and your family can have an enjoyable, and low-cost, Spring Break that won’t break the bank and leave you with cherished family memories for years to come.  In the end, isn’t that what is most important?

As many as one in five American households are either behind on credit card payments or possess at least one account in which they are over their limit.  Living in this “penalty rate zone” of credit cards isn’t easy.  But there are options available to the average consumer that can alleviate the stress of continued monthly credit delinquency.  Consider the following five tips and start your journey on the road to financial security today:

Tip #1 - Consider a Budget:  Do you know how much you spend each month?  What is your average current credit card obligation?  How many ‘essential expenses’ do you have? A car, rent or a mortgage payment, food, and loans, are considered essentials. Eating out, the new Disney movie and your local gym membership, are not essential.  Track your spending and eliminate the fat, you may be shocked at your monthly savings.

Tip #2 - Cut up your Credit Cards:  If you have a credit card with a balance that is more then your regular monthly salary, that’s a problem.  Consider cutting up the card completely or putting it completely out of reach for the time being.  Are you making the minimum payment?  If so, that goes completely to interest and won’t move your outstanding balance much at all.  Make sure you check out our free credit card calculator and see what increasing your monthly payment will mean to your future financial security.

Tip #3 - Debt Management Plans:  It’s not easy to ask for help from any debt management or credit counseling company.  But it may be the smartest decision you ever make.  If you are over $3000 in credit card debt and need that debt paid off faster and cheaper then you ever thought possible, this may be the option for you. Read our detailed information on what is debt management and see if it may be right for you. (more…)

If you don’t have a budget or a savings account, there is a little bit of preparation that you need to do in order to get things in line. In three easy steps, you can create a workable budget for your home that will allow you to build a savings account and better prepare yourself and your family for unforeseen future financial hurdles as they arise.

1.  Find out how much you are really spending - In order to create a workable budget, you need to be accurate with your figures. Many people spend more money then they think that they do, so when it comes time to stick to a budget, they find it difficult.

There are two kinds of expenses that go into your budget: fixed expenses and flexible expenses. Your fixed expenses are the monthly payments that you make like your mortgage payment and your car payment. Your flexible expenses fluctuate from month to month. This can be money spent on groceries, gas, entertainment or other expenses that you don’t have a fixed payment for.

The biggest problem people have in setting a budget is not knowing how much they are realistically spending on their flexible expenses. The best thing to do if you are unsure of how much you are spending is to track your spending for a few months. Write down all of your expenses for a two to three month period. Then you can get an average of your flexible expenses that you can work into your budget. (more…)

Here are three simple ways that you can start saving $100 or more per month. What are you going to spend all that extra cash on?

1.  Brown Bag it!

If you work outside the home, you’ve got a major money drain in the form of your daily lunch. Eating out everyday, even if you try to go the “cheap” route, adds up quickly. For example, if you go to a fast food joint and pay $6 for a value meal, you’re spending $30 per week minimum. Over the course of a month, you’ve thrown away $120 on food that isn’t good for you to begin with. The costs are even higher if you go to a real restaurant for lunch. You could be looking at a savings of $300 or more.

Plan your meals ahead of time and bring your lunch with you to work. You can make extra servings when you prepare dinner the night before, and then you can take the leftovers to work the next day. This way you won’t have to take any extra time to prepare your lunch, and you won’t get tired of eating the same type of lunch each day.

The same goes for coffee or soft drinks. Paying $4 for a latte when a whole gallon of milk only costs $3.50 doesn’t make any sense at all. Bypass the trendy coffee shops and make your own fancy brews at home. If you are used to paying $4 a day on a drink, you’ll save $120 each month by making your own. The same goes for soft drinks. A six pack of most drinks costs $4 at most, or .60 per can. When you purchase a soft drink from a vending machine or restaurant, you’re spending almost twice as much if not more. Bring your own drinks and you’ll save.

2.  Read the Fine Print

Do you know exactly how much you are being charged to use your bank’s debit card? How long has it been since you read your phone bill in detail? There are a lot of hidden charges that may drive up the cost of your monthly necessities. Pull out your cellphone bill or bank statement and see if there is anyway to reduce your charges.

Do the same with your credit card companies. Get on the phone and haggle with them if you need to. Many credit card companies will reduce your interest rate if you’ve been a customer with them for a long time. It never hurts to ask, and you may be able to save $100 or more in interest payments.

3.  Share a Ride

It’s no secret that gas prices are higher than they’ve ever been, and things don’t look like they’ll be getting better any time soon. If it’s possible, try to arrange a carpool with some of your coworkers who live close by. Take turns riding to work together and you’ll all save on gas costs and car maintenance. For example, if you normally spend $30 per week on gas, you’ll eliminate $90 from your gas budget if you share a carpool with three friends and each of you drives for one week per month.