Store Credit Cards: Some people love them, and some hate them. Personally I have a mixed attitude toward them. Currently we have three store cards: Dress Barn, Kohl’s, and Sears (although the Sears can be used elsewhere since it is a Citi MasterCard).

My wife uses the Dress Barn for herself, the Kohl’s mostly for family clothing, and I use the Sears occasionally for tools and hardware. All three gave significant discounts on purchases that day if you signed up, which helped to cut the price tremendously. They also offer discounts throughout the year if you use the card, which can also save some money.

What I don’t like is three more accounts to track and to remember to pay, although they do send emails with statement info which is a reminder, but it is still a hassle. Also, you tend to automatically get a lot of emails from that store. We have opted out of receiving emails except for statements. That means we get fewer emails, but we may miss out on some specials – I can live with that.

Obviously the goal of the store card is to get you to shop at that store and to entice you to buy more. Since we cut out the emails that helps against being enticed, plus we are not really shoppers so we usually only head out when we really need something. If you love to shop then store cards could be a dangerous thing for you! But if used carefully, they can save you some money.

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So I have had my iphone for less than a month. And you know I had to see if there were any apps that could help me financially! So today I want to talk about two apps that fit the bill of saving money.

The first one is called ShopSavvy. It is a nice little app that comes with a barcode reader. When you are in a store, you scan the item’s barcode that you are interested in, and then it will display where in your local area you can find that item and at what price they are selling it for, and it will also check the web for online retailers and their prices. It will also let you go to reviews of that particular item.

I tried it out in Wal-Mart on an ihome alarm clock (stick your phone in and it charges it, plus lets you play music for an alarm). Found out that Amazon had a cheaper price (no surprise) , but after reading reviews found out that it was not what I wanted—I would have to take my iphone’s cover off every time to use it.

The second app  that I have used is called appsgonefree. Basically every day you check it and it lets you know of apps that are now free—sometimes the price has been lowered, sometimes it is just a promotional. I’ve downloaded multiple apps and have saved myself $1-$3 every time. And the app itself is free!

Nothing like saving money to make me like my phone even more! FYI–I get nothing for recommending these apps. Just two that I have liked using.

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The day after Christmas we had to take our oldest daughter to a critical care unit. She had a high fever and body aches, and almost uncontrollable coughing.  It turns out she had pneumonia. Then the next day our youngest daughter got a stomach bug. So much for having fun during Christmas break!

For those of you who have children, while my wife was at the critical care unit, the doctor gave us some medical and financial advice—he told her that it has been proven that children’s cough medicines do not work and are in fact a waste of money. What you want to do is make the cough more productive. So he said that we should give her children’s mucinex (or a generic form of it).

That will help loosen the junk in the lungs, and then when she coughs she can expel it.

So, a health tip and a money tip. Anybody what to buy a slightly used bottle of children’s cough syrup?

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Last Friday Night our family had a nearly “free” fun night. I say nearly because the first activity we went to asked for a canned good donation to enter. So after 5 cans of corn we got in free to see an amazing toy train layout. We spent over an hour looking at the layout that had multiple trains, moving cars and pedestrians, lighted houses, etc. If you are ever in a little town called Strasburg in PA you will have to look it up or you can check it out on the internet – Choo-Choo Barn.

Then we went to a midnight madness sale (it went from 6:00 p.m. until midnight) at a local hardware store. It was great – free food, live music, even Santa Claus was there. Oh, and they had some good deals too! Like 50% off any one item in the store, etc.

Overall it was a wonderful family night that the kids are still talking about and that didn’t break the bank!

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For the longest time we used a local pharmacy for our prescriptions and our over the counter medical needs. Then early this past year we switched to Rite Aid because of better hours and a better selection of OTC items.

Well, after having been with them for awhile, we realize that we are saving some good money. Right now, because our prescriptions are with them and we have met their dollar/point threshold, we are getting 20% off of everything we purchase (including sale items). They also have this “one-up” reward where when you buy certain items you get a dollar off toward your next purchase at Rite Aid (which you can use that same day if you hold other items back and pay separately!).

So we have been pleased with our switch so far. At a penny-saved, we love saving money!

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Another Black Friday has come and gone. And once again I did not participate in the frenzy. I have gone out in some years. But when I do I usually have something very specific I am trying to get. And that’s the key for me.

I believe the whole Black Friday (sometimes cyber Monday) deals are way overhyped. Retail stores are not stupid (as a whole J ). They have a plan, and this whole marketing extravaganza is part of their plan. What a retailers dream – to have people lined up in front of their store at all hours of the night for the privilege of spending their hard earned money in their store! The hardest part of retail is getting you into the store, and here we line up like mindless zombies to buy (hey, I think this is my first Zombie reference in a post!).

Now it’s not that I don’t like a bargain, this is a penny saved right! But like I mentioned I think Black Friday is overhyped. There are better savings at other times of the year, depending on what type of merchandise you are looking for. TV’s for instance often have better sales in January or February (when the new models come out). And there are fewer crowds trying to grab the same item you want – which means you have time to think. There is just too much emotion, too much activity and pressure on Black Friday – and that is not a good combination for getting a really great deal.

Now, I have purchased some things on Black Friday. What I do is make up my list for Christmas (or even things I need personally around the house) before I even look at the flyers and advertisements. Then I see if there is anything on my list. If there is, and it is a good deal, I might venture out to grab that one thing. What I don’t do is look first – it’s amazing how suddenly you need something when you see it is on sale! And that is not how to save a penny!

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I admit it – I bribed one of my children. Our middle child is having some teeth problems. Her baby teeth are not coming out and it is causing some spacing problems and some pain (as the permanent teeth are trying to push out). She has already had two teeth pulled out by the dentist (at $75 a piece).

We took her to the orthodontist last week. They said that she needed two more teeth pulled by the dentist, but also that they felt that one of the teeth was loose and could possibly come out with a little effort.

So we bribed her. Usually the tooth fairy pays a dollar for a tooth (Grandma set the amount!). We told her if she got that tooth out before she got to the dentist we would give her five dollars since it would take some work.

She got it out with some hard work. She got five dollars, I saved $70. A win for the whole family!

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After our little Thanksgiving trip, I needed to stop and fill up our tank with gas. Since we were near Costco I stopped there to get gas. The price was only $3.159. Most gas stations in our area are charging $3.359. So Costco was 20 cents a gallon cheaper! I don’t know if it was a special promo for the holiday or what, but that’s a huge savings.

I only wish our Costco was closer so I could fill up there all the time!

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I like to save money. If you haven’t priced mattresses lately they are expensive! So my wife and I diligently follow the instructions that came with our last mattress (now over eight years old and doing great!).

Once a month we either rotate or flip our mattress. On the even months we rotate it – putting where are head rests down where our feet go, and vice-versa. On the odd months we flip it – the underside becomes the top side and then the topside becomes the bottom side. It doesn’t take very long – maybe ten minutes to take the sheets and blankets off, flip or rotate, then make the bed. But it helps the bed to wear longer and evenly, keeps the mattress firm, and helps us stay comfortable and get a good nights rest!

Saving money and getting a good nights sleep – what’s not to like!

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If you want to save money, it will probably be a little inconvenient and require a little more work. For instance, when I went to an amusement park this year, I could have parked right next to the entrance – for an extra $10 fee. We chose instead to walk farther and save the money. Or when I purchase antifreeze for my vehicle I could spend $9.99 on “premixed” antifreeze which is ready to use right from the container, but I choose to buy the concentrate at $7.99 and mix it myself (and get twice as much!). Our family cooks from scratch (tastes better and is healthier!) instead of using “prepared” food which is quicker but more expensive.

Saving money usually requires time and work – but it is worth it! What “conveniences” do you give up to save money?

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