Dropping vices. You might not realize it but that pack of cigarette or two that you smoke on a daily basis actually amounts to something substantial in a month. Try to look at your other daily guilty pleasures at well. Could be that daily Chinese take out or that extra can of soda.

Buy in bulk. Buying in bulk definitely is cheaper. However, keep in mind to focus only on items that do not have a shelf life, for example, paper towels. Some items containing chemicals have active ingredients that might stale.

Unplug all unused appliances and turn off lights. Often overlooked but appliances when plugged even if not in use, still leeches off a few a bit of juice. Light, even if you’re using energy saving fluorescent ones still consume watts of electricity. Turning them off prevents waste.

Drop unnecessary subscriptions. How many of your existing subscriptions do you actually get to maximize. How about your phone? Your cable TV? Your magazines? Your newspaper? How many of them do you actually use or read half the time in a month. You might just be able to drop one or even all of them.

Avoid flooring your car’s throttle. Some driver drive as if there’s no tomorrow. Heavy right-foot driving actually just wastes gas. You don’t need to tap your car’s ponies when driving. Besides, even if you build up speed and only brake shortly afterwards, you’re just converting all the force into heat. Get more mileage by tempering how you speed up.

Hit the electronics store

Don’t feel guilty if you want to spend it on technology – just make sure you get a great deal. One of the best electronics buys for just under $1,000 right now is the Sony Bravia KDL-46EX500 at $990. You get better black levels, better contrast, and better brand name than the cheapest $800 LCD in the market.

Grow your investing knowledge

Your ability to handle your money and understand risks can lead you to a more stable financial standing in the future. Buy, read, and live what you have learned from good books, such as Peter Bernstein’s “Against the Gods”. Take an investing class at a college near you (cost: about $200 to $500). Or go to conferences where you can learn from the bests in the field, such as Morningstar’s Stocks Forum in Chicago on November 3 and 4 ($349).

Do some good

You can also transform your money into something tangible for a worthy cause. Based on Charitynavigator.org ratings, these top three charities can help you 1) restore 5 acres of Louisiana wetlands for wildlife through The Conservation Fund; 2) buy 13 work uniforms for the homeless people through the Coalition for the Homeless; and 3) supply 8,000 vitamin A capsules for needy children overseas through Vitamin Angels.

CNN

Freelancing isn’t for everyone – or every career. If you prefer working in groups, freelancing is not for you. Jobs that fit into freelancing are the ones that allow you to work mostly by yourself, like being an interior decorator or writer.

Don’t get hung up on names. A freelancer gets hired to do one assignment at a time. A contractor is someone who works for a certain number of weeks or months. A part-timer works for 10-20 hours a week. And temp workers, well, work temporarily to replace fired part-timers or other workers. Although, the differences are small, they’re still important. Beware of so-called part-time jobs that require you to work 32 hours a week, but leaves too much work and little benefits (not to mention the tendency to be fired with little or no warning).

Don’t leave town. Stay local. Freelancing is about connections and the best ones you’ll have are local. Another perk: you get paid faster.

Hire a freelance accountant. When you freelance, time is money. You can make more by spending bulk of your time doing your job rather than trying to deduce deductions (that sometimes we don’t even understand). A freelance accountant understands the needs of a freelancer. They also charge less compared to full-time accountants.

Start at the end. Because they have no co-workers, freelancers are lonely people. Most of them get excited with new people trying to break into the freelancing industry – sharing advices on how to be successful and handle bumps along the way.

Source: Money Talks News

Too many people looking for jobs, too few jobs that are open. It’s a typical story for many job hunters to gun just for any job that pays these days. And even that often is frustrating, especially for people who have had tons of corporate experience and fancy degrees. Job hunting burnout seems to a popular thing nowadays.

And you can’t blame them. It takes a really strong personality (or a pretty messed up mind) not to get frustrated in this economy.

Here are a few things that you can do to get back on your feet:

• Move in with mom and dad – It takes a lot of guts to do this, especially in a culture like America. But family’s family. Just try to pitch in while you can and follow house rules. At least you won’t have to worry about a roof over your head while you get back on your feet.
• Learn a new skill – It’s all about exploiting opportunities. Some jobs might be totally unrelated to your experience and training. So why not re-tool yourself to perform in those jobs?
• Community and volunteer work – A problem with being unemployed is you also start losing a sense of self. Try doing a bit of community service and volunteer work so that you’d be able to keep a sense of importance by helping others out.
• Grow a garden – There’s something zen about gardening, it may take your mind off the stress. Try growing a vegetable plot in your garden. At least when push comes to shove, you won’t starve.
• Freelance or do odd jobs – Freelance for a project or two. Mow lawns. Babysit. Tutor kids. They might not be worthy career prospects but they will keep the money flowing.

Are you paying bills all over the place? Why don’t you consolidate all of your bills under the same provider? For example, have your Internet, phone, and cable service accounts moved to one company. Research which company offers the best service bundle. This could save you money every month.

Check your utility accounts again. Are there services there from which you can cut back? For example, do you need call waiting and caller ID services for your phone? These extras cost extra too. Find out which ones you can live without and have them removed.

There is nothing wrong is clipping coupons. It’s practical! It might a little getting used to it and it does take a bit of strategy when it comes to using coupons on the right items, but in time, you’ll be able to save from 15% to 50% of your grocery money.

Review your policies. It is good to have insurance but if you can shave a bit off your premium then it could help with the expenses. Talk to your insurance provider and ask for discounts that you might be missing out on.

Pay your bills on time and you’ll be able to say farewell to late fees and rate hikes.