Friends and Family savings at 30 top retailers through Monday
Friends and Family sales are typically one of the biggest savings days you can get in on outside of Black Friday and thankfully they are less crowded. You used to need to know a worker at your local store to get in on these additional discounts, but these days you don't need to be on a first name basis with every cashier in the mall to save big. GSI Commerce has worked with 30 of its retail partners to bring you friends and family savings online for two days only.From Sunday December 13 through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday December 15, you can take advantage of friends and family discounts at the following stores, and best of all you can do it from the comfort of your couch.
There's a reason 'friendly' financial advice is free
Despite having the best intentions, giving advice doesn't always go the way you planned. Especially if it's telling your sister to how to invest her 401(k), only to find out your sage advice caused her to lose 25% of her retirement fund. It's a fine line you must tread when deciding whether you should pipe up with financial advice or just keep you mouth shut and nod sympathetically.
Experts say there are a few instances when your course of action is clear: if a person is in danger from financially self destructing (gambling away their savings, spending compulsively, etc.) then you should speak up, no matter what.
However, relationship expert Susan Newman says general advice giving, about how much to save, where to bank or how to trim a budget, can lead you down a slippery slope. "Even good advice can injure or ruin a relationship because it might not be right for the recipient," Newman said. It also might not be wanted.
Trash or treasure? The price of junk mail
Tired of the endless stream of junk in your mailbox? You're not alone."I dread going to the mailbox," says Katie Hough, a Midwest mom. "It's rare that I get something that's addressed to me and not the 'current resident.'"
Hough's mailbox, like those across the country, sees an average 1.5 pieces of "personalized" mail (including bills) a week compared to the average 16 pieces of junk mail ending up in mailboxes.
An uphill slog: Ski resorts lag on getting lift tickets online
It's easy to find movies or videos to jazz you up about going skiing. Warren Miller's ski highlights are a common early winter fix for ski enthusiasts, and the Youtube video below from Teton Gravity Research should be enough to get you up a mountain, although probably not that mountain.
Finding a cheap lift ticket, however, is more difficult.
Many ski resorts don't sell lift tickets online, requiring skiers to either buy them at the mountain on the day of arrival, or buy them ahead of time at a discount at a grocery store, ski shop or at stores such as Costco for slight discounts. With many ski resorts opening next week, Liftopia.com is offering a simple way to find lift tickets online.
Debt Diet Part 5: Making men, women and money get along at the holidays
Experts tout talking about money as one of the best ways to avoid financial miscommunication in a relationship. But what if you and your honey aren't really hearing what the other has to say? Or even worse, what if you two speak a completely different money language? Having the "money talk" is essential to keeping your Debt Diet on track. It's also (believe it or not) one of the cornerstones of a good relationship. That's why, with just two weeks left in the holiday shopping season, it's important to make sure you and your mate aren't just talking, but that you're truly listening to what each of you has to say about money. Otherwise, you're likely to blow your budget -- and your partner's likely to blow their top -- while you're scooping up gifts this weekend.
More holiday shopping done online, free shipping and coupon codes a must
According to a new survey by consumer electronics shopping Web site Retrevo, more individuals are doing their holiday shopping online than ever before and for most shoppers free shipping and coupon codes are an important part of the decision to buy gifts online.
The survey of 750 Retrevo users found that the number of individuals who will shop for electronics in-store dropped 6% from last year while the number of people who split their shopping between the online and offline, those who do it mostly online and those who do their shipping completely online all grew from 2008 to 2009.
5 things to do for under $12 with a cheap box of wine
That box of wine you bought for daily sipping can become a magical wellspring of uses for the holidays. To get into the Christmas spirit, WalletPop offers five thrifty ideas to think outside the box.1. GINGERBREAD HOUSE OF WINE
Turn your wine dispenser into a storybook dream that will have guests sipping happily ever after. Wall the box with gingerbread, add a roof, make room for the tap, and decorate. It might be the only real estate on your block worth toasting.
Make up a tale of how the cottage morphed into a wine fountain and put it in writing on a placard next to the house. Something about a witch and Ernst Gallo? You won't be able to use a custom gingerbread house kit because you'll have to cut the dough to fit your box. Unbaked gingerbread sheets are available from Pillsbury and others. Or ask your local bakery to make gingerbread sheets for you and cut them according to specs.
Make the mortar with a standard royal frosting by beating together one pound of powdered sugar, one teaspoon of cream of tartar, three egg whites and a teaspoon of vanilla. Apply gum drops, candy canes, maybe even old corks. This vintage house will never be confused with a fixer-upper.
"It's a nice way to serve wine," Lisa Commitante, the manager of Monteleone Bakery in Brooklyn, N.Y., told WalletPop. "Very festive." ($11.95 with the store-bought sheets)
Teachers on teacher gifts: it's the thought that counts
Marlene Alexander
Dec 9th 2009 @ 3:45PM EST
Filed Under: Bargains, Kids and Money, Charity, School, Economizer
The result was an article for Reader's Digest that should have parents everywhere breathing a sigh of relief.
MacColl's article lists nine ideas, many of which cost very little or even nothing at all. Some of my favorites:
Make something, like a unique personalized ornament, with your kids or bake up a batch of cookies with them. Pop the cookies into a dollar store cookie tin, add a bow and you're golden.
One elementary school teacher said she treasures dollar store gifts that have been selected by the student and given with pride. Hey! It really is the thought that counts!
MacColl offers no suggestions as to what those gifts might be, but you know I will. What about a set of three matching ornaments? I recently found colorful acrylic snowman ornaments in three different designs. Or how about the small white porcelain-look angel ornaments that come in a variety of styles? Each ornament is only a buck. You could also give a new desk or pocket agenda with a pen; $2 for the set. I've also seen some really nice wall calendars. Just a few thoughts.
Another really inexpensive idea from the article comes from a musician/teacher, whose student gave him a framed photograph of himself playing at a local jazz festival. Again, there are lots of nice frames at the dollar store and you can bet this teacher will keep this memento and remember the kid who gave it to him.
Perhaps the best gift of all is a simple "thank-you." A heart-felt note written by the child will be kept and re-read. I'm sure more of our teachers would appreciate knowing that they have made a difference, especially since the day-to-day running of a classroom can be downright tiring at times.
Solar Christmas lights not worth the cost
Santa had it right when he went with Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, as the only light on his sleigh.After almost a week of fidgeting around with solar LED lights, I've given up on trying to have a "green" string of Christmas lights on my house. They won't light up, no matter how much sun they get.
New at McDonald's -- a musical playplace
Along with happy meals, fast food giant McDonald's is now offering a musical play area to lure hungry kids and their parents in for a bite.The play areas designed by Playtime Musical PlayPlace systems have over-sized keyboards, climbers, instruments and musical maps that incorporate activities such as using scales, notes and melodies.
Sweet deals for Christmas at the dollar store
Marlene Alexander
Dec 9th 2009 @ 9:00AM EST
Filed Under: Bargains, Saving Money, Shopping, Economizer
This year, I snatched up a couple of tubes of After Eight "straws" for a buck each. Stuff like this make great stocking stuffers or basket fillers. Later on, I saw the exact same thing in the same size at a department store for nearly four bucks. Uh, yeah, no thanks.
When it comes to sweet treats and shiny baubles for Christmas, try your friendly neighborhood dollar store first. You never know what you might find. Here's a round-up of what's being advertised at the various stores this week:
Dollar Tree has boxes of 50 miniature tree lights in clear or multi-colors, boxed or candy-filled gift mugs, a box of 12 candy canes or 32 miniature canes, some very pretty tree ornaments, a 6.6 oz box of Zachary cherry chocolates, a 10 oz. tin of Washburn's Old Fashioned hard candy, 4.25 oz. Pirouline rolled wafers in chocolate or hazelnut and a whole lot more. For a buck each, how can you go wrong?
The 99-Cent Only Stores ad is showing Brown and Haley English Toffee, large candy canes with gift tags, 18" plush stockings or Santa hat, glittery fruit ornaments, various sizes and counts of colored ball ornaments and tinsel garlands, along with other useful items like wrapping paper, bubble wrap and a 2-pack of Scotch tape. And I'm sure you'll find a heap more stuff in-store, as well.
Five retail traps to avoid this season
You know to protect your identity, respect your money, and pay with cash (to avoid falling deep in debt) this holiday season. But do you know how to spot or sidestep those holiday traps merchants rely on to make an extra buck or two?Here's what you need to know before hitting the mall or shopping online to fulfill your holiday gift list.
Wave off warranties
Lisa Baskfield, a CPA and member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants' (AICPA) National CPA Financial Literacy Commission, says buyers need to stay on their toes when the electronics department salesperson is waving an extended warranty in front of you. "Read the manufacturer's warranty before saying yes," Baskfield says. "I purchased a camera from Best Buy with their warranty which I was told would replace the camera if anything happened within the first two years. After a month, it died. I had to go through the manufacturer first to see if they could fix it before being able to use BestBuy's warranty." Baskfield's camera was out of commission for three months. "The warranty from BestBuy was very misleading and certainly not worth the cost," she says.
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Free Internet service while in flight
December 14, 2009
The big day: Healthcare deadlines for the employed and unemployed
December 12, 2009
Free holiday album from iTunes
December 12, 2009
Friday freebies: cologne, magazine, vitamin plan and more!
December 11, 2009
Free CKFree fragrance for men
December 11, 2009
Free 8X10 portrait at Target
December 10, 2009
Free pita chips
December 9, 2009
Megabus giving away 100,000 free seats
December 8, 2009
Free clementines at Safeway
December 8, 2009
Interest Rates
| Type | Current | APR |
|---|---|---|
| 30 yr fixed mtg | 5.04% | 5.17% |
| 5/1 ARM | 4.40% | 3.86% |
| $30K HELOC | 5.20% | 0.00% |
| 36 month new car loan | 6.70% | 0.00% |
| 1 yr CD | 1.51% | 1.52% |
PERSONAL FINANCE FROM CNNMONEY
Holiday Shopping
Let AOL Shopping help you this holiday season. Find deals on the hottest products and gifts, holiday party advice and enter our weekly 10 'til 2010 giveaway!
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RECESSION-PROOF JOB aDVICE
Find out which jobs are best bets for these uncertain economic times.
Debt Management Basics
No matter how deep in debt, you can still work your way out. Get great debt management advice, savings suggestions and new spending habits.
How Much Should I Save?
REAL ESTATE DEALS
With the housing slump in full swing, find the hot foreclosure deals, see how to sell your home quickly, or learn how your neighbors are fairing in our new real estate survey.
ECONOMIZE WITH WEBLOGS
- Trash or treasure? The price of junk mail
- Solar Christmas lights not worth the cost
- New at McDonald's -- a musical playplace
- Know when to buy: The latest on holiday shipping deadlines
- Gift cards deals to die for
- Half-priced appetizers at TGI Friday's until December 23
- Lou's Clues: Subtracting the additives ... and make a cheaper, healthier meal
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