Great Prices Here

…..And the urge to travel is upon me. If you missed my previous posts about travel, take a look at the best destinations in Europe and read about budget cruises. So if you have decided on where you’re heading maybe I can help you with some travel accessories. We’ll take a look at suitcases, and other stuff you need to carry when on a trip out of town.

Let me start with something that my heart really warmed to: this very smart red 5 piece luggage set from Walmart. The whole set costs $89.88 which I thought was a steal! If you don’t know what you would do with five bags, take a look here at this Staples Trolley bag for just $7.90. On the other hand if you already have some suitable luggage, you should look to getting yourself a folding luggage trolley which is available for $16.99

If like the Japanese you are a good tourist, a camera will be an extension of your arm while you are on holiday, especially if you are sightseeing. I thought this 7 mega pixel Canon Powershot A470 Digital Camera was a super deal for $119 (there is an additional $10 off coupon available). The price includes a free 1 GB memory card too! Another really good deal is this Kodak Easy Share 8 Mega pixel camera for $119.95. And if like me you like to record every little thing that the kids do that is oh-so-amazing then go in for this Digital Video Camera for $199.99

For rest and relaxation while traveling, especially while flying, some of these travel accessories may come in real handy such as a sleep mask ($9), an inflatable travel pillow ($8) or kids pillows, or even an inflatable back rest ($11). For the beach or a poolside holiday you may want some of these accessories such as a waterproof waist pouch, or water-seal for your iPod etc. Take a look here for some great accessories especially for women (including a very innovative bra stash!). Another really handy accessory is this universal charger which charges up to 4 AA size batteries and also – if you leave the batteries in – will power most cell phones, digital cameras, camcorders, MP3s, iPods, CDs, MDs, multimedia players, and Bluetooth devices.

If you are traveling abroad, some countries will need for you to carry plug adapters so remember to find out what is applicable for where you are planning to go.

In my earlier post Dressing Up a Bit I told you about travel sets with bags that you may also find useful to take a look at.

Tags: Best Deals, Entertainment, travel by Nicole Price
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Spring is a lovely time of year, but it is also about this time that you have to file your taxes. Doesn’t sound all that lovely now, huh? I have been trawling the inter-web trying to find the best ways to pay the taxman as little as possible. Because, remember it is OK to manage your income in a way that you avoid paying taxes as far as possible, so you should try and get every tax advantage you can. So I thought I’d share with you any pearls of wisdom I came across on the net.

This CNN money article, is a real useful ready reckoner. It gives you information about the new tax breaks, like those for mortgage insurance and mortgage debt forgiveness. Unless you are in a really high income tax bracket, you are probably entitled to a one time stimulus tax break this year. This article has a very useful list of exemptions so check it out.

This article by William Perez talks about how one couple were able to eliminate paying taxes altogether. This article talks about how you can substantially reduce or eliminate your income tax by saving for retirement, owning a home, sending your kids to college. William Perez has compiled a comprehensive list of ways to lower your taxes with links to more details on each point, so that you can get more information of any of the basic topics he has covered.

On the official IRS site there is a tax topics index where you can seek out detailed information about whichever deduction you need for instance Topic 451 deals with IRAs. Here you will find articles about general information, IRS procedures, collections, alternative filing methods, Filing Requirements, Filing Status and Exemptions, Adjustments to Income, Itemized deductions, methods of computation and pretty much everything you want to look up.

Did you know (I suppose you did) that The Energy Policy Act of 2005 of encourages you to be green? This is how: there are tax benefits for energy-efficient homes, vehicles and equipment. Earlier you could get tax credits for buying and owning a hybrid vehicle, but that provision is now no longer in force. Apparently the government does not want to encourage you to lower emissions and gas consumption or want you to reduce your gas bill. Ah well, in a year’s time we will see a new US president, perhaps a woman or a black man (or not, who can predict?), and then there will be a bunch of new stuff to contend with!

And just to put a smile back on your lips, here are a couple of links to some tax related humor:

http://www.offthemark.com/tax/tax.htm

http://www.martybucella.com/taxtoons.html

Enjoy!

Tags: General, Government, Make Money by Nicole Price
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Often think how much money celebrities spend on looking the way they do? The clothes they wear, the accessories that they carry, all cost a bomb! No wonder we can’t look the way they do! But do you really have to dress expensive to dress smart? I think with some wherewithal and a little investigating you can find places to buy that which looks like it could be a designer item, but isn’t! Call them knock-offs, copies, lookalikes, replicas or call them ‘inspired by’, whatever way you look at it, it is well worth checking out the possibilities.

Check out this very red-carpet-looking pleated neck tie dress for $29.99 or a smart little black dress for $49.99 at High Maintenance. I liked their inexpensive collection of tops as well. They have some nice distressed denim skirts, camouflage pants and capris too.

If, like me you like handbags, then check out this site which stocks ‘designer inspired’ handbags. I thought some of their leather handbags, like this one, were quite smart. Some of their clutches I found to be rather busy, but some like this one, were quite stylish.

If you like bling, It’s Alot Alike is the place to go. I admit that I am not a bling person, but I really liked this mother of pearl cuff watch for $25. They have plenty of other items claiming to be inspired by designer bracelets, rings, necklaces and a lot of other stuff.

Fashion heaven is a site that stocks ‘designer alternative’ bags, sunglasses and discount bridal accessories. They have some very neat bags in their clearance section, such as this red handbag.

Oh and just by the way, because proms (and obviously prom dresses because it is ALL about the dress) seem to be on a lot of minds, I thought I would also take a look to see what I could find. At shopshop.com, there is quite an extensive and reasonably priced selection. The prom dress shop has an extensive collection of designer and designer-like dresses. Fairy godmother has a selection, some of which I found to be a little risqué, even tarty.

So if you are planning to go shopping soon, I hope I have given you all some food for thought!

Tags: Accessories, Best Deals, Clothes by Nicole Price
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Let me confess people, this is a self-indulgent post! If you have read this blog before you probably know that I love shopping and one of the things that I love shopping for the most is cosmetics. So let’s see what bargains we can find for cosmetics, skin care products, perfumes etc.

I came across a few sites that not only stock many different brands of cosmetics so you can shop by brand if you so wish, but many of them offer discounts or gift sets and best of all, clearance sales!! At StrawberryNet I found a great selection in the Easter Special section with many items at a whopping 50% discount. I thought this Aramis travel set at a 50% discount would make a great gift for a guy. A good gift for a girl would be this Clinique Travel Set which is also at a 50% discount and includes moisturizer, turnaround concentrate, eye shadow, lipstick, lip gloss and bag.

And I know I would love for someone to gift me this Dior Travel Set which includes lotion, serum, concentrate, make up remover and bag! Really neat bag too!

Cosmetic America is another site that offers multiple brands and good deals; shall we go straight to the clearance sale? There is this 5 piece Estee Lauder Beauty Set at $19.95 and includes lip gloss, lipstick, cream, mascara and a night cream. Very nice! My fav fragrance in the world, Cool Water by Davidoff (for men? hooey! I wear this fragrance myself) is available with its deo and shower gel counterparts for the sale price of $ 39.95. Also very nice!

Buy me beauty is also a good site and sells you many heavily discounted items and also has a clearance sale section. I liked (I tell a lie, I love, love, love Elizabeth Arden products) the Elizabeth Arden flawless finish make up at a 53% discount, or for the price of $12.95. L’oreal’s eye pencil is offered for just $1.89, that is a whopping 75% discount!

If you decide to order these items online, check for shipping discounts or even free shipping on multiple items. So I hope I have given you an excuse to doll up a bit?

Tags: Best Deals, Cosmetics, Gifts by Nicole Price
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Have recently checked the price of gas? It is just going thru the roof! There is a lot of buzz on the internet about steeply rising oil prices and this MSNBC article reports oil prices reaching an all time high of $106 a barrel, so I was prompted to find out some alternatives to our traditional gas guzzler vehicles.

They can be solar powered vehicles, electric vehicles, CNG vehicles or hybrid vehicles. When automobile giants such as Toyota promise hybrid vehicles in a few years as reported in this New York Times article then I suppose you can conclude that vehicles using alternatives to petrol are here to stay. And when there is the matter of fuel efficiency of up to 120 miles per gallon, I would sit up and take notice. Wouldn’t you? CNN’s article about hybrid vehicles talks about electric vehicle manufacturer ZAP and Hybrid Plus’s new offering, which will permit conversion to a plug-in variety. Of course this conversion is for a very steep $24,000 to $36,000 depending on the vehicle and size of battery pack. And in any case these are the hybrid or the dual power source vehicles.

I am more interested in electric vehicles, you know the kind you charge, rather like you would a cell-phone, and go. I like the fact that these have no carbon emissions and do not use any fossil fuel and so are eco friendly and are way cheaper to run. I am seriously considering buying an electric moped because it just makes so much sense when you have to travel short distances and have lots of little errands to run. And I saw and rode one of these recently; have you heard an electric scooter? Neither have I! Simply because the engine is so silent!

I found that ZAP, quoted by CNN as a pioneer in the field of electric cars, offers a range of electrical mopeds/scooters and bikes as well. ‘Zapino’ in the picture here has a list price of $2995. I thought it looked rather natty too!

The Zappy 3 EZ scooter is more modestly priced at $580 while an enhanced version, the Zappy 3 Pro Electric Scooter is priced at $900.

One more good idea I thought was the electric bicycle, which is like an add-on for your bike, so you can undertake longer cycling excursions and when you are fagged out with too much pedaling, you simply switch to the electric power mode! These electric bike options will cost you $349 or $449 depending upon your requirements.

Looking for motorcycle paint? If you are keen on a DIY touch up of your old motorbike and are looking or an exact paint match, this is the site to visit. It stocks paints and other supplies for all leading motorcycle brands.

Tags: Automobiles, Best Deals by Nicole Price
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When I talked about the world’s most powerful women in my last post, I was quite surprised that the likes of Oprah were not among those. It is these women in Showbiz who are rich beyond our own humble imaginations and they are the most visible and talked about in the media and do wield a lot of power, no mistake! In fact it is because of their vast wealth that they do wield such clout.

There seems to be some disagreement among the media as to who is the most powerful woman in showbiz. While the BBC quotes one magazine as putting J K Rowling of Harry Potter fame at number one, the Forbes list puts chat queen and teletherapist Oprah Winfrey at No 1. For sheer popularity and adulation, I would also put Oprah at number one and it seems the numbers agree with me. Her fortune totals a staggering $ 1,500 million. J K Rowling is not far behind with her personal fortune at $1000 million!

Martha Stewart, once CEO of Omnimedia, has led a checkered life which has involved a short jail sentence has an average personal fortune of $638 million. She oversees a media empire that includes a television show, a magazine, books, house-ware and a Satellite Radio channel.

Not surprisingly, pop diva Madonna is fourth on this list, her personal worth estimated at $325 million. While I have personally never been a fan of her music, I have always admired her and the way she has constantly reinvented herself.

Canadian singer Celine Dion is one more woman who possesses both talent and a sound business sense. Her entertainment show at Vegas rakes in the money as do her albums worldwide and her personal fortune is at about $250 million.

Mariah Carey has had an up and down career and I always felt her music belies her massive talent. Her talent is impressive, but she insists on making these unremarkable and unmemorable pop songs, but that’s just me, her personal fortune says otherwise. People obviously love her music because she is the sixth most powerful woman in showbiz and is worth $225 Million!

MJ’s younger sister may not be as famous as her much maligned elder brother, but she has done fairly well for herself with her personal fortune worth $150 million. 50 million records sold worldwide and a successful touring schedule as assured her success.

Next on the list is the beauteous Julia Roberts. She is the highest paid (over $20 million per movie) and one of the longest reigning female stars of Hollywood. In fact she got paid $25 million for her role in Monalisa Smiles. Her net worth is estimated at $140 million.

Well known for insuring her butt for an exorbitant sum, the versatile Jennifer Lopez is a lot of things. Singer, actress and performer, she is also a very sound businesswoman with a perfume line, clothing line, a restaurant and a reality show on TV as well. She is worth a very substantial $110 million.

At number 10 with a net worth of $110 Jennifer Anniston is not someone to feel sorry for, but I have nevertheless had sympathy for her because of the raw deal she got from her husband of several years Brad Pitt. And just for the record, Friends is my all time fav sitcom; I still watch reruns!

The Olsen twins occupy the number 11 spot and after that is the rudderless Britney Spears. Judith “Judge Judy” Sheindlin is next at number 13 followed by Sandra Bullock. At number 15 is Cameron Diaz and super model best known as the Victoria’s Secret model Gisele Bundchen is at no. 16. Chat host Ellen Degeneres is at no 17 followed by Nicole Kidman at no 18. Christina Aguileria is at number 19 and Renee Zellweger is at No. 20 with the personal fortune of $45 million.

Tags: Entertainment, Rich List by Nicole Price
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If you remember my Rich, Richer, Richest post a while back, you’ll remember who the richest men in the world are (there were only two women there, tsk, tsk). Then I saw the news about Hillary Clinton making a comeback with her recent wins in the primaries, and I thought to myself that soon the most powerful man in the world could be a woman! So I began wondering – ‘Who are the most powerful women in the world today?’ While richest is a term you can easily quantify, in terms of millions and billions, most powerful isn’t that cut and dried. You understand that ‘most powerful’ is not an objective term and is subject to opinions and points of view.

By a long shot, and in a lot of people’s opinion Angela Merkel is the most powerful woman on earth. Forbes has bestowed this honor on her several years in a row. Nicknamed ‘The Iron Frau’ (frau means lady in German), in an obvious allusion to Margret Thatcher, she has steadfastly stood for what she believes in. For instance she was instrumental in having the G8 agree to reduce carbon emissions and then in getting the EU countries to agree on a treaty replacing the European Union Constitution.

Wu Yi is the vice premier of the People’s Republic of China is the formidable lady whom Forbes put at number 2 on their list of 2007. She replaced Condoleezza Rice who held the number two position in 2006 (Rice slipped to No. 4 in 2007).

Ho Ching is the CEO of Temasek Holdings (which is valued at over $100 billion) and the wife of the Prime Minister of Singapore. In 2007, TIME magazine named her as one of the “100 most influential men and women” who shaped the world.

Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State, USA, slipped two places in the year 2007 and may exit the list altogether if the Republicans are voted out in the coming election. Having suffered racial discrimination while growing up, she became a powerful leader later and came to be know as the ‘Warrior Princess’ because of her strong will and note-worthy achievements.

Indra Nooyi is the Chairperson and CEO of Pepsico, one of the biggest companies in the world. Born in India, she is the person due to whom Pepsico came to adopt the “performance with purpose” approach. She pioneered Pepsico’s foray into healthy food and a diverse work force.

Sonia Gandhi, the president of the ruling party of India, does not hold any post in the government, but she wields more power than if she did, because of the importance of the Gandhi Dynasty in Indian politics and because of her intrinsic leadership qualities. Born in Italy, she married Rajiv Gandhi who later became Prime Minister of India. Some years after his assassination she assumed the mantle of Congress leader.

I was surprised Oprah did not feature in this Forbes list, especially with the power of her Book Club. She does however, feature in the top 10 most powerful women in Showbiz list. As do J.K. Rowling, Julia Roberts and Madonna. Ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, I think women such as these are inspiring role models for all of us, men and women alike. What do you think? And Happy Women’s day all of you: Women enjoy yourselves and Men, make sure they do!

Tags: General, Rich List, people by Nicole Price
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For a lot of us, the word ‘cruise’ conjures up the idea of luxury and rich other half of the population. But this is not necessarily so, and there are a lot of options for people who have a yen for the sea but not bags of money to spend on a cruise.

Sites like cruise value finder and all discount cruises ask you to fill out a form, where you state your requirements and they get back to you with their best deals. Some of them claim to have deals that start below $200.

At cruiseonly.com, one of the most economical 3 night Bahamas package is for $299 up. The 7 night western Caribbean cruise starts at $649. Some of these cruises offer extras such as $100 free spending or a 15% discount on shore spending.

A 5 night Caribbean or Mexican Riviera Cruise offered by Carlson Travel comes for the price of $440 up. For those who can book before 16 March some added extras such as a pair of robes and free spa treatment are an incentive. Check for availability.

A popular cruise option in Europe (if you are planning to go farther afield), is the barge vacation along the different water ways or rivers of the European Union. Take a look at the barge connection and the barge experts to see what is on offer. Travel through the heart of Europe enjoying spectacular scenery and quaint, historical villages and local wine and food as well. Theme barges and self drive barges are also some other options. This is a high end option, and not a budget one, so you could decide on this one if you want to splurge or enjoy a romantic getaway on some special occasion.

Sometimes certain freight ships have guest accommodation on their ships, and also carry passengers who want to enjoy a bargain cruise, which a travel agent could arrange for you.

If you are planning a cruise, be sure to visit this cruise FAQ page which asks and answers some rather amusing questions like “what do I wear” and “what if I get seasick” and also looks at some important questions like what is and is not included in the package price of a sea cruise and what are port charges etc. It is a good idea to ask lots of questions before you book a cruise lest you come across some unforeseen and unbudgeted-for expenses later.

Tags: Best Deals, travel by Nicole Price
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This post is inspired by that great Scorpions song, Holiday. I was just listening to this song which has all these great memories from my college days, “let me take you far away… on a ho-li-day..” and I began to have a yearning for a few days off, to take a breather, a break. If you’re living somewhere really warm, I bet you would love to take off to cooler climes, or if you are freezing your pants off somewhere, I bet a warm sunny cove somewhere would be ideal! Today I want to see the travel options for some of the most beautiful European cities.

Let’s take a look at some all inclusive packages. This saves you the hassle of doing separate bookings for all your travel needs, and this is especially important when you are traveling with your family, so that there are no glitches for you to deal with at the last moment.

Starting with London, my absolutely favorite city in the world, for $649 per person you can have a 6 night holiday in London. This includes return airfare (ex Atlanta), a six night hotel stay, breakfast, hotel taxes and fuel surcharges. A better quality of stay at the Crowne Plaza London St. James Hotel comes for $1331 per person for a 5 night package including air fare. If you can fork out for 5 star facilities and want to stay in the heart of London at Piccadilly (within easy reach of pretty much everything!), go in for the 7 day package at Le Meridien at $1768 per person.

Then let’s look at Paris, the most romantic city in the world. A 5 night package costs you $525 per person and includes hotel stay, breakfast, a river cruise, airport transfer, and taxes. For $799 you can enjoy 6 nights in Paris. This package includes air fare, breakfast, hotel taxes and fuel surcharges.

On to Amsterdam, one of the most fascinating cities in Europe, perhaps the world. For $1036 per person, there is a 6 night stay at the Park Hotel and the deal includes air fare. A lot of sites specialize in ‘Stag packages’ as well, but I am not going to go into those here. I would highly recommend Amsterdam. I am yet to hear anyone regret going there.

Last but in no way least, let’s look at Rome! Of all the cities mentioned in this post if you asked me where I would like to head, I would say Rome! Not just for its art, culture and history but also for the gastronomic delights on offer! There is more to Italian cuisine than just pizza and pasta after all! For $909 onward you can put together a 6 night package choosing the kind of hotel and the dates for travel that suit you best.

If, like me you are greedy to experience more than one city try the Multi city package which includes London Paris and Rome, which starts at $1269 for a ten day stay!

Tags: Best Deals, travel by Nicole Price
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