| How to Detox Your Finances Posted: Learn to hold your Georges and Benjamins One thing you need to do when you resolve to get your financial ducks in a row is to know how to detox your finances. It is important to get rid of old habits, any residual money pits, or anything else that is hurting you financially so that you can move on in a financially sound manner. These steps provide a financial detox plan to get you on your way. Steps - Sort out your credit and debts immediately.
- Check your credit report. Do this, at the very least, annually. You are entitled to a free credit report once a year from each of the three major agencies.[1]
- Manage your credit. Don't let it manage you. Don't max out your cards just because you have a certain limit. It's more important to stay conscious of what you can afford to pay rather than relying on any illusory limit as a source of your finances. The banks want you to spend that much, it doesn't mean you have the income flow capacity to meet it regularly!
- Manage your debt. If you are struggling, talk to your creditors. Don't ignore the problem, it will not go away on its own, it will only get worse. The sooner that you seek financial advice and support, the faster you can turn around debt problems.
- Avoid store credit cards. Their APR (annual percentage rate) is considerably higher than a 'regular' credit card and having several cards can tempt you into thinking you have more spare cash than you actually do. Store cards also tie you down to spending at one place, regardless of whether it has the best deals or not.
- Sort out your savings and insurance.
- Get a decent interest level in your savings account. Work out how much you can spare from your income to place into this account and try to stick with that minimum on a regular basis. Keep checking for better savings deals and switch your money around to follow increased interest returns - internet banking makes it easier to track interest changes and change your savings approach regularly.
- Realize that saving in a low interest savings account might not actually be the best use of your money. If you can use 100 dollars towards knocking down a high rate card or a very low rate savings account, think hard about where to use it.
- Invest in yourself. Get some life insurance. Educate yourself about the different types of insurance and what suits you at the time. If you can't afford to make such a payment now, what makes you think your family will be able to if something happens to you? It's a priority worth sorting out in the present.
- Become actively involved in your finances.
- Think about where the money is going, what it is doing. Don't just 'let it happen', or hope that money will come to you. Active planning, saving, and debt paying requires the investment of your time and engaged interest.
- Undertake weekly money management tasks. It is better to spend 20 minutes a week sorting finances than to leave it all to tax time - incremental financial attention each week will save you a lot of effort and time in the long run.
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Fraud gets easier every day - Destroy any unneeded receipts and statements;
- Retain the receipts you do need (in a safe place) and compare them against credit card and other financial statements;
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Don't you want to share with them?! - Redirect your mail immediately when you move. If someone moves into a house behind you, they are unlikely to have the same stake that you will in safeguarding your information and will simply throw things in the trash where they can be found by others, or worse still, might be tempted to make fraudulent use of it.
- Check your credit report periodically.
- Remember that if a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Do your research and ask trusted people for advice before leaping in and spending your money.
- Track your expenditures.
- Do this to identify where your money is going and whether or not each expenditure is necessary or frivolous. This will allow you to build a bigger spending pattern and review what you are spending your money on. You can do this by:
- Saving receipts (for at least as long as it will take you to note down the cost and what was covered).
- Keeping a notebook handy that you can write down prices and purchases as they occur.
- Think before you buy.
- Save, then buy. Start reminding yourself often that don't have to have that item or service right now. That new computer will wait until you can save up to get a new one. Putting a $500 computer on credit now can easily cost you over a thousand dollars over the period it takes to pay it off. Write "New Computer" on an envelope and put money into it every chance you get. Hide the envelope and don't ever take money out except for the new computer.
- Avoid impulse buying. Nothing is that important. Stores prey on consumers trying to get you to buy. That is why they are laid out the way they are and why the candy and magazines are right by the cash register.
- Carry it around the store for a while. Quite often, you will realize that maybe you don't need it just now. Research it on the Internet to see if you can find it more cheaply, or to see if it really does do what you want it to. Maybe you can borrow someone else's rather than owning it? Think through all the options.
- Don't buy into a brand just because you always have. With today's technology, there are alternatives to just about anything, and quite often they are less expensive. Look around and be a choosy buyer. Use buyer comparison sites before you go shopping so that you are aware of the best deals and can use this knowledge to bargain with.
- Learn how to haggle and don't be uncomfortable about it. Bargaining is a good way of getting a fair deal.
- Take charge of your home space.
- Sell things that you aren't using or don't want. They are just taking up space and not giving you joy. If you can't sell it, consider donating it. Your personal environment will be a lot cleaner for it and other people can benefit from your donation.
- Declutter your home and your life. Clean out your garage, have a yard sale, etc. Doing this will surprisingly lighten your load. It is also a good way of reminding yourself that it's easier not to bring things into the house in the first place as you'll only end up having to clean them out!
- Look at your energy usage. Change to light bulbs that use less energy, water heating that is less energy-intensive and turn off your appliances when not in use. Simple things that can save you a lot of money in the long run.
- Take charge of your earnings.
- Earn what you deserve. Look at your wages. Find out what the going rate is for what you are doing in your area. See what you can do to get your salary increased.
- Increase your brand value. Yes, your brand value. See what you can do to increase your value to yourself and to your employers.
- Balance your life and your work. Balance is very important to help you deal with day to day problems. When you are off balance with one thing, other problems will quickly follow and it can be all too easy to resort to spending as the answer to not coping with juggling many things in your life. Slow down and do a stocktake on what you need to change about the way you're living.
- Teach your children about finances. Don't just assume that because they are kids, they shouldn't have to think about how to budget and how to delay desires for instant gratification. The bad habits they start now will stay with them; equally, teaching them good habits will be life-lasting too.
Video Tips - Avoid blurring wants and needs. It is important to focus on the things you need first and be very conscious about fulfilling your wants.
- Visit a free credit counselor in your area for financial and budgetary advice and counseling. These can be especially helpful if you feel you are in over your head.
- If you have a lot of debt from credit cards, personal loans, payday or car title loans or medical bills, you may want to consult an attorney about bankruptcy.
Warnings - There are many companies out there who will offer "free" credit services like reports and score monitoring to first-time customers. Be advised that while you may receive an initial report for free, you may be required to sign up for some kind of paid membership after your trial period is over. The three credit bureaus maintain the site www.annualcreditreport.com as a free, confidential way to obtain your credit report (although you have to use a different agency, and pay, to see your score). Unless you want to see a report from each bureau more than once a year, you *do not* have to pay to see your score. Getting a copy of it is your right as a consumer.
- Stay away from companies that offer to repair your credit report or score. Many times these agencies will contest all the debts shown on your report. This process works temporarily, as creditors are required to verify debt within 30 days or it is removed from your report. At this point you will appear to have a "clean" record and the agency may collect a hefty fee from you. When the creditors *do* get around to verifying your debt, it will simply be added to your report again.
Related wikiHows Sources and Citations - The ideas and concept for this article comes from "Detox Your Finances" by John Middleton.
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| It's National Strawberry Picking Day. 10+ ways to make the most of fresh strawberries Posted: Strawberries are part of the rose family. The strawberry can range from sweet to tart depending on variety. Strawberries are a traditional taste of summer; they are the jewel from which many a summer treat is enjoyed. Strawberries can be eaten fresh or served as a dessert: Some favorite desserts using strawberries include strawberry shortcake and strawberry pie. Strawberries can also be served as topping for waffles or ice cream and for making excellent strawberry jam. This article will help you decide how to prepare and enjoy strawberries. Contents Steps Preparing strawberries for use - Select bright, fresh looking berries. Avoid shriveled, dried up or moldy berries. Avoid soggy strawberries too as this means they are past their prime. A good strawberry should be firm and shiny. (Choose organic, if available, as strawberries are listed on the "Dirty Dozen" list of fruits and veggies most pesticide-laden.)
- Some cooks believe smaller strawberries have more flavor due to a higher concentration of sugars.[1][2]
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Preparing to rinse the berries in the colander. Letting the berries drain in the colander. - Hull the berries by removing the green cap and stem with a paring knife or a strawberry huller.
- Slice the strawberries. Sweeten with a sprinkling of superfine sugar if desired, and use within two hours of preparation. Keep the strawberries refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Store strawberries in the refrigerator. They will keep for up to 7 days after purchase. Do not wash and prepare the strawberries until ready to use.
Freezing strawberries If you want to store strawberries for longer, freezing is an ideal option. This section explains how to freeze them properly. - Rinse, drain and hull strawberries as directed.
- Line a rimmed baking pan with wax or parchment paper.
- Place prepared strawberries on baking pan leaving plenty of room between berries.
- Freeze strawberries until frozen solid.
- Remove frozen strawberries from baking sheet and place in freezer-safe storage bags.
- Freeze. Use as desired.
Using Strawberries There are many ways to make good use of strawberries! Here are some wonderful ideas added by wikiHow's own contributors for you to try: Drinks Treats and Sweets Video The full recipe can be found here. Tips - Many varieties of strawberries exist.[3]
- The US followed by Spain are the two top producers for strawberry crops.[4]
- Strawberries belong to the Rosaceae or Rose family in the plant kingdom.[5]
- For more information, download and read "Strawberries: Safe Methods to Store, Preserve, and Enjoy", at http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/CanningFoodPreservation/8256.aspx.
- Strawberries may be known as "June-bearing" and produce berries during early summer and "Ever-bearing" which produce berries throughout the season.[6]
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