8 Tips To Keep Your Money Safe When You Shop!

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December 10, 2016 Dian Leave a Comment

8 Tips To Keep Your Money Safe When You Shop!

Shopping online has become much more popular recently. It is just so convenient. I know for me, I am sitting at my desk working and I think of something I want or need and I immediately look it up online and sometimes go right ahead and purchase it then.

I think that we are so into instant gratification, I know I am, I love the companies who deliver to my home in the same day! Last year our baby granddaughter was sick and we needed to take her temperature and we didn’t have a thermometer. I looked up on my phone and found one, bought it, and it was delivered in 2 hours!

For a while shopping online didn’t really take off because so many people were afraid to give out info and card numbers online. Afraid their identity or credit card info would be stolen. That has turned out to be a valid concern as many people have had that happen.

But, it’s not just online – more than once I had my card info stolen from eating out. One time a young man bought a tank full of gas and one time my company caught it as someone in NY tried to order 60 pizzas with my info! lol

The police suggested I “follow my card”, so when we eat out – I don’t hand the card to my server, I go with them and watch them slide it. The Police told me that a server may drop your card right at your table and they have a card reader strapped at their ankle hidden by their pants leg and they will slide your card when they “pick it up”.

Consumers are expected to do so much of their shopping online this year that delivery companies like UPS and FedEx are projecting increases of deliveries of at least 10 percent and will hire record numbers of seasonal employees.

Some apartment complexes expect to be so overwhelmed by deliveries they have informed residents that they will no longer be accepting packages at the office and boxes will be left at apartment doors. While online shopping can be incredibly convenient instead of running to multiple stores searching for gifts, and it gives consumers the opportunity to cash in on exclusive savings, hackers are also planning for the influx of online orders.

Before swiping a card at a store or hitting enter to place an online order, ensure the safety of a purchase by following these tips:

Go Digital. Using a digital wallet in stores can protect you from having your credit card information stolen via a skimmer or other device.

Use Pre-Paid Cards. Online bargains can be hard to pass up during the holiday season as many sites offer deep discounts and free shipping. Avoiding driving in unfavorable weather and long lines at the registers also equal holiday joy, but only if precautions are taken to help prevent that joy from turning to regret when the bill arrives. Using pre-paid credit cards that are not linked to your bank account or credit history can stop thieves from accessing and using your financial information if the site you shop on ends up being hacked.

Avoid Links. If a smoking deal for a television, smartphone or other must-have item arrives in your inbox, do not click on it (unless it’s my FREE daily email newsletter – it is safe 🙂 ). Instead, open your web browser and type in the direct URL for that store. Or, call a nearby location to verify the offer is real and not a spoof a criminal made to look like a real offer.

Create unique usernames. Just like it is a bad idea to use the same password for all your online accounts, using the same username can also be a big mistake, especially if you use that same log in for email and social media. To keep your online history private from criminals, create a unique username for each website on which you shop. For example, YourName+StoreName is a better username than your name plus a few numbers.

Read the Privacy Statement. Or, just skip online shopping altogether. Simply scrolling through and accepting the terms and conditions of every website you shop on without reading the details could mean you are signing away your right to privacy. You could be agreeing for retailers to sell your information without realizing it.

Additionally, if you use one email address you are making it easy for cyber criminals to hack into every online account you have ever created. From bank accounts to credit cards, social media and online shopping accounts – if your one email address is attached to every account you use online, hackers can track that address to find all of your accounts and attempt to access them. Rather than leaving a trail of breadcrumbs revealing to thieves all of your online activities, its time to start creating dozens of email addresses.

Some email providers including Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo allow users to alter their email address into infinite number of disposable addresses. For example if your email address is GroceryShopForFREE@gmail.com and you want to sign up for a new deal website you can alter your email address just for that site by adding an identifier to it. Your new email address for that site could be GroceryShopForFREE+FREE[email protected]. This keeps your actual email address private and can help stop criminals from being able to track your online history simply by searching for one of your email addresses.

In addition to not using your unaltered email address as a username for online accounts, the following common mistakes should also be avoided.

Including All or Part of Your Name – business professionals and students often use a variation of their full name as an email address, on social media and other online forums. While people might be able to easily search for and follow or friend you, you are also making it easier for criminals to do the same.

Revealing Details About Your Location – whether it is the city you reside in now or where you were born including a meaningful location in your username is never a good idea. Not only is it one more tool criminals can use to narrow their search for your personal details, it is also a common password security question.

Using Your Birthday or Other Meaningful Numbers – While a string of four to eight numbers might seem random a criminal will be able to use a birthday or street address to verify if the information they are accumulating is all for the same person.

For more information about protecting your security and privacy online, visit: www.sndr.com.

SNDR™ is a new app that combines all the ways you already communicate into a single platform. You can text, email, share files and use social media all from one app. And, every message is encrypted and completely secure.

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How Does Target’s Cartwheel App Work? Here’s A FREE Tutorial!

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August 21, 2016 Dian Leave a Comment

Target’s Cartwheel app is one of the most valuable and easy to use apps I have seen and I am growing to love it the more I use it. Of course with all apps you can use it without having to clip any coupons, but, with this one you can get percentage’s off on things you buy anyway! So, you’re able to save on your normal shopping just by using the app.

So, if you’ve never used it let’s start at the beginning:

What Is Target’s Cartwheel App?

Target’s Cartwheel App is a FREE app that you can download on your mobile device OR (so nice) you can use it on your computer, too! Basically there are new offers all the time where you can get 5% to 50% off on certain items. You scroll through the offers and choose the ones you want and then when you shop you just show the barcode to your cashier and they will scan it and all of your offers are taken off there, right at checkout. So easy! I love coupons, but, wouldn’t it be so much nicer if you could do this with coupons? It would save everyone time – you choose them all and then just show one barcode to the cashier and they all come off at once?

How Does Target’s Cartwheel App Work? Here’s A FREE Tutorial!

You can sign up for Target’s Cartwheel savings program <—- here. Once you do everytime you login it’s super simple – you can login with Facebook, or Google or your email, so signing in is super simple, too:

How Do I Use Target’s Cartwheel Savings Program Without A Smartphone?

You can easily use it on your computer and then print out your barcode before you head to the store. Once you have chosen your items and you see the barcode on your computer, just print it out and use it at the register. The cashier will just need to scan it, and not take it from you. Which is good BECAUSE the barcode doesn’t change! You’ll only need to print it out once. So, you can just keep it in your coupon binder, wallet, or whatever is handy for you! Again – so easy, right?! Every time you add new offers to your Cartwheel, it’s added to the barcode you have already printed out.

Can You Use Cartwheel Offers AND Coupons On The Same Item?

Yes and this is what makes this program probably the bestI have ever seen. You can actually use a Cartwheel offer, a manfacturer coupons, AND a Target coupon all on the same item PLUS your Target REDcard!

Yes! This is one of the reasons why I love the Cartwheel program. Cartwheel offers can be stacked with a manufacturer coupon, a Target coupon, as well as your Target REDcard! The Cartwheel offer will discount after the value of the Target coupon is applied. Don’t forget my Favorite Money Saving Phone Apps, (I’ll be adding the Cartwheel to it, very soon!), these can be used WITH the Target Cartwheel, too!

How Many Times Can I Use A Cartwheel Offer?

You can use a Cartwheel offer up to four times per transaction. If there are other limits you’ll be able to see them stated on the offer. There’s also a limit of one Cartwheel barcode that can be used per transaction and six transactions per day in which you can use your Cartwheel barcode.

Can I Use More Than One Cartwheel Offer Per Transaction? How Many Can I Use At One Time?

When you first sign up for the Target Cartwheel savings program you’ll be able to save 10 offers at a time. But, as you begin to use it more and more you’ll earn more space to add to your list. Once you hit your limit, the app will tell you to remove some offers to free up more space. You’ll be able to unlock Cartwheel badges and earn more space on your list.

You can use all of the offers you have saved on your Cartwheel list at one time. So if you fill up your list with 10 offers you can redeem all 10 at the same time. You can do this 4 times in the same transaction and up to 6 different transactions a day.

How Does My Cartwheel Work With Target Store Coupons And Manufacturer Coupons?

After all of your purchases have been scanned by your cashier, you’ll then hand over your coupons, and after all of that you show the cashier your Cartwheel – at the very end.

Does the Target Cartwheel Savings Come Off Before Or After My Coupons?

When you use coupons with your Cartwheel remember the Cartwheel savings will come off AFTER any Target store coupons have been applied, but, BEFORE any manufacturer coupons. But, you still hand over all of your coupons before you show your Cartwheel.

Here’s what it looks like:

Huggies Diapers – $3.99
– Target Store coupon – $1.00
=$2.99
-5% Target Cartwheel offer
=$2.84
-$2.00 Huggies Diapers manufacturer coupon
Final cost after coupons and Cartwheel = $0.84 (don’t we wish! lol)
Now if you had a RedCard it would be deducted at the VERY end making those diapers just $2.80

That’s a stacking of 5 offers! A sale stacked with a Target store coupon, Target Cartwheel off, Manufacturer coupon, and a RedCard! If you found an offer on another app like my Favorite Money Saving Phone Apps that would make it even better!

When I Am At Target Shopping How Can I See If An Item Has A Cartwheel Offer?

The Target Cartwheel app has a scanner inside it and you can scan items in the store to know if they have an offer! Just open the scanner in the app and scan the item’s barcode to see if it has a Cartwheel offer! How easy is that?!

What Do I Do If The App Doesn’t Work In My Target?

Sometimes the signal isn’t great in the store when we are shopping, but, Target offers FREE wi-fi in store. Just select the Target wi-fi in your settings on your mobile device to connect in store and that should fix the problem. Remember, you don’t have to use the Cartwheel barcode from your mobile device, you can print it out and keep it with you because it never changes.

How Often Does Cartwheel Update? And Does Everyone See The Same Offers?

Every Cartwheel user will see the same offers, Target coupons and most new Cartwheel offers are available on Sunday morning. Always check daily for any special offers, though, you don’t want to miss out. There are often high value offers tat appear randomly so, those are worth keeping an eye out for!

What If The Cartwheel Discount Didn’t Get Applied To My Purchase?

Sometimes the Cartwheel discount doesn’t come off at the register like it should. If this happens, just take your receipt to Guest Services and they’ll fix it for you. Also report any offers that didn’t come off to: cartwheelsupport.target.com/cartwheel.

I hope that answers your questions and makes you confortable enough to start using this app – I have to say I LOVE it! If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask!

What is your favorite part about the Target Cartwheel App? Leave your comments below!

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7 Crazy Easy Ways To Save $1000 By Christmas!

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August 11, 2016 Dian 2 Comments

7 Crazy Easy Ways To Save $1000 By Christmas!

These crazy easy ways to save $1000 by Christmas will help make your gift shopping so much easier. Everyone panics over how to provide their friends and family with great gifts while staying in budget. These tips are a bit outside the box, but great ways to accumulate at least $1000 between now and Christmas to help pay for every gift you want to give.

Have a yard sale. We all have extra junk laying around. As summer months wind down and cooler temperatures approach it is a perfect time to grab those bins of clothes the kids have outgrown, random decorations and any junk that is in good shape to sell and have your very own yard sale. You can cut down on clutter and make a few hundred dollars in one easy morning.

Change your insurance policies. If you haven’t updated your insurance policies it is time to call and compare prices. Start with vehicle insurance, but don’t forget to check into your home owners, renters or even health and life insurance. There are almost always better rates available, as well as things you may be able to drop from policies that are just no longer necessary.

Start a side business. Start a side business doing something you love, or selling something you have created. Everything from fun craft items like wreaths for decorating or handmade scarves and gloves are all easy to make and great ways to make money. Sell cosmetics through a direct sales company, or take on a job pet sitting for your neighbors. Every little bit helps and can easily go toward your $1000 Christmas gift budget.

Cancel your cable or satellite service. This can be a huge waste of $100 or more every month. Invest in a low cost streaming service through Hulu, Netflix or even Amazon Prime and pay $10-$25 a month instead of $50-$100. You’ll still have access to your favorite shows, but you won’t be paying near as much out of pocket.

Cook everything from scratch. Buying processed and canned foods can often cost much more than simply making foods from scratch. Take the time to put into cooking meals from scratch for your family. A solid menu plan and utilizing things like freezer meals and Crock Pot cooking can save tons of money in your grocery budget that is a super easy way to save $1000 by Christmas.

Stop eating out. Even one meal a week out for a family of 4 can be around $40 for just entrées and no drinks. Multiply that by 4-5 weeks in a month and you have up to $200 a month in savings just when you stop eating out.

Take public transit. If you live near a public transit system, take advantage of this and park your car for a few months. Public transit passes can easily be up to half the cost of what you would be putting into you car in gas and maintenance. Even if just for a few months, this can increase savings on transportation and add to your Christmas budget fast.

These crazy easy ways to save $1000 by Christmas are just small things you can change in your daily life without frustration. A little bit of effort on your part can make this Christmas an amazing time of giving.

If you want to start earning money from home and supplement your income why not check out this series: Starting A Blog? Check Out Our Step By Step Guide!

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11 Money Saving Back To School Shopping Tips!

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July 25, 2016 Dian 2 Comments

11 Money Saving Back To School Shopping Tips!

Well it’s that time of year again! School Supply shopping can be expensive with just one kid, but when you have multiple it can be as expensive as Christmas! They want the latest clothes and the coolest notebooks with their favorite characters or cutesy stuff on them. Just trying to afford what they want, let alone finding what they all want, while filling a shopping list that the teacher gave you is exhausting!

There are ways to get around some of those obstacles. Here are 11 Money Saving Back To School Shopping Tips!

Raid Your Own House:

The first place to start is at home. Many of the supplies needed are office supplies and we normally have those already. So, send the kids looking for all of their old leftover supplies, and any that you have a round the house. Then you can make a list and know exactly what you’ll need.

Stock up:

As couponers we know how to stock up when the price is at it’s very lowest. If you wait until it’s “time” to buy your school supplies, they will most likely be at their higher price. So, shop all year for the best deals and stock up to cut down on what you’ll need at the beginning of the school year. Plus, you’ll have plenty to last throughout the school year as well.

Use Coupons:

Ok, you really didn’t think on a site that teaches couponing I wouldn’t mention this one, right? Remember to wait for that rock bottom price on those school supply items and then grab your coupons and stock up!

Shop For Rewards:

This one is good for Back To School shopping as well as the holidays! Shop at places that offer rewards and then save them up! Save your Extra Care Bucks from CVS (at my stores they never expire, check with your store), Register Rewards at Walgreens, and Gift Cards at Target! With the drug store rewards, learn how to roll them to keep them current and even get higher rewards! You can also buy reduced priced gift cards from places like Card Cash, people sell them their unwanted gift cards and you can buy them for less than what they are worth!

Bide Your Time On The Popular Items:

The kids want all the best fun and cute stuff they see and they think their friends will have. But, after that first couple of days of school, that may all change. Then they will be begging for something else. Also, waiting allows you to wait for the school supplies to go on sale. After school starts are when they drop the prices o what’s left, so bide your time to get the best deal.

Watch The End Of Sumner Clearance Sales

Most stores have end of summer clearance sales, there are quite a few things that kids can wear year round, so check out those sales and snatch up what they can use even into the winter.

Keep An Eye Out Online:

There are great online sales that beat in store sales, too. Check out places like Schoola, the clothes are gently worn, are a lot less expensive, and the proceeds go to help schools! They give 40% back to the school of your choice. They often have FREE shipping and they give you $15 when you sign up and $15 for each person you refer (after they sign up and make their first purchase). You an even donate clothes, too!

Tax Free Holiday Shopping:

Always make sure you know when your tax free holiday is and budget to have money ready for that date. Many stores have great sales to coincide with this holiday making even sweeter buys!

Use Price Matching:

Walmart allows you to Ad Match other local stores as well as price match online. If you find a better deal at a local store or online, Walmart will give you that same deal. That saves time and gas! Target also price matches, so be sure to find the stores in your area that do and save yourself time, gas, ad headaches by doing all your shopping in one store.

Garage Sales:

Garage sales and thrift stores are great places to find great deals on clothes and other items, so be sure to check those out all summer. No one wants to think about going back to school during summer vacation, but, it can be the best time to get started!

Find The Best Deals:

The easiest way to find the best deals is to sign up for our daily email, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Follow our Back To School Pinterest Board! Each week we post the best Back To School Deals, so you’ll always know when and where to shop for the best bargains!

Do you have other ways that you save money on Back To School shopping? Please share them in the comments!

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10 Money Saving Tips For Grocery Shopping Without Coupons!

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February 22, 2016 Dian Leave a Comment

10 Money Saving Tips For Grocery Shopping Without Coupons!

When I hear people tell me that they don’t have time to coupon, I hear “I don’t want to coupon.”. It can be an overwhelming undertaking if you don’t know how to get started. I completely understand that, which is why I have so many FREE ways to help you get started:

But, I know there are many people who just don’t believe they have the time or they honestly don’t want to put in the effort and that is fine, there are many ways to save money on groceries without couponing. In fact, I am going to share 10 Money Saving Tips For Grocery Shopping Without Coupons now:

Use Smartphone apps

I LOVE smartphone apps! They are FREE to download to your phone and FREE to use – but, what’s more they make YOU money! Basically most of them are cash back apps where you choose what you are going to purchase and when you have done so, you just scan your receipt into your phone and the app checks it and gives you money back! No coupons needed! Here is my list of 13 FREE Must Have Money Saving Apps!

Don’t Pay The Grocery Store To Do The Work For You

I remember the first time I went to the grocery store and saw already chopped onions prepared for me to purchase. I thought that was the coolest thing ever! Then I thought about the fact that it probably costs more, and it does. So, then you have to weigh that out. Here’s part of the issue: normally when you buy a product already prepared, ie: chopped onions, shredded carrots, shredded cheese, you are getting less and paying more. There is less than a normal sized onion in the container, yet you pay for at least a full sized onion, same with all of the others. So, don’t pay the grocery store to do your work. It is more convenient, but, think about how convenience stores started and how much more everything there costs, it’s the same thing.

Check Unit Prices

Always check the tags on the shelf. Look at that unit price, are 2 of the smaller ones less than the larger one? Most of the time we think that the larger one holds more and is less than buying 2. Sometimes that’s the case, but often it’s not. By the same token, the larger one will cost more usually (I have seen that not be the case) and we may opt for the smaller one, but, when we look at the unit price we may just find that the larger is less expensive after all for the amount we are receiving. So, make sure you know how much you are paying per ounce or unit before you opt for the larger OR the smaller item.

Don’t Shop At Eye Level

Do you know how many things go into the making of a grocery store? There is an actual science behind it. Did you know that there are small bumps that you don’t even feel that slow down your cart in certain areas of the store? Did you know that most people go into a store and turn right? That’s not coincidence they WANT you to do that! Try going the other way around once, you’ll see a whole different store. Did you know that often the most expensive brand items are at eye level on the shelves? If you venture to look higher or lower, you’ll often find better prices and deals.

Buy In Bulk

This is where a couponer lives. We wait for a great deal, match it with a coupon, and buy as many as it takes to get us through until that next great sale. A couponer doesn’t have to buy, we can wait for that next great sale and coupon to come together because we bought enough to wait out the sale and coupon during the last sale. So, when you find a good deal, take advantage of it. No, you don’t have to buy 68 bags of cat food. But, (if you have a cat) buy enough during that great deal to get you to the next one.

Buy Store Brands

There are certain items I am brand loyal about: Ruffles (no other chip holds up), Diet Coke, Starbucks coffee. But, there are other items I don’t really care too much about: mustard, salt, milk, beans, rice, toothpaste, etc. For the things that you aren’t brand loyal, think about buying the store brand, which is almost always less expensive.

Meal Plan Or Just Make A List

Meal planning is easy and so convenient. You never have to worry what you’re making for dinner tonight – it’s in the plan and you already bought everything you needed and have it all available because you made a plan and a list! There’s nothing more frustrating, time consuming, and expensive, than having to stop what you’re preparing to run to the store and buy an ingredient that you are out of or you forgot. Both of which can be remedied by having a plan and making a list.

Price Match

Most of the larger stores (Walmart, Target, etc) offer price matching of local stores. SO, there is no need to run around to 7 different stores to get the best deals. Just get the circulars from the paper, find the best deals on what you have on your list (see above) and use those to get the same price at your store. That’s it, so easy.

Shop At The Best Times

Once a week your store will move meat to a special area I call “the cheap meat section”. Find out when that happens at your store, ask the butcher, and shop that day. Stock up on good deals you know your family will eat and freeze them. Sometimes we can get a month’s worth very inexpensively by checking that section and stocking up!

Pay Attention To Prices

This is a couponers trick, we use a price book to track prices week to week and we know that there is a cycle of prices for any particular item. The price starts high and dips and may go back up and then way down. When we know what the “buy price” of an item is, we don’t buy it unless it hits that price or lower. When it does hit that price or lower we have a coupon ready and we strike! This is when we buy plenty to last – we know the cycle because we have been using our price book, so we know about when that price will drop again and how many we need to buy to last until then. So, just pay attention to the prices of the things you buy on a regular basis and you will begin to see that cycle and you’ll know what the “buy price” is and you’ll know that’s the time to buy!

So, those are my 10 tips – do you have some you’d like to share? We’d love to hear them!

If you want to start earning money from home and supplement your income why not check out this series: Starting A Blog? Check Out Our Step By Step Guide!