Coffee Break Whatever Has Whatever You Need!!

Frugal Money Saving Ideas, has just joined the Coffee Break Whatever Family! Come on over to

At Coffee Break Whatever Save Money!, you will still learn tips and tricks to find money you didn't know you had, or were wasting! You'll also learn ideas on how to save a little, even tho you don't have much to save, or just to stretch your dollars a little bit farther!


Coffee Break Whatever is the "mother" blog. Here you can read alot of different things - things you just want to grab a cup of coffee or tea and just sit and read soem interesting things, fun things, and just all about family, kids and life in general.

While at the Coffee Break Whatever Family, you can also visit her "children"....

Coffee Break Whatever Freebies - I surf for freebies and samples all the time in cyper space. A good way to save money - if they are offering, I'm gonna accept! So I just share these along to my readers!

Coffee Break Whatever Get Paid To- I have learned how to make a little extra money! and you can to! No, you won't get rich over night, and no, it doesn't make money while you sleep. You again, accept some free offers, buy things that you normally buy, just through a particular web site and get cash back - things like that. My current goal is a free christman - GIFT CARDS! Most offer you your cash-out in gift cards or PayPal or by check! My daughter is going to love her Starbucks Gift Card of hopefully $50!

So come on over, join the newsletter so you can hear of all new things going on at the Coffee Break Whatever family! I have new postings to each site about once a week, so keep that coffee pot or iced tead maker ready - come have some fun, learn some things and make a little money for you to "save a little to save alot"!

See you 'round the coffee maker!

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Come over to Coffee Break Whatever - I will be closing Frugal Money Saving Ideas

I have opened a new blog and will be combining Frugal Money Saving Ideas in with this new blog.

Come on over to Coffee Break Whatever and continue to read about saving money, but also about MAKING MONEY - that is MAKING MONEY FOR FREE!! Yes, it can be done! I am doing it! No, you won't make millions over night, and yes, you will have to put in some effort, but it works. I have had good sucess with this system. This is not one of those hoax-y "get rich quick" schemes. I am a stay at home grandmother. The things that I talk about are things I have researched and currently participate in. No, you will not make a million over night - you won't even make it in a year! The earnings will be as you set them. How much you can "make" or earn, is totally up to you! Paid surveys, free gift cards, paid to read emails and other options are where I have been researching and have come up with some places that have been very sucessful for me, so I recommend them to you!

Coffee Break Whatever tells you about my research and what has worked for me. Actually, I have taken alot of the work out FOR YOU! The places I recommend are ones that I have researched and work with and have had sucess with. So I have done the hard part for you! You just have to click, join and start earning free gift cards and free cash!

So come on over and join the mailing list for Coffee Break Whatever and you'll be notifed of new sources (that work!) and new ways to save and make money - often for free!!

Coffee Break Whatever
http://coffee-break-whatever.blogspot.com

Hope to see you there!

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How To Be Yourself and Save Money!

You may not have a college education. You might not be related to someone famous. You probably aren't independently wealthy. That is why you are reading this article! So, how can "being yourself" make you any money? "Where you are" in life can save you money!! "Who you are" can qualify your for discounts and that means saving money!

How Do You Get The Discount?

That's easy! All you have to do is ASK! All you have to do is say "Do you offer discounts for....?" and show them your ID. All they can do is say no, HOWEVER, there is often a good chance that they will say YES and you can pocket that savings!

Where Do You Find These Discount Places?

Watch for the signs on the doors or near the registers for discounts that they offer. Go online and check it out! Ask your friends if they know of any discount places! Watch coupons and flyers that you get in the mail. While watching TV, lend a small ear to the commercials to see if they are offering a discount. Usually this will be mentioned at the end of the commercial, so you just need to lend a bit of attention.

Are you a Student?

Carry your Student ID with pride, but let it work for you since you are working so hard for it. Many establishments offer a discount to students. Just show your ID and pocket the savings! Movie theaters often offer a lower admission fee for students. Car insurance often offer a lower rate or discount for students. Bus fare - hey, you have to get to school, show your ID and see if you can put that change in your pocket!
Some banks will wave a fee for students. Resturants will even have a student menu or office supply stores often have a low cost program for students. Museums and similar educational attractions sometimes offer students a discount.

Are You A Senior Citizen?

Are you a senior citizen, 55 or over? Have your ID ready and you can get a free cup of coffee as some fast food places - that alone could be a buck a day or $365 a year! Over 55 often means a discount at pharmacies, or club stores. Discounts are offered at many resturants for over 55. Some places have Senior Menus just for over 55! Ask about a "senior discount" wherever you go! Again, all they can do is say no, but many times they will say yes and you can add to your savings.

How about senior day at local facilities? Near me is a local day- old bakery that I go to every Sunday. It has "Senior Day" on Wednesdays and seniors get 50% off their purchase. You save 50%! Save the other 50% or buy more bakery goods to last you longer! A local car wash has "Senior Day" on Tuesdays and you can get a car wash for half price. You SAVE HALF!!! Use that half for another bill, or add it to your savings account!

Watch out for advertisements directed toward seniors.


AARP is one I am watching for as soon as I turn 50. Yes, 50, not 55 or 60 or 65 - but 50! You ge the discounts sooner than you think! They advertise so many senior discounts, there's gotta be enough in there to cover the monthly fee while cashing in on many, many more discounts!

Are you in the military or law enforcement?

Two fantastic professions that deserve a whole lot more than they are given since they are defending this countries freedom (that means YOU). And many establishments will offer a discount to show their appreciation for what these brave men and women do. I commend them for doing that!

Are you a mother, father or have children in your care?

Ask about a free meal for the kids under 13. Many resturants have a certain night where kids eat free. I took my kids to the best mexican resturant in town every Wednesday night for about 3 years straight because kids under 13 ate free. It was our weekly family night out and we saved about $10 each week - that was $40 a month! Pretty large chunk of change! And we had so much fun while saving that large chunk!

Many resturants offer free meal for a child's birthday. Some offer free desserts for straigh A report Cards! A local kids game room, offers free tokens to kids for all their A's in school.

Are you an Excellent Driver?

Does your record prove it? Show it to your insurance company and a lower rate can be yours. Just stop and think of who you are and then keep your eyes peeled and your ears open for promotions, discount offers and speciality offers.

AND REMEMBER, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS ASK!!!

Other Discounts for All

Many resturants have early bird specials - same menu as their dinner menu, but between 3pm and 5pm they offer the menu items for up to $3 less! Going at 3 or 4pm means no crowds and quicker service, but if you absolutely have to eat at "dinner time", go at 4:45pm and you will be there at "dinner time" and still get the Early Bird Special price!

Watch your sales reciepts. Some stores or services offer a "$2 off your next purchase" or other promotion to get you to come back. Watch for those free checking accounts at banks. Why pay up to $12 a month for the service when you can get it free? And again, look at the junk mail and flyers that you get. Check out coupons in the paper and promotions in ads on TV. On-line shopping often offers discounts. Ask friends, family members or co-workers if they have heard of any specials or discounts.

Many resturants have promotions that you get a "free appetizer" or "free entree" if you purchase one or "in addition to" kind of thing. Bring a friend and split the bill! Or do it yourself and bring half home to have for lunch tomorrow!

But watch out for things like "buy one get one free" or Buy one, Get one half off". Those can be good deals, but only if you REALLY need that other one. Obviously it can be a good deal, but it can also be a waste of money. You buy 2 pairs of shoes. You only really needed one pair, but for free... gotta get it. So now you have more shoes than you can wear! Okay, no biggie as the other pair didn't cost you anything or "only half price". But why not make it save you money? Buy a "work shoe" and a "casual shoe". Buy one for you and one for your spouse. Buy one for your child NOW and one for a gift later - just get the next size up!

Or my personal favorite senario: I was looking at one of these sales once and found a pair of shoes that I absoluely LOVED! It was when pointed-toe shoes were the style, and I hated pointed-toe shoes! How uncomfortable! But the rounded toe shoes were hard to find. Well, here they were! The most beautiful, perfect pair of lovely round-toe dress shoes! Exactly what I wanted! So I bought 2 pair! One pair I wore and the other pair I left in the box and put up in my closet. I knew that as soon as I wore out the first pair, I had another pair of my favorite shoe right there waiting for me! Paid for and everything!

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Save Money - Find it in your statements!

Save Money - Find it in Your Statements

The Problem

A big problem is that in this hectic world we live in these days, alot of people DON'T look at their credit card and bank statements. They get them in the mail, toss them on the desk or put them in the "To Pay" box. When it comes time to pay the bill, they pull the payment coupon off and write a check and just throw the bank statement in the "To Be Filed" box. They didn't look to see that they were charged $25 for a late payment last month or that they were charged $22 for overdraft fee from spending what they didn't have in the first place.

What could you do with an extra $25? Put it in your savings for that goal you are saving for. $25 will go a long way at the grocery store (with coupons!) or how about paying ahead on a utility bill?

Another part of the problem is that people think "Oh, it's just 25 bucks". Yes, it is $25 bucks but if you have 4 of these "just $25 bucks", suddenly you have $100 bucks! And that is alot to not think about having thrown away. Depending on what the fees are, and these credit cards can be rather hefty, especially with the credit companies increaseing minimum payments, those late fees can add up faster than you think.

The Solution

Remember: Spending is not only related to the cash you have available, but also how you LOOK at and USE the cash you have available.

Don't sweat about "balancing your checkbook". Do it the simple, common sense way. ADDITION AND SUBSTRATION!! Add your deposits in, and subtract the payments out - and watch your balance. THE ONLY MONEY YOU HAVE AVAILABLE TO SPEND IS THAT BALANCE. Don't spend more than your accounts balance. Just because you have blank checks in the book, doesn't mean there is money to cover them! If your balance is $292, then you only have $292 to spend. Don't spend more than that until you make a deposit! It is as simple and easy as that

Pay your bills on time. Of course you know that, but how do you do it? Organize your bills according to due dates, and make payments twice a month. Those that are due by the 15th and those that are due by the 31st. If you organize a system and use it wisely, this horrible task will not be so horrible, and you won't be looking for reasons to "put it off until tomorrow". You'll be glad to get it done so quickly!

Pay online: I just started learning how to do this, and it is pretty easy. Some allow you to pay online, some don't. Just find out which ones and pay accordingly. Every time you pay online, you save yourself 39¢ in postage, and it is there and done with. If you have to mail it, then you have to watch when it gets there, incase it gets lost in the mail. JUST REMEMBER: As you pay online, have your checkbook in front of you and record the transaction immediately! If you don't record the transaction, you might forget you made a payment and think you have more money in your account. Bounced checks are not only costly in fees, but they are bad for your "reputation" in the checking industry and can cause you big time problems!

Put your credit cards away. If the balance is high, take the card out of you wallet and hide it safely. No sense carrying it around if you can't use it. Plus, the less you SEE your cards, the less you'll think "Oh, I can use that card...." REMEMBER: Everytime you use your credit card, your minimum balance required for payment next month RISES!!! It was only $60 last month, but with charges this month, it will be $75 - will you have the extra to cover that?

Don't carry your credit cards around all the time. This just makes it easy to buy on whim. If you have a specific shopping spree you need to do, okay, carry one card. But just "shopping" at Target or someplace, you know you are going to find a bunch of things, that you will buy but really don't need - thereby running up the credit card balance and increasing your minimum monthly payment.

So watch your cash, watch your spending and watch your brain when it tells you to spend,spend,spend. You need to tell it No, No, No and give it a time-out!

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Saving Money Is ONLY for Smart Folks. How Smart Are You?

You read all those "save money" and "stretch your dollars" articles. You hear about coupons, freebies, a dollar here, a dollar there, take your lunch, buy generic - - - and you still say "what the heck is the big deal? How can you expect to pay your bills on this silly little stuff?".

All it takes is commitment and common sense. Do you know what those mean? A commitment means a promise you make to yourself to do something ALL THE TIME! To stick with it. Make it your goal. Every goal has to have a commitment. Without commitment, how do you know if or when you meet your goal? Or are you just wasting your time and money? Commons sense means just that. Common sense. Not what "everybody else" says or does. Not what the current money guru says is "how to do it". Neither of those entities pay YOUR bills at the end of the month. YOU have to think about what YOU have and what YOU want and use YOUR common sense to put them together. Here's what the smart folks know.....

Saving money is the goal. What you do with it is the choice.

This is what the smart folks know..... How smart will you be? You've done the coupons, the freebies, rebates. You've shopped the clearance racks, bargain tables and made compromises. Now what? "Where's my savings?" you ask. Well.......what did you do with them?

To know what savings you have and to know how much you have saved, you have to do 2 simple things.

Simple Thing #1: Like everything else you do in life, you have to keep track. Keep track of what you spend and how much you saved. If you bought something regularly priced at $20 and it was on sale and you paid $15 - keep track - $15 is the expense, $5 is the savings. Knowing this as you walk out the store is one thing, SEEING it on paper is another! Visual comprehension is a HUGE part of "finally getting it!"

Simple Thing #2: Set aside what you actually saved! Literally... set it aside! In a savings account, a piggy bank or that hiding place you have in your bedroom! Somewhere, set your actual savings aside.

How Do You Know What You Actually Saved?

Create a log or balance sheet for yourself. It can be on the PC, but hey, do a quick handwritten list. This way is quick and easy and you can do it at anytime, instead of waiting to get back on the PC.

Title columns the following:
Item / Regular Price of Item / Price I Paid / I Saved...

For example:
Sweater: Regular price $20 - Price I paid $15 - I saved: $5
Lunch: Regular Price $8 - Price I paid $5 - I saved $3
Groceries: Regular Price $150 - Price I paid $122 - I saved: $28

Total savings $36 - NOW GO WRITE YOURSELF A CHECK FOR $36 and put it in your savings account!

You can also include things that you usually spend money on, but have made the committment to NOT spend the money on. For instance - If you have decided to give up your flavored coffee each morning - That's $3.75 a day you can write in the balance sheet

Coffee: Regular Price $3.75 / Price I paid $0 / I saved $3.75

Now add that $3.75 to your total. Do this daily. Keep the balance sheet in the car. Keep a tablet in the car and write it down and then transcribe it to the balance sheet every night or at the end of the week. Which ever is easiest for you. At the end of the week, add up the savings and write yourself a check! Now sometimes, you aren't able to save the entire amount - maybe just half because you need some of it for an unexpected expense. Well, just write the check for half of what you actually saved. If you are stretching your dollars, instead of saving, sometimes you just need that money to go elsewhere other than a savings account. That is good to - keep track of it. Write where it went so next month you can see where you got that "extra" money last month and do the same thing this month to collect it again!

Where else you can find things you spend money on so you can choose not to spend it?

Would you REALLY miss that magazine if you didn't renew it for another year? Do you really want to renew a membership to someplace you don't really go to often. Would it hurt you to miss one months issue of your favorite magazine? How about renting only 2 movies every Friday night instead of 4? Can you cancel that automatic deduction for that program you have that you hardly use? Do you really have to eat out EVERY Friday night? Can't you eat out just 2 of them and make a fun, easy meal at home and relax the other 2 nights? And the kids...do they really have to have all those cool and expensive snacks - couldn't a generic brand do? The name doesn't mean they will taste any better! Here is where alot of the common sense comes into play.

Think about what you are spending and ASK yourself:

"Do I really want that item MORE than I want my GOAL?

This balance sheet procedure helps in a big way for you to actually SEE how much you really are SPENDING! A little here and a little there, adds up over the week! You don't realize it while you are spending it ("it's ONLY 3 bucks!") but that $3 bucks adds up over the course of 7 days to the tune of $21 a week or $84 a month and $1,092 a year!

In addition, SEEING what you have SAVED is a sure fire way to perk your eyes open and see that it is possible, you aren't any worse for the "wear", it wasn't that hard to do, and didn't cost you anything to do it - and wow! Look how close you are getting to your goal!

Commit to 30 days - commit to it honestly! Get your balance sheet ready, tablet handy and start writting. When you swipe that debit card, when you pull out the dollar bills, when you write that check - enter the amounts in your balance sheet. Talley your savings weekly - it will show you that you can do it and that it is working. Just think of what will happen if you keep doing what you are doing?

On a limited budget and have to stretch the dollars instead of saving it?

Been there, done that! That is how I figured out alot of these "tricks of the trade" and how I was able to support a family of four on limited income due to unemployment all the time in the construction field. To me it wasn't a choice - there was no choice. I streteched my dollars or my kids didn't eat. Period. That alone is the only factor I needed to commit and use common sense. I would add up my coupons BEFORE I went to the store and add that much back into my grocery budget for a bit more to spend. I watched the sales and followed those big red CLEARENCE signs to the back of the store so I could cloth both kids instead of just one. I bought generic instead of name brand. I often did "without" some little thing, until I realized that it was a waste to have it in the first place or found a cheaper way to "have it". And our lives were good and happy and my kids grew up to be great adults with a great mind set for their own budgets now. They are now doing much better than I was their age! Guess they learned something for ol' Mom!

Quite frankly, and I say this as I know it to be true, you can turn this savings thing into a game! You see that first month or 2 of savings and know your goal is on its way...you see that you were able to buy that necessary item this month, because you saved elsewhere last month. You will start looking for new ways to save and the game has begun! Try to beat your own earnings every month! Look for new ways to save! Commitment and common sense - they can be your new best friends!

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How to Choose 2007 New Year's Resolutions that You CAN Keep

How To Choose 2007 New Year's Resolutions You CAN Keep

And HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE from Frugal Money Saving Ideas

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5 Ways to Use Left Over Christmas Wrapping

Come check it out and get some ideas to save yourself some money and have some fun at the same time!

5 Ways to Use Left Over Christmas Wrapping Paper
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/18929/c_moseley.html

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A Program for Free Cash!! I'm Loving It!! (It's on the level)

I have been working with this site and have decided it is a good place to be! My experience with the site has been great so I want to pass it along to you all!

No, you won't make a million dollars over night. But since "save a little, to save alot" is my motto, and it has been working for me for years, this site is a great addition to that way of life. Plus, it costs you nothing, totally free, little to no work, do what you want, when you want and you only benefit! How cool is that! You can click on the banner box above or click here, And if you join now, you will be credited $2.00 right off the bat just for joining!

SUNSHINE REWARDS

This site is great for collecting cash, not points! A few minutes a day and you collect, collect, collect and at no expense to you! Don't let the name discourage you...it really is a read and get paid for it---among other options! There are surveys, (maybe 15 minutes or less), freebies, drawings and other things that you can just click around, participate and earn the cash! You can start with $2.00 just for signing up! Now you only need $18 more and you have your first balance to redeem!

They DO NOT spam you with tons of emails. They send a daily email (sometimes every other day) telling you some of the things new today and then you go over and log on and take care of the business that you choose. There is a category for daily freebies/surveys/drawings that you can do and be entered and also collect some earnings just for participating (there is no email for this, you just have to log on every day). Ocassionally they will send an email about specials they have for current members only, but definately, SUNSHINE REWARDS does not spam your mail box.

I have been collecting for about 2 weeks and having fun at the same time and am creeping close to my first $20! The site offers redemption of cash through gift cards or cash! The one thing I like about this particular site is it offers gift cards to theme parks - well for sure, Sea World and Disney Dollars which is great for my grand daughter. I can collect until a month before her birthday, cash in for the gift card and she can have fun at these two parks and learn about spending money and for the parents - it means less cash they have to come up with to have a great park day! (those food purchases tend to be quite pricey!) It costs nothing and only offers you your choice of ways to make some money.

Although you can buy things through this site instead of going to a store, I have not done that yet. I have been doing the click thrus and the "read this and get $xx", surveys (no more than 15 mintues or less) and other things they offer. My balance is raising!

And remember, don't step over the pennies to pick up the dollars. Pick up the pennies, then grab the dollars too! Those pennies add up! No, not today, and no, not by the end of the week, but at end of month those pennies can add to a few dollars! And since it only takes seconds to do some of these things, why not? PLUS...since this is just going into an account that you don't have to accomodate the bookkeeping of, those pennies just sit there (at no hassel to you!) and continually add up...one penny can be the difference between nothing and a $20 gift card! You can redeem your balance for gift cards or as cash deposited to your PayPal account. Or just let it sit all year, cash in next November and have your Christmas money ready to go! A Free Christmas! What a fantastic goal!

You can also make purchases through SUNSHINE REWARDS and they offer members special sales and percentages off and things like that so if you need anything, check here first. With the promotions and sales they have, there's a good chance you can get the item cheaper plus save gas money and your time! I didn't find this until recently so the Christmas shopping can't be done due to time, but I will be watching during the year and check here first.

Check it out and give it a try. If it doesn't work, you unsubscribe, if it does - keep at it and save, save, save! I'm staying with it!

And don't forget to check out QUIZ POINTS where you Get free gift cards at Quizpoints.com
It is also a great program I have been working with. Again, very few emails to you, NO SPAMming your inbox. You go to them. It's one that you just log on to every day, do what you want to get what you are there for and move on in life, while your earnings add up!

I've been participating in Quiz Points for about 3 months now. (Click on the banner above). Lots and lots of freebies, samples, discounts and more! You collect points to redeem for gift cards. If you contribute an offer, you get points for that! Take a survey, get points! I am close to my first free gift card! Not to mention all the money I have saved on freebies, free samples and discount offers to things I would buy elsewhere anyway. Check it out!

These are two programs I can vouch for. I have had great sucess with them both. I am participating with another similar type of site and as soon as I decide it is "worth it", I'll let you know so you can join and save even more, for doing hardly anything! So go over to the right side of my blog and join the mailing list so you will be the first to know when I find more "easy ways to make money"!

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