Frugal Francis

Spend less, Earn More, and Save as much as possible!

Lending Club is a really cool concept. Basically you can lend money to various people online and collect interest and build an online savings portfolio. I do recommend to be very careful and read the fine print as well as the particular reasons why each person is borrowing money.

One of the coolest parts of lending club is that they will give you a free $25 to invest with their site. I basically got a free $25.00 that I put into a loan at the rate of 15%. Please keep in mind this is by no means an instant process. First you sign up, your account gets a free $25 dollars just for signing up and then you choose from various lending opportunities.

Obviously riskier loans have higher rates of returns and less risky loans have a lower rate of return. But keep in mind that if you are getting a free $25, you might as well just give it a whirl and see how it works.

My loan was recently approved and I already made 2 cents!!! Take a look at my screenshot below:



I also took a screenshot of the loan that I subscribed my free $25 to. Once again, Lending club will give you a free $25 as a special promotion. You just have to click on the advertisement below, and you will be able to get a free $25 to invest and explore their site.

Summary of Loan Performance

Summary of Loan Performance



This seems like a great way to make some free money!!! Check it out while this promotion still exists… My hunch is they will not give $25 away forever!

Bank of America matches savings!

Bank of America matches savings!

Bank of America offers a Savings account whereby you save “the change” from your checkcard purchases directly into your Savings Account.  In example, if you were to purchase something with your check card for $14.37, the remainder 63 cents would be transferred into your Savings account.

Get this…  Bank of America offers to match “the change” or the “63 cents” you save up to certain limited.   The restrictions are 100% match to your first 3 months of savings up to $60.00, and 5% of the rest of your savings, up to $250.00.  If you are using the program to its maximum potential you would be getting a free $310 ($60 + $250)  for free from Bank of America.  Also, keep in mind that you would have automatically saved money without realizing from your checkcard purchases.

I posted a screenshot above so you can see that I am actively enrolled in this program and to prove it is working… As you can see from the picture above, I’ve been enrolled in the Bank of America program for almost the last 6 weeks, and I have saved $118.56. Soon enough get my free $60.00 within the first 3 months. I am a big fan of this program because Bank of America creates an easy way to save money and additionally they match up to $310 in your first year.

Please keep in mind that Bank of America does require a minimum balance of $300 in your savings account, and will pay the matched earnings after 1 year after accumulation.

For more details on this program, please visit

Bank of America: Keep the Change page:
http://www.bankofamerica.com/promos/jump/ktc/

Picture of a Forever Stamp

Picture of a Forever Stamp

Snail Mail is a term commonly associated with regular postal service in the United States. Since the adaption of email, people have assigned this nickname to standard postal service as it is viewed as a much slower form of communication than our typical electronic mail messages.

From 1863 to 1932, the cost of a postage stamp fluctuated between 2 and 3 cents. In 1963, the cost per postage stamp was 4 cents, and by 1974, postal customers were paying 10 cents per stamp.

From 1975 to 1995 the stamp climbed from 10 cents up to 32 cents. And throughout the next 11 years, stamp prices climbed to 39 cents in 2006. Once again, the price of stamps went up to 41 cents in 2007, 42 cents in 2008.

Today the cost per postage stamp is 44 cents. If I were a betting man, I’d say the next time the price changes it will certainly be going up.

Postage Stamp Price Chart

Postage Stamp Price Chart



What is the moral of the story?

The prices of postage stamps have been going up for over the last 75 years, and with today’s economic conditions, I could not imagine the price of stamps dropping anytime soon.

The best way to save money with postage stamps is to purchase Forever Stamps. Forever Stamps are stamps issued by the US Postal Service that will always work regardless of fluctuation in the cost of stamps. So if you know that you will need postage stamps for the next five, ten or twenty years, then it certainly can’t hurt to load up on a boatload of stamps today to secure your pricing at 44 cents.

Please visit your local US postal office for more information regarding Forever Stamps.

Or check out this link from the US postal Services website:
USPS Forever Stamps