The Importance Of Couponing

In trying to get my life together financially, I thought it was very important to know where my money was going. I am the type of person who feels like I understand the value of my dollar. I know how hard I work to make it so I want my money to work just as hard for me. While it was important to not only pay my bills on time, I also like to track where my money goes on a monthly basis. If you manage your money online, most banks have wonderful online tools where you can categorize your spending. When I checked this for a consecutive three months, the results were ASTOUNDING. I realized once I paid my bills, more than half of the money I had left over was going to food (that includes grocery shopping as well as eating out). This was a huge shocker for me. It not only made me realize where my money was going, but it also made me see just how much money was being wasted on miscellaneous food purchases.

I had always been a fan of the show Extreme Couponing on the TLC Channel, but I never really thought it was something I could do. It was amazing to me to see just how people could get not only good deals on the things they needed, but just how much money they could actually make just off of purchasing items that they needed and wanted. I then thought to myself if they can do it, then I most certainly can do it.

I started off with the mindset that I didn't want to go into this thinking I could get everything for free. I went into this process thinking how I could save my household money just by shopping smarter. I made sure I stuck to a couple of steps just to keep me on track:

• Make a list of what I actually needed instead of spending money on things I saw at the time
• Make sure to check the weekly circulars to see what could offer me the best price for what I need
• Check in the Sunday paper and online to see if there are coupons for the things I needed on my list
• Make a budget and STICK TO IT!

These simple things made such a difference! It allowed me to be more conscious of what I was spending, as well as allowing me to understand where the best value for my dollar is. I now use coupons for non-grocery items (i.e. clothes, restaurants, and household items). 

I also use various other apps on my phone and iPad to help along with that process (please see my blog post "Mobile Apps To Help You Save Money").

Please feel free to use some of these tips as well as share your couponing and savings ideas.

My Introduction to Pinterest

One of the social sites I use daily on my quest to learn about new and exciting things is Pinterest. I was introduced to Pinterest almost a year before I actually started using it. Once I signed up for it and saw all these different categories of interest, I immediately got overwhelmed and decided this social picture board was not for me. Then I went to a family gathering and I was showing a cousin a ton of pictures I had saved in my smartphone of hairstyles that I liked. She IMMEDIATELY asked me if I was on Pinterest. I told her that I wasn't and she looked at me like I was crazy. She explained to me exactly how it works and all the wonderful things I could pin. Once I got home I logged in on my smartphone and once I set up my 5 interests, I was HOOKED. There were so many things that were on the site and what I liked was the fact that there were just as many people out there in the world who not only had the same interests as me, but it gave me a place to store all the millions of pictures I had saved on my phone (I literally had over 12,000 pictures on my phone...YIKES)!

As I started getting more familiar with the site, I felt like the possibilities were ENDLESS. I not only got to see other pins of things I loved, but it allowed me to share with others boards, pictures, and websites they wouldn't normally see. I have boards that range from hair & nail care, shoes & clothing, even crocheting. Feel free to check out my Pinterest boards by clicking on the link below or click on See My Pinterest to the right. Please feel free to repin or if you have any suggestions, comments, or would like for me to check out your Pinterest page or pins, please share in the comments section below.

My Pinterest Page

http://www.pinterest.com/ten8e3/

What It's All About

The Vision:

The vision behind this blog started when I made the decision to start living a more productive life. A life that included eating healthier, cleaning up my finances, and allowing myself to become more aware of the things I come into contact with on an everyday basis and making smarter decisions in life. I also have a fond fascination with electronics and technology and love advising people on how electronics not only work, but also allowing them to work for their everyday life. Then it hit me....

.......DING DING DING

Why not come up with a blog that allowed me to integrate the two. A blog that allowed me to share my experiences and views on how to live a smarter, healthier, productive life, but also showing that in today's world, technology can help us with getting to that better place. Whether it's understanding how your cell phone works, saving a couple of dollars for a college fund, or downloading an app for a recipe for a healthy dinner for your family. Throughout this blog you will find everything from recipes for homemade cleansers to apps that will help you become financially and physically fit. I use sites like Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest along with many other apps and websites to help me with carrying out most of the things I try.

I hope that in reading this blog, you will not only enjoy what you're reading, but also incorporate some of the things listed on this blog to help with your day to day functions. So sit back and enjoy this first class seat with this one of a kind modern day survival guide to help you through your days.

Please feel free to follow, comment, and suggest. And as always,

HAPPY READING :)

Are We Sure About LTE for Unlocked iPhones on T-Mobile?

I think I am going to have to check this out and see just how good this works. T-mobile themselves say you will only get around 3G service with ANY unlocked phone. 

Take a look:

http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/5/4188044/t-mobile-iphone5-update-enable-lte

iPhone 5S/5C Rumors

Of course it's about that time of year when the rumor mill starts churning regarding new iPhones. The possible options are the iPhone 5S and/or iPhone 5C (not sure if these are one and the same as of yet). I'm interested to see how this plays out and if there will even be two phones. Seems like a lot of people are very excited about a possible Gold option for colors. Of course the most exciting difference will be iOS 7. We will see when Apple makes their "Big Announcement" sometime in September. 

Check out this link for some information on the possible options:

http://abcnews.go.com/m/story?id=20010212&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

AT&T 4G LTE Now Available in Major Cities

I recently changed my wireless service from Verizon Wireless to AT&T and got an iPhone because I not only liked the idea that I could talk and surf the web, but i also needed a phone that was going to keep up with all my foolishness simultaneously. Since the iPhone 5 had been announced, I was seriously entertaining the idea of going back to Verizon Wireless to take advantage of their expansive 4G LTE network. Something told me to look and see what I find out about the other wireless carriers launching LTE in major cities. Low and behold, I go onto AT&T's website and I see a listing of the cities now servicing LTE, and my city (Philadelphia) is there in black and white. I do some more research to find out when this change took effect, and it looks like this was turned on September 14, 2012 (same date as the announcement of the iPhone 5 which is LTE capable).

I must say, this has probably saved me as an AT&T customer. :)

To check out which cities have launched 4G LTE on AT&T's network, check it out here:
http://www.att.com/network/?WT.srch=1&wtPaidSearchTerm=at%26t+lte+philly

New iPhone to Possibly Support LTE

Just read an article from the Wall Street Journal that suggests that the new iPhone 5 could possibly support LTE networks. Can I just tell you that would be an AMAZING thing for Apple. Now if only we could get ALL U.S. carriers to support TRUE 4G coverage.

To check out the WSJ article, check this out:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443819404577637903902952754.html