Buying a new house is often included in the wish lists or life goals of many people. However, many people are not very practical when it comes to handling their finances. Therefore, they have a hard time fulfilling this one dream of owning a house. Do not fall for this kind of mistake. You should start to become more responsible even with the littlest things when it comes to money.

In this article, you will learn some practical tips from budgeting your money to avoiding trips to commercial coffee shops to help you save money enough to make down payment for home loans, like one from NPBS, and eventually buy your dream house in Australia for you and your family.

List down your expenses

It would be good to know where you spend your money so you can then distinguish the important ones from those that you can actually remove from your lists. So make sure to list down ALL your expenses from rent, electricity bill, gas, down to the packs of cigarettes you buy everyday. This way, you will be able to check if you’re ready and qualified to avail home loans or if not then you already have an idea how far you are from your goal.

Budget your money

To help you control your spending habits, it is advisable to come up with a budget plan. Budget your money including your allowance. And of course, make sure that you spend according to the set budget only.

Cook your meals

Instead of eating fast food and takeouts, it is best to cook your own meals at home. It will not just help you save money but it will make you healthier too. So start bringing packed lunches in the office or anywhere you go.

Make and drink your own coffee

Another habit that you should avoid is buying coffee from commercial coffee shops. Make your own coffee and drink it at home or in the office or you can bring one to go to. It is time you make use of your coffee maker.

Shop in schedule

You should control yourself from shopping expensive things and most especially you should avoid impulse shopping. What you can do is schedule your trips to the mall. This way, you can prepare a budget for it. Also, be sure to list down the things that you will buy to avoid buying unnecessary items.

Stop unnecessary subscriptions

You should assess all your subscriptions and unsubscribe to those that you do not use. Sometimes, you tend to overlook your subscriptions since most of these are auto-charging your cards and as a result, you are paying for so many things that you don’t actually need or use.

Stop smoking

Let’s admit it, smoking is not only bad for your health, it’s bad for your budget too especially when you calculate all the money you spent for cigarettes since you started smoking. So if you’re a smoker, do yourself a favor by quitting this bad habit.

Walk

Walking is good for you so make it a habit to walk especially when you’re destination is just few blocks away. Avoid using your car or hailing a cab. You’re not only doing yourself a favor but you’re also helping the environment.

Do not underestimate the power of seemingly little and unimportant things. Changing a simple habit can contribute a lot to saving money, which is enough to buy your first house.

Your wedding will be one of the most special and romantic days of your life. However, it can also be the most expensive day of your life! A lot of money goes into putting together a wedding, from the dress to the venue (check out Carden Park near Chester) to the catering to the entertainment and so much more.

You want your day to be romantic, beautiful and meaningful – but you don’t want to go bankrupt hosting this event. So, how can you save money on your big day? There are many ways that you can cut back costs so that your wedding isn’t as expensive. Here are some tips for saving money:

Ways to Cut Wedding Costs

• Don’t get married on a Saturday. Many venues will give you a discount if you book on another day instead, such as Friday or Sunday. Make sure that you give your guests plenty of notice so that they can book the time off work.
• Give yourself a lot of time to plan the wedding so that you can shop around for the best possible deal. It’s fine to be engaged for a year or even two while you put together your wedding. There are many wedding venues in Cheshire and the surrounding area to consider before you make your choice.
• Consider not getting married in the peak season. If you can schedule your wedding for spring or autumn instead, you’ll still have nice weather but you can enjoy cheaper prices.
• Find a venue that doesn’t require you to use a specific vendor for your catering, bartending, DJ, etc. You will save a lot of money by being able to shop around for your own.
• Think about having your ceremony and reception in the same room. The guests will sit at their tables and you will be able to start the cocktail hour right after the ceremony. This will save a lot of money on transporting the bridal party and booking two separate venues.
• Instead of having a sit-down dinner meal at your wedding, consider having an evening wedding and serving hors d’oeuvres which will also save you money.
• Instead of paying for a real fancy wedding cake, have a baker make a fake cardboard one with the top layer real for cutting. Then, have basic sheet cakes in the back that will be served to your guests.
• In fact, you don’t even have to have a cake if you don’t want to. Have a different dessert that your guests will love such as a chocolate fountain, a cookie bar or mini sweet pies.
• Choose a venue that is already gorgeous so that you will not have to spend a lot of money on décor.
• Instead of getting palladium opt for something cheaper like platinum wedding rings.
• Consider using fake flowers rather than real ones. They will be less expensive and these days artificial flowers can look just as gorgeous as the real thing.
• Think about wearing an off the rack wedding gown rather than having one made for you, if you can find one you like.
• Or, think about a used wedding dress instead. Many brides sell their gowns when they are finished with them and if you don’t mind wearing second hand you can get a great bargain.
• Think about looking for a white dress that isn’t necessarily a wedding gown. You could buy it from a formal dress shop for a much cheaper price than a wedding shop.
• Use more greenery than flowers in your decorations.
• Consider swapping out costly flowers for cheaper ones. Less expensive flowers that are in season and readily available can be just as beautiful as exotic ones.
• You might want to consider skipping floral décor entirely. You might be surprised to find that your guests don’t even notice.
• Try to reduce your guest list as much as possible and invite only the essential people in a small and intimate wedding.
• Have larger tables so that you will need fewer tablecloths and centrepieces.
• Borrow as much as you can second hand, especially if you have friends who have just gotten married a few years before.
• Think carefully before you go too much DIY. Sometimes buying all of the materials yourself and spending the time on the project will cost you more than hiring someone else to make or do it instead.

Keep these tips in mind to save your hard earned money when planning your special day.

Business people, especially women, know that they need to take care of themselves for the sake of their job. If a woman looks good while going to work, she is more likely to perform better and thus increase the number of customers she has or attracts.

It is not rare of business women to use the power of jewelry such as Joy Jewelers cadillac jewelry to make them look better. I am sure that you have seen some women wearing jewelry to work, and maybe you thought to yourself, oh a nice necklace, or nice earrings. These are exactly the thoughts you should have while you see a woman that takes care of herself.

Many Americans living abroad are unaware of the fact that they need to file a US tax return each year.  This includes expats who have been living outside of the US for just a few months, and US citizens who were born outside the states but have citizenship.  Expats are required to file tax returns even if they have no income in the US and they pay taxes to a foreign government.

While it is required for expats to file a yearly tax return, there are several tools that the IRS gives to reduce or eliminate the total tax bill.  The first is the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion.  This tool allows the taxpayer to exclude up to $100,800 of income earned abroad from the taxable income.  This means that if an expat earns less than $100,800 and meets all the requirements, then the taxpayer can expect to owe no taxes to the IRS. However, the expat is still required to file a tax return.  If a taxpayer revokes this exclusion then it cannot be used for the next five years.  For this reason, it is important to plan ahead when revoking the Foreign Earned Income exclusion.

The second main tool that the IRS gives to expats is the Foreign Tax Credit.  These are credits given to a US taxpayer for money paid to a foreign government.  The taxpayer can use these credits to reduce or eliminate a US tax bill. If a taxpayer paid more money to a foreign government than the taxpayer would otherwise owe to the IRS, then it is possible that the taxpayer will owe little or no taxes. For example, if a taxpayer would owe 100 dollars to the IRS, however the taxpayer already paid 150 dollars to France on that same income, then the taxpayer can use the Foreign Tax Credit to reduce the taxes owed.  There are some exclusion ratios and limitations, so the taxpayer should consult with an expat tax professional when calculating the amount of the tax credit that can be used. These credits can also be carried forward or backwards to reduce the tax bill in future or prior years.

Many countries have tax treaties with the United States.  Each treaty is different and lays out different rules and regulations for a taxpayer living in another country.  For more information on the US tax treaty, see http://universaltaxprofessionals.com/2016/01/26/what-is-a-us-tax-treaty/.

In addition to filing a tax return, a US citizens (living in the US or abroad) also need to file an FBAR if he or she has over $10,000 in aggregate in foreign financial accounts.  Financial accounts include bank accounts, brokerage accounts, and  pension accounts.  In addition, any account with signature authority needs to be included on the FBAR.

About the Author:

Joshua Katz, CPA is the founder of Universal Tax Professionals, a US expat tax firm dedicated to helping Americans living abroad with all their tax and accounting needs. Joshua can be contacted directly at [email protected].

Despite the prevalence of other marketing materials and tools such as digital marketing, pop up Internet ads, and more, printed promotional materials such as banners still make up a big chunk of the pie. Why, you may ask? Well, simply because banners have already established themselves in the minds and consciousness of most people, and seeing a banner, whether it’s a pop up banner, pull up banner or roll up banner – and looking at it – is simply one of the things we do every single day. Imagine walking down the street and not seeing a banner or any type of poster at all – it would actually feel strange, wouldn’t it?

So even if there are different types of marketing strategies nowadays, banners are here to stay. Below are a few other reasons why banners are still one of the most effective tools for marketing you can ever use:

Reach out to a wider, broader audience

 With a banner, you can easily reach a wide audience, as it is simply visible to a larger number of individuals even from just one central location or spot. So even if individuals look at your banner or just pass by the banner without glancing at it, your banner is still strategically-positioned and can reach more customers than you think. Make sure, though, that your banner is placed in an area with lots of foot traffic and at eye level as well.

Inexpensive

For those on a budget, it can be difficult to spend money on a marketing tool that is not really guaranteed to bring in some sales. But with a banner, you won’t really be pained at spending, since banners are not as expensive as other marketing tools and materials. In fact, as a marketing strategy, the placement of a banner on a wall or shop window can be one of the least expensive methods ever. And, if you have more than one banner printed, you may also be able to get a better price or discount.

No time limits

If you put up a banner in an area which has a high rate of traffic day or night, then you are sure that your banner will do its magic at any time of the day. There are basically no restrictions on its effectiveness. The same isn’t true for passing out leaflets or flyers, however, as you can only really do this during the day. And, if you hang a banner near or in front of your shop or commercial establishment, then you can hang it there for as long as you want – years, even.

A good choice in printing services

Today, there are more printing services available than ever – just make sure that they can provide you with high quality prints and a good service to boot. Printing specialists such as http://www.rollerbannersuk.com come to mind, and they are available to print a wide range of materials, from outdoor banners to roll up banners, desk top displays, and more.

Image attributed to artur84/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I discuss many business matters on this blog, and one thing that makes me so good at managing money is the fact that I know when to buy used things such as guitarcenter used. When it comes to musical instruments, sometimes buying a used one is a lot better option, especially if you are short on money, but still would like to continue with your hobby. There is no point giving up on music only because you don’t have money.