Looking for a fun way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your special someone without breaking the bank?  Here are ten ideas for a budget friendly Valentine’s Day celebration.

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The Monday-morning heart attack is more than a myth. Studies published across the globe in the European Heart Journal, the American Journal of Hypertension, the British Medical Journal and others confirm the heightened incidence of heart attacks on Monday morning.

The rise in heart-attack incidence coincides with the return to work after the weekend. According to the American Institute of Stress, “Increased levels of job stress as assessed by the perception of having little control but lots of demands have been demonstrated to be associated with increased rates of heart attack, hypertension and other disorders.”

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By Jurissa Ayala

Many women would die to reach into their closets and pull out a new designer garment for every day of the week. But considering today’s unstable economy and the exorbitant prices demanded by high-end brands, this is unrealistic. Luckily, businesses are capitalizing on the public’s desire for luxury apparel. America’s new approach to a sharing economy is via rental.

Eager fashionistas now flock to various websites to borrow high-priced handbags, jewelry, and gowns for a fraction of the retail cost. Each lender comes with its own unique system and policy, but all in all, fashion-hungry women are making out like bandits as they sell, borrow, and buy some of the most coveted pre-used luxury pieces on the market.

Here’s a spotlight on some of the most Continue reading →

For as long as high-end designers have produced exclusive handbags, buyers have had to avoid near identical fakes. Thrifty fashionistas enjoy a convincing knockoff, but the majority of people want the real thing. So, how can you tell that the item you’re buying is authentic?

The reality is, people are duped by designer knockoffs every day, and the counterfeit bag market remains a billion dollar industry. Scam artists no longer prowl the streets of major cities looking for their next shopping victims. Instead, they target online buyers by providing false descriptions, pictures, and the promise of an unbelievable deal for their inferior products. So-called “purse parties” also remain popular, where hosts bring in vendors to supply designer or imitation bags at down-to-earth prices. Continue reading →

By Bryan Cambra

While congress continues to debate the issues surrounding the funding of Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, millions of Americans face the daunting challenges of making it through the month on a fixed income. Over the past years taking care of family members receiving Social Security or Social Security Disability payments, I have learned how to make the most out of little money. Each year, the amount of the benefit payment grows slightly, but it’s not nearly enough to live the same lifestyle as many people who are still employed. To help you adjust to the lower-income of Social Security, try making some of the following lifestyle changes. Continue reading →

The Internet is filled with ways to save money on a wide range of items for house, home, and closet. Few sites, though, address the needs of the thoroughly modern family in quite the way that the money saving sites, dedicated to helping you save serious money on groceries and other necessity items, will.

Krazy Coupon Lady

This amazing coupon website offers daily news about new products that website visitors to get at a fraction of their regular costs, including things like:

• Food
• Electronics
• Personal Care items
• Cleaning Products
• Toys
• Clothes for the Kids
• Automotive Goods
• Gifts

The list goes on and is updated throughout the day. The site also offers a coupon database, a dedicated area with information for couponing beginners, and page after page of money-saving tips for shoppers of all levels and budgets. They’ll turn you into discount divas in a snap.

The best thing about Krazy Coupon Lady, though, and what sets them apart from so many other sites, is the Brag Lounge. This is the area where real people, just like you, who are either seasoned pros at coupon bargain shopping or rank beginners celebrating their first “Hauls” go to show off their grocery store scores! Be warned you could spend hours sifting through these pages in awe!

Amazon Mom

For moms who understand just how fast diaper dollars, or lack thereof, add up and never seem to have enough arms to lug those big boxes inside, there’s Amazon Mom. This club allows monthly autoships of diapers (they ship them to the door for you!) for 20 percent lower than the average discount diaper in the grocery store. The service is designed to help moms save money from prenatal months through the toddler years with discounted items and money saving offers throughout.

You must be a prime member to join Amazon Mom, which is free to join. Since it is a prime service, you also get the free two-day shipping on prime items (like the above mentioned diapers).

My Litter

Featured on The Today Show, TLC’s Extreme Couponing, MSN Money, and Rachael Ray, My Litter is a site dedicated to helping all moms save serious money while feeding their families. Site owners have seven children and are able to maintain their sanity and their family budget by following the same money saving tips and tidbits they share with their readers.

The site features money saving offers, coupon matchups, and even deals on travel and (drum roll please!) kid-approved recipes made with ingredients purchased with coupons.

Coupon Mom

Perhaps one of the most famous of coupon sites, Coupon Mom does require users to join the site. There’s no fee for doing so. The site offers a database of online coupons, printable coupons, national deals with drug stores, grocery stores, and traditional retail stores. The deals are updated weekly to include the latest coupons and store advertisements.

In addition to traditional money saving offerings, Coupon Mom offers a spreadsheet style display that organizes deals according to the percentage saved over normal sale prices for the retailers as well as weekly freebie or almost free items at major stores like CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and Target.

Hip2Save

Another great site offering matchups and special offers from major retailers, pharmacies, and grocery stores, Hip2Save takes things even further offering information about sweepstakes, restaurant deals, online bargains, and more. It’s a great place for savvy and stylish shoppers to stretch their limited funds even furthers.

While these amazing sites alone won’t help you make more money, they can certainly help you save enough on the essentials that it will feel like they have.

The chief benefit for all three of these states is that they have no state income tax. Each state offers something different in terms of its environment. Florida is tropical, Nevada is a beautiful dessert, and Washing is a state full of forests and cooler weather. As you consider where to retire to, think about all that these states offer.

Florida: The Sunshine State

Florida has no state income tax. In addition, Florida also does not have an inheritance tax. Less taxation is a boon to seniors because you have more to live on, especially when you have a fixed income. While less taxation is a good thing, there is more good things that Florida offers.

Florida is the sunshine state. The weather here is good. Seniors who move to Florida leave behind the frozen north. No more shoveling snow. The average temperature in Florida is just 81 degrees. In winter, Florida rarely gets anywhere near freezing. The average winter temperature is just around 60 degrees. The beautiful weather means sunsets, long walks on the beach, and the opportunity to enjoy retirement. Florida also has a low cost of living and as such, you can do more living.  The small communities scattered throughout Florida offer seniors an opportunity to live on less. As for healthcare, Florida offers many senior focused healthcare services. There is a huge population of seniors who live in Florida. Expect to find top quality healthcare services, and comprehensive senior care in Florida.

Nevada: The Silver State

Nevada, like Florida, does not have state income tax. The desert offers beautiful vistas and amazing mountains. One good thing about moving to Nevada is that the price of real estate is lower in Nevada than in many other states. This is a quiet state, despite the reputation of Las Vegas. Nevada is also undergoing a huge growth in population. Selling your home and moving to Nevada could earn you a windfall due to the lower property values in Nevada.

Cities like Incline Village and Gardnerville have topped many lists of the best places in Nevada to live. The area around Lake Tahoe is beautiful, and the summer temperatures are mild. Even Las Vegas, Henderson, and North Las Vegas are senior friendly. These flat land cities tucked in near the Arizona border offer mild winter weather and plenty of outdoor activities. If you want a night on the town, you cannot beat Las Vegas. Take in a show, enjoy dinner, or listen to music in the park.

With no state income tax, lower real estate prices, and a lower cost of living, seniors from all over the nation are flocking to Nevada.

Washington: The Evergreen State

Like Florida and Nevada, Washington also has no state income tax. To make this even better, the states sales tax is only 6.5 percent, and prescriptions are exempt from sales tax. Pluses include no tax on social security, and Washington does not tax retirement income. The benefit is more money on which to enjoy life. The downside to Washington State is its property tax which is high. The cost of living in Washington is higher than the national average. Still Washington has a lot to offer seniors.

The Washington weather is diverse. Washington has a reputation to be raining, but that is not true of all of this state. The eastern portion is dryer. For seniors who love the outdoors, Washington offers beautiful mountains, hiking, fishing, and golf. Cities in Washington, such as Seattle are also major ports of call for cruise ships. So seniors can disembark to places like Alaska’s inside passage and not have to pay for airfare to their port of call. There are plenty of golf courses, wineries, art and galleries here too. If you are a senior who wants a quieter state with plenty of green forests and snow-capped mountains, then Washing has a lot to offer you.

Other features include senior-oriented health care, plenty of outdoor living that is FREE, and a climate that is livable.