Ways to Save:
File Your Taxes for Free!

There is always mixed emotions when tax season rolls around every year; you may find yourself full of hope that you’ll receive a huge return yet you dread the filling process. One thing that can help eliminate the stress of filing is the fact that you don’t need to spend the money you’re hoping to get back on filing fees!

H&R Block At Home is offering a way for you to file your Federal Tax Return for free! (State returns do come with a fee through H&R Block.)

H&R Block At Home outlines every step of the way so you can feel confident in knowing you are filing correctly. Here is a list of just a few things you can expect from H&R Block…

• FREE to prepare, FREE to print, FREE to e-file
• FREE expert advice from our community of tax specialists
• FREE audit support and representation from an enrolled agent – Only from H&R Block
• 100% Accuracy Guarantee and Maximum Refund Guarantee

I’ve used them for years, filed completely by myself and have never run into any issues. One of the things that has kept me coming back to H&R Block At Home is they offer free expert advice for those moments where I’m not sure what to do. If you’re interested in filing your Federal Income Tax through H&R Block At Home then simply create a Username & Password here to begin.

Also, you may be able to file your State Income Tax for free! I live in Kansas and use the KS Web File service found here. It’s a free tax filing service offered by the Department of Revenue. You’re state may also offer a Free State Income Tax filing service. Simply search for your Department of Revenue’s web page. If you cannot find a tax filing link on the homepage of your state’s site then simply contact them and ask if they offer a Free State Tax Filing service.

Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:7

Before our daughter was born, my husband and I ate whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted and we went out as much as we wanted. However, that all changed when McKinley arrived! Soon we realized we needed to change not only our eating habits but our spending habits as well.

As I began exploring ways to save I stumbled across a site called Food on the Table and  was instantly hooked!

Food on the Table allows you to choose your favorite ingredient options: from seafood to pork, you decide what recipes sound good to you. After selecting your recipes the site will automatically generate a grocery shopping list – It will even reflect savings from store sales!

My rule of thumb is if it’s not on sale and I don’t have a coupon for it I pick it up at Aldi. I like that store because the prices are unbelievably low. Since Aldi does not accept coupons I only buy the items there that I do not have a coupon for.

Another great feature on this website is the way the grocery list is broken down. The items are listed by category meaning all the canned items, meats, produce and so on are all grouped together making navigating the aisles of your favorite store a breeze!

I also keep my grocery budget down by using items from my stockpile that I’ve purchased for either cheap or free over the last few months through couponing. These items generally consist of canned foods, rice, and pastas which tend to be staple items for most of my recipes therefore making my grocery budget even lower!

Saving money can be as easy as allowing Food on the Table to write your grocery list for you. Be a savvy shopper by utilizing stores like Aldi that offer lower prices or combining other store sales with coupons. That way you’ll always score the lowest price possible. Utilizing coupons will allow you to start a stockpile which will lower your grocery bill even further.

By the way, my husband is a huge fan of all the delicious meals ready and on the table when he gets home from work. This site has allowed me to totally avoid the frantic late afternoon search for new meal ideas. Remember, with a little bit of planning and with the help of coupons you can lower your grocery bill too!

Click the Food on the Table banner to begin your journey of savings.

(Photo Credit)

Another Day, Another Dollar!

Ever heard of that old saying another day, another dollar? When I hear it I think of a man working by the sweat of his brow trying to make ends meet as best he can. I picture him saying with forced optimism in his voice, “Another day, another dollar” as he pulls on his work boots to head out the door for yet another long day of work.

I’d like to introduce to you a positive perspective of that old saying: Imagine a couple of newlyweds just starting out with nothing but each other, two very humble incomes, a few possessions and a whole lot of love to get them started. They’ve had dreams of saving up to go on a nice trip for their 5^th Wedding Anniversary since the moment they said “I do.”

How can they possibly afford such a trip with just their two humble incomes? Another day, another dollar is the answer. That newlywed couple is my husband and me. Ever since we first said, “I do” we’ve been throwing a dollar a day into our 5^th Wedding Anniversary Trip jar.

On March 20th, 2012 we will have $730 so far with 3 years left to save. We plan on taking a lavish 3-day weekend trip with a grand total of nearly $2,000 to spend. Not bad for just a dollar a day, huh! So when that man, being my husband, pulls on his work boots for another long day at work I smile and say, “Honey, another day, another dollar.”

This style of saving can be applied to more than just Anniversary trips. For example, if you saved just a dollar a day from Christmas to Christmas or from Birthday to Birthday you’d have $365 to spend without having to put a death grip on your budget!

Keep in mind this is all so much easier said than done. There have been numerous times when I’ve looked at that jar full of dollar bills and thought I could sure use a Diet Coke, or a new pair of shoes or many other instantly satisfying things but I have never once given in to my impulses because I firmly believe that if I *keep my life free from the love of money and be content with what I have I’ll be able to count my blessings far more in the long run than by giving into my ‘Must Have’ impulses now.

Tips:
* If you start a fund keep it out of sight! Doing this cuts down on visual impulses.
* Stay focused on the bigger picture or the larger goal.
* Hold yourself accountable to someone. For example, I hold myself accountable to my husband because he wants this trip just as badly as I do. Who am I to ruin it for him?

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*Hebrews 13:5 Paraphrased

‘Tis NOT the Season?!

I love seeing a display filled with all the fabulous new styles of the up coming season but one thing remains the same as seasons come and go: The price tags always make me gasp with shock! To have any hope at all of beating the retail-price-tag-blues I had to learn how to become a smarter shopper.

Take Dillard’s for instance – My husband LOVES their clothes and because of this we are learning to love the price tags as well. Sounds funny, doesn’t it? Isn’t Dillard’s rather pricey?!

The Dillard’s Markdown Policy is that they’ll continue marking down the items until all the product is sold. Knowing this, we frequently scan the clearance racks for recent markdowns if there is an item we’re searching for.

Because of this new strategy, my husband scored 6 pairs of Cremieux Classic Shorts in a variety of neutral colors for next to nothing. (Notice the Christmas tree a in the background. It pays to shop out of season!)

Regular retail per pair is $55.00 They were first marked down to $45, then $30, $25 and so on until they finally dropped down to, get this, $1.99 a pair! Holy shorty-shorts, we stocked up! We spent a mere $11.94 on $330 worth of clothing. Take that, retail blues!

John showing off his new shorts!

Tips:

- Shop out of season!
- Learn the general markdown procedures of your favorite store.
- If possible, keep a tiny “emergency” stash of cash in your budget for moments like this where if it’s an ‘I cannot pass this up’ type of deal you wont be scrounging for change from underneath the couch cushions.
- Search the internet for store coupons to make deals like this even sweeter! (Example: $5 off any purchase $25 or more, etc.)