Thursday, March 3, 2011

FREE Mailing Labels, Business Cards & More

I'm a big fan of VistaPrint and I use them for really any thing I need printed, whether it's a brochure, business cards or just some return address labels. Today it was return address labels. I mean how you can pass up a deal like only paying $3.06 for shipping and nothing more. 140 address labels for $3. SWEET! I've always found the quality of their items to be excellent and I've never felt like I "got what I paid for" but always have felt that I got way more than I paid for.

I usually buy things in small amounts from them to take advantage of the great deals that they offer. In the past I've gotten 100 business cards FREE, 25 brochures FREE, 140 return address labels and even some really high quality banners for super cheap. If you need anything printed I'd definitely check them out before going anywhere else.

FREE Product Samples from Vistaprint! Get custom printed products for home or office. Choose your free product today! Select from business cards, postcards, invitations, mugs, tote bags and other great products! Click Here

Saving Money at the Grocery Stores: RainChecks

Ok, so you're finally shopping the sales and you have your list all made out and coupons to go with it. Then you get to the store only to find out they are out of something on your list, and it was the item that had the BEST DEAL!  What do you do?  Well, six months ago I would have just walked away feeling bumbed that they were out of something I wanted and assumed I lost out.  That's not the case anymore.

RainCheck!
Now, when I get to the store and find they are out of an item I'd planned to get a great deal on I go directly to the Service Desk. I do not pass go and I do not collect $200 (although I'd love to!).

What's a Raincheck? Simple. It's a form that the store gives you promising to honor their sales price, after the sale is over.  These are usually good for 30 days after they are issued.

With a raincheck you no longer have to be annoyed that a store is out of an item you'd hoped to get on sale.

How do you Get One? Go to the service desk and ask for it. It really is as simple as it sounds. They will ask you what the item was and look up the sales price on it. They will also ask you how many you wanted to purchase. Most stores have a maximum limit they will write the raincheck for. I usually just ask for as many as I have coupons for (or however many I'd intended to buy that day).

What do you do with it? Store it away with your coupon(s) for the item.  Then next time you visit the store check to see if the item is in stock.  If it is grab the number you planned to purchase (the number you have on the raincheck) and head to the register.  When you check out be sure to hand the raincheck to the cashier first thing, since they'll have to do a price adjustment.

Once you do it once you'll find it's quite worthwhile and won't want to leave the store without either the sale items you went in for or your raincheck!

FREE SAMPLE: SweatLeaf Stevia

Like SweetLeaf Stevia on Facebook and request your free sample of SweetLeaf Stevia natural sweetener.

IAMS Mail In Rebate

There's a really great MIR for IAMs right now, on both dog and cat food. You can get the details and the form here. (this link will take you to the form for the cat food, but the link for the dog food is right there, too).

Log Into Cellfire Tomorrow for a Mystery Coupon

I love these mystery coupons, actually I just love e-Coupons in general. For me, they are like a nice little bonus when I shop at Kroger (the only store we have locally that has a shopper card). I don't plan them into my grocery plan but they are still there and they just magically stack with my paper coupons.

So, anyway, tomorrow Cellfire is giving away another bonus mystery coupon and all you have to do is log in to get it.  Log in tomorrow (Friday March 4) between 3am and 6pm EST to snag your mystery coupon.  You could get anything between .50 and $3 off your next grocery purchase!

Having Trouble With Your Mortgage? Know Your Options

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Fannie Mae for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

One of the scariest thoughts for me is the idea of missing a mortgage payment or something going wrong that might jeopardize our home. I think in the 8 years I've been a homeowner I've been late on a payment twice and it totally freaked me out. It's kind of like seeing a cop as you are driving; you slow down even if you weren't speeding. Even though I know that nothing is going to happen if I miss ONE payment or if I'm late, it's still a scary thought that something COULD happen.

 

It usually takes at least 3 missed payments before your mortgage company will even start threatening foreclosure. The good news is that there are options before that even happens (and even if that's already happened).

 

Know Your Options by Fannie Mae is a website that Fannie Mae (the government sponsored entity that takes care of keeping the housing market stable) has set up to help us know the options that are available to us if you are struggling to make your mortgage payments or facing foreclosure.  I'm really glad to see Fannie Mae setting up such an informative site since this is a subject that so many people are dealing with right now. 

 

The good news is that there are options.  It really worries me to see the number of people who get so frustrated at their loss of property value that they are willing to just walk away from their investment and lose it completely.  If you can afford to pay your mortgage you should continue to do so.  Property values are already starting to come back.  Like any investment, values will go up and down.  The economy is already starting to turn around and the housing market will follow.  We just have to be patient.

 

Personally, I'd love to move RIGHT NOW. But, I know it's not realistic because we wouldn't be able to sell our house for what we have in it.  We wouldn't be upside down, BUT we would lose money so it just doesn't make sense to move if we don't have to.

 

If, however, your situation is such that you just can't afford your mortgage, whether it's because you signed onto an adjustable  rate or interest only loan that has come due, or because you lost a job and just don't have the income to pay your mortgage, you don't have to lose your house.  The best and first thing to do is to call your mortgage company and let them know what's going on.  The better you communicate the further you will get.  If you just stick your head in the sand and try to act like nothing is happening, something will happen.  A Forbearance may be an option for you if you are in a situation where you've lost a job or had a medical situation come up that is keeping you from making your monthly payments.  If you can show your mortgage company proof of what is going on they may be willing to suspend or reduce your payments for a short time until you can get back on your feet.  I've had family members who have had to do this in the past following medical emergencies and it may be the only reason they are still in their home now.

 

KnowYourOptions.com offers consumers a wealth of information about the various options available.  Whether you need help staying in your home or need ideas for how to get out of your home without being foreclosed on, you'll want to check out this website.  Another important thing that this website offers is their Beware of Scams section.  Being an avid Dave Ramsey listener, I'm used to the idea that many of the services that offer to help you avoid immediate foreclosure or CONsolidate your credit are just scams.  Avoid companies that want you to pay them to help with debt relief.  There are HUD approved agencies that will do this for free (one more reason to Know Your Options).

 

Not being able to pay your bills is a very scary thing and when you get scared sometimes you act without thinking.  Whether you are in this position now, know someone who is, or ever could be, this is a website worth checking out.  Maybe you don't need the info but knowing it will allow you to pass it on to someone who may need it (now or later).

Visit Sponsor's Site

Over $50 in Publix Coupons

There's a new sheet of printable Publix coupons available here.  For a full list of what's included and the limits, check out PassionatePennyPincher.


- thanks PassionatePennyPincher!