A different sort of challege.

[Miss Phode]

Re: A different sort of challege.

Boonie, I heard of a guy getting arrested because of something he bought and used his "saver" card. I can't remember for the life of me what it was though.

[boonie stomper]

Re: A different sort of challege.

I can't imagine anything short of being a minor and buying alcohol with the card could get anyone in trouble...


One of my all time favorite money-savers is to use the coupons from drug stores to fill a new Rx and then transfer it to another store for a refill. If I'm lucky I get a $20 gift card for each; once I even got an Rx for my cat filled, which cost less than the $20 I got. You can almost always find them in the ad flyers at the store front, or the paper, or junkmail; but you can also get them on Ebay.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[Lisa M]

Re: A different sort of challege.

I just have to pop in and say, "I'm in!" because I'm wanting to save for a really nice vacation and help pay off our truck payment within the next two years; there's 3 left on it, so 1 year early would be so nice!

The only suggestion I have about budgeting is how we do ours. It's so interesting to see how every body does things differently. I love hearing new ideas! For us...I've learned to allocate DH's 2 paydays to specific bills that are due and just finished replacing our $1,000 emergency fund (cash) in another great hiding place; oh, man, does that feel good again! I'm not much help when it comes to budgeting suggestions, but it feels good to have cash on hand for emergency purposes. And I've learned that buying a new pair of shoes does not constitue as an "emergency". LOL.

On the note of increasing your 401k or any retirement funds....DH and I just had a discussion with a tax pal and even heard Dave Ramsey talk about the same subject because we are looking at increasing DH's funds as well.

Their suggestion....
If you have credit cards with balances that you don't pay off at the end of each billing cycle...DON'T up your 401k or the like until AFTER you have paid them off and closed the accounts. (we don't have any)

If you have a car payment...DON'T up your 401k or the like until AFTER you have paid it off. (just got 1)

If you are behind in your mortgage...DON'T up your 401k or the like until AFTER you have paid on-time, ahead, or paid it off. (don't have this one either)

Why?...Our financial wiz of a pal said...
Because if you are putting money in an account that does not accure positive interest instead of an account that is accuring negative intereset you are basically moving backwards in the savings game. Getting no where fast. Basically what he was tell us is that we'd be saving for retirement that we'd have to spend on the debts we have and will have in the future. Right now I have over $10,000 in student loans; the guy is so smart!

Postive interest..."free" money you get from the employer or interest retirement fund.

Negative interest..."extra" money you get to pay on your debts.


So...we're going to leave DH's retirement contribution at 5% until we get the one truck payment paid off. DH basically figured out that the extra amount that he would have taken out will be deducted each pay that is set up for the truck payment. It gets done because I write the checks

My delima?? I want to go on vacation this summer and pay extra money on our truck payment to get it paid off a year early. And the only way to do this saving stuff is to hoard up some extra cash that comes from squeezing turnips that we hope to find along side the road; or, I'll be doing some serious substitute teaching this coming spring.

And then there's the obvious questions...so when do I pay my student loans? Well, it's not the brightest idea in the whole financial game, but because they have a lower interest rate and are deferred while I'm in school full-time, it's better to have them just be last in line to pay off according to our family income and situation.

So, I guess in all, budgeting isn't really a one-size fits all idea. Rather, I think it basically depends on individual needs.

But I just have to say...I really hate credit cards and despise stores who tease me with saying, "You can save an extra 10% by opening up a credit card with us today!". Makes me just want to reach out and slap them silly thinking that I want a ding on my credit rating by just having an open credit card on my file and pay their silly yearly fees. No thank you! (creeping off my soap box now...LOL).

Happy Savings!!!!

Oh, and by the way, I forgot to mention on the store card subject - do take advantage at every opportunity when there's a promotion set up with on-the-spot free gifts or other instant perks (such as gift cards) for applying. You can use fictitious information! (Shhhhh! You didn't hear it from me!!)

There's a few "Mrs. Smith's" running around the Kroger market's on the east coast and Safeway supermarkets on the west coast thanks to our visiting states with those stores in it over the years, all in the name to save a buck or two while on vacation (he he he he...)

[boonie stomper]

Re: A different sort of challege.

Hi, Lisa - I'd definitely pay off the higher rate debts before anything else, and be sure to consider any yearly fees affect on that rate in light of the remaining balance. In other words pay off the small balance card with a yearly fee, even if it's a higher rate than the card without one at the same rate.

[biogeek]

Re: A different sort of challege.

One of my all time favorite money-savers is to use the coupons from drug stores to fill a new Rx and then transfer it to another store for a refill. If I'm lucky I get a $20 gift card for each; once I even got an Rx for my cat filled, which cost less than the $20 I got. You can almost always find them in the ad flyers at the store front, or the paper, or junkmail; but you can also get them on Ebay.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

I'm with ya on this one!! I also go on-line to see if the pharmaceutical company has any rebates or coupons that they'll send. Obviously, if you're buying generic, there won't be one, but sometimes your only choice is to buy the name-brand one. For example, we get $30 rebates with Nexium and Advair sends us $10 off coupons. We just went to the website and signed up for their newsletter.

[staziaw]

Re: A different sort of challege.

I want in! Mostly so I can support the financial re-education of Miss Phode!! Besides, I really want to save this last $300 for a new couch!

So . . . . we're off?

Stacy

[Miss Phode]

Re: A different sort of challege.

Miss Phode = financial dumb-dumb

[staziaw]

Re: A different sort of challege.

By the way, on the subject of store cards (grocery, drug, etc), I do NOT carry them around in my wallet! I left all of them in my glove box in the car. Actually, I only carry my Von's card in my wallet, because I frequently walk there after work to pick up something for dinner. Everything requires driving, so they all stay in Buffy for safe keeping!

Just my two cents . . .

Stacy

[sadie147]

Re: A different sort of challege.

By the way, on the subject of store cards (grocery, drug, etc), I do NOT carry them around in my wallet! I left all of them in my glove box in the car. Actually, I only carry my Von's card in my wallet, because I frequently walk there after work to pick up something for dinner. Everything requires driving, so they all stay in Buffy for safe keeping!

Just my two cents . . .

Stacy

Definately wouldn't work for me..i'd be standing in the lineup with a full cart of stuff and realize my card was out in the car

[boonie stomper]

Re: A different sort of challege.

You didn't see my earlier post just before noon...

There is one other thing you could do in the event of
1) no card on hand
2) no courtesy card swipe by clerk
3) they won't accept phone # in lieu of a card swipe

See if someone else in line would swipe their card for you, and then they get the extra credit on their account.

[Atkid]

Re: A different sort of challege.

Question about credit cards, how do you close an account? In all the instances of trying to close out some credit cards I have generally been nagged and ended up with a higher limit card. Isn't there a quiet way to close an account without having to talk to a credit pitch person on the phone?

[boonie stomper]

Re: A different sort of challege.

Let someone else listen to them, who doen't say "yes".

[Atkid]

Re: A different sort of challege.

LOL! Funny thing is I say no and they put me with someone else. Isn't there a way to do it through paperwork or something?

[Miss Phode]

Re: A different sort of challege.

Atkid, in my past experience, you have to be very firm with them. Not kind, not polite, just firm.

Tell them no no no no no.

My mother made the mistake once of saying, "absolutely not!" when asked if she was interested in subscribing to something. She ended up getting the unwanted subscription, and when she called to complain they said we have audio footage of you accepting the subscription, and to her dismay, they played back the person on the phone saying "would you be interseted in xyz?" and when they played back my mother's response, they dropped the not and played "absolutely!".

[Atkid]

Re: A different sort of challege.

Wow, did she win in that case and pay nothing? You know its weird cause a lot of the credit card accounts that are still open I no longer even receive cards for.