Marie Calendars

Hi everyone!
Have you checked out my new web site at www.sisterthrifty.com ?? Be sure to enter this month's consumer tip contest! Just submit a great shopping tip or some steals and deals around town and you could win a coupon for a free kid's meal at Souplantation! (Also known as Sweet Tomatoes on the east coast). Click on the link to the Sister Thrifty Blog as well. You can read old issues and add your own comments.
I probably shouldn't tell you this, since I gain 5 pounds every year on this thrifty tip alone....Marie Calendar's is having their special pie sale.....ANY pie for $5.99...even their really expensive ones are only
$5.99. mmmmmmmm The sale goes on every October and February. mmmmmmm
Here's a question for ya... Should you buy cell phone insurance? Almost always the answer is no. But most people agree to pay for cell phone insurance when they sign their contract. They end up paying about $5 a month for the insurance, plus a deductible if your phone gets damaged or you lose it. One current lawsuit is even alleging that cell phone insurance is fraud.
The suit states that you’re paying insurance on a used phone. That’s right.
When you turn in your damaged phone and get another one, it’s usually "refurbished" anyway. Consumer Reports weighed in on this topic and said the only reason people should get cell phone insurance is if you own a very expensive phone. Insurance rates are the same for a $500 phone and a $50 phone. So, it makes no sense.
Here's something kinda cool....When you have a doctor visit and need a prescription, he or she may hand you some samples to get you started and it’s always a brand name medicine. You are so excited about the samples because you’re getting something free. But, when you go fill your prescription, what do you get? The brand name medicine, of course. And you pay for it too. It’s caused a tug of war between drug companies and insurance companies. As a result, Aetna has offered to give patients a 30-day prescription for free. The patient doesn’t even have to be an Aetna member. Aetna reps simply put a vending machine in doctor’s offices where people can get meds immediately. A doctor or nurse punches in a secret code and out pops a 30-day supply. About 100 doctor’s offices have the machines right now, according to the Wall Street Journal. Good idea because everyone wins. Costco and Sam’s Club are two other alternatives. They charge a tiny mark-up on generics, so you’ll save a ton.
Americans are the first people ever who save just so we can spend. When we see a "SALE" sign we feel compelled to buy, and we end up in the poor house.
But American Express has a new credit card that saves money for people as they spend. When you use the card, you get 1 percent cash back and that money is automatically put into a savings account the earns 3 percent interest. So, if you spend $100, $1 goes into savings and starts earning interest. It’s called "The One," and it’s geared toward young people. The idea is that people who’ve grown up in a spending culture will learn the value of saving. There is a $35 annual fee, which I'm not thrilled about.
But it’s a good start. Another good deal is the Costco cash rewards card from American Express. You’re given a voucher for spending in Costco, but you can also cash it if you want. Gee, can you tell I like Costco?
And finally, a bank that lets us keep the change....Bank of America has a new program called "Keep the Change." When you go into a store and purchase something with your debit card, the bank will round it up to the nearest dollar and put the remainder into a savings account. In addition, the bank will add an additional five percent to that amount. So, if you make a purchase for $3.12, the bank will round it up to $4 and put the 88 cents into a savings account for you. Those 88 cents then automatically becomes 92 cents because of the 5 percent addition. Your purchases can be matched up to $250 a year, which means you would have to use your debit card about 500 times in a year. That’s not likely, but it’s a great incentive to save money regardless. People are not saving nearly enough these days, so BOA has the
foresight to help customers with that. Yay!
Hope some of those little tidbits help your wallet this week. Have a great one!
CENTSerely,
Sister Thrifty