Blog Posts by SavvySugar

Now that we've covered the question of what is dishwasher-safe, I thought I'd move on to an equally important subject: how to load your dishwasher. The task may seem like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised by how many people earn a capital F in Dishwashing 101- I'm talking to you, roommate. It also may seem like a trivial matter to some of you; as long as you can fit all the dirty plates in, it's OK, right? Err - no. The way you arrange your pots and spoons not only affects how well they're cleaned, but can be a deciding factor in whether they become tarnished, chipped, or even broken. So here's the lowdown on loading:

• Arrange your dishes by height, placing the larger ones on the outside. Turn all of your plates and bowls to face the middle of machine/dish drawer.
• Put wine glasses and other delicate glassware and dishes on the top rack. Face glassware downward if they fit, and leaning diagonally across two rows if not.
• Place small, round cereal bowls face-down on the

the blustery Winter weather has you daydreaming about your next getaway, it may be time to put that plan into action. The beginning of the year is typically the slowest travel time, meaning companies are trying to entice you to buy with great flight or hotel discounts.

But no matter when you start planning for that Summer vacation, booking a flight and a place to stay is only half the battle. The fun part comes when you actually get there, so I spoke with Kelly Gillease, vice president of Viator - which offers packages for sightseeing, tours, and other activities all over the world - for tips on how to get the best value as soon as your plane touches down.

• Be flexible. Many times, finding the perfect place at a great deal means beginning by researching activities that you've always wanted to do, like scuba diving or museum hopping. Think about "where you want to go and why you want to go there," says Kelly. "January is a great time to get started doing your research, and

Imagine how much money it takes to care for 14 kids. Yup, I can't really fathom that either. Octomom, Nadya Suleman, had become a hated public figure after it was revealed that she had been unemployed and unable to care for her first six kids financially when she decided to have another eight kids. Nadya admitted on the show that she was "self-medicating through children." Something that rang really true was Oprah's response to Nadya's confession. Oprah said, "People do it with their things all the time. How many people have things that they can't afford and then they go get something else they can't afford, living in houses they can't afford?"

Nadya, who had $300 to her name before Suze Orman stepped in, fixed her finances by listening to the personal finance expert's advice. She got rid of her three nannies, had a garage sale to sell things she didn't need, got an agent (which she was unwilling to get because she didn't want to sell out her children), and went to church to pray.

I mentioned before that I'm getting swept away with the New Year's resolutions buzz, even though they don't statistically have a high success rate. Well, my goals for the New Year, like many other people, include money, career, and, health resolutions. I'm just getting started on my becoming fit resolution by reading this book called The 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferris. A lot of tricks he mentioned for watching what you eat can be used with budgeting. These tips may seem more hassle than they're worth, so you can consider just trying out one of them for a month to see if they work for you. Here are a few:

• Keeping Track: Ferris recommends writing down everything you eat, in order to become more conscious on what you are consuming. One of the best ways to do this is to have a food diary. Why not consider a spending diary? Write down every single purchase you make in a notepad or excel sheet to keep track and stay savvy with your spending.
• Friendly Competition: Competition

Everyone loves cupcakes, and it seems like the finance world loves them, too! Crumbs Bake Shop, the biggest cupcake chain in the US, has plans to go public, according to the New York Times. Going public a.k.a. doing an IPO or initial public offering means that everyone is allowed to buy shares of the company. As of now, Crumbs runs about 34 stores, but plans to operate about 200 stores by 2014.

I feel like cupcakes aren't just a trend, because the craze has lasted more than a handful of years ever since it was triggered by Sarah Jessica Parker biting into a cupcake on Sex and the City. I also noticed that in every city I go to, there is a never-ending source of cupcake boutiques around to satisfy my sugar cravings. Cupcakes are such a booming industry that it's no wonder investors are hungry to cash in. Other notable "sweet" stocks that are publicly trading include Sara Lee, Nestle, and Hershey. What do you think - would you be interested in buying some cupcake shares?

I'll admit it: I'm a sucker for New Year's resolutions. I get swept away with the promise of a fresh start and new beginnings. But honestly, if you think about it, what makes Jan. 1 different from May 1? Making resolutions at the end of December won't magically make them easier to keep. You see the thing is, I know all that, but I still can't help falling for the New Year hype. It appears that I'm not alone - 40 to 50 percent of people make New Year's resolutions, according to a study by clinical psychologist John Norcross. The downside? Only 40 to 46 percent of those resolutions make it through the first six months. However, I'm an eternal optimist; if the hope of a New Year is what it takes to make self-improvement goals, it's better to start making positive changes in your life than not trying at all. Here are some tips on how to make your savvy New Year's resolutions stick:

• Ready For Change: Norcross found that being in the right frame of mind for your New Year's

We go to these experts for help with personal finances, but don't forget, money gurus celebrate holidays and have Christmas wants just like you and me! They do it all - from advising us on 401ks, budgeting, and all that good personal finance stuff, to creating awesome Christmas wish lists. The gift-giving holiday is coming up shortly, so if you're doing that mad scramble for last-minute gifts, click on through for some great suggestions.

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I was amused to read an article in Slate about the evils of gift cards because I coincidentally recently talked to a friend about her gift card fiasco. I've also previously talked about the ways cash trumps gift cards and suggested some cute ways to dress up your present of cold, hard cash. So if you're thinking about giving someone special a gift card for the holidays, read some of the arguments against them before buying one.

• Spend More: Most people tend to go over the limit, because sometimes the amount is not enough for what they actually want from the store or they're buying something they won't necessarily spend money on just to use up the gift card.
• Dose of Guilt: If your gift card expires, you'll feel a healthy dose of guilt about wasting money and maybe blame yourself for forgetting.
• Bothersome Hiccups: Be aware that you'll face bumps that you won't get with cash. My friend suffered a bunch of hiccups because the salesman accidentally rang the card