In other words, it's time for a new machine. And for around $500 (less if you're willing to buy a refurbished or closeout model), you can get yourself something mighty nice.

But what about the old laptop? What should be its fate? You probably can't sell it for much, and in its current condition, it's not much good as a hand-me-down.

Know what I'd do? Wipe the hard drive (after retrieving all your data from it, of course) and install Linux. That may sound like a techie, nerds-only solution, but hear me out. The whole process is easier than you might think, and it results in a laptop that feels brand new—maybe even better than new.

In an attempt to keep our tight family budget from running into the red from the increase in gasoline prices, I set out to spend less money at the grocery store. We had made a decision that I would stay at home with our young children, so I was left with few options for "making money" as our budget begin to shrink.

I quickly learned that I could "make money" at the grocery store by spending less than I normally do. Half as much to be exact!

You hear those "cut your grocery bill in half" stories all the time. And you see the "spend $3 on $200 worth of products" segments on the news. But is that all really possible?

Yes. Yes, it is.

I became a better decision maker at the grocery store. And because of that, our family budget has stayed "in the black" through the recession.

A summer garden is an excellent way to save money on your grocery bill and enjoy the benefits of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs from spring to autumn. It only takes a small investment and a little hard work to create a garden you can be proud of. If growing your own food is not your goal, a beautiful flower garden can transform any landscape into a summer beauty. The temperatures are starting to rise, so it's time to find a spot that's sunny most of the day and be ready to get your hands dirty.

Supplies to Get You Started

This time of year, it's easy to find great deals on gardening supplies through web-based coupon sites (like the one you're on!) Local hardware stores and garden shops are also offering special sales to draw people in for gardening prep before the big rush happens in April. Take advantage of these early-bird sales to stock up on soil, mulch, planters, tools, and all the other supplies you'll need throughout the season. Don't forget the sprinklers and weed killers while you're getting your gardening gear together. Shopping early in the season will ensure that you're ready for each phase of planting and harvesting without having to make annoying - and expensive - trips to the store later.

This year, the coupon turns 125, but we don't think that she looks a day over 21! Our friends over at Valpak created an infographic for the occasion, and it's chock full of coupon information. Did you know that the average couponer saves $1,677 per year? Effective couponing can make all the difference in your monthly grocery bill, whether you're utilizing B1G1 (that's coupon lingo for "Buy One, Get One") deals or using a coupon every time you shop.

Some coupon fun facts for all you trivia buffs out there:

• The first coupon was created in 1887, when a businessman in Atlanta decided to offer samples of his new cola (one more hint- it comes in a classic red and white can).
• Coupon usage surged during The Great Depression. No surprise there- during difficult economic times, people are all too excited to find new ways to pinch pennies and make ends meet.
• 1/2 of all American households coupon. So if you're suffering from some sort of coupon shame, stop! All the smart kids are doing it.

In my first year of couponing, I dropped my grocery budget to spending about $35 a week for a family of four. It was a life-changing moment when I realized I didn't have to live hand to mouth and pay the exorbitant grocery store prices that plague consumers.

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.

What do you spend your money on?

I'm not talking about groceries, rent, and gas. Focus your thoughts for a moment. Are you with me?

Savings.com is about spending money on the right things- whatever that means to you. Maybe you call it a splurge, but I don't want to assign names. I prefer to think of it as a small price to pay for enjoying life. We all have expenses that we could cut, but we don't. Personal finance blogs and counselors recommend cooking at home and not going out to eat as much as a way to cut back on costs, and no one can really argue that it's more expensive to eat at home. But what if you're a foodie? What if your favorite thing to do is go to restaurants and try new cuisine? If so, then my suggestion to stay home not only won't be applicable, but I'll be missing the point entirely.

If you could learn how to save 50% on your monthly grocery budget, you'd be into that right? Uh huh...that's exactly what we thought.

To help you accomplish that very goal, Savings.com is launching Savings Nation coupon classes. We're coming to your community, bringing in our top money-saving experts, the DealPros, to teach grocery couponing classes tailored to your local community.

You've heard of Pandora, right? It's the Web-based radio service that lets you choose your favorite artist or type of music, then builds a custom station for you around that choice.

For example, just type in "Adele," and Pandora will create a whole playlist of songs and artists with similar styles. It's ridiculously cool.

And it's only the tip of the streaming-audio iceberg. (For the uninitiated, streaming audio means music that's delivered in real-time over the Internet, as opposed to broadcast over the airwaves like traditional radio.) With a little know-how, you can access more Internet-radio goodness than you ever thought possible.

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.

Sears

Sears offers a Deal of the Day on sears.com, Facebook and Twitter. You can also sign up for email alerts. Sears will match competing retailers' prices. If you buy something from Sears and find it for less at another store within 14 days, Sears will match the lower price and give you an additional 10 percent off.

Walmart

Walmart, sometimes affectionately called Wally-Mart or Wally-World, offers deals on a variety of items from groceries to home decor. Keep up with the sales ads in your local newspaper, or check Walmart's website for information on current specials.

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).

My parents were part of the original green movement. A couple of hippies (in the 1980's), they grew their own organic vegetables, carefully kept a compost pile to use in their garden, collected things that our city would recycle and actually drove those recyclables to the recycling plant.

When we moved to a suburb of Chicago, our city was one of the first in the state to implement a recycling program – all you had to do was dump the recyclables into a specially marked orange container and once a week, the recycling truck drove on through the neighborhood and collected the recyclables. It was pretty neat – I was a wee thing at the time, but they made sure that we learned just how important it was to be green: reduce, recycle and reuse. It's been forever engrained into my memory and my way of living.

A couple months ago I got my first look at the MagicJack PLUS—the latest version of the home-phone gizmo that's long been a staple of TV infomercials.

The original MagicJack, you may recall, promised unlimited local and long-distance calling for a ridiculously low price ($40 for the gizmo and the first year of service, $20 per year after that).