Posted by Money Tips Staff

It’s hard to believe, but you may actually be missing out on a way to save money by not willingly downloading apps onto your Android-powered smartphone. While there are plenty that cost money, thousands are perfectly free. More importantly, many of the free ones are in fact incredibly useful. The following five Android apps are sure to help you save some money during the day and even keep you from having to use Anywho.com to avoid collectors (by paying off your debts).

The best part about them? They are FREE:

1. Mint.com

The premier personal finance app for Android, Mint.com gives you access to an incredibly customizable series of credit and cash transfer projections. You can set a budget and have real-time alerts to when your budget is on the verge of being busted. It’s perfect for those who have a difficult time seeing their bigger financial picture inside their heads.

2. Barcode Scanner

This ingenious tool gives you the power to always be aware as to whether or not you’re getting a good deal or not. By being allowed to scan a barcode of a product, your smartphone will bring up the listed price for that product as well as suggest places where it can be purchased. That action figure might be perfect for your son’s birthday but you can get a better deal by going across town to Target.

3. Pandora

This one doesn’t relate to any sort of financial assistance, debt management, or information. Instead it lets you listen to all the music you want for free – legally. If you can tolerate the commercial breaks between each song, Pandora lets you jam on the go and wherever you’re standing still. Customizable play lists and picking those of musicians you admire make every listening experience unique yet always amazing. It’s cheaper than iTunes but doesn’t make you feel guilty, like piracy.

4. GasFinder

This app is a bit self-explanatory. Never waste time scanning the horizon looking for the cheapest gas being advertised. GasFinder does the work for you, tell you which station nearby has the lowest priced pump. If you’re obsessed with getting every penny possible into your tank, this is the app for you.

5. SnapTell

Finding the perfect action figure for your son is easy enough, but making sure you’re getting the right CD or video game is a little bit tougher. Instead of guessing and possibly wasting money on buying gifts for friends and family that may or may not use them, take a photo of the cover art of any game, album, or movie and SnapTell will bring up all the information you need, including reviews. Always get the right gift everytime.

Apps provide users with amazing opportunities to save. Unfortunately there are so many mobile apps on the market that it’s difficult to find the ones that are worth the download. But if you’re looking for ways to save some money here and there, the aforementioned list is great start.

Posted by Ray Wilkinson

When considering retirement, we’re inclined to think more immediately about the “front end” of the process. That is, making sure we’ve accumulated the wealth necessary to sustain a lifestyle we’ve become accustomed to.

Neglecting the “back end” of the process can be catastrophic. Before deciding where you’ll spend the rest of your days, you need to consider who you are. Sounds silly, I know. Let me explain.

First, some background:
Our home was typical middle class suburban, ordinary in most every way. My mother, the June Cleaver of her generation, was a doting mom who watched over her brood with a gentle voice and a firm hand. Employed most of her life as a registered nurse, she somehow found the time to cook meals (and awesome ones, at that), help with homework, and mend everything four kids could mangle, shatter, or puncture, including
themselves.

When my mother reached retirement age she did what any self respecting, roman catholic, God fearing woman of principal would do. She moved to Vegas to play bingo. And slots. And poker.

She’d always loved weekend trips with my father to Atlantic City, but this was too much. Grandma’s moving to Sin City. What would the kids think?

Maybe I’m overreacting and there is nothing to worry about, I thought. After all, what happens in Vegas
stays in Vegas. Right? Still I had my reservations, something I relayed to her in a phone call.

“First of all, you’re on a fixed income. And, with all due respect Mom, you’re no Doyle Brunson”. She advised me that she would stay on a monthly budget, not to exceed a certain cap. Having been given assurances that this would not be a problem, I put the phone down comforted by the idea that all was under control.

Then it hit me. She never asked who Doyle Brunson was. Bad sign.

It was February in her first year of retirement before I had realized that things had gone horribly wrong. I was in the process of preparing her returns as I had done every year since my father had passed. In order to file taxes I need the
supporting documentation, and so I called her again.

Gambling losses are tax deductible, you see. When I asked her for receipts (which one can readily get upon departure from almost any casino) she said she didn’t have them. She doesn’t ask. “If I kept receipts and actually counted how much I’d lost,

I might start crying and never stop”, she admitted. I knew right then and there that we had made a terrible mistake.

In retrospect, there are questions she hadn’t asked herself, questions anyone considering retirement must ask themselves if they want their retirement years to be fulfilling.

Kayleigh Kulp summarizes it better then I ever could in her article entitled Questions Every Worker Should Ask Before Retirement”. She suggests asking yourself the following questions:

1) How am I going to spend my time and how will I make it count? Visualize your day to day retirement life so that you don’t become bored or worse, gamble everything away.

2) Do I have enough to live comfortably and have fun?
Review your retirement goals regularly and evaluate your income and budget for necessities and incidentals.

3) Should I downsize?
Housing accounts for about a third of living expenses for those over 65, do do your homework before buying the home you pan on retiring in.

4) What if something happens to me or my spouse?
Consider how unfortunate circumstances could affect your lifestyle and plan accordingly.

5) What about health care?
Medicare covers a large portion of acute health care, but very little long term expenses.

Mom had all her financial ducks in a row but never asked herself the first question, and arguably the most important question. Her short retirement in Vegas had been unpleasant and financially disastrous. With only a fraction of her savings and the car my father left her, Sin City would soon be in her rear view mirror.

Looks like what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas.

Staying Warm on the Cheap

Posted by Leslie Burke

Staying warm is one of the key components to being a mammal. It is in our genes to seek out a comfortable environment. Winter always poses a threat to our wallets when advertisers present us with the latest products and technologies that promise to keep us warmer than ever before. By using a little common sense and some thrift, you can save money on frivolous winter purchases.

Wear the Same Coat as Last Year

Fashion companies and retail stores love winter because they get to sell items like coats and jackets and make a huge profit off of them. The truth is that most winter-wear can be worn for several seasons without any noticeable drop in the quality of the fabric. Many outdoor specialty shops carry brands like The North Face and Patagonia which can hold up for several years without severe damage.

Staying Heat Efficient

If you are a homeowner or have to pay for utilities for your office, the money you spend on heating might be going right through your doors and windows. Make sure to plug your door’s draft with padding after you enter your home. You are probably not going to open your windows for any reason other than someone burning Christmas dinner over the cold season, so it is a good idea to tape them up to make sure heat stays in your home or apartment when it is needed the most.

Another good way to save money on heat is to stay healthy. By eating a hot breakfast of oatmeal, your day will start off with a great deal of nutrition and you will stay warm on the way out to the car. Ask your employer if your business insurance plan offers gym benefits for employees. A lot of companies are noticing the increased morale and productivity of employees who work out and are building workout facilities on site. Your body will stay warm after a vigorous workout and people who are in shape have an easier time adjusting to harsh climates.

Skip the Starbucks

Remember those cold winter mornings as a kid when mom would make you a salted caramel hot chocolate with a double espresso base topped with crème? You probably don’t remember those days because they never happened. Purchasing a coffee maker and a bunch of ingredients at home is an extremely economical way to save money. The designer coffee shops and cafes charge for the brand name, experience, and atmosphere provided at their locations. By brewing your own stuff at home, you are getting the same caffeine fix as purchasing an expensive cup in the store.

Staying warm is not as hard as some people make it out to be. If you still find yourself getting the chills and don’t know how to solve it, take your mother’s advice and put on another sweater.