Claim Your Free Credit Report

By law, you do not have to pay to check your credit report. Federal law gives you the right to review your credit report for free once a year. You can access this FREE report at www.annualcreditreport.com. Your score will not be lowered by checking. Only "hard" inquiries (applying for a loan, etc.) can lower your score.

Opting Out of Credit Card and Insurance Offers

If you are not interested in credit card and insurance offers that clog up your mailbox, take the simple step to opt out by contacting the Consumer Credit Reporting Industry at www.optoutprescreen.com or (888)567-8688.

Paperwork- How Long Should You Keep It?

In most households, paper build-up is a major problem, mostly because we don't know how long we are supposed to keep things. Here is a guideline to help you in your decisions:

Credit card receipts and statements- 45 days

Paycheck stubs, retirement plan and savings statements, credit union or bank records, bills- 1 year

Tax records- 7 years

Statements showing IRA contributions and legal correspondence- Forever!

*Some documents that you would normally keep for no more than a year should be kept longer such as receipts that validate a warrantee or will be used for tax deductions, or bills that might provide evidence of an item's value if it's stolen or destroyed. If in doubt, keep it.

More Information on Scholarships

At Around The Town I like to keep you up on all the scholarship opportunities that I hear of...because it can truly break the bank to send your kids to college these days! Here is a helpful article from North County Times on finding scholarship information and opportunities. If you want to search for other scholarship information that has been posted on Around The Town and is still current, put the word "scholarship" in the "search this blog" box on Around The Town's main page.

First of Month- New, FREE Coupons Reloaded Today

You always want to check coupons.com at the beginning of each month. Why? At the beginning of each month, coupons reset and reload and there are lots of new coupons to score. You will want to go and print yours while supplies still last. You can access these totally free printable coupons ANY time through Around The Town. Simply go to my main web page or blog page, then click on the coupons.com banner ad. Select the ones you want and print away! Save a bundle on your groceries! I save at least 50% on my grocery shopping each trip by combining sales prices with these valuable coupons.

Search This Blog Tool

Hey Around The Towners, have you ever tried using the "search this blog" tool box in the right hand column of Around The Town blog? Do you remember hearing of a deal written about on the blog but don't know how to find it? Just use the "search this blog" box and it will pull up all previously mentioned postings. Try it today, it's a really helpful tool, meant to make your life easier. If all else fails, feel free to shoot me an email and I will track down the information for you, but just wanted to remind you about this handy tool.

Are You Using Your Theater Loyalty Card?

What is your favorite theater, and are you using their loyalty card? I have encouraged movie goers to sign up for their favorite movie house's card (you can do so online), but while many of you might have signed up, you have left your card at home, so you miss out on valuable incentives. This last week I used my Krikorian Premiere card and received free popcorn on Wednesday, and I also earned a free movie ticket with my accumulated points. Can't go wrong there! My answer to always having my cards and coupons on hand....BIGGER WALLETS! Mine is seriously bulging! I encourage you to go shopping for a bigger wallet so you have everything you need with you at all times to take advantage of all the savings out there! See you at the movies!