You may be paying $100 or more for an extended cable plan that gives you access to hundreds of different channels, but you may be paying more money than you need to for access to your shows. With some effort, you can continue to watch TV for a third of that price, if not less.

Streaming Video Devices

You may be aware that you can watch TV shows from major and lesser known television networks online. Most networks allow viewers to simply visit their website and watch the latest episodes of their favorite shows directly from their websites for free. Of course, you want to relax in your favorite chair or couch to watch TV, and you may want to watch those shows on your large screen TV rather than on your small computer screen.

The fact is that you can purchase streaming video devices that can be hooked up to your TV in the same fashion as a cable box would, and these streaming video devices will allow you to watch many of your favorite shows at a more affordable price. The devices are typically available for under $100 at many popular stores. This is a one-time expense. Several different streaming video services give you access to your favorite shows for under $10 or $20 per month.

Using Your Computer

If you don’t want to pay for these services or purchase a streaming video device, you can also consider linking your computer to your TV. You can purchase a wireless keyboard that can serve as a remote control. So you won’t have to get up and fiddle with your computer when you want to watch a different show. Through your computer, you can watch TV shows from network sites for free.

Few people really want to give up watching TV altogether to save money. When you think about giving up cable to save money, you may think that this means giving up on watching TV altogether. However, the fact is that you can watch your favorite shows at a fraction of the price by hooking your computer up to your TV or by investing in a streaming video device. Cable TV is among the most expensive ways to watch your shows. By switching to a more affordable viewing option, you can save money each and every month. This post from savingtools.com, a website chock-full of money saving tips for the whole family.

In this tough economy, home owners are increasingly struggling to make mortgage payments. The good news is that being a few days late paying your mortgage is not a big deal; most lenders give a 15-day grace period and as long as you get payment in during that time, there is no penalty whatsoever. After the grace period, you have an additional 15 days during which you will be charged a late fee. As long as you pay during this period, you are still considered to have paid on time. Now onto the bad news…

If you are 30 days late, your credit takes a hit. Depending on your beginning credit score, being just 30 days late can lower your score by 60-110 points and can take between 9 months and 3 years to fully recover from. The higher your score was before the late payment, the longer it takes to fully recover. If you start with a score of 780 and are 90 days late with a mortgage payment, your score may drop by 130 points, almost as much if you go through foreclosure. A low credit score can cost you more in many other areas too – they drive credit card rates up, affect auto loans and even drive up auto insurance premiums.

Clearly, it’s in your best interest to remain current on your mortgage payments. What should you do if you are having problems? First, keep your wits about you and don’t panic. Refusing to admit there’s a problem will not solve anything. Be proactive; contact your lender with your issues. Most of them are willing to work with you, but communication is key. Don’t just hope they won’t notice if you are late; they will.

Secondly, you need a plan. Track all of your expenditures to see where your money is going. Do it by hand, do it by computer spreadsheet; just do it. Keep track of everything for a month or two. This exercise alone may open your eyes. You may not have ever realized that you spend $15 a month on office birthday cards, for example, and may find something right away that you can cut out or reduce easily. It’s important to find out where your money is going.

Once you do that, you get to look for “extra” money. Don’t look at it as cutting things out or depriving yourself. Make it a challenge; make a game out of it. Cut back on obvious things first, like excessive shoe shopping or those office birthday cards. Analyze the expenditures you identified, and see what can easily be discarded without much trouble. Be ruthless, but make it as painless as possible. You may love your morning Starbucks coffee, but could you buy it at the grocery store and still enjoy it for less?

Then, take a closer look. There are tons of ways to save money you may not have considered. Cook more from scratch. Not only will you save money, you will eat healthier. Use generic products when possible; clip coupons and couple them with sales. Grow spices. Cut out commercial cleaners and start cleaning with baking soda and vinegar. You’ll breathe fewer toxins and help the environment at the same time. Be creative with your cost-cutting, but don’t make it painful or you will have a hard time sticking to it for long.

As you identify areas you can trim, take the “extra” money and pay that mortgage payment on time every month. You may find enough that you can even begin paying down other debts like credit cards too.

Hard times have a tendency to cause people to panic and get stressed out. You don’t need the added burdens that late mortgage payments and lower credit scores can bring. Remember, denial is never a good plan. Get help from your lender if you need it; then make a plan and stick with it.

Thinking of going into business for yourself? With today’s uncertainties, it’s more appealing than ever. Who wouldn’t want to be their own boss? Having control over one’s own career and no need to worry about downsizing! It may sound glamorous, but it’s not for just anyone. Having your own business is hard work. There are personality traits that can make it even more difficult to succeed. Before embarking on such an undertaking, it’s important to take an honest inventory of yourself. See if any of these traits, as I outline, apply to you. If so, you may want to rethink opening your own business, at least until you have addressed some of these issues.

Indecisiveness

As a business owner, decision making will be part of your daily routine. If you struggle with decision making, because you fear making the wrong choice or of being wrong, then running a business will be more problematic than it needs to be. It’s important to be able to look at the facts, make a call and stick with your decision. You must be able to accept the consequences and make adjustments when necessary. Be willing to act; otherwise opportunities will pass you by.

Playing the Blame Game

Business owners must take responsibility for their business decisions and even those of employees. Being the boss means you are in charge, and that means being responsible. Blaming others when things go wrong doesn’t solve problems. Clients don’t want to hear excuses; they just want solutions. Learn to take responsibility; as the owner, you have to own everything that happens. A particular issue may not be your fault, but you need to step up and work to find answers instead of pointing fingers. Use problems that arise as opportunities to learn. Learning to run the business more smoothly will inspire confidence from both clients and employees.

Looking for Fast Money

If your sole motivation for opening a business is to make quick, easy money, you might want to re-evaluate. Of course every business owner needs to make money, but if money is your only motivation, you will lose heart quickly. All new businesses take big investments of time; you will have to put everything into it. Monetary rewards may not come for quite awhile; in the meantime, you need to be passionate and persistent at what you are doing.

Going to Extremes

If minor setbacks send you for a loop, you will be spinning out of control quite often as a business owner. You will make many mistakes, and things will go wrong. Being flexible, keeping a cool head and being able to “reset” are invaluable tools in owning a business. Most problems can be fixed quite easily if you remain calm and don’t overreact. On the other hand, avoid being wildly optimistic; don’t entertain delusions of grandeur. Be realistic and stay focused on your goals. If you are unpredictable and given to extremes, clients will be leery.

Chronic disorganization

Is your desk a mess? Does your workspace stress you out? If so, this is not any way to run a business. Chaos not only makes your job more difficult, a messy desk looks unprofessional. It also affects your frame of mind; a clear work area reduces tension and helps you focus. The good news is that perfection is not the goal; keeping a neat work station is not as hard as it may seem. You can take classes to help, and sometimes just a little time spent each day working on piles or keeping clutter at bay can pay off.

If you are contemplating owning your own business, a little preparation can save you a lot of grief down the road. Evaluate your characteristics honestly; if you’re not ready now, maybe all you need is a little time and a bit of self-improvement. Anything worth doing takes effort; owning a business is no exception.

The weak American economy is receiving yet another blow as gas prices are quickly approaching $4 a gallon nationally. Americans are getting squeezed at the pump while large oil companies have seen a surge of profits. Indeed, ExxonMobil earned $10.7 billion in the first quarter, a 69 percent increase from a year ago. Other oil companies have seen similar increases as well.

This has led much unrest among American voters, forcing government policy makers to take notice of the issue. The person who has been feeling the heat the most has been President Barack Obama, whose poll numbers have been dropping over the past several months. With gasoline prices more than doubling since he took office, some voters have begun to question his ability to take control of the issue.

In order to ease concerns, the President recently announced a task force to investigate possible manipulation in the oil markets by speculators looking to make easy profits. As well, Democrats in Congress have been looking to eliminate $4 billion in subsides to oil companies, although it is not certain whether such a proposal will make it to the Presidents’ desk.

Unfortunately, there is some evidence to suggest that there is not much the government can do, at least in the short run, to significantly reduce oil prices. Despite the massive size of the major oil companies, there is no direct evidence suggesting that they are driving oil prices upward. OPEC, which is responsible for approximately 40 percent of worldwide production, has a much greater effect on oil markets.

As for the speculators like hedge funds and other traders, they may very well be responding to real geopolitical pressures that would lead to higher future oil prices. The unrest in the Middle East has done much to rattle oil markets. In the past six months, there has been a revolution in Egypt, civil unrest in Qatar and Syria, and a civil war in Libya. Many investors fear that this unrest could eventually spread to Saudi Arabia, the world’s number one producer of oil.

China is also having a considerable impact on global oil prices. China is still in the middle of an economic expansion, with much of its growth depending upon capital construction and manufacturing. As a part of this process, they are consuming massive amounts of energy including oil, to further this growth. The result of the Chinese feeling the effects of this economic growth will result in their demand for oil which will only continue to increase.

Given the importance of oil to a modern industrial society, it is not surprising that demand for oil is not very responsive to price increases. Indeed, many economists have estimated that a ten percent increase in oil prices only reduces demand by two or three percent, because of this, some have argued that the United States needs to open up to more oil production. It is true that America is the third largest oil producer in the world and has approximately 20 billion barrels of known reserves, but it is still a small producer in the global market and would likely not have much effect of global prices. The switch to alternative energy solutions may also be a long-term solution, but it will do nothing to affect prices in the near future.

In the end, continued geopolitical instability and rising demand from emerging markets will continue to push gasoline prices higher. In all likelihood, speculators are responding to these pressures rather than spearheading it.

Officially, the American economy has snapped out of the recession. GDP growth in the first quarter was 1.8 percent, a not very strong number but an increasing one nonetheless. Overall, the recovery has been very anemic. Indeed, there are real fears that the economy could slip into a double-dip recession unless appropriate measures are taken. Of course, there have been a few positive signs in the economy over the past year. The stock market did very well in 2010; the S&P 500 returned 15 percent last year. Many businesses appear to be recovering from the 2008 recession, although they seem reluctant to reinvest those profits given the precarious state of the economy. Unemployment has been trending downward over the past few months, but few economists would call such job growth numbers encouraging.

Unfortunately, there seems to be as many negative numbers as positive ones. Hourly wage growth grew at only two percent last year. And this has been part of a much longer trend of stagnant wage growth over the past thirty years, especially for those in the lower-half of the income distribution. It is true that this is at least partially due to increases in health care expenditures made by employers on behalf of employees, but there has been a disconnect between productivity and wages. As long as unemployment remains so high, there will be little upward pressure on wages.

The even more discouraging fact is that unemployment is probably even higher than the official rate reported by the government. Once you account for workers who are underemployed, such as full-time workers only working part-time or workers in jobs well below their skill set, and workers who have dropped out of the job market completely, the unemployment rate is closer to 15 percent.

As wages have stagnated or fallen, many workers are seeing their standard of living fall thanks to rising prices in many consumer staples like gasoline and food. Indeed, gasoline is quickly reaching an average of $4 a gallon, further reducing available disposable income. Overall, food prices are expected to rise four percent this year, although many important foodstuffs will increase in price even more than that.

On top of all of this, the government is currently operating under a $1.6 trillion budget deficit. As the debate in Washington turns from economic stimulus to debt reduction, the government may inadvertently squash a nascent recovery by reducing aggregate demand through broad-based spending cuts. Indeed, some economists have argued that even more spending may be necessary to boost the economy suffering under a large amount of excess capacity.

Unfortunately, the American economy is suffering from a variety of woes and it appears that the government has already exhausted most of its standard policy prescriptions. Interest rates are as low as they are going to get and government spending is not likely to get any higher. In the end, we can likely expect a very slow recovery into the foreseeable future.

Banks have always offered special deals for customers who have savings accounts, but very little has been offered to checking customers until now. Free checking has become almost standard at most banks as long as customers meet the free checking requirements. Banks are starting to experiment with the idea of offering cash back for customers in certain situations. The banks are hoping that these additional perks will draw in more customers as people look for new ways to save money.

Better Customer Perks

Traditionally, a bank could maintain healthy customer satisfaction through the return that the customers received on their checking accounts. Recent economic struggles have caused those interest rates to plummet in the last few years, however. At the current interest rate level, there is hardly any incentive for a customer to keep money in the bank. Banks have responded by creating new savings packages that can be accessed through a customer’s checking account. When someone spends money from their checking account, a certain amount of reward money is deposited into their savings account. People can use these programs to grow their savings while making everyday purchases.

Cash Back Checking Accounts

Some banks offer a reward that is a percentage of the money you spend. For example, you may earn up to 2% on all of your purchases for the first 6 months, then 1% on all purchases after the first 6 months. There is usually no limit on the types of purchases that you make, as long as they are made using your checking account with the bank that offers the special program. The cash rewards may not seem like much, but they can add up over time – especially if you spend plenty of money from your checking account.

Online Banking Rewards

Other banks are offering cash rewards as part of their push toward digital operations. With these programs, customers are awarded cash back as long as they agree to shift all of their banking needs to digital formats. Customers who choose to use the ATM rather than the teller and receive all of their banking information through e-mail and the bank website can take advantage of cash bonuses through banks that offer this type of program. Usually the offers include one-time bonus cash rewards rather than rewards that are based on the purchases you make.

Cash Rewards for Checking is a Growing Trend

The number of banks that offer these types of cash rewards for checking accounts is small right now, but interest is growing nationwide. As banks continue to receive a favorable response from these programs, more banks will begin to incorporate them into their checking account packages. Cash back checking accounts are poised to become banking staples, just like free checking accounts swept through the banking world a few years ago. Banks benefit because they gain more customers who may choose to use digital banking options, and customers benefit by pocketing a little extra cash from the bank each year.

Due to the current economic crisis, people are being faced with problems on how to pay for their different necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter. Some people try different methods such as cutting spending and not going out as much. While this is a good idea, there are other alternatives such as urban homesteading. What exactly is urban homesteading?

Growing Your Own in the City

Well, urban homesteading is basically a way of saving money. Instead of driving to the grocery store to pick up food, you will be growing it yourself. Growing a garden may seem like a hassle, but you may also find that you really enjoy the process as you learn more and become more experienced. The current place that you live may not allow you to grow a garden; this may seem like a problem, but there are most likely places in your community where you can grow a garden. These places are generally called community gardens.

Community Gardens

People love community gardens because not only can you grow whatever you wish, but you will also meet people in the process. Since others will most likely have the same ideals as yourself, you should have no problems in getting along with your fellow gardeners. Who knows? You might just find one of your better friends or a lifelong partner while gardening. If you don’t, you will still get to know some amazing people and save a ton of money.

Chickens

You can also start raising chickens as well. Like gardening, this may sound like more hassle than it’s worth as well. Urban homesteading isn’t made out for everyone; you must learn to enjoy this way of life. Some people are cut out for it and others are not. You will probably find out right away if you really love it or not. Eventually, it could grow on you though. Also, before buying the chickens, you should check out the area regulations. Some cities may not allow them within certain parts.

Making Your Produce Last

You should also read up on some different ways of food preservation such as canning your foods. This will make it so they last much longer, and you will end up saving money since they won’t go bad as quickly. There will also be risked that you will be faced with when you can foods, so you should make sure you read up on those and realize how to prevent these risks.

Other Ways to Save

If you really want to save money, you can learn to make your own clothes. This is something that may take a lot of time, but you can save a lot of money in doing so. With urban homesteading, you can make the city feel like a country because you will be creating your own food. You will be saving money and not be caught up in the fast-paced city life. If you are a city dweller, then urban homesteading would definitely not be for you. However, it is a great way to save money and it is recommended for anyone.

This guest post comes from LowIncomeApartmentFinder.com, a site that helps locate cheap apartments and low income loans for those in need.

A gap year is time that you take off after graduating high school instead of entering college right away. Students can use this time many ways. Some use it for personal enrichment, traveling or volunteering through organizations like AdventuresCrossCountry.com. For some, the concept of a gap year is becoming desirable as a way to deal with disillusionment over the economy and a poor job market. It gives them a chance to decide if they want college at all.

A Working Gap Year

While programs for travel and volunteerism are noble endeavors, some students are deciding instead to use the time to try different trades and make extra money to put towards college. This fruitful approach to a gap year gives students a clearer picture of what studies they want to take once they enter college and it gives them some extra money to help pay for an education. These students can take a few months in a gap year program but spend most of the year in the working world.

An Open Learning Environment

At this time in their lives, many students are still ready to learn, but perhaps not ready for solid structured environments. This makes a gap year an excellent option for high school seniors who are looking to gain new skills by learning new skills at jobs outside of traditional classrooms.

Character Building

A gap year can also give students feelings of pride, accomplishment and independence, all of which will make their college experiences more productive. Many gap year students choose to live on their own and some students will choose an experience that takes them far from the comforts of home. This gives students a glimpse of live outside their comfort zones and prepares them to live independently once they start college. They learn how to become self-reliant, an important skill for later success.

A Safe Place to Fail

Another aspect of a gap year that appeals to students is the chance to learn from mistakes when they will not cause permanent damage to their college records. Not every experience will be successful and students who learn to cope with failure will be better prepared to handle both failure and success in the future. They learn how strong they really are when they see themselves overcoming failures and moving on to new endeavors.

Advantage over the Competition

A gap year also provides students with experiences that most college freshman will not have. In certain highly competitive fields, a gap year can be a clear advantage, showing a student’s ability to work hard and persevere. It can also open other avenues and opportunities to explore while in college, such as studying abroad. Above all, the different jobs they work allow students to mature and become more focused, which are skills that will be to their advantage when beginning their college years. The jobs they work during a gap year will also create a comforting nest egg that can be used for emergencies during college years.

If you own a small business or are an employee with business mileage, you know that the mileage deduction can save you money on your taxes. The rate is going up in 2011 to 51¢ per mile, making it an even more lucrative deduction. However, keeping track of mileage can be a hassle; forgetting to record trips, having to guess at mileage and keeping up with written logs can be time consuming and stressful. There’s a handy little gadget that can take those problems off your hands; it’s called CarCheckup, and it makes keeping up with mileage virtually painless.

CarCheckup

The device is very small and lightweight; all you do is plug it into the onboard diagnostic port in your vehicle and it automatically records your trips. Any car made in 1996 or later will be equipped with the port. It tells the date, the start and stop time of each trip and miles driven. You download the data into your computer using Excel or the CarCheckup software; from there you can enter a purpose for each trip, whether business or pleasure, and record notes about each trip if you desire. It even allows you to create customized reports. It takes the stress out of providing documentation for the IRS as well; Jennifer Funkhouser, co-founder of CarCheckup, points out that it provides all the documentation necessary.

Other Uses

Besides tracking business mileage, the CarCheckup has other useful features as well – it can be used to monitor teen driving since it tracks time idling, time spent at different speeds, acceleration, hard breaking, etc. It also reads trouble codes in your car’s computer and provides an explanation if your car’s engine light comes on. The $150 price tag for the device seems more than fair for the time and effort you will save and should even pay for itself over time since you will not miss mileage deductions anymore.

Write Offs May Not Last Forever

Take advantage of this and other deductions while you can, though. If the Obama administration has its way, many tax deductions may be reduced or phased out in an effort to reduce the nation’s spiraling deficits. President Obama recently announced that he wants to limit itemized deductions for the wealthiest 2% of Americans; he also wants to reform the tax code. He wants tax reform, both individual and corporate, “that closes loopholes and produces a system which is simpler, fairer and not rigged in favor of those who can afford lawyers and accountants to game it.”

The president supports his Fiscal Commission’s recommendations, one of which would eliminate all deductions and credits. Another option being tossed around is setting a trigger to limit popular tax deductions until Congress can get legislation enacted to reform the code. The administration has stated that everything is on the table with regards to fiscal reform, so it’s likely that we could see reductions or eliminations of such deductions in the future. Until then, continue to take advantage of every tax break available before they disappear.

In this tough economy, everyone wants to minimize taxes by finding more deductions. One category of deductions for those that itemize is medical expenses. Medical expenses are entered in the first section of Schedule A of Form 1040. Along with other items like mortgage interest, real estate taxes and charitable contributions, medical expenses can reduce your taxable income. And lower taxable income means lower taxes.

So what are qualified medical expenses? The IRS defines them as expenses for the prevention or treatment of physical or mental defects or illnesses. Generally, things like doctor and dentist fees, hospital services, prescription drugs, transportation for medical care, treatment for drug and alcohol addiction, as well as various items like eyeglasses, hearing aids, wheelchairs, etc. are deductible as medical expenses.

When Weight Loss is Deductible

In some cases, costs of weight-loss programs can even be deductible. However, before writing off the costs of those Weight Watchers or Nutrisystem meals, be aware that there are some pretty strict requirements. If you are just looking to improve your health or appearance or even if a doctor recommends a weight-loss program for your overall well-being, the costs will not be deductible.

The IRS only allows deductions for these programs if they are treating a specific medical condition, such as hypertension or obesity, that has been diagnosed by a physician. This would include membership fees and meeting fees in a weight-loss program. However, gym, health club and spa dues are not deductible expenses, though separate fees for weight-loss activities can be deducted. Generally, the cost of diet foods and beverages will not be deductible because they are substituted for foods that meet normal nutritional needs.

Many Restrictions Apply

Occasionally, special foods can be deductible expenses; however, they must meet three criteria. First, they must not satisfy normal nutritional needs. Secondly, they must alleviate or treat an illness. Third, a doctor must substantiate the need for the special food. Even if foods meet all three criteria, only the cost that exceeds the cost of a normal diet is deductible.

You Must Meet the Medical Threshold First

Further, medical expenses must meet a threshold before they can be included on Schedule A; they must exceed 7.5% of a taxpayer’s adjusted gross income (AGI). So, for example, if a taxpayer’s AGI is $50,000, total medical expenses must exceed $3,750 before they can be included as itemized deductions. With the strict rules on deducting the cost of weight-loss programs and the relatively high threshold for medical expense deductions, in most cases, diet and weight-loss program expenses will not be deductible against federal income taxes. Still, for a taxpayer with relatively high medical bills who meets the IRS requirements for weight-loss program expenses, it might be worth calculating the possible deduction. Every little bit helps.