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Hunting for a good life insurance policy

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So my husband and I have been talking this evening about how we do not have life insurance. It’s not like we do anything dangerous like stunt driving or jumping from airplanes or anything, but maybe it would be a good idea to have life insurance.

So … I’m starting to look into some policies and from what I can tell it looks like I’m most interested in trying to find the best term life insurance premiums. Hopefully I can find some policies with decent prices. My husband and I don’t have a lot of spare cash these days so we don’t even know if we can afford something like life insurance … so we’ll have to see what happens.

Using coupons to save money while shopping online

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If you’re like me you’re always looking for deals and just about any way to save money while still getting the quality product that you want to purchase. Am I right?

It’s hard not to be like that when the economy has been so bad for the last few years. Even in good times it’s a good idea to watch for deals and to conserve your money.

I’m always watching for coupons online or in flyers that come to my door so that when I go out shopping I can use them to get the best deals. Likewise, I do the same when I shop online. If I know I’m shopping online at a particular store I often do a search for coupon codes to see if I can find some deals on the products that I’m looking to buy. I just recently came across a website that offers walmart coupons. I’m sure I’ll put those to use at some point in the near future.

Do you shop around for bargains and deals? Do you use coupons when you shop in stores or online? What else do you do to try to save money?

Thinking of changing car insurance companies

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Last August we bought a new, well a new used car, and as a result our monthly insurance payments changed with our insurance company. I guess that’s natural since the car changed …

However, given that our old car and our new used car were similar cars – four door sedans, small cars – nothing flashy – I figured that the insurance rates would be pretty much the same. Well, I figured wrong. The new cars insurance rate is quite a bit more than the old cars and I really don’t think it should be. In fact, our insurance company told us that our insurance would be going down in January when the contract renewed but that doesn’t really reflect in the paperwork they just sent us … so I’m seriously thinking of contacting this place for a cheap car insurance quote and looking into changing car insurance companies.

Does anyone know of any good, respectable yet inexpensive car insurance companies in the Toronto area?

Our home finances just got a little better

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Earlier this week I finally got a much needed financial break. A bill came in on Monday and it’s a new bill that we’re just getting used to paying … it was over $100 less than I’d estimated that it would be. Yah!

It’s actually our car payment. We took the money out of our line of credit to pay for our used car, so that’s one of the reasons why I wasn’t exactly sure how much the monthly bill would be as it has a variable interest rate and this is the first month that we’re paying the full amount.

My husband and I are also in the midst of quitting smoking! My husband isn’t a very heavy smoker and he’s been able to just stop, but I’m doing it a little more slowly with medication. Anyway … I think by the end of the month this will be a smoke free house. So that means that we’ll have LOTS of extra money.

Well not really. We should put that extra money down on things like the car payment I was talking about above, or the mortgage etc. Of course … it would be nice to take a winter vacation for once. I haven’t done that for years! Naturally, if we did take a winter vacation we’d have to be on the look out for cheap life insurance as I never travel abroad without getting insurance. Health insurance too.

Anyway, it’s very nice that one bill that I thought was going be quite large is less than I had expected, and if my husband and I stick to our guns we’ll be non-smokers by the end of the month as well … so both our health and financial picture will look a lot better by November.

Knocking on wood now … hoping nothing else in our house suddenly breaks down ….

Working from home

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I’ve been trying to think up new ways to bring in some income. I’m stuck at home on medical leave so I don’t have a regular salary (nor any kind of sick pay).

The main way I make money these days is via my various blogs and websites. Namely in private advertising. However I’ve been trying to think of other ways to start earning a steady income – perhaps some kind of home based business but I don’t know what that would be just yet.

I’ve actually thought about turning my love of gardening into a business. Maybe I could sell plants/ seedlings?

I also enjoy photography and I’ve sold some of my photos on line in the past. Perhaps I could sell copies of my pictures online via eBay. I could frame them and come up with a variety of matte backgrounds for them.

I don’t know, I’m stumped. I guess until I decide what I really want to do and come up with a plan a home based business won’t be happening.

Anyone have some suggestions?

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