Finance Tips » Money saving tips

Tips for Making a High-Impact, Money-Saving Presentation Booklet

admin — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 01:33:24 +0000

Your boss asks you to present your company’s services to a prestigious potential client. You’re speaking at a seminar for professionals in your industry. You’re introducing your project to the board of directors for approval. Whatever the scenario, many of us will have to present our knowledge to others in a business setting at some point.

Whether you’re presenting to a group of colleagues or to clients, you want to deliver your information effectively.

Creating a professional presentation booklet can help you organize your message and keep your audience’s attention. They can peruse a read-along booklet during your presentation, then take the booklet with them to reinforce your message. Or you can add extra information in a presentation booklet so they’ll continue reading after you’ve sparked their interest in the topic.

Here are some suggestions for an effective and professional presentation booklet:

- Make your booklet a hard copy of the PowerPoint you’ll be projecting

- Give them an overview of your company or the background of your presentation

- Leave space in the booklet so your audience can write thoughts or take notes during your presentation, if appropriate

- Focus your booklet on statistics and facts related to your presentation

- Be sure to leave contact information or action you want them to take at the end of the presentation booklet

Now that you have ideas for what to put in your presentation booklet, there are several ways to actually make one:

You can take your information to a local printing company or printing website and have them create the booklet for you. This can quickly become expensive, depending on the size and quality of your presentation booklet. Color print, paper type, and binding type are some of the variables that will affect the price.

If you (or your company) are planning to create a presentation booklet more than once, it may be more economical to get the materials to make it yourself. You may already own or have access to a higher quality printer.

You will need to purchase a binding machine (a largish purchase), and the supplies for the booklet (paper and covers, nominal purchases). After these initial costs, you will enjoy the convenience and relatively low expense of producing your own presentation booklets.

Another benefit to creating your own presentation booklets is quality. Many printing companies allow for defects in your order. And if they don’t get it right the first time, it may be too late by the time you receive the remake. When you create your own presentations, you get to decide what the final product is, and you’ll be able to produce them as quickly as you like.

I’d recommend using the Unibind XU138. The great thing about a Unibind system is that you can quickly and easily create professional looking hard or soft cover books. You can also reuse the binding and add or remove pages from your booklet if you need to change the content.

Warning: a poor quality presentation booklet won’t help your presentation – it will draw attention away from your message! Demand the highest quality from your printer, or do it yourself to ensure that it’s done right.

4 Tips for Saving Money On Groceries

admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 11:19:52 +0000

It can be tempting to spend $100 or more while making a trip to the local store. Here are some ideas to help you keep control of your shopping:

1. Make a meal plan

By planning your meals ahead of time, you’ll know exactly what you need from the store before you go. There will be no guessing and no wasted food.

2. Watch for specials

Many local stores put out newsletters and coupons. Watch for local specials and plan your meals around them.

3. Make a list

Very simple and often forgotten, making a list can be one of your best money saving tips as long as you stick to it! Don’t buy anything not on your list or you could be in trouble.

4. Walmart isn’t always cheap

While it may seem Walmart has the lowest prices, this is not always true. Check your local grocery stores and compair prices. You may be surprised to find some of the same items lower cost. Don’t forget about the new chain of Super Target!

These are just some simple ideas which I hope will help in your next trip to the store. Following a budget and a plan can help cut your costs, but make sure you stick to it!

Buying a Baby Stroller – 5 Money Saving Tips

admin — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:05:04 +0000

Are you looking for a good baby stroller for your family? There are so many models available on the market today, with prices and quality ranging from very low to very high. So how do you find a great stroller without breaking your budget? Here are 5 tips to help you save money on this very important purchase.

Purchase a universal car seat carrier (stroller frame) instead of a travel system. This is such a convenient and inexpensive device for transporting your baby during the first six months. You simply attach the infant car seat onto the frame, and away you go! Baby is undisturbed, and best of all, you have a few months to do some research and decide on what type of stroller you’d like to purchase when your child is older and you need more features. Do lots of research before buying a stroller. After the first 6 months, you will need a stroller that has, as a minimum, features such as a comfortable, adjustable reclining seat, a sun canopy, good-sized storage baskets and cup holders. Make a list of what features are most important to you, then do some research on the Internet to find out what is available. If you can, try out several models in stores. Keep in mind that you will need a reliable stroller for at least the next two or three years (more if you plan on having additional children), so don’t make a rushed decision. And don’t waste your money buying a stroller that has more features than you need. Buy a basic umbrella stroller for short trips to the mall. After the age of 6 months, your baby will be old enough to sit comfortably in an umbrella stroller. These strollers are light, fold up easily and compactly and are very inexpensive compared to full feature strollers. This is the perfect second stroller for running quick errands with your baby, although don’t plan on buying too much stuff during these outings, as the storage capacity of the basket underneath the seat is limited. Look for sales. There are always lots of great deals to be had when purchasing a stroller, especially on the Internet. Online baby gear retailers need to clear out overstock, so last year’s models – which usually aren’t very different than the current year’s newer models – can often be purchased for a lot less. You can also take a look at what’s for sale at warehouse clubs and on eBay and Craigslist. In addition, stroller manufacturers sometimes have good factory sales, so check out their websites on a regular basis. Always request the model year information on a stroller you’re interested in to make sure you’re not getting one that has been lying in a warehouse for the past 10 years! Sell your stroller when you’re done with it. If your stroller is still in good shape when your child has outgrown it, consider consigning it at a baby gear store or selling it on eBay or on Craigslist. Good quality brands of baby strollers have a higher resale value, so this is something to keep in mind when you make your initial purchase.

Buying a baby stroller that is right for your family’s lifestyle is a big decision, but by following these tips, you can save some money and have many enjoyable outings with your baby. Good strolling!

Practical Money-Saving Tips For Small Businesses

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 03:16:34 +0000

One of the primary concerns all small businesses have is saving money. When it’s time to trim the fat, most look for one giant expense to decrease or eliminate in order to stay within budget. More often than not, it doesn’t work that way.

Most budgeting experts will tell you that re-evaluating your overall expenses and cutting each by just a bit will actually gain you more ground than doing without something major that you really need. Here are a few ideas of areas to look at and costs to reduce that can have a major impact on your overall profits.

1) Internet Access – Every online business owner must have access to the Web. But consider this. The market is so flooded with ISPs that you have a lot of room to dicker. Start by searching the Internet under keywords like “cheap internet access” or “discount isp” to bring up lists of possibilities. Then, do one of two things.

(a) Try some of these independent ISPs. Smaller companies can have high quality service and support just like the “big boys”. One business owner I know recently switched from Prodigy ($21.95/mth) to a smaller ISP that only charges $12.50/mth with no contracts. She actually liked the new provider better and it costs her about half as much. [Savings of $113.40 per year.]

(b) Renegotiate with your existing ISP. Most larger ISPs know you have a choice of a thousand other companies. Because of this, they are normally more than willing to renegotiate your costs. Be honest. Tell them you are a small business owner and you need to cut expenses. Explain that you’ve been pleased with their service but will be forced to go with someone else if some sort of arrangement isn’t worked out. Another friend of mine did this and received 6 months free! Most will offer 2-3 months free and/or a discount with an annual agreement. NOTE: When you approach your ISP, be fully prepared to switch to someone else if your offer is rejected. [Savings of $105.80 per year with 3 months free and reduced, annual rate.]

2) Switch From A Merchant Account To A Payment Service – If you have a low volume of credit card transactions, it might benefit you to switch from a merchant account to some sort of payment service like Pay Pal or ClickBank. Statement fees, monthly fees, discount percentages and the like can all add up to big money.

While payment services normally have reduced fees, they do have higher “per transaction” costs so you’ll have to do some math to find out if this is a good idea for your business. Just take an “average” invoice amount from a sale and multiply it times 12 to get a base total to work with. Now, add in your 12 months worth of fees for statement, monthly access, discount percentage, per transaction cost, etc. This is your “example” total. Do the same with several payment services using their costs to see which one, over time, would be less expensive for you.

If you were paying a $15 statement fee, $20 monthly fee, 3% + $.35 per transaction and $25 monthly gateway fee, your annual expenses would be $742.20 for an average transaction of $50.00. Your annual fees for a payment service with 3.5%, $1.00 per transaction and a one-time $50.00 set up charge would only be $83.00 per year. [Savings of $659.20 per year.]

3) Re-evaluate Your Long Distance Costs – Competition is the small business owner’s friend! With hundreds of long distance companies out there, you can drastically reduce your charges instantly. Again – use the ‘Net to search for inexpensive long distance service. A business owner I know changed from a MCI “program” to one of those 10-10 companies and reduced her per minute charge from $ .07 to $ .05. Depending on the volume of calls you make, some programs offer rates as low as $ .03 per minute. [Estimated savings of $20-$30 per year for 1,000 minutes.]

From just these three little things, we’ve saved an estimated $802.60 per year. That’s enough to make anyone’s spreadsheet sing! Go through your list of costs and you will most likely find other expenses that can easily be reduced with a bit of research and a phone call or two.

Disney Word Tips – Saving Money on Food Costs

admin — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:27:52 +0000

Disney World has become the pinnacle of all family vacation destinations. While there is no doubt that your family will have fun at Disney World, getting there and back on a tight budget is sometimes easier said than done. But like all vacation spots, there are some tips for Disney World that can save you hundreds of dollars.

One of the largest expenditures you will face on any vacation is the cost of food and beverage. Tourism areas know that you have to eat on your trip and some use this advantage to hike up prices beyond reasonable means. Disney World is no stranger to the tourism industry and you certainly aren’t going to find any $3.00 lunch specials within park boundaries. But there are ways to control your food costs at Disney. Here are some simple tips to get you started.

Use the Meal Packages

If you are purchasing a Magic Your Way package, then you have probably contemplated whether or no the food options are worth it. As it turns out, they are actually a pretty good deal based on convenience and cost. Typically you have access to two sit-down meals and one concession snack with the most popular packages. There are plenty of restaurants within the park that participate in this offer, and if you plan your meal effectively, then you will find the package to be a great add-on. Purchasing in advance also helps to control your budget so that you don’t spend beyond your means.

Eat Before You Go

This is a very good strategy, especially for breakfast time. There are hundreds of convenient food outlets in the vicinity of the theme parks, and all of them offer substantial savings to what you will find inside Disney. Obviously it is difficult to exit the park solely for meals, but grabbing a bite before you enter is easy enough to plan for.

Eat Later Meals

The way that you structure your meal times can also impact how much you will spend of food and beverage. If you can eat a later lunch for instance, you will probably be able to hold off on dinner until your trip home. This will allow you to dine outside of the park where there are cheaper options. You can also consider subsidizing meals with concession snacks to get your family by until you find an option on the outside. If you plan properly, you will likely only need to have one full meal inside the park.

Utilize Children’s Portions

As the average portion size continues to increase in America, we find ourselves leaving more and more on our plate. Use this to your advantage by purchasing kids meals for adults. A simple platter of chicken tenders and fries is usually more than enough to tide over the average adult. Of course many of the sit-down restaurants have policies against this, but the food court areas do not. Thus, you can beat the system by targeting these outlets for your primary meal.

Like any tourism business, Disney World charges a premium for their food items. While this can be disappointing to first-time visitors, veteran Disney-goers know there are plenty of ways to find a cheap meal. The key is to know your options and plan ahead. A small amount of strategy can save you hundreds of dollars.