Money Roll Outs!!

MindsPay compensates its members to test out products, services and give feedback on those tested. Go here to check out more.

SwagBucks-WIN FREE PRIZES just by searching the web. SWAG BUCKS are digital dollars that you earn just for doing the things you're already doing. Register now to get started. It's totally Free. Go here. I love love love swagbucks. I have almost made $100 in Amazon gift cards just by searching the web with them.

Groupon- Sign up and receive daily email with coupons for your local area with savings up to 90%.Go here

DailyWorth-a free daily email about money management for women.  Go here

$1000 saved in a week!!!

Okay, so you are probably thinking,"Yeah Right!" With my husband and I working hard to see if we could cut out some "fat" in our budget(we just did our financial goals for next year) we will able to save $1000!!! Of course, I know everyone does not want, nor care to do this. We don't watch a lot of productive tv, so we figured cutting cable would help us spend more time together, READ more and of course love on our new baby. The savings would be throughout the course of the year. How did we do it?

1) Used to Pay $52.50 a month with Comcast for internet and basic Cable. Now pay $14.95 for AT&T's internet and nothing for basic cable. Savings-Around $37 dollars a month ($444 a year). The funny thing was I ordered AT&T and then realized we did not have phone jacks in any of our extra bedrooms. When I called to cancelled, they offered to come out and put one in my office for FREE instead of me paying $90!!!!For basic cable we just got an outside antenna. We now get 21 channels for FREE!!!


2) Called Around for New Homeowners Insurance....We cancelled our current policy and called around to get a better quote and we did ...That alone saved us around $200 (This one surprised me the most, because last year I had saved $150 by calling around)


3) I Have not officially done this but I am planning on it. Another way we are trying to save is on our phone bill. WE are looking at a pre-paid service such as MetroPCS or At&T pre-paid. This alone, I have calculated that I could save around $30 a month ($360 a year)

The reasons I write this post it to just let everyone know you can save money, just by calling around. Do I think everyone will go down to having an antenna for their tv??? NO WAY....however it is just another way..if you are willing to save more money. This works for us, it may not work for you at all, but even what you currently have may be able to be reduced. Asking never hurt and most companies want to keep your business.

Mint.com

 
 
Mint is fresh, free, and intelligent online money management software that has identified more than $300 million in potential savings for its users! I use it and love it!!! It helps me with my budget. Go HERE to sign up for this FREE product.

Looking for Money Around the House

If you are looking for money around the house there are some things you can do besides look for change in your couch.
1) Sell your books- Go to http://www.cash4books.net/ to sell them
2) Sell your old electronics you don't use-Go to http://www.gazelle.com/ or http://www.buymytronics.com/ for an instant quote
3) Cell old cell phones- Go to http://www.cellforcash.com/
4) Old jewlrey- http://www.exboyfriendjewelry.com/

$10 Gift Card for Donating to Salvation Army

From their blog,"There’s an old saying that goes, “A good deed is its own reward.” But who’s to say that you shouldn’t get some extra encouragement for an act of goodwill? Phillips-Van Heusen, one of the world’s largest apparel companies, is partnering with the Salvation Army to recognize your altruistic acts.For in-kind donations you contribute between April 1 and May 31 to select Salvation Army Family Thrift Stores, you will be thanked with a $10 gift certificate to any Phillips-Van Heusen, IZOD, or Bass retail stores. Participating Salvation Army stores will provide you with a dated receipt for your generous donations and a coupon to redeem for your next shopping trip." Go here to read more.

Missing Money

This is so cool...there is a website that tells you if you have any missing money. Missing money what is that?
MissingMoney.com is a database of governmental unclaimed property records. I checked to see if I had any missing money...I did not but you might. Go here to see.

Common types of unclaimed property include:
Bank accounts and safe deposit box contents
Stocks, mutual funds, bonds, and dividends
Uncashed checks and wages
Insurance policies, CD's, trust funds
Utility deposits, escrow accounts


Thanks hip2save

Make Money Printing Coupons!!!

If you print SmartSource coupons you should sign up for MyPoints!!You can earn points if you are a member and you print your coupons from their website!! Sign up here. Also don't forget you can earn $1 every time you print 10 coupons from Coupons.com(which has added up to be lot for me) from Inbox Dollars. Go here to sign up.There is also a $5 sign on bonus!!! If you print coupons online, I would sign up for both. That way you are getting money and points to do things you already do....print coupons!!!!

Shopping Around for Home/Car Insurance

I was thinking yesterday of my cell phone post and how that is going to save my family $480 a year. I also wanted to mention what companies we use for our car insurance and housing insurance. We have shopped around and these two companies have been the lowest by far. For car insurance, it is Progressive. For home owners it is Cypress Property and Casual(1-800-765-1347). Of course it will be different for everyone as far as the deductible and coverage but it never hurts to try to see if you can get a better deal. Also that is not my house pictured above, but I sure love it!!Let me know if you get a better deal. It never hurts to shop around.

Cutting Costs

One way I am trying to add more money to savings and reduce debt is by shopping around for everything from insurance, phone plans, interest for a savings account, etc. I just wanted you all to know about this phone company I am looking into. I would of already bought the plan but everytime I go to Walmart the phones are gone. They have an unlimited plan for $45 a month. This alone will save my husband and I $40 a month. They even have a 1000 minute, 1000 text plan for $35. This company is called Straight Talk. I always try to research companies and it looks like the phones/service is fine but the customer service is not that great. I am sure they are getting so much business now and they are overwelmed and under-trained. That is okay for me. I just want to remind everyone to re-evaluate your expenses each year. You never know how much you are going to save. This switch saves us $480 a year! If you want to read more go here.

Swag Bucks for Cash

Another way to earn a little extra cash is to set swagbucks as your search engine.Whenever you are looking for something on the internet, you can just use swagbucks. It is that easy! Right now they have cash through paypal for only 550 swagbucks. Right now I have 2043 swag bucks!! So I could cash it in for some money now for doing what I already do...searching the internet. My goal is to have a ton of swagbucks to cash in around Christmas so that will help me with my Holiday shopping. To sign up for swagbucks go here

How to make Money From Your House

1) Sell Books- Selling Books you have already read is a great way to make some extra money. One of the best websites for this is cash4books. All you have to do is enter the ISBN number from your books and it will tell you how much they will pay you.

2) Garage Sale- I cannot wait to do our Garage sale this year. I have so much STUFF laying around. Some tips for garage sales
 *Start early
 *Label everything with prices
 *Label your items with realistic prices. How much would you be willing to pay?
 * Have a bunch of $1 or less items. People are more likely to buy more items if they are buying a little item.

3) Ebay/Craigslist- Sell your stuff on EBAY or Craiglist- I love this option. This way you don't need to do an all day event. All you need to do it put it on craigslist. Always make sure you have a price, location, and picture of the item you are selling.

4) Swap with Friends- Sometimes you may just want a change. Get together some of your friends and swap items you like but just are not using anymore. It could be clothes, furniture, books, etc.

5) Surveys, Maket Research, and Online Offers. Keep coming back to my website because I will be posted more of these. They usually don't take a lot of time but you can earn some extra money from these. Read more here

These are all ways you can make a little extra cash whether it be for your emergency fund, spending money, or savings. If you don't know what to do with the money learn some tips from Dave Ramsey on how to be Financially Successful!!

Extra Money

I have found some ways to make money so I can spend them on these great deals posted on here. You can do surveys, online offers, or even market research. I want to highlight some of the main ways:

Surveys For 10-15 minutes of my time I can earn a few dollars or points that I can trade in for prizes or cash. One of my favorite companies is Inbox Dollars. It was featured on the Good Morning America TV Show. You will be rewarded for your online activity with InboxDollars! InboxDollars will pay members to read e-mail, take surveys, play games, shop online, and more. Go here to sign up.

Secret Shopping Secret Shopping is another fun way to go to new places and get paid to shop!! I love getting paid to shop. Most companies will foot the bill and pay you to eat, shop, or do something as simple as take a picture. One time I got paid to go take a picture of a closed shop. One of my favorite secret shopping company is Market Force. They were actually paying $50-$60 dollars for getting your taxes done for FREE!! They have new shops all the time. Go here to sign up.

Online Offers One of the best things I have come across are Online Offers. Online offers...what are those? Well I have already made $2500 just from doing them and my husband started doing them and we will have $1000 more soon. You know that annoying spam you get in your email that says you can get a Wii, or a $500 dollar gift card. Well, some of those are legit. I have already received 4 gifts and my husband is working on 2 more.Go here to start a $500 dollar Walmart one. Be sure to read ALL my instructions here before you attempt to do these.

I love Dave!!!

If you did not know I love Dave Ramsey. Hopefully this blog will help you make and save some money. My husband and I are also on a mission to get out of debt. I hope you will join us. Dave Ramsey is a great resource. I will be posting videos from Dave Ramsey periodically. I cannot wait to call in on his radio show and scream, "We are debt FREE!!!"I will be adding more but this is an introduction to how he started his journey.

Drive FREE Cars for Life

I want to add more on my website about debt reduction. My husband and I are in the process of paying off off our debt- a piece of land that is worth less than what we bought it for. :( Oh well, we got caught up in the real estate market boom and now are paying the price to the tune of 63,000. I hate even typing that number.  I am on a mission to continue to find great advice about reducing debt.  I remember seeing this video and being amazed. I am striving to drive FREE cars for life. Still a daily process however.

Grocery Game..Save Money at The Grocery Store

Do you want the best deals for the grocery stores you shop at? The Grocery Game Members save over 60% on their grocery bills! In today's economy, don't just survive... thrive! Join  for a 4-week FREE Trial, and see for yourself! You'll get a weekly list of the lowest priced products matched with manufacturer's coupons and weekly specials - advertised and unadvertised! Go here to try out their FREE trial. It saves a lot of time and money.
What is The Grocery Game?
The Grocery Game is a website that can save you hundreds of dollars on your grocery bill each month. Login, spend a few minutes with a pair of scissors, and you're off to win The Grocery Game!
When you play, you'll get a weekly list (called Teri's List) of the lowest-priced products at your supermarket matched with manufacturers' coupons and weekly specials -- advertised and unadvertised. The Grocery Game does all the hard work and research, and presents it to you in a straightforward format.

Ways to Earn Money Test Driving Cars!!

Test drive a all new Kia Sorrento and get a $25 dollar gift card. Go here for the details. I heard they are sending out $75 test drive certificates in some emails. If you sign up here and click "receive updates" you might just get that email. I would go drive a car for $75 any day.

Best Ways to Save at The Grocery Store

I know I have been posting some great grocery deals lately. I wanted to write about how I save at the grocery. Our grocery bill has reduced by about $40 a week. On top of that I usually get name brand groceries and more of them.

 Here are some tips:

1) I always check Southernsavers.com before I leave to go to the grocery store. You can check my other grocery store coupon match-ups by clicking on the grocery cart icon on the upper left corner.

2) I organize my list as to what I am going to buy and then I start organizing my coupons before I leave my house.

3) I always check the front of the store for more coupons. Publix always has booklets in front of the store you can use. They also come in the Sunday paper. You can stack these store coupons with manufacturer's coupons. Go here before you shop to see if you need to print any coupons. Publix also takes other store coupons you can stack along with your other savings. If you don't shop at Publix now is the time!!

4) If you shop at Walmart and you bring in another store's ad they will match it along as it is not a B1G1 Free deal. There are some things that will always be cheaper at Walmart.

5) Always look for a nice coupon friendly cashier. :)

6) Last but not least, do some of your Grocery Shopping at CVS and Walgreens. They have some of the best deals each week. Just be on the lookout.

If you have any questions please leave a comment. By the way, I love comments on my blog. :)

Swagbuck Friday

Don't forget it is Swagbuck Friday. Just for searching you can earn points that you can then buy gift cards, items, etc with. I am going to try and buy my Christmas gifts with Swagbuck gift cards. What is the catch? Nothing...basically this search engine wants to grow so we benefit from it.  For every person you refer you can earn up to 100 Swagbucks!!!

How do you get started?
Go here and register on Swagbucks by creating an account

You will get 3 Swagbucks just for signing up!

After registering, you can immediately start searching for anything you want on the web just by using the Swagbucks search engine!

Periodically, while searching, you may see a pop up that says you’ve won anywhere from 1 to 10 or more in Swagbucks.

After you’ve earned enough points, you can click on the upper tab labeled “Prizes”. Scroll down and under the categories section on the left hand side you should see “Gifts and Rewards”–click there. Now you can start scrolling through all the gift cards they have available. You can score a $5 Amazon.com gift card with just 45 Swagbucks, so literally in a month (possibly less) you could earn a $5 Amazon.com gift card!
Another way to earn Swagbucks, is by entering the Swagcode that is released almost everyday. This is a special code that you can enter in the swagcode box and you will instantly earn Swagbucks without having to search for them! How do you get this special code? Go to the Swagbucks homepage, click on “Ways to Earn” in the top left, then click on “Special Offers” and then click on the “No Obligation Offers” blue box on the right.Once you have their special code you will then go back to the HOME page and put in the code.

Thanks hip2save

How to Look Fabulous on a Budget

I was in my car the other day driving to the nail salon thinking about what I could blog about. As I entered the nail salon I noticed the prices and I thought I could blog about how to look Fabulous on a Budget.I know most girls, including me,  love to get their nails, hair, and make-up done. However, these things can become pretty expensive. I have listed some things I do for myself to help get everything I can out of a dollar while still trying to do some things for myself.

Here are some my tips:

Nails-I do not get manicures and pedicures anymore, unless I have a gift certificate.  What I do now is to just have them paint my nails and toenails. This saves a ton of money. Intead of paying $25-$30 for a manicure or a pedicure I now pay $5-$8. To me it looks just as good and I am not paying a bunch of money. If you want to still get those mani's and pedi's you could have them just paint your nails every other time you go to the salon.

Hair- I love getting my hair done, however I used to spend $125 dollars every 6-8 weeks for my highlights. At first I started dying my own hair, however it always seemed a lot darker than I wanted and it relly damaged my hair. Now I go to the local beauty school and get highlights and a cut for around $21-$25 dollars. There is always an instructor watching the student who is doing my hair so I am not worried about them messing it up. Also I always have great shampoo and conditioner. Before I started couponing I bought the cheapest shampoo and conditioner, but now I get some really great brands for pennies by going to CVS and Walgreens.


Body- The thing I hate the most about the gym is the monthly fee that comes along with it. My husband and I have not paid for a gym membership to the YMCA in almost 6 years. How do we do it? Well one of us will work for our local YMCA at least once every two-three weeks for a few hours. As long as we stay on the payroll we get a free family membership. Some gyms even swap volunteering for a FREE  membership. If you volunteer a certain amount of  hours you can go there free. It never hurts to ask. Another thing I do for the body is get massages. I love massages but I don't want to pay the $50-$75 dollar an hour fee. I have found a massage school that will give you massages for around $25 dollars an hour. You can even use your HSA to pay for it. There are massage schools all acrosss the country that do this. In my opinion the massages I get are just as good as having a liscened massage therapist do them.


Face-I love having new make-up. I used to pay a lot of money for make-up but now thanks to couponing I won't pay more than a $1-$2 for great name brand make-up. I check the ads every week for CVS and Walgreens and many times there are great deals on foundation, blush, eyeshadow, etc.  Just last week I got FREE eyeshadow at CVS with my Extra Care Bucks. You just need to be on the lookout each week.


What about you? Do you have any ideas for looking Fabulous on a budget? If so please leave a comment.

Why I budget?

Why I budget? I am not the most organized person. However, when it comes to money I am pretty organized. Now, it is very common to see a piece of paper with all our expenses on it besides my bed because I had stayed up writing down everything. Before,  I was the type of person who always paid off their credit cards every month. I am naturally a saver. I always thought that I was very frugal. However, I started listing to Dave Ramsey on the radio and he kept talking about budgeting. I never thought it would save me much money.  I already put extra towards debt and I paid off my credit cards every month, but I thought why not give it a try. So I started giving every dollar a name before I spent it. My first month was tough because I always forgot about expenses (car repair, etc. ) However, I started to see that I was saving more money. I honestly felt like I had given myself a raise to the tune of $200 dollars. I had been frivolously spending on average $200 dollars a month. Did you know people who use credit cards for everyday expenses spend up to 18% more? That blew my mind. So now my credit cards stay home.  I carry my spending money as cash that way I always know how much I have left and I never go over budget. Go here to see a video by Dave Ramsey about budgeting. You never know, you just might give yourself a raise like I did.