Learn How To Save Money On Gas With A Few Simple Changes
With the growing cost of gas and the lack of increase on income to support it, there comes a time when we need to make some changes in our lifestyle to save money and save energy with a simple reduction in fuel consumption.
It is surprisingly easy to make a few cut backs on fuel which together significantly reduces the overall usage. Oil has become dangerously depleted and we are now increasingly depending on other nations to provide us with oil.
Driving at speed is one of the main culprits for excessive gas consumption. Many find themselves driving fast thinking that they will get there in quick time. The truth is, unless the roads are completely clear, driving faster than the speed limit will rarely get you to your destination more than a few minutes earlier, taking traffic lights, traffic jams and other factors into consideration. More than likely quick acceleration promptly precedes rough braking, so not only does fuel consumption increase but also wear to the vehicle.
Sometimes it can be difficult to try to keep to the speed limit, when we are late for example, it takes extreme disciple to avoid speeding but remembering that it really doesn’t save much time can help. Furthermore, once you exceed 60 mph, the gas consumption is exponentially higher at 30 cents per gallon for every 5 mph over. Driving at a reasonable pace with no harsh accelerating and braking can reduce consumption of up to 33%. That is definitely worth bearing in mind.
Many people do not realise that driving in a lower gear can also increase consumption. Always use the a higher gear where appropriate for your speed for a reduction in the engine turnover (this means using less gas) and try using cruise control for smoother control. Using the controls of your car with care can greatly reduce not only your gas bill but repair for wear and tear.
Whenever possible turn off your engine when you are not driving. Idling accounts for much of the fuel consumption and lets face it, it gets you nowhere. Larger cars consume even more fuel when idle, so even if you are to be stopped for a minute or two, it is still worth turning the engine off.
Other controls in the car such as air conditioning or heating has an impact on the overall cost. Using such facilities can significantly reduce the miles per gallon. Try pulling down the window, ok maybe it will still be hot but using this method for shorter journeys will really help you save your money for a rainy day.
How many times do you get in your car when walking would have sufficed? No one, I’m sure, is free from guilt here but again, it really does make a difference in the long run to save trips in the car for when it is really necessary. If you absolutely need to go out in the car, try to avoid the rush hour if possible, stopping and starting at the lights doesn’t make for money saving.
If a few of you are going to work in the same direction, try car-sharing. This phenomena has really taken off and many are saving huge amounts on money and fuel as well as car repairs.
These little changes on how to save money on gas are easy to incorporate into your life and the benefits are huge. You can save money to pay debts and other household expenses or simply have extra cash to spend on luxuries.
Tips To Save Money – Easy Ways To Save Money On Christmas Gifts
Christmas time is always going to mean spending, and sometimes a lot of it. Research has shown that residents of the U.S spend a large percentage of all spending at Christmas time. Every year many experience a growth in gifts to be given and nowadays it is increasingly difficult to make the cash flow go far. However there are methods to cut your spending without sacrificing quality. Following are a few effective tips to save money at Christmas.
The sentiment of gifts that have been given a lot of thought as opposed to a quick but expensive gift are still appreciated. Instead of beginning the Christmas shopping on the 22nd of December, start a little earlier and with a bit of thought and pre-planning you can acquire surprisingly cheap but charming gifts.
At any time of the year always keep a look out for suitable gifts. Around the festive season, many items shoot up in price where other times of the year they are low priced. If you buy your gifts throughout the year at a better price not only will you be saving on the item itself but you will not notice the expense as much, if at all.
A great time to start your Christmas shopping is in January for the sales, however, you would be forgiven for not being in the mood to start all over again. But keep in mind a gift just here and there all adds up.
It is easy to overlook sales offers and money saving coupons but if you are thinking ahead, you can use these in conjunction with your gifts, again saving money and reducing that Christmas list. Instead of throwing out these old magazine and papers, scan for special offers, you’ll be surprised at the amount you can find.
It is so much easier these days to get the best deal all from the comfort of your home. Scan shops online for the best deals and buying online can significantly reduce cost and save money on fuel and sometimes sales tax.
Don’t underestimate the value of dollar stores. Ok, there can be a lot of useless items but often there are excellent little gifts to use as additional presents, or fun presents. These stores are also very good for wrapping paper and other nic nacs needed at Christmas time, some sell Christmas paraphernalia all year round.
Recycling a gift that has never been used and left unopened is a practical way for saving money and clearing space as well as the item actually being enjoyed by someone. Just remember who gave you the gift, you don’t want the embarrassment of giving the gift back to the same person.
Look out for discount prices in yard sales, if you look hard enough you can find some fantastic items that can be spruced up and made to look as good as new. Frequently you can find items that are unused and still in the original packaging for a hugely reduced price.
There is always the make-your-own gifts which could include gift hampers/baskets. You can save money by making these gifts yourself at a small percentage of the price they are sold as a complete package. A little creativity goes a long way to cut costs on that enormous bill at Christmas time.
Which Alternative Fuels Can Help You Save Money?
Due to diminishing resources, fuel prices are now on the increase and becoming one of the main household expenses. Many people are now actively looking for effective ways to save money on gas and research into the possibility of using alternative fuel, has put three main contestants, ethanol, electricity and bio diesel up for discussion.
Ethanol, which is also known as pure alcohol is a highly feasible candidate for use as an alternative fuel. It is produced by a system involving the extraction of ethanol from plants, known as biomass. Brazil has the largest production of ethanol for fuel purposes using sugar cane with around 20% of cars having ethanol engines.
Ethanol can also be produced using other biomass plantation such as leaves, wheat, sawdust and household waste products. The ease and abundance of resources for the production of ethanol makes it a very efficient alternative fuel and, in the very near future, may be a practical method to save energy and save money..
Plantations have been created solely for the purpose of the production of renewable fuels, which not only reduces damage to the environment but also creates employment.
Bio diesel or bio fuel is manufactured using vegetable oils and fats and is completely bio-degradable and clean burning. It is one of the cleanest alternative fuels meeting the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments.
Bio diesel is relatively simple to produce and at a lower cost due to the readily available resources. It is possible to produce this fuel at home, however if there are any complications in the process, damage to an automobile engine may follow. Currently, the bio diesel industry is in it’s infancy but is steadily growing due to increasing demand.
Electricity is another alternative fuel which can be utilized in the running of vehicles known as “hybrid” cars. This is a process involving batteries storing energy and an electric motor powering the wheels, the batteries require replacement roughly every four years. Currently these cars are not quite at the standard of traditional fuel run cars in terms of distance, speed and storage capacity.
Hybrid electric cars are also clean running with no dangerous emissions. They are perfect for the daily run to work/school and are light and run quietly.
Due to apparent lack of demand, there has not been production of a pure electricity run car by a large vehicle company, however there has been some increase in small business manufacture.
The usage of renewable fuel is becoming a certainty due to the depletion of natural oil resources and the effect on the environment. Many people are becoming desperate to learn how to save money on gas. With the usage of renewable fuel, research has shown that gas demand will reduce around 30% in the U.S by 2030.
How To Get Free Credit Repair Reports
March 5, 2009 by admin
Filed under Credit Repair
You are entitled to one free credit report each year from the three main reporting agencies in accordance with the Free Credit Reporting Act. This can help you when it comes to credit repair and can also help you with bad credit repair. There are some companies that will try to charge you money to obtain these reports.
The Free Credit Reporting act not only allows for one free credit report each year, but also makes credit repair easier. You can repair credit on your credit reports when you find things on these reports that are in error. Prior to this act, these reporting agencies would often ignore requests for errors on credit reports and lenders did not take them very seriously. It was very difficult to repair bad credit prior to this act.
After you have received your free annual credit reports, you can dispute anything that is reported in error. If you see that there are errors on the credit reports, write to them and tell them that you dispute the item. They will then have 30 days to either get proof from the company that reported the item or will have to remove it. This can help you with credit repair. Many companies that offer credit repair services simply do this for their clients.
In addition to receiving one free credit report each year, you are also entitled to a free report if you are turned down for credit by the agency that reported to the creditor who turned you down, in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. They will have to notify you in writing of their decision and let you know which agency reported the bad credit. You can contact the agency and get a free credit report and then commence to repair credit score problems.
If you want to make sure that you keep up with credit maintenance or want to repair credit, you can do so by taking advantage of the Fair Credit Reporting Act and getting one free credit report each year from the three main reporting agencies. Many times, people are surprised to discover that there are errors on their credit reports that are holding them back from getting loans and dragging down their credit scores. You can then do your own free credit repair right away if you have this information.
You should not fall for scams where companies offer you a chance to get your credit report for a price. Many companies will do this with the promise of also offering credit repair services. In many cases, these are nothing more than a simple thing that you can do yourself. You are entitled to get one free credit report each year from TransUnion, Experian and Equifax and dispute any charges on the credit reports that you feel are on reported on these reports in error in accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Clean up your credit report and improve your credit rating. Get our highly recommended credit repair programs which will show you how to raise credit score and repair any bad credit history you may have.
Managing Risk with One Cancels the Other (OCO) Orders in Forex Trading
March 4, 2009 by admin
Filed under Forex Trading
Risk management strategies are multiple and necessary in Forex trading, due to the high volatility of the currency exchange rates. Several different types of orders, such as stop and limit orders, are utilized to lock in profits and prevent drastic losses. However, another type of order, the One Cancels the Other, or OCO, is very easy to employ and may be more effective that the stop and limit options.
Let’s assume that the dollar and euro currency pair is trading at 1.3423. This means that 1.3423 euros equal a dollar, but this can change significantly in a short amount of time. If the rate falls to 1.3400, you may want to place a stop order at 1.3392 to reduce your possible losses if it continues to fall.
These stops are places with enough room to allow for slight fluctuation, without drastic reduction in price. If the rates drop a mere 5%, you may want to stay in, but limit the possibility of loss somewhere along the line. A future 20% drop may make you wish you’d left after losing 10% of your money!
Timing the Forex market is very tricky, if not impossible. It’s influenced by such a vast array of information and international activity that it’s very different than the slower-moving stock market. So, it’s unfortunately impossible to predict when the rates are at their peak before turning downward.
This is where an OCO order can help to maintain profits and reduce risk of loss. OCO asks the broker to perform an order based on more than one condition. This could include placing both a stop order and a limit order at the same time for any one exchange. Now, when one condition is met, the other order is cancelled out.
An OCO may also be used to mix and match your investment choices. Let’s say you can’t decide which currency pair to buy, but like both the dollar/euro and dollar/yen. You can place orders to buy the dollar/euro at $1.2354 and the dollar/yen at $1.2465, and whichever happens first, the other is ignored and the first is carried out.
This method allows you to leverage your information and the current action of the market to cash in on possible profits as well as prevent unrecoverable losses.
As a beginner, it’s important to learn as much as possible about the historical patterns of the Forex market, how to utilize different types of orders, and how to predict future movements. The Forex trading software available on the Forex website will allow novices to become familiar with what works for them, and practice trial trades.
Ensure you are tracking your progress and reassess after every practice buy and sell to determine what you should change for the next practice session. Doing this one thing several times will save you a ton of money in the long run, and prevent you from going blind from all of the potentially-confusing data involved in Forex trading.
Free Credit Repair Tips
March 4, 2009 by admin
Filed under Credit Repair
There can be many reasons why you are in need of credit repair. Many people run into emergency situations and find that they are late in paying bills that can hurt their credit report score. If your credit has suffered, you do not have to feel helpless. You can use these free credit repair tips for even bad credit repair.
One of the first credit repair tips that you need to learn is to avoid those companies that offer you free credit repair or to wipe your slate clean. They are usually scams. You will want to repair credit the legal way. For legal credit repair, you need to get a credit report from the three major credit bureaus. You are entitled to one free credit report each year. You are also entitled to a free credit report from a reporting bureau that is used to make a determination that denies you a loan.
Look over the credit reports carefully and look for items that may be on the credit report in error. If you find any, write to the credit bureaus, dispute the claim and demand proof. If it is on your credit report in error, it will be removed. This is one of the best ways that you can engage in free credit repair. Items on your credit report that do not belong to you can reflect negatively on your credit score.
If you have an item that is listed on your credit report from a current lender for which you were late, you can call them and try to negotiate a deal with them to pay off any amount due if they will remove the item. It is up to the finance company to then remove the item. This is one way that you can get credit repair on your own.
Do not close old credit card accounts that have been paid off. This can reflect negatively on your credit score. Paying off credit cards that are lingering is one way to repair credit.
Another way to repair credit score standings is to take out a credit card and then pay it off each month. Just use the credit card to buy things that you would ordinarily buy and pay it off. This will automatically start to raise your credit score.
If you are behind in a bill, the worst thing that you can do is to ignore a creditor. By talking to a creditor and working out a solution, you will not only help your situation, but you will also repair credit problems by heading them off before they occur.
The best way that you can make sure that you have good credit is to use it wisely and get copies of your credit reports each year so that you know what is on them. If you find that there is something in error on your credit report, you must act right away for credit repair. You should also work with creditors to negotiate payments in exchange for removal of some items from your credit report.
Credit Repair To Get A Mortgage
March 3, 2009 by admin
Filed under Credit Repair
If you are considering getting a mortgage, you will want to do some credit repair before even applying. Your credit report score will determine not only whether or not you get a mortgage, but also the mortgage rate that you will get as well. If you are thinking of getting a loan to purchase a home, you need to work on credit repair.
The first thing that you need to do to repair credit is to get a copy of your credit report from the three main reporting credit bureaus. You are entitled to receive one free copy of each of these reports a year. You should study these reports for any negative data and see if you can get it removed to repair credit score ratings. This is also a good time to look for items on your credit report that are on there in error.
If you find any items on your credit report that are incorrect, you need to have them removed. Write to the credit bureau and tell them that you dispute these items. This is how you go about credit repair. If you want to learn more, you can look at a credit repair guide that can help you with this process.
If you have some bad loans on your credit report, or some charge offs, you can try to negotiate with creditors to pay off the debt in exchange for removing them from your credit report. This is often how bad credit repair works. The reporting company or debt collection agency can remove an item from your credit report.
You can also ask for proof of the debt from the credit bureau. If the reporting agency does not provide proof of the debt in 30 days, it must be removed from your credit report. This is how some credit repair services work.
Do not apply for credit cards when you are thinking about getting a loan as this can lower your credit score. Each time you apply for credit, it affects your credit score, even if you have good credit.
Do not cancel any credit cards that you have paid off as they reflect positively on your credit report. Be sure to pay all bills promptly, including utility bills, so that you can maintain good credit. By the time you are ready to apply for your mortgage, you should have a higher credit score if you follow these credit repair tips.
Before applying for a mortgage, it is important that you check out your credit by looking at your credit reports and then embarking on credit repair. Even if your credit is bad, you can get bad credit repair by following these tips and working on improving your credit. The better your credit is, the better rate that you will get when you apply for a mortgage and the more likely your approval will be. You will also find, that after embarking on credit repair, that you will pay less when it comes to mortgage fees.
How to Make Sense of Forex Trading Currency Prices
March 2, 2009 by admin
Filed under Forex Trading
If you’re a traditional investor looking to spread your wings in the opportune world of Forex trading, or are new to the entire idea, the currency prices involved may seem quite confusing. Essentially, you will be purchasing one form of currency and selling another at the same time. New terms and methods are required to be successful in this form of trading.
Currency prices are always stated and trades performed in pairs. Unlike other trading, you are not simply buying shares in a specified company or sector. Your dollars are traded for euros, yen, or other types of foreign currency, hedging your bets that the value of it will rise in the short term.
The major forms of foreign currency involved include the U.S. dollar, the euro, the Australian dollar, the British pound, the Canadian dollar, Japanese yen, and Swiss franc. Prices are typically listed like this:
Euro/dollar (USD) Bid: 1.1901 Ask: 1.1903
These will also be listed with change, change %, high, low and the time of the quote. When looking at this price, the first form of currency is the ‘base’, which is the euro in this example. The dollar is referred to as the ‘quote currency’.
The ‘bid’ is the actual cost of the base currency expressed in the quote currency’s units, so in this example, one euro is purchased for $1.1901 dollars. The ‘ask’ is what a broker will sell the currency to you for, so in reality one euro will cost you $1.1903, and the broker’s cost is $1.1901. The difference is the broker’s ‘spread’, or profit; this is how Forex brokers make their money instead of charging a commission.
However, the ‘bid’ price is what you will receive for your euro when you sell it. So, the euro you paid $1.1903 for can be sold immediately at a loss for $1.1901. When the bid price changes from 1.1901 to 1.1902, this is referred to as a single ‘pip’. This reflects the change in the bid, and thus reflects your profit or loss.
Unless your broker offers you a ‘mini’ account, these currency pairs are sold in lots of 100,000, which requires a significant up-front investment on your part. However, Forex brokers will typically ‘finance’ 99% of your trade, so that you can execute your buy order for only 1% of the total cost. When it comes time to sell, the entire profit, if any, is yours to keep this is how profits can become exponential in a short amount of time.
Conversely, if the bid drops 10 or 20 pips, you may end up owing your broker his share of the loss, if this totals more than your 1% investment.
The good news, for traditional investors, is that many of the same technical indicators apply when trading currency. Several tools including moving averages, Bollinger bands and pivot points can easily indicate the likely direction of the Forex market, the currency pair you’re watching, and be immediately recognized by you.
3 Bad Credit Repair Scams To Avoid!
March 2, 2009 by admin
Filed under Credit Repair
If you have bad credit, you are already a target for companies that will promise credit repair but not deliver. There are several bad credit repair scams that are on the market today. Most of them offer the same thing – perfect credit repair including your credit score for a fee. Three of the most common scams today are perpetuated by companies that appear to operate as legitimate credit repair companies.
The ‘We Know People’ Scam
The most common of the credit repair scams are those that tell clients that they know people in the industry and can get your credit score wiped clean, even if you have foreclosures and bankruptcies on your credit report. They will charge a fee up front for this service and may even send you some information that indicates that they have repaired your credit. This type of credit repair service is most likely fraudulent and, when you actually get a copy of your credit report, you will see that they did not come through with the credit repair services as promised. Do not fall for this scam.
The ‘Fake Credit Report’ Scam
In one type of phony credit repair scam, clients with good credit are being send reports that they have items on their credit report that are damaging their credit score. They are asked for a fee to remove the item. The fake credit repair services company will send a false report to the customer and urge them to pay a small amount of money to eliminate this debt. Many people will pay, rather than go through the trouble of trying to write to the credit bureaus. The customer will feel satisfied that they have relieved themselves from this burden and never know it was false.
The ‘Wiped Clean Credit Report’ Scam
One of the most popular methods that scam artists perpetrate on those who want credit repair is to say that they can wipe clean the entire credit report for the client. This is another scam as the only way that anything can be removed from your credit report is if it is made in error. Most of the companies that will perpetrate credit report scams will take your money and you will never hear from them again.
You can get free credit repair if you understand how to work with the credit bureaus and remove anything on your credit report that is on there in error and cannot be proven. You should take a look at credit repair software that can help you do this as well as learn as much as you can about legal credit repair by reading a credit repair guide. Do not fall prey to the scam artist that will look at your bad credit as a way to make money from your problems. Look for a way to repair credit that is not only legal, but will actually work to remove erroneous items from your credit report and repair credit score amounts as well as your credit report itself.
Check Out 3 Agencies For Credit Repair
March 1, 2009 by admin
Filed under Credit Repair
If you are interested in credit repair, or just looking to maintain good credit, it is important that you take a look at all three of the main credit reporting bureaus. These are TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. If you take a look at the credit score from each of these credit bureaus, you will notice that they all report a different score.
You are entitled to receive one free credit report from each of the three reporting agencies each year. The three reporting agencies make up a FICO scoring model, which is your credit score. This is the number the creditors will use to determine if you are a good risk when it comes to offering a loan. A good credit score is over 700. If you have a low credit score, you should take a look at the different reporting agencies and see if there are discrepancies. Chances are that there are.
When you get your credit score from each of the three reporting agencies, you will note that some have higher scores. This is because they use a different method of scoring than each other. Equifax is one company that uses the traditional method of scoring for the FICO, but TransUnion and Experian use their own. It is important that you get reports from all three agencies so you can take a look at them.
Another reason for the discrepancy may be that one of the credit reporting agencies is reporting something on your credit report that is in error. This is why it is so important to get all three reports from the agencies so that you can see if one of them has a mistake. You should dispute any errors with the company right away. Write to them and tell them that you dispute a finding and ask them to remove it. They will have to provide you proof that this is legitimate or remove the item. This is how you can complete your own credit repair.
Some credit card companies only report to one agency. This can be another reason for a discrepancy in the three major credit bureaus. Most lenders, however, will take a look at all three reports before they give you a loan, especially when it comes to a home loan.
In some cases, the discrepancy is due to information being processed quicker at one agency over another.
When you are attempting credit repair, you will want to deal with all three credit reporting agencies. If you use a credit repair service, you will want to make sure that they, too, deal with all three reporting agencies. If you want to repair credit score, you also want to be sure that the agencies are reporting accurate information. If you find that there are small discrepancies of your credit scores with the three agencies, this is mostly due to how they figure the scores. If the scores are large, however, some credit repair may be in order. If you use a credit repair service, be sure they work with all three agencies.