The daily deal for June 20, 2008 is men's t-shirts at Eddie Bauer. You can't buy a t-shirt on the boardwalk at the Jersey shore for less than $20 nowadays, so these seem to be a real steal for $9.99 reduced from $16.50 to $19.50.

The short-sleeve classic pocket tee is available in 14 colors in small through XXX-large, regular and tall sizes. The short sleeve classic tee (no pocket) and sleeveless tee are also available for $9.99. Several others styles are also available for $14.99.

Eddie Bauer is one of those catalogs that sends you teaser sales throughout the year hoping you'll take the bait, but if can hold out for a real sale like this one-their "ultimate sale," it's worth the wait. Sales in other departments also turned up some finds, including some cute sundresses, and the clearance section is worth a peek too for deals up to 65% off original prices.

T-Shirts on Sale at Eddie Bauer originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 01:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Since Tim Russert's death was announced by NBC Friday afternoon, prominent journalists and politicians have paid tribute to him. I won't attempt to compete with the likes of Andrea Mitchell, Tom Brokaw, Barack Obama, the Clintons or various members of the Kennedy family, who praised Russert as the best political journalist of our time, a devout Catholic, patriot, devoted father and husband and loving son.

Instead, I'll try to explain why I cried for an hour last night while watching televised tributes to a man I never met. For starters, I am a Jesuit-educated journalist with working class roots and a passion for politics. Russert's son Luke just graduated from Boston College, my alma mater. Russert was a fellow Bruce Springsteen fan, something I learned a decade or so ago when I read an essay titled Springsteen & Me in a magazine called P.O.V. So we had a few things in common.

Continue reading Father's Day: Life lessons from Tim Russert

Father's Day: Life lessons from Tim Russert originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Sun, 15 Jun 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The daily deal for Friday, June 13, 2008 is men's bathing suits at Old Navy.

Been wearing the same bathing suit summer after summer? Elastic gone and color faded? Not to stereotype, but men it seems, don't go out and buy themselves a new bathing suit until the old one is torn to pieces, or they grow out of it, to put it kindly.

If this sounds familiar, head to Old Navy, where there are more than a dozen men's bathing suits on sale. Most bathing suits are reduced from $19.50 to $11.70, and they come in sizes small through extra extra extra large.

At this point, even overnight shipping won't arrive in time for Father's Day, but a recent trip to my local Old Navy store found plenty of bathing suits in stock, and flip-flops for as little as $3.

Bargains on bathing suits for men originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Fri, 13 Jun 2008 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With just a few days to go till Father's Day, if you don't have any good gift ideas, books are a good fallback. Here are a few you can find in any bookstore:

Everyday Drinking: The Distilled Kingsley Amis: I laughed out loud when I read the New York Times review of this compilation of three out of print works by deceased British author Kinglsey Amis, an authority on booze. I love his comment about dieting: "The first, indeed the only, requirement of a diet is that it should lose you weight without reducing your alcoholic intake by the smallest degree."

Bobby Flay's Grill It: If your dad is more into cooking than drinking, famed chef and TV food host Bobby Flay has just published his fourth grilling cookbook. Although he could never top the first title, Boy Meets Grill, his recipes are winners.

Continue reading What Father really needs: A good read

What Father really needs: A good read originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The daily deal for June 9, 2008 is 400-thread count Egyptian cotton sheet sets at amazon.com. The sheets set includes a flat and fitted sheet, plus standard pillow cases made by Pinzon, and come in 12 colors including neutral tones like ivory and white. To be honest, I found the sheets while checking out a new web site I just learned about called Bradsdeals.

The sheets, which typically retail for $50 to $120, are on sale from $22.99 to $49.99, depending on the size (twin, queen, king, full and California king--whatever that is). What's more, the sheets are eligible for free super saver shipping because the order exceeds $25.

Luxury sheets for under $50 originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you need summer clothes for your kids, check out your local Talbots Kids store--but hurry, word has gotten out about their blowout sale and pretty soon it will be slim pickings. Talbots Kids, which sells preppy summer clothing and accessories, always has good end of season sales, but right now everything is 50% off original prices because all Talbots Kids stores are closing.

Talbots announced last winter that it planned to close its kids and men's' divisions, and it intended to focus on its core businesses, women's clothing. Talbots is in the process of closing 78 stores, including 66 kids' stores and 12 men's stores nationwide.

I was tempted, but didn't buy one of several exquisite white dresses perfect for a flower girl or first Holy Communion dress. I also could have stocked up for next summer but it's hard to predict a child's size a year ahead of time. Instead, I figured out what my daughter needed for summer, and picked up a sweet white sweater to wear over floral sundresses, a pair of capris, some t-shirts and a black and white floral skirt-this was the best bargain-reduced from $48 to $15.

I was disappointed in the boys selection: there wasn't anything my 9 year old would wear - the clothes are a bit too stuffy for his skaterboy tastes, and since all sales are final I didn't want to chance it.

Talbots Kids is closing?everything is half price originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The daily deal for May 30, 2008 is a shell mosaic table, reduced from $19.49 to $12.99 at Linens and Things. The table, made of hand-laid mosaic tiles is water-resistant so it can be used outdoors on a patio or deck--perfect holding two margaritas next to a chaise lounge!

The table is 16 x 21 inches, and requires minimal assembly. The table also comes in a palm leaf motif or green floral mosaic design for the same price. Shipping will run you $6.99, but you can check online to see if a local Linens and Things carries the table, and save yourself shipping costs.

Shell mosaic table, $12.99, Linens and Things originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Fri, 30 May 2008 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The first time I heard about e-books, I was in journalism school back in the early 1990s. I remember lively debates about whether newspapers, magazine and books would be rendered obsolete by the turn of the century, replaced by electronic versions you could hold in the palm of your hand. At the time, these predictions seemed both blasphemous and futuristic.

Last year, when I read about Kindle, Amazon.com's e-book reader, I still didn't believe wireless reading devices would catch on. Kindle sold out in hours after it was released in November, 2007, and remained out of stock for months.

Now Kindle is back, and I read in paidcontent.org that Amazon has lowered the price by $40, which is surprising, given its success when it was launched. It's now going for for $359, still more expensive than Sony's competing digital book, which sells for about $300. Apparently, as production of the Kindle reader increased, manufacturing costs decreased, in turn lowering the retail price.

Continue reading e-books get cheaper: $40 discounts on Kindle

e-books get cheaper: $40 discounts on Kindle originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Thu, 29 May 2008 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As I age, and my short-term memory fades, I rely on lists more than ever: at any given time, I have several going, on bits of scrap paper next to the computer, on a notepad I keep next to the driver's seat in my car, and in a master notebook of everything I need to do for the next say, three months or so. Every once in a while - ok, about once a week at least - I think of something so urgent that I resort to scribbling it on my hand. No, I'm not 12, but I have been doing this since I was a teenager. It can be embarrassing if people see my hand covered in ink, but it works for me.

I just read about temporary to do list tattoos on boingboing.net. Each package includes 12 to-do forms you can affix to your body and a skin-safe felt tip marker. I found the tattoos on amazon for $3.45 but they were temporarily out of stock. Fred and Friends, the manufacturer of the tattoos, also makes some other funny, slightly useful products like the irreverent Jesus Look at the Time watches, with an image of Jesus on the face.

I doubt I'll actually buy the to-do list tattoos, but the fact that there is this product--and it's already sold out on Amazon-- does make me wonder how many other grown-ups out there actually write on their bodies to jog their memory. For the record, I also have a calendar, which I prefer over technologically advanced options like Blackberries. I understand these devices are very good at helping people like me get organized, but I will have none of it. I'm perfectly happy with my system, and it's free.

A to-do list at your fingertips originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Wed, 28 May 2008 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This post is part of our series ranking the top 25 bygone products and trends we'd like to see return.

On Christmas morning, my house, like thousands of others, is a chaotic, frenzied scene, with children frantically opening gifts and squealing with delight.

But the joy in my children's faces inevitably turns to frustration after they tear off the gift wrap and are unable to get their little hands on the toy inside the package because the darn thing is sealed up tighter than a coffin! If you haven't opened a doll lately, with a plastic hairbrush, barettes and the like, all smaller than your fingers, these toys and many others are taped to the cardboard box, then each piece is individually wrapped in a twist-tie that makes it hard even for parents to open without a well-stocked toolbox.

I miss the days when it was simple to open a new package, like an over-the-counter medicine bottle that didn't have childproof caps or an album wrapped in plastic so thin I could puncture it with my nails-as opposed to shrink-wrapped CDs and DVDs. The editors at Consumer Reports seem to agree with me, since they started something called the Oyster Awards (named after the infamously difficult to open mollusk) in 2006, a "hard to open packaging hall of shame." Last year, top honors went to the Oral-b Sonic Complete Toothbrush Kit and the Bratz Sisterz doll, which apparently earned its moniker before a little girl even got to play with the toy.

Consumer Reports mentions a few reasons manufacturers have made packaging so much more difficult to open, including safety laws and to prevent theft. Consumer Reports also applauds some "good guys," and claim that manufacturers are beginning to make improvements -- apparently brought on by consumer backlash -- such as a user-friendly clamshell package and toys without twist ties.

What shopping experiences of yesteryear do you miss?

Comebacks we'd like to see: #3 -- Easy to open packaging originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 26 May 2008 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The daily deal for May 23, 2008 is the the Mossimo zebra tankini bathing suit, Target, $19.99.

I was flipping through In Style magazine and an article on the latest styles in summer swimsuits caught my eye. Normally, these articles are disheartening to read this time of year because my body is so pasty. Besides, the pre-summer exercise program has gotten off to a slow start. When you add the shock of what women's bathing suits costs these days, reading an article about swimsuit fashions can be doubly depressing.

This story was different: mixed in with the designer bathing suits upwards of $200 were several cute swimsuits from Target, priced in the $20 to $30 range. At your typical department store, it's hard to find a decent bathing suit for under $50, even if you wait till the July 4^th sales.

When I went to Target's web site, there were so many bathing suits to choose from, it took a while to find any of those I admired in the magazine. After a while, I went back to the home page, clicked on women, then swim shop, which brought me to a page where I could choose the preferred style. It seems that most of the swimsuits featured in In Style were sold out, no surprise, but there are plenty of others still available, mostly for about $19.99, and I haven't even checked out the store yet.

Also, if you spend $50-in any department-you get free shipping.

Women's bathing suits for under $20 originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Fri, 23 May 2008 00:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This post is part of our series ranking the top 25 bygone products and trends we'd like to see return.

When I visit my family in New Jersey, where I grew up, there are a two things I always do before I head back to my home in Connecticut: I stop at the local farm stand for fresh produce and I fill up my tank with gas.

Correction: a gas station attendant fills up my tank with gas, which right now, is 50 cents per gallon cheaper than in Connecticut, even though it's full-serve. That's because a state law enacted in 1949 bans self-service gas stations in New Jersey. According to Infoplease, Oregon is the only other state with such a law, purportedly enacted to prevent accidents. My understanding is that the New Jersey law has survived several challenges over the years, but defenders have argued that lifting the ban would be unfair to disabled people and unsafe for the elderly, and people who've grown accustomed to full-serve might do something dangerous like light up a cigarette while filling their tank.

I realize that these are antiquated laws and the 48 other states seem to be getting along fine with self-serve gas stations, but I have to admit that I really miss full-service gas stations. Since I left home for college more than two decades ago, I have lived in Massachusetts, California, New York, Washington, D.C. and Virginia. With the exception of New York, where I didn't do much driving, I've pumped my own gas, and I consider it a nuisance, especially in the winter.

Last weekend, not only did the attendant fill up my tank, he washed my windows! Sometimes they even ask if I'd like to have my oil checked. Then I had another nostalgic moment: When the attendant handed me my receipt, he called me sweetie. Never mind that he was old and unshaven (more gross than grunge), and chauvinistic, gas station attendants would be a welcome return-especially if I'm paying $4 a gallon.

What services do you rue the passing of?

Comebacks we'd like to see: #13 -- Gas station attendants originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Wed, 21 May 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Similac's organic baby formula, which sells for as much as 30% more than the regular version, contains added cane sugar, according to an article in the New York Times.

Mothers who choose not to or can't breastfeed, may opt for the organic formula because they perceive it to be healthier. That may be true of other brands, but Similac's organic formula, which was launched in 2006 by Abbott Laboratories, is the only national brand with cane sugar. Sucrose sweetened formulas have been banned in Europe.

While there haven't been any reports of adverse health effects, pediatricians cautioned that the sweeter taste of the formula might make babies turn up their noses to other foods without as much sugar. Babies might also overeat because they like the taste so much, and it could harm their tooth enamel.

Not surprisingly, the news has rekindled the ongoing debate in the blogosphere over the breast versus bottle controversy. Given the choice between spending $30 for a 25-ounce can of sugar-laden Similac and free breastmilk, this round goes to the nursing moms.

Michele Turk is a journalist and author whose book, Blood, Sweat and Tears: An Oral History of the American Red Cross, was published in 2006. She recently founded e street press, a self-publishing company.

Whoa, baby! Don't pay extra for this infant formula originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Tue, 20 May 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Once or twice a year, I try to purge my closet of all of the clothes that either don't fit, are hopelessly outdated, stained or otherwise just been hanging around for too long. The items I can't seem to part with are those that I paid a lot of money for or the clothes that I never wore -- and they still have the tags to prove it. Usually, I donate these clothes to Goodwill, even though it pains me to throw such smart, stylish clothes in a garbage bag and dump them in a parking lot.

Anyway, a new company called Revolve Couture may help me not only get rid of some of my lightly used or new clothes, and I could make a few bucks doing it. Revolve Couture is an online consignment boutique specializing in designer wares. Consignors mail clothing, shoes and accessories to the company, and they sell them on ebay, charging a flat 33% commission (they'll pick up the clothes if you live within 10 miles of Greenwich, CT, where the company is based). If items are not sold, they are either mailed back to the owner at the consignor's expense or donated to Shop for a Cure.

Continue reading A new way to sell your finer clothes online

A new way to sell your finer clothes online originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 19 May 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Daily Deal for May 16, 2008 is the Slip Dress at Hanes.

I have a habit of looking through every catalog that ends up in my mailbox. The latest one to appear, unsolicited, is the Hanes catalog, which I assumed was mostly underwear. While there are a lot of bras, panties, boxers and briefs for men, women and kids, at reasonable prices, Hanes also carries some surprisingly cute and affordable clothing.

The Slip Dress is a cotton, spaghetti-strapped dress available in chocolate, heather gray or white, in sizes small through extra large. I like the Slip Dress because it's the perfect casual summer dress, in a flattering cut with trendy pleats along the bust line. All you need to go with it is a pair of flip-flops.

For $20, the regular price, you may as well go for the Strappy Dress as well, or try out some cute camis or undies, because Hanes is offering free shipping for customers who spend more than $50 and order online.

Slip dress, $20, Hanes originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Fri, 16 May 2008 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Park Slope Food Co-op in Brooklyn announced this week that they would no longer sell bottled water. According to a report in the New York Times, that amounts to about 670 gallons of water every week since the co-op has nearly 14,000 members.

Meanwhile, across the river in Manhattan, New York Presbyterian Hospital has posted signs for several years advising patients to quench their thirst and even brush their teeth with bottled water and to avoid drinking the hospital's tap water. That's because two patients died from Legionnaire's disease in 2005 and the hospital is sill struggling to lower the level of bacteria in its water.

The hospital's experience is certainly bucking the trend, with a movement underfoot to call attention to the cost of bottled water, both monetarily and environmentally. I received an email not long ago from David Wilk, an environmental activist and publishing executive from Connecticut with whom I have collaborated. David founded Turn to Tap in 2007 to address the negative affects of bottled water. I asked him how much money you can save by switching to tap, and he emailed me his calculations for my family:

Continue reading Is it time to turn to tap?

Is it time to turn to tap? originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Thu, 15 May 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Silver sandals, $22.99, Payless originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I'm not sure what's more heartbreaking about Cyclone Nargis, the military's junta's failure to forewarn residents of Myanmar about the deadly storm or the regime's reluctance to allow western governments and relief groups into the country to provide assistance during the crucial early days when victims need food, water and medicine. I suspect that this gives many would-be donors pause -- people don't want to give if they're not sure the food and supplies purchased with their donation will get to those in need.

I contacted Michael Forhan, a friend's father, who has lived in Myanmar and runs Burma Border Projects, a non-profit group founded to aid refugees along the Thai-Burmese border. "Some aid may be allowed in, but the bulk of the aid that's waiting to go still hasn't and may not ever make it in time," he said in an email. "My fear is that giving to larger international organizations may not be as efficient or timely as so many of them are having difficulty getting their aid into the country."

I am hopeful that pressure from the United Nations will persuade the junta that the crisis requires urgent international assistance or else famine and disease could increase the death toll, which is already in the tens of thousands. Meanwhile, Michael suggested donating to two grassroots organizations already on the ground and helping:

Continue reading Myanmar relief: How to donate to grassroots groups

Myanmar relief: How to donate to grassroots groups originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Tue, 13 May 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last month, my parents went to Florida for two weeks against the advice of their four children. We were worried that my father, who is on oxygen and has multiple medical problems, would take a turn for the worse and end up in a hospital. They decided to go anyway (parents today...they just don't listen).

Before they left, I urged my father to buy medical evacuation insurance, a specific type of travel insurance that retrieves "members" from anywhere in the world and transports them to the hospital of their choice. Last year, I edited an article for a website called Traveling Mom about the benefits of an insurance plan provided by a company called MedJet Assist. Afterward, I told my parents about the company and the week before they left for Florida, I spoke with them again and my father said he bought similar insurance via American Express.

You know what happened next. My dad, who has a blood disorder that makes his hemoglobin count drop to life threatening levels (among other medical problems brought on by 40 plus years of smoking), ended up in the hospital. It got so bad he needed a blood transfusion. They stabilized him but he just wanted to get back home to New Jersey.

Continue reading Medical evacuation insurance: another cautionary travel tale

Medical evacuation insurance: another cautionary travel tale originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Fri, 09 May 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not only is my mother is really hard to buy for, she's a bit ungrateful to boot. She told my sister yesterday not to get her a gift for Mother's Day because she was probably going to have to return it anyway. Nonetheless, I can't show up at her house empty-handed, so I began to look though my emails for ideas for last minute Mother's Day gifts that might pass muster. Here's a roundup of what I found:

Flowers: I recommend 1800flowers, where you can opt for fresh flowers or plants. I'm considering the gardenia (mom's favorite flower) in a green planter for $29.99. If you order-and have them delivered today-there's free shipping although some products are not eligible. Also, you can save money by ordering bouquets without a vase, which most moms have plenty of.

Continue reading Last minute gifts for Mother's Day

Last minute gifts for Mother's Day originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Thu, 08 May 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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