Women’s Finance Blog

Why you should never grocery shop for more than 30 minutes

Posted on October 4th, 2007 by Financial Diva

Did you know that for every minute you spend in a grocery store after the initial 30 minutes, you will spend an average of 50 cents more per minute than you did in that first 30 minutes? Why is this? Unless you are shopping in a huge warehouse type grocery store that you would be unable to traverse in the first 30 minutes in its entirety, you tend to start going up and down aisles you have already been down before, and fall victim to the impulse purchases.

When you go grocery shopping, don’t make it an hour long affair. Instead, set yourself to a 20 or 30 minute time and stick to it. And don’t forget your shopping list

Source

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Filed under: Shopping

Saving money on what you read

Posted on September 7th, 2007 by Financial Diva

I admit, I am a magazine junkie. I used to be bad with all the People & US Weekly type magazines, but right now it is all home decorating magazines. And at anywhere from $4-10 a pop, it can be an expensive habit. I read this post at Frugal Duchess and she has some great ideas on saving money on magazines, such as reading online or going for a magazine subscription to the ones you read religiously.

Here are some tips I can add along to this.

Instead of buying brand new novels, keep track of the ones you want, then check out eBay, Half.com or even local used bookstores. One of my local used bookstores must have several women who always buy the latest books brand new, then turn them in less than a week later, so I never have to wait. There is a book lover’s program for Palms that keeps track of books I want to get.

The only thing I find is that my local bookstore really doesn’t like it when you take magazines into the coffee shop area without having paid for them first, just to read them, with signs up all over the place about no unpaid merchandise for reading. Does everyone just ignore it in the “customer is always right” kind of mentality? Or do you squirrel yourself away in a corner of the store where hopefully no one will bother you as you read a stash of magazines?

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Filed under: Budget

Which financial diva are you?

Posted on September 3rd, 2007 by Financial Diva

Ultimate Financial Diva!

You are one smart cookie with your finances. You have a plan and know how and when to implement it… which means that you can go ahead and splurge on that Coach purse or those Manolo Blahniks because you know how to not only budget, but have a plan of action for your future. You are the envy of all your ramen-munching friends who can only afford regular coffees, not the grande lattes like you. You are the ultimate financial diva! You go girl!

Find
out what kind of finacial diva you are! at Womens-Finance.com

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Filed under: Budget

How much interest are you paying on your credit cards?

Posted on September 1st, 2007 by Financial Diva

I received an email from someone who was shocked she was paying so much interest on her credit cards and asked if our credit card payment calculator is right, which of course it was. Do you know how much interest you are paying on your credit card debt? Here are her rough numbers.

Credit card balance: $10000
Interest Rate: 10%
Monthly payment: $200

If she just paid the minimum balance each month and never charged an extra dime, she would take 65 months to pay it off (yes, nearly 5-1/2 years!) and she would have paid $2989.78 in interest… yes, just shy of $3000.00 just in interest.

Try yours out now.

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Filed under: Debt

Is an Entertainment Book worth it?

Posted on August 31st, 2007 by Financial Diva

The Simple Dollar has a great post on whether or not an Entertainment Book is worth it or not. It is well worth the read, including the comments others have made. I have used coupons from a friend’s book, but never owned a book myself. But it has great advice, because it seems it much more depends on your spending habits and lifestyle as to whether or not it would be worth it for you.

Read it here

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Filed under: Coupons

Do you have an emergency fund?

Posted on August 14th, 2007 by Financial Diva

I do. But many people I know don’t. Essentially, an emergency fund is money you have saved away for when you need it. And I mean REALLY need it. No, a new TV doesn’t count. I am talking about things like losing a job (or quitting one that is bad for your mental health), unforeseen medical expenses, unexpected travel expenses (such as to visit a seriously ill parent). It is a worst-case-scenario emergency fund.

How much should you have in your emergency fund? A minimum of three months living expenses, but preferably more. If you have up to a year’s worth, this would enable you the ability to quit a job and know you can live comfortable for quite some time before you would need to start panicking.

Easy ways to save are looking at ways you can cut down that budget a bit… every little bit counts.

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Filed under: Budget

Can you cut that latte expense?

Posted on August 4th, 2007 by Financial Diva

I just read this post on Well-Heeled and it got me thinking about how I really should make my own lattes at home too, although mine is a bit more complicated to recreate than a honey tea latte. And enjoying my latte is one of those don’t-want-to-miss experiences of my daily routine.

And now, instead of my usual local coffeehouse concoction, I am craving a honey tea latte.

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Filed under: Budget

Finding coupons for restaurants in your area

Posted on August 1st, 2007 by Financial Diva

Restaurant.com is a great site for finding coupons for restaurants in your city, or a city you will be travelling to. Usually they are things buying a $15 off coupon for only $3.

A couple of tips:

There are often restrictions, such as the discount or coupon cannot be used for alcohol, and others require a one or two drink minimum.
There is often a minimum order $ required, about $35 at many restaurants.
Use the coupons within a reasonable amount of time incase the restaurant goes out of business or is sold.
Many have menus available online so you can ensure there is something you will like when you go.
Check on the status of your coupons before ordering, if money is a major issue. You don’t want to eat then find out they won’t take your coupon.
Just like any restaurant, some will be fantastic, others will be less than fantastic.

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Filed under: Coupons

It is text book season! How to buy text books without breaking the bank

Posted on July 29th, 2007 by Financial Diva

Savvy Saver has an oldie but a goodie for students wanting to pay the least amount of money possible, while getting the most money back for those books at the end of the semester.

Quick takeaways:

Buy/Sell on Amazon, eBay & Half.com

Sell text books as soon as possible after the semester ends

Buy older editions if possible (check with your prof)

Read the full post here.

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Filed under: College

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Grocery shoppers with lists spend far less on impulse buys

Why you should never grocery shop for more than 30 minutes

Saving money on what you read

Which financial diva are you?

How much interest are you paying on your credit cards?

Is an Entertainment Book worth it?

Do you have an emergency fund?

Can you cut that latte expense?

Finding coupons for restaurants in your area

It is text book season! How to buy text books without breaking the bank

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