personal finance in a coupon blog

I recently read that the average American adult with a credit card racks up $1000 in debt during the holiday season each year. And the average two-parent household spends about $1500 on gifts annually. With such a large percentage of holiday gifts being purchased on credit, it's an indicator that typical American holiday spending is more than we can afford and out of control.

When we celebrated my first child's first Christmas a couple of years ago, we didn't know what to get such a young baby, so we just got her a couple of smaller items. Read More »

Last week I posted about ways to use credit cards effectively during the holiday season. If you're not careful, you could make your 2010 very difficult because you'll be owing interest on your holiday credit card bills for months to come (if not all of 2010). This problem will only be compounded if you've got a big tax headache coming to you next year. One thing to always keep in mind is how you spend money today can affect your financial future.

So how can you make sure that your tax burden is a little less burdensome? The surest way to lower your tax income is not all that helpful, but you'll see it mentioned: make less money. Helpful, right? On the flipside, there are probably a lot of people out there who would love to have to pay more taxes--it means you've made more taxable income. That said, there are good ways to lower your burden if you're looking to save some money in 2010.

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1. Make a list of everyone you need to shop for.

2. When you are out shopping, make sure you are equipped with store coupons. Such as % off or $ off coupons. I was recently at the Mall and there were coupons to be found for all your favorite stores. If you do not already have a coupon, ask the sales associate if they know of any current coupons or promotion that your favorite store is participating in.

3. Save your receipts in a safe spot in case item goes on sale, or you change your mind on the gift giving.

4. Use manufacturer coupons on DVDs, toys and more!

5. Don't buy something just because it is on sale--make sure you know what you are going to do with the item before you buy it.

6. Read More »

The holidays are no longer looming, folks. They are here. Gasp! No wait! I'm just the messenger.... Seriously, though. We here at Savings.com think we can help you work things out with a deal or ten from this week's Top 10 Deals. No need to be picky when all the deals are so delightfully tempting.

'Tis the month of Thanksgiving and (given our own mild to 'must-remember-to-cut-up-the-credit-cards' shopping addictions) we are definitely thankful for some of this week's hottest coupons--and we hope you will be too!

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Have you started your holiday shopping yet? Ah, the holiday displays and "Silver Bells" playing over the sound system--not to mention parking hassles, crushing crowds and fist fights over the last Tickle-Me-Elmo...

Why not avoid the stresses of your local mall and shop at home? Not only are we helping you to save money when you shop online with our Black Friday coupons and Cyber Monday deals, but we're giving away a HP DV7T Quad Laptop so you can surf the web in style.

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Christmas is less than six weeks away (yikes!) and if your bank account isn't what it used to be, then it's time to make some quick holiday shopping cash. Here are five ways to put some money in your pocket so you can leave the credit cards at home.

1) Get rid of your dated gadgets. If you've got an old MP3 player,cell phone or digital camera taking up space in your junk drawer, check out Gazelle.com. Enter a few details about your gadgets and instantly learn trade-in values. Gazelle.com pays for shipping and you'll get your money in a week.

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When we talk about "fillers" what does that mean? Well, at both CVS and Walgreens there are times when your purchase calls for a filler. Interestingly enough it is for different reasons at both stores.

CVS -  When you shop at CVS and use Extra Care Bucks (ECBs) they are just like gift cards, you don't get any money back from them. So let's say I have a $5 ECB and my purchase total is $4.50, CVS will NOT be giving me any change back. So if I don't want to 'lose' that .50 cents I can throw in an inexpensive 'filler' item to get my total closer to $5.

I also have used filler items when I am using a CVS $/$$ coupon, like a $5 off a $25 purchase. Let's say my total was $24.20 and I wanted to use that $5 off a $25 purchase I would have to toss in $.80 worth of 'fillers' to get my total high enough to use the $5 off coupon. I always try and toss in something that I need, I like the soap bars, or tissue as fillers because 1. I need them and 2. Read More »

If you haven't yet tapped into the many free or nearly-free items at your local drugstores each and every week, then you are about be thrilled! Even some of the best money-savers don't know the trick to getting tons of your household necessities for free or nearly free each week. Indeed, the best deals of the week almost always can be found at your local drugstores , just as long as you know how to find them and what to look for. There are many excellent blogs out there that take you through the weekly deals at the drugstores, and my blog, Saving Money Plan , is just one of them. Let's take a quick look at how these drugstore deals work (some people call this "the drugstore game") and how you can start bringing hundreds of dollars in free items home with you! Read More »

Many magazines have coupons in them these days. Read More »

In today's tight economy, more consumers than ever are looking for alternative ways to stretch their Christmas shopping dollar. The key to saving money when shopping retail is to find the deals in advance and stick to your budget. With proper planning, you won't be tempted to pay full price for any of your gifts.

The early arrival of Black Friday this year offers consumers more time for holiday budget planning. It seems that the traditional day after Thanksgiving mega-deal day, has been turned into an entire season. Some stores started as early as Halloween with their 'Black Friday' savings.

Along with Black Friday, shoppers can also look forward to Cyber Monday online shopping deals. Many websites list stores and their Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals for your convenience. When ordering online, many payment screens have a space to input a coupon code for additional savings. Many times, you can quickly pop onto a coupon forum website and find a valid coupon code. Read More »

It is possible to whiten your teeth inexpensively.  A regular size bottle of Hydrogen Peroxide will cost you about $1 or less at most stores. It is the main ingredient in all those over the counter whitening products. Check out a list of prices and ingredients in Crest Whitestrips . That's right!  It's just good old Hydrogen Peroxide.  And it will cost you about $30, just to get a regimen of their whitening products.



Here's how I whiten my teeth : I use a small amount of hydrogen peroxide as a mouth wash twice a day for 7-10 days. Read More »

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday because it is pure. It is about getting together and enjoying company. But somehow each year I hear of someone stressing about the who, what, where, when and whys. If it is all left up to one person, naturally the task will bury them. With luck and a bit of delegating, some of the duties can be farmed off to others in attendance. Just remember that the purpose of the day is bigger than any bird on the table and the impression you give is more about the company you provide to others, not the jello mold.

 

I'll be here to help with food questions, tips and trick anytime by email and in person via Skype (FoodieDaddy)  Wednesday 5-9 and all day Thursday - except during dinner. Read More »