Personal Finance and Investing

Saving money is at the heart of all of your financial goals. Want to get out of debt? Want to save for retirement? Want to just make ends meet each month?

You are going to have to learn to save money. It can be hard to learn, but is actually quite easy once you get the hang of it. Here are a few tips for getting started.

First, you have to start organizing your finances. This will help you in seeing your true financial situation. How will you be able to get out of debt if you don’t know how much debt you have? How can you save if you don’t know what you are spending? Gather all of your financial documents and calculate what your monthly bills are. Take the time to create a budget. Be honest and include everything — otherwise your budget won’t work.

In order to truly budget, you are going to have to know what you spend each month. This helps you see where all the money is slipping out. You can use a computer and personal financial software or a small notebook. The key is to write down every penny you spend. This sounds time consuming, but can be a lot easier if you simply get receipts for every purchase. Then write them down every couple of days. Anything you don’t get a receipt for you will need to write down immediately.

Now the savings begin. You look at what you are spending and see where you can cut things. You may need to be extreme and cut out everything but the necessities. Satellite TV and cable can go. You can reduce your cell phone plan and use it for emergencies only. You can look for ways to reduce your utilities and grocery bills. If you are buying coffee each morning, stop buying it and make it at home instead.

If you have your paycheck direct deposited into your account, have your employer split it and deposit a portion into your savings. This can be $10 or $200. It doesn’t matter. The idea is to start saving money. When it is automatically put in your savings and you never see it, it becomes quite easy to forget about it. If you get a raise, have the amount of the raise put in your savings each month. When you never see the money, you learn to live without it. It is the easiest way to save.

If you want to protect your budget from disruptions, you need to start a savings account that will handle your annual expenses. These are the things that don’t come due on a monthly basis. You need to save for Christmas, holiday spending, birthdays, annual insurance premiums, property taxes and other annual events. By saving this amount, you won’t stretch your budget beyond its limits later.

With the same idea in mind, you should start contributing something towards an emergency fund. You never know when something will break down. When it does, it usually puts you in a financial pickle. You can avoid the stress to yourself and your finances by having an emergency fund. Most financial advisors recommend that you have at least three months of expenses in the fund. Don’t let this discourage you. Put anything you can in there. Even if it isn’t a full month’s worth, it will help out in an emergency.

This is ironic. One of the best ways to save money is to get out of debt. And that is why you start saving money in the first place. So I guess you could say that by getting out of debt you can save even more money. Think of how much you are paying in interest. That amount could be going into your savings and earning you interest. Instead of paying a lender, the bank could be paying you. It is important to get your debt paid off first, then work on your savings.

Don’t focus on trying to save a certain percentage of your income unless that goal drives you to save. The key in the beginning is to save as much as possible. Have goals that you are working towards. Budget wisely and make saving a habit. It will pay off in the long run.

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Escape to Great Abaco Island and stay at the Lofty Fig Villas, ideal for a family vacation, and it’s not too expensive, so take the chance to investigate

There are six villas at Lofty Fig Villas, in three single storey buildings around a small freshwater pool, and that is the bare facts of the place, but immediately you start to investigate further you will realise what a great family inn Lofty Fig Villas is, a superb base for a family vacation on Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas. Insofar as Marsh Harbour is concerned Lofty Fig Villas is about at the epicentre

To return to the description, each building that houses the villas is painted in island yellow with aqua trim. Each of the villas comes with a fully equipped kitchen, queen bed, sofa, and a dining table.

The kitchen has a full size fridge and freezer, and importantly the air conditioning works, and works well.

Cable TV, even a proper bath, and daily housekeeping service, and if you cannot stay away, there is also internet access in the office.

Right next to the pool is a gazebo which is very handy as shade, with a secondary role as the place for the family barbeque. All around you are well maintained grounds strewn with multicoloured flowers, plants and coconut trees.

The comments from other guests who have stayed at the Lofty Fig Villas are always very important, and the one thing to note is that there is hardly one negative thing said. One of the consistent themes is that guests only disliked having to leave.

Other remarks, and they are obviously true because so many people have reiterated it, is that you might be a guest but you are made to really feel part of the family. The Lofty Fig Villas seems to work for family groups, couples, or families with children. Everyone agrees that the owner Sid is awesome, in fact a legend might be a better description.

The next question is what exactly does everyone do on a family vacation on Great Abaco Island, staying at the Lofty Fig Villas.

The answer is probably not a lot, and for the first few days you’ll probably have gone to the big grocery store over the road, and got in supplies, so you can barbeque by the pool, walk to Marsh Harbour over the street and watch the sun go down and drink a cocktail, or just sit on your patio and watch the world go by.

Having unwound, you’ll want to go to the beach, and Mermaid Beach is about a pleasant mile walk away. A tip here is to bring your own snorkelling gear.

It would be fair to say that Marsh harbour is kind of a stopping off place. Boats come in and out all the time to pick up supplies, so you’ll probably want to do some exploring of Great Abaco Island. Taxis are expensive and limiting so you’ll need to rent a car. Beware the island is a great deal bigger than you think.

You’ll find some good places to eat, however they aren’t cheap, but you have to remember that outer islands in the Bahamas have to import virtually everything, but you’ll find the seafood very fresh.

Leaving the best reasons to stay at Lofty Fig Villas to last it appears that experienced travellers in and around the Bahamas swear blind that it is easily the best for comfort and value.

Jason Law writes about Bahamas Vacation Spots as well as authoring several articles about Worldwide Vacation Spots and he recommends Caribbean Vacation Spots although The Bahamas is his favourite place on Earth

With the ongoing credit crunch affecting house prices and mortgage rates, many are feeling the squeeze on their personal finances.

More borrowers are now opting for some kind of loan in order to make ends meet. But even with such measures, homeowners face uncertain times when it comes to budgeting finances.

One of the main areas that are essential to owning a property of our own is some kind of house insurance cover. And there are a few simple measures you can take in order to ensure you’re getting the right cover at the right price:



Consider the cost of insuring your property with regards to factors such as age of the property and the risk from elemental factors such as storm and flood damage. Some home insurance policies will not include flood cover in the policy, and you may be required to pay a little extra should you wish to cover against certain aspects.

Remember that you are insuring the property itself and not the land it’s built upon. When shopping for the cheapest cover, don’t include the land value of the property, lest you could find yourself paying a lot more on your premium.

Shop around for the best deals on cheap home insurance. With a wide range of providers offering a multitude of plans and coverage the choice can seem endless. Try and select providers who have positive reviews on services and a good overall reputation.

It’s always best to compare a few deals and not just rush into the first deal you come across – as financial situations and the economic climate is prone to change.

Consider purchasing several policies with the same company but for different things – such as your house insurance alongside your car insurance. Some providers may offer discounts if you purchase multiple policies from them.

Invest in some home security – such as burglar alarms, smoke detectors and dead-bolt locks – any added security features could work in your favour when it comes to finding home insurance, as some providers can offer discounts on your cover should you take such steps to improve security.

It’s always best to double check with the insurers you’re thinking of using and find out if such a discount will apply to your policy should you purchase additional security equipment.

David is an experienced writer based in the UK, currently working in the dotcom industry.

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