Budget – Susman

October 7, 2016

Let’s Make A Deal

We are all always on the look-out for the best deals. From groceries to cars to vacations. Everyone wants the best product or service at the very best price. While there are some groups of people that brag about how much they paid for something, there is a larger group that would rather brag about how much they saved.

I fall into that category. I LOVE to save money, especially on my favorite items. I wouldn’t call myself a bargain shopper, but I do spend time looking for a deal. My personal taste ranges from generic to fancy – it just depends on the item. While I do believe ‘you get what you pay for’ to a certain extent, I also believe I can purchase most of my stuff on a deal. I have multiple websites I visit before purchasing an item – obviously at the best price I can find. I constantly search or travel deals and spent almost a month car shopping. Like I said, I like to save money – oh, but I don’t coupon which is kind of funny.

One of the items I spent time researching is insurance. I want the best policy, with the best coverage, at the best price – or at least at a price I can afford and fit into my budget. Isn’t that what we all want? I don’t recommend just arbitrarily signing -up for the first insurance company and policy that you find online. Take time to find an agency AND agent that is the right for you and that offers the polices that you need and the coverage that you want. You are paying to have added protection for the things most important in your life. While finding the best deal is always something to brag about, so is finding the absolute best insurance.

video-game-deals

September 23, 2016

New Home

In the market for a new home? How about your FIRST home? This is both exciting and stressful. However, to elevate some of the stress and confusion, there are lots of things you can do to help make the house hunt easier and the entire process less stressful.

– Make sure you are saving/have saved for a down payment, closing costs, taxes, and insurance.

– Constantly work on improving your credit score

– Calculate exactly what you can afford and don’t go over budget

– Get pre-approved to see if it matches your budget

– Choose a realtor

– Make at ‘wishlist’ of what you want in a home

– Visit homes – hopefully find your dream home and make an offer

You also want to make sure you look at safe neighborhoods. While crime happens in all areas, moving to an area that is less prone and already has a low documented crime rate will give you peace of mind.

Don’t forget to add in other costs as well – utilities, l andscaping, remodel/renovations. You might find an amazing deal on the house with a mortgage you can afford and then go WAY over your monthly budget, because of all the extras.

Take your time and don’t rush. Purchasing a new home – especially your first home – should be taken very seriously with a focus on every detail.

1st-time-hb

April 11, 2016

Monthly Priorities

Okay…so I am going to pretend that all of you reading this do in fact have a life insurance policy. You planned accordingly and know what you final expenses will be and underst and the importance of providing for and protecting your loved ones after you are gone. From the day you signed up for the policy, you have made the payments accordingly and faithfully. Good for you!

Did you know that not everyone is like that? A friend of mine recently told me she was thinking about cancelling her policy, because she can’t afford the payment. She said he budget is too tight and she is living month-to-month on her paychecks.

I am no stranger to finances being tight. I too have lived month-to-month and barely squeaked by. The economy has been tough on all of us. However, life insurance is not something that you cancel or stop paying on. There is always another option to consider. For example, that fancy latte that you are buying everyday on the way to work. You spend more on that than the average monthly premium. Buy a coffee pot. Make coffee at home. Keep the premium. That is just one example. I am sure there are plenty of frivolous items we all could cut out of our spending.

Your life and the coverage of your loved ones is WAY more important that a foofoo latte or a new blu-ray.

Priorities people!

priorities

April 8, 2016

Add to the Budget

Do you live beyond your means? Do live paycheck to paycheck? Is it a struggle to pay your bills?

I am not asking if you make enough money, I am wondering if the money that you are making is being allotted to the appropriate items. Yes, I underst and that there are a ton of people out there that struggle so badly and don’t make enough money to just scrap by. However, there is also a ton of other people that make a decent amount of money, but fail to properly budget and don’t stay on track with their financial responsibilities. I remember walking down the hallway of a college once and hearing a girl scream at her parents over the phone, dem anding that they give her money and help her with her bills. Meanwhile, she had a venti espresso in her h and and top-of-the-line purse, shoes, and sunglasses. It was SO irritating. Clearly, she was living beyond her means and wasn’t budgeting!

It is important to be financially responsible. It is important to create a budget and live within your means. It is also very important to make sure that within that budget, you add the monthly payment for your insurance policies. Yes, as in multiple policies- car, home, health, auto, life, etc…It is extremely import those items are added to your budget and that you don’t miss payments. They are your life lines in more ways than one. Don’t stress – we can help you fit all policies into your budget and make sure you are properly covered.

Let’s Make A Deal

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