Wealth Watchers: A Simple Program to Help you Spend Less and Save More

Tuesday Tip of the Day

January 31, 2012 Set a goal, then make a plan. You are more likely to get to your destination if you know where you want to go and how to get there.

January 24, 2012 It’s not worth going into debt trying to keep up with the Joneses. Social networks make it easy to compare your lifestyle with others, but you just don’t know what kind of debt they may have to go along with that lifestyle.

January 17, 2012 It’s the little things that matter most. A $3 daily expense may seem like no big deal but it adds up to $1,095 by the end of the year. Watching the little things also sets the tone for being careful about big expenses throughout the year.

January 10, 2012 “Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.” - Benjamin Franklin

January 3, 2012 “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.” - Walter Elliot

December 27, 2011 “What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” — Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

December 20, 2011 Happiness comes from the heart . . . and it's free. Happy Holidays!

December 13, 2011 Less is more…and it’s less expensive. Everyone’s budget is tighter this year. If you have a big family, suggest a grab bag instead of exchanging gifts with everyone. You’ll be so happy to have fewer gifts to wrap.

December 6, 2011 Give the gift of a great memory. Take someone out to the movies, or go out for coffee and dessert. Spending time together is a wonderful gift and it won’t add to anyone’s household clutter.

November 29, 2011 It’s the thought that counts. And being thoughtful doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money.

November 22, 2011 “If there is to be any peace it will come through being, not having.” A quote from Henry Miller.

November 15, 2011 Cook once, eat twice — and save. Save time by cooking enough food for two meals. Save money per serving by purchasing food in a larger quantity.

November 8, 2011 Plastic can be slippery. If we’re not careful, money could slip through our fingers.

November 1, 2011 Smile. It's a free facelift.

October 25, 2011 Think home. We can do most things at home for a fraction of what it would cost to do them outside of our homes.

October 18, 2011 Be Happy. Be happy for all you have and all the people in your life.

October 11, 2011 Drive Safely. Beyond saving money, you could also save a life.

October 4, 2011 One philosophy for getting ahead is to earn interest, not pay it. A savings account earning 1% interest sure beats paying 14% interest on a credit card.

September 27, 2011 In the spirit of “Be Prepared”. . . You may want to photocopy important items you keep in your wallet in case it’s lost or stolen.

September 20, 2011 How we spend money is a reflection of our values. If you’re not happy with what you’re seeing, then it’s time to make some changes.

September 14, 2011 Having balance in your life is so important. Especially when it comes to avoiding overdraft fees.

September 6, 2011 “Man is rarely so harmlessly occupied as when making money.” A post Labor Day quote from John Stuart Mill.

August 30, 2011 Try creating a complaint free bubble. You'll be surprised by how much happier you will be when you let go of the past and stop reliving old problems.

August 23, 2011 Use cash. Studies show that people may spend 50% more on fast food and other purchases when they pay with a debit or credit card.

August 16, 2011 Make personal financial literacy a priority. It doesn't matter how smart someone might be, if they can't handle money they will be lost.

August 9, 2011 Anything worth having is worth waiting for. . . Buying on credit gives you instant gratification but it can easily triple the cost of an item.

August 2, 2011 Time is money but convenience comes at a price. Would you rather save time or money? Why not both? The $1 menu is hard to beat for saving time and money. Or you can cook more than you need and freeze the leftovers for another day.

July 27, 2011 “Dream Big Dreams, Then Put On Your Overalls.” From a sign posted at Camp Edwards in East Troy, Wisconsin.

July 19, 2011 Use it or lose it. Check all your memberships and subscriptions and cancel the ones you no longer use or read. Many memberships and subscriptions renew automatically so you may be paying for ones you no longer want.

July 5, 2011 Split your meal. Next time you eat out consider sharing an entrée between the two of you -- or bringing home half of it for the next day. You can save a little money and most restaurant portions are way too big for one person anyway.

June 28, 2011 Make Mother Nature your friend. Summer is a great time to get in shape without the expense of a health club.

June 21, 2011 Offer encouragement to someone in your life. It's the greatest gift in the world, and it's free.

June 14, 2011 Take advantage of free entertainment. Summertime means free outdoor concerts and activities for all age groups. Contact your local park district and library for information on free events in your community.

June 7, 2011 ‘An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure.’ Don’t underestimate the importance of Ben Franklin’s advice. Does your car need an oil change? Does your home air-conditioning or furnace filter need to be changed? It’s a small expense compared to the cost of replacing a car or buying a new heating and cooling system.

May 31, 2011 Buy Used. Next time you are looking to buy a car, lawn equipment, or other expensive products, consider buying used. You can save a lot of money on items that are as good as new.

May 24, 2011 Love what you have, including yourself. Best of all, it’s free!

May 17, 2011 Explore locally. Pack a picnic and head out to a local park for an inexpensive outing that’s fun for families or couples. Even better, pick a park that you have not been to before -- it’s a great way to get to know more about the area you live in.

May 10, 2011 Think twice. If you need a co-signer to borrow the money then maybe you shouldn’t take out the loan.

May 3, 2011 Give the gift of financial literacy. When shopping for graduation gifts this season, consider a book on personal finance. The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach is one of our favorites. And don’t forget the Wealth Watchers book, a quick and simple read with solid advice about almost every aspect of spending money. It might also be nice to add a $20 bill as a book marker. What student doesn’t appreciate money?!

April 26, 2011 Think small. Would you care if you lost $1.00? How about $300.00? We could lose more than $300 a year, if we let $1 slip through our fingers every day. It pays to pay attention to the small things.

April 19, 2011 Invest in a cookbook. Even better, dust off a cookbook you already own. It can cost three times as much to eat out as it does to cook at home.

April 12, 2011 Spring Cleaning can lead to new found money. You can hold a yard sale and sell all of those “things” you don’t need or donate them to a local charity and have a tax deduction for 2011.

April 5, 2011 Before you buy something, sleep on it. During the Money Smart Week 2011 kickoff breakfast held at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Ted Beck, President and CEO of the National Endowment for Financial Education, relayed this tip. A student he knew said that the best financial advice she’d ever received was when her father told her “Before you buy something, sleep on it.”

March 29, 2011 Clean out your closets and drawers before you buy new clothes. You'll get a much better feel for what you need vs. want . . . even better, you may be too tired to shop once you're done.

March 22, 2011 Plan ahead. You can save money on everything from airfares to grocery bills. Waiting until the last minute usually ends up costing you more.

March 15, 2011 Think Green . . . Spring. A Fresh Start. Time to be better with money.

March 8, 2011 If you are not using it – unplug it. About 5 to 10% of your home electric bill comes from appliances and electronics using electricity when they are turned off. By unplugging gadgets that you are not using, you can save money and do something good for the environment!

March 1, 2011 The best return on your vacation budget may be staying close to home. A staycation, where you vacation at home or somewhere close to home, is a great idea if you are trying to save money or avoid expensive holiday travel.

February 22, 2011 Don’t pay late. Not only can it hurt your credit score, late fees for overdue payments can be very expensive!

February 15, 2011 Knowledge is power. We all have our weaknesses when it comes to spending money. If we know what stores or restaurants or websites we should avoid, we'll be more likely to save money.

February 8, 2011 Try using frozen fruits and vegetables once in awhile. They’re usually less expensive than fresh and they last longer, which could mean less waste!

February 1, 2011 Stop by your library and borrow a good book. Hard to beat something that's free!

January 25, 2011 Time is Money. Check to see if there are places where you spend time that are bad for your bottom line. If so, maybe it's time for a change.

January 18, 2011 Shop locally whenever you can. Your town uses the revenues from the sales tax to support services in your community.

January 11, 2011 Share. Share a meal. It's less calories and it's less expensive. Share a ride. It saves money and it's good for the environment. Share advice. We can always learn from each other.

January 4, 2011 Re-discover the power of thrift. Dave Kansas says the key is to find something you do often and do it in a cheaper way, creating a recurring savings. Read more:

December 29, 2010 Writing your goals down is the first step to achieving them. People with written goals are far more likely to achieve them than those who have no written goals, says Jody Mayo. Read all ten of Jody's tips to help you keep your New Year's resolutions.

December 21, 2010 Try to take a few minutes each day to have faith. Faith in yourself. Faith in others. Faith that everything will be okay.

December 14, 2010 Be prepared. Plan ahead to survive tough times. No matter where you live or work, the future is uncertain. See seven things you can do right now from Mary Hunt, The Everyday Cheapskate.

December 7, 2010 Be safe and save money. Take a limo or taxi and avoid the high costs of drinking and driving. See Drinking, Driving and Paying.

November 30, 2010 Make a list and check it twice. To help you stay on track, set a budget and create a shopping list before you head out to the mall to do your holiday shopping.

November 23, 2010 Don’t underestimate the power of change. Try tossing all of your change into a container for the next month and see how fast it adds up!

November 16, 2010 Know Your Credit Score. It's the number lenders use to determine how much money they are willing to lend you and at what interest rate. Click here to see what can affect your credit score.

November 9, 2010 Turn off your lights. Now that we have turned the clocks back, we will be turning on our lights an hour earlier. A simple way to save on your electic bill is to get into the habit of turning out the light every time you leave a room.

November 2, 2010 Drive the Speed Limit. Not only can you avoid the expense of a speeding ticket, you can also save money on gasoline. According to the U.S. Dept. of Energy, most automobiles get about 20 percent more miles per gallon on the highway at 55mph than they do at 70mph.

October 26, 2010 Be sure to marry someone who won’t bankrupt you. To learn more, see six common mistakes couples make with their money and how to avoid them.

October 19, 2010 Live Smart®. Lower your thermostat setting this winter and keep a sweater handy. It's good for the environment and good for your wallet!

October 12, 2010 Know your DDI or Daily Disposable Income. Know how much money you can spend each day without going into debt. Visit the resource center at www.ewealthwatchers.com for more information on calculating your DDI.

October 5, 2010 Take advantage of free educational information from trusted websites in order to make more informed financial decisions. Visa's Practical Money Skills for Life at www.practicalmoneyskills.com and the U.S. Government's website at www.MyMoney.gov are both great resources for information regarding personal finances.

September 28, 2010 Invest in a reusable water bottle. Why pay for costly single-serve beverages when you're away from home? Stopping at a convenience store or drive-thru can easily cost $3. Just saving $3 a day will give you an extra $1,095 by the end of the year. That's a great return on your investment!

September 21, 2010 You can save hundreds of dollars a year by comparing prices at different stations, pumping gas yourself, and using the lowest octane called for in your owner's manual. Every little bit helps, so start today!

September 14, 2010 No sale is a bargain if you didn’t need the item …because you can go broke saving money.

September 7, 2010 A home energy audit can identify ways to save up to hundreds of dollars a year on home heating (and air conditioning). Ask your electric or gas utility if they audit homes for free or for a reasonable charge. If they do not, ask them to refer you to a qualified professional.

August 31, 2010 Treat your home like a store. You can easily avoid buying things that you don’t need or already have by staying organized and taking a quick inventory before you head out.

August 24, 2010 Looking for a new rental property? Don’t limit yourself to classified ads, internet postings or referrals from friends and acquaintances. Select buildings where you would like to live and contact the building manager or owner to see if anything is available.

August 17, 2010 Have an accountability partner. We’re all more likely to succeed when we share our goals and progress with someone.

August 10, 2010 Laughter is the best medicine and best of all it’s free. Research supports that laughter not only makes you feel better but is proven to connect people emotionally, reduce pain, increase job performance, and improve the flow of oxygen to the body’s major organs. Read more now.

August 3, 2010 Discover a 5-minute guide to get out of debt! Getting out of debt can often seem like a helpless and insurmountable task. It can however, be accomplished with just a little bit of patience, discipline, and simple planning. Learn more now.

July 27, 2010 Find ways to cut back on grocery shopping. Using coupons and buying generic over brand-name goods are easy ways to save considerable amounts over the course of the year.

July 21, 2010 Learn to cook. Eating out can cost three times as much as making your own meal.

July 13, 2010 Start taking control of your finances by simply tracking your spending. It’s not a pain - it’s empowering. We'd love to hear what you discover. Share your feedback.

July 6, 2010 Looking for ways to have fun and save this summer? Visit flylady.net for easy financial tips and entertaining ways to reduce spending.

June 29, 2010 Have a dinner party! Who doesn’t love home cooked meals and quality time with friends and loved ones? Set a menu, invite friends and/or family, and let them know what to bring. Everyone will be able to relax and enjoy an excellent meal for half the price they would pay in a restaurant. Learn more.

June 22, 2010 Actions speak louder than words – but words are important too. “No.” “It’s not in our budget.” “Put it on your wish list.” Everyone will benefit from prioritizing and learning what is really a need and what is only a want.

June 15, 2010 Drink Water… There are endless benefits available from simply drinking water and the best part is it’s FREE!! Learn more.

June 8, 2010 Make the most of your time, talent and money. Once you begin writing down everything you spend, you won’t want to look back and see that you wasted money. And once you avoid wasting money it will carry over into every area of your life.

June 1, 2010 Bring your lunch. If you’re making dinner or going out to eat don’t forget the leftovers. By having a meal ready to go, you automatically eliminate the need to buy lunch, and the worry of having to figure out what and when you’ll be able to eat.

May 25, 2010 Every day and every dollar make a difference.® This isn’t just the Wealth Watchers slogan but a guideline that Alice Wood has lived by for years. By making each day count you are guaranteed to stay on track and truly live within your budget. If you have to go over a little over one day then you know you need to go under a little the next day.

May 18, 2010 Thinking of going back to school or have a child in college? Take a look at the ten most profitable college majors and highest paying college degrees.

May 11, 2010 Encouragement is the greatest gift we can give. Anyone who has ever accomplished anything had encouragement. (And it’s free.)

May 4, 2010 Get familiar with company benefits and additional perks available through your HR Department. Nowadays, HR departments are thinking outside the box and offering employees creative benefits and options. In addition to learning all about 401k plans and/or similar programs ask about hotel discounts, supplemental childcare, reimbursement or discounted education and health club memberships.

April 27, 2010 “Small leaks sink big ships.” – Benjamin Franklin I think it's amazing that Franklin's simple philosophy still holds true today. Wasting something as small as $3 a day will add up to $1,095 by the end of the year. And some of us waste much more than that everyday. But the same thing works in reverse. Just imagine being able to save $10 a day and having $3,650 in the bank by the end of the year.

April 20, 2010 Celebrate Earth Day (April 22)! It’s time to think of at least one way you can give back to the Earth. Try one of the following: bike, walk or take public transportation to and from work; use a refillable water bottle; reuse shopping bags; reduce your shower time by a minute or two each day; and turn off the TV and/or lights when you’re not in the room. For more tips and information on Earth Day, visit www.epa.gov.

April 13, 2010 Join a volunteer group. No matter what your situation is you will feel content doing something for the greater good and working towards a goal. You can also enjoy the additional benefit of meeting new people and spending time away from the house and/or office.

April 6, 2010 Pick your favorite stores and become a fan. Nowadays, everyone is offering special promotions, sales, customer loyalty programs and - not to be overlooked - good old fashioned coupons. So take a minute to pinpoint what you really need and where you want to shop. Those few minutes can equate to HUGE SAVINGS.

March 30, 2010 Don’t miss the most important meal of the day! Eat breakfast at home and you’ll instantly save money…and you might even avoid needing to purchase a mid-morning snack.

March 23, 2010 Reduce the amount of gas you use on a daily basis It’s proven that keeping your tires at the recommended level improves gas mileage by 5%!

March 16, 2010 Pay your bills on time. Don’t get hit with unneeded interest or late charges. Sign up with an online bill pay service (timely delivery and no postage fees) or get your checks in the mail at least seven to ten business days before the due date.

March 9, 2010 Drink a $4 cup of coffee daily? We have all fallen victim to a tempting latté or specialty drink at some point during the day. Sadly, that daily habit quickly adds up to $1,460 a year. However, if you can drop it to twice a week you have just saved yourself $1,044 a year! Now that’s something to celebrate.

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