SmartyPig

Who knew New Years resolutions could be so expensive? And I’m not talking a few hundred dollars here and there; try tens of thousands says Yvette Romera and MaryAnn Busso of Bloomberg.com . We all know gym memberships for weight loss and resolving to travel more don’t come cheap, but what about the money incurred trying to reduce stress? That could be $1500. Or getting a new job? Up to $6,000 for career coaching, new suits, and setting up a personal website. It all sort of makes you feel like you ought to add “spend less” to your resolutions list as well, doesn’t it?

While the experts at Bloomberg say “saving more” could cost up to $1,500, we’d disagree and say, saving with SmartyPig costs nothing. And in fact, you not only earn money for saving with SmartyPig, we help you spend better than anyone else, too. So while you might resolve to save for travel in 2013, when it comes time to book that trip, taking advantage of SmartyPig’s cash back incentives could reward you with a nice chunk of change towards your next trip…or stress reducing tactics. Whatever you might fancy.

Begin your savings goals this week with SmartyPig and make 2012 your best year yet!

Wishing you successful saving.

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

The holiday shopping season officially comes to a close this weekend. And while we won’t get the horse ahead of the carriage just yet, it looks to be that spending was up again. If you’re like me, you enjoyed gifting the important people in your life, but are now feeling ready to get back on track. And in a big way.

Leave it to Liz Weston at MSN Finance to begin thinking about 2011’s financial cleanup before the last Christmas cookie leaves the plate. In last week’s article Liz informs us of 5 simple tips to starting your New Year off on the right foot. Begin by prioritizing your saving: retirement, a home down payment, and children’s education to name a few. You can save for many of these goals with SmartyPig, and reward yourself in many ways, too. Next, ditch debt for good. Make a goal to enter 2013 with zero in the red. You can pay off these debts quicker by evaluating your spending, Liz’s next suggestion. Minor cutbacks can pay off in a big way. And lastly, protect what you’ve got. Do an insurance audit and set up an emergency fund with SmartyPig. You’ll sleep better at night and never be hung out to dry in a critical situation.

It feels like a great year already, doesn’t it?

Wishing you successful saving.

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

Here’s to wishing you a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season from the team at SmartyPig!

Eat less, exercise more, and of course financial goals. All common resolutions, and this year experts anticipate “save more, spend less” to top that popular list. And top it in a big way. “Many US consumers are vowing to double their annual savings goal, with a median target of $2,400 for 2012 versus this year’s goal of $1,200,” said the experts at Fidelity Investments. In fact, almost fifty percent of respondents claimed “saving more and spending less” to top their 2012 list, with paying off debt a close third.

The best part is, SmartyPig is the perfect place to help you accomplish all three of those goals (and so many more!) We’re an excellent place to stash your funds to work towards goals like a new car or a much needed vacation. And when it comes time to buy, SmartyPig makes the most money for your money by offering you cash back incentives from all sorts of retailers, travel companies, restaurants, and entertainment venues. SmartyPig also helps dig you out of debt, by helping you spend wisely with products like our Cash Rewards Card.

Ring in the New Year with SmartyPig and reach your goals in 2012!

Wishing you successful saving.

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

If you knew you could save up to 60% on the costliest time of year just by pushing the celebration back a week or two, would you? Some families have no option otherwise as their job requires working the holiday, but more recently families are postponing the celebration to shop the astronomical post-holiday sales. Yahoo Finance states, “Retail sales during the seven days after Christmas rose year-over-year in three of the past five years, according to research firm ShopperTrak. And last year, year-over-year online spending grew by 22 percent on Dec. 26 and 56 percent on Dec. 27.” It’s a growing trend, but how many of us could really put tradition aside to save a buck? What if we could save hundreds?

While I don’t prefer the art of procrastination when it comes to gift giving, I see a way of taking this money saving system for a test drive. Like many, we attend several holiday get-togethers, gifts in tow. And sometimes they occur after December 25^th. One could postpone buying those gifts until after the holiday, and presto; money saved, no holiday missed!

Do you postpone your giving or gift buying to take part in the after-holiday fire sales?

Wishing you successful saving.

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