If you’re not familiar with these policies, you will be soon — they are growing in popularity, largely due to “showrooming” — the practice of heading to a brick and mortar store, checking out the goods, then buying online at a better price. (There are even apps now to make showrooming easier.)

Price matching is a policy set by certain stores that guarantee to — you guessed it — match the price of competitors. You see these policies a great deal among stores of the same category (grocery stores might match each other, or home improvement stores), but recently, Target and Best Buy both announced that they will be matching prices found on Amazon and certain other e-commerce stores.

Sounds like a boon for consumers, and largely it is. But Cheapism’s report just poked holes in many of these policies, revealing fine print and loopholes that will restrict consumers from taking advantage in some cases. The website tasked a reporter with matching prices at major retailers, including Best Buy, Kohl’s, Lowe’s, Home Depot, JC Penney, Target, Sears and Walmart. Three fared very well:

• JC Penney. Cheapism says the store gives managers lots of leeway to match prices at their discretion. They match with “brick and mortar stores in the same market area or within a reasonable distance” if you bring in a current ad (photocopies and mobile versions are allowed).
• Lowe’s. The home improvement store takes it up a notch by not only matching prices, but offering an additional 10% discount. You have to bring in a current ad.
• Target. As mentioned, Target will match the pricing of online retailers, including Amazon. You must bring in a print ad – mobile or photocopy ads are not accepted.

What happened in the other instances? Fine print, essentially. Cheapism’s report found that Best Buy shoppers who take advantage of their price matching — which does indeed match Amazon and other online retailer prices — will be subject to a shorter return window. Following the lead of Lowe’s, Home Depot one-ups the competition with an additional 10% off, but the time frame for the price adjustment is at the “manager’s discretion,” according to Cheapism, and is often short. Sears and Kohl’s had the strictest policies on the list.

Other common red flags? “The seemingly innocuous phrase ‘local retail competitor,’” says Max Levitte, founder of Cheapism. “It rules out stores outside of the local market, but also e-commerce sites such as Amazon, one of the biggest competitors for many stores with low-price guarantees.” He reiterates that only Target and Best Buy have expanded their price matching policies to include select online retailers.

Finally, watch out for commonly excluded products — in Cheapism’s research, Levitte says that no price-matching policy covered services like delivery, assembly, installation, and warranties. Cell phones and plans that require a contract are also often excluded. Finally, while a policy may not exclude certain products by name, large swaths of inventory often aren’t covered. “Perhaps the biggest example of this is store-brand products,” says Levitte. “Retailers such as Best Buy, Lowe’s, and Home Depot also sell many big-ticket electronics and appliances with unique model numbers, so they’re not technically the same models sold by other stores.”

Sprechen Sie Deutsch? (Do you speak German?) If you can answer yes (er, “ja”), you’re not only indicating an ability to avoid another “Ich bin ein Berliner” situation. According to new research out of Yale University, you might be better at saving money than your English-speaking friends.

In a TED Talk posted in February and in an article published in the April edition of the American Economic Review, Yale associate professor of economics Keith Chen argues that the language we speak could be undermining — or, in the more fortunate cases, bolstering — our abilities to save money. The difference in savings behavior, he says, lies in the way certain languages ask us to speak about the future.

“Saving is taxing your current self, for the benefit of your future self,” Chen explained. “I have to drive a slightly less nice car, wear slightly less nice clothes now so that my 80-year-old self is not destitute. All of these decisions we have to make, weigh our current selves versus our future self.” And in a language in which the future is not so distinct from the present, it’s much easier to put our 80-year-old selves first.

As for native English speakers reading this and reaching for a German (or Chinese, or another futureless language) Rosetta Stone… not so fast: Chen’s research doesn’t currently extend to bilingual speakers, though he is working on ways to test people who think and speak in two languages that treat the future in different ways. However, if you’re English-speaking and looking for a way to boost your ability to save, other research has shown that visualizing your goals — literally keeping photographs as reminders — can be a big help.

Besides, a conversational grasp on Mandarin likely wouldn’t affect your ability to save, at least not in the immediate future. “You probably,” Chen said, “wouldn’t use the language enough to think it on a cognitive level.”

First, it’s important to be smart about how you shop for produce by buying what is in season.  When you buy in-season fruits and vegetables, you’ll usually pay half of what it costs out of season.

Another way to save is to compare prices between stores, look at “no-frills” discount stores and local farmers’ markets for deals on produce.

But you likely do the bulk of your shopping in the grocery store. Here are my favorite ways to save there:

1. Get the most nutrition for your dollar - Pound for pound, iceberg and romaine at my supermarket are comparable in price but not in terms of nutrition. Romaine has much more Vitamin A and C than iceberg lettuce.   Do some research and spend your money on the most nutrition for your buck.

2. An apple a day may cost you dearly – Don’t fall into the trap of buying the same fruits week after week. Apples can soar to $1 or more apiece while bananas cost about 25 cents each year-round. Rotate your fruit selection and choose smaller pieces to save on per-serving costs.

 3. Substitute – An orange will provide all the Vitamin C you need in a day, and so will 2 cups of chopped green cabbage which costs about 2/3 less.  You may not want to substitute cabbage for orange slices at breakfast, but consider tossing finely sliced cabbage into soups, salads, coleslaw or stir-fry for more nutrition.

4. Waste not. – The USDA estimates that households waste between 10-40% of their grocery dollar. Clean out your produce drawers when you make your shopping list. If you don’t plan to use ripe vegetables immediately, cut them up and put them in a freezer container. When the container is full, make soup out of it. When bananas are too ripe, peel, slice, and keep them in the freezer to add to smoothies. (Editors note: More on this in a previous Wednesday Welcome, here.

5. Grow your own savings. Nothing beats the price – and the taste – of a tomato you harvest from your own backyard or even your deck. Short on space? Purchase cheap plant containers at garage sales or flea markets. Or, make your own container out of old buckets, jars, plastic trash containers, ceramic pots, or other cleaned containers you have around the home. Growing staples like lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and herbs can provide the most bang for your buck.

 6. Do it yourself. Save on produce by not buying the pre-cut salads and veggies.  If it takes you less than five minutes to prepare produce, you can skip the cost of convenience and save money.  For example, it takes less than five minutes to wash a bunch of romaine lettuce that costs 75% less per pound than bagged romaine.

7. Learn the “Clean 15” and the “Dirty Dozen.” The Environmental Working Group, a non-profit public health advocacy group, provides a free Pesticides in Produce Shopping Guide. Download the list or the app to see which items contain the least and the most pesticide residue. You can stretch your dollar by purchasing conventional versions of the “Clean 15” such as onions, avocados, sweet corn, asparagus, cabbage, broccoli, watermelon which have virtually no pesticide residue.  Invest in the organic versions of the “Dirty Dozen” items to avoid pesticides, such as apples and grapes.

About Stephanie: With more than 6.5 million members, Coupon Mom gives members access to thousands of printable coupons for groceries, restaurants and more. As the nation’s top expert in couponing, Stephanie has taught millions how to save money for the past 12 years. She has been called ‘”the rock star of the recession” by the Washington Post and her book, The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half, is a New York Times best seller.

These days, shopping isn’t just shopping, it’s comparison shopping. For most of us, it’s second nature: we don’t just book a flight to Florida, we go to Kayak (or Expedia or TripAdvisor) to compare the cost of different times, routes and airlines. Parents don’t just send their child off to the university with the biggest scholarship check, they use this worksheet from the U.S Department of Education to make sure they’re getting the most value for their money. And now, thanks to CarGurus.com, buying a used car has taken on a similar dimension.

Founded by Langley Steinert in 2006 (after he sold TripAdvisor, a site he also helped found), CarGurus is a site that lets you see
what types of used cars are available in your area, whether they’re a good deal, how many miles their previous owner logged, and virtually any other spec you can think of. Though the site has been around for about seven years now, it has recently taken off.

“We’ve gone from obscurity,” he said, noting recent triple digit traffic growth.

• Generally, you’ll do better if you shop in the city, not the suburbs. In smaller cities or even suburban areas, there is less competition on average.  That, leads to higher prices.

• Finally, cast a wide net. Expanding your search radius to cover more area can save you 11 percent.

- Angela

Angela, credit cards have a bad reputation, and there’s a good reason for that. If you carry debt, the interest rates can be a killer. But they’re also an important tool to have in your wallet — used wisely, they can help you improve your credit score, as you noted, and even earn you money or other perks in the form of rewards.

This is a good, timely question, as many people are in the thick of planning their summer vacations. If you’re going to be paying off this card in full each month — as, of course, you should — you want to look for a card that will give you rewards by spending on things that you buy anyway. Card issuers often dole out rewards based on categories of spending — you might get more back when you shop at grocery stores, for instance, or fly a certain airline. Remember that this is a card you’ll use not only on your upcoming cruise, but also on other purchases when you return, so take a careful look at your spending and then look for a card that will reward you based on where you spend money anyway.

My favorite website to sort through the options is LowCards.com. You can search by gas cards, home improvement, retail, travel cards, and then narrow them down by the credit score requirements. If you’re not sure you’ll use something like miles, I’d look for the most generic card you can find – one that gives you cash back for spending across the board. LowCards.com picked the American Express Blue Cash Everyday card as the winner in that category – right now they’re offering $100 cash back if you spend $1,000 in the first three months of membership, and that cruise may get you there. The card also pays 3% back at US supermarkets (for up to $6,000 per year in purchases), 2% back at US gas stations and select department stores, and 1% on all other purchases. And there’s no annual fee, which is important because depending on how much you spend, a fee can really eat into your rewards.

Enjoy your cruise, and happy anniversary!

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Here, retailers that are cutting prices and amping up promotions for the holiday:

1-800-FLOWERS.COM. Flowers are always a safe bet, and in conjunction with RetailMeNot.com, this online site will give you 20% off your order if you enter the code RMNMDAY at checkout. Note that the discount does is on the purchase price only and does not include service and delivery fees. This deal is good only through today.

ProFlowers.com. This online flower retailer has a variety of deals to choose from, including 20% off orders of $39 or more, 15% off orders regardless of value, and 50% off the second bouquet when you purchase two in the same order.

RedEnvelope. The website is offering 15% off — no minimum purchase — when the promo code REDNB15AR is entered at check out.

BedandBreakfast.com. Thanks to SuddenlyFrugal for this tip: If you purchase a gift card worth $250 or more from BedandBreakfast.com, you’ll receive another gift card for $75 free. The promo code is LUVMOM75 and you must purchase by May 12.

Perfumania. Hat tip to dealnews for this one: Through May 22, select items are buy one, get one free online at Perfumania.com. I’d say that means you can get a gift for mom, and a gift for yourself — or just two for mom!

Amazon. Not a gift for mom, but a promotion nonetheless: Their Mom Appreciation Event gives members of Amazon Mom with Prime 20% off eligible baby products with the promo code BABY0513, for up to $100 in total savings. The code is single-use and good through May 31.

Conventional wisdom — or pop culture, at least — says that money does not buy happiness: you can’t buy the Beatles’ love, rapper Macklemore likes his thrift shop and pop star Jessie J just wants everyone to forget about the price tag and make the world dance. Yet, for every song or work of art eschewing materialism, there seems to be at least two more extolling the virtues of richesse; Madonna is, after all, just a material girl, and Bruno Mars wants to be a billionaire so very badly. So who’s right: Team Beatles, or Team Bruno?

These results seem to contradict previous research that has suggested once a certain level of income is hit, more money doesn’t bring more happiness. One commonly-cited study by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman and Princeton economist Angus Deaton found that $75,000 in annual income is the “sweet spot” and additional income doesn’t provide additional emotional well-being.

But in their paper for Brookings, Wolfers and Stevenson noted that their study is based on different measures of well-being than the Kahneman-Deaton study, so the two sets of results are not “necessarily in tension” with each other. As they show in the data, happiness and life satisfaction aren’t the same thing (more people earning $50,000 reported feeling “very satisfied” than “very happy”), and Wolfers noted that he and Stevenson haven’t studied the same affective measures (like experiencing lower stress or not feeling blue) that Kahneman and Deaton have.

As for the other studies that suggested happiness levels don’t rise with income? Wolfers points to the fact that he and Stevenson gathered more data.  “We have data on 160 countries. It’s very clear rich countries are happier than poor. If you only have a few countries, there’s not as much data [to go off of].”

“Most people I’ve talked to think this is mindblowingly obvious,” Wolfers added. “I’ve certainly not heard from millionaires saying ‘money doesn’t matter and you can have half of my wealth.’” As for the money and happiness discussion? That, we’re sure, will be continued…

When many people think about their charitable contribution strategies, they rarely think of donating to charity first before spending money on other things. We’ve all heard the maxims that you should pay yourself first, set aside money for retirement, automatically contribute to an emergency fund, and the like, but how often do you really hear financial planners say to give away money first, then spend on other things?

Once you have covered your basic necessities — food, shelter, transportation, and clothing — and your financial obligations and debts taken care of, what then? How should charitable contributions play into your overall financial planning?

According to recent research from Harvard Business School’s Professor Michael Norton and others, spending money on someone other than yourself can actually promote long-term happiness. Norton conducted an experiment where he gave people an envelope with either $5 or $20 and told those people to spend the money either on themselves or on someone else before the end of the day. These participants then reported back on their overall happiness.

When asked what they thought would happen, the participants expected that more money spent on themselves would provide the most happiness. They were wrong.

The results: When people spent money on others, they were happiest. Furthermore, the amount of money spent didn’t matter; it was simply engaging in the act of prosocial behavior which caused people to be happy.

The act of giving triggers responses in our limbic system, the subconscious part of our mind which is still concerned with hunting, gathering, and not being squashed to bits by wooly mammoths, which I call Monkey Brain. Monkey Brain usually concerns himself with eating more chocolate cake and buying that flat screen TV for the man cave, rather than investing money for retirement, since retirement is so…far…away.

In this case, though, giving is actually tickling places that Monkey Brain likes. Giving money away triggers responses in the ventral striatum, which is the same section of the brain that lights up when we see pretty faces or beautiful art. Yes, Monkey Brain gets more hedonic pleasure out of giving money away than he does in buying Jimmy Choo shoes or the newest Xbox 360 game.

Why is this so? It’s because the action of giving away money serves two purposes inside our minds. First, it creates congruence with what we tell ourselves our values are and our actions in demonstrating those values. We all like to think of ourselves as genuinely good people who care about others and try to contribute something back to the world. Very few people truly want to simply leech off the work of others. Thus, giving creates that alignment. We can tell ourselves we really are good people because we give to others.

The second part of the equation involves creating cognitive dissonance within ourselves. Cognitive dissonance occurs when our actions don’t match up with what we think. In this case, giving away money implies that we have a surplus of money and that we lead a rich life. After all, if we didn’t have sufficient amounts of money, we wouldn’t be able to give it away. The act of charity creates a mindset of abundance, convincing Monkey Brain that he doesn’t really need to hoard his bananas. This mindset also leads to greater happiness, which makes us more effective at work, fun to be around, and happier in our family lives — all of which lead to better financial situations over time.

However, there is a paradox of giving. Once you’re made aware of the benefits of giving, the intrinsic motivation disappears, and the happiness you gain from it goes away. At its core, it’s the difference between giving because you want to and giving because you must. If the giving occurs not as a result of thoughtful introspection and deliberate choosing of the recipient, but, rather, in the same manner as mandatory corporate fun days, then the benefit doesn’t happen.

How can you give and avoid the paradox?

• Set aside a little money each month for giving. It doesn’t have to be a lot. The research from Norton shows that as little as $5 can impact your happiness.
• Deliberate over your recipient(s). Don’t just put your charitable contributions on automatic bill pay. Think hard about whom you want to receive the money.
• Give the money in person. Research from Boston College shows that the more personal your ties are to the recipient, the more strongly you feel about the giving. This personal interaction and tie will increase the impact of your charitable activity, much like seeing the picture of one starving child in Africa will motivate you more to help than hearing an impersonal statistic about millions of starving children in Africa.

Giving away money won’t magically make more money appear in your accounts overnight. But, it will make you happier, which will, in turn, set in motion a series of events in your life which will yield positive changes.

About Jason: Jason Hull is a candidate for the CFP(R) Board’s certification, is a Series 65 securities license holder, and owns Hull Financial Planning. He blogs regularly on his website and is also a personal finance columnist for U.S. News & World Report. You can subscribe for free to his 52 week Personal Finance Game Plan and receive the free e-book Four Places Your Monkey Brain Should Never Live.

While Visa didn’t ask families what they planned to spend on “incidentals” like makeup, hair styling, flowers and a fancy limo, these smaller items can quickly add up. Here are some savings strategies to keep the costs in check:

Flowers: Nic Faitos, owner of Starbright Floral Design in New York City, says that roses and orchids are the two most popular types of prom flowers (whether for a boutonniere for the guys or corsage for the girls). However, he noted that not all orchids are created equal: there are over 1,500 types of orchids grown commercially in the U.S, and of those 1,500, he considers the phalaenopsis orchid to be the most delicate and exquisite. As such, including it in a boutonniere or corsage will set you back more than if you were to go with a dendrobium orchid — which just as beautiful, but more commonly grown and therefore more cost effective. If you’re looking to keep flower costs to a minimum, know which type of orchid you’re getting. It could mean the difference between a $20 corsage and $40 corsage.

Faitos’ other word of caution? Keep it simple. “Adding bling adds to cost of corsage — not just cost of what you want to add, but also the intricacy of labor,” he said, citing add-ons like crystals, rhinestones and other items that bring extra sparkle to prom flowers. “A floral designer who makes corsages has the skill set of a jeweler; it’s detailed work that takes a long time. Because you’re adding an item to the live product, it adds to the cost.”

Hair and Makeup: The cost of getting your hair and makeup styled like your favorite celebrity will range depending on what you’re getting done and where you live, but according to PromGirl.com, can set you back by as much as $275. If the thought of leaving your tresses in the hands of your YouTube-guided sister makes you quiver but the thought of paying nearly $300 makes you queasy, consider a semi-pro: a beauty school student. The Aveda Institute has locations all over the country, and while prices do vary according to location, an updo at the Jean Madeline Aveda Institute in Philadelphia is just $25.

With enough planning, you can also get a professional makeup application done for free. Clinique, Smashbox and Bobbi Brown all offer a free makeup application at their cosmetics counters; call the one in your area to secure an appointment, free of charge. Note that tipping is not allowed and no purchase is required. (You may feel like you’re supposed to buy something but the companies say you do not have to!)

The Limo. Ann Hoey, CEO of Limos.com, says that the trend in prom transportation is favoring larger vehicles, like stretch SUVs and party buses. And while these do allow for “tricked out” features like flat-screen TVs and neon lights (not to mention hot tubs), these larger vehicles prove to be more cost effective than a traditional stretch limo or even car service sedan. “The stretch SUV, you’re paying anywhere from $125 to $200 per hour,” she said, noting that these vehicles can accommodate 10 to 14 people, compared to a capacity of 18 to 20 people in a bus. “A party bus will run you $150 to $250 per hour, but the price per person is a little bit less.”

While it can be difficult to wrangle 18 to 20 teenagers and get them to decide on one thing, Hoey says that like any big purchase, the key to booking a stretch SUV or party bus is to be decisive. “Be very clear and not wishy washy,” she said. “Do you want an iPod station, do you want a TV? Have a clear understanding of what you want ahead of time so that when it comes time to purchase you’re locking up the right thing.”