Debt2dreams

CreditKarma.com is now offering free credit monitoring

debt2dreams — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 14:48:20 +0000

We have used creditkarma.com for years. There are a lot of advertisements(hence why it is free for us) on the page but sift through those and get to the meat of the website. Check your credit score and your credit score report card, that is VERY helpful. I love the tools on this website and it is all FREE. It usually sends me a monthly reminder that I haven’t checked my credit score, I can pop on and update the score or just delete the email. I got an email the other day about a new program they are offering, below is an excerpt:

Using Credit Karma to manage your credit health just got easier. In addition to offering free credit scores and credit report cards, Credit Karma now keeps tabs on your credit report with truly free credit monitoring.

• Sends Proactive Email Alerts.

• Protects Your Identity and Credit.

• Always Free: No Hidden Charges or Monthly Fees.

Credit Karma will email you when a significant change has been identified in your credit report, such as new credit inquiries, new credit accounts, delinquent payments, improved payment history, new public records or updates to personal information. Proactive email alerts will help protect you from fraudulent use of your identity to open new credit accounts and costly credit reporting errors.

Monitoring your credit with Credit Karma is completely free. There are no trial subscriptions or monthly fees. Sign up for truly free credit monitoring, and you’ll be on your way to better credit health!

End

So forget all those fear tactics these companies like to use about fraud detection and how awesome their service is for a fee. You can get it all for free so use it, feel secure and save a few bucks.

Stop Worrying about Money Series–Credit Score

debt2dreams — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 23:56:05 +0000

Reading a Suze Orman article, see link to full article below, I totally agree with her and figured I would pass along the short list and the link if you want to read more about them. Well it ended up I had my 2 cents to add so I decided to turn it into a series of posts so that you could digest each piece and not get overwhelmed with info. So I will start with an easy one.

Your Credit Score–Totally agree with her, everyone wants to scare you to death about identity theft but if you check your statements and monitor your score there is no need to pay for extra services. Also I don’t know about you but I have had my fair share of calls from my CC’s fraud department checking on expenditures. Everything has always been legit and okay but sometimes I think….holy cow how do they monitor all this. Well in the article she suggests using a service for 15.95. I use creditkarma.com, have at least a couple of years and it is free. If you want to learn more about it, I have a post under Good Resources for you to check it out.

(thought I did, tomorrow’s post will be on creditkarma.com)

http://www.oprah.com/money/Suze-Orman-on-the-Value-of-Your-Home-and-Stock-Portfolio/1

Sears Outlet for Appliances

debt2dreams — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:39:25 +0000

This is a website my friend told me about when we were shopping for a dryer, she had used it, picked her appliance up in Tampa and she was very pleased with the whole experience. We did look, but the closest outlet that had what we needed,(due to our pedestal issue, you can read about that in my other post) was in Jacksonville, then North Carolina, the shipping made it more than the one we were looking at locally so it didn’t make sense for us but if you are open to models, this may be just the thing to do. I believe they are floor models, scratch & dent and outdated models. So if you are shopping checkout the website www.searsoutlet.com.

Hot and Quick Breakfast, go figure, tried and true

debt2dreams — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 20:27:47 +0000

Drum roll please…..hot oatmeal, before you groan….I would be doing the same thing. Judd got a craving and bought a box at the store. WOW, even I thought it was yummy, but of course, I melt better on top and sprinkle about a teaspoon of sugar over the top of the butter. Served with a big glass of milk. The GV brand, Morning Trio, Maple & Brown Sugar, Baked Apple and Cinnamon Roll(my favorite). It runs about 17 cents a bowl. Which I am sure I can get a canister of quick oats, add Cinnamon & Sugar sprinkle, butter and brown sugar and get the same result at a cheaper price. So now I am adding that to our rotation with cold cereal when I get a BOGO, but cereal goes quick in our house and it isn’t cheap. I make 2 egg omelets pretty quick, bagels when on sale but again, go through a bag for one breakfast. I have found cinnamon and sugar toast as a cheaper substitute, but with the oatmeal it just gives us another option. Oh and pancakes, I cook a huge batch on the weekend and then we can heat and eat during the week. I have done this with sausage and bacon when we feel the craving for it, cook a whole bunch up and stick it in the freezer, defrost in the AM if someone wants some. French toast is another crowd pleaser.

Please add any of your breakfast options in the comments section to keep our rotations from getting stale with the family.

Need to replace pool pump? IntelliFlo–Variable Speed Pool Pump-Pentair–It makes Financial Sense

debt2dreams — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 11:15:52 +0000

If you have a pool and need to replace your pool pump or if you are considering putting a pool in, you need to look at a variable speed pool pump. The pool pump is more pricey than the run of the mill pool pump BUT the amount of money you will save running your pool will well be worth the cost up front. According to my calculations it was costing over $2 per day to run the pool pump, that doesn’t sound like that big a deal but $60 of my electric bill was due to my pool? That stinks. With the variable speed pump we were able to set it at speed 2 (273w)because we have 2 waterfalls we needed it a bit higher, we also found our waterfall output dial and turned it up so we didn’t need to go to speed 3(902w). For our pool we need the variable speed because we have a hot tub, so when we go in it and need the pump for the stronger flow/bubbles we can turn it up to speed 3 or 4(1975w). Prior to the variable speed pump, our pump was I believe 4 horse to handle the hot tub needs, but ran that high for every day use. WOW, that money adds up. According to the calulations, we went from over $2 ave. per day to 29 cents per day, which is $9 per month, I will sign up for that program, so we save over $51 per month. Of course it is lower for the winter months and higher during the summer months when we have to run the pump more but on average those are great numbers. The break-even analysis for this would be just under 2 years. Definitely worth it, especially if you are in need of replacing the pump anyway. Please note I believe there are different brands out there for Variable speed pumps, I am not particularily attached to this brand, it just happens our Solar Installer gave us a GREAT deal and the rest of our equipment was Pentair as well so it was fine with us.

Quick Fresh–Steam Cycle–This feature is extremely valuable

debt2dreams — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 13:42:24 +0000

I was a bit skeptical regarding all the new fandangle features that are coming with the dryers today. I didn’t think I would use them but the model I wanted came with all the bells and whistles. Well one pleasant surprise that we have come across is the Quick Fresh–Steam Cycle. I really wasn’t sure but the salesman was trying to sell this feature so we figured we would try it. OMG, we put in Judd’s work clothes, he works in an office so it is dress casual. This feature is AMAZING. It totally worked, all the clothes came out smelling clean. So unless something is spilled on them, there is no need to have to wash everything every week. I am really excited in trying this with other clothes, it will probably not work with the kids because they get everything dirty but definitely for those clothes that aren’t exactly dirty but don’t smell wash fresh either, it may be just the thing. On second thought, our daughter who changes clothes 3 times per day, we may be able to use it with her. Imagine the wear-and-tear on the clothes that won’t happen through washing. As well as the time doing laundry and resources using the washer and dryer cycles.

So this skeptic is sold and now a believer in this particular bell & whistle.

Solar–TECO–the hoops are big but well worth it

debt2dreams — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 17:47:56 +0000

We have gone Solar in a big way. It was finally making financial sense. We are going to receive the 30% tax credits, no limit per year as it had once been. As well as a $2 per watt from TECO who is our local electric company. This was the missing linking that tipped the scales into being financially viable. The program from TECO is duplicating programs from other utilities all over the country. The process was a bit tedious but with a good solar installer company, which we had, they were a huge help in jumping through the hoops, that is important. Without a good, timely installer you could fail to comply with the electric companies 90 day policy and lose out on the rebate. And from what we are understanding that has happened quite a bit. It also helps that I was in constant communication with TECO rep as well as our installer to make sure things were covered. We put in a 7.59KWH system(33 panels). Our first full month was Dec, which is the lowest producing solar month in our region, we produced 954KWH, which is well above expectations for our system. We couldn’t be happier. Our bill will be $10.50 with credits for future months for appr. 8 months, but with the credits we are building now we may only have to pay out for electric two months per year. Woohoo, that is what is so exciting.

If you want to see the system production in real time, we have a website we can look at any time to see what production is for any given panel or timeframe. Me being a numbers person, this aspect of our system is exciting. Our numbers for January are already running a projected over 1000KWH for the month, which is the second lowest solar producing month of the year.

Our break-even analysis was with the published numbers, and it was just over 6 years. We are sitting probably just over 5 now, with the numbers that are coming in real time. We keep our cars longer than that, We are going to blink and those years are going to sneak by and the system will continue for years and years with free electricity, this makes me a happy camper.

Using Sam’s Click-n-Pull to check out prices

debt2dreams — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:18:03 +0000

Learned something new and have loved using this feature to check on prices. We are actually going to check out the service as well since my husband works near one in the next town over. That way he can swing by after work and pick up the order I placed, hence not tempted to over-spend and it is quick business of getting what is needed.

Onto what I have learned. The click-n-pull link has just about every item at Sam’s. Have you ever been in Sam’s and wondered if it is a better deal to buy in bulk? Don’t assume it is, I have found it is hit or miss, sometimes it is the same price or even more than you can get at Walmart or Publix. Or maybe thinking if the Publix BOGO(Buy One, Get One) would be a better deal? Now there is no guess work. It is Friday morning, the new Publix ad is posted on the internet on Thursday. So I just went through the ad, made my shopping list, put question marks by the items that I need to price at Walmart/Sam’s to see if it makes sense. Then I just looked up the item on click-n-pull(if it is a specific brand I do a search on it), it is really nice it has pictures of the items so you can confirm that is what you would buy. Then I determine the price it should be to be a deal from the publix ad. By doing this I know I am getting the best possible price on an item taking into consideration BOGO’s and Sam’s. Please note this doesn’t take into consideration coupons, that is something else that would need to be checked out.

Go Figure–Cheap and Easy Pasta is the crowd pleaser

debt2dreams — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:04:44 +0000

I was shopping last weekend and was going to pick up some Lipton Pasta Side Dish packets. The selection was slim and the choice was angel hair, olive oil and parmesan or chicken pasta. Well I was going to pair it with Keabosa and Buttered Carrots so I wasn’t into the chicken flavor, and I thought to myself, olive oil and parmesan? I can make that myself…plus I had left over linguine from a meal in the frig. So I said, why not? Let’s try it. Grilled the Keabosa on the grill, tossed the pasta, olive oil, parmesan, Lawry’s garlic salt and Lawry’s seasoning salt. WOW, I am good, it was so tasty, kids liked more parmesan sprinkled on top of pasta at the table, I didn’t need more parm at the table. BIG HIT plus it used up my leftover pasta, and I didn’t have to spend the money at the grocery store for the side dish. Hubby and kids both gave a thumbs up.

Know of any quick side dishes you make with leftovers?

Easy Way to Cook Frozen Vegetables

debt2dreams — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:19:11 +0000

My Mom had gotten me a pack of those steamer bags, I got spoiled with them but was too cheap to buy more when I ran out. But I loved how fresh the vegs tasted when they were steamed. Somehow I have gotten into the habit of getting the 16oz package of frozen vegs. By the way, Walmart brand frozen vegs are 98 cents, which is cheaper than buying bulk either by the 2lb or even the 5lb, go figure. I keep all varieties in the freezer so we can pull what we need with what meal. I now have it down to a science. I use a glass loaf pan, put a package of the frozen vegs in, put a splash of water in, 2 tablespoons, if you are a measurer. I cover with plastic wrap, put on for 6 minutes, let sit in the microwave for a little while, when I am getting everything else for the meal ready. Get it out of micro, careful it will be hot, I use hot pads, drain put back in glass pan(it is a nice serving dish and I don’t dirty another dish), then add butter and Lawry’s seasoning salt. My kids LOVE corn, carrots, peas, whatever I cook using this method, the vegs always turn out great, they taste as good as fresh, well maybe not but great for frozen