This article is not endorsed or sponsored by Smartypig.

I started with that disclaimer right up front to make it clear that I am writing this because I believe in what the folks at Smartypig are doing.  I did not write this article for money… and it is quite possible that smartypig will never read it.  I offer it up, instead, as a tool for you to start saving and put your money to work.

Smartypig is an online service that helps put you on the right side of the interest equation.  Instead of spending money on what you need/want and then paying interest to some company for the right to do it, you save money up front easily and then the interest is paid to YOU.  Not only that but if you work things out just right, you can get even bigger bonuses on purchases at retailers you already trust and use.

savour... a penny saved

Sometimes we pour ourselves into these posts... struggling with the placement of every spoon and dusting away crumbs (unless we want them there)... and then, NOTHING.  No comments, no buzz.  On the other hand, sometimes we toss together a post with little concern for how it will be received.  Instead, we just put out something that we think is important to share and that somebody might find useful.  Often times, these are posts about something we do in our own home that has been successful.  And then, it EXPLODES.  

That is the case with this revisited post.  This is a method we started years ago to keep ourselves on track.  It's so simple that you can't believe it works!  When we put this post out we had only been blogging for a few months, but something changed.  A few sites got ahold of it and it spread like wildfire.  I think it has something to do with people wanting to control their finances, plus the free printable didn't hurt matters.  At any rate, I hope you enjoy the original post Today's Money: Budgeting with Cash Envelopes.

savour... checked lists

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The world of banking is changing before our eyes.  If you bank with one of the big boys you have probably received a disclosure recently outlining the upcoming changes to the fee schedule.  You might be thinking they are at it again… always trying to figure out a way to get my money.  What is really happening here?

Recent legislature has changed the way that banks make money.  There was a period when Non-Sufficient Funds (NSF) fees made up a large chunk of the overall income banks received.  Many folks ended up paying $40 for a cup of coffee.  With the changes came the requirement for banks to give customers the opportunity to opt out of overdraft courtesy.  In most cases you already had the ability to do it.  Banks just didn’t advertise it.

As a result, banks had to start looking for ways to make money elsewhere.  There was a time when free checking did not exist at every bank.  This is a case of history repeating.  Banks must now begin charging a monthly service fee for accounts to make up some of the gap caused by the shortfall in NSF fee income.  However, in most cases you can avoid fees by meeting one of their requirements.  These include things like direct deposit, using online banking or bill pay service, and maintaining a minimum average balance.

Why are they doing it?  It’s a business.  When checking was free everywhere many households had accounts at several banks.  With the tightening of the purse strings, banks need to encourage you to hold your relationship with them.  By becoming your only bank for checking, they secure their pole position for your lending, saving, and retirement needs, as well.

Should you be outraged?  Probably not.  True enough… banks make plenty of money (we won’t even jump into the bail out), but consider this… they are still providing a service to us.  Whether we like it or not, we have allowed ourselves to become a society that relies on the financial service industry to handle our daily finances.  If you put your belongings into a storage facility you would pay a fee to have your things protected and have access to them as you wish.  It’s a little dumbed down, but you get the idea.

What you should be outraged about is not getting value for what you pay… whether it is at the storage facility or a bank.  There are too many options these days to not get top notch service.  Be very clear… banks are dying for your business right now.  Demand (nicely) to be treated like a valued client and not an account number… no matter how much or little you have.

But wait!  There’s more…

New legislation is changing the game again.  Now banks will be crippled even further by new laws which dramatically slash the amount they are able to make through debit card purchases.  You can expect changes soon.  Some banks have already begun to charge for things which had once been free and many reward programs have been halted.

So what can you do?

• Act now.  Open every piece of mail you get from your bank and read it… really.
• Review your accounts and determine if it is time to consolidate banks.
• Understand how opting in and opting out affects you and make an informed decision.
• Visit a personal banker at your local branch.  Ask for straight talk and information.
• Watch your account closely for fees.  If the account receives a fee due to any of these policy changes, request a refund.  Most banks will oblige unless you are a repeat offender.

If you are like so many other people, every year sometime in December you say something like, “Next year I am going to be better prepared for the holidays.”  This is a common statement that is difficult, at best, to manage.  Planning can seem like a waste of time, but the truth is that it is quite the opposite.  The time we spend planning, if done well, could repay us ten fold in the end.

Before employing any of the tactics, my best recommendation is that you get a binder or set up a holiday folder on your computer to save all of the information as you do it or collect it throughout the year.  Your binder or folders should be further divided into categories such as Holiday Card List, Shopping List, Holiday Menus, Holiday Activities, Inspirations, Budget and Savings, etc.  Make it plain or embellish it to get you in the spirit, but have a central location to save all things holiday.  By doing so, you will save yourself much time, money, and hassle.

savour… happy holidays

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The economic climate has sparked a new interest in budgeting.  It may be out of necessity, or it may be in response to the media attention this topic has received.  Either way, there is something to be said for living within or below your means.

There are many budgeting tools out there to manage bills and your checking account register.  What we cover today is a much more basic approach to managing expenses.  It will not be used for everything, but will help to manage day to day expenses.

This will require a little work up front in terms of budgeting, making the envelopes, and getting the cash.  However, the satisfaction of taking control of your finances and spending is well worth the effort.  You could use pre-made envelopes if you wish.  We have included an easy to use template to make the process easier for you.

savour… cold hard cash

Coupons are not a new sensation.  I remember the cost saving measures my mom would take to stretch our grocery dollar... clipping and sorting and filing (and growling when she missed an expiration date).
 
I am not that person, but I do think there is real value in couponing.  Like most things in life, you get out what you put in.  There are some people who are very serious (maybe too serious) about couponing and pay almost nothing for their groceries each week.  They probably have to dedicate far more time to the cause than I could.
 
However, what if you could save half of your grocery bill each week? What would you do with half of your annual grocery budget back in your pocket? There may be a few changes that you could make that would let you keep some of your hard earned money.

savour... saving

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