By Delightful_Toni
(view all posts by Delightful_Toni)
at 10:46AM Friday November 20, 2009
under
Money Saving Tips
In order to be a fantastic coupon
shopper, you will need a few tips to help you get the best savings
you can.
- When an item is on sale for Buy 1 Get 1 Free, it is actually
very common for you to be able to use two coupons. One for each
item which makes for a much greater savings! Be sure to check with
your local store for their policy on this because, as always, each
store is different. This is the best deal at a store that rings up
two items are half price instead of one item full price and one
item free.
- If you have a coupon that says "off any size," the smartest
thing to do is purchase the smallest size item. Most travel size
items are $1.00 or less so this is a great place to stock up on
items you use all the time like deodorant. For a long time there
were baby wipes coupons out for $.50/1 that did not specify a
size.
By HSimas
(view all posts by HSimas)
at 1:59PM Tuesday November 17, 2009
under
Holidays
With times already being tight, the advent of the holiday season
can add even more stress to a household on a budget. In addition to
the expense of family presents and holiday meals, showing your
appreciation for the hairdresser, mailman, assorted teachers and
tutors and anyone else who comes to mind can leave very little in
your wallet to celebrate. Luckily, there are still some holiday
traditions that don't cost a thing. I've gone on a virtual trip
across Europe to gather some of the best ones for you.
By Delightful_Toni
(view all posts by Delightful_Toni)
at 12:05PM Tuesday November 17, 2009
under
Money Saving Tips
The first thing that you need to do to start getting all of those
great deals you hear about is accumulating coupons. Each week there
are usually two different coupon inserts in most newspapers. Once a
month there will be THREE inserts. And then there is that exciting
weekend for us couponers that pops up once in a great while where
you get four, five or even SIX inserts! It's rare, but it does
happen.
Having multiples of each coupon makes it easier for you to take
advantage of all of the sales and get multiples items at once. This
helps build a food storage, which we refer to as a stockpile.
Obtaining multiple inserts each week is not as hard as a lot of
people think it is. The easiest and cheapest way is to ask family,
friends, neighbors and co-workers to save them for you. I have been
couponing for five years and I still get inserts from my family.
By Dana- Frugal in Virginia(view all posts by Dana- Frugal in Virginia)
at 10:37AM Tuesday November 17, 2009
under
Holidays
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.
By Dealman
(view all posts by Dealman)
at 3:34PM Monday November 16, 2009
under
Money Saving Tips
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.
By mylitter
(view all posts by mylitter)
at 9:46PM Sunday November 15, 2009
under
Money Saving Tips
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.
By savingmoneyplan
(view all posts by savingmoneyplan)
at 4:21PM Sunday November 15, 2009
under
Money Saving Tips
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!
By nicolesnickels
(view all posts by nicolesnickels)
at 9:10AM Sunday November 15, 2009
under
Money Saving Tips
Many magazines have coupons in them these days.
By TheThriftyMama
(view all posts by TheThriftyMama)
at 3:17PM Saturday November 14, 2009
under
Money Saving Tips
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.
By stella.louise(view all posts by stella.louise)
at 11:17AM Friday November 13, 2009
under
Money Saving Tips
I spent the week in Las Vegas at a conference and as such I was
inspired to write this post. Las Vegas--aka "Sin City"--is
world-renowned for its gambling, a past-time whose charms elude me.
In my opinion, if I'm going to be dropping a wad of cash I want to
see something leather in my closet to show for it. Spending money
on slot machines, roulette wheels and the like is the equivalent of
taking a match to your bankroll and setting it on fire.
Except when you do that, at least you'd enjoy some warmth...
And so I started thinking of other extreme money wasters for
those with money to burn:
By Yasarh
(view all posts by Yasarh)
at 11:26AM Thursday November 12, 2009
under
Newsworthy
In one of my previous posts, Take Me Out To
The Bar Game, I wrote about how you can save money by going to
a bar instead of watching a live sports game. Turns out people all
over the country are taking that advice a step further and just
watching the games from home.
Recently the Washington Post reported that NFL TV ratings have been rising due to the
recent economic downturn. They're claiming that more people are
watching games from home either because they want to get their
money's worth out of the HDTV they bought or because watching games
from home is free. Both theories make sense.
By Dealman
(view all posts by Dealman)
at 2:37PM Monday November 9, 2009
under
Money Saving Tips
Here at Savings.com, we stress that credit cards are not your
best bet when saving money. A 20%
off sitewide code is great, but if you're putting that payment
on a credit card with a 15% APR, that will basically negate the
savings from a coupon. If you don't pay off that bill immediately,
you're going to be paying interest for months into the future.
When it comes to Christmas shopping, the same principle
applies...and then some. If you carry a balance on your credit
card, it's quite likely that you could be paying off this year's
holiday gifts well into the next year - if not the whole year round
until the next holiday season comes around! If you bought Christmas
gifts on credit in 2008 and your credit card is not yet paid off,
it's like you're paying for Christmas throughout the year. The
answer? Don't pay with credit. Of course, that's not a feasible
strategy for everyone.
By GCapes
(view all posts by GCapes)
at 10:38AM Thursday November 5, 2009
under
Money Saving Tips
Now that the Holiday shopping season is upon us, it's time
to...what's that? You thought you had a few more weeks to kill
before you had to even start thinking about gift buying, long
lines, and bank account breaking? Hahaha, oh no my friends! Wasting
away the next few weeks can mean missing out on some of the best
bargains available.
Every year it seems the holiday shopping season gets moved up
sooner. This year several retailers, both online and off, started
their big festive season pushes in August. For the most part,
however, many seasonal deals started to appear in full force the
day after Halloween. The days of procrastination paying off in last
minute bargains are slowly fading away into the past.
So, in honor of slow-cooked turkey, pine needles littering the
floor, festivals of light and quick kisses under strategically hung
mistletoe, I'm going to give you a brief primer in getting the jump
on cool holiday tech deals that won't put you in the poor house
come January 1st.
By Dealman
(view all posts by Dealman)
at 2:56PM Monday November 2, 2009
under
Money Saving Tips
Halloween's over and with it the
scary season. Some would say the scary season of the bad economy is
coming to a close as well. How true is this? Well, it depends on
who you ask because if you're struggling financially, there's no
doubt that you're going to be pessimistic about the overall economy
as well. But there are some encouraging signs that the economy is
coming out of its slumber. This is good news for retailers who are
probably a bit worried about the spending habits this coming
holiday season.
Let's look at some of the major
indicators. Last week it was revealed that the Gross Domestic
Product went up 3.5%. Given that a recession is defined as two
negative quarters for the GDP, it would appear that the GDP is a
great indicator of our new fiscal health. Still, there are those
who argue that the GDP isn't that
great of an indicator, and may not mean that we're in a
recovery mode, just that we're effectively treading water. However,
there is some evidence that we're entering a recovery as
well.
By stella.louise(view all posts by stella.louise)
at 12:10PM Friday October 30, 2009
under
Holidays
'Twas the day before Halloween
and the big Monster Mash and you need a quick costume for little or
no cash...
If you didn't get around to
taking advantage of any of our Halloween
deals there's no need to worry. With a bit of ingenuity and
scavenging, you can still come up with a Halloween costume that's
cheap, easy and will allow you to stand out among a sea of sexy
pirates, sexy witches and sexy zombies...
By GCapes
(view all posts by GCapes)
at 1:12PM Thursday October 29, 2009
under
Money Saving Tips
We all want to be among the first
to own the latest toys and gadgets that hit the market. More often
than not, the biggest barrier to scooping up that hot new product
is the high cost associated with most new consumer electronics upon
initial release. This is where discount websites and online stores
specializing in bargain-priced tech become your best friends.
Before you can dive in and grab that new iPod, flatscreen TV or
computer program, you'll need a plan of attack to best maximize
your savings potential.
Here are some things you need to
know, what types of deals to look for and which websites are the
best when it comes to specialized consumer technology.
By Dealman
(view all posts by Dealman)
at 12:58PM Monday October 26, 2009
under
Money Saving Tips
It's Halloween week and there
aren't many things scarier to your financial future than a bad
credit rating. It was bad enough a few years ago, but now a bad
credit rating is even worse. Why? Because not so long ago it was
still possible to squeak by with a bad credit rating. There were
countless offers for "Get a loan with bad credit!!!" After all,
that's the root of the financial mess that's happening right now:
too many loans were given to people who couldn't afford it and then
the house of cards came tumbling down.
So if banks and other lenders
were risk-averse before, imagine how they are now. The bad credit
deals are few and far between. The remedy: you have to clean up
your credit rating if you hope to get any kind of loan with a
decent interest rate--or get a loan at all. A bad credit rating can
also affect getting an apartment, or even a job. Lots of people
look at your credit rating. It's an important number which states,
"I'm responsible"...or not.
By stella.louise(view all posts by stella.louise)
at 10:53AM Friday October 23, 2009
under
Money Saving Tips
Just a little over a week until
Halloween, but if you think that ghoulies and ghosties and
long-legged beasties are scary, try an angry horde of costumed kids
after you run out of Reese's Peanut Butter cups!
Kidding.
What's scarier than haunted
houses is perhaps a balloon mortgage payment...Night of the Living
Dead? Try working two jobs to barely eke out a living. And that
monster lurking around the corner is nothing compared to the fright
of dealing with a huge unanticipated expense on a very small and
tight budget.
In honor of the upcoming holiday,
I thought I'd take a bit of time to explore some of our money
demons--Halloween-style:
By MBones
(view all posts by MBones)
at 11:40AM Wednesday October 21, 2009
under
Money Saving Tips
Now that "green is the new
black," everyone seems to be jumping on board the eco-friendly
bandwagon. A lot of companies pay lip service to the eco-cause, but
which beauty lines put their money where their mouth is? There are
a few conscious companies who are making sure they
aren't mucking up the environment while they're beautifying
you.
From companies with biodegradable
packaging to recycling incentives that score you new goodies, find
out how to make sure your old bottles, tins, and tubes don't end up
in a landfill. Here are some tips to reduce, reuse, and recycle old
beauty products and maybe score a few freebies in the process, so some of that
"green" can stay in your wallet.
By Dealman
(view all posts by Dealman)
at 1:40PM Monday October 19, 2009
under
Money Saving Tips
A couple of weeks ago I wrote
about debt
consolidation, one method to help you get your debt under
control. In the most common scenario, you get a large loan to pay
off your bills and then just pay off that one loan. Well, what if
you were actually able to lower the amount that you owe every
month? Sounds too good to be true, right? Yes and no: it's possible
and debt negotiation can be effective, but there are pitfalls as
well.
Debt settlement is the process of
negotiating your debt with your creditors so you owe less overall.
The thinking is that a creditor would rather have something from
you than to have you default on the loan. So actually being broke
can put you at an advantage in negotiations. A major caveat is that
in most debt settlement scenarios you need to pay off your debt in
full. So if you owe $20,000, you could potentially only pay out
$15,000--but all at once. Chances are if you can't afford to pay
your bill on a monthly basis, you can't pay a lump sum either, even
if it is attractively cheaper. However there are other
options.
By Dealman
(view all posts by Dealman)
at 2:02PM Monday October 12, 2009
under
Money Saving Tips
There's an interesting article
out of the Washington Post showing that people are using their debit cards far more often than
credit cards due to the current financial downturn. It seems not so
long ago there were cries and worry about the opposite
approach--people overusing credit cards because they didn't have
enough cash on hand to get by otherwise. Credit cards 101 says that
as soon as you start putting groceries or other necessities on
credit, you've got to take a good, hard look at your spending
habits.
Nonetheless, there are likely
still a large number of people who are living on credit right now.
Given the bad employment numbers, there are some who absolutely
need to spend on credit, even if it's not advisable. But as pointed
out by the article, people are being more fiscally responsible
during the recession, which is good news for consumers (though
not necessarily for retailers).
By stella.louise(view all posts by stella.louise)
at 2:07PM Friday October 9, 2009
under
Polls/Quizzes
When it comes to saving money,
there are a number of techniques one can employ. Some people claim
less deductions than they are entitled to in order to get a
windfall come tax season. Others collect spare change in penny
jars. Others squirrel away their money in their mattress (and
given the alarming rate of bank failures this year, one can hardly blame
them!). Some strategies are more effective than others if
you're truly serious about bolstering your bank account.
Here's a look at the pros and
cons some techniques that are certainly a better bet than stashing
your cash in a Posture-pedic:
By MBones
(view all posts by MBones)
at 3:42PM Wednesday October 7, 2009
under
Shopping Advice
Halloween is a great time to go
all out with wild costumes and makeup--but it's not Halloween yet.
So why are you wearing a mask? You're not? Well, your clown costume
is really cute. Oh, it's not a costume? Um...
Yes, bold is great sometimes. I'm
in full support of the over-the-top looks from Dolly Parton, Charo
and the cast of Cirque du Soleil, but there's no need to spend so
much time and money on an everyday look. If "clown face" IS your
everyday look, check out our Halloween
deals. If not, here are a few tips for making yourself UNDER,
so you have a natural, confident look that won't have strangers
offering you mini candy bars.
By Dealman
(view all posts by Dealman)
at 1:20PM Monday October 5, 2009
under
Money Saving Tips
Halloween season is upon us, but
nothing is quite so chilling or spooky as mounting money troubles.
There are ways out of a current financial mess. Because of the
state of the economy, some may not sure if some types of loans are
still available. Sub-prime mortgages, for one, are not being handed
out at the same rate as a few years ago, but what about debt
consolidation loans?
Well, there's good news and bad
news.
By rayputt(view all posts by rayputt)
at 10:15AM Monday October 5, 2009
under
Newsworthy
Consumers are obviously holding
onto their hard-earned dollars and making sure to get the most bang
for the buck when they do decide to spend money. We've seen some
places where consumer purchasing behavior has changed drastically
during this year, and we predict that, in order to lure consumers
into buying, some retailers are going to have to work overtime to
provide good deals.
Based on the data we're
observing, there are some areas we think are going to be good
places to find deals before the end of the year.