Health Beauty & FitnessHealth, Beauty, Fitness Tips

One problem most families face today in trying to take a vacation or cruise is figuring out how to pay for it. Saving for vacation or cruise when a family is living paycheck to paycheck can often be daunting and usually does not happen unless they have a plan for it.

One way our family has found to pay for our vacation or cruise is grocery coupons and stock shopping it is not as crazy as it sounds. I will admit that this takes time and effort, but the pay-off of a week relaxing with no worries was definitely worth it.

The first thing you have to do is change your perspective when grocery shopping and menu planning, rather then planning a menu and then doing your shopping to the menu you need to check your home stock and plan your menu to what is on your shelves buying only what you need to complete the menu, which we refer to as “needs shopping”. Then you have to redirect your regular grocery shopping to filling those shelves when things are on sale and when possible you have a coupon for it, which we refer to as “stock shopping”. Also, if you have some sort of brand loyalty you will have to cast that out the window because you are out to save money, if buying Best Foods will save you money over buying Miracle Whip, buy Best Foods.

Initially changing grocery patterns may cost you a little more in the short term because you will have to do more needs shopping to round out your menus while you start filling the shelves with stock shopping but over a few weeks it will balance out then it will save you money.

First, use your current grocery budget, this is usually around $100 per household member but may be as high as $150 each. For my family of six humans, three dogs and 4 cats I budget $650, this is not just for food but for non-food consumables like paper towels, personal maintenance items, etc. If possible use a separate account for this so that the money is kept separate from other items as this will not only be your grocery fund but your vacation or cruise fund as well.

Next, let’s talk coupons. These nifty little items are well worth your time in collecting and saving. I view each coupon as physical money in my account; often the face value is fifty cents up to as much as ten dollars. Manufacturers’ coupons are good for money off of specific products; I save the ones that are for products that I will use and sometimes save the ones that I may or may not use if they may be a good value at some point. Personally we get the Sunday Paper at home and I check what coupons are available each week. If there are a lot of useful coupons in the paper I go to the store and I get extra copies of that paper, the extra $1-$1.50 each is worth it if I am going to save considerably more in the long run. If you wait until Tuesday to get the extra copies the store manager may allow you to take extra coupon sections if you are buying a copy of the paper since they will be going into recycling bins anyway.

Tracking and filing the coupons can be a task and each person will have a preferred method for doing so. Basically though there are two ways to handle it, 1 is to keep each coupon circular in a file and pull it out when you find items on sale that you will be using, the other is what I do, which is cut the coupons that I will use and put them in a coupon file, then carry that file with you to the store so that you can get the coupons you want and use them right then.

Now pick one or two store to do your stock shopping and you may want a third store to do your needs shopping, at least until your stock starts filling almost all of your needs. Why would I suggest you have two or three different places to do your shopping? Simply put, to save money. Here in Portland we have a selection of stores to choose from, I use Albertson’s and Safeway to do the bulk of my stock shopping, and only my stock shopping. This is because I can save money on my stock shopping with them but not on my needs shopping because needs items are usually bought when needed they are usually not on sale when I need them. For our needs shopping we use WinCo, which is a chain store that has level low prices.

What do you look for in a store to use for stock shopping? First and foremost sales where the items you want to stock on your shelves are way below the level low price you would get at your needs shopping store. For example, boxed cereal can range from $3 to $5 a box, even at your needs store. But it is regularly put on sale for 3 for $5 or 4 for $6 as a loss leader for most grocery stores. Secondly you want a store that give you extra off, especially when you use coupons, Safeway offers double coupons, in Portland it is limited to 4 items at 50 cents each, but that is still an extra $2 off your bill. Albertson’s will honor any other stores coupons, so I can use the Safeway double coupon there with a double coupon from Thriftway. Lots of stores offer $5-$10 off coupons with a purchase of $50 or more, so those are useful too, and can be used at Albertson’s too.

When I go stock shopping I have 3 basic rules that I follow:

1. The item must be something that I will use.

2. The item must truly be on sale (lot’s of items will go on a faux sale and you want to avoid those).

3. If possible I must have a coupon for the item. Some items like fresh meat, fruit, & vegetables won’t have coupons.

I then walk through the store and I stock up on sale items that I hopefully have coupons for and I only buy those items. I use a calculator so that I know when I have reached any dollar value that I need to in order to meet any big dollar coupons and I wrap up when I hit that point. This does take time and it means that I make more then one trip into the store, but saving that extra $5-$15 dollars is worth it. What do I mean saving the extra $5-$15? For example, Safeway run a $10 off $50 coupon and has double coupons, Thriftway has double coupons. When I go to Albertson’s I use my calculator and when my cart hits $55 after manufacturers coupons I head to the cashier. She rings my order up, often topping $100 then starts taking all of my manufacturer coupons off and my competitors coupons and my bill gets to around $55, the cashier then takes the $2 off for the Safeway double coupon, $2 off for the Thriftway double coupon, and since my bill is still over $50 they take $10 off for the Safeway $10 coupon making my total bill $41. So using Manufacturers Coupons and Competitors Coupons I took a bill that was over $100 and only paid $41.

Now I am going to use a recent stock shopping trip to show where the savings comes from:

Item Normal Price Sale Price w/ Coupon

GM Cereal (4) 12.76 4.67

Hunts Pudding Cups (4) 7.72 2.00

Wishbone Salad Dressing (2) 6.58 3.28

Pillsbury Brownie Mix (2) 4.94 2.00

Alpo Canned Dog Food (6) 7.50 0.00

Electrolsol (5) 22.45 0.00

Yogurt (10) 6.50 4.00

Barilla Shells (4) 6.36 2.08

GrillMate Seasonings (4) 5.40 2.00

Dole Fruit Cups (2) 6.98 2.00

Farmer John Franks (5) 16.45 0.00

Popcycles (2) 5.58 2.00

Centrum Vitamins (1) 10.55 5.99

Best Food Mayonase (2) 5.98 3.00

All Detergent (2) 13.98 4.98

Rotel Diced Tomatoes (4) 5.96 2.40

Nabisco Crackers (3) 11.97 4.00

Frenches Mustard (3) 5.97 0.00

Hunts Spagetti Sauce (6) 7.74 2.94

Always Pads (2) 6.38 2.00

Marathon Protein Bars (4) 7.88 3.38

Twix Candy Bars (4) 5.16 2.00

Sub Total 190.79 54.72

Double Coupons 4.00

$10 off 10.00

Total 40.72

As you can see from this list I bought multiples of each item and we store everything until we need it, if I had paid the retail prices for these things I would have paid $190.79 over the few months that we would use them, but because I purchased when they were on sale and I had coupons I saved almost $150 and got many of the items for free. Because of breaking my trips into $50 segments I usually make 3-5 trips to get maximum savings.

Once my stock shopping is complete we then go to WinCo each week for the items we need to round out our menu, fresh milk, vegetables, & fruit, usually spending under $20. At this point I might just buy the items that we need when I do the stock shopping if it is only a few items.

So, now I have budgeted $600 a month for groceries. I am spending $300-$400 on the groceries. The rest now is my vacation or cruise fund, saving around $3000 a year for us to use for a vacation or cruise. I admit that when I do the shopping it takes me a few hours, and I spend a few hours in front of the TV cutting coupons, but saving $200-$300 a month on groceries that I can use for a vacation or cruise is worth it.

Guys who are ready to ask for a woman’s hand in marriage will inevitably attempt to figure out how much money they should spend on a diamond engagement ring, what the diamond will cost them and whether they will be able to afford a diamond engagement ring for their fiance. Most people have heard the expression that diamond engagement rings cost two months’ salary.

Where did the two months of salary idea come from?

The origin of the two months’ salary began with DeBeers, the largest diamond producer and diamond marketer in the world. In 1947, DeBeers decided to promote diamonds following the depressed wartime market. DeBeers launched a marketing campaign with a New York advertising firm. A copywriter penned the famous slogan “A diamond is forever” that is now synonymous with Diamonds.

De Beers wanted to bring diamonds to the masses, make them seem more affordable, instead of the wealthy and select few only being able to buy them. Accordingly, the price of a diamond for an engagement ring was set at approximately two months of salary.

Due to the fall of the real estate market, alongside the recent sub prime mortgage crisis, many Americans have lost their homes due to foreclosure. The large amount of relatively expensive property contained in Florida, combined with the economic downturn, has caused the sunshine state to rank # 2 nationwide in foreclosure rates. If you feel that you soon may be forced to enter into foreclosure, or the process has already begun, educate yourself about ways to prevent the lenders from seizing your biggest asset, your home.

Florida is a judicial foreclosure state, meaning that the proceeding is carried out through the courts. The borrower is given a Notice of Default if they fail to make their monthly mortgage payments. The borrower than has time to make up missed payments. If they are unable to do so, the lender files a notice of pending lawsuit with the court.

The borrower has up until the sale date of the property to repay their missed payments, plus any fees incurred. Unlike some other states, there is no mandatory right of redemption or grace periods following the auction, meaning that after the auction takes place borrowers are not given rights to repossess their lost property. But there are ways to effectively defend you against foreclosure including refinancing your existing mortgage, short sale, mortgage modification, and filing bankruptcy.

Mortgage modification is when you ask your lender to modify the terms of your current mortgage to more affordable ones. This is useful if you are often late on payments, cannot afford the monthly mortgage rate, seek different interest rates, ect. Lenders would rather keep you as a paying client rather than go through the hassle of liquidating a foreclosed home, so they are willing to help, especially in today’s market.

A Mortgage modification is attractive to borrowers because it does not affect credit score, and has no associated fees. You do not already need to be in default in order to qualify for a modification of your mortgage terms, but you must prove to your lender that the loan is causing financial problems for you.

An attorney can make the case of hardship for you, as well as negotiate new terms on your behalf.
Loan refinancing is taking out a new loan with a different lender to pay off your current mortgage. The new loan will have different, and assumed better terms than your current loan, and can be used to lower interest rates, extend loan life or pull out equity to pay off other bills. In order to qualify for a refinance, you must have good credit, equity and a stable job. Since a refinance is taking out a new loan, you would need to pay all associated fees including prepayment penalties.

A short sale occurs when borrower sells his home for less than the amount due on their loan. The lender than would have to agree to accept the proceeds from the sale, even though it is, “short” of the entire amount due. Short sales are useful if your home has dropped in value and you owe more than your home is worth. The lender may actually prefer to take a hit on some money owed rather than have to foreclose and manage the property.

Like a loan modification, one does not need to be in default in order to qualify; they just need to be able to prove some type of hardship which is preventing them from making their monthly payments. The lender will usually check if the seller has any assets, and if they do the sale will either be denied, or the seller will have to pay the lender back the short amount from the sale. Having an experienced real estate attorney is recommended, as short sales are generally more complicated than traditional real estate transactions. An attorney can influence lender to accept a short sale.

Bankruptcy is proceeding in which an individual legally declares their inability to pay off their debts. The creditors and lenders then are notified to cease all legal actions against a debtor, including foreclosure. If a homeowner is already in foreclosure, then filing bankruptcy will put a halt to the proceedings, allowing them extra time to place together a plan to get their payments back on track.

If you are living in Florida and you are currently facing a foreclosure, realize that you have options. Don’t wait for the lender to seize your home; take action now! Since foreclosure is a complicated legal process, it makes sense to seek advice from a skilled attorney in order to protect your home. One must be careful of whom they select for legal assistance, because unscrupulous lawyers are out there who will look for an easy way out, and end up doing more harm than good.

Choose a well known, highly respected foreclosure defense expert, such as an attorney from the Consumer Law Firm of America PA. And know that the quicker you act, the better your chances are of working out a solution to help you get back on track with your payments and keeping your home.

This type of wood is used for a variety of different purposes in a home. It is a versatile and durable type of wood that can be used to make ceiling beams, cabinets and furniture. It is also commonly used for flooring. Pine is strong and is very easy to work with.

Pine beams in a home can give it a comfy cozy and welcoming look. Many people think of it as being rustic in nature. Beams made of pine can call attention to the ceiling and work well in many different types of houses. They are also an excellent choice for a summer cottage or a winterized cottage.

There are different types of pine beams. If you are looking for beams made out of this wood then you will be surprised and amazed at the selection that is out there. White pine beams are very popular but so are pitch pine, heart pine, reclaimed pine, reclaimed heart pine, laminated pine, antique pine and yellow pine.

White pine is a clean looking type of wood that is pale in color. If you look at it closely you will see that it has very few markings inside the grain. White pine has a smooth appearance and a fine grain texture that makes it an ideal choice for anything that is highly visible in your home. This includes ceiling beams, as well as interior walls and cabinets.

White pine is used a great deal in woodworking projects and house building. It holds its shape very well which makes it a viable choice. It is also a kind of wood that is resistance to such problems as shrinking, swelling, splitting and warping. White pine is considered to be one of the superior woods to use as a permanent foundation for both enamel as well as paint. White pine is grown in North America and is also sometimes referred to as northern white pine, soft pine and eastern white pine. If you want pine beams in your residence then beams made of white pine are worth considering! Not only are they attractive to behold but they will also stand the test of time.

Yellow or southern yellow is a smart choice for areas in a home or surfaces that will be used a lot. Many people feel that they have made a good choice when they choose yellow pine for the beams that will be in their homes. Beams are supportive after all and you want to choose the very best wood for the job. Yellow pine will not let you down in this regard!

Yellow pine is one of the most cost effective types of wood and it is also very abundant. Both of these features make it very popular. It is ales a versatile kind of wood. In fact southern type is one of the most common building blocks for everything from beams to floors to the construction of boats. This wood was the primary type of wood that was used to build things back in the 19th century. When it comes to pine beams, yellow pine is an excellent choice that you will not regret choosing.

Our tax system would have a pretty hard time being more complex. If you are like most Americans, you hear terms like tax deductions, tax credit, adjusted gross income and you want to know more, but you never really do any research. It is not until you really need to know what a tax term means that you finally pay attention and figure it out. What if you found out that you may be paying more taxes because these terms? Would you want to know more? I thought so.

Let’s start with the basics. A tax deduction is something that lowers your tax liability. In other words, a deduction allows you to take some amount of your income for the year and not have to pay taxes on it. If you paid taxes on 30% of your income, a deduction of $1000 saves you that 30% you would have paid or $300. Tax deductions are often confused with tax credits. A credit comes straight off of the taxes you pay. So rather than saving 30% of your money, you save 100% of that money.

A tax deduction helps you lower your adjusted gross income. To define adjusted gross income, it is simply the amount of income you have after you have subtracted all of your deductions. Why does this matter? Your tax bracket is determined by your adjusted gross income and not your total income. The more deductions you have, the lower your adjusted gross income will be, and the lower tax bracket in which you will be. Tax brackets are important because the higher bracket you are in, the higher percentage of taxes you will pay.

Let’s work through an example. The 2008 federal tax brackets say that taxpayers filing with a status of single will pay 10% on all income between $0 and $8,025. They will pay 15% on all income between $8,025 and $32,550. If they fall into the 15% tax bracket, they will also pay the 10% on the $8,025. For our example, we will say that Mike makes $20,025. Taking no deductions into account, Mike would pay his 10% for the first bracket or $802.50. Mike would also pay 15% on the rest (20,025 – 8,025) * 15% = $1800. Add those together and Mike pays $2602.50 in taxes. Ouch! Deductions would have helped Mike. Here is how.

Mike owns his house. He pays a mortgage. One tax deduction available to homeowners is that all interest paid on the mortgage is tax deductible. You can see that in order for Mike to get into the lower tax bracket completely, he would need $12,000 in deductions. However, every dollar of tax deduction he does have is less he pays at the higher 15%. If Mike paid $6,000 in mortgage interest last year, he can deduct that and bring his adjusted gross income down to $14,025. Now the amount he pays at 15% is (14,025 – 8,025) or $6,000 instead of $12,000. He pays $900 instead of $1800. He saved $900 in taxes! If Mike would have paid that $6,000 in rent instead of to a mortgage, he would have paid Uncle Sam $900 extra dollars.

Some common places to watch out for tax deductions or other items that lower your adjusted gross income are 401K plans at work, charitable contributions, child-care costs, vehicle license tax, interest on first and second mortgages, losses on investments, interest paid on student loans, property taxes and contributions to IRAs.

Using tools such as TurboTax and TaxAct will help you make sure you don’t miss out on any tax deduction to which you are entitled. Click here to file your federal return for FREE.

Don’t forget April 15th is the deadline!