How to Find a Summer Job

The number of job opportunities for teenagers is hard to find due to a sluggish economy. According to the Census Bureau the unemployment rate among teens is 25% in 25 states and an average of 23.6% across the country. There is also competition from college students and older unemployed or underemployed Americans looking for work.

State, federal and local governments were a stable source of summer jobs for teenagers, but that has changed due to budget cuts throughout all levels of government. Teenagers with computer skills or a trade are able to find a job easier than those without.

If you are currently unemployed develop short and long term goals you want to achieve. Develop an action plan and target date to ensure that you achieve those goals. If you want to get employed you have to make opportunities happen. If lack of finances are a major factor in your life you will have to think outside of the box and think of creative ways to make money. Here are 12 tips to find a job:

1. Use social media and the internet to search for jobs
2. Contact youth organizations
3. Attend youth networking functions
4. Go to youth job training centers to gain skills that are in demand
5. Talk to your school counselor or former counselor to learn about possible job opportunities or job leads
6. Look for college internship opportunities
7. Consider outdoor jobs involving heavy labor or behind-the-scenes jobs
8. Offer to work evening and night shifts and to fill in for vacationing employees. Search for these types of positions during the hours they operate.
9. Sell your skills by starting on one block and going from business to business. Ask for an application and introduce yourself to build a relationship with the hiring manager.
10. Call parents and relatives to get information on job leads. Contact friends and other classmates, especially those who have been able to find jobs.
11. Wear your best outfit to interviews even if you are applying to do construction work. This ensures the focus is on you and your skills and not your hot pink lipstick, jeans, t-shirt and mohawk.
12. A company that did not hire you a couple of months ago might need more workers now due to the high turnover of seasonal employees.

Here are 11 tips to help you earn money.
1. Cleaning. Become a maid or janitor by cleaning houses or office buildings.
2. Dog walker. Walk dogs or offer to bathe dogs or cats.
3. Part-time. Look for part-time opportunities including those not in your field. Some companies hire part-time employees later on as full-time employees or offer benefits.
4. Volunteer. Offer to become a volunteer at a company that is in the same field or a similar field you want to work in. Some companies hire volunteers as permanent employees.
5. Babysitter. Offer to watch children during the week or on weekends when parents need to run errands or go for a night out.
6. Seasonal Work. Get hired during seasonal employment recruiting periods such as Christmas and during the summer.
7. Temp Agency. Sign up with 5-10 temporary or staffing agencies that find part-time or full-time temporary jobs. Some jobs are converted to permanent employment after 90 days.
8. Service Industry. If you have good customer service skills you can work as a customer service representative answering phone calls, serving as a hostess, waitress or receptionist.
9. Secret Shopper. You can become a secret shopper for a company or go shopping for elderly or sick individuals.
10. Sell Items. Sell new or unused items on eBay or Craigslist.
11. Network. Network with neighborhood workers to see if they need assistance with doing odd jobs such as lawn care, snow removal, tree removal, washing cars, etc.

More Identity Theft Tips

Identity thieves are always thinking of new ways to steal your personal information. Some people become victims of identity theft even though their credit card and debit card is still in their possession. This happened to me twice. There are sites that let thieves buy hundreds of stolen credit card numbers at a time. Here are 16 tips to prevent becoming a victim of identity theft:

1. Buy a sleeve: Purchase a credit card sleeve that blocks RFID transmission (skimming) so there is a lesser chance of having your credit card read while walking down the street. Beware of people who stand close to you or who lean against you on the side where your wallet or purse is held.
2. Aluminum foil: Wrap your credit cards and debit cards in aluminum foil blocks RFID transmissions and it is less expensive than buying a credit card sleeve.
3. Safety: Don’t reveal your credit card in public which increases the risk for skimming. Take the credit card out of the credit card sleeve or remove the foil when making transactions. You can also put your credit card in your front pocket or sock instead of your wallet. Women can put money and credit cards in your bra or sock. Wrap the credit card in aluminum foil and put in a zip lock bag to prevent moisture from deactivating the magnetic strip. Beware of camera phones.
4. Don’t trust caller id. Computers can scramble telephones numbers to make them look legitimate. Skip giving out personal information over the phone unless it is someone you do business with. Ask for their direct number and call back to give your information to ensure it is a real company.
5. Virus Protection. Install virus protection on your computer and smartphone that you pay for. Some popular ones for pc’s are Symantec, Norton Utilities and McAfee. Popular ones for smartphones are Symantec, Kaspersky and F-secure. Also use email protection to minimize spoof emails such as Spam Assassin, Barracuda or Mailwasher.
6. Cash. Pay for items with cash and use credit cards for emergencies only.
7. Debt. Pay down debt and keep the balance at 20% or less of the credit limit. If you notice an unauthorized charge it is easier to detect if you have a few charges on your card. Keep track of your credit card balances at least weekly. Pay balances in full each month.
8. GPS. Reduce using GPS on your cell phone. If satellite can track your location so can thieves.
9. Online. Only shop at well-known website such as Amazon, eBay or Yahoo.com. Don’t purchase items from third party sellers. Shop online at secure websites that use https or shttp.
10. Smartphones. Don’t store personal information on your cell phone or make transactions because you don’t know if you information is secure.
11. Downloading. Avoid downloading from your smartphone and your computer. Download only from trusted websites. Avoid using free software or shareware.
12. Wallet. Skip carrying your SSN or birth certificate in your wallet. Carry only the credit card you know you will use on a specific day.
13. Mail. Leave mail and other personal papers at home and store in a safe place. Check your mailbox regularly, hold mail during vacations.
14. Trash. Shred personal information and mix in with other trash.
15. Bank. Don’t use an ATM in a secluded area. Create PINs that cannot easily be guessed. Verify all monthly statements with your receipts.
16. Credit. Order your credit report at least once a year and verify all information is correct.

Prepaid Cards: A Remedy Against Identity Theft

Over 8 million people were victims of identity theft in 2010 including credit card and debit card holders. One way to protect yourself from identity theft is to purchase a prepaid credit card or prepaid debit card. American Express recently began offering a prepaid debit card. I am very careful about where I use my credit card and debit card, online shopping and general protection of my personal information. Unfortunately I still became a victim of identity theft due to a Netflix scam that charged my checkcard $7.99 for a movie I never purchased.

I didn’t notice the unauthorized transaction until I got my bank statement because I have used the checkcard in over 3 months. I immediately had the account closed. This further reinforces my decision to pay for everything with cash. However, some merchants prefer customers pay with a credit card so in those instance I will have to use my credit card. There are several benefits of using a prepaid credit card or debit card. The benefits of using a prepaid credit card are:

1. Can be purchased online or at a retail location.
2. Load cash online, from another card, direct deposit or at a retail location.
3. Zero liability.
4. Accepted everywhere.
5. No maintenance fees.
1. Helps manage your money. Can’t spend more than you have.
6. Good for those with bad credit.
7. No interest rates.
8. Can be used overseas.
9. Can be used at ATMs.
10. Provides payment history to the major credit reporting agencies.
11. Some companies are used codes to prevent credit card skimming such as American Express, Discover and MasterCard.
12. Can’t go into debt.
13. Must be 18.
14. Can reload money as many times as you want.
15. Can make purchases online.

The benefits of using a prepaid debit card are:
2. Can be purchased online or at a retail location.
3. Load cash online, from another card, direct deposit or at a retail location.
4. Accepted everywhere.
5. Zero liability.
6. No maintenance fees.
7. Helps manage your money. Can’t spend more than you have.
8. Can’t go over the limit.
9. Can be used overseas.
10. Can be used at ATMs.
11. Some companies are used codes to prevent credit card skimming such as American Express, Discover and MasterCard.
12. Must be 18.
13. Can reload money as many times as you want.
14. Can make purchases online.
15. No late fees.

Financials Lessons From Dad

Sunday is Father’s Day. Many fathers across the country will receive new ties, drills, silly hats or socks, stuff they need or stuff they don’t want. Hopefully you will get your father a gift he really wants similar to the T-Mobile commercial that shows a Dad going to buy a cell phone for himself and signing his baby daughter’s name.

Dads often don’t get the love or appreciation they deserve. After all, they are the other half of the chromosome that creates life. If you haven’t said thanks to your Dad even if you never met your Dad say thank you, he helped create you. Just think what life would be life without you.

Now for my advice, Dad’s alway provide advice to their children, no matter what age. Here are some financial words of wisdom from dads.

1. Work hard. Have a strong work ethic which will translate to all aspects of your life. Your finances are an important aspect of your life and you should take great care to maintain your finances – take time to know how much you owe, how much you earn and how much you spend. These basic things will help you to develop a plan to get out of debt and plan for retirement.
2. Save for a rainy day. Life happens. Unexpected events will occur so why not be prepared. Create an emergency fund to cover bills for 9-12 months so when something unforeseen happens you have the money to pay for it instead of using your credit card.
3. Make sacrifices. Dads always make sacrifices for their family. You should too, especially financially. When making purchases consider the impact on your family. If you are single consider the impact to your future. Determine if the item is a need or want. Wants can be bought later.
4. Pay with cash. Dad always paid with cash. He wasn’t too ashamed to skip buying something because he didn’t have the money. He only bought want he needed and a few extras every now and then and he turned out fine.
5. Plan for the future. Dad thought about the future. He went to work every day and paid his bills on time. He didn’t spend money unnecessarily and lived a modest lifestyle. He saved money and had a retirement account. He lived comfortably during retirement and his family’s needs were met.

Share your financial stories from your dad at contests@hefreemanenterprises.com. The winning story will be posted in my July newsletter. The winner will receive a free autographed copy of my book, How to Get Out of Debt: Get an “A” Credit Rating for Free. Entries must be received by June 26, 2011.

Social Networking Sites for Branding Your Business

The top 5 social networking websites are Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and Ning. Social networks have existed on the web for a few years in the form of chat rooms, discussion groups, online communities, bulletin boards, and matchmaking services.

Social networking websites can help brand your business. Using social networking websites can create mass appeal for your brand. They are viable for businesses but it is much easier to build a network from existing social networks such as Myspace and YouTube. Members of MySpace have profiles and many of those people own businesses. Social networking website help users find what they need by providing easy search features, ability to connect with other users, and various features customers can access.

Social networking emphasizes user reviews that users are the most concerned about, reviews from their family and friends. Allowing users to voice their opinions about your products or services and send to their friends, family or other users encourages users to return to the website. Social networking websites provides you with likes and dislikes of visitors.

Facebook has over 600 million users. Myspace has over 90 million visitors where you can load photos, get news about music groups and view profiles of visitors that shows their likes and dislikes. If you want to reach professionals trying using LinkedIn. YouTube allows users to watch and share online videos on various topics such as current news events, social issues and political topics. YouTube allows users to share videos with friends and family, upload videos and connect with other users.

If you wish to target children or college students trying using Facebook. Facebook has a network of over 17 million college students. Bret Taylor, a senior product manager at Google points out that new applications allow more people to discover your website which can translate into greater revenues.

Wharton marketing professor Leonard Lodish points out, the cost of gaining new customers is practically nothing because users join voluntarily and provide their own content through their profiles. In addition the cost of running the sites' web servers is relatively low.

Nitin Gupta, an analyst with the Yankees Group in Boston says, it's important to look beyond traditional forms of web advertising to see the real potential – which is leveraging the connectivity of the sites and using them to form communities around products, media or services to really be in contact with your users".

The best way to increase sales for your business is to do your research, think of creative and unique ways to capture your target audience. Here are 7 tips to brand your business using social media.

1. Active. Keep your profile active and post comments on a regular basis.
2. Link. Link to other sites and connect with those with larger followings in your industry.
3. Videos. Create podcasts or videos and post on YouTube. Link them to all of your social media websites.
4. Name. Use your first and last name for your social media profiles or a short name that identifies your brand.
5. RSS. Link your RSS feeds on all of your social media accounts.
6. Content. Make sure comments and content you post is original and to the point.
7. Followers. Follow your top followers or friends on your social media profiles to see what they are interested in and comment on those topics.

Save Money on This Summer's Vacation

Every loves to travel during the summer and many family vacations usually start during the Memorial Day holiday. Unfortunately, the economy has made it difficult for many families to take a summer vacation. We work 10-12 hour days. We rush to work, rush to get the kids, rush home, rush to eat dinner and then repeat the entire process all over again the next day. We never fully take the time to relax. It may seem there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done.

We all need to take time out to relax. Now is a great time to start looking for bargains on airfare, hotels and vacation spots. You work hard all year and deserve take at least a mini-vacation to a nearby beach or hotel. If you can afford to go on vacation without charging it on your credit card and only to still pay for 6 month later – then do it and pay for it with cash. Here are 8 tips to help save money when you are planning for your summer vacation.

1. Plan ahead. Plan in advance to save money. Buy toiletries and other necessities before traveling.
2. Talk to others. Talk to friends and neighbors to find out how they planned their vacation, i.e. ask about any discounts or sales, restaurants, shops, etc.
3. Act fast. When you see or hear about sales or discounts you have to move quickly to capitalize on the deal because they usually don't last long.
4. Shop around. Shop around to find the best deals. Visit websites like hotwire.com, priceline.com, kayak.com or hotels.com to find cheap rates for hotel, airfare and cruises. Purchase services together such as air and hotel or air, hotel and rental car to save money.
5. Safety. Buy traveler's checks which can quickly be replaced if lost. If your credit card is stolen you may not have another credit card available to purchase any necessities.
6. Buy traveler's insurance. Buy traveler's insurance. This will reduce the costs of medical bills that could accrue if you get sick on a cruise ship or flight and prevent you from going into debt.
7. Use restraint. Use restraint while on vacation. Don't buy everything you see . If you know you will be tempted don't even go into the store. Buy items or souvenir gifts at flea markets or only buy items that are on sale.
8. Snacks. Buy snacks and a few drinks and pack them in your suitcase before you leave. This will tide you over when you get hungry while on vacation until you are able to eat a full meal. This will also help you save you money that you would spend on midnight snacks.

If you want to take a vacation and cannot afford it, here are 5 simple things to do in the meantime:
1. Visit local caverns.
2. Camp out in your backyard.
3. Spend the day at a water park or amusement park.
4. Take a road trip and go camping a few hours or at a local camp park.
5. Go sightseeing in your local area.

The most important thing to do while on vacation is - have fun, but don't overextend yourself by splurging on unnecessary items. Create a small list of items you want to purchase and stick to it. The worst feeling is to return from vacation and get credit card statement in the mail for items charged while on vacation.

Do You Really Need a Car

Since the recession many Americans have been forced to make financial sacrifices and cutbacks to reduce spending that they normally would not have considered. One big expense that most Americans have is their car. Consider selling your car to improve your financial situation.

I know, life without a car can be devastating and you will have withdrawal symptoms. You will start considering what people will think if you don’t have a car. Forget about what people think and consider your future. Do you want to be debt free or do you want to be 65 and still working because you don’t have get enough in Social Security to pay all of your expenses. It is never too late to change and take charge of your finances to prevent a financial disaster.

The cost of owning a car includes depreciation, sales tax, gas costs, interest (car loan), maintenance and repairs, and insurance. Depreciation is approximately 46% of the total cost of the car over 5 years. The average sales tax charged each time you pay for maintenance or repairs on your car can range from 3-5%. Filling up your gas tank can be expensive and can cost up to $20,000 over a 5 year period assuming an average of 12,000 miles driven per year using regular gas or 26% of the sales price. The average interest on your car loan over a five year period is 12%. Insurance can range from $1,000 - $5,000 a year or 10% of the sales price. Owners can spend as much as $80,000 in insurance over the life of their car.

According to Edmonds.com, if you purchased a car that costs $21,500, over five years, it will cost $33,438 to drive the car. If you are struggling with debt consider selling your car can help you pay off debt. Here are 14 ways to live life without a car.
1. Cost. Americans spend 20% of their income on cars which can range from $300-$800 a month which includes gas, car payments, insurance, maintenance, registration fees and taxes, parking, tools and repairs.
2. Repairs. Many car owners spend hours at the car dealer or repair shop waiting to get their car repaired. Think about what you could with your time if you didn’t have to sit in the car dealer all day.
3. Rent. Rent a car to go on long weekend road trips. Even if you don’t own a car keep your driver’s license up to date in the event you need to drive a car.
4. Kids. If you have kids it may be difficult to get around and go to all of their activities without a car. In that case, consider carpooling, use a shared car service like Zip Car, public transportation, bike or ride a motor bike.
5. Bad Weather. Don’t try to ride your bike in the snow and use caution when riding in the rain.
6. Eco-friendly. Getting rid of your car is good for the environment and reduces your carbon footprint. It also helps you to live a healthier life by allowing you more opportunities to exercise.
7. Options. Consider your lifestyle to see if selling your car is the right option for you. If you are disabled or have more than one child, it may not be possible to live a life without a car. However, you can reduce your driving your car.
8. Resources. You can use tools like www.walkscore.com to find services and attractions in a certain neighborhood that can be useful if you bike or walk.
9. Alternate. Keep your car as an alternate method of transportation. Do a test to see how much money you can save if you don’t drive your car for a week, and then try it for a month. Use the extra money to pay down debt or create an emergency savings account.
10. Move. Consider moving to the city or a downtown area to eliminate the need for having a car. Consider getting a job that is closer to a downtown area or train station.
11. Bike. Buy a bicycle and look for roads that have bike lanes to travel onto ensure you can ride your bike safely. You can also buy a motorbike or scooter to get around town.
12. Carpool. Consider joining a carpool to get to work or to take children to school events or other events.
13. Taxi. Take a taxi if you need to get somewhere and don’t want to bike or walk.
14. Shopping. If you are walking consider getting a wheeled cart to carry groceries or other items. Also consider shopping online.

Beware of the Netflix Scam

I have a traditional business checking account and a regular checking account with my credit union. Within 3 months fraudulent charges have been made on both accounts. I closed the traditional business checking account and opened a new account with another bank. The charges were less than $10 each. Most people would have overlooked the charges and assumed they were correct. Since I am a financial planner, I always check my statements and know how much money I spend and have in my account down to the penny.

I knew immediately the charges were fraudulent because I don’t have a Netflix account. I considered canceling my cable to save money and open a Netflix account. I am glad I didn’t because it would have been harder to prove that the charges were not mine.

This example is a good reason why you should verify charges on all of your bank accounts at least weekly and reconcile all purchases, withdrawals, deposits, and payments made on your bank accounts. This will help you if you became a victim of identity theft.

If fraudulent charges are made on your account you only have a short period of time to report the charges without any liability. I did an internet search and the Netflix scam has been victimizing bank account holders and email users since 2009. According to Symantec over 95 billion phishing e-mails were sent in 2010. Here are 13 tips to recover from email or bank account scams:

1. Beware of emails, links and logos that look suspicious even if part of the link looks valid. If you are not sure if link is valid, cut and paste the link into your browser.
2. Businesses do not contact you by email to use pop-ups to ask for your personal information, account number. Call the company and ask them to verify if they sent you an email.
3. Use caution when downloading files.
4. Know the status of your account including: personal information you provided to the company, status of your account (open, closed, etc.), balances and outstanding charges.
5. Go with your instincts, if you feel like something is wrong and you should not access the link then don’t. It is better to be safe than sorry.
6. Use spam filters on your email accounts. If you click a link by accident close the browser immediately and go to the valid website to access your account. Change your password and notify the company that you received a phishing scam email. Create PINs and passwords that cannot easily be guessed.
7. File a fraud claim with you bank and ask for signature verification (quicker way to resolve the issue) or affidavit form.
8. Place a fraud and/or security alert on your Equifax, Experian and TransUnion credit reports if the fraud happened within the past 12 months. Request an extended alert after the initial 90-day alert has expired. Review your credit reports for the next 12 months to verify no additional fraudulent charges have been made on your account.
9. File an identity theft complaint with the Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureau and your state's Attorney General or Consumer Affairs Office. Also file a police report.
10. Order your checks from your local bank and have the checks sent directly to your bank. When ordering checks don't put your SSN, DOB or phone number on your checks. Don't write your account number on the back of your checks.
11. Check your mailbox regularly and hold mail during vacations.
12. Shred personal information and mix in with other trash.
13. Beware of camera phones that can take pictures of your credit card or check card.

Are You Afraid of Money

Hearing the word money makes many people cringe. Some people are in debt because they cannot overcome the fear of money. The single key to overcoming the fear of money is to determine the root cause of your fear. Examine life experiences associated with money during your childhood or early adult life. Negative thoughts become negative feelings. Negative feeling become negative words, negative words become negative actions. If you continuously make negative statements about your financial situation you will manifest those statements into reality. To change the way you think about money you have to be willing to make scarifies. Here are 6 steps to begin changing the way you think about money:

1. Remove the following phrases from your vocabulary: I can't, I don't have, I will never be able to, I am a loser, I am broke, I have nothing, I don't have any money, I will have to work until I am 65, I will never be able to buy a house, the more I make the more I will spend, money is the root of all evil, money just causes you to have more problems, I am not good with money, etc.
2. Be thankfu. Be thanks for and be responsible with what you have. If you cannot be thankful and responsible for what you have now, how will you be able to handle your finances if you gain more in the future?
3. Go back. Think about your childhood and identify any traumatic or painful experiences or beliefs you had about money and write them down.
4. Write down your thoughts. Write down why you felt that way. Next write down how those thoughts have affected you as an adult. Ask yourself if you truly believe those thoughts, have they just become habits or someone else's thoughts projected on you. If they are someone else's thoughts projected onto you then you can easily eliminate those. If they are your own thoughts, then you had to make a hard decision and commitment to yourself that you will stop having negative thoughts about money.
5. Take action. Each time you have a negative thought or make a negative statement about money or your current financial situation and immediately write down why you feel that way. Then write down a positive statement that is the exact opposite of that negative thought. If you need additional reinforcement buy some books on positive affirmations. You can also put an empty jar or water bottle somewhere where you will see it often and place $5 in the jar every time you think or speak a negative thought about money. Repeat this for 30 days. (Experts state it takes 23 days to make something a habit) By the end of 30 days you will have begun to change your thoughts about money. Whatever money you have in the jar after the 30 days use that money to pay a bill, put in a savings account or investment account.
6. Set goals. Set a monetary goal that you wish to accomplish and a deadline for that goal, i.e. I will pay off my Visa credit card by December 30, 2011. Once you accomplish your first goal continue to make additional financial goals and continue this throughout your life and you will see your financial situation improve and your negative thoughts turn into positive ones.

You must believe that money does not make you smarter, nicer, more successful, and more intelligent or a better person. Your character determines all these things not money. If you were a mean person when you had a few dollars you will continue to be a mean person when you have more money.

Make this affirmation, "In the past I have used my negative thoughts to create debt but from this day forth I will use positive thoughts to create wealth." I leave you with one of my quotes, "Money has the ability to generate debt or generate wealth, you make the choice".

20 Ways to Save Money Now

Many consumers nowadays are trying to find more ways to save money. However, some consumers refuse to save money and continue to have bad spending habits that will only lead to financial disaster. Many consumers don’t understand the true benefits of spending less than you have, saving money and creating a monthly budget. These are tools to help you get out of debt, pay for unexpected expenses and prevent you from getting into debt. These are things everyone should embrace with open arms.

Many people want to know why should I save money. I have enough to pay my bills; I can’t take it with me, what’s the point. Different people save for different reasons. You can save for many different reasons such as: unexpected expenses, a vacation, to start a business, pay for education, plan for retirement, home repairs, estate planning, buy a car, a wedding, down payment on a house and more. It is a great feeling to have money to pay for things you need instead of using your credit card and paying the balance off 6, 9 or 12 months later. Here are 20 ways to save money.

1. Pack your lunch for work every day.
2. Buy drinks from the grocery store instead of the newsstand at work or coffee shop or, better yet, drink water – it’s the best thing for your health and it’s free. Reduce all unnecessary spending (i.e. only buy necessary items).
3. Use direct deposit to send your paycheck directly to your bank.
4. If you get a raise, save all or most of the money received from the raise. For example, save $5 or $10 a week or whatever you can afford. Set a goal that you want to save $100 within a certain time period. Once you have accomplished that goal, set another savings goal and continue doing that. The next time you meet your goal, you will realize that you have saved a great deal.
5. Buy what you can on sale, instead of paying the regular price.
6. Use coupons or shop at a wholesale store such as Sam’s Club or Costco.
7. Buy whole foods, such as vegetables, grains, beans and fruits, instead of processed foods. This way you aren’t paying for the processing costs.
8. Check your local health food store to see if you can buy foods, such as grains, seeds, nuts, spices and legumes, in bulk. This way you aren’t paying for expensive packaging.
9. Carpool.
10. Take public transportation to work.
11. Cancel your cable service or get the cheapest plan possible.
12. Cancel your cell phone service or get the cheapest plan possible.
13. Reduce the amount of long–distance calls you make per month.
14. Shop around with various banks to find a checking account with no monthly fees.
15. Buy a midsize or compact car until your debts are paid, because this results in a cheaper monthly payment.
16. Finds ways to reduce home expenses by buying energy efficient appliances, ceiling fans, programmable thermostats, fluorescent light bulbs and lamps, or hot water insulator jackets.
17. Donate items not being used to a charity. The amount can be written off on your taxes.
18. Rent movies instead of going to the movie theater.
19. Turn the lights out when you are not in a room.
20. Turn the heat and/or air conditioner off when you are not at home or set at a low energy saving temperature which can be found be calling your local utility company.