Your Money Matters

Yes, there is a way to simply click links and earn money. You're not going to get rich with this but this method of earning money is quite easy. At the start of this program I spent a total of a half hour of my lunch time in front of my computer and have earned about $12. Spending lunch time over a few days and when I checked, it's up to about $40 for pretty much simple point and click. I'm presently not spending a lot of time with this because I've got a lot of other things that are pressing at this time. You might want to get involved more deeply. This works!

If you haven't guessed yet, what I'm talking about is completing simple surveys from companies willing to pay for consumers to view their offerings. You're clicking on their dime.

To participate in the program is free and most offers are also free. Some offers will pay you more if you sign up for whatever they're offering but they require a credit card. I've stayed away from them because I don't want to complicate my life by having to cancel the offer later. You can easily make money with CashCrate without using a credit card.

There's more than a few survey websites to hook up to but CashCrate is easier to work with and they're legit. They do offer a referral option that bumps up your earnings if you obtain referrals willing to participate in the program.

You receive a check in the mail when you receive a minimum of $10 showing in your account (checks are released the middle of each month if you have $10 or more in your account). BTW it took me about 15 minutes to make $10 in earnings.

Listen, you're on your computer anyway and if you have a little time to kill, why not make some easy money with CashCrate?

Aaron Kater has been writing articles for quite a while, and has his own weekly newsletter, Katerzine! If you’d like to subscribe, please visit his website at www.aaronkater.4t.com, or send him an email at aaron_kater@yahoo.com

It's tough getting involved with real estate as an investment... you really have to know what you are doing although owning your own home rather than renting is definitely the way to go.

Times have changed. There was a time that a CD (certificate of deposit) was one of the best and safest ways to save money. It was easy to do, just go to your local bank and deposit money into a CD. I believe in the mid 80's the interest rate was up to 12-16%! Nowadays that level of interest rate on a CD is just a memory. CDs are still available at most banks but they are not the best way to store your money. Although you receive a better interest rate than a simple personal bank savings account, CDs lock up your money for a period of time where you don't have access to it and are penalized for early withdrawal. If you are reading this article you have an Internet connection, so why not store your money with a bank on the Internet? There's major banks on line that you should be aware of and take advantage of their offerings. If you are uneasy transferring money on line, rest easy, the encryption codes used today are impossible to crack into. I've been using the Internet to store my money and earning interest with it for years with no problems at all. Advantages to an Internet bank are:

• Easy transfer of your money

• Greater or equal interest rate of a CD, instant access to your money (usually within 3 days)

• Listings of all your account activities on line

• FDIC insured

• Email notices of transactions

• Convenience of using the Internet for banking from the comfort of your home

Here are the major players in the Internet banking community with their current savings interest (as of this writing):

www.etrade.com

Current interest rate: 5.05%

www.emigrantdirect.com

Current interest rate: 5.05%

www.us.hsbc.com

Current interest rate: 5.05%

www.ingdirect.com

Current interest rate: 4.50%

Think about your money... you could have money in your personal checking account earning .3% at best or in a personal savings account at your local bank earning 1.2% or just keeping your money in your pocket at 0%. I urge you to look into Internet banking, I know you will be presently surprised to what it has to offer.

by Robert Tutsky

It never ceases to amaze me how some people drive their cars. Paying attention to good driving habits can certainly help you save yourself some money in the long run.

I notice all to often that there are drivers speeding up to a red light only to jam on the brakes to stop at the intersection. Why? They're literally pushing their autos to the mechanics garage.

It's not rocket science to realize that they are wasting fuel and also putting more wear and tear on their automobile unnecessarily. I don't know about you but I sure would like to put off an expensive brake job as long as possible, not to mention a new set of tires.

My ex drove her car that way and even though she had a small lightweight car (Saturn) and I ended up replacing tires at approximately 26,000 miles and a brake job at 35,000 miles. What a waste. I now know it's possible to go over 50,000 miles or more on a car like hers before replacing tires and also even longer for a brake job just by driving more sensibly.

Here are some things you can do while driving that will save you money

Always look way ahead down the road and get an idea of what's happening with the traffic light before you even reach the intersection. If it is red and you're not too far away, coast , chances are it will turn green just in time for you to pass through the intersection.

If it is green and you are far away, coast and wait till you see it turn red, continue to coast,
the light might turn green and enable you to continue on without using gas or brakes.

I like to make driving a game, trying to judge the speed of my car and time it just right so I don't even have to use the brakes at all. With practice I find it works most of the time especially if you are familiar with the route you are taking.

Not only do I try to judge the optimum speed to go through an intersection without stopping, on many occasions I put my car in neutral and literally coast up to the intersection to a green light, put it back in gear and continue on my way.

There are times when this situation can happen on a slight downhill and I can coast for more than a half mile or more before I put the car in gear and continue on my way, all without using my brakes and all-the-while my car is just idling, saving gas. This way I am truly coasting and using as little fuel as possible. With practice you and in time you will realize a savings that will amaze you..

Another practice I use that I think is worth mentioning

A while back my van needed tires. I had a lot of miles on them and they were worn unevenly. The mechanic told me that I needed a wheel alignment judging how my tires were worn. Another added expense.

I asked the mechanic why a car goes out of alignment and he said usually shocks to the wheels from road pot holes will eventually throw the alignment out. From that point on, I try as much as possible to miss the pot holes and bumps. Again, with good driving practices you will save money driving your car.

According to Edmunds there are other ways to save while driving:

1. Stop driving like a maniac. Gentle starts and smooth acceleration throughout shifting can save up to 37% in gas use! That's a terrific savings.

2. Drive the speed limit or even less. Not only will you save gas but chances are you won't be receiving speeding tickets

3. Use the cruise control. Cruise control is not always convenient but during extended trips it will save gas.

Using these strategies will not only save you money with less wear and tear your automobile receives, it makes driving more interactive and fun!

by Robert Tutsky

The problem was, that it was too time consuming counting and rolling up coins to even bother. But what could I do? I couldn't just throw them out, banks frown on bringing them a jar full of coins and telling them you're sure there's $23.97 in coins because you counted every one of them. Doesn't work.

The other option is a commercial coin counting machine. The grocery store I frequent has a machine that will accept coins and give you a return in dollars. Problem is the machine charges you for the service.

I was aware that there were personal coin counting machines you could buy but I couldn't justify spending a lot of money to count my coins. I finally came across a solution. They're plastic counting tubes that allow you to drop the coins in the tube until the excess falls out of a slot. At that point you know that you have the correct coin count. Once full, pour the coins into a wrapper, fold the ends, then off to the bank. Simple procedure. This worked great and was easy to do and actually fun, watching your pocket change add up to a worthwhile sum.

I bought my coin holders locally but you can get similar coin holders at Amazon here.

To make the holders stand up easily I cut holes in a scrap piece of plywood and it makes it much easier to store your coins before wrapping them. The paper coin wrappers or tubes are sold in stores but, don't buy them. Next time you're at your bank just ask for some, they are happy to give them to you.

Remember, even pennies add up.

I came across a millionaire who confessed that he will pick up a penny spotted on a parking lot. You've got to wonder how he became a millionaire to begin with.

Your burdensome pocket change can easily become money in the bank for you.