Thrifty Mommy

Bank safety check

Jennifer Chait — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:11:39 +0000

If you’re shopping around for a new bank or credit union, you should take a few minutes to research your choices at Bankrate. Bankrate offers a Safe & Sound rating service that looks at the relative financial strength and stability of U.S. commercial banks, savings institutions and credit unions. The Bankrate system applies 22 tests to each institution to measure the following…

Capital adequacy.
Asset quality.
Profitability.
Liquidity.

Of course you shouldn’t rely on one system when choosing a bank. You should actually head into the nearest branch, look around, talk to some folks, and so on, but getting a basic overview of a bank’s financial health is a good kick-off point.

The site is easy to use and when I filled in the name of a bank it didn’t do anything lame like say, “After you give us your email you can see the rating” I saw it right away. Nice. Plus they make the ratings easy to understand, using a basic star system (shown above).

According to Bankrate, the ratings, “Are comparisons to both industry peer norms and standards. In a very small number of instances, operating strategies that differ from industry norms may lead to ratings that are not truly reflective of an institutions’ financial condition. A Safe & Sound rating of one or two stars does not suggest that we believe direct regulatory action is imminent or even likely but rather only indicates that certain below-average performance factors have been found during the applicable rating cycle. Quarterly updates of Safe & Sound ratings allow us to monitor changes that may occur, and ratings may fluctuate on a quarterly basis.”

So if your bank has lost one too many checks or the tellers have zapped the last of your strength and you’re looking for a new bank, head to the Safe & Sound rating service to see how other banks stack up.

[image via Bankrate]

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Save Money On Holiday Meals

Jennifer Chait — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:58:05 +0000

It’s easy to save money on holiday meals using some basic common sense, sharing in the meal prep, and keeping it green. Shop early: Finding holiday fare on sale means shopping early. You can pick up a budget turkey right after Thanksgiving, and freeze it til Christmas.

When you wait too long, you may be forced to pick up national vs. store brands of items like condensed milk and pie filling, which will cost you. Save fresh fruits and veggies as day before buys, but get everything else early.

Share the fame: I know folks who want to whip up an entire holiday spread all on their own, because they think they’re the best cook or because they like food just so so. However, if you’re open to other people’s dishes, you can save money when family members show up with pies and other dishes.

Keep it green: Cloth napkins and real dishes save lots of money. I know that there’s time time spent washing real dishes vs. tossing disposables and cloth textiles, but in the long run it will save you money and save the planet. Instead of wax candles go with some reusable LED tea lights on the table – no soot and reusable is greener and healthier. If you want to go extreme green and save way more cash, make it a vegetarian or at least mostly veggie holiday. You don’t need fancy cold cuts before the meal and both a ham and turkey. Choose one meat or say to heck with all of it. Less meat it healthier for you and the earth and your wallet.

[image via stock.xchng]

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35 Plentiful Ideas for Thanksgiving

Karen Weideman — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:41:11 +0000

Thanksgiving is only a week away. I know, I can hardly believe it. To save you some time, I’ve been searching around for great resources for you. There’s a wide variety to choose from. Enjoy!

For the kids:

Decorating and Entertaining:

Recipes and Food Ideas:

Other:

Which ideas do you think you’ll try?

image (c) Linette Gerlach

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Deductible Job Hunting Expenses

Jennifer Chait — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:21:00 +0000

If you happen to be looking for work right now, then your expenses will still be in time for 2009 tax returns. While being out of work sucks, and looking for a new job can be frustrating, luckily certain expenses you have while looking for a new job may be deductible.

Examples of deductible expenses while job hunting include employment and outplacement agency fees, long-distance phone calls related to the job hunt, job wanted ads placed in newspapers or journals, moving expenses if your new job is 50 miles+ away, resume preparation services, resume related experiences, and travel expenses for both job searching and to and from interviews.

Make sure that you get your deductions trouble free by keeping a log of your driving and phone calls, a copy of all bills related to the job hunt, and keep all receipts as well.

See IRS Publication 17, Your Federal Income Tax, for more information.

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Wordy Wednesday: Trash to Treasure

Karen Weideman — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:17:36 +0000

I’m not the kind of gal that goes into a furniture store and picks out her home furniture. My hubby and I find this to be a bit of a “cookie cutter” style for us. We prefer to find unique pieces that are functional. Of course, they need to be inexpensive. TodayI’m going to show you how to take a few old pieces and make them into something great. I hope this will inspire you to look around your home to repurpose some items.

Here are two apple crates that we’re using as bookcases. My hubby and I found these in a yard sale many years ago as we were traveling up the mountain to Virginia. I think we paid $10 for both of them. We have been using these for about six years and have really enjoyed them.

If you have any old dresser drawers, you cold use them as potting boxes. I saw this recently at a pumpkin patch and thought it was so cute. If you use these on a railing (as shown here), don’t forget to attach them so that they don’t fall.

This old chair is a favorite in our home. My husband found it a few years ago at a yard sale for about $5. He cleaned it up and now Emma sits proudly on it in our dining room. We really like the rustic look of the chair.

These are a few ideas of how you can take some old junk and make it into a special treasure. What ways have you repurposed your old things?

images (c) Karen Weideman

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Inexpensive Lunches from Bumble Bee

Karen Weideman — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:42:33 +0000

A few months ago I was asked to be part of the Bumble Bee “Bee Squad”. What does that mean exactly? The Bee Squad consists of nine bloggers who will share information and tips on good eating, shopping on a budget, value and nutrition for the whole family, and more.

Although I have been eating tuna since I was a small child, I was excited to try some of the Bumble Bee products. Bumble Bee has an assortment of inexpensive and nutritious lunch ideas that I want to share with you.

One of my new favorite tunas is the lemon pepper tuna. Bumble Bee now has three flavored tunas – Lemon Pepper, Sundried Tomato, and Spicy Thai Chili. For less than $1.50, you can get a small can of flavored tuna with crackers. This is a great inexpensive and healthy lunch idea. Bumble Bee offers the new flavored tunas in larger cans with no crackers.

For those that prefer their chicken and tuna with mayonnaise, Bumble Bee has premade chicken and tuna salad lunch packs. There is also a fat free tuna salad.

Bumble Bee has a sustainability intiative. They support global policies and management initiatives that ensure long-term sustainability of these resources.

By becoming a Bumble Bee facebook fan, you can print a coupon good for $1 off three specialty items such as crab, shrimp, oysters, and sardines.

What inexpensive lunch ideas can you share?

images (c) Karen Weideman

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Save Time & Sanity Skip Black Friday

Jennifer Chait — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:00:17 +0000

Sanity is a good thing to keep intact, and one November strategy is to skip the overcrowded, stressful, irrational day we call Black Friday. Black Friday in my opinion is not THAT big a deal. I normally skip it because of the consumer issues; seriously, most of us get that day off so why not spend it on time with your loved ones vs. standing in lines at store. But even if you don’t frown on the over-consumption issues related to Black Friday, there are still good reasons to let it go. Skipping it can also save you time and yes, even money.

Black Friday is typically a hugely crowded shopping day, not only does this waste, not save time, but you also waste gas searching for parking and may be much more prone to impulse buys. Stores lure you in with the promise of 10 special items on sale, but by the time you get there the items may well be gone. Spend the day relaxing with the family, then save money on your holiday shopping with other, better, more sanity saving tactics, such as…

Sign up for special deals – many online stores offer many special holiday savings, but you need to sign up for their newsletters ad special offer emails.

Comparison shop online – you can easily compare prices and shop around for the best deal online, without the crowds, without the driving, without the bad weather and without the cranky salespeople. Look for deals on shipping though, not all sites offer free shipping, and so it pays to look around.

Wait – Black Friday may seem like a super good deal, but many stores have bigger and better sales closer to the actual holidays. Personally I’m not a last minute type of shopper, but if you’re ok with that, you can save a lot by simply holding off until the second to last week before Christmas.

Don’t wait – in a tactic related to the above, with a twist, shop before Black Friday. Prices will be a little (ONLY a little) more but good luck trying to find hot ticket items after Black Friday. According to Smart Money, retailers are stocking less goods this year, so seriously weigh saving a couple of bucks with maybe not getting the gift of your choice.

Spend the day making homemade holiday gifts – you get to spend time with your family and save a ton of cash in the process. If you need some tips about the best gifts to make visit the following links…

[image via Adbusters]

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Holiday toy safety tips that save money

Jennifer Chait — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:00:17 +0000

Honestly, we all know that the number one reason to be diligent about toy safety is to protect the health of our little ones. However, playing it safe also can save you money. Why? Shoddy toys break easier and if there’s a recall that costs you time as well. Badly made toys aren’t worth the same in terms of life expectancy and quality.

Most of all being safe can save you medical costs. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) notes that in 2007 there were a whopping 232,900 toy related injuries treated in the ER and 73% of those injuries occurred in kids under the age of 15. Worse the injuries reported were not pretty; consisting of issues like lacerations, contusions, and abrasions to the head and face PLUS there were at least 18 toy related deaths reported for the year.

Bad toys cost you plenty so it’s smart to be aware. Following are some tips for this holiday season.

Go non-toxic if you can. A surprisingly large amount of toys contain chemicals and toxins you don’t want near your kids.
Read labels – there’s a reason toys have age limits, it’s for safety. Don’t give a three-year-old a toy for an eight-year-old. Also be aware of kid age differences. For example, if you have a baby and a seven year old with little Lego bricks it’s a recipe for disaster. Make sure your older kids get that the younger kids cannot be around their toys.
Always fill out toy registration cards. If there’s a recall you’ll be glad you did.
Read and save the instructions for all toys.
Be leery of magnet-based toys. The CPSC calls magnets, including the ones found in toys one of the five most overlooked home dangers.
Avoid all shooting toys. Your child’s eyes are extremely fragile, and eye injuries caused by shooting or propelling toys is a common toy related injury.
If you’re buying a bike this year also get a helmet and make sure your child wears it.
Children should be taught to use electronic toys safely; i.e. used away from water sources, they shouldn’t mess with wires or batteries, and if the toy needs to be plugged in or charged, they should be taught how.

To learn more about safe toys visit:

[image via stock.xchng]

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Homebuyer tax credit extended & expanded

Jennifer Chait — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 01:40:40 +0000

I’m sure you’ve heard of the $8,000 First-Time Homebuyer Credit – it’s been one of the most buzz-worthy credits of recent years. As of September the tax had benefited more than 1.4 million taxpayers. However, the credit was all set to expire on November 30 which means if you hadn’t found your dream pad, too bad. Luckily due to the huge success of this credit new legislation, the Worker, Homeownership and Business Assistance Act of 2009, was signed into law on November 6, 2009. The new law extends and even expands the first-time homebuyer credit.

The new law stipulates the following…

Extends deadlines for purchasing and closing on a home.
Authorizes the credit for long-time homeowners buying a replacement principal residence.
Raises the income limitations for homeowners claiming the credit.

Basics under the new law…

Eligible taxpayer must buy, or enter into a binding contract to buy, a principal residence on or before April 30, 2010 and close on the home by June 30, 2010.

If you make the qualifying purchase in 2010, you have the option of claiming the credit on either your 2009 or 2010 return.

Long-time homeowners who buy a replacement principal residence may also claim a homebuyer credit of up to $6,500 (up to $3,250 for a married individual filing separately).

If you make more money, you may actually qualify now, as the new law extends the chance to folks with higher incomes. The new law raises the income limits for homes purchased after Nov. 6, 2009. The credit phases out for individual taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) between $125,000 and $145,000 or between $225,000 and $245,000 for joint filers. The existing MAGI phase-outs of $75,000 to $95,000 or $150,000 to $170,000 for joint filers still apply to purchases on or before Nov. 6, 2009.

See frequently asked questions about the first-time homebuyers tax credit.

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Thrifty Links for 11/15/09

Karen Weideman — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:32:40 +0000

I have been surfing the internet this weekend and “stumbling” some articles. Here are some great ones that I’ve found.

Christmas will be here before we know it. Rather than buying bows for packages, try this idea for making bows from magazine pages. These bows save money, repurpose your magazines, and avoid more products being throw away. I think I will have to try these this year.

Times are tough and many of us have had to tighten our budgets. We all have a service to offer. This information on how to barter online is helpful.

Custom made aprons seem to be the new rave. Rather than paying $45-75 for a handmade apron, consider making one yourself. Here are 52 free apron patterns to get you on your way. These would make great Christmas gifts too!

My favorite coffee beverage is a caramel macchiato. I’ve been wondering how many calories are in the macchiato and I found this coffee calorie guide today. These calorie amounts are enough to keep you away from your coffee fix. Thankfully, I’ve learned how to make my own caramel macchiatos at home. I’ve been using skim milk and Smuckers sugar free caramel syrup. I’m hoping the next time I make my own vanilla syrup that I can use less sugar and a little Splenda.

In our house, we prefer homemade playdough. The texture is better, is lasts longer, and it’s really inexpensive to make. Children sometimes learn easier when several of their senses are stimulated so I was pleased to see a recipe for pumpkin pie scented playdough.

What interesting articles have you found this week?

image sxc.hu

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