MarloElaine » HowTo

Helping Others Without Spending Money

Elaine — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 20:41:52 +0000

Since I do not work outside the home right now, I try to save money wherever and whenever I can. I carefully study the grocery sale papers every week and clip or print coupons. I closely monitor how my children and I spend my family’s money.

As much as possible, I try to do my part to help others while still maintaining our finances. The biggest way I do this is by sharing my children’s clothing with family, friends, freecycle, and the Salvation Army. We appreciate receiving hand-me-downs, so we always continue the cycle.

Another thing I do is donate my unused and/or expired coupons to the military families stationed overseas. I clip ALL the coupons from my Sunday newspaper, even the pet food ones and others I know I won’t use. Sometimes I’ll even ask my friends and family for their coupons when they are done with them. Then once a month, I mail all the coupons to a military base in Japan that I adopted through the Overseas Coupon Program. Military families are allowed to use expired coupons up to six months past their expiration date. These families often have just one income, so these coupons can really make a difference. The postage to send the coupons overseas is the standard domestic rate since it goes to a US base, but an international customs form is required. This is an easy and inexpensive way to support our military.

“The Drugstore Game” is a method I learned from sites such as Money Saving Mom and Krazy Coupon Lady. Money Saving Mom wrote “In a nutshell, the Drugstore Game is taking advantage of the rebate programs at CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens to get household and beauty products for pennies on the dollar — or even more than free!” I go to CVS and Walgreens at least once a week to purchase items that are either on sale, have coupons, or generate Extra Bucks or Register Rewards. Sometimes a product is all three of those things, allowing me to spend only pennies for tax and then receive free items AND vouchers for future purchases. My bathroom cabinets are filled with body wash and toothpaste that I received free, or even got paid to take. I often collect these drugstore game goodies and take them to my local food pantry. I’m sure they would be greatly appreciated at a battered women’s shelter or homeless shelter as well. My local pantry is the Niles Township Food Pantry. They collect and distribute food, personal items, and even school supplies for children.

One of the easiest ways that I help my children’s school is by clipping the Box Tops for Education that are on all kinds of General Mills products such as Cherrios cereal, Nature Valley granola bars, Chex Mix, and Gogurts yogurt as well as other household items like Kleenex tissues and Huggies diapers, Pull Ups, and OverNights. Each little pink logo is worth ten cents to the school. While this may not sound like it’s worth the hassle of cutting out, participating schools earned more than $10 million in the 2008-09 school year alone! My children often bring me empty boxes and ask me to help them cut out the “moneys.” Then I just send their teachers an envelope full of the little pink papers so they can submit them and receive money for their school.

SuperValu and General Mills have partnered together for the Box Tops for Education program and are generously offering one lucky winner a $25 American Express gift card through MyBlogSpark. I believe this gift card can be used anywhere, including any of the SuperValu stores (ACME, Albertsons, Cub, Farm Fresh and Jewel-Osco.) If you would like a chance to win this $25 gift card, please leave a comment with a creative or unusual way you help your family, school, or community by June 8th. The winning comment will be randomly selected and announced on June 9th.

Green Cleaning with MarloElaine

Elaine — Mon, 03 May 2010 22:38:02 +0000

For a long time, house keeping materials in my home consisted mainly of my Dyson vacuum and baby wipes. Once I discovered that baby wipes could be used to clean baby food off of walls just as easily as a child’s skin, I began using them for everything. I have used baby wipes to clean dried yogurt off the kitchen table, mop up mud tracked onto my carpet, and even removed “washable” crayon marks from wood furniture. I cannot imagine how I was able to live the majority of my life without baby wipes.

In an effort to become more green and eco-friendly, I am trying to wean myself off of disposable baby wipes in favor of reusable sponges, washcloths, and towels. I am also avoiding antibacterial soaps containing triclosan and purchasing refillable products when available.

My favorite refill product so far is the White Tea & Vitamin E Dial Eco-Smart Refill. This refill is packaged in a soft pouch rather than a bulky plastic bottle.

I use this liquid hand soap to refill both my regular soap dispensers and my foaming soap dispensers. My article “How to: Refill Foaming Hand Soap Pumps” describes how to add one part liquid soap to four parts water to make a less expensive, non-antibacterial foaming hand soap refill.

When MyBlogSpark offered me the opportunity to sample several Seventh Generation products, I was thrilled. On their about page, Seventh Generation describes themselves as being “committed to becoming the world’s most trusted brand of authentic, safe, and environmentally-responsible products for a healthy home.” Seventh Generation uses natural CleanWell instead of triclosan to make their disinfecting products. Earlier this month, the FDA wrote “At this time, FDA does not have evidence that triclosan added to antibacterial soaps and body washes provides extra health benefits over soap and water. Consumers concerned about using hand and body soaps with triclosan should wash with regular soap and water.”

MyBlogSpark and Seventh Generation sent me several cleaning products and supplies to sample and review. I really believe in the Seventh Generation philosophy, so I eagerly anticipated the cleaning kit in the mail. As soon as they arrived, my husband and I used them to give our kitchen and bathroom a much needed deep cleaning. The Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner, Bathroom Cleanser, and Disinfecting Wipes all cleaned my hard surfaces quickly and easily, but we could not get past the oddly familiar yet slightly unpleasant Lemongrass and Thyme scent.

The brown paper towels we received were unbleached and made from 100% recycled paper. Unfortunately, they are not as absorbent as the Bounty paper towels I am used to. I ended up using twice as many paper towels to dry hands, wipe up spills, or soak up oil from food.

All the Seventh Generation Disinfectants are only available in the Lemongrass and Thyme scent, but there is an unscented Free & Clear line that I am looking forward to trying. I plan to join the Seventh Generation Nation so I can print coupons before my next purchase.

If you would like to try the Seventh Generation Disinfecting products for free, please post a comment below. One lucky reader will win a Seventh Generation Cleaning Kit containing disinfecting products, paper towels, a carrying tote, and “The Conscious Kitchen” book. The winner will be announced on Monday, May 10th. The cleaning kits have been generously provided by Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark.

Fabulous Filipino Fruit Salad Recipe

Elaine — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:15:51 +0000

Filipino Fruit Salad is a creamy, tasty dessert made with many different kinds of canned and preserved fruits. It is a staple at many Filipino gatherings. People love the way I prepare it and often ask me for the recipe.

Here’s how I make my fruit salad:

Ingredients:
1 – 10 oz jar maraschino cherries without stems
3 – 30 oz cans fruit cocktail (or 1 – #10 can)
1 – 20 oz can pineapple chunks
1 – 15 oz can mandarin orange segments
1/2 – 12 oz jar coconut sport (aka macapuno)*
1/2 – 12 oz jar sugar palm fruit (aka kaong)*
1/2 – 12 oz jar pineapple gel (aka nata de pina) and/or coconut gel (aka nata de coco)*
1 – 8 oz pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 – 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 – 12 oz jar or can of jackfruit (aka langka) in syrup*
*can be found in most Filipino or Asian grocery stores

Directions:

Drain & rinse the cherries, drain all fruits except the jackfruit. Set aside.
Blend the jackfruit and liquid in a food processor until smooth. Add the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk, process until smooth.
Transfer the jackfruit-dairy mixture into a large mixing bowl. Gently stir in the rest of the drained fruits. Mix until all the fruit is coated in the creamy, white mixture.
Chill for several hours or overnight. Serve cold. Refrigerate leftovers promptly.

Variations:

For a sweeter fruit salad, use the whole can of sweetened condensed milk.
Neuchatel cheese (8 oz) or Nestle Table Cream (1 or 2 – 8 oz cans) may be substituted for the cream cheese for a reduced fat version
Amounts of fruits can be varied according to preferences and availability.
Fresh fruits such as diced apples, sliced bananas, or halved grapes may be added as well.

I hope you try this recipe and let me know how it turns out. I’d love to hear your additions or substitutions.

How to: Give your Dyson Vacuum a “Haircut”

Elaine — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 04:29:56 +0000

If anyone in your family (or even your pet) has long hair, you’ve probably had trouble with your vacuum cleaner getting weaker or losing suction. It’s even happened to our powerful Dyson, which claims right on the vacuum that it’s “The first vacuum cleaner that doesn’t lose suction.” We have the Dyson DC07 Bagless Vacuum and we love it. Every few months, though, we have to give it a “haircut.”

Since I have had very long hair for most of my life, I have done this several times. This method works with other types of upright vacuums as well, both baggless and bagged. I have found the Dyson to be the easiest to clean.

I never heard of anyone else who has ever given their vacuum a “haircut,” so I was very surprised to see it mentioned in the Dyson instruction manual. The official directions are buried on page 7 of the 14 page instruction manual, under the heading “Where to Look for Blockages.”

Here’s how I do it:

First gather your supplies. You will need a coin or large screwdriver, scissors, a garbage can, and if you like, a face mask and/or latex gloves.
Make sure your Dyson vacuum is off and unplugged. Gently lay it down on the ground.
With the bottom of the vacuum facing you, you should see three colored “screws.” Turn these colored fasteners with a coin or a large screwdriver. You should hear a “click” when it is turned all the way.
You may want to put on a face mask for the next part, especially if you have any respiratory problems. The faceplate should lift off easily, releasing a lot of dust. You should be able to view the brushbar, probably entwined with a lot of hair, thread, etc. This is what causes the loss of suction.
With a pair of scissors, carefully cut through the hair and thread, making sure to avoid the bristles of the brush. I usually cut along the middle of one side, then rotate the brushbar and cut along the middle of the other side.
All of the long hairs and threads can now be easily removed with your fingers. Wear a pair of latex gloves, if desired.
When all the obstructions are removed, put the faceplate back on and turn the three “screws.”
Stand your vacuum upright, plug it in, and test it by vacuuming all the stray hair and dust that just got dislodged. You should see a marked improvement immediately.

Hopefully this will save someone the hassle of hauling their vacuum cleaner into a repair shop or even buying a new vacuum all together. Please let me know in the comments section if it works for you.

How to make your own Spot the Dog puppet

Elaine — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:35:50 +0000

Sammy and Sophie love the Spot the Dog series of books by Eric Hill. Their favorite ones are the lift the flap books like “Where’s Spot?” and “Spot Goes to School.” When our local public library announced that Spot the Dog was coming to visit, they were so excited! Sammy gave Spot a big hug, but Sophie was happy to just wave from across the room.
After reading Spot books, visiting with Spot, and taking lots of pictures, the wonderful librarians helped the kids make Spot puppets.

All you need to make your own Spot the Dog puppet is a square piece of yellow paper, a popsicle stick, tape, and a black or brown crayon to provide hours of fun for the kids!

First, simply fold the square down the middle diagonally to make a triangle. Position the triangle in front of you so that the folded side is on top. Fold the two top corners down to make ears. Draw on a face and color as desired. Finally, tape on the stick to complete the puppet! Enjoy!

How to: Monitor Your Child’s Credit

Elaine — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 06:29:51 +0000

Almost every day in the news, there is a new story of credit card fraud or identity theft. It could happen to anyone. That’s why it is so important to monitor your own credit, as well as all the members of your family, including your children.

Children are perfect targets for criminals because the identity theft can go undetected for a long time. ABC News reported a story which reports incidents of ID theft that happened to two different families. The identity theft victims were a 3-year old and a 11-month old.

For adults, it’s so easy to request a credit report online using the AnnualCreditReport with the website. You are allowed one free credit report from each of the three reporting agencies every year. You can order your credit reports online, by phone, or by mail using the posted instructions. However, if you are under the age of 13, you can only submit the paperwork by mail.

Getting your kid’s credit report

Last fall, I requested reports for both of my children from all three credit agencies. I had to do this because we never received Sophie’s original Social Security Card. It must have been lost or stolen in the mail.

Here’s what I did to obtain my children’s credit reports:

For each child the following documents are required:
1. A completed Annual Credit Report Request Form from the AnnualCreditReport website
2. Copy of the child’s birth certificate
3. Copy of the child’s Social Security Card
4. Copy of the parent’s driver’s license
Mail the completed forms (along with copies of each child’s supporting documents) to:
Annual Credit Report Request Service
P.O. Box 105281
Atlanta, GA 30348-5281

After a few weeks, I received statements of “unable to locate credit information” or “no such file in the database” in the mail. This reassured me that no one has been using my children’s information to open fraudulent accounts.

The process may have changed this year as the AnnualCreditReport site is now requiring parents to contact each credit agency individually along with sending an additional supporting document, a current utility bill.

Here’s an excerpt from their FAQ below:

How do I request a credit report by mail for a child under 13 years of age?

The credit reporting agencies do not knowingly maintain credit files on minor children. If you suspect that your minor child’s information has been used fraudulently, you should contact the credit reporting agencies directly and report the illegal use of your child’s information to law enforcement. Please supply each credit reporting agency with your child’s complete name, address, date of birth and a copy of the minor child’s birth certificate and social security card. Additionally, please provide a copy of your driver’s license or other government-issued proof of your identity, which includes your current address, and a current utility bill containing your current address so the credit reporting agencies may promptly respond to your request. The addresses for the credit reporting agencies are listed below:

Equifax
P.O. Box 740256
Atlanta, Georgia 30374

Experian
P.O. Box 9532
Allen, Texas 75013

TransUnion
P.O. Box 6790
Fullerton, CA 92834

I saved copies of all the supporting documents I sent last year. I will just have to add in a copy of my current electric bill and send the paperwork to all three credit agencies individually.

The initial paperwork to obtain your child’s credit may seem overwhelming compared to the simple questions needed to get your own. An alternative method would be to enroll into a credit monitoring service such as LifeLock.

They have a program which can cover your entire family. LifeLock will regularly monitor your kid’s credit. If you want to save time and have that peace of mind, LifeLock may be for you.

MarloElaine Blog readers can save up to 25% off when you use the LifeLock promotion code: LOCKDOWN. Click to instantly apply the LifeLock Promotion code.

Tiny Diners Beware

Elaine — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 05:29:08 +0000

Toddler intoxicated via sippy cup

Earlier this month, a toddler was inadvertently served a margarita in a sippy cup at a popular eatery in California. The toddler’s mother gave the server her son’s sippy cup to fill with apple juice at an Applebee’s restaurant. While the two year old did not finish his cocktail, he still consumed enough alcohol to make him drowsy, vomit, and require a visit to the ER. Thankfully, the young child appears to have fully recovered from this accidental intoxication.

It turns out that the apple juice and the margarita mix are stored next to each other in identical containers. The Applebee’s management is very apologetic and is taking steps to prevent this type of mistake from happening again. All associated medical expenses are being paid by the restaurant chain. The family has also been offered free meals, but does not plan to return to that restaurant again.

The Applebee’s franchise owners will pay the “Serving to Minors” fine ($5,000, I believe), but is not being sued by the family at this time. I have not read anything about the status of the Applebee’s manager who poured the ill-fated drink.

Prevention tips

This potentially tragic incident could happen at any place that serves alcohol. To keep your children safe, here are a few tips:

BYOM (bring your own milk): If possible, bring your children’s drinks with you. I always pack my son’s whole milk and my daughter’s whole milk/soy formula drink whenever we go out to eat. I do this not only for restaurants, but also when we go to play dates or visit family. I highly recommend this for any children with special diets or food allergies. This also helps me save money while ensuring my children drink enough milk every day.
Taste test: If you do order drinks for your children, taste them first before allowing your kids to drink them. This is especially important for toddlers who do not talk well yet. (This also applies for food-I always make sure my kids’ food is not too hot, too spicy, or otherwise not suitable for their sensitive mouths.)
Trust no one: Never give the server your child’s sippy cup. Pour all drinks into the cup yourself so you can detect any abnormal smells or colors (alcohol, sour milk, etc.) This is also the only way to ensure that the cup does not get contaminated (dropped on the floor or coughed or sneezed on).

What do you do when you take your kids out to eat? Do you bring their own drinks? Please feel free to share you comments below.

Saving $407 on Our Comcast Bill

Marlo — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 06:02:23 +0000

How a 9 minute phone call will save us over $400 this year!

Since we are a single income household, I try to find ways to save money. As the cliche goes: a penny saved is a penny earned.

After reviewing my Comcast bill a few weeks ago, I realized I was paying roughly $100 a month on my combined cable and high speed internet service. Luckily, I encountered this blog entry. Jonathan of MyMoneyBlog writes about how he was able to save $105 on his Comcast bill.

I decided to give it a try and was able to haggle for much more savings.

Here’s a rough transcript of my conversation with the Comcast retention specialist:

Me: Hello, I just received my Comcast bill today and realized I am paying too much for my Cable TV and High Speed internet. I am seriously considering switching my service to AT&T Yahoo DSL at $14.99/month.

Comcast: Can you verify your account information? [taps on keyboard] OK, we’d like to keep you as a customer. We can’t match the DSL offer but we can provide you High Speed Internet for $19.99/month for six months.

Me: What about my cable service?

Comcast: For TV, we can provide that service at $29.99/month for a year.

Me: Is that the best you can do?

Comcast: Please call us back after six months and check in with us.

Me: When will this new rate be effective?

Comcast: Today. Since we bill out a month in advance, we will credit your account. We will be owing you money.

Me: [With a fat grin on my face] Thank you.

I made sure to talk someone in account cancellations so I did not have to waste time going through the automated prompts. If you have Comcast service, give it a try. It might save you some money on your monthly bill.

How to: Keep Your Bottled Water Cold

Elaine — Thu, 31 May 2007 06:29:23 +0000

Drinking water is one of the best things you can do for your body. Water is a natural appetite suppressant, has zero calories, prevents dehydration, and is great for the skin, kidneys, liver and digestive system. It is very important for everyone, especially pregnant and nursing women, to drink plenty of water.

I always try to bring a bottle of water with me wherever I go. I noticed that I often drank only half of the water in my bottle, stopping once the water was no longer cold. My solution is to keep several half full water bottles in my freezer. When I am ready for a drink, I just top off the frozen bottle with more water. The ice keeps the water nice and cold, then melts to make more! Ice cold, spill proof, & portable!

Sometimes I put the half ice/half water bottles in my cooler or lunch box instead of an ice pack. For long trips, I freeze an almost full bottle. Don’t freeze a full bottle… the plastic might crack when the ice expands as it freezes!

This also works great with sports drinks or juice in plastic bottles. Not so good with carbonated drinks. Haven’t tried it with milk… yet.

10 Steps to a Successful FSA Claim

Elaine — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 03:42:15 +0000

Are you taking advantage of your employer’s money saving benefit, the Flexible Spending Account (FSA)? If you are, then you know how much work it takes to file a simple reimbursement claim.

I have completed and submitted enough FSA claim forms to know what does and does not work. I am sharing these tips with you so that you don’t have to go through the hassle of appealing your denied FSA claims.

Charge it: If you have an FSA debit card, use it as much as possible! The card eliminates the need to submit paperwork. Our United HealthCare FSA MasterCard only works for set amounts, such as $10, $20, and $35 (standard copay amounts). If I am picking up more than one prescription medication, I ask the pharmacist to ring them up separately on my FSA card. Also, if both kids have doctors appointments on the same day, I do the same thing.

Keep them separate: Pay for all FSA eligible items separately from non-FSA purchases. This allows you to submit the entire receipt without having to subtract some items and re-calculate the sales tax.
Provide copies: Never submit your original receipts, only copies. Save all receipts until you have been reimbursed, just in case they deny your claim and you have to resubmit. Additionally, if you need to return or exchange anything, you will need the original receipt.
denied claims has decreased dramatically

Send proof: When in doubt, send additional documentation. This is especially important if you purchase store brands (CVS Tussin Cough) versus brand name items (Robitussin syrup). Take photos or scan your over the counter items and send a copy along with the receipt. Ever since I started doing this, the number of denied claims has decreased dramatically. Prescription documentation must include patient name, out of pocket cost, date filled, and prescription name or the NDC number. This information is usually all located on the insert that accompanies the medication. Again, send copies or ask your pharmacist to print an extra one.
Mark it: Be sure to circle the requested information, such as date, price, etc. Highlighting will not show up once the paperwork is scanned. Label all of your pages clearly with your account number and page number (ex. page 1 of 3).
Mail, do not fax your claims: We tried faxing our submissions, but had a lot of problems with it. Once our fax was received and printed, it was then scanned. The end result was very difficult to read. If the claims adjuster could not read our request, they would simply deny or ignore it. We find that mailing our paperwork is much more effective. Save yourself the hassle, use a postage stamp.
Direct deposit: Enroll in direct deposit for reimbursement. We usually receive the funds in our bank account two or three days before receiving the statement. This also eliminates the extra trip to the bank or ATM.
Review your work: Double check your math, sign your claim form, and affix the proper postage.
File the claim ASAP: The money kept in the FSA account is already yours, but it is not earning any interest. File the claim for your money as soon as possible so you can spend or invest it however you like. There is no need to wait until the end of the year, that is when the FSA department is its busiest.
Lastly, keep track of all of your claims: Make copies of everything you submit, including the claim forms and all supporting evidence. There’s no way of knowing which claims you will have to resubmit. Save yourself the time and keep a copy.

By following these steps, you will be more successful in have your claims fully paid and on-time.