personal finance in a coupon blog

How often have you lamented that your bedroom is drab or outdated?  Have you complained that your bedroom doesn't feel peaceful?  Do you wish you had an unlimited budget so you could give your bedroom a dream makeover?  If any of these sound familiar, you're in luck.  You can change the look of your bedroom without spending a fortune. There are some little things you can do that will make a huge difference! Read More »

Image courtesy of ICanHasCheezburger

This week we have good GDP news, Xbox rumors, Apple's manufacturing problems, resisting impulse buying, and ways to make a smart kid. 

Plus, a very brave cat. Read More »

What's the biggest buzzword at this year's Consumer Electronics Show? No, it's not "Beiber." It's ultrabooks. Three guesses what they are:

1. Regular books, only super-better.

2. Kindle-style e-book readers plated with shiny titanium.

3. Super-thin, super-light laptops that used to be known as "ultraportables," "ultralights," and "subnotebooks."

Read More »

The war clearly isn't over. These angry birds will stop at nothing to destroy those oinkers! And now, if you're willing and ready (or even if you aren't), these little guys are here to amplify your music too. These plug and play Angry Birds Speakers from ThinkGeek are not exactly priced to move at $65+, but oh man, they are tons of epic awesome. Read More »

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?  Do you even have time to get ready?  I don't- my job begins well before sunrise and soon after I'm awake, my 2-year old is begging for food and attention. 

Once I have my younger one comfortable, then it's the task of waking up my 5-year old, who is already showing at this young age, that she's not a morning person. 

After I'm done getting both my kids ready (which is a marathon in itself), I'm usually rushing out the door dressed in sweats without washing my face or brushing my teeth.  Sound familiar?
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I read somewhere that someone's New Years resolution was to "get rid of something they don't need every day." That sure beats the "I want to lose 8747 pounds," or "I want to win American Idol," that I normally see on blogs this time of year. I like setting myself up for failure by placing unrealistic expectations on myself as much as the next guy, so I decided that I was gonna do it. No, not win American Idol (I'm too old), but try to get rid of one thing every day for a whole year.

 

Why would I agree (in my head) to do such a ridiculous thing?

Read More »

Image courtesy of ICanHasCheezburger

This week we have a SOPA victory, Paula Deen, news from Apple, a 15-minute budget, and cash or credit? Plus, an adorable bat. Read More »

^{Image courtesy of ICanHasCheezburger}
This week we have 101 ways to save money online and off, the best of CES 2012, tax tips, filthy rich presidential candidates, saving money in the kitchen, and a playful crow. Read More »

^{Image by *Luana* via Flickr}

Whether you're a techno-geek or a Luddite, eventually you end up with electronic waste.  Those old computers, cell phones, and other gadgets that go unused and obsolete. What do you do with them? It may depend on where you live. Read More »

^{Image by Wonderlane via Flickr}

There are some people who hate change and some people who love change.  I happen to be one of those people that loves change.  I'd rearrange my furniture every month and redecorate every year if my budget would allow for it.  Unfortunately, it doesn't. Read More »

If you're an avid freebie-finder, deal-seeker, or giveaway enterer, you likely use Facebook as part of your daily arsenal to get more for less.  Facebook is one of the hottest online properties for companies to tout their special savings offers, newest sweepstakes, or even customer loyalty rewards.  If you're like me, you check your message daily, and likely do so only after being prompted by the bright red number hovering over your message notification icon. 

Were you aware, however, that this is only alerting you to half of your messages -- the half that likely won't tell you about the most valuable opportunities? Read More »

The second you find out you're having a baby, one of the first things that crosses your mind is, "What will I name it?"  Will it be biblical, something passed down from the family or after a favorite superhero (and yes, I am talking about Nic Cage's son Kal-El).  So many questions and so much to consider.  Your baby's whole life is at stake!

You don't want to name him or her Pumpkin Pie Peterson or Cup Cake Conners.  Although, I'm sure there are a few oddballs out there that would.  You want a name that rolls off the tongue nicely, easy to pronounce and makes a statement that people will remember -- in a good way (being picked on because of their name is not what you want for your child).

In an episode of "Pregnant in Heels," one of Rosie Pope's clients wanted to brand their baby. To test out their favorite names, they had a focus group with regular people, a round table discussion with branding experts and a naming dinner with close friends (I mean these were some hardcore baby naming sessions).  Ridiculous as it sounds, this goes to show how important baby naming is.

Within the last two years, the popularity of the name Arianna (after Arianna Huffington) has risen and is currently sitting comfortably in the #32 spot.  People are getting name inspirations from successful people and from the most wealthy people (probably has a lot to do with the poor economy). Read More »