What to Buy (And Avoid) Buying in February

WHAT TO BUY

February is the shortest month of the year. It also brings some memorable events, including Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day, Black History Month, President's Day, and the long awaited Winter Olympics, which open on the 7th. Let's take a look at the deals you can get.

1. Tax Prep Software

Ugh. Does anyone out there actually enjoy doing their taxes? Ninety-nine percent of people would say no, and the other 1% are accountants raking in the prep fees. Still, as it's such a painful process, most people put it off for as long as possible, so the tax software deals are out there now to entice you.Tax software is cheaper now and more expensive the closer we get to the April deadline. Buy it now. 

2. Chocolate, Flowers, and Other Valentine's Day Leftovers

The beginning of this month is NOT a good time to buy these items. But once Valentine's Day is over, they'll be everywhere. Delicious chocolates in a heart-shaped box are still delicious chocolates, but they're 50%–75% cheaper once the day has gone. The same goes for flowers, cards, jewelry, and other love-related gifts. Stock up and save. Who cares if your candy is themed?! (See also: Wise Bread's Guide to Valentine's Day)

3. Mattresses and Furniture

With President's Day comes cheap mattresses; the bed companies love to put deals out this month. So do furniture manufactures and warehouse stores. So if you're in the market for a new bed or a remodel, this is the month to buy the big items.

4. Weddings

As we said in the opening paragraph, many parts of the country are bitterly cold. It's not the best time to have a wedding. No one wants to see pictures of the bride and groom shivering outside the church. June is the peak time, but that means if you want some big savings on one of the most costly events in your life, this is the month to get it done. You'll see massive savings, if you can handle the weather. (See also: How to Plan a Last-Minute Wedding)

5. Electronics and Big Screen TVs

Last month, the 2014 CES show premiered all the latest and greatest gadgets, electronics, TVs, and media players. The current stock in stores like Best Buy suddenly doesn't look so cool. Who wants to buy a product that is about to be old news? Retailers are in a mad rush to dump the old stock to make room for the shiny new gadgets. Go get your electronics and big screen TVs at a nice fat discount. (See also: The Best 3D TVs)

6. Bicycles and Motorcycles

In the winter months, bike riding of either kind is nowhere near as fun. And that equates to low sales for the bike stores. Take advantage of their discounts and get yourself a new bike for the spring and summer months at a price people will be kicking themselves over later on. (See also: 10 Best Cycling Apps for $5 or Less)

7. Humidifiers and Air Conditioners

Again, the seasonality makes this one common sense. We don't have our A/C units on, not when an open window will do the job just as well. And so you'll find bargains galore on humidifiers and A/C units.

8. Winter Apparel

Stores are going to make room for their spring collections. And this month, they're starting to get a little more urgent about clearing the shelves to make way for the new goods. Expect discounts of 75% or even more. Sure, you won't get much use out of it, but as sure as night follows day, winter will be back again.

9. Fragrances

Valentine's Day is popular for fragrances. Stores stock up on them, as they're popular gift items. But then they want to clear the shelves for important stuff…like Easter eggs, Easter baskets, and Easter everything else! So, if you're in the market for a new perfume or cologne, the end of February will be kind to you.

10. The Wii U and Other Video Games

Nintendo was expecting the Wii U to go gangbusters. It was more a case of it being a big bust. Now, to try and drag their sales figures out of the basement, Nintendo is going to be slashing the prices. They also have to compete with the Xbox One and PS4. And that will not be easy. Also, the release date for the big games is the end of the year. By the end of February, those hot news games have gone lukewarm. It's the perfect time to pick up the new releases for a song.

WHAT TO AVOID

We mentioned the more famous holidays of February. Did you know this month is also home to Walking the Dog Day, Ferris Wheel Day, Plum Pudding Day, and even Get a Different Name Day? As these crazy holidays come and go, remember not to fall for the crazy prices on the items below. They're not so good.

1. Smart Phones and the iPhone

The CES show is over, but it's not the place for smartphone announcements. There is another show called the Mobile World Congress still to come in late February, and that's when the latest phones and handheld tech advances are showcased. Also, iPhone 6 is expected to be released later this year, so wait a while, and you'll get an iPhone 5S at a lower price.

2. Eyeglasses

Once again, February is the most expensive time of the year to buy eyeglasses. We asked last year, and we'll ask again this year…optometrists of the world, why is it so expensive to buy spectacles this month?

3. Suitcases

With the winter killing morale, people are planning vacations and want to buy their new luggage now. When demand is high, prices are too. Unless your old suitcases are falling apart, wait a few months to replace them. Or find some good used ones on Craigslist. (See also: Best Things to Buy on Craigslist)

4. Refrigerators

The new models roll out in the spring, and that's when the discounts will appear on last year's models. It's just a few months, so do a little window-shopping and wait for the prices to fall. Again, if your fridge is dead, scour Craigslist.

Are you planning to make any largish purchases this month? Are you getting it at a discount?

Consumer News: Target Gift Card Issues

As if Target didn’t have enough issues with their recent security breach, they now have reports that thousands of gift cards purchased during the holidays.

If you think yours may be included in this issue, you can go to the guest services desk or call the number on the back of the card for help. However, call centers are a little overwhelmed so you may have issues getting through via the phone. So you can also check your balance online HERE.

See more details HERE.

Shipping Gifts? Read These Tips

Here are really useful shipping tips:

Don’t mail anything that isn’t a piece of paper in a regular old envelope. Greeting cards, fine. It might seem like you’re saving money by just folding that thumb drive in a handful of sheets of paper and sending it off like a letter, but the mail doesn’t work that way. “The glue is not very strong and anything lumpy or irregular comes right out of them,” our tipster writes. How does she know this? “Every year someone mails a bracelet, necklace, car keys, thumb drive, etc., in an envelope designed for letters.”

Similarly, some items might be small and flat, but that doesn’t mean that they can make it through the postal system’s automated sorting equipment. Like gift cards. “We destroy thousands of dollars of gift cards each year,” writes our tipster. “Gift cards come out of envelopes all the time.” It’s not a vast USPS conspiracy to steal America’s gift cards, and there are two simple ways to avoid having your gift cards gobbled by a letter-sorter.

First: don’t think of it as an upsell when the postal worker tells you your envelope requires an extra non-machinable charge. The extra charge keeps your envelope out of equipment meant only for letters. Extra insurance: put an address sticker on the gift card. “If there is an address on the card, we will send it on to the destination or back to the sender,” our tipster notes.

Listen to your friendly local postal worker. Our tipster might be biased as far as this goes, but she wants our readers to know that she and her colleagues really don’t enjoy wrecking packages. “Trust that most of the people at the post office are professional and really do want to your packages to reach their destinations safely,” she advises. “We are paid very well to do so. When they advise that a box might not survive the shipping process or that a fragile item needs more padding, they mean it.”

Vintage Christmas cards are great and all, but be careful. We wouldn’t have thought of this one: it might be really cool to raid your grandmother’s old box of cards or pick them up at a thrift store, but consider buying a new envelope or sticking the whole thing in a larger envelope and putting the address on that, just to be sure. Why? Old paper and glue. “Paper gets very brittle, and the machines tear them up and destroy old envelopes,” our tipster notes. “then everything, cards, pictures, and gift cards come out of the envelope.”

Plan ahead, just a little. The Christmas stamps will most likely sell out by the week before Christmas. You should have mailed your cards before that anyway. Similarly, while your gift will probably make it across the country in time if you run to the post office on December 21, don’t count on it.

Source: Consumerist.com

USPS Stamp Increase

The United States Postal Service announced a 3 cent price increase for USPS stamps next year. The price for stamps would jump from 46 cents to 49 cents of January of 2014.

Consumer News: Chase to Refund $309 Million to Customers

Customers were charged fees ranging from $7.99 to $11.99 per month for such services without providing Chase authorization to enroll them, and in many cases they weren’t receiving all of the monitoring and protection services they were paying for, the agency says.

Some customers paid for years — as far back as 2005 — without a clue, the Los Angeles Times says.

The bank was ordered to refund $309 million to more than 2.1 million customers, the CFPB says. Chase has already done so: Consumers should have received refunds as an account credit or a check by December of last year.

Source: Yahoo Finance

Consumer News: Amazon Now Delivers Flowers

An Amazon spokesman confirmed that the company started selling flowers directly in early August.

“At Amazon, we continually look for ways to delight our customers and we are pleased to provide them this opportunity to conveniently purchase fresh cut flowers,” Amazon spokesman Scott Stanzel wrote in an email.

As of now, the offering is limited in many ways. For one, Amazon only seems to be selling six flower arrangments to choose from — five of which contain roses — though some styles offer multiple flower colors. A dozen roses of assorted colors is currently selling for $28.92.

Source: Allthingsd.com

Recall: Chobani Yogurt

FDA has issued a recall of most Chobani products, due to product swelling, bloating and fizzing. There have been some claims of illness as the company continues its investigation.

Products recalled:

Chobani 6 oz. cups – all flavors
Chobani 16 oz. tubs – all flavors
Chobani 32 oz. tubs – all flavors
Chobani 3.5 oz. cups – all flavors
Chobani Bite™ 3.5 oz. cups – all flavors
Chobani Flip™ 5.3 oz. containers – all flavors
Chobani Champions® cups 3.5 oz. – all flavors
Chobani Champions® tubes 2.25 oz., 8, 16 and 36 count – all flavors

Best By Date: Sep 11 –13 (four digit time stamp) to Oct 07-13 (four digit time stamp)

Product Codes: 16-012 (three digit line number)

 For a FULL list of every product see the FDA recall here.

Consumer News: Amazon Offering E-Book Discounts for Print Copies

If you've ever bought a print version of a book on Amazon, you can now buy the Kindle edition at a hugely discounted price — from free to $2.99.

Amazon announced on Tuesday a new program called MatchBook, giving customers incentive to buy a digital version of any physical book ever purchased on the site. This includes books bought back in 1995 when Amazon first opened its online bookstore.

See also: What the World’s Biggest Websites Looked Like at Launch

MatchBook, which launches in October, will have more than 10,000 books enrolled in the program. In the meantime, Amazon is asking authors and publishers to enroll their books in Kindle MatchBook, which could also open up additional revenue for both the platform and writers.

Source: Mashable.com

Consumer News: Kindle Book Credit Settlement

If you have purchased Kindle books in the last few years, you are going to want to keep reading!

Dear Kindle Customer,

Last fall we notified you that you are entitled to a credit for some of your past Kindle book purchases as a result of legal settlements between several major book publishers and the Attorneys General of most U.S. states and territories. We wanted to let you know that two more publishers have since settled with some State Attorneys General and Class Plaintiffs and these new settlements may increase the amount of the credit you will receive. A formal notification from the Court about these settlements is included below.

You do not need to do anything to receive this credit. If the Court approves the settlements in December 2013 and there is no appeal, a credit will appear automatically in your Amazon.com account that can be used to purchase Kindle books or print books. We will contact you when the credit is applied to your account. While we will not know the amount of your credit until the Court approves the settlements, it is estimated that it will range from $0.73 to $3.06 for every eligible Kindle book that you purchased. To be eligible, you must have a U.S. billing address and must have purchased a Kindle book published by Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Penguin or Macmillan between April 1, 2010 and May 21, 2012. These publishers will provide the funds for the settlements. If you have already requested a check instead of a credit in response to the notice you received last fall, that request will cover these additional settlements and you do not need to do anything else. If you would like to request a check, you may do so by following the instructions included in the formal notice of the settlements, set forth below. You can learn more about the settlements at www.amazon.com/help/agencyebooksettlements

In addition to the account credit, the settlements impose limitations on the publishers’ ability to control eBook prices. We think these settlements are a big win for readers.

Thank you for being a Kindle customer.

The Amazon Kindle Team

==============================

============================ Settlement ID Number: AMRqs09nBfV9cuiLpx Benefits from E-books Settlement Fund Para unanotificación en Español, llamar o visitarnuestro website. Records indicate that you are eligible for a payment from Settlements reached by State Attorneys General and Class Plaintiffs with E-book publishers Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC, (known as Macmillan) (“Macmillan”) and Penguin Group (USA) Inc.(“Penguin”). The Settlements resolve Plaintiffs’ claims against Macmillan and Penguin in antitrust lawsuits about the price of electronic books (“E-books”). Amazon has not been sued in these cases. It is providing this notice as a service to its customers. What the Settlements Provide The Macmillan and Penguin Settlements, together with settlements previously approved by the Court, create a $162.25 million fund for payments to consumers who purchased qualifying E-books from April 1, 2010 through May 21, 2012. If the Court approves the Macmillan and Penguin Settlements, eligible consumers like you will receive automatic credits to your E-reader accounts. The credit can be used on any purchases of E-books or print books. The amount of your payment has been determined based on the qualifying E-book purchases identified by Amazon in your E-reader account. How to Receive your Benefit Because you are pre-qualified, you do not need to do anything to receive your credit. It will be applied to your account by Amazon automatically, and you will receive another email letting you know when it’s available. Please note, while this notice is for the Macmillan and Penguin Settlements, your payment from all settling publishers will be combined and issued as one credit for your Amazon E-reader account. (If you bought E-books from more than one retailer, you may receive notices with different instructions about whether you will receive a credit or need to file a Claim Form for that retailer. You will have a separate claim for each retailer and you should follow the specific instructions from each one.) You also have the option to receive a check instead of your credit. You can request a check by calling 1-866-621-4153, or going to the Settlement website listed below, and clicking on the Check Request Option link on or before October 21, 2013. Be sure to reference the Settlement ID number found at the top of this email. The Settlement website is: www.EBookAGSettlements.com. Your Other Rights You can choose to exclude yourself from the Macmillan and/or Penguin Settlements and keep your right to sue on your own. If you exclude yourself, you can’t receive any benefits from that Settlement. If you don’t exclude yourself, you can submit objections about the Macmillan and/or Penguin Settlements. Your written Exclusion Form or objections must be postmarked by October 21, 2013. Please visit the Settlement website for detailed information on how to submit a valid Exclusion Form or objection. The antitrust lawsuit against Apple, Inc. continues. Your rights in the separate suit are not affected by any action you take in regards to these Settlements. The Court will hold a hearing on December 6, 2013, at 3:00 p.m. to consider whether to approve the Settlements. You or your own lawyer may ask to appear and speak at the hearing. For more detailed information: Call 1-866-621-4153 or visit www.EBookAGSettlements.com

Must Know Coupon Lingo

$1/1, $1/2 - This means you save the first amount off the second number of items. So, you save 1 dollar off one item or 1 dollar off two items, etc

2/$1, 3/$2 - This means the first number of items will only cost this much money.  So, for example: 2 items only cost 1 dollar, or 3 items cost 2 dollars, etc

B1G1 or BOGO - Buy one, Get one – sometimes free, something for a percent off the price.

B2G1 or B2GO - See above, but in this case you have to buy 2 to get one.

Blinkie - The red machines with a flashing light that spits out coupons.  Typically found in grocery stores, but I have seen them in a few discount super stores and drug stores on occasion.

CAT - A coupon that prints from a Catalina machine.  These coupons are good on your next purchase.  Most commonly found at Walgreens and grocery stores.

Catalina Machine - A Marketing tool that manufacturers use as an incentive to shop.

Coupon Policy - Every store has a coupon policy and some are easier to find than others.

CPN (also see Q): Coupon

CRT - Cash Register Tape.  At CVS (as well as many other stores) you get coupons on the bottom of you cash register tape.

DND - Do Not Double.  Some coupons will not allow you to double them, no matter what the store’s policy is

Double – Meaning the coupon can be double (according to store policy)

Ea. - Each

ECB or ECBs - Extra Care Bucks can be earned at CVS

ES - Easy Saver is a rebate booklet put out my Walgreen’s.

ETS: Excludes Trial Sizes

EX or Exp. Expiration date or date the coupon expires

Extreme Couponing – Enter the world of bargain shoppers who have mastered the art of saving! In Extreme Couponing, meet the everyday people who save hundreds of dollars in a single trip to the store. Wednesdays at 8 Central on TLC

FAR: Free after rebate

Food and Family – Recipe and Kitchen tip magazine published by Kraft Foods

GC – Gift Card or Gift Certificate

GM - General Mills coupon insert found in most Sunday papers

HBA – Health and Beauty products

HOT - Meaning hot deal or hot coupon that you better grab quickly as it won’t last long

Inserts - Loose coupon booklets found in the Sunday paper

IP - Internet Printable Coupon

IVC - Instant Value Coupons (found in Walgreen’s rebate booklet

Manager’s Discretion - The store’s manager often has the ability to set set limits on coupons and number of items you can purchase.

MFC or MFR: Manufacturer’s Coupon

MIR - Mail in Rebate.  You typically have to mail in proof of purchase as well as the UPC code and they send you a check back.

MQ - Manufacturer’s Coupon.  These are provided by the manufacturer.

NED - No expiration date.  Meaning the coupon never expires (be very careful with these! they are not always valid coupons)

NT WT - Net Weight.  Some coupons are only good on products with a specific net weight

OAS: On any size – some coupons specify the size product to buy and some are perfectly happy as long as you buy something. 

OOP - Out of Pocket.  Typically used in store match up posts to explain how much you will have to actually pay.

OOS - Out of Stock.  Means the item is not available in that store at this time because they have sold out.

OTC - Over the Counter.  Drugs and Medicines that are available without a prescription.

Overage: This means you save more than the item actually costs!  Depending on the store policy, you may or may not actually get the overage, but it is fun to know it was there regardless.

OYNO: On Your Next Order.  Sometimes you order from a website an item that gives you a discount on your next order

OYNP: On Your Next Purchase.  Sometimes you buy an item that gives you a discount on your next purchase

P&G: Proctor and Gamble insert found in the Sunday Paper

Peelie or Peelies: Coupons that are on the front of a product and can be peeled to use on your current shopping trip.

POP: Proof of Purchase – used when sending in a MIR

PSA:  Prices starting at

Q - Coupon

QQ - Coupon Queen… are you a QQ?

RC: Rain Check.  Some stores offer a rain check on OOS items.  Meaning, you can purchase it at the sale price when they get more in store.

Rebate: A deduction from an amount to be paid or a return of part of an amount given in payment.  Staples always has MIR sales

RP - Red Plum:  An insert in your Sunday paper 

RR  - Register Reward: these money off coupons can be found at Walgreen’s

SCR - Single Check Rebate is an incentive program from Rite Aid that offers you an MIR when you make a qualifying purchase

SS - Smart Source is a coupon insert found in the Sunday paper.

Stacking - Refers to using a store coupon and an manufacturer’s coupon on the same product (please read the store coupon policy first)

Stockpile – The place where you keep all of your bulk or extra items

Stockpiling -To build up lots of extra items

Store Coupon: Coupons that must be used in a specific store.

Tearpad - A pad of coupons that is found on a store shelf or hanging in front of a store shelf

UPC – The Universal Product Code is found on the product packaging and is typically needed for MIRs

+UP Reward: Rite Aid reward program

WYB - When You Buy (example:  get 1 gallon of free milk WYB 4 GM cereals)

YMMV - Your Mileage May Very.  Meaning that each store and location may have different rules.

Source: coupon lingo, from 3boysandadog.com.

Toys R Us: New Price Match Policy

According to Toys R Us, they will now match prices from selected online competitor websites, including Walmart.com, Target.com, BestBuy.com, Sears.com, Kmart.com, buybuyBaby.com, Meijer.com, FredMeyer.com, diapers.com, BabyDepot.com, and Amazon.com (not including marketplace pricing).

Keep in mind that online prices must be verifiable via competitor website. Prices are matched after deducting any Toys”R”Us and/or Babies”R”Us coupon savings and other offers from the price. Competitor shipping charges will be calculated and factored in the cost of online prices.

Plus, please note that Toys R Us will not price match online prices advertised during the week of Black Friday or on Cyber Monday and online pricing that is limited to one day or less (e.g. one day deal, 6-hour sale, evening sale). Click here for all the details.

Back to School Twitter Party 8/6: $460 in Prizes! #schoolsavings

Mark your calendars! We are excited to be hosting a back to school Twitter party with Hosts: @prettyfrugal, @asavingswow, @savingsmania, @aleamilham, @savings, @savingsclasses

With the kids heading back to school in a couple of weeks, it's time to start thinking about stocking up on all those school supplies. Retailers are offering some amazing deals right now, and there's never a better time to snatch up boxes of crayons for a few pennies, discounted back packs and more! 

To celebrate Back to School, we'll be chatting it up on Tuesday afternoon, August 6, 2013 at 12pm PT/3pm ET in the #schoolsavings hash tag on Twitter.

RSVP here.

Consumer News: Meijer To Eliminate Double Coupons

Meijer will discontinue doubling coupons in all of its nearly 200 stores in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky, effective August 26th. “It’s true that we (will) no longer double coupons,” a spokesperson wrote on Facebook today, in response to a customer question about rumors of double coupons’ demise. “We are shifting our resources to mPerks digital coupons.”

The move confirms what many had long suspected, ever since Meijer first did away with doubles in about 30 stores earlier this year (read: “Double Coupons Keep on Dying”). Testing the waters, perhaps? “Be prepared for all Meijer stores to follow suit at some point,” the website Bargains to Bounty reported back in March. “The latest rumors say (the remaining) stores could change policy in September.”

Five months later, it appears the rumors were off by only a week.

So why the change? “Less than five percent of Meijer customers used double coupons,” Meijer claimed in its Facebook post, “but nearly 1.5 million have signed up for mPerks,” the store’s digital coupon program. It’s a similar rationale that Kroger has used, as it slowly eliminates doubles in many of its regions of the country. Kroger claims that so few people take advantage of double coupons, that everyone will be better served if the chain invests in lower prices instead.

Source: Couponsinthenews.com

How to Create a Grocery Store Price Book

Save even more at the grocery store, when you create a price book. Check out these tips from All You.

Summer Savings Infographic

Free Financial Printables

Getting your finances organized? Then you need these printables!

Photo credit: Pinch A Little

Borax: 20+ Uses Around the House

You might remember Borax being a staple in your mom or grandmother's homes. Well, it's still a must-have for every home. There are so many uses, here are 10 to get you started!

• Preserving Flowers 
  
  Fresh-cut flowers of many varieties may be permanently preserved. Borax removes moisture from blossoms and leaves, thereby preventing the wilting which would normally result. Two different mixtures (by weight) are recommended: two parts 20 Borax and one part dry white sand, or one part Borax and two parts corn meal. 
  
  Carpet Cleaning 
  
  Use a 1/2 cup of Borax per gallon of water in carpet steam cleaning machines. 
  
  Toilet Bowl Cleaner 
  
  Pour 1 cup of borax into the toilet bowl at night before you go to sleep. The next morning clean out the toilet bowl with a brush. The borax will loosen all the grime buildup. 
  
  “Goo Gone” Remover 
  
  Mix together borax and water in a 2-to-1 ratio. Rub on to get rid of sticky, gooey, gummy adhesive residue. 
  
  Humidifiers 
  
  To help keep your humidifier free of odor, dissolve one tablespoon of borax per gallon of water and add it to the unit. Be sure to rinse out this solution before refilling your humidifier with pure water prior to use. 
  
  Pests 
  
  Keep roaches, water bugs, and ants away by sprinkling a combination of equal parts all-natural borax and sugar. 
  
  Flea Killer 
  
  Sprinkle borax on dog beds, carpets, and other areas where you suspect that fleas are hatching. Borax releases boric acid, which is a poison (note that very high doses would need to be ingested to harm a pet or human). 
    
  
  Mice Deterrent 
  
  Sprinkle borax on the floor along the walls (mice like to run along the side of walls). They don’t like getting the borax on their feet, so they are less likely to return to that area of the house.  
  
  Shower, Tub & Tile 
  
  Sprinkle on a damp sponge or soft cloth and use as you would a powdered cleanser. This can even be used on fiberglass surfaces without scratching. Rinse thoroughly. 
  
  Clean Hairbrushes and Combs 
  
  Mix a quarter cup borax and a tablespoon of a grease cutting dishwashing liquid (like Dawn) in a basin of warm water. Swish brushes in the sudsy water, let soak, rinse, and let dry. 
  
  Cleaning Cookware 
  
  Borax is a mild and gentle cleaner for porcelain and aluminum cookware. Sprinkle on pots and pans and rub with a damp dishcloth. Rinse thoroughly. 
  
  Refrigerator Deodorizer 
  
  Spilled food can be washed away with a sponge or soft cloth using a solution of 1 quart warm water and 1 tablespoon of borax. Rinse with cold water. 
  
  Mold Inhibitor 
  
  Make a thick borax and water paste. Smear it on the moldy area. Let set until dry (overnight or longer). Sweep up the powder, and rinse off the rest. 
  
  Garbage Can Deodorizer 
  
  Deodorize your garbage pail by filling it with borax and water. Let it soak then rinse it out. Sprinkle some borax in the bottom once it’s clean. This will keep the bugs away and absorb any odor causing moisture. 
  
  Remove Rust 
  
  Remove rust by mixing the above solution with a tablespoon of lemon juice. 
  
   Sink Cleaner 
  
  Remove stains from stainless steel or porcelain sinks with a paste or 1 cup borax and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Using a sponge or cloth, rub the stain with the paste. Rinse with warm water. 
  
  Kill Weeds
  
  Useful for weeds that surface in concrete cracks and on walkways, but shouldn’t be used in the garden because it will also kill your plants. 
  
  Outdoor Furniture 
  
  Mix 1 teaspoon dish detergent, 1 teaspoon borax and 1 quart warm water in a spray bottle and use to clean outdoor furniture. 
  
  Cat Litter Deodorizer 
  
  Minimize odor in your cat’s litter box by mixing a few tablespoons of borax in with the litter. 
  
  Garbage Disposal Cleaner 
  
  Clean and sanitize your garbage disposal by putting 3 tablespoons of borax down the drain. Let it sit for an hour and flush it with warm water. 
  
  Shine China 
  
  Make your worn china sparkle again by soaking in a sink full of warm water and a 1/2 cup of borax. Rinse well and wash a second time as usual. 
  
  Linens 
  
  Remove mildew and mustiness from linens by soaking them in 2 cups of borax mixed with 2 quarts of water. Let the linens sit for a few hours, then rinse clean. 
  
  Unclog Drains 
  
  Unclog drains with 1/2 cup of borax followed by 2 cups of boiling water. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then run your water for a few minutes to flush it out. 
  
  Clean Mattresses 
  
  Remove urine odor from a mattress. Wet the mattress, rub in borax with a damp cloth. Let dry, then vacuum up the remaining residue. 

Coupons.com Savings Club Shutting Down

As of July 10th, this Savings Club program will be coming to an end! Keep in mind that current members will still have access to log in and clip the Savings Club coupons (through July 10th), but if you are currently paying for a subscription, billings will stop effective immediately .

Coupons.com Savings Club Update:

*After July 10, 2013, premium Savings Club coupons will no longer be available when you log in to Coupons.com.

*Starting now and through July 10, 2013 (more than a month), you will continue to have access when logged in to clip and print premium Savings Club coupons.

*Effective immediately, they are halting any and all billings, so you won’t be charged again. You will be receiving a separate email notice from either TrialPay or Recurly (the payment processors) stating that your subscription with them has been canceled – but you will still be able to get premium Savings Club coupons through July 10, 2013.

*For annual subscribers, you will be refunded within 1 week the pro rata, remaining portion of your last payment as of May 30, 2013. For example, if there are 6 of 12 months left on your subscription (half) as of today, they’ll be crediting your credit card with half of your $30 subscription fee.

Printable Coupon Policies for 30+ Stores

This is a must bookmark and print from All You- the coupon policies for 30 stores. Print and bring with you the next time you go shopping!

Why Retailers Ask for Your Zip Code

According to this NY Times article, giving away your zip code could mean giving away a lot more than that.

It turns out, though, that stores are asking you for marketing purposes — an issue that is starting to come to light in state courts. Stores want your ZIP code because, combined with your name from your credit card, they can use it to find out other information about you from commercial databases, like your full mailing address. They may even sell the information to data brokers, who sell it to other marketers.

The result can be unwanted catalogs and other junk mail. (To get a simple idea of the cumulative impact of each tidbit of information, try searching for your name alone on Google search, and then search again using your name and ZIP code, and see how much more data comes back.)