1. stationery
2. stamps
3. beauty salon gift certificate
4. bedsocks
5. hand lotions and creams
6. scarf
7. special soaps
8. birdfeeder
9. reach extender
10. music CD
11. book on CD or tape
12. word search puzzle books
13. help with difficult household tasks
14. non-skid socks
15. jumbo-faced playing cards
16. sweet breads such as pumpkin or banana-nut
17. plants
18. large print books
19. a personal visit
20. scrapbook of family member photos
21. warm blanket
22. slippers
23. sweatshirt and/or pants
24. large-face electric clock
25. large-button TV remote

1. Wear your clothing several times before washing.  Washing breaks down the fibers and wears out clothing.  Take work clothes/school clothes off immediately when you get home and change to “play” clothes.  Febreze works well to freshen clothing between washings.
2. Wash clothing in cold water after turning them inside out.  This keeps colors from fading and reduces wear on the outer surfaces.  Cold water is not as hard on clothing as hot.
3. Wear darker clothing if you are prone to spills.  This is especially helpful with messy children.   If you have pets keep lint rollers handy to use instead of having to wash your pants every time they get near you.
4. Use thicker plastic or wood or padded hangers instead of wire.  Clothing will wrinkle less and will be less likely to get gouged at the shoulders.
5. Unbutton all clothing before putting in the wash.  Washers tug at the threads more on buttoned items.  Save all those extra buttons that come with new clothing in a special jar or drawer — this may keep you from having to replace an item in the future.
6. Keep a “Tide-to-Go” pen with you and immediately treat all stains.  This works well without having to wash the item right away.
7. Stop using liquid fabric softener.  These can leave spots on your clothes and are not really necessary.
8. Hang dress shirts but fold sweaters.  Hanging can stretch the delicate knits.  Dress shirts acquire lots of extra wrinkles if folded requiring damaging irons to be used on them.
9. Any clothing with zippers should be zipped up before washing.  The rough edges of the zippers can eat away at other clothing in the same load.
10. Air-dry items made from nylons or other synthetics and any clothing containing elastic.  Hot dryers can wear these out quickly.
11. Repair any small holes in clothing immediately before they become large holes that may be impossible to fix.
12. Wear undergarments under dress clothing to prevent sweat stains and friction wear and tear.  Undershirts, camisoles and slips can be much less expensive than outer clothing and it doesn’t matter if they get stained since no one but you is going to see them.

Hollywood Video - Free rental on your birthday. No sign-up needed.

Walt Disney World or Disneyland -  Free admission on your birthday.

Applebee’s - free dessert

Baskin-Robbins - Join Birthday Club and get free scoop email coupon good beginning 5 days before your birthday.

Blue Bell Ice Cream - Sign up for e-club and get a coupon for a free half-gallon mailed around your birthday!

Buca di Beppo - Join eclub for free dessert on your birthday.

Buffalo Wild Wings - Join club for free dessert on your birthday.

Captain D’s - Join Kid’s Birthday Club or D’s Club for free meal.

Cold Stone Creamery - Join Birthday Club and get free ice cream coupon by email.  Coupon good 7 days before til 7 days after birthday.

Dave and Buster’s - Join club and get $10 immediately and $5 game play on your birthday.

Friendly’s - Join birthday club and get free ice cream cone coupon good for one month.

Houlihan’s - Sign up on their website. Free entree coupon good for 2 weeks.

Marble Slab Creamery - Join fan club and get free ice cream.

Marie Callender’s -  Sign up on their website.  Get $5 off an entree plus a free slice of pie. Ages 12 and under get a free kid’s meal and a bakery treat.

Moe’s Southwest Grill - Sign up on their website.  Free meal on your birthday.

Orange Julius - Sign up for their club and get free food email coupon on your birthday.

On The Border - Sign up for their email club and get free food.

Outback Steakhouse - free dessert on your birthday, no sign-up needed.

Papa Murphy’s - Sign up for their email club and get free food.

Provino’s - free pasta dinner on your birthday, no sign-up needed.

Quizno’s - free cookie on birthday, free sammie for signing up on their website.

Red Robin – Sign up for their email club and get free burger.

Schlotzky’s - Sign up for their email club and get free sandwich.

Sweet Tomatoes - Sign up for their email club and get free meal.

1. If you don’t have a programmable thermostat, install one now.  Program it to go up 10 to 15 degrees when you are at work.  This will save around 10%.  If you have window-unit AC, buy plug-in timers.  Set them to come back on 30 minutes before you get back home.
2. Keep all your windows covered during the day with insulated drapes lined in white(best) or white blinds or shades.  White helps reflect heat outward back out of your house.  This can save around 40%.
3. Keep all heat-generating items away from your thermostat.  This includes TVs or lamps.   Your AC will run longer if it senses heat around the thermostat.
4. Only use your oven at night or in the morning.  Using it during the heat of the day will cause your AC to run more often and less efficiently.
5. Plant trees that lose their leaves in winter on the west and south sides of your house to block sunlight.
6. Keep your thermostat set at 78 degrees when you are home.  Each degree lower than 78 will increase your costs 3 to 4%.
7. Use your ceiling fans.  Studies show using a ceiling fan can keep you as cool as running your AC 10 degrees lower.  Install them if you don’t have them.  They can cost as little as $25 each at discount stores.  Make sure the fan is blowing DOWN not up - counter-clockwise for most fans.
8. Clean your AC filter every month.  A dirty filter makes AC’s work harder.  Get a reusable one that you can clean instead of replacing every month.
9. Keep your condenser unit or window unit in the shade.  This can save 10%.
10. Make sure nothing is blocking the air flow to your condenser unit.   This includes tall grass or other debris.

Here are a few tips to help make your ads more successful -

• Include photographs!   Photos greatly increase your chances of selling your item.
• Be descriptive in your titles.  “Mens Cole Haan Black Loafers Size 11D” is a much more useful title than “shoes”.
• Put as many details as you can in your descriptions.  Size, age, condition, brand, model number, color, location.
• State any flaws your item may have in the description.  This will keep you from wasting your time and the potential buyer’s time.
• Always include a price in your ad.  Most people will not go to the extra trouble of emailing or calling you for the price.  If you are not sure how to price your item, search for similar items to see how they are priced.  If there are no others like yours start with half of the new price(unless your item is very rare).
• Don’t type your posting in all caps.  Most people consider this to be rude or the work of spammers.
• Ignore any buyers wanting to buy with money orders or money wire transactions.  These are most likely scams.
• If you are concerned for your safety when arranging pickup of item, meet the potential buyer in a busy public place during daylight hours.
• Clean items are much more likely to sell than dirty items.  Spend a few minutes cleaning the dirt/dust off.
• One of the best times to list your items is just before a holiday weekend.  People have more time off to peruse listings and meet up with you to buy.

1. Try to fly on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Saturdays.  The lowest fares are usually on these days.
2. Late night or early morning flights tend to be cheaper.
3. Flights with one or more stopovers are usually less expensive than direct flights.
4. Check fares on each airline’s website.  Often they have special deals not available through 3rd parties.   This is especially true for discount airlines such as Frontier, JetBlue or Southwest.  Find which budget airline serves your route at www.whichbudget.com
5. Try to book at least 21 days in advance.  For holidays book 2 -3 months ahead.
6. Avoid flying in June or July or Christmas through New Years.  These are the busiest times and the hardest time to get a cheap flight.
7. If you need several tickets, sometimes buying them one at a time will get you a lower price than trying to buy them all at once.
8. Online discount ticket sellers such as Expedia, Priceline, Orbitz or Travelocity release their new prices on Wednesday of each week.  Often you can get the best prices early Wednesday morning just after midnight.
9. Fly on major holidays instead of the day before the holiday.  These flights can be some of the slowest.
10. If flying one-way, check round-trip rates.  Sometimes they are cheaper than the one-way tickets.

1. If you doctor prescribes a name-brand medicine, ask if a generic will work just as well.   Generic prices are usually 50 - 75% less than name-brand.  Don’t be shy about discussing drug costs with your doctor.  Due to the bad economy they are much more cost-sensitive than they used to be.
2. If the name-brand drug your doctor prescribes is not available in a generic, ask if another drug that is available in a generic will work just as well.
3. If you don’t have prescription drug coverage ask if there is an over-the-counter drug that will work instead.  I was recently prescribed Nexium which cost me $80 for 14 pills.  I asked the doctor and found out Prilosec OTC does the same thing for much less and is even available in store brands off the shelf at Walmart, Walgreens or similiar stores.  A month’s worth cost me $20 vs. $160 for the Nexium.
4. Shop around for the best price.  Prices at different pharmacies can vary greatly.  Pharmacychecker.com is an excellent resource for comparing online pharmacies.   Sam’s Club and Costco have low prices and due to a Federal law, don’t require a membership to use their pharmacies.
5. If you live near the border of Mexico, consider purchasing there.  Most name brand are available there and are made in the same factories as the US version and are sold at much lower prices. Their prescriptions usually come in a sealed box straight from the manufacturer.   Prescriptions are not required except for controlled substances. U.S. Customs allows you to bring back a 3 month supply across the border. Check their expiration dates before buying. Normally at least one person at each pharmacy can speak English if you are in a border town.
6. If you have been taking certain drugs for years, ask your doctor to review them.   You may no longer need them.
7. Split pills.   Ask your Dr. to prescribe a higher dosage and then split them.  Some pills such as controlled-release versions, capsules, or pills with special coatings to protect your stomach do not work correctly if split so be sure to okay it with the doc.
8. Ask your Dr. for samples.  Beware that many samples are for the newest and most expensive drugs.
9. If your income is low, look for prescription assistance programs. Here are a few websites that can help - www.pparx.org www.rxassist.org www.needymeds.org
10. For drugs you must take on a regular basis, try mail-order and save big.

1. Sell Unwanted Items on Craigslist.  De-clutter your house and make money at the same time. Craigslist.com is a free online classified website. In larger cities Craigslist has many followers and can mean quick cash without having to bother with shipping items.
2. Start an ebay business. Ebay is easy to use and takes no money to get started. If you don’t have Craigslist in your area or you have out-of-the-ordinary items to sell ebay may be your best choice. Start with the items you have around the house that you never use.
3. Online surveys. Market research companies will pay for your opinion. You won’t get rich doing these but they can bring in some extra money to make ends meet. The average survey pays around $10.
4. Mystery Shopping. Get paid to shop at stores or eat in certain restaurants. Fill out forms afterward evaluating your experience.
5. Consignment shops. Go through your closets and take out the clothing that doesn’t fit anymore or you haven’t worn in over a year. Take it to your local consignment shop to make extra cash. If you have exercise equipment or sports items you never get around to using anymore, take them to Play it Again Sports or other used sporting goods store.
6. Used Book Stores. Many used book stores will buy your unwanted used books outright. Half-Price Books is one example.
7. Sell Plants. Plant seeds in the late winter. Transplant the seedlings into individual peat pots when they are 2 or 3 inches tall. Sell these at your local flea market or farmer’s market in the spring.
8. Garage Sale. If you live in a high-traffic area, have a garage sale to bring in extra cash; or take your items to a local flea market with lots of traffic.
9. Donate Plasma. If you are not scared of needles you may want to try donating plasma. 2 donations in 7 days will pay around $50 and takes about an hour. If money is tight this could mean an extra $200 a month.
10. Research Studies. If you are healthy, participating in a clinical research study can bring in an extra $300 to $6000. These  may consist of a few short office visits or may last as long as a 3 week stay. Don’t do these if you can’t handle getting your blood drawn.

1.  Used cars are generally less expensive in the fall or at the end of the year. This is driven by several factors:

• October is a traditional new car-buying month that produces more used cars.
• Many car dealers have to pay an inventory tax that is based on the dollar value as of January 1 each year. The dealer sells down to prepare for the tax savings.

2.  When income tax refund checks are arriving or are due, used cars prices go up.

3.  When children are out of school or vacation season is on the used car market gets tighter and costlier.

4.  Beware after disasters (floods, tornadoes and hurricanes).  The cheap cars have ugly histories of nearly irreparable and costly damages that show up within a year.

5.  Most people get rid of a car for a reason, if you buy that car later you may find you also don’t want it!

6.  Look at a car twice before buying, use the time in between to research –Car Fax, safety ratings, gas mileage and all the other important reasons you should or should not buy. Never put off buying if you find the right car except to get more information. If it is a good buy someone else will find it soon.