New article posted at "Everything Finance"
Everything Finance
New article posted at "Everything Finance" |
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Three Easy Ways to Prevent Food Waste Posted: 22 Apr 2014 08:08 PM PDT Three Easy Ways to Prevent Food Waste is a post originally published on: Everything Finance - Everything Finance - Its all about Money!
Here are three easy ways that any family or individual can do to avoid food waste. Everyone could use an extra $2K in their pocket at the end of the year, after all. 1. Freeze More: The freezer is my favorite food saver. You can freeze so many things. I like to do freezer meal cooking once a month, which not only helps my budget but also cuts down on food waste and last minute trips to the grocery store. I also try to strategically place food items I do not eat fast enough in the freezer to avoid rot. Ezekiel bread is just one thing I keep in the freezer, and I don’t have to worry about the natural bread rotting too quickly. I also have minced a batch of garlic to keep in the fridge, as well as diced onions. Garlic and onion are a pain to cut up and are one of my top wasted foods, so having them at hand in the freezer has been much smarter for my household. 2. Purpose Your Recipes Around Expiring Food: I know I am not alone when I say that sometimes I look in the produce drawer and the cucumber or tomato I had just bought is beyond usable. It can be easy to forget produce in the fridge for a few weeks without realizing that it is rotting away. My challenge to myself and you is to look in your fridge twice a week and take inventory on what needs to be used up quickly. Most bad spots or moldy spots on produce, cheese, or bread can just be cut off. Here are some suggestions on how to use up some less than desirable foods:
3. Don’t Mind the Expiration Date: As long as your food smells, looks, and tastes good, then it is good to eat. So many times we can throw away food items that are passed their expiration date without even looking at them. If your spinach still looks vibrant and doesn’t have a funky smell a few days after the expiration date, then there is no reason not to enjoy it. My husband also will drink milk past its date as long as it smells good. It may seem harmless to throw away a few dollars worth of food each week, but it adds up quickly. Is food waste a problem in your household, and if so, how do you want to tackle it?
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How to Save for a Vacation When You’re Broke Posted: 24 Apr 2014 07:51 PM PDT How to Save for a Vacation When You’re Broke is a post originally published on: Everything Finance - Everything Finance - Its all about Money!
We realized our predicament and were scared of the thought that we wouldn’t get to enjoy any of our child-free years traveling as we had envisioned, and instead just paying down debt. However, we weren’t willing to sacrifice all our happiness and dreams for the sake of being debt-free, so we figured out a way to save for a vacation even though by everyone’s standards, we were flat-broke. Vacations are not just a luxury. For many people, vacations help you de-stress and realize why you work so hard most of the year. They help you mentally and emotionally. Here are our tips on how to save for a vacation when you’re broke: Make Travel a PriorityPeople often wondered how we were able to travel to Costa Rica, Seattle, San Francisco, Vegas, New York, Palm Springs, etc, when we had so much debt, but the truth is we made travel a priority. If you are trying to pay off debt and don’t know how you’ll be able to afford a vacation, you have to learn to make it a priority. Which means, figure out a plan on how you’re going to pay off your debt, and every time you make your mini-goals (ie, paid off $10k by a certain debt), then you reward yourself with a vacation. Set Mini-Savings GoalsYou make your debt payments on time each month, right? So make your vacation savings a priority too. Every week, set aside $25, $50, or $100. Whatever you can afford that won’t affect your debt payments, but will still balloon in size. Making small weekly savings is much easier than making a bulk monthly payment. Use Credit Card Bonus PointsMy husband and I charge everything on a credit card, but we pay them off in full each month. We save all our points and only use them for travel. We were able to put $600 toward our most recent Cabo vacation, taking our bill from $2000 to $1300. Not bad for airfare for two and a four-night, five-day trip to an all-inclusive hotel, right? Take Advantage of Your ResourcesBy resources, I mean your family and friends. Take advantage. Do your friends live in any cool places? Ask to crash on their couch. Do your parents ask you to go on their annual trip to Hawaii? Tag along. Hotel can often be the most expensive cost of a trip. Staying with friends or family helps to severely offset the cost of your vacation. I’ve stayed with friends on vacations to Australia, New Orleans, San Francisco, London… If there are any smaller weekend getaways that you can drive to, that will also help you save money on your vacation. |
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5 Types of Financial Fraud That’ll Cost You Your Freedom Posted: 29 Apr 2014 03:27 AM PDT 5 Types of Financial Fraud That’ll Cost You Your Freedom is a post originally published on: Everything Finance - Everything Finance - Its all about Money! There are many types of financial fraud that you need to look out for. From people misrepresenting their income on their tax returns to epic schemes to defraud the government, it’s important to understand the different types of fraud, how they occur, and what you can do about it. Misappropriation of FundsThe most common of all financial fraud is misappropriation of funds. Statistics show that asset misappropriation makes up about 90 percent or more of all financial fraud. Simply put, misappropriation of funds happens when someone takes money and payments not meant for them. For example, someone cashing a Social Security check for a relative that has passed away is perpetrating misappropriation of funds. Bribery and Corruption
Another common type of financial fraud is bribery. It’s estimated that about 30 percent of uncovered fraud is from bribery and corruption. Though there are many stories of bribery and corruption, one of the most famous and expensive examples is Kellogg Brown & Root. This company was a spin-off from Halliburton. In 2009, the company was charged with a number of frauds, including paying off Nigerian officials with hundreds of millions of dollars so it could get a natural gas plant. Employee Theft and EmbezzlementEmployee theft and embezzlement makes up for $50 billion each year. The median amount that’s stolen is about $175,000. Embezzlement and employee theft happens all over the country in nearly every type of business. For example, Darryl McCauley was charged with embezzlement from his half-brother, Dane Cook. Over the years, he stole millions of dollars, which ended up in him serving prison time and having to pay the money back. Identity TheftOne of the most talked about types of financial fraud today is identity theft. This occurs when someone steals personally identifying information and uses funds that are in someone else’s name. When a credit card or social security number is stolen and used, this is identity theft. Because this is so prevalent, many people are trying to help crack down on it by earning a Bachelor’s in criminology and prosecuting the thieves responsible. Ponzi SchemesNearly everyone today has heard of Ponzi schemes. This is a common type of investment fraud that gives money to old investors that was received by new investors. This money is passed off as returns from an investment; although, in most cases, an actual investment was never made. There are a few characteristics that most Ponzi schemes share, including unregistered investments, complex strategies, and high yet consistent returns. In 2011, there were 1,846 pending cases of securities and commodities fraud, many of which were Ponzi schemes. Investigating these financial frauds isn’t an easy task. With so many types of financial fraud, some of which are being perpetrated to individuals and others happening on a corporation level, it takes a well-trained eye to see exactly what is happening in most of these cases. Have you ever been a victim of fraud? Share your unfortunate experience in the comments. |
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Update Your Spring Wardrobe on a Dime Posted: 28 Apr 2014 11:43 PM PDT Update Your Spring Wardrobe on a Dime is a post originally published on: Everything Finance - Everything Finance - Its all about Money!
Focus on Spring AccessoriesYou may not be able to afford several new shirts or skirts, but you may be able to afford several accessories. Invest in a few brightly colored scarves and spring statement jewelry. The right pieces can make a pair of jeans and tee shirt look like it came from a spring fashion catalog. Even a pair of floral leggings or bright leggings can transform the look of last year’s tunic or dress. Don’t underestimate the fact that little details can make a big difference. Work the Old with the NewIf you do buy a few spring pieces, you can make them look different every week by pairing them with something you already had in your closet. For example, a floral dress can worn with an old blazer or the dress can be worn as a skirt with an old shirt. If you look for fashion inspiration on Pinterest, you may be surprised that you have many of the pieces you need already in your closet. Easy DIY ProjectsAnother way to get a new spring wardrobe on a dime is to do some easy refashion projects. You can dye old pieces and give them a colorful spring look. For example, plain white canvas shoes can be dip dyed for a fun and unique look. With a pair of scissors and old tee shirts, you can make several fun pieces. Check out the seven easy shirt tutorials from LoveMaegan.com for spring inspiration. You can even buy a bleach pen for less than $2 and use it to make designs on black or navy tanks or shirts. The urge to splurge is hard to resist when every store updates their spring fashion lines. However, when you are on a tight budget, fashionable clothing is the last place you want to swindle your money away on. If you are going to splurge on a new piece of clothing this season, be sure to spend it on a piece that will remain in fashion for many seasons, such as a good pair of jeans or cropped summer jacket. |
