Got Allergies? Try a Pair of (Free) Contact Lenses

My dad has always had the worst – and I mean the WORST – seasonal allergies. I remember being a little girl and laughing at him (out of love, of course) whenever he made that funny noise to scratch the back of his itchy throat, or when he wore sunglasses at the dinner table to disguise his puffy, watery eyes. Unbeknownst to me, I would grow up to develop the exact same allergies!

And, since I wear contacts, when my allergies kick in, the dryness of my peepers is ridiculous – it literally feels like little ants are crawling around on my eyes (sorry for the icky visualization!). A friend just told me about a free brochure from the American Asthma and Allergy Foundation that gives information about how to manage eye allergy symptoms.

The brochure is free (my favorite price) to download on www.acuvue.com/seasons/DD where I also downloaded a FREE Trail Pair Certificate to try 1-Day Acuvue Moist (single-use) contact lenses. I’m psyched to try them out, as they’re supposed to be one of the BEST contact lens options for allergy sufferers.

Save on Shoe Polish

Not sure where or when I read this, but I HAD to share it with you.

Did you know that you can shine your shoes (if you happen to run out of polish) with the inside of a banana skin? I read this and immediately told my husband to try it on his scuffed shoes. After looking at me like I was bananas, he rubbed the entire shoe with the peel. Then he wiped it down with a soft rag.

The results were absolutely amazing. Plus, his shoes smelled like a fruit salad!

It’s "Best Things In Life Are Free" Day!

Sponsored by 1-800-Free411 (free directory assistance/directions), today (April 11th) is the day we get to throw a party (cake and ice cream, anyone?) for all of the great things in life that are free. You know, like those free days museums host sometimes or free meals at your favorite restaurant on your birthday. To commemorate the day, I've made a list of all of my favorite no-money-needed things I've encountered in my life.

What do you have to add to the list?

1. A free, annual scoop of Ben and Jerry's ice cream on April 17 (www.benjerry.com)
2. Free Product Samples (www.thefreesite.com)
3. Free Tech Support (help.protonic.com)
4. Blood pressure screenings at supermarkets and pharmacies
5. Home maintenance tips and advice for do-it-yourself projects at free in-store clinics provided by your local Home Depot (www.homedepot.com)
6. Old couches and other home furnishings found at The Freecycle Network (www.freecycle.org)
7. A copy of your credit report to make sure everything is as it should be (www.freecreditreport.com)
8. Books and media from your local public library (www.librarysites.info)
9. A day at the museum on free admission days
10. Online courses offered by MIT (www.ocw.mit.edu) or lessons on how to run a small business (www.sba.gov)
11. Classes offered at your local Apple store on business and entertainment software, music programs and computer basics (www.apple.com)
12. 1-800-FLIGHTS: 1.800.Flights is a new media company providing flight status by phone for nearly every commercial passenger flight arriving and departing the U.S. daily. (www.1800flights.net/index.html)
13. Hire your own (virtual) personal shopper that sifts through millions of products from your favorite stores and brands and proposes a selection of "just what you wanted" items (www.personalshopper.com)
14. Take advantage of a convenient way to find your next companion without having to leave the comfort of your own home (www.petfinder.com)
15. Receive the week's top travel deals straight to your inbox. It's like having your own personal travel agent - free of charge! (www.travelzoo.com)
16. Discover new bands that are tailored to your personal music preferences and listen to them for free over the internet (www.pandora.com)
17. Manage your money by taking advantage of walk-in financial advice from retail locations of investment banks like Charles Schwab (www.charlesschwab.com)
18. Build your new bathroom without breaking the bank by borrowing tools, equipment and "how-to" instructional materials from your local library (yes, library!) (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool_lending_library)
19. Show your smarts by avoiding paying for pricey, premium textbooks and downloading them for free (www.freeloadpress.com)
20. Save time on figuring out who to vote for by getting a free evaluation of your political stance (www.selectsmart.com/president/2008)

What's the 411?

Whether I'm driving on the interstate or walking through the streets of New York City, my sense of direction is often lacking. Yes, I'm the one who is a half hour late everywhere I go because I took two (or three) wrong turns.

Lucky for me, I just heard about 800-FREE-411, an alternative to 411 that doles out the same nationwide directory service as 411 without the hefty price tag (which can be up to $2 per call on some carriers). I gave the number a spin last week when I got lost on my way to New Jersey to visit friends -- yep, 800-FREE-411 can even connect you to listed residential phone numbers.

Aside from having to listen to a 15 second ad (completely painless, trust me), the number worked like a charm and, this time, I was only 15 minutes late!