SavvySugar

12 Subtle Ways to Spend Less on Bills

SavvySugar — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 05:00:04 PDT

Finding more money for fun stuff can be as simple as making subtle changes to your everyday habits. Without making any sweeping compromises, there are a number of ways you can save money on things like your grocery, energy, and even your credit card bills. Adopt a few new changes after checking out my 12 ideas for spending less on your bills.

6 Personal Finance Tips For Forgetful People

Emily Co — Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:50:02 PDT

Your intentions may be good, but sometimes your memory ruins your best attempts at trying to save more. Being forgetful when you're managing your finances can actually be quite damaging. For example, if you continually forget to pay off a bill, not only will it result in penalty fees, it may very well lower your credit score. And lower credit scores will cost you in many ways, which include being charged higher interest rates and fees when you're trying to take out certain types of loans. For those of you who are prone to forgetfulness, read these tips:

Automate: If you're like most people, you'll have to transfer money to several accounts - savings, bills, investments, and more - every month. Make your life simple by scheduling these payments. Automating is great because you're paying off what needs to be paid off first and you'll never forget to move your money to where it needs to be.
Use Mint alerts: Sign up for a free Mint account to conveniently manage your money online and set alerts for reminders. Mint has more than 20 different types of alerts and will send you email or text prompts to let you know if you go over your set budget, if you're late on a bill, if your balance is low, and other important money reminders.
Set aside a day to pay bills: If you're not going to rely on the bill alerts for Mint, you might want to use a simple system of setting aside one day to pay your bills. Just mark it on the calendar and talk to the companies you're dealing with to see if they're willing to move the payment date so you can better align the dates the bills are due.
Use your digital calendars: Spend a day on the weekend to organize your Google, Outlook, or any other type of digital calendar, and mark some important dates. Set days you want to review how much you're contributing to your different accounts, when you should check your credit score, file insurance claims, do your taxes, and other important personal finance tuneups.

Read on for more money tips forgetful people should keep in mind.

Let's Dish: What's Your Worst Bill-Splitting Horror Story?

Katie Sweeney — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 04:28:15 PST

Yesterday the Awl ran a hilarious story that explains how to split a check at a restaurant when dining in a large group. The writer offered two suggestions: if you're under the age of 25, it's OK to split the bill based on exactly what you ordered, but if you're over 25 years old, you should be an adult about it and split it evenly by the number of people dining. No matter what your age, I'm sure you've had a horrible experience when it came time to pay a check at a restaurant. Now's your chance to get it off your chest! What's your worst bill-splitting story?

Do You Use a Work-Issued Cell Phone?

GeekSugar — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 12:00:16 PST

Some folks (like myself) live and breathe RSS feeds, emails, the Internet, and social networks on a daily basis for their jobs, so it makes sense that these types of positions would be issued a smartphone for work. However, the new California governor doesn't think that all state employees need to stay connected during their off hours. In his first executive order as governor, Jerry Brown has instructed 50 percent of state workers to return their government-issued cell phones by June 1, saving the broke state over $20 million in spending each year.

That may seem like quite a number, but apparently each cell phone only costs the state $36 a month, which is far less than most people pay for their smartphone data plan. Either way, putting unnecessary cell phone charges on ice does seem like an easy way for California to save some cash. Tell me - do you have a work-issued cell phone?

Fave Tips of 2010: 12 Subtle Ways to Spend Less on Bills

SavvySugar — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 03:05:00 PST

We're counting down to the New Year by taking a look back at the Best of 2010, and that includes your favorite guides and tips for managing your career and money. Finding more money for fun stuff can be as simple as making subtle changes to your everyday habits. Without making any sweeping compromises, there are a number of ways you can save money on things like your grocery, energy, and even your credit card bills. Adopt a few new changes after checking out this beloved guide of helpful ideas for spending less on your bills. What else wowed us this year? Check out some of the biggest headlines of 2010 and cast your votes in my Best of 2010 polls!

Savvy Tip: Use Texting Apps

Emily Co — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 10:37:16 PDT

This might be common sense for some, but there are a lot of texting programs that don't charge you a cent for messaging your friends who use the same app.

My personal favorite is WhatsApp, because you can use it on four types of smartphones: BlackBerry, iPhone, Google Android, and the Nokia phone. You'll have to pay for this (it costs 99 cents), but I think I've definitely seen more than a return on the money. There can be a few glitches from time to time, but overall it works fine and is definitely a very good tool to invest in.

What Tech Do You Use to Split Bills With Your Roomies?

GeekSugar — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:30:26 PDT

Living with roommates can be a fun time or an annoying time, but either way, when the end of the month comes around it's time for business. Every household seems to have a different way of splitting bills and rent, and that includes ways that are high tech. I once had some friends who had their own house wiki so they could check out and edit house news from anywhere. They would post goings-on around the house, like if the repair man was coming or when someone would be out of town, as well as when bills were due. To me it seemed like a little too much, but I always thought it was a good idea. My days of doing the shared-house thing were more old-school; we would either post receipts, notes, or bills on the fridge, or the leaseholder would be in charge of sending out a spreadsheet with everyone's bill portion listed under their own column. If you have roommates, how do you divide the bills each month?

Savvy Tip: Haggling With Your Cell Provider

SavvySugar — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 06:00:00 PDT

A friend of mine once shared the details of an amazing phone plan he had steadily cultivated over the years and made my jaw drop. He'd racked up unlimited incoming text messaging and calls, a huge number of minutes, free nights and weekends, and more. He paid for all of it with the same low-priced basic package he started out with. When I asked my friend how that happened, he told me that he stuck with the same cell provider for over 10 years and every time his contract came up, he would call the company and ask if they can offer him any incentives to renew his contract. The customer service rep always took the bait.

The secret to this is something called customer retentions, a department that offers you discounts and bonus features in order to get you to remain a loyal customer.

For tips on dealing with cell provider reps, read more.

Savvy Community Tip: Always Double Check Your Invoices

Savvy Community — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:45:19 PDT

I'm always finding great tips in our community groups, and my latest favorite comes from Colbie in the How Do You Save group:

So I know it sounds like such a simple tip but really it does make a difference! I recently moved and had hired a moving company. After a long day, I signed and paid for an invoice that seemed reasonable enough for me. Well, later I went back and realized that moving company had actually charged me for the movers' breaks and their lunch! I called up the company the next morning to explain what happened and they refunded me the difference! Guess it pays to double check!

I'm glad it all worked out for Colbie. This rule applies to all kinds of receipts - I always double check my grocery, restaurant, and other types of bills just in case there's some sort of miscalculation. You'd be surprised how many times you'll catch a careless mistake! Share your savvy tips in the How Do You Save group.

Does the $1 Million Bill Exist?

SavvySugar — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:00:01 PDT

Reading about a man trying to pass off a fake $1 million bill in United Arab Emirate's Central Bank triggered a question: what's the highest currency denomination ever made in the US?

As of now, the highest bill in circulation is the $100 note and the $1 million bill has never existed, according to the website of the US Treasury.

Interestingly, the highest currency the government has issued in the past is the $100,000 bill. The note, printed between Dec. 18, 1934, and Jan. 9, 1935, was not used by the general public, and was only utilized in transactions between Federal Reserve Banks. I wouldn't want to be carrying that bill in my wallet!

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