Posts tagged as:

rock bottom prices

Encourage Your Kids to Read Without Spending Loads

August 27, 2009

in Personal Finance

Reading is an important skill for everyone, and it’s one that benefits from being practised extensively in childhood. Kids who read often grow up to be better readers. This helps them do better in every aspect of life.

Some kids have a natural love of reading. Others need a little encouragement. The best thing we can do as parents is provide them with books that are challenging and educational, yet entertaining. This can get expensive if you buy lots of new books, but there are ways to keep your child reading for cheap or free. Here are some ideas:

1. Go to the library. This is the best place for anyone to read for free, and most public libraries have a large selection of children’s books. Best of all, the librarian can help you find books that are appropriate for your child’s age and skill level, so there’s no guesswork.

2. Look for used books online. There are entire sites that specialize in used books in various genres. Amazon.com is also a good place to look. They sell both new and used books, and they make it easy to compare prices among their sellers. You could also try eBay if you’re interested in buying used books in lots.

3. Check garage sales. When having a sale, parents often go through their children’s toys and books and get rid of the ones they’ve outgrown. The books you’ll find often sell for a dollar or less each, so you can pick up several of them for what you would pay for one new book.

4. Visit your local thrift shop. These stores often sell donated items at rock bottom prices. Not every thrift store sells books, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. If they do, you could find some wonderful deals.

5. Make a trip to your local book exchange. These places will take your used books and give you credit toward books that others have brought in. This is a great way to get rid of your kids’ old books and get more that are appropriate for their current reading level.

6. Find a closeout book store. These stores sell books that are no longer being published at discount prices. If you can’t find one in your local area, check online.

7. Check your newspaper’s classified ads or your local trading post publication. You probably won’t find many individual books for sale, but parents sometimes advertise kids’ entire book collections if they want to get rid of them without having a garage sale. You can often find large lots of books at very low prices this way.

8. Find a source of hand-me-down books. If you have a friend with a child a year or two older than yours, you could ask what she’s going to do with the books her child outgrows. She might offer to sell them to you. There’s also a chance that she will be willing to pass them along for free.

Fostering a love of reading while your child is young will benefit her for the rest of her life. And you don’t have to spend a fortune on new books to do it. Used books and books borrowed from the library have just as much value as those purchased from a bookstore, and they’re much easier on your wallet.

Related Blogs

Twitter Poster plugin : Does Sensa weight loss work

Click to share this post with friends.

For more great content, remember to subscribe to my RSS feed. Subscribe

Become a Landlord and Earn Money

July 16, 2009

in Personal Finance

When thinking of ways to earn income without working by the hour, becoming a landlord often seems like the perfect option. Those who are retired can supplement their income without going back to work, and those who need extra money can get it without working longer hours or going back to school. But being a landlord is not as easy as it may seem.

Still, renting out properties can be lucrative. Here are ten tips to help you get started.

1. Be aware that financing for rental properties is much different than financing for a home you intend to live in. It requires a much larger down payment, and interest rates are usually higher. If you have a home that’s paid off, you might do better to buy a new one for yourself and rent the old one out or take out a home equity loan to purchase the property. A knowledgeable real estate agent can help you decide.

2. Look for deals on investment properties. Foreclosure sales are a good place to start. You can often find homes that have been foreclosed on in good condition for rock bottom prices.

3. Beware the fixer-upper. Buying a property that needs work might seem like a good way to get a deal if you can do the work yourself, but such properties often end up costing you more than you think. If you choose to buy a fixer-upper, be sure to have it inspected and get estimates on needed repairs (or the supplies to do them yourself) before proceeding.

4. If you want to start making money right away, consider buying a property that already has tenants. They’re harder to find than empty ones, but they are out there. Just remember that you will be required to abide by the terms of the current lease until it runs out.

5. Decide how much you will charge for rent. You need to make enough to cover your costs and make a profit without charging so much that you won’t be able to find a tenant. Consider your mortgage payment, taxes, insurance, and estimated average monthly repair costs. Then do some research to make sure your rate is competitive.

6. Decide whether or not to utilize a property manager. Hiring one will eat into your profits, but it will also keep you from having to deal with repairs and maintenance.

7. Write up a rental contract. There are contract templates available online, but it’s best to have a real estate attorney help you with this. He will know all of the ins and outs of landlord/tenant law.

8. Find tenants if you don’t already have them. Place ads in the classified section of the local newspaper, put fliers up around town, and advertise online on sites such as Craigslist. If you live in a college town (and are not opposed to the idea of having college students as tenants), place some fliers around the school to get a quick response.

9. Screen potential tenants carefully. It’s a good idea to get a criminal background check and some references. Renting to criminals or bad renters is not a good way to start out your career as a landlord.

10. Be aware of your responsibility to provide notice for such things as inspections, maintenance and eviction. The requirements should be outlined in your contract and must be in line with state law.

There is a lot involved in becoming a landlord. But it’s a great way to make money with little ongoing effort. You will have some responsibilities, but if you take the time to choose good tenants, things should go fairly smoothly.

Click to share this post with friends.

For more great content, remember to subscribe to my RSS feed. Subscribe