Egg-celent Ideas

After spending months, literally, trying to figure out what to do with leftover egg cartons (it's a long story that I'll share another day), I stumbled upon an article at FrugalVillage.com where DOZENS of uses for egg cartons are listed – toolshed organizer, loose change holder, travel container for jewelry, seed starters, desk organizer. The possibilities really are limitless. 

Tell me more! What do you do with those pesky egg cartons? What about milk jugs and oversize tin cans -- how do you recycle those?

Never Waste Money On Gifts Again!

I've been told that I'm an oddity when it comes to receiving gifts, in that I absolutely adore every single gift I get, from the blingy watch my husband bought for me a few birthdays back to the scribble drawing my three-year-old nephew created for me this birthday. I don't care what it is, as long as I get something. 

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

Good Things Come in $1 Packages

I recently read on Washingtonpost.com that the Dollar Tree, the nations third-largest deep-discount retailer, is one of the few retailers that is making gains in this tough economic market. Surprising? I think not.

The Dollar Tree rocks! Where else can you know your total cost just by counting the number of items in your cart?

Here’s a list of some the BEST things I’ve found at the Dollar Tree stores. What are your favorite scores at dollar stores?

Conditioner (use it as a moisturizing shampoo)

Gummy Bears (movie candy...hello!)

Cleaning supplies (buy in bulk)

Birthday cards (buy a batch of them for the entire year)

Picture Frames (get crafty by painting them or dressing them up with beads and crystals)

The Lost Art of Bartering

There’s a weekend flea market in the school yard across the street from my apartment. Vendors sit under umbrellas selling the usual fare – antique furniture, hand-crafted jewelry, homemade cookies.

Then there’s “The Lady in Red.” She is dressed in, well, red and sits cross-legged in the center of a large white sheet surrounded by a variety of baubles (cups, candy, mini-heart pillows). Her wares have no rhyme or reason (other than the fact that they're mostly red) and I recently found out why after trying to buy a cute pair of crimson hope earrings from her. “The Lady in Red” does not accept money for any of her items. If you see something you like, you trade her something of yours – as long as it’s red and/or white.

I ran home and scrounged around for something worth trading and decided upon a red and white popcorn bowl I’ve had lying around, but have yet to use. The Lady in Red was pleased with her new acquisition – as was I!


What’s the best barter/trade you’ve ever made? Click here to tell us about it!

Voluntary Blackout Day

It started on Valentine's Day. My honey and I decided to splurge on dinner at one of those super swanky French restaurants where the prices go up as the portion sizes go down, plus two tickets to see my all-time favorite crooner, Rufus Wainwright. Needless to say, it was a budget-busting night. Fearing a month's worth of ramen-noodle dinners to undo the financial damage, I was relieved when toward the end of an amazing set, Rufus introduced Blackout Sabbath (blackoutsabbath.org), a master plan to help the environment — and your electric bill.

Here’s how he explained it working: On June 21, from noon to midnight, pull the plug on your household appliances (especially that money-guzzling air conditioner!), grab a picnic blanket and head outside! Then sit back, relax and enjoy the savings. (You'll find me celebrating with a cooler and some sandwiches at the beach!) When the clock strikes 12:01 Sunday morning, reflect on all those nonessential gadgets that suck up power — and your hard-earned dollars — all day, every day. Is that 24/7 slideshow on your digital photo frame really worth the cost?

What fun energy-saving activity will you be enjoying this summer?

[Our guest Discount Diva of the day, Nicole Sia (pictured to the left), is an assistant editor at Quick and Simple who spends her freetime cruising the deal sites for bargains. Best score to date? "When I moved into my new apartment two years ago, I managed to scout a gorgeous 65-piece flatware collection for $20 and a classic white dish set for $25 on slickdeals.net -- with free shipping! Obviously, we hosted a dinner party to celebrate!"]

I’m a “Little Lamb”

That's right. When monthly bill time rolls around, I get quiet, preferring to let my husband initiate the paying of them. I'm the most casual (yes, I'll admit it) checkbook balancer you'll ever meet. And, since I'm being honest here, I'll tell you that I cringe at the thought of talking with the bank or creditors about my money over the phone. I'm that girl who has a 401K, but I couldn't tell you how much is saved in it.

According to Susan McCarthy, financial adviser and author of The Value of Money, these characteristics (and a host of others that are too embarrassing to mention) make my money personality a "Little Lamb." Sounds nice.

But, "nice" isn't what you want to be when it comes to your money, notes McCarthy. I need to be assertive. I need to be outspoken. I need to take charge (and not just of the fun money stuff like bargain shopping for new summer sandals ... eh, which I need to do tomorrow!). I need to be an active member in my money matters; not a passive onlooker watching money float in and out of my pocketbook.

To bring it back to animals (as oddly-fitting as it may be) -- instead of a little lamb, I need to be a lively lion. I started working on changing my money personality a few days ago by checking in on my 401K. It was actually a pleasant surprise. And, when bill time comes back around in a few weeks, I will get the ball rolling instead of waiting for that nudge.

Is that a roar I hear?

What's your money personality and would you change it if you could?

Who Needs Clorox When You’ve Got Coca-Cola?

Remember when I wrote about subbing vinegar for dishwasher detergent a while back? It turns out vinegar isn’t the only oddball cleaning solution. Did you know cherry Kool-Aid removes tarnish from brass? And that Coca-Cola cleans coffeepot stains with ease? J.A. Young over at doityourself.com has a whole list of these interesting “cleaning supplies” for you to try out.

Don’t forget to come back and tell us what works...and what doesn’t!

Free Shipping Made Easy

Somebody's Treasure is Somebody Else's Treasure

Freecycle, the massive mailing list where people give away free items they no longer want or request items they need in cities across the country, just got even better.

Now through May 4th, Yahoo! will be plugging Freecycle with giveaways as part of their Earth Day promotion, Free is Good.

Here's how it works: After you sign up with a local community here HERE, start watching the offered freebies that begin to pour into your inbox from your neighbors. Hidden within these messages are hundreds about "Earth Day treasures." Reply as instructed and if you're the first to respond by email, you get the free goody (think: smart cars, vacations at eco resorts and Sheryl Crow concert tickets)!

Tell us if you win!

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)

Dishes That Smell Fresh as...Vinegar?

Second to folding laundry, the one chore that I can't stand is washing dishes. In our new apartment we scored big with a dishwasher. Woohoo!

I went to buy some dishwashing detergent and was shocked by the sticker price. Call me naïve, but I didn't know the cleaner was so expensive. So, I read on The Frugal Duchess that you can simply pour white vinegar into the dispenser and get the same sparkling results. Have any of you tried this? Does it really work?

Local Color

Ever wonder how flowers ordered online can land on your friend or family members' front door the next day? Simple -- the online retailer you purchase from calls a flower shop in your recipient's hometown. That flower shop is who puts the bouquet together and delivers it, fresh and vibrant. Well, it makes sense to cut out the middle-man, and call a local florist yourself. You'll save money, and if you visit Locate-A-Flower-Shop.com you'll save time, too!

Affordably Cute: An Oxymoron?

My husband and I just moved to a new apartment. We love everything about it, except for the shower rod in the bathroom. I know it sounds like a minor issue, but in our world it's huge! The problem is that the rod is drilled into the tile really high up the wall -- 90 inches from the floor, in fact -- and we can't seem to find an extra long shower curtain that isn't ugly or super-expensive.

We rent, so there's no yanking out the rod and re-drilling/positioning allowed. And, it just looks dorky to have a super-short shower curtain hanging up.

I've been told that I could make my own shower curtain, but I don't sew. Go figure! So, I'm posting this question to you because I know you're all full of creative and cost-effective ideas.

We've soaked one-too-many floor mats as a result of our curtain-less showers. Help!

Recycled Art

It pains me to toss a wall calendar at the end of the year. The pictures are so nice. Plus, if we're all tossing calendars, well, that's a lot of trees going to waste! I explained this to my artsy friend a few weeks ago and she had a great idea: Frame the calendar photos you like the most! Ah-ha! And that's what I did. In the end I saved money on art and I helped save a tree.

Valentine's Day is Almost Here (Wink-Wink)

Excuse the pun, but I LOVE Valentine's Day. It's the day of the year that I try to show all of my friends and family how appreciative I am to have them in my life. Of course, my husband (as much as he wishes he didn't) gets the BIG box of chocolates and the over-the-top mushy card delivered to his job courtesy of his wife, but I like to send everyone else a little something, too. Here are a few gift ideas I have in mind for the folks who make me feel special. And, guess what? Each item is under $5!!! (Except for the toast stencil. It's $6...but, c'mon, it's so cute!)

DIY Lollipop Bouquet Find a small flowerpot from the dollar store; fill it with soil; stick a bunch of lollipops in it. Voila!

"Love" Necklace from Girlprops.com. They'll...ahem...love it!

Heart Measuring Spoons from Amazon.com. Great for the cook.

Sweet Talk Magnets from Organize.com. For all of those sweet nothings.

I Love You Toast Stamper from Urbanoutfitters.com. Nothing says "I love you" better than a perfect piece of toast.

Out of Time? Out of Money? Both?

As much as I enjoy finding a great bargain, it can become a time-consuming pursuit: sifting through racks and racks or browsing dozens of websites for that perfect deal (that I don't have to fork over half my paycheck for) can take hours!

I just found a way to save precious time and money. Frugalfindsnyc.com is a cool site that culls together the best fashion, beauty and home bargains of the day. And contrary to the website's name, you don't have to live in New York City to reap the benefits -- the creators have provided website addresses for the New York-based stores so you can buy the items from home.

Save on Sheets

I love reading (er, looking at the pictures in) home magazines. And then I try to emulate the décor that I see in the pages. But, considering that a sheet in some of my favorite magazines costs $100+, I don't get very far at seeing my visions into fruition.

Now, I don't have to try so hard to get it right. DwellStudio, one of the country's leading modern home furnishings companies, just introduced a new home collection -- DwellStudio for Target. The line consists of a graphic and colorful array of home and bed linens at prices ranging from $2.99 for a napkin to $99.99 for a king-sized comforter set.

Four Giftable Gadgets that Give Back

Men are the hardest to shop for. Do you agree? Since I can never think of anything creative to give the guys in my life -- hubby, dad, brother, father-in-law -- for the holidays, I usually result to a gizmo or gadget (i.e. an electric window scraper that plays music) that I know they'll be jazzed about...at least for a day or two.

This year I'm not going to deviate from the gadget gifts they've come to expect from me, but I am going to be smarter about my choices. Here are four little devices that will actually save my recipients money -- something that EVERYONE wants for Christmas.

1.)Filtered Water Bottle for the man who spends money everyday on bottled water. Katadyn Micro Bottle Water Filter, $30
2.)Spice Grinder for the man who likes buying spices in bulk -- now he can grind up his own! Krups GX4100 Electric Coffee and Spice Grinder, $30
3.)Self Cleaning Electric Shaver for the man who spends his loose change every week on razors and shaving cream. Braun 7526 Syncro Self-Cleaning Electric Razor, $100
4.)Espresso/Cappuccino Machine for the man who likes his java on the go -- and pays for it! Self Cleaning Electric Shaver for the man who spends his loose change every week on razors and shaving cream. DeLonghi Espresso/Cappuccino Maker, $78

It's a Wrap

I went to stock up last week on boxes of tissue (my hubby has already started sniffling) and was drawn to the decorative/stylized name brand options. Why not? They'd match perfectly with the very different color schemes in our apartment -- one room is bright blue and fire engine red, another is hunter green and khaki. I piled six of them into my cart before I saw the price tag. $5 each! Yeah, right.

A light bulb went off in my head as I stacked the name brand tissues back on the shelf and dumped six of the store brand, kind-of-hideous tissue boxes into my cart. My total was $5.

At home I pulled out my stash of wrapping paper and covered each box in a different pattern. I can honestly tell you that I've never seen a prettier box of tissues in my life!

Rainy day? Try it.