A Deal for Getting Organized

Don't worry. Organize yourself, Get a deal and you'll feel better. Invest in a few little tools can make a big different in helping you feel organized and in control. This week, the Container Store is offering 20% off everything in the store. What a bargain!

To help you out, here are a few of my favorite things that you can get at The Container Store. BTW - Most of these items will make great stocking stuffers.

Cooknook Cookbook Holder. ($12.99) Install it underneath your kitchen cabinet. You'll be able to easily read your recipes without losing your counter space. Fold it up underneath the cabinet done.

Magnetic Tape ($1.99) Make a magnetic out of almost anything with this flexible tape. Me? I make magnetics out of old game pieces, but you can use it on postcards, picture frames, and pens.

Monkey Door Hooks ($9.99) Whimsical and purposeful, these monkeys are a fun addition to a mudroom, bathroom or kids room. Hooks can be used for towels, backpacks, umbrellas and more!

Undershelf Baskets ($12.99) Add instant storage to your cabinets with these baskets. Great way to keep your baking supplies organized, your plates neatly stacked, and your linens nearby!

Conceal BookShelves ($9.99 - $12.99). Wickedly cool to use - Make a stack of books look like they float in the air. Holds about 15 lbs, and stacks 16 inches high. This product is definitely a form and function product that's nice to have!

Waterbottles ($3.99) and Waterbottle straps ($3.99). Leakproof bottles that are ergonomically designed and waterbottle straps for hands free lugging around of your water.


Booksling ($4.99) You'll always remember where you left off in your book when you use a booksling.

Title Nine Blowout Sale

Looking for a cheap deal or bargain on fashion forward performance to wear for the gym, yoga class, or when exploring the outdoors? Then look no further than the Title Nine Blowout Sale coming to Boston, Thursday, October 15 - Sunday, October 18. Great savings (up to 60%) on shorts, pants, running shoes and hiking gear, swimsuits, bras, tees and shoes! You'll never look so good breaking a sweat and saving money. Logistics listed below:

Hours:
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Thursday & Friday: 10 am - 7 pm
Saturday: 10am - 5 pm
Sunday: 10 am - 4pm

Location:
=======
Redstone Shopping Center
117 Main Street
Stoneham, MA 02180

MasterCard, Visa, cash and checks. No gift cards or Discover (boo hoo!)

Saving Money Buying Toys

Attention, recession weary shoppers! You can save money buying toys this holiday season. With a little effort and some planning, you can buy great toys and save some money doing it. Start shopping early this year. With this recession, less inventory will be stocking the shelves during the holiday season.

How to figure out what the hot toys for 2009 will be. Mark October 28th on your calender. Its the day that Toy Retailers Association will announce the Hot List of "It" toys for the upcoming holiday season. Return to this entry on 10/28, select "Toy Retailers Association" and you'll get redirected to the list!

A Few Thoughts on Where to Shop...
Toys R Us. While the rest of the country celebrates Christopher Columbus, you'll find me at Toys R Us annual toy sale where Buy One Get One Free Hasbro Games is happening.

Michaels. Almost every week, Michael's Craft Store offers a 40-50% off one item at the retail price. Great selection of arts and crafts, puzzles, and model toys. And at this price, why not pick up something you can donate to your local Toys for Tots campaign.

Wal-Mart. Wal-mart will be offering more than 100 toys for $10 each during the holiday season. Additionally, Wal-mart will match any local competitor's advertised price on the same toy product if it falls below $10.

Borders and/or Barnes and Noble. Good selection of speciality toys and games which can often be bought at 20% - 30% discount when you use a coupon. Just google "Borders" or "Barnes and Nobles" and "coupon" to find the latest promotion.

Luxury Sample Sale Boston Design Store

Furniture. Lighting. Flooring. Rugs. Art. Accessories. Antiques. Oh, my! Time to hit the Luxury Sample Sale at the Boston Design Center this weekend. It's quite the treasure hunt for extraordinary, unique home furnishings. Great place to pick up an designer accent piece or conversation item for your great room of yours at bargain prices. Up to 75% off! That's nice!

Admission is $10. Paid parking available nearby. 10 - 5 on Sat (10/3); 12 - 5 on Sun (10/4)

Visit Boston Design to pre-register and enter a chance to win $500 shopping spree and other prizes.

Time to buy that new rug you've been thinking of...
Happy Shopping!

The Perfect White Shirt

Time to re-stock the closet with timeless classics for work and play. This week, my focus was on affordable white shirts with classic style. Why? I'm dashing out of the house awful early these days, and I just want to grab something that always looks good with whatever I'm wearing for the day. My favorite look for fall is a stark white French Cuff shirt. Classic. Timeless. And looks as good worn with jeans as it does with a designer pantsuits. Luckily - it doesn't have to cost a fortune. Check out my finds below...


Lands End Modern Long Sleeve: $49 (and currently 20% off at Lands End Shops within Sears). Affordable no-iron dress shirt with a bit of stretch. Nice French cuffs too! An excellent basic utility dress shirt.

Ann Taylor Cotton French Cut Shirt. $70. Nice V neck and rhinestone button cuff links. If you can't afford diamond cuff links, rhinestone buttons may be the way to go!

BrooksBrothers French Cuff Shirt. $89 or 2 for $149. Tailored fit. with French Knot buttons at the cuff. Definitely a prepster's fashion statement and one of Oprah's favorite picks for Fall last year. Seems pricey, but its quite a bargain. High quality. Maintains it shape. Great cut of fabric. I buy one every year. Love them!

FYI - What's old again is new. You can always update that old white shirt you have hanging in your closet. Spruce it up by replacing the buttons with french knot buttons (sold at JoAnn Fabrics. 4 for $1.89). Tres trendy (and thrifty too!)

Pizza

Nothing like a good pizza pie to kick off a holiday weekend. I've just prepped my dough and toppings for my own little celebration. I thought I'd share my favorite recipes for homemade pizza that you can make for your family and friends. Better yet, save yourself effort by making a simple pizza dough and provide the toppings. Let your guests have fun doing the rest.

Recipes. Here are two great recipes for homemade pizza dough. You'll save time making these recipes. They're quicker to make than ordering take-out and much cheaper to make than buying a pre-made pizza.

King Arthur Flour - Easiest Pizza You'll Ever Make. Great basic recipe that is easily completed by hand. Consider adding 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil and 1 tablespoon of a herb (e.g., rosemary or Italian seasoning) for an extra flavor boost.

Sarah Moulton Food Processor Pizza Dough. Another great recipe but this recipe requires you to use a food processor rather than hand mix. Try making her Middle East Pizza or Grilled Southwestern Pizza. Fantastic combinations of flavors that can bring out the very best in your pies!

Music. When I make pizzas, I play Italian music. I think music adds alittle something to the dinner. So head off to the library, and check out compilation of Italian bistro music or perhaps so Pavarotti. Or download some songs:
- songs for your Italian dinner. recommended by my friend Robert
- the ideal Italian dinner party - recommended by Global Journey
- The Godfather and Cantable for the Violin and Guitar - by LastFM

Games. While the pizzas are baking in the oven, it's always good to have a few activities planned to keep friends and family entertained. A few ideas listed below that are fun for both adults and kids.
- Personalize Chef Hats.
- Kitchen Charades
- Hot Pizza (a twist on the "hot potato" game)
- Trivia (take a few cards from a Trivia Pursuit Game and pass them around for guest to read and ask others for answers)

Tent Sale. Cheap Deals on the Holiday Weekend

When most folks think of Labor Day; they think Back to School. When I think of Labor Day, I think great Tent Sales where the bargains are many, the merchandise is good, and the deals are cheap. Here are a few great tent sales that I'm aware of. If you know of any great warehouse sales or tent sales this weekend, let me know and I'll post the information.

Restoration Hardware. Sept 3 - 7. Rugs, lightening, furniture, and linens available at steep discount. Additionally, Restoration Hardware is offering an additional $25 for every $100 spent.

Eastern Boarder. Sept 4 -7 in Leominster, MA. 40 - 50% off all things snowboarding related. Great opportunity to upgrade your bindings, buy new boats, or grab a fashion jacket at discount.

Reebok and Rockport. Thru Sept 7. Stoughton, Ma. Shoes, hats and workout gear. You'll never look so good heading out to the gym!

LL Bean Outlet Sale. Sept 4 - 7. Concord, Nashua, & Claremont NH. Save up to 70%. Technically, this isn't a tent sale, but honestly, the discount too good to pass up.

Happy Shopping.

A Step Ahead of Christmas with Cheap Deals

I was telling someone this weekend that the secret to enjoying the Christmas holidays often rests in the ability to think of Christmas well ahead of day. Advanced planning is the only way to save money, time and effort in preparing for the holidays. So, start now in order to enjoy a hassle free holiday. Here are a few tips to get you started...

Be a perennial shopper. Keep an eye out throughout the year for great sales and clearance items that you can take advantage. Pick a theme an build gift baskets around it by filling it with end of season items, great sales items, and clearance items that you find throughout the year. Examples: (1) Flip flops, beach ball, beach towel, beach chair (with fan!), frisbee - all for $23. (2) Golf shirt, Scrabble (golf version), box of golf balls, and magnetic poetry - golf version - $25. (3) Stainless steel coffee thermo, 3 lbs of gourmet coffee, NY Crossword Puzzle book -$18. (4) Hand painted needlepoint canvas, assorted threads, needlepoint scissors, and needle case - $20. Great stuff. Cheap Prices. True Bargains.

Store Gifts in One Location. It's just easier to keep everything in one place. I put all gift purchases in an armoire. And organization is key to saving effort. In the armoire, I've got gift bags set up for the different themes, labelled with the intended recipient's name. I toss items in the bags, so everything is pre-sorted come the holidays.

Make your gift list. I keep my gift list in my armoire. I cross names off the list as I stock the gift armoire with purchases. This helps me keep track of who I've bought for, what I've bought, and how much inventory I've got left to work with.

Know your sales. I've been tracking my favorite stores for so long, I know when the best time to do my shopping. Every Columbus Day weekend, Toys R Us runs a Buy One; Get One Free Hasbro Game Sale. LL Bean Outlet runs a 50% off Canvas Tote bag sale. Michaels runs 25% off Everything in the Store Sale. And yes, every year, I'm there stockpiling, games, tote bags, and arts & crafts at deep discount.

Yard Sales, Garage Sales, Estate Sales, whatever - just go. You'd be amazed at the great gifts that you can be found at bargain prices. A copper weather vane (great gift for a friend's barn), original edition Scrabble (for a crossword enthusiast), antique tools and hinges (for a woodworking hobbyist), and a cordless cookie gun and cake decorating kit (for me, the baker- even I need a luxury every now and then.)

Knowing What Plants to Grow

Ever get frustrated trying to figure out which plants will work in your garden or why a plant isn't thriving? Get yourself an EasyBloom Plant Sensor ($49 -60)and take the guesswork out of what to plant. This tool monitors your soil environment (e.g., sunnlight, temperature, humidity, soil moisture and drainage) and then provides you with plant recommendations (e.g, what to buy, how to care for it, pruning, fertilization, etc.) specific to your garden's conditions. So you save money by buying the right plants upfront, and save effort because you'll know what does/doesn't work for your garden.

And it's easy to use. Leave the sensor in your garden for at least 24 hrs, then hook it up to your computer's UBS port. It connects to the Easy Bloom website and turns the sensor's readings into recommendations for plants for your soil environment. Once you've received your results set, you can then filter based on desired bloom color or season, plant height, drought tolerant, deer resistant, and other features.

Christmas is around the corner. EasyBloom Plant Sensor is a great gift for a beginner gardener, anyone who has moved and has a new garden to set up, and co-workers with lots of plants in the office.

Related Links:
Buy on Amazon
EasyBloom website
Plan A Garden

Good Paint vs Cheap Paint

I've decided to paint the living room. A color selected (wild ochre), but not after the great debate on paint brand. When you're trying to manage a budget, save money, find a bargain or save yourself some effort - how do you tell the difference between good paint and cheap paint? Is Behr paint different from Valspar or Olympic? Who is Benjamin Moore and why should we buy his paint over Sherman Williams? How much is too much to pay for a can of paint? Is $50 can of Benjamin Moore that much better than $30 can of Behr?

The answer - Yes. Paint professionals will tell you "You get what you pay for." Price is a good indicator of quality. While good paint and cheap paint look the same when you pop off the lid, the differences lie in the materials used to make the paint (technically speaking, it's the binders, pigments, and additives). How long the paint lasts, how easy it is to apply, scrubability, mildew resistance, sheen, and hiding (e.g., how it hides surface imperfections all depends on these ingredients.

To learn more, here's a great article "Why Pay More for Paint" by Scott Cohen of Fine Homebuilding. You'll learn how paint is made, how to select paint based on your project, and when to turn to Ralph Lauren, Laura Ashley and Martha Stewart. (Answer: for unique color, textures, and finishes).

Related articles:
What paint type is for you?
Short cuts that make painting less of a chore
Estimating the amount of paint to buy
Paint Calculator

A Cool Dip on a Hot Summer Eve

No better treat on a hot summer night than a quick swim or dip in a refreshingly cool pond or lake. And it's a much better bargain and much cheaper deal than installing a pool ($75K because installation requires blasting through alot of ledge , renting a Chatham beachhouse ($3K/wk), joining the Westford swimclub ($700/year),or snagging a day pass to use at Stonehedge Inn to use their spa's pool ($20). And there's no maintenance to be done, so you always save time and money. Net, net - Your local public lake or pond may be your best bargain for a cool dip on a hot summer eve.

Springs Brook Park, Bedford MA. - The swimming hole by which all others should be judged by. This place must be one of greater Boston's best kept secret. Fantastic man-made pond with underwater filtration system that keep the water clear and the muck away from the sandy bottom, aqua slides and water parks for the kids, basketball & volleyball courts, picnic areas and a snack bar. Well-staffed with lifeguards and a super clean bathhouse to boot. $7 per person (all day); $3 after 4 p.m., Free after 5PM. Truly paradise has been found in suburbia.


Other great swimming holes (though none as delightful as Springs Brook Park) include: (1) Walden Pond, Concord MA ( $9 /person daily) and (2) Crystal Lake, Newton MA. ($10/person daily)

And after cooling off at Spring Brook Park, end your day with an ice cream at Bedford Farms Ice Cream Stand. Delicious!

Kitchen Wisdom

A few simple tips to a better baking experience based on lessons learned in the kitchen. Ahh, the kitchen wisdom I've learned through trial and error and few good cookbooks! These tips should save you some effort when working in the kitchen; the substitutes should help you save some cash by avoid the overstocking of your shelves with ingredients rarely used.

Meringue: For the stiffest of egg peaks, beat your eggs whites in a well-chilled metallic bowl rather than a plastic bowl.

Cheesecake: Avoid having your cheesecake crack as it cools by running the knife around the edge of the pan as soon as you remove it from the oven to cool.

Buttermilk. If you don't have buttermilk on hand, use the following substitute. For every one cup of buttermilk needed, mix one cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of vinegar.

Ledges on Edges. -Eliminate the unwanted rims around the edges of muffins and breads. Grease your pans on the bottom and half way up the sides of the pans.

Flaky Pastry. For the lightest, flakiest dough, use butter not margarine. Make sure the butter is well chilled. And grate your butter rather than use pastry knifes.

Chocolate Substitutes. Always best to use the type of chocolate called for in a recipe. In a pinch, use one of these substitutes: (1) 1 ounce unsweetened = 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 tablespoon cooking oil. (2) 1 ounce semisweet = use 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate & 1 tablespoon sugar.

Melting Chocolate. Make sure the bowl you're using to melt the chocolate is clean and completely dry. Else, you're likely to create to lumps.

Soft/Stale Crackers. They make great cracker crumbs. Crush them, place them in an air tight container, keep them on hand in the freezer to use as a topping on casseroles or a coating for baked chicken or fish.

Cracker Crumbs: Save yourself the headache of clean up. Crush your crackers in a plastic ziploc bag and by using a rolling pin or a large drinking glass. Leave the bag open so a bit of air can escape as you complete the rolling.

Baking Pan Substitutions. I try to minimize the number of pans that I own. Here's how to manage your inventory of pans by using substitutes. - 10" bundt= (2) 8" x 2" rounds

- 10' x 2" round = 9" x 9"x 2" square

- 12 cup muffin tin = 8" x 4"x 2" loaf pan = 9" round = 8" square

(Note: baking times will vary depending on pan size, so you may need to adjust times slightly).

Check out Getting Serious with Baking Substitutes for additional tips on ingredient substitutes.

Easy Dinner Idea

I can never understand why most folks think lobster is too special to make for dinner any old day of the week. Price per pound, Lobster is cheaper than most cuts of steak. Most local markets are willing to steam them for you for free. And, it's a great summer meal that doesn't require you to heat up the kitchen. So, if you're looking for a dinner bargain that's easy to pull together, here's the main course suggestion and a few sides to round it out that makes a great complete dinner during the summer when you don't want to heat up the kitchen.

Lobster. Estimate 1 - 1/2 lb per person. Steam it at the market approx 1 hr before dinner. Store in a plastic bag or a cooler to keep it warm/hot.

Corn on the Cob. Some people grill corn; others boil it. Me? I steam it in the 5- 6 qt crockpot. Shuck the corn. Place in crockpot with 1 cup of water. Cook 2-3 hrs on low. (Yes. It's that simple.)

Clam Chowder. Grab yourself a few pints of Legal Seafood's Clam Chowder at your local market or BJs Warehouse. Place in crockpot. Cook on warm 2-3 hours.

Coleslaw. Make it yourself, grab the semi-premade Fresh Express bag and some Kraft Coleslaw dressing, or pick up a container at your deli.

Ice Cream Novelities. Go retro and pull together a selection of your favorite Ice Cream treats from your youth (e.g, drumsticks, ice cream sandwiches, italian ices, dillybars, etc.)

Havaianas Flip Flops

Attention Fashionistas! Save money while you look good this summer. Head to your local BJs Warehouse where you can buy Havaianas' flip flops for $8 (normally $44).

Havainas flip flops are often referred to within the fashion industry as the "rolls royce of flip flops". These flip flops are on the pages of the hottest fashion magazines (e.g., Vogue, InStyle, etc.) and on the feet of some of the world's biggest celebrities (e.g, Gisele, Jennifer Aniston, etc.).

A summer staple on the cheap, cheap! Hurry. Supplies are limited. This bargain won't last too long.

New England Book Mobile

About to head out to my favorite bookstore - New England Book Mobile on Needham Street, Newton. It's a truly a booklover's adventure. Shelves and shelves of books; the type of store you go into looking for one book but end up exiting with an arm full; a place to get lost in for just a few minutes or a few hours. And honestly, a bit overwhelming - so many books, so little time to read them all. All books organized by publisher. Excellent room of book bargains. Great selection of children's books supplemented with games, Klutz crafts and other wickedly cool things. Net, net - A great place to grab a good read.

Book Fair EveryDay Values include
20% off Paperbacks and Hardcovers Every Day
30% off New York Times Best Sellers (Hardcovers)
40% off 50 best selling cookbooks
Spend $50. Get a choice of 1 yr subscription to Bon Apetit, Gourmet, or Conde Nast Traveler.


Added Bonus: Today's Boston Globe features a 30% coupon off retail price for a one item. Nice savings particularly if you have a specific book in mind.

Looking for some inspiration - here's my short list of good reads to buy:
That Old Cape Cod - Richard Russo
The Condition - Jennifer Haigh
Perfection - Julie Mentz
The Girl Who Played With Fire - Steig Larsson

Directions to New England Book Mobile
Rte 128, exit 19A - 1 1/2 miles on right

Advanced Coupon Strategies

Here's the scoop on finding the real deals using coupons. These simple advanced coupon strategies can really help you save money.

Combine Coupons. Increase your savings by combining a manufacturer coupon with a store coupon for the same item. Hint: Take your savings to the next level, by combining these coupons during a store sale and/or coupling it with an in-store rebate.

Buy Multiple Papers. If the Sunday paper contains a good set of coupons, it may make sense buy another copy of it. Sometimes, you need to spend $3 on the extra paper to get an extra $15 saved in coupons - not a bad trade off. Hint: Some stores will discount their Sunday paper on Monday, so you can save even more money.)

Buy Out of Town Papers. Sunday coupon inserts vary region to region. Buying an out of town paper can score you coupons on products that you would otherwise not get.

Make A Coupon File. Carry your coupons with you wherever you go, so you can use your coupons on the fly. Talked with my nephews the other day, and within 5 minutes of the conversation, I forked over $35 in discounts and free passes to the movies and a museum. Hint: Organize them in a pocket file organizer with the 12 folders. Leave the organize in your car or carry it in your purse.

Double Your Savings. Find out which stores double coupons and up to what amount. At these stores, prices may run higher in generally, but a double coupon will still net you a great deal.

Buy an Entertainment Book. By July, the price for this book has dropped to $5 (from $30 in Nov). My edition offers 4 separate $5 coupons at my local supermarket. So, the $5 purchase nets me $15. In addition, the book is loaded with great coupons for the movies, the driving range, and a large variety of stores that I purchase at frequently. Chia-ching!

Sign up for Email Alerts. Register online at your favorite stores for email alerts and advance notice of sales. Hint: To manage the large volume of email, I have these alerts to a seperate email account that I use strictly for coupon tracking only.

Go to Coupon Sites. While there are hundreds of online coupon sites, here's my short list of the best of breed of e-coupons . I like these sites because: (1) the discounts are fresh, (2) the deals are reliable, and (3) the interfaces are easy to use. Coupons.com, CouponMom, Smartsource, Retailmenot, and Couponcabin.

Lowell Folk Festival - A Great $10 Date

Nothing like a good cheap date or a bargain to give this girl a thrill. Here's this week's perfect summer weekend pick for a great date for $10 or less.

Lowell Folk Festival. Doesn't matter how your musical tastes run, there is something for everyone at this festival - the largest of its kind in the country. Polka, Bluegrass, Jazz, Gospel, Zydeco. Quebecois, Western Swing, honky-tonk, brass bands, and many more. Definitely, a fun time and the potential for dancin' in the streets. Music is free at one of 6 outdoor venues across the City. Ethnic foods and arts/crafts also available. It must be good - New York Times just identified it as one its top picks for a summer getaway!

And while you're in Lowell, check out these other great things to do...

Visit the Lowell National Historic Park. Take a canal boat tour and explore the Merrimack River. $10

Boott Cotton Mill Museum. Visit the weaving room. Learn about the Industrial Revolution, the labor movement, and the rise, fall, and rebirth of Lowell. $6

American Textile History Museum. Learn all about the history of textile manufacturing revolution in America. Current exhibits are quite good. $8 -but save yourself some money and use a $2 off coupon available.

Cheaper Hotel Rooms

Just coached a friend through how to stretch her vacation dollars by saving money on hotel rooms. Reserving a hotel room is often the most expensive part of your travel plans. Try some of these great tips on saving money when booking your hotel room.

Bypass the 800# and call the hotel directly. Call the on-site reservation desk and get the deals and rewards associated with the particular hotel. Ask for package deals. and always end with "Is this the best offer you can provide?"

Ask at Check-In. When you arrive at the hotel, ask if any value-added options or room rates reductions have become available since you booked the room.

Celebrating a special occasion. Let the hotel know if you're celebrating a special occasion. It's one of the easiest ways to get a free upgrade.

Know how important the view is. If you're not interested in the ocean view or the size of the room doesn't matter, try negotiating for an alternative view, smaller room, or room in the hotel's annex at a lower price. If you're not going to enjoy the view, why pay for it?

Select off-season locations or of-peak times. It's no secret that room rates are cheaper in the off season and off-peak times. Travel right before or after the peak season for a favorite vacation hotspot. Traveling for a weekend? Select a hotel that caters to business travelers. On the weekends, these hotels are likely to have more rooms available and at cheaper rates.

Choose a University. University often rent their dorm rooms in the summer for a fraction of the price of a hotel. I have a niece who snagged a great room at Cornell Med School Dorms in downtown NYC for $30 a night. Might be no thrills rooming, but it's a bargain hard to beat.

Beware of hidden fees. Make sure you understand what services are available as part of your room rate. It's not uncommon for hotels to charge extra for services as newspaper delivery, wireless access, or parking. It's often less expensive to go off property for these things (e.g., buy the paper at local newsstand, surf for free at a local bake shop or park a few blocks away from the hotel property). If these services are part of a packaged deal and you have no plans to use them, negotiate these services out for a lower rate.

Call the local Chamber of Commerce. You can often get lower hotel rates through special offers at local Chamber of Commerce.

Use your memberships. If you're a AAA member or AARP member, have an Entertainment Book, membership can often save you 10-20% off a room rate.

Free Pastry @ Starbucks on 7/21

I'm beginning to think that I'll never pay for another cup of coffee or a sweet treat anymore. It seems like almost everyone is offering an incentive to get buyers into their storefronts. Anyhow, here's the latest way to save some money with little or no effort...

On Tuesday, July 21, stop by your local Starbucks and get a free pastry to go with your morning brew. Promotion runs from store's opening until 10:30 or whenever pastry runs out. Promotion celebrates Starbuck's new line of breakfast goods baked without artificial preservatives, colors or trans fats. Just show your coupon to your barista.

Saving Money by Winning at Rebates

Filing this week's rebates for Staples purchases - $26 of back to school supplies (e.g., pencils, pens, and highlighters) for free. Thus far, in July, I'm getting $80+ cash back in rebates. Thought I would share my tips for winning at the rebate game. It takes some effort and time, but you can save alot of money redeeming rebates.

Know your threshold for following through. According to a recent Aberdeen Group survey involving 175 companies, redemption rates on rebates is 58%. So, if you don't submit the paperwork and can't handle the wait time, rebates aren't for you. You're likely to pay more for the item than if you waited for the item to go on sale.

Be disciplined. Most folks think they'll process the paperwork, but never get around to it. Give yourself a deadline (e.g., 48 hrs post purchase) to complete the paperwork.

Avoid losing the rebate on a technicality. Follow directions. Most rebates are rejected because the consumer failed to follow the directions correctly (e.g., used the wrong bar code, incomplete information, wrong UPC code or rebate receipt code, using a PO box when physical street address is required, missing box top etc.)

Know what's required. Understand the deadlines for submission, rebates available per customer, rebates per physical address, special instructions, proof of purchase requirements, etc. Sometimes the cost and effort of processing the rebate outweigh the value of the rebate.

Make copies. Make copies of all documents before you mail them. If you need to contest a rebate rejection, you'll need your backup.

Track the time. Mark the process time on a calender so you can follow up if you're in non-receipt of your rebate check within a reasonable time.

Watch the mail. Some rebate checks can look like junk mail,so watch the mail carefully to avoid accidentally tossing them out. Once you receive it, cash it. Most checks have an expiration date.