GPS

A weekend trip had me driving many miles to a new destination; a camp ground out in the boonies of Pennsylvania. Normally, this type of drive wouldn't faze me, but my GPS broke a few weeks back and I hadn't replaced it yet. I prepared myself with a cooler full of water and fruit, plus directions courtesy of Google maps. I hadn't used these in years.

I lovingly named my GPS Joan after a nun I had while attending Catholic Elementary school. This nun was precise, direct and rarely wrong or warm. "Joan" and I have traveled many miles and she rarely let me down. The thought of taking a trip without her made me nervous as a sense of direction is not one of my strengths.

So off I went; first a chatty conversation with my sister stole my attention and I found that I had driven 20 exits past the one I needed. Had Joan been direction me she would have warned me that my turn was coming. That was my first of many U-turns of the day. Streets were miss marked, directions unclear and a trip that should have taken ninety minutes turned into two and a half hours. I finally made it to the camp when a rock wall and zip line were waiting for me to take out my aggressions on. My trip home was much easier. Especially since I remembered about the Directions app my iPhone has.

She Buzz Words

• Shopping Bag
• Duvet Cover
• Persimmon
• Paisley

Right Now She Could Be

• Studying
• Daydreaming
• Filling out a purchase order
• Swiffering her kitchen floor

She saves

Log on to www.Energystar.gov and use the calculator to tell how much you can save by replacing certain appliances.

She shop

Finding a great deal online may come with a few codes she is not aware of. Here are the translations for most of these acronyms:

• AC: After coupon
• AR: After rebate
• B&M: Brick and Mortar (usually in store only)
• FS or FSH: Free shipping or free shipping and handling
• MIR: Mail-in rebate
• NIB or NWT: New in box or new with tags
• NOS: New old stock
• OEM: Original equipment manufacturer (items not originally intended for individual sale; may come without a manual)
• OOS: Out of stock
• RFB or B-Stock: Factory refurbished items
• S&H: Shipping and handling charge

She shopping tips

The Food Marketing Institute showed these shopping finds:

• Men are more likely to stick to shopping with a list.
• Major brands pay more to have their products placed at eye level on store shelves and on the end caps. Better deals can be found by looking at the lower shelves.
• For every 100 items 2 are scanned at the wrong price, she needs to check her receipt.
• Most non-food items like toiletries and cleaning supplies are priced much higher at the grocery store as opposed to a place like Target.
• Fresh and frozen fish can have the same level of freshness yet frozen can be priced about 40% less.
• Premium and generic store brands don't have many differences.

For more shopping tips log on to www.supermarketguru.com

She money

Millions of Americans have stopped relying solely on their bank; many are not feeling like it's the safest place for their funds. Besides making sure her bank is insured, she is also:

• Growing a coin collection.
• Keeping cash in a home safe.
• Buying U.S. Savings Bonds.
• Holding onto or purchasing gold and silver.
• Holding onto her real estate.

A "No Spend Day"

Once a week she spends no extra cash, just to get a handle on her finances and budget. She uses this day to brew her coffee at home and to throw out all the tempting catalogues that sit in her mailbox.

She quote

"Life loves to be taken by the lapel and told: I'm with you, kid. Let's go." - Maya Angelo

She pet

Canine influenza is a respiratory infection that is very contagious among dogs. Often called dog flu or kennel cough, it happens especially to those housed in shelters or boarded in kennels. It's spread through direct contact-sniffing or sharing a toy. A new vaccine is available. Please check with your vet to see if it's available for your pet.

She money

She can name her price and sell her goods at www.half.com. This site is simpler than eBay and there is no bidding.

She can make sure there are no mistakes on her tax bill. Making sure her home's value and description are accurate could lower her taxes. The National Taxpayers Union claims more than half of the assessments are too high. She can get a free Homeowner's Property Tax Reduction Kit at www.AHAhome.com.

She can shop smarter at the grocery store with the Ultimatest Grocery List, a free, downloadable one-page shopping list organized by aisle. It's available at www.grocerylists.org, where you can also peruse a large collection of other people's discarded grocery lists.

She free

• Project Gutenberg has 28,000 eBooks to download for free at www.Gutenberg.org/catalog.
• The latest free greeting-card site is www.Hipster.com.
• She can find all the waiters willing to sing her "Happy Birthday" along with other freebies at www.birthdaytreats.com. They provide access to more than 1,700 free birthday treats for adults, kids, and pets.
• Before she buys that next computer program, she should try and get it for free at www.FreewareHome.com. They offer more than 5,500 programs.
• Download a variety of graph paper and print as much as you need at www.Incompetech.com/graphpaper.
• Her soundtrack is a click away at www.Pandora.com.
• Customize a template for those DIY projects at www.DIYPlanner.com.
• Extended warranties are usually offered when she's purchasing electronics and appliances. Whether or not they are worth it is the big debate. Most products already come with a factory warranty and if something is going to happen to the product, it usually occurs during this warranty period. Retailers make big profits off extended warranties that tend to be pretty useless.

For insurance purposes, she can make a list of all her belongings at www.KnowYourStuff.org.

Here are the five quick ways to save money, from Suze Orman in Woman's Day magazine:

• Have nails buffed instead of polished when getting a manicure. They will look good longer.
• If your hair is colored, wash it every other day to help prolong it.
• Rent a movie instead of going out.
• When dining out, immediately package half of it up to bring home, giving you two meals for the price of one.
• Before buying anything, ask yourself, "Do I need this or do I want this?"

Suze also recommends women stops wasting money on:

• Clothes, shoes, jewelry, and purses you don't need.
• Vacations you can't afford.
• Whole life insurance.
• Leasing a car.
• Late fees on bills.

She fact

Los Angelenos spend approximately 72 hours a year sitting in gridlock.

• Get more She Prep at www.ShePrep.com