Help Paying down Student Loans easy, low-cost, and amazing

Ever gone to college? Ever gone to a college that you had to please take a loan out there for? Properly I’m in that respect there, and I will be only into my first year along with 25, 000 education loan. Most persons try FAFSA, Grants, and drip their dads and moms broke with the bone… and should you not are wealthy, it simply works for too long before this funds be used up. Check out kmart coupon code

Recently there’s some relief while using the burden with small to help even large student education loans, with sophistication periods till after graduation to also small payments in your college term. For individuals who chose to wait until graduation and maybe even a few months later to get started paying off their education loan obligations–may have encountered whats being termed quite this recession, and can’t spend the money for 300 also 400 or further dollar monthly payment to satisfy that obligation. You may visit kmart promo code free shipping

Well My goal is to tell you associated with awesome method that not too many people seem to know about to help reduce if even if it’s just off as time passes, your education loan. Its because of Sallie Mae and call UPromise. Now here’s a little backstory–I morning in Paintings School and took out there 25, 000 dollars to pay for the first year… and man oh man… maybe We didn’t reckon that from top to bottom, BUT I find the 25 dollar 30 days payment to make sure that I may still keep up my housely bills and afford to obtain food and any devices. Mind you, 25 dollars does not even reduce the interest relating to the loan… but it surely does assistance… a really miniscule amount… but assists none this less. Which means, I morning about to carry my next year loan product and We started looking to find ways to help you me pay up my college student loan–granted–there’s not a great deal out in that respect there, but as i called Sallie Mae and asked this question, they will referred everyone to UPromise.

Sounds a little to good to be true right? Well its not… therefore works rather simply genuinely. Once you enroll in UPromise the many fun definitely begins. What makes UPromise so excellent? You tend not to even have to have a education loan sign in forums save for college for yourself or for a children… without even having to physically money money into it–that’s why is this education loan repayment program so excellent.

How Upromise works:

Once you enroll in a Upromise profile, you open you to ultimately over 700 online and physicalretailers and restaurantswho give back a several percentage (anywhere with 1-25 percent) with the purchase price to be deposited into your Upromise profile. After used it for yourself, your loan product, or to save for a kids–you might use which money to take a the long desired vacation. Right and Are some display captures for the account case webpage.

Extras:

Some for the perks to help Upromise is it doesn’t expense anything to own or anything to use. You simply spend as if you would daily or even just weekly also, you get from around 1 percent to 25 % deposited back by the participating retail outlet.

Here’s better awesome:

Wish to eat out considerably? Maybe even if it’s just a ton but every week, or also monthly? Register for the Upromise Diner’s Rewards also, you get which money for any as perfectly. All you must do is log on and select the tab which says favorite diner’s, enter your get code, and find tons of restaurants that supply you with a percentage rear for dining at their side. It even reduces which days in the week this contribute. Pretty awesome to date huh?

Wish to shop on line? Upromise also has stores that deal with the method specifically realizing you more back within your purchases… and much much more the time you become free shipping just by using all those specific stores. The incentives usually get hold of credited to your account within 10-14 business days. Some stores take 30-60 days so you might see credit–so aren’t getting alarmed in the event you haven’t seen the credit standing yet.

Got some sort of gas guzzler for any vehicle? Or even just travel considerably? There are even gasoline stations that provide contributions rear, one advisors being Exxon mobile phone. I believe they invest 1 percent with the total buy after 20 gallons. Don’t ask me so why it’s 20 gallons which causes the area start realizing rewards, but you have a lot with trips or even drive considerably… that 20 gallons doesn’t seem too extravagant does it?

Do a great deal of grocery hunting? Use markets like nutrition lion? Walmart? Well do you know what! You might earn in upwards of 20 dollars 30 days using Upromise shopping coupons. Sow how does this job? Each 4 weeks Upromise tons coupons into the profile page. All you must do is enter your selected grocery card–like some sort of food lion greeting card, King Soopers Card, Kmart or anything else (make confident Upromise accepts a number of them first) since you would a charge card and in that case load this coupons on your grocery incentives card and BAM…. rewards just by buying several products.

Looking for a cellphone? Or aiming to upgrade? They get a hold of providers it is possible to go through and find money back for any purchase as well.

Like to invest in things with Ebay? Barnes and Noble? What happens… you get hold of rewards back for those as perfectly. Ebay also threw me for any loop, because I love buying important things on Craigslist and… and to help top the idea… its some percent rear on all those purchases as well.

All with what I just now told you seems too good to be true… that there are no way there could program like that. Well l’m here to inform you there’s, I work with it, and have my associates and family’s cards upon it as perfectly. Though I just now joined and haven’t reaped any of the rewards which it can present, I have witnessed proof with its sending.

You can equal to 10 cards on one account, however, you can’t make use of the same cards on the different profile. Sucks, I’m sure, but whether it is to help a single person who provides higher debt, it’s not so bad I guess. It’s safe and sound, and over a years time period, you will need to potential to save 3-8 grand towards a loan, or also for the school, just by having 10 cards on the website and telling them to check this website out for awesome packages. The a lot more the cards are used (smartly and wisely) the more you reap in incentives.

KEEP PLANNED:

If you add Debit Business cards, you must have used them as Credit cards to get the rewards for any purchase.

It doesn’t hurt to investigate for yourself and recruit, what do you have to lose?

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Paying out Again College student Loans Isnt going to Must be A

No matter whether you need to bring in your diploma from a local neighborhood college, a web-based diploma application, or even a high-priced personal college, you may probably be using out pupil financial loans to finance this. University student financial loans would be the actuality for some college students, considering that federal grants commonly will not cover all the price tag of your respective instruction. Getting out pupil financial loans to pay for college may not be appealing, however it is generally worthwhile. In case you, like many college students, are worried about paying out these financial loans back right after graduating, you ought to be informed of some borrower selections that could make repayment a bit less difficult on you.

University student loan holders are typically offered a grace interval of about six months right after graduating from their diploma courses. During the past, this might have already been sufficient time for you to find a task and put together yourself for beginning repayment, but for a lot of graduates currently, acquiring a first task is usually a time-consuming process. It could get you longer than you predicted acquiring employment, as well as your first task may not provide you with all the revenue that you just must make large payments with your financial loans. A lot of college students are worried about using out financial loans since they dread they are going to not have the opportunity to get started on repayment straight away or have the opportunity to have the funds for significant payments. Fortuitously, help is accessible.

Based around the style of loan that you just have, you might be eligible for graduated repayment. Federal loan holders can choose for this plan whenever they qualify. Graduated repayment is usually a repayment plan through which the size of your respective cost gradually will increase through time. Commonly, your cost would enhance just about every two decades. This solution lets for will increase within your revenue.

An identical solution is definitely an income-based repayment plan. This solution lets you to produce payments with your federal pupil financial loans which have been based mostly with your revenue as well as measurement of your respective family, that means that you will be ready to have the funds for your payments. This can be a excellent choice for college students who will be fearful that they are going to be unable to have the funds for significant loan payments mainly because of the measurement of their revenue.

For college students who have borrowed a far more vital quantity of college income, generally through $30,000, an prolonged plan may well be available. An prolonged cost plan lets you to repay your plan through a longer period of time. What this means is that smaller sized payments plus a plan that is certainly spread out through extra decades. Certainly, you can conclude up paying out far more fascination through time with an prolonged cost plan.
You may interested in Subsidized vs Unsubsidized,Direct Plus Loan and Free Money To Pay Off Student Loans

Please visit Discharging Student Financial loans As Aspect of the Bankruptcy for related post.

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Is there such thing as student loan credit cards?

Student loans and credit cards are both financial hurdles that many young adults will have to jump as soon as entering adulthood. They are both forms of credit that can be useful financial tools or sources of deep fiscal debt. While not the same thing, student loans and credit cards do have some areas in common.

Use the FREE credit card finder at the top of the page to compare credit cards to find the best student credit cards!

The federal government is one parallel between college loans and credit cards; the government enacts funding, legislation, and laws to ensure that college students have desirable options for credit at the early stages of adulthood.

A credit card is a good tool to have for emergency costs. However, the trap that many college students fall into with credit cards is the lack of restraint with use; too many college students use credit cards like free money, and they run up high interest debt that will take years to pay off.

College students should have a credit card to use for emergencies and to start to establish a credit history, but they should only have the card if they can use it in a responsible manner. This includes only using the card for emergencies, for buying items that can be paid for and paying off the balance as soon as possible.

Other options for students who will not be able to use credit cards responsibly are debit cards, secured credit cards and prepaid credit cards.

According to CollegeBoard.org, over 62% of college students from four-year institutions have some sort of financial debt related to paying for tuition.

Student loans are a good idea for paying for college because they generally have very reasonable interest rates. At-need students can find government-based student loans below 5% interest, and those loans that are not need-based are generally around 6.8% interest. Other benefits of student loans are that their payments are usually deferred until after graduation, they are government subsidized and their interest is deductible from income taxes.

Private loans are generally higher that government-based loans, but they are another option for students and their families.

The area where student loans become a financial burden is if a student is unable to find a job after college to begin to pay the balance, such as during an economic downturn. Generally, interest rates and fees rise once a student defaults on a student loan.

Generally, credit cards should not be used to pay for tuition. Credit cards usually have a higher interest rate than student loans or other forms of credit to pay for college. Also, the payments on credit card balances must begin immediately. If a payment is late or under the minimum payment, then the interest rates generally jump to very high levels.

However, if a graduate has a good, steady job, and a mastery of the use of credit cards, then a credit card can be used for payment on a student loan with the intent of paying the balance as soon as possible.

Prior to legislation in 2009 under the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act (CARD), credit card companies often used college campuses as recruiting grounds for young customers- with the blessing of the college or university in exchange for a fee from the credit card companies. However, after the Credit CARD act, credit card companies have much more restrictions on advertising to college students.

The act included the following provisions related to college students and credit cards:

Credit card companies must give reasonable explanations regarding their activities on college and university campuses.A credit card company cannot offer students who are under 21 a credit card without proof of the means to make the payments or a co-signer.Credit card companies cannot offer promotional gifts as an incentive to get students to fill out a credit card application.

Each student will have different needs for a credit card, but general things to look for include low interest rates, few additional fees, and possible rewards programs. Comparing credit cards is an excellent way to find the best deal.

Compare rates, fees, and rewards now with the FREE credit card chaser to research credit cards to find the best credit card!

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Poor Credit and Student Loan Consolidation Is Usually Very good

Former college students are often met with several student loans once they are operate and earning a decent income. They could take into consideration , loan consolidation for anyone financial products, but the masai have a dread it may harmed their by now not-so-a good credit rating rating. Is consolidation a good switch? That depends in your budget. Many challenges demand from customers thing to consider.

Merging payday loans financial products is a great idea for some, maybe not so good for other people. Many sites occur to consolidate financial products and ways in which is nearly chaotic. Possible repayment programs and also other ins and outs demand from customers that any consolidation be modify-produced. Normally, consolidation can conserve the lender capital, at times not. If it does not, it is usually that consolidation will give you a more affordable payment.

Education Loan Consolidation and Fico Scores

Life is to some degree much easier having a , loan consolidation. As opposed to owning lots of irritating repayments, all because of on a several day’s the four week period, at several cost ranges, with some other mortgage rates you pay 1 payment, each and every month on the day that, cash advance the identical total, as well as at the identical apr. But, why don’t you consider your credit score? Could it set a mind and mix bone tissues in your a credit report.

Merging has given will not harmed your consumer credit. The fact is, it may even help it. Credit reporting agencies use a two ways they appear at financial debt – there’s negative financial debt and beneficial financial debt. To give an example: Consumer credit card debt is considered negative financial debt. They do not do anything but lure financial debt. Student education loans have emerged nearly as good financial debt. You taken an education loan so you have access to a better job and instant payday advance online your income, it becomes an purchase sometime soon.

Look at Your Credit History

As mentioned earlier, consolidation can even enhance your score. Take an illustration: When you’ve got half dozen student loans, that is certainly listed as half dozen several records, all of which demand from customers payments. An education loan consolidation will rotate the many debts into 1. In terms of the institution is anxious, that solo debt is much more pleasing than half dozen debts plus your rating sums.

With luck , your cost rate is below the sum each of the solo debts you’re paying. Developing a decrease regular responsibility is again checked on beneficially by way of the institution plus your possible loan companies. Repaying student loans ahead of consolidation possibly had a hefty quantity of your carry-household spend. So, freeing up a number of your income is often a considerable in addition.

Open A line of credit

As being the credit reporting agencies figure out your credit score, are going to on the look out for virtually every wide open credit that you are now utilizing. When you’ve got half dozen financial products that you are settling, all those have emerged as wide open credit, half dozen advisors. With consolidation, you have only one line of credit wide open. 1 wide open line against half dozen provides another large enhance to the credit ratings . or results.

So, should your budget consists of much more ins and outs than others offered previously mentioned, an education loan consolidation might not meet your needs exactly. For many it will bring up fico scores and in all likelihood lessen your economical stress. It will unquestionably make simpler your payment paying work. If an education loan meets your requirements, make switch. Your pocket book will appreciate it. Your a good credit rating historical past will let you.

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Student Loan | Retain Your Sanity With Student Loan Debt

February 4, 2012 – 4:20 am

Another highlight of student loan consolidation is the extension of payments. Many students find they can extend a 10-year repayment plan to as long as 30 years. This depends on a borrower’s balance, so it’s important to check out the options. Student loan consolidation offers students the same interest rate on the same amount, but for a longer term, hence better affordability.

There’s no way around it. If you took out Student Loans to pay for college, you have to pay them back. That can be hard to do, whether you’re still in school, trying to start your life outside it, or even 10 years down the line. You borrowed the money, you used it, and you have to pay it back.

What happens when that means you have to choose between paying all your bills or just those? What happens when those outstanding debts get in the way of putting money together for a house, or a car, or a family? It just doesn’t make sense to walk through life incurring the debts of living while you’re still dragging around the ones from school.

Fortunately, there’s a solution. You still have to pay back what you borrowed, but with a student loan debt consolidation make monthly payments to just one lender.

Think of it as refinancing. The money you borrow from one lender pays off the money you owe to all those other lenders. No more juggling what’s due to whom and when. Not only that, the interest rate on the student loan debt consolidation is the weighted average of those other loans, making it lower overall and bringing your monthly payment down accordingly. Some student loan debt consolidations are settled at a fixed rate, so you don’t have to worry when July 1 rolls around each year that your payment will go up.

Among the student loan debt consolidation available, there are actually four different student repayment plans to research and one is bound to be just what you’re looking for.

If the idea of a fixed rate really appeals to you, consider either the Standard Repayment Plan or the Extended Repayment Plan. The Standard Repayment Plan gives you a maximum of 10 years to repay, but payments are divided within that time limit at a fixed interest rate.

Extended Repayment Plans relieve the burden of monthly payment amounts still further by stretching the time to pay off the loan to between 12 and 30 years (depending on the total amount borrowed). Again, the interest rate is fixed for that time period, and the payments are lower. Be aware that over time, you will end up paying a larger amount, but the monthly payments will be easier to bear.

The Graduated Repayment Plan also allows you to spread your monthly student load debt consolidation payments over a period of between 12 and 30 years, but in this case, the amount of your monthly payment will increase every two years.

The fourth plan appeals to a number of people because it takes into account what’s going on in your life. In the Income Contingent Repayment Plan, a reasonable monthly payment amount is determined based on your annual gross income, family size, and total direct student loan debt. Another advantage of this student loan debt consolidation repayment plan spreads the payments over 25 years.

If you’re close to the end of your student loans, consider carefully whether taking on a new loan is worth the time and effort. However, if you still have a long time to go and many payments ahead of you – and you’ve already exhausted the deferment and forbearance options on your existing loans – making a fresh start with a student loan debt consolidation may actually be to your benefit.

Consolidation isn’t a foreign word and it’s not too big of a word to understand. Consolidation is easy. It combines all of a student’s loans into one payment. It’s that simple. It’s easy as pie and will let you breathe easier too. Student loan consolidation is convenient and allows you to combine all your loans. In addition, consolidation is no longer only geared toward federal loans. Now students also can consolidate their private loans.

Students graduate from college with that prize possession: the much-anticipated college degree. Then there are those students who graduate college with that added bonus: a stack of student loans. While searching for the ultimate job, the last thing a student needs is worrying about how to pay off a ton of student loans.

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Tags: debt consolidation, debt consolidation loan, Student Loan Consolidation

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5 Things to Consider Before Getting a Student Loan with Bad Credit

Chance are if you are a college student, then two financial stipulations apply to your situation.  First, you have bad credit.  It might just be young credit, and not necessarily bad, but low credit scores are pretty much viewed as bad no matter the reason for them.  Second, you need a loan.

Very few students can get through school these days without some kind of financial assistance.  College is expensive, and good paying jobs are not only hard to find while still in college, but also hard to add into the already full schedule of a college student.

However, before you jump into a bad credit student loan, here are some things you should stop to consider.

How Much Money do You Need? Is the amount you need really worth going into debt for?  If the amount you need per semester to continue school is fairly small, then getting a student loan with bad credit might not be entirely necessary.  There could be other simpler and safer ways to fill in that gap.Are You Eligible For Financial Aid?  There are a lot of grants and scholarships out there meant to help students in your situation.  Many of these are intended for students who meet specific requirements.  Take some time to look into these options before taking on a bad credit student loan, as they don’t have to be re-paid.Will You Have a Way To Pay Down the Loans? After you finally graduate from college and the time for bad credit student loan repayment comes due, will you have a way to cover these costs?  Do you have a good job lined up?  Are you studying in a field that will provide with an income that will allow you to pay down your bad credit student loans?  If not, you may want to change your major, or find a way to fund school that does not involve a bad credit student loan.How are Other Students in Your Program Paying For Their Schooling?  The students with the most similar situation to you will most likely be the ones enrolled in your program.  Ask them how they are paying for school.  They may know about some funding options other than a bad credit student loan that you may not have considered.  Also, if they have utilized a bad credit student loan, they can tell you where to look for one for yourself.What are the Pros and Cons For Your Situation?  Each student will have a different situation and circumstances to consider.  You will have to do your research, and sit down to discover all the different pros and cons for your situation.  This will be the best way for you to decide whether or not getting a bad credit student loan is the right option for you.

Once you have answered all of these questions for yourself, you will be better prepared to make an educated and wise decision about whether or not getting a bad credit student loan is the best choice for you.

Tagged as: get a loan, school loans

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Savings Tips For Young Professionals From the AICPA | Going

Hopefully you guys appreciate the time these folks put together to give you some free advice on putting a little away toward your future.

Answers provided by AICPA National CPA Commission members Craig Steinhoff, CPA, Kelley Long CPA, Ted Sarenski, CPA/PFS, and Leonard Wright, CPA/PFS.

Adrienne Gonzalez: How do you suggest young professionals who are also likely paying down student loan debt maximize their savings possibilities? Is it smarter to pay down the debt or put that extra money into savings?

Craig Steinhoff, CPA: I would recommend that the students start by creating a small ($1,000) emergency savings fund. After that, they should tackle both obstacles (debt and savings). Since the debt in this case is student loan debt, it’s (typically) tax deductible, therefore the individual isn’t necessarily paying on the full interest rate, since they’re getting a tax break. However, rather than wholly focus on one (debt vs. savings) over the other, I believe that doing both simultaneously makes the most sense. Student loans usually have a long term, therefore if you focus all of your attention to pay it off, you’ll be wasting a significant amount of time which you could’ve stashed money into savings (or the stock market) to earn compounding interest."  

Ted Sarenski, CPA/PFS: The young professional should surely make their minimum student loan payments but should look to maximizing their 401(k) contribution to the extent of any company match that is offered. Even if the company match is 25% of each dollar up to 6% of salary (one of the lower matches you will find for those companies that do match) you are getting an instant 25% return on your money. Let’s hope your student loan interest rate is not that high!  

Leonard Wright, CPA/PFS: It is important to form the proper habits right after school. I recommend that in the lower tax bracket, that they should consider a focus on the Roth 401k plan. While in a low tax bracket, it is efficient to fund lifetime tax-free accumulation. When the professional receives their first raise, the recipe is 1/3 to debt, 1/3 to savings, 1/3 spend it however they choose. It is important to enjoy life! 

AG: For a new hire fresh out of college used to being a broke, a $55,000 salary can seem like a ton of money - how do you suggest young professionals make the most of their newfound "wealth"?

CS, CPA: I suggest that they should TRY to continue to live like a broke college student as long as possible! The biggest reason so many folks are in financial trouble is because they’re living beyond their means. They’ve either tried to “keep up with the Joneses” and have racked up tons of debt for the coolest toys, TVs and cars. However, if you aren’t concerned with what everyone else has and just live your own life within your own means, you’ll be much better off over time. 

TS, CPA/PFS: Their first 'real' car (one they are buying) should be a used car. Not only are they getting a late model car at 1/3 off the sticker price but also their insurance costs will be much lower than if they had purchased new.

LW, CPA/PFS: Take the car issue one step further. Buy a used car for 75 percent off of sticker. If the newly minted college graduate searches hard enough, there will be an opportunity to purchase a low mileage car at 75 percent off. My personal last car purchase, a Lexus ES 300 with 22,500 miles. Cost was $10,000. If that amount alone is plunked into savings over a five-year period, the $30,000 saved by age 25 will amount to nearly $480,000 by age 65 at about a 7.2 percent rate of return. Not to mention the savings on annual registration and insurance. 

AG: I often recommend candidates taking the CPA exam reward themselves with a "toy" (iPad, new cell phone, etc.) when they pass a section to motivate themselves to study and pass - would you agree with this suggestion or do you have an alternative?

CS, CPA: I like the idea of rewarding ourselves for achieving a goal. I believe that we should reward ourselves once we meet financial goals as well. For instance, you’ve just paid off a credit card, now you should treat yourself to a dinner out or a new outfit. However, I warn against rewarding ourselves with expensive rewards. We want the reward to match the goal obtained. If you pass one section of the exam, maybe a treat should be a new game for your xBox, however not a new cell phone or iPad. I would think that once you passed the entire exam (and hopefully received a bonus from your employer for doing so), you can pull the trigger on a larger reward. 

AG: What do you think is the biggest mistake young people make when it comes to their financial future?

CS, CPA: I think it’s a tie between getting sucked into the ease of using credit to buy things (i.e. the keeping up with the Joneses mentality I mentioned above) and not realizing the magnitude of stashing money away and using the value of time (i.e. compounding interest) in your favor. 

TS, CPA/PFS: With my kids, I see that they want to have the lifestyle that they were living before they went to college. They do not realize or understand that it took Mom and Dad 30 to 35 years to get to that lifestyle and they, at one time, were poor college students too. Patience, patience, patience.

LW, CPA/PFS: Other mistakes which are true of sophisticated business owners and professionals, as well as the 20 something former college student are not setting aside the time to consider financial consequences and not engaging a professional to bounce ideas off of. 

AG: I'm old now but I remember being 22 and at that point in my life, the very last thing I thought about was my retirement. Do you think it's at all realistic for 25 - 30 year old young professionals to start plotting out their retirement plan, especially if they are also still paying student loans?

CS, CPA: Absolutely! Just ask someone who is 'old' that didn’t think it was important to put money away for retirement. Although it doesn’t typically hurt as much, I would rather learn from another person’s mistakes than I would like to learn from my own. 

TS, CPA/PFS: We do a number of 401(k) meetings and I suggest each time to the younger folks to speak with the older folks and ask them if they are working because they really love their job or are they there because they did not save early enough to have options now that they are "old." The old folks eagerly share their knowledge. In group meetings at the companies, the old folks gladly share their thoughts about this; we only hope the younger folks take it to heart. 

AG: What are some of the easiest ways busy people who don't want to think about it can put money toward their savings?

CS, CPA: Set up a separate account and automatically set it up to take a predetermined amount each month. Once it’s gone, forget about it! Every year when you (hopefully) get a raise, try to increase your monthly amount going to the account, or maybe you can set up an account with a brokerage house and this deposit is now your Roth IRA contribution! 

AG: Being a new professional often means having to spring for a new professional wardrobe. In your opinion, are there any ways to save a few bucks on this?

CS, CPA: Shop for deals! Look online! Use coupons! Also, ask for gift cards (or the wardrobe pieces themselves) as birthday and holiday gifts.

Kelley Long, CPA: It's worth it to spend a little more money on the wardrobe basics (these work for guys and gals): a great suit in a neutral color, a crisp white shirt, a comfortable pair of shoes that are professional and understated (so they'll go with everything), a well-fitted overcoat, a pair of great-fitting black pants, and for women, a sheath dress in a complimentary color to your suit jacket. Using those as the foundation of every day's outfit, shop thrift stores, consignment shops or lower-priced retailers for accessories, statement pieces and more trendy pieces like sweaters, tops, handbags and shoes.  

LW, CPA/PFS: There are extraordinary deals to be had if we are patient. For suits, the styles don't change all that much from year to year. Very expensive purveyors of clothing offer them at 80 percent off. A $1,600 suit can be purchased on sale for $300-$380 at the right time of the year. A professional wardrobe is easy to secure at a fraction of the cost. New York City has some of the best shopping when it comes to discounts. So do the Outlet Malls. Shoe closeouts and overruns can be a boon to a significant discount. The key is to look, look, look. 

AG: CPAs are known for being money-conscious, so are there any splurges that you think are necessary or totally reasonable?

CS, CPA: I personally believe in the mantra, "you get what you pay for." Therefore, for large purchases (appliances, TVs, computers, cars, etc.) I’m willing to buy a name brand over a generic model and spend the extra money, since I’ve gotten burned on poor quality before. Of course, I’ll shop and compare prices on these items, however I do believe in buying a strong brand name on expensive (over $500) gadgets. 

AG: Even though a lot of professional costs can be expensed while at the client or on a work trip, the accounting lifestyle often means long hours and bad lunches - are there any ways you think young professionals can save a few bucks in this area?

CS, CPA: Potluck office lunches. Brown bag lunches. Make your coffee at home vs. buying it on your way to work. Keep snacks (hopefully healthy ones) in your desk, so you’re full throughout the day. That will keep you more productive and will mean less trips to the vending machine and allow you to order smaller (read: less expensive) lunches and dinners. 

LW, CPA/PFS: The long hours and eating out is a lifelong curse. Fun at first, but it soon loses the luster. My wife makes homemade meals when I go on the road. I pack an ice chest and refill it when I stay at hotels. I eat carrots, and just plain eat better. I get five days of food packed in a little ice chest. Also, I make heavy use of Hotels.com and surf the Internet when I get home late at night for airfares. I have stayed in suites for as low as $17 a night. Very nice suites for next to nothing...just don't open the 3-ounce bag of $15 potato chips.

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