Now it’s your chance to own a specialist domain, with viral software!

The past 12 months has seen my business, and workload, expand, and I am no longer able to give the Smart Money Manager the attention it needs.

The website would suit a financial planner, accountant or similar, who wishes to create a web presence without too much hassle.

The great thing about the site is that it comes with a great piece of viral software!

The Smart Money Manager is a great program that allows people to work out their budget, and if there was ever a time something like this would do well, it’s now!

The program works with the user’s default spreadsheet program, such as MS Works, Excel, Open Office etc.

The way I was intending to use it was to link it to a newsletter, and distribute it as a gift in return for subscriptions.

When users open the program, they can link directly to this site, where they could find more articles, resources, and Your latest offer!

Interested? Simply contact me via the form below.

To try the software, Click Here!

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As far as I’m concerned, there is only one thing that anyone should do regarding debt consolidation - that is, if at all possible, stay away from it!

I know that when this article appears in an article directory, and maybe even on this blog, that the Google ads will soon start showing great deals that you can get to minimise your debts. I must admit that at times, it can be very tempting, and that in some cases may even work.

However, consolidating debt isn’t getting debt free - it can be a step along the way, but only if the money that is freed up is spent releasing further debt.

Human nature being what it is, many people tend to spend the ‘extra’ money on consumer goods that they can now ‘afford’, or they may even go into new debt. This defeats the purpose.

Getting debt free involves developing a whole new mindset, and borrowing money usually doesn’t achieve the required result. Refinancing deals are always balanced in favor of the lender, and if they weren’t, there wouldn’t be anywhere near the number of firms competing for this section of the market.

Taking out a new loan means paying interest over a longer period, as well as the cost of payout costs on previous loans, and the interest that had already accrued on them.

When considering a debt consolidation loan, one needs to stop and ask exactly why they are heading down that track. It is easy to get excited, enjoying the thrill of the prospect of more disposable income, but a month or six down the track, if you spend up again in the meantime, is when the reality will set in.

Often, paying it back isn’t as easy as first thought.

Before considering debt consolidation, have a look at your budget, and check for money leaks. Do you have a subscription that you are still paying for, but not using? Cancel it, and save some money! I recently realized that I had a small isp account still active, that was draining my money for the sake of the convenience of retaining the email address. It’s cancelled!

How about transport costs? A well tuned and serviced vehicle costs less to run and maintain, and will likely have fewer major mechanical problems then one that isn’t.

Looking for areas of waste, saving money and paying it out on bills can go a long way in helping to get out of debt. A major reason for refinancing is simply to cut the number of payments that have to be made on a regular basis, and is very understandable.

Try saving money in different areas, and paying it out on the smallest debt first. Once this debt is dealt with, pay the extra money, and the money that you were paying on that debt towards the next one, and so on. This can take a bit of time, but has a snowball effect as each debt is paid.

The effect isn’t just financial, but reflects on your self esteem as well. Being in debt can affect relationships and cause added stress. Paying out the bills not only relieves stress, but brings a new sense of empowerment and personal freedom as well.

Making extra income, either online or working an extra job maybe handy, but as Robert Kiyosaki says, a well paid slave is still a slave, and until one cuts their spending, and gets out of debt, that is what they will remain!

To summarise: track where your money is going, cut wasteful spending, use the money saved to pay out debt and begin a savings plan, and you may find that you will become debt free without the burden that a new loan could possibly bring through undisciplined spending.

The release date for Smart Money Manager is almost here! The weeks of planning and testing this great little piece of software, building sales pages and having it tested and evaluated by others is almost over!

Hopefully sometime over the weekend it will finally be ready. The sales page is Right Here, although the payment button has been disabled until the final moment.

The Smart Money Manager is a versatile budget planner that generates spreadsheets for different purposes, including household budgets, leases, loans and so on. The program requires MS Office, MS Works or Open Office Calc Free Download Available here!

Budget planning is essential, for individuals, family and business. Smart Money Manager fits neatly into the personal/family market, and is priced to sell at just $7.00. I was originally going to market the program for $17.00, but feel that the reduced price more people are likely to be able to afford it.

As I want as many people as possible to have access to the Smart Money Manager, I am using the model pioneered by Jon Leger. That is, sell it at a reduced price, and allow people who buy it to sell it as well!

Trying to make money without knowing the condition of your existing cash flow, however big or small,  is like trying to build a second floor on a vacant lot - it just doesn’t work! A simple budget, with clearly stated goals, can save a lot of financial problems before they get desperate.

A tendency for a lot of people is to borrow to consolidate debt, and to then use the money that they save to buy ‘more stuff’ and maintain the lifestyle that got them into trouble in the first place. Setting up a workable budget with a savings plan is the more sensible way to go.

There are so many payment options to consider these days, from paying via direct debit, online or by telephone, that it should be easier to discipline oneself. Using a combination of all these methods with a savings plan is probably the way to go. When it comes to saving, choose an account that pays higher interest, and requires notice to withdraw funds.

Pay into the savings account as if it too is a debt that must be paid. It doesn’t matter about the amount deposited, it’s the principle that counts in this case, whether you are saving $10.00 or $100.00 at a time! Saving this way makes you think longer and harder about withdrawing funds!

How to make money online? That’s the question on everyones lips, and has been virtually since the the start of the explosion of use of the internet for business and banking. This article though is more about how you are not going to succeed.

The idea for this article came after being ripped off a number of times over the years, and going from one program to another. I remember years ago being told that the road to riches online would result in being able to do business in my pyjamas!

That prediction was right! I ended up being able to do business in my pyjamas! Full stop!

Part of the problem is that there always seems to be another program, another product, some must have or must do that is going to make things so much easier.

It doesn’t work.

The first steps to an online profit are to map out a plan of where you want to go, your skill levels, and how you are going to achieve what you want! In short, a business plan. You see, the web really is no different than the ‘offline’ world in this sense, and sound principles still apply.

If you don’t have skills in the area of html or coding, learn the basics, and calculate whether the time involved is worth the effort, or if you are better off paying someone else to do it.

Are you going to sell products on Ebay, or open an online store to sell your own products? Again, you need to do the research before you start. Trading on auction sites can be fun, and very profitable, but if you don’t have a delivery system for your goods organized, or don’t understand Ebay’s rules, you can be hurt, badly!

Quite simply, once you have the basics organized, it is just a matter of focus and consistency. Find your products, build your customer base, build relationships and promote.

Don’t worry about every second product that comes along, save your money, and only invest in products that will build your business, not just line some internet guru’s pockets.

Welcome to The Smart Money Manager. This website is designed to help people balance their budget and to get their finances back on track! Over the next week, I will be introducing new software for download that will help achieve that goal.

With home prices beginning to drop, and with no sign of interest rate falls on the horizon, now is the time to get finances organized, cut waste and build assets, without going into excess debt.

While my background isn’t in the accounting sector, I have taken a keen interest in financial matters for some time, having been caught in an economic downturn in Australia during the late 1980s. I was a contractor with a large company that decided on a radical cost cutting exercise. Unfortunately for me,  I was one of their costs!  

While people borrow money for different purposes, have different goals and so forth, before signing your life away it is worth stopping to ask:

a) Can I afford the repayments if the worst case scenario develops - I can’t work because of sickness, the company that I work for  goes out of business and so on.

b) Even if the worst doesn’t happen, will what I am buying still be worth anything once I have finished the repayments?

Most Western economies are showing mixed signals at present, but there are some key areas to indicate that maybe things aren’t quite as as rosy as they seem.

US House prices have fallen on average by almost 1% this year, while the number of foreclosures in April of this year has been estimated to be double that of 2006.

The first impulse may be to panic and sell the house, or to try and earn extra income.

However, selling out in a falling market could be the worst thing to do, as a lot of other people will be seeking to cut their losses and get out as well. This in turn causes a flow on effect, because as more houses come on to the market, prices will fall even further.

Earning extra money is a key, but unless records are being kept to track spending and to cut waste, this can lead to further stress, especially on relationships. Yes, extra income will certainly help, but unless a check is kept on spending, and a good percentage of the extra income paid off existing debt, it could be a costly exercise.

Maybe I can consolidate all my bills!

This may be an option, but as with simply earning extra income, getting a loan to consolidate debt can have it’s own drawbacks. This is where it pays to stop and ask yourself a few honest questions, such as:

a) Did a lack of discipline bring me here? One of the problems we face in a consumer society is that there are always new things to buy, and things that for some reason or other that we must have. When our repayment load is reduced, or extra money comes in, it is quite easy to get caught again.

Unless we are hard on ourselves, we can end up where we started!

b) What about the interest? If you get a loan to consolidate debt, you may be also paying interest on interest, and possibly early exit fees for the debts themselves. Over the life of the loan, this can lead to a considerable amount of money. Is it worth it?

My Opinion: If at all possible, debt consolidation should be avoided at all costs! Never, except in the direst of circumstances refinance personal loans, hire purchase agreements or leases. You will find that the rebates are all weighted in favour of the financier! 

Mortgage Refinancing: Refinancing your home loan is another option, but one that should be considered very carefully. Many people use their home mortgage to pay for holidays, consumer goods and so on. Using it for these purposes, or for car financing, make it a ver expensive proposition in the long run.

Sometimes, unexpected costs such as medical bills or the death and funeral of a loved one can place us between a rock and a hard place, but all options should be explored before committing to a course of action such as this!

Paying your home loan off faster should always be the goal, avoid extending it if at all possible as to do this only adds more interest in the long run!

c) I’m really desperate, should I declare bankruptcy? This is an area for expert opinion, so all I will say is that if you can possibly avoid it, don’t go into bankruptcy. This is something that will stay with you for life, can affect all sorts of relationships and your own self esteem well into the future.

That being said, there are many reasons why people go bankrupt.  Possibly the result of a relationship breakdown, critical illness, or the failure of someone to pay you! And the list of real, and valid reasons why bankruptcy can occur goes on. 

Unfortunately, bankruptcy has a social stigma attached to it that seems to imply that someone “refused” to pay their debts or was corrupt.  This is probably true in only about 1% of cases.

There may be other alternatives, such as entering an agreement with ALL creditors concerned. You can find out more by seeing a professional in this area.

When seeking out a financial advisor, ask who they are affiliated with, what the fees are and so on. You need to minimise your costs in all areas, including this one.

My thanks to Ric Raftis for his invaluable advice in writing this article.