Everyday Savings on Your Home

Here are some suggestions for saving money on your HOME: 

Tip #1:  Cut out cable. Nearly 40 million people still pay for cable each month, according to StatisticBrain. By cutting ties with Dish or Comcast, you could save nearly $800 a year, according to the most recent cable-cost survey figures from the Federal Communications Commission. Replace your favorite channels with a less expensive alternative like Hulu or Netflix or my favorite, feeln.com.  You’ll save a bundle!

Tip #2:   Do a YouTube reno. Before we had the Internet, we had no choice but to call the tile guy to complete a home renovation project. Now we can watch a few YouTube videos instead of paying $5–10 per square foot to have someone else install it. My husband has spent a few minutes on youtube before NUMEROUS home projects, and they turn out GREAT! He just re-did our hardwood floors and painted the living room and hall for a savings of several thousand dollars!

Tip #3:   Get some ideas from Pinterest, or just Google what you need. So we all like to talk about our biggest Pinterest FAIL, but we've probably all gotten some really aMaZiNg ideas from Pinterest that actually worked as well. Just this week I got ideas from Pinterest for creating my gallery wall instead of having to hire an interior decorator to come in. I also googled 'cleaning artificial plants' and found a great recipe for a homemade concoction to rejuvenate my house plants.

Tip #4. Barter for repairs. Some home improvement projects and repairs are better left to the professionals. So if you have a friend who is an electrician and usually charges $100 per hour, trade your skills for theirs. What is your specialty? Do build websites or take family photos? Can you do taxes or financial planning? Find something they need that you are good at and do a little old-school bartering. Everyone wins.

Tip #5. Update your insurance. When was the last time you checked on your insurance rates. Did you know that because of the highly competitive nature of the insurance industry the best rates for any given situation can change with every insured incident, change in material circumstance, or even just over time. With a 10-15 minute phone call you can get quotes from 20-25 of the top-rated insurance companies to see which one has the lowest rates for your situation. Email us at team.logan.utah@gmail.com to get the details on how to connect with the largest comparative platform for home and auto insurance.

Tip #6. Downsize your house. Does it make sense for you to downsize? There are many reasons that could lead to a choice to downsize. Is your mortgage is eating up a huge chunk of your income? Have your kids recently moved out and you don't need as much space anymore? Has your circumstance changed to where you just don’t need a place in the center of the action anymore, or as close to a certain area of town, like your work?. If so, it could make sense to sell while the market is hot. Depending on where you are in your mortgage you may even end up with enough to pay cash for your next house and ditch the mortgage altogether! That could save you thousands of dollars a year!

Your home should be a safe haven and a blessing to you and your family. If it's draining the budget it's hard to enjoy. Use these helpful tips to free up more money for what matters to you and send your ideas for saving money to team.logan.utah@gmail.com so we can share your wealth of experience!

Ideas for Saving Money from our Facebook Readers . . .

Last week we asked our facebook readers to share their best tips for saving money. We got some GREAT suggestions!!  Look through these and see if there are a few that might help you reach your financial goals~

√  Definitely what has worked for us is tracking all of the expenses to help us realize (and quantify) how much we spend on things that are sometimes unnecessary. Knowing it makes it easier to say no to things down the road.

√  Plant a garden and build a greenhouse and a walipini.

√  If you have to eat out, choose to drink water. It's healthier and soft drinks are expensive.

√  Limit eating out. Also get rid of expensive cable. You'll pay a fraction of what you did getting Hulu and Netflix

√  Check out feeln.com. It's even less than Hulu or Netflix ($1.99/mo) and has a ton of awesome movies-- all family friendly.

√  We've never paid for cable unless it was free with internet. We never for Amazon, Hulu or Netflix either. If we want to see a movie we rent it for super cheap or get it free from the library.  We do have a converter for our tv, and there is plenty to watch on the internet if we get bored. We have 4 children and don't get bored, but Going for a walk for entertainment or playing board games. Or just snuggling, talking and reading out load all great ways to save $. We buy almost all our clothes at the thrift store except kids jeans. We buy most everything we might need at somebody's attic. Money goes WAY far there!!! Farther then almost any other thrift store.

√ Buy generic brands! Who cares if Kraft Mac and cheese might be way more creamy and delicious than Great Value, it still fills your stomach the same, and honestly, kids don't even have a clue what the difference is! You may only save 20¢ here and 50¢ there, but it adds up!!!

Budgeting with a cash envelope system.

√   Budgeting with a cash envelope system.

√  We got rid of cable years ago and just use an antenna and Netflix. We stopped going to the redbox for movies cause we always had the movies for 3 or more days. But the biggest way we have saved money is our garden and canning what we grow.

√  Make all meals at home create a menu, and buy ingredients you have to prep yourself... Not pre shredded or chopped.

Here are some things our readers did a few weeks ago to SAVE MONEY!!

√  Clipping coupons and making less trips to the store.

√  Less out to eat

√  Made a budget plan to save for a house.

√  Less trips to the store and sticking to my list. If it's not on the list, it doesn't go in the cart!

√  Paid off my student loans!!!

√  Eat breakfast at home and paying off loans

√  Pass on the soda!

√  Cut my cigarette smoking in half! Soon I won't be smoking at all! I wrote down how much I was spending on them and what I was having a hard time keeping stocked in my home. Quitting will give me enough money to cover all of it!

√  I parked a few blocks away and walked to work, instead of paying for parking! smile emoticon

√  Signed up for Financial Peace University!

√  I've been following couponing experts (Fun, Cheap or Free) and they tell you deals like freebies for the week. Got a free Redbox movie and planning in staying in for valentine's weekend.

√  Put together a budget and working hard to stick to it!

√  Working hard as newly wed couples to start saving!!

√  Sticking to our budget

√  Not go out to eat!

√  Used coupons

√  I shopped around and read consumer reviews before making an informed online purchase.

√  I've been thinking about how to make on of these all week BUT if I win this binder, I would saved tons of $$$ without buying the binder, tabs and paper etc! wink emoticon Plus I wouldn't really know what to name my categories. This way it's all ready to go! Thanks for a chance to win this! like emoticon

√  We are moving into an more energy efficient house with better windows so the heat doesn't escape!!!!

√  I ate out less, even when it seemed easier!

√  Paying off all our consumer debt!

√  I finally opened a savings account!

√  Well have organize all of our bills and worked on our budget

√  Switched my tv service to save $50/month...

√  Eat leftovers! wink emoticon

√  We made a plan to get out of debt over the next two years!

√  Created an excel doc to help track finances

√  Checked to see if there was a better price for our internet. Found an awesome deal on some birthday presents and was able to get 7 for under $20 total!

√  Paid off $1900 credit card!!!

√  Checked classifieds before buying something new.

√  Turning the thermostat down when we are not home for long periods of time-

√  Earlier this week I cut down on my internet speed to save $50 a month!

√  Canceled my comcast upgraded to unlimited data on my phone and tethered it to my TV with the micro USB

√  Buying only the "need" items and a lot less of the "want" items

√  Planned a grocery list for items only on sale or in season

√  Switched from whole life insurance to term.

Daily Savings Focus!

It's America Saves Week! The Week is an opportunity for organizations to promote good savings behavior and a chance for individuals to assess their own saving status. More importantly, it's an opportunity for savers like you to take advantage of free tools, resources, and activities to jump-start or reinvigorate your savings habits. For starters, make the most of each day's Savings Focus: Monday, 2/22: Save Automatically Tuesday, 2/23: Assess Your Savings Wednesday, 2/24: Save for Retirement Thursday, 2/25: Save for Emergencies Friday, 2/26: Saving at Tax Time Saturday, 2/27: Pay Off High-Interest Debt Organizations across the nation are providing fun and informative ways for individuals to save as part of the Week. Click here to access the latest listing of free national ASW events and activities, including webinars, Facebook events, and Twitter chats.

America Saves Week Starts TODAY!

America Saves Week (February 22-27, 2016):  America Saves Week is coordinated by America Saves and the American Savings Education Council. Started in 2007, the Week is an annual opportunity for organizations to promote good savings behavior and a chance for individuals to assess their own saving status.

"One of the easiest and most effective ways to save is automatically. Millions of Americans save regularly by direct deposit from their paycheck into a savings or an employer-sponsored retirement account. Consumers can also automate savings by directing a portion of their tax refund into savings while filing their tax return, or signing up for a regular deposit into a simple, safe and affordable Treasury Department myRA retirement account. America Saves Week is a great time to start saving automatically." - Richard Cordray, Director, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

"America Saves Week reminds us of the importance of saving and investing. Saving a little each day and investing over a long period of time is how most Americans reach their financial goals . . ." - Lori J. Schock, Director of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Investor Education and Advocacy

“During America Saves Week, The Treasury Department joins many organizations and our federal partners in renewing our commitment to promoting the importance of saving . . . we are working to ensure that more Americans have the knowledge and tools to manage money and credit responsibly - because educated and financially capable consumers contribute to the strength of our overall economy. America Saves Week is an ideal time for people across the country, especially young people, to think about ways that they can invest in their futures and lead healthy financial lives.” - Jacob J. Lew, Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department

Sign Up for America Saves Week:

• Get the America Saves week 2016 participation badge to share on your website and in materials
• Be recognized on AmericaSavesWeek.org
• Get helpful emails from America Saves Week staff to help you plan successful activities

You can get more details HERE:  http://americasavesweek.org/

Press Release: America Saves Week

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 19, 2016
Sharilee Griffiths
435-770-0748

The Cache Valley Financial Wellness Project Supports AMERICA SAVES WEEK  

Promoting automatic savings to help people reach their savings goals 

Logan, Utah – As part of America Saves Week 2016, scheduled for February 22 – 27, the Cache Valley Financial Wellness Project is spreading the saving message and urging its network to encourage people to make savings automatic as part of America Saves Week. 

America Saves Week is a great opportunity to help people in our community to Set a Goal, Make a Plan, and Save Automatically. These are choices that will lead to financial independence, which is what the project is all about” said Project Coordinator, Sharilee Griffiths.

To encourage people to save more successfully and encourage more people to save, the Cache Valley Financial Wellness Project has partnered with a variety of local businesses and organizations to offer Cache Valley citizens valuable tools and resources to become educated about sound financial habits as well as their personal finances and steps they need to be focusing on at this point in their lives.  Tools available as part of America Saves Week includes a complementary financial game plan that serves as a gps for your finances, training opportunities in several different formats, a personal 1-1 coaching session for couples, an insurance review (available for life, home and auto) and assistance with filing taxes through the VITA program. 

“The Cache Valley Financial Wellness Project helped me realize that I need to be intentional in my financial choices if I want to reach my financial goals. We are so much more aware of what we need to do and are finally getting back on track to moving in the right direction,” said local saver Amy.

To find out how you can get involved locally in helping to promote America Saves Week or to utilize the free resources available please send your request to team.logan.utah@gmail.com

###

America Saves Week is coordinated by America Saves and the America Savings Education Council.  The Week is an annual opportunity for organizations to promote good savings behavior and a chance for individuals to assess their own saving status. Learn more at AmericaSavesWeek.org.

Quotes from U.S. Presidents~

During this President's Day week, here are some quotes 

from U.S. Presidents that are worth repeating:

George Washington

"To contract new debts is not the way to pay old ones."

George Washington wrote this truth in a letter nearly 240 years ago, but our modern government still doesn’t get it. Of course, the world is a different place now and things have changed, but this one truth about money still stands: You’ll never improve your financial situation by robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Thomas Jefferson

"Never spend your money before you have it.”

This advice came from Thomas Jefferson’s “A Dozen Canons of Conduct in Life.” The irony here is that Thomas Jefferson died with a lot of debt (although much of it was inherited from his father-in-law). However, the advice is solid.

Abraham Lincoln

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed 

is more important than any other one thing."

If you want to succeed at getting out of debt, saving for retirement, or another financial goal badly enough, you’ll succeed. If you just kind of, sort of want to succeed, then you’ll never get out of debt, build your ideal business, or reach your financial independence number on target.

Ronald Reagan

"A recession is when your neighbor loses his job. 
A depression is when you lose yours. 

And recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his."

This was one of Reagan’s slogans during his 1980 presidential campaign. Politics aside, it’s pretty funny. But it also points to a greater truth—everyone around us might be in a financial mess, but it doesn’t hit home until it affects us personally.

John F. Kennedy

“No matter how big the lie, repeat it often enough 

and the masses will regard it as the truth.”

That’s exactly why our culture has embraced credit cards and debt. We’ve been sold debt for so long that we’ve come to believe it’s just a way of life. But if you’ve figured out that you can live without debt, then you know that’s just not the case. JFK wasn’t talking about debt when he made that statement, but the principle still holds true.

Harry Truman

“Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.”

The average millionaire reads one nonfiction book a month. Leaders spend time learning and growing as leaders. They don’t sit and wait for the world to come to them. They go out and get it. No matter what you do—whether you’re a corporate CEO, an unpaid intern or a stay-at-home mom—reading is an extremely important part of a healthy lifestyle.

Happy Valentine's Day to our YOUTH!!

10 Reasons to Fall in Love with Global Youth Service Day

Global Youth Service Day (GYSD) is April 15-17, 2016! If you haven't already begun making GYSD plans, here are ten reasons to fall in love with GYSD:

1. Have Fun - GYSD is a chance to have fun with friends and peers while making meaningful impact in the areas of health, environment, education, human rights, poverty and hunger, and community building.
2. Develop Career Readiness Skills - Youth volunteers develop vital college and career readiness skills, including Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, and Communication.
3. Combine Interests & Issues for Impact - What are your passions and strengths? GYSD is a way to apply your interests to the issues you care about to make a difference.
4. Apply Learning in a Practical Way - Starting or participating in a GYSD project is a great way to integrate classroom learning in a hands-on, practical approach. The YSA Learning Center  offers tools and resources to help you get started.
5. Spend Quality Family Time Together - GYSD is a chance for families to spend quality time while helping others. Volunteering provides an opportunity to learn new things together, and for kids to take a lead in planning and executing family projects.
6. Fulfill Volunteer Hours - With thousands of projects taking place during GYSD weekend, opportunities abound. GYSD is a great way to fulfill volunteer hours or community service requirements.
7. No project? No problem! - Browse the GYSD map  to see what service opportunities are happening near you. Whether organizing a service project or celebration event, or joining an existing project, there are so many ways to be involved in GYSD.
8. Collaborate in Your Community - Whether you are an educator, community partner, parent, or young person age 5-25, there is a GYSD opportunity for you! GYSD is a collaborative effort that brings everyone in the community together.
9. Be Part of a Global Movement - When you participate in GYSD, you're not just cleaning up a local park in Atlanta or feeding the homeless at a soup kitchen in Baltimore. You are part of a global movement that is the world's largest service event.
10. Celebrate!- It's not all work - GYSD is also a celebration of the year-round contributions of young people, youth service programs, and partner organizations.

Pick, plan, post, and promote your GYSD 2016 project at www.GYSD.org 

5o Ideas for Random Acts of Kindness Week

1. Pay it Backward: buy coffee for the person behind you in line.
2. Compliment the first three people you talk to today.
3. Send a positive text message to five different people right now.
4. Post inspirational sticky notes around your neighborhood, office, school, etc.
5. Tell someone they dropped a dollar (even though they didn’t). Then give them a dollar.
6. Donate old towels or blankets to an animal shelter.
7. Say hi to the person next to you on the elevator.
8. Surprise a neighbor with freshly baked cookies or treats!
9. Let someone go in front of you in line who only has a few items.
10. Leave a gas gift card at a gas pump.
11. Throw a party to celebrate someone just for being who they are, which is awesome.
12. Have a LinkedIn account? Write a recommendation for coworker or connection.
13. Leave quarters at the laundromat.
14. Encounter someone in customer service who is especially kind? Take an extra five minutes to tell their manager.
15. Leave unused coupons next to corresponding products in the grocery store.
16. Leave a note on someone’s car telling them how awesome they parked.
17. Try to make sure every person in a group conversation feels included.
18. Write a kind message on your mirror with a dry erase marker for yourself, your significant other or a family member.
19. Place a positive body image notes in jean pockets at a department store.
20. Smile at five strangers.
21. Set an alarm on your phone to go off at three different times during the day. In those moments, do something kind for someone else.
22. Send a gratitude email to a coworker who deserves more recognition.
23. Practice self-kindness and spend 30 minutes doing something you love today.
24. Give away stuff for free on Craig’s List.
25. Write a gratitude list in the morning and again in the evening.

To see more ideas click HERE.