Work + Money

Do not despair if you are recovering from a summer of soaring gas prices and back-to-school shopping while gearing up for the pinch of holiday shopping.

With deals and savings specific to the season, autumn is a great time to fall into a pile of green if you shop smartly.

By taking advantage of the way the seasons dictate the types of deals merchants offer, you can benefit from surprisingly deep discounts.

To make room for holiday inventory and sidestep hanging on to merchandise that might be considered outdated by next year, retailers tend to slash the prices of specific items between the middle or end of August and early November.

For example, you'll find great deals on lawnmowers and backyard items such as sprinklers and grills. "The fall is the best time to purchase patio furniture and grills," said Joanie Demer, co-author of "Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey." "You can save over 40% by shopping at the close of the season."

You'll also save a bundle on these five items:

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Before you do another thing, are you clear about where you are going and why? We've become a society of frantic doers, not taking the time to reflect and get clear before taking massive action. And even when we do create a strategy, it is often in the old way of thinking, and so our plans have trouble taking root… the road map has changed, and we get so busy "doing" that we miss the signs along the way.

We can be so inflexible and stuck that we lose our sense of humor and dig in all the harder, burning ourselves out. Did the title of this blog cause you to criticize the improper grammar? Can you take a joke? Or are you so rigid that if anything is out of the predictable you get irritated?

Here's the dilemma we are all in - the old way is evolving into the new, unknown, and to the logical mind it's scary. Yet, we are no longer able to ignore our fears, slap on the mask, and bury it as "business as usual." No, we now have to pull up the courage to face our fears, do some inte

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Bridesmaid Dilemma

Our recently engaged friend Darcy is in full on wedding planning mode! Last week, she asked her sister, her cousin and two close friends to be bridesmaids, and began looking for the perfect bridesmaid dress for her ladies. The problem: Darcy has really expensive taste!

Not really thinking about everyone's financial situation, Darcy chose a beautiful jewel green designer dress that is close to $400 a pop. When her cousin Janie saw the price tag, she confronted Darcy and told her unfortunately the dress was WAY out of her budget…

Darcy immediately offered to pay for Janie's dress. But then it occurred to her - if she was paying for one bridesmaid's dress, shouldn't she really offer to pay for all of them? Some of our friends thought she shouldn't offer to pay for them unless other 'maids complained about the price - while others felt if she was offering to buy one she should really offer to buy all of them…

So - what do YOU think Darcy should do?!

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By GalTime.com

Balancing work life and home life.

Family. Career. Personal Fulfillment. For moms who work outside of the home, it can be tough to find balance. GalTime caught up with Rachel Blaufeld, a successful Mompreneur and founder of the popular blog Back'nGroove Mom to get her take on motherhood, work and how to stay relevant in your career while you're raising your kids.

GalTime: Tell us about Back'nGroove Mom...

Rachel Blaufeld: Back'nGrooveMom was originally my personal account/blog about transitioning to a mom of school-age kids and looking for a deeper identity for myself. As my kids gained tiny pieces of independence and more of their own identity, I wanted the same for myself. After a number of years on a career break raising my family while my husband traveled extensively for work, I found myself with a few extra hours on hand and a HUGE desire for something more. I interviewed for a number of positions in my original field - social work - but quickly realized I wanted something with grea

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Aries (March 21 - April 19) You're closer to achieving your goals than you realize, so don't despair. Small achievements are starting to add up even if you don't bother to do the math. Just keep on plugging away in the right direction. Today's Aries Reading: Free Sample Friends and Lovers Reading

Taurus (April 20 - May 20) Other people may try to push your buttons today but they can't get a rise out of you without your permission. Keep your cool no matter what kind of numbers are flashed at you. The more outrageous of them should only make you laugh. Today's Taurus Reading: Free Sample Karmic Love Reading

Gemini (May 21 - June 21) You shouldn't change your entire strategy on a whim, but if you've been giving your finances some serious though

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