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Money Saving Mom

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Shared Aug 30, 2013 comment

Reader Tip: How we’re saving on our cell phone bill

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Reader Tip: How we’re saving on our cell phone bill

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Erin emailed in the following tip:

My husband and I are both teachers for a public school district, and in our state (Minnesota), Verizon gives state employees a discount on our cell phone bill (12%, I believe), just for bringing in a pay stub one time. As you can imagine, this has saved us a lot of money in the past three years!

If you’ve never tried asking your cell phone company (or any other utility company) if they give discounts to certain types of employees or union members, you might consider giving it a try… Who knows? You might save big! -Erin

photo source

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 29, 2013 comment

What 4-Year-Old Joe the Garbage Man Has Learned From His First Job

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What 4-Year-Old Joe the Garbage Man Has Learned From His First Job

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Joe-and-James

Guest post by Jill Jarvis who blogs at BigKidSmallCity.com

When our son was 4 years old, we decided to start a Garbage Can Curbside Service where Joe could his neighbors trashcans out and back in on trash day for 25¢ per can.

The business was started in lieu of an allowance, as a way to teach Joe about money but also to avoid a situation where he felt entitled to it. The work was easy enough for a 4-year-old, but just hard enough to create learning opportunities.

Over the last 1.5 years, Joe has learned a lot of valuable life lessons! Four of the lessons are:

1. Responsibility

Joe was excited to start this service, to help the neighbors and earn money for Legos. But there have been many weeks when Joe has not wanted to do his work.

However, he learned that his neighbors would be stuck with stinky trash cans if he did not show up, so he went to work anyway. He may grumble about it some weeks, but he always gets it done.

2. Self-Reliance

Joe gets to make all the decisions related to the Garbage Can Service. He gets to decide on expanding the business or quitting it. He also gets to spend the money.

When the decisions are bad, like he spends all the money on candy and cannot afford a special toy, he learns. When the decisions are good, he also learns. He then understands what good and bad decisions feel like and is able to self-correct as he goes.

3. Independence

By making his own money, Joe is somewhat financially independent and is able to make some purchases on his own. Joe buys Legos but also chooses to donate money to US Soldiers through the USO.

Also, by making his own business related decisions, with guidance from his parents, Joe has become more confident in his decision making ability. I’m hoping this 2nd skill will prove useful on the playground, in middle school and beyond.

4. Understanding the Value of a Dollar

As soon as he started collecting money, Joe began to understand what money is worth. He quickly learned that there are 4 quarters in a dollar and that it takes 6 quarters to buy an ice cream and 200 quarters for a fancy Lego set.

Joe has also learned that if he is saving up for something, he must do his job a set number of weeks before he will have the money. So, if he wants a simple Lego set, he will need to work less than if he wants the deluxe set.

Joe has also learned about loans. We have been out when Joe really wanted to make a purchase, but did not have his quarter jar. He has had to decide if he would take money from his parents, and then pay it back, or wait to buy his treasure. It turns out that he thought loans were just free money. When he discovered he had to pay the money back, he opted to wait.

As his parents, my husband and I have had to put in effort to help supervise Joe in rolling out trash cans each week, but these four life lessons are well worth the minimal time and energy.

And the best part about starting the Garbage Can Business is that the lessons have been automatic. We have not had to stage discussion; we just do the weekly work.

Jill is an engineer for a telecommunications company and a mom to the Jarvis family. She likes the first job but loves the second. Jill and the kids explore Houston and blog about the adventures, along with lunch box ideas and Joe the Garbage Man stories, at BigKidSmallCity.com.

Shared Aug 29, 2013 comment

Kindergarten on a Budget: Making Salt Letters

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Kindergarten on a Budget: Making Salt Letters

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Silas is studying the letter “S” in his My Father’s World Kindergarten curriculum this week. Since I’m a big fan of hands-on learning, we’re having fun practicing making the letter in different forms.

Yesterday, we made “Salt Letters”. Otherwise known as: dumping salt on a baking sheet and drawing in it. 🙂

Silas thought it was the best! The salt feels interesting on your fingers and it’s fun to draw in. Kathrynne had to try it out, too!

They got so engaged in drawing in the salt that I ended up reading some of the read alouds while they were drawing names, letters, and pictures in salt.

Looking for more fun letter ideas? Check out my post on Pudding Finger Paint or Pancake Letters and Numbers.

Shared Aug 28, 2013 comment

52 Ways to Save $100 Per Year: Strategically Use Daily Deal Sites {Week 26}

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52 Ways to Save $100 Per Year: Strategically Use Daily Deal Sites {Week 26}

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Every week in 2013, I’ll be sharing a different way you can save $100 this year. If you do all of these things, you’ll be able to save over $5,000 this year alone! Many of these things will likely be things you’re already doing, but hopefully all of you will pick up at least a few new ideas or some inspiration from this series.

One way we stretch our dollars is by buying deals from daily deal sites. They can be a way to get amazing deals on restaurants, local attractions, family fun, local stores, and more!

Here are three things to keep in mind when shopping through daily deal sites:

1. Stick With Your Budget

I don’t care how good the deal is, if you can’t afford it, it’s not a good deal for you. Daily deal sites only save you money when you actually buy deals that are for things you will use and have room in your budget for.

For instance, if you allot a $50 monthly budget for eating out/family fun, you can stretch those dollars much further by buying Groupons or AmazonLocal vouchers for restaurants, bowling, and local attractions. But you still have to stick with the $50 budget.

No cheating is allowed just because it’s a “great deal.” Otherwise, you’ve defeated the purpose and it’s not saving you money but encouraging you to spend more money.

How to Save $100+ Per Year

If you want to guarantee that you save $100 per year by using daily deal sites, cut your current eating out and entertainment budget by $10 per month for the next year and try to make the lower budget stretch with vouchers from deal sites. Unless you live in small town or you are really particular about what types of restaurants you’ll eat at or things you like to do as a family, I bet you can make the reduced budget work just fine!

2. Read the Fineprint

Always, always, always read the fineprint carefully before purchasing a voucher. Check the details on whether there’s a purchase minimum. Be sure that the voucher is good at your local store. And double-check that you’ll actually use the voucher before it expires.

One good thing about Groupon is that they have amazing customer service and money-back guarantees. So if you do end up accidentally buying something that isn’t what you thought it was, you can usually get your money back. But I still recommend reading the fineprint with a fine-toothed comb and then taking a little time to think through the purchase and make sure it’s a good use of your money.

3. Shop Through Rakuten (formerly Ebates)

Once you’ve determined that the voucher is, indeed, a good deal for you, be sure to purchase it through Rakuten. If you’re unfamiliar with Rakuten, basically it’s a site that rewards you with a small percentage of cashback on your online purchases. All you have to do is sign up for an account and then go to Rakuten.com, search for the online store you’re planning to purchase from, and click through to the site to make your purchase.

You’ll usually receive anywhere from 3% to 8% cashback on each purchase. It might not seem like much, but I think it’s worth earning a few dollars in cash back for taking an extra 30 seconds to click through to Rakuten.

Each quarter, Rakuten will send you a check for your accumulated cashback amount earned over the past quarter. It’s always a fun little bonus — and it’s FREE money that you’re earning for making a purchase you were already planning to make!

My Top 4 Favorite Daily Deal Sites

What are your favorite daily deal sites? What tips and tricks do you have to add to my list?

(Note: The links in this post are my referral links. Read my disclosure policy here.)

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 28, 2013 comment

Gretchen’s $39 Weekly Grocery Shopping and Menu Plan

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Gretchen’s $39 Weekly Grocery Shopping and Menu Plan

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Aldi

1 Red Grapes – $1.58

1 Celery – $1.29

1 Tortillas – $0.99

1 Strawberries – $0.99

1 Cauliflower – $1.69

2 Cantaloupe – $0.99 each

1 Roma Tomatoes – $1.49

1 can Crushed Pineapple – $0.89

1 Italian Dressing – $1.29

1 gallon Milk – $1.99

Total with tax ($1.01) – $15.19

Dillons

2 Chobani Champions Yogurt – $2, used 2 $1/1 printable – $1 each after coupons

1 Breyers Ice Cream – $2.99, used $1.50/1 e-coupon (no longer available) – $1.49 after coupon

1 lb Simple Truth Ground Beef – Marked down to $2.99

2 Imagine Organic Chicken Broth – $2.50 each, used 2 $2/1 printable – $0.50 each after coupons

1 Kroger Unsweetened Coconut – $2.19

1 Kroger Brown Rice – $0.89

1 Kroger Chow Mein Noodles – $1.15

3 Navel Oranges – $0.69 each

0.77 lbs Broccoli Crowns @ $0.99/lb – $0.76

$0.93 lbs Red Plums @ $0.99/lb – $0.92

1 Romaine Lettuce – $0.99

1.82 lbs Organic Bananas @ $0.67/lb – $1.22

4 cans Kroger Green Beans – $0.39 each

2 Moms Best Cereal – $1.99 each, used $0.75/1 e-coupon (x2) – $1.24 each after coupon

2 Brut Deodorant – $1 each, used 2 $1/1 coupon from the 8/11 SmartSource insert – Free after coupons

2 Ramen Noodles – $0.20 each

Total before coupons and sales: $49.63

Total with tax ($2.15) after coupons: $24.26

Total for all grocery items: $39.45

Menu Plan for this Week:

Breakfasts

Cereal, Homemade Bread, Bananas

Lunches

Leftovers, Fruit, Tossed Salad, Scrambled Eggs, Cheese & Crackers, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches

Dinners

We ended up having leftovers once and also went to my parents for dinner last week, so I’m using 2 meals from last week’s menu for this week.

Pop-Up Pizza Casserole, Steamed Broccoli, Cantaloupe

Spaghetti with Garlic Gravy and Lemon Chicken, Gluten-Free Oatmeal Spice Muffins, Green Beans

Italian Chicken Drumsticks, Biscuits, Tossed Salad

Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Fruit Salad

Taco Beef Skillet, Cornbread, Steamed Cauliflower

Hawaiian Haystacks, Bran Muffins

Out to eat

WANT TO SAVE $100 FAST?!Join the FREE 14-Day Savings Challenge!

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Shared Aug 28, 2013 comment

We Paid Cash: TWO New-To-Us Cars

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We Paid Cash: TWO New-To-Us Cars

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We paid cash!A testimony from Cristina

My husband and I were married in 2012 and decided to take Financial Peace with Dave Ramsey beforehand. It was one of the best decisions we made! It helped us get on the same page for budgeting and made us realize our goal of living as debt-free as possible. We immediately paid off the credit card with wedding gifts and stuck to paying cash for everything else from then on.

Other than school loans, we had no other debt and thought we were off to a good start. No sooner had we breathed a sigh of relief when a major car repair made it clear my husbands 2002 Corolla would need to be replaced.

We knew a car payment was not an option and would go against our goal of living debt free. We also had no idea how we would have enough time to set aside enough cash to purchase a reliable vehicle before his current one died.

We started immediately by cutting back on anything extra. We worked on saving gas money and conserving electricity at home. Instead of budgeting $40 for a date night we found more creative ways to spend time together. I found cleaning jobs in our neighborhood and did these after my regular job in the evening. We learned to enjoy the company of friends in public without always buying food to go along.

With much prayer, research, and careful planning, we were able to purchase a 2007 Toyota Yaris with 32,000 miles on it about 6 months later — for $8000 in cash!

It was the best feeling ever as we drove off the lot and still had our grocery money set aside to pick up food after.

Ironically, a short time after this my 2001 Celica began having issues as well. We knew my car would need to be replaced soon, but we did not know it would be that soon! Long story short, we started the saving process over again and in less than one year, we purchased another new-to-us cars in cash and avoided a car payment. We are creatures of habit and bought another Yaris, a year newer 🙂

Looking back, we were so blessed to have had the means to do this. We stuck with our way of life even after the cars and now have the cash to pay for the delivery of our first baby, which we are expecting any day!

Striving to live debt-free has brought us closer together as we focus on things more important in life than possessions.

Cristina and her husband live in Cleveland, OH. They are soon-to-be parents and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their baby girl.

Have you saved up and paid cash for something — large or small? Submit your story for possible publication here.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 28, 2013 comment

Gretchen’s CVS Shopping Trip: $30.90 worth of products for $1.16 out of pocket!

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Gretchen’s CVS Shopping Trip: $30.90 worth of products for $1.16 out of pocket!

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

CVS Shopping Trip

I made a mistake today when I ran into CVS to pick up a few sale items, saw the mouthwash on sale and thought the Crest and Colgate were part of the same sale (Buy $10, Get $5 ECBs). I was in a hurry so I just used ECBs to pay for it and I’m hoping to go back later this week and finish the deals so I can get my $10 ECBs.

2 Charmin Basic Toilet Tissue – $0.99 each
Used $1.50/2 CVS coupon from the in-store coupon machine
And used 2 $0.25/1 coupon from the 7/28 P&G insert

1 All Laundry Detergent – $3.99
Used $0.75/1 coupon from the 8/25 SmartSource insert

1 Stayfree Pads – $2.99
Used $1/1 coupon from the 8/25 SmartSource insert

1 CVS Cotton Balls – $1
Used $1/1 CVS coupon from the in-store coupon machine

1 Colgate Mouthwash – $4.39
Used $1/1 coupon from the 8/11 SmartSource insert

1 Crest Mouthwash – $7.99
Used $1.50/1 coupon from the 7/28 P&G insert
And used $2.50/$12 CVS coupon from the in-store coupon machine

Used 25% off CVS coupon from my email inbox (My cashier took off $5.58 and even though I questioned her on this, she insisted that is how much she was supposed to take off.)

Used $3 ECBs from my email inbox and $4 ECBs from my last CVS trip

Total before coupons, sales and ECBs: $30.90

Total with tax ($1.13) after coupons, sales and ECBs: $1.16, Received $1 ECBs (for buying 1 Stayfree) and $1 ECBs (for buying 1 All Laundry Detergent)

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 28, 2013 comment

Ask the Readers: Is it possible to go to Disney without spending a fortune?

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Ask the Readers: Is it possible to go to Disney without spending a fortune?

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s question is from Peg:

I’d like to take my two youngest (8 & 14) to Disney this fall without spending a fortune. I was thinking two parks in two days would be enough. If you’ve recently been to Disney, I’d love to know what parks your kids enjoyed most and how to get the best bang for our buck. -Peg

Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 28, 2013 comment

Gretchen’s Target Shopping Trip: $18.40 for just $6.37 out of pocket

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Gretchen’s Target Shopping Trip: $18.40 for just $6.37 out of pocket

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Target Shopping Trip

1 Milky Way Bites – $2.66, used $1/1 Target Mobile coupon AND $1/1 coupon from the 7/28 RedPlum insert – $0.66 after coupons

1 Market Pantry Cookies – $1.63, used $1/1 Target Mobile coupon – $0.63 after coupon

1 Market Pantry Juice – $1.89, used $1/1 Target Mobile coupon – $0.89 after coupon

1 Laura’s Lean Ground Beef – $4.89, used $1/1 printable AND $1/1 Target Mobile coupon (text FRESH to 827438 – expires 8/31!) – $2.89 after coupons

6 Gillette Shave Gel – $1.99 each, used 2 $6/3 coupon from the 8/11 RedPlum insert – Free after coupons

Total before coupons: $18.40

Total with tax ($1.36) after coupons and sales: $6.37

Shared Aug 27, 2013 comment

Q&A Tuesday: Advice for a first-time mom?

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Q&A Tuesday: Advice for a first-time mom?

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I’m pregnant with my first child (just found out yesterday) and I really don’t know the next step. What do I need to eat, when to start buying clothes, diapers for the baby to save money, how to prepare for the baby, child care, what are the essential things to have for the baby, how much will a baby cost, how many clothes does a baby need, how many diapers they need, etc. I’m overwhelmed. Can you please help me find answers? -Uma

Congratulations, Uma! What an exciting time!

One wonderful thing about pregnancy is that it’s nine months long (give or take a few days or weeks). While sometimes it seems like a very long time — especially during the last few months! — it can also be a blessing because it gives you time to prepare for having a baby.

Take a Deep Breath

So my biggest piece of advice would be to take a deep breath and don’t stress over things in the future. You can only live this moment right now, today. Worrying about tomorrow or eight months from now (or three years from now!) won’t change or help anything.

Find a Good Care Provider

Find a good care provider, be that a midwife or doctor. They will be able to answer many of your questions on what you should be eating and all your other pregnancy-related questions. I’d encourage you to look for a care provider who you feel like really cares about you, listens to you, and connects with you. This can make such a huge difference during your pregnancy and delivery!

What Baby Really Needs

Since I’m all about keeping it simple, we didn’t have a lot of non-necessities. In fact, here’s my list of baby must-haves:

–Clothes (For starting out, I think you can get by just fine with around six onesies, six sleepers, a few pair of socks, a few hats, and 4-6 blankets.)

–Bed

–Car seat

–Stroller

–Diapers/wipes (either cloth or disposable)

(And if you are unable to nurse–as I know happens on occasion, or if you are adopting, you would also need to add formula to this list.)

**For more on baby essentials, read this post.

If someone is planning a baby shower for you, there’s a good chance that you’ll get most of these things on this list. We were blessed to be given three different baby showers with our first. As a result, we didn’t even up buying anything but one or two items!

Diaper Stockpiling

I’d recommend starting to watch for diaper and wipe sales now — especially if you’re not planning to cloth diaper. If you find a great deal ($5 per package or less) and you have the wiggle room in your budget, go ahead and buy them. (For a good gauge on how many diapers to buy in which sizes, read this post.)

However, be sure to tape the receipt to the outside of the package. Not all brands work for all babies and all babies grow a different rates, so you may need to return some of the packages and if they have the receipts taped to the outside, it makes it extremely easy to make the return/exchange!

The Best Gift You Can Give Your Baby

Each and every baby is different, but the best gift you can give every child is love and nurturing. When I was pregnant with our first daughter, Kathrynne, we didn’t have money to buy basically anything since we were living on our beans and rice law school budget.

Even though Kathrynne had a very simple wardrobe and few things, it didn’t seem to hurt her in the least. We loved her, cherished her, talked to her, spent time with her, read to her, laughed with her, listened to her… and she’s now grown into a very active, athletic 8-year-old who excels in school (especially history, science, math, and reading) and can engineer all sorts of amazing things with a simple set of LEGOs.

I don’t know what the future holds for her, but her humble beginnings haven’t seemed to hold her back at all. And I think it truly exemplifies the truth that love and nurturing go far, even when your pocketbook is nearly empty. 🙂

For more advice and ideas, be sure to read my series on Having a Baby Without Breaking the Bank.

What advice, suggestions, tips, and encouragement do the rest of you have for Uma?


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Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 27, 2013 comment

Gretchen’s Walgreens Shopping Trip: $33 worth of products for $8.58 out of pocket

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Gretchen’s Walgreens Shopping Trip: $33 worth of products for $8.58 out of pocket

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Walgreens Shopping Trip

Transaction #1

1 (2 pk) Reach Toothbrushes – $2.99

Used $2/1 printable

Total with tax ($0.21): $1.02, Received $2 Register Rewards

Transaction #2

7 Kleenex Tissue – $0.99 each

Used 2 $0.50/3 coupon from the 8/11 SmartSource insert

And used $2 Register Rewards from transaction #1

Total with tax ($0.50): $4.43, Received $2 Register Rewards

Transaction #3

3 Purex Laundry Detergent at $4.79 – On Sale Buy 1 Get 2 Free

There was a $1/2 coupon from the 8/4 RedPlum insert but I didn’t have it.

Used $2 Register Rewards

Total with tax ($0.34): $3.13

Total for all transactions before coupons, sales and Register Rewards: $33.11

Total for all transactions after coupons, sales and Register Rewards: $8.58

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 27, 2013 comment

Stop Trying to Make Yourself Happy & Start Focusing on Making a Difference

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Stop Trying to Make Yourself Happy & Start Focusing on Making a Difference

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Recently, I finished The Charge by Brendan Burchard and while I didn’t love that there was a lot of language in the book (call me a prude, but I don’t think you ever need to use four-letter words to make a point!), I found some of the parts really inspiring.

I especially loved this quote:

“You want to change? Then do not, under any circumstances, allow yourself to settle on a vision or a calling or a simple change in any arena that is uninspiring. If you’re going to have clarity on something in your life, make it something so big and bright and shiny that you will get out of bed and chase it until you grasp it or die. Bring forth a desire that knows no safe boundaries and even scares you a little bit, that will demand all the best that is in you, that takes you out of your own orbit and onto new and unfamiliar ground. That kind of desire changes your life, and it changes the world.”

What are your goals in life? Are you thinking long-term or just trying to live through the next hour? If your goal is just to survive, that’s probably not going to give you a lot of excitement about life nor fuel much passion for existence.

If you want to live an amazingly fulfilling life, you must live for something bigger than yourself. Stop trying to make yourself happy or comfortable and start focusing on making a difference in someone else’s life.

When I started living for bigger things than just the moment, it completely changed my drive and enthusiasm for life. Here are my current long-term ambitions for living:

  • Nurture a vibrant relationship with the Lord.
  • Invest time and effort into my marriage in order that it would be strong, thriving, and last for the long haul.
  • Raise children of character who will grow up to be world-changers.
  • Challenge families to get their finances in order so they can be generous givers.
  • Inspire women to live with intention and purpose.

Will I see all of these things to completion in my lifetime? Only God knows. But I do know that investing my life into things that matter makes every day worth waking up for.

You only get one shot at life. Don’t waste it!

photo credit

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 27, 2013 comment

Reader Tip: We’re saving $225 per year by packing a lunch!

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Reader Tip: We’re saving $225 per year by packing a lunch!

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Ilyssa emailed in the following tip:

Since it’s back-to-school time, people are probably thinking a lot about the added expenses of going to school. I’ve found that one of the largest expenses is school lunches.

My children’s school charges $2.75 a day for lunch. That works out to be about $495 each school year (per child).

Since I’ve never been pleased with the school lunch options (a typical week at my child’s school looks like this: tacos, pizza, spaghetti, grilled cheese, nachos… ugh!), I decided to make sure my kids had a healthy, delicious lunch packed for them each day. It takes a little extra time each evening, but it’s worth it!

Entrees:

– Homemade pizza. An entire cheese pizza can be made for about $5. A slice in the lunchbox would cost about $0.60.
– Quiche Cup: (Can be made in a cupcake tin) A dozen eggs and a brick of cheese can make 12 quiche cups. The cost per cup is about $0.30.
– PB&J Sandwich: Costs about $0.35 to make at home.

Sides:

Organic baby carrots go on sale at my grocery store for $0.49 a bag. They run this sale about once a month. I always stock up, because one bag lasts me a week. That’s only $0.10 a day! It’s a perfect side item in the lunchbox!

Crackers can be found for about $2 a box (without coupons). One box should last about 2 weeks. That’s only $0.20 a day. Cheese bricks often go on sale for $2. You could slice it up and add it to the crackers. One 8 oz brick lasts me about one week. Only $0.40
a day.

Yogurt easily found on sale for $0.50 each.

You can easily put together a combination of these items for $1.50. And you can search through your stockpile to find items that might be even cheaper. At $1.50 a day, you’ll save $225 over the course of the school year. -Illyssa

photo source

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Shared Aug 27, 2013 comment

Do It Yourself: Self-Hardening Clay

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Do It Yourself: Self-Hardening Clay

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

RedflyCreations.com shows you how to make homemade self-hardening clay.

Do you have a fun and frugal DIY idea to share? I’d love to hear about it! Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 27, 2013 comment

Monthly Sponsor Spotlight: An interview with SmarterBucks®

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Monthly Sponsor Spotlight: An interview with SmarterBucks®

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Monthly Sponsor Spotlight: An interview with SmarterBucks®

We’re excited to have SmarterBucks® as one of our monthly sponsors in August.

I had the opportunity to interview them and get to know their company a little more recently:

1. Tell us about the history of your company.

SmarterBucks® was launched in 2012 by the same team behind SimpleTuition. Since 2006, SimpleTuition has helped over 20 million students and families better afford their college education.

Now, with SmarterBucks®, we are empowering them, and the one in five households in America living with student debt, with the tools and information needed to be smarter about their student debt management. Our rewards program is built around the power of interest: for every dollar you earn in SmarterBucks® that gets contributed toward your student loan debt, you save that dollar plus interest over the life of your loan. It’s that exponential effect that makes the SmarterBucks® rewards program so powerful, and enables us to help our users crush their student debt faster and for less.

2. What product or service does your company offer?

SmarterBucks® is a rewards program that helps its users pay down their student loans. To earn rewards, members currently have four options:

  1. Shopping in our online rewards marketplace featuring hundreds of leading retailers like Target, Walmart, Groupon, J.Crew, and more
  2. Inviting family and friends to make contributions or earn rewards on their behalf
  3. Using their SmarterBank® Visa® Debit card (optional) on everyday purchases
  4. Completing brand-sponsored online surveys

Signing up is completely free, and once a user has earned $15 in SmarterBucks®, those rewards are automatically contributed as an extra payment to the student loan that the user has set up in the SmarterBucks® system. Our thought process: you are online shopping/in-store shopping/taking surveys/getting gifts (etc) already, so might as well put those everyday activities to work in getting you out of student debt. We try to make it as simple, powerful, hassle-free, and automated as possible, and there are never any caps on rewards earnings.

3. The main focus on Money Saving Mom® is saving money and making our dollars stretch. How does your product help us to do that?

We call it the power of accumulated interest. Because SmarterBucks® rewards are contributed as extra payments, which are meant to be in addition to a user’s regular monthly payments, our users not only get out of debt faster, but they also save interest on the overall cost of their loan. That means that for every $1 earned and contributed in SmarterBucks®, a typical user is really saving up to $2-$3 over the life of their loan. A little math to drive home the point:

SmarterBucks® Math

4. Does your company have any new products or promotions coming up?

Just for joining, SmarterBucks® members are always entered into our monthly student loan payment giveaways, worth anywhere between $1,000-$2,500 in SmarterBucks®.

In addition, until September 15th, we are running a special promotion to help people reach their first extra student loan payment: any new SmarterBucks® member who earns $5 in rewards (and sets up a valid student loan) will receive their next $10 in rewards on us. Click here for more information.

5. Does your company do any charity work that you’d like us to know about?

Though SmarterBucks® is a for-profit organization, we do consider ourselves social entrepreneurs in the business of smarter student debt management.

6. What would you most like your customers or future customers to know about your company?

Here at SmarterBucks®, we live, breathe, eat, and sleep our mission to help you get student debt-free faster and for less. We’re constantly brainstorming new ways for you to earn rewards, seeking out new inspiring #crushstudentdebt stories to share, and creating or curating new content to help you take control of your financial future. We don’t whine, brood, or vent about the struggle of paying off student loans. We’re action-oriented, and our products and content help you get debt-free faster.

Perhaps most importantly, however, is that we listen to our members. Our SmarterBucks® Ambassador community, a community open to all members who wish to share their feedback and opinions with us, has played, and will continue to play, a critical role in shaping the future of our program.

7. How can your customers get the most out of your product or service?

Make SmarterBucks® a part of your daily routine, and sign up for the SmarterBank® Visa® Debit card. When we look at our members who have gotten the most out of our program, they are the people who are taking a survey a day, doing all of their online shopping in the SmarterBucks Marketplace, asking friends and family for SmarterBucks contributions in lieu of birthday and holiday gifts, and using the SmarterBank® Visa® Debit card for all of their purchases, both in-store and online. It can be a bit of a behavior adjustment at first, but the rewards are worth it.

8. Is there anything else that you would like for Money Saving Mom® readers to know about your company?

SmarterBucks® is part of a unique suite of products, all brought to you from the same parent company, SimpleTuition, dedicated to leading the path to an affordable education. We’re serious about this mission and hope you will join us in our quest.

Interested in becoming a monthly sponsor or advertising with us? Find more details here.