If you are like most in today's economic times, you probably have a credit card balance. And, if you are like me, you tell yourself every month that you will throw a few extra dollars at it to make it go away, but it seems to never happen that way.
Today I had a break-through. I have always been aware of the reward points I have earned over many years, but always thought that you could only redeem them for useless junk out of their catalogs. But, after going online today and realizing that my rewards could ACTUALLY be used to pay down my balance had me jumping for joy and not screaming into my pillow like I usually do.
So, if you have never checked to see how many rewards points you have earned over the years, I suggest looking into it. But, don't waste them on Starbucks cards!
As a passionate money strategist, there is one thing that bothers me more than anything, grocery shopping. Just step into a mainstream grocery store and you will see that prices are going through the roof and food manufacturers are deceptively shrinking portion sizes.Just a few years ago, I noticed a new grocery store in my area called ALDI. I stopped to check it out and found a basic grocery store layout without all the bells and whistles.
I decided to grab a few things and quickly realized how low the prices were. Really? Under $2.00 for a gallon of milk - WOW. I will not go over the prices of everything in the store, but if you visit Aldi, you will find that you can practically cut your food spending by almost 50%.
It boils down to this. Aldi keeps things simple. You bring a quarter to release your shopping cart, you return it and get your quarter back eliminating the need to pay people to collect carts from the lot. You bring a few reusable shopping bags because they do charge $.10 per bag. You wait a few extra minutes in line because they staff the stores with less cashiers and you walk out knowing that you got good quality food for a fraction of the cost. No coupons, no discounts - just great prices! Give it a shot and let me know what you thought. Click on the store locator to find a location in your state.
You can receive a free appetizer from Romano's Macaroni Grill when you purchase two entrees. This offer expires August 17, 2010. Click here to print out your coupon. To review their menu or find a location near you Click here.
I saw an interesting video about a guy named Jay Shafer that decided to escape the rat race and build and live in a tiny 89 square foot house which he named "Tumbleweed." And in the process, he reinvented his career and outlook on life - especially living without a mortgage payment and high utility costs. In this video, he claims his utilities cost him about $100 per year, WOW! As he began living in this home, he began designing and building other small homes and eventually turned it into a business. A fun video that makes you think about simplifying your life.
Watch a video of his full house tour or go to Tumbleweed Houses to learn more about his business.
Even cheap people like me need to go out for a bite every now and then. But I rarely ever go unless there is a great deal or I can get something for free. I recently discovered a restaurant called Red Robin in my area that serves great burgers with all-you-can-eat steak fries. My server informed me that if I sign up for their eClub, I can get a coupon for a free birthday burger (or any menu item) emailed to me.
For those who read my ramblings, you will find that I am a loyal ALDI Market shopper and you will continue to hear about it. Anyway, I love me a Red Bull in the morning, but I never liked the price especially as the price continues to slowly climb.
It's the middle of the summer and nothing tastes better than an ice cold fountain drink. And, for $.25 cents, it tastes even better. Print this coupon and redeem at AM/PM convenience stores for a 32oz fountain drink for a quarter. One coupon per fountain drink. Offer expires January 4, 2011. CLICK HERE to find a location near you. Stay cool my friends. Stay cool.
Woot.com is one of my favorite websites that I check every morning religiously. They offer one product everyday beginning at midnight (central time) until it sells out or until the next midnight.
You can also follow them on Twitter.
If you are an eBay regular, you probably know that it's a great place to get coupons. The fact is, there are many people out there that sort through stacks of coupons, cut them and post them on eBay in bundles and even organized by expiration date. If you search for coupons on eBay, you will find that most sellers auction off hundreds of pre-cut and organized coupons usually for around $1. The great thing about buying them on eBay is that they are light weight eliminating the need to factor in shipping costs. And, most sellers will offer free shipping.
It's about that time when we have to start thinking about sending our kids back to school. And with that comes time to dig deep into our wallets to make sure they have everything they need come September. To make life a bit easier, Ziploc Brand products is offering a free Back-to-School gift pack to the first 10,000 to respond.
The free package includes:
- One box of 50-count Ziploc® Brand Sandwich Bags
- One box of 25-count Ziploc® Brand Storage Bags with the Smart Zip™ Seal.
- One package of Ziploc® Brand Containers with the Smart Snap™ Seal (small bowl)
CLICK HERE to request your package.
I have to give credit to McDonald's for showing the world that you can get a damn good cup of coffee without emptying your wallet at Starbucks or Caribou. If you want to try a new McDonald's Fruit Smoothie or Frappe, CLICK HERE and print out your coupon.
If you are reading this blog, one of your favorite words is FREE! If you are like me, you have a shoebox full of old cell phones that aren't worth a dime and you don't know if they should be thrown in the trash. Here's a solution:
JWT, or, J. Walter Thompson is an advertising agency network that publishes "Things to Watch" every year. It is a collection of trends that they believe will impact society. Even though this isn't exactly about "underspending," it does reference ideas about saving money indirectly. Either way, I think you will find it fun to cruise this list. To read the list from last year (with more reference to underspending), scroll to the post below. Here are the "100 Things to Watch in 2010":
1. 3D at Home
2. Airline Subscriptions
3. Alternative Measures of Prosperity
4. Alternative Metals in Jewelry
5. Asia's Widening Income Gap
6. Augmented Reality
7. Bacon Everywhere
8. Bio-Based Airplane Fuel
9. Boeing 787 Dreamliner
10. Bogotá
11. Brighter Colors
12. Buycotting
13. Carey Mulligan
14. Coconut Water
15. Composting
16. Contemporary Indian Art
17. Cordless Power
18. Customized Pharmaceuticals
19. Deficit Neutral
20. Donald Glover
21. Dry Shampoo
22. East Africa Wired
23. Electric Car Networks
24. Electric Cars
25. Electronic Libraries
26. Ellen on Idol
27. Energy Dieting
28. Ethical Fashion
29. European Free Speech
30. Exotic Berry Flavors
31. Fermentation
32. Fernando Torres
33. Foursquare
34. Gambling in Singapore
35. Gaming Software
36. Green Retrofits
37. Greening the Palate
38. Hand-Me-Ups
39. Handwriting
40. Harry Potter in Orlando
41. Haute Fashion on eBay
42. Hybrid Boats
43. Impact of the U.K. General Election
44. Ironic Sports
45. Japan on the Sidelines
46. Japan's First Lady
47. Jay Chou
48. Kindle Rivals
49. LED Bulbs
50. Li Ning
51. Lifestreaming
52. Lionel Messi
53. Little Boots
54. Local, Nonprofit Online Newspapers
55. Lost Series Finale
56. Luxury Goes East
57. Marina Silva
58. Mia Wasikowska
59. Michael Jackson Tribute Concert
60. Mobile Money
61. Mobile Ticketing
62. More Virtual Currencies
63. New Portrait of Hispanic America
64. "Nutrition-Washing"
65. Obesogens
66. Organic Fast Food
67. Pandemic Fatalism
68. Paying for Online Content
69. The Pirate Party
70. PlayStation 3 Motion Controller
71. Post-Lula Brazil
72. Pro Modding
73. Public Bicycles
74. Recycling Gray Water
75. Retail as Third Space
76. Return of the Water Fountain
77. Runaway Democracy
78. Silent Dance Parties
79. Ski Cross at Winter Olympics
80. Slow Beverages
81. Slow Communication
82. Spanish E-books
83. Spider-Man on Broadway
84. Spotify
85. Stephen Strasburg
86. Stevia
87. Tactile/Visual Design
88. Trip Bundling
89. TV for Tween Boys
90. TV/Web Integration
91. Urban Fruit Gleaning
92. U.S.-Cuba Ties
93. Video
94. Virtual House Calls
95. Volunteer Rewards
96. Water Footprint Tracking
97. The Waterless Washing Machine
98. The Wine-Tail
99. The Wonder Girls
100. Zach Galifianakis
Unlike "100 Things to Watch in 2010," this list "90 Things to Watch in 2009" have more references to underspending, the recession and much more. Of course, my favorite is #14: Credit Card Dieting.
1. 21st-Century Networking
2. Affordable Nutrition
3. Amy Poehler
4. Apatow-esque Humor
5. Bruno
6. Building a Beauty Arsenal
7. Buraka Som Sistema
8. Career Reinvention and Extension
9. Chat-Avoidance Services
10. The Cleveland Show
11. Cloud Computing
12. The Collective Consciousness
13. Creativity in the Informal Economy
14. Credit Card Dieting
15. Crowdfunding
16. The Decline of E-Mail
17. Distraction as Entertainment
18. DIY Repairs and Renovations
19. Doha
20. Dragonball
21. EarthRoamer
22. Electric Bikes
23. Elizabeth Banks
24. Emma Stone
25. The Energy Race
26. Environmental Exercise
27. Family-Friendly TV
28. Freebies
29. Gerard Butler
30. Girl Talk
31. Giving Circles
32. Gluten-Free
33. Good Old-Fashioned Cooking
34. Graphic Novels Hit Hyperdrive
35. The Green-Collar Class
36. hi5 37. Holographic Projection
38. Home as Castle
39. HomeAway
40. Homemade Beauty Treatments
41. How to Talk to Girls
42. Incognito luxury
43. Inconspicuous Travel
44. Innocent Cosmetics
45. Lady GaGa
46. Lala.com
47. Lance Armstrong
48. Lykke Li
49. Maria Pinto
50. Marketing with Aromas
51. Michelle Obama
52. Microfinancing’s Second Wave
53. Mobile Phones Get Personal
54. More Under One Roof
55. NASA’s Kepler Telescope
56. Netbooks
57. Noor
58. No “Paper” in Newspapers
59. Nutrition Replaces Dieting
60. Obama-speak
61. ODO7
62. Online TV Network Crackle
63. Online Video Ads
64. Outliers (as a term)
65. Palin’s Grandson
66. Personalized Travel Guides
67. Pisco Sours
68. Presidential Sightseeing
69. Prince William Wedding Watch
70. Product Source Tags
71. Radical Transparency Meets Genomics
72. Readers + Social Media = Revenue?
73. Residential Market for Solar Power
74. Ricky Rubio
75. Russell Brand
76. Safe-keeping
77. The Small Movement
78. Smart Garages
79. South Africa
80. Stuart Karten
81. Sustainable Fishery 82.
T. Boone Pickens
83. Telepresence
84. Touch Screens
85. Twitter Copycats
86. Virtual Reality Therapy
87. Virtual Socializing
88. Widgets 89.
89. Wikileaks
90. Xbox Streaming
Sunday, July 18, 2010
If you are like most in today's economic times, you probably have a credit card balance. And, if you are like me, you tell yourself every month that you will throw a few extra dollars at it to make it go away, but it seems to never happen that way.
Today I had a break-through. I have always been aware of the reward points I have earned over many years, but always thought that you could only redeem them for useless junk out of their catalogs. But, after going online today and realizing that my rewards could ACTUALLY be used to pay down my balance had me jumping for joy and not screaming into my pillow like I usually do.
So, if you have never checked to see how many rewards points you have earned over the years, I suggest looking into it. But, don't waste them on Starbucks cards!
As a passionate money strategist, there is one thing that bothers me more than anything, grocery shopping. Just step into a mainstream grocery store and you will see that prices are going through the roof and food manufacturers are deceptively shrinking portion sizes.Just a few years ago, I noticed a new grocery store in my area called ALDI. I stopped to check it out and found a basic grocery store layout without all the bells and whistles.
I decided to grab a few things and quickly realized how low the prices were. Really? Under $2.00 for a gallon of milk - WOW. I will not go over the prices of everything in the store, but if you visit Aldi, you will find that you can practically cut your food spending by almost 50%.
It boils down to this. Aldi keeps things simple. You bring a quarter to release your shopping cart, you return it and get your quarter back eliminating the need to pay people to collect carts from the lot. You bring a few reusable shopping bags because they do charge $.10 per bag. You wait a few extra minutes in line because they staff the stores with less cashiers and you walk out knowing that you got good quality food for a fraction of the cost. No coupons, no discounts - just great prices! Give it a shot and let me know what you thought. Click on the store locator to find a location in your state.
You can receive a free appetizer from Romano's Macaroni Grill when you purchase two entrees. This offer expires August 17, 2010. Click here to print out your coupon. To review their menu or find a location near you Click here.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
I saw an interesting video about a guy named Jay Shafer that decided to escape the rat race and build and live in a tiny 89 square foot house which he named "Tumbleweed." And in the process, he reinvented his career and outlook on life - especially living without a mortgage payment and high utility costs. In this video, he claims his utilities cost him about $100 per year, WOW! As he began living in this home, he began designing and building other small homes and eventually turned it into a business. A fun video that makes you think about simplifying your life.
Watch a video of his full house tour or go to Tumbleweed Houses to learn more about his business.
Even cheap people like me need to go out for a bite every now and then. But I rarely ever go unless there is a great deal or I can get something for free. I recently discovered a restaurant called Red Robin in my area that serves great burgers with all-you-can-eat steak fries. My server informed me that if I sign up for their eClub, I can get a coupon for a free birthday burger (or any menu item) emailed to me.
Friday, July 16, 2010
For those who read my ramblings, you will find that I am a loyal ALDI Market shopper and you will continue to hear about it. Anyway, I love me a Red Bull in the morning, but I never liked the price especially as the price continues to slowly climb.
It's the middle of the summer and nothing tastes better than an ice cold fountain drink. And, for $.25 cents, it tastes even better. Print this coupon and redeem at AM/PM convenience stores for a 32oz fountain drink for a quarter. One coupon per fountain drink. Offer expires January 4, 2011. CLICK HERE to find a location near you. Stay cool my friends. Stay cool.
Woot.com is one of my favorite websites that I check every morning religiously. They offer one product everyday beginning at midnight (central time) until it sells out or until the next midnight.
You can also follow them on Twitter.
If you are an eBay regular, you probably know that it's a great place to get coupons. The fact is, there are many people out there that sort through stacks of coupons, cut them and post them on eBay in bundles and even organized by expiration date. If you search for coupons on eBay, you will find that most sellers auction off hundreds of pre-cut and organized coupons usually for around $1. The great thing about buying them on eBay is that they are light weight eliminating the need to factor in shipping costs. And, most sellers will offer free shipping.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
It's about that time when we have to start thinking about sending our kids back to school. And with that comes time to dig deep into our wallets to make sure they have everything they need come September. To make life a bit easier, Ziploc Brand products is offering a free Back-to-School gift pack to the first 10,000 to respond.
The free package includes:
- One box of 50-count Ziploc® Brand Sandwich Bags
- One box of 25-count Ziploc® Brand Storage Bags with the Smart Zip™ Seal.
- One package of Ziploc® Brand Containers with the Smart Snap™ Seal (small bowl)
CLICK HERE to request your package.
I have to give credit to McDonald's for showing the world that you can get a damn good cup of coffee without emptying your wallet at Starbucks or Caribou. If you want to try a new McDonald's Fruit Smoothie or Frappe, CLICK HERE and print out your coupon.
If you are reading this blog, one of your favorite words is FREE! If you are like me, you have a shoebox full of old cell phones that aren't worth a dime and you don't know if they should be thrown in the trash. Here's a solution:
JWT, or, J. Walter Thompson is an advertising agency network that publishes "Things to Watch" every year. It is a collection of trends that they believe will impact society. Even though this isn't exactly about "underspending," it does reference ideas about saving money indirectly. Either way, I think you will find it fun to cruise this list. To read the list from last year (with more reference to underspending), scroll to the post below. Here are the "100 Things to Watch in 2010":
1. 3D at Home
2. Airline Subscriptions
3. Alternative Measures of Prosperity
4. Alternative Metals in Jewelry
5. Asia's Widening Income Gap
6. Augmented Reality
7. Bacon Everywhere
8. Bio-Based Airplane Fuel
9. Boeing 787 Dreamliner
10. Bogotá
11. Brighter Colors
12. Buycotting
13. Carey Mulligan
14. Coconut Water
15. Composting
16. Contemporary Indian Art
17. Cordless Power
18. Customized Pharmaceuticals
19. Deficit Neutral
20. Donald Glover
21. Dry Shampoo
22. East Africa Wired
23. Electric Car Networks
24. Electric Cars
25. Electronic Libraries
26. Ellen on Idol
27. Energy Dieting
28. Ethical Fashion
29. European Free Speech
30. Exotic Berry Flavors
31. Fermentation
32. Fernando Torres
33. Foursquare
34. Gambling in Singapore
35. Gaming Software
36. Green Retrofits
37. Greening the Palate
38. Hand-Me-Ups
39. Handwriting
40. Harry Potter in Orlando
41. Haute Fashion on eBay
42. Hybrid Boats
43. Impact of the U.K. General Election
44. Ironic Sports
45. Japan on the Sidelines
46. Japan's First Lady
47. Jay Chou
48. Kindle Rivals
49. LED Bulbs
50. Li Ning
51. Lifestreaming
52. Lionel Messi
53. Little Boots
54. Local, Nonprofit Online Newspapers
55. Lost Series Finale
56. Luxury Goes East
57. Marina Silva
58. Mia Wasikowska
59. Michael Jackson Tribute Concert
60. Mobile Money
61. Mobile Ticketing
62. More Virtual Currencies
63. New Portrait of Hispanic America
64. "Nutrition-Washing"
65. Obesogens
66. Organic Fast Food
67. Pandemic Fatalism
68. Paying for Online Content
69. The Pirate Party
70. PlayStation 3 Motion Controller
71. Post-Lula Brazil
72. Pro Modding
73. Public Bicycles
74. Recycling Gray Water
75. Retail as Third Space
76. Return of the Water Fountain
77. Runaway Democracy
78. Silent Dance Parties
79. Ski Cross at Winter Olympics
80. Slow Beverages
81. Slow Communication
82. Spanish E-books
83. Spider-Man on Broadway
84. Spotify
85. Stephen Strasburg
86. Stevia
87. Tactile/Visual Design
88. Trip Bundling
89. TV for Tween Boys
90. TV/Web Integration
91. Urban Fruit Gleaning
92. U.S.-Cuba Ties
93. Video
94. Virtual House Calls
95. Volunteer Rewards
96. Water Footprint Tracking
97. The Waterless Washing Machine
98. The Wine-Tail
99. The Wonder Girls
100. Zach Galifianakis
Unlike "100 Things to Watch in 2010," this list "90 Things to Watch in 2009" have more references to underspending, the recession and much more. Of course, my favorite is #14: Credit Card Dieting.
1. 21st-Century Networking
2. Affordable Nutrition
3. Amy Poehler
4. Apatow-esque Humor
5. Bruno
6. Building a Beauty Arsenal
7. Buraka Som Sistema
8. Career Reinvention and Extension
9. Chat-Avoidance Services
10. The Cleveland Show
11. Cloud Computing
12. The Collective Consciousness
13. Creativity in the Informal Economy
14. Credit Card Dieting
15. Crowdfunding
16. The Decline of E-Mail
17. Distraction as Entertainment
18. DIY Repairs and Renovations
19. Doha
20. Dragonball
21. EarthRoamer
22. Electric Bikes
23. Elizabeth Banks
24. Emma Stone
25. The Energy Race
26. Environmental Exercise
27. Family-Friendly TV
28. Freebies
29. Gerard Butler
30. Girl Talk
31. Giving Circles
32. Gluten-Free
33. Good Old-Fashioned Cooking
34. Graphic Novels Hit Hyperdrive
35. The Green-Collar Class
36. hi5 37. Holographic Projection
38. Home as Castle
39. HomeAway
40. Homemade Beauty Treatments
41. How to Talk to Girls
42. Incognito luxury
43. Inconspicuous Travel
44. Innocent Cosmetics
45. Lady GaGa
46. Lala.com
47. Lance Armstrong
48. Lykke Li
49. Maria Pinto
50. Marketing with Aromas
51. Michelle Obama
52. Microfinancing’s Second Wave
53. Mobile Phones Get Personal
54. More Under One Roof
55. NASA’s Kepler Telescope
56. Netbooks
57. Noor
58. No “Paper” in Newspapers
59. Nutrition Replaces Dieting
60. Obama-speak
61. ODO7
62. Online TV Network Crackle
63. Online Video Ads
64. Outliers (as a term)
65. Palin’s Grandson
66. Personalized Travel Guides
67. Pisco Sours
68. Presidential Sightseeing
69. Prince William Wedding Watch
70. Product Source Tags
71. Radical Transparency Meets Genomics
72. Readers + Social Media = Revenue?
73. Residential Market for Solar Power
74. Ricky Rubio
75. Russell Brand
76. Safe-keeping
77. The Small Movement
78. Smart Garages
79. South Africa
80. Stuart Karten
81. Sustainable Fishery 82.
T. Boone Pickens
83. Telepresence
84. Touch Screens
85. Twitter Copycats
86. Virtual Reality Therapy
87. Virtual Socializing
88. Widgets 89.
89. Wikileaks
90. Xbox Streaming
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