Gracious, here’s another one for the chubby tax archives: a woman was charged $5 extra for services at a nail salon because she’s overweight. Ugh. The salon said that it was concerned about wear-and-tear on the chairs. Ohhh-kay. I think this is over-the-top. People will create a fee for anything. What do you think?
Hey, lovebugs! The latest reforms on the credit card industry went into effect over the weekend. Three cheers!
Among the latest reforms (via CNN):
1) Gift cards are valid for five years.
2) Penalty fees can not be more than the dollar amount incurred by the consumer’s violation that caused the fee. For instance, if you are late making a $20 minimum payment, the fee can’t exceed $20. A consumer who exceeds her credit limit by $5 cannot be charged an over-the-limit fee of more than $5. (from CNN.)
3) Except from in extreme circumstances, late fees can’t be more than $25.
Yeah, I’m glad the credit card industry is becoming kinder and gentler. The key about credit cards, though, is to not carry a balance. These reforms are nice, but if you don’t carry a balance, you don’t have to worry about fees.
So below is a video on how to improve your credit score. Let’s go!
Did you guys see the Groupon today for $50 worth of Gap clothing for $25? This is MAJOR! Aside from the great discount, I do believe that Groupon is the new Facebook. It has totally changed the coupon game for the better. I just used a Groupon coupon yesterday to get a professional headshot done. My pictures look fantastic and they are great quality.
I look forward to seeing how Groupon grows and changes in the future. The e-nerd/Frugalista in me is so excited about today’s events. The Gap deal shut down the site because of the ruckus!
Nat
Hi Frugalistas! This guest blog post is from reader Benet Wilson, telling us how she saved big cash on cable! If you have an idea for the “How I Saved It” series, drop me a line at business@thefrugalista.com xo!
How I Saved It by Benet J. Wilson
Our family has been a DirecTV customer for years, mainly because we love the NFL Sunday Ticket. I get to watch my beloved Oakland Raiders, while the man gets to see his New Orleans Saints. Our bill — before the NFL Sunday Package — was running around $130 a month (I know, we need to cut those premium channels).
We use Verizon Fios for our Internet access and phone service, and they were pushing us — hard — to switch to their Fios TV service. The deals kept getting better and better to the point that they offered us a deal for phone, television and Internet for $85 a month, good for two years.
I had recently read an article where people were negotiating with television, Internet and phone providers for lower rates. So I decided to give it a try with DirecTV. I gave them a call, and I was blunt — I told them I really enjoyed their service, but I was seriously thinking of moving to Verizon Fios because of their great deal.
They thanked me for my years as a good customer and switched me to a guy I called “The Fixer.” This guy was good — he spoke in a Southern accent so smooth that butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He asked what my deal was with Verizon Fios, did a few clicks of his computer and said he’d match the deal. Not only did he match it, but he gave us three months access to the premium sports channels (that we’ve since dropped), but he gave us the NFL Sunday Ticket To Go for free.
So now we have our same great service, a few extras and a much lower television bill (and yes, we cut all the premium channels except HBO). So I suggest calling your local cable/satellite provider and see what they might be able to do for you!
My friend sent me an article about Products To Never Buy Generic, and I had to check it out.
On this list, for instance, were paper products, condiments and MP3s. I can get with it. Also, I like the taste of my grocery store’s yogurt, but it has a lot more calories than the designer yogurt.
Frugalistas like affordable and quality goods! It’s our world! Sometimes generic works. Sometimes it doesn’t. We have watch it!
What do you refuse to buy generic?
Ok, so if any of you have been reading this blog for a while, you know that I am addicted to the Wi-Fi at Panera Bread. I can just roll out to the Panera down the street from my home, purchase a bowl of soup and get busy with my writing. It’s my trusty laptop’s favorite place to hang out! So, the other day, I went to log on at Panera and I was notified that between the hours of noon and 1:30 p.m. during the work week, I could only be on the Wi-Fi for 30 minutes. The next great manuscript can’t be written in 30 minutes! *Primal scream*
Ok, I have abused the Wi-Fi a time or two. Maybe I dawdled at Panera a tad longer than expected. Have the Wi-Fi Gods spoken? Are they tired of squatters who only sip on a cup of ice while sucking up air conditioning?
Starbucks just got into the free Wi-Fi game in its stand alone shops. To be sure, I’ve checked it out. Starbucks is just fine, but it doesn’t have Panera’s menu. And between you and me, I am scared of Starbucks’ coffee. If I get an addiction, I’m doing it big. Something edgy, daring and raw! “Starbucks junkie” screams cream puff! I digress.
Dear Local Panera, please forgive me for my past transgressions. Please, take me and other users off punishment. I promise not to linger for hours…Frugalista honor!
Where do you use wifi? Your home? Starbucks? Panera? Hotels?
Hi Frugs! This guest post is from a writer describing how he saved money on his car insurance! It’s part of my new series, “How I Saved It” at thefrugalista.com Enjoy! xo Natalie
How I Saved It by Chris Stevens.
As I’ve designated August “Get It Together” month, one major part of my budget I looked to improve upon was my car insurance. Full disclosure, I drive what is known as a beater – a 1992 Pontiac Bonneville. Gets me where I need to go.
However, paying $175 to $180 a month for liability insurance really wasn’t good. I was with a smaller insurance company that had a deal with a big name company and I found through research that more often than not, it’s better to just go with the big company. I used the good old internet quotes system. Geico was the cheapest BY FAR, so that’s who I went with by default. I switched from Nationwide to Geico.
And it’s true – 15 minutes can save you some money on your car insurance. Although I’m still waiting for my lone speeding ticket and fender bender in life to come off my license, I still managed to save $42 a month by switching to a similar liability plan with Geico than I had with Company X/Nationwide. Imagine what I’d be saving if my record was spotless?
At the risk of sounding like an infomercial, when attempting to save on car insurance and still maintain proper coverage for your vehicle, results may vary. So I suggest doing due diligence in seeking out online quotes, talking with insurance representatives over the phone or in person.
Surprisingly, insurance companies sometimes offer deals and incentives that can drastically reduce your rates, and I can’t stress defensive driving courses enough. They may seem boring and a complete waste of time, but they can also remove 15 percent from your overall insurance bill. I speak from experience.
Natalie here! I think we all can do a little car insurance shopping. I’ve been with the same company since age 16. Does it deserve my loyalty? I’m not convinced! Maybe it’s time I become more loyal to my wallet!
This is an old blog post that I wanted to share with you all again! We all can do a little better by out groceries! Tomorrow, I’ll have a guest post up from a blogger who reduced his insurance bill!
Hello! I trust you had a great weekend! So, I talked to a college friend of mine the other day. She has a family of four and her grocery bill is $150 per week. I can only imagine. My grocery bill could be lower too. I talked to Mama McNeal (who raised a family of four) about what my friend should do. Her advice? Shop strategically. Saving on groceries isn’t so much about what you buy as HOW you buy. Here are my mom’s tips:
1) Don’t buy your goods at eye level on the grocery store shelves. The food that is above/below eye level is cheaper
2) Buy your meat in bulk and just freeze the unused portions
3) Buy fruits that are in season because they are cheaper
4) Don’t buy bagged salad. Make it yourself
5 Use coupons. (Coupon’s scare me, but Mom’s a big fan.)
6) Wednesday or Thursday papers have the best weekend sales
7) Become a fan of buy one get one free items (I do that for my seasonings and bread.)
SHOP WITH A LIST
9) Plan your menu for the week before you go shopping
10) Don’t take hungry children with you (I guess my brother and I drove her crazy at the store with the requests)
Here’s another link I found about strategic grocery shopping.
What is your strategy for grocery shopping? How much do you think you save?
Hey Frugs! Suze Orman has “Can I afford it?” I’m starting at thefrugalista.com “How I Saved It.” I get a lot of emails, tweets, and Facebook messages from people telling me about a great deal they got on an item or how they cut back expenses. I love hearing everyone’s stories, so I want to share them with ALL of my readers.
Here’s how it will work: If you found a way to cut expenses or got something on super sale, or even negotiated a better rate with your financial institutions, send an email to business@thefrugalista.com. In the email, tell me what you did to save the money, how it made you feel (great) and how others can do it, too. I want to know how you saved it! I will run your “How I Saved It” as a guest blog on my site. It will be an occasional series at my discretion.
I have a really cool “How I Saved It” guest blog post from my friend, Chris, that I will share with you this week. It’s GOOD!
What do you think about this?
True confession: some days, I don’t know what to make for dinner. Yes, I am a big fan of cooking at home, but when you do it all of the time, it’s easy to run out of recipes. I mean, really, how many times can you make a stir fry in one week? Because I love saving money, I aim to cook at home as often as possible.
So I have a few websites that I go to when I’m in a bind about what to prepare for dinner. You can check them out and let me know if they help you out with your home cooking.
1) Supercook.com: If you tell this website what you have lying around your kitchen cabinets and refrigerator, it will find out a meal based around what you already have in your home. Food waste is a major problem in America, with the average American wasting $1,200 per year in uneaten food. This recipe is especially helpful if you have some vegetables or any other food in the home at risk of becoming spoiled. On supercook.com, the Acapulco Chicken recipe is a favorite!
2) Whatthef*ckshouldImakefordinner.com: Ok, this website has a super edgy name, but it never fails to deliver the goods. Once you log on, the site has a recipe picked out for you that you can click on to access. If you are a vegetarian or don’t like the suggested meal that’s been selected, you can click on other tabs on the site and keep searching for meals that you like. What I like about the site is that it picks out meals for you, which makes you get out of your comfort zone when preparing meals. If left to my own devices, I would find a way to cook the same type of dish every day and that’s not good. Let this website help you decide what to cook.
3) 5dollardinners.com: This blogger has done an excellent job of gathering affordable dinner recipes. The site is really well organized and the site does a good job of offering up more than bean dishes for cheap meals. The site offers desserts, salads, stews, and whatever else for under $5.
4) Allrecipes.com: The name says it all. ‘Nuff said!
Foodies of the world, let’s unite! How do you figure out what to cook each night? What are your favorite recipe sites? Sharing is caring!
