When you think about AAA, you probably just think about your car, and how they can help if you get a flat tire, get stuck, or anything else like that.

While that is all very true, AAA can help you get a lot of discounts in other ways. Although I have to admit, sometimes it can be hit or miss.

We have AAA, and every time we are getting ready to book a hotel, we check both the regular rates, as well as AAA rates. Most of the time though, the regular internet rates are lower than AAA rates. I always check, because you never know.

Well, this past week, we were able to use AAA rates for 2 of the hotels we stayed at, one a Courtyard Marriott, and the other a Comfort Inn – both in Canada. Not only did the AAA card get us better rates, but it got us free buffet breakfast at the Marriott that is normally $18 per person per day. Not bad right?

AAA did even more for us this trip. They offer discounts to a lot of attractions as well. We knew that and have used them in the past, and even went to a AAA office in Asheville, NC last year to get a discount to an attraction. Well, we were able to get AAA discounts at both the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY and at Howe Caverns, which is about 45 min away from Cooperstown. So we ended up saving quite a bit on our trip due to having the AAA card.

They also offer discounts to theme parks, and even some stores (both in store and online), so it’s defintely something to check out, especially if you already have a AAA card, and hardly use it!

A little over 4 months ago, we were lucky enough to get a really cute (and active!) kitten named Halley. She was the first pet we’ve ever had, so we had to start from scratch and figure out what to buy, where to buy it, and more. Since then, we’ve learned a lot about how to save money on everything cat related – food, toys, litter, etc. Here are some of the things we’ve learned.


5 Ways to Save Money on Everything Cat Related:

1. Don’t waste money on expensive toys. When we first got Halley, we bought a few toys. While she likes some of them – especially the balls with bells in them – her favorite toys cost us absolutely nothing. She loves to play with the tab that comes from milk containers and candy wrappers. So you can be sure to find something in your home that your cat will enjoy playing with, without having to spend anything.
2. Figure out what your cat likes before spending a lot of money on cat furniture or beds as well. We had purchased a cute little scratching post that had a little cubby hole in which the cat could hide in. In the 4 months we’ve had her, she’s gone in it once. She just doesn’t like it! At least she uses the scratching post, so we’re happy with that. Also, some cats love a bed that’s theirs alone. Our cat prefers to sleep in our bed, or on chairs or the floor, and doesn’t even usually sleep on blankets we have out.
3. Consider all options when checking out the price of cat food and litter. Yes, there are big chain pet stores like Petco and Petsmart, but you can also get cat food and litter at your local grocery store, Target, Walmart, and many other places. Plus, you can use coupons on these as well. Once you have a brand of food or litter you like to buy, make sure you check out the prices (and sales) of all of the above mentioned places so that you will always find the cheapest prices.
4. Don’t always assume you have to pay a lot at the vet’s office to get things done. Just yesterday we saw that our town will have $10 rabies shots for cats in November. Getting your cat spayed/neutered can also be very inexpensive if you look around because shelters and local towns will offer that as well.
5. Similarly, you don’t always have to buy pet products from your vet either. There are many websites (and even local stores) that will sell the medications (such as flea collars, things to get your cat to stop scratching everywhere etc…) for a lot less than the vet will, so always do a price comparison.

As you can see, there are a lot of ways you can save money when buying things for your cat. A cat doesn’t have to be a huge expense to the household, and can bring a lot of fun and enjoyment!

Unfortunately, it’s the unofficial end of the summer, but at least most people get a long weekend out of it. With the extra day off of work though, how can you end up not spending more than usual? Here are 4 ways to save money this Labor Day:

1. Don’t fall for all the “Labor Day Events” or “Back to School Sales”. Yes, there are a LOT of sales going on today, and some of them have great deals. But, unfortunately not all of them are deals at all. Before you decide to buy something, spend a few minutes online doing a price comparison, and see if that item really is a good deal, or if you should wait to pick it up.
2. Do something for free. It’s still nice outside, so it’s the perfect time to go to the park, go hiking with some friends, or even picnic outside. You can really enjoy the day, and not have to spend a single penny. Just make sure you invite friends and/or family, and you’ll be sure to have a great time.
3. Don’t go down the shore. Most likely everyone you know is going to the shore to enjoy the summer one last time. If it took forever to get there earlier this summer, imagine how long it will take you to get there today! You’ll end up wasting not only half of your day getting there, but a lot of extra gas as well while you’re stuck sitting in traffic. Find something exciting to do that’s a lot closer to home. You’ll still have an enjoyable day, and won’t be frustrated or waste gas.
4. If you’re going to any store or mall, bring coupons. Even if you just plan on window shopping, you never know when you’ll come across a good deal. A holiday like this is a time where many stores will have coupons. Something like 15% or 20% off your order would be perfect if you end up finding a great deal. You’ll be able to save even more money.

SheSpeaks is a company where women can test new products and have an input into what these products become.

Basically, this is how it works. Every so often if you fit a certain profile (different products have different suggested audiences) you’ll get an email asking if you would like to test the product. If you do, they’ll send you the product (for free of course). You get to try the product and keep it. You then report back to them telling them what you liked, as well as what you didn’t like. If you have any suggestions on how it could be better, you let them know that as well.

They also have a forum with other people who like yourself are also testing the product. There you are able to talk about the product as well. They will even sometimes give you coupons that you can give to your friends.

Last week I got a product in the mail to test, so I was really excited. They sent me the EOS Shaving Cream in Island Blue. They have 3 different fragrances: Pomegranate Raspberry, Vanilla Bliss, and Island Blue. They asked which I would prefer to test, and I chose the Island Blue.

I have had the chance to try it a few times, and I really like it. The scent definitely has an “island” type smell, although I can’t really pinpoint what the scent is. I really like it though, and that’s what matters. I also really like the can it came in. It has a pump you press to get it out, which makes it very easy to use with just one hand.

It also came with a bunch of coupons, and while I’ll happily give some to friends, I have to admit I’ll keep a few for myself! I know that it’s sold at Target, as well as online at Drugstore.com.

If it wasn’t for SheSpeaks, I would never have tried it, so I’m glad I got to test the product, and give them my feedback.

Every time you look, prices keep going up. At the gas station, grocery store, even the airlines, every time you blink you see higher prices.

No matter what you want to do this summer, it looks like it might cost a little more money than last summer.   The good news is that there are many things you can do to bring the costs down, and still save money.

Here are 7 ways you can still have a fun summer, do a lot, and spend a lot less money.

1. Look for free (or very inexpensive) entertainment.

• You can take the whole family to the movies for free or $1.00.
• Bring lunch with you and have a picnic at a local park. You can spend the whole day there, and not have to spend a time, and everyone will have fun.
• You can go to a minor league baseball game. You can get great seats for under $10.00 a person, sometimes even for about $5.00 each. Many minor league games even have special nights with free stuff for the kids, or even fireworks for even more entertainment.
• Take advantage of your local library. You can rent book, magazines, and DVDs that can keep the whole family entertained for hours…especially on a rainy afternoon!

2. Plan your meals ahead of time.

It’s very easy to decide to go out to eat when it’s hot outside, it’s almost dinner time, and you have no idea what to make.

If you decide ahead of time what you’re going to make for the week, and even make some of it ahead of time (or use a crock pot in the morning), you won’t be so tempted to go out to dinner. This can really save you money (as well as calories!) since eating out usually costs a lot more than anything you can make at home.

3. Eat what is in season.

Now is the best time for local fruits and vegetables. They’ll be cheap, and taste fresh. If you buy fruit and vegetables that are in season where you live, you’ll spend a lot less on groceries than if you buy out of season items that had to be shipped to your local grocery store. Plus, you’ll have nice fresh fruit and veggies that have just been picked, and you’ll even have the benefit of supporting your local economy.

4. Spend less on your vacation.

You don’t have to fly somewhere to have a fun vacation.  Look to travel somewhere that’s nearby. No matter where you live, there are probably many places you can visit that are within a short driving distance that everyone will enjoy. Since you’ll be driving, you can make sure to bring with you breakfast foods as well as snacks and bottled water. This will save you a lot of money as well since you’ll only have to buy lunch and dinner out.

5. Make sure you compare prices.

While this goes for everything else as well, especially use it when you’re planning your vacation. You would be surprised at the difference in prices on the same hotel from one website to another.

Plus, if you’re going somewhere (like a theme park) that has an entrance fee, you can comparison shop to find the best prices on those as well. Consider going to your local AAA or even fast food restaurant to look for those kinds of discounts.

6. Lower your utility bills (as well as gas for your car).

• Dry your clothes outside. It’s beautiful and warm outside. Now is the time to give your dryer a break, and put the clothes outside to get dry.
• If you have air conditioning, still use your fan as well (especially a ceiling fan). You’ll be able to keep your house cooler, and it costs less to run a fan than your air conditioner. You’ll be able to use the A/C less, and still keep your home nice and cool.
• Run your dishwasher and do your laundry at night. In many places, you’ll save money for using electricity at night when it isn’t as hot and there isn’t as much of a demand for it.
• Plan your errands ahead of time. If you know where you need to drive for the week, you can group all of the places that are near each other so you can do them at once. This way you will drive less, and save money on gas.
• You can also use a website like GasBuddy to find the best prices on gas.  Make sure you stop to get gas when you’re in the area for other reasons, or you’ll just be wasting what you’re trying to save money on!

7. Mystery Shop so you can do more for less.

If you want to go out to eat or shop, but don’t want to spend your own money, consider mystery shopping. This way you’ll still be able to go out to eat (or buy things) without breaking the bank this summer. It does require a bit of work, but if you don’t mind describing your experience at a restaurant or retail shop, you can get these things for free. I’ve even seen theme parks as well as hotels being mystery shopped, so who knows how much this could help your budget!

If you’re looking to buy books but don’t want to spend a lot of money, consider buying used books from Amazon.Whenever you look up a book, underneath the price you’ll see how many are available new and used. If you click on that button, you’ll see a lot of used books for sale, as well as the condition of the books. Many of them are in new or almost new condition, but will only cost a few pennies.

Of course, you’ll have to pay shipping, at $3.99 a book, but that means that you can get many books for about $4.00 each! If you’re looking at a book that is normally a lot more expensive, you can save a lot by getting the used version. I did this recently for a CD set which was regularly $35.00. I got it for $20.00, and it was brand new. I am in the middle of getting together another order for Amazon, and have a few used books in that order. I know I will save quite a bit by getting the book used.

Last weekend I was at my local Border’s looking around, and remembered something. They have a LOT of “bargain” books, as does Barnes & Noble. Both stores usually have an entire section dedicated to bargain books, where they are marked down from their regular price. I’ve noticed it’s usually near the cashier section, but not always.

You might think that all of these books are old and no good, and that’s why they are in the bargain section, but that’s not always true. While searching through them, we found quite a few cookbooks that looked really interesting. At full price, we never would have taken a second glance, but at $3.99 each, we decided to try a few! There were even a few Rachael Ray cookbooks that were there for under $5.00 each.

We found a few books that we liked that were $9.99 each, but we decided to hold off on them. Turns out that we didn’t make the best decision. We got home and searched Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Amazon’s web sites, and they were all selling it for $20+!

While you might not always find something good, it’s definitely worth taking a 1-2 minute walk through when you’re in the store. You never know what type of books you’ll find, and at low prices too!

Sometimes, buying the floor model can save you a LOT of money. I can understand why for certain things you would want to make sure the item you buy is in the box, has all of the manuals, is brand new, and has no scratches or dents, but sometimes that just isn’t important.

Take for example a small stereo. We were looking to buy one for our house. Our house was built with speakers in the ceiling of each room, and was set up so that all we needed was a portable stereo that we could hook up, and we would get great music in each room.

The problem is, with the one we had since we moved into the house, you could only play the radio or 1 cd at a time. Since the stereo is kept high up in our laundry room, it was very inconvenient to get to, so we decided to get a new one that would play mp3′s, and have a better remote than ours did.

Since this was definitely a want, and not a need, we weren’t willing to spend more than $100.00 on it. So, we went to Best Buy to take a look at what they had. They had a few different choices, but one in particular caught our eye. The Panasonic SC-EN37 Micro System had side speakers that we could easily take off and connect the wires to our system, so that was most important to us. It plays mp3′s, so that was great as well. It even would play an iPod, so although we don’t have one now, if we got one in the future, it would be perfect.

What was even better, was that it was normally $129.99, but was on clearance for $79.99. That was a great price, so we were excited. Of course, because we like to shop around, we then went home and did some research online, finding out that first – it is a good product, and second – that WAS indeed the best price around. So this past weekend, we went back to Best Buy to pick it up.

Guess what? They were all sold out, and only had the floor model left. Since it looked in good shape, and we could see that it worked, that didn’t bother us. We did ask if we took the floor model, what kind of discount we could get off of it…and this is where I was shocked. The sales woman told us we would get it for $39.99. Talk about excited! We were told that there was no box or instructions, but let’s face it…it’s a simple stereo, we didn’t need instructions, and if we really did, I’m sure we could find them online. We didn’t care about not having a box. It was worth the $40.00 savings not to get a box!

So we ended up getting a really nice new sound system for our house for $39.99, regularly $129.99.

So while getting the floor model might not sound ideal, if you really want a certain model, but don’t want to pay the full price, it’s a great way to save a little bit of money! Usually the store will be willing to negotiate as well, so you might get an even better deal. It’s definitely worth checking out!

The other day Scott mentioned that he’d like to start listening to audio books on the way to and from work. He figures he spends about an hour in the car each day, and never has any time to read…so this way he could listen to all the books he’s been meaning to read.

Without thinking, we headed over to Barnes & Noble to see if we could get a good audio book. Boy were we in for a surprise!! Each audio book was at least $30.00, and most were a lot more than that! There was no way we were going to get any audio books that way.

That’s when it finally hit both of us. We could get the audio books from the library. Not only that, but they’d bring them to our closest library, so we would only have to go a few blocks from our house to pick them up.

We were even able to do one better. By checking out the website for our library, we found out that NJ has a free online audio book rental system. Our county is affiliated with it, so we can just go find a book they have, download it, and listen to it right then. Many you can only listen to on your hard drive or mp3 player, but some you could even burn to cd to listen to it.

So now between the new website, and requesting audio books from our library, he can get all the audio books he wants, and we don’t have to spend a penny.

That made us very happy. It’s just funny that it took us so long to come up with it! I guess when we think of libraries, we just think about books, and forget that they have audio books, music cds, movie dvds, magazines, and more.

Another way to “earn” extra money and be able to get things for free is by getting and using points. There are lots of ways to get “points”. When you fly, you can sign up for and get frequent flyer miles. When you stay at a hotel, you can often get points. Even when you go shopping you can earn points. The question is, what on earth should you do with them?

Well, it depends on what the points are, and what they can do for you.

Let’s take a look at airline frequent flyer miles. Most airlines offer them, and if you fly on one airline a lot, you can earn free flights. I usually fly Continental Airlines, so I save those miles so that I can get free flights. But since I do pick flights based on price, and not because of the airline, once in a while I will end up flying another airline. I always make sure I sign up for their frequent flyer miles as well. But I know that I’ll never get enough miles for a free flight. I don’t want the miles to go to waste though, when there are other things I can do. This can happen with airline miles, hotel points, shopping points, or more. If you know you’ll never be able to use them at their respective airlines/hotels/stores, why should they just sit there and go to waste?

They shouldn’t have to just sit there, unused, when there are many other things you might want to buy, but not want to spend the money on. The good news is there are sites like Points.com where you can use these points for other things. While I am sure that there are other similar programs out there, I personally use them, so I’ll show you how they work. Other companies are most likely similar.

What happens is you log into their website, and enter in all your information for the programs that they have. They currently have 30+ different airline, hotel, and shopping programs that they are affiliated with.

Some include American Airlines, Delta SkyMiles, Priority Club Rewards, Trip Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Starbucks Rewards, and more. Once you have entered your information in, you will see what you can get for your points. They offer many gift certificates, such as Amazon, Macy’s, Gap, Sears, Best Buy, Lowe’s, Blockbuster, Target, and many more. You can also swap your miles or points for points/miles in other programs. So let’s say you are trying to get a free Delta flight, but recently got a bunch of American Airline Miles. You can use this program to change them into more Delta miles to help you get closer to your goal.

It’s a great way to use miles/points when otherwise they might have gone unused, and might have even eventually expired. This way, you can put it towards something you will actually like, and use instead of just sitting there.