Build a Water Park in Your Backyard

I haven’t been to a water park since I was 10-years-old, but I remember it being one of the most fantastic places to vacation. I thought of going back this summer – a reunion of sorts – but was shocked by the ticket price to get in.

I’m not going to let that stop me (or you) from having a jolly ol’ time! I’ve tracked down the elements you need to fake a fabulous water park on your own lawn. All you need to add is water (and a few kids, so you don’t look like the big, grown-up dork in your backyard on the slip n’ slide alone). 

Small World Squirt 'n Spray Fire Nozzle, $12, Target.com

Finding Nemo Wacky Water Mat, $30, Amazon.com

Banzai Skimboard Surfer, $40, Toysrus.com

Warehouse Club Pricing Codes to Know

I don’t have a car, so I don’t get to shop in bulk at those glorious warehouse stores as much as I’d like. But, don’t cry for me. I’m good at talking a car-owning friend into dropping me off and picking me up; and when I do, my favorite things to buy at Sam’s or Costco are salsa, wine, and batteries – in bulk, of course.

I just found out that many warehouse clubs have secret pricing codes to indicate an item’s status – re-ordered, cancelled, etc. For example, at Sam’s Club if a price ends in $0.01 the price has probably been recently reduced due to cancellation or to make shelf space for newer items. At Costco, look for prices that end in $0.97, as this may indicate a markdown and a great reason to stock up.

Know any other secret pricing codes that I should know to get my salsa, wine and batteries for even less? Do share!

Buy Furniture on a Budget

 Have you ever walked through a model home and thought to yourself: “The house is ehhh, I wouldn’t buy it. But some of the decorations and furniture inhere are perfect!” Me too.

Turns out, you don’t have to just lust over that cute dining room set! If you see something you like in a model home be bold and ask the sales office when the furniture might be available for sale. Such sales offer the model home furnishings for as much as 70 percent cheaper than retail.

How do you find these model homes? Go for a drive through the newer housing developments in your city, as these neighborhoods may still be under construction and still in the selling stages. Check out the websites below, too, which list model home furniture auctions/sales for cities across the country.

Buildersauctioncompany.com

Lagesseauctions.com

Extrafurniture.com

Calling All Kitchen Beauticians...

I tried making soap a few years ago. The idea itself was solid–I’d create pine scented, antibacterial soap for hands that I’d wrap up pretty and dole out as holiday gifts. The end product was a disaster. It wound up smelling like toilet bowl cleaner. Ack! And that, ladies and gentlemen, is when my soap-making days ended.

I know that some of you may have kept at it. You might even have a really innovative product/concept on your hands – an idea that may be a hit with your friends and family, but one that you don’t have the funds to market to the masses. My suggestion: If you’re a beauty entrepreneur ready to take your product to the next level, submit it to Breakthrough in Beauty, a company that searches for novel beauty innovations and then markets them for you. If you win, Breakthrough in Beauty takes your undiscovered idea, incubates it and provides it with growth opportunity and guidance.

They’re currently looking for the next big thing in color cosmetics. Still, all submissions – from foot butters to bar soaps (the bars that don’t smell like Pinesol!) – will be accepted.

For more information visit breakthroughinbeauty.com.

Take Flight…On the Cheap

With airlines digging deeper into travelers’ wallets (on some aircrafts we now have to pay extra just to fly with a suitcase? Puh-lease!), the days of cheap flights are long gone. Right? Not quite.

My favorite airline (because they have TV’s in the backs of every seat and for a nominal fee they let pets fly coach!), JetBlue, just slashed their autumn fares to start at the VERY low price of $39 each way for travel between September 3rd and October 31st that is booked by June 26th.

What are you waiting for? The season finale of So You Think You Can Dance? Watch it on the plane...with your cat!

p.s. Enter the promotion code OCTJET2 when booking for an extra 10% of JetBlue flights.

With its rising costs, what are the other ways you plan to save on flying? Click here to tell us!