She said “Swagbucks“. I was shocked. I just never took the time to find out what Swagbucks was and whether or not it was legitimate. Which it is. I made her promise to send me the sign up link when she got home.(here’s a link to the Official Swagbucks Website) I had to find out more about this thing called Swagbucks!

As it turned out, Swagbucks was a lot sweeter than what Anne had said it was. She only used it to get free jewelry. That’s her addiction.

Swagbucks is an online website that pays you in “virtual” dollars called Swagbucks. A lot of people refer to them as points, kinda like frequent flyer miles. The more points you accrue, the more merchandise you can get in the Swagbucks store. Think of it like getting free stuff for using Google…only you’re using the Swagbucks search engine instead of the Google search engine.

How to Get Swagbucks Quickly

So how do you get the free stuff from Swagbucks. Well, there are many ways. But first you sign up for a free account. Then you use their search engine to search the Internet just like you would use Google or Yahoo. I actually downloaded the Swagbucks toolbar. This makes it easier to use.

WARNING!! I surfed the Internet for days thinking I was racking up Swagbucks. I wasn’t. I FORGOT TO SIGN INTO MY ACCOUNT BEFORE I SURFED THE INTERNET EACH TIME!!! DUH! You have to sign into your Swagbucks account each time before surfing or it does not know to credit you points. Once I finally figured this out, my points started adding up pretty darn fast!

How do you get Swagbucks?

There are many ways to rack up Swagbucks. I take the daily polls and surveys. Plus I watch Swagbucks TV, which are just online video’s. And I use the toolbar anytime I go anywhere on the Internet and rack up a lot of points that way. There are many other ways, these are just the ones I’m familiar with. I’m sure there’ll be ways you prefer to use.

You can also get Swagbucks through Swagbucks Codes, which I cover on down the page.

What kind of things can you get in the Swagbucks Store?

I’ve seen all types of gear and equipment in the Swagbucks Store. Things from mp3 players to Target gift cards. Video’s, music CD’s, gosh, nearly everything that you’ll find in any other online store. Go check it out for yourself and see what I’m talking about! As I said in the opening, my friend Anne love jewelry and has already acquired quite the collection of some fine rings, necklaces and ear rings!

Can You Make Money With Swagbucks?

I haven’t done it, but I’m hearing from people who are taking things they got on Swagbucks and selling them for top dollar on ebay and craigslist. So yeah, I guess when you look at it that way, you can make money with Swagbucks.

What Are Swagbucks Codes and How Do I Get Them?

I’m just starting to learn about Swagbucks Codes, but from what I understand, Swagbucks codes are special codes they give out every so often throughout the day. Usually these codes are given out for a limited amount of time or for a limited number of users. Once you get the Swagbucks codes, you then go plug them into the Home page and you can receive Swagbucks. From what Anne told me, you can really add up some Swagbucks quickly this way.

Oh yeah, you need to be logged in…LOL…I’m still learning that lesson!

So if you’re like me and surf the Internet a lot looking for information, shopping online, answering and sending email or playing around on Facebook and Twitter, why not be collecting points to get free stuff? Get started today by signing up here!

You see where I’m coming from?

So, the best I could do is to drop a few hints to my husband in hopes that he’ll spring for a pair (or maybe 2?) of these wonderful shoes. If these darn shoes were not so adorable and comfortable (at least in the stores…), then I wouldn’t be fretting over this decision!

I learned a while back about Tory Burch Shoes from a girlfriend of mine. While I haven’t been a big fan of the other products in the line, I am somewhat of a shoe freak. I like good quality shoes that treat my feet right! So my friend had a pair of these shoes and insisted that I try them on. Since we both wear the same size shoes, I thought “What the heck, I’ll appease her to get her to shut up about these shoes!”

Little did I know how comfortable these shoes were going to be!

Once I tried them on, it was like a “A HA!” moment. I heard harps and horns playing…the room seemed a little brighter…it was then I knew, I HAD to have a pair of these shoes!

But then she told me what she had paid for them! My world came crashing down. It’s not that I can’t afford my own pair of Tory Burch Shoes, but I’m a person who frets over whether or not to spend $29.99 on a pair of Winner Choices shoes at Wal-Mart!

So I’ve come to the conclusion that if I do get a pair of these shoes, it will be my Husband and Santa Claus who get them for me. Afterall, who am I to argue with either one if they want to get me a pair of these shoes?

So here are a few things I’ve tried in the past or things I currently do to save money on my grocery bill.

Shop the Warehouse Clubs

I’m going to admit it, I love Sam’s Club! Oh my gosh, who would have thought an average stay at home Mom like me could buy a huge bag of Pinto beans? Or two huge bottles of Heinz Ketchup for the price of a regular size one in my local Supermarket?

Warehouse clubs will help you if you use them the way they were designed to be used. And that’s buying some things in bulk that you use a lot of. Around my house, we use a lot of Paper towels so we buy in bulk from Sam’s.

But for the life of me, every time I go in there, I see people buying a few small things, just like they were in a convenience store! What’s up with that? Why would someone go to the hassle of buying a few low cost items in a Warehouse Club when they could save time, and probably money, by buying it at their local Supermarket?

Which leads me to another thing. You want to know what the items you buy a lot of cost and then break down the cost per unit. You’ll find that some Supermarkets actually have lower prices than the Warehouse clubs! But you have to put a little time and effort into your grocery budget to know whether or not your really saving money or just stocking your house with 30 pound bags of rice you’ll never get around to using!

Shop Once A Month

There was a time that I would run to the grocery store every other day for an item or two that I had let run out at the house. Not any longer.

I try and make one trip to a Warehouse store each month and one to a Supermarket each month. This means you’ll need to learn how to put up groceries properly. Especially meat and fresh vegetables. Now when they’re in season, I do visit a Farmer’s Market on Thursday afternoons or Saturday mornings for fresh produce. But other times of the year, it’s canned or frozen veggies most of the time (the imported produce that was picked green and shipped from out of the country or across the country, just doesn’t have the flavor or nutrients that fresh frozen food does!)

You’ll find that if you limit your visits to the store, you won’t be spending as much. That’s because most of us can’t discipline ourselves to buy just what we need. We seem to always see something else we think we need..or a few other things we think we need!

Prepare To Buy On Sales

The only exception to going weekly to the grocery store is when they have a really good, and I mean a REALLY GOOD sale on produce or meats. My family are meat eaters so whenever one of the stores locally has a huge meat sale, we try and stock up. Just be prepared to vacuum seal the meat so it will last longer.

Every once in a while, a local store will have a big sale on canned goods. That’s when I try and stock up on the food we eat the most. If I can’t get it at a good price here, I’ll just wait until my next trip to Sam’s

Why not Coupons?

To be honest, I’ve been trying to get away from coupons. I just don’t seem to get as good as coupons as I once did. Plus, I can’t use most of them at Sam’s and if the local Supermarket is having a sale, they don’t accept coupons on sale items. So you see, although I still use them from time to time, they’re just not as big of money saver as they used to be. Shopping once a month saves me more money that coupons ever did. This is one way to save money on your grocery bill!

5 Tips To Reduce Your Grocery Bill

Make a grocery list and check it twice

No, we’re not talking about Christmas here, I’m talking about a grocery list. Most shoppers just go into the store with their “list” in their heads. Everyone comes out of the store with more items than what they thought they needed. Many times, these items are impulsle buys and were not really needed to begin with. Look, you’re not going to be the Supermarkets at their game, stop trying!

Supermarkets spend millions each year on Consumer research. They know what the average Consumer wants, how they will react to certain stimulus and what will and will not catch your eye and make you buy a certain product over another.

This is one reason that the highest profit margin foods are placed at eye level. They make it easy for you to reach out and throw it in your basket.

Time and Time again, studies have show that people who make out grocery list and spend as little time as possible in a Supermarket spend less money on groceries. Making a list before you go shopping can be the single best way to save money when buying groceries.

Why? Not only do these people have a list, many will also put the list in order of their location in the grocery store. The more time you spend “window shopping” in a Supermarket, the more likely you are to buy something you didn’t need.

In the book “Millionaires MInd”, one of the common traits that Millionaires had were that a majority of them not only made a grocery list, but they also drew maps of their favorite store. On this map each isle was drawn and labled as to what food was on that isle. This way, they started at one end and worked their way down each isle. They never forgot anything so they didn’t have to go back. They spend the least amount of time possible in the Supermarket. These people know how the Supermarket marketing game is played and they know how to beat it.

Coupons, Coupons and more Coupons

Sure, you can save money by cutting coupons out of the Sunday paper. Many people do that and save some big dollars. One huge market for coupons is new mothers looking for free baby samples.

Before we make a major purchase on anything, we always use the Internet to search for coupons. Many retailers put Internet coupons only out there and many people never think about looking for them.

You can also browse coupon forums and exchange coupons with other people. This saves us hundreds of dollars each year on our grocery bill.

However, the best way to utilize coupons is to join a site like The Grocery Game. I knew that I saved a lot of money using The Grocery Game, but had never sit down and figured up how much. Recently, a local TV reporter did a test between two shoppers. She gave each a similar list of groceries and sent them into the store to purchase the items. One believed that using coupons would only save her a few dollars and was not worth the trouble while the other used The Grocery Game to buy her items.

When it came time to ring up the goods, the shopper not using The Grocery Game had a bill for $93. The shopper who used The Grocery Game had a bill of $41. The other shopper was quite amazed and said she would certainly start using The Grocery Game in the future. It works if you’ll take the time to use it!

Angel Food Ministries

When I first heard about Angel Food Ministries, I thought it was only for people down on their luck. But I knew the lady who was telling me about it and she is anything but down on her luck. In fact, her and her family are one of the most diligent in budgeting and saving money that I’ve ever seen.

So I questioned her about the program. She answered all my questions and assured me that Angel Food Ministries was for everyone. She then sent me to the website and I read it over several times. The website says that anyone can use Angel Food Ministries, but I still wasn’t convinced, so I called my local Church where the food will be delivered. The assured me also that the program was for everyone, not only those down on their luck. They went on to say that they receive $1 for every unit sold.

The way Angel Food Ministires works is that you pay up front for a “unit” of food. Each month the unit of food changes, but they say that a unit of food can feed one person for a month. They also have what they call “Specialty Boxes” which are generally meat you can buy in addition to your regular “unit” of food. For example, last month we bought the “Grill Special” which had something like 6 Top Sirloin steaks, a package of pre-formed burgers and something like 4 or 6 ribeye steaks..all for $20!

The cost of each unit is $30 and the cost of a Specialty Box is $20. This food is purchased in bulk from major supplies so you’ll recognize many of the names on the food. Most of the beef comes vacuum packed so it will last a long time in your freezer.

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and quantity of food I received with my box. Now, whenever there is a month with a lot of stuff we like, we buy several “units” and “specialty” boxes and stock up. This program has been the biggest single factor in us reducing our food bill!

Buy in Bulk

Only if you’ve lived under a rock would you not know what a Costco or Sam’s Club is. These are places that sell to business’s at wholesale prices. You buy items in bulk at discount prices. Most of these places require a membership and are not open to the general public. However, it’s reallys simple to get a membership and start saving. Many employers now have memberships to these type of stores as a benefit.

If you don’t have access to one of these membership stores, just go down and open a DBA and then fill out the application at your local membership store. In Texas, it cost $8 at the County Clerks office to open a DBA. A small price to pay for access to all the bulk food and household goods at Sam’s or Costco! Remember, where there’s a will, there’s a way!

The way my family buys in bulk is that we’ll go in together with other family members and compare list. If there are several items we need, then we’ll buy in bulk and split the package up. This further reduces our cost.

One of the favorite things I buy in bulk are styrofoam cups. For $11 i get a huge box of cups and split them with family members. Then when someone wants something to drink, they use a styrofoam cup and do not dirty any dishes. Also, I prefer the styrofaom cups because they keep cold drinks colder and hot drinks hotter!

You can also buy meat and produce from these membership sites, but sink we started using Angel Food Ministries, we haven’t had to buy meat from any place else.

Buy Locally

Just about every city has a Farmers Market. If not, then I bet there’s one not too far down the road. We love going to the farmers market and buying fresh produce. This past weekend we came home with a box of homegrown tomatoes and cucumbers!

We spent most of the weekend canning pickles and all sorts of tomatoe products like Salsa, Pasta Sauce and homemade Tomatoe soup.

Not only can you save money by buying locally, some local farms will actually sell you a membership to their produce. Then, each week you’ll get a box of fresh produce of whatever is in season on the farm. The downside is that you normally have to pay upfront, but with a little budgeting, that is something that can be accomplished.

You’ll also be helping to support local farmers. They raise better products for you and your family than what you can buy at the Supermarket. Most use all natural or Organic practices so you’re not taking in all the chemicals and pesticides like you do when buying Supermarket produce!

You can probably find a local farm in your area by going to LocalHarvest.

We can a lot of food each year. This also helps cut down my grocery bill, especially in the fall and winter when fresh produce is not available locally.

Canning is not as hard as many will have you to believe. As long as you follow some simple instructions, you can enjoy fresh food year round. There’s nothing like sitting down in Januarary to fresh Salsa made from homegrown tomatoes!

Take the time to learn how to can. Get the family involved and it can be a fun family project.

So how much do I save on my grocery bill? Well, I feed a family of 6 and when I sit down last year and calculated up our food cost and then divided by 12 months, it came out to slightly less than $150 per month…and that’s eating good wholesome food like Steaks and fresh produce!

These tips to reduce your grocery bill are simple. All it takes is planning and commitment! You can do it!

It’s no secret that credit card interest rates can go through the roof. I’ll also bet that many of you have no idea how much the interest rate on your credit card is.

Of course, the best way to reduce your credit card interest rate is to just pay them off and cut the card up. I’ve been without a credit card for two years now and I’m loving it. It was strange at first not having a credit card, but what was stranger was not receiving a statement every month. Now I can’t see myself ever having another credit card! My family does have one debit card, which has nearly all the benefits of a credit card should I find myself in an emergency.

The tips below are great. If you’d like more money saving tips, head on over and read Lynsdey‘s financial blog. It’s full of helpful tips and advice on family and personal finance.

How To Get The Credit Card Company To Reduce Your Interest Rate

The easiest and simplest way to get a credit card company to reduce your interest rate is to just call them and ask. Normally, you can find the toll free number on the back of the card or on your credit card statement.

Depending on which Customer Service rep you get, getting them to reduce your interest rate may be easy or difficult. If you’ve been paying your bill on time, you’ll find it a lot easier to deal with these people than if you’re habitually late in making your payment.

Here is a script I found that will work very well. The script is from Jean Chatzky.

“I have [name of card] with you and my interest rate is [X] percent. I received another offer in the mail from [other bank’s name] for [X] percent, but before I take it, I want to see if you can lower my interest rate instead.”

If the representative says they’re not authorized to do that, you say:

“Look, you and I both know that if I transfer my balance today, next week your bank is going to send me an offer to come back at an even lower rate. Why don’t you just save the bank the cost of that effort by giving me several points today?”

If the rep says it’s not possible because your credit card is at a fixed interest rate, you say:

“Actually, that doesn’t have anything to do with whether or not you have the ability to lower my interest rate. A fixed interest rate only means that my rate doesn’t vary with fluctuations in the prime rate. In fact, the bank can raise it on my account at any time by just giving me 15 days written notice. And the bank can, if it chooses, lower the rate today.”

If the rep still says they’re not authorized to do that, you say:

“I’d like to speak to your supervisor.”

Then speak to a supervisor and follow the above script again.

If the first Customer Service rep will not lower your interest rate, then the Supervisor will nearly always do it (unless you’ve been late or missed payments).

If your credit card company does not lower your interest rate on your credit card, then by all means shop around for a lower interest rate and switch the balance over to them. This takes a little time, but it can add up to huge savings over the long run.

Also remember that the Supervisor you speak to also has a Supervisor. But after talking to two Supervisor’s, you’re probably wasting more time than it’s worth to continually purse a rate reduction with this company. Your better off switching to another credit card company.

If you have a low, or no, balance on your credit card, you may find that it’s difficult to get the company to reduce your credit card interest also. If you haven’t guessed, credit card companies love customers with high balances! You’ll just have to be more persistent in your negotiations with the company to get your interest rate reduced.

This the most popular, and most successful way I’ve found on how to reduce your credit card interest rates. Other methods may work, but you’ll have more success with this one!