Personal Finance Archives

How You Can Save A Ton Of Money With Coupons This Holiday Season

Coupons are big business. If you don’t believe me, you only need to look at your Sunday newspaper to understand the power of these little pieces of paper. Coupons have even gained pop culture status with the new reality TV shows featuring extreme couponers buying hundreds of dollars worth of groceries and other items for pennies on the dollar.

But, you don’t have to go to extreme measures to make coupons, coupon codes, and deals help you and your family save money with coupons. You can save a ton! Now is the time with holiday shopping, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the like to score some great savings this season!

You do not have to go to such extremes to save money for you and your family. You don’t have to visit 5 grocery stores a week. And, you don’t need a pantry the size of the Grand Canyon and bulk deals to make couponing worthwhile for you.

Coupons aren’t just for groceries. Now is the time to save a boatload of money with Black Friday and Cyber Monday literally right around the corner.

According to NCS Marketing, a media and marketing services company, almost 80% of consumers regularly shop with coupons. Three billion coupons were redeemed in 2012, and consumers received a collective $800 million in discounts.

Save Money With Coupons This Holiday Season

Scott Elling from CouponPal.com has several incredible tips for saving a ton of money this holiday season by using coupons. We talk about what consumers can expect during this year’s holiday shopping season. On today’s episode of the Money Q&A podcast, “Your Money: Your Choices”. Download the podcast on iTunes!

We talk about Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Christmas sales, and much more. We also discuss how consumers can get the most bang for their buck through coupons, coupon codes, and so much more.

Scott let all of his secrets slip out in this interview! You won’t want to miss what Scott has to say about this holiday season and the deals consumers are going to score! Also find out the super cool and unique way that he saved hundreds of dollars on furniture with this incredible coupon secret that I have never heard of before.

This one secret alone on how to save money with coupons is insane, and I’m saving this best tip just for the podcast. You’ll have to listen to find out how he saved hundreds! I did want to leave you with four other incredible tips on how to save money with coupons that are in the podcast too!

Scott Elling of CouponPal & 4 Great Tips To Save Money With Coupons!

Tip #1 – Has something you bought at full price just gone on sale or have a killer coupon? Ask for a refund of the difference. Many stores will honor coupons even after you have purchased the item.

Tip #2 – Don’t forget about price matching! Price matching can be a great way to save money with coupons, and it is something that we often forget to ask about while in a store. Find out in the podcast exactly how Scott does his own price matching combined with a little showrooming!

Like these tips? Share them with your friends with a tweet….

Four incredible tips on how to save the most money using coupons this holiday season! via @MoneyQandA and @CouponPal http://goo.gl/zVyP04 (Click to Tweet!)

How Macro Economic Issues Affect Middle Class Americans

by Hank Coleman

The stock market is humming along lately, but this is of course despite a few recent macro level economic hiccups. Thanks to the federal government and the shutdown the economy has continued to remain sluggish.

According to a report recently released by Standard & Poor’s, the government shutdown cost the United States $24 billion in lost production and growth. It took out $24 billion from the U.S. economy over the 16 day shutdown.

My Interview With Frank Trotter, President of Everbank Direct

In this episode of the Money Q&A podcast, “Your Money: Your Choices”, I interview Frank Trotter, the President of Everbank Direct, and we talk about how macro economic issues affect everyday middle class Americans. Should you be concerned about quantitative easing or other Federal Reserve policies?

How do those decisions in Washington DC affect the rest of us? Will we ever see the return of a savings account that earns 4% annual rate of return or more. These questions and more are what I ask Frank Trotter of Everbank Direct. It is a great conversation about the economy and how large macro issues touch us all.

I asked Mr. Trotter about where quantitative easing comes into play. Is the average American concerned about quantitative easing? Should they be concerned about it?

“Well I think it’s interesting,” said Trotter. “You know Steve Forbes, when he gives talks sometimes says, ‘if you have a chatty neighbor on an airline and you want him to shut up, just say I’d like to talk about monetary policy’. And, I think it’s a really difficult topic, from a technical standpoint, to understand. So, I don’t know if people actually have a context even to understand it. We’re [Everbank Direct] concerned about it. Maybe it’ll work. Maybe it’ll be the dream scenario. It’s going to get us through, but it could be a disaster.”

Want to hear more about what Mr. Trotter had to say? Be sure to check out the rest of the podcast episode on iTunes.

Should You Have a Money Rule to Give to Charity?

by Hank Coleman

Do you give money to charity? You’re not alone. In fact, the National Philanthropic Trust and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University found that 88% of all American households give to charity. And, the average annual gift to charity is over $2,200 per family. We are a nation of givers. Giving is an important step in our own personal finance journey. There is a reason why Dave Ramsey includes it in his last baby step of his popular book, The Total Money Makeover. Author Mary Hunt also lists giving as a money rule. It is one of seven in her book, 7 Money Rules for Life: How to Take Control of Your Financial Future. Should You Have A Money … Read more

How To Save On Energy In Your Home Office – Create A Great Business

by Guest Contributor

When you think of an ‘office’ you may think of a large expanse of a commercial building, solely used to go about daily, working life. But that’s not all that an office or business has to be – in fact, more and more people are choosing to create an office in their home, where they can build their business and travel along the self-employed path.

While a home business probably won’t require a good business gas supplier, the importance of energy efficiency and reducing your energy consumption is still of paramount importance. While you may share your home with family members, all of whom are already doing their bit for the environment by being a little green, your efforts shouldn’t stop there.

The concept of working from home must undoubtedly appeal to most people, but it’s certainly not easy. Building a successful work-life balance can be difficult and you need to be able to keep the distractions at bay. Treat your working day as though you’re in an office elsewhere, and don’t see it as a chance to potter around and run errands as well as work.

There are plenty of ways how to save on energy in your home office which will have a knock-on effect – not just on the environment but on your pocket, too. The less energy you have to use to operate your business, the more profit you will see in your bank and the more enjoyment you will have with your loved ones, reaping the rewards of your hard work.

Are You Losing The Financial Game Of Life?

by Guest Contributor

Are you losing in the financial game of life? If you answered yes, you’re not alone. In 2008, 1 in 10 workers were made redundant. As a result, thousands of people were forced to open new lines of credit just to pay for basic necessities, and are now struggling to repay those debts. Financial games can be tricky when it comes down to financial decisions. Some financial mistakes can haunt us for years if we don’t act fast enough! Whether your financial game is on point or needs improvement, here are 8 things that could be holding you back financially: You’re paying too much interest on loans You’re overspending in areas where you need less money You’re not saving any … Read more

How Not To Buy Cat Food When You Don’t Have A Cat

by Hank Coleman

After I graduated from college, I swore that I would never eat ramen noodles again. I cannot even imagine having planned so poorly for retirement that people must buy cat food to survive. But, that’s the subtitle of Mary Kelly’s new book, “Money Smart – How Not To Buy Cat Food When You Don’t Have A Cat“, which is aimed at young Americans in their 20s and 30s who are just starting out in their career.

Money Smart – How Not To Buy Cat Food When You Don’t Have A Cat

Her book is an easy read to help put these age groups on the right track so that they will never have to eat cat food during their Golden Years in retirement when they don’t have a cat. Mary’s book covers the basics for the younger generation and gives them concrete steps to learn how to start saving money, creating a spending plan, investing for retirement and other financial goals, when to buy a house, how to manage their credit, and so much more.

In this episode of the Money Q&A podcast, “Your Money: Your Choices”, I interview Mary Kelly about her new book, “Money Smart – How Not To Buy Cat Food When You Don’t Have A Cat“. We talk about personal finances and retirement for the younger crowd, those in their 20s and 30s, who are just starting out in their lives. We also delve into how we as parents are failing out children to a certain degree and also how our school systems are not doing much better jobs teaching our children about personal finance. It’s a great episode, and you won’t want to miss it.