A custom debt-reduction budget that fits your own family’s size, needs, etc., is crucial to debt reduction success.
Hey, frugal friends! Enjoy this guest post by our friend and fellow PF blogger, Josh from Money Buffalo. The big 3-0. It’s a number dreaded by most young adults because it means they are now officially old by pop culture standards. It is probably safe to say that the priorities of most thirty-year-olds are more in tune with their parents than their younger Millennial peers. Read more
Defensive driving is also referred to as advanced driving. Some may have heard of both, while others may have not heard of either! But what exactly do they mean? Whether you refer to such as defensive or advanced driving, they are both about becoming safer and more responsible on the road. A safer driver not only has an appreciation for the welfare of other road users, including themselves, they tend to be more environmentally focused in their approach to motoring.
By understanding more about defensive (or advanced) driving, will help you become a safer more environmentally friendly driver. Below are some tips that defensive drivers pay particular attention to when it comes to their car and motoring.
According to Drivers Domain UK (www.driversdomainuk.com) taking a defensive/advanced driving course will provide an excellent basis to become a safer, more environmentally friendly driver. Such a driving course will help iron our any bad habits you may have. It will also give you a fair appraisal of your own driving, and develop such, looking at a range of elements like car control, speed awareness, understanding of the rules of the road, planning, observation and anticipation. A course will typically last between half/full day should you decide on taking an intensive coaching only session, or over several weeks or months, should you join a local group, with a view of taking a test at the end.
The key element of defensive driving is helping a driver to anticipate and plan much more effectively. With effective planning and anticipation, you are not only seeing hazards much earlier, you are giving yourself more time to plan. A driver who plans tends to be safer as they are not “suddenly” having to respond to unseen hazards.
An outcome of planning is not only fewer collisions, but also lower fuel bills and less wear and tear on a car. Unplanned driving often results in poorer fuel consumption. Rushed gear changes, excessive acceleration and braking all use more fuel. A smoother more planned approved is less stressful for both you and your car!
Besides improving your level of driving, there are more tactics a defensive driver will pay attention to, when it comes to safer, more environmentally friendly driving.
Do you always take the most fuel-efficient route when taking a journey? Try and avoid busy areas if possible and of course during rush hour. Rural routes, which are less congested, where you usually drive a little slower than on busy, faster roads tend to result in a more fuel efficient (and sometimes relaxing) drive. With fewer vehicles on the road will also allow you to travel at a speed more suited to you, as opposed to feel the pressure to speed up on more busy freeways and routes.
Never rely on your annual service to check tires. Tires, which are underinflated are much more likely to suffer a blowout, and will negatively impact on your vehicles handling and braking. Underinflated tires will also increase fuel consumption. You should check your tires at least once a month, and each day you should try and take a quick visual inspection to check for any obvious damage or tires, which appear to be deflating.
Has the time come to replace your car? If this is the case you should spend time researching the fuel economy figures. This is especially true if you cover a high annual mileage. In recent years cars have significantly improved in fuel efficiency. Even high performance cars of today can be more economical than older, less powerful models.
Do you carry around too many things in your car? Excessive weight in a car will increase fuel consumption, and impact on braking and also handling. It’s a quick win, so check if you are lugging around any excessive weight. Then remove it. If you have a roof rack you don’t use – remove it, its excessive weight and of course additional drag when the vehicle is moving.
Having your car serviced regularly will help maximize fuel economy. Changing the oil and filters all contribute towards better fuel efficiency and performance, not to mention the preventative care, which will lower the chance of expensive failure of parts, due to neglect.
Get a number of quotes when it comes to insurance renewal time. When you have been with an insurer for a long period of time, they can increase the cover cost year-on-year. Insurers want your custom, so ensure you take advantage of this, and get the very best deal for you.
Trying just a few of these tips will help you become a safer, more fuel-efficient driver. Defensive driving as we refer to, has some great benefits every driver should take notice of. Whether your main objective is to save money, save the environment, or reduce the chances of yourself being involved in a traffic collision, becoming a defensive driver, whether taking training and passing a test, or simply being a little more mindful when it comes to your driving, will have a positive impact on your life.
Lately, more by chance than anything else, I’ve been stumbling on new-to-me bloggers sharing about their lives as early-retired or almost-early-retired people. The already early-retired people share stories about awesome days where they can go where they want without having to report in to a boss (other than their spouse 🙂 ). They talk about spontaneous day trips and laying in the sun for no good reason other than they want to. Read more
And by “last minute” I mean: order TODAY. It’s the 18th of December, people! And if you want to ensure you get your gifts in time, sign up for a free trial of Amazon Prime
In my humble opinion, the HSA is highly underrated and underused by many here in America. The more I look into this gem of a product, the more excited I get about contributing to it. We upped our contributions to our HSA this year because one of the kids needs braces and I want to make sure we deduct every bit of our out-of-pocket costs for those things. We’re working to maximize tax deductions, especially while the kids can still be counted as dependents. So that got me thinking; What can I pay out of my HSA? What other regular purchases do we make that we can be purchasing with HSA funds so that we can minimize taxable income? Read more
It’s that time of year again: the time when we take a hard look at our spending and saving and make a new plan to do better once the calendar flips over to January. Even the most organized and financially savvy among us do this. Here are the most common financial issues people identify and what you can do to fix them.
Living on credit isn’t anybody’s idea of a good time. For most of us, it is the last resort while we try to keep ourselves financially afloat. If you’ve been living on credit there are a few options available to you.
I once read that in order to have what someone else has, you need to do what they’ve done. In other words, success in a certain area is often achievable by copying others who have already obtained success in a certain area. Ever since I read that, I’ve been spending some time on and off studying the traits of millionaires. Read more
The emotions you might feel when considering starting your own business can include excitement, fear, joy and outright panic. So, it’s a bit like riding a roller coaster.
One minute you’re standing up with your hands in the air screaming with joy and excitement and the next you are wondering when this ride will ever end. But there are some things to know when starting a business that can help you take some of the fear and anxiety out of the process.
If you are determined to start your own business, don’t listen to people who only want to bring you down and discourage you. They may start spouting statistics and facts about how many businesses fail early on. I feel listening to them is kind of like running onto a basketball court with the idea in your head that you are going to lose.
Buying into that negativity helps ensure your failure rather than your success. Instead, put all you have into it with the idea that you will be successful. A positive attitude can make all the difference in the world when it comes to starting your own business.
All of us on this planet only get one go around at life. If you are going to put in long days building your business – and believe me, to make it successful you will definitely be putting in long days – you need to be doing something you enjoy.
When you don’t like what you do, you will put off tasks that could help you build your business just so you can get away from it sooner each day. Make sure the business you start is one you like and are excited to get up and get started doing each day.
You don’t have to have every minute detail figured out to get started. You are going to learn a lot as you go. Likely, you will make some mistakes, but hopefully not big ones that will sink your business. This is where talking to a mentor or professional can help.
Consider talking to a business consultant to help you make sound decisions if you are considering starting your own business. There are plenty of consultants out there that can guide you, from large consultancy firms such as IBM, Deloitte Consulting to experienced entrepreneurs offering their vast experience such as trevormcclintock.com. They can help guide and steer your business in the right direction and they could be the difference between success and failure.
Don’t let the tiny details, such as choosing letterhead or deciding where to put your desk for maximum efficiency, distract you from the big picture. Keep your focus on what matters and builds your business. Concentrate on what your customers need from you and how to increase the chances of them choosing you over the thousands of other businesses out there competing for their attention.
Think about what makes you the most money and concentrate your efforts in that area to increase your chances of success.
Your family and spouse, if you have one, are the most important things in your life. They will still be there whether your business is going well or not, so make sure they know they are the most important to you. Spend time with them. Take time out to go to your son or daughter’s basketball game or play or whatever is important to them.
There are many things to know when starting a business but hopefully the things I mentioned above will help to ensure your success.
What other things do you need to know when starting a business?
One of the most common challenges of single moms is remaining financially stable and allowing your money to grow over time. As a single parent, it can be easy to live on limited funds due to one income that you’re living off of. To learn how you can save money as a single mom this winter, there are a few ways to set money aside. Read more
As we work our way toward debt freedom, we are making it a point to educate our kids about money management. I’m sure at times they get sick and tired of us saying “Save your money”, and “Don’t ever get into debt” but I also know that the financial moves we’re teaching our kids will have at least some impact on how they live their lives as adults. The older they get, the more motivated they are to earn and save money. The more excited they get when their bank accounts grow. Read more
