Thrifty Tip

Have you ever heard of MissingMoney.com? If not, MissingMoney.com is a national database that was established in 1999 by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) and enables people like you and me to perform comprehensive searches for lost assets required by law to be turned over to the states and provinces.

The most common types of unclaimed property include:

• Bank accounts and safe deposit box contents
• Stocks, mutual funds, bonds, and dividends
• Uncashed checks and wages
• Insurance policies, CD’s, trust funds
• Utility deposits, escrow accounts

To search for your own missing money, here are the steps that you need to follow:

1. Click here, enter your name, and click on “go.” You can do an individual, family or business search (you can even search for a deceased family member).
2. If you find a match, you must complete a claim form. Most states and provinces require a specific form to be completed which asks pertinent information about the property and proof of ownership, such as copies of checkbook, passbook, bonds, etc.
3. Follow the instructions to complete the specified form and supply any necessary documentation and identification.
4. The claim form and ID are then mailed to the state for review. The state will respond to you directly after they have reviewed your submission and verified that you are the rightful owner.
5. Most states send you an acknowledgment letter after receiving your claim. Claims processing time frames vary between states and provinces and property to property based upon claim activity.

Please note that there are currently only 45 states whose records are contained in the MissingMoney database: click here to view the list of participating states.

*I found money that was owed to my husband, once requested the check was sent very quickly!

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It’s that time of year again where you’ve likely heard of a friend who has become engaged.  With wedding season just around the corner, I thought I’d share this post from the archives.

When Robert and I married almost eleven years ago, there was one gift in particular we received that was practical, useful and very much needed. Each time I used a product I remember being so thankful for the gift.  It was a simple laundry basket filled with various cleaning supplies. 

Prior to our wedding day, I had filled our pantry (imagine that!), but had purchased very few cleaning supplies (guess I wanted to keep him fed more than impress him with a clean house ).  There are so many things to buy all at once when starting out on your own - especially when you’re moving from your parents’ home as we both were.  Not to mention the cost of purchasing that many items at once.

Since it made such an impression on me, I have given the same type of gift over and over to newlyweds. Here are some ideas for creating your own unique gift for a newlywed:

Cleaning Basket:

• Laundry Detergent
• Fabric Softener
• Stain Remover
• Dish Washing Soap
• Multi-Purpose Cleaner
• Antibacterial Cleaner
• Toilet Bowl Cleaner
• Window Cleaner
• Scrub Brushes / Sponges

Paper / Plastic Goods Basket:

• Toilet Paper
• Paper Towels
• Napkins
• Facial Tissue
• 13-gallon Trash Bags
• Storage Bags
• Sandwich Bags
• Plastic Wrap
• Foil
• Paper Plates

I generally purchase a fairly large laundry basket from Walmart or Dollar General for around $6 – $8 and fill with things I already have in my stockpile.  I can usually fill a basket like the one pictured above for close to $20 out-of-pocket.  The laundry basket and a roll of ribbon to make a large bow for the top being the two most expensive items.

It’s a gift that you will be thanked for many times over and one that will help the newlyweds get started on the right foot!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Disclosure Policy here.

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While paying monthly bills recently, I made a note to call the telephone company and cell phone provider to see if we could reduce our monthly bills.  So I took a few minutes today to give them a call, and by making a simple call, our landline monthly bill was reduced $22.76 and our cell phone bill was reduced $13.49 per month and we get unlimited talk and text on both cell phones, where we’ve previously had a limited amount.  We came out ahead on both!  Those savings equal $435 per year!

What I did … and what you can do:

• Grab your latest statement
• Call the customer service number listed (some companies also have a loyalty department)
• Ask them to see if you are on the right plan or if there’s one that fits your needs better
• Ask if this is a limited time savings (for instance, I will need to call my landline provider again in 12 months to renew my savings)

Other monthly savings possibilities:

• Homeowners & Auto Insurance
  We were able to save a bundle by simply raising our deductibles.
• Electric Provider
  We are with a co-op, so we cannot switch, but thankfully, we get a great rate.  We also take advantage of the automatic draft which saves us 2% per month.
• Gas/Propane Service
  We are all-electric, so this doesn’t apply to us.
• Water Service
  We have a well, so this would be included in the electric bill for us.
• Internet Service
  One unfortunate thing of living in the country is that we are limited on internet providers, so this is one bill that we cannot lower.
• Cable
  We don’t have cable (here’s a little secret, we don’t have a television either!).
• Credit Cards
  We use credit cards for almost everything, because we earn a percentage back on our purchases, but we also never carry a balance, as we pay them off monthly.  However, I do call periodically to make sure I have the best interest rate available, in case of an emergency.

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Disclosure Policy here.

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Several months ago I came across a Gaither Homecoming video which was filmed in South Africa where they were handing out Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes, and my heart was torn.  Torn because those children are so excited to recieve a small shoe box, when all the children I know (including my own!) tend to think their Christmas was lousy if they didn’t receive the latest or greatest, biggest or badest gifts. 

Watching the video once again made me realize that Christmas isn’t about getting, but about giving.

Months ago I started collecting items for my boys to put together shoe boxes to give to another boy, their age, who is much less fortunate than they are. 

I am especially excited to follow our box and see what country it is delivered to and to learn a little about the boy who receives it.  Hopefully we will be able to correspond with the boys in the future.

As a project for the girls in my Wednesday night class at church, we also filled two boxes to send to little girls. 

We made a fun adventure out of it by having them bring $2 each, loading up in the church bus and taking them to the local dollar store to buy their gifts.

Eighty five percent of the girls in my class are brought in on the bus and are from what we consider impoverished homes themselves – but their poverty is likely much different compared to the children from other countries. 

Next week is National Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes. It’s a simple and practical way to brighten up the lives of needy children around the world.  Will you join with us to do so?

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Disclosure Policy here.

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Here’s a cool way for teachers and students (includes homeschoolers, too!) can earn FREE tickets to Six Flags Theme Parks:

Read to Succeed is an exciting program that encourages students in grades K through 6 to read for fun. Students who complete six hours of recreational reading earn free tickets to Six Flags! The program is available to teachers and schools at no cost to participate, and it’s a great way to motivate kids to read.

(Thanks, Free Homeschool Deals!)

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my Disclosure Policy here.

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