I signed up for the financial newsletter LearnVest a few weeks ago.

Of course, true to form, I went ahead and selected all the various newsletters, so every morning I now have a deluge of emails in my inbox.

I’ve actually really gotten a lot of inspiration – blogging and otherwise – from their emails. While some of their advice strikes me as intended for people with a LOT more money than I have, most of them have really helpful nuggets.

Like today, I got one newsletter filled with tips for raising your credit score (apropos to yesterday’s post on regularly getting your credit report).

But what I really wanted to share with you was this morning was an anonymous quote that was featured in another newsletter.

When I read this, it so resonated with me that I actually said “YES!” outloud. I think this mentality is the heart of the problem for so many of us.

I impulsively buy little things that I convince myself I need … but cannot seem to find the money for larger purchases that I actually need. I’ve needed a new winter coat for several years but always think it’s too expensive, so I don’t buy it. However, I go into Costco and spend $220 on random stuff!

This is the inability to delay gratification that I have fought so hard to change in myself. I suspect it’s fairly typical for many of us, but I’d love to hear your opinion: Typical or exceptional?

Do you relate to this quote?

Synovate Global Opinion Panel is once again accepting new survey members.

One of those oldest, most well-respected market research companies, Synovate‘s windows never last long – but since many of you expressed an interest in survey opportunities, I wanted to let you know.

Synovate members get to be the first to test out new consumer goods and give feedback that will help companies improve everyday services, products, and household items. I’ve had readers tell me they’ve received everything from packages of free diapers to tubes of toothpaste from Synovate.

You also get paid for completing surveys with Synovate. Each survey has a point value, which can be redeemed for cash. And since the minimum payout is only $5 – you can start getting paid right away.

Join Synovate HERE.

And now for my standard disclaimer: Surveys are not a get-rich-quick scheme. But if you have a few minutes in your day and are often online anyway, surveys can be an easy and fun way to earn a bit of pocket money.

Learn more about survey companies in my Survey 101 Overview.

For Elisheva, who asked me on Facebook… and everyone else…

Get a one-year subscription to Rachael Ray Magazine for just $4.50 when you use the coupon code FOODFEB22 at checkout.

Get up to four years at the same rate – it’s like stockpiling for your magazines!

Thanks, Kansas City Mamas.

If you’ve been thinking of joining a women’s gym, Curves is offering a FREE one-week trial membership.

Sign up HERE.

Wondering what to do with your $10 Vitacost credit and $2.22 shipping today? How about grabbing a three-pack of Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal for only $2.22 – or $.74/box.

Here’s how:

• Sign up for Vitacost using my referral email (thank you!) to get a FREE $10 credit. It will be emailed to you – and should arrive in your inbox within a few minutes.

• Go to Vitacost.com and search for the Kashi Go Lean Crunch. It is on sale for $9.57.

• After your $10 off coupon, your cereal will be free! Just pay $2.22 for shipping (today only, regularly $4.99).

Warning: The Vitacost site is running very slowly today. Orders are being processed, but it’s slow-going.

Vitacost has great prices on lots of kosher, organic, gluten-free grocery items, plus a wonderful selection of natural cleaning and beauty supplies.

Last week, I shared some of my thoughts and advice on becoming a blogger. A lot of you followed up with me with questions and comments – so I’m happy to continue talking about blogging resources, if that’s something that is of interest to a number of my readers.

I also got to hear from a lot of readers who are also bloggers in their own right. One of my favorite bloggers – and dear friends – is Sheva from My Shtub. Her blog is a personal lifestyle blog, in which she shares stories and (amazing) photos of her family.

Since her writing niche is so different from KOAB’s, she suggested a follow-up post with tips for writing a personal blog. Great idea! Without further adieu, here’s my friend Sheva.

Hi! I’m Sheva and I write the blog myshtub.blogspot.com. Like Mara, I would not say I have a famous blog (even though I think she does) in the perspective of the blogosphere, but after a few years of experience, I have a growing readership and also like Mara, I wanted to offer some tips and tricks I learned along the way.

1.   Find your niche

I think Mara touched on this, but I wanted to expand a bit. I often get asked to give my opinion on peoples blogs and the first thing I usually say is: What sets your blog apart from the 4 million other blogs out there? Find what will separate you from the masses. Maybe you cook all your gourmet kosher recipes on a single burner or you only use 5 ingredients for all your meals. Whatever it may be, take that niche and go with it.

2.      Make your blog look pretty

I k now that may sound funny, but If I click on a blog with a plain BlogSpot template and simple type heading I usually won’t go further. As humans we are naturally drawn to things that are pleasing to the eye. We decorate our homes and dress in a way that represents us, and so does your blog. Are you going to take fashion advice from your plain jane friend, as sweet as she may be. Simply fixing up your header is a great way to start and can vary in costs if you can’t do it yourself. Etsy is a great place to look to have mini blog makeovers done for under a $100 bucks, this is what I did for mine. Like Mara said, wait till your readership is large enough that the cost of a full blog makeover is worth it.

3.     Keep your writing short and sweet

Are you interested in reading a novel on the computer screen? I’m not. I know you have a lot to say and that is why you are starting a blog, but the best way to drive your readers away is with long, long, long posts without much eye candy such as images and graphics. When I have had my posts turned into actual articles without pics, it is a joke how little I actually write. This brings me to my next point.

4.      Pictures are really worth a thousand words

I know this will be somewhat controversial and some may not agree, but if you are going to write a personal family blog, a food blog, or a craft blog, you have to have pictures. If you are going to write a 20-minute long post about all the funny things your son says, then I want to see that son. It’s a natural human instinct. Putting your children’s pictures on the web is a hard decision to make and trust me it has not been a bowl of cherries for me, but the pics often tell more than the words. You don’t need to be a photographer, you just need some bright, in-focus pics. If you write a food blog there should be tons of food pics, and not stock photos, your pics. This is what will keep your readers eye to keep reading.

5.      Stop looking at your competition and blog from your heart

Mara also spoke about this. Stop looking to see what the others are doing, and especially stop copying them. This won’t work for you. What makes your blog you is you. That is why it is called a personal blog. If you try to replicate everyone else then what is he point?  I have had my blog for about 5 years but it didn’t really start taking off until the last 2 years. I couldn’t find my footing, and what I wanted to share. Was it going to be all about crafts, or my family? One day I decided to be real and open, I decided to be myself, and the readership grew. Who would of thunk?

I hope this helped and you can always catch me over at MyShtub where I would be happy to answer more questions.

Did you print the new Entenmann’s coupons when I told you about them earlier this week.

They are still available HERE (use zip code 07039 if they don’t come up for you right away). Here’s how to pay just $1.99 for the mini cakes at Target.

Entenmann’s Mini Cakes – $2.99 (price cut thru 3/10)
Use $1 Entenmann’s Mini Cakes Printable Coupon
= $1.99 after coupon

Thanks Totally Target.

Every week, I share a list of the best deals at Walmart for $1 or less, with thanks to I Heart the Mart for putting the match-ups together. If you are planning a run to Walmart, you will definitely want to add these freebies (or almost freebies) to your list.

Don’t forget, Walmart allows you to earn overage when the value of your coupon exceeds the cost of the item. You can also price match any local advertised sale price at Walmart.

Country Crock – $1.74
Use $1/1 Country Crock Printable Coupon
= $.74

Tylenol Precise – $5.47
Use $5/1 Tylenol Precise Product from 2/19 RP Insert
= $.47

Avent Pacifier Smoothie (2 pack) – $2.00
Use $1.50/1 Avent Pacifier Pack Printable Coupon
= $.50

Nestle Raisinets – $.98
Buy 2 and use $.75/2 Nestle/Wonka Candies from 2/19 RP Insert
= $.61 each

Gerber Pure Water – $.99
Buy 3 and use $1.00/3 Gerber Pure Water Printable Coupon
= $.66 each

Vaseline Lotion (3 oz) – $.97
Use $1/1 Vaseline Intensive Rescue from 1/29 RP Insert
= FREE + $.03 money maker after coupon

Lipton Recipes Secrets Product – $1.26
Buy 2 and use $1/2 Lipton Recipes Secrets Product from 1/29 RP Insert (some got $.60/2)
= As low as $.76 each

I’m fond of saying that personal finance is PERSONAL. Which, to me, means there really is no objective right or wrong way to save money, make a budget or allocate your resources.

If it works for you – it works.

But there are a few things that I think are objective. And one of those is regularly checking your credit report.

While it’s good to know your “score” and have a sense of your overall debt to income ratio, the real reason I want to urge you to check your credit report today is to detect possible identify fraud. 

Identity thieves can use your name, address and social security number to open credit card accounts, take out personal loans and even start-up utility and cable accounts. They leave you holding the bill – and scrambling to prove you were a victim of a crime.

If you don’t regularly check your credit report, you won’t find out about this theft until the creditor finally turns over your account to a debt collection agency, who ominously comes knocking on your door.

Where can I check my credit report for free?

According to federal law, U.S. citizens are entitled to one free credit report every 12-months from each of the three reporting bureaus - TransUnion, Equifax and Experian. Go to AnnualCreditReport.com to get your free report.

There are also numerous sites that claim to have free credit checks, but unfortunately, most of these sites only offer the service for 7-days, after which they automatically start billing you for their “credit monitoring” service.

What kind of inaccuracies am I looking for?

According to BankRate.com, 70% of credit reports contain errors that might cause consumers to be denied credit cards, car loans and even mortgages.

In addition to the obvious – credit cards, loans or utility accounts listed in your name, which you did not open – you also want to carefully check each of your three credit reports for any inaccuracies.

First, compare the three reports – they aren’t necessarily the same. Report any inconsistencies to the appropriate credit bureau.

Next, look for any of the following errors:

• Incorrect personal information – Is your name spelled correctly? Do they have your married/maiden name? Is your address up-to-date and spelled correctly? Is your social security number correct?
• Incorrect/outdated account information - Have you closed a credit card, which they are still showing as open? Have you increased your credit limit, which can potentially affect your credit score, and they are still showing as the lower amount?
• Duplicate Mortgage Accounts - If your mortgage was recently sold, it may be listed under both the previous lender and the current one. Duplicate accounts can negatively impact your credit score.
• Phantom Accounts - These might be accounts that weren’t fraudulent, but simply inaccurately attributed to you (if the social security number and/or name are very similar). We’ve also found accounts listed on my husband’s report that were his parents. He was listed as an authorized user, but that should not show up on his account.
• Outdated issues – Most negative issues should drop off your credit report after sever years. If there are negative items dating back further than that, you can contact the credit bureau to have it removed.

If you discover any inconsistencies or inaccuracies, you need to immediately report them to the credit bureau. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires that they be investigated and fixed within 60 days – but you need to report the errors to start this process.

Bankrate.com has a very helpful sample credit report inaccuracies letter, along with the addresses for each of the bureaus.

If you suspect that you have actually been a victim of identity theft, you can get more resources from the Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft site, along with your local police department. They will be able to better guide you through the process of cleaning up your identity.

While you are working through this, I would recommend that you put a Fraud Alert on each of your credit reports. Once you have done so, accounts can no longer be opened without double verification.

If you request this alert from one of the three credit bureaus, it will automatically be sent to the other two – and remain in effect for three months. You can extend this to a lifetime alert if and when you prove that you have, in fact, been a victim of ID theft.

Experian – 888-397-3742 (TDD 800-972-0322)

Equifax – 888-766-0008 (TDD 800-255-0056)

Transunion – 800-680-7289 (TDD 877-553-7803)

So… have you checked your credit report lately?

If you STILL haven’t taken advantage of your FREE $10 credit from Vitacost (is there anyone left?!), or if you’ve been wanting to place another order, they are running an awesome FREE Shipping offer today (2/22) only.

Spend over $22 and get free shipping on your entire order. Typically the free shipping threshold is $49.

OR, spend under $22 and pay just $2.22 for shipping – typically flat rate shipping is $4.99.

So, if you have a $10 credit, you can put that credit to use buying something that costs roughly $10 and pay just $2.22 for shipping – that’s a savings of 80%!

Or you can buy $22 worth of merchandise, apply your $10 credit and get free shipping!

Either way, you come out ahead.

Sign up for Vitacost to get your FREE $10 credit. It will be emailed to you – and should arrive to your inbox within about 20 minutes or less.

Here are some of the best deals I’ve found from Vitacost for new members:

• Eden Organics, Near East Rice and Luna Bars
• Burt’s Bees Head to Toe Kit for ~ $2.22 with your new member credit, including shipping!
• Ecos Laundry Detergent, 100-fl oz for ~ $3.30 with your new member credit, including shipping!
• Zoe Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1-liter for just ~ $4 with your new member credit, including shipping!

Vitacost has great prices on kosher, organic, gluten-free grocery items, plus a wonderful selection of natural cleaning and beauty supplies. Shipping is fast and customer-service is top-notch, too.

Recyclebank and Pantene are teaming up to bring us four new ways to earn a total of 65 points for our Recyclebank accounts.

# 1. Pantene Nature Fusion Quiz on Recyclebank.com – earn 10 points when you take the Pantene quiz – just follow THIS link.

#2. Pantene® Nature Fusion Facebook Pledge -  Take the pledge by clicking the image below to earn 10 points. The pledge is via Facebook and you’ll need to have pop-ups enabled.

#3. Pantene® Nature Fusion Interactive Quiz – Earn 20 Points for taking this interactive quiz; just click the image below to get started.

#4. Pantene® Nature Fusion Interactive Quiz – Earn 25 more points for click the image below and completing the final Pantene quiz.

In my Pinterest post yesterday, I mentioned that we have been working on some small remodeling projects in our home.

So far we have updated our teeny tiny, basement half-bath into a fully functioning full bath for guests. Next up is a small eat-around island in our kitchen, with the aim of expanding our (very limited) current workspace.

During these projects, Pinterest has become my go-to-site for inspiration on everything from design to function to what counter-top stools I should get.

When I can’t imagine how something will look – or if I’ll prefer post-industrial metal over traditional wood – I just search on Pinterest. Inevitably somebody – with much better photography skills than I have – has already pinned a picture of just that scenario.

In addition to Pinterest, t hough, if you are thinking about undertaking a bathroom or kitchen remodel, there’s another very cool site that I just got introduced to as well – Merillat.

I like to think of Merillat as the Pinterest for kitchens and baths. They have an amazing IdeaFolio, where you can mix and match cabinetry, colors, counter-tops, backsplash options and so much more.

They have this great wizard that walks you thru the process of designing your dream kitchen or bath. *Swoon*

Yes, this site is associated with Merillat cabinetry. And sure, you could purchase cabinets from them, but I’m using Merillat’s IdeaFolio as a virtual mood board – “pinning” the images that I want to think about, show to my husband or share with our contractor.

Check out Merillat by double clicking the image at the top of this post. And let me know what you think!

Download a FREE copy of the Kindle eBook Veggie Delight: Trade Greens for Your Gut – 50 Amazing Meals Even Your Child Will Love! (The Hardcore Healthy Hunk Series).

Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can download FREE applications to read Kindle books on your Mac, PC, iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7, or Android Phone.

The price of this e-book is $0 (reg. $5.99) right now, but Amazon can change the price at any time – so always confirm before ordering.

There is a new $3/2 Right Guard coupon, which will net some very inexpensive deodorant this week at CVS. Here’s how:

Right Guard Sport, Total Defense or Dry Idea Deodorant – $3.00
Buy 2, Get $2 ECB
Use $3/2 Right Guard Total Defense Printable Coupon
= $.50 each after coupon & ECB

I was just on Amazon looking for some Star Wars accessories. Unfortunately for me, I came up short – but I did find this nice little assortment of super inexpensive Purim costumes.

This Strawberry Shortcake Costume is only $10 for the toddler size.

I like this pretty little Rubie’s Mayflower Princess Costume on sale for $15.99, regularly $57.99. Available in medium and large girl sizes.

If you’ve got a Wizard of Oz theme, I’m thinking these Girls Red Sequin Shoe Covers will definitely make Dorothy’s outfit! They are on sale for only $2.99.

And finally this adorable Black & Red Pirate Costume Child’s from Little Tikes (size 2-4T) is only $5.99.

Shipping is free on these costumes and accessories with your Amazon Prime account – or when you spend $25+ with Super Saver Shipping. Remember, Amazon pricing can change on a dime, so always confirm prices before you check-out.

Have you bought/made/thought about your Purim costumes yet? Don’t forget to enter my $50 Purim Costumes Gift Card Giveaway.