Save a penny Save the world

I'm Back

2008-06-27T12:54:00.002-04:00

Back to Blogging
Hi, Ive been away for a while working on other projects. I hope to be back now and will try to enter on a more regular basis. I've been busy with E-bay and have a listing there. If you are interested in getting good buys and save gas from not having to go to the store, this is the place for you. I will go into more detail later. You can find books, magazines, toys, cds, dvds, and a lot more at very reasonable prices, delivered right to your door. My ebay listing is under wagerton52 so please make me a "favorite seller" and look and bid often. Ok, it's good to be back and I will be entering often. Telling of my experiences on e-bay and also money-saving tips to help in todays tough economy. Be back soon. Bill

Save Money--3 Simple Steps

2008-02-05T22:31:00.000-05:00

Three steps to save money and save the world...
1) Use fewer paper napkins--everywhere. There's no need to grab a huge stack of napkins from the concession stand when you know you'll only use one or two. Each American consumes an average of 2,200 standard two-ply napkins per year, or the equivalent of just over six of these napkins a day. If everyone in the United States used an average of one fewer napkin a day, more than a billion pounds of napkins could be saved from landfills each year. A stack of napkins this size could fill the entire Empire State Building.
2) Buy rechargeable batteries. You'll save money over the long term. A single rechargeable battery can replace up to one thousand single-use alkaline batteries over its lifetime. Americans throw out approximately 179,000 tons of batteries per year.
3) Drink tap water when dining out. You can save as much as $7 for a bottle of water, and it may be safer to drink. Tap water is more strictly regulated than bottled water. If everyone drank tap instead of bottled water in the United States, it would save about $8 billion-- about as much as the United States spends each year in drought response. It also would help prevent palstic waste. Sixty million water bottles are tossed each day in the United States.

Hope these hints are helpful. The come from "the green book" .Buy the greenbook and go to www.readthegreenbook.com.

Personal note:

Shopping last week: Food Lion total before savings- $19.22 in store savings-$6.10 total grocery bill-$13.12
Bilo's total before savings-76.82 in store savings-14.08 coupons-7.60 total grocery bill-$54.07

Savings before last week $192.42
Savings last week $ 27.78
Savings year to date $220.20

Happy savings!!! and remember..save a penny save the world!!!

In My Own Words...

2008-02-01T00:05:00.000-05:00

CAN WE BE HEALED????

A great sickness has swept across our beloved land my freinds. We've become a nation of hearers not thinkers. We have become complacent and we have "settled" for something less than what our forefathers put forth as our certain inalienable rights. And in this time of letting go of reason itself we have lost our way. And the ones leading us back to the path through the forest of indecision, inactivity and the passing off of pretty words for true beliefs, lead us even further into the dark forest.
We have in this election year, a chance to change direction, to pull ourself out of the quagmire of a war started "just to be doing something" it now seems ..looking back in hindsight. When the towers in New York went down we felt a certain sense of outrage and loss. That was a very understandable emotion. But our course of action was as if, the town bully punched our sister, so we in turn punch the town bullies distant cousin, once removed. And this at the cost of the lives of our young men. For what, to try to bring democracy to a land that has no innate desire of it? Peace must be wanted, craved, needed even. The people of Iraq have shown little inclination towards anything like that.
And our candidates, for president, what a lot this is. Would any one dare utter a single sentence that didnt follow party lines and thinking.? Do any have a thought of thier own?
Is there a single good idea among the lot of them? Oh I've heard a snitch of a genuine idea here, a glimpse of one there. But by and large, it's the same almost robotic drivel we've heard so many times before. And the problem with it is this. On the morning after the grand inauguration of our next leader of our beloved country, no matter how much fire and zest we have supported our candidate with, we will wake up to ... high gas prices, crime in the streets, rising prices at the grocery, a health care system so flawed it is almost beyond fixing, social security in jeopardy, the diserespect and inward loathing of almost every non english speaking nation in the world..and even some that do speak english, and like the bear who slept through Christmas wonder...what happened? Will we see real change? We can only hope. Do i doubt we'll see true change? Yes... i do. Come on Obama, Hillary, McCain....Mitt. Prove me wrong... I dare you .
I've used a lot of space here promoting the ideas of others. For a change...this is me... my forum.. my stump. Tomorrow I'll be at my patriotic best again. But just for today...let me whine......
Happy Savings!!!!!

Save Money--4 Tips --In the Back Yard

2008-01-28T23:25:00.000-05:00

Lawn Care:
Cut your grass so it's two inches high, and leave he clippings on the lawn. You'll spend less time mowing and raking, and you won't have to water your lawn so much. Forty percent of water in summer is allocated to outdoor usage when rates are highest. Also, less lawn care usually means using fewer chemicals that will leach into runoff water and damage local fish and bird habitats.
Pool:
Cover your pool when you aren't using it and you'll cut water lost to evaporation by 90 percent and therefore the cost of replenishing it. An average-size pool with average sun and wind exposure loses approximately one thousand gallons of water per month--enough to meet the drinking water needs of a family of four for nearly a year and a half.
Outdoor Lighting:
Turn off your outside lights when they're not needed. If possible, use timers or motion sensors. The average household spends about $13 per year per 100-watt bulb on electricity.
Sprinklers:
Try to use your sprinklers in early morning or evening. The average lawn needs only about one hour of watering per week. In summer, outdoor water usage accounts for 40 percent of household water bills. The irrigation of U.S. lawns and landscapes claims an estimated 7.9 billion gallons of water a day-- a volume that would fill fourteen billion six-packs of beer.
These tips come from "the green book" . Buy "the green book" . And for more tips go to www.readthegreenbook.com.

personal note: gas savings over the weekend from using regular instead of next grade $.70. From drinking water instead of a soft drink$1.50. Made a quick stop at Food Lion today in-store savings $.30. Total $2.50.

Savings as of 1-27-08 $192.42
Savings this weekend $ 2.50
Savings year to date $194.92

Happy savings!!!

3 Tips--Save Money--in the Backyard

2008-01-23T22:56:00.000-05:00

Backyard Saving:
Drip Irrigation: For flower beds and gardens, use drip irrigation or soaker hoses instead of regular sprinklers. You can save up to 70 percent of the water you would typically use because evaporation will be minimal and only the base of the plants will be receiving water as opposed to the leaves and foliage.
Existing Lawn Irrigation: Consider installing a rain sensor to override your automatic sprinkler cycle during and after rain events. Depending on the local climate, your water consumption (and your water bill) could drop up to 30 percent per year.
Hoses: Fit your garden hose with an automatic shut-off nozzle in order to prevent waste when the water is turned on and the hose is not being used. You'll save up to 6.5 gallons per minute. If just 10 percent of U.S. households attached shut-off to their hoses and the average reduction in hose usage was just thirty seconds per week, the water saved would fill over 128,000 bathtubs every day.

These tips come from "the green book" . Buy the green book and visit www.readthegreenbook.com .
Personal note:
Grocery shopping today. Food lion purchase: $62.88. Store savings and coupons $13.52. Total after savings $49.36. % Savings; 21.5 percent.
Bilo's: purchased $113.23. Store savings and coupons $39.62. Total after savings $75.29. % Savings. 35.0 percent.

Savings as of 1-22-08: $139.28
Savings today $ 53.14
Savings year to date $192.42

Happy Savings!!!!

5 Tips--Save Money--Utility Room and Garage

2008-01-23T00:01:00.000-05:00

Utility Room:

Washers: Set warm wash and cold rinse cycles, and save 90 percent over the energy used when machine washing in hot water only. Together, all U.S. households could save the energy equivalent of one hundred thousand barrels of oil a day by switching from hot-hot to warm-cold cycles.

Water Heaters: Wrap your water heater in an insulating blanket to store heat. Then set the thermostat no higher than 120 degrees to conserve energy. You could save 25 percent of the energy used in your home by making these changes. If everyone did this, U.S. households would save more than $32 billion per year in energy costs.

In the Garage:

Car Idling: Limit the amount of time you let your vehicle's engine run in the garage, and keep the garage door open. An idling vehicle emits twenty times more pollution than one traveling thirty-two miles per hour. There are sixty-five million garage owners in the United States. If 10 percent of garage owners were to idle their cars for just five fewer minutes per day, the total savings would be 84.5 million gallons of gas a year, enough for a million people to drive an average-size car across the country.

Car Wash: Washing your car in a commercial car wash is better for the environment than doing it yourself. Commercial car washes not only use significantly less water per wash--up to 100 gallons less-- but they often recycle and reuse rinse water. If every American who currently washes a vehicle at home chose instead to go to a professional car wash-- just once--up to 8.7 billion gallons of water could be saved, and some 12 billion gallons of soapy polluted water could be diverted from the country's rivers lakes and streams.

Hope these tips help save money and save the world. They are from "the green book" . Buy the green book and go to http://www.readthegreenbook.com/ .

Personal Note:

Saved $1.30 today by using regular gas instead of middle grade...13 gallons*10cents=$1.30.

Savings as of 1-19-08 $137.98

Savings today $ 1.30

Total savings this year$139.28

Happy Savings!!!!

Save Money--Five Tips for the Living Room

2008-01-18T22:49:00.000-05:00

Save Money and Energy in the Living Room
Fireplace: Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is going. An open damper can let 8 percent of the heat in your home escape. In the summer, cool air escapes. That can add up to about $100 a year-- up the chimney.
Junk Mail: Rid yourself of junk mail--or at least recycle it. The average U.S. household receives 1.5 trees' worth of junk mail each year, and many of these trees are thrown right into the trash. If you want to reduce the amount of junk mail you receive, you'll need to register with the Mail Preference Service. It costs a buck, but you can do it easily online at www.dmaconsumers.org/cgi/offmailinglist. For the junk mail you continue to receive, remember to toss it in the recycling bin instead of throwing it out with the garbage. You can even recycle plastic window envelopes. If all Americans recycled their junk mail, $370 million in landfill dumping fees could be saved each year.
Light Bulbs: Dust your light bulbs and change them-- to compact fluorescent--only when they burn out. You'll increase energy efficiency and light output, and because electricity production generates pollution, you'll also help promote cleaner air. If every American home changed out just five regular light fixtures or the bulbs in them with more energy-efficient compact fluorescent ones, we'd keep more than one trillion pounds of greenhouse gases out of the air --equal to the emissions of eight million cars. That's $6 billion in energy savings for Americans.
Matches vs. Lighters: When choosing between matches and lighters, choose matches. For lighters, both the plastic casing and the butane fuel are products made from petroleum, and since most lighters are disposable, over 1.5 billion each year end up in landfills or incinerators worldwide. And when choosing between a box of wood matches and a book of cardboard matches, choose the book. Wood matches come from trees, whereas most cardboard matches are made from recycled paper. If all of the cigarettes smoked every day around the world were to be lit with cardboard matches instead of wood matches, 5.5 million trees could be saved per year from going up in smoke.
Shades/Drapes: Close the curtains when it's sunny in the summer and when it's cold in the winter, and you could reduce your energy needs by up to 25 percent. If every house in America kept the curtains closed for additional insulation, the total energy saved annually would be as much as the entire nation of Japan uses in a year.
Hope these hints are useful. They come from "the green book". Buy the green book. Read the green book. Go to www.readthegreenbook.com .
Happy Savings!!!

Save Money--Get Financially Fit--Part Two

2008-01-16T22:55:00.000-05:00

Get Fit Financially
Tips for saving money in 2008
Put half your raise in your 401(k) or savings. You still get an increase in cash flow, but you start putting money aside.
Select mutual funds in your 401(k). If you don't, your money will go into your plan's default option, typically a low-yielding money market account.
The simplest choice: Pick a target-date or life cycle mutual fund if your company's plan offers them . These funds adjust their holdings to coincide with your expected year of retirement. As you near retirement, the fund will move out of riskier stocks into more conservative ones and into bonds to preserve your cash.
If your plan doesn't offer those funds, select a mix of mutual funds, making sure to have a little bit of everything- stocks(international and domestic) and bonds.
Manage your debt. Work towards paying off your credit card balances on cards with the highest interest rates first or consolidate credit card debt onto one low-rate card.
If you have a house, you could roll consumer debt into a home equity loan that will likely have a lower rate. The average credit card rate is 15.82 percent, according to Card-Web.com. Home equity loan rates are typically a percentage point above prime, which currently is 7.25 percent.
Have you recently paid off your car or will you this year? Keep making monthly "payments" into your savings account.
This should be painless because you are conditioned to pay the bill, and a good way to save money.
Trim your social tab. One big budget buster: eating out. One potential solution: Form a supper club with friends. Each month a different friend or couple cooks dinner and supplies the beverages that quickly run up restaurant tabs.
But you don't have to deprive yourself of the occasional restaurant meal. Look for coupons for your favorite restaurants or find out what nights they have specials (often slower nights like Mondays)
Another money saver: Borrow movies from the public library. It's free!!!
Hope these tips help you get financially fit and start saving money!!!
Personal note:
Grocery day:
Savings as of 1-15-08 $106.97
Savings today $ 31,97
Year to date $138.94
Happy Savings!!!

Save Money---Five Bathroom Tips

2008-01-15T18:54:00.000-05:00

Save Money in the Bathroom

Brush Your Teeth. Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth. You'll conserve up to 5 gallons of water per day. Throughout the entire United States, the daily savings could add up to 1.5 billion gallons--more water than is consumed per day across all of New York City.
Shaving. Instead of letting the water run when you brush your teeth, brush while you're waiting for the water to get hot for your shave. You could save time and money on water, up to 1,825 gallons of water per "brushaver" each year. This much water would fill your bathtub more than thirty-five times!
Shower Curtains. Avoid using plastic liners(you don't really need them) with your shower curtains, and you'll keep unnatural vinyl plastics out of landfills. PVC plastic amounts to 1.23 million tons per year, and none of it is recyclable.
Toilets. Try to flush just one less time per day, and you,ll save about 4.5 gallons of water-- as much water as the average person in Africa uses for a whole day of drinking, cooking, bathing, and cleaning.
Tub. Plug the drain in the tub before turning on the water when you take a bath. You'll save time and money. The average bathtub faucet flows between three and five gallons of water per minute. Just one less gallon of water used per person in the United States per day can add up to more than one hundred billion gallons per year. This amount is greater than the volume of rainwater that falls each week on Lloro', Colombia--the wettest place on earth.

Hope these hints help. They are from "the green book" . Please buy the green book. Please read the green book. Please go to www.readthegreenbook.com. It may save you some money and it just may help save the world!!

Happy Saving!!!!

Save Money--Get Financially Fit

2008-01-14T23:57:00.000-05:00

Getting Physical Financially
Here are a few New Years Resolutions that will help us save money:
Automatically Pay Yourself First. Before you pay your rent or mortgage, buy groceries or hit the mall, save a certain amount every month or from each paycheck--at least 10 percent. Linda Schoenfeld, a certified financial planner in Charlotte, N.C., suggests this savings breakdown: 6 percent in a retirement account; 2 percent in an emergency fund and 2 percent into a long-term goal fund.
Don't count on yourself to be disciplined enough to make regular contributions to your savings and retirement accounts. Set up autodraft from your paycheck or checking account to fund your retirement and savings accounts.
"Get started saving and then everything else falls into place," said Cynthia Anderson, a certified financial planner in Charlotte, N.C.
Keep some savings in an account you can't easily raid. Paul Boggs, a certified financial planner in Lake Wylie, S.C. suggested keeping some savings in a bank account tat you have to go inside the bank to access. It can be a money market account or regular passbook savings account. Just don't have it linked to your checking account.
Making your cash harder to get to will make it easier to live within your means.
"Out of sight out of mind, so you have to work to get the money out," Boggs said.

Tomorrow: Getting Financially Fit: Part Two

Personal Note:
Yesterday: 8 gallons of regular gas instead of medium grade...savings $.80. Drank water for dinner instead of soft drink or ice tea. Savings...approx. $2.50. Finally a trip to Bilo's: in store savings--$2.00.

Savings as of 1-13-08 $101.67
Savings today $ 5.30

Savings year to date $106.97

Happy Shopping!!!!!

Save Money--5 Tips for the Kitchen

2008-01-11T23:23:00.000-05:00

Save Money in the Kitchen

Refrigerator. Keep your head out of the refrigerator and the door closed! The refrigerator is the single biggest energy consuming kitchen appliance, and opening the refrigerator door accounts for between $30 and $60 of a typical family's electricity bill each year. The amount of energy saved in a year by more efficient refrigerator usage could be enough to light every house in the United States for more than four and a half months straight.
Storage Containers Instead of using plastic, store your food in glass or porcelain containers. Fewer chemicals will likely leach from the container into the food. Chemicals that transfer from plastic to food and from food to body may cause health risks.
Stove. Use the right-size pot on your stove burners. You could save about $36 annually for an electric range or $18 for a gas range. Five percent of the energy bought and used per person in the United States is for preparing and cooking food. Over a year this exceeds twice the energy a person in Africa uses to power everything in his or her life.
Trash Bags. Use leftover paper of plastic bags as liners for your trash cans. You'll save money and time shopping in the trash-liner bag aisle. The average cost of twenty kitchen trash bags is $5. When one ton of plastic bags is reused, the energy equivalent of eleven barrels of oil is save. When one ton of paper bags is reused, up to seventeen trees are spared.
Water Filters. If you want to be sure the tap water in your house is clean, try installing water filters on your faucets instead of buying bottled water-- you'll save money over time and get better-tasting water. You can buy a water filter for as little as $29, or about a month's worth of bottled water (if you drink a liter a day). About 1.5 million tons of plastic are used in the bottling of 89 billion liters of drinking water each year. That's enough plastic to make two water filters for every household on the planet. One billion people around the world lack access to clean drinking water.

These tips come from "the green book" Please read "the green book" and visit www.readthegreenbook.com .

Personal note:

Shopping today at Bilo's

Savings as of 1-10-08: $92.07

Savings today: $ 9.60

Savings year to date $101.67

Use those coupons--catch those sales!! Happy Savings!!

Save Money--Save the World--4 Tips

2008-01-10T18:32:00.000-05:00

Four More Tips

Food Waste. When cooking, try to avoid wasting food by using perishable ingredients before they spoil, measuring carefully, and saving leftovers for future meals instead of throwing them away. If you could reduce the amount of food wasted in your household by just twenty-five grams per day (about the weight of a slice of bread), you'd save twenty pounds of food annually--roughly enough to make sixteen meals. If all U.S. households reduced their food waste by this amount, the savings would be enough to provide three meals per day for a whole year to each of the 1.35 million children in the United States who are homeless.
Garbage Disposal.Use cold water when you run your garbage disposal. Better yet, try not to use it at all by composting your food waste or disposing of it in the trash. Your drain will be less clogged, possible saving you a future plumbing bill, and you'll save money on maintaining your septic system. Disposal waste can disrupt nutrient balances in water and soil ecosystems which in turn can harm wildlife.
Microwave. Keep your microwave clean and you'll maximize its energy. This means less electricity used, less money spent, and less time cooking. Microwaves are between 3.5 and 4.8 times more energy efficient than traditional electric ovens. If it costs ten cents to cook one item in a microwave, it would cost forty-eight cents to cook the same item in a standard oven. If everyone in North America cooked exclusively with a microwave for a year, we'd save as much energy as the entire continent of Africa consumes during that same time.
Preheating. If you're broiling, roasting, or baking a dish that will cook for an hour or more, don't bother preheating your oven. Even for breads, and cakes, never preheat for longer than ten minutes. If you reduce the amount of time your oven is on by one hour per year, you'll save an average of two kilowatt-hours of energy. If 30 percent of U.S. households could each reduced total oven preheating time by just one hour per year, the sixty million kilowatt-hours of energy saved could bake a dozen cookies for every American!

Hope these tips are helpful. And buy The Green Book! These hints are from it. And go to www.readthegreenbook.com

Personal note:

Did a little grocery shopping at Food Lion and Bilo's today. Went through both store's sales papers last night...matched coupons my wife had cut, of items we used with sales. That way you get the benefit of the sale along with the coupon discount. It came out like this.

Food Lion before savings: $14,06 minus coupon savings of $4.11 minus in store discounts of $2.31= Total cost: $7.64 percent savings 46%

Bilo before savings $39.57 minus coupon savings of $4.95 minus in store discounts of $9.13= Total cost:$25.49 percent savings 36%

Savings as of 1-9-08 $71,58

Savings today: $20.49

Savings year to date $92.07

Happy Savings!!

Save Money--Save the World--5 Tips

2008-01-09T18:43:00.000-05:00

Home is Where the Heart is---but What About All That Extra Stuff ?

There are roughly 1.6 billion homes in the world, with about 100 million of them living in the United States. You spend most of your time there. It's where you use the most water and energy and make the most trash.
On average, a person creates 4.5 pounds of trash every day. Over the course of your life, that will total six hundred times your average adult weight.... in garbage. In the end we will each leave a ninety-thousand pound legacy of trash to our grandchildren.
But if that isn't enough we leave an even bigger impact in other ways. Americans use at least twice the water and energy per person as anyone else in the world. And both of these resources are becoming more precious every day.
By the year 2025, the world must increase its water supply by 22 percent in order to meet the needs. Meanwhile 40 percent of the drinking water supplied each home is flushed down the toilet.
As far as our energy use, most is used for heating and cooling.

Here are some simple steps to make the biggest positive planetary impact with the least possible effort.

Take shorter showers. Every minute you save on your shower can conserve more than ten gallons of water. And that can add up: If everyone in the country saved just one gallon from their daily shower, over the course of a year it would equal twice the amount of fresh water withdrawn from the Great Lakes every day. The Great Lakes are the world's largest source of freshwater.
Set your thermostat a degree higher for air-conditioning and a degree lower for heating, and you could save $100 per year on your utility bill. Keep adjusting and you'll save even more. If every home in America turned the dial, we could save more than $10 billion per year on energy costs, enough to provide a year's worth of gasoline, electricity, and natural gas to every person in Iowa.
Recycle. If everyone in America simply separated the paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum products from the trash and tossed them into a recycling bin, we could decrease the amount of waste sent to landfills by 75percent. Currently it takes an area the size of Pennsylvania t dump all our waste each year.
In the Kitchen:Composting. Keep your kitchen scraps from fruits, vegetables, and coffee grounds in a composting bin or container. Try adding them to your garden or starting a compost site in the yard. You'll grow a better garden, create deeper topsoil, recycle nutrients, and save landfill space. If, over the course of a year, everyone in the United States composted their kitchen scraps instead of sending them away with the trash, the organic waste diverted from landfills could make a three-foot-high compost pile to cover the city of San Francisco.
Dishwasher. Run full loads in your dishwasher and save energy, and don't pre-rinse your dishes before putting them in. do both and you'll save up to 20 gallons of water per dish load, or 7,300 gallons over a year. That's as much water as the average person drinks in a lifetime. (If you must handwash, turn off the tap while you scrub.)

Hope these tips help us all save money and save the world. These hints are from The Green Book by Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen. Everyone please buy this book. It is full of tips to cut down on waste and save energy and water. And visit their website www.readthegreenbook.com.

Save Money--Spend or Save

2008-01-08T23:46:00.000-05:00

Save or Spend

More than half of Americans aren't saving enough and many- especially the younger set-- blame impulse shopping and peer pressure, according to a study by the Consumer Federation of America and Wachovia Corp.

The research "confirms" what Wachovia has already been learning about consumers and savings. Many consumers say they aren't saving enough but don't know how to get started. Others say they don't want to cut back ... on their current lifestyle.

Among the findings"

Of the 52 percent of Americans who say they cannot afford to save or are saving inadequately, 35 percent say they are saving but not enough to meet short-- and long-term needs and 17 percent say they can't afford to at all.

Economic factors most cited as barriers to savings: 72 percent said large regular expenses, 72 percent said unexpected expenses, 66 percent said low or unreliable incomes and 60 percent said large consumer debts.

Social and psychological factors keeping people from saving: 42 percent cited availability of credit cards, 37 percent cited impulse spending, 29 percent said spending to feel good, 20 percent cited social pressure from friends or family, and 15 percent blamed trips to the mall.

Young adults, ages 18 to 24 years old, are the most likely group to say they aren't saving enough (62percent compared with 52 percent). Standing in the way of their saving: 54 percent said spending to feel good, 38 percent cited peer and family pressure and 32 percent blamed trips to the mall. "This research is unique in that it focuses on attitudes rather than behavior. But attitudes directly affect behavior," said Stephen Brobeck, president of the Consumer Federation of America. The survey was based on 50-plus questions interviews of more than 2,000 Americans, conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation last month. The margin of error was plus or minus two percentage points. The survey findings represent the first of several reports to be released before America Saves Week, which starts Feb. 24. Wachovia plans to launch a savings education program that week.

Are you saving enough? If so, how do you do it? If not, what keeps you from socking more money away? Would love to hear what you have to say about saving. Please comment if you have time.

Personal Note

Had a nice lunch today at Arby's with my wife and daughter. After they ordered it was my turn, so i proudly ask "do you have a senior citizens program?" and received a 10% discount on our lunch. Savings--$2.04

After dropping our daughter back off at her work, my wife and I went to CVS to have her prescriptions filled and while waiting browsed the store. They still had a few Christmas items marked down to 75% off! We found 3 boxes of Hallmark Thomas Kinkade Christmas cards which were originally $12.99 each. We got them for $3.25 a box. Beautiful cards at one-forth the price....love it. Savings--29.22

Savings as of 1-7-08 $40.32

Savings today $31.26

Year to date total $71.58

Happy Savings!!!!

Save Money-- Uncertain Economic Times--Part Two

2008-01-07T22:24:00.000-05:00

Prepare for an Emergency
If you don't have a home equity line of credit, you may want to set one up to use only in an emergency. "Some lenders charge an annual non-usage fee of about $50," says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates. "But it's cheap insurance. You can borrow about 90% of the value of your house, so if you have a 70% mortgage, you may get a credit line for another 10% to 20%."
Tighten Your Belt
Cut expenses even if you're not in danger of losing your job and use the extra money to pay down credit-card debt, says Lorretta Nolan, a financial adviser in Old Greenwich, Conn. If you get laid off, it'll make life easier. "Eat out once a week instead of three times. Buy a slow_cooker pot, and in a year you'll probably have a 1000% return on your investment."
If you carry a card balance, comparison-shop online to check if your rate is competitive. If it isn't, ask the issuer to lower it. Many card issuers will comply.
If you bought your house in 2005 or 2006 in an area where values have since plummeted, petition your county tax board to reduce your property taxes. If you can show that the house is assessed at more than its current value, you may trim your tax bill.
Review Your Investments
Money you'll need within the next few years should be in CD's or a money market fund. It should not be in stocks, bonds or a no interest checking account. " You can get 4% to 5% on your savings today," says Nolan.
Make sure your longer-term investments are well diversified. Your retirement accounts should include at least four types of mutual funds: big company U.S. stocks, small company U.S. stocks, international stocks and high-quality bonds. And don't keep more than 10% of your investments in the stock of your company or industry. It's risky to keep your paycheck and your nest egg in the same basket!
Hope this article by Lynn Brenner at Parade magazine helps.
Personal Note
Did some grocery shopping at Bi-lo and Food Lion today. Used most of my coupons at Food Lion. Groceries totaled 39.49 before coupons and in store sales were subtracted. The bill came to 20.49, not bad .
Savings as of 1-6-08 $13.41
Savings today $26.91
Year to date $40.32
Take a little time match the sales with coupons you have for even bigger savings. But remember, it's not a bargain if you don't need it.
Happy savings!!!!

Save Money ---Uncertain Economic Times

2008-01-06T22:36:00.000-05:00

How to Feel Secure About Your Money
Our financial news isn't good lately. Economic growth is slowing, credit is tighter, home prices keep falling, and the stock market is erratic. No wonder a recent national survey shows 65% of Americans think we're heading into a recession. Maybe we are, maybe not. but it never hurts to be prepared. Here's how experts say you can protect your-self from the consequences of an economic turn down.
Stay Job-Ready
"Your biggest single asset is your ability to earn money," says Sheryl Barrett, a financial adviser in Shawnee Mission, Kansas. "In a weaker economy, you want to strengthen your marketability." Bring your resume up to date. Consider taking courses online or at a community college to improve your skills. Keep in touch with professional contacts--and make new ones by attending business events and/or by working as a volunteer.
Find out what resources you'd have if you were laid off. Are you entitled to severance pay, for example? What about unemployment insurance? The size and duration of unemployment benefits depend on state law. (Go to the Department of Labor's website, http://www.workforcesecurity.doleta.gov/, for links to state unemployment agencies to find out your rights.)
If you have health benefits, use them now. "Staying healthy is much less expensive than being sick," says Loretta Nolan, a financial adviser in Old Greenwich, Conn., so make sure the whole family gets medical and dental check-ups.

Check Your Mortgage
About 2 million adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) will reset in 2008. If you have an ARM, ask the lender when your rate is scheduled to reset and get a ballpark estimate of the new rate. Plug that into an online mortgage calculator to see what the new payment will be. If you can't afford it, don't wait till the loan resets-address the problem now. The sooner you act, the greater your options.
If your credit has improved since you bought your house, you should be scouring the market for another loan," says Keith Gumbinger, vice president of HSH Associates, a mortgage-research firm. With good credit, you probably can get a new fixed-rate mortgage lower than your ARM's reset rate.
If you can't refinance, call your lender, explain your situation and ask if he can help by modifying your loan. "Document every contact with the lender--and keep the paperwork," advises Gumbinger. "If you end up in bankruptcy or a legal action, it helps to show you were proactive and responsible." For advice, contact the Home-ownership Preservation Foundation, a no-fee HUD-approved credit-counseling service.
Hope these ideas by Lynn Brenner of Parade magazine help. More on this later.
Personal Note:
Did no shopping or eating out either Saturday or Sunday. Sometimes the best way to save money is, just stay home.
Target Deal
Target has a deal on 4 items. Buy any 2 (two of them are Bounty Paper Towels and Charmin Bathroom Tissue) at a pretty good savings, and get a five dollar gift card. Now if you happen to have coupons for the items ...more the better.
Happy Savings!!!!!!

Save Money ---Driving Habits

2008-01-05T21:17:00.000-05:00

Save Money--Save Gas--Driving Habits

Americans buy 140 billion gallons of gasoline for their cars yearly. Cut down to save money and protect the planet.

Don't buy a four wheel drive unless you truly need it. When choosing a new car, get the smallest engine you can live with. Options that add weight will cost you twice-- once up-front and forever in gas mileage.
Watch your speed. Your car is a lot stingier with gas at 50 mph than it is at 70 mph.
Use cruise control. Maintaining speed saves gas, so avoid jackrabbit starts and screeching stops.
Avoid long engine warm-ups.Today's cars don't need them.
Shut off the engine if you're idling for more than three minutes.
Keep your vehicle aerodynamic. Remove roof racks when they're not in use.
Maintain your car. Use a clean air filter and good plugs. Empty the trunk and back seat, because weight costs gas, and every pound counts.
Consolidate your errands. Before you hit the road, organize a to-do list and plan routes that will shorten your travel time-- you'll also have fewer frayed nerves. Cut back on driving where possible: Try walking for all errands that you can accomplish on foot in 10 minutes or less.

These tips come from Earl Swift of Parade magazine. Hope they help you save gas and save money!!

Personal Note:

Wife and I went out to eat last night...Drank water instead of our usual ice tea or soda.
Savings $2.,50
Total for year $13.41
Happy savings!!!!

Save the World--Can Heat from Highway Heat your Home?

2008-01-04T15:49:00.000-05:00

Where Climate Change Meets the Road
If you've ever burned your feet on a hot road you know that asphalt absorbs the sun's energy. A Dutch company is now siphoning that road and parking lot heat to heat homes and offices.
As climate change becomes an international agenda the system built by the civil engineering firm, Ooms Avenhorn Holding BV, doesn't look as wacky as it might have 10 years ago when first conceived.
Solar energy collected from a 200-yard stretch of road and a small parking lot helps heat a 70-unit four-story apartment building in the northern village of Avenhorn. An industrial park of some 160,000 square feet in the nearby city of Hoorn is kept warm in the winter with the help of heat stored during the summer from 36,000 square feet of pavement. The runways of a Dutch air force base in the south supply heat for its hanger.
And all that under normally cloudy Dutch skies, with only a few days a year of truly sweltering temperatures.
The Road Energy System is one of the more unusual ways scientists and engineers are trying to harness the power of the sun, the single most plentiful, reliable, accessible and inexhaustible source of renewable energy-radiating to earth more watts in one hour than the world can use in a whole year.
But today, solar power provides just 0.04 percent of global energy, held back by high production costs and low efficiency rates.
Solar advocates say that will change within a few years.
Other renewable sources have drawbacks: Not every place is breezy enough for wind turbines; waves and tides are good only for coastal regions; hydroelectricity requires rivers and increasingly objectionable dams; bio fuels take up land once used solely for food crops.
"But solar falls everywhere," says Patrick Mazza, of Climate Solutions, a consultancy group in Seattle, Washington.
Compared with other energy sources, " solar comes out as the one with the real heavy lift. It's the one we really need to get at," he said.
Ooms' thermal energy system is actually a spin-off from attempts to reduce road maintenance and costs.
A latticework of flexible pipes, held in place by a grid, is covered over by asphalt, which magnifies the sun's thermal power. As water in the pipes is heated it is pumped deep under the ground to natural aquifers where it maintains a fairly constant temperature of about 68F. The heated water can be retrieved months later to keep the road surface ice free in winter.
Though it doubles the cost of construction, the system is designed to provide longer life for roads and bridges, fewer ice-induced accidents, and less need to repave worn surfaces.
But the same system can pump cold water from a separate subterranean reservoir to cool buildings on hot days.
Hopefully we here in the United States can use this too. Pretty neat idea i think.

Save the World--The Downside to Domestic Fuel

2008-01-04T00:29:00.000-05:00

End Dependence On Foreign Fuel-- but at What Cost
We probably all pretty much agree that we need to cut our dependence upon foreign fuel. But we need to realize that this might come at a high cost.
According to a report in last Sundays Parade Magazine there are close to 1 million oil and gas wells across 33 states of the United States. There were over 40,000 drilled in the last year alone. When oil and gas are extracted toxic chemicals,including mercury, benzene and arsenic along with other powerful chemicals are injected underground to boost output. These wells are exempt from the federal Safe Drinking Water Act and Clean Air Act which would in effect control these substances. Because of the industry's influence in Washington loopholes were written in according to Amy Mall of the Natural Resources Defense Council(NRDC), who co-authored a new report on the subject. "These decisions ignored the best available science." Well operators also are not required to file an annual toxic-release inventory, a list of chemicals emitted.
Those living near wells have developed serious medical problems. One family living within a mile of about 20 wells in Colorado, suffered ailments ranging from painful blistering and nosebleeds to headaches and tumors.
NRDC wants the government to tighten regulations of gas drilling and for the industry to adopt pollution-reducing practices.
Is extracting domestic oil and natural gas important enough that companies should be granted exemptions from pollution laws? You can express your opinion here at this blog spot or go to http://www.parade.com/.
On a More Personal Note
My wife needed to go to Monroe for a shower gift tonight..we stopped by CVS to pick up some pictures she'd sent off. Pretty good one of me...just kidding...and she had a savings card that her employer had given each of the employees at the dental office where she works and her savings on the pictures was $1.13. She also received a print out of her Bonus Bucks for last month $2.50 plus we have a $4.00 off a $20.00 purchase coupon for updating our CVS card. So we will look for sales at CVS and use manufacturers coupons and probably get some pretty good deals at CVS in the coming weeks. We were late coming out of Target and stopped at Wendy's for a too go order which we were going to eat when we got home(about a 25 minute drive) so we didn't get the combo, just the food without the drinks, so we saved maybe a dollar there..not a lot because the combos are cheaper but still saved a little I think.
Previous total 9.78
Jan. 3 total 1.13
Total $10.91
Hope these hints help, and as always..Happy Savings!!!

Save Money--Starting the Year off Right

2008-01-02T22:59:00.000-05:00

Save Money--A Penny Here, A Penny There
Well, as promised i told you i would keep you informed as to how my savings for the year are going. Total for New Years Day--$1.20. Not a lot i know, but we have to start somewhere. On the way back from a wonderful lunch at my wife's brothers house in Charlotte I found that I needed to stop for gas. Now i usually get all my gas at the same place. Or i have in the past. This quest to save a few pennies may take me here and yonder. I don't know yet. What i do know is that it was very cold pumping gas at a BP station just outside Monroe, N.C. around 9 p.m. Tuesday night! The $1.20 savings?? I usually buy the middle grade the one between the regular and premium, but in my quest to see how much i can save this year I am going with the regular until my cars start moaning. Maybe they won't because they are both set up for regular to start with. I guess I've been wasting money on gas all along. Oh well, not this year. So i pumped 12 gallons of regular fuel at a savings of ten cents per gallon over the next grade. Really I don't think there is a lot of difference. Regular is 87 octane. Plus is 89 octane. and Premium is 93 octane. So from the Plus back to Regular, not a lot of difference. I'll let you know if it affects the performance of our cars. Jan. 1---$1.20
Now for today. I went through my wife's neat little coupon pouch and pulled out the ones that are to expire within the next week. I went through them and decided which I thought we really could use. There were nine coupons. So I headed off to Bi-Lo with my little hand full of coupons. Bi-Lo is my wife's store of choice and i like it too even tho it's about a mile further away than Food Lion. Not a lot of difference in the price, but the sale items are more numerous it seems to us. The weekly sales papers were in the mail box so i will probably plan a dual store excursion later in the week. Today was pretty much like a scavenger hunt for me. I'm not all that familiar with the aisles yet so it took me a while to find my items and when I did i wish I could have seen the look of excitement on my own face. Kind of like finding the prize egg at our churches egg hunt. And i did pretty well using the little stickers below the items to see how much the actual cost per pound was. You may be surprised at the difference just moving up to the next bigger size makes sometimes. I still check the price against the Bi-Lo store brand because even with the sales price and the coupon items are sometimes cheaper. Some things we still prefer the brand name but on a lot we are just as satisfied with the store brand. So anyway, to make a long story not so long, there i was stuck with a Woolite Carpet Cleaning Spray in my now sweaty hand. Nothing can make your hand sweat quicker than a handful of store coupons I've found, and it's pretty embarrassing handing the cashier a handful of smudged coupons. I've found putting them in the tray in the cart or in an empty pocket works pretty well for this. Notice I said empty pocket. Have you ever pulled your coupons from your pocket and rolled a half dozen pennies and dimes across the floor of the store. There goes your savings right there. So try to use an empty pocket for this purpose. So where was i .. oh the hidden Woolite Carpet Stuff. Did we really need it??? Who knows. My wife cut the coupon out , so that kind of settles it at my house. In the Bi-Lo engineer's infinite wisdom I'm wondering... why don't they put all the Woolite stuff together. I mean there are other Woolite items, cleaners and such. but no Carpet Stuff. So to try to wind this up...well...8 out of 9 ain't so bad in my book. My purchase price before coupon and store discount deductions $33.00, after 24.42. Not bad for starters. I plan to do a lot better. And if anyone has any helpful hints please, all comments welcome. A savings of 26%.
So our chart looks like this now Jan. 1--$1.20
Jan. 2--$8.58
Total---$9.78
I'll close for now...fingers tired....Happy Savings!!!!!!!
Oh another thing Bi-Lo here doubles coupons $.50 and under everyday. Not just certain days of the week. Ok I'm done.

Save Money -- Turn Clutter into Cash

2007-12-31T02:59:00.001-05:00

Save Money-- make clutter disappear--Freecycle.org

Finally for those who just want to get rid of their clutter

Www.freecycle.org

What it is and how it works: This Tuscon, Ariz.-based nonprofit started in 2003 as a grass-roots effort to declutter the world. It has 4.2 million members. The free online service allows subscribers to donate unwanted items to whomever needs or wants them. Users post what they want to give away on the Freecycle message list. Those in need answer back and the two parties arrange for a pick-up. No money changes hands.

Downside:

You don't gt money or a tax deduction.

Upside:

You get to feel good about recycling your old stuff and reducing some of the planet's clutter.

Donations--i.e. to Goodwill or Salvation Army
How donations work:
You donate items- clothes, household goods, etc. -- to a qualified organization and get a federal tax deduction. According to the IRS, qualified organizations include, federal, state, and local governments and organizations organized and operated only for charitable, religious, educational, scientific, or literary purposes, or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals. Organizations can tell you if they are qualified and if donations to them are tax-deductible. Or you can look that information up on www.irsgov by clicking on Charities & Non-Profits and then Search For Charities.
If your contributions entitles you to merchandise, goods, or services--i.e. admissions to a charity ball, banquet, theatrical performance, or sporting event-- you can deduct only the amount that exceeds the fair market value of that benefit.
You claim your tax deductions by itemizing on Form 1040 Schedule A.
Upside: You are guaranteed to quickly get rid of your stuff--and to a worthwhile, do-good organization. You get a tax deduction.
Downside:You don't get cash. If you don't itemize--two out of three taxpayers don't--you don't get a deduction. You have to keep good records for your taxes. You need receipts for all donations. Receipts must include descriptions for all donations. Receipts must include descriptions of items along with where and when they were donated.
"It's all about getting the right receipts, paperwork and proof," said Dayana Yochim, consumer finance expert at The Motley Fool.

How do you assign value to the goods you donate? The IRS says the value is determined by the resale value of goods you donate. It offers some guidance in Publication 561, Determining the Value of Donated Property. Go to www.irs.gov and type in Publication 561. But the IRS doesn't provide dollar figures.

Goodwill Industries International Inc. and Salvation Army publish pricing guides that Yochim says are good barometers. Go to www.goodwill.org and type in "valuation guide" or go to www.satruck.com/valueguide.asp.

You can also ask your tax preparer to help. Another idea:Walk through a Goodwill store and see for yourself how they price goods similar to yours, said Bill Farmer, head of HTI Tax Service in Lexington, Ky.

The IRS recommends you keep records of how you determined fair market value of your donated goods.

One final note to those getting rid of a lot of stuff: If your total deduction for a non cash contribution tops $500, you must fill out IRS Form 8283. If your donation is worth more than $5,000, generally an appraisal must be done. For more info: www.irs.gov.

Hope these ideas help you remove clutter and save money. Happy Saving!!!

Save Money -- Turn Clutter into Cash

2007-12-31T02:59:00.000-05:00

New Year's Resolutions

2007-12-31T01:04:00.000-05:00

Coming in 2008 this blog will move more to a blog/diary on saving money. I hope to include more of my personal saving experiences and keep a running savings amount for the month of January and then on for the year. There will still be stories and posts on how to save money, but more from a personal point of view. I hope this new format will help readers get into the habit of thinking of their own money saving opportunities and experiences. I will share my stories of saving money with coupons. Of things I and my family do to try to help the environment, and yes..the failures along the way which hopefully will give you a chuckle. We are all human, and all in this together. The alternative is to live wastefully. Living a frugal lifestyle always has a two fold theme, saving money, saving the world. And for the most part when you try to do one, you usually wind up doing something to help the other also. As when we cut off lights when leaving a room we save money on our light bill and also help to save energy. I know this is a simplistic approach, but most of this is just common sense. So in the coming weeks i hope that some comments will start coming in..some sharing of your ideas. Even your questions. There is never a dumb question, although some I've ask before seem to be very borderline on looking back on them.
My point being, talk to me..lets share our ideas on saving money and saving our planet. Hopefully we can, together save some money and make this planet a better place to live.
New Year's Resolutions
1. Save more money. My wife and I are frugal to begin with but always looking for ways to save money. I will try to keep a running tab of how much money we save at the grocery store, shopping for clothes, cutting utility bills(will compare to last years bill the same month) and other areas such as insurances, repair bills and other areas where we can draw realistic comparisons.

2. Get more sleep. We have gotten into the habit of staying up late..too late. I will let you know how this works for us.
3. Use less utilities, specifically electricity and water. No we aren't going to stop bathing nor are we going to sit in the dark. But we are always looking for ways to save more.
4. To use compost in our plantings ...flowers lawn and garden. We have trees which produce a lot of leaves in the fall. I've piled these and hope to add some other matter. Shredded paper, household compost materials(fruit and vegetable waist that will compost)to make a truly rich compost pile.
5. To grow more of what we eat. We have land for a garden. As large as we want really. Will keep you posted.
6. To speak out on and give time and resources to environmental causes. Will try to split time in this blog between money saving issues and environmental concerns.
It's not January first yet so this list will probably grow. Stay tuned and as always .. Happy Savings!!!!!

Save Money-- Turn Clutter into Cash--Part Three

2007-12-29T01:11:00.000-05:00

Here's another way to get rid of your clutter and save money:
First go to www.craigslist.org and post items for sale on a local board. Members can also post messages about items they are looking to buy. Potential buyers contact sellers to make arrangements to check out items for sale. The two parties arrange payment, generally cash only.
Draws for sellers:
Posting is free. You don't have to ship your stuff, because buyers come pick it up themselves.
Drawbacks for sellers:
You don't get as much as you would by selling on eBay. Sellers say that sometimes prospective buyers make appointments to check out what's for sale and then don't show up.
Consignment Shops
How they work:
They take your stuff--namely clothes, baby items, toys and furniture--and put it on their store shelves and racks. When it sells, the store takes its cut and writes you a check for the rest. If your items don't sell after a certain period of time or by the end of a season, you either pick them up or let the store have them. Some stores will donate items that don't sell.
Draws for Sellers:
There's a venue to showcase your cast-offs and someone else to ring up the sale. You don't have to take phone calls from potential buyers or post photos of you stuff online. And you don't have to ship your stuff to buyers.
Drawbacks for Sellers:
You sacrifice some of your time and your earnings. The shops get a cut--60percent is standard for clothing. You typically have to make an appointment with the shop to bring in your stuff. And it probably won't take all you have to offer, leaving you to haul it someplace else i.e. to Goodwill or Salvation Army. You also have to get on the shop's inventory schedule.
For example, lots of consignment stores are not taking any more winter clothes now. Some are waiting until February to start taking spring clothing.
Hope this is a help, and as always Happy Savings!!!!

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Save Money-- Turn Clutter into Cash --Part Two

2007-12-28T02:27:00.002-05:00

One of the most popular places to get rid of unwanted items and to make a little money too is www.eBay.com Here's how it works :

You list your items for sale via online auction or for a flat "buy now" price. There are listing fees. When an item sells, you pay a sales fee to eBay, collect your money from the buyer and ship the item. Payments- between you and eBay as well as buyers and sellers- are typically handled by PayPal, a subsidiary of eBay that processes electronic money transfers- letting buyers pay with credit cards and sellers collect via automatic deposites to their bank.

What Draws for Sellers

You reach a world of potential buyers. That's why sellers say your used goods fetch top dollar. You get more than you would on local autcion sites, garage sales and consignment shops.

Drawbacks for Sellers

Fees and hassle. You pay a listing fee- from 20cents to $4.80- based on your starting price. When an item sells, you also pay a fee, based on the sale price. You pay 5.25 percent on the first $25 and for items that fetch less. On the remaining balance, you pay 3.25 percent on $25.01-$1000 and 1.5 percent on everything above $1000. For more info on fees: http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/fees.html.

You also have to factor in shipping costs and underestimating them or low-balling them to attract buyers could cost you.

Hope these hints are helpful if you decide to sell on eBay. Tommorow we will talk about craigslist.org and other hints for turning your clutter into cash. Happy Shopping!!!!

Save Money-- Turn Clutter into Cash --Part Two

2007-12-28T02:27:00.000-05:00

Save Money -- Turn Clutter into Cash

2007-12-26T23:02:00.002-05:00

Ok so now Christmas is over. Well actually we're still in the Holiday Season so maybe you haven't thought of it yet . But what are we going to do with the gifts we received for Christmas? Amy Baldwin and Amber Veverka of the Charlotte N.C. Observer have some good ideas. Let's look at a few:

If you've ever moved into a new home, had a child, or just lived in this American culture for more than a moment, there comes a day when the stuff you own turned on you.

You opened a closet to be assaulted by shirts and shoes. You stepped into your child's room and were sucked in a quagmire made entirely of bright plastic objects. You looked into your living room and saw so much furniture there was no longer room for living.

So here we are, the day after Christmas looking at all that "stuff" under the tree...we've proudly shown our haul to parents and aunts and uncles and now its time to "deal with it". There are actually a few very good helps that you can use to move out old clutter and make way for new things..or maybe just unclutter your world a little..which is a good thing. The two most popular ways to move out the old and move in the new are www.eBay.com and www.Craigslist.org..

How you chose to unclutter will depend on how much time you want to invest and how much money, if any, you care to collect. Donate your stuff and you're guaranteed to get rid of it all fast, but you get a tax write-off instead of cash. If you want to sell your stuff, eBay, which reaches prospective buyers across the globe, gets you top dollar, but you have to do some legwork and pay fees. Craigslist.org is free, but you reach a smaller, local audience. Tomorrow we will take a look at a these sites plus other ideas on ways of turning your clutter into cash.

Again from my family here at Save a Penny Save the World hope you and your family had a very Merry Christmas!!! And as always Happy Saving!!!!

Save Money -- Turn Clutter into Cash

2007-12-26T23:02:00.001-05:00

Save Money with Price Protcetr

2007-12-25T23:42:00.001-05:00

Save Money by Protecting Your Purchase PriceProtectr
As http://priceprotectr.com proudly proclaims there are a lot of stores that offer price protection on a purchase, when the price drops they'll refund the difference in price to you. There's only one catch. You have to watch the price yourself.
Priceprotectr makes it simple to keep track of your purchases and get your money back. It's free. It's easy. It's free and easy money. How often do you get that offer?
Buy something from one of their 74 stores including Amazon , The Apple Store, Best Buy, Circuit City, Costco, Future Shop, Sears and Staples.
The way it works is: You find the find the information page for the item you just bought(the page where you can add it to your shopping cart). There is a blank to copy and past the URL.
Your item name and price should then show up. If everything looks correct then click on the box that says "start protecting" your purchase. They promise not to spam you or sell your e-mail address.
Then sit back and relax. If the price drops any time within the price protection period, they will email you, and also keep e-mailing you if the price keeps dropping.
This is a very handy way to make sure you get the very lowest price for the item. Sounds like a very good way to save money!! Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and as always Happy Savings!!!

Save Money with Price Protcetr

2007-12-25T23:42:00.000-05:00

Save Money-- Revolution in Giving

2007-12-22T23:50:00.000-05:00

A different kind of giving ... a revolutionary way to give from Rev. James C. Howell pastor of Meyers Park Methodist Church, Charlotte N.C.
Care Enough to Give Something of Yourself, not an Easy Gift Card
Once upon a time, when I was a child, I devised a list of things I wanted and mailed it to the North Pole. Santa delivered, and all was well. I got what I wanted. Now i am older, and I have learned to shop online. Why? It's "easier," more "convenient" for me.
Gift cards are soaring in popularity, and they say a lot about the giver (who hasn't bothered to be creative or to think through the other person's life and snoop around to find something (meaningful), and even more about our vapid culture. We give cards why? "They should be able to get what they want."
Is life about what I want? Might some disaster strike if I cannot get what I want, or if I get something I didn't want? I cannot think of a more pathetic than kids whose favorite activity, rather tragically, is shopping- and who already are engulfed with too much junk- unwrapping gift cards, swapping them like trading cards with cousins, and rushing over to the mall to purchase more unnecessary items.
Gifts from the heart
But there is a revolution going on in giving. Have you noticed? Or are you sleeping through it, like Rip Van Winkle? Everywhere I go, I hear about people giving something special, not necessarily something expensive. Something the giver wants the recipient to have, not what the recipient asked for. Gifts of charity, gifts from the heart.
For me the best gift I ever received was something I never wanted. We were moving from a church where I had been pastor for 12 years. An 89-year old man with a gravelly voice, who still wore overalls and plowed his own fields, walked in one day and said, "I couldn't decide what to give you, "and then he reached deep into his denim pocket, pulled, out something and gradually opened his crusty hand.
It was his pocketknife, worn from decades of going everywhere with him, indispensable for a country gentleman who wanted to be prepared when a rope, apple or container needed to be cut.
If someone asked me to list 500 things I vaguely hope to possess one day, I (a city slicker) would never have said, "A pocketknife!" But here was this invaluable treasure being pressed into my palm.
He added words: "Carry that around in your pocket. Then some day, when you're having a bad day, feel it down in there and remember that somebody loves you." I told this to some people, and a beautiful, revolutionary chaos of giving ensued, as people began giving each other all kinds of stunning presents.
A Teenage Girls Treasure
In a recent sermon I said, "Don't just go buy something for those you love; give them something special to you."A 13 year-old girl emailed me the next day, saying, "Last year for Christmas my parents gave me a laptop, which I love. But my mom just got a new job, and she said she needs a laptop. So I am wrapping mine up and giving it to her for Christmas."
I think about the times I have gone to considerable trouble to get just the right item; perhaps I even made something with my own hands. Not easy, but treasured by the recipient-and somehow it's even better for me as the giver.
Our family trashed the gift card trading bonanza for something better. Last year, each child presented the cousins with gifts of missions. "We made a donation to the homeless shelter in your honor. Our family has volunteered there this past year, and we met this really nice guy named Travis-and now he's our friend."
Care Enough to Give
A revolution is underway, and it's a long way from gift cards and convenience. Care enough to give something of yourself, perhaps something you treasure that won't cost you a dime. Care enough to know the other person and give him something you've lovingly determined you want him to have as a token of who you are together. Care enough to give to the poor, perhaps as much or more than you give to your kin who already have too much. And care enough for them not merely during this season, but in April and August, when the poor are still poor.
This is how God gave, isn't it" Nobody was asking for a baby in a cow stall; but it was what God wanted to give, what God knew would most profoundly express the depths of love we need. A revolution was touched off back then. Are we sleeping through it? Or joining in as zealous participants?
Something a little different.. and as always.....Happy Savings!!!!!!

Save Money--Super Sales Weekend

2007-12-21T23:47:00.000-05:00

Save Money by Waiting: More late shoppers find retailers offering deals.
Procrastinators numbers up in '07; bargains and other extras await.
Retailers expect a flood of shoppers to hit stores this weekend as procrastinators take advantage of the last full weekend before Christmas.
About 17 percent of shoppers polled early this week said they hadn't even started shopping, up from about 15 percent last year, according to the National Retail Federation.
Of those who weren't finished shopping, more than half said they usually are much further along with their holiday purchases.
Retail experts say a variety of factors has people waiting longer than usual to buy. One reason, they say, is that shoppers have more time because Christmas falls on a Tuesday this year.
Others say high gas prices and a mortgage crisis have shoppers more edgy than usual, causing them to hold out for deeper discounts.
Either way, retailers-many of whom have had a rough year so far- are making a final push to grab the interest of last-minute buyers.
About 53 percent of people polled said they were waiting to get bigger discounts, compared to 38 percent last year, according to Consumer Reports.
Discounts make retailers nervous because the cuts can hurt the bottom line. Clothing retailers in particular were hurt by unseasonably warm weather that discourages sales of sweaters, coats and similar items.
Sales on the day after Thanksgiving were more encouraging when receipts for that day rose 5 percent compared with the same day last year, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
A quarter of consumers polled said they intend to shop less this year, according to America's Research Group. Of them 33 percent attributed it primarily to gas prices, while 20 percent blamed a tighter credit market.
"This season turns out to be a waiting game between retailers and the consumers," said Britt Beemer, founder and chairman of ARG. "The consumers, as always have the upper hand because they make the purchasing decisions, and retailers will have to work harder to entice them to buy."
So if you've waited until the last minute to finish your Christmas shopping it seems there will be bargains waiting for you this weekend. Be careful out there. Remember the tips for keeping your identity safe while shopping. And remember, it's not a bargain if you don't need it. With prices cut way down now...there should be some really big bargains after Christmas. Makes gift cards sound even better doesn't it. So be careful, be frugal, be thoughtful and as always... Happy Savings!!!

Coupon Corner
Family Value Meal $21.99 --2 large pizzas, single order of bread sticks, single order of cinnamon sticks at Pizza Hut (no visible expiration date)
Family Pizza Deal $17.99-- large 1-topping & medium up to 3 toppings or specialty pizza at Pizza Hut exp. 1/31/08
2 Medium Pizzas (1 topping) $13.99 at Pizza Hut exp. 1/31/08
2 Large Pizzas (1-topping) $18.99 at Pizza Hut exp. 1/31/08
Save $1.00 on all Hanes underwear and sleepwear exp. 1/16/08
Save $1.00 on any Sudafed or Sudafed PE product (excluding trial size) exp. 2/29/08
$1.00 off any Quaker Simple Harvest instant multigrain hot cereal exp. 3/15/08
$3.00 off when you purchase 2 Neutrogena Men items (offer excludes Neutrogena Men invigorating hair and body wash) exp. 4/30/08
$2.00 off World's Best Cat Litter (available on any size bag or box of World's Best Cat Litter)exp.3/31/08

Save Money--Low Hotel Rates

2007-12-20T23:46:00.000-05:00

Save Money--Find Low Hotel Rates at cheaptickets.com
Looking for a hotel bargain? Www.cheaptickets.com has released its annual "Cheapometer" report of month-by month projections for when hotel rates will be cheapest in 2008 in popular destinations around the world.
For example, hotels in Athens will be 68percent cheaper in January than at its peak tourism period, the Website said.
Other January bargains include Jackson Hole Wyo., 64 percent cheaper than peak, and Paris, 48 percent cheaper, the site said.
Hotels in California's wine country in Napa and Sonoma are 47 percent cheaper in February than peak, CheapTickets said, and London is 35 percent cheaper in February.
--Associated Press
Hope this Web site helps you save money on future trips. Happy Savings!!!

This and That
Petal Pusher
A rose is a rose is a rose. But an orchid ahh...Feel the power at the 19th World Orchid Conference in Miami, January 23 through January 27, where thousands of the flowers will be on display and for sale. If you can't be there but want to stock up on the tropical lovelies for Valentine's Day, simply go to the conference's website--www.19woc.com--where you'll find an extensive list of participating vendors to order from.
Tip Top
Americans are the world's biggest tippers.
35 percent of us tip even when service is bad.
49 percent feel pressure to leave a tip.
8 percent is the absolute minimum tip to leave says Peggy Post.

Coupon Corner
Holiday Special at Pizza Hut: 2 Medium Pizzas (up to three toppings or specialty) single order of bread sticks and single order of cinnamon sticks $19.99 with coupon. (no visible expiration date)
Medium Pizza up to 3 toppings or specialty $9.99 at Pizza Hut exp. 1/31/08
Large Pizza up to 3 toppings or specialty $11.99 at Pizza Hut exp. 1/31/08
Save $1.00 on any two Pert Plus shampoo plus conditioner (excludes trial size) exp. 3/31/08
Save $1.00 on all Hanes Socks exp. 1/16/08
Save $1.00 on all Hanes Bras exp.1/16/08
Save $1.00 on any Sudafed PE Severe Cold Product (excludes trial size) exp. 2/29/08
Save $1.00 on any two Sure Antiperspirant and Deodorant (excludes trial size) exp.3/31/08
Save $1.00 on one Scotch-Brite Stainless Steel Cleaner Starter Kit exp. 2/29/08
Save $1.00 on any Benadryl Product(excludes trial size) exp. 2/29/08
$5.00 Rebate when you buy any two Pert Plus and/or Sure products exp.3/31/08
Happy Saving!!!

Save Money Protect Your Pets--Part Two

2007-12-19T23:19:00.000-05:00

Hope this saves you money by keeping you from having to make an emergency trip to the vet this Christmas.
Protecting Your Pets From Holiday Hazards--Part Two
Dr. Helen Halligan provides these tips:
Foods and Plants That Harm

Never give bones to your pets. They can splinter and endanger their lives. Put any meat bones in a closed plastic bag and dispose of them outside.
Ham and other meats may come packaged with string. If swallowed string ca cause serious problems. Dispose of it with the bones.
Don't feed pets holiday goodies or leftovers, and make sure they can't get at candies and snacks.
Some holiday plants--such as holly, lilies and mistletoe--are toxic to pets, so be sure they're always out of reach.

Oh, Christmas Tree

Use Christmas tree decorations wisely. Decorate the bottom third of the tree with nonbreakable plastic or wooden ornaments. Better yet: Place a barrier around the tree.
Cover electric cords. Or try coating them with bitter-apple spray, which pets don't like.
For live trees, keep the water stand covered or use a pet-proof container-- the water may contain fertilizers or bacteria.
Safely secure trees to a wall or the ceiling to prevent them from toppling on playful pets.

Hope these helpful hints keep your pets safe during Christmas!! Happy Savings!!!!

Coupon Corner

If any of you get a daily paper scan back through it for a CVS/Pharmacy coupon, if there is one in your area. It is a cut out coupon for $5 off any purchase of $15 or more. The coupon expires 12/22/07. So its good for only a few days but $5 off $15 isn't bad.

Save $1.50 on any one Vaseline Cocoa Butter Smoothing Body Butter or Intensive Rescue Moisture Locking Butter.exp. 2/3/08

Save $1.00 on any one Vaseline Intensive Rescue Body Lotion(200 ml or larger)exp. 2/3/08

Save $1.00 on any one Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion product (200 ml or larger) except Renewal or Glow. exp.2/3/08

$5.00 off any size Half Ham at Honey Baked Hams exp. 12/31/07

$19.99 Turkey Breast with purchase of any ham at Honey Baked Hams exp. 12/31/07

Bar-B-Q Lunch Favorite Buy One, Get One For $.99 at Sonny's Real-Pit Bar-B-Q exp.1/10/08

Bar-B-Q Dinner Favorite Buy Two, Save $5.00 at Sonny's Real Pit-Bar-B-Q exp 1/10/08

Feast for Four Save $5.00 at Sonny's Real Pit Bar-B-Q exp.1/10/08

$2.00 Off a Whitman's Sampler 12oz. or larger box or Soho 3.3oz or larger box exp. 1/31/08

$2.00 Off any assortment of Russell Stover 9.25oz or larger box or Private Reserve 2.875oz. or larger box or Urban 3oz. or larger box. exp. 1/31/08

Just let me know which ones you need by e-mail or in comments. First come first serve. You can even send me some of your own coupons. Happy Savings!!!!!!

Save Dollars-- Care for Your Pets

2007-12-19T01:03:00.000-05:00

Technorati Profile

Save Money -- Protect Your Pet

2007-12-18T23:28:00.000-05:00

How to protect your pets from Holiday Hazards and save money on vet bills. Doctor Karen Halligan give us some good ideas on how to keep our pets safe and happy during the Holidays.
Pretty decoration and lavish meals play an important part in most holiday celebrations, but what seems harmless and fun for you and your guests may be harmful to your pets. So, before you start celebrating, spend some time planning and preparing for the well-being of your cats and dogs to keep them safe during the holiday dangers. These easy steps will help:
Good Rules--Any Time

Be absolutely certain that pets are wearing-- at all times--current ID tags.
Try to keep them on their regular schedules for feeding and exercise.
Provide plenty of love and attention, so they don't feel left out.
When there's a party, put your pets in a separate room with some toys and a comfortable place to lie. Playing soft music, especially classical, also helps them to relax. They'll feel safer and less stressed.
Advise overnight guests to keep all medications secure.

Holiday Trappings

Keep your pets from pawing through the trash. Plastic or foil wrappings and six-pack beverage holders are especially attractive to curious animals.
Watch where you place candles. Pets can tip them over or get burned.
Never put ribbon or yarn around your pet's neck. If ingested, it can damage an animal's intestines.

Hope these ideas help you keep your pet safe and save money on a costly vet bill this Holiday season. Be back with more on this subject tomorrow . Until then..Happy Savings!!!

Coupon Corner

$1.00 off purchase of a McSkillet Burrito at McDonald's exp. 1/6/08

Free McSkillet Burrito with purchase of a Medium or Large Beverage at McDonald's exp.1/6/08

Buy a McSkillet Burrito and get a Breakfast Sandwich Free -includes McSkillet Burrito, Biscuit, McMuffin and McGriddles products (excludes Bagel products) at McDonald's exp. 1/6/08

Get a Free Southern Style Chicken Biscuit or Sandwich with purchase of the same at McDonald's exp. 1/6/08

Get a Free Quarter Pounder with Cheese Sandwich with purchase of the same at McDonald's exp. 1/6/08

Get a Free Cinnamon Melts with purchase of the same at McDonald's exp. 1/6/08

Save $1.50 on a Kodak Power Flash Single Use Camera exp. 1/18/08

Save $1.00 on any Kodak Single Use Camera exp. 1/18/08

Save $1.00 on any Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer 2fl. oz. or larger exp. 2/29/08

$4.00 off when you buy any Schick Quattro Razor exp. 1/27/08

$4.00 off when you buy any Schick Quattro Razor Refills exp. 1/27/08

$5.00 off on any Teleflora Bouquet exp. 1/1/08

Let's swap some coupons. Just let me know which ones you need. I'll send , first come first serve..and you can even send me some of yours if you like. Again.. Happy Savings!!!!

Save Money --- Even Bigger Sales This Week

2007-12-17T23:09:00.001-05:00

With Christmas sales lagging somewhat we can expect stores to cut prices even more this week. So you that have procrastinated, you may be the ones who reap the biggest rewards this Christmas when it comes to saving money. Still apply the rules we've learned for saving money this week and remember ... a sale isn't a sale if you or the person you' re buying for don't need the item. So shop smart and save money.
A note on compact fluorescent bulbs:
Analysts at the nonprofit Earth Policy Institute estimate the United States could close 80 coal-fired power plants if Americans switched over en masse to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). It's hard to say exactly why a quicker transition over to CFLs hasn't taken place. China, Australia, Canada, Venezuela and Cuba have committed to phasing out incandescent bulbs within the next five years, and dozens of other countries, including all 27 members of the European Union, are deliberating whether to follow suit.
Switching over to CFLs doesn't come without trade-offs. Bulbs each contain trace amounts of mercury (usually four to five milligrams), a toxic heavy metal. Exposure to mercury can cause a wide range of health problems, including damage to the central nervous system, kidneys and liver. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the amount of airborne mercury present after one of the bulbs break is negligible. Nonetheless, the EPA recommends that , you should immediately open the windows and vacate the premises for at least 15 minutes to minimize the risk of exposure. Afterward, you should clean up using gloves and/or paper towels or disposable rags (and avoid using a vacuum cleaner, which can stir up the airborne mercury). Remaining fragments, as well as rags used to clean up, should be sealed in a plastic bag and disposed of at a household hazardous waste collection site.
For a CFL recycling facility near you, visit www.earth911.org and type in your ZIP code.
Hope this will give you a better idea of the rewards and the risks associated with these bulbs. Happy Savings!!!
Coupon Corner
Save $.50 on Cottonelle Fresh or Cottonelle for Kids Flushable Moist Wipes in these sizes Two 42 ct Tubs or Refills or One 84ct. Refill or Larger.exp. 1/12/08
Save $.50 when you buy tow packages Pillsbury Refrigerated Create'n Bake Cookie dough exp.or Refrigerated Brownie Batter exp. 2/23/08
Save $.40 on any one package of Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn exp. 1/20/08
Save $.50 off any one Heluva Good Dip exp. 12/27/07
Save $.50 on any Mt. Olive Product (Pickles, Peppers and Relishes)exp. 1/31/08
Save $3.00 on all Radica Electronics exp. 1/31/08
Save $.75on one Duracell Copper Top 4-pack or larger AA or AAA or any size C,D, or 9v or Power Pix or Ultra Digital (AA or AAA) or Ultra Photo Lithium(123,223,245,CR2, or CR-V3) exp.1/31/08
Mail-in Rebate Save $10.00 on any one Oral-B Professional Care or Sonic Complete Power Toothbrush by mail-in rebate exp. 1/31/08
$1.00 off any one Zooth Power battery toothbrush or an two Zooth manual toothbrushes or toothpastes.exp. 1/31/08
$1.00 off one Stages Power battery toothbrush or an two Stages manual toothbrushes or toothpastes. exp. 1/31/08
Save $3.00 on one Duracell Rechargeable Battery Charger. exp. 1/31/08
Save $2.00 on one pack of Duracell Rechargeable Batteries (AA or AAA)
Save $2.00 on any one Pull-Ups Training Pants (jumbo pack or larger)exp.1/19/08
Save $.25 when you buy any One Pillsbury Sweet Rolls exp. 2/23/08

Let's trade some coupons and save some money!!!!!!!

Save Money --- Even Bigger Sales This Week

2007-12-17T23:09:00.000-05:00

Save Money ...Shop Smart

2007-12-16T23:03:00.000-05:00

Save money and don't get frustrated.
It's better to give and not be peeved. Marshall Loeb or Marketwatch writes: Many of us inadvertently let retailers dictate when we go shopping, by waiting for special offers, promotional codes and coupons. But when you have a gift list, keeping up with sales dates for multiple items can be an exhausting obligation.
If you dread the holiday stampede and would like to make gift-giving more rewarding for yourself Consumer Reports has a list of five things to make shopping as hassle-free as possible:
Be proactive.
Don't wait to hear about sales. Retailers usually offer discounts on just a few productes anyway, so the chances are slim that you will stumble on a discount for something on your list. Instead, plan your buying and shop early in the day, as well as in the season. Morning crowds tend to be light, sales assistants more attentive and retailer Web sites more inclined to feature special discounts. In ht e event that you do find a sale you like, buy as soon as you can. Sales are first-come, first-serve, and "hot" gifts might be in shorts supply.
Compare before buying.
One of the most aggravating side effects of hurried shopping is when you have just purchased a product and then find it at a lower price. Even if you return it and get a refund, you won't be compensated for the lost time and legwork. Instead, do price comparisons ahead of time using shopping "bots," such as BizRate, DealTime, Google Product Search or Shopzilla. Be sure to sort by product price when searching.
Go online to save big.
In addition to price comparison, Web sites such as FatWallet.com and Dealtalker.com provide advance information about sales at stores and online merchants. Along with Web sites like CouponCabin.com and Coolsavings.com they also feature downloadable coupons plus discount or promotional codes.
Get a gift receipt.
Otherwise, a recipient who decides to exchange an item might be issued a gift card or store credit for the lowest price the item ever sold for. You'll also need the receipt for warranty service.
Take advantage of free shipping.
Many retailers offer it as an incentive to buy online, so if you are shopping on the Internet, it pays to do so early. Consumer Reports estimates that the deadline for free shipping from major retailers will expire around Dec. 18.
Hope these tips will make your shopping experience a money saving one..and less hectic. Happy Shopping!!!!

Save Money--Big Shopping Weekend

2007-12-14T13:56:00.000-05:00

So here we are, next to last shopping weekend before Christmas. Just remember a few ideas for saving money:

Save money by waiting: The stores will probably mark down after this weekend. So if you can swing it to go shopping one night next week, and the stores will probably not be as crowded.
Save money by planning: Remember what you put on the credit card today, you have to pay for next month and the month after and...you get the picture.
Save money by being careful: Follow the rules of a past blog and don't carry all your keys, all your credit cards, all your money, no medicine bottle with your info on them into the malls. There are thieves about who want to rob you of your Christmas joy ... and your money. Just take what you need into the stores.

I won,t be on tomorrow. My wife's family is having it's annual Christmas Dinner. But should be back here Sunday. A good weekend to all of you and Happy Saving!!!!!!

Coupon Corner:

Save $1.00 when you buy two packages any Pillsbury Ready to Bake Cookies or SimplyBake Bars exp. 2/16/08

Save $.55 when you buy any two Nabisco Crackers (5 oz. or larger)exp. 1/27/08

Save $5.00 on Aquafresh White Trays exp1/5/08

Save $.50 when you buy two any flavor Betty Crocker Box Supreme Brownie Mixes exp 2/2/08

Save $.50 when you buy one tub any flavor/variety Betty Crocker Frosting 2/2/08

Save $.50 when you buy any flavor 17.5 oz. or larger Betty Crocker Cookie Mix 2/2/08

Save $1.00 on one package of Purina Chew-eez Rolls, any size, any variety exp 3/9/08

Save $1.00 off any two Spice Islands Products exp 2/10 08

Save $1.00 on one 3.5 oz package of Purina Carvers any variety #/9/08

Save $5.00 on any Teleflora Bouquet exp 1/1/08

Save $3.00 on Similasan Earache Relief exp. 2/29/08

Save $.50 when you buy any tow packages Pillsbury Refrigerated Create'n Bake Cookie Dough or Refrigerated Brownie Batter exp. 2/16/08

Please!! Let me know if you need any of these. Just e-mail me and ill send you as many as you want. I have one of each posted. First come first serve. And you can send me a few of yours if you want to.

Saving Money: Little Things Big Savings

2007-12-13T15:00:00.002-05:00

Well, I have been blogging for almost a month now. I must say its been an educational experience for me. I've always been interested in saving money. As we say sometimes, "it's the way i was raised". I just really hope I've mentioned something here that can help you save money and be a little gentler with our planets resources. Some days i will post more than others. And some posts may not be as interesting to you as others. But i would really love to establish a group of daily readers. I welcome your ideas, even if they don't agree with mine. There is always something new we can all learn about saving money and saving our world. I do have a habit of paying attention to the little things: how to get the last little ooze of toothpaste out of the tube for instance. (Cut the tube with scissors in as many sections as you need to, then work your brush around in there till you get it all out.) Now i know you're thinking this is trivial, but the point I'm making is...you paid for this toothpaste, its yours. Are you going to just throw it away? If over the course of 5 years you save a tube of toothpaste? Whats toothpaste cost these days? $3.50 a tube? Maybe more maybe less depending on where you are. And $3.50 every 5 years isn't a lot ill admit.. $.70 a year. Ok, but what if you live to be 80 or more?

Well maybe you'll not brush your teeth the first two years and wear false teeth the last 8. so that's 70. Time to get the calculator out now. Seventy years times $.70 cents. Ok that's $49.00. Would you take out your checkbook and write a check to the already-rich toothpaste companies for $49.00?????? See the point I'm getting at. And there are other things too, not just toothpaste. The thing I'm trying to get you to do and get in a better habit of doing myself is actually thinking about the little things we do every day that cause waste in our world and keep us from saving money. Ok enough for now. I'll be back later. If Ive made one person think about their personal saving habits, not just of money but of all the worlds resources, I'm happy. So until next time...Happy Savings!!!

Save Money ..Charitable Donations

2007-12-13T10:29:00.000-05:00

Save Money ...Check out Charities

This time of year you are probably getting requests from charitable organizations in your mailbox, your email, your local organizations... everywhere. Who to give to and who not to..a good question? While there are many good causes for you to give your time and money to there are those that are self serving and only out to make a profit for the administration of the charity, leaving those who need the money with very little help. Here are some hints when it comes to giving:
Do's

Do find out what percentage of your donation goes to the actual charity. If the charity ask you to buy things such as magazines or greeting cards, find out now much money actually goes to the charity.
Do contact the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving alliance at www.give.org to make sure the organization is authorized to solicit money.
Do get a receipt stating the amount and verifying that it is tax-deductible .

Don'ts

Don't give cash.
Don't give phone or e-mail solicitors personal information. Providing you Social Security ,credit card or bank account number over the phone or via the Internet can put you at risk of identity theft.
Don't succumb to pressure tactics. Intimidation or threats should be reported to the Better Business Bureau.

Hope these hints help you decide which charities to give money to. Be back later with more. Until then: Happy Savings!!!

Save Money: Curb Impulse Spending

2007-12-12T23:25:00.001-05:00

6 Ways to Curb Impulse Spending
Is impulse buying taking a heavy toll on your budget?
Here are six ways to get a handle on your spending:
Identify your triggers.
Many people use shopping as an emotional outlet. But letting your emotions dictate your spending is nearly always a bad idea. To break yourself of the habit, try to determine what prompts you to spend unwisely and take steps to change your behavior.
Avoid temptation
If you're inclined to overspend, consider a self-imposed ban on window shopping, casual browsing and unnecessary trips to the mall. Hint: If you know you're likely to be tempted, leave your credit card at home and only bring as much cash as you absolutely need.
Be a cautious consumer
You may think you're immune to advertising, but even the savviest shoppers fall prey to marketing tactics now and again. Next time you find yourself eyeing a "new and improved" product, ask yourself why you feel compelled to buy it. Will that new golf club/razor/skin cream substantially improve your life or just deplete your bank account?
Take a time-out
If you stumble on a "must have" item, don't get caught up in the excitement, advises MSN Money columnist Liz Pulliam Weston. Take a deep breath and walk away. Give yourself anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to figure out if this is something that you can afford and really need. After a cool-down period, if you can truthfully answer yes to both questions, go ahead and splurge.
Remember long-term goals
Before you buy, ask yourself if you'll get more long-term satisfaction out of owning this item, paying down your debt or putting money toward that dream vacation. You may get a temporary boost from buying that scarf, but that doesn't mean it's the best use of your money.
Check your balances
If you find yourself standing in the checkout line, ready to buy something you're not sure you can afford, hold off, suggests Weston. Go to your local bank or log on to your bank account online. Once you've viewed your balance, the purchase may appear far less enticing.
Hope these money-saving hints help.---Marshall Loeb Marketwatch
Coupon Corner
Save $.50 when you buy two Pillsbury Italian Meal Breads (Including any loaves, breadsticks, dinner rolls, and pizza crust. exp. 2/16/08
2 for $9.00 grab and go quarts Cold Stone Creamery exp. 1/14/08
Free Ice Cream Buy one love it signature creation or create your own, get one free Cold Stone Creamery exp. 1/14/08
$3.00 off any Signature Cake (excludes petite cakes) Cold Stone Creamery Exp. 1/14/08
Save $.50 on three any size / any variety Refrigerated Pillsbury Grands Biscuits exp. 2/16/08
Save $1.00 when you buy any flavorYo-Plus Yogurt 4-pack exp. 2/2/08
Save $.25 when you buy any Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls Exp. 2/16/08
Save $.50 when you buy any Pillsbury Grands Sweet Rolls exp. 2/16/08
Save $.25 when you buy any Pillsbury Crescent Dinner Rolls exp. 2/16/08
Save $.40 on any 4 Swanson Broth 14oz. can exp. 1/20/08
Save $1.00 on any Two Poppers Frozen Snacks exp. 2/3/08
Save $.35 on any 4 Campbell's Cream Soups exp. 1/20/08

Save Money: Curb Impulse Spending

2007-12-12T23:25:00.000-05:00

Save money...keep your identity safe

2007-12-12T12:07:00.000-05:00

This is the seasons of giving..unfortunately it is also the season for taking...thieves are out there always on the lookout for ways to take your money and your identity..so be careful.
Before you head out on your next shopping venture, take a moment to do the following.

Reduce the amount of personal information you carry. You do not need to carry your Social Security cards... or those of your children! Ever!
Check all insurance cards, etc. to make sure they don't have your SSN
Make copies of the fronts and backs of every credit?debit card you carry. Store those in an accessible place at home in case you need to notify any of the companies of a theft.
Don't carry prescription bottles; they reveal too much personal information. If necessary, place a few pills in a small envelope and label the contents. (If you must carry the container, cross out your name and the prescription number.)
Separate your car key from the house key and do not keep a re3mote security access FOB attached to either. This gives a thief immediate access to your home.

Hope you find these hints helpful in keeping your identity and your hard earned money. I will be back later hopefully with a longer post. Happy Shopping!!!!

Save money...don't be a victim

2007-12-11T23:34:00.001-05:00

Take these precautions when buying a gift card for somebody.
Dan Starks a personal safety specialist with the Charlotte Observer says:
When choosing a gift for that hard-to-buy-for person, a gift card can be a simple solution. For the recipient, it sure beats having to return an unwanted gift like that ugly pair of socks.
When buying a gift card, follow these tips:

Buy a card that hasn't been on display. Cards secured behind a counter have less chance of being tampered with.
After buying the card, immediately ask the cashier to verify the balance.
As soon as possible, go online to register it with the store. That should help if there is a need to replace it.
Save the original receipt until the card has been used.
Be very cautious when purchasing cards from online auction sites. You can end up purchasing an invalid card with no value.

Also, an alternative to a gift card is a money order. Advantage: The recipient can exchange it at his or her bank for cash, then buy from any store.

And for those thinking of giving a gift to someone in the military this holiday season:

If you don't have a family member in the military to send a gift or care package to, you can still spread holiday cheer to those stationed overseas. Here are some ideas from the United Service organization on what you can do. To donate to any of these programs or for more info, go to www.uso.org or call 800-901-1501.

Operation Care Package: For $25 you can sponsor a care package and include a personal note, wishing a military member happy holidays or thanking them for their service.
Operation Phone Home: Donate a phone card. The USO says there is an urgent need for phone cards so deployed service members can call home.
USO in a box:: This pilot program, created this year, sends electronic, entertainment and personal care items to troops in remote locations.--Amy Baldwin

Hope these tips help you save money and give to others this holiday season.

Coupon Corner:

Save $1.00 on one package 6oz. or larger, Purina Beggin, any variety exp 3/9/08

Save $1.50 on two packages of Purina Busy Bone, any size, any variety exp. 2/7/08

Save $1.00 on one package of Purina Busy bone, any size , any variety exp. 2/9/08

Save $.75 on any Easy Off glass cooktop cleaner exp. 2/9/08

Save $.35 on any Easy Off oven cleaner exp. 2/9/08

Save $2.00 on any one Schick Razor or refill package exp 1/31/08

Save $.50 when you buy any Frank's Redhot Sauce exp.3/31/08

Save $.40 on any three packages of Kleenex facial tissues or one bundle pack exp. 1/15/08

Save $1.00 on 4 Campbell's Chunky Soup can variety 1/20/08

Save $1.00 on any 10 Campbell's Condensed Chicken Noodle or Tomato Soups exp. 1/31/08

Save $1.00 on any 5 Campbell's Condensed Soups (except chicken noodle , tomato &creams exp. 1/31/08

Buy four Little Debbie family snack packs, get one free(any variety up to $1.39 exp. 2/15/08

Save $3.00 on any one Excedrin 100ct product exp. 1/31/08

Save $2.00 on any one Excedrin Product exp. 1/31/08

Save $2.00 when you purchase a Reynolds Handi-vac Starter Kit exp. 2/3/08

Get one warmer unit free when you buy your favorite Air Wick scented oil refill fragrance (up to $3.19) exp. 1/20/08

$1.00 off any 2 Air Wick scented oil refills exp. 1/20/08

$2.00 off any one pro recharge Crest SpinBrush exp.1/31/08

$1.00 off any one Crest SpinBrush exp.1/31/08

$1.00 off any one Crest Kids SpinBrush exp. 1/31/08

These are free ..as many as you want..just email me with a mail address and let me know which ones you want.... and if you like you can send me a few of your own ..

Happy savings!!

Save money shopping online..but use caution

2007-12-10T23:20:00.001-05:00

Online shopping can save you money. It can also lose your money and your identity if you aren't careful. The Web can take the legwork out of bargain hunting, but only when you take full advantage of search engines. MySimon.com, Shopzilla.com and PriceGrabber.com cast a wide net, so adding as many details as possible to your search--such as brand, model, color--improves the results. Don't be afraid to click on the "advanced search" option to further narrow your focus.
But be wary of online shopping traps.
Vicki Lee Parker of the Raleigh News and Observer writes:
With the holiday shopping season well under way, many consumers have already received a barrage of e-mails advertising hefty discounts on popular gift items.
But behind some of those enticing offers lurk unwelcome headaches such as computer viruses, a private identity theft scam or malware that gives criminals remote access to your computers. Once the criminals get access to your computer, they can steal personal information, or use the computer to transmit spam, viruses and other attacks.
The problem is that this year the fake ads are more sophisticated and better resemble legitimate e-mails, said Keith Crosley, spokesman for Proofpoint, a messaging security company in Sunnyvale, Calif.
"They are not as easy to spot as before," he said. "We are seeing sites that are incredibly convincing. They look almost like the brand they are trying to spoof."
Consumers are going to have to be extremely cautious when shopping online, Crosley said.

Proofpoint offers these tips to help you safely shop online:

Be suspicious. View any e-mail with requests for personal identifying information, personal financial information, user names or passwords with suspicion. Virtually no legitimate business today requests this type of information in an e-mail. Additionally, e-mail requesting they download a document off a Web site should be considered highly suspicious. This almost certainly is an attempt to trick consumers into downloading malware off a Web site.
Don't click. If you receive a suspicious e-mail, don't click the links in the e-mail and never open file attachments from anything but 100 percent trusted sources. Links embedded in e-mails may take you to fraudulent sites that look similar or identical to the legitimate "spoofed" site. Malware is also not limited to just .exe files these days - it can be hidden in Word documents, PDF files, e-cards and more.
Be secure. When you are shopping online, entering important information such as credit card numbers, or updating personal information, make sure you're using a secure Web site. A secure Web server Web address will begin with "https://" instead of the usual "http://". Most Web browsers also show an icon (such as Internet Explorer's "padlock" icon) to indicate that the page you are viewing is secure.

Hope these hints will help your online shopping experience be a happy, safe, money saving one.

Coupon Corner:

16oz. Premium Blend Coffee 77 cents Bojangles exp. 12/30/07

2 Sausage Biscuits $1.89 Bojangles exp. 12/30/07

2 Steak biscuits $2.79 Bojangles exp. 12/30/07

Cajun Fillet Biscuit Combo $3.99 Bojangles exp 12/30/07

Cajun Fillet Sandwich combo $4.29 Bojangles exp. 12/30/07

8 pcs. Chicken & 4 Biscuits $8.99 Bojangles exp. 12/30/07

Chicken Supreme Combo $4.29 Bojangles exp. 12/30/07

8 pc. Tailgate Special (8pcs chicken 4 biscuits 2 lg fixin's 1/2 gallon iced tea) $13.99 exp 12/30/07

$5.00 off any size Half Ham Honey Baked Ham exp. 12/31/07

$1.00 off any two Blistex Lip Medex , Blistex Medicated Lip Ointment or Blistex Meidcated Lip Balm exp. 3/1/08

Save $1.50 on any The Goodlife Recipe treats for cats or treats for dogs exp. 3/8/08

Save $4.00 on any Air Wick Freshmatic Mini Starter Kit exp. 1/20/08

Save $5.00 on any Air Wick Freshmatic Ultra Starter Kit exp. 1/20/08

Save $1.00 on Fujifilm Quicksnap One-Time-Use Camera (25 exp. or more) exp. 2/29/08

Save $.50 on 35mm Multi-Pack of Fujicolor film (72 exp. or more)

Save $1.00 on any Bengay product exp. 2/29/08

Save $.35 when you buy any French's Worchestershire Sauce exp.2/29/08

Save $1.00on any Woolite Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner exp. 3/31/08

And lots more but its getting late. So goodnight and Happy Saving!!!

Saving Money ...of Gifts and LIghts

2007-12-09T23:16:00.000-05:00

Sometimes gifts that cost the least matter most. Sometimes its not about how much money you spend, its about how much of yourself you can give.
By Linda Tryek , from AARP ,magazine:
My mom was the perfect gift buyer. She knew what my heart desired without having to be told. She made the holidays magic because each beautifully wrapped gift was just right-- a glamorous makeup kit for a shy teenager, that book you couldn't wait to read or a longed-for toy that was out of stock.
Mom worked long hours to afford those lovely gifts. Once I ask her to stop going to work so I could spend more time with her.
"Don't you like all your nice things?" she asked.
And i told her, " I'd rather have you."
My dad was the world's worst gift buyer. He bought presents he secretly wanted for himself. He bought my sister and me trains, wagons and tractors and then spent more time playing with them than we did. He bought my mom a nonstick frying pan for Christmas because he wanted to make pancakes.
But Dad gave us a gift Mom couldn't-- he had all the time in the world for us. He had time to tramp barefoot through mud puddles. He had time to catch lightening bugs and to walk all the way to Dairy Queen and back on hot summer nights. And he had time to tell stories and to listen to us .
To be perfect, a gift has to be about the person receiving it. That's what my mom taught me. But some of the most memorable gifts don't come wrapped in fancy paper. Sometimes the best gift is simply yourself. And that's what my dad taught me.

Light on the money....
Compact fluorescent lights--valued as energy and money savers compared with incandescent bulbs-- has some new competition: the tiny LED, or light-emitting diode.
Seattle officials estimate that LEDs in holiday lighting reduce electricity use by 90 percent over conventional mini-bulbs. Even at double or triple the price LEDs will save you cash after a few holiday seasons because the diodes are built to last. They typically perform without dimming for 30,000 hours points out Nadarajah Narendran of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. That's eight hours a day for a decade.
LEDs aren't just for decoration, either. These low-wattage bulbs, which don't heat up like other bulbs, are being marketed more widely for everyday use in lamps and spotlights and above kitchen counters.
They're already well-known where reliability matters, such as in auto brake lights and in traffic signals. Non wonder Finland's prestigious(and million euro) Millennium Technology Prize went to Shuji Nakamura last year for developing white green, and bright blue LEDs. The prize recognizes innovators whose work improves the quality of life worldwide. --Cynthia Blayer

So quite a jump from holiday memories to holiday lighting that saves money. Let's see..what else.. oh .. my wife pretty much shredded the coupon section of today's paper but there were a few good ones left. I'm starting a new feature today and if i get good results may make it a regular thing. Let's call it Coupon Corner. I'll list a dozen or so coupons i have ..complete with expiration dates. If you'd like to have any of these, just email me with your name and address and ill send you lets say... 5 coupons. You send me back 3 of your left over one's . Fair enough?? If you have a better plan let me know..also if you like you can put your coupon needs ..and your extras in the comment portion of this blog and we will all work together and see if we can get the right coupons with the right people so we can all save some money! Happy saving!!!

Coupon Corner
Save $5 on a Christmas Bouquet with a five dollar coupon from FTD florist--expires 12/25/07 Save $5 on a Christmas Bouquet - 5 dollar coupon- Teleflora florist-- expires 1/1/08
Save $3.50 when you buy any one Dove SkinVitalizer includes 6 Dove Facial Cleansing Pillows and one AA battery
Save $1.50 when you buy one NutraMist fast-acting oral spray exp. 2/29/08
Save $1.00 on one flavor of 14 oz. Creme De Pirouline Chocolate, hazelnut etc. exp. 2/17/08
Save $1.00 on one Scotch-Brite Cook Top Cleaner Starter Kit exp. 2/29/08
Save $!.00 on any one package of Treasure Cave Cheese (4oz. or larger) exp 3/31/08
Save 50cents on any Robitussin Syrup, CoughGEls or Tablets (excluding cough drops) exp. 3/31/08
Save $1.00 on any L'Oreal Men's expert product exp. 3/2/08
Buy one Pedigree Jumbone or Pedigree Super Chew and get one Pedigree Dentastix free up to $4.35 exp. 3/9/08
Save 50cent when you buy any 3 boxes or 1 multi pack of Scotties facial tissues exp. 3/31/08
Save $1.00 when you buy any two packages of Nestle dough products. 2/29/08

There it's getting late. I'll try to do more tomorrow..remember 5 of mine for 3 or yours. Oh yes .I need cat food , some paper supplies, and ....people food. Don,t mind me..its late.
Again Happy Saving!!!

Save money...save water

2007-12-08T22:26:00.002-05:00

Drought disaster.. and what we can do to save water ...and money.
Forget melting Arctic ice. A bigger environmental danger facing us is drought. For those of you experiencing flooding bear with me. A large swath of the U.S., including California and much of the Southwest and parts of the Southeast, are at severe risk for freshwater shortages. Rivers are drying up, and the snowcaps that replenish them are rapidly disappearing. Adding to the problem is the fact that theaverage American consumes 151 gallons of water a day on a per capita basis. In contrast, the British average just 31 gallons a day.
Getting by with less:

Cut down on shower time, and install low-flow shower heads. The low-flow heads run at three gallons a minute; older ones put out seven gallons a minute.
If you run a dishwasher or wash clothes every day, do it every other day. And run them only when full. Most dishwashers use 15 to 22 gallons a cycle. Clothes washers use 30 to 50 gallons a load; the new front-loading washers use half that amount.
Flush toilets only when you have to. The average person flushes a toilet seven times a day. Low-flow toilets use 1.6 to 2.5 gallons a flush; older toilets use 7 to 10 gallons.
Turn off water when brushing teeth or shaving. Most homes have faucets that use 2.5 gallons a minute.

I,ll add to this to know how much water you are using. Most water bills tell you how many gallons of water you consume in a month. And of course they tell you how much you must pay for these gallons. Just divide the number of gallons by the days of service or days in the previous month to give you how many gallons you use a day. Dividing the cost by gallons used will give you cost per gallon. By doing this you can find out your cost per day of water use. This will give you the nudge you need to try to find ways of saving water..and thus..saving money. Happy saving!!!

Save money...save water

2007-12-08T22:26:00.000-05:00

Money saving lessons we learn as we grow

2007-12-07T23:28:00.000-05:00

Today's post is a little different than some I've put on here. It is an article written by Kathleen Purvis in the Food section of the Charlotte, North Carolina observer. Maybe it will make you think of a money saving habit you picked up from a parent, grandparent, or even a great grandparent. A big "God Bless You Kathleen" ..for the memories.
Recycling lessons from Grandmother

Did somebody turn the clock back?
As drought steadily sinks in,choking the yard with dust, I find myself in the kitchen, remembering again that every bite and drop is precious.
I put a bowl under a colander when I rinse fruits and vegetables , catching the water to take outside to the drooping herbs and the yellowing gardenia bush.
We keep a bowl by the sink all day, too, to catch our melting ice cubes and the dregs from our water glasses, doling it out to which-ever plant looks the most needy.
After making my usual Saturday morning rounds of farmers markets, where the summer produce has slowed to a trickle and the fall vegetables are slow to arrive, I come home feeling like what I found is even more precious than usual.
I find myself thinking more carefully about how to use it all, savoring the fresh lettuce and the first mustard greens, hanging on to the tomatoes to stretch them through the week and finding a way to use every bean.
As I cook with these things now, I picture the faces of the people who grew them, people who work so hard to make it to the markets and then apologize that they don't have more or that the last of the summer squash are small.
I'm just grateful to have any of it. This is the fall that hasn't felt like fall, the year when the leaves turned brown and fell long before they were supposed to turn red.
And with every step I take into reusing, recycling and repurposing, I find myself turning into my mother and my grandmother.
The Depression left marks on them that were never erased. My grandmother rinsed bread bags and clipped them to a clothes line on hr porch to drip dry, unwilling to spend good money on something as silly as sandwich bags. She saved aluminum foil, refolding it carefully and stacking it in the bread box.
Even when "hard times" were gone, I don't think the woman ever wrapped a biscuit in foil that wasn't pre-wrinkled.
My mother was raised by her, in that era when hard times were followed by war and then by scrimping and saving to start her own home. She never lost those habits, either.
In our house, throwing away bacon fat was a crime and putting more on your plate than you could eat would earn you a tsk and a frown. We were raised to cut our tomatoes thin and peel our potatoes thinner.
As I grew into my own home, I thought I would resist those lessons. I swore I'd never be reduced to refolding aluminum foil. I wanted my life to be about bigger things, larger efforts.
I suppose I had to grow enough to understand that the small, daily things are what add up in life. I learned to get a thrill out of saving kitchen scraps for the compost bin, saving an ounce from the trash can to go on to new life somewhere else around the yard.
The other night, I caught myself folding a barely used piece of aluminum foil.
I still haven't reached the point where I can rinse out bread bags. But I save drops of water, and walk them out to the garden.

Most of the times i have something to say at the end of a post ..a smart catchy line about saving money. I think this one stands on its own. Happy saving!

Save Money by Giving a Gift From the Heart

2007-12-07T00:05:00.000-05:00

A gift with heart...that also saves money.
If you cringe at the thought of giving (or receiving) another generic present, consider these ideas that are thoughtful and still save you money.
The Gift of Serenity. Encourage your loved one to make time for her/himself with a day of relaxation at the local spa or health club. If the recipient is someone special, offer to give a massage yourself: Attach your written promise to a scented candle or bottle of oil for extra romance.
The Gift of Time. Hire a cleaning service for a stressed-out friend, or, if you have more time than cash, you can save money by offering to do the job yourself at a specific date and time. You can package your promise with fresh flowers for a finishing touch.
The Gift of knowledge. Has a friend been yearning to take up tennis of learn a new language? If you have the skill she/he desires schedule "lessons" over the next few months- the time spent together will save them money and be priceless in memories. If not, look into classes at the local community college or YMCA. You can package your gift with a can of tennis balls, for example, or a book of French verbs.
The Gift of a Brighter Future. More and more people are honoring family members by helping others--doing volunteer work or making a donation to charity in their name. If you're shopping for a child, consider a contribution to her college-education fund. It's not the flashiest present, but she'll thank you later! --Sharon Male -- Parade Magazine
These are just a few tips that will save you money and if given sincerely, and followed though on should mean a great deal to the recipient. Happy saving!

SAVE MONEY AND KEEP HOLIDAY TWINKLES

2007-12-05T23:33:00.000-05:00

Save money: Holiday twinkles can pile up on your light bill.
by Ken Sheinkopf -McClatchy-Tribune News Service
I think everyone who watched Chevy Chase put 25,000 lights on his home in National Lampoon's "Christmas Vacation" with the spinning electric meter and lights dimming around the neighborhood has to wonder just how much energy is used for holiday lighting.
The latest study I've seen that looked at the lighting use of 185 homes before and after the holiday season found an average increase of around $13 for every month the lights were used. Not a terribly high amount of money, maybe, but one that could be cut nearly in half by not leaving he lights on all night.
However, keep in mind that this is for the "average" home, and if you're someone who takes holiday lighting to the extreme, then this bill could easily be a lot bigger.
One way to reduce energy costs is by using LED holiday lighting systems that can cut per-bulb energy significantly. Just as compact fluorescents can dramatically lower your home's lighting bill, these and other energy-efficient holiday lights can save money during the holiday time. LEDs use a fraction of the energy that traditional incandescents use and last thousands of hours.
One other tip is to dim the lights in a room if you're lighting a Chanukah menorah. Each day another candle is lit, you'll need less electric lighting in the room.
Before you say that $25 or so isn't too bad for a couple of months of decoration, keep in mind my motto that "little things add up".
An increase in holiday lighting costs, setting the thermostat a degree or two higher in winter or lower in summer, leaving fans and appliances on in empty rooms, and all of a sudden your utility bill is double what you paid last month. I'm not saying that you shouldn't decorate your home, but that y ou look for energy-efficient lights to do it.
Wouldn't a low energy bill be a terrific gift to get this year?
Hope these hints will save you some money. Please comment or email your thoughts to wagerton@hotmail.com. Happy savings!!!

Shipping your Christmas presents.....free supplies

2007-12-04T23:46:00.000-05:00

Free shipping supplies..too good to be true?
Want to avoid those long lines at the post office? They'll send you packing and shipping supplies for free- and pick up your packages, also free of charge.
You can go to usps.com and order free packaging supplies, including tape, labels, priority mail boxes for mailing videos, DVDs or CDs. You'll have to click around a bit to find all the merchandise, but start clicking on "supplies" at the bottom of the home page. The boxes and other supplies that are available at no charge are mixed in with the supplies that do come with a fee.
Once you get your packages ready, you can go back online to usps.com/pickup and the Postal Service will come to your home or office and pick up the package.
The Post Office also will send a free military care kit that includes priority mail boxes, tape and even custom forms with envelopes. To order a military kit, call 800-610-8734.
Why is the Post Office being so generous? The service is offered year-round, said spokes-woman Joanne Veto. But during busy seasons, getting the right packaging supplies to customers helps the Post Office process the mail faster too, she said.----Vicki Lee Parker, (Raleigh News and Observer)

For further help:
Post Office: Go to the nearest post office or have packages picked up at home at no additional cost. Input the package information at www.usps.com, including the weight (use a bathroom scale and round up) and print a mailing label or call 800-275-8777.
Fedex: Take packages to most Kinko's stores, schedule a pickup at www.fedex.com after printing labels from the site or call 800-463-3339.
UPS: Go to any UPS store, schedule a pickup at www.ups.com after printing labels from the site or call 800-742-5877.--Star Tribune (Minn.)

Last Days to Ship (to insure arrival before Dec. 25)
Parcel airlift mail to the military via the Post office: Dec.4.
UPS standard:Dec.15(including shipments to Canada).
Parcel post via the post office: Dec. 15(can take up to nine days, with no guarantee).
Fedex ground and home delivery: Dec. 17 (Dec.14 for shipments to Canada).
Fedex express saver: Dec. 19
UPS 3-day select:Dec. 19
UPS 2nd day air: Dec. 20.
Letters, cards and priority mail via the post office: Dec.20 (two to three days, with no guarantee).
UPS next day air:Dec. 21(or 22nd for an additional fee).
Fedex Overnight: Dec. 22.
Express mail via the post office: Dec. 22.
Keep in mind: The quickest turn arounds, are far from cheap, with some services ranging from $66 for a 20-pound Express Mail package via the post office to upwards of $150 for FedEx Overnight and UPS Next Day Air.
More Specific: For other deadlines, including those for international shipping visit www.usps.com, www.ups.com or www.fedex.com. --- Courtney Devores

Best Deals
For overnight delivery: The post office which guarantees delivery by noon or 3 p.m.
For small, heavy packages: The post office's Flat Rate. You must use one of two boxes provided by the post office (11-by 8.5by 5.5 inches or 13.5-by -12-by-3.5inches)but it's $8.95 regardless of weight and is shipped Priority.
For tracking your package: FedEx and UPS. The post office offers tracking service on Express Mail only.--Star Tribune (Minn.)

Your thermostat, your driving habits,and your banking

2007-12-03T23:39:00.001-05:00

Hello readers, how about a little bit of this and that today? Lets start with your heating costs.
Experts say not to adjust the thermostat setting for a heat pump more than two degrees at once. Adjusting the setting more than two degrees at a once may engage the emergency back-up strips, causing excessive power use- and higher power bills.
It's more efficient to find the lowest possible comfortable setting and keep it there.
Next on the list come our driving habits. During Thanksgiving week in one of our neighboring states the Highway Patrol ticketed more than 50,000 motorists, nearly half for speeding and nearly 1,000 for driving while impaired. Those 51,198 charges amounted to more than 7,300 a day, abut 300 each hour, five every minute. The 24,274 speeding charges represented more than 3,300 a day, about 140 an hour, about 2.3 a minute.
Troopers called the week long crackdown Operation Slow Down, though clearly a lot of people didn't. That's troubling because the leading cause of traffic fatalities and accidents in the state is speed.
Highway Patrol officials say they plan to continue the campaign using helicopters, motorcycles and unmarked patrol cars. Good. Even better, this holiday season, and afterward, slow down. Save someones life- maybe your own.
Finally , put your money where your mouse is. Banks that exist only online-such as ING Direct- are giving brick and mortar institutions a run for their money. They're offering higher interest rates on checking and savings accounts and waving most fees. In fact, the number of households handling their money on the Web is expected to nearly double in the next four years. E-Trade.com and EverBank.com even swallow the fee for using other banks' ATMs. Many traditional banks, eager to regain customers, now offer online services free and pay heftier interest rates on Internet accounts. Those better rates can come with caveats, such as limited check writing and ATM cards that won't double as debit cards. Still, if you're looking to get more bang from your bucks, this is a great time to take the online- banking plunge.
Hope one or all of these topics help. And thanks for reading. Would love to hear from you as to what you think of this blog so far. Thanks, Bill.

Overcoat in July?

2007-12-03T00:20:00.000-05:00

Weather Helps Fill Discount Racks
Warmth creates glut of winter fashions and bargains for consumers.
Mark Jewell of the Associated Press says:
Paul Murphy went bargain hunting at a discount store called Building 19, and ended up with quite a find A charcoal gray wool men's suit for $66 that he found priced at $329 at a major department store.
"I bought two of them - one for me and one for my son," the 62 year-old piano sales man from Scituate, Mass. said after a visit to a downtown Boston tailor to have the pants altered.
The suit was part of a windfall of closeouts that discounters are snapping up as department stores and wholesalers unload a glut of fall and winter fashions. Unseasonably warm early fall weather and shoppers worried about the economy left stores with unsold merchandise taking up sales floor space heading into the crucial holidays.
Off-price retailers are feasting on overstocks of cool-weather clothing at prices far below what traditional retailers originally paid - deals expected to help discounters boost their profits. And they may pass on some of their benefits to consumers in the form of steeper-than -usual discounts and a fresher apparel selection.
Building 19 initially planned to offer the $66 suits for $79, but went with the lower price out of expectations that traditional retailers' oversupply of cooler-weather clothing would grow, leaving shoppers with a wealth of discount opportunities.
"There are always bargains around but this is unusual," said Jerry Ellis, who co-founded the 14-store New England chain, a self-described "bottom of the barrel" retailer of salvage merchandise, in 1964. "The traditional vendors are almost desperate."
Although retailers have become increasingly sophisticated at adjusting merchandise to fit demand, their predictive powers were no match for the unseasonably warm early fall, coupled with high energy and food prices and a slumping housing market, says Stephen Hoch, head of a retail studies program at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.
"the whole supply-chain system is clogged up, and it could take four to six months for all this to clear up," Hoch said. "It's kind of like plumbing."
Off-price retailers, he said "are seeing a big influx of better inventory than they might normally have."
"Consumers see apparel as a discretionary purchase, and coming into the holiday season, they know they are going to need their dollars for gifts," said Phil Rist of the market research firm BIGresearch.
There's always inventory give-and-take between retailers and wholesalers. But Hoch said an unusual number of department stores are trying to win concessions from suppliers to help absorb unsold apparel costs, including negotiating to return inventory or secure discounts for future orders.
To move merchandise and free up rack space, some retailers are offering sales and running special promotions earlier than usual before the traditional kickoff to holiday shopping on the day after Thanksgiving.
"What's happening right now is consumers aren't shopping," said Patricia Walker, a partner in the consulting firm Accenture's retail practice.
"Once retailers put deals out there, it's unclear if consumers will look for them at the department stores, at the specialty stores or the discounters. Certainly, the discounters will be offering better products than they have in the past."
So there we have it. If we look carefully we can find the gifts that can make for a very Merry Christmas.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire....or not?????

2007-12-01T23:33:00.000-05:00

Ways to put the chill on high heating costs: Jay Romano of the New York Times say.. With winter approaching, and no signs of heating costs dropping with the temperatures, homeowners will be looking for ways to get the biggest bang for their energy dollar.
Lorene Bartos, an educator for the University of Nebraska Lincoln Extension recites a list of standard energy-saving actions: caulk and weatherstrip windows and doors,insulate the attic, seal or remove window air-conditioners, clean or replace furniture filters.
But there are other ways to save on energy costs, she said.
For example, homeowners can use passive solar heat by allowing sunlight in through south facing windows. At the same time, windows facing west and north should have window shades down or window treatments closed to keep heat inside, and all windows should be covered at night.
Check heating ducts for leaks and seal with duct mastic covered with fiberglass mesh and another layer of mastic.
Ted Funk, an extension specialist in agricultural engineering at the University of Illinois in Urbana, said homeowners should be careful about using a fireplace to supplement their heat.
"A fireplace is a recipe for heat loss," he said, explaining that even with glass doors, fireplaces may be no more than 40 percent efficient.
Owners might also want to conduct a Web-based audit of their homes that will provide some tips for energy saving. "Lawrence Berkeley Labs has a good energy-saving tool," he said. "You put in your ZIP code and it will show you some priorities to work on." (The Web site: hes.lbl.gov)
Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman, a deputy editor of Consumer Reports in Yonkers, says using a programmable thermostat is usually a good idea. Setting the temperature back to 65 or so overnight. or during the day when no one will be home, can save money.
One thing to be cautious about is offers from alternative energy providers, she said. Sometimes these offers, which seem to promise savings, include late fees and cancellation fees.
Another way to save energy is to install a tankless water heater. With tankless heaters, the water is heated only when the hot water is being used. (Tank-type heaters keep the water at a preset temperature all the time.
"But the best thing about a tankless heater is that you never run out of hot water," said Henry Gifford, owner of Architecture and Energy Ltd. in Manhattan.
Hope some of these hints will help you save some money and in turn save energy.

Busy shoppers..lets not get carried away

2007-11-29T00:07:00.000-05:00

In the heat of battle so to speak ...mall shopping....we can get carried away with the sales and advertising....and the Christmas music blasting from the speakers...and the children lined up to get their pictures with Santa.... and get home and find ourselves in a daze with a mountain of packages, not remembering where we got where or even how much we paid. Vicki Lee Parker or the Raleigh News and Observer writes:
During this season, let's not forget what's important for the holiday shopper- being a smart consumer.
The last thing you want after the glitz and lights come down is to realize that you have over-spent, racked up major credit card debt or forgotten to keep the receipt for a sweater that doesn't fit. Without a receipt, you might get store credit-if you remember where you bought it- but forget about getting cash back.
To avoid such headaches, here are a few things that savvy shoppers should keep in mind over the next few weeks.

Hold on to all receipts, including those for gift cards. These can come in handy if the person loses the card. Pass along the gift receipts to your friends and family.
Consumer Reports is again warning consumers to avoid paying extra for extended warranties. The magazine says that most extended warranties are a waste of money, because they are overpriced and because products rarely break within the three- year period that most cover. There are exceptions to the rule. For example, Consumer Reports suggests that shoppers buy warranties on rear-projection TVs and Apple computers.
When you make purchases with a coupon, pay close attention to the excluded items that are usually listed in small print at the bottom or back of the coupon. It's no fun to get to the cash register and learn that that wonderful gift you spent 20 minutes picking out is not covered by the 20 percent coupon.
Earn more coupons and discounts by completing a free registration on your favorite store's Web site. Many stores offer a one-time discount for signing up . Afterward, they will mail you coupons and other information about specials.
Pay attention to expiration dates on coupons and gift cards. During the holidays, if you make a purchase many retailers will give you a discount coupon to use toward your next purchase. Often, those discounts are good for a limited time.
Remember to ask stores about return policies. Specifically, you want to know: How long will you have to return an item for a full refund? How long do you have to get a store credit? Is there a restocking fee? Will you need a receipt to return the item or is your information saved on the store's computer system? If you make a purchase from a mall kiosk, find out how long the business will be set up in the mall and what its return policy is beyond that date.
Finally, remember, the holidays are the busy season for criminals. Be extra careful about entering your PIN and using your credit card. Periodically check your credit card balances to make sure they match your records. You can call the toll-free number on the back of your card or check your account online. Review your monthly statements closely to make sure you recognize all of the purchases.

So, if we are attentive to all these rules for the malls we hopefully will have a little fun..get some bargains and really enjoy this season of giving. Happy shopping!!

For richer or poorer...or..financial tug of war

2007-11-28T00:40:00.000-05:00

From Marshall Loeb's column; Market Watch, Debbie Stanley a financial psychologist offers up a five point peace plan for couples struggling to get a handle on their finances in her book,"Organize Your Personal Finances in No Time."

Choose the "account manager." Most tasks are more easily accomplished when one person takes the helm. Money management is no exception. One of you is probably inherently better suited to the task, so let that person take the lead.
Recognize that being the account manager does not equal being the boss."Resist becoming drunk on your imagined power," Stanley warns. Wielding the proverbial purse strings does not give you the right to pull them tight at will. Always remember you're part of a team. Resist the using your role as an excuse to belittle or control your spouse.
Diligently communicate important financial information. As the designated money manager in your relationship, you will always have a better grasp of the details of your financial reality. That said, it's important to impart enough information to your spouse that he/she can have a meaningful say in important decisions. Preserving harmony means never using his/her lack of knowledge as an excuse to get your way.
Stick to a mutually agreeable system. If your partner has been put in charge of the household finances, don't make her/his job harder than it has to be. If the system requires that you deposit checks on a given day or curb impulsive spending, do your part.
Tweak the system until it works for both of you. While its important that both of you try to comply with the system, it's equally essential that the system be allowed to evolve to fit the needs of both partners. If your wife is having a difficult time tallying up each and every purchase, add some padding to your account. If your husband is overusing his ATM card, try using a set amount of cash for daily purchases instead.

All this said, I'd like to add, find a system that works for you both and use it , use it , use it. If you will start young understanding the value of saving for emergency expenses, large ticket items (houses cars etc.) then the everyday stresses of life can become a little less stressful. Just a thought.......

So my light bulb looks like a bed spring......

2007-11-26T23:09:00.000-05:00

Hello again and hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. Sorry i was away so long. But back now with an idea that seems to be catching on around the country. Compact fluorescent light bulbs....or CFL's. These light bulbs look like a regular light bulb at the base but where the fat part of the old bulb is ..they look like a spring. While these bulbs are a little more expensive than the old type bulb, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that by comparison to standard bulbs, Energy Star CFL bulbs:

Use 75% less energy and last up to 10 times longer
Save about $30 over a bulbs lifetime
Produce 75% less heat
Can fit almost any fixture--indoor or outdoor bulbs are available

One note of caution about these new bulbs:

While CFL bulbs contain traces of mercury. environmentalists favor the bulbs because, by requiring less energy, they will actually cut down on mercury pollution produced by coal burning. The EPA agrees. While mercury doesn't make CFL's unsafe, experts say it does place them alongside many other household products -- paint to batteries-- that need to be used and disposed of in a responsible manor.

Electrical cooperative leaders view energy efficiency measures like CFL bulbs as the "fifth fuel" along with coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear because of its potential to avoid the need for large chunks of power to be generated at any given time.

So lets see $30 per bulb over the life of the bulb. i can count ten easy right now from where i sit in my house...and if the bulbs last a few years... Seems like a wise choice to me. How about you ? Just a thought . Have a good one.

Electric bike...paint it green

2007-11-20T23:37:00.001-05:00

With the price of gas going over $3.00 a gallon i think we all are looking for ways to save money on travel. This may be an option for you. The obsession with bigger trucks and suvs has led us to consume more and more gas every year. Enter..or should i say straddle..the lowly bicycle. And for those of us who get winded just riding around the block...the electric bike. In an article in Mother Earth News an electric biker named Rick Parrish of Woodruff S.C. writes: I weigh 220 pounds and the bike will pull me up some pretty steep hills at 13 mph without pedaling and at 16 to 17 mphwith pedaling. I have already done 30 miles on one continuous ride with no loss of power; the charge meter had just begun to drop from full at the end of the ride.Top speed of this bike on level ground(with the speed limiter unplugged) is 24 miles per hour without pedaling, 27 to 28 mph with pedaling.
I am 48 years old and originally decided on an electric bike for health reasons. I have been pleasantly surprised by the exercise I'm getting since i find myself pedaling everywhere. My fuel cost will average about 25 cents a week and the benifits to the environment are fantastic.
The bike cost me less money than it would have to re-register, insure and pay taxes on my car. On top of this it will save me $120 to $150 a month in fuel cost and my health is improving. Rick's choice of bike was a Liberty Electric Bike 643 Town and Country Cruiser. Now i know we all cant rush out and buy electric bikes. Distance of commute and other factors come into play and everyones situation is different. Still..think what would happen if 1 in 100 decided to ride a bike,electric or otherwise, just some of the time. A gas savings of $120 a month is a big incentive..plus the savings on insurance and taxes. Just another push for us all in the direction of a greener and more frugal lifestyle.

closing in on turkey day

2007-11-20T08:14:00.000-05:00

We all have a lot to be thankful for. We need only look around a little to find someone who is not as well off as we are. I may be away for a few days during thanksgiving but will be back soon with some new ideas on saving a penny ..saving the world. And of course maybe later today with another post. Please let me know if what youve read so far is helpful in any way or has at least made you think. Take care.

Christmas green..if we will stop and think

2007-11-19T23:49:00.000-05:00

According to this months issue of AARP magazine the average American spends nearly $1000.00 during the holidays. And they offer up two plans for us to choose from.
PLAN A
Charge $1000.00 of holiday expenses to your credit card. If you pay $50 a month on that debt, you'll still owe $550.24 after paying this $50 for 50 weeks. And you won't pay it off for almsot another year(with 14.57 APR). Almost 2 years paying for Christmas present(yes Christmas present..I didnt say Christmas presents) What do we do about Christmas future. Plan A isnt sounding so good is it. And yet thats what so many of us do ..paying with plastic puts off the pain until the bill comes in. But there is a price for this waiting. We pay out huge amounts in interest for things we maybe should have waited until we had cash to buy. Or we can look at Plan B......
PLAN B
Deposit $20 a week in a "Holiday Club" savings plan at your bank. After 50 weeks you'll be $1007.84 dollars ahead of the game and ready for the 2008 holidays (with 1.5 APR.)
Plan B sounds best to me. How about you?? And yet every year it seems we Americans rack up the debt and struggle to pay it off before the next Christmas when just a little planning and a fairly painless weekly sacrifice would save us a whole lot of stress.
And it isnt even Thanksgiving yet.............

Just a thought......

2007-11-19T00:11:00.000-05:00

My friends....
Just think with me for an instant...suppose you have a weekness for bacon,egg, cheese biscuits. These are readily found at our local fast food restaurants for about $1.29 or so..and with tax that comes to $1.29 * .1.07=$1.38, not a lot right..but wait are we going to chock this biscuit down without a drink..bring on the coffee or soft drink and add what....lets say $.99*1.07 =$1.06. Ok add that to the $1.38. Now if ive done my math right thats $2.44 and now we have our daily dose of colesterol and were out the $2.44. Nothing to worry about right. But lets back up a little here....how about substituting a bagel for that biscuit...lets see bagels $4.19 x1.07=$4.48. OK i dont think we're going to eat the whole pack at a sitting...lets start with one..and do our own coffee at home for lets say...40 cents a cup maybe. $4.48/6=.75cents. Now dont forget to add the coffee .75 +.40+$1.15...bettter huh. And youre eating healthier not driving the extra tenth of a mile into the fast food place and eating at home which you can do without your shoes on which always makes it taste a little better. Now lets do the math$2.44-$1.15=$1.29 a day. Now granted...thats not a lot,but lets say you treat yourself on friday with the biscuit...I dont recommend it..but thats your choice ...In 4 days we've saved $5.16...not bad huh..and lets see...say we get liberal vacation time off and work 48 weeks a year...That comes out to 48x$5.16=$248.16. Anyone else out there saying wow right now...or is that still not enough ..ok..lets say we take that $248.16 and put it in a mutual fund averaging about 8 percent per year..for lets say...5 years......$1476.87..anyone want to say wow with me now..but lets go out 10 years.....$3742.33. now lets stretch it out there to 20 years.....$11961,99. now lets say youre 25 and plan on working until you60 or so ..35 years....yeah ..lets go out to 35...comes to $41624.58. Do i have your attention now? Forty thousand dollar biscuits tend to do that. Just one little lifestyle change hmmm. Maybe we can make sense of this penny saved thing...and oh...your bagel at home....eaten on a saucer that you wash.....drinking your coffee from a cup that you also wash. Youll keep several hundred pounds of discareded paper waste out of the landfill over the years....Think about it.

First Entry..or...getting my feet wet

2007-11-17T03:34:00.000-05:00

11-17-07
Hello my readers. This is my first attempt at putting my ideas and notes i have accumulated on saving money and using our world more gently into print. So bare with me until i get the kinks inroned out. Hopefully along the way you can get some ideas from this space that will help you. All thoughts are welcome . Please feel free to email or post here. Hopefully will add more tomorrow.