The next logical question: Is there an alternative to these costly and expensive solar power systems? Yes! In fact, an average-person, with average do-it-yourself skills can actually build solar panel(s) that converts solar energy into electricity. There’s no need of professional installers anymore. And if you know where to find the components, you’ll be on your way to great savings on your electricity bills.

Building your own solar panel will just take a couple of hours at best, maybe a day at worst. But there’s really nothing to worry; with easy-to-understand and complete step-by-step instructions, building solar panel(s) will be effortless. As with the parts and components, most of the supplies needed to build your own solar panels are readily available at local hardware stores. You can also buy solar panel kits from suppliers – on the Internet or offline. The kit has all the parts needed to generate your own energy from the sun. A novice can start small – constructing several small solar panels to power small appliances. A determined energy-saver can build solar panels servicing the entire home, office or community.

The Internet is awash with information, resources and guides to build your own solar panel. Some are rip-offs and scams offering gibberish trash, while others are truly a gold mine offering quality and detailed instructions that save you tons of money. These reputable guides also provide the list of supplies needed for the solar panel project, which you can bring to your local hardware store.

Building your own solar panel will not only save you money, you’ll also help the environment as well. By harnessing the power of the sun – the most potent source of renewable energy – and converting its energy into electricity, you’re actually declaring independence from fossil fuels.

If you’re thinking of installing your own solar panel, now is the time to act! You don’t have to invest huge amount of money to start now. In fact, with as little as $200, you’ll be on your way to electricity bills independence. In today’s economy, every dollar counts. Imagine yourself not paying your monthly electricity bills. How will that benefit you? Build your own solar panel(s) and start your savings today!

For your convenience, we’ve conducted a thorough investigation and review of all available resources and guides to build your own solar panel. Our product review pages provide you with four of today’s most complete and well-documented information on building your own solar panel.

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Voice over Internet Protocol (or VoIP) has been around for a couple of years now, although the technology has gained avid supporters and customers recently as individuals and businesses become more cost-conscious. VoIP converts the sounds you speak into digital information that can be carried over the Internet connection. If you already pay for Internet connection, you don’t need to pay a separate phone bill by simultaneously using the set up for the VoIP digital phone service.

The good thing about VoIP, users can communicate from their computer to another, paying nothing more than the existing Internet bill, even over long distances or internationally. Most VoIP services require a one time equipment purchase (including a telephone handset) and/or paid service. While the initial cost may be higher than the traditional phone service, over time, you will be able to recoup the investment, and start saving money. Small business can expect to save up to 50% through VoIP than regular phone service.

In determining the best digital phone service for your business, one has to determine first how many phone lines are needed and how sophisticated the calling needs would be. Four phone lines or less may require nothing more than a single purchase of a VoIP device from the service provider, which will handle the conversion of voice into digital information. Features such as caller-ID, call-waiting and voice mail come as standard. For more features and bigger organizations, VoIP providers also offer more sophisticated packages that include the functionality found in a private branch exchange or PBX. A PBX is an internal switch that allows features such as letting employees have personal numbers rather than sharing one throughout the company.

In seeking the best VoIP provider for the set features your business needs, include in the consideration the following points:

(1) The provider must be able to address issues regarding voice quality. Are they going to set aside bandwidth for phone calls, which is the ideal solution, or will they test your connection without charge before installation to verify strength? The provider must also include daily monitoring of the quality of connection and provide you with periodic reports.

(2) Determine if the package you choose will fit into your existing phone and Internet routers. You may want to use the sophisticated functionality of PBX, but if your own system is not compatible, such functionality will never be used.

(3) Consider a provider that will allow you to finance the purchase of your equipment. New phones can be expensive, so financing is desirable. Zero-percent financing over 12 months will let you see savings right away without the upfront investment.

(4) Lastly, consider a system that is easy to install and maintain. Getting up the VoIP service should require no more than plugging the system in and then making phone calls. Maintaining the system should not require full-time personnel, nor should it require expensive periodic maintenance schedules.

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Pharmacy Technician

This position requires some education but nothing like becoming a doctor! The need for medicines will grow despite of an economy so there will not be a lower need for pharmacists and staff any time soon. As the ‘baby-boomer’ generation enters their retirement years, health issues increase. Plus, there will always be a need for family medicine to cure common viruses and illnesses.

Medical

If you are considering what field of study to enter for college, you may want to consider such medical positions as CNA (Certified Nursing Associates) and Dental Assistants. The health field holds promise not only because of the numbers of people who require these services, but because they are not currently overrun with workers. You can often find entry level positions as a CNA or Dental Assist with great health benefits and reasonable pay.

Public Sector Jobs

Recession doesn’t influence police, fire, ambulance, or some positions in the local government. These are good jobs that pay well and offer great benefits, and while it may be difficult to get these positions (usually a degree of politics is involved for being hired), if you can get a position in the public sector you have an improved chance of riding out recessions.

Teacher’s Aide

You don’t need a college degree to assist a teacher as a teacher’s aide. There will always be a need for schools. As teachers and assistants retire, they replace with new employees. Pay is reasonable and often the positions offer benefits. The time off you receive is great since you’ll follow the school schedule for the most part, and it makes this position ideal for parents with school aged children.

Child Care

Starting your own unlicensed child care service from your home isn’t difficult to do. You may have friends who trust you to watch their children in exchange for a fee. It’s even possible to start a licensed child care out of your home with a bit of planning and training. Despite a recession, parents need daycare because most families require that both parents work in order to make ends meet.

Auto Mechanics

Since cars are not going anywhere anytime soon, there will always be a need for automobile mechanics to repair and maintain vehicles. Decreasing economic conditions actually improve the industry outlook for employment because people keep their vehicles longer which causes an increase in necessary repairs.

Computer support and repair

Many jobs in corporations depend on computer specialists to keep their businesses running, but anyone who repairs or supports existing computers will find work to be plentiful as more people attempt to start their own businesses when they are laid off.

If you find yourself laid off from your job, maybe it is time for a change. Try to work in an industry that is more recession proof than others to secure your financial future.

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Students in the United States will find their student loans are consolidated differently than other types of debt, such as credit card debt. Loans that come from the government, or federal loans, are 100% guaranteed by the U.S. A federal loan is consolidated when a company that handles loan consolidation buys existing loans. The interest rate used for the consolidation is then determined by the year’s student loan rate as of May of the current calendar year.

Those who look into student loans consolidation will discover a wide range of potential interest rates. These rates can be as low as 4.7% or as high as 8.25%. Keep an eye on the rise and fall of interest rates, and then act accordingly to strike when the rates are low. You will benefit by having an affordable rate in place during the entire length of repayment of your school loans.

Loan debt consolidation is not an endless road of opportunity. You are allowed to consolidate once with a private lender, and then once more with the Department of Education. You have one chance to get it right, so do your homework. Be sure that you have researched all of the consolidation companies. Make it a priority to find the most reputable companies and the ones that offer the lowest rates.

People often refer to federal student loans consolidation as refinancing, but this is not entirely correct. With this form of loan debt consolidation, your loan rate will not change, regardless of how different your previous loans were. It will merely be set at a fixed rate. Keep in mind that all of your previous loans will be weighed to find an interest rate that is appropriate in light of the current rate. As with all aspects of financial matters, there are a number of elements that will affect the rate at which your interest is compiled.

For the many students struggling with school loans, student loans consolidation remains an appealing option. It is important, however, that students do their financial research, and be aware of the pros and cons of loan debt consolidation. It has its drawbacks: Monthly payments, although combined into one, will be extended over a greater period of time than if the student had not consolidated the loans to begin with. In spite of this, student loans consolidation can be invaluable for students struggling with payments, and its benefits lure more students every year.

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1. Learn the exchange rate – This seems like common sense, but knowing the exchange rate will allow you to tell when you’re paying too much or at least more than you want to be spending.

2. Make a budget – By just setting yourself a limit on what you can spend each day, you’ll start to subconsciously limit yourself.

3. Make it a game – If you’re traveling with someone, try to make it a game to see who can spend the least amount of money. You’ll be surprised at what you can do.

4. Walk – Instead of paying for transportation and taxis, why not get a little exercise and save money at the same time? Or, you can always walk part of the way and pay for the rest – at a much lesser fee than you would have with the whole route.

5. Eat where the locals eat – Think about it. When you’re at home, you have certain places that you eat because they’re good and they’re cheap. So do people in other countries.

6. Take some risks – Head into the smaller stores that you find but aren’t all that crowded. You will find beautiful things at lower prices because they’re not catering to the tourists that are going to be there.

7. Talk to locals – When you’re interested in something, talk to the locals about where you might be able to find it. You will learn things that you wouldn’t get out of your guidebook as well as where these activities are cheaper.

8. Don’t drink your money away – Try to limit your alcohol wherever you can or save it for a few special days. It’s easy to spend too much.

9. Choose one thing – And then spend a lot of money on that. If you’re heading to Italy, for example, you might want to save your money up for a day of shopping, but be thrifty the rest of the time.

10. You only live once – When all else fails, just spend a little more than you thought that you would. You aren’t going to be there everyday, so why not make the most of it when you are?

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#1: Purchase a list of pre-foreclosure homes from a listing service. Here are just four such services: Foreclosure.com, RealtyTrac, Default Research, and ForclosureS.com. However, one of the drawbacks to a listing service is the cost. Also, be aware that some services have more recent information than others.

#2: Look into the classified ads section of major Newspapers. Their classified sections are on the web. You want to search the ads to find words such as “divorce”, “desperate”, “must sell” or “estate sale” to name just a few examples of keywords that indicate the seller is desperate. Think of some on your own and have fun with it.

#3: Send Postcards and fliers to targeted homes. However, it is highly advisable that you find someone who can do what is called good copywriting. Good copywriting is combining words, fonts, phrases, pictures, a call-to-action, etc. that will compel your potential home buyers to call your number. Make sure you do this type of marketing correctly otherwise you will be wasting your hard earned money.

#4: Use of bandit signs. A bandit sign is a small sign that is posted near major streets with a simple phrase to let home owners know that you buy houses quickly. Don’t forget to have your phone number listed in large letters, so distressed owners know who to call. Just be aware that in many places bandit signs are not allowed.

#5: Look for a real estate investing deal is the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), however, you must be a licensed real estate agent in order to gain access to the MLS database. A word about the MLS, I know some real estate investors who swear by it and I know others who say it’s not worth your time. Who’s correct? Well, believe it or not, both are right. If you are a licensed agent who can jump on a property that is a good deal when it is put on MLS, you have a good chance to finds deals, otherwise, it will be more difficult.

#6: Enlist the help of a realtor. If you don’t know anyone who is a realtor, you can find those who work with real estate investors, just by going to realtor.com. You will need to find a realtor who is willing to work with you and to email you a listing with your criteria. What sort of criteria do you use to search for a property? Again look for words like “divorce”, “desperate”, “must sell”, “condemned”, “gutted”, “mold” and any other word that would be undesirable for regular buyers, but a potential deal for a real estate investor.

#7: Get your deal through what is called a wholesaler. A wholesaler is one who controls or purchases a property at a deep discount and passes the savings on to you, the real estate investor. They typically send the deal right to your email box where you can read about the deal, do your due diligence and then make an offer.

So, as you can see there are various methods that you can use to find your deals. You may be wondering how may deals does it take before an offer is accepted? Well, I know many who say there is a 100-10-1 rule. It says it takes looking at 100 deals to make 10 offers to get one accepted. Choose a method or better yet, a set of methods that works for you and your budget.

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Recent events, such as the rise in energy costs and the ever-skyrocketing health care costs need to be factored in. Although gas prices have been fluctuating lately, I think they are going to go back up, possibly even surpassing the extremes we saw all too recently. These types of events can take a toll on your retirement plan very quickly. Prudent planning begins early and you need a good source of information. A lot of websites offer tools and resources to find answers to any questions you may have.

Did you know that most retirement plans have a ceiling of 10% of your pre-tax wages that you can contribute? While that may sound good when you view it against a 2% inflation rate, you must keep in mind that your planning today is not just for the ideal future, but the future that will be reality for you if things turn out to not be ideal or according to your plans today.

By starting early and contributing the maximum that you can afford, you will have a better chance of being prepared for the unforeseen. This is made much easier today because your 401k plan is now transferable from one employer to another. This allows you to continue to grow your retirement account even when you choose to change jobs or even careers.

Unsure of what you will need for retirement? There are calculators that will help you figure it out for yourself. This is a helpful tool that lets you see if you are on track or not. Don’t forget that life expectancy is getting longer. When Social Security was passed in the 1930s people lived about 2 years after retirement. Today you can expect to live 20-30 years past retirement and, suddenly, the amount you need to retire comfortably with a major change in lifestyle gets very large.

Lets say that today you need $40,000 to live on and you retire in 20 years, you will need a minimum of $850,000 to carry you through retirement. That is assuming that you will live an additional 20 years after you retire and are in good health. There is something to be said for debt reduction as being part of your retirement planning, as well, since the last thing you want to do is go into retirement with a ton of debt still hanging over your head.

Having $40,000 a year to live on with little to no debt will obviously go farther than if you still have the same debt load as you do now. If you reduce your debt load by the same amount that you save for retirement, you double your retirement savings.

One cannot have a conversation about retirement without the subject of taxes coming into it. The money you put into your 401(k) is pre-tax so you will pay taxes on it when you get disbursements. The 401(k) is intended for retirement, so there are also very heavy tax penalties if you withdraw any funds before you turn 59.5 years of age. If at all possible, do not make any early withdrawals from your retirement account, since most people have found that in addition to the heavy tax penalties for doing so, the prospect of paying it back, even with good intentions, is tougher than it seems.

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What is road service? It is exactly what the name suggests. If you have a problem, you simply contact the phone number provided. A service professional will be sent out to your location to assist you. The service professional is usually a local provider who will take a look at the car and make any simple repairs on the spot. If the car can’t be repaired quickly and easily, they will then arrange for the car to be towed to a facility. You’ll then be given a ride home or transportation will be arranged. It is a wonderful service!

If you purchased a new car in the last five years, you’re probably already well aware of what road service is. It did not originate as an insurance product. Instead, car manufacturers started offering it as an enticement to buy their cars. Manufacturers such as BMW and Mercedes were some of the first to do this. As is often the case in industry, the other manufacturers started offering it once they saw how successful it was for the original manufacturers.

If you have a new car, there’s no reason to buy road service as part of your car insurance. The manufacturer will cover it for an initial period that can be anywhere between three and five years depending on the program their offering. But what if that time is past? Should you buy roadside service as part of your car insurance? The answer is that you probably should not. There are a couple of reasons.

The first reason you should not buy road service as part of your car insurance has to do with the quality of the service. Simply put, other groups like AAA are far better at handling it. They’ve been doing it forever and they have the service down to a fine art. When you have a problem, you just call and AAA takes care of everything. As an additional benefit, you do not have to file a claim or anything of that sort. Everything is simply handled by AAA as part of the flat fee you pay for membership.

There’s an additional reason why you should not buy road service as part of your car insurance that is little more subtle. Some car insurance companies consider calls for road service to constitute a claim. The premiums you pay for your insurance are determined by a number of different factors. One of the factors is the number of claims you make on your policy. You can probably see where I’m going with this. Let’s assume you have three problems with cars on the road in the next five years and call for road service each time. If your insurance company considers each of those problems to be a claim, your premiums are going to skyrocket! That will be a disaster.

Road service is a great thing and you should definitely arrange to have it. That being said, including as part of your car insurance is probably not the best idea. There are other options that are better from both an economic and strategic perspective.

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BE HAPPY ABOUT WHAT YOU DO: Stop rolling your eyes. This is probably THE key to on-going employment. It’s tempting-and easy-to get down on “the job” when the work load gets heavy. And negativism is highly contagious in work settings.

Focusing on what you like about your job and being grateful for that carries a big pay-off: You come across as much more effective to coworkers and bosses. You get the work done more easily. And you reduce your stress level significantly.

Some people assume a positive mindset automatically. They’re the ones who survive death camps and similar horrors. But those of us who need to make these attitude adjustments consciously would do well to pay attention to them now. A lot of what’s “wrong” with work comes from what we are thinking. It’s all a mind game of your own making. Choosing to be happy is the best game plan going.

Maybe you’re muttering “Not MY job. This one really does suck.” And maybe it does. It’s still giving you valuable things: the opportunity to become proficient at dealing with adversity, a chance to confirm what won’t work for you as a long term employment strategy, and money to pay your bills.

You don’t have to commit to being there forever. Be happy with where you are even as you are getting things going for what you want to do next.

BE GOOD AT WHAT YOU DO: Being happy about your work is almost a slam dunk if you’re really good at it. Eventually, you may want to get into something that makes your heart sing louder. But for the moment, do all you can to increase your competence on your current job. Doing something well enhances your self esteem which in terms helps sustain a positive attitude. And reduces stress.

Even if you intend to ditch your current line of work entirely once the economy allows, what you learn now can make you a better candidate for that dream job. Interpersonal skills, problem solving skills, planning and organization skills, and communication skills are all transferable. And keeping yourself in mental shape by learning ANYTHING will make you more ready to learn when you step into your quest to become good what you love.

Being good at what you do has legs. When you do the job well, you notice and feel good about yourself. Though bosses and coworkers might not say so out loud, you become a valued resource to them. And that means it’s a lot harder to let you go. Even better, customers, clients, vendors, and suppliers notice. So if you do get caught in the downsizing buzz saw, they’ll be eager to bring you on board themselves or get you on with someone else they work with. THIS is the kind of network you need–not a collection of business cards or hundreds of names on your Facebook friends list.

BE A DREAM TO WORK WITH: Yes, it is possible to be good at what you do and be a jerk. Don’t go there. Being open to other people’s ideas and ways of going about things usually means the end product is even better. You are held in high regard when you hold others in high regard.

Learn to talk to people as respected equals and to include all you can of what they know in how you do your own work. Much as it’s not often enumerated in the actual selection criteria, this can be an amazing ticket onto some pretty cool work projects.

BE FLEXIBLE: Do you totally love what you are doing now? If so, don’t get too comfy. If the company-or your client-needs you to do something different now, move on with grace and become highly competent at the new tasks. There are lots of ways to do be involved with things you love. Accept the reality of the moment in what you have the opportunity to do now. Do it well even if you don’t love it as much.

This often has an unexpected reward. You end up learning something you need for a future opportunity…

Whether you get that raise or make it to that certain level of your profession this year isn’t as important as these four things. Do what you do well, appreciate the chance to do it, get really good at working with other people, and accept new roles with enthusiasm. Those who do almost always have a job-and are usually asked to take on something even better.

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1. Try to shop at Auction sites like eBay

The nature of an auction fits really well into buying products online, even if you are not looking for something less popular like a 4 person canoe, you can still find a bargain. There are many auction websites now popular; eBay, Yahoo Auctions, Online Auction.com and uBid to name a few, just make sure the site is not a new and is a trusted one and be careful, there are some scammers out there, if it is too good to be true it probably is, and make sure you look at the rating of the seller before you buy, it’s in the best interest of online auction sites to make you feel safe and not get scammed, so learn how to rate a seller (it should be self evident with a star system or something similar).

Another method is to shop at overstock stores that will carry surplus and returned goods, there are some massive savings to be had with this avenue. Overstock.com is the most popular of the overstock sites. They specialize in just about anything your mind can come up with. Try this out, type in a search engine whatever product you are looking for then the word overstock and I bet you find some good quality overstock sites matching the products you are looking for.

2. Try looking for online sales

Now this is a quick and easy one, shop somewhere that is having a sale, easier said than done? Your right, if you were walking down the high street you would quickly notice if a store has a sale (owing to the flyers and window dressings) but how do you find out what online stores are having a sale? Well this is where coupons sites come in handy, they try to list sales as soon as they know about them. Have a list of your top coupon sites handy when you feel like shopping.

For those of you that don’t understand what an online sale is I will explain this briefly here. Just like walking into your local store visiting an online store you will be hit by the sales literature and images, in other words they will be clearly displayed on the homepage (unless the offer is exclusive to a site). The most popular type of sales are seasonal to get rid of their current stock to make way for new stock, so the end of every season usually sees a flood of offers and some real bargains can be had.

See if it is cheaper to buy in bulk, as shipping and handling can be costly, especially in big countries like Canada, it often makes sense to buy more ‘fast moving consumer good’ (the ones you use often) as it brings the cost of shipping down, and if you take a moment to read the stores T&C’s you may find that if you purchase a certain amount the store will waive the shipping charges completely.

3. Coupon Codes and Voucher Codes

This is one of online shopping’s best kept secrets. Promotional codes and really anything ending in codes (as they nearly always mean the same thing) are codes that online stores give out to website owners that allow consumers to save money through online shopping discounts, free gifts, free shipping, money off, percentage off, free samples, contests the list goes on. Have you ever bought something online and seen a box at the end of your checkout that saying something like ‘enter your promotional code here’? This is where your brain should show a little light bulb over your head to say “go get a promotional code”. Of course the problem lies in where to find these much coveted coupon codes, try searching in a search engine for coupon codes or Voucher Codes.

Sites that focus around offering these codes are extremely time consuming to maintain as they have to constantly keep going back to the posts to update the coupons or remove them. But hopefully the sites are being constantly updated with new codes so you will have the best deals available at your finger tips every day. Please remember that coupon codes only have a limited shelf life, some for a few days others for a few hours so make sure you read the details correctly. So how to be updated, well there are a few ways, you can bookmark a site, your browser should have a live bookmarks section, or click on the RSS (orange) symbol at the top of most sites and you can see in your live bookmarks every time a new coupon has been added. You can also subscribe to an email newsletter at a coupon site, which will update you when the coupons are listed or about to expire.

Hopefully this post will help you save money when shopping online

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