Monday, February 27, 2012

I'm VERY happy!!


ATTENTION LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...

YOU ARE ENTERING A DEBT FREE ZONE!

I mean FO REAL! I just paid off all of my debt. **EXCEPT** my car. And THAT will be paid off THIS year.

I have worked very diligently to save every dime I could so that I can pay off my debt. SIGH--it is SUCH a good feeling.

Now granted, i am trying very VERY hard to not get down because I REALLLLY want my car paid off too. I mean who doesn't? I am so close, but not there yet. Slowly but surely i am getting there. I just want it to be DONE, ya know? But... I do think that we have to celebrate small victories.

So here i am sitting at my computer doing my happy dance. My VERY happy, debt free, dance!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Guest Post-- Parents: Money Saving Tips

Parents: Money Saving Tips

Life is expensive, and it gets even more expensive when children arrive into our lives.  Below you’ll find easy tips that’ll save you money without a hassle.

Cancel Your Cable/Satellite Subscriptions

The average American spends nearly $1,000 every year on their Cable TV or Satellite subscription; and internet bills increase on average by about 5 percent each year.  The simple fact is that there are alternatives to cable/satellite that’ll save you some serious dough, and here’s how.  First, buy products that will allow you to eliminate your expensive subscriptions.  Buy a digital converter, or multiple converters if you want, for your TV; these begin at around $30.  These will allow you to watch free, basic channels.  Next, buy a digital media receiver, like Apple TV, the Roku LT, or the Roku 2SX.  These are small receivers that you plug into your TV that allow you to access digital video streaming services like Hulu and Netflix, as well as movies or TV shows you buy online.  Note that Apple TV does not cooperate with Hulu at the moment.  Next, subscribe to Netflix and Hulu Plus.  Each service is $7.99 per month.  To give you an idea of the savings these alternatives will give you, let’s say your family has three TVs.  Here is what you’ll save over a three year period:

Savings Comparison: Alternative Entertainment V. Cable/Satellite

Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
3 Year Total
Cable or Satellite
$1,000.00
$1,050.00
$1,102.50
$3,152.50
The Cheaper Alternative




Roku LT (3)
$180.00
$0.00
$0.00

Digital Converter Box (3)
$105.00
$0.00
$0.00

Netflix Subscription
$95.88
$95.88
$95.88

Hulu Subscription
$95.88
$95.88
$95.88

Total for the Year
$476.76
$191.76
$191.76
$860.28

Savings Over 3 Years By Switching to the Cheaper Alternative
$2,292.22



As you can see, if you switch, you will realize savings in the first year alone, and over $2,000 over a three-year period.  Additionally, take into account that this chart is based on a home with three TVs and that the Roku series and Apple TVS are portable, so if you’re willing to transport it from room to room, you could easily only buy one for $60.

Make Your Own Cleaners

Making your own cleaners from home items is not only beneficial to your wallet, but also to yours and your children’s health.  Household items like white vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice are cheap alternatives to common cleaners.  For instance, a combination of vinegar and water makes a great all-purpose cleaner for counters and floors; due to vinegar’s acidity, it is a natural disinfectant.  The same combination can be used to clean windows and mirrors; if you look at the ingredients in a typical window cleaner, you’ll see that vinegar is one of the active ingredients.

Stop Buying Water Bottles

Water bottles contain the same water we get from the tap.  If you’re concerned about water purification, get a filter that fits on your kitchen sink or one of the jug filters.  If you need water on the go, buy reusable stainless-steel water bottles.  These alternatives will save you money on a product you could get for free from your kitchen sink.



Amber Paley is a guest poster bringing to parents easy ways to cut down on everyday costs.  Amber is a writer who has devoted her life to educating the public about the problems of elder abuse in the United States.  Though she does guest posts regularly, she also spends much of her time writing about <a href=" http://www.nursinghomeabuse.net/residents%E2%80%99-rights-and-common-rights-violations/">nursing home abuse lawyers</a>.


Tuesday, February 14, 2012

A Super Bowl party to remember

Guest post written by Kim Newton

I'm not the biggest football fan, but I really love throwing Super Bowl parties. My husband appreciates it because he really loves to invite all of his friends over to watch big football games and I make a really mean spread of food.
I looked online to see if I could find some really good football themed recipes to fix. While I was online looking for that, I saw some info on debt settlement family and decided to come back to that to help us with our family's debt problems.
I did find some really great recipes, including this awesome buffalo wings recipe. Of course, you have to have all kinds of great dipping sauces too. It just wouldn't be football without that too. But I made these special instead of just mixing some sauce packets. Needless to say, I whipped up some great food and we had quite a bit of food left over after everyone left, even after I sent some of our guests home with leftovers. That's okay though, I kind of planned it that way so we could have some leftovers.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Couponing vs. Off brands

This is a debate I have within myself a LOT. Every Sunday when I get the paper and go through the coupons there are SO many that I throw away. Why? Because I KNOW the off brand is cheaper. I know that I can $ave more money by buying the stores brand vs. using the coupon and getting the brand name.

So what about you? What do YOU think?

I watch all of the extreme couponing shows and I KNOW that I am never going to get a haul like they do. But i have managed to save my family a TON of money by using coupons. Coupons are always for the name brand. BUT, even with that coupon in my hand that is not always the smartest move. There are plenty of times I opt to chunk my coupon at the checkout and grab the off brand.

One thing you HAVE to remember it's about SAVING MONEY! Not having a stock pile with only name brand items. It's about which saved you more. Do my legs REALLY know if I used skintimate or the equate brand? nope... last time I checked they could NOT tell. But my pocketbook CAN tell which one I bought.

Be smart about it... use coupons when it saves and use better judgment when it would save you more.

YOUR THOUGHTS??

Kroger deals!

Kroger has a GREAT ad this week! Did you see it?

if you live in Hot Springs use THIS link.

Milk and juice are on sale 2/$5
chicken breasts and tenderloins (frozen bag) $5.99
Spaghetti sauce 10 for $10
Fruit snacks and puddings 10 for $10 (perfect for kids lunches)
Pasta 10 for $10
Tomato and/or chicken noodle soups 2 for $1.00

That's whats on MY list!!!

Plus, don't forget your coupons!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Budgeting...even in the small stuff.

In this economy everyone is needing to watch their spending. Families are trying to go from a two car family to a one car family. We as parents are spending less and less on birthday parties and on Christmas presents. Everyone is trying their hardest to save money. The problem that a LOT of people have (myself included) is knowing where the dollars go? where DO they go? It's as if every payday some little elf sneaks into my checkbook and makes SURE that I have no money left. I understand that in reality that does NOT happen (at least I HOPE it's not happening)... but something is. And it comes down to me not knowing where my money goes. Not keeping "Tabs" on it, i should say.

If you have noticed, even businesses are cutting down on their spending. Marketing budgets are being slashed down to much less than the year before. Expenses are being cut and at the same time prices are going up. This is a bad time for our economy... but there is hope.

If you are a small business owner and find yourself wondering where all of your profits have gone then I have some helpful information that you need to check into. Free budgeting software is available to you at outright.com. This website is FREE, and is designed to help small business owners keep better tabs on their money. Use this website to be prepared with tax information. Don't wait until the LAST day to get it all in order. With outright.com you can work on it year round. You can keep your budget on this site. You can also view helpful ways to cut back and to save money so that YOU can enjoy the profit... not the little left that seems to take your money.

Check it out today. Outright.com. SUCH a helpful, and FREE, website.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Investing for cheap

How much money could you invest if you were able to buy penny stocks? I don't know about you, but i'm thinking i could do a LOT more investing if I could find some stocks on the cheap. I am very big into planning for my retirement--i mean, yes I realize I am just 27.5, but it's NEVER too early, but it can be too late.

Let's learn some more about penny stocks...

"A penny stock, by definition, is a stock offered by a small to medium sized company. They typically cost less than five dollars per share of the stock. "

Sounds interesting doesn't it? Maybe this is a great way for you to get your foot in the door with some stocks?

As always, before you do any type of investing you need to do your research! Just like you wouldn't go buy a new car without test driving it, doing some research to hear what other people have to say about it. Why would it be any different with your financial future?? You NEED to do your homework. You NEED to talk to a financial advisor and figure out what YOUR best move would be. How much are you wanting to earn off of these stocks? How much can you afford to spend? Questions like that MUST be answered before you dive into the world of stocks and investing.

For the best penny stocks you need to check out buypennystocks.com on a daily or weekly basis. Use a company you can trust. Check out Buypennystocks.com TODAY!