People move across state lines for various reasons, whether as a requirement of their career, for a job opportunity, to live closer to family, or to better their health. Where you relocate isn’t always a matter of choice, but when it is, it’s a good idea to examine which areas of the country are ranked highest for unemployment, low cost of living, and the best climate –factors that can have a lasting impact on your finances. In addition to these major expense concerns, here are a few more financial reasons to consider when moving to another state.

Reason #4: Better Quality and Affordability of Education
If you have school-aged children, you’ll want to consider which areas of the country have the highest quality public education. Receiving a high-quality education is an important step to being accepted at a equally high-quality university and being able to pursue one’s career of choice. These states are ranked the top 10 for the quality of their education:

1. Maryland
2. Massachusetts
3. New York
4. Virginia
5. New Jersey
6. Ohio
7. Pennsylvania
8. Georgia
9. West Virginia
10. Arkansas

According to greatschools.org, these cities’ education systems are ranked the highest in the country:

1. Raleigh, North Carolina
2. Colorado Springs, Colorado
3. Mesa, Arizona
4. Honolulu, Hawaii
5. Virginia Beach, Virginia

Higher Education is also an important consideration when moving to another state. Some states have higher-quality state as well as private universities, and some are more affordable. Living near high-quality, affordable universities can be important if you’re planning on returning to college to improve your career opportunities, or if you want to keep your college-bound children close to home. As long as you’re not spending too much on transportation, living at home and commuting to college is much less expensive than paying for room and board at any university. While most people don’t need a degree from Harvard (which can cost roughly $52,000 a year!), there is a need for quality education at an affordable price. Unfortunately the correlation is that most of the top-ranking universities also charge higher tuition.  If you’re a resident, most state universities are much cheaper to attend. A  few of the cheapest state universities are Texas A&M, San Diego State, University of Nevada, and Florida State University.

Reason #5: More Affordable Healthcare
Healthcare is an extremely important expense to consider into your budget, and another good factor to examine when moving to another state, especially if you normally pay high premiums, out-of-pocket, or are considered a high-risk client.  According to usa-healthinsurance.com, the states with the most affordable healthcare considering 32 points of criteria are Hawaii, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine.  The states at the bottom of the list for healthcare costs are Nevada, Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi and Oklahoma.

Reason #6: Ideal Conditions for Retirement
More affordable healthcare leads into another important reason for relocating to another state: retirement. Retirees are often forced to live on a fixed income while at the same time becoming increasingly reliant on certain amenities such as handicap accessibility, public transportation, and proximity of health clinics. Certain states are more friendly toward retirees because they either don’t charge income tax or offer certain allowances for retirement income that make it easier to stretch your paycheck. Of course, warmer climates are generally more popular for retirees, as well as states with many retirement communities and low-cost leisure activities. Here are the most popular retirement states based on their low cost of living, taxes, and other benefits:

1. Florida
2. North Carolina
3. Tennessee
4. South Carolina
5. California
6. Arizona

Looking at these lists, it’s easy to see that some states have more ideal financial conditions for college students or those with children, whereas others are better for people with high healthcare costs or those approaching retirement Among the multitude of factors to be considered when venturing a move to another state, the most important reasons will vary by the individual. The financial repercussions of moving to another state may be overshadowed by more important reasons for moving such as family or personal happiness, but are still wise to consider.

I recently wrote about container gardening as a frugal alternative for those without a lot of yard space for growing vegetables. I took my own advice this year and planted vegetables in containers around our yard. My budget was tight for the project – only $100.00 – but I was curious to see what could be accomplished – and grown – with a small investment and some sweat equity.

Containers

I raided the garage for containers. I had several large planters stored in there from previous years’ annuals or long-dead houseplants. Some hanging baskets and old window boxes were returned to service as well. Then I got creative and found additional “planters” that began their lives as cat litter buckets, a dresser drawer and a deep plastic tray. They’re not traditionally “pretty” but we’re after utility for this frugal project. Besides, who’s going to notice the container when the veggies are growing?

To the garden center!

This is where having done some research is a good idea, to inform you about what grows well in your geographic area, the length of your growing season and how long individual vegetables take to reach maturity. As the most critical part of my gardening project, this shopping excursion was thoroughly considered before I set foot in the store. I had created a list of my “wants” (the seeds and plants I would look for) so my mission would have focus.

Buying seeds
I prefer growing from seeds when possible because they’re so much cheaper than plants – so the seed rack was my first destination. I went for variety in my garden, choosing  carrot, green bean, radish, parsley, basil, cilantro, lettuces, spinach and green onion seeds at no more than $2.49 for any one packet. Seed packs provide planting instructions, detailing how deep to sow and how far apart; unless you have a multitude of containers, you won’t use all the seeds in the packet at once. Many vegetables can be planted successively several weeks apart to provide a continuous harvest. Others that don’t fare well in the hottest weather, like lettuce and spinach, can be planted once in the spring and again in late summer for a fall harvest. Seeds I didn’t find on my “want” list, like thyme, sage and marjoram, I found in plant form.

Buying plants
I bought established tomato and pepper plants because our growing season isn’t long enough to grow them from seed, which would take longer. I go for the smallest plants available, however, because larger ones are more expensive and all I’m looking for is a headstart on the growing – not a fully grown plant. The two heirloom varieties of tomatoes and the cherry tomato plant were available singly in 3” pots and I found Roma and beefsteak varieties and jalapeño peppers in 6-packs (six well-established, smaller plants) all under $4 per container.

Buying potting medium
I found a terrific potting medium that was clearly labeled as being appropriate for both container use and for growing vegetables which even contained fertilizer! I put five large bags in my cart at $5 each.

To the garden!

The next step was to plant those seedlings! Many of my previous planters had potting soil in them already so, rather than waste it, I mixed it with the new potting medium. I situated the planted containers in various sunny spots around the yard. To save on my water bill, I collect rain in a bucket to use for watering the garden.

Now it’s a matter of time, sun and temperature. I’ll follow up later in the season on the harvest.

How do you garden frugally?

I am not normally counted among the frugal. While I like to get good value for my money, and while I don’t like to feel that I’m wasting my money, I’m not much of a penny pincher. I’d rather make more money than cut an unnecessary expense that I enjoy. Plus, I find penny pinching and many of the traditional frugal living strategies exhausting.

However, there are times when I do like to save a few bucks, and practice some of the principles of frugality. If you are looking for ways to add a little more frugality in your life, but you don’t want it to be difficult, here are 3 things to try:

1. Replace Your Soda Habit with Water

I’m not a big soda drinker. I used to be, though. I used have a soda a day. However, I’ve since switched to water. I enjoy water; it quenches thirst without the aftertaste of sugary drinks. Plus, the water isn’t very expensive. It comes out of my tap. We do have a filtering system, but it has long since paid for itself since we haven’t bought as much soda or bottled water.

When you drink water, you’ll save money over what you spend buying your liquids. On top of that, the health problems soda contributes to have been well-documented. Even if you try to be “healthy” with low calorie or no calorie drinks, studies are starting to indicate that you could still have health problems — including weigh gain.

Better health means more money saved, and all you have to do is drink more water and less soda.

2. Group Your Errands

For me, Tuesday is errand day. I map out which errands I am going to run, and I do them all. From taking my son to get his hair cut to grocery shopping to depositing money in the bank, all of my errands happen on Tuesday. It means that I use less gas overall, and it forces me to think about what I want and make a list. I stick to the list, try to get through everything, and the savings become clear. Indeed, I’ve noticed that gas tank needs filling less often as a result of this simple adjustment to my weekly routine.

Of course, it’s easier for me to devote a day to errands, since I work from home. If you have a more traditional job, you might need to adjust your schedule and go two days or three days. The idea, though, is to plan ahead so that you aren’t making dozens of little trips for each thing you need throughout the week.

3. Mind Your Power Usage

If you leave the room, turn off the lights. Use natural lighting when possible (I have my workstation near a window). Get smart strips that reduce energy vampirism. Program your thermostat. Just by changing a few things about the way you use energy, you can save money over time. It’s a simple way to be a little more frugal — and it’s good for the environment as well.

What are your best tips for adding easy frugality to your life?

Moving out of state isn’t an easy decision to make, especially if you are leaving behind family, friends, and memories. But there are times when moving becomes the best financial decision for your family. Here are three major reasons you might consider moving to another state and how it will affect your finances.

Reason #1: A job or a better job

A downturn in the economy has affected the unemployment rate in the United States in the last few years. So far for 2013, the national unemployment rate dropped to 7.5%, and is expected to have remain unchanged through the month of May. While unemployment is an issue throughout the country, some states have been affected more drastically than others due to bankruptcies in the auto industry, housing, and other major employers. If you’ve been unemployed for a while and have been unsuccessful in finding a new career, taking the plunge and moving for work might be the best financial step for your finances. Leaving family and friends behind can be difficult, but may be easier than facing financial bankruptcy. Here is a list of the top and bottom 5 states by unemployment:

Top States — North Dakota (3%), Nebraska, Vermont, South Dakota, Iowa

Bottom States — North Carolina, California, Mississippi, Illinois, Nevada (9%)

Take into consideration your education, current career and skills as you search for the best location. Even if you’re moving because of a job offer you’ve already received, it’s a good idea to have a back-up or two in case your first job doesn’t last (to avoid moving yet again), and to study the strength of the job market for each career you are qualified for/interested in. Explore unusual careers that might be surprisingly lucrative. For instance, hot dog vendors in New York can make up to $100,000 a year!

Reason #2: A lower cost of living

Income is not the only factor when considering a move: you also have to look at the area’s cost of living. Making a larger paycheck may not be worth it if you’re spending more on housing, food, gasoline, and other amenities. Living expenses can vary widely even from one end of the state to another. Sites like costofliving.net allow you to compare the cost of living among several different cities using highly complex calculators. In the current U.S.  economy, the cheapest regions to live are in the South, West, and Midwest. Regions that have the highest cost of living are the West Cost and the East Coast/New England states.

Reason #3: A better climate

Most of us have acclimated to the weather in the region we live. We might complain, but it’s never quite bad enough for us to move just because of the weather. However, if you’re planning on moving already, you should consider climate into your decision, because it will affect many of your household expenses. As those who live in northern regions know, cold temperatures can mean snow and ice. Vehicle maintenance is a huge concern. You may have to purchase a more expensive and less fuel-efficient 4-wheel drive vehicle that will lose value to the damage of corrosive road salt. Damaging effects aren’t excluded to cold climates, either — humid areas can cause wood to rot faster and mold to grow, while extremely arrid regions can cost you money in sun damage to roofs, vehicles, and other equipment.

In addition to the expenses the climate of the area will incur on the upkeep of your possessions, it may cost your health. Many people who experience breathing problems and are frequently sick move to more arid regions for relief.  Moving to a region that promotes your health will also save you money on medical expenses.

While there are many other financial reasons to move to another state, these three are probably the most pivotal.

Bed pillows are probably one of the most overlooked factors influencing the quality of our sleep. The wrong pillow can cause us to be uncomfortable and therefore experience restless or unsound sleep. The right pillow, on the other hand, can be something to which we become quite attached and hesitate to replace, even though it’s recommended by experts that we do, fairly frequently. If you feel your sleep is suffering because of your pillow, consider replacing it.

If you’ve been to the bedding department of a store, you know that there are a multitude of styles, firmnesses, materials and price points where pillows are concerned. This can make choosing the right pillow confusing and needlessly expensive. One thing that’s worse than having an unsatisfactory pillow is paying good money for a new one, only to discover that it’s uncomfortable. Let’s examine the topic of pillows to uncomplicate your search for one that will please you for many good nights of sleep.

Consider these factors when choosing your pillow:

The position in which you sleep

The best pillow enhances your physical comfort while maintaining your natural spinal alignment.

• If you sleep on your back, choose a thinner pillow to support your head without it being raised forward.
• If you sleep on your side, choose a firmer pillow that will fill in and support the space between your ear and shoulder.
• If you sleep on your stomach, choose a very thin pillow to allow your head and neck to remain in alignment with the rest of your body without being bent unnaturally backward.

The material with which the pillow is stuffed

Pillows can be stuffed with various materials which determine their firmness and adjustability.

• Polyester foam makes a medium-to-firm, inexpensive yet comfortable pillow. Look for greater density to provide better, longer-lasting support.
• Memory foam makes a shape-conforming pillow that lasts a long time but may be hot to sleep on.
• Latex pillows are the firmest and resist mold and dust mites.
• Wool and cotton make firm pillows that are hypoallergenic and resist mold and dust mites.
• Feathers make a firm, adjustable pillow, but they can occasionally poke through the pillow.
• Down makes an adjustable pillow of medium firmness which can be quite expensive.
• Water-filled pillows are easily adjusted for desired firmness but may be noisy when you move.
• Buckwheat/millet make medium-to-firm, highly adjustable pillows. Buckwheat, however, can be noisy when you move.

The material in which the pillow is covered

The covering of the pillow itself is also important to consider. A thread count of 230 or higher will be soft and durable. Don’t take a good pillow cover for granted; it seals the contents inside while keeping impurities out. Some pillow covers are treated with stain- and water-repellent and/or anti-microbial finishes.

Preference and price

In many things, pillows included, paying more does not ensure your satisfaction. Take the above factors to heart but ultimately choose according to comfort. Because it’s such an individual preference, the “right” pillow is the one that feels just right to you. If at all possible, try out the pillow by lying down on it. This may not be as improbable a scenario as it sounds because many stores that sell pillows also sell mattresses. If a mattress is unavailable, use a wall by standing against it as if it were your bed. Place the pillow between your head and the wall to determine whether the pillow supports you where it should and how you prefer.

There’s no need to lose sleep over finding a pillow you’ll love at an affordable price.

What’s in your pillow?

(Also check out how you can choose a great mattress here.)

Are you looking for a way to earn more money? One thing you can do is get a second job.

Most of us don’t like to think of getting a second job — one is bad enough. But there are some unusual, and even fun, jobs that pay reasonably well, providing you with the extra income you need to boost your family finances.

Who knows? According to Yahoo! Finance, many of these unusual jobs might actually make good replacements for your “real” job:

• Hot Dog Vendor: In my neighborhood are some folks who spend their weekends during the school year as vendors at the university for sporting events. It’s a lot of work, and it can get hectic, but it’s also a lot of fun. They have equipment for vending, so they can also sell hot dogs at neighborhood events, and assist with school fundraisers. If you have what it takes, the Yahoo! post suggests that you can make between $30,000 and $100,000 a year. Even $30,000 a year isn’t bad for a job you just do on the weekends.
• Ice Cream Taster: The university here occasionally does a call for ice cream tasters to provide feedback for new flavors at their creamery. Of course, locally we only get free ice cream vouchers as payment. But, apparently, if you can get in with the right company, it’s possible to offer your tastebuds and earn more than $50,000 a year.
• Personal Shopper: Do you like shopping? Instead of spending your own money, enjoy the fun of shopping without having to use your own resources. As a personal shopper, you buy things that your clients want, from household items to clothing. You can make between $25,000 and $100,000 a year, and you can usually work on your own schedule.
• Virtual Head Hunter: Many companies are looking for just the right employee. If you act as a head hunter, you can be paid by companies. You can earn more than $250 for each referral you send. Of course, you can’t just give random names; they have to be legitimately good fits. But if you are good at matching people’s skills with employers, you could potentially make a great deal of money.
• Body Part Model: You don’t need to show your whole body. Sometimes advertisers only need a small part, like a shot of your foot, your eye, or your wrist. You can earn as much as $1,000 for an afternoon of work, according to the Yahoo! post.
• Human Statue: You could earn up to $100 an hour as a human statue or live mannequin. Consider the options, and whether or not you can stand still (or make only a few movements) for those long periods of time. If you can handle it, you could make decent money.

It’s possible for you to use your creativity to earn a little extra money over time. Unusual jobs can offer you the chance to work your own hours while making money, and possibly even turning one of these jobs into a viable business that could eventually provide you with a primary income.

David Bakke is a contributor for Money Crashers Finance. He writes extensively about topics like budgeting, getting out of debt, insurance plans, and smart shopping tactics.

Becoming financially fit is becoming more important every day, especially with many American households facing job loss, rising gas prices, and nagging credit card debt. The mantra of the money-saving movement is simple: don’t spend what you don’t have. Thankfully, in your journey toward financial freedom, there are many things that you can get without spending a dime. Even though most of them won’t pay the rent, getting anything you can for free certainly benefits your monthly budget.

1. Anti-Virus Software
Protecting your computer against threats and viruses is important, but that’s no reason to fall prey to the hype. There are many free software products that protect your computer. AVG and Avast are two of the better options. If you go with one of these, pay close attention to what you’re clicking on during the download process. If you’re not careful, you may find yourself with a variety of unwanted toolbars and default search engines added to your computer. Most of these add-ons are unnecessary.

2. Batteries
Usually around Christmas and a few other holidays throughout the year, many office supply retailers offer 100% cash back rewards on battery purchases. Since batteries are something you’re always going to need, stock up when you see these offers. Just keep in mind that there are expiration dates involved on both the batteries and the cash-back redemption.

3. Tax Return Preparation
As long as you only file a simple return, you should never spend money on tax prep. In the past, there were only a few players in the world of free online tax preparation, but this industry has expanded quite a bit. Check out the IRS website for a list of companies that can prepare your return for free. Many require an adjusted gross income of $57,000 or less, but the IRS now has free forms you can use to file electronically no matter how much you make.

4. Activation Fees
Whether you’re activating a new cell phone, a credit card or a retail account, these pesky fees are almost always negotiable. If you talk to the right person you can usually get them waived without an issue. If you’re encountering difficulties, just tell them it’s a deal-breaker and companies are much more likely to work with you.

5. School Supplies
Many office supply stores also feature back to school supplies with 100% rewards. Just be sure to investigate the fine print, so you know if any exclusions or limitations apply. If you sign up for email updates from your preferred office supplier, they’re going to tell you when these special sales are running. These offers occur at various times throughout the year.

6. Extended Warranties
Most extended warranties on vehicles and home appliances are a big waste of money. I’ve never purchased one, whether it is for a car, refrigerator or a new washer and dryer. In many instances, retailers enjoy a bigger profit margin on the extended warranty than they do on the product itself. The caveat here is that if you’re buying an expensive item for a child, you may want to consider the extra protection to account for potential drops, breaks, and spills.

7. Signing Contracts
Signing a contract almost always costs you money. Whether it’s for your cell phone plan, your internet connection, or satellite TV, there are countless contracts to be signed in a given year, and most of them lock you into paying a rate for at least a year, if not two. Providers want to keep you on the hook for as long as they can, but there are always ways to get around contracted services. Most Internet and cellular providers offer pay-as-you-go options.

Final Thoughts
If you like discounted shopping, sign up for a website like Groupon, and you can get a wealth of free deals sent to your inbox on a daily basis. Although getting something for nothing is the ultimate goal, saving money anywhere you can is an important endeavor. Just keep yourself tuned into the many Internet outlets offering reduced-rate or free items and services, and you can do a lot toward reducing your overall spending.

What other things can you think of that you shouldn’t spend money on?

Summer is the perfect time to take on some of the projects you don’t have the time, daylight, or cooperative weather to complete the rest of the year. And, if you’ve always thought of renovating your home as major and expensive, it doesn’t have to be. Even minor repairs and updates not only spruce up your home for personal enjoyment but increase the value of your home. Whether you’re preparing to sell your home or simply want to improve its value for a re-financing appraisal, here are some simple, inexpensive ways to get the most satisfaction (and value) for your time.

Create More Space
Storage is a huge issue with older homes since modern families accumulate more stuff than ever. Creating more space will not only make your home more liveable while you’re in it; it will increase the value to potential buyers who don’t want to put money into renovations. If you need more closet space, consider either ready-to-install closet systems available at retailers or, if you have the skill, build your own using resources from your local home improvement store. Numerous home renovation websites allow you to plug in dimensions and use interactive software to customize your closet space to meet your needs. Just adding shelving in areas such as pantries, closets, laundry rooms and bathrooms will immediately increase their storage capacity.  Placing inexpensive cloth or plastic bins on shelving units effectively hides items while keeping them accessible (purchase them in neutrals so they will coordinate well even if you re-decorate.)

Coordinate and Update your Appliances
Appliances are usually at the top of the list for renovations because they out-date or wear out more quickly than other parts of the home. Purchasing new appliances when necessary will keep you home functional, but replacing them just to create a new look is expensive. So how do you create a new or more modern look to the appliances you already have? Consider having them painted. There are a few ways to do this — hire a professional, or do it yourself. Appliance paint is available at most home improvement stores and can help you color-coordinate miss-matched appliances while covering up minor flaws. Another little-known trick is that many appliances such as dishwashers feature a different color on the underside of the cover panels that can be easily flipped for a new look.

Make Your Bathroom Sparkle
A fresh and newly improved bathroom makes a huge impression on potential home buyers, and fixes are usually easy and inexpensive. Even steps as simple as replacing toilet seats, vanity mirrors, faucets, chipped tiles, installing a pedestal sink or replacing vinyl flooring can vastly improve the appearance of a bathroom and instantly increase the perceived value of your house.

Focus on the Little Things
It’s amazing what a difference changing a few simple things can have on the entire appearance of your home. Small improvements such as changing out doorknobs, installing new light fixtures, painting doors, and painting in general can make a huge impact while at a fraction of the cost of a complete home renovation.

If you don’t have the skill or time to do these kinds of small projects yourself, consider finding an affordable and dependable handyman. Ask your friends and neighbors for recommendations and call around to to get the best bang for your handyman buck; many of these independent contractors are affordable and fast and can complete several projects for you in one day.

Taking the time to do a few cheap home renovations this summer can not only save you money in the long run on your mortgage or home sale; it will immediately increase your enjoyment of and pride in your home. In fact, completing projects with your whole family can be a great way to save money, spend time together, and have fun with your kids this summer.

My mom was loyal to a particular brand of vacuum cleaner; she never purchased any other kind. When I got my own place, Mom gave me a vacuum and of course, it was that same brand. It worked great and I used it for many years. When it broke and I had to face the vacuum marketplace myself, rather than take Mom’s brand loyalty at face value, I felt the need to see what else was available in the world of vacuums. I bought a different brand and it proved to be a huge mistake.

The vacuum I bought was clearly inferior and didn’t last long. Before I knew it, I was back in the market for a vacuum. The second time, while I still wasn’t willing to go with Mom’s brand, I did look for quality features that were lacking in my first purchase – and that meant a bigger investment. At least I had learned a valuable lesson about paying for quality.

Over the years, I’ve let each vacuum I’ve owned inform my next purchase. I consider what I liked and didn’t like about their performance, durability and usability – and buy the next one accordingly. I’ll share what I’ve learned the hard way to help you choose a great vacuum that will do its job effectively – and won’t need to be replaced very often.

Choosing a vacuum for your home

Type of vacuum
The most basic decision is between upright and canister models.

• Upright vacuums are stand-up machines and are pushed. They’re best for use on synthetic fiber, wall-to-wall carpeting in homes without stairs.
• Canister vacuums are pulled and are comprised of a hose, wands and a large variety of attachments which make them very maneuverable and versatile for handling a multitude of cleaning tasks.

Regardless of whether you choose an upright or canister, consider these factors:

Flooring
Synthetic flooring is extremely durable and can withstand a powerful vacuum. Natural fibers require more gentle treatment.

Carpet soil and traffic
Most carpet soil has sharp edges that, when walked on, wears down carpet fibers. That’s why keeping carpets vacuumed will help avoid the establishment of visible traffic patterns. Carpets that get heavy traffic need vacuums with aggressive brushes with dense, stiff bristles as well as a beater bar function to extricate soil so it can be vacuumed up. As for pet hair, it can best be removed with a revolving brush with stiff, densely-packed bristles.

Vacuum power
For a machine powerful enough to be effective, look for vacuums with amp ratings between 10 and 12 amps or wattage ratings between 1200 and 1440 watts.

Filtration
A high-filtration vacuum or one with a HEPA filter will remove fine particles which can cause allergies or asthma.

Quality
Evaluate a vacuum’s durability by looking for:

• solid components
• good fit and finish
• smooth edges
• heavy duty seals
• solid feel when opening and closing components
• length and specifics of its warranty

Usability
If your current vacuum presents cleaning obstacles (too heavy, bulky, lacks the right attachments, can’t reach where you need it to, difficult to maneuver, inconvenient to empty…) look for one that alleviates those problems.

Capacity
This relates to how often you’ll need to empty the bag. If you’re a frequent, heavy vacuumer, a high capacity is convenient.

Features
Evaluate what your vacuum needs to best handle your cleaning challenges. These are nice to have:

• cord rewinder
• a variety of speeds
• on-board tool storage
• length-adjustable wands
• an appropriate selection of attachments to suit your home’s particular needs

Buying a vacuum for the right reasons will ensure your satisfaction for years to come!

What’s important in your vacuum?

One of the things I read recently was “5 Signs You May Be Broke in 10 Years” by Farnoosh Torabi over at Yahoo! Finance. Among the items on the list provided was that argumentative parents can actually lead to you having more debt. Torabi cites a study that indicates that college students who had parents that fought over money are three times more likely to have debt.

However, that’s not the only childhood experience that can influence your debt levels as an adult. There are some indications that growing up with the idea of scarcity can lead to debt as well. You might have felt the pinch of your parents’ lack of means, and it’s hard for you to keep living like that. Or, you decide to spend when you “have the money” — even if the money you have is actually credit, and not truly money in the bank at all.

Determining WHY You are in Debt

The first step to overcoming your debt is to figure out the why behind it. It’s true that childhood experiences like your parents fighting about money, or feeling that resources were scarce, can contribute to your debt. You can acknowledge that those childhood experiences might be barriers to paying down debt and improving your situation.

However you also need to look at other factors. While the past can influence you, you can’t blame everything on the past and then fail to try to move forward. You need to look at your debt situation, and figure out what is causing it. Are you living beyond your means? What motivations do you have for spending more than you have?

Whether you are trying to impress your peers with new gadgets and fine living, or whether you use shopping therapy to help you deal with other problems in your life, it’s important to pinpoint your spending behaviors. Look at the motivations behind them, and use that as a starting point for improving your finances and getting out of debt.

How to Get Beyond Childhood Experiences

Now that you understand the issues that face you when it comes to debt, it’s important to move beyond those childhood issues. In some cases, it can help to talk to someone else about your feelings. If you really feel that you are concerned about the way you view money, and how your views of money are holding you back, you can work with professionals to help you develop a healthier view of money — and your relationship to money.

Also, don’t accept that money has to be the root of problems, just because it seemed to cause problems in your childhood. If you have a partner, talk to him or her about money, and make it a point to work toward common goals. One of the reasons that couples fight about money is due to lack of communication. You can make an effort to be a better communicator, and work with your partner to move forward.

Once you understand the root of your troubles with money, and acknowledge how you might be influenced by the past, you can begin improving the situation, getting out of debt and developing a better relationship with your money.

A good definition of stewardship is responsibility for and/or care of something. We are all stewards of numerous things, whether our job at work, our children, our homes, or our finances. The Bible lays out wise principles for good stewardship of our resources, particularly our possessions and finances. Without good stewardship of our resources we can fall into a number of financial pitfalls such as going  into debt, failing to save money for emergencies or retirement, or even going bankrupt. Having the right attitude toward our finances (contentment, seeing money as a tool) leads to good stewardship. Good stewardship, in turn, leads to responsible activities we’ve already discussed such as budgeting, saving, avoiding debt, and giving, and is therefore very important when dealing with our personal finances.

The following are some passages from the Bible that emphasize the importance of good financial stewardship:

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?” — Luke 16: 10-11

“The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” — Luke 12:47-48

The Lord answered, “Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.” — Luke 12: 42-44

Here are a few concepts we can take away from these verses:

Clearly, good stewardship of our finances is important regardless of how much we own or how much money we make. When you show yourself faithful with what you have, even if it’s not that much, you show those around you that you’re capable of handling more. This can lead to promotions at work and in the case of finances, finding willing investors for your business endeavor or volunteer project. Not only this, but the principles of good stewardship themselves will benefit your financial situation and, ideally, build wealth and increase your span of stewardship. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t have much; we all have to start somewhere.

Wealth can be demanding; good stewardship is vital.  With greater resources comes greater responsibility. Wealth can be quickly burned up if not handled responsibly; good stewardship entails knowing how to save as well as invest in stocks, bonds, and mutual funds to create even more wealth.

Good stewardship can make the difference between poverty and wealth. It can also make the difference between ‘just getting by’ in life or reaching  and exceeding your financial goals. What’s more, showing responsibility in your finances reveals character that can be entrusted with greater wealth and more important things in life.

When considering the many means of transportation available, it’s surprising that when we think vacation we immediately – and almost exclusively – think of only two options: flying to some far-off destination or loading up the car for a road trip. While airplanes can get us far away quickly and cars provide a sense of transportational autonomy, they needn’t be the only ways to get from Point A to Point B worth looking into when planning a summertime getaway.

It all depends, of course, upon your individual vision for your vacation. If you’re after an experience – rather than solely a destination – or looking to do something that’s different and perhaps even less expensive, there are alternatives to taking to the friendly skies or the family truckster. Let’s think outside the plane and car and consider three alternatives to the usual means of vacation transportation:

Recreational Vehicle

RVs are either motor homes which can be driven or trailers which are towed behind a motorized vehicle. They provide all the amenities of home so the vacation experience can take place inside and outside the RV. Recreational vehicles are expensive investments but can be rented if you’re not interested in purchasing.

Pros

• Your lodging is with you, so you need not stay in motels
• Campsite rates are inexpensive, compared to motel rates
• You can prepare meals, alleviating the need to eat at restaurants
• You have your own bathroom facilities
• You can get to different destinations without needing to repack
• You and your travel companions can enjoy privacy from others, if desired
• You dictate your pace, schedule and stops
• You have freedom to go precisely where you want
• You can determine the “flavor” of your vacation: quiet and peaceful, adventurous and exciting (or a combination of both)

Cons

• High fuel expense
• You’ll be living in close quarters with your travel companions
• Depending on your vacation plans, there’s a potential for lots of driving
• You must stay at campsites, which may not be near where you want to visit
• The disposal of waste from your RV is your job

Train

There are transit trains, which are a convenient, inexpensive way to get around an urban area, and then there are long distance/sightseeing trains that traverse the nation.

Pros

• You can purchase a ticket for either a comfortable, reclining seat or a sleeping compartment
• It is climate-controlled
• There will be no driving to reach your destination
• Meals are available on long distance journeys
• You can enjoy sightseeing from the windows

Cons

• It’s slower than flying to your destination
• A ticket often costs more than airfare or car travel-related expenses
• You’re committed to the train’s itinerary for stops
• There’s a limited choice of destinations compared to flying

Bus

Urban busses are a boon to those vacationing in metropolitan areas. In short, they go where you want to go – cheaply, ubiquitously and conveniently. Longer distance busses are a viable, affordable option if you’re going somewhere along their route.

Pros

• You’ll enjoy comfortable seating and climate control
• On-board restrooms are available
• There will be no driving to reach your destination
• Tickets are quite low-cost
• You can enjoy sightseeing from the windows

Cons

• They offer limited destinations without connecting with other busses or means of transportation
• No food is available onboard
• They are slower than air or train travel
• There’s virtually no privacy

The important thing is to investigate your travel options to discover which means of transportation makes the most sense for your desired experience. By choosing wisely, you’ll enhance your enjoyment and your return on your vacation dollars.

Have you vacationed by a less-mainstream means of transportation?

It’s common to wish that you had more money. However, few of us actually do something about it.

When it comes to a frugal lifestyle, the default mode is to figure out where you can cut back. Unfortunately, there is only so much you can cut from your budget. If you want to be more effective in getting more money over time, you need to earn more.

But how can you earn more money? The good news is that you can turn wasted time into money by earning extra income.

Have You Been Wasting Time?

Chances are that you waste several hours each week. I’m not talking about quality time spent with your kids, or an hour spent unwinding from the rigors of the day. I’m talking about the time you spend watching TV or surfing the Internet or looking at Facebook or Pinterest.

According to the latest Time Use Survey from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American over the age of 15 spends almost three hours each day watching TV. On top of that, the average American spends about 26 minutes using the computer for leisure every day.

Chances are that you have more than 20 hours a week just being wasted, bringing you no profit. While there is no need to be productive all the time, and while you certainly don’t want to be working all the time, there is no reason not to take some of your wasted time and turn it into money.

Keep a time diary for a week or two, just to get an idea of how you have been spending your time. Identify times when you are unproductive. At some point, you move from unwinding and re-focusing to wasting your time just to be entertained (and perhaps you aren’t even really all that entertained). Once you identify those time wasters, you can begin turning that wasted time into money.

Ways to Use Your Time More Profitably

After you figure out that you do have time to make extra income or improve yourself in a way that results in more money, it’s time to decide what you can do to use your time profitably. Here are a few ideas:

• Start a side business: If you have an idea of something you can sell, whether it’s a product or a service, you can start a side business to earn extra money. Work on your side business in your spare time, turning the time you waste into time you are earning money.
• Learn about investing: You don’t have to be involved with a side gig to earn extra money with your wasted time. Take that time you are spending on entertainment, and instead turn it to more profitable educational pursuits. Learn about investing, and how to put your money to work for you. Then, research income investments that can help you earn more money over time.
• Improve your education or skills: You can also use your wasted time to improve your skills and education. If you need a certification to get a raise, use your wasted time for classes and study. You can receive a raise and/or promotion if you take your time and use it to improve yourself.

You don’t have to use your time only for TV and Internet. Take an hour so of down time each day, then spend quality time with your family, and then turn the rest of the time to profitable actions that can result in a better financial situation.

The Bible’s ancient store of wisdom for your personal finances encompasses many topics such as budgeting, saving, debt management, attitudes toward money, and good stewardship of your finances and resources. Another aspect of money management the Bible addresses is giving.

Unfortunately, giving is not a budgeted ‘expense’ in many households. But it should be. While saving 10% off the top of your income is referred to as ‘paying yourself first,’ regular giving is a way of sharing your abundance with those who aren’t as fortunate as well as achieving specific altruistic goals. And, although you shouldn’t be giving merely for the personal benefits, most contributions to non-profit and charitable organizations are tax-deductible if you itemize.

Here are some passages from the Bible that deal with the topic of giving:

There is one who scatters and yet increases all the more, and there is one who withholds what is justly due, and yet it results only in want. The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.  — Proverbs 11:24-25

He who gives to the poor will never want, but he who shuts his eyes will have many curses. — Proverbs 28:27

He who is generous will be blessed, for he gives some of his food to the poor. — Proverbs 22:9

And he would answer and say to them, “the man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise.” — Luke 3:11

In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner, you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that he himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” — Acts  20:35

Sowing & Reaping
According to these passages, the principle in place is that if you give to those in need, your own needs will be taken care of. This is not simply a principle of faith, but extremely practical. When you budget giving as well as give spontaneously you are setting in motion a chain reaction of giving that often results in receiving. Simply put, if you help a friend in need, a friend will help you in your time of need. If you are stingy with your finances and refuse to give to anyone, others won’t be motivated to give to you in return. In other words, you ‘reap what you sow.’ If you ‘sow’ generosity, you will reap generosity.

When you give, you won’t necessarily always receive a financial return. The return might be a favor, a smile, a hug, or even the simply satisfaction of knowing you did something kind for someone  who may never know you.

Creative Giving
Planning giving into your budget, whether you donate regularly to your church or a favorite non-profit organization, is an important step in incorporating giving into your lifestyle. But there are numerous ways to give beyond what your paycheck allows. Consider the following:

1. Donate your time.  Although it’s important to give money to charities, it’s also important to give yourself. Many charitable organizations are desperate for volunteers who will put in time merely for the love of the cause or desire to help reach a goal. You usually don’t have to be skilled or experienced, just willing. There are jobs for just about anyone, whether you enjoy working with people or prefer to stay behind the scenes.
2. Donate your talent. Many doctors and nurses participate in programs in which they visit poorly funded clinics in third-world countries and give freely of their professional skills to those who would otherwise be unable to afford it. You might not be a doctor, but you probably have some skill that a charitable organization could use — the ability to organize, bake, make crafts,sew, build, repair, advertise, etc.

Beyond Guilt and Into Fulfillment
If you’ve struggled with feeling guilty for not giving or being a reluctant giver, don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s hard to part with money you’ve worked hard to earn, especially if you don’t have the money to spare. The key to moving beyond guilt and into fulfillment in giving is to find a cause you can identify with — something that excites you. Each of us have particular causes that are closer to our hearts than others, and the best kind of giving is that which is motivated by a willing and cheerful heart. So get creative and find your niche, but don’t fail to give.

While some folks are fortunate enough to enjoy their grill year-round, the rest of us are – finally – officially declaring it grilling season! Everyone seems to have a favorite food to barbecue: To a meat-eater, there’s nothing more enticing than a Porterhouse steak or a slab of ribs hot off the grill – but is it affordable to indulge in such pricey cuts of meat every time you fire up the coals?

Affordable grilling doesn’t mean restricting your choices to hamburgers and hotdogs. There are plenty of ways to grill a variety of tasty and affordable foods. Sometimes it’s the meat or poultry choice – and sometimes it’s the preparation, cooking and handling – that makes for inexpensive yet delicious fare from the grill.

Meat or poultry choice

Beef
These are less tender cuts but with some alternate preparation, they’re tasty and satisfying:

• Sirloin tip steak (aka Tri-tip) - Cook to medium-rare, with or without marinating. Rest for five minutes post-grill, then slice thick against the grain.
• Top round steak - Cube, marinate and skewer for beef kabobs.
• Skirt steak - Marinate and cook these long steaks quickly over high heat to medium doneness. Cut into smaller serving pieces or slice thinly across the grain for fajitas.

Chicken
Boneless, skinless breasts are a necessity for countless dishes in the kitchen but don’t take to grilling as well as skin-on chicken. Because it’s so lean, breast meat easily dries out when grilled. Even it you don’t eat it, chicken skin helps the meat retain moisture while grilling. The bonus is, leg quarters (thigh and drumstick together) or each piece separately are the cheapest chicken parts. Even bone-in breasts are cheaper than boneless and fare much better when grilled.

Pork
Pork, like skinless chicken, can easily become dry when grilled. Unlike beef that can be eaten rare if desired, chicken and pork must be thoroughly cooked. This can easily lead to a dry result, especially in the case of pork chops, where the surface area exposed to heat is so great. These two options, which are best cooked “low and slow” are also considerably cheaper per pound than chops.

• Pork shoulder roast - This is a large pork roast which benefits from being cooked covered at a low temperature for several hours. It lends itself nicely to smoking, due to the long cooking time. A well-cooked pork shoulder roast shreds apart for spectacular pulled pork sandwiches.
• Country style ribs - These very economical and super-meaty ribs combine everything you love about ribs with a higher meat-to-bone ratio. They’re best started covered over low heat but can be finished off on a hotter grill to develop an inviting barbecued crust.

Preparation/cooking/handling

Marinating
The major difference between these meats and pricier cuts is oftentimes natural tenderness. A marinade can enhance both tenderness and flavor of meat. An acidic element, such as vinegar, wine or citrus juice will help break down the proteins in the meat, enhancing tenderness. Marinate beef or pork up to 24 hours but marinate chicken no longer than two hours or the acid will begin to chemically “cook” the meat, making it tough.

Handling
Piercing meat when grilling allows juices to escape; turn grilled meats with tongs or a spatula to keep juices inside.

Resting
Meats require a period after grilling to allow their juices to settle within the muscle. Rest meats 5 – 10 minutes before slicing to ensure juices have redistributed.

Slicing
Especially with beef, slicing against the grain (opposite to the direction of the visible muscle fibers) will increase tenderness.

These tips will help you expand your grilling repertoire and stretch your budget!

How do you grill and stick to a budget?

Often, in our society, we define success in terms of material positions and monetary wealth. We often think about success in terms of whether or not someone is rich in terms of net worth.

However, is being rich in money and things actually success?

It doesn’t have to be.

Ways to Measure Success

One of the tenets of a frugal lifestyle is that you don’t need a lot of things to make you successful. A frugal lifestyle also insists that you don’t have to spend a lot of money (or have a lot of money) to have success.

Other ways to measure success include:

• Health: Are you relatively healthy? Do you take care of yourself? If you have your health, a good quality of life is more likely. Money doesn’t help you much if you are too sick to do anything with it.
• Family: Do you have loved ones around you? This can often be a sign of success far beyond money. With family in good health, and offering you the chance for good social interactions, money isn’t as important.
• Friends: If you have a winning personality and good friends to rely on, that often means that you have good success in your life. You can’t replace those social interactions with money.
• Contentment: Are you happy with your life? If so, there is no reason to try to amass things just to impress other people. Contentment is often a sign of peace and success — even if it doesn’t come with a high net worth.

Think about your situation and your life. In many cases, a good life isn’t dependent on building up vast stores of wealth. Instead, true success is more likely in good health, good friends and family, and a feeling of peace and contentment with the choices you’ve made.

Financial Freedom and Success

Of course, most people don’t consider themselves to have financial success if they are in debt, or if they can’t make ends meet. There is a financial element to defining success in your life. But it doesn’t have to be about keeping score in terms of raw numbers and what you have in your bank account.

In many cases, financial success is defined more as freedom. If you are able to cover your needs without going into debt, and if you have the ability to enjoy some of your wants — even if you have to plan ahead and save up to do so — that is often considered financial success.

Bottom Line

Piling up possessions and growing a bank account to just to have more may not bring you happiness. While there are some who define success in terms of the status bestowed by money and things, you don’t have to make that your own definition. If that status is important to you, go ahead and pursue it. But if it isn’t important to you, don’t feel bad if you don’t rack up a huge bank account. Instead, think about what matters most to you, and build a life that looks like your own version of success.

Debt is not a modern concept. Long before the establishment of banking systems and credit scores, lending and borrowing transactions have been occurring, whether the currency be money, goods, or services. While the Bible isn’t a money management how-to textbook and doesn’t reveal a 5-step program for getting out of debt, it does contain wisdom on topics of responsible money management, including the dangers and consequences of debt.

Here are several Scriptures that deal with the concept of debt and how they apply to our personal finances:

If a man borrows anything from his neighbor, and it is injured or dies while its owner is not with it, he shall make full restitution. — Exodus 22:14

The wicked borrows and does not pay back, but the righteous is gracious and gives. — Psalm 37:21

The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower becomes the lender’s slave.  — Proverbs 22:7

Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts; if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you. — Proverbs 22:26-27

It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. –Ecclesiastes 5:5

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another. — Romans 13:8a

Borrowing: Be A Person of Your Word
Borrowing something should always be taken very seriously, whether you sign an official loan document or simply accept money from a  friend when you’re having financial problems. When you sign a loan document or credit card agreement, you are promising to restore everything you borrow (plus any interest you may owe for the service). Defaulting on loans and other debts shows very poor stewardship, planning, and responsibility. It not only reflects poorly on your credit score, but also your ability to be trusted and depended upon to follow through with other promises and obligations. Granted, there are situations when defaulting on a loan is necessary due to circumstances beyond your control, but in any case, debt is not something that should be taken on lightly. Resolve not to be someone who ‘borrows and does not pay back.

Don’t Be A Slave to Your Debt
In our modern world, we are seldom thrown into prison or forced into slavery because we can’t pay a debt, but this practice was not uncommon in ancient times. While we may not be literal slaves to debt, we can be, figurative slaves. When you owe the bank or even just a friend, in a way you owe a part of yourself — your job, your paycheck, your resources.  Getting too bogged down with debt might require you to work extra hours at work just to pay your bills,keep you from saving money, have you so stressed that your health is affected, or have other negative controlling affects on your life.

Security for Debt: Leans and Home Equity Loans?
Proverbs 22 warns about putting up security for debts. Immediately this makes me think of car loans, which usually include leans. If you don’t pay, the bank can take your car. Although having your car repossessed is certainly not cheery, having your house taken away would be much worse. There are sound reasons and  circumstances for taking out home equity loans, but you should always exercise caution when anything requires you to ‘put up security for debts.’

The Best Kind of Debt is No Debt
In our culture, especially, some forms of debt are nearly inevitable and not necessarily all bad. But there is definitely danger in acquiring too much debt and living well beyond your means. Don’t be pressured into a certain level of wealth or kind of lifestyle you can’t actually afford. Living on the edge may be adventurous, but when it comes to your finances, it can cost you literally everything.

This being said, the best kind of debt is no debt. There is incredible freedom and peace of mind in being debt-free, knowing you owe no thing to no one. Find  a good debt consolidation and elimination plan that works for you, and set goals to be debt free. You will never want to go back.

I’m a firm believer that a well-stocked kitchen is more than the sum of its individual components. A complete pantry contains the building blocks for the creation of a myriad of additional delights. The frugal among us know that oftentimes, grocery items are simple and quick to create at home from basics you already have on hand. In fact, these homemade equivalents are usually superior in quality and flavor to their pricier, pre-made equivalents, not to mention considerably cheaper. The best part is that you can create it just the way you like it, with your preferred ingredients, with the intensity of flavor and amount of fat or sugar that you desire. Some of my frugal favorites are:

Hot Chocolate/Chocolate Syrup Mix

1 c baking cocoa
2 c granulated sugar
3/4 t salt

Stir ingredients together and store tightly covered.

Hot chocolate - Add ¼ cup mix and 1 cup milk to a saucepan for each serving. Heat over medium heat, stirring until mix is dissolved completely and milk is steaming. Add ¼ teaspoon vanilla to each serving after pouring into cups.

Chocolate syrup - For each ½ cup of syrup desired, blend ½ cup of water and 1 cup mix in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until smooth. Cool.

Seasoning Blends

Many seasoning blends are primarily salt. By making your own, you can not only cut back on salt content but adjust the flavor  to your personal preference. Buy your staple spices in bulk, at a warehouse store or wholesaler where you can get large quantities of those spices you commonly use inexpensively. Then, use your culinary instincts along with the Internet to guide you in creating your own spice blends. Your own blend may take some tweaking to perfect, so start with modest amounts of everything, adding more of particular flavors as desired. Add salt to your blends sparingly or leave it out and add it to foods separately.

Common spices/herbs to buy and their popular uses:

• Granulated garlic (Italian, Greek, Oriental cuisines, seasoned salt, meat/poultry/seafood seasoning)
• Granulated onion (Cajun and Mexican cuisines, barbecue/grill seasoning, meat/poultry/seafood seasoning)
• Dried parsley (Italian, Greek cuisines, chicken/seafood seasoning)
• Dried oregano (Italian, Greek, Mexican, Cajun cuisines)
• Dried thyme (Italian, Cajun cuisine, poultry seasoning)
• Paprika (Cajun cuisine, barbecue seasoning, seasoned salt)

Salad Dressings

The above spice blends can also be used to flavor homemade salad dressings (which can also double as tasty marinades). A basic salad dressing consists of two parts oil to one part vinegar. Seasoning blends (with sugar and salt to taste) can give a simple homemade salad dressing a distinctive flavor.

Master Baking Mix

This is a versatile substitute for packaged baking mix. Besides pancakes, waffles and biscuits, it can be used to make shortbread, dumplings or to coat fried chicken.

8 c all-purpose flour
2 c nonfat dry milk
⅓ c baking powder
¼ c sugar
1 T salt
2 c shortening

Mix all ingredients thoroughly until it resembles coarse crumbs. Store tightly covered and use within 6 weeks.

Biscuits - Stir ½ cup milk into 2 cup mix. Pour batter out onto floured surface. Roll out to ¾” thickness. Cut into biscuits. Bake 10 minutes at 400.

Pancakes - Stir 1 ½ cup milk and 1 egg with 3 cups mix. Pour batter into 4” circles onto lightly oiled hot griddle. Turn when bubbly on top.

You can avoid the need to buy a multitude of pricey, pre-packaged items by keeping your pantry loaded with the basics Live a bountiful yet frugal life in the kitchen by learning to create what you don’t have from what you do.

What can you mix up from what’s already in your kitchen?

Whether you are looking for homeowner’s insurance, life insurance, or auto insurance, it makes sense to get the best insurance policy for you — at the right price.

The right insurance is vital, since it determines the type of protection you receive, and it costs money. You want a good value, and you want to make sure that your assets are properly covered.

Here are 5 tips that can help you ensure that you are getting the right insurance policy for you:

1. Figure Out Your Needs

First of all, figure out what type of coverage you need. If you are looking for auto insurance, it’s a good idea to understand your state’s minimum coverage requirements, and then determine if you might feel more secure getting coverage that exceeds the minimum.

With life insurance, you will need to figure out how much money your family needs to survive if you are gone. When you get homeowner’s coverage, you want to be able to replace your home and its contents in the event of damage. Health insurance coverage should be what you need to take care of your health needs.

Determine your needs so that you have a good idea of your starting point, and you know how to compare your options.

2. Shop Around

Next, shop around for the best rates. As you shop around, you need to make sure that you are comparing apples to apples. Ask for quotes based on your insurance needs. Get the quotes in writing, and find out what contingencies could result in a higher rate (such as a medical exam resulting in a higher life insurance premium).

3. Check Agent/Company Credentials

Before you make a final decision, make sure that you check the credentials of the agent or broker you are using. You want to make sure that he or she is properly licensed in your state. You should also make sure that the insurance company is also properly licensed in your state. Double-check to ensure that you are working with legitimate representatives, and that you aren’t getting scammed.

4. Investigate the Company’s Stability

This is especially important with life insurance policies. You want to make sure that the company is covered by your state’s guaranty fund so that you don’t end up losing your benefits. You can also look into the ratings of the company. You can see ratings of insurance companies from Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s to get a general idea of how stable the company is, and whether it is likely to be around to pay claims.

5. Read Reviews

Finally, read reviews on the company. You can learn what others think about the company, and get customer reviews. You want to deal with a company that has fewer complaints, and that offers good customer service. While almost every insurance company has complaints, consider a company that doesn’t have as many as its competitors.

With a little savvy shopping around, you can get an insurance policy that offers you a reasonable rate for a good policy, from a company that you know will back you up.

The Bible contains a wealth of financial wisdom dating back several centuries B.C. While the context of the world economy has changed through the ages, the basic principles of responsible money management haven’t. One of the common financial themes throughout the Bible is that of frugality and contentment. Here are a few passages on the topic of contentment we can draw modern-day applications from.

Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless. – Ecclesiastes 5:10

Some soldiers were questioning him, saying, “And what about us, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse anyone falsely, and be content with your wages.” – Luke 3:14

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. – Philippians 4:11-12

For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. – I Timothy 6:7-10

Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have. – Hebrews 13:5

There is no doubt that contentment is strongly encouraged in the Bible. You need go no further than television commercials, Internet ads, and retail circulars to find the opposite. Our Western culture is extremely consumed with obtaining wealth and possessions. As consumers, we are constantly bombarded with things that promise to make our lives easier and happier, or at the very least, look young and stylish. It can be tempting to get caught up in consumerism and forget that there are more important things to do with money than spend it, and there are more important pursuits in life than acquiring wealth and possessions. Here are a few suggestions of ways to increase your contentment and ultimately find greater happiness.

Don’t stop comparing yourself to others – just compare your life to that of people in third-world countries.

No matter your income, you are in a top percentage of wealth by world standards. The Unites States ranked 7^th out of 181 nations in 2012 based on gross domestic product. Just 700 miles south of Miami is the small island nation of Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, where 80% of the population lives on less than $2 a day. Think about that the next time you wish you made more money. To get a realistic picture of what poverty really looks like, consider watching a documentary or, better yet, visit a poor country on a humanitarian trip.

Find contentment by enjoying activities that don’t revolve around money.

Looking at third-world countries can help you get a realistic perspective of how wealthy you really are but makes it no less difficult to live in a culture that pressures you to live up to the standard displayed. A good way to stay balanced is to get involved in activities that don’t require currency – enjoying nature, physical activity, gardening, pets, and inexpensive hobbies.

Focus on your non-monetary blessings in life.

Contentment involves more than just our financial situation, which won’t always be ideal. When finances are tight it’s easy to feel depressed or hopeless. If your finances take a turn for the worse, focus on other blessings such as your health, your family, and your friends. Find the things that make you laugh and smile most often, and keep them close, because after all “we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we (should) be content with that.”

Technology is touching nearly every aspect of life, from what we do with our time to how we do it. At it’s best, technology can streamline, automate, hasten, uncomplicate and hopefully lower the cost of tasks that are part of everyday life – like shopping for ordinary items such as groceries. Here are several examples of technology that may – someday – do just that:

Shopping vexation: Long checkout lines
Technology solution: QThru

This is a mobile app that allows you to self-checkout as you shop using your smartphone. You can even talk on your phone while shopping with QThru. Here’s how it works:

• Scan in your credit card into the app your smartphone
• Scan the UPCs of the items you purchase
• Weigh produce at the scale at the QThru kiosk where you finalize your purchase
• To checkout, take your purchases to the QThru kiosk at the store, punch in your passcode on your phone, scan the QR code on kiosk and take the receipt it generates
• Show receipt to store employee who will visually verify the transaction

How it will save you money: You’ll spend no time in that pesky checkout line being tempted by pricy impulse items. Secondly, this innovation will make shopping less time-consuming, which may give you more time at your paying job.

A completely different solution to this same annoyance is QueVision, a system of infrared sensors used by grocery stores that tracks the number of people waiting in line. The data it collects is delivered to management, enabling them to staff adequate checkouts to accommodate need, reducing wait times for customers.

Shopping vexation: Difficult to find particular items
Technology solution: Aisle411

This app is a shopping companion which assists you in navigating a store.
Aisle411 allows you to:

• Create shopping lists, then map your trip through a store according to the location of the items in that store
• Search 130,000 recipes and add ingredients to your shopping list, indicating where they are in the store
• Locate a single item within a particular store

How it will save you money: Research shows that the average shopper spends an extra $10 for every 15 minutes spent in a retail environment. When you can move through the store purposefully, with minimal time to browse and buy items on impulse, the more you’ll save overall.

Sometimes stores themselves implement technology solutions. I can’t tell you how often I’m nowhere near my shopping list when I realize I need to add an item. These apps would definitely help in that regard:

Shopping vexation: Making/managing shopping lists
Technology solutions:

Wegmans stores’ mobile app allows you scan a UPC on an item and automatically add it to your shopping list. Like Aisle411, it features recipes and the ability to add its ingredients directly to your shopping list.

Weis Markets mobile app lets you view their weekly advertisement and create and email a shopping list to someone else. The Android version allows shoppers to add items to their list using their voice.

How it will save you money: Forgotten items mean more trips to the store, which translate into extra gasoline usage, and more time spent in a potentially costly retail situation.

Of course, it takes a considerable amount of time for these types of practical technology to trickle outward and become mainstream. It’s incumbent upon stores to adopt and implement the technology so that it’s available to consumers. So, while these solutions won’t be available tomorrow, it’s nice to know that someday shopping will be made a bit more convenient and cost-effective by technology.

How does technology help you save when you shop?

One of the ways that you can cultivate another income stream is to build an income portfolio. Your income portfolio, properly built up, can provide you with regular income later on. As long as you realize that income investing takes time (a good portfolio can take 10 years or more to build) and patience, you can create a plan for passive income from investments.

What are Income Investments?

In general, income investments provide you with a revenue stream on top of an principal or capital appreciation. Some common and fairly accessible income investments include:

• Dividend stocks
• Bonds
• REITs
• P2P loans

There are other investments that can be included in an income portfolio, but these are generally easy to understand, and simple to invest in.

Using ETFs to Invest in Stocks and Bonds

When you’re starting out, you can use ETFs to make the most of your buck. Dollar cost averaging is an important part of building up your income portfolio over time. ETFs make it fairly easy to invest. They trade like stocks on the market, have low expense ratios, and many discount brokers offer commission-free ETFs.

It’s possible to gain exposure to stocks and to bonds through ETFs. Bond ETFs can provide you with the opportunity to invest in a variety of different bonds of different maturities, and there are dividend stock ETFs designed with different goals in mind to help you reach your goals.

In either case, the result can be a simple portfolio designed to build income. Many income ETFs allow you to reinvest your earnings so that you can buy more shares, effectively boosting your holdings and payouts at a faster rate.

Realize, though, that there is the possibility of loss with ETFs, just as with any investment.

REITs and P2P Loans

These investments are also fairly easy to get started with. REITs pay dividends, and they trade similarly to stocks on the exchange. They offer you exposure to real estate related investments. Only, instead of worrying about rental tenants and trying to come up with the capital to buy a rental property, you can invest in partial shares and receive dividends. If the real estate market crashes, though, you might be trouble.

P2P loans are an increasingly popular way to invest. You loan money to your peers, and make money on the interest. It’s fairly easy to get started with P2P loans, and you can invest as little as $25 to get started. You do need to be careful, though, since there is a default risk with P2P loans. The borrower may not pay you back, and you could lose your principal, as well as your interest.

Watch Out for Risk

While it can be fairly easy to get started with income investments, you still need to be careful. Make sure you understand your risk tolerance, and that you don’t invest money you can’t afford to lose. Take the time to learn about the investments before you put your money into them. If you aren’t sure, it makes sense to consult an investment professional who can help you determine the best course of action for you.

The Bible is mainly a religious text, but also contains a wealth of practical advice and piercing insight into the topic of wise money management. As discussed before, the importance of budgeting and planning one’s money and assets is covered in many portions of the Bible. The concept of good stewardship is beneficial to not only your present finances, but also your future security; effective budgeting and saving can also allow you to provide a solid financial foundation for your children.

Avoiding the pitfalls of poor money management and failing to plan for the future are vital to a healthy relationship with your finances. Excessive spending and obsession with money and obtaining possessions are equally as dangerous, no matter how balanced your budget. You also don’t have to be rich to struggle with materialism. Quite often those who don’t have the means to obtain their material desires are the ones who are most obsessed. Here are some verses from the Bible that deal with the topic of materialism:

But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil. – I Timothy 6:9-10

He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver; nor he who loves abundance, with increase. This also is vanity. – Ecclesiastes 5:10

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? – Mark 8:36

hen he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” – Luke 12:15

The Love of Money
Sometimes it seems like our culture is obsessed with money and driven by consumerism, as if life is a game of Monopoly; the whole point is to get to the end of our lives with as much stuff as possible. The Bible says that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. At first glance, that seems like an exaggeration, but if you think about it, many types of crime are in some way motivated by the love of money and a desire for riches (robbery, stealing, corporate fraud, get-rich-quick scams, identity theft, etc.). This is not to say that money, in and of itself, is evil; but it can be used for either good or evil. We would be wise to see money and material goods as only tools and not the main focus of life.

Never Satisfied
It’s natural to desire a certain level of financial and material comfort. No one wants to be so poor that all they can think about is where their next meal will come from. On the other hand, many people keep grasping for more well after they are able to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle, thinking that if they just get the next thing on their wish list, they will be happier. But, of course, they never are. True happiness comes from focusing on the important things in life, making the best of what you have, and thereby finding peace and contentment.

Forfeiting Your Soul
Materialism and greed leads to the neglect of the most important things in life. Many people are so busy obtaining things that they lose focus of their personal goals and interests, become over-stressed workaholics, and worst of all, destroy their families. When relationships take a back seat to gaining wealth, families become alienated and dysfunctional. Children whose parents place money and possessions as most important in life are bound to follow in their footsteps. This is why it’s especially important to show your children that money isn’t the priority.

Life is more than Money
One of the greatest blessings and curses of capitalism is the ability to gain personal wealth. Intellectual and physical labor is rewarded with success, but success can lead to materialism. As Luke 12:15 states, we have to be on our guard against greed and materialism, remembering that life is about much more than money could ever buy.

Summer brings about many momentous occasions, like weddings, anniversary parties, reunions; the types of events that you may very well want to capture with photographs. While virtually everyone is in constant possession of a camera on their person these days, special occasions such as these may be cause to employ the talents and experience of a professional photographer. A professional is adept at capturing both the little and big moments of an occasion with an objective and creative eye, while freeing up participants to enjoy the event itself. Not to mention, professional photographic equipment is far superior to that which the average person carries and will produce much better images. If you can possibly afford it, a professional photographer is worth the investment to record the memories of these once-in-a-lifetime events.

There’s no doubt, however, that the services of a pro don’t come cheap – nor should they. The expertise, talent, experience and equipment they bring to the party are worth a lot. Ideally, you want the best quality and service that you can afford, without paying for that which is superfluous. Here’s how to choose the right professional photographer so that your dollars are spent wisely and you come away with the best possible photographic record of your occasion:

Wise Choices When Considering Professional Photography

• Get a feel for the photographer’s work. Even if you’re working with a studio, meet the specific photographer who will be photographing your event in person. Look at his or her actual photos and not just representative photos from several photographers employed by the studio. Do they please your eye? Are they the types of photos you’d like to see of your occasion? Examine the small details – are the photos well-balanced and pleasantly arranged? Ask for references and contact some previous customers for feedback on their experience and their level of satisfaction.
• Get a feel for the photographer’s personality. The best photographer for you will be able to convey that they can and will:
  • put subjects at ease in order to capture the best shots
  • respect your requests for specific photos
  • be flexible and “go with the flow” of the event rather than being unnecessarily rigid
  • exercise their creativity to capture the flavor of the occasion
  • capture spontaneous moments
• Pay for what you need and nothing more. Photography “packages” can be confusing and probably include items you don’t want or need. While they may seem to represent a bargain because of all they include, you may be better off streamlining your choices when trying to keep the cost down. If you must go with a package, choose a modest one that will provide the services you absolutely require. Remember that the point is to get those precious photos taken of your event. What you ultimately do with them can be decided once the high emotions of the event are said and done and you know which and how many of the photos you really want to purchase, copy and put into an album.
• Limit the photographer’s time. Consider hiring the photographer for a finite amount of time rather than for the entire event. Get those portraits taken, some candid and casual photos shot, and have him or her be done. A professional’s time is much of what you’re paying for, so limiting the amount of it spent in the field could help keep down your overall cost.

You’ll be forever grateful to have recorded your special occasion with professional photos! The potentially high cost can be mitigated with careful consideration of your needs and the photographer.

How do you keep professional photographer costs down?

One of the pitfalls of finances is the desire to appear rich.

Unfortunately, according to a recent COUNTRY Financial Security Index survey, it appears that many in Gen Y are falling into that trap. According to the survey, 20% of those in the 18 to 29 age group have made purchases they can’t afford in order to encourage others to think that they fall into a certain income group. This represents the highest percentage of the age groups in the study.

On top of that, 24% of those in this age group have lied about their income in order to appear more affluent. While these number don’t seem big (they don’t even account for a quarter of those in the age group), it still highlights a somewhat significant reality: Appearance is a big deal, and financial wealth is still seen very much as a measure of worth.

Are We Still Equating Money with Personal Worth?

It appears that our society still, to a certain extent, equates money with personal worth. If you have a lot of money, you are seen as more important and more powerful. But how can you tell those that have more money? Unfortunately, one of the primary indications of someone’s wealth is still the stuff they have. As a result, it becomes important for those who want to feel important to try and look rich by purchasing a bunch of stuff.

In many cases, the items purchased are expensive. And, as the survey points out, they are sometimes purchased with the express purpose of “proving” to others that they are wealthy (and therefore worthy of notice and consideration).

Those with money — and who flaunt it — seem to have status and power. As a result, those who aspire to impress others and acquire status and power want to at least look as though they belong. It’s a classic example of trying to fake it until you make it.

The problem with this approach is that if you keep buying things that you can’t afford, you won’t ever amass the assets and the wealth necessary to secure your financial independence. Instead, you’ll be stuck in debt, paying interest into someone else’s pocket. This is a difficult situation to be in, and it’s one that is hard to improve upon unless you change your mindset.

Focus on Your Financial Freedom

Instead of worrying about what others think, and trying to impress them, it makes more sense for members of Gen Y (and everyone else for that matter) to focus on their own financial freedom. Instead of worrying about buying impressive gadgets and lying about your income, consider what would actually make you happy in your life. These are the things you should be using your money for, but not everything is worth the cost. Don’t end up becoming a slave to your image.

Rather than trying to impress someone else, focus on achieving financial freedom. You’ll be able to do more of what you want, without jeopardizing your financial future. And you won’t end up surrounded by a bunch of outdated items that you didn’t really want in the first place.

What do you think? Are we too concerned with looking rich?

You probably don’t think of the Bible as a resource for financial advice. Finance is, of course, not its main theme. But the truth is that the Bible contains many nuggets of wisdom for handling your finances, touching on a range of topics such as:

• The importance of planning (budgeting & saving)
• The dangers of materialism
• Contentment
• Lending and borrowing (debt)
• Giving
• Stewardship/diligence

When you consider the wisdom of many of these financial or finance-applicable concepts, you will realize they are definitely not too outdated for use in in the modern world; and, if they are practiced, can keep you from financial ruin.

The first financial topic I have listed is budgeting. Although budgeting isn’t a word you’ll find in the Bible, the concept of budgeting can be found throughout Scripture. The book of Proverbs, in particular, has a lot to say about the wisdom of planning and the careful use of resources.

Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge the rooms shall be filled with all precious and pleasant riches. – Proverbs 24:3-4

The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenty; but the thoughts of everyone who is hasty only to poverty. – Prov. 21:5

There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spends it up. – Prov. 21:20

A man with an evil eye hastens after riches, and does not consider that poverty will come upon him. – Prov. 28:20

Go to the ant, sluggard; consider her ways and be wise; who having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provides her food in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest. – Prov. 6:6-8

As you can see, the concept of budgeting is not a modern one. Even in ancient times, before the time of spreadsheets, pie charts, and checking accounts, it was considered wise (and necessary) to carefully plan the use of one’s resources. In terms of the agrarian lifestyle, wise planners wouldn’t burn through the food or money they collected from the harvest of their crops. They would consider the reality that winter was coming, so they needed to plan ahead to avoid starvation.

Hastening after Riches

Few of us have to face starvation as result of our poor financial planning, but we do have to deal with unaffordable emergencies, missed opportunities, poor credit scores, or bankruptcy due to excessive spending and failing to save money. In our consumer-driven culture, it’s easy to get caught up in obtaining possessions rather than building wealth for the future. Countless stories exist of people who hastily spent their fortunes without planning for the future and now live in financial ruin and poverty.

Consider the Ant

Another application easily gleaned from these passages is that of planning for our retirement. Just as ants work hard while it’s still summer in preparation for the hibernation of winter, we are wise to work hard while we’re still young and able so we have plenty stored up when we are no longer able to earn a living. In practical terms, this means setting up a 401K, an IRA, and other investment accounts when we begin our careers and not touching them until we retire.

Budgeting, saving and retirement planning are modern terms for concepts that are as old as time. Taking a look at the ageless wisdom of Biblical concepts of money management is beneficial in examining our finances to ensure we are on the path to financial success.

Growing your own vegetables can be a rewarding and economical way to have the freshest produce this summer. But vegetable gardening may not seem feasible to you if you:

• have no yard at all
• have a very small garden area
• have garden space that’s not suitable for growing vegetables

There is a solution: You can grow vegetables in containers! Yes, container gardening allows you the opportunity to grow produce without an entire “vegetable patch.” Containers can be located in ideal growing locations (on a deck or patio, along a sunny wall or strategically spaced around your yard), allowing you to garden almost anywhere.

Benefits of container gardens

In some ways, containers are preferable to gardens in the ground. Container gardens are less prone to insect and other pest problems because they aren’t at ground level. They’re also more physically convenient to tend because they sit higher, minimizing stooping and bending.

Important considerations for container gardening

• Choose a container that’s large enough to accommodate the root system of the vegetable planted. If the container is too small, plant growth may be stifled, causing small fruits and minimal production.
• Plants that grow tall (like tomatoes and peppers) should be planted in deeper containers so as to avoid becoming top-heavy.
• Herbs and salad greens can be planted in shallower containers.

Containers for growing vegetables

Other than choosing one of an appropriate size, the sky’s the limit when choosing planters! Whatever container you choose should allow for proper drainage so the roots won’t rot; if it doesn’t have holes to let excess water escape, punch or drill some. Vegetables can be planted in such creative and inexpensive vessels as:

• galvanized or plastic buckets
• child’s wagon
• repurposed desk drawers
• wheelbarrow
• child’s wading pool
• recycling bin, trash/garbage can
• a heavy-duty plastic bag inside a milk crate
• bathtubs, sinks and toilet bowls
• storage bins
• canvas shopping bags

Potting mix for container-grown vegetables

It is advised that you plant vegetables in a potting mix rather than garden soil. Garden soil alone is too dense and compact for the close-confines of a container. It may also be too alkaline or acidic, contain fungus, diseases, weed seeds or insects that could hinder vegetable growth. A light, well-aerated potting mix containing peat moss and/or vermiculite or perlite will drain easily and provide the ideal growing medium for your plants. Soil and soilless mixtures are commercially available for container growing. Seeds and seedlings can be planted directly in containers at the same time planting in the ground is recommended.

Container garden placement

Locate containers properly for best growth and vegetable production. South, west or east exposures are the sunniest; most plants need a minimum of six hours of sun daily. Northern exposure will be shadier but may work for leafy vegetables that prefer cooler growing conditions.

Watering container-grown vegetables

Proper watering is crucial to the health of container-grown plants. Poke a stick into the soil to gauge when watering is necessary. If soil sticks to it, watering isn’t necessary; if the stick comes out clean, water immediately. Watering container gardens twice per day could be necessary in the hottest temperatures, but over watering can wash away nutrients.

Fertilizer

A fertilizing strategy should be employed for container gardens. Add a slow-release fertilizer at planting time to get plants off to a strong start. Then, when plants begin to produce, add a water-soluble fertilizer to replace nutrients lost during their vigorous growth and alleviate the stress of contained roots.

With container growing, almost anyone, anywhere, can grow vegetables, conveniently and affordably.

Have you grown vegetables in a container?

One of the best ways to ensure that you get the best bargain is to shop around. But, even as you shop around you might be taken in by certain buzzwords on an ad.

As you do your shopping, make sure that you dig a little deeper to make sure you are getting true value for your money. Money Adviser from the parent company of Consumer Reports warns against the emptiness of certain ad buzzwords:

“For pennies a day”

This claim is one that I think is most insidious. It’s designed to make you think that something is really inexpensive. But remember that “pennies a day” can start to add up later. It’s the equivalent of the car dealer asking you how much you can afford a month. You get a car payment that you can fit into your monthly budget, but you might be spending more money overall by the time the loan is paid off.

Don’t listen to claims of “only” a certain amount per day or month. Instead, look at the total cost and base your decision on that apples to apples comparison.

“Up to”

This is a term that is used to advertise all sorts of products and services. You might be told you can get “up to” 70% off something, or that a certain bank offers high-yield bank accounts of “up to” 1.5% APY. You assume you’re going to get the top price, but you might not actually be eligible for this amount.

The knife cuts both ways, too. You might see adds for loan rates “as low as” 1.99% or airfares “as low as” $69. All that means is that at least someone, somewhere, got that deal. You might not be so lucky.

“Free”

You might be promised “free” shipping, or another item that doesn’t come with another charge. However, Money Adviser points out that in many cases, the “free” portion of the item has been added to the original price somehow. You want to make sure you shop around for total costs, since it might be that you can get the same item for cheaper, even though you aren’t getting something “free” thrown in. Make sure you are truly getting a good deal.

“I was skeptical at first”

Adding testimonials to products and services is a good way for retailers to convince others to buy products. There is nothing that can substitute for a recommendation from a “real” person. However, you need to be skeptical of the skepticism of a testimonial. As you might imagine, the point of such a testimonial is convince you that the product is superior, since it overcame the misgivings of a hardened cynic.

Bottom Line

Really consider the products and services you plan to buy. There are all sorts of sneaky tactics used by retailers to get their hands on your money. Sometimes, the products and services really are worth what you pay for them. Other times, though, it’s just hype. You need to protect yourself from the hype, and remember that no one watches out for your money like you do.

Just this weekend our neighbor shared a personal story of how club soda came to her rescue. While she was away, a bottle of wine popped its cork and shot its notoriously-staining contents across a nearby fabric-covered chair as well as on the carpet. By the time she returned, the wine had set in and she feared she would have to throw away the stained chair cover.

A modern-day problem solver, she immediately searched the Internet for cleaning solutions. The most recommended were club soda and a popular cleaning product. By soaking the stains in club soda and then using the cleaning product, she was able to lift the wine stains completely out of the chair cover as well as the carpet.

Club soda, otherwise known as carbonated water, has been produced since the 1700s and is most commonly used as a beverage, a base for soft drinks, and a mixer for cocktails. Besides its thirst-quenching qualities, club soda can be used for a number of everyday purposes and household tasks. At a few dollars a bottle, club soda is a money-saver’s wonder product. Here are a few of the many ways you can use club soda.

A Cleaning Agent
Club soda is great at loosening grease or hardened grime, and, as in the previous example, lifting stains. Use it to soak pots and pans to make cleaning much easier, and keep it handy in case of stain emergencies. Club soda is great at loosening things, and that includes screws, nails, and stubborn rusted threads on lids and fixtures, making it a must-have for the garage and toolbox.It also does a beautiful job of cleaning gemstones and removing chlorine buildup from hair. Club soda is gentle enough to be used as a cleaner on nearly every surface in your home and won’t leave streaks. While it cleans it also eliminate odors, making it especially good for cleaning pet messes.

A Medicine
A well-known home ready for an upset stomach is to sip ginger ale. Ginger, of course, is known to be good at settling the stomach, but the carbonated water itself contains alkaline minerals effective in neutralizing stomach acid. The bubbling nature of club soda also encourages the release of painful gas buildup. So the next time you’re sick, avoid the sugar in ginger ale and reach for some club soda instead.

A Gardening Tool
Most gardeners know that watering your plants with club soda is an easy and effective way to boost the health of your houseplants. The minerals dissolved in club soda are exactly the minerals your plants need for proper growth. Fertilizers contain these minerals, too, but it’s easier for plants to absorb them with the water. You only need to water your plants with club soda once a week to provide a healthy mineral boost.

A Cooking Product
We already know club soda is used to make soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. Try making your own healthier ‘soft drinks’ at home by adding it to 100% fruit juice. You can use club soda as a substitute for water when cooking to add a light, fluffy texture to foods, thanks to the effervescent nature of carbonated water. Another interesting culinary use of club soda is in loosening oyster shells.

Miscellaneous Problem-Solver
These and many other miscellaneous uses for club soda continue to be found and shared by ordinary people looking to solve problems simply, cheaply, and effectively.  Stock up on club soda on your next shopping trip and start finding new ways to use this wonder product to save even more time, effort, and money.

Spring means it’s time to focus on your yard – and specifically on your lawn! The cost of keeping grass green and healthy can add up – but a bit of basic information can help you save money while maintaining an attractive lawn.

The best lawns have the healthiest, deepest root systems. Paying particular attention to the following aspects of lawn care will help those roots to thrive!

Watering

Watering properly helps you save money. A robust root system needs – and stores – the water that sustains the lawn. Healthy lawns can survive moderate droughts because, although the surface may be dry, the roots still have access to moisture.

Effective lawn watering:

• Water your grass only when it’s difficult to push a stick 4-6 inches into your lawn, where the roots are.
• When it’s dry, water your lawn heavily – but not so heavily that the water runs off. Turn off your sprinkler briefly if you notice puddles in your lawn; puddles indicate that the water is flowing faster than the soil can absorb it.
• Water at the coolest time of day so that less water is lost to evaporation and more will penetrate the ground.

Mowing

On top of keeping it looking tidy, mowing properly can save you money on water, keep your lawn’s roots healthy and help cut back on weeds.

Lawn mowing best practices:

• A rule of thumb is to cut 1/3 the length of the grass when mowing. When grass has a bit of length, it provides a measure of shade for itself, helping to maintain the moisture in the soil beneath which supports vigorous root health. Longer grass also discourages weed growth.
• Avoid mowing during the hottest hours of the day; doing so can damage your grass.
• Mowing wet grass can damage your mower.
• Mow in a variety of patterns to avoid soil compaction which can choke the roots.

Fertilizing

Fertilizer ensures healthy nutrition for your lawn. Proper fertilization up to four times per year makes for the healthiest lawn possible.

Lawn fertilizer facts:

Fertilizers contain three main ingredients, represented by numbers listed on their packaging. The amounts of these components will help you choose the appropriate fertilizer for your lawn’s needs.

1. The first number indicates the amount of nitrogen, which keeps the lawn green.
2. The second number indicates the amount of phosphorus, which strengthens roots.
3. The third number indicates the amount of potassium, which helps the grass fight off disease and survive heat and arid conditions.

• Slow-release fertilizer will feed your lawn over a longer period of time than quick-release.
• Applying fertilizer when the weather is too hot may result in chemically burned grass.
• Water the lawn after fertilizing to minimize its contact with the grass itself and to deliver it into the soil where it can be absorbed by the roots.

Lawn weed control

As mentioned earlier, the healthier the lawn and the more appropriate its length, the fewer the weeds. Weeds are more than unattractive – they choke out desirable grass.

Lawn weed wisdom:

• Many weeds – especially larger ones – are best pulled out by hand.
• If you opt for a chemical weed killer, make certain that it’s specifically for use on the lawn so it doesn’t also kill your grass.
• Apply weed control when the wind is calm so it doesn’t accidentally get blown onto desirable plants.

When it comes to your yard, it’s yet another case of knowledge empowering you to save money. By attending to of these aspects of lawn care, you’ll make great strides toward healthy grass and healthy savings on your yard maintenance costs.

How do you save on lawn care?

I recently went on a spring break trip with my son. As part of the trip, we stayed in a Las Vegas theme hotel on the Strip. We got a low, low special price on the room, and at check-in I decided not to upgrade. While I’m not normally the most frugal person out there, I decided that I didn’t want to spend the extra money to get a better room.

After seeing the room, I kind of wish I had. The light switch covers and outlet covers were loose. The ethernet cord was broken so that, even though I could plug it in and connect to the Internet, it kept falling out of my computer. There were holes in the walls.

My son didn’t notice any of this, of course. He was happy to be staying in a theme hotel in Vegas. But for me, my attempt at penny pinching yielded inadequate results. It reminded me of all the reasons that I don’t usually mind spending extra money. Sometimes, trying to save a little extra costs you in other ways:

• Experience: My Las Vegas adventure reminded me that I enjoy experiences — a lot. Part of travel, for me, is the good experience of a comfortable room. Sometimes, when you work to save extra money, you miss out on some experiences that you value.
• Time: For me, this is an even bigger consideration than experience. I place a high value on my time (which is why these travel coupons are so useful since they are easy to use). If I can save time by paying a little extra for something, I’ll do it. Getting the absolute cheapest price for something is not as important for me if I have to spend a lot of time to do it. This is especially true of free promotions. I’m not going to stand in line for three hours for a free item that it would only cost me $5 to buy otherwise. I have other things to do with my time.
• Convenience: Another consideration is convenience. Sometimes, if you want improved convenience, you need to pay for it. I’d rather fly for business reasons at 10 a.m., after I’ve dropped my son off at school, than try to catch a red-eye. The convenience of buying movie tickets online, and avoiding the line at theater, is worth the extra $1.50 per ticket to me.
• Quality: Sometimes, you really do get what you pay for. If you pay bottom-dollar for something, there’s a chance that you will get bottom-quality as well. Sometimes, that lower quality can cost you more over time in replacement parts and frustration than it would have cost to just pay a little bit extra to purchase an item of higher quality in the first place.

Sometimes, it makes sense to pinch pennies and save as much as you can. However, there are times when saving the extra money costs you in a number of other ways. Carefully consider all the costs involved before making your spending decisions. Sometimes, the non-money costs outweigh your savings.

What do you think? Is it sometimes worth it to pay more?

Working from home is becoming an increasingly common way for wives, mothers, physically disabled, retired, and those otherwise unemployed in the public workforce to generate income. Starting your own business can be challenging and scary, especially when you’re uncertain of its success or failure; a plan that looks good on paper can flop when it’s actually carried out. On the other hand, your business may have started out with a bang only to die shortly thereafter. The following are some tips for starting and maintaining long-term income from your home-operated business.

#1. Advertise, Advertise, Advertise

One of the biggest reasons for the failure of home-based businesses is the lack of advertising. You may not be selling your product or service simply because people aren’t aware it’s available! Large corporations spend significant portions of their budgets on advertising since it has been proven to influence the way the public acts and spends their money. Your home-based business may lack the large-scale structure and funds for extensive advertising, but this isn’t necessarily a limitation on the quality of your advertising.

#2. Utilize Social Media

One of the best ways to advertise in recent times is through social media. Create a Facebook page or a website advertisement for your business including pictures, details, prices, and contact information. Start with your friends and family and ask them to share your website or Facebook page with contacts that might be interested. Use your personal social media accounts to post updates about special events and pricing, post pictures of yourself or others using your products, and link to your business website. As long as you don’t become obnoxious about it, this is a great way to ‘sneak’ advertising into a place where hundreds of people will be browsing on a daily basis.

#3. Believe in Your Business, Product, and Services – Others Will, Too

Some of the greatest salesmen are those who were once (or still are) customers themselves. Personal experience and positive results with a product or service will make a greater impression than high-pressure sales tactics. Using your products and services gives you first-hand experiences to share (fuel for advertising) with others and gives others a living, breathing example of a satisfied customer. Since you’ll be sharing from your life and not from rehearsed lines, others will sense your sincerity and respond.

#4. Follow Up with Your Customers

If you’re running a customer-based home business, it’s extremely important that you establish follow-up with them. Whether you have 5 or 50 customers, strive to make each of them feel as if they were the first one, the only one, and the most important one.  The quality of customers you have means more than the quantity. Loyal, satisfied customers may continue to support your business for years to come and willingly advertise for free, so make sure they are completely satisfied. Be sure to offer money-back guarantees, return policies, and refunds so that even people who aren’t satisfied with your product or services will at least have a pleasant experience.

#5.Don’t Be Afraid to Get Creative

If your business is slowing down for no apparent reason, it may be time to breathe some new life into it. Don’t be afraid to try new sales tactics, venues, products, or other ways to draw in customers with your business’s uniqueness and appeal. Stay on top of the latest market research in your field to keep abreast of major trends or changes that might affect you. It’s also a good idea to invite another business-saavy person to give objective input on things you may need to change or improve.

Giving good gifts is part art and part science. Those who know the solution to the “gift-giving equation” appear to be natural-born gifters, coming up with the best, most appropriate and much-appreciated gifts for any recipient, for any occasion. Those who lack adequate gift-giving skills, however, just haven’t cracked the code; they give but often feel they’re grasping at straws when choosing gifts.

As a giver, not knowing what will make a great gift makes the giving a source of stress and uncertainty. And for those who’ve been the recipient of a “well-intentioned but somewhat lacking” gift, it’s equally frustrating. You want to avoid giving something that will ultimately be returned or, at the least, go unappreciated. To do so cheats the recipient of a gift he appreciates and is a waste of your money and effort. Rest assured; there are things you can do to become both a better gift giver and receiver.

Be a better gift giver

No guessing or assuming! Good gift givers do their homework. Rather than go with something generic (All teens like music, so an iTunes gift card it is…), find out about the recipient’s hobbies, interests and passions – then choose accordingly.

Ask her family and friends - Directly contact those who know the recipient best and find out about her: favorites, aspirations, decor, pastimes, preferences, needs… If there’s a gift registry involved with the occasion, be certain to consult it and either choose from it or let it inspire your gift.

Find him online - In our electronic age, there’s no shortage of means to find out what a recipient likes. The direct way is to visit sites like Amazon.com and see if your recipient has a wish list. Like a gift registry, it will give you a list of specific items he wants as well as an overview of the types of items for which he has an affinity.

Even if there’s no gift registry or wish list per se, you can find out a lot about a recipient’s preferences and taste from their Facebook profile, Pinterest pins, lastfm.com music library, even from their Twitter followers. You can get a real “feel” for someone via these sites because these are online destinations where people show and tell about things that are important to them.

Be a better gift receiver

There’s a lot you can do to make it easier for people to give you gifts that you really desire. Even if an occasion doesn’t warrant a gift registry, do keep a wish list on a site like Amazon.com and let it be known that it’s a current and realistic view of things you “wish” to have. (On a side note, did you know that you can now put a 2013 Dodge Dart on an online gift registry and have recipients offset the cost of your new car by “sponsoring” its components?) While expecting folks to buy you an engine or a rear bumper may be a bit unrealistic to many, maintaining a list of things that fit your style, tastes and interests can be tremendously helpful to gifters.

And rather than explicitly “dropping hints” about things you would like to receive, posting links and talking about them and your sense of style, interests and priorities on your social media outlets will put givers in a much stronger position to choose wisely on your behalf.

You can be a better gift giver and receiver. Great givers pick up clues and run with them. Great recipients leave a clearly marked trail to follow.

How do you make sure you give and get great gifts?

You probably know that your credit score is an important aspect of your finances. Your credit score goes beyond just helping you get a loan for a good interest rate. It can also influence your insurance rates, and even impact what happens when you sign up for Internet.

Knowing your credit score provides you with solid information that you can use as you plan your finances. Because credit scores are so important, consumers are starting to want access to them with some regularity. The result is a an increasing number of “free” credit score sites.

Is that Credit Score Truly Free?

First of all, you have to be on your guard when it comes to free credit scores. Some web sites, like FreeCreditScore.com, come with plenty of strings attached. Often, before you can even see your credit score, you have to provide your credit card number — and agree to some type of “membership” or “monitoring” program.

Many of these sites point out that you are getting a free score, and that you have a free trial. However, you provide your credit card number, and at the end of the free trial (usually seven or 14 days) the card is charged. You have to remember to cancel before the end of the trial, or your enrollment is complete and your credit card is charged.

Be wary of sites that ask for your credit card information, in spite of marketing themselves as “free” credit score sites.

Is that Credit Score “Official”?

The next thing you have to worry about is whether or not the credit score you receive is an “official” FICO score. The FICO score is still the most widespread score used, and the one most likely used by lenders making decisions about your loan.

However, most free sites don’t offer you a true FICO score. There are truly free sites that don’t require your credit card number. Quizzle, Credit Sesame, and Credit Karma all provide you free access to a credit score. However, it’s important to realize that the scores offered to you aren’t the same scores that lenders look at when making decisions about you.

These sites are great for monitoring your general progress, but the difference between the score you see at a free site and your FICO score can be as much as 20 points — or more.

Even many of the sites that require you to enter a credit card number for your free trial before seeing your score don’t have your “official” score. If you are really interested in getting your FICO score, you need to purchase it from MyFICO.com. And even then, FICO gives you the “consumer” score, and not the exact version that your lender might be using.

Bottom Line

You probably won’t get the exact version of your credit score used by any given lender when you get it for free — or even when you pay. However, these sites can help you keep tabs on your situation, and track your progress. Skip the sites that require a credit card number but still call themselves “free,” though. Instead, stick with one of the truly free sites for a general idea of where you stand.

Q-tips are yet another household product we nearly always have on hand but take for granted and under-utilize in various areas of our home. Q-tips have been on the market since the 1920s, are completely biodegradable, and at less than $4 for several hundred, are one of the cheapest household necessities around. Take a look at some of these ingenious and creative ways you can use Q-tips in your everyday life to save money and accomplish tasks more effectively.

Use Q-tips in first aid
Q-tips are great applicators for antibiotic ointment, salve and burn cream, one of their most common uses in homes and doctors’ offices. It’s a good idea to keep Q-tips handy right in your first aid kit so you don’t have to search for them when someone gets hurt.

Use Q-tips as a beauty tool
Q-tips are great for makeup application or removal because of their ability to reach small areas. Everyone should know by now it’s not recommended to use Q-tips for cleaning your ears, as they actually compress wax further into your ear, and if used forcefully, can damage your ear drum.  But cleaning earwax is far from the only cosmetic or hygienic use of Q-tips. Use Q-tips to perform the following in your beauty routine:

• Smudge eyeliner or shadow under your eyes
• Remove makeup smudges through the day (Q-tips are much gentler on your skin than fingers)
• Remove nail polish more effectively than with cotton balls
• Clean or apply moisturizer to the outer lobes of your ears
• Apply concealer
• Freshen your perfume – take along a zip lock bag with perfume-soaked Q-tips to reapply to your pulse points

Use Q-tips as a cleaning tool
Q-tips can be a great tool in your housecleaning routine, again for their ability to reach small areas and pick up dirt and grime otherwise inaccessible. Here are some cleaning tasks Q-tips can make a little easier:

• Cleaning in between keys on keyboards and other delicate electronics with rubbing alcohol
• Dusting the inside of picture frames and the crevices of knick-knacks
• Cleaning the grooves on bottle tops, the refrigerator, and inside narrow spouts
• Touching up paint or refinishing furniture in small areas and corners
• Reaching mildew in bathroom or kitchen grout with bleach
• Dusting air conditioner and heating duct vents
• Cleaning jewelry or silver tableware

Use Q-tips for pet care
Q-tips are gentle and effective at cleaning your pet’s eyes, outer ears and paws.

Use Q-tips for crafts and projects
Q-tips make perfect paintbrushes for children, and the best part is they don’t have to be cleaned.  They can also be used to adeptly apply face paint. Mature artists find Q-tips useful to precisely carve pottery, or paint model cars and figurines. Q-tips themselves are good building blocks for cottony crafts such as snowmen or snowflakes among other ideas.

These are just a few of the many ways to utilize this cheap, simple, common household item. Making the most of something you probably already keep in your cupboard is a practical way to save money, time and effort. Look around your house and you might find many other uses for the amazing Q-tip.

According to their 2012 Year End Report on Coupon Trends, Inmar, a company that provides marketing and consumerism insight to organizations, 310 billion manufacturer coupons were distributed in 2012. How many did you redeem? If you reply, “Not as many as usual,” you’re not alone. Last year, only 3 billion (a mere 1%) of those coupons were actually redeemed. To provide some perspective, 3.5 billion coupons were redeemed in 2011 – indicating that coupon redemption dropped in just one year by a significant 14.3%. Thirty years of Inmar’s data suggests that traditionally, when the economy is depressed, coupon usage increases; so why was 2012 a year that didn’t “follow the rules” when it came to coupon redemption?

3 reasons for the 2012 drop in coupon redemption

1. Consumers may be reacting differently to economic challenges - Some consumers may have simply changed their buying habits. They may have switched to store or generic brands, which are in greater supply and of better quality than ever before – and which don’t offer coupons. They may also be shopping at stores that don’t accept coupons, like private label stores and warehouse clubs to stretch their dollars.
2. Changes in coupons themselves - Consumers are certain to have noticed that many coupons don’t represent the value they used to. Redemption values have dropped, required purchase quantity has increased and expiration dates have shortened, making coupons a less-desirable means to saving.
3. Lifestyle disconnect - While the economy experiences its slow recovery, technology presses onward. Consumers find themselves living in an ever-more electronic world, making the clipping of paper coupons seem like an antiquated practice. Yet the vast majority of coupons distributed in 2012 were still of the “clip out of the Sunday paper” variety. Consumers want to get their coupons where they find their news, do their shopping, enjoy their entertainment and maintain their social networks – online. In fact, Inmar’s research discovered that more than 2/3 of shoppers say they would use more coupons if they were available online.

Coupons: What do today’s shoppers want?

Inmar’s consumer research indicates that shoppers are still very enthusiastic about using coupons, with 60% reporting having redeemed coupons in more than half of their shopping trips. Interest in coupons is also extremely high among new and emerging coupon enthusiasts, including millennials, students and men. That’s why it’s incumbent upon manufacturers and marketers to offer coupons that consumers want in the way that they want to receive them. Inmar’s report indicates that shoppers want the following from their coupons:

• High value - In 2012, the average face value of food coupons decreased 5.4% to $1.06 and for non-food coupons increased 0.5% to $1.91.
• Single-item coupons - The study discovered that 34% of consumers won’t use a coupon if it requires them to purchase multiple items.
• Longer redemption times - In 2012, the average redemption period of food coupons was down 8.0% to 2.3 months and for non-food coupons, down 12.5% to 2.1 months.
• Digital coupons - Demand for digital coupons is highest among younger shoppers, those who use a smartphone, college graduates, and those with children. That demographic is growing by the day, leading to an unprecedented demand for coupons delivered electronically. Of course, sites like this one, CouponShoebox.com, that aggregate coupons help too.
• Easy to find - Shoppers prefer the fewest number of steps and/or sites to locate the coupons they desire.
• Convenient to redeem - Shoppers are looking for coupons they can collect at the store or pre-load to their loyalty card. Providing promotion information all in one place makes shopping and redeeming coupons easier, and therefore more likely to happen. Consumers desire simple, automatic savings.

The lesson from an atypical year like 2012 is that shoppers still like to use coupons but they want them to keep pace with their lives, economic situation and the technology they use.

One of the best ways to save money on a number of items, especially entertainment, is to show patience. Getting something when it first comes out is a surefire way to guarantee that you will pay a premium. If you can show patience, you can save hundreds — or even thousands — of dollars over your lifetime.

Improve your frugal lifestyle by showing patience in these areas:

TV Shows

Paying for cable/satellite TV is one of the expenses that can most easily be cut from your life. If you are willing to wait a night or two to watch an episode of your favorite show, chances are that you can watch it on the network’s web site. Streaming services like Netflix and Hulu can also provide you with access to your favorite shows. You might have to pay, but paying $7.99 per month for Hulu Plus or Netflix sure beats paying $80 (or more) per month for cable/satellite.

Some shows can’t be watched this way, and that means that you might have to be patient for a little bit longer, and rent the shows when they come out. However, renting is still cheaper than paying the cable/satellite bill. Even buying the best shows when the come out can put you ahead, depending on how many “must see” shows you have.

Movies

Instead of paying to go to the movie theater, you can be patient and wait for it to come out on video. You can rent the disc for $1 a night from Redbox if you are going really frugal. There are plenty of other renal options as well. And, if you decide to buy, it can make sense to be patient until the price drops.

It’s possible to buy Blu-rays of some movies for between $7 and $19.99. No reason to buy a movie for $30 or more when it first comes out. It’s also possible to buy used DVDs and Blu-rays inexpensively.

Video Games

Whenever a video game comes out, you will pay a hefty price to buy it first thing. However, if you can wait a few months, the price will come down — or you can buy it used. If you are willing to wait even longer, for when the next version of the game comes out, you can get the older version quite cheaply. But that might be more patience than the most devoted video game fans have.

Electronics

Any electronic product bought upon release is expensive. From the latest smart phone to the upgraded HDTV to the new video game console, it’s expensive to buy new gadgets. If you wait a little while, you can get them at a discount. Often we buy our computers refurbished. They’re a little older, and used, but they cost less and they work really well. Even if you don’t buy refurbished phones and TVs, you can wait until the next model is released and buy the older version on clearance.

If you are willing to wait to make your purchases, you can save money over your lifetime. It might mean a little waiting, and you might not have the newest item that your neighbor has, but you’ll have something that meets your needs — and that you didn’t have to go into debt for.

What other items do you save money on through patience?

Yesterday a few family members were going to try ear candles, and someone mentioned that putting a little Vaseline on the bottom of the candle helps create a better barrier or vacuum for the ear candle to work more effectively. This turned the gears in my brain about what other uses there are for this substance found in nearly every American household.

Vaseline has been around since the late 1800s, and is one of the common every-day products we sometimes take for granted until we need it. Made from petroleum, Vaseline is gentle and harmless and useful in many different areas of your household. Here are some common and not-so-commonly known uses for this wonder product, which also happens to be very cheap.

Beauty & Skin Care
Vaseline’s most common use is as an ointment used for moisturizing dry skin and healing mild skin irritations. Beyond this, Vaseline is useful as a cosmetic substitute for the following:

• Gentle and effective make-up remover
• Night cream – effectively locks in moisture without clogging pores
• Base for homemade eyeliner and blush (mixed with food coloring)
• Lip balm/moisturizer
• Split-end treatment
• Spray tan stain protectant
• Body scrub (combine with sea salt)

Other useful beauty tips:

• Place a dab of Vaseline on your pulse points before you spray on perfume. It will last twice as long.
• When dyeing your hair, apply Vaseline to your hairline to protect your skin from stains.

Stain Removal & More
When you think of common household stain removers, you probably don’t immediately think of Vaseline, but it is effective for many stains and other common household situations. You can use Vaseline to:

• Remove lipstick stains from teeth and makeup stains from clothes and linens
• Lift water marks or gum from wood
• Keep jar lids from sticking
• Lubricate threads on outdoor light bulbs
• Easily remove wax from candle holders (coat with Vaseline before burning candles)
• Keep your carved pumpkins fresh
• Improve the effectiveness of ear candles
• Stop corrosion on car batteries
• Stop a squeaky faucet
• Shine shoes

As you can see, Vaseline has many uses within your home and should have no trouble retaining its place in your bathroom cabinet. Using Vaseline for these and other household purposes can save you time, energy, and money spent on less effective products.

Although there has been some concern that Vaseline could be harmful to the body over time (after all, it is a petroleum product), there has been no proof of this. In any case, there are certainly many other substances much more harmful than a reasonable use of Vaseline.

Try one of these new uses for Vaseline and see how much money you can save. Better yet, find your own new uses and share them with others.

Do you shop wisely because of rising prices, a shrinking income, greater expenses, because you simply love getting a bargain… or all of the above? Whether it’s due to necessity or the thrill of the score, in the pricey world in which we live, it takes a savvy shopper to save big.

When I make a “killing” in the marketplace, I want to shout it from the rooftops. It always makes me feel like a “super shopper.” Shoppers who often make those “super buys” have a winning skill set which includes:

• Knowledge - Shoppers who get the “super buys” know their prices. Knowing what constitutes a good price empowers you to pounce on it when you see it. Knowledge extends from individual item prices to being aware of the best time and place to purchase certain items.
• Patience - Impulse buying is the enemy of the super shopper! If you’re not certain a price is good, investigate before shelling out your hard-earned money. Supress your urge for instant gratification until the price is right.
• Planning - The “superest” shoppers are planners who approach the marketplace with a master plan for “how much they’ll save” rather than “how much they’ll spend.” They stock up when prices are low and maintain a list of needed or desired items so as to avoid buying at regular prices.

With those skills honed, there’s no reason you can’t become your own version of a “super shopper.”

Bargains can be found in a variety of places in a variety of ways, like these:

• Sales - Simply put, items are discounted for a limited time. Of course, we here at CouponShoebox.com gathers a bunch of these sales but there are many other ways to find out about sales as well.
• Clearance - Discontinued, last (or end of) season, mismatched, slightly irregular or returned merchandise is often deeply discounted and offered separately from similar items.
• Timely purchasing - Savvy shoppers know when items go on sale. Buying at the right time of year makes it easy to get more for your money.
• Coupons and (coupon stacking) - Whether you clip them from the Sunday newspaper, print them from the Internet or load them to your shopper’s loyalty card, coupons can save you significant amounts of money on the items you purchase. Some stores reward frequent patrons with savings vouchers based upon their shopping history. Learn more about the new age of coupons. Coupon champions understand how to “stack” coupons, using a product coupon in conjunction with a store coupon to really bump up the savings at the register.
• Off-price retail stores - T.J. Maxx, Marshall’s, Home Goods, Tuesday Morning are all examples of department stores that carry name-brand items at significantly lower prices.
• Private label stores - Grocery chains like Aldi carry private label groceries and specialty items which are often as good or better than their name-brand counterparts at much lower prices.
• Online - Many items, especially through larger companies such as Amazon.com, Drugstore.com are significantly cheaper than identical items at brick and mortar locations. Selection online is often much more extensive too, empowering you to choose items that best fit your desires and budget.
• Internet group coupons - Groupon, Living Social, Amazon Local and Dealfind are gift certificates you purchase at discounted prices for items, meals, services or tickets.
• Shopping gateway sites - Ebates is an example of a shopping gateway – a website through which you access other shopping websites – from which you earn monetary rewards.

There’s no shortage of opportunities to save when you shop – you need only the willingness to learn and implement your own “super shopping system.” Super shoppers know their way around the marketplace and can navigate the retail waters wisely, getting the best value for their money.

What are your “super shopper” saving secrets?

One of the ways that many people attempt to make more money is by asking for a raise. This can make sense, since it can mean that you do basically the same job, but you get paid a little more to do it.

However, before you get excited about the prospect of asking for a raise, you need to think through the situation. With money still a little tight for many small to medium sized businesses, asking your boss for a raise right now might not be the best option, especially if you don’t truly deserve raise.

How Long Have You Been There?

There are still companies that reward loyalty with raises. And why not? It can sometimes be less expensive to give you a modest raise that go though the time and expense of training someone new (if you quit and have to be replaced).

If you are doing a good job, and becoming better at what you do, it can make sense to give you a raise, based on your years of service.

What is Your Track Record?

More important than how long you have been with the company, though, is your track record. What have you accomplished at your workplace? Have you brought in more clients? Increased productivity? Showed good leadership qualities?

Before you ask for a raise, you need to find a way to quantify your contributions in the workplace. Your performance is one of the big factors in determining whether or not you get a raise.

Will You Do Anything Extra?

Next, you need let your employer know what types of extra things you are likely to do. You don’t need to take on a large amount of new responsibility if you get a raise, but it does help to show that you are doing what you can to “add value” to your position.

If you are asking for a promotion along with that raise, though, you had better be ready to take on more responsibility. Take a look at what you are willing to do on behalf of the company, and make it clear that you plan to step up your performance to match your new position and/or salary.

Do You Really Need More Money? Consider Benefits and Perks

Sometimes, instead of just asking for more money, you can consider the benefits and perks that come with your job. If you are willing to compromise a bit, you can get a compensation package that is worth more a mere raise. Maybe you can get a few more paid vacation days, or maybe you get perks like child care or a gym membership.

One of the things to take into account whenever you are negotiating compensation, whether you are starting a job, looking for a raise, or asking for a promotion, is the big picture. What’s the total package? And do you have benefits that are worth more than a couple thousand extra dollars a year?

Really think about what you have been adding to the company — and what you have been getting in return — before you ask for a raise.

E-books are quickly becoming vogue in a world of smart phones, e-readers and tablets. However, there are still book connoisseurs religiously devoted to traditional books. There is no question that the ranks of book lovers are easily divided over the superior experience of reading an ink and paper copy of a favorite book instead of a cold, virtual electronic format. Beyond personal preferences for the reading experience, here is a look at the pros and cons of these two formats as it will affect your pocketbook.

Outright cost: E-books aren’t always cheaper
It’s common knowledge that it costs publishers much less to produce paperbacks and hardcovers than they let on. You’ll often find that the hardcover version of a book is available for $25, while the same book in paperback or electronic format is only $13. Does it really cost that much more to produce a hardcover? Although it’s easier and less costly for publishers to produce books in digital format than to print them, the total package price of electronic books is still roughly that of paperbacks, and in some cases, more. Considering production costs, it would seem that e-books should be incredibly cheap. But since electronic books require no re-prints and are easier to update, the same ‘copy’ of a book in digital format will retain its value longer than its printed counterpart. Publishers are also able to offer huge price cuts on paperbacks when books are reprinted or over-printed, savings which trickles down to the consumer.

Pros and Cons
Since paperbacks and e-books often cost the same, which should you choose? Here are some pros and cons of paperbacks and e-books.

• Availability & value. Since e-books are fairly new, there are still thousands of books not yet available electronically. Some books hold high sentimental and even monetary value if they are antique or rare; electronic books can’t carry this value.
• The used book market. Used books aren’t a concept transferable to e-books. You can often find used books much cheaper than new ones, and, as mentioned, e-books rarely lose their value.
• The reading experience. Many readers simply enjoy the feel of books and being able to turn pages versus reading from a computer screen. Market developers have tried various features to enhance the book-like qualities of e-readers, but for some, it’s just not the same.
• Technological advances. E-books do have some advantages. Most e-readers have organizational and reference features paperbacks just can’t compete with, such as easily retrieving highlighted texts, notes and bookmarks, built-in dictionaries, phrase searching and even social media sharing. Because e-readers are electronic and their memory is stored, your books are also safer than on paper, where they can be more easily damaged or destroyed.
• Storage limitations. Although books are very portable, they take up a lot more physical space, which is limited. Libraries can only hold so many printed books, and personal libraries even less. If your bookshelf is getting too full, you might want to start buying e-books, especially for those which hold no sentimental value. Producing e-books is also more environmentally-friendly than printing, so keep that in mind if you value sustainability. You can always sell your unwanted books to produce cash for more e-books.
• Some discounts. And, even though many best-selling and new release books will cost just as much on your Kindle or Nook as they do from the bookstore shelf, you may be able to find classics, short stories, and other e-book-only titles that are as cheap as $.99.

In conclusion, printed books still have their place, but electronic books are quickly becoming the medium of choice for modern authors and readers. Enjoy the advantages of both worlds and save money, space, and the environment whenever possible.

Where do you shop? The options available are as vast as they are varied, from the physical world to the web. Much of the determination as to who gets our money has to do with the item or service for which we’re shopping.

Shop Locally?

A myriad of factors go into deciding where to shop for what. You may prefer to shop locally if the following issues are a priority for you:

• Fit - Although you can certainly purchase clothing online, many people prefer to actually try things on rather than trust the sizing from an online store.
• Color - There’s no definitive way to determine color online. Seeing it in person is the only way to make certain you get the one you want.
• Personal contact – You may prefer to purchase from an actual human who can inform you about a product or service and field your questions. You may also feel more comfortable making a purchase from a “place with a face” should you need to return a product make a complaint.
• Personal service - A level of personalized customer attention can be offered by a local professional that even stellar virtual customer service can’t touch. In certain professional relationships, like Insurance Agent, there’s a major benefit to doing business with someone who has firsthand knowledge of the intricacies of your unique circumstances and needs.

Shop on the Web?

Shopping on the Internet offers significant benefits, including

• 24/7 Convenience - Shop anytime for virtually anything.
• Choice - Comparison shop by features, price, brand, model…it’s all there for the finding.
• Price - Because they lack the overhead of a brick and mortar store (like rent), online prices are often considerably cheaper.
• Information/Reviews - Most shopping sites provide detailed product descriptions, an About Page and information about their store and products and/or services. Many also include customer reviews or testimonials so consumers can learn what others think.

While it’s true that many services, like haircuts, restaurant dining, child care, electrical and plumbing services and dry cleaning still must be conducted from a “brick and mortar” location, many more, from tax preparation to legal services to psychic readings are available online. The choice is ours as to where we do business.

Why the Choice Matters

Where “should” you shop? The answer depends on your priorities. While the Internet makes a lot of shopping easier and less expensive (especially when you use coupons we’ve gathered here, there are undeniable benefits to shopping locally. According to The 3/50 Project, if half the employed population spent $50 monthly in independent, locally-owned stores, $42.6 billion in revenue would be generated. That’s money that could be in the pocket of folks who live and work in your community. The site goes on to say that, for every $100 spent locally, $68 stays in the community, paying taxes, payroll and other business expenditures. By comparison, that same $100 spent at a national chain store returns only $43 to the community and online purchases return nothing at all.

It’s a fine line for consumers to walk. Certainly we want to fuel our local economies by spending locally. Pumping money into our communities makes for a higher standard of living for all. However, local businesses are often, by necessity, a bit pricier than other shopping options and we know that it’s important to spend prudently.

Bottom line, I suggest you take the advice of The 3/50 Project: Choose the three local, independent businesses you’d miss if they closed up shop. Patronize them whenever you can to do your part in helping them thrive. Shop online or at national chains for the rest of your purchases. You’ll be spending your money responsibly on all fronts.

Where do you shop and why?

Too often, we run into failure. We make grand plans, and they come to nothing. This can be especially true with finances. We might make a debt pay down plan, only to have a job loss interrupt the efforts. What happens if you plan to get a new job, but aren’t hired?

It’s important to make financial plans, and to try to stick with them. However, it’s also important to be ready in the event that your financial plans fail.

Preparing for Financial Setbacks

Right now, I’m in the process of trying to refinance my home. I have plans for the $300 a month I’m supposed to save, as well as other hopes for the refinance. But it’s taking forever. And what happens if the refinance doesn’t go through? I’ve already canceled my mortgage auto pay with expectation that the refinance will close in the next 10 days. But if something goes wrong, I’m going to have to reinstate auto pay, and make sure that my mortgage payments aren’t interrupted.

Other financial setbacks are a little more difficult to deal with than the possibility of a refinance falling through. A job loss is one of the biggest setbacks that many experience. When you lose your job, a number of plans, from saving for retirement to paying off debt to putting a child through college can fall through.

In order to prepare for these types of setbacks, here are a few things to consider:

• Diversify your income: Relying on one source of income can lead to all sorts of problems later. Income diversity, though, can help you offset some of the effects of failed financial plans. You can keep making the most important payments, and you might have a little more time to create an alternative plan.
• Emergency fund: Your emergency fund can help you supply a Plan B for a certain period of time. However, eventually your emergency fund will run dry. You need to make alternate plans to begin earning money again so that you can get back on track.
• Brush up on skills and networking: You might be surprised at what’s available for you in terms of new opportunities — as long as you are up to date with your skills and you have a good network. From turning to trusted family and friends when you run into a financial setback, to tapping your career network to find a job, know what resources you have at your command.

Make a New Plan

If your first set of financial plans fail, make a new plan. If your attempt at a side business has flamed out, consider what went wrong, and whether or not there is a different side business that would work better for you. When your debt pay down plan gets off track, re-evaluate where you stand, and make a new plan.

Start again. It’s not easy to pick yourself back up, but you need to if you want to move forward. While you might not be able to control what has already happened, you can choose how to respond going forward. Make a new plan from your current position, and work toward a better financial future.

In the present economy, many people are rethinking their current careers (or lack of one). Nothing is more financially unsettling than being laid off from a long-term job and being forced back into the job market, especially when the job market has changed. One of the options, if you aren’t able to regain employment in your current or a similar field, is to return to college. With the multitude of colleges and universities offering online degrees and more job-specific training programs, it has never been a better time to go to the next level of your education or start an entirely new career. The following are some factors to consider when determining if going back to college is right for you.

Consider the future of your job and the potential for advancement. If you’re still employed, it’s tempting to feel indifferent to changes in the economy and job market because they haven’t affected you. However, going back to college before you are forced to find another job or career may be much easier to plan for, financially, and put more careful thought into. Look at the present state of your career field and ask these questions:

• Is the need for it stable in the foreseeable future?
• Is the demand for it growing?
• Do advances in technology, science, or practice indicate you will need more education to be competitive in the job market?
• Will your salary be sufficient and will you be able to receive raises and advance?

Consider how going back to college would affect your present career and finances.

If you’re currently unemployed, the answer is simple; but if your job is stable, considering the implications of temporarily quitting, dropping your hours, or seeking other work while you attend school can be scary. One of the advantages of going back to college is that more education rarely hurts your earning potential. Even if you aren’t able to get a job in exactly the field you studied for, any degree, especially a Bachelor’s or a Master’s, will automatically qualify you for a much higher caliber of jobs than minimal or no college education. However, if you’re not financially stable enough to handle tuition payments or more debt through student loans, you may need to wait until your financial situation improves.

Consider student loans. Although it’s always better to pay for college up-front through savings and earnings, student loans, if handled responsibly, can be a great tool in furthering your education. You won’t have to pay back federal student loans until you quit or complete your degree program. Although dropping everything to enroll in college full time can be financially scary, finishing your degree all at once before you are required to pay back your loans may be your best option. A less-than-ideal temporary job can provide sufficient income to get you through the transition.

“Pay As You Earn” Loans. Another concern is that you might not be able to find a job in your new career field right away, just when you are required to start repaying student loans. President Obama’s new program titled “Pay As You Earn” may be a way to handle this financial pressure. If you qualify, Pay As Your Earn loans require you to re-pay only up to 10% of your monthly income for up to 3 years. The program also includes debt forgiveness after 20 years.

Whatever your current career, considering further education in your field or another field is always a good decision, because more education almost always pays.

I was recently shopping and came across a lovely half pork loin at an awesomely affordable price. Since it’s just my husband and I, though, 4+ pounds of pork is a lot to deal with at one time. Even with my famous creativity with leftovers, I was afraid that it would either spoil or we’d become “porked out” and not want to eat it all.

Either scenario would be wasteful and run counter to our frugal lifestyle. That’s why I decided to portion-out the raw pork loin and freeze it in single-use packages. I simply sliced to pork into ten approximately one-inch slices – like boneless pork chops – thinking that would be the most versatile way to deal with it in the future.

I used two pork slices immediately on the following dish:

Pecan-Crusted Pork Patties

Ingredients

2 one-inch slices of pork loin

Flour for dredging, seasoned with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dehydrated bacon bits, granulated onion, dry mustard and paprika

1 egg + 1 T water, beaten

1 c finely chopped pecans

Vegetable oil for frying

Method

Pound out the pork slices very thin, less than ¼” thick.

Heat oil in frying pan to medium-high.

Dredge pork in seasoned flour on both sides. Dip into egg; once coated, press into minced pecans, coating both sides. Place into heated oil and brown on both sides until pork is cooked through, about 10 minutes total.

Pork patties could be served with applesauce on the side. Sweet potatoes or squash makes a tasty accompaniment.

Now to consider those other packages of pork… I generally cook in a free-form manner rather than following a recipe, per se,  so I can take advantage of what I have on hand rather than feeling the need to buy particular ingredients every time I cook a meal. That’s why the following are meal “ideas” rather than actual recipes. I hope they inspire and liberate you as they do me in the kitchen.

Oriental Pork

Cube the pork and marinate it in soy sauce, garlic, orange juice and vegetable oil. Stir-fry with your choice of vegetables (broccoli, pea pods, celery, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, Chinese cabbage…). Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve with steamed rice or noodles.

Barbecue Pork

Slice pork thinly and saute in vegetable oil with minced onion, salt and pepper. Add barbecue sauce or create your own with ketchup or tomato sauce, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and liquid smoke. Simmer to allow seasonings to permeate pork, then serve on buns with coleslaw and/or corn on the cob.

Mexican Pork

Pound the pork to ¼ in thickness. Dredge in flour seasoned with salt, chili powder, cumin, granulated onion. Saute in olive oil until browned on both sides and cooked through. Serve with refried beans and tortillas; garnish with salsa, sour cream and shredded cheese.

Greek Pork

Season pork “chops” with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides in olive oil. Combine lemon juice, honey, garlic and oregano and pour over pork in pan. Reduce heat to low and simmer about five minutes. Add vegetables (zucchini, spinach, tomatoes…) around pork and allow to cook until crisp-tender and pork is cooked through, about 10 more minutes. Pour sauce remaining in pan over pork. Serve with oven-roasted potatoes.

Don’t be intimidated by a large amount of meat. The prices are often lower on larger cuts than on smaller packages of the identical product. With a little prep work, you can cut a large portion down to manageable sizes and with a little creativity, you can create several distinct meals from one thrifty purchase.

How do you utilize a large quantity of meat?

One of the best ways to protect your largest asset, your house, is to buy homeowners coverage (if you use a mortgage to buy, this is usually a requirement).

If something goes wrong, and your home is damaged and needs repairs, or if it is destroyed, you can use the insurance pay out to replace some — or all — of what you have lost. The loss of your home is devastating enough; you don’t want the financial hardship of paying to replace everything entirely on your shoulders all at once.

As useful as homeowners insurance is, though, it’s important to recognize that there are likely to be holes in your coverage. Here are 5 things to watch out for as you secure your homeowners coverage:

1. Business Use of Your Home

Not all homeowners policies cover what happens in your home office. If you run a business out of your home, damage to the equipment, and the area of your home that acts as your office, might not be covered. You also might not have liability coverage if a client is injured while on a business visit to your home office.

Double check the coverage. You might have limited coverage, or none at all. Consider adding business coverage to your homeowners policy if it is lacking.

2. Valuable Contents

Do you have a lot of valuable items in your home? From collectibles to fine art to heirloom jewelry, if you have valuable items they might not be adequately covered. Find out the limit on the contents portion of your insurance policy, and then increase the coverage, or buy specific coverage for particularly valuable items.

3. Liability

A portion of your homeowners policy is designed to protect you from lawsuits if someone is injured on your property. If you have a high net worth, though, someone might sue you for more than your homeowners policy covers. If you are concerned about this situation, look into umbrella insurance. These policies are designed to provide extra liability coverage above and beyond what your other policies provide. They can be a protection if you are worried about high-cost lawsuits.

4. Natural Disasters

Double-check your insurance policy to see what natural disasters are covered. You might be surprised to discover that some damage to your home isn’t covered in your specific policy. In many cases, flood insurance isn’t part of your homeowner’s policy. Other items like hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and mudslides might also be excluded. If you live in an area prone to any of these issues, there is a good chance that the natural disaster isn’t covered. Assess the situation, and determine whether or not additional coverage is warranted.

5. Increase in Value

Have you been in your house for a long time? Has the value increased from when you first bought? If so, you might not have adequate insurance. You want to be able to be fully covered for the current value of your home. Make sure that you have coverage adequate to the new value of your home so that if something happens, you can handle the replacement at current prices.

As rates of diabetes, heart disease, and other obesity-linked health problems have increased, so has our culture’s focus on getting and staying healthy. As a nation, we have worked to increase the nutrition of our children’s school lunches and snack choices, created weight-loss shows and programs to make fitness appealing, and held fast-food chains responsible for disclosing the caloric content of their tasty but typically unhealthy products. All of these changes help improve our health, our quality of life, and our longevity. But did you know that there are also financial advantages to living a healthy lifestyle? Here are some ways that improving your health will save you money.

• Lower grocery bills. Although healthy choices such as organic meat, dairy and produce are comparatively more expensive than their counterparts, choosing to improve the nutritional value of foods you purchase and consume will make a difference in your grocery bill, overall. Just eliminating unnecessary and unhealthy junk foods from your cart will cut a significant amount of spending, allowing you to focus more on the quality of the food you are buying. Keep in mind that although processed, packaged foods seem cheaper initially, buying the basics and cooking meals yourself will save more money per meal.
• Less dining out. Let’s face it – our culture is very experienced-focused when it comes to eating. Dining out is a weekly occurrence in most American households. If you consider portions alone, few restaurants encourage healthy eating habits; and, of course, dining out is significantly more expensive than preparing food at home. Choosing to eat healthier will require eating out less, keeping more money in your wallet.
• Cheaper entertainment. Sedentary activities are often more expensive (i.e.  going to the theater, renting movies, gaming). A healthier lifestyle will often save you money on entertainment because being active is entertainment in itself.
• Lower fuel costs. Getting active by walking a few blocks to work versus driving saves fuel while pushing forward your fitness. Other ideas: take your family on a bike ride to a nearby town or park; mow with a push mower; shovel instead of using a snow blower.
• Fewer medicines and doctor bills. Although controversial, it’s a general truth that people who live healthier lifestyles need fewer medications and doctor visits. Losing weight and eating a low-fat, high-fiber, nutrient-rich diet has been proven to lower cholesterol, improve diabetes, and affect all aspects of our physical health.
• Lower health insurance. Medical insurance providers have to consider unhealthy people a risk, just as automobile insurance companies consider drivers with traffic violations to be a greater risk. In recent years, medical providers have provided significant monetary incentives for its recipients to stop smoking, lose weight, and enroll in fitness programs.

These and countless other savings are the natural result of choosing to live a healthier lifestyle. Remember that getting and staying healthy is not only good stewardship of your body and your health, but of your present and future finances, as well.

As winter wears on and our same four wall seem to close in on us, we find ourselves longing for a change of scenery. Spring’s natural reawakening is still a couple months away but in the meantime, we can renew our spirits by freshening up our indoor environment.

While a total home – or even room – makeover would be ideal, even smaller, economical changes can make a significant difference in sprucing up our living space. Here are 19 very affordable ideas to perk up our homes, all under $100 – and some cost only time and effort.

1. Paint - Experience the power of color! A change of hue (even on one wall) can change the whole feel of a room.
2. Wall Treatments - Wallpaper, borders or stencils can add character and a custom vibe to a plain wall.
3. Replace or repaint/restain baseboard/moulding - These architectural features often fade into the background. Show them some attention and they can add lots of character to a room.
4. New hardware - Replacing kitchen and bathroom hardware works like a facelift – revitalizing even older or unremarkable cabinetry.
5. Decorative film - Add personality and distinctive light play to a room by covering a window with decorative vinyl film.
6. New shades/globes for lamps or fixtures - Completely change the look of your lighting by replacing shades or globes on lamps and wall or ceiling fixtures.
7. Rearrange furniture - Make a room seem bigger – or more intimate – simply by moving furniture around. The change in traffic flow will make the space seem new and inviting.
8. Rearrange/redistribute accessories - After a while, we fail to see the items that populate our living space. Bringing vases, photos, statues, wall hangings, candles and other decorative items from one room to another provides an opportunity for them to be appreciated in completely different surroundings.
9. New fabrics - Pillows, pillow shams, throws, table linens, towels, chair covers and shower curtains are all examples of how fabric accessories can add a new and exciting splash of color, pattern and texture to your home.
10. Houseplants - Never underestimate the power of living things to revitalize our environment. Distribute a little bit of nature here and there to add warmth, color and life.
11. Display an existing collection - Instead of them languishing in storage, use your collections and memorabilia for a new and meaningful decorative experience.
12. Area rugs - Add color and pattern while tying a color scheme together and defining a space.
13. Window treatments (curtains, blinds, shades, valances) - Changing your windows’ “dressing” updates a room dramatically.
14. Change one piece of furniture - Pick a piece – any piece – and paint, distress, stain, stencil or cover it in fabric.
15. Fragrance - Change is more than visual. Freshen the air with potpourri, pinecones, scented oils, candles, eucalyptus…
16. Organize it! - Pots and pans, clothing and shoes, tools and household supplies… Homes are subject to clutter accumulation and poor storage. Organizing something significant can make it feel like a new home.
17. Repurpose items - Using existing items in new and different ways gives them new life. Think outside the box to see your household items in a new light.
18. Repurpose an area - This is a challenging idea but, could you switch the use of a couple of your rooms, like, dining room and family room? It’s sure to give you a fresh perspective!
19. Do a deep clean - When all else fails, clean it! Steam clean your carpets or have your window coverings or area rugs professionally cleaned. It’s amazing how refreshed it will make your home feel – and appear.

It’s not costly to refresh your environment while you wait for spring!

How do you renew your living space inexpensively?

While the primary reason that you give to charity probably isn’t the tax deduction, it doesn’t hurt that your generosity comes with a financial benefit. You can reduce your taxable income with the help of the deduction you get for your charitable donations.

As you consider your charitable expenses from last year, and as you plan for the coming year, here are some ways that you can see a tax benefit from charitable giving:

Donate Money

Most of us are familiar with the idea of donating money to charity. When you give, you can deduct your donations if you itemize your deductions when you fill out your tax return. It’s important to note, though, that you will need a receipt from the organization if you give more than a certain amount. It’s best to get a receipt in any case. Even if you give to a church, there is a good chance that you can get a receipt. Keep track of your donations, and then ask for a receipt at the end of the year.

Donate Goods

You can also donate charitable goods and take a tax deduction. You can deduct the current market value of the goods (you don’t base your deduction on what you paid for the item originally). The items you donate must be in good, usable condition. Additionally, you will need a receipt from the organization verifying the value of your donation. You might also need to fill out what you originally paid for the items as you complete your tax return. If you aren’t sure (who really remembers what they paid for something they haven’t looked at in 10 years), you can usually estimate based the current market value of the goods.

Deduct Mileage and Items You Buy for the Charity

If you are actively involved in helping with a charity, you can deduct what you spend in those efforts. You receive a deduction in the amount of 14 cents per mile that you drive on behalf of a charity. That amount isn’t indexed to inflation, so it remains steady, no matter the current conditions, and no matter how prices rise.

Keep a mileage log in your car. Note the date, the odometer reading as you start, and the odometer meeting when you finish. Then total up the miles. Remember that you can on

In recent years, web-based television and movie streaming services like Netflix and Hulu have become popular as a supplement and potential replacement for traditional cable television. But is this growing phenomenon going to eventually replace cable? CEOs from both sides of the spectrum claim it won’t be any time soon. Still, you may be considering whether to cut your cable service in favor of cheaper online alternatives. Here are some pros and cons to consider while deciding whether online entertainment services are enough for you.

Advantages of web-based entertainment

• Huge cost savings. Netflix and Hulu Plus offer their services for roughly $10 a month. Netflix offers unlimited streaming packages which include past seasons of many television shows as well as movies. (They are also offering a one month free trial.) Hulu Plus is similar but also offers a larger variety of shows in current seasons, available a few days after they’re broadcast on network television. Compared to most cable packages, which vary in price from $60-$100, this is a huge discount.
• Convenience and portability. Another advantage of online entertainment is the ability to watch shows wherever and whenever you want, often on a portable device such as a laptop, smartphone, or tablet. You can’t take your cable with you when you’re on the road.
• Back-dated series and episodes. If you miss an episode of your favorite show on television, unless you have a DVR, you’re out of luck. Online services offer you the ability to retrieve older series and episodes you may have missed without having to purchase or rent a hard copy.

Disadvantages of web-based entertainment

• Lack of access to certain networks. Even though Hulu Plus offers you many shows, they are licensed for a comparatively small number of networks. There are certain networks that are only licensed with cable providers, since this is still the major method people watch their shows. It only makes sense to invest in the outlet that’s bringing in the most revenue. Although more networks may expand to web services in the future, currently the selection is limited.
• Lack of live broadcasts, news, and sports channels. If you’re a big sports fan, web-based services might not meet your needs. If you enjoy watching a lot of live television, you might want to retain your cable package, even if just for certain channels.
• Time delay of current shows. Even though you can watch current series on Hulu Plus, you won’t be able to watch them in real time. This is an inconvenience some don’t mind; you just have to be prepared to plug your ears at work when your friends are talking about the latest episode you haven’t seen yet.

Online streaming services and traditional cable are not yet rivals in the entertainment world. You can utilize one or both to best suit your needs at the greatest possible savings.  While you may still find it necessary to retain your cable, you may be able to bump down to a cheaper package with a few networks you can’t access on your Netflix or Hulu account and still pay less than you would for unlimited channels.

On the other hand, if you don’t watch much television as it is, and are content with online entertainment options, you can drop your cable and save up to $90 a month. This is a savings that can free a lot of space in your budget for more important things. The choice is yours.