Tag: She Makes Cents

{Money Journal} The Pros and Cons to Credit Card Upgrades

Published on by Danielle YB Vason2 Comments

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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Email SMC: shemakescents@gmail.com

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

Published on by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

 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

{The Green Experiment} How Going Green Can Save You Green

Published on by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

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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{Every Woman Should…} Have An Updated Passport

Published on by Danielle YB Vason4 Comments

“You don’t have enough stamps in your passport”… (In my Jay-z voice)

 I had dinner a couple of weeks ago with a friend (hi Rashell) who mentioned that when she gets the opportunity to speak, one on one, with more seasoned women, she asks them, “if you can do it all over, what would you do differently”? I thought this was a very interesting question that could provide a great life lessons. So, when I got the opportunity to ask the same question to some women I know, I was surprised by one subject that continued to come up- TRAVEL. It made me think of a conversation with someone very close to me who told me that she never thought she would reach this point in her life and never seen the world. Her answer prompted a very simple follow up question from me, why not? Her answer – time and money. This conversation has stuck in my mind since early this year, giving me the extra push to get myself together before I’m looking back thinking shoulda, coulda, woulda, myself. I believe every woman should have a passport whether one has travel plans or not. It’s a first step that provides options to go nearly anywhere in the world and the freedom to do it when you want. Looking back, I am saddened by that particular conversation, but also blessed by the lesson learned. Life is short and while I enjoy making a list of all of the things I want to do while here on Earth, it’s more important to actually start crossing some things off! I got my passport in the mail last week. Number 12 of my bucket list is now crossed off with the plan to have a couple of stamps in it before the start of 2013. 

For more information about the passport application and renewal procedures, click here!

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{Fashion DIY} Fabulous Monogrammed Wristlet

Published on by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

I came across this picture sometime last week while browsing through Pinterest and I fell in love. It’s a Fashion DIY from the blog, Little Green Notebook. Based off the great job that Jenny did, I thought I would try it. August is a busy month for birthdays (including mine) and I thought something cute, simple, personalized, and most important, not terribly expensive, would be a great gift.  I thought to myself, buying something like this will cost you $$$, but DIYing it could be fun and worth and the savings.  So immediately, the Mr. and I drove to the closest H&M to see what wristlet I could find to try this project out on. Unfortunately, I did not see the same pattern as pictured below, but it made me remember this cute little Chevron patterned wristlet I saw on Esty (I’m totally going through a Chevron phase). 

Check out my inspiration picture!

Pinned Image

Photo Credit: Little Green Notebook

Click here to see Jenny’s project from start to finish!

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5 Healthy Spa Treatments You Can Do From Home

Published on by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment
Credit: Andirou.tumblur.com

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{Sneak Peek} Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale Catalog Preview

Published on by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

I told you I would feed your fashion fix with sneak peek from the Nordstrom’s Anniversary Sale Catalog. I present to you three of my favorite pages.

Check it out!

To see more looks from the Anniversary Sale Catalog, click here!

What are you looking for to seeing on SALE?

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Email SMC: shemakescents@gmail.com

{Thank You Fashion Gods}Target & Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection

Published on by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

Christmas in July!

Target and Neiman Marcus, two visionaries in the retail industry, today announced a revolutionary partnership that will bring together 24 of America’s most talented designers to create a limited-edition holiday collection. Beginning Dec. 1, just in time for the busy holiday shopping season, the collection will be available at all Target and Neiman Marcus stores, as well as online at Target.com and NeimanMarcus.com.

The Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection includes an eclectic and diverse mix of more than 50 limited-edition gifting products. The collection ranges from $7.99 to $499.99, with most items less than $60. Designers who created pieces for the collection include:

For decades, Target and Neiman Marcus have shared a commitment to incredible design and innovative retail experiences. By partnering together, the retailers are harnessing the power of both their beloved brands to offer shoppers a truly unforgettable holiday collection. To celebrate the unprecedented partnership, Target and Neiman Marcus are donating a total of $1 million to the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). The donation underscores the retailers’ long-standing commitment to fostering design talent and recognizes the 24 designers, all of whom are members of the CFDA.

“I can think of no better finale to CFDA’s 50th Anniversary celebration than through this extraordinary designer collaboration,” said CFDA President Diane von Furstenberg. “As designers, creativity is our best gift, and with the generous support of Neiman Marcus and Target, we are happy to have created specially designed products as a thank you to share with our consumers and friends.”

More information about the Target + Neiman Marcus Holiday Collection, including details about the products created by each designer for this limited-edition engagement, will be available in the fall of 2012. In the meantime, updates on the partnership will be shared via ABullseyeView.com and NMdaily.com. On Twitter, design enthusiasts can follow @ABullseyeView or @NeimanMarcus, #Holiday24 and as always I will post updates at She Makes Cents!

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