21 Easy Ways to Save $1,000 in 30 Days

by Casey Lewis | Nov 2, 2017 | Debt, Money

There are probably a dozen things you can think of that you’d do with an extra $1,000 right now. Winter is coming. There are decorations and gifts to buy. Maybe you want to pay off some debt or boost your savings account. Maybe you need a quick weekend getaway. There isn’t much you can do to save $1,000 doing just one thing. But several small things that don’t take much time can add up huge for you! Regardless your reason, here are 21 ways you can save $1,000 in 30 days.

Some Easy Ways to Save $1,000 in 30 days.

The fastest and easiest way to save money is to look into the areas where you are already spending money each month.

1. Shop your auto insurance policy. Call your agent or get quotes from 3 different companies and see if you may be paying too much. You should do this at least once a year to make sure you’re getting the best rates.
2. Review your cell phone plan. Are you consistently only using 2 GB’s of data each month but paying for unlimited? Do you have “extra’s” to your plan that you don’t use? Call your carrier and ask them for a discount. If another carrier has better rates, tell your carrier about it and see if they’ll match or beat it. If they don’t, switch.
3. Check your home utility usage. Do you have a toilet that won’t stop running water? Is there a water spigot outside that is dripping? Can you turn your thermostat up 4 degrees in the Summer or down 4 degrees in the Winter? Are you leaving lights on unnecessarily? It may not seem like much, but a few simple changes to your routine at home could result in $20-$40/month in savings.
4. Shop your home internet. This is a competitive industry and many providers will compete for your business. Shop around and find the best deal, but ask your neighbors for their recommendations first. There’s nothing worse than saving money but then the new provider can’t deliver internet to your house correctly.
5. Cancel unused services. Netflix is great. Hulu is great. Amazon video is great. Spotify is great. Pandora is great. Magazine subscriptions are great. iCloud is great. Dropbox is great. But do you need all of these services at the same time? If your goal is to save $1,000 in 30 days then cutting out some of these services is a great start.
6. Cancel cable TV. With YouTube streaming the World Series and Netflix delivering on demand content, there really isn’t much necessity for cable anymore. You can watch most any show you want online for free and with a good antenna you can catch all of the major network TV live still.
7. Pause recurring monthly billings. Do you have a pantry full of Shakeology? Do you already have plenty of Monat or Mary Kay for the next month? Products that are set up on auto-ship notoriously ship the products more frequently than we can use them. If you buy things like this and are already oversupplied, press pause on your next shipment and throw that money into your savings account.
8. Bank Fees. Does your bank charge a monthly fee for checking or savings accounts? They shouldn’t. There are tons of free options available for banking, including online accounts. Check out a few and switch if necessary.
9. ATM Fees. Are you a chronic violator when it comes to ATM fees? You can avoid those fees by going to your own bank and making withdrawals. Or check out some other banks that will reimburse you for your ATM fees.
10. Change the frequency of your service providers. Do you have your lawn mowed or house cleaned? Instead of having these done weekly, change it to every other week. Or consider cancelling the service for a season while you use that money to boost your savings.
11. Life Insurance. If you have a Whole Life insurance policy, you’re likely spending too much money. Get a 20 or 30 year level term life insurance policy in place that has a death benefit of 8-10 times your annual income. Then cancel your whole life insurance policy. You’ll save money each month on the premium and as a bonus, if your whole life policy had cash value then you’ll get a check in the mail.
12. Adjust Your W-4. If you get a tax refund every year and your tax circumstances haven’t significantly changed then you need to adjust your W-4 at work so your company takes less out of your check for federal income taxes. That’s your money. Bring it home sooner into your bank account rather than let the government hang on to it for a year for you. This is super simple to do and can make a huge impact on your budget.

Easy Ways to Cut Food Costs and Save $1,000 in 30 days.

One of the other major areas to help you save $1,000 in 30 days is to adjust your food budget. Here are a few ideas that might help.

1. Shop your pantry and freezer first. Before you go to the grocery store or out to eat, check out the food you already have in your house. Do you already have spaghetti sauce in the pantry? Can throw together a meal or two with the items in your freezer?
2. Meal Plan. Coming up with a plan for what you’ll eat and when you’ll eat it is a great way to save money. It forces you to think about the meals for the coming week beforehand and you can buy exactly what you need at the store.
3. Buy meat when it’s on sale. That seems like a dumb point to put in this article. Of course you should buy things you need if they’re on sale. If you see that chicken breasts are significantly cheaper at the store than they normally are though, go ahead and buy a few extra and put them in the freezer. Later in the month you’ll have meats for you meals that you bought when they were on sale.
4. Leftovers and Sandwiches. It may seem obvious to some, but when you do cook make enough extra that you can have lunch tomorrow. Sandwiches are also an inexpensive way to feed your family when you’re on-the-go. For a fancier option, heat up your sandwich on a skillet.
5. Breakfast for Dinner. This is also probably silly. But eggs, bacon, and a can of biscuits cost like $8 and can feed a family of 4 pretty well. You may not want it all the time, but breakfast for dinner is a great cheap option to help save some money.
6. Chick fil A survey receipts. Okay so this is just a bonus one for me. If you have a Chick fil A with the survey receipt, call that survey number and then go get you a free chicken sandwich.

Income Ideas to Help Save $1,000 in 30 days.

1. Garage Sale. You have a ton of stuff in your house you aren’t using anymore. This could be old baby clothes or toys or home decor or electronics. If you’re not using it, haven’t used it, or just don’t want it around anymore, then move it out to the garage and get ready for a garage sale.
2. Facebook buy/sell/trade groups or Craigslist. Selling items online is often faster and will make you more money than selling in a garage sale. If you have time, take some good pictures of the items and start posting them. You’d be amazed at how much money you’ll make getting rid of your old stuff.
3. Start a side-hustle. Mow lawns. Clean houses. Clean pools. Rake leaves. Drive for Uber. Deliver Pizzas. To save $1,000 in 30 days you only need to generate an extra $250/week. That’s the equivalence of cleaning 2 or 3 homes a week, or mowing 6 or 7 lawns a week. That’s just delivering pizzas for about 12 hours a week. That’s just cleaning 12 homeowners pools each week. There are an infinite number of ways you can start a side-hustle to generate extra cash fast.

This is in no way a comprehensive list of all the ways you could save $1,000 in 30 days. But it’s a start and hopefully it’s got you thinking of more ways you could easily save some money. If you do 1 or 2 of these things you’ll make progress toward your saving goal and if you combine many of these ideas you should have no problem saving $1,000 in 30 days.

7 Ideas For Creating An Emergency Account.

by Casey Lewis | Oct 21, 2016 | Debt, Money

When the stock market and real estate market crashed simultaneously in late 2008 and early 2009 we were unprepared because we didn’t have an emergency account.

I was 22 years old with a new baby at home and several hundred thousand dollars in debt. I had no savings account, no college degree, and my wife and I both lost our great paying jobs within 30 days of each other. The following years were spent working multiple jobs at the same time with slashed expenses. We sold everything we owned, including vehicles, to help us climb out of a hole and eventually build a small emergency account.

And the problems we faced… the financial struggles we had to go through for 5 years after… they could’ve easily been avoided if we had been better prepared.

Bad stuff happens. It just does. We’re in a rapidly changing world with rapidly changing technology that is eliminating jobs.  Most economist will tell you our markets are over-inflated and are at risk of busting again. There’s the election, the Brexit vote earlier this year, Ford just stopped production in 4 plants, health insurance premiums are increasing rapidly….

I’m no doomsday theorist. I’m not predicting the end of the world or anything. But this is a dangerous time to be living paycheck to paycheck without any type of emergency account in place.

Our financial collapse would have merely been a financial hiccup if we had an emergency account when we lost our jobs. It took us several years after losing our jobs to find steady employment. But by working multiple jobs at the same time we were able to stabilize our income enough to pay our bills within 4 months.

But those 4 months were enough to set off a chain reaction and put us behind which caused late fees, default interest rates, lawsuits, and more. It took years to clean up the mess.

If you’re living paycheck to paycheck or don’t have any emergency account in place, you need to get one now. And the good news is that you can save up a small emergency account equal to 1 month of your expenses super fast.

How to create an Emergency Account

1. Temporarily pause your retirement savings – I understand if you have a company match that you are hesitant to do this. But we’re talking about a really short time period of pausing your future to take care of today. When you invest into your 401k and other retirement plans without an emergency account in place first, you risk needing to tap into your retirement account early and paying high penalties and fees.
2. Have a garage/online sale – It’s never been easier to get rid of your unused stuff. With Facebook buy/sell/trade groups you can sell individual toys and articles of clothing for $1 or $2 each quite easily. That type of stuff adds up fast. If you have furniture that you don’t like anyway and will likely replace in the near future, sell it now.
3. Whole life insurance – Not everyone has a whole life insurance (cash value life insurance) policy but if you do, you’re paying too much for not the right type of protection. Get a term life insurance policy for less money and more coverage in place first and then cancel your whole life policy. Once you cancel the whole life insurance policy, you’ll receive a check for the cash value you had saved up in the account.
4. Adjust your W-4 at work – If you’re consistently receiving a tax refund each year then you are having too much money taken out of your paychecks. A $2,000 annual tax refund means you let the government borrow $166/month from you when that money could be better used by building up your emergency account. Adjust your exemptions so your company takes out less for federal income tax.
5. Ask for a raise – Are you being a rockstar employee at work? Sit down a talk with your boss about what it takes for you to get a raise. Maybe you take on some extra responsibilities or seek a promotion or even just ask for some overtime pay. But if you’re a rockstar employee then you probably deserve a raise and that could help you fund your emergency account. If you hate your job or can’t get a raise, maybe start applying for other jobs that pay more. And if you’re filling out job applications anyway shoot for the stars and fill out applications for jobs that pay double your current salary. Maybe you’re charming enough to get the job!
6. Shop existing expenses – Do you really need cable TV? Can you get a better deal on your auto insurance? Homeowners insurance? Are you able to lower your cell phone bill any by dropping to a lower package or switching carriers? Could you switch electric companies to get a lower rate? Spending a few hours shopping the rates of those bills you have to pay every month can reduce your expenses drastically. That saved money can then go toward your emergency account.
7. Side hustle – If you’re super serious about getting an emergency account in place fast then you should consider a second or part time job. The great news is there are tons of options for this now. You could drive for Uber or Lyft or if you don’t like people check out Amazon Prime Now or DoorDash delivery. I personally delivered pizzas and worked evenings as a janitor at a church. You could also start a small business, mow lawns, or babysit. I’m a big fan of the entrepreneurial route because it allows you to control your schedule more than working retail and you typically make more money.

There are tons of other ways you can save money for your emergency account but you need to know that it’s important that you get one. Make saving money for an emergency account a priority and get started today!

What are some other ways you can think of to kickstart an emergency account? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

How To Sell Your Car For A Ton Of Money.

by Casey Lewis | Jan 12, 2016 | Debt, Money

It’s time for an upgrade! Or, maybe you need to get rid of that nice car with a payment and go buy you a cash car junker while you work to get out of debt.

Whatever the reason, you need to sell your car you currently own in order to purchase the next one. When it comes to selling a vehicle you obviously want to make as much money as you can and you want to sell it quickly.

Here are some helpful tips to help you decide the best way to sell your car:

Trading Your Car to a Dealer:
The fastest way to get rid of your old car is to trade it in to a dealership. It’s also super simple. Find a dealer that has the car you want to purchase and get a trade in value from them to use toward the purchase of your next car.

In some states you even get tax credits for trading in a vehicle. So instead of paying sales tax for the entire purchase price of the next car, you only pay sales tax on the trade difference (the price of the new car – the trade in value). The dealer will also take care of all of the paperwork and title transfer. It’s easy.

While trading in a car to the dealership is the fastest way to sell your car, it’s also the most costly to you. Dealers are in the business of selling cars for a profit. It’s to their advantage to give you a trade in value for your car because you can’t buy their car until you’ve found a way to get rid of your old car. But they also don’t want to be stuck with your old car sitting on the lot.

So in their trade in assessment they assume they will need to put new tires and brakes on the car (even if they have 50% life left in them). They assume the price of a full detail and oil change. They assume the cost of paint touch up, interior touch up, and cosmetic repairs. They assume radiator flush and transmission flush. Even if you’ve maintained your car immaculately, they’ll always assume a reconditioning cost of $1,000-$2,000. This is the money they have to invest in order to resale the car.

Then of course they want to allow for profit. Contrary to popular belief, in most cases used car profit is only in the $1,500 range. And they also want to allow for some margin of error if the car takes to long to sell and the market adjusts, or if they bid too high.

They use sophisticated tools, lots of data, and their own personal experience to establish the wholesale market value of your car. Then they back out the cost of reconditioning and a margin of error to come up with the trade in value.

It’s easy. But they’re going to want to make profit for the convenience they provide for you.

Selling Your Car to a Dealer:
This process is very similar to the trade in process, except in this case you’re asking the dealer to buy your car from you and you’re not going to buy a car from them.

Dealers aren’t in the business of buying cars. They’re there to sell cars. So they aren’t going to buy your junker used car. However if you have a newer body style, high volume vehicle like a Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Dodge Charger, etc and it is in good condition, they will entertain the idea of buying the car from you.

But the bid will be lower than a trade in value. If they’re going to buy a car with no guarantee of a sale, they want to guarantee they won’t lose money. So you get a lowball bid.

Selling Your Car For A Ton of Money:
The best route to go for almost all vehicles when it’s time to sell your car is to sell it yourself. The process takes a little longer and you have to do most of the work, but it will result in thousands of dollars more for you.

But just putting a for sale sign on the car and waiting for a call isn’t going to make the process quick and you won’t make much more money. In order to make the most money when you sell your car, you’ll need to follow these steps.

Step 1 – Professionally detail your car.
If you want to do it yourself, that’s fine. But do a dang good job. Don’t just get it clean. There needs to be no dust, dirt, or grime anywhere on the inside of the car. That includes the glove boxes, the center console, the areas between the seats where french fries go to die. You need to wax the car and polish the wheels. Under the hood needs to be cleaned out of leaves and debris. Take everything out of the car. It needs to be 100%, showroom ready.

Step 2 – Gather all of the maintenance records.
Get a folder, binder, or bradded folder together with documentation of every oil change, every tire rotation, every maintenance service, and every repair bill. When you provide this to a potential buyer you provide full disclosure of the vehicle and suggest that it was well maintained.

Step 3 – Take care of your car.
This is really step one. Getting top dollar for a car you’re trying to sell actually starts the day you first own it. Take really good care of your car. Do the basic maintenance suggested by the manufacturer. Buy new tires when it’s time. Replace the brakes when it’s time. Put a new battery in your car. Clean the headlights.

Step 4 – Take a lot of pictures.
The people that are looking for a car like yours are looking on the internet. Don’t just take one picture of the drivers side of the car with your cell phone and post it online. Take 25 or 30 detailed pictures. Start at the drivers side exterior and work your way around the outside. Be sure to include all 4 sides of the car. And if there is some body damage, it’s okay to take pictures of that too. Full disclosure is more important than trying to trick someone when they show up to actually see the car. Take a lot of pictures inside as well. Show the odometer and the other gauges, with no check engine lights on the dashboard.

Step 5 – Write an interesting description of the car that tells a story.
When people buy a used car they want to know the history behind the car. Tell them how you bought it, how you bought it from, where you bought it from, who drove the car, how long you’ve owned it, how many miles you’ve driven it. Tell them if there are any unique quirks or circumstances. If you hit a pole in a parking lot and the bumper is dented, tell them. Include of course the year/make/model of the car and the mileage as well as any additional equipment or packages you know of on the car.

Be honest. Be interesting. Be descriptive.

Step 6 – Research the market.
You need to know about every other car like yours that is currently for sale within 100 miles of your location. You need to know what equipment those other cars have, the mileage, the condition, and the price. You need to suddenly become an expert on the value of that car.

Use websites like cars.com, craigslist, local buy/sell/trade Facebook groups, AutoTrader, and local dealer websites to do your research. In addition to finding cars that are actually for sale, use tools like Kelly Blue Book, Edmunds, and NADA to see what they say the wholesale, retail, and private party values are of your car.

It may even be a good idea to get a trade in or buy bid from a local dealer. Then you can judge that bid with the rest of your knowledge of the market.

Step 7 – Advertise.
Put the car online everywhere car buyers are looking. I’d start with the free places like Craigslist and Facebook buy/sell/trade groups plus your personal social media accounts. Maybe email your friends and family with a link to the Craigslist description and ask if they know anyone looking for a good car. If you don’t see response from that in a few days try other paid websites like cars.com and autotrader. Put a for sale sign in your window and park your car at a visible street corner a few hours a day.

Step 8 – Sell the car.
Don’t just show up and let someone look through your car while you twiddle your thumbs. Walk them around the car pointing out different features. Show them the maintenance records and the new battery and the tread left on the tires. Tell them of the repairs you’ve had done. Let them test drive the car with you.

When you’re done, ask them to buy it from you. Say this, “So, are you ready to buy this car?”

Step 9 – Don’t leave room for negotiation.
You know the market value of your car better than anyone else. You know what it’s worth. You know what other cars they have as an option to go look at. You priced your car competitively. You’ve taken great care of your car. You’ve got all the maintenance records and a fresh detail. Hold firm on your price.

If they make you an offer, explain why you think it’s worth what it is, restate your price and ask them again to buy it. At the end of the day, don’t lose a buyer for your car over $100, but hold firm to your price as long as you can.

Step 10 – Transfer ownership.
Check the laws in your state for the transfer of vehicle ownership. In Texas you just sign off on the back of the title and as the seller you can go online and tell the state that you sold the car. It’s the buyers responsibility to take the vehicle to the tax office and register the vehicle. I recommend you also provide a bill of sale and keep a signed copy for you and give one to the buyer.

Your state may be different. Research the process with your state before meeting with a potential buyer.

It may seem like a lot more work to sell your car on your own, but it’s really quite a simple process if you follow these steps. Take care of your vehicles while you own them and take a little extra time when you’re ready to sell and you will make thousands more when you sell your car.