Due to the economic recession many households are making less then before, making it hard to bank extra money.  We also live in a society that thrives on promoting or advertising what you must have!  The line between need and want often become crossed and we end up overspending for the month.

So how can we save?  The answer lies in each one of us.   We don’t have to strive for the moon – to overshoot and miss all together.  If we take baby steps we can be successful, and if one month you fall down, don’t let it stop you!  Get up and start over again.  Here are a few money saving tips that can help you get started:

1. Set up a separate savings account and actually use it to save money.
2. Split your direct deposit so that $25.00 out of each paycheck goes into your savings account.  (out of sight out of mind)
3. Save any change that you receive after making a cash purchase. (you will be surprised how fast this adds up)
4. Plan a monthly budget, start with you needs first i.e. Rent/mortgage, electricity, car payments etc. and then budget in an allotted dollar amount for wants and stick to it.
5. Write out your grocery list before you go shopping and only get what is on the list

If you start implementing even a couple of these suggestion you will be surprised by what you can save!

Happy Savings!

1. Do you think of an industry out there taking advantage of consumers?
2. Or, do you think about an industry providing people with relief and peace of mind during this financial crisis?

Most people would say answer a.  But is that true or do we need to educate ourselves regarding this part of the financial industry?  Who are the people that need these payday loans and do they have other options?

According to www.census.gov the official poverty rate in 2010 was 15.1 percent, which was up from 14.3 percent in 2009.  In 2010, 46.2 million people were in poverty, which was up from 43.6 million in 2009.

Those are staggering numbers.  People are having a hard time making ends meet. From 2009 to 2010 an additional 2.6 million people were at poverty level.  Where did they come from?  Middle Class families?  Low Income families?   Who is out there helping them get back on their feet?  The banks?  With the foreclosures on homes, the increased account fees, overdraft fees and high credit guidelines… what do you think?

What sort of monthly expenses do all of us face? Rent/Mortgage, utility bills, insurance, car payment, food allowance just to name a few.  If you are running out of money at the end of the month what would you sacrifice?  Your electric bill?  Your rent?  Your car loan?  Or just overdraft your bank account?  All of those choices involve late fees or overdraft fees and may incur being harassed by credit agencies or having your electricity turned off, being kicked out of your home or having your vehicle repossessed.  None of those sound like viable solutions to me.

According to www.wikipedia.org the definition for a payday loan is “a small, short-term loan that is intended to cover a borrower’s expenses until his or her next payday.”   That is truly what a payday loan is there for.  Many times you will hear payday opponents talk about high interest fees, but when you research these fees in comparison to bank charges and late fees of missing necessary payments and/or possible repossessions/foreclosures/losing electricity, going hungry etc. – which sounds better to you?

So before we judge the financial institutions giving payday loans or the people receiving such loans – let’s make sure that we look at the situation from all angles, and form an educated decision.

1. Drafty Windows: Leaky window frames can account for 10-25% of your heating costs. Apply new latex to frame to decrease heat loss.
2. Mystifying Utility Bill: Most homeowners bill s down breakdown cost by category. You can hook up your appliances to smart plugs to monitor usage by type.
3. Damaged Fireplace: Up to 20% of warmed air can escape through your chimney flue. Hire a chimney sweep to clean and check the damper to seal.
4. “Phantom” appliance and electronics: Electronics that are always “on” can be adding up to 10% of your electric bill.
5. Old Water Heater: Old heaters are lined with fiberglass, not the foam used today. Some utility companies offer rebate on heater jackets, check yours today.
6. Under-the-door infiltration: Most homeowners neglect to weather strip under the door, see if you are missing this vital step.
7. Leaky Ductwork: Tape sealing your pipes joints can dry out over time. You can patch small holes or apply HVAC foil to re-seal joints.
8. Overworked Fridge: The door seal can build up dirt and lose its seal over the years. If you feel no resistance when opening the door then it’s time to clean the rubber gaskets.
9. Exterior Wall Openings: Holes for sewer, phone and exhaust vents are typically poorly or uninsulated. Fill gaps with silicone chalk or polyurethane foam.
10. Attic Hatch: A flimsy piece of plywood can suck out as much as an open fireplace chimney. Secure foam to the backside of the hatch to prevent leakage.
11. Uninsulated Switches: A thin metal plate will not prevent air leakage. Install a precut foam gasket to prevent air from escaping.
12. Outmoded furnace: Check the make date of your furnace, those made before 1992 are only up to 55-78% efficient.

Hopefully these tips will help you save money on your next Energy bill!

Stay tuned for Leadpile’s new Home Improvement offer when you can find local contractors to help you with these easy fixes.

1. Use your credit card, not your debit card. There is better financial protection for you by the bank if you use a credit card versus the debt card.
2. Be careful what you are clicking on. If you are on an online shopping site, ignore and pop ups or offers that appear on your screen. Clicking on these offers could cost you even more money!
3. Watch you credit card bills. Banks mess up, just like we all mess up with accidentally clicking on things, so review your credit card bill each month to make sure every charge is legitimate. If not, contact your credit card company immediately to dispute the charge.

Leadpile works with partnerships where we potentially offer secondary offers to our consumers filling out our forms, however we never utilize any offers that are pre populated or are deceiving. There is a loose loose situation if companies are doing this negative sort of lead generation. So pay attention to what you are clicking on online!

Payday loans, once only available through storefront operations, requiring clients to stand in line can now be applied for, and obtained through online lenders. Licensed Lenders have made applying for a payday loans over the Internet very fast and simple and it typically only requires a small amount of personal information and seldom is a credit check is necessary. Lenders approved funds are submitted directly into their client’s checking account, thus avoiding any unnecessary lengthy paperwork.

Most online payday lenders have a minimum required age of 18 and a necessary minimum monthly income for the borrower. Loan amounts range between $100- $1,500 depending on the lender and the needs of the borrower. A loan can often be received the same day, with repayment due 14 – 30 days after.

In a struggling economy where many people are in need of occasional help, a payday loan can help them through a tough time.

Housing prices seem to be stabilizing and mortgage rates are still low and with the Dow up nearly 68% since its closing low on March 9, 2009 and the NASDAQ up nearly 90%, it appears the fears of a double dip in the recession may be calming.

On the employment spectrum, unemployment is still at 9.7% and 33 states are out of money for unemployment insurance.  More than 200,000 Americans are waiting for the Senate to restore their extended unemployment insurance.  Approximately 11.2 million people are collecting unemployment insurance and the average length of collection time is 31.2 weeks.

A lot of things are still up in the air in regards to the economy, but overall, it seems things are looking up.  We’ll see how this 2nd quarter pans out with the stock markets, housing market and housing.

There are several ways to generate these leads:

* MicroClick Forms
* MicroClick iForms
* Banners
* Text Links
* “On Exit” Ads
* Open Market

If you are a publisher and looking to help provide these sorts of short term loans to members of our military, reach out to us!

Advantages to filling early can be:
*Receiving your refund faster
*Getting it over with
*Avoiding crowds and long lines at the post office
*Avoiding the possibility of being late, and owing more
*Giving your self time incase you realize something is more complicated that originally though

Advantages to waiting to pay your taxes until they are due:
*Maximizing your interest by keeping the money you owe in an interest-bearing account until April
*Possibly decrease your chances of being audited. Some think that it’s best to put your taxes off until the very extreme, and this will lessen your chances of being audited
*Tax forms can sometimes be updated during the tax season, the changes might not be reflected yet if you file early

If you are receiving money back it may be hard to wait, lending out your money to the government interest free is very nice, but not something that we all want to do for extended periods of time. If you are going to have to pay, it might be worth the wait!