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Filed under: Bargain Babe Not that luggage is a very romantic gift (unless it is a teaser for a surprise vacation), but you can get $20 off purchases of $100 or more at the Luggage Pros now through Feb. 12. Use code VDAY at checkout. The site also sells handbags, luggage accessories, locks, duffel bags, and back packs. Shipping and returns are free. Remember to log in or register at eBates to maximize your discount. eBates is currently offered a 6.5% percent cash rebate on your total purchase price when you shop at Luggage Pros. Caveats: cannot be combined with other discounts or coupon codes. Not valid on past purchases. A number of brands are excluded, including Adidas Golf, Burton, Dooney & Bourke: Sale, International Traveller, JanSport Sale Items, LeSportsac, Luggage Pros, Patagonia, Samsonite, Travel Concepts, TUMI, and more. The exclusions amount to about a quarter of the brands the site sells. Thanks Su May!Continue reading Luggage Pros coupon code for $20 off $100 or more Luggage Pros coupon code for $20 off $100 or more originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Credit , Debt , Credit Cards More and more consumers are saying no to credit cards and shifting to debit cards, but are they permanently changing spending habits or finding a way to make do because lenders aren't lending? It's probably a little of both. Whatever the reason, new credit card origination was down by 54.5% in November 2009 compared to figures from November 2007. In November 2007, 64 million new bankcards were issued year-to-date. In November 2009, that number was down to just 29.1 million new bankcards year-to-date, according to Equifax's January 2010 new account trends report.Continue reading Consumers cutting the credit card habit, but is it voluntary? Consumers cutting the credit card habit, but is it voluntary? originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Bargain Babe Now through Feb. 20 you can get 40% off any regular-priced item with this Michael's coupon . You can print multiple coupons but only use one per day. You cannot combine them with other offers. If you plan to make any Valentine's Day cards or crafty gifts, this is the coupon for you. There are a number of caveats, unfortunately. The discount does not apply to sale items, special orders, class fees, in-store activities, birthday party booking fees, buy & get items, brushstroke portraits, books, magazines, Gypsy brand products, Yudo machines, and all Cricut and Slice products. Michael's stores have two upcoming V-Day events. On Feb. 9 purchase a pink gift bag for 79 cents and the store provides decorations to turn the bag into a romantic gift bag. During the second event Feb. 13 you buy a wooden frame for $1 and paint it with various enamels provided by the store. For info on these events click here then scroll down until you see "Family Events." Continue reading Michael's 40% off coupon Michael's 40% off coupon originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Insurance , Health , Insurance - Health Insurance Californians who get their individual health insurance from Anthem Blue Cross, the largest insurer for individuals who don't have access to group health insurance in California, got notice of increases in their premiums of as much as 39% on March 1 . This is the second year in a row for many who faced an increase of 41% last year. Anthem Blue Cross would not comment on the number of members it currently has, but last year when it raised its rates as much as 68% it reported it had 800,000 members. With those types of increases, one might speculate that Anthem Blue Cross wants to get out of the individual health insurance marketplace.Continue reading Health insurance premiums for Californians jump as much as 39% Health insurance premiums for Californians jump as much as 39% originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Extracurriculars I was recently having dinner with an old friend, discussing astrology over steamed dumplings. While my friend was skeptical, I insisted I believe in it. I suggested she check out the only published horoscopes I swear by -- in Elle magazine. They have proved, in my experience, uncannily accurate. The next day I received an e-mail from Susan Miller , the famous astrologist who writes the horoscopes for Elle! Miller invited me to cover her event, "Susan's Year Ahead 2010," an all-day program raising money for the Red Cross efforts in Haiti. Susan contacted me after running into a mutual friend at a coffee shop who suggested I might want to attend. The very next morning, I cleared my schedule and I was there, sitting front row with editors and marketers of Elle, there to support their colleague and hang on Susan's every cheery word. (It's impossible to convey in print just how upbeat she is).Continue reading Astrology for 2010: Susan Miller on your year for career and money Astrology for 2010: Susan Miller on your year for career and money originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Home , Family Money , Green For the past two years, I've been chasing down a crazy goal: to reduce my family's trash enough that I could call the company which collects our garbage and tell it that, instead of picking up our one 32-gallon can every week, we'd need the service only once a month. Even though we've always been obsessive about recycling, it had taken our family of five a long time to reach this place. First, we'd started composting all of our kitchen waste, feeding the tastiest scraps to our backyard chickens. Then, I'd begun a serious and totalitarian campaign to stop buying things with excess packaging, toting my recycled glass jars to the co-op to fill with dried cherries and black beans and brown rice flour from the bulk bins; baking cookies and breads instead of buying them; saying 'no' to single-serving foods. It didn't hurt that we were on a "financial fast" that had us buying very little we didn't need.Continue reading Reducing garbage not much of a boon to the budget Reducing garbage not much of a boon to the budget originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: College , Family Money , School Break out the duct tape, fire up the glue guns and get the sewing machine out of the closet, it's prom season! Crafty, college-bound prom goers can win serious scholarship dollars for designing dream dresses and tuxedos -- no fairy godmother required. JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores is offering a $50,000 grand prize, $10,000 second prize and significant runner-up prizes for the winners of the Own Your Look Prom Contest 2010. Similarly, Duck Brand duct tape is celebrating the tenth year of its "Stuck at Prom " design competition to find clever couples with style and stick-to-it-tiveness in the US and Canada . Part MacGyver, part Project Runway, entries for both contests will be judged by panels of experts looking at workmanship, originality and level of detail. For those whipping up a little something out of duct tape, contestants will also be judged on use of color (choose from pink, green, orange, yellow, silver, camouflage, aqua, red, blue, black and white, to name just a few), accessories and the quantity of duct tape used to create their attire. In a reality-TV-style twist, Stuck at Prom's top ten finalist couples will be judged during online public voting (June 18-July 26) to determine the grand prize winners ($3,000 for each contestant and $3,000 for the school whose prom they attend). Staying in the competition could prove tricky however, since couples with the lowest votes will be eliminated a la American Idol if they don't get enough support from their fanbase. Continue reading DIY prom dress competitions offer thousands in college scholarships DIY prom dress competitions offer thousands in college scholarships originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Food , In the News In the second legal challenge to a Starbucks store's fair treatment last week, a Florida man is suing the Starbucks on Powerline Road west of Boca Raton. Robert Friedman suffers from Tourette's syndrome, a genetic disorder which is characterized by uncontrollable outbursts, often laced with obscenities. Last year, he was visiting the Starbucks and suffered from such a flare-up; customers said he banged on the wall and shouted curse words. Although Friedman says he later apologized for the eruption, the employees called the local sheriff's office, asking deputies to remove him from the premises and give him a "no trespass" warning. Continue reading Starbucks customer sues, claiming cursing outburst a disability Starbucks customer sues, claiming cursing outburst a disability originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Shopping , Recession The sobering economy is making consumers enjoy a drink at home rather than get happy at the neighborhood bar. Drinkers are also finding pleasure in cheaper brands. New data released by the Distilled Council Spirits of the U.S. show a 2.2 % volume growth in retail liquor sales in 2009, but alcohol business in restaurants, bars, hotels and nightclubs slipped 3%. Overall, the amount of liquor sold by suppliers was up 1.4%,but that's hardly comforting considering it's the tiniest bump since 2001. So don't feel badly if your wallet is allowing you to buy spirits that are mostly preferred by college students. You have company in fellow Americans. Tequila led the race with a 5.2% rise in volume, followed by vodka at 4.9 %. Heavyweight brands such as the mighty Grey Goose, owned by Bacardi, hit the bottom, slipping 5.1%. The reigning lines were lowest-priced brands such as Popov, which grew the fastest with volume rising 5.5%. Industry folks are a tad concerned about the data findings. Distilled Spirits Council CEO Peter Cressy said in a release that policy makers should refrain from raising alcohol taxes. "Restaurants and bars have closed in every city and town in the nation during the recession," Cressy said. "Policy makers should not compound the damage and threaten the recovery by raising hospitality taxes." The tipping question now is if consumers will embrace the pricier brands once the economy returns back to normal.Consumers opting to drink at home originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Tax With piles and piles of fine-print, the IRS is here to make understanding tax code easy: just spend a few hours flipping through the booklets, and you're sure to find a reference to the topic you're wondering about. If you're unsure about what exactly constitutes income, Publication 17 (2009) is your source of information. Here's some sources of income that a lot of people often overlook: Gambling winnings. You must include your gambling winnings in income on Form 1040, line 21. If you itemize your deductions on Schedule A (Form 1040), you can deduct gambling losses you had during the year, but only up to the amount of your winnings. See chapter 28 for information on recordkeeping. Continue reading Taxes: Sources of income you might not have thought of Taxes: Sources of income you might not have thought of originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

The Colts may have lost the Super Bowl , but to the people of Haiti, they are champions -- at least on the National Football League championship merchandise now headed to the earthquake-ravaged country. The NFL and its merchandise partners always make two sets of championship gear, such as T-shirts and hats, to sell immediately following the Super Bowl. Since the New Orleans Saints won Sunday's game 31-17, the humanitarian organization World Vision is now set to ship Indianapolis Colts championship gear to earthquake victims in Haiti. Last year, Arizona Cardinals gear went to El Salvador, and before that, New England Patriots T-shirts emblazoned with "19-0" (whoops!) were sent to Nicaragua. World Vision estimates the losing team's gear is worth about $2 million. But it begs the question: assuming the inhabitants of these countries know what on Earth a "Super Bowl" is, do they think these teams actually won? If so, rock on Colts! You're still winners somewhere.Colts Super Bowl T-shirts head to Haiti originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 08 Feb 2010 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: College , Family Money , School Looking to send someone off to college next fall? Hurry, time's running out to apply for a $2,500 Upromise Scholarship. Due by February 15, applications are being accepted for 2010-11 scholarships aimed at assisting 100 undergrads with financial need. "Especially in this economy and with college costs increasing each year, it is gratifying to know that this program will help 100 bright and hard-working students," said Suzanne Boozer, a Upromise employee who helped create the scholarship program which began in 2008. Natalie Alatriste, a freshman at the University of Central Florida, and recipient of a 2009 award said, "By helping to pay my tuition, the Upromise Scholarship has allowed me to pursue my dream of studying biology." Applicants, or their parents must be a member (or quickly become a member) of Upromise (joining is free), have a minimum 3.40 GPA on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent), prove a household income of $80,000 or less, be a US citizen and a high school senior, high school graduate or current college student who plans to enroll in a two or four-year accredited college, university or vocational tech school. Complete guidelines for eligibility and application can be found here . You can also help the cause by becoming a "fan" of Upromise on Facebook. The company has pledged to donate $1 to the scholarship fund for every new fan (up to $25,000). Although becoming a facebook fan is a whole lot easier than filling out a scholarship application, both are worth the effort and there's still time. What, you thought you'd be watching the Superbowl? Get the scholarship now, the tailgating can come later.Time's running out to apply for $2,500 Upromise scholarships originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Credit , Debt , Shopping , Credit Cards You may never know when it happens, but lenders may begin guessing your income before they approve your credit application when the new Credit CARD Act takes effect on February 22. The new law requires lenders to consider your ability to pay any new or additional debt before approving a credit card application. While they could do something as simple as ask you, they may want to verify what you tell them. Since most people don't carry around a pay stub when they go shopping, if you decide to apply for a credit card during a shopping trip, the stores may look for a clue about your income when they ask for your credit score. "Retail stores are quite upset about this change in the instant approval of their cards," Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com , wrote to WalletPop by e-mail. "Consumers now need to show proof of income when they apply for a card, and not many of us carry this around when we are shopping in the mall."Continue reading Lenders plan to guess your income from credit report Lenders plan to guess your income from credit report originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Shopping WalletPop attempted to cull the the functional, fabulous and frugal from the recently wrapped International Gift Fair in New York City. Much of the show featured the tchotchkes coming to a novelty shop or airport kiosk near you, so we had our work cut out for us. Here are my top five -- sorry, Terrorist Teapot, you didn't make the cut -- in no particular order. Teroforma's soapstone cubes keep your whiskey or other liquor chilled longer than real ice cubs, and they don't dilute the taste, according to the maker. You just stick the Whisky Stones in the freezer and plop them into glasses when the guests arrive. Much of their value comes from the conversations they might inspire when the cocktail banter runs dry. The cubes are reusable and look cool in your Canadian Club. Nine cubes for $25, we were told, but online they're listed at $20. The combination of eco-chic and utility makes Brelli's biodegradable clear plastic rain poncho for kids irresistible. It's an impermeable and science project rolled into one. Children can wear it as many times as they want, then bury it. Don't worry, Mom, it'll rot like apple peels! It folds into a pouch for purse or backpack convenience. Designer Pam Bronsius also makes an adult trenchcoat and poncho but the higher price removed it from WalletPop consideration. $22 for one child's poncho (red ribbons make it more for girls). Continue reading Gift fair's best deals and a knickknack parting whack Gift fair's best deals and a knickknack parting whack originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Sun, 07 Feb 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments