personal finance in a coupon blog

I've long been a fan of Virgin Mobile's cellular service, if not its actual phones. The company offers no-contract plans that start at $35 per month and include unlimited (well, unlimited with an asterisk) data.

But its phones, well, so far they've been mostly entry-level models. And they've run on Sprint's older, slower 3G network (Sprint owns Virgin Mobile).

All that's about to change. Starting May 31, you'll be able to buy the HTC Evo V 4G smartphone for $299.99 and pay as little as $35 per month for 4G service -- no contract required.

Color me interested.

The Evo V runs Android 4.0 (a.k.a. Ice Cream Sandwich), the latest and greatest version of Google's smartphone operating system. Read More »

Happy National Hamburger Month!

Pull up any online calendar, and you're sure to see holidays galore. Whether it's an actual holiday such as Christmas or New Year's, or is overly specific to the point of making your head spin (National Vanilla Cupcake Day on November 10th, anyone?) there's a holiday for everyone.

While we could celebrate a holiday each day and month, that seems utterly ridiculous. However, sometimes there's a fun "fake" holiday that we can't help but get behind. Today kicks off National Hamburger Month, and since Labor Day cookouts and summer are just around the corner, we decided to celebrate by spotlighting our favorite foodie burger blogs.

From gourmet burgers to veggie burgers and the basic grilled burger, whatever your preference,  there's a burger for you! Using our "Hunger Rating" algorithm, we looked at the quality of content related to hamburgers, and the hungrier we got, the higher we ranked the blog!

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Dear Comcast:

Your DVR is terrible. I mean, really embarrassingly awful. It's functional, yes, but has one of the most unattractive and unfriendly interfaces ever. I threw up in my mouth a little bit just thinking about it.

And you're not alone: a lot of other cable-TV providers have similarly bad boxes. That's probably why so many people turn to TiVo. As third-party DVRs go, it's just about the best option out there. (Okay, its pretty much the only option out there. Still, it's a great one.)

Just one problem: TiVo charges an insane $19.99 per month for service. And that's on top of the outrageous rates I'm already paying for cable. (Whoa, more vomit. Read More »

Saving On Real Food: Grow a Garden Just as it's almost always cheaper to cook at home than to eat out at a restaurant, it's more cost-effective to grow your own veggies at home than to buy them at the store. If you live in an area with mild enough weather, you only need a few items to get started (and a willingness to get your hands a little dirty!)

Repurposed Newspaper Seedling Planters Want to make sure those seeds take root? DealPro Merissa of LittleHouseLiving shows you how to put your old newspaper to use and help your plants grow strong. Everyone needs a friend to help them along every once in a while!

Benefits of a Macy's Wedding Registry It's officially wedding season, and when the bride-to-be isn't pinning decorating ideas for the reception, she's likely to be found daydreaming about wedding gifts. But where to register?! Here are a few reasons why Macy's should be your go-to.

Raising Smart Spenders: Lessons Learned From Our Kids My Facebook feed has been filling up lately with friends discussing their little one's latest adventures. To be completely honest, more than half of these are posts I wind up hiding. Side note: Not everyone needs to know about the "adorable mess that Johnny made this morning!" However, if "Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader" taught me anything, it's that kids have quite a few insights that we adults tend to forget. Read More »

When Sprint announced a 7-inch Android tablet priced at $99.99, my ears perked right up. After all, Amazon's Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble's Nook Tablet cost twice as much, and they're both just glorified e-readers.

The ZTE Optik is a much more versatile tablet, with features like Bluetooth (for streaming music to compatible speakers and earbuds), GPS (for navigation, natch), dual cameras, and, perhaps best of all, Sprint's 3G data service.

In other words, unlike most tablets of its size, the Optik doesn't rely solely on Wi-Fi for connectivity. It comes packing Sprint's nationwide network.

And there, as you've probably guessed, is the catch. Although the hardware will run you a very reasonable $99.99, you can't get it without signing a two-year service agreement. And Sprint's Tablet Connection plans start at $19.99 per month. Read More »

A month ago, if you'd asked me what I thought of 3D HDTVs, I'd have called them a fad, a gimmick, and a waste of money.

Then I bought one.

See, my three-year-old Toshiba flat panel had died a sudden and unexpected death. It would have cost more to repair it than to replace it, so I opted for the latter.

Needless to say, I was done with Toshiba. I wanted a TV of roughly the same size (okay, maybe a little bigger -- prices have come down quite a bit, after all), but when I started shopping, I had zero intention of choosing a 3D model.

That's because although I had enjoyed "Avatar" in the movie theater as much as the next fan, I didn't see much need for 3D at home.

What's more, I'd recently reviewed a 3D-capable home projector, and although it was kind of cool, the battery-powered "active" glasses that went with it were a hassle to keep charged -- and ridiculously overpriced at $100 per pair. Read More »

Earlier this week I sat by the door with my proverbial tail wagging in anticipation of the Fedex truck's arrival. When it finally came, I tore open the box like a kid on Christmas morning.

The new iPad was mine.

Having purchased the original iPad (the 32GB Wi-Fi model) a couple years earlier, I'd decided to skip the iPad 2. Despite its slimmer design and dual cameras, it wasn't compelling enough for me to part with another $600.

But with the iPad 3 (sorry, "new iPad"), I decided to pull the trigger. As a technology writer, I do have a legitimate reason for keeping up with the latest and greatest. And as a gadget geek, well, I just wanted the thing.

You've probably felt similar pangs of iPad lust. Early reviews of the device positively gushed over the new high-resolution Retina screen. And I mean gushed: it had to be seen to be believed, it put high-def TVs to shame, it would change your worldview and possibly your religion. Read More »

When I was little, I could hardly wait to be "grown up". Parading around the house in my Mom's high heels, my cheeks were covered in too much pink blush. At that age, being an adult meant wearing whatever I wanted, whenever (shorts in the dead of winter? Why not!). Sadly, Mom didn't seem to agree a dress covered in sequins and paired with glitter nail polish was an appropriate option for church.

Fast forward a few years. The workplace is its own fashion game and while every industry (and company) has its own definition of work appropriate, the answer doesn't need to be the boring dress pants and grey blouses that websites often depict as "business casual". As the years pass, I've fallen into a look that can usually be dressed up or down fairly easily. Switch out your cardigan for a leather jacket and the flats with some stilettos, and you're good to go! Still, I'm always in search of that cute, effortless outfit that's girly and chic.

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What makes a good brownie? Some people think the add-ons make the square: frosting, walnuts, almonds, caramel, peanut butter, dulce de leche, cream cheese. Others prefer their brownies bare – just the simple chocolate squares they started out as. And even then, you have decisions. Milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Fudgy or cakey? And now most brands offer gluten-free versions as well. How's a chocolate addict to know which is best?

Of course, we all know that the best-tasting brownies are those you make from scratch, but the below mixes should do when you just can't find time to prepare them yourself.

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Do you suffer from tablet malaise? That's how I describe the condition that results from buying a tablet, then discovering you don't use it for much.

In my experience, many tablet owners aren't fully aware of their devices' capabilities. There's more to the slate life than just checking your e-mail, surfing the Web, and lobbing the occasional angry bird. Below I've rounded up five surprising and practical ways to put your Android tablet or iPad to good use.

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Choosing a tablet just got tougher. Priced at $199, Barnes & Noble's new 8GB Nook Tablet now stands toe-to-toe with Amazon's Kindle Fire. So which is the better buy? And is there another option that might be an even better deal?

If you've priced tablets before, you know that the original Nook Tablet came with 16GB of storage--and sold for $249. (It still does.) By cutting the storage in half, Barnes & Noble was able to cut $50 from the price, effectively leveling the playing field with the Kindle Fire (which also has 8GB).

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While I usually write about current fashion trends that I love and how one can achieve them for less, there are many current fashion trends that I wish would die.  While some of these trends are fun, and some may be carried off by a few True Fashionistas, these trends in general are not flattering, not very wearable, and just need to leave the runway and the retailers. Read More »