By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.

46057346 99ac459aea m 10 uses for a rubber band

A.M. Kuchling/flickr

The mighty rubber band. Such a simple design. How would we live without it?

Here are 10 of my favorite ways to use this little elastic wonder:

  1. Put around a can of paint to wipe the dripping paint off the brush. Wrap the band from the bottom of the can up and over the opened top. Swipe the edge of your brush on this band instead of the lip of the can. Makes for easier clean up and less likely to have your half used can get glued to itself during storage.
  2. Distinguish drinking glasses. We used to go through every water glass in the house each day. Now each person gets their own colored rubber band and wraps it around their drinking glass. You can even leave them on during dish washing, but I prefer to take them off.

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presidents2 300x225 Taking Presidents Day Off!

Carlton Browne / Flickr

The Bargain Babe team is taking Monday off. I’m enjoying the long weekend with my family! I’m also hitting the President’s Day Sales to look for an inexpensive pizza stone. Are you taking advantage of the sales?

If you’re shopping online, don’t forget to use Ebates. You can get double the cash back this weekend!

Have a great weekend. See you Tuesday!

~Yazmin

 

lady gaga Money problems, Free colleges, and Sharing saves

Forget about a bad romance, what's hurting you is bad finances! ama_lia / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Swapping goods – Get tips how to barter for goods and services. (MoneyCrashers)

Bad Finance song – Personal finance blogger Donna Freedman was inspired by Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance. She penned a song about bad finances. (Surviving and Thriving)

Net savings – Forget the dial up! Here are five ways blazing internet speeds can save money. (Wisebread)

Free college educations – Save on college costs by attending a college with free tuition. (Free From Broke)

Sharing is caring – Learn ten ways to save money by sharing. (MainStreet)

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robber Cheap Bites, Tricky Money Situations, and Cutting Interest Rates

Are you being robbed? lorenabuena / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Cut food costs – Become a frugal foodie for Valentine’s Day to save money. (Mint)

Put your hands up – Five signs you’re getting robbed at the hospital and how to save on health care. (Daily Finance)

Reduce interest rates – Read about five ways to lower the interest rates of your credit card. (The Digerati Life)

Shop your pantrySave money on food by eating on dollars a day by shopping your cabinets.  (Shoestring Mag)

Financial awkwardness – Learn how to deal with awkward situations involving money and people.  (Kiplinger)

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By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.

4345635310 2832224752 m Make your romantic and frugal Valentines Day come true

Karen Horton/flickr

A person’s ability to come up with a creative, romantic, and frugal Valentine’s date is a true indicator of that person’s ability to come up with creative, thoughtful, and debt-free lifestyle choices.

We’ve already covered many frugal and creative Valentine’s dates in nine unusual Valentine’s dates that are frugal too, cheap debt-free valentine’s dates, and you calling me a cheap date? You betcha. Browse all three of these articles and you will have enough great date ideas to take you through to your 25th wedding anniversary.

However, these ideas still require you follow some very important rules:

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football Super Bowl Deals, Absurd Tax Writeoffs, and Knowing Your Credit

tchuntfr / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Understanding your credit – What is good credit? Learn what your credit ratings and ranges mean. (MoneyCrashers)

Hilarious tax stories – CPA’s reveal tax writeoffs that didn’t work. Yup, someone actually tried them. (Bargaineering)

Budgeting solution – Hate planning? Here’s how to budget for those who don’t like to prepare in advance. (Wisebread)

Surviving a layoff – Find out what to do after losing your job. (The Digerati Life)

Nonfans win big – Here are 4 Super Bowl deals for non-football fans. (MainStreet)

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airplane Boredom Busters, Travel Deals, and Reduce Your Rent

Jim Bahn / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Asset protection strategies – How to protect your wealth from lawsuits. (MoneyCrashers)

Beat monotony – Fifteen frugal ways to battle boredom. (Wisebread)

Shrink your rent – How to negotiate lower rent in your current apartment. (Free From Broke)

Bargain traveling – How to book cheap flight and air travel deals. (The Digerati Life)

Money matters - Setting financial goals for couples. (20 and Engaged)

New airline rules – A new federal law allows consumers to cancel a flight booking within 24 hours and get a full refund. Plus, other benefits.

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road trip Apartment Hunting Tips, Everyday Savings, and What the heck is SOPA?

little peppercorn / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Time for a vacay? Learn how to plan a cheap road trip. (Money Crashers)

Find out what SOPA is and how it will affect you? (Wisebread)

Is your lease almost over? Here’s how to get a bargain when apartment hunting. (Free From Broke)

Trim the fat with these everyday savings tips. (The Digerati Life)

Hitting the grocery store? Here’s a list of items to skip to save money at grocery store. (The Consumerist)

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organize pantry Ditching Debt, Grow Your Nest Egg, and Prepaid Credit Card Drama

Is she cleaning or raiding the pantry? hfb / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Pantry clean-up – Learn how to organize your pantry and save cash. (Wisebread)

Money problems – Find out how the national debt could hurt your wallet. (MainStreet)

Saving for retirement – Five minute guide to your 401k. (Fabulous & Frugal)

Paying off debt – Five tricks to paying off your holiday debt. (Time Moneyland)

Prepaid credit card – Is the financial guru Suze Orman’s “Approved Card” worth it? (20 and Engaged)

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save money Ways BargainBabe.com readers save money

We heart saving money! 401k /Flickr

If you haven’t already heard, we are celebrating BargainBabe.com’s third anniversary by giving away 35 prizes! Julia asked you to share your favorite way to save money and the giveaway post was flooded with comments. Get inspiration from fellow BargainBabe.com readers!

The most popular way our readers like to save money is… (more…)

movies Get fit for free, Reduce your debt, and Brace for pricier movie tickets

Wayan Vota / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Fitness on a budget – How to create your own free home workout plan and exercise routine. (MoneyCrashers)

Wasting money – Ten things you do to save money that end up costing you more. (Wisebread)

Debt reduction – The Silicon Valley Blogger shares three do it yourself debt reduction programs to beat debt. (The Digerati Life)

Money resolutions – Here are five ways to make your money resolutions stick. (Mainstreet)

Movie ticket price hike – The movie business didn’t fare well last year. Experts are predicting movie theaters will charge more for admission. (Time Moneyland)

Fix broken powder make up – A blogger discovers how to “fix” powder makeup that has broken into pieces. Pretty nifty trick!

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By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.

5928624965 9256c9ecc9 m Starting new things

Robert T Bell/flickr

At this time of year, New Year’s resolutions abound. Most of them have to do with weight or money. Many of these resolutions don’t make it past the first week of the new year.

How about instead of trying to STOP doing old things, one decides to START doing new things.

Here is a list of 10 new things that one could easily start and continue:

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champagne Score Free Food, Bargain Bubbly, and New Years Eve Freebies

blentley / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Low-cost Champagne – Before buying the bubbly, you have to check out this guide to buying inexpensive champagne for New Year’s Eve. (Fabulous and Frugal)

Freebies – Leah Ingram has compiled a list of New Year’s Eve freebies. (Suddenly Frugal)

Free bites – Hungry? Learn how to score free meals. Give one of these 12 suggestions a try. (Money Crashers)

Health Insurance – Tips for choosing the right health insurance plan during open enrollment. (The Digerati Life)

Save money – Want to save money in 2012? Check out this advice on how to save $5,000 in 2012. (MSN Money)

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keep warm December savings, Natural food coupons, and Staying warm

sarniebill1 / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

December savings – Here’s a list of items to buy in December to score major deals. (Financially Fit Yahoo)

Giving gift cards – Seven ways to make the most out of gift cards. (MSN Money)

Where to find coupons – Three ways to find and use coupons for fresh and natural foods. (Second Act)

Save money on Christmas – How to spend almost nothing on gifts this year. (Wisebread)

Keep warm on a budget – The weather outside is frightful so here are seven ways to stay warm this winter. (MainStreet)

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christmas tree1 Save money on clothes, holiday decorations, and holiday cards

damselfly58 / Flickr

I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.

Save money on clothes – Follow these 9 tips to make your clothes last longer.  (Wisebread)

Preparing for the holidaysChristmas budgeting and holiday shopping trends (The Digerati Life)

Holiday cardsSave money on holiday cards by following these six suggestions. (Main Street)

House shopping – The hidden costs of buying a house. (Thousandaire)

Home decorations - Holiday decorating ideas for your home – do you splurge or save? (Money Crashers)

Prevent ID theft - Keep your sensitive financial information safe with these 10 ways to prevent identity theft during the holidays. (Consumer Reports)

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