Black Friday 2009 Free Stuff

by Madison

It’s one of the most exciting Free Money Fridays! Back by popular demand is the Black Friday 2009 free stuff list!

I searched through all the sites that I listed yesterday as my favorite Black Friday Shopping Resources to compile the list. It’s separated by free, free after rebate, and free with purchase. Be sure to check the ad scans for accuracy, and verify what time the price ends in your area. You can see last year’s list of Black Friday 2008 Free Stuff.

Free

Half Price Books

  • Free Tote Bag & $5 Gift Card to First 100 Customers  

Ikea

  • Free Breakfast & Coffee Until 10:30 am

JCPenney

  • Free Disney Snowglobe While Supplies Last

Sports Authority

  • Free Bonus Bucks Card for First 80 People in Line

Target

  • Free Marcel Wanders Shopping Bag for First 500 People

Free After Rebate

Ace Hardware

  • Ratcheting Screwdriver 38-Piece Set
  • Stanley Staple Gun

CVS

  • Magnavox Universal Remote
  • Philips Earbuds
  • Hershey’s/Reese’s Singles
  • Mars King Size Bars
  • Degree Ultra Clear for Women
  • DynaPop Energy Shots
  • Just For Men Touch Of Grey
  • Right Guard Sport 3D
  • Vasoline Sheer Infusion Lotion

Menards

  • 6-in-1 Screwdriver or 16′ Tape Meausre

Office Depot

  • Interior Design Software
  • Photo Explosion Software
  • Print Master Software
  • Scrapbook Factory Software
  • $1000 in Software with Microsoft Office or Windows 7 Purchase
  • HP Printer with Any Computer Purchase

Staples

  • Duracell Batteries 20-Pack
  • GE 4-Device Universal Remote Control
  • Sharp Handheld Solar Calculator
  • Peachtree Pro Accounting Software
  • Canon Printer with Purchase of Any Digital Camera
  • HP Printer with Any Desktop or Laptop

Walgreens

  • Aquafresh Cavity Protection Toothpaste
  • Dove Ultimate Visibly Smooth Deodorant
  • Infusium 23 Hair Care
  • Johnson’s Softwash
  • Nivea for Men Shave Gel
  • Right Guard Sport Deodorant

Free With Purchase

Babies R Us

  • Summer Infant Audio Monitor with Purchase of Handheld Color Video Monitor

Best Buy

  • LG Chocolate Touch with 2 Year Verizon Contract
  • $10 Gift Card with $40 Ink Purchase
  • $5 Napster Card with any CD Purchase $5 and up

Build a Bear

  • Mini Moose Pair with Any $30 Purchase  

Gander Mtn.

  • $20 Gander Cash with Each $100 Purchase (Thursday 3 – 9 pm)

Half Price Books

  • $5 Coupon with $25 Gift Card Purchase
  • Half Price Books Calendar with Any $25 Purchase

K-Mart

  • Handy Manny Talking Tool Box with Repair Shop Purchase
  • Xbox 360 Halo 3 ODST with Xbox 360 Elite Bundle Purchase

Kohls

  • $10 Kohl’s Cash for Every $50 Spent
  • Tote with $25 Fragrance or Cosmetic Purchase

Lowes

  • 6-Piece or 3 Piece Wood Handle Tool Set with Tool Chest Purchase

Meijer

  • Neoprene Sleeve and Microsoft Wireless 3000 Mouse with HP Mini 1020 or 1030 Netbook Purchase
  • 2 Buy-ray Movies and 2 Video Games with PS3 120GB Slim Console Purchase
  • Grand Theft Auto IV and Halo 3 with Xbox 360 Game System or Bundle Purchase

Old Navy

  • Lego Rock Band Game with $20 Purchase
  • Rock Band Guitar with Rock Band 2 Software Purchase

Sears

  • $70 Gift Card with Purchase of 4 Select Tires
  • Jewelry Box with $35 Fragrance or Cosmetics Purchase
  • Craftsman 100 watt Work Light with Purchase of 1000 Watt Tripod Worklight
  • Craftsman Air Tool Kit with Craftsman 33 gal Air Compressor purchase
  • Craftsman Air Tool Kit with Craftsman 33 gal Air Compressor purchase
  • Nintendo Wii Nerf Racing Wheel with Wii System Purchase
  • Sony PS3 Blu-Ray Remote with Playstation 120GB System
  • Whirlpool Micowave with purchase of Gas or Electric Range
  • Xbox 360 Live 12 Month Gold Card with Xbox Elite Bundle purchase

Sports Authority

  • $25 Gift Card with Purchase of a Golf Buddy GPS

Tanger Outlets: Dress Barn

  • Cosmetic Bag with $50 Purchase 

Target

  • $10 Gift Card with $100 Purchase
  • $10 Gift Card with Purchase of Selected Video Games

Toys R Us

  • $50 Gift Card With Any Apple iPod 8GB Touch
  • EVA Sleeve Kit With Any DSi Holiday Bundle
  • Bendaroos 100 Piece Set With Any 500 Piece Set Purchase
  • Easel Starter Kit With Any Imaginarium Deluxe Wooden Art Easel Purchase
  • Imaginarium Big Train Set With Any Arch Train Table Purchase

If you find more, please post them in the comments.


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Posted November 20, 2009 in Frugal by Madison | Comments?





Black Friday, Debt, and Taxes

by Madison

I started making our Christmas lists with some inspiration from the 2009 Holiday Toy List. Since our kids are getting old enough to understand some of the festivities, I’m really looking forward to the holiday season this year.

Of course, let’s not get ahead of ourselves… first we need to make plans for Black Friday. It’s just around the corner! Just 8 days to go (but who’s counting?)

Here are some of my favorite places to scan the leaked ads for Black Friday. And be sure to check back tomorrow for my favorite Black Friday post….

Black Friday Hangouts

Debt

Taxes

By the Numbers

And More!


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Posted November 19, 2009 in Roundups by Madison | 1 Comment




Frugal Ways to Celebrate the Holidays

by Amanda

What a fantastic time of year coming up; the weather has chilled from crisp to cold, the night comes upon us earlier so we feel more snuggly and more like hibernating at home, and generally we all have extra time off from work which means we can spend more time with the people whom we love.

Due to the economic recession, something tells me that people are going to be cutting back from their holiday spending this year. In fact, Retail Forward, which conducts substantial consumer research, found that 45% of consumers plan to spend less on holiday shopping this year than in 2008 (and we all know how abysmal the 2008 holiday shopping statistics were; several companies like Circuit City even had to declare bankruptcy).

Are you planning to scale back your spending over the next few months? Well, I am here to tell you that you can be just as festive and still spend less money than in years past.

Potluck Holiday Dinners

Perhaps you are used to hosting holiday dinners, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Day, and have taken it upon yourself to pay for everything: from the appetizers, food, and alcohol/beverages, down to decorations and small gifts. You can still be that great host/hostess this year, but when you invite family members and friends, ask them to bring a dish and tell them that this year will be a potluck holiday supper. This can be an exciting opportunity to display other people’s star dishes, and to keep you out of the kitchen and mingling with your guests!

Decorate Using Nature

When decorating on a budget, think about stimulating different senses, such as sight, sound, and smell. Collect pinecones as a family from walks outside, neighbor’s homes, or your own backyard. You can use these in many ways to add festivity to your home. Assemble them in a beautiful bowl for an authentic centerpiece. Spray them with glue (or dip them in glue if you have Elmer’s), and add glitter to them, or spray them with fake snow.

Add a sense of coziness by keeping a fire in your fireplace going during the holidays, which will save you in heating costs as well as add a beautiful ambience. You can typically find free wood on Craigslist’s under the ‘free’ section (people clearing land usually will give wood away for free, but you may need to bring your ax). 

Use the branches of evergreen that you trim from your Christmas tree to hand make a wreath for your door, and to add in between candles for a wonderful centerpiece or decoration for windowsills that smells amazing. If you are not planning on purchasing a Christmas tree this year, you can ask local tree sellers if they have clippings they could give you for free or cheaply. Use your imagination!

Keep wonderful smells simmering throughout your home by heating up apple cider on your stovetop.

Frugal Family Outings

I would argue that the most festive and enjoyable holiday activities are either free, or very cheap.

Check out lights. One of the most fun and festive activities you can do during the holidays is to take a car ride around surrounding neighborhoods and look at other people’s Christmas lights and decorations.

Go caroling. Join a caroling group through your church, place of worship, or with friends and family and have fun singing holiday songs and spreading cheer.

Have fun sledding. Depending upon the area of the country you live in, take advantage of upcoming snow storms to sled down familiar hills and build snowmen or make snow angels.

See holiday plays. Attend free church productions of A Christmas Carol, pageants/nativity scenes and other traditional plays. You may wish to make a donation to the church.

Volunteer. Volunteer with your family at a soup kitchen, food pantry, homeless shelter, etc. This will provide your family with precious time together, as well as help others in need. You would be surprised at how grateful and bountiful your life feels when you help out others with much less financial means than yourself.

I hope you take these suggestions, and truly enjoy the upcoming holiday season for all of the reasons that make it the happiest time of year. Above all else, remember that it is much more important to spend time with your loved ones—rather than spend money—to create sustaining relationships and memories for years to come.


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Posted November 18, 2009 in Frugal by Amanda | 1 Comment




Cash for Appliances

by Kate

Cash for Appliances Program

Back in August, Cash for Clunkers was the big news in government relief for taxpayers. The program encouraged consumers to buy nearly 7,000 more fuel efficient vehicles in less than 30 days. A similar program from the Department of Energy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is now in the works. The State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program, or “Cash for Appliances,” aims to encourage Americans to upgrade to more energy efficient appliances.

Cash for Appliances Features

  • State-Run: Unlike Cash for Clunkers, where the Federal Government ran the program, each state is responsible for its own Cash for Appliances program. That means program rules, dates, and savings vary by state.
  • Old Appliances: Your old appliances won’t be exchanged for the rebate on your new appliances. The good news is that those who are buying, for example, a new washing machine and have never had one before, will still be eligible for the rebate. The bad news is that you’re responsible for getting rid of your own old appliances. Be sure to recycle though because some states, like New York, will offer additional incentives for doing so!
  • Energy Star: The new appliances must be ENERGY STAR® qualified in order to be eligible for any rebate. Categories eligible for rebates include: central air conditioners, heat pumps (air source and geothermal), boilers, furnaces (oil and gas), room air conditioners, clothes washers, dishwashers, freezers, refrigerators, and water heaters.

Overall Thoughts

As with Cash for Clunkers, this program shouldn’t make you run out and buy a new appliance you don’t need or can’t afford. The rebates can be as little as $50 so that definitely wouldn’t be a wise decision. However, if you’re in the market for a new appliance anyway and your state is offering one of the better incentive programs, it probably makes sense to take advantage of this program while it lasts…remember how quickly Cash for Clunkers ran out of funds!


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Posted November 17, 2009 in Savings by Kate | 1 Comment




What to Expect When Working With a Financial Planner

by Jill

Even the most financially-savvy people sometimes need a little help – and the more money you have, the more you might want to make sure you are handling it as well as possible.

If you find yourself with questions you can’t quite find the answer to online, want to make sure you are handling a special situation as well as possible, or just want reassurance that you are on the right financial track, you may want to consider hiring a financial planner. This article will help you understand what a financial planner can do for you and what to expect when working with one for the first time.

Why Hire a Financial Planner?

These are just some of the things a financial planner can do for you:

  • Determine and prioritize your financial goals.
  • Use your personal goals and risk tolerance to create a sustainable investment strategy that maximizes returns.
  • Create personal financial statements such as a balance sheet and income/expense statement.
  • Use key financial ratios to check you overall financial health, and provide suggestions for improvement.
  • Analyze your insurance portfolio to ensure that you are minimizing personal risk.
  • Develop strategies to minimize income, capital gains, self-employment, gift, and estate taxes.
  • Create and execute a plan for you to retire at the age you want with enough assets to live comfortably.

Meeting with a Financial Planner

A financial planner will want to get a general understanding of where you are in life – how old are you, do you have any children and how old are they, do you (or your spouse) plan to attend any more school, do you own a house, do you plan to support aging parents in any way, etc.

Depending on the planner, you may be asked to fill out a questionnaire in advance of your initial meeting. Others will meet with you first to get the basic information and then have you fill out more details either during the meeting or after the meeting. You should inform your planner of anything unique to you or your family that you think will impact your finances now or in the future.

Your planner will also ask a variety of questions to understand your current financial situation, future income needs, and risk tolerance (for investment purposes). It is important that you are 100% honest with your planner – she will not judge you and is not allowed to disclose any of your personal information to anyone without your consent. In order for your planner to craft a plan that will actually help you, you must admit to all your financial mistakes, be honest about your future aspirations, prepare to hear an honest assessment of your situation, and be willing to work with your planner to improve your finances. If you have certain things you aren’t willing to give up or certain savings goals that are non-negotiable, speak up – your planner is only as good as the information she has to work with.

What to Bring to the Meeting

When you meet with a financial planner, you should bring the following documentation:

  • Bank/credit card statements showing expenditures for at least one year and current balances.
  • W-2s/1099s showing income for at least one year.
  • Tax returns for at least two years (up to five can be helpful if they are available).
  • Mortgage and other debt information.
  • Life, health, home, auto, long term care, and liability insurance policies and information on current premiums.
  • Retirement account balances and asset allocation.
  • Investment account balances and asset allocation.

If you have a small business you should also bring the above information for your business.

Choosing a Financial Planner

If you think that you could benefit from hiring a financial planner, ask family members, friends, or colleagues for a referral. I may be biased since I am studying to become one, but you should consider looking specifically for a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) professional. CFP practitioners are required to take an ethics pledge, have an annual continuing education requirement, and are governed by the CFP board.

It’s ok to meet with a few planners before deciding on one – a good planner will give you a free initial consultation. If you hope to build a long-term relationship it is important that you choose a planner you are comfortable with from the start. You can also get estimates from multiple planners to get an idea of the going rates in your area.

Once you have chosen a planner and worked with him to create your initial financial plan, you should plan to check in and revise your plan at least annually or whenever a life event changes your financial situation. Some planners may want to work with you as often as every three months, especially if you have large investments, or short time horizons for some of your savings goals.

Fee Based Financial Planners

You should also look for a planner that is fee-based, meaning they charge you by the hour rather than charging a percentage of your assets or charging commissions on products they sell you. You can search for fee-based planners by location through the Garret Planning Network.


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Posted November 16, 2009 in Savings by Jill | 4 Comments




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