Discount Me, Please

Many online retailers give out special "coupon codes" via email, newspaper ads, coupon books, etc. These coupons can give you a very attractive discount on items you buy online, but of course you aren't in the know about every coupon that's available when you're buying something. Retailmenot.com aims to provide a one-stop clearinghouse of currently available online coupon codes. I used it to get 10% off the Barnes and Noble order I mentioned in my previous post!

Fast AND Free?

Like many shoppers, I love Amazon.com's "Free Supersaver Shipping" option on qualifying orders over $25. There's always been one - perfectly understandable - problem with this option: Your order is a lower priority in the overall scheme of things and therefore takes longer to ship.

Earlier this week, I was looking to buy a video. It was out of stock at the local Walmart and I didn't like Amazon's price. I decided to shop around a bit more, and discovered that Barnes and Noble had a much better price on that particular item, plus it qualified for something called "Fast and Free" shipping. This turned out to be an appropriate name, as the item shipped the next day and was delivered to my door three days later.

If the time it takes to receive an item is a big deal to you, and all other considerations are equal, I very much recommend Fast and Free.

Roth IRA

My wife and I both have retirement accounts through our employer, but I recently started a Roth IRA on the side for additional retirement savings. Our frugal habits leave us with a decent monthly surplus and feeling prepared for retirement at an early age is important to my sense of well-being (and my future willingness to make bold career decisions, if need be). Just today, I saw this guest post on Get Rich Slowly that makes me feel really clever for choosing a Roth IRA: "Why I Love the Roth IRA". If you're considering putting aside some extra savings for retirement and want to learn more about your options or if you recently opened a Roth IRA and you want a pat on the back for being so smart, check it out.