Babies & Coupons

Monday, March 31st, 2008

In The Turbo Mom’s Guide, I will be talking about coupons, but not the in the traditional way.  Like when you read a saving money book and they tell you to clip your coupons and you will save money.  Well, duh. But sometimes you will spend more too.

 Coupons are issued by companies for one purpose: to get you to buy their stuff.  So when the Sunday paper comes along with many dollars worth of coupons, we bargain shoppers get all excited.  Until we find we can use about 2 of them–or we clip a bunch “just in case” we need that item.  Cha-ching!  Did you just hear your grocery bill go up buying items you weren’t planning on?  The marketing just worked.

 So where (besides the newspaper) can you get coupons for the things you really need?  Particularly when it comes to baby things, since formula and diapers get expensive fast. 

1. Sign up on manufacturers’ websites.Yes, you may get some junk email, but they will also send you coupons through the mail from time to time.  This works best for diapers, formula and baby food companies (i.e. Gerber, Beech Nut, etc.).  For those of you using formula, (or pregnant and not sure yet), scoot over to the Similac website (www.welcomeaddition.com) and Enfamil (www.enfamil.com) and sign up right away.  It will take about 6 weeks for you to get your “Welcome Pack”, which will include formula samples and coupons.  Thereafter, you will receive coupons from time to time. 

When it comes to formula, most babies stick to one type once they start.  However, if you have pregnant friends, sign up for both anyway.  Then swap the coupons from the brand you are not using with a friend who is.  Heck, I even signed my mom up.  She figured that the mailman must have found her “Welcome Pack” pretty entertaining since she lives in a 55+ community.

 2. Ask at your pediatricians’ office. Pediatricians receive coupons and samples all the time from companies trying to promote their products, and formula is right up there on the list.  Initially, when we told our doc that Nicolas was on Similac’s Isomil, he dug into his supply closet and came out with sample size cans and coupons.  So each time we visit, I ask him if he has any.  Don’t be shy.  Doctors know that babies are expensive and they are usually willing to help out in whatever way they can.

3. Ask at the stores for coupons. Stores like Walmart, Target & Costco usually don’t have widespread coupon programs, if at all.  However, places like Babies ‘R Us and Gymboree do.  This doesn’t only mean being on the mailing list–they also have coupons behind the registers.  Cashiers will give them out when they like you or simply when they remember.  And these coupons are usually good for bigger ticket items, which will help defray the cost of things like strollers and baby gates.  Whenever you are in a store with a “Store Coupon Potential”, ask if they have any.  Even if you don’t use them, at least you have them in your coupon arsenal!

Next week we’re going to talk about how to organize all of those coupons so you don’t lose your mind and what to do when they expire…

Copyright 2008-2009 Kristin Delfau, author of Turbo-Mom's Guide to Saving Money Without Wasting Time a womens' personal finance book, and Aji Publishing.

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The only no-strings way to check your credit report

Sunday, March 23rd, 2008

So you are probably thinking, when is she going to start giving us some real tips on how to save money without wasting time?

We’re starting right now.

Going back to our theme of credit cards, just an update: so far, so good.  We are living just fine without them.  The guy at the grocery store must have thought I was a little dumb though, because I kept trying to sign my receipt when I paid with a debit card.  It’s going to take a little getting used to.

Whether or not you have (or have had) a credit card, it’s still a good idea to take a look at your credit history to make sure there is no funny stuff going on.

By federal law, you can check each of the three credit reporting bureaus once per year for free. So if you check one every 4 months, you have a reasonable chance of catching any mistakes.

The problem is, there are all sorts of ads on TV about checking your credit score, use this website or that, and it will be free. Then you get to the site and surprise!  It’s no longer free.  What the heck?

The sneakiest thing about a majority of the ads that you see is that the most heavily advertised “free” credit services are being sold by the credit reporting bureaus themselves! Thus, the same folks required by law to give you your information for free are trying to entice you to pay for it.  It’s kind of like going to a “free” event where at the entrance they have a “suggested donation” of $20. 

Figuring out who is legit, who are scammers, and who will make you pay to see something that you can get for free is a pain in the butt.  It gets to be so annoying that we give up and go do something else and never get around to checking our info.

The only truly free web site for obtaining your credit report is www.annualcreditreport.com.

It has links to all three credit bureaus, which you can access one at a time and see your credit history with each for free.

However, the most elusive, yet important data, your “Credit Score”, alas, is not available for free without strings. 

With each reporting bureau, you have to pay to find out the information that is being used to judge you for everything from a mortgage rate to auto insurance premiums.  Sick, isn’t it?

The one best known and most used is your FICO score, available at www.myfico.com.  You can get a 30-day free trial to take a peek at it.  If you don’t cancel, its $90 per year for the pleasure of having 24-hour access to your credit score.  This can be worth it if you are thinking of buying a house, a new car, or changing insurance companies in the near future.

Otherwise, if you don’t like “free but if you forget you have to pay” offers, your other option is to use a free “estimator” on a website like www.credit.com or www.bankrate.com. This won’t give you your exact score, but will get you in the ballpark.  Then you can decide if it’s worth paying for the FICO service or not.

Copyright 2008-2009 Kristin Delfau, author of Turbo-Mom's Guide to Saving Money Without Wasting Time a womens' personal finance book, and Aji Publishing.

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A New Garden Claw! (Amongst Other Things)

Friday, March 14th, 2008

This week was dedicated to returning items that did not live up to their many promises! For one reason or another, I have procrastinated them for ages but perhaps with the coming of spring, something has stirred…

When dealing with household items, there are always inevitably problems that crop up.  Things break, tools fall apart, and that feeling of aggravation sets in.  Then all those of “lifetime guarantees” start to come into play.  Do the companies really honor them?

 I had three chances this week to find out.

 The first was a storm door.  We have no less than 4 storm doors on our house.  One I already had replaced for free when I contact Andersen/EMCO because the retractable screen decided to stop working.  And the handle stuck in the open position.  And the seams split.  And we only had it for a year.  Not only did EMCO send us a letter that allowed us to replace for free, they had us bring the door back to our local Home Depot for disposal.  What service!

This latest screen door, also an EMCO product, started rotting right through the metal (who knew metal could rot?).  So same process, sent off the photos via email and customer service told me the warranty department would be in touch in a couple of weeks.  Okay, so this doesn’t look so good for the products, but customer service sure has been accommodating.

We also have a busted cellular shade, perennially stuck in the down position.  I will be truly honest–it has been stuck like this for almost 2 years.  But we never got around to taking it back to the store.  So this weekend off it went back to Home Depot, before the 3 year warranty expires in May.  We received confirmation that it will be fixed for free and sent back to us.

 The best of all was the Garden Claw.  Yes, I admit to buying one of those silly garden tools advertised on TV when I had a weak moment a few years back in Walmart.  To be fair, it does work on small plots of land, but you are not exactly going to till your field with it. 

Anyway, also a couple of years ago, one of the tines completely bent and rendered it useless.  So on a decent streak this week, I called up the Garden Claw people, expecting to hear some loophole as to why they wouldn’t honor their lifetime guarantee (Connecticut soil is has too many rocks, operator over 3 feet tall, whatever).  To my amazement, the woman simply took my information and told me she would ship me a new Garden Claw.  No questions asked.  Maybe it will even get here in time for summer!  I will keep you posted.

 I can say that I have had relatively good luck returning things over the years.  Say what you will about the U.S., but there is one thing in which we are superior (I think) to any other country I have visited or lived in.  We actually value customer service.  You are probably snorting with laughter when you think about this statement and the last time you tried to call your cable company. 

But, if you have lived overseas, you know exactly what I am talking about.  My husband, who is French, loves it.  No arguing, no debating, just take things back and generally very little hassle.  In France, attempting to have a dirty knife replaced in a restaurant can lead to all sorts of colorful insults and handwaving.  Entertaining yes, but fun, not so much.

 So the motto is: if you go to France, wipe your knife on your shirt and eat up.

Copyright 2008-2009 Kristin Delfau, author of Turbo-Mom's Guide to Saving Money Without Wasting Time a womens' personal finance book, and Aji Publishing.

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Going Credit-Free

Monday, March 10th, 2008

This weekend, my husband and I agreed to give up using our credit cards.  It’s a bit of a scary, since by doing this we end up with one month of overlapping expenses, but I think it will be worth it. 

 It’s a result of being a Dave Ramsey show listener and in the process of researching for this book.  I have come to the realization that even though we pay off our credit card each month, it is stressful worrying where to pull the money from to cover the bill. 

 There are studies out there stating that if you regularly shop with a credit card, you generally spend anywhere from 12-20% more than the person who pays with cash.  Why? Because when you have to dig into your wallet and pull out the actual dollars, the spending is more “real”.  I find it is true for me–even though I am a careful shopper as a general rule, I am even more so when I am spending cold, hard cash! 

 This is not to say we are canceling our credit cards tomorrow.  Instead, we will go back to how we used to live–using the card only for purchases such as airline tickets and hotel rooms, but only after the money is in the bank to pay for these things. 

 We are also keeping our Lowe’s/Home Depot credit cards for emergencies (remodeling a bathroom does not count as an emergency!).  Like a couple of weeks ago when our garage door finally gave up.  They are there if we need them, but not as a rule to use them.  Only in an emergency.

 A big weight has lifted off my shoulders…I like paying with cash. 

Many will ask what to do about Internet purchases if you are a debit-card sort of family.  Protection is paramount, so if you are a debit-only household, try using either PayPal or a “rechargeable” debit card.  PayPal is widely accepted these days and is safer than sending your debit card info over the Net. 

I am wondering how other moms are handling this, particularly as the price of everything seems to be skyrocketing these days. 

So here’s the question: how do handle the credit card situation?

Copyright 2008-2009 Kristin Delfau, author of Turbo-Mom's Guide to Saving Money Without Wasting Time a womens' personal finance book, and Aji Publishing.

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