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Posts Tagged ‘Money tips’

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Get your audiobooks for free!

Monday, March 8th, 2010

I know that some of you don’t do audiobooks, but for those of you that do, you know that newer release books cost quite a bit to download/purchase.  Well, this weekend, while trying to find the best price on an audiobook that Jerrill and I wanted to listen to, we stumbled across a great way to listen to them for free!

Our local library (and hopefully yours as well) offers audiobooks to be downloaded on their website for free!  Our local library connects us to NetLibrary, an eBook and eAudiobook content distributor.  They have a huge selection for their members to choose from, and offer the content FOR FREE for a set time.  The audiobook we wanted to listen to was available, and with an access code, we downloaded it for free for 20 days, which is more than enough time to listen to an audiobook!

Take it from me when I say that this is a great way to read or listen to books!  Not only is it free like your local library, but you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your own home!  What a great way to save some money!

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Saving on ATM fees!

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

ATM fees are one of those things that we all probably wish would fade away (except perhaps the owners of the banks), considering they usually run $2-$4 each time, possibly from each bank!  Luckily, there are a few ways to avoid these fees.

The first is the obvious choice: Use only your own bank’s ATMs.  Not one on your current daily route?  Look into changing routes, or possibly changing banks to a bank with ATMs near your home or on your daily route.  One caution though:  Be sure if you decide to change banks for a more convenient location that you don’t switch to a bank with less features or worse interest rates/customer service. 

A better choice?  Skip the ATM and get cash back when you’re buying groceries or picking up something at the drugstore…any place that offers a cash back feature is a substitute ATM, without the fee.  Another good reason to use this method?  You definitely do not have to go out of your way to get the money you need!

Another option is to switch to an online bank that refunds its ATM fees (a new benefit, recently cropping up).  A great place to find a bank with this feature is Bankrate.com. 

With any of these options, you can save money on your bottom line every month.  The money you save can be allocated to paying off debt or go into savings, because let’s face it, you weren’t missing it in the first place.  It might as well be put to good use!

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Fees and mirroring…

Monday, February 8th, 2010

For most of us, fees are the type of bill that give us heartburn or headaches.  They stink!  And, if we’re actually paying attention to our bills, fees just irritate us to no end.  Especially when we see all the extra taxes on there lumped in with the fees, since we give Uncle Sam plenty out of our paycheck every year.  But noticing these fees is very important!  As a matter of fact, being vigilant and reading through your bills as they come in is very important, since not only might you be paying a fee you shouldn’t, but you could also catch a company in the practice of “mirroring”.

I will be the first to admit that it is sometimes difficult to decipher fees when the bill comes in, but that’s no excuse for not knowing what is happening on your account.  If, after pouring over the bill for a little while, you still can’t figure out what is going on, call the customer service line and ask them to explain it.  A nice added benefit?  If you’re more vigilant about bills, it might carry over into your bank account, and then you won’t be charged overdraft fees (if you were overdrawing in the first place, because let’s face it, you shouldn’t be).  Overdraft fees from banks are one of the biggest stupid taxes around.  If you pay attention to how much you have in your account, you won’t be charged.  It’s only when you are unaware that they happen, and no one should be unaware of what’s going on with their money.

Now, how about “mirroring”?  Mirroring is a practice of charging you twice in the same month for only one month’s service, by companies who have access to your bank account because you’ve set them up on an auto pay function, where they have access to your account.  I use this feature myself, although, truth be told, I’m very sceptical of it.  We check our bank statement carefully each month to ensure that mirroring does not occur, and it has happened to us in the past.  Usually it’s not terribly complicated to get adjusted, if you catch them quickly.  The problems start to occur when you haven’t noticed the problem over the course of months, or a year, and them try to get your money back.  They have had it for a year!  It doesn’t always go well if you wait.  Remember, if you give a company access to your account, then you have the responsibility to yourself to ensure that they are doing right by you and only taking what they are supposed to take.  Never let them take advantage of you!

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Taking on too much & treating yourself…

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Okay, so what happens when you decide that you want to lock down your finances, follow a budget and get out of debt.  We know that getting out of debt can be a boring and tiring experience, but you can take some precautions to guard against that. 

First of all, stick to your budget, but allow yourself a little indulgence on rare occasion.  Why?  Well, it’s my opinion that everyone only has so much willpower to give to something, and eventually they will break and indulge anyway, so little indulgences keep away the big ones.  So, what types of indulgences are little?  Well, when you’ve got your finances locked down, and you’re buying basic needs only when it comes to groceries, TV and movies/shows etc., on occasion it wouldn’t hurt to buy a nice meal from the grocery.  Make that a special family night with a nice meal and some board games or something.  Or, you could save a couple of bucks every week out of your grocery budget to take the family to the movies or some other inexpensive activity.  Your choice!  The point is to indulge occasionally to keep you focused and on task, without blowing through your budget.  If you never treat yourself, you might fall off the wagon.  Notice to those of you who are “used to” treating yourselves…this does not mean you can do your normal “treating”…no mani/pedi’s, or blowouts, or daily cupcake from the specialty $10 a cupcake store, or expensive clothes/shoes/tools.  This is a small indulgence.  A $20 pick me up a couple of times a month.  If you can’t stick to that, you’ll never get out of debt.  And no, you don’t “deserve” those mani/pedi’s, because they are what got you into debt in the first place! 

Trying to do 2 or more hard things, like getting out of debt and quitting smoking (for example) at the same time, means even more added stress to your willpower.  You have to give a little slack and indulge yourself  while getting out of debt, because the alternative,in this example, is indulging in smoking.  Not cool.  And indulging a little there would save you money anyway, since once you quit smoking, you would have a ton of cash to put toward paying down your debt!

What’s the take away?  Get on a budget.  Pay off your debt.  Learn to live like an adult who doesn’t get everything they want every time they want it.  But stay on this path for the long haul by making the occasional small ticket splurge!

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Other places to shop…

Monday, January 18th, 2010

You know, it always amazes me how many people shop “in a box”, and won’t step out of it for anything.  There are, much to the surprise or dismay of some, lots of places to shop other than the mall, outlet malls, strip malls and “boutiques”.    Consignment stores and the retail stores of charitable organizations like the Salvation Army and the Goodwill are great places to find a deal.

Consignment stores are retail locations where people take their gently used clothing and accessories are sell them at a fraction of what they paid.  The consignment store then turns around and sells the items at a discount.  This means a great savings on things for you.  A small disclosure…you DO have to scour the racks for the gems, and you DO have to scour the items for defects and you should ALWAYS wash the item before using/wearing it.  Also, I personally wouldn’t buy undergarments, swimsuits or shoes secondhand, unless your options are completely limited.  The discounts at some consignment stores can be up to 75% off the retail price, and there are consignment stores that are targeted to a specific audience, such as young teen/college age and professional women and maternity.  Check your local community for the options available to you.

As far as charitable retail sites like Goodwill and the Salvation Army, the same rules apply.  You have to look through things carefully before choosing to buy from them, and some things might “need a little work” before they can be useful to you, but these are not bad places to find a deal.  Not everything there is “crap”.  A lot of the time, things are merely discarded items that people no longer want…that doesn’t mean they aren’t worth anything.  As a matter of fact, Goodwill has an auction website, similar to Ebay, called shopgoodwill.com.  You can find antiques, collectibles and luxury goods that have been donated to Goodwill to bid on at this site! 

No matter what your thoughts on these places are, you shouldn’t judge them unless you’ve been there at least once.  If, after going to a consignment store, you don’t like what you see, simply don’t go back.  If however, you find it a worthwhile place to shop, then you are likely to save quite a bit of money over the years!

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Handmade gifts! There’s still time to make something for your loved ones!

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

I know that in some parts of the country, a handmade gift is the last thing anybody wants to receive, but for most of us, it’s still a very thoughtful and kind way to show you care during the holidays!  No, it’s not a $200 bottle of wine or $500 shoes etc., but it fits in the budget of most people (are you struggling right now?  This could be a good choice for you!) and expresses a kindness and appreciation that a store-bought gift doesn’t always show…especially if the gift was bought without the individuals personal tastes kept in mind.  You know, on a personal note, I’d like to say that buying a gift for someone without any thought put into it…basically just to buy them a gift, is not cool…it wastes your money and probably won’t be useful to the recipient. 

Anyway!  There a lots of great choices for handmade gifts.  You could bake sweets or bread, knit/crochet something , make a decoration or make handmade soap etc. for someone.  The possibilities are endless.  It only takes simple know how and a few items to make most of them.  They are especially economical in bulk!  For different ideas on handmade gifts, go here, here and here.  There are plenty of other places to find gift ideas on the web, but these will get you started!  Good luck and remember, don’t think you can’t do something because you haven’t in the past!  Jump in a tackle that project!

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Extra money for the holidays…

Monday, December 7th, 2009

The holiday season is well under way, and now is the time to make some extra cash for those last minute Christmas gifts!  The usual way of making extra money is to get a seasonal job at a retail store, but more often than not these jobs come with the problem of being guaranteed to work on Christmas eve, probably the late shift, and every other weekend until Christmas Day!  This is a deal breaker for a lot of people.  Now, if you want to get one of these jobs for the season, feel free to do so.  I am always glad to see someone choosing work over credit!  If however, you’d like to make some extra money this season, without pigeon-holing yourself into a crazy work schedule, I might have a couple of good ideas for you!

One way to make some extra cash this year is to offer to fill out or write Christmas/holiday cards for elderly (or busy) people in your life, your friends or family etc. You will be doing them a favor and making some cash in the process.  You should be aware, however, that this means you have to do a competent job, putting just as much effort in the cards as they normally would.  Also, how much should you charge?  Well, I would say if it’s an elderly relative, cut them a discount, but other than that, I would charge per card, whatever you think is fair in your local market.  I say this, because, you could probably get a better price in a place like New York City and Los Angeles, as opposed to rural towns in the Midwest.  Not sure what’s fair in your local market?  If someone does take you up on your offer, ask what they think is fair!  Not getting any interested people by word of mouth?  Advertise in your local paper and on Craigslist!

Another way to make some extra cash is by offering to go to the post office and mail packages for people.  Charge a flat fee, and if you get enough interest (see above for ideas on this) then you can combine trips and up your hourly pay!  I would charge a couple of dollars per package, and of course, they pay the cost of shipping. 

The problem (obviously) with both of these tips is that you won’t make as much money as with a regular seasonal job, but that is the price you pay for wanting a flexible schedule during the holidays.  It’s your choice of course, but these tips could bring in enough extra money for a fun and festive holiday at your house!   Good luck!

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Save money over time…you hate that printer anyway, don’t you?

Monday, November 30th, 2009

Like many of you, I am not a fan of the printer industry.  They charge us for their printers, and then, like pouring salt in the wound, they charge us ridiculous amounts of money for the ink to make them work!  Personally, I have switched to a laser printer, which was reasonably priced, even if the toner cartridge is pricey.  The difference?  Laser printers can print a few THOUSAND pages, where an ink jet printer can only print 300-800 pages, and some really cheap printers will only cover 50-100 sheets of paper.  So, how do you keep from getting ripped off with ink jet printer cartridges?  Buy ink, not cartridges!  It can save you roughly $11 a month, but the real satisfaction comes in not paying those ridiculous prices for the cartridges!

So, where do you get ink?  Well, some local drug stores and shopping malls offer a place to buy ink, and if you can’t find a place locally, check out Staples.com.  They have a section on their website, Ink and Toner finder that might just be a great way for you to find the ink you need. 

Let’s face it.  You don’t buy a new car when you run out of gas, so why would you buy a new cartridge (or printer) when you run out of ink?  Enjoy your savings, and the satisfaction of not being taken by the current system!

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3 tips to save on childcare, medicine and pet care!

Monday, October 12th, 2009

Today’s tips revolve around 3 areas of life that most of us would be happy to find a way to cut costs, no matter what our age or socioeconomic status is: childcare, medicine and pet care!

A great way to save money on childcare is to make friends with another family who has a child and go in on a babysitter together!  Think about it!  If you both only have 1 child, then the sitter would charge you each, say, for example $10 an hour.  But you would only be charged $14 or $15 an hour if you had 2 children, so combine your kids, and save some cash!  Then, each family is only responsible for $7.50 an hour!

For medicine, you need to talk to your doctor and see if they will write the prescription for double the dosage.  If they will, you can cut your pills in half to get your necessary dosage, and only need to buy your prescription every other month!  It might not save a ton of money, but as much as healthcare is in the news these days, I think everyone wants to save money, even a little, on their healthcare costs!

As far as pet care goes, when you go away and board your pet, you are paying a premium.  Instead, try finding other pet owners who are willing to watch your pet in exchange for you watching their pet!  You save on the boarding bill, and they will probably get more loving care that way too!  If you have a pet that doesn’t do well when you’re gone, and a boarding place is your only option, do worry, there are other ways to save!  find local pet grooming schools, and take your pet to be groomed there!  The discount is usually in the neighborhood of 40%, compared with operating grooming establishments.  Lastly, and honestly, I can’t believe such a thing exists, much less that I am having to talk about it, but drop your pet insurance.  I mean really, the amount you pay for such insurance than you would save in vet bills!   Understand, I have 2 cats that I love and want to live forever, but when their time comes, I will not be bankrupting myself just to make them live on a few extra weeks, probably in pain.   So save your money on the pet insurance…it probably won’t work out to your monetary benefit in the long run anyway.

There you have it!  3 tips that will hopefully save you some money THIS month! 

Additionally, we would love to start taking questions from our readers.  If you have a money question, or a relationship question (about how we make it work)  that you would like answered, feel free to leave a comment, and we will review and post the relevant questions!  Thanks for reading!

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Ways to shop online and save some cash!

Monday, September 28th, 2009

While having dinner with some friends a couple of weeks ago, we were discussing money saving tricks (some of our friends are just as frugal, if not more so, than we are), and one of them shared a trick I hadn’t heard of, so today, I am sharing it with you! There are “money back websites”, where if you do a lot of online shopping, you can get rebates for purchasing products through their websites! Some examples of this are:

Ebates.com: This website is a good tool for those of you who do a lot of online shopping. The trick to Ebates.com is that you have to “shop through” their website, as in, you go to their website first, find the store where you want to make a purchase, click on the link, and shop. The site is useful because you can search for a store or a product, which means if you need a product, but don’t know where to get it, you can search for the item and shop that way. Cash back percentages vary from store to store and the site sends out the rebates to their users quarterly. Some good news is that if you shop at certain online stores, you can get the item shipped to the “bricks and mortar” location and get free shipping! Bigger purchases mean bigger rebates, so consider this site when you need to purchase big ticket items!

Mypoints.com: At Mypoints.com, you can make purchases or take surveys to earn points. They offer several ways to earn extra points. For example, in addition to making purchases and taking surveys to earn points, you can click through emails and subscribe to their elist. After accruing a certain number of points, you can exchange them for gift cards to stores and other locations, or donations to participating charities.

39dollarglasses.com: If you have the prescription for your glasses and want your glasses on the cheap, this is the place for you. Go somewhere you can try on glasses and figure out what kind of frames you like, then get on their website and find similar frames (or the exact same frames, if you can), and buy them, on the cheap. They aren’t the nicest frames (you wouldn’t expect that for the price though, would you?), but they are good for people who wear contacts and just need something occasionally. Bonus? This website is also on Ebates.com, so you can get cash back on them!

I would like to thank my friend Jodi for pointing these websites out, and tell our readers that I hope you find them useful! Happy shopping!

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