5 Affordable Marketing Strategies for Small Businesses

Small businesses are notoriously behind the curve when it comes to extra cash flow that can be devoted to marketing efforts. And yet, you have to spend money to make money, even if you don’t happen to be a mega corporation (especially if you’re not a well-known brand, in fact). If nobody knows you exist you’re not going to get far in business, so spreading your name, growing your brand, and convincing consumers that you’re better than the competition is a must if you want your small business to survive and flourish. Unfortunately, you can’t squeeze blood from a stone,...

5 Ways That Students Can Minimize Student Loan Debt

When you’re in school, things can get to be pretty overwhelming pretty quickly. College is an important part in just about anybody’s life. When you’re working on your degree, you’re pursuing studies that might very well dictate the course of the rest of your life. Of course, college is also very expensive. Given the state the United States’ education system, it’s only going to be getting more and more expensive in the near future. The job market is in pretty bad shape, as well. Once you do graduate college, you’re likely to have a tough time actually finding work. For...

How to Prevent Overspending Your Freshman Year in College

College is an incredibly important part of many individuals’ lives. No matter what it is that you want to do for a living, a college degree is more than likely going to help you do it, and earn a lot more money in the process. It’s a simple fact that job seekers who have earned degrees get better jobs and make more money doing them. If you’re thinking about going to college, you’re making a smart decision — there has arguably not been a time when going to college was as important as it is now. These days, it can...

Secure Your Small Business Network and Intranet

Whether you are a small start-up with just a handful of employees, or a large enterprise, your employees matter; and so does their privacy. Many small businesses, especially fledgling start-ups, sometimes fail to consider the network security and of securing their intranet or HR systems. Just in the same way as protecting online shoppers from credit card fraud, companies need to protect your employees from unscrupulous colleagues. Your HR systems contain sensitive information such as salaries and bank details; if it’s web-based, you absolutely must have HTTP Secure. Thankfully with SSL renewal being so simple these days, this can be...

Inexpensive and Romantic Valentine’s Day Gifts for Men

If there’s one thing that weddings and Valentine’s Day seem to have in common, it’s that most of the focus tends to be on the woman when it’s really to be a day that celebrates the mutual love that exists between her and her significant other. That’s where we come in: To provide the ladies with some romantic yet inexpensive ideas on what to give the man in their life for Valentine’s Day. That way, the guy will feel like he’s not just an “extra” in a romance novel; that he has a starring role in your heart. Homemade coupons....

5 Tips for Lowering Your Health Insurance Costs

Health insurance costs can be significant expenses for those of us who don’t receive coverage from our employers. However, health care is something that everyone needs, regardless of race, age, profession or income level. Many people who are living under tight budget constraints find it difficult to manage their health insurance costs, but if you follow these 5 tips you can easily lower your expenses while retaining your coverage. Opt for a Higher Deductible Your insurance company will typically be willing to compromise with you on a couple of points. Raising your deductible, for example, will usually offer a benefit...

5 Common Financial Aid Mistakes to Avoid

College is a terribly important time in a lot of individuals’ lives. After you finish high school, you’ve got a lot to think about in terms of your higher education. A lot of the time, the work you do in college will be important to you for the rest of your life, as it winds up determining your career. It’s nice that you’ll get to study the subjects that interest you the most, but this comes at something of a high cost. A very high cost, as college is incredibly expensive these days, and it’s not uncommon for families to...

5 Ways to Save Money on a Family Road Trip

The holiday season may be in the rearview mirror, but that doesn’t mean a family vacation can’t be on your mind. Winter break is just around the corner, and summer will be here before you know it. This is a tough time to travel as a family, as the recession has led to dwindling savings accounts yet no break in the normal costs of living. Airfare is more expensive than ever and offers fewer perks. Whether your decision stems from these financial concerns, a fear of flying or a simple love of the highways and byways of America, many people...

Which College Majors Are the Most Valuable?

A college education is necessary in today’s competitive job market to secure a career in most industries, but rising tuition rates and the burden of student loan debt are leading many students to think carefully about their major choices in academia. In a very real sense, some majors are more valuable than others. One degree may not have the marketability of another, leading to a difficult life in the post graduate world. Other majors, however, statistically offer great career options and potential payoffs to hard-working students. – Biomedical Engineering The world of medicine has long been attractive to ambitious students...

5 Innovative Ways to Finance Your College Education

College is definitely one of those time periods where we’ve all got to make sure that we’re staying focused. Interestingly enough, it’s also one of those time periods where we can feel the most tempted to remain completely unfocused. No matter what your situation is, college is a lot of fun for a lot of people. One of the things that most college students don’t really get to enjoy a lot of, however, is money. Many times, college students can find themselves struggling financially. There are not really enough hours in the week to work a job full-time while you’re...

5 of the Most Expensive Travel Destinations

The fun of the holiday season may be well behind you, but that doesn’t mean you can’t set something exciting in your schedule to warm your thoughts during this long, cold winter. It can be very difficult to get back into the swing of things at work after all of that time off, so many people set a date for their next vacation to help remind them why they are working so hard. It’s a great strategy, and although your next trip may feel like quite a ways off the time will pass quickly once you get lost in the...

Home Repairs You Can Do on Your Own to Save Money

2013 has dawned a bit brighter than the past couple of years, at least as far as the economy is concerned. The US government managed to come together across the aisle to avoid the ‘fiscal cliff’, and most industries are now back to adding thousands of jobs each and every month. It’s an encouraging time to reinvest in the stock market, to launch that small business you’ve been planning, to book your dream vacation and to invest in upgrades around the house. But just because things have turned around a bit doesn’t mean you can spend without consideration. This is...

Are Boats a Bad Investment?

Many individuals find themselves at points in their lives where they feel like they can afford a little something special. If you’ve worked really hard for yourself, you might very well feel like you deserve to treat yourself just a little bit. There are, of course, a number of ways that you can do this. One of them is by buying a boat. When you purchase an exciting new watercraft, you get something that you can enjoy over and over again, with all your closest friends and family members included. Owning a boat can be hugely enjoyable, and will give...

Is It Possible to Save Money in College and Still Be Social?

The four years you’ll spend at college may very well be one of the most memorable times of your life. As you get older the weeks, months and even years start to blur together. But college is packed with experiences. You’ll expand your mind far beyond anything available in high school, challenging your beliefs, growing as a citizen and hopefully discovering a subject matter you can turn into a lucrative future career. You’ll mature physically and emotionally, living on your own for the first time and handling more responsibility without oversight than ever before. You’ll broaden your social horizons, finding...

Should You Purchase Insurance for Your Smartphone?

Innovations in technology move so swiftly these days that it can often be tough to keep up. That laptop you bought a few short years ago is now a dinosaur compared to the current crop of devices, and even has an outdated operating system. The tablet you bought last year has already been replaced with the next generation. And the smartphone in your pocket is almost ready for retirement, as devices constantly pop up that are faster, equipped with more built-in memory and have cameras far better than yours. All of this change doesn’t mean you have to blindly follow...

The Best Things You Can Get for Free on Your Birthday

No matter your race, religion or country of origin, the one holiday that everyone celebrates is their birthday. Some are major milestones, others are just another notch along the way. Some people love their birthdays and go all out each year, relishing surprise parties and the big deal made over them for that day. Other people would rather their birthday pass quietly, with as little fanfare as possible. But everyone loves free stuff, and your birthday is the one day of the year that you are guaranteed to find fantastic free stuff offered up to you with a smile. Here’s...

Is It a Bad Idea to Borrow Money From Friends and Family?

Sometimes we might find ourselves a little short on cash. If you’re reading this, it’s very likely that you’ve experienced this feeling and/or situation at some point over the course of the last several years. In that time, we’ve dealt with some pretty serious economic issues here in the United States. Things were good for quite a while, but the recession that took over several years ago hit a lot of people square in the wallet, and a good amount of individuals are still doing everything that they can to recover. Unfortunately, life doesn’t really have a tendency to put...

Is Computer Certification Worth the Money?

Not everyone is cut out for the collegiate path, but skipping higher education can definitely make it more difficult to find gainful employment, especially in a recession economy. Even for those with the skillset needed to nab jobs in technological fields, the lack of a degree could bar you from consideration right off the bat. This can be a tough road to take, and it is especially frustrating when you know you can do the job. And yet, that’s the trade-off for missing four years of college and heading straight to the job market. Or is it? With so many...

5 of the Best-Paying College Majors

Deciding what you want to study while you’re in college can be a tough thing to do. In a lot of ways, college is more expensive than it’s ever been before. The education system in America has had a pretty tough time over the course of the last few years, so more and more students are feeling the pressure to make good on their investments. Whether you’re paying for your classes or are lucky enough to have parents that are willing to sponsor your education, you’ve got to make sure you study something that will allow you to get a...

When Should You Start Saving for Your Child’s College Education?

Whether she is still crawling around the floor in diapers or strolling across the stage to pick up her high school diploma you never stop wanting the best life possible for your child. This is the person you love more than anything else in the world. You want to protect her, to teach her right, and to see her go on to a fruitful, rich future with her own family and great successes. It’s no secret that in this modern world of technology a college education is often the key to this bright future. But it’s also harder than ever...

5 Things you Must Know Before Investing

Whether you are a novice or an experienced investor, there are at least 5 things you must know before investing. Here’s an opportunity to learn, and understand how to invest wisely, add to your future portfolio gains and avoid common investment mistakes. 1. Timing – Thinking that the only time to invest is when you can buy in low and sell shares high is a myth. The truth is there are better times to invest, but it’s never too late, especially if you understand what it takes to invest. 2. Costs – Profitable investing is about controlling and managing the...

Best Investing Banks for Your Money of 2013

Do you want to find the same (if not better) financial success as the “major players”? This means doing the work to make sure that you get the best return on your money as possible. If you want to get the most out of your money, you need to follow the example of successful investors like Principal Peter L. Briger and make sure that you invest it in the right place. This doesn’t always mean figuring out which stocks or mutual funds to buy into. It can be as simple as ensuring that you’re using the right bank for your...