Could Pennies Really Add Up?

Repeat a million times and you’ll have $10 000

They arrive in your life on time each month and drain your paycheck: bills. Bills are the monthly obligations most of us have for rent, utilities, and other services. For many of us, bills make up a big chunk of our monthly budget, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some ways you can slash your bills and put more of money back where it belongs – your pocket:

1) Cut the bills you don’t need. Do you really need every service and product in your life right now? Do you actually watch enough TV to justify that fancy cable package? Do you really need a home phone and cell phone if you use your cell phone 90% of the time? Get rid of what you don’t need and you’ll save a bundle.

2) Find better rates for the bills you have. Take a close look at your remaining bills. How can you lower them? Call your credit card company and negotiate a better rate, or look at competitor prices to see if you can save money by switching some of your services. Don’t just accept the bills you get – find ways to save money on them.

3) Lower your debts. The payments on your personal loans, credit cards, unsecured loans, payday loans and other debts can contribute quite a bit to your monthly costs. Pay down your debts and you could save quite a bit of money.

4) Don’t forget to check out our guide to lowering your bills.…

The phrase “follow your bliss” is just about everywhere these days. It means, quite simply, that you should follow your passions rather than trying to always remain practical. Many people, however, worry that they won’t be able to stay solvent by following their passions.

Can you capitalize on your bliss?

The answer, luckily, is yes, although it may take some work. It is often not a great idea to quit your job, take out tons of personal loans, and start pursuing your passion (unless you have a great way to pay off all those unsecured loans). If you want to follow a passion, the first question to ask is whether you want to pursue this bliss full-time. If you love writing music, is this something you would like to do all day or just something you want to do once in a while? If it’s something you want to do part-time, you can often rearrange your current schedule to find time for your new hobby.

If you want to pursue a passion – such as drawing, for instance – full-time, you need to figure out how to pay your bills and still follow your bliss. Many people do this by making money with what used to be a hobby. There are plenty of courses, books, and informational sessions that can help teach you how to do this. Look up people who had a similar passion and turned it into a career. Follow in their footsteps and you might find similar success.

It often helps to start with small steps when following a dream. Consider pursuing an interest part-time until it really takes off and starts making you money. This will ensure you don’t have to take out huge personal loans right away and it gives you a chance to see whether you really love your passion to pursue it full-time. It allows you to find out more how your income taxes will change as you switch gears and will give you time to build up success before you take the leap.…