The Paycheck Chronicles

Veteran's Day Offers

2009-11-09T15:11:00-08:00

Many national and local businesses are offering specials for Veteran's Day. Here is the list I've found so far:

Applebee's Restaurant is offering a free meal, from a limited menu, for vets on November 11th. Their webpage lists the required documentation: a military ID, an LES, a membership card from a Veterans' organization, a photograph of you in uniform, actually wearing a uniform, a copy of your DD214, or a copy of a citation or commendation. It's nice that they list those so clearly. It appears that they are offering the free meal all day.

Pizzaria Uno is offering a free entree or individual pizza, with purchase of the same, to all veterans and active duty military members.

Outback Steakhouse is offering a Free Blooming Onion appetizer and beverage (type not specified) on Wednesday.

Free Doughnut at Krispy Kreme on Wednesday 11/11! mmm, doughnuts...

In the Midwest, Hy-Vee stores with in-store dining are offering a free breakfast from 7-11 on Wednesday.

While not a national chain, Masala Wok, of Northern Virginia and various Texas locations, is also reported to be offering free meals to vets on Veterans' Day. I'd call the individual location first but if you are nearby anyway, it might be a good way to try a new place.

Every year, Golden Corral does an offer for Veteran's Day that includes a free meal for all military members or veterans. The 9th Annual Military Appreciation Monday is being held on Monday, November 16th, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and includes a free meal for all veterans, retirees, active duty military members, and members of the National Guard or Reserves. In addition, individual stores are supporting various veterans' groups through raffles and other fundraising efforts.

2010 Pay Charts Approved

2009-11-09T13:39:00-08:00

The 2010 Defense Authorization Act has been signed into law, which means that the 2010 pay charts are definite! This is a good sized raise for military members, especially considering the economic situation in the civilian world.

Used Auto Parts Can Save

2009-11-09T13:03:03-08:00

Let me start by saying that I'm sure that there are lots of issues around used auto parts. I don't claim to know much of anything about them. However, the other day, the window in my car made a funny noise as it went down, and then it wouldn't go back up. I took it to my favorite shop and unfortunately discovered that my favorite mechanic was GONE! Ack. However, I left the car there anyway and figured that I'd use this as an opportunity to discover if I liked these new people.

The verdict? A blown motor, to the tune of like $450 with labor. Given that I'm only nursing this car along until we PCS in June, that makes me very cranky. On a whim, I called a (relatively) nearby auto part recycling/junkyard place to see how much that part would cost if I purchased it used. $125. And they could install it for $75. Hmmm, a $250 savings. It would take me an hour to get there, plus I'd have to sit and wait, plus an hour back, but I thought that was worth it.

I called the shop and told them that I was going to come pick up the car. I said that I could get the part at Brandywine and then just get it installed there. The shop staff countered that I could have the part mailed, then they would install it. They even offered to discount my labor. Sounded good to me. I was ordering the part when the shop called back again, and said that they'd magically found a new part at about the same price as the used part I was ordering. Outstanding!

Granted, their labor is a little more expensive than the junkyard's labor, but it is saving me at least three hours of driving (with the window stuck down) and sitting. I will be saving at least $150 off the originally quoted price.

If you need a non-essential part on a car, it seems that used parts would be worth the look, especially if the car is older and you don't anticipate having it for a very long time. Just looking for the used part could pay off by making your auto repair shop get creative.

Using Tools Makes Couponing Easy

2009-11-08T15:02:32-08:00

I used to be an avid coupon clipper, and spend a ridiculous amount of time shopping at different grocery stores, matching up sales with double or triple coupons so that I rarely spent much on food. It was great for our budget, but it wasn't great for our lives.

As our family's schedule has evolved, I've been couponing less and spending more. It isn't a great situation, but it works. Then, yesterday, I saw a grocery store advertisement offering triple coupons up to 99 cents this week. My inner coupon queen started getting a little antsy and I decided that I'd take a little time, sift through the exploding drawer of coupons, and see if I could make any good deals.

On a hunch, I googled "Shoppers Food Triple coupon" and after a few false leads, came upon a site called Redemption Unlimited. It lists all sorts of deals and coupon savings, including a huge list of coupons that can be used with the Shoppers triple coupon deal. They list the date of the coupon flyer that the coupons were published in, which works out great for me since I've been doing nothing but shoving the flyers in the drawer for months now. A few minutes of organizing the coupons, then going down the list, locating the coupons, and I was out the door. It was way faster than any other way I've ever done it before!

I had such a successful trip at Super Fresh that I then did the same thing for Walgreens. I happened to remember that a site called The Thrifty Mama listed the best of the Walgreens ads each week, so I went over to that site to check it out. I was able to match up a few coupons with sales and register rewards and make a great deal.

If you like to coupon but want to extend your savings, or you are just learning about couponing, or you need to shave time off your couponing, you will definitely want to use the internet tools available. I'm amazed at what I found, and how much time I saved.

Quotable: Ayn Rand

2009-11-06T05:55:00-08:00

“Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver.”

Umbrella Insurance 101

2009-11-05T17:37:34-08:00

Umbrella insurance - what's that? I can't imagine insuring an umbrella! Oh, that's not it. So what is umbrella insurance?

Umbrella insurance is a liability insurance that covers you for liability in excess of the coverage that you already have as part of your existing insurance policies (auto, homeowners, renters or boat insurance.) If you are found responsible for an accident that has property damage or bodily injury, the judgments against you can accumulate pretty quickly. And that is just for legitimate claims - what if you are involved in a situation where someone makes a fraudulent claim against you? One bad accident could wipe out all your savings, assets, and even result in a judgment against your future earnings.

Umbrella liability insurance acts as a broad coverage that is on top of your existing liability coverages (hence the umbrella name.) Umbrella coverage does not kick in until you have exhausted the limits of your existing coverage, and because of that most umbrella policies require that you maintain certain level of liability coverage on the underlying policies. The good news is, liability insurance is really inexpensive! Our family's policy is about $274 a year ($23 a month).

I think that umbrella insurance is part of any good insurance plan, but there are some times when it seems particularly necessary. If you own a rental property, there are any number of ways that claims could be made against you. Some property management companies actually require umbrella insurance of their property owners. If you have any particularly dangerous stuff on your property, such as a trampoline or a swimming pool, your need for excess liability insurance is higher.

USAA's June Walbert does a great video on umbrella insurance. It doesn't embed, but you can find it here. I recommend umbrella insurance to my friends and family and you should seriously consider if it is something for you.

Saving on Vacation

2009-11-04T02:10:00-08:00

Laura at Five Cent Nickel has written a great piece called How to Save Money on Vacations. While military families often spend their vacations "going home" or PCSing, many of these tips still apply. As usual, the comments are also helpful. I haven't found a way to make traveling as inexpensive as staying at home, but there are certainly lots of ways to lower the costs.

Top Three Tips

2009-11-03T20:03:09-08:00

I just finished a radio interview on the F.R.A.Z.L.E.D. Military Wives Christian Network's Blog Talk Radio Show - wow that is a lot of words. While I was preparing for the interview, I jotted down the three things that I wanted to talk about during the show. I didn't exactly get to them all, but I'll share them with you now:

Know where you are - sit down and write down every debt, every bill, and every bit of income that you have. Just making the list is incredibly helpful. Take some time to look at it, and then begin your planning from that list.

Keep it simple. Automate your bills whenever possible. Don't have a crazy number of bank accounts all over town. Limit the number of accounts that you need to manage. Simple is good!

Figure out what is important to your family, and manage your money to fit your values. Make room in your budget for the things that you want, and save elsewhere.

This is just a short list that I jotted down before the show, but I think it is a pretty neat summary of the most basic personal finance concepts.

The entire radio show can be heard at the FRAZLED MWCN website. Thank you to Shannon and Sara for letting me visit their show!

Veteran's Day Offers

2009-11-02T16:45:42-08:00

A few national Veterans' Day promotions will be coming up in the next few weeks. So you can plan ahead, here is the list so far:

McCormick & Schmick Restaurants are also offering free meals to veterans, on Sunday, November 8th. Most locations are participating and you can find the list here. There is a special menu being offered, reservations are suggested, and parties are limited to 6 people. I've never actually been to a McCormick & Schmick, mostly because I am cheap, but this might be a nice way to try them without spending the full amount of dinner.

Update 11/7: Pizzaria Uno is offering a free entree or individual pizza, with purchase of the same, to all veterans and active duty military members.

With all these deals, you could really splurge and eat out a lot during Veteran's Day week, without spending quite as much as you usually would.

June Saves on Groceries

2009-10-31T18:57:19-07:00

June, of USAA and Ask June fame, give the following advice today on Twitter:

Friday can be good grocery day cause shipments arrive for wknd. Prime tenderloin slashed $9/lb cause another pallet just arrived. Yes!

My kids know that we shop the dent-and-damage at the commissary, and we always look for marked down meat at the regular grocery stores. I hadn't though about there being a weekly pattern - I bet if you watch (or ask) you can figure it out. Some stores will mark down fancy cheeses when they are within a few days of their sell-by date, or deli items like cooked chicken or potato salad if they have too much for that one day. Also, check to see if your store offers discounted vegetables if they are less than perfect.

Please share your secrets for finding clearance food products.