Cashing in on credit...

A lot of us are trying to use our credit cards less now days, but if you plan it out right it can actually benefit you to use them a little more. The first rule of credit is to never charge more than you can afford, its important to pay your credit card off in no more than 2 months or you will defeat the savings you can actually get. The second rule is to always use a card that pays you back for using it, something like Discover, American express, Capital One or Diners Club. If you use these two simple rules you can really make credit work for you, not only do you earn for your spending but if you have an interest bearing account at your bank you also get that as well.

The other bonus to using a credit card is there are many discount offers out there available to card holders. For example if you shop on line American Express and Discover have a specific web site for shopping through that will give you additional cash or points back. American Express offers double rewards on Travel and often upgrades in airfare and hotels for using their card.

The biggest thing to watch for is the annual fees, American Express is high but if you use the card enough you will still get the savings. Many companies will wave the annual fee for the first year. Notice I didn't mention the interest rate because I am talking about paying off your credit debt with in two months each time you use the card. If you pay it in full each month the interest rate won't apply. Also remember you don't need a ton of cards, I carry only three and they all offer some form of reward, the least being a store card that earns me a percentage off at a specific retail chain. There is no need to have individual cards for every little store you visit, I am always offered the opportunity to open an account at Macy's, Yonkers, Sears, JC Penney, Kohl's etc. but I decline because I get better rewards using the cards I have and the points/cash back builds up much faster. It is also better on your credit report to have a reasonable number of cards vs one for every store.

If you interested in finding a new card or just checking out how yours stacks up you can check Credit Card 321 for comparisons. If your interested in applying for a reward type of card be sure to check out the great article at Credit.com, there is also a lot of additional helpful information at this site to help you with many areas of credit and loan information. If you already have a reward card but can't pay it in full here is a great little calculator from the Federal Reserve that will show you how long it will take to pay off your cards balance.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend!

C.Q.

Friday's freebie...

Until May 8th Walgreen's is giving away a free 8 x 10 collage print, a $3.99 value. Upload up to 20 photos for your collage, you get to pick out the layout and you can even put a title on it if you want. When you are done use the coupon code GOODTHOUGHTS at check out and opt to pick it up in the store near you. When you head out to pick up your new work of art be sure to check out Walgreen's coupon page for any other items you may need.

Have a great Friday!

C.Q.

Thursdays picture perfect deal...

The Picture...

My Bleeding Heart grows so fast in the spring, this picture is from last year but it is almost ready to bloom now and I am looking forward to the bright pink flowers. My grandmother had these in her yard and seeing them always makes me smile.

The Deal...

If you took out your lawn furniture this spring and it didn't looks so great here is your perfect opportunity to check out the line of Lay-Z-Boy outdoor furniture. The Lay-Z-Boy Preston line is on sale right now at Sears for 20% off. The Preston Recliner was originally $499.99 but with the on line only deal from Sears the cost is $399.99. The items over $299 qualify for free shipping as well. Its important to note that this is an on line only offer and the stores won't be able to match these prices. Remember, if you are a member of Sears Shop Your Way Rewards you will get $4.00 in your account to use towards future purchases. I also found a coupon code for Sears for $5 off $50, its not a lot but every little bit counts, use code SEARS5OFF50 at checkout.

Have a wonderful Thursday everyone!

C.Q.

Wednesday's learn and earn...

~WORD OF THE DAY~

tatterdemalion • \tatt-er-dih-MAIL-yun\ • adjective

1 : ragged or disreputable in appearance
*2 : being in a decayed state or condition : dilapidated

Example Sentence:
"What he wants to do is to get the tatterdemalion main building into shape so that it can be used as a retreat for priests and laymen, perhaps with profitable results." (Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post, August 15, 2007)

Did you know?
The exact origin of "tatterdemalion" is uncertain, but it’s probably connected to either the noun "tatter" ("a torn scrap or shred") or the adjective "tattered" ("ragged" or "wearing ragged clothes"). We do know that "tatterdemalion" has been used in print since the 1600s. In its first documented use in 1608, it was used as a noun (as it still can be) to refer to a person in ragged clothing -- the type of person we might also call a ragamuffin. ("Ragamuffin," incidentally, predates "tatterdemalion" in this sense. Like "tatterdemalion," it may have been formed by combining a known word, "rag," with a fanciful ending.) Within half a dozen years of the first appearance of "tatterdemalion," it came to be used as an adjective to describe anything or anyone ragged or disreputable.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

~REBATE~

Today's rebate is from Kellog's Special K, you can receive a Kellogg's $10 off Jeans Voucher, or $10 donation to the United Way when you purchase 5 specially marked Kellogg's Special K products. The packages have a little pocket printed on them, there is a sample on the rebate form. This programs runs through 12/31/10 so you have plenty of time to eat the 5 boxes of Kellogg's. The products include in the rebate are Special K cereals, waffles, cereal bars, crackers, protein meal bars, protein snack bars, protein water mixes and Bliss Bars. Here are a couple coupons from Kellogg's to get you started.

To receive this offer, mail completed certificate and other required items. See mail in rebate/offer form for more details. Allow 90 days from receipt of order for delivery.

Have a grea day everyone.

C.Q.

Tuesday's tidbit...

Sunday's media madness...

Last night I was listening to my iPod in my hotel room and the song that came up on the shuffle was one of my new favorites, "House Rules" by Christian Kane. Some of you will recognize Christian from the TV shows Angle or Leverage, but he is also a country singer with a fantastic voice. A few weeks back it was a free download from his site, this week the free download is "Whiskey in Mind". Both songs area available on his album which can also be purchased directly from his site and downloaded to your computer. You don't have to have an iPod to enjoy the music, once you download it you can put it into any portable media player or burn it to a disc. The entire album for download is $3.99.

I am having a hard time with images using a hotel computer, I will add a picture later. Hope you are all enjoying your weekend!

C.Q.

Dining on less Dollars...

I love to dine out and consider myself to be a bit of a foodie so the last thing I wanted to do in this economy was to eat at home more. Thankfully I was able to find some great sites that really pared down the amount we spent on meals out and continue to save us a lot of cash.

Groupon offers a deal a day for many cities, these deals are half off or more and are not always for dining, you can find some great deals on spas and services as well. Living Social also does one deal per day for a variety of markets.

HalfOffDeals.com has local deals for many areas, they offer multiple deals and they are all half off. However, instead of getting one certificate you usually get two that need to be used on different occasions. For example if you order $50 of certificates for $25 you will get two $25 certificates to use on two occasions.

Sudden Values offers money off printable coupons to area merchants, both services and restaurants. Most areas offer a lot of different discounts, some are half off offers, other are just coupons for savings, be sure to check the expiration dates.

Where I live we have a several sites that all start with www.thebestof_______.com. I did a little checking and this seems to be true for a lot of areas with some exceptions. I tried thebestofChicago, Boston, Houston, New York and San Francisco and the site was available for all of them. Give it a try and see if it works in your are. These sites all offer discount coupons and half of gift certificates.

Of course Restaurant.com always has terrific deal on dining, usually you can get a $25.00 certificate for only $10.00, sometimes even less.

It is also worthwhile to check out WOW Coupons for any printable coupons that can be used together with your discounted gift certificates to stretch your savings even further.

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

C.Q.