Robert Kiyosaki Blog

While the media can’t decide if the recession is nearing its end or not, we do know that there hasn’t been a tremendous surge in wages, job creation or the stock market. Consequently, most of us are staying pretty conservative on our spending. Here are a few relatively simple ways to keep an eye on your pennies while you’re waiting for that brighter economic future to arrive.

1. Schedule automatic payments. Have (at least) your fixed monthly bills paid automatically to avoid missing a payment and having to fork over extra money for late fees and/or interest. You can set up auto pay features through your bank’s online bill paying service or by arranging it directly with the company or service provider.

2. Eat your groceries. Did you know that Americans regularly throw away nearly 15% of the food they buy at the grocery store each year? That can add up to hundreds or, depending on your supermarket budget, thousands of dollars each year. Save money by actually eating what you buy. Not sure how? Bypass the bookstore and borrow a cookbook from the library!

3. Bundle services. If you’re paying different vendors for similar services you may be overpaying. Call your communications providers to see what price you’ll be quoted if you switch and bundle your internet, phone and cable TV services.

4. Pay off credit card. If you’re not paying off your credit card balance each month you’re paying interest and, for most Americans, it’s a pretty steep rate. Pay it off and you could save a tidy sum by eliminating your interest charges.

5. Mark your calendar. Whenever you rent something – library books, videos, etc. – mark it on your calendar and save money by avoiding those quickly mounting late fees. Many stores and libraries also now offer email reminders to help the constantly harried so sign up for the extra help!

6. File your taxes on time. Or if you need to file an extension at least pay what you owe on the due date. You’ll avoid annoying notices from the IRS and, more importantly, save on penalties, fees and interest.

7. Roll it over. If you’re switching jobs and you can’t leave your 401(k) invested with your current company, roll your 401(k) into either your new employer’s 401(k) or an IRA within the 60-day window instead of withdrawing the money. By doing so you’ll keep the money invested –  and earning interest – and avoid those nasty taxes as well as the additional 10% penalty.

8. Switch credit cards. If you’re carrying a balance on a high interest rate credit card check out other card issuers to see if you could transfer your balance to one with a lower interest rate and fewer fees. Use sites like Creditcard.com or Bankrate.com to compare card rates, and pay careful attention to how long those terms last so you don’t wind up paying a higher rate and erasing any potential savings.

9. Use your privileges. Are you an AAA member? Do you belong to the AARP? What about your local credit union? Check organizations you have memberships with to see if they offer buying privileges or discounts.

10. Rent instead of buy. You might be excited to expand your driveway but don’t let your enthusiasm overtake good sense. Hold off on buying that jackhammer and think before you spend on big-ticket items or items that you’ll use once or infrequently (like movies and books).

11. Buy instead of rent.  Don’t pay the exorbitantly high prices charged by rent-a-center type stores for items you’ll use regularly and keep long-term like computers, furniture and appliances. 

12. Ask. That’s right, just ask. You can’t be paying any more than you currently are, so why not ask if you can get the interest rate lowered on your credit cards or loans? Also, ask for a discount on services like your wireless phone, trash removal or pet care instead of switching to another vendor, and of course ask “is that the best you can do” on any big ticket purchases like cars, appliances and furniture.

In a tight economy it might be worth the seller’s while to cut the price instead of losing the sale, and you’ll both benefit in the end!

13. Just say no. To the extended warranty that is. They hardly ever make financial sense. Weigh the repair or replacement cost (and if you would even need or want to repair or replace it down the road) against the cost of the warranty and graciously pass when offered. 

14. Have the awkward conversation. Americans average more than $750 yearly on holiday gifts and that’s probably much more than most would like to spend. If your gift-giving is costing you more than you can realistically afford there’s a good chance it’s more than your relatives can afford (or would like to spend) as well. Take the plunge and broach the subject. Offer a more reasonable alternative (say, limit giving to children or put a dollar amount on gifts per person). More than likely your relatives will be grateful SOMEONE finally raised the subject and you’ll save money in the process.

15. Eat at home.  If the idea of cooking for yourself seems like too much work at least opt for take-out instead of dining out – you’ll save on the tip, the alcohol and most likely the cost for appetizers or dessert.

16. Balance your checkbook. It might take a few minutes but it’s something you should be doing anyway and it can pay off huge dividends by helping you avoid bouncing a check and incurring steep overdraft fees (not to mention a little embarrassment)!

17. Stick with your bank. When withdrawing cash drive or walk the extra minute it takes to use your bank’s ATM and avoid the fee that could come with another bank’s machine. Better yet – switch to a bank that doesn’t charge fees!

18. Use your TV. If you’re paying for cable why not use all of it – and save some money in the process? Cancel the video membership and watch movies through cable movie packages you’re already paying for or check out your free “on demand” shows. Drop the gym membership and work out at home to channels like FitTV, and bag the magazine subscriptions and watch the same shows (like Martha Stewart) on TV instead.

19. Quit those bad habits.  Smoking, overeating and drinking are costly habits to maintain. Okay – this is the “lazy” way to save, not necessarily the easy way. But you can save boatloads of money in two ways by saying sayonara to your favorite vices: (1) You’ll save money by cutting out on the regular spending it’s costing you, and (2) you’ll probably save on insurance premiums and long-term health costs. It’s the ultimate win-win.

20. Forget the pet.  Sure it sounds heartless but did you realize that welcoming home a little Fido can cost you an average of more than $1,500 a year – or $15,000 over 10 years? Feline fluffies are pricey too – just under $1,000 a year or approximately $9,000 for 10 years of care. Looking at the long-term picture, that’s a new car or the down payment on a home! Keep walking right past that pet store and keep the money in your pocket instead.

The recession won’t last forever, but in the meantime take advantage of these lazy ways to stay on track financially, and develop some pretty good money management habits for the future!

Excerpt from:
20 Lazy Ways to Save Money

From The Oprah & Friends Radio Show with Dr. Mehmet Oz, 11 September 2008

The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes and Why by Amanda Ripley

It lurks in the corner of our imagination, almost beyond our ability to see it: the possibility that a tear in the fabric of life could open up without warning, upending a house, a skyscraper, or a civilization.

Today, nine out of ten Americans live in places at significant risk of earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, terrorism, or other disasters. Tomorrow, some of us will have to make split-second choices to save ourselves and our families. How will we react? What will it feel like? Will we be heroes or victims? Will our upbringing, our gender, our personality–anything we’ve ever learned, thought, or dreamed of–ultimately matter?

Amanda Ripley, an award-winning journalist for Time magazine who has covered some of the most devastating disasters of our age, set out to discover what lies beyond fear and speculation. In this magnificent work of investigative journalism, Ripley retraces the human response to some of history’s epic disasters, from the explosion of the Mont Blanc munitions ship in 1917–one of the biggest explosions before the invention of the atomic bomb–to a plane crash in England in 1985 that mystified investigators for years, to the journeys of the 15,000 people who found their way out of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Then, to understand the science behind the stories, Ripley turns to leading brain scientists, trauma psychologists, and other disaster experts, formal and informal, from a Holocaust survivor who studies heroism to a master gunfighter who learned to overcome the effects of extreme fear.

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From O, The Oprah Magazine: Fall’s Best Beauty Products, September 2008

Anthelios XL with Mexoryl XL and SX – 60 SPF (3oz)

Anthelios XL Face and Body Cream offers superior UVB and UVA protection. A patented photostable filtering system with Mexoryl SX and Mexoryl XL ensures broad spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays. Designed for all skin types, and tested under dermatalogical control for sensitive skin, Anthelios XL is water resistant, fragrance free, and non-comedongenic. Anthelios XL’s performance has been demonstrated by 20 clinical studies proving its efficacy against UVA and UVB.

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From The Oprah & Friends Radio Show with Jean Chatzky, 16 September 2008

The Emotion Behind Money: Building Wealth from the Inside Out by Julie Murphy Casserly

This book is based upon an insight that’s literally turning the financial services industry upside down. It’s the notion that we each have specific emotions, or emotional patterns, attached to money that were imprinted on us before we even had a choice to have a checking account. Whether you personally recognize this or not, today those emotions impact every financial decision you face. They are responsible for how you make money and how you keep it, or whether, as is often the case, it seems to go out the door faster than it comes in. Amazingly, those feelings are not just fleeting reactions; they actually influence how much money you’ll make and amass throughout your entire life! The purpose of this book is to help you recognize your emotions behind money, and likewise help you discover healthier ways to respond to those feelings. Through everyday language, lively anecdotes, and engaging exercises it will: – Help you see your life and your money through a different lens; – Empower you to align your financial destiny by living from the inside out; – Teach you how to discover and define what you truly desire to live abundantly.

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From The Oprah & Friends Radio Show with Jean Chatzky, 15 September 2008

What Every BODY is Saying: An Ex-FBI Agent’s Guide to Speed-Reading People by Joe Navarro and Marvin Karlins

Read this book and send your nonverbal intelligence soaring. Joe Navarro, a former FBI counterintelligence officer and a recognized expert on nonverbal behavior, explains how to “speed-read” people: decode sentiments and behaviors, avoid hidden pitfalls, and look for deceptive behaviors. You’ll also learn how your body language can influence what your boss, family, friends, and strangers think of you. You will discover:

* The ancient survival instincts that drive body language

* Why the face is the least likely place to gauge a person’s true feelings

* What thumbs, feet, and eyelids reveal about moods and motives

* The most powerful behaviors that reveal our confidence and true sentiments

* Simple nonverbals that instantly establish trust

* Simple nonverbals that instantly communicate authority

Filled with examples from Navarro’s professional experience, this definitive book offers a powerful new way to navigate your world.

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