Category Archives: Financial

All, Financial

Save On Auto Insurance

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I was just wondering who else really hates paying so much for car insurance?

We have two vehicles, which we barely drive. I always get state minimum coverage, but we still paid a lot. It also doesn’t help that I have an old claim on my record. I actually found a cheaper insurance for a few months, but it gradually increased over time.

After much research, I finally found the most cost effective insurance for us. Metromile charges a base rate per vehicle, then you pay per mile. I’m now paying about $35 a month.

Get a free quote to see if Metromile makes sense for you. When you do, I will receive an incentive. Thank you!

All, Financial, Updates

Focus change

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Hello! Happy Friday! I’ve been out of sorts the last few days. I hope to get it together and catch up this weekend. I just thought I’d share my newest shift in some financial things. I have been reassessing my ways to make a few extra bucks. I actually review everything I do, often. I’m slightly OCD. That’s why my site changes so much. Sorry, I’m ridiculous.

I haven’t been cashing out as much lately for a few reasons. I wanted to let my balances build up, because I thought it would be an incentive to get paid a higher amount. I was so very wrong. Instead, it makes me feel like I’m not achieving anything. Also, I’ve been bouncing around a bit lately, trying different things. So that didn’t help either. All of this has put me in panic mode. I feel like I’m wasting time.

So, I figured out which ones are actually worth waiting on. I won’t touch those for now. If I cash out the rest, I’ll have about $53. I also made a new list of GPT (get paid to) sources to concentrate on. I felt like I was all over the place, so I had to stop everything. I did some research, verified my earnings, and created the list. I’m not sharing them until I have been successfully paid. I wouldn’t feel right otherwise. In the meantime, I will continue to add any helpful tips that I can think of.

Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to subscribe to my blog for updates. Visit anytime, and leave me a note if you like.

Jessie LS

All, Financial, Updates

Financial Updates

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Hello. This is just a quick note to let everyone know that I have added some more information to my financial pages, Savings Tips and Extra Money Tips.

When I have a spare moment, I plan to add the following:

Cash Back Sites (more)
Coupon Code Sites
Discounted Gift Cards
Saving Extensions
Survey Sites (more)
& More

As always, thanks for visiting.

All, Financial

Mission To Better Credit

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My focus these days has been on my family’s financial well being. I do a lot of little things that really add up and help. I’m not a financial expert, and I’m not rich. But, I do manage to save a decent amount of money. I’m definitely on the right track and will keep expanding on this.

I think it’s time to get back to working on my credit.

Over the years, it has been all over the place. I have learned a bit about how to manage things better. In 2017, I set a goal to rebuild my credit because my score was severely damaged. By 2018, I had it up over 700, and was able to approved to buy a decent home on my own credit. Before I got that opportunity, some major life events took place and my credit quickly dropped. I’ve been trying to recover ever since.

Yesterday, I really thought about how I haven’t been making an honest effort. That’s why I decided to make it another one of my missions.

To begin this quest, I reviewed each report. I made a list of who I need to contact directly, who to dispute, and questionable things to look at further.

It’s important to at least verify that your information is correct, and let them know if it needs to be fixed. Your credit report follows you everywhere. There could be negative things that are not even yours, or have incorrect amounts and dates that was reported by creditors.

My next step was to actually take action. If you use Credit Karma, you can submit a dispute through the app. I did this with my oldest bill. Depending on the situation, you can also call them directly. I did that today as well. I just had a collection hit my credit, for not returning cable equipment in time. I called them and they set up a UPS pick up. She also advised me to contact the collection agency so they are aware we are working on having it removed.

I’m far from done, but I’m already making some progress towards my goal. It’s time to get side tracked with something else for a while.

Thanks for taking the time to visit and read this post.
I appreciate it.

All, Financial, Updates

New Theme, Page, Updates

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If you haven’t noticed, I changed my site’s theme. I also rearranged some things and added a new page. I’m ridiculous! I’m constantly trying to make it better. I’m so OCD about everything, until my ADHD takes over.

Let me know what you think.
Feedback is always appreciated.

I really like the layout of this new theme on my laptop, but I’m not sure about the mobile view. That’s where I get tripped up. The menus and widgets show up differently. I should have checked the theme on all devices before I applied my changes, but I didn’t think about it at the time. I’ll most likely keep it for a while and experiment a bit.

What device you use the most when you’re visiting?
I can adjust more to the majority’s viewing preference.

I originally planned to add a coupon section to my Financial page, but things got out of hand. I ended up creating a new page for Savings Tips. I listed the steps that I take to help save money from before a transaction, to afterwards. I did my best to have it flow in that order. I have so much more information to add to both of these pages.

Follow me and subscribe for updates.
Thank you!

All, Financial

Coupon Mission: Update 4

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As I am moving along this journey, I am thinking I should add this info to my Financial Tips page. Or even a new page? So far I’ve had a few updates, some bloopers, and saved a bit more than usual. Nowhere near where I want to be…yet.

I would recommend learning the coupon rules for each store, as well as the different kinds of coupons/ deals, and what can be combined.

To Obtain Coupons:

1.) Subscribe to the paper. They often runs specials for weekend delivery.
2.) Dollar Tree $1 each. They have a limit of 3 per day, Saturday and Sunday.
3.) Digital coupons. A lot of stores let you clip these on their site/ app. Some have store coupons, as well as manufacturer’s coupons from the paper.
4.) Kiosk Coupons. Some stores have a kiosk that prints special coupons. CVS is one example of this.
5.) Print coupons from the manufacturer’s site. This can take some time and use a bit of ink and paper, but you can get some decent coupons.
6.) Reach out to companies to mail them. I’ve contacted over 100 companies, so I know it’s time consuming and very few companies will send you coupons. However, I did manage to get a handful of high value ones by mail from the following. As I continue to contact companies and receive more, I will keep this list updated.

Companies Sending Coupons In The Mail:

* Blue (dog food) * Bush’s * Celestial Seasonings * Chicken of the Sea * Daisy * Frito Lay * Hostess * Hungry Jack * Juicy Juice * Kellogg * Ocean Spray * Quaker * Tyson
And, I also received a Degree deodorant sample.

In Addition to Coupons, Save Even More Money:

1.) Use store loyalty programs. Most have them. You can save at the time of sale, as well as on future purchases. This can be done online and in store.
2.) Use apps to find coupon codes and deals. This helps you to save at checkout online.
3.) Use cash back apps/sites. I have several that I use, depending on the store. This can be done online and in store.

One example I have is when I order Domino’s. I log in to use my loyalty, which gives me points towards a free pizza. I use the online coupon to get the 3+ items for $5.99 each. I then buy a Domino’s gift card which gives me 7.8% cash back. When I checkout on my phone, I use Samsung pay and get a percentage back from that. I have my PayPal business card attached, which also gives me cash back.

Going forward, I’m moving all of this info to a page and will just post updates as far as my progress. Subscribe to my blog stay informed.

All, Financial, Updates

Coupon Mission: Update 3

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I feel like this should be a Bloopers edition….

It’s been over a week since my last update. I saved some money, but nothing went nearly as planned. Anxiety, stress, and memory lapses really did not help my mission.

Before I left the house, I prepared myself. I already had all my notes on each ad. I also wrote a list of the items I needed to buy there. When I folded it up, I could see my list. Then I clipped my coupons to the back. I did this with each ad, with the feeling that I was about to accomplish something.

With my organized stack in hand, I started at Dollar Tree. I planned to get Renuzit air freshers for $.67 each, with a buy 4 get 2 coupon. Except, I never brought the coupon and completely forget about it. When I grabbed the air fresheners, I couldn’t figure out why they weren’t marked down. I convinced myself that it will come down at the register. They didn’t, of course. But hey, I did grab a bag of Chex Mix that was much cheaper than Rite Aid.

I quickly moved on to Dollar General. They were out of a few of the items I needed. I grabbed what I could and checked out. As I put my cart away, I realized I left my coupons on the counter. So none of those were used. The cashier nicely said I could use them next time. I just smiled and agreed, as I beat myself up inside for being so mindless.

Next was Rite Aid. I’m not used to this store, so I struggled to find some things. I’m also not sure how much I really saved, compared to what I normally pay. Then, I bought the wrong razors. I had coupons for $5 & $4 off. Except one was for disposable razors, so scratch that. I still saved with their sales and my one coupon though. They were regularly $13.49, but I paid $6.14 each. Not too bad, considering. With this visit, I saved a total of $23.87. Plus I have $8 towards my next trip.

Giant was my last stop. It wasn’t as great as I wanted it to be. A few of my coupons were rejected. I also got confused over an Air Wick oil starter kit deal in the ad, listed at 2 for $6. There was no picture in the ad and no sales marked on the items. I found a kit for $13.99. I didn’t think it was right, but grabbed it anyway to ask the cashier. She had to get a manager, who approved it. Honestly, I think it was a misprint. I also had a $2 coupon, so I got 2 for $2 each! (Orig 2 x $13.99 [27.98], on sale 2 for $6 – $2 coupon = 2 for $4.) With this trip, I managed to save $75.64 off my bill of $352.02. That’s 21.49%. It’s a start.

Then of course, once I got home, I scanned all of my receipts with at least six different apps to get even more cash back.

I know I could have done a lot better. I’m still working on my process of doing things to be faster and more efficient. I really need to focus more. I learned that I need to print more coupons, take them with me, and remember to use them! Then I need to pay more attention to the details on the coupon and store rules. Also, I should probably compare prices a bit more. Stupid mistakes that I can easily work on. Baby steps.

Financial

Financial Babble

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Since my last coupon post, I have contacted about 30 more companies. I didn’t receive any more coupons through the mail since Monday. I broke out of my shell for a moment. I made a post in a neighborhood app and a Facebook neighborhood group requesting any unwanted coupons. I actually received a few responses. Oh and I contacted a nearby friend of mine who has great experience in couponing. I have a bit more confidence in my journey. That’s my coupon update, which I didn’t see a need for it’s own post.

In other financial news, I recently received a call from my credit card company regarding a lower rate. I called them back today and found out it was a fraud call. However, while I had them on the phone, I asked what offers were available to me. It didn’t cost anything, but a few extra minutes. They upgraded me to a higher rewards card, so I’ll be receiving more cash back. It was totally worth those few minutes.

Every single day, I’m working on our finances. Whether it’s ways to save money or make money. I rarely impulse buy. I will jump through hoops to save. Then of course, the best part, the shopping while knowing that we have the extra money to do so. It makes it all worth it. Especially knowing what it’s like to not have the money. I’m grateful for anything extra I can do to better my family. Every little bit really does help.

All, Financial, Updates

Coupon Mission: Update 2

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I don’t have much of an update, but I have made some progress.

So this weekend, I got the Sunday paper ads and coupons. I checked what deals I could get at Rite Aid and if it’s worth going through the trouble this week. It was, so I focused on their ad and what coupons I had on hand. I finally went shopping today and ended up spending $19.92 on Crest, ZZZQuil, 3 Pantene, and razors. I saved $22.37 between store deals and coupons. I also now have purchases tallying towards cash back. For example, spend $50 on P&G items and get $15 back. Not too terrible for my first trip back on the mega coupon wagon.

Yesterday, I received a stack of mail full of coupons from Daisy, Celestial Seasonings, Bush’s, Juicy Juice, Kelloggs, and Hostess. They also sent me letters advising of where I can get more coupons. I even got a few recipes too. I’m going to send out another batch of requests soon. Once I get through my list, I’ll post all of the companies that send me coupons.

The next thing I need to figure out is my plan for printing coupons. Since I rarely print, I have a subscription that allows me to print 15 pages a month for free. If I will be printing coupons, this will definitely increase fairly quickly.

Like I said, it’s not much of an update. But it is definitely progress.

All, Financial, Updates

Coupon Mission: Update 1

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I recently posted that I’m on a mission to be a for-real couponer. I already save money literally everywhere else in our household budget, so it’s time to take on that ever growing grocery bill.

Granted, I do buy a lot of items. My cart is always overflowing and I usually fill both refrigerators, freezers, pantry, cabinets, and then some. It just bothers me, knowing that I can save so much more. I use my store’s loyalty program and buy things on sale. I just really need to use more coupons. The issue is finding ones that we can actually use.

Since my last post, I have reached out to 46 companies requesting coupons. For the majority of them, I just had to fill out forms on their sites. I also created a new email address specifically for this. I’ve already received several responses. A bunch said they would mail coupons to me. Most of them advised that they could not send anything, but then they directed me to where I could get their coupons. Some companies post them on Facebook, while others are sent via their newsletters. I’ve also found some that have points programs. When I’m more organized, I can post more detailed information of what I’ve found.

I recently went grocery shopping and don’t have a ton of coupons, so I won’t have any major progress yet. I just have to stay focused and remember that the end results will make all of this worth it. I am also going to begin couponing at the pharmacy again. I did really well with it before. That will help me stay on track in the meantime.

For more ways to save money, visit the Financial Tips page.