FSF: That's Bioré

"When the moon hits your eye and your face looks like a big pizza pie, you need Bioré." Check out today's free sample for Bioré skin products here.

Help Alleviate Chronic Poverty: Opportunity International

A philanthropic-minded family, the Ebingers, has issued a challenge to Opportunity International, a microfinance institution that helps aspiring small entrepreneurs all over the world, to spread the word about the organization's work. For every person that completes a small (we're talking less than one minute) survey, the family will donate $10, up to a total of $50,000 in all. This is a no-brainer! Find out more about Opportunity International and check out the challenge here.

Organization Helper: Gubb

I am back in DC with an overwhelming amount of things on my to do list and jet lag making me a bit weary. If you find yourself in a similar situation (even sans lag), you may want to check out Gubb, a great way to always have access to your to do list, whenever you have your computer, BB, or cell phone handy. I like the archive feature because it reminds me of what I got done and when and gives me that warm feeling inside whenever I am productive. Since I've found that being organized personally is critical to being organized financially, this is a free and a useful tool to becoming both!

FSF: Ice Cream and $250 Chase Offer

I can't decide which of these offers I am more excited about -- free ice cream or getting $250 for opening a new Chase Freedom account. It appears that you must be a first-time cardmember with a new account. I am not sure whether or not existing Chase card holders qualify (non-Freedom cards), so make sure you double check the fine print.
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On another note, I am going on vacation (yes, again), so the blog will be taking a siesta whilst I am in Barcelona! If you'd like to know my justification for vacations, please see My Fundamental #2 about prioritizing!

Free Movie Screening Tonight in Select Cities

In the same vein as my earlier post, check out this free screening from Fox Searchlight films to see "I Think I Love My Wife." Even if this movie isn't any good, at least you can say you didn't waste $10 on seeing it!

Financista Fundamental #3: Get Stuff for Free

One thing I like to do on this website is post things (samples, promotions, etc.) that you can get for free. It seems tacit, but obtaining items for free is essential to stretching your dollar further. Sure, a couple of napkins and plastic utensils here, a free screening and not paying an entrance fee there, doesn't seem like all that much money, but when you add them all up, they keep more green in your wallet.

There are several key websites that I routinely check out:

Wal-mart Samples
Saving Advice
Start Sampling

These are just a few of the great sites out there -- as I find more, I will update the post. Feel free to submit your own favorites, and I will add them here!

For the Risk Adverse

Do thoughts of the stock market make you squeamish? Do you have night terrors about losing your life savings in the next Black Monday? Well, if so, and even if not, you should check out Bank Deals. Bank Guy has put together probably the finest list of CD (Certificate of Deposit) rates to be found (except, perhaps at Bankrate). Every good portfolio should have some money locked away at a decent interest rate.

FSF: Flat Earth Fruit and Veggie Chips

Allegedly, this offer starts to be good today. Check out the website to see if you can score a free bag of these new snacks. When I tried it out, the website wasn't up and running yet, but had a note saying that it would be on March 9, 2007 (today), so you may have better luck this afternoon or tomorrow.

Happy Friday!

Caffeine Jitters? Free Fixes to Ease the Shakes.

Since many people seem to be on an IV drip to some sort of caffeinated beverage, here are a few places where you can get a free fix in the next few weeks:

March 8 (today): Participating McDonald's. (This will vary by franchise). Ask at the counter and you shall receive a free cup of coffee. Allegedly, McD's beat the Bucks in a blind taste test recently, and they are out to celebrate. If you are really pining for a cup, make sure you have a few bucks in your pocket in case that particular franchise is deciding to be stingy.

March 15: Starbucks is not to be outdone -- The Bucks is hosting a nationwide "coffee break" by giving away free 12oz cups of house coffee between 10am - noon.

March 21: Dunkin' Donuts wants to put a spring in your step by providing you with a free 16oz cup of iced tea to celebrate the end of the winter doldrums.

If I liked coffee or iced tea, this would be great, but since I don't, hopefully you'll enjoy! Thanks to G for passing along the info from YumSugar.

Stock Screening: Value Prime

I am currently in the market for some new stocks to add to my (meager) portfolio. Since last week's huge drop, many great companies and indexes are trading at a discount. It's like the stock market is having a giant sale!

I am not a numbers guru -- if it's anything beyound the basics, I whip out the handy dandy Texas Instruments calculator. To help me in my research, I have found that ValuePrime is a good starting point. It's a free service that provides insights into stocks -- is it over or under valued? What are the growth prospects? How are the earnings? It also gives the stock a letter grade and ranking. While you should do your own research beyond just what a small stock analysis (or some blog) tells you, ValuePrime is a great place to start.

Investment Wisdom from The Ultimate Investor

Unless you have been living under a rock, you've probably heard of Warren Buffet, one of the richest men alive and who has been described as the best investor to ever live. Wouldn't it be great to hear some of his insights as to what makes a good company or investment? Lucky for us, the Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway's letters to shareholders are published online. Since 1965, BH has beat the S&P 500 every year except for 5 times. (I'd love that kind of track record). Obviously, this is a guy who knows what he's talking about!

Photojojo

The declaration by the editors of the Photojojo newsletter that they have a damn fine newsletter is bold, and even better, true! The free photo newsletter is chock full of fantastic, mostly free ideas of what you can do with those hundreds of (or thousands if you are an addict like me) digital photos you've taken. Every time I get a copy of the newsletter in my inbox, a smile pops on my face because I don't know what fun, creative project is in store for me! You can subscribe here. You won't be sorry you did!

FSF: Lemon Substitute Sample

Due to the lengthy post(s) yesterday, I thought I would try and keep it short and sweet today. If this tastes anything like lemon Propel, I will drive this bandwagon. Get your free sample here. Thanks, G!

America Saves Week: 20 Savings Tips

This week has been deemed America Saves Week. Holler right at that. Every statistic notes that Americans' savings rates are abismal. If you fall into this category, or if you would just like to know how to save more, here are a 20 tips from Kiplinger [with a The F's comments intersperced in brackets and italics] to help you save more:

1. Give yourself a raise and bank it. Boost your take-home pay by adjusting your tax-withholding and have the difference in pay automatically transferred to an online savings account [The Financista can personally vouch for E-Loan and Emigrant Direct]. Kiplinger's tax-withholding calculator can help you revise your W-4.

2. Open a 401(k). If your employee offers a 50-cent match for every dollar you contribute, even adding $60 a month will net you over a grand a year. Plus, you defer paying taxes on your contributions, giving you a bigger paycheck now. [Not contributing to an employer matched 401k plan is inexcusable. There is no justifiable reason for passing up free money!] See how even small amounts can add up.

3. Raise your car insurance deductible. Upping your out-of-pocket outlay from $250 to $1,000 can save you 15% or more off your premium. [Better yet, if you live in a big city with a workable public transportation system, see if you can't get by without a car. It might be slightly more of a hassle, but the savings to you each year could make it worth it]. Learn more about how to save money on your car insurance.

4. Pay off your credit card. Carrying a $1,000 balance at 18% blows $180 every year on interest that you could put to better use elsewhere. [I think this should be a tip top priority -- credit card debt is incidious -- was that new pair of $80 shoes really worth the 21.75% additional tax you placed on yourself by not paying off your credit card last month? It's always helpful to truthfully identify what a "want" is versus what a veritable "need" is]. See Climb Out of Debt Faster for help.

5. Go green. Control energy costs with a programmable thermostat. Prices start around $50, but you'll cut your heating-and-cooling bill by 10-20%. For more energy-saving tips, see Your Energy Crisis Solved. [Consider turning down the thermostat during the day, before you leave for work. Those 8-10 hours and 4-5 degrees a day add up fast. Since we are past the wood stove days, it doesn't take modern homes or apartments all that long to heat back up].

6. Bundle up. Getting a package of phone, Internet and cable from one provider can save you about $50 a month. Learn more about bundling deals. [See if you can't downgrade from your package -- we recently saved $13 a month by getting rid of call waiting and caller ID -- mostly useless features when your primary phone is a cell phone, not a landline].

7. Use your employer's FSA. Flexible spending accounts let you pay healthcare costs with pre-tax dollars. If your company offers them, take advantage and save 33% or more. [Be careful here -- many FSAs require that you put in a minimum of $250 a year to participate. That's a large chunk of change for a younger person in good health. Since the money does not rollover usually, you are at risk of losing some of it. You can only buy so much Tylenol PM]. See Take Advantage of Tax-Deferred Accounts for help.

8. Get a credit card with rewards. Spending $80 a week on gas and groceries? Putting it on a card with 5% cash rebates will earn you nearly $200 a year. [My choice is Chase Platinum Rewards]. You can read my post about it here].

9. Kick the habit. Smoking is hard on your health and the wallet. Three packs a week averages $50 a month. [Besides being disgusting, it's a financial disaster -- quit! You can do it and sock that money away for a mountainside vacation with your renewed lungs]. Learn more about how getting in shape can fatten your wallet.

10. Brown bag it. Instead of spending $8 on takeout every day at work, bring a bagged lunch for $5. You'll save $60 a month and $720 a year. [This is a key point to My Fundamental #2 about prioritizing how you spend your money]. Do your own calculation at FeedThePig.com.

11. Negotiate your rate. Instead of paying an APR of 18% on your credit card, call your issuer and ask for a lower rate. If you have good credit, your lender might consider it and if you can provide examples of offers you've gotten from other companies, it'll strengthen your case. [Supply and demand is certainly on your side in the credit card market. The deals are almost endless -- don't settle for an astronomical interest rate when a 0% APR is just a junk mail envelope away]. For more help, see Tame Your Credit Card Debt.

12. Travel on the cheap. Bypass the old trifecta of travel search engines (Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz) and head straight for Sidestep.com, which will search them all -- saving you money and time. [I actually prefer Kayak for doing my comparison shopping -- I think the interface is cleaner and easier to use]. For last minute deals, try Site59.com. And see our list of the 25 Best Travel Sites for more cost-cutting resources.

13. Insure yourself. Even if your company has a health plan, you may be able to do better for yourself. Pairing a high-deductible medical policy with a health savings account -- which lets you put away pre-tax dollars for out-of-pocket medical expenses -- can save money on premiums. Shop around at www.ehealthinsurance.com.

14. Make media free. Dust off your library card and enjoy DVDs and books for free. If you'd normally rent a movie a week and buy a book a month, you can cut costs by $30. [Another Financista-approved idea is Blockbuster online. Read about my love for BBO here].

15. Change your calling plan. The average wireless-phone user spends about $60 a month, including taxes and fees. If you talk for 200 or fewer minutes per month, switching to a prepaid plan where minutes cost 25 cents a minute could save you $10 a month. [If possible, get on a family plan -- you don't necessarily have to be related to be on the same plan with someone else. This can provide large savings each month. Furthermore, if you are a teacher or a government employee or have a AAA card, flashing your creds can save you up to 10% a month. There's no harm in asking]. Compare plans at www.myrateplan.com.

16. Park your car. Why pay $25 a week in gas when you could pay half that to use public transit? [Many employers, like mine, will even pick up the bill! See if yours will do the same, or at least allow you to use pre-tax money to purchase public transport fares] Or check out carpooling at www.erideshare.com and www.carpoolconnect.com.

17. Ditch your gym. Forget the $40/month gym membership that'll cost you almost $500 a year and check out community centers in your area. Some may be free or charge a minimal fee such as $100 a year. Or buy a good pair of running shoes and work out the old-fashioned way. [Also, many employers will offer perks like a gym in the building at a reduced rate. A lot of apartment buildings will have smaller facilities in their basements as well that are included in the price of rent -- however in the long run, this feature may end up costing you more than a gym membership if you don't actually use it because there's no way to cancel that built-in fee from your rent!]

18. Reshop your auto insurance. Using a comparison site like InsWeb can help you determine if you've got the best deal.

19. Learn to cook. Cooking at home saves on your food budget and it could even improve your dating prospects -- who isn't impressed by someone who can prepare a great meal? [Plus, it's a great, fun way to create relationships with people -- romantic or platonic]. Check out Nine Ways to Get Ahead for more practical financial advice.

20. Keep track of your money. The best way to save is to know what you spend. It might not be pretty, but detail every expense for a month to get an idea of where you can cut back. Nearly everyone has some fat they can trim from their spending to put toward a savings goal. [Check out my post about Free Budgeting Tools to see if you can't find a system that works for you].

$10 Off a $20 Purchase at The Greater Good

I wrote recently about purchasing a fun bag from the Breast Cancer Site to use fewer plastic bags and help poor women obtain mammograms. The same cohort of sites is having a sale, ending tonight at midnight PST, that saves you $10 on a $20 purchase. The site is especially useful for finding fun jewelry for yourself or friends. Plus, you get to help the less fortunate. Not a bad deal.

Here's the requisite small print:

*To claim your $10 coupon, add at least $20 worth of merchandise to your cart and paste coupon code FSCSS8STS33WFF into the Gift Certificate/Promotion Code field, and click "Apply Code." Limit one per person. Offer good February 28th-March 1st (11:59 p.m. PT).