What to do with Expired Coupons - Help Our Military Families

      You can send your coupons to Coups for Troops http://www.coupsfortroops.com/p/faq.html a group based in NC that is dedicating their time to this noble cause.  Military families can use expired coupons (up to 6 months) at PXs and commissaries overseas. This is an easy way to help those serving and also cut down on paper waste.

      Coups For Troops

      PO Box 147

      Winnabow NC 28479

How to work from home as a transcriptionist

by Crystal on April 4, 2011

Guest post by April at AprilHodson.com
Hundreds of thousands of people are searching for a legitimate way to earn an income from home. Sadly, an overwhelming majority of what they run into is a scam, produces minuscule amounts of money or requires a considerable investment in training programs and/or years of experience.
Home-based transcription is a work-at-home job which allows people to make a real living without special education or experience required. Granted, just like any real job, it takes practice and study to become efficient, but the pay and flexibility of the job can be very rewarding.
I began my own transcription career at age 18. My mom was a small town court reporter from North Carolina and she taught me how to create legal documents. I was able to use the knowledge she gave me to start my own business as a legal transcriptionist.
I quickly discovered that the field of home-based transcription had many available opportunities. It wasn’t just for people with a medical certification, or even just for those with legal training. There were great general transcription positions available open to anyone with a strong work ethic, speedy typing, and good grammar and spelling abilities. Before I knew it, I had several different companies willing to provide me with work!
This proved to be a tremendous blessing for my family. It financially supported us through three years of my husband’s education and an additional two years through some pretty huge life changes. I took my job with me from North Carolina to California and back again to North Carolina, and was even able to work while caring for two precious babies.
Interested in working from home as a transcriptionist? Here are some qualifications needed:
1. Fast Typer: As a transcriptionist, you specialize in converting audio that you hear into specially formatted documents called transcripts. While you have a foot pedal to start and stop the audio when you need to, you will still need an absolute minimum typing speed of 60 words per minute, by hiring company standards and to make the job worth your time and energy.
If you’re not already a fast typist, don’t worry! Practice is all it takes to get your speed up. You can test your speed and work on improving it with transcription and typing practice.
2. Skilled Writer: Proper grammar usage, spelling and punctuation are very important in translating the spoken word to written. You can change the meaning completely by simply misplacing a period or comma. If you need to brush up on your writing skills, I recommend reviewing the guidelines and taking the quizzes by The Basic Elements of English Grammar Guide – University of Calgary.
3. Detailed Reseacher: As a transcriptionist, you are frequently exposed to new ideas, people, places and words you’ve not heard of before. This is a fun part about the job, but it can also be challenging to understand and spell correctly unless you’re skilled at researching. You can find some helpful research resources for transcriptionists that I’ve put together.
You can expect to be paid anywhere from $6 to $60 per hour. When I first started and was learning the ropes, I was able to make about $12-$15 per hour. Knowing what I know now, and having increased my typing speed to 90-100 WPM, I am able to make about $25-$30 per hour. The more you practice and work on improving, generally, the more you’re going to make.
Steps of action to starting out as a transcriptionist:

• Create a winning resume and cover letter.
• Make sure you have the tools necessary to perform your work. Many companies require you to type a small transcript as part of your employment application, so it’s best to be ready before applying. You can find a list of tools and software needed here.
• Start applying to any and all transcription companies you can. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t hear back regarding your first few applications. I applied to nearly 60 companies before I was hired. Once you’ve got your foot in the door, it’s often easier to be accepted by more companies.

Working as a transcriptionist does take a lot of work and discipline, but it’s also a super, straightforward way to earn income from home with refreshingly honest wages for your valuable time and effort.
Happily married and delighted to be the stay-at-home mom of two munchkins (so far), April shares resources and articles relevant to making the most of life as a mom and wife on her new blog, AprilHodson.com. For more information on getting started as a transcriptionist, be sure to visit the Home-Based Transcriptionist section of her blog.
photo credit

Reposted from Money Saving Mom

Tips for Saving Money on Baby Stuff

Here are some tips to save money on baby stuff. A lot of the best deals come around when the drug stores have a good deal that can be paired with a good coupon. That is when you will be able to get free formula, diapers, and wipes.
FORMULA
Sign up for Enfamil Family Beginnings, Similac Strong Moms, and Gerber Generation. Each of these programs will provide you with formula coupons and samples when the baby first arrives. Similac has the most coupons and samples and they are very responsive. If you ask them to send you coupons or samples, they are the most likely to do so. When you get the coupons, pair them with sales or ECB/UP reward deals to maximize the value. For example: Use your coupons for the Similac deal at CVS this week to save even more.
Enfamil has a program running right now where you can get a free case of newborn nursettes if you are due to have your baby within 3 months. If you recently had a baby, they may send you one too. You need to get a promo code in order to participate. Your OB/GYN should have flyers in their office which contain the promo code required. When you get the code, you can call Enfamil and they will ask you a few questions and then mail out your free formula.
All three companies offer hospital gift bags as well. My hospital did not participate, but I contacted the companies afterward and they mailed out the gift bag, which also included coupons and samples.
If you have a family member who doesn’t mind receiving samples and coupons for you, sign them up too.
DIAPERS and WIPES
Sign up for Huggies Enjoy the Ride Rewards and Pampers Gifts to Grow. Both of these programs will allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free products or coupons. I usually file my codes away and wait for double points promotions. That is when you can get the biggest value for your points. They only run them once or twice per year, but if you can wait, it is worth it. The Huggies program will mail you coupons as well. There are free codes available online for both programs. Ann usually posts them when they come around so keep an eye out. I rarely buy Pampers, but I have about 1500 points already just from free codes.
Keep an eye out on the Huggies site for the free wipes or free diapers coupons. You need about 300 points to redeem them, but those are the best value. I will let everyone know when I see that deal again. When I get the free product coupons, I usually save them until I see an ECB/UP deal so I can turn them into a moneymaker.
When you find a good deal, STOCK UP! I probably bought 30 packages of diapers during the last Rite Aid deal and I’m glad that I did since these deals don’t come around that often.
Keep an eye out for deals at Rite Aid and CVS. Rite Aid usually has the best diaper deals, but you may need to jump through a few extra hoops to get the best deal. For example, you may need to participate in the Video Values program or Single Check rebates in order to save the most.
If you have a Target or Wegmans near you, keep an eye out for store coupons to pair with the manufacturer coupons. I recently got a bunch of free wipes at Wegmans with a $1/1 store coupon and a 75¢/1 manufacturer coupon.
Keep an eye out for Huggies coupons online. That is where you will get the best, high value coupons. When coupons become available, they usually post a link on their Facebook page.
I will be sure to let everyone know about the best scenarios when the next great deal comes along.
Use cloth diapers. I buy disposables too, mostly for outings or nighttime, but our primary diapers are cloth. The up front investment is a little higher, but the long term savings are tremendous. We use Fuzzi Bunz. They are so easy to clean. They are one of the more expensive brands, but well worth it if you ask me. If you do go with cloth, look for deals first. There are some great sites that offer discounts and freebies on occasion. Check out diaperpin.com for a list of current deals.
FOOD
Sign up for the Beech Nut newsletter and they will send you coupons via email each month. If you sign up for their mailing list, they will send you a free product coupon. Ask your friends or family to print extra copies if you find a good coupon. They often have one for 75¢/1 Rice Cereal which will get you free (or really cheap cereal) if your store doubles coupons.
Gerber is now offering coupons on Facebook. Be sure to keep an eye out for coupons from them. They will also mail you age-appropriate coupons when you sign up for the Gerber Generation program.
Earth’s Best offers coupons on their website and via mail if you sign up for their newsletter.
Sign up for Recyclebank. When you get enough points, you can cash them in for free Happy Baby company product coupons (these products are sold locally at Target and Wegmans).
Make your own baby food. It takes some work, but you can save a ton of money if you make your own baby food. I usually make a big batch of whatever food we are having and then I use ice cube trays to freeze them. After they are frozen, I transfer the cubes into ziploc bags. That way, I can take out one or two cubes as needed. Super Baby Food is a great book to learn more about making your own baby food.
CLOTHES
Shop the clearance section at your local department stores. Target is one of my favorites. When they do their 75% off markdowns, you can get an outfit for $2. Watch the Target website for coupons as well. They occasionally have coupons on their website for baby items which can get you free or cheap clothes if you pair them with a sale or clearance find. For example, they had a coupon at the end of summer last year for $3 off any kids denim. I got a bunch of jean shorts for .50 cents each with these coupons and a clearance sale. They also had a coupon recently for $1/1 Circo baby item, which I used to get free kids socks.
Now that I know there are so many people who are interested in baby deals, I will start sending message to Ann when I find a really good deal. That way, everyone can have a chance to take advantage. I will be sure to let you know if I think of any other good money-saving tips.
Suzanne (Posted on Coupons, Deals & More)

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Making Money with Swag Bucks

Making Money

Swagbucks - How It Works!

Saturday, May 28, 2011 From Coupon Keri

If you are not a Swagbucks user, you should definitely give it a try! Since starting, I have earned $40 in Paypal Cash and $300 in Amazon Gift Cards!

How does it work?

1. Join up with Swagbucks HERE 
2. Install the Swagbucks Toolbar (makes earning easier)
3. Start an Internet search using the toolbar. You can search for anything you want. You may or may not earn swagbucks immediately. When you win, it may be a few hours before another search will win you more so don't spend all day trying to search for everything to win. I usually win 2-3 times a day
4. You can also earn Swagbucks through special Swag Codes that are hidden online. You can get hints by using the Swagbucks Widget on the right side of the page on my blog and on the toolbar.
5. Take the daily poll and visit the Surveys every day for an extra Swagbuck. (I don't recommend taking the surveys)
6. Watch Swagbucks TV - You earn Swagbucks for watching videos
7. Print Coupons - If you print and redeem coupons you get Swagbucks!
8. Now refer your friends. When they join and win swagbucks, you get swagbucks too!!! If you get enough friends to do searches then you wont have to do anything but watch your Swagbucks increase
9. SHOP in the Swagstore! You can redeem your swagbucks for all kinds of neat things! The gift cards for Amazon are the best value costing only 450 Swagbucks!!!

14 Grocery List Staples That Are Getting More Expensive

High prices at the gas pump have been grabbing headlines, but it’s rising costs at the supermarket that are really starting to take a bite out of household budgets. The component of the consumer price index that tracks grocery prices, known as the food at home index, jumped 0.5% in May from where it stood in April, calculated on a seasonally adjusted basis. Meanwhile, the gasoline-index component of the CPI fell 2.0% in May, the first decline since June 2010.

Food prices have been creeping up all year. According to the latest American Farm Bureau Federation Marketbasket Survey, 14 of the 16 supermarket staples it tracks have increased in price between the first and second quarters of 2011. Boneless chicken breasts (down 7%) and shredded cheese (down 1.5%) are the only two grocery items that cost less than they did three months ago.

Here are the 14 common grocery-list items from the Marketbasket Survey that have climbed in price since the first quarter, as well as the USDA’s latest projections for food-cost increases in 2011. As a bonus, we’ve thrown in a few tips on how to save on these grocery items.

Russett Potatoes

Current average price: $3.07 for a 5-pound bag
Price change (from Q1): up 43 cents
Percent change: 16.3%
Projected change for 2011: 4.5%-5.5%

Savings tip: Make the most of a bargain 20-pound sack of spuds. Mashed, fried, baked or roasted, potatoes are filling and can stretch a meal budget. Store in a dark, cool place to keep fresh longer.

Sirloin Tip Roast
Current average price: $4.48 per pound
Price change (from Q1): up 52 cents
Percent change: 13.1%
Projected change for 2011: 7%-8%

Savings tip: Minimize your mealtime costs and make your cardiologist happy by going meatless twice a week. A family of four can save $624 annually by becoming part-time vegetarians.

Bacon
Current average price: $4.18 per pound
Price change (from Q1): up 32 cents
Percent change: 8.3%
Projected change for 2011: 6.5%-7.5%

Savings tip: Get a better deal by buying your bacon in bulk from a warehouse club. Put your extra slabs of pork in re-sealable plastic bags and stash them in the freezer. Bacon defrosts rapidly.

Apples
Price change (from Q1): up 11 cents
Percent change: 7.6%
Projected change for 2011: 3%-4%

Savings tip: Buy apples by the bagful rather than individually to reap a lower unit cost. Stow your Granny Smiths and Red Deliciouses in the refrigerator to keep them crisp and juicy.

Sliced Deli Ham
Current average price: $5.26 per pound
Price change (from Q1): Up 35 cents
Percent change: 7.1%
Projected change for 2011: 6.5%-7.5%

Savings tip: Ask your local butcher for the lunchmeat ends that may otherwise go to waste. They’re cheaper than a pound of deli meat and just as tasty in your brownbag lunch.

Ground Chuck

Current average price: $3.29 per pound
Price change (from Q1): up 19 cents
Percent change: 6.1%
Projected change for 2011: 7%-8%

Savings tip: Instead of buying ground beef, purchase a chuck roast on sale and grind it yourself. It’ll taste the same -- or perhaps better, considering the money you’ll save -- and allay your mystery-meat fears.
  
Whole Milk
Current average price: $3.62 per gallon
Price change (from Q1): up 16 cents
Percent change: 4.6%
Projected change for 2011: 5%-6%

Savings tip: Reserve your regular milk for your morning bowl of cereal. For recipes that call for it, use the less expensive powdered version instead. Just add water. You won’t taste the difference.

Vegetable Oil
Current average price: $3.01 for a 32-ounce bottle
Price change (from Q1): up 13 cents
Percent change: 4.5%
Projected change for 2011: 6%-7%

Savings tip: If you normally use expensive extra virgin olive oil for cooking, opt for a lower grade instead. Scan your supermarket shelves for bottles labeled simply “olive oil.”

Toasted Oat Cereal

Current average price: $3.17 for a 9-ounce box
Price change (from Q1): up 12 cents
Percent change: 3.9%
Projected change for 2011: 3.5%-4.5%

Savings tip: Try your grocer’s store-label equivalent or buy a generic version of your favorite morning munchies. If you can’t live without name brands, look for coupons in the Sunday newspaper.

Eggs

Current average price: $1.65 per dozen
Price change (from Q1): up 3 cents
Percent change: 1.9%
Projected change for 2011: 4.5%-5.5%

Savings tip: Visit your farmers market near closing time for a better deal on fresh, locally produced eggs. At day’s end, vendors are more likely to slip something extra into your bag.

Orange Juice
Current average price: $3.18 for a half-gallon
Price change (from Q1): up 4 cents
Percent change: 1.3%
Projected change for 2011: 3%-4%

Savings tip: Head to the frozen foods aisle for cheaper-per-ounce and just-as-refreshing orange juice concentrate. Add water, stir and enjoy the very same vitamin-C rush.

Bread
Current average price: $1.86 for a 20-ounce loaf
Price change (from Q1): up 2 cents
Percent change: 1.1%
Projected change for 2011: 3.5%-4.5%

Savings tip: Pounce whenever your grocery store or bakery has a two-for-one sale. Eat one loaf immediately -- French toast for breakfast, sandwich for lunch and grilled cheese for dinner -- and freeze the other for later.

Bagged Salad

Current average price: $2.67 per pound
Price change (from Q1): up 1 cent
Percent change: 0.4%
Projected change for 2011: 3%-4%

Savings tip: Go online to find discounts for popular brands of bagged salad. Check Facebook and Twitter pages for printable coupons, and subscribe to e-mail alerts for special deals.

Flour

Current average price: $2.52 for a 5-pound bag
Price change (from Q1): up 1 cent
Percent change: 0.4%
Projected change for 2011: 3.5%-4.5%

Savings tip: Unless you’re an avid baker, you probably don’t use much flour. If that’s the case, only buy what you need when you need it from a bulk bin. Don’t let your money sit idle in the pantry.

Information obtained from Kiplinger June 2011

These are the items that you should be stockpiling if possible.

Stop Paying for a Gym - Exercise for Free!

7 Ways to Exercise for Free

Submitted by: Tip Hero 06/02/2011 10:45 AM

There are thousands of excuses for not exercising. One of the most common is that gym memberships are too expensive. Another is that there isn't enough time during the day to head to the gym. Well, Tip Junkie has some great suggestions for avoiding both of these excuses. Take a look at some free ways that you can get a killer workout (from trained professionals in most cases) in your own home: YouTube: there are many professional trainers and instructors who feature free videos online. Usually, they'll be advertising for you to buy something, but you can find free full-length workouts from kettlebell queen Lauren Brooks to P90X guru Tony Horton to Pop Pilates. Here's another trick: [...] take some of the sample workouts (tip: just keep following the recommended video links that YouTube will give you at the end of each video) and just do one after the other until you get a good 30 minutes in. Exercise Websites: a lot of sites put entire workout programs up online for free. For beginners, try Monkey Bar Gymnasium while sites like CrossFit and Zuzana from bodyrock.tv will work you hard and give you great, fast results. The Library: don't forget to check out the free exercise DVDs, magazines and books at your local library. Check out many more ways to exercise for free over at Tip Junkie's 7 Workouts for People With No Money {Free Sweat}.