Thursday, November 3, 2011

6 Frugal Tips for Super-busy Superwomen


 Women lose sleep over lots of things, like kids and work, but a new survey released by Manilla.com reveals money matters keep them awake much more than men. In fact, the study conducted by Catalyst Group revealed "Financial worries are the biggest reason women stay up at night, with nearly one in three females saying they burn the midnight oil over money woes."
Asked what keeps them awake, 35 percent of men replied "nothing."
Ah, to be a man.
Lack of time to pinch pennies is a real problem for most women, particularly those forced into the supermom role, buried in the sandwich generation, or serving as home CFOs. Here are six tips to help all you superwomen make the best use of your time to save money.
1. Co-cook Share cooking duties with another family by creating super-large batches and dividing it for future consumption. You'll save money on supplies by buying in bulk and have the pleasure of a partner's company while you cook.
2. Avoid Multiple Shopping Trips Take advantage of such inexpensive services as Hoseanna, which delivers a run-free pair of pantyhose to customers' doors every month. Or you can reduce time and money on food runs by opting for home delivery of groceries from sites like AmericaGrocer.com.
3. Use Mobile Coupons Extreme couponers spend untold hours organizing and preparing for a shopping venture. Why put yourself through that when you can use mobile coupon apps right in the store? Check out PCWorld.com's list of "15 Shopping Apps That Can Save You Big Bucks" and stock up on digital must-haves.
4. Try Manilla.com The free, web-based service Manilla helps consumers better manage all their household accounts -- including finances, utility payments, subscriptions and travel-rewards programs -- in a single, secure, online location.
5. Reduce Paper Clutter Lack of organization drives more women crazy than men, according to the survey. Roughly half of female respondents said they felt relaxed and 40 percent happy when organized. One way to reduce the clutter that creates havoc is to pay bills online so you can just electronically file the receipts. Best of all, you don't have to write and mail checks, which always entails that lengthy hunt for stamps.
6. Shop for Presents All Year This sounds impossible, but a little organization early on means less frantic shopping at the last minute. Which also means you won't grab an expensive item just because time is running short. And if you do find yourself panicking mid-December, don't forget about Free Shipping Day on Friday, Dec. 16. With free shipping offers from 2,000 merchants, this one-day event gives supermoms the added power of making last-minute purchases for arrival by Christmas Eve.


COURTESY OF :
Andrea Woroch
  Consumer and Money-Saving Expert for Kinoli Inc.



750 Merchants Signed Up for Free Shipping Day

http://www.facebook.com/freeshipping.org
http://www.freedelivery.org/
http://www.freeshipping.org/
https://twitter.com/freeshippingorg
The National Retail Federation (NRF) recently reported free shipping offers -- one of consumers' favorite holiday promotions -- will abound this holiday season, with nine in 10 retailers (92.5 percent) planning to offer the service this year. In addition, 56.3 percent of retailers upped their free shipping budgets "somewhat or significantly" over last year, in anticipation of increased online shopping volume.
This trend in free shipping is further exemplified by merchant participation in the fourth-annual Free Shipping Day, scheduled for Dec. 16. With just 42 days before offers go live, the online event has already registered over 750 merchants who will offer free shipping for the 24-hour period with delivery by Christmas Eve.
Major players who've already jumped on the bandwagon include Lands' EndJCPenneyCabela's, Kohl's, Macy's, DSW, REI, Barnes & Noble and many more.
The numbers from 2010, coupled with the NRF's prediction that online sales will increase 2.8 percent over last year, suggest 2011 will likely be an even bigger record buster. More than 1,750 merchants participated last year, helping the event blow the doors off Black Friday by nearly $300 million in sales, for a total of $942 million in online sales. That single statistic earned Free Shipping Day 2010 a place in history as the third-heaviest day of online shopping ever.
Media coverage of the event has always been overwhelming, with mentions including such major outlets as CNN and news programs for FOX, ABC, NBC and CBS, as well as pieces in The New York Times, USA Today, Woman's Day and the New York Daily News, to name just a few.
Keep an eye out for future announcements, as Free Shipping Day continues to climb towards its goal of featuring over 2,000 participating merchants. 
Free Shipping Day is a one-day shopping event during which participating merchants offer free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve. Visit www.freeshippingday.com for more information. 

COURTESY OF :
http://www.freeshippingday.com/
HOLIDAY SHIPPING TIPS & SAVINGS EXPERT
Kendal Perez  

 
kendal@freeshippingday.com