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Author Archives: Kristina Tahnyak

Avatar photo About Kristina Tahnyak

Tahnya is a Certified Financial Planner and former Investment Advisor turned marketing and communications professional She holds a degree from Concordia University, is debt free and currently works in the field of digital marketing.

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Learning to Manage Money in a Couple

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managing finances as a couple, couples money management, couples advice


As a DINK I definitely (most of the time) love being in a relationship and (most of the time) I love living with my boyfriend Nick.  The major advantage of being a DINK is that we (are lucky enough to) have two steady incomes; our expenses are cut in half and our savings are doubled.  However, this was not always the case. I think back to my single days and almost everything about my savings habits, my spending habits, my biweekly budget, and my financial priorities have changed.

Single Money vs. Married Money

I didn’t live on my own for a long time before I started living with Nick, only about a year and a half, but I was definitely set in my financial ways, as well as my living ways for that matter.  When we became a couple I had to make some quick adjustments to my money management and my personal habits if I wanted to stay in my relationship. My money became Our money, and before I made a purchase I asked myself if We really needed it.  My money mentality completely changed to include Nick, Our Apartment, Our Groceries, and Our joint expenses.

Nick and I grew up together so we were learning to be financial individuals at the same time that we were learning to live financially in a couple.  I worked part time while I was in high school and I did know about money, but I didn’t really understand money. I knew that it cost money to buy everyday items such as groceries, toiletries and home furnishings, but I didn’t really understand the value of these items…until I started paying for them.  While I was growing up these everyday items were just always magically there when I needed them.  It wasn’t until I moved out of my parent’s house that I actually started to learn the value of everyday items.

Sharing all costs with my boyfriend Nick has allowed me to build my individual savings.  We keep our bank accounts, retirement savings plans, and other assets separate; but we do share all expenses.  This allows me to continue holding my own individual savings and investment style while still being in a couple.

Kristina + Nick = US

Although it may sometimes seem that Nick and I live separate lives, our expenses are very much combined.  Someone in our building actually thought that we were roommates, and not a couple in an 11 year relationship.

I like our couple money management strategy and I wouldn’t change anything in our relationship moneywise.  We don’t necessarily split everything right down the middle, but it all evens out in the end.  If we are going to a football game with Nicks friends he pays for the tickets.  If we are eating out at a restaurant for my friend’s birthday then I pick up the check.

Nick and I have joint debts but we keep our assets separate.  The only assets that we hold jointly are assets such as our car, which we both use.  Whenever Nick and I take the next huge step in our lives and we finally agree to buy a home that will also be a joint asset.  Nick and I hold joint assets when there is debt attached to it, this is because we consider those assets as an expense.

I am happy that I learned to manage my couple money at the same time that I learned to manage my individual money.  When I think about my single days I definitely find a new found love for my relationship.  I wouldn’t want to become a single income again after having a taste of the good life as a DINK.

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Photo by Images of Money

9 Ways to Save Money!

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saving money, ways to save, how to save

clothes hanging up on line

Good Morning DINKS! I have a question to ask everyone… Who likes to save money? I know that I do.  Actually I love to save money! Since I don’t drink alcohol or consume any other type of chemicals, I would consider saving money as my natural high.

If I can save even $5 it would make my day a lot better.  I have learned to shop for discounts, use my personal resources, compare prices, and ask for deals.  I don’t think that asking for a discount or a deal is degrading at all, the worst case scenario is that the salesperson says no; and the best case scenario I save some money.

I have rounded up some easy tips to help us save money every day on everything from our electricity bill to our grocery bill.  I would love to hear your quick tips and tricks to save a buck or two.

9 Tips on How to Save Money

1.  Be Energy Efficient. We can save money on our monthly hydro bill if we turn off our lights.  If I don’t need light for something like reading or working on my laptop then I always turn off the lights.  I also love natural sunlight so I only turn on my lights at night once it is totally dark outside and only if I absolutely need the light. Think of Light as a Luxury.

2.  Keep The Heat Out. In the spring, summer, and fall we can be energy efficient and save money on our electric bill by hanging clothes outside instead of using a dryer.  We can also BBQ outside instead of using our oven.  I don’t know about you, but my apartment gets really hot in the summer when I turn on the oven; so I definitely prefer to BBQ outside.

3.  Check Our Cupboards and Fridge. Before going to the grocery store it’s a good idea to take an inventory of what we already have.  We may find things that we forgot we had or that we didn’t even know we had. Taking inventory avoids hoarding and duplicate purchases, it also reduces waste. Sometimes I think that I need to buy tomatoes and then I come home to a crisper already full of tomatoes.  Then I am stuck cooking with tomatoes all week so I don’t waste any fresh produce.

4.  Borrow Items. If you don’t have what you need but you only need it once don’t buy it, just borrow it. If you aren’t friendly with your neighbours ask your family, friends, or coworkers.

5.  Substitute Brand Names. I try not to be stuck on one specific Name Brand, I put an item on my grocery list and then I buy whatever is on sale at the grocery store or at Wal-Mart that week.  This is especially true for plastic sandwich bags, toilet paper, and paper towels.  However, I have my personal preference for Laundry Detergent.

6.  Make Cuts. After you make your grocery list check it again and cut out the items that you don’t really need.  My grocery list can be very long when I am at home, but by the time I actually get to the grocery store my list is sometimes cut down by 1/3.  Very often one grocery item can be tied to another item so if we make cuts it will be a chain reaction.

7.  Grow It Yourself. To save money we can start a herb garden, a flower garden, or a vegetable garden.  I love having fresh cut flowers in my home so I started a small flower garden.

8.  Compare Price vs. Quantity. Shop around for the best price per grams or millilitres.

9.  Don’t Shop for Convenience. Retailers know that convenience sells.  Go out of your way to get a good deal. If we buy items in a bag and not in a convenient bottle or easy storage box we can save a lot of money.

How did you save money today?

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PS: Find more about how to save money tips on Reader’s Digest.

(Photo by Horia Vartan)

Friday Roundup: Your Net Worth

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$20 bills
Happy Friday DINKS! Do you have money on your mind? Do you check your account balances daily? If so then this post is for you.  Today we have rounded up the best posts from around the web about building our net worth, calculating our net worth, and maintaining a positive net worth.

Check out these great posts from around the web about everything related to our Personal Net Worth:

  • Young and Thrifty gives us tips on how to start accumulating our Net Worth in the post How To Increase Your Net Worth.  Her tips include tracking our spending and increasing our income.
  • Money Crashers shows us how to calculate our Net Worth and tells which assets are included in our Net Worth in the post How to Calculate Your Personal Net Worth – Definition & Calculations. 
  • Financial Samurai tells us that our Net Worth is only a calculation and nothing more in the post Your Net Worth Is An Illusion, Sorry To Spoil Your Delusion.
  • Budgets Are Sexy shares his personal net worth with us, dropping down $5,000 to a total of $214,025.67.

We build a positive net worth by earning (and saving) more money than we spend. Here are some great tips from around the web about ways that we can keep a Positive Net Worth:

  • Find Ways to Save Money. 50 Plus Finance asks if we use our coupons wisely as he shares some rules for using coupons while shopping.  Check out his post Do You Have Coupon Etiquette? – 5 Rules For Easy Coupon Shopping
  • Find the Right Spouse. Frugal Dad talks about being a Frugal Dad and a Frugal Husband in a Frugal Family in his post A Frugal Marriage, Five Years in the Making.  Sharing the same Money Mentality can definitely make or break a marriage; it can also make or break our Savings Account.
  • Find a Passive (or second) Income.  Money Crush  discusses her personal priorities in the post The Real Value of Passive Income.  Time is money and having a passive income allows us to earn a second income while spending our time on what we really want to be doing.

Photo by Money Blog Newz

Generic Drugs are Cheaper! But are they Better?

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generic drugs, cheaper medicine, generic medicine benefits

Yesterday I went to the pharmacy to pick up my monthly prescription and they pharmacist asked me if I wanted the generic brand of my prescription because it is $4 cheaper.  Without hesitation I replied “No Thank You” and proceeded to pay for my regular prescription.  Without going into too many details my monthly prescription makes sure that I remain a DINK ;)

Last month when I went to the pharmacy to pick up my monthly prescription they didn’t have my normal prescription in stock and ensured me that the generic option for my monthly drugs is just as strong and effective  as the name brand drugs.  Since I didn’t know anything about generic drugs at the time, and some protection is better than no protection, I accepted the generic brand of my DINK ensuring monthly drugs.  Although I did question how a pharmacy could be out of drugs?

I am not sure if the ingredients in the generic drugs are not the same as my name brand monthly drugs, or if my body was just used to my normal prescription, but last month we had a DINKS scare.  I told my boyfriend Nick that even though we didn’t plan for this to happen it seems that someone up in the heavens (or someone deep down in the belly of the Earth) has another plan for us.  Needless to say it was a false alarm and my body just reacted (horribly) to the generic drugs.  Not only did my monthly cycle get out of order, I was also nauseous for a few days.

Now that I think of it, last November when I visited my Doctor for my annual physical check up and prescription renewal he asked me if I wanted the generic version of my regular DINKS ensuring monthly prescription.  I said No because I have been taking my normal monthly prescription for over 10 years and I am very adverse to change.  I also don’t like it when my Doctor suggests new (generic) drugs because I always feel that he has a hidden agenda, such as the perk of a weekend in Florida from the pharmaceutical rep.

Even though my Pharmacist guaranteed that the generic version of my name brand drug was the exact same as my normal monthly prescription this was obviously not the case.  I don’t really care about saving the $4 on my monthly prescription because 90% of my prescription drug costs are covered by my employer medical benefits.

Maybe generic drugs are a cost efficient option for a first time prescription, but if your body has been using the same name brand drug for 10 years, switching to a generic brand of drugs may not be a good choice; at least it wasn’t for me.

I decided to get some information and read up about the growing trend of Doctors and Pharmacists recommending generic brand drugs instead of name brand medication.

Here are some facts about Generic Brand Drugs:

  • Generic Drugs are used to fill approximately 40% of all prescriptions.
  • Using Generic Drugs can save the Health Care system $1.5 billion per year.  This money can be allocated to other Health Care services such as Doctors, Nurses, Clinics, and Research.
  • Even if our drug costs are covered by an Employer Health Plan expensive drugs are costly for everyone through tax increases, higher premiums, or cuts in our Health Care Services.
  • Generic Drugs are held to the same Quality and Efficacy standards as Name Brand Drugs.
  • Generic Drugs may look different and have a different name, but they contain the same medical dosage as Name Brand Drugs.  The major difference is the lower cost.
  • The suppliers of Generic Drugs are in many cases the same as Name Brand Drugs.
  • Generic substitutes are not yet available for all Name Brand Prescription Drugs on the market.

Photo by EPsos

Casey Anthony: Plus Money But Minus a Daughter

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court injustice, justice system, casey anthony case


One of the biggest and possibly most shocking stories to hit the news this year was the Not Guilty verdict of Florida mother Casey Anthony.  The tragedy in this case is that a little girl lost her life and no one knows why, but the real travesty is that an irresponsible mother will now become rich with instant fame.

Casey Anthony’s 2 year old daughter Caylee was found dead in a forest near by her Florida home.  Casey Anthony was found not guilty of her daughter’s death, but it was not proven how her daughter died. If Casey Anthony did not kill her young daughter then how did Caylee die?

Say Hello To Reasonable Doubt!

The Defences explanation for Caylee’s death was that she drowned in the family pool. Upon finding her Casey Anthony panicked and moved the body to the nearby forest with the help of her Dad. When Casey Anthony’s Dad took the stand he fully denied this story and testified under oath that it was not true. And there lies our reasonable doubt.

The defence strategy was actually quite brilliant.  They presented different stories that involved different members of Casey Anthony’s family such as sexual abuse by her Brother, a cover up by her Mother, as well as a conspiracy with her Dad.  Each time a family member took the stand they testified under oath that the defence accusation was not true.  This strategy invokes reasonable doubt in jury members.  The jury doesn’t know what happened, and they don’t know what didn’t happen; therefore they cannot convict because nothing is clear.

The defence stated that little Caylee climbed into the family pool and drowned because Casey Anthony’s Mother left the ladder down which allowed the young girl to access the pool. The Mother later denied the accusation.  Casey Anthony never reported her daughter Caylee missing, it was actually Casey Anthony’s Mother who reported little Caylee missing after 31 days.  If Casey Anthony is innocent then why did she not report her daughter missing? Why did she lie about little Caylee’s whereabouts? And most of all, why did she not take the stand during trial in her own defence?

In my opinion if you want to set the record straight about false allegations, you should testify to the truth under oath.  If you choose not to take the stand during your own trial it is because you have something to hide.  If Casey Anthony took the stand she would have to swear to tell the truth and answer all questions honestly.  This would have completely destroyed the brilliant defence strategy put into place by Casey Anthony’s team.  No one wants the truth to come out when the whole defence is based upon lie after lie.

How Would You Vote?

I am a firm believer in capital punishment, which is allowed in Florida where the Casey Anthony trial took place. If you are a criminal and you took someone’s life then your life also deserves to be taken…but only if your guilt is proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The Casey Anthony defence didn’t have to prove anything; all they had to do was create reasonable doubt so that the jury would be forced to render a not guilty verdict.  I don’t feel that the jury thinks Casey Anthony is innocent, I just think there was reasonable doubt. Would you risk someone’s life if you were not 100% certain?

Getting Rich by Being Infamous!

Casey Anthony will soon be a free woman and as a young twenty something (now childless) woman she now has her whole life ahead of her.

The media circus surrounding the Casey Anthony trial made me question how much of Casey Anthony’s life and defence are real, and how much is just for show to set a foundation for what comes next.  I am sure that Casey Anthony is currently in negotiations for a book deal about her life as well as the loss of her daughter and the trial.  Who knows, maybe Jennifer Love Hewitt will play her in an upcoming Television Movie.  Regardless of how it is published I am sure that the Casey Anthony story is being sold.

The problem with getting rich by being infamous is that people tend to remember the bad over the good.  Infamous people get rich for being bad people, therefore they will always be remembered and the money will keep coming in for years to come.  Casey Anthony doesn’t deserve to get rich, she deserves to be punished.

Casey Anthony’s daughter is dead and now she will be rich at the expense of her daughter’s life. How was justice served in this case?

What is Next?

If little Caylee did drown in the family pool I have to question why Casey Anthony was also not charged with child endangerment and/or child neglect.  It is obvious that no one was paying attention to little Caylee if she had time to go out into the backyard, climb into the pool, and drown.  It is really sad that Casey Anthony will now be infamous and get rich at the cost of her daughter’s life.

There is currently a petition circulating around the internet that will hopefully pass a law that will require parents to report their child missing or dead to the police within 24 hours.  There was definitely a lack of evidence in the Casey Anthony trial and this is due to the fact that the child was reported missing 30 days after the day she was last seen.  Several days passed between the day little Caylee was last seen and the day that her body was found in the nearby forest, that is a lot of time for evidence to be lost, washed away, and disappear.

Photo by Ryan Wick

Your Couple Shares What?

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couples advice, couples sharing, joint assets

stack of cashYesterday in our staff lunch room at our bank branch the subjects of marriage and divorce came up.  I couldn’t believe how differently a room full of personal investment professionals can view money management and money sharing in a marriage.

My colleague Andrew treats his marriage as a business deal.  He has been married for almost 3 years to his wife and they just had their first baby.  Andrew and his wife do not have a joint bank account and they do not share any assets, except for their family home.  Andrew knows the exact amount of money that he contributes into the marriage for monthly bills, groceries, utilities, and the biweekly mortgage payment.

If Andrew and his wife were to get divorced he has taken precautions to protect his current assets and his future income.  Andrew would never share his money with anyone, not even his wife. Andrew knows what assets he brought into the marriage (because he keeps a record), and if the marriage ends he will expect to leave with those same assets.  If we go into our marriage already preparing for a divorce do we have a fighting chance of staying together?

Andrew’s wife is currently on maternity leave and her income is lower than it used to be; it is also a lot lower than Andrews biweekly pay check.  Andrew suggested that the couple sit down to calculate their individual budgets and determine the pro rata percentage that each person would contribute towards the family expenses.  If the situation was reversed and the man in a marriage was earning less money would expenses still be prorated?

My other colleague doesn’t think so.  Stephanie is a lesbian who has been with her partner for over 20 years. They have one child, a 10 year old boy name Steven.  Although Stephanie and her partner are not recognized as being legally married, they did commit themselves in a private ceremony.

Stephanie has the exact opposite mentality towards marriage and money.  She believes that a marriage is a relationship full of love between two people.  Stephanie believes that money is only a means that we use to live.  Stephanie doesn’t know how much money she brought into the marriage and she doesn’t care.  When Stephanie and her wife bought their home she contributed more towards the down payment than her wife and she has never asked for the money back. Stephanie didn’t even stipulate in the notary agreement that she will receive her down payment back if and when the couple sells their home.

Stephanie feels that marriage is about love and not money.  She doesn’t care about money because she is just happy that she has the freedom to be in an open relationship with the woman she loves. Stephanie believes that the only money that should be kept separate in a marriage is money that has been inherited from our family.  It may be naive, but if you treat your marriage like a business deal where is the love?

My boyfriend Nick and I don’t have joint bank accounts but we do share all expenses, even those expenses that are not mutually enjoyed by both of us.  We don’t keep track of who contributes how much into the relationship because we keep separate savings accounts, retirement assets, and other personal savings. We contribute what we want into our relationship and we save what we want individually.

Photo by PurpleSlog

Let’s Help Little Felicity in Atlanta!

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Hello DINKS. The Love Drop team is at it again, and this month they are heading to Atlanta to help a little girl who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumour.  Felicity is a 4-year-old girl who was just diagnosed with brain cancer.  After being diagnosed Felicity had immediate surgery, and she is currently undergoing radiation treatments. In July Love Drop is trying to raise $5,000 to help cover Felicity’s expensive medical costs.  With your support and generosity, we can really do something special for Felicity and her family, just as we did last month for the Aubin Family.

Last month Love Drop gave over $5,000 worth of cash and presents to the Aubin Family, who was struggling financially after the passing of their Dad and Husband. Love Drop just celebrated their first 6 month anniversary and to date they have donated over $45,000 to 6 very deserving families.  If you know of anyone who needs some Love dropped please get in touch with the Love Drop team.

Love Drop now has T-Shirts.  Thanks to the great people at Tango Bravo Tees all proceeds from each T-Shirt sale goes directly to Love Drop.  Click Here to order your Love Drop T-Shirt today.

Here are three ways you can help little Felicity:

  1. Give $25 towards Medical Bills. Click this link to contribute $25 towards Felicity’s radiation treatments.
  2. Give a Gift or Service.  Gift cards to Wal-Mart, Target, and restaurants are always helpful. Services are also very helpful as well.  If you have a service to offer from yourself or from your company it would be greatly appreciated.
  3. Join our Blogger Network. Blog about our Love Drops each month to help spread the word about Love Drop and help raise money for families.  It’s really easy to join and Love Drop will give you all the content you need.

Our Book Winner & Other Great Giveaways!

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Happy Friday DINKS. I hope you all had a great short work week.  I wish I could say that I enjoyed the sunshine with corn on the cob, BBQs, and Fireworks but the truth is that I have been sick in bed with a fever since last Tuesday.  Let me tell you that having a fever in July really sucks!

On a brighter (and healthier) note today we are celebrating Giveaways from around the web. First let us start with the winner of our FREE BOOK GIVEAWAY.  Thank you to everyone who hit us up on Twitter and who left a comment here on DINKS. The winner of a FREE copy of Debt Free For Life by David Bach is Kathleen Crocker. Congratulations Kathleen!  Please send us an email with your mailing address. I know that everyone can’t be a winner, but I suggest that everyone pick up a copy of this book because it is an easy to follow self help guide to pay off our debt and find financial freedom.

is important for all blogs (not only those in the Personal Finance niche) to offer their readers free stuff because we all like to be rewarded for being loyal clients (or readers).  Everywhere we go retailers offer free giveaways to their clients to ensure their continued business. Coffee Shops offer loyalty cards to get our 6th coffee free when we buy 5, and nail shops offer a discount on our manicures if we also buy a pedicure, and furniture stores offer televisions if we buy a living room set.  It’s only normal (and good business) that the online blog community also offers free giveaways to our readers. Who doesn’t like free stuff? I know that I do!

These websites are currently offering FREE GIVEAWAYS:

  • Giveaways Are Sexy is a site designed specifically to giving away something new every single week.  How cool is that? This week they are giving away TWO Dave Ramsey Starter Kits, and TWO “Total Money Makeover” books by Dave Ramsey — 4 things total. Check out their site every Monday for a new Giveaway!
  • Financial Samurai is currently giving away a bonus box of personal finance and investment books. Visit his site for more details on how to be entered into this contest to win.
  • Yes I Am Cheap gives us a heads up on Free Giveaways from Craigslist.  She is a frequent Craigslist shopper and is sharing her online shopping and savings strategies.
  • Young and Thrifty is giving away a copy of Rich Dad’s Cash Flow Quadrant by Robert Kiyosaki. Robert Kiyosaki is a New York Times Best Selling Author and a Financial Cash Flow Guru.  Young and Thrifty recommends this book to everyone so check out her site to enter. This contest ends tonight at midnight so be sure to visit ASAP!

(Photo by FireBalk)

How To Buy a Good Stock!

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roulette

Any good investment portfolio should be well balanced and well diversified.  This includes purchasing stocks either directly through an Online Brokerage Account or indirectly through Mutual Funds.  Before we decided to buy an individual stock or a Mutual Fund that holds stocks, we should definitely research both the stock performance as well as the company so that we fully understand what we are buying into.

Researching a company and being familiar with the past performance of a stock allows us to make sure that the objectives of the investment are in line with our individual financial goals.  If we are looking for stocks to provide steady growth over the long term we should look into buying dividend stocks or blue chip stocks of Fortune 500 companies.  These stocks have a proven sustainability over the long term as well as continued profitability.

Higher risk stocks such as Venture Capital, Value, and Small Cap Stocks offer a potential higher rate of return and could earn us more profit in the short term.  However, with the additional risk of Small Cap and Value Stocks also come the potential for greater losses.  Knowing when to buy in and when to get out without being greedy is the key to investing, but timing the market is never a profitable strategy and can prove to be very difficult.

5 Questions to Ask Before we Purchase a Stock:

What is the Marketing Strategy and Market Share? If you like the marketing campaign and their commercials make you want to buy the product it may be a good investment. It is important to want to buy the product otherwise there won’t be a demand.

Is the Product Line Up and Price on Point? If the product is affordable and available for the masses it may be a good investment.  Think about the success of Wal-Mart.

Is the Company Known by the Masses? If the product a household name brand it may be a good investment.  If the product is widely known it means that people have it in mind while they are shopping, and therefore they will buy it.

What is the Companies History with Volatility? If the company has survived financial turbulence in the past it may be a good investment.  If they have been around for a long time and survived turbulent years with solid products then it may be a good investment. It is also important to know if the company has ever been bought out or merged with another company in the past.

What is the Sustainability of the Products? If the products are just a current trend it may not be a good investment.  If people will always have a need for the products, then there will always be a demand and it may be a good investment.

Other Information to Research Before Buying a Stock

The Last 52 week High and Low. You can find this information on any financial website such as Yahoo Finance.  Make sure that you are comfortable with the price range and fluctuations in the value of the stock.

Watch It For a Week. Follow your stock for 7 days to make sure that you are comfortable with the daily price fluctuations.  It is important to know what makes our stocks change in value and what economic factors affect the daily price.

The Time Horizon. Are you purchasing stocks for the long term? What do you want to get out of the stock? If you want constant growth over the long term then Dividend stocks are the right investment for you.  There is no point in buying a Dividend Stock that pays quarterly or annual dividends if you don’t intend to hold the stock over the long term.

(Photo by Zdenko)

 

Don’t Throw That Away… Recycle It!

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recycle gadgets, recycle cartridges, recycle materials

As we all move towards being green and working towards a sustainable environment we may be looking for ways to reduce, reuse and recycle our unwanted items.  Food Waste can be reduced by starting a Compost, Plastic and Paper items can be recycled through our local neighbourhood programs, and Unwanted Electronic items can be reused through donations to local retailers.

Why Should We Recycle our Batteries, Cell Phones, and Electronics?

Recycling our unwanted batteries, cell phones, computer equipment and other electronics is great for the environment, but it’s also great for our wallets too!

Most led acid batteries are 98% recyclable but very often people throw them in the garbage which is harmful to both our environment and future sustainability. Batteries contain lead and sulphuric acids which are considered to be hazardous waste.  They need to be disposed of safely to ensure the protection of our environment as well as our personal health.

We use these items everyday but the disposable can be harmful to humans, pets, wildlife, water life, and vegetation.  Lead can be harmful if ingested or inhaled which is why many blind manufactures and paint manufacturers have stopped using lead in their products.

What products are recyclable?

It may surprise you exactly how many of our everyday items can be recycled.  Televisions and various Computer Parts such as keyboards, motherboards, monitors, and your mouse are all recyclable. Car Batteries, Lead Acid Batteries that are used in Motor Cycles and Boats etc. are also recyclable along with Everyday Household Batteries such as AA, AAA, 9V, C and D Batteries.

Did you know what we can also recycle Hair, Blue Jeans, Wine Bottles and Corks, Crayons, and Keys? Click here for a list of Other Items that you may not know are recyclable.

What do they do with our old Batteries, Cell Phones, and Computer Parts?

Manufacturers and Retailers safely dispose of the dangerous and hazardous materials found in our Batteries, Cell Phones, Computers, and Electronics. They also salvage and recycle the reusable parts to keep future manufacturing costs down.  Batteries are extremely expensive and recycling reusable parts can help make these materials more affordable for consumers.

Some companies recycle our old Cell Phones and other Electronics into new products and donate them to charities and other people in need who may not be able to afford these luxury items.  To many of us a computer or a cell phone is an everyday item, but every day there are less fortunate people who do not have the luxury to afford these items.

Recycling Incentives To Save Money!

Staples Ink Cartridges. Earn up to $3 in Staples Rewards when you recycle your old empty ink cartridges instead of throwing them away.

Office Depot Tech Trade In Program.  This program allows clients to receive Office Depot Gift Cards when we recycle our unwanted electronics.  Before you throw out your old electronics please remember that they could be new for someone else.

Radio Shack Electronics Trade in Program. Currently accepting Car Stereos, Digital Cameras and Camcorders, Gaming Consoles, GPS units, MP3 Players, Wireless Phones, and Notebook Computers.  Exchange these items for Radio Shack Gift Cards to buy new items.

Sprint and Vespa Cell Phone Recycling Partnership. Trade in your cell phone at Sprint until August 20 and receive up to $250 in savings as well as be entered into a contest to win one of 6 Vespa Scooters.

(Photo by Moria)

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