My mom and sister are on their way over here to stay for a few days. Yay! I haven’t spent more than a few hours with them since Christmas. We’ll gallivant about the city, try some new restaurants, and carry on. 

Here’s some tidbits I’d like to share with you. Have a great weekend!

Ashley shared a news story with me about how it might be cheaper to ship your luggage than pay the airline’s extra fees. If you can pack quick enough in advance and can ensure that a trusted someone will be able to sign for your bags when they arrive, this might be a good option to investigate.

Jessica reminds us that when we find a great deal on an appliance at a thrift store or at a garage sale, to make sure it includes all parts. Sometimes, you can pick up a spare part online, but sometimes ya can’t.

Joanna is debt-free! Oh yeah! She and her husband have paid $20k in student loans in two years, own their vehicles outright, and have no non-mortgage debt. She’s not stopping here, though. She’s outlined several savings goals to tackle next. Way to go! Oh, and she makes a great point that while the student loan interest rate was lower than she was earning on her savings account, she still wanted that debt paid. It’s gotta get paid off–might as well do it to it!

Christina made me lol at a rental book service. Um yeah, there’s a free one–it’s called your public library! This might actually be a good deal if the book service offered college textbooks.

This post at Wise Bread about expiring tires scared me. Many things scare me these days. Anyway, when buying tires, don’t just look at the tread. You can bet your belt buckle that I’m going to check the age of my tires before I go running around today. My car was purchased new, and I have had to buy one tire (two flats in a week, separate circumstances!) so we’ll see how old they actually are.

In her goals for August, Tiffanie has decided not to spend more than $15 per week at the drugstores. She has a large stash of stuff, so rather than tie up a lot of money out of pocket on drugstore deals, she’ll free up some cash to apply toward savings and debt. It’s a good lesson. When I first started drugstoring, I spent a lot out of pocket (even though I would get most of it back in the form of rebates). It would have been smarter for me to take it easy since we didn’t immediately need those things.

From the Money Life Network

A Wedding Quilt at Remodelling This Life

Economic stimulus check: Did it help? And what about a second? At Free From Broke

A second stimulus check: Is it on the way, and is it even a good idea? At Bible Money Matters

Renting vs. buying at Milk Your Money

I have low living costs and live overseas with extra cash; where do I put it? At My Investing Blog

Build a one-sheet, dashboard-style view of your finances at Prime Time Money