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21 Ways To Stop Wasting Money
1. TAKEOUT COFFEE
No knock on Starbucks or Dunkin, but for a quick cup of coffee in the car or at work, it’s a lot cheaper to brew your own. Get a coffee maker and buy some high-quality ground coffee, plus a couple of travel mugs from the dollar store. After a few months, the setup will pay for itself and you’ll reap savings after that. Learn more about the Latte Factor.
2. ATM FEES
With a little advance planning, you can completely avoid these. You can go to a bank-owned ATM and also, you can check your bank’s website to find out which other ATM’s won’t charge you fees. Also investigate whether certain convenience stores or other retail outlets have fee-free ATM’s. Also, you can use your check card for almost anything now, even dollar menu items at fast-food restaurants, so you probably don’t need to carry much cash anyway.
3. BOTTLED WATER
Come on…do you really need this? Much bottled water is only purified tap water to begin with. And you’re already paying taxes for your own local water. If you don’t like the taste of your tap water, buy a filter to attach to your kitchen and/or bathroom faucets - or get a water-filtering pitcher. Get refillable plastic bottles and watch your savings pour in. Learn more on why Aquafina is a rip off.
4. CONVENIENCE FOODS
Yes, we know - you’re busy, oh so busy. It’s tempting to grab already-assembled sandwiches and prepackaged cheese and crackers. But those daily convenience store runs are costing you time and money. Hit up your local supermarket once a week for quick, easy food items such as bread, cold cuts, cheese slices, apples, etc. and throw some plastic storage bags into your basket as well. Packing your own lunches will be a snap.
5. CAR MAINTENANCE
No, you don’t need to go to your dealer for most types of maintenance and repairs. The exception would be covered warranty work and recalls - but for everything else, shop around. Usually a reputable, independently owned garage will fix your car for less.
6. BOOKS
Go to the library; it’s an amazing treasure trove not only for books, but also music and movies. You can find your nearest branch at PublicLibraries.com or by Googling the word "library" and your zip code to display the results on a map. If you want to be nice and support your locally owned, independent bookstore, go there and buy the things you can’t find at the library, such as gift items or very specialized books and magazines.
7. MUSIC
Are you still buying CD’s? There’s not much reason to do that anymore, unless you really love cover art and lyric sheets (and yes, some folks do.) Buy songs individually at 99 cents or so, from iTunes or Amazon. For the iTunes store, you’ll need to download free software at Apple.com. Amazon’s Music Store
8. HOME PHONE
Even if you normally use your cell, a land line is a useful backup and also is a better choice for making 911 calls because emergency centers will get your location more easily. Just don’t overpay for the land line. Shop around, and ask your phone company for a package deal; you could pay as little as $10-15 per month for a land line with unlimited calling if you also get high-speed internet and/or cable TV with the same company.
9. GAMBLING
The seductive clang-clang of the casinos draws you in, and you walk out poorer. Remember, the house always wins in the end. If you really enjoy gambling as entertainment, fine, but decide on your budget before you walk in - $25, $50, or whatever you really can afford to part with. Las Vegas Entertainment book can also help you save money when going to Vegas.
10. CLOTHING
It sure feels good to own the same brand of designer jeans Jennifer Aniston wears - but are you a multi-millionaire like she is? If not, skip the celebrity wear and go for some sharp designer knockoffs. Try Target at www.target.com or H&M at www.hm.com. Both stores carry lines from famous designers. Look for a special line of Jimmy Choo shoes at H&M later this year.
11. NEW GADGETS
It’s fun to be the first person on your block with the latest, coolest cell phone or some other gadget. But you pay dearly for the privilege. Wait at least six months and you’ll likely see lower prices for the same products.
12. NEW CARS
Do you absolutely, positively need a brand new car? Consider the fact that new cars instantly lose a lot of value the moment you drive them off the dealer’s lot. Nobody says you have to buy a junker - just consider opting for a slightly used set of wheels and you’ll save a lot.
13. EXTENDED WARRANTIES
Service warranties are big profit items for retailers but do little for consumers. Most electronic items can be replaced for not much more than the cost of repairs and warranties, and most likely you’ll be able to upgrade the technology too.
14. TRAFFIC TICKETS AND PARKING TICKETS
We all make the occasional mistakes. But repeat violations add up to big bucks - and traffic violations could cost you more on your car insurance as well. When you park, set a timer on your cell phone. And don’t speed or drive recklessly.
15. UNUSED GYM EQUIPMENT AND MEMBERSHIPS
So many people invest money to join a gym they never visit or workout equipment that gathers dust. Don’t waste money on good intentions. And if you really do decide to get fit, you can always start with something free, like walking or running. Learn how to get a cheap P90x DVDs.
16. FANCY HEALTH FOOD
Free-range chicken is nice, but not a necessity. Ditto for a lot of food that is only sold in health food stores or labeled "all-natural". Read labels and shop carefully; there are some plain old store brands that are just as healthy. And buy produce in season at local farmer’s markets; you’ll find good prices.
17. GREETING CARDS
No need to pay $3-5 for a typical gift shop greeting card - design and print your own with your computer. Or shop the dollar store.
18. CREDIT CARD FEES
Consumers are getting some new protection from sneaky rate hikes and hidden fees, thanks to a bill signed into law by President Obama; details at WhiteHouse.gov
Still, you need to be responsible for your own finances. Pay your bills on time.
19. IMPULSE BUYING
We all fall victim to the desire for immediate gratification. A carefully planned budget helps a lot. Find out how to create a budget the painless way. Allow yourself a set amount each week for minor impulse buys such as magazines or gum.
20. FLORISTS
No knock on florists here, but for everyday flower purchases, try your local supermarket. A dozen roses costs only $9.99 at my local supermarket (not on Valentine’s Day, of course.) Also check out Proflowers.com coupons and promo codes.
21. SOFTWARE
Some of the free software out there is as good as any you would buy. Check out Lifehacker’s top free downloads for some great picks of free Windows and Mac software.
Photo Credit via Flickr
Free Online Dating Sites - No Pricey Memberships Needed
There are only a few kinds of websites that really make money - one of them being online dating. It will cost you anywhere from $20 to $50 per month on well-known sites such as eHarmony, Match, or Yahoo Personals. They entice you by saying they’re "free to sign up", but actually contacting another person requires a full, paid membership. However, there is no need to be lonely if you’re on a budget. There are several excellent options for finding dates online, without spending a cent.
1. PLENTY OF FISH
The daddy of free dating sites is www.plentyoffish.com. Plenty of fish in the sea, get it? According to the site’s operator, Plenty of Fish actually is the top dating website in the world, racking up about 37 million visits; about 800,000 members log in each day. They get as many people as eHarmony and Match combined, so you’re likely to find a good number of dates in your area.
Plenty of Fish makes money by running ads on their site, rather than charging users. That’s fine, but the look of the site is the main drawback. In a word, it’s ugly. Cluttered, clunky design, unattractive typefaces, and intrusive ads are the rule. The site also doesn’t have some of the cute features of other sites, such as being able to "wink" to show interest, and there’s none of the high-tech personality matching that some other sites offer. Basically it’s more of a simple search-and-browse experience. And they do have a very active forum section where you can read and post opinions on many topics, both dating and non-dating related. The forums also include "Plenty of Fish get together" listings where members plan nights out at local restaurants and clubs, so you can meet people in person.
Design gripes aside, Plenty of Fish does what it sets out to do - get you dates. I’ve met many nice people and had good dating experiences with this site. As with any site, your results may depend on your location, age, gender, appearance and interests. See the end of this article for some general online dating tips.
2. OK CUPID
Occupying a much lower rung on the traffic rankings, www.okcupid.com is nonetheless worth checking out. Like Plenty of Fish, it’s totally free. Unlike Plenty of Fish, it’s attractively designed, clever and a fun site to use. It has room for very detailed profiles and you’re asked to list favorite books, music, and food. You also can upload many pictures. So the profiles tend to be very clear, specific, and enjoyable to view, assuming the user bothers to fill them out.
The site also uses some interesting matching technology. You answer questions about various topics such as relationships, politics, religion and sexual preferences. You also choose how you would want your ideal match to answer. You can answer as many questions as you want (the more, the better your matches) and you can skip questions you don’t like. Then the site correlates with other people’s answers to find your matches. You further refine the matches by choosing age range and location. OK Cupid is also well known for its fun quizzes. You can find out your personality type, dating style, IQ and more - and you can view others’ results. Other cool features include winks, a star rating system for profiles you’ve viewed, and a button which shows you whether a user "replies often" or "replies selectively".
Overall, OK Cupid is a very nice site. Its main drawback is simply that it doesn’t get as much traffic as some other sites, so there are fewer potential dates to choose from. Note: this is not much of a problem if you’re 20-something; the site tends to draw mainly younger users so you may have better luck if you’re in that age range.
3. OTHER SITES
There are numerous other free dating sites out there - just do a search on "free dating" and you’ll find them - however, they’re a lot smaller than the ones mentioned above. I checked out a couple of sites where I saw that most people hadn’t even logged on to their profiles in months.
There’s one new free site worth mentioning since it’s from Match.com. Seems a little odd for Match to start a free site while running their paid site at the same time. But anyway, it’s called www.downtoearth.com. ; Match describes it as " a clean dating site that attracts singles looking for relationships with down-to-earth people who have strong values… zero tolerance for lewd behavior and inappropriate photos to keep daters honest when creating profiles and posting pictures." I don’t know how they’ll police it. But it’s not a bad idea. Women especially get concerned about the creepy or hookup factor on some of the dating sites.
4. FACEBOOK and MYSPACE
Obviously www.facebook.com and www.myspace.com are overall social networking sites, not specifically dating websites. However, many people can and do use them to find dates. It makes sense…you can post personal information, marital status and photos, so there is just as much information about you as there would be on a dating site. You can search for people in certain age groups and locations and "friend request" them. However, the person who receives your friend request won’t know you’re interested specifically in dating, since many folks are on Facebook and Myspace just for networking and platonic friends. So the next move is up to you.
The downside of social networking sites is the TMI factor. Once someone is your "friend", they can see all your activity such as your friends’ comments to you and the events you’re attending. Just imagine a potential date seeing your friend tell you "hey man, how’s the parole going?" or "boy, you sure were wasted last night!". Even if those are just jokes, your potential date won’t know that. However, you can cover yourself to a certain degree by editing the privacy settings on your profile. This will allow you to control what other people see about you.
5. MEETUP
Again, not specifically a dating site, but www.meetup.com is a great way to find people who share your interests, completely for free. You enter your location and browse or search for groups on your favorite topics. For example, there are meetup groups for music, movies, hiking, bicycling, politics, and almost anything else. When you join a group you can view their calendar of events and see who else is attending each event. You also get a personal profile so you can show your location, interests and photos. And although this isn’t specifically a dating site, there are meetup groups for singles, so obviously if you join one of those, it should be clear you’re looking for dates. The nice thing about Meetup is that whether or not you find dates, you’ll at least make new friends who share your hobbies.
ONLINE DATING TIPS
If you’re new to online dating, there are a few things you should know:
1. Be safe. Don’t post your address, phone number, or any other information that would allow someone to stalk you. Also, if you have children, do not post photos with your kids in them. Sorry, but there are some creeps out there. First dates should be set up in a public place, and not too late at night. Coffee dates are a popular, low-cost option.
2. Market yourself. You can’t expect someone to want to date you without providing them with an appealing photo and a good description. Remember, they know nothing at all about you; all they have is your profile to judge you on, so make it good and make it accurate. Please don’t say you like candlelight dinners, walks on the beach, or other personal ad cliches. Talk about what you do for fun, the sports you play, the books you’re reading, or the music you listen to. Figure out what makes you interesting and write about it. If you have a hard time with that, ask your friends for help. For photos, a poorly lit camera-phone-in-the-bathroom-mirror shot DOES NOT count. Neither does the ten-year-old blurry vacation snapshot of you in a hat and sunglasses. Get a friend or relative to take a good photo that clearly shows your face…and don’t forget to smile!
3. Be courteous and appropriate. Initial emails and first dates should be simply a pleasant chance to get acquainted. Ask the other person about their interests. This is not the time to go on a rant about previous boyfriends or girlfriends or your ex-spouse. Really, it’s never the time to go on a rant; if you feel that need, you may have too much baggage to be dating right now anyway. And if you meet someone and decide it’s not a match, write a polite email saying thanks for the date, but you’ve realized you’re unfortunately not compatible and you wish them the best of luck in their search.
4. Men and women usually have quite different experiences with online dating. An attractive woman may be deluged with emails without having to do much. Men, on the other hand, typically have to make a lot of contacts before finding a woman who’s interested. So guys, don’t take rejection personally, just move on and make other contacts. And ladies, it’s okay to make the first contact if you see someone you like, but if you feel uncomfortable doing that, you can ‘wink’ or ‘favorite’ a guy to show interest, and hope that he will take it further.
Photo Credit via Flickr
Government Freebies: Where To Get Them
Why spend money when Uncle Sam has a vast array of free goodies for you, the taxpayer? Here are our top ten government freebies. If you want more, start with the U.S. government official web portal, www.usa.gov.
1. Recipes and Tips for Healthy, Thrifty Meals
This is an amazing freebie for anyone who wants to save money on the weekly food budget. It’s so tempting to spend money to eat out when you’re busy and don’t have time to cook. And a lot of budget and/or healthy recipes tend to require a long list of ingredients and complicated cooking. Not these. Each recipe is incredibly simple, usually just a few ingredients and easy directions all on one page for each dish – and it’s healthy but it’s not exotic ‘diet’ food, just normal American comfort food, so the whole family will enjoy it.
For example, there’s Beef Pot Roast, 220 calories per 3 oz. serving; and Oven Crispy Chicken, 350 calories per 4 oz. serving.
Free Food Plan Recipe Book - PDF File
2. Free Consumer Advice from the Federal Trade Commission
Planning to buy a car or a computer? Are you applying for a loan? Wondering how to choose a career? Or are you planning to spend money on home improvements? These and many other questions can be answered with free, down loadable and printable publications from the Federal Trade Commission. Read them before you shop!
FTC Consumer Advice Website
3. Check Your Credit With The Government’s Official Free Credit Reports
Be smart and don’t get ripped off with the websites that claim to offer free reports. There is only one official government site where you can obtain your free reports – it’s www.annualcreditreport.com. You’re entitled to one free report per year from each of the three major credit reporting agencies – TransUnion, Experian and Equifax, so that’s a total of three per year.
AnnualCreditReport.com
4. What Can Your Congressmember Do For You?
Check this link to find your local member of Congress and visit their office or website. You’ll find they may offer a variety of free brochures and maps, plus they may arrange free tours of national buildings and monuments if you ask them.
Ask and you shall receive.
Congress Contact Information
5. Greetings from the White House
The White House sends out cards celebrating new births and weddings. Simply send the full name of the honoree (including prefixes such as Mr., Mrs., etc…), address, date of event and the requester’s name and phone number to: The White0AHouse, Attn: Greetings Office, Washington, DC 20502-0039.
White House Greetings
6. Stop Telemarketing Calls
The National Do Not Call Registry gives you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls at home. Most telemarketers should not call your number once it has been on the registry for 31 days. If they do, you can file a complaint at this website. You can register your home or mobile phone for free.
DoNotCall.gov
7. Free Kids’ Fitness DVD
Get the kids away from the video games and have them do something more active in front of the TV screen with a free fitness DVD. Max’s Magical Delivery: Fit for Kids is a fun, interactive DVD targeted to children ages 5-9 and their families. Use the electronic order form to request your free copy of the DVD for children and their families. Call 1-800-358-9295 to order the DVD by phone. Ask for Max’s Magical Delivery: Fit for Kids (Product No. 04-0088-DVD).
8. See America’s Scenic Byways
Get a free map of America’s Scenic byways and start planning your vacation. Scenic byways include: the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina, the Santa Fe Trail in Colorado, Historic Route 66, and many more. You also can get more information online.
www.byways.org - Request a Map
9. Free Business Help from the Small Business Administration
The Small Business Administration offers much more than just loans to start a business. Did you know that they also offer software, detailed market analysis, help in writing your business plan, a huge on-line business library, a business card listing service, and more?
10. Search It Yourself
Check out the mother of all government money directories – the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. This is the U.S. Government’s official site that lists more than 1,800 programs administered by various agencies. You can search by keyword, view by category, or print out the whole monstrous 2,205 page publication if you’re so inclined. The site even offers a guide on how to write grant proposals.
Photo credit via Flickr
How To Create A Budget The Painless Way
If you’re like me, when you hear the word "budget" you want to plug your ears and go "lalalalala" because the thought is just so dull, or possibly intimidating. So I learned the hard way what happens when you don’t bother to budget. I always thought of myself as frugal. I love bargain hunting and cheap deals that you can find on sites like this one. I know how to pay the lowest price. But until I sat down and put a spending plan on paper, I didn’t fully know where every penny of my money was being spent, and my wallet felt squeezed. So I knew it was time to buckle down.
I tried some popular software like Quicken and Microsoft Money. They’re fine products, but just too darn complicated if all you want to do is create a simple budget. Fancy financial software is fine for those who want spend the time to download every banking transaction, monitor investment portfolios, and create pretty charts and bar graphs. But it’s like buying a racing bike for a kid who’s still using training wheels. There also are sites such as Quicken online, or Mint.com, which pull in your bank account data, but I’m not comfortable with the security issue and anyway, it still won’t track the cash you spend out of pocket.
So after scouring the web, reading books, and playing with MS Office, I figured out a more painless approach to share with you. Here it is, step by step:
1. TRACK CASH SPENDING
Okay, this part will be a little tedious - but it’s not difficult, you only have to do it once (unless your circumstances change) and it’s absolutely necessary. You’ll be amazed to find out how much cash you spend every week, even if you think you’re being thrifty.
Get a small, pocket-sized, lined notebook, or you can buy pre-printed expense notebooks or forms from your local office supply store. Just make sure it’s something you can fit in your pocket or purse at all times, and attach a pen to it. If it’s not a pre-printed form, then write down headings for "date", "description", and "amount". Then, write down everything you spend for a month, yes even a pack of gum. If you’re not patient enough to do a month, then do this for one week, as long as it’s a fairly typical week for you.
2. PICK YOUR BUDGET FORM
If you have Microsoft Excel, then I highly recommend doing your budget that way. Just open Excel, click "new", and look through the list of template styles. You’ll see a heading for "budget". Click that, and you’ll see a choice of pre-programmed and designed budget forms. Just use the one that you find easiest to look at and understand. All you need to do is enter data and it will do the calculations for you. Or, you can find downloadable Excel budget forms online. You’ll find Mac versions at: http://www.microsoft.com/mac/templates.mspx?ttid=3 and Windows versions at: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT101172321033.aspx
If you prefer the pencil and paper method with a simple, printable form, try one of these:
http://www.betterbudgeting.com/budgetformsfree-basicbudgeting.htm or http://www.foxway.com/worksheet.html.
3. FILL OUR YOUR BUDGET
Assemble the following: your cash spending records from step 1, your checkbook register or a recent bank statement, a current pay statement or other income records, and your current bill statements. You’ll also need a pen or pencil, and a calculator.
Now, start entering figures in the appropriate boxes. Some boxes will need to be subtotaled, i.e. if there’s an "entertainment" category, you’ll add up what you spent on movies, concerts, shows, etc. If you only kept a week’s worth of cash expense records, you’ll need to multiply your numbers by 4.3 (number of weeks in a month), to obtain monthly figures. And if any other income or expenses are not monthly, again, you’ll need to calculate a monthly figure.
One little trick: if you get paid every other week, then calculate your income as being two paychecks per month. There are two months of the year when you will receive three paychecks - but those extra two pays will become an painless automatic savings and financial cushion for you. Nice, huh?
4. REVIEW YOUR BUDGET
Add up all expenses and subtract from your income, or if you’re using Excel, the program should do this automatically for you. Now, what did you find? Are your expenses exceeding your income? Or are you cutting it too close for comfort? If so, it’s time to make some changes. Shop around for cheaper phone plans and car insurance. Refinance your home loan if necessary. Cut out the premium cable channels. Eat out less. Get a second job. Get a roommate. There are many, many ways to save money; check out the other useful articles on this site.
5. CRACK DOWN ON CASH SPENDING
Once you’ve tweaked your budget and cut down your spending, figure out how much cash you need to carry around. I’ve found the envelope system to be a foolproof easy method to keep cash spending in line. Do this by reviewing your budget categories and seeing which categories are usually paid for in cash out of pocket. Add up those numbers and determine a monthly cash amount, then divide by 4.3 for a weekly amount. This is the amount you withdraw in cash each week. Get a bunch of little envelopes and mark each envelope with the category and budgeted amount. Apportion your weekly cash among those envelopes. When you’ve spent all the money in the envelopes, that’s it, no more spending for the week. If you carry a wallet and don’t have room for envelopes, you can use pieces of scrap paper as dividers; mark them with the categories and amounts, and put the paper dividers in your billfold.
Good luck - and remember to review and update your budget if you have changes to your expenses or income.
Photo Credit via Flickr
Legal Free Music: 8 Great Ways To Get It
When you’re on a tight budget, you might not have the money for CD’s or paid music downloads. Illegal downloading is rampant but we’re not advocating it. There’s an alternative plan that won’t get you in trouble. Many websites offer 100 percent legal free music downloads; you just have to know where to look.
Just one caveat: you’re unlikely to find the latest big-selling hit songs for free. Most free music is from lesser-known artists. There are occasional exceptions, such as the free albums that Radiohead and Coldplay have made available on their own websites recently. But for the most part, free music is a process of discovery and you’ll find some amazing new sounds to enjoy.
1. eMusic Daily Download
eMusic is a paid download site; however, each day they offer a different song as a free download, so check back every day. Most of the artists are alternative rock.
2. Apple iTunes Free Music
Apple’s iTunes store offers up a couple of free songs and free videos with the selection changing on Tuesday of each week. Artists run in all different genres. Usually there’s one Latin (Spanish language) song and one or two songs that are typically rock, pop, country or hip-hop. You will need to download and install the free iTunes software to visit the iTunes store. You don’t need an iPod, by the way. iTunes simply downloads to your computer and you can do whatever you want with the songs. You also can keep track of the weekly iTunes free songs at this blog: http://www.itsfreedownloads.com/
3. Free Albums Galore
Free Albums Galore is a real treasure - entire free albums and completely legal. The artists tend to be more obscure. Many of the albums are classical, jazz or electronic music, though I did spot some free folk rock from Byrds member Roger McGuinn. I’ve found some really nice stuff here.
4. Amazon Free Downloads
Now this is a true find. Amazon launched its paid mp3 download store a while back. But they also have a huge page of free downloads as well. At last check, they were offering nearly 850 free songs! And you’ll find some well-known names in there too. Recent free songs included artists such as Ziggy Marley, Death Cab for Cutie, Tori Amos. and David Byrne.
5. Last.FM Free Downloads
Last.fm is really known as a streaming site where you just listen rather than download. But they do have a pretty nice free download archive too. Artists include Nine Inch Nails and Moby.
6. Stereogum
Stereogum is an alternative music blog so you’ll learn some interesting things about the artists you’re downloading. Also, because it’s a blog you won’t find the downloads all neatly collected on one page like some other sites; you’ll have to browse and scroll through older posts, or try searching for artists’ names.
7. ISOUND.COM
iSOUND.COM was founded for musicians by musicians in Seattle. It’s a place where unsigned artists can upload and share their music. So you won’t find famous bands here. You can preview the music, though, and some of it is pretty good. It’s mostly alternative rock.
8. WFMU Music Blog
WFMU is an independent, non-profit freeform radio station in the New York City area, broadcasting at 90.1 FM, and also online at www.wfmu.org. Their music blog, called "WFMU’s Beware of the Blog" , offers up the oddest and quirkiest collection of downloads you’ll ever find, plus some truly listenable gems. If you like novelty songs, older or obscure stuff you’ll love it here. Recent examples: some excellent oldies by Elmore James, Roy Orbison and Bo Diddley; ten different versions of NPR’s "All Things Considered" music theme; mambo music from the ’50’s; comedy, spoken word, and interviews; and an album called "Bird Party" (yes, actual birds ala Hitchcock).
Dean writes: Here are a couple of my personal favorite music websites.
imeem.com
Imeem.com allows you listen to all the latest current top hits on demand. What I also love about this site is you can create playlists of all your favorite songs and play them from any computer. Again, the selection of songs in Imeem is huge and they have all the top artists and songs. This is great if you use multiple computers because you can access your playlist from any computer.
Pandora.com
While Pandora.com doesn’t let you download music it is my favorite online radio website because it uses artificial intelligence to select the songs you like and songs you might like. By listening to Pandora I have discovered many great songs and artists that were recommended by Pandora’s Recommendation Engine. The more you use Pandora the smarter the recommendation engine is. Check it out, I listen to Pandora daily.
Photo Credit via Flickr
Summertime At The Movies For Free - Cheap Movies
Top 10 Healthy & Cheap Foods
So, summer’s coming and you want to look good. But your recession-squeezed wallet is flinching at the high prices of healthy foods. Yes, it’s costly to buy the fresh fish and fancy fruits that many diets recommend. Fortunately, though, you don’t have to spend a lot to eat healthy. Here’s a list of the top ten healthy and cheap foods to try.
1. Cooked Black Beans
Cost per serving 7 cents
Calories per serving 114
Actually, most kinds of beans - black, pinto, garbanzo, lentil— are low in fat, and provide you with important fiber, folic acid, calcium, zinc and potassium. Dry beans take work to prepare; canned beans are a lot easier. Just make sure to rinse the beans well before using. Mix them in salads, soups or casseroles, or serve with rice.
2. Eggs
Cost per serving 9 cents
Calories per serving 78
Eggs provide plenty of protein for not much money. Plus, there are so many ways to prepare them - scrambled, fried, sunny-side up, or hard-boiled for sandwiches and salads.
3. Cooked noodles
Cost per serving 13 cents
Calories per serving 166
Noodles go with everything. They’re a side dish, or good in a casserole or soup. The whole wheat ones are even better for you, although they do cost a bit more.
4. Oats (Old-Fashioned or Quick)
Cost per serving: 19 cents
Calories per serving 140
An 18-ounce container or oats costs around $2.29 (on sale) and each container contains about 13 servings (if 1/2-cup of dry oats is a serving). Oatmeal is filling, has plenty of fiber and you can also make your own granola and muffins with it.
5. Frozen Vegetables
Cost per serving: Around 25 cents
Calories per serving: 82 (for mixed vegetables)
Frozen vegetables come in 12-ounce to 24-ounce bags that cost anywhere from $1.75 to $2.25 and contain 6-8 cups, depending on the vegetable and the size of the bag. I like them because they keep a long time, don’t need any chopping, and cook quickly in the microwave.
6. Potato (Russet)
Cost per serving: About 23 cents per potato
Calories per serving: 168 calories
Potatoes are great whether you have them mashed, boiled, or baked. Just avoid the fattening toppings; stick to a little butter or margarine, or pile them with broccoli and melt some low-fat cheese on top.
7. Canned Tuna (solid white albacore or chunk light in water)
Cost per serving (3 oz): About 62 cents
Calories per serving: 70
Tuna is healthy for you, filled with protein, and it’s so quick and convenient, too. Use it in salads, casseroles, or just plain.
8. Bananas
Cost per serving (1 banana): about 20 cents
Calories per serving: 100
Bananas are an easily portable source of fiber, potassium and vitamin B6. Eat them plain, slice them into cereal, or blend them into healthy shakes.
9. Apples
Cost per serving (1 apple): about 60 cents
Calories per serving: 80
Apples are full of fiber and make a great snack anytime.
10. Lowfat Milk
Cost per serving (8 oz.): about 35 cents
Calories per serving: 100
Milk is rich in protein, vitamins A and D, potassium, and niacin, and is one of the easiest ways to get bone-strengthening calcium.
Photo Credit via Flickr
8 Great, Surprising Tax Deductions For Your 2008 Tax Return
April 15 is fast approaching - so make sure you squeeze every legal deduction from Uncle Sam. Thanks to the complicated U.S. tax code, there are lots of little-known and unusual deductions that many of us qualify for. Here are eight great ways to save on your 2008 tax bill. And remember to visit IRS 1040 Central for more help, forms, and information.
1. New home buyers in 2009 may qualify for a tax credit of $8,000, but in a special twist, they can speed the payoff by claiming the credit for this year’s purchase on 2008’s return - even if that means amending a 2008 return that has already been filed. The amended tax return will allow them to claim the homebuyer credit on the 2008 return without waiting until next year to claim it on the 2009 return. Please note this credit only applies to homes bought in 2009. There previously was a $7,500 tax credit offered for buying homes through last year, but that credit had to be eventually repaid; the new 2009 credit does not have to be repaid.
2. Filers who live in states that have high sales taxes and no (or low) income taxes can choose to deduct their sales taxes instead of income taxes, if they itemize. This break was slated to expire, but was extended in a law which passed in October.
3. If you own a home but don’t have enough deductions to itemize, there’s a new break for 2008. You may now add up to $500 in property tax to your overall standard deduction; couples filing jointly can add $1,000.
4. If you’re self-employed, you can contribute up to 20 percent of income from that job to a simplified employee pension (SEP) plan. You can even submit for an extension for filing and make the contribution for 2008 as late as Oct. 15.
5. Start a traditional IRA by April 15 - up to $5,000 if you’re 49 or younger or up to $6,000 if you’re 50 or older as of Dec. 31 - and you can deduct the contribution from your 2008 income tax return.
6. Deduct classroom supplies: Teachers in K-12 can deduct up to $250 in out-of-pocket spending for classroom supplies. This break had expired, but in a last-minute move, it was reinstated by Congress.
7. Don’t forget you can deduct mileage allowances for driving your personal car for charitable work, moving or medical appointments.
8. Check if you qualify to file for the recovery rebate credit. The recovery rebate credit is a one-time benefit for people who didn’t receive the full economic stimulus payment last year and whose circumstances may have changed, making them eligible now for some or all of the unpaid portion.
You may be eligible if you are in one of the following categories:
-Individuals who did not receive an economic stimulus payment.
-Those who received less than the maximum economic stimulus payment in 2008 — $600 per taxpayer; $1,200 if married filing jointly — because their qualifying or gross income was either too high or too low.
-Families who gained an additional qualifying child in 2008.
-Individuals who could be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return in 2007, but who cannot be claimed as a dependent on another return in 2008.
- Individuals who did not have a valid Social Security number in 2007 but who did receive one in 2008.
You need to claim the recovery rebate credit on Form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ. The instructions for these forms will show you which lines to use. Unlike the economic stimulus payment, the recovery rebate credit will be included in your tax refund for 2008 and will not be issued as a separate payment.
The Recovery Rebate Credit Calculator will help you figure the amount you should claim on your 2008 tax return.
Photo Credit via Flickr
Saving Money on Easter: A Guide to Cheaper Clothes, Candy and Decorations
Easter comes at a fun time of year - it means springtime, lighter clothes, festive flowers and delicious candy. But it can burn a hole in your wallet faster than a speeding rabbit, unless you know how to save money. Here’s a guide to enjoying an Easter that’s just as much fun but costs fewer dollars.
1. Elegant outfits and hats are a tradition at many churches for Easter. But it’s hard to justify spending that much money for an outfit you’ll only wear once. Consider your future needs. If you attend church or other dressy occasions on a regular basis, then it might be worth buying a new suit or hat. Otherwise, your local thrift shop, consignment store, Goodwill or Salvation Army will be an excellent source of cheap Easter fashion. Just enter "thrift store" and your zip code into Google to get a list of local places.
2. Cheaper Easter baskets: Again, thrift stores, or dollar stores. Dollar stores also have a wide variety of candy and the fake green grass to put inside the baskets. You also can try shopping the sales at various drugstore chains.
3. Make your own: instead of storebought basket items, bake cookies or make fudge to put in the basket. Wrap them in festively colored plastic wrap.
3. Toys/Kid’s Gifts: Along with the previously mentioned thrift and dollar stores, try yard sales, garage sales, church rummage sales, and Craigslist. There is one more Saturday before Easter and that could be a perfect time to snap up some cute and cheap stuffed animals and toys at a local yard sale.
4. Read It: Books are nice gifts any time of the year, but for Easter, check out your local library book sale, used book shops, or yard sales for themed books. For an adult, a Bible or religious book about Easter might be nice, or a book about gardening or flowers. For kids, maybe a children’s Easter book, or some books about baby animals would be good.
5. Beach it: If you live in an area where it is getting warm enough
to go to the park or beach by Easter, then assorted sand toys and beach balls are always a fun gift and may be cheaper than fancy chocolates.
6. Small favors: Check party stores for party favors and novelty items
you can buy on sale or in bulk. Some stores have big grab bags of marked down and discontinued toys and favors for a few dollars each.
7. Eggs-tra savings: Of course, your hardboiled, colored Easter eggs are perfectly edible once the shells come off. So, keep them refrigerated as much as possible, and after you show them off in a basket, remove the eggs and make some egg salad. It’s a nutritious and cheap dish.
Photo Credit via Flickr
Shop Savvy Review - Cell Phone Comparision Shopping
How many times have you been out shopping, saw a product you liked, and wondered if you could find it cheaper somewhere else? It happens to all of us - and the tech industry knows it.
So it’s not surprising that one of the hottest new cell phone applications is one that makes comparison shopping a breeze. It’s called ShopSavvy. Here’s how it works:
When you’re out shopping, start up the ShopSavvy application on your phone.
The application activates your phone’s camera to read barcodes.
Take a picture of the barcode of the product you want to compare.
ShopSavvy automatically searches online stores and nearby bricks-and-mortar stores.
You pick the best deal. If it’s physically nearby, ShopSavvy uses GPS to direct you to the store’s location.
Additional features include: Reviews, price alerts, wish lists, browsing history, and the ability to forward links to friends.
This is a fantastic idea for anyone who wants to save money easily and doesn’t do all their shopping online, like me. Much as I love online shopping, sometimes it’s just more fun to head out to bricks-and-mortar shops, and you get the satisfaction of having the product in your hands right away instead of waiting for shipping.
What I like about ShopSavvy is the ease and speed of use. No endless button-pushing and navigating. Just quick and easy. On the downside, you can’t search by product name, only by barcode - and as of now, the ShopSavvy database is not 100% complete, so certain products might not show up in your search. Also, the application does not list or suggest similar products. That would be a nice feature to have - sometimes I see an interesting product but I think to myself, "hmmm…maybe another brand would be better or cheaper, or have more of the features I want."
Finally, the bad news…this cool new application is so far only available on one phone - the T-Mobile G1 (Google phone). http://www.t-mobileg1.com The G1 phone uses a Google-developed operating system called Android. ShopSavvy is built to use the Android operating system, and in fact it won Google’s Android Developer Challenge contest last fall. The ShopSavvy application was developed by a Dallas-based company called Big in Japan which, despite the name, is a U.S. company. I’d like to see the company adapt ShopSavvy as an application for other phones, too.
Meantime, if you don’t have the G1 phone, you’ll have to content yourself with Frucall - http://www.frucall.com - where you can text the barcode number or product name to FRU11, or call 1-888-DO-FRUCALL.
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Hi, my name is Dean. This site is dedicated to helping you save time, money and stress with quality tips, coupons, deals and freebies worth your precious time. 
