Automating your finances can make your life so much easier. You don’t have to worry about missed payments, late fees, disconnect notices, etc. The more you automate, the easier it will be to stay on budget because you will know that payments are already made and you won’t get hit with fees that can knock your budget off course.

Some payments may not be able to be automated due to varying costs, but many can be. Here are a few you should set up for automatic bill pay either through your bank account or through the individual accounts:

Yourself – First and foremost, make sure you’re paying yourself first. This will ensure that you have money in your emergency fund and retirement accounts. Set up an automatic transfer from your checking to your savings and/or investment accounts with every paycheck. Whether it’s $10 or $1000 doesn’t matter. It only matters that you are setting something aside for your future needs.

Credit Cards – Set up an automatic payment each month for the minimum payment due for each card. If you want to pay more than the minimum, you can always make an additional payment. But setting up your minimum payment by automatic billing ensures that you won’t be charged additional late fees and interest if you miss your payment due date by just one day.

Cable/Internet Bill – Your cable and/or internet service should be the same amount each month so setting up an automatic payment should be easy. Check your current bill for the due date and the amount, then just set your payment up to be sent the day before it’s due.

Cellphone – Just like your cable/internet bill, your cellphone should be the same amount monthly unless you go over your data usage or have roaming charges. Set up your bill pay for your regular monthly payment. You can always pay additional charges separately if there are any.

Electric – While your electric bill probably varies monthly, most electric companies allow you to get on a budget pay plan. This plan reviews your usage from the previous 12-month period than determines an average cost per month based on your annual usage. Using this plan allows you to pay the same amount every month regardless of how much or how little electricity you use. And getting on this plan allows you to automate your monthly payment

Car Payment – If you have a monthly car payment, like most of your other bills, it’s the same amount every month. Set it up to pay automatically so you don’t get hit with hefty late fees.

Insurance – Whether it’s home, auto, life, or health insurance, they all come with a monthly premium that remains the same each month. Set these up for automatic payment to avoid late fees, or worse, cancellation. For most types of insurance, if you miss a payment, they will cancel you and you will have trouble getting a new policy.

While you may not be able to automate your grocery shopping, many of your other monthly budget items can be set up for automatic payment and relieve you of the stress of making sure everything is paid in a timely manner.

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Identity theft is a real threat to everyone, no matter what your credit score is or how many credit accounts you have. Once a thief has your personal information (name, address, date of birth, and social security number) they can start applying for credit in your name, damaging your credit rating.

The threat is even scarier when large credit reporting agencies, like Equifax, announce they’ve been hacked and millions of people have their information at risk. Shouldn’t it be a top priority for these companies to protect your information? Yes. And no. While they should have protection measures in place and do everything possible to protect your information, the ultimate responsibility for your credit is on you.

A regular check of your credit report is a good way to ensure that your identity hasn’t been stolen, but there are ways to protect yourself before you’re at risk. Here are a few ways to protect your identity from falling into the wrong hands.

Never give your personal information, especially your social security number, to a stranger. Whether they call, text, or email, if you don’t know the recipient don’t give them any information. Unless you’re paying your taxes to the IRS or your state, don’t write your social security number on your checks. If your SSN is your account identification, the last four numbers should be enough for them to find your account. And never write your social on any forms or anything that is not credit related.

Don’t keep your social security card in your wallet. Likewise, don’t carry any infrequently used credit cards or notes of passwords and PINs. Make sure your wallet and/or purse is always within your site or locked up tight in the trunk of your car, out of site for strangers.

Don’t post things that could be used to identify you on your social media accounts. These things would include your mother’s maiden name, your full date of birth, your pet’s names, or any other answers to your account’s secret questions. Better yet, check your privacy settings so that only people you choose to friend can see any of your personal information.

Set up mobile alerts with your credit and bank accounts so that you are notified of any transactions. This will help you know quickly if someone has stolen your card so you can contact your bank or credit company.

Photocopy the fronts and backs of all of your credit cards, reward cards, driver’s license, and any other cards you carry in your wallet then place it in a secure place within your home. If your wallet is ever stolen, you will have all of the phone numbers and account numbers you need to cancel your cards.

Place credit freezes on your credit reports through the credit reporting agencies. This will keep any identity thieves from obtaining credit in your name.

Keep your devices protected with a password. This includes your cellphone, laptop, desktop computer, tablet, and any other devices you use to log in to your financial accounts, social media, and emails.

If you have small children, place a credit freeze on their social security numbers as well. Identity thieves love to steal the information of minors because their reports are usually clean and no one ever checks them.

These simple tasks will help you to keep your identity safe and your credit secure.

You May Have More Resources Than You Realize

Money management isn’t easy, and it’s hardly taught in schools. Wise allocation and utility of resources can make a rich man out of a meager income. It can even turn something like debt into a “good” thing.

Student debt is often characterized as “good” debt, because if appropriately pursued, it can lead to gainful employment. It can also lead to a lifelong expense perpetually hanging over your head; so be careful to study something that will actually get you employed down the line.

Bad debt would be something like credit card debt, or that which usually develops from getting stuck in a payday loan cycle. This debt drags you down, is usually unnecessary, and can be disastrous to your personal autonomy in terms of finances.

It can be hard to get out of debt if you’ve made a few money management mistakes in your life. But there are techniques, strategies, refinancing options, and consolidation solutions available; you’ve just got to seek them out.

Ways To Overcome Debt

Seek out extensive, experienced, and insightful debt-liberation advice from professionals, such as those at Debt Academy for example. Using services available through agencies like this can provide you information about debt that you likely wouldn’t find on your own. You can get solid advice that helps you make your next step. For example: what kind of expenses can you cut from your regular budget to help pay off existing debts more quickly?

Do you eat fast food, or have a penchant for pricey coffee? Cut that out. If you buy one $5 Starbucks coffee a day, that’s $35 a week, and $140 a month. In a year, you’ve spent $1,680 on coffee. Meanwhile, you’ve got a $200 a month car payment. Between the two, you’re spending $4,800 annually you don’t need to.

Sell the car and turn that money into a more cost-effective used vehicle. If you can recoup $5k from your car, then you can go on Craigslist.com and find a very good vehicle that will last you at least five years if you take care of it. Now you’re saving $4,800 a year that you can use to pay off debt.

Sustainable Energy And Mortgage Sale

Depending on your situation, you may sell your property. If you’re in debt, but have a good piece of property and the ability to spend several thousands before selling, you could increase the money you make in the sale. Firstly, you’ll want to find an organization that can sell a mortgage note.

Once you know who can help you sell your property, it’s time to upgrade it. A $5k investment in solar energy can get you a $5.1 kWh solar energy system which will increase property value between $15k and $20k depending on the state you live in. You may also get a tax break, but collecting on that will depend on when you sell the house.

With the money you make from selling the home, you can pay off your debts and downsize until you can afford a larger property once again.

Everyone’s situation will be different, but one thing is sure: by getting rid of certain lifestyle costs, you can free up resources and transcend debt more quickly.

Have you ever thought of becoming a tipster? There’s good money to be made – but of course, you have to show quality for your work and understand not only the game, but also how it could turn out. That’s where the tricky line is drawn; how do you distinguish the good ones from the bad ones? If you want to make some extra quid, you do have to be better than the average punter.

So what makes a great tipster? It’s not an easy question. Furthermore, it does bear some responsibility. Becoming good at what you do takes practice and experience, after all. However, it’s not as hard as you may originally think – there’s just a process to follow. Here’s how to increase your finances by becoming a great tipster.

Questions to ask

First and foremost – do you have the dedication? Nobody becomes great overnight even if you take advantage of a free tipster competition every day; it’ll require some energy and time. Secondly, are you just looking at the odds or are you actually looking for value, and thirdly, do you have thick enough skin to be proven wrong, especially during your earlier period? It’s a skill that has to be learned, and it takes some character to face the backlash when you’re wrong. Dedication is the word.

Openness

Be transparent and open with your followers – don’t hide anything; chances are they’ll discover whatever it is you’re hiding sooner or later. Your followers are your customers, and they should be held in account; they are what your existence is all about. Give realistic expectations, and if you’re not sure of your own opinion, say so. It’s appreciated.

Be logical

Not only do you have to know the sport and the players inside out, you also have to be able to explain your opinion. Telling your followers that ‘you have a hunch’ is not appropriate, nor professional. Be prepared why you feel that way, and why they should believe you. It’s about looking at every angle and then being able to explain, in a logical way, why you believe what you believe.

Never chase losses

Often a tipster who has had a bad run will throw something easy at his followers, just because he wants to have a win. Don’t do that. It serves nobody. Have a formula and adjust it – don’t take the easy path.

What makes a great tipster? It’s a hard question, because there is no simple answer. It’s about combining a number of skills and – equally important – a number of attitudes so that they come together into a professional attitude of success. Never stop studying. Continue to update. Continue to learn. How do you become great? Stick with it through high and low, and work hard. And, along the way, have a lot of fun.

Living in a world that has so many fun things to do and buy can be hard when you are trying to save money. Here, there, and everywhere are ads telling you to buy this car or buy this product for your home. It is hard to not give into the temptation to buy new things, but it is important to be wise when you do. Your home can look great without breaking the bank, and you can drive the perfect car for you without overspending. Keep reading and you will find out how!

Most people cannot live without a car unless they are in a very urban area. Even then it is nice to have a car to get you wherever you need to be. Cars are usually not a cheap and quick purchase, but there are ways to be savvy when purchasing a car. Feel like every time you turn on the tv there are copious amount of commercials promoting different cars? Well some of those commercials are actually promoting deals that car dealerships are currently offering. Make sure to be aware of those when they do pop up! Another thing to be aware of is car salesman. Their job is to be good with words and persuade you to buy a car. When dealing with them it is important to be smooth as well.

Sometimes going from car dealership to dealership can really be a hassle, especially if they are large distances from each other. Plus it can take a lot of time out of your day. If this is the case, head online to cars.com. Cars.com has a multitude of car classifieds that are easy to browse through. If you are in search of a specific vehicle you can easily search for it along with a variety of other categories if applicable. Once you select the car you want, they provide all the details you need for the vehicle. They even have a price comparison tool, so you can see how the price stacks up against other sellers. Cars.com really makes it easy to shop for cars right from your home!

Now when it comes to your home saving money can be easy as well, you just have to be smart. Don’t just become friends with the nearest real estate agent in sight. Just like shopping for a car, it is okay to browse through your options. This will help you make sure to find the right one.

If you are looking to rent or buy a new home there are some great websites out there that can assist in your search. For example Zillow is a great resource for buying, selling, or renting homes. Once on the site you click which tab you are interested in then search by city, neighborhood, address, or zip code. They even have a unique feature called a Zestimate which allows you to estimate your home’s worth before you try to sell or rent.

Not looking to buy, rent, or a sell a home and just looking to fix up your current living space? Well you can do so on a budget if you make sure to stay on your toes. Many home decor magazines out there display expensive pieces of furniture, wall accessories, etc, but the thing is you find similar items for a lot less. It is good to browse through those magazines find things you like, but instead of buying them at the high ticket price, save the picture clippings and go find them for less. For example try out stores like Marshalls and HomeGoods, which carry some great items at prices that you can afford. You will be sure to feel good when you save!

Another great way to save money when buying items to fix up your home is coupon hunting. With the right coupons you can save a lot on different products. If you are looking for some new shades, bedding, appliances, wall decor and much more then check out Bed, Bath, & Beyond. They always have coupons that will be sure to save you money on all your home purchases.

Buying a new car, home, or fixing up your home can take time, but does not mean you have to spend a lot. As long as you are smart with your purchases and do not buy things on a whim, you will be sure to saving more than expected. Just always make sure to do your research, compare your options, utilize discounts and other coupons, and find affordable alternatives.

Retirement is not usually top of mind for someone in their twenties, but it should be. It’s never too early to start saving. It may seem daunting, but you’ll find once you start seeing your savings grow, it can become a bit of an addiction. At least this is one that’s healthy…unlike that $5 cold brew habit.

Download An App

With so much access to technology these days, you’ll find that there are plenty of built-in tools that can act like a money-saving superhero sidekick. Once you get set up, some of these apps work without you having to do a thing. Digit, for example, is one of these. This money-saving app takes small amounts of money, anywhere from a couple cents to 10 dollars or more, and squirrels it away for a rainy day. You can even create savings goals and text the service to check your bank balance, tell it slow down on how much it’s taking out, and when you want your money transferred back. Meanwhile, services like Paribus can access the many subscriptions you’re signed up for and forgotten about, and help you get control of money that’s going on for things you’re not using, or can part with.

Get Advice, Instantly 

Ever wonder why you seem to owe money around tax time, or didn’t get back as much as you wanted? Consulting with a tax advisor can help set you up to claim or write off things you didn’t know you could, and help you file everything on time. What’s even better is that some tax advisors don’t even require you to set foot in an office and offer tax help live chat services for convenient, on-the-go assistance that works with your schedule.

Create a Budget, Stick To It

Budgeting is truly the most effective way to make sure you’re not overspending. Figuring out how much you make alongside your essential expenditures can help nail down what you have to work with for “fun” purchases and help create a better idea of you have to set aside to reach your short and long-term financial goals. Don’t know where to start? First you need to figure out what your total take-home income is as well as every single thing you pay for. This doesn’t just include rent or groceries, this means everything: gas, your gym membership, subscriptions, utilities, and all the extras. You may have no clue that your daily coffee habit is costing you hundreds of dollars. You may consider keeping a spending journal for a few weeks to see what your spending habits are. If you still need help budgeting there are tons of online tools, apps and services to help get you on track.

Set Goals

Having both short and long term savings goals is a good way to jumpstart a habit. The most common goal we hear talked about is “saving for retirement.” There’s no bones about it, saving for retirement IS really important, and you should be starting to think about it. But you can think of setting some shorter term goals for yourself as “savings bootcamp,” or training for larger savings goals, like a house, car, and eventually retirement.  Really want to go on that spring vacation to Mexico, or finally get that expensive beauty treatment done? Start a separate savings account and begin putting money aside instead of using a credit card (which you should never, ever do unless it’s an emergency) or spending money you don’t have.

Become a Credit Wizard 

Once you have your budgeting under control, consider using credit in a different way. Sign up for a credit card with travel points or other rewards and then use it to pay for your regular expenses. Once the month is up, pay it off in full and watch the point stack up. But be careful. This method should only be used for those with financial self-restraint, and not for anything extra or anything that puts you over budget.

Automate Everything

Let automation become your best friend. Nearly all banks offer automatic payment options, so you never have to worry about getting hit with a late fee or forget about moving money into savings each time you get paid. Simply setting up the amount, date and selecting a recurring option for yourself makes both saving and bill paying effortless. Just one more thing scratched off your to-do list.

One of the greatest inventions will always be what we refer to as a credit card. Regardless of how much we make for a living or the percentage that is put into savings, there will come a time when we need more money than we have.

However, when not used properly or the way they are intended, these little miracles of plastic have the ability to send us into a financial crisis. If we are not careful, the enticement of their ability will lead us to use for want instead of necessity.

I don’t want to give the wrong idea here, if you work hard for your money, by all means, you should make purchases that represent your effort and ability. As a matter of fact, using your credit card to make purchases that can be paid in full with a single payment can be a way of building credit.

There is even justification in buying something that will take you a while to pay back, as long as the payment will fit within your budget. But, you will need to keep in mind the other purchases that have been made that are still taking away from your monthly income. When these purchases begin to add up without being completely paid off, trouble could be on the horizon.

Facing the music

If you are one of millions of people who have allowed credit card debt to become unmanageable, you may be facing very limited options. If you have reached your limit on multiple credit cards, matters can be even worse. Your only way out may be to consider debt consolidation for all your credit cards.

A debt consolidation loan has many advantages, but it’s not an overnight fix to your problems. It is going to take a while to clean up the credit mess that has been made. While this can be frustrating at first, things will become easier as more payments are made and you are able to begin seeing the fruit of your efforts.

How does debt consolidation work?

By using debt consolidation, you are able to address multiple creditors with one simple monthly payment. Because of this, you cut out a ton of the interest that is owed, allowing the majority of your money to be applied towards the principal of the loan.

The company you work with to begin paying off this debt will contact your creditors. They are usually able to make an agreement with the companies you owe, providing you with flexibility you wouldn’t have access to on your own. This allows for the monthly payments to be adjusted, becoming more manageable for your budget.

You will need to keep in mind, debt consolidation is a service. Because of this, not all debt consolidation companies are the same. While there are plenty of these companies willing to work with you to improve your credit and eliminate debt, you need to make sure you are aware of the fees and charges of each company.

Don’t allow yourself to fall into the trap of just assuming they are all the same. Spend some time doing a little research. Look for reviews of not only what their customers have said about them, but also what lenders have to say about working with the company.