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Entry bubble Confessions of a Coupon Clipper

By: Jim | March 24, 2008 | Category: Money

When I was a smart aleck teenager back in Akron, Ohio I’d tease my mom about some of her frugal habits by calling her “Queen of the Margarine Tubs.” Her retort, “Who needs Tupperware?!” I swore she had enough tubs stashed in the kitchen cupboards to pack away leftovers from a 12-person Thanksgiving dinner. And then some. Now, guess who’s saying, “Ain’t it funny how the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree?”

Even with Mom’s encouragement, my thrifty tendencies didn't take root until I came to work for FCIC nearly 12 years ago. Part of my job involves getting publications from government agencies to Pueblo, Colorado for distribution. One day I glanced through a copy of our publication 66 Ways to Save Money, and somehow I got the saving message.

scissors cutting coupon

Nowadays, I plop myself down on the couch with scissors and my one large, strong cup of coffee to peruse the Washington Post’s Sunday coupons. Hey, don’t laugh! Coupon clipping is respectable – September is National Coupon Month. Even Reader’s Digest offers coupon clipping tips. One tip is to clip only what you know you’ll use and leave the rest. Get Rich Slowly offers a great glimpse into the dangers of overbuying because you were tempted by a good deal.

So what do I do with my unused coupons? I bring them to the office on Monday to trade with fellow FCIC blogger Nancy as we lunch on leftovers.

| View Comments [8] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: coupons   jim   money   saving  

 

Entry bubble Daylight Saving Time Begins Sunday, March 9

By: Joanne | March 04, 2008 | Category: General

clock I’m still not used to Daylight Saving Time starting so early in the year, but here it is! On Sunday, we turn our clocks ahead one hour. That is, if you live in a place that observes Daylight Saving Time. I always thought it was goofy that some states observe Daylight Saving Time and other don’t. Can someone answer a question that’s plagued me since I was a child? Is it confusing to live in one time zone and work each day in another? I always thought this would lead to a lot of missed appointments, but maybe you’re more adaptable than I am.

We’re in our second year of extended Daylight Saving Time, brought to us by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The change is meant to save energy by providing more daylight during the evening, although the savings may be offset by increased energy use in the morning. Interestingly enough, a draft report on the impact of lengthening Daylight Saving Time has recently come out of the University of California, Santa Barbara that suggests just the opposite. The law requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to study the impact of the Daylight Saving Time extension and report back to Congress, so stay tuned—it just might change again one of these days.

The University of California draft report has generated a lot of anti-Daylight Saving Time discussion, but personally, I just like Daylight Saving Time because it gives me long evenings to spend outside with my family and friends. It’s as simple as that.

| View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: daylight   joanne   saving   spring   time  

 

Entry bubble America Saves Week

By: Sommer | February 22, 2008 | Category: Money

Washington's head on the quarterHow many of us can say we save enough money for our families to be secure? Whether we’re saving for retirement, to buy a home, an emergency fund, that fun tropical vacation or an incredible pair of shoes, it’s a practice that will serve us all well in the long run. Reducing our levels of personal debt is also a form of saving money, so pay off those credit cards, folks!

You’ve probably heard in the news that in the U.S. the personal saving rate is at an all time low. Despite increasing levels of wealth, Americans still save less than 1% of disposable income. That can all change during America Saves Week, February 24-March 2, if we each commit to set a goal to save or reduce personal debt levels.

America Saves encourages individuals to set a goal to save money or reduce debt and then make a plan to reach it. If you have a local group in your area you can join with other savers to start a savings club or take money management classes. During America Saves Week, you can order a free package of publications about saving and investing from USA.gov’s Money and Taxes page so be sure to check it out.

Good luck saving (or paying off your credit cards)!

| View Comments [4] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: america   credit   debt   money   saves   saving   sommer  

 

Entry bubble Preparing for Baby on a Budget

By: Sommer | January 18, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

The two things people mention most when they notice I’m having a baby are 1) don’t expect to sleep much and 2) raising kids is expensive. The latest government data says that a family with an average annual income of $59,300 will spend $197,700 on that child between birth and age 17! Since we’re only in the preparation stage, I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Lately though, we’ve been saving every penny so I can take some time off work after the birth. But, since there’s now a never ending listMan and woman shopping for baby cradles in a mall. of things to shop for it’s hard to save! Baby prep checklists include the crib and nursery furniture, car seat, stroller, highchair, clothes, toys and more. A friend said baby gear could cost up to $5,000! I feel like the billion-dollar-baby-products industry lurks around every corner waiting to reel me in.

Here’s what we’ve done so far to cut costs:

Who knows, maybe by cutting these costs we’ll save enough money to start a 529 plan for our son. Since we’re on a budget I’d rather he get a college education than that $800 stroller I love but he’ll never remember.

I’d love to hear any tips you have on how you saved money when preparing for your newborn! Please leave your suggestions in the comments.

| View Comments [3] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: baby   budget   money   saving   shopping   sommer  

 

Entry bubble Life’s Critical Records, Chapter 1

By: Joanne | January 08, 2008 | Category: Money

I recently attended a retirement planning seminar. Retirement is many, many years away but the seminar was a real eye-opening Brown Leather Wallet With Cash, And Credit Cards.experience. I came out of the seminar feeling motivated to get some financial planning done, but the hustle and bustle of everyday life quickly pulled my attention away from the plan. One of my New Year’s resolutions is to go back to the seminar materials and take small steps forward. Hooray! I’ve accomplished my first step: the binder is open on my desk!

I’m starting by getting my records in order. The instructor gave us a list of critical records and papers (CRAP) we should keep in a binder in a safe location. Creating the binder will be my first goal. Since the binder will be in sections, I’m going to focus on one section at a time and hopefully that will make the task less daunting.

The first section of my binder is an inventory of what’s in my wallet. You don’t think of this stuff until your wallet is lost, stolen or you’re the victim of identity theft, but there are definitely times when you don’t have your wallet and you need to know what’s in there. Years ago my wallet was stolen. I quickly called my credit card companies to let them know, but I didn’t have a list of everything in my wallet and I forgot about one card. The robber didn’t have any trouble figuring out which card worked and charged hundreds and hundreds of dollars at area gas stations. From what I saw on the card statement, he took all his friends to the gas station, filled up their car and then bought them lots of cigarettes and snacks.

I finished my wallet inventory in about 15 minutes and now it’s ready to go into my CRAP binder. You never know when you’re going to need to know what’s in your wallet; don’t wait until it’s too late!

| View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: financial   joanne   money   plan   records   retirement   saving  

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