New Exxon Speedpass customers in FL, LA, MA, NC, NJ, RI and SC will receive a $20 ExxonMobil Cash Card (or a $20 ExxonMobil Credit Card statement credit if Speedpass is linked to an ExxonMobil Credit Card) for activating a new Speedpass account. To qualify for one of these great offers, just enroll and activate online by December 31, 2009! See site for full details…
I just enrolled, and I can’t wait to get my $20 gas card!
I told Husband I was going to make up for that salary cut. This helps!
Recently I received an e-mail from a woman wanting to interview me for an article she was writing for a “national publication”. She’d seen my article about how I got Comcast to lower my bill with just a phone call, and she wanted to find out what I did and how I did it.
Being that I’ve never completely given up my adolescent quest for fame (albeit fifteen (or even three) minutes), and though we already have a Paris Hilton, I demurely accepted the invitation. I joked with my friend that the national publication was likely Cat Fancy, though the joke was not as well appreciated since the friend has two cats herself.
This morning Margarette called, but I was outside wrestling with a witch (Seriously. It’s 60 degrees here and I had a plastic witch taped to my wonderful slide-screen door. The witch had to go, and she decided to fly away rather than be taped to my dirty garage door. I had to clean it for her so the tape would stick. Stupid witch.).
I called her back and waxed poetic about the great deal I got, other things I do to save money (I even confessed to buying some holiday gifts at garage sales – they were brand new items!) and how I marvel that frugal is now chic.
She then tells me that the article is for Good Housekeeping! Huh. That’s not Cat Fancy, is it?
She asked for my first and last name, which I was happy to give. It did bring up an issue, though, about my anonymity on this blog. I’ve chosen to be BeThisWay and not divulge my name, for reasons of safety and anonymity.
I’m happy to report that my principles flew out the window faster than that plastic witch and I’ve decided that fame is more important than anonymity and, apparently, safety. After all, I’m on Facebook now, so the gig is up.
I am such a fame whore. Though it’s funny that I’d be mentioned in an article in Good Housekeeping when mine is…not.
There are lots of wonderful blogs out there that tell you how tto get free stuff from CVS and Walgreens, and how to find freebies. Most of them involve clipping coupons, which I am still not consistent about.
These bloggers will list items and tell you what date the coupon appeared in the newspaper, and tell you how to use Extra Care Bucksand special rewards to get items for free or almost free. I admire them, I just don’t want to work that hard.
Yesterday I ran across a deal that wasn’t too complicated, and way too good to pass up. I went to a Geico website and signed up for a $25 gift certificate to Omaha Steaks. Then I went to Omaha steaks and got 5.5 lbs of their hamburgers for $1.98, including shipping. Not $1.98 per pound, $1.98 total.
You don’t have to do what they recommend – you can use the gift certificate for anything on their site. Their food quality is terrific, and they often do great package deals. We got one for Christmas last year, and the year before that we sent one to Husband’s Dad.
You want to do this? I don’t blame you. Read Catherine’s post and she’ll tell you how.
Traveling for the holidays on Northwest Airlines?
Buy your tickets and pay with Paypal and you’ll get $50 back per ticket, up to five tickets. Click here for details. Expiration unknown.
Check back tomorrow for another great deal!
Subscribe to my RSS feed to make sure you don’t miss a thing!
If you live near a Six Flags park you’re a winner already.
Everyone who enters is a winner, making the Heinz Ketchup if you Can sweeps a great one for anyone who lives near or will visit a Six Flags. Every entrant receives a $10 discount on a one-day admission ticket, and there are 6,010 instant win prizes being given out. This daily entry sweeps ends on November 2. Go ahead and play. You know you wanna.
Check back tomorrow for another great deal!
Subscribe to my RSS feed to make sure you don’t miss a thing!
In the wake of the ridiculous goings on in the financial world you could see some aftershocks right there on your credit card statement.
Credit card companies are tightening their belts, and reining us in, too. Doesn’t matter how long you’ve been with them, how good your credit is, how many payments you’ve made on time. According to the Wall Street Journal they are starting to reduce credit limits across the board.
If you’re like me you’ve seen a credit limit of $3,000 balloon to a limit of $25,000. I’ve never paid much attention, as my strategy of paying of my balance each month has meant that I don’t pay a whole lot of attention to my limits and interest rates.
Many people are seeing their credit limits slashed with little notice, and those like me who are not diligent about checking those parts of their statement may find themselves dangerously close to their credit limit, and dangerously close to those over-the-limit fees. When’s the last time you looked at your credit limits? That would be a very, very nasty surprise, wouldn’t it?
Not only that, because your buying power is reduced your debt to income ratio goes up. According to CNN “The debt-to-limit ratio is calculated by dividing what consumers spend each month by their credit limit, and it’s a key component of credit scores. If your limit drops to $1,000 from $2,000 and you continue spending $500 a month, your debt-to-limit ratio immediately jumps from a favorable 25% to an unfavorable 50%.” That means it’s harder to buy that car or that house, making your life less comfortable and making it harder for our economy as a whole to recover.
This just keeps getting better and better, doesn’t it?
What can you do? The Wall Street Journal article had some great suggestions:
1. Reduce your outstanding debt. Bigger balances make consumers prime targets for credit-card companies looking to reduce credit lines, since the banks worry that you may not be able to pay your tab.
2. Watch the mail. When credit-card issuers lower credit limits, they must notify you. Typically, that will be done by mail (unless you’ve agreed to online-only notification). You should also review your monthly statement for changes, including a lower credit limit, interest-rate spikes and new penalties.
3 Check your report. Credit-card issuers review consumers’ credit reports for red flags, like late payments to other credit cards, a sudden buildup of debt or high credit-utilization rates. Check your credit report for free online at AnnualCreditReport.com. If it includes any errors, report them to the three major credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
4 Get online alerts. Ask your credit-card issuers if they offer online alerts that notify cardholders when they’re nearing their limit.
5 Shop around. If your credit limit gets slashed, don’t cancel your credit card. That will decrease your credit score. Instead, shop around for more attractive credit-card offers.
I’m going to add a few of my own:
6. Check your account online at least twice a week. This way you can have the latest updates, keep track of your balances and limits and catch errors early.
7. Curb spending. Stay home, don’t shop. Just buy what you absolutely need to so you have less to pay back.
8. Pray. Whether you believe in a Higher Being, the power of positive thinking or your faith is in humanity, put your positive energy out there and pray.
I’m not a huge magazine reader, but Real Simple is a terrific read. It is the only magize I’ve actually bought in the past year, and has terrific ideas for simplifying life and saving money-two of my favorite topics!
Click here to get a Free Trial Issue and see what all the fuss is about.
Check back tomorrow for another great deal!
Subscribe to my RSS feed to make sure you don’t miss a thing!
Happy Birthday, Mom!!!!!
This is a terrific deal.
Amazon.com is having a September Clearance on certain grocery items. Save an additional 55% instantly when you purchase select products. All you need to do is enter code CLRNCFTY at checkout. Here’s how (restrictions apply). Offer valid through September 30, 2008.
And don’t forget to select Super Saver shipping! And they’re delivering it right to my door, so no gas money spent!
I just bought items that I’d be buying anyway and the 55% discount translated to about a 40% savings from what I would have spent during my regular bargain-hunt shopping (their prices are a little higher than I’d pay on my own)!
And a note to my crunchy friends – there are lots of organic products included!
Check back tomorrow for another great deal!
Subscribe to my RSS feed to make sure you don’t miss a thing!
Like to get a tan the new-fashioned way?
Get a FREE tan or FREE upgrade at Hollywood Tans with this printable coupon. Call first to see if yours is a participating location. UV-Free is not included. Offer expiry unknown…
Check back tomorrow for another great deal!
Subscribe to my RSS feed to make sure you don’t miss a thing!
Here’s a way to get a free sample and a chance to have Tim Gunn, from Project Runway, give you a style consultation!
Get a free sample of Tide TotalCare from the folks over at Proctor & Gamble. Once you’ve requested the sample, you’ll also be entered to win one of five prize give aways, with the top prize being a style consultation with Tim Gunn, a new wardrobe worth $3,000, and a one-year supply of Tide. Offer valid through 10/20/2008 or while supplies last.
Check back tomorrow for another great deal!
Subscribe to my RSS feed to make sure you don’t miss a thing!
Are You Going To Be This Way The Rest of The Time I Know You? 