Herding Cats: Our Favorite Savings Stories for the Week of August 9th

This past week, I (along with several of my co-workers) attended an out-of-town conference for several days and I have to tell you, it's really good to be back! Not that I didn't learn a lot and wasn't grateful for the opportunity to spend quality time with my fellow Savings.comers, but sinking into my own bed, with my own pillows last night was a welcome relief from strange hotel rooms and crowded airplanes.

So in honor of that, I give you this week's finance blog round-up--the "Home Again" edition:

• WalletPop: The TSA Wants to Know Your Birthday - Given my experience during this recent business trip, I'm inclined to believe that "TSA" stands not for "Transportation Security Administration," but instead for "Totally Sucky Attitude." Starting tomorrow, August 15th, the TSA will require you include your birth date and gender information when booking a flight. According to the TSA, this info will be used to check computer records of suspicious passengers. Well, I guess that's more reasonable than making us walk around in our socks and the whole liquid limitations. I mean, what fun is staying in a hotel if you can't steal stock up on the mini shampoos 'cuz of the one quart baggie limit?

• Consumer Reports: Jet Blue's $559 Cure for Wanderlust - By now you've no doubt heard that JetBlue is offering an "All You Can Fly" promotion from September 8th to October 8th for $599. For frequent flyers, this might be an excellent deal. But beware of the fine print: If you fail to show up for a flight, JetBlue can hit you with a $100 fee. That's right--you pay more for NOT flying.

• NY Times: More Fliers Skipping the Cab - I was pretty shocked at how much I spent on transportation to and from the airport during this trip. According to this article, however, other passengers suffering from taxi sticker shock are turning to trains and vans instead. I'm all for saving money, but after landing after 10 pm last night and waiting for the shuttle van to drop me off second to last an hour later, I'm feeling like getting home 40 minutes earlier might have been worth the extra money...

• SmartMoney: 10 Things Your Restaurant Won't Tell You - Although no room service during this jaunt, there were a number of restaurant meals. Expensive restaurant meals. As in I've spent less in a week on groceries than was spent on one of these meals. Ouch! Among the 10 things this SmartMoney article reports on, was the fact that there's a huge mark-up on restaurant food (Well, duh!). Less well-known facts , however, included the possibility of contracting food poisoning, that there's nothing that special about "specials" and that your waiter doesn't get to keep all of that juicy 20% tip.

• Bargaineering: How Virtual Office Tools Can Increase Productivity - After a grueling couple of days, I'm working from home today. It's pretty cool to be able to roll out of bed and fire up the computer and type away in my PJs. Jim Wang's article gives a great rundown of some virtual office tools that make working from home both professional and productive. Even if you don't bother changing out of your pajamas...

• Dollarish: Would You Steal Office Supplies? - Dollarish illuminates a downside to working from home: no access to office supplies. There's really nothing like breaking out a fresh, new notebook or making mini mountains out of Post-it pads, is there? Okay, that's not really stealing--more like "hoarding." But while office supplies might be in the "pro" column for going into the office, Dollarish also highlights one of the cons: the nightmare co-worker. My fellow Savings.com co-workers, however, are actually the reason I DO go to the office rather than working from home. Along with the access to Post-its and pens...