Finding the perfect gift for your Valentine is always a challenge, especially on a limited budget. With this year’s grim economic outlook, putting together the money for dinner and a gift is an extravagance that many simply cannot afford. Consumers are expected to spend about around $102.50 this year on Valentine’s Day, which is down about $20 from last year according to the National Retail Federation. CouponChief.com wants to make sure that everyone is still able to enjoy Valentine’s Day and can help consumers save some extra cash so they can make all the purchases on their list. To get you started on your shopping, CouponChief.com has put together its best deals to help you save on all your purchases this holiday: Read the rest »

2009 is almost here and it’s time to wipe your slate clean, start over and set goals and resolutions for the New Year. One resolution that should be at the top of everyone’s list is to save money and stick to a budget in 2009. Now that the economy is in a full-blown recession it is important to plan ahead and stay on track with your money.

CouponChief.com offers these easy tips to stay on budget in 2009:

- Write down your budget goals: It has been proven that people who write down their goals are much more likely to achieve them. Spend some time at the beginning of the year planning a monthly budget. If there is a month where you know you will spend more money, perhaps due to an important birthday or vacation, be sure to spend less in a different month. Read the rest »

The Friday after Thanksgiving kicks off the official start to the holiday shopping season. Black Friday, as it’s called, is the day when a number of brick and mortar retailers open their doors early and draw crowds of people to their stores by offering the best deals and discounts of the year. However, a lesser known shopping holiday is Cyber Monday, the biggest online shopping day of the year. Cyber Monday falls on the first Monday after Thanksgiving and retailers once again offer great deals, this time at their online stores. Read the rest »

Nowadays, you can’t turn on the TV without hearing about the plunging economy, government bailouts, drop in consumer confidence and the economic recession. With all this worrying talk it’s hard for consumers to get excited about the upcoming holiday shopping season. Between Halloween candy and costumes, the Thanksgiving feast and Christmas and Chanukah gifts, many families are concerned about making all their holiday purchases within a shrinking budget.

(Photo: WPA: unemployed shown at Volunteers of America Soup Kitchen: Washington, D.C. (Circa 1936); from the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.) Read the rest »

During economic slowdowns, everyone is looking for new and immediate ways to save money. Whether it’s clipping coupons, buying sale items or cutting out extra purchases all together, there are many ways families can curb their spending. But what about MAKING some extra money in a time of need?

There are several ways to make additional money from the comfort of your own home simply by doing a little research on the Internet to find programs that give you cash for your time. Many of these are affiliate marketing programs and are a great way to make some extra money while giving you the flexibility to regulate how much or little you do. You can find time for these programs when the baby is down for nap, when the kids are at after-school activities or an hour each night after the kids have gone to sleep. This is a great way to make some extra money that will help cover the rising price of food, gas and everything else these days. Read the rest »

Summer is practically over and it’s back to school for the kids. Parents are you dreading that trip to the overcrowded stores where you can’t even get a cart down the aisle? Or what about sitting in traffic and wasting precious gas? Your bank account has already been stretched this summer due to the record high gas prices and the lack of that “disposable income.” Purchasing new supplies and new clothes for the kids isn’t going to relieve much of that pressure, is it? Read the rest »