All-Inclusive Vacations Can Save You Money

 Most of us carefully plan our vacations to fit our paychecks and we are always interested in learning how to save money on our vacations. Somehow, though, in spite of all of our best intentions, vacations always seem to cost more than we expect. We go each time with a plan in hand, and each time, we come back wondering where all the money went.

Budgeting for the big things like travel and lodging is pretty straight forward. Smaller expenses are usually the cause of unplanned spending. Entertainment, food, and drinks are more difficult to plan well for, since these items can be rather spontaneous in nature.

But you can avoid the overspending and still feel like you’re treating yourself well. One possible solution is an all-inclusive vacation. Let’s have a look at this type of package, and make this the year when you come back with both happy memories and a few bucks in your wallet.

What’s Included

All-inclusive vacations can really help you stay within your budget. You pay a fixed rate for all the essentials. As long as you don’t spend money outside the resort, you’re all set. If you prefer not to worry about money while vacationing, these types of packages can be ideal.

All-inclusive resorts are really the equivalent of an insurance policy. You pay a set amount in exchange for having access to everything you need, when you need it.

 What’s Not Included

However, you won’t have the same level of freedom. Unless you want to pull out your wallet again, you’ll have to confine your food, beverages, and entertainment to the resort. Also, if you decide you don’t like the resort you’ve chosen, you’re stuck with what you’ve got.

Vacationing the more traditional way, you can always check out and head down the street to another hotel if you’re not pleased. Only you know how much that flexibility is worth to you.

Also, you’ve already paid for the package, even if you don’t use it. Be sure you’re going to get your money’s worth. For example, if your idea of vacation is sitting on the beach all day and eating one meal a day, you’re going to be paying for a lot more than you’re using with an all-inclusive package. In this case, you might be better off with a traditional vacation.

 Consider these ideas to minimize your potential risk when booking an all-inclusive resort:

1. Look for amenities that suit you. Consider what you want to eat. Do hotdogs and potato chips sound good to you? Maybe you want a vacation that includes gourmet food in a nice restaurant setting.

•  Some less-expensive places will only provide water, soda, and a few more beverages. Do you want to have access to mixed drinks and fine wine? Many resorts will not include alcoholic beverages unless you pay extra.
•  Do you enjoy the types of entertainment they offer?
•  How is the customer service?

2. Consider the quality of the accommodations. Some resorts are bare bones, while others are extremely plush. Be sure you’re getting the best combination of what you can afford and what you want.

3. Do your homework. Researching the quality of the resort is the most important task you can undertake before you book your vacation. In the Internet age, reviews and suggestions are easy to find. Low-quality establishments have a harder time hiding than ever before.

All in all, an all-inclusive package can be a great way to put a cap on your vacation spending. There are no surprises, and you can eat and drink without worrying about budget or about how much money you have left.

 Vacations commonly result in overspending, but with an all-inclusive package, you can stay in charge of your finances even as you play. Start doing your research now; an all-inclusive vacation might be just the ticket this year.

Wishing you success,

Duane Spears

View your credit score - FREE! Insanity: short cut to the body you want.. Get Instant Access to Your FREE Credit Score Earn Income at Home - A step-by-step system to make money at home Your personal trainer, Tony Horton's P90X

PS My first career was with Los Angeles Police Departemt. I was a motorcycle officer. My second career was in Real Estate as a Realtor and a Mortgage Broker with my own office in Oxnard, CA .

I realized with those two careers I was missing something. When I didn't work I didn't get paid. Now that actually is fair, but I wanted more. I wanted to work once and get paid for it many times over. You know, like a singer or song writer. Which I'm neither.

That put me on the search for a way I could earn residual income. After much trial and error, I finally found something. I now own a network marketing business in the field of health and wellness.

This could be something that would work for you. I prepared three videos to help you determine if you have any interest in working with me. I'm always interested in helping people who want more from life and are willing to work for it. Please click here to watch the videos. After you watch the videos there is a "contact me today" to the left of the videos and my phone number if you would like to reach me.

Preparing Your Finances for a New Baby

A new baby on the way is always an exciting and celebratory time. However, a baby can also be a huge financial challenge, especially if you don’t take the appropriate steps to prepare yourself. Keep these tips in mind when preparing your finances for the new arrival.

 New Baby Expenses

1. Medical bills. Find out in advance what medical bills you’re likely to incur. This would include prenatal, delivery, and postnatal expenses. Do you have insurance? How much will it pay? If you don’t have insurance and have low income, your state has programs that will minimize the expense.

•  Plan ahead. Depending on your insurance situation, you may want to have additional funds set aside for unforeseen medical issues.

2. Baby items. Here we’re talking about things like car seats, strollers, changing tables, cribs, bottles, clothes, diapers (2,700 just the first year!), rocking chair, swing, dresser, baby monitor, and more. Go out to your local store and price these items.

•  Are you going to breast-feed? You may need a breast pump if you plan on ever leaving the house without the baby. If you’re not breastfeeding, you’ll need bottles, nipples, and formula.
•  Do you need daycare or a baby sitter? Call around to compare costs or ask a neighbor or friend what the going rate is for daycare in your area.

Lower Your Costs

2. Borrow and buy used. Babies outgrow things long before they wear them out. You shouldn’t have any problem finding quality used baby clothes, toys, and furniture. There are even stores that specialize in used baby items. You can also check on Craig’s List.

•  These used items can be much less expensive than new stuff.
•  When the time is right, tell everyone you know about your happy news. You’ll almost certainly be offered plenty of baby-related items.

3. Wait for gifts. People can go crazy giving gifts when a baby is involved. You never know what you’re going to get. Wait until the dust settles before you start making purchases. The gifts you receive can be a real financial boon. Be patient so you don’t get stuck with two of the same thing.

4. Remember that you don’t need everything. Your baby doesn’t require every gadget under the sun to be safe and happy. Ask the mothers you know what they consider to be the most important items.

5. Start saving now. You can never start saving too soon. Now is the time to eliminate all those things and services that you don’t really need. Sit down and look at your monthly bills and find ways you can cut back. Reduce your expenses as much as you need to so you can save enough money to be as comfortable as possible when the baby arrives.6. Review your life insurance and will. Sit down with the appropriate expert to ensure you have the proper insurance coverage when the baby arrives. Also be certain that your will is up to date.

 Preparing for a new baby can be an exciting time. For the smoothest first year for you and your little one, remember to include financial preparations as well.

Wishing you success,

Duane Spears

View your credit score - FREE! Insanity: short cut to the body you want.. Get Instant Access to Your FREE Credit Score Earn Income at Home - A step-by-step system to make money at home Your personal trainer, Tony Horton's P90X

PS My first career was with Los Angeles Police Departemt. I was a motorcycle officer. My second career was in Real Estate as a Realtor and a Mortgage Broker with my own office in Oxnard, CA .

I realized with those two careers I was missing something. When I didn't work I didn't get paid. Now that actually is fair, but I wanted more. I wanted to work once and get paid for it many times over. You know, like a singer or song writer. Which I'm neither.

That put me on the search for a way I could earn residual income. After much trial and error, I finally found something. I now own a network marketing business in the field of health and wellness.

This could be something that would work for you. I prepared three videos to help you determine if you have any interest in working with me. I'm always interested in helping people who want more from life and are willing to work for it. Please click here to watch the videos. After you watch the videos there is a "contact me today" to the left of the videos and my phone number if you would like to reach me.

How to Raise Cash Quickly

Unexpected financial situations happen to even the most careful among us. When financial emergencies occur in your life, you may find yourself tempted to go for the easiest ways to raise cash. However, there are usually better ways.

If you can keep your wits about you, money can often be raised in ways that have minimal long-term consequences.

Follow these tips to help you calmly assess the situation and determine which option would be best for you.

Be Certain You Really Need Cash

You might not even need cash if your unexpected expense is relatively small. Maybe you have some gift cards to stores or restaurants that you’ve forgotten all about. Also, some credit cards have reward programs that frequently go unused. Some of these pay cash and others build points than can be redeemed for merchandise, gift cards, and more.

Quick Money Schemes to Avoid, if Possible

1.    Family loans. Borrowing money from family and friends can be a positive or negative experience. Whether or not this is a good option for you really depends on your unique situation.

• Consider the likely outcome if you are unable to pay them back as agreed. In many instances, if such likelihood occurs, it can cause hard feelings for a long time.

2.    Payday loans. Some of the worst ways to raise cash are loans that come with very high interest and fees. Payday loans are an easy way to raise money quickly, assuming you’re employed. But when you consider the interest and fees associated with these loans, you could easily end up paying them back twice as much as they lent you – or even more!

3.    Title loans. Loans that use your car title as collateral are not only very expensive, they are also quite risky. If you can’t pay as agreed, you’ll lose your vehicle.

4.    Cash advances from credit cards. These advances are another expensive way to get your hands on some cash. While credit card purchases don’t usually start accruing interest immediately, cash advances do.

Better Options

While still not your best option, you can withdraw money from your retirement account. Here’s a loophole you can use to avoid taxes and penalties:

If you transfer your IRA into a new IRA account, you have the option of having the money sent directly to you, on the condition that you deposit the money into a new IRA account within 60 days. If you can replace the money in that time frame, you’re getting an interest-free, penalty-free, and tax-free loan. You can only do this once each year.

If an IRA transfer isn’t an option for you, you can also sell savings bonds that haven’t yet matured. Also consider selling your stamp, coin, or jewelry collection. Keep in mind that if you’re going to sell them quickly, you’re unlikely to get a good price.

Your Best Choices

1.    Sell some liquid investments. Selling items from your non-retirement portfolio is, for many people, the best way to raise some money. First, sell those items that have been stagnant and show no signs of doing anything in the near future.

2.    Borrow from your 401k. However, there are penalties and taxes if you fail to pay the money back.

3.    Take out a home equity loan. A home equity loan is a viable option for some; just keep in mind that you are putting your house at risk if you can’t pay back the loan.

Planning Ahead     A Step-by-Step system to earn money from home.

Having an emergency fund is critical to negating the effects of financial emergencies. Strive to save 3-6 months of expenses and leave the account alone unless you have an actual emergency. This is the most fundamental step you can take to ensure your financial security.

Avoid letting a challenging situation become even worse by making a hasty decision. First, decide if you really need cash. Maybe a non-cash alternative is available. If this doesn’t work for your situation, do some planning before you decide how to proceed. Be sure to thoroughly investigate the fees and interest rates that are associated with your options.

Although unexpected expenses can bring with them tension and high emotions, remember that making a good choice now will result in fewer headaches later. Take as much time as you can to make the best decision for you.

Wishing you success,

Duane Spears

View your credit score - FREE! Insanity: short cut to the body you want.. Get Instant Access to Your FREE Credit Score Earn Income at Home - A step-by-step system to make money at home Your personal trainer, Tony Horton's P90X

PS My first career was with Los Angeles Police Departemt. I was a motorcycle officer. My second career was in Real Estate as a Realtor and a Mortgage Broker with my own office in Oxnard, CA .

I realized with those two careers I was missing something. When I didn't work I didn't get paid. Now that actually is fair, but I wanted more. I wanted to work once and get paid for it many times over. You know, like a singer or song writer. Which I'm neither.

That put me on the search for a way I could earn residual income. After much trial and error, I finally found something. I now own a network marketing business in the field of health and wellness.

This could be something that would work for you. I prepared three videos to help you determine if you have any interest in working with me. I'm always interested in helping people who want more from life and are willing to work for it. Please click here to watch the videos. After you watch the videos there is a "contact me today" to the left of the videos and my phone number if you would like to reach me.

Wishing you success,

Duane Spears

View your credit score - FREE! Insanity: short cut to the body you want.. Get Instant Access to Your FREE Credit Score Earn Income at Home - A step-by-step system to make money at home Your personal trainer, Tony Horton's P90X

PS My first career was with Los Angeles Police Departemt. I was a motorcycle officer. My second career was in Real Estate as a Realtor and a Mortgage Broker with my own office in Oxnard, CA .

I realized with those two careers I was missing something. When I didn't work I didn't get paid. Now that actually is fair, but I wanted more. I wanted to work once and get paid for it many times over. You know, like a singer or song writer. Which I'm neither.

That put me on the search for a way I could earn residual income. After much trial and error, I finally found something. I now own a network marketing business in the field of health and wellness.

This could be something that would work for you. I prepared three videos to help you determine if you have any interest in working with me. I'm always interested in helping people who want more from life and are willing to work for it. Please click here to watch the videos. After you watch the videos there is a "contact me today" to the left of the videos and my phone number if you would like to reach me.

7 Ways to Protect Yourself from a Recession

Just the word, “recession,” is scary for most of us, but you can put many of your fears to rest. By adopting these seven basic principles into your life, the pain of a recession can be largely minimized.

1.    Live within your means. Living within your means every day is just another way of saying that you should never need any additional consumer debt. Once you begin creating debt in your life, more inevitably seems to follow. Gas prices may be high, but buy that gas with a credit card at 27% and you’ll see just how expensive it can be.

• Taken to the extreme, if you have a two-income household, you may want to try to learn to live off just one income. Think of the retirement you could fund with the other income. And if one of you should lose your job, you’ll already be living on one salary.

2.    Have a second source of income (or a third or a fourth). A second income source is never a bad idea, even if you just put in a few hours here and there. Job security is practically nonexistent now, and an additional source of cash flow increases your financial security.

3.    Keep a long-term perspective with investments. Expect that there will be periods of time when your investments will lose money. But you only truly lose money if you sell. The economy almost always improves over time, so you’ll make back all your money and then some. In fact, a recession can be the perfect time to invest money.

• As you get closer to retirement age, move your money into more liquid and lower risk investments. Otherwise, you may not have enough time to recover from any market downturns before you require access to that money.

4.    Consider your risk tolerance. All the financial gurus have tons of charts and graphs that tell you how much of your money should be invested where, based on your age. But if you aren’t sleeping well because your portfolio is down 12%, you may need to adjust your asset allocation. You should feel secure in your investments, not be in a state of panic.

• Don’t sell while the market is significantly down, but when things improve you can move some of your assets into bonds or more stable blue-chip stocks.

5.    Diversify your portfolio. Keeping your money in different investments will lower your stress and your theoretical losses. You’ll also be less likely to do something impulsive. You don’t have to get carried away; something as simple as dividing your money between your home, savings account, bonds, and stocks is sufficient.

6.    Maintain a good credit score. In a recession, qualifying for credit can be challenging enough already. If you want to purchase a house, get a new credit card, buy a new car, or in some places even rent an apartment, you need to maintain your credit scores. Pay your bills on time and keep your credit card balances as low as possible. Get Instant Access to Your FREE CreditScore

7.    Keep an emergency fund. An emergency fund is an important part of any financial plan. There are many reasons for this. If someone loses a job, there is money available that won’t result in an investment loss if used.

• You never know when the unexpected may happen. What if your car needs a new transmission? Do you really want to be forced to sell some stock that will realize a 25% loss? What if you need money immediately? Some assets can take time to liquidate. And you may need even more time before you can access the funds.

The best part about these suggestions is that they’ll serve you well all the time, not just during a recession. Recessions are never easy, but if you make a few small lifestyle changes, you’ll ease your burden and reduce financial stress.

Wishing you success,

Duane Spears

View your credit score - FREE! Insanity: short cut to the body you want.. Get Instant Access to Your FREE Credit Score Earn Income at Home - A step-by-step system to make money at home Your personal trainer, Tony Horton's P90X

PS My first career was with Los Angeles Police Departemt. I was a motorcycle officer. My second career was in Real Estate as a Realtor and a Mortgage Broker with my own office in Oxnard, CA .

I realized with those two careers I was missing something. When I didn't work I didn't get paid. Now that actually is fair, but I wanted more. I wanted to work once and get paid for it many times over. You know, like a singer or song writer. Which I'm neither.

That put me on the search for a way I could earn residual income. After much trial and error, I finally found something. I now own a network marketing business in the field of health and wellness.

This could be something that would work for you. I prepared three videos to help you determine if you have any interest in working with me. I'm always interested in helping people who want more from life and are willing to work for it. Please click here to watch the videos. After you watch the videos there is a "contact me today" to the left of the videos and my phone number if you would like to reach me.