Back-to-School Savings Lessons!

It seems like only yesterday that binders, looseleaf paper, book covers and #2 pencils were the staples (and scotch tape) of a back-to-school shopping list.  Now the latest high tech gadgetry, from calculators to thermos bottles, and backpacks to netbooks are vying to make the list.  Here’s how to keep it economical.

1. Go Green. Recycle supplies from last year,
Get kids to think green about reusing the markers, binders, pens and pads that have been gathering dust since last semester. The more students you have under your roof, the more likely your surplus pile is full of buried treasure.

2. Make the “A” List first.  Save the “B”  List for later.
Like overpacking for summer vacation, it’s easy to overload a shopping cart with more than what is needed for the first few weeks of school. Put the “must haves” on your A-list and the extra niceties on a “B” list. Some teachers have specific requirements fur supplies which may only be know after the first day of school. Avoid stockpiling unnecessary items until you know exactly what’s needed.
Find more Back-to-School Money Savers inside >>>

Saving More Money with the iPhone: There’s an App for That!

Could it be that using a SmartPhone (which aint cheap) to actually save a few bucks on the things you spend money on everyday is not as crazy a concept as it might sound?   Here are 5 practical ways to save money with the help of 9 very handy iPhone apps.

Save on Groceries. Which is cheaper, a 10-ounce bag of chips for $2.59 or a 2-pound bag of pretzels for $4,99? If your store does not list per-unit prices, CompareMe, ($1.99) can help you make smart buying decisions.

Free Kids Meals. You’ve heard of those “Kids Fly Free” promotions.  The KidsEatFree app ($1.99)  finds the special bargains where kids eat free. We recommend calling aheaad to make sure the listings are accurate.
Dial for more SmartPhone savings here >>>

iPhone Apps Make Managing Money Even Handier

Smart phone devices like the Apple iPhone herald a new age of mobile computing by putting more computing power at your fingertips than a desktop computer could boast just a few short years ago.  With the latest crop of  downloadable applications or “apps”  for the iPhone, you can keep an eye on your banking, trading or brokerage accounts 24/7.  Here are 10 iPhone apps that place more convenient management of your money in one handheld solution.

1. Forbes Intelligent Investing provides access to feature stories and video conversation from Forbes, as well as forecasts and market commentary. Take a chance and use your shake function to pick from a lottery of quotes and video clips of Steve Forbes himself. Watch rare one-on-one interviews with financial luminaries  Cost: Free.

2. Morningstar offers an investment app that focuses on mutual funds. but also provide analysis of stocks, companies, mutual funds, and more  all inside a simple loading app. Cost: Free.
Read more about amazing iPhone Apps here

America’s Top Financial Bloggers: What is the Best Way to Manage Personal or Family Finances during Difficult Economic Times by Making Smart Financial Choices?”

By Max Messner

MaximizingMoney.com offers cash bonus opportunities, money-making tips, and financial articles to help you save more money and earn extra cash with banking bonuses, credit card offers, travel discounts, investment opportunities, and more ways to make more money.

What is the best way to manage personal or family finances during difficult economic times by making smart financial choices?”

As far as I can tell, the best way to manage your finances during difficult economic times is to make smart financial choices during good economic times.

Of course, it’s too late for that if you’re in financial trouble now, but consider this your second chance to prepare for the future.

Learn more about how to prepare your finances for the future

America’s Top Financial Bloggers: “Budget 101″ – Ten changes you can make that will save you money

by Cheryl Smith

Cheryl Smith is a columnist and blogger for The Examiner, covering her local area of Ft. Lauderdale.  She writes helpful first-person observations and advice concerning financial matters among other topics.  For more articles by Cheryl, visit her personal website on The Examiner.

As the recession drags on and unemployment continues to skyrocket above 10%, we must look for ways to stretch our budgets. The Sun Sentinel/CNN.com ran a series of Tips of the Day ideas which listed twenty ways to fix “leaks in our household budgets” by changing the way we spend money for of variety of services. I have picked out a few of them for you to try. I’ve noted where we’ve tried these suggestions and how it worked out for us.

Learn how to easily cut your budget

How to Shop for Car Insurance

While we at Efinancial are very concerned about your life insurance needs, we realize you have other insurance needs as well.  So today we’d like to help you drive a better bargain with the one form of insurance you are legally required to possess if you get behind the wheel of a car:  Auto Insurance.  You cannot drive in the United States without having an automotive insurance policy. Yet it often proves to be very difficult to buy exactly what you need at the price you want.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when determining who your auto insurance provider will be.

Learn more about how to get the right type of insurance

Saving on Summer: Budgeting a Vacation

During uncertain economic times, one of the first expenses to be shed is often a family vacation. Not everyone can afford to take time off from work, and besides, vacations can be expensive. In the spirit of fun and recreation this summer, we’d like to pass along a few vacationing tips.

Where to go

Even while the U.S. dollar is stronger abroad than it has been in some time, not everyone can afford to jet around the world, visiting exotic locations. A vacation destination certainly does not have to involve going far away either. A bit of common sense is to take a vacation closer to home. It doesn’t have to be a “stay-cation” either, where you vacation at home, although that can be both relaxing and stress-free. Maybe you live near the shore or there is an exciting  big city near you?  This will put the cost of airfare right back into your pocket.

Learn more about cheap vacations and smart vacation planning

Birds of a Feather Flocking to Personal Finance on Twitter

Have you done any Tweeting about your personal finances lately?  We don’t mean chirping like a parakeet or cackling like a crow.  Twitter is a simple messaging service for friends, family, and even many businesses that makes it easy to communicate through the exchange of short messages of 140 characters or less.

Twitter is much more than just chatter.  For many it is a revolutionary way to find the freshest, most relevant information on a particular topic.   Don’t knock Twitter until you try it.  And if you’d like to follow a flock of  financial planning “Tweeple” or Tweeps, check out the list that one Twitterer (”Saving for Serenity“) calls The Ultimate List of Personal Finance Bloggers on Twitter.

General Personal Finance

@bripblap – Steve from Brip Blap

@budgetnerd – Nathon from Household Budget Nerd

@colourful_money – Bullseye and PlusEV from Colourful Money

@debtfree – Debt Free Hispanic

@FMFblog – FMF from Free Money Finance

@freefrombroke – Free From Broke

@FourPillars – Four Pillars

Discover more of the best of twitter for personal finance

10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget

A new book, organized as a type of ‘frugal encyclopedia’, based on articles written by the editors of Wisebread.com, offers up a smorgasbord of tips on how to live large on a small budget.

Speaking of smorgasbords, the pointers range from “8 Tips for Getting the Most from All-You-Can-Eat Buffets” to  “7 Ways to Score Free Food,” and “14 Tips to Have a Frugal Vacation and Still Treat Yourself,” to “15 Ways to Make Your Clothes Last Longer,” “10 Beauty Products You Can Make at Home,” and “8 Affordable Romantic Dates.”

You’ll also find “50 Ways to Get More Out Of Health Care,”  “6 Ways to Avoid Tricky Supermarket Traps,” “10 Ways to Go Green and Save Money,” and “6 Steps to Eliminating Your Debt Painlessly.”

What are your tips for living large on a small budget?

Read more about living on a small budget

Who Needs a Financial Education? All of Us!

Financial advisor Darrell J. Canby is not alone when he insists that today’s children need a financial education. The fact is we all do.

A lack of financial common sense led to the current financial crisis, Canby observes. “People bought homes they couldn’t afford, banks abandoned sound lending standards, politicians passed laws that encouraged financial recklessness and regulators failed to regulate,” he says.

A billion dollars used to seem like a lot of money. Now a trillion is the new billion, and our children will be left with a mountain of debt and all of the problems we haven’t solved. The least we can do is to provide them with the financial knowledge to do better.

What are the most valuable lessons to be learned?

Learn more about how to manage your finances

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