FindingMe

Free Cash

With the economy faltering and people struggling to make ends meet, every penny counts. A quick inventory of your house could turn up enough cash to fill your car up a couple of times this month!

Gazelle.com is an online service that will pay you for your unused electronic gadgets, movies, and video games. A search of their site will quickly tell you the value of your item. And, if you item is no longer marketable, they will recycle it for you. You can even donate your item to your favorite charity through their site. Other convenient services include free shipping on any item they are paying for, cleaning personal data off your gadgets, free shipping materials, and three payment options.

Gazelle.com has been reported on extensively by major news organizations including U.S. News and World Report, cNet, CNBC, and the Boston Globe. Each article touts the ease at which you can quickly put some cash in your pocket. Yes, you could sell these same items on ebay and possibly get a few bucks more, but Gazelle offers you the cash without the hassle. You offer, they buy, you get the cash.

I know I've got at least two cell phones, an old iPod, and a video camera sitting around collecting dust! What have you got?

Misery Loves Company

This past holiday season was undoubtedly the worst for many people.  My husband and I found ourselves unable to share in the joy of the season because of the economic downturn.  We discovered, however, that we were not alone. Several of our friends reported the same melancholy outlook.

My gloomy thoughts made it difficult for me to write, thus the lull in my blog over the past few weeks. While I’m still not quite ready to brush off my despondency over the financial future, I am going to attempt to get back to writing - albeit my posts will likely focus on money!

So, here goes…I subscribe to a magazine called The Family Handyman (http://www.rd.com/familyhandyman/) that touts itself the #1 in DIY Home Improvement. The latest issue is, in fact, the “Money Issue”, how perfect given my present mood. In one article, the author lists eighteen ways to slash your homeowner’s insurance bill. Homeowner’s insurance? Isn’t that part of what is escrowed into my mortgage payment? Can that actually be changed other than by raising your deductible to some very scary number? It peaked my interest and, I got some pretty cool suggestions. Here are a few:

1)      Get a list of discounts from your insurance company to be sure you are not missing out on improvement discounts already performed.

2)      If your credit rating has improved, ask your agent to adjust your premium. Poor credit scores negatively impact your premiums.

3)      We all know that smoke detectors can decrease your premiums, but did you know CO detectors can too? A small investment from a local home improvement score can decrease your premium.

And, if you live in Florida, here’s a great site that allows you to compare rates based on the county you live in: http://www.shopandcomparerates.com/

I’m calling for that list of discounts today!

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