4 Ways To Improve Your Credit Score

#1: Watch Your Credit Card Balances:

One factor that has a major influence on your credit score is how much revolving credit you have vs how much you’re using. The smaller this percentage is, the better your credit score is. As a rule of thumb, you should consider having it at 30% or lower.

What you can do to improve your credit score faster is to make sure that you pay all the balances and that you maintain them as low as possible. You can also talk to the credit card issuer to see if you can make several payments a month.

#2: Get Rid Of Credit Card Balances:

Better than to keep watching your credit card balances is to actually get rid of them. You probably have more than one credit card. And if you’re charging $50 in one and $60 on the other one, you can actually combine the amounts and use only one credit card.

#3: It’s Ok To Have Old Debt On Your Report:

Most people believe that having old debt displayed on their credit report is a bad thing. So, as soon as they end up paying their car loan or home mortgage, for example, they immediately grab the phone to make sure they can get these loans out of their credit report.

However, this is not the right way to do it. In fact, you’ll need 7 years to have the negative items removed from your credit report. But, you do have bad debt and good debt. And the loans that you paid entirely are good debt. You act accordingly to what was established and you paid everything as agreed. So, this is actually a good thing for your credit. Just like it is when you have some good old accounts. You may actually not need them but they are good for your credit report because you already have a good repayment record.

#4: Pay Your Bills Always On Time:

One important and easy-to-comply factor that influences your credit score is to pay your bills on time. And in what comes for credit report, it’s as bad as not paying them as it is when you’re delayed. If you’re trying to save money for a major purchase, that’s fine. But just don’t be late with your bills just because of that.

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7 Ways to Save Money When Eating Out

How To Create A Family Budget

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When we do eat out, I always try to make sure it’s done as budget friendly as possible.

7 Ways to Save Money When Eating Out

1. Look at the menu before you go to the restaurant! This might sound like an odd tip but believe me it helps. It never fails, we leave the house to go out to eat and I’m not super hungry but by the time we get to the restaurant and sit down to order food I’m STARVING! I end up ordering more than I normally would. I’ve now got into the habit of looking at the menu before arriving and knowing exactly what I’m going to order. This helps me not over order and waste money.

2. Go during happy hour! You can score some great deals if you go out to eat during happy hour. Sometimes discounts are only offered on appetizers but who cares, some of those appetizers are super yummy and very filling.

3. Skip the drinks! I know it’s tempting to order a glass of wine or soda with dinner but drinks can quickly increase your bill. A glass of wine can easily cost you $6 or more at a restaurant. A soda normally runs $3 or more, you could buy a six-pack of soda for that price.

4. Say no to dessert! Don’t get me wrong, I love a good dessert but hate the restaurant prices. After dinner, we usually head over to a local ice cream shop and get a scoop of ice cream for a fraction of the price. Even better, pick up a gallon of ice cream on your way home.

5. Check out any two for one deal! A lot of restaurants (even high-end restaurants) offer 2-for-1 deals or things like two meals for a set price. You usually get an appetizer, two main dishes and a dessert to share. If the restaurant has it available take advantage.

6. Check to see if the restaurant has an app! A lot more restaurants are offering their customers discounts if they download their app. It’s worth checking into. I’ve received free appetizers, drinks and more just from installing an app.

7. Go early! Going out for an early dinner pays off when you get to order off of the lunch menu. A lot of the time the lunch menu is the exact same as the dinner menu only with small portions and a smaller price tag.

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What are your tips for saving money when eating out?

Check out some of our other popular posts!

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How To Create A Family Budget

Be Open With The Whole Family

You might think that it’s best to hide financial matters from your kids but actually being open and honest about your finances can help you raise financially savvy children. Of course you don’t want to overwhelm your children with every detail of your financial situation but there is nothing wrong with including them in the budget process.

Have a Family Meeting

Set up a family meeting to discuss the budget. If you’ve never done a family meeting before, this is a good place to start. Money isn’t always a fun topic but your spouse and children will be happy to be included. Maybe you give the kids a few bucks a month in the budget for ice cream night.

It Affects Everyone

Be open and honest about how the family finances affect everyone in the household. Explain how your family finances affect everyone in the household. Be clear and specific, citing fees, tuition, allowances, groceries, etc. and how they all cost money. You don’t have to lecture the family but you also don’t want to sugar coat anything.

Cutting Back

If the budget involves cutting back, it’s probably a good idea to cut back in areas that affect the whole family rather than just one member. Maybe let everyone know that you are cutting costs 5% across the board or whatever % you’ve came up with.

Set Goals Together

When you’re looking at areas to cut back, get the whole family involved. Ask for opinions. Maybe no-one in the family has watched Netflix in the last six months and everyone is an agreement it can be cut. Try to consider everyone’s wishes and set realistic budgets. You can’t always make everyone happy but you can at least work as a team.

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Don’t get me wrong there is a part of me that wishes I could buy my kids everything their little heart desired but would that really benefit them? I strongly believe that by not giving into their every desire is teaching some life-long financial lessons and my goal is to raise financially savvy kids. I have put together some tips for raising financially savvy kids and I hope it helps you out within your own home.

5 Tips for Raising Financially Savvy Kids

1. Talk about finances with them. I know a lot of people say kids shouldn’t worry about adult stresses and while I do agree, I think kids should also have a basic understanding of adult finances. Now this doesn’t mean you have to tell them that you’re struggling to pay the mortgage. However, you can let them watch you pay the bills or watch you budget for the month. You can also explain that you only have a certain amount to spend on groceries which is why they can’t have 5 boxes of fruit snacks. The goal here is to get the kids involved.

2. Help them set up a budget for their own money. When your kids get money for their birthday, Christmas, graduation or any other event help them set up a budget. We all know how it feels to get some extra money and feel like it’s burning a hole in our pocket. Don’t let this happen! Sit down with your kids and come up with a savings and spending budget for their money.

3. Make them save for items they want. Does your child want the latest toy or video game on the market? Great, make them save for it! Typically, I only buy my children toys and electronics at Christmas and birthdays. Outside of those two occasions, they have to save for any wants they have. Not only has this made my children appreciate the items more but it has taught them the value of a dollar. Sometimes, I will have them save up for the whole item and other times I will pay for half.

4. Help your children set up a bank account. One of the best things I have ever done with my children is having THEM set up a bank account! They got to go through the process of being at the bank, setting up the account and depositing money into the account. One of my children is now 19-years-old and it’s awesome to see him pay his own bills, set up recurring payments and truly understand how to balance his money.

5. Teach them ways to earn money. Children are always going to have wants, as adults we always have wants but we have to find a way to pay for those wants. Teach your children age appropriate ways to earn some money. Even young children can earn some extra money by making and selling crafts, doing yard work, babysitting, chores or anything else they can think of.

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If you enjoyed this post on tips for raising financially savvy kids, make sure to check out my other posts!

4 Ways to Pay for College

How to Find College Scholarships

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Ways To Make Money Online

1. If you have a special talent like sewing, creating t-shirts, graphic design or any other handmade service you might want to start an Etsy shop. There are so many different types of things you could make and sale on Etsy, take some time to browse around the current shops.

2. Download a grocery app like Ibotta. Ibotta offers rebates on items that you are probably already purchasing for your home. Once you’ve earned at least $20 you can cash out directly to PayPal. Ibotta won’t make you rich but it’s a nice way to earn a little extra cash. Sign up here.

3. Start a blog! Now, before you run off and start a blog let me tell you that blogging is not easy by any means. You also won’t start making money right away. You’ll need to spend a lot of time writing content, creating images, engaging with your readers on social media and much more! However, you can make money from blogging! If you want to start a blog head over here and find a domain name and then head over here to set up your hosting.

4. Other way to make money from home is by working at an online call center! Plenty of major companies hire people to work from home including Apple, American Express and much more! One awesome place to apply is Working Solutions, I personally worked there for several of years.

5. If you love to write then check out the writing gigs over at TextBroker.

6. One of my favorite ways to earn a little extra cash is through InBox Dollars. Simply create an account and start earning money! You can earn money by reading emails they send you, taking surveys and much more.

7. ClickWorker offers up small tasks in return for a small paycheck but every penny adds up.

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One of my least favorite cooking tasks is chopping up vegetables and herbs. Thankfully, I’ve now found a super simple way to minimize the amount of time I spend chopping up herbs.

Not only does this product save me time but it also saves me money. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve started to cook a recipe only to find out I didn’t have all the required herbs. I end up sending my husband to the store for garlic, cilantro, basil or whatever it might be. I use the small amount required for the recipe and end up wasting the rest. Not ok!

Thankfully, Dorot has a nice selection of frozen herbs that you can get at your local Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods.

So, where will you find these amazing frozen herbs? In the freezer section!

The Dorot products:
• Crushed Garlic
• Chopped Parsley
• Chopped Basil
• Glazed Onions
• Chopped Dill
• Chopped Cilantro
• Chopped Chili
• Crushed Ginger

As you can see there is a great selection! I picked up the crushed garlic and chopped basil since those seem to be the two things I always need to have on hand.

Dorot is offering a $1 off coupon for anyone interested in trying out the products.

The Dorot products are all natural, vegan and gluten free! The herbs come in small cube sizes making it perfect for cooking!

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4 Ways to Pay for College

1. Savings – If you’ve been planning for college for your child then savings might be a great option. However, I know a lot of middle-class families simply can’t afford to save up enough money for college, especially if they have more than one child. Here in California, the cost of college keeps going up every year. Even community college is getting unaffordable.

2. Loans – Your child probably doesn’t have the income or credit qualifications to qualify for a loan on their own so as a parent you might need to co-sign or put the loan in your name. This will mean that your credit score and history will determine how much you can borrow and the interest rate.

College Ave Student Loans and Experian are offering an exclusive limited-time College Ave Student Loans and Experian are offering an exclusive limited-time partnership for families that are preparing to pay for college a “credit health check” – this is a personalized credit education session with an Experian Credit Educator^SM College Ave is collaborating with Experian to better support parents who may need to consider borrowing or co-signing a private student loan in the coming months if savings, scholarships and federal aid falls short of higher education costs. Families who may want to explore private financing options should start getting ready now.

The complimentary, personalized, one-on-one credit education session consists of one in-depth 35-minute phone call with an Experian Credit Educator agent. During this phone session, parents will receive a copy of their Experian credit report and score and a personalized, step-by-step walk-through of the report, as well as examples of actions that may improve their credit score and insights for future credit management decisions.

Spend the time to shop around for a student loan. You’ll want to find the best the right one for your family as not all student loans are created equally. Look for a loan, such as the ones from College Ave Student Loans, that offer multiple ways to lower the cost of the loan: low rates, rewarding families for making in-school payments, no origination fees or pre-payment penalties and a choice on terms.

3. Scholarships – There are so many scholarships available to college students. You should keep in mind that most scholarships do not cover the entire cost of college. I would still take the time and have my child apply as every penny helps.

4. Federal Aid – Any aid your child can qualify for will be a huge help when it comes to financing college. However, when applying for financial aid it does go off of the parents taxes, which makes it a little harder to qualify for if you make more than the regulated amount.

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of College Ave Student Loans.

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How to Find College Scholarships

How to Save Money On A High School Graduation Party

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There are quite literally hundreds of scholarship programs. And, as mentioned above, not all are based on grades or educational accomplishments. There are scholarships for athletics, religion, race, gender, and family situations. The first thing to do when looking for one of these scholarships is to make a list of your own personal accomplishments and reasons you might deserve a scholarship. This will help give you a clearer path on your journey to find a college scholarship.

How to Find College Scholarships

Once you know that you can qualify for several different types of scholarships, you need to begin looking. While most students searching for scholarships immediately go online and start applying for larger ones, there is an easier way. Start in your own town. Looking locally will cut your competition down dramatically. And there are hundreds of businesses who offer scholarships for people from their hometown to support learning.

Look at the businesses or companies your parents work at and see if they offer employee scholarships. Then, visit your local government office and ask for a list of scholarships offered in the area. They should be able to help you find hundreds or even thousands of dollars for school. Larger companies also offer scholarships. Organizations like Walmart and McDonalds might offer money to worthy students who qualify or are willing to intern for a summer or so.

Finding college scholarships isn’t hard! #teens #college
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If you’re a minority, there are thousands of scholarship opportunities for you. Unfortunately, many students don’t realize that being a minority doesn’t just include being a racial minority, though there are several scholarships for racial minorities. If you’re female, homosexual, bisexual, or transgendered, you are considered a minority. You can find these scholarships offered by states, companies, charities, and even by the federal government.

Scholarships are also offered for what degree you’re going to be working towards in college. These are typically offered by the colleges themselves and a simple phone call to the establishment you hope to attend will provide you with all the information you need. No matter what your grades look like or what you’re planning to study, there are more than likely scholarships available.

A large majority of schools also offer money for those in certain stages of their college career. So, whether you’re an undergraduate freshman or you’re going into your PhD, there might be money available to you. These can be found by speaking to an advisor at the school or online. Look up your focus of study and what year you are online, and you should find several results that will help lower the cost of your education.

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Resources: Ultimate Scholarship Book 2016

If you enjoyed this post make sure to take a peek at my other parenting posts.

5 Tips for Communicating With Your Teen

An Open Letter To The Girl Dating My Teenage Son

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#1. You Make the Shots

Okay, there are some jobs that don’t allow you to make the shots, but for the most part, working from home allows you to “make the shots.” You get to decide when, where, what, and how you will make a living working from home. Of course, not everyone will always agree with us. So, in order to make money, you do have to conform to some standards of society.

#2. More Time for Family

I’ve worked from home for almost five years and I have gotten to certain points where I was too busy for my family. However, I called the shots on that one. I chose to not spend time with my family, but instead work. When you work from home, you truly do get more time for family. However, the choice lies in your hands.

#3. Opportunity to Make More Money

When you work a 9-5 job, what you make every week is pretty standard for the most part. What I love most about working from home is the potential to make more money. I like to think that working from home has unlimited earning potential because there are so many opportunities available.

#4. Freedom to Create Your Own Schedule

There’s nothing in the world that feels like being able to create your own work schedule. Although it takes a while to create a work schedule that works best for you, it’s so worth it. The freedom to create time slots for when you want to work is irreplaceable.

#5. Diving Into Your Passion

Writing is my passion and it has been for quite some time. Working from home gives me time to dive into my passion even more. If I was “working” for someone else, I wouldn’t have time to put my passion into action. It also helps that my passion helps earn me money.

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What are some ways you benefit from working from home?

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#1. Never Pay Money to Someone Else to Get Work

As a veteran in the work at home field I have NEVER paid someone else to receive work. I’m not talking about direct sales, this is a whole different story. If someone contacts you and asks you to pay money and they will give you a work at home, this makes no sense and you should run in the other direction.

#2. Always Ask for a Second Opinion

I’ve never been afraid to ask a friend what they thought of a certain work at home situation. It’s always nice to hear their opinion. Asking for a second opinion is a smart move when it comes to whether or not a work at home job is legit.

#3. Go with Your Gut

At the start of my work at home career I was so desperate to find work that I would ignore my gut. Now when I don’t feel like something is going to go well, I let the opportunity pass. Intuition is a very important part of working from home, make sure you use it wisely.

#4. Test the Legitimacy of It

Back in the day, I was afraid I would hurt someone’s feelings if I asked too many questions. I’ve learned that a person who is legitimate will have no problem answering your questions and easing your mind. Also, don’t be afraid to search out complaints against a certain company if it sounds too good to be true. Forums like WAHM.com are great for seeing what others have to say about companies or individuals.

#5. Stay in the Game

I believe it’s easier to get scammed when you aren’t as involved. If you are wishy washy about working from home and only dabble in it now and again, it’s easier to get scammed. Get out there and get network and know what’s going on in the work at home world. Honestly, it’s like one big office and information gets around quickly (whether it’s good or bad).

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What are some tips you have for others trying to avoid a work at home scam?

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