Do It Yourself fun Halloween tricks

I am at home enjoying a day off and watching Ellen. She has Steve Spangler on with some really cool things for your Halloween party. Go to www.ellentv.com and scroll halfway down the page and his trick are in video form. You can use things around the house and some dry ice. Happy Halloween!

Tips from the Illinois Treasurer's Office

With the holiday season upon us (yes, the holiday season now starts with Halloween), I thought this tip from the Illinois Treasurer's office was perfect timing.

Have you ever sat down to a nice, home-cooked dinner only to have it interrupted by a phone call that sounds something like this:

Caller: “Hello! Is this Mrs. Smith?”

You: “Yes it is. Who is this?”

Caller: “Mrs. Smith, this is Sandy with ABC Company. We have an exciting new product available for you…. Since you’ve been a valued customer for so many years, to show our appreciation for your business, we’d like to offer this new feature to you at absolutely no cost for three months. If you are happy with the benefits, simply do nothing and a small fee of $5.99 will be added to your statement each month. If you’re unhappy with the product, simply call to cancel your subscription and you will be billed nothing!”

Sound familiar? After a long day of work, what is the easiest response to end this conversation quickly and return to your dinner already cooling on the table? “Sure… whatever.”

Do you know how quickly those “Sure…whatever” responses can add up? If you’re still trying to discover the amount of your monthly Debt Reduction Challenge pledge, we’ll help you uncover another money saving opportunity this month by auditing your creditor statements. Some of you will identify in this step ways to pledge more, for the Challenge, which will allow you to pay that debt off even sooner!

In Step 6, you will gather and review each and every bill or creditor statement you receive every month to better understand exactly what you’ve been paying for. Let’s get started!

If you don’t have a central location where you keep your monthly bills – a desk, a kitchen drawer or the top of your dresser, now is the time to get organized. Collect all of the bills you pay each month in one place. Make sure you include bills or statements for:

· Credit cards

· Utilities

· Phone (including cellular, landline and DSL/internet service)

· Bank accounts

· Investment services

AUDIT PROCESS

1. With statements in hand, begin reviewing each of them and look carefully at each itemized charge. Highlight any charges you don’t understand or consider questionable..

2. Next, contact each of your creditors about the statement in front of you. Once on the phone with a representative, ask for an explanation of any charges you do not understand. NOTE: Do not be intimidated or insecure about requesting an explanation for charges.

3. Ask to have any unused products/services appearing on your statement cancelled. In addition, if you can prove through your statements that these services have gone unused for some time, ask for the cancellation request to be retroactive to recover the costs from previous months – in some cases, you may receive a credit for an additional month or two.

4. The final step is to explain that you are researching all of your expenses in an attempt to reduce your overall monthly costs. Explain that you intend to research some competitors but, before you do, you want to make sure that you are already receiving the services that most meet your needs. During this conversation, be sure to ask the question: “Is there anything I can do to reduce the amount of my monthly bill?” In some cases, you’ll be able to reduce the bill by giving up some of the features (premium cable channels, mobile internet service, etc.) This is a good time to evaluate whether you really need all of these services or if there is a product/service you can exchange that will provide you cost-savings without completely eliminating the feature.

VALUABLE PEACE OF MIND OR HUGE MONEY MAKER?

The debate continues whether credit card insurance provides a valuable benefit to the consumers who choose to purchase it. Some (mostly the insurance issuers) will argue that it provides valuable peace of mind during tough economic times. Most credit and consumer experts agree – the money spent on credit insurance is typically better spent paying down debt balances so payment insurance isn’t necessary.

At the typical rate, the premium on a monthly balance of $4,000 would cost $30 per month or $360 over the period of a year. Critics argue that a life insurance policy would cost less and pay more benefits.

The bottom line? Be cautious when signing up for services by phone, letter or other means. Make sure you understand the benefits, how they are paid and most importantly the opportunities for disqualification – will your payments really be made if you become ill or unemployed? If you’re not certain, apply that money (sometimes as much as $100 per credit card each month) toward your debt. You already know the benefits you’ll receive from doing so!

Free book and coupons

Oprah is offering free download of "An Ex-Mas Feast" part of the book "Say Your One of Them" and a $3.00 coupon for the book at Target. Go to Oprah.com to get your coupon. Go to the Oprah bookclub to sign up for the live web event and download your fee book.

Menu Planning Monday

Wow, the past two weeks have been incredibly busy. Between training for my new position at work, sewing DS's Halloween costume, and dealing with health issues, I have had no time to do anything around the house. I HAVE to set aside some time this weekend to clean my house and do some organizing. Not that my house is completely wrecked, but it definitely needs some tidying. I am not really sure what I have planned for meals this week, but here is the general idea:

Monday: Leftovers
Tuesday: biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, and sausage
Wednesday: crockpot roast, potatoes, carrots, green beans
Thursday: baked chicken breast, mashed potatoes, brussel sprouts, acorn squash
Friday: Not sure
Saturday: Not sure
Sunday: Homemade pepperoni pizza

Uses of Aspirin

The Today Show had a segment about uses of Aspirin. I was surprised that like so many other products, Aspirin can be used for household cleaning.

Some things I already knew like putting an aspiring in the vase for cut flowers so that they last longer and may save your life if you are having a heart attach.

Some other uses are:

1. Crushing the aspirin and adding a little water to make a paste and putting it on pimples to help them dry up or on bug bites to help with the itch and sting.

2. "Remove egg stains from clothes. Did you drop some raw egg on your clothing while cooking or eating? First, scrape off as much of the egg as you can, and then try to sponge out the rest with lukewarm water. Don't use hot water -- it will set the egg. If that doesn't completely remove the stain, mix water and cream of tartar into a paste and add a crushed aspirin. Spread the paste on the stain and leave it for 30 minutes. Rinse well in warm water and the egg will be gone." - Reader's Digest

3. "Use as garden aid. Aspirin is not only a first-aid essential for you, but for your garden as well. Some gardeners grind it up for use as a rooting agent, or mix it with water to treat fungus conditions in the soil. But be careful when using aspirin around plants; too much of it can cause burns or other damage to your greenery. When treating soil, the typical dosage should be a half or a full aspirin tablet in 1 quart (1 liter) water" - Reader's Digest

4. "Revive dead car batteries. If you get behind the wheel only to discover that your car's battery has given up the ghost -- and there's no one around to give you a jump -- you may be able to get your vehicle started by dropping two aspirin tablets into the battery itself. The aspirin's acetylsalicylic acid will combine with the battery's sulfuric acid to produce one last charge. Just be sure to drive to your nearest service station." - Reader's Digest
( the battery will not last long after you do this and you will have to replace it since the aspirin will destroy the battery, but it will work long enough to get you to safety.)


Web sites you may want to check out for more uses are:

Reader's Digest

HubPages

Gomestic

Menu Planning Monday

Sorry I was absent last week, but I was out of town for work and had limited time to myself. This week is going to be busy too, so I am going to try to keep meals pretty simple

Monday - Taco's
Tuesday - Steak, side noodles, peas, corn on the cob
Wednesday - meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans
Thursday - Spaghetti w/garlic cheese french loaf
Friday - Chicken Primavera
Saturday - Burgers and fries
Sunday - Not sure yet

The American Cancer Society:

This is Cancer Awareness month. Go to The American Cancer Society: to find out more about cancer and what you can do to help find a cure.

Shared via AddThis

Taking Advantage of Being Young

I was reading an article on MSNBC News about Generation Gap in the recession. It talks about how much money people in retirement have lost and how much 35 and younger have gained.

In this type of recession those who are retired or near retirement have had to change their way of thinking. Most have grown up with the idea that you work for a company for 30 or more years and you retire with a nice pension and health benefits. Not realizing that the health benefits could change and they could lose so much money when the stock market fell. With rising health care cost, the elderly are the hardest hit.

On the upside, the younger crowd is taking advantage of the situation by buying their first new car, first house, and investing in the stock market. It is much easier for the 30 and younger crowd to buy a new car with the cash for clunkers deal and a new house with a tax credit of up to $8,000 for buying a new home. With stocks prices so low, younger people are able to get into the stock market and potentially make money in the next 20 years.

Me, I am in the middle. My car didn't qualify for the Clunkers for Cash and I already own a home, so no new home owner tax deal for me. I do have some money in a 401k that is finally making some money. We are taking advantage of lower interest rates and refinancing our home, which will save us a big chunk of money that will go into a savings account.

The article did say that the 30 and younger generation has been hit the hardest with layoffs. One advantage of being considered middle age. Most of us still have jobs or have the experience and school to get a job. Those 20 to 30 and 55 and older are having a more difficult time keeping or finding jobs.

No matter where we are in age or what type of economy we have, there are ways to take advantage of the situation and look on the bright side of things. How can you take advantage of a slow economy?

Oprah's Book Club Coupon

If you are wanting to buy the newest Oprah book pick "Say Your One of Them", she has a coupon on her website. The coupon is for $3.00 off at Target.

Oprah is also having a clearance sale on items at the O Store. A great time to pick up something for someone on your Christmas list.

Family Fun & Frugal Day

Today was a great family fun day. DS got me up at 7:30 this morning and we ate our breakfast together. DH got up around 8:30 to join us. While I was in the shower, DH took DS to visit DH's mother. When they got back we all went to Borders and I used my 20% off coupon and the Borders Bucks I had. We got 3 books for $5.52. Then we at lunch at Red Robin because I had my free birthday burger coupon to use. DS even ate "real food", I was amazed. Although we told him we were at the Krusty Krab and the burger was a Krabby Patty like on Spongebob Squarepants. After we ate we went to a local park where they were having an antique tractor show. They also had a small petting zoo, bounce house, corn maze, helicopter rides and carnival games for the kids. We didn't do any of the activities that cost money, but we still had fun. DS did not want to leave. When we finally got home, DS took a nap and I did the dishes and some cleaning around the house. Tomorrow should be an easy day of more cleaning and laundry.