See other questions in the Financial & Legal forum
"Need money-saving ideas"
Replies
AAA is a great way to save money. Most people initially get the service for emergency road assistance, but a lot of national companies will give you a discount when you give them your AAA number.
We have saved at Target, UPS, Marriot, Barnes & Nobel, and Hertz. We never book a hotel without asking first if they offer the AAA discount.
another great site for saving money is http://www.seniordiscounts.com/
Anyone 50 and over can become a member. They have free and premium memberships that can save you a lot. They also have a referral service for eldercare needs.
If you are thinking of giving your adult child money to pay tuition, medical expenses, or another large expense, consider paying the bills instead. This will avoid their having to pay a gift tax on any amount over $4,000 in a given year.
I’ve noticed some great money-saving ideas from other boomerater and want to add one of my own. At http://missingmoney.com/main/index.cfm you can search for money you may have forgotten in banks, with utilities, rent deposits, etc. It doesn’t cost anything to see if you have “found” money waiting to be claimed
always look for the homebrands in supermarkets: use any airline points you have to buy gifts; when travelling check out youth hostels they are for most ages now also try barter companies if you are in business
Reply to #3 reply:
To avoid gift ftax, you can pay a medical provider for services or a school for tuition directly in unlimited amounts. Those are the only two exceptions to the annual exclusion gifts of $12,000 per person in 2008 and $13,000 per person in 2009.
Another money-saving idea is to do a tax projection each year, and review it for potential tax savings. to get a start on 2009, as the books have closed on 2008, have a discussion with your tax preparer, or play with the numbers if you do it yourself, about changes you could have made in 2008 that would make a difference.
Examples would be: people who don't have mortgages, or pay very little interest on theirs, may be able to bunch itemized deductions into every other year, taking the standard deduction in the non-bunching year. When you drop non-cash items off to charity, you can deduct the value of items in good condition if you itemize. See goodwill industries website for help with valuation.
If you are in the range where your social security payments are starting to be included in your taxable income, your effective marginal tax rate is higher than you may know. See if you can do something to either stay below it, or go way above it some year to avoid it in future years.
The list of tax planning points is way too long to make here, and is highly specific to an individual's situation. Most of the actions need to be taken during the tax year, but there are some things that apply during the tax preperation time.
Many people pay too much on investments - yours may have built in expenses you don't know about.
for 20 years i have watch and listen...yet to this day...a reverse mortgage has been a close to none match..thou for seniors 62 and above...call me for details
paul
562) 200-8711
Here's a link to a website and article with 101 Ways to Cut Expenses. Hope it's helpful:
http://www.financial-happiness.com/public/122.cfm
25 Tips for Surviving the Recession
Times are tough for many people, with lost jobs and shrinking investments. You can find some good new tips at "25 Tips for Surviving the Recession" at Money Saving Advisor (www.moneysavingadvisor.com). It has suggestions for reducing expenses and saving cash. Saving money can be smart and fun. It just takes awareness and discipline.
I don't really have much of a clue about phone networks, but i know they aren't very cheap. My son showed me a site called FishText.com which is 90% cheaper than normal networks. It may not seems like great savings but it just gives me that little extra change in my pocket!
I was laid off in Feb. Very little savings and no clue on frugal shopping - Now I am a pro. Amazing how need can be such a strong motivator!
I save $92 a month on my prescription and my neighbor saves over a hundred, we have a nationwide discount card. I save $70 a month on grocery's and save $37 on pet food. To me saving on these things is like earning money every month.
Work is hard to find so most of us have to start being frugal and if we can, make a little money while doing it.
I read a great advice post on MoneyJive about how to save some money. Here's the link:
http://www.moneyjive.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=16&sid=9f26b5816f2c2a0e5e6c46ba2f90027f
What's great about this site is that you can ask a question and get free advice from a real financial advisor.
My favorite site online to save money is http://www.dealslip.com! They have tons of great online coupon codes for 500+ stores. Hope it helps!
Hi there!
You should all check out this blog, as it gives you great tips on saving money when buying used goods online and not getting ripped off. This specific blog post is about how to benefit the most from using Craigslist, so you don’t get ripped off buying, and get the highest profit selling.
http://www.statricks.com/blog/finding-deals-on-craigslist-ucb-statistics-project.html
Cheers!
You can browse at http://www.simplesavings.com.au. I found it really helpful. try it out.
Looking for a financial advisor?
Search our extensive database of over 3,500 advisors from both independent and large firms.
Enter your zipcode below
Or use this link to find a financial advisor or find a lawyer
Other questions Boomeraters are asking...
I would like to learn about money-saving ideas, including any websites others have found were especially helpful.