Want to be a bargain finder? Want to be the one that always finds the deals and has money left over? Start by learning the secrets of opportunism.

Do you know that you can eat a wider variety of fruit than your neighbor, and spend only half as much to do so? How? By buying fruit in season, when it is at the lowest price. As a bonus, it is also of the highest quality at these times. This is opportunism.

Notice that this means not always getting exactly what you want when you want it. You get more variety this way, and you spend much less, but you go with the flow. If oranges are cheap, you’ll be eating oranges. If apples are in season, you’ll be eating apples. Whatever the case, you’ll always be finding bargains.

You never have to eat things you don’t like or deny yourself pleasure. You just shop for those things that you like among those that are cheaper now. There will be other, different, great deals next week or next month. Unless you are extremely picky about what you eat, you’ll almost always find delicious foods that you like on sale.

That’s the premise of opportunism – that you get more by going with the flow. A true bargain finder gets more variety in the long run, and more for the money. This can be applied to many areas of life.

<b>Bargain Finder Examples</b>

When I went to Ecuador a few years ago, there were many interesting places I wanted to go. I chose Ecuador because it was a thousand dollars less to go there than to any other country. I had a fantastic time for a month for $1040 (including airfare). I also met the most wonderful woman I know there, and eventually married her, so you never know what riches you’ll find when you go with the flow.

We go to the movies here in Tucson on Tuesdays, when we can get in for $2.00 each. Others are paying $8.75 a couple miles away. What are they getting by paying four times as much? They get to see the movie six weeks earlier. The movies don’t change in those six weeks, by the way, and enough friends have seen them by then to let us know if they’re good or not.

Opportunism means not paying more unless you are getting more. It also means making honest choices. Will you actually enjoy that movie more by seeing it now? More than you’ll enjoy the FOUR movies you can see in it’s place? Do you have to take that fishing trip now? If you’re planning to take both a fishing trip and a gambling trip, why not do each when it’s cheapest?

When William Danko and Thomas Stanley wrote “The Millionaire Next Door,” they found that MOST millionaires bought used cars. They bought BMWs and Mercedes, not old Ford Pintos, but the lesson was clear: They understand opportunity. Cars often lose half of their value in the first three years, but they’re not half used-up, are they? Is it worth an extra $6,000 to say you have a new car (And you will have to tell people, since it’s hard to tell a three-year-old car from a new one)?

To be an opportunist doesn’t mean just settling for whatever is easy and cheap to get in life. We all have our areas that are more important to us. If you really love those $15 cigars, why not buy them? On the other hand, if you really can’t tell the difference between the $5 and $50 wine, why not buy the former? Opportunism is one of the keys to being a true bargain finder.

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Telephones are no longer considered a luxury but a necessity.  People of all ages usually have a land fixed telephone line plus a cell phone.  Kids can’t imagine not having a cell phone to chat with their friends.  Some even use their phone to keep in touch with parents.  At least we’re communicating more with each other but it’s become a monthly expense that can get out of control.

Some are afraid to open their phone bill each month and discover how much they went over budget.  If you’re spending more than you should, then it’s time to take a good close look at your bill and determine if you really need all those extra bells and whistles.

For instance, ring tones are fun, but do you really need them.  Can you do without call forwarding and call waiting?  How often do you text message?  If you don’t regularly use these extras that you pay for cancel them and save.

It may be time to go totally cellular.  More than 15% of households have done just that.  Before you take the total cell plunge, analyze your phone bill to see how much you use your landline and then add about 20%.  Most people tend to talk more on their cell than the landline.  It just seems to be cool and convenient.

Comparison shop.  Some providers are not opposed to negotiating for free minutes, lower rates and even free services.  There is lots of competition out there but be sure you have the plan that’s right for you even if you pay more.  Ask about combining services and a family plan if several phones are needed.

Read the contract carefully including the fine print.  Ask questions, but ultimately making the right decisions will be up to you.  Make sure the provider rounds to the nearest second, not minute.

If you’ll be talking more in the evening hours make sure you get their definition of night hours.  Roaming charges can take a big bite out of your pocketbook and vary with the provider.

Take advantage of the trial period.  This can vary from 2 days to 30 days and may be negotiable.  This will give you a chance to use the cell phone in your home and see if there are any areas of poor reception.  Find out if you can access 911 with your cell.

VOIP (voice over internet Protocol) comes from your Internet provider and transmits calls over the internet.  If you make many long distance calls this can be a good choice because it usually provides unlimited local and long distance calls.  But, if you have a power failure, most broadband cell phones won’t work.

Another option is the pre-paid phone cards where you pay for minutes in advance.  The price range is about $15 to $25.  This is good for chatty children with a limited amount of minutes teaching them discipline and budgeting.  If you lose the card you lose the minutes and many have an expiration date.

Going totally cellular is an important decision.  Be honest with yourself on how much you use the phone.  Over estimate rather than under estimate.  Avoid long term contracts.  Keep an eye out for special limited offers.  Good phone service can keep you in touch.  But, don’t lose touch with your budget.

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Money, according to a classical definition, is what money does. And truth, as they say, is like a rubber band. Stretch it and it can do wonders. So if we can really make money in order to do whatever we want, there is nothing like that.

To provide 10 quick tips to save money is almost like a first-aid approach to a very intricate problem perhaps faced by almost each of us. It is important to know how to manage money efficiently to ensure bulky savings. Whether to save some part of what we have to spend or whether to spend at all on a service or commodity should be the first question to be answered.

Firstly in case of large investments, the first step for a prospective buyer is to identify and correlate the valuable item or service with need or desire. It is better to test its utility first, for example, by borrowing it for a fixed time period. If you are satisfied and convinced about its necessity and think that you really need that, you may buy it. But to save money, you as a wise consumer must find the best seller in terms of comparative pricing, quality & market reputation.

For lower priced items, one has to shop for the lowest prices, also keeping an eye on the quality aspect. For example, if you take the instance of buying clothes, the best purchase is off-season discount sale, wherein you can get good clothes at cheap rates.

For financial investments, like the stock market, follow the golden rule of buying volatile stocks when the price of an item is down & sell it when it is at a high. The profit thus earned can be invested in the equity market for steady items.

Today’s Internet has provided the best opportunities to shop vigorously for the best price before you actually drop the money. Especially for insurance, loan facilities and financial management, one is spoilt for choices. Proper analysis of rates and amortization goes a long way in saving even hundreds of dollars in a year.

Change of plan in case of services like telephone, insurance, etc. can save you costly dollars provided you simply have the knowledge about the best existing plan.

Making a monthly budget for buying the essential items and regulating the number of luxury items can yield considerable savings.

Expensive weekends and extravagant outings should be replaced by reasonable excursion for wholesale entertainment.

Proper food planning and food habits result in better living, both financially and mentally. Stay healthy and you can save on medical bills. Having a proper food plan also prevents food from being wasted.

Paying the bills within due dates provides invaluable savings, because, in this case, as you have to pay, it is better to pay in time to avoid penalty.

If you are an employer, you should encourage flexible job responsibilities for your task force, making each one compatible with the work within a department. This will help in cutting down employees cost and help complete a task within time, even if someone is absent.

There are obviously several other ways to save money and lead a frugal life without tension. It is always told that money saved is money earned. Just keep it in mind and stay happy.

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Giving a gift is a way of saying I love you and you’re special. It can be a distinctive thank you for just being you.  Whatever the reason, the act of giving is something we all enjoy even though times are tough and maybe your budget is stretched to the limit.  What can you do to make gift giving more affordable and still give with pride?  Let’s take a look at some of the ways.

Personalized homemade gifts are some of the best.  These depend somewhat on your particular talent but others can be made with just a little creativity and imagination.  Ideas could range from something you’ve sewn or knitted such as scarves or sweaters.  Handcrafted jewelry or wood art would be a special gift of your talent.

Frame a picture of your family or the recipient.  Frames aren’t that hard to make or buy an inexpensive frame and personalize it with your own handiwork by adding shells, brass corners or names.  A personalized gift with someone’s name is always appreciated.

Calendars can be made from photos taken throughout the year.  These are easy and fairly inexpensive to make online.  You make it more personal by adding special dates and names such as birthdays and anniversaries.  This is a gift that gives all year.

Books can be real treasures for a lifetime.  Hard cover books are best but soft covers can be made special with an autograph of the author or a personal hand written note from you.  Include a bookmark with the person’s name.

Food dishes you’ve cooked yourself are wonderful gifts.  Prepare whatever is your specialty such as jellies, breads, candies or cookies.  Make is personal with a label that says “From the Kitchen of…”  Decorate it with a colorful bow or ribbon and include the recipe.

Plants you grow yourself can be an inexpensive yet thoughtful gift.  A small colorful plant is probably best and can be placed in a pretty container with a ribbon.  Include a note on how to care for the plant. If you don’t have a green thumb, silk flowers would be appropriate and can look almost real.

A magazine subscription keeps giving every month.  They’ll think of you each time they receive a copy and be reminded of your thoughtfulness.  Many schools sell magazine subscriptions as a fund raiser giving you an opportunity to do two good deeds.

Gifts for or from the computer are perfect these days.  Use your computer to create personalized address labels or greeting cards.  It’s easy to put names on them.  Computer software games can also be given or tutorials on various hobbies and projects. Personalized gifts given with thoughtfulness and care are for all ages and worth far more than a hurried purchase just to fulfill your obligation regardless of the cost.

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There’s no question that money is important. Everyone can agree that saving money as early on as possible will help you and your family achieve a more stable life than someone who does not save.

Saving money long term is a way of protecting yourself from the natural adversity that comes with life. Long term savings goals are much more important that short term ones that are put toward a new pair of shoes or golf clubs. Long term savings goals actually affect the quality of life in your future.

Here’s a look at a few important reasons that you will want to save money on a regular basis to secure your future.

A few important reasons to save:

• Saving money for your future will provide you and your family with flexible monetary resources in case anything unexpected comes up. Putting away 20% of your income in addition to your personal and household expenses can really make a big difference in your future.
• Saving money regularly can also provide an excellent source for future business ventures as capital. It also allows for exploring unharnessed talents and other interests that may increase your income.
• Saving for your children, if you have any, is one of the most important things you can do. Education is very important and yet very expensive.  Knowing your child will have options will give you a great sense of accomplishment and peace of mind.
• Saving money as early on as possible can secure your retirement income. Up to 25% 9that’s one quarter!) of today’s elderly have failed to secure enough for retirement income without at least working a part-time job to cover their basic expenses.

Regardless of your situation, there is almost always a way to find at least a small amount of money that can be put toward saving money for your future. Talk to your bank or other financial advisor to get ideas of what will work for you. It’s never too early or too late.

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If you were to consult a finance professional or get advice from a wealthy businessman, the common consensus with most of them is that the most secure and effective way to manage your money is still through banking.It simultaneously allows you to receive your income, track all of your transactions, and effectively save your money.

Effectively saving money at the bank is the one aspect that most people do not take advantage of at the bank.

One method is using an account that requires you to have a minimum balance, thereby forcing you to save in exchange for banking benefits and an interest rate on the amount.

How do these interest rates work? basically, these are payments made to you in exchange for leaving your money in the bank. By depositing your money, you are essentially allowing the bank to use that money as loans and other financial operations that they can make money on by charging interest and service fees. That money then trickles back down to you in the form of interest. Think of it as a thank you payment and it’s set up to be a bit incentive-based in the way that the more you put in, the more you will make.

You have options like mutual funds and time-deposit accounts that require you to leave your money untouched for a longer period of time that give you a higher return on your investment in exchange for for the long term.

Don’t be afraid of your bank. Talk to them and ask them to explain their saving schemes in detail for you so that you can figure out the best option for you.

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Some of the most sought after advice in the world has to do with finance and budgeting.  Understandably so, since in most cases, the money we earn is usually from long hours of hard work on a regular basis. In addition to that, one of most people’s worst fears is having to retire without any income. As you approach middle age, it really begins to sink in and you want to be sure that you can take care of yourself when you can no longer work.

Although it may sound cliche, the first step to achieving success with managing your money is having a budget and setting a goal. Ask yourself questions like what it is you want to achieve, how much do you want to put aside, what is the money being saved for. be sure to write these things down so that you can calculate what it takes to reach that goal.

Now what you want to do is log details of where your money is going.  This will include a lit of literally everything that you spend money on including bills, entertainment, and even a coffee or a pack of gum.
Once you see what your money is being spent on, you can exchange some of the small things for savings. For instance, why not save the $5 for your expensive morning latte and put that into a savings account instead. A $5 coffee 5 days a week = $1300/year!

Being in debt can turn into a vicious cycle quickly. One great way to get it down quickly is to focus on your biggest debt first by putting all your extra money on it while paying the minimum on the others. Once that one is paid, move to putting extra on your second largest bill and so on.

Again, keeping track of everything, planning, and setting goals is a huge step that will increase your chances of getting out of the debt cycle faster and living debt free.

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