This is some great advice on ways to keep money in your pocket from Consumer Reports.

1. Don't assume sales in circulars are sales!
   A lot of times, merchants are paying to place themselves in these ads. Therefore, an advertised price may be their normal price. Do your research.
2. Evaluate Endcaps Carefully
   Just because an item is on an endcap doesn't mean it is a good deal. A lot of times stores use these to move items that are close to expiration. I never realized this before.
3. Compare Unit Prices
   You would think bigger bulk packages save you money. This can be true but not always. The store price tags will display the price per unit...judge the savings with these.
4. Beware of Temptation
   This is especially true with children. Stores love to put us parents on the spot at the cashier. They have you trapped as you begin to unload the groceries and all the goodies are at eye-level. These are higher priced than the packaged ones. Explain this to your children.
5. Clip Coupons
   Everyone knows I am a coupon clipper. You can save a lot of money using coupons from the Sunday paper as well as online coupon sites: www.couponmom.com, www.coolsavings.com, www.valpak.com and www.smartsou8rce.com

There are always ways to save money, you just have to be willing to do some legwork.

About a month ago, we started the refi process on our house. We are refinancing to a 15-year loan for a 4.5% rate. The rates just became too low to look away any longer. Last week, Wells Fargo sent out our appraiser and we crossed our fingers things would go well. Under normal circumstances, I know our house would appraise very well...but this market throws a wrench in things. We have done major work in our house in the six years we have owned it so help the resale. We have updated the kitchen, rebuilt a larger backdeck and renovated our backyard completely, we have even replaced all the plumbing in our house. And yes, I have kept a spreadsheet of everything we have done over the years and their costs (sorry, that's the geek in me).

The refi really hinges on the appraisal. When we purchased our house, we had a big enough down payment to avoid PMI. I have had a few friends refinance their house only to have the house not appraise high enough (given the market). So the amount of equity in the house doesn't make the 20% and they had to pay more to avoid PMI or be stuck paying PMI. We have lived in this house for six years and always done biweekly mortgage payments to pay down principle quicker so I was hopeful the appraisal would not diminsh that.

Wells Fargo called this week saying our appraisal report has been completed and the refi is now moving along. As she talked, each sentence seemed longer and longer as I waited to find out what the house appraised for. Thankfully, our house value did go by 10% since we have purchased it. Should have been much more in a normal market but I can let go of that until we actually need to sale. As for the refi, going up is good! So now the process moves on....

Many of you probably already know that a credit card legislation passed the Senate yesterday. Allow me to give you the nitty-gritty on how this legislation really works. Sure, at first glance it is yea for consumers. But remember what your parents always said "Read the fine print."

Hooray for Consumers:

• Restrictions on Increasing Interest Rates: Generally, banks must wait until you are 60 days late on the minimum payment to raise the interest rate of your existing debt.
• 45 Day Notice: Credit companies must give 45 day notice before raising your interest rate.
• Notice for any Changing in Terms: This is excellent. This keeps the companies from screwing you out of any of your loyalty points or rewards programs without warning.
• 21 Day Bill: The banks have to send you the bill NO LATER than 21 days before it is due. This keeps them from using time on their side to collect late fees as the sneaky companies have been doing.
• Late Fees: The companies cannot charge you late fees if the bill is paid at 5pm instead of 8am. Or if the due date is on a Sunday or Holiday...this now is in favor of the consumer.
• High-Interest Debt First: This is one of my biggest pet peeves about the credit industry. From now on, credit card companies have to apply your payment to the higher interest debt first.
• Under 21, Good Luck: If you are under 21, you have a parent, guardian, or spouse co-sign. I know my kids won't get one!

While there are numerous other points to this bill, these are the highlights and how they affect us. While I don't think credit card companies are all bad, I just don't see the point in using them in daily life. That being said, credit cards are good if used correctly. For instance, American Express extends the life of a product's warranty by one year if you purchase it with an American Express. So you can believe I buy all my electronics with it!

Thought I would post a few good "daily deals" websites. Who doesn't love a good deal?

Bantler - a good place that compiles one day, one deal specials

Woot! - One of my all-time favorites. Typically, one deal a day but occasionally we are blessed with the Woot Off!

DealNews - compiles several good deals and sales posted online and grades them with a hotness score.

Now go scour good deals and save money!

Today, I am posting a guest article written by a reader of Beef Up Your Piggy. I thought this article was very timely considering I have a few friends who have recently left the 9 to 5 working world for the 24/7 world of mothering. So without further ado...

Whether you long to be a stay-at-home parent or your spouse has recently lost their job, there are many families that face the difficult task of trying to find a way to live on one income. For many families the thought of living off of one income, especially during a recession seems like an impossible feat, however it is possible to not only survive but thrive living on a reduced income. The following tips can help if you are thinking about or forced to make ends meet with less money.

Review Your Expenses- This piece of advice can not me mentioned enough in relation to better money management. All families or individuals should track their expenses to have a solid understanding of where money is spent. This includes monthly financial obligations, savings contributions and “spending” money. If you drive your own vehicle to work, dine out for lunch, pay for child care or have other business expenses be sure to make those adjustments to your budget. While it is true that you earn more money each day than you spend on these costs- you may be surprised how much money you will save by not working. Once you have a handle on what you are currently spending you can find areas to cut costs which is a common goal during rough economic times and especially important when there is less money incoming.

Make Lifestyle Adjustments- Two income families have become common in recent years and the standard of living has increased as a result. Now more and more families need both incomes to maintain the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed. When you remove one source of income you will have to adjust your day-to-day living accordingly. This will probably involve a lot of scaling back and careful consideration of what is really important for the happiness and security of your family. For some families the concessions may be small things such as dining out less or cutting entertainment costs. Other families might sell one of the family cars or possibly even downsize their home. Lifestyle adjustments will vary based on starting income levels, the amount of income lost and the amount of savings or debt involved.

Saving Money- If you have the advantage of knowing in advance that your income will be reduced, saving money while both parties are working is imperative. By padding your savings account you place yourself in a better position in the future to deal with unexpected expenses or financial emergencies. A great way to save money before the transition would be to start living as a one-income family while banking the income of the person who will be leaving the workforce.

Eliminate Debt- If you have high interest debt living on two incomes can be a challenge, which makes the option of living on one income nearly impossible. Make every effort to reduce or eliminate your debt and you will find it is much easier to survive with less money.

Living on one-income can be a challenging and difficult adjustment, especially if the decision was not yours to make. If you can make the sacrifices necessary to survive on one income you may be surprised at the benefits. There are opportunities to pursue other goals such as having more time with your children or starting your own business. If you can make the situation work for your family the quality of life for everyone affected can improve.

Trisha Wagner is a freelance writer for DepositAccounts.com where you can compare rates of deposit accounts from dozens of banks in one place. Trisha writes regularly on the topics of personal finance and savings accounts.

I know it has been about a month since I have posted anything on here. I apologize for that! My day job has been crazy busy and I have not had the energy at the end of my long day to post. I do have a few things on my mind that I want to discuss. So bear with me as I am ramping back into blog-mode.

The biggest news for me? - We are in the process of refinancing our home. We currently have a 30 year fixed loan at 5.5%...pretty low anyway. So I haven't pursued a refi based on the 1 point rule. If you want to refinance, look for at least 1 point lower and plan to stay in the house for 3 years or more. We have decided to refinance to a 15 year loan at 4.5% rate. And I have arranged for our mortgage company to withdraw half the mortgage every two weeks. This gives us one full extra payment towards our principal each year.

I called our mortgage company Friday and began the refi process. Our payment will increase by $200 each month because we are doing a 15 year loan. But we will be building our equity twice as fast. I have already been pre-approved for the refi but now we are waiting on the appraiser to contact us to begin the appraisal process.

I have heard from several friends that the appraisal process is much more detailed now, so we hope it goes well.

Sorry for the low activity on the blog lately. My day job has been a bit crazy and my husband has switched to evening shift. So I am taking a bit to adjust to the workload, both at work and at home. I will be back online posting soon. Feel free to email me if you want to see posts on any particular subjects.

Thank you for understanding and emailing!

It is a Woot Off day on Woot! The deals come as quick as they sell out. Be sure to check this site often today because you can pick up some great buys. Not to mention, when the deals are really good...you can try and resale them on eBay. Enjoy!

I know we have all had our 401(k) accounts depleted with this economy. I usually check our retirement and investment accounts on a monthly basis but have stopped. I decided that I did not need that depressing monthly reminder. I have even thought about transitioning my investments to take them out of the stock market. However, I have decided in my situation to leave all monies where they are. I am in my early thirties so I have time for my money to recover.

So for those of us that do have time to allow the market to recover, I did some research for us.

• Nearly one-third of those who participate in a 401(k) plan lost 30% or more last year.
• If you were fully invested in the S&P 500 from December 31, 1997, through December 31, 2007, you would have received an annualized return of 4.2%. But if you missed out on the index's 30 best days during that time period, you would have suffered average annual losses of 7.2%.

What does this mean?

• Keep your money invested. Keep contributing!
• You do not want to miss out on the stocks recovery.
• Plus, if you stop putting money in your 401(k), you'll miss out on a valuable tax deduction. For instance, if you contribute $4,000 to the plan (and are in the 25% tax bracket), you'll save $1,000 in income taxes -- and even more when you include state tax savings.

I am still holding back on buying an iPhone just yet. I do like all the cool applications they offer but am still not looking to spend that much on a phone and a data plan each month. However, if you want an iPhone but the thought of being forced into a contract stops you in your tracks...no worries.

AT&T will be offering no-contract iPhones starting next Thursday (March 26) for $599 or $699. The only catch is that it is an AT&T locked phone. Technically, you could purchase the phone and cancel your service the following day and eat the cost of activation and a month's service.

I have mentioned before that my husband is a detective. In April, it is his turn to rotate to night shift...well, evening shift. When my oldest child was a baby, he voluntarily worked this shift so we never had to worry about childcare. It was wonderful! He switched back to day shift when my daughter was born because we knew the lack of sleep with a baby would not cater to that schedule. However, our daughter is almost two and my son is four years old today!

He is rotating shifts in April due to scheduling at work, but I am excited about how much money we can start saving again since we will not have to pay his mom to be our full-time nanny. He only works four days a week so we have been paying for full-time nanny (in addition to our son's preschool) for four days a week - That runs us $400 a week for childcare alone. It has been worth every penny we have paid but I am welcoming the chance to save money again. We have pulled back a lot of our Roth contributions to afford her care. I would like to continue to live as though we are paying for her, but sock that money away in an emergency savings fund.

With the economy sinking down the toilet, experts are now saying we should have 8 months of living expenses in an emergency savings fund. That is scary since we definitely do not have that much. That is good for losing a job but what happens when you lose a job and your car dies or your roof needs to be replaced? Better get ready. I don't know about you, but our family seems to have Murphy's Luck.

Growing up, I had several friends that were given money based on their report cards. You know the idea. They would get $10 for each A, $5 for each B, and so on. I remember thinking how easy that money would be. Like taking candy from a baby. After all, I was bringing home A's and B's every report card already. There was a difference in my parent's house. I was expected to study hard and get good grades for myself and my future...not for money. My only job was to study hard and get good grades....oh, and not make a fool of my parents in public.

Do you think it is a good idea to tie money reward to grades? I can certainly get behind the rewards part of a report card. But do you think it should be money? Some argue that job performance ties directly to your raises, so what's the difference. I think there is a huge difference. I realize that some people do work solely for the paycheck. But many of us work because it gives us a personal satisfaction...something to be proud of and improve.

It is a slippery slope parents create when you start using money to encourage what children should naturally be doing anyway...LEARNING. Grades are an indicator that your child is learning and on the right path. This is something they should be expected to do anyway, not because they will get $50 or a new video game. Who is really in control when this transaction takes place? And what happens when children get an after-school part-time job? Parents: You will lose the leverage.

My mom was a teacher and my dad has always pushed the importance of education, even opening a tutoring business for several years. We always knew how they felt about obtaining education and learning. I worked for good grades because I wanted good grades. I would bring my report card home and loved hearing my parents give compliments...that is a better feeling than any $10 could ever bring. I think we should be holding higher standards for our kids...they will live up to the level you expect of them.

I'm sorry for not posting anything in the last few days. My day job has been extremely busy during the day and my little ones have been keeping me busy at home. I will try to get back on track!

I am a regular reader of True Credit by TransUnion. This site has several good ideas and tips for the everyday finance issues and dilemmas we all face. Last week, they posted survey results about employers' habits that will make those tired eyes open. Their survey found that 16% of all employers check your credit reports before offering any jobs. That is 1 out of 6 employers.

Many people think our credit reports only matter when you need to buy a house or a car. As I've said before, these very tangible reports are a reflection of our responsibility and stability. Employers are using these to see how stable you are with your own life. In their heads, if you can't handle paying your own bills on time and in a responsible way, how can you handle the company's budget or deadlines in a responsible way.

Check your credit report multiple times throughout the year. This will give you the time to correct any inaccuracies before they become a problem.
AnnualCreditReview.com is the site you should use for a free credit report from the 3 bureaus each year.

Every year, Forbes ranks millionaires and billionaires alike. Most years I read up on the self made winners as opposed to the heirs to learn their path to success. Each year, I am impressed by the levels of success and their bottom line worth. These are successful business people or industry heirs that have a great deal of power and money.

This year....I am sickened by who Forbes decided to rank as #701. Joaquin Guzman Loera, aka "El Chapo", has accumulated $1 billion. What do you think of when someone has a nickname? Generally speaking, my thoughts go to "The Godfather", "Teflon Don", "Sammy the Bull" - you get the idea...it does not usually smell of legitimacy. And in this case, that stands true. "El Chapo" is the head of the one of the biggest suppliers of cocaine to the US. He is a fiercely wanted man in Mexico after escaping from Federal prison in 2001. The U.S. government is offering $5 million for his capture. Forbes actually lists his industry as "shipping." UH...REALLY? I mean that is about as accurate as saying Osama Bin Laden is a political activist.

Joaquin Guzman Loera is Mexico's version of Pablo Escobar. My husband's family is from Medellin, Colombia. I am very familiar with Escobar's story and have heard more stories from his inner circle than I care to admit. Escobar took very good care of the city of Medellin and the people that lived there. He funded schools and parks and made sure the people of the city were happy. Do you think he did this from the goodness of his heart? NO! Simply put, he did this to keep the city people in his pocket. He did this so the people would protect him, including people that did not know him. Why would the city's people turn him in or create problems if he was helping their children get educations and have better amenities. Does this make him a good citizen? No, the exploitation of people is still just that. Exploitation. Forbes should not be listing Guzman as a shipping genius worth $1 billion. I think it dirties the list and rankings. He is a criminal and a drug kingpin...that's it.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, it is always a smart idea to compare credit card offers. CreditCardFlyers is a good website that will allow you compare several cards and/or rewards in one place. Let them do all the research for you and you save time and money. In this tough economy market, we all need to save time and money!