Goodbye bookstore credit card account

We are down one more bill. I said goodbye to my bookstore credit card account. This one was a toughie for lots of reasons. The credit account was to a bookstore that I adore. Not only is it a local place to buy books and talk with staff but, it is also one of my favorite places to pick up gifts. I closed my eyes, handed over my debit card and signed on the dotted line. That was it. I was out the door before I could change my mind (or find something else to buy).

Temptation wasn't finished with me. I was surfing when the ad to open a credit card account at a major online bookseller smacked me in the face. It's hard to tell you how strong the temptation was to open the account. Sitting on my hands is one of the lessons that I'm learning as we dig through the debt pit.

My tactic was to close the computer and take a walk. This gave me time to think things through. Paying off the credit card account at the other bookstore gave me another measure of freedom. Did I really want to exchange that freedom for another ball-and-chain load of debt?

You should have heard the argument in my head. Then again no, you shouldn't have. Reasoning won out in the end but it was a very close call.

My thinking is that if I could find the willpower to limit my Black Friday shopping, then I could say goodbye to the bookstore credit card account and leave it closed. There is no point in opening another account and struggling to pay it off. It's time to say "enough is enough" and walk away. It's a small victory but it feels good. I think that I'll leave it that way.

After Christmas sales rack up bargains

After Christmas sales rack up the bargains. I hit Wal-mart and some other stores to sift through the clearance tables. This is my favorite time of year for bargain hunting. I can pick up items that help me save money all year round. With practice, it is not hard to spot items for weddings and birthdays.

Remember, spending money on something that isn't needed or won't be used doesn't save money. After Christmas sales hold a special temptation to splurge. All these tempting items are just begging to jump into my shopping card. Lists help keep me on budget and away from getting out of debt suicide.

Wedding gifts and birthday presents are two items that I like to grab on the after Christmas sales. The large bath baskets work for best friends and new brides. I also like buying fragrance kits and kitchen sets to use as gifts. There's nothing like buying them at half price or less during the after Christmas sales.

Holiday purchasing is great. I'm not just talking about Christmas here.  Red is great for Valentine's Day and the 4th of July. How about green for St. Patrick's or Earth Day. Silver and gold are perfect for anniversaries.

The list could go on forever but you get the idea. There is a lot that you can find on after Christmas sales to help save money the rest of the year. A little shopping now can save money that I can use to get out of debt. For me, that's probably the best reason to hit those bargain bins. Want to join me?

Unexpected benefit of eating out less

Hubby and I found an unexpected benefit of eating out less. Going out to dinner has become special. Remember when you were dating someone you loved? Or the magic of finding $10 bucks in a coat pocket and going out? Eating out less has made going out again that special.

Tonight we stopped at Sonic after running errands. It's not usually something that we think twice about doing. Maybe it was the starlit sky, the skating car hops or something they put in the Diet Cherry Limeade? I don't know but I do know that it was special again and I liked it.

It's only common sense that eating out less means adding more to the bottom line. Finding out that it can recreate a date feel is an unexpected benefit of eating out less. I think that we can handle this part of the debt reduction plan. Here's wishing that all our spending plan days could be this simple.

Coinstar and Starbucks cards without fees

Coinstar and Starbucks cards without fees are a happy combination. Simply gather up your spare change and take it to your nearest kiosk. Dump everything into the Coinstar machine and select the Starbucks gift card option. No fees are involved.

I checked the Coinstar location list on the company website. Sure enough, almost every one of the machines are participating. That's excellent news to me. 

The newer generation will probably feel that this is a match made in heaven. Both of my daughters are addicted to Starbucks coffee and are going to love this promotion. There is no doubt that they will be among the many happy participants of this partnership. 

Several other companies have partnered with Coinstar to offer these no-fee options. I wasn't aware of all the choices until I started checking out the Starbucks promotion. Amazon was already on my radar screen but Lowe's Home Improvement was not. 

My favorite online store and coffee house is on the list. My daughters' favorite coffee house is on there. Hubby's favorite is on the list too. Each of us is going to need our own piggy bank. Otherwise, we'll be fighting over who can get to Coinstar the quickest. 

As a mom, I have an advantage that they don't. Grounding both of the kids simultaneously and hiding Hubby's car keys just might give me that necessary head start. This Coinstar and Starbucks partnership may be interesting. 

How to close out a yard sale at the end of the day

A yard sale is a great way to put extra money into your pocket. Yet, few people stop to realize that a successful yard sale is a successful one day or weekend small business. This article is the last one in a series that explores the concept. The first article is linked here.

Looking at a yard sale as a small business can change the way you think. If you can be successful in business over a weekend what else can you do? If you are like me, the answer to that question may surprise you.

Please feel free to tell me what you think. The comments section below is always available. :)

Identify yourself and helpers - 'employees'

Billion dollar companies have uniforms for a reason. It helps customers find employees when they want something. A yard sale is no different. Find a way to identify yourself and any helpers you may have. This can be as simple as name tags, shirts of the same color or goofy, off-beat hats.

Customer service

Smile. No one will sell more product than a personable salesperson. (That's you!) Corporations tell their team members to be friendly because it's good for the bottom line. Putting your best smile on during the sale can help you make more money.

After the sale – breakdown tables

Break the sale down and follow your plan for leftover product. Remove and store tables. Signs have to be removed when a business closes. Otherwise, customers may keep showing up on the wrong dates.

Enjoy your earnings – Money made from the sale

Pay yourself (or lenders) back for any start-up funds that were invested into the business. Pay anyone you may have hired (even your kids). The rest is your profit. Enjoy it. 

Yard sale success tips; merchandising and friends

Here is more on how a successful yard sale is a small business. Don't let the wording put you off. We've included it to help you realize how much the sale really is a business - even if it is just for one day or a weekend.  It is one blog post in a series. Click here for the first article.  

Product - Stuff

To go into a business you must have a product and that includes things to see in your yard sale. Usually, you are selling used items from your home. It is a yard sale myth that people 'love' to dig through boxes for individual items. When is the last time that you did that at a successful yard sale? I didn't think so. Make sure your items are clean enough to sell and well organized. Wash all clothing before selling.

Sometimes you may not have enough items to have a successful yard sale. Don't be intimidated. Ask friends or family for help. They may be able to let you clean out their garage and give unused 

Recruit help – Kids, Family, Friends

Companies have team members to help with their successful business and so should you. Recruit dependable people who will help you set-up tables, sell yard sale items and take things down afterward. You may have to pay the neighbor's kids from down the street to come help. That $5-$10 is worth it. Plus, they may want to carry some of your leftover product for their yard sale. 

Merchandising – Displaying your stuff

This means that you are displaying your products attractively. A successful yard sale will have everything placed neatly together. Arranging items on the table with the shorter items in the front makes everything easier to see. Grouping items of the same price or similar pieces together makes it easier for customers to find more to buy. 

Cashier

Who will your customers pay and where will they do it? It can be helpful to have a designated table for money-taking. The table should have a cash box or the cashier can wear an apron and be well marked. Just like a the grocery store the cashier can take the money and bag the items. Make sure you have a supply of bags on hand. (next...)

Tips for signs and yard sale marketing

This article is one of a series on how to have a successful yard sale. Have you seen the other articles yet? A yard sale is a one-day small business so those articles might be helpful. They are linked here and here.

Signage for a successful yard sale

Information covered on the signs should include what, when, where, why. The information doesn't have to be in any particular order as long as it is there. For example:

Moving Sale (Why)

Saturday, April 1. (When)

7:00 am – 2:00 pm.

123 Anywhere Street. (Where)

Baby Items, Plus size clothes, tools (What)

Online marketing – (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)

Craigslist, blogs and Facebook can be good ways to spread the word about your one day business. Online customers will want to know how they can get in touch with you. Email addresses and messages through the system (Craigslist) can be important. As always, be sure to use common sense when posting on the internet. Don't spread the word online if it's something you don't feel comfortable with.

Print advertisements – Newspapers, Fliers
A few dollars put into this type of advertising can reap big rewards – if you do it right. Some newspapers even have special kits that go with the advertisement that you create. Call and speak with someone at the paper who can give you the tips and hints that make up a successful ad. It can be helpful to run the ad the weekend before and the weekend of the yard sale. (next...)

Building a better yard sale

This article is the second in a series A successful yard sale is a weekend small business. Please click this link to read the first article.

Start-up funding
Here is something else to remember when budgeting start-up money for your successful yard sale. Change is needed to open with on the day of the sale. Even though you should get the money back it still needs to factor into your start-up costs. 

Leftover product - Stuff

Every successful yard sale with have things left over afterwards. Make a plan for dealing with it before your yard sale reduces stress that day. If you are donating to charity call them ahead of time. They may be willing to pick it up. If not, you may need to make delivery arrangements. 

Marketing - Signs and Banners

Good look signs that are easy to read can make or break any business. Signs for successful yard sales have wording that can be read at a glance. Drivers won't have much time to read it. If your sign takes more than two or three seconds to read you are sunk. Think that three seconds is too short? Read yard sale signs and billboards on the street. See how long it takes you to absorb the information.

Fliers can help get the word out about the yard sale. Create them with extra white space. Tear-off tags on the bottom are ideal. Put the date, hours and address on the tags. When customers see the tag later they will be reminded about the sale and know where to come. (Next...)

Find coupons in Wednesday or Sunday newspapers

Did you know that coupons aren't only in Sunday newspapers? My girlfriend didn't. She's been overlooking coupon values for awhile now.  In our area, coupons come out in the newspapers on Wednesday for the local paper and on Sunday for the papers in the larger cities. This gives us two great opportunities to snag potential savings.

We have previously discussed the free printable coupon sites that are found online. Small free newspapers (sometimes called savings books) can be found at convenience stores. They are easily picked up when stopping to buy gasoline or other supplies.

Another source is the grocery store. Many supermarkets are getting on the couponing bandwagon by offering coupons from a special kiosk. These are usually located near the door or the checkout registers. Scan your shopping card and the machine will print out your savings. These are different from the ones given at checkout.

Did you know that customer service at some grocery stores will occasionally have coupons? Not every store offers these savings. Check at the customer service counter to see what they have. Sometimes the discounts  are only for senior citizens but it never hurts to ask.

How to make a cheap coupon binder

I'm learning how to use coupons more effectively to save money. Even the highest value coupon is no good if it doesn't make it to the store. My first step was to create a cheap coupon binder. These are available for purchase at various sites online. Many of them range from $20 - $30. That's a little rich for my blood so I decided to make my own cheap coupon binder.

Making the binder isn't hard and didn't take long. This one was put together in one evening for a minimum investment. A quick run to Wal-Mart and about $5 got everything that was needed. It's not as deluxe as some of the online coupon binders but it works for me.

Coupon binder supplies included an inexpensive 3 ring binder with pockets, a set of dividers, 3 hole punch and a very cheap pair of scissors It also needed a pen, black magic marker and a few plastic baggies. These supplies were already laying around the house.

One item that I needed to pick up but forgot is a zippered pouch. This works the best for holding the scissors, pens and magic marker. You could use a plastic baggie in your coupon binder but it won't take long for the scissors to punch through. The pouch can be found at a dollar store or Wal-Mart.

I've written an article on how to put the coupon binder together. It's on the Yahoo Contributor Network.