Friday, February 27, 2015

Free Dog Supplement - Powder 4 Paws

This post is for you dog owners out there. This company Powder 4 Paws makes an all natural supplement for dogs that increases fiber intake, prevents diarrhea, reduces the risk of pancreatitis, etc. Head on over to their site for a free sample of California Carrots and you'll be able to read more about the company and the products they makes. They may be sending you a confirmation email sometime after you fill out the form so make sure to check it. Some companies will not ship the sample out to you until you confirm your email address.
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How To: Credit Cards - Saving $ On Everyday Purchases



Background
Cash is out, credit cards are in. For those of you that are unfamiliar with the concept of credit cards, let me give you a quick overview. If you are already familiar with them, just jump down to methods for some extra tips/tricks on how to maximize your savings on every day purchases.

So credit cards are an electronic way of paying money but are different from debit cards. Debit cards are associated with a checking account. When you buy something from the store, instead of physically handing cash to them, you're electronically handing cash to them. The money is immediately withdrawn from your checking account and given to the merchant. There are no interest fees associated. As long as you have money in your checking account, you will have no problems using your debit card.

Credit cards are like mini-loans. Every time you buy something from a merchant, you are taking out a loan from the bank and using that money to pay off the merchant. It's equivalent to an "I owe you" or "IOU" as I like to say. You not actually using any money from your own pockets or accounts but using the banks' money. This is where interest come in. The bank will give you a certain time to pay them back without charge but because they are loans, the bank will charge you interest if you don't pay them before the deadline listed on the statement. Just like any other loans, like students loans, they will start to charge you money after your grace period and your balance will start growing. To prevent them from charging you any money at all, pay off the full amount of the bill every month. Never ever just pay the minimum amount off unless you are seriously broke and have no money to your name. Even if you pay off the minimum, the remaining balance if subject to interest. So just pay it off!!! Interest is how banks make money, it is how they're profitable. They are a business afterall.

Now it seems that credits cards are just a way to lose money but there's actually a way to use credit cards to save/make money. That's because of market competition. There are so many credit card options out there that these banks and companies have give you some kind of incentive to join them. By taking advantage of these programs and tailoring them to the way you shop, you'll be able to save quite a good amount of money. You're going to have to pay for food, groceries, and utilities. Why not save some money on the things you already buy?

Methods
1. Bank credit cards - Bank credit cards are the most common credit cards out there. If possible, get one with a program that will suite your shopping needs. If you travel a lot, there are frequent flyer programs where you can collect points on your purchases to get free flights. If you are like me, and don't travel often, I suggest you go for cards that offer direct cash back. An example is the Chase Freedom Card. It's a card that gives you 1% cash back on anything and everything that you buy. You get a bonus certain months out of the year where you get 5% off certain categories like restaurants or grocery stores. The points you earn turn into money that you can literally deposit right back into your bank accounts. Like I said, if you are spending money anyways, why not get some money back from that. Unfortunately, if you are new to the credit world, you might not qualify to get one of these cards yet. If you haven't had a credit card before, of haven't had your first credit card for a long time yet, or if you have a history of having poor credit, you are too inexperienced in the eyes of the bank. They do not trust you yet and will not let you get one. Just keep using your old credit card, build up your credit score, and try to apply for one as soon as you can to stay getting back those dollars.

2. Store Credit Cards - Is there one particular store that you love and shop at often? If so, see if they have a credit card program associated with their company. For instance, Target and Macy's both have their own credit card program. Why might these cards be better than bank credit cards? These programs often have incentives that are larger than those of the bank. These stores want you to keep returning to their store and keep spending your money there. For example, I shop at Target often because of all the coupons I can use there. If I used my bank credit card, all I get is 1% cash back on my purchases. However, when I use my Target Red Card, Target's credit card program, I get 5% off all my purchases. Thats's 4% more than what I would get with my bank card. In these situations, I save much more when I use my Target card. Thus, although I have both, I would of course use the one that saves me more money.

3. Credit Card Adjustment - This credit card trick is something that I discovered accidentally. I was buying something with coupons one month and it came out to a bit less than a dollar. I decided to charge it to one of my credit cards. I didn't charge anything else to the card for the rest of the month so my final balance was still less than $1. Interestingly enough, my bank did an automatic adjustment and it automatically paid for the charge; it adjusted my balance to $0. I did not have to pay a penny. What I found out was that it would cost the bank more to charge me than to not charge me at all. Just mailing out my statement to me and running the transaction costs more than what the bank could collect from me. Thus, every month, as long as I charged less than $1, I was able to get my items for free. However, my bank stopped credit adjusting beginning November or December of 2014 and I am no longer able to enjoy this benefit. I'm not sure if it will kick back in but I recommend you trying it with your bank credit card to see if you can make use of this credit card trick.

Conclusion
No matter how much you try to save money, there will always be things that you have to pay for. With these credit cards you'll be able to save money on every thing you buy, including utilities that there are never coupons for. Although some of you might not qualify for one yet, one day you will so keep paying off those balances, pay your bills on time, and get your credit score up so you can get one of these credit cards. But even if you get one of these credit cards, don't get rid of your old credit cards. Having a credit card for a long time is actually good for your credit. It shows history, experience, and self control - things that will get banks to trust you with their money.
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Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Genuine7 Body Cleansing Towel Sweepstakes


Enter Once
Unspecified Ending Date

Genuine7 is a company that makes towelette wipes tailored to men. It's meant to be used to refresh yourself when you are travelling, having a late night out, or after a workout. They are giving away an unspecified amount of these mitt towels so sign up if you are interested in getting these.
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Hot Tamales Sweepstakes


Enter multiple times a day
Ends June 1, 2015

If you like Hot Tamales then here's an opportunity for you to get some for free. You can enter as many times as you want a day. Just keep spinning the slots. If you do win some candy, that's when the form will pop up giving you a way to claim your prize. However, there is a limit of 1 win per email and mailing address so you should stop after you win your first time.
  • Prize: 50 packages of Hot Tamales per month. 1 package per person.
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