Summer Reading Programs That Pay Off

Reading is a great way for kids to pass the time and keep their minds from turning to mush during the summer – even if it’s just 15 minutes a day. It’s even better with an incentive attached. Here are some programs that reward kids for reading during the summer months.

Barnes & Noble
When kids in first grade through sixth grade read any eight books between May 25^th and September 7^th, they will receive a coupon for a free paperback book from a pre-selected list of titles. Upload the Passport to Summer Reading log, record the titles your child read and bring it to a Barnes & Noble location before the program ends. You can also download activities that coincide with the book 39 Clues. Your child does not have to read that book to complete these activities, but some of them are geared toward older readers.

Half Price Books
Kids 14 and under can receive a $3 shopping card each week through July 31^st when they read at least 15 minutes a day, five days out of the week. Download a Feed Your Brain reading log here. Check off each day your child reads at least 15 minutes, sign it and bring it to your local Half Price Books store for your shopping card. The program begins June 1^st and run 8 weeks. Your child could collect $24 in shopping cards just for reading an hour and 15 minutes a week.

Borders Books
The Borders Double Dog Dare program is open to kids 12 and under. They will receive a coupon for a free book from a pre-selected list of titles if they read any 10 books this summer. Simply download the reading log, complete it and bring it to your local Borders book store for your reward. The program runs from May 4^th though August 26^th.

Local Library
Most libraries offer summer reading programs that award prizes for reading so many books or for reading so many hours. Kids can walk away with anything from small toys to free meals at local restaurants and even circus tickets. Check with your local library.

Get your children excited about reading this summer and let their imaginations take them to all kinds of vacation destinations. These may be the only vacations they actually get rewarded for taking.

Free and $1 Kid Movies All Summer Long

There’s nothing like watching a kid flick on the big screen, and there’s nothing like the price tag either. A family of four can easily spend $50 to $100 for one movie when you add in concessions.

This summer, take advantage of free and $1 movies for kids at several different cinemas throughout the Dallas area. Your kids may have already seen these on DVD, but the theater experience alone is worth seeing them again.

Some Things to Know Up Front
You will notice some movie overlaps. If you can’t catch a movie at one theater, you often can see it somewhere else during a different week.

Concession prices stay the same. Theaters don’t usually let you bring in food from the outside, but that hasn’t stopped people from stashing a few snacks and a water bottle or juice bag in their diaper bags and purses.

These movies usually fill to capacity, and you can’t purchase tickets online. At most of these theaters, you have to buy them at the box office on the day of or day before the showing. Plan to arrive early to ensure a good seat.

AMC Summer MovieCamp®
Movies show at 10 a.m. every Wednesday morning at select theaters. The cost is $1 per person, and all of that money is donated to Children’s Charity and Will Rogers Institute. Selections for this summer have not been released yet. Check back here in a week or two.

Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse

See movies for as low as $.50 cents per person when you buy 10 tickets in advance. Or, pay $1 per person, per show. Movies play at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. See a complete summer schedule here.

Studio Movie Grill

Beginning June 10, all Studio Movie Grill locations in Arlington, Dallas, Lewisville and Plano will begin showing their summer series movies at 11 a.m., every Monday through Thursday. Each week offers the same movie, four days in a row. The cost is $1 for children and $2 for adults. See a complete schedule here.

Regal Entertainment Group’s Free Family Film Festival
There are five locations in Dallas, Forth Worth and surrounding cities offering Regal’s Free Family Film Festival. Movies start at 10 a.m. every Tuesday and Wednesday. A different movie will play each day. Check here for locations and schedules.

Dollar Theaters
Of course, don’t forget your local dollars theaters. Here are several we know of in the area that show fairly recent movies for next to nothing. Concessions are also very affordable.

Cinemark Hollywood USA Movies 15 on Shiloh Road in Garland

Starplex Mesquite Cinemas 10 in just down the road from our branch on Belt Line Road

Cinemark Movies 10 on Coit Road in Plano

Starplex Irving Cinemas 10 on Pioneer Road

This gives you lots of options to fill your calendar with entertainment that will keep you cool this summer without costing a fortune.

You Can Live FabuLESS on a Budget

Do you ever wonder how people find those “unadvertised” sales on brand name merchandise? They let websites like Live FabuLESS do it for them. Jodi Furman, a wife and mother of three with a full time job, started this website to prove that if she has time for couponing and saving money, anyone does. Jodi’s mission is to find “FabuLESS” deals to accommodate her “champagne taste and tap water” budget. Then, she shares them with anyone who will visit her site. Her website has such a following now that retailers actually contact her with special deals just for consumers who visit her website, become a fan of her Facebook page and subscribe to her FREE daily e-mail. Here’s a recent Live FabuLess e-mail:

• HOT COUPON: $3 off Huggies is BACK!
• Mabel's Labels: Exclusive fabuLESS discount: 20% off your ENTIRE order, expires 5/25/10.
• fabuLESS, exclusive discount! Get FREE shipping and up to 25% off custom, handmade pillows and pillowcases!
• Gevalia: Get ALL of the following-- a $135.90 value-- for ONLY $19.95 and FREE shipping: 12 cup programmable stainless steel coffee maker, stainless steel travel tumbler, and 4 boxes of coffee or tea!
• Banana Republic: ONLINE only: 25% off ALL regular priced items OR 25% off $100+ when you use your BR, Gap, or ON card, ends 5/17/10.
• LAST DAY!: Gymboree: In store or online: Circle of Friends, 30% off your ENTIRE order, ends 5/16/10.
• LAST DAY!: Starbucks: HALF priced Frappuccinos: ONLY between 3pm-5pm, ends 5/16/10.
• ENDS TODAY!: Coach Factory Stores: Take an ADDITIONAL 20% off your ENTIRE order, expires 5/16/10.
• SOUTH FLORIDA: FOUR parks until 9/30/10 only $54.95! Unlimited visits to Miami Seaquarium, Miami MetroZoo and Lion Country Safari PLUS one visit to Wannadoo City!
• Target: Weekly Coupon Matchups: 5/16/10-5/22/10.
• CVS: Weekly Coupon Matchups: 5/16/10-5/22/10.
• Walgreens: Weekly Coupon Matchups: 5/16/10-5/22/10.
• Rite Aid: Weekly Coupon Matchups: 5/16/10-5/22/10.
  
  Why is Live FabuLESS so great?  First, it’s FREE. Second, it does the work for you by telling you where to find lots of secret and not-secret sales you may not have time to find on your own. Third, Jodi does more than just tell you where to find the best deals. She also helps you maximize them by letting you know when you can stack manufacturer’s coupons on top of store coupons. There’s also a spot on the website where Jodi shares tips for living FabuLESS. Find videos on organizing coupons, getting more for less, the smart way to stock up and so much more. If you truly want to change the way you shop, this is the site that can help you do it.
  
  When you’re looking for a great deal, don’t recreate the wheel. Let the experts do it for you.

Eating Healthy on a Budget

Have you ever noticed that eating healthy costs a whole lot more than eating high fat or processed foods? Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver made an entire television series – Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution - out of this very issue. The entire premise of his show was to demonstrate to people in “America’s fattest city” that they can change their lives by simply eating more fresh foods and fewer processed foods.

How do you do that on a budget, though? You can always find coupons for macaroni and cheese in a box, frozen pizza, Goldfish crackers, frozen dinners that are packed with salt, and the like. Have you ever seen a coupon for a crown of broccoli or a pint of blueberries? Most likely you haven’t, but here are some ways to eat healthy foods without spending a lot of money.

Fresh Produce
Spring and summer are a great time of year to eat healthy, because more fruits and vegetables are in season, which makes them more affordable. Don’t limit shopping to your local grocery stores, though. The Dallas Farmer’s Market is an affordable and fun place to shop for produce, raw honey and all kinds of fresh and organic foods. It’s also a great way to support local agriculture. Farmers literally set up tables and booths to sell their produce, and if you’re willing to haggle, you may just come away with an even better deal. Many other cities in the area have their own farmer’s markets, as well. Some farmers sell to the public directly from their farms. Type in your zipcode at LocalHarvest.org  to find one near you. Of course, if you have the time and the desire, the cheapest way to get fresh produce is to grow your own garden.

Frozen Fruits and Vegetables
Frozen produce is the next best alternative to fresh produce, because it’s frozen just a few short hours after being picked fresh and still has most of its nutrients. The key is to get plain, frozen vegetables. Fruits should say “no sugar added” on the package and should not contain any type of syrups. Vegetables should not contain cheese sauce or butter. Stores like Aldi and Wal-Mart regularly sell frozen veggies for under $1, or you can get them on sale for that price at other stores. Stock up. You can use frozen vegetables in almost any dish that calls for fresh veggies.

E-Z Meals
Take the guesswork out of eating healthy. For just $5 a month, you can get a subscription to E-Z Meals, which provides you a menu for every day of the week, as well as a grocery list with prices listed for specific grocery stores. You choose the budget you want to spend. E-Z meals does the rest. Just print your list and shop. There are also trial menus on the site so you can try before you buy.

Eating healthy on a budget requires some planning, but it can be done.

Where Can You Find the Lowest Gas Prices Around?

Does it bug you when you fill up your gas tank, drive a mile or so down the road and find a gas station with much cheaper prices? If only there was a way to predict what the gas prices would be further along your route, right? Well, there is. It’s called DallasGasPrices.com, and it has consumers working together to save money on gas.

DallasGasPrices is a comprehensive website which enables consumers to post gas prices for specific fuel stations, chat with each other on forums and take advantage of other helpful web features. By participating, consumers earn points that can be redeemed for FREE GAS!

How it Works
If you’re simply looking for the cheapest gases prices, go to the home page and type in the zip code where you’ll be getting gas. The website will return a list of gas stations in the area from cheapest to most expensive. The site tells you when the price was posted and enables you to map the location.

If you want to start earning points for free gas, register for free on the site. As you pass gas stations on your normal daily route, make a note of the gas prices and post them to DallasGasPrices. You’ll get 150 points every time you post a price, up to five posts a day. You can also earn points by chatting on forums, voting in the weekly poll, sharing the site with a friend, reading a new item on the site and becoming a member.

Also available on the site are heat maps which indicate gas prices fore each county in both the state of Texas and the entire United States. Members who join the site also have access to online trip calculators, fuel logbooks and more.

With summer just around the corner, this seems like a great tool for planning a road trip. While you’re at it, post the prices for each gas station you pass. It’s an easy way to earn free fuel for your trip.

Summer Jobs for Teens

Summer is a great time to teach kids the value of earning their own money. Lots of places are looking to hire seasonal employees. Keep in mind, though, that adults who are out of work are now competing for those jobs. There are plenty of ways for young adults to make money. Here are some suggestions.

Lifeguard
Public and private pools, water parks, lakes and other water establishments are constantly looking for lifeguards. If your teen is a strong swimmer, this may be worth looking into. There are certifications required, so a good place to start would be the lifeguard program at the American Red Cross. There are other organizations which teach similar classes, but the Red Cross class is the most universally accepted.

Babysitting
Parents who work are trying to figure out now where to put their kids during the summer months. It’s probably cheaper for them to hire your young adult than it is to put them in a day care. Plus, there’s the added benefit of letting their kids stay in their own home during the day.
 

Lawn Cutting
Now is a good time to hit up those busy neighbors who don’t have time to maintain their yards. Have your kids offer to mow the lawn, pull weeds and even water daily for a nominal fee.

Pet/House Sitting
Having a neighborhood kid walk the dog and pick up the mail is cheaper and easier than locating a kennel, stopping the mail, etc.

Camp Counselor
Churches, YMCAs and other non-profit organizations need people to help run their summer camps. This is a great way to learn people skills and responsibility in new hours while earning some summer cash. Check individual websites for information or try these websites: mysummercamps, summercamps, or kidscamps.
Have your kids put the word out in the neighborhood that they are available this summer. When they get that first “paycheck”, help them open a student account and encourage them to save 50 percent to 75 percent. They can spend the rest, but sit down and help them make a budget so they can make that money go further. A little responsibility will go a long way in your child’s future.

What to Look for in a Home

We’re coming up on the busiest time of year for buying and selling homes. If you’re planning to move, do you know what to look for in a new or existing home? Aside from the more obvious things like enough bedrooms and bathroom to accommodate your family, the right size yard and adequate storage space, there is a lot to consider before signing on the dotted line.


Home Values
You definitely want to be sure the sale price of the home is in line with the appraised home value. Becky Bochniak, a realtor with Coldwell Banker Apex says, “The neighborhood can be just as important, if not more, than the property itself when determining the home’s worth.” Is the house in a desirable neighborhood? Are the other houses and yards well maintained? Does the neighborhood have an active and effective home owners association to keep the community attractive and organize activities? Is there a park or common area for kids and families to gather and play? These types of community elements increase home values considerably.


Proximity
Is the home within a reasonable distance to your place of employment, retail centers, grocery stores, medical facilities, etc.? What is the quality of schools your children will attend? Websites like greatschools.org and Trulia have information on schools in all areas of the country and include parent reviews. Trulia also provides valuable community information. Just type in the city name or zip code to search for the information you need.


Taxes
What is the property tax rate in the area where you are looking to buy? How will that affect your monthly mortgage payment and what will you get for the taxes you pay? Are there enough businesses in the area to keep your property taxes down?


Utilities
Does the home you’re considering operate on gas, propane, electricity, or a combination of these? How will that affect your utility bills? What is the water quality in the area? Will you need to install a water softener to improve water quality? Can you choose your electric company or is it city run? Does your municipality offer recycling services?


In addition to researching online, ask a real estate agent to answer these questions. Drive through the neighborhood in the evenings when people are home from work. Are they out talking to each other, or does the neighborhood resemble a ghost town? Are there kids for your kids to play with? Introduce yourself to your new potential neighbors and ask them questions. Arm yourself with the information you need before you make what could be one of the biggest purchasing decisions of your life.

 

Finding Affordable Summer Camps

A month ago, we were welcoming spring with a beautiful snow fall. A month from now, if you haven’t found a camp for your child, you may be too late. With just over a month until school lets out, it’s time to register for summer camps. Here are some tips for finding camps that won’t break the bank.

City Recreation Centers
The Parks and Recreation departments of most local cities offer various summer camps/activities for school age children. Check your city’s website under the parks department for an activity guide. You should also check your surrounding cities. Most don’t have a residency requirement to attend, but some may offer a slightly higher price for non-residents. These camps are often a good way to introduce your child to new activities they might now otherwise be exposed to.

Churches
Churches that offer Mothers Day Out programs often extend their programs to school age children in the form of summer camp. These programs can span several weeks and may include field trips. Check with local churches in your area.

Libraries
Libraries may not offer camps, but they usually have a full calendar of free summer activities. If you research several libraries in your vicinity, you may find a free activity to fill your kids’ calendar just about every day, Monday through Friday.

Extra Curricular Organizations
Drama, gymnastics, karate, soccer, t-ball, etc. Whatever activity your child does after school may also be available as a summer camp. Check with the individual organizations in your town for information.

YMCA
Many Ys offer various camps for children of all ages. To locate a YMCA near year, click here!

North Texas Kids
North Texas Kids is a free magazine for parents distributed throughout North Texas. Its summer camp issue is full of information about organization around the Metroplex offering summer camps. They may not all be affordable, but it’s a good way to come with up with ideas that do fit the budget.

Museums
Both the Museum of Science and Nature and the Dallas Museum of Art offer summer camps. Many other probably do, too. Check with your favorite museum for possibilities.

Summer camps are a great opportunity to expand your kids’ horizons and keep them from getting bored this summer. As you’re shopping around for some ideas, remember to ask them what they might be interested this summer. If they like what they’re doing, that’s money well spent.