It is okay to splurge every once in a while. After all, life would not be very enjoyable if we could not let ourselves loose every once in a while. We also need some form of reward for all the hard work we have been throwing ourselves into. We have pointed out some time before that splurging is very different from overspending. If you find yourself compulsively shopping more often, buying something not because there is a need but simply for the sake of buying it, than you had better watch out especially if you use a credit card as your main payment option. Excessive overspending can lead to credit debt. And as we always say, credit debt is a nasty trap we do not want to get ourselves pulled into.

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Nothing can unleash your hidden creative and mushy tendencies more than Valentine’s Day. Every year, as the Day of Hearts draws near, you along with couples from all over the world start racking your brains for the perfect date ideas for you and your special someone. It would have to be romantic. There should be no slip-ups. And it should always end with the sweetheart more in love with you than ever. So you free up your schedule for the day and make a mental list of ideas. And then you hit a slump. The reality of the matter is that a budget must be allotted. Now the question is how can you plan the perfect Valentines date, without burning a hole in your wallet?

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Oh look, it’s February already! It has been one whole month since the New Year started. Allow us to ask you a simple little question you may or may not want to hear: Have you started fulfilling your New Year’s resolutions yet? Don’t worry, this is not a scolding, and we won’t judge you if you answered ‘no.’ As always we are here to help. If you are part of the majority of New Year’s resolution makers who have vowed to shed some pounds or save more money by the end of the year, here are a few simple tips that can help you do both. The only effort you need to take is discipline.

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Casket designed by Brian Tenorio for Lux Mortem.

One of the most heartbreaking and difficult experiences life has in store is laying a loved one to rest. It is never easy, but it is part of life. It is the final punctuation on a life lived, shared, and ultimately treasured through the days, weeks and years together. There aren’t any shortcuts to take about it, and it can be a test of character in itself.

It is only right that a family treats one’s last rites with respect and honor. A major part of honoring this is handling the funeral, and the different aspects that come with it. Different families have different customs, and different people have wishes that need to be respected. These can be a complex series of processes, events and details that all culminate in one last gathering to honor their memory. This can take time and money, but they are for many a small price to pay to respect one’s passing.

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How time flies! It is February, and winter will soon be on its way out. Spring is coming soon, and if you haven’t done so already, you might want to start thinking about your financial situation. This is especially true when tax season comes along – we believe that it is never too soon to start planning for taxes. Considering that 2010 has only just begun, it is only right to get the ball rolling on the tax situation as well.

Taxes can be a make-or-break kind of thing, especially for most families. A lot of money is lost to taxes, and it would be a shame if this figure balloons. Taxes are assessed on a lot of items: Property, real estate, expenses, income bracket and more.

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There are those who say it’s totally lame to shop during end-of-season and off-season sales. Why would you want to buy a shirt you can’t use until a few months later? By then, the trends would have changed, and you would end up wearing brand-new clothes that are just a year too late.

Contrary to consumerist belief, though, trends are not as fleeting as they present themselves to be. You can save a lot of money when you shop for clothes that are not in season. Of course, we are not saying you should not keep up with the latest fashion trends. It is always great to have a bunch of trendy items in the wardrobe. There are some outfits, however, that we can get at just a fraction of the cost when we shop for them at off-season sales. For the clothes that you tend to use a lot of, you can opt not to buy them when they are still fresh off the new releases rack.

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In every circle of friends there is at least one person who always seems to get the best deals. She brings home twice as many groceries, but spends half as much as what you usually allot for your own grocery budget. Her wardrobe is up to date with the seasons even though she insists most of her clothes are bargain finds. You ask her how she was able to get such high quality items for such little cost and she just smiles. It’s a secret, she tells you. Well the secret isn’t really that hidden. Anyone can access it. All you really need is a computer and a working Internet connection.

There is Always a Sale on the Internet

Shopping portals like PowerShoppersCircle.com provide Internet surfers with a one stop platform for finding the hottest deals on online retailers and bidding sites. Smart shoppers frequent these websites for a heads-up on where to find their desired products at the lowest possible prices. Numerous online retailers slash a chunk out of the original cost of brand products. Before you set out to buy that spiffy new iPod or the Coach bag you’ve been eyeing at the department store for days, see first if you can get it cheaper on the Web. It almost always is. To cut down even more on expenses, shop at websites that offer free shipping services.

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Here at MiCash, we keep giving you tips on the best ways to save your funds, fix your budget, protect yourself from having your money stolen, and basically milk everything you have earned for what it is worth. We hope we are not giving you the impression that we are promoting a miserly lifestyle. While it is true that saving up is very important and learning to spend less than what you earn everyday is a good rule of thumb to live by, we are not totally shunning the idea of indulging oneself every once in a while. Whether it’s to reward yourself for doing a job well done or as a way to relieve yourself of stress, splurging can be a good thing. We just have to make sure that actually have the money to splurge.

The Difference between Splurging and Overspending

To splurge is to indulge oneself with some luxury or pleasure, usually a costly one, because you can. If you do not have the cash to spare, you would be overspending, not indulging on your spending power. Overspending is like eating an undercooked meal. You eat it because you are too hungry to wait, and the next day, you get an upset stomach. Many times, we have experienced this: Going on a shopping spree and ending up wishing we did not buy half of the things we just bought, because having a lighter wallet feels too unsettling.

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Technology has opened doors for people to explore new avenues to save money as well as help preserve the environment. One such method has been described as nothing less than refining a house to save energy. In particular, it is the the improvement of a home so it may become more environmentally sound.

With the rising prices of energy worldwide, it is little wonder that people are always looking for ways to cut expenses on electricity and gas. This same demand for energy has an adverse effect on the environment – the burning of fossil fuels to create power, for example, does cumulative harm to the atmosphere, among other kinds of issues. At the same time, shifting environmental climate patterns will force people all the more to spend money on ways to regulate temperatures in their homes. It’s a cycle that does no good to the people, nor to their bank accounts.

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We once did a feature on different websites that offer great bargains for a wide variety of retail products. The World Wide Web holds more than online portals to low-priced brand-name products and hard-to-find phased out items. Many budding entrepreneurs and independent designers use the Internet as their main – sometimes sole – means of promotion. You might be surprised by the sheer amount of cool, one-of-a-kind stuff found online at good prices.

Artisan Marketplaces

Online communities such as Etsy.com and Artfire.com encourage individuals who have a penchant for creating quality handicrafts and DIY projects to share and sell their crafted accessories and other items at reasonable prices.

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