General – Page 3

5 Tips To Save You Money Buying A Used Car

November 10, 2018

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It usually happens at the worst of times – just a few weeks before Christmas, when you have lots of gifts to buy and other bills to deal with, your old car gives up the ghost. You need to find another and fast – without spending a fortune. Buying a used car is much more cost-effective than a brand new vehicle – you can literally save thousands by opting for something that is just a year or so old. But the world of pre-owned car sales can be difficult to navigate – how do you know you aren’t getting ripped off?

Do Your Research

Before making a visit to any dealerships, research the local ones in your area. If you’re planning a visit a dealer group such as Harwoods Motor Dealers Group, check out previous customer reviews to see what sort of experience people have had there. The Internet is a great tool to steer you away from disreputable places, so use it!

Find The Cheapest To Run

Even if the guide price is low, the car may cost you more than you want if it isn’t cost-effective to run, so always make sure that you have looking into running costs. Sites like Parkers will let you compare with the costs of different models easily. In general, smaller engines will be more economical with fuel consumption – although a lot of it depends on you and how you drive to reduce fuel use as well, so consider if you do lots of short journeys or less frequent, longer ones. Petrol also tends to be more economical than diesel at the pump, unless you drive a lot. And manual cars are cheaper than automatic to purchase, but may be more fuel efficient over time as they know the ‘right’ gear to be in, so there are a lot more factors to consider than just the ticket price.

Check The Insurance Costs

In general, smaller cars also cost less to insure, so if you are looking to save on your household costs, that could be a consideration. Cars are ranked between one and fifty, using Thatchem data. Features including performance, safety, the cost of a new model and the price of replacement parts are all taken into consideration to decide what the insurance cost will be. Always use a car insurance comparison tool to shop around providers as well.

Check The Co2 Emissions

Depending on how much your car pollutes, the cost of your road tax will be higher. There are some models, like the BMW 1 Series, where certain engine options which produce less than 100g of Co2 per kilometre, are zero road tax, although you will still need to register for it each year.

Pick Your Timing

The timing of when you buy can save you a fortune. Dealers work on quarterly targets, so be aware of that when purchasing. They will be under pressure to shift cars by being more flexible on the price or offering added extras or great car finance packages. If you decide to buy from a private seller this doesn’t apply, but come armed with research into average sale prices and conditions and you can often negotiate them down.

These Psychological Tricks Will Help You To Get Out Of Debt

November 9, 2018

If you are in debt, and sick of it, know that you are not alone. Statistically most of the people you meet are going to have some kind of debt in their life, if they don’t already, so the last thing to do is to feel as though you are the only one in that kind of trouble. The truth is that it is very common, and because it is so common there are a huge number of people out there who have learned how to deal with the situation much more effectively. In this article, we are going to take a look specifically at a few psychological tricks which you might be able to use in your attempt to become debt free. By taking a look at these and utilizing them in your own life, you might find that you can much more effectively and quickly rid yourself of debt. As such, they are definitely worth taking a look at.

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Fix Your Eyes On The Prize

Because it can be so easy to get despondent about your debt, it’s necessary to try and find a way to keep looking forward to the future, to when you can hope to be free of it. A great way to do this in particular is to keep focused on some of the things that you will be able to treat yourself to when you are finally free of debt, so that you can then know what you are aiming for in a more concrete way. Having the specific goal, for instance, of buying a new car – and looking specifically at Mercedes-Benz Special Offers or whatever car you are keen on – will ensure that you can find it easier to keep looking forwards to a brighter future. Fixing your eyes on the prize – a car, a holiday, whatever – can be powerful.

Don’t Take It Personally

It can be so easy to think that there is somehow something wrong with you just because you are in debt, but actually this line of thinking is not a very helpful way of going about things. If you want to be rid of debt sooner, you will need to stop yourself going down such psychologically dark spirals, as they ultimately only lead to binging and over-spending again. Instead, remember that anybody could be in your situation, and that it is much more an accident of fate than anything else. There is nothing inherently wrong with you, and no reason why you can’t lift yourself out of your debt, given time and a little effort.

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Avoid Compartmentalizing

If you look closely at your debt habits, you will probably notice that there is one thing you tend to do in your mind when thinking about money. In all likelihood, you find yourself compartmentalizing your debt away from your money in general. This might even seem sensible or logical, but you will actually find that you get much more done in the way of results if you simply think of all of your money as one, including whatever debt you might be in. Seen in that way, you can hope to treat it with much more respect, and therefore get out of it much sooner.

Can You Really Run Away From Your Money Worries?

November 7, 2018

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Debt is one of the most stressful predicaments we can ever get involved with in our life. But a lot of people believe that, to solve their problems, they run away. But is this actually possible when we struggle with debt, and if it’s not, what can we do to face up to our demons?

The Changing Address Routine

If you’ve ever moved into a rental property you will know the scenario pretty well. You keep getting letters for a previous tenant, demanding that the outstanding balance is paid up, and when you explain that you have nothing to do with these people, it partially sorts itself out. But if you ever think his is a very simple way to escape debt, this isn’t going to give you much respite for long. Moving house is something you can do to escape an outstanding balance, but as soon as you register with the council, or put your name to any of the bills, which are legal requirements, you will have letters and phone calls harassing you.

Dealing With Money Worries Proactively

Instead, you can learn how to negotiate with debt collectors through an abundance of options. When you have mounting debt, and this greatly impacts your life, liaising directly with the creditors is the best way to come to some form of compromise. But we don’t seem to think about this at the outset, because these letters that demand we pay an outstanding balance in the next 5 to 7 days incredibly intimidating. It’s hardly a surprise that we shy away from these or don’t even open the envelopes. But when you are faced with an outstanding balance, and you are physically struggling to make the whole payment, it’s best to get in contact with them directly and to arrange a payment plan. Many utility providers can work with you to negotiate something that benefits both sides. After all, if you are unable to pay anything right now, but you are in the near future, this benefits them to get some money instead of none at all.

Struggling With The Stress

Money worries are crippling, and we can sit at home, afraid to put the heating on, because we are that poor. If you feel like this, running away from your financial stress is not the solution. And while we can feel limited in our financial capacity to do things that we enjoy, or perhaps we don’t feel that we can do anything because it costs money, this is when we have to focus on our health. There are numerous resources to help you cope in these circumstances, not least places like Citizens Advice where you can get some basic information, but when the stress of the situation threatens to undermine your happiness, running away from the problem will not provide the solution. Facing your money worries isn’t just about liaising with the creditors, but it’s about putting a solid plan in place, and this is what will help you regain some form of control, not just over your finances, but over your life.