Until recently, the only options for liquidating an underperforming or unneeded policy was to let it lapse, sell it back to the original insurer for its current net cash surrender value, or to exercise a non-forfeiture option. In a life settlement, the sale price is less than the policy’s face value, but is higher than the policy’s net cash surrender value. The price can range as low as 3% to as high as 30% of the face value of the policy (death benefit), but usually averages to about 15% of your policy’s face value. The value in the life settlement transaction is determined by a number of factors including: your age and medical condition, the type of insurance, the amount of premium payments, and the status of loans on the policy.

There are many reasons you may no longer need or desire a life insurance policy:
• loss of a loved one
• need to pay for long term care or medical costs
• premiums have become unaffordable
• divorce
• beneficiaries no longer need the death benefit
• financial hardship
• your estate got smaller
• a key executive retired
• sale of a business
• loan repayment
• policy underperforming your expectations
• your level term life’s conversion period is expiring
• estate tax law revisions mean your heirs no longer face a hefty tax bill at your death

Who can qualify?
A potential candidate for a life settlement is typically aged 65 or older; has a life insurance policy with a face amount of at least $250,000, and has a life expectancy greater than 2 years.

What type of insurance policy can be sold?
Most types of life insurance policies can qualify as long as they’ve been in existence for more than 2 years. However the most common are Universal Life, Whole Life, Variable Life, Survivorship Life, and convertible Term Life.

What happens to my policy?
A life settlement transfers ownership of your policy to a third party investor that only has a financial rather than an insurable interest in your life. In other words, the death benefit will eventually be paid to the new owner. Once you sell your policy you give up all rights and obligation to the investor in exchange for the sale price. The buyers are usually institutional investors such as pension funds, charitable endowments, universities, and hedge funds.

What can the money be used for?
You can spend the money on whatever you like. Some people use it to fund other investments, make charitable donations, fund a relative’s education, or even purchase replacement life insurance.

Actual Cases
From LISA, Life Insurance Settlement Association
Case 1: Policy seller: 70 Male
Policy type: 20 year term policy
Policy value: $1,000,000
Net Settlement paid to seller: $156,000 (15.60% of death benefit)

Case 2: Policy seller: 69 Male
Policy type: Universal Life policy
Policy value: $500,000
Cash surrender value (CSV): $10,335 ( 4.01% of death benefit)
Net Settlement paid to seller: $210,000 (42% of death benefit)
Settlement vs. CSV ratio yield: 1047.6%

Case 3: Policy seller: 80 Female
Policy value: $2,000,000.00
Cash surrender value (CSV): $9,897.65 (0.49% death benefit)
Net Settlement paid to seller: $330,000.00 (16.50% of death benefit)
Settlement vs. CSV ratio yield: 3334.12%

What are the fees?
Be aware that the commissions on life settlements can be as high as 33%. These commissions are negotiated between the advisor and the purchasing company, but are not always disclosed to the client. Make sure your advisor clearly states their cut. Most commissions hover around 8% of the net death benefit or 30% of the offer price, whichever is less.

Other than commission there is no other fee. You can put your policy out for bids and decide whether or not you will accept a bid or turn it down. The whole process takes about 4 months.

Do I have to take a bid if I don’t like it?
Never! There is absolutely never any obligation or fees if you don’t want to accept the bids for your policy. It is free to put your life insurance policy out for bid just to see what it’s worth in the life settlement market.

What are the tax implications?
A life settlement is generally a taxable event.
• The portion of the policy owner’s investment (premiums paid) will be received tax-free.
• The difference between the premiums paid and the net cash surrender value will be taxed as ordinary income.
• The portion exceeding the net cash surrender value will be a gain, in most circumstances a capital gain.
Since every situation is different it is important that you consult with your tax advisor when contemplating selling your life insurance. Life settlement brokers are not tax consultants.

Important Considerations
Life settlements can be a wonderful source of funds. But they are not for everyone. You must consider whether your parents still have a need for continued coverage. If their premiums are too expensive they may be able to lower the amount of coverage and keep the current policy by exercising a non-forfeiture option. If after the life settlement, your parents plan to replace their existing policy with another policy there may not be any other availability or comparable coverage for less cost. You must assess their circumstances, including financial need, investment objectives, tax consequences, and other relevant implications of selling a policy.

If you have a specific question about your situation or would like more information give me a call or email at wgoldband@gmail.com.

Wendy Goldband, MSW, is a Registered Representative and Insurance Producer with an expertise in long term care planning.  She is the former Senior Marketing Manager for Crump Insurance Services, the largest life insurance brokerage in the nation, and the webmaster for http://lifeinsurancenoexam.biz.   Author of Breaking Autism’s Barriers and Dangerous Encounters:Avoiding Perilous Situations with Autism, she also helps families with special needs plan their financial futures.

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It’s no secret that with the dip in the economy restaurants and retailers are doing everything they can to get customers in the door. What that means for you is that there are plenty of opportunities to score deep discounts and even free stuff. Below is a list of restaurants that offer e-clubs that are worth signing up for.

But first, let me offer some tips:

1. I always recommend setting up a separate email account for these types of transactions…that way, your primary email account won’t get flooded with advertisements.

2. Also, because most of these restaurants will send you a coupon for signing up, I recommend signing up for no more than 1 a week. Unless you go out to eat more than once a week, chances are you won’t be able to use all the coupons if you sign up for all of them at the same time.

3. Most of these restaurants will send you a coupon for your birthday. I don’t recommend lying about your birthday…but you can spread it out across your family. i.e. Use your name and birthday for a few restaurants, use your spouse’s for a few more, and then maybe the kids.

4. To learn more about where you score free food, visit my post Kids Eat Free.

OK, on to the list

Applebee’s
Be the first to hear the latest Applebee’s news. Receive our email updates featuring coupons, new menu items, special events, and other news.

Arni’s Restaurant
Free 7-inch Pizza for your birthday. $5 coupon to welcome you. Updates and news.

Boston Market
Free Dessert on your Birthday. As a Club member, you’ll be the first to know about great events, and you’ll receive exclusive offers all year long! They’ll even send you $3.00 off your next purchase just for signing up.

Bravo
Join Club BRAVO! today to receive exclusive offers, special event information and other announcements.

Buca Di Beppo
Join the Buca di Beppo eClub to receive exclusive offers and other great announcements. As an eClub member you’ll receive a welcome offer, a free birthday dessert, and a treat for your anniversary.

Chili’s Bar and Grill
Join Chili’s Email Club for the latest happenings and exclusive offers including a welcome gift of FREE CHIPS & QUESO within 48 hours of signing up! Free dessert for your birthday.

Famous Dave’s
Free Dessert for signing up and on your Birthday

Houlihan’s
Join our email list for special events and offers. You’ll get:
Free appetizer just for joining, Free entrée on your birthday, Exclusive access behind the scenes at Houlihan’s, Lots of other swag

Logan’s Roadhouse
Special birthday treat, stay updated on news, discounts and promos.

The Melting Pot
Club Fondue offers fantastic fondue features, including wine tastings, food samplings, invitations to special events and advanced holiday reservation privileges. As a member of the Club, you’ll receive a free Chocolate Fondue for two when you sign up and a special birthday treat!

Moe’s Southwest Grill
Starts with a welcome gift, and continues with news, promos and a birthday dinner.

O’Charley’s
Receive a gift for joining and for your birthday. Stay connected with other interesting news, discount coupons and promos.

On the Border
Free entre for your birthday. Get an instant coupon for a free bowl of Queso or free Empanadas when you sign up now. They’ll also send you news and special offers, so you’ll always know what’s sizzling at
On The Border.

Ruby Tuesday
Lots of coupons, a special birthday treat, updates and news

Smokey Bones
Lots of coupons. $10 off for joining. $5 off for your birthday. Updates and promo info.

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Some friends of ours are actually getting their new graduates to sign up for an account so they can help start building their credit and straying them away from credit cards which I think is an awesome idea.

We actually have an AccountNow® Prepaid MasterCard® Card because we don’t use regular credit cards and we don’t have a debit card for our checking account. We learned a long time ago that credit cards can get us into some money trouble and they did exactly that. Once my husband and I paid off our credit card bills, we vowed to never have a credit card again and just to be safe would never get a bank card. Having debt hang over your head is definitely not something I wish upon anyone.

This is a great service that I use and would highly recommend it. So I wanted to let our mommy readers know about this.. you can even use the referral code below to receive a free $10 credit into your account.

Use the referral code “jfuqua”, without the quotes, when you sign up and receive a free $10 credit to your account! Just go to http://www.accountnow.com to sign up.

Benefits of an AccountNow® Prepaid MasterCard® Card:

• Low Costs & Fees
• Deposited Funds are FDIC Insured
• Helps Rebuild Credit
• Make purchases and pay bills online
• Works like a checking account

Works like a checking account
AccountNow Prepaid Visa and Prepaid MasterCard cards work like a checking account. Keep your money safe in one of our prepaid card accounts instead of carrying it around in cash. All AccountNow prepaid accounts are FDIC insured, like a checking account, to ensure the safety of your money.

All prepaid accounts come with a prepaid card containing the debit logo. The prepaid cards is like bank issued debit cards but better. Not only can you make purchases and withdraw cash with our prepaid card, but you never have to worry about overdrafts because you can only spend what is in your account.

Better than a credit card.
AccountNow Prepaid Visa & Prepaid MasterCard cards do not extend credit like credit cards, meaning you can’t spend money you don’t have. Since you are only spending money you add to your prepaid card account, you can avoid falling into debt and possibly damaging your credit score. Because you’re not borrowing money, you will never have to worry about finance charges, late charges, or over-the-limit fees.

The AccountNow prepaid card is a Visa or MasterCard branded debit card. Not only can you use our card to shop & pay bills online, make hotel & car rental reservations, and purchase goods & services wherever Visa or MasterCard is accepted but it can also be used to withdraw cash at virtually any ATM or bank.

Saves you lots of money.
Save hundreds of dollars a year using the AccountNow Prepaid Visa and Prepaid MasterCard card instead of traditional checking accounts, credit cards, bill paying services, check cashing, or bill paying services.

There are never any late fees, finance charges or overdraft fees. You get unlimited bill paying and credit builder free of charge – no need to pay for postage or money orders. Also, you’ll never have to pay to cash your benefits or payroll check when you use our free direct deposit service.

Helps build your credit history.
Using the AccountNow Prepaid Visa and Prepaid MasterCard card can help you build your credit history in two ways. First, pay your bills online for free to save time, money, and demonstrate your credit worthiness. Our free credit builder program reports your bill payment history to PRBC, a credit bureau.

Second, use the AccountNow iAdvance Line of Credit – a sensible borrowing alternative to payday loans. The iAdvance Line of Credit is a short term loan program that is easy to get and cost less than a payday loan. When you pay back the loan, we will report your payment history to the major credit bureaus.

Safer than cash.
Your AccountNow Prepaid Visa or Prepaid MasterCard card is protected against fraud with Visa’s Zero Liability and the MasterCard Zero Liability** coverage. This protects you from unauthorized charges made to your prepaid card account in case your card is lost or stolen.

The funds on your AccountNow prepaid card are also FDIC-insured and backed by the US Government.

Everyone is accepted.
Getting an AccountNow Prepaid Visa or Prepaid MasterCard card is easier then qualifying for a credit card or checking account. 100% guaranteed approval ensures you will qualify for one of our prepaid card accounts as long as you have valid identification.

If you have bad credit history or no credit at all you can still get an AccountNow prepaid card because we will never check your credit. Even if your banking history isn’t great or you are on ChexSystems, you are still eligible to get one of our prepaid card accounts.

Use the referral code “jfuqua”, without the quotes, when you sign up and receive a free $10 credit to your account! Just go to http://www.accountnow.com to sign up.

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But on the other hand, life does happen and sometimes you aren’t able to pay off those credit cards or even keep up with the payments, the extra finance charges that are tacked on, calls from creditors, etc.

With todays economy and the job market being so unstable, what do you do when you aren’t able to pay those credit cards off? One thing you might want to check in to is credit card consolidation.  

Credit card debt consolidation is a great option if you would like to pay off your credit card bills while actually looking to improve your credit score for the future. A credit card debt consolidation loan works by combining all of your debts into one single loan. This eliminates the need for you to pay off several creditors each month and gives you the responsiblity of only one credit card bill instead of many.

Secure Loan Consolidation can help you manage and eliminate your credit card debt by:

• Paying less, lower Interest rates
• Putting a stop to collection calls 
• Consolidating all debts into one low monthly payment
• Giving you customized and individualized solutions
• Negotiating on your behalf with credit card companies 
• Giving you a time frame to Freedom from Debt

If you’re ready to consolidate the debt on your credit cards, you should turn to the experts. Professional agencies such as banks, credit card companies and special consolidation companies can help you with credit card debt consolidation. Always read the fine print though when checking in to anything.. watch for hidden fees and make sure the plan you’ve set up benefits you.

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Naturally, there are some changes that are more costly to make than others, but often the small changes are equally as important. In fact, there are dozens upon dozens of small changes you can make in your everyday life that will not only make you more green, but they can save you green at the same time.

Green Shopping Tips

When you are shopping there are many small changes you can make that will help you save money and go green at the same time. For instances, you can buy your products in bulk. Buying in bulk saves both money and packaging. Less packaging means less waste. You can also invest in reusable shopping bags. They are more durable than plastic shopping bags and many stores offer a discount on your bill for bringing your own bags.

When buying non-grocery items like clothing, electronics and decor you also have plenty of opportunities to go green and save money. First and foremost, when possible rent or borrow any items that you won’t use continually. This would include power tools and other repair equipment. When you do buy clothes, tools and electronics, buy high-quality items that will stand the test of time. The less often you have to replace things the less waste in landfills and the less money spent long-term. Additionally, donate items that still work to charity and items that don’t work should be properly recycled.

When it comes to shopping for clothes you have many instance for which you can go green and save money. First and foremost, look at second hand shops and consignment shops for used clothing. Buying used ensures less clothing in landfills and less waste. You can also buy new clothing from manufacturers that make their clothing from repurposed recycled fabric. Finally, when you buy clothes seek out pieces that will not require dry cleaning. Not only will you save money on your dry cleaning bill, but you won’t be contributing to the toxic chemical use in that industry.

Reduce Resource Consumption

One of the easiest ways to go green and save money is to reduce your resource consumption. This means using less energy and less water. If you use less energy and less water your utility bills will decrease and your bank account will increase. What’s more is that many of the green changes to save resources cost little to money at all.

To save money and energy the first thing you can do is replace all your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs. Next, you can use energy consuming appliances less often. For instance, when the weather permits you can dry your clothes outside. Plus, you can wash clothing in cold water when possible. In addition to these things, you can also go green and save money by turning off and unplugging appliances that are not in use.

Water is one of our planet’s most precious resources, and you can conserve thousands of gallons of it easily in a few simple steps. Install low-flow shower-heads in the bathrooms in your home. Turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth. Only wash dishes and laundry when you have full loads. Finally, collect rain water in a store bought or homemade rain barrel and use it for watering your garden and lawn, along with other exterior watering tasks.

Article written by: Jessica Fuqua, Founder of MomFuse.com.

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Social Networking & Customer Service

For those in the Customer Service industry, remember the days that you were told. “If you have one unhappy customer they will tell 20 others”? Those days are long gone. I recently did a little study by doing a search on twitter for customer service I was able to find on any given day over 700 complaints about service received or lack of. Now imagine some of these complaints were coming from people that have over 1000 followers, see gone are the days of “telling 20 people”. Now not all of the “tweets” were complaints, some had good experiences, but they were overshadowed by the bad.

I believe this is going to have a huge impact on business’ everywhere. Consumers are standing up for the service they deserve. It’s time for companies to stand up and implement change in customer service standards. Companies that already have these standards in place need to take the time to revisit them. Customer service standards are at an all time low when the fact is they need to be at an all time high.

Some of the most common responses I viewed were things such as:

“Wasted 2 1/2 hours of my life today”
“{Company Name left out intentionally} has the worst automated customer service ever. I haven’t been so angry after a phone call ever!”
“Frustrated at {Company Name left out intentionally}…bad customer service is my pet peeve. UGH!”
“Their customer service NOTORIOUSLY & INFAMOUSLY SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!”
“Customer service in retail? Sadly, a thing of the past.” 
This is just a few examples of what is being thrown out there everyday. Each one of these comments listed a company name. Just another avenue companies need to be aware of? Believe it or not they are taking notice and signing for the likes of twitter. They are watching what their customers have to say and their customers are getting results. One complaint about Company A promoted a Customer Service Rep. to contact the angry customer via twitter with satisfactory results.

A perfect example of an excellent customer service program is Zappos. Just listen to what their customers are saying and not only on their website but all over the net.

“Excellent Service – As usual the product and service from Zappos was EXCELLENT! I have done business several times with Zappos and have been extremely satisfied with the service, and I will continue to do business with them in the future. They are A++++++!”

“Amazing Customer Service! I ordered a pair of shoes as a Christmas gift for my husband. Zappos upgraded the shipping to overnight (without my requesting such). I emailed to thank them and they took the time to email back. Their customer service is astounding. I highly recommend this company and will definitely shop with them again! Thank you Zappos, I wish more companies were like you!!!”

“Superior Customer Service!!! I just wanted to take time out to say that I placed the order for shoes on 12/03/08 on the East Coast around 7:30 ish that morning and to my sheer amazement, it seemed as if the shoes arrived the same evening! Prior to their arrival during the day I’d also gotten an e-mail from customer service stating that they’d given my order an upgrade of priority status. I just wanted to also thank the customer service rep for her patience and hospitality of excellent customer service.”

Amazing huh? Wouldn’t it be nice to read these amazing testimonials about every business? Zappos sure has cornered the market on customer service and is leading the way with superior customer service skills. They are seeing a person behind the computer screen, and on the other end of the phone line.This is what I call “WOW EM Service”.

Looking for ways to spark customer service creativity within your team? Check out Spark new thinking operated by Mark Henson. Spark new thinking is all about “Inspiring better Customer Service, Team work, and creativity”. Mark also runs 100 sparks.com. Here they share with you how they deal with small issues that come up while running their business. Creative ideas are shared from all their team members. Even in print you can see their unity. I have been in the customer service industry for almost two decades and I have learned so many new things just by stopping by this site. If you would like to learn more about Mark and his team stop by SparkSpace.

Here’s hoping you receive “WOW” service today.

About Tamara Putvin

Tamara Putvin has worked in Customer Service for almost two decades.

She works from her home in Shelton, WA.

This article is 2 in a series. 

Follow Tamara on Twitter – http://twitter.com/TamiPut

Please feel free to contact us with suggestions, ideas, or help.

Email: tjputvin@hctc.com

Phone: 360-229-2339 Feel free to call for a consultation.

Address:

The WOW Em Factor
6612 E. Agate Rd
Shelton WA, 98584
Need help writing your Customer Service Policies, we can help.
Need information on training available, we can help.

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Setting Your Customer Service Standards

Things are changing in the online business world. People are trying to keep their business’ going and they are trying new avenues. The business’ that will succeed are the ones that truly care about their customers needs, and go above and beyond to exceed their expectations.

First thing you want to do is make your customer’s your priority. Without your customers your business is doomed to fail. Have a customer service policy for yourself. As your business grows only hire those that can understand and abide by your customer service standards, not everyone is cut out to serve the public, and you are ultimately responsible for how your customers are treated whether it’s you are not. With that said another good rule of thumb to remember is customer are not just people who purchase from you they are also the people that work for you, internal customer service is just as important as external. When you respond internally to requests quickly and efficiently your employees will see that value and do the same for your customers and each other.

No matter what business you are in you will win your customers, when you “WOW” them with service. Customers are no longer taking the laid back approach to purchases or services. They know that they have other options. Your biggest win will be when you truly put your customer first. Exceed their expectations, customer service has not been a priority for a long time, and with the economy the way it is it’s coming back, bigger and better then ever.

How can you exceed their expectations?

Listen to what your customer is saying to you or what they are asking of you. I once heard a quote “You have two ears and one mouth, so you can listen twice as much as you talk”

Make it a practice to respond to any calls, emails, etc within 24 hours. I read recently that an author doing research for her next book would call different companies, of all the ones she called it was the people that run the most successful companies that were the most responsive. If you do not have an answer for the question or concern, you can still respond within 24 hours letting your customer know that you are working on their request. It’s important for your customer to feel acknowledged.

Go above and beyond, “A little Home town Hospitality”. Several days ago I was at our little country store down the road, While I was visiting this little store, there was a customer in line in front of me, the checker was checking them out and the gal that owns the store was on the phone, when all of the sudden the gal on the phone looked at the customer in front of me and said, “You know my husband is in town right now, do you want him to pick you up some almond extract?” Now you wouldn’t think that is a big deal, but we live 25 minutes from town and there are several big hills between the stores and our homes and to top it off we were getting a our worst snow fall in years. Of course, the customer was overjoyed and said yes please, but tell him I want the real stuff no imitation. In that one sentence she earned a customer for life. That is above and beyond. It’s small town hospitality, when I was working at the bank we would think nothing of driving documents, or whatever our customer needed right to their door. Things like this will stick with your customer, so the next time they are looking products and you carry it, you are the person they are going to call.

If you don’t have it, help them find it. Even if you do have it but it’s not exactly what they are looking for give them options, your customer will probably buy from you because you gave them information to make an informed decision. You are going to be the go to person. As an example, I ran across a request last week asking about Candle warmers and wax bars. The company that I represent carries these, we have a limited selection, so in wanting to give the customer all the information I could I did a little research I found another company that carries the product in a wider variety, I invited that companies rep. to join our conversation. I let my potential client know that that I was aware of what they were looking for and wanted to give them all the resources available to they could make the right decision to fit their needs. Will I get that sale? I don’t know, but I don’t care either, I exceeded her expectations by putting her needs before my own. With this philosophy my business may not soar today, but its lasting effect will be longer then those that are in it for the dollars only. Whether she purchases from me or not she will get thank you note, if she makes a purchase with me she will get one that says “Thank you so much for your support” Enjoy your (product name). If she does not buy, She will get one that says “Thank you for your consideration, enjoy your new (Product and company name) you are sure to enjoy your wonderful new (product name)! This is going to set me apart even further! A very good source for thank cards is Send Out Cards, this wonderful company will print it, stuff it in an envelope, and mail it all for less then the cost of a card from the store. The quality is spectacular.

Always be sincere, if you say you are going to do something for your customer, you need to do it. Sincerity is described as free of deceit, hypocrisy, or falseness. So when dealing with your customers, it’s always wise to remember to avoid those characteristics. Even if you do not have an answer, do not make one up, be truthful a good response when you do not know the answer is “You know that is a good question, I don’t have the answer to that, but I will find out and get back to you.” With the technology today finding answers for our customers has never been easier, and truth be told if they wanted to they could find the answer they are looking for on their own. If you give them false information and they end up doing research on their own you will lose credibility.

In order to succeed in customer service you need to have a servant’s heart. A genuine caring for other people puts you in the top of your market, believing people before dollars is 99% of the battle. There is a video that is a must see for anyone in customer service, The Simple Truth of Service,  this video says it all in only a brief few minutes.

Tamara Putvin has worked in Customer Service for almost two decades.

She works from her home in Shelton, WA.

This article is 1 in a series.

Follow Tamara on Twitter – http://twitter.com/TamiPut

Posted by Nicole Ibarrondo, former editor here at Mom Fuse

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Many years ago my friend introduced me to an alternative to the standard weekly allowance. At the time my daughter was about five and we were giving her a weekly allowance of a few dollars if she did her ‘chores’.

Basically it went like this on Saturdays. Question “Did you do all of your chores this week?” Reply “Yes”. Question: “Are you sure?” Reply: “Yes”. Response: “OK, here’s your allowance.”

Of course it was a little more than that, we would ask what she did to deserve her allowance etc. But still, I didn’t like the format and wanted to try something different.

Thus – the MARBLE JAR.The concept is simple. You have two jars. You put marbles in one jar. Whenever your child performs a chore or does something ‘marble worthy’, they get to move one or more marbles from the ‘full’ jar to the ‘empty’ jar. When all of the marbles have been moved they get their allowance, or ‘reward’.

One major catch: If your child does something wrong, they have to move one or more marbles BACK to the beginning jar.

I can honestly say – I LOVE this system, and we’re actually still using it at age 14! It made a huge difference in how we handled allowance and punishments.

Here’s how we really made it work:

Continued….

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Shop Etsy
Handmade items are not only more personable but often times they are cheaper. Etsy connects you with handmade items from sellers. Shop Etsy to find just about anything you could imagine. Find the perfect handmade gift at an affordable price.

Find coupons in your local paper or online. To find deals from your favorite stores just Google a retailers name followed by the “coupon”.

Signing up for your favorite stores’ newsletter or mailing list can also get you in on some savings. A lot of companies give exclusive deals to their subscribers.

Many companies like Best Buy, Target and BabyCenter offer price protection. Price protection means that after you’ve bought something from them you are automatically entitled to a refund if the price of that item drops within a period of time.
At Priceprotector.com you can enter everything you buy and they will e-mail you when any of your purchases goes on sale. If something goes on sale, contact the store and get your refund.

Shop early for gifts, before the holidays. A lot of online stores will offer free shipping and other promotions. Also when you shop early you won’t have to pay any extra fees to make sure your gifts get their destination on time.

Have your online orders shipped directly to the recipients instead of to you. You may want add your own pretty wrapping paper and a bow but shipping the gifts to your home and then taking them to the post office costs not only extra money but takes up more of your valuable time. Be sure to check with the online retailer about their gift wrapping services. During the holiday a few of them will offer free gift wrapping.

Go Non-Traditional

Instead of buying something, create something. Create a heartfelt gift that anyone can enjoy. Some examples would be a family photo cookbook, baked goods, jewelry, soaps, candles, giftbaskets or scrapbooks. Magazine subscriptions or gift cards make great gifts for family.

Cash In Those Frequent Flier or Credit Card Rewards

Check with your frequent flier or credit card rewards program to see if you can convert your miles and points into gifts.

This article may be republished as long as the byline below stays intact.

Article written by Jessica Fuqua. Jessica is the owner and creator of Mom Fuse, http://www.momfuse.com, an online magazine for moms featuring recipes, product reviews, parenting and pregnancy articles and much more.

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