FitSugar

What's the Most Expensive Piece of Fitness Gear You Own?

FitSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 04:30:41 PDT

I know we are not supposed to love material possessions, but right now I am carrying on a hot and steamy affair with my new road bike.

I mean hot and steamy as in burning up the calories and sweating profusely - and it's wonderful. Yep, I took the plunge and upgraded from my 10-year-old hybrid to a sweet ride by Specialized. I paid a pretty penny, but I know this relationship is going to last. My bike is by far the most expensive piece of fitness gear I own. What about you?

What Is the Most Expensive Fitness Gadget or Gear That You Own?

FitSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 04:30:00 PDT

This weekend, I shopped vicariously through my husband. He bought himself a sweet road bike, after riding on an old (read heavy) mountain bike for years. This new bike cost a pretty penny, but he sold a bunch of old musical equipment to cover the costs. His beautiful bike got me thinking about fitness gear and gadgets; some are quite costly, but seem so helpful.

So tell me . . .

Source

Getting Some Hands-On Time With the Sony Cyber-Shot TX20 in Sedona, AZ

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 03:20:40 PDT

There's nothing like an outdoor adventure to get you in the Springtime mood. Add in some sweet camera gear, and I'm all over it. I got to experience both during Sony's recent Sedona Outdoor Excursion, when the company sent me off to explore the red rocks of Northern Arizona, all in an effort to get to know its lineup of new Cyber-Shot, Bloggie, camcorders, and NEX cameras.

While you couldn't capture a bad photo of Sedona (it's so beautiful!), this rugged 16.2MP pocket-friendly shock-, water-, freeze-, and dust-proof Sony Cyber-Shot TX20 ($329) was one of my favorites to use on the trip, and stayed in my bag the whole time. Coming in five different hues (PopSugar pink was my obvious choice), this camera packs quite a punch in such a small package. Great in both bright-light and low-light situations, the TX20 comes with seven different picture effects - HDR Painting, Richtone Monochrome, Miniature, Toy Camera, Pop Color, Partial Color, and Soft High-Key - to heighten the mood and add some extra personality to your shots. It's kind of like adding an Instagram or Hipstamatic filter to your pics as you take them. Not only is the picture quality fabulous, but the video isn't too shabby either. The microphone isn't as sensitive as ones you'd find in say, the NEX models, since the TX20 can be used underwater; an expensive mic in a waterproof camera wouldn't hold up well anyway.

The TX20 will hit in May for $329, and is the perfect camera for light packers traveling to far-off locales, and budding photogs that want a portable and reliable camera to tote around for day-to-day image capture. Check out some of my unedited sample images in the gallery, some of which were captured using the cool TX20 picture effects.

10 Things You're Better Off Buying Used

Business Insider — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:15:40 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Business Insider story here on Savvy!

It's no secret consumers have less cash to burn these days than ever before, but there are plenty of ways to save that don't require diving headfirst into a sales bin.

For some products, there's just no point paying full-price when you can find the same quality in a second-hand or used product.

Pets

Dropping hundreds of dollars for a new pet seems almost criminal when you get down to the cold, hard facts. There are thousands of shelters in the U.S. and sadly, between 3 million and 4 million of the cuddly critters that wander into their doors each year are eventually euthanized, according to ASPCA. While you're likely to encounter more mutts than anything, those of you who won't settle for less than purebreds are in luck. About a quarter of all shelter animals are purebred.

Textbooks

Textbooks can cost upwards of $200 for some science courses and for a pre-medical student with a full class schedule that could mean dropping up to a grand on reading material - per semester. For that, we compiled the ultimate guide to scoring deals on textbooks. Not only can you snap up used books at a fraction of the retail value but you can rent them as well.

Read on for more items you can buy used.

How to Travel Full-Time For $17,000 a Year (or Less!)

Wise Bread — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:46:59 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Wise Bread story here on Savvy!

For the last five years, I've been traveling the world full-time, and for less money than I've ever spent (and I'd wager less money than most people would spend) to live in one place.

My worldly possessions fit into one bag (just larger than carry-on size) and a backpack containing my laptop and computer gear. This small entourage (weighing less than 45 pounds in total) comes with me as I wander around the world, sometimes quickly, but mostly slowly.

In 2011 alone, I traversed 13 countries and over 45,360 miles. Sounds pretty expensive, huh?

What if I told you it wasn't? What if I told you that both 2010 (a similarly busy year of travel) and 2011 cost me just over $17,000 (including some major non-travel-related purchases)? Would you believe me?

Believe it. (Here's proof, with a full breakdown of where I went and how much it cost: My Cost of Full-Time Travel in 2011).

How to Keep Your Travel Costs Low

Of course, I could travel for way more than $17,000 a year. The sky is the limit for what you can spend on the road, from food and accommodation to flights, destinations, and tours. I could also travel for less than this, if I made different spending choices.

Here are a few of my secrets.

Don't Pay For Accommodations

In the entire year of 2011, I paid $173 for accommodation. And that expenditure was a function of a discounted stay at the Hilton in Stockholm as a luxurious “splash out.” The rest of the time, I had free accommodation in various forms, including . . .

Read on to find out more.

7 Money Tips For Couples Starting a Family

Business Insider — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:15:00 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Business Insider story here on Savvy!

Middle-income parents will spend nearly $227,000 in 17 years for children born in 2010, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

But don't let that scare you - saving for a family can actually be fun if you know what you're doing.

"The most important thing to understand is that your priorities are going to change and your spending habits need to change to reflect those changes," says Stuart Ritter, a financial planner at T. Rowe Price.

With Ritter and other financial experts' help, we'll help you prepare.

Invest in a 529 savings plan

Saving for your child's education is crucial to his or her success, and 529 plans are tax-advantaged college savings accounts that are available in all 50 states.

Most are free to set up, while some states require a minimum of $25 to open an account, says Adam Koos, a certified financial planner with Libertas Wealth Management. Anyone can contribute and take advantage of the tax benefits.

Open the plan before your child is born, says Ritter, and name yourself the beneficiary. You can change the name on the account once your child is born.

Read on for more.

Catch Up With Our 2012 CES Coverage So Far

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:50:44 PST

We've left Las Vegas, but that doesn't mean we're done with CES. Missed any news, releases, or photos? Catch up with all of our CES coverage so far, and stay tuned for lots more gadget goodness!

Cameras

Polaroid adds WiFi to its new SC1630 Smart Camera.
Speaking of WiFi, the Sony Bloggie Live can livestream your videos with a connection.
Like Instagram? You'll love the new Panasonic Lumix GX1 that has photo filters, tilt-shift tools, and scene selections built in for easy photo editing. Just like Instagram.
Samsung helps you get the perfect self-portrait with the WiFi-enabled DV300F.

Tablets and Ultrabooks

The Samsung Galaxy Note: is it a tablet or is it a phone?
The Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 is slim and sleek.
We're drooling over the Gorilla Glass-backed HP Envy 14 Spectre ultrabook.
Acer is banking on ultrabooks in 2012 and beyond. They rolled out two new Timeline ultrabooks along with the world's thinnest ultrabook, the S5.

Smartphones

We're looking forward to the Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone.
The LG Spectrum is the perfect phone for streaming-video lovers.
Sprint is getting two new 4G LTE phones soon: the Galaxy Nexus and LG Viper.
AT&T adds a whopping eight new Android and Windows Phone smartphones to its 2012 lineup.
Huawei hopes to break into the US mobile market with the Ascend PS 1: the world's thinnest smartphone.

See the latest on TVs, headphones, trends, celebrities, and more after the break.

Fake Designer Collaborations That Should Be Real

Lucky — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:32:29 PST

Lucky magazine is one of our favorite sources for great shopping tips. We're thrilled to share this fabulous story on designer collaborations we wish were real from our friends at Lucky!

If you’re a designer and you’re not collaborating with other designers then there’s something wrong with you. It’s so huge right now. And what about Proenza X OshKosh? Can someone get Jack and Lazaro in a room with these overall peeps already? Godiva X Target. I can’t believe it’s not Godiva! This entire story is a joke, so don’t get mad. Put on your Mary Katrantzou X Topshop (this one is real and it’s really dope) and click through!

Christian Louboutin X LA Lights

You remember LA Lights, right? The shoes by LA Gear that lit up when you walked. I can't speak for everyone, but for an 8-year-old Midwestern girl there was no better thing that could have happened to my feet. So why regulate this genius technology to sneakers? I want my studded booties to be lighting up all over 4 Times Square.

Click over to Lucky for a look at the rest of these amazing fantasy collaborations.

For more fashion and style from Lucky, here are more Lucky stories.

Cross-Country Skiing Tips For Newbies

Jenny Sugar — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 22:51:18 PST

Downhill skiing is a blast, but if you're not in the mood to race against frigid winds or deal with crazy crowded lift lines, try cross-country skiing this Winter. It may not be speedy, but cross-country skiing will tone your upper and lower body, give you a great cardio workout, and burn almost 500 calories in one hour!

Like snowshoeing, cross-country is more social than downhill skiing since conversations aren't limited to just time riding the lift. You get to slush along snow-covered trails and gab while taking in the breathtaking scenery. Plus, there is no expensive lift ticket needed. Some find cross-country more comfortable than downhill skiing because the boots are more flexible and the skis lightweight. Ready to get started? Here are some tips for newbies.

First, find some cross-country trails. Some downhill-ski resorts have groomed trails, but also check out nature centers or parks where you hike in the Summer. You might have to pay a fee (around $15 to $30) to use the grounds. Don't be shy about asking the staff to point you toward the easier trails.
Rent boots, skis, and poles at the place where you're skiing, but if this isn't possible, rent equipment the day before from a gear store; rentals are about $15 a day.
Definitely head out with someone who has some cross-country skiing experience or take a lesson to learn the basic techniques for moving, slowing down, stopping, and getting up hills.

Keep reading for more beginner cross-country ski tips.

6 Tricks to Save on Winter Spending

Emily Co — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 05:00:56 PST

Winter can be an expensive season with all the gift giving, and your bank account may look worse for wear during this time. Don't worry, there are plenty of smart strategies you can take to lower your Winter bills. Here are some money-saving tricks to keep in mind this cold season:

Invest in a programmable thermostat. Save energy and money by programming the thermostat to control the heating and cooling when you're away from home or asleep. And these don't have to be expensive investments - there are programmable thermostats available for about $35.
Insulate your home. Figure out if your home can improve on insulation by conducting an inspection. The US Department of Energy website has good tips on DIY home inspections. Save energy and money by installing what works best for your house, from installing windows and doors that fit better or plug and caulk cracks and holes. Be sure to do your research online first, before attempting to make these changes on your own.
Consider a space heater. Using a space heater instead of central heating can save you money. If you only need to heat up one or two rooms, you'll save more money and energy using a space heater than central heating.

Read on for more tips.