You can use Price Protectr two different ways to save money. When you are contemplating a purchase, you can use the site to track prices. But, and this is where it gets really cool! – you can also save money after you make your purchase.
Lots of stores offer price protection policies. When the price drops on an item you’ve purchased, these stores will refund the difference between the lower price and your purchase price. But there’s a catch. It’s up to you to track the price change.
Price Protectr tracks price changes for you. It alerts you that prices have dropped so you can request rebates on your purchase from over 160 of your favorite stores.
Who’s watching your back? Price Protectr. And your mom, of course.
Filed under: Re-invent your future | Closed
Tags: change your life, Financial security, kat, kat bourgeois, katquest, new you, Personal growth, price chnges, price protection, re-do, rebates, saving money, solve problems, tips for saving money
What’s ahead for you? New baby going to take you from two paychecks to one? Starting a new business? Moving into a new house with a big monthly payment? Retiring in a year or so? Big changes all.
Your plan is all in your LIFE LAYOUT, but it’s going to take a tight budget. You’re convinced it’s doable.
Want to be sure? Start living on the new budget now. Yes. Now.
Filed under: Re-direct your finances, Re-invent your future | Closed
Tags: budget, budgeting, change your life, Financial security, kat, kat bourgeois, katquest, life layout, new house, new you, Personal growth, retire, saving money, solve problems, start new business, tips for saving money
- Image via Wikipedia
In honor of Ben Franklin who focused on one virtue a month each year (plus humility, which he worked on all year round on the advice of a detractor), I’m working on one life principle each week from Sunday to Saturday. Will you join me?
Yes, you’ve seen this one before. In fact, it was the very first life principle we worked on a couple of months ago. But with the Thanksgiving holidays coming up, I thought we should re-visit the whole “laugh, kiss, hug, and praise” thing.
It’s only four days and they’re not getting any younger you know…
Week 1: Laugh, kiss, hug, and praise
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](https://i0.wp.com/img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png)
Filed under: Re-charge your family life, Re-examine your inner life, Re-focus your heart, Re-invent your future | Closed
Tags: Ben Franklin, Benjamin Franklin, benjaminfranklin, change your life, Family, hug, Inner peace, Joy, kat, kat bourgeois, katquest, laugh, life principles, new you, praise, re-do, re-do you, re-invent, re-invention, solve problems, Spirituality, tips for saving money
This is a trick I learned many years ago when I was on a young housewife on a very tight budget. At that time my “discretionary” amount for miscellaneous expenses was $50 a month.
I reserved half, or $25, for unexpected expenses. And in some lucky months that $25 was carried over to create a mini-savings account, or “crisis cash” as I called it then. I did say it was a long time ago. Now my crises seem to come in $200 packages!
I would cash the remaining $25, and when something I routinely purchased went on sale, I would buy $25 worth of it. Shades of what Nadia taught us in her guest blog Slash Your Grocery Bill (No Coupons Needed!). Always buy what you’re going to end up buying anyway at a discount. (An added bonus: you never run out of deodorant or toothpaste.)
Nowadays I don’t carry my “miscellaneous” amount in cash, and I don’t generally follow the ads as I did in those days, but if I see my favorite brand of hand lotion in Walgreen’s or Target, I know I’ve allotted space in the budget to buy $50 worth (or up to the allowed limit). So I stock up.
So my miscellaneous budget item has mushroomed from $25 – 100 from 1979 to 2009. What else is new?!
Filed under: Re-direct your finances, Re-invent your future | Closed
Tags: bargain shopping, budget, budgeting, change your life, discount, Financial security, kat, katquest, new you, Organization, Personal growth, re-do, re-do you, re-invent, re-invention, saving money, saving money on groceries, savings, solve problems, tips for saving money
Everyone has one budget item that is their Achilles heel. Their personal “black hole”. Where do you over-spend?
Let’s say it’s dining out. Here’s a trick that will help you stop the craziness:
1. Decide what you should be spending, your monthly dining out budget.
2. Compare your current to desired spending amounts and taper down slowly for a couple of months if you are afraid to go “cold turkey”.
3. When you receive your paycheck, turn the amount of your dining out budget into cash.
4. Now instead of using a credit card when you dine out, use your cash allowance.
5. 27th of the month and the cash is gone? Party over.
Studies show that people spend less when they are using cash versus credit cards. As you see the dollars dwindling in your wallet, you’ll become more aware of your spending. And you will be more likely to rein it in.
And yes, Virginia, restaurants do still take cash…
Filed under: Re-direct your finances, Re-invent your future | Closed
Tags: budget, budgeting, change your life, dining out, Financial security, kat, kat bourgeois, katquest, new you, re-do, re-do you, re-invent, re-invention, saving money, solve problems, tips for saving money
Getting paid to do something I was going to do anyway? Sweet.
Filed under: Re-direct your finances, Re-invent your future | Closed
Tags: bargain shopping, change your life, discount shopping, Financial security, kat, kat bourgeois, katquest, new you, Personal growth, re-invent, re-invention, shopping, shopping online, tips for saving money
Starting today, if you have two credit cards, and you cannot pay off the entire monthly balances on either, implement a two-card strategy:
1. Reserve one card for major purchases that will last at least five years, furniture for instance. At least the item you purchase will last as long as, or hopefully longer than, the time it will take you to pay for it. You are now treating this card like a collateralized loan, one backed up by an asset of value. Like a car loan. It makes more sense to pay monthly for items that have longevity.
2. Use the other card for purchases with a short shelf life, dinner, or a pair of tennis shoes, for instance. If you cannot pay the entire balance now, resolve to pay at least what you charged on the card that month. You are now using this card only as a convenience, a cash substitute. Not as a long term loan. And you are not getting further behind.
Two strategies. Always better than one!
Filed under: Re-direct your finances, Re-invent your future | Closed
Tags: change your life, Financial security, kat, katquest, new you, Personal growth, re-do, re-invent, re-invention, tips for saving money
Time to clean out your closets! No, not because they are cluttered, although, of course, they are. But because you want to donate your family’s unworn, overly worn, and “you wish could be worn” clothes to charity before year end. Not only will you get a nice tax deduction, but you’ll help your less fortunate neighbors.
Oh, and don’t forget to add to the pile that iron you haven’t touched in 10 years…
Filed under: Re-direct your finances, Re-invent your future | Closed
Tags: change your life, charitable contribution, charitable donation, clutter, Financial security, kat, kat bourgeois, katquest, new you, re-do, re-do you, re-invent, re-invention, saving money, solve problems, tips for saving money, year-end
Met your medical, dental or vision insurance deductibles for the year? If so, consider moving medical, dental, or vision care that you expect to incur next year into this year, including elective surgery covered by your plan.
It’s also a good time to schedule routine examinations typically covered 100% by medical and dental plans. Even if you can’t afford additional dental work now, you will be minimizing future problems by keeping up with your semi-annual cleaning appointments.
Many vision insurance plans cover most of the cost of one pair of eyeglasses a year. Take advantage of this benefit to purchase a spare set of glasses.
This tip is especially important if you would lose insurance benefits (or pay higher Cobra prices) with a loss of employment.
Filed under: Re-build your health and fitness, Re-direct your finances, Re-invent your future | Closed
Tags: change your life, Financial security, Health, kat, kat bourgeois, katquest, new you, Personal growth, re-do you, re-invent, re-invention, saving money, solve problems, tips for saving money
The Ben Franklin Plan: Hmmm…
- Image via Wikipedia
In honor of Ben Franklin who focused on one virtue a month each year (plus humility, which he worked on all year round on the advice of a detractor), I’m working on one life principle each week from Sunday to Saturday. Will you join me?
This week’s life principle is definitely based on the “less is more” concept. It’s also a great strategy and a tool for the communication practice of paraphrasing. You remember paraphrasing. When someone says something to you, use paraphrasing to clarify and focus on listening – in a non-judgmental way – by repeating back what they said. Sometimes you do it to avoid strangling them or from stating a opinion on what they said before you have time to think or fully understand their words.
An example of paraphrasing would be “So what I heard you say is that you think I’m a jerk. Can you tell me more about that?”
Paraphrasing works. Even when the person you are paraphrasing took the same class and knows what you are doing. It’s hard to criticize a person who has merely repeated back to you what you just said.
Sometimes it sounds silly, though. “I think you are a jerk.” “So what I heard you say is that you think I’m a jerk. Can you tell me more about that?” “What is there to say? You’re a jerk, that’s all, a real jerk.” “So you’re thinking, I’m a jerk. What does that mean to you, exactly?”
But even when it’s silly, paraphrasing seems to work.
I have, however, discovered a little secret that helps those of us who can find paraphrasing tedious. The next time you want to 1) avoid a premature negative response, 2) keep from getting physical, 3) and ensure that you hear all of what the other person wants to communicate, say “Hmmm…” in a “keep on talking” way.
Instead of a whole long sentence, use that one little word, or “sort of” word.
When you say, “Hmmm…” you create a big space for the other person to keep on talking. And that is what paraphrasing is all about.
Week 7: Hmmm…
Filed under: Re-charge your family life, Re-invent your future | Closed
Tags: Ben Franklin, Benjamin Franklin, benjaminfranklin, change your life, communicating, communication, Inner peace, kat, katquest, new you, paraphrase, Personal growth, re-do, re-do you, re-invent, re-invention, relationships, solve problems
Re-Do You! 