Times are tough out there, and it's hurting most everyone's entertainment fund. But that doesn't mean that you have to sit idle, twiddling your thumbs. There are lots of fun things you can still do as a family, and many are free or cost very little.
Do you like movies? One option we've done is to buy the movies we wanted when they first came out and then watch them on movie night. If we bought them the first week they were out, they would cost $4-$5 less on sale. This is much less than it would cost for the six of us to go out to the movies.
No money in your budget for that DVD? I feel your pain. A cheaper--and sometimes free option is Redbox. You've probably seen these movie rental machines outside the grocery store, or even McDonalds. The rate is $1 per night, but I have it on good authority that you can rent free with a code on some nights--notably Monday and Wednesday. You can go to Inside Redbox and create a free account. Visit it to get the current promo code for your free movie rental. You do have to return it after the free day, or be charged $1 per day after that.
Now that the weather is warming up....well one day soon anyway (today it's pouring outside, but it's got to get sunny outside soon, right?)...It's a good idea to take your family outdoors. I found a great site today all about family fishing. Our kids love to go and don't even care if we come home empty handed because they've got their minds full of memories. The site is called Fish with your Kids and has some great information on how to make your trip fun and memorable. The cool thing about fishing is that in most states kids up to a certain age (14 in Utah) can do it for free.
I've also written an article on e-How on this topic and it gives more ideas on things you can do for fun with your family without breaking the bank. Kids don't need to go to expensive theme parks or arcades to have fun. There's so much you can do together that will strengthen your relationship, build life-long memories and entertain you all that doesn't cost much or even anything at all.
Showing posts with label free stuff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label free stuff. Show all posts
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Saving with Your Newspaper Subscription
Today's blog was inspired by this morning's events. I received the renewal notice for one of our newspaper subscriptions, and cringed when I realized I have another check to write--small though it may be. Some may ask why I don't just let the newspaper subscription go, especially considering I have two of them. I'll tell you why, it's because those two subscriptions (both with the Sunday papers) save me a lot of money on groceries, and consequently, more than pay for themselves.
I'm guessing, with my Sunday and groceries clues, you know how I save money with these papers: I clip the coupons. I save money on toilet paper, granola bars, cereal, diapers, wipes, toiletries, pet food, produce, etc. I have even, on several occasions, gotten coupons for free items (ranging from salad dressing, gum, cough drops, frozen shrimp--you get the idea).
Because of this, I can justify the expense of both subscriptions, but with hubby's pay cut, money is very tight. I decided to call my subscription service (MediaOne of Utah) to test what I'd heard about most companies being willing to give existing customers the promotional rate if they call in and ask for it. Turns out, it was no myth. I got one year for the price of six months, all because I asked if they could offer me a better deal! So now my newspaper is even more valuable to me.
My green readers may be wondering what I do with all those papers after I'm done reading and clipping out of them. No worries! I take them to my children's school, put them in the recycling dumpster and they get money for the school! So it's a win-win.
So if you haven't done this already, I suggest you do. If you currently have a subscription, call to see if you can get a better rate. If you don't currently have one, get one! If you aren't clipping coupons for items you're already buying, that's the same thing as throwing away your money.
If you're not in my area, then you can find your local newspaper, or whichever paper you're looking to subscribe to online. I found a site that offers discounted newspaper subscriptions, and it's backed by the Better Business Bureau. It's called Discounted Newspapers.com.
None of these things take much time. Calling to lower your rate is easy, subscribing is even easier. Clipping coupons isn't much work either. You can get a coupon organizer for cheap, or you can even keep them in an envelope or sandwich bag (I did this for years). And Newspaper recycling sites are everywhere. You can usually find them on school grounds or even in some store parking lots. If you don't know where one is, check out Earth911.
Do what you have to and lower that budget. Saving money is always a good thing, especially in this hard economy.
I'm guessing, with my Sunday and groceries clues, you know how I save money with these papers: I clip the coupons. I save money on toilet paper, granola bars, cereal, diapers, wipes, toiletries, pet food, produce, etc. I have even, on several occasions, gotten coupons for free items (ranging from salad dressing, gum, cough drops, frozen shrimp--you get the idea).
Because of this, I can justify the expense of both subscriptions, but with hubby's pay cut, money is very tight. I decided to call my subscription service (MediaOne of Utah) to test what I'd heard about most companies being willing to give existing customers the promotional rate if they call in and ask for it. Turns out, it was no myth. I got one year for the price of six months, all because I asked if they could offer me a better deal! So now my newspaper is even more valuable to me.
My green readers may be wondering what I do with all those papers after I'm done reading and clipping out of them. No worries! I take them to my children's school, put them in the recycling dumpster and they get money for the school! So it's a win-win.
So if you haven't done this already, I suggest you do. If you currently have a subscription, call to see if you can get a better rate. If you don't currently have one, get one! If you aren't clipping coupons for items you're already buying, that's the same thing as throwing away your money.
If you're not in my area, then you can find your local newspaper, or whichever paper you're looking to subscribe to online. I found a site that offers discounted newspaper subscriptions, and it's backed by the Better Business Bureau. It's called Discounted Newspapers.com.
None of these things take much time. Calling to lower your rate is easy, subscribing is even easier. Clipping coupons isn't much work either. You can get a coupon organizer for cheap, or you can even keep them in an envelope or sandwich bag (I did this for years). And Newspaper recycling sites are everywhere. You can usually find them on school grounds or even in some store parking lots. If you don't know where one is, check out Earth911.
Do what you have to and lower that budget. Saving money is always a good thing, especially in this hard economy.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Don't Be Afraid to Ask for What You Want
Have you ever gone to the store, had your hands full at the register and not noticed until you got home and went over your receipt that you were overcharged? Have you ever purchased an item or a service, only to find out it wasn't all it was promised to be or it broke with normal use? Most of us, if not all of us, have had some bad experiences as customers. The good news is that there is something you can do about it.
Often, you can get what you want over the phone. If you've got decent verbal skills, this can be an effective way to resolve your problem and get what you want. The key is persistence and patience. When we bought our house nearly four years ago, we upgraded the appliances. We thought if we went with the higher brand name that they would last longer and work better.
In our case, we were mistaken. The first year we had to call on our freezer twice (the ice maker was having issues), our microwave once (it started sparking when we used it), our dishwasher (the silverware tray hinges broke), and we had to trip the breaker on our electrical to get the self cleaning oven to turn off (thankfully that never happened again). We couldn't believe it! But thankfully everything was covered under warranty, and so we didn't have to pay for anything.
I can't believe, considering all the trouble we had, that I didn't get around to extending the warranties. Blame it on being busy with the little ones and working on getting all our landscaping done. In any case, we didn't extend our coverage. Six months after our coverage expired, all of our lights and the digital display in the refrigerator when out. I called, hoping that it was one of the few parts that was covered under the longer warranty. It wasn't, and it was going to cost several hundred dollars to replace.
I was furious, but I kept my cool when I called the company to see if they would pay for it anyway. They told me no. I asked to be transferred higher, that person told me no, I asked to be transferred even higher, that person told me no. I told them I wasn't getting off the phone until they told me yes. I told them how we had bought all of our appliances from them, and they were supposed to be top of the line. I told them how many times we had to call on said appliances, and how we were less than satisfied with their performances. I told them how I would tell anyone and everyone who would listen about my experience with said appliances and their manufacturer if they didn't do the right thing and cover the part. I basically let them know that I wasn't going away. Finally, over an hour later, they said "okay, we'll pay for the part if you'll cover the labor." I took it. The labor was only $60 and so I was satisfied with that deal.
Never once did I raise my voice, curse (though believe me, there were times I wanted to--haha!), or act offensive to them. I let each person know that I realized that they weren't actually the ones who made my appliances, and that this was just their job, but I wasn't going to let this go. They listened.
Another customer service issue: If I've been overcharged at the grocery store by a few cents, or even a dollar, I'll usually let that go. But there was actually a time that I was overcharged over five dollars. That was when gas prices were much higher, and I would've spent about that much to go back to the store and get my money back. That didn't appeal, so I wrote a letter to their corporate office, letting them know my experience, how I was overcharged and how it made me feel as their customer to know that if I took my eyes off the scanner for a moment, I would lose money. They sent me a $10 gift card and a letter of apology.
I've received refunds on items, replacement products and other things, all as a result of being able to keep my cool over the phone or in a letter. This can be a great way to get your money back, or to get something replaced. Sometimes they'll even send valuable coupons with your replacement (usually food manufacturers do this).
If phone calls, or letter writing doesn't get you anywhere, you can always file a claim with the Better Business Bureau. I did this with AT&T once. They charged me $3 for a collect call I refused. It wasn't the amount of money I was upset about, it was the principle of it, and the way they treated me when I asked them to remove the charge. Their representative really should've considered their words when they told me that it was basically too bad, I had to pay it and there was nothing I could do about it. That was a challenge to me, and I accepted it. I went to the BBB's website, filed a report, and what do you know? My account was credited! Hah!
I thought I'd share this information with those who haven't tried this. You don't have to settle for less. Get more for your money, or at the very least, what you paid for. Go get what you paid for!
Often, you can get what you want over the phone. If you've got decent verbal skills, this can be an effective way to resolve your problem and get what you want. The key is persistence and patience. When we bought our house nearly four years ago, we upgraded the appliances. We thought if we went with the higher brand name that they would last longer and work better.
In our case, we were mistaken. The first year we had to call on our freezer twice (the ice maker was having issues), our microwave once (it started sparking when we used it), our dishwasher (the silverware tray hinges broke), and we had to trip the breaker on our electrical to get the self cleaning oven to turn off (thankfully that never happened again). We couldn't believe it! But thankfully everything was covered under warranty, and so we didn't have to pay for anything.
I can't believe, considering all the trouble we had, that I didn't get around to extending the warranties. Blame it on being busy with the little ones and working on getting all our landscaping done. In any case, we didn't extend our coverage. Six months after our coverage expired, all of our lights and the digital display in the refrigerator when out. I called, hoping that it was one of the few parts that was covered under the longer warranty. It wasn't, and it was going to cost several hundred dollars to replace.
I was furious, but I kept my cool when I called the company to see if they would pay for it anyway. They told me no. I asked to be transferred higher, that person told me no, I asked to be transferred even higher, that person told me no. I told them I wasn't getting off the phone until they told me yes. I told them how we had bought all of our appliances from them, and they were supposed to be top of the line. I told them how many times we had to call on said appliances, and how we were less than satisfied with their performances. I told them how I would tell anyone and everyone who would listen about my experience with said appliances and their manufacturer if they didn't do the right thing and cover the part. I basically let them know that I wasn't going away. Finally, over an hour later, they said "okay, we'll pay for the part if you'll cover the labor." I took it. The labor was only $60 and so I was satisfied with that deal.
Never once did I raise my voice, curse (though believe me, there were times I wanted to--haha!), or act offensive to them. I let each person know that I realized that they weren't actually the ones who made my appliances, and that this was just their job, but I wasn't going to let this go. They listened.
Another customer service issue: If I've been overcharged at the grocery store by a few cents, or even a dollar, I'll usually let that go. But there was actually a time that I was overcharged over five dollars. That was when gas prices were much higher, and I would've spent about that much to go back to the store and get my money back. That didn't appeal, so I wrote a letter to their corporate office, letting them know my experience, how I was overcharged and how it made me feel as their customer to know that if I took my eyes off the scanner for a moment, I would lose money. They sent me a $10 gift card and a letter of apology.
I've received refunds on items, replacement products and other things, all as a result of being able to keep my cool over the phone or in a letter. This can be a great way to get your money back, or to get something replaced. Sometimes they'll even send valuable coupons with your replacement (usually food manufacturers do this).
If phone calls, or letter writing doesn't get you anywhere, you can always file a claim with the Better Business Bureau. I did this with AT&T once. They charged me $3 for a collect call I refused. It wasn't the amount of money I was upset about, it was the principle of it, and the way they treated me when I asked them to remove the charge. Their representative really should've considered their words when they told me that it was basically too bad, I had to pay it and there was nothing I could do about it. That was a challenge to me, and I accepted it. I went to the BBB's website, filed a report, and what do you know? My account was credited! Hah!
I thought I'd share this information with those who haven't tried this. You don't have to settle for less. Get more for your money, or at the very least, what you paid for. Go get what you paid for!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Go for those Samples
Sorry for the delay in posts these few days. My family has a stomach bug working its way through our house. It started with the baby, then with me, and is currently working on my poor hubby. So, of course, he has no hope of trying to get his 40 hours in this week, since he already has mandatory Mondays off and had to take today off. Thank heavens we haven't touched his vacation days yet (he only has seven to begin with, now we're down to six). Fun times! I'm really hoping it will stop with him, and spare our other three children. We can hope, right?
Anyway, to the point of today's tip: how to get free samples. Today I went to check the mail and to my delight I found that General Mills had sent me a whole box of FiberOne Granola Bars. I didn't pay a cent for it, nor the bunch of coupons for $1.35 off one box. I'm to give these coupons to family and friends (no problem) and try the product for myself. The best kind of new product to try is a free one, in my opinion. It just so happens, too, that I'm already familiar with FiberOne and buy those products for our household anyway.
I am also likely to receive more products/coupons like this in the future, too. How did I get this deal? It was easy, and didn't cost a cent. I joined Pssst. This is a word of mouth networking program designed to get the word out there for new products. I'm more than willing to do that if it means I get some perks. I'm always up for some freebies, and also another way to save money on my food budget.
If you're interested in joining you can go to their website. It's entirely free and all you have to do is answer a few questions. I assume this is so they have a better idea of what kind of products you use, and how you can help them get the word out. Anyway, I say it's entirely worth my time, especially since it requires so little.
If you're interested in looking for other freebies you can go to Freebies4mom, Freeflys and Sweeties Swag. Who says you can't get something for nothing? Check it out for yourself!
Anyway, to the point of today's tip: how to get free samples. Today I went to check the mail and to my delight I found that General Mills had sent me a whole box of FiberOne Granola Bars. I didn't pay a cent for it, nor the bunch of coupons for $1.35 off one box. I'm to give these coupons to family and friends (no problem) and try the product for myself. The best kind of new product to try is a free one, in my opinion. It just so happens, too, that I'm already familiar with FiberOne and buy those products for our household anyway.
I am also likely to receive more products/coupons like this in the future, too. How did I get this deal? It was easy, and didn't cost a cent. I joined Pssst. This is a word of mouth networking program designed to get the word out there for new products. I'm more than willing to do that if it means I get some perks. I'm always up for some freebies, and also another way to save money on my food budget.
If you're interested in joining you can go to their website. It's entirely free and all you have to do is answer a few questions. I assume this is so they have a better idea of what kind of products you use, and how you can help them get the word out. Anyway, I say it's entirely worth my time, especially since it requires so little.
If you're interested in looking for other freebies you can go to Freebies4mom, Freeflys and Sweeties Swag. Who says you can't get something for nothing? Check it out for yourself!
Friday, March 20, 2009
I Saved Money!
In my mission to cut the bottom line of my budget by lowering my bills, I'd say: Mission Accomplished! My budget plan for my gas bill came and they lowered my payment by $14 a month. I honestly think it will end up going even lower, but I'm happy to see it go down at all.
I also called my motor club company to cancel my benefits and they said if I kept it they would cut my payment 35%, so that was a win, too. They told me if I registered on their website, they even had discount offers for companies I'm already using, so I plan to look further into that to save more money. By the way, I use Allstate Motorclub, and have been with them for six years. I've successfully used the benefits they offer on a few occasions (flat tire once and my car broke down at the grocery store the other time--both times hubby was out of town!).
I already told you that I cut my phone and internet bill by switching to Comcast. I wasn't too happy with my first week of service because they kept having outages (I'm told that's rare). So I called in after the third one in a week and complained (nicely) and they credited my account for my first week of service! It can really pay to let companies know you're unsatisfied.
On that note, when I called to cancel my service with Qwest, they offered to give me six free months of internet if I stayed with them. I chose not to, but they said if I changed my mind at a later date they would offer me some good promotions. We shall see how Comcast does with my service for now, but it's good to know that I can get a good deal if it doesn't work out. See? Playing your company against their competition can save you money, too!
So, all-in-all I'd say I've had a successful time cutting down our spending. I'm not done yet, but I thought I'd let you know my progress and encourage you to do the same. We can make it through this hard economy!
If you're looking for ways to cut down on your grocery bill, you can read my article on Ehow. You can also check out the links I have on this page (toward the bottom) that will take you to coupon and freebie sites.
I wish you all the best of luck on lowering your bottom line. Now go save some money!
I also called my motor club company to cancel my benefits and they said if I kept it they would cut my payment 35%, so that was a win, too. They told me if I registered on their website, they even had discount offers for companies I'm already using, so I plan to look further into that to save more money. By the way, I use Allstate Motorclub, and have been with them for six years. I've successfully used the benefits they offer on a few occasions (flat tire once and my car broke down at the grocery store the other time--both times hubby was out of town!).
I already told you that I cut my phone and internet bill by switching to Comcast. I wasn't too happy with my first week of service because they kept having outages (I'm told that's rare). So I called in after the third one in a week and complained (nicely) and they credited my account for my first week of service! It can really pay to let companies know you're unsatisfied.
On that note, when I called to cancel my service with Qwest, they offered to give me six free months of internet if I stayed with them. I chose not to, but they said if I changed my mind at a later date they would offer me some good promotions. We shall see how Comcast does with my service for now, but it's good to know that I can get a good deal if it doesn't work out. See? Playing your company against their competition can save you money, too!
So, all-in-all I'd say I've had a successful time cutting down our spending. I'm not done yet, but I thought I'd let you know my progress and encourage you to do the same. We can make it through this hard economy!
If you're looking for ways to cut down on your grocery bill, you can read my article on Ehow. You can also check out the links I have on this page (toward the bottom) that will take you to coupon and freebie sites.
I wish you all the best of luck on lowering your bottom line. Now go save some money!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Shopping for Money
I can't believe I didn't know about this before now. I mean, I'm always looking for ways to make some money, and I've tried my hand at many things, but it seems there's always something else out there. Well, I'm no longer in ignorance of this particular avenue.
I received an invitation last week to join a company called Shoppers Hotline. I tend to be cautious by nature, so before I even looked further into what the company was offering me, I did a search about it online. They checked out!
So I went to their website and filled out their questionnaire. I thought I was done for when they asked me if my phone was a land line or digital. Well, as of a few weeks ago, it's digital. When I clicked on that option, it asked me if I was sure, because that could possibly exclude me from being eligible to participate. It turns out, since I was willing to use my computer to run their software, I was again included.
What software? What is all this about? Well, I'm going to get paid for doing my shopping. No, I'm not teasing. They sent me a scanner, I installed the software on my computer, and so from now on when I make my shopping trips I will scan my purchases when I get them home. I will answer a few simple questions when they come up, let them know where I shopped, and consequently I will be awarded points that will be redeemed for cash on a debit card. I also signed up for the opportunities they offered for more points by telling them when I do or don't get a prescription and let them see how I use my internet (much like the Nielson Netratings Panel only this pays a bit more). Since I'm not doing anything fishy with my internet, I have no problems with this.
Anyway, I guess that if you have a land line phone then you don't have to install anything on your computer (unless you were going for the extra points), you would plug the scanner into your phone line instead. Easy, easy! And if you decide for whatever reason it's not for you, they include a free shipping return label.
Did I mention that this program is entirely free? I didn't pay a cent. This isn't a get rich quick (or anytime) scheme. This is just a way for you to make some extra money in this bad economy. It's not difficult, it's free and I don't really have to change my habits--only add the scanning step to them. They give you 40 points each week you participate in just the scanning portion.
So, I'm going to give this a shot. I got the scanner today, installed it (easy!) and completed my registration. I then clicked on their "Get More Rewards" tab and Viola! I'm ready to go!
So if any of you are interested, go fill out their questionnaire to see if you qualify (you can find the option to email them about your interest to join). Or for an even faster response, you can call this special number: 1-877-999-2949, ask for operator 10 and tell them member #041119255 referred you (They pay for referrals, so you can tell your family and friends). There's nothing special about my family (well, not to them anyway), and we qualified. Give it a shot and make some extra money from home!
I received an invitation last week to join a company called Shoppers Hotline. I tend to be cautious by nature, so before I even looked further into what the company was offering me, I did a search about it online. They checked out!
So I went to their website and filled out their questionnaire. I thought I was done for when they asked me if my phone was a land line or digital. Well, as of a few weeks ago, it's digital. When I clicked on that option, it asked me if I was sure, because that could possibly exclude me from being eligible to participate. It turns out, since I was willing to use my computer to run their software, I was again included.
What software? What is all this about? Well, I'm going to get paid for doing my shopping. No, I'm not teasing. They sent me a scanner, I installed the software on my computer, and so from now on when I make my shopping trips I will scan my purchases when I get them home. I will answer a few simple questions when they come up, let them know where I shopped, and consequently I will be awarded points that will be redeemed for cash on a debit card. I also signed up for the opportunities they offered for more points by telling them when I do or don't get a prescription and let them see how I use my internet (much like the Nielson Netratings Panel only this pays a bit more). Since I'm not doing anything fishy with my internet, I have no problems with this.
Anyway, I guess that if you have a land line phone then you don't have to install anything on your computer (unless you were going for the extra points), you would plug the scanner into your phone line instead. Easy, easy! And if you decide for whatever reason it's not for you, they include a free shipping return label.
Did I mention that this program is entirely free? I didn't pay a cent. This isn't a get rich quick (or anytime) scheme. This is just a way for you to make some extra money in this bad economy. It's not difficult, it's free and I don't really have to change my habits--only add the scanning step to them. They give you 40 points each week you participate in just the scanning portion.
So, I'm going to give this a shot. I got the scanner today, installed it (easy!) and completed my registration. I then clicked on their "Get More Rewards" tab and Viola! I'm ready to go!
So if any of you are interested, go fill out their questionnaire to see if you qualify (you can find the option to email them about your interest to join). Or for an even faster response, you can call this special number: 1-877-999-2949, ask for operator 10 and tell them member #041119255 referred you (They pay for referrals, so you can tell your family and friends). There's nothing special about my family (well, not to them anyway), and we qualified. Give it a shot and make some extra money from home!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Free Samples and Advertising
So I found out about a really cool program last night. This program is beneficial for both those just looking for ways to save and make money and get stuff for free, and also for you blog/website owners looking to generate more income. I put all the ads down below here so you wouldn't have to search for them.
First, about the free stuff. You just follow the links to the sponsors and they will give you free samples of their products:
There were so many offers to choose from, I couldn't possibly list them all here. If you have any in particular deals you are looking for, let me know and I'll be happy to check for you.
Now for the money-making opportunities:
Now you site owners are probably all wondering where I got all these, and there were many to choose from. I got them all from Logical Media. I was approved as an affiliate for them and now have access to more offers for my readers and also more revenue for me! They also pay for referrals, if you sign up with them.
So get busy saving and making money!
First, about the free stuff. You just follow the links to the sponsors and they will give you free samples of their products:
There were so many offers to choose from, I couldn't possibly list them all here. If you have any in particular deals you are looking for, let me know and I'll be happy to check for you.
Now for the money-making opportunities:
Now you site owners are probably all wondering where I got all these, and there were many to choose from. I got them all from Logical Media. I was approved as an affiliate for them and now have access to more offers for my readers and also more revenue for me! They also pay for referrals, if you sign up with them.
So get busy saving and making money!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
$50 Walmart Giveaway
It seems a fellow blogger is looking to pass some of her good fortune on to someone else. This mommy and her family are being featured in March's Redbook in an article to do with coping in this recession. This is definitely a topic affecting so many of us and should be a good read. She's offering a $50 Walmart giftcard to one lucky subscriber of her blog. She also offers a second entry to those who will link to her site about this offer. I just thought I'd pass this along to all of you! If you're interested, just click on the title of this post and it will take you straight to her site.
Back to School
So my husband and I were given some food for thought. He went into an employment agency yesterday to talk about his options. While he does still have a job, he's not getting enough hours to cover the bills right now. We're digging into our savings, which will only last so long.
So, in the interest of being proactive, we went to see what was available to him. We actually got quite a bit to think about. I'm going to have to split things up into different posts because there was so much information. Today's post will focus on furthering education.
My husband has a diploma and 3 1/2 years of trade school. He was able to skip the last half of the the fourth year because he had enough school and work experience to take the test. He took and passed the journeyman test and got his license as a journeyman plumber. While he does believe that things will eventually pick up (most people in this country do have indoor plumbing after all--and several even have outdoor), he didn't become a plumber because it was his dream, he just sort of fell into it. He does have interests in other areas, but never really had a strong motivation to look into any of those areas--until now.
So, the woman who helped us at the employment agency talked to him about (among several other things) going back to school. She told him it would be beneficial for him to get his associates. He could even, if he wanted to, look into getting an education in another field of work. Of course, he would have to continue to work while attending school, if we went this route.
We automatically told her that we didn't have the money to go back to school. It's odd that what she told us next had never even occurred to us. She said with the cut in pay we've experienced, that raises our chances of qualifying for financial aid. We were stunned that we hadn't thought of that. So now we have pamphlets of information on how to apply for grants and other financial aid.
I thought I'd pass on the information here, since it very much applies to both saving and making money. Applying for Federal Aid is free. These are funds available through the U.S. Department of Education for eligible students enrolled in eligible programs as regular students at schools that participate in the federal student aid programs. These funds cover tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies and transportation. It can also help pay for a computer and child care expenses.
You can get more information from a school counselor if you're still in school, or the financial aid office at the college you're wanting to attend, or from the US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid or 1-800-433-3243.
If you're not planning on attending college this fall, but want an idea of how much aid you might qualify for you can go to the FAFSA4caster to check things out. You can apply online on the FAFSA website and find a full list of the documents you need there.
When considering a college or career school to attend make sure you do your homework. Find out if you meet the admission requirements, if the school offers the courses for the type of program you want to go into, if they participate in the federal student aid programs and if there have been any complaints filed against the agency with the Better Business Bureau offices.
Be careful of scholarship scams. According to The Guide to Federal Student Aid, millions of dollars are lost every year to scholarship fraud. The Federal Trade Commission cautions students to look for these types of lines.
-"The Scholarship is guaranteed or your money back."
-"You can't get this information anywhere else."
-"I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship."
-"You've been selected by a 'national foundation' to receive a scholarship."
-"You're a finalist" in a contest you never entered.
For more information on scholarship scams or to file a complaint with the FTC call 1-877-FTC-HELP or visit the FTC website.
Well, I hope this information has been useful to you. I'm going to dive right into it all here, too! Who knows, maybe both the adults in this household will be furthering their educations! Best of luck!
So, in the interest of being proactive, we went to see what was available to him. We actually got quite a bit to think about. I'm going to have to split things up into different posts because there was so much information. Today's post will focus on furthering education.
My husband has a diploma and 3 1/2 years of trade school. He was able to skip the last half of the the fourth year because he had enough school and work experience to take the test. He took and passed the journeyman test and got his license as a journeyman plumber. While he does believe that things will eventually pick up (most people in this country do have indoor plumbing after all--and several even have outdoor), he didn't become a plumber because it was his dream, he just sort of fell into it. He does have interests in other areas, but never really had a strong motivation to look into any of those areas--until now.
So, the woman who helped us at the employment agency talked to him about (among several other things) going back to school. She told him it would be beneficial for him to get his associates. He could even, if he wanted to, look into getting an education in another field of work. Of course, he would have to continue to work while attending school, if we went this route.
We automatically told her that we didn't have the money to go back to school. It's odd that what she told us next had never even occurred to us. She said with the cut in pay we've experienced, that raises our chances of qualifying for financial aid. We were stunned that we hadn't thought of that. So now we have pamphlets of information on how to apply for grants and other financial aid.
I thought I'd pass on the information here, since it very much applies to both saving and making money. Applying for Federal Aid is free. These are funds available through the U.S. Department of Education for eligible students enrolled in eligible programs as regular students at schools that participate in the federal student aid programs. These funds cover tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies and transportation. It can also help pay for a computer and child care expenses.
You can get more information from a school counselor if you're still in school, or the financial aid office at the college you're wanting to attend, or from the US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid or 1-800-433-3243.
If you're not planning on attending college this fall, but want an idea of how much aid you might qualify for you can go to the FAFSA4caster to check things out. You can apply online on the FAFSA website and find a full list of the documents you need there.
When considering a college or career school to attend make sure you do your homework. Find out if you meet the admission requirements, if the school offers the courses for the type of program you want to go into, if they participate in the federal student aid programs and if there have been any complaints filed against the agency with the Better Business Bureau offices.
Be careful of scholarship scams. According to The Guide to Federal Student Aid, millions of dollars are lost every year to scholarship fraud. The Federal Trade Commission cautions students to look for these types of lines.
-"The Scholarship is guaranteed or your money back."
-"You can't get this information anywhere else."
-"I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship."
-"You've been selected by a 'national foundation' to receive a scholarship."
-"You're a finalist" in a contest you never entered.
For more information on scholarship scams or to file a complaint with the FTC call 1-877-FTC-HELP or visit the FTC website.
Well, I hope this information has been useful to you. I'm going to dive right into it all here, too! Who knows, maybe both the adults in this household will be furthering their educations! Best of luck!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
List Items You Want to Sell for Free--(Discovered by Accident)
Did you know you can list stuff you want to sell for free? So you get to keep more of the money you make off of an item because you're not paying for an advertisement. I actually got an unplanned lesson in this, though I ended up being grateful for it later. I have to tell you how this all happened:
We have a purebred Black Lab. Her name is Shonie and she's nearing six years old now. When we bought her, we couldn't afford to pay full price for her, so the guy we bought her from made a deal with us. He really liked her bloodlines, so he asked that we let him breed her one time, and he would cut the price in half.
Since he was willing to work with us and seemed like a responsible breeder (he didn't even want to consider breeding her until she was at least two), we went for it. There was no way we could walk away from her after seeing her, so we were hooked. She's beautiful! So, long story short, we never got her spayed. She was pretty good about sticking around, and she's also an alpha female, so even when we did the agreed upon breeding, she had to be held in place since she thought she was supposed to...um...be the one on top--sorry for the visual folks. Haha!
Now, let's fastforward a few years. Since Shonie hadn't been very cooperative with the male, and we kept a pretty close watch on her when she was in heat, we hadn't rushed to get her spayed, mainly for financial reasons.
I admit though, I watched Oprah, and saw that show she did on dogs. So I was thinking maybe I should stop populating the earth with more puppies when there are so many dogs out there needing to be adopted. I had the plan that as soon as we had some extra cash (which wasn't looking like it would be soon with the bad economy starting), I would take her in and get her spayed.
God had other plans. Shonie went into heat again. I wasn't sure at first, but thought I noticed the signs. I let her out one afternoon, and then opened the windows so I could hear her. I sat by the window and started to nurse my baby. A few minutes later, I heard yelping and jumped up quickly, with my poor baby trying to figure out why her meal was interrupted.
I started yelling like a maniac when I saw she was....um....connected.....to another dog. "Why?!" I screamed. Why was this happening? What was I going to do now? I put down the baby, told my preschooler to stay there with her little sister for a moment, and ran outside. I was going to get that dog. I noticed he was wearing a collar and planned on giving his owner a call.
Turns out, the dog traveled three miles to get to our house, went around to our back yard and laid in wait for our dog to come out to greet him. I don't know how I missed him when I let her out. The good news was (yes, there was good news) he was a purebred Chocolate Lab with decent bloodlines.
We were able to sell every puppy without paying a cent in advertising. I did a search on free online classifieds. The popular one in my area that sold better for me is KSL Classifieds, but I also got calls from listings I made on: Go County, Kaango, Kijiji, Superads and Domestic Sale.
You can use these links I've given you, or you can do a search for free online classifieds in your area by typing in "free online classifieds" and your state. We sold all our pups in less than two weeks from the time we listed. We also made some much needed cash at a time when we definitely needed it. See? Even if we don't always understand God's plans for us, He knows what He's doing:)
So, the point of this post is: if you're looking to make some money from selling something you have at home, don't pay for that ad, list it for free!
Stay strong and have faith!
*I do have to add one caution and that's to watch out for scammers. There are some people who lurk in these sites and will tell you they're from out of state, working in some profession or other that will make you think they're honorable, and they'll offer you a deal that's too good to be true--because it is. They'll offer to give you more than your asking price, ask that you keep some for your trouble and ask you to send the rest back to them. It's a scam and you won't be making anything. In fact, you'll be losing whatever you send them, plus whatever the fees are for the bad check. So be leery of email-only inquiries, or Relay calls.
We have a purebred Black Lab. Her name is Shonie and she's nearing six years old now. When we bought her, we couldn't afford to pay full price for her, so the guy we bought her from made a deal with us. He really liked her bloodlines, so he asked that we let him breed her one time, and he would cut the price in half.
Since he was willing to work with us and seemed like a responsible breeder (he didn't even want to consider breeding her until she was at least two), we went for it. There was no way we could walk away from her after seeing her, so we were hooked. She's beautiful! So, long story short, we never got her spayed. She was pretty good about sticking around, and she's also an alpha female, so even when we did the agreed upon breeding, she had to be held in place since she thought she was supposed to...um...be the one on top--sorry for the visual folks. Haha!
Now, let's fastforward a few years. Since Shonie hadn't been very cooperative with the male, and we kept a pretty close watch on her when she was in heat, we hadn't rushed to get her spayed, mainly for financial reasons.
I admit though, I watched Oprah, and saw that show she did on dogs. So I was thinking maybe I should stop populating the earth with more puppies when there are so many dogs out there needing to be adopted. I had the plan that as soon as we had some extra cash (which wasn't looking like it would be soon with the bad economy starting), I would take her in and get her spayed.
God had other plans. Shonie went into heat again. I wasn't sure at first, but thought I noticed the signs. I let her out one afternoon, and then opened the windows so I could hear her. I sat by the window and started to nurse my baby. A few minutes later, I heard yelping and jumped up quickly, with my poor baby trying to figure out why her meal was interrupted.
I started yelling like a maniac when I saw she was....um....connected.....to another dog. "Why?!" I screamed. Why was this happening? What was I going to do now? I put down the baby, told my preschooler to stay there with her little sister for a moment, and ran outside. I was going to get that dog. I noticed he was wearing a collar and planned on giving his owner a call.
Turns out, the dog traveled three miles to get to our house, went around to our back yard and laid in wait for our dog to come out to greet him. I don't know how I missed him when I let her out. The good news was (yes, there was good news) he was a purebred Chocolate Lab with decent bloodlines.
We were able to sell every puppy without paying a cent in advertising. I did a search on free online classifieds. The popular one in my area that sold better for me is KSL Classifieds, but I also got calls from listings I made on: Go County, Kaango, Kijiji, Superads and Domestic Sale.
You can use these links I've given you, or you can do a search for free online classifieds in your area by typing in "free online classifieds" and your state. We sold all our pups in less than two weeks from the time we listed. We also made some much needed cash at a time when we definitely needed it. See? Even if we don't always understand God's plans for us, He knows what He's doing:)
So, the point of this post is: if you're looking to make some money from selling something you have at home, don't pay for that ad, list it for free!
Stay strong and have faith!
*I do have to add one caution and that's to watch out for scammers. There are some people who lurk in these sites and will tell you they're from out of state, working in some profession or other that will make you think they're honorable, and they'll offer you a deal that's too good to be true--because it is. They'll offer to give you more than your asking price, ask that you keep some for your trouble and ask you to send the rest back to them. It's a scam and you won't be making anything. In fact, you'll be losing whatever you send them, plus whatever the fees are for the bad check. So be leery of email-only inquiries, or Relay calls.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Find out about Your Credit for Free
This is such an important subject, and one that is too often overlooked by so many people. Do you know what's on your credit report? There was a time, I'm ashamed to admit, that I could actually say no to that question. Once I set out to change that (when we were interested in buying a house), I had a crash course in credit bureaus, credit scores and credit repair.
You can go to www.annualcreditreport.com and get all three of your credit reports for free, without having to get out your credit card or subscribe to a service. This site takes you to Equifax, Transunion and Experian. You can do it all in one visit, or you can spread it out over the year. Since it takes you directly to the credit bureaus' sites, you can also take action immediately if you find errors on your credit report. You can use this site to gain access to your reports once a year for each credit bureau.
You might not think that there would be errors on your credit report, but you could very well be wrong. We found out, by doing this very check-up, that there was another man, living in our state, who shares my husband's exact name. I only wish I were kidding. We found hospital bills, cell phone bills and judgments against this other man on my husband's credit report. It was easy enough to fix once we found it, since the social security numbers and birthdays didn't match up, but if we hadn't fixed it, it could have prevented us from getting any credit.
Errors do matter and they can affect whether or not you get a job, how much you pay for insurance, whether or not you're approved for a loan and even whether or not a landlord will approve your application for renting a place.
If you find an error in your report, you don't have to hire anyone to fix it. It's so easy to fix it yourself. You dispute the item online (which can be done at the credit bureau's website), or even over the phone if you prefer. You will also want to call the company that is involved in the item you're disputing to make the updated report go through faster (and in your favor).
We had so many errors in our report, that by the time I was finished disputing and making phone calls, our credit rating went up about 100 points. This dramatically lowered the interest rates we qualified for, and our home and auto insurance rates were dropped quite a bit as well.
Also know that if you have been turned down for credit, refused insurance or lost out on a job because of your credit, this automatically entitles you to a free credit report. So don't be afraid to get yours ASAP!
Here are the credit bureaus websites. You cannot access your free yearly credit reports by using these though. For that, use the link I gave you at the beginning of this blog.
www.experian.com
www.transunion.com
www.equifax.com
For more information on credit issues, check out this site I found:
http://www.completecreditservices.com
You can go to www.annualcreditreport.com and get all three of your credit reports for free, without having to get out your credit card or subscribe to a service. This site takes you to Equifax, Transunion and Experian. You can do it all in one visit, or you can spread it out over the year. Since it takes you directly to the credit bureaus' sites, you can also take action immediately if you find errors on your credit report. You can use this site to gain access to your reports once a year for each credit bureau.
You might not think that there would be errors on your credit report, but you could very well be wrong. We found out, by doing this very check-up, that there was another man, living in our state, who shares my husband's exact name. I only wish I were kidding. We found hospital bills, cell phone bills and judgments against this other man on my husband's credit report. It was easy enough to fix once we found it, since the social security numbers and birthdays didn't match up, but if we hadn't fixed it, it could have prevented us from getting any credit.
Errors do matter and they can affect whether or not you get a job, how much you pay for insurance, whether or not you're approved for a loan and even whether or not a landlord will approve your application for renting a place.
If you find an error in your report, you don't have to hire anyone to fix it. It's so easy to fix it yourself. You dispute the item online (which can be done at the credit bureau's website), or even over the phone if you prefer. You will also want to call the company that is involved in the item you're disputing to make the updated report go through faster (and in your favor).
We had so many errors in our report, that by the time I was finished disputing and making phone calls, our credit rating went up about 100 points. This dramatically lowered the interest rates we qualified for, and our home and auto insurance rates were dropped quite a bit as well.
Also know that if you have been turned down for credit, refused insurance or lost out on a job because of your credit, this automatically entitles you to a free credit report. So don't be afraid to get yours ASAP!
Here are the credit bureaus websites. You cannot access your free yearly credit reports by using these though. For that, use the link I gave you at the beginning of this blog.
www.experian.com
www.transunion.com
www.equifax.com
For more information on credit issues, check out this site I found:
http://www.completecreditservices.com
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Free Magazines for Parents of Babies and Toddlers
This little tidbit is especially for expectant parents, or parents of babies and toddlers. I know that when I learned I was going to be a parent for the first time (and also every time after that), I wanted to gobble up all the information there was out there. The easiest and most available source seemed to be parenting magazines. But since we also had much to buy in preparation of our little bundle of joy, we couldn't spend a lot subscribing to all those baby magazines out there (though I probably would've if I could). It was very refreshing to learn I could catch up on the latest parenting and baby news without emptying my pockets.
Luckily, it's pretty easy to get all that information, and it doesn't cost a thing. You can get American Baby magazine (http://www.americanbaby.com/) and Baby Talk (http://www.babytalk.com/) for free. All you have to do is go to their websites, find the link to subscribe, enter your information, and they'll give you your free subscriptions. You can also do this for a friend.
You can also read a lot of other magazines' content online for free. My favories were http://www.parents.com/ and http://www.parenting.com/ (who also puts out Baby Talk). The free magazines have great websites too. There's even some tools on there to help you keep track of things.
In this same line, if you're familiar with the What to Expect...books, you'll know they have a lot of valuable information in each of their books. As it turns out, they also have a wealth of information online too (http://www.whattoexpect.com/). They also have some great forums (as do the other sites I've mentioned here.
So if you're feeling overwhelmed with the idea of spending a lot of money to help you become a better parent--don't. You can spend the money you have on more important things, without losing out on the parenting tips.
Luckily, it's pretty easy to get all that information, and it doesn't cost a thing. You can get American Baby magazine (http://www.americanbaby.com/) and Baby Talk (http://www.babytalk.com/) for free. All you have to do is go to their websites, find the link to subscribe, enter your information, and they'll give you your free subscriptions. You can also do this for a friend.
You can also read a lot of other magazines' content online for free. My favories were http://www.parents.com/ and http://www.parenting.com/ (who also puts out Baby Talk). The free magazines have great websites too. There's even some tools on there to help you keep track of things.
In this same line, if you're familiar with the What to Expect...books, you'll know they have a lot of valuable information in each of their books. As it turns out, they also have a wealth of information online too (http://www.whattoexpect.com/). They also have some great forums (as do the other sites I've mentioned here.
So if you're feeling overwhelmed with the idea of spending a lot of money to help you become a better parent--don't. You can spend the money you have on more important things, without losing out on the parenting tips.
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