Daniel Simon

Here we are already at the end of the first month of a new year, with February coming on fast. And, as most of us have already “discovered,” we left our New Year’s goals of trimming down & getting fit way back along the trail somewhere between the end of the college football bowl season and the first few days of playing catch-up at work after the holiday season. Your intentions to get to the store to get some new workout gear for the gym has been challenged by the Holiday bills rolling in, and your opportunities to actually get to the gym have been swallowed up by a new project or three. So, how do we tackle these challenges? And how to we get ourselves back in shape? And how do we get in shape without falling farther down the rabbit hole of debt? Here are a couple of ideas to help trim dollars off your plan to get in shape.

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It’s a new year, so it’s time for new beginnings. Another year has passed by and, maybe like me (but hopefully not!), your savings account suffered enough mini-crises during the past year that it appears the concept of savings is more of a myth than reality. So, let’s talk about starting over. Or, actually, let’s just talk about starting. Often, we work on the savings plan without ever starting to save. For the New Year, let’s start saving and work our way towards continuing to save.

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For most of us, the gift-giving Holiday has finally come and gone. In its path, it leaves a variety of food leftovers, shreds of gift wrap strewn across the floor, and toy & electronic boxes to carry to the curb or dumpster. The Holidays also leaves behind a bevy of gifts that may be unwanted, don’t fit, or are the wrong version of the item. Here are a couple of quick tips learned through experiences in the after-holiday return lines.

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Knee deep we are, in the stretch run of the Holiday shopping season. And as I continue to review the Holiday sales advertisements for great gift ideas at the best value versus over priced ones, venture out in the trenches to see whether or not all my hopes & dreams are answered in gift availability, and wait in lines to purchase what I hope will be the next-best thing to sliced bread in someone’s eyes, I also continue to work on my shopping savings strategy. In the midst of the season, a new strategy emerged from my experiences. Instead of just tallying the money I am spending, I’m also counting the money I’m not spending. Counting the money you don’t spend on holiday gifts can help you cash in on savings.

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I am not a car guy. As long as the darn thing gets me from point A to point B, I’m fine with it. This doesn’t mean I do not have my favorites when it comes to makes & models, as well as amenities. It just means I’ve never taken the time to learn the mechanics, or more importantly, how to repair the mechanics of a working vehicle. However, over the years, I do try to listen & learn from those in the know, as well as from my own unfortunate repair experiences (how many people, after all, can claim they’ve had a chipped flywheel?!). But my last trip to the car repair “store” was a bit more than my wallet wanted to handle. You might be able to save some money, and drive a safe vehicle if you make some judicious decisions at the auto repair shop.

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Black Friday is upon us. As much as we try to avoid the commercials, sales advertisements, and discussions, it is inevitable that you will see something on television, review the advertisements out of curiosity (or temptation!), or wind up in a conversation with others regarding whether or not you will be participating in the shopping frenzy. Some avoid the day altogether. I find, unfortunately, that for one reason or another, I will be out that day – and “rationalize” a stop at a store or three. Over the years, as discussed in the previous article, I’ve managed to develop a strategy for shopping appropriately for my budget on Black Friday. If you are careful and plan accordingly, you can cheat Black Friday.

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And so it begins. No, not the Holiday Season; the Holiday Shopping Season. Of course, if you set our calendar by what some stores put on their shelves, it started in late September. Those who are uncannily prepared (yikes!) have already started their Holiday shopping. But Shopping Season officially starts in just a few more than twenty-four hours. Some stores are starting on Wednesday, some are pushing for a Thanksgiving Day Eve starting bell, but THE traditional day of perceived unbeatable sales, gridlock traffic, and long cashier lines is: Black Friday. Precautions should be taken to be effective and cost efficient towards your budget in regards to Black Friday.

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I was heading to a hockey game recently, meeting up with a friend at the arena. On my way to the arena, I obviously had to figure out a parking strategy. Parking is one area where team fans and concert goers pay on a sliding scale, based on the event. Fortunately in this case, since it was the middle of the work week, and the event was a minor league hockey game, I estimated parking prices should be somewhat reasonable and reduced from the standard costs for the major league sports games. Although I realize it is a necessary evil for most sporting events and concerts, paying a high premium to park my car while attending an event always bothers me. The costs of event parking can be reduced if you take a few variables into account.

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We recently addressed resume building through the utilization of some tried & true, old fashioned resources – networking, the library, & community centers. This grass roots approach to resume building may appear archaic, but using these resources can help you build a quality resume on a budget, as well as a foundation from which other resources can help enhance it. The world of technology offers additional resources that can help you create a cost effective & professional resume. Software programs, software templates, and online resources can help you build your cost effective resume into a competitive masterpiece.

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Job hunting is at least a part time job in itself. Between scanning the job opportunities, making sure you have proper attire, resume & cover letter building, going on interviews, and writing thank you notes, job hunting can demand quite a bit of your time. Creating, reviewing, and revising your resume is just one aspect of the job hunt that is a major time consumer itself. And a great many people look at developing a resume as the “monster in the closet,” a dreaded chore. It is easy these days to hand this task off to a professional, especially if you don’t know where to start. Unfortunately, handing off your resume, and relying on someone else to provide a quality product for your career can be both risky and costly. Developing a resume on a budget is possible with a little bit of quality effort, using some old-fashioned resources. Starting with a “grass roots” campaign & getting back to basics can help you develop a cost effective and competitive resume.

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