Oh wow, I have FINALLY found the jackpot, friends. It’s dealnews. It’s a website that collects all the latest and greatest deals online and organizes them all for easy viewing. This site is amazing! It’s especially good for  electronics deals, and nabbing good prices on apparel, toys, movies and travel deals. Sweet!

Take, for example, my recent quest for a good, reliable paper shredder at a good price. I couldn’t find anything, even with my browser plugin. But here it is, found easily at dealnews.

The price is a good $15 less than what I paid, too.

Well, I learned my lesson. I’m definitely checking out dealnews.com first. The sales are very good, it’s like Black Friday every day. :D The prices on electronics are especially good– dealnews.com has a huge, huge listing of laptops, computers, hard drives, TVs, and more.

If you are like me and tend to forget to check websites first, you can have dealnews.com email you deals in email alerts. You can tailor the emails to suit your deal, too– choose a particular category or a specific product or a particular store, and dealnews will email you when they know there’s a discount. That’s a very nice feature. You won’t get clobbered with unrelated emails. Nice! There’s another email feature where you can sign up to receive the “best of the best” deals, too. No more wasting money on exorbitant retail prices!

Definitely check out the site. It’s totally free to use and there are no hidden charges or sneaky sales maneuvers. This is a great site and has become my favorite “go to: site before I shop. Check out the site yourself and come back and tell me what great deals you found!

Anyway, YOU can. I know some of you guys are interested in learning more about hosting your own blog, especially after hearing about JB Bean‘s horror story– her entire Blogger blog, Gmail account and checkout profile were deleted by Google. Google deleted the site because it thought JB Bean’s blog was a spam site, spewing malicious attacks. Yikes! You can imagine that a whole lot of people ditched their Blogger blogs.

I like Blogger, I have been with them for over a decade. But I moved all my important blogs to my own web hosting space on Hostgator. When I found out that Google essentially owns the content and can erase your work with one swipe, I changed over. I have never looked back, even though it does cost me about $120 a year. I can’t praise Hostgator enough. My blogs are up almost 100% of the time (I use Pingdom to track downtime), and the customer service is superior to all.

Anyway, if you have been wanting to get your own blog pad, here’s your chance. The sale will begin just after midnight, Friday, November 25th CST. I am an affiliate of Hostgator, so I get a commission if you click this Hostgator link or the Hostgator graphic below and buy something. It costs you nothing but means everything to me! I also offer basic tech help when setting up your blog, so if you have questions, leave a comment here and I’ll send you an email response.

I’ll have more details coming up about the Black Friday sale. So far, Hostgator has not released any details but last year, the price of annual hosting was slashed in half! That’s an amazing deal!

Now, there’s an added incentive to get them: Labels for Education. I had no idea that these little labels could add up, but they really do! Emerald Nuts has teamed up with the Labels for Education, and the labels on the Breakfast in the Go! boxes are worth 10 points, the highest points value! The labels can be collected and used toward school athletic equipment, music and art supplies, technology equipment, and even field trips! That can make all the difference to a blossoming young musician or historian. I got the “history bug” when my 7th grade class went on a binge of field trips to historic sites.

You can read more about Labels for Education here. The Breakfast on the Go! snacks are available everywhere– even on Alice.com and Amazon.com!

As you probably well know, coupon-clipping and label collecting is BIG business. Marketers distributed 332 BILLION coupons for consumer packaged goods in 2010, up almost 7% from last year. Wow, and I don’t think that includes the online coupons, either. So while we’re all snipping away with our scissors, why not grab that Labels for Education tag and use it, as well? It can make all the difference to a kid.

And while you’re at it, try the new Breakfast on the Go! Berry Blend. OMG that stuff is sooooooo good!

Note: I received some free samples of Breakfast on the Go! snacks in exchange for discussing the Labels for Education labels on the Breakfast on the Go! boxes. My opinion is 100% honest and all mine, mine, mine. Thanks for reading!

This time it was the Skittles Man. How I wish I’d gotten a photo of him! He probably would have posed for one, too, after all the wheeling and dealing he had to do.

We’d been enjoying the scorching sun and fresh briny air of Battery Park, at the lowermost tip of Manhattan island. A ferry was filling with tourists in preparation for a trek across the harbor to see the Statue of Liberty.

This was the closest I’d ever been to the Statue of Liberty. Even when I lived in Manhattan as a young student, I didn’t see the landmark; in the 80s when I was here, the Statue was undergoing repairs and was closed to the public then. I considered taking my daughters to see it today, but then I read that the wait time for the ferry was approximately two or more hours! And I thought waiting in line to see the Empire State Building was agonizing….

Anyway, so we sat on solar-powered benches that had reached 1000 degrees thanks to the super-hot day and lack of trees. We watched the ferry bob precariously up and down and back and forth (can you say seasickness?) while the people continued to load the boat. We watched the dozens of helicopters buzz around the islands like dragonflies (the sightseeing helicopter rides must be very popular). And the salty smell of the sea burped out from small iron grates on the concrete piers.

After sweating off a good portion of the gallons of water we’d slaked down earlier, we decided to call it a day and head for the subway (the trains are air conditioned now! woohoo!). On the way there, the Skittles Man accosted us.

Well, he didn’t exactly ACCOST us. But pretty close, lol. He appealed to the tender hearts of “young ladies,” and grasped our hands with vigorous handshakes. He was selling Skittles candies for a school fund raiser. Four bags were *only* $20. TWENTY DOLLARS for candy. Uh huh. I told him thanks but no… was he selling bottles of water, per chance? We were nearly fainting from the heat. We started to walk on, but he followed us, shoving a paper under our nose.

I don’t remember all that he said, he seemed to go on forever. All I could think was “I’m about to perish from this heat,” lol. He said if we didn’t want any candy, he’d accept a donation, even a dollar. LOL. That made me chuckle. I looked in my wallet for a $1 (well worth the cost to get us on our way), but can you believe it, I was out of ones?!?! All I had was a $5. *sigh* I handed him the $5 and said, “Here ya go, a donation!” He profusely thanked me and handed me a bag of Skittles, saying we deserved a bag of treats. I took the bag and wished him well, and we were on our merry way to cooler ground.

He was so charming, I must admit. The perfect salesman. He would get an “A” for effort in my book. Which probably explains why I fall for these things. I mean– WHO would pay $5 for a bag of Skittles?! I never, ever would in Upstate New York. Nay, the city makes you do strange things, like dole out money to street hawkers… well, I tell you what, next time I’m coming loaded with $1 bills and a ton of water.

I usually try to keep my eye on good computer deals…. Dell seems to be having some kind of sale (at least in retail stores). Even the computers with the pricey Core i3, 15, and i7 processors are listed for good prices. I tend to be an HP gal, but the Dell prices had me thinking… hmmm….

Anyway, whatever you do, ALWAYS check for coupon codes, especially Dell coupon codes when looking for a Dell! I have saved loads of money when I’ve used codes. There are a lot of coupon websites out there, but many have old codes or reader-submitted codes that don’t always work. You have to do a little research and find a reliable code vendor, like DellaDeals.com. Sometimes the computer manufacturer will actually release codes for email subscribers (but I always find that I get those codes AFTER I’ve already made my purchase! :-p)

Anywho, Dell coupons are hot and Dell computers are hot right now. If you’ve been looking for a good deal on electronics, there ya go.

We FINALLY got a Walgreens in our area. I was eager to get one, since the frugal blogs are constantly aflutter about how much money they save. I’ve ordered from them online (great prices, too!) and been to the store. I like their Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products. I’m a “generic” shopper– why on earth would anyone pay more money just for fancy packaging? The Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products not onluy help save money, but are Walgreens pharmacist recommended, have 100% satisfaction guarantee AND most products contain the same active ingredients as the pricey name brand stuff.

I have been taking the Walgreen’s Brand Advanced Formula A thru Z Multivitamin/Multimineral Supplement, and I feel like I can leap tall buildings in a single bound!!! Wooooo! Well, maybe not tall buildings. But I AM feeling better. I can probably leap the piles of laundry by now…. I’ve needed to take a vitamin/mineral supplement for a long time. Vitamins are SO expensive, plus I need to get other supplements like Omega-3 fish oil, flaxseed oil, iron, Vitamin C, etc. The costs can really add up for a family of 6. But Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products keep the costs low and provide outstanding products so I know we’re getting outstanding quality as well as price.

Definitely check out the Walgreens Brand Health & Wellness Products. You will save a ton of money! Visit the website for more details on the product quality and availability. See also how you can help the Walgreens Way to Well Fund™ , too!

I’ve heard interesting things about websites that post little-known savings information about credit cards, such as finding a low APR promotional deal for, say, a citi platinum card or whatever. This comes in the nick of time. I’ve enjoyed a 0% APR card for almost a year, but it will skyrocket to 18% (unbelievable!!) in a few months! So I’m on the prowl for better deals. The website has some articles and tips about managing credit cards, but what I like best is the list of cards currently offering deals and low APR rates. It’s very difficult to find that information from the credit card company. And when I have called a particular company asking for a reduced rate, they rarely give it (the misers). I recently had to call Discover Card customer service and was FLOORED by the amazing service they gave me. According to SmartBalanceTransfer.com, Discover is offering a 24-month 0% APR on balance transfers! They also have reviews of the various credit cards and rates on their blog. Good information.

I’m glad there’s something I can do in my search for lower rates. Check out the website for more information. They have a balance transfer calculator there, too, so that you can punch in your data and see how you’ll save by switching to a card with a better APR. I am going to glean the info and contact the credit card companies directly, though, and skip the middle man’s applications.

I can’t remember the time we ever had insurance from an employer… oh wait, I think I remember. For about a year, my husband got a family health plan for us from one employer who offered it. That was… hm maybe 19 years ago…

We’ve been on insurance offered from New York State, on and off, for a few years. They are rather wacky the way they tabulate it, though. If you’re self-employed, they go by LAST year’s income tax return. So if you had a good year last year but this year is terrible– sorry, no insurance for the entire year.

For employed folks, the state looks at monthly pay stub data. So if you had a great month and made more than is required– sorry, no insurance for the entire year.

And don’t even GET ME GOING about customer service!! (or the lack thereof). The missing paperwork, the dropped recertification files, the terrific lack of medical professionals who take state insurance, the low-quality care, etc etc…. If even the states can’t get their insurance quality straight, I tremble should the feds take over!

Anyway… the kids need new eyeglasses, and mine just about blow off my head when I see the retail prices. $200 for a PAIR of glasses?! For FOUR children and TWO adults?? and that doesn’t include the exam?!

Well, thank God there’s an alternative. Zenni Optical sells eyeglasses. Nice ones, too! They have been featured by various news shows, Clark Howard, and a very thorough review by Eric Hammer of Examiner.com. Eric’s review is very “eye opening,” hee hee. My husband actually bought glasses from Zenni several years back, and he’s still wearing them.

Zenni Optical has incredibly low prices. Some eyeglasses are $6! The ones I like are right around $20. That is a far cry from the $200 price tag at the retailer. I have heard really good things from Zenni, so it looks like we’ll be getting our glasses there. If you need some specs and don’t want to go bankrupt, check Zenni Optical. :D

I’ve heard about a debt management site called DebtGuru.com. Anyone else heard of them? I did a search and found lots of information about them… and they are accredited by the Better Business Bureau. Known as the American Credit Foundation, they are based in Utah. They offer a consolidated debt system (free quote), but their articles (in their Resources section) are good advice. For example, in the article “How Do I Get Out of Debt?” the advice is: cut your spending, pay off your credit cards and NEVER charge anything more than you can pay back in a month. That would be nice.

They also have good articles on frugal living, too, like “10 Secrets to Frugal Family Fun.” Berry picking and building a fort are included. :D

Check out the site if you are so inclined. I found useful information there, all very motivating!

I have a frugal tip for you, even Clark Howard loves it– check out ZenniOptical for low-cost prescription glasses. You can save a ton of money. ZenniOptical is an entire eyeglasses store online, featuring top-notch frames with affordable lenses. They have recently created a new feature to make buying eyeglasses a little easier: it’s called the Try On feature. You can upload your photo and virtually try on different eyeglass frames! It’s kind of fun to play with, too, lol.

ZenniOptical just lowered prices, too, from $8 to $6.95. The frames are nice! Maybe I’m getting funky in my old age, but I loved these frames. LOL, they are so cool! I once had red ones very similar, and loved them. Of course, I’d purcahsed those at an optician where I paid through the nose for them. :-p Not anymore!

Check out ZenniOptical. You are sure to find some very beautiful and fashionable frames that are AFFORDABLE as well. Zenni offers all kinds of lenses, too– single, bifocal, etc. ZenniOptical is devoted to helping people afford eyeglasses. Check them out!