If you are paying too much for your cable or satellite, you may want to check out these offers from Dish Network and DirecTV.  We recently got my husband a new TV for his birthday (and every other gift for the next 5 years:) so I was looking into HD service.  Here is what I found:

Dish Network is offering you to save over $500 and get Free HD for life when you sign up today with a 24 month contract.  Just enter your zip code to see if it is available in your area and to get a quote for services.

DirecTV is offering over 150 channels for $29.99 a month after rebate.  You can also get FREE HD receiver and free HD service with their Choice Extra package.  Your price will be locked in for 12 months and you will have to sign a 24 month contract.  You can also get $10.00 off each month for 10 months if you are referred by a friend!  I would LOVE to be your friend, since I will also get $10.00 off.  If you decide to switch to DirecTV, send me an email at saveathomemommy @ yahoo . com (spaces removed) and I will give you my account number so you can get the credit and I can too.

With both, you have to sign a contract for longer than your price is guaranteed which is how they get you a little but I don’t see a way of getting around that. 

Here is a great FREE download you will want to snag!  The Simple Dollar: How One Man Wiped Out His Debts and Achieved the Life of His Dreams is normally $15.99, but today it’s a FREE download for Kindle.  If you don’t have a Kindle, you can download one HERE to your computer or get a free Kindle app for your iPhone and read Kindle books for FREE.

Thanks MoneywiseMoms!

As our SAHM Budget Challenge enters Week 2, I wanted to give you all some ways to save on other areas of your budget besides groceries and household items.  We were just able to shave over $30 a month off our insurance rates so I turned to our insurance agent at Crosby & Crosby for some advice.  As a local and independent agent since 1963, he has some great ideas to help you save some money and get better coverages to protect your family.  Check out his advice and then use the info below to contact him, if you are in California , Idaho and Wisconsin, and tell him Save At Home Mommy sent you!

Always Check with an Independent Agent!

An independent agent is able to offer coverage through multiple insurance companies. A company’s rate can vary between zip code, driving record and years of experience. We offer insurance from tried and true companies like Travelers, Safeco and Kemper.

By using multiple companies, we can match you with the company that best meets your needs. Matching you with the right company won’t just save you money- it will also provide the proper coverage for your family as well.

An independent agent represents you the insured and can offer valuable advice and personal 1-on-1 service.

Combine! Combine! Combine!

Companies want customers that trust them with all of their insurance policies. By combining your home and auto insurance you are eligible to save up to 25%. Many companies also offer enhanced coverages for having multiple policies.

Now many discounts can go beyond the normal home and auto insurance discounts. We offer additional discounts for insuring rental homes, boats, valuable items and umbrella policies with the same company.

Don’t forget other discounts!

Many companies are now offering discounts for things like specific occupations, being a member of a credit union or living in a homeowners association.

How to contact us or get a live instant quote online

A great agent will be up-to-date and able to explain the available discounts that you qualify for.

By focusing your effort on these tips you can save money and make sure your coverages best meet your needs.
If you would like to talk to a Crosby and Crosby agent about how you can save money on your insurance, they are licensed to do business in California , Idaho and Wisconsin and they can be reached at 661-327-5531 or by email agent@crosbyandcrosby.com.  You can also get an instant quote and compare 3 of their best companies HERE.  Make sure to tell them that Save At Home Mommy sent you! 
Want other ideas to save money and better protect your family?  Check out their Blog  or follow them on Facebook.
Not in California, Idaho or Wisconsin?  Check with The Hartford and see how much they might be able to save you!

You have seen this challenge mentioned in previous posts and now is your chance to take it!  Below are all the details as well as a form to register.  I am really looking forward to this challenge to help all my readers lower your budgets.  I am going to limit myself to $50 per person for the month which is not too much of a stretch but it will be good to make sure I stick to it and show all of you everything that I am buying and spending each week. 

Along the way, I will be posting videos and articles to help you on your journey.  If you have not already, make sure to check out the Building A Budget post to help you get started!

The Challenge:

Spend $75 or less for each member of your family for an entire month!  That means if you have a family of 4, you will have to spend $300 or less for the month and so on.  If you are already doing this, consider working towards $50.00 per person with me to challenge yourself!
What is included in the $75 per person max?

Included in this total needs to be groceries, toiletries and cleaning supplies.  If you really need to, you can keep diapers, wipes and formula separate but I challenge you to include them as well.  You can exclude eating out if you stick to one time per week.  Any more than 1 time needs to come out of your budget.

The Prize:

One person, who fulfills all the requirements below, will win a $100 prepaid Visa gift card!

The Requirements:

1. Fill out the form below by Sunday 1/30/11 as your official entry.  Entries will be closed after this date.
2. Watch for my weekly review posts showing you everything that I purchased that week and how much I spent.  You will need to comment on each weekly review post with your spending and savings total for that week.
3. At the end of the challenge, I will post my total for the month and you will need to fill out the monthly review form on that post as well.
4. At the end of four weeks, I will randomly draw one name from those who entered, commented each week and stayed under budget to win a $50 prepaid Visa card!

The entry period is now closed!

It is one of my least favorite times of year, Tax Time!  I don’t know why but every year, I get so stinkin’ nervous about taxes.  There are two new offers out the get your taxes done for FREE and guaranteed to be accurate.  I have actually used both of these in years past and found them super easy to navigate, especially if you have a fairly normal tax situation.  Check out the FREE offers below to see which one you would rather use this year!

H&R Block At Home- Free to prepare, print, and e-file! It’s easy and guaranteed to be accurate!

TurboTax- Guides you to your Maximum Refund! Prepare, print, e-file FREE!

Hopefully this will get you started and give you the tools you need to get a budget started for your family.  Stay tuned for more helpful videos and all the details of the Save At Home Mommy Budget Challenge to come. 

This week I made three phone calls to companies because I felt like I was paying too much for their services.  I got an email from DirecTV telling me that my bill was going up.  I just finished my contract with them so I had it on my list of things to do anyway to check into how I could pay less for the TV.  I called and asked and was able to go down a package without losing many channels and he was able to give me an extra $10 off per month!  Just by calling, I was able to cut my bill almost in half!!

Then, I noticed that my $5.99 newspaper subscription had gone up to $11.50.  I gave them a call and they said that my promo period had expired.  I asked if there was anything he could do to lower my cost and after checking, he was able to reinstate the promo rate for another 6 months.  Again, almost half off!

Finally, I checked with my insurance agent to make sure that he had rerun all my policies before the new term started.  Of course, he had, that is why I love them, and ours actually went down at least $30.00 a month!

Checking on your bills, asking for discounts and being willing to switch companies if they don’t help you, is an easy way to cut costs.  It never hurts to ask and companies would often rather give you a break and keep you as a customer than lose you altogether.  What are you waiting for?  Get out your statements and see if there are any bills you might be able to cut back on.  3 calls and I saved $66 a month!

Today there is a great tax season deal on Groupon under Tuscon, Wilmington-Newark, Gainesville, Fort Wayne, Baton Rouge, Lincoln, and several other U.S. cities.  Get $30.00 worth of H&R Block online tax preparation products for only $15.00.  If you purchase your own tax software each year, check out this deal, save money and be prepared!

Support Save At Home Mommy by purchasing your Groupons HERE for new Groupon users or HERE for those of you that love and use Groupon as much as I do!