Buttoned Up » Life Essentials

Fire Safety Winners Announced!

Anne Marie — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:32:36 +0000

Thank you to all who left fire safety tips on our post; Fire Safety Tips Every Family Should Follow and on Facebook!

The two winners are:

Kelly Schulthies

and

Shelly Binion!

Join us in congratulating them on their win!

Stay safe!

Fire Safety Tips Every Family Should Follow; and WIN a $50 Bed Bath& Beyond Gift Card Giveaway!

Anne Marie — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:00:52 +0000

This contest is now closed. Winners were announced in this post

Do you know the best thing to do to protect your family from fire? This great video will help you make sure you are safe.

Contest!

WIN a $50 BedBath&Beyond Gift Card!

We know our readers have WONDERFUL ideas and want to hear from you!

What is your best tip for Fire Safety? What have you found that you can share with our readers to help keep them safe?

Two Winners!

Two people will each win one of two Bed Bath& Beyond $50 Gift Cards!

Interested? Just leave your tip below or on our Facebook Page.

Winner will be selected at random and announced on January 23 so give us your best fire safety tip!

The 5 essentials of financial organization

Sarah — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 12:42:50 +0000

Along with losing weight and getting organized, saving more money or clawing out of debt typically round out the top 3 New Year’s resolutions. As far as changes go, it’s probably the most difficult to follow through on. It takes hard work and, yes, organization. But the financial and emotional freedoms that come from not having to worry about money are worth every bit of effort.

We are often asked what are the most important things to organize when it comes to making good on New Year’s resolutions to become more financially fit. The good news is that there are only a handful that are truly crucial to success. Focus on these five and you will be well on your way.

1. Keep a Budget.

If you don’t know what your are spending money on each month, your chances of succeeding in your mission to get spending under control are slim to none. Keeping track is very easy as long as you have the tools for tracking ready as you go through your daily life. There are pen and paper tracking tools, like this free budget printable from GetButtonedUp.com and neat apps like Cashish for smart phones. Just get in the habit of jotting down every penny you spend. At the end of your first month of tracking, tally up each category. Then target areas to reduce spending. Track your spending again and see if you can hit those targets. After a bit, the entire thing becomes like a fun game. The trick is just to start. If you’re overwhelmed by the thought, use one debit card to pay for everything one month. Then download your statement and analyze to your heart’s content.

2. Eliminate Paper Bills or Organize Them in a Folder.

In this day and age, you can pay virtually every bill online. Subscribe to online statements or services like Manilla.com that enable you to organize all of your accounts and pay bills in one place. If you ever do need a copy of a bill, you can always print it out. If you are uncomfortable with paying bills online, invest in a project folder or binder with pockets that enable you to group bills by due date. Regardless of how you pay bills, schedule a time once a week and pay anything that is due.

3. Track Your Big Picture.

If you don’t have a snapshot of your total financial picture handy, you need to create one. It’s easy. Simply start a fresh spreadsheet and begin by listing your assets in column A: checking accounts, savings accounts, IRAs, cars, boats, etc. Starting in column B, across the top write the months of the year. Put the value of each asset under the current month. Do the same for your liabilities (credit cards, loans, mortgages, etc.). Don’t get discouraged if your liabilities are more than your assets. Watch the picture improve each month as you track your progress. Celebrate your progress at the end of each month.

4. Maximize Contributions to Your 401k.

Everybody needs to have a 401k and contribute to it every, single paycheck. If you are lucky enough to be employed with a company that matches, you would be crazy not to contribute the maximum amount possible to your 401k. All contributions are pretax, which means they reduce your total tax burden (because they are subtracted from your income).

5. Organize a Sweep Into Your Emergency Savings Fund.

Even if you can only afford to sweep $5 into an emergency savings account each month, having one is a must. Set one up that is NOT directly linked to your checking account (we love ING’s saving accounts as they are more difficult to take money out of). Then put in place a monthly, automatic transaction that deposits the target amount into your savings account. Once your emergency fund reaches 6 months of living expenses, start sweeping those savings into a different, long term savings or investment account.

Do you have these five areas buttoned up? If not, which of these areas do you struggle with? Ask us a question about your weak spot and we might be able to help.

Our savings expert, Amy Suardi, is on TLC!

Sarah — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:44:25 +0000

We’re thrilled to share the news that the amazing Amy Suardi, our savings expert, has a makeover series on TLC! In the series she works with a variety of families facing different savings challenges. As always, she’s warm, helpful and full of insightful tips.

Here’s her latest video – helping a growing family reign in their weekly spending.

We highly recommend following Amy’s series over on TLC.

Financial makeover update

Sarah — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:51:47 +0000

Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances, our money makeover winner, Angie has had to withdraw from the year-long money makeover process.

We are going to go back to the original pool of applicants and will select a new winner. Amy and I will start fresh with new in January with a new, year-long money makeover.

Hurricane damage & insurance: what you need to know

Sarah — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:01:15 +0000

As those on the East Coast dig out from under the mess caused by Hurricane Irene, many will be reaching out to their insurance agents to discuss and make claims. We thought it might be helpful to outline the kind of damage that is typically covered by different insurance policies (home, car, flood).

What kind of storm damage is typically covered by homeowner’s insurance?

Typically, your homeowner’s insurance will cover the damage (less the deductible) to your house caused by fallen trees or limbs. It will also probably cover the cost of removing the damaged trees & limbs (up to $500 or $1,000 depending on your policy). And should your house be uninhabitable, it will also cover “reasonable living expenses” – just be sure to check with your insurance agent to see what is “reasonable” before booking your room at the Four Seasons.

A lot of communities experienced flooding caused by swollen rivers and tidal surges. If I experienced flooding in my basement or ground floor, is that covered by my homeowner’s insurance?

When it comes to water damage, insurance policy holders need to pay careful attention to the source of the damage. If your roof sustained wind damage and water leaked in because of that – it will be covered by your homeowner’s policy. Ditto if rain seeps into your house because of damaged or overwhelmed gutters and causes damage to the walls and/or ceilings .

However, any water that comes from flooding is not covered by standard homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policies. For that, you will need flood insurance provided by the Federal Government.

If I don’t currently have it, how do I apply for flood insurance so I am covered in the future?

Because floods are typically confined to a few geographic areas, fewer people apply for flood insurance and insurance companies lack a large enough base to cover their costs. In response to this, the federal government stepped in with the National Flood Insurance Program.

According to FloodSmart.gov

In 1968, Congress created the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to help provide a means for property owners to financially protect themselves in the event of a flood. The NFIP offers flood insurance to homeowners, renters, and business owners if their community participates in the NFIP.

Homeowners can also supplement the basic building insurance you get through the government. Companies like Allstate offer comprehensive contents coverage, which ensures items like your washer/dryer, carpet, and furniture are covered in the event of a flood.

What happens if a car was badly damaged – either by falling trees/debris or by water?

If your car was damaged by a falling tree or limb OR by the flooding, you should file a claim under the optional comprehensive portion of your auto policy as it will likely cover both.

Additional information & resources

Most insurance agencies have a wealth of information on their sites about the kind of coverage they offer and tools for helping you determine what you need. Here are links to the big four:
Allstate
State Farm
Geico
Progressive

In addition, I’d be remiss if I failed to point you in the direction of our Valuables.doc – a binder for cataloging the contents of your home. Every homeowner (and renter) should have one of these. It sounds overwhelming – but if you break it down like we have in this binder, going through the items in your home and cataloging them for insurance purposes is pretty painless.

How did you fare with Irene?

Get Ready for Hurricane Irene with this Free Printable

Sarah — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 15:19:27 +0000

Sometimes we all just need a kick in the pants to get ourselves prepared.

That’s why you should post this page to your Facebook page right now. If you’ve got a Twitter account, might as well make the commitment public there too!

To get a copy of the checklist for yourself, click here.

Rare East Coast earthquake rattles & reminds

Sarah — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 23:19:09 +0000

Our office in Tarrytown, NY must be made of strong stuff – we didn’t feel a thing when the waves of the 5.8 magnitude earthquake rolled through our region earlier today! We were lucky.

It just goes to show you that the only thing you can count on is that the unexpected will happen. An earthquake in VA? Highly improbable. And yet, today at around 1:50pm, an earthquake rattled buildings (and frayed a few nerves) up and down the East Coast.

The event reminded me of one of my all time favorite books: The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

The central thesis of the book is essentially that we cannot possibly predict with any certainty what is going to happen in life – not in the markets, not in politics, not in world events, not in our personal lives. In fact, trying to predict or model what’s going to happen only makes us more vulnerable to big, random events (the book calls them “black swans”) because said models lull us into thinking we’re safer than we really are.

I wholeheartedly agree with the premise.

In fact, when I first read the book back in 2008, I came away with a newfound appreciation for a concept that was actually behind the start of GetButtonedUp.com. Namely: expect the unexpected. Better to be prepared than caught unaware.

And prepared doesn’t mean perfect. It doesn’t mean anticipate every possibility. It simply means, in this case, know what your plan is in the event of an emergency – that, and have your important information (medical, insurance, etc.) at the ready. With a basic framework in place, you’ll be able to weather any storm.

In that spirit, if you have yet to get these things in order – go immediately (do not pass go, do not collect $200) and download this free printable designed to help you get your emergency plans in order, or read this article on emergency planning for procrastinators, and get your important information in order.

Just because random things happen doesn’t your life has to be thrown into chaos. Be prepared; get buttoned up.

Do you have an emergency plan? What is it? Does your family know you have a plan or is it all in your head?

Ask Your Guru: Cords are strangling me!

Anne Marie — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:00:26 +0000

Cords are strangling me!

Does this sound like a problem you may have too? We received this email from Ginny:

“Every thing I own has a cord. I own four cameras. One got lost in Vienna but it’s cord, charger, and other parts are still here. They are all in one place but that place is one big jumble. I’d like some kind of doo-dad that would attach to the cord to identify it. Why don’t they come that way? Help, please…
Ginny”

Dear Ginny:
We totally understand your frustration! You know you have it bad when you have cords to items that you no longer own!

To identify your cords you can spend some money, or do it yourself! To DIY, you should label the cord and you can use something you probably have at home – like labels or masking tape. Then wrap the homemade label around one end of the cord (we suggest nearest the plug) and roll up the cord. To tie up the cord you can spend cash, or use what you have – rubber bands, hair ties, garbage ties, twine or string, etc. When not in use, you can store them in empty paper towel rolls or toilet paper rolls.

Just pop the cord inside and label the outside of the roll. These can fit neatly in a drawer or cupboard and you can quickly find the cord you need for the electronics that you use most often. This is also great if you have tons of cords and nowhere to store them, put them in an unused suitcase and store it in an easily accessible closet! It’s wasted space anyway and if you don’t use the cords that often, or don’t want to look at them, it’s a good solution to keep them in one place, but out of sight!

If you want to purchase something to wrangle the cords, there are many on the market; here are just a few:

The Pinza cord holders can be found here.

This will help tie up your cords too!

There are even more online you can find, but perhaps this is the one that will work best for you:

Let us know if this helps!

How to love your new frugal life

Amy Suardi — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:16:12 +0000

Saving money can be as unappealing as going on a diet. Yes, the results will be fun, we think, but the process won’t.

Just like in losing weight, we’re supposed to change our lifestyle. But what exactly does that mean?

Don’t be daunted: I’m here to tell you that being frugal can be incredibly satisfying. I have been writing about the win-wins of cutting costs for over a year and a half and I could go on for another decade.

With the launch of Buttoned Up’s year-long Money Makeover, I thought it would be a great time to look at ways to overhaul our thinking and embrace a new normal.

So if you too want to button up your finances, here are three ways to toss the old “no pain, no gain” mantra, and start loving your new frugal life.

1. Focus on what you love

When I was in college, I asked my psychology professor if I could analyze in my final paper the main character of Madame Bovary, my favorite novel. “Sure,” he said, “go where the passion is.” That was the best paper of my academic career. I really loved that book, so the writing became fun.

When you have to get down to work to cut costs in your life, start with an activity you love. Do you relish traveling? If you direct your energy into it, I know you can find surprising ways to skip the Bali trip and have super-fun and memorable vacation.

If you love eating, put your all into carefully making up your grocery list, discovering farmer’s markets, watching cooking shows, and trying recipes from your favorite restaurants. We just discovered homemade pizza, and I don’t think we’ll ever be able to call the delivery guy again.

2. Simplify your life

The infinite choices we have today – from paint colors to cereals to elementary schools – can lead to overwhelming confusion.

Decide to simplify your life in three ways that will make you feel more peaceful — and save you money. For example, you could:

• eliminate an after-school activity next year or cut out a hundred cable channels
• shop at only one grocery store (you’ll know its layout, prices, and sales better), or
• clear out your closet and vow to only classic pieces you discover at the same thrift store

Limiting our spending also limits our choices, and sometimes that can be a refreshingly good thing.

3. Make it about people

Sometimes we can get so caught up in trying to do more, do it better, and do it faster, that we stretch ourselves into a string of saltwater taffy, flimsy and drooping.

The simple act of slowing down and spending more time at home can jumpstart our relationships — and our happiness. Skip the Mexican restaurant and have a picnic in your backyard. Make a bouquet of wildflowers and pretty weeds. Invite another couple over for a simple dinner. Ask to borrow your neighbor’s wheelbarrow and offer to lend your snowblower. Send over a plate of cookies when you know someone needs a hug.

Not only will you spend less on entertainment and eating out, but you’ll increase the good feelings among the people you love, the people you want to know, and people like neighbors, who can be an invaluable resource for sharing, helping out, and saving money.

So experiment with different ways to increase your happiness. I am still surprised at how things I initially did because of our tight budget, made me happier, healthier, or wiser.

And that’s better than any diet on earth.

Amy Suardi, Butttoned Up’s savings expert, writes about ways that save money and make life better at her blog Frugal Mama.