Eleven States Offering Back to School Tax Breaks

Eleven States, as well as the District of Columbia are offering tax breaks for the back to school season. Consumers will be able to purchase certain items 100% tax free.

The states participating are Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Gerogia, Iowa, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas.

The sales tax-free dates vary by state. Use the link below to verify which dates each state will be participating.

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Affiliate Programs Generate Extra Income

If you are looking to make some extra money in your spare time, you should consider affiliate programs. You'll have to learn a little about websites and the internet, and it is a little bit of work. But the rewards are almost limitless.

You can start off slow with almost no capital required. Keep working hard and building and you may be able to quit your job and work online full-time.

For more suggestions and info, check out my page on making money with affiliate programs.

Coupons for Quizno's

Use the link below to print out coupons for Quizno's sandwiches. If you sign up for their newsletter you will be notified of future coupons.

http://www.quiznos.com/offers/Thank_You_new.aspx?email=paradise%40swfla.rr.com&country=1

$5 Coupon From Old Navy - Expires 7/31

Use the link below to print out a coupon for $5 off a $25 purchase at Old Navy. The offer expires 7/31.

http://www.oninsiders.com/coupon.aspx

Making money from home.

Whether you are a stay-at-home-mom, a retiree, or just looking to make some extra money, there are different options.

Check out Ideas for making money at home for some ideas...

There is no reason that anyone couldn't make an extra couple hundred dollars each month. If you really bust your butt, you can do even better and hopefully quit your job one day!

Good Luck!

401k plans may be getting simpler.

The article below discusses changes that may be on the horizon for your employer-sponsored 401k plan. The key points include:

1. Less investments to choose from. I don't like this at all. The idea is to not give people so many choices that they get confused. But I like the freedom to have as many options as possible.

2. Automatic enrollment. Your company may automatically enroll you in the plan as soon as you become eligible. The goal is to increase participation rates. I can live with this as long as the company gives you an opportunity to opt out before enrolling you.

3. Automatic contribution increases. For example, if you are currently contributing 2% of your salary, it would automatically be increased once a year so that the following year you would contribute 3%, then 4%, and so on. This annoys me a little. If I could afford to increase my savings I would. I don't need it forced on me. Of course you will be able to change your rate back again, or opt out completely.

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Earn extra income as a Mystery Shopper

Our friends recently turned us on to a great way to make extra money: Mystery Shopping.

Basically you go to stores and restaurants and then fill out evaluations of the service you received. The companies can then use the information to judge how their employees are performing and what areas can be improved. Our friends get free meals and merchandise, plus a few extra bucks for their trouble.

My wife and I are going to look into it so we can get a piece of the action!

This is the best and most promising program I've found. Check out the link by clicking here.

Updated Saving Money website

I've made some major changes to my saving money website. There will now be lots of new articles added all the time and an RSS feed subscription to stay up to date. The list of articles is here, many more will be added now that the site is up and running...

http://www.saving-money-and-living-debt-free.com/articles/all-articles.html

I'll be adding a lot more features and resources so check back often...

$10 mail-in rebate from Pepsi

Go to the site and print out the form (in PDF format). The form should also be available in stores. Buy either:

Twelve 2 liter bottles
Two 24-packs of cans
Four 12-packs of cans

Send in the rebate form, UPCs, and receipt and receive a $10 rebate.

Only good for the Diet line of Pepsi.

http://www.dietpepsi.com/get10.htm

Borrowing money from your retirement plan

When you have a sudden need for cash, you may consider taking out a loan from your 401(k) or 403(b) plan. But there are certain things to keep in mind:

1. The interest is not tax-deductible so you can not write it off on your tax return as you would mortgage interest.

2. While the money is not in your account, you are missing any potential gains that the investments may have earned.

3. If you leave your job or are terminated, the outstanding balance will be considered a 'deemed distribution' and you will have to pay heavy taxes on it.

While not always a bad decision, loans taken out from a retirement plan can be dangerous...

more info