I found this great article in the Toledo Blade and wanted to share it with you. It was published Sunday, July 27th and written by Ryan E. Smith.
No one denies that the economy today is putting the squeeze on consumers who find themselves trapped by rising fuel prices and the ailing housing market. While many grapple with the reality of having to cut back and find ways to make their dollars stretch further, there are some out there who remember even worse times.Senior citizens who lived through the desperation of the Depression and the rationing of World War II have plenty of ideas about how to get by when times get tough. Some of their practices were limited to the unique circumstances in which they grew up; others they still practice today. The Blade visited the J. Frank Troy Senior Center in the central city and Swan Creek Retirement Village in South Toledo to tap into the collective memory and wisdom of what some call the Greatest Generation.Inspired by those conversations, here are some suggestions.—Ryan E. Smith1. Plant a modern victory garden. — Ray Barker, 78, Bowling GreenDuring World War II, millions of Americans planted Victory Gardens in yards and other plots of land, accounting for up to 40 percent of nationally consumed vegetable produce. Now, as food prices rise, consumer plans to pursue vegetable and fruit gardening are up 7 percent over last year, according to a February study by the Garden Writers Association.
2. Buy used items or make your own.— Marjorie Hoskins, 80, West Toledo Consider just one example: A shirt at a local Goodwill Industries store usually sells for only $3, no matter if it’s new or used. Jeans are $5 and a suit costs just $10.Not surprisingly, national Goodwill store sales for the first four months of this year are up 6 percent compared to the same time last year, according to a spokesman.
3. Don’t eat out so much. Cook things from scratch, freeze some for later, and plan menus around leftovers. — Lois Grasser, 80, South Toledo Americans eat out a lot — 5.8 times per week on average, according to the National Restaurant Association’s 2008 industry forecast. That can add up to a lot, with annual spending on food away from home topping more than $1,000 per person.
4.Get rid of extra credit cards and don’t carry a balance. — Bill Cameron, 81, South ToledoThe average U.S. consumer carries four credit cards, and 14 percent of the population has more than 10, a survey released last year by Experian Consumer Direct showed. An expert there recommends paying on time each month and keeping the balance low compared to one’s credit limit.
5. Ride the bus and walk to nearby stores. — Rose N. McGee, 87, West ToledoA 2008 report by the American Automobile Association calculates that the annual cost (including gas, maintenance, insurance, depreciation, and other expenses) of owning a small sedan that’s driven 15,000 miles per year is $6,320. Compare that to $480 for 12 monthly passes to ride TARTA.6.Shop smarter; look for sales and use coupons. — Betsy Reynolds, 86, SouthToledoClipping coupons for 20 minutes can save consumers 20 percent on their weekly expenses, according to the Promotion Marketing Association Coupon Council. Last year, Americans saved $2.6 billion with coupons at supermarkets, convenience stores, drug stores, and more.
7. Write out a budget and stick to it. — Elmer Lotshaw, 84, Waterville TownshipMore than a third of Americans do not use budgets regularly,according to a 2007 financial IQ survey by Consumer Action and Capital One Financial Corporation.The two groups say that creating a realistic budget means establishing short- and long-term financial goals and capturing all household expenditures, including setting aside money for saving.8.Trade for goods and services. — Frank Florez, 85, West ToledoMr. Florez remembers a time in the 1930s when his family traded chickensfor gasoline. Now, Web sites like Craigslist.com and uSwapIt.com make it easier than ever for cash-strapped consumers who want to barter goods
9. Don’t buy what you can’t afford. — Louis Ravin, 96, South ToledoJust because you want something doesn’t mean you need it, especially if you don’t have the money. The good news is that examples abound of happy people who don’t have a big house, the newest iPhone, or a giant plasma TV.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
Home Energy Saving Tips
Here are some helpful tips for saving energy in your home.
1. Try lowering the thermostat and dressing warmer. Just lowering the thermostat 1 or 2 degrees can make a change in your energy consumption.
2. Lower your thermostat at night and whenever you are not in the house. Also, try closing off and not heating rooms that you don’t use.
3. Make sure your refrigerator is set between 37 and 40 degrees F. Also, keep your refrigerator stocked because it is much easier to keep a stocked refrigerator cool than an empty one.
4. Try lowering the temperature on your electric water heater to 120 degrees F. Also, try turning it off when you are leaving for an extended amount of time.
5. Consider buying a new refrigerator if yours is over 10 years old. New refrigerators use much less energy than older refrigerators.
6. Try air drying your clothes instead of using a dryer. Also, wash with cold or warm water but rinse with cold water.
7. Only wash full loads of dishes and let them air dry.
8. Turn off computers, lights, and other electronic devices when you leave the house. This will make a big difference.
9. Try using a microwave or toaster oven to cook smaller items.
10. Try taking shorter showers and install a low-flow shower head.
1. Try lowering the thermostat and dressing warmer. Just lowering the thermostat 1 or 2 degrees can make a change in your energy consumption.
2. Lower your thermostat at night and whenever you are not in the house. Also, try closing off and not heating rooms that you don’t use.
3. Make sure your refrigerator is set between 37 and 40 degrees F. Also, keep your refrigerator stocked because it is much easier to keep a stocked refrigerator cool than an empty one.
4. Try lowering the temperature on your electric water heater to 120 degrees F. Also, try turning it off when you are leaving for an extended amount of time.
5. Consider buying a new refrigerator if yours is over 10 years old. New refrigerators use much less energy than older refrigerators.
6. Try air drying your clothes instead of using a dryer. Also, wash with cold or warm water but rinse with cold water.
7. Only wash full loads of dishes and let them air dry.
8. Turn off computers, lights, and other electronic devices when you leave the house. This will make a big difference.
9. Try using a microwave or toaster oven to cook smaller items.
10. Try taking shorter showers and install a low-flow shower head.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Top Scams on Homeowners and How to Watch Out For Them
Homeowners are the targets of many scams. Here is a list of 10 homeowner scams:
1. Bogus Health and Fitness Claims
2. Misleading Prize Offers
3. Unscrupulous Moving Practices
4. Identity Theft
5. Unwanted Office Supplies or Bogus Directory Scams
6. Work at Home Scams/ Bogus Employment Services
7. Overpayment Schemes
8. Door-to-door Sales Schemes
9. Lottery and Sweepstakes Fraud
10. Unscrupulous Used Vehicles Sales Practices
Mortgage fraud can be the result of identity theft. Here are some helpful tips for avoiding identity theft:
1. Never leave receipts in random places such as bank machines, gas stations, or trashcans.
2. Always sign your credit cards. Never give your credit to someone else to use. Report lost cards immediately. Keep an eye on your monthly statements to see if anything shows up that shouldn’t.
3. Shred important documents, such as pre-approved credit card applications, bills, and credit card receipts.
4. Avoid keeping written record of any of your credit card information. This is an easy way for someone else to get a hold of them.
5. Never give others personal information, such as your social security or pin number, over the phone, unless you initiated the call.
6. Always get your mail immediately. Don’t leave it in the mailbox for long. Never leave mail lying around.
1. Bogus Health and Fitness Claims
2. Misleading Prize Offers
3. Unscrupulous Moving Practices
4. Identity Theft
5. Unwanted Office Supplies or Bogus Directory Scams
6. Work at Home Scams/ Bogus Employment Services
7. Overpayment Schemes
8. Door-to-door Sales Schemes
9. Lottery and Sweepstakes Fraud
10. Unscrupulous Used Vehicles Sales Practices
Mortgage fraud can be the result of identity theft. Here are some helpful tips for avoiding identity theft:
1. Never leave receipts in random places such as bank machines, gas stations, or trashcans.
2. Always sign your credit cards. Never give your credit to someone else to use. Report lost cards immediately. Keep an eye on your monthly statements to see if anything shows up that shouldn’t.
3. Shred important documents, such as pre-approved credit card applications, bills, and credit card receipts.
4. Avoid keeping written record of any of your credit card information. This is an easy way for someone else to get a hold of them.
5. Never give others personal information, such as your social security or pin number, over the phone, unless you initiated the call.
6. Always get your mail immediately. Don’t leave it in the mailbox for long. Never leave mail lying around.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Furnishing Your House on a Budget
ere are some steps and tips to furnishing your house on a budget:
1. Look for auctions! You can find these in newspapers or free shopper papers. You can find anything from small knick knacks to major appliances. This is a great way to find just about anything for a reasonable, cheap price.
2. Also try looking at classified ad listings. You can find many low cost items here. Most of the time you can find “bigger” items such as furniture and appliances in the classified sections of the newspapers.
3. Yard sales and garage sales are also great places to find deals on furniture and other household items. Check your local newspapers for information on garage sales. Sometimes, you can find entire neighborhoods that are having garage sales.
4. Antique stores are also great places to find items. Some people are afraid to try antique stores because they think they are too expensive. But really, you can find some great deals. Also, don’t be afraid to bargain with the salesperson. This is how business is done!
5. Keep an eye out for vintage buildings. During renovation, fixtures and other items may often be sold for a cheap price.
6. Try a fresh coat of paint. This is often a great way to spruce up a room. Also, you can find in-store specials on paint.
1. Look for auctions! You can find these in newspapers or free shopper papers. You can find anything from small knick knacks to major appliances. This is a great way to find just about anything for a reasonable, cheap price.
2. Also try looking at classified ad listings. You can find many low cost items here. Most of the time you can find “bigger” items such as furniture and appliances in the classified sections of the newspapers.
3. Yard sales and garage sales are also great places to find deals on furniture and other household items. Check your local newspapers for information on garage sales. Sometimes, you can find entire neighborhoods that are having garage sales.
4. Antique stores are also great places to find items. Some people are afraid to try antique stores because they think they are too expensive. But really, you can find some great deals. Also, don’t be afraid to bargain with the salesperson. This is how business is done!
5. Keep an eye out for vintage buildings. During renovation, fixtures and other items may often be sold for a cheap price.
6. Try a fresh coat of paint. This is often a great way to spruce up a room. Also, you can find in-store specials on paint.
Monday, July 7, 2008
Tips for Negotiating the Purchase of Your Dream Home
1. To start off, offer close to the asking price. This is a good idea because you will not offend the seller by bringing an offer too low. The seller may either accept the offer or counter for a slightly higher offer.
2. Don’t fall in love. It’s important to not love the house so much that you end up paying way more than you can afford due to a bidding war. Prepare yourself to walk away when the counter offers are not coming down enough. There are other fish in the sea!
3. In a slow market, it is a good idea to offer as much as you can afford. Sellers are usually unmotivated in a slow market so give them your best offer so that they don’t get offended and refuse to work with you.
4. Try some bargaining tactics. If the seller seems highly motivated, use some terms such as repairs to bargain with them. If this happens, the seller may accept a lower offer if you say that you will make some of the repairs.
5. If you do fall in love with a home that you feel is overpriced, offer a low amount but be prepared to go higher. You may find yourself with a desperate seller that will just counter a little higher than your offer, and you could get the house for less than you imagined you could.
6. Research the neighborhood. Check out what other, similar houses have sold for. Also consider how long the house has been on the market. If the house has been on the market for a while, you may want to bid low because the seller may just accept it.
7. Keep in mind that a lot of sellers are advised not to accept the first offer, so don’t be too firm! Be prepared to accept more than your original offer.
8. Don’t get caught up in the emotion! Be prepared to walk away from the deal if you have to. This is a good way to make sure that you don’t pay too much for your home.
9. Always do your negotiating in writing and NEVER accept verbal offers.
The negotiation process can get very tricky sometimes. Make sure that you are prepared. If this seems overwhelming, don’t worry. A real estate agent is the best person to help you negotiate. They’ve done it many times on either side of the table and they sometimes can guess what the seller is thinking. They will be able to give you advice on what to do during the entire process. But don’t feel like you have to listen to everything your real estate agent says. In the end it is 100% your decision!
If you need any help finding a home, please don’t hesitate to contact me! I would be happy to help you negotiate!
2. Don’t fall in love. It’s important to not love the house so much that you end up paying way more than you can afford due to a bidding war. Prepare yourself to walk away when the counter offers are not coming down enough. There are other fish in the sea!
3. In a slow market, it is a good idea to offer as much as you can afford. Sellers are usually unmotivated in a slow market so give them your best offer so that they don’t get offended and refuse to work with you.
4. Try some bargaining tactics. If the seller seems highly motivated, use some terms such as repairs to bargain with them. If this happens, the seller may accept a lower offer if you say that you will make some of the repairs.
5. If you do fall in love with a home that you feel is overpriced, offer a low amount but be prepared to go higher. You may find yourself with a desperate seller that will just counter a little higher than your offer, and you could get the house for less than you imagined you could.
6. Research the neighborhood. Check out what other, similar houses have sold for. Also consider how long the house has been on the market. If the house has been on the market for a while, you may want to bid low because the seller may just accept it.
7. Keep in mind that a lot of sellers are advised not to accept the first offer, so don’t be too firm! Be prepared to accept more than your original offer.
8. Don’t get caught up in the emotion! Be prepared to walk away from the deal if you have to. This is a good way to make sure that you don’t pay too much for your home.
9. Always do your negotiating in writing and NEVER accept verbal offers.
The negotiation process can get very tricky sometimes. Make sure that you are prepared. If this seems overwhelming, don’t worry. A real estate agent is the best person to help you negotiate. They’ve done it many times on either side of the table and they sometimes can guess what the seller is thinking. They will be able to give you advice on what to do during the entire process. But don’t feel like you have to listen to everything your real estate agent says. In the end it is 100% your decision!
If you need any help finding a home, please don’t hesitate to contact me! I would be happy to help you negotiate!
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