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Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Tax Information and Help

Featured Article by

Ryan Machara

Here's a quick overview of a few of your free tax help options:

*The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA)

*The Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program (TCE)

*Free tax help for Military personnel and their families

The VITA and TCE Programs are comprised of volunteers who are trained to help with your tax concerns like Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Credit for the Elderly and Child Tax Credit. If you qualify for any of these, or other special credits, your VITA or TCE counselor can let you know. Besides help with preparing your tax return, most of these free tax counselors also offer electronic filing, also known as e-filing, of your taxes free of charge. If you choose to utilize the e-filing method, you will receive your tax return in about half the time required to process paper returns. Another way to speed up delivery of your valuable tax return is to take advantage of the direct deposit option. Funds are usually deposited into your bank account within days versus weeks or even months it can take for paper filing methods and mailed checks.

The VITA tax help program is widely available to households with low to moderate income levels. If your yearly income is $39,000 or less, you automatically qualify. The VITA volunteers are sponsored by local and national organizations and are certified to provide tax help and to prepare basic tax returns in cities and communities across the country.

VITA is generally widely available in community centers, public libraries, public schools, malls, shopping centers and many other convenient locations to better serve your tax needs. Most VITA locations offer free e-filing, so feel free to take advantage of this fast, easy and reliable way to speed up the preparation and delivery of your tax return. Call their toll-free number 1-800-829-1040 if you need assistance locating the nearest VITA site.

The TCE Program is widely available to the elderly in need of tax help. If you are age 60 or older, you automatically qualify for the TCE Program's assistance. TCE volunteers are usually retired individuals who are associated with a non-profit organization that receives grants from the IRS to operate. These volunteers are trained to provide free tax help and income tax return information, preparation and filing.

The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) is part of the TCE program, sponsored by the IRS. With nearly 7,500 AARP Tax-Aide sites nation wide, a certified AARP Tax-Aide volunteer is readily available to help you with all of your tax help and preparation needs.

The VITA Program also has a very strong military presence. The Armed Forces Tax Council (AFTC) is comprised of program coordinators for all branches of the U.S. Military. The AFTC is the primary outreach channel utilized by the IRS to connect with the United States Military personnel and their families.

All tax help provided by VITA, TCE and TCE via the AARP is provided to you free of charge if you qualify.

Here is a list of items you need to bring with you to have your taxes properly prepared:

*Wage and earning statements (for example W-2, W-2G, 1099-R)

*Photo ID or other proof of identification

*Social Security cards for yourself and any dependents

*Birth dates for you and any dependents

*Interest and dividend statements you may have

*A copy of the previous year's Federal and State Returns

*Required information regarding day care (for example total paid for day care expenses and the tax id number for your day care provider)

If you plan to take advantage of e-filing or if you're married filing jointly, both spouses must be available to sign the prepared tax documents.

Article Source :
http://www.bestmanagementarticles.com
http://financial-mgt-budgeting.bestmanagementarticles.com


About the Author :
Ryan is an expert with tax problems! Please visit OnlineShoppingProductReviews for more information.






Buying Term Life Insurance

Featured Article by

Ryan Machara

If you are the breadwinner for your family or you provide a significant portion of your family's income that they can't live without it is important that you purchase life insurance. This ensures that your family will be financially taken care of in the event something unfortunate happens to you. While you can purchase whole life coverage that lasts until you die, many individuals and families are better off purchasing term life insurance.

Term life insurance provides coverage to individuals in the event something tragic happens. However, this coverage only lasts you for a specific time period as opposed to providing insurance for your entire life.

For example, you can purchase a term life policy that lasts until your children are out of the house or until you reach retirement. This is perfect for individuals and families who need coverage while working or raising children but don't see it as necessary after the age of 65.

The fact that you can set the time period of your term is one reason many people choose to use it over whole life insurance. Individuals and families don't necessarily need life insurance after children are out of the house or they have reached retirement. A term life policy allows them to set up their coverage to cut off at a specific age or point.

Of course the shorter term you have the less it costs. This is a major reason why people opt to purchase term life insurance over the coverage that protects for an entire life. Twenty-years of term life may cover raising your children, while individuals with whole life may have it for more than 60 years. It is less expensive to purchase insurance for twenty years than it is for 60, thus many opt for term insurance in order to save money.

Another benefit of buying a term life plan is the opportunity to invest. The lower premiums demanded by a term policy allow individuals and families the opportunity to put additional funds into investments. Many times these investments provide more money than what life insurance, both term and whole, pay out when someone dies. However this doesn't mean you can afford to only invest your money and not use it to purchase good coverage. It takes many years for investments to build up and be profitable, whereas something could happen to you or your loved ones tomorrow.

One of the best ways to protect you and your family from the financial burdens that can result due to the death of a family member is by purchasing life insurance. While there are different types, term life often proves most beneficial for individuals and families. It not only provides you with security when you need it most, but it is often the most affordable option for families on a budget. While no one ever wants to plan for the unexpected death of a loved one, doing so can ensure a financial burden doesn't remain after their gone.


Article Source :
http://www.bestmanagementarticles.com
http://financial-mgt-budgeting.bestmanagementarticles.com

About the Author :
Ryan is an expert with life insurance! Please visit OnlineShoppingProductReviews for more information.







Saturday, January 26, 2008

Identity Theft

by

Mohd Sabri Mohammad

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America, victimizing over 10 million people a year and costing billions of dollars. Identity theft can happen anywhere to anyone. In line at the store, online at home or when you're buying your morning coffee. If your identity is stolen, you can spend hundreds of hours cleaning up your credit and struggling to get back your good name. That's because stolen identities are used up to 30 times, with most victims only discovering the theft after they've been turned down for a loan or contacted by a collection agency. You may already be a victim, many times over, and not even know it.

It has been reported that about 8.3 million US adults fell victim to identity theft.

Based on U.S. population age 18 and over of 222.94 million as of July 1, 2005. (http://www.census.gov/popest/states/asrh/tables/SC-EST2005-01Res.xls (visited August 15, 2006)).

See full 2006 Identity Theft Survey Report HERE prepared for the Federal Trade Commission.

In a widely publicized account, Michelle Brown, a victim of identity fraud, testified before a U.S. Senate Committee Hearing on Identity Theft. Ms. Brown testified that: "over a year and a half from January 1998 through July 1999, one individual impersonated me to procure over $50,000 in goods and services. Not only did she damage my credit, but she escalated her crimes to a level that I never truly expected: she engaged in drug trafficking. The crime resulted in my erroneous arrest record, a warrant out for my arrest, and eventually, a prison record when she was booked under my name as an inmate in the Chicago Federal Prison."

You can read her full verbal testimony HERE (item #12)

In Australia, identity theft was estimated to be worth between AUS$1billion and AUS$4 billion per annum in 2001 and in the United Kingdom the Home Office reported that identity fraud costs the UK economy £1.7 billion.

There are just so many ways to steal identity without you even realizing it. Some even appear very genuine. Look at the example below taken from ITRC’s website.

Identity Theft Resource Center® (ITRC) is a nonprofit, nationally respected organization dedicated exclusively to the understanding and prevention of identity theft. The ITRC provides consumer and victim support as well as public education. The ITRC also advises governmental agencies, legislators, law enforcement, and businesses about the evolving and growing problem of identity theft.

This scam poses as a message from Navy Federal Credit Union asking you to go to a website in order to receive a "message" that is in your Navy Federal Credit Union Inbox. It even has a banner taken from the Navy Federal Credit Union website.

WARNING : DO NOT CLICK ON THE BANNER of the Navy Federal Credit Union.
Example of scam on identity theft


Learn more about identity theft at:

United States Department of Justice
The President’s Task Force on Identity Theft
Federal Trade Commission

Learn more about how to secure you identity here: LifeLock






Thursday, January 24, 2008

How to Choose a Checking Account that Will Fulfill All Your Needs

Featured Article by

Gregg Hall

Checking accounts have been around for many years. In the old days the customer was issued a letter of credit by their bank and allowed to write their own check based on that. This was convenient for people who traveled a lot and didn't want to carry cash. The principal is still the same. You deposit your money in a bank and they issue blank checks to access the money in your account.

There are many different types of checking accounts they are based on the amount of money you are willing to deposit, how much you will withdraw, and fee. The most common type for the average consumer is a household account. With this type of account there is a minimum balance to carry, usually five dollars to one hundred dollars. There are also extra features depending on your bank. Some banks offer free checking with a minimum balance and even free check blanks. There are some that have check cashing security, so if you write a check for over the amount of your balance the bank will deposit the money in your account so the check doesn't bounce.

Then there are business accounts. On this type of account the bank usually charges a fee because the amounts of money that are moving through the accounts are large. They will take daily deposits and put them in the account for companies that are money handling. And they will issue checks that require more than one signature if it is needed. They will also allow a list of authorized people who can sign on the checks and have access to the account.

There are also corporate accounts these are much larger, usually moving even bigger sums of money. Many corporations have computer programs that will allow them to write checks to pay their accounts payable and to write payroll checks. And if the system is hooked in with the bank they can keep an update of the account at all times.

Choosing a bank to use for your checking and savings can be difficult and confusing because there are so many out there. There are some of the features you should look for when researching banks. One thing is convenience, how close is it to your home or job. The second is what kind of benefits are offered. You should get the list of benefits in writing so you can challenge any odd fees on your statement after you have started.

The third is interest, many banks now pay interest to the money in checking accounts and you should shop for the best rate especially if you keep large sums in your account. Another benefit is a small life insurance policy. These policies held by the bank are usually for the amounts between five and ten thousand. They also give the customer the opportunity to upgrade this policy if they wish.


Article Source :
http://www.bestmanagementarticles.com
http://money-management.bestmanagementarticles.com


About the Author :
Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as checking account alternatives at http://www.checkingaccountalternative.com







Average Household Income Down! Recession? Depression? Worse?

Featured Article by

Ed Lathrop

Recently, there have been reports on the radio and in the local newspapers on numbers that have come in on the average annual household income. The report states the average annual household income has fallen over a five-year period between the years 2000 and 2005. In 2000, the average annual household income was $55,714. In 2005, it is reported to have dropped to $55,238.

This, of course, has to be seen as bad news for the economy. What does it mean to our economic future, and what will happen if this number slips even further in the coming years?

What does the average annual household income indicate?

The average annual household income is one measurement used by economists to measure one of the functions of our economy. Namely it indicates the direction in which income is going. However, this measurement can be undependable, not always giving a clear picture of whether income is rising or falling.

Here's how. In the year 2000, the average household consisted of 2.62 persons. In 2005, the average household was made up of 2.57 persons. $55,238 divided by 2.57 is more than $55,714 divided by 2.62. So, even though household incomes drifted downward, each person's worth edged upward.

Two important measurements; GDP and GDP per capita.

The GDP is a measurement of the total size of an economy. It is the value of all the goods and services produced within a country's economy. Economists like to use the measurement known as GDP to get an idea of the financial worth of a nation.

GDP per capita is a measurement of the wealth of each individual of a particular country. GDP per capita is simply the total GDP of a country, divided by the population of that country.

In the United States, the GDP per capita in 2000 was $34,759. In 2005, it was $37,532. GDP per capita tells a story different from the one being told to us by average annual household income.

How can this be?

Take the example of a family of four earning $60,000 per year. One of the family members moves out. This person who moves out doesn't become a full-time employee until that time. Previously, he was in school, earning little or no money. So, after he moves out, he gets a job where he makes $30,000 per year.

Now if we take the average annual household income of these two families, the first being the family, now consisting of three people earning $60,000 and the second, the family of one, the young man who moved out and now earns $30,000 annually, we find when we average the household incomes of these two households, the average annual household income has fallen by $15,000. $60,000 divided by one household is $60,000 but $90,000 divided by two households equals $45,000.

The GDP per capita, on the other hand, has grown. The GDP per capita is now $90,000, divided by four persons, where it previously was $60,000, divided by four persons. So, another income earner in the economy is reflected in the GDP per capita, but the term average annual household income clouds this fact because even though another $30,000 is being earned by the population, an under average income family has been created.

By looking at the two different measurements of wealth of a country's earnings, you can get very contrasting ideas and come to differing ideas about its economy. This is why economists like to take a look at more than one indicator when they are trying to take a snapshot of an economy.

So then, a recession is not right around the corner?

The U.S. economy is strong and growing. All the main numbers of this economy have looked very good in recent years. They continue to look very good today. Unfortunately, all of today's press are not well versed in economic matters. Also, the same can be said for many people consuming the news. This means that reporters can easily mislead the public whether it be on purpose, or not.

Do I think some misleading is done on purpose? Unfortunately, yes I do. A large percentage of the press today appear to have a bias against the current administration, and furthermore, they seem to not be above accentuating the negative every chance they get. Knowing people vote with their pocketbooks and wallets, many in the mainstream media, who clearly have a liberal leaning, seem to be doing everything they can to disparage the very strong economy we've enjoyed over the past several years.

Article Source :
http://www.bestmanagementarticles.com
http://economics.bestmanagementarticles.com

About the Author :
Ed Lathrop is a successful Real Estate investor. He has developed EzCalculator, a Mortgage Calculator that calculates anything to do with mortgages, shows you how to pay off credit card debt and now includes a free student loan calculator. This Free Mortgage Calculator, is home to the famous "How to Make $100,000 on Your Mortgage" calculator. Come visit this free site at Free Mortgage Calculator!







Your First Car Insurance Doesn't Have To Be A Problem

Featured Article by

Lara Sawyer

Purchasing car insurance for the first time can be stressful. Thus, most people just accept what the dealership or car loan lender offers and don't bother to shop around for the best car insurance offer available. What these people fail to understand is that a small difference on the monthly payments of an insurance premium can result on huge savings. Furthermore, if the payment of the premium is not done in installments savings can be even higher.

When purchasing your first car, the insurance may not be your priority, but though that may be understandable, you still should worry about it a bit. Remember that the cost of insurance is not the only issue. Proper coverage will protect not only your recently acquired vehicle but also yourself and third parties from damages and liability. Therefore, giving some thoughts to your first car insurance is definitely a good idea.


Why Car Insurance?

Some wonder why they need car insurance and even consider the possibility (such consults are received) of not buying it. What you need to understand is that the situation is not that simple at all. The department of motor vehicle requires you to have insurance both to protect yourself and to protect others too. In case you cause damage of property or injuries to third parties, you will be held responsible but the insurance will pay for it. That way the law makes sure that even those who wouldn't be able to afford the proper reparations otherwise, do.

Since car insurance is required by law, non compliance carries severe punishments. There are simple fines if you are required by authorities to show proof of insurance and you can't comply but for repeated offences or if you are involved in an accident without having car insurance you can lose your license and won't be able to drive for a long time.


Getting Affordable Car Insurance On Your First Car

Even though that you may be a first time car buyer, that doesn't mean that you need to pay an expensive car insurance product. Though you will have to purchase more expensive car insurance than those that have been driving for many years now (without participating in many accidents), you can still get good terms on your first car insurance policy if you are careful enough.

First of all, you need to research the different car insurance products available to you and decide what kind of coverage you need according to your vehicle and the use that you will give to it. Secondly, you will have to request different quotes from insurance companies providing them that information. Insurance companies are everywhere: you will find advertisements on TV, magazines, and on the internet. Each insurance company has an online website and there are other sites offering insurance comparatives. Make sure to request several quotes before starting your own comparison.

Get familiar with car insurance discounts and see which ones you are eligible for. That way you will be able to reduce your insurance premium to a more affordable state. Some insurance companies rank their clients according to how many accidents they have, whether they have an inside parking space, etc. Therefore, if you think that you will be able to benefit from those clauses in the future, it might be wise to purchase that type of car insurances.

Article Source :
http://www.bestmanagementarticles.com
http://economics.bestmanagementarticles.com

About the Author :
Lara Sawyer is a professional loan advisor who helps people to get the best Insurance Quotes and Personal Loans. At http://www.fastguaranteedloans.com/ you'll find all of her tips on how to get approved without hassles.







Credit Score and How It's Built

Featured Article by
Lisa Burkhardt


Credit Scores are so important because they are used for everything today. They determine the interest rate on loans; auto, personal and mortgages. They determine the premium you will pay for auto insurance etc.

How do you build an excellent credit score? There are three important factors that build you score.

1. History - your payment history is an important part of building your credit score. The credit bureaus monitor the amount of delinquencies (past due accounts) you have. It is very important to make your payments even if it is the minimum on time. Judgments and collection accounts will have a larger impact on your score; the drop in points will be substantial. Medical collections are seen on credit reports all the time usually for small dollar amounts. FYI: If the collection agency is not updating the file it is recommended to leave it alone. From what I have learned if it hasn't updated in six months it is no longer impacting your score. If you now pay that debt it will re-active the history and effect you score. I'm not saying don't pay the debt because it looks better in the long run that it is paid when applying for a mortgage it will need to be paid. I'm saying if it is small amount to pay it in full because if you are making payments the negative history will start reporting again.

2. Length of Credit - this makes up a good portion of your credit score. If you have no credit score and are just starting out it takes at least six months of good payment history to establish a credit score. When starting out do not go out applying everywhere in town since the inquiries also affect your score and you do not want to have excessive inquires on your report. Try not to take out a lot of new credit all at one time since this will affect the history and make it look like you have all new credit.

3. Capacity - this is about 35% of your credit score and often the most misunderstood. Capacity is were they look at your revolving credit limits (credit cards, overdraft, HELOC etc) and compare the balances that are carried. For example if you have 10 credit cards with $10,000 line each and you carry a balance of about $500 a month you will have about 90% capacity available giving you a higher score. If you have one card with a $1000 limit and you carry a balance of $900 every month you will have about 10% capacity giving you a lower score. This is very important: DO NOT CLOSE CREDIT LINES! If you are disciplined and do not use the credit limits given to you do not close them. Closing them can decrease your capacity therefore decreasing your score.

This is a simple explanation on how a credit score is built. Please pay close attention so you too can have an excellent score and get the low interest rates you deserve.

Article Source :
http://www.bestmanagementarticles.com
http://credit-management.bestmanagementarticles.com

About the Author :
By Lisa Burkhardt is Editor of http://12546bc.NewCreditApplications.com. and http://www.work-home-today.com; great resources.





Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

How to Increase Your Income

Featured Article by

Adam Khoo

For most of us, our primary source of income comes from active income.

Active income is income you earn through working, through spending your time. So if you work for a day, you get paid for a day. You work for an hour; you get paid for an hour. You work for a month; you get paid for a month.

Now, you can never be wealthy through active income. The reason is very simple because there's always a limited amount of time you have.

Even if you are a lawyer and you are a very good lawyer and you charge, let's say hundred bucks an hour. But still, how many hours do you have in a day? You have a limited amount of time so you can never be wealthy through active income.

Having active income also means one thing. At the moment you stop working, your money stops so again, there's no leverage, there's no scalability.
So in other words, you literally sell your time for money.

So, what makes a person earn more than another person?

For example, why a doctor earns so much more than a receptionist. Why? Why does one insurance agent make 20K a month whereas one insurance agent makes 2K a month? Why?

Some people say it's because of education, experience, age. No, it's not all those things. The one thing that matters is value. Its how much value you create.

Why does a doctor earn so much more than a receptionist? That's because a doctor can create so much more value. A doctor can save your life. A doctor can make you feel well. But a receptionist can only, take down notes, make coffee for you, and only do certain things of lesser value.

One insurance agent adds so much more value by being a problem solver to someone's life. The other insurance agent can only tell you what to buy. That's why they create more value.

So focus on things which create more value. If you think about it, there are only two ways to create value for your company. Number 1 is to increase sales, number 2 is to help the company to reduce costs.

By doing that, the company will make more profits. Ask yourself this question. What will make your boss want to double your salary? Not out of the kindness of his heart. But the only way to double your salary is for you to double your value to the company. Simple as that. So increase value, increase time.

How much income you earn is a reflection of how much value you create for people. So if you want to increase your income, you must increase your value, and it can mean the value you create for your clients, or how much you are worth to the business that employs you.

Article Source :
http://www.bestmanagementarticles.com
http://wealth-management.bestmanagementarticles.com

About the Author :
Adam Khoo is an entrepreneur, best-selling author and a self-made millionaire by the age of 26. Discover his million dollar secrets and claim your FREE bonus CD '6 Ways To Achieve Anything In Life' at Paving The Way To The Top.







Top 7 New Home Buying Mistakes

Featured Article by
Joshua Ferris

Buying a new home is great! You get to choose where your home will be built, add a sunroom here, third garage bay there and before you know it you are moving into your dream home. With all the options to choose from it is very easy to overlook crucial elements to your new home buying experience that could cost you greatly in both time and money.

Choosing upgrades with the lowest ROI or too many upgrades, period. - This is truly the most common mistake made by new home buyers who don't consider the resale value of their home in the future. When buying a new home be sure to stick with the essential upgrades like two sinks in the master bathroom, high quality cabinetry and above all else, top quality padding under the carpeted areas.

Not examining your lot choice thoroughly enough. - A recent United Feature Syndicate by Lew Sichelman highlights some very important aspects to choosing a lot for your new home to be built on. Among them are: terrain, noting that people psychologically feel more secure looking down at the street rather than up, location and lot shape which can affect your surroundings including the possibility of facing the rear of a neighbor's home.

Finding communities first, vitals second. - When you are buying a home you have to shop differently than you would if you were buying a car or shopping for clothes. To save yourself much heartache and frustration, be sure to hammer out your lifestyle requirements before even searching for a community to build a home in. For example, if you commute to New York City and have school age children you would want to find a school district that you approve of in an area with multiple mass transit options (train, bus, highway) and then locate new home communities within close proximity to both.

Overlooking the "inspection" clause in builder contracts. - A dirty little secret in the new home industry is the fact that some builders, national builders included, send out contracts with a clause stating that they don't allow home inspections by an independent, third party home inspector until after you close on and own the home. They offer to do a walkthrough of the home with you before you close but chances are, unless you are a licensed home inspector with many years of experience, you won't notice any red flags beyond the superficial.

Not using a buyer agent. - When looking for a new home, be sure to find a buyer agent who specializes in new homes. There are numerous important steps when buying a new home that a new home buyer agent will be prepared to work with such as price negotiation, lot choice, researching future development around the community and the pros and cons of building materials your builder will use in the construction of your new home. At present, the buyer agent's services are paid for out of the builder's marketing budget.

Using the builder endorsed financing company out of convenience. - Many large builders have their own in-house financing company and they often offer incentives on their products by tying in the use of the incentives to financing through their in-house lender. In some instances you will find that the builder's in-house lender financing and incentives will cost you more money in the long run than if you had financed your purchase through an outside lender. Rule of thumb: Always check your financing options with the builder's in-house lender, a mortgage broker and a loan officer for a direct lender before committing.

Believing everything you read in advertisements. - If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. Always verify everything you read in real estate advertisements including newspaper ads and the community's standard features list. Aside from the obvious typographical errors that occur I have also seen blatant false advertising. For example, I have seen new home community literature advertising the community's short "less than an hour" drive to New York City despite the fact that it would take at least 90 minutes on a good day from that community.

Buying a new home is a wonderful, dazzling experience that will cater to your every need. By using reasonable care and professional guidance you will enjoy many great years in your new home and reap substantial rewards from your diligent buying efforts when selling your home in the future. Article Source :
http://www.bestmanagementarticles.com
http://real-estate-management.bestmanagementarticles.com

About the Author:
Joshua Ferris is a Orange County New York new homes specialist in the Orange County NY real estate market and has created a valuable resource for home buyers considering the area including his indispensable Monroe NY real estate guide.







Save Money on Groceries

Featured Article by
Rayven Perkins

There are several excellent strategies for saving money on groceries, depending on how you eat. It doesn't matter if you choose to eat regular foods found in the typical grocery store, or healthy and organic foods, cost-cutting resources are available.

Regular Foods

If you eat commercially prepared foods, you can feed your family on pennies a day by taking advantage of coupons and refunds. By combining sales, manufacturer's and store coupons, you can get items for free, or even get paid to take them. Forget a savings of 25c off a tube of toothpaste. Stores have got awesome deals ripe for the taking, if you understand the concept. This even applies to most health and beauty products like shampoos, razors, and toothpaste.

On foods you cannot get free, like meats and produce, there are great organizations out there that serve the general public (not low income folks). By utilizing Angel Food Ministries, you can get a box of restaurant quality meats, produce, and other staples, worth $50-75, for only $25. Many areas across the country also have the SHARE program, which provides heavy discounts on meats and staples in exchange for your involvement in your choice of volunteer work in your community.

Healthy Foods

Unfortunately, those of us who choose to eat organic or health foods do not have the ability to acquire food quite so inexpensively. There are relatively few coupons on the market for organic foods, as they are not advertised as heavily.

But, there are other options!

1. Organic Co-Ops

Check out your local organic coops. This is where multiple families get together to share a wholesale organic purchase, usually produce.

2. Community Supported Agriculture, CSA

Check out the local CSA in your area. This is where you purchase, in advance, a share of a farmer's harvest. The food is healthy, fresh, and does not travel long distances so it can be ripened on the vine instead of picked early and artificially ripened.

3. Grow it Yourself

If you have the space, the most cost effective way to reduce your healthy food grocery bill is to grow/raise some food yourself. Victory gardens, herb gardens, fruit trees, chickens and even rabbits can be raised in a small location without a huge investment of money or time. You can even sell or barter excess foods.
No matter how you choose to eat, there are ways to cut down on your grocery bills.

A few more tips:

--Menu plan

--Make out a grocery list in advance, and stick to it!

--Shop alone (no hubby or kids)

--Do not grocery shop while hungry

--Take a certain amount of cash with you and leave your credit cards at home

Article Source :
http://www.bestmanagementarticles.com
http://financial-mgt-budgeting.bestmanagementarticles.com


About the Author :
Rayven Perkins is an expert at saving money at home. She has spent 7 years finding and implementing unique cost-cutting tips that allow her family to live comfortably as a one-income family. Her site http://www.stay-a-stay-at-home-mom.com examines resources and tips on Reducing Expenses, Stretching Your Dollar, and Supplementing Income in order to stay a SAHM