Clark Color is now offering 40 FREE Prints and shipping is just $2.99. If you order 100 or more you will get free shipping. This is a great opportunity for a Father’s day gift, if you have not gotten him one yet. If you do not have a account with Clark Color take advantage of this limited time offer. You will get 40 free prints added to your account when you join.
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Free Dew from Arby’s
Here is a great coupon at Arbys! If you buy one large mountain dew you get one free from Arbys. This is a facebook offer, you just have to like their site and you can print your coupon for a free DEW
Act soon though because this offer/coupon is valid from 6/6 – 6/12
Category: Restaurant Deals, Uncategorized |
Money Saving Tips for Moms!
It is not surprising when everybody wants to save money especially moms who have the challenge of making budgets for paying regular bills each month. Expenses keep piling up and there are necessary steps to take for mothers and others to be able to handle their budgets. Below are a few cash saving tips can help moms/others put their expenses at the right perspectives in terms of managing their cash on hand.
- Cut down unnecessary expenses. Sometimes we pay excessive household bills for services we do not really need or on those unnecessary. You may want to cut down your cable subscription on channels you do not really watch often or ask your husband to make repairs on your dishwasher instead of hiring someone to do it for you. Do you really need a house phone and a cell phone? Its surprising how many people have both, cut down on one and see how much you will save. It is a matter of learning how to prioritize your expenses and cut down your spending on unnecessary things.
- Be a smart shopper. Buying groceries is a necessary task. And doing so also entails spending money. You can save some cash from doing these activities by shopping wisely. Start to collect free coupons like baby coupons, grocery coupons, anything that can give you good discounts. You may also find free samples too on items that you need which you should grab instantly. Buying discounted items is also a good way of saving some cash. If your budget warrants better buy items in bulk. You can save up to 20% from your cash when you do so than when buying on retail.
- Do you keep have too many credit cards? If you do, better decide which ones you use and cancel the others to avoid piling up of your credit card dues. Credit cards have the capacity of keeping you in debt because you could not resist the temptation of spending on things that are not really necessary. A wise thing to remember is to spend within your means by making purchases using cash. This will take away extra money you would be paying on interests and other charges.
- Exercise practicality. Make a comparison between local brand items from the branded ones and determine their quality. It is not surprising that local brands can be as competitive in quality from the branded ones only they are cheaper. You can always buy items or goodies that are cheaper but does not come short in quality. Be wise is your spending to help you save money.
- Saving money does not have to make you feel bored and stay home all the time. You can still have fun too without costing you much. You can have fun for free by taking advantage of free amusement parks. You can take your family there for some bonding moments.
- Learn to serve in proportion. Food and meals are one of the most common expenses at home and moms need to know how to budget their meal allowance monthly. Serving just the right proportion to feed the family will help you save money too.
Category: Uncategorized |
Why Do You Need to have a Home Budget?
We all have dreams and goals in our life. And if we can even hope to achieve those dreams and goals, then it goes without saying that monetary success plays a huge part in it. And if you want to be successful in your financial life, then we need to be aware of the importance of budgeting. The first step into having a secured financial life is by developing and implementing an effective budget plan. Basically budgeting’s concept is by living within your financial means. And that means not spending more than what you earn. There are still many people who are being apprehensive to the concept of budgeting because they think budgeting would limit their enjoyment of life. But that is not the case at all. Budgeting is all about taking control of your finances and not the other way around.
It is safe to say that a good budgeting plan is the most effective financial management tool that is available to many people. Regardless of how much you are earning, whether you are living from paycheck to paycheck or earning six figures per year, you need to have an effective budget plan if you want to know how much money you are spending and where you are spending them. Keeping track of your finances allows you to effectively oversee your financial activity, and this could significantly reduce your tendency to overspend. If you spend more than what you earn, then eventually you will be finding yourself in a lot of debt. And with too much debt can lead to your financial downfall.
So how do you come up with an effective budget plan? If you choose, you can get yourself a budgeting software or use our free home budget download that can help you develop a good budget plan. But if that is not an option for you, then a notebook, pen and a calculator should be enough for this purpose. Once you have your needed tools, then the next thing to do is take a seat and recall everything that you have spent in the past month. Do not leave any detail behind because you need to have an accurate representation of where your money goes. So for this purpose, it is recommended that you hold on to your receipts each time you spend your money on something. Depending on your expenditures, this activity may take more than one sitting. But eventually, you will surely get the hang of it.
Having a good budget plan helps you control your spending habits just as long as you are willing to stick to it. Most people find it easy to initiate and implement a budgeting scheme, but find it hard to stick to it. It is all about discipline and the motivation to improve one’s financial life. Having a good budget plan also helps you to save, that which you can use for emergency expenses or a big future purchases. As opposed to the notion of the majority, learning how to manage your money is quite easy, just as long as you are motivated and have proper discipline.
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Helpful Hints to Make Money Go Further
When money is tight, even the smallest purchases can send a person over the edge. This article is to help your money go further when it feels like you are living paycheck to paycheck.
- Under NO circumstances use a credit card. It may seem needed at the time, but trust me, I’ve been there, it will only make things worse. When the bare minimum payment on it comes due, realization will hit that it was not a good idea, especially once you see the interest accruing. If money is absolutely necessary, borrow from a friend or relative before using a credit card.
- Clip coupons. It may be time consuming or may not seem worth the effort, remember, every cent counts no matter what form it comes in. ALong with using coupons, watch the store adds and buy when the product is on sale. Now, if you want to see real money being saved, use websites that tell you when the sales are and where to find matching coupons. When using a coupon WITH a sale, it goes a long way towards saving money.
- Track your family’s income and expenses. Gather all of your bills, paycheck stubs, bank statements, anythingthing and everything that you have that shows money coming in or going out. Write a frugal budget to manage your money. When you wing it every month without a budget in mind, you’re passing up opportunities to slash unnecessary costs and save money.
- While being in debt can feel overwhelming, managing your debt is easy when you set realistic goals. A debt management plan can be built into your budget so you can pay off your credit cards, mortgage and eliminate your overall debt.
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Home Budget Ideas
Here are some great strategies to save money on utility bills to get you started:
- Think about all the small appliances you are not using, but that are plugged in. You’d be surprised to know that all of your appliances constantly draw a small amount of current just by being plugged in. It may not seem like a lot but over time, the savings can really add up so unplug your coffee maker, toaster oven, curling iron and other household appliances when your not using them. It will not only reduce the risk of fire in your home, but it will save you money in the long run. If you don’t want to go through the hassle of unplugging your appliances, you may want to think about investing in a low cost Power Strip.
- Did you ever think how much electricity is being wasted when your tv is left on when you are not watching it? You may be surprised to know that leaving the TV on when your not watching it is the number one waste of electricity in the world! So, if your leaving the room to do something that will take a while, remember to turn off the tv.
- Don’t use any more electricity than necessary during peak times. Electric companies charge a higher rate during the peak hours of the daytime. Wait until evening to wash and dry your clothes and run the dishwasher. Doing so will also save money in the summer time because the appliance won’t be heating up your home during the hottest part of the day making your air conditioner work even harder.
- Save on heating bills in the winter by opening the blinds during the day and let the sunshine help to heat your house. In the summertime, you can reduce A/C costs by closing the blinds and curtains on the sunny side of your home. Its also a good idea to turn off the A/C and open the upstairs windows at night during the warmer months when the temperatures dip down to a comfortable temp.
- Something as simple as turning off the lights is a great strategies to save money on utility bills and can save you a bunch of money over time. How many times have you left a room with the intention of returning in a few minutes only to find yourself sidetracked and not returned for several hours? It only takes a split second to flip the switch and you could be saving a bunch of money.
- Outside lights often get left on all day. Install timers to automatically turn the lights off and on.
- Many people are reluctant to change to the new CFL energy saving bulbs because, at $5 each, they are much more expensive than regular incandescent light bulbs but the saving can be substantial when you consider that the bulbs last 10 times longer, uses about 75% less energy and provide four times as much light. The bulbs will save you enough to pay for themselves in about 6 months.
- This will decrease you’re a/C costs in the summertime and will also help with your heating costs in the winter by circulating the warm air.
- If your hot water heater is pre-2004, you may want to wrap a jacket around it. The newer water heaters have plenty of insulation but the older ones don’t. Insulating jackets cost around $20 but will save you about 10% annually on your water heating bill.
- Only use your wash machine if its a full load. Small loads of laundry typically use 14 gallons of water compared to full loads that use 21 gallons of water. Several small loads will use much more water than a couple of large loads. Depending upon the size of your family, this could save you as much as $125 per year.
- This also goes for using your dishwasher. Make sure that your dishwasher is loaded properly and to completely full. By doing this and using the air-dry cycle instead of the heat cycle, you could save as much as $30 a year.
- Leaky faucets can waste as much as 2,700 gallons of water a year so fix it!
- You can check your toilet for leaks by putting a drop or two of food coloring in the toilet tank. If the color shows up in your bowl, your tank is leaking and could be costing you up to 200 gallons of water per day!
- When you wash your laundry, use warm or cold water and always use cold water to rinse. Most detergents today are designed to clean in warm or cold water so the use of hot water really isn’t necessary and you could be saving as much as $70 a year.
- Did you ever look good at you home phone bill? There may be hidden charges, like on my phone bill for the last year or so I have been paying 3.99 for a Maintenance Protection that I never signed up for. I was able to take it off and get a little money back on the last few months. Also if you have a cell phone, cancel your long distance on your home phone bill.
These are just a few strategies to save money on utility bills, but just by following these strategies, you can save money on your household bills.
Free Pancakes at IHOP
Flip for Free Pancakes!
March 1, 2011
Join IHOP on Tuesday, March 1, 2011, 7 a.m. – 10 p.m., for National Pancake Day and receive one complimentary short stack!* In return for the free flapjacks, we ask you to consider leaving a little something behind for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and other designated local charities. Thanks to our guests’ generosity, IHOP raised more than $2.1 million last year. IHOP began its National Pancake Day in 2006, and since then, has raised $5.35 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and other local charities and given away more than 10.1 million buttermilk pancakes.
Free Sites-Free Items
A great way to get free items as well as a way to get rid of items you no longer want is to use one of the sites below. These days people want the strangest things, and when it’s free to post items you are looking for or looking for a way to clear out your garage or basement, take a couple of minutes posting on craigslist or Freecycle.
* craigslist.com This site has a fast-moving free section, dominated by furniture and “free stuff left on curb after garage sale” posts. You’ll need to email fast to get the good stuff. You can also post items you are looking for. You never know what you will find on here.
* Freecycle is similar to, and almost as just as popular as craigslist so you’ll need to email just as fast. Freecycle groups are organized by county, so be sure to sign up for the closest area around you or as far as you are willing to drive.
* Freepeats works in the same way as Freecycle but is exclusively for maternity, baby and children’s items. There is a small fee to join Freepeats, but entirely worth it for the free swings and sacks of baby clothes.
*Yahoo Groups is great and what I use most of the time. You can pick and choose local areas around you. Its free and you can list items you have to sell or give away and list items you are looking for and list a price you are willing to pay. You will need to have a yahoo mail account to access these groups. To get to them just type in yahoo groups to your browser. You will may need to sign up for the group and get accepted.
When looking for free or cheap items remember to think of the location of the item. You will be required to pick up the item, so be sure to note the location of the item. An item listed for free might not be worth the time and effort to get it, especially with the gas prices climbing so high. May be cheaper to get the item at a local store.
Double check any important details before agreeing to pick up an item. Ask for more details, pictures or dimensions. You don’t want to be stuck wasting your time getting something that was not what you thought it was.
Category: Uncategorized |
Free Household Items
I am sure most of you have heard of and are already using Criagslist (www.craigslist.com), but did you know that there are tons of great free items on on this free site? I have found so many great items, including clothing, furniture, books, kids stuff, etc. If you are looking for something for cheap or even free, be sure to look on Craigslist to find items first, before you go out and purchase them new.
If you are new to craigslist, here is a list of how you get started. First you need to select the state or country in which you want to find items. Usually near your residence is the easiest for free item pick-up. Once you have chosen your state of interest you need to select a city. I tend to look in all of the cities in my state. Not all cities have a section. Many people posting in a city section may be in a different city. Finally, choose the free link under the for sale section and have fun browsing.
Here’s a quick recap: 1. Visit Criagslist (www.craigslist.org) , 2. Select a state or country (if you are looking in a major city you can skip this step), 3. Select a city , 4. Select Free link under the for sale area of the page , 5. Have Fun finding free items….
Another way to look for free or cheap items, is in your local newspaper under the classifieds. Most cities have a free section in the classifieds. There is no need the subscribe to the paper because almost all of the local papers are now online and have all of the classified listings available on the internet.
Category: Uncategorized |
Making A Household Budget
Start by listing your fixed costs:
- Mortgage payment or rent
- Utilities
- Insurance
- Car payment and operating costs, including gas, oil changes, and scheduled maintenance.
- Food, including what you spend to eat out.
- Clothing for you, your partner, and the kids.
The more detailed you make your budget, the more accurate it will be and the better you’ll be able to track your expenses and find areas to cut.
Allow yourself to take a little each month for savings – think about setting up an automatic transfer from your paycheck
How to Save
Think of the family budget as a way to start/add to a great savings. Below are some suggested ways to save:
- Make restaurant trips an occasional treat; it should not be a substitute for preparing a meal at home.
- Make heating easy by installing a programmable thermostat that flips the heat on each morning, lowers the temp during the day when you’re at work, turns the temperature up again in the evening and drops it to a desired lower temperature overnight.
- In the summer, remember to turn off your air conditioner when you’re away. Turn on the fans instead of the AC.
- Buy generic drugs whenever possible and you will save a bundle.
- Buy generic household supplies such as cleanser, soap, paper towels, whatever you need, most generics out there are as good as the name brand kind
- With all the rental places out there, its cheaper than going to the movie theater, plus, you can make all the popcorn you want for a fraction of the cost.
- Love to read? Go to the library and borrow books from there, you save money and space that the books take up in your home.
Making a family budget is the easy part, sticking to it takes work and some time. But if you track your expenses within your budget, you’ll find that you’ll be able to manage your money and won’t be living paycheck to paycheck.
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