Entries Tagged 'wise purchases' ↓

A hobby, as long as it is wholesome and safe, can have diverse uses. Knitting can be a way to take the stress out of a long, weary day. A scrapbook can be a good way to remember important events, and a method to release your personal sense of creativity. A stamp collection can be a valuable heirloom of sorts, and a hobby that your children or grandchildren can enjoy themselves.

Most hobbies, however, can cost money, and can take up time. Knitting needles can be broken, and thread can be expensive. Materials for scrapbook making can also be difficult to come by, and can be expensive unless bought in bulk. Although maintaining a stamp collection can be relatively inexpensive, serious stamp collecting can involve buying rare stamps, which can cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars.

A hobby, however, need not be expensive to be enjoyed. There are general rules that you can live by if you want to save money while pursuing a hobby that you enjoy.

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Common knowledge directs us to follow some practical tips on how to save retirement money.  Still, some of the best advice or tips can elude the most diligent of us.

Below are some guaranteed money-saving tips that would leave enough grocery money for that coveted t-bone at the market:

Save those coupons.  These may come from magazines or grocery stores.  Some websites in fact offer printable coupons for the consumer.

Pile up those blankets.  To save on oil bills, warm yourselves up at night with a pile of blankets.  Always be on the look out for sleeping bags or blankets that are on sale.

Laundry.  Do the laundry not once or twice a week, but when it is enough to run a good load (fold it up nice so as not to be a sore to the eyes!) to save water and detergent.  Running a load for a mere 3 sweaters could be quite a waste.

Keep the lights low.  Most yellow tinted lights have a higher wattage as compared to the white-toned ones.  Before any purchase is made, check on the amount of watts a bulb consumes.

Food recycling.  The sumptuous stew that had been served last night can be a delicious add-on to a hearty meal the following day.  Shred or cut the remaining meaty parts and combine or add it unto rice or a salad.

It would be wise to plan a weekly meal so as to determine the items to be bought at the grocery.  This would minimize waste on perishable items which might be forgotten in the ref.

Gas.  Schedule grocery shopping after a dental appointment so as to save gas money.  Likewise, schedule all other appointments around previous settings so minimize gas consumption

Saving is a must since the annual increase in the Social Security would not always cover the accompanying increase in the prices of goods.

via KeepMeCurrent

[image from Flickr uploaded by theshanghaieye]

Luxury cars are called just that for a reason: comely price tags.  And as expensive as they are, luxury cars likewise depreciate faster than most common cars.

But for those individuals who cannot resist the lure of such good-looking cars, below are some tips on what to look out for:

1. Jaguar.  This British car can be quite expensive as compared to other cars.  An 80’s to 90’s model can fetch a couple of thousands (from £1,000 to £3,400) of Pounds.

A 3.6 to 4.0 liter model is off better than a 5.3 liter V12 when fuel consumption is to be considered.

2. Mercedes Benz.  Choose the S280 if your budget is below £1,000, or a S420 if you can afford £3,000 or more.  Tip: check the tires.  A very cheap car might need new tires, if summed up, could be more than what you intend to spend.

Though its parts are quite expensive, some stores sell second-hand parts in almost half its original amount.

3. Lexus.  The LS400 model is not the best-looking car, but probably the best engineered one at that.  The 90’s models fetch anything around £1,500 and up.

4. BMW.  The 7 series is one of the most glamorous of all luxury cars, and offers a wide variety of price range since it depreciates faster than most of its rivals.

Some 90’s model can be bought at £750 up to a few over thousand Pounds.

5. Rolls Royce.  One that has the highest value for second-hand luxury cars.  Can be bought at around £5,000 and up.

Still, the best advice when one is considering on investing in a second-hand luxury car: check out all the parts if everything is under good running condition.  Those hidden probable expenses if piled up can cost you more than what you intent to spend.

via Mirror.co.uk 

[image from Flickr uploaded by aliza]