Parties & Holidays

One of our more popular tips is how to be a smart Restaurant.com shopper. We recommend not paying the prices listed on the site, but instead using a coupon code for 60%, 70%, 80% or even 90% off and...

One of our more popular tips is how to be a smart Restaurant.com shopper. We recommend not paying the prices listed on the site, but instead using a coupon code for 60%, 70%, 80% or even 90% off and stocking up when there is a great offer.

When you find a great coupon, here's the LOZO on how to make this discount last year-round: Instead of buying a certificate to a specific restaurant, buy yourself a "Restaurant.com Gift Certificate" or sign up for the Dinner of the Month Club.  Click to read the entire tip with step-by-step details.

Buy as many as you want so the savings will last all year. These make terrific holiday and teacher gifts as well! Send the certificates to yourself and then print them out or forward to your recipient when you are ready. The physical "Gift Cards" cost a little more so we recommend sticking with the email-able gift certificates to get the best savings.

Throw a great party for less, without anyone even knowing. Decide on your party food based on what's on sale, and stick with the cheaper items. If the grocery store has a special sale on meat, buy it...

Throw a great party for less, without anyone even knowing. Decide on your party food based on what's on sale, and stick with the cheaper items. If the grocery store has a special sale on meat, buy it in bulk and freeze it until you are ready to use it. Always buy fresh fruits and vegetables instead of pre-cut or prepared salads - it will be cheaper and fresher to prepare it yourself. Plan vegetable dishes and fruity deserts around what's in season and likely to be cheaper. Check the sale flyers the week before a party and clip coupons for the big shop.

Email has become the standard for communication today, and it's now socially acceptable to send party invitations via email as well. It will save on the cost of printing and postage, and hopefully...

Email has become the standard for communication today, and it's now socially acceptable to send party invitations via email as well. It will save on the cost of printing and postage, and hopefully encourage a quick reply. This works well for kids' birthday parties if your school keeps a list of parents' email addresses. Online invitation sites such as Evite.com allow you to send free e-invitations and can help manage your responses, too.

As every parent knows, buying themed cups, plates, napkins and more for a kid's birthday party can become really costly. An inside tip from parents who have the LOZO: buy a tablecloth with your...

As every parent knows, buying themed cups, plates, napkins and more for a kid's birthday party can become really costly. An inside tip from parents who have the LOZO: buy a tablecloth with your child's favorite characters, but stick with plain, coordinated colors for everything else. You'll save a bundle without sacrificing the theme.

The most popular characters are usually the priciest since stores know you'll be stuck catering to your kid's wishes. However, the reverse is true too and you can use it to your advantage. Characters that are not getting as much attention these days are often available at a discount. Jump on a big sale if you find one, as long as you're sure your child will still be interested in them by the time their party rolls around. You might be surprised at your kid's openness to another character if you mention it, so it's worth a try to see if they get excited about the one that happens to be on a clearance sale.

Be sure to check out the dollar stores, too. They can be great options for finding themed items and you may get lucky and find your character in stock. It's worth a look before you hit the party stores.

Like most families, we’re celebrating July 4th with a mix of fireworks, parade, and of course BBQ. If you’re planning to chow down with friends and family this Independence Day, let LOZO help you...

Like most families, we’re celebrating July 4th with a mix of fireworks, parade, and of course BBQ. If you’re planning to chow down with friends and family this Independence Day, let LOZO help you save with money saving tips on that big feast!

So, here’s how my family and I are doing it:

1. Use Grocery Coupons! Just like for your regular weekly trips, shopping with grocery coupons can save 50% or more on your bill for the 4th. And it’s even easier than you might think. Instead of spending hours hunting through newspapers, come to LOZO.com for 100s of free printable grocery coupons, all in one place. You can easily select categories (like meat, dips, or chips) and search for your favorite brands. I created a special coupon bundle you can use to get popular BBQ coupons in one click! You can also let LOZO do the searching for you, just enter your grocery list at LOZO.com and we’ll email you grocery coupons that are custom-matched to items on your list. I mean, it’s summer after all… we don’t want you to work too hard for these coupons!
2. Create a Menu Based on Coupons & Sales. Well, now that you’ve got your coupons, take a look at what sales are taking place in your favorite local grocery store. Find out what food & condiments are selling at the best prices and—bingo!—you’ve got your meal planned out. If you can find a great deal on chicken and barbeque sauce, chicken it is! If you find a better deal on ground beef, ketchup and Kraft cheese, well then…bring on those cheeseburgers! For drinks, make your own pitchers lemonade and iced tea. They are better thirst quenchers than soda, and cost a lot less too when you use mixes.
3. United We Stand. This country became great by standing together and joining toward one common cause. With that spirit in mind, rely on friends and family to help out. Let Betty bring her famous potato salad and Cousin John bring his favorite ‘flavor’ of beer. We’ll all work together to create one heck of a great pot luck dinner. Thomas Jefferson would be proud.
4. The Land of Plenty…But Don’t Go Overboard. Leftovers are great, but you don’t want to have so much that the food will go to waste. Try to estimate how much food and drink you’ll need to keep your family and friends satisfied. Of course, there’s no exact science to this, but here are some questions to consider. How many sides will you have? If you you plan to have 5 side dishes, you can expect that folks will be eating more of the BBQ meat. If you’ve got 25 side dishes, you can expect they’ll be loading up on those and eating a bit less meat. And, how many kids (with smaller appetites) versus adults (with bigger appetites)? And if you do have leftovers, be sure to eat or store them before they go bad. Check out StillTasty.com for some great tips on how long different foods will last and the best ways to store them.
5. Who Likes Free Music? We Like Free Music! Remember the old days when “free music” meant you stole it from the internet? Or the even older days when it meant you got a hand-me-down cassette tape of music you don’t even like from an older sibling (who you probably didn’t like at the time either)? Well, those days are over. Now there are tons of legit ways to listen to free music, but one of my favorites is Pandora. At this point most folks know it, but in case you don’t:

With the arrival of 2011, most of us will be trying to make our New Year's Resolutions come true whether they're about saving more money, living a healthier life, being more charitable or many of the...

With the arrival of 2011, most of us will be trying to make our New Year's Resolutions come true whether they're about saving more money, living a healthier life, being more charitable or many of the other ways we try to make our lives better. Here are some ways to save money on a few of the most popular New Year’s resolutions.