Category Archives: She Makes Cents (Money Journal)

{B-day Swag} How To Get Free Stuff on Your Birthday

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 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

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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Email SMC: shemakescents@gmail.com

{Update} Confession of my New Year Resolutions

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New Year’s Resolutions???  That’s so January… Save more money. Eat right. Exercise more. I remember having to try at my goals again after an epic fail the first time around. I think the problem with New Year’s Resolutions is that people set either too many goals or a couple of unrealistic goals. This is why after a couple of days, resolutions seem impossible. Throughout the year, I promised to share my game plan to accomplish some of my goals and resolutions for the year- so here you go!

Check out some of my favs!

Start Putting Money Away for Emergencies

She Makes Cents

January 24, 2012: Since I’m being honest, I might as well go all in. Currently, my emergency fund looks like the sad little piggy pictured above. That’s right, even She Makes Cents, has to get her own finances together sometimes. I almost depleted my fund when… an emergency came up. I am so glad that I got myself into the habit of saving for the unexpected because life would have been so much harder without one.

April 4, 2012:  I have started my emergency fund again and I must say it feels good.  I really hope it will be a long time before I have to tap into it since there isn’t much in there and two, no one likes emergencies.

Cook More, Eat Out Less

January 24, 2012:The Mr. and I love trying new restaurant spots; consequently, we have gotten in the habit of going to restaurants multiple times a week. Sometimes, I even eat out multiple times a day. While examining our finances, we both concluded that we can’t save if we are constantly spending on dinners out every night, plus tips for the servers, plus parking. Do you see how quickly it can add up? Not only are we spending too much, but it is counteracting to my bangin’ body goal.

April 4, 2012: Well….we still eat out, but we are now more conscious of it.  Using the envelope system has really helped with this one.  I set aside a certain amount of money per check for non-grocery food expenses.  For example, I stopped at Smoothie King this morning for a Pineapple Surf and used my “restaurant fund” to essentially…fund it.  The envelope system, regarding eating out, has also forced me to really think about my motivation.  Am I really hungry?  Am I going to be social?  Now, I need to work on the “cook more” portion of this resolution.


Bangin’ Body 2012

January 24, 2012:I think this one is a little self-explanatory. I will just let these swimsuits be my inspiration. I say show it while you got it…so I have to get mine tight. Get it right, get it tight 2012!!!

April 4 2012:  I am pleased to announce that I am actually starting to see a difference in my tummy. I started jogging, stretching, and taking the dog out for longer walks.  I am also trying to eat a little better, so once swimsuit season officially begins, I hope to have accomplished my goal of losing 2 to 3 inches.  As of yesterday, I’m already down an inch.

She Makes Cents get abs

She Makes Cents


Reduce Impulse Shopping


See the World

She Makes Cents svae money
April 4 2012: So my Dad and I are getting our passports updated this week.  This is very necessary since I will be celebrating the Mr.’s 30th birthday in Germany among other places. 

Overall, I’d say that I’m not too far off of my goals for 2012.  While I could be doing better in some areas, I could also be doing A LOT worse.  In fact, as I accomplish my goals, I will start replacing them with new goals.

Let’s Connect!

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inform and inspire ways to use your “cents” to live a fab life

Whose Lifestyle Are You Funding? Yours or HERS?

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Are you trying to keep up with the Joneses?
How about the Housewives on Bravo? If so, you are probably guilty of spending money on the life you thought you lived, rather than the life you are actually living. The number of adults who try to emulate and even compete with their friends, foes, and even strangers on television is appalling. As a child of the entertainment industry, my parents told me at a rather young age that the majority of things you see on television are not real. What is real, though, is the increasing amount of debt that people are incurring doing this.


I was reading an article last week by author by April Dykman of Get Rich Slowly. The premise of the article was that idea that people spend for the lifestyle they want as opposed to the lifestyle one currently has. Dykman maintains that, “If you’re paying for a life you have only sometimes, you’re stealing from your most-of-the-time life. And breaking that habit can make you a whole lot happier”. This got me thinking… am I doing this? Am I spending for the lifestyle I want versus the lifestyle I have? In being honest, I’m not entirely sure. Dykman continues, “I tend to give too much thought to what I do once in a while and not enough weight to what I do every day. For example, I wear running shoes 29 days out of 30 days a month, yet I have three pairs of black flats and only one pair of running shoes.”

Click here to read Dykman’s Save on The Things You Do Daily .

What do you think ?

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The Envelope System Saves $$$

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SMC on The Envelope System

Someone pinned this picture on Pinterest of them dividing their money into different envelops as suggested by financial expert, Dave Ramsey. His explanation of the envelope system was simple and made cents/sense, so I thought I’d share it. My thoughts are in PINK, of course. … Continue reading →

Confession of my New Year Resolutions

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Question… have you already started to deviate from your New Year’s Resolutions? Save more money. Eat right. Exercise more. I have. Two days ago, while taking the time to make my vision board for the new year, I decided to try at these goals again. I think the problem with New Year’s Resolutions is that people set either too many goals or a couple of unrealistic goals. This is why after a couple of days, resolutions seem impossible. Throughout the year, I will share my game plan to accomplish some of my goals and resolutions for the year.

Check out some of my favs!

Start Putting Money Away for Emergencies

She Makes Cents

Since I’m being honest, I might as well go all in. Currently, my emergency fund looks like the sad little piggy pictured above. That’s right, even She Makes Cents, has to get her own finances together sometimes. I almost depleted my fund when… an emergency came up. I am so glad that I got myself into the habit of saving for the unexpected because life would have been so much harder without one.

Cook More, Eat Out Less

The Mr. and I love trying new restaurant spots; consequently, we have gotten in the habit of going to restaurants multiple times a week. Sometimes, I even eat out multiple times a day. While examining our finances, we both concluded that we can’t save if we are constantly spending on dinners out every night, plus tips for the servers, plus parking. Do you see how quickly it can add up? Not only are we spending too much, but it is counteractive to my bangin’ body goal.


Bangin’ Body 2012

I think this one is a little self-explanatory. I will just let these swimsuits be my inspiration. I say show it while you got it…so I have to get mine tight. Get it right, get it tight 2012!!!

She Makes Cents get abs

She Makes Cents


Reduce Impulse Shopping


See the World

She Makes Cents svae money
Stay tuned to see how these resolutions play out. First up in my 2012 Resolution Series will be “Stop Impulse Shopping” in which I will share my game plan to reduce and eventually quit impulse shopping all together. Until then, I’d love to hear what is on your list.

What’s on your list?

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inform and inspire ways to use your “cents” to live a fab life

100 Ways to Save Money!!

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98…99…100 ways to save!


It has been a while……a long while, since I have had the opportunity to just be still and enjoy one of my favorite Sunday pastimes, reading other peoples’ blogs. In doing so, I can across a post about savvy ways to save your hard earned money. I think some of the points are great and they force you to think before you spend. With the holidays coming up, the urge to overspend is heightened as many people correlate gifts with love. Then what happens? Saving money, along with losing weight, rises to the top of many New Year’s Resolution List. Savvy Girl, from 24savvy.com, created her “100 Savvy Ways to Save” (to check it out, click here).

I’d Love to hear what you think!

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inform and inspire ways to use your “cents” to live a fab life


Changes in Our “New” Economy

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How do you save money?

This morning I replied to the question,What lifestyle changes have you made in our “new” economy?   Here is my reply:

Creating the blog She Makes Cents, has been one way were I am held accountable for my financial decision…since I’m blogging about it. In our “new” economy and for research for my site, I now do the following:

  • I make spending and saving goals for the month. Then I tell the people around me my goals. That way, when I start to slip or go regress to old habits, I have a support system to help keep me on track.
  • I am notorious for going to restaurants multiple times a week. I now make sure I eat before leaving the house and I pack fruit and random snacks in my bag. That way, when I start to get “snacky” I don’t have to make a trip to the vending machine, closet Chick-fil-A, or restaurant.
  • I track my spending. EVERYTHING! I tried it because of a suggestion from this financial writer. It really adds some perspective to your spending habits and it made/makes me think hard about my purchases and the motivation/emotion behind them. (You can download the original template I used from author Catey Hill, here).
  • I opened an alternate email account and I send email coupons and store sign ups here.
  • Before I go out, I check out Groupon Now, HalfOffDepot.com, & Living Social. Why pay full price when you can get a better deal on the same product and service?

    I have more tips; check out SMC Money Journal & Fix Your Finances!

This question got me thinking about you SMC readers.

What changes have you made, if any, in our “new” economy?

Have you benefitted from any advice you read on here?

I’d love to hear from YOU!

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August Financial Goals

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On April 13, 2011, I gave my SMC readers an update to my Spending Diet from the month before. For an entire month, I wrote down everything I spent my money on and doing so revealed so much about my spending habits. I now have to confess that my April Spending Diet was the last time I took part in tracking every expense. Since August 1st is right around the corner, I have decided to get back on the financial hot tamale train, and take back control of my finances. First, I will make a budget for the month and then I will keep up with my version of Catey Hill’s Spending Chart.

For the month of August I plan to:

Cut Back on Eating Out

(except birthday celebrations, of course)

Consolidate Trips

Stick to my Grocery List

Eat Before Leaving the House

Lock Up the Credit Card for the Entire Month

Review My Finances Daily

Sharing is Caring!

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Reduce Your Student Loan Debt Class of 2011

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Graduation

Congratulations to the Class of 2011. That’s right, graduation season is here and for those who believe the world is going to end tomorrow, you are in luck! You see, dear ole Sallie Mae is coming for you 6 months to the day that you walk across that stage… but if the world ends, you don’t have to worry about student loans and the debt that comes with it, now do you? If I were as sure as others that the world is about to end, I would have chucked the deuces at my girl, Sallie in a heartbeat. Let me just say that student loans and the debt that comes with it are not all bad and while you could believe months from now that Sallie Mae is the devil, she doesn’t have to be. Think about it, Sallie was like your home girl, bestie, or fav from school who let you borrow a few hundred or thousand dollars here or there when you needed that new computer, housing, or were falling financially shy of your balance to register for class. She said, “Don’t worry about it; I’ll take care of it. You will pay me back someday”. Well recent graduates, someday is sooner than you think! She wants her money NOW!!!

Here are some steps that should help you adjust to the change in your relationship:

  • Don’t Fall for the Minimum Payment Game. If you can, always pay more than the minimum payment. The same rules for paying the minimum of credit cards apply here. You can do this one of two ways. For an entire year, I paid my Sallie Mae bill twice (the 15th and the last day of every month). Doing so, allowed me to get my payments a year in advance so while I was not working, my Sallie Mae bill was still current. One thing I would point out, that I actually forgot during my year off from paying Sallie Mae, is that interest accrues daily. If I had the opportunity to do it again, I would still pay twice but I would apply the first payment to current bill and the second full payment to the balance. That way, I will pay the balance down without wasting extra money on interest. Plus, doing this will shorten the life of the loan.
  • Find out if there is a pre-payment penalty for your loan(s). If there is no penalty, you should set aside some graduation money and start paying down your BALANCE before your official payments begin.
  • Consolidate. Consolidating your student loan(s) means that you take out a new loan to cover all of your old loans.
    Instead of have a bunch of different loans, you now make one payment that represents a combination of all of your student loan debt. No more multiple payments and due dates. Plus, you can take the lowest interest rate to apply to your newly consolidated loan, lower your monthly payments, and easily apply for alternate payment plans if your financial situation changes. As with most things, consolidating has its cons. Some have pre-payment penalties (mine didn’t), lowering your monthly payments could end up in extending the life of your loan, and there is the potential for more interest. Do your homework for this one- what works for one does not work for all.
  • Student Loan Debt is a good thing? Yep. Paying off your student loans is an excellent way to establish good credit. If you pay on time and pay more than the minimum, you will be well on your way to good credit. Visit, here, to learn other ways to raise your credit score.

Let us end this post on a fantastic note, congratulating the graduates of 2011. If you graduated this year, congrats to you as well.

Congrats to the Following Graduates

De’Jonique Garrison

Micki Jackson

Teraneshia Nash

Jay Cuyler

Cameisha Clark

Serena Rogers

_________________________________________

Lauren Travis, JD

Christian Mitchell, MA

Tiffany Davenport, DPT

Akilah Bacy, JD

 

 

 

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SMC Answers Email Question: How to Get the Most Out of Coupons

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Today, I will be providing information to answer an email question that was submitted to She Makes Cents via my About.Me page, which by the way you should totally check out!

I’m trying the coupon bit, can you please show me how to use them, I guess coupon 101, and how to get the most out of my coupons, I often see where folks buy $600.00- 1100.00 in value , but pay $50.00 or less, can you teach me how to do that?

First off, congratulations on making the decision to start reevaluating ways to make your money work for you and not the other way around. To be honest, I do not coupon to this degree where I buy ”$600.00-$1100.00 in value, but pay [around] $50.00 or less”, but I have seen it done. If this is the level of couponing that you aspire to, then there are a few things that you must consider:

  • Keep an ongoing grocery list. This helpful because it I find it easier to jot down an item I’m running low on or completely out of when I’m thinking about it. That way, it ensures that it makes it on my list. If I start a grocery list right before I go to the store, I risk forgetting something I actually need or spending money on products that I didn’t know I already had.

     

  • You must be extremely organized. Keeping up with coupons to multiple stores can easily become overwhelming if you do not have a system in place. Reuse a folder or an old note book where you store your coupons. Find a way of filing that works for you. For example, you can store coupons by type of product (groceries, health and beauty, fashion, restaurants, etc) or by store.

 

  • Don’t get tricked into buying things you don’t need. Stick to your list. Review your ongoing list before you actually go shopping. Then compare the list of items (including specific brands) on your list to your library of coupons you have compiled and filed away oh so neatly in your folder or notebook. Just because the coupons mentions that you have to buy three of the same products to get .75 off, doesn’t mean it is a good deal. Who really needs three containers of mayonnaise any ways?  Remember the tour of Amanda’s stockpile from TLC’s Extreme Couponing?

 

  • Know the stores’ policy about couponing. Some stores allow manufactures coupons and some don’t. In addition, some stores allow the practice of double couponing and some don’t.

 

  • Read the small print. So this one is self explanatory, yet few people actually take the time to read the tiny print. Think about it for a second, they make it small for a reason. It’s better to know the limitations of the deal before your get to the cash register.

 HOW TO SPEND $16 FOR $75 WORTH OF STUFF AT TARGET

 

CHECK OUT WHAT $20 AND COUPONS WILL GET YOU…YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE IT

 

 

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