TVCH FORUMS HOME . JOIN . FAN CLUBS . DONATE . CONTACT . CHAT  
                  Quick Links   TOPICS . TREE-VIEW . SEARCH . HELP! . NEWS . PROFILE
Archive through April 04, 2009

Reality TVClubHouse Discussions: General Discussions ARCHIVES: Jan ~ Apr 2009: Savings for a Purpose Thread (ARCHIVES): Archive through April 04, 2009 users admin

Author Message
Christy358
Member

07-10-2007

Saturday, March 21, 2009 - 12:16 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Christy358 a private message Print Post    
Changes in taxes have made my last few pay checks a bit bigger. Not a huge windfall but I did not want to just let it merge into the general fund. If I was living on $18 less a week, I could continue to.

I set up an every week transfer to a bill I want to pay down. I will also continue to pay the regular payment on this bill.

Anyone could do the same to a savings account. My bank has where you can have several savings accounts with goals.

Just a thought...if you have a little extra each week now cuz of tax changes....make it mean something to you.

Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 8:38 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Happymom a private message Print Post    
Thanks War, I'm feeling better, took a whole week though. I'm still coughing, but so much less. I hope Dakota is feeling better. Antibiotics are little miracles.

Christy, that is good advice about not just letting little bits merge into the general fund. It feels better to see it add up.

We recently got about $100 of free chicken! Well, that is grocery store prices for organic free range. I only buy chicken in bulk in the freezer section of costco, but it still saves us quite a bit of $.

Now that the weather is going to get warmer and it isn't raining as much, I am looking forward to having a yard sale. We really need the money and it will be good to get rid of stuff. It won't be in the next couple of weeks, but I am starting to at least mentally get ready for it. We won't make a ton but it'll be $ we didn't have before.

I'm also going to grow some food this year. I hope that will save a lot!

http://livingonadime.com/ I may have posted this before. I get their newsletter which always has some good tips. It is a very quick read too.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Wednesday, March 25, 2009 - 9:34 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Glad you are feeling better, Happymom! Dakota finished the zithromax on Monday (I love that stuff) and has been feeling pretty spunky since. I was a bit worried last night, she was super grumpy, usually a big indicator that she doesn't feel well, and she ended up with a headache. She'd spent the day with my nieces though and said she hadn't eaten much at lunch and skipped a snack (too busy playing) so that was probably why. She seems to be feeling fine today.

LOL, I just got a bunch of ribs on sale! Vons has the big boxes and ever so often they go on sale for 9.99. I picked up four boxes (2 for us, 2 for sis/aunt) and that's usually 2-3 meals a box. I think about half off, maybe more. I love Costco's chicken, it's so affordable and that goes for the pieces and the whole birds. Last time I was there I also picked up some talapia, which was a pretty good price. We don't eat fish but sis and aunt do so they were quite happy.

My bil's started his garden, double the size this year as last year. I would, but I tend to kill everything. It's a big money saver though, last year I rarely had to buy any veggies for the house. They're also planting fruit trees this year but I don't think those will produce anything til next year?

Christy, that's a great way to pay down a bill (putting a little extra towards it while continuing to pay the regular payments.)

Heh, this year is the year of excess firewood it seems. After getting a bunch from a friend for nothing, Darren came home a couple weeks ago and called my bil to tell him they had plans over the next few months. He has a work friend who is clearing a bunch of trees from some land he owns and told Darren if he wanted to go cut them down and haul it away he could have it for free. My bil said they already had enough wood for next year...but ok!

Happymom
Member

01-20-2003

Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 8:42 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Happymom a private message Print Post    
War, glad Dakota is better too! Kohl's is having a big sale starting tomorrow, I think. It seems things are always on sale at Kohl's, but I think this upcoming sale seems to be more advertised. It could just be that I'm listening more to the radio and watched more tv when sick. I remember you got really great deals at DD's. Since Dakota needs clothes though, I thought I'd mention it. I'm glad no one here needs anything.

One of my kids is on swim team. After about 10 practices, her Nike $46 suit was really starting to go. (and she rinsed it out after practice every time) I am very disappointed in the quality. Very surprisingly, the store took it back and gave us an even exchange! Score! I'm so glad we tried. The clerk talked about swim team kids being in the chlorine so much, but come on! They are supposed to be made to last longer than that! We got her another suit too ($65) that isn't Nike. Maybe her first Nike suit was defective. Anyway, I HATE to waste $, hate it with a passion. So, hopefully these next two suits last awhile. The clerk said to put conditioner on the suits, so, maybe that will help.

She tried all the Costco suits, but none fit quite right. Too bad, those suits were so much less $. At least I feel like I saved $46, the kid has to have a suit.

Serate
Member

08-21-2001

Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 10:57 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Serate a private message Print Post    
I posted this in the Military thread, but since this thread is about saving money thought it should go here too.

SEARS SALUTES OUR MILITARY HEROES WITH EXCLUSIVE FRIENDS AND FAMILY EVENT

WHAT: In Sears’ continued effort to support America’s military servicemen and women, the retailer invites military heroes to its ‘Friends and Family’ event. Sears is extending its exclusive discount to all active duty, military retirees, veterans, reserve and National Guard members.

Sears will open its doors after hours and offer the best value of the season with additional VIP savings of 20 percent off apparel and 10 percent off almost all store items.

Exclusive offers include:

20% VIP savings on regular, sale and clearance prices of women’s, men’s and kids’ apparel, accessories, shoes and fine jewelry (including Lands’ End merchandise in the retail store)

10% VIP savings on almost everything else

20% savings on all Kenmore appliances or 10% on all other brands appliances, PLUS the 10% VIP savings

10% VIP savings on clearance-priced electronics

Save 40 to 60% on all fine jewelry PLUS the 20% VIP savings



All offers valid on regular, sale and clearance prices at Sears, Sears Grand, Sears Essentials and Sears Hardware stores. Some exclusions apply. Customers can visit Sears.com/vip for details.



WHEN:

In-Store: March 29, 2009; 6:00pm – 9:00pm

Online: Sears.com: March 29, 2009 at 6:00pm through March 30, 2009 at 6:00am



WHERE: All Sears locations.



For more information, contact Carolyn Goldberg (Carolyn.goldberg@eurorscg.com) or 212-367-6947.


http://www.sears.com/vip

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 12:07 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Happymom, I'm so happy you got the even exchange on the swimsuit! Good business sense on their part too cuz stuff like that makes you more likely to go back and recommend them to people!

We just got Kota her new bat a few weeks ago, cheaper than what I expected but not by much. She's been the catcher so far in her games and now she's asking us to buy her a catchers mitt. I did the "argh" sound, lol. Told her we'd talk to her coach and find out if she was going to mostly be in that position (they should change positions more than they have, but the coach hasn't been changing them too much) and if thats the plan for the rest of the season then we'll get her one. If she's gonna be switching more often, we won't.

Serate, thank you for posting that! I'm going to pass it along to my neighbors, they'll appreciate it.

Last night when Darren was going to bed, I emptied my pockets (mostly change and a one dollar bill) into my bottle. He was rather surprised and asked if there was as much money in the bottle as it looked like there was. Most of it's 1's and change. He asked when I was taking a trip to the bank, lol. I have been getting better about going to the bank to deposit it into the savings account, but I still have that hangup of liking to see how much I'm saving. It's just so satisfying to see it with my own eyes.

Scooterrific
Member

07-08-2005

Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 12:24 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Scooterrific a private message Print Post    
War...do you have a Play it Again Sports by you?

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 12:39 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Nope, Scoots, we don't unfortunately. During signups and tryouts, the league has it set up where you can take your used uniforms and equipment in and buy used stuff for your kids, but because we have so few softball players, we don't usually have much luck finding stuff for Kota.

Scooterrific
Member

07-08-2005

Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 12:40 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Scooterrific a private message Print Post    
There's one in Santa Clarita..that's not very far is it?

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 12:56 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Nuh uh, actually I was a few minutes down the freeway from Santa Clarita on Monday at an away game. I'll have to see if Darren wants to take a drive down that way in the next weekend or two. I haven't checked the prices on catchers mitts but I'm guessing like everything else they're not too cheap new. And for something she might only use for one season, I'd rather go with used.

Scooterrific
Member

07-08-2005

Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 12:58 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Scooterrific a private message Print Post    
Exactly War...plus, and I didn't know this until I started looking around, you can take Kota's old stuff in for trade...we are thinking about getting cather's gear for Rae..cuz what the coach has isn't always the greatest, and that's the way we'll go.

Serate
Member

08-21-2001

Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 1:08 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Serate a private message Print Post    
Hubby got his paystub yesterday - payday is tomorrow. The "extra" money is showing now. For 2 weeks, it's like 7 or 8 cents short of $30, so basically $15 a week. Not bad. After last week of Jack going to doggy daycare one day for free, then to be groomed the next day, we've decided the daycare was so good for him that we wanted to do it one day every week until he "calms" down some, so this extra money will pay for that. I was going to - and probably still will for the most part - take hubby to work the day I take Jack to daycare as it's $8 a day to park and $8 a day for daycare. It's only 12 miles round trip to his work, so the extra gas isn't going to be that much. We get around 33mpg to/from his work.

Which leads to another cost that gripes me. We've been here for 2 years and hubby is FINALLY on the first page of the waiting list for a monthly parking spot. I think he's #15 on the list. Parking went up from $7 to $8 a day at the first of the year. But we are saving $3 cuz hubby went to a compressed work schedule and is working 4 10 hour days. Once he gets a monthly spot, it'll go down to $100 a month instead of the $160+ a month we are spending now. I so much like monthly bills instead of daily bills!

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 1:10 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
What, you mean the one size fits all catchers gear, lol??? Our tallest girl is 5'3, our shortest 4'2 and one set of catchers gear for all of them, luckily it does fit Kota ok. Darren had talked about getting Kota her own gear, but I wasn't too up on the idea because yeah, she might not play catcher next year, but if we could trade it in for other stuff, I'd be all for it.

Plus, last year we'd been advised by a friend before the season started to get her her own helmet cuz the year before they had head lice run rampant through the teams from sharing and yet every game, she's using the team gear which kinda icks me out.

Scooterrific
Member

07-08-2005

Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 1:24 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Scooterrific a private message Print Post    
Yes that's the one I'm talking about War. Lucky for us our impact pitcher carries her own catching gear in her bag, so Rae uses that.

As dugout mom, I insist everyone have their own helmets...I can't add that to my stress..trying to figure out who's helmet someone can use based on where they are in the line up...I really would strangle someone at that point!

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Thursday, March 26, 2009 - 5:59 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
I talked to Darren about it earlier, we're going to take a drive down next weekend (he's working this weekend.) Thank you for letting me know there's one that close to us!

All our teams have several team helmets but I don't think they're ever used after the first practice. If anyone hasn't given you one, you deserve a cookie for being dugout mom! That's pure organized chaos to control, lol.

Biscottiii
Member

05-29-2004

Saturday, April 04, 2009 - 3:41 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Biscottiii a private message Print Post    
A few years ago, my BFF told me she cut OFF long distance from her landline phone. It's not required, turns out. She bought a long-distance calling card & has been using @ home ever since. Then she bought cards & got her Church Pastor & Secretary (BFF is the Church accountant) to do likewise. When you add on all the taxes City/State/Fed on the phone, it really adds up (especially on a business acct like her Church). On the other hand, buying the Calling Card from Sam's Club means paying the one time 9% sales tax up here.

I bought a card for around $35 about 6 months ago but never used it, have held onto my Sprint account. With Sprint I was getting 1000mins per month (BUT 10cent/min calling within the state). $41.99/mo plus $9.71/tax. Due to family members failing in health, I wanted to be able to make the instant phone call. But the last couple of months, I'm not talking long distance so much, maybe only 200 minutes per month.

Anyways, I cut off the Sprint a couple days ago. Yesterday, I tried out that 1200minute calling card, 3cents per minute. I was shocked at how easy it was. You dial the phone # on the card, it tells how many minutes are available and then tells you to dial the number you wish.

First try, it gave a little spiel about being able to add minutes at their service counter. The next couple of calls it was Dial their number, hear minutes available, then dial your intended #.

I know it sounds dumb, but I'm going to be saving a bundle. Just surprised how simple it turned out to be. The available minutes just keep rolling along until you use them up.

Note, I think you need to be careful and, without thinking, dial long distance though. Think the regular phone company would hit hard, since you don't have longdistance on the regular acct.

ETA: You DO need to notify the phone company, or in my case Sprint, to say STOP long distance on the acct. It's not just a 'given' situation.

Serate
Member

08-21-2001

Saturday, April 04, 2009 - 8:05 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Serate a private message Print Post    
Biscottiii when you said you were getting 1000 minutes, was that on your regular phone or cell phone? And if regular phone, you have a limit on local phone calls you can make? Wow. We have unlimited local calls just by signing up for our phone, doesn't matter what we choose for long distance.

Hubby has to have a cell phone for work so they pay a good chunk of it. [Because of the carrier we chose.] We have to have long distance on our land line because of his kids, and the rest of our families. We were paying close to $200 for all that. Now it's less than half.

We talk alot of long distance but are lucky where we live. I think our regular phone bill is around $20, to add unlimited long distance was another $25, and DSL $21.99. Adding taxes and subtracting discounts, our bill is around $70 a month. Not bad since it includes our DSL. Only thing I don't like is the call waiting we have to have as part of the package, I hate call waiting. But we have phones that have call waiting caller ID and very rarely do I put anybody on hold to take another call.

Hubby's work puts $50 [after taxes] extra on his check a month for cell phone. He's not required to "be on call" during his off hours but they want to be able to contact him when he's traveling for them or at conventions and such. The whole bill for his phone, my phone, 550 minutes, and 1000 texts for each of us is $67.99, so we pay $17.99 out of our pockets for our cell phones. [We found out after we moved here to Iowa that he's entitled to a discount - I think 14% - due to his job. Doesn't sound like much but it helps a bunch.] No roaming charges. If you have a signal it's part of the package. And he always has unless in the boonies, and I think maybe twice here in Iowa has it not worked when he was traveling around. In the boonies. We have the lowest family plan we could get, and still maybe only use 50 of the 550 anytime minutes. But we use over 1000 cell to cell minutes which are free so make the plan very worth it.

If we could find DSL or Cable internet for $30 a month, we'd probably drop the land line and just get unlimited minutes on our cell phones. But that's a pipe dream. I can't believe that we are paying $2 more a month for DSL here than we paid for THE slowest dial up ever in Kentucky. But we really lived in the boonies there. [But our cell phones worked! *L*]

Colordeagua
Member

10-25-2003

Saturday, April 04, 2009 - 8:49 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Colordeagua a private message Print Post    
I had long distance taken off my phone a number of years ago and started using OneSuite. Essentially it is a phone card, but there is no card. You buy time on-line. There are many "bells and whistles" with it, probably more than I know or need. I'd highly recommend it. Check it out.

If we could find DSL or Cable internet for $30 a month, we'd probably drop the land line and just get unlimited minutes on our cell phones.

I have DSL (no cable here). Doesn't DSL operate on a land phone line or is there something I don't know about it?

Serate
Member

08-21-2001

Saturday, April 04, 2009 - 9:11 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Serate a private message Print Post    
Yep Color, but my cousin was able to get a good deal on having the phone line but NOT using it as a phone. [Not $30 but in his price range as he doesn't travel and doesn't talk much on his cell so uses a prepaid phone.] If we could get something like that for $30 a month I'd say bye bye land line. But we can't so oh well.

Colordeagua
Member

10-25-2003

Saturday, April 04, 2009 - 9:46 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Colordeagua a private message Print Post    
I have a cell phone, but use it extremely rarely. It's a pre-paid T-Mobile. I bought $100 worth of time when I got it. Now as long as I buy $10 per year prior to previous purchase (e.g., buy $10 on 4/05/08 then $10 on 4/04/09) it's good. So cell costs me $10 per year. I'm not comfortable talking on a cell phone, so land line. But I need two. I'm in a condo with security to the front door via phone line. The security system and DSL will not work on the same line = two lines. Then I also have TiVo which downloads via phone. Land phone lines are AT&T. $25 charge for DSL and currently app. $17 per each land line depending on my usage.

Serate
Member

08-21-2001

Saturday, April 04, 2009 - 11:18 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Serate a private message Print Post    
Oh crap!!!! Color thanks for reminding me. We have a TiVo and a DVR from DirecTV so wouldn't be able to do w/o a land line anyway. [Hoping the TiVo holds out until the HD Tivo for DirecTV comes out in June. For the most part I like the TiVo better than the DVR. And anything I like better with the DVR is probably just because TiVo is ancient.]

Merrysea
Moderator

08-13-2004

Saturday, April 04, 2009 - 11:27 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Merrysea a private message Print Post    
Note, I think you need to be careful and, without thinking, dial long distance though. Think the regular phone company would hit hard, since you don't have longdistance on the regular acct.

I didn't have long distance on my home phone for a couple of years, and it just wouldn't allow me to make a long distance call. I used my business phone for all my long distance, but occasionally I would grab the wrong phone and get beeps and a recording telling me I could not dial that number.

Colordeagua
Member

10-25-2003

Saturday, April 04, 2009 - 11:41 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Colordeagua a private message Print Post    
I was going to say same thing -- if you don't have a long distance carrier on your land line, you cannot make a long distance call.

When I got rid of AT&T long distance, they were charging something like 25 cents per minute and if you didn't use long distance during a billing month they charged you $5. Good-bye, AT&T LD. Practices like that will lose you business.

ETA: You have to designate an LD carrier for your land line with your local phone service provider or tell them NO LD carrier. No carrier = no LD calls. For OneSuite LD, you first dial an access number -- either a local number or an 800 number.

Biscottiii
Member

05-29-2004

Saturday, April 04, 2009 - 11:22 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Biscottiii a private message Print Post    
I don't have a cellphone. Just Qwest landline ($26/mo) using dialup internet and Comcast basic TV cable ($14/mo). 11+ yrs ago, this Sprint deal was a good deal because I got the 1000min LD plus free Earthlink IP carrier. (However, Earthlink crashed my computer 3 times with their yearly 'updates'.) So instead I was using another free internet dialup carrier (Nocharge.com available only in WA & Northeast states IIRC), while continuing to use the Earthlink Email acct. I did get the Nocharge other plan ($7/mo paid annually), so I do have backup IP svc. Really cuts the taxes since it's not billed monthly.

About 3 yrs ago, Sprint dropped the free Earthlink & lowered the bill by $10 to what I mentioned above. Yikes, I didn't want to give up my email acct, tied to ALL my accounts, bank, everything. Found that I could pay to keep ONLY my Earthlink email acct ($30/yr paying annually). So that works for me.

Qwest is offering unlimited LD for another $25/mo, but if it takes me 3-4 months to use this LD card up I figure that's cheaper given my current needs.

Colordeagua said: "I had long distance taken off my phone a number of years ago and started using OneSuite." Thanks for the tip, I will certainly check it out.

I didn't realize that phone co. wouldn't allow you to make a LD call @ all, which is good to avoid mishaps. I just assumed they would let the call go through and then slam a big charge on the next month's bill, to make a buck.

Thanks for all the info folks! Living on a fixed retirement income I have to cut wherever I can. Dialup may seem Neanderthal-ish, but I've got more time than money and it functions well enough for me.

Biscottiii
Member

05-29-2004

Saturday, April 04, 2009 - 11:42 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Biscottiii a private message Print Post    
Serate said: "We have to have long distance on our land line because of his kids, and the rest of our families. We were paying close to $200 for all that. Now it's less than half. "

Yes, with a LOT more people involved I can see how you need to go that route. Otherwise, all the screams & howls. lol Before I did that Sprint routine, I was paying about $125/mo LD alone, all by myself. Given the competition, the rates certainly have come down.