I recently purchased a vacuum at Sears and as I was paying, they asked me the $1000 question, “would you like to get a warranty on your new machine”? This question is always a dilemma for me. The vacuum was a large purchase that I was feeling badly about and then they want me to spend another $150 on top of that for a three-year warranty? Consumer Reports had a great article about this last month entitled “Financial Products That are a Waste of Money”, which talked about similar products that they warn you not to spend your money on.

1. Extended Warranties – According to Consumer Reports, things tend to wear out or break after the warranty period has expired so it’s best to just say no.

Read the rest of this entry »

Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, about it, and subscribe to the blog RSS feed.

Time to get the kids ready for school. I have to say that my boys go through running shoes, jeans and backpacks like they are going out of style and so I wanted to blog a little about some good deals on basic necessities that the kids will need for back to school. Both the boy’s backpacks usually only last a year because at some point they will have gotten dragged along behind their bicycles or run over by their brother’s skateboard. So here’s what I found online:

The Basic Backpack – I usually go with the JanSport because it is really good quality and costs MUCH less than the versions made by Lands End or LL Bean. The JanSport Big Student Classics Series Daypack is perfect for most kids and is $34.99 at Amazon.com, $34.99 at Campmor.com and $39.99 at Sports Authority with free shipping.

Read the rest of this entry »

Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, about it, and subscribe to the blog RSS feed.

Did you realize that there are still people who are paying too much for home phone service, both local and long distance? Are you one of these people? Modern technology that you probably already have can help you save a lot on your monthly phone bill and, in some cases, even provide you with more services at the same time. Here are a number of different solutions, and hopefully one of them will work for you.

Solution 1: Mobile only households.

Most mobile calling plans already include free long distance and tolls, and some households are starting to remove their legacy land-line entirely and replace it with the mobile phone that they already have. This can provide a good cost savings, and some cool advantages such as never having to worry about “missing a call” since your home phone is always with you, but also has drawbacks as well. Having a mobile phone as your primary home phone:

1. Makes it impossible for multiple people at home to get on the phone simultaneously for that call to grandma;
2. Poses challenges for homes where multiple residents each have their own mobile phone but share a common home phone, and for homes where people don’t get great cellular service inside their home; and
3. Perhaps most importantly, poses challenges for 911 (or equivalent international number) and emergency services. While you can dial 911 from your mobile phone, you first need to tell the 911 operator where you are calling from (they don’t know since you are on a mobile phone) as compared to calling from your land-line where the 911 operator typically knows your address.

Read the rest of this entry »

Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, about it, and subscribe to the blog RSS feed.

Tennis is my favorite thing to do in my spare time so I have a vested interested in learning how to play and improve without going broke. My friend, Ray Bilsey, is the Head Pro at one of our local tennis clubs. I asked him to give me the skinny on how to save money if you are addicted to tennis (like I am). Here’s his advice.

Rackets – New rackets come out every year. Ask a USPTA pro what type of racket is best for you (choosing your racket is based on your racket/swing speed). Each racket company (Babolat, Wilson, Prince, etc) designs rackets that are good for each type of player but you need only to demo those rackets that are designed for your racket speed. Many players purchase a racket because it feels light and forgiving when they first pick it up. They realize later that other rackets are better suited for their game and end up buying multiple rackets over just a few years (rackets last a long time). The key is to get the ‘right’ racket the first time (ironically, top quality rackets are cheaper than 20 years ago ranging from $120 to $199 for most top of the line rackets). Better yet, if you know what type of racket you like best but really want to save a few dollars, ask your local pro shop if they’ll sell their demo (most shops will do so when the company comes out with a new line of rackets, once per year. Or if you need a backup racket (high level players often need a backup racket in case their strings break), wait for the time of year when your local pro shop will sell you a demo and use that as your backup).

Read the rest of this entry »

Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, about it, and subscribe to the blog RSS feed.

My husband and I just came back from Hawaii with our kids and let me just admit, IT WAS NOT CHEAP. We decided that we were just going to go for it with our little tax refund windfall but with every dollar that we overspent on drinks, food and the $15 per day for a freakin’ beach umbrella, I started to feel sick. By the end of the week, I had started making PB and J’s for the beach and had taken us on a “90 minute” timeshare tour, just for the $200 in Hilton bucks we’d earn. David says I’m just too frugal since we started this website. Oh well!

So where are some places that you can go where you won’t break the bank? I surveyed the web and came up with some great recommendations.

Soloman’s Island, Maryland – According to www.1000-vacation-ideas.com, “one of the most economical and beautiful places to go for a vacation is Solomon’s Island, Maryland. Solomon’s is away from the hustle and bustle of the beaches, but if you are looking for a quiet place to bike, enjoy the water and have some down time it is perfect. There is a small town area with some quaint shops to visit and a few hotels offering waterfront views. The Calvert Mariners Museum is a popular spot to visit, offering harbor cruises”. Sounds good to me!

Denver, Colorado – There are a number of websites that claim Denver, called the “Gateway to the Rockies”, provides tons of opportunities for every tourist. Not only are the views gorgeous, there are also tons of places to visit like the Zoo, the mile-long 16th Street Mall, or one of dozens of local brewpubs in a city famed for its beer. Even though it can be cold, Denver has 300 days of sunshine and is the center of the country for activities like fly-fishing, rock climbing, hiking and white water rafting.

Phoenix, Arizona – According to www.excelle.monster.com, Phoenix is the place for you, especially if you are a sports fan. The area is “not only home to all four major professional sports, but also houses more niche events and large annual contests such as professional lacrosse, MLB spring training, two NASCAR events as well as both boat and drag races”. As to the weather, Phoenix is warm and is, therefore, the perfect setting for water parks such as Big Surf, Oasis Water Park and Waterworld Safari. Have some fun in the sun!

Enjoy your summer!

Darcy Ratner and Julie Arnheim
Founders, Rubbingnickels.com

Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it, about it, and subscribe to the blog RSS feed.