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Daylight Saving Time saves $12 in electricity per year
Daylight Saving Time begins Sunday, when for eight months people will be fooled into thinking that the extra hour of light will save them money -- or at least not much money.Last year at this time I wrote about how moving the clock forward an hour will get you more light during the day, but won't save you money because the extra savings gained in not turning on the lights for an hour in the evening was offset by people using more gas and turning on their air conditioners early, among other things.
I won't go into those reasons again why Daylight Saving Time, or DST, is a scam as far as saving money, but I did a rough calculation to find out how much money I'd save by turning on the houselights one less hour per day.
The bottom line:1 penny saved.
Free movie rental with Blockbuster Express
Get a free movie rental from Blockbuster Express with coupon code GY131. It expires March 31, 2010. Blockbuster Express is the movie chain's answer to Redbox. You can rent movies for $1 a night without a membership, though you do need a credit card. Technically, movies rented through Blockbuster Express do not have late fees, but they charge you $1 per day until you return it.
You can also rent the movie online and then pick it up at the kiosk. If you sign up for its email newsletter you'll get a free movie rental code, too.
Toothpaste to polish silver? One mom cleans green and finds big savings
Comedian Erma Bombeck once wrote that her second favorite household chore was ironing and the first was hitting her head on the top bunk bed until she fainted.Although there are many who agree with Bombeck and would prefer to sweep the room with only a glance, there are also those (and you know who you are) who have been known to catch a buzz from a good Swiffer session. Personally, my own enthusiasm for housework falls somewhere between company's-coming-code-red, and I-can't-put-this-book-down-slob-fest. So, when I heard about a website called, AltUse.com, an extensive listing of imaginative ways to use everyday commodities, I decided to turn this week's scrub sesh into a science experiment.
On the site, members are encouraged to divulge secret strategies for solving just about anything. Insomnia? Try vinegar. Want to make your own hummingbird food? Sugar and water! Looking for ways to cut costs on health and beauty aids? Think olive oil. Need a hangover remedy? Use bananas, a cucumber, baking soda, or ginger root! A cure for warts? Duct tape! The clever crowd of thrifty do-it-yourselfers at Altuse.com seems full of new ways to look at old standbys and save money. Out of deodorant? Use a lemon! Who knew!
Homeless man uses frequent flyer and reward points to live in hotels
A homeless man in Orange County, California is living a hotel version of the movie "Up in the Air," using frequent flier miles and hotel reward points to live in hotels while he looks for a job.Jim Kennedy, 46, turned 7,000 points from United Airlines and $100 in cash into a four-night stay this week at the Holiday Inn Express in San Clemente, according to a story in the Orange County Register.
Kennedy, who earned $120,000 a year for a software company before being laid off 19 months ago, earned loyalty program points by traveling for his former jobs in IT and finance.
He doesn't have the 10 million frequent flier miles that character Ryan Bingham, played by George Clooney, did in the film "Up in the Air," or the 9 million miles that Tom Stuker has with United Airlines. But after using loyalty points to stay in hotels for the past two months, he estimates he can continue it for three more months before the accounts are empty, he told ABC News, which featured his story on "Good Morning America."
Money College: Hot free downloads with Ben Folds, Andrew Bird, New Pornographers
Ten free, perfectly legal downloads sure to strike the ear of the cash-strapped college student from the youthful and ridiculously wired Andy Argyrakis, pop music journalist and photographer. Hot Free Downloads appears every Friday. Got a tip? Email us at MoneyCollege@walletpop.com.1. The New Pornographers: "Your Hands (Together)"
It's been three years since The New Pornographers (with Carl Newman, pictured left) released "Challengers." But the Canadian indie rock heroes haven't missed a beat on this preview from 2010's highly-anticipated album "Together." Though it won't land until May 4 on Matador Records, this intense-but melodic-tease is certainly a fulfilling amuse bouche.
Free pie on National Pi Day March 14
Do you really need a reason to eat pie? Well I've got one for you. Sunday, March 14, 2010 is National Pi Day, a celebration of the number 3.14, which is useful for passing geometry class and getting free pie but not much else. Restaurants use the pseudo-holiday as a good excuse to giveaway free and discounted pie to drum up publicity.
Me, jaded? Not while I'm eating free pie.
Marie Callender's is giving guests a free slice of pie with purchase of an entrée this Sunday. Marie Callender's has more than 30 different pies, including apple, banana cream, chocolate cream, coconut cream, pumpkin, lemon meringue, and razzleberry. Cheesecakes are excluded. MC's is located in 10 western and south western states.
Bill Johnsons, a small chain in Arizona, is selling whole pies for $.99 this Sunday. Wow!
Petsi Pies in Massachusetts, is giving away free "minute" pies starting at 1:59 p.m. Sunday. You can also get a certificate for four whole pies if you can recite the first 100 digits of Pi.
Whole Foods is selling pie slices for $2 to benefit the Whole Planet Foundation and is selling whole pies for $5 all day Sunday.
Morton's Steakhouse is selling slices of key lime pie for $3.14 all day. The slices normally go for $10.50, which is insane. They are in located in 27 states and Puerto Rico.
Even Edibile Arrangements is getting in on the frenzy. They are giving away free samples of fruit dipped in chocolate, according to their Facebook page.
Step right up to pre-order your iPad today
Apple's latest creation the iPad is available for pre-order starting today at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time, 5:30 a.m. Pacific time. So set your alarms, California!As usual with Apple products, details are elusive and scarce. But according to reports, as of Friday morning you can log on to the Apple online store and place your order for the device, which goes on sale on April 3. Pre-ordering allows you to have an iPad delivered to your door or reserve one for pick up at your local Apple Store location on April 3.
You'll only be able to pre-order the Wi-Fi model, as the 3G-equipped version won't be available until late April. The Wi-FI models is priced at $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB, and $699 for 64GB.
Sadly for ex-pats such as myself, international customers will have to wait until later in April to order their iPads, which will be available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the U.K. Pricing for those countries is expected to be announced in late April.
Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs touts the iPad as a new category of device somewhere between smartphones and low-priced netbook computers. It has a 9.7-inch touch screen and is able to process Web pages, e-mail, music, videos, electronic books and iPhone applications.
Free Pinkberry today from 5-9 p.m.
Get a free mini mango Pinkberry frozen yogurt with toppings today, Friday March 12, 2010 from 5-9 p.m. The chain is enticing fans to try its latest flavor with this freebie. I'm sold!You can also get Pinkberry coupons by becoming a "Pinkberry groupie" and by becoming a fan of its Facebook page.
My favorite Pinkberry combo is original swirled with pomegranate, with mochi, brownie chunks, and strawberries. Sometimes I get almonds, too.
Find a Pinkberry near you. Most locations are in California, with a few in New York and Texas. Coming soon are stores in CO, D.C., FL, GA, LA, MA, NC, and TN.
The largest chunk of Obama's national debt was written on Palin's hand
Try not to choke on your coffee, but the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projected that the Obama administration policies would dump $9.7 trillion onto the national debt by 2020. The projected national debt by 2020, according to the CBO, would top $20.3 trillion.Yeah, that's a lot. Put another way, if you had $9.7 trillion and you wrote me a check for $1 trillion, you'd still have $8.7 trillion and I'd be a brand new trillionaire, thank you.
Suffice to say, this projected national debt -- at the equivalent of around 90% of the American economy -- is unacceptable. There's no conceivable justification for digging a hole that deep and thus leaving our national sovereignty to the whimsy of foreign lenders.
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PERSONAL FINANCE FROM CNNMONEY
Interest Rates
| Type | Current | APR |
|---|---|---|
| 30 yr fixed mtg | 5.00% | 5.14% |
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SHOPPING FROM SMARTMONEY
Free movie rental with Blockbuster Express
March 12, 2010
Free pie on National Pi Day March 14
March 12, 2010
Free Pinkberry today from 5-9 p.m.
March 12, 2010
Free Vaska detergent sample
March 11, 2010
Pfizer extends free aid for unemployed using its drugs
March 10, 2010
No more free Disney tickets for volunteers
March 10, 2010
Free lunch at Panda Express today
March 10, 2010
Free Jennie-O turkey with $5 rebate
March 9, 2010
Free coffee at Dunkin Donuts every Monday in March
March 8, 2010My Investments
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