how to cut your spending by $500 a month

Like you, I'm trying to find ways to seal up the money leaks in our home. As a home keeper, and the one who spends most of the money (food, clothes, etc.) I feel a sense of responsibility to find every way to save. My motto is " if I save $$ then I make $$.

Here's 7 Ways to Save $$ from Consumer Reports Money Lab that is sure to help us home keepers find those extra leaks and stop them up.

No. 1: Find Cheaper Auto Insurance
Average savings: $65How to do it. Start at the Web site of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, and click on NAIC States & Jurisdictions to find your state's insurance department. Most provide comparative premium quotes based on standard customer profiles. If your state doesn't, you can get quotes from insurers by phone or over the Internet.

No. 2: Optimize Your Life Insurance
Average savings: $110
How to do it.
Life-insurance premiums have dropped so dramatically since the 1990s, it will probably pay for you to replace a policy bought years ago with a comparable one. Get a physical checkup and follow your doctor's advice for shaping up before applying for a new policy. Get quotes and don't cancel your existing policy until you have a new one already in place.

No. 3: Shop Smart for Food
Average savings: $200
How to do it.
Plan menus around sales on fresh poultry, fish, meat, dairy, and produce, and make use of leftovers. Avoid costly prepared meals. Try less-expensive store brands. Sign up for store discount cards. Stock up on sale-priced staples. Eat more low-priced, high-nutrition foods such as beans and potatoes, says Andrea Carlson, a USDA economist.

No. 4: Stop Paying Bank Fees
Average savings: $25.
How to do it.
Bank at a large institution with lots of ATMs in convenient locations to avoid the cost of using other banks' machines—as much as $4 per withdrawal. And use the no-fee cash-back option at supermarkets.

No. 5: Call Up Phone Savings
Average savings: $35
How to do it.
Peruse your last few months' phone bills to assess how many minutes you typically use on landline and wireless calls. Comparison shop among cellular service providers, the local phone company, independent long-distance carriers, and your cable TV company. Don't buy more than you need, such as an unlimited cellular plan if you rarely go over 900 minutes per month.

No. 6: Pay Off Your Credit Card
Average savings: $65
How to do it.
Paying off your balance is easier said than done. The trick is to stop charging. Then pay more than the minimum required each month until it's paid off. Dig up cash for this from your U.S. Treasury stimulus check, garage sales, or extra work part-time.

No. 7: Increase Your 401(k) Contribution
Average tax savings: $125
If you're not already contributing the maximum, put more into your 401(k), IRA, or other tax-deferred retirement account. You'll also cut the amount of income tax you'll pay each month. (Note that this does not apply to Roth accounts.)

In these days of economic uncertainty, how do you save money?

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dirty tricks of credit card companies

Michael and I are diligently working on eliminating our acquired credit card debt. Our Dave Ramsey plan, took a bit of a detour for a few months, but now we're moving back toward being on track.

Part of our plan included cutting up and closing down paid credit cards. We'd heard that it wouldn't effect our (excellent) credit score until I saw this article today entitled Dirty Credit Card Tricks.

Dirty Trick No. 1:
Say "Bye-Bye" to Your Grace Period

No grace period means that you’ll start accruing interest the moment you charge something and that can cost you a bundle of “extra” interest. Most credit card issuers have already reduced their grace period from 25 days to 20 days. Many others have eliminated the grace period altogether. Now they are coming up with more and more reasons to take away your grace period. Miss a payment? Stop carrying a balance? Bye-bye grace period!

Dirty Trick No. 2:
Punishing You for Being Smart

These fees are the lowest of the low because they penalize you for being a responsible credit card user. Some of the biggest offenders include charging you a fee for:
· Closing your account
· Failing to use a card for a period of time (such as six months or a year)
· Not carrying a balance
· Every transaction each and every time that you use your card

If your card charges you any of these fees, it's time to look for a new card!

Dirty Trick No. 3:
Sending "Convenience" Checks

Credit cards often send you "convenience" checks so that you can write checks against your credit card account. Isn't that nice of them? Please! DON'T do us any "favors"! What they bury in the fine print is that these checks usually carry a very high interest and fees -- even higher than regular credit card charges. Some cards also give you no grace period on convenience checks, so you start paying interest from the day you write the check! Shred these little "gifts" whenever they arrive.

Dirty Trick No. 4:
Inviting You to Skip a Payment

In their infinite generosity (ha!), some cards will "invite" you to skip a payment. This "helpful" offer, which sounds great at first blush, often comes after the holidays when your balance is big and your wallet is stretched. DON'T DO IT! Skipping that payment can lead to a host of trouble from a higher interest rate to possibly having to make extra payments in the future. Are you starting to notice a pattern?! You should be skeptical whenever your credit card company does something "nice" for you without you asking for it!

Dirty Trick No. 5:
Lowering Your Minimum Payment

Another way some cards try to jack up their profits and lure you deeper into debt is by lowering the minimum payment due on your balance. It used to be cards required a minimum monthly payment of about 4% of your balance, but many now require as little at 2%. Don't fall for it! Going from a $40 payment to a $25 payment on a $2,500 balance means it will take you an extra 19 months to pay off your balance!

Dirty Trick No. 6:
Tricky Timing

We all know that our payment is due on a certain date or it's late, right? But a new twist being thrown into the mix is having your payment due by a certain time on the due date. If your payment is due at noon, and gets processed at 12:01, you get socked with a late fee AND likely a higher interest rate. Gimme a break! Carefully check your statement so you avoid this trap.

Dirty Trick No. 7:
"Over the Limit" Fees

Credit cards charge you a hefty fee for going over your credit limit. Look, we don't have a problem with penalties for that. But now these fees have gotten excessive -- almost $40! Plus, credit card issuers don't exactly discourage you from going over your limit when they approve charges and balance transfers that put you over your max.

moms that save money ~ make money

Lately, my blogging focus has been over at the Lylah Blog where I've been writing about our garden project, opening our home to the nations, offering some new spring time recipes as well as bragging on Maria's Chile Verde. On a personal level, since being asked many times, I shared my "secret" face products that I think are fantastic.

We've also had the Griffin's (our kiddos from Spain) back here on the home front for a few months as they waited for their visa approval. I'm "such a mom" that when kids come home, I trade some energies (such as working the MMM Blog) for helping and taking care of grand kids. I only have one shot at that and I don't want to miss it.

Today, I've also been catching up on some Mom Blogs and Crystal's new blog over at Type-pad is simply fantastic! The look and ease of scouting around with the new organization style (Target Deals, Walgreen Deals and the Freebie section-love it). Like many, many women, I'm a fan of hers and so appreciate what she does, her style of communicating as well as her honesty.

In particular, I noticed a few freebies and what caught my eye as I'm an Aveda fan was the freebie with Aveda for a little sample of their Green Science Lifting Serum.

The next money saver that I was drawn to was Crystal's post on Walgreens 101 (since my hubs just made a trip there for me). She spells out clearly how to use the Rebate Booklet aka The Walgreen's EasySaver catalog and how to make the deal work for you. I love that!

The super cool thing is this, "Best of all, once you've sent in your first rebate request and gotten your gift card with the rebate plus 10% on it back, you will never need to spend a penny more out of pocket at the store!"

What's also cool is that each month (after I get my gift card) I can log on to their website and check my status.

Reading on in Crystal's great how to post, she's done the homework for me in understanding the coupon stacking and register rewards.

I'm red flagging this key hint where she writes, " . . . it's important that you have as many items as coupons and that you hand your coupons over in the correct order. After lots of trial and error, here's the best coupon order I've come up with:
First Register Rewards -
Then manufacturer's coupons-
Then store coupons.

Doing it in any other order than this seems to cost me at least a few dollars more or it causes the system to jam and not allow my coupons through and means I either have to add on some extra items or it means that I pay extra money out of pocket.

I give my coupons to the cashier in batches split up in the groups mentioned above. This keeps things simple and ever since I started doing it this way, I've never had a problem with the register jamming or a coupon not going through."

How fantastic. Thanks Crystal! Great job!

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The Simple Home has a well equipped kitchen - check these special out.

Nonstick 10-in. Everyday Pan
The 10-in. Everyday Pan is an all-purpose pan. Use it for searing, browning and sauteing vegetables and meats as well as making the classic Spanish dish, paella.

Nonstick 2-pc. Skillet Set
Whether you're making an omelette for one or pan-searing a couple of chicken breasts for dinner, these two pans will always be in demand.

Nonstick 13-in. Grill Pan
Cook like a pro with the Simply Traditional Cookware from Calphlaon. It features a nonstick cooking surface and hard-anodized exterior that won't crack, chip, or peel.

Nonstick 5-qt. Saute Pan
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Nonstick 10-in. Everyday
The 10-in. Everyday Pan is an all-purpose pan. Use it for searing, browning and sautÈing vegetables and meats as well as making the classic Spanish dish Paella.

Nonstick 12-in. Grill Pan
Looking for a healthier way to prepare your meals? Here's a solution: the 12-in. Round Grill Pan, one of Calphalon's House Specials.

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The Simple Home - Seven Spiritual Habits for Life

Developing spiritual habits and balancing life can often be a struggle in a woman’s busy life. I see that there are Seven Spiritual Habits important for a woman to develop. Granted, these are habits to develop.

The first important habit is one I call Sanctuary Journaling. The purpose is to create a safe place where the unique feminine soul can express itself. There are no rules for journaling...we just let whatever is in our souls pour out. Sometimes journaling can help dump out the toxins in our soul. Thoughts, attitudes and deep feelings about life or relationships will be recognized through journaling.

The next habit is also one for the heart - it's what I call the habit of Walking, Talking & Listening to God.

When I wrote the little book, Power Prayers for Your Mighty Man, I had no idea that Walking and Talking out loud in prayer would benefit me as much as it has. Walking and Talking, using Power Prayers for Your Mighty Man, helped me to stay focused in prayer for very specific areas that I knew needed to be talked out with God.

The spiritual habit of Walking and Talking benefits us physically as well as emotionally. Walking is such a wonderful way to increase energy, strengthen muscles, air and get oxygen to the brain. When we feel better physically, our minds and our emotions are affected, too. Walking and Talking gives us a clearer focus for the day. Besides, isn’t it wonderful to be outside and appreciating God’s creative goodness all around us?

God gave wonderful foods on this earth for us to enjoy. Choosing to eat the right foods is a spiritual habit to be developed and practiced. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 says, “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” If I make my temple a garbage disposal, I won’t experience good health and energy for the long haul.

I believe that the habit of Eating Right is one of life’s tensions to be worked out on an on going basis for every woman. We know our bodies better than we think we do. When I eat certain foods, it’s not long before I feel sluggish. So, learning to eat right, healthy and real food is another one of the Seven Spiritual Habits.

The Habit of Moving in Grace in one more habit to be developed. You might be wondering, “What in the world is Moving in Grace?” Well, Moving in Grace is my feminine way of saying “exercise” without using the word “exercise” because that may not sound as fun!

Moving in Grace is a spiritual habit that many women need to look at as just that! I sure do! God gave us one body with bones, joints, muscles, a circulatory system, a nervous system, a digestive system, an endocrine system, a skeletal system, and so on. How we treat one part of our body affects what happens to the other parts. (We get only one body!)

Part of taking care of this wonderful gift that God gave us is Moving in Grace, which is daily, deliberate movement. The principle is to keep in mind is: a little will go along way. So, start with something. If some form of daily movement is not made, we get stiff, posture becomes poor, our circulatory system and our digestive system are affected, and so on. I have read that moderately active women live an average of seven years longer. Moving in Grace relaxes muscles, relieves tension, and is an adrenaline booster.

If this is a hard area for you ask girlfriends for help. I should be modeling this for my daughters, but they model this for me. Candace is continually encouraging me in this area of my life and I'm thankful for it. She love me and wants me healthy, and I'm moving toward reclaiming this habit.

Life is not by happen-stance. It’s by design, and it’s designed and planned with the Lord (Proverbs 3:5-8). Scripture teaches us that we are to be good stewards of time and to make use of every opportunity. It’s a good thing to plan, be diligent and understand what God’s directives are for our lives.

Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus that they were to make the very most of the time. He encouraged them to buy up every opportunity because the days were evil and to not be vague, thoughtless, or foolish but to understand the will of the Lord (Ephesians 5:16,17).

I believe that every woman deep inside really wants to plan well and live a life free of confusion and stress. Some women just naturally seem to organize, plan well, and make smart choices with their time, decisions and activities. They seem to live “stress-free.” Their lives are principled and they seem to walk with a certain confidence as well as a sense of fulfillment. If you were to put a magnifying glass to their lives you would probably see they plan with principles. And, there are other women who just long to live like that.

This habit is all about learning to live a Principled Life and Discover Your Life Purpose.

I'm big on this one. I even wrote a manual about how to discover and live as on on-purpose woman.

This habit is also necessary for life: Growing in Relationships - Learning to Listen (which involves learning to set boundaries, learning to deal biblically with offenses, stopping the gossip, giving of yourself, learning to grieve and "doing" marriage God's way - becoming a biblical wife, bringing peace in the home and learning the Simple Home Principles.

I love this habit ~ Restoring Beauty. Beauty is an inner quality of the soul reflected on a woman’s countenance. This kind of beauty is revealed over time and through testing. True beauty is in need of being restored today. In this last habit of Restoring Beauty, we’ll look at how we can restore beauty. Restoring Beauty is all a part of becoming a principled and an “on purpose” woman.

Beauty starts in the feminine soul ~ in the spirit of a woman. When her spirit is refreshed and restored, her countenance shines with beauty and the attitude of her heart graces her to sail through any storm.

Restoring Beauty requires that we no longer deny what our spirit needs and deserves. Like proper skin care is to the face, so is proper soul care to the spirit. Is your soul dehydrated, famished, or drained? If you are groaning a whispered “yes,” then please know, there is hope.

Make the commitment ~ today ~ and let’s learn some new beauty treatments. The first of these beauty treatments is to take . . . more next week.