Saving Money

5 Tips to Travel on a Dime

December 31, 2012 By Sherry Tingley

A weekend getaway or a family trip is a fun way to spend your vacation, but you don’t want to worry about money the whole time. Whether you are visiting a relaxing resort or Disney World with the kids, you want to get the most out of your trip without breaking the bank. Save money by following these suggestions.

Be aware of your spending limits and you can still have a blast! For you and your family, here are five ways to travel on a dime:

Think about alternative transportation. Most families pack up the car to drive to their destinations, but one way to cut costs is to travel by train, bus, or even a cruise ship! Airplanes are generally the most expensive way to get from one place to another, and it can be a hassle with baggage and little ones. For cost-effective travel, consider Amtrak, the nation’s train system, or a week-long vacation on a cruise ship. With these modes of transportation, you can see several different places and save money at the same time.
Compare. Check several travel websites and call individual airlines and hotels to shop around for the best deals. Some sites offer travel packages so you can save on flights, hotels, rental cars, and more. Don’t rule out all-inclusive stays, either. Depending on your vacation plans and goals, these deals can actually keep more money in your pocket.
Take an adventure. Everyone knows that eating at a hotel restaurant or one catered to tourists can cost a pretty penny. Instead, join the locals in town, where you can find cheaper and tastier food. Bonus: they can offer some insight into what you should see and do while you are visiting the area.
Utilize your discounts. With certain memberships, like AAA and hotel chain rewards programs, you can save money on hotels, rental cars, flights, and vacation activities. Make sure you save money when you order your personal checks before leaving town. If you like a specific airline, try to book with them often so you can earn Frequent Flyer miles and points. Find out if your hotel or rental car company offer savings for senior citizens, students, young children, and safe drivers. Make discounts work for you – it doesn’t hurt to ask!
Discover the beauty of last-minute deals. If you have a flexible schedule and want to take a weekend trip alone or with your family, you should check last-minute travel websites for big savings. Airlines, hotels, and cruises discount their prices deeply at the last second in order to fill their rooms and seats. Note: try not to wait for last-minute deals for hot spots during peak seasons, or you might miss out.

With these five travel tips, you can enjoy your stay and come home with money in your pocket. Make the most of your vacation without stressing over how much you’re spending. Plan effectively before you leave, and you will have a trip (souvenirs, pictures, and a full belly) to remember!

Buy Cheap Checks To Help With Family Budgeting

December 27, 2012 By Sherry Tingley

In these days of austerity, we are all looking to save money. Many families and businesses are now turning to alternate sources to buy cheap checks . Ordering them from your bank is costly and may take a long time to arrive. Banks seemed to have a monopoly on this business, however check printers are leveling the playing field.

Today, with so many online check printers offering pre-built templates for check designs, you can customize and personalize your checks in a variety of ways. Add personal messages. Put in a picture or photograph. Set up your own background. But before you do, here are some tips that you need to keep in mind when ordering your cheap checks online.

It’s true what they say about electronic payment systems – that they are fast catching on to replace paper checks. However, many families still use paper checks, some because people don’t trust debit cards and technology. But many of us stick with the trusty old check by choice. It gives us a paper record of our transactions and to be able to write a check is quick and easy.

Cheap Checks

Start out by searching for “cheap checks” online using your browser or any other search engine tool. If possible, use search criteria that will narrow the search for you. For instance, look for “cheap checks” in or near “your home town.”
Check out the quality of the website. You will need to spend some time browsing throughout the site to make sure you are comfortable with what the website says about the company, their products and their service. If you aren’t satisfied, skip this vendor and move on to the next!
Consider only companies that have been in the check printing business for many years. The longer the better.
Make sure there is a phone number available on the website. Even if you are not sure that you will be using them, call the number – several times if you must – just so you get a “warm and fuzzy” about the vendor.
Before calling, be prepared with a series of questions: Who are they? How long have they been in business? What areas do they service? Where are they located? What products and services do they provide? What are their charges? What are their delivery and return policies? Even if this information is available on the website, it doesn’t hurt to clarify them in person on the phone.
Usually, companies offering checks have a certain set-up cost associated with each order. If you order in bulk, then they may be able to give you added discounts.
Make sure you inquire about shipping policies. What carrier do they use? How long will it take to deliver? What if you are not home when the package arrives? Also, if you order in bulk you may qualify for free shipping.
Before you order, have your checking account number and your bank/branch routing number ready.

Cheap checks are no longer cheap looking checks. Go ahead and order your checks now and save up to 50% off your bank’s rate!

Good Buys For Christmas From The Top Five Online Retailers

December 10, 2012 By Sherry Tingley

Amazon, Staples, Apple, Walmart and Dell made Internet Retailer’s list of the top five online retailers. To help you with your Christmas shopping, we will provide you information on shopping features and three good money saving buys from each company.

At Amazon.com, you will find a shopping feature called “Lightning Deals” that show you up coming deals and will tell you how many hours you have to wait for the deal to appear. You’ll get deals on cameras, navigators, clothing, watches, shoes and a large variety of items. The “Missed Deals” shows you what deals you have missed. The deal feature is viewable in each browsing category. Gift items for sale are categorized by gifts for him, her, kids and the one who has it all. Some hot suggestions are: 1.) The Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ – $249 for 16GB use Code – FireHD899 2.) Klipsch Image S4 In-Ear Enhance Bass Noise-isolating Headphones for $49.00 and 3.) Toy purchases over $75 – Get a free Gund bear (adorable plush teddy).

At Staples.com, they are offering free shipping on all orders. They will also let you order online and pick up in a nearby store. Browse their current ads for the week. Also offered are special 2 day deals as well as an exclusive offers sent to you by email. Some impressive community support includes donations of over $25 million to non-profit organizations around the world. Good buys include: 1.) Toshiba laptop with AMD E1 Dual-Core APU for $299 (available until December 15) 2.) HP Officejet Pro 8600 E-All-in-One Printer – $149.99 normally $199.00 and 3.) 7″ Digital Picture Frame, stores up to 10 photos, has multiple transitional effects – $29.99.

Legendary Apple.com is featuring five products this year. The ipad mini, the new iMac, the iPodtouch, and the iPhone 5. With tag lines like “engineered for maximum funness” and the pure power of the Thunderbolt I/O technology (handles data with speed, flexibility and simplicity), who can resist their latest upgrades and products? The ipad mini is as Apple says, “this year’s biggest gift, only smaller.” It has 10 hours of battery life, access to over 1 1/2 million books, Facetime in HD, fits in your hand, weighs .68 pounds, is thin and light and is a good buy at $329. The iMac’s have been redesigned and upgraded in several ways. The screen is even thinner that it was last year, the storage is up to 1TB and the memory is between 8GB and 16GB. Adding to the fun of buying at Apple, you can get a free engraving on your iPod or iPad.

Walmart online includes over 19,000 products. Some of the features that make shopping online easy are their ‘today only’ deals, value of the day deals and the ability to create wish lists to share with others. They display a 35 page ad showing bargains in your area. Good buys for Christmas are 1.) The Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 – $249.00, regularly $299.98 2.) Apple iPod Touch for $179 and 3.) Razor AW Kick Scooter for $20.

Dell.com sells digital products like laptops, desktops, tv’s, projectors, monitors, phones, cameras, gaming, cloud computing and the ability to customize products. They have ’12 days of deals’ for shoppers. Good buys include: 1.) An Inspiron 15 Laptop and HD webcam – $389.00, regularly $568.99 2.) Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010 – $109.99 to members and 3.) Quicken Home & Business Software for 2013 – $72.99.

Shopping for good buys from these top five online retailers is sure to save you some money in 2012! Let us know where you get good buys for Christmas.

Emergency Savings Tips

June 28, 2012 By Twila Van Leer

Unless you’re sitting in a movie, chances of an overwhelming emergency (think invasion by aliens) are not very likely. But in the natural course of things , emergencies do occur, including earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, blizzards, windstorms, fires and landslides. On a more personal level, the theft of credit or debit cards, checks and other items that you routinely use to make your way financially can be a temporary emergency that deprives you of your usual ability to pay for purchases, cover usual expenses, etc.

Financial experts take the position that emergencies, large or small, are almost certain and they advise that you be prepared to see yourself through a temporary dry spell. The question is, how much to stash for an emergency and where to put it so it is accessible when you need it without being a target for thieves. The “how much” element is tricky. There is no set amount and the individual ability to tuck money away against future need varies greatly. Some say $500 minimum. Others set three to six months of usual income as the goal. Some see a “conservative” $10,000 as requisite. In the final analysis, you have to assess your ability and do what feels right for you. But you must make it a priority not to be taken lightly and then treat your emergency fund as inviolable. Don’t let little emergencies rob you of what you would need in a real emergency. Treat the emergency fund as you do insurance: Be sure it’s available, then hope you never have to draw on it.

Just be aware that in a real emergency, there is likely to be no power (no ATMs, no self-serve gasoline pumps, etc.) and financial institutions are likely to be unavailable. Your credit and debit cards are probably going to be useless. That makes cash the preferred mode of preparing for an emergency.

Financial guru Dave Ramsey advises starting small. Set a goal, for instance, to save $3,000 in a year. That amounts to $250 per month. Spread it over 18 months and the monthly set-aside is $166. Rule of thumb: It probably will be at least a week after a serious emergency before things return to normal for your finances. Plan on at least that long. If you already have savings accounts, consider taking out enough to finance your emergency fund. It is possible to invest the emergency funds, but don’t put them in accounts that can’t be accessed almost immediately. The money should be liquid and available. If for some reason, your emergency fund is depleted (say in an actual “little” emergency such as frozen pipes or some such) rebuild as soon as you can.

While in the normal routines of life it is not wise to keep a large amount of cash in your home, that might be exactly where you need the ready money for an emergency. Be creative in finding unobtrusive, unusual places to stash your cash. Not under the mattress, in a sock in the drawer or any of the other spots that have become so cliched they are obvious. Some suggestions from the experts:

Put cash, ideally in smaller bills such as tens and twenties, inside a plastic baggie, place it in a meat tray and put it in the freezer as unobtrusively as possible among other packages of meats.

Bury it in the yard, inside a piece of PVC pipe or other water-impervious container. (Use good sense. If your yard is covered in six feet of snow in the winter, take another tack.) The same idea would work with a large planter inside your home.

If you want to put an envelope of bills behind a photo or piece of art, insert it between the cardboard backing and the picture, not on the back.

Take a tip from the old movies and put “the evidence” inside a book from which you have carved a hollow section. Of course, that only works if you remember which book you used. In a real emergency, there will be no time for browsing.

Create a “decoy safe,” by putting the cash into a small container and burying it in any larger container that looks like anything but a bank — a mayonnaise jar, tin can, shaving cream tube, etc. etc.

Just remember that accessibility is the key in this instance. If you hide it so thoroughly that it takes hours to retrieve it, you need to reassess. Emergencies don’t, by their nature, provide lots of time to contemplate. The important thing is to recognize the need for an emergency fund, start now to provide one and have it handy if the need arises.

20 Ways To Save Money This Summer

June 5, 2012 By Sherry Tingley

Sometimes when the thermometer goes up, your living costs do likewise. A bit of careful planning and creative budgeting can keep costs under control while adding to your enjoyment of the season. Here are twenty ways to cut costs and make summer your favorite season of the year.

Turn off the air-conditioning when it’s feasible, depending on where you live and how hot it gets. Keep tabs on weather reports and if there is any cooling forecast, make adjustments. Open windows to take advantage of cool air in the early morning and evening and use portable fans or ceiling fans to cool small areas. If you really need an air conditioner, the Department of Energy suggests an Energy Star model with fan and programmable thermostat. Mount air conditioning units in shaded windows and keep electrical appliances, including lamps, as far as possible from the unit.
Cook outside. Stove tops and ovens create lots of heat that has nowhere to go. Barbeque cooking is particularly appealing to many families any way, and a huge variety of recipes is available online. Try something new!
If your situation allows, dry laundry outside. Not only will you be spared the price of gas or electricity to do the job, you may find your laundry has a nice fresh air scent. Small drying racks are readily available and may be all you need if your family is small.
Replace your air conditioning filters. A dirty filter can increase cooling costs by restricting airflow, causing longer run times and higher costs. Filters are not expensive, so change them frequently.
Take advantage of summer-end sales to prepare for the next gardening and yard work season. Sales generally begin on landscape plants, bulbs and gardening tools just as the height of summer passes.
Instead of investing in summer clothing that you’ll wear for a short time, hold a clothing exchange with family and/or friends. If you prefer new, the sales on sundresses, shorts, swimsuits and other summer wear usually begin in mid-season, giving you plenty of time to tog out in your new duds before autumn begins. Watch for sales on non-clothing items such as sunglasses and tote bags.
Don’t think you have to leave town for entertainment. Visit the websites for local pools, hiking sites, sports venues (you might enjoy local youth sports as well as you would the majors.) The tendency is to overlook community theater and local sites such as zoos, aquariums, art galleries and other opportunities for family outings. If there is a university in your area, check to see if they offer special opportunities for children or youth. You can Google “free events,” adding your city, for a list of local entertainment opportunities. Many communities have home-town celebrations in the summer and you could spend weeks hitting fun-filled local events with very little overlap.
If an out-of-town trip is on the summer agenda, check with the motel or hotel to see if they provide in-room refrigerators and microwaves service so you can cut down on the number of restaurant meals. Stock up on microwave meals, popcorn, etc., to pack for the trip.
Take short showers to conserve on water and energy. Less than 10 minutes, ideally with a low-flow shower head, can save up to 20,000 gallons of water a year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
If you enjoy expanding your education, summer is the time to do it. Many school districts, colleges and universities offer half-price courses during the summer season when many of their regular students take a break. You’ll likely find yourself with other lifetime students who are there to learn in earnest.
Instead of laying out big bucks to keep the ice cream coming, consider treats from frozen fruits pureed and re-frozen in ice pop molds, plastic cups or in a bowl to dip out as needed. Throw in a bit of yogurt and increase the nutritional value. The same holds true of the expensive iced tea that you can stockpile at great cost. A simple recipe for “sun tea” calls for four large tea bags emptied into a pitcher or jar full of water. Let is stand outside for three hours. When you want to use it, dilute with water to taste, add a little lemon and sugar and voila! Refrigerate what’s left in clean soft-drink bottles . Ditto iced coffee, which you can make by freezing left-over coffee in trays then blending with liquid creamer and ice cubes.
Plan a yard or garage sale. Many bargain-hunters take advantage of summer weekends to snarf up items of interest. De-cluttering your house is easier when the weather is warm. You may be able to interest neighbors, friends or family in a joint sale that is likely to attract more potential buyers.
Head for a farmers’ market if such are available in your area, instead of the grocery store. Farm-fresh produce such as spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, string beans and peppers make a super salad for a warm-day meal at a price much below what you’d pay at the store. And if the farm outlet offers flowers to give your house a summer pick-me-up, so much the better.
The fireworks season is dead ahead, but you can save money and avoid products that are banned in many communities by celebrating with reusable rocket balloons (often selling for 79 for $20) or glow sticks that may spare little fingers from sparkler burns and cost, in general, just a dollar each. Most communities have fireworks displays that you can enjoy for free without the hazards of firing off your own.
Have a “vacation” at home. Plan a themed party, such as a trip to Hawaii for instance, and involve all your family in making decorations and choosing music appropriate to the theme. Grill fish or chicken with pineapple and choose island side dishes. End the evening with a hula contest, with the winner walking off with the grass skirt. Make it a family challenge to see who can come up with the most fun theme for the next vacation.
Make it a season for ordering checks online at Coolchecks.net Save up to 50% on your orders.
To avoid costly first-run movies, plan on the matinee performances. Swap movies with friends and relatives. Many libraries allow you to reserve new DVDs, If you want to get into movies in a big way,and really enjoy the old-time productions, consider looking into a 16-mm film projector and old movie reels. They’re available on ebay.com
Instead of heading for expensive swim sites, invest in a slip-n-slide plastic strip and use the garden hose to keep the kiddies entertained. Small pools can be as much fun for tots as more-threatening large pools. But even with small pools, be sure little ones are supervised.
The refreshing but expensive iced tea and coffee drinks that you spend big bucks for are easy to replicate in your own kitchen. A simple recipe for “sun tea” calls for four large tea bags emptied into a pitcher or jar full of water. Let is stand outside for three hours. When you want to use it, dilute with water to taste, add a little lemon and sugar and voila! Refrigerate what’s left in clean soft-drink bottles. Ditto iced coffee, which you can make by freezing left-over coffee in trays then blending with liquid creamer and ice cubes.
Walk instead of driving. With the cost of gasoline across the country heading up and down and mostly up, take advantage of warm weather to do as many errands as possible without driving. Whatever you can do in the early morning or evening will provide the most comfortable temperatures when you start off on foot.