We can all use some great money saving tips and ideas these days so browse through our tips and enjoy the savings.  If you have any tips you'd like to share,  please e-mail us  and we'll post them here  for our readers.

Tip #22 - Winter Tips – 2/11/10

Lower the indoor temperature a few degrees in winter (you’ll save about 2% per degree).   Set if even lower at night and a full ten degrees lower when your on vacation.

Close the fire place damper when it’s not in use.  It you never use it seal the flue with a plastic bag stuffed with insulation.

Close off unused rooms and lower the temperatures by adjusting the registers and dampers.  You can potentially save up to $50 per year.

Tip #21 – Send a FREE GREETING CARD – 1/14/10

Happy New Year!   We have a GREAT FREE GIFT for you to start the New Year off.

Do you love sending greeting cards?  Are you tired of paying the high cost of greeting cards in stores?  We have a great solution where you can purchase cards for as low as .61 + postage.  These are REAL cards that you choose, can write your own message, send your own pictures and they print and mail them for you all at lower costs then in the store. You can now do this all from the convenience of your home. 

Visit our website and send up to 2 FREE greeting cards to friends, family or business associates.  There are OVER 15,000 cards to choose from in MORE than 568 different categories.  We will also save you on the initial cost of joining.  Call us for details and/or a walk through of the system.  Click here to visit our site and have fun sending your cards.

SendOutCards - Changing Lives one card at a time! 

Tip #20 – Safe & Effective Bleach Alternative – 12/30/09

To remove stains from white clothing, mix one part dishwashing soap and one part white distilled vinegar in a small container.  Dab on the stain and let sit over night.  The stain should be faded by morning but if it isn’t rub more of the mixture on and let it soak again before washing in cold water.   This works on most fabrics but it’s best to test on an inconspicuous area before treating.  Works well on cotton.  

Tip #19 – Pay Down Debts - 12/16/09

I know we all know this but sometimes it’s good to hear again.  With the New Year fast approaching, this is a good time to make a resolution to pay down old debts.  With interest rates on savings at an all time low, it’s a better idea to pay down your debts.  It’s like saving 8% or more, instead of paying it to the bank.   Also call your Credit Card Company, and request a reduction in the interest rate on your credit cards.  Credit card companies sometimes are willing to reduce the interest rate. It can't hurt to ask.

Do your shopping through ebates.  This year I have received checks for $52 just on the things I normally buy, such as ink and some e-bay items.  Not only that, they save me a percentage on the items BEFORE my ebates savings.   As you may have noticed, I’m a bargain hunter and enjoy the thrill of the SAVE.  So I’m always checking for the best deal and in most cases, EBATES is it.  See Tip #1 below for more information.  It’s a great idea and I don’t get spam or any junk e-mail. 

Click here to sign up: 
Ebates - GET YOUR $5 SIGN UP BONUS NOW BY CLICKING HERE

Tip #18 – Save $100’s through out the Year – 11/27/09

Order your card now through December 7^th and receive $5 OFF your Pocono Gold Discount Card.  Then continue to save on ALL your Christmas shopping.  Save on Toys, Gourmet Gifts Baskets, Candles, Catering, Candy, Flowers and EVERYTHING on your Christmas gift giving list.  No time to cook, save at Restaurants, Pizza and Take-out.

Purchase additional Pocono Gold Discount Cards and give the gift of savings all year.  Everyone LOVES to SAVE money, so this is the PERFECT GIFT, and you’ll save $5 on every card you buy!

Tip #17 – Other Uses for Household items – 11/17/09

Use vegetable oil to shine your leather shoes. Using a damp cloth, remove any dirt, then run a soft cloth with a drop of oil over the surface to polish.

Chalk absorbs moisture: Tie up a few pieces in cheesecloth and store them with your good silver to slow tarnishing.

Remember to purchase a Pocono Gold Discount Card and begin saving at hundreds of Pocono Businesses.  We have over 300 participating businesses.  The week of November 23^rd you can Save $5 on your purchase by entering the discount code “SAVE”.  Buy a few for gifts, everyone loves to save money and you can give the gift of Savings all year.

Tip #16 – A Few Quick Tips - 11/2/09

We apologize for not posting anything for a while.  We’re working on a new project which we will be unveiling in the next few weeks, so be sure to check back.  For this week we have a few quick tips for you.

Have an extra contact lens case?  Put your non-prescription pills in them to save space in your purse or pockets (for men)

If you run out of Styrofoam peanuts when packing gifts this holiday season, just use popcorn.  Be sure to cover the item in a plastic bag to avoid stains, this is not necessary if using hot air popcorn.

Looking for shoe storage?  Wrap an empty wine bottle case in pretty paper.

Tip #15 - Plan Your Shopping - 8/24/09

Be sure to plan your shopping trip.  Go through the sales flyers and then see what you have coupons for in order to save the most possible.   Be sure to bring ALL your coupons with you.  There are many things on sale that may not be in the flyer.

$$ Tip $$

Do you know that 90% of the time when a coupon is in the paper it is ON SALE SOMEWHERE at that time?  Now you just have to find out where.  Don’t worry if you miss the sale that week, it’ll be on sale somewhere else shortly.

Tip #11 – Where to Shop – 6/29/09

Now that you have your coupons in hand, shop at stores that Doubles or even Triples (Mr. Z’s/Weis does this a few times a year) your coupons and your savings will be even more.  If Supermarkets aren’t doubling or tripling coupons you can rest assured that their prices will compensate for that.  Supermarkets that don’t double or triple coupons usually have lower prices than stores that do.  Also look for stores that honor competitor coupons or match others prices.

*** Be sure to look at your newspaper insert this week.  Mr. Z’s has one for $10 off your purchase of $50 or more.  Go and use your coupons to save even more. 

Tip #10 – Best Ways to Find Coupons – 6/15/09

I hope you had a chance to do Step 1 below.  Now that you know what you purchase and how much you’re spending, it’s time to learn how to start saving.  This is your opportunity to virtually make your grocery bill disappear. 

Simply by making out a grocery list and consistently looking for coupons for everything on your list, you can find coupons for just about everything you need!  You are Guaranteed to Save Money! 

Where do you find coupons, you ask? 

The Newspaper - Just about every week there’s an insert with coupons.  To double your coupons, exchange inserts with a friend who’s looking to save.  After you cut your coupons, exchange the inserts.

Go to:  www.mypoints.com

Sign up and go to “Groceries On Us” or do a search at the top of their site for “Printable Coupons”, click on the ones you use and print them.  You earn points for every coupon you redeem at the store.  These points add up to earn FREE gift cards of your choice.  Sign up for their e-mails and each time you click on them you earn more points.

I’ve earned FREE gas, dinners, store gift cards.  It’s great and I NEVER get spam from them, ONLY e-mails that earn points to my account. 

Do a search on the internet for the products you use.  For example “Dole Coupons” or “Folgers Coupons” go to their site and you’ll find all kinds of printable coupons.

Go searching and see how much you can save.  Be sure to check back in two weeks for more grocery saving tips.  Also if you find a great deal that you’d like to tell our readers about send me an e-mail and I’ll post it for our readers.  Remember to search for EVERYTHING you buy, you’ll be surprised at all that’s out there.

Tip #9 – How to Make Your Grocery Bill Disappear – New Series - 6/1/09

We’ve all seen serious coupon shoppers on TV saving more than 75% on their grocery bills each week.  Well….. we’re starting a new series to help you do just that.  Be sure to check back often for more tips and tricks and be on your way to cutting your grocery bill in half or more.  Keep in mind that this won’t happen overnight but you will systematically cut your grocery bill by 40%, 55%, 70% or more.

Step 1 – For the next two weeks, make out a realistic monthly grocery budget.  Using your ***“Budget Eliminator”, include ALL your food as well as, personal hygiene items, paper & plastic products, cleaning & laundry products and pet supplies & food.  Use your last few grocery bills to make this easier.

Now find somewhere quite to sit and visualize spending only $60 for every $100 worth of groceries you buy!  What could you do with that extra $40?  Put the extra toward your mortgage or car payment?  Take the family out to dinner or a movie?  Be sure to SAVE even more with your POCONO GOLD DISCOUNT CARD on that dinner and movie.  Think of something positive you can do with the extra money…..and GO FOR IT!!!!

*** The “Budget Eliminator” was attached to our June monthly update.  If you’re not subscribed, please do so and we’ll e-mail to you.  Please be assured we DO NOT send spam or sell your e-mail.

Tip #8 – Check your Appliances - 5/11/09

With summer just around the corner, be sure to check your air conditioner and clean the filter.  This will save you money and help if you have allergies.  Also be sure to check your refrigerator.  Try placing a dollar bill in your refrigerator door—if it comes out too easily once the door is closed, you might have a bad seal. By having your refrigerator resealed or by upgrading your refrigerator, you can save a LOT of money ($20-40/month), not to mention what you're doing for the planet. Refrigerators are the worst power consumers, but it's worth checking all of your appliances, including air conditioners, televisions, microwaves, etc., to see if they are Energy Star-rated and if it might be worth upgrading. Some electric companies will offer incentives to replace power-abusing appliances.

Tip #7 - WATER HEATING TIPS – 4/27/09

Install aerating, low-flow faucets/showerheads.

Repair leaky faucets promptly. A leaky faucet wastes gallons of water in a short period of time.

Lower the thermostat on your water heater. Water heaters sometimes come from the factory with high temperature settings, but a setting of 120 degrees provides comfortable hot water for most uses.

Take more showers than baths.

Insulate your electric hot water storage tank, but be careful not to cover the thermostat.

Insulate the first six feet of the hot and cold water pipes connected to the water heater.

Consider putting a timer on your tank to adjust when your water is actually being heated and take advantage of off-peak hour billing.

Janet - http://www.ecotrustenergy.com/janrich

Tip #6 – Clean Your Leather Shoes – 4/6/09

I saw this tip and had to try it and it really works.  After you eat a banana, save the peel and use it on your leather shoes or any leather product.  Just rub the inside of the banana peel on leather and buff with a towel.  It makes them look like new and the cost….zero.  Then remember to compost the banana peel for your garden.

Tip #5 –  Lighting – 3/23/09

Turn off lights in any room you’re not using, or consider installing timers, photo cells, or occupancy sensors to reduce the amount of time your lights are on.

Use task lighting instead of brightly lighting an entire room, focusing the light where you need it.

Consider three-way lamps. They make it easier to keep lighting levels low when brighter light is not necessary.

Use 4-foot fluorescent fixtures with reflective backing and electronic ballasts for your workroom, garage, and laundry areas.

Consider using 4-watt mini-fluorescent or electro-luminescent nightlights. Both lights are much more efficient than their incandescent counterparts. The luminescent lights are cool to the touch.

Replace light bulbs that are in use more than two hours per day with compact fluorescent bulbs. Fluorescent bulbs last longer and use only one-third as much energy as standard bulbs.

Janet - http://www.ecotrustenergy.com/janrich

Tip #4 – Energy Saving Tips – 3/9/09

Creating an energy efficient home is the process of making a series of small changes every day and in every part of your home.

HEATING AND COOLING -  

Set your thermostat as low as comfortable in the winter and as high as comfortable in the summer.  The Auto Thermostats work great.

Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month.

Place heat-resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the radiators.

During the heating season, keep the draperies and shades on your south-facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home, and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.

Janet - http://www.ecotrustenergy.com/janrich

Tip #3 – Use Compact Florescent Light Bulbs – 2/23/09

Next time you buy light bulbs try the new Compact florescent light bulbs instead of the old regular light bulbs.  They’ll save you money over the long run because they last longer (about 10 times) and use less electricity.  

Savings: $150 a year by switching about 20 bulbs (about $8 per bulb per year).

Do not throw CFLs away in your household garbage and NEVER send a CFL or other mercury containing product to an incinerator.

Bring them to Home Depot, Customer Service Desk.  Put your old bulb in the packaging your new bulb was in so it doesn’t break while transporting. 

You’ll not only be helping your wallet but the environment too.

Check www.earth911.org, at the top of the page see “Start Recycling” for where and what you can recycle or call 1-877-EARTH911 for local disposal options.  Another option is to check directly with your local waste management agency for recycling options and disposal guidelines in your community.  Additional information is available at www.lamprecycle.org.

What should I do if a CFL breaks?
Because there’s a small amount of mercury in CFLs, your greatest risk if a bulb breaks is getting cut from the glass.  Research indicates that there is no immediate health risk should a bulb break and it's cleaned up properly. To minimize risks follow these proper clean-up and disposal guidelines:

Sweep up—don't vacuum—all of the glass fragments and fine particles.

Place broken pieces in a sealed plastic bag and wipe the area with a damp paper towel to pick up any stray shards of glass or fine particles. Put the used towel in the plastic bag as well.

If weather permits, open windows to allow the room to ventilate.

Airborne mercury poses a very low risk of exposure. However, when mercury emissions deposit into lakes and oceans, they can transform into methyl mercury that builds up in fish.   Fish consumption is the most common pathway for human exposure to mercury.

TIP #2 - Buy Store Brands - 2/9/09

Check out the store brand products to lower your grocery bill.  Even if you clip coupons, it's still much cheaper to buy the store brand than the name brands with a coupon.  Years ago I had heard that a lot of the store brands were actually name brands in disguise.  So I decided to put it to the test and started trying them.  I was pleasantly surprised at how many products were comparable and how many people didn't know the difference.   Now I don't care what anyone says but there is NO beating Hellmann's but so many other things have been easy to switch.  For starters try switching cleaning products if you’re hooked on the tastes of your favorite foods.  Now I know it depends on what store you shop at as far as how their brands taste but I found that BJ's (Berkley & Jensen) products are far cheaper in price but not in quality.  Good luck and let us know if you find something exceptional and we'll share it with our readers.

TIP #1 - Way to Save & Make Money - 2/2/09

If you like to save money on just about EVERYTHING you buy, CLICK HERE.   Ebates, is a shopping site that gives you up to 26% Cash Back every time you shop online. That's right, they send you checks.  There's over 900 stores such as Target, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Gap, Buy.com and Expedia. Plus you get additional savings with exclusive coupons, free shipping offers, and limited-time sales!

Now here's the REALLY GREAT Part - Use the links on this page and get $5 credited to your account when you make your first purchase.  Then send it to all your friends and you'll both get $5 when they sign up and make a purchase.  There's also a bonus of $5 for every 5 people that sign up through you.  So you get a total of $30 for every 5 people who sign up and make a purchase.  What are you waiting for, hurry and get started.

Click here to sign up:
Ebates - GET YOUR $5 SIGN UP BONUS NOW BY CLICKING HERE

I haven't received any junk mail or Spam since signing up and it's very easy.  Just bookmark the site and go to it everytime you want to shop.  No password or id to remember, it remembers you from your bookmark. 

Stores are listed by category and alphabetically.  Just click on their link and start shopping.  It keeps a running tab of what's in your account on the top of the page. You'll see your new credits by the next day.  Pretty cool  I'm loving it.  Every little bit helps!

Joann - Pocono Gold Discount Card