Valpak.com Shopper & Coupon Blog: January 2006

Monday, January 30, 2006

Stretch Your Dollars and Save Money

Looking for a few simple ways to save money on everyday items and expenses? Here are a few tips that may help stretch your dollar:

 Save Money On Lunches - Bring your lunch at least one day a week and you can save anywhere from $250 to $1,000 per year.

 Buy Items On Sale - Stock up on your favorite brands the next time they are on sale. Use coupons to save even more!

 Snack Smart – Avoid daily excursions to the vending machine. Snack on saltine crackers, fruit, vegetables, plain popcorn, and water instead of higher-priced items.

 Save On Restaurants- Visit Valpak.com to print restaurant coupons in your neighborhood.

 Save On Utilities - A little thought and planning can help you save on your monthly utilities. For example, turn off the lights when you leave the room and don't leave the television running if you're not watching it.

Read more ways to Stretch Your Dollar and Save Money.

Friday, January 27, 2006

Valentine's Day Gifts for Guys

Looking for something special yet inexpensive for the guy who has it all? Look no further. We have found 5 gifts for guys under $50.

Heart Quartet - One box contains our delicious Bing Cherry Chocolates, another has their Valentine Holland Mints™, and the other two, tasty Cherry Hearts and their Enrobed Mini Cookies. Arrives bowed and tied as shown here. Net wt. 1 lb. 12 oz. Available at Harry and David for $29.95.
Avaitor Traveler Wallet - Made of distressed leather, this bifold wallet features 9 card slides, and an ID window. Accented with copper Fossil's logo. Handcrafted from natural grain bomber leather. Comes in a newly designed Fossil gift tin. 4.25"x3.5" Available at Fossil for $25.00
Poker Club Electronic Card Shuffler - Avoid repeat hands from shifty shufflers. Shuffles up to two decks in seconds. Easy-access return tray keeps the next deck ready. Includes two decks of ESPN Poker Club professional poker cards. Available at Neiman Marcus for $30.00.
Zen Silver Album - Keep your favorite pictures organized with the Zen album from Umbra. This photo album holds a variety of photo sizes and is made of wood with a matte and silver leaf finish. The large album has 40 pages with 480 corners; the small album has 24 pages with 240 corners. Each sold separately. Large: 11-3/4x12”. Small: 10x12”. Available at Target for $39.99.
Premium Stereo Headset - Stylish, convenient, and comfortable, the Logitech Premium Stereo Headset may be the only audio accessory you need. It complements your PC´s sound card to deliver high-performance stereo sound from music, games, movies, and more. Its high-quality, noise-canceling microphone lets you get more from applications that use voice chat and voice command, such as multiplayer gaming, audio and video instant messaging. Inline volume and mute controls let you adjust or mute the sound, and you’ll enjoy maximum comfort thanks to soft foam earpads and a high-grip, premium rubberized headband. Available at CompUSA for $27.99.

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Things You Shouldn't Buy New

Why waste money on shiny packaging and a fancy store when you can get it 'pre-owned' for a fraction of the cost? Below are some items where the cost vs. use equation strongly tilts toward buying used:
• Books - most books don’t get read more than once, if that, and they’re astonishingly easy to find used at steep discounts -- if not absolutely free.
• DVDs, CDs and Videos – You can usually find lightly-used DVDs, CDs and videos on Amazon.com at a substantial savings over the retail rate.
• Cars - The average new car loses 12.2% of its value in the first year, according to Edmunds.com; on a $20,000 car, that’s $2,440, or more than $200 a month.
• Console games - Console games like those for the Xbox and Sony PS2 that list for $50 new, for instance, can often be purchased used for $20 or less a year after release.
• Hand tools - If you’re not going to use a tool frequently, you may be able to rent it or borrow from a friend or neighbor rather than buying something else to clutter up your garage.

Read the full article to learn which other items you should consider not buying new.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

10 Financial Myths To Avoid

Writing checks in red ink won’t prolong the float, and yes, you really do have to pay income tax. Avoid trouble by not getting caught up in myths that could leave you in financial turmoil down the road.

Legends and Tall Tales
• Myth #1: You can float a check longer if you write in red ink.
• Myth #2: You don’t have to pay income tax – it’s illegal.
• Myth #3: People under 18 can’t be held accountable for a debt.
• Myth #4: Hotel key cards have credit card information store in them.
• Myth #5: Boycotting a few gasoline brands will bring gas prices down.
• Myth #6: It’s better if you don’t sign the back of your credit card.
• Myth #7: You can make a pile of dough by helping a foreigner solve his money problems.
• Myth #8: You can now opt out of having credit bureaus give your information to anyone who asks.
• Myth #9: You can buy your way out of points on a speeding ticket.
• Myth #10: Hotel Bibles often have $100 bills tucked into them.

To read more, visit 10 Financial Urban Legends.

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Safely Shop Online

Worried about online shopping? Don’t be! Here are some tips to avoid online fraud:

Don’t Give Out Your Personal Information. Legitimate online retailers will never ask for your social security number at any time. Don’t give it to retailers – if anyone requests it contact the company.
Arm Your Computer. You can protect yourself as you shop online simply by installing some basic security programs on your computer including anti-spyware and anti-virus programs. This software will keep your financial information and passwords safe from cyber-thieves and hackers.
Use A Credit Card. Credit cards are easy to use online – just enter the credit card name, number and expiration date. There’s another important reason to use a credit card, if fraud occurs or you don’t get the product you purchased, you can dispute the charges. However, if you use a money order or debit card, the money is usually gone without dispute.
Read The Fine Print. Whenever you shop online read the fine print carefully so there are no surprises. Make sure you’re aware of shipping charges, delivery time, cancellation and return policies, as well as the seller’s privacy policy.
Don’t Respond To Unsolicited Email. Never buy things or confirm your email through unsolicited email, especially if you don’t recognize the source. Legitimate online retailers will never ask for your credit card number through email. If you receive and email of this type, contact the company immediately.

To learn more please read Avoid Frauds While Shopping Online.

Thursday, January 12, 2006

10 Resolutions To Fix Your Financial Life

The New Year is here and it’s a great time to save money and get your financials straight. Below are 10 tips to help fix your financial situation. The key is not to skip the first 5 since they all play into one another.

Organizing Your Life
Resolution #1 – Set up a system for filing important papers
Resolution #2 – Bank online to cut down on paper and keep an eye on your account
Resolution #3 – Track everything financial online

Time For Action
Resolution #4 – Get out of debt
Resolution #5 – Create a budget
Resolution #6 – Review your 401(k) plan
Resolution #7 – Check your insurance coverage
Resolution #8 – Check (or create) your estate plan

Time To Plan For The Future
Resolution #9 – Make new goals
Resolution #10 – Create a contact list of people who can help you reach your goals

To read more, visit 10 Resolutions To Fix Your Financial Life.

Please feel free to leave comments on any topics you would like us to cover.

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

Get Your Tax Refund Fast

Would you like your refund in the bank in as little as two weeks? Read on to find out how.

What you can do on your end: Get your paperwork together. The deadline for you employer to you your W-2 form is Jan. 31. The same deadline applies for various 1099 forms. However, you don’t have to wait until then to start. Pull out last year’s tax return and have your social security number and any dependent’s social security numbers ready to go. Be sure you’re getting the right amount of money back. Check out MSN’s online tax estimator, which will give you a ballpark of what is coming back to you. Once you receive your W-2 go ahead and file.
E-Filing is Fastest: How you file has the biggest effect on turnaround time.
- Mail your return and opt for a paper check: Allow six weeks
- Mail your return and sign up for direct deposit: Allow five weeks
- E-File your return and opt for a paper check: Allow for three weeks
- E-File your return and opt for direct deposit: Can be as fast as two weeks

To learn more read The Fastest Refund Possible.

Friday, January 06, 2006

Resolve to Get Out of Debt

Credit card bills are starting to roll in with the holiday expenses. This, compounded by previous expenses that haven’t yet been paid off, is sure to make those bills astronomical. This happens to us every year and every year we promise ourselves it won’t happen again. Many of us are in over our heads with debt. Read on for a few tips and tricks to get out of debt.

Find out how much you owe. Gather all your credit card statements and make a list that includes the interest rates, total amount you owe and minimum monthly payments. List the cards by the interest rates they charge with the highest rate first and so on.
Keep the two cards with the lowest rates. Cut up the other ones. Write to the card issuers and close the accounts.
Resolve that you will use your card only for essentials over the next six months. For other purchases use cash or a debit card.
Consolidate your debt. Many credit card issuers offer introductory rates as low as 3.9% for six months. If you’re really serious about getting out of debt in a hurry, transfer your largest, high-rate balances to a card with an extremely low rate and pay them off aggressively.

For more tips please read 10 Steps to Debt Freedom.

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

20 Ways to Save On A Shoestring

How much you save has little to do with how much you make, a study suggests. So forget the excuses; here's a roadmap for finding money you didn't know you had.

Step 1 – Retrain Your Brain
Saving money is a state of mind. Before you can start, you have to renounce the spending -- and stop believing you actually need all the stuff you’ve been spending money on.
1. Accept frugality as your savior
2. Seek inspiration
3. Cry poverty -- with style

Step 2 - Now Save It
Here are some of the most painless ways you can economize without losing out on quality of life
1. Don’t even think about it
2. Go veggie
3. Play money games
4. Never spend a windfall

These only mention the name of ways that she mentions in the article.

To read more, visit 20 Ways To Save On A Shoestring.

Please feel free to leave comments on any topics you would like us to cover.

Valpak.com Shopper & Coupon Blog