Archives

Auto Insurance Coverage: How to Be Sure You’re Covered

Author | March 13th, 2019 |
A white van that has been in an accident.

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon in January. Steve was driving back from baseball practice with Joseph (age 12). As they approached an intersection, the traffic light turned yellow. It was impossible to stop our one-ton van in that short distance. Steve hit the horn as he proceeded through the intersection on the yellow light.

The Accident

A young driver in a 2005 Chevy Malibu inched forward and proceeded to make his turn directly into the path of our vehicle. In that split second, tires screeched, metal twisted, buckled and crunched, glass flew in a hundred different directions … Read more »

Contractor Interview Sheet

Author | March 12th, 2019 |

This sheet is a great tool when interviewing companies for home repair or improvement projects. Fill out one sheet on each company you interview. We’ve used a sheet like this for many projects around our house and it always makes the research easier!

This form is provided for you as an MS Word doc or .pdf

Contractor Interview - Research Sheet.

College Wrap-Up

Author | March 12th, 2019 |
University awards certificates for academic achievement.

We have some of the most generous readers in the world! In response to our articles, “10 Ways to Find Big College Savings” and “Paying for College without a Trust Fund,” we received a couple of thoughtful and very helpful letters. We couldn’t possibly cover every aspect of getting through and paying for college in a couple of articles, so here is our College Wrap-up.

Slow Down, You Move Too Fast 

Deirdre Collins has been a community college instructor in California for 20 years. Here’s what she shared regarding having a part-time job and going to school:

Read more »

Clues For Cutting College Costs

Author | March 9th, 2019 |
College text books covered by an orange pennant to save 87%.

This summer, we were asked by a local Fox TV station to participate in several segments that addressed saving on back-to-school expenses —including college costs. During our research for the segments, we uncovered some new information not included in our earlier articles on College savings.

The average college student is now graduating with $20,000 worth of debt. Most graduates take 10 years or more to pay it off. If you spend a little time applying for scholarships and shopping carefully for books, you can trim or eliminate any borrowing. This past year our daughter Becky graduated with … Read more »

Charitable Organizations to Consider

Author | March 9th, 2019 |

We have posted a list here of several organizations that we support. It provides information on the organizations and the people involved. Do your research, get to know the people and organizations you want to support financially before you send any money.

This list accompanies the article “Charitable Giving“

The list is available as an MSWord doc and .pdf

Charitable Giving

Author | March 9th, 2019 |
A brass offering plate with money and an alarm clock in it.

The doorbell rings, and there stands a kid from the nearby high school band selling discount coupon cards. You constantly receive fund-raising letters: kids going on mission trips, political organizations, relief organizations, animal rescue groups, wildlife preservation organizations, churches and homeless shelters. How do you, as an economizer, deal with all these requests for money? Should you give if you’re in debt? Do you give to everyone that asks?

It’s taken us years to arrive at what we feel is an equitable balance for our charitable giving. There is no right or wrong way. Even religious leaders … Read more »

A Last Time For Everything

Author | March 9th, 2019 |
A contract stamped paid in full.

There are lots of “firsts” that are celebrated in life: your first report card, your first kiss, your first job, that first real paycheck, your first car, your first baby, a baby’s first step, your first house. Life is full of great firsts — and some great “lasts.”

Since this is the first month of a new year, many people are thinking of making resolutions so they can accomplish some highly desirable new “firsts.’ Two of the most popular New Years Resolutions are: losing weight and getting out of debt. We’d like to encourage you to make … Read more »

A Killer Coupon Deal

Author | March 9th, 2019 |
Bed Bath and Beyond coupon and a sheet set.

This killer idea was shared with us by Dianne Guastella — Annette’s best friend from grade-school days. It takes some planning but works like a charm.

We got a Great Deal on a Mattress

We recently were given a new queen-sized mattress. You know, one of those super thick ones that look like you’re re-enacting The Princess and the Pea? As a result, none of our other queen-sized sheets would fit and we needed to buy some new, deep pocket sheets.

Shopping for Deep Pocket Sheets

It was late on a Wednesday night when we wandered into the Bed Bath & Beyond store. Even … Read more »

16 Ways to Start Saving This Year

Author | March 9th, 2019 |

Gas prices may have come down a bit, but other prices haven’t. Using some of these simple money saving ideas will help you put more money in the bank to protect your family against the uncertain times ahead.

GROCERIES

Don’t buy lunch meat at the deli counter.Save up to $4 per pound by buying chubs of ham or turkey ham in the meat department and have the deli slice it.
Grind your own beef.We buy chuck roast or steak for $1.50 per pound and grind it at home. It is equivalent to the $5 per pound leanest ground beef … Read more »

11 Reasons We Love the Recession

Author | March 9th, 2019 |
A cloud with a silver lining and a smile in the sky.

There is a lot of complaining and worrying over the current and future state of the economy. While there are reasons for great concern, remember that every cloud has a silver lining. We wanted to share some of the good things we’ve seen since the economy has hit the skids. Maybe you’ve seen other good things, so write ‘em down and send ‘em in!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 1) Gas Prices are Lower2 2) We’re Eating Dinner Together More3 3) Life is Still Enjoyable Spending Less4 4) There are More Coupons Available Now than BeforeRead more »

10 Ways To Do Dinner

Author | March 9th, 2019 |
A banquet table setting for dinner.

Feeding your family can be accomplished in myriad ways ranging from ridiculously expensive to really cheap. But expensive isn’t always better and cheap isn’t always bad. Beyond the cost, you’ve got to consider the time involved.

We think nothing beats a home-cooked meal or just eating at home (that is unless someone else does the cleanup). But if you think cooking from scratch takes too much time and effort, we’ve got a few other options for you. In reality, there are a few times each month when either our schedule is so hectic or we’re just plain … Read more »