Category Archives: Saving Money

Rent–Don’t Buy–the Special Occasion Dress

By Marilynne Rudick on October 22, 2012

Do you have too many wear-once dresses bought for weddings, graduations, bar mitzvahs, charity balls. or Academy Awards? Are men onto something by renting—not buying—duds for a special occasion? That’s the premise for RentTheRunway. Rent the special-occasion dress at a fraction of the purchase price. Wear it once, then send it back.

Also posted in E-Commerce, Fun!
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Yelp: Customers Rate Local Services

By Marilynne Rudick on June 29, 2012

I was looking for new hair salon. In the past, I’ve relied on recommendations from friends. But this time, I turned to Yelp, a consumer-based website that allows anyone to review a local business or service. Are the recommendations reliable?

Also posted in Research, Social Networking
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Why Do Ebooks Cost So Much?

By Marilynne Rudick on April 18, 2012

Do ebooks cost too much? The U. S. Department of Justice thinks so. It filed suit against Apple and five publishers charging them with price fixing: colluding to jack up the price of ebooks. Will the suit result in lower ebook prices?

Also posted in E-Commerce, eBooks
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December 16th is Free Shipping Day

By Marilynne Rudick on December 14, 2011

If you’ve put off buying holiday gifts, your procrastination will be rewarded. More than 2000 merchants are offering free shipping on December 16th. But don’t despair if you miss out on December 16th. This holiday season lots of merchants are competing for your business by offering free shipping. But why pay for shipping anytime? Here’s how to find merchants who offer free shipping–and free return shipping–all year.

Also posted in E-Commerce
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Ten Tips to Make Your Online Shopping Merry and Safe

By Marilynne Rudick on December 2, 2011

A growing number of people do their holiday shopping online. Cyber Monday sales were up 22% from last year. But more than online sales are soaring. So is online fraud—bogus websites selling counterfeit goods, and scammers who steal your identity while you hunt for bargains.

Does this mean giving up online shopping this holiday season? No! The vast majority of sales are legitimate and hassle-free. But it does mean taking precautions. Here are ten tips for making your online shopping merry and safe.

Also posted in E-Commerce, Safety & Privacy
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Kindle Books Now at Your Library: Check it out!

By Marilynne Rudick on October 23, 2011

Buried in the hoopla about Amazon’s new bargain-priced Kindles and its Kindle Fire tablet, is some very good news: You can now borrow ebooks in the Kindle format from public libraries. The good news: checking out a Kindle ebook from my library is as easy as purchasing an ebook from Amazon. The bad news: the ebook offerings are limited. Here’s what you need to know about borrowing Kindle ebooks.

Also posted in eBooks
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5 Painless—Even Fun—Ways to Save the Planet

By Marilynne Rudick on April 20, 2011

Despite the urgency of saving the planet, recycling and reusing can feel like flossing, something you know you should do, but it’s not much fun. Take heart. The web offers a treasure trove of resources that make saving the planet more chic than chore. And you can even save money doing it.

Also posted in Fun!, Social Networking, Uncategorized Add a comment

5 Top Sites for Last Minute Travel Deals

By Marilynne Rudick on March 10, 2011

It’s true that the early bird often gets the best travel deals. But sometimes you need a quick get-away. Happily there are often rewards for last-minute travelers.Travel suppliers would rather get less money for a hotel room, than no money for an empty room. Check out these last-minute travel sites that offer hefty discounts.

Also posted in Fun!, Travel Add a comment

Celebrate Read an eBook Week with Free eBooks

By Marilynne Rudick on March 7, 2011

March 6th is the beginning of “Read an eBook Week.; Celebrate by downloading and reading a free eBook. Here’s where to find them.

Also posted in Blogging, eBooks, Fun! 1 Comment

What’s the Daily Deal? Groupon and Livingsocial Offer Deep Discounts

By Marilynne Rudick on February 3, 2011

What happens when you marry e-commerce and social networking, then add the age-old advertising tag: limited time only? The result is deal of the day. Here’s how it works. You sign up at the deal website, and everyday you get a special offer via e-mail for a deeply discounted product or service customized for your location. The catch is you can only purchase the deal that day. But typically, you have up to a year to use the deal you purchased.

Also posted in E-Commerce, Fun!, Social Networking, Uncategorized 1 Comment

Who Is Craig and What’s His List?

By Marilynne Rudick on October 8, 2010

Craigslist is the world’s largest online classified ad service. Use it to find a job or sell an item. It’s appeal–mostly free and ads are posted to a specific geographic area (currently 700 locations and more than 70 countries). Sellers as well as scam artists flock to Craigslist. Learn how to use it, and how to avoid being scammed.

Also posted in E-Commerce, Safety & Privacy, Social Networking Add a comment

How to Find Free Shipping E-tailers

By Marilynne Rudick on September 26, 2010

Hate paying shipping and handling fees on online orders? Here’s how to find e-tailers that ship for free.

Also posted in E-Commerce
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Half-Price Ticket Service Gets a Goldstar

By Marilynne Rudick on June 22, 2010

The online ticket broker, Goldstar, offers half-price ticket to event in 13 cities. Subscribe to a weekly e-mail customized by ZIP code for a listing of all discounted events.

Also posted in E-Commerce, E-Mail & Messaging, Fun!
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