Write a budget - College Edition

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So, you're off on your own in college now. If you're like most people, your funds are quite limited, but you probably haven't had to write a real budget before. Chances are that up until now, if you got yourself into a tight financial corner, your parents would be there to bail you out. Now that you're an adult, though, you don't want to ask your parents to do this even if you know they will. It's time to grow up, and it's time to work with a budget.

Budgeting can sound a little scary, but if you follow a few easy steps, it isn't terribly hard. These steps will ease you into the whole budgeting process so that by the time the year is over, you will be totally in control of your money.

First, take stock of where your money is actually going. The first step to making a budget isn't actually writing down what you will spend but figuring out what you do spend. For the next two weeks, write down every penny that you spend, and also write down where you spent the money and what has been spent. The more accurate you are, the better.

Second, find out what you can spend. If you shop now you have your credit card spending, it's time to stop! The $ 200 would now cost you $ 200 at the end of time the interest is paid. If you work part-time job or work-study allowance from your parents some money, find out what you need to spend each month. If you're never sure what kind of hours or suggestions you get, it is bestto lower the average a bit '. Then if you have money in more than a month, you can spend a bonus for fun.

Thirdly, start the budget with great things. The easiest way to get a jar of stones, gravel, sand and fill with the largest rocks first start. The same goes for your budget. You should be concerned about health insurance issues as important, the car payment and car insurance, school fees and books. Write to them first and then see what remainseach month. From that, work on the pebbles - your groceries, gas, and other spending that is necessary but variable. Finally, you can pack in whatever sand you can still fit into your spending limits - eating out, random shopping trips, and maybe a little bit of savings.

Fourth, decide how you'll work your budget. You can write checks for the big stuff or pay it online. For the smaller things, use a debit card only if you can keep your checking account balanced. If this gives you Problems in an envelope with money and use an envelope for each piece of your budget. If you're tired of cash in an envelope, then the budget will be shot until next month.

Finally, make sure you optimize your budget you need. This is to forget to do what many people. If the original budget is not working for you, then begin to change what you do. Maybe go to a school canteen have next semester, you save on food, or maybe you just need to say "no" toeating out with your friends more often. Also, you'll want to revamp your budget if your income or your major expenses change.

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Financial ABC for graduates - Part II - Housing and taxes

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In particular, the College has completed? Then you can save a lot of what we know about major and minor, but what do you know about money management? Some ABC two very important areas of money management, housing and taxes. And 'better a student constant in the main M-0-Ney.

Buying a home

Buying a house can build equity. Instead of money the owner can pay. You can also add in your monthly payment for 1520 years and not be concerned about the rising costs of rent. But make sure the unit cost.

- You should be able to make 3 times your annual income, not more.

- Monthly payments, including taxes, mortgage interest, insurance, maintenance and home runs from.75% to 1.15% of the purchase price of a.

- Pull Considering up to 20% down. This lowers the interest rate and your monthly payments.

- If you can afford it, get a short-term financing. This saves oninterest costs, which make the original purchase price much higher. You can also obtain a mortgage of 30 years at an interest rate lower, but pay the loan every two weeks instead of every month in power, so that the loan is a loan of 15 years.

- Take time to find out whether you really save by buying or renting, if more convenient.

How to think the purchase:

to - buy bigger, not smaller, if you are willing to leave part of your house. It would be better to buy now and not wait and losefavorite now a buyer's market. Renting a room or buying a duplex, you can offset the costs of the loan and if you have more income heavily, stop renting and enjoy.

- However, smaller is cheaper. If you buy something, make 20% less than you, you can save even more on mobile objects, such as utilities, insurance, e.

- Remember that buying at high prices in a neighborhood affect can be a good price but also other costs. Be friendly to higher prices,persuaded to buy nice cars, and you must keep your home in a similar way as your neighbor. Perhaps the real deal is with a house in a neighborhood an affordable price.

- Think appreciation. more expensive neighborhoods have appreciated and respected its limitations. However, property values and taxes for homes in neighborhoods steep price to move lower, with improvements especially at home, as the younger

- Purchasing property on the market in December made, not inhis summer, you will be able to get a better offer.

- Foreclosures can be a good way to enter a house for less. Just make sure that the foreclosure list price significantly lower than surrounding home values and that is the cost to fix damage in the house do not exceed the savings.

About negotiating a price:

- Pre-qualify for a home loan. This saves time and makes it easier for you to negotiate.

- Remember, not the seller, if thePrice.

- Negotiate a price to see what other homes in the area are selling for now, not what it sold for.

- Take the time was at home on the market as a lever.

- To examine issues of maintenance and deduct the cost from the house sale price should be fixed.

- Nit-Pick. If you're a dirty air filter on the AC or loose a step, which can cause problems with the house, which in turn may indicate affect their value.

- Do not tell your real estate agenthow high you go. She / he will push this price and beyond. Better to keep the figure for themselves.

- Contact the applicant for a home you want to buy directly and ask him or her to a commission of 3%. Although the Commission is of the usual 6%, the candidate for half of the Commission of any agent working for you.

t deal - Don 'with mortgage brokers. You can get a bigger loan, but pay their taxes, end up with a more expensive house than youcould afford, and interest rates are perhaps less-than-desirable. Go to the bank.

- Write a time limit clause in your contract purchaser. You do not want to wait for a seller and lose a good interest rate in for a limited period.

Tax money saving tips

Take Decductions:

- As a new grad, there are some tax benefits of education. student loan interest deduction if you itemize.

- Donate your old collegeClothing, you can deduct the value of wholesale market. Even donating your old computer or car at the end of year of significant further reductions.

- Why educate yourself about money, world, knows the costs of managing money can be deducted if taken more than 2% of gross income (AGI), the recall is less in your early work. You can also deduct the cost of tax preparation, investment, magazine subscriptions, fees and securityBrokerage fees.

- Medical expenses can be deducted if they exceed 7.5% of your AGI. These costs can stop many things I could not think of weight loss programs, glasses, a class with smoking, including acupuncture and chiropractic, braces. See IRS Publication 502 for a complete list.

- Cash advance loans student loans or other loans in December. You can take the deduction for the current year.

- Yes, job search expenses are deductible even if you do not get a job. It can be inferredResume preparation, travel costs to interviews, and the cost of counseling.

Here are some tips for saving on your taxes for the preparation:

- E-filing is a good idea. You can get a refund back in two weeks, and make your money work for you.

- Use a software to create your tax returns and electronic filing on the Internet. Many attractions are free such as Turbo Tax, you can use your software without purchasing it.

- If your AGI is less than $ 50,000, you can charge taxesPreparing for the IRS government website. Some states also offer free tax preparation. Check online for a list of states that offer this service.

- Be careful in calculating the withholding on your W-4 Forms. The average refund is $ 2,000, amounting to $ 160 per month. If this money in your pocket, it could yield. Not too much withheld as a savings plan. You should save for their own account and earn interest.

There are other taxes to saveStrategies:

- To contribute to traditional IRAs every year to reduce the tax debt and save for the future.

- Save the sales tax by buying online or through the purchase of large items like cars in the States not sales tax (Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Alaska and Delaware), also While some residents of states, or the application for sale.

- Here comes Full Circle - even a house, attracting interest. You are building equity and get a tax reduction.

Put aRoof over their head and make sure that paying taxes is a duty. I hope this tutorial is useful for you as a student was the New College.

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Pools & Insurance Considerations

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If you are installing a swimming pool or a new high ground on your property, you should consider options other than the typical insurance coverage your homeowners insurance. In the case of an accident in or around your pool, many times homeowners insurance alone is not sufficient to safeguard assets in the event of an appeal. If you own a pool already, or are considering a new pool, you should lookOther insurance options.

If not properly insured and someone gets hurt around your swimming pool can lead to difficulties. Even if your pool will be used only by family and friends, everyone - and sometimes, especially family and friends - can rely on you and consider an action as a means to recover losses through a loss. As sued by people close to you is usually not out of malice or hatred, but often by necessity. Medical expenses are high and canassembly to a point that there is no escape from insurmountable debt. Many times when a serious accident occurs, it can not make people not complain. The bad news for the pool owner when the accident took place to take your pool, you are ultimately at fault, whatever happened to the atmosphere of the incident.

If someone is injured, do not worry if you are sued. It happens, and accidents happen when you least expect it. Although monitor your pool 24 / 7, accidents happen in the blink of an eye. The pools are at risk of explosion and accidents usually occur with diving and running around the slippery surface around the pool. But do not let this turn from the property pool. Accidents can happen anywhere - in your garden, home, anywhere in the sidewalk -. The pools are statistically higher accident rates to cover a good idea, just for additional insurance and keep you.

Liability insurance is the best> Insurance for owners to get the pool. Try to get the maximum possible coverage in your price limit as 300k - 600k. Plan umbrella is also a good choice because it is a liability insurance separately, in addition to covering home. The plan of umbrella coverage kicks in extra insurance if your house fall to reach full coverage in any situation.

Cost wise, supplementary insurance is not that bad. The umbrella cover or stand aloneResponsibility plans are usually an additional 30 to $ 40 more per month. To offset the costs even further, plans to buy all your health insurance the same. Insurance companies usually offer volume discount, if you) to purchase all of their insurance (eg, life, auto, home, liability. As the owner of the pool, extra insurance is not a necessity, but it is strongly recommended a. It is better than cure.

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What are the minimum liability auto insurance state for my country?

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How to shop online for car insurance best deals you can begin to ask what is required by law, if the insurance is for cars. Fortunately this article outlines the state minimum liability car insurance that you will need to drive legally in the United States. No matter what state you drive in all of them have more financial responsibility and require motorists purchase minimum amounts > Car insurance except for Tennessee, Wisconsin and New Hampshire.

Many websites and advocates Insurance (for me are recommended) with a minimum of $ 100,000 for the protection of person and damage to at least $ 300,000 for property damage and personal injury costs. The main reason for this is due to larger amount of money needed to resolve an accident is usually the fact that States declare the minimum amount> Insurance needs.

I created the following information from the Association of American Insurance, Property Casualty Insurers Association and insurance information institute. It shows the auto liability insurance was minimal, as required by each State. To understand the numbers that you know what that should mean. The first two issues are the responsibility of injuries and the third number is the minimum amountDamage liability.

For example, my home state of Missouri the following - Missouri 25/50/10 shows. This means Missouri requires as a minimum coverage of up to $ 50,000 for all persons injured in an accident, up to a maximum of $ 25,000 for an individual and $ 10,000 coverage for property damage.

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas 25/50/25 20/40/10 15/30/10 50/100/25
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware 15/30/5 15/30/5 25/50/15 20/40/10
DCFlorida Georgia Hawaii 25/50/10 10/20/10 25/50/25 20/40/10
25/50/15 20/40/15 25/50/10 20/40/15 Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa
Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine 25/50/10 25/50/10 10/20/10 50/100/25
Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota 30/60/10 20/40/15 20/40/10 20/40/5
10/20/05 25/50/10 25/50/10 25/50/25 Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska
15/30/10 Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New 25/50/25 15/30/5 25/50/10 25/50/10 30/60/25 New North Carolina North Dakota25/50/25 Ohio 12.5/25/7.5
Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Iceland 10/20/10 25/50/10 25/50/25 15/30/5
Tennessee, South Carolina South Dakota Texas 15/30/10 25/50/25 25/50/10 20/40/15
Utah Vermont Virginia Washington 25/50/15 25/50/10 25/50/20 25/50/10
West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming 20/40/10 25/50/10 25/50/20

Remember, these figures represent only the state minimum auto liability insurance. Many experts agree that more insurance is needed toProtect yourself completely when you are involved in a car accident.

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