Target is doing a special promotion for their optical service. It could end any time but will definitely end no later than April 29th..

Children 12 and under can get a free pair of glasses.

They need to bring in a valid prescription for glasses from their doctor and Target will let the child pick from about 40 different frames. They will place their best lenses in the frames which are non-glare and scratch resistant and normally sell for $200.00. There are no income guidelines. Any child 12 or under is eligible.

You can find stores with optical departments at www.target.com to confirm they are participating before making a trip to their store.

Please pass this information on to anyone who can benefit from this promotional offer. If you know someone with lost or broken glasses please share this information with them ASAP, as the promotion could end at any time. They would like families to come in as soon as they can.

It appears that his approach is to make sure that he remains liquid.  If you are really low on money, this approach will make sure you have money in your pocket at all times.  You will always be able to buy gas to get to work, etc.  The only problem is that things cost more, each time you make a purchase.

The way I make my purchases is to alot a certain amount of money for 2 weeks of groceries.  It’s usually more than is needed, which means I am able to stock up on some things.  I would prefer to have 4 weeks of groceries at the house than to have that money in my pocket.

You decide…and let me know how you handle the whole grocery thing.

If you are ready to get your yard ready, but you feel compelled to do it cheaply…or free, here are some ideas that can get you going in the right direction:

1. Golf Shoes - Put on a pair of golf shoes and take a stroll around your yard for 15-20 minutes.  Make sure you get into the corners and that you follow a pattern so you can hit every part of the yard.  In the spring, you should core aerate your yard.  If you don’t want to rent an aerator, golf shoes will do an OK job and won’t cost you any money.
2. Overseeding – I can’t help you with this one, other than to say that you should reduce the size of your yard by setting up a garden.  This will reduce the amount of seed you need to purchase.  You can also just skip overseeding and let your yard thicken naturally.  This will take years, though so be prepared to have some patience while your neighbor spends hundreds of dollars to make you look bad.
3. Fertilizer – YES, you can make your own fertilizer.  Instead of wasting two more sentences talking about something I know nothing about, here are some links where you can find out more:
   • Make your own fertilizer
   • You can make your own fertilizers
   • How to Make Your Own Fertilizer
4. Catch the Rain -  If you want to water your yard and not have to pay a fortune, you can catch the rain water.  This is something I am going to try this year.  It’s somewhat difficult if you live in an area that has a lot of mosquitos because they breed in water.  You can’t have an open-top rain catcher.  Here are some links to some ways to make your own rain catcher.
   • How to Make Your Own Rain Barrel
   • How To Build A Rain Barrel
   • Make A Rain Barrel

I hope this information helps you save some money and get your yard ready for spring.

• Saving Money Isn’t Everything

Last week, I decided to loosen the purse strings a little.  The girls and I ate out a time or two last week.  Friday, we went to see Monsters vs. Aliens (unfortunately NOT in 3D).  On Saturday, I took the girls to Dave and Busters, where we at then played games (at least until my oldest lost all of the tickets and had a fit…so we left).

What I am getting at is that you should not save money to the exclusing of all else.  You can spend a little money to make the people in your life happy.  Last week, we went to D&B’s (which I had a coupon for a free $20 game card if you bought one).  This week, we are going bowling.  I have a coupon for an hour of free bowling for up to 4 people.  Grandma is going with us.

1.) Loan reinstatement is where a lender has started the foreclosure process and the homeowner finds a way to pay back or “reinstate” the entire deficiency owed. The deficiency amount includes back loan principal and interest payments, accelerated interest costs, attorney’s fees, assorted processing and collection expenses, and late penalty charges. This technique requires the maximum amount of money all at once. Ironically, lenders recently indicated that pre-payment penalties may be included into final judgments in the near future.

When the homeowner’s reason for the delinquency is resolved, he usually asks the lender to take partial payments because he can’t get the entire deficiency amount together. However, the lender will not accept partial payments and the foreclosure will proceed if the full reinstatement amount isn’t paid. The reason for this is simple, the lender knows that the homeowner’s chance of getting out of, and staying out of foreclosure is less than 1 in 8. So the lender does not want to drag out the inevitable, the loss of the home to foreclosure.

2.) A forbearance agreement between the lender and the homeowner stipulates that the homeowner must make additional monthly payments for a specific period to make up the reinstatement amount that he couldn’t pay in full. As simple as it sounds, it may be unaffordable for the homeowner who could barely afford the original loan payment. The lender will usually ask that the homeowner pay the reinstatement amount over a three or six month period. If the monthly loan payment was $2,000 per month and he was 3 months in arrears, the new monthly payment for a three month period would be at least $2,000 + $6,000/3 = $4,000 per month. For a six month repayment schedule the new monthly payment would be $2,000 + $6,000/6 = $3,000 per month. In some instances the lender may ask for an additional cash payment before they will start the increased monthly payments. After the 3 or 6 months, the loan payments revert to the original amount or $2,000 in the above example. The foreclosure does not stop with the signing of the forbearance agreement but simply is put on hold until the homeowner completes making all the increased payments.

When you speak to your lender try for 12 months and don’t accept less than 9 months unless you can truly afford it! Ask them to review your financial statement, which they should readily send you and remember that the lender has already pulled your credit report and knows where you work, possibly how much you make, how many other monthly payments you have, and other information in the public records. They have also done a price analysis on your home and probably had a Broker’s Price Opinion (BPO) completed. Essentially they know what answers you should be giving them, so be forewarned. This method of reinstatement takes as much money as the loan reinstatement except it is spread over 3 – 6 months or, hopefully, more.

3.) A loan modification program was the most common method of foreclosure resolution for decades. It involved the lender issuing a new loan agreement where the deficiency amount was added to the loan balance and paid in identical monthly payments but for many more months, at the end of the loan. The monthly payments remained the same and if the home was sold, the balance of the reinstatement amount was paid from the proceeds of the sale. This method of resolution requires no up-front cash and the same monthly payment as before the foreclosure.

Another type of loan modification was to very slightly increase the monthly payments over the remaining term of the loan. So the homeowner has a choice of either extended but identical payments (as above), or slightly higher payments for the original term of the loan. Either option repaid the lender his money back plus interest. It was an affordable win-win for the lender and the homeowner, but is seldom offered anymore unless the lender knows the property is not worth taking back by foreclosure and he hasn’t sold the loan into a mortgage pool.

Loan modification programs are usually not available unless there is a hardship involved such as a job loss, death or illness. But it is worth asking your lender about it if you are in foreclosure because the market conditions and massive loan defaults puts pressure on the lenders to be more cooperative with homeowners. Your best option is to talk to your lender and as early as possible so you have time to resolve your problem.

About The Author
Dave Dinkel is the author of http://www.StopMyForeclosureMess.com “32 Ways to Quickly Stop Foreclosure and has helped thousands of foreclosure victims for nearly 33 years. If you are facing foreclosure, visit http://www.StopMyForeclosureMess.com StopMyForeclosureMess.com for guaranteed solutions.

If there is one thing that you can be sure of regarding the economy it is this: it will change. Like most other things in life the economy goes through cycles and while you may not be able to predict when things will improve or decline you can bet that they will. As families struggle through the current recession it is important to remember that this is not the first nor the last time that the economy will take a turn for the worse. In knowing this you should also know there are a few simple ways to prepare you finances to ensure you weather the current cycle and remain in a position to benefit when the economy takes it’s next turn; hopefully for the better.

1. Have multiple streams of income- A few decades ago it was standard procedure to graduate from either high school or college and establish yourself with a company for the long haul. Those times have changes and if you wish to be financially secure it is important to understand the benefit of having multiple streams of income. Even if you have a great job with a great salary in times when the economy falters layoffs and downsizing become a reality many people are simply not prepared for. If you depend on just one source of income and you lose that income your finances can quickly take a turn for the worse. If you are fortunate enough to have a severance package you may be able to live off of that for a period of time, but you will eventually have to find another job and in the interim you may have to dip into your savings to survive.
2. Diversity is the key- Similar to the first tip, having a diverse portfolio is the best way to protect yourself from losing everything in one fell swoop. The economy is simply not predictable enough at any time to have all of your eggs in one basket. Your age and the age at which you want to retire play a big factor in how risky you want to be in the market, but you should always spread your investments in a way that some money is safely tucked away slowly making more money.
3. Manage your debt- An import lesson was brought to attention in the last year. Millions of people have learned that their spending and saving habits leave a lot to be desired. If you have debt now is the time to tackle it once and for all. If you can do it on your own by cutting costs and focusing serious energy and efforts toward debt reduction- then by all means go for it. Keep in mind that you will likely have to take a serious look at your lifestyle and make appropriate changes to ensure you do not dig yourself out of debt only to find yourself back in debt from using credit cards or overspending. If you are overwhelmed and your debt is making it impossible to move forward financially it is time to look into the various debt relief options available to you.

Managing your finances does not have to be a game of chance, by using common sense and paying attention to where your money is coming from and going you should be able to stabilize your finances without much difficulty.

My idea is simple.  I am going to give myself 1 month get get the site ready for a sale.  During that time, I’ll be driving traffic, improving the existing content, and anything else I can think of to improve the site.  I am hoping one of two things happens:  either I like the end result so much that I decide to continue forward, or someone likes the site enough to purchase it.

Please give me your thoughts and comments about this.

Thanks for your continued support.

• If you pay for trash removal, cancel your service and go in together with your neighbor (or just put your trashin front of his house).
• Wait to wash your dishes until the dishwasher is completely full.
• Turn your computer(s) off at night.
• Don’t run the water while you are brushing your teeth.
• Wash your clothes only in cold water.
• Use the back side of previously-printed on paper in your printer, unless you are printing a non-draft item
• Use your cruise control
• Take your lunch to work.

There are lot more ideas on saving money, but here is something you can do to kick start your efforts.  Pick 2 consecutive days during the week and implement every money-saving option on those 2 days.  It will help you get into the habit.

Happy Saving…

• Free Food
• Is buying a refurbished product a bad thing?

Used is not always a bad thing

Have you ever purchased a used car?  Do you buy things on the clearance rack at the store?  Do you buy items when the packaging has been ripped or is open?  I do.

I was recently considering purchasing two boxes of cereal that had open boxes.  The inner packaging was still sealed.  It looked like the bottoms of the boxes had not been properly glued shut at the factory.

There was probably nothing wrong with that cereal, just like there is nothing wrong with most products that are marked “remanufactured” or “refurbished”.  I purchased a refurbished 22inch monitor a couple of years ago and it’s still working.  I’ve had no trouble with it.

It’s been a while, so I can’t be completely sure, but I believe my laptop was a floor model.

A lot of times, when an item is marked “remanufactured” or “refurbished”, people automatically thing “USED”.  Used has a negative connotation, most-like brought on by the perponderence of lemons in the used car market.

When it comes to saving money, “refurbished” or “remanufactured” products can be a BIG money saver.

Some reasons for a product being marked as such can be:

- The box came open at the factory, therefore the packaging did not pass quality control
- The box arrived at the destination open and was sent back
- Someone purchased the item, then returned it.  Although the product may have been used, it was sent back to the factory and went through quality control and testing a second time.

Companies want their products to work when you recieve them.  They don’t want to have to take a product back because it did not work.  In fact, there may even be additional scrutiny in items that come back to the factory for that exact reason.

By the way, if this is a high-dollar purchase, you will most likely get the full manufacturers warranty on the product, even if it has been refurbished.  Make sure and check into this before making your purchase.

• How To Enjoy The Good Life While Living On A Budget
• Quick Tip

Living On A Budget

Do you always feel the shortage of money before the next pay packet? Do you want to upgrade you television set since last couple of years but are always short of cash? If you aim for a better standard of living and are targeting for a long term financial security then a proper budget planning is a must. You should try living on basic budget and start investing the surplus for a better return.

The most common problems faced across majority of working household in America is their inability to meet the basic living expenses which in turns speaks volumes about the economic health of the country. Living on basic budget means having sufficient amount of funds which will help you maintain and sustain a decent standard of living in a safe and secure community. Family’s basic budget is dependent on the number of factors like the number of children in the household, if you are a single parent, number of earning members in the family and state where you are residing in. While planning a budget the expenditure on following essentials should always be kept in mind:-

• Accommodation – Set aside an amount which you need to pay as a rent if staying in a rented apartment or keep aside the amount you need to pay as you monthly installment if you own private property.
• Food – You need to plan your budget to provide your family with a balanced nourishing diet
• Health care – It always better to have medical cover in case of emergencies for all your family members so do make plans to pay regular premiums for renewing these medical policies
• Taxes – Taxes which needs to be paid to the federal and state government should also be taken into account
• Education and child care – If you are pursuing any part time course or are paying education loan consider that amount in the budget. If having children in the family then a definite amount should be set aside for their education and health care need
• Other needs – Other factors such as transportation, personal grooming, clothing and other miscellaneous expenditures like paying of bills should also be included while planning a budget

You can plan you basic budget using simple pen and paper or Microsoft excel spread sheet. Alternatively, you can also download budgeting software from net. By keeping a track of your income and your expenditure, you can easily find out the surplus cash which can be used for investment and savings. In this way you can also be made aware of the shortages which will prompt you to cut the corners. Neilson research shows that, if you are living on basic budget and keeping track of all the inflow and outflow of cash you can actually save 15-20% of your yearly income. Keeping a track of your personal expenditure will also help you in faster clearing off your debts , plan for all the fun stuff like movies , basketball match tickets , keep a track of spending habits of your children and also instill in them the value of money.

So keep a track of your income and spending habits and plan your budget, this will definitely let you enjoy all the goodness of life while still living on basic budget.

• Free $10 Gift Card
• Rediscover Your Local Library

I’ve been coming to the library for years.  It seems that as the economy got worse, more and more people showed up at the library.

I am typing this post on the library’s WiFi (once it finally started working…must be the weather).  Both of my daughters are on the computers here also.  We have a “library night” one night a week.  They get to check out books, movies and catridges for the leap frog and leap pad.

The library is safe, warm when it’s cold out and cool when it’s warm out, well lit, and quiet.  I’ve always loved book stores…and libraries are a close runner up.