The way I do use social media, however, allows me to save money. Every few days, I check our neighborhood bakery’s Twitter account—I can earn a scone or a loaf of bread for stopping in and tweeting a message about their special offers. I also check Amazon’s tweets (@Amazondeals) for Gold Box flash deals.

Following companies on Twitter or Facebook is a simple way to earn discounts, score coupons, or hear about specials before the general public does. Retailers know that if they offer you nice enough incentives, you may also read their promotional posts. Not a bad trade.

If you’ve had a negative experience with a company, making contact on Twitter or Facebook is often a lightning-fast way to get its attention—and possibly get back money you’ve spent. A complaint you make over social media is instantly available for all to see. As a result, most companies will bend over backwards to resolve your issue quickly and publicly—often in a Twitter reply or Facebook comment.

For instance, I recently saw a Twitter exchange in which a restaurant apologized and offered a free meal to a customer who had complained about bad service. The unhappy customer was satisfied, and the restaurant’s followers got to see how much the company valued its customers.

And if a little friend-to-friend sharing over social media can help you save money toward a goal—like a new computer or your upcoming honeymoon—would you try it? SmartyPig lets users link their savings goals to their Facebook and Twitter accounts. Every time the user makes a deposit in the free SmartyPig account, it triggers a status post (sort of a public pat on the back). Through SmartyPig, friends and family can also make donations toward the user’s goal.

Money accumulated in a SmartyPig account earns interest and can eventually be transferred to a traditional savings or checking account, loaded onto a prepaid debit card, or redeemed for retailer gift cards that often come with a bonus reward of 10 percent more than the card’s original value.

All in all, these represent a few good reasons to dust off a neglected Twitter or Facebook account—with no pressure to post cute dog pictures or descriptions of what you ate at the hip new food cart.

Teri Cettina is a mom of two daughters and freelance writer who specializes in personal finance and parenting topics. She blogs at Your Family Money. Follow her on Twitter: @TeriCettina

If you’re a little squeamish about buying used clothes, toys, or household items, you’re not alone. However, savvy shoppers know that second-hand shopping is the bargain hunter’s secret weapon. Think about it: Once you buy a crockpot or sweater and use or wear it for a few months, it’s used. But you still like it, right? And pretty much every used item you buy is washable or fixable, so germs, dirt, and simple repairs needn’t be an issue. You’ll pay pennies on the dollar for a good-quality pre-owned item, so why not give it a try?

Here’s what you need to know to be a savvy second-hand or garage sale shopper:

Shop regularly and be open-minded. Unlike shopping for new items, you can’t go to a thrift store or garage sale with a shopping list and expect to walk out with exactly what you were looking for. Second-hand shopping is more serendipitous—you might just find some bargain-priced treasures you weren’t expecting. If you check in at your favorite thrift stores regularly, you’ll eventually check many things off your “need” list (black pants for yourself, a raincoat for your daughter, and so on). Just expect it to take a little time.

Keep a running list. Jot down sizes, favorite colors, gift ideas, and needs for everyone in your family. That way, if you find a great bike for your son at a garage sale, you know what wheel size he needs so you can buy it without worry. Ditto for clothing sizes.

Stick to a budget. It’s easy to get excited about one-of-a-kind finds and overstep your spending boundaries. Know what you can afford. If possible, shop with cash. When your wallet is empty, you’re done shopping.

Know your stores. Over time, you’ll learn which second-hand shops carry items that you and your family like. Store inventories can vary neighborhood by neighborhood. Keep track of which stores carry a nicer inventory of name-brand clothing and good-condition household items. If you can, chat up the store owners. They may be willing to call you when something you really want or need comes in—such as a china pattern you’re collecting or a popular shoe in your child’s size.

Organize your stops. If you’re hitting multiple garage sales, plan your driving strategy the night before. Map out the most promising-sounding sales and visit several in one area. Multi-family sales are often a great way to do a lot of shopping in one stop. And start early: Veteran garage-sale shoppers are often lined up outside the best houses well before the morning start time.

Check condition. Before you fall in love with an item, examine it carefully for holes, tears, nicks, and other problems. If there’s minor damage, decide if the item is worth repairing (it often is). Ask to plug in electrical items, and consider carrying a few spare batteries to test items that might need them.

Carry cash. Some shops are willing to haggle if you offer the green stuff because they can avoid paying merchant credit and debit card fees. If you’re garage sale shopping, take a lot of small bills and change. It’s bad form to haggle the price of a lamp down from $5 to $3 and then hand the seller a Benjamin Franklin and wait for change.

Haggle happily—but know when to stop. Be friendly and respectful when you ask for a price deal rather than stern or combative. If the store owner or garage sale organizer won’t budge any further, know when it’s time to walk away—or when the final price is good enough to say, “You’ve got a deal.”

Teri Cettina is a mom of two daughters and freelance writer who specializes in personal finance and parenting topics. She blogs at Your Family Money. Follow her on Twitter: @TeriCettina

Both are seemingly innocent requests, but they can lead to big problems down the road—in your personal relationships and your credit score. Money loans gone wrong can ruin friendships and make family holidays very awkward. Imagine having your friend excitedly show you her shiny new iPhone…when she’s months behind on paying you back for that car repair loan. Or what if you get a collection notice for the co-signed loan that you thought was being paid on time? You get the picture.

If you’re still thinking of lending money to a family member or friend, here are some guidelines to consider:

1. You can say no without creating conflict. Your best bet is to avoid lengthy explanations about why you won’t make the loan. The more you talk, the more you open yourself up to arguments and anger. Try something simple like: “It’s my policy never to loan money. Sorry.” Or “I can see you’re in a quandary. I’m happy to brainstorm options with you, but my money won’t be part of the solution.” Repeat as necessary.

2. Offer other help. If your friend/relative is open to it, help him or her consider other options. Can you help create a spending plan? Could he or she benefit from seeing a credit counselor? Can you brainstorm options for a side job so your friend/relative can earn a little extra money?

3. Get down to business. If you decide to loan the money after all, put your agreement in writing. Include how much you’re lending, whether you’ll charge interest, how payments will be handled (Monthly? In a lump sum due on a certain date?), what you’ll do about late payments, and more. You can download a promissory note for a personal loan at sites like Rocketlawyer.com or Lawdepot.com. At Bankrate.com, you can create and print a customized loan amortization table (a loan-payoff schedule).

4. Stay on top of payments. Don’t hesitate to send a reminder when a payment is late. It indicates that you’re paying attention.

5. Co-signing is risky, too. Offering to co-sign on a loan is just as perilous—if not more so—than lending money outright. If your co-signer gets behind on payments or defaults, you’re on the hook for all that has been borrowed. Your credit score could take a beating, too.

6. Consider it a gift. Loan only what you can safely afford to lose if the person doesn’t pay back the money. Be psychologically ready to let go of the money if the person flakes out. That way, if your friend/relative actually does repay the loan, you can be pleasantly surprised.

Teri Cettina is a mom of two daughters and freelance writer who specializes in personal finance and parenting topics. She blogs at Your Family Money. Follow her on Twitter: @TeriCettina.

Whatever your reasons for moving out, here are some important points to consider:

Would a “transition office” work? Before you sign a long-term lease on a commercial space, think about an interim solution. If you may occasionally work from home and you don’t need a permanent space for equipment and other workers, consider a shared office or executive office center. With a shared office, you may alternate days with a colleague or pay only when you need the space. In an executive office suite, you may rent space on an as-needed, part-time, or monthly basis. These centers often provide helpful services like phone lines, printers, a mail center, and more. You may also be able to rent conference rooms for client meetings. Search for these facilities online with terms like “temporary office space,” “small business incubator,” or “business center.” You can also check out a coworking database like opendesks.com for a location near you.

Expand slowly. If you’re sure you need a full-time office, be conservative at first. Don’t sign a long-term lease until you’re certain the office is a good fit. Rent, rather than buy, office equipment until you know exactly what you need.

Think location, location, location. You’ll have a work commute once you leave your comfy home office, so pick an office space that is convenient for you as well as your customers and employees. Be sure to ask colleagues, mentors, and trusted clients for their opinions about your new location. After all, depending on the nature of your business, issues like ease of parking, safety, and visibility (particularly if you open a retail shop) can significantly impact your bottom line. The Small Business Administration (SBA) also offers good advice on how to choose an ideal business location.

Update your paperwork. If your new office is in a different county than your home-based one, you’ll need to update your business license/permit and, if your business name is different from your personal name, your “Doing Business As” (DBA) filing. Your new county/state may also have some different tax requirements. Consult your county and your state tax agency to learn more.

Get insured. Although it’s smart to have business insurance for a home-based enterprise, you’ll definitely need insurance if you’re meeting with customers, storing inventory, handling money, and setting up computer systems in a new office. Get a quote from the company that already carries your homeowner’s insurance (or your home business insurance, if you already have it). You can also work with an independent insurance agent, who can compare a number of companies’ policies and rates for you.

Expand your support network. If you’re used to handling every aspect of your business on your own, it may be time to rethink that approach. When you move to an outside office, you might also need to outsource some critical services. For instance, would it save you time and money to hire a specialist to set up your computer network—even on a freelance basis? If you’re adding employees, is it time to consider using a professional bookkeeper and/or payroll service? Don’t wait until you’re overwhelmed; plan to get the help you need up front. Moving to an outside office is a big step, and a good support network can help make this exciting—but often complicated—transition go just a bit more smoothly.

Teri Cettina is a mom of two daughters and freelance writer who specializes in personal finance and parenting topics. She blogs at Your Family Money. Follow her on Twitter: @TeriCettina.

However, I’m starting to wonder if the dollar store batteries are wearing out more quickly than usual. If that’s true, I’m not getting as good a deal as I thought. Even if I spend less up front, I may have to buy the batteries more often. Plus, I’m adding more disposable batteries to the landfill, and I don’t like that idea.

You’ve probably faced this kind of purchase before and wondered: Is this bargain really a good deal? Here are some situations in which it might not be:

It’s so cheap that it doesn’t last.

My dollar-store batteries may be an example of this. Or the trendy outfit you bought from a discount retailer that immediately starts to fray at the hem. Or the off-brand musical instrument for your child that breaks down before its time. When you buy something so cheap that you have to replace it, you spend more. This is one reason I’ve started thinking about when it makes sense to buy what you might call “heirloom” purchases—items upon which you spend a little more money up front but keep for a long, long time. Blogger Carl Richards explains this idea really well.�

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When have you found that a deal is not really a deal? Share your shopping tips in the comments below.

Teri Cettina is a mom of two daughters and freelance writer who specializes in personal finance and parenting topics. She blogs at Your Family Money. Follow her on Twitter: @TeriCettina.

Whenever you face the “make or buy” debate, it’s worth asking yourself a few questions:

Does the make option require a lot of ingredients or tools I don’t have? If you’re thinking of sewing your own curtains but don’t own a sewing machine (or can’t borrow one), for instance, this might be a better buy project.

Will the project be time-consuming? If so, will I enjoy the work? If you think of the project as a hobby, it may be well worth doing. But if it’s tedious, there is a time cost to making even something very inexpensive. Factor that in.

Will I get personal satisfaction from making it myself? My husband’s artwork hangs throughout our house. It would have cost us a bit less in supplies—and the value of his time—to simply buy art prints. But we both love having paintings he created himself. And the process of painting is fun for him.

Will I make it again? If you’ll make something more than once (say, yogurt or homemade bread), it’s often worth the learning curve and any special equipment you might buy.

Will the finished product be better/healthier/sturdier? This is often the question we ask about from-scratch food. Even if the cost of buying it at the store is about the same, is there value in making something without ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup?

Which version is cheaper? From a purely economic standpoint, this is a key question. Can you make it cheaper on your own, or does mass production of the item make the store version a better deal?

Since the majority of our family’s make vs. buy decisions center around food—and comparing relative costs—I was thrilled to find the book Make the Bread, Buy the Butter: What You Should (And Shouldn’t) Cook from Scratch to Save Time and Money. Author Jennifer Reese experiments with a number of food basics and recommends which to tackle on your own—and which to leave to the pros.

Some of her recommendations of things you should make:

• Peanut butter. Your own—made with shelled, skinned, unsalted peanuts and some peanut oil in your food processor—tastes much better and costs about 20 percent less than major brands.
• Bread. You don’t even need an automatic bread maker. A good loaf (search online for one of the popular no-knead recipes) costs less than $1 at home compared to $4 or more for an artisan bread loaf.
• Other good makes. Yogurt, mayonnaise, granola, and simple cheeses like ricotta and mascarpone.

A few things worth buying:

• Butter. Reese says the store version is cheaper than homemade by about half, and it tastes just as good.
• Rotisserie chicken. Your grocer’s bird costs almost the same as homemade.
• Pasta. Homemade is tasty, but it’s too time-consuming.

What about your family? Are there any items you’ve discovered you can make more cheaply—or better—yourselves? And is there anything you’ve found that is worth buying, even at a higher price?

Teri Cettina is a mom of two daughters and freelance writer who specializes in personal finance and parenting topics. She blogs at Your Family Money. Follow her on Twitter: @TeriCettina.

Fee-only financial planner Brent Perry, CFP®, of Piedmont Financial Advisors, LLC, in Indianapolis, Ind., suggests asking your advisor these five retirement questions during your annual meeting:

1. What’s the current value of my retirement investment portfolio?
“People often have little idea of how much their retirement portfolio is worth,” says Perry. Ideally, you should look at your overall balance once a year and compare it to previous years. You may be reviewing more than just your work 401(k) plan; if you have personal investments or savings you’ve earmarked for retirement, your planner will tally these up with you as well.

Once a year is usually often enough to review your portfolio, says Perry. This helps you maintain a long-term view of how your investments are doing. It can also reduce your financial anxiety. “Annual reviews help mute the short-term market noise that you can get from the 24-7 financial and political media,” he says.

2. How much annual income will I need in retirement to cover my expected living expenses?
Your advisor can help you make an educated guess about how much you’ll spend in retirement. Then—particularly if you’re within 15 years of retirement—your advisor will likely take your retirement portfolio balance and multiply it by 5 percent (4 percent if you want to be conservative). The result will be how much you can withdraw from your retirement portfolio per year with a high likelihood of it lasting 30 years. For example: a $300,000 portfolio x 5 percent = $15,000/year of spendable money. According to Perry, this concrete information tells you whether you’re way ahead of the game (“That amount of income is great for me! I don’t need to save another dime!”); on track (“If I maintain my savings rate and get a reasonable return, I’ll be within the ballpark”); or whether you need to take action and save more.

3. Is my retirement portfolio properly diversified among stocks, bonds, cash, and so on? And is my money invested appropriately (not too conservatively or aggressively) for my life situation?
A good planner will help you determine the mix of investments that will allow you to reach your retirement goals with the least amount of risk, says Perry. Diversification is a big part of that. A diverse portfolio helps provide exposure to stocks so your investments at least keep pace with inflation—and possibly grow. Investing in less-volatile bonds and cash helps preserve your capital and protects your portfolio from wild swings in value.

Once your portfolio diversification is set, it generally shouldn’t change based on external factors (such as financial market returns or geopolitical risks). However, it can and should change based on personal factors. This is why it’s smart to visit your financial planner every year. For instance, did you or your spouse lose a job or experience a change in salary? Did you come into an inheritance? Have you gone through a divorce? Any of these things can change how much risk and return you seek with your retirement portfolio. Your planner can help you make adjustments.

4. How much am I paying for my investments? Are the costs reasonable?
Over long periods of time, investment fees can make a significant difference in your portfolio’s value. Perry says one major way to reduce fees is to favor index funds over actively managed funds. Your advisor should review your ongoing investment costs. You also face transaction fees for buying and selling investments. Your advisor can help you look for ways to avoid or reduce these costs.

5. Should I consider doing a Roth IRA conversion?
This entails converting all or part of a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. With a conversion, you pay income taxes today on the converted amount. The money grows tax-free in the Roth IRA and can be withdrawn tax-free in the future. Perry says a key criterion (though not the only one) for determining if a Roth IRA conversion makes sense is if you expect your income tax rates to be higher in future years compared to the current year. This is a complex issue that you should discuss carefully with your planner.

Investing a portion of your money in a Roth IRA is also a way to make sure your retirement portfolio is tax efficient, meaning that you are keeping an eye on how much your investments will cost you in taxes, both now and in the future.

Teri Cettina is a mom of two daughters and freelance writer who specializes in personal finance and parenting topics. She blogs at Your Family Money. Follow her on Twitter: @TeriCettina.

There are certainly times when it makes sense to buy large quantities of certain products. However, you need to be strategic about it. For instance, it would take a couple of years for my family to go through a 50-pound bag of rice. And while I love the warehouse clubs, I’ve learned through trial and error that their mega-sized packages are not always a good deal for us.

Here are some questions to ask yourself before buying in bulk:

Is it a really great buy?

To answer, you need to know the customary price—and the best sale price at your regular grocery store—for things you usually buy. I keep a price list of groceries and sundries our family buys all the time so I’ll know when something is a great deal. For instance, toilet paper at the warehouse club is usually much cheaper than even the store brand at our favorite grocer, so that one is a no-brainer: I buy it in bulk at the warehouse club. On the other hand, our favorite brand of soup is sold in large quantities at the warehouse club—but I can usually buy it cheaper, on sale with a coupon, at my neighborhood grocer.

And I should mention that “buying in bulk” doesn’t have to mean buying large packages at the warehouse club. I’ll buy half a dozen tubes of toothpaste at our nearby grocery store when it’s on a really great sale. Since toothpaste is small and nonperishable, it’s easy to store in our basement.

Can you store it easily?

It’s easy to go overboard when you see a great sale. I know a couple that stores toilet paper under their bed because they don’t have enough room for it elsewhere. If you can store bulk buys creatively, kudos to you. But if your stockpile is getting in the way of your kids’ play areas, or if you have to move it every time you get something from your basement shelves, rethink how much you’re buying. My personal rule of thumb is to buy as much of a particular item as our family will use in about three months.

Is it nonperishable, or can you use it before it spoils/ expires/ your family tires of it?

A while back, I went crazy during a cold-cereal sale. I don’t know what I was thinking: Our family doesn’t even eat all that much cold cereal! After about nine months, it was clear that we weren’t going to use all I bought, so the extra boxes went to a food drive. The next time cereal went on a rock-bottom sale, I bought two boxes instead of 10.

On another note, coffee beans are a good deal in two-pound plus bags at our warehouse club, but I’m finicky about the freshness of my coffee and never used it all before it started to taste “off.” An alternative, of course, would be to split the coffee or other perishable purchase with another family. I know some folks who do that with meat: They buy a side of meat from a local butcher, have it cut up and packaged, then split the proceeds. But when it comes to coffee, I find I’m happy to buy it fresh, in smaller quantities, from my favorite local roaster.

Is it something you’ll use over a long period of time?

Party supplies are an example. I always appreciate having extra napkins, plates and plastic cutlery on hand. We use them for birthday parties, holidays, block parties—you name it. When my kids were younger, we also bought diapers in bulk whenever we hit a good sale. Some other items that are great to buy in bulk include bar or liquid soap, laundry detergent, food storage items (foil, wraps, storage bags), razors, shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste and toothbrushes, paper products, batteries, bottled water, and other canned/bottled drinks. When it comes to food, I suggest buying only as much as you’ll use in three to four months. Be sure to watch out for expiration dates, store items as suggested so they don’t spoil, and put your oldest food items toward the front of your pantry or freezer so you use them first.

Teri Cettina is a mom of two daughters and freelance writer who specializes in personal finance and parenting topics. She blogs at Your Family Money. Follow her on Twitter: @TeriCettina.

So why not practice your money management skills and make January a no-spend month?

Money management rules for your no-spend month

First, consider this project a little break from shopping, rather than a punishment for overspending or breaking your budget. You’re not trying to whip yourself back into shape with the financial equivalent of a crash diet. This experiment can be much kinder.

Give yourself this month to notice how many things you buy out of sheer habit, boredom, or an “it’s on sale so I should get it” urge. See what creative ideas you come up with to not spend, just for 31 days.

Some families may keep this challenge a bit loose. They might head into January with a goal of simply spending as little as possible on non-essentials. But to make it really interesting, consider giving yourself an uncomfortably tight but doable budget for buying essentials. For instance, blogger Rachel Meeks of Small Notebook recently set a screamin’ $400 monthly budget for her family of four to cover food, gas, household items, and entertainment.

A tight budget like this means you’ll need to plan on using up all the food you have on hand. Those forgotten cans of beans or tuna languishing in your pantry? You’ll soon be happy to have them. The mystery meat in your freezer? Time to defrost it. Buy only the food items you really need to get by, and get creative about planning your meals around less expensive ingredients for four weeks.

Since you won’t be going out to dinner or movies this month, look for new ways to spend your time. Could you work on some neglected home repair projects? Great—but only if you already have the necessary supplies on hand. Or maybe you’ll find that this is the month to finally finish some half-done craft projects, organize your basement, or check out some extra DVDs and books from the library. If friends want to get together, invite them over for tea or coffee instead of meeting at a restaurant or coffee shop.

The hardest part for some folks is missing out on all the January post-holiday sales—so don’t tempt yourself. Don’t even set foot in a mall or look at the sales flyers. Visualize all the holiday-related items piled up messily on sale. You’re not missing much.

Other budget tips for a buy-nothing challenge

Blogger Leo Babauta over at ZenHabits created a similar stop spending project in December—his “Buy nothing until 2013” challenge. He suggests simply putting off your “wanna-have” purchases until your no-spend period is over. Jot them down in a wish list and look at it in a month. If you still really want or need a particular item at the beginning of February, buy it. However, pushing that pause button on your purchase might help you rethink it. Do you really need it? Could you find a cheaper solution for it? If it’s something you need only occasionally, could you rent it or borrow it? Get creative.

A few words about temptation: If you cave in and buy something during your no-spend month, don’t beat yourself up. Chances are, you’re still spending much less than you normally would. Small slips are really OK. Move on.

The fun part comes at the end of your month, when you tally up what’s actually left in your bank account. According to some financial experts, you may wind up with at least $500 extra at the end. Now you get to decide how to use that stash—to fund an upcoming family vacation, pay down some debt, or bolster your rainy-day fund. The choice is yours. And it will feel very freeing to know that you earned it by simply stepping off the consumer-spending treadmill for one month!

Teri Cettina is a mom of two daughters and freelance writer who specializes in personal finance and parenting topics. She blogs at Your Family Money. Follow her on Twitter: @TeriCettina.

The idea behind Kaizen is to break down a new habit—something you’d like to do better—into incredibly small steps. Each task should be so small, in fact, that you simply MUST do it. When you make tasks this simple, you also outsmart your own nervous system. Tiny improvements are so non-threatening that you don’t raise your anxiety level about them and quit—which is what often happens with money challenges.

Putting Kaizen into use

So how might you use Kaizen in your family’s money system? I’ll give you an example from our family. We need to choose a new electronic money management system—either online or in the form of software. This greatly stresses me out. As a result, I’ve been avoiding researching it—I’ll research it a little, then quit because I’m nervous about making the change.

My husband and I decided to break it down into smaller steps. We already talk together about money once a week, so the first week, we simply talked about the need for a new program, including why our old system wasn’t working and what we thought we needed. We purposely stopped our discussion there instead of getting into a convoluted conversation and then immediately going online to research other systems. Our next steps:

The second week: We did some online research about the best budget-tracking programs and picked three to consider.

The third week: We looked at one new program. We read its online description and looked at the FAQs or tutorials, paying attention to a couple of program features that are particularly important to us.

The fourth week: We repeated the process with the second new program.

The fifth week: We did the same thing again with the third new program.

We haven’t yet picked our new financial program, but giving ourselves permission to research it slowly and consistently has paid off. We haven’t thrown in the towel or stopped looking into new programs as we might have in the past, when we tried to do too much, too soon.

Think about your own financial challenges. If you’re trying to cut what you spend on groceries, for instance, make a tiny initial goal. Try to save just 1 percent on your weekly shopping trip. If you normally spend $150 on your weekly food haul, aim to save just $1.50. Who can’t do that, right? The next week, try for 2 percent. Keep going until you’ve saved 10 percent—or whatever you think is reasonable.

Another Kaizen key: Focus on one financial goal at a time. Stick with it and master it before you move on to something else. So in the grocery example, don’t try to both save dollars and start shopping at multiple stores for the best deals. Wait and work on cutting spending at your single store first. When you’ve mastered that task, consider trying an additional money-saving hack.

How might Kaizen work for you?

Teri Cettina is a mom of two daughters and freelance writer who specializes in personal finance and parenting topics. She blogs at Your Family Money. Follow her on Twitter: @TeriCettina.