Grocery Money
Grocery Tips For Saving Money
These days everyones budget conscious—especially at the grocery store. Our Kraft Kitchens Food Expert has some helpful grocery tips that show you how easy it is to save money at the check out, without sacrificing your favorite foods and snacks. Watch this video: www.kraftfoods.com Link: Sign up at Kraftfoods.com for even more great food ideas! www.kraftfoods.com
14 Quick Ways To Raise Cash
In the days before emergency funds are fully established there will come a time when you need to generate some quick cash. In a worst case scenario you may need the cash to pay a utility bill, a medical bill, or even your mortgage. In a real emergency, every little bit of cash helps, and here are several ways to raise cash quickly.
1. Take a “day laborer” job. Check out the classifieds for listings looking for day laborers. Often times contractors are looking for people to do some type of manual labor for a short duration, even as short as one day. It could be cleaning up a job site on a new build, or tossing bricks up to guys on a scaffold. You’ll probably earn minimum wage, or only slightly better, but for a couple days work you could clear $100.
2. Sell Your DVD Collection on Ebay. Seriously, how many of those DVDs do you really watch repeatedly? I can count on one hand the ones I would want to keep, but the rest could be sold and I’d never miss them.
3. Work surveys at CashCrate. I’ve been a member of CashCrate for nearly two years now, and still work surveys for extra grocery money. It may take a while to get to $100, but hitting the minimum payout can easily be done the first day. Talk up CashCrate to your friends and family and have them sign up under your name, as the real earning opportunity is in the referrals.
4. Ask neighbors if you can mow their lawn. Even if you don’t consider yourself a “landscaper,” you could easily mow, edge and blow a couple yards for your neighbors on a Saturday morning and make $100. You’d be surprised how many people will take you up on the offer just to take a week off from yard work!
5. Hold a yard sale. One of the faster ways to raise cash is to hold a yard sale. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on advertising. Simply buy a few pieces of brightly-colored poster board and a fat magic marker. Write “YARD SALE” in bold letters, followed by the times and your street address. Place the signs at major intersections to draw traffic. For other ideas read more tips for a successful yard sale.
6. Sell gold jewelry. Thanks to the recession gold prices are still running high. If you have some gold jewelry sitting around that you rarely wear, it might be worth offering it up to broker who will give you a little cash in exchange for allowing him to melt it down and resell it for a profit.
7. Be a medical guinea pig. Medical research facilities and universities will pay participants to take part in trials, surveys, and other types of research. Tread carefully here; some trials could have negative medical consequences, while things like surveys and sleep studies don’t seem so bad.
8. Donate plasma. Most cities of any size have a donation center that will offer $25-$35 for a donating plasma. And depending on your medical condition you may be able to donate up to twice a week.
9. Redeem your credit card rewards. Even if you are like me and you haven’t used credit cards in a while, but are working to pay them off, chances are there are some rewards points accumulated from past spending. Contact each credit card company and ask about your rewards balance. Redeem what is available in the form of cash (check from company), or a gift card to a store you can buy some household essentials (Walmart, Home Depot, etc.).
10. Sell your books online. Services like Cash4Books.com will provide an online quote for your books and even add a little extra for the trouble of shipping. Books that don’t sell here may sell at sites like Amazon.com marketplace (a great place to sell textbooks) or eBay.
11. Take something valuable to a pawn shop. Musical instruments, computer equipment, jewelry and sporting equipment in good condition all sell well at pawn shops, and owners are more likely to give you cash for these items.
12. Sell company stock. If you currently participate in an employee stock purchase plan at work, consider cashing out if you are in need of cash. Company stock is not well-diversified, and often the cash could be put to better use, even if it is simply reinvested with a broader diversification.
13. Ask to work overtime. With unemployment running high, and little budgeted for new hires, you may be able to work a little overtime if demand justifies it. Talk to your boss about working some extra hours and you should have a little extra in your next paycheck.
14. Gather up loose change. If you are like me you probably have a couple stashes of loose change - on top of your dresser, in the cup holder of your car, and the cracks between sofa cushions. You can either roll the coins in wrappers provided by your bank, or visit a Coinstar machine in your area to convert the coins to cash. Coinstar charges a fee for cash payouts, but you can get an Amazon.com gift certificate for your full balance, which could be used to buy just about everything under the sun.
Post from: Frugal Dad
Coupon Queen on CNN provides tip for using Grocery Coupons
Grocery Coupon Queen on CNN provides tips for using grocery coupons to save money. Log on to www.selectcouponprogram.com to learn more.
How I Sabotaged My Emergency Fund: 5 Mistakes & Cures
Common wisdom tells us to have an Emergency Fund with at least three to six months of living expenses. I’m on my way to that savings target, but my efforts have been hit by setbacks. Here’s where I have made mistakes, and here’s how I plan to fix those errors:
1) Easy Access: For the sake of electronic ease, the account containing the Emergency Fund was linked to my primary checking account. Bad move! For sure, that link made it easier to transfer money into the Emergency Fund. But that same e-link made it easier to transfer money out of the Emergency Fund.
Solution: The April 2009 issue of Money Magazine offers this advice: “Your emergency fund — cash you’ll need if you lose a job — must be in a bank account that’s 100 percent safe but needn’t be so convenient; if you get a good yield, don’t worry if it takes a day or two to transfer the money.”
2) Multi-tasking funds: I’ve erred by establishing a one-size-fits all savings account. It’s too easy to use emergency funds for other savings goals or spending binges.
Solution: Vacation account savings, funds for long-term purchases and emergency money should not be housed together. General household funds also need their own home. “Grocery money goes in checking,” according to a great piece featured in Money called: “5 Things to Know About Stashing Your Cash,” by Sarah Max. See also: The 7 new rules of financial security
3) Unreasonable goals: Unrealistic targets are formulas for failures. When I set the savings bar too high, I feel defeated and slide back into bad savings habits.
Solution: I’m downsizing my dreams and targets. I’ll save more if I demand less.
4) Lack of Priorities: When I pay myself last, I often fail to pay myself at all.
Solution: The Emergency Fund should rank above other savings goals, including vacation accounts, holiday gift funds and other savings targets.
5) Emotional loopholes: As a creative writer, I can be very creative with my rationalizations about saving, spending and living. A wide list of so-called emergencies can rain on the Emergency Fund umbrella.
Solution: Effective April 1, I will track my expenses for a two-month period. This daily accounting should provide an honest picture of where my money is going. Also, I will create and adhere to strict definitions about the emergency cash. It might help to have a lowercase emergency fund for household expenses and an uppercase Emergency Fund with cash sufficient for three to six months of living expenses.
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