Everyone knows about coupons for everyday products we buy but did you know there are ways to save at places like the home improvement store, clothing stores and restaurants? Beyond the sales and promotions that these places have from time to time, there are websites that have extra savings waiting for you! Many of the couponing websites have daily or weekly emails you can subscribe to that have links of the best deals on the web. From coupons to restaurants, to online offers at places like Shutterfly, there is always something waiting for you to save on. Two great emails with valueable resourses are the ones from www.couponmom.com and www.coupondivas.com. Check them out! There are variety of websites out there that can help you save on the web. www.slickdeals.net has any item you can imagine for some great prices; www.nomorerack.com has everything from clothing to jewelry to home furnishings, all at insane prices; and www.shopathome.com has coupon codes you can use for online shopping to save just like you had a coupon in store. One of the best ways to get emails full of savings is to sign up with your favorite store’s website. You will not only be notified with the lastest sale, but you will get exclusive coupon savings. Even some places, like Target, have weekly texts with coupions you can use on a variety of items, as well as coupons you can print from their website. Finally, using your reward points from those credits cards can help cut down on costs as well. Since most awards you get get with your points take tens of thousands of points, why not redeem your points for a giftcard instead? They usually start out at 2,000 points and cane help you cut the cost of that new sweater or Saturday night date night. Paying full price on purchases is not a necessity. No matter that your favorite store is, or how you like to shop, with all the options out there to save, what are you waiting for?!]]>
How to Save for a Home
Housing prices are low, rates are low but how can you buy a house when your funds are also low? How can you save money for a house while prices and rates are still good? Saving for a home can be different than just saving because you have save such a large amount of money and you don’t know exactly how much you’ll need. Here are some strategies on how to save up: 1. Start with small goals. Try saving for closing costs or another smaller amount and then add another goal. Break the down payment into 3%, 5%, 10%, and 20% levels, to help make the savings goal more achievable. 2. Try saving a specific amount of money every month. Instead of saying I want to save $6,000 a year it is easier to say I will save $500 a month. Smaller, more achievable milestones are always good motivators to savings. 3. Ask for help. If people ask what to give you a gift for your wedding, birthday etc. ask them to contribute to your home savings plan. Online sites like SmartyPig make it easy to get other people involved in your savings goals. 4. Create a visual goal graphic. Create a vision board or some kind of graphic that represents what you are saving for. It always helps to see what you are saving for and have a constant reminder. Hopefully, you’ll be on your way to a new home in no time.]]>
Save on Utility Bills
Did you know the average family spends over $1600 a year on utility bills alone? Here are some simple steps you can take to not only save energy but also put some money back in your pocket.
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Put your thermostat to work
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Invest in energy-efficient appliances
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Unplug
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Seal it up
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Slow the flow
Canned Tomatoes
You have planted the garden and now you are starting to see the fruits and vegetables of your labor. So what do you do with all those veggies? Can them! That’s right, canning is easy. Not only is canning a great way to enjoy your garden-fresh veggies all year but it is also economical and healthy. Home canned vegetables have absolutely no chemicals added. So, if you can boil water and tell time, you can can! Here are some tools of the trade you may want to have on hand.
- lids
- jars
- wooden long handled spoon
- canning funnel
- jar lifter
- measuring spoons
- jar rings
Remodel Your Bathroom
Bathrooms are one of the most costly rooms to remodel–generally second only to kitchens. These costs are often incurred in labor charges on items that go beyond the typical do-it-yourselfer’s skills. If you find yourself in the position of needing a bathroom update, but without the funds for a full remodel, here’s some quick, budget-friendly updates that will give your bathroom a brand new look. Here are some great tips from Addicted2Decorating.com on how to get your bathroom in tip top shape. Painting is absolutely the cheapest way to transform any room. For around $25, you can have a brand new look. And because they’re smaller than other rooms, bathrooms are often a great place to experiment with interesting new wall treatments. Do you like stripes? Try them in your bathroom! Most people overlook the importance of lighting in almost every room of their home. If you’re still living with an outdated bath bar (often called Hollywood lighting), then you can have a fresh, new update for as little as $30. Again, paint is the cheapest way to update. Are your wood cabinets looking tired from years and years of use? Give them a fresh coat of paint, and they’ll look new! I recommend a good cleaning, followed by a light sanding, then priming. Top with a coat or two of an oil-based paint, and you’ve got a brand new look. And the cost? About $70. Hardware is the “jewelry” of your cabinets. Not having hardware on your cabinets is like putting on a great outfit, but forgetting to accessorize. Hardware is also a great place to be creative and unique. You can expect to pay anywhere from $3 to $15 (or more) for each knob or pull. But it’s well worth it! Sometimes a new, fresh look is as easy as replacing your worn-out, faded towels with some soft, fluffy new towels. And as popular as spa-inspired interiors are these days, it’s difficult to go wrong with white! White also gives your space a fresh, clean look. You can expect to pay from $5 to $30 per towel, depending on the quality. When most of us think of purchasing a rug for our bathroom, we generally head to the bathroom department of the local home store. But why not try something with a little more style? Instead of a regular bath mat, try introducing a small area rug into your bathroom. Instant color and style! And because the rug is generally smaller than one you’d need for a living room, it’s possible to find one for $50 to $100. I’m really surprised at how many people still use toilet seat covers in their bathrooms. Toilet seat covers are not only outdated, but they’re incredibly unsanitary. Remove it and reveal your sparkly clean toilet. And the cost? Free! Simply remove…..AND TOSS! These are just as bad as the toilet seat covers. Actually, they’re worse, considering that these catch more….ummmm…stuff, since it’s on the floor. Eewwww! Again, just lift, and TOSS! And again….it’s FREE!! If you have a plain, plate-glass, builder’s basic mirror, give it a frame! Simply purchase some moulding from your local home improvement store, cut to fit, paint, and adhere it to your mirror. Fill in the corners with a bit of wood filler, sand, and touch-up the paint. If you don’t want to go to the trouble of making a frame yourself, you can always remove the mirror completely, and replace it with a purchased, framed mirror. Either way, the impact will be tremendous. This can easily be achieved for $50 to $100. If you have a bathroom that requires a shower curtain, this is NOT the place to make a simply utilitarian choice. Visually, shower curtains consume a large area of the bathroom, and this is the perfect place to add color and style to your bathroom. So now’s the time to get rid of your plain, plastic shower curtain, and find one that defines your style!!]]>
Tax Advanatges of Owning a Second Home
Have you always dreamed of owning a second home? While owning a vacation home may see like a huge expense, it can also provide some savings. There are special tax rules and regulations that apply to second properties that could have you vacationing on the cheap. Before you buy a second home you should consider how you will use it. The Internal Revenue Service will categorize the home for tax purposes on how it is used. Here are the ways it can be categorized: Residence: It will be considered a residence if you use it for personal housing at least part of the year. If your home is a residence you can deduct the mortgage interest under your vacation on line 10 of Schedule A. Investment: If the property is rented most of the year, it’s considered a rental or investment property. In order to have a deduction on an investment property your rental deductions can’t exceed gross rental income, less interest, taxes, and costs to advertise the property. If your income totals more than the rental income received you won’t be able to list the loss (the excess expenses) on your income tax return. Another benefit of a rental property is that you may be able to deduct the value of your rental property over time. This is called depreciation. Depreciation is the wear and tear on a property over time. This can all be confusing so it is best to contact a tax advisor before purchasing a second home. There are some other key points to keep in mind: If the property is purely an investment, all the expenses are deductible against the rent. You don’t have to claim income if you rent the property for less than 14 days a year. There are lots of other rules about timing and claiming a property as a residence or an investment. Always make sure to consult with your tax advisor.]]>
Cheapest Days to Shop Online
Who doesn’t love a bargain? Some of the best shopping deals these days can be found online. Savvy shoppers even know that some days are even better than others to find the biggest savings. ShopItToMe.com, a website that looks at online retailers, ran a survey to see what days of the week online websites offer the biggest discounts. Here is what they found: Mondays: If you are looking for men’s and women’s dress pants try Mondays. ShopItToMe found the average sale price is about 48 percent off. The site also found Mondays are great for purchasing sunglasses with an average discount of around 55 percent. Tuesdays: If you are shopping for men’s clothes, it may be pants on Mondays but all other men’s apparel is typically on sale on Tuesday with a discount around 42 percent. Wednesdays: You can save an average of 38 percent on shoes. Also look for great deals on kids’ clothing with an average discount around 40 percent. Thursdays: Handbags lover’s Thursdays typically offer a 36 percent savings. Fridays: Once you have purchased a new handbag you will need accessories to match. Look for an average of 42 percent off jewelry, belts and scarves. Saturdays: Underwear and outwear are on deep discount on Saturdays. Shoppers can save an average of 37 percent on intimates and a whopping 51 percent on jackets and outerwear. Sundays: Swimsuit prices are reduced approximately 52 percent on Sundays. What are your best online shopping tips?]]>
How to Afford a New Addition to the Family
Having a baby can be a very expensive venture. A 2012 report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture says raising a child from birth through age 17 will cost a typical middle-income family a whopping $235,000. That is a lot of money so it is important to plan for your financial future, prepare for your new baby and protect your growing family. Here are some tips to get you and your family on the right track: 1. Purchase life insurance. You will need life insurance to protect your family. It is not as expensive as you think and you will get better rates when you’re young. Talk to your life insurance company about what amount of insurance you will need to protect your family. 2. Start planning for college. It may seems years away but you need to start college planning right away. According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for the 2011-12 school year was $8,244 for a public college and $28,500 for a private one, 3. Update your will. If you have a will you will need to update it and appoint a guardian for your child. If you do not gave a will now is the time to get one. 4. Prepare your baby budget. Babies are expensive, from diapers to child care you will need to look at how your baby will affect everyday expenses. Go to the store and price out diapers and other baby items, consider if you will be living on one income or paying for child care, this will help you figure out if you need to cut spending to afford your new baby. 5. Use a flexible spending account. If your employer offers a flexible spending account, you may be able to use it to pay up to $5,000 in child-care expenses a year. You can also use flexible spending account for health care costs. Money in a flexible spending account is exempt from income taxes. While having a baby is expensive it is also exciting. It may also be a time when you are considering a housing change.]]>
The Benefits of Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are an inexpensive way to help with the heating and cooling of your home. You can find many that cost under $100 and they have little ongoing cost. And for those of you who like DIY projects, this one will take you a couple of hours to upgrade an existing light fixture. While ceiling fans don’t drastically lower the temperature in a room, they do help to reduce it slightly as well as produce a light breeze which makes you feel cooler. The result? Less use of the air conditioner that results in 3-8% savings on cooling costs. Remember that in the summer months, your fan’s blades should be moving counter clockwise. In the winter months, ceiling fans can take on a whole new role. When you reverse the fan’s blades to rotate clockwise, you cause the air to circulate without causing that chilly breeze. This allows for better circulation of the warm air that naturally rises to the ceiling. It’s often best to have the fan speed set to low in the winter to avoid too much air movement and the effects of a breeze. Lastly, and maybe the most important, is the decision on which fan to purchase. There are few things to keep in mind when you are out shopping for a ceiling fan. 1. The size of the room – ceiling fans come in all sizes and choosing one that is meant for your home’s room dimension is key. It’s recommended that you choose a 40-42 inch blade span for a room 70-100 sq feet and a 42-48 inch for 100-140 sq feet. A room that’s bigger may need two small fans to be effective. 2. The location of the installation – for rooms with lower ceilings, a flush mount ceiling fan will work best, while rooms with high ceilings will need a down rod so that the fan is in the right place. You also want to make sure for areas such as an enclosed porch, that you check out the UL (Underwriters Laboratories) rating to ensure the fan has either a damp or wet rating. 3. Finally, you want to pick a fan that fits your decor and life style. Fans come in all sorts of styles and can have features from various lighting to remote controls. Changing a current light fixture in your home to a ceiling fan can saving you hundreds over the life of the fan. Especially with Energy Star rated ceiling fans available, savings can add up quick.]]>
Cutting Holiday Entertaining Costs
Holiday hosting can be fun but it can also wreak havoc on your bank account. Some studies have shown that holiday revelers plan to spend an average of $1,100 on food, gifts, and entertainment during the season. There are ways to scale back the costs of holiday entertaining without losing any of the cheer: • Have a plan – Decide what events you will be hosting and attending. Once you have figured this out make a list of exactly what you will need to provide. To get an idea of how much things will cost look through your old bank statements to get a rough figure on how much you spent in the past. • Create a budget – Create a budget for what you can realistically afford and don’t forget to include incidentals like host/hostess gifts. If you’re hosting the holiday party this year, understanding the true cost of things will help you decide whether to throw a smaller intimate dinner party or a big soiree. • Be creative in cutting costs – Hosting doesn’t have to break the bank, consider having a potluck dinner. If you are a guest and searching for a gift to bring the host, consider making a gift or bringing an inexpensive addition to the party table. • Start saving now – Every bit counts so if you don’t have a lot of money to save, start small, and it will add up. Check the store flyers for deals and coupons and don’t forget to use your grocery store savings cards.]]>