Seems like every week there is a new article in the Des Moines Register or news broadcast reporting the swings in the residential real estate market. It’s confusing. We hear there’s never been a better time to buy a home. Lowest mortgage loan rates in recent history. It’s a buyer’s market. There are great deals out there. So, with all of these positive “buy now” signals, why are we so reluctant? In a word: uncertainty.
No doubt about it. We’re living through one of the most unsettling economic periods most adults have ever seen. If your own family hasn’t experienced a job transition, you likely have a neighbor or friend who has. Taking note of the auto industry’s stimulus programs, Iowa Realty just announced Friday their Iowa Realty Job Loss Protection Program. Job Loss Protection Program offers:
• Six months of mortgage payments to home buyers who lose their job within first two years of buying their home
• Up to $1,800 per month totaling more than $10,000 in protection
Homes included in the Job Loss Protection Program must meet these criteria:
• Home sellers are required to pay a $500 fee at closing time
• Home buyers must be employed at closing
• Homes must be listed or purchased through an Iowa Realty agent
This is the first program of its kind in Iowa and is part of the national non-profit Rainy Day Foundation, whose purpose is to help people maintain home ownership.
Check out KCCI’s news story on Iowa’s Job Loss Protection Program. For additional details, go to Iowa Realty.
Happy home hunting!
Today is the last day to submit your best savings tips in Juice’s Spend Smarter Sweepstakes sponsored by Affinity. Don’t miss out on winning the grand prize, a $500 Visa® gift card from Affinity. First and second place winners each win a $250 Visa® gift card.
Good luck all! Submitted my tips yesterday. There's some great tips entered already that you can see when you enter yours. All so you can start saving more now!
Click here to enter: Spend Smarter Sweepstakes.
Alright….I realize it’s been awhile since I last posted. It’s been a hectic, crazy last few weeks. I promised in my last post to report back on my Savings 24 experiment to identify a savings tip for each hour of the day. Wow. This was so much harder than I thought it would be. The top of mind stuff is easy – we all can reel off the ways we waste our money and resources. But after the sixth one on my list, I started to struggle a bit. So, every time I used something or did something during the day, I made a “note to self” to find out if there was a way to save money if I did something differently. Thank you Google for pointing me to several resources when I wasn’t smart enough to think of something on my own or wanted proof for a tip's value.
I can already tell you some of these savings tips will be a hassle for me to do consistently. (See # 5, # 23 & #24.) But most involve a different way of doing something I’m already doing. Just scaling back a bit or being more conscious of how my daily activities impact expenses.
Drum roll….here’s my Savings 24/7. Hope you find some new hints, as well as website resources you can use to find your own ways to save.
1. Turn off the lights when you leave a room.
2. Turn off the TV when you’re not watching it – and for me, that includes not falling asleep with the TV on.
3. Stop drinking diet coke – (easily has saved me $5 - $10 per day)
4. No more Starbucks – You'll save $$ and calories by sticking with the plain old brewed version.
5. Pack a lunch for work. Likely healthier, too.
6. Actually eat leftovers. and 6a. Actually remember to bring your doggy bag home from the restaurant.
7. "Don't pay for 411 calls, call 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411), for free directory assistance from Google."
8. Cook at home more…eat out less.
9. Organize and use your gift cards before the expiration date (I can’t tell you the number of cards I found with expired dates. That’s just ridiculous.)
10. Cancel the health club membership – it’s nice outside. Skip the elliptical machine and take more walks with the dog.
11. Take a close look at cable service and cancel extra channels. Check out Hulu.com where you can watch episodes of favorite TV shows and download videos.
12. Get rid of the landline phone. My husband and I have gone back and forth about this for a year. Time to cut the cord!
13. Set desktop monitor to turn off after a certain time period to save on energy.
14. Check the lint trap in the dryer more frequently to improve dryer efficiency and save energy.
15. Give up brand loyalty to personal things like toothpast, contact lens solution, antiperspirant. Focus on buying what's on sale. Crest will forgive you.
16. This is a tough one....axe movie night out. I found Hellomovies.com where you can watch movies for free as many times as you want. Selections for the free streaming video somewhat limited.
17. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (75% more efficient).
18. Drink tap water instead of buying bottled water.
19. Use cold water when washing clothes – clothes are just as clean.
20. Use 1/2 of the amount of laundry detergent and use dryer sheets twice. Yes, I tested this. My clothes are just as clean, soft and static-free.
21. Hang dry clothing rather than using the dryer.
22. Don’t rely on AC all day. Open up the windows and let the breezes in. Ahhhhhhhh. Good for the soul.
23. Reuse paper printed only on one side when possible.
24. Start using coupons. I used to do this years ago right after I graduated from college, but tired of trying to manage them. So now, I’m committed to only clipping coupons or printing out online coupons for things I really need.
