There’s a huge difference between buying things that are less expensive and buying something that is cheap. Being cheap is more about shoddy workmanship rather than price. You’ve probably heard the saying “you get what you pay for;” this is often the case when it comes to cheap items.

Items which seem cheap may be easier to afford, but if they don’t last, they could end up costing you more. How can that be? Items that don’t cost much may not be made with quality components or with quality workmanship. This means they could break down quicker, leading you to purchase another item to replace one that’s broken.

Electronics are often items that come in a wide range of prices. Televisions, stereos, DVD players, and more can be purchased for a little or a lot. You’ll want to decide if the item you’re looking at is worth the price the store is asking for it, or if you really can’t afford to purchase that item on the spot.

If you are concerned about the price, but don’t want to buy something that isn’t going to last, you have a couple of options.

* Some stores offer a lay-away plan. This allows you to have the item set back and you can make payments on it until it is paid off. This option is usually offered without interest, which means you could save money over buying it on credit and paying for it over time with interest.

* If the stores around you don’t offer lay-away plans, you may want to set aside a certain amount of money from each paycheck to go toward purchasing the item you need outright. Sure, it means you’ll have to wait to get it, but you will save on interest by paying in cash. You may also find, after waiting to save up the money, that you really don’t need the object as badly as you first thought.

* Saving for something also gives you the opportunity to do research on the item. You can find out if a particular brand is better and has the features you want. You can comparison shop between the better quality items to find the one that best fits your budget. You may also find the item you want has been put on sale which could save you even more.

* Another option is to consider buying better quality items second hand. Yard sales, estate sales, and pawn shops are places you can look for objects you need. You can save considerably over the original price, and still end up owning something that is well-made and worth owning.

When it comes to furnishing your home, you don’t have to settle for junk. Buying cheap could cost more in the long run if you’re content to buy only what you can afford right now. Take some time, research to get the best price, and save for the items you need. By following these suggestions, you can get quality items without breaking your budget.

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Home business and small business owners often don’t realize the tax saving available to them. If you can take a personal expense and learn how to use it as a business expense, you may reduce your income tax liability.

To learn more about how owning a business can benefit you, speak with a professional certified public accountant or financial advisor to learn more. They understand the tax laws far better and can give you more specific advice. However, these are some ways you can benefit as a business owner.

To satisfy the IRS, you must prove a “profit motive” or your desire to make money and earn a profit from what you’re doing. Your business doesn’t necessarily have to be profitable to be able to use your business as a means to save on taxes. You do have to have some expertise in the field you’ve chosen, but you could also use a hobby as a business if you could feasibly make a profit from it.

Keep track of any income, business expenses, and mileage that may be associated with your business as receipts, a check register, or a journal that is kept up-to-date. Maintaining good records will prove your claims should you ever be audited. What are some of the things you’ll need to keep records of?

Expenses must meet one of the following qualifications in order to be allowed as a business expense:

1. It must be an ordinary and necessary, or “reasonable and customary” part of doing your business.
2. It must have been paid during the taxable year you are claiming it.
3. It must be connected with conducting your business.

Depending upon your business, you may be able to use these items as deductions: Computers, printers, monitors, and any related software. You may also be able to deduct a portion of your household utilities including your telephone bill, internet, heating, and water.

If you do your business out of your home, you may also be able to include a portion of your mortgage for the space your home business takes up. Travel expenses may also be tax deductible if they are required for your business; again make sure you keep your receipts.

A tax preparer, accountant, or financial advisor will be able to answer specific questions you may have regarding how owning your own business can save you taxes. They will have a complete list of deductions you can take and will tell you if you’re taking some deductions you shouldn’t.

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You can save a good amount of money by shopping at Black Friday door buster sales if you take a little time to research and prepare ahead of time. One way to ensure you’ll save a bundle is by hitting the sales online rather than going to stores, burning fuel, and having to fight the crowds.

Expect online retailers to offer deep savings on Black Friday. Some may also offer free or low shipping to entice you to shop online rather than heading to a physical store. And, if you’re ordering online, it’s quite possible you won’t have to pay sales tax, which could really add to the amount you’re saving.

Don’t expect to find everything on your holiday list. Stores may sell out of some of the more popular items, so it’s a good idea to have back-up item ideas. Here are some ways you can ensure you’ll save money, whether shopping online or offline.

1. Begin by doing your research. Head to websites like blackfriday.info or blackfriday.gottadeal.com to see what major retailers may have on sale. While these sites won’t guarantee these items will be for sale, these sites have been pretty reliable in the past.

2. Pay attention to whether the ad price is an early-bird special or an after-rebate price. The advertisement will also tell you if the items will be available only in the store or if you have to purchase them online. Sign up for email alerts to get the new circulars as soon as they are posted.

3. Some retailers will offer coupons that are available only at their website. If possible, print the coupons out ahead of time and take them to the store with you. You can often find coupons at websites such as couponcodes.com, couponcabin.com, or flamingoworld.com.

4. Make a list of the items you want, the sale price, and which stores the items are available, and whether they are also available online. You will also want to list any coupons you have and whether they’re for online or offline purchases. Cover all your Black Friday bases and you’re more likely to get the items you want.

5. Check reviews for items on your list on websites like Epinions.com, Amazon.com, or Bizrate.com. These reviews will give you an idea of whether they’re quality items or just look good on paper.

If your favorite store offers price matching during the remainder of the year, don’t expect them to keep that policy in place during holiday shopping. You’ll also want to find out about the store’s return policy, especially if you’re shopping online. Will they credit your card if you used it, give you cash back, issue a merchandise credit, or will they give you a gift card for the price of the item? The answer to that question may determine where you decide to shop.

Some shoppers look forward to the thrill of getting their holiday shopping done on Black Friday, but most would probably prefer to be at home enjoying friends and family. Are Black Friday door busters a good value for your money? Yes, they are. And with more businesses offering similar sales online, you can save more than money – you can save your sanity.

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Jim Cramer’s Real Money series comes in a 5 CD set. Jim Cramer is a best-selling author and former hedge fund manager. He is also the host of CNBC’s Mad Money and contributes to New York and Time magazines.

The audio series provides you with important information on how to invest in the stock market to make the big money. As a former hedge fund manager, Jim Cramer offers insider tips and advice on how to invest in difficult times and diversify your portfolios.

He advocates that you should take affordable risks with stocks that might be the next big winner on the stock market using an allocated portion of your assets. Buying and holding your stocks, according to Cramer, won’t make you much money, “buying and homework” is the way to gain. Homework includes regularly researching your stocks to stay on top of changes. Otherwise, it is in your best interest to hand over your portfolio to a mutual fund. He recommends specific mutual funds.

You learn how to recognize market ups and downs, when to sell, which stocks to buy. He also gives you his Ten Commandments of Trading and 25 Rules of Investing.

If you are interested in making your stocks work for you, Jim Cramer’s Real Money offers lots of insider advice.

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1. Do it yourself.
Perhaps it sounds overly simple, but the most certain way to avoid scammers is to do the debt negotiation yourself. It may seem intimidating, but if you prepare yourself with information ahead of time and know your legal rights, it is possible to do an effective job settling your own debts with your creditors.

2. Consolidation and settlement are not the same things.
A debt settlement company works with your creditor to get the amount of debt reduced and the payments and interest rate lowered. Debt settlement can be quite expensive, as you subscribe to the company’s services and pay a monthly fee. Debt consolidation, on the other hand, conglomerates all of your debts into one amount under a new creditor, with one payment and one interest rate.

3. If it seems too easy, it is.
Some companies claim they will enroll you with no initial fee, and will simply sign you up to pay monthly fees to them. When this happens, you have no signed documents or official agreement between you and the company, and no guarantee that they will do what they said; you only agreed to pay them money. Avoid this scenario – if the company touts “no hassle,” it’s probably a scam.

4. Do your research.
As you are looking for companies to help you, investigate each one before you agree to work with them, or even before you contact them. Your state Attorney General’s Office and the Federal Trade Commission are good resources, and you can search for company reviews online (for example, type “Company Name reviews” into your web browser). The Better Business Bureau would have records of any complaints made against a company as well.

5. Avoid giving too much information.
A legitimate debt settlement company will not ask for personal information. They will ask for the name(s) of your creditor(s), the amount owed, and the interest rate. If the company is asking for your social security number or any other personal information, do not give it to them and end the communication.

6. Look carefully – there may be hidden fees.
Read all the fine print and make sure there are no hidden fees. A debt settlement company may charge you some sort of service fee in the middle of the proceedings, after you are signed on with them. Make sure you do not sign any document or agreement until you have looked it over carefully.

7. Get referrals from trusted individuals or companies.
There’s nothing wrong with asking advice from people who have been there and done that. Your friends, co-workers, family members, etc. may have had a good or bad experience with a debt settlement company. Asking people you trust for advice is not a bad place to start.

If you keep some of these tips in mind, you should be able to avoid the scams. One more thing to remember is, trust your gut. If a company seems fishy or offers promises that seem too good to be true, it’s probably a scam.

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In the past, audits were determined by individuals who worked for the IRS but now a computer selects the people that will be audited. Normally audits will be generated due to the amount of some deductions or the types of income an individual reports. Audits can also be generated because of mathematical errors or missing information.

To avoid the possibility of being required to complete an audit, it is important to check all numbers on your tax form. Verify the income amounts reported on your W-2 form or 1099 to ensure they match the amounts you received over the course of the year. You can ask your employer to provide a new W-2 or 1099 if you find errors.

If you’re doing your taxes yourself, double and triple check your addition and subtraction. You may also want to have your partner or someone else you trust to check your math. This will ensure you haven’t made any mathematical errors which could trigger an audit.

Having a professional accountant do your taxes each year may help keep you from being audited. At least if you are audited, they will be with you when you face the auditor to explain your tax return and why deductions were taken as they were.

Another way to avoid being audited is by filing Married Filing Jointly rather than Married Filing Separately if you’re married. Married Filing Separately returns are often flagged because deductions are often doubled or have other inconsistencies.

Attach copies of medical bills if claiming large medical deductions. In fact, any time you’re claiming medical deductions, it’s important to provide supporting copies. It would also be a good idea to substantiate every deduction claim with copies.

Home business owners may trigger an audit if their deductions or business expenses seem exaggerated when compared with their reported income. While the IRS will not announce the exact ratio that will elicit further scrutiny, having documentation for every deduction will mean you’ll be prepared if you should be audited.

What do you do if you do receive a letter informing you you’ll be audited? Rather than trying to handle the audit on your own, get an accountant to help you. They are more familiar with how the IRS works and what documentation they’ll need.

These are some things you can do to avoid being audited. As already stated, there’s nothing to guarantee you’ll never be audited, but following these suggestions can make the likelihood much smaller.

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Maybe you’re not sure about applying for disability. Will you qualify? Will it be worth your effort to apply? Or will you be wasting your time and theirs? Unfortunately, there aren’t any easy answers to any of these questions. The only way you’ll find out is to try.

Before you can qualify for either Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) you must meet particular work requirements. In other words, you have to have worked long enough to have paid a certain amount of Social Security taxes. You also have to be disabled for at least five months before applying.

Social Security Insurance, on the other hand, is set up for those in financial need. There is no requirement for them to ever have worked or paid Social Security taxes. Their qualification is based on their need for help and their family’s financial situation.

To find a Social Security office near you, check your local telephone book. If there is an office nearby, it will be listed in the Government section of the phone book. You may also call 1-800-772-1213 or 1-800-325-0778 if you have a hearing problem.

The person you reach can answer questions you may have, set up an appointment, and even take your claim over the telephone. Be prepared to spend at least an hour on the phone if you choose this option as the interview process takes at least that long.

Once you have made an appointment, a Disability Starter Kit will be mailed to you. The kit must be filled out so you can be prepared for your claims interview. You can also apply online at socialsecurity.gov/disability if you have access to the internet.

When applying for disability benefits, you will need to have quite a bit of information. The more information you can have at the initial visit, the sooner a determination can be made. If certain information is found to be missing during your interview, they will have to wait until you supply it to be able to decide if you qualify.

The following is a list of things you’ll need to provide either as originals or copies:

* Social Security number
* Birth or baptismal certificate
* Marriage certificate or divorce decree
* Names, addresses and phone numbers of the doctors, caseworkers, hospitals and clinics you’ve seen and the dates of your visits
* Names and dosage of all the medicine you take
* Medical records from your doctors, therapists, hospitals, clinics and caseworkers (if applicable)
* Laboratory and test results
* A summary of where you have worked and the kind of work you did
* A copy of your most recent W-2 Form or your federal tax return for the past year if you are self-employed

It can take five or more months for a disability claim to be processed, so try not to get too worried about not hearing quickly. They will call you if they need further information or if they need you to clarify anything.

You may initially be denied, but you can appeal the decision if you feel you qualify. You may also choose to hire a lawyer to represent you if you’re denied more than once and still feel the decision to disqualify you is wrong.

You hope you’ll never need it, but it is helpful to know how and where to apply for disability benefits. You may even want to pull together some of the information you’ll need such as a birth certificate or marriage certificate and keep them stored in a safe place. This may help you be more prepared should you ever need to apply for SSDI or SSI benefits.

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Forbes magazine was first published in 1917 and has been going from strength to strength since then. It is a magazine for anybody interested in the newest trends in business, financial markets and personal finance. Whether you are a small business owner or a person interested in growing your own personal wealth, this magazine is a must-have.

Topics from investing and stocks, state of the economy, business, marketing, and technology trends are covered and provide the reader with crucial insight into the state of our economy and the market.

Also included are the very popular lists such as “200 Best Small Companies”, “100 Top Celebrities”, “Wall Street’s Top Analysts” and “400 Best Large Companies”.

If you want to stay on top of business and market trends, Forbes keeps you informed and ahead of the game.

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Expenses abound from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, and being prepared will help you relax and enjoy the friends, food, and family that accompany the holiday season. Beginning to save now gives you five months to accumulate sufficient funds to cover anticipated and unexpected expenses. Think of it this way: it’s better to spend five months saving than five months paying off credit card bills with high interest rates.

What, exactly, is so expensive about the holidays? Why does it take five months to save up for them? Here are some potential expenses associated with the holiday season you may not have considered.

* Travel
With gasoline prices ever-changing, it’s good to prepare for the most expensive scenario and save accordingly. Your car may need repairs, too, and if you get those taken care of in the slower summer months it will be one less expense to deal with during the busy holiday season. If you’re traveling by air, saving money for air fare and booking flights well ahead gives you time to look for good deals. The same is true for hotel reservations.

* Hosting
It’s easy to underestimate the cost of hosting a holiday party, or having overnight guests. Food, party decorations, favors, etc. all need to be considered. Also, your house guests will use more utilities such as electricity and water. And let’s not forget the cost of that attractive party outfit you’ll be wearing!

* Food
The holidays are a time when special food is served, from elegant chocolates to shrimp cocktail to turkey. These are all expensive items that tend to increase in price around the holidays. Saving in the summer, when food costs tend to be lower, will pay off when the holidays roll around.

* Gifts
You’ve probably thought of gifts already, but do you have a specific amount in mind that you can spend? Have you considered actually buying Christmas gifts in the summer? Determine your gift budget and start saving, and once you have made your gift list (and checked it twice), you can keep an eye out for summer sales and the “perfect” gift. If you wait until the holiday season is underway before buying, there’s always the risk that the gift you want will be out of stock, and the crowds of holiday shoppers can be daunting. Starting early also helps you avoid the last-minute panic that may cause you to buy a less-than-ideal gift that costs more than you can afford.

* Accessories
The little things can really add up ? cards, postage stamps, batteries, wrapping paper, decorations, etc. Remember how much last year’s Christmas tree cost? It will probably be just as much if not more this year!

The holiday season is a wonderful time of sharing good food, traditions, and building new memories. Begin your holiday saving now and when it comes time to get into your new outfit, prepare a turkey dinner, or give your friends meaningful gifts, you will be able to enjoy the festivities without the stress of figuring out how to pay for it all.

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1. General Power of Attorney, which gives your agent the authority to act on your behalf in a broad range of situations.

2. Special Power of Attorney, which gives your agent the authority to act in specifically defined situations.

3. Medical or Health Care Power of Attorney, which grants your agent the authority to make decisions on your behalf regarding medical interventions or other health care.

Any type of POA can be made “durable” by adding language that makes it remain active for the duration of your life, and in the event that you become incapacitated it will automatically “kick in.” In either a General or Special POA you can appoint an agent to manage your assets and other financial matters. POAs are easily tailored to meet the needs of the individual, and you can have multiple POAs. The question is, who needs them?

The short answer is, everyone should at least consider having a POA. Should you become incapacitated without having a POA, a judge will have to appoint an agent to manage your affairs; agent responsibilities do not automatically default to your closest relative. A court-appointed agent may or may not handle matters as you would wish, which can cause problems for your friends and family.

A POA will give you peace of mind, and assure you and your family that your personal matters will be taken care of without complication or controversy. Looking into a POA when you are still young may seem irrelevant, but it isn’t – you can take the time to give careful consideration to whom you will appoint as your agent, and communicate with him or her about the details of your decisions. Some experts believe that having a POA is actually more important than having a will.

Most attorneys will include a POA as part of an overall estate plan, or, if you choose not to work with an attorney, check with your local hospital. Many of them have free POA forms that you can pick up, because it saves hospitals a great deal of trouble if healthy, competent individuals draft a POA. And your family will thank you.

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