Freebies for Good Grades

Doing well in school comes with its own rewards, but it’s always fun for kids when they get extra rewards for their hard work. It’s also nice when we don’t have to use our own budgets to give our kids a treat. Here are some companies that reward kids when they earn good grades on their report cards.

Family Video

Family Video is giving free movie and video game rentals to students for getting good grades on their final report cards in June. All students, kindergarten through college, are rewarded with one free overnight rental for each final grade of “A” (or equivalent mark) earned in any core subject. Core subjects or courses include any geography, history, language, math, reading, science and spelling classes. The offer includes all movies 30 days past their release date and all video games.

Chuck E. Cheese

Children will receive up to 15 tokens when they present their final report card at Chuck E. Cheese with any food purchase. Chuck E. Cheese also has several reward calendars online that can be printed to reward children for meeting goals like reading, doing homework, good behavior and more.

Block Buster

Students in Kindergarten through 12^th grade with at least a B average will receive a FREE rental of a non-new release when they bring their report card to a Blockbuster store within 30 days of receiving it. Certain conditions apply, so click here for complete details.

McDonald’s

Some McDonald’s franchises offer free food for good grades. Check with your local restaurant to see if it participates.

Other Possibilities

I found information on the internet suggesting that these restaurants or retailers reward good grades, but I was unable to confirm the information on the individual websites. When it comes to possible freebies, it never hurts to check.

Krispy Kreme – a free donut for each A, up to six
Pizza Hut – a free personal pan pizza and milk for three or more As
Chick-fil-A – free ice cream or chicken nuggets
Baskin Robbins – free ice cream
Coldstone Creamery – free ice cream
Justice - $5 off coupon

I know for sure that Chick-fil-A and Pizza Hut reward good grades, but my son has always received his freebies at school. I don’t know if those rewards are also available at individual restaurants.

What other companies do you know of that offer free rewards for good grades. Comment here so other members can benefit from these incentives.

 

Exercising Without the Hefty Gym Price Tag

Do you have a gym membership you don’t use? I do. I haven’t been to the gym in about six months. Neither has my husband, yet we continue to pay $60 a month on the off chance that something may click in our brains and we’ll get back to the gym. That’s six month of wasted money that I could have used to purchase one of our three plane tickets to Maine for our summer vacation.

The health and fitness industry actually makes its money on people just like me, who have every intention of using the gym but just don’t. To be fair, my husband and I both used it for years. We’re just at a different place in our lives right now and can’t seem to make it a priority. Gyms count on this. They oversell memberships for this very reason.

There are lots of ways to exercise without joining a gym. If you could use an extra $60 or even $100 a month, drop the gym membership and try some of these alternatives instead:

City parks and recreations centers are a great way to get your fitness on for free or very little money. The lone recreation center in my small town actually has a fully equipped gym, and my entire family can use it for about $100 a year. There also are classes like aerobics available on a punch card system. If you miss a class, you don’t pay for it.

Many city parks also have hiking/biking trails, tennis courts and skating rinks that provide you hours of fitness opportunities at no cost. In the summer, look for a city pool to do laps, or cut a deal with a neighbor to use his or her pool.

Do you have a Wii or Xbox in your home? Both offer several fitness games that accommodate all members of the family. We love the Wii Fit in our house. My son also loves to play Just Dance 2. Spend 30 minutes playing that game and see how you feel. It can be quite a workout. The Biggest Loser has programs for both gaming systems, and I’m sure other fitness gurus do, as well.

DVDs are a great way to take a fitness class in your own home. To make yourself accountable, use the DVDs with a group of friends. My son and I have used the Biggest Loser DVDs. Admittedly, I’m in poor shape right now, but even my energetic seven-year-old was begging for the short workout to end. There are a million other DVDs on the market that would work just as well. I got mine for $5 each through my movie membership club.

The key is to find an activity you like. I recently went roller skating with my son and felt it in my legs days later. Those are muscles I haven’t used in years, and it was fun. I bet I can even convince my local gym to let me buy some type of membership. The important thing is that you get moving. That doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

 

Clean Your Home for Under $10 With These Recipes

Last week, we told you about six basic ingredients that can help you clean your house safely and affordably. Those ingredients –baking soda, salt, white vinegar, lemon juice, borax and peroxide- can clean effectively on their own. When combined, they can be even stronger. Here are some recipes for you to try:

Multi-Purpose Cleaner
Mix together 1 quart of warm water, 1 teaspoon liquid soap, 1 teaspoon borax and a 1/4 cup white vinegar in a spray bottle. Use on counter tops, floors, walls, carpets, upholstery, and more.

Mix two teaspoons borax, four tablespoons vinegar and three cups hot water in a spray bottle for an all-natural, all-purpose disinfectant. To cut through kitchen counter grime, add a ¼  teaspoon liquid soap to the mixture.

Bathroom Cleaner
Use straight hydrogen peroxide in a dark colored spray bottle. Spray on and wipe with a cloth or paper towel.

Mix a ½ cup of borax with a gallon of warm water. Use to scrub the toilet.

Floor Cleaner
Mix 1 cup vinegar with a gallon of hot water. To remove scuff marks, sprinkle baking soda and spray with equal parts of vinegar and water. Do NOT use on wax floors.

Drain Cleaner
Pour one cup of baking soda in the drain, followed by one cup of vinegar. Let stand 10 minutes, then flush with boiling water.

Glass Cleaner
Mix one quart of warm water with a ¼ cup of vinegar or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

Scouring Powder
Sprinkle borax, baking soda or salt on a damp sponge. Or, dip half of a lemon in borax and scour. Rinse with water.

Metal Cleaner
Sprinkle salt into an empty squeezed-out lemon half and rub down on metal. Rinse with warm water and shine with a soft cloth.

Hardwood Furniture Polish
Mix 1 cup of olive oil with a ½ cup lemon juice. Apply to furniture with a soft cloth.

What homemade cleaners do you use to clean your home? Leave a comment here so we can continue the discussion.

Your Money Won’t Go Down the Drain With These Household Cleaners

Household cleaning supplies can be expensive. They can also be toxic. Have you ever started coughing or wheezing while cleaning your house? Do you have allergies or asthma that flare up when someone sprays something in your home? That’s your body’s reaction to the chemicals in those supplies.

Why are we spending hundreds of dollars on products that make our bodies and our environment sick? Most people don’t realize we can throw all those products away and replace them with six basic ingredients that can be purchased at the grocery store for under $10:

Baking soda is a great scouring powder, and unlike those you buy in the store, it doesn’t scratch surfaces. Use it on hard-to-clean casserole dishes and to remove drain build-up.

Salt is a really good stain remover for stove-tops and counters. It’s also effective as a cleaning agent for pots with burnt-on food. Salt can be used with other basic ingredients to create homemade cleaning solutions, as well.

White Vinegar’s high level of acidity makes it ideal for killing most mold, bacteria and germs. Use it alone or in combination with other natural ingredients to clean and deodorize.

Lemon Juice works much like vinegar does, only it smells better. Lemon juice cuts through soap scum and removes water deposits from hard water. It’s also great for shining brass and copper.

Borax can brighten your laundry and works well as a cleaner for floors and toilets. Borax is natural, but it is NOT food safe. It should not be used on stove tops, countertops or other surfaces where food is stored or prepared.

Peroxide is a natural disinfectant. Pour some in a spray bottle and use it to clean counters and table-tops. It can also be used to kill salmonella and other bacteria on cutting boards. Be sure to wash the cutting board with soap first. Always store peroxide in its original brown bottle. It degrades quickly when exposed to light.

Don’t throw your money down the drain with expensive cleaning supplies that could make you sick. Use these ingredients already in your kitchen to clean your home safely and affordably.
Check back next week for specific recipes that combine these ingredients to create cleaners for every room in your home. 

 

**Warning, use safety precautions when mixing cleaners.**

 

It’s Not Too Late to Find Money for College

When my nephew graduated high school, my sister was in a panic. Her son, who was ranked number 18 in a class of 700 students, had procrastinated on applying for a number of scholarships for which he easily would have qualified. She had no idea how they would pay for him to go to college. Like many parents, she had heard that by the time graduation day came, all the good scholarships would be gone.

All the “good” scholarships? Is there a bad source of free money? There may be scholarships with conditions your college-bound student can’t or won’t comply with for whatever reason, but there are just as many that offer money with no strings attached. You just have to find them.

Scholarships.com is the largest free and independent resource on the Internet for scholarship and financial aid information. Its database searches 2.7 million college scholarships and grants worth more than $19 billion. Your student simply fills out an online profile, answering questions about his or her academic performance, extracurricular activities and individual background. Scholarship.com uses that information to find the scholarships most relevant for each student. It even sorts and ranks those scholarships based on each student’s individual characteristics. The site also offers its own scholarship awards and contests worth $18,000. Plus, there’s a free library of financial aid tools, as well as student loan options and budgeting tips.

If your high school graduate is still on the fence about which college to attend, Scholarships.com offers a college search tool. It provides detailed information on colleges and universities nationwide, featuring information on everything from cost of attendance to crime statistics.  Your student will also find great articles for surviving life in college.

Another great source for scholarship information is a college or university. If your graduate already knows where he or she will be attending school, check with the financial aid office about what type of scholarships the school offers incoming students. That same nephew of mine, who had no idea how to pay for college, graduated this weekend from the University of Texas at Dallas with a bachelors of science degree in computer engineering. He attended the school on a full scholarship, including room and board. His younger brother just completed his freshman year at the same school, with the same scholarship. Neither one of them applied for the scholarship. It was offered to them based on their exemplary high school performance.

There is money out there for college, and all the good scholarships are not gone. You just have to use the right tools to find them.

 

Price Matching Saves Money, Time and Gas

The Kroger chain of grocery stores announced this week it will no longer allow customers to stack manufacturer’s coupons with its in-store coupons to get a better discount. The chains said it was too much money. This makes no sense to me. Manufacturers reimburse grocery stores for the price of the coupon, plus a little extra for the handling necessary to get reimbursed for the coupon. Unfortunately, Kroger is one of many stores who have started adopting this policy lately.

The good news is there’s more than one way to save on your groceries and still use your coupons. Wal-Mart recently revamped its price matching policy. That means you can take your ads from competing grocery stores to Wal-Mart and receive the competitor’s sale price without actually shopping at the other store. If Kroger is selling 12-packs of Coke at 4 for $10, simply take your Kroger ad to Wal-Mart and show them the flyer. Wal-Mart will match the price. You can do this for just about any grocery item in the store. Just beware of a few exceptions.

For example, the items you are price matching usually have to be identical. That means they have to be the same weight or quantity and the same name brand. If you are buying Driscoll brand strawberries at Wal-Mart, but the sale is for a different brand of strawberries at a different store, Wal-Mart may or may not honor that. It’s the same thing with beef or chicken. Many stores have specific meet suppliers, and it could be hard to find that same supplier for price matching purposes.

If you are like me, and you go to two or three different grocery stores chasing down sale items, price matching could save you a lot of time and money. With gas nearing $4 a gallon, getting sale prices on all of your items at one store could really save you money at the pump. Now, the people in line behind you may not appreciate the few extra minutes it takes you to point out price matches to the cashier, but they may learn something by watching you in action. Remember, it’s not them you’re trying to please. It’s your budget.

Is Wal-Mart the only store that matches prices? No. Target, does, too, although its policy is a little less flexible. Home Depot and Lowes will honor each other’s prices and sales, but I don’t know if they consider other competitors, as well. Sears, Staples and Best Buy, among others, also have price matching policies.

The best thing to do when you’re looking to buy something is call a store or go to its website to find its price matching policy. It’s worth that little bit of extra effort if it will save you time and money.

 

How to Avoid ATM Fees

There was a time in my life when I never needed cash for anything. I used my debit card for everything. Then, my son started public school, and the constant need for cash began - $5 here for a field trip, $10 there for a T-shirt. It wouldn’t be a big deal if they would take a check, but at his school, it’s cash or nothing. If you’re like me and you don’t live near a credit union branch, there are plenty of ways to get cash without paying a lot of ATM fees.

Hit Debit and Get Cash Back

The easiest way to get cash is with your Visa Check Card at the grocery store. Simply hit debit instead of credit when you make your purchase, type in your PIN and tell the cashier how much cash you need back. Usually, this service is free. However, I will warn you that I was in a store yesterday where everything costs $1, and that included the fee to get cash back. To be honest, I didn’t realize retailers could charge anything for cash-back transactions, but I was in a hurry, I needed the money and it was still cheaper than using a foreign ATM.

Open a KASASA Tunes or Cash Account

NCU now offers two checking accounts with nation-wide ATM fee refunds. These accounts are virtually free, and ask you to do a few simple things in return for massive rewards such as a 3.25% interest rate, iTunes credits and nation-wide ATM fee refunds. When you qualify for your rewards, you receive nation-wide ATM fee refunds up to $5.00. To find out more, visit myncu.com.

Use Shared Branches

Credit unions across the country share facilities to give members thousands of convenient locations to perform transactions just as if they were at their own credit union. Use these locations to make cash withdrawals, deposits, loan payments and more. You just need your credit union’s name, your account number and a valid government-issued photo ID to take advantage of this convenient service. Use the service center locator to find a shared branch near you. I have personally used a shared branch. It’s very convenient and it’s not much different than being in your own branch, except that checks sometimes take an extra day to clear. However, you can still get cash back immediately when depositing checks.

Stop paying fees to access your own money. You work hard for your money, and you deserve as much of it as possible. NCU gives you alternatives that cost nothing. Use them to save time and money.

 

Need a New Household Appliance? Wait Until Memorial Day to Buy!

The state of Texas is giving you an opportunity to save hundreds of dollars on energy-saving appliances – not to mention the savings on your monthly electric bill. Memorial Day Weekend, May 28-30, 2011 is a Texas Energy Star sales tax holiday. You’ll pay no state or local sales tax on certain energy star products if you purchase them during that weekend.

This is a good deal even if your appliances still work well but are older. If you buy a refrigerator that costs $1,500, and you normally pay 8.25 percent sales tax, you’ll immediately save $123.75 by not paying tax. Plus, Energy Star refrigerators are required to use 20 percent less energy than a regular refrigerator, which shaves money off your energy costs down the road.

Many Energy Star products also qualify for rebates. The federal government is offering 10 percent off the cost of certain appliances and improvements, up to $500. Various energy companies also offer rebates or incentives on energy-saving appliances. And, some Energy Star appliances quality for income tax credits. When you take advantage of every offer available to you, your appliance could end up paying for itself in a very short amount of time.

Appliances that apply for the sales tax exemption include:

• Air conditioners priced at $6,000 or less
• Refrigerators priced at $2,000 or less
• Ceiling fans
• Incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs
• Washing machines
• Dishwashers
• Dehumidifiers
• Programmable thermostats

Energy Star is a joint program of the United States Environment Protection Agency and Department of Energy. Energy Star appliances meet rigorous standards for energy efficiency or water efficiency standards set by the federal government. The appliances use less energy, which is better for the environment and better on your household utility bill.

There are two websites you’ll want to visit before you shop. Texaspowerfulsmart.org provides information about the tax holiday, gives links for incentives from local energy companies and gives tip on becoming energy efficient. Energystar.gov is a comprehensive website that will tell you everything you need to know about Energy Star appliances, gives you information on rebates available from the federal government and provides an entire library of articles on energy efficiency.

Wait until Memorial Weekend to shop for your new energy efficient appliances. Then, come back here and let us know what good deals you walked away with.

If You Insist on Getting Mom Flowers, Don’t Pay Full Price

Last week, we gave you ideas for Mother’s Day gifts that don’t require much money, yet make a big impact. If you had the best of intentions but are running out of time, flowers are still a good back-up plan. Just don’t pay full price.

Much like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day seems to be an opportunity for florists to jack up their prices a lot.  There are ways around that. Here are some tips for saving money on Mother’s Day Flowers.

Don’t Pick from the Mother’s Day Section

When you order online, most florists give you the option to shop by price and occasion. Choose a more generic occasion like Thank You or Just Because. I do this all the time, because you can often get the same arrangement for a cheaper price. The card can still say Happy Mother’s Day, but why pay more for the flowers?

Go With Grower’s Choice

Look for an online category called Grower’s Choice or Florist Choice. When you purchase this option, you’re letting the grower of the flowers or the florist making the arrangement use what is most available in their inventory. That can save you $10 or more. You don’t get to see the arrangement before you buy it, but the flowers are still fresh and the arrangements are more unique.

Don’t Order a Vase

Sending flowers in a box is something most people don’t expect. It adds a bit of elegance to your gift and costs you less money. If Mom has plenty of vases sitting around the house, she’ll be happy to put your flowers in one of them.

Call a Florist in Mom’s Zip Code

Delivery charges often double the price of your flowers. That’s how companies like FTD and Teleflora make their money. They design the arrangements you see online and charge you for the convenience of locating a florist in the area where the recipient lives. Find a florist local to your mom. Call them directly and ask them to deliver their own unique arrangement instead of something designed by one of the aforementioned companies. Many florists wave the delivery fee with a minimum purchase requirement.

Of course, if mom lives nearby, pick up a beautiful floral arrangement at the grocery store and hand deliver them with a hug. They’re just as beautiful as the flowers you get from a florist. They just come with a smaller price tag.