Displaying 1 - 10 of 502 entries.

Ways to Travel for Free

  • Posted on May 15, 2012 at 7:30 am

One excuse people use for using their credit cards is for the rewards. Many credit cards offer airline miles, hotel stays and other rewards for signing up for a credit card and using it. This can work in your favor if you are able to pay off the balance each month. If you carry a balance, the amount you pay in interest and finance charges may negate the amount of the rewards.

I have heard of instances where people charged $30,000 on their credit cards to get free airline tickets to Paris, etc. Their response was they wouldn’t be able to afford to go otherwise. But chances are, they are carrying a balance on their credit cards.

If you are responsible with your credit cards, there may be a way to fly for free. Credit card churning is when you apply for a credit card that is offering frequent flyer miles and cancel the card once you have used it. Some people do this over multiple times to get numerous airline miles. As stated in the article, this is only advised if you are able to pay off the balance each month.

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Week 3 of Freezer Cooking

  • Posted on May 14, 2012 at 6:12 pm

Crystal from Money Saving Mom is on the third week of her freezer cooking series.

I am getting ready to go on vacation so I have been taking meals out of my freezer the past couple of days so I haven’t had to cook. I also have meals in the freezer so they are ready when I get back instead of having to stop for takeout.

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Homemade Pizza Pockets

  • Posted on May 12, 2012 at 2:15 pm

I made Homemade Pizza Pockets today. I have never been fond of the taste of the frozen pizza pockets at the grocery store, so I was excited to try the homemade ones. I ended up with 16 pizza pockets. I had a little dough leftover when the filling ran out so I made a few smaller ones with melted butter, cinnamon and sugar. I ran the rim of a small plate around the edges to seal them.

Crystal also has a recipe for Ham and Cheese pockets.

This is part of Crystal’s 4 week freezer cooking series. I use freezer cooking to save time and money on groceries. It is less tempting to stop for something on the way home when I know I have something ready. I also take these items for lunch most days.

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Faces of the Oil Patch

  • Posted on May 11, 2012 at 7:00 am

Faces of the Oil Patch is a new production from Prairie Public Television. It will premiere on Prairie Public on Wednesday, May 16 at 9:00 pm (CT). You may have heard about the oil activity in the western part of the state. This documentary gives you a look at how the towns in the Northwestern part of the state are dealing with the growth from the oil activity.

I attended the screening of the documentary at NDSU and found it informative. I am originally from the Northwestern part of the state and it is interesting to see the increased activity. The small town I grew up in has changed considerably in the past few years. We may complain about the traffic in Fargo/Moorhead but some of the towns up there are just as bad now. When I went through Minot over Christmas, I was looking forward to our traffic again after dealing with the traffic up there.

The documentary will be aired multiple times after the premiere. It covers the benefits as well as the challenges that the towns are experiencing. The Williston City Commissioner said that before the oil activity the population of Williston was about 13,000. Now they are figuring there are about 30,000 living in the city, with the man camps and campers, etc.

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Mothers Day Discounts

  • Posted on May 9, 2012 at 12:34 pm

This Sunday, May 13 is Mothers Day.

Following are a few of the discounts and free events I found in the Fargo area.
The Red River Valley Zoo in Fargo is offering free admission for mothers on Mother’s Day. There is a SaveCoin deal for the next couple of days to get a family pass to the Childrens Museum at Yunker Farms for $10 (reg. $30). You can send a code to someone via Facebook for a free Redbox movie to be redeemed on May 13th.

There is going to be a Mother’s Day Women’s Expo at the Civic Center in Fargo on May 12 and 13. Part of the proceeds will go to Women’s Way. It looks like you can print a coupon for two free admissions for Saturday on the website.

There may be other freebies and discounts offered at other establishments.

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Dave Ramsey $30,000 Giveaway

  • Posted on May 9, 2012 at 7:00 am

Through the month of May, Dave Ramsey is giving away a $1,000 each week day.

One of the winners from the first week is from ND.

Here are the winners from the first week:

Maria from Irmo, SC
Nick from Huntington, IN
Abigail from Albuquerque, NM
Stephanie from Larimore, ND

You can enter to win each weekday until midmight.

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Money as You Grow

  • Posted on May 6, 2012 at 7:00 am

Money As You Grow is a website with 20 age-appropriate financial lessons that kids need to know as they grow. The lessons are categorized in age groups of 3 years to 5 years old, 6 -10 , 11-13, 14-18 and 18+.

The 3-5 age group covers what money is and how it is earned and wants & needs. The 5-10 age group information covers making choices, comparing prices and the importance of having a savings account. Information for the 11-13 age group is that you should save at least a dime of every dollar you receive, compound interest and that a credit card is a type of a loan. For the 14-18 age group it is important to know what college will cost, avoiding credit card debt and what a Roth IRA is. The lessons for 18+ is to use a credit card only if you can pay off the balance in full at the end of the month, why you need health insurance and factors of investing.

This is another of the many resources available to teach kids about money and finances

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Wreath Ideas

  • Posted on May 5, 2012 at 12:43 pm
wreath

Making wreaths is an easy and inexpensive way to change the décor in your home. Here are some ideas I have found online. The sunflower wreath is a wreath I recently made, which can be made for about $20. I had the grapevine wreath on hand but they are about $5 to purchase I used a paper mache letter which was $5 The bunch of flowers were $10 and marked 50% so it was $5. I had the ribbon and spray paint on hand. The wreath can be hung on your door or wall. I made this wreath to place…

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Money Habits/Birth Order

  • Posted on May 5, 2012 at 7:00 am

There was a recent article about money habits being based on your birth order. The survey conducted by Coupon Cabin shows that 87% of first born consider themselves financially responsible.

How do the survey results correspond with your family?

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Stocking up to Save

  • Posted on May 3, 2012 at 7:00 am

One way to save on groceries is to stock up on items you use regularly when you find them on sale. Many items are on sale every 6 to 12 weeks. If you are able to have 1 or 2 extras of things you use regularly you can save money and alss save yourself from having to make extra trips when you run out.

With summer starting and summer holidays, some items such as barbeque supplies, such as meats and condiments are on sale and should be in the coming weeks. Usually around Memorial Day and the 4th of July these items go on sale.

This week, through Tuesday, May 8 Hornbachers has these items on sale. They also have watermelon for $3.98 each. The sign said save $4.00. I bought one this afternoon and it was great.

If you do not have extra money in your grocery budget to stock up, see if there are thngs you can cut back on or other ways to save money. Even if you can only afford one or two extras a week, over time it will add up.

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