When it comes to buying a new car, most people drive around town and stop at various dealerships to find the car they like and then begin the negotiation process. Typically, the first dealership will not be the final stop as the buyer will continue to search, hoping to find the car a little cheaper. Often, a buyer will travel to multiple dealerships before finally finding a price and terms that are acceptable which wastes not only time but gas money and effort. The Internet has made the process slightly easier through sites such as Edmunds.com, allowing buyers to get price quotes. There is, however, still an easier way! Use the reverse auction!

The process of the reverse auction is quite simple and detailed below. The idea is basically to find the exact car that you want to purchase and then through a series of brief phone calls, the dealers will do the work for you to have you driving that new car in no time and at the lowest possible price. Here are the steps to follow:

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In order to develop a clear picture of your personal finances, it is crucial that you create a budget that tracks all of your income and compares it to all of your expenses. This sounds easy in practice but the process can be somewhat challenging. All of those small, day-to-day expenses can add up very quickly and many are easy to forget. To make the process considerably easier, I have prepared a standard budget template for you!

Your Personal Budget

To start the process, download the personal budget (right clicking on the link and save the file) I have created for you and you’ll be well on your way to seeing
your financial picture. This will require Microsoft Excel but if you do not have it, you can download OpenOffice free of charge. This budget is intended to be used for monthly expenses so how do you handle expenses like furniture for you home? Surely you won’t be replacing your sofa every month! The idea is simple. Take the amount you spend on furnishings and divide it by the amount of time between purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 every 5 years for a new sofa, simply divide $1,000 by 60 months to get the monthly amount you need to save for that new sofa. Do this for all expenses you have that you do not use each month.

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Your big day is quickly approaching and with it comes a great deal of undue stress. You’re busy planning the wedding, the honeymoon and perhaps buying a new home to begin your new life together. One very important aspect of your new life that often goes without any planning is how you will handle your finances as a couple. Most couples simply make a quick stop at the bank and open up a joint checking account and mark that task complete. Although this is easy in the beginning, there is a much better way to handle your finances as a newly married couple!

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