Money & Marriage: 7 lessons I have learned so far

By Bob Lotich

1. Money issues need to be talked about

Many people try to avoid subjects (or really anything) they don’t like or are afraid of. You have to face the giants. If your finances are a mess, you have to face up to the truth. How can you expect to move a mountain that you refuse to admit exists?

2. Decide what you want to accomplish – together.

In order to succeed financially as a team, you have to have unity. You may not agree about everything, but find those areas that you are in agreement and shoot toward those goals. They will be a lot easier to attain if you are both putting focused energy towards them rather than pulling against each other for your own thing.

3. Realize that you balance each other out

This might not be the case for everyone, but for my wife and I, this was clearly one of the reasons God brought us together. We both bring different financial mindsets to the table and it keeps us in proper balance. If one is a spender and the other is a saver, I got news for you: it is probably by design. If my wife were just like me, we would be living an unbalanced life, probably saving too much for the future and focusing not enough on today. We both bring balance to each other’s life financially. In our case, we both had to make sacrifices to meet in the middle, but because of it we are living more in line with God’s best for us.

4. Support your spouse (yes, even if they have problems)

It is so critically important to cut each other some slack and allow your spouse an opportunity to grow. None of us are perfect and we all have areas to grow in. Part of the growing process involves making mistakes, so if your spouse isn’t being as financially disciplined as you are – cut him/her some slack. If you are constantly nagging your spouse about money (or anything for that matter) it doesn’t give them much incentive to change and it keeps them from being open with you about their failures. Being able to encourage each other when either one of you fails is very important.

5. A budget is necessary

Living on a budget is different for a single person than it is for a married couple. Let me say, I think everyone should use some sort of a budget, but especially married couples. The reason being is that a single person who doesn’t budget ultimately knows the responsibility for the bills, debt, consequences, etc. will fall on them. When a couple lives without a budget they both can be secretly thinking, “well I will let my spouse take care of it,” and things can fall through the cracks. Having a budget creates an unbiased system to hold both parties accountable for their actions.

6. Individual spending money is necessary

It is way too much of a hassle to have to discuss EVERY purchase you make. Each person needs a specific (and small) amount that they can spend however they choose – but just like allowance, no more when it is gone. It has worked well for us to make this cash solely for individual purchases – going out to eat, clothes, buying food for potluck at work, etc – misc things. You can look at how we manage our money, but basically 95% goes to our joint accounts to pay our bills, pay debt, common saving goals, etc. The remaining 5% gets divided between us for our individual interests.

7. Eliminate sources of strife

This was eye-opening to me. When we first got married, we paid for gas for our own car out of our individual spending money. It just seemed logical to me and seemed like it would work fine. We only had a limited amount of spending money for each of us and it would be enough to cover the gas for the week and other miscellaneous things we needed like I mentioned above.

The problem arose when in a very subtle way – we both seemed to be keeping a mental list of how often we drove places together in each other’s car. And of course, we both often thought that we were driving our car more than the other person. We really were not selfish in other areas of our marriage, but that one small thing was causing unnecessary strife. Now we pay for all of the gas out of a joint account – problem solved.

Source:  http://www.christianpf.com/money-marriage-7-lessons-i-have-learned-so-far/

Do the Math:Debit Card Users Beware

As consumers everywhere tighten their belts due to the looming economic recession and the credit crunch banks have found another way to prey on already strapped, unsuspecting consumers.  Banks all over the country are imposing higher checking fees and almost criminal overdraft fees on account holders.

According to a report released in USA Today, banks are using tactics such as transaction sorting or high-to-low clearing in order to cause consumers to overdraft their accounts resulting in numerous overdraft fees.

Here’s how it works: If you have several small transactions ($8.59, $4.76, $2.39, $21.62, etc.) and then a larger transaction ($97.22), in that order, your bank chooses to pay the larger transaction first resulting in overdraft fees on each of the smaller transactions that would have cleared had the bank not sorted your transactions.  With overdraft fees as high as $33.00 at some institutions, this can cause some consumers to spiral deeper into financial ruin.  In our scenario above it would cost the account holder $132 in overdraft fees! That’s right, your bank can manipulate the order checks and/or debits in order to maximize on overdraft fees.

Large banks are more likely to process items in high-to-low order, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. found in a February survey, and about half of overdrafts occur at ATMs or via debit card transactions, which tend to be for smaller amounts.

Reportedly, the banks with the highest fees seem to be the ones that benefited the most from the recent government bailouts.  In June, Bank of America raised its monthly fee on certain checking accounts and impose a fee on accounts that remain overdrawn. SunTrust , meanwhile, is starting to charge customers a higher fee when they overdraw multiple times. Wachovia, now a part of Wells Fargo, has made it more expensive for some customers to transfer funds to cover overdrafts. And Citigroup (C) has raised foreign-transaction fees on debit cards.

Of course, banks say that consumers should balance their accounts and overdraft fees are in place to discourageme account holders from overextending their accounts.  Banks claim that their research shows consumers want them to clear those larger items for them because they are usually mortgages or rents.  However, most consumer advocates believe that banks want consumers to overdraft and make it easy to do so by approving the transactions for which consumers do not have the money in their accounts to cover.

In recent years, banks have also begun automatically covering consumers’ overdrafts — even if they didn’t sign up for a service — and then charging them a fee for doing so. This automatic coverage, which banks sometimes refer to as “courtesy overdraft,” has come under fire from lawmakers, regulators, advocates and even attorneys.

News outlets reported that in March of this year Bank of America (BAC) agreed to pay $35 million to settle a class-action lawsuit related to overdraft fees. The lawsuit alleged that BofA authorized transactions that led to overdraft fees and posted transactions in an order that increased such fees. BofA, in settling the lawsuit, denied the claims and said that its policies fully comply with federal law. The bank declined further comment on the lawsuit.

Some institutions have even been accused of holding deposits until after all transactions for the day have cleared, even though the deposit was made prior to any transactions.  This causes a major problem for consumers that rely on online banking and checking their account balances by phone, which is encouraged by their banks.  The balance(s) reflected are not always accurate or easy for consumers to understand.

Let us not become discouraged but rather be more informed consumers and stewards.  Remember Philippians 4:19!

Avoid Overdraft Fees with these Tips

• Balance checking accounts the old fashioned way  (This is a tough one for most of us)
• Use overdraft protection linked to a savings account to avoid fees (this must be specifically requested)
• Find out if the balances reflected online are accurate, real-time, balances including pending items
• Opt-out of courtesy overdraft by asking your bank to set the debit overdraw amount to zero (this will cause items you can’t cover to be rejected)
• Switch to a community bank or credit union

Recession Busting Tips Pt. 3

1.  Plan ahead when making purchaes. For example, this was especially handy when buying my children’s clothes for the summer.  I waited for deals and promotions before going to buy their clothing.  Along with saving money, this also helps because you can really budget and manage your spending when you plan ahead.  Buying in a crunch can often cause you to pull money from areas where it is needed.

2.  Watch credit card purchases. After I paid my cards off, it was a feeling of relief and freedom.  Uncessesary debt can be such a burden!  If you can’t pay the balance at the end of the month, evaluate if you are making the right decision of purchasing with a credit card.  Remember, the less debt you have, the more freedom you have with your money.

3.  Watch eating out. As stated in Pt.2, this is an area where money can really be saved.  As we know, many Americans are now realizing that eating (and cooking-no takeout) dinner at home saves money, can be healthier, and builds the fanily unit.

6 reasons for giving more in 2009

Recession Busting Tips: Pt. 2

1.  Pack your lunch. Think about it, if you spend $5.oo a day on just lunch and an average work week is 5 days, that’s $25.00 a week, $100.00 a month!  What can you be doing with that money?  It’s alright to treat yourself, but it can be expensive doing it every day.

2.  Use your leftovers. It makes a great lunch the next day and it saves time, as well as, money.

3.  Carpool. If you have someone who works in the same area, rotate carpooling duties.  This is a tried and true way of saving on gas and giving your car a break.

4.  When shopping, make a shopping list and STICK TO IT! This is a challenging area for me.  With two toddlers, I use a lot of my energy just trying to get them in the car!  Sometimes it’s hard to avoid impulse shopping (that’s an area I am working on), but preparing before you go to the store can help streamline your purchasing.  Go ahead and go thru the sales flyers and have your coupons ready, it makes for a more productive trip.

5.  Distinguish between needs and desires. We often justify our “extra” purchases by saying, “I really need this.”  But, in fact, it is something you really want.  Look at what it  takes for you to live.  Yes it is alright to enjoy some of the “extras” in life, but in moderation.  Furthermore, plan for the extras-entertainment, cosmetics, electronics, etc.,whatever it may be.  Look at what you need and what you can realistically afford.

6.  TITHE, TITHE, TITHE. “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me.  “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’   “In tithes and offerings.  You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me.  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.  I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the LORD Almighty.  “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the LORD Almighty.”  Malachi 3:8-12 (NIV) We must never neglect our obligation to honor God with the first fruits (10%) of our labor.  As believers, there are some bad things that God doesn’t allow to happen, because we are faithful in paying our tithes.  It may not all be monetary, but it will be what we need at that time.

7 Things Women Wish Men Knew About Money

I ran across this blog entry on www.beingfrugal.net  and I found it very enlightening.  It may not fit your marriage “to a T,” but there are some things that are really helpful and can aid you in your marriage and finances.

 

On Tuesday, Ron at The Wisdom Journal posted 7 Things Men Wish Women Knew About Money.  Today I will give you the woman’s viewpoint.  My husband and I have been married for almost 13 years, and in that time, we’ve learned a lot about each other and our views of money.  Though our financial road hasn’t been super rocky, there are a few things I wish my husband had known right off the bat that would have made things a little smoother along the way.

1.  Being there is more important than having money. As a woman, it’s important for me to feel like our family is the most important priority in your life right behind God.  I know that it’s important for you to feel like you’re providing financially for us, and financial security is important.  But emotional security is more important to us.  We really do appreciate that you work hard to provide for us and give us financial security, but we would prefer that you cut back your hours, so you can be at the kids’ baseball games, school plays, band concerts, and have a free day to spend with the family once in a while.

How you can help: Be there.  If you’re working 80 hours a week, realize that cutting back your hours would be beneficial to your family.  Set aside one day on the weekend to spend with your family, even if you’re all working together in the yard.  Just be present, physically and mentally.

2.  You’re not less of a man because I’m better with the finances. In my marriage, I’m better at math and my husband is better with people.  In the early years of our marriage, we experimented with Jim being the one to balance the checkbook and pay the bills, and we soon realized that I was much better at doing the day to day money management.  It takes me less time, and I rather enjoy it.

But just because the woman is talented in that area, doesn’t mean you’re inadequate.  You have talents in other areas, such as dealing with people or fixing cars, or doing the yard work (I’ll admit…I kill almost any plant I try to grow).  It’s best to divide up the tasks for running the family according to each person’s talents and preferences, rather than sticking to gender stereotypes.

How you can help: Don’t resent me for taking charge of paying the bills.  And feel free to use your talents.  If you’re better at dealing with people, even though that’s frequently considered the “woman’s domain”, feel free to line up a babysitter, so we can go out.  Take charge of the gardening, if that’s what you like.  And if you love to cook, feel free to step right into the kitchen!

3.  Day to day actions speak louder than expensive gifts. You see the commercials on TV.  A man gives a woman a diamond ring, and she flips completely head over heels for him.  While I concede that most women appreciate a diamond, it’s the day to day stuff that’s more important.  A woman won’t notice that you’re not buying her expensive gifts if you’re giving her the gift of your time day in and day out.  And if you give her a gift that she knows you can’t afford, she will worry about the money you spent.

Far more important than spending a lot of money are the little things that tell your woman you appreciate her.  When I’m tired in the evening, my husband frequently offers to wash the dishes, so I can relax, and it’s an action that doesn’t go unnoticed.  Kevin Leman wrote a book called S*x Begins in the Kitchen, and it’s true.

How you can help: Don’t overspend on gifts.  I’m not saying that you should never buy gifts, but focus more on the day to day things that make a difference in your loved one’s life.  Helping out with the chores, the kids, and even a handwritten love note speak far more clearly than a trinket picked up at the last minute for Valentine’s Day.

4.  Spending money on decorating the house is important. A woman’s home is important to her.  Women see their homes as a reflection of themselves.  When people come over to visit, they look at the things hanging on the walls, the things displayed on the shelves, and the general state of the house.  And when they make a judgment about the state of the house, a woman takes it personally.

It’s important to allow us the freedom to spend a little money on wall hangings, throw pillows, and curtains.  To a man, it may seem trivial, but to a woman, these are the things that make a house feel homey.  It’s important to let us splurge on these things once in a while.

How you can help: Remember that a house is to a woman what a car is to a man.  We know you men love your sporty cars or rugged SUVs.  You like to shine them and keep them looking nice.  Women are the same way about their homes.  Indulge us and let us spend a little money on our homes without grumbling about the way we spend money on unnecessary things.  To us, the little things that make a house homey are important.

5.  Even if I manage the checkbook, I want you to be involved. It’s important for both spouses to be involved with the family finances, even if it is determined that the woman is the better overall money manager.  There’s nothing more frustrating to a woman than to feel like she’s left alone to deal with the monthly budget and bills.  There’s no worse feeling than to have to tell your husband, “You need to cut back on the lattes, because it’s not in the budget.”  Women don’t like to be the bad guy.

Open communication about money is important in marriage.  It’s important for us to know that you are supportive of the budget, and if you’re not, we need to know why.  The budget needs to be a cooperative effort, so it’s acceptable to both of us.  We also need to know that if something happened to us, you’d be OK to take over where we left off.

How you can help: Set up a weekly budget meeting, like Gibble does.  Ask how we’re doing with the budget.  Make suggestions.  Be involved.  Just because you’re not the one writing the checks and paying the bills doesn’t mean that you can’t be an active participant in the family finances.

6.  It’s OK to say no to me sometimes. I’ll admit.  Women can be very emotionally driven sometimes.  And I’ll concede that sometimes we come up with crazy ideas that cost a lot of money.  Sometimes those ideas are brilliant.  But sometimes they just cost a lot of money.

I know that your desire is to make your spouse happy.  But when we suggest things like buying all new appliances for the kitchen, and those appliances are nowhere near within the boundaries of the budget, don’t be afraid to suggest that we save the cash first.  Sometimes women try to fill emotional needs by shopping for new things.  Try to get to the root of the problem.  Say no to the stuff, and start paying more attention to what your wife really needs.

Women like strong leadership qualities in men.  That doesn’t give you the license to be a dictator, but women like to feel like a man will take the lead and make decisions that are in her best interest.  I remember in premarital counseling our pastor told my then fiance that at times he would need to make decisions that were in my best interest, even if I didn’t see it that way at the time.  On rare occasion, my husband has had to do that. And though I sometimes get angry at the time, I’ve always come around to respect my husband even more in the long run.

How you can help: Recognize the difference between needs and wants.  When you find your wife wanting to blow a lot of money on a want, ask her why.  And if you can’t afford it, don’t be afraid to insist that you save the money first.  The big purchase might provide short term gratification, but if you can’t afford it, it will cause problems in the long term.  Better to think long term in this case.

7.  If I know that you love and cherish me, I will bend over backwards for you. It all comes down to this.  Women want to feel loved.  Cherished.  Treasured.  Needed.  Appreciated.  It doesn’t take a lot of money to convey these feelings to a woman.  A love note.  A hug.  A squeeze of the hand.  Assurance that you are there for her, even when her emotions are out of control.  If you provide a woman with the knowledge that she is cherished and treasured, you will be the king of the castle in her eyes.

Last year my husband lost his job.  We went through some really hard times, yet all through that time, I knew that he was there for me.  That he cared about me, and that he would do whatever it took to keep our family afloat.  I never stopped respecting and loving my husband.  And when he landed the job of his dreams, I fully supported him, even though it meant a huge pay cut.  We don’t need the money.  And he gives so much for our family, I don’t mind sacrificing a little bit of money, so he can pursue a career he loves.

How you can help: Make sure your wife knows how much she means to you.  Show her every day how much you love and appreciate her.  If you do these things, she’ll likely support you in whatever you do.

Looking back over these 7 things, I realize that most of them have to do with letting a woman know that she is loved. Contrary to popular male opinion, women are not really that hard to understand.  We just want emotional security.  As long as we know we can rely on you, it’s not hard to keep us happy.  And we’re pretty strong and will stand by you when the going gets tough, if we know that you love us.

Read more: “What women wish men knew about money. | beingfrugal.net” – http://beingfrugal.net/2008/02/08/marriage-and-money/#ixzz0BGXRWFRg

Get into Shape on the Cheap!

We’ve all done it.  We get motivated to get into shape and join a gym.  Some of us even go so far as to purchase equipment for our homes. (I for one had the AbRoller, unsuccessfully begged for my mom’s AbLounge, purchased resistance bands and a balance ball, and gave away a thigh master!  Shall I go on?) Slowly but surely we find excuses not to go to the gym and the treadmill becomes a laundry basket.  Enough with the excuses.  We’ve got to get into shape.  Even in tough economic times we can accomplish this task.  With a little determination and savvy we can become healhly while being frugal.

• Take advantage of free online resources.  If its motivation that you lack, the 50 Million Pound Challenge is a great way to get healthy.  You can join a team and support each other.  There are tools for creating meal plans, tracking your activity and much more.  NutritonData.com will help you determine the amount of sugar, heavy carbohydrates, saturated fat, etc. can be found in the foods in your diet.  The Real Age newsletter is also an awesome tool.  You can receive great tips directly in your inbox.  You can get tips on clearing your sinuses all they way to losing weight for colon health.
• T.V isn’t all bad. Fit T.V and other networks have numerous workouts that you can take advantage of if you have cable or satellite.  They offer bellydancing, yoga, aerobics and much more.  If you don’t have cable PBS or your local access channel probably has something to offer.  Check your local listings.  (Be sure to check with your physician before starting any exercise routine.)
• Get moving! Start walking or running.  If you live near the beach, walking without shoes can be a great aerobic activity.  Remember to use proper shoes for both walking and running.  Joe’s NewBalance Outlet is a great online resource for reputable walking and running shoes at prices to fit even the recession budgets we now have.   Start off the pace slowly for both running and walking to avoid any injuries.  Jumping rope and calesthenics are also very beneficial if your are looking to strengthen your body.
• Become a fish. Or at least develop a love of water like a fish.  Increasing your water intake is the least expensive and most beneficial change you can make for your lifestyle.  Staying hydrated is vital for our proper physical function and can improve our mental functioning as well.
• Eat more often! That’s right, I said it.  You should increase the frequency or your meals but you must decrease your portions.  Small meals eaten more frequently allow the body to efficiently metabolize what you eat.

The contents of SistersoftheFaith.com, such as text, graphics, images, and other material contained on SistersoftheFaith.com (”Content”) are for informational purposes only. The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on SistersoftheFaith.com.

Related Blogs

• Related Blogs on budgeting
• Star in a Geezeo Ad!
• Four Ways to Legally Clear Credit Card Debt
• 6 Ways to Sell Your Stuff
• Back to Basics: How to Improve Your Credit Score
• Cramer: It’s All About the Jobs

• Related Blogs on Exercise
• Health Care Guide:Exercise and Hypertension | Health Guide
• PoliGazette » Exercise is the best medicine
• High Blood Pressure Remedies – A Little Exercise Goes A Long Way …

• Related Blogs on Health
• » Resveratrol Pomegranate Glutathione Alpha Lipoic Acid Green Tea …

Saving Money Online

Good day ladies!  I hope you are having a wonderful Monday.  I just wanted to offer to you some the sites we’ve found that will help you save money.  We are always trying to find ways to make our dollar stretch, as we know you are.  There are a number of online resources where consumers can print coupons, get rebates for certain online purchase, or receive coupon codes when purchasing online.  These sites have been used by us or they came highly recommended.

www.CouponMom.com

In addition to providing a host of printable grocery and dining coupons, the site lets you sign up to receive weekly coupon and deal alerts for any item on your shopping list. A page of sample and free trial offers yields coupons on diapers, free formula and deals on other baby and child-care essentials. 

Sample coupons: Save $5 on any Leapfrog Didj educational videogame (regularly about $30) with a print-out coupon. Expires March 28. Save $5 on one Huggies Gentle Care diapers product (regularly $14 for a 40-pack) with a print-out coupon. Expires April 12.

www.Upromise.com

Take five minutes to register your credit cards and store loyalty cards online with this free rewards program, and every purchase you make at participating retailers will earn you cash back that gets deposited into a 529 college savings plan. Link to The Children’s Place through upromise.com, for example, and 4% of your purchase will go into a 529.   It isn’t a ton of money, but think of the savings over time.  Every bit counts!  The site’s eCoupons feature lets you click on coupons to load them onto a grocery store loyalty card. Just swipe your card at checkout to redeem them.

Sample coupons: Save $5 when you buy any two 23-ounce containers of Similac baby formula (regularly $27 each) with a print-out coupon. Expires March 31. Save $1 when you buy any two boxes of Post kids cereal, like Honeycomb or Fruity Pebbles (regularly about $4 each). Expires March 31.

www.RetailMeNot.com

This free site allow consumers to access online coupon codes.  Just type in the name of the retailer and it gives you a list of current codes and those that are no good or have expired.  Readers can sign up for updates for the favorite stores.

Sample coupons: Save $10 on your next American Girl online purchase of $30 or more by using code 161357 at checkout. No expiration date noted. Get free shipping (regularly $10) on your purchase at BabyAge.com with coupon code FUNFUR3 at checkout. Expires March 31.

www.Coupons.com

This site puts you in the mind of clipping coupons in the Sunday paper (which is the “gold standard” for those faithful coupon clippers).  Chose the coupons you want and print.  Put in you zip code and coupons for local retailers are included.  Readers will have to download their software to be able to print out coupons.

Sample coupons: $20 off at H&R Block

www.CouponCabin.com

This is one of my favorites!  It combines printable coupons, coupons codes, and sales alerts in a very user friendly form.  Staffers check the validity of the coupons and it is updated 3x a day.

Recession Busting Tips: Part One

Well Sisters,  I have spent the last few days pondering more ways to tighten my family’s belt.  I like to think that for the most part I can be pretty frugal although my husband and I both have our guilty pleasures.  We had a tremendous lifestyle change after I stopped working near the end of my second pregnancy.  We suddenly snapped from two incomes to one.  We did not prepare as well as we probably could have but we certainly learned the difference between necessity and desire.  At any rate, here are a few tips to help us all ride the economic wave.  And, of course, please share any tips you have with your SISTERS!

Recession Busting Tips: Part One

1. Buy whole chickens. All of the poultry eaters out there have already noticed the rising prices.  A great way to combat this is to stop paying for convenience.  Instead of purchasing chicken parts or whole cut-up chickens, purchase whole chickens and cut them yourself.  In most cases, you will save between $.75 to $1.00 per pound!  That is savings that can add up!  You’ll need freezer bags and a good pair of poultry shears to do the job, but it’s worth it.
2. Make your own cleaning supplies. Not only is this better for the environment, but you can save a ton.  There are several websites dedicated to do-it-yourself cleaning supplies and tips.  We even have several articles dedicated to it.  You can check them out here.
3. Bye-bye acrylic nails. I know a great deal of women just refuse to cut back in the area, however doing so can save a bundle.  On average, acrylic nails will cost $22 (plus $4 tip) every two weeks.  That’s a cost of $676 a year!  Many women attempt to do it themselves at home but that increases the risk of infection and fungus even more.  Try a healthy diet with vitamins and at-home manicures or barter with a friend.  It’s worth it!
4. Turn off that fan. Use the kitchen and bathroom ventilating fans sparingly during cold weather. In just one hour, these fans can blow away a houseful of heated air. Turn them off just as soon as they have done their jobs.
5. Have a garage sale! I admit I’m still getting my nerve up to try this tip, but from what I’ve seen the benefits are great.  You clear out unwanted or underused items and make a little cash in the process.  Alternatively, you could schedule a pick-up with Goodwill or the Salvation Army and tax the tax write-off.  Either way, you save.
6. Clip those coupons. Use coupons whenever you can.  They are especially great in combination with in-store promotions.  You can save as much as 80% on some items and more if you catch a BOGO.  Sign-up with websites like CouponMom.com and SmartSource to get a heads up on the coupons that will be featured in Sunday’s Paper.

Stay tuned for more tips….

The Stimulus Package and You

With all the buzz about the stimulus package, most Americans are wondering, “How will this effect me?”  I found a great article that breifly breaks down where most of the funds are going and the direct impact on the American people.  Read and be enlightened.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090214/ap_on_go_co/stimulus_stakes_who_gets_what

Next Page »