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 Volume 4 #10
Benefits of Shopping Online • Spare ChangeBoost Your Settlement Account • Inspiring ThoughtsFrugal & Simple Homemade Gift IdeasMaking the Most of Gift Cards • FDR Client Reminders
1-800-655-6303
 Welcome to the Freedom Debt Relie monthly newsletter! As part o ourongoing goal to enhance our services, we will be sending you a monthly newsletter lled with interesting articles and helpul nancial tips andadvice. We hope you enjoy this issue, and that you nd the enclosedinormation helpul as you continue on the road to nancial reedom.
M
alls and department stores may notbe bustling with as many customersthis holiday season. According toDeloitte’s 23rd Annual Holiday Survey, onlineretailing will continue to grow this holiday season, with a record 71% o consumersspending at least part o their holiday budgetson the Internet. Te survey shows that difculteconomic conditions are a actor in the Internet’scontinued growth. More than one-third o consumers say they will shop more online inorder to save on gas. In addition, because o the economic environment, more than hal willbe on the lookout or ree shipping oers romonline retailers. Te tips below discuss in detailsome benets o shopping online.
Enjoy the convenience.
Beorethe days o online shopping, you may rememberbattling crowds, standing in long checkout lines,and ghting or parking spaces at a busy mall.Tese type o hectic environments may triggerstress and cause consumers to make impulsive orextravagant purchases. Shopping online allowsyou to browse the Web in the privacy o yourown home. You may be more likely to makerational purchasing decisions and stay withinyour budget when you do not have to worry about diving on a store shel or the last toy that is in demand. As mentioned previously,making purchases online can also help you savemoney on gasoline. According to a survey romthe National Retail Federation, 23% o theparticipants claim that they shop moreonline because o high gas prices.
Take advantage offree shipping 
.Shipping ees can be oneo the hidden costs o ordering items online.However, according to asurvey rom the NationalRetail Federation, 78% o online retailers plan to oer reeshipping with conditions duringthis holiday season. Many online stores requirecustomers to spend a certain amount o money in order to receive ree shipping. Tis is a greatperk, but be careul o using ree shipping as anexcuse to buy extra items that you may not need.For example, i you only plan to spend $25,think twice beore you spend $50 just to receiveree shipping. Visit www.reeshipping.org or alist o oers rom more than 850 stores.
Compare prices.
As more consumersshop online, many price comparison sites gainpopularity. You type a keyword or product namein the search eld and your results will consist o online stores that have the item in stock along with the selling price. Comparison shoppingsites may save you time and money becauseyou can see which retailer has the best price without visiting many web sites. Some popularcomparison sites include http://shopping.yahoo.com, www.shopzilla.com, and www.pricegrabber.com. When evaluating your results, Forbes.comrecommends researching lesser known companiesbeore purchasing products rom their site.
Read reviews.
Many retailers givecustomers the opportunity to rate productsthey purchase by writing an online review. Visitlarge companies such as www.walmart.com, www.target.com, and www.amazon.com to readreviews. In addition, there are several web sitessuch as www.epinions.com, www.measuredup.com, and www.buzzillions.com that allow consumers to rate customer service and productexperiences on a wide range o merchandiseand stores. Reading online reviews may helpyou make inormed buying decisions becausecustomers tend to be extremely honest when they are askedor their opinion. I youcome across a negativereview, realize thatthis product may nothave been the rightchoice or one particularperson. However, i you see alist o unavorable commentsthat describe how the product broke the next day or was too difcult to assemble, you may want tokeep this in mind as you make your purchasingdecision.
Find coupon codes.
Couponscodes are the online version o the paper coupon.During the checkout process, many retailersallow you to enter a code, which will help yousave on your purchase. Many sites such as www.couponcabin.com and www.retailmenot.comoer lists o coupon codes. See i you can nd acode or a particular merchant beore completingyour online purchase.
Benefits ofShopping Online 
Online Shopping Safety Tips
•
Do not access sites through email links.
Even the most official-looking e-mail mes-sages can be fraudulent, so access onlineaccounts only by typing the institution’s Webaddress in a browser.
•
Vary your passwords.
Try using variationson one password—the best passwords use acombination of at least eight letters, numbers,or punctuation symbols.
•
Research the company.
It is easy foralmost anyone to create an e-commerce site.Before ordering, the FTC recommends thatyou have a physical address for the companyand a phone number in case you have aquestion.
For more tips, visit the FC-sponsored site at www.onguardonline.gov.
 
Please keep us updated with any changes to your contact inormation!
Inorder to work eectively or you, we needto have updated e-mail and phone contactinormation. Tis allows us to giveyou updates on settlement activity andget additional inormation that may benecessary to complete settlements. Makesure you have provided us with validand current e-mail addresses in additionto day and evening contact. I yourinormation has changed and you want toupdate us, please call our customer servicesupport line listed below.
 
ax Debt?
 
I you owe money tothe IRS and would like inormation onhow to reduce your tax debts, pleasecontact our sister company, Freedomax Relie at 1-800-455-6AX. Our taxattorneys and tax specialists are eager toimmediately start helping you resolveyour tax troubles. In addition, existingFDR clients are eligible or a $100 reerralbonus i they reer someone to Freedomax Relie. ***
Customer Service Phone No:1-800-655-6303FAX No: 650-393-6800Hours o Operation:
Mon-Turs:
6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. PST
 
Fri:
6:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. PST
Sat:
7:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. PST
E-mail:support@reedomdebtrelie.com
Client Reminders
A 
s the holidays approach, lively decorations will make malls sparkleand estive trees will transorm anordinary city into a winter wonderland. You may also adorn your home with glowing holiday lightsand glittery garland. All o this scenery creates anextraordinary holiday dream.In the past, this magical environment may haveclouded your senses and compelled you to show your holiday spirit by overspending. All o thisholiday hoopla could practically orce the mostpractical person to charge excessively. However, when bills arrive in January, some individualsmay regret their holiday kindness.Since you made a commitment to be debt-reeby joining a debt settlement company, coping with all o the holiday hype might be quitechallenging at times. Te desire to make a childhappy with an expensive toy or the urge to makeyour house have the most estive decorations onthe block could easily destroy your budget. Amidst all o the breathtaking surroundingsand the “once in a lietime” mall sales, many people lose sight o the true meaning o theseason. During the upcoming holidays, exploredierent ways to reduce your expenses andstill enjoy the estivities. For example, considerhomemade gits that are inexpensive, yet pricelesstreasures that come rom the heart. Spendmore time with riends and amily. Organize aneighborhood caroling event or volunteer in yourlocal community to help the less ortunate. I you have children, limit their holiday wish list to what you can aord. As a parent, do not eel asthough you are depriving them. Instead, realizethat you are showing them the true meaning o the holidays while still being generous. All in all, enjoy the sights, sounds andmerriment o the holiday season while keepingyour nances in perspective. Ater the holidays,you can look orward to a year o new beginningsand becoming one step closer to nancialreedom.
“[The holiday season] is not a setof dates. It is a state of mind.”-Mary Ellen Chase
Inspiring Thoughts 
 Frugal & Simple Homemade Gift Ideas 
M
aking gits or loved ones may be arugal alternative to buying itemsin stores. Our tips below list someinexpensive ways to make personalized gits.
 A picture is worth a thousand words.
 
Photographs o loved ones always makegreat homemade gits. A special photo in anattractive rame is something your recipientcan view throughout the year. Also, at thistime o the year, many stores sell gits that youcan easily personalize with photos. Drugstoresand discount stores may have items such asinexpensive coasters and clocks in which you caninsert your photos. You may also want to check  with the photo department inside retail chainsand see i they can quickly create reasonably priced photo gits. For example, the photo centerat Walgreens (http://photo.walgreens.com/) canimprint photos on such items as calendars, mugs,and pencil holders. I you are procient withcomputer sotware, you may also want to visityour ofce supply store to see i they sell t-shirttranser paper or stickers that you can insert inyour home printer. You can then create uniqueprojects such as t-shirts and address labels thateature amily photos.
Presentation is everything.
Make a gitbasket that corresponds with someone’s interestsinstead o buying an expensive pre-packaged gitset. For example, give someone a git card that would allow them to rent a movie at a video storeand then ll the git basket with snack items. Who says that you have to use a basket? Tink o creative ways to use containers. A car enthusiastmay like a bucket lled with auto cleaningsupplies.
Give the git o time.
Giving o yoursel is sometimes worth more than what money canbuy. You may consider making simple couponsor avors and services that the recipient canredeem throughout the year. For example, givenew parents one ree night o babysitting permonth so they can go out. Oer to watch aamily pet while they go on their yearly vacation.I you have a special talent, oer a coupon oryour services. Hairdressers can oer ree haircuts.I you have a lot o computer knowledge, giveseveral lessons to an elderly loved one about theeatures o the Internet.
We wantyour ideas!
 What do you want to see in thenewsletter? We welcome your input.Email your ideas to ino@pif.org.
 
Kids can eat for free!
Te web site or Family Friendly America (www.amilyriendlyamerica.com) lists restaurants that allow children to eat or ree. You can just visittheir home page, click on the link entitled: “Kids Eat Free,” and thenchoose your state rom the drop-down menu. Te site or the CouponDivas also list many popular chain restaurants in which kids can eat orree. Visit www.coupondivas.com/kids-eat-ree/ or more details.
hroughout your debt negotiationprogram, you may be looking or waysto boost your settlement account so we can try to negotiate your debts as quickly aspossible. Below are some simple techniques thatmay help you nd extra money in your budget. We realize that everyone has a dierent set o circumstances. Tereore, the ollowing tips aremerely possible suggestions on how to build yoursettlement account.
 
In the past, this newsletter hasdiscussed the importance o taking a lunch to work rather than dining out everyday. Researchshows that many consumers have been makingthis a habit. According to NPD, a leadingmarket research company, weekday lunchescarried rom home reached a new high point in2007, with adults, 18 and older, carrying some8.5 billion brown bag lunches last year. Let’squickly do some math. Buying a coee inthe morning rom a popular caein addition to ordering takeout or lunch can easily cost$10 per day. (In some areas,that amount may be on thelow side.) An average monthconsists o approximately 20 work days i you have a5-day week. As you can see,that could easily cost $200per month! You could probably bring your lunch to work or araction o the cost. Check out thecalculator on the Community Bank web siteat www.dodcommunitybank.com and thenclick on “Calculators” ollowed by the “BrownBag Savings” link. Don’t orget that all o thosevending machine snacks that may seem likeunnecessary spare change, can really add up overtime.Havinghundreds o channels at your ngertips hasbecome quite the norm among Americanhouseholds. However, premium televisionservices can become quite costly. It is notuncommon or a cable or satellite bill to reach$100 or more i it is packed with all o the extras.Decide i all o those channels are absolutely necessary. Consider opting or basiccable services. Tis may soundextreme in this day and age, but you may also consider eliminatingcable completely. As o February 2009, you willno longer be able to receive any reception withan antenna because o the conversion to digitaltv. But, you can visit www.dtv2009.gov to ndout how you can get a coupon or a digitaltelevision converter. You may also be able to watch some tv shows online. Check out the website or your avorite program or network to see i they have any episodes posted on their web site. You can also visit www.hula.com to watch clipsand entire episodes o popular shows. At this time o the year, you may receive a payout rom your holiday savings und(also known as a Christmas Club), or you may get a holiday bonus at your place o employment.I possible, consider putting some o these undstowards your settlement account. As ar asgit-giving, consider having a git exchange orperhaps just buy or children in order toalleviate the expense o choosing a gitor each adult. Many consumers arestruggling during a bad economy,so some amily members may appreciate this arrangement.Instead o buying holiday cardsand paying postage, considersending ree e-cards rom sitessuch as www.123greetings.comand www.e-cards.com.
 
Look over your monthly budgetand see i you are paying or products andservices that you no longer use. Costhelper.comestimates that gym memberships can average$35 to $40 per month. An alternative may beto discover ways to exercise on your own or ndpre-owned gym equipment in classied ads. Also, consider canceling any subscriptions tomagazines and newspapers that you may not readthat oten. Consider visiting the publication’s web site to see i the same inormation isound online. Also, you may be ableto read various newspapers andmagazines at your locallibrary.
 
News, financial tips, and otherinformation regarding personalfinancial freedom
P
  A cruel scam targets the elderly.
 Te Better Business Bureau (BBB) urgesamilies with elderly relatives to be onalert about a telephone-based schemetargeting seniors in what is being called the“Grandparent Scam.” Across the United Statesand Canada, con artists are calling seniors,claiming to be a grandson or granddaughter who urgently needs money. Most casesinvolve a grandparent that receives a phonecall rom someone posing as one o his or hergrandchildren. Te caller claims that they arein some kind o trouble, usually an automobileaccident, in the hospital, under arrest, or inneed o bail money immediately. In a typicalexample, the caller says “Hi, Grandma, do youknow who this is?” Te grandmother may ask “Is that you, Nathan?” With that inormation,the caller makes his pitch o being in troubleand needing money. Te BBB recommendsthat amilies explain the scam to elderly relatives, encourage them to hang up i they receive such a call, and warn them about thedangers o wiring money. I a amily memberhas become the victim o this scam, BBBencourages people to le a complaint withlocal police.
P
 Many children equate saving money with “super hero strength.”
 More kids living in the U.S. associate thestate o their piggy banks with “super hero”strength and stability, according to a new pollconducted by the nancial literacy web site www.themint.org. Te ndings provide parents with an optimistic glimpse into the uture,even as difcult economic conditions continueto grip the nation. When asked what they  would do i handed a sum o money, morekids preerred saving over spending. Morethan hal o the kids aged 17 years or younger(54 percent) said they would save all o theirmoney and/or budget it careully and slowly,compared to a small number (15 percent) whosaid they’d rather spend it as ast as possible.Tis site, www.themint.org provides unactivities, games, challenges, quizzes and testsor students and teens, helpul tips or parents,and entertaining programs and lesson plans orteachers to promote nancial literacy.
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