"Sometime they'll give a war and nobody will come."Carl Sandburg
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Credit Card vs. Debit Card - What Are The Differences Ah, the good old days. If you are a baby boomer, like me, then you probably remember how important it was to rush to the bank on payday. You had to get there before the teller lanes closed so that you could have your cash allowance for the week. ...
Honey I can't afford the kids Sex has a lot to answer for . babies usually . which then with time and much financial investment grow up to be beautiful mutations of their parents. Yet as the family absorbs more money as it grows, the need for financial planning and protection becomes ...
Kids & Cell Phones Is it safety? Is it security? Or is it just cool? Have you ever noticed how many kiosks have popped up in you favorite mall? And just about all of them are selling cell phones. Teens can actually design their own graphics and have the graphic airbrushed ...
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Impulse buying is simply defined as making an unplanned purchase. This can be an extra pack of cookies when grocery shopping or buying a car on a whim. Most of us are guilty of this at one time or another. Even though the term is simple, it probably accounts for the majority of money problems family's have.
Planning a purchase of any kind is absolutely necessary if you intend to use your money wisely. That extra pack of cookies I mentioned isn't going to break your budget, but with the prices of groceries today, it doesn't take too many items to put a dent in your grocery allowance. However, buying a car without prior planning can get very expensive. Besides the obvious things like finding the best purchase price and interest rate, down payment, money for taxes and license, etc., you need time to decide which car is right for your family.
The below list of tips may help prevent impulse buying:
If you see something you like, leave the store without it. Go home and look at your budget. Then if you feel you can afford it, go back. In addition, this will give you time to think about whether you really need it.
Always go to the grocery store or dollar store with a list. Buy just what is on your list. If you see items you would like to have, make a note to put them on your list for your next trip.
Always consider the entire price of an item before buying. In my state, if you buy a car that costs $20,000, you have to pay about 7% in sales taxes within 30 days of the purchase. That $1400 may not be that easy to come up with.
I know that the above ideas takes all the fun out of spending your money. Planning and budgeting are about as dull as watching grass grow. However, a family that budgets their money and plans purchases, will no doubt be able to make more purchases and feel much better about it.
About the Author Terry Rigg is the author of Living Within Your Means - The Easy Way http://www.homemoneyhelp.com/ebookadpage.html and editor of The FREE Budget Stretcher Newsletter and Budget Stretcher web site http://www.homemoneyhelp.com. He has 25 years of experience counseling individuals and families concerning their personal finances.
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