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Slash Your Bills — 6 Ways to Keep More Cash
Like a lot of hardworking couples, Ilah and Dennis Hardesty of Long Beach, California, live paycheck to paycheck. Their $1,200 monthly rent eats up about half of Dennis’s take-home pay as a manager for a racing car engine manufacturer. Private school tuition for their three teens takes another $400 bite. Income from Ilah’s two part-time jobs — as a fitness trainer and school secretary—disappears at the gas station and the grocery store.
The bottom line Even with no car payments and just $300 in credit card debt, the family barely gets by. "We don’t have a penny in savings", says Ilah. "No, I actually do have one cent in my account".
With inflation outpacing wage growth in recent years, it’s not hard to find families like the Hardestys running out of money before they run out of month. According to the nonpartisan (无党派的) Economic Policy Institute, which studies lower-and middle-class economic trends, the median hourly wage of an American worker after inflation is less today than in 2003. The result is less buying power after the bills are paid.
These days, inflation is hovering around three percent, so anyone who remembers the double-digit price spikes of the 1970s might wonder what all the fuss is about. But even moderate inflation takes its toll, says personal finance expert Jonathan Pond, author of You Can Do It! The Boomer’s Guide to a Great Retirement. In fact, annual inflation of just three percent doubles the cost of living every 23 or 24 years. Meanwhile, some essential expenses — energy, health care, higher education — are far outpacing the inflation index. No wonder families are feeling pinched.
Pinched doesn’t have to mean powerless, though. Here, then, are six ways to save money on the big bills.
Education Options
Here’s a pop quiz: Who’s turned out move current CEOs of S&P 500 corporations — Harvard or the University of Wisconsin Pencils up: They’re running neck and neck, according to a recent study by Spencer Stuart, an executive recruiting firm. The study reinforces what should be common sense: There’s no direct correlation between where a child goes to undergraduate school and later success. In fact, the pricey Ivies trained only ten percent of those CEOs.
So if your family’s budget favors State College over Snooty U., don’t sweat it. Kids who are motivated will succeed, no matter the color of their cap and gown. Look for quality institutions in your area. Consider a local four-year college and save on mom and board.
Or opt for a community college the first two years (tuition is bargain-basement), then finish up at a state school or private university. Don’t forget: Once your child moves on to, say, Tufts, he will get a Tufts diploma.
Financial planners also suggest that parents give priority to their own retirement savings over college funds, since there are no loans, grants or scholarships for surviving your senior years.
Taking Care of Health Care
Like education; health care costs have been outpacing inflation, which is one reason why employers are shifting more of the insurance burden to individuals. To control the expense, many people are opting for higher deductibles and lower monthly premiums. What’s more, says Pond, "four-fifths of Americans enjoy pretty darn (非常) good health and could be safe choosing a policy with fewer bells and whistles. If no one in your family uses expensive pharmaceuticals, why pay for a high-priced drug benefit"
But what happens if you suddenly need a costly long-term drug Many policies allow you to upgrade to a plan with better benefits, after a six-month waiting period. You might also check out WalMart. The company recently started a program in 27 states to fill 30-day generic prescriptions for just $4 each. Nearly 300 drugs are covered. Among them are clonidine (blood pressure), metformin (diabetes) and fluoxetine (an antidepressant).
HSA deposits roll over year to year, so you don’t lose the money if you stay healthy. Withdrawals to pay for medical expenses are never taxed or penalized as long as you live. After age 65, you can withdraw the money for any reason without penalty, but you’ll have to pay taxes if the withdrawal is for nonmedical expenses.
Eat Healthy, Pay Less
The best way to cut your food bill is to eat less. Seems obvious, but here’s something you probably didn’t know: Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison calculated that while "supersizing" your fast-food meal might be penny-wise (the average supersize adds just 17 percent to the price but 73 percent more calories), it’s literally pound-foolish.
Dave Lieberman, chef and host of Good Deal With Dave Lieberman on the Food Network, throws cold water on the common belief that healthy food costs more than junk. And he dismisses the myth that coupons will save you money. Most coupons, he says, are designed to promote new, more expensive items. "I never use coupons unless it’s for something I need".
Drive a Good Bargain
Gas goes up, gas goes down, but the long-term trend is going nowhere but up. Protect yourself by ditching that gas guzzler (原意：酒量大的人), but be careful. Many hybrids don’t get much better mileage than smaller conventional cars, says Terry Savage, and they cost a lot more.
Even hybrids with excellent mpg ratings save the most money in stop-and-go city traffic. "I considered buying a hybrid", says Savage, who takes public transportation in her hometown of Chicago and drives on weekends to get out of the city. "But most of my miles are on the highway. I figured out the difference in miles per gallon, and the extra cash outlay for the hybrid didn’t make sense. But if you do a lot of city driving, it might be a good deal".
The federal government is currently offering tax credits for buying new hybrids. The credit varies considerably depending on the car.
Get a Handle on Home Energy
You already know that by insulating and sealing up your house, you can save money on your heating and air-conditioning bills. But did you know those improvements can save you big tax dollars
Many energy-efficient upgrades you make on your home during the 2006/2007 calendar years qualify for a federal tax credit up to $500 over the two years. (Tax School 101: A tax credit means a dollar-for-dollar reduction on the taxes you owe; that’s better than a tax deduction, which merely lessens the amount of income on which you are taxed.)
Say you spend $ 600 adding extra insulation to your attic (the most common site of heat loss). You can subtract ten percent of that cost, or $60, from your tax bill. Energy Star-rated windows and doors (an efficiency standard set by the federal government) generally qualify for the credit, offsetting the higher cost of these products. But you won’t get the credit if you don’t claim it.
Shop Smart
Clothing’s a basic need, but the endless cycle of sales, the proliferation of outlet stores, and online coupons can actually make people spend more on clothing than necessary, says Kathryn Finney, author of How to Be a Budget Fashionista.
Instead of grabbing everything that catches your eye, apply Finney’s "cost-per-wear" rule: "When I see something I like, I ask myself ’How many times am I going to wear this in a year’ Then I divide the price by that number. Ideally, an article of clothing should cost no more than $3 per wear".
To help you find the best deals on the Internet, there’s new bargain-tracking software that notifies you (your toolbar turns colors) when your favorite stuff is on sale. Check out the Intelligent Shopping toolbar at ShopAtHome. com. Finney also likes Wow-Coupons. corn for its printable coupons that she takes to the store.
When you do go shopping, don’t be afraid to ask your salesperson if she’s got any coupons or deals. Or ask if that’s her best price. Some stores will take off as much as 15 percent, just for the asking.
To stick to her budget, Finney avoids credit cards and buys prepaid gift cards at her bank in the amount she can afford. "Once it’s gone, it’s gone", she says. The cards may cost a few dollars. Check for hidden fees and expiration dates.
As a manager, Dennis can earn $5000 or so every month.