This article is strictly about savings accounts.  I am talking about money after you have contributed to your Roth IRA, 401k, and any other market activities you may be involved in.

Every month I get an email alert for my bank statements online.  I do not even bother looking at them because they hardly pay me any interest on my money.  I was thinking we the savers put our money into a savings account to earn currently 1% on our money.  I know with the economy the way it is that seems to be the average.  The banks take our money for practically free and loan it out for outrageous amounts even in the double-digit percentages.

Why wouldn’t a bank try to make a killing right now in deposits offering 3-5% on savings accounts?  This will in turn give them more money to make better strategic loans.  Sure their profit might be a little less but at the end of the day. But they may become a stronger bank for not having so many bad loans floating.

If anyone knows of some great CD’s or Savings rates please post a comment so everyone who is trying to save a little can make a little more than 1%.

This year is flying by so fast.  I remember just thinking the other day that the year seemed like it just started.  I guess staying busy has been a good thing in 2009 with work & travel. 

I was looking at my calander today and noticed that we are only 7 weeks away from Christmas.  It is going to creep up even quicker.  It is time to put a few bucks away each week so when the times comes to go shopping you will have some money for gifts.  Here are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for the holidays.

- Do not spend more than you can afford.
- Set a budget for gifts and stick to it.
- Shop around to find the best deal. (Online & Offline)
- Help someone in need. (Homeless, Angel Tree Gift)
- Be creative

It will be a great holiday season this year with family and friends.  Remember you do not have to spend alot of money for it to be a ton of fun.

The other day I noticed that all my loose coins were filling up in my glass jar.  I usually take them to Coinstar in a local grocery store.  I know I hate rolling coins and the fact that coin places charge a fee for cash.  Usually it is like 9%. 

My friend who manages a local MidFirst Bank was telling me to come in and use his coin machine.  You do not even need to be a bank customer and they do not charge a fee.  From now on I will be using them.  I know that MidFirst is not nationwide but I am sure there are some local banks in your town that offer the same thing.

Do you remember the days when we hardly ever used the internet?  It really was not until 2000 that I started using it.  Wow!  Things have changed. 

Anyway, I was thinking today how the internet saves me money all the time.  Whenever I get ready to go out to eat, I will go to the restaurants site and see if they have any coupons.  It only takes me a few minutes but most of the time there is an email club you can sign up. 

I know what you are thinking.  “I get plenty of snail mail.  I get plenty of junk mail in my inbox, why do I need more?”  Well, here is what I did.  I set up a separate free email account that is for coupons only.  That way I can sign up for all my favorite places to eat and manage the stuff they send me from one inbox.  Most places will send you coupons regularly.  It is easy and saves me money. The internet is great.

If you know of any good email clubs please post away so others know where to sign up at.

Most of the time people think the only time they can bargain is when they are at a garage sale or car dealerships.  For me that could not be anymore false.  When I am going to buy some more expensive ticket items not only do I research for the best price, but I try even harder for a better deal directly with the seller.

I really do not want to waste my time with someone who can’t give discounts.  I want to talk directly with the decision makers at stores.   Most of the time it is the manager and the commissioned sales people who can authorize those discounts.  If you are dealing with someone who can’t do it ask to speak to a manager.   It never hurts to ask if they can mark it down for a better price.

Last year I wrote an article about fancy dining.  Well this year again Arizona Restaurant Week is offering great meals for only $58 a couple.  They are all 3-course meals.  These meals would usually be quite a bit more.  Some of the featured resturaunts that I saw on the list were Bloom. Firebirds’s. Fleming’s, Ruth’s Chris, and many more.  The deal is September 19th-26th.  Plan a fun date night and treat yourself to a great meal.

This recently passed through my email and thought I would share it with everyone.

“You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of prosperity. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation. You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it.” ~Adrian Rogers, 1931

What are your thoughts on this quote?

It is the 6 month in a row where my retirement accounts and investments have been in the green at the end of each month.  This is strictly the markets, not real estate.  I sure wish that was starting to come back.   Anyways, if you are putting money away and into the market for long term -  keep doing that.  Do not worry that it will go down because there will be seasons of life where it will drop.  Just keep in mind as retirement comes closer to start shifting your money into safer places.  I know I am still making up for what I lost last year. but I am encouraged by the last 6 months and optimistic that the economy will get better.

The other day I read in a magazine that the average American under the age of 35 spends roughly 20 cents of every dollar they earn to make payments on debt. That means that 20% of every dollar they make is already spent. That is bad. I started thinking that this probably won’t get any better because people are making less and less money during these hard times. Plus, credit card companies are raising their rates and fees for many of their card members.

Try not to use your credit card unless you know you will pay it off at the end of the month. If you do have credit card debt, pay down the debt as much as you are able, even if it means paying just $10 towards the principal each month. That will allow you to get out of debt faster and become financially free faster, too. When you’re debt-free every dollar you earn will be 100% yours.

Anytime I buy anything online I always do my research.  For example, if I need airfare I go to the airlines I prefer to fly on and see what is the lowest price they are offering.  From there, I go to some of the other travel sites such as Travelocity, Expedia & Hotwire and see if they can beat the prices I have found.  Sometimes they can and sometimes they can’t. 

Most of the time with the people I chat with just book and really do not shop around.  I always think there is a better deal out there.  So I spend a little extra time searching and end up saving quote a bit of money.  This just does not apply to airfare it can also apply to buying furniture, cars, electronics, hotels, and anything else you can buy online.  More times than not you will find a better price.  Good luck and search for deals.