personal finance in a coupon blog

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.

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).

While I have written often about specific staples women should have in their wardrobe, I find that my wardrobe needs change from season to season.  Below is a list of my must-haves for 2012 – wardrobe basics that are on-trend now, but will be classics and worth their cost for years to come. 

Dark straight jeans.  One season jeans are flared, the next time they are skinny.  Faded, charcoal, waxed, colored… it's hard to keep up.  One trend that stays pretty classic is a pair of very dark, crisp straight pair of jeans.  Luckily this trend is pretty budget-friendly.  You can find a pair of dark rinse Levi's (always a stylish classic choice) for less than $50; keep them looking crisp by washing as little as possible – put in the freezer to kill smelly bacteria, wash when necessary on cold and the gentle cycle and hang to dry.