On Monday, President Obama was part of a web discussion on Linked In, talking with real job seekers about the frustrating outlook for those looking for work. Having left a full-time job in March and embarked on a search for part-time work, I’m no stranger to the letdowns and setbacks inherent in a job search these days. Painstakingly written cover letters that go unanswered, online job submission sites that freeze in the middle of essay-style responses, and “helpful” emails from recruitment sites like monster.com sending me “jobs of interest” (which aren't) running the gamut from accountant …

Decorating can be a chore if it requires a trip to the attic, unloading boxes, cleaning stored items and assembling them. Which is why I love decorating in fall, the harvest season. When autumn's chill makes its way into the area, I like to adorn my home and garden with garden-center items. Since October is just around the corner, I recently paid a visit to Cerbo’s in Parsippany for some inspiration. Cerbo’s Greenhouse and Garden Center  (440 Littleton Road/Route 202) is open at 8:30 a.m., an ideal time to shop. There was no one around and I had the place (and one of the owners) all to myself…

I really felt old last year when I broke down and bought myself The Entertainment Book. My parents and grandparents sometimes exchanged them at Christmas when I was younger and hitherto, I’d never felt the appeal. However, when hanging out with other moms, it’s one of those items that often magically appears out of the Mary Poppins-esque tapestry bags of our comrades with kids. In fact, I found myself idly leafing through the book on calmer days when I was planning things to do with my kids. If you’re naive to the wonders of the book, it’s an annual coupon collection made available in early …

This week’s column is about shifting from a two full-time income family to a sole income family, which is a transition my husband and I made in March of this year, after the birth of our second child. If you’re in a situation where daycare encompasses your entire salary (or nearly that amount), it’s not as tough a decision, from a financial standpoint. However, I had my kids after years of working towards a career, so financially it made more sense for me to work. Emotionally, of course you always want to be present for your kids, but part of being a parent is providing for them, so each of …

There are so many reasons to save money. Saving is important even when the economy isn't shaky. People squirrel away money for their future. They put cash aside for emergencies (who wants to break the dryer and the bank simultaneously?). They save funds to maximize the potential of assets they already have. I once worked with a person who was an admirable steward of the planet and thrifty, too. One day she told me that she and her husband generated less than one full garbage can per week. I have to admit, with two little kids, diapers and baby food jars, I put out at least two nearly full …

Do you ever feel like the grocery store is just too much--too many aisles, too many foods to pick from? You dread going, because you just want to get in, get out and be done with it. Sometimes you may prefer something smaller than the grocery store, but bigger than the local convenience shop.  Well, I found the answer! Aldi on Route 46 East in Rockaway. It’s a bit of a hike, more than eight miles each way from my house on the eastern side of Parsippany, but it is the perfect solution to finding a middle ground between too much and not enough selection. Aldi is my sweet escape from the feeling…

Is it about time for a cell phone upgrade from your current carrier? If so, it may be time to look at other plans, as well. Thanks to the number of carriers that offer service in the Parsippany area, there is competition and you'll see savings too. As phone numbers have become portable, you no longer have to change your existing digits if you do decide to switch. It’s difficult to compare cell phone plans, because it’s nearly impossible to compare “apples to apples." Each carrier offers different minutes, data plans, text plans and/or bundled charges. In order to make this study somewhat …

This Saturday my daughter turned 3. To celebrate, we had a big family barbecue in our backyard here in Parsippany. Throwing a party for 40 people takes a fair bit of planning, especially since we like to decorate and make everything look fun for our guests and the birthday girl. This year, our party was designed around a luau theme.In preparing for the event, I found super buys while shopping in and around our hometown. For starters, there’s Synergy Gas, which is right next to Fuddrucker’s on Route 46 (3129 Route 46, 973-334-3800).  Synergy charges $20 to fill a standard propane tank (not an …

Fall is a great time to snag deals on cruise vacations. As a mom, gone are the days of downing fruity margaritas in Cancun, while intermittently dozing off in a lounge chair. Now, I hobble onto the beach weighed down by a rhino (tube), a pile of buckets and shovels, an assortment of towels, lotions, beverages, snacks, diapers, changes of clothing and a magazine I won’t read. As we trudge along the beach, my toddler screams, “Want shoes OFF!” in a repetitive and mind-numbing manner. We hit the beach, enjoy the day, create new laundry and haul home enough sand in our suits to recreate the beach…

This is the second of a three-part series discussing frugality and the new mom. In last week's column, finding deals on disposable diapers was our focus. This time, we look at ways to save money when we feed our babies.  Breast Pumps Breastfeeding, obviously, is the least expensive food (and, according to studies, the best option if you can do it).   Before spending any money, check your health insurance carrier.  Call the toll-free Member Services number on the back of your insurance card and ask if breast pumps are covered (for any reason).  Sometimes you can find them at a discount price …

I have several friends who are going to be new moms and they have lots of questions. That makes this the perfect time to kick of a multi-week series on saving money as a new mom. This week is all about diapers.  It’s a shame we have to spend so much on something that gets pooped on, but here are some ways to save more than a few bucks. The best go-to website is Baby Cheapskate.  Scroll down the page to find “Top Diaper and Formula Deals of the Week”.  On a weekly basis, the site provides a per diaper price at popular stores that we have in our area, including Walgreens, Target, Rite Aid and …

What’s the best thing about living in New Jersey?  Our close proximity to everything! This week’s Mother of All Deals offers reasonably priced places where you can explore the arts, and they're all close to our hometown. Art - Peforming & ArchitecturalJuly 15: Ladies, if American Idol seems a bit too bold, try your voice at the Women’s Theater Company’s (1130 Knoll Rd. in Lake Hiawatha) singing auditions.  They are staging musical auditions from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. for upcoming shows. More info can be found here.  Email info@womenstheater.org to audition and they will confirm.July 18: From 7 p.m…

The best deal in town for the July 4 holiday is free entertainment at Parsippany Hills High School.  The show begins at dusk, but get there at 7 p.m. to hear music from WMTR and WDHA.  If you show up early, you'll also get to meet some of the cool cats (and the token dog) that the animal shelter will be showing. But, you won't want to attend on an empty stomach.   Independence Day means freedom from high grocery bills. Whether you are hosting a barbecue or just bringing the potato salad, this is a great week to shop sales at your local grocery and chain stores. As you can see, a lot of the …

Summer is such a great time of year and one of the best parts of the season is spending time with your family outdoors.  When it comes to eating, it’s great to bring the outdoors inside by bringing fresh fruit and vegetables to the table. But, how does your garden grow?  If it’s anything like mine, you must be buying your produce from the local grocery stores.  This week’s article looks at the best buys on produce in the Parsippany area.   Some of the great buys on fresh veggies right now are corn (Foodtown $.20 each), tomatoes ($1.69/lb ShopRite), eggplant ($1.49/lb Pathmark or ShopRite) and…

Father’s Day is this Sunday. Let’s face it: Husbands, dads and grandfathers can be very hard to shop for. The garage is filled with tools, the closet has shirts that haven’t been worn and last year’s car wash gift certificate is unused and nearing its expiration date.   With school just ending and summer plans well on the way, as much as we all love the dads in our lives, sometimes these holidays just creep up on us.  If you’re still scrambling for something to give him, check this out.  I polled the resident dad in our house, and here are his top 10 picks for Father’s Day.  1.  Weed Wacker…

June is national Adopt-A-Cat Month, which leads me to a new Frugal Family suggestion.  Pass on the pet store and head to the Parsippany Animal Shelter. If a furry friend is in your future, our town animal shelter is located at 1069 Parsippany Blvd. The shelter is open Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. through 5 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon.  The adoption fee for a dog is $60, while a cat can be adopted for $35.  Costs include neutering and shots, which is a budget-friendly proposition, if you haven’t seen a veterinarian bill lately. Currently, Parsippany's Animal …

Finally! The hot weather has arrived.  If last year's suit drowned and you're stuck with a choice between skinny dipping or nothing, now is the time to do some serious shopping. We have ideas that will take you no more than 10 miles away to find everything from tops to sandals, and some deals are right here in our hometown. If you’re on a budget, don’t ignore old-school retailers. Stop in and take a good look around: Many have aligned with popular designers to entice shoppers with more fashionable looks.  Stores like Target, J.C. Penney, Sears and even KMart offer trendy threads at great …

Although summer doesn’t officially start until June 21, Memorial Day feels like the beginning of summer. Celebrate in style. I’ve gone through the sale circulars for our local grocery stores and created shopping lists for you. Just pick your store, print your list and head out the door. I worked with a party of 12 people, but if you want a more intimate gathering or need to invite a crowd, just scale up or down accordingly. All deals assume you are using your store rewards card, no coupons necessary. I used this BBQ planner and experience to determine food quantities. For an average cost of $…

In the words of Warren Buffett, “Rule No. 1: Never lose money. Rule No. 2: Never forget rule No.1.” Savings rates have been so low that putting your money under your mattress has nearly the same yield. But, a little something is better than nothing, so today we look at different savings rates, as well as possibly saving some money on credit cards. I compared all savings vehicles from 0-60 months at local banks (one is in Teaneck, but it was a standout).   A quick primer: Certificates of deposits (CDs) require a minimum balance and the money is generally inaccessible for the length of the CD, …

Garden center stores warn not to plant until after Mother’s Day, so now that we’re past that date you may just be getting started with freshening up the outside of your house.  On these warm days, we all trudge out to the shed with high hopes and emerge with last year's hose replete with holes, an empty space in the garden set where the trowel once was, tiki torches that have seen their last light, and the list goes on. ... There are some things that even frugal folk resign themselves to buying with some regularity. Here are 11 local deals that are hard to beat this week: A new hose, with no …