lucythomasblog-blog

[lucythomasblog-blog]

Organize Bills & Your Finances This Spring

The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the first flowers are starting to bloom. Yes, it’s official: spring has sprung, and with it, our need to clean! Few can resist the urge to dust, mop, and polish after a long winter spent hibernating.

Your home may not be the only thing in need of a good once over. Here at MoneyKey, we think the annual spring clean is the perfect time to tackle all those financial chores you’ve neglected. A little TLC will go a long way to recovering from the holidays and other wintertime expenses, as well as preparing for a busy summer.

Not sure how to add your finances to your springtime to-do list? You’re in luck. With a combination of organizational tips and money management practices, we’re your one-stop shop for financial spring cleaning ideas.

1. Dust off your budget

Your budget is your ideal spending plan that’s easy to forget when faced with real-life expenses. If you can’t remember the last time you checked in with your budget, then it’s time to bring it out and dust off the cobwebs.

It doesn’t take long for a budget to become outdated. This financial tool needs regular maintenance so it can remain relevant at all times. When your budget is current, it’ll help you stick to your plan and reach your financial goals.

If you don’t have a budget already, now’s the perfect time to organize your finances and make one. A budget helps you gain the freedom and confidence to make smart financial decisions.

What to include in a budget              

A budget tracks your expenses and compares them to your income. Ideally, you should make the same or more than what you spend. Otherwise, you may find it hard to pay bills or save money.

When creating your budget, you should include any income you earn in a month. That usually means the amount on your pay stub, but it may also include cash from under-the-table jobs or passive income from investments.  

Housing costs, utilities, food, and your cell phone bill — these regular, big-ticket items likely come to the front of your mind when you start listing your expenses, but don’t stop there. A budget isn’t just a record of the most important purchases you make in a month; it should track every expense, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.

Whether it’s the coins you funnel into a vending machine or the swipe of your credit card at the gas pump, make sure you list everything. That goes for irregular expenses, too! Accuracy is essential when listing these expenses.

Some other common but easily forgotten expenses include:

Union dues

Subscription services

Household maintenance

Banking fees and other financial charges, including online loan repayments

Prescriptions, medical and dental care

Birthday and holiday gifts

If you think you might be forgetting expenses because you don’t make them often, look beyond a single month when creating your budget. Some financial advisors suggest tracking income and expenses from the past three months to get a good grasp on how you spend and save on average.

For even greater perspective, look further back. If you look at the past calendar year, you’ll find it easier to identify spending trends. It may remind you of an expensive time of the year when you can expect to spend a little extra — like back to school, the holidays, or that inexplicable month filled with several family and friend’s birthdays.

[lucythomasblog-blog]

11 Tips To Help You Save At The Grocery Store

An empty fridge begs to be filled, but it’s not always easy to keep this appliance fully stocked when you’re on a tight budget. The average family of four can end up spending anywhere between approximately $129 and $204 on groceries every week. That means most families spend more than $6,500 on groceries every year.

Of course, this number depends on your diet, income, and location — which may be good news if you’re looking to take a bite out of your food budget. While the last two require making significant changes to your life, fortunately, you can help change your diet by changing what you put in your cart.

If you’re tired of buying less food just to save a few bucks on your grocery bill, try out the tips below. From grocery shopping hacks to food preparation tips in the kitchen, these suggestions may help you see significant savings on your next grocery bill.

1. Stick to a meal plan

The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t win the Super Bowl 41–33 this year because they improvised. Like any football team that makes it to the championship game, they earned their spot by following a plan as opposed to “winging” a game. They likely ran through drill after drill in the lead up to the season, trying out different offensive and defensive strategies until they were second nature. Being prepared is important to ensuring success in professional organized sports.

Though your closest grocery store may be a long way from a football field, following a plan also applies to your trip down the aisles. Going into a supermarket unprepared is an easy way to purchase items you don’t need and get ‘outplayed’ by your grocery store.

A meal plan is your ultimate defense against disorganized shopping, and the good news is it can be relatively simple. Essentially, it’s an outline of all the meals you are planning on eating in a week, organized on a daily basis.

Have you ever come home from the grocery store with ingredients that don’t work together to make a single meal? A meal plan can help make this a thing of the past. Planning your meals in advance forces you to map out the ingredients for every meal, so you’ll know exactly what to buy before you enter the store.

This plan may also help you avoid wasting food or buying meals on the go. When you plan your meals in advance, you’re less likely to skip those prepared meals for takeout.

If you incorporate upcoming sales and existing pantry items when making your plan, you may also save on weekly must-haves and avoid dropping a lot of dough on required ingredients.

If you’re ready to create a plan of attack, check out this guide to meal planning. You may also want to join an online community to see how others are finding creative ways to plan their weekly meals. These resources may help you organize your meals for maximum savings and flavor.

The most successful plan takes into account your budget and schedule, so you can create a menu that’s both tasty and economical. If you don’t already have a budget, take a look at this guide for help. It offers valuable insights into making a practical budget work with your finances.

You may also want to join an online community to see how others are creating their meal plans on a budget. A Facebook group dedicated to healthy and affordable meals may show you creative ways to eat on a dime. You may even find a few friends if you start sharing your own suggestions.

2. Schedule a cooking day

Finding the time and energy to cook is a challenge when you work full-time or — like many Americans — juggle multiple jobs at once. If a typical workday finds you arriving home after a long commute, after an even longer day at work, your energy level has probably hit rock bottom. Not only do you need fuel in the form of a nutritious meal, but you need rest — and lots of it.

So you’re exhausted – maybe you swing by a drive-thru on your way home. Or maybe you grab your laptop, order from Skip the Dishes, and settle in for another night of takeout. Sound familiar? A lot of people rely on fast food when they’re tired, but the convenience of fast food and takeout isn’t sustainable for your health or your budget. Though filling, these meals aren’t nutritious, and they can add up.

Healthy and budget-friendly dinners may be time-consuming, but you can limit just how much time and energy goes into these meals by:

Prepping meals ahead of time: If you don’t have the energy to cook dinner after work, try cooking these meals when you do have the energy. The trick is devoting some time on one of your days off to prepare several meals in advance. Try out some of these make-ahead meals and freeze the extras for later. If spending hours in the kitchen isn’t what you’d call fun, check out Kitchn’s Power Hour. It shares ways you can prepare a full week’s worth of meals in just one hour so meal prep doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment

Using a slow cooker: This countertop appliance cooks food at low temperatures over a long period of time, meaning you can throw all the ingredients in before you go to work and your meal should be ready for you in the evening.  You can rely on your slow cooker to cook a variety of meals such as stews or soups. If you don’t have a slow cooker, make it your next savings goal. You can use this actionable savings guide to help you set aside cash for this new appliance. It offers simple advice on how you can generate savings by making subtle changes to your spending habits. These tips are helpful whatever your goal may be — whether it’s a new slow cooker or a summer vacation. Or maybe your goal is to set money aside for an emergency fund, so you don’t have to use short-term loans as a way to cover unexpected bills. Switching between slow cooked meals and frozen extras means you won’t have to rely on takeout. There’s no doubt you’ll have an adjustment period while you get used to preparing meals ahead of time, but it’s worth the initial discomfort. Best of all, your wallet will thank you.

3. Use those leftovers

Let’s be honest — most people don’t like leftovers. Several nights spent in the fridge sometimes does weird things to your food. Meals that were once juicy and delicious fresh out of the oven come out of the microwave dry and tasteless.

Nobody complains when the container of leftovers “mysteriously” migrates to the back of the fridge, sitting next to the container of lettuce slowly turning to a liquid. Out of sight and out of mind, it’s easy to forget about that container of leftovers until it’s too late.

By the time you remember last month’s beef satay, those leftovers look more like a failed science experiment worthy of Dr. Frankenstein’s best, “it’s alive!”.

No longer edible, your leftovers belong in the garbage. That disgusting plop of the moldy food hitting your garbage bin is a sound heard by many Americans. Americans throw out 150,000 tonnes of food each day — a weight equivalent to approximately 25,000 adult African bush elephants.

To put that into perspective, that means every person in the U.S. throws out just under a pound of food each day.

The USDA estimates roughly 30–40 percent of the country’s entire food supply is wasted. A large proportion of this waste is usually thrown out by huge corporations like packaging plants and grocery stores. Edible food may be tossed if it’s misshaped or blemished in any way. Restaurants may also be culprits of food wastage as they are required to follow strict health and food safety regulations.

But homeowners contribute their fair share, too. The average family of four throws away as much as $1,800 of wasted food every year.

Food waste can be a significant drain on your finances. You can plug this financial leak by:

Following your meal plan: Leftovers don’t deserve the full blame. Spoiled spinach and expired sauces you never got around to using are guilty, too. When you organize your weekly meals, you’re less likely to buy random items that you won’t be able to use before they expire.

Loving leftovers again: The only way you’ll eat leftovers is if they’re tasty. Check out the Greatist’s long list of recipes that incorporate common leftovers. Their guide shares simple ways to use up extra ingredients that promise big flavor.

Doesn’t turkey chili sound a lot more appetizing than microwaving a dry leftover drumstick? These creative solutions to leftovers could not only be a delight for your taste buds but may also please your budget, potentially saving you more than $2,000 a year.

That’s nothing to scoff at. These kinds of savings could be instrumental when you face an unexpected repair or bill you can’t afford. Reducing your waste may line your pockets with cash you could put towards a safety net. If you have cash set aside in your emergency fund, you are less likely to use an online installment loan to take on these expenses.

Remember what you can potentially be saving with every bite of your leftovers.

[lucythomasblog-blog]

11 Tips To Help You Save At The Grocery Store

An empty fridge begs to be filled, but it’s not always easy to keep this appliance fully stocked when you’re on a tight budget. The average family of four can end up spending anywhere between approximately $129 and $204 on groceries every week. That means most families spend more than $6,500 on groceries every year.

Of course, this number depends on your diet, income, and location — which may be good news if you’re looking to take a bite out of your food budget. While the last two require making significant changes to your life, fortunately, you can help change your diet by changing what you put in your cart.

If you’re tired of buying less food just to save a few bucks on your grocery bill, try out the tips below. From grocery shopping hacks to food preparation tips in the kitchen, these suggestions may help you see significant savings on your next grocery bill.

[lucythomasblog-blog]

The Least and Most Expensive Sports for Kids

Each year, American families spend billions of dollars supporting their children’s athletics. Not only do they want their children to be healthy and active; they use sports help their children make friends and build confidence. However, the rising costs of youth sports are leaving some unable to partake in the fun, and other families overstretched financially.

Not all sports are expensive! Those sports that require little equipment, and are not played at the competitive level, can be affordable ranging from $150 -$500 annually with all expenses (registration fees and equipment costs) included. Naturally, the ‘cheaper’ sports are those that involve low start-up costs for required uniforms and gear. These sports include:

Track and Field

Swimming

Basketball

Soccer

Gymnastics

The most expensive sports will have you forking out a few hundred, or even thousands of dollars in registration fees and equipment before your child even gets to play. These more expensive sports include:

Hockey

Football

Baseball

Skiing/Snowboarding

Horseback Riding

Why are youth sports so expensive?

Several factors play into the rising costs of sports:

Level of Play At the competitive level, all sports become costly. Often the coaches are paid more, the uniforms become fancier, and the registration fees increase along with the commitment level. All those reasons and more can turn a few hundred dollars a year into a few thousand.

Equipment As your child gets older it is impossible to forgo the rising cost of equipment. And while you can buy used gear in some cases, some organizations will require participants to buy specific brands or equipment branded to the organization (e.g. a baseball glove monogrammed with a team logo).

Competition & Tournament Fees All teams must pay to compete for medals and trophies. In sports like hockey, arena rentals cost the tournament organizers, which in turn cost the players (or more likely their parents!). In gymnastics, meets often require new leotards and warm-ups prior to a competition.

Travel If your child will be competing at the travel level, you will also need to account for the fact that travel costs may or may not be included in the registration fees. If you plan to drive to watch your child compete, the cost of gasoline, eating out at team dinners, and overnight accommodations will likely come out of your pocket.

Training Sports at the highest-level can turn from one weekly practice into 5-days-a-week training regiments. Investment in private coaching or personal trainers to improve your child’s game can range from $75-$150 an hour.

[lucythomasblog-blog]

The Least and Most Expensive Sports for Kids

Each year, American families spend billions of dollars supporting their children’s athletics. Not only do they want their children to be healthy and active; they use sports help their children make friends and build confidence. However, the rising costs of youth sports are leaving some unable to partake in the fun, and other families overstretched financially.

Not all sports are expensive! Those sports that require little equipment, and are not played at the competitive level, can be affordable ranging from $150 -$500 annually with all expenses (registration fees and equipment costs) included. Naturally, the ‘cheaper’ sports are those that involve low start-up costs for required uniforms and gear. These sports include:

Track and Field

Swimming

Basketball

Soccer

Gymnastics

The most expensive sports will have you forking out a few hundred, or even thousands of dollars in registration fees and equipment before your child even gets to play. These more expensive sports include:

Hockey

Football

Baseball

Skiing/Snowboarding

Horseback Riding

Why are youth sports so expensive?

Several factors play into the rising costs of sports:

Level of Play At the competitive level, all sports become costly. Often the coaches are paid more, the uniforms become fancier, and the registration fees increase along with the commitment level. All those reasons and more can turn a few hundred dollars a year into a few thousand.

Equipment As your child gets older it is impossible to forgo the rising cost of equipment. And while you can buy used gear in some cases, some organizations will require participants to buy specific brands or equipment branded to the organization (e.g. a baseball glove monogrammed with a team logo).

Competition & Tournament Fees All teams must pay to compete for medals and trophies. In sports like hockey, arena rentals cost the tournament organizers, which in turn cost the players (or more likely their parents!). In gymnastics, meets often require new leotards and warm-ups prior to a competition.

Travel If your child will be competing at the travel level, you will also need to account for the fact that travel costs may or may not be included in the registration fees. If you plan to drive to watch your child compete, the cost of gasoline, eating out at team dinners, and overnight accommodations will likely come out of your pocket.

Training Sports at the highest-level can turn from one weekly practice into 5-days-a-week training regiments. Investment in private coaching or personal trainers to improve your child’s game can range from $75-$150 an hour.

[lucythomasblog-blog]

Simple Grocery Hacks to put an end to Expensive Food Bills

An empty fridge begs to be filled, but it’s not always easy to keep this appliance fully stocked when you’re on a tight budget. The average family of four can end up spending anywhere between approximately $129 and $204 on groceries every week. That means most families spend more than $6,500 on groceries every year.

Of course, this number depends on your diet, income, and location — which may be good news if you’re looking to take a bite out of your food budget. While the last two require making significant changes to your life, fortunately, you can help change your diet by changing what you put in your cart.

If you’re tired of buying less food just to save a few bucks on your grocery bill, try out the tips below. From grocery shopping hacks to food preparation tips in the kitchen, these suggestions may help you see significant savings on your next grocery bill.

1. Stick to a meal plan

The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t win the Super Bowl 41–33 this year because they improvised. Like any football team that makes it to the championship game, they earned their spot by following a plan as opposed to “winging” a game. They likely ran through drill after drill in the lead up to the season, trying out different offensive and defensive strategies until they were second nature. Being prepared is important to ensuring success in professional organized sports.

Though your closest grocery store may be a long way from a football field, following a plan also applies to your trip down the aisles. Going into a supermarket unprepared is an easy way to purchase items you don’t need and get ‘outplayed’ by your grocery store.

A meal plan is your ultimate defense against disorganized shopping, and the good news is it can be relatively simple. Essentially, it’s an outline of all the meals you are planning on eating in a week, organized on a daily basis.

Have you ever come home from the grocery store with ingredients that don’t work together to make a single meal? A meal plan can help make this a thing of the past. Planning your meals in advance forces you to map out the ingredients for every meal, so you’ll know exactly what to buy before you enter the store.

This plan may also help you avoid wasting food or buying meals on the go. When you plan your meals in advance, you’re less likely to skip those prepared meals for takeout.

If you incorporate upcoming sales and existing pantry items when making your plan, you may also save on weekly must-haves and avoid dropping a lot of dough on required ingredients.

If you’re ready to create a plan of attack, check out this guide to meal planning. You may also want to join an online community to see how others are finding creative ways to plan their weekly meals. These resources may help you organize your meals for maximum savings and flavor.

The most successful plan takes into account your budget and schedule, so you can create a menu that’s both tasty and economical. If you don’t already have a budget, take a look at this guide for help. It offers valuable insights into making a practical budget work with your finances.

You may also want to join an online community to see how others are creating their meal plans on a budget. A Facebook group dedicated to healthy and affordable meals may show you creative ways to eat on a dime. You may even find a few friends if you start sharing your own suggestions.

2. Schedule a cooking day

Finding the time and energy to cook is a challenge when you work full-time or — like many Americans — juggle multiple jobs at once. If a typical workday finds you arriving home after a long commute, after an even longer day at work, your energy level has probably hit rock bottom. Not only do you need fuel in the form of a nutritious meal, but you need rest — and lots of it.

So you’re exhausted – maybe you swing by a drive-thru on your way home. Or maybe you grab your laptop, order from Skip the Dishes, and settle in for another night of takeout. Sound familiar? A lot of people rely on fast food when they’re tired, but the convenience of fast food and takeout isn’t sustainable for your health or your budget. Though filling, these meals aren’t nutritious, and they can add up.

Healthy and budget-friendly dinners may be time-consuming, but you can limit just how much time and energy goes into these meals by:

Prepping meals ahead of time: If you don’t have the energy to cook dinner after work, try cooking these meals when you do have the energy. The trick is devoting some time on one of your days off to prepare several meals in advance. Try out some of these make-ahead meals and freeze the extras for later. If spending hours in the kitchen isn’t what you’d call fun, check out Kitchn’s Power Hour. It shares ways you can prepare a full week’s worth of meals in just one hour so meal prep doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment

Using a slow cooker: This countertop appliance cooks food at low temperatures over a long period of time, meaning you can throw all the ingredients in before you go to work and your meal should be ready for you in the evening.  You can rely on your slow cooker to cook a variety of meals such as stews or soups. If you don’t have a slow cooker, make it your next savings goal. You can use this actionable savings guide to help you set aside cash for this new appliance. It offers simple advice on how you can generate savings by making subtle changes to your spending habits. These tips are helpful whatever your goal may be — whether it’s a new slow cooker or a summer vacation. Or maybe your goal is to set money aside for an emergency fund, so you don’t have to use short-term loans as a way to cover unexpected bills. Switching between slow cooked meals and frozen extras means you won’t have to rely on takeout. There’s no doubt you’ll have an adjustment period while you get used to preparing meals ahead of time, but it’s worth the initial discomfort. Best of all, your wallet will thank you.

3. Use those leftovers

Let’s be honest — most people don’t like leftovers. Several nights spent in the fridge sometimes does weird things to your food. Meals that were once juicy and delicious fresh out of the oven come out of the microwave dry and tasteless.

Nobody complains when the container of leftovers “mysteriously” migrates to the back of the fridge, sitting next to the container of lettuce slowly turning to a liquid. Out of sight and out of mind, it’s easy to forget about that container of leftovers until it’s too late.

By the time you remember last month’s beef satay, those leftovers look more like a failed science experiment worthy of Dr. Frankenstein’s best, “it’s alive!”.

No longer edible, your leftovers belong in the garbage. That disgusting plop of the moldy food hitting your garbage bin is a sound heard by many Americans. Americans throw out 150,000 tonnes of food each day — a weight equivalent to approximately 25,000 adult African bush elephants.

To put that into perspective, that means every person in the U.S. throws out just under a pound of food each day.

The USDA estimates roughly 30–40 percent of the country’s entire food supply is wasted. A large proportion of this waste is usually thrown out by huge corporations like packaging plants and grocery stores. Edible food may be tossed if it’s misshaped or blemished in any way. Restaurants may also be culprits of food wastage as they are required to follow strict health and food safety regulations.

But homeowners contribute their fair share, too. The average family of four throws away as much as $1,800 of wasted food every year.

Food waste can be a significant drain on your finances. You can plug this financial leak by:

Following your meal plan: Leftovers don’t deserve the full blame. Spoiled spinach and expired sauces you never got around to using are guilty, too. When you organize your weekly meals, you’re less likely to buy random items that you won’t be able to use before they expire.

Loving leftovers again: The only way you’ll eat leftovers is if they’re tasty. Check out the Greatist’s long list of recipes that incorporate common leftovers. Their guide shares simple ways to use up extra ingredients that promise big flavor.

Doesn’t turkey chili sound a lot more appetizing than microwaving a dry leftover drumstick? These creative solutions to leftovers could not only be a delight for your taste buds but may also please your budget, potentially saving you more than $2,000 a year.

That’s nothing to scoff at. These kinds of savings could be instrumental when you face an unexpected repair or bill you can’t afford. Reducing your waste may line your pockets with cash you could put towards a safety net. If you have cash set aside in your emergency fund, you are less likely to use an online installment loan to take on these expenses.

Remember what you can potentially be saving with every bite of your leftovers.

4. Arrive prepared

Some might say that all you need to shop is your wallet, filled with enough cash or credit to cover your bill. Although cash or credit will help you pay for your groceries, they won’t help you stay on a budget. That’s why here at MoneyKey, we suggest coming prepared with these tools:

A list: Whether it’s a scrap piece of paper or an app on your phone, a list gives you focus. It helps you to stick to just the items you need for your meal plan and ignore those tasty snacks and sweet treats that could be a waste your money and not the healthy option.

A calculator: Either your phone’s app or your child’s honking graphing calculator will do. Whatever you use, keying in the prices of each item you add to your cart can help to keep you on track with your budget. It also makes sure you’re never surprised by the final total at the till.

5. Never shop hungry

Voracious, ravenous, or famished. Whatever you call that ache in your belly, going grocery shopping while you’re hungry could be bad news. An empty stomach can convince you that buying that bulk-pack of mini chocolate bars or that box of frozen spring rolls or even that family-sized bag of salt and vinegar chips are a good idea.

A study was conducted providing evidence to support that hungry shoppers will add more junk food to their carts than those who eat before they go grocery shopping. When you think with your stomach instead of your head, you’ll likely buy things you don’t need. Schedule your day so you aren’t shopping while hungry. This is an easy way to keep unnecessary snacks from bloating your bill.

[lucythomasblog-blog]

11 Tips To Help You Save At The Grocery Store

An empty fridge begs to be filled, but it’s not always easy to keep this appliance fully stocked when you’re on a tight budget. The average family of four can end up spending anywhere between approximately $129 and $204 on groceries every week. That means most families spend more than $6,500 on groceries every year.

Of course, this number depends on your diet, income, and location — which may be good news if you’re looking to take a bite out of your food budget. While the last two require making significant changes to your life, fortunately, you can help change your diet by changing what you put in your cart.

If you’re tired of buying less food just to save a few bucks on your grocery bill, try out the tips below. From grocery shopping hacks to food preparation tips in the kitchen, these suggestions may help you see significant savings on your next grocery bill.

1. Stick to a meal plan

The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t win the Super Bowl 41–33 this year because they improvised. Like any football team that makes it to the championship game, they earned their spot by following a plan as opposed to “winging” a game. They likely ran through drill after drill in the lead up to the season, trying out different offensive and defensive strategies until they were second nature. Being prepared is important to ensuring success in professional organized sports.

Though your closest grocery store may be a long way from a football field, following a plan also applies to your trip down the aisles. Going into a supermarket unprepared is an easy way to purchase items you don’t need and get ‘outplayed’ by your grocery store.

A meal plan is your ultimate defense against disorganized shopping, and the good news is it can be relatively simple. Essentially, it’s an outline of all the meals you are planning on eating in a week, organized on a daily basis.

Have you ever come home from the grocery store with ingredients that don’t work together to make a single meal? A meal plan can help make this a thing of the past. Planning your meals in advance forces you to map out the ingredients for every meal, so you’ll know exactly what to buy before you enter the store.

This plan may also help you avoid wasting food or buying meals on the go. When you plan your meals in advance, you’re less likely to skip those prepared meals for takeout.

If you incorporate upcoming sales and existing pantry items when making your plan, you may also save on weekly must-haves and avoid dropping a lot of dough on required ingredients.

If you’re ready to create a plan of attack, check out this guide to meal planning. You may also want to join an online community to see how others are finding creative ways to plan their weekly meals. These resources may help you organize your meals for maximum savings and flavor.

The most successful plan takes into account your budget and schedule, so you can create a menu that’s both tasty and economical. If you don’t already have a budget, take a look at this guide for help. It offers valuable insights into making a practical budget work with your finances.

You may also want to join an online community to see how others are creating their meal plans on a budget. A Facebook group dedicated to healthy and affordable meals may show you creative ways to eat on a dime. You may even find a few friends if you start sharing your own suggestions.

2. Schedule a cooking day

Finding the time and energy to cook is a challenge when you work full-time or — like many Americans — juggle multiple jobs at once. If a typical workday finds you arriving home after a long commute, after an even longer day at work, your energy level has probably hit rock bottom. Not only do you need fuel in the form of a nutritious meal, but you need rest — and lots of it.

So you’re exhausted – maybe you swing by a drive-thru on your way home. Or maybe you grab your laptop, order from Skip the Dishes, and settle in for another night of takeout. Sound familiar? A lot of people rely on fast food when they’re tired, but the convenience of fast food and takeout isn’t sustainable for your health or your budget. Though filling, these meals aren’t nutritious, and they can add up.

Healthy and budget-friendly dinners may be time-consuming, but you can limit just how much time and energy goes into these meals by:

Prepping meals ahead of time: If you don’t have the energy to cook dinner after work, try cooking these meals when you do have the energy. The trick is devoting some time on one of your days off to prepare several meals in advance. Try out some of these make-ahead meals and freeze the extras for later. If spending hours in the kitchen isn’t what you’d call fun, check out Kitchn’s Power Hour. It shares ways you can prepare a full week’s worth of meals in just one hour so meal prep doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment

Using a slow cooker: This countertop appliance cooks food at low temperatures over a long period of time, meaning you can throw all the ingredients in before you go to work and your meal should be ready for you in the evening.  You can rely on your slow cooker to cook a variety of meals such as stews or soups. If you don’t have a slow cooker, make it your next savings goal. You can use this actionable savings guide to help you set aside cash for this new appliance. It offers simple advice on how you can generate savings by making subtle changes to your spending habits. These tips are helpful whatever your goal may be — whether it’s a new slow cooker or a summer vacation. Or maybe your goal is to set money aside for an emergency fund, so you don’t have to use short-term loans as a way to cover unexpected bills. Switching between slow cooked meals and frozen extras means you won’t have to rely on takeout. There’s no doubt you’ll have an adjustment period while you get used to preparing meals ahead of time, but it’s worth the initial discomfort. Best of all, your wallet will thank you.

3. Use those leftovers

Let’s be honest — most people don’t like leftovers. Several nights spent in the fridge sometimes does weird things to your food. Meals that were once juicy and delicious fresh out of the oven come out of the microwave dry and tasteless.

Nobody complains when the container of leftovers “mysteriously” migrates to the back of the fridge, sitting next to the container of lettuce slowly turning to a liquid. Out of sight and out of mind, it’s easy to forget about that container of leftovers until it’s too late.

By the time you remember last month’s beef satay, those leftovers look more like a failed science experiment worthy of Dr. Frankenstein’s best, “it’s alive!”.

No longer edible, your leftovers belong in the garbage. That disgusting plop of the moldy food hitting your garbage bin is a sound heard by many Americans. Americans throw out 150,000 tonnes of food each day — a weight equivalent to approximately 25,000 adult African bush elephants.

To put that into perspective, that means every person in the U.S. throws out just under a pound of food each day.

https://www.moneykey.com/blog/grocery-store-savings-guide/?utm_source=seo&utm_medium=offpage&utm_campaign=tumblir

[lucythomasblog-blog]

Short-term Loans For Managing Unexpected Expenses

The ways to financial woes are both numerous and swift. It is not uncommon for the average American to experience an unforeseen expense that they may have difficulty dealing with – these circumstances can range from an untimely accident or illness to an unexpected car or home repair bill, or perhaps an unforeseen computer issue. The list goes on.

By the same token, the ways out of a short-term financial predicament are limited: one can borrow money from a relative or friend, find a way to increase their income. While the latter two options can potentially help in the short term, the first option is usually the fastest way to fund a financial shortfall.

For some, turning to their bank to obtain an unsecured line of credit at a reasonable rate of interest with flexible terms that allows borrowed money to be paid back over time may be an option. Another potential alternative is to get a line of credit secured against an asset – like your home or car – secured lending generally offers a lower interest rate and provides for more flexible repayment terms than an unsecured financial product.

However, for many who lack credit history or have bad credit, these options simply aren’t options. Many banks will not lend to a potential borrower who doesn’t own sufficient assets (such as a home or a car), has experienced issues paying bills on time or has taken on too much debt.

This is where payday loans and other short-term loans may be a viable option. Generally available almost instantly to anyone meeting certain minimum age, income and state of residence requirements, payday and installment loans are a fast and convenient way to borrow relatively small amounts of money to cover off unexpected expenses – typically without the caveat of deep-dive credit checks.

Even for those with access to other short-term loan options, a payday or installment loan can still be a good option to consider, particularly for one-off unexpected costs like repairing or replacing an appliance or dealing with a sudden health emergency.

For starters, it’s important to know the differences between a payday loan and an installment loan. In simple terms, a payday loan is a relatively small loan, usually no more than $1000 that typically is to be repaid when the borrower receives their next paycheck.

[lucythomasblog-blog]

Online Direct Lenders

Online Direct Lenders often offer small dollar loans such as Payday Loans, Installments Loans and/or Lines of Credit to help alleviate the stress of short-term financial challenges.

Typically, the process involves completing an online loan application. If approved by the online direct lender you may have access to your money by the following business day*.

* When and how the funds are made available to you is subject to the terms of the Online Direct Lender and the banks involved in the process.

What are Online Direct Lenders?

Online Direct Lenders evaluate and underwrite your online loan application and, if you are approved, will provide you with a loan in accordance with their terms. You should only borrow from online direct lenders that are state licensed. This means that they are licensed to operate and conduct business in your state of residence, and that they comply with all federal and state lending rules and regulations.

What to look for when applying for a loan from an online direct lender:

Online direct lenders should mention all types of loans available in your state (e.g. Payday Loan, Installment Loan, Line of Credit) and clearly explain all applicable rates and terms, including those related to any cash advance.

Ensure that your personal information is adequately protected.

An online direct lender should mention all of the loan rates and terms on their website. If they are state licensed, they will also have links that display their state licenses which show that they are legally allowed to lend in that state. A direct lender will review your information, determine your eligibility and, if you are approved, they will fund your loan.

Is MoneyKey an Online Direct Lender?

MoneyKey is a state licensed online direct lender in the following states: Alabama, California, Delaware, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland**, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, South Dakota**, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.

MoneyKey is also licensed as a Credit Services Organization (CSO) and/or a Credit Access Business (CAB) in the states of Ohio and Texas. As a CSO or CAB, MoneyKey attempts to arrange a loan between you and an unaffiliated third-party lender, guarantees any approved loan and is responsible for the ongoing servicing of any loan that is originated.

**MoneyKey is no longer accepting applications for new Loans or Lines of Credit in these states.

Source : Direct Online Lenders

[lucythomasblog-blog]

Managing Unexpected Expenses

The ways to financial woes are both numerous and swift. It is not uncommon for the average American to experience an unforeseen expense that they may have difficulty dealing with – these circumstances can range from an untimely accident or illness to an unexpected car or home repair bill, or perhaps an unforeseen computer issue. The list goes on.

By the same token, the ways out of a short-term financial predicament are limited: one can borrow money from a relative or friend, find a way to increase their income. While the latter two options can potentially help in the short term, the first option is usually the fastest way to fund a financial shortfall.

For some, turning to their bank to obtain an unsecured line of credit at a reasonable rate of interest with flexible terms that allows borrowed money to be paid back over time may be an option. Another potential alternative is to get a line of credit secured against an asset – like your home or car – secured lending generally offers a lower interest rate and provides for more flexible repayment terms than an unsecured financial product.

However, for many who lack credit history or have bad credit, these options simply aren't options. Many banks will not lend to a potential borrower who doesn't own sufficient assets (such as a home or a car), has experienced issues paying bills on time or has taken on too much debt.

This is where payday loans and other short-term loans may be a viable option. Generally available almost instantly to anyone meeting certain minimum age, income and state of residence requirements, payday and installment loans are a fast and convenient way to borrow relatively small amounts of money to cover off unexpected expenses – typically without the caveat of deep-dive credit checks.

Even for those with access to other short-term loan options, a payday or installment loan can still be a good option to consider, particularly for one-off unexpected costs like repairing or replacing an appliance or dealing with a sudden health emergency.

For starters, it's important to know the differences between a payday loan and an installment loan. In simple terms, a payday loan is a relatively small loan, usually no more than $1000 that typically is to be repaid when the borrower receives their next paycheck.

Payday loans are beneficial to those with a specific emergency or other type of expense they need to cover as soon as possible, as it basically provides the borrower with an advance on their next paycheck to alleviate a short term financial bind. Those who can afford to repay the entire amount borrowed along with interest all at once often prefer payday loans over other loan options because the quick, one-time repayment nature of the loan means they will only stay in debt for a short period of time.

An installment loan is a loan repaid over time with a set number of scheduled payments, with fees and, depending on the lender, interest and other charges. Lenders must always disclose the associated annual percentage rate, or APR of such loans. The structure of an installment loan provides a bit more breathing room to those who may not be able to – or may not want to – pay back a lump sum right away. The term of an installment loan can be as short as a few months or as long as several years.

While installment loans can be useful in covering off unexpected emergencies, because they have longer terms than payday loans, they may be a viable alternative for other expenses, planned or otherwise, such as extra costs associated with a wedding or a trip that's coming up sooner than you have time to save for.

While borrowers will have to make multiple periodic payments on time with interest and potentially other charges, an installment loan payment typically leaves more of the borrower's paycheck available to them for other things.

Both payday and installment loans are popular options for those who need access to money due to an emergency or unexpected expense. While they generally charge more interest, the speed and efficiency of obtaining cash quickly justifies the cost in the minds of many.

There are several things to bear in mind when applying for a short-term loan such as a payday or installment loan:

  1) Compare your options. There are many options available when it comes to getting a payday or installment loan, so it's important to compare them to find the one that best fits your needs. Look at the loan amount, features, the APR, and how quickly the loan is expected to be repaid to ensure the loan matches your needs

  2) Review the eligibility criteria. While lenders may still accept applications if you have bad credit history, they still have criteria that will need to be met. Check the minimum age, income and residency requirements as well as the loan amount and terms that are offered. Also, each state has its own rules and requirements, so be sure to check where the lender is licensed.

 3) Only apply for how much you need and can afford. Lenders shouldn't offer you a loan larger than they think you can afford, but you should still work out what repayments you can manage and check that it makes sense for you to accept the terms offered in your circumstances. Only apply for a loan with repayment terms that will work for you. No matter what type of loan you apply for, it is important that you budget in advance to ensure you can afford to pay it back on time.

 4)  Budget to cover your repayments. When you are approved for a payday or installment loan as described here, your repayments will generally start on your next payday, so make sure your budget considers the amounts of your repayments. Just as it is easy to forget you still need to pay for a purchase you made on a credit card until you get the bill, it is easy to forget that you need to repay your short-term loan before your payments are due. If you can't cover off your monthly needs and the loan payment, you should explore other options.

Payday and installment loans aren't the answer for everyone. If you find yourself in a situation where you need access to a little bit of extra money on an ongoing basis, for example, if you are renovating your home, then it is best to consider longer term options such as a personal line of credit. Generally, a line of credit offers more flexibility and saves the time of applying for a short-term loan each time you need some extra money.

Don't forget that aside from your immediate financial needs, you also need to think long term and manage your credit score. While there are many different criteria that may affect an individual's credit score and financial health, experts recommend a few key things that one should consider for long term financial health: focus on how much debt you carry relative to your income, how much interest and other charges you are paying on your purchases, and ensure you make your payments on or before they are due.

While few people have a perfect credit score, those with good credit scores generally pay their credit card balances in full each month, make their other payments on time and don't have too many credit cards at the same time. If you owe money on many different credit cards, pay high rates of interest and struggle with the monthly payments, talk to a credit specialist and/or financial advisor to see if there's a way to consolidate your high-interest and difficult-to-manage debts.

Always only spend what you can afford. While those shoes may seem like a bargain, paying 20% or higher interest on them is going to make your purchase expensive and not such a great deal in the long run.

Keep in mind that you should make all payments on necessary expenses like rent, car loans and medical bills on time – not paying on time and/or not paying at all can affect your credit score, making it even more difficult to get a longer-term loan with better and more flexible terms.

It all comes back to understanding your situation and finding the best option available for you. Always remember to borrow responsibly and ask questions if and/or when you are unsure of how to access or repay your loan. When it comes to short-term loans, the key is to do your research to ensure it's the best fit for your situation.