Saving Money | Miss Money Bee

By Andrea Woroch

Saving on airfare is a big topic these days, especially as experts predict yet another increase in flights costs for 2013. While airfare and lodging represent the biggest chunk of travel costs, there are a host of other expenses that beg to be reduced, too.

I travel frequently for business and have family on the opposite coast. I’m constantly looking for ways to shave costs and have come up with the following advice for saving on travel extras.

1. Airport Parking
Parking at the airport seems like no big deal during quick trips, even when rates run from $12 to $30 per day. For long trips, however, there are many affordable parking lots often overlooked at your home airport. Many of these cheap parking places offer direct shuttle service with rates are as low as $3.99 per day. Check AirportReservationsParking.com for a list of places to park on the cheap, and don’t forget to search for a coupon code to save on the $5 service fee.

2. Rental Cars
Be sure to broaden your search when looking for rental cars. I recently reserved a standard car for less than the cost of an economy car, something I’d have missed if I only searched for economy prices. Additionally, you can use the Coupon Sherpa mobile app to save on rentals from Hertz; they’re current offer is $5 off weekday or weekend rentals.

3. Passport Services
Sadly, the government doesn’t offer discounts on the pricey process of passport acquisition. However, you can trim the cost of your passport photo by taking it yourself. There are several guidelines associated with taking passport photos, but this detailed video from CNET covers offers a step-by-step guide to save on this application necessity.

4. Checked Baggage Fees
Fees for checked baggage cost anywhere from $15 to upwards of $100, depending on what you’re packing and how heavy it is. The best way to avoid this extra cost is to fly Southwest or JetBlue which offer complimentary checked bags. As a UnitedChase Visa cardholder, I get my first United bag checked for free too, so consider this perk when shopping for mileage cards.

5. Security
For business travelers, time is money and anything we can do to get through the sometime endless security queues is tempting. The CLEAR program is a good option if you’re departing airport is Denver, Orlando, Dallas, Westchester or San Francisco. For $179 per year, you can zip through security after a quick eye scan to verify your information.

6. Inflight Wifi
If your flight offers Internet access at 30,000 feet, you may be tempted to log on for work or chat with friends on Facebook. Rates for this perk are about $8 per hour and can add up to nearly $30 during long flights. Before you take off, check to see if the Internet provider has any promotions or coupon codes. For instance, Gogo Inflight Wifi is currently offering two, all-day Jet Set passes for just $20 via their Facebook page. If you wait until you’re airborne, you won’t be able to access the offer.

By Cara Davis

When couples get engaged, often the first element they look to secure for their wedding is the venue. And rightfully so — in-demand venues can be booked out 18 months or more. And the cost isn’t cheap.

In 2011, couples spent an average of $1,179 on the ceremony venue, $3,228 on the reception location and $1,708 on reception rentals, according to research group TheWeddingReport.com. That doesn’t even factor the cost of decorations, food, service, bar or the wedding cake!

Brides and grooms are wising up about how and where they’re spending their money by looking for single location venues where they can host the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. Not only that, they’re looking for venues that are romantic and simple (bonus points if it’s a natural setting), so little decoration if any is needed to make the venue beautiful.

With that in mind, here are seven surprising money-saving venues worth investigating when planning a 2013 wedding.

1. The Great Outdoors
City parks are cheap and sometimes free for wedding receptions, but rentals to make it work might get costly. Try your local agricultural center instead, which boasts bountiful gardens, and more than likely facilities, kitchen, tables and chairs and an alternative indoor area in case of inclement weather.

2. Express Yourself
You’ve seen one hotel ballroom, you’ve seen them all. Couples today want to express their individuality in venues that are unexpected — like a historic library, museums and art galleries. Tia Smith of Colorado Springs chose to get married in an historical museum downtown that used to be the city courthouse. The ceremony was in an old courtroom (complete with judge’s bench and jury box). “We just loved the character of the room and the building,” she said. “Also, the venue ended up costing less than most of the churches we were looking at. We couldn’t have been happier with our venue and the unique experience it provided.”

3. Have a Ball
Sporting venues like stadiums, ice rinks and even bowling alleys can give your day a fun feel. Don’t count out the traditional golf courses — these country clubs often have multiple wedding packages with all-inclusive rates that can save you money overall. Register at CardAvenue.com for gift cards at your favorite sporting goods store to round out the theme.

4. Get Down on the Farm
The majority of couples travel within 25 miles of home to get married, according to TheWeddingReport.com. Those who are willing to travel outside a metropolitan area may score a better deal. Farms, plantations and even conference and retreat centers usually have flexible spaces and affordable rental packages.

5. You Condo It!
Grand historic inns and intimate Bed & Breakfasts provide gorgeous settings for weddings, but renting it out for a weekend can take a toll on your budget. Investigate renting a group of condos or a beach house for a weekend and invite your closest friends and family for an intimate fun-filled destination wedding in a scenic setting.

6. Give a Little Bit
Private nonprofit centers in your city depend on rental income to keep the doors open. Give back to your community by renting a community or senior center for your big day. Our local YMCA has a beautiful indoor facility for receptions and parties and an outdoor lawn perfect for a late summer soiree.

7. Plaza to Meet You
Can’t afford a special venue downtown? Inquire if the plaza (or even the lobby or the roof) is up for grabs. The War Memorial Auditorium is a pricey rental, but its plaza rents for under $100. But buyer beware: “The rental is cheap but keep in mind that you will pay extra for the troopers for security as well as tables, chairs, and possibly a tent,” says Mary Hance, who writes the Ms. Cheap column for the Tennessean. “But of course you don’t need much decoration because it is so beautiful,” she says.

By Ines Mato

Every year millions of individuals make a vow to improve their financial standing, but four out of 10 people give up on their goals. Whether your resolution is to save more money, pay off debt, buy a house or cut spending, you know change is not easy. Like many of you, I made a resolution to increase my savings account by 5 percent each month. While 5 percent may seem like a small amount, it’s a start and over time my savings will become thousands of dollars—supposing that I stick to my resolution.

The problem about committing to a resolution is recognizing we need to modify certain habits to accomplish our goals. If every year we make the same resolutions, but we end up in the same place, then something has to change! And that change starts by trying to correct financial habits. Experts at MissMoneyBee.com have 4 tips that will help you stick to your resolutions:

Be specific: Writing a vague resolution is a recipe for disaster. Some people tend to write resolutions that lack details and determination. For example, many of us say “I want to save more money,” or “I want to pay off debt,” but we fail to describe the specifics. Your money resolution should always include the amount of money you are trying to save, the time frame to accomplish your goal and the purpose of your resolution. For example, “I want to save 10 percent of every paycheck over 10 months to buy a new car by December of 2013.”

Be realistic: Setting realistic resolutions is the key to success. It’s not realistic to think you can pay $12,000 in credit card debt, if your annual income is $20,000. This doesn’t mean you have to give up on your resolution, it just means that you need to shoot for a lower amount.

Look for help: Knowing that you are not alone while pursuing your resolutions not only will give you piece of mind, but it will help you achieve your goals faster. One of the apps that can help you save hundreds of dollars is Coupon Sherpa. This app offers coupons and deals by category and store name. It also allows users to compare prices and locate stores that offer great deals. Another way to find help is to talk to financial advisers. At ConsolidatedCreidt.org you can find free financial advice and financial literature to learn more about budgeting, saving money and paying off debt.

Be flexible: If your life changes drastically, saving a big portion of your salary may no longer be realistic. For example, if your income was cut down to a fraction of what it once was, saving as much money as you initially planned is out of the question. Tweaking your plan to address income changes will keep you motivated in reaching your goals.

By Ines Mato

Many people begin the New Year excited about accomplishing their financial resolutions, but they become discouraged when they feel they are not reaching their goals fast enough. In response, many give up and revert back to negative spending habits that are detrimental to their futures. Saving consistently is challenging, but it’s important to have a financial safety net to protect yourself from disaster and cement a stronger and more independent future. To develop a spending and savings plan that works, there are three steps you can take.

There is not a single method to save: It’s imperative that you understand that there is no one-size-fits-all method to saving money. Maybe you are trying to follow a spending plan devised by your friends and family that doesn’t match your goals and money management style. You should assess your own goals, needs and spending habits to develop a plan that adjusts to your particular situation. If you have heavy debt or high bills, you may find that putting 10 percent of your paycheck into a savings fund stretches your finances too thin. Instead, shoot for a lower goal such as saving between 5 and 8 percent. It’s better to save some money each month, even if it’s a small amount, than trying to save too much and stopping altogether.

Start slashing excess from your life: Saving more money may also require you to cut some of the excess spending from your life. This can be difficult at first because you may not realize how much small expenses are costing you. It can be helpful to sit down and calculate each penny spent on unnecessary purchases for a two-week period. After seeing how much your coffee, lunch with co-workers and nights out are costing you, you may become more motivated to make changes to your monthly budget. For example, your morning coffee and a bagel can cost you hundreds of dollars over the course of a year that could have been saved if you made your coffee at home. Dinging out each Friday and Saturday may look like a small expense, but it can eat into your savings quickly.

Reward yourself for saving money: Saving money should be viewed as a positive, rather than as restrictive or constraining. Instead of thinking about the things you are cutting out of your budget, focus on long-term financial goals such as buying your first house or increasing your retirement fund. To feel better about saving money, reward yourself in some small way when you accomplish savings benchmarks. This will remind you that you can still enjoy yourself while saving money.

by April Lewis-Parks

As the saying goes: there’s an app for that. Personal finance expert Jean Chatzky lends AARP The Magazine her money saving expertise, compiling her list of the 5 best money-saving mobile applications, which the staff at Miss Money Bee happens to love! The list of money and time saving apps are as follows:

1.REDLASER

How You Save: Helps you learn if you can get a better deal elsewhere — on almost anything.

How It Works: You scan the bar code of an item, and the app shoots back prices from competing stores and online merchants. See a better price? Use the app to buy the item, and some stores will have it waiting when you arrive. Bonus trick: Scan a book’s bar code, and the app finds nearby libraries with a copy.

Why Jean Loves It: It gives me peace of mind. I feel new confidence that I’m getting the lowest price possible.

2.SLICE
How You Save: Organizes online-shopping email, such as order confirmations and shipping info.

How It Works: You provide up to five addresses where you get email (they can be Gmail, Yahoo!, AOL, Hotmail or iCloud/MobileMe). The app sorts through your in-boxes to gather and organize all your shopping-related messages, including receipts for online purchases and vouchers from daily-deal sites.

Why Jean Loves It: It saves me a headache! I don’t have to search my email in-box for receipts, and I can track packages easily.

3.COUPON SHERPA
How You Save: Helps you search for — and then redeem — coupons.

How It Works: You browse for online, printable or mobile coupons by retailer or product type, either on CouponSherpa.com or via the mobile app. Take printable coupons to the store the old-fashioned way; for mobile coupons, just show your phone to the cashier to get the savings.

Why Jean Loves It: I get the savings without investing hours clipping and organizing. And no rifling through an envelope at checkout.

4.KEY RING
How You Save: Makes sure you’ve always got your loyalty-card data on hand at checkout.

How It Works: You scan your loyalty cards with your smartphone, then put them away. When you pay for something in a store, the cashier scans your smartphone’s screen to get your loyalty-account information. You can also use the app to sign up for other loyalty programs.

Why Jean Loves It: I have a lighter key chain, plus an Rx Savings extra that can shave 10 to 75 percent off Food and Drug Administration — approved medications.

5.WAZE
How You Save: Lowers your gas-pump bills by steering you around traffic jams.

How It Works: You drive around with the app open. Your phone automatically reports your speed to a central database based on GPS readings. Other drivers’phones are doing this too, giving you all real-time updates on local traffic. If there’s a backup ahead, you get a voice alert suggesting another route.

Why Jean Loves It: I save on more than just gas: With less time at the wheel, I have more time to spend at home.