What would you say if I told you that the best sunscreen is actually the store brand? See how sun block from Target and Walmart stand up to brands (though I ended up buying my sunscreen from CVS last week).
What would you say if I told you that the best sunscreen is actually the store brand? See how sun block from Target and Walmart stand up to brands (though I ended up buying my sunscreen from CVS last week).
Is your car ready for summer car trips? Here is a list of six things you should do before you hit the road for your summer vacation.
Are you getting married soon? Be sure to check out these 7 tips for planning a wedding registry. And don't go it along. Your fiance and future husband should have a say in how you select wedding gifts for your bridal registry.
Unlike Angeline Jolie I do not have the breast cancer gene or mutation. Find out how I got tested for that gene for free--and you can, too.
Here are some money saving tips for prom 2013. This includes how to save on a prom dress, prom makeup, and prom transportation.
Before I had a Smartphone I never would have believed that a Smartphone saves money. Find out how mine does and has saved me money at Macy's, Payless and more.
You know how I save money on coffee? By practicing what I preach here on Suddenly Frugal. That is, I brew my coffee at home every morning. Which is why when I discovered these newfangled "tabs" at Panera Bread, they blew me away.
Here are the 8 most common errors and tax mistakes to avoid so you can rest assured that your taxes get filed on time and your refund is on its way to you ASAP.
Now that Walmart has brought back its Great Gas Rollback program, you have even more ways to save on gas. Plus, you can still enter to win free gas for a year from Shell.
This is no April fools joke. There are six upcoming state sales tax holidays that have nothing to do with back-to-school shopping--which I've written about in the past--and everything to do with saving money when buying items for your home.
The average federal tax refund this year will be $2,803. Will you save or spend your refund? More importantly, should you even be getting a refund?
Here are the 8 tax benefits of being a parent that are important to keep in mind as you get ready to do your tax return.
I have had to learn how to use my time better to be more productive. And two of the tools that have helped me to do that are the walking desk that I made--also known as my treadmill desk--and my Crock Pot.
Suddenly Frugal is participating in Women's Money Week. Today's topic is increasing income, To me increasing income = making money from your stuff. That's why I have put together 5 tips on how to sell your stuff for cash.
I stopped in at CVS today to check out the store's after Valentine's Day sale. Here are the two things I noticed.
Here are 5 post Valentine's Day sale ideas and why you should consider stocking up at these sales on these days after Feb. 14, when the savings can be tremendous.
Here are 9 offbeat and cheap Valentine's Day date ideas. Some are heavily discounted; others are totally free. All are completely affordable.
Want to save money on printer ink? Through Feb. 9, 2013 Staples is offering 20 percent back in Staples Rewards when you buy printer ink. This applies to both inkjet ink and laser cartridges.
The folks at H&R Block shared with me this fun and informative infographic so you know what to take to tax appointment.
For some families, looking to target their college search to colleges and universities that offer tuition discounts for siblings might make a lot of sense. Here are 13 that offers such discounts, including special programs for twins.
Here's a freebie for nursing moms--breast pump rental and other breastfeeding essentials are now free, thanks to the Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare. Here's what you need to know if you're considering breastfeeding your baby.
With tax season upon us, that got me thinking: what are the tax documents to keep, and just how long are you expected to hold onto paperwork, receipts and old tax returns? I remember my parents telling me seven years, but is that rule of thumb still true?
ThredUp is an online consignment shop that allows you to buy and sell used clothing, all without leaving the comfort of your home. I have a ThredUp coupon code that can help you to save $10 off your first ThredUp purchase.
Though I am years away from being eligible for Social Security benefits, both of my parents receive Social Security. Chances are some of my Suddenly Frugal readers do, too. So I just wanted to make sure that all of you are ready for the Social Security direct deposit changes coming in 2013. Here's what you need to know--and do.
I know that most college students are on winter break right now, but soon enough they will be heading back to campus–and the campus bookstore to stock up on college textbooks and other materials they need for their classes. I just found out about a new way to save on those college textbooks. Right now Amazon.com has a deal on new, used, online, and rented textbooks. Here are those Amazon.com deals that showed up in my inbox today: Up to 30% off new textbooks Up to 90% off used textbooks Up to 70% off rented textbooks Up to 60%...
If you haven’t yet signed up for Ebates as the place to start all of your online shopping, maybe this will change your mind: I just earned $30 cash back on a single Christmas present I recently purchased. Still not familiar with Ebates? It’s the online portal where you can start your online shopping for most stores, and then you’ll get cash back for a percentage of your purchase. Here is what I’ve written about Ebates in the past: Most commonly I will shop through Ebates.com. In the past few months I have purchased skincare products, shoes, and big-and-tall...
In the next two weeks my high school senior should hear if she was accepted into her number 1 and number 2 college choices. While my husband and I started saving for college when she was a baby, we simply weren’t able to put enough away to cover college tuition out of pocket. We will figure out a way to finance her college education. (I still like my “make college tuition tax deductible” idea that I’d presented in my Marketplace Money radio essay that broadcast earlier this year.) With college costs rising at 8% annually, experts at GradSave.com, which...
Do you remember my summer of savings tour? This was when I was traveling around the country and appearing on local television stations to offer my five small changes that add up to big savings so people could have more money. Well, it turns out I was on to something. The Harris Poll just released its latest survey findings on Americans and their spending habits. And while 2012 doesn’t seem to be that much different than 2011 in many ways, in other instances Americans are discovering a renewed frugality. According to the Harris Poll, three in five Americans (59%)...
AirTran Airways has an airfare sale going on right now that could allow you to snag low fares in the New Year. Some fares start as low as $69 one-way. You have until Dec. 13, 2012, 11:59 p.m. PT to book your travel. Here are some of the details of this cheap airfare sale: Travel January 7 through May 15, 2013. Sale valid for travel every day except Sundays. Blackout Dates Apply: February 15 – 18, March 8 – 15 & 22 and April 1 & 5, 2013 Travel to and from Florida only on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays....
With so many people traveling between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, wouldn’t it be great to mark something non-shopping off your to-do list–and be able to do that when you’re waiting around at the airport? Well guess what? It is possible to get a cheap flu shot at the airport. Turns out that there are a handful of medical clinics located inside or very near to airports in major cities. Many of these clinics accept insurance–which means if your insurance covers flu shots 100%, then they are free to you. For others the cost is nominal, adding up to a...
Chili’s just announced 30 days of freebies–basically, a free daily deal program to take you through the holidays and help you save money on meals out. All you need to do is click through the links provided on this page to receive your new Chili’s coupon every day, between now and Christmas. I just clicked through for my deals and here’s what I discovered: Monday’s deal (11/26/12) is kids eat free. Tuesday’s deal (11/27/12) is free guacamole and chips. Wednesday’s deal (11/28/12) is a free appetizer. Thursday’s deal (11/29/12) is free dessert. When you click through, you’ll be able...
Do your kids play sports that you have to pay extra for them to join? Both of my daughters do or used to. My eldest played club volleyball for two years. My youngest plays club basketball and is about to start playing club field hockey. I’m sure we have spent thousands over the years on these activities. We’re not alone. A recent RetailMeNot survey found that, on average, parents spend $671 a year on sports-related costs, with 21% of parents spending more than $1,000 per child. At least my daughters don’t play football. That survey found that, as far...
I’m a huge fan of color. That’s why you would have found me wearing fuscia pants to a business meeting yesterday, and then appearing on TV this past summer–during my summer of savings tour–wearing cobalt blue pants, a bright green shirt, and lemon yellow shoes. Given my love of color, I was thrilled to see so many women at this week’s Emmy Awards wearing brightly hued dresses. You, too, may have found their fashion and color choices inspiring, but perhaps you don’t want to shell out the thousands of dollars that they likely did for their dresses–if they had...
If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, then you know that I love to find multiple uses for any products I might purchase or own. Just consider how I turned plastic mesh bags that Baby Bell cheese and produce come in into a great scrubbing tool for cleaning pots. Or the fact that I’ll use a box of borax to make DIY laundry detergent and homemade dishwasher detergent, or to kill ants. (I’m not sure I ever blogged about that third use for borax but, trust me, it works.) When it comes to drugstore beauty products, I try...
Every fall I know when flu season is almost upon us–not only because I’ve gotten my own flu shot, but also because I notice that the search terms that bring people to this blog are all about looking for free and cheap flu shots. Because I’ve written about this topic every year, my site comes up in search engine searches. In the past week my 2011 free flu shot blog post has been quite popular, but I’m not satisfied to bring you out-of-date information. That’s why I’ve updated for 2012 where you can go for a free or cheap...
Happy Labor Day. I hope you are able to enjoy a day off from work on this Labor Day Monday 2012. Yesterday’s post offered ways to change how your drive, maintain your car, or even use your car in order to save money. That post also offered a tease that stores were rolling out programs to help consumers save money at the pump. Today, I’m highlighting 7 of those stores where you can see some real savings on gas. Many of these tips are courtesy of Andrea Woroch, a nationally recognized consumer and money-saving expert who has guest posted...
Last week I was wearing an NYU t-shirt at my daughter’s high school field hockey game. It’s my alma mater, and I love that this shirt has lasted me since my sophomore year of college. (I won’t mention how many years ago that was.) During half time a mom from the opposing team approached me. She asked if I had a kid at NYU, and when I told her I was a graduate, she said, “Can I ask you a question about health insurance? My daughter is going there in the fall, and the school is charging us $800...
My mother in law swears by her local dollar stores. It is where, on her pensioners budget, she was able to stock up on coloring books and crayons for my daughters when they came to visit. Most recently she has discovered that her local dollar store is a great place to pick up inexpensive packs of tissues, which I tuck in my daughters’ backpacks, and number two pencils that are always handy when it comes to standardized tests. (When you have kids in high school like I do, your kids take a lot of standardized tests–SAT, ACT, AP Exams,...
Do you prefer to do your back-to-school shopping online? If so, are you doing that online shopping through Ebates? Never heard of Ebates? It’s the online portal where you can start your online shopping for most stores, and then you’ll get cash back for a percentage of your purchase. Here is what I’ve written about Ebates in the past:
The good news? The New York Time is reporting that companies added 80,000 jobs in June. The bad news? There is still a 40 percent chance of a recession in 2012, according to InCharge Debt Solutions, a nonprofit organization devoted to helping consumers resolve their debt problems. With that risk still hanging over Americans’ heads, now is not the time to cut back on being smart with your money. In fact, everyone should soldier on in their frugality. “Whatever happens this year, history has proven that another recession will come, maybe not in the next six months, but in...
