Summer is finally on its way! (Well ok, it’s not even spring yet) But it’s still important to start saving now so you can enjoy a summer full of sun and fun!

Here are a few tips from THE ASSOCIATED PRESS:

PLAN AHEAD: Start your search early — even thinking about summer 2011 now — so you know which camp you want to pursue well in advance, said Peter Surgenor, president of the American Camp Association, which has 2,500 member camps. And, especially on sleep away camps, don’t skimp on research because you’ll forfeit a lot of money if you pull your child out early if he doesn’t like the camp — or isn’t ready for overnights.

If you decide on day camp, call your local parks and recreation department, churches and synagogues, art schools, colleges, Boy Scout and Girl Scout councils and other groups that may sponsor less expensive camps.

ALWAYS ASK ABOUT AID: Camp can cost from $100 a week to $800 and more per week, but many sponsors offer financial aid. Surgenor said aid is not used as much as it could be because people don’t ask often enough. Last year, camps gave out more than $39 million, but it varies by camp and other factors so ask the director for specifics, and ask early so you can vie for partial or full scholarships, said Christina Vercelletto, senior editor at Parenting magazine.

SEEK DISCOUNTS: Signing up before winter’s end can get you 5 to 10 percent of at some camps, said Janet Siroto, executive editor at Good Housekeeping. Sending siblings to the same camp can win you another 10 percent discount for each additional child. And some camps offer discounts for attending multiple weeks. If you refer other campers you also may be able to get a discount, sometimes $100.

For campers ages 14 and up, check out counselor-in-training programs, which kids attend for reduced fees while still having fun, Siroto said. Check with each camp for specifics.

DO IT YOURSELF: Even parents who work can band together, Siroto said, and watch small groups of one another’s children throughout the summer for free. By rotating vacation time, each family takes responsibility for a week at a time and takes the group swimming, to museums and on other adventures.

”The moms pool their ideas and then it’s Camp Mom,” she said. ”If you’re one of six moms, you’ve got six weeks of free camp with neighborhood kids.”

HELP AT TAX TIME: In many cases, camp costs can be deducted from your income because they’re considered child care for kids under age 13. If you have a workplace flexible-spending account for dependent care, make sure to seek reimbursement there (or open one for next year). Or seek the deductions when you file your return.

Check out AccuQuote’s blog every Friday for more ‘saving you money for life’ tips! And for a free term life insurance quote from one of the best term life insurance companies around, contact a licensed life insurance agent today while term life rates are still near record lows!

No matter what I do, it seems like every month I have a new fee on my cell phone bill, whether it’s because I went over my minutes or because of some other unexpected cost. But I love my cell phone, so I put up with the extra fees month to month. But I seriously need to start saving, and I’m sure some of you do too. So here are a few tips I found that may help reduce some headaches when you open your cell phone bill.

ShopSmart magazine recommends the following 8 tips to cut cell phone costs:

1. Go easy on the minutes – Do a little cost-benefit analysis on your bills and figure out how many voice minutes you’ve used in the past six months and how many minutes were left over. You might save with a plan that has fewer included minutes, provided it offers the same free talk-time benefits.
2. Maximize family-plan calling – Call your spouse and kids on a family-plan cell phone instead of their landline home or work phones.
3. Use freebies to the max – If your carrier offers unlimited free minutes to designated calling-list phone numbers, register your most-called numbers but be sure to limit your list to landlines and cell numbers outside your network.
4. Bundle up those texts – The cost of text messaging adds up quickly if you’re paying àla carte at 15 to 20 cents a pop. If you’re a busy texter, think about a package of 200 to 1,500 messages per month for $5 to $15.
5. Don’t be afraid to complain – If you’re on the hook for an unusually gigantic bill, call customer service. Your carrier might cut you a break.
6. Get a data plan – E-mailing, surfing, and other types of data can really chew up your budget if you pay per megabyte. An “all inclusive” plan with unlimited Web and messaging on a smart phone should cost $10 to $60 per month.
7. Shop around or hire someone to do it for you – You can “hire” a service to sift through the major plans for you, factoring in your usage and other data, then recommend available phones with various plans and costs.
8. Avoid big termination fees – Make sure that you’re going to be happy with your cell plan because early termination fees can run as high as $350 per phone line. If you do choose to switch to a new carrier, be sure to give the phone and service a good test drive during the 15 to 30-day trial period.

Keep reading our blog every Friday for money saving tips like this one. And, if you’re interested in near record low term life insurance rates, contact us today for a free term life insurance quote. It’s never been easier to find cheap life insurance!

Let’s face it…when it comes to our finances we’ve probably all made mistakes. But mistakes aren’t necessarily a bad thing…especially when we’re able to learn from them. But personally, I’d rather avoid a mistake than create a headache.

LJWorld.com came up with a few financial blunders that we commonly make.

Procrastination – Some people do this really well! In fact, some of my best work in college was done at the last minute (I hope my professors aren’t reading this). However, procrastinating isn’t the way to go when it comes to your finances. A major financial mistake due to not having a written plan can affect your family’s overall financial strategy, and end up costing you more than just time to fix it.  

Lack of tax planning – It’s important to approach tax season with a plan. Each year, or at least at the end of each tax season, you should organize your financial documents and prepare for the upcoming year. Be aware of changes in your financial status and any major financial decisions you make that can affect your tax return.

Inadequate or improper life insurance coverage – This can have a huge impact on your family’s overall financial plan. Life insurance, both permanent and term life, is there to protect your loved ones financially when you no longer can. If you don’t have enough coverage, you risk leaving your family with a big financial mess. And you won’t be around to help clean it up. The licensed life insurance agents at AccuQuote.com can give you a life insurance needs analysis and a free term life insurance quote. And remember, cheap term life insurance is easy to find because rates are near record lows!

Effective planning is the key to avoiding most financial mistakes, but it’s important to know what mistakes to avoid before getting started.

Which tips will save you money and which are busts?

During these hard economic times, everybody is searching for ways to save money. But is everything you read true? Probably not. The Dolans at Dolans.com reveal which tips are true and which tips are busts.

Here are the ten most common money saving tips: 

1. You can save big money on your car insurance by increasing your deductible – TRUE. Since the insurance company will be taking less risk that you’ll file a claim for a little fender-bender, they’ll reduce your premium considerably.
2. Using the higher-octane gas makes your car run better and gives you better mileage – FALSE. The reality is that most cars don’t get much benefit from the higher octane. Check your owner’s manual for the recommended fuel and use only that type.
3. To find the best prices on groceries, you need to look up and down on the grocer’s shelves – TRUE. Grocery stores are very smart about making sure that the products with the highest prices are also the easiest to see and find. That’s why they put them at eye-level. To save money at the supermarket, look up and down at the top and bottom shelves to find comparable products at lower costs.
4. Keeping your tires properly inflated will increase gas mileage and lower your costs – TRUE. Experts say that for every one pound per square inch (PSI) that your tires are underinflated, you could be decreasing your gas mileage by one-half percent.
5. You can cut your heating bill by 5%-15% by lowering the thermostat 10-15 degrees for 8 hours – TRUE. According the U.S. Department of Energy, lowering your thermostat by 10-15 degrees for only 8 hours a day can save you big money – between 5% and 15% of your current heating bill.
6. You should always use a shopping list when you go to the grocery store and stick to it – TRUE. You should always use a shopping list when you go to the grocery store. It will help to ensure that you’re buying only the things that you need. However, you should always be prepared to make changes to the list if you see a really good special that you don’t want to pass up.
7. You can get more gas in your tank for the same price by filling up in the morning when it’s cooler outside – FALSE. Although it is true that cooler gas is denser, the temperature within the underground tanks at the gas station does not vary much throughout the day. So, fill up your tank whenever it’s most convenient for you.
8. You can save big money by buying store brands and generics – TRUE. If you haven’t looked at the price difference between brand-name and store-brand products, prepare to be amazed. Brand-name products can cost 10%, 20%, even 30% or more than their store-brand counterparts.
9. Refinancing your mortgage loan at a lower rate always makes sense – FALSE. While refinancing at a lower rate can lower your monthly payment, that doesn’t mean you’re going to save money. You have to consider your closing costs, which can be substantial.
10. The salad bar at the grocery store is a ripoff, and you should never buy anything there – FASLE. Everything at the salad bar is usually the same fixed price, but sometimes they have foods that would cost much more if you bought them in the aisles.

Go to Dolans.com for the full article.

For more money saving tips keep reading AccuQuote’s blog, become a fan of AccuQuote on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And don’t forget to check here first to learn about the benefits of term life insurance. By shopping online for free term life insurance quotes, you may be able to save up to 70% on your term life coverage!

WalletPop.com interviewed experts in saving, spending, borrowing and investing to find out the biggest mistakes people make when it comes to their hard-earned money.

Will you be one of the thousands of people to make these mistakes in 2010? Let’s hope not…

Here’s what they say are 5 critical money mistakes to avoid this year:

1. Not having life insurance. If anyone depends on you financially, you NEED life insurance! (we’ve been saying this all along) – Even if you’re a stay-at-home parent, you need life insurance, because if anything happened to you, child-care costs would come into play. The idea isn’t that your surviving spouse or dependents would spend the money; rather, you want an amount that’s large enough for them to invest and be able to live in a manner to which they’re accustomed off the returns.
2. Being late with a credit card payment – This is just an all-around bad thing to do. Your credit score gets dinged, you get slapped with a nasty late fee and your interest rate will probably zoom up.
3. Buying a company’s stock just because you like what it sells – Plenty of companies have great products or services, but there are so many other factors that contribute to a stock’s day-to-day price and its long-term value that you could end up losing money anyway. Do your homework and expand your investment strategy beyond the facile.
4. Not having an emergency fund – “The biggest mistake I’ve noticed is that while a lot of people know it’s important to have a 401(k), they forget to focus on an emergency savings fund,” says Clarky Davis, a personal finance expert. Too many people get intimidated by the idea of having three or six months’ worth of expenses saved up and never take the first step toward creating a rainy-day fund. “Start small, even if it’s just change every week,” she advises. “You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do and not think that you’re a failure for not having a huge pile of money saved up.”
5. Buying lunch instead of brown-bagging it – Your average cost of lunch out is around $6.50 and that can be even higher, depending on where you live. But on average, it only costs between $1.37 and $1.80 to make and bring your lunch from home, regardless of where you live. So stock up on cold cuts or salad greens, and make that noontime deli trip a special treat instead of a daily occurrence.

Read the full article at WalletPop.com

For more money saving tips keep reading AccuQuote’s blog, become a fan of AccuQuote on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And don’t forget to check here first to learn about the benefits of term life insurance. By shopping online for free term life insurance quotes, you may be able to save up to 70% on your term life coverage!

It’s challenging to cut back on heating costs when you’re facing sub-zero temperatures. But many of us are doing whatever it takes to save money due to poor economic times, even if it means having to wear multiple layers around the house. But because I’m determined to find ways to save on everything, I yet again searched for advice from other people who have uncovered ways to save. This time, it’s how to save on our winter heating bill.

Today’s advice comes from Mike Valles’ personal finance blog:

1. Determine to Make a Difference – Lower costs in your electric bill will probably also mean making some sacrifices. If you are determined, however, your electric bill can be noticeably smaller next month. The key is to do something about it today. This may mean putting on more clothes, wrapping up in a comforter while you sit around the house, or something similar.

2. Turn the Thermostat Down – This will affect your heating bill the fastest. With every degree that you reduce it, the more you will save. With a sweater,
you can probably keep it about 68 degrees during the day. Greater savings can be had if you turn it down to about 65 degrees while you sleep. Also, don’t forget to turn it down while you are at work, too, for a much larger savings.

3. Turn Down the Water Heater – Turn your water heater’s thermostat down to about 120 degrees. If it is in a cold basement, you may also want to wrap a water heater blanket around it, too, to help insulate it.

4. Use Your Appliances Less – Besides your heating and air conditioning bills, appliances will use the most amount of electricity. You can raise the temperature in your refrigerator some, and you can run your washing machine less by only washing full loads. It’s important to maintain your appliances, too, for better savings. Things like computers can be unplugged when you are not using them. Most electronics will consume electricity when they are plugged in – especially if they can operate by a remote.

I hope you’ll see a difference by using these helpful tips consistently. If anyone has additional advice or has lowered their heating bill by using these ways to save, please comment.

For more money saving tips keep reading AccuQuote’s blog, become a fan of AccuQuote on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And don’t forget to check here first to learn about the benefits of term life insurance. By shopping online for free term life insurance quotes, you may be able to save up to 70% on your term life coverage!

Almost all of us can admit that we’ve made unrealistic New Year’s resolutions. And because of this, many of us have failed to keep them. But it doesn’t have to be such a daunting task, especially if your New Year’s resolution (if kept) will better your current financial situation.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a bit of a shopaholic, but this year I’m making a commitment to myself to save some money! The Anchorage Daily News has six (somewhat unconventional) tips to get a shopping plan off to a great start:

1. Wear extremely uncomfortable shoes – The pain from stilettos or shoes that are too small should shorten shopping trips for non-essentials. When heading out for clothes shopping, wear clothes that are difficult to remove so you’ll be less likely to try on that unnecessary item.
2. Take a friend or spouse – Tell your shopping partner to remind you that another pair of shoes is exactly what you DON’T need. You probably won’t have to give your husband instructions.
3. Find another form of entertainment – Too many shopaholics head to the mall when they’re bored. Work outside, clean the house or visit friends when the urge to shop comes upon you.
4. Don’t take your wallet – You’ll need your driver’s license, but remove the cash and credit cards when you head out to shop.
5. Go on a diet – Eliminate the majority of sugars from your diet (including daily lattes) to save money at the grocery store. You don’t have to be a saint. Studies show sugar cravings can greatly be decreased by allowing yourself a small serving of sugar, rather than trying to entirely cut it out if your diet. If you do, you might end up on a sugar binge.
6. Set goals – Promise yourself one special treat if you stick to the rest of your resolutions for three or six months. It might be a pair of boots, new purse or sugar splurge. Just don’t spend all that you’ve saved on that one treat.

For more money saving tips keep reading AccuQuote’s blog, become a fan of AccuQuote on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And don’t forget to check here first to learn about the benefits of term life insurance. By shopping online for free term life insurance quotes, you may be able to save up to 70% on your term life coverage!

It’s time to recover from holiday spending and start saving. As the economy continues to be uncertain for many, it’s important to continue smart spending habits throughout 2010.

Bankrate.com offers 10 smart money-saving tips for the New Year:

1.       Start, or boost, your emergency savings account – The biggest barrier to saving is not being in the habit of saving. The best way to get in the habit is to pay yourself first by directly depositing money from your paycheck into a dedicated savings account.
2.       Get a high-yield savings account – Once you’ve started to save, you’ll need a place to put that money. There are three requirements in determining where to put your rainy-day fund: It must be liquid (meaning you can get to the money whenever you need it), it must be free of investment risk and you must earn a return that preserves your buying power against the erosive effect of inflation.
3.       Find a free checking account –Look for one of the many accounts that charge no monthly service or per-transaction fees, and don’t require a minimum balance. These free checking accounts have long been the hallmark of smaller community banks, credit unions and online banks.
4.      Track your monthly spending– People hate to use the “B” word — budgeting. Call it what you want, but you do need to get a handle on your spending. Doing so does two things: It helps you determine where you can cut back and helps maximize your money-saving efforts.
5.       Pay down high interest credit cards – For many households, the best return on your money is to pay down credit card debt. Whether carrying balances at 12 percent or 22 percent, credit card debt is typically the costliest debt households have. Plowing excess cash into repayment of credit card debt is a double-digit, risk-free return because it reduces the outstanding balance and the resulting interest charges.
6.       Begin or increase contributions to a workplace retirement program – While many employers have scaled back or suspended their matching contributions to workplace retirement plans, such as 401(k)s, this is not an excuse to suspend your own. Even if your employer is contributing at a reduced rate, it still represents free money. If they’re not, the burden is on your shoulders.
7.       Make an IRA contribution – If you or your spouse has earned income, you are eligible to contribute to an individual retirement account. Those under age 50 can contribute a maximum of $5,000 and those 50 and older can contribute up to $6,000. You can open an IRA with a bank, credit union, brokerage firm or mutual fund, and invest the contributions as you choose.
8.       Convert traditional IRA to a Roth IRA –While the income limits restricting contributions to a Roth IRA remain, the income limit restricting eligibility to convert a traditional to a Roth IRA disappears. This means anyone wanting to convert some or all of their traditional IRA into a Roth can do so, regardless of income.
9.       Refinance into a fixed-rate mortgage – Interest rates are at record lows, and eventually they will move higher, much higher. When that happens, the home financing place not to be in is an adjustable-rate mortgage that is subject to a rate reset. Refinance out of an adjustable-rate mortgage and lock in a fixed rate while they are near record lows.
10.   Rebalance your investments – Many investments have rebounded from their depths in March 2009, with the stock market up by more than 60 percent. In other words, your portfolio may look much different than it did during the March lows. Rebalancing is a good habit to undertake, but it is particularly important following a year of huge swings as we’ve seen in 2009.

For more money saving tips keep reading AccuQuote’s blog, become a fan of AccuQuote on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And don’t forget to check here first to learn about the benefits of term life insurance. By shopping online for free term life insurance quotes, you may be able to save up to 70% on your term life coverage!

For many of us winter has arrived…and it’s here to stay until next spring. The question is are you ready? Have you taken steps to winterize your home so you can live more comfortably and save money this season?

If you haven’t…here are five tips from About.com to help you prepare for the winter and minimize maintenance costs:

1. Furnace inspection

• Call a professional to inspect and clean your furnace
• Change furnace filters monthly
• Consider upgrading to a programmable thermostat
• If your home is heated by a hot-water radiator, bleed the valves by opening them slightly and when water appears, close them
• Remove all flammable material near your furnace

2. Prepare the fireplace

• Cap the top of the chimney to keep out rodents and birds
• Call a professional to clean your chimney
• Store firewood or chop wood in a dry place away from your home’s exterior
• Be sure the fireplace damper opens and closes properly
• Check the mortar between the bricks

3. Check your home’s exterior, doors and windows

• Check for cracks and exposed entry points…seal them
• Use weatherstripping around doors and caulk windows
• Replace cracked glass
• Cover basement windows with shields
• Replace summer screens with storm windows…if necessary

4. Inspect roof, gutters and downspouts

• Add extra insulation to the attic to prevent heat from escaping
• Check flashing to ensure water cannot enter your home
• Replace worn roof shingles or tiles
• Clean out the gutters
• Install leaf guards on the gutters to direct water away from your home

5. Prevent plumbing freezes

• Locate your water main in case you need to shut it off
• Drain all garden hoses
• Insulate exposed plumbing pipes
• Drain air conditioner pipes and shut off the water valve
• IF you go on vacation, leave the heat on, set to at least 55 degrees

For more money saving tips keep reading AccuQuote’s blog, become a fan of AccuQuote on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And don’t forget to check here first to learn about the benefits of term life insurance. By shopping online for free term life insurance quotes, you may be able to save up to 70% on your term life coverage!

This time of year can be stressful on the whole family, especially when it comes to shopping. And unfortunately, too many of us get so wrapped up in the stressful part of the season that we forget to enjoy the spirit of the holidays. But thankfully, tips from this examiner.com article may help ease some of your holiday shopping stress.

1. Calculate a manageable budget and create your gift list ahead of time – It’s easy to figure out how much you can afford and how much certain gifts will cost. By planning ahead, you’ll have more time to consider your budget and even more time to think about meaningful gift ideas.
2. Use cash – Sure, many things can be financed now days. But remember, those convenient monthly rates usually end up costing you more in the long run. Try to use cash for everything you can, even if that means cutting back on your routine morning coffee stop or lunch outing. There’s also an easier way…set up an automatic deposit to a holiday savings account.
3. Start shopping early – It may be too late in the season to get a head start now, but next year, buy and store gifts as you see them and can afford them. That way, you’ll save time and money once the holiday season approaches.
4. Order online before the holiday rush – Shopping online now days is almost as big as going to actual stores. Why? It’s fast, convenient and there are no lines of course! Ordering early online also allows you to save money on shipping because it won’t have to be labeled as ”rush delivery.”
5. Know you credit card interest rate – If you choose credit cards as a payment method this season, be sure you’re aware of your interest rate. Many new government regulations have raised credit card interest rates by an alarming amount. And if you do choose this method, try to pay off your balance in full each month to avoid extraordinary costs.
6. Plan your holiday meal – Planning you meal and table settings can save you a lot of last minute spending. Plan where certain food items and organize decorative pieces around those. This you way you won’t over-plan or over-decorate. Use bargain cloths from sample bins for tablecloths and napkins, and use a centerpiece from an existing item you have at home. Also, buy grocery items that keep well ahead of time. This way you won’t spend too much money at once and you can take advantage of great savings while certain items are being featured.

Read AccuQuote’s blog every Friday for more money saving tips. You can also, become a fan of AccuQuote on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. And remember, AccuQuote can help you save 70% on your term life insurance by comparing low cost life insurance policies with the best term life insurance companies.