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Mucho Moolah! Monday’s Money Saving Tips…Vacation Savings…

Monday, August 31st, 2009

Well, your favorite southern couple has made it back safely from the beach, a little more relaxed thankfully.   Today’s money saving trip, therefore, is inspired by our recent travels, with the hope of saving you a little cash on your next vacation!

The first little tidbit that I want to share I am postive most of you wouldn’t do anyway, but hey, I’d feel bad if I didn’t mention it, and that is, to skip the big tourist-y stores!  They are all either over priced on the items they sell, or those items are of poor quality.  While at the beach, we drove by lots of these stores, and went in one of them.  That store had a lot of beach related stuff, some reasonably priced, some not, but all of it was poor quality.  Do yourself a favor and find a Wal-Mart or Target.  They are likely (not always) to have better quality stuff, and since they are located, in this example, on the beach, they will stock the beach themed items you need year round!

My other tip revolves around coupons.   Before you go on vacation, you should look up coupons for that area on the internet and print them off…the harder and somewhat more important part, as this southern couple found out, is remembering to take/use the coupons!  They made it to the beach, but we didn’t remember to use all of them…some, but not all!  And if you’re worried about appearances, don’t be, because everyone uses coupons, even at vacation destinations!

Those are today’s tips!  Feel free to add a comment with your own tips!  I’m loving some of the recent feedback!

And here are a couple of photos from the trip!

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Friday’s Financial News…Saving money on your cell phone plan!

Friday, August 28th, 2009

Today’s article is How to Save on Cell Phone Plans, by Lindsay Funston.   It gives advice on saving on your cell phone plan, based on a few questions to which you answer yes or no.  Jerrill and I have had to review our own cell phone plans lately, what with everyone texting like crazy.  I needed a lot more texts per month, and we both needed earlier nights and weekends.  I definitely would have liked to have had this list when I was tweaking my plan…unfortunately, I hadn’t discovered it yet!

The topics it helps you with are as follows:

  • Text Messaging – Whether or not you know it, text messages charge both the sender, and the recipient.  So, if you don’t send any messages, but still receive some, you are paying for them…depending on how many you send and receive, you might like to have a messaging plan.
  • Extended Calling Hours – Not everyone likes to wait until 9 pm to make all their phone calls, and certainly not everyone likes to receive them after 9pm.  Making calls before that time usually charges your “anytime” minutes, which are much more costly than your night and weekend minutes…this plan could save you significantly!
  • Prepaid Calling Plans – For the people that rarely use their phones.  Low minutes, low price…sounds pretty good, doesn’t it??
  • Overseas Calling – I have no real experience with this, but I know it’s expensive, so any way to save here is a good way!
  • Phone Insurance – No one needs this.  It’s ridiculous.  Period.

Personally, I think it’s unfortunate that most people don’t know what type of plan they have from their cell phones to their  cable/satellite packages!  If you are paying someone for something, you should know what you’re paying for!  Don’t just let them charge you and hope you’re getting a good deal!  Look into it!  Maybe this article and these tips will help you save some money.  Remember, $5 a month is $60 a year, which will be a nice addition to your budget, no matter if it’s for vacation or savings!

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Everybody Loves A Good Clips Episode…

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

This week I wanted to revisit some of my previous posts that I find to be worth repeating, because when it comes to money and relationships, lessons need to be reinforced.  It’s the best way to stay focused!  Below, you will find links to some of our previous and a description.  We hope they keep you focused if you are doing well with your money and marriage (relationship) or get you back on track if you’ve lost your way. 

  • Can You Plan Spontaneity - This is a recent post, but it’s a good one, and it’s one of our trademark tips for a successful lifestyle .  The post outlines how we have built spontaneity into our budget (which works quite well, I assure you), achieving both spontaneity (to have a little mystery about special outings, gifts etc.) and budget restraint (so you have so money to retire on one day).
  • YOU are an emotional piggy bank -   This post has generated a lotof talk of the last few weeks.   You are an emotional piggy bank, taking in deposits and doling out payments from other people.  Just like a bank account or a piggy bank, you need to have more deposits coming in than payments going out for the system (i.e. you) to function.  People that drain too much from you, drain you, and you should spend time with them sparingly, if at all.  This, of course, is opposed to emotional boosts, who make lotsof deposits into your piggy bank.  You should spend as much time as possible around these special people.
  • Never forget where you started… - This post is a reminder of why you got married or into a relationship with your spouse/significant other, and some tips on how to make it work better or keep it working wonderfully!
  • Why your friends are costing you money, and what you can do to stop it! - This post is all about being friends with people who have a larger income than you and ways to avoid the pressure of spending too much money, or spending money that you don’t have when you hang out/spend time with them!
  •   So, going to the gym is like budgeting my finances? - This post draws parallels between going to the gym and budgeting your finances.  Not only are there insights into better ways to budget your money, but there are also a few tips on going to the gym!  You can’t beat that!

So, those are the blog posts that we’d like for you to go back and take a second look at!  Hopefully, you will find some information that helps you along in your life, or reaffirms what you already have in practice!

 

 

 

 

“clips episode” of previous posts that are “must reads”

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Mucho Moolah! Monday’s Money Saving Tips… Buying furniture!

Monday, August 24th, 2009

Buying furniture is one of my least favorite tasks in the world. Not only are the salespeople pushy (usually), but they don’t want to bargain with you and the quality of the furniture usually leaves something to be desired, unless you are spending a fortune. Now, when I go to buy furniture, I always do 3 things, which are today’s tips. They are as follows:

  • Ask the question “Can you go any lower on the price?”.  This will at least let the sales person know they can’t bully you into a price you’re unwilling to pay.  Telling them in this manner isn’t confrontational and won’t offend them if they weren’t going to bully you in the first place.
  • If  they come back with a lower price, ask “Is that as low as you can go?”.  It’s uncomfortable, yes, but it could be worth a couple of hundred dollars, which is always worth it.  If they won’t go any lower, don’t push it by asking again, just say “ok” and then decide if you want the item or not.
  • Lastly, right before you leave, ask “Can you throw in the delivery charges?”.  The worst they can say is “no”, and if they wouldn’t come down on the price at all, and you decided to buy the item anyway, then they should absolutely cover the delivery charges.  Also, if they tell you that delivery service is provided by another company, then you tell them to drop the price of the item to cover the delivery.  I have had very good luck getting delivery charges that way!  

I hope these tips make your next trip to the furniture store at least a little more fruitful.  Remember that you have to walk a fine line of being firm but polite when dealing with the salespeople.  As much as you want them to know you can’t be forced into something, you also want to build a rapport with them that will make them want to “go to bat” for you with their superiors.  Good luck!

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Friday’s Financial News…Great Way To Save On Gas…

Friday, August 21st, 2009

Today I found a great website called GasBuddy.com. This website is awesome for those of us who are trying to save a little cash! From the main page, you enter your location in the field provided and it kicks back a list of places in your area that have the some of the lowest gas prices around! Not only can you access it from your computer, but they have a mobile phone application that you can use as well, if you have a smart phone, or a phone with a data package!

How does it work? Well, people just like you become a member, and as they get gas/drive by a gas station with low prices, they send in the information to the website, which posts the information for other people to use. Membership is free, and it is very simple to send/receive the information. Over time, this can add up to MAJOR savings!

Another neat way to use this website?? When you plan a road trip, you can check out the map section on the website. Although you don’t want to alter your course A LOT, you can at least use the information to find the most reasonable prices near where you think you’ll stop, so that you can save some cash on your road trip for more important things, like fun activities!

I suggest that you try to get gas in the middle of the week, since it is usually at it’s cheapest then (at least it is where we live…if it’s not where you live, watch gas prices for a couple of weeks and take note of the days that it’s at its cheapest). Pick the same day of the week to get gas (like every Wednesday) and look up the local gas prices on GasBuddy.com before you head to the pump! Good luck, and I hope you save some green!

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Today We Talk About Health Care, And How You Can Save Money!

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

Okay, so today I wanted to talk about health care. Not the proposed changes in Congress right now. I want to talk about a website that I found that can help you save money, which helps us all, no matter what side of health care reform you fall on.

This website, called Healthcare Blue Book, is a free service that provides fair price information to people for services or products for patients that pay with cash. The amount is what many health care providers accept from insurance companies as “payment in full”.

People generally can’t figure out how much services cost anyway, since it’s not like doctors make a habit of publishing their price list (which in my opinion is the REAL crime. Incidentally, my doctor actually does do that…he’s pretty awesome!). And if they do publish it, it’s the “billed charges” amount, which is higher than the amount they accept from insurance companies. Read more about this here.

Basically, you go to this website, type in a product or a procedure that you need, along with your zip code, and it will tell you the reasonable price you should pay for that service in your area. Although this website is mainly for people who need to pay for their health care with cash, it is also a good way to be sure that your health care provider isn’t over-charging your insurance company. Now, you might want to sit there and say “who cares if the insurance company is paying too much”, but if they are paying too much, they will make up that money somewhere, and it will probably (eventually) come out of your pocket!

So, go to the website. Spend a few minutes taking it on a “test drive”. Bookmark the page. Hopefully, you won’t ever need it, but Jerrill and I believe in being prepared (those of you who read our posts often know this about us), and you should too!

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Mucho Moolah! Monday’s Money Saving Tips…It’s all about the trade, baby!

Monday, August 17th, 2009

Today’s tip is in regard to a recent phenomenon taking hold again in our wonderful nation…Bartering.

I don’t know where the craze started to get big, but I imagine it started because of job losses and the economy slowing down. People need or want things and services, and bartering is a great way to get what you need or want without having the cash on hand. Craigslist is a great place to see modern day bartering in action. Here you can find computer “geeks” willing to fix your computer for other goods or services, or a hair stylist willing to cut/highlight/style etc. your hair for goods and services. I personally know of a hair stylist who trades her services for personal training sessions with a trainer. She wants to get in shape and the trainer needs a haircut…works out perfectly!

How to do it: Make a list of things you are competent at doing. Now, list yourself on websites like Craigslist, BarterQuest and U-Exchange. Hopefully, someone will look you up and have something you want in exchange for what you’re offering, or will be willing to buy something for you in exchange for your service.

Some precautions:

  • Be sure to have an agreement in place before the trade begins, so everyone is clear on the terms and no one can back out on the deal. If you can get something in writing or an email, that is even better!
  • If you see inappropriate behavior, report it. You could be saving someone else from a scam.
  • Try to barter locally, if you can. It’s better for your local economy and people will think twice about committing fraud so close to home (we hope).

Good luck and happy bartering!

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Friday’s Financial News…Don’t Forget Frugality…

Friday, August 14th, 2009

Today’s article is Is the new frugality fading? Posted by Donna Rosato, and frankly, I’ve been worried about this for a while. Now that the “new” has worn off of the economic recession, people have apparently started loosening the purse strings…this is a big mistake!

First let me say that you should keep in mind that this data reflects only one month, and that it could just be a fluke. I know that the unemployment rate has gone down slightly, and that demand for houses has gone up, but honestly, so what! Just because the economy might be showing signs of improvement does not mean you should forget the lessons you have learned over the last several months in ways to save money and spend less. One of the reasons that people have gotten into trouble with money over the years is that they spend all that they have, or more than they have and don’t save enough for their future when they retire, or, just as bad, save for when their income is lost/interrupted, so that they have no emergency fund.

Deep down, I’m hoping that spending rose because we are in “back to school” season, and parents were spending money on their little ones clothes, crayons and paper, but I just don’t know. Americans tend to have what I think of as collective ADD, where, as a nation, we can’t keep our “eye on the ball”. When something loses its luster or lasts too long, we tend to get bored, and I think that the recession has reached that point. I ask all of you to keep your focus, save your money and spend less.

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Why Staying United Can Strengthen Your Marriage…

Wednesday, August 12th, 2009

Honestly, I don’t understand where the breakdown happens in relationships. I mean, you got together because you loved each other (at least in theory) and worked well together. So why then, do people not stay connected and united as time goes by in their relationship/marriage? I don’t know the answer, but I do know what living life in a united marriage is like. Jerrill and I don’t take on any situation without talking about it first, if possible. Over time, we’ve gotten used to each other, and can anticipate each other’s actions’ and reactions’ to situations. However, for those times where we can’t anticipate the other, we discuss what’s going on and act in unison. This approach to life can be very useful with children… and other situations.

We’ve all seen the T.V. shows where a child comes into a room and asks his father to go to a friend’s house, and the father says “no”. The child then goes to his mother and asks her the same question, to which she replies “sure”. This couple is not united, but they should be. Always backing up your spouse when interacting with your children will keep the confusion of the day (week, month etc.) to a minimum and will teach the child that they cannot “divide and conquer” their parents.

Being united when you are dealing with life’s other problems, like a friend who betrays you, a jerk behind a counter who tries to assert their “authority” or a family member who tries to come between you demonstrates your strength in tough situations and discourages the individual from these actions in the future. Staying positive, and giving and drawing strength from one another is what it’s all about…but in the end, it’s also nice to know that there is someone who loves you above all others, who “has your back” no matter what.

Something to remember the next time “friend drama” starts to come between you and your spouse, or your child tries to con his/her way into a new toy using the “divide and conquer” technique!

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Mucho Moolah! Monday’s Money MAKING tip!

Monday, August 10th, 2009

As the summer starts to wind to an end, many of you might have noticed that your cash flow has dropped off, thanks to over spending at the beginning of the summer. Today, I wanted to remind you that there are a couple of good ways to make some extra money in the summer that shouldn’t cost you much to get started on!

Mowing other people’s lawns is a great way to make extra cash. If you own your own home, chances are you already have a lawnmower that you can use to mow yards in your neighborhood (and other neighborhoods if you have the ability to haul that lawnmower), and if you don’t own your own mower, borrow a friends until you mowed enough lawns (usually 5-8 lawns, depending on where you live) to buy your own! Then you can mow a few lawns in your spare time and have plenty of extra cash to go out with friends, pay for projects you want to do around the house, etc.

If you want to get really ambitious, a good way to bring in even more money than that is to pressure wash people’s driveways, fences or houses. If you do not already own your own pressure washer, this is quite an investment, but will pay for itself after only 1-2 jobs. A decent (not top of the line, but “get the job done” decent) pressure washer costs around $500, which I know sounds like a lot. However, when you pressure wash someone’s driveway you can charge $200-$400 dollars (depending on the size of the driveway and what part of the country you live in), so you will have made that money back quickly. Pressure washing a fence or a house will bring in even more cash, so you should ask around in your area to figure out a price point that suits you.

    A friendly warning:

  • Do NOT use the pressure washer without reading the manual and testing it first. Pressure washers clean by pressurizing water (duh, right?). If used improperly, you can accidentally damage what you are pointing it at…i.e., a driveway with a gash in it, a fence with a chunk sprayed out of it or a house with siding or brick blown off of it. This means you would have damaged the person’s property, and you’d end up paying them, not the other way around. Pressure washing is not for everyone, so don’t attempt it if you aren’t competent with the machine.

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