Get Rewarded for Recycling

Printer ink cartridges can take up to 1000 years to decompose.  To encourage recycling (and cut costs by reusing), many ink companies include postage-free return envelopes with their ink cartridges.  But if you want a bigger nudge for helping the environment, try Staples’ ink recycling program.  Staples gives $3 in store credit for each ink [...]

Start Lining Up Your Date Nights

For the last quarter of the year (October 1 to December 31, 2009), Discover is offering a 5% cashback bonus on up to $400 in purchases made at grocery stores, restaurants, movie theatres and video rental services.  If you make the maximum amount of $400 in eligibile purchases, you will get $20 in cashback, which [...]

Double up on Travel Bonuses this Fall

As travel plans are cut out to save on personal and business costs, reaching a meaningful threshold in a travel rewards program has become less and less realistic for many people this year.  But to give you a boost and keep you traveling, some airlines and Amtrak are giving double points this fall.
Airlines typically have [...]

Tip of the Week: When is the Smartest Time to Pay Your Bills?

Everyone knows that it is important to pay your bills on time, but did you know that it pays to pay your bills as close to their due dates as possible?
Your money works best for you when it stays in your savings account collecting interest.  Therefore, it doesn’t make sense to pay your bills now [...]

Get a Gift for Transferring Your Drugs: a battle between pharmacies

Rite Aid and CVS are both giving $25 gift cards for each prescription transferred to their respective stores, as part of their efforts to draw in customers from each other.  Take advantage of that battle.
To get the deal, you should bring your empty prescription bottles/ boxes and present the coupon for a $25 gift card.  [...]

Estimated Taxes Due Today

Third quarter estimated taxes, covering June 1 to August 31, are due today.  To learn more about estimated taxes, including due dates, penalties, and different methods for calculating it, see our post for the previous quarter.  But for today, here are the main things you need to know:

There is a penalty for underpaying estimated taxes. [...]