Five detained over sex tape

CHINESE police have detained five people including a young couple over a sex tape shot in a Beijing clothing store which went viral.

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Five detained over Chinese sex tape

CHINESE police have detained five people including a young couple over a sex tape shot in a Beijing clothing store which went viral.

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Eldorado deal for MGM casinos cements company as king of Reno

The Carano family, through its Eldorado Resorts Inc., has bet the house on Reno. The odds are seemingly tipped in their favor.

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Quench fulfill's growing public appetite for healthy food

Six years, three moves, many additions, but always the same vision.When Nicole DeFour lost her job in Manhattan, she came back to the Poconos to be closer to her mom. She knew she had to do something for work and an opportunity opened up right before her eyes in 2009.“My friend had 400 square feet of space on the corner of Main Street (in Stroudsburg) and offered it to me. That’s when the smoothie bar was born,” said DeFour, owner of Quench. “We [...]

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Deeds, Sunday, July 19, 2015

Chestnuthill TownshipPaul B. Koger Irrevocable Supplemental Needs Trust to Noel L. Cullan and Salvatore b. Gabriele III, Lot 60, Section 3, Silver Valley Estates, $230,000Marilyn Berman Est. Glenn Berman Est. to John Kiley and Sandra Robertson, parcel, Legislative Route 45041, containing 1.382 acres, more or less, $215,500Hamilton TownshipUSPO LLC to Daphne Washinton, Lot 27, the Woods, $235,500Jackson [...]

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Can you really rely on Social Security in retirement?

Despite concerns about the future of Social Security, American workers are increasingly expecting to rely on Social Security retirement benefits from this government program. According to Gallup‘s annual Economy and Personal Finance survey, 36 percent of non-retirees — about 10 percentage points higher than a decade ago — say they‘re counting on Social Security to be a major source of their retirement income.

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Airbnb rentals may conflict with city housing laws

A new law enacted last year may be threatening those who use the website‘s services.

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New Caesars CEO blamed for Hertz accounting failures

Mark Frissora, the three-week-old CEO of Caesars Entertainment Corp., was accused by Hertz Global Holdings of having a "management style and temperament that created a pressurized operating environment" during his tenure as the top executive of the automobile and equipment rental car company.

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Get Paid to Shop Online: 9 Rebate Sites That Pay Up to 70% Cash Back

Rebate sites are a popular way to earn cash, points or credits by simply doing your online shopping. You’re likely going to make these purchases anyway, so why not get a little something back at the same time?

All of these sites are free; they make money by earning a small commission of each purchase you make via their direct link. Then they pass a portion of these earnings on to you.

But with so many sites out there, which one should you use? Should you go with one that offers cash-back, or one that gives points you can redeem for gift cards? What about other special deals and coupons?

To help you determine which site is best for you, here’s a breakdown of how each one works, complete with information on the types of rewards, how often you get paid, and more.

1. Swagbucks

Swagbucks pays you in “Swag Bucks” when you make a purchase from your favorite store using its links. Generally speaking, you’ll earn 1 Swag Buck for every dollar you spend at participating stores. Other stores offer a flat number of Swag Bucks for any purchase.

For example, you’ll earn up to 4% cash-back when you shop at Amazon (the exact % depends on the department), 3% cash-back at Wal-Mart, and 8% cash-back at Expedia.

You’ll see the Swag Bucks in your account within two to seven business days, and you can redeem them toward gift cards or coupons. The closest thing to redeeming for cash is to choose PayPal gift cards. One Swag Buck is equal to $0.01, so 100 Swag Bucks works out to $1.00. You can choose to redeem your rewards at any time, as soon as you have enough Swag Bucks to earn the prize you want. Check out our guide to Swagbucks to learn more.

2. BeFrugal

Earn up to 30% cash back from more than 4,000 stores by making your purchase through this site. You’ll see your earnings in your account within a few days. Once your balance reaches $25 or more, you can request a payment via PayPal, gift card or by check (U.S. only). BeFrugal processes payments on the 15th of each month. PayPal deposits are immediate while gift cards and checks take seven to 10 days to reach your mailbox.

The great thing about BeFrugal is that if you make a purchase through their site and find another site that offers a higher percentage of cash back, they will apply the higher rate to your purchase plus an extra 25% to your account. It’s like price matching, but for cash-back rates!

For extra savings, you can also print off coupons for discounts at stores and restaurants. “BeFrugal has coupons available for over 40,000 stores, and saves shoppers an average of $27 per order,” explains the company’s founder, Jon Lal. Using a coupon or promo code doesn’t earn you additional cash back, but it does help you save money on items you planned to purchase anyway.

The site also has several handy calculators for determining whether or not it’s cheaper for you to fly or drive for your next trip. My husband and I use this calculator on a regular basis for saving money while we travel.

3. Coupon Cactus

The Coupon Cactus team offers cash-back rewards for every order that’s made through their site at participating online stores. Cash back earnings range from 1-30%, with some earnings being a flat rate of as much as $63.

Once your purchase is verified, your cash-back earnings are deposited into your Coupon Cactus account. When the balance reaches $10 or more, you can choose to be paid via PayPal or have a check issued on a quarterly basis.

In addition to earning cash back, you can browse coupons, discounts and sales at more than 4,000 stores and online retailers.

4. Ebates

Ebates offers up to 25% cash back at more than 1,200 online stores, though the average earnings are usually closer to 5%. Search the site to find your favorite store, then click the “Shop Now” link to make your purchase. Your cash-back earnings will show up in your account within 48 hours.

Ebates sends you a payment each quarter based on your account earnings of at least $5 or more. You have three options for redeeming your earnings: a check in the mail, a PayPal deposit, or a gift to a charity or family member.

You can earn a $5 bonus right off the bat by signing up as a new Ebates user or by referring a friend or family member.

5. Extrabux

When you click through Extrabux to do your online shopping, you’ll earn a commission on your purchases. The amount you earn per purchase varies from 1% to 30%, depending on the store. For example, right now they’re offering 7% cash back at Drugstore.com, 11% at Bloomingdale’s and 12% at Kiehl’s.

You’ll see your earnings in your account within one to seven days. Once your balance reaches $10 or more, and 90 days after your purchase, you can redeem your account balance. Choose from a PayPal deposit, a credit card payment (which will appear on your next statement), a check in the mail or a donation to the charity of your choice.

Two awesome bonuses: Extrabux offers thousands of money-saving coupons and discount codes, and they’ll give you an $8 reward when you join.

6. FatWallet

FatWallet wants you to think of it as your “one-stop shop” for all things online shopping, cash back and savings. When you shop at hundreds of online stores through FatWallet’s links, you’ll earn up to 25% cash back, though some retailers pay a flat amount.

View your FatWallet balance in your account at any time. If your account has reached the $10 minimum at the end of a quarter, you can request your payout as a check, bank transfer or PayPal deposit.

FatWallet also offers coupon codes to more than 1,600 stores, as well as a community forum where you can chat with other online shoppers and deal finders.

7. Ibotta

Earn cash-back rewards from Ibotta in several different ways:

• Shop online through Ibotta links to certain stores: For example, if spend $100 at Macys.com, you’ll earn $10 in cash rebates (or 10%). You can even purchase certain products from Amazon.com and receive up to a $20 rebate. Once your purchase is verified, usually within five days, the cash rebate is deposited into your Ibotta account.

• Download the Ibotta app: This app lets you submit an in-store receipt to unlock cash rebates. When you’re shopping at Wal-Mart, seeing a movie or eating at a restaurant, simply scan your receipt with the Ibotta app. The app verifies the purchase from the receipt’s barcode, which prompts a cash deposit into your account within 48 hours.

• Link a loyalty card from participating stores: Connecting your points cards from grocery stores, gas stations and local markets will earn you additional cash-back rewards. Before you go shopping, complete a list of simple tasks and then use your loyalty card or phone number at the checkout. You’ll see your rewards in your Ibotta account within two days.

Once your balance reaches $10 or more, you can transfer it to a PayPal or Venmo account. Or if you’d rather convert the cash rebates into gift cards, you can choose from Best Buy, Amazon or Starbucks.

You can earn Ibotta cash rewards even faster by connecting your Facebook account and asking your friends and family to do the same. If they join through your link, they’ll automatically be added to your “team.” The bigger your team, the more rewards you’ll earn each month, including Teamwork bonuses for completing certain tasks together.

8. MyPoints

When you make an online purchase through MyPoints, you’ll earn a certain amount of points per dollar, depending on the store. For the sake of comparison with other cash-back sites, MyPoints also includes an estimated cash-back value. For example, buying online from Macy’s earns you 5 points for every dollar, or 3.4%.

Your points will usually show up in your account within two to five business days, though it can take up to 30 days. You can redeem them for a Visa prepaid card, a PayPal deposit, gift cards or  frequent flyer points. If you choose a physical gift card, it will usually arrive within two weeks, while an “egift card” will be in your inbox within 30 minutes. You should see frequent flyer points in your account within six to eight weeks.

In addition to earning points for online shopping, you can add to your balance by filling out surveys, printing and redeeming coupons, referring friends or family members or playing games.

9. ShopAtHome

Shop online through ShopAtHome to earn cash back at more than 3,000 online retailers on everything from clothes to accessories, books, toys, travel and even groceries. The site offers up to 70% cash back, though the typical percentage is closer to 5%.

Occasionally it may take up to 30 days to see your cash back bonus added to your account, but usually it will post within a few hours. Once your account reaches a balance of $20 or more, you can request payout via a check in the mail.

Your Turn: Do you earn cash back when shopping online with any of these sites? Which one is your favorite?

Disclosure: We have a serious Taco Bell addiction around here. The affiliate links in this post help us order off the dollar menu. Thanks for your support!

Carrie Smith (@carefulcents) is a writer and business consultant for freelancers and entrepreneurs. In 2013, she quit her accounting job to pursue full-time writing and blogging.

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The Broken Rules of Mass Media – and Better Ones to Live By

Almost every time I turn on my television or go to the website of a cable news network, I’m frustrated.

I’m frustrated by the things that pass for “news” that are mostly just commercials, like breathless announcements of the latest product from Apple or the latest car models or the latest antics of some reality television star.

I’m frustrated by the advertisements that are Photoshopped into unreality and show images that aren’t even connected to any sort of life that I see (or even want).

I’m frustrated by how even the “legitimate” news is written to provide a certain angle and is often compressed down to only a sentence or two of content, often literally just showing us someone’s Tweet.

I’m frustrated by how these things are seen as important enough to be the “news.”

Regardless of what information is actually being shared or reported, they’re passing along a lot of messages directly to you (and to me) about how we should behave and think. Most of it is incredibly damaging to our self-worth, and much of it encourages us to do nothing more than spend, spend, spend.

Here are five “rules” that seem to be constantly promoted both by the content and by the advertisements on most television networks and on most mainstream websites, along with five “better” rules that run counter to them. You can decide for yourself which ones are better to live by.

Media Rule #1 – Your Worth Is Defined By Your Possessions and Physical Appearance

The dress that some celebrity chooses to wear to some awards show is not a noteworthy event. Some random person’s list of which person is beautiful and, by exclusion, which people are not is not a noteworthy thing. The fact that one of these beautiful people happens to be driving a particular car is, again, not a noteworthy thing.

Yet, based on what passes for “news” and “entertainment” programming, these are noteworthy things. And based on advertisements, these are extremely noteworthy things.

In that world, the “good” people are beautiful and the “bad” people are not. The “good” people have all of the latest stuff, while the “bad” people do not.

The end result of all of that? For many people, it’s a lowered sense of self-worth coupled with a sense that you can somehow be “better” if you buy a particular product or two. You might be a nebbish dweeb, but you don’t have to be if you have the latest gadget or car. You might be physically unattractive, but you don’t have to be if you have the latest cosmetic product.

It’s all a joke. None of it matters.

A Better Rule – Your Worth Is Defined by Your Character

When I actually think about the people that I respect and care about the most in this world, it doesn’t come down to the things that they own or the beauty that they momentarily possess in their youth.

It comes down to their character.

What has that person done to make the community and the world a better place?

Show me information about how someone has used their time and energy to address a world problem without trying to make money off of it instead of the latest consumer products.

Show me a fireman who rescued people from a burning building rather than the latest antics of the Kardashians.

Show me a teacher who has won a bunch of awards for quality teaching rather than what dress someone is wearing on a red carpet.

Show me a person who took genuine steps to improve their own life and the lives of others rather than someone who is comparing the latest and greatest stuff for me to spend my money on.

The problem is that you won’t get those things from watching the news, at least not the national stuff. You get it by being a part of your community and by being really, really selective about where you get your news and information.

Media Rule #2 – Your Income Is Indicative of Your Success

So often, we are told to respect people because those people have managed to accumulate significant wealth, and yes, I’ll agree that in at least some cases, that’s an accomplishment built on the back of lots of hard work.

We’re supposed to fawn all over the ideas of a person who is good at acting or managed to make a few good stock picks as though their ideas are incredibly valuable just because they’re good at acting or made a few good stock picks.

Sure, I’ll listen to that good actor’s ideas on how to be a good actor, but that acting skill doesn’t make that person a success in every area of life. Sure, I’ll listen to that investor’s thoughts on how to invest, but that investing skill doesn’t make that person a success in every aspect of life.

The thing is, we’re often expected to be impressed by someone in all areas because they were successful in one area. Furthermore, we’re often expected to be impressed by a person simply because of their income or the wealth they’ve accumulated.

When I hear that someone is wealthy and that they did it themselves, I am impressed, but I’m not impressed by the wealth. I’m impressed by the hard work and the expertise that went into it. However, as soon as I know that, I have another question at the ready.

A Better Rule – The Positive Impact You Have on Others Is Indicative of Your Success

The big problem is when I hear about that wealth level and income level, I find that it is often leaving out what I consider to be a huge factor in terms of personal success. Have the things that you have achieved had a positive impact on the lives of others?

Undoubtedly, some wealthy people are doing amazing things with their money, but even perhaps the most prolific of those, Bill Gates with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, does not get nearly the attention that he should. The positive impact of the Gates Foundation is enormous, but instead the media prefers to show us the latest celebrity who had a few too many drinks.

Furthermore, it doesn’t take tons of wealth or income in order to have a big positive impact on others. I know teachers who have positively shaped thousands of lives, but they’re not wealthy or earning a fat income. I know of volunteers who have ensured that thousands of people have food in their bellies and clothes on their backs, but they’re not wealthy or earning a fat income.

Those people made a positive impact without having wealth, and that earns my respect and my attention far more than some overexhausted politician’s gaffe.

Media Rule #3 – Delaying Gratification Is Bad

Modern life, in so many ways, is based on the immediate and the urgent rather than the important.

If you’re a smartphone user, you know exactly what I mean. That ding or vibration indicating a new notification often triggers a Pavlovian response. We have to look. We have to see what the latest update is. Rather than listening to the person in front of us, we have to check on the latest text we received or the latest Instagram update.

We are driven to pay attention to the new thing, to give into that impulse.

The same thing happens in a less obvious way throughout our lives. We’re constantly attracted to the new thing and we’re constantly given this sense that now is the time to spend money on it. Now is the time to buy it. If you want to be “relevant,” now is the time to go to this new restaurant or buy this new product.

Waiting? Waiting is for losers. Waiting means you won’t be relevant.

Well, here’s a secret. Those updates on your phone will still be there in an hour, after you’re done building a LEGO castle with your child. That restaurant will still be open in a few months when your food budget makes it easy to go there. That product that you want will still be available a few months from now when you can actually afford it without a credit card crutch.

A Better Rule – Spending Extra Money or Focus Due to Impatience Is Bad

The challenge is that modern life constantly encourages us to substitute “urgent” things in the place of “important” things. I’ve found that “urgent” things are rarely very important and that important things are rarely very urgent – and that life is better spent on the important things, not the urgent.

To me, the worst thing you can do to someone you care about is divert your attention from them because of some “urgent” nonsense. Turn off your cell phone and read a book or play with your child or listen to your spouse’s problems. Turn your phone on again at a later time. Your friend’s “witty” Facebook update will be just as unimportant then as it is right now.

Similarly, the worst thing you can do to your financial future is divert your money from it because of some “urgent” nonsense. Often, the things you want right at this moment are going to completely change in the next week or two, so throwing money at them right now is effectively the same as throwing money out the window in a week.

Wait. Have some patience. See if you still want that same thing a month from now and, if you do still really want it, then think about buying it. Let the urgent fade away and let the important rise to the top.

Media Rule #4 – Skipping Any Pleasure Is Bad

If you tune into a television program and watch the ads along with the show, you’ll get the impression that if you’re skipping out on something – anything – that you might enjoy, you’re missing out on a pleasure, and that’s bad.

Ice cream? Can’t skip it. Alcohol? Can’t skip it. A shiny car in the driveway? Can’t skip it. The latest iDevice? Can’t skip it. A juicy steak at the new restaurant? Can’t skip it. The list is infinite.

This creates three problems. One, it becomes an endless drain on your money and time. If you spend your time and energy jumping from pleasure to pleasure, you don’t have money or energy left over for other things.

Two, having an endless stream of pleasures saps the joy from those pleasures. Having a delicious coffee once a month makes that coffee a special treat. Having one once a day makes it ordinary and routine and just adds a $5 expense to each and every day.

Three, you don’t really give yourself enough time to figure out if that theoretically pleasurable thing is actually bringing you pleasure. If you jump on to the next pleasure quickly, you don’t really get to reflect much on the last pleasure, so you don’t know if it’s actually something that’s joyful.

And there’s another, even bigger problem…

A Better Rule – Skipping Things That Don’t Bring Lasting Joy Is Good

Here’s something well worth thinking about: almost every significant personal accomplishment that anyone achieves in America involves skipping pleasures that don’t bring lasting joy.

Think about it. The guy who lost 200 pounds started skipping excess food – a pleasure that doesn’t bring lasting joy. The person who got completely out of debt started skipping excess purchases – pleasure that didn’t bring lasting joy. The person who built a great career started skipping excess time wasters – pleasures that didn’t bring lasting joy.

Yet, in the end, all of those people were rewarded with something that did bring lasting joy – a huge weight loss, debt freedom, a great career.

The real challenge here is recognizing which things in our lives don’t actually bring lasting joy. It is really, really easy to see a short term pleasure and have that jolt of pleasure completely blot out the eventual results of that choice.

A great life comes from accepting and overcoming that challenge, not by just bopping on to the next short term pleasure. Those little pleasures never, ever last, and you’re left with a life that’s lacking a lot of opportunity for lasting joy.

It’s worth noting that I’m not talking about avoiding pleasures at all, but that most of them just don’t last and don’t provide any lasting value for you. It’s far better to be choosy about those things and to spread them out so that you get joy from anticipation and from memories as well as the pleasure itself, or that you buy a product that you’ll actually use over and over again instead of just consuming quickly or sitting on your shelves.

Put your energy and time and thought and money into big, lasting, positive things, ones that will bring you lasting pleasure and joy and, by extension, also bring a positive impact into the lives of the people around you. It takes time for that to build, but it builds into something that is truly life-changing.

Media Rule #5 – Everything Worthwhile Can Be Compressed Into a Simple Answer – a Text, a Tweet, or a Sound Bite

Almost every article you read from a major news source boils down to a five second sound bite from someone along with information that can be compressed down to a text or a tweet. Sometimes the news itself is literally a text or a tweet.

To an extent, I’m even guilty of this myself. I bold and highlight key sentences in my articles, often compressing a much bigger idea down into a single sentence for easy digestion.

Some view this as a convenient thing. It allows them to quickly grab the main point in just a few seconds before moving on to the next thing. The problem is that you lose a lot of the meaning along the way. It puts convenience far above meaning, and that is a huge loss.

A Better Rule – Most Worthwhile Things in Life Can’t Be Compressed at All

You can’t compress a thoughtful conversation with someone. You can’t compress the nuance of our foreign policy. You can’t compress a philosophical book on the meaning of life.

You can’t compress an afternoon spent at a state park with your five year old son. You can’t compress a long conversation about the future with your wife on a beautiful summer evening with a glass of wine in your hand. You can’t compress holding someone’s hand as they fight off a terrible illness. You can’t compress the time spent trying to understand someone else and where they are coming from.

Those things can’t be compressed. They lose so much when you try to compress them. Their meaning just fades away into nothingness.

The thing is, those are the very things in life that are the most worthwhile. A deep understanding of one issue is far, far better than a cursory understanding of several dozen. An hour spent focused wholly on a friend or a loved one that really needs you is far better than an hour spread in tiny slivers across a bunch of people (and likely a bunch of news stories and other miscellany). A thoughtful book is worth far more than 100 trite articles that barely cover a subject at all. A well-researched and thoughtful article that covers a topic in detail is worth far more than a mountain of tweets and Facebook updates.

The more you fill your hours with the things that can’t be compressed – and the more you discard the things that can easily be compressed into nothingness – the more fulfilling your life will be, every time.

Final Thoughts

The current state of mass media – television, news, movies, magazines, and so on – constantly encourages us to put the burst of pleasure above the lasting joy, to assign heroism to non-heroic things, to compress the meaningful things in life down into nothingness, to value your own success rather than the impact it has on others, to define yourself by your possessions and physical appearance rather than by the lasting impact you have on the world.

Is there any wonder that we often feel sad and empty by modern life?

Instead of living by those rules, live by some new rules.

Look for and laud people for their character, not by their appearance or their possessions or their publicity team.

Define your own success by the people that you help, not by the income that you earn.

Be patient with your choices about how to spend your money and energy and time, and choose to spend them on things that actually matter and will last.

Drop the things in your life that don’t bring lasting joy and memories. Fill that available time and energy and money with things that do bring lasting joy.

Fill your life with uncompressed things. Build deep, strong relationships by giving them focus and time. Fill your recreational time with things that actually last and build into something great and meaningful.

If you do these things, you’ll spend far less money and you’ll find far more joy when you do. You’ll waste far less time, and you’ll find far more lasting happiness with how you use your time and your energy.

Better yet, you’ll make the world a better place and lift the people and community that are immediately around you.

The post The Broken Rules of Mass Media – and Better Ones to Live By appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

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What to Buy in July: 8 Great Deals to Score This Month

Summer is well underway, with its hot temperatures, hot dogs and even some hot deals for savvy shoppers!

Whether you’re a college student getting an early start shopping for your dorm room this fall, a homeowner on the prowl for a patio update, or just someone who likes getting the best prices at the grocery store, July has something for you. Here’s the scoop on the best items to buy this month.

1. Outdoor Goods

From outdoor furniture to sporting equipment, now’s the most financially savvy time to update your backyard trappings. Discounts on patio furniture in particular will be as much as 60% off, RetailMeNot senior planner Joe Smyth told WRAL.

If you’re looking for a badminton net, pool or other sporting goods, you’re likely to get around 38% off regular price, RetailMeNot business analyst Erin Hartman, explained. She noted July is the best time of year to buy these items.

2. Indoor Furniture

The patio isn’t the only place to put some steeply discounted furniture. With showrooms receiving new stock each August, July takes on an “everything must go” refrain — which means deep discounts on all of the previous year’s models, according to the American Home Furnishings Alliance.

This doesn’t extend to everything you’ll find in every furniture store, though, warns to CBS Money — office furniture sees the best discounts in August, and you’ve missed the best month for mattress deals, which is May.

3. Corn, Plums and Nectarines

It’s no secret that in-season produce gives you the best bang for your buck. These days, look for the best prices on corn and stone fruit like plums and nectarines, according to online deals powerhouse Brad’s Deals.

Combine markdowns with grocery apps to find even better bargains, or do some savvy farmers market shopping to get a hot deal.

4. Swimwear

If you’re in the mood for a new swimsuit and you don’t want to wait until the fall when retailers are desperate to get swimwear off their shelves, July is the time to buy.

“Expect for the sale racks at retailers like J.Crew, PacSun and Tilly’s to feature discounts from 40 to 50% off,” Smyth advised WRAL. Online shopping site DealNews predicts sales will be as deep as 80% off.

5. Suits

In addition to jeans and winter coats, which enjoy deep discounts in the hot month of July, suits often see markdowns this time of year. With people wearing heavy clothing as infrequently as possible, merchandisers tend to offer sales to move their products off the racks. (Say your goodbyes, ancient blazer in the husband’s closet — you’re going to be replaced!)

6. Housewares (and Dormwares)

With June being the most common month for weddings and August not far behind it, July puts us firmly in the middle of wedding season. Combine the crush of wedding registry purchases with college students getting ready for their fall semesters, and you get houseware retailers offering big discounts to move as much merchandise as possible. Keep an eye out for combos and two-for-one deals, too.

From twin-extra-long sheets and storage items to silverware and candles, Real Simple estimates average savings to be 20 to 50% off. So cross those wedding gifts off your list, and maybe even get ahead on this year’s holiday presents.

7. Back-to-School Electronics

While the absolute best electronics deals tend to show up in November and December, Independence Day marks the beginning of the back-to-school sales season — and personal electronics like tablets and printers lead the way.

Expect to find markdowns as deep as 30%, according to consumer shopping expert Andrea Woroch. And dorm-scale 32-inch TVs see great pricing this time of year, says DealNews.

8. Air Conditioners

If you need a new air conditioner and the outdoor temperature isn’t enough to convince you to spring for one, July’s sales should do it. July offers the best deals of the summer — last year’s prices were 16% lower than June’s and 14% lower than August’s, according to DealNews.

Here’s what I’ve got on my July shopping list: white cotton sheets for enjoying the thunderstorms we’ve been getting, a laptop for our preschool’s director (whose machine conveniently waited until sale season to die), and all the juicy peaches I can find, because that’s what summer’s all about at my house.

Your turn: Which of these deals strikes your fancy? Share your best finds in the comments!

Ashley Gainer is a full-time parent and part-time freelance writer who teaches other parent-preneurs how to be successful freelancers while remaining parents first. She also spends a lot of time nerding out over home economics and setting up elaborate wooden railways.

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