Turbo-Mom’s Guide to Personal Finance for Moms and Women

Friday, March 20th, 2009

Welcome to the Turbo-Mom Personal Finance blog. If you are joining us from 5MinutesForMom’s Ultimate Blog Party, it’s great to have you here! If you were just strolling by, welcome and join the party.

Let me take a minute to introduce to you to the Turbo-Mom’s blog. The Turbo-Mom’s Personal Finance blog is a resource guide for women that provides sound financial advice in an easy to read format. It’s aim is to help you save money without wasting your time.

Written by Kristin Delfau, a professional financial advisor and an enrolled agent, it helps moms to easily get a handle on personal finance questions and issues to improve their personal and financial lives.

Kristin is also the author of the new personal finance book, Turbo-Mom’s Guide to Saving Money Without Wasting Time. Written specifically for busy moms and women to help them save time by cutting through all the information and getting straight to the real savings. Look for it at your favorite online bookstore, or from Aji Publishing in beautiful Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Interested in a free copy of this great and very timely book? You may just be the lucky winner! We are giving a way of free copy of Turbo-Mom’s Guide to Saving Money Without Wasting Time at the 5MinutesForMom’s Ultimate Blog Party. So look for it on the prize page and put it on your list.

Now stay awhile, browse through the Turbo-Mom posts, and enjoy! There’s tons of useful information that is sure to save you some money and time…as we could all use a little extra!

Thanks for visiting the Turbo-Mom’s Personal Finance blog.

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.

Tags: Add new tag, blogs for moms, money saving tips for moms, personal finance
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Springtime, Yard Stuff, & A Special Treat

Monday, March 16th, 2009

March in CT is a time that fills me with happiness–spring is near–but dread as well…because it means yard work!

Saving money and time with gardening can be really challenging, particularly if you live in an area of the country where you sort of feel like the weeds are in charge no matter what you do!  And landscaping  services might be out of your price  range. 

So here’s what I’ve found that can help:

Get yourself some good tools. Aside from rakes and the usually gardening paraphernalia, here are some gadgets that actually have worked for me:

• Leaf picker-uppers a.k.a. leaf scoops.  I saw these on HSN last year flipping through one day for $20…and then happily found them in Walmart for $4!  They help you pick up larger bunches of leaves & debris at once, thus saving your back.  It looks like Ace Hardware sells them as well, for $7: http://www.acehardware.com/sm-gardex-leaf-scoop-gardex-leaf-scoop-price-6-99-the–pi-1278101.html
• Weed pullers:I don’t know about you, but I find digging out dandelions to be a pain in the butt, not to mention knees and back.  Looking for a solution, I skeptically bought a Fiskars weed puller, since I saw this on some home show as being the best that they tried out.   It actually worked–and I also got to enjoy ejecting the weeds on to a tarp for easy pick up.  Here it is: http://www.fiskars.com/EX/Garden/Other+Garden+Tools/Other/Product+Detail139910.html
• Pop-up gardening buckets a.k.a “kangaroo containers”:  Since weeding in CT is usually a big chore on a regular basis, you can easily go through 2 or 3 garbage buckets in one weeding session!  I found that the pop-up bucket makes for easier storage.  I use it with plastic garbage bags, empty the bags at the local mulching center, and then reuse them until the holes get too big.  Fiskars makes these pop-up buckets but many brands can be found on www.amazon.com if you type in “pop up gardening buckets”.

Some other tips on saving money & time w/ gardening:

• Start clean ups early in the season.  The earlier you get on top of these problems, the more manageable they are as the months go on.  We had an instance last year where we had let a certain area get out of control and had to call in the professionals to clean it up.  After that, we were able to maintain it and not need landscaping services for the rest of the year.
• It might be better to plant in the fall rather than the spring.  Depending on where you live, you may save yourself money and aggravation if you wait until the fall to plant trees, shrubs and bulbs.  Usually by September or October, perennials and bulbs go on sale so you are getting a discount.  Then, many plants actually have a better chance of survival because they have the whole winter to establish their root systems.  If you plant in the spring and have a hot, dry summer, you may lose more plants than had you waited until the fall to buy them. 
• Find out if your town has a local mulching/recycling center or lawn debris pick-up.  Danbury has both; for those of you who are local and didn’t know about these services, Ferris Mulch Products is the drop-off center and it is free.  Curbside pickup is listed on the City of Danbury website, but if you want them to pick-up your stuff curbside in a reasonable amount of time, call City Hall and they’ll send a truck your way.

Happy gardening!

And since you were so kind to read to the bottom of this post…here’s a great deal that came to me by way of Christina O.  As part of a legitimate software review program, you can get yourself some free software, including products such as HGTV Home & Landscape, which sells for $99 normally. They currently have about 25 left of each to review. There are also other types of software to review including Scrapbook Factory Pro and Hallmark Card Studio.  The catch is that you have to have an Amazon.com profile and must review the software.  If you are interested in this invitation only freebie, click on this link: http://www.critiquemanager.com/review278.html and enjoy!

You can read more about the review program here: http://www.critiquemanager.com/review278.html 

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.

Tags: free stuff, municipal services, software, yardwork
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Good Makeup in a Lousy Economy

Monday, March 9th, 2009

Awhile ago I blogged about Paula Begoun and her incredibly useful site, www.beautypedia.com.  If you want honest reviews of makeup and hair care products, this is the place to go.  There is much free content and if you choose to go for the paid content, $24.95/year is a reasonable cost for all of the thousands of reviews that can help you make informed choices about your beauty products!

Here’s a great free 2008 report Paula published called “Recession Proof Beauty” or how to get great products without paying department store prices: http://www.cosmeticscop.com/bulletin/110608-full.htm

Here are two items that have definitely worked for me:

N.Y.C. Curling Mascara: I am one of those people for whom mascara has always been an issue…it usually ends up in rings under my eyes no matter what I buy, how little moisturizer or how much powder I use.   However, this $2.99 mascara is the first time I’ve had mascara actually last all day!

Wet n Wild Silk Finish Highlight & Contour Blush: This 3-part blush is excellent, particularly if you are like me and have light skin and blush application issues.  I have a hard time finding colors that don’t make me look like Happy the Clown.  This was a winner–and for $4.50 a great deal!

N.Y.C. Smooth Skin Pressed Face Powder: It doesn’t sit heavy on the face and looks great. For $3.99, again, another awesome bargain!

3 great products that can help us look great on a shoestring budget…no matter what the economy!  Enjoy!

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.

Tags: great products, make-up, makeup
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Wonder Hangers – Wonderful or Not?

Monday, March 2nd, 2009

If you haven’t seen the infomercial, Wonder Hangers are made so that you can squeeze more into your closet without making a mess of your clothes. Or so they say.

I am one of those healthy skeptics when it comes to “as seen on TV” items, mainly because I have been burned by a few of them. But as discussed in an earlier post, I have found in the world of saving money & time, some of these items can actually be useful! Usually the useful varieties don’t involve anything electric or requiring replacement parts, I’ve found.

Anyway, I had to go to Bed Bath & Beyond (a great repository for all of these “As Seen on TV” things!) so I picked up a set of 8 Wonder Hangers with my 20% coupon. Total cost: $7.50 + sales tax.

Okay, these things are great. My husband’s button down shirts now fit on his side of the closet and don’t get wrinkled after ironing because they aren’t smooshed in there!

And I have recovered some space on my side as well–I used the Wonder Hangers for blouses, skirts and short-sleeved shirts.

So if you have a packed closet, I can attest: get yourself some Wonder Hangers. They are worth it.

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.

Tags: as seen on Tv, organization
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Cleaning Lady Day

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Today is a great day in the Delfau household–it’s this month’s cleaning lady day!  Maybe it’s the small things in life, but we look forward to this day each month as if it was a big event.

You might be thinking, if she’s writing these posts about saving money, how can she endorse having a cleaning lady?  What an expense! 

It is not cheap to have cleaning services for your home, particularly if you choose to use a company that is licensed and insured, as we do.   Here are the whys and hows to building cleaning services into your budget, even if it is tight:

Whys

• It makes you clean up. There is the old question about “why should you have to clean up for the cleaning people?” We all get messy.  In our house, we are not super messy, but like any busy family, things do pile up from time to time.  Having someone coming in to clean makes us straighten up and put things away on a regular basis, before it gets completely out of control.
• Chores that get put aside get done.  I actually like cleaning my house, believe it or not.  And I do the upkeep between visits.  However, after 3 knee surgeries, regularly scrubbing bathroom floors requires a fair amount of Advil, so it gets skipped in favor of the Swiffer mop, which really doesn’t do the same job.
• It is a huge time saver. We have a team of 2 ladies that comes once a month; it takes them about 2 1/2 hours to get through our house, including washing the floors.  If it were me alone doing this, it would be 5 straight working hours per month in addition to my regular household upkeep–that means 5 working hours with no phone interruptions, no children interruptions, and no work interruptions.  For my busy life, that’s impossible.  And I can take care of more business clients if I am not tied up cleaning my house.

So how did we build it into our budget?

• Monthly, rather than biweekly services.  Since I do the “maintaining” during the month (vacuuming, dusting, countertops, etc.), we can have services once per month.  Twice a month is too much of a strain on our budget, but the once a month fits well. 
• Cutting other services/expenses. We decided we would rather skip a dinner and lunch in a restaurant once per month and spend the money on cleaning services instead.  We also cut yardwork help and do our fall and spring cleanup ourselves–I would rather rake and gather leaves on a spring or fall day than not have my house cleaned.

If you are considering hiring someone to clean your home (or if you are not thrilled with the folks you have at the present), try using www.servicemagic.com to find a cleaning service.  Since they screen people for licensing and insurance, you’ll have a head start.  Also, you can read comments from others about the company before you call.

How do you feel about cleaning services?

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.

Tags: budgeting, house cleaning, top 10
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Medications

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

Being February and all, many of us are either just getting another cold, battling through one, or hopefully getting over one.  Or the flu.  Or bronchitis.  I have talked to friends this winter in different areas of the country, and it seems like we are all sick or just getting over something!  Personally, I seem to keep catching new colds every couple of weeks.  Kleenex, doctors’ offices and Vicks are making a lot of money off of our family this year.

Which brings me to the topic of free antibiotics.  Many grocery stores and pharmacies (such as Stop n Shop, Publix, Meijer’s, etc.) are offering free antibiotics through the winter cold season.  With a prescription, of course.  But is this such a good idea?

My doctor seems to think not, because the overuse/misuse of antibiotics leads to stronger strains of bacteria that we ultimately have to develop new meds for, etc.  Also, he says it creates a situation where people demand antibiotics when they don’t require them (i.e. they have a virus) and put him in a difficult position. Other people don’t like the idea of companies using short-term meds to lure people into their stores…and want them to comp blood-pressure or cholesterol pills instead.

My feeling is that if it turns out that you truly need an antibiotic, this is not a bad thing, particularly if you are one of the many who have lost their health coverage along with your job.  Or if you don’t have any health benefits to begin with–it’s a way to get your family taken care of, at least in the short-term. And as for giving away other meds for free, well, companies can only do these things short-term and still turn a profit.  And supermarkets operate with razor-thin margins as it is…so this antibiotic offering is better than nothing.

However, the longer term prescription problem remains.  If you don’t have prescription coverage and take on-going medicines (or if you have an elderly family member in the same situation), be sure to check the lists online for Walmart, Target and any other store in your area offering generic prescription discounts.  There is much cross-over between the stores, but not 100%.  So if your med isn’t on one list, it might be on another.

Finally, you can also try www.pparx.org.  It is an alliance between prescription drug manufacturers to see if you are eligible for partial or full coverage of your medications.  If you know of someone who is elderly, on a fixed budget and many medications, do help them out and review it for them as well, because they might not be as computer savvy.  Saving others money helps us feel good as well.

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.

Tags: health insurance, prescriptions
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Turbo-Mom TV and Blog Carnivals

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

Check out Turbo-Mom’s recent television appearance, where tips for saving money are shared.

Turbo-Mom’s blog also appeared on the following blog carnivals, which if you don’t know, are posts of similar content that you might find interesting.

They are:

• Festival of Frugality #164
• Bankruptcy and Debt Carnival #23
• Carnival of Twenty Something Finances

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.

Tags: Turbo-Mom TV
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Finding a GREAT tax preparer

Monday, February 9th, 2009

So how do you find a GREAT tax preparer?  It can be tricky…do you go with a chain location? Or how about an independent? Or someone doing taxes “on the side” and “on the cheap”?  And how do you figure out if they are any good or not?  Here’s a list of do’s and don’ts when it comes to finding your very own tax preparer:

DON’T go to a preparer who gets paid by receiving a percentage of your refund.  This is not only unethical, but in many places it is illegal.  And what happens if you owe money?  Do they pay YOU for the privilege of doing your return?  I don’t think so. 

DO ask in advance approximately how much they think it will cost to prepare.  Some preparers charge by the hour, some by the form, and some on a flat fee basis.  All are acceptable ways of paying your preparer.  Personally, I prefer to charge on a flat fee basis, because then there are no surprises for my clients when their returns are ready.  If your preparer charges hourly, be sure to request to be contacted if your return takes longer than expected.  This way, you won’t be expecting it to cost $350 and then it ends up being $550 due to a complication.

In addition, if your preparer charges hourly, beware: if you like to chat, it may be considered time “on the clock” and run up your bill.  So if you meet with or call your preparer, be sure to stay “on point” during your conversation to keep your costs down.

DON’T agree to a Refund Anticipation Loan (a.k.a. RAL).  Otherwise respectable preparers and chain tax prep shops offer this set-up that is a losing deal for the taxpayer.  It is a short-term, super high interest loan.  Instead, have your return E-filed and the refund direct deposited in your bank account.  A federal refund handled this way can show up in your bank account in as little as 7 days, though 10 – 14 days is more likely.  The State of CT can be even faster–prior years’ experience has shown me that CT can turn it around in one week or less–but that’s not always the case so don’t hold me to it.

DO choose a preparer who asks you a lot of questions.  One that also provides you a “tax organizer” is even better.  These are preparers who take the time to find out about you and see which well-known and little-known deductions may apply and can save you money.  It will also save everyone time by getting your information organized in and in good order.  You don’t want a preparer who just takes your envelope full of papers and just inputs them.

DO be aware that different tax preparers are held to different standards.  Preparers that have EA (Enrolled Agent) or CPA (Certified Public Accountant) after their names are held to higher professional standards (such as IRS’s Circular 230), including fines, penalties, etc. and also require annual Continuing Education to stay up-to-date on the latest tax law changes.  That doesn’t mean “undesignated” tax professionals can’t be as good or better, but be aware of the differences.

DO ask your preparer what kind of Continuing Education courses they take. You definitely want someone who stays in tune with all of the various federal, state, and tax law changes that could apply to you, no matter what their designations. 

DO use a professional association to find a preparer if you are shopping for one.  The National Association of Tax Professionals (www.natptax.com) and the National Association of Enrolled Agents (www.naea.org) are great places to start. 

Next week, I’ll address some deductions that you’ll want to know about for this year’s tax return…to save you some money and time!

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.

Tags: NAEA, NATP, RALs, tax preparers, taxes
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Credit cards

Monday, January 26th, 2009

First of all, thanks to everyone who came to my author talk at the Danbury Library yesterday.  We had a great time!  Please check out my other upcoming radio/library appearances–we continuously update them to keep you informed!

 One of the topics we talked about yesterday was credit cards.  For many folks, credit cards were problematic before all of the economic upheaval in the U.S.  Now they are downright overwhelming.  Which, among other things, means that the vultures come out.  I am talking about those companies that promise to get rid of your credit card debt and/or help you declare bankruptcy, charge you an arm and a leg to do it, and then you are left with the wreckage of their help.  Instead, here are 3 ways to help get yourself back on track:

 There are several players in the get out of debt arena that are honest, trustworthy, and can actually help you get the job done. However, no method will be successful without commitment on your part to take charge of your debt, get rid of it, and never let it happen again.

Provider: You (as in DIY Credit Card Management)

Website: None

What it is: You take control of your debt by calling each of your creditors and negotiating a lower interest rate or a better payment plan. Then you stick to the plan and knock out your debts one by one. If you are nervous about negotiating, go back to the “Ask, Ask, Ask” chapter.

Pros: No additional cost other than your current interest rates. Negotiating on your own saves you money as well as keeps your credit report cleaner since you do not use a service to manage your debt. It’s also very empowering!

Cons: This method requires a large amount of self-discipline, motivation and organization. Take notes on everything that you do, who you talk to and before paying anything to anyone, get the deal you made in writing.

Provider: Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University

Website: www.daveramsey.com

What it is: A guide to getting out of debt using Method 2 above. This is for folks who want to manage their own debt but don’t know where to start. You can purchase Ramsey’s book, The Total Money Makeover for about $20 (or borrow it from your local library) or his entire Financial Peace University Kitfor about $150. If you buy the kit, you are also entitled to attend any of the Financial Peace classes held around the country for free as well as have lifetime access to his financial counselor hotline.

Pros: A relatively inexpensive way to organize your finances and get yourself out of debt. There’s no going through a debt consolidation process and no further trashing of your credit. Free lifetime phone support comes with the plan. It’s straightforward, easy to follow, and generates results. Consider it a financial lifestyle change instead of a financial diet.

Cons: Quality of Financial Peace classes can vary greatly. You must be able to focus and practice much self-control to make this method work.

Provider: Consumer Credit Counseling Services

Website: www.cccsinc.org

What it is: One of the few legitimate companies dedicated to helping you get out of unsecured debt. They are a non-profit organization that works to lower the interest rates on your debts (not the debts themselves) and consolidate your payments. They provide free credit counseling and budgeting; you only pay if you decide to use their Debt Management Plan. You write one check to them and they send it to your creditors. You can also discuss bankruptcy options with them.

Pros: Lower interest rates on your outstanding debts mean that you can get yourself debt-free sooner. Not as damaging to your credit as companies who perform debt negotiation, or reduction of the actual amount owed. They also work with you to create a budget and keep you out of debt in the future. The low monthly cost to be in their program is dictated by individual state law: the highest monthly fee they can charge is $50/month, but many states are in the $15-$25/month range.

Cons: If you do not control your spending, this is like a financial diet as opposed to a lifestyle change. Also, if your interest rates are already low but you have a high amount of debt, their services will not be very helpful to you.

If you are in a bad credit card situation, promise yourself today that you will use one of these tools to get you back on track.  My heart goes out to you–you can do it!!

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.

Tags: credit cards, Dave Ramsey, interest rates
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Save Money with Kristin Delfau – Turbo-Mom Radio Appearance

Sunday, January 25th, 2009

Kristin Delfau, author of Turbo-Mom’s Guide to Saving Money without Wasting Time, appeared recently on WLAD. Listen to her radio interview:

Kristin Delfau Turbo-Mom Radio Appearance on WLAD

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.

Tags: saving money, Turbo-Mom, WLAD Radio Appearance
Posted in Radio Appearance, Turbo-Mom's Guide to Saving Money Without Wasting Time, saving money | 1 Comment »