Random thought on shopping

Ever have one of those random thoughts and think, I have to remember this?

Well, I'm having one of those right now. So here's my random thought on saving money in the stores: don't forget to look high and low. Usually the most inexpensive items are placed high on the shelves or low on the shelves, and the most expensive items are in your line of sight.

I had known this for awhile, but was reminded of it when I was looking for the smallest, cheapest generic cold medicine I could find.

There... I feel better now. How about you?

Ivy League, anyone?

If you've got your eye on sending your kids to an Ivy League school, then you'll love this news.

Many of the top Ivy League schools are now waiving tuition costs for families who meet income guidelines. At Harvard, families with incomes under $60,000 will not have to pay tuition. Yale and Stanford will do the same thing for families with incomes less than $45,000.

So keep those grades up, kids. If you think it was tough to get in before... just think how tough it will be to get in when they are giving out free tuition.

Saving on printing

Printing all those coupons can really add up when you factor in ink and paper.

Here are a few ways I save on printing:

Print in "Draft" mode. This uses much less ink. If you have a color printer, change your settings to "Grayscale," too. Printers usually have a larger black ink cartridge than color, and the black cartridge is cheaper.

Print two-sided. Most printers have a setting in the print preferences that will let you print on both sides of a piece of paper. This works great if you're just printing out information for you. Obviously, if you're printing coupons, it won't work.

Ask yourself if you really need to print something. If it's coupon you are certain to use, or information you know you will refer to later, than print. Otherwise, you have a few options for saving the info you want. You can copy the info and paste it into a Word document. Or you can go to CutePDF, and download some free software that will allow you to create pdf's of the pages you are interested in saving. This can be helpful for those rebate forms.

Some people insist on refilling their ink cartridges... You can buy refilled ones or buy kits to do it yourself, but I have never done this. I have heard that it can be hard on your printer. Instead, I try to shop around to find the best bargains on manufacturer cartridges. Some office supply stores will give you store credit for bringing in your used cartridges for recycling.

More Americans having trouble with car payments

ABC News is reporting that more consumers are having trouble making their car payments.

This doesn't surprise me. It seems like more and more people think it is perfectly okay to live beyond their means. They can't afford their homes... why should they be able to afford their cars? And car dealers anxious to make a quick sale in a lousy economy are willing to look the other way, or even pad people's incomes on the loan applications to sell the vehicles.

The problem with buying a new car is that as soon as you've bought it and drive it off the lot, it has lost 15 to 20 percent of its value. That means that you start out with a loan and almost immediately become upside down in it (meaning you owe more than its worth). If you have to sell the vehicle, or it gets totalled in an accident, you can end up in a heap of trouble fast.

So what can you do when you need to purchase a car?

Your best option is to buy a vehicle with cash. This requires a lot of self-discipline to save. You can use your income tax refund to start your car fund, and then put away the equivalent of a car payment each month. Author Mary Hunt outlines a car-buying process in her book, "Live Your Life for Half the Price." She recommends that you buy the best vehicle you can afford with cash. Continue to save a car payment each month. In a couple of years, use the money from your savings and your current vehicle to trade up for a slightly newer, nicer vehicle. Keep doing this process and in just a few years, you'll be paying for an almost new vehicle with cash.

Never buy a brand new vehicle. I find the best deals are often program rental returns - vehicles that are only one or two years old with under 25,000 miles on them. You can usually get a good deal on them, and they don't depreciate as quickly as a brand new vehicle does. They also have some of the bugs worked out of them by the previous owner. If you don't know much about vehicles, take a friend with you who does. And do your homework. Check out reliability reports from Consumer Reports' Auto Buying Guide (get it from the library), and talk to everyone you know about their vehicles.

If you must take out an auto loan, be sure to know the terms. Never take out more than a three-year car loan. With cars only lasting 8-10 years, you don't want to get stuck having major vehicle repairs and a car payment at the same time.

Do the math. Sometimes a no-interest or low-interest loan isn't as good of a deal as cash back. Almost every major auto dealer has a calculator on their website that can help you figure out the total price. Bankrate also has some calculators to help you estimate your payment.

Don't let the salespeople talk to you about monthly payments. You should be more concerned about the bottom line price. Your goal is to get that final price as low as possible. If a salesperson offers you a great, low monthly payment, you can bet that the length of your loan is quite long.

I personally opt to purchase an extended warranty. Some people will tell you that you are better off to save the money for a catastrophic repair than to overpay for an extended warranty. I find that few people have the discipline it takes to save for that kind of event. All it takes is for your transmission to fail (which happened to us) for the warranty to pay for itself.

Shop around. Know what the bottom line price is. If a dealer won't "deal" with you, walk away. They need you more than you need them.

And a final tip: Be sure to investigate the cost to operate your vehicle. What kind of maintenance/repairs will it need? What kind of gas mileage does it get? Check with your insurance company to find out how much your new ride will cost to insure.

(Almost) Free McDonald's Breakfast

McDonald's is celebrating the Leap Year by giving out free McSkillet Breakfast Burritos on Feb. 28 & 29.

I haven't tried the McSkillet burrito yet... but during my twin pregnancy, I often craved (and enjoyed) the Sausage & Egg Breakfast Burrito.

I'm sure the McSkillet Breakfast Burrito is a heart attack in a wrap... but hey, if you're short on time and cash, you only have to buy a medium or large drink to fill your tummy.

Celebrate America Saves Week

The week of Feb. 24-March 2 is America Saves Week. After reading about this initiative at Wise Bread, I decided to check it out for myself.

AmericaSaves is a national campaign involving more than 1,000 non-profit, governmental and corporate groups whose mission is to encourage Americans to save money (my kind of organization!). The site has some down-to-earth, easy-to-follow strategies for saving money. It doesn't matter how much money you have (or don't have).... you can save money. And the site shows you how even a little bit of money saved can add up.

AmericaSaves has good information on making major purchases, saving money, establishing an emergency fund, and getting out of debt. I also liked the feature that calculates both your current and future net worth. It's an exercise worth doing if you've never thought about it before.

Tipster Tuesday: Save time at the store

BeCentsAble is hosting a feature called Tipster Tuesday. It's got a lot of great tips for saving money and time.

Here's my tip for today: When you go to any store - such as Walmart, Target, the grocery store - park in one of the rows before the main entrance. Don't park in the rows in front of the store or past the entrance. You'll have to walk a bit further (free exercise!), but you won't have to wait for all the shoppers to cross the parking lot to the front door. You'll also be able to get out of the parking lot sooner, too.

Benefit for Katie

Katie is the wife of one of my husband's high school classmates, Ben. Just six days after giving birth to their first child, Katie suffered a spontaneous brain bleed. Fortunately, she survived, but now faces a long, difficult road to recovery. You can read (and see) Katie and Ben's moving story of sudden strength here.

Friends and family are hosting a spaghetti fundraiser for Katie on Saturday, March 1 at the Hibbing VFW. Dinner is from 4-7 p.m., followed by a dance with live music by Whiskey Johnson from 7-11 p.m. There will also be silent auctions and raffles during the evening. Tickets are $6 for adults and $3.50 for kids. If you only want to go to the dance, it's $2. All proceeds go to the Kempa family.

Donations can also be made at any US Bank to the Katie Kempa Benefit Fund.

Katie and Ben are an amazing couple with a beautiful baby girl. I hope you can help them out.

Shameless Self-Promotion

A big thanks to all of you who listened to me on KAXE yesterday. (And thanks to Heidi for inviting me!). I had a blast doing the show, and I learned a few new frugal tricks along the way!

You can download the archive of "Between You and Me: Cheapskate Edition" by clicking here. Select February 23 at 10 a.m. Unfortunately, it only lets you download in 15-minute intervals and it was a two hour show. It's also only on the web for about six more days, so get it while you can!

And don't forget, you can listen to me at 6:50 a.m. Monday mornings, too!

You can't afford to wait

I recently had a relative scoff at me and my husband for meeting with our financial advisor. This relative... who is a lot closer to the age of 50 than I am, has ZERO dollars saved for retirement. She says that she can't afford to save money for retirement... that she's "investing in the phone company and the public utilities." (As if we don't pay our phone and light bill!)

Her comments were totally jarring to me. Can't afford to save money for retirement? How does she expect to afford LIFE when she is no longer able to earn money? She must be - as author Dave Ramsey puts it - planning to read the "75 ways to serve Alpo" book.

My husband and I have been contributing to our 403(b) plans since we started our jobs. According to our financial planner, we are right on track to have a comfortable retirement, even if I don't return to work for awhile. And the estimates don't factor in any Social Security income we may get.

He also showed us why it is so important to save money NOW rather than later. For example, if you put away just $100 a month starting at age 25, based on average returns, you will have approximately $325,000 saved up by age 65.

If you wait to start saving that same amount until you are 45, you will only have about $57,000 for retirement.

You can't afford to wait to save. You have to find money to put away for retirement NOW. Cut back on your soda or coffee consumption, cut out a few magazine subscriptions, shop around for better insurance rates.... and take that extra money and put it away in a good growth mutual fund.

Northern Cheapskate Live

Tune in to KAXE 91.7 FM this Saturday from 10 a.m. to Noon to hear me talk about all things frugal. If you can't pick up KAXE where you are at, you can listen via audio streaming at KAXE's website.

Heidi Holtan, the host of Saturday Morning's "Between You and Me" has graciously invited me to join her show. Each week, Heidi selects a different topic for the call-in show. Anything is fair game. Sometimes the show is about gym class, sometimes cabin fever. It's always an interesting and fun mix of music and chatter. (Oh, and my hubby has an essay on the show every week, so that's good, too!)

Here's the teaser for the show I'll be on:

Do you consider yourself to be cheap? Are you always looking for the best bargain? Do you actually tear up your dryer sheets into three pieces to save money? Have we got a deal for you. Join Heidi Holtan this Saturday from 10-noon when she welcomes the Northern Cheapskate, Christina Brown, to the show. Christina will answer all your cost-effective phone calls at (218) 326-1234. You can use the Talk Back Line at (218) 327-2716 or email comments@kaxe.org.

I hope you'll listen and more importantly, call or e-mail comments, too. I think it will be a lot of fun.

Free sample of coffee

Okay... this week has been full of free goodies... and here's one more.

Dunkin' Donuts is giving away free samples of their coffee. Go here and fill out the information and your free java will be on its way.

It's funny how often I find these deals when I don't even like coffee. Good thing my husband is a coffee addict!

(Almost) Free Cereal

I got this tip from Money Saving Mom. Go here and you can print $2 off a 14.5 oz box of Honey Bunches of Oats with Chocolate Clusters. It will let you print the coupon twice.

I took my coupons to Super Walmart today and got each box for only 24 cents!

Hankerin' for a hunk o' cheese?

Tame your hunger with a little free string cheese from Target.

This deal has actually been circulating on the web for awhile now, but I thought I would write about it in a case you missed it.

Here's how it works. Head on over to A Full Cup and click on the Target Coupon Generator. Find the Target coupon for 50 cents off any two packages of Market Pantry cheese. Click on the coupon and choose how many you want to print. Then take the printed coupons to Target.

The individual packages of string cheese are 24 cents at Target. So when you get two and use the 50 cents off coupon, you get two sticks of string cheese for FREE.

I have been stocking up for school lunches and snacks for my little boy. I have heard that some Target stores are getting crabby about this, but if you get any flack, I would ask to talk to a manager and explain that the coupon does not specify a size of package or a limit on quantity. The coupon expires March 8.

And for you vegetarians out there, print off the Target coupon for $2 off any one Morningstar Farms product and combine it with the 75 cent off coupon from the Sunday paper for a great deal on veggie burgers.

Calculating my tax prep options

Ever since I've had to file taxes, I've used H&R Block. I've blindly handed them all my paperwork, and then handed them a check to file the forms. It was relatively easy to use them... especially during the year my husband had worked in three different states.

In the early years, I had a great preparer - I adored her - but she passed away from cancer a few years ago. The past few years, we've been shuffled around at the local H&R Block office, and as our returns have gotten a little more complex (my hubby has some independent contract work), we've noticed that we're paying a LOT more money to have them figure out our taxes. In fact, last year it cost us almost $300.

So after talking to my one of my favorite uncles (who knows me well and who has done his own taxes for years), I was inspired to tackle our taxes myself this year.

There are a lot of options out there to help you figure your own taxes. If your adjusted gross income is less than $54,000 you can file online for free. See the IRS website for a list of programs you can use. This option didn't work for us this year because I worked for part of the year.

If you are a customer of State Farm Insurance, you can complete your tax forms online for free using Turbo Tax. You must register on the State Farm site to access the free program. (On a side note, you can also download a free year of McAfee antivirus and antispyware software on the website, too).

TaxAct also offers free do-it-yourself online tax prep software.

All of the free options usually have a nominal fee to complete your state return and/or e-file.

You can also go to the H & R Block and TurboTax websites and use the online tax prep programs starting at around $15.

Then of course, you can buy your own software (TaxCut and TurboTax are the most popular) at any office supply, electronics, or discount store. The prices range from about $20 to $80. Many stores are offering mail-in rebate deals, free DVDs, free gift cards, and free software with the purchase of these products.

I really struggled with this decision. I was very caught up in the freebie offers. But in the end, I ended up getting H&R Block's TaxCut Premium edition (federal, state & e-file) at Buy.com. Because I used the Google checkout, I saved $10 on my purchase. I paid $52 total. (most other places had the same software for $70+.

I chose to purchase TaxCut for several reasons. One was the comfort of the familiar. I know H&R Block. I liked that the software comes with some (albeit small) support. Our internet is sometimes spotty when the weather is acting up (we have satellite internet out here in the boonies), so I wasn't confident about doing something as vital as my tax return in an exclusively online format. I wanted to be able to have something on my computer, that I could use anytime I wanted, regardless of whether the internet was up or not. I don't get a lot of uninterrupted time at the computer, so I didn't want to worry about access issues when I did have time. I fear some of the online sites may get more bogged down as it gets closer to April 15.

I know I could have saved more money on this purchase than I did, but when compared to last year's return, I am saving an incredible amount of money. Heck, even if I paid full price for the software, I'd still be saving a lot of money.

I feel confident that I'll be able to figure all this stuff out. Just not sure when I'll get to it just yet. But I'll let you know how it goes.

Unexpected things

I thought I was unprepared when my whole family got the stomach flu last week.

But we were totally unprepared for the news we got Saturday night. My husband's grandma had an aortic aneurysm. She almost died at the local hospital, but was taken by helicopter to the regional hospital where she has had two surgeries to try to stop internal bleeding. She's critical, but stable, now. We are all saying lots of prayers.

I always thought my husband's family was so big. But being with them in the waiting room today, I realized what a small, strong, tight group they really are.

These unexpected things make you really think about what truly matters.

Organizing your coupons

Everyone has their own system for organizing coupons. The best one is the one that will work for you.

CouponMom actually says not to clip coupons, but to use her virtual coupon database and then just clip out the ones you need. I tried this, but found that I would be in town and see a good deal, but not have the coupon with me.

So I have a coupon organizer that I got at Target. It has lots of pockets. I always bring it with me when I go to town. It has my name, address and phone number on it, in case I forget it/lose it somewhere.

Here's how I organize each pocket:

Front pocket: This is where I put my shopping list and coupons I will use during my trip. It also has room for a tiny calculator so I can figure out unit prices on the fly.
From there, my categories are as follows:
Baby stuff (diapers, formula, wipes, baby medicine, toddler toothpaste, etc.)
Baking and Breads (also includes spices and oils)
Cereal
Cleaning and Laundry
Dairy
Drinks (coffee, pop, juice)
Main Meals (this includes everything from box meals to vegetables to pancake mix)
Meat
Paper and Plastic (all paper products - toilet paper, paper towel and plastics - garbage bags, ziplocs, etc).
Snacks (chips, candy, ice cream)
Soups
Toiletries (includes shampoo, body wash, and all over-the-counter meds)
Last pocket is for everything else. This is where coupons for things like batteries, light bulbs, restaurants, dog food, etc., goes.


I usually go through my organizer at least once a month, usually twice, and purge the coupons that have expired.

This method of coupon organization works pretty well for me... as long as I remember to bring my organizer with me.

A few more couponing tips

As promised, I thought I'd write a little bit more on couponing.

The internet is a GREAT resource when it comes to finding coupons. And so far, I have never had any problems with my local stores taking internet coupons. Just be sure you are going to legitimate coupon websites.

First of all, for tips on how to combine grocery coupons with manufacturer coupons, I can't give enough praise to CouponMom. Her service is completely free and she also has a blog with other frequent savings tips. (Like $5 off $15 at TGI Fridays... I wish we had a TGI Fridays...). She also has an e-book you can download for free that will give you lots of how-to advice.

Those coupon inserts in your Sunday paper have their own websites with printable coupons on them... and some of them are even better than the ones in the paper. Check out SmartSource and RedPlum for coupons. I also like Coupons.com for printables.

Sign up for e-mail lists for any and all products you like or may want to try. I recently signed up for Robutussin's e-mail list and got a $2 off coupon for any size cough syrup. Not bad.

If you really want to become a coupon queen (or king), you can check out the chatter on these two websites: Hot Coupon World, and A Full Cup. These two websites have lots of talk in their forums about great coupon deals and even do sales or trades of coupons. They also have great tips on their websites. I especially like A Full Cup because it has a coupon generator and it has cool links for what stuff to buy at Amazon when you are $1 short of the free shipping.

And finally... if you want someone else to do the work for you, check out Coupon Clippers or Coupon Master. They do the clipping for you and charge a small processing and shipping fee. Be sure to do the math to make sure purchasing coupons will save you money. I've used both services to get lots of coupons to stock up on things like toilet paper and detergent.

A few couponing tips

Since I posted the link to the Star Tribune article recently, I've had a few people ask me if I had any tips on using coupons and saving money at the grocery store.

First of all, I try to keep track of grocery prices. Some people keep a written price book, but I don't have time for that. I just try to pay very close attention to what I am paying for items and keep a mental tally. Know your unit prices. Know how much you pay per ounce or per item. This can help you decide if a "Price Shocker" is really a good deal. Sometimes, it's not.

On Sundays, I get two local newspapers and the state edition of the Star Tribune. The Star Tribune by far has the best coupons... but the locals have some ones tucked in unusal places. Look over the entire paper, because you may find a $5 off coupon for Ground Round, or a $13.95 oil change coupon out there. Also look for coupons in magazines, too. I've seen great coupons in American Baby, Parents and Parenting, and Fitness magazines. I clip coupons while I watch tv. It really doesn't take that long. If you really love a product call/write the company and tell them. Sometimes you'll be rewarded for your effort with great coupons.

I have very little brand loyalty. I often will buy the store brand of something if I don't have a coupon that makes the price of a namebrand item comparable.

Because I have so little brand loyalty, I clip any and all coupons I might use. Sometimes, particularly with brand new products, the stores will have a really good sale that when you use a coupon, makes it worth trying the product. Example: I normally buy either Cascade dishwasher detergent with a coupon or a store brand. But because I had clipped some coupons for Electrasol 3-in-1 dishwashing tablets, I was able to get several boxes of them for 41 cents each!

Always try to combine a store coupon with a manufacturer coupon. Target is a great example for this. They have store coupons right on their website. Use a manufacturer coupon with it for even more savings. This is how I was able to get Huggies baby wipes for 14 cents a tub!

Think small. Sometimes the best deals do come in small packages. If a coupon says $1 off one item, find the smallest size, and purchase it with the coupon. You will probably get the item for free or nearly free. (If the coupon doesn't exclude trial sizes, check out that section, too). For example, I got a 2 oz bottle of Purell hand sanitizer for free because I had a coupon that covered the entire cost of the bottle. I also got a 24 count bottle of Tylenol for less than a dollar.

Stock up. When you see a great sale on something, fill your pantry. Many items go on a four to six week sale rotation. If you buy enough during a great sale, you'll have enough to make it to the next great sale.

Stay tuned for more couponing tips soon!

Surviving the plague

All five of us - my husband, me, my two-year-old and my twin 7 month olds - have been plagued by a nasty, nasty stomach bug. We are finally starting to feel a little bit better. I promise to resume more regular posting soon.

This has definitely not been a frugal couple of days in terms of paper towel, toilet paper, medicine, and cleaning products. UGH.

No longer being a heel

In my younger days of living on my own, I will confess to a wasteful lifestyle.

I didn't eat the heels of my bread. I don't care for the heels, and felt that since I was an adult, and I was paying for the bread, that I didn't have to eat them. (I'm a grown-up and I don't wanna!)

But since I have entered into my frugal lifestyle, I realize how ridiculous my attitude was. I did a little simple math, and figured out that not eating the heels was the equivalent of throwing out about five loaves of bread a year! That was enough to get me to start eating the heels (which are tolerable as toast, by the way).

In terms of the financial cost, eating the heels of bread really only saves me about $4 a year (I buy my bread for cheap at the bakery outlet). But eating the heels saves more in other ways. I'm no longer wasting the valuable resources it takes to produce the bread. Since it now takes a little longer to eat a loaf of bread, I don't have to make as many trips to the store in a year, which also saves on resources.

My attitude change got me thinking about other ways I am wasteful. For example, there were many times I have tossed freebie shampoo or lotion samples because I felt they were kind of skimpy. But now I realize that they are the size that you're supposed to use. Using those little samples means I can make my big bottles last longer and make my money stretch further.

Sometimes living a frugal lifestyle isn't just about how much money you save. Sometimes it means saving in other less obvious ways, like saving resources.

On a side note: I have a friend who told me that when he was a kid, his parents made a big deal about the heels of bread being the "best" part of the bread. He said in his house, all the kids fought over the heels. I may have to try that with my boys. Then I'm not wasting the bread, and I don't have to eat them!

Target Tricks and Tips

If you are like me, you love Target, especially when you find great deals on clearance.

The awesome folks at Wise Bread have a great article entitled "Tips for Perimeter Perusing at Target." This is a must-read for regular Target bargain hunters. The article has all kinds of strategies for getting the most from those end-cap deals. They also have some other neat tips, including exactly what days of the week certain things drop in price.

I've gotten some fabulous deals on clothing and housewares. I've also used manufacturer coupons with Target coupons on their clearance items to get amazing deals.

What goodies have you scored from Target lately?

A way to use those plastic bags

One of my readers, Tanya, recently sent me a great use for those plastic grocery store bags.

She writes, "There's a woman I know that makes bags of all kinds out of cut up plastic bags. You simply take a typical plastic grocery store or hardware store bag and cut it into 1.5-2 inch strips, horizontally. Loop them together, then crochet them into a bag. crocheting is very easy to do, much easier than knitting and it only takes one needle. Once you start, you can make them into any size or shape. I even made one for my water bottle and it keeps it cooler in the summer. I made a bag for my 2 gal. spray bottle, but it didn't work very well, cause when it's full, the bag gets stretched out. However, if you line the bag with fabric, recycled, of course, that will enable it to retain its original shape. You could make all kinds of containers with recycled bags. This lady I know is 89 yrs. old and has been having people save bags for her for years. She likes to make lined purses out of them and includes pockets and zippers too. I thought that was very cool for an 80 yr. old to figure that out! So, I hope this inspires someone...."

What a great use for all those plastic bags you get from stores! Very clever! Of course, I need to learn how to crochet... but that's another topic.

Some great tips for couponing

My frugal friend Shel sent me this article from the Minneapolis Star Tribune on how shoppers are combining internet coupons with manufacturer coupons for optimal savings.

It's a trick I've already been using for some time, thanks to CouponMom. But this article has quite a few great tips for both the novice and the expert.

One thing I will say, be careful if you buy coupons on eBay. There are a lot of scam artists out there who are shipping out fraudulent coupons. If you want to buy coupons, check out more established sites like The Coupon Clippers or The Coupon Master.

My thoughts on the tax rebates

Well, the fate of economic stimulus bill is now in the hands of President Bush. He's expected to sign it next week, which would put $300 to $1200+ into the hands of most Americans via tax rebate checks.

Now, I'm not going to balk at this rebate. If it passes, we'll get $2100. What I do balk at is the fact that the government is going even deeper into debt to help Americans do something they should not be doing.... spending money on things they don't need.

The tax rebates are targeted at the lower to middle classes... because they are the most likely people to go out and blow a windfall, I suspect. The truth is, there are thousands of families out there who are mired in debt, struggling to make their house payments, who now look at this big check in their mailbox, and exclaim, "Hey, now we can take that vacation to Disney!" And how many others of those same people are going to fritter theirs on a flat screen television? Or worse, yet, how many people are saying, "Now I can put a down payment on a brand new car!" (getting themselves into more debt)?

If you are smart, you will take your tax rebate check and do something smart with it:

Use it to start, or build that three-to-six month emergency fund so you don't have to run to Mastercard every time your car breaks down.

Use the money to pay down credit card debt. Dump it on those bills that have been piling up.

Use the money to start a Roth IRA for retirement.

Use it to start a 529 plan for your kids for college.

Use it to make make much needed repairs to your home or a do a project that will increase your home's value.

Use the money to put a dent in your mortgage.

Use it to help your favorite charities or other non-profits. (But only if you have your debt paid off and an emergency fund first.)

Use it to start your "pay-for-my-next-car-with-cash-" fund.

This money comes to us as a blessing. Using it for something disposable, something that leaves you with nothing but a memory, would be a shame. Use your tax rebate to do something practical and meaningful... something that will create security in your financial world for years to come.

FREE photos at Walgreens

Walgreens is offering a special deal on photo printing for the next three days only.

Order a Family Value Pack of photos online using the code VALENTINE and get them for free. The package includes an 8x10, two 5x7s, and four 4x6s. (A $4.99 value). Then just pick them up at your local Walgreens.

This will be a great way for me to print even more photos from our family photo shoot! It could also make a great gift.

Saving on photos

People who know me know that I am an avid scrapbooker. Several years ago, my husband got me an Epson Picturemate so I could print photos at home. I had surfed until I found a bargain online on ink and paper that enabled me to print photos for 19 cents a print.

I liked the convenience of printing photos at home, but I couldn't help but wonder if I could get photos printed for less money. A lot of my friends had been raving about Snapfish. So after doing some research, I learned that they only charge 9 cents a print (which works out to about 12 cents a print with shipping). I signed up, got 50 free prints, and was impressed with the quality and speed of the service. I will still use my photo printer sometimes, but when I am printing 200+ photos at a time, I think Snapfish will save me time and money.

Where we really saved money was on printing professional photos. We recently splurged and had a professional photographer take some photos of us. In the hour session we had with the photographer, she took nearly 300 photos of the kids, the family, and my husband (he needed a mugshot for work). The photographer did such a good job, and it was hard to select photos.

Because we have a large family we wanted to share photos with, it was going to cost us a lot of money for prints. We finally decided to purchase the rights to the digital photos. The photographer gave us a CD-ROM with ALL of the photos on it. We have the right to print/use the photos as we wish.

I then uploaded the photos we wanted to Snapfish and saved a lot of money on printing. For example, we saved $12 on each 8x10, $7 on 5x7 prints, and $5 on each sheet of wallets.

I'm also excited because I can use the photos to make gifts, to digital scrapbook, decorate my desktop, etc.

The professional photographer was expensive, but in the end it was a great VALUE for us.

February is about Luv(s)

Sorry... can't resist lame word plays.

Anywho... Now's the time to save on Luvs diapers at Target. Here is a Target coupon for $1.50 off any pack of Luvs diapers. You can print as many as you need but you need to hurry because it expires February 8th. Use them to buy two family packs of Luvs and get a $5 Target gift card. Combine this deal with manufacturer coupons and save more. A great time to stock up, if you need diapers.

I also got a coupon in my inbox today for $5 off any three jumbo packs of Luvs at Target. While, this can't be combined with the above deals, it could still be combined with manufacturer coupons. This coupon doesn't expire until March, which makes me suspect jumbo packs may go on sale later this month.