Top 10 Easy and Painless Money Savers
1. Upromise
Get
money back on food, clothing, and other items you are already buying!
Upromise is promoted as a way to save money for college in connection
with a college savings 529 plan. A little known fact is that you can
still get money back through Upromise even if you don't have a 529
plan. Sign up and once a year send in a written request for a full
withdrawal of the funds in your account. You'll receive a check in the
mail and you'll be free to use the money however you like. Go to www.upromise.com for more information. Use this form to withdraw your funds
https://lty.s.upromise.com/pdfs/fund_withdrawal_request.pdf.
2. Open a Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
Pay
for medical expenses and dependent care using your untaxed money! You
can use your FSA to pay for things such as over the counter medicine,
sunblock, contact lenses, medical deductibles, child care, camp, and
much more. With a FSA, money is withheld from your paycheck before
taxes, and then returned to you to reimburse you for qualified
expenses. For reimbursement, you are required to submit receipts for
qualifying expenses. Don't be discouraged by this requirement, most
drug stores and grocery stores now itemize qualified expenses on their
receipts to make this easy. Many claims may also be submitted
automatically by your health insurance company on your behalf. Flexible
spending accounts are an easy way to save money and most offer direct
deposit for quick reimbursement. Check with your employer to see if
they offer this account and start saving!
3. Easy Coupons and Discounts
- currentcodes.com
If
you shop online, never make a purchase without visiting
currentcodes.com or doing a simple search for online coupons and
promotions. - visit the websites of the products you buy for
special offers. For example, if you buy Huggies, Pampers, Earth's Best,
Gerber, or Horizon Organic products, each has either special offers
such as coupons or reward programs on their websites. Try this out with
other frequent purchases. If you shop organic, go to www.mambosprouts.com
for coupons. This works just as well for clothing, shoes, electronics,
and other goods. For example, Lord & Taylor, Ann Taylor Loft, the
Children's Place, Best Buy, and Target all send out great discount
coupons, so get on the mailing lists or sign up for rewards at stores
that you frequent. If you shop online, most online retailers send out
discount coupons as well, so sign up and check your email for discounts
before shopping!
- yahoo shopping
Go to yahoo.com
and type in the item you are shopping for and then do a search under
shopping. Scroll through the results for the cheapest price available.
4. Use the Library
Sounds
obvious enough but the truth is, most of us aren't taking advantage of
this wonderful FREE resource. With growing kids, interests change so
quickly. Use your local library to try out new books, CDs, and DVDs.
Did you know that most libraries allow you to search online and put
books on hold so that you can pick them up at your convenience? Your
local library will also send books/CDs/DVDs from other locations to a
library of your choosing. Sign up for email reminders so that you never
miss a due date. You'll also be able to renew checked out materials
online.
5. Review Cable and Phone Bills
If
you've got cable, a home phone, and a cell phone, review your bills to
make sure you're using all the features you're paying for. Save money
by removing premium channels or features such as call waiting and too
many minutes that you aren't using. You can also save by bundling these
services along with your internet use.
6. Buy Gently Used and Sell to Consignment Shops
Check
your area guides and free magazines for local consignment shops. Swap
gently used toys and kid's clothes with a friend or relative.
7. Make Old Toys New Again
Out
of sight, out of mind... Rotate your child's toys by packing up a
selection of toys and putting them out of sight (wait until the kids
aren't around to do this). In a month or so bring them back out and
replace with another box of toys. You'll be surprised to see your child
fall in love all over again with his/her old toys.
8. Donate Things You Don't Use Anymore But Keep Track and Get a Receipt for Your Taxes.
Visit http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf/vwtext-
dynamic-arrays/D477340FFA28755C8525743D0049D1EF?openDocument
for
a valuation guide for donations. Do an online search to find
organizations that accept "in kind" donations in your area.
Organizations that help women and families are a good place to start.
There are even software programs such as Turbo Tax that you can use to
keep track of your donations and calculate the value for tax time.
9. Look for Take Out Specials
Places
like pizzeria's often offer specials on "off nights" like Mondays or
Wednesdays. If you eat take out, research specials in your area and
move your take out night from Friday to an off night.
10. Watch the Electricity
Switch
to compact florescent bulbs to save money on your electricity bill.
Unplug appliances that you aren't using because they drain electricity
just by being plugged in. Some appliances that add on to your electric
bill when not in use include toaster ovens, t.v.'s, cable boxes, and
computers.
We want to hear from you! Did our money savers work for you? Do you have some of your own you'd like to share? Come on over to our community and let us know! |
