Energy Star Rebates available from Holy Cross. Save some green by going green

So virtually all of the rebate money made available through the Governor's Energy Office is gone.  But you don't have to miss out altogether.  If you are a Holy Cross customer they are offering rebates for energy star appliances with their WE CARE program.  Everything from compact florescent bulbs to refrigerators are eligible for a rebate.  

Haven't done your taxes yet? Get 35% off on Turbo Tax online

Easter is filled with eggs and hope and new beginnings.  Turbo Tax can help you increase your nest egg and hopefully get you started on a new tax program for next year to save you more money.  I have to admit I'm a procrastinator and haven't finished my taxes yet.  But the good news is you can get 35% off of the online version of Turbo Tax  by accessing the Turbo Tax web site through the T. Rowe Price website.  You don't have to be a T. Rowe Price customer it is open to everyone.  I like Turbo Tax because it is user friendly and has little programs to help you figure out ways to keep more money in your pocket (last year I ran one of their programs that suggested I put more in my 401K and I wouldn't see a difference in my take home.  I more than doubled my contribution and haven't seen a difference in take home.)  So stop putting it off and start today.  You only have 11 more days.  Oh, and have a Happy Easter     

The Library can save you money on Magazines

We are lucky here in the Vail Valley. We have beautiful libraries with big comfy chairs in front of fireplaces. Both the Vail Library and the Avon Library are peaceful places to hang out. They carry a ton of different magazines which means once a month you can head to the library and read the new issue of your favorite magazine, uninterrupted by the phone, laundry and a dirty house waiting to be cleaned. Also the library has a lot of online subscriptions so you can access several magazine web sights that require a special web subscription, like Consumer Reports. The Vail Library user name is vaillibrary and the password is vaillibrary. Both libraries offer online downloads of audio books too. Download on to your MP3 or ipod and listen on the run. Not only do you save money with all the library has to offer but you save the earth too because you don't have a stack of old magazines piling up in the landfill.

Oil change can give you change back

It's a dirty job but somebody has to do it. If you go to your local oil change shop you can spend 10 minutes getting there and half an hour waiting for them to change the oil. Then you can spend $35.00-$50.00 for the privilege. I went to Walmart ( I hate going to Walmart but sometimes it is better to go to Walmart than to drive one or two hours to go somewhere else) and bought a oil drip pan (a plastic pan that the oil drips into and then gets contained in the bottom) a couple of car ramps (if your car has low clearance) an oil filter wrench and a socket wrench. These are tools you'll use everytime you change the oil so its worth an upfront investment. Then when you're ready to change the oil (check your owners manual for suggested oil changing intervals) you'll need to have all your materials ready. New filter and oil. Your manual will also tell you how much oil your car should take. It usually takes me about 20 minutes to change the oil That saves me about 20 minutes and the materials cost about $11.00 so I save any where from $24.00-$39.00 every time I need to change the oil. Remember to wear old clothes you don't mind getting dirty. I also wear a hat and clear protective glasses and rubber gloves so I don't turn into an oil bomb. Go to About.com for a quick tutorial.

Comparing insurance rates is boring but can save you a bundle

I filled out one of those online forms at www.netquote.com, and got several quotes back. I'd had the same insurance for years. But just for the heck of it I filled out the form and to my surprise almost every other insurance company was going to be cheaper for the same kind of coverage. Now when you fill out that form you have to be really interested because you have to give them your telephone number and a lot of times an agent will call you. So it isn't just a quick deal with instant online information. You can go to several individual web sites and get a quote without having to speak to someone but then you have to go to multiple sites and fill in the information at each site. I suppose it is 6 of one half dozen of the other. But the fact remains that insurance companies like to give out low rates at first to entice you to go with their company and then little by little they up the rates every time you renew. We switched both our car and home insurance and saved over $600.00 a year. It might be boring but you can save a bundle for just the cost of a little bit of your time. So go check out the Progressive chick and see what she can do for you