PerkStreet Financial℠, a relatively new online checking account is now offering 2% cash back when using the PerkStreet Financial Visa® Debit Card for signature (non-pin) purchases if you have an account balance of $5,000 or more, or 1% back if your balance is less than $5,000.

Plus, you can earn 5% cash back for the rest of June and July when you:

• purchase ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s, Culver’s, Dairy Queen and Cold Stone Creamery
• make home improvement purchases at Lowe’s, Home Depot and Menard’s
• buy gas by paying at the pump

5% cash back for gas and at home improvement stores is a great deal, PerkStreet also says there will be more opportunities to earn 5% back throughout the year.

Cash Back Debit Card

A cash back debit card tied to an online checking account is a great alternative for those who choose not to use credit cards for all of their purchases or don’t use credit cards at all and want to stick with cash based spending, still allowing you to get rewards back for your purchases which are on par with that of many rewards or cash back credit cards.

About PerkStreet Financial

PerkStreet Financial is an online financial services company offering online checking, offering “perks” in the form of cash back, music, or coffee when you make purchases with your cash back Visa® Debit Card.

A PerkStreet checking account lets you:

• Buy things with your PerkStreet Financial Visa Debit Card, cash or checks
• Withdraw money without a charge at 37,000 ATMs nationwide
• Find an ATM from your computer or mobile phone
• Withdraw money without charge at any merchant that allows you to get cash back when making a purchase
• Transfer money online between your other bank accounts and your PerkStreet checking account
• Pay bills online
• Check your balance online or over the phone and receive balance alerts via email or mobile phone
• Get help over the phone any time of the day – we answer most calls within 30 seconds

Your money is FDIC insured up to the current limits (currently $250,000).

PerkStreet has no account minimums, and no monthly fees, save a $4.50 inactivity fee for months when you do not use your account at all- you can avoid this by making a transaction with your debit card, writing a check that clears the account, using Online Bill Pay, initiating a withdrawal or making a deposit to the account.

Opening an Account at PerkStreet Financial

The account opening process is relatively simple and only takes a few minutes- you enter your information, fund your account with a minimum of $25.00 (you can use a bank transfer from an existing account). PerkStreet will send you an email confirming they have received your application, and say they will contact you within 2 business days to notify you of the status. I just signed up myself over the weekend, and the entire process took less than 10 minutes.

ATM Usage-

PerkStreet gives you access to the largest free ATM network in the country (STARsf®), located in the at CVS®, Walgreen‟s®, Target® and 7-Eleven® and more.  USage of ATM’s withing this network are totally free.

Also, according to the FAQ page, they do offer checks for usage with your account, and the 1st book of checks is free, for times when you may need to write a check instead of using a debit card.

Visit PerkStreet.com to sign up for your free online checking account and the PerkStreet Financial^SM Visa® Debit Card.

“The PerkStreet Financial Visa Debit Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc.”

Rent unlimited movies from Netflix for just $8.99 per month.

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photo credit: roblisameehan
It seems like every several months, my family’s grocery bill starts creeping a little higher , based on what we normally spend per week. It usually not a huge jump, but a gradual increase over a period of time.

When this happens, it is kind of hard to figure out the exact cause- it is not usually because of anything in particular- for example, our eating habits may have changed slightly (especially with young kids) , or we buy certain seasonal fruits or vegetable at certain times of the year- but these are usually not the causes.

I usually realize it is just simply a gradual loss of focus on getting the most for our money at the store.  We get away from the basics that allow you to stretch your food dollar when grocery shopping. After we focus on these, our grocery bill usually drops back down to what we think is a more reasonable level.

Here are 5 of the “basics” for stretching your grocery dollars that I find most useful:

Plan Your Meals- Meal planning is a great way to create a grocery list, and not end up with a bunch of items from the grocery store that you don’t really need at the time. It also allows you to make use of leftovers, either as a lunch, or as another dinner later in the week. Planning you meals, especially dinners, can eliminate both food waste almost completely, and keep your spending at the grocery store in check.
Limit Trips to the Grocery Store- Keeping yourself out of the grocery store except and your trips to a minimum keeps you from making spur of the moment purchases when you are walking around the store to pick up that “one item” you forgot. If you have a good grocery list, a once a week trip, followed by maybe one more quick trip for things like milk, should be plenty.
Check Unit Costs- When you usually buy the same things week in and week out, it can be easy to stop looking at unit prices and making comparisons based on unit prices. But prices change, and new products and product sizes are always coming out on the market, so it can pay to check unit prices fairly regularly.
Avoid Convenience Foods and Portions- Its fairly common to avoid convenience foodss, per se- they get a bad rap, and usually for a good reason. But a lot of times, a perfectly OK grocery item can be “packaged” for convenience- even fruits, meat cheeses, etc.- and they frequently cost a whole lot more than larger or even bulk size packages.
Use Coupons Wisely- Coupons can be great, but there are 2 caveats when it comes to using them. One, is that you have to use them regularly, and it is easy to stop using them from time to time-even though you can cut them out in just a few minutes, it can be easy to forget, or you just stop doing it for whatever reason. If you want to save regularly, you have to make it a habit. Second, is that it is easy to buy things you normally wouldn’t (especially new products) because you have a coupon. Avoiding this can help avoid necessary spending.

What are your best tips for saving at the grocery store?

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I am not a Scrooge or anything, but it has been quite a while since I have ventured out on Black Friday to chase deals in the early morning hours.  There is usually only a thing or two I am even remotely interested in, and it is not really worth it to me to try to get out there and get one before everyone else does and they are gone. I also do a lot more shopping on the internet, and usually find fairly comparative deals there anyway.

So with a touch of sarcasm, here are the top 10 reasons not to shop on Black Friday.

“Top Ten Reasons Not to Shop on Black Friday”

1.) You will save  gas and the environment- you won’t burn up gas driving all over town if you don’t actually go shopping.

2.) You can sleep in- Some stores open at 4am, some at 5am, Toys R Us is even opening up at midnight! It’s probably already too late to be 1st in line there anyway, so you might as well sleep in.

3.) You won’t experience buyers remorse- If you don’t take advantage of the deals on Black Friday, you won’t have to worry about regretting your purchases next week.

4.) Won’t get sucked in by the limited quantities available- Come on, do you really believe that the $300 TV at Best Buy is in such demand they could only ship 3 to each store?

5.) Won’t have to wrestle over the last zhu zhu pet in the store- No one wants to get involved in a physical confrontation, but if that is what it takes to make your kids happy…..

6.) You won’t get suckered in to buying an extended warranty that costs as much or more than the item you are buying costs- Sure the extended warranty for the $300 netbook costs $249, but what if something happened to it?

7.) You won’t finish your Christmas shopping too early- Part of enjoying the Christmas season is the experience, and if you finish up the day after Thanksgiving, you won’t get to see all of the last minute shoppers scrambling on December 23rd or 24th trying to find something.

8.) You will avoid buying something you don’t really need- But that 32″ LCD  is so cheap! How can I not buy it? Sure, I don’t have anywhere to actually put it, but still-it’s a great deal!

9.) You won’t have to look through 400 ad flyers in your Thanksgiving Day paper to find the very best deal- Seriously-the plastic bag my paper come in was ripped open this morning because the paper was so heavy- there are a lot of ads in there!

10.) Cyber Monday- Why waste your time in the “real world” on Friday when you can do all of your shopping 3 days later in the “virtual world” and get great deals off of the internet! Interaction with real people is way overrated.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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UPDATE 3/20/2010- BJ’s is again offering a free 60 day pass- it must be activated by 7/5/2010 (see bottom of post for link)

Note: If you are reading this after this offer expires- Follow this link if you want to try out BJ’s with a one day pass.

If you live near a BJ’s Wholesale club and are not a member and want to try it out, BJ’s is currently giving away a free 60 day pass (see link below) to those who want to try it out.

A PR rep for BJ’s was kind enough to send me the link, and invited me to share it with my readers, so try it out if you have a BJ’s near you.

I am a big fan of warehouse/wholesale shopping clubs, not just for buying food and household items in bulk, but also the great prices on things like electronics, tires for your automobile, and household furnishings.

Unfortunately for me, my warehouse club shopping is limited to Sam’s Club- although I like Sam’s a lot and don’t really have any complaints, I would not mind trying out others such as BJ’s or Costco. The nearest BJ’s is probably a day’s drive away.

Info from the BJ’s website:

• Save more than 30%** off supermarket prices on favorite brands
• Multiply your savings with manufacturers’ coupons — BJ’s accepts them all
• Find more of the family-friendly sizes you use every day
• More payment options — BJ’s offers convenient ways to pay: cash, checks, major credit cards, EBT and debit cards

** Link Updated 3/20/2010- must be activated by 7/5/2010 **

Free 60 Day Pass to BJ’s Wholesale Club

Note: If you are reading this after the 60 day pass offer has expired- Follow this link if you want to try out BJ’s with a one day pass.

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Now is a Good Time to Flex Your Negotiating Muscles

One good thing about the down economy, is that it should be a whole lot easier to negotiate a better price on certain goods and services. People want to sell you stuff right now. In the United States, negotiating is not really part of many financial transactions-or at least it may seem that way. The person at the drive-through window at McDonald’s is not going to cut you a deal on an Extra Value Meal; but there are lots of items and services that are “open to negotiation”, when it comes to the price. The key is to realize that a lot more things that can be negotiated than you probably think.

Some areas you should be able to negotiate include:

• Services- like cable, phone, satellite, and internet, gym memberships, cell phones-Always ask for a better price, or more services for the price you are paying. Some people do this on a regular basis, like yearly, and are able to benefit greatly from it.
• New or used cars- With both new and used cars, now is a  really good time to negotiate a great deal.
• Loans-If your credit is good enough to qualify for a loan, interest rates are really low right now-go for the lowest rate you can get (with a reputable lender, of course).
• Credit Cards-It never hurts to ask for a reduction in interest rates, and right now credit card companies (and the associated banks) should be more willing to negotiate than lose a customer.
• Salary- Even in this tight economy, if your job is fairly secure and you do it well, there is no reason you cannot negotiate a higher salary for yourself come raise time.
• Big ticket items-Large items, like appliances, TV’s, etc.,- the salesman often has some leeway on the final selling price-don’t be afraid to ask.
• Medical Bills-medical services are one area that are almost always open to negotiation, that many people don’t know about. My article on negotiating medical bills is a good place to start for ideas.

Ways to become a better negotiator

Research before you buy- Being educated on price and the item specifics can let you negotiate for similar type items-such as 2 different car models, or TV’s by different manufacturer’s. Know what the going price is, what the items have sold for “on sale”, etc. Knowledge is a key in maintaining the upper hand.

Ask for the best price- When you start the negotiation process, ask the seller what their best price is. If you make an offer 1st, it could be just what the seller is looking for, and you may not be able to negotiate any lower after that point.

Pay cash- Cash is still king, and bringing cash to a deal can almost always get you a better price than if you pay by check or finance- like on a used car, for example.

Be patient and prepared to walk away- You must be patient, you may not always the best offer right away. If you can’t get the deal you want, walk away and try somewhere else-if the deal ends up being the best one you can find, you can always come back.

Do you like to try to negotiate deals on things? Do you think now is a good time to negotiate?

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Are you a Spender or a Saver?

Are you a reformed spender? Or are you somewhere in the middle?

I used to be a spender. I have always worked hard, but I always had something  I wanted to buy before I even had the money saved up. This was probably the case from my teens until my late 20’s to early 30’s. Things kind of settled down as I got a little bit older, but I never really though consciously about my money and spending habits until the last year or so.

Why was I a spender?

I think personally, I got emotional satisfaction, at least short-term, from buying things. As I got older, relationships with my wife and kids (as well as the lack of free time, I believe!) led me to spend less, and I realized I wasn’t missing anything.

So how can you change from a spender to a saver, if you want to change your spending habits?

Track all of you spending

This means ALL of it. From $0.50 for a coke, to your most expensive monthly payments (probably a mortgage or rent, for example). Write everything down, and have your spouse do the same if you are married. Figuring out where your money is going can help you identify what you spend money on, and can help you make adjustments to your spending habits-and hopefully make changes.

Get support from family or friends

Let people know what you are doing. Again, if you are married, make sure your spouse is involved. It is much easier to change your spending habits if those around you know what you are doing. You don’t have to be ashamed that you are trying to spend less money, so don’t be afraid to tell people you are trying to spend less and save money.

Change your daily routine

Regular spending can often be tied to your daily routine. A stop off at the coffee shop on the way to work in the morning, or a stop at the mall or bookstore on the way home can often lead to regular spending.

Find alternatives for your time that don’t cost money

As I mentioned above, after I got married and had children, I had less time to actually spend money, and even to think about spending money. You don’t have to start a family, of course, to find things to fill up your free time though. There are tons of things you can do to keep yourself busy- find a new hobby (the cheaper the better!), spend more time with friends, even volunteer, or look for other activities that can fill your free time.

Stop hanging around with friends who spend

You don’t have to ditch your friends, but if you have people you go to lunch with every day, or a shopping buddy, don’t do the same activities (the ones that involve spending money) with them. Offer cheaper activities as an alternative when spending time together.

photo credit: Foxtongue

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Early last fall, I had my eye on a pretty nifty laptop computer. It was right after Hurricane Gustav, and I realized that evacuating for several days without internet access was not a good situation, for blogging, but especially for staying in touch with work and family members. I started saving up money shortly thereafter, and having never owned a laptop before, I ran across the Acer Aspire One Netbook and kind of became obsessed with it. I though the small size and form factor were really cool, and really had my sights set on it.

One problem was, even though I wanted it right away, I hadn’t saved up enough money for it. I had a couple of hundred dollars put aside, but it was running about $400 at the time. While that is not a lot of money for a laptop, I really didn’t want to buy one until I had saved up money for it.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) for me at the time, it was only available in very limited quantities at online retailers such as Amazon or Newegg. Apparently, they were getting very small shipments from the manufacturer, so it was going in and out of stock. I actually had one in the online shopping cart one night, but did not pull the trigger.

I eventually decided to wait, and saved up about $400 for my laptop purchase. But by the time I did, a few months later, I decided to go with a regular sized laptop, with a little more functionality for all around use-The Aspire One did not have a DVD burner, for example, but the one I bought did.

Why didn’t I give in and get the “cool” laptop I wanted?

I guess I finally realized, that although it was pretty slick, I really didn’t need it for the small size (although I do see how it could come in handy when traveling, etc.) I decided I should wait as well, and save up for one like I originally planned.

How you can avoid giving into temptation with the latest tech gadgets

Try to keep your emotions out of it- While I got to the point where I almost bought the aspire one netbook one night, I realized that I was becoming somewhat enamored with it because it seemed really cool (mostly due to the size, I guess), not because of what it could do for me. For me, a regular laptop probably made more sense. I wasn’t really thinking practically.

Create a cooling off period- Wait a few days, a week, or even a month. If you still want the item later, buy it, but give yourself some time to “cool off”  your enthusiasm.

Look closely at alternatives- In my case, a regular laptop with a DVD would be more practical for using it for work, as well as for all-around use.

Stick with your plan- If you are saving up for something, to pay cash for it, for example, stick to your guns and wait. A whole lot of new electronics go down in price, often after just a few months-the aspire one netbook, for example, has dropped $30 in less than 6 months.

This was kind of a strange experience for me, because I am normally not that in to the latest tech gadgets or the like. On the other hand, my cell phone contract is up for renewal, and I really like the look of some of those new phones with the touch screens, and email and web capabilities-Uh-oh!

Do you ever find yourself “wanting” the latest technology because of how it looks or its features or capabilities? How do you deal with these situations?

photo credit: Desiii

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When you are a kid, Christmas is probably the best day of the year, maybe even better than your birthday. The anticipation, the holiday traditions, and even time off from school make it a very enjoyable time of the year.

Fast forward 20 to 30 years, and, especially if you have children and other friends and relatives to buy presents for, it can end up being a lot less enjoyable. Even shopping for loved ones can be more of a chore than enjoyable, especially fighting the crowds at the mall or a retail store, or trying to figure out what to give that special someone who seems to have everything.

Even worse, all of the spending around the Christmas season can deplete your savings account and even cause you to go into debt if you are not paying attention. Certainly, when you don’t have a game plan for your holiday shopping, it is a lot easier to spend more than you need to or even should, depending on your budget.

Start planning carefully now

Do you know all of the people you need to buy presents for? What about holiday parties? Do you need to bring a gift for a person or gift exchange, or a bottle of wine to your neighbor’s party? This is one I am always forgetting, and it ends up costing me because I have to run to the store at the last minute and try to pick a bottle of wine or something that doesn’t look too cheap-and I usually spend more than I would really like.

Make a list

Brainstorm and think of everyone you are planning to spend money on this year, and every occasion that you will buy something to bring. OF COURSE, you won’t forget your kids, or your wife or girlfriend, but what about your administrative assistant at work? Does everyone chip in to buy something for the boss? Do you donate money to a charity every year at Christmas time? Write it all down so you don’t have any surprises as Christmas gets closer.

After you write the list, let it sit for a couple of days and re-examine it. Did you forget anyone? If so, put them on it. Leaving off just a few people or parties where you need to bring something can cost you money you don’t think you will be spending.

Check it twice- and eliminate what you can

Go through the list and think about who is on it. Did you forget anyone? Can you eliminate anyone? Will your second cousin Bill mind if you doesn’t exchange gifts this year? Give him a call and find out. He probably won’t because he didn’t really like the fruitcake you were sending him every Christmas, even though he said he did!

Set a budget or spending limit

Even if you don’t like the “B” word, you need a budget or an idea of how much you are going to spend on each person or occasion, and how much you are going to spend in total. If you’ve saved money in a Christmas fund all year long, you may already have an idea of your limit. If not, can you afford to spend as much as your list is adding up to? If not, you need to cut back on how much you will spend on each person, or eliminate some of the items on the list.

Be practical

Do you really need to buy a $40 bottle of wine to bring to your boss’s Christmas party when a $12 bottle will do just fine? Does your nephew have to have an Ipod or will another brand of MP3 player work just as well and cost a lot less?

Add a buffer

Whatever you come up with as a holiday spending budget, add at least 10%. So if you are at your budget limit, try to cut back to about 90% of that budget. Leave yourself a buffer to allow yourself a little wiggle room if the right gift comes along for that special person, or if you just can’t find something for the amount you planned for someone else.

Start comparison shopping now- and online too

Believe it or not , there are many good sales and great deals that can be found both before and after the shopping season really kicks off on Black Friday. I have been doing more and more online shopping over the last few years and I really like finding great deals on the Internet and getting them shipped to my house.

Jump on the good deals when you see them

When you see a gift idea for someone at a great price, go ahead and get it. The more gifts you buy now, especially at a good price, the less you will have to buy as Christmas grows near and the malls and retail stores become really crowded.

Be flexible

Don’t worry if you don’t spend as much as you planned on someone, or if you spent $20 extra on your younger child than your older one. Unless you got the younger child a whole lot more presents than the older too, they will never notice. If you have to spend a little more, and it doesn’t break your budget, do it without worrying- you goal is to make someone happy.

Relax!

The Christmas season is about giving freely of yourself, spending the holidays with those you love, and relaxing. Hopefully these tips help you enjoy the holiday shopping season a little more this year, with a little less stress and frustration when it comes to holiday shopping.

Image by myeralan

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The subject of tipping always seems to bring up lots of different view points on who should get tips, how much, and what people think of tipping in general.

Ask 5 or 10 random people, and you will likely get a range of answers from “I don’t tip more than 10% because I am against the tipping system” to a “big” tipper who might tip “25% min. on a restaurant meal” and tip everyone else under the sun a few buck here and there.

Waiters and waitresses work hard, and at least in my state they are paid below minimum wage as their base salary. Therefore to me, not tipping in a restaurant is not an option. My wife waited tables for several years, so I know that wait staff work hard, and getting stiffed on a tip does not send a message to the restaurant, it only hurts your wait person.

But with the proliferation of tips jars on just about any counter that has space to fit one in a retail establishment, it boggles my brain when I get to the checkout counter and have to think “Should I tip this person? How much?” Sometimes I will throw my change in there, sometimes a dollar, but frequently I do not. I started thinking about my tipping habits, and this is what I generally follow, although not always down to the penny.

Sit down restaurant- In a sit down restaurant, I generally tip right about 20% as my baseline. I may adjust it slightly downward, or slightly upward, if the service is either poor or above average, respectively. I try not to take problems that could be the kitchen’s fault into account though, like taking longer than I think it should or part of my order being overcooked, for example. But if the server does not come by and check my drink, etc. I may round down slightly, but it is always at least 15%.

Casual Dining- Basically the same rules apply here-If I sit down and am waited on- even if it is at a counter in a diner-type place or a bar, I tip according to the rules above.

Take Out-While some may disagree, I usually tip when picking up take out, usually $1 to $2. Part of this may be because I frequent the same places, but I also feel like they took a little extra time to package up my order, throw in condiments, and napkins, etc.

Delivery- I pretty much only order pizza for delivery, and I usually tip around $3, maybe give or take the change. But over the last year or two, I know many pizza delivery places have started adding a $1 (or maybe even more) delivery fee onto every pizza. I have not reduced the amount I tip because of this, however.

Fast Food/Retail- Coffee shops, sandwich places (like Subway, Starbucks, etc.)- I don’t feel obligated to tip at places like this, although I occasionally will put a little money in a tip jar if I feel like I’m getting really good service. I don’t tip at McDonald’s, so why should I tip at Starbucks or Subway?

Buffets- While your waitperson does not actually bring you your food, they still may frequently visit your table, clearing off plates, refilling your drink, etc. I usually tip about 15% here.

Haircuts and other services- I get your usual generic man’s haircut, usually at a place like Super cuts or the like, which is about $12 I think now. I usually tip about $3, bringing my total up to $15.

How much do you tip in restaurants? Do you tip in retail establishments, like a coffee shop? What about haircuts and other services? Do you have a tipping policy in general?

Photo by Marcin Wichary

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I have had basic cable television for as long as I have lived away from home. Most of the time, I haven’t had any movie channels, so for a period of 10+ years, my bill was probably about $25 to $35, and was around $35 up until about a year ago.

Around that time, I purchased a new TV (the old one really did have a very dark, horrible picture), and, well an LCD seemed like a logical choice, especially with the $100 discount I got from the cable company for upgrading to HD service. Well, guess what? I upgraded to digital cable with high definition programming.

And guess what else? My cable bill went up to about $75/mo.- doesn’t really surprise you, does it?

Recurring expenses such as these don’t really seem like a whole lot on the surface. I can’t count how many times I have said to myself “It’s only an extra $20, $30, or $50 a month”, and talk myself into something new.

But $20/month is $240 in a year, $30/month is $360, $50/month is $600 a year, and so on. It does add up, just like a $3.00 cup of coffee 200 times a year adds up to $600.

Some examples of Lifestyle Inflation that add recurring expenses:

• Getting a cell phone-or upgrading to a text, email, or data package with your phone service

• Digital cable, high definition service, or premium movie packages

• Subscription services- like Netflix, memberships, or other services

• Getting a housecleaning service- on a weekly or biweekly basis

• Gym Memberships

• Hiring someone to mow your lawn

If you take 3 or 4 of these services, at $20- $50 per month, you could be talking about several thousand dollars over the course of a year.

Now, it doesn’t mean all of these are bad. For example, if you frequently go to the movies or rent 3 or 4 movies a month, you may actually save money by joining Netflix.

So how do you avoid lifestyle inflation?- Consider your yearly costs, and think about what else you could be doing with it, such as debt reduction, saving for retirement, or some other saving goal.

Another problem is forgetting to cancel them when you no longer use them. JD Roth at Get Rich Slowly had a post this week where he asked readers for book suggestions for an audio book service he paid for and never canceled, and the credits were about to expire. Why? Because he forgot to cancel the service and got charged for it.

Examine your regular expenses, and ditch something if you no longer use it regularly or can live without it- then pay off your debt or save it!

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For some hardcore shoppers, and even frugal people, Black Friday, or the day after Thanksgiving, is the best day of the year to get out and shop.

While I have never been a hardcore black Friday shopper, almost every year I find several gifts for people in my family at really good prices on black Friday. I am not the sort of person to go wait in line at a store at 2 a.m. to catch the door busters (where stores usually only have a very limited supply), but I do get up early on occasion to pick up a few gifts.

Over the last few years, several online sites have made planning your Christmas shopping early even easier by posting sale ads for black Friday ahead of time, which allows you to peruse the ads before Thanksgiving day and plan your Christmas shopping even earlier than you might be able to otherwise. Even more recently, some stores offer the same deals online, which can save you from getting up early and gas money!

Where to find Black Friday deals ahead of time

Slickdeals Black Friday Forums- A great destination for discussion, speculation, where to find certain or hard to find items, etc. Check out the index of already released Black Friday ads for ads that have already been released or posted for Black Friday sales.

Black Friday Ads- Another site listing black Friday and pre-black Friday sales, in an easy to read blog type format.

Blackfriday.info- My fellow PF blogger PT from Prime Time Money turned me on to blackfriday.info, which has a neat list of black Friday ads and a whole list of retailers with pending ads, so you can quickly scan which ads have been released and which have not.

Remember to shop wisely if you venture out on Black Friday, so you don’t end up working yourself into a shopping frenzy like the retailers want you to.

• Make a list and stick to it
• Don’t fall for the hype-while many things may be great deals, others are not-know what you are buying
• Get what you went for, and get out-too much shopping can be tempting!

Share your experiences- Are you going out on Black Friday? Do you do it regularly? Where do you usually find the best deals?

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One thing I’ve found extremely helpful while trying to improve my financial situation is to take a daily look at a certain aspect of my finances, whether it be looking at my spending, checking my bank account balances, reviewing my budget, examining bills for correctness, or looking for more ways to save money.
The repetition of examining your finances on a daily basis can really help you improve your situation, especially if you are having problems. Even if you have simplified your finances with automatic payments or withdrawals, or are in pretty good financial standing, you can make things better and probably hold on to more of your money by examining your financial situation and thinking about it on a regular basis, even as little as 15 minutes a day. Some ways you can stay on top of things and improve include:

• Check your spending vs. your budget- Keeping tabs on your actual spending vs. what you have budgeted can prevent overspending in certain categories, and by checking regularly it will give you a “heads up” if you are getting off course.

• Thinking about what you spent that day- Keeping track of your daily expenditures can clue you in not only on how much you are spending but on what as well. Many people find it helpful to write all of their spending down for a period of time, to find out where all of their money goes, and to help find out good places to cut back.

• Monitor bills and check for accuracy- While most of the time, bills are probably correct, mistakes do happen. Especially if you have automatic payments set up, and some of your bills are variable, a quick, careful check can help you discover if you are paying too much, or if any mistakes have been made.

• Look for unnecessary expenses that can be cut- By looking at aspects of your finances regularly, you will probably quickly notice things that you no longer use, such as certain services, etc. When you discover something you can live without or are paying for more than you really need, such as premium cable, or an unlimited phone plan, downgrade to save money or eliminate the expense completely.

• Look for better deals- If you are planning on making sizable purchases in the near future, or you have your eye on something, checking ads and online deal websites regularly can help you get the best price on an item you are looking for.

• Planning future spending- Planning things you will need in the future is a great way to get a jump on saving up for them. Right now is a really good time to plan and even start your Christmas shopping, for example. Planning on a new car in a year or two? Start saving for large purchases like this now.

• Don’t Wait on Someone Else or Some Future Event to Fix Your Finances
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