Kansas City MomBlogs

McSocks

Margaret Sarver — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 01:00:00 GMT

A couple of weeks ago we met some friends at McDonalds for lunch. Not my first choice, but as a before Kindergarten treat, Ally got to choose lunch and so McDonalds it was. Without even thinking, Ally put on her Crocs, which was well and good, until it she wanted to play on the play set. At that point I realized she didn't have any socks. Floors at indoor play places give me a certain "eeww" factor and so I told her to just play with her Crocs on. Ally proceeded to announce to all adults who were around the play area, "my mom forgot my socks so that's why I have to play with my Crocs on." A mom who heard her told her that if she went to the counter and asked for socks, they would give her some.

I was a bit skeptical, but thought I'd give it a try and it turned out, that mom was right! I went to the counter, asked for socks, the woman asked how many pairs I needed and then went into a storage room and came out with a brand new pair of socks for Ally. The day was saved and I didn't have to think about her bare feet touching the floor-a win-win!

Posted by Margaret Sarver

Our Journey to Financial Freedom - Part II

Tracie Fobes — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:00:00 GMT

So last week, I shared how our financial makeover began. I left off by sharing that I had to begin a quest on how I could save money on our weekly grocery bill.

I had always used coupons. I would save $0.25 here and $2.00 there. So, I wasn't a true "couponer." I knew that I could do better. I knew I could save more - but how? I couldn't find the deals nor the coupons I needed to really help out my family. I really wanted to learn how to shave even more off our grocery bill so that we could eliminate our debt much more quickly. After all, I had heard amazing stories of people paying little to nothing for groceries – why couldn’t I?

So, one night, I sat down and started to do a little “googling.” What did I search for? Well, honestly, “saving money.” That brought up a plethora of websites. So, I started reading. There was so much out there that I felt very overwhelmed. So, I thought I would try instead to “google” coupons. I really thought that was my best alternative for saving money.

My search led me to an on-line site with lots of great information. I found coupons that I could print, which definitely helped. More importantly however, I learned about CVS, Walgreens and how to really save money on my weekly shopping trips. And when I say really save – I mean how to get stuff for FREE! My eyes were opened to the world of amazing deals, freebies and savings.

So, I followed along (and yes – even I was a little lost at first). I noticed a great deal at CVS on batteries. I believe I ended up spending a total of $9.00 net out of my pocket for 4 – 6 large packages of batteries. I was so proud of myself! I had to tell everyone I knew how I did it.

At that time, I belonged to an on-line forum of moms. I told them all what I had done. A lot of them tried it and were amazed at what they were able to do it too! They were so grateful for me helping them save money that they asked me to share another deal.

So, feeling ultra confident, I sat down with the weekly ad for CVS and put together my own scenarios. I tried them – saved big – and passed my deals along to everyone yet again. What was great was that I was not only purchasing items we needed, but also saving us money in the process -- money that I was able to immediately turn around and apply to our debt.

Of course, I made my fair share of mistakes along the way, but I took them as an opportunity to learn and also what not to do the next time I shopped! Withthat and my growing knowledge of drug stores, I knew that there was more I could do. So, I decided I would tackle my local grocery store. After all, that is where I spent the majority of my grocery budget.

While searching I realized I was not finding anyone who could really help me with saving money right where I lived – Kansas City. That led me to have to do even more work to reduce our grocery budget – my own weekly matchups. As a direct result of learning how to do these money saving deals and grocery matchups, our family was able to save over $5,000 in our first year. This was money that helped us drastically reduce our family's debt.

So, as we worked on slashing our debt with the money saving deals I had found, I also continued to share my savings adventureswith my on-line community of friends. Of course, the more I shared, they more they craved. So much so, that a few fof them mentioned that I really should start a money saving blog. I laughed at the thought. I told them they were nuts and there were already so many blogs out there, what good would mine do? Wouldn’t it just be the same as everyone else? Not only that, I had 3 kids and no extra time to devote to anything else.

After much discussion, they finally convinced me that I all I had to do is try. After all, the worst thing that could happen is that it didn’t work and I could just stop. They reminded me of the debt we had slashed as a result of what I head learned to do and how amazing it could be to share that with other families.

So, on January 10, 2009, I sat down at my computer and my fingers began to type……..Kansas City Penny Pinchin’ Mama. And in that moment, my site was born. Little did I know how much it would change my life, and that of my family.……….

(come back again next week to learn what transpired over the next year and how we got out of debt more quickly than we anticipated)

Teaching Responsibility With a Forgotten Homework Assignment

Lizz Welter — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 06:00:00 GMT

My kindergartener came home on Friday with her first homework assignment. That’s why I found myself resisting the urge to run to her school on Monday afternoon. Let me explain.

Though my daughter was eager to do her homework, she wasn’t exactly keen on my idea of putting her finished assignment in her bag so she would remember to take it on Monday. She insisted that she wanted to carry it separately. (It was a small brown paper bag in which she was supposed to put three items that helped describe her interests.) As you might guess, she forgot the bag.

My son was the first notice the bag in the back of the van. My first thought was to take the bag to school for her. My second thought was that I had an opportunity to teach my daughter an important lesson.

I compromised by emailing her teacher and letting her know that I was letting my daughter suffer the consequences of forgetting her homework.

Fortunately, my daughter got over her disappointment. It turned out the teacher extended the deadline by a day. Even better, I have a feeling next time she’ll remember her homework.

Though it was hard at the time to let her suffer the consequences, I know that the end result will be worth it. Learning to be responsible is a hard lesson to learn, but it’s worth the effort.

Learning Contentment

Marisa Frymire — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

As of today, I am still pregnant and waiting to meet our 2nd child and first son. Our doctor thought last Monday that he would probably make his appearance this past weekend. So we cleaned the house, did the laundry, double checked the hospital bag, and really tried to make sure we were “ready” (really, can you ever be “ready”?). And here it is, Tuesday of next week, and he is still nice and snug inside.

Waiting. Sometimes, it’s one of the hardest things in life – from pregnancy, to a potential new job, to trying to sell a home, to watching a loved one declining in health. None of us are immune to this. We all have to wait on things in life, and in many ways, this is a good, humbling reminder that we are not in control of our days.

In regards to our pregnancy, my husband and I are very aware that with the joy of a new baby comes much transition, busyness, sleepless nights, and a whole new routine. And so we jokingly refer to this time right now as “the calm before the storm.” In the midst of this calm, I’m reminded to be content with each day; to take every last moment in of just the 3 of us; of really enjoying these moments with just my daughter and me. And during this time of waiting, God is teaching us much about finding joy and fulfillment in His plan and His perfect timing for our lives.

What are you being asked to wait on right now? How can you live contently through each day, rather than longing for what you do not yet have?

Just Keep Trying...

Kristina Light — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 12:00:00 GMT

My daughters and I were watching Little House on the Prairie (one of our favorites), and Ma made new dresses for the girls.

My five yr old asks, "Mom why don't you make dresses for us?"

"Well sweetheart, I don't enjoy sewing and I'm not very good at it. Your grandma sews things for you."

"Oh mom, you're good at everything," she replies. "You just have to keep trying. That's what you tell me... keep trying, don't give up."

How do I explain (she is 5) that I have given sewing many attempts and I do know how, I just don't like it. My mother loves to sew and she can make anything (including my wedding gown). She taught me to sew and I made many dresses in Jr and Sr High as well as numerous other projects from pillows to curtains. I am capable of sewing. I've been trained. I do know how.

I also know that every time I sew bad things happen. This ranges from the machine breaking in some fashion or another, to mistakes cutting out pieces backward, to a number of terrible stresses and interruptions ranging from minor nuisance to major headache and tears.The last time I sewed, I made PJs for Christmas about three years ago... it was such a disaster (the project was complete, but it was gigantically stressful), I promised my husband I would NEVER sew again and he actually dismantled the machine and is now using the parts for one of his experiments.

I enjoy 90% of the things I do in life. I love to be productive. I love to create "finished works," and I enjoy most domestic arts (cooking, baking, most chores, crafts, some gardening, and even "minor sewing" like handwork and making hairbows), but I do NOT like sewing clothes. In fact, apart from "truly bad days" when something of a serious nature happened (like a car accident or serious emergency or concern), I consider sewing to be the fastest way to ruin a perfectly good day.

So, as my daughter pushes and prods, "Mom, please try." How do I tell her I have tried, and this just "isn't my thing." And, how do I teach her that there will be things like that in her life that she can "live without" and doesn't need to master if it "isn't her thing," but there are other things like reading, writing, and arithmetic, where giving up is unacceptable. What do you think?

Written by Kristina Light

Find Your Stock Up Price

Sara Keenan — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 22:23:28 GMT

One secret to savvy shopping is knowing when to really stock up on something. Your "stock up price" for an item should be that magic price at which you will buy enough to last you for a while. You want to wait for the price to hit rock bottom, but it's hard to know when that is happening if you don't do your homework. So here are some tips on how to decide when to buy and when to pass. (Because there is nothing worse than stocking up on a product only to see it on sale for cheaper two weeks later).

First, you don't have to have a spreadsheet of prices for everything in your pantry. I would pick a few of the products that your family uses the most and start with those. First look at what you've been spending on those products and get a general idea of what the average price is. Next watch the sale ads for special prices on those items, making a note of the lowest prices you see over the course of a month or two. You should see a pattern and be able to identify what the true "rock bottom" price for that product is. For some products you will want to factor in coupons, as well. Finding your stock up price doesn't mean that you will only buy the product when it hits that price, it just means that when it DOES, you will consider buying extra to save in your stockpile.

For example, my stock up price for toothpaste is $0.00...because I know that there will be times where I will be able to get toothpaste for FREE with a sale plus coupons. I still do occasionally buy toothpaste...usually I try not to spend more than $.25-$.50 on a tube. But I don't buy 3-4 tubes unless I'm getting it for free!

My stock up price for Diet Coke 12 packs is $2.50/pack. I have learned that it is VERY rare for Coke 12 packs to be priced less than this. Since the regular price is more than $4/pack, when the price hits $2.50 I buy up as many as I can find so I don't get stuck paying regular price when I run out!

Bottom line is do your homework so that when you buy 12 boxes of cereal at Hy Vee this week, you know that you are getting the very best price on them!

Dance Classes and Leotards

James Wilcox — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

I have known this day was coming for about three-and-a-half years now, but I still wasn’t prepared when it finally arrived. As the father of two young sons, I was prepared for the start of football, baseball, basketball, soccer, and Cub Scouts (although chess club and piano kind of took me by surprise). I was eager for my boys to start all of these sports and for them to join scouting. Heck, I looked forward to it almost from the day they were born.

Since the birth of my daughter three-and-a-half years ago, I have been dreading the start of dance classes. Now don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against dance in and of itself. It just isn’t really my thing. I don’t dance (shocking, I know) and I don’t really enjoy watching dance programs. Now, I know what you are thinking: this isn’t about me, it is about my daughter. Honestly, I think she will love taking dance classes (she dances all through the house as it is), she will love dressing up in the costumes, and she will probably do well. What it boils down to is that I am not looking forward to taking her back and forth from class, shelling out the dough for the costumes, and spending my Saturdays trapped at dance recitals.

Although I supported the decision to go ahead and get her started in dance, I am starting to regret my decision. Really, I want to be supportive of my daughter and I want her to get involved in activities she is interested in. I just am not sure how to get involved in this one. I know how to get involved in my boys’ activities, I can help them get better, I can answer their questions, and I can be there for them. I don’t have a clue about dance though. How do I get involved here? How do I help my daughter? I don’t have the foggiest idea.

My wife signed my daughter up for dance classes this week and they start in a couple of weeks. With only two weeks to prepare, I ask: how do dads get involved in our daughter’s dance classes and how involved do we need to get? Frankly, I need some help here.

Grade Responsibility

Margaret Sarver — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 01:00:00 GMT

I was at a meeting earlier in the week for library volunteers at my girls’ school. During the meeting the principal was talking about privacy and the importance of keeping any student information we came across while in the library private. She also mentioned that the school was adjusting their rules for email so that it would be more private and that teachers would no longer be able to email parents their child’s grade. My first thought was, “Why would a teacher email a grade? Isn’t that what grade cards are all about?” So I asked some people about it. Turns out parents want to know what a child got on tests and assignments rather than waiting for the grade card. Keep in mind, my older is starting 3^rd grade, so up until now, grades haven’t been that big of a concern.

I thought back to when I was in school. After taking a test, it would come home and my parents would ask about how I did on the test or with a big project or assignment. Other than that, my parents didn’t regularly check in to see what my grades were. That was left up to me-to make sure I was completing my work and studying.

Here is my question-Do we as parents need to know every grade our child gets or is that micromanaging? Should that be more of the responsibility of the child and the parent is there to offer support and guidance? I’m curious to know as I enter into that phase of school.

Posted by Margaret Sarver

Our Journey to Financial Freedom - Part I

Tracie Fobes — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

This morning, I becan to recall about how my husband and I have been working so hard on becoming financially stable over the past 30 months. I recalled where we had been, what we’ve accomplished thus far as well as where we have yet to go. It made me remember how encouraging it was to read stories about real people – just like my husband and I – and what they had accomplished. In doing so, I realized that it was my turn to give back in this same way and share the story of our journey.

In November 2007, we purchased The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. We were so excited about what we hoped we could accomplish, that we read all of the books and watched the movies in less than a week. Then, we sat down with our worksheets in hand and got dove in with both feet.

The first step was to have a $1000 emergency fund. Well, that was no problem for us, as between some investments and our savings account, we had more than that in the bank. So immediately, we said “Check! Step 1 done!” We thought – wow – this is pretty easy. Then, began Step 2 – The Debt Snowball. At that moment, the sense of ease immediately disappeared.

Once we began to list out all of our debts (outside of our home), we got a sick feeling in our stomachs. As we pulled out each of the bills and listed the total due, we couldn’t believe that we had allowed ourselves to accrue this much debt – over $37,000. We knew that we had a bit, but not this much.

This mean it was time to do what we could to knock out our debts. We listed them in order of the least owed to the greatest amount owed (which was our minivan) and what we could do to eliminate as much as possible – as quickly as we could.

The first thing we did was to liquidate our investment and reduce our savings account down to $1000 – total. This was difficult to do. We had worked hard to build up those funds. However, when we thought about it – what sense did it make for us to have this money saved up – but still have debt? We were paying interest that we didn’t need to. So, once we came to terms with parting with our money, we immediately paid off a couple of bills and paid down others.

Since getting a part time job wasn’t going to work for either of us, we decided that we had to try to sell what we could. It is amazing how much “stuff” you accrue in your house. Things that mean nothing – they were that – things. So, we began to list items on craigslist and sold off a lot of items. My husband, who is an avid hunter, even sold a couple of his guns. All of this money was immediately applied towards our debt.

Although we paid off a few bills and reduced our overall debt in a relatively quick period of time, we felt that it wasn’t good enough. We knew we could do more. Enter – readjusting our budget by scaling back where we could.

We carefully reviewed every single line item, trying to see what we could do to shave money off our monthly obligations. Nothing could budge……except our discretionary spending. I took a long hard look at what we were spending at the grocery and various retail stores for our then, family of 4. I knew that I could do SOMETHING to make a change. But what? How could I save money?

Thus, my research and quest to save money on our grocery bills began………….(to be continued next week).

I Can't Believe I Wasn't the Last to Know!

Lizz Welter — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 06:00:00 GMT

A few months ago, Amy Hilbrich Davis of Inspiring Moms, mentioned Groupon to me while I interviewed her for an article. I'm glad she did.

Earlier this summer, I signed up for Groupon. I started receiving emails of their daily deals. One day the deal was for a restaurant on the Plaza. I paid $15 for a $30 gift certificate. The certificate didn't expire for six months so I figured we'd squeeze at least one date night in before then.

Yesterday was our anniversary. As we discussed what we might do, I remembered the deal I'd purchased. I printed it off and we headed out to dinner. We had a nice dinner all while sitting outside on a beautiful night. It was so nice to feel like we'd planned ahead a bit for our special night even though we hadn't purposefully done so.

I currently also have two different $20 gift certificates to U.S.Toy that I purchased for $10 each. I'm planning on using them for Christmas gifts for my kiddos.

I'd thought about mentioning this web site a while back, but then I figured most people knew about it since I'm rarely the first to jump on anything. Then, not long ago, Money Saving Mom posted about Groupon and how she'd recently joined. If you don't read Money Saving Mom, you're missing out on some fabulous money saving ideas!

Anyways, I decided if she had just joined, there might be other people who don't know about Groupon. Well, now you know. Go to Groupon.com to sign up and you'll likely soon be taking advantage of deals to help you save money.

But, before you head over to the site, please tell me ways you save money. Perhaps you have a trick that you assume everyone knows about, please share! The things that are old news to you might just be new to someone else.

After you do that, feel free to get your "group on!" (Sorry, I just couldn't resist!)

Creating Successful Drop-Offs

Marisa Frymire — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

Depending on the age of your children, either you are in the stage where dropping them off can be a challenge, or you have successfully made it through and are glad to see those days behind you! Knowing the right things to do to make a drop-off (whether at grandma’s house, daycare, or a friend) a success is only half the battle; actually choosing to do those things and not be swayed by your emotion in the moment is the other side of the coin.

This is actually something I did not think I would ever struggle with. I have a background in Early Childhood Education, so I understand how children think, process, and (yes, believe it or not) manipulate situations to get what they want. I’ve also taught preschool and coached many parents through those difficult moments.

And then I had my own child. Who had her own tears and emotions. And a strong attachment to Mommy, especially at the sight of being dropped off with someone else. And this pulled at my heart (even though I knew better), and it was then that I had to remind myself of how to get through those moments.

First, talk to your spouse so you’re both on the same page about what drop-offs will look like. If Dad gives a quick high-five and Mom hugs and kisses for ten minutes, this could cause some confusion. Agree on something quick and consistent, and both of you stick with the plan.

Second, always tell your child good-bye, even if it does cause some tears. You might think this seems counterproductive, but the long-term benefits are much healthier and secure for your child than just sneaking out the back door when they’re not looking. Always saying good-bye gives them security – that Mom or Dad is not just going to disappear one minute when they aren’t looking. Tell your child good-bye, assure him you’ll be back, and get moving.

Third, check your emotions at the door. Basically, resist the urge to cry and be sad with your child who appears to be melting down before your very eyes. This only makes them feel more insecure about who you are leaving them with. They will take their cues from you. If you act confident and comfortable, they will most likely adapt quickly and feel safe with who is taking care of them.

In summary:

Have a mutual plan with your spouse and stick with it.
Tell your child good-bye instead of pulling a magician’s disappearing act (and then get going).
Act confident and comfortable with the caregiver you are leaving your child with.

Date Night in a Minivan

Kristina Light — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

My husband and I are always looking for new date night ideas, so I thought I'd compose a list of our favorites and hope readers would share their favorites so we can collect new ideas:

Murder Mystery Dinner Theater. Recently, we enjoyed an interactive murder mystery dinner theater with the Mystery Train of Kansas City (review here). This is a fun and novel date night activity. Best of all, you focus on solving the mystery and forget about diapers.
Comedy City. Comedy City is Kansas City's original Improv Comedy troupe. The shows are clean, but fun! The audience gives suggestions to the actors as they perform one-of-a-kind shows. Laughter is a great stress buster and one of our favorite dates.
Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The Nelson is open till 9pm on Thursdays and Fridays. We love to explore the galleries and talk about our favorite and least favorite pieces (often his favorites are my least favorite and vice versa). If you double with other couples, you could even take a scavenger hunt as you explore the galleries.
Ethnic Restaurants. We love to try new foods and visit ethnic restaurants in Kansas City. Some of our favorites are on this list.
Learn new things. Over the years, we've taken cooking classes together at Williams-Sonoma on the Plaza (the instructors are chefs from our favorite Plaza restaurants), oil painting lessons, hot air balloon flying lessons, and more through great community education offered at local shops and colleges. Check this guide for great Community Education resources in Kansas City.

What are your favorite date night ideas? We're always looking for new inspiration!

Written by Kristina Light

Dinnertime Dilemma

Sara Keenan — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 19:55:41 GMT

A few weeks ago I went back to work full time. I also (for some reason unknown to me) decided at that time to re-join Weight Watchers to lose these 10 pounds that crept on in the last two years. What has resulted is a major dinnertime dilemma in our house. You see, there are four aspects to dinner...taste, cost, healthiness, and ease of preparation. Unfortunately, I have realized that you can't have all four! And really, getting three checked off that list isn't easy, either. For example...I can get home from a long day at work and pop a frozen pizza in the oven...is it cheap? Yes. Is it fast? Yes. Is it tasty? Perhaps. Is it healthy? Definitely not. Or, I can come home and create a beautiful salad with 6 different vegetables, grilled shrimp, and homemade vinaigrette. Tasty and Healthy, yes. Cheap and Easy, no. I feel like I'm dealing with a constant balancing act. The last thing I want to do when I get home is spend an hour cooking dinner, but I feel like the easiest things are not things that work with Weight Watchers or the budget. The element that gets left out most often right now, unfortunately, is taste. It just is so much easier to make a turkey sandwich than to deal with it all. Sorry, hubby!!

So how does it work in your house? Have you found any "go-to" meals that get high marks in all four categories? The closest I have come is spaghetti with whole grain pasta...cheap, tasty, easy, and (somewhat) healthy. But you can't eat spaghetti every night!!

Motivated By Money

James Wilcox — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Although they did not know it until recently, I have given each of my children a weekly allowance. Since the day they were born, I have put five dollars a week into their savings accounts. I know this isn’t much, but I wanted to put a little something away for them and I wanted to get in the habit of budgeting in their allowances before I actually had to lay down the cold, hard cash. Now that my children are older, my wife and I have started giving them their allowance, although I still stick something into their savings account each week.

At nine and seven, my two boys are starting to figure out the power of money. They have also figured out that mom and dad will not buy them a toy or a pack of Pokemon cards every time we go to Target. This is where their allowances have come into play. Overcome with the desire to expand their card and/or toy collections, they decided that they should be able to use their allowance for this purpose, quite reasonably I might add (this is when I had to start slapping down the cash rather than just sticking it in the bank.)

Now that the kids are old enough to receive their allowance in cash, they actually have to earn it. They earn their allowance by completing their assigned chores each week. If they forget to do a chore, then I deduct part of their allowance. Although this “system” seems perfectly rational, a problem has arisen. When I started handing the allowances in cash, I decided to give it to the kids in quarters. Why quarters you ask? Well, I decided on quarters so that I could easily deduct my “fee” for forgotten chores. I give my kids their allowances on Friday and then for the rest of the week, I take a quarter, maybe even two, for each forgotten chore or task. The unforeseen consequence of this is that my boys have become obsessed with their quarters. Every time they lose a quarter, they cry, they complain, and truly become upset because they are losing their money. The money has become the main focus of this endeavor, not the learning of responsibility.

Now, I don’t want my children to become obsessed with money. I want them to realize that money is a tool, a means to an end, not the end itself. Money is important, but it is not the most important thing in their lives. So I ask you, should I use money as a motivator? Should I come up with another consequence for forgotten chores and if so what? If I come up with another consequence, what do I do about the allowance? I really am at a loss here. My boys care about money, so it seemed logical to use the quarters as a consequence, but now that they are becoming “quarter crazed”, I am not so sure.

Get All of the On-Line Offers While Keeping Your Personal Data Protected

Tracie Fobes — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 07:00:00 GMT

It seems lately that more and more companies are joining the printable coupon or Facebook freebie bandwagon. I have seen comments that people state “Ugh – they want to access my personal information” or “ I didn’t want to download that application.” Well, it is simple to get the coupons you want, but keep your personal information safe – both at the same time! Here are some tips that can keep you safe when getting those coupons:

Keep Your Name Information Minimal. Unless you are a Facebook addict (like me), you may not even HAVE an account. You can set one up and only use minimal data. For example, if your name is Susie Ann Smith, you can set up your Facebook page as S.A. Smith. You don’t have to divulge much information – no picture – no other data (unless you want to). Keep in mind that you may need to provide your mailing information to some companies in order to get the offer – but most just let you print directly from Facebook.

Block Yourself from Searches. This is a good one no matter what your Facebook knowledge. You can keep anyone from finding you (although you can find them), by blocking your profile from being made public. The steps to do this are VERY simple:

Click on Account and then Click on Privacy Settings
Click on View Settings (under Basic Directory Information)
Change your settings to be only me, friends – or whatever makes you most comfortable

Then, you can also remove yourself from public searches as well. This is also very simple to do:

In your account, click on Privacy Settings
Scroll down towards the bottom of the page and look for applications and websites – edit your settings.
Scroll down to Public Serach – and make sure this is turned off.

Remove applications after you get your coupon. Many times, you have to download an application in order to access a coupon, but you really don’t WANT the application in your account. It is very simple to remove these.

Click on Account and then click on Application Settings.
Go through and click the “X” at the end of the row to remove the application from your page. Doing so will disallow them access to your page or any profile information.

Set up a secondary email account. When you have to fill out a form to register for a coupon on-line, always use a secondary email account – like hotmail.com or gmail.com. You can also normally use only a first intial with your last name, but your mailing address will need to be yours. When they ask for a date of birth, this is usually confirm that you are at least 13 years old, but it can also be so that they can send you something on your birthday. I am an honest person, so I can not tell you not to use your own birthday, that is up to you to fudge on this one or not.

So hopefully you can now access all of the great coupons and offers that are on-line, but still feel safe and confident that your personal information is protected!