GeekSugar

Website of the Day: Buy Your Friend A Drink

GeekSugar — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 11:00:46 PDT

To start off, it's really fun to say "you beta buy your friend a drink!" and even more fun to go online and actually buy your friend a drink.

Started in 2005, when its creator graduated from business school and realized his friends were scattered across the county and he could no longer toast to all those special moments with them, buy your friend a drink allows you to create a profile and buy a cold one for your friend in a bar across the country.

Because it's in beta right now, the bar choices are rather limited, but all you have to do is fill in your a profile and select "buy your friend a drink." Your friend will then be sent an email (and a text message at your option) from you with your personal message and the gift code. To redeem the drink all you have to do is go to any bar in the network and give the bartender the gift code.

I'm at the disadvantage of being in San Francisco, where the bar network for this site hasn't been developed, but the boys at Crave were able to test it out and after a bit of confusion at the bar, gave it a nod of approval.

"I give BuyYourFriendADrink a thumbs-up," says the tester. "Sure, it's gimmicky, and it's still very limited. But now when I win bets with my West Coast-based colleagues, I don't have to wait until I'm traveling out there for my "you owe me a beer" agreements to be fulfilled."

To learn how to post your favorite sites to the Website of the Day group,

read more
I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.

First of all, join the Website of the Day group
Click "Create and Share!" on the left hand side
Choose "Blog"
Give your photo a Title
Leave the category as "general"
Change the channel to "technology and gadgets"
Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Website of the Day")
Click on the "Add Image" link below the "body" box
A popup window will happen - click on "Browse" to find your image on your computer
Once you have the image chosen, click "Submit"
The popup will show you your image, choose size: "normal" - if you want, you can give it a title (which will show up as a caption)
Click "Insert" and the popup will go away
Your "body" box will now have some text in it. Leave it as is. If you want to add some text before the picture telling me why you love the website, do it before the code that has appeared.
Click Submit

So join the Website of the Day group and share information about all your favorite sites! Yours just might end up on the geeksugar homepage!

How to Avoid Awkwardness When the Bill Arrives

SavvySugar — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 05:30:32 PST

When you're dining out with friends and the check arrives, things can turn uncomfortable quickly. Is the tip included? Should the cost be divided evenly? Some people just ate appetizers, some people just had drinks, and only a handful brought cash - what do you do? Follow these quick tips to keep things pleasant when the bill appears.

Make a date with the ATM. Unless you regularly keep cash in your wallet, you should always stop at the ATM before meeting up with a group. Some restaurants are picky about charging multiple credit cards, so think ahead and stop by the bank before any group get-togethers. Better yet, buy something to break all those $20 bills.
Communicate early. As soon as everyone is settled in and preparing to order, initiate a casual conversation about their bill expectations. Find out whether your friends plan to order appetizers, full meals, or just drinks, then talk about tip options and come to a consensus on how you'll handle the tab.
Pass the bill. It's polite to pass the check folder around the table so that everyone has a chance to look at the bill. Once each person has seen the tab and made their contribution, take charge and count the cash to make sure enough money has been added. If the total comes up short, don't single out any one person - instead, kindly let the entire group know how much more is needed and let each person decide whether she needs to chip in a bit more.

How to Prevent a Bad Running Day

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:56:02 PST

Some days I slip on my sports bra and sneaks and I feel so light and strong - like I could keep going and going. Other days it seems like my legs are trudging through mud. What gives? We can't prevent bad running days entirely, but here are a few things you can do in order to have more good days than bad.

Get enough sleep the night before. Hit the hay early enough so you get seven to nine hours of shut-eye.
Make sure you're hydrated. Not drinking the appropriate amount of water before and during your workout can lead to dizziness, headaches, decreased energy and performance, dry mouth, and cramps. A few hours before running, drink about 15 to 20 ounces. Drink another eight to 10 ounces 10 to 15 minutes before heading out.
Eat before your run. Remember that food is fuel. If you're not working out for five or so hours, enjoy a meal that contains protein, fat, and carbs. Several hours before a run, eat a meal that's under 500 calories. Thirty to 90 minutes before you head out, enjoy a carb-loaded low-fat snack. If you're working out first thing in the a.m., fuel up with easily digestible carbs that are low in fiber. Getting too much fiber can cause major cramps during your run.
Hit the ladies room. There's no need to carry unnecessary weight with you, so if you can relieve yourself before your run, you'll feel much lighter and will be less likely to experience belly aches.

See more tips after the break!

Save on Eating Out in 2012 With These 12 Realistic Tips!

Emily Co — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:05:07 PST

One of the hardest thing to budget in the past year was eating habits, according to SavvySugar readers. Of course, there is always the simple solution of just eating at home more often, but you can still cut your food bill here and there when you're eating out. We've given you plenty of tips in the past on how to save when eating out so we're rehashing some of the best ones as well as throwing in some our new frugal ideas! Here they are:

Use coupons. Go to Restaurant.com and enter in a coupon code for restaurant.com that'll get you a $25 voucher for only $2. You can find the coupon code by searching the keyword "restaurant.com" on the coupon site RetailMeNot. Buy a local Entertainment book worth $15 that will give you lots of buy one get one free coupons for restaurants.

Don't eat out when you're dining solo. Try to save your meal excursions for when you're with friends and family. This means that if you're planning on grabbing a quick bite by yourself, it's better to prepare something at home to eat instead. A big part of the joy of eating out is ambiance and company, so save your money and skip grabbing quick meals when you're alone.

Ration meals with friends. Even if you're saving all your meals out for when you have company, don't be too liberal when you're scheduling them. Try to rotate among different people if you're planning on having one-on-one dinners and space it out. Remember you can always catch up with people over drinks or during a fun activity so don't feel bad about skipping dinner.

Opt for lunch: Oftentimes, the lunch menu is a lot cheaper than dinner. When meeting up with people, try to opt for lunch as your preferred meal. Be sure to also pick their lunch specials.

Read on for more tips.

Guide to 11th-Hour Christmas Gifts

Emily Co — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:15:39 PST

The clock is ticking, and we have five more days before Christmas is upon us. If you're not totally done with buying gifts, or if you haven't even started,don't fret! Read some of my tips and suggestions to getting your holiday gift list done!

Start Now: Don't give yourself more stress and pressure to buying gifts than you have to. Nip that in the bud by starting today. Don't know where to start? Make a list and go from there.
Gift Cards: Gift cards are always a popular and easy gift, and it takes little effort to run out to the nearest Starbucks to get one! Afraid gift cards are too impersonal? Here are instructions for dressing it up in a DIY snow globe. Egift cards might be a very quick way to wrap up your Christmas shopping.
Affordable Fast Shipping: Take advantage of the next-day shipping options that won't break the bank, which some online stores are providing. Retailers like Zappos and Amazon provide the next day service for free, while Overstock will deliver it to you for free before Christmas day. Remember, these deliveries have restrictions, so remember to read the fine print!
Regifting: Consider regifting (with care!) something you’ve already received. Be sure to not make these major regifting mistakes and don’t give anything that's used or too old.

More 11th-hour tips after the jump.

How to Have an Old-Fashioned, Fun, and Frugal Christmas

LearnVest — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 00:15:49 PST

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

Ray-Bans aren't the only piece of the past worth revisiting.

There are also old-school photos, discreetly boozy drinks and Judy Garland. Let's go ahead and combine all three: It's Retro Christmas.

This year, we're planning to enjoy what we call "Retro Christmas": A return to holidays past, when the season was about togetherness rather than excess gifts, affection rather than perfection.

Although scaling down our celebrations means spending less money, that's not the point.

We’ve put together our plan for making this year special . . . and focused on elegance, simplicity and genuine holiday spirit. In the end, our goal is to spend time with the people we care about. Of course, while we call this "Retro Christmas," you can adjust most of our tips for whatever winter holidays you celebrate (except maybe for our advice on ornamenting your tree).

Here's to Christmas in sepia!

Gift as a Group

To make gift-giving as meaningful as possible, concentrate on quality rather than quantity. So, instead of buying something just because you need to get a gift, get one that you know will be cherished, even if that means going in with a group of family or friends.

One easy aid is Share a Gift, a website that allows people to make donations toward a communal gift. It uses PayPal and organizes money better than the usual cash collection.

Read on for more tips for a retro Christmas.

Tips and Tricks For Avoiding Weekend Weight Gain

Jenny Sugar — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 10:17:13 PST

When Friday rolls around, my weekend begins. I often celebrate by having friends come over for dinner or meeting them for a bite to eat. It's a great way to unwind from the busy week, but constantly letting loose on the weekends also means you might need to buy looser pants! Here are some tips for enjoying the weekend without derailing your diet.

Weigh yourself twice a week - either Friday and Monday a.m. or Thursday and Monday a.m. There's nothing better to keep you on track than knowing that you have to face the scale come Monday morning.
Eat healthy throughout the day if you know you'll be splurging at night. Focus on eating meals that are packed with fruits, veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins. Then you can feel good about going overboard for dinner.
Don't starve yourself to save calories for later. It'll not only mess up your metabolism, but by dinner time, that famished feeling will likely cause you to eat more than you would if you weren't starving.
Have a healthy snack before heading to a big brunch or dinner. It'll take the edge off your hunger.
Know what you're going to order before you go out to eat. That way you're less tempted by the plethora of choices.
Limit the martinis and cosmos. Alcohol is a diet double-whammy; it’s not only rich in calories itself, but it also reduces inhibitions and increases appetite. So stick to the one-drink-a-day rule.

There are other great tips, so read more.

Get Back on Track After Thanksgiving With These Saving Tips

Anna Monette Roberts — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:33:13 PST

If you travel for Thanksgiving, you can easily blow some serious cash: on air travel, tickets to holiday movies, drinks to catch up with old friends, and shopping on Black Friday. Just because you're on vacation that doesn't mean that your bank account is, too. The weekend has just begun, so leave the indulging behind and follow a post-Thanksgiving budget.

Eat up all the leftovers. Avoid going out to eat, and if you're getting tired of turkey sandwiches, whip up a creative Thanksgiving leftover recipe that will transform your meal into something new and tasty. Alternatively, visit a friend's house and help them munch on their leftovers.
Enjoy being a couch potato. Thanksgiving is all about the football games and the holiday movie marathons. Keep the sweatpants on and relish the free entertainment. Movie tickets are absurdly expensive these days, but if you must, limit yourself to buying one ticket to a must-see matinee, like The Muppets.

See more budgeting tips.

8 Bad Habits to Kick in Your 20s

LearnVest — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 00:15:02 PST

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

We remember those days long ago - or not so long ago - when we thought the only thing standing between us and a great night out was a fake I.D., and the days when every hurt could be soothed with a new pair of shoes.

Until now, we’d always chalked those notions up to our own youthful silliness, but it turns out we weren’t alone: According to a recent study, 20-year-olds actually think that having debt is cool.

“The more credit card and college loan debt held by young adults aged 18 to 27, the higher their self-esteem,” the researchers concluded. Only that effect didn’t last long: By the time participants in the study reached age 28, their feelings of mastery and empowerment had corroded into stress over the money they owed.

Surely celebrating your debt isn’t the only habit worth kicking by the time you near 30. So, we asked you, what other habits that seemed cool, empowering and fun at 20 did you drop like a hot potato a few years later?

Your answers, which ranged from money choices to lifestyle mistakes, were hilarious, insightful . . . and a testament to the power of experience. Read on.

Fake Baking

If You're Doing This: Don’t waste your hard-earned money on cancer-causing tanning beds, which can come back to bite you later in health care bills-or worse. Tan safely (here’s some advice on sunless tanning), or, better yet, emulate Anne Hathaway, who makes pale skin look chic.

Read on for more bad habits.

Make the Skies a Bit Friendly With These Holiday Travel Tips For Families

BabyCenter — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:33:09 PST

We're excited to share this post from our partners at BabyCenter! Every week, we will be bringing you the best parenting and lifestyle stories from the experts at BabyCenter, including this post from Kristina Sauerwein about making holiday travel as smooth as possible.

No doubt you've noticed the tinsel, twinkle-light Christmas trees in stores and heard carols on the radio. Although it does seem early to get decked out for the holidays, the season is rapidly approaching and it is not too early to plan holiday air travel.

To help you avoid hassles and extra costs associated with holiday air travel, here are 10 tips from Christine Frietchen, Editor in Chief of ConsumerSearch.com, a site that helps consumers make informed purchasing decisions in everything from electronics to home and garden goods to health and beauty items to cars.

For booking air travel, start yesterday. This year is going to be tough for snagging the choice Christmas flights. With Christmas falling on a Sunday, there's already a scramble for Friday-to-Monday (or Tuesday) trips. Start looking and booking now.
Be as flexible as you can. It's hard during the holidays to be flexible, but if you can depart on Thursday, for example, instead of Friday, you can save $100 per ticket in some markets.
When booking flights with connections, be mindful of the connecting city. Winter weather in popular connecting cities like Chicago or Minneapolis can throw a big wrench in your plans. Though a nonstop flight might cost more, it could be worth it if the only connection options are dicey delay-prone cities.
Don't forget to check nearby airports. Although it can be a hassle to drive an extra 50 or 100 miles to a more distant airport, it can be worth checking. For a family, saving $50 per ticket will more than make up for the extra gas.
Check in at home. Most airlines now allow you to check in via computer or smartphone as well as print your boarding pass. If you don't need to check bags, that means you can head straight for the security screening line.

Keep reading for more holiday travel tips!