Farnoosh Torabi's Blog, page 24

How to Write the Perfect Scholarship Essay

Writing the perfect essay can seem next to impossible. But 26-year-old Kristina Ellis says it doesn’t have to be. She won half a million dollars in scholarship money for college and now, she’s teaching others how to write award-winning essays in her book, “Confessions of a Scholarship Winner.” Read more here.

What are your essay-writing tips? Connect with me on Twitter @Farnoosh and use the hashtag #FinFit.

4 Bills You Should Never Autopay

Setting up automatic payments is a convenient way to stay on top of bills every month. It can save you time and money, but for expenses that fluctuate or creep up, you may want to skip it. Consider manually paying these four expenses. Read more here.

What bills do you prefer to pay manually? Connect with me on Twitter @Farnoosh and use the hashtag #finfit.

Prepare for the event of a disaster with these emergency kit essentials

For the breakdown on the essentials every emergency kit needs to help with natural disasters and threats in your area, we stopped by the Red Cross in New York to chat with advisor Dr. Thomas Kirsch. Read more here.

What are the essential in your emergency kit? Connect with me on Twitter @Farnooshand use the hashtag #finfit.

Travel-Sized Essentials You Need Every Day

I tapped an expert at Real Simple for top travel-sized essentials every woman needs.

Best Websites for Affordable Eyewear

Want to save money on your next pair of eyeglasses without compromising style? With help from a few fashion-forward eyewear sites you can snag the perfect pair for under $100. Read more here.

Would you buy eyeglasses online? Connect with me on Twitter @Farnoosh and use the hashtag #finfit.

4 Ways to Jumpstart Your Financial Resolutions

I know, I know. The holidays haven’t even arrived (yet). Why jump the gun on New Year resolutions? Because more than half of us abandon our goals within the first few months of the year. Resolutions require good habits and establishing the appropriate systems in place to support your goals and keep you on track. Before the holidays get us in a big ol’ financial mess, commit to a few small steps now that can give you a head start on achieving your 2014 resolutions.

Don’t Just Save to Save. Your resolutions need meaning. Protesting that you need to save is a good start, but what’s the reason behind it? Take time now to identify the underlying reason why it’s important for you to save or get out of debt. Is it to have more money for a real family vacation once and for all? Is it to be able to afford college for your kids? Start a business? Renovate your kitchen? When you visualize your goals, studies show you’re far more likely to accomplish them.

Automate. Start getting in the automatic swing of things now. If you haven’t already, start by placing a few of your recurring, non-variable bills like your mortgage, home insurance, student loan payment, etc. on auto-pay. This ensure your bills are always paid on time, saving you time and stress. Timely bill payment is also one of the surest ways to strengthen one’s credit score.

Share Your Resolution Ideas. It keeps you accountable and more likely to follow through. In fact, peer pressure actually helps savers stay on track. In a 2012 paper for the National Bureau of Economic Research, researchers found that participants who saved money in a self-help treatment group, where they’d publicly announce their savings progress, saved 3.5 times more frequently and their average savings balance was almost twice that of the control group.

Consolidate Your Debt. If you have numerous credit cards and tackling the various balances and due dates separately, it helps to streamline your payments into one, easy payment each month. Surf the market for a credit card that offers favorable terms for transfer balances, such as 0% APR in the first year, no transfer balance fees and no annual fee. The BankAmericard Better Balance Rewards Card is one such card. Additionally this card promotes good behavior by rewarding you with $25 each quarter when you pay more than the minimum balance on your card – on time – every month. That’s up to $100 free dollars a year. BofA existing account holders can earn an extra $5 a quarter – for up to $120 a year.

Worst Days to Grocery Shop, Buy Gas and More

Stopped by the TODAY show recently for a rundown of the WORST days to buy certain items, go to the DMV and even schedule surgery.

 

 

 

 

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

How I Earned $500,000 in Scholarships

She wasn’t a top student or star athlete, but Kristina Ellis, 26, managed to earn half a million dollars in college scholarships by the time she graduated high school in 2005. She says you can, too. Read more here

What are some of your secrets to winning a scholarship? Connect with me on Twitter @Farnooshand use the hashtag #FinFit.

Save $800 or more on family holiday travel

If you’re planning to travel in the coming months, the high holiday season can mean very high ticket prices. For insider tips on how to get the most bang for your travel buck, we tapped Kellie Pelletier of Routehappy.com, a site helps air travelers find the most optimum seats at the lowest price. Read more here.

We want to hear from you.  What are your best holiday travel savings tip? Connect with me on Twitter @Farnoosh and use the hashtag #FinFit.

 

When You Don’t Need to Tip

Tipping for good service is important, but make sure you don’t get duped. For some, this could happen while staying at a hotel or eating out at a restaurant — and the mistake is surprisingly common.

Ever pay two tips by accident? Connect with me on Twitter @Farnoosh and use the hashtag #finfit.