If you consistently read this blog you may know that I am an iPhone owner. Today AT&T, the iPhone service provider, emailed me an offer for the AT&T Navigator, a GPS application for my iPhone.

According to the email, the AT&T Navigator has typical GPS benefits, including voice-guided directions and listings of local areas of interest.  But, at $9.99 per month, it’s very expensive compared to other options. In about a year, you’d have spent as much as a standard stand alone GPS device. However, it is convenient; having GPS navigation on your iPhone may make that the only device you need. Personally, I feel bad for anyone who bought a stand alone GPS now that there are all of these other systems on the iPhone. Not to mention the companies whose major line of business is the manufacturing and selling of stand alone GPS devices. GPS apps on the iPhone could encroach on their market share.

I decided to do some research; before I switched to the iPhone Verizon tried to sell me a similar GPS system with another expensive month-to-month plan, I didn’t fall for that one either.  It turns out that Tom Tom also sells an iPhone app. It doesn’t work with the original iPhone and costs $59.99 with no monthly fee. If I use the Tom Tom app for one year, I will save approximately half the price of the AT&T Navigator. After more searching, I found the MotionX GPS app. It’s only $2.99 per month. I could use this app for almost three years before reaching the amount I would spend using the AT&T Navigator for only one year. In addition, the MotionX GPS app has received fantastic reviews in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Business Week, and Gizmodo. And, after using it a few times, I’ve found that it’s great.

In difficult economic times, you should always research a product before buying it. Just because you recognize a brand or a company doesn’t mean the deal they are offering is a good one.  A word to the wise: It pays not to impulse buy.

We all love food. Now you can get a food-related gift for anyone and everyone on your holiday shopping list.

Wind up rice bowl. Available in four flavors because who could stop at getting just one? The tempura shrimp rice bowl featured.

Star Wars Light Saber Chopsticks
They come in Darth Vader Red, Luke Blue and Yoda Green. May the force be with you when you eat. For your favorite Star Wars fan or chopstick collector.

Edamame Popping Keychain.
Makes sounds that are apparently “better than bubble wrap.” Pop the edamame in and out as a form of meditation or just to annoy the person sitting next to you.

Sushi earbuds. Who doesn’t want fish eggs in their ears? This is the ultimate gift for music lovers who also enjoy eating a lot of sushi.

 Squid USB drive.  These can hold up to 2 GB. They come in a variety of squids and some even glow when plugged in. Sort of gross in a funny kind of way.

Ghost in a bottle
I’m assuming this is a ghost in a bottle but since the site is mostly in Japanses I actually have no idea. I’m also don’t know if it’s drinkable. Or, if anything other than the ghost is in the bottle. But hey, you have to appreciate anyone who can sell a ghost in a bottle.

Animal dissection toys. These aren’t really about eating but dissecting an anatomical cow could help anyone interested in a future of butchery. These come in cow, tuna, monkey and horse. Also good for converting people to vegetarianism.

Digestive system puzzle. Fun for the whole family! Can you put your digestive system back together? Bonus: you can play with the pieces separately, spleen, liver, esophagus and more.

Fetus Cookie Cutter. What do you get for the woman who has almost everything? These creepy little fetus bites let you share the miracle of birth!

By Kim Ossi
McClatchy-Tribune (MCT)
No need to splurge on a pair of $500-plus Lanvin sneakers, seen on the likes of First Lady Michelle Obama this spring. With the new Keds by Loomstate line, you can show off designer kicks at a reasonable price and be good to the earth at the same time.

Keds, which launched the first sneaker in 1916, has joined forces with Barneys New York and eco fashion house Loomstate to create a unique “green” designer collection of shoes.

Based on the Keds classic “Champion” style, the Keds by Loomstate collection includes five prints, each of which the company says has 100-percent organic uppers and linings, nickel-free eyelets and 100-percent recycled insole boards. To further reduce the environmental impact of the new line, Keds will be taking recycled shoeboxes and repurposing them as boxes for the Loomstate collection.

It also should be noted that a percentage of the proceeds from the shoes will be donated to The Organic Exchange, which aims expand organic agriculture.

The shoes are $75 per pair and will be at select Barneys locations and online at www.barneys.com this month.
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(c) 2009, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (www.mctcampus.com)

By Jane Wooldridge
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)

Most Web-savvy travelers are familiar with various Web sites that let you track and compare airfare prices. (Think Farecompare.com, Farecast.com, Yapta.com, plus the major agencies like Travelocity.com and even airline sites.) Now come two online tools that help travelers track hotel prices.

Yapta has just introduced a feature that allows consumers to sign up for price tracking on specific hotels. Search the site for hotel availability on specific dates, then sign up for notification if rates drop on a specific hotel that interests you.

Hotwire.com has long offered a similar tool for hotel and car rental rates, but it doesn’t disclose the name of the hotel or vendor until after you book. The site has just added a monthly hotel report (www.hotwire.com/hotelratereport.jsp) that highlights the U.S. destinations where rates have dropped the most over the past 12 months _ translation, where you’re most likely to find good deals. (Top 5 on the current list: Las Vegas, Phoenix, New York, Montreal, Orlando.)

Also just launched from the people at Kayak.com: TravelPost.com, designed as a one-stop-shopping hotel site with reviews, content and rates on more than 140,000 hotels from over 200 travel sites. Consumers can book directly with the hotel or via other Web sites.
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© 2009, The Miami Herald.
Visit The Miami Herald Web edition on the World Wide Web at http://www.herald.com/
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

By Maura Dieringer
McClatchy-Tribune
(MCT)

Online shopping site of the week: Archie McPhee (www.mcphee.com)

If there is ever a need for an inflatable fruitcake, bacon strips bandages, a corn dog air freshener or a yodeling pickle, Archie McPhee is the place to look. The site features a wide array of useless items and perfect gag gifts for friends at great prices. The page is set up in categories, such as “Stupid Products,” “Archie’s Economic Recovery” and “Unicorns & Fairies,” so it is easy to find just the gift you are looking for!
This site really loves bacon! Several bacon-related items are for sale, including bacon floss, a bacon watch, bacon gumballs, a bacon lunch box and bacon gift-wrap. The prices are affordable and the products are unique. The creators even just came out with a book called “Who Would Buy This? The Archie McPhee Story” featuring the weirdest items the company has created during its 30 years in business.

What’s more: there is a free gift with every order. Hey — you never know when you’re going to need Cowboy Boot sideburns!

Prices range from $4 to $400, on average.
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© 2009, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (www.mctcampus.com.

You might have noticed there are a few things with Obama’s face on them around.  Like hats, neon bar signs, dolls, bottle openers, wine, mixed drinks, fake currency, onesies, mugs, lipstick, post-its, wristbands, statues, watches, belts, jewelry, coffee, cereal, stamps, guitars, pornos, t-shirts, popular cartoon caricatures, sweatshirts, shoes, scarves, saris, tapestries, magnets, keychains, earrings, and life-sized blowup dolls.  Oh yeah, and I think I’ve seen a couple cars with Obama bumper stickers.

Obama is arguably the most widely known president of our time, and he’s barely been in office 24 hours.

Portfolio.com has recently estimated the economic value of what has become the Obama brand industry at 2.5 billion dollars.  For people upset at the staggering cost of his inauguration, this should more than make up for it.  Stores and restaurants across the country and around the world have been turning to the Obama brand to help them keep turning merchandise.

Many wonder how he will operate in real life now that he is larger-than-life.  The expectations are high. These fantastic expectations are summed up by the whole Obama/Unicorn thing. Whether the unicorn signified the fantasy of Obama becoming President to the analogy that if he can lasso a unicorn he can control Wall Street, fix Iraq, and basically do anything. From “Unicorns for Obama” pins to a black velvet painting of Obama riding naked on a unicorn.

But the Obama brand must sell well for a reason; let’s hope it’s because we know he can back all of this up.

What is your favorite piece of Obama merchandise? Do you own anything Obama? What is it?

Enter the Buck the Norm Video Contest

Here at Young Money we are always looking for new, reputable contests to help you win money for college. The Tinker Federal Credit Union of Oklahoma is offering a $2,000 scholarship.

It’s a video contest and the topic is “My Money Mistake.”

According to www.buckthenorm.com/btn they know that it’s easy to make mistakes with your money—especially when you are young and just starting out.

Tinker wants to hear your story, what happened and what you learned. And they want to hear (and see) it in a video you make yourself. The better your video the more votes you’ll get and the better your chances of winning.

So upload your video and get your friends to start voting!

Check out http://www.buckthenorm.com/btn to read the rules, details, and watch a sample video.

Prizes:
Grand Prize: $2000 Scholarship and a MacBook
Second Prize: $1000 Scholarship
Third Prize: $500 Scholarship
Bucky’s Choice: iPod Touch MP3 Player

Hurry up and enter! http://www.buckthenorm.com/btn

Eligibility: Open to individuals who are legal residents of the State of Oklahoma or a TFCU member. Must be at least 16 years old as of November 2008 and a current high school, vo-tech or college student at time of contest entry. Contest begins Monday, November 17, 2008 and ends Friday, February 27, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. For purposes of these Official Rules, all times Central Standard Time (CST).

NEED MONEY FOR COLLEGE? Try www.findacollegescholarship.com

When the economy gets bad, retailers get creative. We had Black Friday. We also had Cyber Monday. And now we have Free Shipping Day.

What is Free Shipping Day?
Thursday, December 18th, 2008 is Free Shipping Day. It’s a day when participating merchants give free shipping to online shoppers with guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve.

If you are a procrastinator, free shipping day may be your last chance to get your gifts by Christmas Eve.

So far over 100 stores are participating including Kohl’s, Crate & Barrel, Zappos.com, Apple Store, Diamonds.com, Converse, Kmart, Dell, and Brookstone.

Before you scoff at this as just another retailer publicity stunt think about how much you can save on shipping. And they guarantee delivery by Christmas Eve. You’d have to get 2-day shipping to be sure your packages would arrive by the 24th and that can quickly add up.

For a full list of participating retail shops see www.freeshippingday.com.

Everyone that has a pet knows how expensive it is to keep the little fluffball healthy and happy. And, if you’re like me, you’re willing to do anything (including spending lots of money) to make sure your precious pet never goes without.

Here are a few ways to cut down on the cost of your cuddly companion:

This may not sound like a good way to save money but the truth is that regular vet visits will be cheaper in the long run. It’s much cheaper (and safer) to prevent disease or to at least catch it early.

Keep your pets indoors. This is especially true with cats. Indoor animals don’t come into contact with parasites, communicable diseases, fights with other animals, poisons, and cars. Indoor cats live from to two to four times as long as outdoor cats.

Pet Insurance could save your pet’s life and your pocketbook. My sister has always had dogs—and she’s always had pet insurance. Lucky thing because they each inevitably needed something they literally couldn’t live without. She saved thousands of dollars on her pet’s medical bills, not to mention saving her sanity.

My sister used to have two pure bred boxers and one mutt. The boxer’s had problem after problem. The mutt went over a decade without a single issue. So if you’re in the market for a dog and you’re already worried about vet bills consider a mixed breed. Pure bred dogs consistently have more problems. If you’re adopting or rescuing a dog make sure that the shelter has a good reputation.

If your pet does get sick and needs medication ask your vet to write you a prescription. Once you have that you can take it to your own pharmacy or compare prices online. You might be surprised at how cheap you can find your pet’s generic medication.

Preventative maintenance is probably the best way to save money. Keep your pet’s weight down, a good diet and plenty of exercise can keep a pet happy and healthy. You can save money by making gourmet, organic cat and dog treats at home. (Homemade pet treats also make great gifts) A quick Internet search will give you more pet treat recipes than you could ever possibly need. Brushing your pet’s teeth is another must-do—taking your pet to the dentist can get very pricey.

Do you know any other ways to save money caring for your pet?

We all know the drill: the bill arrives, and everyone dives for their wallets and purses.  You either divide the total or pay for your own meal.  If you had a few drinks, cough up a bit more cash.  And then the awkward indecision of paying tip:  how much or how little—if any at all!

American readers will be shocked by the idea of leaving no tip whatsoever.  Yet in the UK, where I currently work and live, leaving tip at restaurants is entirely optional!  Well, not entirely . . . let me quickly walk you through the tipping etiquette here in the UK.

At self-service restaurants such as the local pub, Brits simply do not tip—no slipping of the bill, no tip jar… nothing.  Tipping is generally regarded as a way of rewarding those who either met or went above and beyond the call of duty.  Good service in waited service restaurants is compensated with a 10 to 15% tip – 10% for satisfactory service and as much as 15% for service that truly exceeds expectations . . . and rarely ever more!  When service is less-than-satisfactory or just downright bad it is not uncommon for the disappointed Brit to leave absolutely no tip at all.  Bah Humbug, right?

Compared to the 15 to 20% customary service charge in the US, the tipping habits of your UK counterparts might make us look a bit, well, cheap.  But not so!  Whereas waiters and waitresses in the US are usually paid less than minimum wage—with the expectation that they will exceed their earnings in tips—waiting staff in the UK must be paid at least the national minimum wage.

On the one hand, this means that waiters and waitresses earn more reliably and securely.  On the other, there is less of a need to deliver good service in anticipation of a hefty tip.  No wonder the UK is renowned for poor customer service!

As a patron, I definitely don’t mind paying low tips here in the UK—with the holidays just around the corner, my hard-earned money is going straight to Christmas gifts for family and friends.  But as an American friend recently pointed out to me, the credit crunch has placed a strain on restaurant employees in particular.  In addition to having fewer customers to wait on, waiters and waitresses are generally being greeted with stingier tippers—thanks to the mentality of holiday shoppers like me.

In the states, where waiters and waitresses can make as little as $2 or $3 per hour before tips, the credit crunch brandishes a double-edged sword: waiters and waitresses need the tips more than ever, while customers with strained wallets will hesitate to tip more than is absolutely necessary . . . and sometimes less.

Similar concerns have led the UK government to take action to protect those who receive tips from being unduly compensated for their services—both by their employers and patrons.  The Guardian recently reported that the UK government hopes to better regulate the distribution of tips so that employers do not incorporate the service charge into payment of minimum wage.  These restrictions will result in a higher transparency to tipping tactics in general, preventing restaurant owners from duping customers into double tipping (asking for a tip even though a service charge has been included) or pocketing tip money themselves.

As a customer, I like knowing that the tips I leave go straight to those who deserve it and aren’t taken by restaurant owners in an attempt to increase profit.  But I also like knowing that I’m not obligated to leave a tip for second-rate service.  What do you think?  Do you prefer the tipping culture in the US or the UK?  In which country do you think current tipping etiquette is more wait staff-friendly, especially since the credit crunch?  And here’s something I didn’t touch on: should tips given to waiters and waitresses be split with the kitchen staff as well?  Why or why not?

Visit FruGal’s blog at http://www.totallymoney.com/frugal/.