1-(877) 275-3342 or 1 (877) ASK-FDIC
8:00 am – 8:00 pm ET; Monday-Friday
9:00 am – 5:00 pm ET; Saturday-Sunday
For the Hearing Impaired
Toll Free 1 (800) 925-4618 / Local Virginia (VA) 1 (703) 562-2289

• HSBC Corporate Phone Number: 1 (224) 544-2000

Press ‘Zero’ or you may get transferred to some random 1 (800) number.

PetCareRX.com $10 off coupon/Plus *Free* shipping

Having pets is like having children – you need to feed them, buy them snacks, take them outside on walks, pay for their medical care, their toys, and give them lots of love.

Fortunately, an education to Yale is not in the cards (thank goodness!).

Here are some ways to save money on your pets:

1. Save money using coupons! PetCareRx.com has a $10 off coupon
2. Cut their own nails (Clipper: $4-$15) – A one-time expense
3. Eliminate the groomers (Shampoo: $6.00, Brush: $7.00) - A one-time expense for the brush, not the shampoo you can use, and is currently offering *Free* Shipping.

College education: Free!

Happy 4th of July from MarloByDesign

MarloByDesign wishes all our readers a Happy 4th of July!

Wishing you and your family a safe, Happy, and frugal 4th of July 2011!

Frugal ideas for the 4th of July 2011:

• Google your local town’s listing for Fireworks Activities/Displays.
• Pack some snacks and drinks from home.
• Enjoy the beach in the afternoon, or a barbeque with friends and family.

Bank of America ends Keep the Change June 2011

One of our readers asked a question this week about Bank of America’s Keep the  Change program.

Question from Peter in New York, New York:

“I heard from a co-worker that Bank of America is ending Keep the Change on June 6, 2011. Is this true? I searched on Bank of America’s website and could not find any information. Thanks.”

Answer from Marlo’s Money Advice:

We contacted Bank of America directly and this is what we were told:

Thank you for your inquiry dated 6/28/11 regarding the Keep the Change. We understand your concerns regarding the in the promotional match of Keep the Change program.

Please be informed that beginning on 6/6/11, as part of the Keep the Change® match modification, customers who enrolled in Keep the Change prior to 11/30/10 will cease to receive the 5% ongoing match. Customers enrolled in the Keep the Change program will continue to build their savings through the round up of eligible debit transactions and the 100% promotional match for the first 90 days after enrollment.
The following changes will be applied to the Keep the change program:
– You will no longer receive the 5% match.
- You will receive an early payout for the ongoing match.

For more information, please call us at 1.800.432.1000, we are available between 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday to Friday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Eastern Time.We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding in this matter.If we may be of further assistance, please contact us again by e-mail. We value you as a customer and appreciate your business. Thank you for choosing Bank of America.Sincerely, Vignesh Bhagirathi, Bank of America

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Unfortunately Peter, Bank of America has ended their highly marketed Keep the Change program on June 6, 2011.

TLC Extreme Couponing

Do you use coupons? Are you an extreme couponer? The TLC show Extreme Couponing could be hurting your current and future coupon use.

According to Yahoo Finance on Monday, June 27, 2011, Extreme Couponing may be hurting couponer’s morale. Not able to buy $200 worth of groceries and pharmacy chain store items for only $1.25? Do you feel depressed about this? Shopper’s may becoming disheartened over the entire shopping and couponing process.

According to Sam of Portland, Maine

“I spent around 40 hours during the past 30 days, bought a zip-up couponing binder recommended on Marlo’s article Try *Groupon* get $20 free, and save money in 2011, cut coupons, and circled all of the sale items from Walgreens, Rite Aid, Target and CVS.

I matched up the sale items with my coupons, and still cannot seem to buy $80 of products for $1.00….I feel like I have wasted my time and my gas!

I even signed up for Groupon and Living Social through http://www.marlobydesign.com/blog/2011/06/try-groupon-to-save-money-in-2011 and am still waiting for deals to be emailed to me. I know there are great deals through these 2 websites, but I am getting impatient and really want the deals now!”

Here are some ideas for balanced coupon use:

• Acquiring extra coupons – Ask your neighbors or relatives for their unused coupons. Do not spend extra money buying 10 or more Sunday newspapers.
• Only buy what you need or will use, or get the “free” items to trade with your neighbors, friends, or relatives. (It is helpful to know your neighbors, friends, or relatives widely used items.)
• Save gas – If you can save $1.00 on an item at a store far away, do not use your gas up for this “great” deal.
• Stock up on items that you will really use, i.e. aspirin or deodorant, so you do not have to drive out in bad weather (or the winter months) to pick up one item.
• Start swapping coupons – Do your neighbors, friends, or relatives know your favorite items? Trade your coupons with them.

The focus of this blog is to learn how to save yourself money – and teaching your neighbors, friends, or relatives – how to do the same.

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