Yard Sales: On a Mission

For really the first time in my life, I've started going to yard sales on Saturday mornings. Looking just to look isn't really my thing. However, I'm hunting for very inexpensive wooden picture frames that I will paint and use on the tables at my wedding reception.

Last Saturday was my first time out. I scored 8 frames for a total of $4.25. (Not bad considering the cheapest ones I found at Target are $2.99, and the ones at Goodwill are $1.99.) I need about 50 of them, so the cheaper, the better! Today I searched again but wasn't as successful in terms of the number I found. However, the one frame I found was just 25 cents!

Here's how I make my plan of action: I look on Craigslist under "garage sales" in my area. Then, I pull out 9 of the ones that seem like they could be the most promising. Multiple family/house yard sales are the best because I can hit a bunch at once. Then, I start plugging in the addresses into MapQuest, starting with my own address. It will let you put up to 10 addresses in to make one continuous route. So, you can go from Point A to Point B to Point C...all the way up to Point J.

In order to save time and gas, I then look at the map and start to move the stops around so that it makes a circle. I don't want to be crisscrossing the county or backtracking. I also have to make sure that if any open later (i.e. 9 or 10 AM) that I put them late in the route. Also, if I see any yard sales along the way on my route that I didn't already know about, I'll stop at those too.

Last night when I made my driving route for today, I randomly plugged in all of the addresses. MapQuest said that it would take me 1 hour and 21 minutes to drive the 28.29 miles. Once I reordered it to make a circle instead of the crazy zigzag pattern, it reduced the time to 45 minutes and the distance to 14.07 miles. So, the new route saved me 36 minutes of driving and 14.22 miles.

Sphere: Related Content

DC Summer Concert Series

As I've mentioned many times before, there are a lot free or low cost things to do in Washington, DC. With the price of gas being so high, this summer you may have to look towards taking local vacations or vacations to places that have a lot of free attractions and entertainment (because you use up most of your budget just getting there). Of course, DC is a natural choice.

If you live in the DC area or are making plans to be here between now and September, you should check out the Summer Concert Series webpage from the National Capital Region of the National Park Service. Most of the live entertainment that they list there are free, and most of them are great for people of all ages. (For example, I'm not sure how a two-year-old would feel about Hamlet.)

Sphere: Related Content

Kraft Food & Family - Free Magazine & Coupons

If you get Kraft Foods' Food & Family magazine, look on page 28 of the Summer 2008 edition for a coupon for one free bottle of Kraft salad dressing, plus several other coupons.

This quarterly magazine is full of recipes, and each print edition comes with several coupons. If you want to get it in the mail for free, just register at Kraft's website. If you don't want the print edition, you can find all of the recipes on their website without having to register.

Sphere: Related Content

Saving on Hotels - Priceline

Yesterday, I talked about how styles can determine what kind of lodging accommodations you may choose. For me, it boils down to the fact that I want a nice hotel room, but I don't want to pay the price (and neither does Michael, who is fine with a simple motel). We've figured out how to make us both happy: Priceline.

When we are planning a trip, Michael will find the nearest Motel 6 and tell me the rate. If he's afraid hotels in the area may fill quickly, he will reserve a room (just in case) that can be cancelled without a penalty. Then, I begin my work on Priceline.

When using Priceline for hotels, I always look at the options that are available in the different geographic areas they offer before bidding. Especially in major cities, almost all of the downtown properties charge $10+ per night for parking. So, if it works with our itinerary, I’ll pick a suburban or airport property and drive a few extra miles in order to get free hotel parking. Saving on parking helps our travel budget. Even with the very high price of gas now, a few extra miles of gas isn't going to make paying for city parking a better deal.

Also, I try to bid on 2.5 star hotels instead of 3 or 4 stars hotels. I like to stay in the nicest places possible for the lowest price possible. However, if you get a full-service/luxury hotel (3+ stars), you usually don’t get free breakfast like at the 2.5 star hotels, which we've still found to be very nice accommodations. The 2.5 star hotels are often extended-stay properties, which means they usually have bigger rooms and include a microwave, refrigerator, and sometimes even a range and/or oven.

Having free breakfast, a microwave, and a refrigerator helps cut down on dining-out costs. We can bring leftovers back to the hotel from restaurants that usually serve large portions to eat for lunch or dinner the next day.

Once I decide on the area and star level on which I want to bid, I will take the Motel 6 rate that Michael found and cut it in half. That's my first bid on Priceline. It's normally a ridiculously low price that isn't accepted for a 2.5 or 3 star hotel. If we don't get a room with that bid, I'll keep increasing the amount by $5/night until I reach the price of the Motel 6. If we think we'll get breakfast with the Priceline room, sometimes we'll bid up to $10/night more than Motel 6 (a 1 star motel). We've stayed at Marriott, Residence Inn, Crowne Plaza, and Holiday Inn for less than or about equal to a Motel 6. That makes us both happy!

Don't forget that when you bid on Priceline that if they accept a rate, you've bought that room -- no cancellations or changes. Be certain before you bid.

Sphere: Related Content

Saving on Hotels - What's Your Style?

Saving on lodging when traveling is going to vary depending on your style and what you want and need in your accommodations.

I have a friend Whit who avoids hotels/motels whenever possible. She and her husband would much prefer camping for a whole variety of reasons, including the low nightly rates. I'm all about saving money, but regardless of the low cost, camping is definitely not my style! I need a bed, climate control, a shower, electricity, a flush toilet, a sink, four walls, a ceiling, and a floor. I really could go on and on about this subject, but let me just say that the one time I went camping (because I made a promise to Whit that I would try it), it rained and was hot. I kept thinking, I'm ready to go in now. But there was no "in" -- we were camping! So, I sat there praying, Dear Lord, I'm so grateful that I'm not homeless. Please bless those who are. I was being sincere.

Regardless of my need for some basics in lodging, Whit will argue that hotels are a waste of money. For her lifestyle, that is true -- but I need to blow dry my hair! (If you ever were to see my air-dried hair, you would understand that this is a need and not just a want.) Whit will also remind me of what I've told her from my days as a housekeeping manager at a lovely AAA Four Diamond hotel: don't walk on the carpet with your bare feet; don't drink out of the glasses in the bathroom; and whatever you do, don't let the bedspread or blanket touch your skin. I know, I know. But I can still avoid those things and feel the room rate is worth it.

Michael, on the other hand, is a Motel 6 guy. He shares the same philosophy with Whit that spending a lot on hotels is ridiculous. So, he has found that Motel 6 has a great low rate in cities of all sizes across the country. They provide the very basics (exactly what I listed above as my needs -- and nothing more) and are consistent in their quality ("it'll do").

When I started traveling with him (for him to run marathons in different states), I learned about Motel 6 being his lodging of choice. Knowing that I'm a pretty frugal person, Michael was surprised to learn that I wasn't very excited about the accommodations. But I worked at a AAA Four Diamond hotel for 4 years! -- I really enjoy a nice hotel (despite the aforementioned issues which I'm sure are industry-wide). Yes, a motel would meet my needs, but I want more: interior hallways, a pretty room with little amenities, a beautiful lobby. It makes coming back to the room after a long day of sightseeing or cheering on runners at a marathon a nice experience.

So, Michael and I discovered we had clashing ideas on lodging styles. I had a remedy for this problem (I didn't want to stay in a motel, and we didn't want to pay high prices for a hotel): Priceline! Tomorrow, I'll share with you some tips on using Priceline that we use to make us both happy.

Sphere: Related Content

Welcome Coupon Mom Readers!

If you are visiting Save 4 Fun from Coupon Mom's blog, a special welcome to you! I'm a huge fan of Stephanie Nelson's and have so appreciated her great website and blog. I hope you will find my blog to be useful, interesting, and inspiring too. If you do, while you are here, subscribe to get my blog posts via email or in a reader through Feed Burner.

If you are visiting Save 4 Fun from another source and aren't already familiar with Coupon Mom, go check out her site. You don't have to be a mother to find savings through her website. She has great, free resources and tips available including Grocery Deals by State which does the work of looking through grocery and drug store sales ads for you each week. She'll even tell you where to find coupons that are available for this week's sale items.

Sphere: Related Content

Last Day for Triple Coupons at Harris Teeter

Today is the last day of Harris Teeter's triple coupon promotion for this week, so I had to swing by there for some deals. I'm glad to see that they are doing this more often. They used to do it only once or twice a year, but now triple coupons come around every month or two. I do wish more of their sale items corresponded with coupons eligible for tripling (99 cents or less). However, even without sale prices, coupons that are tripled make some items good deals anyway.

I didn't do as well today as when I wrote about triple coupons back in November. But I did save 58% today, which is pretty good. That includes a package of McCormick's Grill Mates marinade that I got for free (because it was actually on sale for 75 cents and I had a 25-cent coupon that they tripled).

Sphere: Related Content

Collection: How to Save on Wedding Gifts

I've written several articles on various ways to save on wedding gifts, and I thought it might be useful to pull the links together in one post. If you find any of these tips useful, let me know. I'd love to hear about your wedding gift deals. Also, tell me if you know of other good ways to save when giving to a bride and groom.

Comparison Shopping Between the Store & the Website

Saving on Wedding Gifts at Bed, Bath, & Beyond

More Ways to Save on Wedding Gifts at Bed, Bath, & Beyond

Saving on Wedding Gifts at Target

Buy from a Wedding Gift Registry & Save for Charity

Saving on Wedding Gifts at Macy's

A Few More Ways to Save on Wedding Gifts

More Wedding Gift Savings: The Value of Shopping Early

More Wedding Gift Savings: Look Beyond the Registry

Sphere: Related Content

Financial Teamwork

Michael and I went to our first pre-martial counseling session last night. Our pastor friend who is doing our counseling is having us read Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts by Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott. I've found it to be pretty interesting, although it can go to the extreme getting some of the points across about pitfalls of which you should beware.

Of course, personal finance is a hot topic in marriages -- and divorces. And basically most things I've read about money and marriage in this book and a whole variety of other sources send a message of great caution about the subject (with good reason -- I understand). But I like happy, success stories, so it was good to read this guest post on Clever Dude's blog by Kevin of No Debt Plan entitled Spouses, Finances, and Teamwork, so I thought I'd share it with my readers. I'm glad to hear that things are going well for Kevine and his wife, and I'm certain they will for us too.

Sphere: Related Content

Ask and You Just Might Receive!

Wedding planning and other aspects of my life have kept me busy lately, so I haven't been able to post as often as usual. Thanks for bearing with me!

For the past several days, Michael and I were down in Atlanta visiting his family and doing some wedding planning. Michael's nephew is going to be our junior groomsman, and he's been looking for a nice gift for him. Michael was in his aunt and uncle's wedding when he was a kid, and he still has the gift (a glass sailboat) that they gave him. He has been looking for a similar keepsake that his nephew may like.

On Saturday, we went to a store that sells all sorts of gift items with college logos on them. The nephew likes Michael's alma mater (University of GA), so we were looking at all sorts of UGA things. He found a nice wooden box with pewter Georgia logo on it, but it was a little more than he wanted to pay. Michael's mom (who also loves a deal) jokingly asked the sales clerk if they offered discounts to UGA alumni, and she said they did: 25% off. We were skeptical, especially since Michael didn't have anything with him to prove it. (Although I assured the clerk that if she were to prick his finger, she'd find that he bleeds black and red!) She said she normally asks for some kind of proof, but since it was his mom doing the asking, she figured he must be a legitimate graduate.

Anyway, what a surprise! It wasn't advertised anywhere that they would give this kind of discount. I suppose it never hurts to ask!

Sphere: Related Content

Learning at Low-Cost

Learning how to do things yourself can be a big money saver in the long run. This spring I took my second series of flower arranging classes through my county's public schools' adult education program. A local florist teaches the classes.

At $134 for the first series of 3 classes and $149 for the second series, at first glance they don't seem like a great bargain - not cheap anyway. However, for what you get, it really is a deal. Those prices included the florist demonstrating how to make the arrangements, hands-on help in class when I made my arrangements, tips on how to do things like properly change the water in a vase, and all of the supplies. Each week I had a fun activity on Tuesday nights, and I also got to take home my beautiful creations to enjoy.

While I'm by no means a pro at flower arranging now, I do have some basic skills. A couple of months ago I even made a lovely arrangement that I took to a friend who had just had a baby. A similar arrangement at the grocery store would have cost $20. However, I was able to make the arrangement for my friend with enough flowers leftover to make one for me to keep for a total of $12 (including the vase I gave her which I had gotten from someone who was going to throw it away).

Below you can see pictures of the arrangements I made in my latest classes (wedding flower arranging). I'm not going to do the flowers for my own wedding, but this was good information to learn - and it was fun!

Check out what classes your local school district or parks and rec department offer. You might learn a cool trade and have fun for a reasonable price.

Sphere: Related Content

Free Tour of Europe (in DC)

Once again, if you live in or are planning to visit Washington, DC this weekend, there is another great free event in store: EU Open House! On Saturday, May 3, 26 of the European embassies are opening their doors for free programs, food, tours, lectures, music, and more. The open house is running from 10 AM - 3 PM. They are offering free shuttle service from some of the Metro stations to the embassies that aren't Metro accessible.

I've been wanting to go to this event for several years, but this is the first year I'm available to go. I can't wait! I love Europe -- and a free visit close to home, while not the same, should be fun. With all of the food and drink samples being offered, maybe we can even manage to make lunch out of it! :-)

Sphere: Related Content

Shoes from Payless

I've been working on some more wedding planning over the past week. One of my tasks was to find shoes for the bridesmaids. While I let them pick the style of dress they will each wear, I want them to all wear the same shoes. The dresses are tea-length, so everyone will see their shoes. It will look better if they are the same.

I have 5 bridesmaids who live in 3 different states, none of whom live in the same city. I needed to find shoes that they could all easily get. I wanted a style that looked nice with a heel that was no more than 2" (so they don't kill themselves trying to get down the aisle). They needed to be black. I wanted them to be under $20, so in the event they don't like them or have no other reason to ever wear them again, they didn't lose a ton of money on these shoes.

After much searching, I found shoes at Payless that fit all of the requirements, including only being $17.99! (There's a store within 8 miles of all of the bridesmaids.) The only problem was that I couldn't find these shoes in the store when I first started looking. So, my sister (roommate/maid of honor) bought them from Payless.com. They have free shipping to a store and easy returns/exchanges. Luckily, we liked them, and they fit. However, if they hadn't worked out, she could have easily gotten a refund at the store without the hassle or expense of returning them by mail.

So, if you are looking for shoes that may be for a one-time use (like for a wedding), look at what Payless has to offer because they have good prices and offer free shipping if you can’t find what you want in a store. Just watch out for the dyeable shoes because they can be more expensive (as much as $39.99). It’s much better to buy shoes that are already made in the color you need or to buy a complimentary color.

Sphere: Related Content

Which Car is Less Expensive to Drive?

When planning a recent long-distance trip, Michael and I were trying to decide which car we should take -- his or mine? He assumed my little compact sedan would get better gas mileage than his full-size sedan. I thought that was probably true, but I do like seeing the proof in the numbers.

I used AAA's Fuel Cost Calculator to find out the real answer. I was surprised to learn that on the same trip, it would only cost $8.06 more in gas (total - round trip) to take his car than mine. So, if we needed more space or find his car to be more comfortable, it would be fine to take his car. Of course, I realize that this calculator is only factoring the price of gas and not which car may cost more to maintain. But it is a helpful tool in budgeting a good estimated cost of gasoline for a road trip.

In addition to helping you decide between which car to use (assuming your traveling partners also have cars and you have a choice of which one to take) and helping you to budget for gas for a trip, this calculator may help you decide between two different cars to buy. Plug in the numbers for a city/area to which you make frequent trips (maybe for an annual vacation or to visit family or friends). Try it with the two different cars that you are considering to buy. It may help you understand the big picture better than the miles-per-gallon listed on the car.

Sphere: Related Content

Coming Soon: Baskin Robbins' 31 Cent Scoop Night

It looks like Michael and I will be having ice cream date night two times in a row next week!

While it may not be as good as Ben and Jerry's Free Cone Day, Baskin Robbins' 31 Cent Scoop Night is a great deal and for a good cause! They are offering small scoops of ice cream for just $0.31, from 5 PM - 10 PM on Wednesday, April 30, 2008. On their website, you can find a participating store near you and sign up to get an email reminder of the event. They are doing this event as a way of honoring America's firefighters. At some locations, you may have an opportunity to make a donation to your local fire charities.

Sphere: Related Content

Coming Soon: Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day!

Last Friday evening, Michael and I walked down to the Ben & Jerry's in Old Town Alexandria. It was a warm spring evening, perfect for walking to get ice cream! I took the buy one regular cone/dish, get one free Ben & Jerry's coupon out of the Entertainment Book, so we got a deal too!

While we were there, I noticed that Ben & Jerry's 30th birthday is coming up on April 29 (one week from today). As usual, they are celebrating by giving away free ice cream! We've been to this event in the past. The line is long, but so worth the wait! Find a shop near you that participates in Free Cone Day and mark your calendar.

Sphere: Related Content

WalkingTown, DC Spring Edition 2008

If you live in the Washington, DC area or happen to be visiting this coming weekend (April 26-27), Cultural Tourism DC is hosting their bi-annual free walking tours! Michael and I have gone on a few of these tours in the past and really enjoyed them. It's a great way to get some exercise and learn more about the city -- for free! They offer 80 tours, so you are bound to find one or two with a topic that interests you and that fits into your schedule. In addition to walking tours, they offer a few bike tours too.

Check out the list of tours here!

Sphere: Related Content

Saving Some Allowance

Did you figure out how much your childhood allowance would be worth in today's dollar with the calculator I posted on Monday?

I actually had to ask my sister if she remembered what we got for allowance because it wasn't a figure that has stuck with me all of these years. I did, however, remember that we got two parts of our allowance: the part we could spend and the part we had to save for college.

It's a good idea to have the savings pass through little hands. Just like I mentioned with having to save gift money, seeing that money come to me and then stuffing it into my Mickey Mouse bank probably did some good for my financial literacy during childhood. Having the college fund magically appear when I graduated from high school wouldn't have been as beneficial because I would not have felt the pain of saving over all of those years if I didn't pass through my hands. I also wouldn't have felt the victory and accomplishment of saving and reaching the goal either.

Of course, as an adult, I find directly depositing money from my paycheck into my retirement and other savings accounts to be much more efficient (and more likely to be saved) than seeing it pass through my hands or checking account. I feel less of the pain of saving that way. Considering I still vividly remember what it feels like from childhood, I don't need to revisit that lesson so intimately anymore!

It never crossed my mind as child to "steal" from Mickey -- or to even borrow from him. Of course, Mom would have known that my deposit would have been short some cash had I done that, and I would have been in hot water! However, I don't think my child mind was advanced enough to realize she would have known. I just knew it was really Mickey's money and not mine -- at least not right away. It's the same with my retirement money now. While I protect it like it is my money (because it is!), my brain understands that it's not for current use...as if it's not my money. And I'd be in hot water with the IRS in terms of major penalties if I did pull money out of my retirement savings.

Some of life's great lessons...Happy Financial Literacy Month!

Sphere: Related Content

Gifting an Education, Life-Lesson, and Financial Freedom

I just read something interesting on Washington Post Personal Finance Columnist Michelle Singletary's weekly e-letter from March 27. (When you click on the link, scroll down to the heading Asking for Money.)

Michelle asked her reads,"Is it rude for parents to ask that you give money for a college fund?"

I decided to email her a response. Here's what I said:

Dear Michelle,

If someone is asking what to give a child, I don't think it's rude to request money to go towards a college education. If the gift-giver would prefer to give a toy, book, etc., then they could just say that they would prefer something that will allow for instant gratification and ask for the child's favorite cartoon characters or current interests. But I like the second mother's idea of giving the child a small gift and then some cash for college savings.

I don't have children, but I can speak from being a person who received money for college when I was a child myself. Well, I never was 100% convinced that money I received as gifts was truly for college, but my parents always told me that was what the giver intended. (I usually got a small gift/toy from my aunts and uncles and grandparents and some cash too...and I would have loved to have spent that money at the toy store!) I had a Mickey Mouse bank, and all of that gift money went directly to Mickey. (Mom would clear out Mickey and take his savings to the bank every so often.) As a young child, college savings frustrated me. I didn't even really know what college was, except that it was sucking up a lot of my money! Even as a teenager when I knew I was definitely going to college, I didn't completely appreciate that money.

Once I was in college, Mom pulled the money out of my savings account and put it into my checking account for me to write the checks to the school. Wow - "thousand" was a really long word to write on a check!!!

My parents (with the help of all of those monetary gifts upon my birth, birthdays, Christmas, and other occasions) were able to pay for my undergraduate education. I left college with a bachelor's degree but no debt! Many of my friends weren't so fortunate. And many of them spent a lot of time working on things that I never had to know about out in the college's financial aid department. Many of them paid those loans for a long time after graduation. It was at that point I finally appreciated what my parents, my Mickey Mouse bank, and all of our kind friends and family did for me -- they gave me financial freedom! That meant I was able to start contributing a decent amount of money to my retirement fund when I got my first job after graduation...I think it also meant that I understood what it was going to take to save for a huge goal (i.e. retirement) that was many, many years away. A college education, a life lesson, and a jump start on retirement savings from a mere $10 or $20 gift. What a deal!

Sphere: Related Content

How Much Would Your Allowance Be Worth Today?

Here's a fun calculator on Money.com: Allowance Inflation.

It looks like what my parents gave me in 1985 when I was 9 years old would be worth nearly double that amount in today's dollars. Wow!

Did you have to save part of your allowance as a kid? I did. It definitely was not fun back then...but it paid off. (Parents can be pretty smart sometimes!) We'll talk more that later this week.

Sphere: Related Content

More Wedding Gift Savings: Look Beyond the Registry

I am a fan of buying wedding gifts from registries because I know it will be something the couple likes and wants. However, sometimes you can find the exact same thing from their registry somewhere else for a better deal. Of course, the key here is to make sure it is indeed the exact same thing (brand, color, size, style, etc.). It's also best to send/give this gift early. Once they get it and realize it is from a store at which they did not register, they can mark it off their registry before someone else buys it. Also, make sure the recipient gets a gift receipt and/or the packing slip so that they can return/exchange it if need be.

Let me give you an example by looking at a 5-piece place setting of our fine china by Lenox.

If I were to buy the place setting tonight, here are the prices I'd pay at various online retailers where we are registered. (Note: I've chosen the least expensive shipping method in each scenario.)

Macy's (through registry linked with WeddingChannel.com)
Price: $158.00
Tax: $7.90
Shipping: $17.95
Total: $183.85

Bed, Bath, & Beyond
Price: $109.99
Tax: $5.50
Shipping: $11.95
Total: $127.44

Belk
Price: $109.99
Tax: $6.30
Shipping: $15.95
Total: $132.24

Now, let's look at the exact same place setting at retailers where we are not registered.

Macys.com (not through the registry)
Price: $109.99
Tax: $5.50
Shipping: $15.95
Total: $131.44

Amazon.com
Price: $109.95
Tax: $0
Shipping: $0
Total: $109.95

Lenox.com
Price: $109.85
Tax: $5.52
Shipping: $12.95
Total: $128.32

HomeClick.com
Price: $109.00 **Includes a free pasta/soup bowl from this pattern (value $70)!
Tax: $0
Shipping: $8.95
Total: $117.95

Now you can see that the lowest over all price is from Amazon.com and the best deal is from HomeClick.com because they offer a free bowl. (Lenox.com did have this deal recently but not currently.) Once again, it pays to shop around!

Sphere: Related Content

If It Doesn't Fit, No Deal

At the end of this month, Michael and I will take our engagement pictures. It's an hour-long session that we'll probably do in a park. For me, getting good pictures for our wedding is important. I also really wanted to find a reasonable package that included an engagement session. Not only do I think it will be great to have these casual pictures of us, it's also a good way of getting to know our photographer, the photographer getting to know us, and getting used to the idea of being photographed for a long period of time. Hopefully, it will help us look a little more relaxed and natural in our pictures.

Anyway, I was looking for just the right thing to wear for this photo session. I knew I wanted a causal, but not too casual dress. I toured around the mall last night. I found some nice dresses on the clearance rack at Ann Taylor, but they either didn't fit just right or they weren't exactly what I was hoping to find. At 60% off, that was very disappointing. I thought long and hard about one of them. But the reality is that if it doesn't fit well or doesn't look right, I won't like it when I get it home, regardless of the price. So, that makes it a bad deal because I won't wear it or at least not many times and won't be happy with it.

I searched more stores -- the regularly priced clothes and the sale racks. Finding just the right fit for me can be difficult. And regardless of your size or shape, clothes that fit well look soooo much better!

I finally found a very cute dress at The Limited that fit like it was made for me. Why it couldn't be on sale, I don't know. I decided not to buy it right away. I thought I should think a little about it and try it on again. So, I went back tonight after work and decided I indeed really liked and it really fit. I bought it...but of course, I got a deal after all!

I looked on The Limited's website today and found a coupon! It's good until May 4, 2008, and you can save $30 on a $100 purchase or more (regularly priced items). Well, the dress I wanted was $98. So, I found nice necklace that I can wear for the engagement pictures too. It was reasonably priced and pushed me just over the $100 limit. Total savings was 24%. Not bad -- especially since this purchase was for a very specific purpose and I would have gotten it anyway. It is worth searching around for coupons!

Sphere: Related Content

Easy Dinner at Home: Slow Cooker

My favorite tip on Bankrate's Frugal Sense contest this month is Dinner's Done from Melissa Yau of Birdsboro. A slow cooker (Crock Pot) is a great, easy way to make a good dinner. Just dump the ingredients into the pot, and give it 4 to 8 hours (depending on the recipe) and there you have it: a yummy dinner!

However, I'm not sure if I'd leave mine on while I'm out of the house as she suggests. We turn ours on overnight. Then, reheat the cooked food for dinner that the next night. When we were kids (but old enough to stay home alone, follow instructions, and plug in an appliance), Mom would have us start the slow cooker when we got home from school. She put all of the ingredients in the pot and put it in the refrigerator the previous night or that morning. Then, she'd leave us a note as to what time to put it on the base and plug it in. When she would get home from work, dinner would already be ready.

Like Melissa says in her tip, the slower cooker liners are awesome. Reynold's makes them, and they aren't too expensive -- especially if you can get them on sale and with a coupon. You just line the pot with one of the bags and then put the food in. When you are done and have removed the food, throw away the liner and quickly wipe down the pot.

If you are like me, you'll eat more at home (and save!) if it's quick and easy. This is one great way to make cooking and cleaning a snap.

Sphere: Related Content

Postage Price Increase & the Forever Stamp

Have you heard that on May 12, 2008, the price of postage is going up again? The price of a first-class stamp will increase from 41 cents to 42 cents. (You can find all of the details of the new prices on the US Postal Service website.) Of course, the Forever stamps that the USPS introduced last spring will still work for first-class postage after the increase even if you bought them for only 41 cents each.

Are you going to stock up? With a one-cent increase, I may have normally considered getting an extra book (for a total savings of 20 cents), but I wouldn't have stock piled. However, my upcoming wedding is requiring a lot more mail than in an average year. So, I already have started to stock up.

Luckily, our wedding invitations are only going to require a regular first-class stamp. (And what better stamp to have on a wedding invitation than Forever?!) We'll also need stamps for the response cards that will go inside of each invitation. I'll also mail invitations for the bridesmaids' luncheon. Of course, there will be lots of thank you notes to send: wedding gifts, shower gifts, and friends and family who have helped with various aspects of this event. We will have a few payments that need to be mail after May 12th. And Mom says it's customary to send Christmas cards the first year after the wedding to everyone who was on the invitation list.

So, I estimate the grand total to be about 400 stamps! Wow! No, the savings won't be huge, but I'll take the $4 savings by stocking up on Forever stamps now.

I found interesting commentary and calculations on The Simple Dollar blog that might help you decide if you should stock up on stamps too.

Sphere: Related Content

More Wedding Gift Savings: The Value of Shopping Early

I mentioned on Friday that on one of our trips to Macy's to work on our wedding registry, Michael and I overheard a couple complaining about how expensive something they were buying off of a wedding registry was. Don't worry -- I didn't ask them about this situation! But I did wonder about it.

I suppose their bridal friends may have only registered for very expensive gifts. But I'm willing to bet the real problem was that they waited until the last minute to buy a gift. If that was actually the case, then two things probably happened: 1) most of the items on the registry were already purchased and 2) they didn't have time to comparison shop or wait for a sale. No wonder they were bitter.

I read a blog posting on FreeMoneyFinance.com about selecting your wedding gift early. I suppose a gift card or check for the amount you were planning to spend on a gift is a good alternative, but Plan A is still a better idea -- shop early!

Actually, couples usually register 6 months or more before the wedding. Even if they haven't notified you of the registry, look them up at stores where people usually register (i.e. Macy's, Target, Bed, Bath, & Beyond) or a store that you know to be one of their favorites (i.e. Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma). Then, watch for coupons and sales. I've never actually done this for anyone I've known to be getting married and for whom I was going to give a gift. But watching the prices drastically fluctuate on my own registries, I will definitely start keeping an eye on these gift lists early for friends who are marrying in the future! In fact, just this weekend Belk dropped the price on our fine china by 46% off of the regular retail price. What a deal! (I sure hope people aren't paying full price.)

Sphere: Related Content

How Much in Taxes Should I Withhold from My Paycheck?

Being the person in my company's human resources department who does the employment paperwork with new hires, I've come to realize that most people have not the slightest idea of the number of withholding allowances they should (or want) to put on their W-4. I'm not a financial advisor or a CPA, so I can't help them. They struggle through the crazy little worksheet that is supposed to help them figure out the number of allowances they should choose. And then they look at me and say, "Does that sound right?" I have no idea. I can't help them.

What I do assure them is that they will pay the same amount of income taxes no matter what they fill out on their W-4. The question is: will they pay the taxes during each pay period or on April 15? Will they get a big refund, owe more in taxes, or break even? There are so many factors that go into income taxes that there is no simple answer, which is why I do not have one for them.

The good news is that you can change your withholding allowances by filling out a new W-4 at anytime. Of course, that doesn't help what happened during past pay periods, but it does affect the future.

Personally, I prefer to have my withholding to be as close to the amount I will owe in taxes as possible. I don't want to owe more in taxes come April, but I also know that getting a big refund isn't advantageous either. (If you want to know more about that, read Savvy Strategies for Tax Refunds from the USA Today.)

Right now, I'm in a good place with my taxes. But come August, I'll get married, and my tax situation may be changing. I'll also have to consider what is going on with Michael's income and taxes. But rather than take a wild guess or try to figure out what to do based on that rather confusing W-4 worksheet, I'm going to use a tool on the IRS website: IRS Withholding Calculator.

If you have recently had or are going to have a change in status (i.e. marriage, divorce, birth or adoption of a child, home purchase) or if you just don't like your current way of paying taxes, check out this calculator. If you figure out that you need to make a change, go to your HR department and ask to fill out a new W-4.

Have you gotten or will you be getting a big refund this year? Washington Post columnist Michelle Singletary will tell you how to Use Your Foolish Refund Wisely.

Sphere: Related Content

Macy's Red Star Event Sale - this weekend

I have written previously about how to save on wedding gifts at Macy's. Based on the traffic on that posting, I can tell that it's a subject of interest! Also, a few weeks ago Michael and I were in Macy's finishing up our registry when we overheard a couple complaining about the price of something that they were buying for someone off of a wedding registry. Well, that's really a discussion for another time, but if they had just waited for a sale, like the Red Star Event happening this weekend, they could have saved on that purchase.

Anyway, now through Sunday, April 6th, you can save 15% off of regular, sale, or clearance purchases in-store and online! The sale includes Macy's online wedding registry through WeddingChannel.com! (The sale offers 10% savings on small electronics.) They do exclude a lot of name brand items that may be on a wedding gift registry (i.e. All-Clad), but they also include many of them too (i.e. Lenox). In Macy's stores, you can also pick up a game piece to win a trip to see the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Macy's July 4th Fireworks Spectacular, or a Macy's gift card worth up to $500.

Don't forget that Discover Card's 5% Cashback Bonus promotion this quarter includes department stores. So, between this bonus and the sale at Macy's, you could save up to an additional 20%!

Sphere: Related Content

Free: White House Spring Garden Tours

As I'm sure I've said before, one of my favorite things about living in the Washington, DC area is that there are so many fabulous things to do for free! If you live here or live within reasonable driving distance, take advantage of these great things and have fun (while you are saving on the cost of entertainment). If you don't live here, DC is an awesome place for an affordable, fun vacation. You could really fill your days with all sorts of free activities.

What I consider to be one of the coolest free things is coming up next weekend: the White House Spring Garden Tours! This year it is being held on Saturday, April 12, and Sunday, April 13. It's free, but you do have to get timed entry tickets for everyone (including small children).

The inside of the White House is definitely a terrific (free) tour. But to me, the gardens are special because they are just as famous as the interior (i.e. Rose Garden). After spending a lot of time as a tourist on the outside of the iron fence, it's interesting to see what's in the President's yard. You get to see some hidden areas like the Children's Garden and the tennis court. You can also see the outside of the Oval Office! None of these things are on the regular White House (interior) tour.

Michael and I have gone on the Spring Garden Tour as well as the Fall Garden Tour. Both times, we've gone on a Sunday and went to worship service at St. John's Church across from the White House in the morning before the tour. It's known as "The Church of the Presidents" and is where every president since James Madison has attended on occasion or a regular basis. The President wasn't there either time we went, but it was still really cool to go to a service there.

Here are some pictures I've taken at the White House and St. John's Church when we've gone for a garden tour:

St. John's Church Jacqueline Kennedy Garden

Rose Garden Oval Office

View from the South Lawn

Bush Twins' Hand Prints in the Children's Garden (done when their grandfather was president)

Sphere: Related Content

Saving Money for College

As I mentioned yesterday, I do a fair amount of thinking about my financial goals. I wonder if I'll be able to meet them. I try to think of new ways to save -- but of course, also still have fun and having fun doing it! All of this thinking and planning isn't something that is new to me.

In fact, knowing that a lot of financial goals take many years (even decades) to reach and knowing that one goal is that I hoped to marry and have kids and that those kids would go to college, I started thinking a bit about saving for college several years ago...before I even met my now fiance! Of course, I wasn't going to start allocating a part of my savings to children that I didn't have -- after all, I have so many other "real" things to save for. However, five years ago I came across something called Upromise.

Upromise is a rewards program that helps people save for college. It's free to sign up, so I did. My thought at the time was that if it wasn't going to cost me anything, why not? If I never had kids of my own, I could give it to someone else -- now, it would be my nieces and nephews. However, at the time of registering, I didn't have any of them. But, I figured in 18-20 years I would know someone who was going to college who could use it. So, why not sign up? After all, it was free money!

There are several very easy ways to save with Upromise. In fact, I've blogged at Save 4 Fun about some of them, including restaurants, travel, shopping online at stores like Target and Macys, and shopping in stores like Bed, Bath, & Beyond. You can also save at grocery stores, drug stores, and gas stations, among other places.

All you have to do is register for a free Upromise account. Then, link your store loyalty cards and/or credit/debit cards to your Upromise account. They do the tracking for you when you shop at a partner company and/or buy a partner product. With online purchases like at Target.com, you get credit when you link to Target's website through Upromise's website and make a purchase.

During the month of April, Upromise is running a promotion. When you open and activate a new account by shopping online, Upromise will put $10 in your account! What a great way to get started! (I wish they were offering that when I joined.) If you already have an account and are saving for a specific child or children, ask your friends and family if they would help you save too. They can open an account and then designate your child(ren) as the beneficiary. You'll save even more!

Sphere: Related Content

How's Your Net Worth?

I've found an interesting net worth calculator on Money Magazine's website. You put in your age and income. Then, the calculator tells you the median net worth for your age and for your income. I was shocked at how low the numbers were, especially for my age. People in their early 30s must be carrying more debt than I really imagined...or else they are spending nearly everything they make. The numbers are really pitiful.

My financial goals aren't anything out of the ordinary: house, family/kids, secure retirement, and some nice vacations (though nothing too extravagant). But when I look at my numbers, I often wonder if I'll achieve all of these things. However, when I'm looking at the median net worth for my age group (or even my income group), I think I must be lucky -- well, it's probably more likely that the thriftiness is paying off because mine is hard earned money not lottery winnings! So, for a minute I feel better...but then, I realize that other people's numbers (i.e. median net worth) has nothing to do with whether I'll reach my financial goals. I have to stay focused on my own savings and not on what the proverbial Average Joe or Jane is doing -- or not doing.

Sphere: Related Content

Giving New Life to Old Shoes

I spent some time today doing some spring cleaning. Actually, with the wedding coming up and moving and combining households, it's a good time to purge! In the next month or so, my sister/roommate and I are planning to have a yard sale as a way of getting rid of unwanted stuff and make some extra cash.

There are certain things that we know won't sell at yard sale. Shoes are among the things that people mostly likely won't buy even if they are marked at a low price and are in decent condition. However, we know just the place to take them: Art for Humanity (AFH)!

AFH is an all-volunteer non-profit based in Arlington, VA that helps the poor of Honduras help themselves. Children can't go to school, and adults can't get jobs without shoes. Shoes also help keep feet warm in the winter and help prevent soil-borne parasites and infections from cuts. So, we take our unwanted shoes to AFH to be shipped to Honduras for distribution to the needy.

My friend Glen who is the founder and president of AFH is down in Honduras now. He just sent me these photos of children from a family he's been helping. He noted, "Although the temperature is cold enough that they are wearing sweaters, you will notice they have no shoes."

If you are working on your spring cleaning too, think about donating your unwanted shoes to AFH. On their website, you can read about what types of shoes they can use and how to get them to AFH (whether you are local or are across the country or world). Hundreds of individuals and groups have gathered shoes from their friends, neighbors, coworkers, and family to help the people of Honduras, but there's always a need for more. Here's a tip if you aren't local and want to organize a group donation: ask for shoe donors to give $1.00 per pair to help cover shipping charges and/or to donate shipping supplies. If you end up with extra cash, you could donate that to AFH's efforts too.

Sphere: Related Content

What Should I Do With Extra Cash?

It's a crazy time right now, financially speaking. Even the high-yield savings and money market accounts are currently only paying about 3% APY. The stock market is like a roller coaster lately, but even on its high days it's lower than what it has been in the past year and a half. But neither issue is causing me to pull out because my long-term investments will just ride it out. My short-term funds can just stay where they are -- although I'd love to think they could do better than 3% since the current rate of inflation is 4%. However, it is better than nothing at all.

So if you are fortunate enough to have some extra cash right now, what should you do with it? I'm not a financial planner, so you better do your own research for yourself before deciding what to do...but here's what I think:

For long term investing, you could take advantage of dollar-cost averaging and continue to put money into the stock market. Basically, I see it as a sale on stocks! Of course, you do run the risk of buying on sale only to find out that they've lower the prices even more. (So, you lose money until the share prices head north again, and you are assuming they will actually do that -- but of course, historically speaking, the over all market will rise again.) However, that is the whole idea behind dollar-cost averaging. And it's why the stock market is for long-term investing.

For the short term, you could look at plowing extra cash into paying down debt. More than likely, the interest you are paying on a credit card or car loan is higher than the 3% you could earn in your high-yield savings account. So, put the money into the loan instead. There will then be less time that you are paying that higher interest rate. If you want to see how much you could save by paying off your car loan early, check out this auto loan early payoff calculator. And here's a calculator for credit card payoff.

Remember: you have to look at your complete situation and consider things like whether you need to increase your contribution to your retirement fund or start or increase an emergency fund. But if you are set in all of your other areas and have a bit leftover (which I hope you do), think about what these calculators can tell you about saving. You don't have anything leftover? Think about ways you can lower your expenses and/or increase your income. Save 4 Fun gives you great ideas on how to get started!

Sphere: Related Content

Smallest Hotel Room in Manhattan

This morning on Good Morning America they did a segment on the smallest hotel room in Manhattan. It's called the Pod Hotel, and GMA was reporting that their 70 square-foot single room is the cheapest room in the area. This teeny tiny room on the East Side has a twin bed, a sink, a 15" flat screen TV, and iPod docking station on a desk -- and a shared bathroom. It goes for $95/night, plus $16.21 in tax. That's insane! Of course, they did say that the average room is more than $260/night...so depending how you look at it, maybe it is a deal.

Granted, it was a couple of years ago, but Michael and I went to NYC and stayed at a 3-star Crowne Plaza for $106. I got it with an $80 bid on Priceline, plus taxes and booking fee. Seeing that a room at that same Crowne Plaza is going for $153/night if you book it out right on a weekend this April, I'm sure you could get an $80 bid accepted now. Okay, okay - it was in Queens near LaGuardia Airport, but it was for a room for two and was very spacious. Most importantly, it had it's own bathroom! Even when you calculate in commuting cost to Manhattan, it's going to be about the same price as the single at the Pod. To me, it would definitely be worth the travel time to be more comfortable in the room -- even if it's for nothing more than sleeping.

Sphere: Related Content

Live Entertainment Deals

I got an email today from Goldstar saying that Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas has just become one of their partners. One day I'd love to both go to Vegas and to see a Cirque du Soleil show. I'm going to have to keep Goldstar in mind for whenever I get to Vegas because you can get great deals on live entertainment through them in several cities across the country, including Las Vegas. And now Cirque du Soleil is included in their deals!

Right now through Goldstar, you can get a seat for the Mystere show in their best tier for 28% off. This price for their best seats is only $9.70 more than for the "nosebleed" seats.

If you aren't already a member of Goldstar, it's free to join. Michael and I have gone to a few local events for which we've gotten discounted tickets through Goldstar. In fact, I blogged about one event back in November.

Sphere: Related Content

Restaurant Deals When Traveling

I mentioned yesterday that we do some planning in advance of traveling partly as a way to stretch our vacation budget a little further. In addition to looking on the Internet and in tourist magazines for restaurant coupons, I will usually look to see if I can find a restaurant on Restaurant.com that interests us in the place where we are visiting. If you aren't familiar with Restaurant.com, you can buy a $25 gift certificate for a restaurant for $10 (or less if you can find a coupon code -- CouponMom.com usually has one).

We've had this work well for us two times -- in Hartford, CT and Oklahoma City, OK. I found a restaurant that looked good that offered a Restaurant.com certificate. I bought it and then printed directions to that place from our hotel. (We don't travel with a computer or a printer, so we have to do this in advance.) We'd never been to either of these cities, much less the restaurants, so it was done completely based on their websites and the fact they offered Restaurant.com certificates. Both places turned out to be pretty good.

Following the same steps, we've also had this not work out two times. The first time was in the Outer Banks, NC. It turned out that the restaurant was kind of like a bakery, and they no longer served dinner (and we would have never spent $25 on lunch at a bakery for two people). The other time it happened was in Waynesville, NC. The restaurant was permanently closed. There was no indication of these issues on Restaurant.com or the restaurants' websites. The good news is that I didn't lose the certificates. I just emailed customer service at Restaurant.com before the 90 day exchange period ended, and they issued me a credit that I could use for a certificate at a different restaurant with which they are partners. So, we didn't get those particular deals on the trips, but we also didn't lose anything either. It's worth a try again the next time we are going somewhere that has Restaurant.com restaurants.

Sphere: Related Content

Free & Low-Cost Activities on the Road

Today Coupon Mom had a post on her blog about a website called Free-Attractions.com on which you can find things to do for free in all 50 states. That's new to me. I'll have to keep it in mind when we start traveling again in the fall.

Michael and I have taken lots of trips together and are always on the look out for fun, interesting, and free (or at least, low cost) things to do. He's a master at searching the Internet for great attractions to visit during our travels. We also always request for the local and state visitors' centers to send us their packets of information before we go. (Their contact info is easily found by doing a quick Internet search.) We get free maps, brochures, and magazines about the area we are going to visit. They often include coupons for attractions and restaurants too. We usually plan several months in advance so that we have time to scour the brochures, tourist magazines, and websites to find the best things to do -- and to see if we can get a deal.

We love to experience a bit of local life when we go somewhere. Often those types of things are free. Here are just a few of the things we've done over the past few years: In Milwaukee we visited the Miller Brewing Plant and took their free tour. In Oklahoma City we, city folks, actually really enjoyed sitting in on cattle auctions at the Stockyards -- also free. In Kentucky we went on a couple of tours of distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail -- of course, they were free. We always make a point to take the free capitol building tours when we are in a state capital. We also got a great view of Hartford, CT by going to the top of the Travellers Tower -- which has an observation deck that is open to the public for free May through October.

Use your resources and do some research before you go. You can find a lot things to do for little or no money!

PSA: do plan to have a designated driver if you are visiting a brewing plant or distillery. Some of them (i.e. Miller's and Jim Beam) will give visitors who are of legal drinking age several full-size samples!

Sphere: Related Content

Coupon Organizer

I have a coupon organizer -- you know, one of those little file folders to carry to the grocery store. It used to be my companion on every trip to the grocery or drug store. However, in the past few years I've used it less and less, even though I'm using coupons more and more. The main reason for this is that I now only clip and carry the coupons I need. I figure out which ones those are in advance with the help of Coupon Mom's website.

I use an old/used envelope (that is blank or nearly blank on one side) for my shopping list. (If I'm going to multiple stores, using one for each store works well.) Then, I tuck the coupons that correspond with items on that list inside the envelope. I'm all set when I get to the store. I know what I want to buy. I have the coupons ready. Shopping and saving are easy!

By the way, this system is great way to give new life to an old envelope that is otherwise trash!

Sphere: Related Content

The Ads Are True to Life

Michael and I both got out of work early today, so we decided to swing by a jewelry store to look at wedding bands. They were having a grand opening in a new location downtown. While we were there, I had to laugh to myself because I thought I was in an ING or Feed the Pig commercial!

I don't need or want anything particularly fancy. Just a simple wedding band that will complement my very lovely engagement ring. It hasn't been easy since my e-ring isn't the standard solitaire. I want something nice since I will be wearing every day for the rest of my life, but not something outrageously expensive. Anyway, one of the designer representatives at this event was telling me that I "needed" something more fancy (read: expensive) than I was asking if they had available. "Oh, wow! Yes, that's lovely..."

No worries! We weren't planning to buy anything today anyway. But as I snapped back to reality, I had to laugh. It's just like this commercial on FeedthePig.org and ING's "Retail Therapy" advertisement.

I will be feeding my pig on the road to happiness! And a more modest wedding band will be just fine.

Sphere: Related Content

How Much Could You Save by Packing Your Lunch?

I've discovered a fun new website about saving called FeedthePig.org (as in feed your piggy bank). The goal of the campaign behind this site is to encourage the 40 million Americans age 25 to 34 to take control of their personal finances. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and The Advertising Council sponsor/run the campaign as a part of their 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy program.

At FeedthePig.org, they have a lunch savings calculator. If you need some inspiration to bring your lunch to work, this could help! The numbers are amazing. A personal finance blogger called "Clever Dude" has a great article on his site that his nutritionist wife wrote about bringing your lunch to work. It will give you even more inspiration...and ideas on healthy, cheap lunch food.

This article and the calculator made me wonder: How much have I potentially saved during my adult working years by brown-bagging versus eating out? Let's do the math.

I've worked for my current employer for nearly 6 years, and I've brought my lunch nearly every day. (My previous employer had a free employee cafeteria, so there was no cost there. Hugh savings, but I'm not going to look at that right now.)

I've never calculated how much it costs for me to pack my lunch. I eat foods similar to what Clever Dude's wife suggests. So, I'm going to use her average of $2.20/day. I'm also going to use her estimate of $6.00/day for eating out. And I work roughly 20 days per month. I'll also use the default of 6% expected rate of return on the Feed the Pig lunch savings calculator.

Grand total of savings for 6 years: $6566!

Wow!

Sphere: Related Content

Stretching One Meal Into Three?!

Michael is a big fan of the Lone Star Steakhouse that's near his apartment. This past Saturday night he had a craving for it. I don't usually like chain restaurants very much, but this one is decent. The prices are average for that kind of food. What irks me is that I can never find any coupons for this place. However, I don't mind going there too much because I always have leftovers to take home.

I usually get the beef medallions (9 oz) and shrimp (5 of them), and the entrees come with 2 side items. This really is more food than one person needs at a meal. So, I ate my entire side salad (which is a decent size). Then, I ate all of the shrimp and half of the steak and half of the baked potato. I took the rest of the steak and potato home for lunch the next day. So, just like I've mentioned before, I could stretch one meal into two.

However, they also always give us a mini loaf of bread before our meal. We usually each eat a tiny bit of it. It seems wasteful to have them throw the rest away because we didn't eat it. So, I pack it up in my to-go box. And then I get my third meal -- bread for breakfast!

Sphere: Related Content

Free Parking

Having to pay to park has always annoyed me. Nearly six years ago when I started working in the city, I had to start paying to park my car at work on a monthly basis. Due to the nature of my job, I was required to drive and therefore, park. I suppose for city parking it wasn't all that bad of a price. It was "painless" to pay because it was deducted from my paycheck each pay period. It was nice that that payment was taken out pre-tax. And then it was a pretty good deal that, because I was required to have a car at work, I was reimbursed half of the monthly payment. Better still, it ended up being more than half because they didn't take into account the pre-tax savings when issuing the reimbursement.

Then, last summer I got a new position at work. It no longer required that I have a car, which also meant I lost my monthly reimbursement. I did some calculations with the help of the Commuter Store's calculator, and I figured out that I would save quite a bit if I took public transportation to work. Back in December, I wrote about how indeed my new means of commuting was worth the try I gave it. I've stopped tracking my daily commuting expenses because I now know for sure that I am saving quite a bit with public transportation even after Metro raised their fares in January. To make me even more confident, the price of the monthly parking has gone up by $10 per month at work and the price of gas...wow!

Despite not technically being required to have to drive for work, occasionally I have to. I'm not reimbursed anything for my parking, so when I have to be at my office with my car, I have the option of paying the $8 daily parking fee or utilizing the free street parking that is a 10-minute walk from our building. (There is closer free street parking, but it is limited to 2 hours which won't do.) Even on days that have been cold, rainy, and/or windy, I've opted for the free parking. I figure it allows me to get two-thirds of my daily 30-minutes of exercise in addition to saving me $8. Last week, I had to drive 3 times. I didn't necessarily feel like walking from my satellite parking area all of those days, but I could do a lot more fun stuff with that $24 I was saving than parking at work!

Because I live in an "urban" suburb, there are quite a few places that charge for parking near my house too. Not everywhere charges, but many places do. I usually avoid the stores that charge for parking. However, one of the grocery stores where I like to shop validates parking for up to one hour. Perfect! I don't mind shopping there. Actually, I can sometime squeeze in a visit to another store in that shopping center within that free hour if I hurry at the grocery store. You just need a plan before you go so that you don't waste time.

Last spring when I was in Atlanta, I heard Clark Howard speak. He mentioned that paying for parking is one of his pet peeves too. Listening to him challenged me to continue to search out free parking. And I've found more!

There is a government-owned lot right across the street from one of my favorite shopping centers (which has a garage that costs to park). I've discovered that after working-hours during the week and all day on the weekends, anyone can park there for free! The bonus is that I don't have to wait in line to pay to get out of the garage -- and in December before Christmas, the wait can literally be between 10 and 20 minutes! Why was I paying to do that?

Sphere: Related Content

A Few More Ways to Save on Wedding Gifts

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about Comparison Shopping Between the Store & the Website. I was amazed to find some significant prices differences from the bricks & mortar store and the virtual version of the same company. This was mostly the case between a Macy's store and the online Macy's registry which is handled through WeddingChannel.com.

At the time I wrote that article, the fine china on our Macy's wedding registry was less expensive if purchased through the website. The sheets were less expensive in the store. However, that has flipped-flopped. Now, you would pay between 20% and 30% less for the china in the store than on the website. And right now, you will find the sheets are priced 25% lower online.

Of course, you do usually have to factor in shipping when thinking about buying something online. In the case of this set of sheets, the online purchase price savings is $20, but you would have to pay $11.95 for shipping. There's still a savings, but it isn't as great. For some of the less expensive, individual pieces of china, it would actually be a better deal to pay the higher price in the store than to get the discounted online price and have to pay shipping.

You also have to think about the sales tax when comparing your neighborhood store to the online store. You may pay less or you may pay more, depending on where you are shipping the items and where that company has stores.

Speaking of buying online and shipping, Target is offering free shipping through March 22, 2008, on select items in the following categories: furniture, patio furniture, bedding, bath items, slipcovers, rugs, window coverings, home décor, lighting, and kitchen items. Many couples register for wedding gifts in some or all of these categories at Target. See if you can save a trip to the store and get free shipping!

Sphere: Related Content

Saving on Wedding Gifts at Macy's

Continuing with the series on finding ways to save when buying from wedding gift registries, let's look at Macy's. They offer a number of ways to save in the store and online.

Macy's is a partner with WeddingChannel.com, and it is how they manage their online wedding registries. If the bridal couple has linked a charity to their WeddingChannel.com registries, your online Macy's registry purchase will generate a donation to that cause! I've already gone into detail on this topic in my post entitled Buy from a Wedding Gift Registry & Save for Charity.

Like Target.com and Bed, Bath, & Beyond, Macys.com is a Upromise partner. So, if you are saving for someone to go to college through Upromise, link to Macys.com through Upromise's website to make your purchase. Currently, they are offering 4% of your total price paid to go towards your Upromise account. The unfortunate part about this idea is that you can't buy directly from the online wedding registry and get Upromise credit. However, you can look at their registry to find out what they want. Then, purchase an item from their wish list without going through the registry (because it's actually linked through WeddingChannel.com). If you are buying the gift and giving (or shipping) the gift to the couple right away, they can go into the registry and mark it off as purchased themselves.

Discover Card is offering a 5% additional cashback bonus April 1 - June 30, 2008, for purchases at department stores when you sign up for the quarterly 5% Cashback Bonus promotion. Of course, Macy's falls into this category. That will be a good time to buy for your spring weddings if you haven't already done so. It will also be a good time to get a head start on buying for summer and fall weddings if the couples have already registered. Like Bed, Bath, & Beyond, Macy's is also a Discover Cashback Bonus partner. You could get your Cashback Bonus to stretch even further by trading in $40 of bonus for a $45 Macy's gift card. Gift cards may be used in Macy's stores or online at Macys.com and macysweddingchannel.com.

Finally, if you are shopping in a Macy's store, you really should never go without first looking in your newspaper for current promotions and coupons. They offer some kind of deal nearly every week.

Sphere: Related Content

Buy from a Wedding Gift Registry & Save for Charity

When buying a wedding gift, you may be able to help support the wedding couple's favorite charity. WeddingChannel.com is partners with a number of major stores and their gift registries. If you buy a wedding gift at one of these stores after linking to its website through WeddingChannel.com, up to 3% of the purchase price is given to the charity that the couple has designated.

Here's how it works:

The couple registers for gifts at one of the following places (in the store or online):
Macy's
Bloomingdales
JC Penney
Crate & Barrell
Williams-Sonoma
Pottery Barn
REI
Restoration Hardware
Amazon.com
Gump's
Tiffany & Co.
Neiman Marcus
Fortunoff
Barneys New York
Starwood Honeymoon Collection
Sandals Resorts
Charity Registry
Honeymoon Registry
Borsheims
Cloud 9 Living

Then, they go to WeddingChannel.com to select their favorite national charity to link to their registry at one or more of these places. There are about 100 different charities to choose from in the categories of children, youth, & families, community development, education, environment, health, and social justice.

After that is set up, each time someone uses WeddingChannel.com to buy you a gift from one of the registries linked with their site, WeddingChannel.com will make a donation to the couple's selected charity. There is no cost to the couple or to the gift-buyer.

If you know someone who has a gift registry at one of these stores but you don't see the name of a charity listed at the top of their registry online (accessed through WeddingChannel.com), let them know about this feature. Your gift purchased this way will generate a donation to a great charity!

You can read more about this program at WeddingChannel.com.

Sphere: Related Content

Saving on Wedding Gifts at Target

This is the third post in my series on finding ways to save when buying from wedding gift registries. In the first two articles, I talked about Bed, Bath, & Beyond (20% off coupons and other ways to save). Now, let's look at Target, which is another popular, nationwide place to register for weddings.

If you have a Discover Card, you can receive an additional 5% cashback bonus if you link to Target's website site through the Shop Discover program which can be accessed through Discover.com.

The Entertainment Book offers discounts in their book and on their website for Target.com. Currently through the Entertainment Book's website, you can get $5 off a $50 purchase at Target.com.

If you are saving for someone to go to college through Upromise, you can save at Target.com. Access Target.com through the Upromise website and receive a percentage (currently 4%) of your total purchase in college contributions to your Upromise account.

If you have a Target REDcard (Visa), you can earn points for each dollar you spend at Target. Once you get to 1000 points, you get 10% off an entire day of shopping at Target. If you have earned one of these coupons, buying a gift from a wedding registry the day you use it is a good idea so that you'll get a 10% discount.

Sphere: Related Content

More Ways to Save on Wedding Gifts at Bed, Bath, & Beyond

I've started a series on looking at ways to save when buying gifts from a wedding registry. First stop: Bed, Bath, & Beyond. Yesterday, I wrote about their 20% off coupons. Now, let's see what else they have to offer.

Upromise: If you are saving for someone to go to college with a Upromise account, Bed, Bath, & Beyond is a great place to consider buying a wedding gift because it is a Upromise partner. If you buy something from them in the store or on their website and use a credit card that you've registered with Upromise, you'll get 1% of your total purchase (including tax and shipping) in your Upromise account.

Discover Card Cashback Bonus: Bed, Bath, & Beyond is a partner in Discover Card's Cashback Bonus program. So, if you have $20 in Cashback Bonus with your Discover Card, you can redeem it for a $25 Bed, Bath, & Beyond gift certificate. That's a 25% savings! You can order as many of these gift certificates as you want, as long as you have enough Cashback Bonus in $20 increments to cover the number you want. For wedding gifts, you could either get the gift certificate(s) and go shopping yourself. Or you could give the gift certificate as the gift. (It's an actual gift card from the store, so they won't know you got it with your Cashback Bonus.) Gift cards from Bed, Bath, & Beyond do not expire and have no service fees. What's great about this idea is that whoever (the gift giver or the recipient) can also use one of those 20% off coupons and also use a Upromise registered credit card to get college savings. Here's an example: You want to get an item from the wedding registry that is regularly priced at $49.99. You go to the store with one of the Bed, Bath, & Beyond 20% off coupons, and the price is reduced to $39.99. You use a $25 gift certificate that you got with your Cashback Bonus, which brings the price to $14.99. You pay for the balance with a credit card you have registered with Upromise, and you save 1% (or approximately 15 cents, depending on the sales tax) for college. That means you get a $49.99 gift for $14.84 (plus tax)!

Gift Wrapping: If you order something from Bed, Bath, & Beyond's website, you can request to have it gift wrapped for free. They have nice silver gift wrap or gift bags, depending on the item.

Competitor's Coupons: Bed, Bath, & Beyond does accept unexpired competitor's coupons.

Price Match: Bed, Bath, & Beyond "will gladly match our direct competitors' price on identical items."

Gift Message: If you order something online from Bed, Bath & Beyond, you can request to have a complimentary gift message printed and put into a little envelope that they will attach to the gift.

Sphere: Related Content

Saving on Wedding Gifts at Bed, Bath, & Beyond

If I'm not careful, I can run up a big total for gifts. I've already written about some tips for Saving on Baby Shower Gifts. As wedding season is fast approaching, let's take a look at saving for bridal shower and wedding gifts.

With the rare exception, I almost always choose a wedding gift from a registry. It's easy, and I know they will like it because they asked for it via the registry. First, I figure out how much I want to spend. Then, I either look online or stop by the store and review the list of the couple's desired gifts. I find something that is within my budget, buy it, and I'm done. Like with the baby shower gifts, I love when I can find something on sale because I can either give a nicer gift and still stay within budget or I can give a gift that has a regular price that is within my budget but get it for less. There are other ways to save when buy wedding gifts too.

Let's start with Bed, Bath, & Beyond, which is a popular national store for wedding registries.

When I think Bed, Bath, & Beyond, I think 20% off coupon!

Coupon is good for: 20% off any single item*

Where to find them: in your mailbox, in the Sunday newspaper, Entertainment Book.

Where to use them: in-store only (not valid for online purchases).

How to get them in the mail if you don't already: sign up for their mailing list.

Do they expire? Fine print and the FAQ section of their website say they do.

How many items can you use them for? Fine print and the FAQ section of their website say one coupon per customer per visit.

Any exceptions to these policies? I have read and have talked to people who have found Bed, Bath, & Beyond stores to be generous around these policies. In fact, just yesterday a friend was telling me that she needed to buy a new set of towels. There were 20 towels that she wanted from Bed, Bath, & Beyond. She and her mom had collected 20 coupons, some of which had already expired. The store accepted them in one transaction because she had one for each item being purchased. So, she got 20% off her entire purchase.

Other ways to get around these policies: For wedding gifts, if you are buying multiple items, it might be worth asking your store if they will take multiple coupons for one transaction and/or accept expired coupons. If not, try to find one item from the registry that will fit into your budget and use your one coupon. Or if the store is convenient, make multiple trips over a few days or a few weeks to get several items from the registry.

Is the coupon good on a sale item? The fine print says, "Not valid with any other offer." However, some stores may make exceptions, so I'd say it is worth asking if you can use the coupon on a sale item.

*Other restrictions: Not valid on purchase of gift cards, All-Clad, Nautica, Tempur-Pedic, Wusthof, AeroGrow, Margaritaville, The Sharper Image, Wedgwood, Lenox, Waterford, Vera Wang, Nambe, Riedel, Orrefors Kosta Boda, Oreck, Capresso, Miele, kate spade, Swarovski, Versace, Alessi, Richard Ginori, iJoy, or Frette Home.

We'll look at more ways to save on wedding gifts from Bed, Bath, & Beyond tomorrow.

Sphere: Related Content

Save by Having Ready-to-Eat Food On-Hand

My favorite tip this month on Bankrate.com's Frugal Sense contest comes from Eric Barnes of San Francisco. He says that having food in the fridge is a good way to save on making unplanned trips to restaurants, and I agree.

When I'm hungry, I want something to eat right away. I don't want to have to go to the grocery store and buy ingredients and then have to come home and cook. It really is much easier to go out to eat at that point, but it will cost more. Even if I already have the ingredients on-hand, sometimes I'm too tired or hungry or don't have enough time to cook.

The one way to avoid this problem is to have ready-to-eat food on-hand. Stock up on your favorite frozen or very-easy-to-prepare foods when they go on sale. Or make more than what you need for a meal and freeze the leftovers.

Sometimes I just need a snack before I can begin cooking. This happens to me a lot after work. So, having good (and healthy) snack food in the cabinet or the fridge is usually just what I need to give me an energy boost to make dinner. Again, try to stock up on fruit (canned or seasonal fresh fruit), string cheese, granola bars, etc. when they go on sale.

One of my favorite snacks or light meals to have in the freezer are mini pizzas. I'm not a huge fan of store-bought frozen pizzas, but I do like ones that I make on my own and then freeze. If you haven't read it already, check out my post on Filling the Freezer. The fourth point tells you about my mini pizzas. If you have kids, I'd imagine they'd really enjoy having this type of snack/meal available to them as well.

So, thanks for the tip, Eric! Good luck in the Frugal Sense contest!

Sphere: Related Content