Back to School and Freebie Friday

Didn't get a blog out yesterday :( sorry, today however I am so thankful that we are cooler and I am getting my house back to a normal temperature, I got some sleep last night so I feel much better today and a bit more productive.

I got the Staples e-mail today with their specials for next week, they are selling packs of filler paper for 1 cent each, I am definitely getting those for school. The kids and I went in on Monday and got some of the deals I told you about last week, I saw the filler paper on sale for 79 cents (I think) but I had a feeling it would go lower because we got it last year for a steal, so I decided to wait... smart choice. By the way, those sale prices are effective Sun. - Thurs.

Ok, so it's Freebie Friday... I've been looking around for a really nice freebie... sometimes it's hard to find, I came across this offer and although it's not completely free, you get 7 free bonus recipe books with your purchase. Anyway, I really like to cook so it appeals to me, they are offering recipes from all our favorite restaurants. Click on the link to take a look.
America's Secret Recipes

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Be blessed!

Smart Mom

Staying cool...or not..

It's almost 9pm on Wednesday as I write this, the temperature reached an unbearable 107 degrees here, I haven't heard yet but I think it might be a record. Anyway, I don't care too much about that I just want it to cool down a little, it's about 90 degrees in my house right now.

So what's my Smart Mom tip of the day...? I'm keeping it short because I want to get off my computer, yeah.. you guessed it.. it's too hot.. so I just want to refer you to a website I visited today, there's so much to look at there http://www.couponmom.com/ You'll find coupons for groceries, restaurants and all kinds of stuff, just be aware that some of the offers may require something of you, perhaps a few dollars or ultimately getting your name on a mailing list. Here's a tip for that one, create a free account with Gmail or Yahoo etc. and use it exclusively for those times when you want to sign up for something free, but don't really want your inbox to turn into Central Station! That way you can keep your personal email address personal.

Well, have a great day, I'll try to post a few updates on Twitter throughout the day. Follow me there if you like www.Twitter.com/smartmomsavings

Save On Your Services

The temperatures are in the 90's here right now and I wish I could think of some Smart Mom tips to cut back on the misery of being too hot without air conditioning. I'm trying to keep my home cool with all the usual methods, but I'm failing.... it was still in the 80's after 10 pm last night, so cooling off overnight is a myth at the moment... oh well, may as well try to find other areas to save....

After taking a look at your major accounts, you might want to evaluate some of your everyday expenses to see if you can reduce your budget without compromising too much on the things you want. Some areas to look at could include:

• Cable TV/Satellite TV: try cutting back to a more limited service, I reduced my bill by about $40 a month and we still get enough channels (so few are worth watching anyway!)


• Phone/ Long distance calling: don't pay for more than you will use each month, the phone companies always try to up sell you to a better package - and they should, that's their business- just be aware of what you are paying for, you might be able to eliminate some features you never use. Take a look at Skype for free calling and video calling http://www.skype.com/ I haven't used this service but I have friends who have and they gave it a thumbs-up.


• Cellular phone service: if you don't use it much, look into a prepaid or pay as you go plan; if you use your cell phone a lot be sure to get unlimited minutes in your plan. Shop around


• Internet service providers: you can find many services online for free, but typically you will have to pay someone to provide you with access to the internet. Compare services from your phone company, cable/satellite company, cellular company. Be sure to find the service that meets your needs, really, who wants dial-up anymore

Check out the discounts you would receive if you bundle your services with one provider, and watch your mailbox for special offers. Of course, if you find you don't need any of the services I mentioned, cool.. you can eliminate them altogether. (Did I say cool? I must be dreaming of lower temperatures.)

Well, gotta go now, see you tomorrow.

Smart Mom

Account Check-Up!

Still on the topic of getting your finances in order, it is important to be in control of your accounts, yesterday we discussed setting yourself up with a system and establishing a routine for keeping your transactions up to date. Today, we'll talk about accounts and how to make sure they're working for you.

First of all, make a list of all of your accounts -maybe you already have them in your software program, if so you've got a head start, if not that's ok.

You'll need to examine each account individually. Some of the types of accounts you may have are:

• Bank/Credit Union Checking, Savings, Moneymarket, investment etc.



• Credit Cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express etc.)



• Store credit cards (eg. Sears, Macy's etc.)



• Mortgage accounts



• Auto loans



• Lines of Credit



• Personal loans



• Retirement accounts



• Mutual Funds

This may take a little time, don't get overwhelmed, just take them one at a time.

Evaluate each account based on the following questions:

1. Are there any monthly service fees?



2. What is my interest rate?



3. What are the penalties for overdraft, returned item etc?



4. Are there any prepayment penalties for paying off an account early?



5. Is it feasible to transfer this account elsewhere if I find a better deal?

No service charges and low interest rates for credit are always the best option, many banks and credit unions offer free checking, just make sure you are aware of any qualifying factors (such as maintaining a minimum balance etc.). Do shop around if you find yourself in a less than ideal situation. As you look at each account, please be careful to evaluate whether there's a real benefit in making the switch. It may be unrealistic for you to attempt to refinance your mortgage or auto loan, so be sure to read the fine print. If you have reasonable credit and want a better rate of interest on your credit card, it's definitely worth considering transferring a balance, there's a lot of competition in the credit card market.

Don't forget to look at the interest dividend rate you are receiving on any savings and investment accounts, you might be able to get a greater return elsewhere.

I know, all of this doesn't sound like a fun way to spend a summer's day but remember your investment of time will reap rewards later.

Blessings!

Smart Mom

Just in...for homeschoolers

From Alpha Omega Publications, one day sale. Save 20% today, July 27th.

Alpha Omega provides high quality homeschool curriculum from a Christian perspective. I have personally used the LifePac, Horizons and Switched on Schoolhouse curriculum with my kids.

Call 800-622-3070 or shop online at http://www.aophomeschooling.com/

Start Smart With Your Finances

When we talk about savings usually our first thought is in regards to saving money, of course my blog is all about saving in lots of areas, not just financially, today however, I do want to talk about getting a handle on finances.

Everyone's circumstances are different so I won't presume to know your situation, what you spend or what you have to spare; so don't expect a lecture on cutting out the daily lattes to save $20 per week, because I know a lot of you wouldn't dream of buying lattes and others of you want to keep that luxury as a well-deserved reward.

Mastering your finances begins with examination. You need to look at how much money you have coming in, examine what you are spending it on and create a budget from there. Easy, right? For some it is easy and even fun, but for others it is an overwhelming task and that can lead to financial errors which can be costly in more ways than one.

For several years now I have used Quicken on my home computer to manage our personal finances. It is easy to set up, you can input your income and all your monthly recurring bills, create a budget and keep track of your spending by category. Record your transactions in the check register and the program does all the calculation for you. If you use a debit card, be sure to keep track of those transactions. Most banks/credit unions offer online banking nowadays, I recommend logging in regularly to check on your account in case you forgot to record a transaction, also you will likely notice immediately if someone has used your account fraudulently.

I believe the most recent version of Quicken is Quicken Deluxe 2009 and costs less than $20.

There are free alternatives to Quicken and you can search online for those, I just did and I found the following article on www.makeuseof.com where you'll find a comparison of 5 free alternatives, here's the link. http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-free-financial-software-alternative-to-quicken/

If you are comfortable with managing your finances online, Quicken now offers an online version of their product free, take a look http://quicken.intuit.com/

Regardless of the choice you make, what's important is to get started. This is just the beginning, check back for more tips, I'll be sharing some specific suggestions for you in the coming weeks.

By the way, you can now subscribe to my blog by e-mail (just figured out how to do that yesterday!) or subscribe by feed like before.

Love Your Library

My kids love to read books, there is absolutely no way I could finance or store the amount of books they consume, it's a good thing we have our local library. We visit usually a couple of times a week because it is conveniently located for us. But don't underestimate your library, chances are that it's a lot like ours and offers much more than the books on the shelves.

Some of the cost saving features you can access at most local libraries are:

• A library catalog which allows you to access resources from other libraries and place holds. We can do this from our home computer using the internet.


• Audio books.


• DVDs


• Magazines, newspapers


• Digital downloads - audio and e-books


• Computer use in the library branch with internet access


• Children's events, storytimes, book clubs, summer reading programs


• Teen resources, homework help


• Book discussion groups for adults


• Book sales


• Computer classes


• Local area information


• Citizenship info, Federal Tax Return form tips

Our library also has a Bookmobile, so if you can't get out to your local library, ask if they offer that service also, maybe it comes to your neighborhood and you don't know it. If not, consider placing holds for the items you want and ask a friend or relative to pick them up and return them for you.

Oh.. yeah.. that reminds me! Be sure to return or renew your books before the due date or you'll accrue some fines... ask me how I know!!!! (my son has a bill to pay as we speak, hmmm not such a smart saving....)

My daughter is working her way through the entire series of Little House on the Prairie on DVD. Love it! I grew up with Little House and I'm glad she likes it too.... we are about to start Season 5. To buy the set would cost us around $200 from Ebay which isn't bad for the whole set, but for now FREE is better.

So check out your library if you haven't already, encourage your family to read more, we are never too old to learn something new!