Category: Blog

We all know what coupons are. But, just as the Internet has upended basically everything in our daily lives, so has it affected those little, money-saving slips of paper. Although you’re still bound to see some deals in the Sunday paper, coupons are becoming ever-more ubiquitous online, and Groupon is a great place to find them. Whether you’re a Groupon newbie or you’ve tried the service and you’re looking for some tips, here’s what you need to know about the e-coupon service.

Groupon: The Online Coupon Book

Simply put, Groupon is just like those big books of coupons you can buy each year. The main difference, of course, is that you have to be online (or on your phone) to use it. Simply type in your area, and Groupon will load up offers from local businesses. These deals range from everything from half-off dinners at the burger joint to savings on local sports and events. While the main Groupon page serves you a barrage of the best deals near you, you can get more specific by browsing deals by categories that include beauty, health, electronics, and things to do. Once you get in the habit, you’ll never want to shop without first checking Groupon.

What Makes the Service Different

The first, and obvious, quality that makes Groupon different from traditional couponing is that it’s online. That means that you don’t need to carry a bulky coupon book around with you whenever you head into town – if you have a smartphone, you can simply load up the website or app to get your deal. You should know that when you find a deal via Groupon, you have to make a payment through their site using a credit card, after which you’ll be spent a coupon that you can either print out or pull up on your device when you’re ready to use it. Unfortunately for those who don’t like sharing their financials online, Groupon might lose points here.

Advanced Grouponing

One of the additional benefits of downloading the Groupon app to your phone is that you won’t necessarily have to seek out offers – rather, they’ll seek you out as well. If you have the phone app, Groupon will notify you regularly of the best deals near you, so you never have to miss out. Plus, as the service has grown, it’s expanded its offerings to more in-depth offspring, like Groupon Live for tickets and Groupon Getaways for trips. So, if there’s something specific you’re looking for, you might do well to check these offshoots as well. The best tip, though? Seek out other services that are similar to Groupon. Using services like Flipp and Coupon.com may net you that deal you won’t find anywhere else.

Remember that, despite Groupon’s additional features over traditional couponing, the old rules still apply. It’s generally advised that you avoid spending major money on a deal that you wouldn’t otherwise drop cash on. After all, you’re still spending money! However, you may find that some deals are just too good to pass up, and they allow you access to some worthy experiences you wouldn’t have tried otherwise. Sounds like a good deal, doesn’t it?

Fire Prevention Week runs October 9-15, and it’s an observance with a worthy cause. The amount of home fires has fallen drastically in the past few decades, but hundreds of thousands still occur each year, causing billions of dollars of damage, and sadly, many deaths. Not all fires are preventable, but many are with just a little preparation. So, take this as an opportunity to follow through with these fire safety tips.

Check Your Smoke Detectors

Even in an apartment, there are still points of fire safety that you ought to check out regularly. The most important one is your smoke detectors. You should test your detectors once a month, replace their batteries twice a year, and replace the units entirely every ten years. Although your apartment managers should be on top of that last task, don’t hesitate to make a call if something doesn’t look right.

Do a Safety Walkthrough of Your Home

While you’re replacing your smoke detectors’ batteries, there are a few other spots around the home to take note of. One often-overlooked fire hazard is your laundry dryer’s lint filter. Lint is highly flammable, so cleaning out the filter is a habit you should practice every single time you do your laundry. Also, be sure that you aren’t overdoing it with your appliances throughout your home. Plugging in multiple energy-intensive appliances can trip your circuit breaker, or worse, start a fire.

Stay Safe in the Kitchen

We all like to think we’re pros in the kitchen, but this part of the home holds the biggest threat for fire hazards. According to the National Fire Protection Association, cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires and injuries. The association recommends that you stay in the kitchen at all times when cooking with high temperatures. Further, avoid cooking when you’re overtired or you’ve been drinking. It’s also a good idea to familiarize yourself with the methods for putting out a grease fire.

Keep a Fire Extinguisher Handy

Your apartment should be equipped with at least one fire extinguisher, and if it isn’t, you need to get in touch with your apartment managers immediately. Because your kitchen is the place in your home where a fire is most likely to start, the space under the sink is where most people keep their fire extinguisher. Using a fire extinguisher is fairly straightforward, but take some time to brush up on the correct way to use it.

Have an Escape Plan and Know It

Unfortunately, despite your best preparations, the worst can still happen. You and your family should have a detailed plan for escaping your home in the event of a fire. Familiarize yourselves with your home’s exits, keep these routes clear at all times, and set a designated area outside your home as your family’s meeting point. Keep in mind that it isn’t enough to simply know your fire plan; you should practice it regularly and as realistically as possible.

Nobody likes to think that a fire can happen in their home, but the sad truth is that it can. That’s why it’s so important that you keep these fire safety tips in mind, and not just during Fire Prevention Week, but throughout the whole year.

In time, the appeal of grocery shopping loses a bit of its luster. Commuting to the supermarket, searching for products that might not be in stock, waiting in the checkout line – these activities are tedious to shoppers who just don’t have the time or inclination to make grocery shopping as big a part of their week as it used to be. There’s little question that grocery shopping needs to change. But how? Here’s a quick peek into the future of grocery shopping.

The Smart Grocery Cart

First it was your phone. Then it was your TV. Then your watch. Now… your grocery cart? It seems every object is gaining “smart” capabilities these days, and while a smart grocery cart might sound like someone cashing in on a buzz-worthy fad, the Smartest Cart is actually a really interesting concept. It’s a regular shopping cart, but outfitted with cameras, motors, and a screen. The cart knows your shopping list, helps you navigate through the store, can follow you around by itself, and knows what you’ve dropped in the basket. But the best part of all? You’re automatically charged, which means no waiting in line. Just drop your food in your smart cart and go!

The Drive-Thru Grocery Store

Our world seems to be getting faster and faster, and for many shoppers, grocery shopping is a chore that would be made better by taking up less time. Enter the drive-thru grocery store. Just as you would order a burger and fries, pull up to the first window, and be on your way, you could be doing the same for your weekly grocery shopping, too. Grocery chain Kroger has already experimented with the concept, allowing customers to pick their items online in advance and then drive up to the store at a specified time to grab their groceries. Similarly, Walmart has started testing this concept at some locations as well.

Your Groceries, Delivered to Your Door

What’s better than driving to the store and picking up your groceries without having to leave the car? How about ordering your groceries and never having to leave your home? Online shopping isn’t quite a new concept, but online retailers have been slow to adopt groceries into their delivery offerings. At the same time, meal kit services like Home Chef and Blue Apron have picked up the slack, offering up curated meal plans and delivering all the ingredients–no more, no less–to doors across America. It’s only a matter of time until you can order a week’s worth of groceries at the click of the button and have them delivered to your home, whether by delivery driver, mail carrier, or drone.

It’s clear that we’ll be seeing some great new technology arise in the coming years, making it easier than ever to shop for our groceries. However, if you enjoy things they way they are now, you shouldn’t be too worried. Just as online banking hasn’t killed banks, online grocery shopping isn’t likely to kill supermarkets, either. You might have to dodge a few smart carts while you shop, though.

 

There’s no such thing as having too much money on hand, although usually, you probably feel like things are on the other end of the spectrum. While there’s only so much money you can save each month, there are ways to chip away at your expenses. Just a few small changes to your lifestyle habits can leave you with some nice savings at the end of the month.

Make a Budget

If you don’t already have a good idea of where your money is going each month, creating a budget–even a rudimentary one–is your first step in saving money. By making a list of your expenses, you’ll find out how much you’re really spending on unnecessary purchases. Then, you’ll be able to figure out how to get rid of these expenses, or at least how to sub them out. For example, if you buy coffee every morning, brewing your own coffee at home will be much cheaper.

Cut the Cord

Cable and satellite packages are becoming less and less popular each year as the Internet swoops in to provide more entertainment at cheaper prices. If your household is still holding out with a cable package, it might be time to cut the cord. Not only is a cable subscription typically more expensive than an Internet package (which you probably have as well), but you’re also paying to watch advertisements, which you won’t get with services like Netflix and Amazon Prime. Even if you don’t want to spend money on a video-streaming service, the local library is sure to have tons of DVDs for you to borrow for free.

Be a Smart Shopper

Many monthly expenses, like rent and utilities, are fixed, meaning that if you want to pay less, you’ll have to be OK with making a fairly big life change. On the other hand, variable expenses can give you a little more leeway in saving money. Perhaps the biggest variable expense you pay each month is on groceries, and there are a few ways you can spend less on them each month. First of all, buy in bulk to pay lower prices, but be careful not to buy so much that your supplies expire before you use them. Also, take advantage of membership programs your shopping center might offer, and keep an eye out for coupons. With coupons, however, you’ll want to be sure you’re not spending money you wouldn’t buy and use anyway.

Make Your Own Entertainment

How often do you go out to the movies or grab dinner with friends? Going out a few times each month isn’t a big deal for some, but if you’re trying to save money, you could easily spare these costs by finding cheaper (or free alternatives). Don’t worry! Just because you’re trying to save money, that doesn’t mean you have to give up on fun. Instead of expensive movie nights at the cinema, invite friends over to your own movie night hosted at home. Rather than dinner and drinks at the restaurant, hold a potluck and encourage everyone to bring their own dish.

These are only a few ideas, and how you save money will depend on the things you pay for each month. Although you might feel as though you’re giving something up by spending less money, you’ll be gaining peace of mind that your finances are in better order. That’s something you can’t put a price on.

It might not seem like it, but winter is coming. In no time, we’ll be shivering, buried up to our noses in snow, and wishing it were summer again. OK, while winter probably won’t be that severe, the end of summer coming up means that you have only a little time to make good on all the things you’ve been meaning to do this season – and a chance to do them all again before that first snowflake falls. Don’t let summer slip away without getting to these things!

Do Your Favorite Summer Activities One Last Time

Whether you still haven’t made it out to the beach or you’ve been every other weekend, your opportunities to get out and soak up the sun will be pretty limited soon. Before you know it, you’ll want to stay inside wrapped up in a blanket rather than traverse the frozen tundra of winter. So, take some time to do the things you’ve been meaning to do, or that you’ve loved to do, this summer, especially when the weather isn’t too hot or too cold, but just right. Go camping, attend a bonfire, eat at one last cookout – you won’t be able to soon, and you might look back on this time with nostalgia, wishing you’d done those summery activities more often.

Go on Those Trips You’ve Been Meaning to Go On

During the warmer months, we’re not just more likely to spend time outside, but we’re also more likely to go out, period. So if you’ve been meaning to take a weekend to travel out to the country or you’ve just wanted to check out that new restaurant across town, once winter hits, you’ll be infinitely less likely to want to drive very far to go anywhere, much less head outside. Though, with the cold and the snow, no one can blame you too much for that.

Hang Out With the Students in Your Life While You Can

The end of summer, for students from kindergarten to university, means the end of summer break. So, if you have any students in your life, be it your kids entering the next grade or your work buddies who are taking some night classes, make sure you make some time for them, as they’re about to get busy. Be sure to ask them about their upcoming semester. Even if they aren’t thrilled about returning to school, there’s always something to look forward to with the fresh start of a new school year.

Get Ready for the Fall

Just because summer is going doesn’t mean you have to be upset about it. Autumn’s just around the corner! There’s much to like about fall, from football season starting up again to the leaves crunching under your feet. So get excited! Pull those warm clothes and coats out of storage and stock up on apple cider and hot chocolate. You’ll have your own checklist of fall activities to complete, and strange as it may be, you might just find that you’re kind of glad summer is over!

Nothing says “summer” quite like a good meal and a quality craft beer. But don’t think you need to grab a six pack and order in to celebrate the season. Luckily for you, there are some good brewpubs to choose from in the Lehigh Valley area, each that has its own reason for popping by.

Fegley’s Bethlehem Brew Works

When it comes to history, Bethleham Brew Works has quite the story. The brewery opened on the same day in 1998 that the historic Hotel Bethleham closed its doors to bankruptcy, and for the past 20 years, it’s been doing a good job of keeping the good beer flowing. Brew Works has a beer of just about every type, their main standouts being their Steelgaarden Wit and Space Monkey raspberry saison. Apparently the Bethlehem Brew Works has been doing well – so much so that President Barack Obama had to make a stop on the 2008 campaign trail.

Fegley’s Allentown Brew Works

Apparently Fegley’s has been doing well, as they opened a new location in Allentown in 2007. But just because it’s another Fegley’s brewery doesn’t mean it’s going to be the same experience as the Bethlehem Brew Works. While you can expect the same good eats you’d find in Bethlehem, this location also has its own events, and more importantly, it’s own drink menu. That’s right, beer completists – if you want to try everything Fegley’s offers on tap, you’re going to have to pay visits to both locations. Plus, with a seasonal beer menu in rotation, you’ll have to act quickly!

Two Rivers Brewing Company

Perhaps the thing that gets Two Rivers Brewing Company the most acclaim is their innovative guilty pleasure foods. Duck fat fries, bacon wrapped jalapeno poppers, and braised short rib poutine – how could you say no? Along with their brunch, lunch, dinner, and late night menus, Two Rivers is, of course, also in the business of making beer. Many styles of brew all available here, from the Stirner’s Iron Stout, brewed from chocolate brownie and black coffee, to the Pine St. Blonde Belgian blonde ale.

Funk Brewing Company

Unlike other brewpubs, at Funk Brewing Company, the brewery isn’t tucked away somewhere in the back, never to be seen by the patrons. Instead, when you visit the bar, you’re drinking in the brewery! While you’re marveling at the miraculous machinery that surrounds you, you won’t mind drinking in Funk’s top brews, which include the South Mountain Stout and their Citrus IPA. While Funk Brewing doesn’t serve up food inside their establishment, food trucks outside the brewpub offer up delectable treats that change depending on the day.

Weyerbacher Brewing Company

The main focus at Weyerbacher Brewing Company, which has been going strong since 1995, is on its beer. Sure, you’ll find a limited menu of snacks to tide you over, including beef jerky and garlic lime tortilla chips, but the real reason you visit Weyerbacher is its expansive menu of brews. Among the selection: Merry Monks, a Belgian; Blithering Idiot, a British ale; Last Chance IPA, a citrusy brew; and Tarte Nouveau, a lactobacillus-infused sour. And that’s not counting all the seasonals that come and go at Weyerbacher. Don’t worry – they offer samples!

Vacations are something to look forward to, but it’s easy to forget that they can take a lot of work. From the planning to the finances to your pack list, travelling requires you to spin a lot of plates, and you’re sure to forget something. When getting your suitcase ready, you’re going to remember the obvious things–your clothes, the passport–but there will be some other things you might not remember that will serve you well on your travels. Don’t leave home without these necessities!  

First Aid Kit

You can never be too safe. While, heaven forbid, you’ll probably be within close distance to a hospital, it never hurts to have your own supplies on hand. Especially if you or a little one gets something as small as a cut or a scrape, it can be good to have some bandages and antiseptic at the ready. You should also take this opportunity to take stock of any medications you or your group may need during your travels.

Extra Cash

It’s always recommended that, when travelling, you carry your cash in at least two places, and never in obvious places. Chances are that wherever you go, the clueless wonder on you and your group’s faces will give you away as tourists. Pickpockets know to go for the obvious spots such as the back pocket and the purse, so hide your money somewhere they won’t think or dare to look, such as in a hidden waistband.

Quick-Dry Towel

Wherever you rest your head at night, there’s a good chance you’ll have towels provided for you. However, after a day at the beach or an unlucky spot of rain, you may find yourself in need of an extra drying apparatus. Towels made of regular fiber tend to be bulky and take forever to dry, smelling up your suitcase, so opt for a traveler’s microfiber towel instead. It’ll fit in your luggage better and dry in a jiff.

Smartphone

Say what you might about our modern reliance on smartphones, but you can’t deny that they’ve made travelling easier. Bring your smartphone with you, and in your pocket you’ll have a map, a camera, and perhaps most importantly, a means to contact your loved ones in case you get separated. If you’re travelling to a foreign country, you won’t have to worry about your cell phone not working. SIM cards nowadays are pretty much compatible with every phone, and short-term plans tend to run on the cheap side.

Reading Material

Another thing that tends to get glossed over when you’re dreaming of your upcoming vacation is the waiting times you’ll have between flights, on the road, and as you try to fall asleep as you face jetlag. In these times, try putting a dent on that one novel you’ve been meaning to get through. When you’re not becoming engrossed in the new world around you, you’ll be wrapped up in another world bound in paper.

Journal and Pen

Vacations can allow for a period of reflection and introspection. They let us step outside our usual atmosphere and routines, giving us another perspective on life. That’s a lot of heady stuff! Work it out by keeping a daily diary – you’ll also cherish it fondly as you look back at the time you spent on vacation.

Sitting in the warm summer sun can be great for getting some much-needed vitamin D, but there’s another side effect that, in our society, is just as great – a tan. For some reason or another, well-tanned skin is an attractive physical trait, but if acquired incorrectly, it can cause skin damage and even cancer. That’s why, if you’re planning on getting some tanning in this summer, you should practice safety. After all, your health is more important than how you look.

Wear Sunscreen!

This is a basic and it’s something your mother should have scolded you about constantly. Yet, you may be thinking, “Oh, I don’t tan easily, so I don’t need it,” or, “I’ll only be out in the sun for half an hour.” While you skin might not turn ten shades darker from being out in the sun for a short time, the UV rays from the sun may still damage your skin, whether your realize it at first or not.

Which sunscreen you choose will depend on your skin type and how long you plan on being outdoors, but one with an SPF of at least 15 which protects against both UVA and UVB rays is necessary to keeping your skin healthy. Keep in mind that if you plan on keeping up your tan throughout the summer, it isn’t a bad idea to go with a higher SPF so you can tan gradually as the weeks pass.

Keep It to a Minimum

Along with suntan, you can also keep your skin safer by being conscious about when and for how long you’re out in the sun. First of all, avoid lounging outside while the sun is directly overhead; the common advice here is to avoid sunbathing from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Yes, it’s inconvenient, but it’s really the safest way to get some sun while protecting your skin.

Also, keep in mind that you’re probably in this for the long haul. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and similarly, you shouldn’t expect to become a well-tanned god or goddess within a day, either. Spend just a little time–perhaps half an hour–outdoors once or twice a week during non-peak hours and you’ll find that, eventually, your tan will come.

Consider Sunless Tanning Instead

There is one alternative way to getting a tan this summer that doesn’t involve damaging your skin. That said, you might not like it. You can achieve a similar effect to regular tanning by using special lotions or visiting your local tanning salon for what’s commonly called a “spray-on tan.” If you don’t know know much about how it works, you might be surprised to learn that not all sprays and lotions are simply bronze paint. Rather, some of the more effective products include dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which actually interacts with the cells on your top layer of skin to give a healthy, naturally darkened look.

Depending on which method you use to give your skin that darker appearance, the tan may last anywhere from a day to a little under a week. So, if you’re looking for a long-term tan, this method might require a little more maintenance than you’d hope for, but it’s miles safer for your skin’s health than baking out in the sun. A “fake tan” might not be as cool as a tan achieved by sitting out in the sun for a day, but skin damage isn’t very cool, either.

In all honesty, experts say that you’re better off not trying to get a traditional tan. By limiting your time out in the sun, you’ll be less likely to develop skin-related conditions. But, if you must have a darker shade this summer, make sure you stay safe and keep your tanning to a limit.

The traditions of a Fourth of July holiday celebration are tried and true: burgers, brews, and fireworks. While that’s certainly a way to do it, it’s certainly not the most creative way, either. If you’re looking to do something a little different this time around, look no further than some creative dish ideas that go beyond the basics.

Star-Shaped Pigs in a Blanket

Before the big meal, you’re going to need some appetizers, and why not use this starter dish to get your guests into the holiday mood? Pigs in a blanket are a popular way to whet your guests’ appetites at a cookout, but they lack that certain Independence Day spirit. Rather than go with the regular pastry-wrapped sausages, spruce up this pre-meal snack by making some star-shaped pigs in a blanket instead.

Fully Loaded Baked Potato Salad

The salad and baked potato are two staples of the summertime cookout, so why not kill two birds with one stone and mash them together? The fully loaded baked potato salad will allow you to present a salad for the table, but with its tantalizing ingredients, no one will eat this solely out of guilt for eating healthy. There are some vegetables in there, somewhere…

Spicy Apple Butter BBQ Pork Cupcakes

If pigs in a blanket is a little modest and you’d rather stretch your cooking skills, consider this tricky appetizer alternative. It might take your minute to wrap your head around this one, but once you get a good look at (and a taste of) some spicy apple butter BBQ pork cupcakes, you’ll know there’s no going back. Just don’t try tongue-tied trying to explain its name to your guests.

Patriotic Burgers

It’s a cookout; you pretty much have to have burgers. Well, if you have to do it, you might as well do it right with some patriotic burgers. While not immediately apparent, these burgers, topped with red onion, white ranch dressing, and bleu cheese, are a perfectly subtle way to add some Fourth inspiration to this cookout favorite.

Smoked Beef Short Ribs With Cherries

For another main course of your Independence Day celebrations, surprise your diners with this clever twist on smoked ribs. Rather than make use of barbecue sauce, this rib recipe calls for cherries, currants, and charred onion. They’ll be your standard sweet ribs, but with a bit of a twist. It’ll take a bit of work, but the end result should be just experimental enough to be tasty and memorable. Just don’t think you can get away without making dessert!

American Flag Cake

There’s no better way to cap off a successful Fourth of July cookout than with some excellent dessert. However, just like the fireworks display you’ll be watching later, you’ll want your cookout festivities to end with a bang, not a whimper. Look no further than the impressive American flag layered cake, which truly has to be seen to be believed. Serve this up and everyone gets a flag. Your guests won’t be able to help taking pictures, making you the star of the party.

Everybody likes a vacation, but nobody likes to pay more than they have to. Unfortunately, if you’re planning to travel to a far-off country or you are crunched for time, you’re going to need to book a flight, and flights can be expensive. Fortunately, there are some ways you can bring down those costs as much as possible. Before you book an airline, consider these tips for nabbing cheap tickets.

Book in Advance

First of all, it’s helpful to know when the busy season is for wherever you’re travelling to. Chances are, flights during this time will be the most expensive. Plus, travelling during busy season means that you might have to deal with crowds and higher accommodation prices. So, it’s best to figure out when fewer people are visiting, for both the sake of a good vacation and keeping your checkbook in line.

Book as far ahead as possible to secure your tickets at their cheapest prices. It would be awful to be all ready to go, only to learn that the ticket prices have doubled, or worse, are all sold out. Remember that once you’ve booked your ticket, you can often rebook if you find a better time or price, though that usually comes with a fee.

Be Flexible

When on the lookout the least expensive airline tickets, it helps to be flexible, and that’s not just in terms of when your vacation is. If you juggle all the factors that go into catching a flight–which airport you fly out of, how long of a flight you can put up with, the number of connections you’re willing to make–you’ll see that you might get a much cheaper ticket than if you were to buy a one-way out of your nearest airport.

This part of your research is going to take some time and some number-crunching. For example, you might find that there’s a much cheaper flight at an airport that’s a few hours away, but you’ll have to catch a train to get to that airport. Is the low-cost ticket plus the cost of the train less expensive than flying out of the closer airport? Or can you get a friend to drive you? Is it cheaper to leave on a Monday or a Saturday? These questions can be maddening, but the more you’re willing to work, the better options you’ll uncover.

Make Use of Frequent-Flier Miles

Are you a member of an airline loyalty program, or does your credit card offer frequent-flier miles? If so, you could be rewarded for booking flights or spending money using your credit card. Some programs might even offer incentives just for joining their program, so it’s worth researching before you book your ticket. While you probably won’t see major savings on this vacation, a loyalty program will give you better options in the future.

Planning your vacation can be simultaneously exciting and frustrating. Of course, you could forego all this trouble and just hire a travel agent to do all the dirty work for you. But where’s the fun in that?