Finance Solution

Archive for June, 2009

Are you shocked when seeing your household expenditures every month? The expenses seem to increase every month. If you are in this situation, try these 5 recommendations before your extra paid money will accumulate to a significant amount!

1. Recycle those junk letters.
Each month, you will probably received a dozen or more letters from direct mailing companies in your mailbox. Some of these letters are printed on one side only. Collect these letters and combined them into a writing pad. You can also used them to print draft documents. Besides saving money, you are also saving a lot of trees.

2. Install water saving kit in your toilet cistern.
When flushing the toilet, the amount of water used is usually more than is required. By installing a water saving kit in the cistern, the amount of water saved can be as much as three gallons per month.

3. Use the fan
Whenever possible, use the fan. The air conditioner is a major contributor to your utility bill. By using the fan, not only are you saving on your utility bill, you are also building up your body’s tolerance to heat. Your chances of getting heat exhaustion or heat stroke during the hot summer season are greatly reduced.

4. Do not throw away that old bar of soap yet.
As your wash your hands with soap on a daily basis, the bar will become smaller and smaller until it is almost unusable. Instead of throwing it away, simply stick the old bar of soap onto the new one. Just make sure both of them are wet when sticking them together.

5. Cut the tube of toothpaste into half.
When you can no longer squeeze out any toothpaste from the tube, just cut it in-half. There is some more toothpaste left that can last you for a couple of days if you have a large family. If you live alone or with your spouse only, the extra toothpaste can last up to five days or even more.

Start cultivating these useful habits today and make them a part of your daily life. You will be pleasantly pleased when you notice your household expense start to decline bit by bit as time goes on.

The era of 0% APR credit cards is still with us. Yes, you can obtain a spanking new credit card featuring a very low introductory interest rate and take advantage of what amounts to “free money” for you for up to one year. You can use your new card to your advantage, but you must be careful that you fully understand how a 0% APR credit card works to order to maximize its effectiveness. I will show you how, so please keep reading for all the informative details!

Soon after the new millennium started, interest rates began to drop to historically low levels. By 2002, loan rates for government funds dipped to just less than one percent, pushing consumer loan rates down with it as well. Credit card providers, seeing a terrific opportunity unfolding, immediately began to offer 0% APR credit cards to new card holders and even extended the offer to their current customers.

Today, interest rates have been climbing for two years, but 0% APR credit card offers are still available to you. Quite frankly, the entire lending business is very competitive and credit card providers are willing to forego interest for up to twelve months in order to get your business.

To maximize the effectiveness of 0% APR credit cards, there are a few things that you must know:

Limited Time Offer. 0% APR credit cards contain an introductory period lasting typically from six to twelve months. This means that anything you charge during that time will not accumulate interest. Go ahead and spread out your payments over several months: If you purchase something for $1000, you can make four equal payments of $250 interest free. Keep earning interest on your savings and let the credit card company fund your purchase!

Transfer Balances and Save Big! Many 0% APR credit card offers will allow you to transfer balances from your existing credit cards to your new card and waive transfer fees. If you owe $3000 on your current credit cards and are paying 19% interest on your balances, you could save nearly $600 in interest payments over twelve month’s time!

Pay On Time. Do not be lulled into thinking that a 0% APR credit card doesn’t require monthly payments. If you miss a payment or are late, you could find that your remaining balance is subject to interest charges and penalties as your card shifts to a default rate. Pay on time or kiss your 0% APR credit card rate goodbye!

Pay It All Off. In some cases, you must pay off your balance before the introductory rate period expires. If you don’t, the default rate kicks in. Make certain that you clearly understand your card’s terms.

Clearly, a 0% APR credit card has strong advantages for the person seeking to make new purchases as well as someone who wants to transfer their balances. Use a 0% APR credit card to your advantage and put some money back in your pocket!