The basic principles are simple.  In finance you need to spend less than you save.  It sounds a lot like losing weight, doesn’t it?  It’s definitely just as hard in practice.  I can’t tell you how to drop a few pounds – but I have gathered up a few of my favorite saving tips.

Save a Little – Relax a Lot

Every payday I buy a roll of quarters from the bank.  This used to be for my laundry, but now I do it to save money. Over the course of a year I save $520 dollars and psychologically speaking, the pick me up is worth the $40 a month.

Become a “Selective” Member

I keep about 50 membership cards everything from Price Chopper to Smoothie King to Godiva Chocolate rewards in a small organizer.  Once a year, I look through my collection and decide what stays and what goes.  Borders stays – any coupon there will not go to waste – plus it’s free to be a member.  Godiva stays – another freebee that gives me one few sample a month. Costco, goes; with a family of two it doesn’t make sense to buy the jumbo economically better sizes – savings $50.

Ask for Samples

When my doctor wants to try a new prescription to control my blood sugar or cholesterol, I ask for samples.  It saves a little money and it lets me know if I am going to have an adverse reaction before I’m stuck with a month’s supply of pills that I can’t use.

Cultivate Friendships

One friend works for a local retailer with an employee discount – which he lets me use if I give him the money for what I need.  I don’t abuse the privilege and in return I remember to do something nice for him.  Another friend works for a major insurance company. When my mother’s house was robbed he helped me get the claim in quick and settled things to her advantage.  Never, underestimate the value of friendship; it’s priceless!

Saving doesn’t have to be a chore. Little savings add up. Being a member where it counts does too. Sometime the best savings comes in sanity. It’s a crazy world, but it doesn’t have to be. Once you’ve started saving it gets addictive. Next – we’ll cover how to spend those savings.

Cheryl Richter is a Christian that happens to be a CPA.  She has over 15 years of experience in the Audit profession.  She has written for the Kansas City Star, Faith section.

Lately, I have heard quite a bit about the Black Shopping Channel (BSC). That they are the black persons golden opportunity to make money and accumulate wealth by starting their own e-store or selling memberships.

I decided to see whether or not this was true. After all it is not every day that you get the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a business venture.

In July 2009, my family signed up for two e- stores and we intended to get our fair share of the “American Pie”. I had the opportunity to even talk directly with Cleveland Gary on the telephone to address some of my concerns with the Black Shopping Channel.

I have been waiting since July to get my stores up and running. I have e-mailed, called and left dozens of messages but no one is interested in helping me achieve the dream they sell so well to the public.

Why?

I have noticed that even though the BSC says that they want to help blacks get their products into the market their major emphasis is to sell memberships and sell BSC stocks. And I do not mind that.

What I mind is that my stores are not set up and customer service has not demonstrated that they value my business or my membership.

But I am just one person. And this is my opinion based on my experience. I would love to hear what your experiences have been with the Black Shopping Channel.

I refuse to recommend a company unless I can vouch for their service or expertise through personal experience!

And I cannot vouch for the BSC, can you?

If you are new to scrap-booking and card making you may want to take some lessons from more experienced scrappers like Michelle. Her blog site is one that you should visit on your scrap-booking blog tour.

You has many helpful craft projects that your whole family will love. Take a moment to check out what’s new at her blog: My Paper Bliss.

You’ll be so glad you did!

Michelle Borsack is a passionate  and addicted card-maker and scrapper. She has a 15 year old daughter and fiancee who support her passion.

She has been scrap-booking since childhood… back in the days when scrapbooks had black construction paper pages… when they used regular household tape…black photo corners …and put pressed flowers and matchbooks on pages in their scrapbooks. Michelle has over 30 years of scrap-booking experience!

She is a member of the Cuttlebug Challenge Blog design Team and have been “featured” as a “Challenge winner” of multiple Creative Challenges for card making. She enjoys organizing and teaching card-making and scrap-booking at her monthly workshops in her hometown (Long Island, NY) She is a Senior Demonstrator for Stampin Up products.

She not only enjoys teaching and inspiring others, but also embracing the creativity and inspiration that others offer.

Michelle will be our guest on the Smart Home Radio  Talk Show Friday August 14, 2009 at 11 a.m. (EST). She will answer may of your probing scrap-booking questions if you are just starting to scrap-book–like how to get started? Where to find the best deals? What supplies do you need? Who is scrap-booking for?

If you want to learn more about scrap-booking join us today. You can  call in at (347) 994-3529 or tune in http://tobtr.com/s/651160 or download it later at www.blogtalkradio.com/smart-home-radio.

If you wish to learn more about Michelle you can visit her sites at:

Blog:  http://mypaperbliss.blogspot.com/

“The Inkspot” ~ her personal Stampin Up website: http://www.stampinup.net/esuite/home/theinkspot/

Workshop Web page at meetup.com: “Oceanside Scrapbooking/Card-Making Meetup Group”:  http://www.meetup.com/scrapbook-2258/

We  wanted to share with you a wonderful new networking group called FuseFly. If you are a homeschooler and are looking for a safe place to network with other homeschoolers this is the place to be.

Take time to join Fuse Fly at www.fusefly.com.

FuseFly is a social network connecting homeschoolers around the world.

We have discovered a great resource for all of you who home-school and even if you don’t, it’s the Howard Huges Medical Institute free  science DVD, videos, and pdf book downloads. You can get your free DVDs and more here, just click  I want my free copy now!

Bridge of Hope is a Chrisitan Organization that has mission fields in North, Central, and South America, as well as in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Their goal is to be emergency responders to the call for HELP. They offer tangable assistance–food, clothing, shelter, education, freedom as Christ commissioned all the while speading the gospel.

Did you know that in Africa the Sudanese people are in slavery? They are raped, mamed, abducted, abused, forced to sleep on bare floors, they lack clean water and many children go to bed hungry each night. If you would like to help please visit http://www.rodparsley.com/boh/Index.aspx and start to change their lives one village at a time.

Our mission is simple. We’re working to end global poverty. Faster. How? By providing those who live in chronic poverty with one vital thing they need to transform their lives: Opportunity.

But that’s not all. Along the way we hope to transform additional lives, like yours. That’s why we’ve made it so simple for good people everywhere to come together, to fund small loans, to witness big and lasting impact, and to truly change the world. And with your help we’ll get there.

We are not for profit. We are part of Opportunity International; one of the largest and most well respected microfinance organizations. Since 1971 we have been providing loans, business training and other financial services to entrepreneurs in some of the poorest parts of the world.

We are heeding Jesus Christ’s call to serve the poor. And we’re doing it in a whole new way. We’re doing it with giving that keeps going. We hope you’ll join us.

To learn more please visit http://www.optinnow.org/