Informers Corner

Huge Shoe Sale SAVE up to 50% on Name Brand Shoes!

noreply@blogger.com (Informers Corner) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:00:00 +0000

Click here to save up to 50% on name brand shoes!

Save on Daily Expenses

noreply@blogger.com (Informers Corner) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:53:00 +0000

Everyone is trying to cut cost wherever they can, right now. A great way to save is by cutting back on your daily expenses. This can add up to big bucks without you even noticing. The first step to saving daily is to have knowledge of how much you are spending. Try keeping a ledger for a week and write down everything you buy.

Morning coffee stops add up. If you are one of the many thousands who stop at Starbucks or another coffee shop in the morning, you could be spending hundreds a year or more. If you spend $1.50 five days a week for your morning coffee that adds up to $30 a month or $360 a year! Instead grab your travel mug and brew your own special blend.

Breakfast on the go, many people find themselves in a rush to get to work skipping breakfast at home and opting for a fast food breakfast sandwich. It may not seem like a lot of money when they only ask a dollar or so for a sandwich, but this adds up. If you do this 5 days a week that five dollars costs you $20 a month for a grand total of $240 a year. Try out the breakfast bars you can buy in bulk or premade sandwiches you can pop in the microwave.

Luncheons can cost big bucks each week let alone monthly or yearly cost. For some this is an expected work expense. For others you may just want to get out of the office for a bit. For those of you who are not expected to sit in on the luncheons, try brown bagging it for a few weeks. You will be amazed at how much money you save.

Soft drinks seem like a small cost but in the end, it cost you big bucks. If you stop at a local shop for your soft drink and pay $1.50 per drink, this can end up costing a whopping $360 a year. Go to one of the local discount stores and buy in bulk. This can cut this expense in half or more.

Parking your vehicle in the office parking garage or the one closest to your work can be the biggest expense yet. Sometimes this can be an unavoidable expense. However, if you have the option to park at other garages, look around and start checking out the prices at other garages. You can also try splitting the cost by having a coworker pick you up at a local commuter lot and pay half of their parking bill. The saving will surely save you a significant amount of money.

Vending machines add up fast. If you grab a snack everyday for .50 cents, this could cost you $120 a year. Instead bring your own snack to work. Not only will it save you money, but it will probably be healthier for you as well!

These are just a few ways to save on your daily expenses. You should keep track of your spending habits for a few weeks to see where you can start saving!

How to Have a Successful Garage Sale

noreply@blogger.com (Informers Corner) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:26:00 +0000

It is that time of year again; the bargain hunters are out and about. Every year in spring and summer you will see countless signs for garage sales. Bargain hunters love this time of year! Why not take a weekend and make money from your old things, rather than letting them collect dust?

Advertise your garage sale: Most garage sales are held on Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday. Make sure you are well advertised in your area. You can do this by posting signs a day or two before the sale. Make sure to put the signs at major roads close to your home. The signs should direct traffic to your house. Write large so everyone can see your signs. Also, post in your local paper with a short description about the items you will have for sale. Craigslist has a section for garage sales that you can use to post a free ad. Ask friends and family to help get the word out.

Clean and organize: Make sure you have cleaned out and organized your garage. Have tables ready to display your items for sale. Putting an old sheet over a table is more pleasing to the eye. Mark every item. You can do this by pricing individual items, marking sections of a table, or setting a certain amount for items in a tote. You may want to mark some of your big ticketed items with “make an offer”. This will appeal to more shoppers.

Preview day: Some garage sales offer a preview day. This will bring in the more serious bargain hunters. They want to come in before the actual garage sale date so they will get first dibs. Mark your signs for a preview date and time to bring in more bargain hunters.

Clean your merchandise: You will want to clean your items for sale. This makes it more appealing to buyers. Who wants to buy a toaster with bread crumbs in it? Not me. Cleaning the items you have for sale is courteous to the buyer and makes for a faster sale.

Spare change: You will want to make sure you have plenty of change on hand. You will want a few dollars of each denomination; quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. Also have at least 10 dollars in singles, a couple of fives, tens, and at least one twenty. You want to make sure you can give change so you don’t lose a sale. Accepting personal check is always risky.

Pricing: Remember you don’t use this stuff anymore, so you will want to mark it at reasonable prices. Asking 15 dollars for a toaster you spent 20 dollars on five years ago, is not going to get you a sale. If you can’t figure out how much to mark your items for, ask friends or family for their opinion.

Dieting and Weight Loss

noreply@blogger.com (Informers Corner) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:09:00 +0000

As we have all heard, obesity is on the rise. The media says it has been on the rise for the last 5 years or better. As the number of obese individuals rise, so do the numbers of diets, diet pills, and weight loss programs. You cannot turn on the TV without seeing a new commercial for the newest diet pill or weight loss program. Try going down the medicine aisle and count how many diet aides there are. It is overwhelming.

A lot of us lose a little and then gain more than what we lost. This is the never ending cycle of yo-yo dieting. What we need to remember with weight loss is that it takes time and consistency. A good weight loss goal is 1-2 pounds of weight loss per week. Anything more than that is unhealthy and you will be at risk for regaining it back.

A few healthy weight loss tips:

· Stop eating the junk food
· Limit yourself to one healthy snack after dinner
· Don’t eat 3 hours before you go to bed
· Drink a glass of water before each meal
· Drink eight 8oz waters everyday
· Eat a healthy breakfast in the morning
· Make sure to eat fresh produce
· When you eat out try skipping on the bread and appetizers
· Limit your soft drinks
· Exercise daily. This doesn’t mean you have to join a gym, try taking the stairs instead of the elevator, try parking further away in the parking lots, or try a workout video that you can do at home

If you are trying to eat healthy and you have a slip don’t think tomorrow is a new day. Think my next meal is going to be better. Just because you slip on one meal doesn’t mean you should throw the whole day out. Mistakes happen, you might slip up every now and then. It doesn’t mean you have to write off a whole day.

Don’t be hard on yourself, you didn’t gain weight overnight, so don’t expect to lose it in a week. Getting the proper nutrient is important to your health and well being. We don’t have to be a size 0 to be healthy. Talk to your doctor about a healthy weight for you.

If you have an eating problem take it seriously and see a physician. There are all kinds of eating problems, if you feel you might have an eating disorder, see a physician right away.

Questions to ask before signing a lease agreement

noreply@blogger.com (Informers Corner) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 05:11:00 +0000

These are very important question to ask before you rent or lease a home. Remember you are signing a legal document when you sign a lease agreement. The lease agreement not only protects you, but it also protects the landlord and the property.

Questions to ask:
· How much is the monthly rent?
· How long is my lease?
· How much is the deposit? Will it be refunded at the end of the lease?
· Can I have pets? If so will I be charged an extra deposit or will it change my monthly rent?
· What utilities are included in my rent payment?
· Can I have a roommate?
· Will I be able to paint or change the décor of the rental property?
· Can I run my home business from the rental property?
· Who is responsible for the upkeep of the property grounds?
· Are there any fees if I pay the rent late?

These are just a few questions to ask before signing a lease agreement. You may want to look up the landlord or property management firm to make sure they are reputable. If you see they have a lot of lawsuits or judgments against them, you may want to reconsider renting from them.

If your landlord has made any promises to fix anything in or on the rental property, make sure you get it in writing before signing the lease. If you do not have it in writing they are not obligated to fix it. Look around the area and make sure you like the community. After all, this will be your home. You may want to drive around the area at different times of the day and night to get a good feel for the community.

A Day of Family Fun for Ten Dollars or Less

noreply@blogger.com (Informers Corner) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:47:00 +0000

Let’s face it; the economy has affected most of our bank accounts. Many people believe living on a budget equals no more fun. This is not true. This just means we need to be more creative with our precious funds. I will let you in on a few secrets I use for a cheap day of fun.

Family Fun for Less Than Ten Dollars a Day:

Local Park: Have fun at the local park for a day. Bring a picnic basket for lunch. Not only will you and the family get great exercise, but the kids will love having lunch outdoors.
Walking with nature, take the family out for a stroll. The family gets exercise while walking and you get a bonding moment with the family.

Movie night is a great way to spend family time at night. You might be surprised to learn you have a dollar show in your area. Dollar shows can offer movies for a dollar because the movie showing has already been in the bigger cinemas.

Drive-in movies are still around. About ten dollars a car load will get you in to see the latest movies. The kids will enjoy watching a movie from their car, while mom and dad get to watch movies the way they use to.

Painting on cardboard boxes is always a hit. If you have children I’m sure you have kid friendly paint. If you don’t have extra paint, go to your local discount store and buy a few. Cut the boxes to make them flat, use a few disposable plates for the paint and let the kids go wild with their imagination.

Camp out in the backyard. Let the kids tell stories around the fire (BBQ Pit). Let them act out their stories and join in with them! They will surely have lasting memories from this camp out.

Flying a kite is always a pleaser with kiddos. If you don’t have a kite handy, look up instructions for how to make a kite. General it only requires inexpensive materials that you already have in the home.

Play cooking show. You should plan on making something simple and easy, for the kid(s) to make. The key is to remember it will make a mess, but everything is washable. Pretend to be your kids’ assistant for the cooking show.

Fishing: Take the kid(s) fishing with you. If you already have the gear this will cost nothing more than bait for the day.

Local Events: Pay attention to local events and shows that are going on in your area. A lot of local events are free to attend. This will give you something fun and free to do with your family.

Board Games: This is a great way to get the family in the same room for some quality fun! If you don't already have a favorite, we've made a list of classic family board games.

Not everything has to cost a bundle of money. A lot of times you will find you get better quality time with your family when doing some of these things. Because you do not have the big lights and distractions from the huge events you will get more one on one time. Click here for more family fun ideas!

How to Stage a Home

noreply@blogger.com (Informers Corner) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 04:33:00 +0000

I will list several fast affordable ways for you to stage your home. No matter what the reason for selling your home, you need to stage it well. This will make it more appealing to the buyer. I know you may look at your home and think: Who wouldn’t want this house? It has so much charm to it. Understand not everyone may like your wall-to-wall family photos and your children’s homemade artwork. You may find all these things make your house your home. You might be reluctant to take down these things at first. Remember your ultimate goal is to sell your house.

First look around your house and remember why you wanted it to begin with. It could have been wonderful lighting or the spacious kitchen. Ask yourself what are the best features of your home. Ask friends or relatives to come over and give their honest opinion about what they like and dislike.

How to stage your home to sell fast:
Remove all clutter. This includes extra plant stands, pictures off of the walls and tables, extra pillows on the sofas and beds, and don’t forget about your closets. When looking at houses just about everyone will go through all attics, closets, basements, and storage in a home. A good rule of thumb is if it can be opened; expect that someone will look in it.

Get rid of things you don’t use or need in your home. You can get a storage unit for the time being; just don’t store it in your home. You want to show off the square footage of your home, not how many plant stands you have.

Repaint every wall in a neutral color. I understand your favorite color might be red, but the next buyer may not like it. You will risk someone not making an offer, if you have your rooms colored something other than neutral. Potential home buyers look at colored walls as an expense, work, or both.

Does your house have an odor? This is a question to honestly ask. You may want to ask family or friends. Let them know you want honesty. Your home might have a odor to it for many reasons. Smoking, pets, and candles can all cause bad odors in your home. Make sure to remove any bad smell from your home as it can be offensive to others.

Is your house clean? Is it clean by others standards? Now is not the time to put the laundry off or skip mowing the lawn. Make sure everything is clean and stays clean, once you list your house. This would include cleaning all trim. You may not be able to see the dust but it will shine once you clean it. Also, make sure your windows are cleaned inside and out. Potential buyers will open and close them to see if they are in good condition. They do not want to see 3 years worth of dirt in the tracks.

Curb appeal is very important when selling your house. I don’t know how many times someone will see a house for sale and not want to look inside because of how the outside looks. This is the first impression on your house. Pull all weeds, keep the lawn mowed, and put up the toys after you’re done with them. It might also be in your best interest to invest in low cost foliage.

I have listed just a few basic ways to stage your house to sell. Consult with your realtor and ask for their opinion. Look on realtor.com you will see houses that are messy are not very appealing. In today’s competitive market we need to do all that we can to make our house more appealing.

Which Skin Care Product Should I Use?

noreply@blogger.com (Informers Corner) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:12:00 +0000

This is an important question to ask. Choosing the best facial care line is difficult since we have so many to choose from. There are a few things to consider when choosing your facial products. One of the most important factors is your skin type: normal, oily, combination, sensitive, or aging. This should be your determining factor when choosing what products you will need to use. Also, you should have an idea about what you want. Are you looking to get rid of fine lines and wrinkles, do you have an acne problem, etc? After you have figured out what skin type you have and what your needs are the rest is easy.

To help you figure out what skin type you have, you may want to consult with an expert. You can also look up the different skin types to figure out which category you fit into. A lot of popular manufactures such as Neutrogena, Olay, Dove, and Aveeno also offer guides on their websites to assist you in choosing you skin type.

Things to keep in mind when you try new manufactures or product:
· Know your skin type
· Skin care needs
· Affordability
· Readily available

Remember when first trying a new line you do not want to invest in every product they offer. You could find yourself disappointed, not only in the product but having invested so much money. Start off by trying one or two of their products and see how you like it.

Click here if you want more information on finding out what skin type you have. will find helpful hint and tips on choosing the right skin care products for your type of skin. If also gives helpful information on different skin types. Knowing your skin type is one of the most important factors in your skin care treatment.

Five ways to save money in today’s troubling economy.

noreply@blogger.com (Informers Corner) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:11:00 +0000

Everyone is trying to save in today’s economy from your high level executives to your stay at home parents. This economy has affected everyone in one way or another. I will list five very simple ways to save money that can help anyone’s bank account.

Stop buying new
Well this can't apply to everything, something’s you just have to buy new, but something’s you may want to consider before you go out and buy the newest model. Plasma televisions are high in demand right now everyone wants them. Consider buying refurbished or buying from a site such as Overstock.com where they are able to offer lower prices.

Make money off things you don’t use anymore
This applies to everyone. We all hold on to things we don’t use anymore. Scan your home, and don’t forget about the basement and attic. If you have a storage unit, go through it and see if you really need everything in there. Once you have gone through everything and have items you don’t use anymore, sell them and make extra money. The internet provides us with tons of options for selling our items. Ebay is a great site to sell. They offer privacy, safe transactions, and ratings.

Clothing
For some of us this is our guilty pleasure. Ask yourself if you have to have the latest trends or the big designer labels. If you find you still have to have the designer labels try going to discount stores. TJ Max and Marshells are great for carrying designer labels at discount rates.

Become MR/MS Fix it
For some of us fixing things around the house is a scary thing to even think of doing, let alone trying to tackle. Lowes and Home Depot offer lesson on how to fix general things around the house. They also offer lower rates for home repair items you might be in need of.

Landlines
Most people still have and use their landline. No, I'm not going to tell you to do anyway with it. However, if you want to keep your landline and still save money there are companies that offer better deals then the typical phone company. Vontage offers the same options that the traditional phone companies offer, just at a much lower rate. They charge under 30 dollars a month and you get unlimited calling.