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As we recover from the worst economic crisis in decades, it’s important that everyone understand the effect of their financial decisions. April is Financial Literacy Month, the 30 days devoted to reevaluating your money needs, past experiences and setting goals for the future along the way. So we ask you, how are you improving your financial wisdom this month?

Finance blogger Melissa Hincha-Ownby suggests expanding your financial smarts by reading one finance book a month. But as a newcomer with limited time, I focus on blogs to help increase my knowledge. Popular sites like Yahoo Finance, MSNMoney, CNN.com and The Simple Dollar. Others recommend e-mail newsletters, the good old-fashioned newspaper and news programs. It doesn’t matter where you get the information, the important part is getting it. And as you learn more, it’s easier to set goals and make smart decisions for your money.

We already know you’re on the right track because you’ve chosen to keep some of your money with SmartyPig. Choose to improve your financial wellness this month by adding an article or two to your weekly must-reads. This new-found knowledge could pay off in a big way!

Wishing you successful saving.

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

We’re in the midst of spring vacation time. If you’re feeling the need to ditch the cooler temps for a beach somewhere, or just returned from a trip and are already thinking about next year, the experts at Yahoo Finance have the tips to getting you there for less money than you’d expect. They discuss “5 Travel Saving Secrets” to help you save a bundle on not only your travel this month, but also travel all year long.

Which brings us to their first tip: time it right. Considering “shoulder season” could save you up to 50% off favorite locales and still have you hitting the powder or the ocean at desired times of the year. Next up, and one of my favorites: rent a home. Why pay hotel prices when you could rent a condo or a full-sized home and not only stay more comfortably, but save big time bucks on food costs. And don’t forget that a large chunk of vacation saving can be done before even reaching your destination; call your airline for deals, keep your luggage light (or carry on), and scout entertainment deals before you even leave home.

We see a lot of savers making efforts to hit their vacation goals all year long. Put those hard-earned pennies to good use with these tips and you won’t be disappointed!

Wishing you successful saving.

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

Today’s guest post comes to us from published writer and SmartyPig user, Bree Housley.

I hold SmartyPig near and dear to my heart. Not only because I’m a proud Iowa native, but also because SmartyPig helped me pay back a ridiculously special friend. A few years ago, I did a blog project with my sister called fifty2resolutions to honor my best friend, Shelly, who had died from complications due to preeclampsia at the age of 25. Shelly was incredibly outgoing and fearless so my sister and I tried to catch that spirit. We decided to choose a new “resolution” each week and attempted to complete it in seven days. From taking pictures with strangers to mastering our rabid fear of karaoke, we challenged ourselves to look at the world in a new and different way. To make the whole project count, we set a goal to raise $500 for the Preeclampsia Foundation during one of the last weeks of our project. We asked blog readers to donate whatever they could to our cause. When discussing how to collect the donations, the decision was easy. We LOVED SmartyPig because there were NO FEES and we got to put a super cute pig-o-meter widget on our page!

We didn’t raise our goal. We blew it out of the water. My sister and I celebrated by screaming to each other on the phone (she lives in Des Moines and I live in Chicago) and donating a check for $2200 to the Preeclampsia Foundation to help abolish the thing that took away the girl we loved so much. I never thought I’d be able to pay Shelly back for helping to make me who I am today, but I finally felt like I had made a dent. And I have SmartyPig to thank for making it so easy. (And adorable!)

I have since written a memoir about my friendship with Shelly and the impact our blog project had on my life. I made sure to include SmartyPig! Check out the book trailer for We Hope You Like This Song here and “like” the page on facebook.

Bree Housley is the author of We Hope You Like This Song: An Overly Honest Story About Friendship, Death, and Mix Tapes and a freelance copywriter at breethewriter.com. Follow her on Twitter @breetheauthor. 

A tax refund is not gift, and thus it shouldn’t be spent whimsically. If the government gives you money back it’s for a reason, because you have earned it and it belongs to you. As such, you need to give some serious thought to how you are going to use it. The first option that comes to mind is of course to save it up, adding it either to your retirement plan, if you have one. And if you don’t, then easily starting a 401(k), or an Individual Retirement Account. Likewise, you can add it to your emergency fund, or start one with it.

Paying Off Debts

Paying off debts large or small is also a popular refund use. Keep in mind that credit card debt is one of the leading causes of bankruptcy in the United States. You can also use your tax refund to make an extra payment on your mortgage. Benefits of that include more equity in your home, saving money on interest over the term of the loan, and shortening the time it takes to pay off the loan.

Home Improvement

Did you know that energy efficient home improvements could entitle you to federal tax credits? As a matter of fact, new windows, doors and other energy efficient improvements can take as much as $500 off of next year’s taxes; or, a 15% return on the average refund, not to mention lower electricity, gas or heating oil bills. Why not use your current tax refund to finance such improvements to your house and at the same time ensuring that next year you’ll also get a sizable refund?

Why not use your current tax refund to refinance such improvements to your house and at the same time ensuring next year you’ll also get a sizable refund?

Investing

Easier said than done, but you can always invest your tax refund. You may buy shares in a mutual fund or stock that looks attractive to you, but that would be too risky for your IRA or not included in your 401(k) plan. Once again, remember this money did not simply fall from the sky; don’t think that you’ve lost nothing if you gamble it away. In other words, be very careful of how you invest it and be especially wary of investing scams.

Enhancing Insurance

Yet another good thing you can use your tax refund on is improving your insurance, such as filling flood insurance gaps with less than $1000. Flooding is not covered by standard homeowner’s insurance, but for an extra $350 to $600 a year you can protect building property and personal content property.

This article is provided courtesy Pocket Savvy, a personal finance website, with the best money saving tips and financial resources to help you improve your money management skills. Follow Pocket Savvy on Twitter and connect on Google+ and Facebook.

It’s time again for America Saves Week, one of our favorite celebrations of the year! The sixth annual national survey assessing household saving revealed that just half of Americans “have a savings plan with specific goals.” Of that same group surveyed, 43% say they have a spending plan that allows them enough money to achieve the goals of their savings plan. We at SmartyPig think we can help that group reach their goals easier and faster, while also helping the remaining 50% or so without goals, set them and achieve them, too.

How? Well, our simple system takes most of the work out of it for you. Set your goal, arrange your automatic contributions, and watch your pig fill up, literally. Before you know if you’re reaching your goals and cashing out (with rewards, too!) for the things you want or need. The smart folks at AmericaSaves.org tell us that, “those with a plan are two times as likely to spend less than they earn and save the difference than those without a plan.”

There you have it! What are you waiting for? Set your plan today with SmartyPig.

Wishing you successful saving.

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