Why you should NOT opt-in for overdraft protection.

The American Bankers Association finds that almost half of all people surveyed have signed up for (or intend to sign up for) overdraft account protection. That's a real testimony to how convincing the solicitations from the banks have been for this "service."

On August 15, the banks and credit unions became required to ask for permission to rip you off by allowing debit card charges in excess of your available balance.

Don't believe the hype about overdraft protection! You don't want to opt in for this so-called "protection." Protection from what? It's much better to be denied your $2 coffee purchase at the register when you have no money in your account than to get the coffee and be hit with nearly $40 in overdraft charges.

Ultimately, it's your responsibility to make sure you have money in your account. Carry a calculator and/or check register and record your purchases as you go. Just do whatever it takes to gets the job done -- as long as it's not opting in for overdraft protection!

DO NOT PAY FOR RENTAL INSURANCE

The rental-car clerk will offer you a collision-damage waiver (sometimes called a loss-damage waiver), which can cost $10 to $20 per day. The CDW shields you if the rental car is damaged or stolen. But as long as the rental is for personal use and you have collision coverage in your own auto-insurance policy, you’re covered without the CDW (with the same deductibles that apply to your own car).

Your credit-card benefits supplement your auto coverage. Most cards will pick up your deductible, and premium cards offer beefier coverage. (Keep in mind that credit-card protection doesn't include liability. And if you've dropped comprehensive or collision coverage on your auto policy, the rental car will be covered by your credit card if it is stolen or damaged in an accident.

Free On-Line shipping coupons

At FreeShipping.org, you can find coupons and codes to secure free (or deeply discounted) mailing or delivery from hundreds of retailers. Some of these are constant offers as long as you make a minimum order. Others are occasional deals with a limited life. And if there’s no cost for mailing, you can’t get hit with that mysterious charge for “handling,” right?

Basic Water Heater Facts

If you are a new homeowner, you may not realize that your home’s water heater uses the third largest amount of energy of all your household appliances. A water heater is crucial and in most cases you cannot reduce the amount of use that it gets.

Below are ways you can increase the efficiency of your current water heater or even replace it with a more efficient solution.

First, if you don’t want to replace your current water heater, here are three things that you can do to increase the efficiency of your water heating.

Use less hot water. Consider taking warm showers instead of hot showers, and lower the temperature of your dishwasher.

Take shorter showers when possible, or install low-pressure shower heads. Many people incorrectly believe that baths use less water than showers. Four people showering for five minutes each, three times a week use almost 1,000 gallons of water every single week.

Insulate! Just as insulating your attic reduces heat loss through the roof, insulating your water heater keeps water hot for a longer period of time.

If your water heater is more than five years old, you may need to replace it in the near future. If it is more than ten years, definitely consider replacing it before it stops functioning.
Water heaters are an enclosed mechanism and therefore cannot be repaired. It is always good to know which replacement model you will select if your water heater stops working.

Thanks  Ray Minyard for the information.

Save $1,000 by the Holidays

Here are seven ways to to infuse more cash into your budget so you won't have to go into debt to buy gifts.


Retailers are rolling out Christmas items early in hopes that consumers will buy them at full price now rather than wait for discounts closer to the holidays. Rather than take the bait, you should consider getting a head start on your holiday savings instead. That is, by trimming some costs over the next two months, you can save up to $1,000 or more to finance your holiday gift giving and celebrating with cash rather than credit.

The actual savings in the examples below will vary (especially depending on which ones you can implement). But they do show it is possible to find an extra $1,000 in your budget over two months. Be sure to share your money-saving tips in the reader comments box below.

Adjust your tax withholding. The average tax refund this year was nearly $2,900. If you got a refund, stop paying Uncle Sam too much throughout the year and keep that money for yourself. You simply need to change your tax withholding by filing a new W-4 with your employer's human resources department. To find out how many withholdings you should be claiming, try our Easy-To-Use Tax Withholding Calculator. The changes will go into effect on your next paycheck.

TWO MONTHS OF SAVINGS = $484 (based on the average refund)

Ditch the premium cable TV package. When I canceled my expensive premium cable package and opted for the cheap, basic service, I started saving $80 a month -- more than $950 a year. See Cut the Cable Cord for sources of free or cheap programming and movies. (Note: I kept basic cable service to score a discount on my phone and Internet services.) If you're not willing to give up cable, you might be able to get a discount from your provider just by suggesting that you are ready to cut the cord. Kiplinger.com Managing Editor Robert Long got his cable company to knock $17 off his monthly bill by hinting that he wanted to switch to a much-less expensive package or to even find a new provider.

TWO MONTHS OF SAVINGS = $160

Increase auto insurance deductibles. Increasing the deductibles on your comprehensive and collision coverage from $500 to $1,000, or even $2,500, can reduce your premiums by 12% to 18%. For example, boosting the deductibles from $500 to $1,000 would mean a savings of $648 per year, on average, for a family with two teenage drivers in northern California (which has a competitive auto insurance marketplace), according to the database at InsWeb, an insurance Web site.

TWO MONTHS OF SAVINGS = $108

Dine out less. You've heard it 100 times, but I'm gonna tell you again: You'll save big by eating your meals at home. If you spend about $50 on a dinner for two every time you go to a restaurant, you can save $100 just by eliminating one night out a month.

TWO MONTHS OF SAVINGS = $100

Live off your grocery stockpile. If your pantry and freezer look anything like mine, you probably have enough food to last you a couple of weeks. So skip one weekly trip to the grocery (at a cost of about $100 for a family of four), and put those canned goods and frozen foods to use.

TWO MONTHS OF SAVINGS = $100 (if you can live off your stockpile for a week; $200 if it'll get you through two weeks)

Find free babysitters. Round up another family or two and take turns watching the kids. If you go out for four hours every month and would have paid a baby sitter $10 per hour, you can save $40 per month. All you need to do is watch the other family's kids occasionally -- which gives your children a few extra playmates.

TWO MONTHS OF SAVINGS = $80

Drop your land line. If you're paying $25 a month (AT&T's current rate for unlimited long-distance calling) for home phone service but rely mainly on your cell phone, eliminate this monthly expense.

TWO MONTHS of SAVINGS = $50

TOTAL SAVINGS = $1,082




By Cameron Huddleston, Contributing Editor, Kiplinger.com

Don't be tempted to reduce your homeowners insurance

Are you properly insured at your house? You may have seen a number of stories about reducing your homeowners coverage because decreased home values may have left you over-insured. No way!

The cost to rebuild a house following a substantial or total loss is so high per square foot that you're probably under-insured.

So you must read the coverage limits when your policy comes up for renewal every year. Let your insurer know if there's no way you could rebuild your house for the specified amount. Note the name of the rep you speak to and the date/time of the call. That way if your insurer refuses to raise your limits and a catastrophic loss happens, you've already begun building a case against them.

On a related point, I advise homeowners that they can save big bucks by bumping up their deductible to $1,000 or higher on their homeowners insurance.

My rationale was twofold: First, a $1,000 deductible would prevent you from making small, piddling claims against your insurance. Second, you would pay much less in premiums in return for taking that higher deductible.

The penny-pincher always takes big deductibles. Don't have the $500 deductible of yesteryear. Today, insurance can only be used in the case of a catastrophic loss. It's a "use it and lose it" kind of thing. I saved 37% on my last renewal by having the highest possible deductible that my insurer would allow.

Finally, there's no excuse for not buying flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program if you live in or adjacent to a flood plain.

Flood insurance is subsidized at extra-cheap rates by your fellow taxpayers and covers damage for up to $250,000. Premiums tend to be as low as $100 annually up to $400 annually. Renters can buy a special version of flood insurance that's also subsidized.

Please note that insurers will not offer you additional coverage unless you first have this separate coverage from the feds. And if you're hit with a catastrophic flood, your basic homeowner's insurance won't pay for the damage.

Freebies to Duke Power Customers

Duke Energy has setup a giveaway of free CFL light bulbs to qualified customers.  These are the energy efficient bulbs. 


   The number is 1-800-943-7585 and press option 1, then just follow the system commands. They will ask for your account number in the first prompt but then the third prompt lets you do it with your phone number associated with the account.  Hope you find this helpful!  It takes less than a minute.  Share as you will!