Money Saving Tips

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.