Lock in your natural gas rate with a 6 or 12 month fixed rate. When you don’t, you subject yourself to the variable rate, which is often double the rate you could be receiving. Currently, in 2015, expect to find rates as low as $.46 per therm. If you are in a de-regulated market, such as Georgia, you have multiple gas marketers to choose from, with varying rates and programs. These should be listed on a government-sponsored site from the local Public Service Commission. For rates in Georgia, check here. If you are under contract with a marketer, you may have a penalty to switch, and you would need to evaluate your options. In states that are not de-regulated, you should go to the utility’s website to see rate options and decide if you are better off with a fixed or variable rate plan.
Category: Money
Mom’s Priority Saving Money Tip: Refinance Your Mortgage or Pay Extra on your Mortgage
As of March 2015, rates are still low and it is still a good time to refinance your mortgage, if you haven’t already. Check out this calculator and see if you could be saving money. Be sure to consider closing costs. Analysts expect the Fed to start raising rates after first quarter 2015, so this if this is something you are interested in, you might want to act. You might even consider paying extra on your mortgage instead, and shed years off of your mortgage term by paying down the principal balance earlier on.
Refinance Calculator
Freezer Meals for Busy Nights
Freezer meals
About once per quarter, I buy chicken breasts and ground beef in bulk (when they’re on sale), and make up meals to store in our freezer for busy weeknights. Recently, I made 2 Baked Zitis and 1 Lasagna. Sometimes, I make up chicken enchiladas, tex-mex chicken, and poppyseed chicken. I use disposable pans from the dollar store to minimize clean-up and so I’m not using all of my dishes in the freezer. I label them with the name and date, so I know what’s in there. It makes life SOO much easier during busy times of the year. Knowing that I have a real meal waiting in the freezer keeps us from eating out all the time, helps us stay on budget, and is just comforting!
If I have leftover ground beef, I might also make up chili or go ahead and season and cook the ground beef and then freeze in a Ziploc freezer bag (with the date and title) to mix with spaghetti sauce for a quick spaghetti night later on.
For the chicken, the easiest thing to do is to put chicken breasts in the crock pot with a jar of salsa emptied on top. Let that slow cook all day, and then you have great pull-apart meat for your chicken enchiladas and also for any other Mexican dish you might have. You can freeze the chicken meat in a Ziploc bag in good portion sizes for your family with the name and date on the bag.
We use the freezer for so many things- fruit, muffins, vegetables, desserts; I’m sure you do too- what are your favorite go-to meals, and have you thought about freezing them ahead of time to simplify your days?
Mom’s Priority Saving Money Tip: Divide and Transplant Bulbs
Divide and transplant your own plants and bulbs after they bloom. Your bulbs need to be divided to continue to produce flowers every several years. Bulbs that thrive from this include lilies, daffodils, and crocuses. The result will be many more flowers and a beautiful garden! For more info, see http://www.bhg.com/gardening/flowers/annuals/dividing-hardy-bulbs/.
Mom’s Priority Saving Money Tip: Divide and Transplant Bulbs
Kids Clothes Sales
Gymboree has great sales, and you get great return on your investment when you go to re-sell these to consignment, because the clothes and colors last.
Hanna Andersson is another great place to shop for kids’ clothes that you can pass down. Well-made, and they last.
New Customers Save 15% Off Total Order! Enter Code NEWHANNAS15 at Checkout.
Transparency Disclosure: Some tips include links where Mom’s Priority receives an incentive per click or per purchase, but we also include links that are not incentivized. We only promote businesses and services that we believe truly add value, and hope to earn your trust in that regard. If you ever have any questions regarding this, please contact [email protected]. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy and Disclosure
Mom’s Priority Saving Money Tip: Become Cable-Free
Instead of paying for cable, use your built-in HD tuner in your TV to receive digital channels for no charge. We have been cable-free for many years now and do not miss our cable bill! We get just as many or more channels in HD with our TV that has a built-in HD tuner, including HGTV, ESPN, Travel Channel, Disney, and all of the basic local channels. The channel numbers seem to change frequently, so one way to find the channels is simply to have your TV periodically do a channel setup search. The number of channels you receive is based on your geographic location’s ability, and it varies. For more information, see this helpful article from Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/b?node=8074777011
Saving Money Tip: Buy Kids Clothes for Next Winter
Shop ahead for the next year, and put away clothes until then. Right now is a great time to get kids’ winter clothes greatly marked down. Buy a size up, and put them away. You will see the same clothes next fall in the stores at full prices. Macys.com is a great place to find kids’ clothes on sale and clearance. Sometimes there are exclusions to Macy’s additional coupons and promo codes, but hopefully you can click below and get some great deals using promo code “deals.” Free shipping with $99 purchase, and free returns to any store make this an easy way to stock up for next year.
Saving Money Tip: Free Home Delivery from Walmart
Say “DONE!” to that dreaded shopping trip! Shop at Walmart.com, and get the same items that you’d buy in the store, delivered to your door! Same low prices, and delivery is free when you spend over $50. Save your list at walmart.com and reorder easily.
Do you have kids in tow, have trouble getting around, or just dread the trip to the store in rain, snow, sleet…? I have dreamed of the day when I could shop online, get fair prices, and not have to buy in bulk, and walmart.com is one supplier that is helping fulfill that need! The best aspect is being able to save your shopping list, so you don’t have to look through all of the products to find yours every time you reorder.
Shop the Winter Savings Event at Walmart.com!
I give a word of caution, however, since this is a new process: choose the items you order carefully. Their shipping methods are not up to par with Amazon, so while liquids come in ziplock bags to protect against leakage, I have already experienced a dented cheerio box with opened ingredients and a broken dispenser cap on liquid detergent. Even so, it’s hard to beat having all of those bulky items like toilet paper and paper towels delivered right to your door, for the same price, with thousands of products available for online purchase. You can prevent impulse purchases in the store by sticking to your list online, and check one thing off your To Do list easily!
For more ways to save, click HERE
Transparency Disclosure: Some tips include links where Mom’s Priority receives an incentive per click or per purchase, but we also include links that are not incentivized. We only promote businesses and services that we believe truly add value, and hope to earn your trust in that regard. If you ever have any questions regarding this, please contact [email protected]. For more information, please see our Privacy Policy and Disclosure.
