We’ve been telling you a lot of ways to save money…including budgeting. So lets put all the ideas together in one fell swoop.
1. First, set goals and write them down.
2. Track your expenses. If you have a computer, quicken is a good way to do that, if not, then use a pencil and paper.
3. Use debit cards and checks for all of your spending,.
4. Plan for surprises - add 12 % to the monthly budget for unexpected events like a broken water heater or Doctors Visit.
5. And regularly update your budget plan every few months because things change.

  It pays to be organized when it comes to coupons.
  With that thought in mind a Clayton, North carolina company has come up with a solution.
  In tonight’s wallet watch:  the smart spending coupon organizer costs fourteen dollars, for twenty four printed tabbed dividers and 24 coupon insert pages.
  The maker says the system fits on a three ring binder, and keeps coupon amounts and experation dates visible so you can find coupons faster.
  For more you can visit www.smartspendingresources.com.

The group “Fairness in Lending” says your credit card company has a lot of tricks to keep your interest rates high. 
Here are some things to watch for:.
• Watch for tricky interest rates…
• Look for a card that uses the “average daily balance” to calculate interest.
• If you have a low promotional interest rate on a portion of your balance, and miss a payment. They can raise the interest rates and apply the higher rate to the entire existing balance.
• Credit card debt gives most of us more trouble than any other debt.
• Bait and switch - pay card “ A “ on time but pay late on card “B ”and your interest rate on card “A” *could jump.
 
Say you by a TV on a special lower interest rate. The company will apply your payments to the balance with the lower interest until you pay it off while the balance with the high rate keeps adding up. And if you have a conflict you can’t sue.  Your contract might say you have to solve it with “binding arbitration”.  Problem is they pick the person who sits in Judgment.
The group also says, “Credit Protection” is usually useless. The fee you pay exceeds the minimum payment they pay if you get sick or are incapacitated..
• Watch for tricky interest rates…
• Look for a card that uses the “average daily balance” to calculate interest.
• If you have a low promotional interest rate on a portion of your balance, and miss a payment. They can raise the interest rates and apply the higher rate to the entire existing balance.

So you want one of those new AT&T “I-phone 3-g’s ?
Well the Website Consumerist.com says there are ways to get out of your current phone contract without paying a hefty penalty.
The Website says in most phone contracts there is an escape clause based on what is called “material adverse change “ to the agreement.
That would be something like a rate increase, or drop in service.
And there is Material Adverse Change out there.
For instance, T-Mobile is raising the rates it charged for texting in August.
Verizon recently added a higher “federal universal service charge”.
The website says you can also:
• sell your contract to someone else
• complain about the quality of the service
• or move out of your providers network

Here is a link to the Website:
http://consumerist.com/tag/get-out-of-your-cellphone-contract/?i=5023655&t=want-the-new-iphone-heres-how-to-escape-your-current-cellphone-contract-etf+free

IS IT WORTH DRIVING OUT OF YOUR WAY TO GET THAT CHEAP GAS?
   
    THE ANSWER IS IN TONIGHT’S WALLET WATCH….
 
  THERE’S A GAS PRICE CALCULATOR TO HELP YOU FIND OUT, USING YOUR VEHICLE AND WHERE YOU LIVE.
  IT’S AVAILABLE FREE AT WWW DOT SOFT32 DOTCOM.
  THE PUBLISHER SAYS IT WILL HELP YOU FIND OUT WHETHER IT’S WORTH IT TO DRIVE A FEW EXTRA MILES TO SAVE A FEW CENTS PER GALLON ON YOUR NEXT GAS PURCHASE.

And if you want to save money, get out from under that credit card. Most families carry about Nine thousand dollars in credit card debt.
-At 13 percent interest, you’ll spend a thousand dollars on finances charges each year.
-Since savings accounts earn little interest - money manager say use them to pay off the credit card, then apply what you would have paid on the card to savings.
-Or pay twice the minimum to slowly pay off the balance.
-And never miss a payment…that could mean 35 dollars in delinquent fees.

Did you know you can save money when you do the laundry?
On wallet watch, here’s what http://www.allthingsfrugal.com says:
• Wash cloths in cold water and run full loads, its more efficent.
• use your dryers auto-dry function..it automatically turns off the when the cloths are dry.
• Clean the lint trap after every load,
• And dry loads back to back…that way your dryer won’t have to heat up again.
• and install the water heater close to the washer.  The less distance hot water has to travel, the less heat it will loose through the pipes..

So you want to save some cash…well one of the places we blow more money is at the grocery store.
Here is what consumerist dot com says:
• Make a list and stick to it. That is the single best way to save money.
• Compare unit prices, not box size. 
• Use a basket, not a cart. Empty space cries to be filled.
• If it’s not on your list, don’t even pick it up.
• Shop at the edge of the store where the healthier, cheaper items hide.
• swear allegiance only to the lowest price.
• shop without a car. Nothing limits spending like knowing you’ll have to carry everything home.
Just remember, you save if you eat a meal before you go to the grocery and leave the kids at home. That’s one way to keep from adding things that aren’t on you grocery list.

LOOKING FOR SOME WAYS TO SAVE?....  YOU CAN RING UP SAVINGS ON YOUR CELL….. IN TONIGHT’S WALLET WATCH….    CONSUMER REPORTS EXPERTS EXAMINED PHONE BILLS, AND FOUND THAT PEOPLE COULD SAVE ABOUT THIRTY FIVE DOLLARS A MONTH,ON AVERAGE.  HERE’S HOW: LOOK AT YOUR LAST FEW MONTH’S PHONE BILLS TO ADD UP HOW MANY MINUTES YOU USE ON LANDLINE AND WIRELESS CALLS.
  THEN COMPARISON SHOP AMONG CELL, PHONE, AND CABLE TV COMPANIES.
  DON’T BUY MORE THAN YOU NEED, LIKE AN UNLIMITED CELL PLAN, IF YOU RARELY GO OVER 900 MINUTES A MONTH.
  WE WANT TO KNOW YOUR IDEAS ON HOW TO SAVE MONEY…. JUST GO TO W N C T DOT COM, AND USE THE KEY WORDS, * WALLET WATCH.*

Of course we are all looking for ways to save money these days, so here are a couple of good ideas.

First, the bankers say the first place to start is your stomach. The experts say people who do not know how much they spend on food each month are 20 times more likely to be over their heads in debt so they make this suggestion.
Record every food related purchases including visits to the grocery store, dining out, fast food stops, vending machines and the like.
They really add up so keep a handle on that and you can use the money you save to pay down your debt instead.

And if you want to save more cash take a close look at your car insurance you may be paying more than you need to.  Insurance experts say the higher the deductible the less you pay on your premium. They say a deductible of up to $250 to $ 500 is best.
And don’t make an insurance claim unless you have too.  They say if it is less than $500 dollars pay it out of your pocket. You’ll actually save money in the long run because when you make a claim your premium automatically goes up.

We want your money saving ideas—just go to our home page and type in the keywords: wallet watch.