Greener :: Christmas Song

Send someone Greener's Christmas Song, an e-card from band Greener, and when you download one of the electric or acoustical versions, a portion of the proceeds will go to LIFEbeat, the music industries HIV/Aids charity. A few years ago a demo of the Christmas Song was downloaded over 1,000,000+ times, and they're trying to beat their record. It's a painless was to contribute to a good cause and you get to listen to a good song (I preferred the acoustic version).

Total :: DIY "Keep The Change"

I took all of the coins to the bank the other day and will definitely keep up this DIY program I've started. On average, my coin jar total is $10 a month. Since I started breaking bills and pocketing the change, I managed to save $36.74. I know that not a whopping figure, but it's more money towards savings, and it was painless, too.

Cha-Ching :: $90 Saved

I've been searching for 0% interest rate credit cards so I can transfer the balances of some of our higher interest rate cards and found that the Amazon.com Chase Visa is offering 0% for six months. In addition, when you apply, you get a $30 credit toward Amazon.com purchases. I had my Christmas list next to me, which included three books, and got all three for free, plus I qualified for free shipping with the Super Saver Shipping method.

When I applied for the card, I chose to transfer the balance from one of our smaller balance cards with a high interest rate, so all in all, if I pay off the new card within six months, we'll save approximately $60 in finance charges. Add to that the $30 in free Christmas gifts, and we just saved $90.

EnergyStar Tax Credits

While I'm sure most of you haven't started thinking about tax season, it's a good idea to think about tax-deductible purchases you can make before the year is over, especially with winter closing in. We're having a new roof put on our addition, and while they've got the roof off, we're going to have insulation put in. I found on the Department of Energy web site that we can get a credit of 10% (up to $500) for this improvement. My sister had new windows put in during the summer, and I'm sure that she is not aware that she can get a credit for that, too.

If you've made any energy-saving home improvements, or have purchased, or plan to purchase before the end of the year, any EnergyStar appliances (fridge, washer & dryer, oven, etc.) check out the site and see if you qualify for a credit.