Savings secrets digital mag

Savings Secrets Exposed!

What you don’t know is costing you thousands

Written By Bruce Mack

Copyright Š 2015 Bruce Mack Published by Branded Expert Publishing ISBN-13: 978-1517385712 ISBN-10: 1517385717

Legal Statement All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including scanning, photocopying, or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder.

Disclaimer and Terms of Use: The Author and Publisher have strived to be as accurate and complete as possible in the creation of this book, notwithstanding the fact that they do not warrant or represent at any time that the contents within are accurate due to the rapidly changing nature of the Internet. While all attempts have been made to verify the information provided in this publication, the Author and Publisher assume no responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein. Any perceived slights of specific persons, peoples, or organizations are unintentional. In practical advice books, like anything else in life, there are no guarantees of income made. Readers are cautioned to rely on their own judgment about their individual circumstances to act accordingly. This book is not intended for use as a source of legal, business, accounting or financial advice. All readers are advised to seek services of competent professionals in the legal, business, accounting and finance fields.

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Dedication

To My Beautiful, Smart, Funny, Love of My Life, Deborah. I would be lost without her.

And to Mom and Dad for instilling in me the core values I have today.

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“A budget is telling your money where to go, instead of wondering where it went.� ~John C. Maxwell

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Table of Contents Foreword ....................................................................................... ix Introduction................................................................................... xi Chapter 1: Grocery Savings Secrets .................................................. 1 Couponing 101 .................................................................................. 1 Crafting Your Shopping Plan.............................................................. 2 Show Me The Coupons! .................................................................... 7 Websites That Make It So Much Easier........................................... 10 How To Organize Your Coupons...................................................... 11 Know the Language ......................................................................... 12 Chapter 2: The Secret Weapon For Extreme Couponing ................. 15 Easy to Use ...................................................................................... 15 BOGO’s Add Extra Savings ............................................................... 17 Don’t Leave Money On The Table ................................................... 18 Chapter 3: Food Saving Secrets and Tips ........................................ 21 Chapter 4: Dining Savings Secrets .................................................. 27 Kids Eat Free .................................................................................... 27 Adults Also Eat Free ........................................................................ 28 The 15 Best Chain Restaurant Happy Hours ................................... 28 Great Savings On Restaurants ......................................................... 29 Dining Savings from Our Website ................................................... 30 Chapter 5: Shopping Savings Secrets ............................................. 31 12 Items To Remember To Buy Used .............................................. 32 Great Discount Websites................................................................. 33 Great Business Websites ................................................................. 34 v

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Chapter 6: Home Maintenance, Repairs and Improvements Secrets .................................................................. 37 More Tips To Save Around Your Home ........................................... 40 Chapter 7: Transportation Savings Secrets ..................................... 47 Car Buying........................................................................................ 47 Car Maintenance Tips...................................................................... 49 More Car Tips .................................................................................. 51 Alternative Transportation .............................................................. 52 Chapter 8: Your Credit and Savings Secrets .................................... 53 Budgeting ........................................................................................ 54 Credit Card Secrets .......................................................................... 56 Chapter 9: Mortgage and Debt Elimination Secrets ........................ 59 Mortgage & Debt Warning Secrets ................................................. 59 Mortgage and Debt Free in 10 Years or Less Secrets ..................... 60 Chapter 10: Accumulating Wealth Secrets ..................................... 61 Erosion ............................................................................................. 63 Taxation ........................................................................................... 64 Social Security: The Big Joke That's On Us All ................................. 66 Chapter 11: Having Fun For Less Secrets ........................................ 73 Travel ............................................................................................... 74 Chapter 12: Living Healthy For Less Secrets ................................... 79 Chapter 13: Senior Living For Less Secrets...................................... 81 Senior Discount Restaurants ........................................................... 82 Medicare ......................................................................................... 84 Health & Wellness ........................................................................... 85 AARP ................................................................................................ 86 vi

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Senior Centers ................................................................................. 87 Burial Policy ..................................................................................... 88 How to Better Afford Assisted Living .............................................. 88 Dial-A-Ride Services......................................................................... 91 Reverse Mortgage ........................................................................... 91 Chapter 14: Saving Secrets For Less Spending ................................ 93 Conclusion .................................................................................... 99 RECIPES ...................................................................................... 101 Breakfast Burrito with Salsa .......................................................... 101 Crunchy Chicken Salad .................................................................. 102 Fantastic French Toast .................................................................. 103 Honey Mustard Pork Chops .......................................................... 104 Lentil Stew ..................................................................................... 105 Manly Muffin Meat Loaf ............................................................... 106 Marinated Beef ............................................................................. 107 Mouth-Watering Oven-Fried Fish ................................................. 108 One Pan Spaghetti ......................................................................... 109 White Chili ..................................................................................... 110 About the Author ........................................................................ 111 Bonus Chapter ............................................................................ 113 Steps To Home Ownership ........................................................... 113

By Lou Brown................................................................................. 113

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“Financial Peace isn’t the acquisition of stuff. It’s learning to live on less than you make, so you can give money back and have money to invest. You can’t win until you do this.” ~Dave Ramsey

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Foreword I have to say that I caught the savings bug from Mom and Dad. I was a kid in San Francisco in the 1950’s. My Dad was a successful kids dentist who drove a new Cadillac or Lincoln every couple of years. Our house was in a great neighborhood. Basically, we were an upper middle class family with no money issues. However, Mom and Dad always loved a great deal and were constantly looking for ways to save. I remember growing up with S&H Green stamps and Blue Chip stamps. I think they were one of the earliest loyalty programs offered. You got stamps (spend more get more stamps) from grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacy chains, etc. You then moistened and pasted them in little paperback books. They could be redeemed for furniture, tableware, appliances and other various items. Mom and Dad would let me lick and paste the stamps while teaching me a lesson on savings. It worked.

I caught the bug and never lost sight of it.

Thanks Mom and Dad.

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“Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.� ~Benjamin Franklin

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Introduction If you're trying to save more money and not compromise your lifestyle, you’ve come to the right place. In fact, throughout this book we will not only deliver on that promise, but will show you how to accumulate all the retirement wealth you ever dreamed of. It all comes down to spending less, saving more and making wise decisions while not making any sacrifices‌ just making sensible adjustments. By changing your mindset and realizing that no savings is too small will get you one step closer to achieving all your goals.

Many people only know a couple of obvious things they can do to save money, like cutting back on entertainment and shopping. When they look at their finances they have no idea where they can save without giving up too much of their current lifestyle, so in the end they do nothing.

In fact, there are so many ways you can easily get great savings on the very same products and services you are currently using. Saving allows you to spend less than you earn, and use the difference to pay off debt, save or invest. You can buy the home you always wanted or take overdue vacations. Or, the less you spend, the less you need to earn so you can get off that treadmill. And that means you can choose to work less, or work more, but retire early. Or perhaps take mini retirements.

Studies show that having more financial freedom saves marriages, reduces stress and increases happiness. Paying off your bills, being debt-free, owning a paid off home, etc. can contribute to a sense of security and peace. Making more money is not the only answer to achieve these needs.

This book is packed with simple tips and strategies to help you save your money and achieve financial wealth so you are able to live a better xi

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and happier life. I’m going to show you how you can still have and enjoy the lifestyle you deserve while attaining all your financial goals. Savings is not something you do once a year, or one week out of the year… it should be a daily routine. Soon you will find that the more you save, the more you want to save. Small changes to your daily habits can add up to BIG savings. So let’s get started.

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Chapter 1

Grocery Savings Secrets Couponing 101 Most people only dabble in coupon usage. They might check out the circulars in their Sunday paper, clip one or two items that look good, and probably forget to use them when they’re at the checkout stand.

Couponing is a well-planned method of shopping and saving, so I’m going to show you how to achieve great financial results from your efforts! It can be extremely fun and incredibly profitable once you get the hang of it. According to the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) the average family of 4 spends $217 a week or $11,284 a year on groceries. The DOL (Department of Labor) tells us that the average family spends $588 per year on personal care items and the BLS (Bureau of Labor and Statistics) say that the average American family spends $700 annually on household cleaning supplies. Using the strategies set forth in this book your family will be able to save up to 75%, a whopping savings of $9,429 a year! And if you are single, that’s still $2,357 bucks a year!

In this fragile economy, it’s even more important to cut costs where we can. Erratic gas prices, droughts, new minimum wage standards, etc. affect everything down to the price of milk.

Believe me, it’s worth the time and effort clipping coupons because the money you save will be money you can spend in other ways for yourself or your family.

There are many ways to make small changes and save more than you ever imagined at the grocery store. One of those ways is to make sure that you milk each coupon for all of the possible potential savings. This means using each coupon when it will pack the most power.

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A perfect example was a sale at my supermarket. They had Buy One Get One FREE (or BOGO) on Windex that cost $3.17 a bottle. With the coupon you got 2 bottles for just $3.17. In addition, by using 2 coupons for $.75 off Windex it created a $1.50 extra savings. But wait… the store offered double coupons on all coupons that have a face value of $1.00 or less so the $1.50 savings just became $3.00. The bottom line here is I paid $.17 cents for 2 bottles or 8.5 cents each! Now that’s what we’re talking about here.

You need to use your coupons in such a way that you save the most money. Shrewd couponers already know this. Some shoppers actually end up getting money back from couponing because they know the ins and outs of how to get the best deals, and even end up getting items completely free.

When you start couponing, make sure that you research which stores have items on sale. That way you can use manufacturers’ coupons, add them to an in-store coupon and save even more.

One example is when a local supermarket put Lipton tea bags on sale for $2.99 and they had a BOGO. The manufacturer coupon was $1.00 off for 10 bags - and since you can use a coupon for both boxes of tea bags, that brought it down to $.99. Hey, “a dollar saved is a dollar earned.” We will show you how to multiply that dollar in the wealth building section of this book.

Crafting Your Shopping Plan Did you know that how you view the layout of the stores where you shop is a major clue to saving money on the stuff that you need? For instance, the most expensive and the most bought “spur-of-themoment” items are going to be on the outer shelf displays of the aisle (end caps), as well as in specially arranged displays located in the

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center of the aisles, and often showcased several times in various locations throughout the store.

These are several long standing methods stores use to get you to part with your money. You should also let go of the belief that name brand is better. Milk is milk - regardless of which cow it comes from.

Staples like salt, pepper, flour and sugar are the same whether they're the store’s brand or bear the logo of a household name company. Just like you need to alter your view of the grocery store, you need to alter your view of grocery shopping. Look at it as an operation of both timing and skill that you either get rewarded or penalized for.

Beware that some stores don’t want people using both a store coupon and a manufacturer coupon - especially on a BOGO item. So know what your store will or won’t allow before you attempt it so that you don’t waste your time. The other day I was at CVS. They had a toothpaste special buy 2 get 1 free. I also had a 25% off coupon for everything I bought that day. The store would not let me bundle both the buy 2 get 1 and the 25% so I opted to take the 3 toothpaste tubes out of my save 25% group of items and let them ring it up separately. I was able to save 33% on the toothpaste that way.

Never ever leave a store without seeing if they have an in-store coupon for what you’re buying. For example, at CVS you can check if there are any deals on any items by electronically scanning your Extra Care Card at their in-store kiosks. I love CVS. I get emails every couple of weeks for 20% -30% off my whole bill or $3.00 - $6.00 off my next visit.

Here is what my latest visit to CVS looked like. I had a 25% off coupon and planned to use it for several items. I couldn’t buy Nioxin formula shampoo at $24.95 each as they were out of stock. So I asked for a rain check for 2 bottles at check out. My rain check will save me an additional $10.00. Don’t feel bad to request rain checks for sale items.

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There is another valuable lesson here: look at the register receipts. You never know what might be there. (See the $5.00 off I got for my next visit). Total savings for that trip to CVS: $14.26 (25% off the bill) $ 1.35 (buy 1 get 50% off 2nd one sinus medication) $ 2.00 (peel sticker on the Zantac box - buy one get 2.00 off 2nd one) $ 5.00 (savings on anything on my next visit- printed on the receipt) $ 10.00 (25% off rain check for 2 bottles of Nioxin) TOTAL SAVINGS $32.61 Use the pyramid method when couponing - you build coupon upon coupon in order to save. Lay the pyramid foundation with manufacturer coupons, then add in-store coupons, then add membership discounts and top it off with rebates! This is a huge way you can save money on so many different kinds of merchandise.

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Show Me The Coupons!

In order to be a skilled couponer, you have to know where to find them: 1. Newspapers The Sunday paper offers a nice insert filled with various coupons. I suggest you buy one Sunday newspaper per family member. Also, you can get them by subscription - it costs less and going to a newspaper stand does not insure you getting the coupon circular. Turns out that if the printing plant is running out they short the newsstands first.

Many metro areas have special coupon inserts on Thursdays. Just call the publisher and ask. You can also find coupons in your local gazettes and area publications. When I lived up in Park City, Utah I always got The Park Record. There were so many 2 for 1 deals at the local restaurants that I never ate out without one.

SmartSource.com is both a print and an online treasure trove of coupons and deals. You can enter your zip code to see what coupons are available for you. The Source will also let you know what free deals you can find.

RedPlum.com is also another source for finding coupons that you can search. They have an insert for newspapers but can be found online as well.

2. Look Right Where You Shop When you shop always ask if they have a frequent shopper or rewards card program. Now I know what you are thinking - you don't want your wallet to look like George Costanza from Seinfeld or have 50 or more of those mini plastic key fob cards There is an application for iPhone and droids called CardStar.com. It will consolidate everything for you and stop your wallet from possibly exploding. Many stores load great deals onto those cards, along with tracking your spending totals and rewarding you with rebates and freebies for your loyalty.

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You can also ask at the customer service desk if there are any coupons.

A CVS pharmacy store kept discounts offered by companies in a binder and when customers asked, they would give those discount coupons.

Sometimes all it takes is asking in order to find great savings.

3. Getting Coupons From Your Computer There are some places online that veteran couponers already know about. There is one website that I particularly like called SundayCouponPreview.com. Here you can see the year’s inserts that are scheduled to be included. How’s that for planning?

Veteran couponers also know about CellFire.com, which shows site visitors how to locate coupons that are focused in their region.

If you have a favorite store that you shop at, make sure that you type it into a search engine and then use the word “coupon” with it. For example, if you type in the phrase “Target coupon site” then you get Coupons.Target.com and since Target always offers good deals and savings, this is a really good site to browse. Or you can just type the store name followed by typing in the word coupons or discount codes.

You will be shocked with what you can unearth with that little trick.

When you get what you want just print them off - of course in grey scale, not color (saving your ink). Also, I use fast or draft mode, which saves even more ink cost.

Not all coupons will jump out at you, so look for sites that might be more obscure. Use different phrases to pull up coupon sites. Even the phrase “retail coupons” pulls up a multitude of sites with savings.

RetailMeNot.com is a good example to check out.

4. Taking Advantage of eCoupons The newest source when it comes to getting coupons is eCoupons.

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They’re not the same as the coupons you clip. You never actually even touch them. These sites link whatever coupons you pick out to the store’s shopping card that you use.

For example, if you look at SavingStar.com you’ll see that you can pick out savings on the site. You’ll also see there are no coupons to clip. It’s very eco-friendly, too.

How it works is that when you finish shopping (and this can be used for drugstores, too), you check out with the items you picked the coupons for. You won’t see any minus symbols on your register receipt - and for those who are used to using print coupons, this can be a bit of an adjustment at first.

But what happens is that while you don’t get the money discounted right then, it does come back to you - but as money sent straight to your bank or PayPal account. It’s a pretty neat way to watch your money come back to you! It all adds up to dinner money, date money, vacation money, etc. They also tie into many grocery stores rewards programs key fobs through a simple registration. Make sure to go to the grocery stores web site that you normally shop at and sign up for e-coupons. In addition, please sign up for Ebates.com. Just today I saw a 6% online store wide savings for Barney’s department store! Another site to check out on rebating is Dubli.com.

5. Get Automatic Rebates From Your Receipts Here’s the scoop. Use your smartphone camera to get rebates on items you bought just by taking a picture of your receipt. It really couldn’t get much easier. Three applications that work great are CheckOut51.com, Ibotta.com and ShopMium.com. If you shop at Target, CartWheel.com is a must. Favado.com is a free grocery-savings app that automatically matches coupons with items on your shopping list.

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Websites That Make It So Much Easier If you like clipping coupons SnipSnap.com is a free app that lets you take photos of coupons and turn them into digital offers you can redeem at the store by just showing the image on your phone at checkout. (Note: It doesn't support manufacturer coupons yet.)

Yowza.com uses your location to find coupons and deals near you. Just show the sales clerk the coupon code on your phone to get the discount. You also can receive notifications when your favorite stores have new coupons or deals.

6. Go Straight to the Top - Look up the Manufacturer Why do manufacturers like giving coupons to customers?

A customer who saves money is happy and a happy customer morphs into a loyal customer. Usually all you have to do to tap into this source is find the company online. Sign up for their mailing list or newsletters.

Some manufacturers have social media pages that are worth checking out.

That’s a way that you can get coupons for valuable savings, and you can often get the item at no charge. To keep a customer loyal, some companies love to send out samples of their products free - so don’t overlook this. Free samples of hand soap, laundry soap, toothpaste, soap, mouthwash and much, much more have shown up in my mailbox. When you use the samples the savings really add up quickly and they are the perfect travel size that you would pay a premium for.

Do whatever you have to do to get offers for coupons. It will be worth the effort. For example, a simple Tweet to a popular vegetarian manufacturer resulted in five coupons where the shopper got to buy anything in the line of food for absolutely ZERO cost to them.

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7. Give Something, Get Something Back - Cashing in on Rewards You’ll see programs that go by the title ‘Rewards’ or ‘Reward Programs’ online offering people coupons (usually for much, much more off a product than you usually find) if they’ll do a survey or quiz. Some of them will even pay you in both products and cash for your survey.

These are great ways to get samples and sometimes big savings on some pretty expensive products. Sometimes all you’re asked to do is ‘like’ something on Facebook to get a free sample or coupon.

8. The Mail No One Usually Reads It’s true that most junk mail really is junk mail - but sometimes you can find a diamond in the midst of all that junk. Why do companies put high-value coupons in junk mailers? Because it’s an inexpensive way to get it in front of millions of people in hopes they’ll become loyal buyers.

Don’t toss out the mailer envelopes with nothing but ads until you see if there’s something relevant for you in them. When you find the diamond offers put them in your new coupon binder or at least in your car glove box. That way you will be much more likely to use it. Also, most of those coupons come with an expiration date. If it’s a winning deal you want to make sure to get it. How about putting it into your smartphone calendar one week before it expires so you won’t lose your redemption rights. If it helps, set a reminder alarm for it, too.

9. Get It Together - Have a Club and Become Coupon Buddies Trade the coupons you don’t use with a buddy for coupons that you do use. Get a lot of buddies together and save even more. See if your area already has a coupon swap club and how you can get in on the savings.

How To Organize Your Coupons The most successful ways to organize them is to purchase a binder and those plastic inserts used to hold baseball cards. You can file the 11

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coupons in the plastic inserts according to category and see at a glance what you have. You have to put some effort into keeping up with the organization of your coupons.

Clip them when you get them or as soon as you can. Toss expired ones on a regular basis. Don’t want paper coupons? Many coupon sites will actually send them directly to your smartphone. Once you get to the check-out counter just show them your phone and they will scan your code. No more getting to the store in a frenzied state because you forgot your coupons. They are right there with you on your phone.

Being organized starts from the beginning. There are many coupon sites that will email coupons and specials to you. Don't forget to set up a special email account that you designate for your coupon savings. DO NOT USE YOUR PERSONAL OR BUSINESS EMAIL, which will clog them with surplus emails.

10. Did You Forget That Discount Code For Your Shopping Cart Checkout?

Problem solved as there is a new browser extension that never forgets.

Download JoinHoney.com. It adds an auto search bot to your bowser in Chrome, Safari, etc. You simply go to your check-out shopping cart and honey does the rest. It grabs codes when available and inserts them automatically for you. I saved hundreds of dollars using honey on some internet software training courses purchased through. Sweet honey!!

Know the Language Couponing has some of its own language and lingo. On the next page are some terms and abbreviations you will see – some often, others on rare occasions:

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Abbreviations: - MIR ~ Mail-in rebate - MC ~ Manufacturer’s coupon - NED ~ No expiration date - DND ~ Do not double. Some coupons actually say this - CNP ~ Coupon near product. Similar to blinkies - UPC ~ Universal product code - FAR ~ Free after rebate - GC ~ Gift card - GDA ~ Good deal alert - OYNO ~ On your next order - PSA ~ Prices starting at - WSL ~ While supplies last - IR ~ Instant rebate - FS ~ Free shipping - DEAD ~ Offer no longer valid - MM ~ Money maker - BOGO or B1G1 ~ Buy one get one free - B2G1 ~ Buy two, get one free - OOP ~ Out of pocket - OOS ~ Out of stock - YMMV ~ Your mileage may vary (coupons depend on store factors and policies as to whether a deal will work) - WYB ~ When you buy - IP ~ Internet printable - X or EXP ~ Expires on 13

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- TMF ~ Try me free offer - ETS ~ Excludes trial size - HTH ~ Hope that helps - ES ~ Easy Saver (Walgreens Drugstore) - RR ~ Rebate rewards (Walgreens Drugstore) - CRT ~ Customer Receipt Tape (CVS Drugstore receipt coupons) - EB/ECB ~ ExtraCare Bucks (CVS Drugstore) - FIC ~ Fresh idea card (Marsh) Terms: - Double coupon ~ Store will double the value of the coupon - Blinkies ~ Coupons found in the store in little machines that blink or spit them out one at a time - Peelies ~ Coupons found on packaging that you peel off and redeem - Tear pad ~ Mail-in rebates and a pad of coupons on display or near

a product - Catalina ~ A coupon that is printed at checkout after your purchase

is made - Stacking ~ Stores that allow multiple use of coupons

(manufacturer’s and store’s coupons and/or rebates) In conclusion, by now you should have already honed in on the subliminal tip…..you must get a smart phone. Seriously, I’ve seen them for as low as $50 and to get all the great savings that are waiting for you I want to make sure you get them. Convenience is key and a smart phone is key in the equation.

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Chapter 2

The Secret Weapon For Extreme Couponing When I talk about couponing, I’m not just talking about grabbing a handful of Sunday’s coupon fliers and cutting out page after page of coupons. I’m talking about taking you to a higher level…websites that offer hard to find coupons, coupons for specific stores, not just grocery stores. Our website offers access to coupons that are good at over 139,000 stores! Can your Sunday flier do that? I’m talking not only Grocery stores nationwide, but all Targets, Walmarts, Kmarts, Drug Stores, Restaurants and more. The coupons work for not only groceries, but they work for personal care items such as toiletries and household products like Cascade, 409 and Tide. There are 3,000 to 4,000 coupons available on a daily basis, including hard to find coupons.

Easy to Use Couponing is easy. Once you receive your card and log in to our website at SavingsSecretsExposed.com/couponing, you can then start saving money and have fun immediately. It’s as easy as 1,2,3…

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Want to see the weekly grocery circulars? Just click on the link. There are over 150 chains that participate and are just one click away.

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BOGO’s Add Extra Savings Through our site consumers have direct access to all the major grocery store circulars, and one of the nice things is that they can generally get them a week early before the circulars are mailed to the public. Hence, they have plenty of time to prepare their assault on the grocery store(s) of their choice. With our system it’s easy to find out which stores are having BOGO’s (Buy One Get One free), and which stores are giving single, double and even triple coupon savings.

When a store advertises a BOGO in a circular, it’s a given that they’re not going to be offering a manufacturer’s coupon on that same item.

However, if you do your research and find a BOGO, you can then go to SavingsSecretsExposed.com/bogo and find a coupon for it. If you can’t find one, go to our hard to find coupons. This leaves plenty of time to be able to get a coupon clipped using our coupon clipping service, have it sent to you, and utilize it in the week following so you can use a BOGO and a coupon together to get maximized savings.

Here are a few examples: Colgate toothpaste sells for $3.35, but your store has a BOGO, and you have two $.50 off coupons. Even though your store doesn’t offer double coupons your savings brings the price of two tubes of toothpaste down to $2.35, or $1.17 Yoplait yogurt normally sells 10 for $12, but this week they are on sale for 10 for $10 (a savings already of $2). You have 2 coupons for $1 off 5 yogurts. Your final price is 10 for $8, or $.80 each.

Cheerios is on sale at two boxes for $4.00. You have 2 $1.00 off coupons, and it’s double coupon day. $4.00 less your $4.00 coupons equals FREE! This is one of my favorites. Purina dog bones are on close-out clearance 17

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for $.75. You have a $2.00 coupon. You end up getting back $1.25!

That’s money in your pocket!!

Let’s look at another way to use BOGO’s. There’s an ad for Frosted Flakes. You buy two boxes of cereal, and you get a gallon of milk free.

Cool deal. You buy a center cut pork chop, you get one free. Buy two Stouffer’s family size entrees and get 3 items free. Who doesn’t like free?

Be sure to check the fine print for wording like “item cost not to exceed $X.XX.” For example, if you purchase an item that costs $5.00 and use a coupon that says, “Buy One Get One FREE” and it says, “not to exceed $4.00,” you will be paying the $1 difference when you redeem the coupon at checkout.

The same applies when it reads: Buy One Get One at “X%” Off! This means you will be paying full price for the first item, then half the price for the second one.

Be sure to read the fine print so you do not have any unwanted surprises.

Don’t Leave Money On The Table There are some great deals in the circulars that people aren’t even aware of. We make it really easy to use because we have them online.

You can easily do screenshot page prints and take them right into the store.

Looking to download and print immediately? There are hundreds of coupons on this member page alone, but let’s just say you wanted to get Pine-Sol. Clip the coupon. You need Bounty. One coupon just went to two. Need cheese? Now two went to three. And so on. There are pages and pages, with no limits. It just keeps loading. You can even search by category.

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Need some “hard to find” or more than one coupon? We lead you to another set of member pages where you can get as many coupons as you like for the same product. These coupons do come in the mail and there is a slight handling fee for each coupon, but the cost is minimal compared to your overall savings.

Let’s say you want to get Apple Juice. You can put in a quantity of two.

You always need sponges so you can get five coupons. Who doesn’t need several packs of toilet tissue? In addition, there’s no guessing how long the coupons are good for because the expiration dates are always listed. And for a slight additional cost you can even get overnight shipping.

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It’s really a lot more than just food couponing. We also have coupons that are available for many other categories. We also have retail stores, AAA discounts, cell phone companies, hotels, AARP discounts, travel, and on and on and on.

One section of our member site has a list detailing state by state and deal by deal what you can expect. Some stores double and triple coupons, some stores only double up to $.50, others up to $.99.

They’re all different, so we make it easy for you to find.

You’ll be amazed at all the different ways you’ll be able to save money.

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Chapter 3

Food Saving Secrets and Tips Americans throw away nearly half their food every year, which is a waste worth roughly $165 billion annually. "As a country, we're essentially tossing every other piece of food that crosses our path.

That's money and precious resources down the drain," said Dana Gunders, a scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council's food and agriculture program.

The NRDC report said Americans discard 40 percent of the food supply every year, and the average American family of four ends up throwing away an equivalent of up to $2,275 annually in food.

Just a 15 percent reduction in losses in the U.S. food supply would save enough to feed 25 million Americans annually. It also would lighten the burden on landfills, where food waste makes up the largest component of solid waste, according to the NRDC, a nonprofit environmental organization. Here are a few ways to help you: 1. Pick a day and cook your meals for the entire week. Preparing several meals at a time allows you to buy in bulk and cook in a more energy efficient (green) way. Pack them in single-meal size microwavable containers and freeze them. You can easily heat them up in a microwave if you want to take them to work.

2. If you have the space get a Freezer. We will show you how you can really save and get some bone chilling results.

3. Freeze it - don’t throw it away. Using freezer bags and a straw to suck out the air will work. You can also buy a Seal-a-Meal on Ebay starting at $42.00. Incidentally, when you use a professional sealing machine your frozen products may last, in many cases, for years, not just months without spoiling due to freezer burn.

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4. Invite friends over rather than going out. You’ll probably have better food and a better time.

5. Pack food and drinks for road trips. The overpriced junk at the mini-mart where you gas up is waiting for you to come in. That way you can stay out. They want to feed you with empty calories and empty your pockets at the same time. You can beat the mini-mart at their game. Bring paper cups and fill them with ice from their soda machine, then pour in the drinks you brought from home.

6. Cooking at home, rather than ordering that all-too-easy takeout, will really help you save. If you're spending about $10 plus a tip on average per person for takeout, that can easily equate to many home-cooked meals per week.

7. Spice things up at home. Go to Overstock.com. You can order 16 spices and a great looking counter rack for $38. That's better than 50% off most of the spices retail.

8. Avoid the supermarket check-out item impulse buying. Jump on your smartphone and catch up on your emails to distract yourself.

9. Create a grocery list before you go shopping and stick to it (impulse buying drives up your bill).

10. Go to the grocery store on a full stomach, not hungry. You will be much more likely to not grab the potato chips and finish them before you get to the checkout counter. If nothing else, when you arrive go to the soda fountain area that is usually over by the deli counter and drink a 16 oz. cup of water. It will make you feel full, curb your appetite and impulse buying.

11. I can’t tell you how many times I have had the butcher take a 2.5” – 3” thick steak that looked great, but would be dry as toast on the outside when cooked to medium rare. The solution is to just ask them to cut them in half. Now you have 2 steaks and 2 servings that cook much better. You can do the 22

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12.

13.

14.

15.

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same thing with Lamb chops that are displayed double thick. They go further and taste better.

Take the pre-packaged steaks from the meat section case over to the butcher department and ask the butcher to trim the fat. You are saving calories and not paying more for the extra weight of the steak fat. When they repack it you will also save more money when they put in a new dry napkin under the meat because wet means more weight.

Buy some top round from the butcher or from the pre-packed case, then ask the butcher to tenderize it (they will for free).

You just saved a bundle over getting the pre-packaged cubed meat steaks.

Skirt steak (less expensive than flank steak) can be marinated and cooked “well” and still be tender and juicy. Do not do that with flank steak, as it will be tough, leathery and hard to chew.

Either way, experts say that the trick with both cuts is to cut them across the grain, not with the grain, as they are 4 times chewier when cut with the grain.

Ask where the bakery items are that are on sale (day old items).

They are usually kept on a huge rolling multi-level rack by the swinging doors that go to the back stocking and dock area. Try Flowers Bakery thrift store as an example of what’s available for huge savings. They bake for many household brand names like Natures Own, Butternut, Homepride, Wonder, etc. They take back day old bread from the supermarkets and sell it at their outlets. How about 4 loafs of bread for $2.00? Do research for other outlets like them if they are not in your area.

Another option is Pepperidge Farm outlet stores. Make sure to freeze your bread, as it freezes really well. Just pop it into your toaster and it’s good as new.

Ask where the almost expired meat is located from your butcher. It could be hiding in plain site. I bought Prime Filet 23

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17.

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Mignon for $4.00/lb vs. the regular price of $12.00/lb. A 75% savings!! If you see some juicy deals but they don’t fit into your menu plan for the next couple of days then buy them and freeze them. You can savor the savings later. A friend of mine was at Costco the other day and found the discounted meat mixed in with the newer dated items of the same cut. All I’m saying is find out how it works in your market(s) of choice.

Don’t buy the meat and chicken kebabs in the butcher case.

Make your own instead. It takes 5 minutes to make them and you will save a bundle.

Buy cold cuts at the deli counter. Pre-packaged cold cuts usually cost more money and have more preservatives.

End cap displays don’t necessarily mean better deals.

Wear headphones and play upbeat music when you go grocery shopping. Grocery stores play down beat music so you linger and buy more stuff.

Buy it whole, not cut up. Consumer Reports showed in a recent study that 2 lbs. of carrots cut into sticks cost $7.15 vs. $1.28. That’s 5 1/2 times more expensive.

Forget the veggie medley packages, too. They will cost you big time.

Do some math; buying 10 items for $10 might not be the best deal. Check the unit price first.

Save money on seafood and thaw it yourself. Usually ½ of the seafood in the butcher assist case offered was frozen anyways. Just walk the 20 feet to the case with the frozen seafood and you will usually save 20% - 50% Make coffee at home and use a thermos cup to take with you.

One Starbucks large coffee costs $2.45 X 30 days a month = $73.50 a month or $882.00 a year. You will also help save the environment from the extra landfill their cups create. If you buy coffee at the coffee shop ask about their refills. You will 24

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26.

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need to save the receipt and bring your empty cup to the counter for your refill(s).

Not all Starbucks are the same. For instance, at most neighborhood Starbucks you can get free refills as long as you don’t show up at 6:00 AM and then come back at 6:00 PM and expect them to give you a free refill. Many of the Starbucks print out the receipt on the cup and try to keep an eye on things, but will let you slide sometimes, too. If you bring your own cup they will attach the receipt to it. Again, they are usually very liberal. However, there are non-company Starbucks like the ones located in some hotels, airports or other locations. They have a “no refill, not butts about it” policy (just beware).

Pack a lunch and take it to the office. You can cut your bill if you use the pre-planned leftover system discussed in the book. A lousy sandwich, chips, soda and tip = $8.00 a day, $160 a month. Packed lunch = $1.00 a day, $20 a month. A yearly savings of $1,680.00. That sum can buy you a nice vacation and you can have a nice laugh on your co-workers when you are sitting on a beach in Waikiki, sipping tropical drinks with little umbrellas in them.

Watch the cash register. There are over 2.5 billion dollars in scanning errors annually. Markets put items on sale all the time that do NOT get coded into the register system.

I like Costco for a very different reason than you might think.

Many times you can get better deals on cleaning supplies and on boxed perishables like cereal by using manufactures coupons that Costco doesn’t accept, as they have a no coupon policy. So why do I like Costco? They have the most liberal return policy I’ve even seen. Take the case of the vacuum cleaner or pots and pans. I have personally returned both well over a year later, post heavy use (with the box) and received a 25

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full refund. The vacuum was not doing a great job and the nonscratch cookware became very scratched. I even bought a 24” flat screen TV for a guest room, then two and 1/2 months later I decided to give my guests a upgraded treat. I returned the 24” model and replaced it with a 46” smart TV. Costco has a 3 month return on electronics. At most places you shop you are lucky to get a 30 day refund. Get a membership at Costco for $55. Some of the items I have found to be good deals are over the counter medicine, appliances, liquor, snacks, etc. You can get a complimentary day pass and try them out. You may want to check out their black card membership if you own a business. They give you cash back, but the membership costs over $100 annually. You just need to do the math when making that decision.

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Chapter 4

Dining Savings Secrets Kids Eat Free Why pay for something when you can have it for free?

Below is a list of 10 restaurants where kids eat for free!

Please contact the restaurant location you’ll be visiting to ensure they’re still offering the kids eat free promotion or that your local franchise is participating.

Carrow’s Resturant One child under 10 eats free from 4- close with the purchase of an adult entree.

Chik-fil-A One Child per adult eats free from 5:30- 7:30pm.

Denny’s 2 children eat free per adult purchase from 4-10 pm.

Firehouse Subs Children eat free from 4-9 pm with paying adult.

Holiday Inn Children eat free with every paying adult.

Macaroni Grill Free children’s ice cream with meal purchase.

Pizza Hut Children eat free in the evening, check for participation.

Sweet Tomatoes Children 2 and under eat free all day.

TGI Fridays Children under three eat free all day.

Tony Romas Children under 12 eat free all day.

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Want 90 more restaurants where kids eat free? Just go to our site at SavingsSecretsExposed.com/dining for the complete list of 101 free kids deals.

Adults Also Eat Free Get Free Stuff All Year Long with This Master List of Freebie Holidays SavingsSecretsExposed.com/resources Eating for Free 365 Days a Year. Free Food! Freebies and Free Eats!

SavingsSecretsExposed.com/resources Happy Hour/Early Bird Specials There are many restaurants that have one or both. You just need to check. I like to go out to dinner around 6:30 PM - 6:45 PM for a couple of reasons. First, the place is usually not as crowded, and second, there are many places that have an extended Happy Hour that goes till 7:00 PM. Two Happy Hour specials fill me up with quality food that would cost me twice as much 15 - 30 minutes later. Some restaurants even have complimentary appetizers. My suggestion is to call and see when Happy Hour ends and what they might be serving free.

As for Early Bird Specials they almost always give you a multi course meal including salad and dessert and a main course with a starch and vegetable. Unless you want to leave there and take two Tums I’d suggest that you preplan to eat 1/2 of the multi course marathon event and take the rest home for another meal.

The 15 Best Chain Restaurant Happy Hours Recently The Daily Meal listed “some of the country’s most popular chain restaurants which offer little-known menus featuring incredibly inexpensive food and drink specials, usually available only at the bar.”

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Their top 15 include: 1. McCormick and Schmick’s 2. Fleming’s 3. Outback Steakhouse 4. TGI Friday’s 5. Buffalo Wild Wings 6. P.F. Chang’s 7. Ruth’s Chris Steak House 8. Cheesecake Factory 9. Applebee’s 10. The Palm 11. Morton’s The Steakhouse 12. Olive Garden 13. Chilis 14. Benihana 15. Famous Dave’s Looking for a restaurant that allows free corkage?

The standard markup for a bottle of wine from retail to restaurant is 100%. So the same bottle of wine that you bought at your local liquor store will cost you double at the restaurant. When you find BYOB restaurants (Bring Your Own Bottle) make sure to inquire about their corkage fees as they could be charging you for just bringing your own bottle. Do a Google search for “BYOB your city” or try “free corkage your city” as a search term to help guide you to the establishments that honor those policies. BYOB is worth the try, especially when you have a large party and you need to bring several bottles.

Great Savings On Restaurants Restaurant.com has become a major force in the dining industry. They have over 20,000 locations where you can get great deals. The standard type deal is that you spend a minimum amount for one 29

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person, say $25, and you are then allowed to use a $25 Restaurant.com voucher at the restaurant. You can purchase directly from Restaurant.com, which typically cost $40 per $100 in vouchers.

Therefore you save 40% per dollar spent. That’s great, right? However, on our site we give you access to the best deal I’ve ever seen with them.

Purchase $100 worth of vouchers for only $10. You can go out and dine for 90% off. I’m sure you will savor this deal. Restaurant.com has not only become a favorite for my neighborhood dining, but I use it all the time when I’m traveling. Incidentally, they have a very easy to use website.

Dining Savings from Our Website On our website, SavingsSecretsExposed.com/dining, we have an area in the dining section called “Dining Savings.” It provides access to well over 350 restaurants (many are nationwide chains) where you can get great discount deals and free food. I’ve seen offers like California Pizza Kitchen giving you a free plate of food just for signing up on the link we provide, along with an ongoing 5% discount for every $100 you spend.

At Arby’s and several other places you can get a “buy one sandwich and get a free sandwich” or “buy a sandwich and get free fries and Coke.” Many restaurants found on this link offer a free meal on your birthday. If you score a free birthday meal be sure to read the fine print as many of the birthday offers allow you to do your redemption 30 days prior and or 30 days post your actual birthday, so you could have a 60 day window. The whole dining section deserves a little of your time.

You can find great special offers when signing up to their VIP clubs, etc.

Remember to use your new savings email for all offers. Many of these deals are only available online. You can’t find these deals at the physical locations. So make sure to use the “Dining Savings list provided on our website.

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Chapter 5

Shopping Savings Secrets There are an overwhelming amount of websites advertising discounts on clothes, medicine, household & beauty supplies, appliances, even doctors and vacations. Many of them are excellent resources but some are not. They don’t ship the goods you bought and it becomes almost impossible to return merchandise. Do your homework before ordering from a site that is not a nationally recognized name. An ounce of prevention can save you a pound of problems later.

If you just plan ahead of time you can finish well under budget instead of over budget and in the end you will also save time. To reduce the amount of money you spend when you shop, you need to be disciplined and follow these easy steps: 1. Make a list of what you need and stick to it.

2. Set a budget after you know what you need to shop for.

3. Comparison shopping is a must. Many stores will do price matching.

Best Buy is just one example of a store that will match any advertised price from a retailer. What I do when I am ready to make my purchase is bookmark the site where I find the product(s) so when I get to the store I can quickly reference it.

4. Purchase store brands regardless if you are shopping for food, medication, cleaning supplies, etc.

5. Never buy retail: use coupons, discounts and deals in-store.

6. Shop online at discounted websites. Not only do you save but many don’t charge tax so you save again. Also look for the ones that include free shipping.

7. Shop discount stores. Second hand or consignment stores are cheaper than retail stores when having a sale. Slightly worn designer 31

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shoes or an Armani suit that someone who put on some weight could be a much better deal in both quality and price than what you can find from your local department store.

8. Want free medications? Most pharmaceutical companies offer patient assistance programs (PAPs) that provide uninsured and lowincome people access to prescription drugs they couldn't otherwise afford.

9. Want low cost or no cost Dental care? The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research suggests clinical trials or local dental or dental-hygiene schools, as they may give free or low-cost treatment.

Both my Dad and brother were dentists and taught in their spare time at dental schools overseeing the students. This can be a great way to save thousands.

10. Cosmetology schools are also a great way to save on cuts and highlights worth hundreds of dollars. They are always looking for clients to hone their skills on.

11. I have gone to several massage schools in the past for great massages for a fraction of the retail cost. I could relax and enjoy a lot more during the session knowing I was saving a bundle.

12 Items To Remember To Buy Used 1. Cars 2. Swing Sets 3. Furniture 4. Designer Label clothing 5. Tech Gadgets 6. Books and College Text Books 7. Kid’s bicycles 8. Musical Instruments

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9. Tools 10. Exercise Equipment 11. Formal Wear/Wedding Dresses 12. Jewelry

Great Discount Websites EBAY GROUPON CRAIGS LIST LIVING SOCIAL AMAZON OVERSTOCK DRUGSTORE NOBETTERDEAL KAYAK SMART BARGAINS EBATES FOREVER 21 10DOLLARMALL ZULILY DISCOUNTDRUGNETWORK PETFOODDIRECT Time is money and sometimes you don’t have time to waste. If you feel you can save money by letting someone else run an errand or finish a task, check out TaskRabbit.com. If your time is worth $30 an hour and you pay Task Rabbit $15 to do the job, you just saved yourself some money. More complex jobs cost accordingly. You post your job and in seconds you get people from your area ready to jump in and help, 33

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along with references and experience levels. Task Rabbit has a satisfaction guaranteed: if you aren’t happy with the service you get it is free. I received a full refund when a cleaning person didn’t clean my house very well. They also do criminal and background checks on all people in their network, servicing 18 U.S. cities and London. You also get $1,000,000 insurance on each task. The company charges a 5% service per $100 that you spend. Need help for your next party? Help building that Ikea furniture? Or need to get something delivered across town today but you can’t leave your house? Task Rabbit might be the perfect choice.

Home Depot If you own your home or are a real estate investor, this is one you don’t want to miss. We can get you the best pricing available with our relationship. I’m a close friend with the past President of the National Association of Real Estate Investors. They bring more business to Home Depot than any other organization, which is in the billions annually. To receive a 20% discount on paint and other items you go to the Pro Desk at the store and use our code 7709398283. Happy Home savings!

Great Business Websites Payroll and payroll taxes for your employees is often a business’s single largest expense. Also, with the ebb and flow of business comes the need to scale up or down quickly. So what’s the solution? VA’s (Virtual Assistants). Personally, I really like the idea of outsourcing your office help. They can answer your incoming calls, book appointments, handle customer service and keep you caught up on your correspondence, but that’s just where it starts. They can also take on more complex duties such as bookkeeping, web design, data base management, you name it. The best part is their hourly rates are under $10.00 per hour. A very close friend of mine wrote the New York Times bestseller “Outsourced Smart.” He has over 450 VA’s on staff. I personally use his VA service 34

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for several reasons. His service has gone the extra mile to vet out each of their VA’s qualifications. Each VA has a manager you can always talk to. If you need additional skill sets for a job or aren't happy with your VA they can immediately plug in a replacement or get you additional help. The company has given me a very special offer to pass along to you. Just go to this link bit.ly/30hoursfree and get 30 hours of FREE VA services. Their hope is to impress you so much that you will want to continue with their services.

If you own a business and need services like logos, online marketing, ad creation, jingles, voice overs, etc., check out my personal favorite site - Fiverr.com. As the name implies you can pay just $5.00 for a service like logo creation. Wow! You need an entity for your business we can help you get one free.

Create a company entity such as an LLC, C or S corporation and Incorp.com will take care of the articles of incorporation, etc. at no charge. You only pay the state filing fees, if applicable and the RA (resident agent fees). I have a special code Mack4349 that you put in at the on-line check out area. Incorp.com currently services over 50,000 entities in all 50 states.

If you need SAS (software as a service) productivity software for your business, some of the brightest minds in the world have incredible tools on WarriorForum.com. Many of the programs you can buy on line cost under $20. Numerous programmers are from India or Eastern Europe so the prices are very inexpensive and the software programs are rich with features and value. Be careful, as you can get so caught up that you will want to buy everything. Most of the products also come with a 30-day guarantee. Ask yourself if you really need it and if you will really use it before you push the buy button.

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“Save money on the big, boring stuff so that you have something left over for life’s little pleasures.” ~Elisabeth Leamy

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Chapter 6

Home Maintenance, Repairs and Improvements Secrets 1. Need to furnish your house or buy a new mattress? Most furniture has a 2.6 X mark up. Maybe it’s time to consider a different way to save up to 50% or more off retail. Simply start an interior design firm. Create business cards from Vistaprint.com. Get a resale license by checking with your state sales tax division. You might need a city business license, which you can get in some areas for free. You can also get a free website at Wix.com.

2. Have your furnace serviced once a year. This can greatly reduce your heating bill as the furnace will run more efficiently, costing less to run in the process.

3. When you need work done around your house be sure to shop around for contractors and compare quotes. One website that’s great for finding highly screened and reviewed contractors and subcontractors is AngiesList.com. As with any repair job, be sure to get at least three quotes. I was recently involved with several contractors who quoted well over $100,000 for my house facelift. I decided to use another approach, so I got bids directly from the subs I found on AngiesList.com and saved roughly $50,000. When you get your lowest bid for each trade, show it to the other subcontractors in that trade and wait to see what happens. Many will lower their quote to at least meet and usually beat those quotes, so you can get a great deal and use the subs you want to use. I promise you a little work and some negotiating will save you plenty. The bottom line is if you have the time to supervise the work, do not hire a general 37

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contractor. Instead hire the subs yourself and save on the 20% the contractor gets paid and the usual inflated prices from the subs they bring. If you feel that you still want a general contractor to oversee parts of the job, you can tell the GC (General Contractor) that you will not pay commission on the subs you found and you supervise. You could feel comfortable enough to hire a painter or plumber, but not for more serious work like foundation repairs.

4. Do your home maintenance on a regular basis. Get your air conditioner serviced during the winter months. You will pay around 50% extra if done during the summer.

5. Change your home A/C filter when it’s due. Create a log for the correct change date. According to energy.gov a clean A/C filter will lower your air conditioner’s energy consumption by 5% 15%.

6. Install a programmable thermostat, even if you live in an apartment. Most studies suggest that you can save 10% - 30% off your heating and A/C bill.

7. Change your lighting. You may not think of your house lights as appliances, but they are. If you use incandescent bulbs, the old standard light bulbs, then you will benefit all round from changing to CFL bulbs, or compact fluorescent light bulbs. They use around 75% less energy and will last around 10 times longer.

They also produce 60% less heat with most of the energy they use goes into producing light. You should also check out the newer LED lights. You may not find them entirely suitable as main house lights, though many people do. But the good news is that LED's are even more efficient and cost even less to use than the highly efficient CFL light bulbs, although the initial cost is higher.

8. Your entire water system can be costing you money if there are 38

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leaks. A single steady drip can account for up to 250 gallons a month! That's 3,000 gallons a year, and you will be charged for it – water you didn't use or even see. Check your toilet system for leaks by adding a few drops of bright food coloring to the toilet water tank. Don't flush for at least 30 minutes and see if the color appears in the toilet bowl. If it does, then you have a leak and it will need to be repaired. If it doesn't, then everything is fine. If you don't have a low-flow toilet, then you can improvise by filling a half gallon plastic bottle with water, securing the cap on firmly, and placing it in the toilet water tank.

This can reduce the toilet flush by up to 40%, but still leave enough water to flush everything away efficiently. Another trick to lower your water bill is by putting a brick in every toilet tank.

9. Put a heater blanket on your hot water heater. The DOE (Department of Energy) says it will save you between 5 - 9% of your hot water heating bill. Not bad for a measly $20 investment that takes around 30 minutes to install.

10. Drafts can seriously lower a room temperature. Make sure that all possible areas of drafts are closed off. Weather stripping is cheap to buy and it can seal loose doors and windows, making them more effective at keeping the heat in and the cold out.

The reverse is true for the summer months. Proper seals will help to make your air conditioning more effective and will save you money. If you can see daylight through them, now is time to replace them.

11. Install an under sink water filter or whole house unit. You can save hundreds of dollars over the lifetime of use and it’s much better for the environment than bottled filtered water. If you choose the under sink filter, research shows it’s best to get a 3 stage or preferably a 4 or 5 stage system. A 3-stage filter should include a carbon or charcoal polishing cartridge as one of the 3 39

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filters. It will make the water taste sweet, not bitter. The #1 issue though is safety so here is the deal. You will need a system that has a UV light. Otherwise bacteria such as E.coli, Salmonella or other viruses will be able to slip through.

12. Rent out the kids room if they are in college or out on their own. Better yet, use Airbnb.com and you can make double the rent instead of listing it privately.

13. Bubble wrap your windows to keep the cold and/or hot air out.

You can increase and/or decrease the temperature by 15 degrees. This works great especially when you have single pane windows and poor insulation like in older homes or buildings.

14. Learn how to do basic maintenance around the house. Many home improvement stores like Home Depot have free classes on home repair from painting to installing cabinets or flooring.

More Tips To Save Around Your Home…

While Being Green, You Can Save Some Green 1. According to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBL), the average home contains 40 products constantly drawing power. Individually, the electricity flowing to a TV that's been turned off or a coffeemaker programmed to brew in the morning is extremely small, but together, these sleeping devices may account for as much as 10 percent of household energy use. Unplug and save money on your overall power bill.

Replace your old power strips with the new “smart power strips.” They shut down vampire electronics that suck power when not in use. I’ve seen them on Ebay for under $40.00.

Some power strips even let you designate a "master" device (such as a computer), then automatically turn off power to peripheral devices (such as a printer, scanner or speakers) when the main component is not in use.

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2. Consider installing solar panels. They can be expensive to install, but they work well in places where there is plenty of light. They don't need hot sunshine to operate, just light, so bright winter days are good enough. You may not be able to completely run your home on solar power, but you can do quite a lot with a little bit of careful planning. I have several friends who run their homes on solar and sell their extra power to the local utility.

3. Time home item purchases to get the cheapest prices. Think barbecues, air conditioners and outdoor furniture in the winter. Think heavy jackets, ski gear etc. in the summer.

Dedicate the next year to getting all your holiday items for at least 50% off. It’s simple to get everything for any holiday the day after the holiday. I got a great faux Xmas tree on December 26th for under $50 and the retail cost was $200.

4. Audit your cable and internet bills twice a year to make sure you are utilizing all the services you are paying for. Negotiate a better deal before your year is up if you are not on a year contract. If you are, call one month before the contract expires to negotiate a better deal for the following year. If you are not successful, call after your contract has expired and tell them you are going to leave if they don’t give you a better deal. Sometimes, they won’t lower the price but they will add extra services. A word of wisdom here: You will get a lot further if you are nice when you tell them you are not continuing unless they give you a better deal.

5. There are many programs like RecycleBank.com that work with your waste hauler to give rewards for regular recycling. Such benefits include earning coupons for your favorite restaurants, supermarket gift certificates, and free magazines.

6. Turn off the color setting when printing if you don't need it and 41

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use the grayscale mode. Also printers are much better today than they were a few years ago. I always use draft or fast mode for vendor communication. I save the best or high quality mode for the final drafts and only on business correspondence. Print only necessary pages at home and try printing non-sensitive docs at work (if it’s o.k. with the boss) to save money on expensive ink and paper.

7. Clean out your closets at the end of each season, especially if you have small kids. Sell the stuff you don’t wear anymore to a second hand store. I got $150 to get rid of closet clutter. You will get most money if the clothes you sell match the season.

8. Merge your home phone and cellular services. As the number of cell phones continues to soar past the total for landlines, the question of whether you really need both is getting louder.

9. No partial loads. Do not waste energy, water, and detergent by doing partial loads of dishes or laundry.

10. Barter. I truly believe the Internet was created to let us swap stuff. So, before you go out and buy a new appliance or hardware tool, see if you can find someone online willing to trade it for something you have. If you're not in a rush, go to CraigsList.org and set up automated email alerts for the items you're seeking.

11. You can also recycle old electronics for cash through sites like uSell.com, Gazelle.com and NextWorth.com.

12. If you burn through batteries frequently, then it's time to make the switch to rechargeable. You'll end up saving in the long run by ditching the disposables. Not only are batteries toxic, they are environmentally harmful and should not go in the garbage.

13. Air returns and heating vents should always be kept clear of all obstructions. Keep furniture, rugs and carpets clear to let the 42

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airflow go unhindered. This will increase the efficiency of the system, save you money and keep down on resource usage. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in older homes and observed rugs covering floor heating vents.

14. Fit a sink faucet aerator to the kitchen sink. This will reduce the amount of water you use. Some 15% of the average household's water consumption goes on faucet use. A faucet aerator provides water under increased pressure, but less of it, so it does a similar job. It gives you a needle spray pattern that's actually more efficient, too.

15. Use your dishwasher! This is one appliance that actually uses less energy than the manual alternative. Dishwashers are efficient devices. They use less water than someone standing over a sink usually does and they clean dishes better. Buy an Energy Star Rated dishwasher if you don't already have one.

You can save 33% off your old dishwasher bill. An Energy Star Rated dishwasher uses at least 40% less energy than an older version.

16. Your water heater is probably set to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can lower it to 120 degrees and still have all the benefits.

Your water heating costs will drop down to 10% and the environment will benefit from lower energy consumption.

Consider the benefits of installing a tank-less water heater.

Tank-based water heating systems suffer from standby heat loss.

17. Your washing machine puts 90% of its energy consumption into heating up the water. You can save considerably on this by using a cold-water detergent and switching to a cold, or at best, warm water setting.

18. You may also be able to get discounted rates if you run your washing machine and other appliances during off-peak hours, 43

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typically during the night. Check with your utility company.

19. Do Research for alternative energy companies that service your area. It all boils down to Kilowatt pricing. There are many areas in the U.S. that have several companies to choose from. Don’t just settle for the one you have been using for years.

20. Your refrigerator should not be kept too cold. This appliance is for keeping food cool at a temperature of between 37 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

21. Defrost your freezer on a regular basis. I've seen freezers with two inches of solid ice at the back of the shelves. Do you have any idea how much extra energy and money are wasted by this?

22. You can save water in your shower in several ways. The obvious one is to take shorter showers, but by fitting low-flow attachments to your shower, you can save around 3,000 gallons of water for each person every year, saving money and energy into the bargain.

23. Remember, you can (and should) fit low-flow attachments to all your sink taps. You can fit a low-flow toilet, too. This will save even more water for you and your family.

24. Consider planting drought-tolerant tree species in your garden.

These include crepe myrtle, ash, or ginko, and shrubs from rosemary to barberry and juniper. Drought-tolerant tree and shrub species will survive better and not demand as much water. There are landscaping companies who will change your grass with water drought plans for free as they get paid by the government. Do not pull out the grass. The company needs to take photos of the existing grass to get approval from the city for reimbursement.

25. Check out the cost of replacing your grass with synthetic. You 44

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may be surprised at the savings in water, maintenance and possible rebates.

26. Water the lawn in the early morning when there is more moisture in the air, and when the water will be retained in the soil for longer.

27. If you live in a hot dry place, you can help your garden's soil by adding polymers. These help by retaining moisture for longer periods, thereby helping plants and flowers to grow more efficiently.

28. I keep 3 ingredients on hand at all times for cleaning: Baking soda, vinegar, and liquid Dawn dishwashing soap. You won’t believe what you can clean with these 3 items: 

For cleaning windows, mix 2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of white distilled vinegar, and up to 1/2 teaspoon of Dawn in a spray bottle. You won’t believe the job it does! It works great on kitchen counters, backsplashes, stove and appliance wipe downs too.



For floors, add 1 cup of vinegar to 1 gallon of hot water and you are off and mopping away!



My favorite bathroom cleaner is a spray bottle filled with 1/2 cup of Dawn and just fill the rest of the bottle with as much vinegar as the bottle holds. It works better than 409 or others cleaners I’ve tried over the years!



For cleaning toilets, mix 1/4 cup baking soda, 1/4 cup Dawn, and 1/4 cup water. Just let the mixture sit in and around the outside of the toilet bowl for a couple of hours. Wipe down the outside and swish inside with a toilet brush, then flush.

 Plain baking soda works just like scouring powder. If you need to call in the reserves try using rock salt. It really works great on 45

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pots and pans for scrubbing. Baking soda is also great for absorbing odors in your refrigerator and for deodorizing carpets. Just sprinkle some on your carpet, let sit for a while and then vacuum it up!

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Chapter 7

Transportation Savings Secrets Car Buying When buying a car, you can skip the negotiating and still avoid overpaying by following these stress-free tips: 1. First off you need to narrow it down to the brand, model, and color, all the way to the options. Once you have an idea of which brand you like and you know how much you can spend, you can visit websites to come up with several choices. Test-drive those cars and make sure to tell the sales reps that you are just shopping around. Mention the other cars you are considering and let the sales rep tell you the difference between their car and the others you have chosen. Many times you will find that you skipped vital information.

2. Get pre-approved for a loan with the best interest rate and terms before going to the dealership to buy. Check local and online banks or your credit union. Credit Unions generally have better rates and want your business. Also, most credit unions will be glad to let you join their credit union.

You can make a better decision of which loan to go with. The one you already have or the one the dealership can get for you. Ask them if they have low or 0% interest financing on any models you’re considering.

LendingTree.com and E-Loan.com are great websites to find lenders.

Once you’re approved, the lender sends you a blank check that’s good for any amount up to the loan limit and valid for some limited period, such as 45 days.

3. Always check for incentives, cash rebates or free maintenance. If you don’t see any, ask the dealership, as they might have some coming up that’s not publicized.

4. Ask for the internet department at the dealership and get quotes 47

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from several dealers. Make sure to ask for their lowest out-the-door price, including sales tax and any fees.

These quotes need to be for the same car, model and add-ons, if any.

Sometimes you pay extra for a certain color. If the sales person tells you to come in person otherwise they can’t give you the best price, say no. Tell them that you don’t have time to waste and you will go to the next dealer if they can’t give you a quote over the phone.

Great websites to get quotes include: AutoTrader.com, Cars.com, CarsDirect.com, TrueCar.com, Carfax.com, etc. The more quotes you get, the better. And you can always use a lower quote as leverage to negotiate with other dealers by recontacting them and asking whether they can meet or beat it. Flooring costs can drive up prices and urban flooring costs are higher. You may do better going out of town to get your best deal. Also, larger dealers get better flooring rates from the manufacturer so consider checking out the big boys, too.

5. It is always a better option if you don’t need to trade in your car and you can wait to sell it privately. You’ll get more for your car. There are websites like Ebay.com and AutoTrader.com where you can run an ad to sell your car. You can get a good idea of your car’s trade-in value on Edmunds.com, Kelley Blue Book (kbb.com) or the National Automobile Dealers Association (nada.org).

6. Prepare for pickup. You’ll need to go to the dealer to close the deal, but don’t leave home without a guaranteed written quote for the new car, a pre-approved loan and an estimate of your trade-in’s value. And don’t let the sales rep try to roll everything into one monthly payment.

That leaves room for manipulation of the numbers. Also be sure to finalize the new car transaction before discussing the trade-in should you decide not to sell it privately.

The dealer’s staff will probably try to sell you extras, such as undercoating, fabric and paint sealants and VIN etching, in which the vehicle’s ID number is etched into the windows to deter theft. Don’t 48

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take the bait! Dealers may also try to sell you a service contract or an extended warranty. But if you’ve picked a reliable car, you’re likely to spend more for the warranty than you’ll save in repair costs.

7. When you are almost done with your deal and right before you go to contract, make sure to negotiate for a due bill from the dealer stating that you can get all accessories and aftermarket items at dealer’s cost. You can usually get them to agree to dealer’s cost plus 10%. And that’s still a good deal.

8. Buy your new or used car on the last day of the month to get a better deal. You can find great rebates and incentives at the end of the model year when the new models have arrived. You can parlay the two together; i.e. buy on the last day of the month during the clearance months of August, September and October.

Car Maintenance Tips In order to keep your car running at its best, it’s important to keep up with routine maintenance and inspections. By properly maintaining it, you’ll reduce future repair costs, optimize your car’s performance, maintain its value and extend its life.

Follow these tips and you will avoid hefty repair bills.

1. Car leases require routine maintenance. Failure to do so will cost you when you turn your car in. Always keep your car service records as the next buyer, in most cases will want to see them. Also, depending on the residual value of the car when the lease is over, you might want to buy it and keep it, or resell for a profit. Make sure your automotive service location reports to Carfax or you could seriously hurt your resale. Jiffy lube does not report to Carfax and it was a nightmare trying to get my old service records from them. Ultimately they couldn’t because they purged their system. That one really cost me at least $1,500 in the final selling negotiation.

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2. Oil is essential to the engine. It helps keep it clean and lubricated.

Changing it every three months or 3,000 miles is the first thing you should do to keep your car in good shape. Or follow the manufacturer's recommendations for your specific car.

3. Change your car air filter when it’s due. A clean car air filter can save you up to 7%, that’s over $100.00 for every 10,000 you drive. Most new air filters cost around $10.00. Give $5.00 to the sales rep at the automotive store to change it if you don’t want to do it. It only takes about 2 minutes to do.

4. Rotating tires -- switching the tire position from front to rear and vice versa -- helps them wear equally. A tire rotation should generally be done every 7,500 miles, or as often as the car manufacturer recommends.

5. Brake disc pads and shoes eventually wear down. Checking your brakes annually allows you to spot wear before it's too late. By contrast, neglecting regular brake work could eventually lead to more costly rotor or disc replacements.

6. Make sure you have the correct tire pressure. If you are too low you lose 1% on your gas mileage. Most people are chronically 5 – 10 lbs. low, therefore they are losing 5% – 10% off their mileage.

7. Buy a tire gauge. The air pumps at the gas station are usually not correct and are off by several lbs. or more. Over inflating is also bad for your tires as it creates rougher rides, difficult handling and makes your tires more prone to blowouts. The dealer where you bought your car will be glad to check your tire pressure for free. You can also get a free tire pressure check at the local place you visit to get your oil changes or at the tire store that installed your tires.

8. If your car steering wheel shimmies or you get a shimmy at certain speeds you need to check it. You may need an alignment and not 50

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fixing it may lead to tire cupping or irregular wear that could be costly.

More Car Tips 1. Everybody wants to save money on gas. These are two great applications which will show you the best gas prices in your area: GasBuddy.com or CheapGas.com.

2. Use the timer on your phone for setting the time you have on your parking meters. The average parking ticket is $60. Be careful as some meters run fast so set your timer for 10 minutes earlier.

3. Use your cruise control to prevent you from speeding. When my friend drove to meet me she got 2 speeding tickets within a half hour. That little trip cost her almost $1,000, plus points on her driving record. If you get a moving violation, dispute the ticket and request a court date. Many times the officer will not show to the court date. You can always request for a change of date to make it more inconvenient for the officer. Appear at the hearing and if he/she doesn’t show up your ticket will usually get dismissed. If the officer shows up, plead with the judge to receive a discount (I have seen large discounts). You can pay for the ticket and traffic school at the courthouse.

4. Buy tires on line. Try TireRack.com. You can’t beat their prices. They can ship to you or an installer of your choice. They can also recommend one close to you. You can get the best install deal if you follow their recommendation. I’ve seen cases where you get your tires for less than what the local tire dealer pays.

5. If you need to have your car repaired due to an accident or any other reason that it is not covered under warranty, do not go to the dealership. You will save by going to an independent repair shop instead. Always check their reviews before you choose someone.

My local dealer quoted me over $1,200 for my 30,000 mile tune up.

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So I shopped around and went to an authorized service shop and only shelled out $350.

6. Check out car rental companies like Hertz, Enterprise and Thrifty.

They have been selling cars directly to the public for many years.

All vehicles at Enterprise come with a 12 month 12,000 mile power train warranty at no charge. Most rental sales companies will allow you to return the car after seven days or 1,000 miles if you change your mind. CarMax has a similar 5-day refund policy.

Alternative Transportation Alternative transportation refers to commuting in any way other than driving alone. Examples include walking, biking, walking, carpooling, and taking public transportation. If you pick any of these just one day a week for a year can usually save you more than $500 in total driving costs annually. Don’t forget you save on parking, gas and vehicle depreciation from wear and tear. E-bikes might be the perfect answer as they are a great choice for commuting. Some have long ranges up to 90 miles and go up to 30 mph. You don’t need to sweat and arrive at your office looking for the nearest shower. As for parking costs…. just lock it up or wheel it in.

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Chapter 8

Your Credit and Savings Secrets Have some dings or bad credit? Yet still have the dream of owning your own home? It’s harder than ever to qualify. Lenders can ask for a minimum of 20% down in many cases. You will be shocked at what can be done using creative solutions for credit challenged people.

Bad credit can really cost you in so many ways. Employment, apartment rentals, home ownership, credit card rates, car loans, insurance premium costs and the list goes on. If this sounds like you, then credit triage including adding credit lines for credit is just what you need. Having bad credit could cost you thousands or hundreds of thousands over a lifetime of higher interest rates you don’t need to pay.

Enroll in a credible, legitimate credit repair service. I used to own a credit repair company. The code word is used to. I closed it due to the excessive operational costs. I had to have a $100,000 bond to operate.

Then, there were the costs of all the customer service folks to do the disputes. Clients always wanted updates which took more time away for doing credit repair tasks. We charged an average of $1,500 to perform our service. I wanted to charge less, but the numbers just didn’t work with our overhead. In the end it just didn’t pencil.

O.K. I did find a solution. The solution is a non-profit company that gets the job done. I’ve seen people who have had as many as 50 derogatoriness and had 48 of them taken off and the other 2 turned over to their lawyers who went after the creditors (they even split the profits when they litigate and win with the clients). The cost of litigation is 0 to the client. They have a great interface for checking your status as you progress through the process. Oh, I almost forgot… you get it all for under $500!

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Budgeting Anyone

can turn their financial life around by starting a budget and understanding that saving money is essential to their success. Just by following some of these financial tips you can save dramatically: 1. Bundle your cars, motorcycle, boat, home, renters insurance and save up to 30-40% on premiums.

2. Consolidate your student loans. With interest rates being so low you may be able to save some big bucks. I have a friend who is saving $500 a month or $6,000 a year on that tip.

3. Call up your student loan issuer or any outstanding loan you may have and try to negotiate a reduction for payment in full. This technique also works if you have a second or third home mortgage, especially if it’s from the owner when you bought it.

4. You can cut your taxes with an early January mortgage payment. Paying your January mortgage bill in December allows you to count the interest towards this year's mortgage tax deduction.

5. Use on-line bill pay. You save on stamps, envelopes and most important, your time. Talk to your bank and find out how long your payments will take to get processed. I’ve seen too many cases where the bank won’t take any responsibility for the late arrival of your payments if you don’t give them enough time to process them. You could incur in a 30-day late pay on your credit report if you aren’t careful when you set it up. On the other hand if you set it up correctly, and a payment doesn’t get to a vendor from your bank, they will step up on your behalf to help eliminate a late payment fee or credit derogatory.

6. Pay annually if you can. Insurance and other annual services will 54

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let you pay the bill in smaller monthly installment payments.

But while these monthly payments are not considered a loan, that is exactly what they are. You end up paying the equivalent of interest in the form of higher payments.

7. When buying online, go to the check out and do “a cart abandonment.� Many times you will get an exit pop up offering you the same product for a reduced cost. Try to abandon again and you might even get a better deal. Or you might get a down sell offer that could better fit your needs.

8. Move bank accounts to get new perks. Last time I checked Chase was offering $200 to open a new account. Also, some financial institutions offer basic bank accounts with no account keeping fees, free monthly statements, no minimum deposit amounts, and no overdrawn fees.

9. Every year, re-examine your auto insurance policy for savings opportunities. For example, consider raising your deductible, which lowers premiums. For older vehicles, evaluate whether you really need collision coverage, which covers damage to your car when your car hits or is hit by another vehicle or object. And make it a habit to compare auto insurance quotes annually, which can be done online in minutes.

10. One of the biggest monthly expenses for some is the cost of Internet service, cable and phone. The major providers today offer discounts when you bundle all three of these services together. Some providers call it a triple play; you not only save money, but you also get the convenience of a single bill each month.

11. Many retailers offer special discounts to online shoppers. And virtually every company that sells products or services online offers promo codes, discounts or coupons. Particularly if you 55

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have a big purchase planned, make sure to search the Internet for deals before buying.

Credit Card Secrets Opting to pay the minimum payments on your credit cards is easier.

Paying $50 is better than $500. You feel like you have disposable income as it allows you to purchase more, even though your income has not changed. But like a virus that starts spreading, soon you find yourself with a higher debt of great proportions. So what can you do?

1. Get sign up fees waived for credit cards, cellphones, cable, mortgage origination, airline changes, etc. Basically, I try to negotiate fees on everything that has a fee. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

2. The best card for your groceries hands down is the Amex Blue.

It gives you 6% back on groceries, 3% on gas and 1% on other purchases.

3. Take a vacation on your credit card. Use travel rewards credit cards for buying everything from groceries, to paying your cable, cell, insurance bills, etc. You won’t believe how fast these points accumulate. Make sure to pay off your balance at the end of each monthly billing cycle so you don’t accrue any interest. For current deals on credit cards, check out CardRates.com or TheSimpleDollar.com.

4.

Review your credit card and debit card statements quarterly. You may notice that your cancellation of the XYZ didn’t go through as discussed. You generally won’t get a refund from the vendor for more than 30 days and your credit card company for more than 6 months. Remember, I said credit card company, not debit card company.

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5. Negotiate for a lower rate with your credit card companies. I might say something like this to the customer service rep: “I just got an offer from another company for a 0% balance transfer. I’ve been with you guys for xyz years and really like your customer service. I don’t want to leave xyz, so what’s the best rate you can lower me to today?” You may not get anywhere so you can simply ask for the supervisor and repeat your lines. If that doesn’t work then ask for the retention specialist as you are going to have to cancel you card (whether you are bluffing or not). Of course, you need to go over your scripted lines once again. This may seem like a waste of time but when it works, and it will work most of the time, you win and win big. Imagine getting all your 18.9% interest rate cards down to under 10% or better. By the way, whatever they agree to be sure to thank them, but tell them unless it’s a 0% offer that you really need a much better rate so you can stay with them. Being nice but firm, rather than having a threatening tone, will help your cause.

6. Get a credit card with 0% APR for as many months as possible and transfer your old balances to the card. Then move the balance to another 0% APR balance offer when the first one is about to expire. If you work it right you will never pay interest again.

7. Better yet, start an accelerated debt and mortgage payment program and painlessly get rid of your house mortgage and credit card balances in less than 10 years. We have the perfect program in an upcoming chapter. It saves the typical family over $200,000 in unnecessary interest payments.

8. Review the dispute periods on your credit and debit cards, as they are quite different. You have less time to dispute a charge on a debit card.

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“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” ~Oprah Winfrey

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Chapter 9

Mortgage and Debt Elimination Secrets Mortgage & Debt Warning Secrets It’s easier to spend all you have and then depend on credit to cover the gap between what you think you need and how much you make. For too many people it seems acceptable to have it all now and pay later.

You start thinking that if you made more money you would get out of debt. Usually when you make more money you add expenses instead.

With the right guidance you can achieve financial freedom regardless of your income level and current situation. Make it a priority to pay down outstanding debt so you can start with a clean slate and stop giving away money to interest charges.

10 Warning Signs of Too Much Debt (if you display any of the 10 signs you are in trouble!): 1. Spending 20 percent or more of your paycheck to pay off car loans, credit cards, or other debt.

2. Borrowing to pay off other debts.

3. Unaware of how much money you owe.

4. Making only minimum payments on each bill.

5. Missing payments, or paying bills late every month.

6. Creditors are calling you.

7. Being refused extended credit or additional credit.

8. Borrowing from retirement accounts or use credit cards to pay other monthly bills.

9. Writing postdated checks.

10. Taking an extra job to pay your bills.

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Mortgage and Debt Free in 10 Years or Less Secrets Consider that the average American household debt (according to the Federal Reserve) is $15,863 or $7,400 individually. Also, if you continue to pay down your credit cards by only paying the monthly minimum payment of 1% on an $8,000 balance, i.e. $80 a month, it will take you over 30 years to retire your credit card balance. By the way, you will be paying over $160,000 over the term! Or if you buy a house for $200,000 and you pay off the mortgage in 30 years you will be paying out roughly $400,000, or twice what you paid for the house when interest is factored in.

There is a better solution to paying on your mortgage and credit cards for 30 years. Does the idea of paying off your house and all your credit cards in 10 years or less sound appealing? Through Mortgage and Debt elimination this can be accomplished, along with saving hundreds of thousands in otherwise lost interest payments. The idea to retire your mortgage early actually came from Australia some time ago. Rather than making monthly payments, if you split up the amount you pay monthly and pay that amount every two weeks you actually don’t feel any loss of spendable income, but rather you are turbo charging your mortgage payment schedule. $1,000 paid monthly is $12,000 per year.

However, $500 paid every 2 weeks is $13,000. That will turn your 30 year mortgage into a 26 year mortgage overnight.

So what if you turbo charge the whole equation? By utilizing algorithms and several other strategies that are infused in the right software I have consistently seen 30 year mortgages and credit card debt eliminated in 10 years or less. I know where nirvana is so check out this link for your Mortgage and Debt elimination: ForFinancialRelief.com.

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Chapter 10

Accumulating Wealth Secrets The problem is that retirement isn't what it once was. The United States Census Bureau, Bankrate, and Saperston Companies estimate that only 4 percent of Americans who begin working at the age of 25 will have adequate savings to retire when they are 65.

Think about that! Out of every 100 people you know, only four will have enough money to retire. Even worse, 63 percent of retirees will be entirely dependent on Social Security benefits, income from family members, or assistance from charities. Wow! Over half of all the people in America (who dream of a fantastic retirement) will end up as charity cases, burdens to their families, or paupers beholden to the whims of the Social Security Administration.

The retirement dream in the United States is certainly not dead; however, any of us who haven't buried our heads in the sand know that it's far more difficult to achieve than it was just a few decades ago.

The average 401k savings for workers within 10 years of retirement age is just $78,000. Is $78,000 enough to provide you with a comfortable monthly income for 30 years or more? If you want to have a monthly retirement income of $10,000 per month, you will need to have more than $2 million in the bank by the time you retire.

Now, you might say, “I don't need $10,000 a month! I'm doing just fine on $5,000 a month right now!� True, but keep in mind that, particularly if you are in your 20s, 30s, or 40s, $5,000 a month will probably barely be a livable income by the time you retire (consider cost of living increases, etc.).

Hold on‌ before you become even more depressed there is another viable solution.

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If your 401k or IRA plan manager told you about all of the ways you're losing out on opportunities to build retirement savings, you'd be incensed. But since they won't tell you, I will.

Each 401(k) and IRA program has a plan administrator – an investment professional that is supposed to protect your assets and act in your best interest. These administrators have the tasks of reviewing investments, managing funds within the plans, and (in some cases) making recommendations based on market trends.

In fact, Americans pay about $164 million in 401k fees each day.

Therefore, you can see why 401k plans are so lucrative for the companies that provide them to hard-working Americans.

Most plans charge an average of 2 percent of your assets in administrative fees each year that will likely lose you thousands, or as I will show you, hundreds of thousands over time.

Suppose that you earn a yearly salary of $50,000 and contribute 8 percent of your income to a 401k plan. In this example, let's say that your 401k earns 10 percent interest each year after the first year (a highly unlikely scenario) and that your plan manager charges 2 percent in administrative fees each year. All other factors aside, here's how this scenario would play out if you start investing at age 30 and retire at age 65: Your balance with fees taken out would be $765,057.00. That would be $1,304,916.97, or you would get an additional $539,859 more if you didn't have to pay administrative fees!

Cited “Retire with Tax Free Income” Author Bruce Mack

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Erosion Suppose you invest $5,000 in a mutual fund. Let's say that at the end of the first year, the value of the fund has dropped by 50%. You would have $2,500... not a good thing.

So you call your investment adviser and ask: “What's happening here?

I invested to make money, not to lose it! Now I've lost half my money!”

“But wait,” the adviser tells you. “You haven't really lost the money. As long as you keep your money in the mutual fund, it will rebound. Just sit tight, and it will probably come back sooner than you expect.”

Nervously, you agree to employ the “buy and hold” strategy so you don't throw away $2,500.

At the end of the next year, the value of the fund has increased by 50 percent – that is, it is now worth double what it was worth at the end of the previous year.

Your advisor tells you “You lost 50 percent the first year, but you gained 50 percent the next year. That's just the way the market works.”

It sounds like you have made back your investment, right?

Wrong.

Even though it looks on paper like the fund has rebounded, you do not have your $5,000 back at the end of the second year. Instead, you have $3,750. In other words, you are still $1,250 away from recovering your initial investment!

This is where a long-term “buy and hold” strategy can cause serious erosion of your investment profits. This strategy is predicated in the assumption that a given market will realize gains during some years and losses during others. The idea is that, as long as percentage gains 63

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during good years exceed percentage losses during bad years, you will still make a profit.

The problem is that your actual rate of return does not equal your average rate of return.

Taxation If you invest in the stock market or an IRA account, you're funding your retirement investments with post-tax income. In other words, you're putting money into the account from earnings that have already been taxed by your employer.

Taxation works a little differently when you have an employersponsored 401k plan. Your employer's payroll department directs a specified portion of your income to your 401k account before taxes are taken out. You do not have to pay taxes until you begin taking withdrawals after retirement. Of course, if you take a withdrawal before retirement or cash out your 401k when you change jobs, you will also have to pay taxes on the withdrawal.

Conventional wisdom holds that it is better to pay taxes later than to pay them now. The logic behind this is that by deferring taxes, you have the ability to contribute more money to your account, which means that you can accumulate retirement funds more quickly. Investment advisers will typically tell you that this can help you build a larger nest egg for retirement, so that you can live more comfortably after your working years are over because you will have a much lower tax basis.

Either way you go, you will have to give up part of your retirement savings to the government. But does deferring taxes really save you money?

Let's look at an example: Suppose that you invest $2,000 per year for 30 years on a post-tax basis. Let's further suppose that you pay a tax 64

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rate of 25 percent on your income. That means that, essentially, you are paying 25% in taxes for the amount you invest each year.

Over the course of 30 years, you will have contributed $60,000 to your retirement account. At a tax rate of 25 percent, you will have paid $15,000 in taxes.

Let's say that your account earns 8 percent interest each year. When you retire, you will have $244,691 in your retirement account.

Perhaps, but let's see what happens if you elect to invest in a taxdeferred vehicle. Over the 30-year period, you still contribute $60,000 toward your retirement. At retirement, you will still have the same $244,691 in your account, assuming an annual growth rate of 8 percent.

Since you got to keep more of your money during your working years by not paying taxes up front, it seems like deferring taxes is a good thing. After all, you got to keep more of your earnings to spend or save while you were employed, right? But watch what happens after you retire: Suppose that you withdraw $25,000 per year after retirement (this assumes, of course, that you have other retirement investments, since $25,000 doesn't go very far. This only amounts to a bit over $2,000 per month, which probably won't cover your expenses by the time you retire). If your account balance still continues to grow at a rate of 8 percent, you can withdraw this amount for about 16 years before your account balance is exhausted.

For the sake of simplicity, let's assume that your taxable rate remains at 25 percent. So each year, when you withdraw $25,000 from your account, you have to pay $6,250 in taxes. At the end of 16 years, your total tax liability on retirement account withdrawals comes to 65

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$100,000.

Which would you rather pay to the government - $15,000, or $100,000?

Suddenly, tax-deferred savings doesn't seem like such a good deal.

Again, this all assumes that you stay in the same tax bracket after retirement. There's absolutely no guarantee that this will happen. Just because you pay a certain tax percentage now doesn't mean that the same percentage will apply when you retire.

You might not be terribly worried about this. After all, tax percentages don't really change that much over time, do they? Don't be so sure.

If you haven't studied federal tax history (which is, admittedly, not a terribly exciting topic for most people), you might think that you give up a large portion of your income to the government. For example, single filers who earned between $35,350 and $85,650 paid a Federal tax rate of 25 percent in 2012.

Admittedly, 25 percent is a lot of money to hand over to the Federal government. But history has shown that things can be much, much worse. For example, in the early 1940s, tax rates topped out at about 90 percent.

There's no crystal ball when it comes to taxation. Even the most experienced tax professionals cannot predict what tax rates will look like 10, 20, or 30 years from now. If tax rates increase, though, you could end up paying far more than you ever imagined in retirement income taxes.

Social Security: The Big Joke That's On Us All Suffice to say it may be here when you want to retire and it may not.

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I’ll leave that to the politicians, but I think it’s safe to say it won’t be like it is today.

There have been a few stabs at getting an insurance product that overcomes the pitfalls I just discussed. First there was Universal Life, then came Variable Universal Life. Suffice to say they each had their good and bad points. Now there is a solution that got it really right. I guess you could say 3 times is the charm. The answer is Indexed Universal Life.

Here is what you can expect from an Indexed Universal Life (IUL policy): 1) Protection for Beneficiaries Policyholders can have the peace of mind of knowing that if they pass away, their loved ones will be taken care of financially so they can maintain their lifestyle.

2) Ability to Build Cash Value Like traditional Universal Life and Variable Universal Life before it, Indexed Universal Life allows policyholders to build cash value within the policy. This gives them the opportunity to accumulate wealth while, at the same time, providing their loved ones with financial security. This feature is important because it also provides you with income as the cash value builds. At any time you can elect to withdraw a portion of the cash value to take care of emergency expenses, make a down payment on a home, or help fund a child's higher education.

You can also use the cash value (which includes interest gains) as a source of income after retirement. Loans against the cash value of your policy are tax-free. Even better, you don't have to pay them back unless you want to.

3) No Risk of Loss Because of Market Downturns You cannot lose any of your cash value due to market losses. This is one of the most important and attractive features of Indexed Universal life, particularly during times like these when the market is shaky at best.

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The worst that can happen is that, if a market tanks during any given year, the cash value will not earn interest. This is an essential element of wealth accumulation because policyholders do not want to see their previous gains (or the hard-earned cash they have put into the policy, for that matter) disappear.

The flip side of this contractual provision is that gains are capped, usually at about 13 or 14 percent per year. So if the markets increase by 20 percent during a given year, Indexed Universal Life gains will be limited to 13 or 14 percent. Still, knowing that your policy cannot lose value because of a tumbling market is well worth limiting potential gains. And because even the capped gains can be higher than the uncapped gains of stocks, funds, and other retirement investments, the cash value of your Indexed Universal Life has the potential to outperform even solid, attractive investments.

4) Potential for Significant Growth How many “safe” investments do you know of that offer significant upside potential? I can't think of any. Protecting your money typically severely limits the potential for growth. If you stuff your money under the mattress (one of the safest options, barring theft or destruction of your home), you won't gain anything at all, no matter how long your money sits there. If you invest in safe vehicles such as bonds or certificates of deposit, you can expect to earn interest gains of 2 percent or less.

5) Protection of Cash Value Gains It's important that the premiums a policyholder pays into a cash value policy are protected against market losses. But Indexed Universal Life goes one step further. Not only are premiums protected, but interest gains are protected as well. Each year, the interest that your cash value earns becomes part of the new protected cash value of the policy. This is sometimes called the “annual reset provision.” Imagine knowing that, no matter what happens, market losses cannot erase interest 68

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your policy has earned during previous years.

6) Tax-Free Access to Cash Value I noted earlier that if you withdraw a portion of your cash value, you will not have to pay taxes on the portion of your withdrawal attributable to your paid-in premiums. Again, this is because you contributed these amounts from your income, which has already been taxed.

Gains, on the other hand, grow on a tax-deferred basis. This means that you will not be taxed on interest gains until you withdraw them from your cash value. However, once you make a withdrawal, the gains are taxed as ordinary income.

Fortunately, Indexed Universal Life provides a way for you to gain access to all of the cash value in your policy on a tax-free basis. A policyholder can take a loan on a portion of the cash value without paying taxes on either the paid-in premiums or the gains.

7) No Mandatory Withdrawal Provision When you invest in a vehicle such as a 401k or an IRA, there comes a time when you are forced to start taking distributions, whether you want to or not. If you have an IRA, you must start making withdrawals at age 70 ½.

With an Indexed Universal Life policy, there are no required withdrawals. You have the ability to continue building the cash value for as long as your policy is in force – in most cases, your policy can continue until you reach age 120, as long as you do not completely exhaust the cash value.

If you do take out funds for retirement or another purpose in the form of a policy loan (which is not considered a withdrawal), the amount you withdraw is not considered taxable income. This means that the loans you take out to supplement your other retirement income will not threaten your payment amounts due to you as Social Security income.

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Remember when I told you that the more you have available for retirement, the less you will be paid in Social Security benefits? That doesn't apply here.

8) No Minimum Age for Withdrawals If you have an IRA or 401k account, you cannot take withdrawals until you reach a certain age without incurring stiff penalties. For 401k accounts, the minimum age to withdraw funds penalty-free is 55, as long as you stop working during the year you turn 55. For IRAs, the minimum penalty-free age is 59 ½.

When you take a withdrawal before the minimum age, you will incur a 10 percent penalty. This is in addition to any taxes that become due on your withdrawal amount. If you take a loan from your 401k and do not pay it back, you will incur a similar penalty.

Indexed Universal Life policies do not impose age restrictions on withdrawals. No matter when you need your money, you have access to the entire cash value in your account. You might need to have the policy in force for a period of time or accumulate a certain level of cash value before you can initiate a withdrawal. These are fine points you can discuss with an agent.

9) No Age Qualification Investment plans typically impose minimum age requirements for participation. Conversely, you can start an Indexed Universal Life Insurance policy at any age. You can even purchase a policy for your young child, which can help build your child's financial security from an early age. This might be the perfect college fund, home buying or business kick-starter for them.

10) No Income Qualification Some types of investment plans, such as SEP IRAs, require participants to demonstrate earned income. In most cases, Indexed Universal Life does not impose this requirement. The lack of an income qualification provision is what allows parents to purchase these policies as financial 70

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security tools for their children.

11) Waiver of Premium for Disability At its name suggests, this provision waives the premium payment requirement if you become disabled. Most policies provide this benefit in the policy or as an option.

12) Judgment Protection No one likes to think about lawsuits. However, no matter how lawabiding or careful you are, there is always the possibility that you may be involved in a civil case. In most states, any cash value you have accumulated in a life insurance policy is protected from garnishment, levy, or seizure, even if a judgment is awarded against you. Similarly, most states protect the cash value in a life insurance policy if you file for bankruptcy protection.

Contact an attorney who understands civil judgment law in your state should you need access to these provisions.

13) Rapid Distribution of Death Benefit Probate can take years to settle. Most insurance death benefits pay off in months, unless there is suspicion of fraud.

14) Tax-Free Policy Loans You can fund your retirement without getting gouged by the government.

Fortunately, there is another way. Indexed Universal Life policies contain a Policy Loan Provision, which gives you access to your cash value without having to take withdrawals.

As with any financial vehicle, loans are not taxed. Consider this – if you finance a new motorcycle, you will likely pay taxes on the purchase price of the motorcycle; however, you will not pay taxes on the loan.

Can you imagine your costs if you had to pay taxes on the loan? No one would ever finance a motorcycle!

The same goes for life insurance policies. When you take out a loan on 71

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your policy's cash value, you do not have to pay taxes on the loan amount. The insurance industry devised the Policy Loan Provision as a way to assure policyholders that they could access the cash value within their policies without incurring excess expense. This, of course, made consumers more comfortable with the idea of placing their hardeared money in Universal Life insurance policies.

But what if you did not have to pay back the loan? Moreover, what if you never had to pay a penny of interest on the money you borrowed against your policy's cash value? You might be thinking, “Wait... how is it possible that I could take out a loan and never have to pay any interest on the money I borrow? That doesn't make any sense!”

Let me explain.

When you take out a loan against the cash value of your policy, the insurance company does charge interest on the loan amount. For the sake of example, let's suppose that the interest rate is 5 percent.

“Okay, you just said I didn't have to pay interest. Now you're telling me that the insurance company does charge interest. Which is it?”

Bear with me... I'm not quite finished yet.

Although the insurance company charges interest, it takes the portion of the cash value you borrow against, and places it into a special account. This account earns interest equal to the interest rate the insurance company charges you for borrowing against the cash value.

The result? The earned interest and the charged interest cancel each other out. So you end up paying zero interest on the loan amount. This is made possible through the Wash Loan Provision that appears in the contract of your Indexed Universal Life policy.

But how is it that you do not have to pay the loan back during your lifetime? Simply put, the death benefit of your policy is distributed income tax-free (although not estate tax-free). So when you die, a portion of the death benefit goes to paying off your loan(s).

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Chapter 11

Having Fun For Less Secrets Before you plunk down your hard-earned money to join a gym or for various types of entertainment and activities, consider what your community has to offer — usually at little or no cost.        

Community swimming pools Gymnasium or exercise classes Community center Local parks or jogging trails County libraries Museums and galleries Concerts Festivals

Have fun in your own backyard and beyond. These activities are fun and cost next to nothing. A meaningful field trip can be simple, like taking a leisurely walk down a local nature trail and watching a pair of red squirrels do aerial acrobatics. Even camping in your own backyard can be an adventure of sorts. Board or card games can be enjoyed whenever you want some inexpensive entertainment and time together with friends or family.

If you don’t have a closet full of board games, you can acquire them inexpensively at garage sales and thrift stores. If someone asks what to get you for a gift at the holidays, suggest a board game.

Plan a movie night. Going out to a movie can be real treat — but, given the price of tickets nowadays, even matinees can break the bank. You don’t have to forego the enjoyment of watching films. Rent a DVD, pop some corn, and have a movie night. You can even record movies shown early in the week to watch on the weekends.

Other fun activities available for either free or at a discount include: 73

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1. Next time you want to go out and try a new place for dinner think about exploring websites such as Restaurant.com, LivingSocial.com or Groupon.com. I used a Groupon deal and found a great dentist who gave me an incredible deal on a cleaning and a crown.

2. You can find free events and festivals in your area for adults and kids. Google free events (insert your city). You will be amazed with what you get.

3. Free or discounted continuing education classes in many subjects and hobbies can be found in certain communities with just a little searching. Instead of paying for a private tutor or a fancy school, consider looking for community options.

4. Your local library has a lot more to offer than you might think. How about learning a foreign language? You can check out movie DVD’s, CD’s, read the Wall Street Journal even find out about local community events. You can also use their free computers. Not bad for free, right? Seriously, when was the last time you visited your neighborhood library? Things have changed. There are some great values waiting for you.

5. Megabus.com is the first, low-cost, express bus service to offer city center-to-city center travel for as low as $1 via the Internet.

They service more than 120 cities across North America.

Travel 25 travel tips you don’t want to leave home without: 1. Choose a flight date that is not popular and not during high season. Airfare prices depend on popularity. More affordable flight days are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturday afternoons. Very early flights, late nights (red eye) and ones with a stopover are also more affordable. Also flying on Christmas or Thanksgiving days will save you lots.

Hotwire.com's TripStarter tool is a great site to find the best 74

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2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

month to take your trip, plug your home airport and getaway location to find the cheapest times to fly. Sometimes smaller airports have cheaper fares, so check out several airports around your area.

Always ask the airline for “no-cost stops” and you could add a destination to your trip at no or very little cost.

Sign up for free e-mail alerts from airlines or other travel sites such as AirFareWatchdog.com or follow them on social media.

You can get early access to coupon codes and flash sales, which can reduce a round-trip fare by half.

A last minute vacation doesn’t have to cost you a high airfare.

Consider buying a vacation package instead to save on expensive airfares.

If the dates of your vacation don’t matter to you, a great way to find an inexpensive destination is the Kayak's Explore tool.

You enter the departure city, month and it lets you choose a place according to your budget. Another great site is Google Flights. Select "expand map," enter your travel dates, choose a price limit, and airfares that fit will come up.

You have the right to change or cancel your flights with no penalty within 24 hours of booking. So make sure to continue to look for a better deal within those 24 hours. After 24 hours, some airlines are willing to refund you the difference if you find your flight has dropped in price. At Yapta.com you can track price changes on the major airlines. Unless you bought a full fare price, airlines will charge you a fee to change the dates.

Yapta will notify you only if a price drop exceeds that fee.

If you buy your domestic airline tickets too soon or too late you will be stuck with a high fare. The best time to purchase them is 47 days before departure.

If you like to pack heavy you will be stuck with paying luggage fees. Check SmarterTravel.com for a comprehensive list of fees 75

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from major U.S. airlines. You might want to ship your luggage instead.

9. To cut your hotel or car rental rates by as much as 60% make sure to check "Priceline Negotiator" and Hotwire.com's "Secret Hot Rates." You enter the length of your stay and preferred location. With Priceline's "Name Your Own Price" tool, you must also submit a bid. The setback is that you don’t know the exact location or hotel until after you pay. There is no risk for car rentals; it doesn’t matter if you end up with a compact car from Hertz or Avis.

10. Using miles is a great way to definitively save on flights, hotels and car rentals. Get a travel friendly credit card with limited restrictions on cashing in your miles. Keep in mind that during popular flight dates they might ask for double miles to get a free flight. And if you don’t book your free flight way ahead of time, you will not be able to use your miles - no matter how many miles you are willing to use.

11. When booking a hotel it’s a good idea to check out Tingo.com.

They offer a "Money Back" option. They track the hotel's rates and automatically refund you if the price drops. However, you do need to prepay the total rate.

12. Online booking for a hotel and/or a flight will save you some money over doing it over the phone. But sometimes the phone rate will be less, so make sure to always check both before booking it. Discounts to ask for are AAA, seniors, etc.

13. Groupon Getaways, LivingSocial.com, Travelocity.com and Expedia.com are excellent sites to find great vacation deals.

Remember to also check packages offered by airlines, such as United Vacations and Southwest Vacations, as well as AppleVacations.com and Gate 1 Travel.

14. Become the concierge’s friend as they have the scoop on restaurant deals and entertainment.

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15. Become a member of Orbitz.com. If you book trough Orbitz and find a better rate on another site they will award you 100% of the difference in "Orbucks."

16. Book a cruise at the last minute. Empty cabins are sold for discounted rates. But don’t expect to find openings during peak times.

17. All-inclusive deals offering lodging, food, drinks and activities are always a great deal, especially if you have children. If you go during off-peak season you can even find a better deal.

18. Bring your own food and snacks on the flight. Food you buy on the plane is very expensive.

19. When you are thinking of your next exotic vacation or weekend getaway check out LivingSocial.com. They have up to 75% in savings, which is right up my ally.

20. How would you like to take a FREE cruise anywhere in the world? Yep, you can do it. Pull together a group of 15 or so cabins (different cruise lines have different minimums) and they will give you a completely FREE cruise for 2 people. Be creative‌ get people from work, family, friends, a Linkedin or Facebook group etc. and make it happen.

21. A really great website to find cheap hotel rooms is HotelsTonight.com. They have amazing last minute deals at top rated hotels from tonight to seven days out. They also have an easy to use iPhone and Droid application. Once you set it up you can click on a city you are in then click on the stored payment option and you are done.

22. Here is a new application that gives back. Fairfly.com takes your already booked flights and constantly checks them against their database to find you cheaper fares, including the cancellation fee you incur. Hey, you have nothing to lose, right?

23. Some timeshare presentations offer great incentives. The last time I took one I got a $150 Visa Check Card and a gourmet 77

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dinner with my sweetheart that would have cost over $100. So I got $250 in gifts and food. Not bad for a 1 hour investment.

24. Don’t buy a timeshare. They cost an average of $15,000 and that doesn’t include your maintenance fees, etc. You can get the same benefits of a timeshare for only $280 plus $19.95 for a processing and handling fee. Go to our site at SavingsSecretsExposed.com/travel for the details on this super savings. Timeshares have the ability to trade weeks through either RCI or Interval (they warehouse all the unused and or unsold timeshare weeks). We have the ability to get you the same unsold RCI weeks. Purchase an 8-day, 7-night stay at over 3,000 locations worldwide, valued up to $2,000 for up to 6 people for only $280 plus $19.95 for fees. For more information go to SavingsSecretsExposed.com/travel.

25. You can save on airfares with hub flights. Passengers flying to or from airports that are dominated by a single carrier — like Memphis, Newark or Dallas/Fort Worth — pay fares 20 or 30 % higher than at non-hub airports. The prices are even more inflated when you’re flying from a smaller city with a limited number of flights. A nonstop one-way ticket from Des Moines to Dallas/Fort Worth is $375 on American Airlines, for example — more than the $335 Delta will charge you to fly from Miami to Anchorage. But what happens when you’re interested in flying American from Des Moines to Los Angeles, which hosts a more competitive airport? That flight is only about half the price ($186), despite its being more than double the distance.

Now, here’s the trick: American flights from Des Moines to L.A. have a layover in Dallas. If you want to travel to Dallas, the best way to get a reasonable fare is to book the flight to Los Angeles instead, and simply get off the plane at Dallas.

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Chapter 12

Living Healthy For Less Secrets You can still have a healthy lifestyle while saving money. Better health means lower costs. If you seek medical assistance less often, your insurance premiums won’t rise as fast as they would if you were constantly seeing the doctor. Also, you could choose a higher deductible and lower your insurance premiums and the chance to save money in a HSA (Health Savings Account) that is a pre-deducted preincome tax account that your employer might offer, or as a business owner you can set up. This account is used in conjunction with a highdeductible health insurance policy that allows you to save money taxfree against medical expenses.

1. Ask your physician to consider prescribing generic drugs.

Generic drugs can cost several hundred dollars less to purchase annually than brand-name drugs.

2. Purchase store brand over-the-counter medications. Store brand medications often cost 20-40% less than nationally advertised brands and have the exact same ingredients.

3. Quit smoking. It costs you money in so many ways.

4. Get you medications from Canada if you don’t have prescription insurance. I do not recommend Mexico and India. They both have too many bootlegged bogus meds.

5. Exercise more. It prolongs your life span and it keeps you away from the doctor. You have less co-pays, less medications and a better overall life.

6. Can’t afford dental care? Dentistryfromtheheart.org has many volunteer dentists across the US offering free dental care for those in need. Or you can check around for a dental school in

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your area. I’ve seen thousands of dollars in savings in some cases.

7. Take advantage of public clinics and immunizations often available during local health fairs or at the Public Health Department.

8.

After you take a tour of a gym you will get the sales pitch. Any of the offers they give you are negotiable. I would start by telling them that you would be able to pay (xyz which is 50% of what the amount they quote you). Inquire about an “off peak hour” membership as they could be up to half the cost of the regular membership. Ask them about a punch card program, i.e. per visit type program that might be a good alternative to explore.

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Chapter 13

Senior Living For Less Secrets Although many senior discounts are substantial, you sometimes can find better bargains – especially on travel-related expenses like airfare, hotels and rental cars. So always do your research first before requesting the senior rate. I got a season’s pass to our local snow ski resort and saved roughly 50% because I just turned – yep - 65. The other day, my whole family ate at Panda Express and received 10% off the entire bill.

In addition, many restaurants, department stores, movie theaters, museums, theme parks, banks, credit card issuers, utilities (including gas and electric, water, garbage, telephone and cable) and other businesses offer special discounts or promotions for seniors. Always ask before your purchase is rung up.

In addition to shopping-related discounts, there are many ways seniors and other low-income families get help paying their bills, including:  



 

LIHEAP (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program) provides grants to help pay utility bills.

SNAP (USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) helps millions of lower-income Americans buy nutritious food each month.

Rental assistance for low-income families is available from several U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development programs as well as other state and local agencies (visit this site for details).

Medicaid, a joint federal and state program that provides healthcare benefits to low-income and disabled people.

Medicare provides healthcare benefits (including hospitalization, doctor visits and prescriptions) to people 65 81

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





and over and those under 65 with certain disabilities or endstage renal disease.

Medicare Savings Programs help certain low-income and disabled individuals pay their Medicare premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and copayments.

PACE (Programs for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) provides comprehensive medical, social and rehabilitative services for seniors meeting eligibility standards for nursing home care.

Most pharmaceutical companies offer patient assistance programs (PAPs) that provide uninsured and low-income people access to prescription drugs they couldn't otherwise afford. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for details. Also check out Medicare's alphabetical list of drugs available through PAPs (which has links to detailed eligibility information), Partnership for Prescription Assistance, RxAssist and NeedyMeds.

Visit USA.gov for a comprehensive overview of additional government benefits, grants and financial aid programs.

Senior Discount Restaurants Applebee’s: 10-15% off senior discounts (varies by location) MAY require Golden Apple Card (60+) Update 3/16/15- We have heard rumblings that Applebee’s has discontinued this program- will update once we can verify.

Arby’s: 10% off (55+) A&W All American Food: 10% senior discount varies by location Backyard Burger: free drink with purchase Ben & Jerry’s: 10% off for seniors (60+) Bennigan’s: discount varies by location (60+) Bob’s Big Boy: discount varies by location (60+) Boston Market: 10% off (65+) Burger King: 10% off (60+) plus additional discounts on coffee and soft drinks 82

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Bubba Gump Shrimp Co: 10% off for AARP Members Captain D’s Seafood: “Happy Wednesday Offer” choice of 8 meals + drink for $4.99 or less- varies by loc. (62+) Carrabba’s Italian Grill: 20% off on Wednesdays to AARP Members Carrows Restaurants: Golden 55 Menu offers discounted breakfast, lunch & dinner (55+) Chili’s: From the Chili’s website: “There is not a single brand-wide policy regarding these discounts; offers vary by location. Please contact the restaurant directly for information on its individual senior citizen, military and/or uniformed officer discounts.”

CiCi’s Pizza: 10% off (60+) Country Kitchen: Great Senior Menu (55+) Culvers: 10% off senior discount (60+) Dairy Queen: 10% off for seniors (15% for coaches) varies by location (free small drink at some locations) Denny’s: 10% off, 20% off for AARP members (55+) Dunkin’ Donuts: AARP members receive a free donut with the purchase of a large hot coffee (at participating restaurants) Einstein’s Bagels: 10% off baker’s dozen of bagels (60+) El Pollo Loco: 10% off senior discounts varies by location (55+) Friendly’s Restaurants: Breakfast discount varies by location (60+) Fuddrucker’s: 10% off any senior platter (55+) Gatti’s Pizza: 10% off (60+) Golden Corral: 10% off (60+) Hardee’s: $0.33 beverages everyday (65+) IHOP: Great discounts on senior menu items (55+) Jack in the Box: up to 20% off (55+) Kagle’s Barbecue: 10% off (50+) KFC: Free small drink with any meal (55+) Krispy Kreme: 10% off (50+) (discount and age vary depending on location) Long John Silver’s: Various discounts at locations (55+) 83

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McDonald’s: discounts on coffee everyday (55+) Mrs. Fields: 10% off at participating locations (60+) Outback Steakhouse: 15% off AARP members for meals Monday through Thursday (alcohol excluded) Old Country Buffet: Daily discounts for seniors (55+) Papa John’s: 25% off (55+) for online orders. Enter the code “AARP25” when placing your order Ponderosa Steak Houses: Senior discounts vary. Senior menu available (60+) Shoney’s: 10% off Sonic: 10% off or free beverage (60+) Sonic: 10% off or free beverage (60+) varies by location Steak ‘n Shake: 10% off every Monday & Tuesday (50+) Subway: 10% off (60+) Sweet Tomatoes: 10% off (60+) Taco Bell: 5% off; free beverages for seniors (65+) TCBY: 10% off (55+) Tea Room Cafe: 10% off for seniors (50+) Traditions Restaurant (East TX): Senior platter meal for $4.71 (50+) Village Inn: 10% off (60+) Waffle House: 10% off every Monday (60+) Wendy’s: Senior age and special offer will vary depending on the restaurant location. Please ask the restaurant for details.

Whataburger: Free drink w/ purchase of a meal- varies by loc. (55+) White Castle: 10% off (62+) Medicare Medicare Part C plans usually offer lower premiums than Medicare Parts A and B. But your choice of hospitals and doctors are more limited. If you want to save money, Plan C is a good option if you're relatively healthy.

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You may not need Medicare Part B if you or your spouse has group health coverage through an employer. If so, you might consider deferring your enrollment.

For the average Medicare beneficiary in the country that earns under $170,000 a year as a couple, that's around $115 per month in saving if you are still working.

Use doctors and medical-supply and equipment vendors that "accept assignment.� It means they accept Medicare's approved amount as payment in full. You are responsible for only paying the coinsurance and deductible.

Health & Wellness Play the deductible game Whether you have Medicare, Medicaid or private insurance you need to understand your deductible. If you have met the deductible for the year you could schedule a costly medical procedure. Or else wait until it has been met if your doctor says it is safe to wait.

Get free preventive care Several of health screenings, including tests to detect colon, breast, and prostate cancer, are free for Medicare patients.
You can also get an annual flu shot and shots to protect against hepatitis B and pneumococcus, the most common cause of bacterial pneumonia.

Smokers can get free smoking-cessation counseling.

Say hello to wellness You get a free "Welcome to Medicare" visit if you are new to Medicare Part B. You and your doctor can make a plan for staying healthy and figure out what your costs will be. If you've had Medicare Part B for more than 12 months, you get a free wellness visit every 12 months to update this "personalized prevention plan."

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Get a second opinion Always get a second opinion before undergoing expensive tests, treatment or surgery. If it is an invasive surgery, a third opinion is not a bad idea.

Find discount dental care Medicare doesn't cover any dental services unless you have Part F. But there are alternatives to have dental work done at no cost. The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research suggests clinical trials or local dental or dental-hygiene schools, as they may give free or low-cost treatment. Your state or local health department or United Way chapter may be able to point you to reduced-cost dental services.

If you qualify for Medicaid, you may get dental care, depending on the state in which you live.

Save on vision care EyeCare America, a program of the Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, provides eye care through volunteer ophthalmologists at no cost to seniors who qualify.
If you are 65 or older, a U.S. citizen or legal resident, and you haven't had an eye exam in three or more years, you may be eligible for a free eye exam and up to one year of eye-care services at no out-of-pocket cost. Uninsured individuals at risk for glaucoma may also qualify for free glaucoma exams. Although Medicare does not cover eye care for most members unless you have Part F, people who have a high risk of eye disease, such as those with diabetes and a family history of glaucoma, are eligible for routine eye exams.

AARP An AARP membership costs only $16 a year for anyone over age 50, including free membership for spouses or partners. AARP's website features discounts on dozens of products and services including rental cars, hotels, restaurants, clothing, and department store chains. They 86

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also offers an inexpensive driver safety course for drivers over 50 (members and nonmembers alike) that can lower auto insurance premiums by up to 10 percent or more. Visit www.aarp.org.

Senior Centers Recognized by the Older Americans Act (OAA) as a community focal point, senior centers have become one of the most widely used services among America’s older adults. Today, 11,400 senior centers serve more than 1 million older adults every day.

Senior centers serve as a gateway to the nation’s aging network— connecting older adults to vital community services that can help them stay healthy and independent.

More than 60% of senior centers are designated focal points for delivery of OAA services—allowing older adults to access multiple services in one place.

Senior centers offer a wide variety of programs and services, including: -Meal and nutrition programs -Information and assistance -Health, fitness, and wellness programs -Transportation services -Public benefits counseling -Employment assistance -Volunteer and civic engagement opportunities -Social and recreational activities -Educational and arts program -Intergenerational programs

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Burial Policy Death is one of the few certainties, but how you pay for your funeral isn't. To address this afterlife financial issue, the insurance industry offers what it euphemistically calls "final expense plans." The public may know this type of coverage as burial policy or burial insurance.

Some consumer groups see them as a bad investment.

Whatever their name and reputation, these policies are a type of whole life insurance that are intended to pay for certain expenses related to death, including a funeral, cremation and burial.

Burial policies are not the same thing as prepaid funeral policies, which are a method for paying a funeral director in advance for your final arrangements.

Usually completed with simplified underwriting, burial policy applicants will have to answer a few basic questions about their health but will not be subject to a medical exam. Waiving the medical exam means almost anyone can qualify and therefore drives up the cost.

Burial policies tend to attract the unhealthy people, so they tend to be expensive. Healthy people can often get the better deal through fully underwritten products.

How to Better Afford Assisted Living Arranging senior living can be challenging, emotionally taxing, and expensive, particularly when a person requires senior living with personal care, such as an assisted living community, residential care home or memory care provider.

For the countless families caught in the gap between being able to pay for senior care out of pocket and, at the other end of the spectrum, having low enough income and assets to qualify for Medicaid, finding affordable assisted living may seem like an impossible dilemma. But 88

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don’t lose heart—there are plenty of strategies that can help you fit quality senior care into your budget: 1. Plan Ahead and Do Your Research: Give yourself and your senior loved ones enough time to evaluate senior care facilities before they move in. If you’ve got your eye on a specific location, join the waiting list. If you wait until the last minute, you may end up having to pay for a facility that’s at the high end of your budget — or one that doesn’t meet your needs.

2. Get It Right the First Time: If you have to move your loved one several times until you get the right fit, you’ll end up spending more money. Instead, do your due diligence: visit locations multiple times, check their licensing, talk to the local long-term care ombudsman, and have an attorney review the contract.

3. Ask About Price Flexibility: The official cost of assisted living facilities may not be set in stone — ask about move-in incentives, and whether they might be willing to negotiate the monthly price.

4. Consider a Different Location: As with other types of housing, the cost of assisted living varies by location. Suburbs or outlying communities may be more affordable, so be flexible enough to look outside your zip code or ideal location.

5. Compare A La Carte Costs with Inclusive Pricing: Some assisted living facilities offer a sort of “a la carte” menu, making it possible to choose some services but take care of others yourself. Family members or volunteer services may be able to fill in the gaps in a more costeffective way. Bear in mind, though, that for some families an allinclusive option might be more affordable, especially in some geographic areas where the cost of living is higher.

6. Consider Long-Term Care Insurance: For those unable to pay for assisted living out of pocket, private insurance, Medicare or Medicaid may help—but these services generally don’t pay for everything. Long89

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term care insurance can address that gap. Of note the earlier in life you start with a LTC (Long-Term Care) policy the more affordable it is.

7. Share a Room: In many types of senior living, a shared space is more cost-effective than a single room or apartment. Check on the costs for shared vs. individual rooms.

8. Explore Veterans’ Benefits: If your loved one or his or her spouse has served in the armed forces, they may be eligible for benefits through the Department of Veteran Affairs to offset the cost of senior care.

9. Compare Care Types: What type of care is most appropriate for your loved one? Maybe you don’t need the added cost of assisted living— independent living, for instance, might better suit your budget and your requirements.

10. Get Personalized Advice: Making a final decision about elder care can be difficult, and sometimes having a knowledgeable advisor can help.

Questions to ask when you call or visit an assisted living facility:            

What is your staff-to-resident ratio?

What kind of experience and training does your staff possess?

How many staffers are on duty overnight?

Can staff administer medications?

Do you have a nurse on staff 24/7?

Do you have any experience with (issues or diagnosis of your care recipient)?

Do you do an initial assessment prior to admission?

What types of apartments are available?

What is the monthly cost per apartment type?

If there is a wait list, how many are on it and what is the policy?

Tell me about some of the current residents.

Do you have any outdoor space?

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 What is your discharge policy?  What additional services are available if the needs of a resident change?  What are your billing and payment policies?  Are all services included in the monthly fee? If not, what and how much are additional services?

Dial-A-Ride Services Public Works provides dial-a-ride (para-transit) services for eligible residents. Dial-a-ride consists of curb-to-curb, shared ride services available through appointments. Most of these services are for the elderly and persons with disabilities who reside in unincorporated County areas. In some areas, they may be available to the general public.

Reverse Mortgage If you are approaching your senior years and are at least 62 you may want to explore a reverse mortgage. It is a type of loan that allows you to convert part of the equity in your home into cash and allows you to stay in your home for life. Instead of making monthly payments to a lender, as with a traditional mortgage, the lender makes payments to you. Check with your financial advisor and/or CPA to see if it’s right for you.

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“Stop buying things you don’t need, to impress people you don’t even like.” ~Suze Orman

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Chapter 14

Saving Secrets For Less Spending 1. Comparison shop. Shop around for one week to make sure you are finding the best deal.

2. Use Airbnb.com domestic or internationally when you travel.

You can rent a room or the entire house or apartment. You will get some incredible deals, usually 50% less than a comparable hotel room. I rented an incredible place in Colorado two minutes from the slopes. It had a private entrance and its own mini kitchen. I paid under $150 per night during the peak of the season. Any hotel with those amenities would have cost well over $300 a night plus resort fees and taxes. Just do your homework and listen to the reviews. If they are great it will be great, if they are bad it will be bad.

3. Buy it used. Rolex watches can be bought for up to 50% less on line. Cars lose 20% of their value average the minute they roll the tires over the curb.

4. Sell it on line. Never trade in your old cell phone without checking on Ebay. Trading your phone with your upgrade gives you up to 50% less of what you can get by selling it online.

5. Sell your old CD’s and DVD’s to a second hand store or swap them with your friends.

6. Almost free. Buy DVD’s on line at Half.com and you will be amazed at the savings. Stay at home and watch one of those DVD’s rather than go to the movies. I’ve bought DVD’s starting at 75 cents. They also have books, music and video games for the kids.

7. Meet your neighbors and swap babysitting services.

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8. Cancel magazine subscriptions and order them online, as they are much less expensive.

9. Use Uber.com instead of a cab. It usually costs 50% less. They have cleaner and newer vehicles. If your city won’t allow airport pickups just jump on the airport free shuttle bus to the nearest hotel and have them pick you up there. Uber has surcharges during some peak times so you may want to comparison shop with Lyft.com.

10. Cancel unused club memberships. If you haven’t used it in the las 6 months, what are you waiting for?

11. Buy office supplies at the 99cent store.

12. Office Depot has been running a $10 off $50 coupon. Key in Google Office Depot printable coupons (and type the month and year) to avoid finding expired coupons.

13. Buy school supplies at the 99cent store.

14. Sign up for all the customer rewards programs you can. Car rentals, airlines, grocery store, retail store, frozen yogurt, etc.

15. Review your restaurant tabs. You can’t believe how many times the tabs are wrong (funny how it seems to never be in my favor).

16. If you return a meal make sure they actually take it off the bill.

17. Make homemade gifts. Candles, bags of nuts, soaps, and sweets are much better received than shelf clutter items that you want to re-gift the minute you get them. It is the effort that counts. You can create a more meaningful card online and save on the high priced store bought card that costs $4.95. Creating cards is a great project for kids.

18. Take the amount the item costs and divide it into your hourly wage. If it’s a $100 pair of shoes and you make $20 an hour, ask 94

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yourself, are those shoes really worth five long hours of work?

It helps keep things in perspective.

19. Make your own beer or wine. The equipment usually makes batches of 5 gallons at a time. It’s loads of fun, great conversation and you save a ton of money. Beer brewing kits start as low as $50. One other plus, you don’t drink and drive.

20. If you don't have health care insurance, are paying out of pocket, or have a high deductible, it pays to comparison shop.

Even with Obamacare not all premiums give you the same benefits. If you have insurance, shop around for providers in your network (out of network providers can cost you an additional 50%). Your doctor’s billing office should be able to tell you the cost of the procedure. Be sure to let them know if you have insurance or, if you are going to pay for the procedure yourself, ask for the "self-pay discount.” Sometimes the discounts can be huge.

21. Ask for complimentary add-ons. The florist will give you complimentary greenery to go with your flowers and they will throw in some ribbons if you just ask. There is no need to spend on a gift card. Pick up a complimentary card and plastic display stick right at the flower stand counter.

22. Want free stuff? Check out freecycle.org. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns.

23. Do you like Pellegrino? Or maybe Perrier? Make you own bubbly water. Get a Soda Stream (I’ve seen them on Ebay for around $50). You won’t have to lug the bottles around and you are also helping out our planet. The cost is about 6.5 cents for a 1liter bottle.

24. If you like flavored soda - Cola, Root Beer, True Lemon, Crystal 95

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Light, etc. - no problem. Soda Stream sells flavor syrup. You can have fun while saving more money.

25. Grow your own herbs. It’s cheap, it’s fun and if you like to cook, it will save you money. The convenience is also a key factor. You can do it in small 3 x 3 inch plastic pots and put them on a window sill. Fresh dill, tarragon, rosemary and basil are so much better than bottled herbs for salads and cooked meals.

26. Second hand stores are also great when you want to purchase clothes or items for your home. Some stores will pay you more when you sell your stuff if you get a store credit instead of collecting cash.

27. For the ladies attending big fancy events, think about renting your dress instead of buying an expensive option that you might only wear once or twice. To find some great options check out sites like RentTheRunway.com. Men can also rent fancy suits, so check out TheBlackTux.com.

32. Never buy ink cartridges from an office supply store. Go to Ebay and buy them for a 1/3 of the price. Buy generic, but don't buy refurbished. I’ve seen many printer warranties voided because someone decided to use re-manufactured, or bootlegged cartridges. Check the expiration date of the cartridge (they go stale and dry up) and make sure the Ebay seller has a good rating.

33. You can also find retailers like Costco that will refill your empty cartridges. Check with your manufacturer of the printer to be sure they will not cancel your warranty if it needs service because you used refilled cartridges. Most manufactures will void your warranty if you buy off- brand cartridges.

34. There is a new party in town and it’s HouseParty.com. You host 96

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a party with your friends and they send you FREE merchandise.

You can have a kid’s party with Fisher Price toys and keep them all for free.

35. Take advantage of free immunization for your dogs or cats. Go online to find the locations that offer free shots and low cost medical assistance

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“Do not leave yourself or your family unprotected against financial storms... Build up savings.� ~Ezra Taft Benson

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Conclusion I hope this book guided you towards taking on a new attitude towards money, possessions, savings and wealth accumulation while enjoying a better life. You can finally be rid of the stress of having no spare money and have the assurance of knowing there are ample savings in your bank waiting for you at any time.

Take inventory of your possessions and review which ones really contributed to the quality of your life. Don’t keep the ones that don’t have a positive contribution to your life and are in reality just taking up space. Saving doesn’t mean giving up life’s pleasures. It means maximizing the quality of your life by only having what really matters.

I hope that the tips we shared will have an enormous impact on your life.

And just remember these other powerful tips and you can be on your way to incredible savings and unlimited wealth: 1. Can we substitute a less costly item?

2. How can we conserve resources and avoid waste?

3. Are there opportunities to cooperate with others by trading or sharing resources?

4. Can we save if we do it ourselves?

5. Can we do without?

6. How can we make a difference?

7. How can we help?

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“It is never too

early to encourage longterm savings.� ~Ron Lewis

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RECIPES Your stomach and your wallet can both be full with these great recipes that offer BIG flavor and low cost: Breakfast Burrito with Salsa

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Crunchy Chicken Salad

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Fantastic French Toast

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Honey Mustard Pork Chops

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Lentil Stew

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Manly Muffin Meat Loaf

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Marinated Beef

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Mouth-Watering Oven-Fried Fish

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One Pan Spaghetti

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White Chili

For dozens more delicious recipes with BIG flavor and low cost per serving go to SavingsSecretsExposed.com/recipes.

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About the Author

Bruce Mack has been an entrepreneur for over 50 years. At the ripe age of 9 he became the CEO of his first company; a dog dropping removal service he offered to his neighbors. As the years progressed, Bruce continued to own and operate several successful companies.

As the V.P. and Regional Manager for a major bank, Bruce was responsible for 135 employees at the merchant and credit card processing division of the bank. In addition, he has been a licensed financial advisor for the past two decades, advising his clients on eliminating massive interest on mortgages and credit cards, and wealth accumulation strategies. This led to Bruce developing a software program that wipes out debt in record time.

Mr. Mack went on to help distressed homeowners and was personally responsible for over 150 transactions in just 3 short years. As a compassionate investor Mr. Mack knew that offering credit repair just made sense so his clients could get back on their financial feet and qualify to buy another home. He also created a guide called “Stop Creditor Harassment Guide� and counseled his clients on various ways to become more financially independent and responsible by maximizing savings on everything from their staples such as groceries and household cleaning supplies to their major purchases for their home and transportation. One could say this was the inspiration and genesis for Savings Secrets Exposed! When the economy tanked, he 111

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helped fledgling businesses with business credit solutions and premium incentives to stimulate sales.

Mr. Mack has been featured in the media and become a national and international speaker, trusted business coach, financial advisor, and successful real estate investor.

To find out more about Bruce or to inquire about Bruce’s availability as a speaker or trainer, you can contact his office at 702-371-2345.

For special savings go to SavingsSecretsExposed.com/bonus

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Bonus Chapter Steps To Home Ownership

By Lou Brown A recent survey by Trulia shows that 86% of apartment dwellers have home ownership in their life's goals. That is a hard mountain to climb in America today as almost 80% cannot qualify for a traditional home loan. But we have found a solution. The Path To Home Ownership program was designed to combat this chilling statistic. With the PTHO program, anyone, regardless of background or credit can attain the dream of home ownership.

Whether you are a first time home buyer, interested in owner financing, have bad credit, perfect credit, or maybe no credit at all, we have programs to help you achieve your ultimate dream of home ownership.

Our programs are designed to start you based on what you can afford today and support you as you grow to eventual home ownership… if YOU choose.

Start Your Path to Home Ownership™ Whether you have income, credit, or location challenges, we offer options to earn and build credit toward home ownership. Based on combined household income, anyone with good, fair or poor credit can qualify. We have programs that fit large, medium or small initial down payments.

An unfortunate reality of today’s economy is that many people can’t qualify for traditional bank loans. This prevents many good honest and hardworking individuals from achieving their dream of home ownership. Owner financed homes are home loans that are provided by the owner, rather than a bank. This helps you to build the credit and 113

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equity you need to eventually qualify for a bank loan and own your home outright.

If you don’t have enough down payment to qualify for a new home, we can help. This is our 'House on Layaway' plan, where you deposit with us the initial funds you have to work with now, and contribute more each pay period until you accumulate enough to move in.

Let’s take a quick look at our multi-tiered program: 1) Tier 1 - Rent Whether you're just starting out or you need affordable, reliable housing for your growing family, our Certified Affordable Housing Providers® may currently have a number of homes for rent in your area. There are a number of reasons why you should consider renting your next home or apartment through our Path to Home Ownership® program. Unlike traditional landlords, our focus isn't on simply profiting from your monthly rent checks. Our goal is to provide our clients with homes for rent that they can eventually call their own. The Path to Home Ownership® program was designed to help clients find quality affordable housing at any level, and to help you move through the program steps towards your goal of eventual home ownership. Even renters are given a plan to follow and the opportunity of eventually owning their own home. Why rent someone else’s home when you can own the home you’re renting?

2) Tier 2 – Rent To Own Program Our Rent to Own option gives prospective homeowners the opportunity to obtain housing now while they work towards repairing credit issues and building the necessary down payments needed to qualify for a traditional bank loan.

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With a small down payment you can actually move into your home now and earn a fixed monthly credit towards the ultimate purchase of your new home. Once you've improved your credit standing and down payment situation you can easily move into our Owner Financing program, or straight to a traditional low interest bank loan and own the exact home you've been living in.

The PTHO Rent to Own program is perfect for those people with credit issues or who haven't been able to save a down payment yet, but want to start building towards home ownership now.

Additionally, this program is excellent for those who have just moved to a new area and simply want to test out the neighborhood before committing to a home purchase.

3) Tier 3 – Owner Financed Home Program Path to Home Ownership® members are eligible for our inhouse financing program. This program affords alternative financing to individuals and families looking to purchase their own home now. Our Certified Affordable Housing Providers® are trained to examine and evaluate every one of our customer’s unique situations and needs to create their own individual Path to Home Ownership® based on the level of payment you can afford and sustain long term. Our members enjoy money saving tax deductions, while building their credit score towards a traditional low interest bank loan. We even place our clients with qualified and experienced mortgage professionals to help find the right mortgage for your individual needs. Our goal is to help our clients achieve the reality of home ownership sooner, and put our clients on the path to long term financial success with their home.

4) Tier 4 – Traditional Home Sales The Path to Home Ownership® program wasn't designed simply for

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renters looking to start down the Path to Home Ownership®.

Our program was designed to help home buyers at any level achieve quality, affordable housing for their family. We have hundreds of homes available for purchase today to qualified buyers. We can help you work with the mortgage companies to obtain the best possible mortgage program for you, and move you into your new home faster.

Whether you are a renter, first time home buyer, or have owned several homes before, the Path to Home Ownership® program was designed to provide you with the best opportunity to obtain your own home. If you have credit or financial issues that need to be resolved prior to purchasing, or if you are ready to apply for a traditional bank or FHA loan now, we have the right program to help get you into the home of your dreams right away.

Find A Local CAHP Agent Certified Affordable Housing Providers® simply find and offer housing that matches what a person or family can afford. Whether it’s a house for rent or a lease purchase, we have options for you. Visit MackSavingsCard.com/loubrown.

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