Saving money in your household finances needs to be a top priority, especially when you consider the difficult economy in which we are living. Every dollar and every cent counts and so does every one that you can save. There are many ways that you can stretch the hard earned cash in your household to make it last longer and work harder. Here we zero in on the top six money saving tips for your household that you can start doing not tomorrow, next week, or next month,  but today!

1. Pay your credit cards off in full every month. The interest you will pay if you carry a balance from month to month is astronomical and not something you even want to think about! Okay, maybe thinking about it for a minute is essential to driving the point home. Consider the fact that a $1,000 balance that is being charged at 18 % will cost you approximately $200 a year in interest charges. Wouldn’t you rather keep that $200 in your bank account? When you use them pay them off- completely!

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me…eight things to know about gift cards this holiday season. Sure, you might have been expecting some milk maids or something, but with gift cards firmly entrenched as the most popular type of holiday present and the U.S. agriculture industry not what it once was, you might find this more useful. So gather together your swans, geese, golden rings, calling birds, French hens and turtle doves; get that partridge out of the pear tree; and settle in to learn everything you need to know about getting better gifts this year

1.  Last year’s leftovers are still valuable
It’s not just you; all of us in general don’t even come close to using all of the gift cards we receive each year. In fact, a quarter of U.S. adults have at least one gift card left over from last year, and 55% of them have more than two, according to a Consumer Reports Holiday Survey. The top three reasons people gave for not using their cards: not finding anything they want to buy, lack of time, and forgetfulness. It’s not too late to get value from old gift cards, however, as you can sell them for cash via an online gift card exchange.

By now, everyone knows what Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T have to offer in terms of standard data, texting and talk plans for the new iPhone 4S. But what about the niche aspects of major carriers’ iPhone offerings? Not every consumer is content with plain vanilla utility and many, in fact, require certain supplemental features. With that being said, we took a look at how the aforementioned networks differ in terms of international usage costs, mobile hotspots and how “Night & Weekend” minutes are classified.

Night & Weekend Minutes
In our previous article examining the iPhone 4S, we noted that the three carriers offered calling plans in terms of how many “Anytime” minutes they provided: 450, 900, or “Unlimited.” Obviously, if you opt for the unlimited anytime minutes, the number of “Night & Weekend” minutes you get or when in the day these minutes begin doesn’t matter, but the same cannot be said for those of you that choose the two other options. So let’s take a closer look at what they offer.

You’ve likely seen the Sprint commercial that shows phones from the four most prominent smartphone carriers—Sprint, Verizon, At&T and T-Mobile—racing up a chart, almost as if they are those mascots that race at sporting events, in order to display the differences in their data plans. And while it’s been around since about late July, this commercial might not have struck a chord with you until the October 4 announcement that Sprint would for the first time be carrying the iPhone. With the new iPhone 4S slated to hit stores tomorrow at 8 AM, many of you have a tough choice to make in terms of which network to get it on. So, how are you supposed to decide?

Obviously, people already under contract will stick with what they’ve got, but where you cell phone free agents end up depends on precisely how much texting, talking and e-mailing you plan to do. Each of the networks carrying the new iPhone—the aforementioned four, minus T-Mobile—offers plans at different price points, and figuring out your usage habits ahead of time is the best way to get the coverage you need without incurring extraneous costs. To help in this endeavor, we took a look at the best carriers for different types of smartphone consumers:

If you looked at your child’s back-to-school checklist and wondered how in the world you’d pay for everything on it, don’t worry, you’re not alone. About one out of every five Americans feels stressed about back-to-school shopping this year, according to a survey conducted by Chase, and 25% plan to spend less on school supplies this year than they did last year. What’s more, 34% of people intend to save on back-to-school shopping by re-using old supplies, while 26% plan to clip coupons and 25% say they’ll shop at discount stores. Those are all great ideas, which can lead to big savings. But why not throw the right rewards credit card into the mix and save up to another 6%?

As we all know, rewards credit cards often offer particularly high rewards on particular spending categories. And since the Island Approach to spending advocates having a few different rewards credit cards that complement each other and help you save on your biggest expenses, both your credit card arsenal and your back-to-school budget could benefit from the addition of a card with particularly attractive grocery and department store rewards or a card offering rewards at a mega-store where you can buy practically everything or a card that helps you save on office supplies.

As my three young kids gear up for the upcoming school year, it has me thinking of all the ways my wife and I save money on back-to-school shopping every year. Purchases like pencils, pens, notebooks, backpacks, clothing, shoes, electronics, books, you get the point! According to the National Retail Federation, the average American family is expected to spend on average $606.40 on clothes, shoes, supplies and electronics this year. This number is mind boggling to me. My wife and I spend way under half of that number. Hopefully these tips can keep you way below that number as well.

Shop at Discount Stores – We are talking about cheap stuff. Things like 4 glue sticks for a $1, .25 cent folders, and $3 notebooks. The brands are typically high quality and include Elmer’s, Mead, and Bic. The stores I am referring to include stores like Big Lots, Walmart, and The Dollar Store. They are must stops for school supplies like pens, pencils, notebooks, backpacks, and file folders. They have major bargains on back-to-school stuff starting in mid July running through September. They typically have better deals on school supplies than Target, and a lot better than stores like Office Depot and Office Max.

Consumers have shown an obvious affinity for Groupon and its hundreds of copycats, but lost amidst their buzz is the notion that daily deals as we currently know them might not be the end-game for targeted local consumer marketing. The recent announcement of a partnership between American Express and Facebook to create “Link, Like, Love,” a deal-driven spending platform which takes advantage of the credit card company’s extensive customer base and purchase tracking capabilities as well as the social media giant’s unique reach into the lives of consumers, highlights the potential credit card companies have to change the game significantly. But, in the end, do credit card companies really have what it takes to be Groupon killers?

On Tuesday, American Express and Facebook launched Link, Like, Love and immediately became a serious contender to popular daily deal providers like Groupon and Living Social. The joint partnership allows consumers to link their American Express credit cards to their Facebook accounts and immediately access a virtual treasure trove of deals from leading national retailers and travel providers, including H&M, Dunkin’ Donuts, Sports Authority, Sheraton, Westin, Celebrity Cruises and Travelocity. Small businesses can also load their own deals through the service’s self-serve feature. Consumers simply select deals to load onto their Amex accounts, purchase the goods or services advertised, and automatically receive a statement credit.

Feel bad about missing the British Airways offer for two free round-trip international flights a few months back? Well, here’s a chance to make up for it. Southwest Airlines recently announced a limited-time deal whereby consumers can score two free roundtrip flights simply by opening the Southwest Airlines Credit Card and making a single purchase.

Think that sounds too good to be true? Let’s take a closer look at the terms of this deal and see whether you are really free to move about the country with this credit card.

Oh how quickly things change. For years, the American Express Blue Cash was my credit card of choice. It offered 1% cash back on gas and groceries and 0.5% on all other purchases up to $6,500 in annual spending, but that’s not what made it so impressive. After $6,500, bonus cash back terms kicked in, taking the base cash back rate to 1.5% and the gas-and-groceries rate to an impressive 5%. Needless to say, the Blue Cash was hard to beat…at least until something in the market changed and the Blue Cash lost its appeal.

You see, other products emerged that had rewards structures able to not only compete with the Blue Cash’s earning rate but also beat this once-dominant spending vehicle in terms of rewards earning simplicity. There’s the Bank of America Accelerated Cash Rewards Card, which offers 1.25% on all purchases; the Capital One No Hassle Cash Rewards Card, with 2% on gas and groceries and 1% else; the Chase Freedom Visa, with up to 5% cash back on rotating spending categories; and last but not least the Capital One Venture Rewards card, which is basically a 2% cash back credit card when miles are redeemed for any travel-related purchase.

Personal finance software takes ideas from big business to help you save time and money. Chart s of accounts, tables, and graphs can help households better understand their cash’s inflows and outflows, but does that understanding lead to better decisions and ultimately savings? Often, knowing where your money goes can help you curb extra spending and save on expenses. If you’re not dealing with business-scale revenue and expenses though, how necessary are all of these software packages’ extra features? Do you really need three charts and a graph to tell you that you shouldn’t have spent $300 on ice cream last month? In the worst case scenario, you may find yourself spending more time and money than you save.

So, how can you guarantee that your personal finance software is paying dividends for you? Ultimately, you need to judge any software package by two criteria: price, and ease of use. Any software that comes recommended by anybody and that you are likely to come across is going to have the features you need, which are essentially expense tracking and categorizing, so what you need is to guarantee that you won’t lose more than you save in the process of using it.

In my opinion, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the best travel rewards credit cards on the market. After all, it’s essentially a 2% cash back card when miles are redeemed for any travel-related purchases charged on your card. This means that for every $10,000 you charge on this card, you earn 20,000 miles, which can in turn be redeemed for a $200 travel-related purchase. All you have to do is call Capital One, identify the purchase you wish to redeem your miles for, and that’s that. Needless to say, the Venture Card is my primary spending vehicle. And while I would be hard-pressed to replace it, there is one thing that could bring the Venture Card down: Capital One’s customer service.

This became readily apparent when my fiancé recently tried to redeem her miles for a plane ticket to Greece. This experience revealed a number of disturbing facts about Capital One’s customer service as well as the inner-workings of the Venture Rewards program.

The legendary king of late night TV Johnny Carson might have said it best years ago, “Happiness is your dentist telling you it won’t hurt and then having him catch his hand in the drill.”

Unfortunately, these days, the pain or thought of having a dentist drilling in our mouth with sharp instruments isn’t the only thing keeping us away from dental appointments.

Chase, in partnership with British Airways, recently announced a new travel rewards credit card for people with excellent credit that essentially provides any first-time Chase cardholder with two free roundtrip-transatlantic flights within the first three months of being open.

Consumers receive 50,000 bonus miles immediately upon making their first transaction with a British Airways Visa Signature Card and another 50,000 miles after spending $2,500 in the first three months. Each of these rewards bonuses can be redeemed for a World Traveler Economy class round-trip ticket from the U.S. to anywhere in the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany Ireland, Luxemburg, Switzerland and The Netherlands.

If you enjoy going to the movies, as I do, you may be aware that AMC Theatres is restructuring its rewards program.  While the replacement of the MovieWatchers program with the new AMC Stubs system is being billed as an improvement made in response to customer feedback, the jury is still out as far as I’m concerned.  Why?  Well, I’m not thrilled that I now have to pay $12 a year to belong to a movie theater rewards program.  Movies, at 10-plus dollars a pop, are expensive enough as it is; what am I getting for my extra $12?

Why don’t we compare and find out?

On March 9, Capital One began a promotion centered on its popular Venture Card that could ultimately result in thousands of customers easily doubling their airline miles, while also increasing the flexibility of their use.

As part of the Capital One Venture Card “Match My Miles” program, the financial giant has pledged to match as many as 100,000 already-earned airline miles for each consumer that opens a Venture Card until May 13 or one billion miles have been given out, whichever comes first. Consumers who do not currently have Capital One accounts will also receive 10,000 bonus miles if they spend at least $1,000 during the first three months their Venture Cards are open.

I recently took a trip to New Jersey, and for all the flack the state gets for things like MTV’s Jersey Shore, it does have a few things going for it, such as  produce, beautiful beach towns and, oddly enough, gas.  If you haven’t hit the pump in the Garden State you might not know this, but it’s a state law that gas station attendants must fill up your tank for you, free of charge.  You simply pull up to the pump, request a fuel type, sit back and wait.  It’s a gas luxury which most other states do not provide.  However, there are other ways that people from any state can make their gas purchases work for them, so no one gets completely shut out from the world of gas station luxury.

Last year, I decided to get an ExxonMobil MasterCard, and it was a great decision for both practical and financial reasons.  I typically spend $300 a month on gas, which is fairly average.  I simply go through that much gas each month and there’s nothing I can do about it because my work and the location of my home dictate the need for car travel.  I also cannot conveniently bargain hunt for gas prices because the only stations located on my usual routes of travel are ExxonMobil stations that have little cost disparity amongst them.

Here at Wallet Blog we strive to give you the best financial tips and suggestions possible. While we like to think we do a pretty good job of it ourselves, we are constantly inspired by our colleagues in the financial blogging world. So, in the spirit of camaraderie, today is the first of our links roundup, where we will periodically feature some of the best from our blogging buddies.

For our first roundup we’ve focused on the short and sweet – perfect for the financially curious seeking advice without the long-winded explanation. We’ve rounded up some great articles with tips for your financial future, all nicely packaged into pretty little lists. Now, if only finances were as easy as 1,2,3…

Today’s guest post is from the team at CouponSherpa.com.

A sweet coupon is tough to resist, but offers that appear too good to be true can be fraudulent. Coupons are easy to find and have become so popular that scammers regularly reared their ugly heads with sophisticated cons. With a little experience and the following nine tips, you can spot these con artists and avoid being taken for a ride.

Today’s guest post is from the team at FreeShipping.org

The lazy days of Summer may be in full swing, but bargain shoppers might want to consider a little break from the beach.  There are quite a few deals to be had for those willing to plan ahead on major purchases.  FreeShipping.org‘s “Best Time to Buy Guide” covers over 75 products and services, offering helpful tips on when to save the most money.  Knowing the best time to buy that new car, house or lawn mower could be the difference between saving hundreds if not thousands of dollars every year.  Read on for your best bets in July and August, use them wisely, then kick back with the knowledge that while temperatures may rise, your credit card bills don’t have to.

If you’ve had a kid recently, you’re probably torn between delight in your babykins and astonishment at the astronomical costs of childcare. Yeah, me too. Here are some tips for keeping at least part of your salary in your own pocket.

1) Neighborhood co-operative: If you have neighbors who are in the same boat, get everyone together to discuss ways you might be able to share the childcare burden. Taking one day off a week in exchange for two or three days of childcare can be a good deal. If you have even one neighbor who stays home with his/her kids, talk about whether they might be willing to accept a pittance in exchange for a morning/day/days of watching your own little one.

A couple of checking accounts that come with worthwhile incentives might be of interest to you: one offers tunes, the other, cash.

Florence Savings Bank has a “FreeTunes Checking” account with no minimum balance, no monthly fees, and nationwide ATM refunds. On top of those bonuses, FSB offers free iTunes® downloads at sign up and then monthly, so long as you maintain qualifying status. Pretty neat. The account is only available to those who live in Western Massachusetts, though.

According to TowerGroup, the gift card industry was worth $87 billion in 2009 alone. However, 6 percent of this huge figure – nearly $5 billion – was wasted due to gift cards that went unused. To help consumers take advantage of this five-billion-dollar untapped resource, CardHub.com is pleased to announce the launch of the Social Gift Card Exchange. This is the first gift card marketplace to cut out the middleman and provide a trustworthy environment for direct user-to-user interaction.

Card Hub brings a new level of innovation to the industry with its Social Gift Card Exchange that not only includes the primary functionality of other gift card depots, but also provides a platform for users to trade their gift cards directly with their friends, neighbors, colleagues, and trusted companies.

The only two sure things in life are death and taxes. We all know that April 15th is looming, so I thought I’d look at the other side of my opening truism. We’re all going to die, sure, but how can we encourage our survivors to make our own post-life existence as eco-friendly and “green” as possible? Will greener choices save money? And, let’s be real: what is the “ick” factor?

The only thing I knew about green funerals was what I saw on the last-season episode of “Six Feet Under.” One of the men who ran a family funeral home died, and his brother pushed the family to follow a greener, more eco-conscious funeral plan. The scene was awkward and a little more hands-on than appealed to me.

So, April 15 is right around the corner, and with it, the dreaded looming day to pay Uncle Sam. If you earned too much money last year and are looking for some ways to trim your tax bill now, as well as next year, look no further.

If you need a break now and have a few extra thousand dollars kicking around, now is a great time to invest that spare cash in a traditional IRA. Make a regular (NOT a rollover) contribution and see how it reduces your adjusted gross income. This will lower your tax bill across the board, though the maximum deduction is dependent upon your modified adjusted gross income total and also your filing status and cohabitation situation (where applicable).

I remember reading a profile of the now-dearly-departed Fred Rogers in Esquire magazine about 12 years ago. Mr. Rogers was looking up at a clock and commenting on how big it was, and wouldn’t it be nice if we would all wake up one morning and concentrate on doing something small, not big. Quiet, not loud.

Shortly after that, I heard the first rumors of a new-wave of cooking, called “slow food.” Italians had a festival celebrating the time-consuming recipes of their grandmothers; they held the festival outside a McDonald’s, as I recollect.