When it comes to saving money and eating well, one of the best things you can do for your diet is to meal prep. Meal prepping can loosely be defined as making your meals during the weekend or really any day that works for you, and using those meals to eat on for the rest of the week. While it does sound simple, it’s also one of the best ways to save a ton of money on groceries, as well as eat better for the whole family. The United States has a big problem when it comes to obesity, and one of those main reasons is because there is a ton of food out there that is for convenience, but also horrible for our health. If you want to get the most out of your money, you may want to consider preparing your meals. Why pay more for food that’s only going to be bad for you? Step up your meals and save big money on those grocery bills when you start meal prepping.One of the biggest epidemics when it comes to the social problems the United States has is food waste. Although it may seem simple, meal prepping does a lot of things for us. It gives us healthy foods, it’s a great way to save money, and it’s SO much better for the environment. There are so many tons of food wasted in the United States every year, and if you can cut down on that by making your food ahead of time and cooking meals that you know your family will love, but won’t cost an arm and a leg, you’re doing great things for so many people.

The first thing you should do when you want to start meal prepping is to make a list of your favorite foods. It’s a good idea to make foods that you won’t want get too tired of by the end of the week, are relatively easy to make, and are cheap. If you don’t have any meals of your own, there are tons of recipes out there for meal prep recipes for just about any reason you might want it. From weight loss centric, to the most frugal meals, you can pretty much find everything you need when it comes to meal prep meals. If you want to get a leg up, find recipes that your family loves, and are easy to freeze, reheat, and won’t go bad quickly.

Once you have a few recipes that you love, you should go on your shopping trip. Generally, meal prep is a great way for busy people to maintain their schedules and save money on food. If you have all your meals planned out, you won’t be wasting money on ingredients that you won’t use and will go bad. So make sure that when you meal prep you’re getting great items that are nutritious for the whole family. Looking for a place to eat those delicious meals? Save even more when you use this Lexmod coupon for huge savings on dining essentials and more.

What would you do if an enormous financial dilemma landed at your feet right now? Would you know what to do? A financial crisis can happen at any time, and you’d better be prepared to cope. In the interest of standing up to money disasters with grace, we are pleased to present a few tricks and tips about how to meet your biggest financial challenges.

Biggest money hurdles families face

A recent Gallup report explains that a lack of money is the biggest challenge most families face. These days, and in these uncertain financial times, many American families live beyond their means and carry the debt load to prove it. Granted, there is no instant-fix solution to money woes, but you have to start somewhere, advise money experts at SheKnows magazine.

Build a budget and do not deviate from it. Simplify your lifestyle and learn to do well with less. Pay down debt as soon as you can, mind your monthly bills, and don’t add to your debt load. If bill collectors are dunning you, visit this page to identify their number.

Your new budget applies, whether you are the ‘spender’ or the saver in the family. Money differences can cause trouble, but they don’t have to if you agree to stick to a budget that is beneficial to the whole family. Meeting in the middle and setting realistic expectations is a good way to avoid arguments that add stress to an already dodgy situation.

Avoid overspending

Overspending is another way financial disaster can wreak havoc on your serenity. In a recessive economy, spending too much is asking for trouble, especially if your income is sketchy. Have a heart-to-heart talk with your partner, if you have one, and identify your monthly must-haves vs. luxuries that can wait. Writing this information on paper may make it easier to maintain your new budget.

Parents, you want your kids to avoid the financial dilemmas that plague you, right? Help them be better money managers when you give them a checking account in high school. Open the account with limited funds, and your child will learn the penalties for making overdrafts. This simple lesson in overspending may spare your kid a lot of financial woes when they are older, advises Bank Rate.

What about grown kids who move back home?  Many American families face this financial dilemma today. So-called ‘boomerang’ kids may return to the family nest, but the rules are different now. Adult kids probably shouldn’t expect a free ride, especially if they are able to earn an income and contribute to household expenses. By paying for their own rent, groceries, internet service, car insurance, and other monthly bills, adult kids have a great chance to actually be ‘adult’.

In uncertain financial times, sticking to a budget, living within your means, paying down debt, and supporting adult children can be a challenge. Don’t let money dilemmas daunt you. Face money smartly, and you up your odds of living happily.

Furniture is one of a family’s largest investments, right after a home and a car. Even though it’s a significant purchase, comfortable and reliable furniture is important, offering a respite from the fast-paced world and our busy lives. There are even health benefits, such keeping the body well-aligned, promoting good posture in kids, and warding off aches and pains.

Believe it or not, good furniture can also have an impact on psychological well-being. When our homes are appointed with quality furnishings, we feel more accomplished and it’s easier to relax. Stocking a home with sub-par pieces has the opposite effect, adding to our stress and sometimes making us feel defeated.

Luckily, there are a number of ways to save money on furniture. Whether you are shopping for a family with kids or are a college student looking to outfit a dorm room, several tips can make the process easier.

Make a Budget

Before shopping, set a specific budget. It might seem backwards to choose a number before checking out typical price points, but the truth is that quality and cost don’t always relate for furniture. Sometimes expensive pieces don’t back up their price tag with durability or fantastic value can be found in a low-cost item. To avoid confusion when you see wildly different prices, choose a dollar amount that makes you comfortable and stick to it.

Considering whether you’re ready to make your purchase today or would prefer a payment plan can also affect your choice. Financing offers differ from store to store, so be ready to ask questions.

Know What You Want

Buying furniture on a budget is not the time to make impulse purchases. Get a game plan together by making a list of must-have features. Next, shop around and find several stores’ versions of what you’re looking for. By comparing the details and prices of each, you can get the most for your money.

Write It Down

If you happen to find the perfect piece, hold off on making the purchase. Jot down details like the manufacturer, model name and number, fabric color, and price, then comparison shop online. You might be able to find the exact same item for less, either from a physical store or an online retailer.

Shop Online

It’s much easier to find sales when searching all at once from the comfort of your home. You will not only be directed to promotions at physical locations in your area, you might even find something you like from an online retailer.

Many furniture websites allow you to customize your search to a specific dollar amount, making it easier to find something within your budget. For example, the Furniture.com Under $100 collection allows you to shop by price, excluding items outside your budget. Not even considering furniture that won’t work for your needs makes it quick and easy to come to a decision.

Go to Warehouses, Outlets, and Clearance Sections

What you see on a showroom floor is only a fraction of the furniture a store has to offer. The rest is usually kept at an offsite warehouse. Ask a sales associate if the store ever has warehouse sales. Some companies do this once or twice a year to clear out older stock, while others maintain outlet stores just for that purpose.

Be sure to check the clearance section of each store you visit as well. Most physical stores will have one in the back full of various odds-and-ends at deep discounts. Online furniture websites often promote sales prominently, so be sure to check these pages first to find the best bargains.

Quality Furniture at a Reasonable Price

Whether you’re furnishing a new apartment or trying to keep up with a growing family, finding pieces that reflect your needs and personality matters. When you shop smart by developing a plan, comparing prices, and using helpful tools like the Furniture.com Under $100 collection, you can be confident that you’ll find stylish furniture at an excellent value.

It is easy to see something, want it, and buy it on the spot. However, spending like that will not help your wallet or your future. It is important to realize that there is a big difference between things you need in your day to day life and things that you simply just want. If you tend to be the kind of person that impulsively buys things or is just looking for ways to cut back in their daily lives, then keep reading!

If you want to start organizing your spending the first thing to do is make a list. I know sometimes making lists seems silly or daunting, but in the end they will help. First write out what you buy on a daily and weekly basis. This could be a coffee in the morning, groceries, gas, clothing, etc. Take note of everything and anything. Think about how much you spend each day then figure that into an entire week. Are you spending beyond your means? Are you doing alright but could really be saving more? If you answered yes to one of those then I advise you to plan strategically.

Strategic planning is essential for cutting back in your day to day. Sure no one wants to have to focus on their spending and live a carefree life, but it is necessary. When you are spending money on a coffee and then maybe lunch or dinner you probably do not realize how quickly things add up. The best thing to do is to find substitutions to these habits. Could you make your own coffee in the morning and pour it into a to go cup? Could you bring your own lunch to work? Could you try to find a more gas efficient or energy efficient car? Ask yourself questions like these and you will begin to start changing your lifestyle for the better.

For those of you who use your car as your main mode of transportation, I know cutting back on your vehicle can be a bit of a struggle. One idea is to try and find a public transit route. Make use of your smartphone apps that will help you easily navigate your way on buses and trains. Instead of driving every day maybe you could take the bus some days and drive the other days! However, if you car is an absolute necessity, then I suggest trying to find deals and discounts on cars when you are shopping. Nothing is better than buying something you love than buying it for the best price! If you think finding the right car at the right price is not going to happen, then think again. Cars.com is a great site that allows you to shop through new and used cars right from your home.

Once you are online you will find that cars.com has some great features for those who are shopping for cars or trying to sell their current vehicles. If you are someone that would like to purchase a new or used vehicle then fill some info into the search bar and cars.com will be sure to load some great options in your area. If you want a more narrowed down search, there is even an advanced search option. This way you will be sure to find the absolute perfect vehicle for you! On the other hand, if you are looking to sell your car to make some extra cash, then they can help you with that too. You can either sell your car directly to a dealership or you can create a classified ad. Plus if you have never sold a car before, they will provide you with some helpful tips so you find yourself on the road to success!

Overall saving in your daily life can be easy and requires little to no effort. There are small things you can do that can make a great impact and leave you with more money in the bank. Just a little switch up of your usual routine can go a long way. As long as your are a bit smarter about where and when you spend your money you will be sure to save!

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Saving for retirement is very critical today, especially since things have come a long way since the time of Baby Boomers when Government pensions were a certainty. Today, with fast paced technology growth and the growing ‘Gig’ economy, practicing a savings culture couldn’t be more important.

Although the older generation are quick to label them as reckless and “too absorbed” in their social media affairs, millennials have better money habits than most baby boomers did at their age. This is probably due to the availability of smart apps like B that make budget monitoring a lot easier. While having money apps is a good thing, there is more millennials could do about their retirement savings. Here are some:

1. Save a part of their earnings

Savings, savings, it can never be emphasized enough. One of the surest ways to prepare a soft landing for retirement is putting a significant part of your income aside. According to most scientists, the 50/30/20 rule is usually a good start. This says 50% of one’s income should be used for essentials such as utilities, groceries and bills. 30% goes into discretionary expenses like spa treatments and 20% is to be put into a savings account. There are other formulas, but the 50/30/20 is most common.

2. Open a certificate of deposit account

A savings account is a good idea; it has the annual ISA allowance which is tax free to an extent and savers can draw money at any time. But there is only so much it can do. Most savings interest rates are less than 1%. Asides from being a hideaway spot for your money, it isn’t earning you enough. Millennials can consider taking a lump sum from the amount in the savings and transferring it into a certificate of deposit account. The interest is substantial and the money is locked in for a tenured period.

3. Invest in the stock market

This is a no brainer. Stocks and shares are a lucrative, albeit long-term way to grow wealth. The best time to start is now. Millennials are at an advantage because they can start earning money early and have enough time to build a substantial investment portfolio. Options such as government bonds and commodity trading are great ways to expand one’s source of income. A portfolio, if well managed can grow from few hundred pounds to hundreds of thousands or more in a by retirement.

4. Get tax relief on pensions

This may sound ironic, but people earn money from tax relief by paying into a pensions account. This means that some of the money that could have gone to the government as tax goes into retirement savings instead.  While any amount can be put into the account, there are annual and lifetime limits on how much tax relief an individual may receive from pension contribution. In the long-term, they are better for it.

There is no better time to start preparing for retirement than the moment income is earned. The future is unknown, and as millennials, we can only start building our nest egg today.

If you are finally ready to buy your dream car, you may get overwhelmed by the enormity of the purchasing process. Because there’s a whole lot that goes into getting the car of your dreams.

Remember, you have to find the right color, you have to put in research to get the perfect model, and you have to qualify for the best auto loan possible when buying a new car.

As you can imagine, this can get very tricky at times. And you may accidentally forget to ask the most important questions of your lender.

So, we’ve decided to share three questions that we feel everyone should ask a lender before committing to an auto loan.

Please use these questions to get the perfect vehicle loan to meet your needs.

1. What type of interest rate will you give me on my auto loan?

Believe it or not, there are actually two different types of interest rates that you could potentially get on an auto loan.

There is the fixed interest rate, which is the rate that is set when you first take out the loan and it will stay the same until you pay off the car.

There’s also the variable interest rate loan.

With a variable interest rate loan, the interest rate on the loan is going to fluctuate. You definitely need to keep this in mind because your monthly payments are going to change as the interest goes up or down.

With a variable-rate loan, you might get lucky and the interest rate might go lower. This is obviously a good thing because you’ll be able to pay less for the car.

But on the other hand, the rate may rise without warning, so you better make enough money to afford any potential interest rate changes. Otherwise you’ll start missing your monthly payments and eventually they’re going to repossess your car.

According to Bestcar.loans, a website teaching readers how to find the best place to get a car loan with bad credit, “Many lenders offer auto loans, so you want to find the best for your car loan needs.” These are really valuable words that you want to keep in mind.

2. How long is the lifetime of the loan?

It’s always important to find out the term of your auto loan as well.

This can vary greatly depending on the lender and the agreement that you make when you purchase the vehicle.

In some cases, you may only get 2 or 3 years to pay back the loan. And if this is the case, your monthly payments are going to be a lot higher than they would be if you were to get a 7 to 9 year loan.

So, before you pick your auto lender, definitely find out about the different available terms, how much it will cost each month, the interest rate, and whether or not you’ll be able to afford the monthly payments for this loan.

3. Are you required to make a down payment?

Lastly, you should definitely check with the dealership and lender to find out if you’re required to make a down payment when purchasing the vehicle.

In some cases, dealerships will not sell you a car unless you’re willing to put down a certain down payment.

In other cases, this isn’t going to be an issue and you’ll get away with no money down. This is especially true if you’re trading in another vehicle.

So contact the dealership and ask them about a down payment. Because you may have to come up with additional cash in order to buy your new car.

Conclusion

Please use these questions to learn the most important information about the auto loan for your new car.