Better Saved than Sorry!

Over the past few months, I've hopefully helped my readers save money in some important aspects of their lives. I've tried to cover the major expenditures, such as food, cars, home expenses, schooling, and maintenance. Everything in life will take money, so it's important to know how best to spend your money, and where you can save a few bucks of even hundreds.

Whether it's taking out a loan for a car, applying for scholarships for school, or cutting/printing our coupons for any shopping, you can save your hard-earned money. I work hard for my money, so it's in my best interest to shop smartly, to save for larger expenses, and get what I need and want for as little as possible. Sites like groupon and livingsocial have helped in the past. Also, following other bloggers and their money-saving blogs has opened my eyes to even more ways to save money. When it came to looking at cars, I tried to look for ways I could save money, and found that I could actually save a few thousand in discounts. When I applied and was accepted for a credit card, I realized that you really have to pick the right card for you, and that times can get tricky if you pick the wrong one.

I know that even though my blogging days may be at an end for now, I'll continue to keep open eyes and ears for ways to save. Saving money is an important way to be successful, especially as a college student. The top three bloggers in the field of saving money are mothers trying to find cost-efficient ways of providing for their families. I may not be a mother but I certainly won't say no to saving a few bucks here and there! Take my advice, and follow the advice of the top bloggers, and you'll be saving hundreds soon enough :)

Saved by the Bell? Not likely..

School is a necessary part of our future and success, we've been told this over and over again, since before we knew what college even was. So why then is such an important rite of passage costing American families and arm and a leg? Per child? With tuition going up, how are the youths of America supposed to survive the college years without graduation buried in debt?

There area few tips I've gathered on how to save money on schooling, from K-12, and beyond in college. Starting from the beginning is preschool/daycare. Preschool is a great way to get your child used to the routine of schooling on a daily basis, learning to respect authority other than their parents, and socializing with other children their own age. The problem with preschool is that it comes at a price. You can save some money by not enrolling your child into a selective preschool with higher "tuition", such as St. Francis or other religious preschools. These tend to cost more, and for a 4 year old who won't remember preschool for the most part, is it really worth it? Stick to the larger chains of daycare, like Minnieland or KinderCare, and you'll likely save hundreds if not thousands over hte years, depending on the number of kids you have.

When it comes to Elementary and Middle School, my opinion is simple: enroll your children in public schools. Public schools are free, first of all. The school system for Prince William County are great, with a lot of money going into them from the government and the the typically middle/upper-middle families in this area. Schools like Ashland Elementary have such strong parent teacher organizations and grants from the government for the multitude of military and government families attending this school, that it really is a wonderful wonderland for kids. The middle schools in this area, notable Benton and Saunders, are made up of the same children from the same districts, and are a continuation of the excellence you'll find in the public elementary schools. Why parents enroll their children in private grade schools is beyond me. They are basically paying college tuition prices for schooling that won't even appear on and transcripts sent to colleges.

Bottom line? Colleges can't see what fancy pre-school or grade school you went to, and they don't care. All they want is diversity, good test scores, extra-curricular activities, and a promising future grad student. So parents, please, stop spending thousands on private schooling and use that money to pay for ridiculous tuition prices instead.

Craving Cars?

A lot of new 2013 car models are coming out, and the new car craze is hitting the nation, along with these terrible spring allergies. Why bring this up? Simple, I'm caught up in the craze. This is the best time to get the 2012 models at a great price, which is exactly what I'm planning on doing in the very near future. I've got my eyes set on a brand new Subaru Impresa WRX, and I intend to be smart in my purchase.

I've gone to look a t cars with my parents and solo a few times already, and I'm planning my smart buy. The last car I bought, I managed to get over 4 thousand dollars off the price. I know, as well as most people, that to buy a car for the amount shown to you by the dealership is a ridiculous thing to do. The dealerships expect you to haggle, so they overprice their cars. I'm going to share with you a few ways to save money based on my past experience buying my cars and visiting dealers this season.

The first and most important thing to remember, at least in m opinion, is to only buy a car if you can afford it. So many people go into debt or too deep into their savings because of the need to have a new car now, when the smart thing to do would be buy used or hold off until you're more financially secure. Not only will you have peace of mind if you follow this advice, you'll also save a ton of money. Let me explain. Someone with a car fund, or the money to buy a car at hand, will be able to supply the dealership with a large down payment, thus reducing the amount of interest they'd have to pay on any car loan or payment plan. Sound simple? It is! So don't be greedy or rash, save up that cash! A great example of this is my friend who paid his car off in cash, in full at the dealership, and as a result got 6 thousand dollars off his new ride.

Other discounts that I've been able to enjoy in the past have been hundreds of dollars off by taking advantage of mail-in rebates, same brand discount (where the dealership will discount money for owning one of their cars already), and trade-in discount. The last one is where you will most likely get the most bang for you buck. By bringing in your old car, getting it's value in credit, and applying it to your new purchase, you not only leave an old used car behind, you leave the lot with a brand new car having paid practiacally nothing at all! Assuming of course that you don't trade in a lemon expecting to leave with a nice luxary car. Play it smart, readers, and the money saved will begin to add up!