{TGIF} Cheers to the Weekend!
Monthly Archives: August 2012
{Money Journal} The Pros and Cons to Credit Card Upgrades
On a given week, my mailbox is flooded with credit cards upgrade offers that I immediately place in the recycle bin. It wasn’t until about a month or two ago that I received two separate offers that made me go hmmm…, maybe I should find out more. So off to the bank I went to speak with a representative about the Limitless Card and the Cash Back card.
The Limitless Card
The first offer that intrigued me was one the limitless card, known to me as the Discipline Tester. I sparingly use my card anyway, so a limitless card would actually help boost my credit score because it eliminates the debit to credit ratio for that card. There are several downsides to this type of card, though. For those who are not careful, the limitless factor could entice one to live beyond one’s means; thus, putting the cardholder further into debt. Another disadvantage to this type of card is the higher interest associated with the card… like say around 22%, which would skyrocket even more if you were ever late for a payment. In my opinion, this card is a NO GO!
The Cash Back Card
A cash back credit card is one that offers a percentage spent back to the card holder. It’s great because you can get money back for things you would buy anyway, like gas, groceries, and sometimes travel expenses. It’s also great, because you can have the cash received applied to your credit card bill, into a checking or savings, or in some cases applied to your mortgage. It’s downside- some people get so caught up in the cash rewards that they spend more than they were initially planning on saving. Therefore, you are basically spending money to get a deal…again, NOT GOOD!
Between the two cards, I did choose to upgrade to the cash back card. I found myself briefly falling into the spending trap of the cash rewards card. On a positive note, the cash back rewards seem to be accumulating much faster than the reward points system of my previous card and I will use that money to in turn, pay down my debt. More updates to come as I feel how it is working out.
Questions About Credit Card? Contact Us!
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(Wise Words) Just Do It!
{Note from the Editor} Be Nice or Leave!
So, I received a comment on the blog last week that I was apprehensive to approve for public viewing. It was on the post about Dave Ramsey envelope system and after much debate, I chose not to post it. While I try to be transparent in my writing, I also like to present as positive of a public image as possible. While I thought the delivery of the comment was a little discourteous, I do think the some points were valid and for that, I am addressing some of the commenter’s points. In my research for my own financial sanity, I come across all types of tips and tricks. My inspiration for posts comes from a myriad of places and I make a note to give credit or link back, if the writing is not my original content. While I don’t like to be called “lazy”, I do agree that my own spin on things that are reblogged would add a personal touch. To my readers, thank you for your continued support. Please know, I welcome criticism and suggestions…I am a big girl after all; however, I don’t acknowledge negativity. If you can’t find a polite way to say it, then it might not be wise to try to say it here. You know you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. Now back to our regularly scheduled posts.
Make Your Own Laptop Case! [DIY With CC]
I finally replaced my barely working laptop with a new model, so now I'm on the lookout for a cute case to protect it. After scouring amazon and finding nothing, I was so pleased to find this tutorial on making my very own laptop sleeve. As school is starting up again soon; why not make yourself a pretty new laptop case?
I have been searching Etsy for a new iPad case, when I came across this awesome DIY from College Candy! Check it out!
{Wise Words} Here’s to Good Women
{Wise Words} Light At The End of the Tunnel
My “Wise Words” for today is dedicated to an awesome recent grad that I know! For my recent grads, if you are having a tough time, please know that everyone experiences this and it will get better!
{B-day Swag} How To Get Free Stuff on Your Birthday
Calling all Birthday Girls!
As I sit at the computer looking for a birthday dress, I realize that my birthday is right around the corner. But enough about my b-day. I know so many amazing people who are August babies that by the time mine comes around, I am exhausted from the celebrations! This post is for all everyone out there celebrating birthdays, especially those celebrating birthdays today: Kaylah, Nicole, Amanda, Tanika. Last year to the day, I wrote a post about birthday freebies . Now I am here to tell you what actually worked and what didn’t.
My Highest Ranked Birthday Freebie
Hands down- the best freebie I have EVER signed up for is the Chef’s Table from Bennihana! I happily used my $30 gift certificate and enjoyed an amazing evening with one of my really good friends. In addition to the amount of the gift certificate, I can’t help but love that you get an entire month to use it. With my busy work/social schedule, I can sometimes be difficult to try to claim all of the free deals in one day….especially when you should be out painting the town….well PINK!
My Own Epic Fail
I called myself signing up for the birthday club at Moes and for whatever reason, it did not workL. I’m sure this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but I was really looking forward to my FREE burritos (I crave Moes all the time). This year, I will make sure I have a paper copy of my birthday email to show.
Other Companies That Offer Birthday Freebies
- Bath & Body Works
- DSW
- Victoria Secret
- Melting Pot
- Waffle House- don’t judge me, I’m from Atlanta
- Aveda- just signed up today!
- Sephora- just signed up today!
- Starbucks- free coffee (yum)
Tips from the pros
There’s an art to grabbing gratis goodies. Keep these strategies in mind:
- Set up a dedicated email account for birthday swag. Even if a business promises not to sell your info to marketers, it will likely send regular messages about sales and promotions.
- Sign up for multiple offers, then s-t-r-e-t-c-h that celebration by dining or going out for dessert out as many times as you can in your birthday month. It helps to have friends who don’t mind being the buy-one half of the BOGO offers.
- Call to make sure the local store accepts an offer (some franchisees opt out of national promotions).
- Bring your ID and a printout of the offer, and tell the server ahead of time, not after the check has arrived.
- When dining out, base your tip on what you would have paid, not what you actually paid.
- Once your child ages out of the kiddie offers, sign him or her up for the appropriate grownup ones.
- If it’s a “no purchase required” offer, such as a free bath product, don’t feel obligated to buy something. Just say “thank you” and go.
Happy Birthday!
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{The Green Experiment} How Going Green Can Save You Green
The Green Experiment, have you heard of it? If not, let me be the first to introduce how “going green” with your finances could really save you money. At its most basic level, it is doing away with your debit and credit cards and living off cash for a specified period of time. Did you know that most people spend more when they pay with cards over cash? One psychologically reason for this is that people can’t “see” the money dwindle down when using cards. If you are using the oh so fab, envelope system, you are already living a green life. For others, this experiment might not be as easy as it sounds. For those of you up for the challenge, let’s see how you do for ONE week with cash only. My thoughts… you will start saving money because you can physically see your wad dwindle with every purchase. Hopefully, this will cause you to determine to spend or to save. Sophia Banay from Glamour magazine adds, “all you need to determine whether you can afford something is peek in your wallet.” If you are down for the challenge, She Makes Cents is going green starting Sunday, August 5th.
Are You Down for the Challenge?
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