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Cosmetic Surgery:
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Worst Warehouse Club Buys

How to avoid Black Friday credit blunders

Gina Roberts-Grey Nov 10th 2009 @ 7:00AM EST Filed Under: Credit, Black Friday, Economizer, Credit cards

Black Friday can certainly net shoppers some great holiday gift deals. But if you're not careful, experts say those "deals" could wind up costing you big in the long run by damaging your credit score.

Steve Schwartz, executive vice president of consumer services at Intersections, Inc., in Chantilly, Virginia, told WalletPop that it's easy to get caught up in the adrenaline-filled rush of Black Friday shopping. "But without a plan," Schwartz says, "consumers frequently end up with buyer's remorse." And a plunging credit score, too.

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Hey y'all! Index finds happiest U.S. states are in nation's vast heartland

David Schepp Nov 9th 2009 @ 12:00PM EST Filed Under: Home, Real Estate, Recession, Economizer

Think you're seeing a lot more glum faces in your neighborhood? That's likely the case if you live in one of four states with high home-foreclosure rates: Florida, Nevada, California and Arizona. Those normally majestic, carefree states ranked as the least happiest, at least when it comes to money matters, a new survey shows.

And where might you find some of the most smiley people? According to Mainstreet.com's Happiness Index, dead in the center of the country, where some of the country's least densely populated states can be found. Nebraska was at the top of heap, followed by Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma and Montana.

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Drive like a millionaire ... in a 1993 Ford Taurus

Zac Bissonnette Nov 9th 2009 @ 7:00AM EST Filed Under: Transportation, Wealth, Economizer

The Onion, a leading satire website, has been one of the funniest websites in the world for a long time, but every once in awhile, there's a bit of serious financial wisdom in its content.

In the video below, a "Ford vice president" Daniel Grossman announces Ford's "new vision for the future of automobiles in America -- the car for the modern age, the 1993 Ford Taurus." All you need is $650 in cash.

The video's funny, but here's the truth: If your goal is to be rich, you'll have a lot more in common with a rich person by driving a 1993 Ford Taurus than you will by leasing or financing any other car.

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Cheapest colleges: 13 standup schools that cost less than $5,000 a year

Jason Cochran Nov 9th 2009 @ 6:00AM EST Filed Under: Bargains, Kids and Money, School, Economizer, Student Loans

A good buy doesn't always end up on your receipt at the register. Sometimes it winds up on your résumé.

According to the College Board, the average college tuition in the United States is $26,273, up more than 4% from last year. But not all universities cost that much, and not all cheap colleges give you junk degrees. Sprinkled across America you'll find some discount degrees that are actually worth just as much as the highest-priced ones.

Tuition at all of these colleges can be had for under $5,000 a year -- and a few are completely free. If your kid's in high school, now is the time to start thinking about how to afford their next big step. Start planning your applications now, because the competition is tight:

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Go for Less: Buenos Aires, Argentina

Jason Cochran Nov 6th 2009 @ 12:00PM EST Filed Under: Travel, Economizer

After the peso crisis of 2001, Argentina became the destination célèbre for Americans, who flocked to South America to revel in the astonishing buys that a devalued currency can yield. Time has passed, and now we're slogging through our own economic turmoil. So is a trip to Buenos Aires still a great buy, or have the locals caught on to the influx and jacked up rates to milk tourist dollars?

Michael Luongo, author of Frommer's Buenos Aires, visits WalletPop's studios to tell us that the answer is a little bit of both. He lets us know what the situation is in the storied colonial capital of Argentina, and he fills us in on how a first-time visitor there can still find deals without losing the authenticity of the local culture. Sure, you've seem washed-up reality stars do the tango on Dancing with the Stars, but is it feasible to dance it in the real Argentine milongueros?

As part of our ongoing series, WalletPop tells you how to go for less:

Five Fabulous Finds: Calendars, mascara and nutrition bars ... free!

Erin Gifford Nov 6th 2009 @ 11:30AM EST Filed Under: Food, Fantastic Freebies, Economizer

Here are this week's Five Fabulous Finds from Coupon Cravings, including free calendars, mascara and nearly free Rice Krispies Treats. Plus, get scarves for just a buck at Old Navy and a coupon to save $5 when you spend $5 at Kohl's.

1) It's gift card giving season. Stop by Chick-fil-A and get a free 2010 calendar with loads of free food coupons, like free chicken strips, milkshakes and soft drinks, when you buy a $20 gift card.

2) Hit Walgreens by Saturday (November 7) to get two free tubes of mascara. Or stop by Safeway to get Rice Krispies Treats for just $.17 a box. Yummy!

3) Sign up to get sale alerts from Kohl's and get a coupon by email to save $5 when you spend $5 in-store.

4) In case you missed out on $2 Halloween costumes at Old Navy last weekend, be sure to stop by Old Navy on Saturday (November 7) to get performance fleece scarves for just $1.

5) Want more freebies? Get free samples of Kirkland Signature Supreme Diapers and Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Daily Eye Cream. You can even get a free Sun-Rype FruitSource Bar from GNC.

Flora Flora takes hidden fees out of online flowers

Josh Smith Nov 5th 2009 @ 2:00PM EST Filed Under: Shopping, Economizer

If there's an online industry that likes to add to your purchase price with fees more than Ticketmaster, it has to be online flower-sale companies. It's nothing for a $30 birthday celebration bouquet to turn into a $50 purchase by the time you hit the pay now button. Once you add in delivery fees, which can change on a daily basis, and other miscellaneous extras, you can easily spend another $20. But now a new company, Flora Flora, is shaking up the world of online flower sales with a pricing model that has no additional fees.

The company, which is part of the ShoeBuy business, launches today with "what you see is what you get" pricing on all of their flowers. The business model of avoiding extra fees and showing the true cost from the beginning may seem obvious to me and you, but in the flower market it's a rather "fresh" one.

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Fabulously frugal feasts from the dollar store

Marlene Alexander Nov 5th 2009 @ 1:15PM EST Filed Under: Food, Saving Money, Shopping, Economizer

Author Christiane Jory has created a companion DVD to her cookbook the 99-cent Only Stores Cookbook just in time for the holidays. Fabulously Frugal Feasts will show you how to create a holiday buffet that will feed seasonal foods to a houseful of guests for the same cost of delivered pizza. Sounds good, doesn't it?

The DVD has lots of delicious new recipes and helpful hints, as well as Christiane's own brand of gentle humor. The recipes are easy enough for anyone to make and they're printable, so you won't have to keep plugging in the DVD every time you want to try something. My cooking never strays much from plain old meat and potatoes 'cause I need easy. Having watched a couple of the videos, I've gotta say that these recipes look easy enough for even the kitchen-phobic to create.

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Free Shipping Day is back with more retailers!

Josh Smith Nov 5th 2009 @ 12:00PM EST Filed Under: Shopping, Black Friday, Economizer

Last year marked the start of a Hallmark holiday of sorts that quickly gained popularity with last-minute holiday shoppers; Free Shipping Day. On Free Shipping Day last year, more than 100,000 shoppers picked up Christmas gifts with free, guaranteed-in-time-for-Christmas shipping at more than 250 retailers including big names like Kohl's, JCPenney, Victoria's Secret and many more.

Thanks to its first year success, Free Shipping Day is back for a second year and as founder Luke Knowles told WalletPop in a phone interview, "Free Shipping Day wants to join the ranks of Black Friday and Cyber Monday as an annual tradition."

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How to trim utility costs, even in Maryland

Tom Barlow Nov 2nd 2009 @ 4:30PM EST Filed Under: Home, Saving Money, Economizer

I had the opportunity recently to speak with WhiteFence.com's CEO Franc Arbride about home utilities and how we might trim these expenses. He describes his site as "a comparison shopping engine for utilities and other home services," which allows the user to input his address and receive detailed comparisons of terms offered by competing utilities.

I called Arbride after reading a WhiteFence report that showed the huge difference in utility bills from city to city.

Who pays the most? This is one crown that I doubt that those of you in Baltimore, Maryland will enjoy wearing, but the average bill, according to WhiteFence.com, in the summer quarter of 2009 was $390.44.

The same report should put a smile on the faces of those of you in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Denver and San Francisco. L.A. was the least expensive at $192.97, less than half of those in Baltimore. Fortunately for the East Coaster, the cost of housing is skewed in the opposite direction.

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Tire prices set to tip the scales

Gina Roberts-Grey Nov 2nd 2009 @ 2:45PM EST Filed Under: Bargains, Transportation, Economizer

If you're kicking around buying new tires, you'd better make up your mind quickly. That's because if you wait too long -- until January -- it can wind up costing you quite a bit extra.

A new 35% tariff on Chinese-made car and light truck tires being imposed by the Obama administration is forcing wholesalers to raise prices on tires sold to retailers, who are sure to pass that "extra" onto consumers. How much extra?

Some say even the most affordable tire will cost about $50 more. Brand name ones are expected to jump as much as $80 per tire.

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Finally, Starbucks creates simpler rewards card

Vanessa Richardson Nov 2nd 2009 @ 2:30PM EST Filed Under: Food, Saving Money, Economizer

Last Christmas, I got a Starbucks gift card for $50 from my boss (a nice gift but with a semi-intentional hint that caffeine may help me do a better job).

I used it up within a month but when a barista tried to lure me into getting the Starbucks Rewards Gold card, I wasn't even tempted. Paying a $25 annual fee upfront for the right to 10% discounts on coffees didn't seem like a deal when I didn't know if I'd have the money for the remaining 90% of the cost of my once-daily lattes.

Guess I'm not the only one who felt that way, and Starbucks got the hint. It recently announced it is consolidating its Starbucks Card and Gold Card reward programs into a free, easier-to-follow customer loyalty program called "My Starbucks Rewards" that launches Dec. 26.

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