Christmas

Clearance Cash-in

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In light of the outdoor environment of my new job as an Education Guide, I decided I needed to get a coat that would withstand the elements. I had an unused gift card from Christmas, a 20% coupon, and a little extra time, so I went shopping. (Which is not my forte, by the way.) I, luckily, found exactly what I wanted right away – a 3-in-1 system jacket in an awesome, bold green color. I noticed that it was on clearance for $40, originally $200. Wow! Ok. I’m liking this . . .

But my gift card was for $50. Hmm . . .

So I went to another section of the store and took a peek at the clearance racks. (Also something I am not good at – ick!) But I figured I could use some sturdy pants or maybe a shirt or two that would be appropriate. I found two pair of cargo pants, but alas, they were too big. Then I couldn’t find any others in my size. Bummer. But as I quickly scanned the racks for colors I liked in fabrics that were suitable, I found four shirts. Also on clearance. One was $7.20, another was $4.80, and the other two were $3.20. Ok . . . I was done. I didn’t want to overdo it.

I got to the register. I placed my items on the counter and the very nice cashier began ringing everything up. I handed over my 20% coupon and my $50 gift card. I nearly fell over when she told me how much I owed . . .

69¢

As I stood there in stunned silence, she smiled at me, handed me the receipt, and cheerfully told me I had just saved $225.28. “Have a nice day,” she said with a smile. I picked up my chin, managed a “Thank you. You, too,” and moved forward, quickly checking to make sure I hadn’t drooled all over the counter. I checked the receipt just to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating, then smiled.

Yes, I think I will have a nice day . . .

Tuesday’s Tip: Make it a Happy Year

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Happy New Year 2013!

This is the time of our lives when we typically look back on the year that’s just passed and turn our eyes to the year ahead. Hopefully, we’ve learned from our mistakes of the past, but sometimes focusing on the future is scarier than what’s behind us. We can think about what we’d like to do, what we need, what we want, how much it’s going to cost, and we can speculate until we’re hyperventilating (or blue!) . . . but the fact of the matter is that no one knows what the future has in store for us. That in itself can be pretty frightening, not having total control of our destiny. But there is a way to have at least a little bit of control over our financial situation – it’s called effective money management. And there is a simple way to learn how to do it.

The Money Roadmap can be set up any time of year, but it’s especially effective when you begin in January. You can use your year-end checkbook balance as a base to set up your Roadmap for the coming year. It’s a “fresh start”, so to speak. If you need, or want, to set money aside each month for something coming up, or even later on in the year, now is the time to design your Roadmap so that you can achieve those goals. For example, my husband and I put a certain amount of money in our “Christmas Fund” every month so that when the shopping bills arrive, we’re not scrambling to find enough money to pay them. The money is already there, waiting. It’s been building up, little by little, for a year. We pay our car insurance premiums every six months, so we use our Roadmap to put a small portion from each paycheck in the “fund” so that when the invoice shows up in the mail, we’re ready to pay it. No questions about “if” we can pay it. It’s just a matter of when to mail the check so it arrives on time.

It’s much easier to handle money when you tuck away little bits over time than to try to come up with a huge lump sum, wouldn’t you agree? Kind of like eating a watermelon. You wouldn’t dare try to swallow it whole. You’d break it up into bite-sized chunks. Much easier to chew and no fear of choking on it! The Money Roadmap is your opportunity to gain control of your finances one buck at a time. You create your Roadmap based on your unique situation, your needs, and your priorities. You then “break up” the big amounts into smaller, more manageable chunks that you will stash away every month. And when the bill arrives, you’ll have peace of mind knowing the money is ready for you to pay it out.

So, if you’re pondering your New Year’s Resolutions, why not make one that you can actually stick with for the long haul? Why not choose to do something for yourself that will help you succeed? Pave your own way to a less stressful 2013 with The Money Roadmap. And, hey! You can even use that Amazon gift card you got for Christmas and get free Super Saver shipping . . . just a suggestion.

Tuesday’s Tip: Holiday Feasts

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One of my favorite things to do during the holidays is EAT! I make meals or goodies that I don’t normally make . . . friends and family do the same . . . and whenever we get together to celebrate the holidays, sometimes we end up acting more like grazing cows than humans. Don’t get me wrong. Our family Christmas feast is a full-on, sit-down, stuff-your-face event with all of our favorite foods. But other social gatherings offer a help-yourself-as-many-times-as-you-can selection of foods and before you know it, you’ve filled your plate five times in one evening. Oh well. It doesn’t happen very often, right? Right?!

So, what does eating have to do with saving money? Well, as anyone can tell you, preparing for a holiday feast can get pretty expensive, not to mention stressful, especially if it’s left up to one or two people. Everyone knows someone who insists on taking care of absolutely everything, while others don’t seem to mind letting everyone else do all the work. So, for those of us that fall somewhere in the middle, it helps to share the responsibilities of preparing the meal. If you’d like to try divvying up all the work among family or friends, but don’t know exactly how to go about doing it, here are a couple of strategies that might work for you.

First, let each family or guest make their own favorite dish or two to bring to the table. Or, if you’re like my family and you already know who-likes-what, simply count up the number of different favorites and then split them up evenly among everyone. Then again, there’s my dad who insists on buying the shrimp, but doesn’t want to cook it! LOL (Love you, Dad!)

Second, try letting each family pick a part of a multi-course meal: appetizer, main dish, dessert, or drinks. For example, we have something called “Neighbor Night” and four families get together on a somewhat regular basis. Well, at least we try. And we’ve agreed to rotate responsibilities whenever we get together. For instance, whoever is hosting the party at their house provides all the drinks. The other three families then supply the rest, and it changes with every party. That way no one is stuck with the same thing every time.

With the economy the way it is right now, I don’t know too many people who can foot the entire bill on a huge holiday gathering. But then again there’s just something fun, exciting, and comforting about sharing a meal with the people we love and sharing our favorite things with them all. It’s not only easier on the wallet, but also less stressful knowing it’s not all on our shoulders. And who knows, you just might discover something new about yourself, your family, friends, and oh yeah . . . food!

Yum!

Tuesday’s Tip: Beware the Ads

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‘Tis the season to spend money . . . Fa la la la la . . . la la la la . . . Getting ripped off isn’t funny . . . Fa la la la la . . . la la la la . . . Tell the cashier that you’re watching . . .  Fa la la . . . la la la . . . la la la . . . And be careful what you’re charging . . . Fa la la la la . . . la la . . . la . . . la!

Ah yes, the season of giving is upon us. It’s that time of year when we all gather ’round the blazing fire, sing carols, share our favorite foods and memories, and bask in the warmth and love of our families.

‘Tis also the season for long checkout lines, cranky customers, outrageously ridiculous retail hours, and headaches from trying to keep track of all the holiday sales and the lengthy receipts that accompany the trips to the mall.

It’s an exhilarating time of year, filled with good cheer (for the most part) and the satisfaction of seeing the excited faces of our loved ones as they open the gifts we’ve picked out especially for them. We’d love to buy something for everyone . . . and thus begins our quest to find the perfect gift at the right price so we don’t end up in the poorhouse. Every year I watch the news reports come in about how much people are spending and I’m inclined to believe that Black Friday for the stores puts everyone else in the red.

There are things you can do to survive the season, however. First, you can apply your willpower. (If you don’t have any, I strongly suggest you get some . . . quickly.) Second, you can buy my book or take my seminar and learn how to save up enough money throughout the year to cover your holiday expenses. (Yes, of course it’s a shameless plug, but what do you expect? :)) Third, you can learn how to read and understand store ads so you can get the most for your money without being taken for a ride.

For example, “2 for $15” is not the same as “Buy 1, get 1 free”. If it says, “2 for $15” you can usually buy 1 for just $7.50. You don’t always have to buy 2 to get that price. It’s a marketing strategy to move merchandise by getting consumers to buy more than 1, thereby spending more money. That’s not the case with “Buy 1, get 1” sales. If an item is normally $40 and it’s being advertised as a “B1G1” item, then you must buy 2 in order for the price to average out to $20 each. See the difference?

Some stores offer a percentage, such as 10%, 15%, or 20% off your total purchase. Take a close look at the ad though. You may not be able to get 20% off unless you spend a certain amount, like, say, $100. If you intend to spend that much at one store, $20 off is nice, but if you’re going for just one or two items you may not get any savings at all.

And if you use a coupon for anything that you buy, whether it be merchandise or food, check the coupon closely for any restrictions or conditions. I recently wanted to use a coupon at the grocery store and realized, too late, that I could only save the printed amount when I bought both of the items pictured. It wasn’t a “save 75¢ on this or that”, it was a “save 75¢ on this and that”. Ugh.

With all of the goofy new shopping hours to accommodate those people who just can’t seem to wait until 8 am, be careful to read their ads. The fantastic price on that TV, video game system, or automatic whatever-it-is may not be honored by the time you get to the store at 10 am. That price was only good from 1 am to 4 am. Sorry . . .

Or they may only have 3 of them and if you’re not waiting in line 3 days ahead of time, forget it . . .

Or you may only be allowed to buy 1 or 2 to get that ‘special’ price . . .

So . . . my advice? ALWAYS read the fine print on store ads and circulars. And when in doubt, ask at the checkout or ask a manager to clarify. You’re a savvy shopper, my friend. And you have a right to know. You also have the right to save a little dough. Then you can pat yourself on the back, relax, and enjoy the holidays with everyone you love. Isn’t that what it’s all about anyway . . . ?