Car Repairs

                                           Hello Family How Are You today?

How much do you budget for car repairs?

I think a good rule of thumb is to budget $25/month x <years old of car>.
So a 6 year old car in your case would $150/month.

I saved on average between 50-100 a month toward car repairs with 2 older cars

Any repairs cost that extend beyond this budget will use our Emergency Fund. But if you consistently set aside fixed amount of $50-100 a month should be enough to cover expensive future repairs. So my question to you is what are you doing when it comes to saving for car repairs?

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Day!

Your Motivation

 Motivation to be a frugal/cheapskate?

Good morning Family. Happy Easter. here are some suggestion of why people are motivated to be a frugal cheapskate see if anyone of these are your reason to.

         

Like a lot of people, I have anxiety about growing old and not having the means to support myself. I've been focusing hard on making good decisions lately. I now have an emergency fund and I am sending extra money to the student loan people. It's definitely going to be a marathon and not a sprint, though. So, what motivates you guys? Anybody else have a moment when the light bulb

I think its fear. for some reason, I am afraid of not being financially secure. I am afraid that something can change with my financial situation and I want to build up as much protection as possible. this is even considering that I have a lot more security in my financial situation than most people. the fear is still there.

 I was raised to be more frugal than I am.

 I think what influenced me more than anything was looking at other people as examples of what not to be

 It became a game for me when I was having tough times.

My motivation: my income level.

 Frugality is a fun challenge, and there are so many other things to do with my money than pay full prices on things I don't need really.
having a good retirement, to retire early and be relatively wealthy

Security.

 I enjoy the challenge of seeing how well I can live while spending the least.

 I was raised that way.
being frugal brings peace of mind for me.

 1) Peace of mind
2) Saving
3) Investing
4) Freedom
The idea is to know what your expenses are ahead of time. Once you get a money management system down, although you actively manage it, it basically runs itself. This means that you become a free radical that can do whatever you want. The less I spend, the more money I can make via investments (potentially). That is not to say I am the greatest penny-pincher ever, but the system I use helps provide for all of the above.

Have a Great Cheap Cheetah Week!

Book Suggestions

Good Morning Family. How are you today. I am making a good book suggestion for you. If you want to learn how to save a dollar or two then you need to read this book. Just a suggestions
                                 https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/350921
                                            Have A Great Cheap Cheetah Day!

Grassroots Marketing

Good Morning Family.  Happy Good Friday!Just  wanted to let you know about This Monday March 28th 10:30 am on The Cheap Cheetah Money Show www.blogtalkradio.com/cheap-cheetah. we will have a great guest on Shel Horowitz and he will be talking to us about a few things. First its Guerrilla Marketing, and then it will be about green living a different kinda lifestyle. So join us and let's talk marketing and green living together. Have a great Cheap Cheetah Day!

What do You Think About?

                                             Hello Family How are you today?
 What do you think about most; paying bills or making money?

The rich and poor think differently I am told. The mindset is on two very different planes.

If you are thinking of how you will pay the bills then chances are you are poor. If your thoughts are how you will make more money then you are rich or may be so someday. Where are you in the spectrum? What is it that you think about, paying the bills or making more money?

 Concentrating on just making more money, what ever it takes, seems to be the less stressful path to making it in life. Bills are a downer anyway and money seems to make people feel good. The more you have the better you feel. The more you have the less stress is in your life. I guess what I am saying is that it is so much easier being part of the make more money set than the how am I going to pay my bills set and the best part is that anyone can leave the pay my bills group and join the make more money group by changing how they think. 

                                                 Have a Great Cheap Cheetah Day!

Small Money

Hello Family How are you today?

Making small amounts of money

What are some of your favorite ways to make small amounts of money on the side

Sell some of our used clothes, cds and dvds on Ebay or Craiglist,hat are some of your favorite ways to make small amounts of money on the side

a yard sale is always good for $200-300

Paint/restore old furniture that I find left on the side of the road for free, then sell it.

Credit card rewards. We make several hundred dollars per year and get multiple free hotel stays using our cards.

Work as a Psychic Advisor.

I sold Avon,

I wrote a little guide about buying, using, storing, and finding food for people that are on their own for the first time.

I have worked as an English tutor

participating in clinical trials.

Do mystery Shopping

Set up a vendor stand at  flea markets and festivals

What are some of the ways you make small amounts of $$?

Have a Great Cheap Cheetah Day!

Beginning Savers

Good Morning Family , How are you? So what kinda advice would you give a beginner saver?
                                                 
                                                       Here are some suggestions.

 
Save 20% of income and live on 80% (or less) of what you earn.
keep 6 months cash for emergencies.
The 20% you save- mark 15% of this for retirement. 401ks, IRAs and even taxable accounts (which are marked for retirement and not touched). 15% of gross income.
5% of gross income should go into savings for short and mid term expenses. new car, new house, paying off student loans or similar.
If the 5% would be sitting in cash, you are better off using that portion to pay down debt (even if debt is at 4.75%). You would have to tie money up in cash for 7-8 years for it to return even close to 4% after taxes.

  Learn all you can about good investing and invest in yourself and your money.

Be giving always put in your budget a portion for charity.

Remember when you loan money  you might not get it back.

Have a Great Cheap Cheetah Day!

Vacation Homes

Hey Family what do you think? Is Buying a "Vacation Home" a Good Idea

Any financial adviser will tell you it's a terrible idea. In a day and age where searching  for private home rentals, vacation rentals and hotel booking is easy as touching your phone, why would any buy a whole house just to guarantee a hot spot for a few weeks out of the year?
Play the figures game.How much would you spend per year vacationing times how many years?
How much will owning a place all that time cost?Play safe and figure buying later may cost twice as much.Fact is that may be the opposite or pretty even but I like the 'prepare for the worst, hope for the best' when it comes to finances.Add in the hassles of owning vacant property long distance....remember things like no vandalism coverage.
  Don't forget to count the interest as money lost.

So does buying your first vacation home still sound good to you? 

Have A Great Cheap Cheetah Day!

Best Money Advice

What is the single, most effective piece of financial advice you've ever received?

"Live within your means."

---

You can wait for something, and save up cash to buy it.

Get your azz out of bed and go to work !

Start saving for retirement as early as possible.

---

Pay yourself first. When we started making real money the budget started off with retirement and savings.

I particularly liked the quote about the borrower being a slave to the lender.

Start investing as soon as you get your first job out of school and do not stop even when the market is down, be in it for the long haul.

Make sure you always have various sources of Income coming you way 

By saving coins you can turn that in to dollars.

don't forget to give to charity even if it's only a small amount.

Be true to yourself and do what you love and the money will follow.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

This Sunday!

 

About Kory Livingstone

Toronto born pianist, Kory started his professional career playing the piano bar circuit in the local hotels. Taking the advice of Ray Carrol, an original member of the famous Platters, Kory developed his talents as a singer, and songwriter.

Kory has released 6 albums on his own independent record label, Crestant Records. His  CD entitled You Were In My Eyes a collection of 8 original songs that tell stories about our everyday life experiences,the many faces of love; inspirational themes & the power of words. They Say It’s Wonderful is Kory’s response to popular demand from his fans. It contains vocal Jazz standards & a coupe of original and instrumentals written by Kory.

His self-titled CD Kory Livingstone is Kory’s first CD. It contains an wide variety of instrumental tunes that Kory composed for solo piano up to full symphonic orchestra, from Gospel to Jazz & Reggae.

 He will be our Guest this Sunday 10:30 am on The Cheap Cheetah Money Show, right here on

www.blogtalkradio.com/cheap-cheetah so don't miss it!

Winning The Lottery

                       Hello Family how are you . Today for fun let's talk winning the lottery

What would you do if you win the lottery?

 Let's assume it's a sizable sum of $50 million, and you can remain anonymous so that not every crook in the world would bang your door down asking for money.

1. Put a half in mutual funds and have it spread out between bonds and stocks.
2. Help my parents out.
3. Give a big amount to my closest friends with the condition they never speak to anybody about where the money is from.
4. Buy the car I want - I can afford it now but try to delay the purchase.
5. Quit my current job and focus on my side business.
6. Set a budget and travel around the world for a year just for the hell of it.
7. Work on my site business and make it a success.

Volunteer, go to the gym, find something to do. Maybe open a recording studio and go back to school.
Now that you know what I would do with some of that money what would you do?

Have A Great Cheap Cheetah Day!

Money Worries

Hello Family How are you? Money Worries we all have them. But how do you stop having them. Here's some suggestions.

How do you keep yourself from worrying about money?

• Don't borrow any money.
• Cut Expenses...always look to lower them.
• Monthly Budgets
• Communication
• Be content.

I like to worry, it lets me save over 50% of my net income every month which in turn goes into huge loan payments and investments when my debt becomes minimal to nil. I even took a trip to Cali and am still paying down my main debt by $2k this month.

I have little worry because we have saved up a nice emergency fund and have steady cash flow from several sources including rental properties. So if one source doesn't do well a month, we are still covered by another. The key is to have a good savings and not to touch it unless true dire emergency. 

Can you relate to some of these suggestions and comments regarding ways not to worry about money?

Have A Great Cheap Cheetah Day!

Cheap Entertainment

Hello Family, How are you? Today it's about cheap entertainment. here are some suggestions.                         
                                                         Cheap Entertainment

Play games during winter months

Like jigsaw puzzles collect them and put them together that will be hours of fun

Foster a pet in your home. Pets are lots of fun and entertaining you see them cute pet videos.

Look for free plays, concerts at your local college

Bike ride or skate board in the park for the summer and for the winter get the sleds out.

For movies and reality TV I check out YouTube and Hulu for the free stuff

Find a cheap instrument and get some friends over and start a grow up band

Look for venues with happy hour buy a cheap drink and enjoy the entertainment they provide,

 Coupons for restaurants and movies use then when the prices are cheap.

Join a meet-up club that your interested in and enjoy meeting new people and doing different things on the cheap of course.

Public library offers free books, course, entertainment, movies all for free.

In the summer there are always free concerts, parades, festivals and outdoor events that you can attend for free.

Have A Great Cheap Cheetah Day!

Making Extra $$

Hey Family, How are you . with Spring on the way and vacations and vacations are right behind that  now is the time to start thinking of ways to make a extra buck or two. Here are some of my suggestions please feel free to include your as well.

Thing to do to make an Extra Buck Or Two

Affiliate marketing.

Waiting tables.

Build up an online business

Just get a good side job.

Write articles online or write a short report and sell it on the internet

design or programming, freelancing

write e books, do fivvers

sell stuff on and off line

Multi-Leveling Marketing

 House/Office  cleaning

Become a Cook/Baker

Catering

Event Planner

These are just a few suggestions I am sure you have plenty more. The thoughts and suggestions are  good but the most important is that you take action and do it.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Day!

Credit Cards

Good Morning Family. Let's talk credit cards and if you don't watch them they could be more of a curse then a blessing. Here's some credit card information you need to know.

Top 10 credit card mistakes to avoid

Many people end up hurting their credit rating through making these 10 common credit card mistakes. I hope this information can help you avoid making the same mistakes as others.

1. Applying for a card limit you can't repay.
2. Applying for too many credit cards at once.
3. Using the cash advance option often.
4. Only paying the minimum payment.
5. Maxing out your credit card.
6. Making late payments.
7. Failing to check your statement regularly.
8. Adding a secondary user on your card.
9. Using your credit card overseas.
10. Failing to read your credit card agreement.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Day!

A Rapper & His Money

How are you? Today we are talking about Kenye West the rapper and his money problems. Normally I would not talk about Rappers but this is a good one. Monday  March 7th at 10:30 am it's the money problem and a great solution to his  money situation. This will be a fun talk so stay tune....www.blogtalkradio.com/cheap-cheetah ( you can archive the show it's on itune)

Purchases

Hello Family Here's the question for today. What has been your best and worst purchase. Don't say you don't have any because you do. Here to get you warmed up I will go first. See I am not ashamed to admit that I have not made good money choices in my life. So here goes

My Three Best & Worst Purchases

 here are my best

1. stock purchases

2, my house

3. Books and personal experiences on frugal /cheap living

My Worst 3

1. broke boyfriends who I spend money on

2. not paying into getting a better education

3. paying to much for my first car I paid $10,000 it was only worth $7000.

See how easy that was. So I am waiting share your best and worst and let's help each other to not let the worst purchases happen again!

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Day!

Wishful Thinking

Good Evening Family. Here' the question for today if you were 20 again what would you do money wise differently?

Wishful Thinking

if you where 20 again money wise what would you have done differently.

Put more money in Berkshire Hathaway?
Made friends with Bill Gates.

I would have embraced the term "compounded interest" and chose a profession based on something I had a passion to do instead of potential income.

I'd have put more money into savings and not-too-risky investments

I would max out my Roth and stay out of debt.

lived within my means - no credit cards or car loans.
took better care of my body.
spent more time with people that are gone now.

Not taken out those unnecessary student loans!

Develop Financial Discipline.

I am sure you can add to the list. Just think about it and Have A Great Cheap Cheetah Week!