Blog Posts by Cheapism.com

By Gina Briles, Cheapism.com

When the bell rings for summer vacation, kids are eager to toss their books aside and enjoy a few short months of freedom. You may wonder if your student's skills have gotten rusty, without constant practice to hammer lessons home. To prepare your kids for the upcoming school year, proactively work on problem areas, or line up extra help once classes start, check out these free online tutoring websites. Several passed muster with the experts at Good Housekeeping, who recommend other online educational sites, as well.

Help your child brush up on her skills with free online tutoring sites.

Related: College textbook site reviews

• Hippocampus.org A general education website created with high school and college-aged students in mind, Hippocampus.org covers a wider array of topics than the other free online tutoring sites on our list. The Hippocampus.org design is polished and professional. Tools range from multimedia video presentations to simulations and slide shows. Subjects covered include math, natural sciences,

By Raechel Conover, Cheapism.com

Frugal shoppers take note: Back-to-school ads and deals may be aimed at parents and students, but anyone can take advantage of all the discounts. Here's how to make back-to-school sales work for you even if you don't have school-age children at home.

Expect to find deals on laptops, smartphones, and ereaders.

What to Buy at Back-to-School Sales:

Before you decide what to buy, take note of the current hot back-to-school items to get a sense of what's available on sale. Often so-called "back-to-school sales" also include items that have nothing to do with school. Try not to let a sale tempt you into an impulse buy, however. It's always best to take some time to comparison shop -- especially for big-ticket items.

Related: Top inexpensive smartphones

Electronics. "Tech items are very hot this year," according to Trae Bodge, senior editor of The RetailMeNot Insider. "Now, more than ever, kids need laptops for school and want the latest smartphone." That means there will be many back-to-school

By Raechel Conover, Cheapism.com

How much have you budgeted for back-to-school shopping? For nearly eight in 10 parents, the answer is up to $500 for each child, according to a recent survey by online coupon site RetailMeNot. But back-to-school shopping doesn't have to be such a drain on your wallet. Cheapism talked to Trae Bodge, senior editor of The RetailMeNot Insider, to get some strategies for acquiring all the necessary supplies for less.

Get your kids ready for school without breaking the bank.

Comparing Prices. With today's technology, it's much easier to compare prices before you buy. Bodge recommends using sites such as Red Laser, PriceGrabber, and Nextag to find the best prices. Consumers can also use online tools to find coupon codes and deals. According to Bodge, RetailMeNot saves customers an average of $20 per purchase and offers a smartphone app so shoppers can access deals and coupon codes on the go. At Cheapism we've rounded up other shopping apps that help you find the lowest prices.

Related: Smartphone

By Raechel Conover, Cheapism.com

We've all seen them and maybe even floated with one in the pool. Kids, however, are far more creative: they use them to squirt water, build shapes, and stage mock sword fights. In case you haven't guessed, we're talking about pool noodles.

We found 10 uses for a pool noodle that have nothing to do with swimming.

These simple pool toys are made out of polystyrene foam and are pretty light on your wallet. Big Lots lists them on its website for $3.50 a pop, and they're likely to be on sale right now because retailers are closing out summer merchandise. You'll probably find good deals at the local dollar store, as well. But as odd as it may seem, pool noodles have a second life outside of the pool. So stock up when the price is right and put a pool noodle or two to work around the house.

Related: Sewing machine reviews

1. Make a wreath. One of the beauties of a pool noodle is its flexibility. Bend it in a circle, slice one end at an angle and the other end at the opposite angle. Match up the ends and secure

By Kara Reinhardt, Cheapism.com

Farmers markets tend to be thought of as the province of the well-to-do, peddling things like $12 heads of organic lettuce and edible chrysanthemum leaves. But with more than 7,000 farmers markets across the country, according to the USDA, surely their appeal must extend beyond cost-blind locavores. Indeed, the few studies of farmers market prices we've found show that consumers on a budget can actually save on locally grown fruits and vegetables this time of year.

Can you save money by shopping at the farmer's market?

A 2011 survey by consulting firm SCALE Inc. found that farmers market prices were equal to or cheaper than supermarket prices about three-quarters of the time. The primary exceptions were free-range meat and eggs, which cost an average of 10% more than free-range products at grocery stores and 47% more than conventionally raised products. The items in the study included apples, bell peppers, zucchini, potatoes, butternut squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, chicken, eggs, ground beef, and

By Louis DeNicola, Cheapism.com

Was running or jogging your favorite form of exercise before you had a baby? Don't let motherhood keep you from tying up the laces on your running shoes. With a rugged, three-wheel jogging stroller, you can bring your child with you on a run. It's true that top-of-the-line models top $300 or even $500, but Cheapism has found three comfortable, safe, and smooth-riding buggies for as little as $160.

Related: Jogging stroller reviews

• Jeep Overland LimitedThe Jeep Overland Limited (starting at $175) has a 16-inch fixed front wheel that keeps the stroller stable while your child rides in the reclining seat. The fixed wheel makes cornering in tight spaces tricky, but the upside is a better experience for serious runners. This relatively lightweight unit (26.4 pounds) also boasts a handbrake for added control. Extra features include a removable sound system and a pedometer. The child's seat can recline into five different positions and has an adjustable canopy.

By Kym Pham, Cheapism.com

Summer is the season for bright, glowing skin and bare, happy feet. These seven DIY skin care tips will help smooth, brighten, and even heal where needed. Better yet, they're cheap, easy, and natural. Just don't forget the sunscreen when you venture outdoors.

Rejuvenate your skin with these DIY ideas.

Exfoliate the dead cells. To exfoliate beyond the dead cells and get down to the healthy new layer underneath, Makeup and Beauty Blog says all you need for DIY skin care is a box of sea salt. Massage it into your skin with a circular motion before hopping into the shower. Rinse thoroughly and apply plenty of moisturizer after you dry off.

Related: Best sunscreens

Minimize pores. You can't do much about the size of your pores but you can visibly minimize them. All it takes, according to Organic Authority, is a DIY skin care scrub of 1 tablespoon warm honey, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 3 drops of lemon juice. Every other day apply the scrub on clean skin to generously porous areas and

By Michael Sweet, Cheapism.com

One of the easiest, cheapest, and best ways to improve your PC's performance is to add more memory to your system. Installing cheap PC memory sticks isn't difficult to do, and it only takes a few minutes. But pumping up your PC from 1GB or 2GB to, say, 4GB or 8GB should give your system a noticeable speed boost.

Breathe new life into your PC with a memory upgrade.Find the right memory for your PC. Memory sticks aren't universal. You have to find the right type and speed of cheap PC memory for your computer. We recommend downloading and using the Memory Adviser Tool to determine the type of memory that's compatible with your system. After running the scan, the results will appear on a web page, with compatible memory types listed on the left. You'll see whether your PC supports DDR2 memory or DDR3 memory and what speeds you can use (for example, PC3-8500). Older systems probably use DDR2 whereas newer PCs use DDR3; DDR3 memory has a faster data rate than DDR2 and is not backward-compatible with