To constantly keep groomed and cleaned requires a never ending series of trips to the drug store, hairdresser, manicurist, dermatologist, etc.

It’s exhausting, time consuming, and let’s not forget…EXPENSIVE! Think about all the money you spent on skincare just last year.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone to CVS to pick up a “few things” and was shocked to leave $100 poorer. HUH? How can these personal care products cost so much?!?

Worse yet, a lot of the products I’ve bought or services I’ve paid for don’t even work very well. Do you know how frustrating it is to pay $100 for a facial that only makes your skin look good for about a day?

Then a few years ago I decided I didn’t want to waste any more of my time or money on crap that didn’t work.

So, being influenced by my tree-hugging hippie California environment, I went in search of finding some natural beauty remedies that worked just as well, or better, than my expensive counterparts.

This was kind of hard and overwhelming at first because you can find a natural home remedy for anything. The trick is finding the ones that actually work.

After years of trial and error I have some true favorites, most of which involve natural and/or cooking oil. These favorites are so good that once I started doing them I never went back to doing things the old way.

By using the tips below I manage to save upwards of $3,000 every single year!

And although some of these remedies are on the weirdo-voodo-way-out-there scale, they work AND save me money so I say who cares.

#1: NEVER PAY FOR TEETH BLEACHING AGAIN
I’m not tooting my horn here when I tell you I have really white teeth. They are so white people are constantly asking me where I get my teeth bleached.

I used to use tons of whitening toothpaste and also bleached with Crest White Strips every 6 months. That made my teeth fairly white, but never to the point where someone was chasing me down the street to ask me where I get my teeth whitened (yes that actually happened).

So I’ll tell you my little secret: I don’t bleach my teeth at all anymore…EVER. And I drink tea everyday, which does stain your teeth. So why are my teeth so white?

Because I use this ancient yogi method of cleaning my mouth out called Oil Pulling. It’s totally weird but gets my teeth whiter than anything I have ever used before.

Here’s a short video on how to do it:

And here’s how the costs compare:
Professional Dental Bleaching (annual cost): $400
OR…
Jar of cold pressed non-refined oil (annual cost): $30

I’m only comparing the oil pulling with professional bleaching here, because those 2 methods were the most effective ones to whiten my teeth. And, as you can see, oil pulling has saved me over $300 per year.

#2: NEVER PAY FOR OVERPRICED SKIN PRODUCTS AGAIN
Think that $50 jar of essential rejuvenating hydrating moisturizer actually works? How about that new $300 facial that your dermatologist swears is the next big thing in anti-aging?

Ever since I moved to Los Angeles, I hate to admit I’ve been a sucker for all the slick advertising of the skincare industry. When I go to the dermatologist they always find something wrong with my skin…it’s too oily, then it’s too dry, then it has acne.

It’s like my skin keeps freaking out, trying to tell me something is wrong. So after almost 10 years of this I finally had stop and ask myself: after the thousands of dollars I have spent on skincare and dermatology why is my skin NOT absolutely perfect?!?

Now I’m not complaining, I have nice skin. But no matter how many skin creams I bought or doctors I saw the well balanced skin I dreamed of always eluded me.

Then a smart man named Gary Mullennix told me that all skincare is actually a scam. Having worked all his life in the chemical industry, this is what Gary said about skincare:

“The best thing anyone can do is to keep the skin clean and lightly oiled to reduce drying. No one should abuse it with needless assaults from strong solvent chemicals. There is no reason whatsoever to spend a small fortune on skin care.

If you look at the labels, virtually everyone tells you that the main ingredient, the one taking up to in some cases 97% of the product, is WATER. Chemists are quite capable of taking water and a few choice chemicals to make a nice feeling product.

Be critical enough in your thinking to evaluate the results of whatever it is you do. A $10.00 tube of skin cream or a $200 small bottle with beautiful decor will contain virtually the same ingredients.”

- Gary Mullennix, Retired Former CEO & President of Huntington Labs

Woah! There you have it – straight from the chemical industry expert’s mouth. After talking with Gary I realized the only thing I really needed to worry about with my skin is getting it clean and keeping in moisture, which many of my fancy skin products were not doing.

A lot of skin products actually strip the oil and moisture from your skin, which can result in more oil production, combination skin (sometimes oily, sometimes dry), and a red undertone of inflammation.

So, I found an incredible and totally natural method of cleaning the skin called the Oil Cleansing Method. When I first heard about it, it sounded SUPER weird. I have oily skin so why would I use oil to clean my skin?

Because oil attracts oil…it’s the best natural treatment to pull all the dirt and gook out of your pores. Many of the people who use this method don’t use any skincare products anymore EVER. And their skin is so clear, they don’t need a fancy facial anymore either.

That’s some pretty huge savings. Here’s how the costs compare:
Drugstore Skincare Products (annual cost): $100
OR…
Dermatologist Recommended Skincare Line (annual cost): $700
Deep Cleansing Facial (annual cost): $1,000
OR…
Clean pure oil for Oil Cleansing Method (annual cost): $60

If you want exact details on how to do the Oil Cleansing Method here’s my favorite blog post by Crunchy Betty with step-by-step instructions.

#3: NEVER GET PRICEY WART, MOLE, OR WHATEVER REMOVAL AGAIN
At one time or another in our lives we’ve all had them…they’re what I call skin “ickies”. Some kind of irregular bump or lump that isn’t harmful, but sure is fugly.

I’m talking here about warts, big bumpy moles, skin tags, or other lumpy skin irregularities that the human body can get.

Of course, first things first, if you get a bump that looks suspect you should always have it checked out by the doctor to make sure it’s not dangerous.

And if the doc deems that your icky lump won’t hurt you the next question you usually have is how to get rid of it. To that, your doctor might recommend removal with a laser, electric needle, or razor.

Granted these removal methods are quick and effective but they have downsides too. They are often painful, can leave a scar, and EXPENSIVE!

If you have health insurance sometimes that will cover the removal. But if it’s a purely cosmetic procedure insurance will not pay, so you are stuck with a bill that can reach into the hundreds of dollars.

Hundreds of dollars just to remove a hairy mole off my arm?!? I don’t think so.

So now before I EVER go to the doc with a removal request I always try Castor Oil first. Yes, castor oil somehow has the power to remove all these lumpy bumps off your body without any pain or scarring.

And it’s super cheap too. I buy pure Castor Oil from the health food store that is cold pressed and it costs about $10 for a big bottle. (NOTE: You don’t want to buy the castor oil at the drugstore because it’s refined and processed with tons of chemicals in it)

Then I mix my castor oil with some baking soda to form a paste and put it on my mole, wart, or whatever. Do this every night and your offensive bump will start to turn black, shrivel up, and die within about 2 to 4 weeks (could be longer depending on how big the growth is).

Best part is I have never gotten a scar from removing things this way, but I have gotten scars from having moles removed at the doctor’s office.

Here’s how the costs compare:
Doctor removal: anywhere from $35 to $150 per growth, depending on insurance
OR…
Cold pressed castor oil plus box of baking soda: $12

I don’t know about you, but saving $3,000 every year just buy using oil is a no-brainer to me! Make oil your best friend and your wallet will thank you.

And, really, what have you got to lose? If you try one of these weirdo methods and don’t like it you can always go back to your old ways.

But if you CAN make your wallet more wealthy, while making yourself hot & healthy, why no at least give it a try?

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One thing I’ve tried to do for my health is cut down on table salt. Salt is in too many foods nowadays and our bodies are being bombarded with it, which can cause all sorts of issues.

Problem is I love the taste of salt so giving it up altogether sounded boring and depressing. So I turned to more mineral salts, like Celtic Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt.

I did some research and found that those salts were much more whole, nutritious, and less processed than table salt. Sweet!

So I started using Celtic Sea Salt in place of regular salt and definitely noticed a difference in taste. The Celtic Salt, although packed with good minerals, was much less flavorful than regular salt.

That meant I had to use A LOT more of it on my food. Apparently, this is good for your health because these “fancy” salts are high in minerals. But, for me, it was a problem for my wallet!

See, “fancy” non-processed mineral salts cost a bundle…about $1.20 for only ONE ounce! Compare that with regular table salt at $0.40 an ounce and your dwindling bank account is not happy

And since you have to use more of the mineral salt to get the same flavor punch as table salt, you go through it more quickly and spend more money, more often. Me no likey!

So I went on a quest to find a salt alternative that is cheaper and delicious, but still nutritious. Enter…Dulse flakes AKA raw dry red seaweed.

Yes, you heard me right; dried seaweed is a kick butt salt alternative. You might be thinking this could NEVER taste good. I mean, it’s freaking seaweed!

But, as a former salt junkie, I am telling you Dulse is yummy.

One tiny flake is so salty tasting that a little bit goes very far. And it’s even healthier for you than fancy mineral salts because seaweed contains a boatload of iron and iodine, which are great for your thyroid and overall health.

As far as cost goes, it sounds pricier at roughly $2.95 an ounce, but it actually lasts so much longer than any other salt I have ever used. 

That’s because you only need a few sprinkles to pack a huge flavor punch. I spent $10 on a 4 ounce bag of Dulse and it lasted me an entire year! Compare that to the mineral salt that I used to spend $10 on every month and those savings add up like crazy.

Oh my dear Dulse…how I love you. You make me more healthy, give my food great flavor, AND save me money. Never met any other salty food that could do that!

P.S. If you can’t find Dulse at your local supermarket try a health food store or buy it online (even Amazon.com has it).

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Yesterday was a bad day. The only thing I wanted to do was write a kick butt awesome article and send it off to my blog subscribers.

But my body had other plans…I was exhausted, irritable, and totally  unable to focus on anything.

So I stared at my computer screen for a while, irritated that I couldn’t focus. Then I laid down on my green office rug and stared at my hot pink slippers for a while, hoping that would give me inspiration.

And it did! It inspired me to put on my jammies and watch TV. It inspired me to stop pushing so hard and wait until I felt better.

It inspired me to GET REAL about where I was at with my health that day, and accept the fact that I couldn’t work. So I rested yesterday and here I am today, all jazzed up and ready to give my best.

This made me think of how people do this with their money all the time: they lie to themselves about where they are at. They don’t GET REAL.

But if you want to make any improvements in your finances you have to get down, dirty, and honest.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but in my 10 years running a finance business I have seen oodles of people lie to themselves about their money habits. They lie about how much they make, how much they spend, what they spend money on, and how much they save.

Why do they do it? Because it’s easier to lie to yourself then actually get real and admit that your habits and feelings around money might just be hurting you.

It can be sooooo ridiculously uncomfortable to face yourself and your money with honesty. But what have you got to lose? If you don’t do it than nothing will change or it may even get worse.

So I say rip off the band aid! It will be painful but it will be quick.

Be brutally honest with yourself about where your finances are RIGHT NOW. Otherwise you have no starting point.

And how can you possibly know where you are going and how to get there if you have no idea where you are now? It’s like trying to MapQuest driving directions without having a starting point.

So how do you do this? Easy…take these 2 steps:

STEP 1: HOW MUCH DO I HAVE?
Pull out all your most recent financial statements like bank statements, credit card statements, loan statements, stock portfolio statements, etc. Then write down all your current balances of cash, assets, and debt so you can know EXACTLY what those numbers are.

I don’t care if you write it on a piece of paper or use your fancy Ipad. Just do this every single month so you can stay on top of this and see if it’s improving.

STEP 2: WHERE IS IT GOING?
To help the balances on your statements improve you need to track your money habits. So start writing everything down…you can use paper or a program like Excel if that’s easier for you.

Every time you put money in the bank write it down; when you spend money write it down. And it’s also very important to write down where the money came from and what you spent it on.  For example, it would look something like this:
1/3/12            FROM: MY JOB                   + $700.00
1/4/12            TO: GAS                              -$40.00
1/7/12            FROM: BANK INTEREST      +$50.00
1/15/12          TO: HANDBAG                     -$100.00

Now some of you might find it annoying to carry a little writing pad around with you to jot everything down as you go from store to store. No biggie – just save all your receipts and make time to write them down once a week or however often is comfy for you.

Or you can get my free Money Flow handout to help you. Click Here to enter your email address and get access to this free tool.

Whatever method of recording you choose, do this for one month – track your money inflows and outflows. At the end of the month observe where your money went.

The most important thing here is that you do not judge yourself – it’s just information you can learn from. Think about where you want to be financially and now see in plain black and white what you are doing with your money.

This will make it very easy for you to see if what you are doing right now is in line with where you want to be.

An old client of mine did this and she found out she was spending over $70 a month on hot dogs with mac and cheese from 7-Eleven. She was battling with her weight too so seeing this in black and white was shocking to her.

She couldn’t believe she was wasting so much money on nasty food that just made her unhealthy! It inspired her to change her ways for good.

So just like my client, this can help you make better choices in the future. Always remember that before you know where you are going, you have to know where you truly are.  

So get real if you want to get results!

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Are you up past your eyeballs in debt? Have you tried absolutely EVERYTHING and nothing helps? Are you considering bankruptcy as a last resort and a way to start over?

I totally get it. As the current economy continues to affect us, debt has wormed its way into many of our homes and businesses.

And let’s face it – we aren’t exactly sure when the economic situation will steer in the right direction. But we can try and take the reigns to lead ourselves into our own financial recovery.

Whether its the loss of a job, the loss of a marriage, or even worse, loss of confidence, debt is debt and you can’t ignore it. You can either drown in it or take action.

Agatha K got down and dirty with her $30,000 of debt and found a unique way to pay it off. And I know many other people who have had success with things like debt counseling and debt consolidation.

But what if you are ABSOLUTELY at the end of your rope and cannot dig yourself out, no matter how hard you try? Have you ever considered filing for bankruptcy?

As an attorney in a multi-practice law firm, I represent clients who are going through both happy and not so happy situations, such as buying their dream home or filing for bankruptcy.

What I have learned is that filing for bankruptcy has helped many of my clients gain control of their financial situation. And, even more importantly, it has also helped save the financial foundations they’ve worked so hard to build.

Here are the basics on the two of the most common types of bankruptcy:

CHAPTER 7 BANKRUPTCY
This is also known a ‘Straight Bankruptcy’ and is the simplest and quickest bankruptcy available. A Chapter 7 is typically filed by people who have little or no income left after paying their basic monthly living expenses like food, rent, utilities or car payments.

If you fall under this category, a Chapter 7 bankruptcy may wipe out most of your unsecured debts like credit cards, medical bills and utility bills, to name a few.

But secured debts cannot be wiped out by a Chapter 7. These are physical items that can be repossessed if you don’t pay the bill, such as cars and furniture.

If you file a Chapter 7, your secured debts can be handed back to the debt company, or you can request a reaffirmation agreement that allows you to keep the item and continue making payments.

CHAPTER 13 BANKRUPTCY
This is a debt repayment plan and is also called a ‘Wage Earner’s Plan’. A person must be employed to be granted a Chapter 13 bankruptcy so they can make regular payments to the bankruptcy court. The payments they make to the court are then distributed among their creditors.

Chapter 13 bankruptcy is popular among consumers that are facing foreclosure because missed mortgage payments and legal fees can be written into the payment plan in order to stop the foreclosure proceedings.

If you are in the early stages of considering bankruptcy, I know this all may sound complicated and overwhelming. And remember that choosing this option has its down sides too, so you have to consider that carefully.

But if you are looking to bankruptcy as a last resort legal help can guide you to greener financial pastures.

Financial independence is what we all strive for. The key is to educate yourself and make the choice for a financially fit lifestyle!

For over 10 years Dania S. Fernandez, Esq., has been helping families and businesses break free from debt. Her legal practice specializes in Bankruptcy, Real Estate Law and Foreclosure defense. For more information go to www.DaniaFernandez.com.

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Whenever she sees someone that is well dressed or has a nice car she always makes a comment to me that the person is an entitled rich a**hole who thinks they rule the world.

Funnily enough, my family member wishes she was rich. Huh? Is she saying she wants to be an a**hole?

It’s like she has predestined herself to NEVER EVER be rich. Because why would you want to do something that makes you an a**hole in your own mind?

So this all got me thinking…what about you? How do you feel about rich people?

And is that what might be stopping you from getting where you want to be financially?

It reminds me of that old quote “Money is the root of all evil”. Most of us have heard it and I’ve met hundreds of people that believe it’s true, much like my family member.

But did you know that this quote by George Bernard Shaw, in its entirety, was “LACK of money is the root of all evil”.

Whenever I tell people the entire quote it always sparks a huge debate. There are many of you who do believe that ALL rich people are evil and greedy.

And I can see how you might think that in this day and age of Enron and Bernie Madoff. As the gap between the rich and the poor grows wider, it can feel like rich people have so much while poor people barely have anything.

So that can lead to a lot of resentment and the whole “rich people are a**holes” attitude. And there indeed are plenty of rich people who are evil and greedy, BUT there are plenty of poor people who are that way too.

That’s because greed comes from a huge feeling of lack, just like in Shaw’s quote. And you can feel lack no matter how rich or poor you are.

When you first hear that it can sound ridiculous. You may wonder how a rich person wants for anything, especially if they have the means to buy whatever they want.

But wealth has little if NOTHING to do with how much money you actually have. It’s all about how you feel and think about the money you have.

Here’s an example of someone I’ve met to show you what I mean:

THE SCARED STIFF MILLIONAIRE

This man had plenty of money to last him a lifetime and then some. His home was worth $10 million dollars, his income was $5 million per year, and he owned several very large apartment buildings. His total net worth was probably somewhere around $30 million, which sounds like more than enough money to most people.

But not to him. He was constantly scared and freaked out that he would lose it all and have nothing. So he was overly frugal and never enjoyed much freedom or fun that his money could have afforded him.

And the reason he felt this way was because his parents had lived through the Great Depression, so he was raised in an environment where there was never enough of anything. So even though his situation changed dramatically as an adult, it did not change his constant fear.

He became obsessed with acquiring more and more wealth, living in constant fear that he could lose everything at any moment. Even at age 68, when most people want to retire, he kept working 80 hours per week and spent very little time with his family.

Does this sound like a happy man to you? Always freaked out that the rug would get pulled out from under him and he would lose it all? Sounds pretty stressful to me!

My dear family member would see this man on the road driving his Porsche and call him a rich a**hole and ask why he still needs to work…doesn’t he have enough money?!?

Not to him he doesn’t – for him it will never be enough because it’s not about the money.

If you met him you might think he is greedy and, yes, maybe he is. But the greed comes from fear – that’s where it always come from. And I’m not saying that’s OK or justified, just trying to show a different perspective here.

See, your thoughts about rich people can be SUPER influential on your finances. My family member who thinks they are all a**holes has been broke all her life. It’s like a self fulfilling prophecy that she will never be rich. And what a shame – I bet she’d be a really nice and generous rich person.

And what about you? What are your thoughts on rich people? If you were rich, would you choose to be caring and giving? Or would you become an entitled a**hole?

Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

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An easy way to feel like you’re eating 5 star without draining your wallet is to make luscious yummy food for yourself. Look for recipes that are really rich in taste but still healthy and affordable.

One of my favorite healthy cheap-o grains to use is quinoa.

Quinoa is a whole grain that is packed with protein, calcium, and iron. It’s mainly grown in South America, where people have been eating it for thousands of years.

The ancient Incan tribes called quinoa the “mother of all grains”. These days many American supermarkets carry quinoa, but if you can’t find it in your town there are lots of online stores that sell it.

It’s much more nutritious than cereal and gluten free too! It’s costs about $1.50 – $2.00 per pound but is so filling that you can stretch one batch a really long way.

I use it in almost everything: with veggies, with jelly, as a hot cereal, as a substitute for rice, etc. And here is my fave quinoa recipe right now…

Eggs Over Quinoa with Vegetables:

1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cooked quinoa
Bunch of chopped vegetables of your choice (my faves are broccoli or peppers)
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 eggs, over easy
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat 1/4 of the olive oil in a pan over medium low heat.

2. Add the garlic and onion and cook until onion is clear and garlic is fragrant. Then add the other veggies and cook until soft.

3. Turn the heat down to low and add the quinoa and the rest of the olive oil. Mix well to make sure everything is well coated with olive oil. Add as much (or little) salt and pepper to your personal taste.

4. In another pan crack two eggs and cook until formed. Flip each egg over and cook on the other side for about 20 seconds. You want the eggs firm but make sure the yolks are not hard.

5. Arrange the cooked quinoa in the center of a plate and place your eggs on top of it.

When you eat it, break the yolks of the eggs and mix with the quinoa. You’ll get a taste of a decadent breakfast that is also healthy and inexpensive.

I made this for my parents and sister over the holidays and they freaked out! They loved it so much they asked me to make it again and again.

My father called it “soooo refreshing”and my little sister said it was her favorite meal I’ve ever cooked (and she is dang picky so you know it must be good).

But don’t take our word for it…grab your cooking pans and try it for yourself.

It’s gourmet healthy food made cheap and easy. Enjoy!

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No freaking way am I going to do that. For crying out loud, it’s only the second week of 2012.

I get so sick and tired of all the commercials and emails I get in early January…lose weight, get happy, change your life…blah blah blah.

I have a news flash for those commercials – your entire life is not going to suddenly become awesome in the first 30 days of a new year.

And the worst thing about hearing all that crap in only the second week of January is that many of us are still in a holiday funk. We’re not ready to rah rah rah – we still wish we were sitting on our butts on the couch eating holiday cookies.

Not to be a total negative ninny, I do believe in and understand the momentum that can come after December 31st. I know it’s a good time to get motivated, but can everyone just give us a little bit of time to ease into this whole “it’s a new year” thing?

I’ll bet that this minute you are getting emails/advertisements/commercials telling you to write down all your financial and life resolutions for the new year. And I know writing your resolutions down works – it’s something I tell my clients to do with their financial goals.

It’s been scientifically proven that writing things down is an effective way of accomplishing things because it tricks our mind into thinking we made an official formal commitment…great stuff for new year’s resolutions.

But right now the last thing I want to do is pull motivation out of my arse and put pen and paper to all the things I want to accomplish this year.

I’m still half asleep from all the holiday sugar I binged on. And many of us feel quite Scroogey in early January as we settle back into our normal routines and leave the fun and lazy holidays behind us.

So this year I invite you to do something different to ease yourself into all those new year’s resolutions. If you’re in a holiday funk don’t fight it…use it.

Instead of trying really hard to get excited and write down all your goals for the upcoming year, write down all the things that sucked about last year.

Here’s a small sample of my “What Sucked in 2011″ list:

1. Was tired all the time and could barely get out of bed
2. Was diagnosed with gluten intolerance so can’t eat anything fun anymore
3. Was fighting with my family so felt sad and lonely
4. Gained weight due to tiredness from gluten intolerance so felt fat & ugly
5. Spent more money to re-do my website AGAIN even though I paid out the wazoo for the first version
6. Found a few gray hairs on my head and a few black hairs growing out of my chin (sexy!) AND so on….

This may sound weird but writing down all the sucky-ness of 2011 actually made me feel better and more hopeful about 2012.

Especially since some of the things that sucked about last year are already getting better for me like…my tiredness is improving because I stopped eating gluten, I’m not fighting with my family anymore, and my new website is done and getting a great response.

I’m not quite ready yet to hop on the horse full force and plow into 2012 with all the things I want to accomplish, but this is a small start in that direction. I know all too well that pumping yourself up and going crazy for a short period of time with anything new only leads you to crash and burn.

And that’s why I don’t recommend doing that with anything (especially your money) because it won’t last. If you want changes to be long lasting it’s important to ease into them slowly…slow and steady wins the race.

Another really important thing I learned in my sucky-ness of 2011 is that it’s really important to respect where you’re at. So if you feel totally rah rah and motivated for this new year then dive in and start making some small changes. But if you’re still in a holiday haze like me then maybe try doing a “What Sucked in 2011″ list.

Embrace the sucky-ness of last year and that might just help get you more pumped for this year. Happy 2012 everyone!

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In my article I wrote how paying off credit card debt in a different way can sometimes be much more effective, like it was for me when I had debt.

Instead of scrambling to pay as much as I could on my card down every month, I saved all my money and only paid a little over the minimums on my cards.

After only 3 months of doing this I tripled my income and then was able to pay down all my $30,000 of debt in 18 months.

Many of the comments the article received talked about how of course it would be easy to pay off debt if you could just make more money…or how nice it would be if it was as simple as I wrote about to make more money.

But my article was actually not meant to be a ”how to make more money” post. The article comments though made me totally see how you might think I paid down the debt because my income went up. But it’s actually the other way around.

Saving my money helped me feel a lot more powerful and completely in charge of my finances for the first time EVER in my life. And that’s what helped me make more money, thereby allowing me to pay down my debt faster.

Also I finally stopped throwing all my extra money at my debt, which previously kept me in a vicious cycle of constantly just paying it down and, well…living in debt.

Paying off debt is NOT just about how much money you make. I know this first hand from all the accounting & bookkeeping clients I’ve had over my past 10 years in business.

I have seen many a millionaire totally broke and living completely off debt. And once that millionaire starts making more money he doesn’t use financial sense and discipline to pay down his debt; instead he buys a bigger house and gets into more debt.

I’ve also witnessed many people whose incomes jumped significantly in a short period of time. And once they start making more money you’d think they’d start saving money and/or paying down their debt. But guess what – most of the time that does not happen. They adjust their lifestyle UP right away and become just as financially strapped as they were before the income boost.

These examples show you that it’s not about how much money you make, but rather what you do with that money. How you manage and handle money is everything; it will make the difference between you being rich or poor.

And it’s really important to save your money, no matter what your income level is. A rich person can go flat broke in a day if something unexpected happens and they have not saved any money. And a poor person could stay poor all their life if they don’t get into the habit of saving their money, even if it’s only a small bit at a time.

So it’s really NOT about the amount of money. I know that may sound weird to some people who think that just making more money will solve everything, but it won’t.

If you don’t believe me here are some real (and scary) stats about rich people gone bust:
1. According to Sports Illustrated, 78% of NFL players go broke within 2 years of retirement
2. Reality stars Heidi & Spencer Pratt made millions in their hay day, but recently told the Daily Beast that they are broke and living with Spencer’s parents
3. Wikipedia states that founding father Thomas Jefferson died deeply in debt after pouring all his money (and then some) into his plantation at Monticello

To get out of debt, have more money, have more economoic freedom, and so on it all starts with you. You have to learn how to handle and manage your money, whether you are making $20,000 per year or $100,000 per year.

As Charles A. Jaffe said: “It’s not your salary that makes you rich, it’s your spending habits”.

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Seems like just yesterday I was ringing in the new year and now we’re at the end of another one.

I know it’s full force holiday fever right now and all you want to be thinking about is parties, presents, and holidays eats…BUT remember that the end of another year is also the end of a tax year.

So if you can step away from your hearty holiday party for a minute there are some things to handle before December 31, 2011 so you can save money on your taxes in 2012.

TAX SAVER #1: CHARITABLE DONATIONS
Given the state of the world economy, it seems everyone and everything is in need. Charities are financially hurting more than ever these days.

They need our help and any donations you make are tax deductible! So instead of spending that extra $100 on a foot spa that your grandma will never use, why not give it to a good cause and get a tax deduction?

If you can’t donate money, clean out your house and see if you have any clothes, housewares, or extra food you can give. You get a tax deduction for non-cash donations too; just make sure to get a receipt from wherever you donate it.

You could help a hungry family get a decent meal this holiday season or help an abused puppy get its health back. Doesn’t that sound like a better use of your money than buying another decorative candle for your aunt?

TAX SAVER #2: RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS
If you pay out the wazoo in taxes every year, a retirement account is one of the best ways to decrease your tax bill.

If you are in the highest tax bracket, you can save $0.33 in Federal taxes for every $1.00 you put into a 401K, 403B, IRA, or Roth IRA.

But keep in mind that there are limits on the amount of money you can put into each one:

• 401K limits = $16,500 plus $5,500 in catchup contribution if you are over 50
• IRA limits = $5,000 or $6,000 if you are over 50
• Roth IRA limits = $107,000 for single filers and $169,000 for joint filers

Which is the best one for you? Well, if you are an employee with a 401K and your employer matches it that’s awesome because the amount they match is basically free money. WooHoo for you!

With a regular IRA you don’t get taxed now, only when you withdraw money later on. But the crappy thing about a regular IRA is that the higher your income is, the less the IRS allows you to contribute to it, so many choose a Roth IRA.

With a Roth IRA you get to contribute a lot more money even if your income is higher. You get taxed upfront on that money but your future withdrawals are tax free.

Some people think that is waaaaay better since taxes will probably be higher in the future, so it’s cheaper to pay tax on your retirement money now when taxes are lower rather than 30 years from now.

With most retirement accounts you have until April 15th next year to make a contribution. But if you don’t have all the cash for your full contribution amount right now this is a good one to start saving for as soon as you can so you make the April 15th deadline.

Contributing to a retirement account can save you a small bundle come tax time!

TAX SAVER #3: BUY TAX DEDUCTIBLE FIXED ASSETS
If you have any kind of business (full time, part time, or once in a while freelance) you can deduct business expenses on your tax return.

The expenses that give you the best bang for your buck on your taxes are what we accounting nerds call fixed assets like equipment, furniture, computers, or cars.

If you buy a fixed asset for use in your business the IRS classifies those assets as “depreciable” because they lose value over time. Because of that they let you take a depreciation deduction on each asset on your tax return.

It used to be that you had to depreciate an asset slowly over several years so you would only get minor tax deductions every year. But a few years ago the IRS came out with what’s called a Section 179 depreciation deduction which means you can deduct the FULL cost of the asset in the year you bought it.

Pretty sweet!

So if you paid $3,000 in 2011 for a computer to use in your business you can deduct the full price of it on your tax return. To find out exactly how much you’d save on your taxes by using the Section 179 deduction check out this super handy calculator.

If you need ANY fixed assets that you will use in your business in the foreseeable future buy them before December 31.

Not only will it help you around tax time but the last week of every year is when many of these larger fixed assets go on sale. So get shopping!

TAX SAVER #4: ITEMIZED DEDUCTIONS BABY!
When you file your taxes you can choose to take either a standard deduction or an itemized deduction to decrease your tax bill.

The standard deduction is a preset amount that is determined by the IRS based on your filing status (single, married, head of household, etc.).

But if you spend your money on things that the IRS gives you an additional tax break for then you maybe be able to itemize your deductions and save more money. Things like charity, mortgage interest, and unreimbursed work expenses count towards your itemized deduction.

Once you add up all your itemized deductions you can use those to decrease your tax liability if they are more than your standard deduction. In this last week of the year it’s good to try to spend your extra money on things that will increase your itemized deduction.

Click Here for the IRS’ list of things that count towards your itemized deduction.

TAX SAVER #5: DELAY YOUR INCOME
If you can, try to delay any additional income you might receive to next year so you don’t have to pay tax on it for 2011. If you have payments coming in for freelance work ask if they can wait until January to pay you. Or if you are getting a year end bonus ask if that can be paid next year.

Doing this will decrease your tax bill for the current year.

This works well if your income will stay the same or decrease next year because then you are basically just delaying the payment of tax on that income.

But if you anticipate that your income will go up in 2012 then you are better off getting those extra payments now and paying tax on them for 2011, because you will pay more tax in 2012 when your income goes up.

TAX SAVER #6: GET A 529 EDUCATION PLAN
If anyone you love is planning on going to college you know how crazy expensive it has become. When I graduated college in the year 2000 my tuition was $15,000 a year for an out of state resident and now the cost is $30,000.

YIKES! The cost of my university doubled in just 10 years and I know it’s the same for many other universities all over the country.

This shows us it is NEVER to early to start saving for college, even if your child is still in diapers. There is what’s called a 529 plan that allows you to steadily put aside money for the education of a loved one and get a tax break for it.

You can contribute up to $13,000 per year per person, so married couples can contribute $26,000 per year together for each child’s plan. And there are no income limits on 529 plans so you can contribute the money no matter how much or how little income you earn.

Sounds pretty sweet to me!

The cutoff date to make a contribution for each tax year varies by state so make sure you check your home state’s guidelines to make those dollars count towards your tax bill.

TAX SAVER #7: USE YOUR LOSSES
Since the stock market has gone bipolar, many of us have lost money. That is kind of sucky but the great part is you can use these losses to decrease your tax liability.

When you have a gain in the stock market you pay what’s called capital gains tax and that can be fairly high. But any losses that you had can be used to decrease any gains that you had. So use that loss to decrease that gain and your tax bill!

And if you had an extra crappy year in the stock market you can even use some of those losses for next year by doing what’s called a capital loss carryover. Even though losing money stinks at least it benefits you on your taxes.

So let’s get the tax savings started in here….

There’s only one week left in 2011 so if you can do anything to decrease your tax bill the time is NOW. You’ll be glad you did when April 15, 2012 rolls around!

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I’ve been medically ordered to go gluten free because consuming it damages my intestines and makes my body attack itself. YIKES!

That’s why I’ve had chronic fatigue and issues with my thyroid and adrenals. Who knew that something as seemingly minor as gluten could cause so many problems!

Although it’s a relief to finally know where all my health issues are coming from, it can be daunting to convert to a gluten free diet because our food is bombarded with it. All wheat, rye, barley and malt products contain gluten.

And gluten is used as an additive or flavoring in almost ALL processed foods. That means I can’t eat bread, pasta, cereal, cake, cookies, or even any sauces, candy, or other foods that contain gluten as fillers or flavorings.

As if that isn’t overwhelming enough, my first outing to the supermarket left me with total sticker shock at how expensive some gluten free products are. I don’t want to go bankrupt eating gluten free!

So I asked Dr. Meg Haworth, who specializes in gluten free nutrition, to share some of her tips for going gluten free on the cheap. Here’s what she said….

TIP #1: BAKE AT HOME
This idea seems like a daunting task but it is the safest way to make sure you don’t have a food reaction from cross contamination and the least expensive way to go. When you bake it yourself, you know what goes into it and how it was handled.

Gluten free pancakes are super inexpensive to make as well as quick and easy. The batter keeps in the refrigerator for days so you can make them fresh. If you cook up a batch, you can use them throughout the week as sandwich bread. Put peanut butter and jelly on them and you have a great on the go snack!

Homemade quick breads are simple as they do not require any yeast that you have to wait for. You can make so many variations from the savory to the sweet.

Once you get a basic recipe down, you can create your own breads using the ingredients you have in your kitchen. Things like zucchini or over-ripe bananas will make delicious breads!

TIP #2: SHOP AT ETHNIC GROCERY STORES
You can find some of the best tasting gluten free flour at East Indian markets. They have huge bags of rice and bean flours for very low prices.

Look for Channa flour or Dal flour. They are both made from beans and contain high amounts of protein and fiber. They are great to blend half and half with rice flour.

Rice flour is readily available in Asian markets. They also have a huge selection of rice noodles from fine vermicelli noodles to wide flat noodles often used in Thai dishes.

Asians don’t use all that much wheat flour but you will find it in egg roll wrappers, won tons and dumpling wrappers. Please be careful and read the labels so you don’t risk a reaction.

TIP #3: BUY IN BULK
Traditionally, bulk buying has always cost less. Contact your local chapter of The Celiac Disease Foundation and ask them if you can get a group together to buy staples like bread.

When you buy in bulk, most places will lower or give a discount on their prices.

TIP #4: DO YOUR RESEARCH
Just think of all the gluten free foodies who have come before you and set out to bask in their wisdom. They are all over the web with critiques of all the best tasting products, where to get them and how much they cost.

Remember that just because the packaging looks good, does not mean it will taste great. Get recommendations and find what you love best.

It’s not that difficult to save money on healthy gluten free foods once you know what you are doing!

Meg Haworth, Ph.D. is a 16 year veteran of gluten & dairy free eating. She has authored a cookbook and dining out guide and works as a private chef. She helps people convert their diets when they have to go without a food that’s making them sick. Visit DeliciousAndHealthy.com to get her yummy gluten free recipes.

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