personal finance in a coupon blog

A wise relative who works for an enterprise storage company once told me, "There are two kinds of people: Those who have lost data, and those who will lose data." Read More »

Let me guess: You're finally ready to make the move from your old flip-phone or BlackBerry to a more modern smartphone, but you can't stomach the $60-80 (or higher!) monthly fee that's going to come with it.


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Calling all Mac users!

I feel your pain. You not only paid a premium for your hardware, but also have to pay high prices for software. Deals and discounts tend to be few and far between.

That's what makes today's deal such a find. For a limited time, Apparent Software has the Productive Macs productivity software bundle for $39.99. The combined value of the products if purchased separately? $290.

The Productive Macs bundle includes eight programs aimed at boosting your productivity. Here's an overview of each: Read More »

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 »

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 »

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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By most accounts, Amazon's Kindle Fire is a pretty great tablet. It's reasonably priced at $199, and it's good for everything from music to movies to Angry Birds.

Oh, and e-books, of course. Lest we forget, books were the original Kindle's raison d'etre, and the Fire makes for a mighty fine e-reader.

Just one problem: You already own a bunch of e-books purchased from Barnes & Noble. Or perhaps you have Nook-using friends and family members who want to loan you some great reads, but can't because you have a Kindle. Heck, maybe Barnes & Noble's "Nookstore" is running a killer promotion on e-books, and you want to jump in.

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I'm a big fan of big monitors. If you're still squinting into an old 17-inch tube or 19-inch LCD, it's time to think about an upgrade. Read More »

Back in July I wrote about the Barnes & Noble Nook Color, which was selling for the then-incredible price of $199.

What a difference a few months makes. Read More »

Looking for something unique, personal, and affordable to give this holiday season? Nothing beats a photo of you. Or the kids. Or the dog. Or the kids and the dog. Or you, the kids, and the cat. You get the idea.

I've rounded up three services that let you create custom, personalized photo gifts--all at sale prices. Just keep in mind that these products can take a week or more to arrive, so if you're looking for something to go under the menorah or in a stocking, I'd order soon. Very soon. Read More »

Planning to put a new laptop under the tree or menorah? Get some protection to go with it.

LoJack for Laptops is one of the top-rated laptop-recovery services, offering to locate, lock, delete, and even return your stolen system.

For a limited time, Absolute Software is offering a buy-one-gift-one deal on all LoJack for Laptop purchases. Read More »

Attention, cord-cutters! If you've been wanting to try Hulu Plus but didn't want to shell out for the privilege, today's your lucky day. Read More »