Your CashNetUSA family has found a very creative way to save money on your grocery bill. Start a food club. Sometimes it “pays” to get creative with your most basic expense in life.  Follow the steps below for advice on how to start your own club and take advantage of buying in bulk.

• Spread the word – What is the point of having a great party if you don’t send out invitations?  Ask family, friends, and neighbors about joining.  Start with a group of at least five families and add more if necessary to get the best value.
• Compare Shopping Lists –  Everyone drinks milk, but everyone may not drink fat free milk.  Also, make sure to track how much the items on your list normally cost.   That way you can find better savings in the future.
• Club Duties – The leader of the club should designate roles to members.  Such as shopping, delivery, and clean up.  According to Mint.com, “Once the food is purchased, the group will have to decide where it will be stored … split up [and] delivered.  If there are perishable items like fruit or meat, the group may decide pick up has to be right after the shopping spree.”
• Have Fun – Your food club should not be a chore.  Arrange potlucks and share recipes.  The more fun everyone has making friends, the longer your club (and money) will last.

Food is the most basic necessity, and expense, in life.  Your CashNetUSA family not only helps you out with online payday loans; we also want to help you save money in all parts of life.

Money.  It should be considered an emotion. One word that makes every person react differently.  This powerful emotion of money takes on greater meaning once you are in a serious relationship.  To help you out, your CashNetUSA family has found some great tips from Mint.com to help you and your significant other have the “money talk.”

• Nobody is perfect – My father would always say, “If you point a finger at someone, there are always three fingers pointing back at you.”  Make sure your spouse understands that you are not perfect.  Mint.com says, “If you can take your fair share of the blame and ask for help working on your weaknesses, you’ll have a much easier time pointing out the things your spouse needs to do better.”
• Focus on the “why,” not the “why not”- New car? Retiring early?  College tuition?  Those are specific goals and reasons WHY you are having this tough conversation.  Stop talking about what you can’t do because you’re saving money, focus on what you are going to do.
• Don’t let other topics creep in – Stay on topic.  Mint.com says, “Comments about your lavish nights out on the town might reveal hatred for one particular friend…  Those feelings should be put aside.”

Talking about money with your spouse should never be a bad thing, although it often is.  Having the “money talk” will not only help you out financially, but also have a positive impact on your relationship.

Image: Flickr User

Everyone here at CashNetUSA loves to go out to eat.  We love going out to eat even more when we can save some money.  Although we won’t share our food, we will share these mouth-watering deals.

Benihana – A Hibachi Shrimp & Chicken Meal for two for $35. The deal includes soup, salad, appetizer, entrees and sides, green tea and dessert. Participating locations only. Offer good through July 31.

Cheesecake Factory – Facebook fans of the chain who make a reservation via its page can get a slice of cheesecake for $1.50 (half-price) on July 29. Must present the print out coupon from making a reservation and a valid ID. Participating locations only. (No luck? Drop by for National Cheesecake Day on July 30 for half-price slices, no coupon required.)

Arby’s – DealNews.com has a coupon for a free regular roast beef sandwich when you buy a small drink. Getting the coupon requires some hoop-jumping, though: send a text “roastbeef” to 27297 (regular text rates apply), and then reply to their message with your zip code. If there’s a participating Arby’s nearby, you’ll get the coupon. (Texting for the deal also signs you up for regular offers via text. Opt out by texting “stop.”)

T.G.I. Friday’s – While supplies last, get a free $10 gift card with the purchase of two entrees from the chain’s new Caribbean-inspired summer menu. Participating locations only.

*For more deals, see Dealnews.com, or visit Frugal Foodie on Mint.

Now if you will excuse us, the CashNetUSA team has to feed our stomach, and our piggy bank!

Image Credit: Flicker User

Meet Wallet and Purse, the new CashNetUSA mascots. Be on the lookout for this CashNetUSA commercial and watch Wallet and Purse discuss the benefits of a fast-cash, online payday loan, while making ends meet.  Moreover, pay close attention, as we are offering an introductory promo code for your first loan while viewing this video.

According an economic report by The Conference Board, employee salary increases will grow from 2.5% in 2010 to 3.0% in 2011.  This report is based on a survey that included over 300 companies, conducted across several industries.

“This less-than-robust increase is an indication that the economic recovery has not yet picked up enough strength to significantly raise salary budgets to a level consistent with a healthy economy,” Christopher Woock, a human capital researcher at The Conference Board, said in a statement to CNNMoney.com.  For lack of a better term, our slowly strengthening economy is transitioning from “treading water” to a modest “doggy paddle.”

“Slow and steady” may win the economic race, but sometimes you need “fast cash.”  Remember CashNetUSA is always here to help, providing you with online, short-term, payday loans.  Interested?  Click here to see how we can help.

Summer weekends are a busy time, especially for your wallet. At CashNetUSA, you can apply even over the weekend and have your money waiting for you on Monday,* so you can take care of emergency expenses at the beginning of the week.

With the kids out of school, road trips planned and events happening constantly, the summer is a busy time. If you’re faced with an emergency expense like a car repair or medical bill over the weekend, CashNetUSA is one of the few lenders that accepts applications between Friday and Monday. Just apply by 7pm CST Sunday and, once approved, you’ll have your funds deposited by Monday.*

There’s no worse way to start the week than scrambling to find emergency funds. So take care of emergency expenses now and enjoy the fun-filled weekend worry-free!

For most Americans, the holiday shopping season is the last thing on their minds in early July. However, retail superstore Toys R Us thinks that if you starting thinking about the holiday shopping season now, you could save in the long run.

Toys R Us just announced their new Christmas Savers Club to urge customers to start saving now for one of the most expensive shopping seasons. Club members can go to any Toys R Us store and put money down on a club card which will be saved until the holiday season. Club members also get 3% bonus on everything they put towards the card, which will be paid out come October.

The program is designed to encourage consumers to plan ahead for the big spending season, rather than finding themselves in a mountain of debt once all the presents have been unwrapped. The premise is good, but only works if you plan on spending all your money at Toys R Us. It might make more sense to put your money into a savings account or other savings vehicle if you can get a better return than 3% over the next few months.

A new book reveals the story of the short-term loan industry and how it came to be what it is today.

It’s hard to believe, but just a couple decades ago, those with less-than-perfect credit only had three options when cash was tight: bounce a check, borrow from family, or risk borrowing from loan sharks or other unsavory lenders.

Luckily, today’s consumers have more choices – including options like cash advances that are legal, regulated and safe. An honest new book, Broke USA, by journalist Gary Rivlin explores the rise of the payday loan industry and how it has helped and hampered today’s credit-needy consumers.

The Wall Street Journal praises the book for its honesty, but calls for more a more detailed look at how licensed  short-term lending has allowed poor-credit consumers to avoid more dire financial consequences, such as bankruptcy, unlicensed lenders and illegal loans. Reviewer, Katherine Mangu-Ward, writes:

“Yes, some people—who find themselves in a fiscal hole and respond with more vigorous shovel work—face mounting debts. Tales of poverty made worse by unrepayable loans are moving, and Mr. Rivlin tells them vividly. But almost completely absent from “Broke, USA” is a discussion of what might have happened to Poverty Inc.’s “victims” in the absence of Poverty Inc. It is indeed expensive to be poor: a loan of $100 for two weeks costs between $15 and $25, something like a 300% or 400% annual interest rate. But the money would not be available at all without the fee, and prompt payment dodges virtually all of Mr. Rivlin’s dire consequences. The best part about the commercialization of credit to the poor is what happens when someone can’t pay: phone calls, visits from collection agencies, tax liens, evictions and perhaps bankruptcy. No picnic, to be sure. But no crowbars either.”

Want to learn more? Read the full review.