Are You Staying Close To Home?

The price of gas remains near record highs. What does it mean for your family’s summer travel?

>> Tell us what you think. And share any stay-cation ideas you have!

5 Things You Can Do Today To Cut Costs

Believe it or not, holiday shopping is only six months away, and with gas and food prices making budgets even tighter, it’s a good idea to seek out a few quick cost-cutting ideas to be able to stay on track for your holiday savings.

Here are a few ideas worth mentioning:

1.  Learn to make one staple food item from scratch, instead of buying it pre-packaged.  Things like pancake mix, detergent or ice cream are all good options. 

2.  Put off buying new books, and use the public library or a book swap site. 

3.  Comparison shop for TV and wireless services, as well as find the cheapest gas near you with billshrink.com.  Billshrink.com claims, “Eight out of 10 people overpay for their cell phone service.” Do you? 

4.  Shop from your cupboards, instead of the store.  The average family spends more than $100 a week at the grocery store and if you can skip just one week, you will come out $100 ahead. Click here for a few other grocery shopping tips. 

5.  Use your bank’s ATMs to avoid foreign ATM fees.  If you are a CapFed customer, remember most all the Kansas and KC metro area Walgreen’s ATMs are free to use.  Plus there are several in-store locations for your convenience.  Also, limit your debit card transaction fees.  If you use a True Blue® Direct Debit card, be sure to swipe as “credit”.  If you swipe as “debit”, you could be charged a debit transaction fee.

>> Homemade detergent sounds a little scary!  Does anyone make their own?  Does it do the job?  And does it work in a front-end loader?

>> If you have any quick cost-cutting ideas, be sure to share with the community by replying to this post in the top right corner.

Happy National Transportation Week!

It may not be one of the biggies, one of the gift-giving celebrations, but this week, May 15 – 21, is National Transportation Week.

>> Let’s talk. What are some ways you’re saving money to combat rising gas prices?

Sometimes Overlooked Money Saving Tips

If you are on a fixed income and find that fuel costs or rising food prices are squeezing your budget, there are things you can do to cut back and trim expenses.

According to Andrea Downing Peck of AARP Bulletin, there are six things that are often overlooked when it comes to saving money.  They are: 

• Stop doing what you’ve always done. If you are no longer reading Better Home and Gardens, or are no longer active in professional or civic organizations, don’t renew the subscriptions and memberships.  Also, be sure to check credit cards statements to make sure you aren’t being charged for things that you don’t receive any benefit from anymore.

• Review charitable giving.  If you can no longer sustain the same amount of giving you’re used to, cut back. It’s important to check your spending and budget before any donation is made. Consider giving your time instead.

• Rethink your cell phone. If you rarely use it, consider canceling your service and carrying the phone just as an emergency link. In the United States and Canada, wireless carriers are required to connect all calls to 911, whether the cell phone account is active, past due or canceled.

• Reevaluate insurance needs. Review your life and auto coverage to ensure that policy details match your needs. Do you have kids at home? How many miles do your drive a year? Do you still commute? Consider adding roadside assistance to your auto policy rather than maintaining membership in an auto club.  Be sure to ask you agent for any discounts as well.

• Mine the Internet. Use the Web to find discounts, dinner specials or other dollar-stretching deals. Sites like Groupon and local Daily Deals sites are good for this.  Also, check coupon sites for electronic coupons that you can load directly onto your grocery shopper card. 

• Buy only what you need. Try to shop your house first so you know what you’ve got in the house and aren’t doubling up. 

>> If you have any money saving tips you could provide, please share by replying to this post.

Out with the Old

Unused items are piling up in storage, you’ve doubled up on electronics and it’s time to purge.  It might be hard work, but the benefits of holding a garage sale are numerous.  You get rid of stuff and make a little extra cash.

Since it’s now garage sale season, we thought we’d list some of the tried and true tips to holding a successful sale:

• Set a date when you can devote your full attention to the sale.  You can go solo, or enlist friends or family to join you.  The more stuff you have, the more enticing it is for people to stop.

• Be prepared for early birds, and even plan for them.  Set the coffee the night before and start early.  Sales on Thursdays can be popular.

• Display of your goods can make or break your sale.  Try to group similar things together, hang clothes on a line and clearly mark items.  Also, make sure your larger items are viewable from the road.

• Advertise, advertise and advertise.  Make signs for the end of the block, and place them on busy roads with large arrows.  Place an ad in the local newspaper, and also check online sources like Craigslist.  You can post certain items and mention your sale, or list your sale by itself.

• Price items for the purpose of your sale.  Are you there to make money? Or to just get rid of stuff?  Price everything with a tag.  And have a box of free items!

• Have fun.  Just think of all the new space you’re going to have and the extra cash in your pocket.

>> Do you have any garage sale tips that have worked in the past?  Or maybe you go to garage sales regularly and can offer some tips to sellers?

Gas Prices Got You Down?

Who hasn’t noticed the increase in gas prices lately?

Just last week, gas prices were up by 98.5 cents or 33.8 percent, from the year-ago average of $2.911 per gallon.  These are the highest levels they have been since August 2008, with really no reprieve in sight, as the summer driving season approaches.  Since gas is nearing $4 per gallon, this is a good time to remember some of the ways to increase your mileage.  

MSNBC.com offers these 9 tips: 

• Avoid rapid acceleration, harsh braking and speeding.

• Slow down.  According to fueleconomy.gov, for every five miles per hour that exceeds 60 mph, drivers pay an equivalent of about 24 cents more for each gallon of gas. 

• Leave extra weight at home to lighten the load on your car.

• Use cruise control (but only if on relatively flat terrain).

• Skip the drive-thru, or needless idling.  An idling vehicle can burn as much as one gallon if it idles for an hour.

• Make sure your tire pressure is correct.

• Replace spark plugs.  The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence indicates that bad spark plugs can decrease fuel economy by up to 30 percent, and can cost drivers up to about 94 cents per gallon at today’s prices. 

• Make sure the alignment on your car is correct to avoid dragging and uneven tire wear.

• Fill your tank at the coolest point in the day, usually either early in the morning or late in the day. The fuel will be denser at that time, which means that you can pump more gas into your tank.

If you are planning an upcoming road trip, you can use AAA’s fuel cost estimator to help set your budget.  The AAA fuel cost calculator estimates the amount and cost of gasoline needed to drive from one location to another using current gasoline prices from their daily, online Fuel Gauge Report, as well as the latest highway fuel economy ratings from the EPA. 

And finally, do you want to find the cheapest gas in your area?  Check out AAA’s Fuel Price Finder.  Simply click here, enter your zip code and check the up-to-date price listing. 

>> Do you have any gas-saving tips?  We are all dying to know!

Get Creative with Summer Child Care

The school year is nearing an end – do you have plans for the kids this summer?

It can be a challenge to come up with a plan that excites, educates and entertains your child(ren), but doesn’t bust your household budget.  There are alternatives to the traditional full-day summer camp, but it takes some planning.

• Create a Child Care Co-Op
  Talk with other families in your neighborhood or in your child’s class at school about sharing child care coverage.  Each parent can take a week of vacation to watch the group, depending on the size of your group.  Consider how many kids everyone in the co-op can fit in their car, the compatibility and interests of the group, a convenient meeting place and drop-off/pick-up times, and each family’s expectations of the group. The co-op can not only save the cost of summer camp but bring a nice variety to the summer, as every parent is sure to bring different ideas and plans to the group.  And, the co-op idea can extend to days the kids are off during the school year too.

• Find a Responsible College Student
  Ask your friends, family, coworkers and neighbors for recommendations of college students who might be looking for summer work. Meet with the potential summer nanny, and determine if he or she is prepared to provide more than just ‘babysitting’. Find one who is enthusiastic to put together a plan for summer with the kids, mixing fun with structured activities. Clearly outline compensation and expectations in writing.

• Check Out Day Camps
  Research day camps available in your area at high schools, universities, churches, community centers and parks.  There are camps available for many interests, from academic to athletic to crafts or hobbies.

• KC Summer Camps
• KC Kids Fun Summer Camps  
• KC Parent Magazine Camp Guide

• Johnson County Parks & Recreation 

• Motherandchildreunion.com
  • Johnson Couny area 
  • Eastern Kansas (including Topeka and Lawrence) 

• Topeka Summer Camps 

• Wichita Summer of Discovery 

• Find Volunteer Opportunities
  Seek out organizations that might be looking for volunteers.  Your student can learn skills while providing community service.  Look to churches, parks and recreation programs and local philanthropies for opportunities in your community.

>> What do you have planned for the kids to do when school is out?

>> What do you feel is a suitable age to allow young people to stay on their own during the summer?

>> Would you prefer if your school system offered year-round classes?

Looking to Save a Little Extra?

Put away the plastic! 

Research has shown that consumers spend more money when paying with credit cards than with cash. 

It could be because it’s hard to give up actual dollar bills, or because credit cards are so easy to use  (out of sight and out of mind, with no math required!)

Either way, you end up spending more in the long run when you don’t carry around cash, or even a debit card.

Credit cards are useful and easy, and they can provide great benefits. But, be aware that they can also stifle your savings plans.

>> Do you manage your credit cards or do they manage you?

Summer Airfare That Won’t Break the Bank

Searching for affordable summer air travel, especially now, is an immense task.  With fuel prices already high and airlines limiting seats available, finding a flight within your budget could prove difficult.  Have no fear though – it is possible to fly to the beach or our Nation’s capitol this summer for a fair price, you just need to keep a few things in mind.

• Start early and search often. (Early means about 3-4 months prior to your departure date.)    Farecompare.com offers an extensive guide on the best time to buy a plane ticket and provides detailed insight into the airline industry.  Read more here.

• Know how much you want to spend and jump on a good deal when you see it.  Good flight prices go fast.

• Be flexible. Always leave mid-week, if you can.  And take a look at other airports in the area.  If you typically leave from KCI, consider smaller airports in Manhattan, Wichita, Columbia or Springfield, MO.

• Use flight search applications – beyond Expedia, Travelocity and Priceline.  Here are a few: ITA Software, Booking Buddy, FareCompare or SkyScanner. ITA is always a good place to start because you can mark a destination and also pull in results for other airports within a 300-mile radius.  This is the type of source travel agents use. 

• Consider fees. In today’s world, it isn’t just about the flight price anymore; you have to also consider the baggage fees.  Airfarewatchdog.com provided an updated fees chart on March 22 for most airlines. Be sure to include these fees into the price for an accurate total. 

• Seek help and advice. If all else fails, look for advice and tips on other websites, forums or blogs.  People monitor airlines for a living and share their knowledge on a plethora of websites.  Some useful sites include: FareCompare Blog, Fodor’s Air Travel Community, FlyerTalk, and Airfarewatchdog Blog. 

And always sign up for airlines’ e-newsletters and follow them on Twitter and Facebook!

Not too worried about the price of airfare, but looking for the least agonizing trip?  HipMunk is to the rescue.  This quirky website, proclaimed as the “better flight search”, shows you your search results by agony, price, stops or duration. 

>> Where are you going this summer and have you purchased airfare yet?
Any tips you could give to the community?

Local Deals, Unbeatable Prices

Really good deals are hard to pass up, especially when extra money for nights out on the town or for spa days is harder to come by.  Enter several of the social buying sites that have exploded in popularity during the past year.  These sites promise one steep discount per day, usually between 50 to 90 percent off.  The social aspect of the site is that a certain number of buyers must purchase the deal before it is available, but with such fantastic deals, rarely are there not enough buyers.

These deals can be perfect for trying out new activities, treating a family member to a birthday dinner or saving money at a place you already patronize.

Don’t go overboard, though – the idea is to stretch your budget and enjoy a treat every now and then, not to buy too many and go broke.

Tip for your summer vacation: Check out cities you might be visiting for vacation and see if you can take advantage of an excellent hotel or restaurant deal.  You are able to purchase deals from any city – not just the one where you reside.

Local sites for superb deals:

• Groupon – 
  available for Wichita, Kansas City, Topeka/Lawrence and several cities across the country

• DealGarden – 
  available for Topeka, Manhattan and Lawrence

• Daily Deal! – 
  available for Topeka and surrounding areas

• Living Social – 
  available for Kansas City

>> Have you purchased a Groupon yet?  What’s the best coupon you’ve snagged?  Know of other money saving sites?  Let the community know – click ‘Reply’ above to join the conversation.