Beth's Home Budgeting

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half with America's Cheapest Family: Includes So Many Innovative Strategies You Won't Have to Cut Coupons

America's Cheapest Family shows readers how to save up to $3,000 annually on groceries with their proven strategies, tips, tools, and tricks.

The average American family spends 10 to 15 percent of its take-home pay on groceries. Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half gives them a sure-fire opportunity to reduce that number forever. With the proven plan in this book, the average family can save more than $3,000 a year on its grocery bill.

"Can cutting coupons do that?" a consumer might ask. Of course, these money-saving experts teach coupon-clipping strategies, but they don't stop there. Readers learn how to plan their shopping to save big bucks, effectively store food and save cash, identify products that save time and money, beat the grocer at pricing games, and more!

The Economides learned to deliver healthy, tasty food to their family of seven on $350 a month. In this authoritative manual, the average family can follow their lead and fill its grocery cart without emptying its wallet.

Endorsements:

"Many people think that it's impossible to reduce your grocery bill by 50%. But you can. Steve and Annette Economides provide step-by-step instructions in "Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half." Tools that are practical and easy to follow. No special shopping or cooking skills required. Anyone can see a surprising reduction in their grocery budget if they follow the Economides' methods. And, best of all, the savings begin right away. You don't need to finish the whole book to benefit. You'll find money-saving ideas that you can put to use in the first chapter, and every chapter thereafter. Normally I advise people to check books out of the library and save the cost of the book. But this is one do-it-yourself guide to lower grocery bills that you'll want to have on your bookshelf or kitchen countertop."
Gary Foreman, Publisher, The DollarStretcher.com

"If you are eager to save on groceries, but don't always have the time to clip coupons, this book is for you! It's perfect if you're interested in more ways to cut costs, reduce waste, and get organized. This is an awesome book for the novice or the skilled cook."
Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper-editors of LivingOnADime.com and authors of "Dining On A Dime Cookbook"

"I've known Steve and Annette for several years and they definitely live what they believe. If you're serious about spending less money at the grocery store, this book offers some practical ways to achieve your goal. When it comes to stretching your dollar, I know of no one with more experience than Steve and Annette."
JJ Heller-Singer/Songwriter

Price: $16.99

Minka-Aire Fans F566-WH 42" Mesa Traditional Indoor Flush Mount White Ceiling Fan

The Minka-Aire Fan F566-WH is a Mesa Mid-Size Ceiling Fan with the Three Speed Pull Chain in the White motor finish. Our close to Ceiling economy model in two sizes will move the air in the tightes places. This Ceiling Fan is from the Contractor Collection and is UL Indoor rated..

Price: $120.62

Friday, October 29, 2010

How to Earn $30,000 a Month with Low Budget Direct Mail Projects - Tape 3 of 3

It's true, you could be earning $30,000 a month with your own low budget direct mail projects. This three tape set show you how.

You'll learn how to start with less than $500, and identify a 'Ripe' market. You'll see how to supply the right product to that eager market.

Tape 3 of 3.

Price:

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Easy To Use Personal Finance Budgeting Software

We have designed an easy to use spreadsheet that allows you to track your daily, monthly, and yearly income and expenses quickly and easily.

25 Signs That You've Been at the Same Job Too Long

We live in an age of short attention spans, low patience, instant gratification, and unrealistic expectations. Duration of employment is at an all-time low, and most of us don't make it past the two-year mark, on average. That being said, we've surely been around the guy or gal who has simply just been around too long. And just maybe, that guy or gal is you!

That's right, without realizing it, there might be signs that you've reached the limit on your current job, and it might be time to consider an employer or a career change. What follows are some warning signs that the writing is on the wall (all meant to be humorous, but some might be painfully true):

You start to refer to all new hires as "pups" and "spring chickens."
You play office trivia at lunch with other tenured folk just to make the "pups" and "spring chickens" feel out of place.
They ran out of clever title changes to make you feel special about doing the same work.
You start getting plaques for how long you've been around.
They start naming plants around the office after you as some sort of twisted memorial.
You stop caring that last night's leftover fish that you're microwaving for lunch stinks up the entire break room.
You work in a company of thousands of people, you have a common first name, and your email alias is your first name.
You bring up the "office softball game from 10 years ago," only to sadly realize mid-thought that nobody you're talking to was even there 10 years ago.
HR has to tell you to "use or lose" your vacation days.
You know everyone's kids' names, and remember them.
You only stick around for the sole purpose of getting drunk and making an ass out of yourself at the annual Holiday party.
You're the only person the IT guy completely avoids because he's scared of you.
There are empty liquor bottles in your cubicle...and you just don't care.
You can't remember when you didn't spend an hour a day at watching YouTube videos at work.
You reminisce about the '80s all the time, only to painfully realize later that most of the people you work with were actually born in the late '80s.
Your boss is younger than you. Yeah....
You remember actually cashing a paycheck from the same employer.
You get nostalgic about how things used to be...and those things used to really suck back then.
You are grandfathered in to an actual pension. Man, those were nice.
You tell your boss about a job offer you received and they just laugh.
Business casual now means jeans and a polo shirt.
You brought your kid to work on "bring your kid to work day" when they started school but they couldn't make this year's because they have their own job now.
You reference a scene in Office Space, comparing it to your job, at least once a week.
You stop getting performance reviews because your boss ran out of BS suggestions for "areas to improve."
9-to-5 literally means 9-to-5.

What are some other painfully humorous revelations you've had that told you you've simply been around too long?

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Successful Elements to a Family's Home Budget Or Budget Spreadsheet

The internet is a saturated jungle of home budget software ranging from the simple, to the very complex in functionally. To successfully navigate this maze of advertising mayhem, and walk away with the correct Home budget software or budget spreadsheet; you will need to carry with you, in the background of your mind as your search, those critical key elements that are vital in making your family's home budgeting dreams come true! Key elements such as user-friendly interfaces, text and graphics with useful information, and useful supplemental add-ons.

The role of advertising!

P. T. Barnum, and American circus entertainer once said, "There's a sucker born every minute". Thou I, being part of the populace, and with mild embarrassment, would have had Barnum at that time in history spoken, "If given the right ploy, anyone can become a sucker!" In the days of Barnum, just as it is in today's world, advertising's ultimate goal is to turn, even the mildest curiosity, into a successful sale. And to that end, you the consumer is faced with barrage of advertising strategies, all geared for one thing. To remove from your wallet, as much money as possible.

Key elements in household budgeting & the consumer's responsibility!

Element one - Your budget spreadsheet or home budget software should have a user-friendly interface. It should be flexibly and easy to understand in its operation. You should not need a degree in programming in order to use or understand it. Likewise, its working environment should be designed with you, the consumer in mind. You should not have to struggle to navigate from one section of your home budget to another. The screen's layout should be easy to understand. Some programmers believe that more is better; and so to that end they have fatten up ever screen with excessive graphics and/or text that contains little or no useful information. Your home budget software will become an integrate part of the lives of your family. The using of it should not stress you out! If you want stress... have children!

Element two - Your budget spreadsheet or home budget software should provide you with useful information. It should be noted here that the function of a home budget is NOT just to formulate reports on monthly transactions. The function of a home budget is NOT Just to record income and expenses as they occur. Your family is not JUST about living or existing! What about dept management? What about your short and long term goals in life? Part of the totality of any home budget software is to deal with all of these issues. For, it is all of these issues that impact the way you live and the dreams you have about your future.

Your home budget software should aid you in the reaching your short and long term goals in life. If it does not, than you should not be using it. Likewise, your home budget software should provide you with useful information about your future projected bank balances. Elements that contain Information such as daily bank balances, your lowest weekly bank balance, and bank balance trends over time (charts). If you are going to budget out your expenses, then those projected expenses will (over time) affect your bank balance. These elements are paramount to any successful home budget. Without their implementation, your financial lifestyle will revolve somewhere between banquettes and begging! Your budget spreadsheet or home budget software should also provide a means of correcting deviations between projected and actual income and expenses. Unless you plan to record every little expense, then expect deviations between your project bank balance and your actual bank balance.

Element Three - Your budget spreadsheet or home budget software should provide you with useful secondary supplemental add-ons. Everybody loves the pop-up calendar and calculator; but what do they offer that you do not already have on your computer? Let us examine four types of add-ons that not only offer useful information, but also aid in the reaching of short and long term goals. They are savings, credit cards, charts, and Christmas.

Savings- If you are planning to go beyond a stagnant type of life style, then you will have to integrate into your financial picture some type of savings program. For it is savings over time that allow for the achievement of many short or long term goals (L.T.G.'s). This one particular element should be built into your home budget and allow for savings, all from one bank account.

Credit Cards- Even thou I am not a great advocate of credit cards, they do (if used correctly) allow a family to establish over time, a good credit history. In addition, in times of calamity, credit cards are a quick avenue of cash! When looking for a budget spreadsheet, look for a home budget that allows for the use and management of a least one credit card. In addition, your home budget should also give you the ability to swap out any projected budgeted transactions, for a credit card transaction.

Charts - One of the greatest advancements in computer technology as been the processor speed. Today it possible to chart just about any information; but that is not the same as saying that all charted information is of value to you, the user. When considering a budget spreadsheet or home budget software, ask yourself, "Will the charts provide useful information necessary for me in achieving my short and long term goals in life?" "If I stay on budget, will my bank balance fluctuate either up or down?" "Does my projected budget TRULY reflect by lifestyle?" These are important questions; and the answers will guide you in choosing the best home budget for you and your family.

Christmas - At first glance, one might not consider a section that deals with Christmas as being a useful secondary supplemental add-on. Yet, you might feel differently if you have to deal with items bought and then placed on lay-a-way, the correlation of expected income against actual purchases, and the keeping of a list of who gets what. A home budget software or budgeting spreadsheets that offer a section that deals with Christmas, can aid to making that time of year stress free.

So, let us pull it all together!

Putting aside all of the glossy advertising gimmicks, the flashy website "calls to action", and the animated icons; sooner or later you will have to actually use your home budgeting software. Understanding role of key elements and the philosophy of budgeting (L.T.G.'s) will help you in having a successful home budget. Remember, your budgeting spreadsheet is not so much about the crunching of numbers, as it is about the helping you to bring into reality, the dreams of your life! So, as you face the jungle of home budgeting software, keep in mind the elements necessary to making your dreams come true!

My name is Michael Reichwein and I would like to invite you to come and visit our home budgeting spreadsheet website at http://www.bottomlinebudget.com today. You will be able to see the solutions that we have implemented in our budgeting spreadsheets that have aiding families in making their home budgeting dreams come true! Take the challenge! Come, use our free download, and see if you can start building your dreams today!

I am Michael Reichwein, the CEO of Bottomline Budget. My wife and I have called Pennsylvania, USA our home for more then 30 years to date. We originally, did not intend in selling our "family home budget spreadsheets", as a web based business. However, as time advanced as it usually does, it became unavoidable. The funny part was that I did not venture out into the internet looking for software and spreadsheets advocated by other authors in order to gleam as it were, the elements they had gleamed from others. Instead, my concept was in building the spreadsheets around the needs of our family at that particular time in history; and then placing those derived elements into an easy to use format. I am sure that if you use them, you find them as useful as my family has over the last Eight years!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Build Your Own Home

Great new book written by builder with 30 years experience. Save 30-40% of the cost of buying a home from a builder. Bonus tells how to make $$$ completely tax free!

Swann Night Hawk 2.4 GHz Wireless Outdoor Security System

CL) SWANN NIGHTHAWK CAMERA 2.4GHZ

Price: $149.95

Monday, October 25, 2010

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Widescreen Edition)

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a seamless continuation of Peter Jackson's epic fantasy based on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. After the breaking of the Fellowship, Frodo (Elijah Wood) and Sam (Sean Astin) journey to Mordor to destroy the One Ring of Power with the creature Gollum as their guide. Meanwhile, Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen), Legolas (Orlando Bloom), and Gimli (John Rhys-Davies) join in the defense of the people of Rohan, who are the first target in the eradication of the race of Men by the renegade wizard Saruman (Christopher Lee) and the dark lord Sauron. Fantastic creatures, astounding visual effects, and a climactic battle at the fortress of Helm's Deep make The Two Towers a worthy successor to The Fellowship of the Ring, grander in scale but retaining the story's emotional intimacy. These two films are perhaps the greatest fantasy films ever made, but they're merely a prelude to the cataclysmic events of The Return of the King. --David Horiuchi

Price: $14.96

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Infinity Reference 6022i 6.5-Inch Two-Way Loudspeaker (Pair)

Amazon.com Product Description The Infinity Reference 6022i is a 6-1/2-inch two-way loudspeaker offering an advanced set of features for great value its price range. Drop these speakers in the 6-1/2-inch factory location, and drive them with your factory OEM or aftermarket tuner. Enjoy improved bass response, thanks to Plus One technology, and outstanding high frequencies from the edge-driven textile dome tweeter. Drive the speaker with 4 ohms, or go with a 2 ohm impedance for improved low frequency performance and louder sound. Includes a one-year parts and labor warranty.

Advanced features at a great price.

Infinity's Unipivot feature allows the tweeter to be pointed at the listener's location even when the speaker is mounted off axis.

Includes grilles for both speakers. Click to enlarge.

Plus One Woofer Cones
This patent-pending technology delivers a cone with more surface area than competing models of the same size. The result is increased bass output and higher efficiency.

True Four Ohms
All Reference speakers feature two ohm voice coils. Original factory-installed speaker wiring in many cars is 18-22 gauge. This wire, and heating in the voice coil when power is applied, increase the impedance "seen" by the amplifier or head unit. The impedance of Reference Speakers has been adjusted to compensate for this increase and can be safely driven by any head unit.

Edge-Driven Textile Dome Tweeters
These are not commonly used w-domes, but fully edge-driven domes--like those found in better home audio speakers. The benefit is increased power handling and reduced distortion at high output levels. This technology also allows for better integration with the mid/woofer.

Unipivot
The Infinity 6022i's unipivot design allows the tweeter to be pointed at the listener's location even when the speaker is mounted off axis. This optimizes the stereo image and ensures a more uniform response.

Tweeter Level Adjustment
The 6022i also features a tweeter level adjustment located on the front of the speaker and can be set at the reference level of 0dB. If the speakers are located low in the doors or if you are looking for a brighter sound, set the tweeter at +3dB.

What's in the Box
Two 6022i 2-way speakers, two grilles and grille frames, mounting hardware, manual, warranty card

Price: $119.95

Saturday, October 23, 2010

MODEL RAILWAY DELUXE

Product InformationBuild your own virtual model railway and watch it come to life in stunning 3D. No other software makes it as easy to create your own highly detailed tracks stations tunnels towns roads level crossings and scenery. Ideal for railway enthusiasts of all ages the only limit is your imagination!Create your own model railway in minutes! 1 Design complex railway layouts 2 Construct detailed landscapes 3 Control realistically modeled trains PLUS! This 2-in-1 Pack Includes WILD WEST EDITION! Over 50 sample layouts included Disclaimer: *Source: ChartTrack PC budget chart Utility Software 2005-06.Features 38 steam locomotives and modern engines modelled on popular British and continental models. 81 types of goods wagons and carriages. Choose between digital and analogue control systems. Run multiple trains simultaneously operating signal controls and points. New screen capture feature. Multiple camera angles with zoom in/out and chase views. Realistic physics engine and sounds effects. Night time mode with real-time lighting effects. Create hills mountains tunnels bridges rivers and lakes with ease the intelligent Terrain Editor does all the complex calculations for you!Huge selection of objects including houses shops factories vehicles pedestrians trees plants and much more! Detailed tutorial with 11 examples. NEW! Includes WILD WEST EDITION! Control legendary iron horses on vintage American railroads in this complete model railway simulation. 20 Wild West style steam engines 50 goods wagons and 12 carriages 5 sample model railway layouts Over 200 objects to placeSystem Requirements PC Operating System: Windows® Me / 2000 / XP / x64 / VistaPC CPU

Price: $19.95

Home Remedies For Removing Warts

Dont Go Though Life With Genital Warts, Get Rid Of Warts On Face, Feet And Genital Using Home Remedies For Removing Warts.

Friday, October 22, 2010

The Budget Kit: The Common Cents Money Management Workbook

Does your credit card balance climb higher and higher every month? Are you overwhelmed by outstanding loans? Do you wish you had a better handle on the future, whether itâ??s college funds, retirement savings, investments, or even short-term goals?

No matter your financial goal, a well-defined budget is the first step to meet it. The bestselling classic The Budget Kit has helped hundreds of thousands of people across America develop effective budgets and gain financial freedom. In this fully updated and revised edition, you will gain the skills to control your moneyâ??and your future.

Learn to:

Create a simple, functional system for managing your finances, with or without financial software
Navigate the latest developments in the paperless world of electronic banking
Discover the freedom of being able to achieve your personal and financial goals
Make a plan to pay off debt and plan for the future

With Judyâ??s tried-and-true guidance, you can get your spending under control and create a budget that will get you on the road to financial freedom.

Price: $19.95

Budget Little Joe Torso

Budget Little Joe TorsoMale torso model with musculature on one side and surface skin on the other. Dissects into 15 parts: torso, posterior section of head, brain (two parts), trachea, lungs (four parts), heart, liver, stomach, intestine, and kidney with pancreas. Mounted on a plastic base. Includes a key card with 52 structures labeled. 10' tall. Latex free.Product photo may not exactly match the product offered for sale. Please refer to the product description.

Price:

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Home Budgeting Software

Home budgeting software helps you make a budget quickly and efficiently. A variety of services are available in the software market. Some software come as free downloadable software and others can be purchased for a small fee. There are software designed to work with Widows, Mac and Linux. The best service is the software that has all the functions to suit your unique requirements.

While choosing home budgeting software, it is important that the software is easy to install. You can also check if the manufacturers provide periodic upgrades to the software so that your software will contain up to date and easy to use components for easy home budgeting.

While looking for the best fit for your needs, you should keep a few features in mind. These features will help you make a budget quickly and track your expenses according to budget easily. Check if the software automatically categorizes expenditure. The software should also allow you to add categories in addition to the programmed categories within the software. You can also check if the software reconciles accounts and offers other features like import and export of data and tracking expenses. Some advanced programs connect to PayPal and bank accounts and track withdrawals from these accounts. In short the best service will have all tools and components to put you in control of your home finances.

Good home budgeting software will have tools for efficient reporting. Reporting is an important component of budgeting software. These reports will help you review your budget periodically and to make adjustments. Simple options may provide a detailed report of incomes and a report of expenses only while advanced services will give reports of expenditures, investments, tax reports and reports by expense category to give you an accurate picture of how much money you had at first and where the money went at the end of each month.

The best home budgeting software will have the tools you require for accurate budgeting. Some software have inbuilt financial calculators. These financial calculators are useful especially if you need to repay loans or a mortgage.

Some home budgeting software come with tools to protect the privacy of the user. The software can be password protected to keep your finances private and to prevent misuse. The software will also have the facility to backup your data and restore the data easily in the event, the hard disk of your computer crashes.

The best option for you should be easy to install and use. The software come with detailed user manuals and tutorials for easy and efficient usage. Some home budgeting software manufacturers offer detailed manuals or tutorials on a CD Rom or a detailed FAQ page on their website for reference. To make it even easier for customers, some manufacturers offer online or telephone support to make installation and usage simple.

The most important consideration before buying home budgeting software is cost. You should shop among the available software and choose the software that is affordable yet has all the components that suits your unique financial needs.

Choosing the best home budgeting for your needs will make monthly budgeting easy and will assist you in controlling your monthly finances accurately.

See a complete list of the best personal finance software and other free web based software

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Getting Married? Provide Stability With Home Budget Software

When a couple gets married, there are many challenges that they will face, not the least being financial, and it would be wonderful if they all acquired a good home budget software program to begin. Unfortunately, this seldom occurs. Marriage can be and often times is, a difficult adjustment to make for both, and those couples that don't plan sometimes take on a very heavy debt load right from day one, that quickly turns into a nightmare. They buy a large home with an equally large mortgage and try to fill every room with new furniture immediately, which is usually purchased using credit cards. It's not long before the high mortgage payment and very high credit card payments become very difficult to make, and the stress begins to take its toll. In the event an unplanned pregnancy occurs, the stress becomes even higher, leading to marital problems. This is no way to begin a married life together!

This type of problem can be avoided in most cases if proper planning is implemented. The couple needs to discuss these financial matters prior to marriage, and then use a home budget software program, and plan for the large purchases, instead of leaping into an ocean of debt that eventually will take its toll. Preparing a workable budget is probably the most important matter that a newly wed couple will undertake. Not all individuals are able to control their spending patterns, so preparing a budget together and discussing it every step of the way is paramount. In my role as a financial consultant, I have seen these scenarios play out time and again and they are not pleasant. Planning for children is even more important because when they begin to arrive, many additional needs will be required. Besides the day to day needs being provided, schooling, including college, expenses should be budgeted as well. How can all of this be accomplished?

But how does one go about it?

There are a number of methods to use, but we think the best way is to use a good home budget software program. It really isn't much different than using a personal budget software program, since you are basically using both incomes, assuming both spouses are employed. We reviewed many of the popular programs and came to the conclusion that those that used the "zero-sum" method work much better in the long run. The one that we recommend on our website uses the previous month's income to budget the current month's expenses, and every dollar is put to "work", leaving a zero balance. It is similar to envelope budgeting, and in addition to budgeting normal expenses, there are envelopes for debt reduction, savings, and special purchases that you will be saving for. The folks that developed this great program don't leave you "high and dry" after your purchase either. During the month, they have Free live webinars on the software where you can ask questions. Also, they have a member's forum where you can see other questions answered, and you can also ask your own for a quick solution. All I can say is that it works and does the job!

We can't emphasize strongly enough for all couples entering marriage, or for that matter, everyone else, please prepare a good financial budget. Prepare one that you can work with to plan and provide for your family's security and financial well being. There are goals that should be set, with a plan in place on how to attain them, allowing for unusual and non recurring items. We realize that preparing a budget for the first time can be rather difficult, and a little tedious, but it will be well worth it when it is in place. Using a good home budget software program will be a big help in that regard.

Gust A. Lenglet is an accomplished author and financial adviser in the field of personal finance and budgeting. He is President and CEO of Crown Financial Concepts, Ltd. and offers home budget software as well as articles and information for creating a budget and reducing debt. We encourage you to visit our website at http://www.crownfinancialconcepts.org and see for your self the highly acclaimed software program that can help you in the budgeting process.

Boss Budget Mesh Task Chair

B6508 Features: -Task chair. -Wood, foam, plastic and metal construction. -Mesh fabric. -Ample padding. -Adjustable tilt-tension control. -Pneumatic gas lift seat height adjustment. -Hooded double wheel casters. -Assembly required. -Warranted against manufacturing defects in material and workmanship for six years from the original date of retail purchase. -Overall dimensions: 38.5'' H x 26.5'' W x 25'' D.

Price: $220.00

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

What Do I Spend My Money On First When Planning A Home Budget

When you first realize that you may be heading for financial troubles you will most likely start thinking about setting up a home budget. When times get hard and you start getting those calls from the dreaded bill collectors you will normally start thinking real hard about a home budget.

When everyone wants a piece of your paycheck and you do not have enough money to pay everyone it is vital to spend your money wisely and in the right places. You want to make sure food is at the top of the list. If you are hungry it is hard to keep up the motivation to keep on chipping away at your pile of debt. Your rent or house payment also needs to be near the top of your priorities. Next you need to think about keeping the lights on. Your transportation you use to get to work is also very important. This article will look at a few of the things you need to think about when deciding who to pay first when setting up your home budget.

Keeping food on the table has to be about the most important thing you can put at the top of your budget. You do not need the best food to keep going but you do need to think about good nutrition and staying healthy. Getting sick will only cause to miss some days at work, which will put you further behind. This does not mean you should not pay your bills and go out to eat every night in a nice restaurant. By being careful you can eat pretty good for little cash.

Keeping a roof over your head is just as important as eating. Paying your rent or house payment needs to be over almost any thing else in your home budget. Lose your home and you will lose much more than just your house. There is a safety in your own place that seems to disappear when you no longer have a home you can call yours.

Next on the list would be your utilities. Although I would not consider gas and lights as important as food and shelter it is pretty important nonetheless. You can live in a house with no electricity if you have to but it is not a pleasant task.

Transportation needs to be thought about next. Your car is often your only way to work. If you do not work you probably will not have enough money to pay your bills. You may be able to take advantage of public transportation but this is not available for everyone.

Use common sense when setting up a home budget and pay the necessities first. Pay everyone you owe as fast as you possibly can and do the best you can by getting out of debt and staying there..

For more information on debt consolidation pros and cons try visiting http://www.debtlessons.com where you will find tips, advice and resources about topics such as bad credit consolidation loans [http://www.debtlessons.com/badcreditconsolidationloans.html].

How Do I Choose Home Budget Software?

Creating a budget is essential for any household in order to insure that you have enough money to cover your expenses, organize your debt, and help you build enough for a reserve fund. Yet, despite the clear advantages of making and following a budget, the majority of people never bother to create one. Some don't do it simply because they feel too constrained by pre-planning their purchases while just don't know where to begin. Indeed, no matter what your reasons are, budgeting is a daunting task for anyone. Fortunately, there are many home budget software applications that can help guide you past the difficulties that so many new budget makers encounter. Here are a couple of tips that can help you choose the best application for your needs.

Those new to creating budgets will often find the task to be daunting and it's important to obtain software that helps you plan your expenses relative to your income. Most budgeting applications simply allow users to input their income, expenses, and so forth and leave the individual to come up with optimal proportions. This is a sign of poor software to use. How much do you want to pay down your credit card debt? How much should you be saving? Look for budgeting software that helps guide you with these questions. A good home budget software program will help you save additional money and optimize the amount of debt that you pay down.

Secondly, although this may seem obvious, look for well thought-out, intuitive software. Budgets can be made in something as simple as a spreadsheet, yet doing this results in a lot of unnecessary work. The whole point of purchasing the home budget software is to avoid all that labor. Look for an application that has wizards and allows you to import bank, credit card, and mortgage statements. Also look for a program that includes a comprehensive tutorial with a fair amount of budgeting advice. While you may not feel like you need a tutorial, an inclusion of one is typically indicative of well-made software. After all, it doesn't take a lot of code to give one the opportunity to enter some data and show a graph - it takes much more knowledge to create software that actually helps you optimize your finances and find better ways to use your money.

Home budget software is essential if you want to improve your financial situation. It doesn't matter if you're wealthy or poor, budgeting is vital so that you know exactly how your money is being spent and if there are any foreseeable troubles coming in the horizon. All too often, individuals who fail to budget have an unexpected expense that winds up getting them into a debt spiral. Look for software that promises to actually help you with the process and also make sure that the application you're considering buying actually includes wizards and other tools to help you analyze your finances. It's not worth your time or money to buy a "fancier spreadsheet". Ensure that the home budget software application you're considering actually helps you enter and analyze your data.

Gust A. Lenglet is an accomplished author and financial advisor in the field of personal finance and creating a personal budget. He is President and CEO of Crown Financial Concepts, Ltd. and offers Free and intuitive advice in selecting the type of home budget software as well as articles and other information you may find helpful in creating a budget and planning for reduction of debt. Please visit our website at http://www.crown-financial-concepts.com and take advantage of this valuable information.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Home Based Business Opportunities

Home Based Business Opportunities.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

5 Tips on What to Do Before Moving in Together

If splitting the cost of rent and utilities with your significant other sounds like a good idea, you're not alone. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 7.5 million unmarried couples are living together, which is a 13% jump from last year. The economy may be playing a role in the increase — both partners have jobs in only 49% of cohabitating couples.

Saving money on rent is obviously not a reason to move in with your boyfriend or girlfriend. But the truth is it can be a nice benefit — if you do it right. Below are five tips to make the financial side of moving in together a smooth experience.

Discussing trivial things like "will we make the bed every morning?" can be a lot easier than talking about money. Start small and work your way up. Actions may speak louder than words, but when you're moving in with a significant other, communication is key.

If one partner wants a significantly nicer apartment than the other and can afford it, great. But that doesn't mean the rent should then be shared equally. Agree on how much you can each afford and how you will split the cost of living before signing on the dotted line. Being in love doesn't mean you can or should put yourself in a stressful financial situation.

Both partners share the emotional risk of combining lives by living together, but sometimes the financial risk is skewed in one direction. Creating some sort of cohabitation agreement can help neutralize this risk. If you were to break up, who would move out? How would the finances be handled during that process? These may not be fun questions to ask, but if you don't discuss it up front you may be dealing with financial stress on top of emotional stress if the relationship comes to an end.

While you need a strategy for paying various bills, combining accounts is not a good solution. Signing up for a joint checking account or credit card is a big decision, and not one that makes sense for couples who are cohabitating. If your partner goes on a shopping spree, you could be on the line for 100% of the cost. Be smart — keep your accounts separate for now.

Set aside time for fun — whether that means cooking dinner together or going to see a movie, make sure you're still enjoying your partner after moving in together. While you're at it, make a date to talk about your finances too. Communicating about bills or any other money-related topics should be intentional. If some sort of tension does arise, it'll be easier to bring it up within the context of a planned meeting rather than out of the blue.

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Saturday, October 16, 2010

The Quickest Way To Build A Beautiful Fence That Will Surround Your Home: How To Easily Build A Fence On A Shoestring Budget! - AUDIOBOOK

The Quickest Way To Build A Beautiful Fence That Will Surround Your Home will teach you all about fences, why to get a fence, how to build a fence, how to hire a professional, and etc.

This CD covers every aspect to fence building on a shoestring budget. This is for those who don't want to drop a couple thousand dollars on a simple fence.

Here's a little of what you'll learn inside of The Quickest Way To Build A Beautiful Fence That Will Surround Your Home.

- Chapter 1: Do I really need a fence?

- Chapter 2: Hire a Professional or Do It Yourself Job

- Chapter 3: What Type of Fence Should I Install (Fence Types)

- Chapter 4: Tools Needed to Get Started

- Chapter 5: Installing the Fence (The Specs)

- And more

With The Quickest Way To Build A Beautiful Fence That Will Surround Your Home, you can learn every aspect to fence building in less than 30 minutes!

Randall Magwood is an expert on building fences, and has taught many people around the world how to build fences in their spare time.

This product is manufactured on demand using CD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Price: $19.00

Friday, October 15, 2010

Home Theater Design EBook(R

Home Theater EBook(R) Offers A Complete Guide On How To Design And Plan Home Theaters.

Best Money Tips: Homemade Hot Chocolate

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips roundup. Today, we give you a simple recipe for homemade hot cocoa, a cool way to fold old paperbacks, and 10 deviled egg recipes to die for!

Homemade Hot Chocolate — You haven’t had hot cocoa until you’ve had the DIY stuff. This recipe rocks! My First Kitchen via MomAdvice

DIY Folded Paper Books — This looks like a fun way to repurpose an old garage sale paperback. Frugal Upstate

5 Items in Nature with Enormous Finder’s Fees — Who knew that bird spit could fetch a hefty price? These five “delicacies” are weird — but valuable! Len Penzo

10 Deviled Egg Recipes — If you’re thinking of bringing the popular appetizer to a party in the near future, go big with one of these very unique and tasty-looking variations! Wasabi, anyone? Chow

Special Diets on a Budget — Needing to live a gluten-free life? Don’t overpay! In addition to checking out our own fabulous gluten-free recipes, this strategy list is priceless! Debt Kid

How to Revisit Child Support — As a child grows, so does the amount of money needed to support them. These tips can help a parent to seek out the money required to make sure their child is well taken care of! Parenting Squad

6 Great Ways to Find Online Communities — Looking to connect your online life with your real life? How about these resources for finding communities you can connect with? My Life Scoop

Changing Careers? What About Your 401K - Handling your 401K balance has to be done correctly to avoid costly fees or tax penalties. Get the advice you need to start a new job without sacrificing your hard-earned nest egg. Currency

Spotting a Pyramid Scheme Can Save Your Future — What’s a Ponzi scheme, what’s a pyramid scheme, and how can you avoid both? Being informed is the most important part of staying protected! Dough Roller

How waffling irons make kids self-sufficient — Just about anything can go in between two tortillas—cheese, peanut butter, chocolate bars, the occasional cricket. Lela Davidson from Wise Bread

Use Tall, Narrow Glasses to Cut Down On Drinking — This tip is obviously for consuming high-calorie or alcoholic drinks (not water, silly.) It’s a great way to fool the mind into drinking less! Oprah via Lifehacker

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Home Workshop Knifemaking: Making Utility and Defensive Knives on a Budget [VHS]

Have you always wanted to learn how to make a knife? Well, here's your chance. With a few inexpensive tools, some easily acquired materials, a little hard work and this two-tape video production from Paladin Press, you can learn all the basic skills of knifemaking and be on your way to producing your own high-quality custom blades. Master Bladesmith Wally Hayes first shows you how to turn your workshop into a functional knife shop for less than $250. He then takes you step by step through a complete course in knifemaking, including profiling and grinding your blade; differentially heat-treating your knife (using a home-built forge that costs less than $40); embellishing your blade with filework; crafting form-fitting Kydex sheaths in your kitchen oven; polishing your blade to a mirror finish; attaching a slab handle and doing a Japanese cord-wrapped handle. This video covers the complete construction of two knives - a chisel-ground tanto-style neck knife and a flat-ground utility/hunting knife - and is one of the most detailed courses in knifemaking ever captured on video. For information purposes only.

Price: $99.95

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

How to Earn $30,000 a Month with Low Budget Direct Mail Projects - Tape 2 of 3

Price:

Why Germans Have Longer Vacation Times and More Productivity

This article is a reprint of Wise Bread's contribution to OPEN Forum from American Express -- where small business owners can get advice from experts and share tips with each other.

It seems many Americans are born hard-wired with the belief that productivity requires time. There are no shortcuts for a good, Puritan work ethic. It's the American Way, after all. We love stories of companies who started with nothing and worked like dogs to become to become massive successes. The Sam Waltons, the Bill Gates--these are true American heroes.

Self-sacrifice has almost always gone hand-in-hand with entrepreneurship and small businesses. We're capitalists, and he who works the most makes the most money at the end of the day. Or so it would seem.

Yet Europeans have always seemed to have taken a different route when it comes to the work/life balance. Germans on average work around 1,436 hours per year, versus the 1,804 hours Americans work. With those numbers it would be easy to conclude that Americans do more, that they would be more productive in the workforce.

But we don't. Studies show that Germans get roughly the same amount of stuff done in fewer hours each week, and with more vacation time.

The situation with the economy hasn't helped our obsession with "hard work". With jobs becoming more scarce and tightened budgets, just keeping our jobs is a major worry for many Americans. Spending longer hours at the office might keep us off the chopping block for another day.

Author Thomas Geoghegan believes that Americans weren't always this overworked. In an interview, Geoghegan explains that in the 1960's, Americans spent more vacation time than they do now, and many people in their 50s or 60s will tell you that they take less vacation time than their parents did.

So why did we become such workaholics? And why do Germans have better productivity and more vacation at the same time?

In the same New York Times article, another commenter noted that Americans view time as a currency in the workplace, as opposed to output. Meanwhile Germans view results as the biggest indicator of results. Americans tend to spend more time socializing at work, while Europeans are less social but leave quickly after work.

"In the U.S., hanging out by the coffee machine and having a few minutes to talk while you drink your coffee is normal. So yeah, the workday is longer in the U.S., but it is also more relaxed. Longer, however does not mean more productive. About the same amount of productive work gets done in either case."

Our American work atmospheres are considered more relaxed and more social, while German workplaces put emphasis on quality, individual work time, then leaving promptly after work.

One American who was working as a manager in Germany described German workers as more individual and closed off, whereas Americans tend to "meet it to the death" when faced with problems. Oftentimes Germans will work remotely and take more time off during the day, resulting in more focused, individual work sessions that yield higher results.

It's no shock that Americans have too many meetings. We view time Germans have learned that meetings and productivity don't mix.

Germans have 6 weeks--that's weeks not days--of federally mandated vacation time a year. As an American, I can't even fathom what six weeks of vacation time would feel like.

American companies provide vacation time as benefit packages, and vacation time is a major factor in negotiating contracts. But as small business owners, we're responsible for bringing in the bottom line. There is no negotiation of contracts. Really, vacation time is seen as a bonus to meeting or exceeding expectations.

In Germany, vacation time isn't used as much as a bargaining chip or a luxury. It's a federally mandated right, a way of life. And therein lies the difference: Americans view vacation as a bonus, Germans view vacation as a necessary aspect of life.

"How am I going to be pay for X?" is one of the first things people think about when they worry about losing their jobs. Oftentimes we'll take positions we normally wouldn't because of benefits offered by the employer.

The German government tries to alleviate a lot of these worries by providing many for free. The government provides citizens with free healthcare, free university education, and childcare. For many Americans, many of the things that are given freely to Germans are our biggest worries. Healthcare alone is a massive thing to worry about, and makes up one of the biggest cuts into our income.

Germans don't have as many things to worry about paying for each month, which allows them to focus more on things like productive work instead of monthly expenses.

Geoghegan believes Germans understate their work hours, and Americans overstate work hours. Yet both countries are getting roughly the same amount of work done. This means that Germans are actually doing more, while working less. This is probably because Americans tend to see long work hours as a badge of accomplishment.

In a recent study by Expedia, it was found that 31 percent of U.S. adults won't use all of their paid vacation days. In 2008 it was estimated that three vacation days were left unused for most American workers. We clearly view time spent on the clock as incredibly important. So important that we won't even take paid vacation.

Americans often see working as "clocking in", that it's enough to simply put in the hours. Which is why we're more likely to socialize at work. Often we treat it more like a social atmosphere, and less like a workplace. After all, it is where we spend a third of our day.

If you really want to be productive at work and capitalize on vacation time, block things out. Make sure you're getting stuff done. When we start to take pride in our work and view it less as a boring routine and more as an occupation, we see better results.

Let's take a cue from our German friends and start measuring work output by results, not time spent in a chair. And enjoy life!

Editor's note: Thanks, readers, for pointing out the "1436 hours per week" error. It has been corrected.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

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Monday, October 11, 2010

Create A Home Budget Template

Making a Budget is a very essential task that the majority of folks don't take pleasure in doing. Nonetheless, without a correctly balanced personal budget expenses and debts can really easily get out of your control and become more than your personal salary. This is a position which you will need to avoid and try hard to diminish before it turns in to a constant problem in your household.

Together with a little bit of self-control and help from a few tried and true budgeting procedures you shall be able to ensure that your household budget is rapidly brought under your own control. Not just will this make you feel much more secure financially but it will also assist you to save more money for those genuinely essential things that you may want to obtain.

One of the greatest and most essential aspect of balancing your budget is bringing together any high interest debts repayments which you may have currently. This will potentially save you plenty of dollars in interest repayments alone, as well as the strain of having these debts constantly hanging over you and your family's head. Debt consolidation is an essential item which you are able to easily do yourself if you are economically clever, alternatively you might just have the inclination to recruit the resources of a specialist business to assist you with this extremely critical task.

If you find that you're one of those buyers which continually goes over the top with excessive purchasing on your bank cards then you may have the inclination to contemplate cutting up each and everyone of your bank cards. This could appear to be a fairly radical move to almost all people but in a handful of instances it is absolutely necessary. Whenever you have difficulty controlling your purchasing then destroying all of your cards may be able to help with bringing your family's budget some sort of control once more.

A great point about budgeting is you simply will have to make your family budget once and then it just infrequently has to be altered or readjusted. Budgeting definitely is often really basic to get in place. The only point that causes it to be tough is really a lack of discipline. You must benefit from a household budget template which demonstrates to you how to save money, a great deal of which can be attained on the web.

A common mistake that is definitely made when developing a budget is to include salary that may be not regular or stable. This sort of salary should in no way be added in to the budget and ought to be left as bonus revenue that will merely increase your personal savings when and if it does happen.

There is a comprehensive list of how to go about setting up Household Budgets on ideas to save money, which provides a variety of FREE tips on how to save money and also allows you to share your own tips with other people.

Home Budget

The hardest thing to setting up a budget is ticking to it. Anyone can make a budget, run some numbers and make some wild goals; but you want to make it realistic. The purpose of making a budget is to keep your debt in control and give you a forecast that is reasonable. There are plenty of free software on the internet that can help you build your budget, a quick search engine check can get you in the right direction. But the software is not going to give you the will power so keep that in mind when making your budget.

The first step is to get your bills together

You are not only looking for your most recent bills but also the ones that come periodically throughout the year. This is where "budgetiers" make most of their mistakes, these people are only thinking this months bills and not thinking through the year. The biggest things that people forget about is vehicle maintenance and gifts.

Second step is to try to find some money for savings

All budgets can find money to save somewhere, this is usually the best time to plan for savings because you see all of your frivolous spending habitats. The more money you can save and the more consistent it is, the easier and more second nature it will be to save your money.

The last step here is to FOLLOW YOUR PLAN

This is where most everyone fails. This is where the debt can get way out of control. People think they can just break the budget here and there, but nothing can be further than the truth. A simple slip can lead to a huge tumble. Will power, will power, will power. If you can stick to absolute budget for at least 6 months, it will start to get easier.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

The Secrerts To Building a Kit Home

Saturday, October 9, 2010

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Friday, October 8, 2010

Best Money Tips: Cloth Diapering 101

Welcome to Wise Bread's Best Money Tips roundup. Today, we share the basics behind cloth diapers, why coffee will be more costly, and how to "cheat" your way to a good risotto!

Cloth Diapering 101 — It may be great for the environment, but will it save you much money? This breakdown gives you the bottom line on cloth bottoms, as well as tips to you help you get started. Mom Advice

10 Things You’ll Be Paying More for Soon — Loving that half-caf may cost you more in the very near future. Learn why (and what other much-loved items will increase in price) and prepare! WalletPop

Tips and Tricks to Get Your Pet To Sit Still for Photos — Love those cute little holiday pics of puppies and kitties dressed up in costume? You can DIY with your own pet with these tried and true tips! ReadyMade

A Cheating Way of Cooking Risotto — It’s yummy, but can be a pain to prepare. Learn a nifty hack for risotto that’s just a delicious, without the hassle. Stepcase Lifehack

Tacky or Thrifty? Couponing and First Date Etiquette — I personally find a frugal date to be hot (hence my marriage to my ultra-cheap hubby), but will all chicks dig the coupon? Coupon Sherpa

Should You Replace Your Clunker? Or Fix It? When is it time to “cash” out and try your luck with a newer (and quite possibly, more reliable) automobile? This is a good start to finding out. Currency

Why You Can’t Find a Cheap Used Car — And speaking of cars…. If you’re looking to replace that unreliable ride with another used car, you may be paying more than you should! MSN Money

4 High-Tech Weapons for the War Against Germs — Get super savvy with this ways to kill germs and fight bacteria. Your family will thank you! My Life Scoop

The Strangest Laws for Consumers — Installing a pinball machine or playing bingo for longer than 5 hours may be illegal. We’ll tell you where (as well as several other crazy laws) in this fun article! Main Street

No Fee Investing: Too Good to Be True — Can it be? Not really. Check out this answer to a reader’s question about complimentary fund management. CNN Money

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Execution, Not Ideas, is Key. Duh!

My wife was all excited when she came to me with a business idea. She happily explained the ins and outs of it, when I said "Great! Now go start the site."

"Wait," she interrupted. "I was expecting you to turn this awesome idea into reality..."

I'm well-versed in this type of conversation now, actually. People who know me personally have heard that I was having a bit of luck with "this whole internet thing," and someone would mention their idea to me every once in a while thinking I will make it happen and give them half the proceeds.

"That sounds like a terrific idea," I usually respond, "but there is quite a bit on my plate right now." You see, it's not that those ideas aren't good. Most of them are actually brilliant. Yet, the exciting part is not the idea. I'm not short of ideas. In fact, I bet most successful entrepreneurs have a ton of those, too. It's just that even though the idea is important, brilliance is only possible with persistent execution.

Was McDonald's the first fast food store ever opened? Did Walmart invent retail? And is Facebook the first social media website ever created? Hardly. Yet, they still opened shop, worked hard at it, improved on an existing idea, and are now considered innovators in their respective industry.

You can even use a boring idea to get started, but with witty execution, you can turn dull into shiny.

Ever heard of someone who told you that you are wasting your talent? To me, there is no such thing as wasting your talent. Someone made that exact comment to me a few years back. "You are wasting your talent." What he really meant was "You are wasting your time and you don't have the talent in the department of work ethics."

You see, having the discipline to work hard when everyone is out partying is talent. Plowing forward when you don't necessary know what is ahead is a talent, and believing in yourself through countless rejection is a talent, too. But sadly, having clever ideas is not a talent.

Don't keep telling yourself that you could be successful if you just tried harder. That is just an excuse. You are either succeeding or you are not. If you aren't trying, you don't have the talent of being able to work hard.

Do you have a business idea? Put it in action.Are you in a miserable job? Start looking for another one.Do you wish you had a better relationship with everyone? Start by acting less selfish.Are you overweight? Start exercising.Don't have time? Make time. Because if you fail, you can try again.

Stop making excuses and just do it already. Don't wait!

Everybody can come up ideas, but few have the courage and wits to execute them. There are successful people and there are others. You decide which you will be.

Budgeting in the Home

A household budget is the financial blueprint for your homes savings and expenses. An efficient budget should take care of the bills in a timely manner and add to savings, with hopefully leaving money monthly as disposable income. First off, we must identify what and how much we are spending monthly on bills. Once we have this number, it is time to decide whether we would like to keep it the same, reduce it, or add to it. Most of us would like to cut our bills so we look for any ways we can reduce our monthly spending. You may want to use a software program such as Microsoft Money to help create your budget. This definitely makes things easier. Once current spending patterns have been identified, we can move on.

Set up plans for future financial plans and goals. How much more would you like to save? Do you have any major purchases in the near future? How does employment and salary situations look? These are all questions that have to be taken into consideration. Make sure to begin tracking all your expenses so you have snapshots at given points in time to see exactly where the money goes. Do not spend beyond your limits! This is certain death to your budget. When tracking your budget make sure to recognize the four major categories of your financial picture. They are Income, Mandatory Expenses, Recreational Expenses, and Savings. Contributing more to the final category is the main objective.

Once all allowances are settled upon, it is important that everyone in the family knows the spending limits. This is important even for the children in the family. This gives kids an early financial education that they can carry through life.

There are free down loadable budget worksheets that you can get off the net also. This is a very inexpensive way to set up your home budget. Whatever your budget plans, if you find yourself in debt a good amount of the time then a planned budget is definitely for you. It can make the difference between a secure future or a debt laden one.

Stephen lives in Oxford Ct. with his family. He has a Degree in General Studies with a concentration in Marketing and Business from Naugatuck Valley Community College. Please visit his website at http://www.technologicstore.com

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Home Budgeting in Troubled Times - 5 Simple Keys to Budgeting Success

Most people don't enjoy doing, but retirement planners and financial advisors will inform you that home budgeting is one of the cornerstones to financial freedom. Over and over, when individuals are asked about their finances, as to what would most help their financial situation, the answer is extra income each year. This seems to be accurate across all brackets of wage earners.

I find this very compelling because it indicates, in many situations, the problem lies with home budgeting not income earning. Budgeting money appears to be the problem or else you would not have households earning $50K or $75K or $100K, all saying they need an extra $25K a year to solve their home budgeting problems. If the earnings where actually the issue then the higher bracket earner would not have issues but I have learned from experience, home budgeting problems exists amongst all wage levels.

Here are 5 simple steps one should follow to get on the road to improve their home budgeting process.

1. Awareness - I have found in working with others that this is the number one block to successful home budgeting. Most people simple do not track accurately what they are spending. For the next 30 days, write down everything you and the rest of the family are spending money on.

2. Prioritize - Next, once you see what you are spending money on you need to evaluate whether that purchase was a need or want. It will be eye opening to many to find out what they have been spending money on.

3. Goal Setting - Be realistic in what you cutback on and have an end goal in mind. Household budgeting should not be a painful practice where all the fun is taken out of life. It is merely a way to prioritize your wants so that you can get the most out of your life. Are you doing it to retire sooner, reduce debt, buy a home, etc...?

4. Monitoring and Tracking Results - Once you have started this process you will find it far easier to stick with, if you have the tools to track and follow how you are doing. There are many budgeting software programs and spreadsheets available at little to no cost.

5. Get Your Family Involved - Unless you are single, having the rest of the "team" onboard is essential if you want to achieve long term results. It is never too early for kids to start to learn about money management.

Start today with #1 above and get on the track to financial independence.

Drew Graef is a former stock broker that likes helping people improve their finances. Most people don't realize how easy it can be to improve their finances.

Home Budgeting Blog

Home Budgeting Help

85 Easy, Frugal Halloween Costume Ideas

I'm not crafty, but I know a good costume idea when I see one. That's why I was overwhelmed with the number of high-quality, affordable DIY costume ideas for adults, kids, and even pets available online and in some of my favorite magazines. Check out these links to some excellent tutorials. Most costumes can be made in a few hours or less — and are done with even the most limited budget!

All You Magazine's 7 Easy Halloween Costumes for Kids — This roundup includes directions for a robot, butterfly, a bunch of grapes, flower girl, baby bat, and lizard.

Family Fun Magazine's 13 Last-Minute Costume Ideas — These can easily be adapted for adults, and they are perfect for the parent who forgot to plan ahead and couldn't buy or make a costume in time for the big holiday! Ideas include Spa Princess and Miss Universe (as well as some "pun-based" ideas that may or may not be as popular).

Woman's Day 15 Print-and-Color Masks — If the weather is chilly, and your costume will be covered by a parka and gloves, anyway, you may want to consider a mask! These printables are easy to color, cut, and wear (and make a super activity for kids to participate in long after the holiday is over).

Like this? How about WD's 7 Super Easy One-Hour Costume Ideas? These include some pretty creative costumes, including my favorite — the mad scientist!

Real Simple's 8 Last-Minute Halloween Costumes — I'm not sure I like the outdated Broccoli Spears idea, but the rest on this list are cute and clever. If you have just a few minutes to throw something together, this is the list for you! (Includes highway, bubble bath, the impressive jellyfish!)

Ready Made's 13 Eleventh Hour Halloween Getups — These tongue-in-cheek costumes are probably best for the ambitious adult, but all of them take little time to create. Choose from Bubble Wrap Man, Cereal Killer, Freudian Slip, and more.

Woman's Day 3 Darling DIY Dog Costumes — These work well for anyone who has a dog too large to squeeze into a infant costume (which can be used for some breeds of dogs). Adapt them for cats, too! (We like the little Frenchman the best.)

Lifehacker's 14 Homemade Halloween Reader Gallery Costumes — There aren't instructions for these super-creative, reader-submitted ideas...but I think you get the picture.

Working Mother's 5 Go-to Halloween Getups — These adorable ideas for younger kids, like ladybug and cowboy, use things you probably have lying around the house (like pantyhose and winter gloves). There are even shortcuts for those of us less motivated moms!

Don't forget Wise Bread! We've got our fair share of tips for simple and creative costumes, too! You can check out our homemade costumes, cheap online shopping sources, cheap and easy kids costumes, and why spending more may be better.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Make amazing recordings at home on a very limited budget!!

Written firsthand by our mastering engineer! Perfect for musicians in these uncertain economic times. Save thousands - and use it to get paid to record others! Covers the right gear at the right price, setup/acoustics and great recording/mixing tips.