Vacation. It is a magical time for friends, couples, and families to relax, unwind, and connect with others rather than their favorite devices. If you are not careful, though, it can also become a time when you leave a massive hole in your budget. There are ways you can save money while on vacation, both while planning it and when on vacation. You could save even more than you might expect. Making Plans The first key to saving money while on vacation involves maintaining a focus on costs with each budget line of your travel plans. You can do this while you are planning your vacation with a few simple steps. Plan Your Meals With so many hotels and condos offering fully stocked kitchens and kitchenettes or microwaves and mini-fridges, you can save quite a bit of money on meals by eating out only once per day (if that) and preparing the remaining meals in your room. If your hotel offers free breakfast, take advantage of that as well. If dining out once daily, lunch is often the best time to splurge. Many restaurants provide reduced prices on their lunch menu. You might even have enough food left on your plate to take back to your room for a snack later in the evening. Do not forget to look for ‘early bird’ dinner specials as well. Book Your Hotel Wisely Forbes recommends going to the hotel website directly to get the best price for hotel rooms. If you are a member of a specific hotel’s loyalty program, you can save even more money. The same holds for senior discounts. How much money can you save? According to Forbes, the differences in rates could be as little as one dollar or as much as $50. Of course, do not forget to use your points to save on your travel. Also, consider going outside the box and renting from Airbnb, VRBO, HomeAway or another resource. You may even find apartments are available at much better costs than renting hotels for the duration of your vacation, while also providing you with more room to spread out and dine-in. Pack Wisely Whether you are flying or driving, the way you pack can have a significant toll on how much you spend on your vacation and how much you enjoy it. No one wants to carry around unnecessary and bulky items. Pack lightly and try to get all your supplies and clothing in one carry-on sized bag per person if possible. That will help you avoid hefty bag checking fees with the airlines. While on Vacation During your vacation, you have opportunities to save as well. The below tips can help you avoid unnecessary spending and may be instrumental in stretching your dollars, allowing you to add more activities or mementos to remind you of an extraordinary time together as a family. Bring Snacks and Water Along Make sure you pack a backpack for your outings and fill it with water and snacks. That will help you avoid hungry, cranky children (or parents) and the higher prices of similar items at convenience stores in touristy areas of town. However, be open to splurging for special treats unique to a particular locale, such as beignets in New Orleans, clam chowder at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, or homemade key lime pie in Florida. Seek out Free Entertainment and Attractions Many museums offer reduced priced admissions on some days while others are entirely free. Same goes for National Parks. These may not have all the frills you will find at costlier attractions like branded theme parks, but spending some of your time at free attractions allows you to have budget left for the pricier attractions you have highlighted for a visit. Other free or low-cost attractions to consider include: Check out local calendars for the city or area you are visiting to learn about community events, activities, and attractions that are free on given days. Also look for local movie houses that offer second-run movies at deep discounts or local theatre companies that can put on a good show. That gives your family something to do if your other plans for the day are rained out. Buy City Tourism Cards These cards give you access to many of the top attractions in the city for free or at steep discounts. Many even offer free public transportation for the duration of your stay negating the need for car rentals and associated parking fees. In addition to providing free access to some of the city’s top attractions, they also offer discounts on restaurants and shops. Look for Discounts and Deals Online Browsing the Internet can help you locate great deals on popular tourist attractions in various cities across the country. That is not the only way to save, however. Consider also looking at chain restaurants and see if they offer discounts for new email subscribers or via downloadable apps. These discounts may be useful for free appetizers, reduced meal prices, buy one get one free or half off admission to attractions, and more. Takeaways Employing a few key savings pointers before and during your vacation can help you get more mileage and fun from your vacation while helping you stay within your budget. These tips will help you stretch your vacation dollars without sacrificing fun and festivities with your family.

Saving Money While on Vacation

For the many people who would not otherwise be able to afford college, financial aid makes the dream of a continued education possible . Unfortunately, some myths exist around financial aid that causes many people to believe that it is not an option for them. Moving past these misconceptions may allow you to obtain the financial assistance you are eligible for so you can advance your dream of earning a college degree. Financial Aid Myths Below are some of the financial aid myths you will have to look beyond to take advantage of the financial aid programs available to you.
  1. My Parents Make Too Much Money for Me to Qualify
    Money is not the only factor taken into consideration for financial aid awards. It also depends on the size of your family and other factors. Examples of additional factors include such things as state funding levels, college endowment levels, your grades, and family financial assets.
    Most schools require you to complete FAFSA forms before you are eligible for scholarship awards. Scholarship funds are also considered part of financial aid and may be awarded to people for many of the following things, and more:
    • Athletic performance

    • Academic performance

    • SAT or ACT scores

    • Musical talent (voice, instrumental, etc.)

    • Organizational participation

    • Military service

    • Community service
    Each of these types of scholarships represents a form of financial aid that can assist you in obtaining a college degree. Finally, the cost of attending your college of choice plays a significant role in eligibility. Even if your parents make more than enough for you to attend a small community college, you may need assistance in paying the costs of attending a major university or private college.
  2. Only Students with Perfect GPAs Get Financial Aid
    The purpose of financial aid is to assist students from all backgrounds in getting a college education. Not every student gets perfect scores on every test. Financial aid, at least on the federal level, is about a financial need and not about historical academic performance. However, once you receive financial aid, you must maintain a certain GPA to continue receiving it.
  3. Only Minority Students Receive Financial Aid
    There are no racial or ethnic requirements for receiving federal financial aid for grants, loans, or work-study programs. Some scholarships may be available for people of certain races or ethnicities, but overall access to financial aid is available to people of all races. Also, being a minority does not guarantee students access to financial aid either. While some scholarships limit participation to certain racial or ethnic groups, they do not ensure that all students within those groups will receive a scholarship or grant. Most have requirements other than race, such as pursuing specific academic majors, keeping a certain GPA, participating in community service, or other economic factors.
  4. All Financial Aid Packages are the Same
    This is simply not true. When you fill out the FAFSA form, make sure you send it to all of the colleges you are considering. These forms are used to help determine eligibility for a variety of financial aid resources, including:
    • Grants

    • Loans

    • Work-study programs

    • Institutional scholarships
    Since different colleges and universities cost different amounts to attend and offer different options for work-study programs and institutional scholarships, you may discover that your financial aid package goes further at one college than the others you are considering. You also might find that some colleges and universities offer more generous financial aid packages based on the size of their endowment or available funds, or their desire to recruit students from a broader geographic area or varied demographic background.
  5. Financial Aid is an All or Nothing Proposition
    The truth is that many families qualify for some financial aid, but not enough to cover all the costs of attending college. The purpose is to assist students in getting their degrees. Your aid package will probably not cover the entire cost of attending college.
    Moreover, you may qualify for more money during your freshman year than in subsequent years (based on eligibility factors, costs of attendance, and availability of funds). However, loans are almost always available as an option, however unattractive they may be.
  6. I Didn’t Qualify Last Year, So I Won’t Qualify This Year
    The truth is that financial aid requirements, limits, and available funds are constantly changing. Also, specific schools and universities add new scholarships, grants, and programs all the time. The fact that you did not qualify last year does not necessarily mean you will not qualify in the future.
    Students who did qualify for funds in the previous year, by the same token, are not guaranteed funds in future years. The best course of action is to fill out the forms as early in the year as possible and do so each year you are in college. One thing is certain; you will not receive financial aid if you do not fill out the form.
Moving past these myths can help you take advantage of the financial aid resources and programs that are available to you, including scholarships, grants, loans, work-study programs and more. The first step, though, is filling out the FAFSA form.

Misconceptions Surrounding Financial Aid

According to the investment firm Fidelity, the average family is on track to save only 29 percent of the total amount their child will need to pay for a college education by the time he or she graduates from high school. Part of the problem is that the average family has no idea how much they should be saving for their child’s college education. That is why Fidelity coined the “2K Rule of Thumb” for college savings. It helps parents better understand how much they should be saving at various ages of their child’s life. What is the “2K” Rule? The 2K rule focuses only on the amount of savings parents need to accrue to meet the goal of covering roughly half of annual college costs at a four-year public college (in-state). The rule is simple. Multiply your child’s age by $2,000. That tells you how much you should have saved already at that specific age to be on track to cover 50 percent of college costs. For instance, if your child is seven years old, you would multiply $2,000 by seven and come up with $14,000. That is not the total you will need to have saved to pay for college, but the total you will need to have saved to be on track at that specific age. If you have more than that, you are in good standing. If you have less, you might want to save a little extra over the next few years to catch up. By the time your child is 18, you should have at least $36,000 saved to assist with college expenses. How to Use It To get more mileage from your money, the 2K rule needs to be only one of the methods you use to help your child save for college. Remember the amount of money you have invested in this plan may affect the needs-based financial aid your child can receive. It will not, however, reduce your child’s access to merit-based grants and scholarships for grades, academic accomplishments or special skills, for example. When used in combination with the 2K rule for saving, financial aid can take a healthy bite out of the costs of college. The more methods you use to help pay for the costs of college, the more helpful the 2k Rule for saving becomes. 529 Plan Requirement For the “2K Rule” to work to maximum benefit, you will need to invest the funds in a state-sponsored 529 savings plan. 529 plans allow your savings to grow tax-free, so long as at withdrawal, they are used to pay for qualified education expenses. If you leave it parked in a savings account, the interest you earn on the principal will be subject to federal tax. The main thing to remember, when it comes to investing in your child’s education, is that you must do so early and consistently to enjoy solid returns. CNBC reports that starting a savings plan early is the number one thing parents must do if they want to achieve their college savings goals. The earlier you begin to save, the more you will benefit from compounding and the earning of interest. That means you will have to put less money in the account each month to meet your goal than if you put in $36,000 when your child turns 18. The 2k rule helps you accomplish your savings goals by showing you where you are at any given point in comparison to where you should be. You will also be able to track how long you have to reach your ultimate goal of being financially prepared to pay for a solid college education.

The “2K Rule” for College Savings

Working your way through college can provide precious work experience and valuable life lessons while teaching you the importance of budgeting your time, money, and more. However, it also presents its share of challenges along the way. Financial Obstacles College today is an investment. Depending on the college you wish to attend, the investment can easily exceed that of a starter home, which is why so many students finish their college experience deeply in debt. Working your way through college can help you reduce the debt load you leave college with, putting you in a better position to overcome common financial obstacles that other graduates face in trying to repay their college loans. However, working your way through college is only beneficial if you do it in combination with other efforts to reduce your costs of attending college at the same time. Reducing the Cost of College There are several moves you can make to reduce the overall costs of attending college as you work your way through school, including the following: The more things you do to reduce your costs when attending college, the higher your odds of eliminating the need to take on student loan debt, which may prove to be crippling if you aren’t able to immediately secure lucrative employment upon graduation. Minimizing Student Loan Debt Following the steps above for reducing your costs of attending college can go a long way toward minimizing student loan debt. So can working and saving the bulk of your income to put toward tuition. The more money you pay toward tuition today, without taking out student loans, the less you pay for your education overall. However, that’s not the only reason you should avoid or minimize student loans whenever possible. For almost every other type of loan, you will have the option of declaring bankruptcy or seeking relief from the burden of the debt. It works that way for homes, vehicles, and even consumer credit card debt. There is no option to discharge student loan debt. Falling behind in student loan payments will harm your credit history and can do considerable damage to your ability to purchase homes and vehicles and even secure employment later in life. Working your way through college can be a brilliant path to success. That is especially true if you find the right employment during your educational journey. Of course, using the income from your college job, in combination with other efforts to reduce expenses, can help you avoid unnecessary student loan debt, allowing you to begin your career unencumbered by debt.

The Challenge of Working Your Way Through College

Many people look at side hustles as an opportunity to earn some cash on the side to help them with short-term expenses or to fund a particular purchase. However, did you know that you can also use these side hustles to help you pay off your debt? It is true. Side Hustle Opportunities It is easier than you realize to earn extra cash on the side. These are some of the side hustle opportunities you might want to take advantage of to help you reach your goals. Freelancing Turn your skills into money by becoming a freelancer in your industry. The Internet has made it possible for many people to earn money in ways they never imagined a decade or so in the past. From computer programming to writing to transcribing to graphic design and all points in between there are abundant opportunities out there to earn extra cash online without leaving your day job behind. In fact, many job boards exist to help people like you find work, including: The bottom line is that there are many opportunities to use your skills to earn extra cash in your spare time. Just think how quickly you can pay down your debt with five to ten hours of income each week dedicated to that task. Even finding work at $10 per hour can help you put hundreds of dollars per month towards your outstanding credit card balance or student loan debt. Also remember that the faster you pay down that debt, the less you will pay in interest costs over the loan term. Renting or Selling Items Whether you are selling items on eBay, crafting items to sell on Etsy, or renting your home or car through various programs, you can earn a substantial amount of income each month that way. That is especially true if you have a vacation home you only use a few weekends out of the year, or a spare garage apartment collecting dust. Do not forget about all the items you have purchased over the years that quickly lost their appeal or did not live up to expectations. It is time to clear out that clutter and turn it into cash. You could even begin to frequent garage sales and thrift stores in your community to find bargains you can transform into cash cows through online auctions and sales. Ride Share and/or Delivery Services Thanks to companies like Uber and Lyft, ride sharing is becoming commonplace. They offer outstanding services to large and small communities. Did you know, though, that they also represent substantial earning opportunities? According to USA Today, Uber drivers make an average of $364 month, and Lyft drivers earn, on average, $377 per month. For some people, that’s a car payment. Just remember to make sure your insurance company is on board for this change. You can supplement that side hustle income by piggybacking your time behind the wheel making deliveries. There are plenty of programs that offer you money to deliver a variety of products. Some you may have heard of before: As you can see, there are tons of opportunities to earn additional cash for enterprising spirits. Tutoring and Teaching Finally, turn your knowledge into money by working with many of the tutoring services, either available online or in your local community. They offer a wide range of part-time jobs teaching math, science, and reading to students of all ages. The Internet also can extend these opportunities by making it possible to work teaching English to students from around the world. Side Hustle Tips Now that you know what kinds of jobs you can do to earn extra cash to pay off your debt, it is time for a few tips to make that money work harder for you. Keep these tips in mind to pay off your debts even faster. Takeaways Side hustles can be a great way to pay off your debts if you have a plan and stick to it. The ideas and tips above can pave the way for you to find new side gigs that will keep your debt under control.

Use a Side Hustle to Pay Off Debt

Want to qualify for the lowest interest rates when applying for auto, mortgage or personal loans? Then you’ll need a top credit score. Lenders today rely heavily on your three-digit credit score to determine if you qualify for a loan and at what interest rates. In general, lenders today reserve their lowest rates for those borrowers have a credit score of 740 or higher on the popular FICO credit-scoring system. The good news is that earning a high credit score is not a complicated task. It just takes some common sense. To build the kind of credit score that will land you the lowest interest rates most experts recommend following these ‘best practices’. Pay your bills on time: Nothing is more important to building a solid credit score than is paying your bills on time. Every time you miss a credit card payment or make your auto loan payment ten days late, your credit score takes a hit. With enough of these hits, your score will quickly fall out of the “good” range, and you’ll be stuck paying higher interest rates when you qualify for a loan. Do not runup credit card debt: Having too much credit card debt can also damage your credit score. Lenders look at consumers burdened with high credit card debt and see risky borrowers. The theory is that these borrowers are already paying a significant amount of money each month to make their credit card payments. Lenders see them as more likely to struggle to make their other payments, too, including mortgage and car loan payments. If you want to provide a boost to your credit score, begin paying down your credit card debt, and don’t run up new charges. Study your credit report: It is important, too, to review your credit report on a regular basis. You can order a free copy of each of your three credit reports — compiled by the credit bureaus Experian, Equifax and TransUnion — once a year from the site, AnnualCreditReport.com. Don’t be fooled, though, into ordering credit reports from other similar websites. Most of these sites — including those with “free” in their names — require consumers to sign up for trials of credit-monitoring services. If you fail to cancel these services, you will be hit with a monthly fee. Once you have your report, study it carefully. Your reports will list your outstanding revolving debt and any missed or late payments you have made. It will also list your open credit card accounts. Look for any mistakes. Then correct them in writing. An error on your credit report can cause severe damage to your credit score. Be a smart consumer: The only way to improve your credit score, once you’ve corrected any errors on your credit reports, is to act as a smart consumer. This means paying your bills on time and cutting down on your credit card debt. Don’t sign up for any service that promises to improve your credit score overnight. These services are often scams, and they have no secret formulas for improving your three-digit score.

Building a Credit Reputation

Credit cards are outstanding financial tools to have on hand for life’s little emergencies. What you may not know, though, is that some items can be considered ‘smart purchases’ to make on your credit card, even if you have the cash to pay upfront. Below you will find some smart buys to make with your credit cards as well as unwise credit card purchases you should avoid at all costs. Good Uses of Credit Cards Using credit cards for certain purchases provides a few unexpected perks and benefits well worth considering, especially when it comes to protecting you, the consumer. Appliances and Electronics With many credit card companies offering free extended warranties for items like washing machines, refrigerators, and televisions purchased with credit cards, it is a no-brainer to make these purchases with your credit card. That is especially true if you can pay the balance in full at the end of the month. You are getting an extended warranty for free without paying interest if you pay the balance in full. Recurring Monthly Bills That is, of course, assuming you are going to pay the balance in full each month. However, paying recurring bills with your credit card allows you to shift all the smaller payments that come at different times each month to one single payment you pay once a month. It is a great way to ease the burden of paying bills, by making it a single transaction rather than 15 or 16 different ones. Plus, if you earn cash back rewards on your cards, you are getting a small reward for your efforts. Travel Plans Vacation and business travel expenses can add up quickly. However, if you use your credit cards to book your hotels and travel arrangements, you get the added benefit of a few key ingredients that add peace of mind, including things like: While these benefits may vary somewhat from one card issuer to the next, many credit card providers offer them to remain competitive. Additionally, most credit cards provide substantial rewards for travel plans booked through them in the form of free or discounted travel, free upgrades, and cash back. Items to Avoid While the items listed above are excellent choices to buy with your credit card, there are also things you want to avoid buying with your credit card whenever possible. Primarily because the costs of purchasing these items with credit cards, once you count the interest, are prohibitive, like those listed below. Household Bills It is one thing to put smaller recurring charges you can pay off in a month on your credit card. If you can do that, that is great. However, this only works if you can repay the full balance each month. Otherwise, it becomes a growing debt you will never easily escape thanks to interest. Student Loan Repayments There are less expensive options than credit cards to try to get your student loan debt under control. Look to income-based repayment plans, loan deferrals, and other options before resorting to using credit cards to repay the debt. Shopping Sprees Retail therapy may provide a momentary boost to your mood. However, when the bill comes due it can become a bitter pill to swallow. Use cash for those mood lightening shopping sprees and leave your plastic at home. Takeaways Credit cards have their uses. They can be vital tools in your long-term financial planning, but only if you use them responsibly. Following these tips can help.

Smart Purchases to Make on Credit

Home construction loans provide families and individuals with the ability to finance new home construction projects. The loan term is usually short, typically lasting one year or less in most cases, and once the project is complete, the loan is converted or refinanced with a traditional mortgage. Loan Basics Construction loans typically cover both the cost of the property and the construction costs of the house. These loans can often be complex and require more direct oversight and involvement from lenders than traditional home loans. Expect to provide lenders with a ton of documentation and timetables, including the following: In some cases, the lender may require additional documentation about the building process, such as the names of the builder or contractors performing the work. In most cases, lenders will release funds in stages and only after checking on the progress to verify the completion of a construction phase. Loan funds are used to pay contractors involved in that phase. Throughout the process, it is good to remember that lenders are partnering with you in the construction process and have a financial stake in its outcome. During the construction phase of the project, borrowers will typically make interest-only payments on the loan. The repayment of the loan usually takes place when construction is complete, and a traditional mortgage replaces the construction loan. Different Loan Types Essentially there are two different types of home construction loans: Construction-to-permanent loans are often the most desirable for people who intend to occupy their homes upon the completion of construction. That is because they allow you to combine the construction loan with the standard mortgage loan. It means you are not required to refinance your mortgage at a later date. With this type of loan, you have the benefit of locking in a low-interest rate from the start. Once the building is complete, the lender converts it into a traditional mortgage at the locked-in interest rate. With this mortgage, you have the option of choosing a fixed rate or ARM (adjustable rate mortgage) and may choose between a 15- or 30-year term. You will also likely be required to put down a 20-percent or more down payment. Stand-alone construction loans are outstanding choices for people who are building homes with the intention of reselling afterward or who have limited funds to use as a down payment. This loan requires a smaller down payment and does not lock in low mortgage interest rates, which means that if you do intend to live in the home post-construction, you will have to obtain a mortgage independently. Another downside with this type of loan is that you must pay closing costs (and the associated fees) twice: first, on the closing of the initial stand-alone construction loan; second, when you secure the mortgage for the home. Loan Requirements It is more difficult to qualify for a construction loan than a traditional loan because the completed home is not available to secure the loan. For this reason, you should expect to do the following: Understanding the basics about home construction loans can help you to choose the loan that meets your needs today and in the future. Use the information here to help you make wise buying choices when exploring your options for a home construction loan.

How Home Construction Loans Work

Sometimes, when it comes to your budget, it can be too easy to overlook the small “money leaks” that negatively impact your finances. Many people do not even realize the amount of money they are spending. You might do your best to avoid buying extravagant things. For example: However, even though you do all these things, you still wonder where all your money is going. A significant challenge for staying on top of your finances is identifying and fixing your money leaks. What are Money Leaks? Money leaks occur when you cannot seem to figure out what it was you bought with the money you spent. Even at the end of the month, when you review your credit cards and bank statements, it is not apparent where your money went. Those are “money leaks.” For instance, one night you took $50 out of the ATM to use for dining out. Then, at the end of the month as you are looking at your finances, you see the ATM withdrawal transaction on your bank statement, but you are completely puzzled as to why you pulled the money out. Alternatively, you buy something online, but when you get your credit card statement and see the purchase, you do not know what the charge is for because there is a vague description of the merchandise you purchased. Money leaks can kill your financial position and usually leave you with less money than you expected to have at the end of the month. They also tend to cause problems with your budget and are often a huge reason why many people cannot seem to save money. How to Find Them By researching, you will likely eventually figure out where the money leaks are coming from. However, for many people, the problem is they do not remember even spending the money. It just seemed to leak right out of their account and was spent on something so frivolous, that they do not recognize the purchase even several weeks later. Create and Refer to Your Written Spending Plan You can get a handle on money leaks and fix the ones you spot by taking more control of your money. To do this, you need to sit down and write out a spending plan each month and stick to it. When you do this, it should be easier to find the leaks so you can fix them and avoid them later on, which keeps you from spending more than you make. Save and Refer to Your Receipts Start saving your receipts (an old shoebox will work). Every time you purchase something, toss the slip in that shoebox. If you receive receipts where what you bought is unclear, write a purchase description on the back of the piece of paper, so you will know what it is when you refer to it later on. So, each time you go to the store: At the end of every month, take the receipts out of the shoebox and go through them. Determine which of them are necessary and which are not. As you do this each month, you will begin to see patterns in your collected receipts. Chances are, you will find the non-important ones are the source of where the money leaks are occurring. You may notice your money leaks are coming from a particular store like the corner convenience store, for example. Finding and knowing the patterns can help you keep your guard up. How to Fix Them Finding your money leaks is just one side of the equation. You still need to get rid of them. You do this by actively taking control to prevent them. Put a Limit on your “Free Spending” Money Give yourself a fixed monthly amount of money to spend freely. Then, stick to that amount. Do not waste any additional money on unnecessary purchases if you have reached your monthly limit unless it is a definite necessity. If it is not, once your free spending money is gone, you cannot touch it again until the next month. Avoid the “Money Leak” Places As mentioned earlier, you may find your money leaks are taking place at a specific store. Naturally, avoid the locations where your money leaks are taking place. Make your budget a priority. Cut out the expenses you do not need and create space in your budget for the more significant spending that matters to you.

Are There Leaks in Your Finances?

The song says it’s the most wonderful time of the year, but if money is tight for you, Christmas can make it very difficult to avoid overspending. Although it may seem like a good idea to splurge on that perfect gift, you will end up paying for it later (literally) if you put it on your credit card. Rather than going into credit card debt this year, make a plan and stick to it so you stay within your budget and avoid the stress that comes with debt.

How to Keep Your Christmas Spending Under Control

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Don’t Let the Holidays Bust Your Budget