Let’s face it, times are hard right now and, like me,  you’re probably looking for ways to save money wherever you can. If so, have you paid much attention to your auto insurance rates lately?

According to the folks at Geico, a 15 minute phone call could save you 15% or more, but if you shop around you just mind end up saving even more. Here are a few tips for getting the best rate possible on your automobile insurance:

1 – Start shopping around NOW instead of waiting for your current policy to come up for renewal. If you wait till the last minute you’ll likely find yourself scrambling just to keep the insurance coverage you have now from lapsing. It’s hard to properly consider all the available options when time is running out on you.

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In the current employment market, being a job seeker means doing everything you can to get yourself to the front of the queue. First impressions count and making the right choices when deciding what to wear to a job interview can give you a serious leg up or leave your interviewer with a less than positive impression of you.

According to a recent survey by careers website The Ladders, 37% of bosses say they have decided against hiring an applicant because of the way they dressed rather than answers to the interview questions. So, if you want to make sure you come across as the committed professional that you are, then here a few tips on what to wear for a job interview:

Women

Avoid dresses and bright colors. The majority of interviewers feel bright colors – red in particular – are an inappropriate choice for a first interview. Dresses are also viewed as too casual an option, unless it is tailored dress that would not look out of place in a room full of suits.

Tone down the accessories. If you want to wear jewelry to an interview it should be subtle and not attention grabbing. Most employers will mark you down if you turn up in dangly earrings or overly-sparkly jewelry that seems more suited to a bar than a meeting room. The same goes for make-up and nail varnish – keep these simple and muted.

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In times of financial hardship many people start to seriously reconsider the way they handle their income. While the philosophy stays pretty much the same – spend less to have more – the methods that people use to achieve their financial goals often vary greatly. And, as is the case with things like fashion and dieting, new money-saving “fads” pop up from time to time that present people with new options of ways to keep their wallets as full as possible.

One current trend is the “envelope” budgeting system, sometimes called the “cash only” system. This system is fairly self-explanatory. You budget your income, dividing up the funds into specific categories. After taking into account expenses that need to be taken care of electronically (such as bills paid online or through check), you withdraw the funds for the remaining categories as cash. You then divide that cash into envelopes according to the budget you have set, with each envelope representing one category. So, if you have $50 budgeted for “entertainment,” you put $50 cash into your “entertainment” envelope.

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In today’s financial markets, many people who are new to investing wonder, what are financial futures? A quick definition would be to say that financial futures are actually futures contracts which are based on financial instruments such as Treasury bonds, CDs, currencies or indexes. Mostly though, a financial future is simply defined as a future contract on a short term interest rate. All future contracts are different and can vary, but are often referred to as the index interest rate, the pound in three months, or U.S. dollars.

What you must remember is that a financial futures contract requires the buyer to purchase a good or a seller to sell an asset, such as financial instruments which can be bonds and currency at a pre-specified price and date in the future. Financial futures contracts contain the details which are relevant to a transaction such as the quality and quantity of the underlying securities, which have been standardized to be consistent with the futures exchange to facilitate trading.

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So, you’ve scrapped for every penny, tightened your belt so far you’ve started cutting your own notches, fought tooth and nail and now, finally, you’re debt free. The spring is back in your step and, as the weight of financial woe slips from your shoulders, you feel about three feet taller.

Getting out of debt can be a real battle. It takes a lot of will power and mental strength to keep going but, as they say ‘the night is darkest before the dawn’. Once you are out, naturally you’re going to feel, as well as relieved, a little proud. But there is another old saying worth keeping in mind, ‘pride cometh before a fall.’

So once you get debt free, how do you make sure you don’t relapse into the negative habits of the past? Here are four tips for helping you remain on solid financial ground:

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