Don't Believe Everything You Read Online

Once again, I have seen a lot of people sharing images on social media. The images are from a specific brand and have text on top. The issue is, anyone with a computer can create these images and they don't come from the actual companies. I do not want to post the image and continue spreading the lie, but please know it's related to coffee.

So how can you make sure a deal is real? See if it's posted by the company either on their website or official social media outlet.

When checking a social media page, look for the verification checkmark to make sure it's the real site. Many scammers are making minor changes and pretending to me the real company. For example: Disney_World and Disney.World are not the same as Walt Disney World.

Shared Reading: Should You Cut the Cord?

Have you been trying to figure out if you'd save money by getting rid of cable? Slate created a cable calculator to compare the cost of cable with Internet services.

But how many of these services can you subscribe to before you’re paying more than you would with cable? To answer that question, Slate brings you this calculator:

The calculator will let you input your current cable bill information (just cost, nothing personal) and then let you check Internet services such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, and more. The results will show you your current cost compared with removing the cable bill.

Read the full article and check out possible options on Slate.

Why I Love the Public Library

It's a new year and I'd like to remind everyone about my favorite source for free entertainment: your public library. Every library offers different programs but there are some generic offers that most libraries across the country will have. Remember, libraries are funded through a combination of government funds, private donations, and grants.

BOOKS
Obvious I know, but all public libraries house books. You will be able to find everything from classics to new releases. If your library doesn't offer the book you would like to read, you can always ask your librarian to order the title. If the title is popular enough, they will likely order the book.

EBOOKS
Many libraries now offer eBooks, but not everyone knows where to look for them. Ask your librarian where the eBooks are offered on the website. In Philadelphia, there is a pink icon on the library's homepage labeled "Digital Media" where you can download eBooks.

DVDS
You can borrow all types of DVDs from your local library. From new releases, to classics, and everything in between. Libraries will also carry a variety of how-to DVDs, documentaries, and other educational films.

MUSIC
While some libraries participate in Freegal to allow members to download free music, most libraries will still loan CDs. New or old, the library will most likely have the music you want to listen to. Just borrow a CD, crank up the speakers and enjoy.

RETRO
Many libraries will still have older items in stock. For example, you might be able to borrow VHS tapes and vinyl records. These older formats are often stored in the back room, basement, or other out of the way location. Use your library's database to search for these items and then ask your librarian for help with finding them.

CLASSES
Do you want to learn a new craft? Want to improve your chess game? Many libraries offer community programs and free classes. Ask your librarian for a schedule of events.

ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY SERVICES
Some libraries offer programs such as career guidance, homework help, notary public, and more. I recommend you check out your local library to see what they offer before you spend money elsewhere.

Never Trust A Deal Without a Valid Source

Throughout Labor Day weekend, a certain "deal" have been circulating social media and getting people really excited. The problem is, the deal was just an image with text over it. I contacted the original company to verify the deal and they replied that they were unaware of any such promotion.

Some random person made this image and it quickly went viral as people were sharing what they thought was good news. Now the company looks like a bad guy for turning customers away. True it's only a select type of customer, in this case educators, however that doesn't stop the fact that they are upset.

Should a company be forced to give away free products because someone spread a wrong message? If the company had accidentally released the coupon I could understand them having to honor it out of fairness. This once happened to a different company when they released a limited location coupon without typing "select stores" in the fine print. They went on to honor the promotion nation-wide for the mistake. However in this social media case, what is to stop any random person from creating their own coupon when they want something.

The moral of this post? Check your sources. If you see a great deal being shared by your friend, or a blog you read, look for their link back. For example if it's a deal on Facebook, it should link back to the official page for the company. Not some fan page, or a random person's image. I always try to link back to the direct source or at least try to tell you where I heard something. This allows you as a reader to feel confident in the promotions and deals posted on Making Cents of It.

Shared Reading: 5 Things You Shouldn’t Buy For Your College-Bound Kid

If you are preparing for college, or know someone that is, I recommend checking out the article 5 Things You Shouldn’t Buy For Your College-Bound Kid on The Consumerist. The article lists five items that most of us would assume college students need.

Two decades on, printers are even less essential, with a large number of professors accepting papers and other class assignments via e-mail.

Before you buy a printer for yourself, look into your school's printing situation. My college had a computer lab in each resident hall where students could print. The quality was better than a cheap inkjet and the per sheet cost was more reasonable than buying paper and ink all the time.

As DealNews points out, affordable tablets are not yet laptop replacements. And those tablets that can replace a laptop are incredibly expensive, so you might as well just get your kid a laptop.

Most affordable tablets are just large cell phones without the ability to make calls. The tablets offer games, streaming videos, and a few other things. The processing speed and memory size will not allow a student to take good notes or do actual research at a fast rate.

To see the other three items to avoid when shopping for college, head over to The Consumerist and read the entire article.

Source: The Consumerist

Shared Reading: Why Tipping Should Be Outlawed

Here in America, tipping is socially required. However it is not an exact science. Esquire created a list of six reasons that tipping should be outlawed in America and it makes a lot of sense.

Did a server work less because I ordered a $40 bottle of wine than if I had ordered a $400 one?

Tipping by percentage is a hard thing but you can't tip a flat rate either. Many people will tip a dollar every time they order a drink at the bar even if the drink only cost $1.

Michael Lynn, a professor at Cornell's School of Hotel Administration, has spent his career researching tipping behaviors, and found that perceived service quality only accounts for two percent of the variation between tips. Two percent!

Many people, myself included, claim to tip more if the waiter/waitress is good. However studies show that the difference is only 2%.

Read the full article, Why Tipping Should Be Illegal at Esquire.

Check Your Bills for Mistakes And Save Money

My advice to all my readers: Check your monthly itemize bills and don't be afraid to call customer service.

If you're like me, you have some of your monthly bills set for auto payments. When is the last time you checked what you're paying for? Today, I called my cable company's customer service and am now saving almost $20 per month ($17.95+tax to be exact) because I was being double billed for one of the itemized categories. I also got a credit for the time I was charged the extra amount which was about a year.

Are you wondering how I could have been double billed without knowing? It's simple. My homeowner's association has a contract with the cable company for basic cable. Each unit is given the most basic of cable packages at a discounted rate. You are allowed to upgrade which of course I did because I wanted a DVR and I needed Internet access. When I chose to upgrade to the DVR, I was also required to upgrade from basic cable to digital cable. It turns out, a year ago my community renegotiated the contract to include digital cable. This is when I unknowingly started double paying. As a community contract, my personal bill did not change, nor did the fee I was paying the HOA. However, they were providing us a better value for being loyal customers and providing them with over 300 contracts (the number of units in my community).

New residents that were purchasing condos automatically received this new contract, however their computer system didn't change it automatically in the system and it wasn't well advertised to the owners. Therefore, I fell into a pit of ignorance. I didn't know I wasn't suppose to be billed so I never complained. While listening to my new neighbor complain about her customer service experience the other day, I was confused why she wasn't being billed the same upgrades as I was so I called. The customer service representative was polite and checked the community's contract. After seeing that I was correct about being charged extra, he said he had to go back and see when the contract was last updated. Digital cable was added in March 2013.

From the time I dialed the 800-number until the time I hung up was less than twenty minutes. Twenty minutes to save over $200 per year, plus be credited the $200 I already paid extra. I wonder what other bills I'm paying too much for.

Yes, I know many of you that are still reading this are probably saying things like "why do you still have cable?" or "why do you have a DVR? You can watch shows you missed online." The truth is, I'm set in my ways. love my DVR because not everything I enjoy watching will stream online. I have series set to record so I don't forget when the new season begins and I don't miss specials. I also don't like watching on my computer. Yes, I can buy one of those wifi adapters for the TV, but it's just not the same. Perhaps if the cable bill continues to rise I will consider getting ride of cable, but for now I'm just an old soul whose stuck in her ways.

Shared Video: Five Things Not to Buy at a Drug Store

Do you agree or disagree with this video? Personally, I only go to drug stores for items on sale.

Source: AOL Videos

Shared: Cut the Cost of HDMI Cables

I've been saying it for years, don't get ripped off by buying the name brand or something with a fancy package. Make sure you do your research first.

EDIT: The embedded video doesn't want to play, but check out the original video on Daily Finance.

Source: Daily Finance

Must Watch: Save vs Spend

I just saw this clip from Rachael Ray and wanted to share it. First off, I wouldn't even spend the lower price on that outfit. However, it does show how easy it is to save money. You don't need fancy brands to look fabulous.

Shared Reading: When Is It OK for You to (Legally) Swindle a Business?

Often times when it comes to saving money, there is a fine line that we try not to cross. Daily Finance wrote an interesting article about that fine line.

This enterprising grocery shopper found that the packaged blue cheese sold at the store cost more than $14 a pound, so he went over to its self-serve salad bar and filled a container with the blue cheese it offered as a topping. Instead of paying $14 a pound, he got his cheese at the salad bar rate of $4.99 a pound.

While this might seem like a great deal, it's also part of the reason why stores are forced to raise their prices. I know that I am guilty of this when I want nuts because the trailmix is cheaper.

That's a notion we're generally on board with -- retailers get away with all sorts of tricks of their own, from ambiguous fine print to questionable data collection practices. Still, before you declare total war on the corporate world, we think there are some general guidelines you should follow in your savings adventures.

The article as a great set of rules to help you decide if a deal is good or stretching that fine line.

Read the full article on Daily Finance.

PSA: Free Registration for Your Pet's Microchip

Last year, I told you about great deals for registering your pet's microchip that ranged around $20. This past week, I learned of a new registry that is even cheaper. Found Animals offers free registration for all pets.

If you have a pet, you know that microchips are a popular way to protect your dog (or cat) if he goes missing. Microchips are not a GPS system and will not give you the exact location of your missing pet, but they are extremely handy in reuniting a lost pet with its family.

Almost all shelters and vets have a scanner so when an animal is brought in, the first thing they do is scan for a chip. The scanner will display a unique code which can then be entered in a microchip database to retrieve the owner's information. That's a problem though because statistics show that not every owner has submitted or updated their information in the databases. 

When you first have your pet microchipped at either the vet or a clinic, they should give you paperwork on how to register and update the data associated with the chip. Check the paperwork and if you're unsure about the procedure, call the 800-number associated with the company. Some chips come with no registration information, some come with a free year of registration, and others include lifetime registration. It depends on the brand, package, and other factors. If your pet's chip does not include lifetime registration look for registry, such as Found Animals, to make sure if your pet gets lost they can find the owner's information.

Shared Reading: Are You Owed Money?

Every year, people are losing money because they just don't know someone owes them. Earlier today, I saw something on NBC about a website called unclaimed.org which will direct you to the correct site for your state.

By law, businesses including banks, insurance companies, utilities, investment companies, are required to turn over inactive accounts to the applicable state after a dormancy period. In many states, the comptroller's office then serves as the custodian of this money until the person, person's heir or business comes to claim it. (Source: NBC News)

For Pennsylvania, where I live, the website was the state treasury and had a .gov domain. I searched my name and learned that I was owed a refund from Macy's. I have moved a few times in the past few years between college, my parent's house, and finally my own place so it's completely possible that I was owed a refund and they couldn't locate me. I filled the claim and we'll see if I get the refund and how much it's actually worth.

Update: I was asked about the legitimacy of this "found money" and I can't answer that with 100% certainty. As I mentioned, the Pennsylvania link is a .gov domain which according to Wikipedia:

To register a gov domain, a letter of authorization must be submitted to the GSA. For federal agencies, the authorization must be submitted by cabinet-level chief information officer (CIO). For state governments, authorization from the governor or state CIO is required. Domains for cities require authorization from the mayor or equivalent official; for counties, authorization may be submitted by county commissioners or equivalent officials, or by the highest-ranking county official.

I hope this helps you decide if it's worth checking out.

Shared Reading: Insider Shopping Tips From a Grocery Store Cashier

We already know to compare the unit prices when we go food shopping to make sure we're getting a good deal, but there are tons of other ways to save at the grocery store. Daily Finance created a list of suggestions for their column, The Savings Experiment.

Don't put mixed-priced things in one bag. The main offenders are sweet peppers -- if green peppers are $0.99/lb, orange peppers are $1.99/lb and you put them in the same bag, I'm charging you $1.99/lb for the whole thing.

This doesn't just apply to vegetable but any items that are sold by the pound. Some people think they are being sneaky when they create a bag of mixed nuts but that's not the case. Cashiers must charge you for the most expensive item in the bag/container.

Other suggestions include purchasing in bulk and skipping the pre-cut items which are marked up in price. I don't agree 100% with the pre-cut suggestion. While it costs more per pound, you're also not throwing parts (like the rind) out. You're also not spending the time cutting the fruit out. It's similar to the price difference in regular chicken and boneless chicken, sometimes it's worth a few cents more per pound.
 
Read the full article at Daily Finance.

Always Save Your Receipts

Almost exactly three years ago, my car wouldn't start and it turned out to be an issue with the battery. I'm very lucky I saved my receipt in the glove compartment because today when I left work I found my car stalled in the parking lot. As I waited for AAA, I thought back to when this happened. Then I thought about the fact that I remember the guy trying to upsell me on the battery but I took the cheaper one thinking that I would probably be buying a new car before the six years were up.

I pulled out the receipt and saw June 2010 so I called Pepboys and asked. The battery had a 24/72 warranty on it. This means that if it goes within 24 months it would be replaced for free but if it had 72 months it would be discounted for a replacement. After AAA jumped the battery, I drove to Pepboys and am now sitting in their waiting room while they replace my battery at a fraction of the cost.

The point of this post is to always save receipts until after the warranty expires. I purchased the battery in a different state so it wouldn't be in this store's computer. Thanks to the receipt I was able to prove the date I purchased the last battery.

I would also like to give a shout out to Kenny from AAA in Philadelphia because I was so upset sitting in a car that wouldn't start but he not only showed up quickly, he was funny and friendly as he jumped the battery and tested a few other things that might have caused the problem. If you don't already have an AAA membership it's one of my favorite money saving tips. Even if you don't drive, the AAA membership will save you money when traveling and shopping. If you do drive, they will help you 24/7 if you get stranded on the road (or parking lot).

Interesting Advertising Campaign from Domino's

If this form of advertising gains popularity, we might soon be seeing, or smelling it, at our local Redbox machines.


Source: The Consumerist

Why Some Deals Require Rushing to the Store

Macys had a typo in a recent flier. A $1500 diamond necklace was on sale for $479. Problem was, they forgot the 9 in the ad. People rushed to their local Macys and bought the $47 necklace before Macys caught the mistake. Anyone that bought the jewelry in the store got a great deal. If you placed the order online, it was canceled before being shipped.

Check out the entire news story on Morning Rush.

Just a reminder as to why a drive to the store is worth it.

Shared Reading: Google Reader is Shutting Down

Did you read today that Google Reader is shutting down? On July 1, 2013 Google Reader will shut down. This is not the first time Google has pulled a service, but Google Reader is considered a leader in the category. So what RSS reader will you use now? There are a few free options and Lifehacker wants to help. They have created a list of the best alternatives.

If you read your RSS feeds in more than one place (that is, if you want to read them at home, at work, or on different devices), you'll want to try a web-based RSS reader, similar to what Google Reader is now. NetVibes (pictured above) is one of the most popular web reader, offering a Google Reader-like interface as well as a snazzy iGoogle-like homepage.

I checked this site and it looks like it's a pay service but they do have a free opinion. I am going to explore around and let you all know. I will also loo for other alternatives that might be a better option.

Shared Reading: Managing Credit Card Debt

Contrary to popular belief, credit card companies are not just out to make you spend lots of money. If you can't pay them back, go into default, or declare bankruptcy, they won't see the money you owe them. Bank of America has created a great infographic to help you understand being smart about your debt.

You will need to click the image to see it full size.

Source: Bank of America

Free Checking Accounts - Do They Still Exist?

Unless you keep your money under your mattress, you probably have at least one checking account. Lately, it seems like even free* checking accounts have hidden fees or fine print that make it almost impossible to access your money without paying the bank. This is an absolutely ridiculous concept so I have decided to do some research for my readers. Remember that I am not a banker, so make sure you check the fine print at your specific financial institution before opening a new bank account.

Bankrate.com is a great site for comparing different banks. They are not affiliated with any specific bank and provide easy to read charts based on your search. When I searched checking accounts from local banks, it showed me a list that included minimum balance, monthly fees, overdraft fees, and more.

When opening an account with a new bank, the first thing you want to do is make sure they are FDIC or NCUA (credit unions) insured. This means that the money is protected. It won't protect you against a bad investment, but it will protect your funds from the bank itself in the event of theft or bankruptcy.

Possible Fees
A free checking account might have a minimum balance, debit card fee, limited check cashing, and other fees. Follow the rules and you will be fine, but one extra transaction can cost you more than your balance.

Student Accounts vs Free* Accounts
If you are still a student, your school ID might be your golden ticket to an actual free checking account. I know that the bank I used during college, and still use, was completely free with no minimum balance requirements. They would waive the regular fee once a year for overdrawing your account (accidents happen). Once I turned 26, I was notified that they automatically changed it over to a normal account.

Check with your school to see if they have a partnership with any banks. Sometimes these partnerships can save you money and allow you to use your school ID as a debit card which cut down on the amount of plastic in your wallet.

The non-student free checking account requires a minimum $100 daily balance to prevent a $5 monthly fee. Go under $100, even once, and you will be charged the $5 for the month.

One of the most popular free checking accounts is Capital One 360 (formally called ING Direct). There is no minimum balance and you earn interest. Alright, it's less than 0.2% but it's still more than zero.  Remember they are FDIC-insured so your money is safe. If you open a new checking account with Capital One 360, they're always offering promotions. Right now, you'll get $50 for opening a new account.  If you're not in a rush to open a new account, I recommend holding off because they often offer better promotions around holidays.

Another way to save money is to not order your checks from the bank. Unless your account comes with free checks, the bank is not the best deal.  Make sure you have the correct routing and account numbers for your account. Then check out the different offers from companies like Vistaprint and 4Checks to find the best deals.