While some may take the long weekend to get away or soak up the sun, savvy shoppers know Memorial Day Weekend is summer’s version of Black Friday! To kick off the season of savings, ask yourself which high-priced item you’ve been putting off purchasing. Need to replace your ratty couch? Revamp your wardrobe? Rejoin the 21st century with a new gadget? All of the above? With all the deep discounts being offered online and in stores this Memorial Day weekend, consider your crisis averted.

Apparel
From now until May 30, you’ll be able to save up to 50 percent on Amazon’s tees, shorts, swimwear, and dresses, and score 20 percent on select styles of shoes and accessories. The discount will show at checkout now through May 30. On top of the site-wide regularly reduced inventory that Macy’s offers each Memorial Day weekend, including everything from the latest swimwear to furniture and mattresses, you can score an additional 15 percent when you enter the promo code KICKOFF at checkout. If you spend at least $99, you’ll also enjoy free shipping!

Tools and Home Essentials: Sears, Home Depot, and Lowe’s are all featuring discounts on tool sets that even beat their Black Friday prices. Sears is offering 30 percent off Kenmore appliances, 25 percent off Samsung appliances, and a variety of discounts on other brands with the code “memorialday.”Best Buy is currently offering 10-25 percent off select LG major appliances. The discounts are already applied and can be viewed in the product details.

E-readers: Summer is prime time for readers to lose themselves in lazy beach novels. Memorial Day is a good time to pick an e-reader, as well as new ebooks. The lowest-priced Kindle is now $114.

Across almost all categories, the best strategy for shopping success is to shop online, and to search for any last-minute additional discounts before checking out. Free shipping might also apply with an extra promotional code; check freeshipping.org for available codes. Remember, don’t wait until the last minute to shop, as many retailers got a head start on the holiday with some of the best deals launching well before the long weekend.

So, you’ve announced you’re having a barbecue to usher in the summer season but are now panicked over the cost. Relax. You don’t have to shop at high end stores or sink a whole paycheck into your party. Here are some helpful tips that will make your Memorial Day barbecue a day to remember.

Potluck
It’s fairly common for a host to supply meat dishes and ask their guests to bring side dishes. If you go this route, be sure to keep track of what everyone is bringing so you don’t end up with 12 pounds of potato salad. If you run with an indecisive crowd, guide them into selecting from possible menu items that include: condiments, breads, buns, watermelon, chips, salsa, corn-on-the cob and desserts. When it comes to drinks, make it BYOB: provide the basics but have your guests bring their favorite spirits.

Meat
Buying in bulk at discount stores like Walmart, Food Lion, Costco & Sam’s Club is recommended. Also, stay on the lookout for holiday sales at your local grocery store. It can be worthwhile to monitor sales of specialty grocery stores where you may be able to score savings on premium cuts of meat.

Cook from scratch
If you’re making side dishes, you will get the best outcome if you prepare your own rather than buying premade salads, coleslaw, pasta salads, desserts and other barbecue fare. This is because grocery stores will feature these items as sale items when it typically costs less to make them from scratch. Most people overlook or fail to calculate cost over convenience.

Seating
If you don’t have enough seating for everyone, you can ask your guests to bring folding chairs or just throw down some blankets and voila! – instant picnic.

Holiday barbecues are for being with friends and family. It’s time to catch up, relax and tell a few jokes. If your guests want to work off all the carbs from the potato and pasta salads, it costs nothing to have a relay race, play a game of football, swim, play horseshoes, dodgeball, softball, soccer, etc. Now, that we’ve covered fun, food and finances; get out there and enjoy the warm weather!

This Memorial Day weekend enjoy fun activities with the family while showing your inner red, white, and blue. There are many great things you and your friends and family can partake in that are not only a blast but are patriotic and supportive at the same time! Here are just a few ideas you can do this coming Memorial Day weekend.

Local Parades

Many cities hold annual Memorial Day parades that can be great fun for the entire family. Floats, funny cars, and proud troops can all be found at local parades held in many areas. Show your support by cheering on the soldiers and veterans that have courageously fought for a bigger cause. These parades are free events that are great for the kids as well as adults — so everyone can enjoy.

Red, White, and Blue Crafts

Kids love to use their hands to create special crafts and decorations. This Memorial Day weekend your kids can make everything from flags to colored stars to hang, and even patriotic t-shirts. Get some cheap red, white, and blue paint at your local discount store and let your kids have a blast creating patriotic décor.

Visit a Museum

A museum can be a fulfilling experience for kids and parents alike. Most feature a donations-based admissions fee, so if you can’t afford to pay the full suggested admission price, you can donate whatever amount you’re comfortable with. You can teach your kids why we celebrate Memorial Day as well as brush up on your own history knowledge. Many museums offer interactive exhibits that allow visitors to learn in a new way using a fun approach.

Send a Care Package

One of the most rewarding ways to celebrate this Memorial Day is by sending a little appreciation in the right direction. Many sites offer civilians the opportunity to send care packages directly to American soldiers stationed in all areas of the world. You can pack a small box filled with treats a soldier would love and send it on its way. This is an activity you can share with your kids and your friends while the end result can make someone deserving smile.

Story Time

Many local libraries offer summer story times for kids. This is a great way to have fun with your kids for FREE! They can enjoy adventure stories, funny stories, and even learn something new from an educational reading. Taking your kids to the library not only provides a day of creative fun, but it keeps your child’s mind working and thinking even when not in school. 

Create Your Own Relay Race

Kids love to compete against each other. What better way to entertain your kids for cheap than by creating your very own game day? Make the most out of the great outdoors with races, jump roping, and obstacle course-like competitions. This is a great way to keep your kids active and having a blast!

Plant a Garden

Showing kid’s responsibility isn’t always an easy feat. Planting a garden can show kids how to be responsible for their plants while having fun at the same time. Home improvement stores offer packs of seeds for a few dollars so planting a garden won’t offset your summer budget. They will love watching their plants grow day by day as they learn how to care for something without even realizing it!

Apples to Apples ($22)

One of the most popular games for game nights right now is Apples to Apples. In this game, you match up adjectives and nouns for a night of hilarious comparisons. To save money, buy just the expansion set or the travel version.

Uno or Other Special Card Game (Avg. $7 per deck)

A game does not need to be complex to be fun. There are several fun and cheap card games that I have played, such as Uno, Phase 10, and Skip-Bo.

Cranium ($27)

Designed for adult players, Cranium is great for large groups or events–whether it’s a party, a reunion, or just even a family game night. The game constantly challenges players in trivia and creativity, creating a fun and spontaneous atmosphere. So whether you’re an artist, a singer, an actor, or a professional speller–there’s something for everyone in this endearingly oddball board game.

Lastly, instead of a book club, start a game club. If you have six participants and meet once a month, you will only have to buy a game every six months. And hopefully you will like the game so much that you can play it for multiple rotations of game club.

On the whole, we’ve all become a bit more cautious with our spending habits. Typically, money burns a hole in our pockets when we have it, but this holding back on spending, what has that led to?

All work and no play need not make us a dull nation.

Play it smart. You can still keep yourself amused and creatively stimulated. By altering your approach and making use of a few free resources, you’ll find the financial freedom required to make it to the finish line without having to reread your favorite book or watch your favorite movie another sixteen times.

Words & Music

BookMooch.com
They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. If you have books and DVDs that are collecting dust that you’ll never open again, you can list them on BookMooch. Then you can enter the titles of books and DVDs you wish to read and/or watch and make a fair trade! At the same time you can expand your social network with others who share your interests.

SwapTree.com uses a similar even trade formula, but with much more inventory. Swap anything from museum tickets, electronics and vacation tickets, to coupons, skydiving and merchandise including clothes, handbags and jewelry.

According to site founder Mark Hexamer, about a quarter of a million dollars in free media is traded every week! It is also recommended that you invite and encourage your social networks to join in on the savings. Not only are you being crafty and resourceful, you are also helping the environment.

For straight shooters, there’s always eBay’s Half.com. Find books and CDs at an average of 25% less here.

Getting Out There
Okay so you may have had to scale back on the concerts in the last couple years, but that doesn’t mean you have to hibernate at home. Here are some things you can do right in your neighborhood that can cost you next to nothing:

Community Theater
Don’t knock it till you try it. Many plays and other productions feature fine local talent. Even better, a lot of these playhouses only ask you to make an affordable donation at the time of the event.

Local Fairs & Festivals
Check in your local newspaper or website for free celebrations in your community. You will find parades, fairs, festivals, art fairs, charity events, free concerts and many others. Grab your BFF’s and make it special.

With the right approach, anything is possible. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get so good at being crafty, when the chapter on the recession is finally closed forever; you just might have adopted some of these creative spending patterns on a permanent basis.

Family-friendly activities can be fun at any price. But why not have fun while saving some cash? There are many ways in which families can enjoy their time together that don’t have to be as expensive as theme parks, arcades, or themed restaurants. Below are some places you can take your family and build lasting memories that won’t take you for all you’ve got!

Local Events

Many cities and towns offer a variety of local events for residents of the area. Many of these include street fairs and parades. These events are usually free to the public and include kid’s corners with face painting, clowns, and candy. Check your cities local site and get a hold of the yearly events calendar for a year full of local entertainment that won’t break your budget!

Local Parks

Parks and outdoor activities are a great way to spend a sunny afternoon with the family. You can enjoy a day of Frisbee tossing, playing catch, and even bike riding. If you really want to get creative with your kids, set up a field day of planned events. You can have relays, potato sack races, or even plan an organized sport with teams. Everyone involved can provide food and drinks, making it a fun and inexpensive group outing.

Use Discounts

There are an unlimited amount of discounts available for everyone. Organizations, clubs, schools, and even your employer offers discounts for many activities that can include entrances to parks, discounted tickets to games, and reduced admissions to special showings of theatre openings. College students as well as younger students usually get discounted admissions to movies, productions, and theme parks. Your HR department will let you know if your employer provides any special discounts.

Debt Snowball:Debt snowball is a very good debt reduction technique popularized by Dave Ramsey. In this method, you have to dedicate yourself in paying off your smallest balances first. This will give you a renewed vigor to keep paying off your debts since you can reduce the number of debt accounts.

It is best to get a list drawn up on all the current monthly dues. This is very important for the successful completion of the debt snowball process. It should be kept in mind that no more debts are added onto the drawn-up list.

The steps to be followed in debt snowball –

• Make list of all the debts in the ascending order of smallest debt to the largest debt.
• Start paying off the minimum amount on all the debts.
• Add some extra cash to pay off the smallest debt.
• After you have repaid the smallest debt, move onto the subsequent larger debt. Keep repeating these steps till you get out of all the debts.

Debt Avalanche: Debt Avalanche is another suitable debt reduction technique in which debtors first repay debts with the highest rate of interest. It is begun by listing all the debts in the descending order of highest rate of interest to the smallest rate of interest. Pay the highest interest debt that is on top of the list. After it is clear, keep paying off the debts as you go down the list.

The steps to be followed in debt avalanche –

• Organize all the debt in the descending order of the debt, i.e., highest interest rate debt to the lowest interest rate debt.
• All the debts should receive a minimum amount of payments.
• As soon as you clear the highest interest rate debts, move onto the next lower interest rate debt. Keep repeating these steps till all your debts are cleared.

These are just few of the Do-It-Yourself debt options to repay your debts. Try to pay off your debts through debt snowball or debt avalanche methods. If you fail to repay the debts through these options, go for credit card consolidation.

This is a Guest post by Marlon Powell of Debt Consolidation Care Community.

Auto insurance is one of the most costly monthly expenses that all drivers must pay in order to legally drive their cars and be able to commute from one location to another. Although many companies offer expensive policies, there are a few tricks you can follow to find yourself a bargain in auto insurance.

Shop Around

With the vast amount of companies that offer auto insurance, there is always another option if one seems too expensive. Likewise, there is always another company that can offer you a better rate even if you think you have found a low price. Shop around, get quotes, do your research and you are sure to find a company that will offer you the lowest rates or something that will fall within your budget.

Ask for Discounts

Many companies offer a plethora of discounts for any number of reasons. Some include affiliations with certain organizations, being a student, and ownership of your vehicle. For the less widely known deals, ask for discounts such as the “shopping around discounts”. This includes a discount that states you have been shopping around and have settled on a particular company. Locking in your price two-weeks prior to your effective day can earn you a discount with some companies.

Be a Good Driver

If you have found a policy that meets all your requirements and offers you a reasonable price, there are still ways on how you can lower your premium. Simply, be a good driver! How hard is that? Mind your p’s and q’s on the road and your insurance company can reward you with discounts on your monthly premium in the future.

Road trips have become the go-to alternative to make the most out of one’s vacation. It gives you the freedom to explore, blast music and put you in the driver’s seat of your travel, so to speak. Even though it sounds like a cost-effective way to travel, the high gas prices and need for food and lodging can quickly add up to be more than anticipated. Check out these money saving road trip tips below.

Getting Around the Dark Cloud: Gas

Prior to your trip, find the cheapest gas with these gas cost calculators. While you might forget specific stations, try to remember town names or big exits to compare gas prices at several spots. To save gas while driving:

• Turn off the AC and 4-wheel driver: both suck up tons of gas
• Be easy on the pedal: speeding up and stopping short is a sure-fire way to burn gas needlessly. Also, opt for cruise control
• Inflate tires: Make sure to have a tire gauge handy throughout your trip
• Don’t be a speed demon: Speeding wastes gas and can result in getting a ticket, a road trip budget buzz kill

Pack Meals like You’re Going into Hibernation

Instead of buying fast food on the road, take a few extra minutes and grocery shop at home. Pack lunch and bring it along. Or, just bring a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, a squeezable container of jelly, and raid your kitchen junk drawer for plastic utensils so you can make lunch on the road. Get out and stretch your legs at a rest stop instead of at a fast food restaurant and enjoy a picnic. Also, bring snacks purchased from the grocery store, instead of buying them on the road. Feast on good-for-you power foods like trail mix, cereal mix, string cheese, and fruit such as apples. Not only do these items provide fuel for you, but they also travel really well.

Inexpensive Stays are Possible!

Hotels are synonymous with high prices, but surprisingly, there are tons of budget-friendly hotels and inns that cater to the short stays and small budgets. In my experience I’ve found that Red Roof Inn and Hampton Inn are both clean and can cost less than $60 a night, so if you’re splitting the cost with your road trip buddies, that’s a pretty cheap option. Hotels also give discounts for being a member of the Military or AAA, so make sure to inquire about any discounts if you belong to a particular organization.  Another option for saving money is camping. Since it’s getting warmer out, this might be a suitable alternative for your group. One tip though: make sure there’s a shower close by.

Stay Entertained with Cheap Thrills

Belting out “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall…”can and will result in someone not making it back home. However, a killer soundtrack, ongoing game or a couple different games will help make the miles fly by. Here are a couple game ideas that are addictive and will make your trip more memorable:

Treasure Hunt is a fun and very competitive game that’s all about what’s inside your car and figuring out what’s “treasure”. Perfect for long road trips with lots of stops along the way, you’ll find yourself looking forward to getting back in the car!

Looking for a game where the focus is on the road? Look no farther than License Plate Lottery! Win (fake) money while you bet on your lottery state license plate. Every license plate has an assigned value and it changes as your trip progresses.

Scavenger Hunt is definitely a car game that can run for an entire road trip and the larger your group, the more entertaining it will be. Detailed tips are given for selecting your list, tailoring it to your trip so that it becomes “yours”. This is a team game and it’s excellent for building even closer friendships with your gang.

Before you go and even while you’re on your trip, there’s nothing to get you revved up like seeing a great road trip movie. This list of great road trip movies will help you select something inspiring or just plain fun!