Blogging Away Debt

Credit Card Rates Lowered…Auto Insurance Lowered…This Reader is on a Roll!

I am very fortunate with this blog. I had hoped it would keep me in line and keep me focused with paying off my debt. And it has done so more than I ever thought.

One thing that helps keep me going are the great emails I have received from others sharing their stories. I see people making a difference in their financial life, and I’m not sure how else to say it…it’s just awesome.

Here’s two emails I received from one reader (and just so everyone knows, I do not share emails on here unless you give me permission to do so).

“I wanted to share with you the good news that I got two of my higher interest rates reduced by calling the company. One card I have had since 1992 and after talking to a customer service rep. he suggested in switching my card to a reward type card. I did have to write to Discover which took a little more time.”

That right there is great news! It never hurts to try to contact your credit cards to see if they will lower the rates. And in this case – it worked! 🙂

A few days later I received this email…

“Again, I have good news to share. In June, in an attempt to have our auto insurance reviewed to reduce the rates, I called my agent. Neither my husband or I have had any tickets and I haven’t had an auto claim in 9 years. Well, my agent said that she would check into it; review my credit etc and if anything could be done she would let me know. I didn’t hear from her before my policy renewed in July. I received a call on my home recorder to call my agent on Tuesday. When I returned the call on Wednesday I was told that my policy is being rewritten which will save me $200 every six months; $400 annual. I had actually given up and thought I’d try again next year. This news made my day.”

I haven’t called my insurance company in quite a while. After hearing this, I’m tempted to give them a call and just ask. It doesn’t hurt to try, and this reader is now saving $400/year by just giving it a shot! That’s A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!! Way to go!!!! 🙂

Thank you everyone for your emails and for sharing things with me 🙂

Uh…oh…. I Was Just Yelled At

by Tricia

Can anyone relate to the following?

Remember back when we you were young and either your mother or father would try to get you to save electricity by saying…

“Turn the light off when you’re done. Do you think we own the power company?”
“We don’t have stock in the power company, turn the lights off.”
“Every light in this house is on. Do you think we get paid by the power company to have our lights on?”

Or probably a dozen variations of the above?

My son is only 4 so I changed the above sayings around a little bit to make it more age appropriate.

“Make sure you turn the light off when you are done. That way, we save electricity and save money.”

My son would go and turn the light off because I told him to, but I’m sure the second sentence would always go over his head. I figure, if I keep reminding him about these things I could hopefully instill some frugal traits in him.

Well, low and behold, my son went into the bathroom and I had left the light on from the last time I went in there. I was washing dishes and I could hear him telling me…

“Momma…you left the light on in the bathroom. You need to turn it off to save money.”

I didn’t know whether to be embarassed because a 4 year-old is telling a 29 year-old how to save money, or whether to be proud of my young son for listening to what I say and learning.

I’ll just be a proud momma 🙂