5 Couponing Tips

Thanks to TLC and Lifetime, it seems like the only way to go about couponing is to do it to the extreme: shows about couponing regularly feature dumpster-divers who scour their neighbors trash for coupons and people purchasing hundreds of tubes of toothpaste to save long-term.

Learn Couponing Jargon

You have to be familiar with coupon terms in order to maximize your couponing ability.

Are your coupons stackable?

This means you can use a store coupon plus a manufacturer’s coupon to get the best deal. Do stores in your area offer double coupon deals, where you can use a coupon at certain times for double its value?

Know Your Acronyms

• BOGO means buy one get one (usually half off or free)
• OYNO means on your next order, as in you will save a certain percentage or dollar amount the next time you make a purchase
• MIR means mail-in rebate: you won’t save money the moment you use the coupon, but the company will send you a refund

Know Coupon Policies

There is always going to be a sales clerk or manager who doesn't feel like taking the time to honor a bunch of coupons.

They will try telling you that you can’t stack coupons or that you can’t use a coupon you printed off the internet. The best way to avoid this trouble is to know the policies of the stores you frequently shop at.

Go where the Sales Are

Once you have your coupons ready, check out what is on sale at different stores.

You can check out weekly circulars online to see who has deals on what this week.

Maybe your grocery store has a sale on toilet paper, while CVS has a sale on cleaning goods– by going to where the sale is and doubling up on your discount with your coupons, you will save more money than just going to one place.

Buy in Bulk

For items that are not perishable, like toilet paper, toothpaste, paper towels, canned goods or pasta, you will save in the long run if you stock up while these items are on sale.

You must make sure that these are items you will actually use, and be sure that you have room in your home to store them.

Scour Weekend Papers

The more newspapers you are able to clip coupons from, the greater variety of coupons you will have to choose from.

If you live in an apartment complex and see newspapers piling up at the entryway over the course of the week, chances are they are either free editions that the publisher provides in hopes of getting you to subscribe, or the person who originally subscribed to the paper has moved.

Once you've determined that no one is claiming these papers, feel free to take the coupon section from them each week.

Try to get an even number of the same coupon so you can double up on them for BOGO deals, too!

3 Retail Store Credit Cards Worth Checking Out

It seems like every single store offers their own specific credit card, but it’s important to only sign up for those that will help you out in the long run. These three are sure bets that will benefit you.

Not all cards are created equal, and when it comes to retail store credit cards you have to read the fine print to determine whether a card is going to do more than support your shopping habit.

We've looked at some of the biggest retail store credit cards out there to determine which ones are worth signing up for and which to pass on.

Target’s REDcard

This card is great for frequent shoppers. Its perks include an extra 5% off and free shipping through target.com, as well as an extra 30 days to make returns

Target offers a Target Debit Card, a Target Credit Card and a Target Visa Credit Card, so there’s a card for everyone. Those who fill prescriptions at Target will save even more: for every five eligible prescriptions filled, shoppers earn an additional 5% off.

Walmart Discover Credit Card

Walmart offers two credit cards, the Walmart Credit Card and the Walmart Discover Card.

The Walmart Credit Card offers $0.15 off per gallon of gas at Walmart gas stations, allows card holders to receive monthly FICO Scores, provides cash advances and has no annual fee.

The Walmart Discover card offers all of this plus 1% cash back on all purchases and works as a regular credit card and is accepted everywhere that accepts Discover card, meaning card holders can use it for more than Walmart purchases.

Amazon Store Card 

Amazon offers two personal credit cards, the Amazon.com Store Card and the Amazon.com Rewards Visa Card. The Store Card offers special financing to those who pay off their full balances in under 6 months and has no annual fee.

The APR is 25.99% which is on par for most store credit cards, but only kicks in if your balance is not paid off within the terms that they specify.

The Amazon.com Rewards Visa Card offers more: those who are approved receive a $30 Amazon.com gift card and can earn points– For every $1 spent on Amazon.com, the user receives 3 points.

For every $1 spent at gas stations, restaurants and drug stores, the user receives 2 points, and for every $1 spent anywhere else, they earn 1 point. Points do not expire and for every 100 points earned, the card holder will get $1 off an Amazon.com purchase.

Users must be aware of this card’s APR though; fees are hefty and vary depending on whether it’s a purchase, a balance transfer or a cash advance.

5 Ways to Save Money on Food

By altering the way you buy and use food, you can save tons of money while helping the environment at the same time.

Reducing food waste doesn't take much effort, and it can lead to a healthier lifestyle and a happier wallet.

Plan Meals

Plan out your meals ahead of time, write a grocery list of what you need, and stick to that list. This will keep you from buying excess food you won’t need.

Extra Tip: If you have the time, go to several different grocery stores to get the best prices on certain foods.

For instance: Trader Joe’s is really expensive over all but has great deals on cheese, and your local market has inexpensive vegetables.

Go to both stores to get the best deals on specific items on your list rather than doing one massive shopping trip at one store. You will save more money that way.

Small Dinner Portions

Serve small amounts of food at dinner with the understanding that people can grab more when they finish their plate.

Extra Tips:

This will not only help reduce the amount of food wasted, it will also help you eat only what you need.

When people see more on their plate, they are inclined to eat more. If they have less on their plate, they will only eat what they need until they are full.

Smaller portions will also force people to eat slower, when people eat slower, they tend to eat less because their body has time to register that they are full.

This is great for children who might not know their eating limits and are more able to develop new good habits.

Use Leftovers

There are many ways to use leftovers or food that is just starting to go bad rather than throwing them away.

For example:

• Use leftover meat and vegetables to make soup
• Leftover chicken can be made into chicken a la king or a pot pie
• Use leftover mashed potatoes to make potato pancakes the next morning
• If you need to use up eggs that are about to go bad, hard boil them and make deviled eggs
• Dried out bread can be made into croutons for salads or stuffing
• Browning bananas are ideal for banana bread
• Softening fruit can be made into smoothies

Freeze Food

Freezing food is a great tactic to reduce the amount of food waste in your home. 

It will allow you to only use what you need, and is perfect for those who live by themselves and can’t eat everything on their own. Let’s say you live on your own and can’t go through a whole loaf of bread in a week, but you still want to make sandwiches for work.

You should freeze your bread and thaw pieces you need for the day in the microwave. It only takes a few seconds and will save you from throwing out half a loaf of bread every week.

Composting

Build a compost bin in your yard for any excess food waste like fruit peels. 

After it decays, you can use the compost to create a garden for fruits and vegetables like fresh tomatoes and zucchini. In this way, you can put your food waste to good use and help produce more food for future use— saving money and the environment.

Top Cities for Public Transportation in Texas

While it’s not ideal to travel around without a personal vehicle, public transportation exists for a reason.

For those potentially moving and not having personal transportation, here are the cities with the best public transportation to consider.

Dallas

• 
  
• Bus System 
• 612 busses 
• 12,500 bus stops 
• 15 transit centers 
• 186 paratransit vehicles 
• DART Rail 
• 61 stations 
• 163 trains 

Austin

Service Provider: Cap Metro

Services:

• 400 busses 
• 83 routes 
• 127 vanpools 
• 6 diesel-electric trains 
• 2700 bus stops 
• Night Owls Service – provides riders with late night transport after midnight until 3am. 

Houston

Service Provider: Metro

Services:

• Offers unique MetroRAIL, which is like streetcar service and train service mixed together. It functions on a rail but is built in to the streets of Houston. 
• 16 METRORail Stations 
• 18 METRORail trains. 
• 1,230 Busses 
• 10,500 bus stops 

San Antonio

Service Provider: Via Metropolitan Transportation

• Services: 
• 450 busses 
• 7,080 stops 
• 91 bus lines 

Additional Info:

Focused on Recycling and properly dispose of their waste in proper recycling centers.

Four times a year, schedules are adjusted to meet rider demand as well as changes in ridership.

Top 5 Most Imminent Environmental Threats

The Earth faces many environmental issues that will endanger humanity in the next upcoming centuries.

Though several experts across the planet argue about the most imminent problems, here are the top 5 most imminent threats that most scientists agree will impact our future if we do not do something to reduce our strain on the environment.

“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.”

–Isaac Asimov

1)    Overpopulation

Many argue that all environmental issues stem from human overpopulation; others argue this panic is just based on myth. Opinions and conspiracy theories aside, it must be noted that humanity’s population has tripled in the past 60 years and isn’t slowing down.

1950’s World Population: 2,555,982,611

2012’s World Population: 7,000,000,000

Energy consumption and water usage are major concerns across the globe, and will continue to grow as major issues as human population increases.

If we do not find a way to reduce our strain on the environment, we might get a chance to see the MalthusianCatastrophe proved.

2)    Climate Change

Arguably related to overpopulation is the issue of climate change.

Whether you are among those who believe that today’s climate change is completely natural, or an unnatural effect from humans’ environmental abuse, it’s clear that climate change one of the most threatening environmental threats of the 21^st century.

Many scientists believe carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere must remain below 350 parts per minute (ppm) to retain the climate’s stability.

The Earth’s current carbon dioxide levels are at 390 ppm, rising 2 ppm a year.

3)    Water Shortage

Experts predict that in 2050, 2/3^rd of humanity won’t have access to clean, drinkable water.

Currently, water is a growing problem in places like India, where the water table decreases year after year, making farming extremely difficult.

Some predict water will become more precious of a commodity than gold and oil and that wars may be fought over who owns the prime water source. Sounds like an Arrakian problem to me.

Hopefully we won’t get to a point where we will have to wear stillsuits to recycle our body moisture.

4)    Pollution and Ocean Acidity

As a byproduct of industry and modern lifestyles, humanity emits harmful chemicals into the air, soil, and water that take many years to break down. In the process, ecosystems are harmed-- creating a domino effect that leaks into other aspects of the Earth’s well-being.

Also, the Ocean absorbs 25% of humanity’s carbon dioxide emissions which reacts with other chemicals to create carbonic acid.

This acid harms marine life and changes ecosystems from the bottom of the food chain up. The Ocean’s acidity is predicted to rise 150% by 2100.

5)    Loss of Biodiversity/Species Exploitation

Red River Giant Softshell Turtle: Only 4 in existence

Many don’t realize that we are in the midst of one of the greatest mass extinctions of Earth’s History.

As many as half of the planet’s plant and animal species could be extinct by 2100.

An alarming rate, considering it is 1000 times the natural rate of species extinction. If this rate continues, the planet will suffer the collapse of entire ecosystems that humans depend on for survival.

Not to mention, think of all of the extraordinary creatures on the planet that will disappear forever in the near future.

Some of the most endangered animals today are:

• Hainan Gibbon: <20 individuals
• Chinese crested turn: <50 individuals
• Amsterdam albatross: 200 individuals
• Santa Catarina’s Guinea Pig: 40-60 individuals
• Sumatran Rhino: <250 individuals
• Bulmer’s fruit bat: 150 individuals
• Javan Rhino: <100 individuals
• Red River Giant Softshell Turtle: 4 individuals
• Greater Bamboo Lemur: 100-160 individuals
• Seychelle’s Sheath-tailed Bat: <100 individuals
• Pygmy three-toed Sloth: <500 individuals
• Spoon-billed Sandpiper: <100 breeding pairs individuals