Black Friday 2017 infogram is insightful

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How much are you worth?

How much are you worth?

Let’s take a minute to look at your assets and liabilities:

Assets (what you own)
Cash: checking account, savings account, money market, CD, treasury bills, silver, gold
Securities: stocks, bonds, mutual funds
Real estate: Personal residence, vacation home, rental properties
Business interests: business owner, MLM
Retirement funds: IRA, KEOGH, 401K, vested portion in company plan, annuity
Life insurance: cash value
Personal property: cars and other vehicles, household furnishings, boat, plane, 
 recreational vehicles, antiques, collectibles, art, furs, jewelry

Liabilities (what you owe): 
Current bills: credit cards, charge accounts, medical, dental, store cards
Debt: Unpaid bills
Taxes: income (federal & state), property (real & personal)
Mortgages: residence, other properties
Loans: auto, home improvement, education, life insurance, margin account

Total net worth = total assets minus total liabilities

Don’t like what you see?  Well, let’s start working on that.  Whether you’re looking for a full-time job or just a part-time gig to bring in some extra cash, there are many options. To help 
you get a better job, start by acquiring some new skills and do a quick resume brush-up.  

Check out www.abetterjobsearch.com to first see what kind of jobs are out there and which ones can 
offer you flexibility and security.Placing your resume online doesn’t mean a lot in a sea of faceless names available to 
employers.  

You need to get more creative, especially if you want to work from home.  Rather than posting a resume on www.monster.com, which will mostly result in getting you a ton of 
junk mail, try connecting with people you already know on www.linkedin.com or searching for 
local jobs at www.craigslist.com.  

Here are some other great resources:
• www.betterjobsearch.com  
• www.indeed.com  
• www.beyond.com  
• www.backdoorjobs.com  

You can also find some terrific freelance jobs online based on your expertise, at sites such 
as:
• www.sologig.com 
• www.elance.com 
• www.guru.com 
• www.ablestable.com 
• www.freelancejobslist.com       
• www.rentacoder.com       
• www.fiverr.com 
• https://www.odesk.com/

If you’re artistic, you can get paid for your creativity and accept as many or as few jobs as you’d like at:
• www.designoutpost.com 
• www.logoworks.com 
• www.logosforwebsites.com 
• www.cafepress.com 
• www.zazzle.com     

Sell your photography skills at:
• www.shareapic.com 
• www.123rf.com 
• www.shutterstock.com
• www.fotolia.com 
• www.crestock.com 
• www.dreamstime.com 
• www.bigstockphoto.com   
        
Virtual customer service jobs allow you to assist other companies from your computer.  If 
you have a landline, a computer, and your home is quiet, you can take incoming calls for 
companies or help them with data entry tasks.  See who is hiring at:
• www.arise.com 
• www.liveops.com 
• www.workingsol.com     
• www.homeworking.com 

 There are simply too many to list!  
Are you feeling empowered with your finances yet?  You should!  You probably already know how to do many things that companies out there are willing to pay you for!  Write a list of 
all your skills, talents, hobbies and interests.  You’re worth more than you know!

CENTSerely,
Trina Boice
(The FruGAL)

Money doesn't grow on trees

There are a ton of things you can do to bring in extra money to pay those bills and stretch your dollars.  

My dad used to always say, "Money doesn't grow on trees."  The fact is, nobody is going to just hand you money; you have to do something.  No, wait a minute...they just might! 

You may actually have free money hiding out there that you don’t 
even know about!  It’s true! Every state has an “Unclaimed Property” department which you can easily use to help you find money!  

Start at www.unclaimed.org, the website of the National 
Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators.  Every state’s procedure for claiming money is different, so be sure to check every state where you have resided and worked, and follow their 
guidelines.  Amazingly enough, you may actually have forgotten about some pennies out there!  

Hey, it’s worth a shot, and will only take you a few minutes online.   

I found a small paycheck my husband forgot to pick up when he did seasonal work for a company as a teenager.  (I would never forget to pick up a paycheck!)  I also found some money 
for my dad that was sitting in an old bank account he had closed years ago.  (Yes, I gave it to him and didn’t keep it for myself.)  You’ll need to produce certain documents to prove you are who 
you claim to be before the money is released.

Good luck and happy hunting! 


CENTSerely,
Trina Boice
(The FruGAL)

More fun books by Trina Boice

I love saving money and helping others do the same! I thought you might like to see some of my more recent published books! My next one hits stores next month!

Save some money by skipping these bad movies

See all the money I save you?!   Here are 2 films to skip this weekend and save your hard-earned money for something else.  Be sure to read my movie reviews to find out why:



  Read my review at Movie Review Maven at http://moviereviewmaven.blogspot.com/2014/01/better-as-drive-thru-than-ride-along.html

     Read my review at Movie Review Maven: http://moviereviewmaven.blogspot.com/2014/01/skip-nut-job.html

Tony Romas thanks Vets with a free meal!

Win a Kindle and other prizes!

Win a Kindle and a bunch of other prizes by simply "liking", making a comment, or subscribing to my FREE new $$ money book series this week only at:
www.bigworldnetwork.com/UpinDownEconomy.html


Tell all your friends to come support me and my new book and I can win a prize too! The Big World Network is a new, cool web site where readers can get books for FREE, listen to the authors read each chapter, and win prizes!

- Trina Boice -   (A/K/A Sister Thrifty)

Saving money on "AUTO"pilot with your cars

We now have 2 kids in college with no transportation, so my husband and I finally bit the bullet and purchased a car for them. It was partly for selfish reasons really...we want them to be able to drive home to see us since their college is out of state! We have purchased all of our cars at an auto auction and saved thousands of dollars. To get an idea of the REAL price of a car you're interested in purchasing or even selling, go to:

Kelly Blue Book http://www.kbb.com/

NADA Appraisal Guides http://www.nadaguides.com/  

Edmunds http://www.edmunds.com/

Consumer Reports http://www.consumerreports.org/

Buying new
Don’t ever think you're smarter than the car salesman. He sells cars every day for a living. You buy one only every few years and you don’t have a boss breathing down your neck at the purchase. Just remember, you’re paying thousands of dollars for that new-car smell.

Buying used
Definitely the way to go. You can purchase practically new cars at auction and save thousands of dollars. You can even find incredible deals online or in your newspaper. The tricky part is researching a vehicle’s history and title to make sure you’re getting a good car. For around $25 you can order as many vehicle background checks as you want in a month. Go to Carfax Web site at www.carfax.com

Car maintenance
Most of us recognize that conscientious maintenance will extend the life of your car, help it operate more safely and efficiently, and preserve its appearance and value when it comes time to trade it in. Taking your car to a dealership for routine maintenance and a detail shop for cosmetic and restorative work is convenient, but can be expensive. Dealerships, in order to bolster departments which are not profitable, may increase prices to their service customers. Take your car to an automotive repair shop for less expensive routine service. Make sure any work done will not void your warranty. Here are some great tips from a clever dude:

Preventive measures can reduce the need for expensive maintenance procedures.

Especially for cars with fuel injection, buying poor quality gas can cause carbon buildup and loss of performance.

Keeping your tires inflated at the right pressure prolongs the life of your tires, gets better gas mileage, and provides optimum control and traction.

A walk-around inspection of your car daily can help you detect low tire pressure, rust spots and other signs of wear that, if treated early, can avert larger problems down the road.

By using less expensive but equally effective ingredients found around the home, you can prepare effective substitute cleaning products.

Sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda is an excellent material that can be mixed with water to remove tar, bug juice, tree sap, bird droppings and other organic material that can etch into the car’s paint. Commercial products can cost between $10.00 and $40.00 per container.

For stains on the interior surfaces of your car, try a solution of vinegar and water applied with a tooth brush. Turtle Wax Spray Cleaner costs about $7.00 a can; vinegar is about $1.79 a pint.

Periodically, your car will need a “tune up” which may cost up to $50.00 at a local garage and more at a dealership. Some cars are easier to work on than others, so it might be wise to peek under the hood to visually locate spark plugs, distributor, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter and PCV valve. To further explore the world of automobile repair and maintenance, buy a Chilton’s “Total Car Care Repair Manual” for your particular year and model. It is a comprehensive maintenance and repair reference for your car containing step-by-step instructions on most of the maintenance procedures done by dealerships and repair shops. What is best is that on Amazon, you can buy a used copy for $7.00, instead of $33.00 retail.

Under the hood, car maintenance includes replacing or replenishing oil, coolant, windshield fluids and checking for worn belts. You can still save money while keeping your hands clean by shopping for good deals and substituting homemade ingredients for more expensive commercial products.

Cheap oil change – Call your favorite shop and ask when the next special on oil changes will occur. Keep your eyes open for signs on the road advertising a special on oil changes. Know the going prices for this service and see if a local neighbor’s kid will do it for cheaper. You can save $5.00 to $10.00 per oil change compared to licensed dealers.

Homemade windshield washer fluid – All it takes to make windshield washer fluid is liquid detergent (1 tbsp), rubbing alcohol (3 cups), and water (1 gallon). Mix three cups of this solution in a gallon of water for the final product.

If your time is worth more than the $100.00 per hour you can expect to pay for maintenance and repairs, maybe rolling up your sleeves on a Saturday afternoon and getting familiar with your car is not appealing. For many of us, there is a real satisfaction to be experienced when we replace that burnt out headlamp, top off the coolant or brake fluid, or change our own oil.

Saving money can be "auto"matic when you just take a few minutes to do your car research!

CENTSerely,

Sister Thrifty

101 ways to shave $$$ off your food costs

Hi everyone!
Life has been more than crazy busy, so I haven't written a "Sister Thrifty" newsletter in quite awhile. Sorry about that! Food prices have been increasing all of the world and just this week we're hearing about riots in Haiti and Egypt where there is a frightening shortage of food. I found a terrific list of 101 ways to stretch your food dollars that I wanted to share with you. It was written by Valerie Phillips at Deseret News:

Food prices are going up. But here are lots of ways — 101 of them — to shave off pennies, dimes and dollars from your food costs.
Not every tip fits every situation. A vat-size container of salad dressing is cheaper per ounce, but not if it sits in a single person's fridge for months on end. Remember, the most expensive food you can buy is the food that goes to waste.

Before you go

1. For a week, track what your family actually spends on food. Don't forget to include work lunches, restaurant meals, vending-machine snacks and convenience store stops. These add up quickly.

2. Have a plan. Jot down simple dinner menus for the week, using the weekly grocery store ads so you can take advantage of what's on sale that week. Having a plan ends the 5 p.m. "what's for dinner?" plight.

3. Make a shopping list from your menu. Having the ingredients you need for the week eliminates extra trips to the supermarket, where more incidental items can end up in your grocery cart.

4. To save time, compile a basic shopping list of things you usually buy on a weekly basis, such as milk, lettuce, etc. Organize the list by the store layout and make lots of copies. Then each week it's just a matter of penciling in the extra ingredients from your menu.

5. Get out of the dinner rut. Check out cookbooks or magazines from the library or attend local cooking classes for new ideas.

6. For low-cost, nutritious recipe ideas, check the Food Stamp Nutrition Connection at recipefinder.nal.usda.gov. The recipes have cost-per-serving and nutrition data.

7. Consider making from scratch many of the things you usually buy in prepared form, such as brownies or salad dressing.

8. Time is a valuable resource. It's usually not worth the time (or gasoline) to hopscotch from store to store to save a few dollars.

9. Consider the advantages when you choose where to shop. Some stores offer credit cards with rebates, discounts on gasoline, special coupons and so on.

10. Club warehouses can save money, but be judicious. Can you use 18 cartons of yogurt at a time? Often you can find similar good buys and a better selection at a regular grocery store

11. Sometimes you're lured into buying things that lose their appeal and end up sitting on the shelf. To cure yourself of impulse shopping, every so often force yourself to make a meal out of those items in the cupboard.

12. Consider group strategies. A neighborhood group or extended family might save by buying in bulk directly from wholesalers and farmers.



Shopping

13. Try shopping with cash, taking only an allotted amount to the store.

14. Statistics indicate that people buy more when they are hungry or accompanied by others, especially children. (However, grocery shopping can be a good learning experience for kids; let them find all the coupon foods and comparison shop with you.)

15. Don't dawdle. The longer you're wandering through the store, the more chance of impulse buys.

16. Avoid convenience stores. They have higher prices and very few specials.

17. Guard against nonfood impulse buys that could end up in your cart, such as the latest DVD, perfumes or toiletries. Do you really need them?

18. Limit trips to the store. Multiple trips usually mean more incidental items added to the cart.

19. Try "catch-and-release" shopping with high-end items. Put that bottle of name-brand, extra-virgin olive oil in the cart, and while you finish the rest of your purchases, ask if it's something you can live without. Then before you check out, put it back on the shelf. After all, dreaming is free. (However, if you end up convincing yourself to buy these things, or you forget to put them back, this method isn't for you!)

Coupons

20. Use the coupon inserts in your Sunday newspaper ads.

21. To maximize coupon savings, use resources such as Pinchingyourpennies.com, the Grocery Guru at www.gurusdeals.com, or Couponsense.com, which help you to coordinate coupons with sales at local grocery stores. By using the coupon with the sale price, you can get items for a fraction of the cost.

22. Multiply the savings. Some people take multiple Sunday newspaper subscriptions for the coupons, and you can also ask your neighbors or relatives for the coupons from their paper.

23. Check other sources for coupons: the "blinkies" in the red boxes on grocery store shelves, home mailers, "peelies" that are peeled off the product itself and printables off Web sites.

24. Be wise about coupons. Sometimes a brand name with a coupon is still more expensive than a generic brand. And resist buying things you may not use just because you have a coupon.

25. Some grocery stores match competitor coupons if you have the advertisement with you.

26. Organize your coupons so you can use them efficiently. Bonnie Childress of Ogden uses a three-ring binder with clear photo pages or baseball card pockets. Others use a filing box and take out the coupons they will be using and clip them to their shopping list on their way to the grocery store.

27. Send in rebates. Teri Radmall of Eden puts all the money she receives from rebates in a separate account, and she's now up to $200.

Cereals & baked goods

28. One reason people avoid buying cheaper bagged cereals is because they're hard to store and pour. Store them in a plastic pitcher with a pour spout.

29. Consider how much you can save by cooking whole grains for breakfast instead of cold breakfast cereal. Homer Cook of Layton said as a welfare volunteer, he helped a single mother of three cut her breakfast costs from $1,000 per year to $58 per year by cooking cracked wheat (based on Honeyville Grain prices).

30. Buy whole-grain cereals and breads. They're more filling, so you are satisfied with less. And they're better for you.

31. Go '90s retro and pull out your old bread machine. Besides bread, it can be used for rolls and pizza dough.

32. Make croutons or bread crumbs from day-old bread or hotdog buns. The crumbs can be seasoned and used as a "shake-and-bake" chicken coating.

33. Seek out day-old bread "thrift" stores. But be wary of the temptation to overbuy empty calorie items such as cupcakes, potato chips and doughnuts.

34. Bake a batch of muffins from scratch for on-the-go breakfasts. Even if you use a mix, you'll still save over bakery prices.


Produce

35. Buy fruits and vegetables in season when they're cheaper and taste fresher. When compared to the price per pound of meat, cheese, chocolate, etc., they're a nutritional bargain.

36. If you're preparing a commercial meal kit (such as Hamburger Helper or a frozen pasta dinner), toss in a few more vegetables. Chopped bell peppers or celery, and frozen broccoli or peas add color, flavor and nutrition to what is usually a lot of starch, sauce and salt. They can also stretch the meal into more servings.

37. Ready-prepped veggies cost more but may be worth it if you actually use those peeled carrots or sliced mushrooms. A huge percentage of fresh produce goes to waste sitting in refrigerators.

38. A pound bag of chopped iceberg lettuce salad costs more (about $2) than a head of iceberg lettuce (approximately $1 per pound) that you clean and chop yourself. But if bagged salad greens keep you from buying restaurant salads, there's still a savings.

39. If lettuce prices are up, vary your veggies. Consider cabbage, spinach, carrot or broccoli salads.

40. Grow your favorite herbs year-round in your kitchen window. It's convenient to be able to cut a few sprigs as needed, and packets of fresh herbs can cost $1.50-$2 in grocery stores.

41. If you're not up to planting a garden, add a few strawberry or tomato plants to your flower beds. You have to weed and water them anyway. Or add a fruit tree to your back yard.

42. Yellow onions are often 40 cents to 50 cents less per pound than red (purple) onions.

43. When your favorite fresh vegetables are offseason, look for canned and frozen versions. Do the math and figure out which offers the best price per serving.

44. Beans are an inexpensive protein. Add them to tacos, casseroles, salads, etc., so you can use less meat.

45. Dried beans, per cooked serving, are often less than half the price of canned beans. But they take a lot of time to cook. Soak a batch overnight in your slow cooker on low heat, then portion and freeze for later use.

46. Vegetables frozen in butter sauce usually cost more than plain frozen vegetables, and they have more fat and calories.

47. Price fruits with an eye on the cost-per-edible serving. If you are buying by the pound, you are also paying for any inedible seeds and rinds.

48. When buying fresh greens by weight, be sure to shake off the excess water before you put them in your cart. Water hidden in between the leaves adds weight and raises the cost.

49. Serve a vegetable "medley" when you have small amounts of several different vegetables. Mix together and microwave, and top with a little cheese or a sprinkle of nuts.

Dairy

50. Unless you buy powdered milk in bulk for a price break, you won't save money over fresh milk. On a recent shopping trip, the Deseret News found that a box of generic-brand powdered milk that yields 31 cups of milk was $6.49. If you can buy fresh milk at $3 a gallon, you can get 32 cups for $6.

51. Buy a large container of yogurt and divide it into portions yourself. A 32-ounce container, at $2.79, yields four 8-ounce portions at 34 cents a serving. The same brand in single-serve containers was 50 cents each.

52. Milk fat costs. You can often save about 10 cents to 20 cents per gallon by dropping from 2 percent to 1 percent or skim.

53. If you use margarine instead of butter to cut costs, don't use anything less than 100 percent margarine for baking. The lower-fat spreads have water and fillers that bake up poorly (and when poured over popcorn turn it to mush). Real butter is approximately $4 per pound; 100 percent margarine (such as Nucoa) can be $1.50 to $2 per pound. Save the less-expensive spreads for your toast.

54. Consider home delivery of milk and bread. It costs more, but it might save on extra trips to the store.

55. There is no nutritional difference between brown and white eggs; it has more to do with the color of the hen. White eggs usually cost less.

56. Freeze butter to keep its fresh flavor. Grate it, frozen, over toast, baked potatoes, etc. for portion control.

57. Finely shred cheese when topping pizzas, grilled ham and cheese, etc. You'll use less.

Meat

58. Unless they're on special, breasts are the most expensive part of the chicken. Boneless, skinless thighs offer the same convenience for less, and dark meat is more moist and flavorful anyway.

59. Take a cue from restaurant chefs who can make a small portion of meat or chicken look plentiful. They slice it thinly and fan out the slices on top of a mound of rice or potatoes.

60. Tough cuts of meat are usually cheaper. Place a beef brisket in you slow cooker in the morning and by dinner time you'll have tender beef (and a tantalizing aroma in your kitchen).

61. Don't throw out your bacon drippings. Some suggestions from Every Day With Rachael Ray magazine: Stir it into grits, use in place of oil when popping popcorn, saute bread cubes in it for croutons, add to cornbread batter, add to barbecue sauce and brush on ribs or chicken while they're cooking.

62. Compare meat costs by servings, not pounds. Bony meats are cheaper per pound, but they yield less edible meat per pound.

63. Likewise, a large store-cooked rotisserie chicken at $6 is cheaper than buying a raw, 5-pound whole raw chicken at $1.30 per pound and cooking it at home. As a bonus, you can use the carcass and bits of meat on the bones to make chicken broth.

64. Although the price of eggs has nearly doubled in the past year, a $2 carton of eggs can still supply a protein-rich meal for a family of six. Scramble them with leftovers such as chopped ham, crumbled bacon, chopped peppers, onions and so on.

65. Buy ground beef in bulk quantities to get a better price. When you get home, divide meal-size portions in zip-lock bags and freeze.

Canned goods

66. Big cans are often cheaper, but not always. Check the price per unit guide on the grocery shelf, which shows the cost per ounce. Also, consider how you use the product. If you buy a big can of tomato sauce, use a little and end up wasting the rest, you're better off buying the small can in the first place.

67. What to do with the last of the jam or jelly jar: Pour in some milk, refrigerate for a little while to loosen the jam stuck to the jar sides, and shake into a flavored drink.

68. Generic brands can save money. But try one can first before you invest in a whole case to make sure it appeals to your family.

69. Stockpile pantry items you normally use, such as spaghetti sauce or pasta, when they're on sale. Keep a list of quick-fix possibilities on the inside of your cupboard door, such as spaghetti, meatball sub sandwiches, baked tortellini, etc.

Snacks

70. Invest in a popcorn popper. You can make 10 times as much popcorn for the same price as microwave popcorn. A three-pack box of microwave popcorn yields about 10 1/2 cups of popcorn for $2 to $3, depending on the brand. A $1.99 bag of regular popcorn yields 113 cups. You'll have to add you own butter and salt, but you have more control over the amounts.

71. When making s'mores, instead of buying chocolate bars and graham crackers, place the marshmallow between two chocolate-striped cookies. A package of Keebler Fudge Shoppe cookies is approximately $3 and makes 15 s'mores. You'd spend at least that much money on chocolate bars alone.

72. Break the soda pop habit. If you normally drink a can per day, at 50 cents per can, you could pocket more than $180 a year.

73. Every time you have a few leftover strawberries, peach slices, etc., store them in the same zip-lock bag in the freezer. Then every so often, whir them all together in the blender for a smoothie snack.

74. If you like the look of designer bottled water, buy it once and keep refilling with tap water, which is free. Many bottled waters cost more per gallon than gasoline.

75. Use food as a reward sparingly. Make treats more significant by using them only for special occasions. With obesity on the rise, most people don't need them on a regular basis.

76. Nip nighttime snacks. Go to bed a half-hour early and keep yourself from wanting a handful of chips while watching David Letterman. Your waistline will thank you.

Storage

77. Keep an eye on your pantry inventory so you use up all the pancake mix or corn syrup before buying more.

78. Oil goes rancid fairly quickly. Unless you use it often, buy in small quantities or refrigerate after using.

79. Post a "must use" list on the fridge to remind yourself of the half-empty can of pineapple, three hot dogs, etc. that will go bad quickly.

80. Label leftovers with date and contents before putting them in the freezer. You'll actually use these things instead of having mystery containers stuck in the back of the freezer.

81. Use and rotate your food storage. If you aren't using it, it is basically a waste of space and money. Rule of thumb: Store what you use and use what you store.

In the kitchen

82. Use smaller plates. Studies show that when people are served on larger plates, they take larger servings, whether they're really hungry or not.

83. One night a week have leftover night. Pull out all the leftovers from other meals — the half-cup of spaghetti sauce, the slices of ham or stray chicken breast, the chunk of cheese, the corn or peas. Bake some potatoes and let everyone pick the leftovers for toppings.

84. Pack a lunch for the next day from dinner leftovers instead of eating out.

85. Use meals to stretch your entertainment dollars. Go on a picnic in a park or get out the Dutch oven pots, have a hot dog roast or go fishing and then cook your catch.

86. When serving buffet-style, put the low-cost items, such as salad or rolls, at the beginning of the line and the most expensive item — meat — near the end.

87. Have meatless Monday meals.

88. Homemade soups are a good way to use leftover meat and vegetables. Their liquid content also makes them more satisfying.

89. Pasta or rice can also stretch small amounts of food into a meal. Throw in chopped pepper, ribbons of spinach or basil, chopped tomatoes or chicken or ham.

90. Instead of serving fruit punch or juice at meals, use a pitcher of ice water with a few lemon or lime slices floating on top.

91. Use small appliances, such as the microwave, slow-cooker and electric frying pan; they use less energy than a stovetop.

92. Use the dishwasher only when completely full. Washing dishes by hand can cost more than one load in the dishwasher. Let the dishes air-dry rather than using the "dry" cycle.

93. Don't open the oven door to preview baking food. Each time you open it, the temperature drops by 25-50 degrees. It takes longer to cook your food and adds to your energy bill.

Dining out

94. Use your gift certificates soon after getting them. Many have expiration dates.

95. Use frequent-diners' cards. Some restaurants offer punch cards — if you buy 10 meals, the next one is free. For a family of six, it takes only two visits to earn a free meal.

96. Go out to lunch when entree prices are often a dollar or two less than dinner.

97. If a full-course dinner comes with soup, salad, drink and dessert, it's only a great buy if you really want (or need) all that. You may be satisfied ordering an a la carte entree without the extras. Ditto combo meals in fast-food restaurants.

98. Guard against up-sell, when you're asked if you want guacamole with your taco or extra cheese for the fondue. If it costs extra, you might not want it that much.

99. At fast-food restaurants, order a kids' meal for yourself (if there's no age limit). Most of the time, you're getting a more appropriate portion of food (and a toy to boot!).

100. Watch beverage costs. Alcoholic drinks can double your tab, but even soft drinks can add $10 to $15 to the bill for a family of six. Water is a healthier choice anyway. Be sure to specify "tap" water, some restaurants may bring you bottled water at $3 or $4 per bottle.

101. If you feel you can't afford to tip, choose a fast-food or fast-casual eatery where tipping isn't expected. In sit-down restaurants, servers' salaries are less than minimum wage. Tips make up the difference.



Happy Shopping!

CENTSerely,

Sister Thrifty

April 2, 2007 Newsletter

"Deals that are nifty by Sister Thrifty"

Happy Easter!!
The Easter Bunny wanted me to give you this special gift for Easter…a $10 gift certificate for Ted's Montana Grill, just for being you! Hopefully you have one near you so you can enjoy this! http://www.tedsmontanagrill.com/tmg_adv_wp.html
And now for a few items to help you and the Easter Bunny be ready for this Sunday:
$1 coupon on any Wonka Golden Egg Product for Easter


http://www.verybestkids.com/celebrationcorner/

Free Personalized Letter From The Easter Bunny
http://www.icontactedyou.com/Easter.htm

$1.50 coupons for Hershey's Easter Candy.


http://www.hersheys.com/easter/

Ashley Cardell: Free Godiva Chocolate Pearls (US &Canada) http://www.ashleycardell.com/gourmet_chocolate.html

15 Unique Easter Egg Hunt Ideas
1. Hidden Easter Basket Clues:
When your children get up on Easter morning don't just let them search for their Easter basket- give them a plastic egg with a clue inside. This should lead them to another plastic egg, which leads to another and so on, until finally leading them to their basket. Use up to about a dozen eggs per child. They'll have so much fun they'll almost be disappointed when they get to the basket at the end. When they get older have them make up clues for each other.
2. Hidden Easter Basket Spider Web:
While your children are sleeping, hide their Easter baskets in the house and tie a long string to each one. Loop the strings throughout the whole house, around and over and under furniture so it looks like a huge tangled spider web eventually leading to their rooms. Tie the end of each string to the doorknob of the child whose basket it's attached to, so when they come out of their rooms on Easter morning they can follow their own string throughout the house to find their Easter basket. Place some extra treats along the way to make it extra fun.
3. Odd or Even Egg Hunt:
For this game you must write ODD or EVEN numbers on each egg. When the kids are lined up for the egg hunt give each an odd or even number assignment. They can only get eggs in their assignment
4. Math Egg Hunt:
Hide plastic eggs with numbers in them, ranging from maybe 1 to 5 then, limit the children to how many they can find, like maybe 6 or something then after they're all found, total up the numbers that are in their eggs and the one with the highest number wins a prize. Have candy in the plastic eggs too, so that everybody will end up with something
5. Color- Coded toys:
Hide small toys inside plastic eggs. If your gifts are child exclusive ( such as Matchbox car for a boy or Barbie accessories for a girl) give them a special color egg to find. If they find colors not intended for them, they must be quite about it, and they'll think they are in on a special secret.
6.Secret Prizes:
Hide plastic Easter eggs with little notes inside, telling what the prize is. It can be in the form of a poem or just a clue (like this hippety hop). Buy little items such as candy eggs, toys, or little stuffed bunnies or chicks for prizes. Make sure everyone gets at least one prize.
7. Secret Notes:
Put little notes in plastic eggs. Things like "You have to give Aunt Mary a big hug" or "You get to take a piece of candy out of Andys basket" or "You must do one favor for uncle Tom". Have some prize eggs too that have numbers inside which match a gift.
8. Designated Color Egg Hunt:
Keep your egg hunt equal for all of the kids by painting ONE color of egg child. At the start of the hunt, give each child a different colored egg for their basket. Tell them this is the color that they're supposed to hunt for (any other colors don't count) and also the number of eggs that are hidden. The first child to find their eggs wins a special prize.
9. Find Your Name Egg Hunt:
Before your party write each person's name on one egg. The person that finds their first wins a prize.
10. Winning Numbers Egg Hunt:
Fill plastic eggs with small toys, temporary tattoos, stickers and wrapped candies for the hunt. Along with plastic eggs, hide a few real colored eggs. These eggs should have numbers painted on them and whoever finds one can exchange it for the corresponding numbered prize (stuffed animals, chocolate bunnies, Easter books ,etc.
11. Checklist Egg Hunt:
For large Easter Egg Hunts, make checklists for each child. Give each child a basket with a checklist and pencil in it and instruct the kids to find ONLY what is on their checklist and no more, otherwise someone else would be without enough. Make all of the checklist the same for each child and make sure you have enough eggs hidden so that everyone can complete theirs. You can have a grand prize too, for whichever child completes his checklist first by finding all of the items on it the fastest! The checklists could read something like this. ___Find 2 blue eggs___Find 3 pink eggs___Find 1 yellow egg___Find 2 orange eggs___Find 4 purple eggs___Find 3 green eggs
12. Indoor Egg Hunt:
Is rain going to ruin your Easter egg hunt? Just hide jelly beans inside the house and have your adults or kids hunt for them. Depending on the egg of the participants you can make the hunt easy or hard. Ever try and see a black jelly bean on a black object? Have fun!!
13. Night-time Egg Hunt:
For older kids (or adults), try an egg hunt in the dark! Give everyone a cheap flashlight to look for their eggs. Or try a glow in the dark egg hunt and paint every egg with glow in the dark paint.
14. Reverse Egg Hunt:
Have your children make at least five eggs each and hide them around the house. When they are done hiding them, the parents look for them and the child whose egg is found last wins a prize.
15. Treasure Map Egg Hunt:
Make up treasure maps for your egg hunt. Draw the maps to scale with each tree, bush and flower on the map and let the children plot out the hiding spots of all the eggs they find on their maps. Or you can plot the hiding spots on the maps when you hide the eggs –then give a copy of the map to each of the children and let them go to town finding the eggs by using the map. Obviously, this works out best if you are using large area for your egg hunt.
Have a GREAT Easter!

CENTSerely,
Sister Thrifty

3/5/07 Newsletter

Last week I mentioned the vacuum rating done by Consumer Reports. They have just recently published their famous annual auto issue. The issue is considered one of the most reliable and thorough sources when reporting on which cars to buy and not to buy. Surprisingly, the least reliable of all cars this year is Mercedes. It has been moving slowly down the list, and this year the German automaker – with its 36 brands – is dead last. In fact, the report stated that a 10-year old Lexus is more reliable than a new Mercedes. Next to last was Land Rover, preceded by Hummer, Jaguar and Cadillac was fifth from the bottom. So, what are the most reliable brands? The top five are either Toyotas or Hondas. The No. 1 most reliable brand is Toyota, No. 2 is Honda, No. 3 is Scion, No. 4 is Acura and No. 5 is the Lexus. The cars that retain the most value over time are Toyotas and Hondas, so the cost is actually less than what it appears to be.

Citigroup, the country's biggest credit card issuer, has initiated two customer-friendly initiatives. You may have heard about credit card companies raising rates whenever they want for any reason. It may have even happened to you personally. Credit card terms of service usually include a clause saying the bank can do that anytime. Well, Citigroup, which now goes by Citi, is doing away with that practice. Secondly, the company is no longer going to use what's called "universal default" to boost your rate. Under a universal default clause, a company can jack up your interest rate significantly if your credit report shows any late payments. That means you could pay your electric bill a few days late and your credit card company increases your rate because that late payment is on your credit report. Citi is eliminating its universal default clause, which is great for the consumer. YAY!

The cruise industry is struggling these days. The industry just wants to cover the most basic expenses in what they charge you for the room. That's because the real money is made once you get on board. Shore excursions, drinking and gambling are just a few of the activities that will cost you much more on a cruise. But, with all the bad press of late, people aren't cruising. As a result, companies are heavily discounting cabin costs. Ten-night Caribbean cruises are as cheap as $75 a night, according to the Miami Herald. Ocean-view rooms are minimally more for ten-day and weeklong cruises. So, if you've never been on a cruise, this could be your chance. If you've never gone on a cruise and have minimal knowledge of the industry, you may want to pay a bit more and sit down with a cruise travel agent. If you've been before, have at it. To hear the good, bad and ugly about different cruise lines go to cruisecritic.com. To book travel and save money check out http://www.trinastravel.globaltravel.com/
And now, for some fun freebies:
Free Almay hydracolor lipstick


http://walmart.triaddigital.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid11566.aspx
Free Set of Gamma Asterisk 16 Gauge Tennis Strings
http://www.asteriskstrings.com/registration.cfm
Free Head & Shoulders Restoring Shine Shampoo and 2 in 1 sample


http://walmart.triaddigital.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid11414.aspx

Free Pantene Texturize Shampoo and Conditioner sample



http://walmart.triaddigital.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid11358.aspx

Free Makeup Sponges and Cloths



http://www.alconeco.com/free_samples_sponges_and_cloths

Ultra Downy Experientials Tahitian Waterfall or April Fresh Sample



https://ultradowny.offerprocessingcenter.com/
Snail Mail Minute Maid Couponhttp://www.jjsnack.com/minutemaid/couponform.asp

Have a great day!
CENTSerely,
Sister Thrifty

Health & Wellness

Hi everyone! I try to get these newsletters out to you on the weekends, but I was busy being sick sick sick. Bleh. I'm still not feeling great, but I wanted you to get some of this great information (and sitting at my computer will hopefully distract me from feeling sick sick sick.)

Since I'm thinking health (or lack thereof) these days, I wanted to let you know about an interesting web site I found that you can use to order your own medical tests instead of paying whatever the doctor or hospital charges. Insurance will not pay, but if you don't have insurance anyway or your reimbursement stinks then this could save you a ton of money. Check out www.directlabs.com/index.php Just use good judgment when dealing with your health care.

There are a number of prescription programs that will save you money. To find the Rx program for your state go to www.pparx.org Low-income seniors who qualify can get the "Eli Lilly" card and really save on their medications. Call 1-877-RX-LILLY. For a $10 fee, Rxaminer will permit users to enter all current prescriptions and returns a list of available generic or other suggested brands for less money. Go to www.rxaminer.com/consult/index.asp

Here are some freebies that have to do with health and wellness. GlaxoSmithKline is offering all kinds of free samples when you register: http://healthyspecials.com/Default.aspx They are also starting the "Orange Card" program, which gives elderly people who qualify 25% off their prescriptions. To read an article about their plan click here: http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/EMIHC000/333/333/335569.html

Here's a free mouth wash sample: http://walmart.triaddigital.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid11366.aspx

Click on here and you'll get a coupon for free veggies from Green Giant: http://www.bettycrocker.com/Products/Green-Giant/green-giant-offers.htm

Free skincare samples from Chamonix: http://www.betterskintoday.com/requestsample.htm

Free sample of Palmer's Cocoa butter formula with vitamin E lotion. Go to "Like Some?" http://skinisfashion.com/

You're probably working on your 2006 taxes by now and I want to make sure you know about the special one-time federal excise tax credit in 2006 rebates tax overpayment on phone bills. What do taxes have to do with health? Well, if you don't pay them you'll be sick when you get audited and have to pay penalties! Everyone is allowed to get this deduction this year only, but you have to make note of it on your tax forms or you'll miss it. To read more about it and how to claim it check out this link: