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August 31, 2010 • Posted by Sarah Foss

Back to School Savings at SmartyPig

Joining the ranks of holiday shopping and Black Friday, back-to-school shopping has become a ritual event in most homes as a way to kick off the new school year. The National Retail Federation anticipates back-to-school spending to grow to $55.1 billion this year. And while most students' lists include inexpensive, yet essential items like pencils, notebooks, and folders; a lot of shopping lists also include more costly items like new shoes, clothes and electronics. Many Families are delaying these purchases, however, large and small alike, in anticipation of a greater deal. According to USA Today, "62% of consumers say they held off until at least August to make that initial purchase." And more than half of consumers are waiting until just days before classes begin or, in a growing number of cases, the week after school starts to get the greatest deal.

Well, it's always deal time here at SmartyPig. Our long list of retailers like Macy's for clothes, Staples for supplies and Amazon.com and Wal-Mart for everything, can provide up to 12% cash back on your back-to-school supplies (or any supplies) when redeemed using a SmartyPig savings account. You can purchase a backpack, clothing or shoes at Gap, Kohl's, Land's End, Banana Republic, L.L. Bean and Old Navy. Or help your college student purchase a new laptop or dorm furniture with discounts at Best Buy and Overstock.com.

Best of all? You don't have to wait for classes to start to save at SmartyPig. We provide cash back and a high interest rate to take your money even further. No need to get schooled by bank fees, non-existent rewards and low-to-no interest on your savings, take advantage of our deals and keep your family well stocked any time of year.

Wishing you a great first day and, as always, best of luck with your goals!

Sarah Foss, SmartyPig Media Mad Woman
SFoss@SmartyPig.com

 

Tags: smartypig   •  usa today   •  black friday   •  back-to-school

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August 31, 2010 • Posted by Michael Ferrari

August 2010 Contest Winners

Well - we had over 280 entries into our $100 (3 $100 winners) Twitter and Facebook contest! We asked, "This month, TransUnion reported the avg combined debt for bank-issued credit cards dropped to 8-Year low. What is it?" The answer: $4,951, down more than 13% from last year, according to this recent article.

We 'played' a summer activity in finding our winners (randomized to the top 20 people):

Congrats to sr316@, stanley.fam@ and missylizzylucy!

Top 20: fmsimplicity, pdxtexan@, lexiquin, yogagirl, amcgee@, adnewcomb, prengleskp, nnauger.24@, marianne@, katelyn.yamamoto@, JaymeSquire, melissanazal@, alyfunk, KEN6@, emilyolson80, wol97@, zvm

Just a note: Those with @ after their names were submitted via Facebook.

Tags: smarypig contests   •  twitter contests   •  facebook contests   •  smartypig gift cards

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August 30, 2010 • Posted by Michael Ferrari

August 2010 Twitter and Facebook Contest

We couldn't let August go by without having our monthly contest! We'll be giving away 3 $100 gift cards on Tuesday, August 31 at 2pm CST.  As usual - we will tweet/post a Facebook question and give our followers 15 minutes to reply for a chance to win.

The format:

1. After 15 minutes, we will be picking 20 random people with a number generator from the pool of correct answers.
2. We'll use an old favorite to help in selecting three gift card winners.
3. We'll post the process here on our blog, so everyone can follow along!

Make sure:

1. You're following us on Twitter or are a fan on Facebook
2. We'll ask the $100 question on Tuesday, August 31 at 2pm CST.
3. Answer the question correctly for your chance to win!
4. If you are answering via Facebook, you will need to email us the answer (email to be provided at contest time) within the 15 minute time frame.

Remember: if you don't already have a SmartyPig account, it's free to set one up! Winner must be in the US.

Good Luck!

Tags: smarypig contests   •  twitter contests   •  facebook contests   •  smartypig gift cards

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August 27, 2010 • Posted by Sarah Foss

A Safe Bet: You

Despite the odds of winning the lottery being approximately 120 million to one, Americans are spending more on it than movie tickets and music, some $25 billion annually. And the number is growing rapidly. Why? Desperate times call for desperate measures. Forget about one step at a time. People typically want the quick win, the fast buck. It's the type of thinking that got us into this economic mess to begin with: Flipping houses, living on plastic, going for broke - and often ending up there.

At SmartyPig we are of the opinion that there is no such thing as instant financial gratification in this day and age, and that desperation is not a strategy. To us, the safest bet out there is on you thinking about and treating money differently than you have before. Can you get rich in this economy without winning the lottery? Doubtful. But we can get you on the road to making the most money for your money. We offer a high interest rate on the money you save and cash back when it's time to spend it. It's as easy as 1-2-3.

Sadly enough, too many Americans are dreaming of getting rich quick in today's tough economy. But in all actuality, the only pot of gold almost every single one of us will likely every run across, is the one we create for ourselves. True it's raining out there. Hard. Very hard. And while some banks may offer you an umbrella in the form of no-to-low interest savings with ZERO rewards and fees to boot, SmartyPig wants to be a rainbow, helping you realize your goals and dreams. It's not the lottery, but it's a 100%, sure-fire way to earn the easiest money out there. With those odds, it should make betting on YOU the obvious choice.

Wishing you the best of luck with your goals!

Sarah Foss, SmartyPig Media Mad Woman
SFoss@smartypig.com

Tags: smartypig

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August 26, 2010 • Posted by Sarah Foss

Who Serves Smart Savers? We do.

We all received yet another glaring reminder that personal savings should be at the top of our priority list when earlier this week the FED released its quarterly report on household debt. The numbers on foreclosures, consumer debt and bankruptcies listed in the report are downright frightening and should serve as a wake-up call to those who have not yet started to change the way they think about money. In quarter two, new bankruptcies rose over 34%, while $1.3 trillion of consumer debt is delinquent and $986 billion is seriously delinquent.

The personal saving rate has jumped recently, true, giving a slight indication that some of those in debt are trying to change their ways, trying to get out from under. However with this good news comes some really bad news: Interest rates remain near 0% and are having a huge affect on people actually trying to save. From the NY Times: "For consumers who are cutting debt and trying to save, it is dispiriting indeed that they generate so little on their money."

Except at SmartyPig.

With an industry leading APY and up to 12% cash back for people with saving goals, we effectively offer the opportunity for a double-digit yield. So while smart savers' actions go mostly unrewarded, we have partnered with a top bank and top merchants to give anyone who wants a break from this terrible economy, the most money for his or her money. Whether you're saving for socks and underwear so as to get cash back from a preferred retailer, an affordable wedding you'd like friends and family members to help with using our shared goals program, or holiday gifts without the burden of even more debt, we're here to help you get there smarter and faster than you'd ever think possible in this continued downturn.

We thank you for being a SmartyPig customer, and best of luck with your goals.

Sarah Foss

 

Tags: smartypig   •  cash back

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