http://www.outofdebtchristian.com Christian Debt Help Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:56:56 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 I don't know about you but I'm still having a hard time adjusting to the time change. I've been waking up about 45 minutes later than I should which means I've only really adjusted by 15 minutes. Yet somehow I still feel sleepy! If you're like me, maybe these freebies will wake you up! Free Starbucks Pastry: On the morning of March 23rd head to Starbucks for a free pastry with the purchase of a hand-crafted beverage. Just make sure to bring this coupon [1] in with you. Free Irish Cheese: Here's another great coupon [2]for you to print. This one will get you free Irish cheese from Earth Fare with any purchase. It expires on March 23. Free Oatmeal: Get a free sample of Better Oats [3] oatmeal. They want you to try theirs against the brand you're currently eating. When you share your experience in a video or email they'll donate fives meals to help feed hungry families in the US. Free Ben & Jerry's: March 23 is Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry's [4]. Head to your nearest store between noon and 8pm for your free cone! Free Dog Food: Give your pooch a fabulous freebie. Sign up for a free sample of Rachel Ray Nutrish [5] dog food through Walmart.com. [1] http://assets.starbucks.com/assets/1ac43f0b737a4b778Ba9c80ee14715ec.jpg [2] http://www.earthfare.com/HealthySavings/EmailCoupon_2.aspx [3] http://www.betteroats.com/taste.php [4] http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=272404657314&index=1 [5] http://instoresnow.walmart.com/enhancedrendercontent_ektid84766.aspx http://www.outofdebtchristian.com/freebies/free-stuff-friday-free-starbucks-pastry-free-ben-jerrys-and-more/ Real Simple magazine recently featured several websites to help you find the best prices on items from groceries and televisions to clothing and medicines. Here are several sites that may help. Couponcabin [1] This site's coupons are coupon codes and deals for online shopping, printable for in-store purchases, instantly redeemable and updated daily. When you find a coupon that you like, click on the link, shop at the merchant's site and us the coupon code (or promotional code) at checkout. The site will tell you the prices at more than 2,000 retailers. Great thing is it's free! Gift Card Granny [2] Find discounted gift cards here for many stores, such as Best Buy, Bass Pro Shops, Macy's, Target, iTunes and lots more. Gift Card Granny has partnered with eBay, Plastic Jungle and GiftCards.com to offer up to 50 percent off card values. Also check out Mr. Free Stuff [3]and Mrs. Sweepstakes [4]. Price Grabber [5] Type in an item that you are looking for and quickly find out prices before deciding where to purchase your product. You can compare millions of products and services from clothing to baby items to cell phones and computers. Also create a price alert for a specific product. This website also offers an iPhone application. Shop It To Me [6] Pick out your favorite designers and brands (like DKNY, Nike and Alexander Wang) and tell them your sizes and find then get personal email alerts when they are on sale or have secret promotion codes. Your "Salemail" will arrive in your inbox. Slick Deals [7] This is a free, user-driven website that provides a forum for communication between fellow shoppers to find great deals. Find coupons, forums and blogs about products and several deals of the day. [1] http://www.couponcabin.com [2] http://www.giftcardgranny.com [3] http://www.mrfreestuff.com [4] http://www.mrssweepstakes.com [5] http://www.pricegrabber.com [6] http://www.shopittome.com [7] http://www.slickdeals.net http://www.outofdebtchristian.com/basic-finances/comparison-shopping-websites/ Before Twitter alerts and social networking, millions of Americans managed to mobilize and create Victory Gardens. Planted during World War I and World War II the Victory Gardens helped build up the public food supply when so many men were serving in the military. The backyard garden is a returning trend, with corporate America trying to encourage Americans to join in on home farming. Here are some statistics about how Americans feel about gardening discovered from a recent survey by Triscuit: * Nearly two-thirds of Americans are interested in growing food in a backyard garden. * Three out of four people prefer to eat foods with a few, simple ingredients. * The main reasons people don't start a home farm are time and space. Over half of Americans (56%) who did not grow food last year said it was because of those obstacles. Triscuit is giving away millions of dill and basil seeds inside specially marked packages. The herb seeds will help you get started with your own backyard garden. They're also offering up free information [1] for preparing, planting, nurturing and harvesting your home farm. Take some time to review their crop guide [2] so you know what will work for your region and climate. You can also add your home farm [3]to their US map and explore other farms in your area. [1] http://www.kraftbrands.com/homefarming/growing/Pages/default.aspx [2] http://www.kraftbrands.com/homefarming/crop/Pages/default.aspx [3] http://www.kraftbrands.com/homefarming/the-movement/Pages/default.aspx http://www.outofdebtchristian.com/how-to-save-tips/trend-alert-home-farming/ With lawmakers trying to hammer out new health care policies and many Americans facing skyrocketing health insurance premiums, you may be wondering if there's an alternative. An option to consider is Medi-Share [1], a program where Christians share each other's medical expenses. Since beginning in 1993, Medi-Share members have saved and shared more than $470 million in medical expenses. Medi-Share does not claim to be insurance. It's a ministry that brings Christians together so that they can share their medical bills with one another. You pay in a set amount every month and that money will go towards supporting healthy, biblical lifestyles. You'll even have access to a secure website where you can see where your money is going. You can then pray for those people and even send them notes of encouragement. Here are some other benefits of Medi-Share: * There is a team of health experts in nursing, exercise physiology, nutrition and physical therapy that you can call on for health questions. * There are a variety of options for the annual amount of eligible medical bills that a household must meet before their medical bills will be shared. You can choose from $500, $1250, $2500, $3750, $5000, $7500, or $10,000. * You may be eligible for up to a 20% discount if you meet certain health measurements. There are lots of eligible medical procedures and bills that Medi-Share will cover including pregnancy and adoption. For more information call (800) PSALM 23. Or you can visit the Medi-Share website [2] and fill out a contact form. [1] http://medi-share.org/ [2] http://medi-share.org/Contact_Us.aspx http://www.outofdebtchristian.com/god-and-money/a-christian-alternative-to-health-insurance/ Joe Sangl [1], financial guru at my church, recently posted advice on paying down your mortgage. I'm sure we'd all like to learn how to work on eliminating this large debt looming over us. It's a pretty monumental occasion when you buy you first house or any time you buy something that is such a large sum of money. When Joe set out to buy his first house, it was a bit of a shocker realizing how much it was really going to cost him each month. He says he found that if he paid  the scheduled payments for the entire 30-year term,  he would pay more in interest than he actually paid for the house. He looked for ways to eliminate the mortgage as soon as possible so more of his hard-earned money would go toward the principal balance. So, here's what you can do. Lower the Interest Rate: Mortgage rates are still at historic lows, he says. CNNMoney has a great calculator [2] to help you see if refinancing your home makes sense. By lowering the interest rate by even 1 percent on a $100,000 mortgage is nearly $1,000 per year. Check out Joe's "Early Pay Off Calculator" [3]. It will show you how much more quickly you can pay off your loan if you get a lower interest rate. [1] http://www.josephsangl.com [2] http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/cutmortgage/cutmortgage.jsp [3] http://http://nextsteps.iwasbrokenowimnot.com/tools/debt-reduction-tools/ http://www.outofdebtchristian.com/basic-finances/ways-to-eliminate-the-mortgage-more-quickly/ I've heard that money is the number one cause for divorce. You don't have to be married long to see how finances can create sticky situations in marriage. That's why our latest Twitter Tuesday Profile started her blog, Couple Money [1] and started tweeting from @Elle_CM [2]. Elle is a freelance writer and also works temporarily as a recruiter for the US Census. She and her husband just bought a town house in Raleigh, North Carolina where they live with their 7-year-old cat. OODC: How did you get started blogging and tweeting? @Elle_CM: I always liked writing and sharing what I learned with my family and friends. I saw blogging as extension of that and a way to chat with others on topics I enjoyed. I started blogging in 2006, but it wasn't very organized. I basically shared news items from the web that caught my eye. I started focusing on personal finance in July 2007 and been blogging about it since. I basically wanted to improve our finances and thought I could share my perspective as a working college student with others. It kind of grew from there. I started Couple Money in September 2009 and I'm now focusing personal finances for couples working towards financial freedom. I had heard about Twitter from other personal finance bloggers, but probably didn't get started until I saw how handy it was as a tool to communicate. I think I was watching a video post from Gary Vaynerchuk when it finally clicked for me. I tried different things out and found that I did enjoy it. I have Seesmic app on my phone to keep me in touch with the community while I'm working. OODC:Money can be a sticky situation for a lot of couples-- how do you make sure it's not that way in your marriage? @Elle_CM:I think being on the same page in terms of goals is huge and addressing money in terms of goals helps take any tension out. Every person has a different style with money, so forcing someone to adopt your method is really ineffective. I think of a good example of this was when we decided we wanted to buy a house. We both wanted to buy one, but how we raised the money is a bit different. My husband is a natural saver, so he cut back on his expenses while I gravitate towards more income and found some temporary jobs to grow our savings. We then both looked at our budget and agreed to sustainable trims to finances. OODC:You've been married a few years now. Is there anything you wish you had known about money and finances back when you first got married? @Elle_CM:I wished we had been more aware of online banking. We had banked with Bank of America and had a horrible time with them. It caused quite a bit of stress and frustration to be on the phone with them to resolve things. I find ING Direct a much easier bank to work with and it has definitely helped us to automate our finances effectively. OODC:Who are some of your favorite money tweeters? @Elle_CM:That's tough because I notice who I chat with changes up. Some people I love chatting with right now are @mattjabs [3], @manvsdebt [4], @enemyofdebt [5], and @financialsamura [6]. I think they selflessly promote others and really are interested in building a community versus just a blog. Thanks again to @Elle_CM for opening up in this week's Twitter Tuesday Profile. Want to be considered for an upcoming profile? Just tweet me. [7] [1] http://couplemoney.com/ [2] http://twitter.com/Elle_CM [3] http://twitter.com/mattjabs [4] http://twitter.com/manvsdebt [5] http://twitter.com/enemyofdebt [6] http://twitter.com/financialsamura [7] http://twitter.com/alisonstorm http://www.outofdebtchristian.com/twitter-tuesday-profile/twitter-tuesday-profile-elle_cm/ For years I've bought items just because. I never gave much thought on whether there was a cheaper option or whether I truly needed them. I just bought the items because I always had. I guess you could say it was out of habit. But thanks to pancakes, that all changed. My husband and I have a Saturday morning ritual. We go to the gym for boot camp only to come home and reward ourselves with chocolate chip pancakes. We have become addicted to our Saturday morning chocolate chip pancakes and can't imagine starting our weekend without them. Well one Sunday we ran out of pancake mix. We'd only left a Tablespoon of Aunt Jemima in the bottom of the box. Rather than run to the store which would have taken way too long, I did a quick online search for a pancake mix recipe. Much to my surprise it was so easy-- I already had everything I needed to make it happen! I guess it makes sense that there's not much to pancake mix, but I had never stopped to think about it before. I just bought the product because I thought I needed it. This revelation got me thinking about other products that I buy regularly out of convenience: taco seasoning, salad, iced tea, paper towels, cake mixes, flavored rice, pasta sauce and more! It honestly never occurred to me to buy a head of lettuce, wash it, cut it up and bag it myself rather than paying more for less lettuce just because it was already in a bag and ready to go. Now I'm searching for items that I can make much cheaper myself. Have you ever thought about making your own applesauce? It's as easy as hard boiling an egg, and since I got free apples at Earth Fare this weekend maybe I'll whip up some of my own. Often we assume paying more for convenience is worth it, but you may be surprised just how easy and cheap it is to do it yourself. http://www.outofdebtchristian.com/how-to-save-tips/convenient-items-im-giving-up-to-save-money/ Can you believe March is almost half over? Before letting another day rush by, stop and score yourself some freebies. There are lots of great ones available... check them out! Free Pinkberry: If only I lived near a Pinkberry. But those of you that do can snag this awesome freebie. Get a free Mango Pinkberry [1] with toppings from 5-9 tonight. You'll also have a chance to win prizes by answering trivia questions. Free Laundry Detergent Sample: Become a fan of Vaska [2] on Facebook and you'll have access to a link for requesting a free sample of their all-natural liquid detergent. Allow a few weeks for delivery. Free Purex: Want more free detergent? Try the Purex 3-in-1 Free Sample Offer [3]. You'll get two free sheets which is all you need to wash and dry two loads of laundry for free. It also works with HE washers and dryers. Free Baby Formula: Get a free sample of Enfamil baby formula [4]when you visit Enfamil.com. Ask your doctor which variety is best for you and print out your certificate for a free sample. Free Music: Urban Outfitters is handing out 25 free songs [5]. It's the Live in Austin 2010 free download album. [1] http://www.pinkberry.com/ [2] http://www.facebook.com/pages/VASKA/91891335546?v=wall [3] http://www.trypurex.com/Purex_3-in-1_Free_Sample/ [4] http://www.enfamil.com/app/iwp/enfamil/certificate.do?id=/Consumer_Home2/Enf_Tools_Resources/Enf_Programs_Offers/NGARsample&cm_mmc=display-_-Solutions-_-SpecificMedia-_-Expert2010 [5] http://blog.urbanoutfitters.com/features/uoxau2010_music?cm_mmc=broadcast-_-Q12010-_-SXSWnewsOpeners-_-graphic3b&cm_lm= http://www.outofdebtchristian.com/freebies/free-stuff-friday-free-pinkberry-free-detergent-free-formula-and-more/ Have you ever looked at the clock, realized it was time for dinner only to discover you had no idea what to make? Does this happen to you regularly? You may want to consider meal planning. Here are some of the benefits: * No rushing to the store for a few ingredients, something that takes time and money. * No last-minute fast food stops instead of making meals at home. * More time to focus on other things rather than wondering what's for dinner every night. * Meals can be made around what's on sale that week at the grocery store. There are certainly a lot of benefits of meal planning. For those who feel like they don't have time to do it-- just try. You'll probably discover that you'll actually spend less time planning meals once a week rather than worrying about dinner every night. Thankfully there are free resources available that will make meal planning easy. The amazing blog 5dollardinners.com just released these free printable menu planners. Check out this monthly menu planner [1] and the weekly menu planner [2]. These resources will help you get organized. Set aside an hour or so one day a week for meal planning. I typically do my meal planning on Sunday although I'm constantly looking at recipes in magazines and online for meals I'd like to make. Choose meals that you already have the majority of ingredients for. This will cut down on your grocery bill. You may also want to review the sales flyer for your favorite grocery store. Check out what type of meat is on sale and work that into a couple of meals. You will be amazed at how much meal planning impacts your food budget. [1] http://www.5dollardinners.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/monthly_menu_planner.pdf [2] http://www.5dollardinners.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/weekly_menu_planner.pdf http://www.outofdebtchristian.com/how-to-save-tips/meal-planning-made-easy/ I have a birthday coming up, so this article immediately caught my eye. I'm always on the lookout for free or discounted stuff! The article on Yahoo! Finance provided a list of restaurants and other places to get freebies on your special day. Denny's For kids 10 and under they can get a birthday card for a free kid's meal and sundae. They must be enrolled in the Denny's Birthday Club and accompanied by an adult who pays for a regular entree. Red Robin Get a free birthday burger and gift when you sign up for the restaurant's eClub. You have to fill out a survey when you sign up. There is no age limit. Firehouse Subs Go and grab your favorite sandwich when you add yourself to the Firehouse Subs mailing list. You'll get a certificate for a free sub during your birthday month. Black Angus If you're in the mood for a great steak, a free steak dinner awaits you. You can redeem it two weeks before and up to two weeks after  your birthday at any U.S. Black Angus or Cattle Company Steakhouse restaurants. Coldstone Creamery/Baskin Robbins As the weather warms up I'm definitely in the mood for some ice cream. Get the "sweetest birthday possible" from Coldstone Creamery by just creating an account on the company's website and get a free sweet treat. Baskin Robbins also offers a free 2.5 ounce scoop of ice cream and discounts on ice cream cakes. You also have to create an account on their website. Bob Evans Boys and girls can get a free kid's meal on their birthday. Parents have to sign up for the birthday club. You can get mac and cheese, chicken strips and mini cheeseburgers and some other yummy dishes. It's for kids under 12. Taco Time Get a kid's meal that includes a taco, burrito or quesadilla plus fries, a small drink and Crustos or a toy. This is also for kids 12 and under. Olan Mills Track your child's growth with professional studio pictures on their birthdays. Get photos of your babies up to age 3 with one 8 by 10, one 5 by 7 and four wallet sized photos. All for free! You can also get 20 percent off additional portraits. Toys "R" Us Have a celebration with your kids on their birthday at this major retailer. Your child can get a balloon, crown, gift and a birthday announcement to the store. This offer is for kids 10 and younger. http://www.outofdebtchristian.com/basic-finances/birthday-freebies/