Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Super-Duper Dean’s Super-Duper Money-Saving Tips



~ The first step is to keep track of where your money goes

Write down every penny you spend. 

Examine the list to see what you can do without. 

And then do without it. 

~ Don’t buy what you don’t need. 

Fix what you can. 

Or do without. 

~ You can save at least $40 a month, by getting rid of your cell phone. 

But only if you’ve competed the one-to-two-year (or however long) agreement. 

~ You can save $40 or so (depending on how much you pay) a month, by getting rid of your gym membership. 

~ You can save more money per month, by getting rid of cable TV. 

Watch the shows you like on Hulu.com and other such sites; sometimes even the networks’ own sites. 

Get a digital to analog TV converter box, so you can watch with an antennae. 

Usually costs a one-time fee that would be less than paying for a month or two of cable. 

You won’t get to see as many shows, but you can use the time you would normally waste watching TV to find the cure to cancer or invent a way to turn tapioca pudding into gold. 

Or some other way to become mega-rich; and then you can buy your favorite network; and have them run the shows and movies you want to see. 

~ Shop only once a week! That way you have to think of what you really, really want and need. 

Write down what you need from the grocery store; and stick to your list when shopping. 

Keep track of what you don’t eat. 

If you throw away a bag of spinach every week or two, maybe you’re not eating spinach as much as you think you are. 

How many melons must go bad, before you realize you’re just not a melon guy or gal? 

~ Wait until movies come out on DVD to watch them!

DVD rental is cheaper than going to a movie theater. 

Plus, if you miss something, you can rewind. 

And if you can’t understand what the actors say, you can turn on the subtitles. 

Of course, some movies need to be seen on the big screen!

Like Inception where the buildings collapse on themselves. 

Or superhero movies, like The AvengersThe Amazing Spider-Man
The Dark Knight Rises

Sadly, Jaws loses a lot of its impact on a small screen. 

Which frightens you more a 25-foot shark? 

Or a 25-inch schnook? 

I know, I know, it depends on whether or not the schnook can shoot lasers from its eyes. 

~ Here are the money-saving steps for seeing a movie, 
from most to least expensive. 

Most Expensive: Grand opening of a movie with all your friends going to see it: 

Pay full price at the theater. Just don’t eat movie snack food/drinks. 

Expensive: Matinee price at the movie theater. 

Medium-Priced: The discount theaters that charge about $3 for movies that came out a month or more ago. 

Medium-Priced/Less Expensive: Watch movies online from Amazon Instant Video at Amazon.com. (Depends on the movie and such.) 

Less Expensive: DVD rental from a DVD rental store. (Depends on the store and the length of the rental.) 

Even Less Than Less Expensive: DVD rental from Redbox

Even Less Than Less Than Less Expensive: DVD rental from a Blockbuster Express “Blue Box” after the movie’s been out for a while; and they only charge a $1 plus sales tax. 

Best PriceFree! Watch some movies online for Free from Amazon Instant Video at Amazon.com. (Depends on the movie and such.) 

You can save DVD rental money by “renting” DVDs from the library! 

Or wait a couple years, for the movie to air on broadcast TV. 

If you can’t wait that long, keep searching YouTube for someone who posts it, but you have to watch it fast, before it gets taken down (rightfully so) for copyright infringement. 

You can create a Google Alert to let you know when anything with the title of the movie you want to see gets posted. 

Maybe your city will show it outside for free. 

Might be on the side of a building. 

Or on a sheet that flutters in the breeze. 

But makes for a nice picnic date. 

And you might meet your significant other. 

~ And while we’re gabbing about freebies, why bother to buy new books when you can borrow them from the library? 

~ Also, Amazon Kindle offers Freebies from time to time too. 

Plus, you can get most Kindle books for a lot cheaper than the print editions. 

~ Get a Free Kindle Reading App, so you dont even have to buy a Kindle to enjoy the great Kindle savings. 

~ Make a game of seeing how much money you can save! 

~ Decide to donate a portion of your savings to help the destitute; and then youre not just saving money, youre saving lives!

Blessings & Joy,
Dean




Coming Wednesday: When Did Saturday Morning Cartoons Get to Be So Silly?

Coming Friday: Sanity Check: Pass Or Fail?





P. S. For more information about watching movies online for Free!, check out Stacy Fishers freebies.about.com article: 

Friday, September 21, 2012

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Five Ways to Save Over a Grand a Year

Five Ways to Save 
Over a Grand a Year



Five Easy Tips to Save You $1,500 a Year or More

Here are five good money saving tips courtesy of ARA Content:
You work hard for your money. By thinking carefully about how you spend it, you can cut down on unnecessary expenses. Here are five easy strategies for making sure more of your income stays in your pocket.
1. Pay Off Credit Card Balances Every Month
According to Yahoo! Finance, each American family carries about eight credit cards, with an average balance of around $9,000. About 60 percent of Americans pay credit card interest every month at an average rate of 14 percent annually, according to www.creditcards.com. If you pay your credit card bills off every month, you can actually save $1,260 annually, instead of paying it to your bank.
2. Dump Credit Cards That Charge Annual Fees
Many credit card companies charge their customers an average of $25 to $100 a year just for the privilege of carrying their card. If you have one of these cards, find one that won't charge you.
3. Avoid Bank Service Charges
Banks charge their account holders a variety of fees. But, you can save money if you take steps to avoid paying them.
First, if your bank charges you a fee for not keeping a certain minimum in your checking account, try linking your primary account to another account to avoid the charge. This can save you approximately $11 a month, or $132 a year.
Second, banks charge an average of $27.04 for every overdraft their customers make. Another source estimates that annually Americans write about 450 million checks that bounce. To avoid charges, keep track of your account so you can avoid writing overdraft checks.
Lastly, carefully look over your monthly statements and make sure your bank isn't charging you fees that you don't owe.
4. Shop Around for the Best Cellular Phone Service
According to www.LetsTalk.com, the average monthly cell phone bill is $60. That means the average user pays $720 a year for the convenience of "staying in constant touch" with family and friends. If you only use your cell phone for emergencies, or use only a small amount of your allotted minutes every month, consider switching to a prepaid cell phone. Most prepaid plans don't require a deposit or service, monthly rental, activation and termination fees. You can pay as little as 2 cents a minute, and you only pay for the minutes you use.
5. Cancel Unnecessary Subscriptions
Are you watching all the television channels you pay for? Consider canceling any cable or satellite channels you don't watch. Just eliminating one premium channel can save you an estimated $50 to $100 a year.
Also, if you don’t read all the magazines and newspapers to which you subscribe, consider reading them online. Canceling unnecessary subscriptions can save you between $500 to $600 a year.
Saving money can be much easier than making more of it. For more money saving tips, and information on many other personal finance issues, visit www.AssociatedContent.com, the ultimate destination site for high-quality user-generated content on virtually every imaginable topical subject.
Article Source: http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/saving_money/


All the Best,


Monday, September 17, 2012

Friday, September 14, 2012

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Offers Kids Free Books

Offers Kids Free Books



© Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

According to  at About.com, if you visit Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at http://www.imaginationlibrary.com/; and click REGISTER MY CHILD at the top of the page, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library will send a free book to your child every month from birth to age 5.

Some restrictions apply. (Like your child needs to live in participating communities in the U.S., Canada, or the U.K.) 

Please click the Article Source link below for more information; and/or visit http://www.imaginationlibrary.com/.

Article Source: http://freebies.about.com/od/familyclubs/p/dolly-partons-imagination-lib.htm?nl=1


All the Best,


Wednesday, September 12, 2012

True Money-Saving Stories

True Money-Saving Stories

(From the UK via Piggy Bank)


It’s interesting to hear of real-life stories of how people have managed to save money. But it’s important to remember that what might work for you might not work for everyone else.

For example, some years ago we got rid of Sky TV and installed Freeview, thinking that the range of channels was almost as good (we didn’t watch over 90% of the channels anyway) and that we’d save on a monthly subscription. Great idea, except that we soon realised we actually missed having Sky and valued the choice on offer plus the Sky+ box, so we subsequently had it re-installed!

Another example, after listening to classical music and smelling filtered coffee on a trip round a bookstore we decided to buy a coffee filter machine. It was a great idea at the time. Except that we only used it twice and it languished in the bottom of a cupboard until we finally gave it away.

Here are some snippets and ideas that we have picked up from friends and family on how they’ve managed to save money.

Razor blades. These can be expensive to buy and get thrown away after use. An electric razor may not be as close a shave but it’s far less expensive in the long run.

After Christmas and some weight gain, a year’s subscription to a gym seems liked a great idea. How often did they go? Once! Instead this person cancelled their subscription and now takes long walks with the dog to keep fit.

Food we don't eat. For example bananas. Sure, you eat the first 3 out of a bunch of 9 before the rest start turning brown. Why not just take 3 off a bunch and leave the other 6 behind?

ATM fees. One recent example we found when we were stuck for money and just needed a tenner for a few bits was an ATM in a shopping complex, which charged a fee of £1.50 per transaction. On a tenner that’s 15% interest! The lesson: don’t get caught short of cash in areas without free-to-use ATMs.

Newspapers. How many of us fill up our paper recycling bin with unread newspapers every week? With today’s hectic lifestyle very few of us actually read the full paper, perhaps just skimming the headlines and juicy stories. Most of the news is available on-line – sorry tabloids but it’s an expense that we can do without.

A contentious one and not for us, but a friend of ours has stopped buying lottery tickets. Every time he bought fuel or visited the shop he bought a ticket, spending an average of £5 per week on them. After 10 years he has won around £50, so he has stopped buying them saving £260 per year.

Another well trumpeted one to avoid is credit cards. Great for convenience and being able to buy things you can’t afford immediately but a real sting in the tail with interest rates. Try not to use them as they can be very expensive. Good planning combined with a bit of self-discipline will allow you to utilize a savings account instead of a credit card. This site will allow you tocompare various savings accounts. Over time the money you save will be substantial.


Toys for the dog. The kids insist on buying a toy for the dog every time they go shopping. As a consequence, we now have a storage bin full of stupid (and largely unused) dog toys. Complete waste of money!

Any of these sound familiar?
Saving money, how to save money and reduce outgoings. All material © Piggy Bank unless otherwise stated. We are not responsible for the content of external sites. The tips and ideas included in this site do not constitute any form of financial advice. With regards to financial or other products, we do not make any specific recommendations regarding their suitability.

Article Source: http://www.piggy-bank.org.uk/money_saving_stories_33.html

Thank you Piggy Bank!

All the Best,


Monday, September 10, 2012

Video: How America's Cheapest Family Lives and Saves Money

Video:
 America's Cheapest Family 
Lives and Saves Money


Uploaded by  on Oct 7, 2010

Here's a helpful tip from the comments below that video:


Eat less meat, stop drinking soft drinks/drink more water, shop around for cheaper car insurance, never co-sign, max out your 401 K at work, make a budget, stay away from malls/stores, eat in more, use coupons, buy used, use your local library, brush & floss teeth daily, take care of your health, borrow dvd's from library/redbox, buy a IRA Roth every year, learn about investing at your library, google Dave Ramsey/Clark Howard, don't lend money, shop at thrift stores, buy in bulk. -- Posted by: dontgetmarried999 


Thank you Steve and Annette Economides (a.k.a. America's Cheapest Family), , and dontgetmarried999!

All the Best,



Friday, September 7, 2012

Freebies Frenzy




If you are looking to get free samples by mail, you will need to submit your name and address to various websites where companies are giving away their free samples.
===> Get Your Free Samples by Mail by signing up to our free newsletter <===
Signing up to our free newsletter will enable you to be notified instantly of new samples that are available so you can be assured to get them before they run out. You can also browse through many of the free sample offers on our website here to start requesting them.  
Some important things to note about free samples by mail:
    • Many times companies will offer the free samples in return for a short survey or questionnaire to get information about you.  This helps them gather research about their consumers and help enhance or improve the product after getting the data and feedback from you.
    • In the new world of social media, many companies are using the power of Facebook to offer their free samples by mail.  You will need to have a Facebook account in order to participate in these types of freebie offers.   Companies are finding that its more powerful to their brand to engage users via Facebook.
    • Free samples run out and often times fast!  Even if a company is giving out 50,000 free samples, more times than not these will be gone very quickly in a matter of a day or more depending on how good the sample is.  So its important to act right away when you see a free sample offer come up on our website or via our newsletter email.
Article Source: http://freebiesfrenzy.com/free-samples/free-samples-by-mail/


All the Best,


Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Mass Money-Saving Tips


Before You Go to the Store

At the Store

  • Buy fresh fruits and vegetable in season. Find out which fruits are in season now. Farmer's Markets are great places to shop for deals.
  • Look for store ads and coupons and join your store's discount card program.
  • Join a Community Food Co-Op and share the cost and food with a friend.
  • Buy canned or frozen fruits on sale. Make sure fruits are packed in water or 100% juice, and that there's no added sugar.
  • Buy canned or frozen veggies on sale. Before cooking canned veggies, rinse them in water to cut down the salt.
  • Try the store bands- they are just as good as brand names, and can be a lot cheaper.
  • Use your food budget wisely. For the price of a party-size bag of chips and a box of cookies, you can buy a variety of healthier items such as apples, bananas, carrots, peppers, etc.

When You Get Home

  • Do "batch cooking" when you have the extra money and time. You can cook a large amount of soup, chili or spaghetti sauce, divide it into smaller portions, label and date it, and freeze them to eat later in the month.
  • Take advantage of leftovers to save food dollars. For example, prepare a roast, serve half of it, and freeze the remaining half. Use later with vegetables for a quick soup, on tortillas, in stir fry or in hash.
  • When you put leftovers into the refrigerator, make sure to put them somewhere you'll see them. You might forget the leftovers are in there if you place them somewhere towards the back.

Find Out If You Can Get Assistance

  • If you are pregnant or have a child under the age of 5, contact WIC to see if they can help you with nutrition counseling, food vouchers, breastfeeding support and referrals to other services and programs.
  • Contact your local school to find out if your children qualify for a reduced or free lunch and breakfast.
  • Contact your local town about elderly food assistance programs.
  • Ask if your church has a food pantry.
  • You might also want to look into Food Stamps or contact Project Bread to find out about other resources in your area.
  • Join a community garden group and learn to grow your own veggies.


This information is provided by the Department of Public Health. 
© 2012 Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 
Mass.Gov® is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Article Source: http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/consumer/wellness/healthy-living/eat-better/money-saving-tips.html


All the Best,