Savings on Shine

Get your Groupon!

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Here's an easy way to give online shopping a whirl.

Recession Mama Michele Ashamalla: Recently, my daughter's preschool director sent me a link to a site called Groupon that was featuring an ethnic supermarket she knows I love. The deal was $10 for a $20 printable certificate and a free eco-bag for groceries. Since I had never heard of the site, I did some research to make sure it was legit. Turns out, it is similar to Valpak or Money Mailer coupons that come in the regular mail for local businesses, but the deals are phenomenal, usually 50 percent off or better. Also, there is no deal unless a minimum number of people agree to buy. It is generally one per person, although sometimes you can buy extra for gifts.

Cyber Shop Till You Drop

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Our best advice for holiday shopping online. Holiday spending is sure to be down this year--a recent survey shows 54% of consumers plan to spend less due to difficult economic times. But online shopping seems to be on-track for a record-setting year. Between consumers looking for…

6 Ways to Save on Your Everyday Purchases and Afford Something You Really Want

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In this economy, little treats, like my weekly gossip mag and a latte are my no-fail pick-me-ups, even when I can't afford the new handbag I really want. Still, living on a budget doesn't mean splurges have to be totally out-of-the-question. In fact, even finance experts, Ori Schnaps, co-founder and manager of Thrive, and Aaron Patzer, founder of Mint.com, wouldn't recommend not shopping at all.

A simple secret to savings success

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The Wall Street Journal this week reported on a study by economists that found that a simple reminder by cell phone encouraged people to save money, boosting…

Let's free our cell phones from exclusivity deals!

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Let's make our voices heard, Shine! Let's ask our lawmakers to free our cell phones from unfair exclusivity deals that chain us to the giant telecom companies whether we like or not our phones or services. Let's get a fair shake from them! Below is an excerpt of the text found at Consumers Union--a non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports. This project aims to get legislation passed so that consumers may choose the phone, plan, and service provider combination that is best for them; no more going with AT&T to get an iPhone, or to Sprint to get a Palm Treo, we the consumers will get to choose the best options for ourselves.

Let’s talk emergency funds

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I forget the context, but loyal Little Miss Fortune reader patchwork150 and I were chatting about emergency funds in the comments a while back, and now I’m wondering about the state of your savings.

Saving Money: Thrifty or Cheap?

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Why do moms feel ashamed of the age-old art of saving money?

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Wendy Thomas: At a recent soccer game, I was talking with one mom whose husband was out of work and who had recently gone back to work because "she had to." Money was tight in the household. The subject of her son's birthday came up, and she lowered her voice so the other soccer moms couldn't hear as she told me about her themed party held at a park with outdoor games and homemade cake. "It didn't cost much, and the kids had a blast," she told me.

She also confessed in a whisper that she should have looked at a thrift store before buying her son a new soccer goalie shirt for his birthday gift. "Do you know how expensive those things are?" she asked me.

Start-Saving Strategies to Secure Your Finances

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My first five years in New York, I led a good single life. Working as a technology and business consultant, I earned a nice salary which allowed me to enjoy nice dinners with friends, spend frivolously and not think twice about large purchases.

I was spoiled by a solid job market within a bullish industry and did not max out my 401k let alone contribute to it nor did I set up a savings account despite the consistent pleading of my parents.

Then a move uptown came when the movers politely drove away with every last item I owned, never to be seen again. It may be hard to comprehend but a robbery was one of the most valuable life lessons I ever received.

Like the pre-bandit me, many singles save little because they have only themselves to worry about when in fact, planning is even more crucial for singles because they must face every financial challenge independently. During my disaster recovery, I learned some money management tips (and other safety tips) that I think every single should consider:

8 tips for stretching your dining-out dollars

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On any given day, one-third of Americans will visit a restaurant, according to the National Restaurant Association. In 2009 alone, U.S. restaurants will serve up more than 70 billion meals and snacks. That's a lot of food! Unfortunately for restaurant patrons, it also adds up to a lot of money. In most cases, a restaurant meal will cost significantly more than cooking at home will. But what if you're just not willing to sacrifice the convenience and luxury of dining out? The good news is, you can still cut your expenses significantly. We provide eight ways to slash your restaurant expenses. (For more tips on cutting your food costs, see 22 Ways To Fight Rising Food Prices .)

Return it and get big savings!

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Michele Ashamalla: My son came back from a camp trip to Disneyland with one of those fun bubble blower guns. Well, it would have been fun if it had worked. He spent his own money for it, and was understandably disappointed. Believe it or not, he actually had the receipt, but there was no way I was going to go all the way to Disneyland to negotiate an exchange. One call to Disneyland customer service put me in touch with someone who promised to send me out a new one if I faxed the receipt.