In late June President Obama signed into law the “Car Allowance Rebate System” or (CARS) or as it’s also known: “Cash for Clunkers.” This is a program that encourages people to trade in their cars for more efficient models.  It also helps to stimulate the economy (similar to the first time home buyer tax credit) at a time when car sales are lagging. The program runs from July 1st through November 1st 2009. Cars traded in during that time could be eligible for a credit of either $3,500 or $4,500 depending on the car and the increase in mileage the new vehicle provides.

Today, I received an email from the California Society of CPAs that provides a lot of valuable information in regards to the steps consumers can take to participate in the new program:

If you’re eager to get rid of some of your unwanted items/wedding gifts/whatever, Amazon is one of many companies that will allow you to hold an online tag sale. One way to do this is to sell directly on Amazon.com, but another option, particularly if your items are books, videos, music, or video games, is to use Amazon’s Easy Sell with Fulfillment by Amazon. The programs are quite different from one another.

When you sell directly on Amazon.com, you will be notified when an item has sold, but you have to mail it yourself.  The company gives you a $3.99 shipping credit and takes a small fee. This is the option to choose if you’re really looking to make money, though it takes more time because you need to pack and ship the item yourself, which can be a pain if you are selling a large amount of items.

I recently found a great high-yield savings account. United Federal Credit Union has introduced a 6.01% APY Interest Plus Checking account on balances up to $25,000 for qualifying members. The rate is guaranteed “until at least 2010,” and the account also includes “free ATMs nationwide.”

Unfortunately, I don’t qualify for this credit union. I can’t become a member based on this list, nobody in my family is a member, and I don’t do business in their geographic area on a regular basis.

Campbell Norwood has written a book that will be of great interest to our Wallet Blog “Deals” readers. Titled Recession $urvival Guide: Low-Cost and No-Cost Strategies to Spend Less, Save More!, her book is full of low- and no-cost opportunities for stretching one’s household budget.

“I wrote the Recession $urvival Guide from the perspective of knowing that there are a lot of families in our area, and around the US, who have never dealt with economic recession. They’re scrambling, embarrassed, and don’t know what to do,” Norwood said. “My goal is that readers will be empowered to make no-cost and low-cost changes.”

The Senate’s “Cash for Clunkers” bill passed Thursday, as an addenda to the war-spending bill. It was approved by the House last week. The bill allows for trade-in vouchers of up to $4,500 for owners of gas guzzlers who want to buy or lease a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle.   If signed into law by President Obama, the program is likely to go into effect in August.

Called “Handouts for Hummers” by critics, the program is less green than advocates had hoped, and will not do an extraordinary amount to limit the United States’ dependence on foreign oil. Car owners could get a $3,500 voucher for trading in an under-18 m.p.g car for one that gets at least 22 m.p.g., or $4,500 if the new car gets 10 m.p.g. higher than their existing vehicle. Truck, minivan, and SUV owners will receive a $3,500 voucher for buying a similar new vehicle that gets at least 2 m.p.g. higher; that voucher will increase to $4,500 if the new truck/van/SUV gets at least 5 m.p.g. higher than their existing vehicle.

ENERGY STAR is a government program to help encourage energy efficiency while reducing harmful greenhouse gases. Products stamped with the ENERGY STAR logo meet strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and the US Department of Energy. But you might not know that when you purchase ENERGY STAR-compliant products, you might also save a bundle of money, in the form of tax credits and deductions, and rebates from the ENERGY STAR partner corporations.

ENERGY STAR offers tax credits to consumers who make qualifying home improvements or purchase electric, hybrid, or other alternatively fueled automobiles. It also offers tax credits for home builders and tax deductions for energy efficient commercial buildings.  

Staycations are all the rage right now, and it’s no wonder: for a fraction of the cost required to go away this summer, you (and your nearest and dearest) can have a dynamite week at home! Here are my suggestions, under the subheads of On the Cheap, Party Fun, and Splurge a Bit, that will make you feel so happy that once you’re back to work, people will be envious of your new relaxed glow.

ON THE CHEAP

On May 21, the House Energy and Commerce Committee formally adopted a White House / Congress compromise that includes a “Cash for Clunkers” amendment within the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) Act. The amendment is designed to cut greenhouse-gas emissions while stimulating auto sales.

If ACES becomes law, the program will be authorized for up to one year and provide for approximately one million new car or truck purchases. ’Cash for Clunkers’ would offer vouchers worth $3,500-$4,500 to people who trade in old gas-guzzlers for new cars and trucks. Car buyers would receive a $3,500 cash voucher for trading in any vehicle that earns less than 19 mpg and purchasing one that gets at least 22 mpg. If the new car gets more than 10 mpg better than the old one, the cash voucher would rise to $4,500.

As the temperature rises, so do energy bills. Here are some simple tips that will help you limit your energy costs this summer.

DIY Energy Audits: No need to hire an expert for this one. Visit the Department of Energy’s Web site  and do a critical walk-through of the energy demons in your home.

Looking for a checking account that handsomely pays you back? Focus Bank of Missouri and Arkansas is offering a “MAXimum Free Checking Account” with no monthly service charges, no minimum balance requirements, and no direct deposit required.

Balances up to $25,000 earn a whopping 4.51% Annual Percentage Yield (APY). MAXimum Free Checking account holders also enjoy ATM fee refunds up to $25 per statement cycle, free wallet-style checks, free ATM/debit card, free 24-hour telephone banking, free online banking, free bill pay (with eStatement sign-up), and free direct deposit/automatic drafts. Additionally, qualified customers receive a $500 overdraft privilege, though if you’re earning 4.51% APY, I’d say that it behooves you to maintain the largest account balance possible.

Are you interested in saving money, while promoting your local economy and eating delicious, even organic food? Me, too. I’ve found a way that my family will get garden-fresh organic produce for half of what I spend at the  grocery store for non-organic fruits, veggies, and herbs. The answer? Purchasing a CSA FarmShare. Read on…

Look: I’m no hippie and I wear leather shoes – this was a purely economic and gastronomic decision. I want to eat good food that hasn’t traveled across the country to get to me, because when you can buy strawberries in Massachusetts in March, that’s a pretty good sign that they’re non-native.  As such, my requirements were stringent:  I needed local, weekly pickups of a box of food manageable to the size of my small family.

Term life insurance is temporary protection for people with limited budgets. You can get a great deal of coverage for a relatively low premium rate. It’s particularly appropriate for situations where your beneficiaries would need additional help – say, to pay off a loan or provide for the needs of your children – in the event of your death.

My husband and I signed up for term life insurance upon the birth of our first child and that was pretty much the first day I ever felt like a grown-up. He’d just quit smoking and I hadn’t lost my baby weight yet, so our rates were higher than I expected but worthwhile for the million bucks he or I would get if the other partner kicked the bucket.

I’m crazy about books. Certifiably crazy. So when I realized I hadn’t completed my six-volume set of William Blake: The Illuminated Books, I feverishly scoured ABE Books and Amazon for the best book vendors for the cost. The winner was a bookseller in London, so I went to their secured Web site, entered my credit card number, and then squealed delightedly when book six of six arrived on my doorstep.

Imagine my surprise when I got my credit card bill that month and learned that my bargain shopping came with a 3-percent foreign transaction fee!

Are you one of the shoppers out on December 24  every year, grabbing whatever you can to assuage your loved ones’ needs for heartfelt gifts? Yes? Then it’s quite possible that you’re paying too much!

Retailers generally follow a sales schedule that stays the same every year. If you can adjust your shopping schedule to a year-round approach, found at the end of this article, I guarantee you will save money.

If the same 25 songs keep showing up in your iTunes randomizer, then it might be time for some new downloads. But who wants to spend money on music when you can buy more important things, like lunch or car insurance or a new hat for pending trips to the beach?

Don’t fret – this intrepid reporter has unearthed a link that connects you to 775 (ok, 774) mp3 files. That’s hours and hours of music. Best of all, the recording industry won’t come after you for illicit downloading, because these are all licensed, legal, and FREE!

Looking for some free money? Ask and you shall receive! Wainwright Bank (of Boston, MA) is offering a free $200 savings bond to new customers who open a Value Checking account with Direct Deposit. You do not have to be a Massachusetts resident to apply, and you can complete your application online.

The skinny: You only need ten dollars for an opening minimum balance, but Wainwright bank requires that you have a $500 minimum balance to avoid a $6 monthly service charge. If you link your account to Direct Deposit, though, the account is “free with no minimum balance required and unlimited check writing.”

I always purchase my tax-prep software the day it hits the shelves, and then I don’t file until about three minutes before the April 15 deadline. It’s a tradition, like wrapping gifts on Christmas Eve or overeating during the Super Bowl.

In any case, I know I’m more fortunate than a lot of folks out there who can’t do their taxes on their own, or those who need answers and additional help on their basic returns. If you’re lower-to-middle income, or above age 60, or an active member of our great military (or a family member of an active military member), there are places you can turn to get FREE help with tax preparation.