09/01/2009
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Everywhere you turn, people are talking about all the different ways they're cutting back their expenses and preparing for a potential job loss due to the shaky economy. You've heard the saying, "you get what you pay for"? Even when we are all focused on cutting back unnecessary expenses and reducing our living expenses to help our income stretch a little further, there are a number of things which are worth paying for. Each small financial effort makes a difference to the big picture.
The following are 5 Things Worth Paying For, regardless of the state of the economy or your personal financial situation:
Savings
It can be disheartening to save money and see it get gobbled up when the market takes a dive. People get tempted to stop saving and stop investing, but there are situations when it just doesn't make sense to do that. For example, if you have a 401k with employer match, even though your shares are losing value, when you stop contributing you lose more money through the employer match. When the market recovers, the shares your 401k fund has been purchasing will increase in value and you'll have more than if you stopped contributing all together.
Pay for Experience
If you need financial advice, it's always worth paying for experience. A financial expert can help you work things out to achieve success. Seek counsel of a trusted advisor when it comes to seeking financial advice. If you're contemplating changes to your investments or what type of investment strategy to employ, you can rely on friends and family advice, or you could get advice of someone who understands the markets and has great experience with it to help you avoid some costly mistakes. Paying money to help you avoid situations which can cost you more than the expense of the advice!
Pay off debt
If you had no debts to worry about, your income would likely be more than enough! Using your money to pay off debt is definitely something worth paying for. Reduce your debt as much as possible. When you are a debt free, good money management will enable you to avoid credit all together, since you'll have more money available to you to save on a regular basis; giving you access to cash whenever you need it instead of relying on credit in tough times.
Entertainment
While there are many ways to enjoy yourself which don't cost money, paying for entertainment from time to time is worth paying for! Having good money management skills doesn't mean you can never indulge in anything for yourself, and in fact giving yourself permission to do so from time to time helps you stay on track financially for the long term. Simply work your entertainment into your budgeting to avoid paying interest when you use credit to fund your entertainment.
Pay to get it done
Just because you can change your own oil or tires doesn't mean that you should. If you can make better use of your time than mowing your lawn or doing car repairs, sometimes it's worth paying someone else to do the task for you. For example, in business people pay others to do tasks to free them up to work on income generating activities that are worth more than the money they're paying someone else to do the other tasks. Life is similar -- if you can make better use of your time, sometimes it's worth paying someone to do certain tasks.
Elizabeth Williams is Editor-in-Chief for CreditCardFlyers.com. Need to transfer higher interest credit to a lower interest credit card to save money? CreditCardFlyers.com is the leader in online balance transfer offers. Compare balance transfers and find the one that meets your needs.
© 2009 Elizabeth WilliamsThe views and opinions expressed in these articles do not necessarily reflect those of College Central Network, Inc. or its affiliates. Reference to any company, organization, product, or service does not constitute endorsement by College Central Network, Inc., its affiliates or associated companies. The information provided is not intended to replace the advice or guidance of your legal, financial, or medical professional.