Prosperity Trek by Prosperity Concierge » General Spending Tips http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek The trek to prosperity, step by step. Improve cash flow, build net worth, enjoy life and give back. To earn, spend, save and invest for happiness and fulfillment. Sun, 21 Aug 2011 21:20:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/ en hourly 1 Reduce Spending and Debt by Looking at Variable Expenses http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/reduce-debt-how-to/reduce-spending-and-debt-by-looking-at-variable-expenses/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/reduce-debt-how-to/reduce-spending-and-debt-by-looking-at-variable-expenses/#comments Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:56:47 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/reduce-spending-and-debt-by-looking-at-variable-expenses/ The best way to begin getting the debt and spending under control is to reduce your monthly expenses. And one good place to start is to focus on reducing your variable expenses.

Variable expenses include those that can be changed or eliminated entirely.

Variable expenses are those that fluctuate each month, such as clothing, food, entertainment, vacations,

Continue reading Reduce Spending and Debt by Looking at Variable Expenses

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/reduce-debt-how-to/reduce-spending-and-debt-by-looking-at-variable-expenses/feed/ 2 How We Spend – Buying the Potential for Happiness http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/prosperity/happiness/happiness-spend-joy-enrichment/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/prosperity/happiness/happiness-spend-joy-enrichment/#comments Thu, 05 Aug 2010 17:52:41 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=9994 Studies that explore what makes us happy generally reach the same conclusion – we get the most happiness and joy out of time with family and friends or  activities that provide general enrichment, such as hobbies.

What the studies show is that it isn’t how much we spend but the quality of the overall experience. So

Continue reading How We Spend – Buying the Potential for Happiness

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/prosperity/happiness/happiness-spend-joy-enrichment/feed/ 0 Steps to Protect Your Cash Flow http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/prosperity/cash-flow/steps-protect-cash-flow/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/prosperity/cash-flow/steps-protect-cash-flow/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 13:24:32 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=9680 Here are some steps you can take to protect your cash flow during tough times. It may be a job loss, or large and unexpected medical bills. Whatever the cause, it threatens your income stream or raises your expenses. You’ll need to take drastic measures to restore your cash flow as much as possible.

Eliminate Nonessential Spending

One

Continue reading Steps to Protect Your Cash Flow

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/prosperity/cash-flow/steps-protect-cash-flow/feed/ 1 The Best Month to Get a Bargain on Your Purchase http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/month-bargain-purchase/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/month-bargain-purchase/#comments Wed, 26 May 2010 12:37:12 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=9356 Timing is everything in bargain-shopping.

The wrong time to buy anything is when you need it – then, the retailer has the advantage.

Instead, plan your purchase. Map out your purchases to the times when retailers are  offering the biggest discounts.

Furniture: the best times are in January and July, just before the new shipments arrive.

Jewelry: the busiest

Continue reading The Best Month to Get a Bargain on Your Purchase

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/month-bargain-purchase/feed/ 0 How to Work With Customer Service To Make Sure You Get the Value You Paid For http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/work-customer-service-paid/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/work-customer-service-paid/#comments Wed, 19 May 2010 00:49:41 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=9328 Whether your loyalty lies with a particular hotel chain, airline or car mechanic, if someone gives you good service, you keep coming back. On the other hand, if the cable company keeps you waiting past the two-hour window, you may be shopping around.

When you have a problem with a flight, you don’t want to sit

Continue reading How to Work With Customer Service To Make Sure You Get the Value You Paid For

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/work-customer-service-paid/feed/ 0 Debt and Spending: Stay Afloat and Avoid Financial Disaster http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/reduce-debt-how-to/debt-spending-stay-afloat-avoid-financial-disaster/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/reduce-debt-how-to/debt-spending-stay-afloat-avoid-financial-disaster/#comments Sat, 08 May 2010 19:18:06 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=9266 If you are worried about losing your job or getting hit with hefty unexpected bills you can improve your chances for staying afloat and paying your bills with these steps:

keep your core living expenses at less than half of your income Create an emergency fund in a regular, taxable account limit your debts, including credit card balances,

Continue reading Debt and Spending: Stay Afloat and Avoid Financial Disaster

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/reduce-debt-how-to/debt-spending-stay-afloat-avoid-financial-disaster/feed/ 0 Coupons: Smart Strategies to Save Money http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/coupons/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/coupons/#comments Fri, 30 Apr 2010 03:18:50 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=9001 Here are some smart strategies for take coupon-clipping to the next level, saving money to improve cash flow and free up cash for saving and investing.

Stack coupons. Save more than the discount on the coupon. ”Stack” the coupon upon other discounts that are available. The average consumer uses a 50-cent coupon when he or she happens to

Continue reading Coupons: Smart Strategies to Save Money

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/coupons/feed/ 0 Declare a Want-Free Month to Help Your Cash Flow and Explore Your Spending Lifestyle http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/declare-wantfree-month-cash-flow/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/declare-wantfree-month-cash-flow/#comments Sun, 25 Apr 2010 22:04:55 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=8990 A drastic step to help your cash flow and learn about your spending lifestyle is to declare a want-free month.

A want-free month is a one-month period in which a family spends money on necessities such as bills, food and shelter.

The purpose is to witness how much money is wasted on items that provide no real

Continue reading Declare a Want-Free Month to Help Your Cash Flow and Explore Your Spending Lifestyle

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/declare-wantfree-month-cash-flow/feed/ 0 Assisting Older Children – Stopping Assistance to Save More for Retirement http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/assisting-older-children-stopping-assistance-save-retirement/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/assisting-older-children-stopping-assistance-save-retirement/#comments Sun, 25 Apr 2010 21:40:59 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=8991 One of the hardest expenses to cut out is assistance to older children.

If a son or daughter is counting on you to help pay rent, pay for health-care bills, or get an education, suddenly stopping those payments could throw your child’s life into financial chaos.

But while it’s a difficult move, ending assistance to adult children

Continue reading Assisting Older Children – Stopping Assistance to Save More for Retirement

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/assisting-older-children-stopping-assistance-save-retirement/feed/ 0 Bartering to Save Cash and Avoid Debt http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/bartering-save-cash-avoid-debt/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/bartering-save-cash-avoid-debt/#comments Sun, 25 Apr 2010 19:46:10 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=8988 Bartering can help you get products or services that you need without requiring cash or taking on debt.

A number of web sites can help you to hook up with providers or customers.

Each trading partner decides what is a fair exchange. Bartering especially makes sense for parents because their children constantly need new things. It also

Continue reading Bartering to Save Cash and Avoid Debt

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/bartering-save-cash-avoid-debt/feed/ 0 Reduce Spending – High Probability Spending Categories Where You Can Save Money http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/reduce-spending-high-probability-spending-categories-save-money/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/reduce-spending-high-probability-spending-categories-save-money/#comments Sat, 02 Jan 2010 23:32:37 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=7104 These are some spending areas where there is a good chance that you can save money, freeing up cash for debt reduction or savings.

Look at buying used instead of new. Cars lose much of their value the minute they are driven off the dealer’s lot – losing thousands of dollars in value in their first

Continue reading Reduce Spending – High Probability Spending Categories Where You Can Save Money

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/reduce-spending-high-probability-spending-categories-save-money/feed/ 0 Reduce Spending by Cutting Back on Daily and Recurring Expenses http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/reduce-spending-cutting-daily-recurring-expenses/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/reduce-spending-cutting-daily-recurring-expenses/#comments Tue, 08 Dec 2009 13:35:14 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=7036 A quick way to begin reducing your expenses is to look at daily and recurring spending. Here are a few categories where ongoing expenses really add up when annualized.

1. Coffee – According to the National Coffee Association, the average price for brewed coffee is $1.38. There are roughly 260 weekdays per year, so buying one

Continue reading Reduce Spending by Cutting Back on Daily and Recurring Expenses

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/reduce-spending-cutting-daily-recurring-expenses/feed/ 0 Free and Easy – Find Free Products and Services http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/free-easy-find-free-products-services/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/free-easy-find-free-products-services/#comments Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:35:34 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=6304 There may not be such a thing as a free lunch. However there are free products and services to help you improve your cash flow and build your net worth that are just as good – if not better.

Here are a few examples.

FREE (AND LEGAL) MUSIC You can find free and legal music tracks online

Continue reading Free and Easy – Find Free Products and Services

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/free-easy-find-free-products-services/feed/ 0 Cutting Back on Spending and Living Well http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/cutting-spending-living/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/cutting-spending-living/#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:58:01 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=6121 When times are tight cutting back on indulgences can seem inevitable. But it might not be. You can cut back on spending and still live well.

Here are some ways to reduce spending and still enjoy life’s pleasures.

Take bubble baths. If soaking in hot water doesn’t cheer you up, find out what does, because it could

Continue reading Cutting Back on Spending and Living Well

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/cutting-spending-living/feed/ 1 General Spending Resources http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/resources/general-spending-resources/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/resources/general-spending-resources/#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:22:31 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=5971 For spending tips from various U.S. government agencies visit Consumer Protection. The site is organized by broad topic and then by subtopic with links to the web page providing the information.

Using Coupons

Visit Coupons.com for a good variety of coupons that you can download and print. It can even zap discounts right to your grocery

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]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/resources/general-spending-resources/feed/ 0 Spending Tips to Save Money and Start Saving http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/spending-tips-save-money/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/spending-tips-save-money/#comments Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:18:24 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=4551 Here are some tips to help you manage your spending.

Prioritize your spending

It can be tough to maintain a positive cash flow and live within your means. But you can do it. Take control of your household budget by logging every dollar you spend in a 30-day period. Once you face a month’s worth

Continue reading Spending Tips to Save Money and Start Saving

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/spending-tips-save-money/feed/ 0 Control Spending Using Web Tools http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/control-spending-web-tools/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/control-spending-web-tools/#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:57:08 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=2554 It’s difficult to control spending if you don’t have access to tools that help you track how you spend your money.  Thankfully, the web provides you with access to free or low-cost options that allow you to pool your credit card and banking information and categorize your expenses.

There are about two dozen of these tools. 

Continue reading Control Spending Using Web Tools

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/control-spending-web-tools/feed/ 0 Saving More by Reducing Big Fixed Costs http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/saving-reducing-big-fixed-costs/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/saving-reducing-big-fixed-costs/#comments Sat, 20 Jun 2009 22:01:15 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/?p=2042 From a financial evangelist:

“We want for nothing and, yet, we want something more.”

This financial evangelist hypothesized that depression-era thinking evolved into a wish for a better life for our children and that evolved into a feeling of entitlement that we deserve a better life for ourselves. Thus, families heavily in debt and loaded with

Continue reading Saving More by Reducing Big Fixed Costs

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/saving-reducing-big-fixed-costs/feed/ 0 The Secret of Life is a Good Cup of Coffee http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/the-secret-of-life-is-a-good-cup-of-coffee/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/the-secret-of-life-is-a-good-cup-of-coffee/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:25:54 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/the-secret-of-life-is-a-good-cup-of-coffee/ “The Secret of Life is a Good Cup of Coffee” – from the lyrics to the song “The Secret of Life”, co-written by Faith Hill and Gretchen Peters.

The secret of life is a good cup of coffee.

Our attempt for happiness and fulfillment can sometimes cause us to get off track and spend money on things

Continue reading The Secret of Life is a Good Cup of Coffee

]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/the-secret-of-life-is-a-good-cup-of-coffee/feed/ 0 Lower Your Postage Expense http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/postage-expense/ http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/postage-expense/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:25:18 +0000 Prosperity Concierge http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/postage-expense/ Reducing postage costs can help lower home office expenses. Increasingly, many postage costs are becoming optional, can be reduced or avoided altogether.

Here are things that you can do to reduce postage costs at home:

Pay bills online to save the average ]]> http://prosperityconcierge.com/trek/trek-how-to/spending-how-to/general-spending-tips-how-to/postage-expense/feed/ 0