Health Benefits

I posted before about using your company benefits to save yourself money on everyday things that you might not even know you have benefits for!

Well, today I learned the same goes for your health benefits!  We have good health coverage under Kevin's plan.  I have always known that, especially being in the health insurance business myself.  I know what our copays and our deductibles are and what is covered and when.  What I didn't know about was the other benefits that it carried.

A few weeks ago, a friend and I were chatting about breast pumps.  Awesome, I know... the things you talk about what you are getting ready to have a baby!  Poor Kevin...   Anyway, I was complaining that they are $450 in the store and that it is ridiculous!

I was contemplating applying for WIC since I won't have a job and by my initial contact, we are on the boarder of qualifying.  But I just can't bring myself to do it.  I am not about abusing the Welfare system and I know that we can make it through without it.  Nothing against those people who do use WIC, as I think it is a great program and helps many, many women.  I just don't think in our situation it is fair to  use when we are OK without it.  At least for now...  But for those of you who DO need it, one of the benefits they offer is a breast pump!

But anyway, she was telling me that her health insurance covered her breast pump! Umm.. what?! That is so crazy!  So low-and-behold, I called UPMC today and they cover it at 100% as long as my doctor writes a script for it!  YES PLEASE!

That is such a weight off our shoulders as this was a huge baby expense we were dreading! If my friend wouldn't have mentioned it, I would have never known that this was even available!

And this goes for much more than pregnancy-related things also.  I did know from work that many times insurance will cover oxygen and other health-related necessities in your home at 100% under your durable medical equipment benefits!

What I was unaware of is that our insurance also offers discounts on things like spas and gym memberships!  That in itself is so amazing!  Maybe after we pop this little one out, we will invest in the gym membership deal...  One thing is for sure.... we need it! :)

So go and check out all your health benefits and start saving money!!!

There's Nothing Better Than Free!!!

Sorry for the long delay in posting!  We finally moved and have been using all of our spare time trying to get settled in and trying to clean/paint our old place!  I will be so happy after this week once we are all done with the other place and can just concentrate on our own place!

In addition, we are starting to kick into gear with getting ready for baby!  One thing that I totally knew, but I think refused to admit, is that babies need a lot of stuff.... and that stuff is expensive!

Although I am hoping to get most of my goodies from my baby shower and my registry, there are still certain things we are going to have to buy.... like the furniture!  A crib at Babies R Us is about $300!  Yeah... so not going to happen!  I have a few ideas for that, but I will get to them in a later post!  What I was concentrating on was getting a changing table.

I am not one of those people who can just stick the changing mattress on top of the dresser and can call it a day.  I am a total knick knack person and I need the dresser space to display all of the unnecessary things I am going to get for Lily!  So, I need a changing table for the actual diaper stuff!

Well if you have never looked for one of these let me tell you... they are NOT cheap!  They are ridiculously expensive for what they are... averaging over $100.  Yeah, again, not going to happen!

Lately I have been all about garage sales and consignment shops so I thought I would start with looking online!  Well, I found a great one on Craigslist!  Although it was about a 40 minute drive from our house, it was only $30 and it looked like it was in great condition!

Since I really hadn't budgeted the extra $30 for said changing table, I was trying to get creative, and since we were in the process of moving, I figured it was time to get rid of our unwanted stuff!  So we took a box of books to Half Price Books and made $30!  I had to control myself to get out of the store without spending any of that money as books are my weakness, but we did it!  That means that the changing table was FREE!!!

I sent my husband to get the table since I am not all about going alone to a stranger's home, especially while pregnant and it is in perfect condition... not even a scratch!  They even had the directions in plastic.  When I searched the table, it came up $120 new and they still sell it!

The saying is true... one person's trash is another person's treasure!  I adore my second-hand changing table!!!

Use Your Company Benefits!

If you work for a big company, chances are you are entitled to a benefit package.  Most people take advantage of their health care, short term disability and voluntary life insurance.  What many people don't realize though is that most companies offer much, much more!

I found this out yesterday and scored a serious savings!!

I was aware that my company offered discounts at many places, including Verizon (at 20% I was on top of that the day I got my first paycheck!), Sams Club and Dell Computers.  What I was unaware of were the other useful things they offer.

First off, they offer a service where you can call and they will do research on a product or service you are looking in to.  For instance, if you need to take your dog to a pet resort while you are on vacation, they will do the research for you and come up with a few options, including a full report on why they chose them.  That's pretty awesome!  Too bad they wouldn't do my job for me too...

Anyway, as I was exploring the website of things offered, I noticed that they have a contract with Microsoft.  When I bought my new laptop in December we went for super cheap and functional over anything extravagant. I can't complain... I love my laptop and it's been great for the $200 I spent on it!  What I didn't want to spend money on was the software I so desperately needed.  

Microsoft Office is essential to any computer.  I have an older version of Office that I can install, but many of the programs are not compatible and there were quite a few documents I couldn't open.  I was desperately trying to get by without it, but you can only do so much on a work computer where they track your every move.

Even in my most frugal state, I refuse to buy used software.  I feel that unfortunately people are not always honest and CDs and DVDs get scratched very easily.  If something is wrong with them, many times, you are out of money.  And what is the point losing money when you are trying to save it!

So after many weeks of looking online, I came to the conclusion that I was not spending $100-$150 on the software and I would just have to "borrow" my husband's computer to do my office stuff.

WELL, as I was searching my company Microsoft benefits, I found out that all employees get Office 2010 for $9.99!  Yes, only ten bucks!!!  Ummmm yes please!  So now I am happily creating documents and budgeting spreadsheets once again!

The moral of this little story -- use your company benefits -- ALL of them!  Or even if you don't use them, at least know what they have to offer in case you need them!

Survey Says

I have been doing a lot of research lately on finding ways to make money online.  One of the most popular suggestions have been to take online surveys for points on websites to earn gift cards.

I am completely on the fence about this concept.  

For one, I have been using Sunshine Rewards for a few years and have often tried to take advantage of their online survey opportunities.  Well it seemed no matter how hard I tried, I never, I mean NEVER qualified for the surveys they offered!  It was so frustrating that after a few days, I gave up and vowed to never do another survey attempt.

Plus, I don't always like to give out that much information on an online survey (i.e. I never give our annual household income out!).

Anyway, I signed up for a new website to earn points on called Swagbucks.  You can earn points for watching videos, playing games, filling out a daily poll, signing up for offers, searching the web and, of course, surveys.

I earned a few hundred points for watching some videos and searching the web but nothing too exciting.  A $5 Amazon gift card is about 450 points so I was about to abandon my attempt at paying for our diapers this way, when I decided to just TRY out the survey.

Well, just as Sunshine Rewards, I didn't qualify for any of them.  The nice thing about Swagbucks is at least they give you one point for trying to qualify.

Well today I had a breakthrough.  I decided that for one week, that's 7 full days, I am going to attempt to do all the surveys they offer.  So about the first eight of them I didn't qualify for.  Then I saw a new one pop up and I jumped on it quick.  The thing with surveys is the quicker you can get to them, the better your chance to qualify.

Well, it was a big survey... 400 points... and I GOT IT!  I was so excited!  And then, I got another one worth 100 points!  It was so exciting seeing my points go up so quickly!

I still can't say I'm totally sold on the whole survey thing.  Maybe next Wednesday, after my week of surveys is over, I will feel differently (depending on how many I actually get I guess!)  

Do any of you do surveys?  Have they actually worked out for you as far as the earnings go?  I would love some feedback!

Memorial Day Deals

   This is what $20 spent at Old Navy today got me!  I hope everyone had luck on their sales like I did and I hope that no one went too far overboard!!

Sometimes, you gotta shop!

It's a beautiful morning here in Pittsburgh!  The sun is shining, it's hot out already and its only 9:30 a.m., it is going to be a beautiful Memorial Day!  I am so happy to be going swimming and spending the day out in the sun with friends that are family!

I decided to get up early and get some stuff done.  I'm not a morning person so sometimes that is hard for me, but I got up about 7:45, showered, took out the dog and made brownies for the party this afternoon.  Once the brownies were safely put away (after I ate 3 for breakfast... ooops), I decided to jump online and work on clipping some coupons.

On my quest to save money, coupons are an essential part of my now daily routine.  I also was going to go onto Old Navy's website and see if there were any great sales on flip flops, as mine are quickly dying and I need to replace them.

I convinced myself that I only  needed flip flops, no other purchases allowed and that was all I was going to look at, this way I was going to not spend too much money.  As soon as I picked out my favorite colors I was going to walk across the street to the grocery store and get my gift card (gotta get those gas points!) and order those suckers through Ebates.  I had it all planned out.

That's when I saw it... their memorial day sale ad.  Obviously I knew they would be having sales and excellent deals and I even flipped through the tank top section when I saw they were having $4 tanks.  That's a good price, but I wasn't sure how long they would be sight unseen and target usually has everyday $6 tanks, so I was getting ready to head to the flippers when there was a little bubble that said tanks are $2 in stores!  TWO DOLLARS for tank tops.  I AM SO THERE!!!

I called my husband to let him know that I was going to buy a few tanks today and not to be mad when he gets home and sees the bags.  Kevin would actually never get mad, but this just lets me quietly validate my need for shopping!  He agreed and told me to have fun, but to be sure to use the credit card since we get points back for that and I'm not using Ebates!  Wow... I have trained him so well!

I think the most important thing when trying to save is to let yourself live at the same time... within reason!  I am not going to the store to spend $100 on new clothes that I don't necessarily "need" I just want.  I am most likely going to buy 3, possibly 4 tanks and spend under $10.  That's a deal that no one should pass up!  I think everyone should be heading out to Old Navy to buy summer tanks today!! (Unless you live in Pittsburgh, then stay away, I want a good variety when I go!)

Don't deprive yourself of opportunities like this when you are trying to save.  You will more-than-likely burn out and end up spending serious money when $10 could have gotten you through 3 weeks without spending.  I think that should be in the savings 101 handbook... let yourself buy things you need occasionally!  Three new tanks are like a new wardrobe between wearing them and layering them.  Add colorful flippers on top of them and you feel like a new person!

Happy  Memorial Day everyone! I hope everyone scores some major discounts and savings today!

I love Ebates

So on my quest to get my Disney vacation paid for, I was following along with my blogger friend Carly (disneyweddingblog.com) who happened to do a whole blog about how to get a free Disney vacation from doing some online work!

I love Carly's blogs. They are witty and fun and truthful.  If you have any love for Disney at all, I highly suggest checking them out!

Anyway, she posted a link to Ebates as a way to earn cash back from shopping online.  Truthfully, I do not shop online that often anymore (wish I would have known about this during wedding planning!) But occasionally, there are things I need to order.

Well, all you do is sign up for this site (its free!) at http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=N5lCR5H7Jmbs%2B5n92bfFPg%3D%3D

After that, you just start shopping and you get cash back when you place orders!  Each store has a different amount you get back... but really what could be better than being paid for shopping?

When I was planning my wedding, I used Sunshine Rewards to do basically the same thing, and was able to pay for some of our hotel with my savings.  Well, they dropped a lot of their important vendors, and Ebates has EVERYTHING so it was an easy switch!  Not to mention, they have coupon codes available.  And with many stores doing free shipping, there is no reason NOT to shop online!

If that's not enough, when you sign up, you get to choose a $10 gift card that they automatically send you after your first purchase of $25 or more using their site!  Umm... hello, that's free money right there!

So for my first Ebates experience, I went with Express.  Express is not a store I shop in often.  Not only do the clothes not fit me (hello...preggo!) but I think their clothes are extremely expensive!  We have a store called Gabriel Brothers that sells their "damaged" stuff and my only Express clothing comes from there... at $3 a shirt!  Anyway, for whatever reason, I had $35 in gift cards there.  On top of that I got a $10 off birthday card in the mail for having a credit card (from back in my skinny days!).

Since I had the $10 off, I figured it would be a great time to go in and get some accessories.  I got a pair of sunglasses, a canary wristlet and a blue bangle bracelet for $35 after my coupon... the exact amount of my gift card.  Now I did pay for shipping, which ended up being $8 since I used my entire gift card.

However, I got $1 back from Ebates and qualified for my $10 gift card from Target (that's where I chose since I shop there the most!).  All in all, I came out $3 ahead and got some great stuff!

This site is definitely worth checking out!! I am officially addicted!!  To save more money, if your grocery store does gas points like ours does here in PA, go buy gift cards for the store you are going to shop in, get the gas points at the grocery store and the cash back online!  It's like double the savings, plus you are less likely to spend more than you wanted if you already pre-purchased a gift card!