Do you like free stuff?

In the past year, I have received multiple free samples of Kashi, Crystal Light's new all natural sports drink, plus valuable coupons for full sized items. Today, I just got a Lowe's coupon for $10 off any $50. You better believe I will be combining this with the free $10 we got in December from Coin Star for Lowe's. Follow the above to get signed up. This is a market research company, just a heads up. But I have yet to be spammed or harassed in any way. The savings have added up fast for our family, so I wanted to pass this on.

$23 on Amazon for $10

A great Living Social deal today, do it via swag bucks for greatest earning potential. For $10, you get $20 for Amazon plus 280 swag bucks, so your $10 equals roughly $23!

Free Food at BJ's

Free bananas and cornbread...above link.

Swagbucks for Printing Coupons? My Head May Explode!!!

If you haven't already joined Swagbucks, do it! Free money!

One of their latest things has made me crazed with excitement!

1. Print coupons on items you typically purchase.
2. Use the coupons.
3. Every coupons awards you with 10 swag bucks!!
4. 450 Swag bucks = $5 free at Amazon.

Upromise also has coupons, if you are using that site to boost college savings. You don't have to print them,  you choose the ones you want, then activate them. Once you purchase the items at participating stores (most are participating--Weis, Giant, etc), you get the coupon money in your acct. For example, this week I bought three 8 oz Cabot cheese bricks from Weis for $5. The online coupon was for $1.25, so I really spent $3.75 for the cheese and saved $1.25 for college.

Most coupon sites refresh monthly.

Tax Assessment

We just received our assessment notice on our house. Previously,  our home value was over assessed and I fought it and was able to get our tax assessment reduced by $17,000. This year, our assessment went way down and for that, I'm thankful. Our taxes will go down, which means more of our budget that we have allocated towards our home payments will go towards principle vs. taxes.  If you own a home, your assessment should be arriving shortly. If you feel your home is overvalued on the tax assessment, it is worth your time to fight it. If your home has increased in value since your last assessement:

1. Go to Zillow and see what your home is valued at (ballpark estimate here). This will also give you an idea of recently sold home or homes NOT selling in your neighborhood. Take notes.
2. If the assessment seems way too much, fight it. I did a written appeal, but you will see other options on your assessment notice. Tips on Fighting Your Tax Assessment
3. If your assessment has increased, accurately, by quite a bit, you may qualify for the Homestead Tax Credit

Good luck!

Water Savings...Saving You Big Money

Even if you have your own well and water is cheap, most likely, it is not cheap to heat.  Here are some ways to help you save:

• Buy 1 liter of something. Drink it. Fill with rocks or simply water. Put it in your toilet tank. Save money every time you flush. Cost: Free to less than $1. Payback: nearly instant.
• Buy a low flow shower head. They have improved drastically over the years. When we swapped our 2.5 gallon per minute (gpm) shower head to a 1.5 gpm shower head, we noticed no difference in shower time or pressure... but WOW did we notice a difference in our water, sewer and bge bills. Look for reviewed ones. A common one that seems well reviewed is the Waterpik Eco Flow. Cost: $5-45 Payback less than 6 mos. I've been tempted to try the .5 pgm aqua helix, but not sure how the family would react! Imagine the savings!!
• Buy aerators for every sink in your home. Your sinks already have them, but most likely, they are rated at 2.2 gpm. This is overkill for handwashing. We have found the .5 gpm have a squeal to them, so have changed our bathroom sinks to 1 gpm and our kitchen sink to 1.5 gpm  Huge savings, cheap thing to do. Unscrew them, label where they go with masking tape and go into Lowe's or any hardware store and ask for help finding low flow aerators (male/female screws, you just need to make sure you get the correct ones). 1 gpm and 1.5 gpm have been easy to find in my experience. If you have a blending sink (not 2 knobs, but one), you are waking up your hot water heater every time you turn on your water! And very often, if you shut the water off while you wash your hands, it won't even get hot but you have just cost yourself money. This is why on our blended sinks, I turn off our hot knob during the summer. Note that my husband thinks this mad, but he isn't complaining about our bills!!! Cost: Less than $10; Less than 6 mos payback.
• Consider upgrading your washer. Don't fall for a matched washer/drier set. Driers have not had improved efficiency since the 1970s. And with the dry winter air, spend $20 on an extendable drying rack from Target and humidify for free! Our HE washer, which was the most efficient at the time (there are now more efficient models), paid for itself in 1.5 years (using 1 load/day as our #). Do the calculations for your family by finding your current washer model online and looking at water and KWH usage. The old washers truly guzzle in every way. Cost: Over $500. Payback 1-3 years. Always look at efficiency and calculate long term usage before decided which is truly the "cheapest" model: Water, Sewer, KWH used, Water heating (this is ballpark).
• Consider upgrading your dishwasher. Handwashing is difficult to do efficiently. Our dishwasher holds almost every dish we own and uses 1.8 gallons of water. Without rinsing! It only uses 1 kwh per load. Cost: Over $500. Payback: variable, based on usage. Always look at efficiency and calculate long term usage before decided which is truly the "cheapest" model: Water, Sewer, KWH used, Water heating (this is ballpark). 

When looking on the energy star labels, note that this is calculated with 11 cents per kWh. This does not account for utility taxes, etc. It is simply the national average. In Maryland, depending on whom you have have chosen for power (I hope you've done this!), you are paying 17-19 cents/kWh! Calculate accordingly. The good thing with living in an expensive state for energy is excellent incentive for efficiency and the payback times are much shorter! :) 

I just figured out how to save $104 on my Utility Bill!!!

We have natural gas for our water heater (about to go) and for our stove and have been saving to replace both with electric alternatives (induction/convection for stove and tankless electric water heater, power provided by our solar panels). I called our utility today to find out once we replace both, could we have the gas turned off for 8 mos of the year where we don't use heat? ($13/mos just to be hooked up to natural gas, regardless of usage). YES! We just need to call and cancel and then call to restart service! $104 to spend less than 10 min on the phone per year. What a great hourly rate of pay!!! ;)

If you are in a similar situation and use natural gas for heating and have only 1 or 2 appliances run by natural gas, you may want to consider something similar (especially if you only use it for heating!). $104 is only a start to pay for a water heater, however, since ours is already 9 years old and inconsistently heating (with very hard water), we know its days are numbered. Figure out roughly what a new water heater will cost you (tankless saves family using less than 40 gallons of heating water/ day roughly 35-45% of heating water costs, 40-80 gallons a day save 15-25%) and look at your payback.

You can easily nudge your gallon number lower by washing clothes only in cold water, using a shower head with .5-1.5 gpm flow rate vs. the standard 2.5 gpm, and running your dishwasher only when it is full.

Turn $40 to $50

I meant to post this sooner. Turn $40 into $50! Get your change (or go to your bank and get some) and your money will grow by $10. This can be changed into gift cards only with no fee. But an extra $10 is welcome for stores like Lowe's, where it always seems like I am replacing something for the house. The Amazon portion of this deal expires today, but the rest of the deal goes on until Dec 31. Check out the link, as not all machines do all gift cards.

Free $10 for FUN activities!!

Eversave is just like Groupon, but you get free credit just for joining. Join through the above link and your account will open with a $5 credit. Buy something today and use the code "FIRSTBUY" and you will get $5 more off. Today only! I used my $10 to buy 2 passes to glow golf in Westminster, which was $8...but really free, plus I still have a $2 credit in my account. Check it out! Many locations, not just Baltimore :)

Free Cross Country Skiing and Snowshoeing Lessons

Locations nationwide, this sounds like a lot of fun. Being offered at more than 70 state parks and ski resorts around the country. One day event.

$5 Free MP3s from Rhapsody

Follow the above link and get $5 of free music via facebook.

Free Gift Cards for Searching the Internet

I know I have mentioned Swagbucks before, but I need to truly rave about it at this point. I love it because most "deals" have you spending less money, not truly saving money. You can truly save money by earning free gift cards on this site. All you have to do is search the internet. In less than 3 weeks, I have acquired enough points to buy three $5 Amazon gift cards. This was largely just doing regular searches. Now you know all my savings declarations need a true goal, so my new goal is to buy everything from Amazon with free money from Swagbucks (minus Subscribe and Save subscriptions).  There are other gift cards, too. They will also give you "swag" money for old books,  cell phones, etc. Check it out! I can't recommend it highly enough!!!
Swagbucks

And once you join via the above link, let's do this to the maximum efficiency...maximize your "swag" earnings by reading this and taking the advice:
Maximize Your Swag Earnings!

Have fun! :)

Stretching Your Donation Dollars

Here are some great Groupon deals for giving!

I am loving these donation Groupons...
$10 buys $25 of classroom materials; $40 brings that up to $100!
Check out this Groupon:
Donor's Choose Groupon

Then check out this site and choose whichever classroom teacher you'd like to help:
Donors Choose

The Kiva Groupon is back as well!
$15 buys $25 towards a Kiva microloan for the entrepreneur of your choosing.
Kiva Groupon

Either of these meaningful gifts would be appreciated by someone you are buying for.

Free $10 Restaurant.Com Gift Cards

Up to 40 per day. Click the link above to learn more. Expires 12/31/10

Have 50 Cents? Make it $25.50 Right Now!

Open a savings account for a child and get $25 with first deposit:
ING Savings Deal
This deal ends Sunday.

Free $3 mp3 credit on Amazon

Yay another free $3 to spend on music!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&gcIsProcess=1&gcpcCode=Get3mp3s&docId=1000634471#gc

Click enter your code and type:
Get3mp3s

(happy Birthday, Jackie!)

Kiva Groupon!

Fantastic Groupon for the next 2 days. The link above will take you to Ebates. From there, earning 3% cash back, you can search "groupon" and head to their website for this great deal on giving. For $15 ($14.65 if you use Ebates), you can gift $25 to an entrepreneur of your choice. Once this is paid back, you can give this $25 gift again and again! I love Kiva! I love Groupon! Check this out :)

Simple Ways to Save Cash Online!

If you are not a member of Ebates yet, now is the time! There are no crazy strings. You go to their site, find the website you intend to visit, click on it and see the coupons/deals available, and at the end of the quarter, you get a check in the mail. Usually it is 2-10% cash back, on top of coupons (and often free shipping). However, as the holidays are approaching, the deals have increased and the cash back offers have been excellent.
Ebates

Another great way to get money back without doing anything special is to switch your browser. Instead of using google or other browsers, check out Swagbucks. Set is as your home screen so you don't forget! You get paid for searching the web in either items or gift cards. Good ones, too (Target, Amazon, etc).
Swagbucks

We do a fair amount of shopping on Amazon. Recently we decided to switch from our 2 credit card system (Amex Cash Blue, gives 5% back on gas and groceries and Chase Freedom, which has 3 different 5% cash back categories every quarter; both have no annual fee) to a 3 credit card system, adding an Amazon charge, to use exclusively for Amazon purchases. I realized without doing this, I was wasting money every time I bought anything on Amazon. You get $40 instantly off of your first bill, no annual fee and 3% back on all Amazon purchases. As long as you don't carry a balance, cash back cards can be a real savings on and offline. The interest rates tend to be higher than most, so applier beware if you carry a balance.
Amazon

The other cash back item we are considering is the Target charge, as you get 5% back and with the ability to stack Target and manufacturer's coupons already, the 5% back (vs. 1.25% cash back w/the one charge for non-grocery shopping) with make the savings that much greater.

An update on the forced fake car payment--it was no fun and not motivating, so I changed the title of the savings account to "Vacation Fund" and am now taking what I have "saved" when I shop and I manually put it in there when I get home. Much more fun and motivating! It is not really savings if it doesn't get saved!!!

LL Bean 20% off plus free shipping

Right now they have free shipping with no minimums through Dec 20, but if you spend $50, you can get 20% off with code November20

This offer expires Nov 19.

Amazing Gift for a Little One! Today Only!

Target’s Daily Deal is the children’s Paul Frank Rain boots. They are Buy One, Get One 50% off — making them $16.90 for two pairs shipped.  Use  4IKCC8AJ to take 10% off for a total of $16.90 shipped. Even if you don't have kids of your own, I bet some child you know would love these for their bday present or holiday present!

Support Local Business and Get $25 from Amex

More details here, looks great!

$1 off Alexia Frozen Products

Click above to go to Alexia's page on facebook. You can print the coupon twice, just hit the browser back button after it prints once to have a second round. They are on sale this week at Weis for $2.50/bag.

Ceiling Fans...Friend or Foe in the Winter?

Ceiling fans can be such a blessing in the summer when it is boiling outside and you just want to lie immobile under them. They cost just less than $13/month to run constantly, per unit. It usually never makes sense to have fans running, unless you are in the room with them. If you keep them running and you leave the room, you are wasting $13/month per unit. (Calculate you exact usage with the title link). Fans are for people not for rooms...even in Winter...

Why am I writing about fans now, as I shiver in my layers in my 60 degree house?  I am again pondering if it makes sense to run the fan in the winter.  I have decided it will only make sense once the heat is on more often. With the research I've done online, keeping it on low, not any higher, may make sense for spreading heat. Any higher, you are using way too much extra energy (and my insanely efficient fan uses only 3 watts on low, and I worry!), and you will be providing yourself with an extra chill.   To put your fan on in the correct Winter direction, make sure you fan is going clockwise and put it on low once you are using your heat more often.

Those little energy drainers...they add up

Do you have nightlights in your home? Some people leave these on all the time. We have 3, 2 of which are supposed to cycle off with sunlight, but they are really constantly on. 2 are 1.5 watt (the ones that are constantly on) and the other is a 4 watt, which is only sometimes on. LED bulbs are coming down in price, there is currently a half watt pack of 2 night light bulbs in Target.

1/2 watt nightlight, $.79/year to run 24/7
1.5 watt nightlight $2.37/year to run 24/7
4 watt nightlight $6.31/year to run 24/7

Okay, doesn't seem huge, does it? However, all these little things around our house are the things to add up to giant electric bills! If you have the nightlight w/a replaceable bulb, it would make a lot of sense to purchase the 2 pack LED from Target. It is $5.99 without coupon or $3.99 if this coupon works. GE coupon   I will be waiting until just before this coupon expires, holding out for a stackable Target coupon, however this may make sense as a purchase for your family now. The payback time is fairly short. At $3/bulb,  it will pay itself off in just over 6 mos, at $2/bulb, even less. Great payback time! And after it is paid off, that is $5.52 every single year you can do whatever you want with!

In Other Coupon News...

If you would like to stack your 7th generation printables I sent you earlier, buy at Target, where you can print 2 $1 off any 7th generation item and stack them with your other coupons, getting $2 off per item. That is paying as little as $.49-.99/item.
Target Coupons

If you like Newman's Own Organic Pretzels, Licorice or Cat Food printables are found here:
Newman's Organics Coupons

If you like Barbara's Bakery Cereals, here is a great buy one, get one free coupon, 2 prints allowed. These are $2.99 until 12/2/10 at Giant, so you can get cereal for $1.50/box--not organic, but all natural:
Barbara's BOGO Coupons

Home Depot $3-$15 off LED Lighting

Nov 4-14, so act fast if you want strings of lights!

Wegman's Freebies

If you live anywhere near a Wegman's or just sometimes pass one, it would be worth your time to get their store loyalty card. Once a quarter, they have been sending us coupons for free meals! This month it is free pasta, sauce, bread and salad. In August, it was free organic jam, organic peanut butter, bread and something else.

They also send out free coupons that are generic, like $1 off $5 of produce, $1 off $5 in nature's marketplace (organic food, largely). The coupons usually give you about 2 mos before they expire, so plenty of time to pass by a Wegman's. If you sign up for their email, they often send additional generic coupons to print, where you can choose your items. For those of you buying for those with food allergies, take note, as a way to save money while choosing safe brands for your family.

Farm to fridge to garbage can

I worry about wasting scraps of food, let alone large quantities. The title link will take you to an article on food waste. If food is rotting, you are throwing food out, etc, start to think of the money you are throwing away instead of the food. Would you throw dollar bills in the trash? At least if you are composting, you will get a lovely garden additive for free.

I like to make my own stock, here is my recipe:
In a freezer ziplock, stored in the freezer, collect trimmings over a period of time:
Root tips of carrots
Non-root ends and peels of onion
Leafy tips of celery
Other trimmings from non-cruciferous vegetables

Once the gallon ziploc fills up, dump it in your largest stockpot.
Add
2 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
Salt
Pepper
Herbs, whatever you have--I like parsley or basil

I use a 12 quart pot and fill water to 10 qt level. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 hour. Let cool in pot.

Put colander over large bowl(s) and dump pot. Compost cooked trimmings. You will have about 8 quarts of fragrant delicious stock. This would sell for $20 or more in the store! I usually use this for rice, soup, etc. I use some and freeze some.

Maximizing Your Donation Dollars

Halloween is over and this is the season of giving. This is one of my favorite times of year. We aren't religious, however I do like to get in the spirit of giving. While we can do a lot by donating food we've bought with good sense, there are other ways of maximizing your donations.

One of my favorite sites is http://www.charitynavigator.org/ as you can see the efficiency of various organizations in areas you are interested in donating to. I prefer to donate to organizations that use 90% or more of my donation towards funding what I'm trying to help fund, this is an ideal, of course I have favorites who fall short. You can look at what CEO's at the non-profits are earning (in some cases, this is shocking), exactly how money is spent, and decide if your donation will be used wisely.  If you want to donate money for children, look in that category and find the highest efficiency to stretch your dollars further. Not all non-profits are managed well!

Another way to stretch your donations is to wait for donation matching drives. I know that Appalachian Service Project will do this multiple times a year. So I only donate during matched times. So even if my donation is small, it does double the good!

Another favorite website is http://www.kiva.org You donate $25 to an entrepreneur of your choice around the world. On top of this money that goes directly to an entrepreneur, you pay a donation to Kiva from $0-whatever you'd like. So you decide how efficient they are! Your $25 is paid back and you can reloan. This is a great option if you only have a little to donate. This is also a great project to get children interested in helping up our world community. This is also a great present for others in this season of giving. Who wouldn't want to help others?!

Save your receipts for tax time!

Buy 2, get 1 free 7th Generation Products

Buy a liquid laundry detergent and a Hand dish soap from 7th Generation and get a free spray cleaner.

I don't generally like the per load price on the detergent, but with the coupons I posted previously combined with a free spray, this looks like a pretty good deal.