Soup: The Budgeter’s Winter Go-To Meal

by Jessica Sommerfield · 1 comment

Eating healthy may have been one of your New Year’s resolutions, but if you’ve scanned the grocery aisles lately, especially the fresh areas which contain the least processed items that are better for you, you’ve discovered that it won’t be such an easy task. If you don’t buy food purposefully and plan menus to avoid waste, it can be very costly to eat healthy. This is especially true in the winter months when many fruits and vegetables are out of season and priced accordingly.

One of the best recommendations for getting the healthiest return on your grocery money in the winter months is to make soup – lots of it. Soup is an especially warm and inviting meal on cold winter days. There are many healthy choices for soup, such as vegetable and vegetable-meat soups, chicken noodle, tomato, minestrone, lentil, and others. What’s more, they are great budget-savers. Here are a few reasons why.

  • The ingredients in soup are cheap and versatile.

The broth-base in many soups is can be homemade from the juice left over from a ham, chicken, or beef roast. Otherwise, soup stock is inexpensive. If you use grains or beans in your soups, these items are available in bulk to make them even cheaper per serving. You will need to cook dried beans longer than canned ones, but if you use a crock pot, you can simmer them all day while at work or running errands. Leftover fresh vegetables which would normally go to waste are great thrown in soup; frozen vegetables are cheap and healthier than some canned versions with high salt content.

  • Soup goes a long way, and can be easily frozen.

A huge pot of soup or chili can feed a large family easily, with leftovers to spare. If you are single or a smaller family, cooking a large pot of soup is not a waste, because you can eat off of it for several days, which is especially helpful on busy days. Soup also keeps well in the freezer. Dish it up in serving or family meal-sized portions to be easily reheated at a later date.

  • Soup is filling, and it tastes good, too.

If you have teenagers with big appetites, you will appreciate this trait. Soup has a lot of liquid as well as bulk, or fiber, so it will fill you up fast without a lot of calories (or expense). Just because it’s healthy doesn’t mean it has to be tasteless or boring, either. Experiment with seasonings to find new ways to add flavor without adding salt.

Getting the most out of your grocery budget while making healthy choices is important, and so is your time. Cooking up large batches of soups in your free time is a great way to be a good steward of both, and grow in your cooking skills.

Are Home Warranties Worth The Yearly Expense?

by Tania Dakka · 0 comments

You just bought your home, and the disposal has conked out.

But you don’t have to panic. When you bought the house, the seller covered your first year there with a home warranty. The difficult decision after year one, when it’s time to renew. Will you continue your coverage, or risk paying more by stop paying for the home warranty?

You might think a home warranty is not worth the cost. After all, chances are good that you actually didn’t even use it. But what will you do if your home humidifier goes out and it’s $285 to fix? And then when the HVAC guy hands you that $365 repair bill for your heater? You’ll start to wonder if…maybe you should’ve renewed.

So how do you decide whether or not to renew?

While home warranty coverage differs from company to company, generally they cover the appliances, heating & a/c, and parts of the plumbing. You might be tempted to walk away from a home warranty if you haven’t had to use it much, but if you have to repair 1 or more of the units mentioned above, you might regret not having that coverage.

New homeowners who don’t have much experience in the upkeep of a home would do well to maintain their plans. However, if you or your spouse are handy at home repair, it may not be worth the expense to pay that money year after year.

And before getting lost in the dream that all parts of the covered systems fall under the umbrella of “coverage,” it’s worth mentioning that even though your refrigerator is a covered appliance, the ice maker may not be covered. This is another factor to consider when making the decision to obtain or maintain a home warranty.

Many young, inexperienced homeowners fail to read the fine print and are shocked to find out that parts of a unit may not be covered when they need service. They also tend to look at the expense as another monthly bill which makes it less attractive for them.

Look at the coverage and payment objectively. What can you afford? What can you do yourself if something breaks? Do you know what you’ll do if anything does break? Do you know a trustworthy repairman?

When answering these questions, if you are completely comfortable knowing that if all of the usually-covered systems were to need repairs within the year, that you’d be okay financially, perhaps skipping the warranty would be a good idea.

However, if you’re not sure how you’d fare, then start studying home warranty companies and the items covered. Be sure you’re asking the right questions when doing your research, because less money up front doesn’t mean its the best deal.

List your warranty and its attributes.

  • Covered items
  • Exclusions from covers
  • Price for repair visits
  • Price for the yearly contract
  • Causes for denial of claims
  • Reputation of the company

Weigh the facts accordingly.

  • What can you afford to fix on your own?
  • Will there be too many things not covered by the warranty?
  • Do you know how to repair many of the items covered yourself?

Make your decision based on the above questions. Some people may just rest better knowing they carried the coverage anyway, but if you are interested in saving money, it may not be necessary.

Do you opt for a home warranty? Why or why not?

What’s in a (Designer) Name?

by Gina Blitstein · 0 comments

I once was browsing in a fancy department store when a sweater caught my eye. When I lifted the sleeve and read the price tag I nearly fell over – $495! I hadn’t noticed that I had wandered into the “designer” department where the high-fashion apparel was sold. It was a very nice looking sweater but there’s no way in the world I could ever conceive of paying that much for a sweater. Why, I wondered, would anyone?

That got me thinking about designer products. Why do they cost so much more than “regular” products. Here’s what I’ve discovered:

There’s no particular criteria for “designer” products that require them to be of higher quality or in any way “better” than any other product. It’s all about the name and the clout it carries. A consumer assumes that Emeril Lagasse’s line of cookware, Martha Stewart’s home decor products and Vera Wang’s eyeglass frames are “special” in some way because those names are known to be knowledgeable and talented people in their fields of expertise. We like to think that these who have a line of products that carry their name also carry their tacit “stamp of approval.”

That “stamp of approval” allows those brands to charge premium prices for their merchandise – and consumers are often more than willing to spend more for the status a designer name imparts. The reputation of the designer – rather than the products themselves – is largely what consumers are paying for.

That’s not to say that there’s no difference between designer merchandise and other brands. Because it’s the reputation of the designer on the line, their products are often of higher-than-average quality. It’s just important to realize that “designer” is not necessarily synonymous with “the best.”

Having watched the Academy Awards last night, I’ve been thinking about that ubiquitous question the celebrities are asked as they work the red carpet, “Who are you wearing?” This is a question that most people go their entire lives without needing to answer. For most of us, it’s a matter of what rather than who.

When you’re in the market for a new suit, for example, rather than looking automatically at the designer labels, find the qualities that are most important to you. Designer suits may be made with more comfortable fabric or be more durable. Consider fabric and quality of construction if you’re going to wear the suit frequently. If, however, you need a suit for one wedding and you won’t wear it again for a year, you can most likely find a great suit without paying more for that designer label.

The truth is, there is a lot of high quality merchandise on the market that doesn’t bear a designer name. That’s where being a savvy consumer comes in. Remember these two things to buy good quality merchandise without overpaying for designer labels:

  1. Don’t automatically assume that designer merchandise is better. There’s no guarantee that it’s superior to any other brand.
  2. Know what makes a quality product. If the designer product has those qualities and you can justify a price that is most likely higher than other brands, then go for it.

Of course, there are times when you discover there is indeed something extra-appealing about a designer product. If you find that your favorite fragrance is made by Chanel and you don’t mind splurging to get what you consider the best, by all means do. At least you’ll know that you made the decision based upon your real opinion. Bottom line – don’t let the designer name alone unduly influence your purchasing decision.

Do you pay more for designer brands?

The MysteryShopper: A Not-So-Secret Way to Save

by Jessica Sommerfield · 1 comment

You are probably all too familiar with the extreme couponing craze that has many house-holds frantically cutting coupons on Sunday afternoons, and has even become the premise of a popular reality television show. But some extreme savers are starting to move beyond slashing just their grocery bill by becoming what’s known as a secret, or ‘mystery’ shopper.

Mystery shoppers submit written reviews of stores, restaurants, venues, and more. Companies use mystery shoppers as an under-cover way to check up on their locations to make sure they are providing good customer service, clean facilities, and excellent products, and to ‘get into their customers’ shoes.’ In return, mystery shoppers receive reimbursement for restaurant bills, highly discounted purchases, free tickets to amusement parks and theaters, or cash.

Some jobs may require you to write extensive reviews of a particular shopping location, but many times you will simply be asked specific yes and no questions about your shopping experience. Consequently, your writing skills do not have to be spectacular in order to land mystery shopping jobs.

Many people are leery of Internet advertisements for mystery shopping businesses, and there is reason to be. There are hundreds of mystery shopping companies to choose from, and not all are legitimate. One good way to tell if a potential company is a scam is if they require you to pay a fee in order to apply.  Applying to become a mystery shopper should be totally free. If you want to make sure you’re not getting scammed, check to see if the company you want to mystery shop with is a part of the Mystery Shopping Providers Association (MSPA). There are honest mystery shopping companies who are not affiliated with the MSPA, but if you stick with those in the association, you will have added security.

Also beware of anything that sounds too good to be true (something for nothing) or promises of by-the-hour payment. Most mystery shopping companies pay per job, and the amount varies to nothing but reimbursement to a few hundred dollars.

Mystery shopping can be highly competitive, since many companies award jobs on a first-come, first-served basis. To gain a competitive edge, be sure to do the following:

  • Turn your reviews in on time
  • Proofread your reviews for misspellings and other errors
  • Be willing to make purchases in order to review products and services (Look at it as bargain shopping).

Although you may not make a lot of outright cash being a mystery shopper, if you were to calculate the dollar value of the services, venues, and products you’ve received at discounts or for free simply by reporting your experiences, it adds up to a lot of savings.

If you are willing to do a little work, mystery shopping can save you tons of money on entertainment, dining, hotels, products, and much more; not to mention, it can actually be quite fun if you are someone who enjoys shopping and new experiences.  Mystery shopping is a great way to eliminate the guilt of expensive shopping trips or enjoying a nice restaurant, because you are getting paid to do it.

4 Ways to Financially Survive Stay-At-Home Parenting

by Tania Dakka · 1 comment

Are you part of the growing population looking for more and more ways to survive on one income?
After generations of working moms, more families are starting to feel the financial and emotional price of daycare when it come to raising kids. This expense often doesn’t lend itself well to balancing a budget. But more costly is the distance created between parent and child in those early years of separation.

One solution that families are utilizing is stay-at-home parenting. No longer is it just mom at home, but dads, too, are making that sacrifice. Living on one income can be difficult, but it isn’t impossible either. With these tips, families can make the most of their one income budget while raising children who will be close to them for a lifetime.
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11 Affordable Ways to Renew Your Home and Spirits While Waiting for Spring

by Gina Blitstein · 0 comments

Spring is within sight but the fact remains that there are still several weeks, if not months, when Winter remains in charge of the weather. Despite some dreary, cold days, though, our creative juices often get anxious for activity around this time of year – to fix, make, revamp or tidy up something in our environment.

Even though the weather may not be conducive – yet – to gardening, outdoor maintenance and Spring cleanup, there are things you can do indoors to satisfy your urge to renew your surroundings. There are a couple bonuses to spending the last bit of Winter improving your indoor environment: It will help the time pass more pleasantly because you’ll be indulging that creative urge and you’ll end up with an improved, more livable home.

You needn’t take on a huge project – or a costly one. You can make some big changes for little or no cost. Think about the biggest pain points you encountered while being “home bound” during the Winter months. Solving your most vexing household problems will make the biggest impact in improving your outlook as you await Spring.

Here I’ve brainstormed some do-it-yourself projects. Some will require spending a little bit of money and others primarily your time. Tackling one or several of these types of undertakings indoors will refresh your home along with your frame of mind.

Don’t forget these home coupons either. They will help you save quite a bit on your DIY projects.

  1. Closet makeover – Cleaning out a closet can make a huge difference. Just imagine how much easier it would be to find and put away items if your closet space was optimized and more user-friendly!
  2. Storage bins – We all have stuff to put away that we don’t because it doesn’t actually have a place to go. Eliminate that excuse by investing in some storage bins to declutter your environment.
  3. Rearrange furniture – It’s sure to revitalize your outlook when you change up your room configuration. You may discover a more efficient traffic flow in addition to a fresh perspective.
  4. New accessories – A few new throw pillows, a bedspread, area rug or shower curtain can freshen up your living space for just a few dollars.
  5. Paint – Whether you’re touching up some dings or changing colors completely, never underestimate the power of fresh paint to freshen up a room.
  6. New curtains/window coverings – Changes to your windows changes more than color and texture – it changes the way light enters your space, which makes a huge difference.
  7. Plant seeds – Starting plants from seed is an economical way to have a booming, varied garden. If space allows, plant some seeds now so they’ll be ready to plant in your garden as soon as weather permits.
  8. Plan your garden on paper – The next best thing to planting a garden is to bring it to life on paper. Now’s the time envision what goes where and to research new plants and their requirements to optimize your gardening success.
  9. Clean carpets – Winter undoubtedly did a number on your carpets. Cleaning them now will spruce up your home, removing dirt, odors and allergens for a fresh start come Spring.
  10. Clean out your pantry and freezer – Take stock of the foods you have on hand. Cook up the “Wintery” ones to make room for lighter fare and outdoorsy cooking to come.
  11. Organize photos and recipes – We have so many of both – and they’re everywhere – in boxes, in drawers, on our computers… take time to put them in order so they can be accessed and enjoyed!

There’s so much you can do now – before it’s officially Spring – to renew your life and surroundings.

How do you refresh your environment and spirit when it’s not quite Spring yet?

Ideas for Saving Money on Date Night

by Miranda Marquit · 0 comments

If you are looking for ways to save money on date night, there are a number of options when it comes to frugality. And you don’t just have to save money by having a date night at home. Here are some ideas to shave some of the costs associated with going out:

Make it Date Day, Instead of a Date Night

If you have school-age children, this works really well. You can have a date during the day instead of going out. This works because lunch costs less than dinner. Additionally, if you go to a movie, a matinee usually costs less than a movie at night. Plus, if you go out while your children are in school, you don’t have to pay for a babysitter. This can provide big savings, since the cost of babysitting is always on the rise.

Even if you can’t get off work to take a whole day, it might be possible to meet your significant other for lunch, or for some other activity. It’s a way to spend time together — frugally.

Find Free or Discounted Things to Do

Another option is to find free things to do in your city. Many museums have free admission days. If you live in a university town, there are usually student recitals and concerts, art exhibitions, and other activities that are free, or that cost very little. You can have a good date for little more than the cost of a babysitter.

Other free options include outdoor activities, like picnics in the park. Long walks, window shopping, biking, and hiking. Consider ways that you can spend time together without spending too much money. The idea is that the time spent in each other’s company is more valuable than what you could spend money on.

You can also look online for discounts. Discounted gift certificates to restaurants in town, or to activities. You can use coupons and daily deal sites to help you find better deals and save money — and you might even find the inspiration to try something new when you use these resources.

Arrange Babysitting Exchanges

If you are concerned about the cost of babysitting, you can arrange to save money by exchanging with other couples that you know. You can take turns watching each other’s children. This works especially well if your kids are near the same age, and can play the neighbors’ children.

Many couples like to arrange babysitting co-op groups. This can provide a way for you to enjoy more evenings out each month. Even if you don’t save on the cost of the activity, you will save on the cost of babysitting. Be careful, though, to be selective when it comes to choosing the couples you exchange babysitting with. You want to make sure that they are people you trust.

Bottom Line

It’s possible to find creative and inexpensive ways to go on dates with your significant other. You can save money by going at different times of the day, or by finding alternatives to traditional babysitting. While it can be nice to spend an evening in, there’s no reason to avoid an evening out on occasion.

Four Ways to Protect Yourself from Identity Theft

by Jessica Sommerfield · 2 comments

At some point or another all of us have thrown those annoying credit card offers directly in the trash without a second thought. What you may not realize is that by doing so you are making yourself vulnerable to identity theft. About 9 million Americans fall prey to identity theft every year. Although you don’t need to lie awake at night worrying about it, following a few practical steps can help you protect yourself from becoming a victim of these subtle thieves.

Shred any junk mail or paperwork that contains your name, address, or any other personal information.  We all know to shred personal files, but an unopened credit card offer or billing statement can be one of the easiest items for an identity thief to use. A little dumpster diving is all they have to do to obtain a line of credit with your personal information. They can file for a change of address so you remain completely unaware until you start receiving phone calls from creditors and lenders, or check your credit report.  Some identity thieves can go so far as to purchase a house with stolen information! The small expense of a shredder is well worth the potential identity theft it will save you.

Be careful when purchasing items with a debit or credit card, especially over the phone or online. Most well-known merchants can be trusted, but be leery of questionable new businesses or ‘one time offers’, especially over the phone. When shopping online, use only reputable sites with strong security. Even if the online retailer you are shopping with is not stealing your information, hackers may be able to if their site is vulnerable.

Carefully check your bank and billing statements. It can be easy to get in the habit of only skimming your statements, but you may be missing small details that point to identity theft.  These types of thieves often make small withdrawals or purchases in amounts you would normally make so as not to arouse suspicion. Check every transaction and if you see anything suspicious, don’t hesitate to call your bank, lender, or service provider.

Check your credit report regularly. Even if you do all of these things, you may still be the victim of identity theft. The more frequently you request and review your credit report, the sooner you will able to catch potential abuses of your financial information. Bad credit can ruin your potential for purchases in the future, so be sure to seek corrections for any charges you did not make.

If you discover suspicious activity on your credit report, investigate it. You may need to file an Identity Theft Report with the police to protect your legal rights against liability for purchases made with your stolen identity and to protect yourself from future abuses.

Don’t fall victim to identity theft. By utilizing these four simple procedures, you can protect your identity and your finances from unnecessary exploitation.

Reconnect with These 10 Frugal, Family Fun Activities

by Tania Dakka · 0 comments

Entertainment with the family can be fun and exciting for all, but it can get expensive. These 10 frugal, family fun activities will not only fit within your budget, they’ll reconnect you with your children!

1. Go for a nature walk. Make it a theme walk. See who can find the most squirrels or leaves with 4 points on them. This is a great way to make the walk purposeful and to teach younger ones to be observant.

2. Fun at family field day. Determine prizes ahead of time (they don’t need to cost money, either – maybe 3 days off from family chores!). Set up your game plan. Will you have a snowman-building contest? What about relay races or ring toss? Have a picnic at lunch. Even if it’s snowing, take precautions, but STILL get out there and get your family moving.

3. Visit a park in a neighboring city. Explore the area where you live. You might find that your neighborhood is very walkable, and that you quite enjoy finding out what’s around you.

4. Have an art show. Let everyone decide the type of art they’d like to create, then spend the morning working on it. Have a judging in the afternoon after lunch. The winner is proclaimed King or Queen of the castle for the next few days and is relinquished from all duties.

5. Hold a board game marathon. Even if your children are young, they still enjoy the concept of game playing. If you want to play more complex games (like Monopoly), rotate in the less advanced games for the little ones.

6. Have a wrestling roughhouse. Physical play is excellent for teaching children self-esteem and it helps adults release tensions that have built up at work during the week. The key is not to play too rough. When you sense your child is no longer enjoying the game, then it’s time to stop. The right type of roughhousing will give even your most timid children a chance to blossom, so give it a try!

7. Have a creative writing contest. Even if your children are too young to write, they won’t be too young to tell you what to write for them. Their imaginations will help spark your own creative juices. Exposure to creative activities like this teaches them to think outside the box when it comes to problem solving in other areas of life.

8. Hold a dance marathon. This is a great way to get children (and parents) moving. Have a Silliest Dance contest during your marathon. They’ll LOVE seeing you at your most awkward moment!

9. Have a boxcar derby race. Team up parents and kids to build their cars and race together, but be careful that the children are doing most of the building and the parents are simply supervising.

10. Make it a craft day. Pick up supplies and get crafting together. Take pictures of your day making your crafts and of the finished products all together. Don’t forget to take individual pictures, too. Do this once a week or once a month and on their birthday, present them with a scrapbook of your memories together. That’s a gift that will always stay with them.

While none of these activities will break your budget, every one of them will result in something far greater than any amount of money you would have spent going out: A family bond that lasts a lifetime.

Show your children how much they mean to you this weekend by spending time with them instead of spending money on them. It’s not easier, but it is more rewarding.

What activity does your family love that you could do this weekend to reconnect?

7 Tips to Feel Empowered When You Need Major Appliance Repair

by Gina Blitstein · 0 comments

It looks like we’ll soon be in the market for a new furnace at our house. At the very least, we need to have to have someone repair it – again – until we’re sure we can cover the expense of a new one.

That got me thinking about those people we hire to fix and maintain our household appliances. How do we find them in the first place? How do we know we can trust their abilities and opinions? How do we know they’re not ripping us off?

Being in need of appliance repair can be a very vulnerable position – especially when you’re not knowledgeable about those appliances (like me). Because I don’t like the feeling of being at the mercy of service technicians, I’ve compiled a list of tips for empowering yourself when you find yourself in need of a major appliance repair (or replacement).

Empowering Tips for Those in Need of Major Appliance Repairs

  1. Ask neighbors, family and friends – You certainly know someone who’s had a similar repair done and can recommend a trustworthy technician. You’ll find a huge listing in the phone directory but nothing beats a testimonial from a satisfied customer.
  2. Ask the Internet – If you truly are at a loss for a personal recommendation, consult the Internet. Services such as Angie’s List provide reviews and ratings of service providers from those who’ve used them.
  3. Ask questions – If you knew what needed to be done and why, you’d fix it yourself. Make sure the technician explains in detailed, understandable language, what went wrong with your appliance and how it can be fixed. Listen with a critical ear to what you’re told – don’t let your potentially vulnerable situation cloud your better judgement.
  4. Don’t hesitate to go with a small local company – Often when we don’t have a go-to repair person, we automatically call a major retailer’s service department. Keep these facts in mind: First, these retailers sell appliances. So while the person who comes to repair your appliance may be able to fix it, they also have a vested interest in convincing you it would be the best use of your money to invest in a new one. Second, the repair person often is not directly employed by the retailer but rather is a small local repair business with whom the retailer has sub-contracted. Choosing a small, independent repair business that doesn’t sell appliances is the best way to get an unbiased opinion on repair versus replacement.
  5. Expect courtesy and respect – A repair technician who shows up late, is unprepared, leaves a mess, seems “put out” by or disinterested in your service call is not someone with whom you want to do business.
  6. Get a second opinion – Especially on a high-cost repair or replacement, if it’s at all possible, get an estimate from another company for the same issue. Practices and repair costs can vary widely among companies so compare not only price but the proposed solution.
  7. Go with your gut – The bottom line is, don’t say, “Yes,” to repairs out of desperation. Be aware of your feelings about the proposed solution. If a red flag is going up because you don’t understand or trust what you’re being told, listen to it. While it’s inconvenient to have a broken appliance, it’s worse to agree to a repair about which you don’t feel comfortable.

This list will empower you to come from a place of strength when dealing with repair technicians, allowing you to get the right repair and advice at a fair price.

How do you choose the right service technicians for major appliance repairs?

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