Tax-Free Holiday

It's gimmicky, but it can add up - D.C. has a tax-free holiday from today to December 7, so load up on unique gifts at local stores and you won't be weighed down with the additional 5.75% sales tax.

Check out U street for boutiques and small shops, as well as the 14th st corridor between Logan and U Street. I like Home Rule and of course the bargain places like Filene's Basement and H&M.

Download savings on your tunes

Before you click "Buy" at the iTunes store, check out your selection at Amazonmp3. Many songs are available for $.69 per that are the standard $.99 on iTunes. Also, many albums are $6.99 that would be $9.99 on iTunes. The Amazon downloader is super user-friendly and will connect right to your iTunes interface or to any other folder on your computer.

The best part is, the songs are actual mp3s, so useable in formats beyond just iTunes and iPod if you ever need to expand beyond the Apple universe.

I'm thankful for technology that makes my life easier, more affordable, and full of luxuries!

Happy Thanksgiving.

UPDATE: Amazon also picks 5 albums every Friday to sell for $5. For the holiday, they're doing their 50 bestselling albums for $5 each. Check it out.

SIGGnificant savings

Buy an eco-friendly SIGG bottle and carry it with you for regular hydration.

If you buy just 3 bottles of water every week, that's about $230 per year.

Calculate your current cost with the bottled water calculator here.

In addition to contributing lots of waste to our landfills, bottled water dehydrates your wallet!

A 33 oz SIGG bottle is just $24.99 - it pays for itself in about 17 fillings. There are many styles and sizes to fit your needs - and they're so pretty!!

Bring your SIGG bottle with you when you travel but be sure it's empty when you go through security at the airport, then fill it up at a water fountain once you're on the other side.

Reasons why staying hydrated is soooooooooo good for you.

Americans spent $15 billion on buying water in 2006.

Cork it

When you eat out, consider bringing a bottle of wine from your collection instead of purchasing one at the restaurant. Many places allow you to bring your own bottle for a corking fee, usually $15 or $20. There are many excellent bottles you can buy at the store for between $10-$12.

My favorite of the year has been the Folie a Deux Menage a Trios. You can find it as low as $8.95 in some places, or up to $11.99. Both the red and the white are excellent from his California winery. Buy a case so you always have one to grab on your way out to Friday date night. Even with the corking fee, it's still less than the average $45 you'd pay for a bottle as good from the restaurant's list.

Be sure to call ahead to your destination and ask for their policy on bringing bottles.

All the cool kids are doing it

While the government spends our money like a drunken sailor in order to save our asses from the consequences of us spending money like drunken sailors, we can be making changes to our behavior that does more to rescue our spiraling economy than all the megachecks the US Treasury can write.

But skip the spreadsheets and budgeting - boring! Spending less money isn't as painful as it sounds. Just small adjustments in your spending choices can make a big diff.

So check in here regularly and learn quick tips that can save you some scrilla. I'll hook you up. Cha ching.