Easy Ways to Save Using the Internet

May 9, 2013 By 1 Comment

We use the internet for all sorts of things including shopping (price comparisons) and purchasing. The World Wide Web is chock-full of money saving opportunities right there at your fingertips at any time of night or day. You do not need to wait for the Sunday paper or the next round of advertisements and junk mail, instead you can hop on any computer or smart device right now!

It’s easy and there’s no big secret, but many people still don’t know how many ways they can save or even what to look for.  Here are just a few ways to save using the Internet…

shopping-onlineNot So Extreme Couponing

Grocery stores rolled out their club cards years ago and as they data mine your digits they discount your ding dongs. Fair trade for most, but the new thing with grocery stores is their online coupons. You can log-in to their website and choose which coupons you want to use and they automatically load them onto your stores club card. When you check out and slide your card the coupon savings will automatically be calculated and removed from your total.

No more clipping coupons and trying to keep them organized. Nice!

Promo and Coupon Codes For Everything!

Have you noticed the little promo code box when you are ordering things online? It is quite amazing how wide a variety of products and services you can save money on just by seeking out and using promo or coupon codes. Whether you are looking for a Crate and Barrel coupon code or a rental car promo, you can save a ton of money looking for offers online, but you do need to look for them. Not everything comes to you automatically wrapped in a Groupon. Small businesses are looking for more and more ways to reach you and promo codes are hot right not.

Shipping Vs. Delivery Charges

For large item purchases ordered online, shipping can often be less expensive than if you were to make your purchase on-site and have it delivered. Another thing to consider, if you purchase a sofa at a furniture store and they do not carry it in stock they have to order it anyway. If you make the same purchase online, chances are you will get it much faster.

In addition – depending on the bulk of your online purchases in general, you can sometimes negotiate free shipping across the board. This comes in handy when you are doing holiday shopping for a lot of people. You can also have items sent directly to the receiver’s home versus have the additional cost of re-mailing it to them.

Saving Time & Gas Counts Too

The ease and speed with which you can find discounts or perks and make purchases online is incredible, but we often overlook how much time it saves us as well. You can get information on airports or flights, traffic updates, road closures and so much more which allows you to avoid things that cost you time. This kind of information is valuable.

In addition, think of the fuel savings you will rack up on when you don’t have to drive everywhere or get caught up and delayed in traffic.

Every dollar saved is another dollar towards tackling your bucket list or adding to the college fund. Make your every dollar count!

 

NOTE: Sam Peters backed and provided information for this post.

 

 

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Safe Travels with Visa Prepaid Cards

April 18, 2013 By 1 Comment

What’s in my wallet when I travel?  Photo ID?  Check.  Cash and local currency?  Check.  Visa Prepaid card?  Check.

Clean out Your Wallet

visaWhen I travel, I’m pretty paranoid about  someone taking my wallet.  I mean, seriously, my library card is not helping me if I’m nowhere near my library.  That goes doubly so when I’m leaving the country.  At least, when I’m state-side, I can speak the language, call an 800 number and get things taken care of.  When I’m in another country, what numbers can I even call?  Does my cell phone have an international plan?  Who do I turn to for help?

That’s why I leave so many of my cards at home.  A couple of weeks ago, before I took off for Chile, I was busy emptying out my wallet and getting my finances in order for the trip.  I like to make sure to have cash on any trip.  It’s easier to exchange at most places and many shops even take American cash.  I try to separate it out into several different places, whether it be carry-on, luggage, or on my person.  This way, if someone grabs my wallet, I am not  completely without means.  I also like to have some local currency on me for obvious reasons.

Preparing for Emergencies

Still, I only like to keep so much cash in any currency on my person.  For emergencies, hotel bills, and even bigger ticket shopping items, I really like to have a card of some sort with me.  I prefer that it be a prepaid card so that I limit the potential damage should someone get access to my card.  Visa prepaid cards can be used pretty much anywhere in the world, so I personally tend towards those.  One other nice security feature is that, with many Visa prepaid cards, you can also order a companion card.

In my case, I kept the companion card in the hotel room.  If someone were to steal my wallet with my primary card, I could simply cancel that card and then use the companion card as if nothing had happened.  This is a big deal when you are in a foreign country and need access to cash.  You just don’t have time to wait for another card to get to you by mail.

Check out how easy it is to load a Visa Prepaid card in this video!

What is in your wallet when you travel? Leave me a comment and let me know.
I am blogging on behalf of Visa Prepaid and received compensation for my time from Visa for sharing my views in this post, but the views expressed here are solely mine, not Visa’s. Discover more at http://www.VisaPrepaid.com or view more Visa Prepaid videos at http://www.youtube.com/visaprepaid.

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Becoming Financial Partners

April 7, 2013 By 1 Comment

I have a degree in Finance.  I think in terms of returns, present vs. future value of money, APR, etc.  I say that putting your money into a fund that pays 7% APR is much smarter than paying off your mortgage with a 3% APR.  Your money is 4% ahead by saving it!  That makes great financial sense, right?  It took me while, however, to see the real savings of shopping with a store rewards program.

Beth has a degree in Engineering.  She sees the world in terms of outlines, flow charts, and efficiency.  She keeps an impeccably organized coupon book, shops solely from lists, and saves pennies wherever she can.  One look at her 401(k) statement, though, and she was totally lost!

The great thing about our financial relationship.  We both bring so much to the table and we teach each about various approaches.  We do not always agree with one another, but we surely open up the conversation, leading us to take a balanced approach to our financial lives.

According to a recent post on Time.com, women have traditionally learned how to stretch a dollar, but have largely been excluded from partaking in financial planning.  With more than a third of American women now serving as the primary breadwinner for the family, it is high time for women to get involved in the conversation.  I have seen the effects when women just stick their heads in the sand.  My grandmother had that issue several years ago when my grandfather got very ill.  If both had been involved in making those financial decisions, she would have seen the slide and would have been able to step in before it got too bad.

Now ladies, this doesn’t mean that you now get to be in charge of all of the financial decisions.  What happens when you get sick and your husband has to take over.  Marriage is a partnership.  Both of you have to live with the decisions that you make, so both of you should be involved in making them.  So what happens if neither of you are educated in finance or have learned to stretch a dollar?  Just like with any difficulties in life, when things get tough, ask for help!  You can always ask your parents (that really makes them feel needed) or you could seek out a financial professional like the men and women over at Genworth Financial.

Did you know that financial stress is one of the top causes of divorce in this country?  How is your financial relationship with your spouse?  Are you financial partners?  Do you seek help when it gets to be too much?  Leave us a comment and let us know how you cope.

NOTE: Genworth Financial backed and provided information for this post.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Have a Financially Responsible Wedding Anniversary

April 6, 2013 By Leave a Comment

We are excited to bring a guest post about wedding anniversaries!

Is your wedding anniversary approaching? It might be one of the huge anniversary milestones, which would include 10, 25, and even 50 years of marriage together. If your anniversary is approaching, you may be looking for a fun and exciting way to celebrate without spending a fortune.

It is important to be financially responsible if you are currently living on a budget, because you do not want to go broke just because you planned out an expensive wedding anniversary extravaganza. There are plenty of ways to celebrate such a fond memory and bond between you and your significant other without having to break the bank at all.

wedding-anniversaryStay at Home Dinner

A stay at home dinner may not seem like anything special, but you can save money while turning this romantic dinner between the two of you into something amazing. You can set candles on the kitchen table and light them up for a candlelit dinner. You can prepare a fancy meal that your significant other absolutely loves, or something that the two of you can enjoy together. Along with your tasty dinner, you can crack open a bottle of your favorite wine and enjoy. Spending quality time alone with your loved one to celebrate an anniversary is both enjoyable and budget-friendly.

Renew Wedding Vows

You can renew your wedding vows without ever having to spend a fortune. In fact, you can gather your significant other, close family and friends, and renew your vow outdoors in a beautiful and lavish garden. This is an affordable way for the two of you to celebrate your anniversary and show one another how much you care. Renewing your vows will remind you of all the loving things that the two of you said to one another when you first got married so many years ago. It will be a small celebration for all to enjoy.

Slideshow of Memories

This is a great anniversary gift, especially amongst the golden anniversary gifts. You can have a slideshow of memories put together with pictures from over the years. These pictures may include moments from when you first met, pictures of your wedding day, the birth of your children, assorted vacations, and all of the memories that you hold dear to your heart.

You can create the slideshow on your own or get the help of a professional without having to pay too much at all. You and your significant other will be able to sit back and watch the slideshow progress. It will be a walk through memory lane that the two of you can enjoy alone or with the entire family. You can also have a picture frame personalized with your names and your wedding date and place your most favorite picture inside of it.

These are some of the best ways to celebrate an anniversary without having to spend too much money at all. Even if you are on a budget, you can still do something nice to show your spouse how much they mean to you and how delighted you are to have made it to so many years in marriage with them.

Remember that when it comes to anniversaries, less is often more, so you really do not have to spend too much or do too much to enjoy yourself.

NOTE: Sam Peters backed and provided information for this post.

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8 Surefire Ways to Pay Less for Electronics

April 5, 2013 By Leave a Comment
We are excited to bring another guest post to you today from Andrea Woroch!
Can you imagine life without technology? People who have trouble navigating would be lost without GPS devices. The busy-and-important would feel downsized without their smartphones. Even your dishwasher represents a time-saving technology that would be tough to go without.
These modern conveniences come with a price, however, and finding a good deal can be daunting. With a little research and creativity, you can have the gadgets you desire without sabotaging your budget. Read on for eight ways to pay less for electronics.
1. Name Your Own Price
Priceline has enabled travelers to choose their price on flights, hotels and car rentals for years.  Thanks to the Web start-up Greentoe, you can now name your own price for electronics, too. It’s as simple as signing up, finding your desired gadget and making an offer. Greentoe pitches your offer to dozens of retailers and lets you know when there are bites. This is a great opportunity for big savings on TVs, laptops, digital cameras and more. Don’t think you can score something for 75-percent less, however; your offers should be reasonable!

pile-of-electronics2. Negotiate
Consumer Reports found shoppers who negotiated on electronics saved an average of $82 in 2012. Though big-box retailers like Target and Walmart may not be able to haggle, specialty retailers typically have more wiggle room on higher-priced items since margins are wider. For more on how to negotiate, consult these insider tips shared by an electronic salesman. If you prefer big-box stores, remember Target and Best Buy now price-match Amazon, making it easy to leave the store with the item you want at the price you want.

3. Compare and Track Prices
The airline industry has used dynamic pricing for years, but these days it’s become popular among electronic e-retailers. Websites use sophisticated analytical tools to set prices based on browsing history and purchasing patterns. Ultimately, you could end up paying more by shopping on the wrong day or at the wrong time. Amazon, for instance, fluctuated the price on GE microwave nine times in just one day. Luckily, price-comparison sites abound to help consumers combat dynamic pricing. InkjetWilly.com is a great source for cheap printer ink, for example, while CamelCamelCamel.com alerts you when a desired item on Amazon drops in price.

4. Opt for Second Best
Electronics have one of the fastest depreciation values of any product on the retail market. Constant updates, new features and enhanced design are to blame, but often times the difference between devices is minimal. If you’re shopping for a new toy but find yourself on a tight budget, opt for an older model. Just be sure the newer model doesn’t address significant defects in the device you’re looking at.  

5. Save on Extras
When it comes to scoring sweet deals on TVs, cameras and smartphones, there are some hidden costs to consider. Products necessary for the function of your gadget can really eat into your budget and ultimately cause the original investment to skyrocket. HDMI cables, for example, represent one of the biggest markups of any item in an electronics store — sometimes exceeding 100 percent. I found a Dynex 6′ HDMI Cable at Best Buy for $19.99 while the exact same product was listed through Amazon for just $2.54.

6. Consider Refurbished
The term “refurbished” turns off some shoppers who assume something is wrong with the item. However, that’s not the case; many shoppers buy on impulse, then open and package and realize the product isn’t something they need or want. Upon returning an open package, the retailer must sell the item as previously owned — or refurbished — at a discount. This means you could score a great price on something that’s never been used. For instance, you can cut $250 off the cost for a 11.6-inch Macbook which originally sells for $1,099. The refurbished model is $849 and still comes with a warranty.

7. Sell Your Old Gadgets
Craigslist and eBay are always great places to post your goods for sale. When it comes to outdated electronics, however, you likely won’t receive fair bids through these sites. Still, not all is lost when it comes to old cell phones or broken iPods. Sites like ExchangeMyPhone.com will buy your old phones to be fixed or used for spare parts. The dollar amount you receive all depends on the demand, but a few bucks is better than nothing. RapidRepair.com is another website that buys old Apple products like iPods and iPhones, even offering money for devices with cracked screens!

8. Keep the Package Sealed
Retailers are getting more strict with their return policies as they relate to electronic purchases. If you received something as a gift or aren’t sure if you want to keep it, don’t open the box! You could wind up paying restocking fees or may get stuck with it.

 

Andrea Woroch is a consumer and money-saving expert for Kinoli Inc. As a nationally recognized media source, Andrea has been featured among top news outlets such as Good Morning America, NBC’s Today, MSNBC, New York Times, Kiplinger Personal Finance, CNNMoney and many more.
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The Cost of Having Kids

March 22, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Deciding to start a family is obviously a huge commitment in lots of different ways. It means becoming responsible for a life beyond your own in way you may never have experienced before having children. But aside from the clear emotional and lifestyle commitments that it entails, it’s also one of the most financially straining things that you can do. Every year the cost of raising children increases, and the most recent figures from the Guardian newspaper (January 2013) show that bringing up a child to the age of 21 now costs on average £222,000. A pretty hefty sum!

The associated costs include increased budgets for food, clothes (including school uniforms), education costs, buying or renting a home with additional rooms, family holidays and day trips and all the other bits that keep a family ticking over. On top of those essential costs, having kids prompts many new parents to consider additional security for their family through life insurance and other precautions. Compare the Market is a top site for finding life insurance policies – it’s an extra expense, but one that ensures that parents’ next of kin are financially secure.

On top of all these costs, becoming a parent often meaning saving more than ever before. Not only are potential rainy days a much greater threat, but parents have to think about whether they’ll end up helping to finance the ever increasing cost of higher education. Additionally, in two parent households one of the parents may not be working for the early years of the child’s life which means your family may be living on a reduced income.

According to the study mentioned above, one of the big financial strains on parents at the moment is the cost of technology – parents are buying their kids mobile phones, laptops and tablets and many report feeling a pressure to stay on top of the latest developments in this area. The study also reports that most parents cut back by buying cheaper food and using more vouchers and discount services. That some parents would cut back on the quality of food before the cost of the latest gadgets may well be telling of the social pressure to keep up with what’s hot in culture and technology.

Indeed, this may partially explain the continuing rise in the cost of having children – greater visibility around what is fashionable and how your lifestyle should appear to others, even the lifestyle of a whole family unit, can significantly increase the pressure to spend money on non-essential items like technology.

For sure, starting a family is becoming more of a challenge in many ways and it involves a lot of responsibilities to juggle. But people are still choosing to have children, and many women are waiting until later in life to have them. This suggests that despite the financial and other strains of having a family, better healthcare and more options around family planning are counterbalancing the increased costs of raising children.

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Easter with Great Value, Part 2

March 20, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Wondering what to do with your leftover Easter ham?  Our kids will tell you that one great way to use it up is to make some yummy Ham and Cheese Pockets using Great Value brand crescent rolls from Walmart.  Check out how much they loved them when we whipped up a batch for them!

Ham and Cheese Pockets

 

If you have kids, maybe you are wondering what to do to keep them busy while you are getting Easter dinner all ready.  We like to put ours to work!  The work has to be a little fun for them, though.  While I’m getting dinner together, Beth can take the kids aside and let them help make dessert!  She made a great big Easter Bunny cookie cake that needed decorating.  See how much fun they had making a mouth, ears, bowtie, and whiskers?  How much fun would your kids have doing this?  Look out for Matthew…he’s getting caught trying to sneak a piece.  After dinner, Bubba, after dinner.

Easter Bunny Party

 

As much fun as they had decorating, that cannot compare to the sheer joy of eating cookie covered in frosting and candy!  That poor bunny just never had a chance!  Thankfully, we did this on bath night, because all three of them just had frosting everywhere!

Easter Bunny Snack

 

 How do you use your Easter leftovers?  Do you put your kids to work on Easter?  How do you keep them occupied while you fix dinner?  Leave us a comment and keep the conversation going!

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Caring for Caregivers

March 18, 2013 By Leave a Comment

My grandmother is a saint.  For over 20 years, she has taken care of my uncle who has some severe limitations to living on his own and caring for himself.  For a little while, she had some help from my grandfather, but, at some point, he developed some pretty big limitations himself.  That left her taking care of two adult men, often to her own detriment.  She is a classic caregiver.

I recently read the article, Women are Caregivers, but Who Care for Them?  The article really hit home.  Like so many caregivers, my grandmother put the well-being of those under her care above her own.  The stress took a huge toll on her health and led to bad habits which took an even further toll.  I’ve even watched her struggle to take over and repair their financial situation from missed payments and bad investments made as my grandfather’s health started to fade.

My grandmother is in her mid-70′s and her health has gotten pretty bad.  Her mind is not as sharp as it used to be and her body fails her on a regular basis.  Though, my grandfather passed away about 10 years ago, she still acts as caregiver for my uncle.  It bothers me that no one is really around to care for her as her health fades.  With three kids of my own, the best that I can do is to call regularly and lend support and to drive the four hours each way for a visit from time to time.

What bothers me more than anything, though, is to think that there is a chance that Beth will have to wind up taking care of me as I get older.  I never want to see her have to struggle physically, emotionally, or financially because my health goes south.  The key is to make sure that we are prepared.  You should always hope for the best, but you should also prepare for the worst.  Do you know what three documents every caregiver should have?  Do you have them yet?

How about preparing financially in case something happens?  Maybe you have ample retirement set aside.  Maybe Beth would have enough funds available to take care of me.  But what if something happened to her after I was gone?  Would she have drained everything to handle my care?  Thankfully, companies like Genworth offer long term care insurance options.  That’s definitely something that we’ll have to look at down the road here.

Are you a caregiver?  Do you know one?  Have you noticed your health of the health of other caregivers decline as they put others before themselves?  How can you help?

NOTE: Genworth Financial backed and provided information for this post.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Easter Food Ideas with Great Value

March 12, 2013 By 3 Comments

It will be Easter before you know it!  At our house, that means tons of ham, mashed potatoes, all the fixin’s, and loads and loads of Easter candy!  The candy is never too hard to get rid of.  (Beth just takes it to her candy dish at work!)  The leftovers can be a bit of a hassle sometimes.  I mean, seriously, who wants ham dinner every night for a week??  We have a plan for some of that excess ham.

Another thing that can be kind of difficult is to make a special Easter-themed treat that isn’t candy.  In the past, Beth has made coconut cakes (because of the fuzziness of the coconut), but I’ve never been a big fan of coconut.

Today, we are going to show you how to make some Ham and Cheese Pockets using Great Value brand crescent rolls and a festive Easter Bunny Cookie Cake made with Great Value brand refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough.  Hopefully, these tasty treats will inspire you to make your own money-saving treats!

Ham and Cheese Pockets

Easter Leftovers Ham and Cheese Pocket

Alright, so these require a little time, but very little effort.  Two packages of Great Value crescent rolls and some leftover ham and shredded cheese was all it took.  I probably could have filled them a little more, but I was a little paranoid about them busting open all over the sheet pan!

Ingredients

2 cans Great Value crescent rolls
leftover ham, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Separate out the individual crescent rolls.  You should have 16 altogether.  Place two next to each other.  Top one with ham and cheddar, making sure to leave space at the edges.

Stretch the second roll out over the toppings and crimp the edges with a fork.  Place onto a sheet pan.  Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes and allow to cool slightly before serving.  Enjoy!

 

Easter Bunny Cookie Cake

Easter Bunny Cookie Cake

Who doesn’t love a chocolate chip cookie?  Well, we decided to turn our great big, giant cookies into this amazingly cute Easter Bunny!  In fact, we put our kids to work to make some of this.  (Pictures of that to come later!)  Isn’t that a great idea?  It’s an easy way to occupy the kids while you are whipping up Easter dinner.

Ingredients

2 tubes Great Value refrigerated cookie dough
2 cans vanilla frosting
colored frosting for decorating or vanilla frosting with food coloring
jelly beans
licorice strips
colored sugar
any other decorations you want

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread one tube of cookie dough into an 8″ cake pan.  Do the same with the other tube.  Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes  or until cooked through and set.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in the pan.  Remove from pans.  Place one cookie onto a large serving platter.  Place the other onto a cutting board and cut as shown below.

Arrange pieces of cookies onto a serving platter as shown below.

Completely ice the cookies with the vanilla icing.

Let the kids help decorate!  Use pink for the ears, color the bowtie, and give the bunny some eyes, a nose, a mouth, and some whiskers.  The sky’s the limit!  Have fun decorating and then have even more fun eating him all up.  Enjoy!

Do you have anything special that you do at Easter?  How do you keep the kids busy?  What do you do with your leftovers?

 

 

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Taxes, Taxes, Taxes!

March 11, 2013 By Leave a Comment

Benjamin Franklin once said that, “in this world nothing is certain, except death and taxes.”

taxes

Yes, folks, tax season is here and you can bet that the tax collectors are coming to get their pound of flesh.

By now, you should have all of the documents you need to prepare your taxes.  All you have to do is get it all together, organize it, and start filling out the forms, right?  Or maybe you just get it all together and bring it to your local accountant.  Either way, be careful!

Tax season can be a pretty dangerous time for all of your personal information.  You’ve got social security numbers, bank account numbers, W-2′s, income and investment info….it’s all in one place!  It’s together, organized, and waiting for someone to take it!  And, unless you really trust your accountant, you could be just giving that information away.

We do our taxes online in the security of our closed network at home.  Still, that doesn’t mean that everything is safe.  I still make sure that I see the “https://” in the front of the URL.  That “s” gives me some assurance that my information is secure.  And seriously, make sure that you are shopping around and double checking the sites that you use to do your taxes.  How many fees are they taking?  Are they telling you everything upfront?  It really is worth looking for a service that you completely trust.

Still, like Franklin said, only two things are certain and you have no guarantee that even your most careful safeguards can fully prevent someone from getting hold of your information.  That’s why we are so thankful for LifeLock.  If someone is crazy enough to try and steal my identity, LifeLock lets me know so that we can put a stop to it before any real damage is done.

We also love getting tips from LifeLock on Facebook and Twitter.  It’s a great way to learn more about protecting your personal information and an excellent reminder to actually do it!  Also, make sure to check out the LifeLock for Life Sweepstakes for chances to win great prizes all month long.

How are you doing your taxes this year?  Online?  By mail?  Are you doing them yourself or having someone do them for you?  Have you already finished your taxes or are you waiting until the last minute?  Leave us a comment and let us know!

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