Loganville, Dacula and Bethlehem Real Estate - The Rains Team

On Thursday night, over 6,000 churches hosted Dave Ramsey’s Town Hall for Hope live simulcast and over 1 million Americans heard what he had to say. Not familiar with Dave? He’s a financial expert and a Christian, which I love because what he teaches about your finances are biblically based.

He said a lot of great things last week and he really conveyed that the economy is not as bad as what the media is trying to portray. One of the best quotes of the night was: “Credit cards are snakes. If you play with snakes, you’re going to get bit.” Dave doesn’t even own a credit card because he doesn’t feel that the credit card companies play fair. He only advises using them if you can pay them in full each month! Now, I know that for a lot of Americans credit cards are a way of life, but can you imagine if you never used a credit card again how much money you would save?! Not only would you be keeping all that interest that you would accrue to yourself, but statistics also show that Americans who pay with credit cards typically spend 26% more than Americans who don’t use them. Ponder that for a little bit.

Another important thing he said was that “Failure will run you into excellence. Without fear of failure you cannot be your best.” I think this is also great; we shouldn’t let our fear of failure paralyze us from doing anything but instead use that fear to do our best. And if we should fail that will only make us want to pick up the pieces and try again. A lot of the wealthiest people have been millionaires only to become bankrupt and then they go out and work harder and accomplish even greater wealth than before.

Dave claimed we need to learn two things: 1. SAY NO! and 2. Take personal responsibility that you caused this mess. He says we need to learn how to say no again–we live in a society that says yes to everything and no to nothing, but that must change if we’re going to get in control of our finances. We need to learn to say “yes that was my fault” instead of whining about it.

I’m also very happy to inform you that Dave believes the housing industry is going to lead us out of this recession. He stated that because of interest rates being the lowest they have been in years, it’s a wonderful time to buy a home. If you have extra money he also recommends investing in property as well. And he wants everyone to quit believing the media when they talk about foreclosures running rampant in this nation; did you know that 60% of the foreclosures come from only 5 of our states. And that 50% of foreclosures are in 35 counties. This shows us that foreclosures are highly localized. So, if you can afford it, this is definitely the year to buy a home!

And finally, here’s a three step action plan that we should follow:

1. Get up and TAKE ACTION! Don’t just sit on your couch watching Oprah re-runs wishing you made more money or the country wasn’t in this recession (This is not even the worst recession we’ve ever had, did you know that?) Be proactive and think creatively on ways to earn more money.

2. Don’t participate in LOSER TALK! Don’t believe everything you hear on the media and if the news is getting you down, just don’t listen to it. Think positively and when others are talking negatively walk away or find something good to say.

3. We need to learn to give again. Americans need to learn how to be generous again with both their time and money. Money really tight? Don’t worry, find ways to give back to your community–maybe help serve in a soup kitchen or volunteer to read to elderly people in a retirement home. Doing things to help others will help get your mind off your problems, put things into perspective (things could be worse) and will be a blessing to you.

Lastly, his parting words were: HOPE comes from you, me, and God–NOT Washington!!

If you would like more information, Dave Ramsey has a whole website devoted to Town Hall for Hope. Also, he’s a wonderful financial advisor and has written a great book: Total Money Makeover that I would highly recommend. He teaches people how to get out of debt and to live a debt-free lifestyle. His motto is “Live like no one else, so one day you can LIVE like no one else.”

Town Hall for Hope Website

Dave Ramsey’s Website

I hope this information has helped you! If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!

There’s no mistaking it, food prices have continued to rise over the past year. According to CNN.com, the cost of food has increased by 6.6% in 2008 alone. BusinessWeek.com reported that most cost increases on individual items, especially dairy products, have risen by double-digit increases. Some statistics include: an increase of about 27% on cheese, 38% on eggs, 10% on milk and 19% on bread. With basic necessities increasing substantially, we need to take advantage of money-saving tips to help us stay within our grocery budgets.

Photo by: Steven Fernandez

However, there are ways to combat these rising prices if you learn some simple shopping strategies and begin shopping smart. After doing some research, here are my top 10 ways to slash your grocery bill:

1. Use the featured sales ad from your grocery store to plan weekly meals:

• Before you shop, get your grocery stores’ ad and look at the deals, plan your meals around what’s on sale-write your shopping list using the brands and items that are on sale.
• Make a detailed grocery list so you only have to make one trip to the store.
• Plan ahead so you don’t impulsively buy items while at the store.
• You can also save time by planning ahead and dividing the list between family members once you’re in the store-everyone works together to get the shopping done faster.

2. Choose cheaper meats:

• Buying less expensive cuts of meat and marinating them allows you to save money without forfeiting your favorite dinners.

3. Shop at stores that have savings programs and know how they work:

• Find out if the store offers “buy one get one free” deals or if there is a savings card you can get or if they double coupons, etc.
• You can maximize your savings once you know the rules because you’ll find ways to combine discounts to get items at an even greater reduced price.

4. Start clipping those coupons:

• Buy 2 or 3 copies of the Sunday paper to drastically increase your savings.
• Go on the grocery stores’ website-often they will offer their best deals in coupons you can print from the Internet.

5. Plan a potluck:

• A couple of times a month get together with friends or neighbors for dinner potluck style-have everyone bring something.
• Enjoy the time socializing (which can help reduce stress) and save money all in one night!

Photo by: Darwin Bell

6. Buy extra items when they are at their lowest price:

• Figure out when your grocery store offers things at their lowest price-for example, if boneless chicken is on sale every other week, get enough to last for two weeks and freeze it.
• Don’t buy a whole year’s worth at one time, just the amount needed to last until the next sale.

7. Don’t be stuck on specific brands or stores:

• Learn to buy the brand that is on sale the most (even if it’s not name brand).
• Also, be flexible about which grocery store you go to-look at all the sale papers and shop where the items are the cheapest for that week.

8. Maximize your little indulgences:

• Find ways to make your more expensive, special items last longer.
• For example, if you can’t let go of your favorite pricey brand of coffee, try mixing it with a less expensive brand to make it last twice as long-the flavor will still be there, but it will cost you half the price.

9. Organize a coupon group:

• Find some friends or neighbors who are interested in cutting coupons and assign a designated person to each member of the group.
• Every week after you’re finished clipping your coupons, mail or give your unused coupons to your person. In return you’ll also receive a set of coupons from your designated person as well.
• This will give you a much wider range of coupons on various products.

10. Don’t be wasteful, measure it:

• If you find yourself throwing out unused food, especially pet food leftover in bowls, start measuring it. Use the back of the package as a guideline for how much food your pet needs-your pet will be healthier as they are not being overfed and their food will last a lot longer.

Photo by: Micky

I hope these tips will be helpful in cutting your grocery bill each week. If have other tips for keeping your food costs down, please share them with all of us in the comment section below. We can help each get through this tight economy…and if you currently don’t even use a grocery budget, maybe now is the time to start. Figure out a number your family can comfortably spend each week on food and stick to it–this includes dining out as well!

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!