Money Saving Tips

PayPal Offers $10 Free

2013-02-11T14:55:00.002-05:00

Free money is always good and this time PayPal is offering it to me. I'm unsure whether PayPal is making the offer to select customers only, but this offer is out there. You may be able to negotiate it yourself if you call them up.

PayPal is going to give me $10 back on my first purchase and 6 months of special financing if I sign up for their bill me later program. Now what is this "bill me later" program you ask? Well it's basically a credit line so you don't have to pay things back right away. I'm not sure whether they will offer you credit based on your credit score, but they say specifically that they will start you off at $250 minimum.

This program has all the usual earmarks of a typical credit card. It has a 19.99% APR and a $35 late fee. If you're looking for a $10 dollar discount on a purchase, then by all means sign up for this offer. However, I would try and avoid offers with interest rates above 15% if possible.

Saving Money on Travel with Jet Blue

2013-02-11T12:51:00.001-05:00

The great thing about using airline points is that once in a while, they come up with a great sale where you get bonus points. Although the conversion rate for Jet Blue is not as great as American Airlines, they're no where near bankruptcy. If you're an avid and loyal Jet Blue flyer, you may want to get in on their latest point promotion. After receiving this email last week, I knew I had to share it with friends also looking for deals on travel.

I think this deal is pretty self-explanatory. However, if you would like the "Buy Points" link to Jet Blue it's right here:

BUY POINTS

Happy Deal Hunting!

Get Amazon Student For Free

2013-01-11T13:09:00.000-05:00

Amazon Student Offers Free Membership!

Amazon Student is a free membership program created especially for college students. Their program members receive benefits like six months of FREE Two-Day Shipping with Amazon Prime, and e-mail alerts for discounts and promotions.

I've had it for over a year already, but I continue to use it for discounts on certain products. Now that I no longer have the free Amazon Prime option, it's not as good. However, it's still useful once in a while.

What's the harm in signing up anyway? It's FREE! If anything, you're getting Amazon Prime for six months for free, plus all the discounts afterwards. I think it's a win-win situation regardless.

Here are the Pros and Cons:

PROS

Free trial of Amazon Prime for six months.
Receive e-mail alerts for discounts and promotions.
Since it's free to sign up, you can cancel anytime.
50% discount if you want to keep Amazon Prime ($39 instead of $79 annually)

CONS

Must actually be a student or have a .edu email address.
Free Amazon Prime only lasts for six months.

Try it out today!

Earn Money Writing Articles Online

2012-11-29T10:29:00.001-05:00

Freelance Writing Logo Mash

Whether your a full time parent, student, or retiree, there are different websites out there that you can sign up for and begin making money right away. I found the most popular are Helium, Triond, Bukisa, Yahoo! (aka Associated Content), Squidoo, and Blogger to name a few. There are many websites to earn money on your writing, but you must first understand how money is earned. For example, the Helium website primarily pays you for original content on specific topics. However, most websites pay you based on shared advertising revenue and/or commission. You can always build your own website and write your own articles to collect 100% of the revenue, but that takes a lot of time and expertise. At that point, you might as well do web consulting instead of writing articles to make extra income, it pays a lot more.

Let's review the three types of revenue streams:

Freelance Writing

Being a true freelance writer means receiving assignments to write on things from the presidential elections to relationship advice. Once your article is written, it is reviewed and if approved, you're paid for all the research and work you put into it. Unfortunately, not many can easily get into this profession because it requires amazing writing & grammar skills, but most importantly experience and a proven track record. If you're looking to follow this path to be a writer, I suggest you start by signing up to either Helium or Yahoo! because their compensation programs offer freelance writing options.

Shared Advertising Revenue

Advertising revenue is one of the primary sources of income for most websites. Through private ad campaigns or compensation programs like Google Adsense, the website is paid for page views and clicks on the advertisements. Websites like Triond, Bukisa and Blogger will host your articles so that they can earn money off the people interested in what you have to say. These hosts understand the fact that you put work into your articles and are willing to share a portion of their revenue with you.

Product/Sales Commissions

With the ability to track where and what users do when clicking links, comes the sales commission programs. Websites like Squidoo and Blogger allow you to link to specific products relating your articles. If you write a review on the newest novel by J.K. Rowling, wouldn't you like to earn money from someone deciding to buy that book based off of your review? On a website like Squidoo, they have an Amazon module that lets you link to a specific product on Amazon's website and earn commission if a sale is completed after clicking through your link. After Amazon pays the commission to the website, Squidoo can either pass it on or share the commission with you.

You can choose your preferred path first, but my suggestion is that you eventually try all of them. In the end it's all about which one provides you the best return based on the amount of work involved.

Find me on Yahoo! Voices and join our writing community.
Link to my Profile

Old Navy Outlet 40% Off Entire Store

2012-11-21T18:28:00.002-05:00

I along with may other Old Navy shoppers recently received an email letting us know there will be a great sale going on this weekend. From 11/22-11/24, Thursday to Saturday, Old Navy Outlets will knocking 40% off their entire store.

After clicking on the email you may run into some trouble finding the stores proper hours. The special hours are post on the left underneath the normal hours.

If you don't see the special hours posted, I suggest you call the stores directly to find out the hours. You can also look online for the local Black Friday 2012 circular. For example, if you look up the Old Navy Outlet in Deer Park, New York, they currently have no special hours posted. However, if you call the store directly they will tell you that they're closed during the day, but will open their doors at 10pm for Black Friday 2012.

Black Friday Shopping Tips

2012-11-19T06:55:00.004-05:00

The 2012 Black Friday event will begin at midnight on November 23rd. Many online stores have already begun their early Black Friday sales. I've noticed that a large number of people are now shopping online instead of in the stores, due to past incidents involving riots and fighting.

Regardless of whether you're an "Internet" or a "Brick & Mortar" shopper, I'm sure the deals will be just as good. However, there are some rules I recommend following to help you save money, time and some frustration. Here are some of the tricks that I've picked up over the years:

Plan Ahead, Review Circulars, and Sign Up for Emails
If you're going to do B&M shopping next week, it will be extremely important to plan ahead. Review all the store circulars and circle the items you would want and make sure you know when those stores open. Then get a friend and picnic basket, so you can hang out at the stores a couple of hours before they open. Why? The reason is because all the best deals are usually gone if you're not the first 10 or 20 people in line.

Now if you think you can do this without a friend, you're probably right. However, who's going to be nice enough to hold your place in line if you have to use the restroom? Moreover, if you to buy multiple items, who's going to help you carry and/or purchase those items? If it's really cold that day, you could probably take turns waiting in the car while the other stands in line.

If you feel that waiting in line for hours is not for you, make sure you sign up for the digital circulars. Basically, you go to each stores website and sign up for the email marketing letters which will tell you exactly when their online sales begin. Sometimes they will have it right on their website, but it's too much work to visit each one to check. Let them do the work for you and make a shopping spreadsheet or schedule. If you're really organized, bookmark the websites or add the links into the spreadsheet so you can access them quicker during the sale.

Use Link Portals When Shopping Online

There are many websites out there who get paid when you click through their links to buy something. You may not realize it, but the most common ones are your credit card company and your bank. The points they offer you is nothing compared to the commissions they earn when you shop through their site. However, if you use websites like FatWallet that share their commission with you, then you might be better off.

FatWallet is one of many deal sites out there. In essence, people who find online deals like price glitches and amazing coupon combinations can come on this site to share their findings with others. The beauty of this site is that FatWallet will share their commissions with you if you use their portal to purchase a product after reading about it.

Upromise is another shopping portal you may want to consider. This website is tied to the Teachers 529 plan. It works similar to FatWallet, in that it shares a portion of the commissions with the purchaser. However, the Upromise site can transfer the funds directly into a college savings program. Moreover, they also pay commissions on credit card spending in partner restaurants as well.

Check Product Quality, Return Policy, and Warranty Information

When shopping online or in the store, check the warranty information if possible. Many electronics these days may have poor warranty programs and/or bad product quality. It can be a nightmare if you decide to go with the no-name brand TV because you saved $50. Returning a product usually involves a shipping or restocking fee. Moreover, a short warranty usually says something about the product.

Try to use specific credit card perks to extend the life of your warranty. American Express cardholders can extend the warranty of their purchases by 1 year as long as the original warranty is for less than 5 years. Some Visacards also have 1 year warranty extensions, but the guidelines may vary in terms of minimum warranty time and claim amount. Try not to purchase extended warranties from the store. For most products the extra protection is not worth buying especially if your credit card can already extend the warranty for you free of charge.

Good Luck and Stay Safe on Black Friday!

Finding Cheap Hotel Deals

2012-10-22T15:06:00.000-04:00

According to a 2011 study by Expedia, “Americans take less than half the vacation time of Europeans.” About 38% of all countries interviewed, said money was the driving factor for skipping vacations. Hotel and airfare are usually the most expensive components of a vacation. Scoring a cheap hotel deal should be a priority because the prices fluctuate more often. Here are some recommendations:

Travel Websites

Comparing rates across travel websites like Orbitz, should be the first step in looking for cheap hotel deals. The hotel’s reviews, prices, amenities, and locations will all be at your fingertips. Depending on when the vacation will actually take place, there will be deals for purchasing far in advance as well as last minute. However, these deals usually come with cancellation fees and/or other stipulations.

Many people also choose to go to bidding sites like Priceline. Their booking system allows customers to throw low-ball offers at under booked hotels that are willing to compromise on price. Unfortunately, once your price is accepted on Priceline, there is no refund. To avoid regret, ensure the bid is well below market price, your dates are accurate, and visit forums like Bidding For Travel to compare your bid to other successful bids.

Credit Card Offers

Nothing is better than free, except for being paid to stay at hotel, but that almost never happens. Large hotel chains like Marriott and Hilton are willing to give massive amounts of reward points for signing up for their credit cards. Depending on the amount of points and hotel location, they can be traded in for several free stays. The drawbacks are signing up for their rewards program, the annual fee, and a minimum amount of charges. The fee is usually waived for the first year and you can probably cancel the card later if you don’t use it anymore.

Affiliations/Memberships

Organizations like the AAA (American Automobile Association) and AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) offer their members discounts on many hotel chains. The savings of choosing well-known organizations can also apply to airfare, restaurants, and other components of your vacation. Unfortunately, many have membership fees which can exceed the savings depending on how much traveling is being done.

Corporate/Business Relationships

Some major corporations have signed contracts with hotel chains to provide discounts for their employees when traveling. These discounts can typically be found at human resources, employee services, or the public relations department. Government workers, military personnel, and travel agents are also given discounts at most major chains. However, the purpose of the stay must usually be business related for the government employees to receive discounts.

Friends and Family

There’s nothing better than having a member of the immediate family work for a major hotel chain. Since most are not this fortunate, it doesn’t hurt to explore if there is a discount for friends or distant relatives of employees. Knowing travel agents will work as well, if they are willing to reduce or forego their commissions the savings could be substantial.

Analyzing Costco Membership

2012-10-22T14:11:00.000-04:00

When my wife lost her job last year, we considered a Costco membership because we starting eating at home more often. Costco built their business on selling products in bulk to their customers, but we weren't sure if it was worth it for a couple. Their annual membership fees are $55 for the Gold Star level and $110 for the Executive level. If we signed up, we wanted to be sure these fees would pay for themselves through savings.

How Much Do We Spend?

The first step was to calculate how much we spent on groceries annually. After looking through some old credit card statements, I realized we spent about $300 per month. Over a year that's about $3600, which is close to the $3838 American families spent eating at home last year. This number is based on an average family of 2.5 people and comes directly from the 2011 consumer expenditures report on the BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) website. If you consider purchasing other Costco products like apparel, office supplies, or electronics, your reward could be even greater.

Doing the Math

With the Gold Star membership, you're allowed to shop in the store and receive some additional benefits. However, at the Executive level you receive a 2% percent annual reward up to $750 on most Costco purchases.

- $110 (Executive Membership)
+ $72 (Annual Reward on $3600)
- $38 (Total Annual Cost)

Choosing the Executive membership gave me the benefits of the Gold Star level plus a $38 annual cost. In larger families, the annual rewards potential can exceed the entire membership fee.

Additional Benefits

Automotive Services - Depending on location, Costco's available automotive services can range from auto insurance to custom wheel installation. They also have gas stations with prices that are usually lower than the local competitors.

Costco Coupons - The savings of buying in bulk are already reflected in their prices. However, when they offer in-store and manufacturer coupons it compounds the savings.

Customer Return Policy - The Costco return policy revolves around a customer's satisfaction with the product. No receipt is required for a full refund, but it is limited to 90 days for many popular electronics like televisions, cameras, computers, mobile phones, etc...

Conclusion

First and foremost, a Costco membership is only worth considering if the location is convenient, you have a need to buy in large quantities, and grocery prices are comparable with other local markets. That being said, we chose to pay the extra for the Executive membership after adding toiletries and clothes to our annual Costco expenses. The annual reward really pays off during holidays and large family gatherings.

Columbus Day Sale at Gap Outlet and Old Navy Outlet

2012-10-03T11:32:00.000-04:00

According to a recent email I've received from both Gap and Old Navy outlets, there are some great deals going on this weekend. If you subscribe to the Gap and/or Old Navy emails, they will send you notices for upcoming sales and sometimes even coupons. Banana Republic, Athleta, and Piperlime brands are also part of their family. Unfortunately, if you want an email from all of them, you have to subscribe to each brand separately.

Gap Outlet

My personal Gap Outlet coupon starts today, October 3rd, but the best deals don't start until Friday October 5th when I can combine my coupon with the sales. For a short period, Gap is offering 15% to the public as well with discount code "GAPGIFT", but it's only for online purchases. The coupon they sent me is "take an additional 15% off of a $75 purchase" and works in Gap Outlet stores. Starting on October 5th, the store sale is "up to 70% off original prices" and "take an additional 40% off clearance." Here is the fine print on these two deals.

**Select styles. Offer valid while supplies last. Valid from 10/5/12 through 10/8/12 at any Gap Outlet, Gap Factory Store or The Gap Generation store in the U.S. & Puerto Rico only. Offer not valid at Gap brand stores, online or in our clearance center. Qualifying amount applies to merchandise only, not value of gift cards purchased, packaging or applicable taxes. Not valid for cash or cash equivalent. No adjustments on previous purchases.

***Offer valid while supplies last. Valid from 10/5/12 through 10/8/12 at any Gap Outlet, Gap Factory Store or The Gap Generation store in the U.S. & Puerto Rico only. Offer not valid at Gap brand stores, online, or in our clearance center. Qualifying amount applies to merchandise only, not value of gift cards purchased, packaging or applicable taxes. Not valid for cash or cash equivalent. No adjustments on previous purchases.

Old Navy Outlet

Unfortunately, I didn't receive any additional coupons with my Old Navy email. Their sale is not as good as the Gap Outlet one, but Old Navy's clothes tend to cost less than Gap anyway. The Old Navy Outlet sale starts tomorrow, October 4th and ends on October 8th. They're giving you 40% off the entire store except gift cards, clearance, and sports licensed products. The exception on clearance items really kills it for me, but if I have time I will drop by anyway. Here is the fine print.

40% Off: Offer valid while supplies last 10/4/2012 through 10/8/2012 at Old Navy Outlet stores only. Offer not valid at Old Navy brand stores or at oldnavy.com. Offer not valid on clearance or sports licensed products. Qualifying amount applies to merchandise only, not value of gift cards purchased, packaging or applicable taxes. Not valid for cash or cash equivalent. No adjustments on previous purchases. See outlet store for details.

American Express Credit Card Deal

2012-09-12T11:13:00.000-04:00

American Express is currently offering a deal on their Business Gold Rewards Card. I believe the offer is available today only. Here are the perks:

- 75,000 points after minimum spending.
- Annual fee waived for the first year ($175 after).
- 3x Points on airfare.
- 2x Points on gas, shipping, & advertising.
- 1x Points on everything else.
- Usual business card services like travel & purchase protection.

This sounds great, but there are a few caveats. First, you cannot have an American Express Business Card currently or within the last 12 months. Secondly, you must spend at least $10,000 in the first four months of receiving your card.

http://www262.americanexpress.com/landing-page/business-cards/sclp/bgold/pm0009/43211

Free K-Cup Sample From Target

2011-10-17T04:25:00.001-04:00

What's better than free stuff? According to the Fatwallet forum I was reading, Target is giving away free K-Cup samples of the brand Barista Prime Coffehouse. Unfortunately, you won't receive it for 8 to 10 weeks, but as long as it's free it's fine. There's a short questionnaire you have to answer, but it didn't take me longer than 2 minutes to answer. Here is the link to register. Good luck on getting yours.

Target K-Cup Sample

Save Money on Movie Tickets

2011-10-14T16:43:00.000-04:00

In this economy, we're trying to save money any which way we can. With the introduction of new sites like Groupon and competitors like Google Offers, we can save a few bucks. These days, going to the movies will cost you a minimum of $10 per ticket and maybe another $5 - $10 per person for snacks. Although this program is still in beta, Google Offers has had a ton of specials from Fandango for $5 movie tickets in the last month.

If you're new to the Groupon game, let me break it down for you. Fandango is a website where you can check movie times and pre-purchase movie tickets. In order to market their site and services, they make a deal with companies like Google or Groupon to create a coupon for a movie ticket with a price of $5. Google then markets the coupon to all it's subscribers. Everyone wins in this situation. Google gets a commission or fee, Fandango gets pre-paid business and publicity, and the customer gets a great deal. The only thing we have to remember is to use it before the expiration date.

Prequalify for a Mortgage

2011-10-14T16:15:00.000-04:00

My wife and I have been looking for the perfect house for over a year now. Now when I think I've found the right one, my plans have been foiled by an obscure mortgage rule. In April of 2011 my wife left her job to start her own company, and I totally support it. However, by going from a typical job to starting her own company, the bank needs her to wait 2 years to establish credible income history.

After doing some research, it seems that the major banks have to abide by Fannie/Freddie guidelines in order for the mortgage to be resold. Actually, 90% of all mortgages in the U.S. are owned by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the rest are owned by private companies. These major banks, like Chase, Wells Fargo, HSBC, Bank of America, etc..., resell your mortgages to Fannie/Freddie after you close. The loan office said it would be better if it were the reverse situation. Where my wife left her own business to become an employee of a larger company and receiving a W-2 like most people.

Make Money With Diablo III

2011-10-03T12:53:00.001-04:00

Blizzard Entertainment has announced that it their new game "Diablo III," will have an online auction house where users can buy and sell their items. This is a significant move by the game maker because the gamers will be buying and selling with real money. By creating this auction house, Blizzard is attempting to prevent the users from going to sites like eBay and other third party sites to get special weapons. The cost structure will mimic the eBay site by charging fees for listing items and another if it sells.

The release date for Diablo 3 has not yet been announced, but it is expected to be released later this year. Currently, the role-playing game (RPG) is in the middle of beta testing the game for selected applicants. If you would like to apply to be a Diablo 3 beta tester, you will need more than a battle.net account. Gamers are already queuing up by the hundreds for the chance to play.

Diablo 3 Beta Test Instructions:

Register for a Battle.Net account.
Once done, find the "Diablo III" section and click on "Beta Profile Setting."
Download and run the "Beta Opt-in" application. Be sure to choose the "Diablo Universe" section.

Blizzard does not guarantee that you will be selected for the test, but you can expect to hear something within a few weeks. The game is designed to run on both Mac and PC, so you can apply regardless of the operating system you're using.

Saving Money - Ikea Family

2011-08-12T12:10:00.000-04:00

Have you ever shopped at Ikea? If you like their products and shop there often, you might want to try their Ikea Family program. Signing up is totally free and it has some great perks to go with it. It’s different from your typical customer loyalty programs that offer rebates or points. Ikea’s program delivers special offers, sweepstakes entries, and a free coffee or tea every time you shop at their store.

What’s the catch? The people at Ikea would like to get to know their customer better, so you will have to enter your typical personal information like birthday, home address, email address, etc… Moreover, they have optional survey questions for you to answer. You must be over 18 years old to qualify and the entire Ikea application should not take more than 5 minutes to complete.

There is no downside to this because it’s free. Once you receive your Ikea Family card, make sure you use it every time you purchase something at their store. Sorry, friends and family will have to get their own cards and there’s no risk if you lose it either. You can get a replacement easily at the Ikea Family kiosk in the store. In this economy, free is always good. However, if you have anymore questions you can visit Ikea's FAQ page.