Last day to make a charitable contribution
Today is the deadline for taxpayers who itemize deductions to make charitable contributions for the 2008 tax year, the Internal Revenue Service says. Donations charged to a credit card by today are deductible for 2008 even though the bill is paid in 2009. You can also pay with a check, too, as long as you submit it to the charity, or mail it, today. Clothing and household items may be donated as well, but they must be in good used condition or better. Keep good records whatever you give. Questions? See Publication 526, available on the IRS web site at
IRS.gov.
IRS e-mail scam
I have received several e-mails that appear to be from the Internal Revenue Service. But they aren't. The IRS does not send e-mails to taxpayers, the agency says. In fact, what appears to be an unsolicited e-mail from the IRS could be actually from a scam artist trying to get you to reveal personal information. Don't respond to the e-mail, don't click on any links and don't open any attachments. Just send it to the IRS at
phishing@irs.gov.
Some money-saving tips from Suze Orman
There are a number of little things you can do this year that together, can help you save a lot of money. Here are a few tips from financial guru Suze Orman:
1. Save 3 percent on your energy bill by lowering your thermostat by one degree.
2. Pick a $5 bill, a quarter or other bill or coin. Whenever you get that bill or coin throughout the year, put it in a jar. You'll probably not even miss the money and by the end of the year, you'll have accumulated a nice sum. You'll have even more if your spouse does the same.
3. Spend five minutes a day looking for online coupons. Google "printable grocery coupons" or "grocery coupons" and you'll discover a host of sites.
I'd like to add this to her tip: Sign up at the web site of any retailer, grocery store or restaurant you plan to go to. Many web sites have coupons that can be printed. In other cases, if you sign up on an e-mail list, you'll get coupons e-mailed to you. And sign up for birthday clubs. I rarely buy a kids meal because my children are signed up for so many birthday clubs. I get coupons for free food either mailed or e-mailed right to me.
Some coupons just aren't worth it
I was really intrigued by the Macy's coupon in the newspaper good for $10 off a $25 purchase of already-discounted sale or clearance items. Sounds like a really good deal to me! Then I saw the fine print, which I actually had to use a magnifying glass to read. There are no less than 50 "exclusions." The coupon cannot be used on "specials," (whatever those are) fine jewelry, cosmetics, a plethora of designer and non-designer brands, Holiday Lane department trim, cards and wrap, ANY electronics, as well as electrics and furniture, mattresses and area rugs. The coupon also is not good on "everyday values" or "morning specials." (Can anyone explain what these are?) Until someone can tell me what I can actually buy with this coupon, I think I'll just go shop somewhere else.
What will you buy today?
After-Christmas sales can provide a great opportunity to stock up on wrapping paper and other Christmas basics. At many stores you'll get a 50 percent off discount today and through the weekend, but by the end of next week, most stores will be discounting most holiday items by 75 percent. Within about two weeks, the discounts can grow to 90 percent. The downside is that by then, not much will be left. You may want to buy what you know you'll need for next year now, when it's half off, especially if there are limited quantities. But waiting can pay off. I always check in at several stores every few days after the holidays. Last year we wanted some lawn decorations. We checked in every few days at one store and bought several normally expensive items the day they finally were discounted by 90 percent. On a $100 item, we paid only $10. We even got a $200 snow globe for $20. While you're out shopping, keep a look out for generic gifts that are often discounted along with holiday-related merchandise - candles and candle holders, toys and linen, for example - that can be stored away when you unexpectedly need a gift.
Mervyns may close for good today
If you have been thinking about checking out the Mervyns liquidation sales, today may be your last opportunity. Employees at the Wasatch Front Mervyns stores are telling customers this is likely their last day in business. The discount is now 90 percent off "original prices," but the selection of merchandise left in the stores has dwindled greatly. And all sales are final.
Free Zoo Admission on New Year's Eve
Hogle Zoo offers free admission on Dec. 31 - New Year's Eve. The free admission is part of the Zoo's "Wild Wednesdays," promotion, which offers free admission the last Wednesday of the month from November to February. The free admission is only from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and does not include ZooLights, the special event in the evening.
Beware of "Phishing” scams
Scam artists seem to get more persistent the worse the economy gets. In the past two weeks, I have received several e-mails from what appeared to be banks urging me to provide my account and credit card information to them or my account would be frozen. But they weren't banks -they were scam artists hoping to fool consumers like myself into providing their personal information. Unfortunately, they are successful too many times. Banks generally don't send unsolicited e-mails asking for such information. If you get one and you're thinking about responding in some way to an e-mail that appears to be from your bank, don't. Instead, go to a bank branch and inquire in person if the bank was actually trying to contact you.
Some tips about these "phishing" scams, from the Utah Division o f Consumer Protection:
-Don't respond in any way to such e-mail, including going to any links or opening any attachments.
-Delete the message from your e-mail in box.
-If you have opened or clicked on any link or attachment, run an anti-virus program on your computer immediately.
For more information about this scam and others, go to the division's web site
here or call (801) 530-6601.
Where does all the money go?
A friend recently asked me to look over her finances to help her figure out why she and her husband can't seem to live within their income. Because my friend is what most people in Utah would consider high income, I was intrigued. It took about five minutes to figure out the major problems for this family - the same problems that debt counselors say puts many Utah families at risk for financial disaster.
- My friend and her husband eat out a lot. They grab coffee on the go in the morning, the eat out at lunch and frequently eat out at dinner, without coupons. Frequent eating out can eat up a family's income. Set a monthly limit for restaurant meals and trips to Starbucks and stick with it. Keep an eye out for coupons that help stretch that budget.
- They each owe about $500 per month in car payments on their vehicles - that's $1,000 a month. Like many families, they automatically trade up to newer cars every couple of years and can't remember a time when they haven't had a car payment. Their loan balances exceed what their vehicles are worth. One of the keys to getting ahead financially is to get to a point where your vehicle is paid off. Too many families trade up to a newer car too soon and are forced to roll their old car payment into their new one. Think twice about buying that new car, especially if you owe more than your vehicle is worth.
- They carry credit card balances and pay only the minimum monthly payment. Ouch. You pay dearly on those credit card balances at double-digit interest rates.
After reviewing their expenses, I discovered if they cut back a lot of the luxuries - big and small -that they enjoy each month - new clothes, expensive gadgets, toys and restaurant food - they would stop spending more than their income and maybe even start saving some money.
Even if you're feeling overwhelmed with the idea of trying to improve your financial situation, try to start small. Every little bit helps. Try to make it fun. A lot of families succeed when they make saving a money a challenge!
Utah's gas prices the lowest in the nation
At an average of $1.46 per gallon, Utah's unleaded gasoline prices today are tied with Wyoming as the lowest in the nation. Utah's average is now a full 20 cents lower than the national average, according to travel-services company AAA, which has a state-by-state listing of gas-price averages
here. What should consumers do now? Well, think again before going out and buying a gas guzzler. Most experts believe gasoline in Utah and the rest of the nation has reached a low, and that gas prices will rise next year. While $4-a-gallon gas isn't expected, prices along the Wasatch Front could rise back up again to around $2.50 a gallon in 2009. If you're in the market for a new vehicle, this may be the time to look at one that runs on compressed natural gas (CNG). With gas prices this low, there are fewer people looking to buy a CNG vehicle right now, and prices have come down a bit.
Holiday lights for less
There are a number of drive-through Christmas light displays that charge admission, and some are quite nice. But if you're a little short of cash this year, there are a number of free displays your family may enjoy. Downtown Ogden has a quite nice one (read all about it
here), as does Layton in Davis County (
for directions, go here) and
Sandy.
If you want to check out the rather extensive light display at Thanksgiving Point in Lehi, a coupon good for $2 off the $7 admission fee can be found
here. The last chance to use this coupon, good only on Tuesdays, is tomorrow (Dec. 23).
Free entertainment on New Year's Eve
Admission to Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City is free on New Year's Eve, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free admission does not include Zoo Lights in the evening, but it's still a great way to enjoy the zoo for free! If you can't make it that day, the zoo offers free admission the last Wednesday of the month from in January and February as well.
Retailers that can still ship by Christmas
Here's a handy list from
http://www.dealnews.com/ that lists all the stores that still will ship your merchandise by Christmas. Take a look at it
here.
I used my free JCPenney gift card
I still don't know why JCPenney decided to send me a free $10 gift card. I don't have the retailer's charge card and I've never provided them with my address or any other personal information. But there it was, in my mailbox. And I couldn't pass up free money. So I went to the store, intent on buying only something around $10 or $15. But then I did what the retailer was counting on me to do: I saw something more expensive that I really wanted - a king-size overstuffed, oversized and overly soft comforter, marked down from $100 to $49.99. Since I had just pitched our old one, which had been falling apart, I went ahead and bought this nice new one. For just a minute, I thought of waiting to see if it would be marked down further after Christmas. But the gift card expired on Christmas Eve, and there was only one comforter left. The likelihood of getting it for less money later appeared to be pretty slim. Now if I could only fit it in my oversized washing machine.
Gift card bonuses
Each December, we buy gift cards to restaurants we eat at during the year to take advantage of bonus offers that stretch our money even further.
Some recent promotions that caught our eye:
Buy $25 in Little Ceasars gift certificates and you'll get a coupon good for a free $5 cheese or pepperoni pizza. Even better, when we purchased our gift certificates, the box the pizza came in had coupons for free "crazy bread", a $2.50 value. Every few weeks, we pair cheese pizza from Little Ceasars with a salad for a quick and inexpensive meal.
Buy a $25 Rumbi Island Grill gift card and get a coupon for a free half-size chicken rice bowl, a value of about $7. One word of warning: Last year's coupon had no expiration date; this year's coupons expire at the end of February.
Buy a $10 Fazoli's gift card and get a coupon for a free small spaghetti entree.
One thought on buying gift cards this year, though: Use them sooner than later. In this unstable economy, a growing number of consumers may find themselves with worthless gift cards in the new year.
After Christmas sales are on now
I visited the arts and crafts store Michaels Sunday and was surprised to see so much of the holiday-related merchandise had disappeared. The reason: Discounts of as much as 70 percent. Several other stores already have marked down much of their holiday merchandise by at least 50 percent, which makes it less likely there will be much left at all after Christmas.
Signing up for the Grocery Game
I have heard a lot of good things about the
Grocery Game, a site that does all the work of matching sale items with coupons to help families substantially cut their grocery bill. So I signed up for a four-week trial run of the service for $1. I have to admit I'm a bit skeptical of any type of coupon-related service that you actually have to pay for. After I signed up, I received a rather lengthy list of sale items at Smith's Food & Drug that can be paired with coupons I get in the Sunday Salt Lake Tribune. (You also can get a list based on sale prices at Albertsons.) It was nice having one nicely organized list to look at for reference, but I didn't see any item I needed that was discounted so much that I wanted to go to the store immediately and stock up. In fact, there was only one item you could get for absolutely free on the shopping list. (I had expected at least a few.) But I'm going to give it the full trial period before I make up my mind about the service. I'll be looking to see if the Grocery Game can help me make some matches of sale items and coupons that I wouldn't have figured out on my own. If it can, it just may well be worth continuing the membership, which runs $10 for each store's list every 8 weeks.
Check in with Utah Saves
If you need some extra motivation or support paying down debt, building an emergency savings account, saving to buy a home or for retirement, go to
www.utahsaves.org. The nonprofit initiative offers anyone who wants to learn to save and plan for the future a host of resources, from financial education to inspiration.
Sam's Club membership discount
For the past several years, warehouse clubs Sam's Club and Costco have had little trouble getting people to pay membership fees of $40 to $100 for the privilege of shopping in their massive stores. But the recession has caught up with at least Sam's Club, which is advertising a coupon good for a free $10 gift card when you buy a $40 one-year membership. (If you don't have the coupon, you always could ask them to give you the same deal.) That's essentially a 25 percent discount on membership. I wouldn't be surprised to see Costco offering some type of similar deal. Another tip: If you're not particularly happy at either Sam's Club or Costco, you could ask if they are willing to give you a free one-year membership if you surrender your competitor's membership card. I tried this years ago and a manager agreed to do it.
Another Black Friday?
A number of retailers say they are going to be offering an array of heavily discounted merchandise the day after Christmas far beyond the usual 50-percent off discounts on holiday-related merchandise. JCPenney says it is offering 100 "doorbusters" on Dec. 26, twice the number it offered on the same day last year. The reason: Retailers are struggling to maintain decent sales volume amid one of the worst years ever for retail sales.
Combining promotions to save money
Several readers have asked for more examples of how to combine multiple discounts to save money. Here's one: I recently went to Rite Aid, which had several great deals on toys, batteries and other items. I purchased sale items (some discounted 50 percent) and used some coupons. I also paid for much of my order with a gift card I received for free early in the year for filling a prescription at the store's pharmacy. I also am expecting a cash rebate from Rite Aid for the batteries I purchased. (I requested the rebate online within minutes after shopping) Combining sale items with coupons, the free gift card and a few rebates, I ended up getting $50 worth of merchandise for free. I find out about a lot of these types of promotions online, but an indispensable tool is the Sunday Salt Lake Tribune, which has most of the ads and coupons needed to accomplish these money-saving shopping trips.
Cutting back on Christmas spending
If buying gifts for family has become a major financial burden for you each year, you're not alone. Consumer Reports magazine reports that in a recent survey, families across the country are using some time-honored methods to help keep their spending under control at Christmas. According to the survey, more than one-third of families this year have set a spending limit for gifts, 14 percent are making homemade gifts, and 6 percent have elected not to give any gifts at all. While it's probably too late to make a major change in the way you handle the holidays this year, you could bring up the idea of making some changes for the 2009 holiday season during family get-togethers in the coming weeks.
Put this date on your calendar
Feel a little unsure about your financial situation? On Jan. 13 and Jan. 30, consumers can receive free financial advice from the Jump-Start Your Retirement Plan Days promotion offered by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine and the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors. The advice is offered by fee-only planners nationwide who normally charge $150 to $300 an hour. Planners can cover issues such as investment allocation, taxes, insurance, estate planning, and saving for college and retirement. For more information, go to
http://www.kiplinger.com/yourretirement/jumpstart/. The toll-free number to call on Jan. 13 and Jan. 30 is 888-919-2345. Anyone also can log on to www.kiplinger.com/links/jumpstart/ to chat with a planner online. Planners participating in the promotion are fee-only, meaning they earn income from fees and not through commissions earned by selling financial products to their clients.
RC Willey joins the discounting crowd
RC Willey offers "doorbuster" deals designed to attract shoppers on an ongoing basis. But many times, the furniture and electronics retailer requires shoppers to buy a certain amount of other merchandise in the store to get a heavily discounted item. But in an ad out today, the retailer is offering a variety of great deals with no minimum-purchase requirements. It also is offering a $50 gift card for $25 from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, with other specials such as a $20 portable DVD player and a 4GB Ipod Nano for $69.95. There's also a 32-inch LCD/DVD HDTV combo for $499.95. All are available in limited quantities. My guess is that at these prices, you may want to go early.
Getting by cheap at Build a Bear
Anyone who has taken a small child to the Build a Bear workshop, the place where you stuff and accessorize your own teddy bear or other plush animal, knows how easy it is to spend a lot of money at that store. Normally I try to steer clear of the place for that reason alone. But I had two coupons good for $8 off any purchase (a total savings of $16) and I knew thanks to the national recession, the retailer had vastly expanded its offering of animals that cost only $10 to $12. So I took my children to the store and told them they could select any animal priced at $12 or less and that we weren't buying any of the cute but pricey outfits, accessories and sounds. Both of my children picked and stuffed animals priced at $12, including a moose with light-up antlers that had been marked down from $18. The kids did talk me into a "Jingle Bell Rock" sound accessory for both animals, but only because they were only $1 each (marked down from $4). We nearly made it past the cute outfits, but the kids both really wanted one for each animal. I told them they could think about it overnight and if they still wanted them, each would have to take $20 from each of their piggy banks and I would bring them back to the store the next day to buy the outfits. So we left the store, having paid only $5.34 for each stuffed animal, including the sound accessory and tax. The next day, neither child seemed willing to raid their piggy bank for the $20 it takes to buy any number of outfits and shoes. My daughter said it all, "The outfits are cute, but that's a lot of money. If they cost $5, I'd think about it." By the way, if you're thinking of taking your child to Build a Bear sometime in 2009, pick up a calendar now. It has a $5 off coupon in it.
Free, no purchase required
This holiday season, I'm seeing a lot more freebies with no purchase required. One of the most recent offers, from Walgreens, is for a free 8x10 print. Use coupon code FREEGIFT at checkout through Dec. 20. Order it online
here and pick it up in a Walgreens. Then put it in a frame from a dollar store and you have a nice, inexpensive gift.
Do you have an emergency fund?
Most Americans don't have any emergency savings, let alone an adequate rainy day fund of three to six months of income saved, according to a recent survey by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and MSN Money. Yet such a fund can be invaluable in helping a family make it through a layoff or other difficult time.
“There is not one person who has been laid off (who) doesn't wish they had more in their savings account,” said Gail Cunningham of the NFCC.
How can a family create an emergency fund, when money is so tight? Some suggestions from the foundation include starting small, by automatically depositing 10 percent of your take-home pay into an interest-bearing savings account each pay day. (Most banks can easily set this up for you.) If you can, increase the amount you're saving over time.
At the same time, take a hard look at how and where you are spending your money and try to find areas in which your family can cut back spending. A family that spends $10 less in 15 different spending categories, the foundation says, will have $150 each month that could go into a savings account. Within a year, they would have built up a cushion of $1,800 an amount that could help them cope with many short term emergencies.
Free grocery delivery
Albertsons currently is waiving the standard $12.95 delivery fee on orders of $150 or more made via its web site. Enter code DELIVER4FREE when checking out. I've tried the service before and enjoyed the convenience, but I'm too cheap to pay the delivery fee on a regular basis. If you are thinking of placing a grocery order online through Albertsons, remember that prices — including sale items — are supposed to be the same online as they are in stores. And Albertsons asks that you not provide tips to drivers. A real drawback to ordering groceries online is that you can't use manufacturer's coupons. Another possible drawback, if you are picky about your fresh produce and meats, that someone is doing the picking for you and you may not like their choices.
Load coupons on your grocery loyalty card
You can get coupons in newspapers and magazines and you can print them out on your computer. Now, you can load them on your grocery store loyalty card. Smith's Food & Drug has a new program that allows customers to load coupons on to their Fresh Values card. Some of the current offerings include $3 off a Private Selection-branded turkey breast or spiral-sliced ham, as well as a host of other food and nonfood coupons. For more information, check out the Smith's Food & Drug web site
here.
Does a television ban save money?
I'm hearing plenty of people chuckling over the news that superstar couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie limit the time their kids spend watching television to avoid exposure to commercials. Pitt says the more commercials they see, the more toys they want. Many parents I've debated over the years believe TV or no TV, kids are hard-wired to want the big, expensive toys that lead to credit card overload every holiday season. I disagree. I have had an outright ban on television for my children ever since they were born, and they rarely ask for toys. Once they were two years old, they were allowed to watch movies on VHS or DVD, but still no television. I figure kids need to be at least 8 or 9 until they can begin to understand how commercials work and how they don't need — and can't possibly afford — everything they see advertised on TV. In the meantime, I'm teaching my kids why they need to save money, how to decide when to spend some of it and how buying some things at thrift stores or garage sales can stretch their buying power. A few weeks ago, both of my children visited with Santa. I heard the two children before them asking for some pretty big ticket items — a snowmobile, a big-screen TV, an MP3 player, a cell phone, a Nintendo Wii. When my children got up to Santa, he had to press them to come up with something they wanted for Christmas. Finally, my daughter finally said, "well, some little Legos might be nice for me and my brother, please." The way I look at it, you either teach your kids about money when they're little, or they are going to learn the hard way when they're older. Teach them early, and you'll save a lot of money, too.
Another interesting rebate
I've blogged recently about the rather large mail-in rebates offered by beer companies that don't require the purchase of beer at all. These rebates can be found in the alcohol sections of grocery stores. I found one last night in a local grocery store from Budweiser good for $10 off the purchase of any of the following: salty snacks, ice, charcoal, propane, condiments, dips, buns, meat snacks, deli sandwiches, bottled water or pizza.
The nice thing about this rebate is to qualify you must only make a purchase that exceeds $10, so you can get nearly all your money back. I plan on buying a pizza. Look for the offer at your grocery store; purchases must be made by the end of the month and requests must be received by Jan. 14. A tip: These rebates can be difficult to find and they go fast. (I got the last one in the store I shopped at last night.)
Having trouble with your adjustable-rate mortgage?
Scores of Utahns with adjustable-rate mortgages are now facing higher rates and higher monthly payments. If you are one of them, you may qualify for assistance from the Utah Housing Corporation's "Dream Saver" program. The program is designed to help homeowners with adjustable-rate mortgages refinance to low, fixed-rate loans. The goal is to help prevent foreclosures. For more information, call the Utah Housing Corporation at (801) 902-8200. Or go
here for more information.
Cheapskate Shopping
There's no better way to save money when shopping than to combine promotions. Online, when I shop, I often combine free shipping offers with percentage-off discounts. In the grocery store, I try to use coupons on sale items. This morning, at Shopko, I used two different promotions to whittle down my bill from $42.39 to $7.39. First, I used a $10 off a $40 purchase coupon I had received in the mail for signing up for Shopko's free loyalty card program. Then I used a free $25 gift card I received for picking up a prescription at Shopko's pharmacy. (I had asked them about a month ago to honor a competitor's pharmacy coupon.) To pay the remaining $7.39, I used a $10 prepaid Visa card I received as part of a rebate offer earlier in the year.
A not so cheery thought
The nonprofit National Endowment for Financial Education estimates that it would take more than seven years to pay off a holiday spending balance of $1,100 if your credit card charges 18 percent interest and you pay only minimum monthly payments of 2 percent. Ted Beck, president and CEO of the National Endowment for Financial Education, said out-of-control holiday spending often stems from an inability to say "no." “Don’t be afraid to say ‘no’ to gifts you truly cannot afford," he says. (If you're charging a gift, and aren't paying it off next month in full you can't afford it.) Even if you've already spent too much this year, there is one thing you can do this holiday season to avoid taking on as much - or any debt at all - during the holidays next year. Open an account and start putting away small amounts of money each month to cover holiday-related expenses next year.
Ad Match Rejection
I know Toys R Us used to match competitor's advertised prices, but apparently they don't do so anymore. I called today to see if they would match a price on a toy I found for a better price online. An employee said the store does not match competitor's prices, either online or offline. I called around a few other brick-and-mortar retailers that do have ad-match policies and they also declined to match the price of an online competitor. So I ordered from the web for less, with free shipping. I can wait a week to save more than $20.
What can you get for $3?
My child just received a $3 gift card from Toys R Us for being part of the retailer's
birthday club. Each time my children get one of these gift cards, we all have fun going to the store to see what we can actually buy for that small of an amount. On the last birthday, we found a nice bath kit for kids on clearance for $2.90, marked down from $9.99. Today, we were able to get three packages of specialty Crayola crayons and markers. How did we do it? The retailer is having a buy-one-get-two-free sale on these items. We selected packages of markers and crayons priced at $3 each, and since two were free, our entire purchase was covered by the $3 gift card. (We did have to pay tax.)
A tax deadline, already?
The deadline to make charitable contributions for the 2008 tax year is Dec. 31. The IRS says that donations charged to credit cards by that date count as contributions for this year, even if you aren't paying your credit card bill until January or later. Remember, if you're making a cash donation, you'll need a statement from a charitable organization showing its name, the date and the amount of the contribution. A bank record would work, too. For more information about making donations of cash or noncash items, read IRS Publication 526, also called Charitable Contributions. It's available at
IRS.gov. The site also has more end-of-the-year tax planning tips.
Cheap Gas
Gasoline prices just keep falling. But it still pays to shop around, because a difference of as much as 20 cents among stations in the same city is common. This morning, a Maverik in Bountiful at 100 South and 200 West dropped its price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline to $1.39, reports
www.utahgasprices.com. A Maverik in Heber is down to $1.34 per gallon. Utah's statewide average is $1.56, reports travel-services company AAA, down from a high of $4.22 on July 18. The national average is $1.66 per gallon. To see how Utah stacks up with other states, go
here.
More doorbusters
Several retailers keep offering "doorbuster" deals typically seen only on the day after Thanksgiving every weekend this holiday season. Discount-oriented apparel retailer Old Navy, for example, is trying to lure shoppers into their stores this Saturday with $5 long-sleeve thermal-style tops for adults and children, among other deeply-discounted deals. The retailer also continues to offer a variety of freebies to generate interest among shoppers. This Saturday, the first 50 to 200 people in line - the number apparently varies by store - get free movie tickets for four with a $20 purchase. All retailers, it seems, are stressing value. Toys R Us and Smith's Marketplace are touting this weekend lowest prices of the year on a variety of gifts - in some cases the lowest price ever. A word of warning: If there's something you really want, shop early. I'm hearing that more retailers are refusing to write rainchecks on most "doorbusters" year.
Free $25 gift card for Fleming's
A colleague received in the mail a $25 gift card to the upscale steak house Fleming's in The Gateway shopping center in downtown Salt Lake City. I did a little digging around, and it looks like anyone can get the same $25 credit
here. If you've always wanted to try Fleming's, this may be a way to do so for less than usual. But one word of warning: Entrees run $25 to $48 each, and everything is a la carte, meaning you'll pay extra for side dishes and salads as well as your drink. Even with the $25 credit, this will still be one expensive meal.
Starbucks, the discounter?
Starbucks used to not have to worry too much about discounting. Now, amid the nation's economic crisis, the company is offering all kinds of incentives to get customers in the door. Earlier this year, the company began urging customers to register gift cards, offering perks such as free refills on brewed coffee and a free 12 ounce beverage with a purchase of a pound of coffee to those who pay with registered cards. This holiday season, the company is offering $100 worth of gift cards for only $79 at Costco. The java giant also began advertising this week a 20 percent discount on whole bean coffee and merchandise purchases in its stores through December 15.
Home Buyer Tax Credit
The residential real estate industry in Utah is heavily advertising the $7,500 federal tax "credit" available to first-time home buyers who purchase a property before July 1, 2009. The incentive does act like a tax credit by reducing a taxpayer's bill on a dollar for dollar basis. And it's fully refundable, which means you get the money even if the credit amount is more than the amount of tax you owe to the federal government. But the incentive, designed to get more people to buy homes and jump-start the nation's ailing economy, is not free money as many advertisements suggest. It's actually an interest-free loan that must be repaid. The good news: Repayment can be made over a 15-year period, at a pace of only $500 per year.
Cheap magazines!
Magazine subscription rates are falling amid a poor economy. Hearst Magazines recently discounted subscriptions on a selection of its magazines to $5. Read the fine print, though, in some cases, $5 only buys a half-year subscription. You can, however, get 12 issues of SmartMoney magazine, which is a great way to learn about saving and investing, for only $5. Go
here for more information. Two other tips: It always pays to shop around. Hearst is peddling Redbook magazine for $5 a year on its own web site; Amazon.com has a 1-year subscription to the same magazine for only $3. (It's listed for $8 on the retailer's web site, but $5 is automatically deducted at checkout.) And finally, you can always try to create your own sale. I received a renewal notice to a magazine asking for a $15 payment for the next year. I called the customer service number and asked for a lower rate and they dropped the price to only $10.
Have you received a letter from your credit card company?
Many Utahns are getting notices from credit card companies, informing them that the annual percentage rate (APR) of their card is being increased. Can card companies do this? They sure can. Salt Lake Tribune Money Matters panelist Jennifer Rohn, who works in the credit counseling industry, has some suggestions about what you should do if you get such a letter. She recommends a cardholder should call their card company and ask why their rate is being increased and request that their rate be lowered to a better fixed rate. If you have any competing offers from other card companies, let your card company know about it. "Don’t be afraid to politely state you have better offers from other companies and are considering taking your business elsewhere," Rohn said. The bad news: In a particularly severe credit crisis, many card companies won't negotiate with card holders like they would have a couple of years ago. You can always transfer your balances to another card with a lower rate, but there is no guarantee the rate on that card won't increase as well. Yet another reason to lay off those credit cards if you can!
Sale on Entertainment coupon books
Entertainment books, which contain coupons and discounts at retailers, restaurants, car rental companies and a host of other businesses on and off-line, is now $15, shipping included. I bought mine for $20 just weeks ago. Information:
www. entertainment.com/tenoff.
Even I like this coupon
In the mail yesterday I received a coupon good for $10 off a minimum $10 in-store purchase at JC Penney. I've seen coupons good for $10 off a $50 purchase offered fairly regularly this holiday season by major department store chains and even a number of coupons good for $10 off a $25 purchase. This coupon seems aimed at getting those who already have finished all or most their holiday shopping — back in the store to shop some more. I have to admit I'll be stopping by a nearby store sometime before the coupon expires on Dec. 24. The prospect of getting something for free — or nearly free — is just too compelling.
Online shopping deadline
If you are thinking about buying online this shopping season, the least expensive shipping options — including free shipping — already are beginning to disappear. Amazon.com's "free super saver shipping" ends on Dec. 17; if you order from most any retailer after Dec. 19 you're going to pay a premium to ship your gifts.
Thrifty Christmas
My goal this year was to buy at least half of my children's Christmas gifts at garage sales and thrift stores. I ended up falling short of that goal because I did not start buying in earnest until late summer, but I did end up purchasing about one third of their gifts from second hand sources. Oftentimes the most expensive types of toys, such as Legos, show up at garage sales and thrift stores at only a fraction of their retail cost. My best bargain was a huge garbage bag full of Lego bionicles for $10 that if purchased new in a store would have cost at least $150. The best part of this purchase was the man who actually tried to wrestle the bag of bionicles out of the hands of a 6-foot 2-inch tall tightwad mom. It didn't work out very well for him.
Philanthropy on a budget
Each year, our family enjoys giving gifts to a number of children in need. Rather than waiting for the holidays to begin buying toys, however, I buy them year-round when I find a great deal. In July, for example, I bought eight Tonka trucks for $2 a piece that originally retailed for $12 to $15 each and a number of Leap Frog toys and games for $3 each that originally retailed for $10 or more. A month later, I found a stash of Crayola art kits for $1 to $2 each. I buy generic toys with broad appeal, such as Lego building kits (I was able to get a bunch of boxes of those in August for $5 each on clearance). Earlier this month at my children's school, we selected two children from the Angel Tree who wanted items that we had in our rather extensive gift closet. For only about $40 per child, we were able to assemble a great group of toys, books and art supplies for each child — enough for a great Christmas even if they don't get one additional gift from any other source. We're giving the remaining toys to Toys for Tots. Come January, I'll begin the process of scouting great buys for next year.
Beer Company Rebates, part two
I have received several inquiries about beer company rebates since I posted an item about shoppers who say they save hundreds of dollars a year using these mail-in rebate programs, most of which require no purchase of beer at all to get $10 or more back on various food purchases. I mentioned that rebate forms are available near beer displays in grocery stores and that I had found one, at a Smith's Food & Drug store, good for a $15 rebate on on the purchase of a deli platter, ham or turkey that costs more than $25 — no beer purchase required. Several readers have e-mailed me that they couldn't find any rebates in their local store. I called a local expert on the subject and she said the rebates go quickly, so if you really want to find one you may want to check the beer aisle each time you shop. Plus, she said, some stores just aren't real good about carrying them so you may want to check several stores in the area. Also, check carefully once you actually are on the beer aisle. The rebate I found was just sitting on the shelf; I had missed it the first time I checked.
The NPS Store takes coupons
Several readers e-mailed me about the NPS Store, a popular liquidation company at 1600 S. Empire Road in Salt Lake City, just off Redwood Road. The "salvage and freight recovery" company has two quite large stores selling hard goods, food and pretty much everything else you can imagine, some at super-low prices. Better yet: The store accepts manufacturer's coupons. I called the store to check on their coupon policy, and discovered that while the store accepts coupons, they cannot exceed the selling price of individual items. Shoppers are required to buy enough of an item to equal the coupon amount. For example, if you have a $1 coupon, but an item costs only 25 cents, you are required to buy at least four. It still sounds like a good deal to me!
And the best time to buy a turkey is ...
I went grocery shopping and the meat department at a local store was selling surplus whole unfrozen turkeys for 49 cents a pound. The butcher said the turkeys can be frozen, so I bought two for inexpensive meals later on in the winter. Each year, I make a point to check out what's on sale at grocery stores after Thanksgiving and Christmas. Last year, I stocked up on Sara Lee pies at Wal-Mart for $1 each after calling the company and finding out they are good for up to a year in the freezer.
Double coupons
I needed a break, so I headed over to Kmart to enjoy an hour's worth of double coupon shopping. I love double coupons, but few stores seem to offer this type of promotion these days. But Kmart is, through Saturday. The retailer is doubling the value of manufacturer's coupons up to $2 in value. I was able to get:
— Two boxes of Biz detergent, on sale for $7.99 a box, for $3.99 each after using a $2 coupon that was doubled to $4.
— Two boxes of over-the-counter allergy medicine regularly priced at $5.99 a box, for $1.99 a box after using a $2 coupon that was doubled to $4.
— Four boxes of cereal on sale at $2.50 a box, for 50 cents a box after using a $1 coupon that doubled to $2.
— Three containers of cake frosting priced at $1.50 each, for 50 cents each after using a 50-cent coupon that doubled to $1.
Thrift store super sale
Several readers have e-mailed me about the great deals they are getting at Thrift Town's 50 percent off sale today. (The store is open until 8 p.m.) If you miss the sale, the store, at 3330 S. 1300 East, is having a 30 percent off sale on Dec. 19.
Shop around for auto insurance
It's not fun to shop around for auto insurance. But with potential savings of hundreds of dollars per year, you can't afford not to. Auto insurance companies have radically changed the way they calculate your premimums in recent years that you may even benefit by just asking your existing auto insurance company to prepare a new quote. I did just that and got more coverage and perks for several hundreds of dollars less than I was paying before. A great source of information is the Utah Department of Insurance. Go to
http://www.insurance.utah.gov and click on "Consumer Help" and then "Auto/Homeowner." Click on Auto & Homeowner Comparison Tables and you'll see the huge variation in the cost of coverage for the same person.
Just be prepared — if you haven't shopped around for years — most insurance companies nowadays use a credit-report based "Insurance Score" to determine what you'll pay in premiums. Generally, the better your credit, the less you'll pay for coverage, although other important factors include age, gender, the type of car you drive and your driving record.
Liquidation stores
If you haven't been to some of the Wasatch Front's liquidation companies, it may be worth a trip. You may want to start with the NPS Store, 1600 S. Empire Road in Salt Lake City, just off Redwood Road. The "salvage and freight recovery" company (web site
http://www.npsstore.com/) has two quite large stores selling hard goods, food and pretty much everything else you can imagine. Another interesting store: Bukoos, located at 1313 North Highway 89 in Farmington. (Web site:
http://www.bukoos.com/)
It's often a mystery where companies get all their stuff. Bukoos, for example, says it gets merchandise from stores that have gone out of business or those trying to unload items that did not sell. But Bukoos reportedly also gets a lot of goods from overnight shipping companies, which each year ends up with a surprisingly large volume of goods that never made it to their destinations.
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