Another year has passed, and now we look forward to 2012 and the hope that things will improve. Could this be the year we finally lose those extra twenty pounds, or get that raise at work, or even clean out the garage? Whatever you have resolved for the new year, here’s hoping you make good headway in the first month. Personal finance, especially in this questionable economy, should definitely have a place on your list.

What do you need to resolve in 2012 as far as money goes? Obviously saving more and spending less should be priorities, and in some cases these issues may already be set for you. If you have a stable job and your bill-paying situation is under control, let this be the year you get started on investments for the future. Here are a few ideas to get you started toward good financial health in 2012 and beyond:

1) Start saving toward retirement. If your job has options for a 401(k) or similar program, find out about enrolling if you haven’t already. If you don’t get such benefits at work, look into a financial program and start putting money away for the future. We can debate over whether or not Social Security will exist in twenty or thirty years, but either way you want to have something saved up for your twilight years.

2) Start saving for the childrens’ college funds. It’s quite simple to open a 529 account for college savings. Higher education will not get cheaper as the years pass, and even if your child plans to attend school in-state you’re looking at a major expense. Even twenty dollars a month placed in an account will help when your child turns eighteen.

3) Evaluate your luxury spends. If you find yourself short on cash by months’ end, consider what you’ve bought in the last month. If there’s a way to cut down on certain costs, do it. For example, why spend three to four dollars a day on a latte from a coffee shop when you have a coffee maker, milk, and coffee beans at home? Little things like this, when changed to keep your wallet padded, make a huge difference.

4) Work smarter, not necessarily harder. Look for ways you can cut down on energy bills with a few simple fixes that also “green” your living space. Watch your grocery shopping to purchase what you know will be used in a timely manner, rather than left to go bad in your refrigerator. Little things can help to save you big.

Welcome to Good Cents Savings, a personal finance blog designed to help you save money, stick to a budget, and live well on less.Find money savings tips for all areas of your finances, as well as moral support for those times when it’s tough to say “no” to a purchase or expense and “yes” to saving!Thanks for stopping by!

You may have heard about the latest wave of trend in accounting, moving to online based accounting software. This is very necessary in order to enable the business owner to see and assess if the business is thriving or if it better close down. And to do this, many business owners resort to hiring a professional for the job— an accountant. However, doing so would mean segregating a significant amount to pay the accountant’s fees. And this is going to be a big matter for the company.

Thanks to modern technology, business owners can now skip hiring an accountant and adopt online accounting software for business. And with its growing popularity today, there is already a number of accounting software available in the market, each suited to the unique and individual needs of businesses. And to make sure that only the right online accounting software is chosen, here are some simple yet smart tips to consider.

1. Before even starting to select the appropriate accounting software, it is important for the owner to verify and evaluate if there is even a need to buy one. For businesses that are very small, there may be no need for such software. Business people who are freelancers or sole traders may actually just skip it.

2. The accounting software must have multiple user access. This is one good feature that has to be present. People from the same company who work directly with accounting should be able to have access to the account anytime, anywhere as long as there is internet connection. This enables the business owner and other employees to take the business with them everywhere.

3. The online accounting software should also integrate invoicing. This is a very important part as businesses need to have solid cash flow which can only be attained when invoicing is correctly done. The software must update invoices automatically to avoid duplicates and misses.

4. The software should also work with other software applications. With this, the business owner will not have to worry about putting additional applications as these will still work effectively with the existing online accounting software.

5. The software company must also offer outsourcing.

6. It would be best to get the software that has a trial period. One can never be sure unless the software is tried for a few days. And the best providers are not afraid to give trial usage to prospective clients.

7. Though it is not necessary to have an accountant operate the software, a trained employee must do the job. So should any technical problems arise, there must be a 24/7 technical support either through email, chat, or phone.

8. The software should also provide the services that the company needs. There is no need to have more services which are not actually going to be used by the business’ operations. The advice of an accountant would be very helpful in this area as it is this professional who will be a source of information especially during the set-up of the software.

Many companies are already adopting the use of online accounting software. So all other small business owners are also encouraged to cope with the trends and the changing demands of consumers.

FinancialForce Accounting is a comprehensive and innovative financial management system that takes a fresh approach to a traditional business function. This online accounting application combines the power of the Force.com cloud with a groundbreaking accounting system design. FinancialForce Accounting is native to Salesforce CRM.