Back-to-school savings

Growing up, I always loved this time of year. At the end of July, you still had a month of summer left to enjoy with your friends, but you also could start thinking about the new school year: your teachers, your classes, and of course, what you'd wear on the first day back.

Those days are long gone for me (I'll date myself by saying how cool I felt when I got a Trapper Keeper in the 5th grade), but students and non-students alike can take advantage of "tax holidays" for school supplies, clothes and shoes. Many states have days set aside for this; in Virginia, where I live, the tax holiday is this weekend, August 1-3. You won't pay taxes on school supplies less than $20 per item and on clothes and shoes less than $100 per item. In these tight times, that's a good reason to stock up on things you need -- just make sure it's what you need, not want. Maybe the best part? No geometry tests this fall.

Christmas in July

On my refrigerator is a comic strip that ran in January many years ago featuring Sally and Charlie Brown from "Peanuts." Sally is all dressed up and, when Charlie Brown asks her where she's going, she tells him to see Santa Claus. You're either a few weeks too late or 11 months too early, he responds.

I take the Sally approach to Christmas by planning early for it. Yes, I love the holidays, but the nickname of "Stressmas" seems all too appropos these days. So to help reduce the inevitable pressures the season brings, and to save money, I start planning what I'm going to get family members and friends in July. It seems a little ridiculous, I know, but this way I'm on the lookout for sales throughout the fall. I also can space out my spending by purchasing a few items per month rather than all at once. And I have enough time to make homemade gifts -- after all, it's the thought, not the money, that counts in a present.

I started making my list the other day. No doubt I'll be checking it and making tweaks throughout the fall. But when the malls are filled with harried shoppers in the days before Christmas buying whatever is left on store shelves for their loved ones, I plan to sit at home with a cup of hot chocolate, take a deep breath and focus on what Christmas is really about. Hint: It's not shopping.

Fun with food

As a lifetime Weight Watchers member, I'm always looking for new ways to make delicious, healthy food. And if I can find those recipes for free, all the better.

I'm now a big fan of "Hungry Girl," to which a co-worker introduced me. Hungry Girl not only has a best-selling book but her e-newsletter each weekday includes yummy, low-cal recipes, as well as tips on new food products (Splenda now comes with fiber), how many calories certain foods are worth (warning: her answers are often surprising and sometimes scary) and info on freebies (such as a gratis smoothie at Jamba Juice). To sign up, visit www.hungry-girl.com/subscribe/subscribe.php. It's an easy way to come up with some new ideas about what's for dinner.

The joys of summer

Fresh blueberries, peaches, green beans and tomatoes ... yum!

One of my favorite things about summer is enjoying just-picked fruits and veggies. Fortunately, there's a farmer's market steps from my office that operates on Fridays during lunch in the summer months. Last week, I got all of the above for $6.50. The peach was one of the juiciest I'd had in years and the blueberries were a perfect topping for my cereal in the mornings.

I like the farmer's market because you can actually meet the people who work on the farm that grew your produce; buying local products is better for the environment, too. And while food from the farmer's market may be a tad more expensive than grocery-store produce, you'll support the local economy and may even spend less than if you took another trip to the grocery store (and ended up with a few extra things in your cart you hadn't planned on).

Chances are, there's a farmer's market near you. It's an enjoyable way to spend an hour. And a great way to taste the best summer has to offer.

Test-drive new books (for free)

I don't know about you, but sometimes I find it hard to follow the advice, "Never judge a book by its cover." If I'm in a bookstore or library, and there's a new book (particularly fiction) that sounds interesting and has great cover art, chances are I'll pick it up.

It's hard to know at a glance, though, whether I'd want to read beyond the first few pages. So I was excited to see Bit o' Lit, a new, tiny magazine available for free in D.C., and also online (www.bit-o-lit.com) that contains excerpts from new books. The current issue features two fiction books, "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle," which has been getting great reviews, and "Seal Woman," as well as the non-fiction "Grand New Party." If you're looking to test-drive some books at your leisure, or just spend an enjoyable lunch hour reading outside, I highly recommend adding a Bit o' Lit to your bag.

Cut 'em up!

One of my favorite things to do is browse in a bookstore. The rows of shiny book jackets that hold such promise between their covers, and the stacks of magazines guaranteeing that if I buy them, I'll learn 50 ways to look more sexy and be able to drop 2 dress sizes in 10 days without doing any exercise. If only.

Until recently, I was a Barnes & Noble member. That meant I "saved" 10 percent on everything in the store. Of course, I had to pay $25 a year to be able to do that -- do the math and that means spending at least $250 a year to break even. But, of course, it was easy to focus less on the one-time, $25 fee than on the 10 percent discount I received each time the register rang cha-ching. Every time I went into the store, especially on my lunch hour, I would get that great rush of adrenaline every American consumer knows -- the satisfaction of having gotten a deal.

Only, since I've cut up my card after it expired, I find myself going into the bookstore less, and to the library (which has no such member fee) more. I'm spending less on impulse purchases -- which feel great in the store, but less great when I come home to a bookshelf stuffed with books that I just had to buy but never actually got around to reading.

I'll never lose my love for books. But having cut that card up, I'm not as easily tempted to spend money on new books, and am looking forward to reading some of the ones I already own. Barnes & Noble can have their 10 percent -- I'll keep the other 90.

Resist temptation (easily), Part II

Over the weekend, the latest L.L. Bean catalog arrived. Now, I love L.L. Bean's clothes -- they're comfortable, durable and warm, which was especially important as a college student in New England, where it snowed until well into spring my senior year. As I paged through the catalog, I marked a number of pages containing items I wanted to order.

The next morning, though, I realized that all of the items I marked were items I wanted -- not items I needed. And items I never would have thought about were the catalog not right in front of me. So, to resist the temptation to order anything on impulse in the future, I called L.L. Bean and asked to be removed from the company's mailing list. This catalog is going in the recycling pile.

I'm certain I'll buy future items from L.L. Bean -- as I said, they make great products. But the next time I buy something, I want it to be something I go out of my way to buy from them -- either by searching for it on the Bean Web site or visiting the nearby store. Making this phone call was free and easy, and it's a step I plan to repeat when catalogs arrive from other companies. I'll not only save money but I'll make smarter shopping choices, too.

Resist temptation (easily)

Resisting temptation is never fun or easy. Especially when it's staring you in the face. After all, no one _really_ wants to pass up that fabulously rich piece of chocolate cake just to fit into a little black dress in a month. You want to have both.

Unfortunately, that's often not possible. With spending, our short-term pleasure in acquiring things has led to long-term pain in the form of debt. Sure, credit card companies have made it all too easy to access money quickly. But we're responsible, too, putting aside future goals ((i.e., looking drop-dead gorgeous in your LBD) for instant temptations (i.e., the cake).

To make sure you've got less access to (borrowed) money, opt yourself out of receiving free offers in the mail for credit. You know the ones I mean: the pre-approved, official-looking envelopes that promise you credit in seconds for a low interest rate that's good only for a limited time. Because chances are, once you have access to that money, you'll spend it. So remove the temptation, so you can be sure to resist it. Visit www.optoutprescreen.com. You can choose to remove yourself from the list credit card companies use for five years, or permanently. (Don't worry, you can always get back on the list later.) It's a free, easy step now that can help you save big money in the future.

Coke and a (free) movie

I don't drink coffee -- I've never liked the taste -- but I do drink Diet Coke. That's probably an understatement. One of my friends at work joked that I should just forego the drinking part and instead hook up an IV. Not wanting to look like an addict, though, I've stuck with the Super Big Gulp of Diet Coke from 7-11 (44 ounces of caffeine to get the day started) or the 12-ounce silver-bullet cans sold in vending machines and 12 packs.

Thanks to my smart boyfriend, I recently started collecting the Coke Rewards points from 12 packs -- 10 points per box -- and entering them into the My Coke Rewards Web site. So far, I've earned a silver movie ticket from AMC (good for any movie open two weeks or more) and am well on my way to another one. Sure, I won't be going to the cinema every weekend but if I can see a few free movies a year for doing something I already do anyway, well, that's such an easy way to save money, it's not really fair. But I'll take it!

Improve your writing -- free!

One of the assignments I give students in the political journalism class I teach each summer at Georgetown is to take a course at News University (www.newsu.org). It's a free online "school" run by the Poynter Institute in Florida, one of the leading journalism training providers in the United States.

Although the courses are designed by journalists for journalists, anyone can take a class at NewsU. "Get Me Rewrite" and "The Writer's Workbench" are two classes that have wide applicability, no matter what your profession. All NewsU requires you to do is create an account by entering some basic demographic information and then spend about an hour in front of your computer.

At a time when the job market is tight, brushing up on skills is never a bad idea. When it's free and something you can do any hour and in your PJs, it's hard to find a reason why NewsU shouldn't be on your to-do list.

BYOB: save money and the environment

Since today is Wednesday, the food section arrived in my copy of "The Washington Post," complete with the grocery store circulars. I tend to shop at Giant because it's convenient for me, and will be comparing my coupons with the sales that take place starting Friday.

One way to save money, whatever I purchase, is to bring my own bags with me. Giant offers a 5-cent rebate for every bag you bring. That amount may sound small, but over a year it can easily add up to a few bucks. And I'm helping the environment by not using -- and later throwing away -- a ton of plastic bags.

If your grocery store doesn't follow a similar policy, ask why not. It's a win for customers who want to save money and help the earth, and a win for grocery stores that want to show they're friendly to customers and the environment.

Talk politics with the best of 'em

If you're a political junkie -- and it's hard not to be in this election year -- two sites offer free round-ups of political news that I find it hard to get through my day without. The Huddle, produced by Politico, offers daily congressional news and is available for sign-up at www.politico.com/huddle. The CNN Political Ticker, which focuses on presidential politics, is published twice-daily and available for sign-up at politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com. Both include links to longer stories if you're interested. You'll be up-to-date on all the latest happenings and analysis as the campaign heats up!

See movies and TV shows for free

By the time I tuned into "The Office" last season, the show was far along in its narrative arc. I knew from friends that Dwight and Angela were no more after he had killed her cat, and that Jim and Pam were dating (finally!). But I missed most of the episodes explaining the details of the storyline. I thought I'd just have to wait until the DVDs were available through Netflix this fall.

Then a co-worker told me about Hulu.com. Enter some basic demographic information and you can watch shows like "The Office," as well as many movies, for free. Yes, there are still a few 30-second ads in the show and, depending on your bandwidth, there can be a few hiccups as it plays. But it works relatively well, and, best part of all, it's free.

Happy watching!