Verizon Charging for Online Payments

I must admit I had to laugh at the news that Verizon Wireless was going to charge a $2 fee for paying bills online.  I don't think it's funny from the consumer's point of view, but rather, that the banks are charging Verizon enough to process payments that the fee was considered necessary to begin with.

I've seen and read a lot of talk about how people can't understand why a fee would be charged "for the privilege of paying the bill".  You are going to have to pay the bill anyway - Verizon is well known for it's aggressive collections.  There is no charge for paying at a Verizon Wireless store or mailing in your payment the old fashioned way.

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Yes, it takes an employee to process the free payment methods.  But these employees are already on the payroll - no new expense.  The fees for credit card processing - the kind done online and over the phone - requires ever increasing bank fees.  Thus, like any other business, the cost of this increase is paid for by the consumer.

Verizon could have transferred these increased bank charges by raising their rates, but instead chose the more transparent route of a processing fee.  I applaud them for this tactic, as it just might raise enough awareness of more bank greed that is required to put a legislative cap on it.  Here's hoping that the average consumer will place the blame where it belongs - not with Verizon, but rather with the banks.

How Much Stuff Do You Really Need?

Having a teenage child that is short on cash but wants to donate to Toys For Tots, we came up with an idea.  We are going through the things in her room and donated unwanted toys to the Salvation Army.

Certain items will forever hold memories, and those can be kept.  Most of it, however, can be donated.  We came across unopened items that were duplicate gifts in the same year.  These went to Toys For Tots.  In the process of going through things, we eliminated the clutter from the room at the same time as giving the toys a new life for another child.

It occurred to me that this same process can be used in the remainder of the house.

• Kitchen:  How many small appliances does a family actually need?  If it hasn't been used in over a year, it's time to let it go.
• Living/Family Room:  Pillows and throws, unused video games, VCR tapes - go through it!
• Bedrooms:  Sheet sets (especially ones with children's characters) that are no longer used, toys, books, and any other items that have not been touched in a long time that have no sentimental value.

If you cannot afford to donate these items, you can try to gain a little extra cash for them.  EBay, Amazon, and Craig's List all offer online marketplaces.  It does not take a lot of time to set up accounts, but EBay and Amazon each charge fees.  Craig's List is free, but you can expect many emails and/or phone calls.  Be careful of how much information you give out on Craig's List.  

Thanksgiving Leftovers

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!  Now, what to do with the leftovers?

First, let's dispel the myth that it all has to be eaten right away or it will go bad.  If you've had enough turkey for a while, put the leftovers in zip close freezer bags and toss them in the freezer.  You can easily defrost them and have the pre-cooked meat ready for another meal.  Don't forget to freeze the gravy as well.

Whether you decide to use the leftovers now or later, here are a few suggestions:

Sandwiches:

     -Combine the meat and the gravy for use as hot open faced sandwiches.
     -Shred the remaining white meat and mix with mayo or Miracle Whip for turkey salad.
     -To use many leftovers, make a hearty sandwich of sliced turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce.

Make turkey pie:
     Throw some frozen peas, carrots, and corn in the mixture, pour in a pie plate and cover with pre-made pie crust or biscuits.  Heat in a 375 degree oven for about an hour.  You'll know that it's done when the gravy starts to bubble up.

For something a little different:
    Coat a frying pan with cooking spray.  Toss in the chunked turkey meat, pour in some teriyaki marinade and some fresh or frozen broccoli.  Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the broccoli is crisp tender.  Serve over rice.

For a Mexican flair:
     Coat a frying pan with cooking spray.  Toss in the chunked turkey meat, cover with a jar of your favorite salsa.  You can also add in black beans and corn if you'd like.  Cover and simmer over medium low heat for 15-20 minutes, until heated through.  Serve over tortilla chips.

Like curry?
    Coat a frying pan with cooking spray.  Toss in the chunked turkey meat.  Pour in enough orange juice to almost cover the meat.  Add a teaspoon of mustard and sprinkle generously with curry to taste.  Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat until most (but not all!) of the orange juice has reduced.  Serve over rice.

You can substitute turkey in almost any recipe that calls for chicken.  Use your imagination AND your leftovers - you may even make a new family favorite!

Upcycle to Make a Tablecloth

Just like matching socks, sheet sets tend to get lost.  For some reason, there always seem to be more top sheets than fitted sheets.  If the mate to a pretty top sheet is known to be lost or destroyed, give that clean top sheet a new life as a tablecloth.

Twin size top sheets are the perfect size for most tables.  They measure approximately 72" x 108".  It is already fully hemmed. If you want to dress it up a little, you can sew lace trim around the edges.

 If you have a small table, cut it in half so you have 2 reusable tablecloths.  You may want to either sew or use fusible webbing to turn the unfinished size so it does not unravel.

The best part of either one is that cleanup is a breeze!  Shake off the loose crumbs over the trash barrel, and toss the cloth in the washing machine.  This free tablecloth works especially well for families with small children who can get quite messy.

This is a great way to reuse a top sheet that doesn't match any other sheets.  By re-using what you already have, you save money!

Make Your Own Shop Towels

It boggles my mind how willing people are to pay $20 or more for shop or cleaning towels when they are so easy to make yourself for free.  That's right, free!

Whoever does the laundry in your home will know what clothing items need to be replaced.  If any of them are 100 percent cotton, such as tee shirts and underwear, they should be washed and set aside.  These can be recycled into cleaning towels.

Here's all you have to do:
     1.  Cut or rip out the side seams of the garment.
     2.  Cut the remaining fabric into 14 inch squares.   These are your new shop towels.
     3.  Toss any scrap materials into the compost bin.

That's it! You will end up with a pile of shop towels ready to use.

I remember watching my grandmother clean the house when I was little.  She would use underwear that had torn or had holes.  She never bothered to cut them into squares, and they worked just fine.  Personally, I prefer to make them look like towels before use.

You can use these towels in place of paper towels to save even more money.  Taking the time to make your own shop towels out of what you already have just makes sense!

Pay Yourself First

If the banks and credit companies had their way, all of your hard earned cash would be handed over to them.  This has never been more evident than it has in the recent past.  How is the average person to survive?

Start by wrestling back the control of your own money.  This means confronting the banks, debt collectors, and creditors head on.  It also means paying yourself.

Each payday, take 10% of the net, what you take home, and stash it somewhere.  If you trust a local bank or credit union, start a savings account with it.  Keep in mind, though, if you are behind on taxes or other major debt, the government can freeze any of your accounts at any time.  If you don't feel that the pennies you'll earn with a bank account is worth the risk, stash your cash somewhere safe: 10% of your pay, every payday.  You'll feel more secure having that cash on hand for emergencies.

Start a stack of mail, the bills that are owed, and once a week go through it.  The goal is to pay down your debt as soon as you can.  In the days before direct deposit, our grandparents would bring their checks to the bank and receive cash for it.  One strategy at the time was to have a shoebox full of envelopes, one for each debt, organized by importance. The first envelope was for mortgage or rent, second for food, third for heat, etc.  Each week the cash would be divided among the envelopes, ensuring enough money to pay the bills at the end of the month.  Some weeks the envelopes at the back of the box would get nothing.  Some weeks there was some money left over, which would be saved "for a rainy day", usually under a mattress or in a jar buried in the back yard. 

The banks obviously hate this strategy.  They would prefer direct deposit, so THEY have first dibs on your cash.  Isn't it time you took the control of your money back?

An Old Family Gift Giving Rule

Have you ever been frustrated at trying to think of things to gift for the person who has everything?  Everyone has one person on their list that seems to have it all.  My family has integrated a rule that has eased the burden of this.

It's quite simple.  No one can purchase anything for themselves for an entire month before the big day - birthday, Christmas, graduation, whatever.  During this time frame, everyone keeps a sharp eye and ear on the intended recipient, and will not hesitate to stop them from purchasing something for themselves.  It is then relayed to the rest of the circle of family and friends that this is an item the recipient wishes to have.  Someone will purchase it and give it to them on the special day. 

This does a few things.  First, the recipient ends up receiving only items that they want.  Secondly, it saves the recipient money.  Thirdly, everyone feels good that they managed to give something that would be truly appreciated by the person who has everything.  Fourth, it saves everyone money as they are not purchasing unwanted, needless items.  Everyone ends up happy.

Give it a try in your own family.  Certain individuals may be a bit disgruntled at first, but when they discover how fun the reciprocation is they will also get into it.  My kids love the idea, and make it into a game over who is watching who as we go Christmas shopping. 

Make Leftovers Into Meals

One trick I have learned over the years to reduce grocery costs is to find items that make multiple meals.  Roasts can be a great deal when you get multiple meals out of them.  If you think about Thanksgiving, for example, and how many meals that one turkey provided, you get the idea of where I'm going with this.

Whole roaster chickens are good to stock up on when they go on sale.  A 6-8 pound bird can feed a family of 4 two dinners, at least.  Use the leftovers from the roast to make a second meal of hot open faced chicken sandwiches, or mix the meat with a package of frozen mixed vegetables and gravy to make a homemade chicken pie.

The same logic can be used with other meats as well.  The leftovers from a 3-5 pound pot roast can be made into hot open faced beef sandwiches.  Mix the meat with barbecue sauce and have barbecued beef.  Or you can cut the leftover meat into cubes, throw it in a pot with the leftover pot roast veggies (carrots, potatoes, etc.) add water to make a stew.

One favorite around my house is the pork roast.  Mix the leftovers with barbecue sauce for barbecued pulled pork sandwiches.  Or you can cube the meat, mix it with gravy, add veg, and make a pork pie.

You don't have to be a chef to make great tasting meals from leftovers.  All it takes is a little imagination.

Waste Not, Want Not

The devastation left in the path of hurricane Irene underscores the need to take care of your things.  Why invest in the same item twice if you don't have to? 

Would that window have been broken if the time had been taken to board it up or cut that limb?  Home repairs are expensive enough!  The demand for building materials has just risen, due to the amount of destruction.  How many items were destroyed that could have been saved with a little forethought?

When it comes to money, sometimes being overcautious is the way to go.  If flooding is expected, get as much as possible off of the floor.  Hindsight is 20/20 - learn from the experience!

Salvage what you can.  Tree limbs down?  Take out the chainsaw and cut it up for firewood.  Clean up flood damage yourself.  It costs less to purchase a dehumidifier and/or sump pump and contractor trash bags than to hire a company to clean it up for you.  Get some exercise while raking up the yard. 

Every experience in life offers an opportunity to learn something.  Take note of what can be done differently next time the situation presents itself.  Protect your possessions so you do not have to reinvest in them. 

Saving Money On Gas

The simplest, easiest way to save on gas is to walk.  Think about it - do you really need to drive 1/2 mile to the store to pick up milk?  Walking not only saves money, it benefits your health and well being.  Take an umbrella if it is raining.  You can always ride a bicycle if your destination is more than walking distance.  Invest in saddle bags or a basket to carry your purchases on the bike safely. 

If you live in a rural area, start planning your trips.  Write down everything you are going to need for the week, and purchase it all at once.  This saves money not only on gas, but a single trip means you face the temptation of impulse purchasing only once.

Buddy up with a friend or two to get errands done, taking only one car.  This way the gas only costs a fraction of what it would if you traveled alone, as it can be split between you.  Grab a backpack and take public transportation if it's available.  Use your imagination to come up with viable transportation options. 

Take advantage of car pools, where the participants take turns driving to work.  If they are not offered by your employer or state transportation group, ask around the office to see who lives in your area. 

If you think back 100 years, when a trip to the store in town was an all day affair, you will realize that those people did just fine planning out what was going to be needed.  Today's convenience comes at a price, and the more you rely on it, the more you will end up paying.