Tag Archives: buying

Gift Selection Planning Helps in Cost Saving  

With the cost of living increasing by the day, all of us look for ways to cut down on the expenses. Whether it is car insurance or any other necessity item, we try to avail discounts. In the midst of tight budgets, importance of gift planning has increased too. No matter what occasion it is, planning for the gift well in advance does not just save last minute nerve but your hard-earned money too. Gift planning is the buzzword if you wish to avoid burning a hole in your pocket.

Homemade gifts are one of all time favorites, are easy on pocket, and add a personal tinge to gift. After all the idea is to make the receiver feel special, not break the bank. You can keep the interests of receiver in mind and prepare some homemade gift for him/her. The gift will surely bring a smile on the receivers’ face.

One of the most effective ways to save money on the gift is shopping in the sale. Whether it is someone’s birthday, anniversary of the thanksgiving, buying the gift before hand can be useful. Especially for Christmas gifts, buying gifts from the off-season sale can help in saving a great deal of money. And the best part is that you will not have to compromise on the quality for buying affordable gifts. Just because it is an off-season sale, one is able to get gifts at cost effective rates.

Giving a gift hamper is affordable option too. Hampers are ideal for birthdays and baby showers. You can buy them from the market or can assemble them yourself too. Keeping the preferences and needs of receiver in mind, pick necessity items, and get it packed in a beautiful basket. Hampers not only help in saving money but are also considered as smart gifts as you are gifting all the items that would be well used by the receiver. Gifting discount coupons is also a good option. Whether apparel discount coupons or restaurant discount coupons, they would be useful for the receiver. Restaurant discount coupons can be used by the receiver to treat his friends and family too. With gift planning, you can buy cool gifts for any occasion without spending too much.

10 tips to securing a home loan

We’ve only got about one page to list these 10 tips for securing a home loan, so let’s jump right into it!

1) Get your credit score up

This is the key rule. Do not even think about getting a home loan until you’ve paid off your debts and worked your credit score up.

2) Get your credit score up

Seriously! What you should do is settle all your old debts, and then cut up all of your credit cards, but one or two. Use those for simple things like buying gas or grocery shopping and then pay them off on time.

3) Live within your means

Credit cards gave birth to a generation of people buying more than they could afford, with many of them winding up hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt as a result. Your spending money should be cash only.

4) Make sure the time is right

Sadly, we’re not all ready to own a home. If you don’t have savings and a reliable career, if you’re already in debt, you’ll want to improve your financial standing before going after home ownership.

5) Do your research

Basically, get online and do a lot of reading up on the ins and outs of home loans and the real estate market. If you develop a strong knowledge of the market, you’re more likely to get what you’re after.

6) Know what entices potential lenders

It’s more than just having a nice job and a good credit score. Remember, they do background checks. If you’ve never held a job for more than a year, that’s a turn off for lenders. Other things can help, too. If you have multiple sources of income, let the lender know about them.

7) Never borrow more than you think you can pay off

This is how American homebuyers got into so much trouble last year. They were knowingly borrowing more money than they could repay in the hope that home and land prices would forever appreciate.

8) Be willing to shop around

Don’t grab the first loan anyone will give you. In getting a low interest rate on a loan or mortgage, you’ll want to look around and see who can offer you the best deal. You may get lucky, but don’t count on the first bank you walk into to give you the best overall deal.

9) Don’t buy a pricier house than you need

This is more a tip for actually buying a house than it is for getting a loan, but it can help on that front, too. If you’re a bachelor, what on earth are you going to do with a two story, two and a half bathroom house? Don’t go overboard in selecting your home and the lender probably won’t feel that you’re asking for too much.

10) Don’t be afraid to ask for help

If you need a real estate agent or some expert advice on securing a home loan, then go for it. A qualified home loan professional might save you a vast sum of money.