Fine Tuning Your Budget

Once you have made your budget and say to yourself, "Oh, Heavens to Betsy, I don't have enough money to cover everything" Don't Panic!! Now it is time to cut a few corners and cut a few unessentials out of your life. For me that meant changing car insurance to get a better rate and canceling my XM Radio subscription. FM will have to do for now.

Here are a few things that you can do to cut the fat out of your budget:

1. Shop around for better car insurance or house insurance rates to get the best deal, without lowering your coverage.

2. Check around for the best cable tv rates or directv for your needs. By switching, you may be able to save a little money and get a bill credit each month for a year.

3. Did you know that you can refinance your auto loan? For my old car, I was paying $733.00 a month and I owed $17,000. I was able to refinance my auto loan and brought my payment down to $425 a month, giving me more cash flow.

4. Don't eat out a lot, and if you do, cut back a little. Eating out is very expensive. It is much more economical to go to the grocery store and plan out your meals for the week and buy your meals that way. Yes, cooking is a drag, but it will help you make your budget. If you clip and use coupons, that will even help you save even more.

5. Tighten up on your Utility bills. Contact your utility carriers if you are low income. Sometimes they may have special rates or discounts. I know that SBC has a Universal Lifeline plan which is discounted and Pacific Gas and Electrical has a "CARE" program, which gives the user a discount on rates. Even Omaha, Nebraska's power company has a "Budget" program.

6. If you are a homeowner, you may be able to have your property taxes reduced. I know that in California, the economy has severely dropped property values, but the properties are still being taxed at a higher rate. Contact your County Assessor's Office and see what you can do to have your property taxes reduced if the value of your property has declined. The reduction may only be temporary, but any extra that you can save will help you out.