Get Business Cards at Kinko's!: Tip-of-the-Day #209

CREATE YOUR BUSINESS CARDS - TO GO!

I'm leaving on a business trip to Japan in two days and suddenly realized that I don't have business cards to take with me! As a consultant, this isn't normally something I'd have printed up, but apparently you can't travel to Asia without them.

In a "panic", I was able to comp up a business card through our intranet and save it as a PDF. I then proceeded to email the PDF to Kinko's (now FedEx) and in a few hours they were able to churn out 100 (could be more, could be less) professional-looking cards on nice, heavy card stock. For a mere $28, which included the set up, card stock, and cutting fees, I walked away with business cards that frankly look no different than my colleagues' cards printed with a specialty shop.

If you're in a bind, I'd suggest Kinko's/FedEx over Vista Print any day. You have a far faster turnaround, better pricing (despite the claims of getting the first 100 cards for free with Vista) and quality control. I recently printed some personal cards with Vista Print and walked away incredibly disappointed.

Here's to seeing your name in print!

Cater Your Own Dinner Party: Tip-of-the-Day #208

CATER YOUR OWN PARTY FOR MAXIMUM SAVINGS (AND CONTROL)

My bf is turning 40 in a few weeks and I'm hosting a small dinner party in his honor. My initial thought was to have the "event" catered so that I could relax and enjoy the party, but after poking around and price shopping a bit I found it was far too expensive and ineffecient for a group of this size. Most caterers have minimums and I couldn't possibly get there with a head count of seven. And so, I decided to simply cater the evening myself! Here are some tips I've learned from hosting similar events and will pass them on to you if you're ever considering doing the same!

1. Pick foods/dishes you can prepare in advance. It's no fun if you have to be in the kitchen all night, prepping and heating and plating everyone's meals, so pick things that can be pre-prepared, like a charcuterie plate, a cold pasta salad or heirloom tomato salad with burrata cheese, sirloin served at room temp and/or homemade sushi!

2. Set up a self-serve "bar station". I wouldn't recommend setting up a full bar or you'll have people creating a chem lab right in your living room, but do set up a table with several options for wine and beer. This will relieve you, the hostess, from having to serve people all night and monitor glasses for receding alcohol lines. No fun.

3. Don't overcomplicate dessert. Don't feel you have to set anything aflame to make an impact. Go with something tried and true (and easy to serve). Even consider plating in advance of guests arriving.

4. Include party favors. I'm a big fan of creating a small gift that people can take home with them at the end of the evening so that they can remember the event. Mugs, hats, candy tins - all personalized with the name, date or a photo of the experience. It's a great personal touch.

Creating your own menu and tackling the majority of the preparation in advance of the event will save you a lot of money and let you enjoy the evening as well!

Extend Carpet Life and More!: Tip-of-the-Day #207

SHOE REMOVAL CAN SPARE MORE THAN YOUR CARPETS

When I had a new carpet runner installed not too long ago I decided that to help preserve its life (because it wasn't cheap!) I would start taking my shoes off before entering the house. My bf was on board with the plan and we've now had the carpet in place for nearly 8 months and it still looks brand spankin' new.

I used to think that people with a "no shoes policy" were sort of strange. But I'll tell you something, I've tried it and I'm a believer! Not only do you extend the life of your carpet dramatically but you keep the house (at large) so much cleaner. Shoe removal will ultimately save you money long term on carpet cleaning costs, but also the costs associated with having to replace or repair other heavily trafficked area rugs, refinishing wood floors, and even painting the lower sections of walls to accomodate scuffs and dings.

People don't think about just how dirty their shoes are from walking on the pavement day in and day out. You're tracking in fecal matter, hair, old decaying food and bacteria that you can't even see!

Try taking your shoes off before entering your house and guaranteed you'll notice a difference. Don't be embarassed to ask others to do the same in your home. It's your home after all and you're saving yourself money!

Great Hotel Rewards Program: Tip-of-the-Day #206

BUY TEN HOTEL STAYS AND GET ONE FREE!

I was having dinner with a girlfriend last night and we got on the subject of travel ('course I had just posted a blog entry all about the restorative powers of vacation so it was even more relevant). I mentioned that I generally gravitate to one or two sites to book most of my travel because the rates are often lowest. She was surprised when I didn't mention hotels.com. Then she went on to explain that hotels.com has a "buy ten, get one free program" that they lovingly refer to as welcomerewards. And welcome they are! Unlike department store "deals" where the freebie has to equate to the lowest valued item on your list, with this program you can stay ANYWHERE with you freebie! I was flabbergasted. (I love that word). Things'll be changing in my travel planning asap. Here's how the program works:

1. Sign up for a hotels.com account (it's free) and enroll in "welcomerewards." You can also join welcomerewards from your "My Account" page if you're already a hotels.com member.

2. Sign in to your account before booking a property priced at $40 or more (not hard to do).

3. After you've stayed a total of 10 nights (anywhere and not all at once), you will see an automatic credit in your account for a free night at any property offered by hotels.com, up to $400 in value!

I'm a little bummed right now that I didn't use hotels.com to book my October and November getaways...but it's never too late to start saving real money. Woohoo!

Vacations' Healing Powers: Tip-of-the-Day #205

IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH WITH A MUCH-DESERVED VACA

Not every blog entry will focus on saving money. Some will speak to saving your recyclables, saving yourself grief, and in this case, saving your life! Did you know that a vacation can save your life? No joke! Research now suggests that vacations can reduce the risk of heart disease and depression, and even slow the aging process! While common sense has always suggested that vacations are "good", science now backs it up. Here are some tips to be mindful of:

1. Take as much time as you can. I happen to have a nasty habit of booking all my trips under seven nights because I worry that I'll "get bored." But boredom may be just what most of us need to detox from our every day grind. It has been scientifically proven now that trips of seven or more days are the most restorative. And, contrary to what I believed, fewer but longer trips outweigh many shorter getaways.

2. Try to stay closer to home. I've always adhered to this mainly from sheer laziness but now it's been shown that fewer time zones keep jetlag to a minimum. Jetlag is actually stressful to your body and avoiding it will make the vacation feel that much better. (Tip: go north or south to avoid harshest reentry).

3. Don't bring your laptop (or Blackberry!). This may seem like a no-brainer but often when people take vacations they also take their electronics with them! Free yourself of all obligation, to truly relax. That means no email, no calling work to make sure everything is okay, and no meetings or appointments. Enjoy the vacation!

4. Make new friends. This one is ironic because I totally avoid "making new friends" on vacation, but according to a Conde Nast Traveler report, the process of making new acquaintances actually increases the restorative powers of a vacation. Shmooze, go to happy hours, and chat with people by the pool. In short, try and pick a vacation where you'll meet people instead of isolating yourself on a remote island.

5. Don't get too lazy. Try to work some physical activity into your vaca and you'll notice a difference in how you feel by the end of it. Especially if you are normally an active person.

6. Try to pick a warm destination. I do this without any science backing my decision but that's because when I'm on holiday I want to *feel* it. Living in the Bay Area where it's moderate to cool all year long makes me actually crave warmth when I do get away. You won't see me hitting the wintery slopes of Lake Tahoe. I'll always be on the lounge chair in Mexico and now science is on my side proving it's restorative powers!

Smart women travel and enjoy their time off. You deserve it!