GeekSugar

Geek Tip: Get the Retail Me Not Firefox Extension

GeekSugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 07:30:31 PST

Since we're shifting into holiday shopping overdrive, sales, saving money, and spending seem to top our conversations virtually every day. So I must insist that you add the Retail Me Not extension to your Firefox browser.

It's going to help you do all three: save by alerting you when there is a sale or discount available, and help you spend less than you would if just browsing online stores till all hours of the night looking for a deal. It's free to add-on, but will be worth its weight in gold once you tally up your receipts at the end of the month and see how much you've saved.

And don't forget if you're looking for a bargain, you can always check out ShopStyle's Sale Habit, where you'll find tons of deals from all across the Internet!

Geek Tip: RetailMeNot Adds Firefox Extension

GeekSugar — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 10:00:40 PST

If you ever used RetailMeNot to find coupon codes for stores like Victoria's Secret, JCrew and American Eagle, there's now a RetailMeNot Firefox extension that makes online shopping that much more exciting. Discussed on lifehacker, this free extension will automatically check for coupons and provide you with a notification if a coupon is found for the site you are visiting. How great is that?!

Website of the Day: Retail Me Not

GeekSugar — Tue, 29 May 2007 14:06:56 PDT

You know when you're shopping online and you see a box on the checkout page that tells you to enter a discount code, coupon number or promotional code? You can actually obtain those money saving codes and digits from Retail Me Not, a website that lists online coupon codes for stores like J Crew, Amazon, Victoria Secret, Starbucks and Avis. The website gets all of its discount codes from user-submissions, so there's no guarantee that each code will work 100 percent, but it's definitely worth a try. Just enter at the checkout page and give them a whirl, you never know what goodies you'll get at a fraction of the regular cost!

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

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 of your favorite sites! Yours just might end up on the geeksugar homepage!

Geek We Love: The Father of the MP3 Player Market

Anna Monette Roberts — Mon, 14 May 2012 06:11:05 PDT

Although Kane Kramer developed the first MP3 player in the 1970s, it wasn't until 20 years later that MP3 players hit the consumer market. For that we have Nathan Schulhof to thank. In the early 1990s, he envisioned a "portable device [that] would allow the selection, retrieval, storage, and playback of audio content delivered to the device via the Internet."

The founder and CEO of Audio Highway, Schulhof has been dubbed the "father of the MP3 player industry" for creating, patenting, and introducing the Audio Highway Listen Up MP3 Player in 1996. The first of its kind to be introduced to the public, the Listen Up Player had a retail value of $299 and held up to 60 minutes of digital audio files. To give you some perspective, today an iPod Classic ($250) stores up to 40,000 songs.

Even though the player was not mass-produced (only 25 devices were made), it still received a lot of buzz and recognition in the tech world. The player won an Innovations Award at the Consumer Electronics Show in 1997 as well as a People's Choice Award at the second annual Internet Showcase Conference in 1998.

See how Schulhof feels about Apple's success.

Molly Sims on the Most Surprising Thing About Pregnancy, Her Glam Maternity Style, and More

Lisa Horten — Fri, 11 May 2012 08:12:58 PDT

She may be 34 weeks pregnant, but that didn't stop mom-to-be Molly Sims from squeezing time into her hectic schedule to chat with us. In addition to her acting and modeling work, Molly was recently named the Global Ambassador for Population Service International (PSI)'s child survival program, Five & Alive, and she's counting down the weeks until the birth of her baby boy.

LilSugar: Congratulations! How are you feeling?
Molly Sims: I'm coming into the end of my third trimester, and there's been a lot of swelling. I've been putting my feet up and soaking them in freezing cold water. That seems to work. We just went on the hospital tour and that made me a little nervous. I kept asking, "What's that?" and Scott [Stuber, Sims's husband] was taking notes on his BlackBerry. I said, "Can you tell we're first-time parents?!"

LS: Any other pregnancy tips and tricks that have worked for you?
MS: My back has been bothering me the whole time and the best investment I made was the Sleep Number bed. You can sleep with your feet up! It's great for my husband and I, and it means that he can rest without my waking him all throughout the night.

LS: You just had your baby shower - how was that?
MS: It was so great, just so much fun. We didn't really have a theme, but afterwards, we had a Cinco de Mayo party with everyone.

LS: Any favorite gifts?
MS: I love [online retailer] Layla Grace, and they sent me this supersoft rocking horse. I also got three great strollers - a Bugaboo that I'll use in New York, the Orbit System, which is supposed to be really easy to take apart, and then Baby Trend sent me a custom one - it's the coolest thing! I walk and hike a lot, so it was important to me to have a really good jogger. What's been great is that all of my friends have been giving me the products that they found really worked. There's so much out there, so that's been really helpful. I've also been working with Margot Stuart at Ready Me Baby. She helped me narrow down my Amazon Wish List to the 15 or so things that I really need.

Keep reading to see what's been the biggest surprise in Molly's pregnancy and her cravings.

7 Money Mistakes Women Often Make

LearnVest — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:15:55 PDT

We all make mistakes - we're all human after all. LearnVest shares some of the common money mistakes that women often make so readers will learn not to make them, too.

Some of us handle our money flawlessly, perfectly, brilliantly, all of the time.

But most of us don't.

Most of us make mistakes here and there. We make some mistakes more than others, because of our personalities, or our upbringing . . . or sometimes even our gender.

It's ridiculous, but true.

We've heard it firsthand - from our readers. In fact, we went through hundreds of reader submissions and found examples of the most common stories that cross our desks every day.

Let's be clear: Not all women make these mistakes. Not all men avoid them. But in our experience, these are a few female financial problem areas that can lead to major debt and lots of stress.

RELATED: Are You a Social Shopper?

Ever bailed out an ex? Indulged in a little more retail therapy than you meant to? Or woken up one day and realized you didn't know as much as you thought you did about managing your money? You just might recognize yourself.

Of course, if you don't, good for you. We're just saying, bad money snafus happen to good people. But read on: We'll show you the top seven mistakes women make - and what to do instead.

Feeling Guilty

"When we were together, I let my ex stay with me rent-free until he found an apartment, lent him my furniture and paid for every date because I had a job and he didn't. When I lost my job, he paid for my rent for a few months and bills, etc. Now that we're broken up, he wants me to pay him back for the rent he insisted on covering. I am still on unemployment and barely getting by. I feel so guilty because we didn't end up as the forever couple and while I can't (nor would I . . . ) calculate all of my assistance getting him settled in NYC, he can quite easily."

A 2011 study from Eversave.com found that 67% of women have felt guilt about a purchase. But that's not the only opportunity for guilt: There's also staying in a job you feel guilty about abandoning, giving someone money because you feel guilty about their situation and, oh, doing the opposite of what you want when it comes to working after having children because you feel guilty about being a good mom (more on that here).

This guilt effect might not be limited to finances, either. Some studies suggest that women are more inclined than men to feel any kind of guilt. And we'd argue, more likely to bail out their exes, too.

Read on for more.

Jenny Packham Launches a More Affordable Line at Debenhams - Shop the Collection Now

Chi Diem Chau — Tue, 01 May 2012 08:03:36 PDT

Jenny Packham's gorgeous red-carpet gowns are a favorite amongst red-carpet beauties like Kate Winslet, Angelina Jolie, and most recently, we spotted Kate Hudson in the designer's gorgeous purple sequined gown at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Now, everyone can get a piece of Jenny Packham at a much more affordable price with the launch of the designer's dressy diffusion line, named Jenny Packham No. 1, with UK retailer Debenhams. "I have taken some of our most feminine and glamorous styles and evolved them into a collection for Debenhams," said Packham. "The red dress is a favourite for me as it has an understated dare devil appeal." The collection, priced around $30 to $300, features a range of dresses, statement jewelry, and shoes fitting for any occasion. Furthermore, accessories like feathered headpieces, satin shoes, crystal brooches, and sparkly necklaces are perfect as wedding accessories. Click the slideshow to see and shop - we converted the prices to US dollars for you - our favorite pieces from the Jenny Packham No. 1 collection now.

Apt2B's Pop-Up Shop Is Impersonating an Apartment

Elka Karl — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 06:00:31 PDT

One of our favorite online retailers and Twitter friends Apt2B, will open a new pop-up shop on May 1 with a distinctly unique design. The retail space is also designed to look and feel like a cool Los Angeles apartment. The shop, a 900 square-foot space, will offer many in-store specials as well as many new furniture pieces that will later be available on the Apt2B website.

Apt2B's pop-up shop will be open from May 1 through 31 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and is located in the heart of the design district in West Hollywood at 8654 Melrose. Be sure to stop by if you're in the LA area.

Designer Frank Harker, who you may know from HGTV's Design on a Dime, created the look of the space. Harker explained, "The idea behind the Apt2b pop-up space was to give the consumer the feeling of coming home. Apt2B is an online home furnishings retailer specific to the LA community; my challenge was to bring the philosophy of a company that only existed on the internet into a reality where customers can touch, feel, and experience the product firsthand. The exciting part for me was as much to make the customer feel at home, as it was to make a store of affordable furnishings feel at home in a location directly across from the Pacific Design Center, amongst some of the most well respected design showrooms in the world."

Keep clicking for a closer look at the space and to hear what else Frank has to say about the design!

Singer Belinda Carlisle Designs Belindia, a Line of Indian-Inspired Textiles

Stylelist Home — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 04:00:40 PDT

We're happy to present a post from Stylelist Home.

From the top of the '80s music charts to an exclusive home line at Bergdorf Goodman, The Go-Go's lead singer, Belinda Carlisle, is stepping into the world of design with a decor line inspired by one of her favorite locales - India.

"I love everything about India - the colors, the art. It's really an interesting, exciting place to be," says the "Heaven Is A Place On Earth" singer.

Carlisle, 53, describes her line of blankets, cushions and tableware as bohemian yet functional. She's created an "unconventional" collection for the shopper with a "creative brain because it's a lot of mismatched fabric that all work together," she says. "It's one of a kind, hand-done, vibrant and colorful, and it's a good representation of what India is about," she adds.

After moving to France almost 20 years ago, Carlisle started to find herself visiting her India-based friends more and more, she says. Eventually, it just made sense to find a part-time residence there. "It's actually cheaper for me to have a place there than stay at a hotel," she says. And, for the past few years, the multiplatinum-selling artist has split her time between France and India, spending almost half the year in the exotic country.

Then, while promoting her memoir in 2010, Carlisle posted pieces and items she found abroad on her website. Eventually, high-end retailer Bergdorf Goodman took notice and approached her about launching a small textile line."For me, I've always had an interest in design, so it's kind of something that comes natural," she says. "In fact, I think that if I hadn't been a singer, I'd probably be in design some how for sure."

The songstress admits that she thought launching a home line would be easy. Instead, she has spent the last few years traveling and sourcing wools from Calcutta and linens from Kashmir. "It's not just me putting my name on it," says Carlisle. "I actually go to Calcutta and put together the colors. I have no preconceptions of what I'm looking for. I just go with my eye and my good gut instinct of what I like."

We're certainly impressed by Carlisle's new design venture and we're looking forward to seeing more from her. What's your take on this singer turned home decor designer? Let us know in comments below.

12 Tips to Shrink Your Bill When Eating Out

Emily Co — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:04:07 PDT

Although staying in to eat is a lot cheaper than going out, foodies can't help but indulge in their favorite restaurants once in a while. Food is one of the biggest joys in life, and nothing is better than sharing a good meal and conversation with the ones you love. In fact, the restaurant industry in America makes about $1.7 billion on a typical day, according to the Restaurant Association. That's a lot of money we're spending meals out! On your next food outing, be sure to keep these tips in mind to shrink your bill:

Use Coupons: Go to Restaurant.com and enter in a coupon code for restaurant.com that'll get you a $25 voucher for only $q0. You can find the coupon code by searching online at sites like RetailMeNot.com. Buy a local Entertainment book worth $15 that will give you lots of buy one get one free coupons for restaurants.

Earn Rewards: Do your research on sites like Mint and Credit Card Guide and figure out which credit cards give you the best rewards for your diner bucks. Oftentimes, if you're a loyal member of a mileage program, you can even earn some miles by eating at the restaurants the airline partner up with. For example, Southwest has a Rapid Rewards Dining program that credits three points for every dollar spent with their restaurant partners.

Skip the Drinks: Sodas, alcohol, and other non-tap water drinks tend to be overpriced at restaurants. Get water with your meal, and if you're really itching for a particular drink, wait until dinner's over and head to a convenient store to buy it.

Order the Kiddie Meal: The meals for kids are generally cheaper and most of the times are the perfect size for adults! This option is also great for portion control and your wallet.

Read on for more tips to save when dining out.