Knight Accounting and Technology

I have to send a shout-out to VPI Pet Insurance (vpipetinsurance.com).  We have used their insurance for the past 8 years, ever since we adopted our dog, Joe.  We pay approx $300 in premiums each year and have received our premiums back and far more!  We have never had trouble filing a claim, and unlike “other” insurance agencies we’ve dealt with (I won’t name names, but it begins with an F and ends with an S!), they have never lost a single piece of paperwork we’ve sent them!  It’s as simple as taking our dog to the vet, filling out a simple claim form, mailing or faxing it in, and a check arrives 2 weeks later!  If you have a pet without pre-existing conditions, I highly recommend them!  (pre-existing conditions can be tough, but it’s still worth checking them out!)

Attention Moms, Dads, Pet Owners and anyone else who shops for diapers, cleaning and pet supplies.  I can’t believe it took me this long to stumble upon this, but amazon.com has a service called “Subscribe & Save.”  It allows you to purchase items that you buy regularly at a 30% discount!  For example, the diapers that I normally buy at Target and Wal-Mart for $39.98 are available for only $28.06!  Plus, as of now, there is no sales tax or shipping, so that saves another $3 – $4 versus buying at a local store!  You can imagine the savings when I have 2 little ones running around in diapers!  Is there a catch?  Only a small one in my opinion…you need to sign up for the Subscribe & Save program, which asks you to committ to having the same item shipped to you every 1, 2, 3 or 6 months.  HOWEVER, you can stop your subscription or change your item at any time.  So, I signed up to have my Size 5 diapers shipped every 6  months, and I just need to log in between now and then to change my order to Size 6 or cancel my subscription.  I don’t lose the super low pricing that I got on my original purchase.

To find this service, just go to www.amazon.com and type in Subscribe and Save in the search box.  You’ll see some sample items, and also a link to the program.  As a note: the items on those sample items don’t reflect the full discount you get, so you need to click on an item.  Instead of ordering by clicking on “Add to Cart” click on the “Subscribe Now” button to see your subscription price!

New this year, the IRS is adding yet another option for getting your tax refund.  In addition to a paper check (which I NEVER recommend), direct deposit to a checking or savings account, and making an IRA contribution, this year you will also be allowed to purchase U.S. Savings Bonds.  These Series I Savings Bond can be purchased in increments of $50, $100, $200, $500, and $1,000, but cannot be redeemed for 12 months after you receive them.  And, if redeemed within the first five years, the three most recent months’ interest will be forfeited.  While you can only have Savings Bonds issued in your own name during the 2010 filing system, you will be able to add co-owners, such as child and grandchildren in the future.