3 Ways to Save Money on Utilities

Your water and electricity bills are usually the biggest bills in your house after you pay your rent. How can you lower them? Do you always have to pay so much? Well, here are three tips for cutting down on your utility bills and making the most of your paycheck.

Unplug it 

 A huge waster of electricity is called phantom usage. This happens when you are not even using your appliances but they are still plugged in. Did you know that leaving your cell phone’s charger plugged into the power outlet, even when your phone is not charging, can be using electricity? This electricity usage is commonplace with all the things you leave plugged in. Unplug your appliances instead of just turning them off. You will lower your electricity bill and not ever miss anything!

Less is more

 Conserving water and electricity is not had. All you have to do is keep it on your mind. Turn off the water when you brush your teeth or do the dishes. Take shorter showers: that saves on both water and electricity by heating less water in the water heater. Turn off the television and lights when you leave the room. Do not leave the porch light on all day. These little things can add up to big savings.

Laundry habits

Another big expense is doing laundry. If you wash a lot of little loads then you need to stop. Wash only when you have a full load and try to use cold water as often as you can. Almost everything can be washed cold except very dirty things. Additionally, you can use the dryer less or not at all by taking your clothes out to hang dry. If you do not have room for a clothes line, you can buy a wooden clothes rack for not much money at the super store. If you are worried about stiff and uncomfortable or wrinkled clothes then you can dry them almost all the way and throw then in the dryer for ten minutes. Voila! Clean, soft and wrinkle-free clothes for much cheaper.

No matter what kind of home you have or where you live, you can use these three tips to lower your utility bills and make your paycheck go further. Try them out today and see how much you can save off your next bill.

Monta the mother of three children serves as an Expert Advisor on multiple household help issues to many Organizations and groups, and is a mentor for other “Mom-preneurs” seeking guidance.  She is a regular contributor of “find nannies”.  You can get in touch with her at montafleming6Atgmail dotcom.

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Commercial Policy for Your Work Vehicle

Whether you're delivering pizzas, hauling materials or chauffeuring clients, you may need to use your vehicle daily as part of your job. What you may not realize is that this use of your car has an effect on your auto insurance policy. Your risk category is higher when you use a car for business purposes, meaning that your rates will be higher than if you drove for pleasure alone. Moreover, insurance companies may deny claims for accidents that happen when the car is used for business purposes.

How Risk Categories Affect Insurance Prices

Insurers determine how much to charge for a policy by assessing a driver's risk. As a rule, people who spend more time behind the wheel will pay more for insurance because they're exposed to the most possible crashes. This means that drivers who commute to work pay more for insurance than those who work from home, and people who use their cars for business pay more than those who don't. 

For many business uses, a personal insurance policy will be insufficient. For example, if you're a delivery driver, your insurance company may deny an accident that occurs while making a delivery. This can put you and your employer at risk of costly lawsuits. Many employers do not provide ample insurance to cover your vehicle, so it's important to do your own research and purchase a policy that will handle your car's business usage. 

Even more importantly, your insurance company may cancel your policy entirely if they realize that you're using the car for business purposes. This may occur between policy terms or after a claim has been filed. Once the policy has been cancelled, it will be harder to find an affordable carrier. It's much better to be up-front with your insurer and see what options are available for commercial coverage rather than taking the risk of losing insurance due to business use.  

Buying Commercial Car Insurance

Many private insurers provide commercial auto policies for business vehicles. Your current carrier may even be able to convert your existing policy to a commercial account with minimal cost difference. Though you may be a high risk as a private driver, you'll be very low risk compared to other commercial customers, so you might qualify for fresh discounts. Be sure to review the coverages carefully and only get the protection that you need since not all coverages will apply to small-scale business usage. 

Before buying a commercial policy, be sure to discuss your options with your current insurer. Your agent will be able to review your specific situation and decide whether you really need a business policy or not. If so, he or she can write a new policy or refer you to a company that can provide coverage. You can also comparison shop online for commercial auto insurance rates to find a new provider. 

Mandi Mangleson lives and writes in London. She writes for www.carinsurance.org.uk where you can find more information on car insurance, trips, and tips for saving money when you drive.

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How to Pay Bills while Broke

Knowing how to pay bills when there is no money left can be unpleasant and stressful, if no plan is made.  As late fees appear, you could face legal action against you and loss of assets. In dire financial situations, it is imperative to prioritize payments and check options.

You should think carefully about paying bills while broke and talk directly to your creditors. Learn how to pay bills when little or no money is available after expenses.

Make Paying Bills a Top Priority

Prioritizing bill payments should be your first step. Decide which is the most important bill that you must pay like utilities. Consider which services, if unpaid, would have the biggest impact on your lifestyle. For example, unpaid bills for credit cards can amount to late fees and bad credit records, but usually will not make you lose any assets like defaulting on mortgage payments.

Consider goods or services that you can live without like Cable TV, gym memberships, magazine subscriptions, and expensive roaming plans. Check all service contracts and payment plans to know if any could be cut or dropped. Lowering or dropping some services may assist you in finding the necessary money to cover bills.

Make a budget with only needed goods and services. Ask friends or family for feedback on your budget to get a second perspective on where else money can be saved.

Negotiate with Your Creditors

It is imperative to communicate with your lenders if payments cannot be made. For example, if you lose your employment or suffer a financial hardship, contact lenders for possible payment arrangements or extensions. Lenders might be willing to assist you if contacted before multiple missed payments accumulate. For example, credit card companies might negotiate a new payment rate based on your current finances. Utility providers could provide advice about programs and agencies that help people pay their bills when financial trouble arises. Certain service providers may even waive early penalty charges.

Avoid ignoring bills, which can lead to bigger problems. If you communicate with your creditors, there is a chance you can have your payments temporarily reduced or deferred for later dates.

Income vs. Savings

Increase money available to pay bills by earning more money or reducing expenses. You should decide which expenses to reduce or remove. The remainder of your regular spending should be determined. After the least necessary expenses have been removed from your budget, use the available money to pay necessary bills. Search for extra ways to become more efficient like reducing power bills by using energy saving devices only. Any money that is saved should be used to pay bills.

If you find that you do not have enough money to pay your bills, there are many resources and options for you. Make a budget to manage bills based on your income and communicate with lenders to know your options. Improve your financial situation by reducing expenses and deciding which bills to pay first while broke. Once you have managed to pay your bills, create an emergency fund to avoid falling into the same financial situation.

This article is provided courtesy of Credit Season UK, a consumer finance website providing information and tools on payday loans and other personal credit services.

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The Top Benefits of Having a Good Credit Score

Good credit scores are helpful for a financial well being and should be checked at least once per year. There are many benefits from having good credit scores like lower interest rates, higher chances of loan approvals, and affordable insurance premiums. Keep a clean credit history, which determines credit scores, to take advantage of these benefits. Good credit reports can show financial institutions that a person is able to manage debt when requesting loans as an example.

Interest Rates

Consumers with good credit history can obtain low interest rates on credit cards, mortgages, and other types of loans. Most lending institutions check for credit reports to determine a person’s interest rates, if approved for a loan. Consumers with clean credit histories can get lower rates by showing lenders their ability to manage debt properly. Lower interest rates provide many savings on credit card purchases and payments for consumers with good credit scores.

Financial Options

Most financial institutions check the credit history for checking account or loan approvals. Consumers with good credit records are more likely to get bank accounts with minimal or no management fees. Credit records with negative issues can show an individual’s higher economic risk to banks. Check financial institutions’ standards to know if your credit score and history can affect account or loan decisions. Good credit scores can provide customers with greater chances of getting a desired bank account or loans at affordable rates and payments.

Insurance Premiums

Insurance providers may check credit scores to determine individual risks and payment terms. For example, insurance companies can check personal credit history in order to approve car, home, and life insurance policies.  People with good credit scores can get these insurance policies faster and more frequently over low score ones.

Employment

Most potential employers check credit records when someone applies for employment at their company.

Employers check on credit reports to determine if someone is a reliable person. In addition, money-handling jobs have higher risks of employee theft. These types of jobs have more strict credit history reviews for job applicants. A clean credit history can help you get a wanted job by showing responsible and reliable qualities.

Home Rentals

People with good credit records benefit from higher rental approval rates. Landlords may check credit records to determine if a person will be able to pay rent. People with low credit scores can be turned down from rental properties based on a higher risk estimate.

Good credit scores provide many advantages to consumers looking to get loans, and insurance policies at affordable rates. People with low credit scores should improve their ratings by paying off debt balances, maintaining positive long records, and by making payments on time. Consumers can save a lot of money from the lower interest rates and higher loan options provided by a good credit history. Attempt to create a budget to improve your credit record to build up savings and retirement plans based on personal finances.

This article is provided courtesy of Bad Credit Loans Direct, a consumer finance website providing information and tools on small loans with bad credit and other personal credit services.

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