Tips for Keeping Back-to-School Shopping Affordable This Year

For hundreds of kids and parents, there is hardly anything quite as exciting as the first day of school. For some kids, it marks the first milestone in the world of academia. For others, it marks the last time walking into a semester of scheduled education. But, for all the parents and guardians out there supporting those academic endeavors, the approaching first day of school marks a stressful urgency to get the most and best supplies to help kids on their journey.

With back-to-school shopping in full swing, it is as important a time as ever to make sure you are financially ready to take on the academic year. With the proper preparation, you can easily avoid needing debt settlement from the get-go and can prepare your family for an exciting new time filled with after school events, weekend birthday parties, and countless memories.

Get a Direct Supply List

One of the simplest and best lessons to learn when it comes to how to save money on back-to-school-shopping is to get an official supply list. Many teachers, especially those in elementary and middle school, provide specific lists to parents before the year even begins. The lists are usually pretty limited so that you do not have to worry about what your child may or may not need in the coming weeks. For those teachers who do not provide specific shopping lists, you can still reach out to them to find out what your child will need for the duration of the class.

Having this list is a fundamental guide for ensuring your children are fully prepared without you going fully broke. Kids tend to want all of the newest and coolest school items, and while the sales can be enticing, they are not always totally necessary.

Seek Out Shopping Sales

But just because you do not need every single one of those sale items does not mean you shouldn’t embrace their value. Back-to-school shopping sales are one of the highlights of the end of summer vacation. Dozens of retailers will offer cheaper items that you can buy in bulk. Many cities also host tax-free back-to-school weekends, so those sales come with even better discounts.

Go Through Old Supplies

Understanding how to save money on back-to-school shopping means understanding a fundamental environmental lesson — reduce, reuse, recycle. While new notebooks and pens and other items are super exciting for kids, they are not always totally necessary, especially if you are dealing with a tight budget. Regardless of the level of education you are shopping for, there is a good chance that you can apply those three R’s to your supply list.

Your notebooks, for example, are easily reusable. Most students do not completely go through notebooks during any given academic year. If you look, you will probably find that many were only halfway used, at most, which means there is plenty of paper that will go to waste if you automatically purchase new notebooks. Rather than splurging on new notebooks at the beginning of the year, encourage the kids to finish using the old notebooks or combine unused loose-leaf paper into a binder for them.

Don’t Go Overboard

All the flashy deals and the excitement for being back with classmates and steps closer to academic goals can make everyone a little wallet-heavy when they head to the stores. To prevent going into debt from day one of the semester, keep one simple thing in mind — supplies do not run out. It is not necessary to purchase supplies for the entire year right away, because there is a good chance that your kids will not even need them.

The best plan of attack to buy just one or two notebooks — unless otherwise specified by teachers — and a single pack of pens and pencils. If you need more, there will still be supplies available for purchase, and they may even be cheaper later on in the academic year when they are not in sudden high demand.

Go Used

Like most college students out there, it is quite likely that back-to-school collegiate shoppers want to avoid too much credit card debt in college, especially at the beginning of the semester. When looking for ways on how to save money on back-to-school shopping, a great option is to go for used items. Go thrift store shopping for clothes and dorm room furniture ask upperclassmen and Greek life friends for old notebooks and supplies as they graduate.

Even textbooks, which are notoriously expensive and can cause several hundreds or thousands of dollars bought brand new, can be significantly cheaper when rented or bought used. Many college students can get away with spending $100 or less on textbooks a semester by renting or opting for used books.

Buy in Bulk

School shopping tends to be a trip for parents and their kids, but one of the most cost-effective strategies is to actually get all your friends involved in the process. It is often significantly cheaper to buy staple items like notebooks, loose-leaf paper, writing utensils, and other office supplies in bulk. Parents of young children may be able to round up members of the PTA to purchase supplies and college students can easily work with friends and organization members to purchase stuff they need as well.

Get One-on-One Advice

Saving money is an essential part of thriving financially. School shopping can seem like a daunting time for your bank account, especially if you are a first-time college student or a parent with multiple children. If you are ever unsure of what your options are or how to save money on back-to-school shopping, all you have to do is contact a trusted debt relief specialist. Liberty Debt Relief can help answer any and all questions you may have and help you see how you can save money on supplies and spend more time making memories with your family this school year.

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How Minimalism Can Help You Minimize Your Debt

Living a debt free life can take a lot of practice. Luckily, there are lifestyle choices that can make that process a little easier and even enrich your life as a whole. When it comes to minimalism, it turns out that this particular lifestyle choice actually gives you some of the most bang for your buck. Minimizing your life helps you minimize debt, stress, and financial burdens overall. If you are on the hunt for ways that can help you on your mission for long term debt relief, then consider how minimalism may be able to help you on your way.

Helps You Practice Budgeting Every Day

Being a minimalist is all about keeping things in life sweet and simple. People adhering to this way of life don’t excessively spend money on food, shopping, memberships, and other forms of goods and services. To do so, many practice monthly, weekly, and sometimes even daily budgeting. When you are looking at how to live debt free, this consistent budgeting and motivation to save instead of spend can come in handy.

To get started with this minimalist budget, write down everything you spend money on each day, week, and month, as well as the costs. Then, start cutting down the things that are clearly excessive. Maybe try cutting out some of your daily trips to Starbucks, unsubscribing to one or two streaming services, or limit your new clothing budget every month. Over time, these steps will become easier to do, and staying out of debt will become second nature.

Minimizes Desire to Spend More

As you continue to budget your spending every week, you will eventually adapt into a more fiscally-responsible lifestyle. Back-to-school shopping trips will cost you less, spending hundreds of dollars on new clothes while shopping online will seem totally excessive, and splurging on a $300 meal for one at the hottest new restaurant will be unthinkable. In place of those desires, you will find that you are naturally inclined to minimize debt and maximize your financial freedom.

Save on Smaller Space

Living minimalistically does not just shape how you shop, it also shapes how you reside at home. One of the biggest reasons many people fall into debt so easily is they move into an apartment or home that they truly cannot afford with furniture that they had to buy entirely on their credit cards. To truly understand how to live debt free, you have to allow minimalism to take part in all of your belongings.

Instead of spending thousands of dollars every month on a large home or apartment with expensive furniture, consider moving into a simpler environment with furniture that is affordable. The money you save on rent and pricey decorations can be applied to existing credit card debt. Living in a smaller home will also save you money for years to come, as you will not need to use as much electricity, gas, water, or heat to make your home comfortable. Essentially, the smaller and simpler your home, the faster you can pay down debt without having to add extra tasks to your day.

Less Spending, More Saving

Overall, the secret to minimalism and to minimize debt is to shave off the excess. Find simple ways to spend less money in various aspects of your life so that you can put more into outstanding balances and savings. Along with limiting how much you spend on your home and shopping, you can also look at how much you pay for your utility bills, entertainment activities (like movie theaters and concerts), grocery store prices, and forms of transportation.

There are plenty of apps out there to help, if need be, and coupons are almost always available so you can easily compare costs and rack up on savings.

Pay Off Balances Faster

When you decided to apply what you learned about how to live debt free, you will see that paying off your debt is easier than ever. If you can shift your spending so you save even $300 a month, that money can save you from accruing high interest and cut down your repayment time dramatically. When you start cutting down on your debt, it also makes it easier for you to enjoy life without being stressed because of the potential consequences.

Affordable Vacations are Easier

When you minimize debt, you can enjoy life a little easier and a lot more overall. After a year or so of limiting your spending every month and being accustomed to a simpler lifestyle, you will also be able to travel without fear of falling deeper into a hole. You will be able to navigate planning affordable summer vacations with more ease and will even have more wiggle room to enjoy yourself and take some much deserved time to celebrate your financial accomplishments.

Reduce the Likelihood of Poor Financial Cycles

While getting out of your existing balances and being able to afford vacations is a major perk, the best part about learning how to live debt free is that it’s something you keep with you for life. Using a minimalist lifestyle decreases your chances for falling into old habits and going through decades of cycling between excessive debt and short term financial gains. When it comes to living a successful life, the best thing any of us can do is learn how to better ourselves in the long run and adapt to a lifestyle that will stay with us and push us to the utmost success.

Becoming a minimalist doesn’t mean you can only use white dishware and live off nature. In fact, adopting this way of life only minimizes debt so that life can be more fruitful than ever. Debt does not have to weigh you down forever, and with the right set of tools, you can thrive financially in no time.

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How to Plan an Affordable Summer Vacation

‘Tis the season of sunny days, which means there is no better time to take a trip to the place of your dreams. Planning such a trip should be one of the best feelings, especially as it gets closer and closer to the planned dates. For many people, however, these vacations often end up as a source of stress because of the expense. Fortunately, though, there are plenty of ways to plan an affordable summer vacation that helps you destress, unwind, and enjoy the moment without fretting over bills.

Start Early

When looking at how to plan an affordable vacation, it is always best to start as early as possible. If you know you want to have a debt free summer next year and enjoy a little trip, spend at least 9 months planning. This will give you time to save money so you are not scrambling at the last minute to figure out how you will afford everything. Additionally, you can use your vacation as a gift idea to family and friends over the holidays. Ask for vacation clothes, coupons, or even simply money towards your trip fund.

Set a Spending Limit

To truly have an affordable summer vacation you have to know what you can afford. Take some time to go over your income and expenses from now until a month or so after your planned vacation. Once you see all of your bills and mandatory expenses and how much money you will have after those are paid, you can begin to shift around how you will save up. It is especially important to look at these numbers for the time after your vacation as well, as many people tend to overspend while on vacation, forgetting that they have rent, mortgage, or utilities due the week after their return.

Once you have determined exactly how much you can spend on the vacation, stick to it. It also may help to use cash on the vacation and leave the credit cards at home. When you only use cash, you have a finite amount and it often works as a tangible reminder to people to be weary of excessive vacation spending and stay on track.

Seek Out Low-Cost Activities

To help with this safe spending limit, it is always a good idea to plan your activities ahead of time. You do not have to plan every single moment, but by planning the bigger activities earlier, you can often get great deals and save a little money in the process. A major component of how to plan an affordable vacation successfully is knowing what parts of the vacation will fit into your budget.

Consider looking at low-cost day trip excursions, free local festivals, public beaches, holiday events, and even low-cost shopping. If you are more of an adventure seeker, call around to different companies that you are interested in doing something with and see if they are willing to beat competitor pricing. It may not always work, but many times, companies are very willing to work with you to make sure they earn your business.

Bunk Up

Families everywhere are on a mission to have the ultimate affordable summer vacation, which may make it easier for your family to be successful in doing so. If you are taking your family on a vacation, see if there are any other families you know that are planning to do the same. Avoiding debt this summer can be as simple as sharing costs with others. Families often want to go to similar places and do similar things on trips, so you may be able to work together to split a hotel or cabin as well as car fare.

If you are an individual, you can try to do a similar option. See if any of your friends are willing to split the cost of an Airbnb, hotel room, and food during the trip. Simply doing this can help you save hundreds of dollars on a trip that can be used for other activities or just to save some money.

Book a Spot with a Kitchen

When you are trying to learn how to plan an affordable vacation, always remember the basic needs you will need to meet on the trip. The largest part of any vacation budget tends to revolve around food. If you are going to a popular tourist area especially, food can be very expensive, and those who have families of four or five can easily spend $500 a day on food alone between meals and treats.

Consider staying in a spot where you have a kitchen or microwave for some of your meals. Many condos, bed and breakfasts, and AirBnB’s are a great option to do this. Then you can take a trip to a grocery store on the first day of your trip and stock up on granola bars, cereal, sandwiches, and other food and snack items so you can spend less money on eating out and more money on experiencing various activities on the trip.

Seek a Planning Expert

Whenever in doubt about a financial decision or planning, it is always best to reach out to someone you can trust. Liberty Debt Relief’s debt relief specialists, for example, can provide some great insight on how you can eliminate your debt today with a debt relief program so you can start planning for your vacation tomorrow. They will help you comb through your budget, income, and expenses and can provide you with plenty of trusted resources so that you can effectively plan for the trip of your dreams without furthering your debt.

Summer is the best time to share new experiences with your loved ones. Don’t let those experiences come with the cost of lowering your financial stability. Start planning your affordable summer vacation now and have a trip that you — and your wallet — will be thankful for the rest of your life.

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Steps to Improving Your Credit Score

High school report cards do not follow you around forever, but unfortunately, your credit score report card does. Having good debt is an essential part of adulthood, as it is what allows you to get a car, home, loans, and many other basic necessities that you will need over the years. For many people, maintaining a good score of 700 or above can be terribly daunting, especially if your credit has dipped below 600 and you are struggling financially. Luckily, there are steps to improve your credit score that are sweet and simple.

Analyze Your Credit Score

Before you can know how to improve your credit score, you must know what your score is and look at the factors at play. Many credit card companies and banks offer credit reports to show this data for free, but if not, you can easily get your report through other companies. When looking at your report, pay close attention to your payment history, credit utilization, credit history, new credit, and what kinds of credit you have. Understanding your credit score is essential and, with these factors, you can easily see where you can improve. If the biggest contributor is that you don’t make payments on time, for example, that’s a pretty simple fix you can make in no time.

Evaluate Your Budget

An important first step to improve your credit score is to know exactly where you are financially. Take the time to carefully comb through your income and expenses and see where you can cut back to spend more time and money on getting out of debt. Consider narrowing down your spending on restaurants, activities, and subscription services to get started. Sometimes those items alone can eat up a few hundred dollars every month. You could also consider looking at cheaper grocery stores, requesting lower interest rates, or selling unused household items to help. The more money you can put toward your outstanding balances, the quicker you get out of debt and the sooner your credit score goes up.

Determine a Debt Plan

There are countless debt management solutions and there is no one size fits all plan that works for everyone. However, there is a plan out there for you and your situation and they are specially designed to help you learn how to improve your credit score, as well as get you out of debt. Whether you are looking for help with debt settlement, consolidation, management, or just want to learn some basic skills to keep you afloat, there is a plan out there to help you. A major key to financial success is remembering that you never have to go it alone. There are people and plans available that want to help.

Make Payments On Time

For many people, one of the biggest contributors to poor credit scores is a simple fix — make your payments on time. If remembering the date is difficult to do, try noting it in your phone calendar, desk calendar, or even setting up automatic payments. Many lenders will even allow you to pick your payment due date so that you can line it up with your paychecks every month or spread out your bills so they are a little easier to manage. Regardless of how you do it, it is imperative to show your lender that you are fiscally responsible and can, at the very least, make the minimum payment on your balances every month. Your credit report is essentially a financial scorecard that allows lenders to rate your credit worthiness.

Be Weary of Applications

If you seek out advice from a certified debt relief specialist, one of the first things they will tell you about your new steps to increase your credit score is to stop applying to new lines of credit. You should avoid applying for too many credit cards, loans, apartments, homes, or cars, as all of these actions require the company to perform a hard check on your credit. Hard checks can take a hard hit on your credit, as they make it appear to your current financial lender that you are in desperate need of money or assistance.

Use Your Credit Carefully

One of the other major struggles people tend to have is using their credit card as a debit card. While it does come off as ‘free money,’ it is crucial to remember that everything you spend on your credit card is money you must pay back. And, to keep your interest low, it is optimal to pay that amount back at the end of each month. To help lower your risk of not being able to pay back that amount every month, consider only using your credit card for items you will have to purchase every month anyway. Try using it for utility bills, groceries, or gas and then set money from your bank account off to the side so you are sure you can pay off that balance at the end of the month.

Get One-On-One Assistance

The top foolproof way to learn how to improve your credit score is to meet with a certified expert. By working with someone one on one, they can better assist you in narrowing down exactly what you can do to improve your score and your financial lifestyle overall. At Liberty Debt Relief, for example, they will carefully go through your budget with you, determine how you can better spend your money on debt relief, and connect you with a debt relief plan that is best suited for your situation.

Getting out of debt and living a life unbound by financial burdens can happen easier than you think. When you take the first step to seek out the necessary steps to increase your credit score, you are taking a leap into success. Contact Liberty Debt Relief for a free consultation and to find out how you can get on the freedom track today.

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Pay Down Debt or Start a Savings: Which Should You Prioritize

Getting a little extra money in your pocket is always a great feeling. Whether you’re getting a nice holiday bonus, a surprise birthday check from a family member, or just stumbled upon a way to get a little additional cash, every bit can make a huge difference in your debt relief plan. Those extra funds are great for paying down debt. If you are trying to decide whether to do that or put the money into savings, we are here to help you figure it out.

High Interest: Pay Down

If you are wondering how to pay off debt quickly, the answer is to get rid of as much interest as possible. Extra money should always go toward paying off the highest debts with the highest interest rates to help you save money over time. If you get an extra $100 for example, it will make a bigger difference on your $3,000 credit card debt with 20% interest than in your savings account.

Low Interest: Save

On the other hand, if you have low interest on an account with a low balance, the best thing you can do is save your money. In this scenario, you likely have put debt relief strategies to good use and are close to paying off your outstanding balances. Unless the extra bit of cash will completely eliminate your outstanding balance, it is a great opportunity to start building up your emergency fund or save up for a special item or a trip to reward your good financial decisions!

Multiple Debt Accounts: Pay Down

For those who still have multiple forms of debt looming over them, paying down debt it the best choice when you get some extra money. Take a look at your budget for debt repayment and see where the extra cash will help the most. If you have a lot of money owed to one account, in particular, that has a high interest rate, for example, it may be in your best interest to use that towards that one alone. Depending on how many outstanding balances you have, you may also find its better to split up the extra cash between several accounts.

Retirement Savings Plan: Save

Many employers offer a retirement savings plan where they will match your savings. It may not be exactly how to pay off debt quickly, but it will make sure that you essentially double your savings with less money. The best part about this option is that when you finally get out of debt and you are ready to retire, you will see that you have a nice backup fund that you can rely on without getting back into a sticky financial situation.

Make the Most of Your Funds

Liberty Debt Relief knows how difficult it can be to make and stick to a budget to get out of debt. Our debt relief specialists will work with you to make sure that all of your income is accounted for and that you are always well-prepared to make quick and smart financial decisions. Give us a call today at 1-800-756-8447 .

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Aspects of Your Financial Situation to Consider When Seeking Consumer Debt Relief

Seeking professional financial debt relief help is a positive step for many people. It can take people from the brink of bankruptcy to a life full of financial comfort. But, before enrolling in a consumer debt relief plan, it’s essential to carefully analyze your financial situation and look at the current status of various financial parts of your life.

How Much Money You Owe

The first thing to look at when you are considering professional financial debt relief is how much money you really owe. If you are only one or two thousand dollars in debt, it may not be as financially beneficial to enroll in a debt settlement program or something of the like. You should also look at how many lenders you owe money to. Owing money to only one company is a lot easier to manage than owing money to several. Before you get into a debt relief program, taking note of all your outstanding balances and lenders is crucial.

What Your Interest Rates Are

One of the many benefits of consumer debt relief plans is the likelihood that your interest rates will be lowered. However, that likelihood may lessen if you already have low rates. Unless you have a large amount of debt on top of high interest rates, a debt settlement plan will likely not be able to reduce your current interest rates specifically. If that is the case, make sure to evaluate the financial cost of doing a plan versus looking to pay off the debt yourself.

How Much Money You Earn

When you know how much money you earn, you know how much of an effort you can put toward financial debt relief. Write down all of your income after taxes, any additional income you may earn, as well as your expenses, so that you can budget to pay off debt. If you find that budgeting alone will fix your financial situation, you may not need to seek professional assistance. However, if your debt-to-income ratio is high and making monthly payments is difficult, you may consider turning to debt consultants who will help you create a unique plan to get you out of debt.

What Your Efforts Have Been So Far

Before seeking out consumer debt relief, it is important to analyze what you have done so far to prevent debt delinquency. Take a look at what efforts you have made in understanding credit scores, minimizing your debt, and paying back what you currently owe. Have you made your payments on time, or has your financial hardship made that difficult? If you are behind, debt settlement may be a great solution for you!

Get the Financial Debt Relief You’re Looking For

If you think your situation calls for some professional assistance, Liberty Debt Relief can help. Along with helping you understand the details of your finances that you should think about most carefully and often, our experienced debt relief consultants can answer any and all questions you may have to help you get out of debt as soon as possible. Contact us today!

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