CHEAP CHEETAH

How To Be Sucessful By Tyler Perry

2012-01-25T15:45:00.002-05:00

He says it all and I so agree with him, apply this not just for starting a business but to also help you save money. focus on one saving goal at a time and once that is finished go on to the next savings goal, For example think about paying off your debts first and when your finish doing that then think about saving money for your kids education or your retirement. Focus on one thing at a time.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

Couples and Home Ownership

2012-01-13T19:00:00.001-05:00

LIKE many young married people, Steve and Logan Kinney dream of owning a home. So after several years of diligent saving, the couple, both teachers, scoured the listings in Boerum Hill, the leafy Brooklyn neighborhood where they rented. But before long, they realized that home ownership would require living within the four walls of a studio. And even that was a stretch.
Post a Comment
“From what I’ve been told from TV, you are supposed to get a house,” said Mr. Kinney, 27, referring to the progression of life after marriage. “And then I get to sit in a nice chair.”
So they kept a sense of humor and broadened their search to seemingly more affordable areas: Jersey City, the Rockaways in Queens and neighborhoods farther out in Brooklyn. Their jobs at opposite ends of the city — she teaches first graders in Harlem, while he works in Rockaway Park — further complicated their search. But the real challenge was their price range: with a budget of only $250,000, their quest was over shortly after it began.
Considering the city where they live, the Kinneys’ predicament is not unusual. Yes, prices have tumbled 32 percent from their peaks, according to Fiserv Case-Shiller, and housing is now more affordable across the nation. But the couple lives in one of those places where the crash seemed to play out only on the nightly news. Here, gravity-defying ZIP codes rule the land, pushing home ownership out of reach for everyone but the most affluent.
In fact, prices in several metropolitan areas — including New York, Los Angeles and Boston — will end up being higher than their prebubble levels, at least relative to local income, said David Stiff, an economist at Fiserv Case-Shiller, which tracks the real estate market. There are a few reasons, but one of the main drivers is the work force: these areas develop pools of specialized, highly compensated employees. Think of Silicon Valley in Northern California, the financial industry in New York or the biotechnology sector in Boston.
“When that industry booms, it drives up home prices for everyone,” Mr. Stiff said. “Through each boom cycle, the price levels relative to income at the end of the cycle will be higher than at the beginning, so you get a ratcheting effect of unaffordability.”
And even though lower- and middle-income households are not directly competing with the wealthier workers for housing, they are still affected. “Each step of the way they are pushing prices up out to my market,” he added. “So in many instances, the only option is an extremely long commute.”
When prices peaked, the median cost nationwide of a single-family home was $226,000, four times the median income. Since then prices have dropped to levels last seen in the mid-’90s: at $166,000, that’s about 2.7 times the median income of $61,593, according to Fiserv.
But things begin to look a lot less affordable when you consider hot spots like Los Angeles. The median home there costs about 5.86 times the median income, compared with 4.89 in San Francisco. New York isn’t far behind: the median home runs about 4.62 times the median income, in part because of foreign buyers who take advantage of a weaker dollar. In Boston, it costs 3.7 times median income.
For many would-be buyers, that means it is simply more affordable to rent. But that can be frustrating for people who thought they had done everything right, except for choosing a higher-paying profession. The Kinneys both went to Rutgers, a public university in their home state, to keep student debts manageable. Instead of attending graduate programs at costly private schools, they became New York City Teaching Fellows, an intensive teacher-training program that subsidizes the cost of a master’s degree in education.
When they moved in together, the couple began saving about $700 each month, and Mr. Kinney helped his future wife extinguish the credit card loans she had accumulated in school. Their wedding, two years ago, was a small affair in Ms. Kinney’s mother’s backyard in New Jersey, where Mr. Kinney’s father served as the photographer. They honeymooned in Paris, but did it on a student’s budget, staying in hostels and subsisting on baguettes.
Today, they have no debt other than Ms. Kinney’s student loans, which total about $25,000 — not too bad, relative to many of her peers. They’ve been saving about $1,000 most months and put an additional 15 percent away for retirement. They both have credit scores that top the enviable 800 mark.
So why can’t their savings yield enough money for a hefty down payment? “It feels like anytime we hit around $20,000 something terrible or some unexpected thing happens,” Mr. Kinney said of their savings which reached about $22,000 at its peak. He planned on coming up with another $20,000 for their down payment by borrowing from his pension.

But that still wasn’t enough to stretch their price range much further. Since then, their savings has dwindled a bit, largely because so many things need to go right for it to grow. About a year and a half ago, Ms. Kinney was working as a special education teacher through an agency, but her small caseload and collection of part-time jobs didn’t generate enough income.
Post a Comment
Mr. Kinney recently returned to graduate school, because more credits will lead to a higher paycheck, while Ms. Kinney spent about $2,500 getting certified in yoga instruction so she can teach during the summers. Their quest to find a cheaper rental also cost them thousands in brokers fees each time they moved. Then there’s the $800 they had to spend on shots for Marley and Bucu, their dog and cat.
“Unless you are a lawyer, owning a home is out of the question,” said Mr. Kinney, adding that they would need to save the equivalent of one year’s salary, before taxes, to come up with the full 20 percent down payment needed to avoid private mortgage insurance. “That’s a lot of money and assumes nothing ever comes up.”
And that doesn’t even include the $10,000 cushion they would like to keep in the bank — after the down payment and closing costs — which would make them comfortable buying.
Saving that much has always been a slog, which is why experts say that first-time home buyers rarely come up with the full 20 percent down payment. In fact, more than 53 percent of first-time home buyers obtain mortgages through the Federal Housing Administration’s program, where government-insured loans permit borrowers to put as little as 3.5 percent down, according to a September survey of 2,500 real estate brokers conducted by Inside Mortgage Finance and Campbell Surveys.
Only about 11.2 percent of first-time home buyers took traditional mortgages that are backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The remainder paid with cash, private financing, or through programs sponsored by the Veterans Affairs or Agriculture Departments.
The Kinneys were considering an F.H.A. mortgage, but for now, they’re back to watching their spending. They rarely eat out, though they do splurge on organic produce. Mr. Kinney said he could draw a map of the city’s best happy hours, which “dovetails nicely with the fact that we’re public school teachers and have been up since 5 a.m.”; they are ready for bed soon after the specials are over. He has worn the same $20 sneakers for two years. They reward themselves with one vacation a year, which is typically financed with half of their tax refund. The other half is saved.
The couple said they were grateful for what they have. Still, the inability to buy makes them feel as if they are living an extended adolescence, especially because they’re eager to start a family. “There is something about that that makes you feel like you are not fully a member of society,” Mr. Kinney said.
“You still feel like a child,” Ms. Kinney added, conceding that sometimes she feels that the goal is so far off that it’s not even worth trying. But during those moments, Mr. Kinney, the money manager, tries to keep them focused (just don’t tell him it’s a great time to buy). The couple might also move West at some point, but not until the economy improves. And right now, they love living in New York.
Meanwhile, they have managed to find a two-bedroom rental that feels more like home, a few blocks from the sand and surf in the Rockaway Beach section of Queens. At $1,600, it costs the same as the dark basement studio they had rented in Brooklyn. “Rockaway Beach is a little far out there,” Ms. Kinney said of her three-hour round-trip commute, “but whenever I come home I will have the ocean at my door.”
And that doesn’t cost their down payment fund anything at all.

$10 A Week

2012-01-06T19:39:00.002-05:00

My co workers is on a $10 a week budget, she only has $10 to spend for the week. she ha her transportation money and then her $10. I told her good for her. As of Friday she had $4 left from her $10 budget. I think I might join her bandwagon, Except my budget needs to be $20.00.

I still am looking for the $20 challenge what should I do to make more $$ with my $20. I have some ideas play the lottery with it, purchase items for resale with it, put it in the bank an grow interest with it. I am still thinking on the $20 challenge go any suggestions??

Happy New Savings Year

2011-12-31T09:08:00.001-05:00

Wishing everyone a safe and happy New Year. This will be our year to Save and be healthy about it. Healthy wallet and body!

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Day!

Bank Run Today

2011-12-27T19:17:00.002-05:00

Today was banking day. I rolled my coins and it came to $57.50. I placed that money in the bank until I decide what I am going to do with it. This is part of my Saving Change New Years challenge.

Have a great and Happy New Year

Got a Challenge For You & Me

2011-12-25T19:07:00.002-05:00

The loose change challenge starts Jan 1, 2012. Here is how it goes. start saving you loose change and then once you saved up say $30 dollars then do you with that money. Do something fun for yourself, or start a business, save it do what every you want with you loose change. It's a do you with loose change challenge. I am rolling my loose change tomarrow and I will keep you posted on what I am doing with it.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week & Happy Holidayss

Wishing Everyone A Happy & Healthy Holiday

2011-12-22T18:56:00.002-05:00

Holiday Cheer From The Office

2011-12-10T20:13:00.002-05:00

The holidays are here and so are the office decorations. This is just one picture I took of some of the decorations that have invaded the office this year. I must admit that some of my co workers are very creative with their decorating ideas. My co worker came to us and asked for $5 to decorate our part of the office. Most of the co workers in my area turned her down including me. Guess $5 was to much. Oh well wishing everyone a festive office decoration day!

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

My Co Worker's Retirement

2011-11-30T06:12:00.002-05:00

On of my co workers told us Monday that she is retiring this week. We all were excited and envious of her. But I started thinking about the money part of retirement. When you retire or even before that do you think about the cost of retirement. My co worker who is retiring told us that she cashed out some cds to pay her bills and that after all is said and done with her pension check and social security she should be ok. Living wise that is. I say what happen to the saving part of your retirement. You have worked somewhere for 25 years and in those years did you not save any money from your paycheck. Think about it if you would;d have saved $5 a paycheck which equals $10 a month then over the course of 25 years you would have saved $3,000 toward retirement and that is with only $10 a month! I spoke to another co worker of mine and she said that she is on such a tight budget because every extra penny she gets her hands on she put toward her retirement. she told me she did not want to depend on her social security or pension to live on. She wanted to do things and go places that is why she is saving money for retirement. If half of my co workers thought like just this one then a lot of them would be prepared when they retire ,but unfortunately most of my co workers go down to our retirement office and get a shock when the company tells them they cannot retire because they have either taken out to many pension loans which have to be paid back before you retire or they owe the city to much time which also has to be paid back .and to be honest most of my co workers can not afford to retire because they never planned for it.

Have a Great Cheap Cheetah Week

Alaska Goal Trip

2011-11-23T20:03:00.002-05:00

I was reading a blog about a women who lived on what she made from selling stuff on line. she got me to thinking, next year I have a big trip coming up. I am going to Alaska. So I am starting to save up for it now( My spending money $1000,00). I am going to search and use coupons, cut back on my gambling and look for money in the street among other things. I will keep you posted on my progress. Have A great Cheap Cheetah Week!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T18:55:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving may your day be fun, full and blessed

Have a Great Cheap Cheetah Week

What I Have Learned From Ocuppied Wall Street

2011-11-17T18:52:00.002-05:00

What I have learned from reading about occupied wall street is this, most of the people involved in this movement are in their 20's. and they come from all over the U.S. They are a peaceful group who just want their message, whatever that is to be heard by the goverment and big coporations Being a cheapskate they have showed me that with the right people and cause, you can eat for free, get free clothing, get free medical assistance, live rent for free and get money donations all while fighting for what you believe in. The occupied wall street people who have took up sleeping in the park, have set up their own community where they have shelter, medial, security, clothing and food and money for bail when needed all by donations from others who believe in what occupied wall street stands for. Looking at it from a saving money point of view. All I had to do was go down to where the Occupied Wall Streeters are staying and just hand out with them and I can get all the free stuff that was being offered. But sleeping outside in a tent in New York City with the weather starting to change for an extended period of time in a park is not what I call fun even if I do get for free stuff. But I have been thinking on how to better utilized the resources that I do have and not spent so much money on stuff that is not really important to me. I say we start to live and think like the occupied wall streeters , pay for our basic needs, always looks for free stuff and live our life for a purpose or a cause. After Our basic needs are met how much do we really need. I am starting my own Movement it's the Movement of I don't need alot of stuff, I need a retirement fund Movement , who wants to join me.!

Have A Great Cheap Cheetah Day

A Racino In Queens Is Here!

2011-11-05T09:11:00.002-04:00

The New racino in Queens opened up last Friday to 20,000 people waiting in line to try their luck at lady luck. They were pushing and shoving each other to get in to a place where they are going to lose their money just by stepping into the racino's doors. Their were no promotions or incentives being offered to the players on the first weekend of the opening. No free drinks or entertainments, just video slots sitting and waiting to taking of your money. We will see how this racino will benefit the community in the comming months. Racinos are here to make a profits from the woking class person and the retirees. People who struggle everyday to pay their bills. The racino's opening day saw no big winner only small ones. Some people did win $100, $200 $300 but no big money was be made there . This racino It's a taker of money not a giver. And I am hoping that the community and people who go to the racino will look at it has entertainment and not a way of life.

Have A Great Cheap Cheetah Week

Saving Money For Halloween

2011-10-19T12:39:00.002-04:00

Halloween is almost here and that means candy and scary costume. You can still have a scary time and save money for Halloween. First look around your house and see what you can come up for your child's Halloween costume. What about a mans jacket and a hat now he's an adult, how about putting an old wig and some make up on your child now he' or she is a clown, just some suggestion you can think of better ones from the stuff that you have at home. A Halloween costume should not cost you anything but your imagination. If you child is going trick or treating then make sure there is an adult with him/her and also stop buy your local banks they are giving out trick or treat bags that are nicely decorated and they are free. If you have to buy candy why not buy it by the pound. i saw a sale at CVS for a 5lb bag of candy for $6.99. I know it should expensive but if a lot of kids come to your door looking for treats you cans give them one or two pieces of candy to make that 5lb bag last longer. If you child wants a party for Halloween its even better have a bring something Halloween party. Tell the mother of the invited guest if they do not mind bringing something to the Halloween party for the kids. That way the kids will have a great Halloween party and it will not cost you a lot to have it. Just some suggestion to have a cheap cheetah Halloween. I personally wait until all that candy goes on sale after Halloween at 50% off and treat my neighborhood kids to a candy goodies bag with the candy I purchases on sale.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

and every Sunday at 8:30 am you can find me on the radio

The Cheap Cheetah Money Show (tm)

www.blogtalkradio.com/cheap-cheetah

Michelle Obama talks about Where She Shops

2011-09-30T20:30:00.000-04:00

The First Lady Shops At Target. And?

2011-09-30T19:40:00.003-04:00

Today the big news was that Michelle Obama shops at target. My question to you who doesn't shop in target. It's where the bargains are . Let's not talk about Walmart. I like Walmart not love it but like it. The story goes like this the First lady in disguise went to target to shop. she says that she likes to do normal things at times. and that she likes her bargains. Don't we all? I like to know that our First lady is smart with her spending I wish the rest of the world was the same. Especially since we are in a bad economy. I say 2 thumbs up to the first lady for shopping where the bargains can be find the local Target Store!

Have A Great Cheap Cheetah Day!

Black & White Portrait Of U.S. Wealth

2011-09-17T20:09:00.002-04:00

the wealth gap between whites and minorities has become a grand canyon in America. The median net worth of white households is 18 times that of Hispanics and 20 times that of African American households. The widest disparity in a quarter century, a study finds that median wealth of white U.S. households in 2009 was 113,149 compared to $6,325 for Hispanics and $5,677 for African Americans. The gap is the widest it's been since the census began tracking it in 1984.

This is very depressing for me to learn that minorities are not catching up to their counterparts when it comes to wealth in this country. My question is why is that. is it because of educational factors, opportunity factors, what is it and when we found out what makes such a wide wealth gap we need to also find out how to change it.

What the articles says what's pushing the weath of whites is the rebound of the stock market and the corporate saving.

If that is the real reason then investment should be part of your saving program. Beaue like I always say investment is your key wealth.

Have A Great Cheap Cheetah Week

We Remember God Bless

2011-09-08T19:58:00.001-04:00

A True Money Saver Mary Monroe

2011-08-28T21:12:00.002-04:00

About the Author
Mary Monroe is the author of the award-winning, New York Times bestselling God series, which includes God Don’t Like Ugly and God Ain’t Blind. Mary Monroe is the third child of Alabama sharecroppers and the first and only member of her family to finish high school. One of her proudest moments was when she became a winner of the PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Award.

She is currently celebrating the release of Mama Ruby, the prequel to the Upper Room, the book that started it all. She still writes seven days a week and gets most of her ideas from current events, and the people around her, but most of her material is autobiographical.

Mary Monroe currently lives in Oakland, California. She is divorced, loves to travel, loves to mingle with other authors, and she'll read anything by Ernest Gaines, Stephen King, Alice Walker, and James Patterson.

Books by Mary Monroe
http://www.marymonroe.org/mynovels.html

Read her money saving Story at http://www.blackpearlsmagazine.com/articles.html

Where Do you Feel Safest Investing

2011-08-23T16:21:00.002-04:00

In the current economic climate where do you feel the safest investing.

17% say stocks, They feel that stocks are bound to rebound soon.

7% feel gold is a good investment and Gold seem more secure to people to but their money into.

8% Feels bonds or conversative mutual funds are for the risk averse right now.

21% Say they feel safe keeping their money in their mattress.

47% Say what who has money to invest, Most people fell they are investing their money in to paying off their bills and keeping a roof and food on the table.

So where so you invest your money. Me personally I feel mutual funds and bonds are a safe bet for me. And I alway like to keep some of my cash in the bank it makes me feel safe.

Have a Great Cheap Cheetah Week

Harlem Book Fair 2011

2011-08-15T19:32:00.000-04:00

A Third Of American Want To Quit Their Jobs

2011-08-06T08:10:00.002-04:00

About one third of U.S. workers want to leave their jobs( I in this group). With younger workers most likely to quit, according to a study by a human resource company. A survey of 3,000 workers found that 40% are really considering quiting their jobs to pursue their life dreams. This percentage is up 13% from last year.

Dissatisfaction is growing as workers are getting more stress, less pay and more aggravation from their job then it needs to be. Some workers feel that the pay does not compensate for the aggravation of getting to a job working on that job and getting home from that job. A lot of people would not mind the stress if they were doing what they love to do. But most workers are not.

A lot of workers feel that the companies that they work for does not have their best interest at hear and that they just want working robots and not people who will interact and help the company to prosper. And let's not talk about the greedy factor of some companies who rob their employees of money and bonus while the company itself takes big raise increases.

No most people are unhappy and dissatisfied with their jobs and nowadays who can blame them!

Have a Great Cheap Cheetah Week

It's Worth What Game Show

2011-07-30T17:38:00.002-04:00

Have you seen that show on NBC that features Cedric The Entertainer. The Show is called It's Worth What? This game show is about people guessing the value of certain items so that they can win cash. The reason that I am talking about this is because the items that are on display for the contestants to guess their value is sometimes over the top when it comes to cost. For example I watched this show the other night and a skeleton of Pre- Historic Bear, JFK's strands of hair, Marlyn Monroe's tape measure, Humphrey' Bogart's hat, Paris Hilton's Dress just to name a few things. This stuff is not cheap the value runs in to the thousands of dollars. My question every time I watch this show is who buys this stuff and why? If you get a chance to watch it please do. It's funny entertainment for the frugal minded. You will not be able to watch it in full with out say ' They want How Much and That's Crazy"

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

I Learn A Few Things At The Book Fair

2011-07-24T17:37:00.004-04:00

I learned something being at the Harlem Book Fair this weekend. The first thing that I learned was that there are a lot of independent author writing books and creating their own individual publishing companies. Another thing I learned was that no matter how hot or expensive it would be to set up a table where you might get a lot of people up and coming author was spending the price. Another things is that if you want to do something do not depend on other to do it for you do it yourself.

For free and fun entertainment for the day go to street fairs like this. You are sure to meet great people and have a lot of fun for free. The only cost to me was the cost of water and a cup of ice. (2.50) I had fun I went with a good friend and we ended up handing out fliers. Which is another thing you can do is if you are in business and you want people to know about your business make up fliers (cheaply) and hand them out at fairs like this. I did

Have A Great Cheap Cheetah Week

Harlem Book Fair This Saturday

2011-07-19T19:25:00.002-04:00

www.harlembookfair.com

If you love your books like I do reading them, writing them or looking for new talent. Then this Saturday at 11pm-6pm The Harlem Book Fair is the place to be. I will be there letting everyone know about the Cheap Cheetah e books ( Saving Money the Cheap Cheetah Way & Saving with coupons The Cheap Cheetah Way) So if your in the neighborhood stop by and say hi.

Yard Sales Time Mean Money Time

2011-07-06T18:03:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year to earn money. Garage sale time . Here are some tips on how to make a few bucks with your garage sale.

Make sure to hold your garage sale on the weekends and around the first of the month. This is when people usually get paid. But avoid holiday weekends when people are off doing things.

Make sure that you place clear and understanding signs around your neighborhood and other places that you know have a high population of people.

Make sure that the items that you sell are clean and do not need repairs that can be costly to fix.

Have enough change on you so when you make sales you will not always have to run in the house looking for change.

Make sure if you selling clothes to check the pockets for items that you might not want to sell.

Make sure that you greet you shopper with a hello and a friendly smile.

Price your items accordingly. Do not sell you items for the same price as retail stores. remember your stuff is used.

Most importantly have fun. It's the summer and making money should to fun and easy

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

Two Great Cheap Cheetah E books

2011-07-04T08:57:00.010-04:00

Saving With Coupons The Cheap Cheetah Way
Looking To find ways to save money. Then coupons are one of the ways that you can save. In this book I will show you how to use coupons for entertainment, food, housing and transporation.
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/67841

Here's another great Cheap Cheetah E Book

Saving Money The Cheap Cheetah Way

Showing you ways on how to save your hard earned money the cheap cheetah way

http://www.smashwords.com/b/23941

More People Are Becoming Penny Pinchers

2011-06-28T18:10:00.003-04:00

I was reading a article that withthe high price of food and gas more poeple are becooming penny pinchers in other areas of their lives. The article states that nowadays you can not go into a grocery store and spend les sthen $80 bucks on food. And let's not talk about filling up your gas tank for the week. It cost me $60 bucks. So with the added expenses things like enteratinment, clothing, heath products are not getting purchased my consumers. And if they are getting purchases the consumers are using coupons,or trying to get the generic brand of a product that they might need or want. I have seen so many discount rates and special offers when it comes to traveling and entertainment that right now if you do your home work you can get a nice vacation inexpensive. The article also states that a lot of people are just doing with out until the prices on products can match what they want to spend. Hopefully that the consumer will stay a penny pinchers even when the economy get's good again. Like they say a penny saves is a penny earned.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

Good Video About Dumpster Diving

2011-06-20T20:12:00.000-04:00

Losing weight On The Cheap

2011-06-15T19:10:00.002-04:00

why is it the summer months everything that you see or read is about weight loss. What happen to us enjoying our summer without thinking about our weight issues. Well for the summer if you must think about weight then let's talk about losing weight on the cheap. Get out and be active. It;s warm summer nights and beautiful summer morning. Get out and enjoy a walk or bike ride.

The kids are out for the summer when was the last time you had a game of baseball, Frisbee or water balloon fights. It's summer and it will not only be enjoyable for the kids but you and the kids will both be getting exercise from it.

Free library work out tapes, books some people can only get motivated to lose weight if there is someone in front of them telling them what to do. That is where the tapes comes in at and if you need to learn what portion control and how to make tasty low calorie food then that is where the books come in at all free.

Limit your meals to one meat a day. hey let's go veggie. I think meat can be over rated at times. It's a great way to watch your weight going to all vegetables and fruits.

Look for free or discounted work out equipment that you can use at home. If not then scout around for a low cost gym membership. What i personally do is I share a gym membership with a friend. She uses it on certain days and I use it on certain some day and we split the cost. it's a cheap way to exercise.

look for a local gym in your city. I know in new york the city of new york has gyms in all five boroughs . The membership cost $50.00 for the year. And the city gyms also offer classes on self defense,boxing, modern dance all of this for just $50.

The beach, park, zoo are great places to see exciting things and enjoy life while still getting your exercise in.

If you need help look for programs like Weight Watchers, and Jenny Craig to have a sale on membership and see about joining if the price is right. I know Weight Watchers always send me free membership cards. But I have to pay $13 for the meeting. Hey sometimes being in groups help you reach your weight goals. Also there are a lot of great programs on line that you can join for free to help you lose weight.

Hey it's the summer be happy Healthy and Stay Active on the cheap

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

Staying Cool On The Cheap

2011-06-08T19:52:00.002-04:00

It's starting to feel like summer here in New York. Today it was 90 degrees. Tomorrow it will feel like 100 degrees. What can we do to fell cool on the cheap. Here are some suggestions.

Look for air conditioning on sale at discounted stores like P.C. Richards. Walmart, Target. I have seen air conditioners go for less then 200 bucks.

Get a fan for all the room in your place. OK you are saying that a fan brings hot air. But if you sit a fan by the window you will get a nice cooling breeze when the wind blows.

Go to public places that have air conditioning and in the evening go home. this is only if you do not have air conditioner It's cooler in the evening and with the cooler air a fan at home will make you feel like you have air condition.

Get a kiddie pool and a beach umbrella and enjoy the summer time. hey we can take the heat. We don't melt.

Plan to stay with friends who have a cool place or better yet a pool.

When I am hot I always find that eating ice and drinking a lot of water. Makes me feel cool.

If you have a basement. Then hang out down there. The basement of any house or apartment building is always the coolest place in the building.

Get a sprinkler for the lawn and use it for the lawn and on yourself when it get to hot inside.

These are some of the ways to say cool on the cheap

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

Good Video about Mike Tyson And Money

2011-06-04T20:28:00.001-04:00

Tyson said some very interesting things about his spending pattern back then and now. Good video about what he spent his money on and how he feels about money today.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Day!

Drive & Save

2011-06-02T06:26:00.003-04:00

even though gas prices are far less then the record highs of 2008. chances are you are still looking for ways to save on summer travel. By having your car inspected and inflating tires to the proper pressure you can improve your gas mileage by more then 3%. You can also save by buying gas at stations that are far from the highway.

Also another note It's June

The first of the month is here and what are you planning on challenging this month. Are you going to try and keep your bills in order, balance your check book. start a work out routine. What are you going to to do this to improve your life. Me personally start collecting my coins and cutting my calories.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

Retiree's and Atalntic City

2011-05-26T06:21:00.002-04:00

Back from vacation in Atlantic City . And not only did I get Free rooms, Broadways show, money to gamble and food. I also got an education in how to mind the gold from a lot of the retiree's that are in Atlantic City for vacation. What I learn from them is that as long as you can get up and get around Go somewhere. Enjoy your life. I also learned that if you have a pension and your social security check. Still mind your money. Look for the entertainment factor but make sure that it's a bargain. I went to a free Broadway show and it was packed with retiree's . they explained to me that if they can get something free. They will. All the gifts and offers that Atlantic City is offering to them They are taking advantage of them. They feel that they can still have a good time and save money. One set of women I met while playing on the machine. Taught me to take my time gambling. These ladies gambled $20 at the slots machine playing 20 cents a pull. They were winning. They won $50 each . Thy took the money with them and was very happy to have it.

What I learned over all from the retiree's is to take advantage of all things offered free. enjoy your life and budget your money well so that you can enjoy it. And most importantly take your time and enjoy the ride of life. since you only get one ride.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Day!

$75 Dollars For What!

2011-05-17T18:34:00.002-04:00

One of my co workers is taking up a collection for a manager. The reason is that the has 25 years of service with the company. The co workers wants to congratulate the manger by having everyone chip in for a $75 fruit flower arraignment. I told my co worker that this is way to much to spend on fruit that's made into flowers. I had made some suggestions of more then one thing to purchase for the mangers so that for the $75.00 that will be collected she can get a variety of things. My co workers told me that everyone likes the fruit flower idea and that they were going with it. My co worker also told me that she wanted $5.00 from everyone for it. I was totally against buying someone a gift that if you do not eat it in a timely manner it goes bad. What kind of 25 years of service gift will your remember if you have to eat it in a hurry. Before it spoils.

I told my co worker if you every collect for me just get me a cake and a card with money in it. i can find better things to do with $75.00 then spend it on fruit. Can't you!

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

Good Speaker Motivating

2011-05-15T09:32:00.003-04:00

I attended a networking event this week. At this event I met a lot of great business minded people. I also had the pleasure to listen to a great speaker Randall Pickett. He was a contestant on The Apprentice which he won. He spoke to us about if it was not for his wife pushing him to send in an application to be on the Apprentice, Then his business would not have gotten the opportunities that it’s getting now. Being on TV weekly helps. He also spoke about living your dreams and the hard work and sacrifices that he has made to obtain not only a great education but to be able to compete in the business world so successfully. He spoke to us about taking chances with out business and life as long as in the end it will benefit you and your business and not hurt it. You have to live what you feel and if you desire it then go for it. We all must step back and look at the man in the mirror and make that change for the betterment of ourselves and our lives. Randall told us very positive and motivating things. It got me motivated to do things different. To step out of the business comfort zone and go for it. And I get all this for the cost of $12.50 you can not bet that!

Networking Events

2011-05-13T18:33:00.003-04:00

As much as I dislike going to networking events. They do serve a major purpose for a business. First you get to meet people that are liked minded. You also get some great information and make contacts with people and there companies that you might need later on. The reason That I am saying all this is that this week I went to a networking event. It was free of course and the speakers were very inspiring. This event served you food and wine and I meet some interesting people. The speakers got me motivated to do more for my business then I am already doing. Even thought you might not like meeting new people( that's me)it is important to get out and let people know who and what your business is. Because without people you have no business.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

I Finally Placed A Bet

2011-05-08T07:43:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I got a chance to bet on the Kentucky Derby. My first time I had to go to my nearest race track since OTB is out of business. But what I found is this. Most people think that the race track is for people who like to bet on the horses. But I found out that families go there to not to bet on the horses but to watch these beautiful creatures. When i went to my local race track was was really surprised at how beautiful it was inside with the green grass, the benches for people to picnic on and the people. There were so many people there with their family watching the horses walk around the track and the trainers train them. It was a great family day and it only cost$3.00 a person. If I had kids and I wanted to take them on a nice park like picnic this would be the place because it's beautiful and inexpensive. I spent $12.00 betting on the Kentucky Derby and you know I lost right. But I still had a good time at the races.

Have a safe and Happy Mothers Day

Shark Tank

2011-05-03T08:41:00.002-04:00

I am so glad that Shark Tank is back on. For the people that do not watch it. It's about people who need investors to make their business grow. the people on the show have some great ideas. Last night I was watching the show and this Man had a great invention with a brook and floor scrapper all in one. the Sharks( investors) loved his idea. But mostly what's important is that if you have a business you will learn a lot of what to do, what you need and the way you present your business to any investor. every time I watch it I learn a lot about business and I see the great ideas that people come up with. Eben though some of the Sharks can be harsh they will tell you very informative things about your business. I wish I had the ideas that some of these people do. If you get a chance watch some of the shows they have them on Hulu Tv. You will enjoy them as much as I do. Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

Tis The Season

2011-05-01T07:31:00.002-04:00

The yard sale season is here. I went to my first one yesterday. They had so many in my areas I went crazy. I love yard sale because I can find my holiday gifts to give to people very cheap and also I can find stuff to resale. I have found some great things yesterday to give as gifts brand new in the package it was a salt and pepper set. I have a friend who collects these. So with the season upon us why not have a garage sale to make money or find stuff to resale to at garage sales to make money . Or look for things that you think will make nice wedding, birthday or holiday gifts. either way you look at it garage sales help you to make and save money.

Have a great cheap cheetah week!

Wishing Everyone A Safe and Happy Holiday

2011-04-21T18:47:00.001-04:00

Saving On Insurance

2011-04-13T18:21:00.002-04:00

We all need insurance for our families, cars, homes, ourselves. But must insurance be so expensive. Here are some ways to help you save money on your insurance.

If you have an older car think about canceling collision and comprehensive on your car insurance it might not pay to carry this kind of coverage on an older car.

Ask for a 12 month auto insurance policy instead of 6 months this locks in your insurance rate.

Try not to turn in small claims to your insurance company. The bigger the claim the better. If you have damages in the area of $1000,00or more then it makes sense to call your insurance company about the damages. Anything less your insurance company might not want to pay. if they do pay and you continue to put in a lot of small claims the insurance company might cancel your policy.

Pay your insurance premiums in full instead of on a monthly payment plan. This saves you money in the long run because when you pay monthly you are charged a service fee for it.

In your home install smoke alarms, fire extinguishers and carbon monoxide detectors This will not only make your home safe but it will help you knock off a few doll on your insurance premium.

You can save on your insurance premiums if you insurance your home, life and auto with the same company. I remember that i save on my auto insurance 10% because i took the defensive driving class and I had air bags and a alarms install in my car.

These are a few ways that you can save on your insurance. ask your insurance agent what specials and deals his company offers.

Look into disability insurance if your job does not offer it to you . It pays to have it just in case you get into an accidents and need money to pay your bills until you go back to work.

Have A great Cheap Cheetah Week

The Foolish Things That We Do

2011-04-07T18:05:00.002-04:00

The foolish things that we do with our money. since April 1th is April fools day . I thought that I would talk about some of the things that people do foolishly with their money. Here are a few

A co worker went to a designer shoe sale in Manhattan and spent $ 300.00 dollars on shoes that were originally $1000.00

Buying on the floor seats for a sporting event. Where the seats could run you in the hundreds.

Giving a home contractor the full price of your home renovations before he even start doing the work. And of course he never does the work and you can not find him to ask him about your money.

Spending a lot of money on your kids toys that they will get bored with in 2 to 3 days and want new ones.

Co signing for a car, home. furniture for a friend, relative or partner. if they can not afford to purchase the item with out you co signing for it. Then do they really need it?

Buying little figurines, coins and anything that from The Franklin Mint company. They have cute stuff but you pay for that stuff in 5 easy payments which you do not need to do.

Using the rent to own stores for anything? They overcharge you on the items and if you miss a payment they repossess the item you have rented from them. Just save up for the item you want to buy and use cash to buy it.

I am sure that you can think of many more foolish things that we do with our money. Let's all be less foolish this year with money and try and save it for the stuff that is not so foolish.

Have A Great Cheap Cheetah Week

It's Hard To Save Money

2011-03-29T17:45:00.002-04:00

When the govt takes most of it.

Your spouse spends more money then you make.

You have students loans for a degree you can not use.

when you have a habit that you refuse to give up and it cost you money.

You have alow paying job and your expenses are high.

When you kids ask for expensive clothes and games.

When your friends and family borrow from you and never pay you back.

When your bills go up but your salary does not.

When you do not have a savers mindset.

Just to name a few things that keep us from saving money that we need for retirement and just plain old living.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week.

Escaping My 8-4 Job

2011-03-23T19:05:00.002-04:00

Have you ever got that pit at the bottom of your stomach every time you had to leave your home to go to work. Are you tired of taking the subways or driving to a job you don't like anymore . Has you job left you tired and unmotivated. It has for me. I have no feelings for my job anymore. I am ready for a job breakup. Don't get me wrong I am grateful for my job but in my heart I am not happy anymore with it. Here is how I plan to leave my job soon.

First I have to look over all my bank accounts and mutual funds to see what my net worth really is. With all the stock market ups and downs I could be worth 50 cents now instead of a dollar. (lol)

After that then I am going to really sit down and work on a budget. So that I will know how much is what. I dislike doing budgets but for this to work I need one. In my budget planning I have to make sure I cover all my expenses and my little extra like gambling. yes i like to gamble. I am on the wagon this week.

Now that I have my expenses and the my true money worth. I can start to plan when I can leave my job for good. But I also must make sure that I have something to do. I will not be sitting at home looking at tv all day and eating. that is a waste of time. I could eat all day and read magazine at my job and get paid for that. So I have to start working on a 2nd career. Something that I want to do. Like work on my Cheap Cheetah Business and my Lingerie business.

I need to lose weight before I leave my job. I also need to find out where my medical benefits will be coming from. who will be paying that . I know that I can not afford to pay for my medical expenses out of my own pocket. Medical is way to expensive for me. It will eat up your saving quick. I have to look into what inexpensive plans I can carry when it comes to medical with out going broke. Have any suggestions?

I also have to check on the medical/ pension/ benefits that I will receive from my company if any when I do decide to say I am out of here.

We all say that we want to quit or escape from our job but we all have to realize to do that . Well that is another job within itself to get ready to leave the job that we have. We have to be mentally and physically and financially prepared for it. That is why it can take people up to 2 years to leave a job. One must plan their exit. Like I am doing now planning my exit. Will keep you posted on my progress.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

Refund Time

2011-03-19T07:46:00.002-04:00

Some of us are getting a tax refund this year. So my question to you is what are you going to do with it once you get it? first of all before you run out and spent it on things that you really do not need. Sit down and think about things that need your money attention right away. Like does your car need fixing because you hear it makinga funny noise, Does you home need major repairs. Do you need dental or medical work done that you are not covered for by insurance. Does your kids need new clothes or does their education need money of some sort. Think before you spend.

Here are some suggestions of what you might do with your tax refund for 2011

Save it for the emergencies that might pop up that you are not aware of now. Because you know that we all have emergencies when it comes to money that pops up.

Invest it with the market being on sale for the last couple of days why not buy some stock. You can look for mutual funds, index funds or single stock to invest in. But be careful know what and who you are investing in before you part with your money.

Invest in a new experience Learning new skills will not only make you feel better it will enhance your marketing skills.

For The Family. Use your refund for a small family vacations or things that you know you and your family will enjoy. Like a new television, Wii game,or any activity that the whole family will enjoy with out it costing so much.

Use it for a child's educational fund. Attending colleges is expensive. With attending classes, books, living on or off campus, transportation all these things add up to money. Let's face it kids can get expensive and their education is important. So why not put some of that money aside for them to use whne they do decide to attent college.

These are some of the things that you can use your refund money for. Personally I have invested my tax refund into my Roth account. I like to know when I retire I have money to enjoy and spend how I like.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

A Frugal Business

2011-03-09T05:49:00.002-05:00

Working full time for yourself and being a frugal person as well can be a challenge. Espically if you have to present yourself in a certain business like way. Sometimes the way you present yourself and you business can be expensive. Here are some frugal business tips to help you and your business stay frugal.

For business suits and attire go to upscale used thrift and consigmnets shops. You are bond to find nice suits and skirts for your business presentations and a thrid the cost retail cost.

If you have kids and need to have business meeting in the afternoon . Then look for after school programs that you can enroll your kids in for a couple of hours. While you go to your meeting. It's free and you know who and where your kids are after school.

For business meeting try meeting for coffee at your local office shop instead of meeting for dinner and lunch. If you have to meet for luch or dinner make it a nice place that services good food but not to expensive places like dinners and food places that offer specail places.

For business shoes. Look for the sales and buy a good quality pair of shoes they last longer and look better.

For business printed material. Look for places that offer free printing and promtional items like Vista print. They offer free business cards, hat, bags with your company name and logo on them. I think for shipping will cost you $10.00

Look for unexpensive organizations that you can join so that you can promote your business without having to spend a lot of money.

Create your own networking events with other business owners so that you can not only network with others but you can bounce off business ideas to. if you do not want to create your own orgaization then look for the free ones and attend in your city.

Look for free business classes that you can attend inorder to enhance you business skills and your overall business.

Look for free or inexpensive office furniture on places like craigs list, go garage sales, flea markets.

Keep you business on a budget and stick with it. If you can get anything for free for your self and your business and you can use it by all take it and use it.

Look for the lowest cost cell phone you can find and use it only for business. No bells or whisles on the phone just a basic phone you can use for business.

These are some of the basic frugal ways to run your business.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

What To Do If You Become Unemployed

2011-03-02T18:15:00.002-05:00

I have been reading about all these lay offs that the major is planning to do. He claims if he lay off all of these city workers then he can fix the budget. Since he his spending so much money on salaries, heath insurance and pensions. My question to you is if you work for the city or even if you don't are you prepared for a layoff. Here are some of the things that you need to know if your facing layoffs in your company.

Don't panic keep a level head and do not become a couch potato. Stay active.

See what kind of severance package your company is offering you . see if you can sweeten the deal by having them extend your medical benefits, asking them if you can use their offices and services while you hunt for a job. see what you can get from your company. the more the better.

apply for unemployment, medical benefits and food programs if your unemployment does not cover all of your basic living expenses.

Make sure that your have a professional looking resume and that you have the right clothes to interview in.

Avoid an new debt. do not go on vacation, buy anything shiny and new. Keep to your basic bills and see where you can cut back on the things that you really don't need. Remember that you in the I need to save as much money as I can mode.

Think of this layoff as a new chapter in your life. Time to try new things and reinvent yourself.

Look into all the free classes that your city, unemployment or your job might offer. Classes that will enhance your skills.

Looking for a job is a job so you must be proactive. Get out there everyday and network, network. Let people know you and make them aware of your skills.

Unemployment is not as scary as people think. remember you are not alone their are a lot of people that are unemployed right now. So make the best of your situation and take a chance and do something different with your life. A job does not make the person you are. You make the person you are. Live your life not through a job but through your life experiences.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week.

Something Is Calling Me

2011-02-23T18:31:00.002-05:00

A free spirit life is calling me and here is how I plan to answer her call.

First I am writing down the things that I need to get accomplished before Jan 2012 rolls around. That is all my medical and dental procedures that need to be done. Since my company pays for medical why not get everything that need to be fixed while I am still employed.

I also need to find out how much I have saved up over the last 17 years of working and what my major expenses will be when I stop working.( rent, food, transportation, medical insurance etc)

I need to know what kind of benefits I am entitled to from the company and when I can start receiving them. This is done my me making an appointment with my benefits department so that they can go over my benefits package form the company.

I also to figure out what will I do once I am no longer going to work everyday. I know that vacations and extra will be out for a while. And that you have to make the sacrifices in order to achieve you dreams. All of this I am more then ready to do. Mind you I plan to answer the call of freedom in 1 years so that way I have time to really sit down and plan.

I plan that with in one year I will have an income producing home( rental property whiich I am looking for now) so that I will also be looking for other ways to make money so that I can pay my bills and enjoy my freedom. These are some of my thoughts and plains that I have start to put in to action I will keep you posted. because when freedom really does ring my phone I want to be able to answer her call and ask her with the most of confidence where she wants me to meet her and then go.

Have a great Cheap Cheetha Week

Guide To Simple Investing

2011-02-15T11:04:00.003-05:00

Investing in stocks can be a profitable plan if you can tolerate the risk that come with it.Investing in stock is not for everyone . People with credit card debt or short term financial needs would get better returns working on improving their finances and sticking to lower risk choices.

Mutual Funds. A Professional manger pools money from many people to invest in stocks, bonds and other securities. For newcomers, a diversified stock mutual fun will offer the broadest exposure to a number of companies in various classes and markets. This can help soften the impact of one or more poor performing stocks or sectors.

Index Funds. These follow an index of a specific market. For example as the S&P 500 takes off, you should also expect an S&P 500 index fund to appreciate. Since neither you or the professional investor determines which stock to invest in , you save big on expenses. Look for diversified index funds or ones with a global focus and different size companies.

Save It. don't let the rewards of investing outweigh the risk. Although investing can offer a rich learning experience, putting money into stocks or mutual funds is still risky. So if you need your money for other important things like buying a home. paying off debt. children's education, medical bills, Don not invest unless you have that is laying around and you don't need it right away . Say for 3-5 years.

Investing is good but only if you have the money to do it.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

Life Lessons

2011-02-08T10:36:00.003-05:00

Looking at the years of job losses, forclosures, medical protest,increases in food, rental and gas, towns that are now ghost towns because of the economy. What life lessons have you learned from all of this. Here are some of mine

Never depend on one single person or place for your employment. You must have many avenues of income coming in . Because you never know when one of your income streams will dry up and then what will you do if you only depend on one. Like one job. You lose your job and now your lose as far as income goes.

Be independent. Never depend on anyone or anything for your survival. You have to know what to do in good time and in bad one and you must always come out on top!

Never put your complete trust in financial planners, money mangers, bankers or brokers. They are human to and they can and will make mistakes with your money. Ask Bernie Madoff.

When purchasing a home buy a small home for you and your family.Make sure if you lose your source of income you can still pay for your home. It is a waste of money to pay the bank all of those mortgage payments and then they come and take your home . And you only had 5-6 payments left before you owned it.

Always make sure that you have disability insurance. People today will have more accidents that their employers will not cover. So make sure that you and your family is covered with disability insurance.

Take advance of free anything classes, samples, advice. If it's free then use it to your advantage.

Make sure you know what their is to know about government benefits, unemployment, Medicaid, food stamps, welfare. If you need to get these services make sure you know your rights and what your are entitles to.

Save, save and then save some more. All the extra money you get your hand on save it. Because you just never know what life has in store for you.

These are my life lessons that I have learned form this economy what are your?

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Day!

Thing To Know If You freelance

2011-02-01T18:14:00.003-05:00

If you have the creative spirit to be a writer, website designer, cake maker,public relations consultant, business consultant, painter, photographer well you get the point. If you have a freelance business or your own business period. Here are some things that you need to know when it comes to your business.

Perfect your elevator pitch. while the elevator pitch might sound silly to some. You never know who your going to meet in an elevator that will help your business to grow. It is important to be able to describe your business in a minute or less to anybody who wants to know about it. You also need to convey to that person how your business will benefit them without being to pushy.

Keep an online profile- make sure you have a website for your business. Your business has a face book page, twitter account and you are on linked in. But your website will be your number one marketing tool to tract new customers. so make sure that your website is professional looking and it says everything that you want to say about your business and your skills.

Create your own projects. some times freelancers complain that they are not producing the type of projects that they want. If you feel like your being short changed when it comes to projects that you take on . Then why not create your own projects. The ones that you know you will feel good about.

Be careful don't do to much- when you take on to many projects you run the risk of not giving your client that attentions that they need. therefore the project you present to them might not be as good if you had 3 clients and not 20. The different when you take on to much work shows in your projects. You start to cut corners that you normally would not just to get the project done on time. Take you time and don't take on more projects then you can normally do.

Time is money- Make sure that you price your projects so that you are not cheating yourself by giving away your free labor and the clients is not over paying for a project that can be found cheaper else where.

If you freelance or have your own small business then the suggestions that I give you works for both.

Have A great Cheap Cheetah Week

Recession Shopping

2011-01-26T18:31:00.004-05:00

The recession has significantly changed the spending habits of shoppers, leading them to adopt cost saving ideas and strategies. Many say that they will use their cost saving ideas and methods even after the recession is over. ( we will see) A lot of people have mad major cuts in their spending because of our economy. Less people are now dining out, going to the movies and the bars, taking vacations and spending crazily on their kids. Time are tough right now and people are tarting to realize that it's better to save money then spend it..

People are now taking the time to comparison shop when they have to spend their money. They are looking for the bigger, better deal. Some people save that price and the return policy is the major deciding factor when it comes to purchasing large item good customer service also plays a roll to in their purchasing decisions. People say that when they purchase items they look at value over the need to purchase the item. Wants of certain items does not come into play as much as when the economy was in full swing and people had money to spend. Nowadays what people mostly forgo is shopping for clothes, they are buying less items and at the best prices possible. Some people are also saying that they are buying less expensive foods and only sticking to the basic of meal plans. Nothing to fancy now that the money is not their for the fancy food luxuries that they use to eat.

People's mind set are starting to change they are more aware of their spending dollars then ever before. They are being careful of what and where they purchase their products.

we all need to be mindful of our money!

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

U. S. Saving Bonds

2011-01-20T19:06:00.002-05:00

The series EE U. S. Saving bonds tuned 30 in 2010. and any EE bonds issues in th 1980's will stop earning interest this year. In the month that they turn 30 to be exact. If you own any such bonds you can calculate their current value on Treasury Direct.gov. You will need the bond series, denomination and serial number and the issue date. a $50.00 dollar bond that cost you $25 when you purchased it will now have a value of $167.40. to Cash in your 1980's series EE bonds you can go to your local bank and they will give you the money on the same day if your an account holder.
I have a friend who has a few saving bond that they purchased in the 80's and he told me that was the only way he could save money because they took the money to purchase the bonds right out of his paycheck. You will not miss the money you never see. A smart ay to save.

The series EE bonds issues Jan 1, 1980 had an annual yield of 7% it raised to 8% on Nov 1 1980.

Have a Great Cheap Cheetha Week

New York City Workers Pensions

2011-01-12T06:58:00.002-05:00

I was reading a very interesting story in my union paper yesterday. It stated that New York City Workers that are not nigher level employees are struggling in retirement. The story went on to say that the average pension for a NY city worker was $17,500 for the year. The story also said that a lot of retired city workers are depending on their social security to help them cover their living expenses in retirement. They also go on to say that a lot of retiree have not been able to save money and they retire with credit card debt.

This story bothered me in the fact that I still work for the city and I have really would have thought that the city could have provided a better pension for it's workers. But by reading this article it also gave me a wake up call to the fact that weather you work for the City of New York or any other company you must do your own retirement. You must save money while your still working toward your retirement, do not retire with any debt except your basic household expenses(no credit card debt), find ways to cut you expenses while your still working so that you can learn to live on less then you are making now. because if your retirement income is less then you working income then you will have to live on less anyway. When it come to your retirement you are really on your own. Companies now a days are not trying to help you become comfortable in retirement they are trying to make sure that they get every working moment from you for the least amount of money. So that is why I always stress be your own personal retirement package. Open up an Ira, Roth Ira, saving account earmarked for retirement, invest in stock and bonds. What every you can do to make your retirement comfortable then I say do it. Because you want to keep the lifestyle that you are use to when you retire and not have to change anything.

On that note Have A great Cheap Cheetah Week!

My Pay Raise

2011-01-07T19:55:00.002-05:00

The My first paycheck for 2011. I see a $16.00 increase. Yea. But I forgot that the government lowered the social security tax from 6.2 to 4.2 netting a nice little saving in my check. What will I do with all this money. This tax reduction will only last for one year so I better take advantage of the saving now. My saving for the month comes out to $32.00 a month. I plan on putting this money toward my holiday spending for 2011. Or I might just put it in to my IRA accounts. so many decision with so much money! what would you do?

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

The Cost Of a Snow Storm

2010-12-28T08:40:00.002-05:00

Since we had a big snow storm in New York Sunday night in to Monday. And most people stayed home from their jobs to try and dig themselves out of the snow. I was just wonder to have a bid snow storm like this what would be the cost to your financially and physically. First off if you had to take off from your job because you could not get there then you might have lost a days pay for it. Then if you had to shovel a lot of snow that was back backing and time consuming working that you could be using that energy for something else. If you had to pay someone to shovel your snow from your steps and sidwalk because you could not do it then that will cost you. The man in our neighborhood tried to shovel our snow and he was charging $40 bucks to do it. we did it ourselves. Let's not forget if you ran to the supermarket to get some food before the storm it and the supermarket raised their prices because of the storm it costing you. Last but not least salt or ice melt everybody wanted it to salt their sidewalks after shoveling them. For a small box of ice melt the supermarkets wanted $9.99, So my thoughts are this yes snow is nice to look at and play in but a snow storm will cost you big time.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

Have A Happy Holiday

2010-12-23T06:52:00.002-05:00

Wishing you and your family a very safe and Happy Holiday.

Have A Great Cheap Cheetah Holiday!

Real Estate Investing

2010-12-14T06:52:00.002-05:00

Real Estate Investing is like all investing it carries risk and rewards. If you don't know what your doing when it comes to real estate investing you could lose a lot of money. Most of the people that you see on TV and listen to on the radio that advertise different ways that you can make money off of real estate make it all seem so easy. Trust me when I tell you that when you venture in to Real Estate investing its an expensive adventure. Here are some key things that you need to know before you start to invest in Real Estate as a business.

Real Estate investing is a business that should have a well through out plan with goals and objectives, money in the bank and knowledge of real estate,

You need to know what type of real estate you want to invest in single family homes, 2 families, apartment building, commerical building etc. Are you interested in short sales properties, forecloses, court auction properties,personal owner property.

Also are you purchasing this property to buy and sell, or to rent it out and became a landlord. what are your intentions for the property that you purchase.

My suggestion even before you look for investment property. Have a home of your own first. It does not seem right to live in a apartment and pay someone else rent when you can have a home of your own . But that's my personal opinion.

Where is the money coming from to invest in the property. Your personal bank account, friends and family, a loan form the bank. And do you have good credit. Because you need a good credit score just to ask a bank for a loan for your property purchases.

Read as many books as you can on real estate investing and get the basic and the understanding about what it is you need before you even start to venture out into the world of real estate investing.

The real estate investing world takes money, patience and knowledge of what that world is all about and once you start to understand the real estate investing world you will be better off and it will save you a lot of time and money. I can not tell you how many people got in trouble with real estate investing because they listen to the late night tv about no money down real estate. Don't you be one of them

Have A Great Cheap Cheetah Week!

Holiday Shopping

2010-12-08T19:29:00.003-05:00

Here are some smart moves for your holiday shopping. This year the economy is in the toilet and times are not getting any better, But why should that spoil your holiday cheer. You can still have a holiday and save money. Here are some great money tips

Set a gift budget and stick to it. To many people blunder into Christmas budgets backwards. They have an open wallet and a open mind. But when the bills come in January they are shocked at the amount they spend in December. Now they are robbing peter to pay Paul when it comes to the bills. One of the whose thing that you can do is try and buy for everybody. Make a list and check it twice and buy for the people in your family you really need to buy gift for and have a holiday drink with the others. In my family we only purchase gifts for the kids the adults understand.

Share an experience instead of a gift. Give cooking classes, spa treatments, go horse back riding, jogging or tickets to a concerts or play. Take a class together. It's just being together and share the time that we spend with each other is more important then any gift that you could buy in the store because a gift you can forget about a memory of a shared experience you can not.

Gift a gift to strangers. Takes the money that you would have spend on a gift and give it to a family in need. Or have you family forgo gifts this year and pick a charity and volunteer your time or gift money to that charity. I mean do you need another purse, shoes, jewelery item. That donation could mean that someone less fortunate then you get to sleep in a warm bed or eat a hot meal. even a little bit of money or time when it comes to giving to charities makes a big difference in someones life.

With that said have a great and happy Cheap Cheetah Week!

A Fun Segment Candy The Best & Worst

2010-12-01T18:39:00.002-05:00

All candy according to a survey the most popular candy treats in term of healthfulness and this term is being used loosely the winner is New York Peppermint Patties. this candy is the least damaging to her health and weight. Twix came in as the worst candy to eat if we are talking healthy. Twix has 286 calories 10.8g of saturated fat and 37 carbohydrates. The rest of the candies Almond Joys, Baby Ruth and Hersey Kisses, Snickers Bars and so on might not be good for you in a healthy way but they sure taste good. If you must have a candy share it with a friend and buy it from your local 99c stores . Some 99 cent stores offer popular candy bars at 2 for $1.00 this will not only satisfy your candy craving it will satisfy your wallet as well.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Day!

Wishing Everyone A Happy Holiday

2010-11-24T19:04:00.003-05:00

Happy Holidays Be Safe & Happy

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

My Co Worker

2010-11-18T18:41:00.005-05:00

My co worker is the cake lady at the office. She always makes the best cakes and cookies from scratch. The reason that I am telling you about her is that I am trying to convince her to start a cake business on the side. She can take order at the job and at her church and sell her cakes. She ( the cakelady) told me that she would think about it. I told her that people at the job love her products.... But the only problem that I have with her is that she charges so little for her cakes. And she does not put in the cost of labor just the ingredients. If it was me I would do my research about bakeries and see what is the best way that I could open a business from home and make money from it. Without giving my labor away for free. Oh well hope that everyone has a great Weekend and let's plan to do something productive and money wise this weekend.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

We Have Money?

2010-11-12T07:29:00.002-05:00

Yesterday for the Holiday Veterans Day I went looking for furniture. And the mall were crowded with people buying stuff. The parking lots were full, The stores were crowded. My question to you is that people now have money like that to spend freely. Last time I read the paper unemployment and home foreclosures were on the rise. What are you thought about this?

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

Paying Off your Mortage Is A Good Thing

2010-11-06T07:33:00.003-04:00

If you have a mortgage on your home. It's one of the biggest loans that a person might have in their life beside a college loan. With the interest rates on home loans getting lower because of the economy. many homeowners are choosing to refinance their interest rate to a lower one. And many if they have the money are choosing to just pay off their mortgage and have a totally paid for house. If you can I would suggest that you pay off your home. Why because of the following reasons

it's a financial secure decision. After your mortgage is paid. You find yourself with extra money that you would normally use for the mortgage. Now you you have what we call peace of mind. You have stability. You only have to pay the taxes on your home and it's yours feel and clear. Think about when and if you sell your home you don't have to worry about sharing the selling price with the bank it's all yours.

Peace of Mind comes with a paid for home. What if you lose your job today . You will not have to worry about paying for your home because it's paid for. Most retires do not retire from their job until their homes are paid for. think about it one less bill to pay every month.

Increase in Cash Flow house paid off eliminates the largest budget expense and increases your cash flow. You can now save and invest your money in other things.

Freedom to help Others when your home is paid for you put yourself in a position of freedom. You can now do what you want to do with your extra money you will have from your mortgage payment. Because you don't have a mortgage any longer. Now you have the ability to make a loan to someone who really might need it.

Less Risky then the Stock Market if you have money in the stock market then you taking a chance with your money. But if you have money in your home their are no chances your taking. Your money is safe and secure. Most people have 50% of their money in stocks and 10% of their money in their home. It should be the other way around.

If you have a home and you have a mortgage think about paying it off. Make extra mortgage payments when you get extra money. It's nothing like having the feeling of a paid for home. I am trying to pay off my home as we speak by putting extra money toward my mortgage. Hopefully my 30 year mortgage will only take me 20 to pay off. Wish me luck

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

Happy Halloween

2010-10-28T19:01:00.002-04:00

Wishing everyone a Safe and Scary Halloween.

Have a great Cheetah Week!

If IAm So Smart Where Did My Money Go?

2010-10-20T06:40:00.003-04:00

I interview the author of If I Am So Smart Where Did My Money Go? By Doug Warshaur last Sunday on the Cheap Cheetah Money Show on Blogtalk radio. Doug pointed out a few things that I would like to share with your. He started off my saying when it comes to your finances learn everything that you can about them. Know where you want to be and how you plan on getting there. Which means save as much as you can while you can. Doug also went on so say that retirement is not a luxury that we can afford to ignore anymore. We need to take steps so that our retirement saving is there when we need it to be. It stated that you need to find good investment and he also made suggestions of what investments are good to place your retirement saving it. He also talked about the 7 important steps that ones needs to plan an active and productive saving life. Overall the interview was very informative Listen for yourself at www.blogtalkradio.com/cheap-cheetah

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

Things You Can Do On Line To Save Money

2010-10-14T19:01:00.002-04:00

You will be surprised at what you can do online that will save you money and here are some suggestions.

Airline tickets are cheaper when you book them on line then when you call and talk to a live person.

Put your library books on hold. saves you time from trying to find the number to call the library and walking into the library just to hold a book.

Find gift ideas, crafts, medical information. I can not tell you how many times I have used my computer to find out certain medical symptoms and information that I was curious about.

Watch TV on line. Hulu, Yahoo TV, and many other you can name. allows you to watch updated tv shows that you might have missed during the week. I am a big Hulu Tv fan myself I watch the housewives series on Hulu Tv.

Earn money by taking surveys and doing mystery shopping reports on line.

Read e books or newspapers they are free on line.

Find great entertainment for you and your family on line with like games, videos etc.

Start selling your stuff on craigslist and eBay. Make money on line.

Write you first ebook or paperback and publish it on line. Start your own YouTube channel and become a star.

These are just a few

suggestion of things that you can do on line. hey why not have fun and try to make some money with these suggestion to at least buy a new computer when you are ready for one.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

The Benefits Of A Christmas Saving

2010-10-08T06:56:00.002-04:00

I just got my Christmas club check this week. I saved for it for 1 full year and now the saving has come back to me in the form of a check. This is the perfect time for me because I found myself spending more money in the months of October, November and December. Why because so many people are selling things at the job, thanksgiving is coming and food needs to be purchases and let's not forget token gift to give for the holidays. All this adds up to money that my paycheck can not cover. That is where the Christmas money comes into play it saves me from using my paycheck. The new holiday clubs will be starting again soon for 2011. I would suggest that you open one at your local bank or get a holiday jar and start putting money in it for next year. You could use that money to go on vacation with the kids or purchase something special for the family. It's does not cost a lot to start and continue doing a holiday club just add $5-10 a week in and you will be amazed at what your check will look like when you get it. One guy I know saved for one full year for the holidays and his holiday check was $10,000. I just knew he was saving for a car with that kind of money. This year I encourage you to try it. save money for the next holiday you will be glad you did!

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

Do Something Beside Watch TV

2010-10-01T07:14:00.002-04:00

it's the first of the month Happy October. It's time for a change in your routine. Let's do something besides watch TV this month. here are other things that you can do instead of spending 2-3 hours watching mindless TV.

Sign up for classes. want to learn how to bake, knit, speak another language open business take classes and learn something new.

Spend family time. see what your partner and your kids are up to in their daily lives. have a family game night or conversation night.

Go to the gym or a dance class. It's fun and a good way to lose weight.

Get started on creating that business that you always wanted but never had time for. Now you do. Your TV time.

Write that book that you knew that you wanted to right but never had the time.

Look over your finances, pay your bills and see where you and your family is heading financially.

There are so many other things that can be done by not watching TV you can do them. try it for one month and see how much you get done.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

Inflation And Our Money

2010-09-22T05:54:00.003-04:00

Inflation what is it?persistent and relatively large increases in the general price level of good and services. Which to me this means that the dollar gets smaller and the prices of goods and services keep getting higher. The last time that you went food shopping have you notice that the price of a bag of groceries is more then it was 3 years ago. The size of your food packages have gotten smaller. That's inflation for you. Your paycheck no longer covers your basic living expenses. You have to find ways to supplement your income and make your dollars last longer and go further. Be creative in your thinking with your spending. What else can we all do about inflation. Look for better rates and services when we do have to spend our money. Look in to the bartering system where their is no money exchange just good and services. Look for ways that we can do without until the things that we need gets cheaper or we realize that we really did not need it. Inflation is a monster that we can tame. We just have to be willing to tame it.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

A New E Book Is Out- Mine

2010-09-15T06:55:00.006-04:00

My fist ebook . saving Money The Cheap Cheetah Way. This basic saving money guide cover some of the things that I talk about on my Cheap Cheetah Money Show. I am glad that I wrote it now it's on to another Cheap Cheetah Guide.

Back To School

2010-09-08T19:17:00.002-04:00

Today was the first day back to school for kids in New York. And the parents or the kids were not ready to start the school year off so soon. Especially when the kids are out of school for the next two days because of a holiday. Does that make any since. I see that most parents just kept their kids out of school until Monday. I was talking to my co workers about their kids starting school today.Most of them said that they were not financially prepared for their kids to go back to school. With new school clothes, shoes, books and transportation money. They are scraping by to find just the basic for their kids to wear this year. Some of my co workers stated that they were not getting anything new for their kids in the way of clothes they were using last years clothes. If they still fit the child. I notice that a lot of schools are going toward the kids purchasing uniforms to wear to school and some of these uniforms can be expensive. The sweaters with the school embalm on them can run a parent $26.00 or more. And from what I hear from my co workers the uniforms quality is not that good. So if your child is starting school this week see what they have already in their closets and buy just the basic for them right now. Hey they are going for an education not a fashion show.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

Who Knew Furniture Was So Expensive

2010-08-28T20:02:00.002-04:00

I just came back from looking a furniture. I need a new coach and chair for my living room. needless to say the last time I looked at furniture was many years ago. I thought that you could still buy a couch, love seat and chair for $1500.00. Boy was I so wrong! I happen to like leather furniture and I thought that this would be nice to have in my living room. Something new and fresh and different. I went to a few furniture stores today and I got such a sticker shock I had to sit down and eat a donut. Just to get my self right again. Who knew that leather furniture just for a couch was over $3000.00 and let's not talk about my love seat. I saw a nice butter smoother leather set couch, love seat and chair full package $7998.00 before tax. Do people really spend that kind of money on furniture nowadays. Well needless to say I will be keeping my old furniture until I either hit the lotto or I catch a great going out of business sale with a furniture store. Until then all I can say is keep your old furniture neat, clean and protected.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

My Bank Offered Me Money

2010-08-21T16:19:00.001-04:00

I went to my bank today. To do my weekly banking and my bank offered me $125.00 free money. But their was a catch. I had to open a basic checking account and I had to be a new customer of the bank. I thought to myself I can not get the $125.00 but I do not meet the requirements. But what if other banks are offering a similar deal like this one. A bank I do not have an account with. I could get some free money this way. Simply by opening up and account putting the basic money requirement in waiting until they deposit my free money, close the account after a couple of days waiting time. Now I am $125.00 richer and I have not lost a thing. But I have gained some extra money. If you do this with a few banks that offer this kind of money incentive then you can make about $500.00 in 6 months or less. Good way to get some free money. But the catch to all this is that do you want a lot of bank accounts from different banks in your name floating around. And the bank requirements for the free money might be more then what you want to do. But it's a thought. Look into to bank that are offering free money incentive and see if their deals sounds good to you . If it does then go for it. Their is nothing like getting free money!

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

N.Y. Region: Harlem Journal - nytimes.com/video

2010-08-10T09:57:00.000-04:00

Nike Sneaker & New York

2010-08-05T18:32:00.002-04:00

Nike the sneaker company is bring attitude to New York with it' limited edition Nike's. Each limited edition Nike is paying homage to the different boroughs of New York( queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Staten Island) Each Borough has a different color ordination to the sneaker that represents it. I am saying all this because the sneaker cost $135.00 a pair and people are lined up to get it. I thought people were starting to save their money not spent it on sneakers and things that you can not really get a solid return on if any. I was reading about the sneakers in the papers yesterday and I wanted to share with you what people are buying. I was read that there are a lot of people who collect limited edition Nike's sneakers to buy and hold for later.In hopes that they can turn a profit with the sneaker when you can no longer get them. And we are taking a few years from now not 3 weeks from now. I can think of other things that I can do with $135.00 and it's not to buy sneakers with it.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

Windfall Money

2010-07-29T06:04:00.002-04:00

If your talented enough, creative enough or just plain luck to come into a lot of money. What should you do with it. Once the excitement of having it wears off. First find out how much you have to pay your Uncle Sam. Because he surely wants some of your money. Now once Uncle Sam is payed off it's now up to you to decide what it is that you need to do so that you will always have money in your life from this windfall of money that has come into your life.

Here are some suggestions of what you should do :

Take finance classes so that you know the rules and laws of money.

Get a good lawyer and an accountant people who will help to guide you when it comes to managing your money.

Tell no one that you have a large sum of money. Because if you do then you will find that you have relatives that you never even knew about and they will surely want something from you.

Take a allowance for yourself from the money and put the rest of the money to good use.

If you purchase a home then don't go overboard and purchase a million dollar home when a $350-400 thousand dollar one serves the same purpose.

Always keep money coming into your life either through investment, real estate or a business that you have started.

Know where your money is going at all times. You write and sign your own checks that way you know how much money is in your accounts and what the money is going out for.

If by chance you come into a lot of money be smart with your money and not foolish. There are to many stories that will show you foolish people with a lot of money and how they spent their money . You do not want to be one of them.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

Free Things To Do This Summer

2010-07-24T07:49:00.002-04:00

It's summertime and the days are long and hot. Your kids are restless since school is out. What can you and your family do for the summer that's inexpensive or better yet free.

Beaches and Pool- Local beaches and pools are open for 3 to 4 months during the summer time and most of them are free.

Parks- Your local parks are free and they offer a great chance to teach your kids about nature. Your local park also offer your children's a chance to get outside and meet other kids that also use the park for free.

Street Fairs & Parades- If your community offer street fairs and parades these are great places to visit . You get the excitement of the parades and fairs. To attend is free and it's a lot of fun.

Museum- Some Museum are half price on certain days. Check out your local papers and found out what days your museum have half day sales.

TV Audiences- If you have a TV show that you like to watch and they are offering free ticks to that show in your city. Call and get your free tickets. Living In New York there is always a free ticket show being offered on any given day.

Free Concerts- Does your town offer free concerts for the summertime. Look in your local paper to see what free concerts are being offered. Living in New York their are a lot of great free concerts that are being offered.

Local Zoos- On certain days of the week your local zoo will offer half price admission. See what day these are. You will be surprised how much fun you and your kids will have at your local zoo.

These are just some of the free things that you and your family can do for the summertime. Enjoy and have fun.

Saving Money For Retirement

2010-07-14T18:35:00.002-04:00

I know you might not be thinking about retirement now. But you should be. and what you should be thinking about is how much money you will need when you retire? And how can I start saving for retirement? Here are the answer to these questions. How much you need to retire on depends on what it is that you want to do when you retire. Do you want to travel, work a part-time job. Spend time with the grand kids and kids or just relax the rest of your life away.The choice is yours. But no matter what choice you make it takes money. So first figure out what your basic living expenses will be in retirement. Add inflation to that number for retirement because everything that you use now will probably be higher in price when you retire. Once you have figured out kind of money you need in retirement. Think about how are you going to start to save for retirement and here is the answer to that question.

First all extra money is deposit in to a retirement account. extra money like lotto wins, bonus from jobs or pay increases repayment of loans, part time job. any extra money goes toward retirement.

Join a credit union if you can . A credit union offer better saving rates and other great perks then a regular bank might offer. Credit unions also offer various retirement accounts that you can open and that way you can have part of your paycheck direct deposited right in to your retirement account.

meet with a financial advisor- Most bank offer this service for free. If you meet with a financial advisor him/ her will advise you of what the best investment accounts are better suited for you and your retirement time frame.

Talk with people in your family;y or at your job that are about to retire and find out what the retirement process was for them. How did they save for retirement and what have they planed for themselves going forward. to me there is nothing like talking to someone who has been there and doing what you want to do in the near future. That way you know what to expect down the line.

Save your coins and add that amount to your retirement once a year. Coins collection will add up over the course of a year to a nice amount if you don't touch it.

Saving for retirement is a game that you always have to play even in retirement so lets start the game today of Retirement Saving and let's play to win!

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

Happy Belated 4th Of July

2010-07-05T11:26:00.003-04:00

I am sorry I am late but Happy 4th of July to All

Have a Great Cheap Cheetah Day

Frugal Wedding

2010-06-29T06:28:00.002-04:00

Summer is here and so are the summer weddings. The average wedding today in the summer cost a couple between $20,000- $1000,00. just for a one day affair. It a wedding really worth all of that ?Here are some frugal ways to have a nice summer wedding for far less.

You can have a backyard wedding - A lot of peoples backyards are very nice and big. If you have a friend or relative that has a nice and big backyard. then why not ask them if you can have your wedding and reception there. It's will be much cheaper then renting a hall for the occasion.

What about a park- There are some nice parks in various places. what about getting married there. You will have to pay for the permits for the usage of the park but that will only be a couple of hundred dollars not a couple of thousand that you would pay for the catering hall.

Dress for the wedding party and the bride- thrift stores, 2nd hand stores, borrow someones dress that you know wears that same size as you. I have been in thrift stores that have had some nice mother of the bride dress and bridal grown for less then $200.00.

Pictures and videos for the wedding- place disposable cameras on your guest tables and let them take pictures of the wedding reception and see which ones are the best one. If you know some one who is a professional photographer on a part time basis see what their fee would be for the professional pictures. Stay within your budget when it comes to pictures spending. That also goes for videos as well.

Food and drinks- If you having a backyard or small reception have your favorite cooks cook something or have it catered but have a set a price for catering. For the drinks serve wines and sodas and fruit punch

Bridal/ Groom Gifts- if your giving your wedding party a gift then look at closeout stores and discount places for small and inexpensive gifts to say Thank you with.

These are just some suggestion on how to make you special day still very nice and less expensive.

Some people just go to the justice of the peace and then invite some family and friends out to a nice restaurant to eat. That's one way to do it. remember a wedding is one day a marriage is a life time!

have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

Ordinary People Extraordinary Wealth

2010-06-23T08:34:00.002-04:00

We often realize that ordinary people do some extra ordinary things and that's saving money to the extreme. Here are some ordinary people who have taken saving to the extreme.

Monsignor James McSweeney-Earning a sub-poverty income for decades as a priest. James focused on investing and amassed over 1 million dollars before he died.

Thomas Drey Jr. This retired teacher spent most of his time in a classroom making little to no money he amassed 6.8 million dollars before he passed away.

Jay Jensen a retired teacher making less then 46,000 a year lived frugally, invested wisely and amassed several million before he passed away.

Gladys Holm A Chicago secretary who made at her peak 15,000 before she retired. when she passed she left 18 million dollars to a children's hospital.

These are you ordinary people who you see everyday and say hello to. They hide a secret they know what to do with their money. They pay attention they research and they invest.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

Tip For Good Networking

2010-06-16T18:46:00.002-04:00

If you have a business then networking is your key and life line to your business. You must network. Here are some tips to networking .

Networking is not about product selling it about building relationships with new people. When you meet new people be professional, polite and listen to what the person is saying to you.

In a network setting tell the person that you are speaking to about you not about your business. get to know the person that your speaking to.

Take mental notes and write down notes about the things that people have said to you that might be of good use to your business in the future.

When networking find common ground when you speak to people. When you find common ground then the conversations that you have with other seem more relaxed then rehearsed.

If you are asked about your business keep it short and simple. Always at the end of your conversation tell the people that you were talking to that it was nice speaking to them and that you look forward to speaking to them again.

Networking it's what business is all about!

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!~

2010-06-08T05:57:00.003-04:00

We all have family and friends who give us money advice from time to time. Sometimes we take it sometimes we don't. Sometimes it's good money advice and sometimes it's not. Here's are some standard money advice that was given to people at random that I would like to share with you.

Don't lend money you can not afford to lose.

never pay interest on anything but Real Estate.

If you every want to be a stay at home parent live on 1 income for 2 years and see how it works for you.

Buying a lot of expensive stuff does not make you rich looking it makes you foolish.

Now matter how much you make save some of it for a rainy day.

If your outgo exceeds your income this will be your down fall.

my personal money advice is get the check. Meaning always have some money coming in to pay your bills and other related expenses without sorely relying on a single paycheck

These are some money advices that I have read about what are yours?

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week and Save that Money!

Happy Holiday All

2010-05-31T08:55:00.002-04:00

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday.

Facing Unemployment

2010-05-19T18:04:00.002-04:00

I am talking about unemployment today because I was reading the paper and I see that MTA is laying off 500 workers, The Public library is also laying off 600 workers. Times are getting tough. So what is it that you should do if your faced with a layoff. First find out what kind of package your company is offering. Are they offering your a money and heath package when you leave. Especially when it come to your health insurance find out how long you will be covered under your employer. Also find out if you have vacation and sick time what happen to your time when you leave the company.

Now once you have calmed down from the stock of it all. Go and apply for unemployment insurance. Once you have done that start getting your resume and other things that you feel you might need to start looking for a new position updated.

How much money do you have saved up? Do you have enough to carry you for 6 months, 3 months, 1 months. If you know how much money you have to pay your bills then the rush for a new job and new paycheck will not be as bad if you have 6 months of expenses versus 1 month. the pressure is one if you only have a month of saving to carry you and your bills.

Cut, Cut and Cut some more the unnecessary things that you use to do with a steady paycheck. It;s time to start living with just the basics of life and not the luxuries. Just for now anyway.

Look to your friends and family for moral support and job prospect's. You never know what they might know when it comes to who's hiring even a part time job will be better then no job right now.

But most important keep your head up and keep moving in your job search. And know that you are not alone. and this might be the time to think about starting your own business. why work for someone else when you can work for yourself. Just a thought!

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

Different Ways To Sell Your Product/Services

2010-05-14T06:24:00.002-04:00

We all have things that we want to sell to make extra money. Or we have a side business that we want to bring in extra money with. If you have a product or service here are ways that you can sell your products or services.

Donate your product/ service to a good cause and feel good . You will probably get mentioned in the charity's newsletter or e mail.

set up a table at a busy street corner. If you live in New york you will see all kind of outside vendors that sell various products. well if you have a free weekend you can sell your products that way to or you can give out fliers to let people know about your services.

Write an e book about your service and products and give informative and interesting details. You can give you e book away or sell the e book for a small amount. By creating an e book your are creating public interest in your business and services.

Go to free events. concerts, parades and handout your fliers to people. Let people know about you and your business the free way.

Call your newspaper and give them a community story.That community story is you and your business. Is your business different and unusual. What have you done interesting that you want to share with others. What charities are you companion for let the papers know they are always looking for a good community story

These are just a few things that you can do to promote your business. Think outside the box when it comes to letting people know about your business. Be an attention grabber.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

Happy Mother Day

2010-05-06T19:58:00.002-04:00

Wishing everyone a Safe , Healthy and Happy Mother Day.

From Cheap Cheetah....

Frugal Clothes Shopping

2010-04-30T18:25:00.002-04:00

We all like to look and feel good in our clothes. But a lot of the clothes that we fell confident in carries a big price tag with in . Let's face it to be in fashion means a whole lot of money. But there are ways that you can look in style for less and here's how. If your friends buy the expensive outfits and designers clothing and your the same size borrow their clothes. Or wait until your friends get bored with the outfit and take if off their hands for free.

Look into the better neighborhood thrift and consignment shops. there you can buy designer clothing and bags for a third of the retail price.

Whens the last time you went to an estate sale. There you will find some great vintage clothing and some designers duds for a lot less then what it would cost you in a retail store.

It's your birthday, anniversary, graduation ask for the designer outfit when there is a need for someone to purchase you a gift.

Forget about buying over prices designers outfits and purchase classic items like black pants, skirts and natural color blouses that you can wear at work and going out.

Sales Rack. Clearance sales if you must buy expensive outfits then try to use coupons and purchase items only from the the stores clearance and end of season rack.

Sample Sale anyone? There are a lot of famous designers that offer sample sales at the end of the season in their show room. Especially here in New York. I have seen a Calvin Klein sample sale line go around half a New York city block? Look for your sample sales in your local newspapers and on line . At samples sales you will find great bargains on designer clothing.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Day!

Extra Money 101

2010-04-24T07:25:00.003-04:00

Today with the economy what it is many people are looking for extra money anyway they can. Here are a few things that you can do to make that extra needed money.

Sell it: one of the fastest and easiest way to get extra cash is to sell unwanted things that you find around your home that you no longer need and want. Have a garage sale, post your items on e bay and craigslist. Auctions houses are great places to sell potentially valuable items that you might have and no longer want. Like old watches, painting furniture etc.

Rent It your home is your biggest money maker in that you could rent out a room to make extra cash.

Your opinions count. start looking into taking surveys polls, product testing, being a secret shoppers to earn you extra cash.

Start A business. What are your hobbies and an you sell your service or product to make money . If you can then open a small business and get to work!

These are just a few things that you can do to make extra cash

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

Embrace Your Frugality

2010-04-17T08:18:00.002-04:00

The key to embracing your frugality is to realize that it's a lifestyle change and you must be willing to change. Weather your born frugal or have to be frugal out of necessity. Frugality is the way to go. If you have a frugality mind set then if you receive $1000. instead of going out and spending it you would save it , donate it or use it for paying down debt.

Take pride in knowing that you can raise your children to be frugal, smart shoppers and raising smart shoppers is the key to financial success.

Recognize the opportunity to let your creative mind comes out. True frugality is not for the unimaginative. There are opportunities at every turn and you should be looking for them every chance you get. Saving Money is the Key

Avoid that deprive feeling. It's good to treat yourself. And there are certain things that we feel that we need to feel good about that we must spend more money for. But you can find another way to have you luxuries with out spending all the extra money. Use coupons, for go the luxuries for a month or two. Buy a cheaper luxury that gives you the same pleasure.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

Starting a $100.00 Business

2010-04-06T18:49:00.003-04:00

You can start a business for under $100 dollars. You can even start a business for free. But the first thing that you need to know is do you really want to start a business. And if you do what kind of business are you starting. what kind of time do you have to run the business and what materials do you need to get started on the business? These are all the questions that you need to ask yourself before you put on red cent toward your business. The basic rules from what I have read about starting a business is to be passionate about what your doing and to do it on a part time basis. Never leave your day job for a business idea that might or might not work for you. Now that we have gotten that out o the way most of the things that you need to start a business you already have a cell phone, computer, friends and family( for encouragement)

Now with your business idea you can start working on your website which should be free on the Internet. Business cards and promotional items you can get from VistaPrint free with a small $10 purchase plus shipping and handling. For your business checking account open up a free checking account at your local bank in your name and use it for your business until the business start to grow and money starts to come in on a regular basis. For your business if you need a .com then you can always look on the Internet to see if you can get one for $10.00 or less. GoDaddy use to offer .com for 9.99 last I check.

For advertisement and getting the word out about your business there are many social networks you can join. Articles that you can write and clubs that you can join to let people know who you are and what your business is all about. Always remember to offer your customers value when it comes to good customer service and products.

If you don't have $100.00 for a business save up $1-2 at a time and while your saving up to start the business think about what kind of business you want and start taking the step's toward being financially free in a business of your own.

Best Money Advice

2010-03-27T07:10:00.003-04:00

What was the best money advice you have received from a Friends or relative. Mine was to always get a check. Meaning always make sure that you have money coming in from some where. Here are some more great money advice that I want to share with you.

Don't lend money you can not afford to give away.

Never pay interest on anything but real estate

If you ever want to be a stay at home parent then live off one income for a year and see if your family can make it .

Buying lot of expensive stuff does mot make you rich it make you foolish.

Don't matter how much you make always save some of it for later.

These are just some of the few things that people were advised to do with their money. And so of this advice is very good. So what advice did you get about money from your friends or relative?

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

Roth IRA'S

2010-03-19T08:30:00.002-04:00

With tax time almost coming to an end and Thankfully I am getting a nice piece of change from the government I was looking into Roth IRAs to see if they would benefit my situation and here's what I found. Roth IRAs are individual retirement accounts that offer tax free growth for your retirement money. Roth IRAs are simple to open. The banks offer Roth, your broker can open a Roth for you your investment company can open a Roth for you. They are easy to open. The amounts that each company wants you to put into your Roth varies depending on the company. You can open a Roth with$ 500 or $3,000.

Even if you have a pension and a personal IRA you can still open a Roth. what a Roth accounts is it's money that you put into an account after the taxes have been taken out. So the money going into your Roth account was already tax so when you take the money out your money will not be taxed like it would a traditional IRA account.

And another great benefits is that any contribution that you make to any of your IRA accounts you get credit for that contribution when you do your taxes.

Also with the Roth IRA you can make contributions after 70 years of age unlike a traditional IRA.

These are just some of the basic things that I found out about Roth IRA. They are easy and benefit the people who use them.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week!

Searching For Unclaimed $$$

2010-03-11T18:32:00.003-05:00

we can use every penny that we can find nowadays. Finding extra $$ that we forgot we had is even better. So here's how to search for unclaimed funds, You know the funds that you forgot about. The ones in a bank account, insurance policy, mutual funds, safety deposit boxes etc that you forgot was there because it been so long ago. here's how to find the money that you forgot about. Visit the U.S Treasury Dept website for unclaimed funds. Use the unclaimed money data base this should provide you with each states unclaimed funds information. Check your local paper every 6 months the banks puts out a list of abandoned accounts. Hire an Asset Finder to help you find your missing fund. These Assets Finders have fees attached to them. It's usually a certain % of the money they find for you.

True story. My partner when on the governments website and found out that he had a insurance check that was sent to him and he never got and this was 20 years ago. The check was with the state and they told him that he had to fill out paper work get it notarized and they will send him the check which was being held by the state in their unclaimed funds account. He got his money with in a month and was glad that he did. So if you feel that you might have missing money out their check and see you never know what kinds of funds you have forgotten about.

Smart Money Tips For March 2010

2010-03-04T19:31:00.002-05:00

This is March and spring is just around the corner. It's time that we start changing our attitudes about money and start making smart choices when it comes to our finances. Here are some basic money tips that can get you on your way for sound financial management.

Pay Off Debts- You can save hundreds of dollars each year by paying down your credit card and loan balances as soon as possible. By paying off debt you avoid all the extra charges that come with late payment and the crazy interest rates that comes with credit cards and loans.
Get a Free Copy Of Your Credit Report- Good credit is established by paying your bills on time and in full. when you have good credit this allows you to purchase the big things in life like a home, student loan and a nice car when your ready. go to www.annualcreditrepot.com
Open A Checking Or Saving Account- the first step toward protecting and growing your money is to save it. even if it $1.00 a day or week. Money saved means a piece of mind for you and your family.
Budget Your Money- How much do you make and how much do you spend. Determine what bills have to be paid and what bills you can do with out and stick to a plan to to save , pay your bills and live a frugal lifestyle. You will be glad that you stuck to a budget in the long run of things. A budget helps you get things paid off and money saved.
Have A Great Cheap Cheetah Week

A Snow Day In Queens New York

2010-02-26T13:53:00.002-05:00

This is what it looks like outside my window in Queens after the big snow storm Thursday night. Pretty to look at but a pain to shovel.
Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

Things Your Wallets Needs

2010-02-24T11:01:00.002-05:00

We all keep a lot of unnecessary junk in our wallets old receipts form years ago, expired coupons, old business cards and disconnect phone numbers. Here are some of the important things that you need in your wallet. A list of emergency phone numbers just in case something happens and a stranger needs to call someone for you. Your insurance card. Your medical information card. How will a doctor know what not to give you in case of an emergency. If you use your car to go everywhere with then you Automobile club of American cars for roadside assistance. A small pen and pad in case you need to write something down quickly( the pen and pad can go in a pocketbook ) And of course emergency money to cover small expenses. A small pack of tums and aspirin just in case you are not near a drug store and your don't feel well. Also don't forget an extra set of car and house keys just in case you lose your main set somewhere and you need to get in your car or home.These are just some of the things that you really need in your wallet or pocketbook because with life you never know what going to happen. On a personal note I always carry emergency money and stomach and head medication. with me I always need extra money and I always have a headache that living in New York for you.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Day!

How Much Does It Cost To Play Lotto

2010-02-19T18:56:00.004-05:00

if you play lotto like I do. Or if you buy scratch off tickets or play the your 4 0r 3 numbers for the week. Do you realize how much your spending for a chance to win. I realize that I average for the month over $75.00 just for lotto and scratch off tickets. My big wins might be $20 every now and then. What I could do with that extra $75.00 is this. I could pay off a credit card bill. Use it to start a retirement account. Put it in a vacation fund and add to it little by little. I could do so much with money that I waste on a chance to win a big (a couple hundred or a million). So tell me how much do you waste when it comes to gambling. Could you put that money to better use. I know I could and from now on I am creating a gambling budget where I spend $20.00 a month and not $75.00. Because spending that much money is silly and foolish on my part. Where I go play lotto the people who are playing are the people who can least afford to play. People who are on a certain financial level . So they play the lottery with the hope that their ship will come in. For a very few it does and for a lot it doesn't. So next time you want to play the lottery just think about what you could be doing with the money that you are spending . and think about this my rasino( gambling machines at the race track) that is by me took in 34 million dollars on valentines day from people like me who like to gamble and truly can not afford to.

Have a great Cheap Cheetah Week

This week on The Cheap Cheetah money Show we will be talking about ways to make money see you there www.blogtalkradio.com/cheap-cheetah