E-Mealz – A Mom’s Dream Come True

Posted on June 26, 2011 by dmsmithblogger | Permalink 0

I have recently used a service available in the US called E-Mealz. This service is a lifesaver. With your quarterly payment plan, you get a menu full of dinners for a week based on the sales paper at your store.

Since using E-Mealz, my grocery budget went from around $300 every two weeks, to $80-$90 once a week, and sometimes less. I have been able to save up to $120 on my grocery budget, per paycheck for a total of $240 for the entire month. I don’t have to make a grocery list out, unless I need staples or a few extra things, and I don’t have to plan dinner.

For example, I use the Kroger food chain. I purchased the three months, 4 person family plan for Kroger for $15.00. Each week I can click on the previous week’s menu and this week’s menu. I print out my menu, complete with recipes and cooking directions, and my shopping list. From the list I can highlight what items I need to buy based on what is in my pantry at the time. I gather my coupons based on the items (which will save me even more money than what is totaled at the bottom of my shopping list), and I head to Kroger.

E-Mealz super-easy website is designed for the busy mom (or dad), and designed to please even the biggest cheapskate’s budget. There are also dinner menus for a family of two. There are coupon tips and even surprise freebie recipes on holidays.

Now you ask, “But what about the recipes, are they any good? What will they do to my waist line?” The recipes are all very delicious. Of course, it is up to you whether you cook them. I often have a meal or two that I didn’t cook during the week and I may carry those ingredients over into the next week. I keep a notebook with all the recipes printed out so that I may skim through them if I don’t care for a particular recipe.

I am always watching my waistline and so I opt to buy the more healthy of the varieties if given a chance. Many times, the same item is for sale for the same price with lower fat or sugar or salt.  There are also diet plan options available at E-Mealz for such the person, but I haven’t tried those receipes so I can’t comment on them.

Next you ask, “Is it worth the money just to pay for supper when you still have to buy breakfast and lunch items?” To that I say  yes! The one meal a day when everyone is home is dinner. It is the biggest meal and the most expensive. It makes your grocery bill low enough that you can still afford to buy eggs, lunchmeats, milk, etc., and often the grocery list includes many of these items that can also be used for breakfast and lunch. Also, the portions are big enough that you can have left-overs for lunch the next day.

Another question you may have is, “What if I don’t cook?” Many of the dishes call for dumping it all into a crock pot and pushing the on button. No brain-er meals with little to no effort and no cooking skills necessary make E-Mealz the go-to planner to trim your budget as well as tantalize your taste-buds with more than just a burger from a local fast food chain.

At no more than $5 a month, saving you hundreds of dollars on your already growing grocery bill, with delicious and nutritious recipes, why would you not try it out for three months? If you have not saved at least $100 at the end of a month, I will be surprised!

 

1, budgeting, Budgeting your groceries, couponing, Saving money , , , , , ,

Update: The Grocery Game slipping?

Posted on June 26, 2011 by dmsmithblogger | Permalink 0

Over the years, I have gone back and forth between the Grocery Game website. Lately, I have to say they are slipping in their research. As the company has grown bigger, their research has gotten a little less accurate, which has cost me some serious money. I noticed that their sales papers are not the same as my sales papers and their deals a week behind sometimes.

I realize that as a site grows bigger, this means more research in more areas, but I’m beginning to think they’re not quite worth the money. If your stores research is always accurate, then use the website; but for me and my town, I think I’ll stick with my own research.

1

Couponchief.com get paid to shop!

Posted on March 5, 2011 by dmsmithblogger | Permalink 0

We all know that cash is best, but if you must shop online, only shop sites with coupons. Coupons are all over the Internet. If you Google “coupons”, you can get  up to 213 Million results with some of the most used coupon sites for groceries and online deals in the top ten; remember,  most used does not always mean best deals.  Do your research first and always read reviews. One of the most impressive coupon sites for online shopping has got to be www.couponchief.com. 

Couponchief offers several incentive programs to use their site including coupon commissions and charity programs. If you click the “How it works” link at the top of the home page, there is a short video that will show you exactly how to use the coupons on the site. There is no charge for the service, a free account is not even required to use the program; but is required if you are going to use the “pays-2-share” program, and why wouldn’t you! You can upload coupons you find and couponchief will PAY YOU 2% commission on any purchases used with your coupon, and it is connected to a Paypal account or you can opt for a paper check.  With 213 million sites to browse through to find coupons to post, you could make some extra money easily. The greatest thing is, your purchases count towards your commission, so it is like getting rebates on your already discounted purchases. Just be sure to look through the list of qualifying retailers or look for the little yellow cents icon in the corner. You can also add a widget to your own page to earn extra commission from them.

One of the most impressive features of couponchief is the “coupons-4-causes” feature.  You can search their list of causes they support and choose your favorite, or email them to add your favorite. Couponchief is paid commission by the stores linked to their site, couponchief donates 50% of the commission to those causes. Be sure you read the full terms and conditions of the donations, or you may be left wondering if money is really going to your cause because they only send the charity a check once the balance reaches $50 or more. You should always help out charities, know that a closed fist can receive nothing in return, but an open hand can receive just as it gives. Apparently, the people at this site know that too.

Be sure to leave your feedback on the pull out tab if you have a question or idea. Read the terms and conditions or the FAQ’s, they are very helpful with your questions and are written in layman’s English so they are easy to follow if you are going to try to get paid by them. Add their blog to your RSS feeds for the newest and greatest deals, The best part about couponchief.com is the coupons themselves! Some of the best on-line stores are available and there are thousands of coupons to browse through. You can read any reviews of the coupons below each coupon so that you know if that coupon is going to work or not.

Remember that if you must shop online,  never, ever shop without a coupon. Do you homework before you purchase and if you can find a better deal on another website, and they are trustworthy, use them! Read the reviews, and if you can get paid to shop from a legitimate site, do it! While researching, check out couponchief, they’re worth a look.

1, budgeting, couponing, Saving money , , , , , ,

Treasure Hunting: An Integral Step towards Humanity

Posted on January 20, 2011 by dmsmithblogger | Permalink 0

How many of you watch shows like Storage Wars or American Pickers? These shows have recently rekindled the history of America and are trying to teach people that their old “junk” is really a treasure. These shows show passionate people going all over the United States, looking at people’s possessions and telling them what they are worth and sometimes purchasing these items. But does it show more than just the worth of some old sign? Most definitely.

Each piece has its own story; each piece has its own history. For the first time in a long time, shows like this have Americans interested in American history. We are learning about the small businesses, and industry that kept this nation going over the past several centuries. It is important to keep this alive. The history books in school are not telling our children these stories. They give an overview of what happened a long time ago to a bunch of people they don’t know, and so our children aren’t interested. In a school in Tennessee, they actually spend three days only on the Vietnam war. Three days to teach our children the importance of respect and kindness to the homeless Veterans they see sitting in front of the grocery store begging for food? How ridiculous! Treasure hunting is a good way to make this history tangible to our youth, and the rest of us who have forgotten what we were once taught. Picking up a sign for War Bonds, or “Rosie the Riveter” and buying it, and selling it, is a great way to instill in our children, not only the importance on making an almighty buck, but the importance of human worth, and historical worth.

Give a child a first edition copy of The Diary of Anne Franke and tell them they should research it before they sell it, and see if it does not change their hearts when they see the faces of those affected by the Holocaust, and by the World Wars, and understanding what really happened. Watch their face when you take them to an auction house and watch the frantic bidding as their college fund just got bigger, and they see the importance of this little girl named Anne to the little Jewish Couple on the front row who cry when they win the book.

Treasure hunting can also teach our children the downfall of greed, and the psychological impact the Great Depression had on American people. When they see these people who have acres and acres of land that is covered in nothing but old junk, rusty cars, and nic-nak’s and the owners won’t part with any of it, teach them that many of these people survived the Depression in America with only the sack clothes on their back. Teach them these people hold onto everything they have because it has become a disease of fear. When you have lost everything, once you get it back, you don’t want to let anything go in fear you will need it some day. Teach them the importance of planning, making sound decisions, and resisting the fear of an economic downturn.

Treasure hunting has become a rekindled trend. It is one that is an integral step towards our own humanity and patriotism, teaching our children and our grand children history, humanity, and sound financial decisions. Pass onto them the passion of “junkin”, you may just find out they are better off for it.

1, budgeting, History, investing, Saving money , , , , ,

10 Ways to Cut $100 from your Budget

Posted on January 18, 2011 by dmsmithblogger | Permalink 0

During a time when finances are tight for all of us, it is important to get back to the basics of spending. Focusing on the essentials has become more important when gas prices are so high, the economy bad, high paying jobs are scarce, and relief does not seem so eminent. So when changing your habits, sometimes extreme isn’t always the best way, but small steps will lead to big rewards. Here are ten small steps towards saving $100 extra a month.

1. Cut out Watching On-Demand or Rented Movies: We often find that convenience overrides planning. Many will defend that renting movies is cheaper than going to the theatre, and this is true; however, patience can mean you can still have entertainment without breaking the bank. If you are an avid movie renter, On-Demand movies, which is just a fancy way of saying Pay Per View, can cost up to $5.99 for HD film quality. Some of the same movies on HD can be viewed on free services such as www.hulu.com or a subscription to an online movie rental service, such as www.Netflix.com. Some may say that Netflix is an unneccessary expense, but at the cost of one monthly subscription, plus one month free trial,  there are hundreds of movies available “On-Demand” plus mail in movies. Just be sure you don’t upgrade to the higher cost subscription. This takes longer than going to the store rental location, or getting on demand movies, but in the long run, it is cheaper. Just one night of On-demand movie watching can add up to $15.00 to your already ridiculous cable bill, and one trip to the movie store can cost just as much. If you do this twice a month, your cable bill just went up over $30 with tax. When you figure in gas and how easy it is to order a pizza when the movie store is next door to a pizza place, one night of “cheaper than the movies” can actually cost you just as much. You may also consider a DVD swapping club with your friends. You can swap movies they have at home for movies you have at home.

2. Don’t Supersize: How many times do you go to a restaurant or a fast food joint and they ask you what size you want? What about the fast food place with the fountain drink, how many of you order a small cup and then refill when it is low, paying less for the same amount of drink? When you go to a restaurant, consider ordering from the ala carte menu, the sides menu, or just an appetizer. There is plenty of food and you will save on your bill. Also if you are a convenience eater, and eat out every meal because you “can’t cook” consider that sometimes a sandwich or a salad made at home is still inexpensive, portable, and does not require any “cooking”. Try brown bagging it at least two to three days a week, save yourself up to $30.00. Also, when going to your local fast food joint, pay attention to your bill, often times they will “Supersize” your ticket and not your food, stating they automatically do that unless you tell them otherwise. That’s right! They do!

3. Check your Utilities: Go over your utilities and check the specials of your local providers. Often times, even existing customers will get great price reduction rates just by bundling services and letting another provider go. Before I was a budgeting goddess, I was paying $56.00 for a landline phone through AT&T, and $133.00 through my cable provider for Basic Extended Cable plus Internet. When I bundled the two together and fired the other, I saved $125.00 al-together, that is $1500 for the whole year! I now pay $65 for all three services, without sacrificing quality. That rate is for the next two years, saving me $3,000 in total if I do nothing for the next two years. In two years, or before I’ll see who has the better deal and may swap again. Loyalty is overrated! How many companies do you know whose loyalty specials outweigh new client specials? Pretty much none!

4. Swear off Restaurants or only eat at ones with coupons: I know this seems extreme, but one meal at a high-end restaurant can run you over $100. Consider eating at home instead, once you accept the fact that sometimes, you just gotta eat hamburger helper, you get use to it and you don’t get hungry and start flipping through the phone book, you get hungry and start digging through the freezer. If you just simply MUST go out to eat, consider only eating at restaurants with a coupon or gift card. Often you can ask the manager if they have any “free appetizer” or “Kid’s eat free” cards. If they want your business again, they’ll give them to you. Also, depending on the type of work you have, often they will give special promotions to your field, such as 20% off to public service or loyal customer rewards.  Check the circulars that come in the mail, you can often get coupons for fast food places and pizza there. You can also check their websites for promotions they have going on or call them before you go and ask them if they have any specials available. This can save you up to $15 a dinner, $25 if you have a gift card.

5. Coupons, Coupons, Coupons! Another thing you can do is don’t go anywhere without coupons! Everyone has them, oil change places, grocery stores, restaurants, and clothing stores. If you have to pay full price for something, go somewhere else! Some “Extreme” couponers can manage to get $600 worth of groceries for $6.00, but more realistic, you can save anywhere from $35-100 on your grocery bill alone. Always ask if there are specials going on, never be afraid to ask for a bargain, if they want your business, they will find something.

     Footnote, Save the money you save on coupons Get a notebook, write down the actual price you would spend on something without your coupons, then write down what you actually paid. Now take the difference and put it away in an interest bearing account. Not only will you see the difference, but you’ll make interest on it as well! I suggest www.ingdirect.com, they have many options for sub-accounts and different ways to save, including the “Electric Orange” checking account.

6. Save all your change Even if you are a debit card user, you can still save your change. If you break a dollar, save your silver and copper and count it up at the end of the month, if you use your debit card, round-up your check register to the nearest dollar and see how much you saved in your checking account at the end of the month. Consider how many transactions you go through in a month. Some people can have up to 3-4 transactions in a day during the week, more on the weekend or on a shopping trip or vacation. That is well over 90-100 transactions in a month, adding up your change could save a super spender $50-$100 a month in change, at least $20-$50 for a conservative spender.

7. Get a part-time job Getting a second part-time job always comes in handy and doesn’t have to be so extreme that you would need to be a pizza delivery driver, or a waitress. Consider cleaning once or twice a week for someone, or offer to do their laundry once a week. Babysit! Trust me when I say a mom would rather entrust their child to an adult than a 16 year old any day, and believe it or not, babysitting pays pretty well. Consider cleaning offices once a week around town, doctors clinics are often looking for someone to come in and sanitize a few times a week, just be sure you are up to speed on the latest OSHA regulations.

8. Pay with cash I have always said that paying with cash is the way to go. When you have to see your money dwindle down, you don’t want to spend it. Just paying with cash will make you want to at least keep a $20 in your wallet until next payday.

9. Avoid “Starbucks” with a vengeance! I know that this is what every financial blog tells you, but it is true. Spending money on a tall skinny white chocolate peppermint mocha is a sure-fire way to waste money of frivolous behavior. Buy a self-timer coffee pot, set it at night, buy the same creamers in the dairy section of the grocery store and pour a cup when you are walking out the door, squirt some whip cream on top if it makes you feel more fancy. $6.00 every morning for a croissant or oatmeal and coffee adds up, that is $180 a month in coffee.

10. Cut down on your subscriptions Review your internet subscriptions, such as ancestry.com, netflix.com, weightwatchers.com, etc. All of these are great websites, but sometimes when you begin to add up all of your monthly subscriptions, they take a bite out of your budget. If you simply cannot live without them, or if they save you money in the long run (like the advid movie renter on #1), consider using the lower cost subscription, instead of upgrading to the deluxe versions. If it is something you haven’t looked at in over a month, get rid of it.

The simple fact is there is always room in your budget. You don’t have to be so extreme that you cut cable, telephone, internet, ride bicycles, eat rice and beans, and never drink coffee again, but cutting down on excessive expenses, shopping less and always with coupons, and delving into all of our luxuries in moderation, you can easily save $100 or more from your budget. What could you do with an extra $1200 a year? If you add all of these things together, and do all at once, you could save an average of  $600-$800 for one month! Can you believe that? Now, drinking coffee made from your house and that hamburger helper just doesn’t seem that bad does it?

budgeting, Financial , , ,

Beware Deferment Ploys

Posted on November 18, 2010 by dmsmithblogger | Permalink 0

How many of you pay extra on your home or car payments? There is a little trick you can do to make your principal go down, pay every two weeks. You will need to check with your loan company and make sure they do not penalize you for this (if they do, consider refinancing with another company, its your loan, pay it when you want and how much you want).  If you are paid on a bi-weekly basis, you can pay half your payment every two weeks. Because you will get paid two to three extra paychecks a year, you will get ahead on your payments. Your interest rate will go down and, if you are in a crunch, you can pay a little less for one month. But because these companies make their profit off your interest rate, they will try a scheme to get you back on track, the deferment plan.

A deferment plan is when you can skip a payment for one month. The catch is, they don’t skip the payment, they just tack it on to the end of your account, so it’s just like pushing it back. They do this also because they don’t want you paying extra. If it saves you money, it costs them money. Instead, if you are low and your payment allows you, only pay a portion of what is due. This may sound confusing.

Right now, my car payment is $324 dollars a month. (I know, that’s high!) I pay $200 every 2 weeks, which means I am paying $400 a month. Which means my interest rate is covered, and my principal is going down fast. (This still works if I split my required payment in half and did not pay the extra $76 dollars a month.) Because of the extra payments, the loan company’s computer calculates my next payment due three months from now to get me back on track with their original pay schedule. Because of this, they keep sending me deferral notices so that I don’t pay for a month and I get closer to their pay schedule and they can still get the interest payment that will accrue because my principal payment will remain the same instead of going down. If I am a little short on money, I can afford to pay $100 every 2 weeks for a month. That will leave me $200 that month to use. I am still paying on the principal on my loan, just not as much as I usually do. But because I am so far ahead, it doesn’t hurt me in the long run. This isn’t something I could continue to do, but if I was in a crunch, it is manageable. Also, if something really bad happened, I could not pay until the next due date, three months from now. I would get to defer my payments, without them reaping any benefits.

If I continue to pay like I do, and I do not get into a crunch (because I have budgeted and because I have an emergency fund), I can pay my car off a year earlier than scheduled, and save myself hundreds to thousands in interest. This can work the same way with your mortgage.

No matter your situation, whether you are in a money crunch, or whether you are smooth sailing, it is always best to avoid deferments. It looks better on your credit, and you will be done with your debt sooner without them. With extra payments, you allow yourself the buffer you may need without hurting your credit.

1, budgeting, debt , , ,

Get Relaxed: Get Back to Nature

Posted on June 5, 2009 by dmsmithblogger | Permalink 1

     If you are trying to find a way to do things on the cheap these days, consider getting back to nature. An average family of four at Disney World will easily run you into the thousands, but a nice and quiet weekend in the mountains will cost you only half. Saving money on the grocery bill by getting back to nature is possible as well. Being “nature friendly” can save you big bucks. Here are some ways how.

Build your own food garden: Building your own food garden can be a productive and fulfilling way to save a little money. Even if you live in an apartment, window boxes full of herbs and fruit are possible. Some great things to grow on your patio are tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, lettuce, and herbs. If you have a bigger area, consider peas, squash, cucumbers, okra, and watermelon. There are lots of great websites to help. One of my favorite, www.FrugalDad.com  has great directions on a table top garden.

Visit a State Park Some of the greatest (and cheapest) times are spent at a State Park. Most smaller parks only charge $1 admission, maybe a little more, and the wildlife and activities are well worth it. Parks offer swimming, picnicking and usually have barbecues and pavilions, hiking trails, beaches, canyons, and mountains. Palo Duro Canyons in Canyon, Texas has a musical every year in their amphitheatre that is very good as well as horseback riding and hiking. Carlsbad Caverns New Mexico offers one of the most unique and large caverns in America and well worth the trip. Also, if you live right down the road from a state park, many offer a monthly or annual pass.

Go Fishing Fishing is an excellent way to save money. A one day fishing license usually runs only a dollar. Catching your own fish can be a great stress relief, even if you don’t catch anything. Also, when you do catch fish, keep them and eat them. Fish is a great lean protein filled with Omega 3s your body needs. If you aren’t into fish, consider donating them to someone who does, or just let them go for someone else to enjoy.

Go Canoeing Canoeing is a very relaxing and fun thing to do with friends and family. It brings you together with your canoe partner, helping you grow as a team. It is also great to sit back and enjoy the scenery. If you aren’t into canoeing, consider tubing instead. It is just as fun and relaxing without all the extra work; just remember that in a tube, you can’t put dry clothes or snacks.

Plant flowers with your kids, parents, or friends A garden is a wonderful way to get back to nature. Somehow getting down and dirty and knowing you are responsible for making something grow is a great way for personal growth and doing it with someone you care about helps you get closer to one another. Children love to plant flowers and to see all the neat bugs and critters that are in the dirt!

Go to the beach Everyone loves the beach but have you ever just gone with nothing but a towel? Many times when we go to the beach it becomes such a hassle. Where are we going to sit? Who is bringing the chairs? Where are we going to go for lunch? Forget all that, go to the beach with bare minimums. Lay on the towel and watch the waves, listen the the gulls and children laughing. Recognize the vast power of the ocean and get lost in it. When you get hungry, just get up and go home, or bring a sack lunch or a picnic basket, but nothing more than that. Find the simplicity of the beach and you will enjoy it so much more.

Find your way back to nature and the world will open for you. You will find it is cheaper to vacation there and a stress relief to boot. Get back in touch with your loved ones and find a way to grow closer together through nature.

1, budgeting , , , , , , ,

10 Ways to Save When Having a Baby

Posted on June 2, 2009 by dmsmithblogger | Permalink 1

As brand new parents you are going to want the best for your baby; you may buy the most expensive and best quality everything to show your baby just how much you love them. Reality check, babies laugh when you make funny faces and pooting noises with your mouth, they care nothing about a Coach diaper bag and a going home outfit from Vera Wang. Cheaper is better, in more ways than one. Here are some tips on how to make your newborns money go further.

1. Get Coupons and Samples: Coupons and Samples from the hospital and your doctor are a good place to start. Never throw them away, you can trade formula coupons with friends or on-line, or give them to a charity for others in need. Get your friends to bring coupons for formula and diapers to your baby shower and have a coupon tree. Get an artificial tree with clothes line pins on it and have them pin a coupon to the tree, you’ll get great deals. Also, don’t underestimate free samples, put them in your diaper bag for emergencies.

2. Take the Stuff from the hospital: When you have your baby, the hospital will bring out a bassinet and underneath is all kinds of the latest and greatest formulas, diaper bags, shirts, blankets, hats, socks, and diapers. Take them! That’s what they are there for and it will save you a good $40-$50 dollars.

3. Borrow a breast pump or ask for one at your baby shower. I know it may seem strange or even gross to borrow a breast pump, but it can save you money. One time through the dishwasher and its as good as a new one. I preferred the AVENT one-hand pump, and it comes with a bag that even years later, I use as my makeup bag. The pump also comes with two AVENT bottles, saving me from having to buy those bottles.

4. Breast feed: Breast feeding is a great way to save a little money. Pumping before you go somewhere can leave you without an emergency if you are where you cannot feed. The nutrients from breastmilk is better for your baby, and you save on weeks of formula buying. Another plus to breastfeeding is breast milk does not stain your baby’s clothes like some of the formula will, prolonging the life of their clothes.

5. Ask your friends to borrow their old baby clothes or trade them clothes for something they would need, and skip the shoes for a while. The more you can save on clothes the better. Babies will ruin clothes with spit up and diaper leaks faster than you can buy them. If you must buy clothes, consider buying the four packs of onezies or diaper shirts when around the house, and save the good clothes for outings. The side snap diaper shirts are great because you don’t have to pull them over baby’s head and get spit up on their face and hair. They are no more expensive than the pull overs and they don’t go all the way over the diaper, saving you from the leaking diaper stain.

6. Skip buying the changing table. I really thought I needed the changing table, but after the first few weeks, I changed my son wherever I was. I threw down a blanket on the couch, bed, or floor and changed away. If you already have a cabinet and such to keep clothes and diapers, there really isn’t the need for the table.

7. Go cloth or buy in bulk. If you are going to be at home with baby and don’t mind laundry, cloth diapers may be a good way to go. Yes, they are old school and not as convenient, but baby’s bottom is less likely to get a rash, and it will save money on purchasing disposable diapers. If you buy disposables, buy in bulk from a place like Costco or Sams. If you don’t have a membership, buy from Walmart, they carry some bulk amounts. Also, save on wet wipes by washing baby’s bottom with warm water with dial antibacterial soap when they have dirty diapers. It isn’t a full bath, just a little rinse off of the back side.It can make a big difference with diaper rash if baby’s bowel movements are real acidic.

8. Return Unwanted Gifts: There is no need for four diaper genies, return them and save the money for diapers and formula.

9. Make your own baby food: I never bought food. When it came time for my son to eat solid foods, I began with smashed bananas and rice and formula. Buy a food processor or a baby food grinder. Watch out that there are no chunks in the food. You can freeze all of this, put it in ice cube trays and freeze, when frozen put them in a zip lock bag and thaw as needed. There are lots of homemade baby food recipe books and web sites, but the best suggestion is, once food allergies are known, just feed baby what you are eating, just make sure there food is not seasoned like yours.

10. Don’t Underestimate the help of family and friends: Family and friends are going to be your life line. Support is going to be what keeps you afloat. If someone has half a pack of diapers left from when theirs was a baby, take them! If someone gives you coupons, take them! Reach for any hand that is out to you. It will save you in the long run.

1, budgeting , , , ,

An Update on Going Green

Posted on June 1, 2009 by dmsmithblogger | Permalink 0

If you have been following me, or even if not and you have read “The Going Green Challenge” you know that I have been on a path of  financial enlightenment called “cash only”. I had challenged myself to use cash only to watch my spending, and I have to say, It has been something of a life changer. I truly thought I would stick with this for a paycheck, get tired of it because I wasn’t really changing my habits, and go back to using my debit card. After the first paycheck of saving almost $700.00, I didn’t dare go back. I expected to meet a little resistance with my free spirited husband; however, after he saw how much we saved, he was on the wagon with me and hasn’t looked back. I truly believe this is the easiest and uncomplicated budgeting tool a person or couple can use. There is no fancy moving around of bank accounts or investing, just paying cash. All I did was decide on how much we could afford to spend on the everyday. This cash has been used to pay for food, clothes, drinks, entertainment, or anything not bills or gas. Our bank account has gone from living paycheck to paycheck to having enough to skip a paycheck and still be fine. You may not save this much early, it may take some time, but for us, it has changed our path in life. By living this way and seeing how much money we really didn’t need to spend, we have filled our BEF, baby emergency fund of $1000, savings, and our sinking funds have been started on the right path for everything we’ve wanted. This is truly how we want to live. I believe this plan is solid and for anyone. It is making do with what you have and realizing, in the end, just how much that really is. I believe that even if your budget only allows for you to save $20 a month, this is still the right path to take. Perhaps it is just what you needed to keep from being overdrawn every month. Once you are saving on those overdrawn fees, that $20 may soon turn into $40 or $60. Challenge yourself to see how much you truly save by spending only the cash in your wallet and forget you even have that pesky piece of plastic. Get back to the old school way of thinking about your money, I assure you, you will find a better path.

budgeting, Financial , , ,

Beware the “freebie”

Posted on May 29, 2009 by dmsmithblogger | Permalink 0

We all love things for free. We search for deals and steals on- line for free samples, free shipping, etc. What happens when being free isn’t so great? These are words we must beware when shopping for our best freebies.

1. When Freebies cause riots: When getting things for free or almost free come at the expense of others safety and health, it’s just not worth it. “Black Friday” sales, the sales the day after Thanksgiving this past year cost one Wal-Mart Greeter his life. When the doors were opened, the crowd trampled the poor greeter, stepping over his dead body and while the emergency personnel worked on him, the crowd continued to push the personnel. Another example is Oprah’s generous gift of free grilled chicken from KFC this past month for all American’s. All coupons had to be printed on the first day; confusing the crowd that they must be used that day, there were riots at KFC’s all over America, all for a free 2 piece chicken meal.

2. Risk Free: Risk free does not mean free. You pay a small amount, usually the shipping cost and try a product in your home for so many days. On the last day, if the product has not been shipped back, (and some times you must pay for this) you get charged for the product, whether you want it or not, or the rules on returns are not quite clear enough and they charge you and keep the product.

3. Monthly Memberships for free: There are places who allow you to have a “free membership”, which is actually an annual fee with a promise that “qualifying items” will be shipped to you for free. The truth is the $79 you pay to have things shipped to you for free isn’t exactly free is it?

4. Free Trials: The free trials you pay for on the internet are alot like the risk free products. You give a credit card number up front, and after so many days if you have not called the number that is always busy, you must pay. They do this because they usually get at least one month out of every person.

5. Buy One Get One: BOGO deals are not free either. You think you are getting a good deal until you learn that you must pay full price for the most expensive item and if your free item qualifies as free, then you get it. Many places. At the grocery store, this usually just means 50% off, and you can purchase one half off and not have to get another one, but this isn’t always the case at a retail store.

6. Free Shipping: Free shipping usually means free shipping, but in some cases it may be six to eight weeks before you get your package. Of course there are always options to pay more for your shipping to expedite it. When choosing a product based on the shipping, just have “buyer beware” on your mind and read all the fine print, unless you don’t mind waiting.

All of these freebies aren’t necessarily free and you should really search and beware when choosing these products.  Also, keep in mind that if getting something for free may put you or others at risk, maybe you should stay home and shop online!

1