WalletPop

This post is part of a series about real-life signs we're in a recession.

As a city dweller, I've always found visiting Costco with my parents something of a treat. The cheap food at huge quantities, the surprisingly affordable gadgets, the mounds and mounds of remarkably affordable clothes.

I would make an afternoon of it a couple of times a year, bring my kids, wander the aisles with my folks and sample the free goodies. At check-out time, the bill would inevitably come to something in the $200 to $300 range, I'd write a check to my Dad, and we'd leave feeling like we had a kind of expensive but amusing family outing. I didn't join Costco since the idea of paying a fee to save money on purchases just didn't make sense to me. And how often would I really get there?

But finally, just a month or so ago, in my own personal sign of recession, I decided that it was time for me to join Costco myself. I know I'm not alone. Costco is one of the few retailers doing pretty well these days. Lots of Americans are worrying about the rising price of food. No matter how secure my husband and I feel in our own jobs, we see rising job insecurity all around us. Given that backdrop, I decided it really is worth it to pay $50 to join the Costco club.

This post is part of a series about real-life signs we're in a recession.

It has been fun for the past year, since my son was born, driving around in a 1999 Ford Taurus with three kids crammed into the back seat. But the plan has long been to buy a minivan.

The only one my eight-year-old daughter, who loves our Taurus almost as much as my husband, would consent to is the new Dodge Grand Caravan, for 2008. That's because it is the one with the seats that spin and face backwards and the little pop-in table for in-van picnicking.

Am I a sucker for swivel and go seating? Yes! I thought we had an easy decision and I even joined Costco (more on that decision) to take advantage of their no-haggle car buying program. I had my special incentives and zero percent financing deals all lined up when I went to the nearest participating dealer, ready to buy.

Only problem: I thought I could buy a car for about $22,000. But when I got done talking to the salesman, he had me convinced I needed a model that cost $36,000. With my cheap financing deal, that was still $1,000 a month.

"Cause marketing" is a current buzzword in corporate circles. It stands for a simple idea: that you can convince more people to buy your products if you promise to give some of the proceeds to a social or environmental cause.

Consumers get to buy something they like and do good at the same time. Businesses fork over some of the profits, but get a halo effect (hopefully), for encouraging a greener planet, end to poverty, cure for breast cancer and the like.

Product Red may be cause marketing's most conspicuous recent example. It is a brand licensing effort started by U2's Bono and Bobby Shriver. Companies including Gap, Apple, American Express, Microsoft and Dell have participated, creating specially branded "(Product) Red" items and contributing 50% of the gross profits to the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. It has been criticized since such a small portion of dollars people spend on the products actually makes it to Africa, but also heralded as a huge success for raising $100 million for the Global Fund in just two years and generating goodwill toward the companies involved.

Here's a new cause marketing effort that may be the first aimed specifically at small businesses: Kiva.org, a microfinance site which allows individuals to make loans as small as $25 to entrepreneurs in developing nations, teamed up Advanta to launch the KivaB4B program in mid-April. Advanta issues a Kiva-branded small business card and will match grants made by cardholders to Kiva dollar for dollar (up to $200 a month). Entrepreneurs get to flash their Kiva credit card, which has no fee and low rates, plus they get an insignia to put on their web page or office that shows they are supporting entrepreneurs in the developing world. "Entrepreneurs recognize the value of getting a little seed money," says Ami Kassar of Advanta. "This program allows them to be the good guys and show they care about the community."

Can small companies create their own cause marketing efforts, while avoiding any potential pitfalls? Bryan Specht, an expert in corporate responsibility with Dig Communications in Chicago, believes it can be a terrific strategy for increasing sales and building customer loyalty if done right.

This post is part of a series on strategies you can adopt to free yourself from burdensome debt.

A big cash windfall may only come once in your lifetime. Perhaps it is an inheritance, a payout from a law suit or lottery winnings. But no matter what the source and the feelings associated with it, it represents a powerful one-time chance to get out from under a pile of debt.

In story after story about lottery winners, the first thing they want to do is pay off their loans. Not so fast. If you use all the cash to pay off credit cards, you may just run up the balances again. Two years later, you'll be right back where you started.

This cash infusion is your opportunity to invest for your future, start saving for retirement, or simply create the emergency fund you never had and always wished you did. A cash cushion can provide great financial security as the economy heads into a possible recession and you don't want to go through it too soon.

Let's imagine you inherited $25,000 and have a $150,000 mortgage, a $15,000 credit card balance, and $10,000 left on your car loan. Go ahead and pay off a big chunk of your credit card debt -- say $10,000 -- paying off (and then cutting up), the highest interest cards first.

This is part of our series on strategies you can adopt to free yourself from burdensome debt.

There is no doubt that the hardest part about getting out of debt is finding the extra cash to do it with. Most of our posts here on WalletPop deal with different shades of that perplexing question -- how to generate extra income, spend less money, find the cheapest credit cards -- all towards the goal of reducing your punishing levels of debt.

But there is another, not quite so hard question about getting out of debt that we've only scratched the surface of so far on WalletPop. That is, once you've unlocked that extra cash and are in a position to start actually getting out of debt, what is the best way to pay it off?

Simple answer: That depends on your goals. In this series we list common reasons people want to reduce their debt load and the best strategy for that goal.

The two main techniques for spending down debt, our blogger Lita Epstein has come up with are the 'Snowball Effect' and the 'Round Robin.' The snowball effect is best for people who are getting eaten alive by high interest charges on their credit card balances. The plan there is to simply pay off your high interest credit cards first.

Valentine's Day is upon us and before I rush out to buy more frivolous trinkets for my kids and husband, I thought I'd take a look at some holiday trends. I think my research shows Valentine's Day is actually improving as a national holiday. First, here are some factoids to digest:

* The National Retail Federation estimates that spending on Valentine's this year willl reach $17 billion. For flower sellers, this holiday accounts for about 30% of their business, their biggest holiday. For greeting card makers, it is second only to Christmas. For restaurants, it is the second biggest night for dining out after Mother's Day.

* The average person is expected to spend $123 on Valentine's Day cards and gifts this year, based on surveys. That's roughly flat with last year.

* Men say they will spend twice as much as women, but I don't believe it for a second.

* I also think total spending could surprise to the upside this year. The expectation is that consumers will trim spending due to the slower economy. But the latest economic reports showed a rebound in consumer spending in January. And Valentine's Day has some serious momentum behind it for increased spending: Total spending per person is up 20% from 2004 and 2005 when it was around $100 and up 50% from 2003 and 2001 when it was more like $80.

What's in My Wallet is a series of posts from WalletPop writers and editors that will help you maximize your financial self according to what you carry.

Every place you shop these days is trying to get you to sign up for some kind of loyalty program. I often sign up if they are free, but I hardly ever benefit from the promised savings. Maybe that's because I'm not such a loyal shopper.

But when it comes to buying an affordable lunch in mid-town Manhattan, I swear by my Cucina Quick Card. It's an easy value proposition: Buy the $20 card and you get $25 credit to spend on lunch. For me that is basically four meals for the price of three. I work in Rockefeller Center and there just aren't a lot of cheap eats around.

If you expect to be visiting New York City anytime soon, I recommend this spot. Cucina is located at the concourse level of Rockefeller Center (that's the basement, directly under the famed Christmas tree). Not only do you get that great discount, but there is public seating all around, inside and out, and great views of the rink. Plus, Cucina food is tasty and the prices aren't bad at all -- even without the discount. Try the roast beef wrap with pickles and horseradish for $3.75 (I think). Or splurge on the teriyaki rice bowl for $6.75 or so.

And if you don't plan to be in New York City anytime soon, check out the restaurant loyalty programs in your area. If these deals keep disloyal shoppers like me coming back, they have to be springing up all over the place.

Upstart discount airline Skybus is out with its incredibly cheap summer fares -- only problem for most of us is that the bulk of its flights originate from Columbus, Ohio and Greensboro, North Carolina and go to just 17 cities. It does offer a few non-stop flights from Boston to cities in Florida, however, and promises to add more cities soon.

But, oh, the deals! First of all, how bout $10 seats? The airline promises $10 tix (plus taxes and fees) to the first 10 buyers on every flight. Hence the rush this morning when it's June and July flights were just released for sale.

The regular fares are quite amazing too. I checked flights from Newburgh, New York to Greensboro in late March when we're contemplating a family vacation to North Carolina and saw the airline was offering flights for $55 a seat! Only problem is that there were no seats available on the days of our vacation.

If, like me, you're new to Skybus, first check out where Skybus flies. Then quickly see if you can snag one of the $10 fares for some point this summer. You may already be too late, but let us know here in the comments if you have any luck.

If you live in an area served by Skybus, you may want to sign up for the company's email alerts so you can jump on the cheap fares as soon as they become available. I'll be interested to know if these deals are as hard to obtain as frequent flyer seats to Cancun over Spring Break.

Daily Deal: Target is having a sale on baby gear. It seems they have one of these every few weeks. I get regular emails since I bought a few items in the past year following the birth of my son. And, I have to say, Target really does have a great selection and terrific prices on all things baby.

Now the stuff is on sale, plus you get free shipping if you spend more than $50, which is easy to do on baby gear. Check it out if you are in need of a baby gift or if it's time to upgrade your stroller.

The glider and ottoman shown here is now on sale for $199, $30 off the full price. Having it shipped for free is a nice bonus, especially for all you 9-month-pregnant moms who are probably so done with shopping for furniture about now. This is one item you are unlikely to get as a gift. A glider, while not the most beautiful piece of furniture in the world, comes in very handy when there is a newborn around. Before you buy this one, though, check Craig's List in your area to see if you can pick up a used one for $50 or less.

As the proud owner of a 1999 Ford Taurus, which has served me and my family well all these years (I made my husband promise we would trade it in the first time it breaks down, but it never has), I always check the Ford recall news items. It seems like there is one every other month.

Today brings news of 225,000 cars recalled -- for the second time -- all because of a faulty cruise control mechanism. My car isn't on the list. In fact, all the recallees are from years 1992 to 1995. Models include the Bronco, F-Series, and Taurus SHO among others.

In my one experience with a recall, we brought the car back to have some kind of new part put in the wheel and when we drove off, it turned out the mechanic broke the stabilizer bar fixing the defective part. We were about to start on a family vacation and our car sounded like a brick in a clothes dryer.

Actually, that was the closest our car came to breaking down. We had to return to the dealer and leave on our vacation a day later. My husband was able to convince me that didn't count as a break down since the car actually could have run for miles with the broken part. That was about three years ago now.

Just when millions of Americans are busy mentally spending their likely tax rebate check from the government ('hmm... a new flat-screen TV or a vacation to Disney this Easter?'), comes a new scam.

The Internal Revenue Service is warning that email and telephone con artists are attempting to grab taxpayers personal financial information (all the better to steal your identity with, my dear), by saying that if they hand it over, they will get their rebate check all the sooner.

One reported phone scam asks people for their bank account information so the rebate could supposedly be supplied direct deposit. An email scam sends a message, supposedly from the IRS, and asks the recipient to click over to a site and enter personal information in order to claim their rebate (a new flavor of 'phishing.')

The IRS wants to remind everyone that not only does it NOT COLLECT INFORMATION BY TELEPHONE (got that?), but Congress hasn't even enacted the legislation that would allow for the tax rebate to be sent. Last week the House voted for a plan that would supply most Americans a rebate of $600 for individuals and $1,200 for couples, plus an extra $300 per child. The Senate will vote on a different version.

Once they vote, the check will show up in the mail. There will be anything else you need to do to claim it, besides filing your income tax.

Around the holidays when I have the luxury of sitting back and thinking about the gifts I want my loved ones to buy for me, I usually start lusting after kitchen appliances. This year it was an ice cream maker I wanted (but I didn't ask for -- more on that later). Last year I was so enamored of a yogurt maker that I gave it to my father, who promptly gave it right back to me. Thanks Dad! (It really is a great gadget for anyone who appreciates the power of active cultures -- and it turns out gallons of plain yogurt for pennies.)

So why didn't I ask for the ice cream maker? Because I know that if I wait a bit, I'll find one on my thrift store shop shelves at one-tenth the price. Since I know I will only use it two or three times before the novelty wares off, I'd rather not get a new one. When I'm tired of it and it starts taking up too much space in my minuscule Manhattan kitchen, I'll just return it to the 'store' -- my thrift store that is -- for someone else to use for a while. My local Salvation Army is like a lending library of kitchen gadgets.

Of course, you run the risk that you'll get the thing home and it won't work (that's actually never happened to me with kitchen appliances, since these things seem extra hardy). You also will no doubt be absent the instruction booklet or any recipe sheets. No worries, most manufacturers publish them online now. Pasta makers, popcorn poppers, espresso machines, I've seen them all for sale for $10 or less.

It's not just appliances that are fun to buy. My favorite wooden kitchen spoon came from the same thrift shop. It is so worn and smooth and ancient that I feel like a real chef just holding it in my hand. I've picked up some really nice and interesting serving spoons, bowls and other utensils. Many of my favorite juice and wine glasses come from the same source. I share Sarah Gilbert's sentiments about the beauty of the lone shapely mug that stands out on the shelves of the thrift store.

Fact is, quality kitchenware lasts and can be bought for cents on the dollar at a thrift store. What's the fun of
matching glassware anyway?

This post was written as part of a series on how to thrift shop smarter. Read more on what to buy, and not to buy, at thrift stores.

Back in college when I was a knitting demon and had no cash to spend on high quality wool -- I came up with a solution that worked like a charm: I would go to thrift stores and buy handmade sweaters that some ingrate had cast off.

I'd unwind all that hard work that some grandma put into a ridiculously styled poncho and end up with a trove of gorgeous wool to make something that suited my tastes. Just this morning my husband went off wearing mittens that I made from one such misshapen thrift shop sweater.

But, and I'm showing my age here, that technique hasn't worked lately. It worked best 20 years ago when it seemed that me and my college roommate were the only geeks under 70 sporting knitting needles.

Since then knitting has gotten very trendy. That's caused a multitude of problems for my yarn recycling scheme. First of all, it seems, any sweaters made of high quality yarn that end up in thrift shops are snatched up before I can find them. I also surmise that people are holding onto their hand-knitted gifts more often now since bulky sweaters with too-long sleeves and fabulous yarn are all too in fashion.

Finally, craft stores like Michael's now stock all sorts of cheap yarn. If I want cheap yarn I can go there. And if I try the unwind-a-thrift-sweater technique, I risk ending up with wool that is not special enough to warrant the effort.

That's not to say that you can't make fabulous "handmade" items from used sweaters found at a thrift shop. Sarah Gilbert introduced me to a technique I've also seen emulated by artisans in the East Village -- slicing up used sweaters and turning them into something new and chic -- like these amazing hats (see photo). Now that's real talent.

Thrift shops also have, of course, a wealth of fabulous sweaters to buy, as Barry Summerlin learned. As for me and my needles, these days I'm avoiding the thrift shop and splurging on yarn at my high end, oh so trendy New York yarn store.

This post was written as part of a series on how to thrift shop smarter. Read more on what to buy, and not to buy, at thrift stores.

Don't get me wrong, a thrift shop is an excellent place to buy shoes. I wear a size 6 1/2 and find a bonanza of high quality footwear at my local thrift shop whenever I go there. Nine West and Bass are two of the brands I picked up recently -- current styles even! Just shine 'em up and they are ready to go, helpfully broken in by someone who updates their shoe fashions once a year.

But there, right next to these gems are the knock-offs. These shoes may look good -- in fact they probably haven't been worn much. But they come from cheap mall stores (Payless is one example) and probably cost around less than $20 new. My guess is that most of them proved so uncomfortable that the hapless buyer quickly shunted them off to the thrift shop. That's where most of the cheap mall shoes that I made the mistake of buying ended up.

I don't want to disparage Payless too much. It is a great place to buy children's shoes. My kids find their shoes comfortable and fun (there are lights and sparkles aplenty) and when they wear out I can toss them and let them buy another pair.

But shoes such as these are so cheap to buy new that there is no reason to pick them up at a thrift shop. They may be priced at $5. But look a little harder and I bet you'll find a much nicer pair that originally cost $75 or more selling for $8. Now that's a deal.

This post was written as part of a series on how to thrift shop smarter. Read more on what to buy, and not to buy, at thrift stores.

One of the thrills of pregnancy is experiencing your body change week to week as it miraculously creates a new human being. One of the many challenges of pregnancy is trying to keep yourself clothed and looking neat while you morph into a whole new shape.

It's tempting to wear nothing but sweats and oversized t-shirts. But feeling good about how you look can make pregnancy more fun -- all that friendly chit chat doesn't seem quite so intrusive, for example, if you feel confident about your appearance, I'd argue. And it most likely takes high-quality maternity clothes to do the trick.

That's where your local thrift shop can come in handy. Fact is, maternity clothes are expensive. And you'll need a lot of them to make it through a pregnancy. Most pants or shirts only fit for a month before you're onto the next size. You can fill up your closet at your local thrift shop without spending a fortune. Then, when they don't fit anymore or you have your baby and can't stand the sight of the maternity clothes anymore, you can get rid of them without buyer's remorse.

One caveat: You may have to hunt around or get your veteran thrifter friends to be on the lookout for you. It seems the best maternity wear is picked up right quick in thrift shops these days. And its often only the best run shops that take the time to separate it out from the rest of the duds. Shopping for maternity wear can be hard work at thrift stores, but it will likely be well worth the effort.

This post was written as part of a series on how to thrift shop smarter. Read more on what to buy, and not to buy, at thrift stores.