Finance Archives - Page 3 of 4

A Frugal Mom’s Guide to the 5 Best Coupon Apps for Grocery Shopping

December 2, 2016 by Mandy

With the rise of smartphones, there’s no reason for moms to spend hours clipping coupons, sorting them by expiration date, and presenting an entire pile of coupons at check-out. Today’s mom wheels through the store with a list of what she needs and a handful of apps that rack up the discounts. There are so many options that it’s hard to decide which grocery coupons are the best. Check out this list of the top five apps that you should try on your phone.

Ibotta

This app works with grocery stores like Walmart, Publix, Albertsons, and Winn-Dixie, but offers rebates on many other non-grocery establishments. You can even save at stores like Best Buy and KFC if you keep an eye out for good deals. After you buy, scan your receipt and unlock different items to receive rebates. For example, the app might give you $2 back if you buy chips and salsa around Cinco de Mayo, or buy champagne around New Year’s Eve. Ibotta also allows you to team up with friends for extra savings. Once you save $20, you can redeem your cash back for gift cards or money in your PayPal account.

Grocery IQ

Image via Flickr by jridgewayphotography

Consumer Reports says Grocery IQ is ideal for list makers who tend to buy the same thing every week. If you always pick up bananas for a snack or if the kids like a certain juice box, you can easily add the items to your list, and the app will search for coupons that are applicable to those items. You can also share lists, sort items by aisle, and scan bar codes as you go for extra savings. This app comes from Coupons.com, so you’ll be able to tap into their massive database to make sure you’re getting as much savings as your can.

Cellfire

Cellfire is using the popularity of loyalty cards to help consumers save more money. You sync your loyalty cards to this app, and it sends clipped coupons to them when you check out. This allows you to clip coupons on your own time, and you only have to hand over one card at checkout — not 20 different coupons. If you enable notifications, you’ll receive alerts for potential savings when you enter a store so you don’t miss a great deal. This app is available for ShopRite, Kroger and more stores.

Grocery Smarts Coupon Shopper

The Grocery Smarts Coupon Shopper app is free, which means you can quickly download it to your smartphone, such as T-Mobile’s iPhone 7 Plus, and go shopping. This app knows that moms want to make the most of their coupons and don’t want to leave any money on the table, so it discovers ways to double down on savings, from the store circulars to national offers, so customers can pull savings from multiple locations. It’s accepted at stores like CVS, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Target, and more. Instead of worrying about getting the best offer in this store, use this app to score better savings.

Upromise

Like Ibotta, Upromise combines the power of coupons with cash back, but this app specifically lets you save for college or pay off your student loans. If you save $5 every week on groceries through this app, then you can save $250 per year, or $4,000 by the time your child turns 18. A little savings adds up. This is also a great app for college students, who can work on paying off their student loans just by grocery shopping and visiting the mall.

The Upromise app works on Apple and Android devices. One drawback is that Upromise requires more personal information to register than other coupon apps, which often let you use an email or Facebook account to register.

Test a few of these apps until you decide which one is best for you. Some people don’t like the scanning aspect of Ibotta, while others avoid loyalty cards wherever they shop. Even the usability aspect of the app could be the deciding factor between using it every week and deleting it after a few days, so test several to learn which works best for you.

Creating and Maintaining Value of Your Family Vehicle

November 22, 2016 by Mandy

A new vehicle’s value depreciates as soon as it is driven off the dealership’s lot. In fact, as soon as you drive it on the road, it is already considered a “used” car. Even brand new vehicles when used as demo cars are no longer considered new. However, there are ways to maintain the value of your family vehicle so it holds the most value over the years that you own it.

There are also financial and resale reasons to ensure the value of your vehicle. Resale and collateral for a loan.

Taking Out a Loan Against the Value of Your Vehicle

At some point, your family may have an emergency and need to secure a short-term loan for financial reasons. If you’re close to paying off your vehicle, or it has already been paid off and holds its book value, there are car title loans to help through the financial crisis.

Maintaining a High Resale Value

No vehicle will ever sell for what you paid for it, unless you’re selling a mint condition classic or antique vehicle. As such, it’s important to do regular maintenance on your car from the first day you purchase it. This ensures that if you ever decide to sell it or trade it in on a newer car, you will get the most money back on it.

It is not difficult to keep your car maintained, however, if this is your family’s primary vehicle and you have small children, there are some important considerations to keeping your car in check.

Interior Maintenance

When you go to trade in your car or use it against a loan, the vehicle’s interior plays as much importance as the outside and under the hood. In fact, some buyers may not worry as much about a torn hose as they are about stains or tears on the car seats or carpets. A hose is easier to replace than a vehicle’s interior.

Seat covers: If you have kids who like to eat and drink in the car, which is normal, the best idea is to buy seat covers and car mats for your car. The covers and mats can be taken out to wash and dry and they’ll protect against stains and other damage. When you’re ready to sell your car or have it evaluated for collateral against a loan, simply remove the covers and mats and your vehicle’s interior will look showroom new.
Smoking: If you’re a smoker, now is the time to quit smoking inside of your vehicle. It doesn’t matter how many windows you have down, the residue will seep inside of the car’s interior and you may never get rid of the smell even with professional detailing. In addition, never let any passengers smoke inside of your vehicle either and try not to smoke right before getting into your car. The smoke will cling to your clothing and transfer to the interior of your vehicle.
Trash removal: Never let trash pile up in your car. Dispose of it daily so it takes less time when you do your weekly cleaning. An alternative is to keep a bag inside your car specifically for tossing out any trash you generate during the week.
Weekly cleaning: Set aside one morning a week to thoroughly clean the inside and outside of your car. Beyond vacuuming, wipe down the interior including the dashboard, steering column and seat belts, and clean the windows. When you wash the car, be sure to get up under the wheel wells and clean the wheels.
Car Wax: If you use a good wax, you should only need to wax your car two or three times per year. For older vehicles, you may want to give the car a double wax before winter to protect it against the salt and sand during the snow season. For hotter climates, wax protects sun damage.

Maintaining the Mechanicals

For new car purchases, do not ignore the maintenance schedule included in the owner’s manual. They are there to help you keep your vehicle running smoothly and avoid possible major repairs down the road.

Aside from annual vehicle inspections, if you live in a state that requires them, you need to keep a check on the following, which could end up damaging the vehicle’s engine or transmission over time:

Fuel oil: Check with the owner’s manual to see what weight the oil should be during different times of the year. Before you go on any long road trips, be sure the check the oil level. It is critical to maintain the proper levels of fuel oil so you don’t have the expense of replacing your car’s engine.
Brake fluid: You need your car to stop securely, but if you’re low on brake fluid, you may need to apply more pressure than necessary and the car may not stop.
Transmission fluid: This is especially essential in automatic transmission vehicles. Not maintaining the proper fluid levels could seriously damage your vehicle’s transmission, which is a repair you do not want to have to make. It can be very costly.

Safety Essentials

To even further protect your vehicle’s value, make sure you’re safe on the road so you can be better protected against accidents. These include proper headlights, turn signals, rear and brake lights and tire pressure. Keeping all of these essentials properly maintained will go far in maintaining the value of your vehicle.

5 Sure-Fire Tips to Save Money When Buying Blooms Online

September 21, 2016 by Mandy

Flowers are one of the most common gifts you can send to your loved ones. The feeling of receiving a bouquet of fresh flowers can make you truly happy. It allows you to feel special and at the same time loved by the one who sent it.

Apparently, there are a lot of stores out there where you can purchase various types of flowers. You can either choose between an online shop or a physical store. Either way, it depends upon your choice. Just make sure that you select one that offers a great deal and the flowers sold are really fresh and beautifully arranged.

And in case you decide to order online, choose a trusted website that delivers flowers wherever country you might be, like Australia, United States, or Europe. In fact, Fresh Flowers offers flower delivery to Sunshine Coast QLD. So, if you are to send a bouquet there, you can count on this flower shop.

Here are some ways on how you can save money in ordering flowers online:

Pick local and seasonal flowers

It will save you a lot if you choose to stay local and seasonal. These kinds of blossoms are guaranteed fresh and you are able to trim down expenses on transportation fees. In addition, you can also select year-round flowers, such as orchids, calla lilies, and roses.

Choose huge blossoms

Staying within the budget does not always mean that you go cheap. If you are to send flowers to your special someone, you can opt for luxe, big blooms. These flowers are then packed into a larger punch, which means you just need a few of them. However, if you are unsure of this, you can always ask your florist and find out about the pricing details later on.

Stick to two varieties

The fewer kinds of florals and foliage you use, the more affordable the cost will be. You have to stick to blooms that have the same shape or colour scheme for a more compact appearance. Some great flower options would include peonies, orchids, hydrangeas, tulips, calla lilies, and roses.

Exchange pricey stems

Once you are on a tight budget, ordering flower lookalikes is a great option. Simply trade those costly buds for reasonably priced kinds. You can discuss things with your florist and make sure that you are on the same page. Therefore, you have to choose a florist who is really trustworthy, provides you more options, and considers your budget.

Repurpose your blooms

When you want some blooms to be delivered to you, don’t simply put them on a vase and let them wilt after some time. You have to know how you can reuse them, so you can get the most out of your hard-earned money. On the other hand, if you received a bouquet, find other ways to repurpose it.

Indeed, it will help you save more cash when purchasing flowers online. Simply follow these helpful tips mentioned above and you will be able to make the most out of your elegant bouquet.

Tips to Save more while shopping online

August 31, 2016 by Mandy

Online stores have made shopping hassle-free, fast, and convenient since you can find whatever you need just with one click or touch. The influx of online merchants gives you more options to pick from though you still have to consider how much it costs to get what you need. A few tricks will help when looking to make savings during your online shopping.

Loyalty Programs

If you are an ardent online shopper, then you may have stores that you visit regularly. There are those that you prefer for electronics and some for clothes or jewelry, and you can capitalize on these favorites by joining their loyalty programs. Some online merchants offer enticing deals for loyal customers that can save you a considerable amount when shopping.

Deals

Discount offers and promotions are common even with brick and mortar stores. Some of these deals can help you cut on your expenses, especially when you know where to find the right ones. Coupon codes are an easy way for you to take advantage of offers online. Couponing sites such as Groupon and Living Social are good places to start if you are just getting into online shopping. Find codes for various stores and pick the ones that suit your shopping needs.

Smart Couponing

There is couponing then there is smart couponing. Knowing how to stack coupons is an art that will help you save more than a few bucks. Coupon stacking is when you have more than one coupon code for the same store and use them at the same time. The trick to stacking is knowing which coupon codes come first. For instance, if you have one that gives you 10% off and another for $10 off, start with the 10 percent then the ten-dollar one.

Smart Comparisons

Price comparison is your friend when shopping online what with all the online stores available. Before you can settle on a particular store, find a site that does comparison checks of online retailers. Some of these sites even tell you if there are coupons to use. When comparing stores don’t forget the discounts because you may find one store with a lower price but small discount and another one that is slightly higher but with a bigger discount that offsets the difference.

Use Social Media

Following the right accounts on social media can also save you money when it comes to shopping. For one, you can keep up with sites that provide coupon alerts. Also, you can network with stores on their social pages because some use them to announce discounts.

Cut Shipping Costs

Shipping costs a lot of money, especially for long distances. There are several ways to minimize or forgo shipping costs such as ordering new arrivals in advance, buying in bulk, or using free shipping offers.

Timing

Knowing the right time to shop can save you a good amount of money. Some online stores have specific times of the week when they put out offers; you can find out when that is. Days such as Cyber Monday, holidays, and Black Friday offer ideal opportunities. Unless you need something fast, it is better to wait for the right shopping day.

Fun and Fancy on a Tight Budget: Easy Ways to Save Money and Still Enjoy Your Free Time

July 22, 2016 by Mandy

camping

When the time comes to enjoy a well-earned break and take a holiday, your main priority is to enjoy yourself and do something different to your normal routine for a week or so, but if you are on a tight budget, you might think that this would restrict your options.

It is always a good idea to have some sort of financial safety net in case of emergencies and for times when you need a bit of extra cash. Claiming compensation through WorkCover for an accident at work, is one example of where money could get tight if you are off work waiting to get your money sorted.

Whatever the circumstances, there are some ways to enjoy a holiday where you keep within your tight budget, without compromising on the fun.

Savvy holiday planning

As you will quickly discover when searching online or scanning brochure prices, there are peak times for holidays, where the cost of your holiday will rocket in comparison to other periods.

Get your savings strategy off to the best possible start by making sure you get the best possible for your holiday in the first place, as this will give you a bigger budget when you get there.

If you can, try to travel at off-peak times, as this will save you money on everything from, airfares, hotel rates and even entertainment when you get there, if there aren’t the usual crowds.

Even you leave can make a big difference. Booking a flight that leaves midweek, is almost certainly going to be cheaper than if you book a more popular weekend slot.

Sign up for rewards and travel deals

Many of the loyalty cards and air miles schemes around are free to join, and you might also be able to find a credit card that offers you some generous points or even free flights, when you sign up.

You don’t want to apply for a credit card just to get a cheap or free flight of course, but if you are going to be spending money that you are able to pay off when the bill comes in, it makes a lot of sense to use a card that gives you the sort of travel deal or incentive you are looking for.

Check your phone charges

There are plenty of people who have had an unpleasant shock when they return home and find that their mobile phone bill is almost as high as the cost of the holiday itself.

Don’t undo all of your hard work making savings and finding the best deal, only to get stung with a massive phone bill, by using your phone abroad, without locking in a prearranged rate or switching to a cheaper alternative provider.

Always check the roaming charges that will apply to your particular phone contract. It is better to know what it is costing beforehand than to come back to a big bill that blows your carefully nurtured budget.

There are plenty of ways to save money and still have a great holiday, so get working on making your money stretch as far as possible.

Faith Douglas has 4 kids so family holidays, at peak season, can soon become out of the question due to money unless she gets her frugal cap on! Faith writes about saving money, from daily expenses to larger purchases.