We at Savvy love a good discount, and while I'm not sure I'm going to make it to the all the mega sales this Friday, I admire those of you who persevere for a good deal. It's an exciting time for both shoppers and our slowly recovering economy, so I'm all for the start of the season of consumerism. Before you go, take some time to make sure your shopping spree is as safe and efficient as Read more

I use my food processor practically every time I cook. It makes chopping a large amount of vegetables quick and easy. Here's how you do it: slice the vegetables into chunks and toss into the food processor. Pulse several times until the veggies are chopped. Use accordingly. Be careful not to overstuff the processor — if it's too full, some vegetables won't get chopped. Also, avoid Read more

Be savvy about your retirement. Kiplinger gives eight compelling reasons for getting a Roth IRA account now. Smart young savers know to participate in their companies' 401(k)s as soon as they join the workforce to benefit from as many years of saving and compounding as possible (see Why You Need a 401(k) Right Away). But really smart young savers — including all of you who read Starting Out, Read more

Does paying for college overwhelm you? Here's a helpful post from Kiplinger. College students who borrow graduate with an average of $25,250 in debt. That's the equivalent of a new-car purchase or a down payment on a home. Even if some borrowing is inevitable for you, first explore other options to help you pay for college. Coverdells, 529 plans and Roth IRAs come with tax advantages for college Read more

Since I have trouble yanking myself out of bed for an early morning workout, and after work I'm on mom duty, the lunchtime workout has become my fitness savior. Nothing beats the midday pick-me-up from a nooner sweat session, but timing is everything. After months of careful consideration and testing, I have found the best outfits, for both the office and gym, to cut down on locker room time to Read more

Going green can save you some green during tax time. If you are attempting to improve the environment, or just cut the cost of your personal energy use, the tax law may provide a tax benefit for your good citizenship. Kathy Pickering, executive director of The Tax Institute at H&R Block, shares some potential benefits for energy-savers. There are many tax changes that have been implemented, Read more

We're thrilled to present this smart LearnVest story here on Savvy! Research psychologists have all the best tricks up their sleeves. Maybe it’s because they study humans like guinea pigs to figure out what really makes our complicated selves tick. Feeling stressed? Reason yourself out of it (studies show this actually works). Rushed all the time? Slow down, and you’ll be a nicer person (a Read more

Chargers can get kind of pricey, especially if you have a tendency to lose them when you're traveling. For example, the Apple Store sells iPhone chargers for $20 to $30. It can be quite tempting to stray from the Original Equipment Manufacturing version when you see the generic chargers for just $1 on Amazon. Do nonbrand-name chargers work just as well as their OEM counterparts? We talk to Read more