Subscribe Feed (RSS)Millions of consumers are finding it difficult to make ends meet, living week to week on what they earn, hoping that they can keep up with their bills or even get a little bit of ahead of things for awhile. Now that we’re in a recession, the challenge to keep one’s head above the water is greater than ever before.
9 Sites That Can Really Help
SmartMoney recently shared a list of websites — nine in all — that can help consumers with their budgeting. I won’t repeat what the article, “9 Sites That Help With Everyday Budgeting,” said here, but I can encourage you to visit each site to find tools that work for you.
Though the SmartMoney list was quite good, I’d like to draw your attention to a site that did not make that list, SayLowerBills.com, a companion website to SayEducate.com. SayLowerBills.com provides a number of different ways that you can save money offering help on specific topics including:
- Lower Monthly Housing Costs — mortgage refinancing – rent – taxes – heating/cooling – home repairs – utilities.
- Lower Family Care Costs — insurance needs – medical visits – vet expenses – medications – care facilities
- Lower Recreation Costs — cutting recreation costs – dining in – personal movie house – reducing vacation costs
- Manage Your Income — career plans – back to school plans – small business opportunities – home businesses
- Lower Family Living Costs — food shopping – general groceries – clothing costs – baby care / feeding
- Lower Transportation Costs — auto loan refinancing – auto insurance – fuel costs – repairs – public transportation
- Manage Debt Obligations — credit card payments – student loans – personal loans – charitable donations
- Keep Those Savings Up — personal savings – college savings – saving for a home – retirement savings
Planning Centers and Budget Worksheets
SayLowerBills.com also offers links to related planning centers and offers free monthly budget worksheets to help consumers track everything. In addition, you’ll find links to the following free downloads that can help you exert better control over your money:
- home buying-selling-building
- remodeling specs
- moving checklists
- college planning forms
- house parties
Despite the current economic doldrums, you can succeed and even thrive under tough conditions. The federal government may offer solutions that will run up our national debt, but on the family level you can find your own solutions and come out ahead in the long run.
Tags: budget worksheets, budgeting, cash, credit, debt, housing, income, money, planning centers, recreation, Smart Money, transportation
With this economy we need to budget our money better, and may sure we can pay our bills and may be save some money. You never know what can happen in the future.
You are correct, LP. We need to be careful that additional drops in the stock and housing markets doesn’t shake our world. Setting aside some extra cash and cutting needless spending is a start.