Shopping for groceries is an inevitable fact of our ever busy lives. We may imagine that we are saving time by dashing in, roaming the aisles and throwing whatever looks good into the cart. Most often, what we end up with is repetitive, nutritionally unbalanced meals and ballooning grocery bills. Or worse, frequent fast-food stops and pizza calls. Brighten your meals and save time and money by planning ahead – an added bonus you may even save a few calories.

Some money saving tips:

• Before you visit the grocery store each week, check out the Sunday circulars. Clip coupons while you watch television or get your children to lend a hand. Organization is the key to the coupon game, so invest in an accordion coupon file. Trust me, it’s infinitely easier than rifling through small slips of paper or finding yourself without the coupon you need when you get to the store. You can find some very user friendly organizers for around $10.00 at sites such as www.galison.com.

• Look through the food section of your local newspaper. You’ll get some great ideas about bargains to look for as well as what produce, seafood, etc. is in season. The circulars and the food section are two places to begin building a weekly menu, that isn’t boring, on a budget. It’s also a good idea to comb the Internet. There are a wealth of sites offering ideas for budget menus.

• Consider joining a shopping club such as Sam’s or Costco. If you don’t have the storage space, but would like to benefit from the savings and convenience of buying in bulk share the bounty with a friend. You can each take a turn shopping from a list once a month or so.

• Keep your receipts for a month or so and notice the high, low and average prices on the items you buy most. When the price hits its low, buy a few so that you can skip it when it slides into the high range.

• Experiment with 5 ingredient meals. There are a number of books, videos and web sites that help you make great meals with only a few ingredients even on weeknights.

• Check out sites like www.cutouthunger.org/get_coupons!.htm; www.refundsweepers.com; www.refundcents.com; and www.aplusfreestuff.com for information on rebates, refunds, freebies and other savings. If you do take advantage of rebates, complete forms meticulously and keep copies of receipts, UPC, proof of purchase documentation and contact information for the vendor.

• Include your local grocer’s weekly circular in your savings plan. When store sales are coupled with the savings cards now offered by many grocer’s you can save hundreds of dollars each year.

• Pay attention to promotionals. Some grocer’s offer reward if you spend the target amount within a specified period. Rewards generally include a percentage off of your grocery bill at a later date or cash back.

• Curb impulse buying. Grocer’s have developed their floor plans with your dollars in mind; the object, get as many as possible with proper product placement. Learn the layout of your store and make a beeline to your destination. Temptation is especially tough in the check out aisles. Fight the urge to succumb to these powerful marketing practices by making, and sticking to, a list.

• Try not to shop when you are starved. It makes sense that you are more vulnerable to impulse buying when you are hungry.

• Make a budget and take a calculator to the store.

• Compare prices. Store brands are not necessarily least expensive. Take just a moment to scan the shelves for best prices on the items you buy. When comparison shopping, make sure to take note of per unit costs.

• Look below eye level. Bargain priced items are often shelved below eye level and out of your immediate view.

Grocery shopping can take a big chunk out of your budget if you are not careful. With just a small investment of time you will realize savings that you can take to the credit union.

Women are charged more for dry cleaning services. Don’t fume, find a better way. While it is true that the practice is unfair it is also true that we have options for keeping our clothes clean and holding onto more of our cash. Try some of these tactics to stem or stop the unfair flow of your dry cleaning dollars.

• Examine labels before you make a clothing purchase. Go for easy care (read machine washable) items whenever possible.

• Determine if dry cleaning is a suggestion or a mandate before you shell out big bucks. If dry cleaning is not necessary for the care of your fabric, consider gentle hand or machine washing.

• Investigate home dry cleaning products such as Dryel. These products work with a special bag and fabric-softener like cleaning sheet, and your dryer to freshen your clothing. You can find home dry cleaning products in the laundry aisle of your grocer or local discount store. Dryel and similar products typically run around $10.00 and clean 6-9 pieces, a significant savings over dry cleaning costs.

• Negotiate with your dry cleaner for better prices. Politely mention your concerns around gender price differentials and ask that your cleaner offer comparable prices for comparable fabrics.

• Invest in a steamer. They are now widely available and priced affordably.

• Take advantage of savings and discount programs. Some dry cleaners offer discounts with pre-payment or a particular number of items.

• Pay cash. Unless you pay your credit card balance in full each month you incur additional costs in interest on top of your already exorbitant dry cleaning costs.

• Wear clothing items twice, instead of once before making a trip to the cleaner.

Dry cleaning costs can run as high as several hundreds of dollars each year. These costs are inflated by gender bias. Fight back and keep more of your cash with a few of the suggestions listed above.

1. Don’t focus on your finances.

The reason most people get into debt is because they don’t spend enough time focusing on their finances. You need to get a grasp of where you’re at financially, keep track of your income in relation to expenses and spending habits.

2. Failure to develop a good financial plan

No one would imagine going on vacation without planning for it. Yet when finances are concerned, many people don’t plan. A good financial plan can be the difference between comfortable living and struggling to get by.

3. Waiting too long to invest

When making investments, time is of the essence. Compound interest earns money over time; so don’t wait too long to save for retirement. The longer you wait to invest, the smaller your return on investment.

4. Marrying the wrong person

Who you marry has a huge impact on your finances. Couples with different views on money, create stress in their marriage. Divorce apart from the emotional pain and suffering causes financial heartache.

5. Habits

Although habits seem minor, the prices add up. Buying a $1 coffee each day cost you $365 every year. Imagine how much more money you spend by eating out regularly. If you smoke, the cost of cigarettes along could drive you to quit.

6. Running up credit card balances

If you carry unpaid balances on credit cards, you are already losing money in interest payments alone. Credit card companies have high interest charges that accumulate with unpaid balances.

7. Be under-insured

You need to protect yourself and your family from unforeseen emergencies, sickness, accidents and possible death. The goal is to make sure that you have proper financial coverage incase anything should happen.

8. Investing in things you don’t understand

If I had a dollar for every sure fire stock tip… I’d be rich. Then I’d lose that money by investing in those tips. Make sure you know what you are investing in, by asking a lot of questions, don’t hesitate to get another financial opinion.

How many drawers did you have to look through to find a bank statement the last time you needed one? Chances are you did not lay your hands on it as readily as you would have liked. If that is a familiar scenario in your home, help has arrived in the form of online banking. Even if you are among the most organized, online banking offers convenience you can’t beat.

Consider online banking with your credit union for instant organization and access to all of your account information. With online banking, information about deposits, payments, statements, and all transactions is immediately available with only a few key strokes 24 hours every day.

Use online banking to pay your bills, transfer money between accounts and monitor your spending. When you pay your bills online you will need to take 15-30 minutes to set up your vendors (lists of payees, addresses, account numbers, etc.) after that, it takes mere seconds to set up a bill payment. You can opt for automatic payments on a date of your choosing or you can point and click each month. Bills paid via online banking arrive at their destination in as few as two days. You don’t need stamps, envelopes or even a pen. Best of all, online banking compiles and allows you to access your payment history for every vendor on your payee list.

Not only will you save yourself the worry of searching for perpetually lost cancelled checks and bank statements you will also save a little money. Most credit unions offer online banking services and e-statements, etc. to their members at no cost with direct deposit or a qualifying account (usually as a benefit of a home equity loan or money market account).

Online banking is infinitely more convenient than waiting for your paper statement each month or even telephone banking. Your transactions are recorded in real time and you can see them as they occur. When you avail yourself of online banking services you are better able to track and monitor your spending. You may even find that it is easier to follow a budget and to avoid overdraft charges with online banking because you have a visual of your spending.

Worried about security? Don’t be, a great deal of technological thought and energy is being brought to the task of maintaining Internet safety. Your banking information is encrypted and there is no chance that third parties can peek in. There is ample evidence that consumers have become more comfortable with online financial transactions. For instance, check printing has seen a decline and online shopping has seen a substantial increase. Financial institutions support our increasing embrace of online banking because it streamlines transactions and costs a great deal less than paper based transactions. Credit Unions pass these savings on to their members.

Visit your local credit union online to take a free online banking tour and demo. You will be surprised to learn how pleasant paying your bills and managing your finances becomes with the convenience and accessibility of online banking. The money you will save is an added bonus.

You’ve probably heard about people who keep their money offshore. Most likely you assume they’re all wealthy businessmen; millionaires, who have so much money they somehow ‘qualify’ to move it out of the country, right? Wrong! Offshore banking can be a benefit for anybody regardless of income.

There are certain components of offshore banking that you may not have thought of, or perhaps you just need a simple explanation of what they are. Here are the basics you need to know to get started:

Offshore bank accounts – in order to establish a bank account offshore and still have complete confidentiality and privacy, you need to hold the bank account under an IBC (International Business Corporation). There are a number of IBC jurisdictions that allow complete privacy in a tax-free environment. We deal exclusively with these jurisdictions.

IBC – as explained above, IBC stands for International Business Corporation and is similar to an onshore corporate. However, the company is established in a completely tax-free jurisdiction with a very high level of confidentiality and asset protection. For extra security, it is common to have an offshore IBC company in a separate jurisdiction from your offshore bank account. This ensures that any possible future claims against your offshore company would have to be brought to two separate courts in jurisdictions with some of the toughest asset protection laws in the world.

Offshore Jurisdictions – A country that has very strict privacy laws that protect offshore bank accounts and offshore companies. There are several countries that offer this type of protection including Switzerland, Panama, Belize and the BVI.

Offshore Trusts – A Trust allows you to transfer ownership of your assets in a safe and controlled manner while still maintaining ultimate control. The shares of your IBC can be held by a Trust, giving you yet one more layer of protection. Why would you need a Trust? In the US, you stand a one in four chance of being sued if your net wealth exceeds only 100,000 dollars. Offshore Trusts will allow you the security of asset protection.

Offshore Brokerage Account – Holding a brokerage account under an IBC name ensures complete confidentiality and privacy while trading. Your account will be treated as a foreign company as long as you do not open an office or conduct any business in your home country through your IBC. An offshore brokerage account will also allow you tax-free trading.

That’s it in a nutshell. For more information about offshore banking, please visit our website where you’ll find in-depth information and books that specialize in offshore banking: http://www.confidentialbanking.com/

Do you find it hard to get by each month and your spending is either out of control or starting to head that way? If you’re struggling with money then don’t despair, you can get back on top. If you’d like to have more money each month or want to get control of your finances here are a few tips to help you get on top of things and start getting your spending back under control.

When it comes to money we tend to fall into one of three main categories: spend less than we earn, spend what we earn, spend more than we earn.

Create some good financial habits by taking a look at where you are now. Where would you like to be? Follow these tips to help you get there.

· Keep a money diary for a week. It can be surprising where all the ‘cash’ goes. You probably don’t really think about it on a daily basis. After all you probably just go to the bank when you need more and if you’re lucky and your account is still in credit, you get what you request. But what exactly do you spend it on? Where does it all go?

Keeping a money diary can help you get an idea of the flow of your cash out of your bank account. Whether it’s cash, cheques, cards or just those monthly bills.

Get a small notebook, carry it with you and write down every single thing you spend, as soon as you spend it, every day for the next week. Every bill, standing order, newspaper, snack, bus fare, coffee …

· Your monthly expenditure. Work out what you spend monthly on everything: rent/mortgage, utility bills, food and essentials, meals out, entertaining, clothes, holidays, presents, credit card repayments etc. etc.

Gather together all your salary slips, receipts, bank statements, credit card statements, details of loan payments, mortgage, you money diary, etc… – anything which shows money coming in and money going out. Include any direct debits or standing orders from your bank accounts.

Including the basics, compare your total outgoings with your income. Where’s the fit? Are you overspending?

· Create an Emergency Survival Fund. How much do you need to pay for the basics like mortgage, rent, insurance, bills, food and car each month? Aim to save at least three times your basic monthly outgoing that you need to survive.

Should the worst happen and you lose your job, go sick for a period of time or decide to have a change of career, you will have a financial cushion to support you. Place it somewhere with easy access but with a good rate of interest.

· Reduce Your Debts. How much is your debt actually costing you? Decide that today is the day you’re going to take responsibility and you put yourself in a much better position to do something about it. What would you rather be spending that money on?

How many debts do you have – loans, outstanding credit cards etc? What interest are you paying on them and over how long? How many payments are outstanding and how much will you end up paying in total?

If you can create some spare income each month can you put it towards ‘busting’ some of your debt.

· Save 10% of your income. Pay yourself first. As a minimum put aside at least 10% of your monthly salary. Set up an automatic payment straight out of your bank account into a savings account.

Initially, place it somewhere with easy access, preferably earning the highest rate of interest available. Never under the mattress! You never know when you might need it and you’re starting to invest in your future. The only way to get rich is to save and invest! Start thinking long-term for your savings – five years or more, not just saving for the next holiday.

· Become a Savvy Buyer. Always take a little bit of time and effort to shop around for the best deals – don’t just buy the first thing that comes along. How often do you check out the best deals available for insurance, mortgage, fuel, credit cards? Check out all the brokers and online insurance companies for the best quote.

Use cost comparison sites such as http://www.kelkoo.com or http://www.dealtime.com. You can also save money by switching to a different energy supplier via sites such as http://www.uswitch.com.

· Get Sound Financial Advice. While you can discover a certain amount from newspapers, magazines and the Internet, it’s always worth discussing your financial requirements with someone who knows what they’re talking about.

Talk to a Financial Advisor. They usually offer a variety of products from different companies. Find someone by recommendation or have an informal chat with one or two, to find someone you feel comfortable with.

Make sure you are clear about what you want from your investments. Are you looking for growth, future security or an income? Your requirements may change over time.

Use these tips and you’re sure to get better control of your money.

Recent findings from the Educational Policy Institute indicated that the UK is the third most expensive place in the world to go to university. Combine this with figures from the Prudential, showing that a third of university students have considered abandoning their studies due to the financial strain they have encountered, and it is not surprising that many prospective students are finding the need to seriously think through the merits of going to University.

Whilst it is true that there are currently loans available from both the government and from banks that are designed to see students through their period of studies, for many this will mean emerging into their adult life with mountains of debt. Barclays Bank has stated it believes that once top-up fees are introduced it will cost about £33,000 to put a child through university in England and Wales. At a time when the number of students has greatly increased and the number of high paid graduate careers appears to have diminished, students now have to factor in the cost of living when making the important decision of where to study. In an article by the Scotland On Sunday, the experiences of a university student from Glasgow show that the question of finance already weighs heavy for some students in their choices of where, or even if, they can study. Moving out of the parental home to take full advantage of university life may become less of an option for students as costs increase and financial assistance decreases.

The president of the National Union of Students in Scotland, Melanie Ward, said: “I think most students underestimate the amount of debt they will leave university with, which will be above £13,000.”

With graduates needing to earn £22,000 a year in order to pay off anything more than just the interest on their student loans, many people are in their 30s or even 40s before their debt is fully cleared.

Graduates are also finding that they have to make tough decisions as soon as they complete their courses. With banks, building societies, credit card companies, and other private sector lenders requiring the sums borrowed to be repaid. The immediate question of, “Do I build on the knowledge, work experience and internships, that I’ve had over the last few years and pursue my dream career, or does the chasing of the perfect job I’ve been working towards for years, have to take second place to getting back into the black?”, is now an all too intrusive reality for many.

Some students are finding it so difficult to make ends meet that they are trying to seek alternative means of resolving their debt. Checkmyfile.com has shown that that the number of students declaring themselves bankrupt tripled in 2004. Another method of reducing graduate debt is getting the loans written off through undergraduate bursary programmes by the military or teacher training, in return for agreeing to a placement period following graduation. There are however some potentially serious drawbacks to both types of schemes. These include possible damage to future career prospects or compulsory placement period in a career which the graduate does not want to proceed with long-term.

All is not doom and gloom however, with university authorities and the Students’ Union offering advice at college, and after graduation. Public sector organisations like the Citizens Advice Bureau can provide advice if real difficulties occur. Speaking directly to your lenders can often resolve problems. Switching between loans and credit cards is a good way to help reduce interest payments. Financial websites like Moneynet can provide a useful source of information by enabling students and graduates to see which loan or credit card provider is currently offering the best deal and 0% introductory rate.

It seems budgeting and hard decisions are required by all potential students these days, with a degree in personal finance a desirable pre-requisite before starting actual studies.

Your food budget is the most flexible area of your household budget. Grocery savings will free up a significant amount of money if you need to balance the budget, or fund your savings accounts.

If you haven’t figured it out already, your kitchen is a Goldmine. There are numerous ways to reduce the grocery budget and free up funds to use in other areas.

How much should you be spending on groceries?

The USDA Food Plans at the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion suggests that a family of four is currently spending about $100 to $116 per week based on the “Thrifty Plan”, depending on the age of children. Anyone trying to reduce the food budget should follow the guidelines for the “thrifty plan.”

This should give you at least some idea what the average family spends.
I recommend you shoot for something less than that figure if at all possible by implementing as many of these grocery saving tips as possible!

Eliminate eating out! Period! – O.K. if you’re family is screaming mad at you then take them out at least once a month.
Make it an occasion. Most of us get caught up in fast paced living and eat out at least one or two times per week. It’s just an insane waste of money.
Your family will appreciate a dinner out much more when it’s not such a regular event. Consider it “quality time out”. And, remember to look for coupons good at local restaurants for additional savings.

Minimize the use of convenience foods. – You can make it yourself for a fraction of the cost, try it! Many of us are so accustomed to convenience foods that we forget we can make it ourselves.
If you already love to cook from scratch then congrats! For the rest, I know this is a scary thought. It’s hard to go back into the kitchen and actually get your hands dirty. However, I must insist you try this. There’s gold in them there hands! Use ‘em.

If you don’t have a lot of time, don’t worry there are literally hundreds of recipe books for the busy lifestyle. There are many that promote frugal living as well.

You’ll find substitute recipes for everything from baking mixes to shake and bake and salad dressing. All it takes is a little extra time. Even if you had to pay yourself for doing the cooking you would come out ahead.

Do your homework! – Know what’s on sale and plan your menu around the weekly sales flyers. Investing a little extra time in planning will help maximize grocery savings and reduce the food budget!
I make it a rule to never buy meat over $2 a pound. Although I allow myself $2, I usually only spend on average 39 cents to $1.69. Occasionally, (rarely) I indulge in something special if it’s a good value.

Eat meatless meals at least twice a week. – Beans and rice are a good example. Egg dishes are a nice change in routine for dinner. Try a vegetable stir fry or casserole.
Don’t use packaged mixes. – Cake, breads, muffins, pastry, pizza dough, pancake, and waffles all come in a variety of pre-packaged mixes. Make your own for not much more effort and a lot less money!
Know what your local stores offer. – Which ones have the lowest prices? Start carrying a little memo book to record prices of items you buy regularly. You can organize trips to save time and money when planning your grocery shopping.
Who accepts coupons and do they double? Do they have a rebate program? Do they have a clearance or bargain area? Which grocery stores accept additional discount programs like ValuPage?

Build your coupon file! – It seems coupons are available everywhere now. Your newspaper is a great starting point. Pay careful attention when looking through magazines. These are easy to miss. I often find coupons in home, ladies, or cooking magazines.
Check out the free grocery coupons on-line. Be sure to do your research, many stores do not accept computer generated coupons due to the high incidence of fraud. Be sure not to waste your valuable time on this one if you don’t have a local store that accepts them.

Be an informed consumer. I can’t stress this enough!

Informed consumer = More grocery savings!

Once you know where to shop, use all your resources. Combine rebates, sales, and coupons whenever possible for maximum grocery savings. This takes a bit more dedication but, you can literally get paid to purchase items if you’re willing to invest the time.

Grocery savings aren’t just for the grocery store. many drugstores now have food sections where you can save on groceries.

Here’s a great tip:

Always check your cash register receipt. Many stores offer a refund of full price policy for items that do not register the correct sale price.
I have cashed in on this one many times. Remember, these price adjustments are usually entered by humans. Human error is always a possibility, so cash in on it!

Because of a simple mistake, you have increased your grocery savings!

If you….

Plan ahead – Use your sale flyers to plan weekly meals.

Use what you have on hand first – Plan meals based on foods you have in your fridge, freezer, and cabinets already

Utilize your savings tips – Get more for your money using a combination of resources listed above

Make it yourself whenever possible
….You will be able to tap into that Goldmine hiding in your very own kitchen!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be able to have complete control over your finances?

If you are like most normal people, you have a job. You go to your job every day. Every week or two weeks or month you get a pay check for some amount.

You have taxes.
The government, in an effort to make your life easier, lifts something like a third of your pay check without your having to do a thing.

You have problems.
For example, you get a speeding ticket one day, and then your insurance goes up. Or your car blows a gasket. Or you lose your job!

Then you have desires.
All humans do, some more than others. You might desire new living room furniture, a new TV or stereo, new clothes… Whatever. You may desire all of it all at once. Occasionally you cannot control yourself and one of your desires is filled.

Therefore you have debt!
Debt makes up the difference between income and expense. For most people day-to-day debt goes on a credit card, and large items like cars and houses are handled with more formal loans. Debt itself is not bad. The problem arises when debt accumulates for no apparent reason. Problems and desires would push your credit card balance upward each month because there is no other place for the money to come from.

Notice what you do not have in the above scenario?
There is no mention of a savings program. Nor a retirement plan. There is no particular hope of reaching future financial goals. No safety net! And most importantly, no peace of mind, no sense of control, no control of your life and your finances.

Let’s face it!
Investment planning is not the activity of choice for most individuals. If we had our way, the various pieces of our financial lives would magically fall into place. All of our financial needs would be met effortlessly without having to devote even a minute of time to planning!

Unfortunately, real life doesn’t work that way!
Making sense of your finances requires more time and effort than ever in today’s constantly changing economic environment. You are likely to have many different – and sometimes conflicting – financial goals. Deciding how to meet those goals requires careful planning.

So, is there a solution to this problem?
The answer is “maybe!”…
But it does require a big mental shift and if you are willing to make the mental shift the answer is yes!

It turns out there is a different way to live life. This way of life involves figuring out what you really want to do, and what is really important to you as an individual, and then working toward those goals rather than proceeding randomly.

What you gain in the process is a sense of control and satisfaction, and a sense of achievement, that is difficult to beat.

Switzerland is the world’s largest offshore financial center; larger than London, New York or even Frankfurt.

The Swiss banking sector as a whole has established this dominant position through a long tradition of political, economic and financial stability and some key principles, one of which is Swiss banking secrecy.

Swiss bankers have also built a solid reputation for managing investment portfolios for their clients and providing a wide array of services such as estate planning, wealth management, trust companies, Gold numismatics, Derivatives and confidential brokerage accounts.

Swiss law is especially strict about any breech of confidentiality, whether in banking or in other commerce. All banking Employees must sign the secrecy portion of the banking act as a condition of employment. The banking act also adds a special section making it a criminal offense, with the possibility of jail, time for any employee or agent who has been deemed to have improperly divulged any confidential information. These portions of the banking law have been interpreted, both in practice and by the courts, to make it a serious offense to divulge any information about a bank customer to a third party, including official requests from foreign governments.

It’s no small wonder that Swiss bankers are very popular in the world of offshore banking.