Michael’s and Joann’s

Well, I love to craft. I’ve been going to Michael’s and Joann’s for years, and more so now than ever since I started scrapbooking. I love getting my coupons for Joann’s and disliked not having coupons for Michaels. Unfortunately, Michael’s only print coupons on Sunday Newspaper ads and some magazines. And there are even Sundays that they don’t have an ad there. Boo!

Anyway, I heard that you can use Joann coupons at Michael’s and the other way around. So one day I tried it. And what did you know… it worked! woohoo!

Finally, a little treat

So, i actually received a check from my work last week. No it’s still not a “paycheck,” (<— since I’m still having to fight with my Disability Insurance and Kaiser.

It’s a small bonus we sometimes get every February if we meet our company target.

So, I think hubby being so nice to be paying for all the bills deserve a little treat.  I’m getting him (or should I say US a new point and shoot camera).

I really liked the FUJI we bought about 2 years ago but the flash hasn’t been working properly and our toddler probably dropped it so many times that the screen has weird lines on it already.  

We have a Sony SLR which we got for a great price, but it doesn’t do videos.  That’s why we have to get a point and shoot.  Especially with baby Elle coming, we have to make sure we capture all her memories with her big brother, so we can post them on YOUTUBE =)

And for me, my little reward is a shopping spree with Oriental Trading.  I received an email reminder of a St Patty’s catalog and it has a coupon code for FREE Shipping if you spend $100 dollars.  Good thing I searched online and found this code 

RLS105

It’s from retailmenot.com  It’s FREE Shipping on orders over $60. I actually saw another code for 20% off on orders over $60 RETPY08B, but it was too late.  The good thing is that with the first code, I don’t think I was charged a sales tax so that’s good. Either way I got to save, woohoo!

Can’t wait to get my stuff in about a week!

Credit Reports

As I was watching “the Millionaire Inside” and “the Suze Orman Show” tonight on CNBC, I realized that I too should take a look at my current credit report.  I know we can now all get one free credit report check a year and it being February ‘08, I should qualify for one right?  

The only thing was when I was going through the websites for free credit reports that have commercials on tv, none of them were actually free. Most of them have trial fees and charges up to $29.95 a month. I was like, what???
I didn’t want to have to pay to get my credit report if I can get it for free.

With further research, I found the REAL free credit report website. It’s Annual Credit Report… whew! It can find up to the 3 credit reporting companies, Experian, Equifax and Transunion. The only thing is that they can only give you the credit report for free, and asking for your FICO score will be an extra charge.

Unfortunately, Experian and Transunion were not able to process my info. I was only able to get my credit report from Equifax and I paid the $7.95 for my FICO. Well, it was worth it. Anything less than $10 is reasonable.

So what are you waiting for, get your free credit report now!

Bed, Bath and Beyond

We passed by Bed, Bath and Beyond today. We noticed they have a big sign outside saying “Clearance Event,” so we went in. 

We already knew that many items inside are probably not on sale anyway, probably just the holiday stuff.

But since we were there already, we went ahead to go shopping for some things we’ve been looking for and needed to buy.

When we got to the line, there two ladies ahead of us both pulled out stacks of 20% coupons from their purses. Then, both the cashiers started scanning away. I was like…(turning to my husband) “What, You can do that?” When we walked up to the cashier and asked the girl there, she said, “Well yes, actually you can use up to five coupons per transaction!” I did not know that. And considering that BB and B actually accepts coupons from Linen’s and Things as well. Oh man! How disappointing! The day we don’t have any coupons, we end up buying something there. But according to the girl, we can actually come back if we have a coupon and the discount will be applied to our purchase. Pretty cool huh?

So now, we decided to start collecting them BB and B coupons. They might come in handy one day. =)

A little savings on gas

So, we’ve been driving our ‘04 civic hybrid now for a while.  The best thing about it is that we haven’t had any problems with it yet (knock on wood).  

Unfortunately, it is a little disappointing to find out that the average miles per gallon advertised is not what we’re getting. But then again, I understand, each situation is different and there is a reason why they say “average” in the first place!

Anyway, we’ve been doing about 32 miles per gallon all this time, till last week. Hubby decided to go around his regular route of going up and downhill to get to my in laws to drop off and pick up our son. And guess what? Since then, we’ve been at 36 miles per gallon. woohoo!

We should have done this a lone time ago! =P

Restocking Fees???

Here are 2 scenarios…

First, you buy a digital camera and make sure you get a receipt for it (<—that’s pretty smart!). Then you hurry home to open your box and can’t wait to play with is. Then 2 weeks later, you decide that it’s not as easy to use as you thought. You put it back in the box and close it tightly. Then, you bring it back to the store with your receipt to get a refund or store credit…..

Second, you buy a printer and get a receipt as well. When you get home, you realize you’re computer is not compatible with the printer. So, you take the unopened box and return it the following morning….

What do you think happened to each one of these scenarios? Pretty much the same. No, they did not get the full amount of what they paid for, whether or not the package was opened or closed.

Why do you ask?

Many stores now charge a “restocking fee” if you return an electronic device or appliance. Restocking fees are normally 15% of the amount you paid on the item.

It’s understandable if it’s a refrigerator that may need to be repacked or set up for display, but not for a small item that wasn’t even opened. I think it’s ridiculous, especially if it’s a package that’s still sealed and the only thing they need to do is put it back on the shelf.
I know it’s not fair, but there is one way to make sure you don’t charged this 15% crazy fee.

When you go to purchase any electronic device from any store, make sure that you not only get a receipt, but also a gift receipt. Even if the item you purchased it for yourself.

The store will not charge you the restocking fee if you have a gift receipt. I guess they figured, why should they penalize gift recipients, right?

This is one of the only ways that I’m aware of right now, I’ll post more once I gather more information. Until then, I hope you find this information useful. There’s no reason to not waste any money when you don’t have to .

A quick look at Careers 2

A QUICK LOOK AT CAREERS 2
$25-an-hour Jobs

If you ever considered a career change, you would want to know what jobs are available that can give you a better compensation that the current job you have. 

The following is a list of Jobs that pay $25-an-hour (source: MSN.com) 

1. Market analyst- $27.18/hour.
2. Chemist- $25.16/hour.
3. Civil engineer- $25.29/hour.
4. Social worker- $25.06/hour.
5. Human resources generalist- $26.90/hour.

6. Architect- $26.41/hour.
7. Speech pathologist- $25.05/hour.

8. Budget analyst- $26.71/hour.
9. Detective- $27.02/hour.
10. Physical therapist- $25.68/hour.

You think $25-an-hour may still not be enough? What about jobs that pay more than $30-an hour?
The following is a list of jobs that pay $30-an-hour plus (source: MSN.com)

1. Electronics engineers, except computers- $38.97/hour.
2. Computer applications software engineers – $38.36/hour.
3. Chemical engineers- $37.91/hour.
4. Electrical engineers- $36.50/hour.
5. Administrative law judges, adjudicators and hearing officers – $34.90/hour.
6. Mechanical engineers – $33.58/hour.
7. Civil engineers- $32.98/hour.
8. Management analysts- $32.72/hour.
10. Operations research analysts- $31.08/hour.

  

Of course you might have to go back to school to finish getting the degrees for the jobs listed above. At least you have an idea of about how much you can make when you do.

A quick look at Careers

A QUICK LOOK AT CAREERS 1
America’s Top 15 Jobs and their Pay

Many people who graduate from college are stuck doing work they didn’t want to do because they can’t find jobs in the field they graduated in. It’s very important to figure out what you’re passionate about and want to do after college before its too late. Too late for what? Too late to take back all those thousands and thousands of dollars worth of school loans you’ve taken while trying to to decide what you want to do.

The following set of entries “A QUICK LOOK AT CAREERS” are dedicated to looking at the Job Market scene in the US which can be helpful in determining the career that’s right for you.

The following is a list of America’s Top 15 jobs and their pay (source:MSN.com)
1. Physician assistants- Average salary: $63,792

2. Computer applications software engineers, applications- Average salary: $56,184

3. Dental hygienists- Average salary: $49,309

4. Computer systems software engineers- Average salary: $59,297

5. Network and computer systems administrators- Average salary: $62,534

6. Database administrators- Average salary: $70,016

7. Physical therapists- Average salary: $53,508

8. Diagnostic medical sonographers- Average salary: $51,648

9. Medical scientists (except epidemiologists)-Average salary: $88,374

10. Occupational therapists- Average salary: $50,526

11. College professors- Average salary: $80,240

12. Hydrologists- Average salary: $59,809

13. Computer systems analysts- Average salary: $55,811

14. Biomedical engineers-Average salary: $62,533

15. Environmental engineers – Average salary: $53,362

Recycling Cans and Bottles

As it turns out you can get 5¢ for containers less than 24 ounces and 10¢ for containers 24 ounces and larger

“As a matter of convenience and efficiency, most recycling centers pay by the pound if you bring in a large load, so be sure to have only CRV containers to get the highest possible refund. You also can request to be paid on a per-container basis if you bring in loads of fewer than 50 per material type you just have to ask the recycler to pay by count instead of by weight.” Source: BottlesandCans.com

The containers of the following have CRV

Carbonated Soft Drinks
Wine Coolers
Distilled Spirit Coolers
Beer
Carbonated and Mineral Water
Non-carbonated WaterSports Drinks
Coffee and Tea Drinks
Fruit Drinks
Fruit Juices packed in containers less than 46 oz.
Vegetable juice in containers 16 oz. or less

Click here for more

Recycling to Make Money

I was looking about recycling in the web when I stumbled upon this one calledRecycle Bank

You need to sign up, then they send you a bin to fill with your recyclables. When the recycling truck comes by, they weigh your container and take away the contents. You then get credit from certain stores for shopping.

Read through it though to check availability of the program and participating vendors. Either way, it’s a good incentive to help the environment and get a little something back for your effort =)