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Mini-Money-Makeover Mondays

Yesterday, Hoda, Kathie Lee and I sat down with our first mini-money makeover candidate, Kelly Whalen. Watch the video below to see how we helped her to reign in her weekend spending and be sure to tune in next Monday as we help another viewer makeover their finances.

Guest Post: Staycations…There’s No Place Like Home

This week pirates invaded my town. Trust me though; this isn’t as scary, or as strange, as it sounds. Every summer, Alexandria Bay, my small, tourist town in the summertime paradise known as the Thousand Islands (read the NY Times story on the area here), hosts one of the country’s oldest pirate festivals. For ten days, pirate invasions, pirate parades, and skits to reenact the antics of Bill Johnston (seen with me in the photo at left)-an actual pirate who hid from authorities in a cave in one of the Thousand Islands for almost a year- entertain thousands of tourists.

But what does a pirate festival have to do with money? Well, in a word, lots. For my town, this festival is a major economic driver of an economy that relies, for the most part, on income generated during the summer months. While people from all over attend Bill Johnston’s Pirate Days, this year, many people from not-so-far-away see the festival as the perfect opportunity for entertainment while on a “staycation.”

“Staycation”, seems to be the buzzword of the summer. A staycation is defined (yes, I said defined…staycations have become so popular, that they now have their own dictionary entry) as a vacation where one takes time off at or close to home. According to a recent poll by Harris Interactive, almost 60% of Americans say they are looking for ways to find less-expensive activities to fill up their summer days. Nearly 50% of survey participants said they’d take vacations closer to home.

In an economic climate where everyone’s trying to save a little more, staycations are a chance to take a break from the everyday, without spending a bundle of money. If you’ve yet to take a staycation this summer, there’s still time. Here are some tips for finding cheap fun that’s close to home:

Find a Festival: Visit Festivals.com, where you can search for festivals in your area by city or state, many of which are low-cost or even free.

Fun at the Fair: There are very few places where you can eat a deep fried Oreo, take in a concert by a big-name entertainer and marvel at a sculpture made of butter all in one day. Tickets to your state fair will cost around More…

Wallet-Friendly Wardrobe Tips

When it comes to your wardrobe, saving money is as easy as knowing what doesn’t need to be in your closet. Join Jean tomorrow (on Oprah Radio at 12pm EDT; SIRIUS Channel 195 or XM Channel 156) when she sits down with “What Not to Wear” co-host Stacy London to talk about how you can save money and still look fashionable.

Recession-Inspired Deals

Consumers are more and more reluctant to spend money these days, as they should be. It’s hard to part with your cash when you’re worried about losing your job. This morning, I was on Today talking about the tactics retailers are using to lure you into stores. What deals are out there, and should you take the bait? Watch the video to find out:

Deals, Deals, Deals

Last week I appeared on Today to join Forbes Editor Bill Baldwin (one of my former bosses) discussing a story from his shop about things you should buy before the recession ends.  Essentially, these are things where prices have fallen because of lack of demand.  But as the economy improves, they’re expected to go right back up.

I started fishing around and found some deals that weren’t on his original list.  If you are one of those people who have already stocked the emergency cushion, maxxed out the 401(k), gotten the health and life insurance you need, feel your job is secure AND you STILL have money to spare, look no further: More…