More and more schools these days require laptop-toting students to use Microsoft Office. And that means if you're shopping for a new machine for your college-bound senior, starting middle-schooler, or anyone in between, plan on spending at least another $120 for Microsoft's ridiculously overpriced suite.

Or not, if you take advantage of this deal: Best Buy is offering Microsoft Office Home and Student 2010 for free when you buy select laptops and ultrabooks. Read More …

Another week more freebies, you have to love it! There are freebies for your dog, household, kids and even our military. We'll start with our dogs. You can get two Milk Bone Trail Mix samples for your loyal dog from two different offers. The first is on Milk Bone's Facebook page, you have to "like" them and click the red "Pledge" button at the bottom of the picture to get the form. The second is from Walmart, just click "Get a Free Sample" and fill in the form to get it delivered to your door. Read More …

It's a #SavingsNation Twitter Party! Trying to figure out how to save money so you have more to spend this Summer on that vacation? Then this is the party for you! We're launching our Summer Savings Nation Workshops across the country, so get ready to learn how to save both time AND money to have a better Summer! Read More …

This week, we're focusing on one of my favorite topics. Below, you'll find our favorite posts on being eco-friendly, and how to save money while prepping for summer.

Fun, Frugal, & Meaningful Baby Shower Gifts I've always loved gift baskets as a fun way to give a present that stands out (plus baskets are great for upcycling). Find out what you should include for your next baby shower gift.

Printable Store Coupon Policies I think this can be one of the most confusing parts of couponing- figuring out different store policies on couponing. Does that store double? The one across the street triples? But only on the first 5 items? Cut throw the fine-print and find out what to look for here.

Why Do You Stockpile? A. Why would I? B. It's a fun thing to do C. What's stockpiling? D. Because I like to save the most money I can on my grocery bill. If you chose any option but D., you need to take a look at this.

35 Ways to Reuse Dryer Sheets Reuse a dryer sheet? Wait, 35 different ways? Yep, you read that correctly. I'm always looking for new ways to cut down on my impact on the earth, even in the smallest of ways. This is a fresh take providing some tips you probably haven't thought about. Read More …

[picture from AllYou] One of the most expensive food "groups" can also be one of the least healthy: snacks. In fact, the parentheses around "groups" weren't a mistake. Snacks – at least the way that most of us eat them – not only aren't a real group, many of them don't really fall into any useful food category! So, how can you find snacks that are healthy, filling, and delicious without breaking the bank? Read on.

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Unless you've figured out how to clone yourself, you can't be in two places at once. But you can keep an eye on, say, the baby's room, the babysitter, an elderly parent who's living on their own, an empty house, and so on -- even when you're not there.

All you need is a Webcam that feeds live video to your smartphone or tablet.

The Stem Innovation iZon Remote Room Monitor is one such Webcam, and it costs far less than competing products. Ah, but is it any good?

Yes and no.The concept behind the iZon is excellent, the price quite reasonable. It's the execution that falls a bit short, though not so far that you should rule out buying one.

Small, white, and cylindrical, the iZon stands about four inches high on its curved, magnetic base. That base makes it easy to position the camera, and can even be hung upside-down. Read More …

Happy National Pet Month! The Savings crew loves pets, and we always have a few of our furry friends scampering around the office. There's something nice about being able to take a break by playing a game of catch with one of the dogs.

Owning a pet has shown to have a number of benefits- with pet owners generally getting more exercise than their pet-less peers, and helping to ease feelings of lonliness by providing companionship. However, buying a pet can cause a strain on the wallet, especially if you don't take measures to budget your spending. PetFinder.com estimates that the first year of owning a small dog will cost nearly $800, and that number jumps to $1500, when you're talking about a large breed. Read More …

I don't buy many meal "mixes or helpers" because of their high sodium content but I often have a   very teeny window between work and the homework/shower/dinner/bedtime merry go round.

When I need to whip up a quick dinner, I often make a double or triple batch of something easy and freeze it. To me, this is more doable than spending an entire day cooking a month's worth of meals.

Here is my (somewhat) healthy Cheeseburger Mac Recipe.  You can add or subtract anything you want from it,  it's super easy to freeze and costs less than a dollar per serving.  (I would know, my 5 and 7 old boys are big eaters!!) Read More …

If you're wracking your brain for last-minute ideas on something to do for Mother's Day that doesn't involve hundreds of dollars or yet another generic bouquet of flowers, consider doing something that truly comes from you – cook mom a meal!

Even if you're not a gourmet chef (and if you are, why didn't you think of this sooner?!), mom will appreciate you serving her for once, and she'll marvel at the hard work you put in. Just as importantly,you'll be able to show her you love her for a fraction of the cost of going out to a restaurant.

The best way to go about this is to find some of your mom's favorite foods or meals and make those, but if you're having trouble, here area couple of ideas to get you started.

Blueberry Bedcakes

These pancakes with fresh blueberries are a great way to start of mom's day.

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There's been a whole lot of talk about codename, "Ivy Bridge." I should know, it's been my job to talk about it over at HP's blog, TheNexBench.com. The time for codenames, though, is over. What was once referred to as Ivy Bridge is now the 3^rd generation Intel CoreProcessor. If you aren't aware of its significance, let's break it down.

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I'm no fashionista- my wardrobe is typically some variation of a nice blouse with pants tucked into boots- or a belted skirt and cardigan. My hair? That's something else entirely. All my life, I've had to deal with frizzy, curly hair, trying to whip it into something manageable and slightly presentable. Regardless of my outfit choice of the day, if my hair looks good, I'm likely to be in a similar mood.

I'll admit it- I've tortured my hair in the past. A natural brunette, I've endured bi-monthly bleaching sessions at the salon for months, to make my coif a platinum blonde. There's only so much your hair can take before it rebels though, so I went back to brunette, where I battled frizz with flat irons and finally underwent a Brazilian Blowout. For only $300, I had sleek hair for three months. For those of you not familiar with this treatment, the stylist applies a chemical to your hair before sealing it with heat. The Brazilian Blowout removes all frizz, so your hair looks stick straight after drying. Of course, you're literally bathing your hair in chemicals, and recently it has come to light that the treatment contains formaldehyde (the cancer-causing ingredient used as a preserving agent). No thanks.
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One of our favorite events at Savings.com are the 2-day, company-wide hackathons we do at the end of every quarter.  Hackathons have become an important part of our company culture. They're where everyone gets to let out their inner-entrepreneur. They're where anybody's passion can get an equal shot of turning into something tangible and great. For two days, we get to step away from our day-to-day jobs and focus 100% of our energy into something new and different. We get a chance to work closely with colleagues in other departments, whom we may rarely get to work with otherwise, and engineers get a chance to immerse themselves in new and exciting technologies. The benefits from a culture standpoint are endless. Read More …