The good news is prices are settling back down after last year's spike in food costs.  Whereas food rose an average 5% across the board during the 2008 summer, it has now deflated to more reasonable costs.  But it still doesn't change the cha-ching price tag on feeding a group of people this Independence Day.  The median price for a pound of hamburger patties, lettuce, cheese, tomato, and pickle is $11.  If you are the lucky host this year, give more to your guests while staying within your budget using the tips below:

1. Buy food in bulk.
Dust off the Sam's or Costco membership and buy your buns, burgers, pickles, tomatoes, and chips in bulk.  Buying cuts separately can double your cost according to Patrick Johnson, owner of D&R Supermarket.  Opt for cheese, lettuce, onions and other sides at the regular grocery store to reduce waste.  

2. Let your guests bring something.
You aren't a bad host by letting your friends pitch in.  No one likes to show up empty handed, so rather than say "um, no thanks, I think we have everything", tell them to bring sodas or a side of beans--the more specific the better.  They will enjoy contributing just as much as you do.  

3. Sale away.
Most stores are vying for your dollar around popular cookout times.  Right now Kroger is offering $.99 16 oz. packages of strawberries and a 12 slice packages of Kraft singles for $1.47.  Head to Tom Thumb for $.99 Ball Park franks (16 oz.) and 93% lean ground meat for just $3.99.  Check out weekly specials at your preferred store's website.  And don't forget about Walmart's price match guarantee!

Some of the best deals and coupons can be found around the holidays. This year is no exception with many great coupons for Independence Day. Here are our top 10 coupons for Independence Day.

1. Crocs -  Free shipping with any order, coupon code: july4.

2. Prescriptives - Free shipping with any order, coupon code: SUMMER.

3. Roaman's - 20% off your order, coupon code: RD4THJULY.

4. Shoes.com - 15% off and free shipping on your order, coupon code: FLAG15.

5. Woman Within - 25% off orders over $60, coupon code: WWJULY4.

6. Macy's - Free shipping on orders over $99, coupon code: FIREWORKS.

7. Classic Closeouts - Free shipping on your order, coupon code: CJXPLODE.

8. JCPenney - Free shipping on orders over $49, coupon code: 4THJULY.

9. Express - $15 off every $60 your spend, coupon code: 7266.

10. American Eagle - Free shipping when you purchase any 3 items.

More July 4th Coupons

The two most important strategies when getting your wedding game plan together are “organize” and “prioritize.” Once that ring goes on your or your fiancée’s hand, it’s easy for your daydreaming to turn into a dysfunctional mess of details.

1. The first order of business is to talk about is dates (if you’re wanting to plan this thing within a year). What season of the year do you want to get married? Keep in mind the height of the wedding season also brings higher prices with wedding vendors. How many months do you want to allot to wedding planning? You don’t need the national average of 11 months. You can do it in three months, but if you don’t want to stress yourself out, six months is a comfortable period. When discussing specific dates with your new fiancé, talk to your friends and family who will play an integral part of the wedding about what dates are workable for them.

2. Next, discuss exactly that — who should make up the wedding party? How many attendants will you have? Remember the more people in your wedding party, the higher the costs will be. Make a separate list of people you’d like to include in your wedding, but not as a traditional attendant, usher, etc. There are many ways to include a host of friends and family in your celebration.

3. Get an organizer (clean out one you haven’t used since college instead of buying a new one) to house all your thoughts and ideas. Use it to keep magazine clippings, brainstorms written on napkins, photographs and swatches. Make sure you keep these for later use in a scrapbook (if you’re the scrapbooking kind. And if not, ask a friend to create one as wedding gift if they’re looking for ideas.) Later your organizer will become more, um, organized, as scraps of paper turn into spreadsheets and typed notes.

But in the beginning, let your imagination run wild and find ideas in magazines, photos and catalogs for all elements of your wedding day. It’s easy at this point to spend half your wedding budget on expensive bridal magazines. Resist the urge. They’re full of ads anyway, not actual content. Find one or two magazines that you absolutely love and feel like have some useful content or pictures that you’ll want to keep. Ask around for friends and family members to see if anyone has a stack of wedding magazines from their wedding planning days within the last two years. You’ll be amazed at what comes out of the woodwork.

Once you’ve clipped pictures of bouquets, dresses, cakes and grooms you like (oh, wait, you already have that last item), you’ll probably begin to see a theme or color scheme emerge.

4. Now’s the time to infuse fantasy with reality. Set a budget. Talk with anyone who might be helping out financially with the wedding (bride’s or groom’s parents) and decide who is willing to pay for what.

I woke up today with a hankering for pancakes. Having remembered the buckwheat mix in the pantry I was double excited--satisfying a craving while maintaining a semblance of healthy doesn't happen every day. But opening the box killed my morning moment. Thousands of creepy crawlies wove in and out of my delicious mix in a synchronized dance; thanks weevils, none for me today.

A federal study estimates that nearly 96.4 billion pounds of spoiled food is thrown out every year. That's 122 pounds per family toss from restaurants, pantries, and refrigerators. Having been a champion "when in doubt, toss it out-er", I am tired of seeing my hard earned dough go to bacterial waste. Use these tips on the best ways to store food to enjoy unspoiled food and keep your trashcan waistline slim.

• Fruit
  Aside from pineapple and mango, most fruits last much longer left uncut and unpeeled. Seal in a plastic bag or wrap and keep them in a temperature-controlled drawer in your fridge. Don't put them on the top shelf if your fridge tends to freeze out the upper level (like mine). Keep cut melons separate from other fruits to avoid giving them too much acidity. Squash, tomatoes, and oranges actually taste better when stored at room temperature. Oddly enough, bananas don't spoil as quickly in the fridge--the outside may brown sooner, but they will be fine inside. Add several drops of lemon juice to cut fruit to avoid browning.
• Meats
  Freezer burn is my archenemy. I stare at the meat initiating a should I/shouldn't I debate that always ends with an angry Chipotle run. Separate the meat into family specific portions--this will help you buy in bulk and not waste. Vacuum seal unused selections and freeze. Fresh meat will remain edible up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator or 4-12 months in the freezer. Still Tasty has a fabulous list detailing how to store all meats imaginable.

Earlier this week we introduced you to Mr. Free Stuff. Today we bring you Mr. Free Stuff's better half, Mrs. Sweepstakes.

Mrs. Sweepstakes is the second installment in a super hero family of characters that represent their own money saving web sites.

Mrs. Sweepstakes provides consumers a one-stop destination for an array of traditional sweepstakes that award cash prizes, but it also informs readers on contests for shopping sprees, products, vacations, gift cards and tickets among other items. A recent day’s listings included contests such as a $1,000 Bloomingdale’s shopping spree, tickets to see Britney Spears in concert in Los Angeles, $2,500 worth of gasoline, and a year’s supply of Kraft Mac & Cheese.

Visitors need to click on the "Enter this Sweepstakes" link for their chance to win the sweepstakes or contest.

Anyone who’s been to New York City has seen the landmark red-and-white ticket booths where scores of people line up to snag discounts on Broadway tickets. If you don’t have the time or energy to stand with them, check out some other ways to see a Broadway plan on a budget.

Members Only
The Theatre Development Fund has a membership program that offers advance tickets for less than $35 for some Broadway shows – similar to the discount you’d get from standing in line at the red-and-white “TKTS” booths, which TDF operate. Eligible members are students, educators, union members, senior citizens or a civil service employee (including armed forces or clergy). The annual membership fee of $27.50 can be made up in the savings on a single show. If you live more than 100 miles outside of NYC, the annual fee is just $12.

Promo Codes
When you're buying anything online, search for a promotional code. Broadway tickets are no exception. Whether you’re buying through Telecharge and Ticketmaster or from a theater box office (which can save you booking fees), you can use codes found on Playbill.com, TheaterMania and BroadwayBox.com. Codes can save you 20-50%.

Bring the Kids
On select nights, Kids Night on Broadway offers kids ages 6-18 a free ticket to see a participating Broadway show for free when accompanied by a full price-paying adult.

I've lived in eight different apartment communities thus far with experiences ranging from pleasant to miserable.  If you have chosen to reside in an apartment (er, togetherment) for financial reasons or just to enjoy maintenance-free living, consider these money saving tips to avoid huge headaches.

1. Higher isn't always cheaper.
Living several flights up has its advantages.  No heavy footsteps to complain about, less road noise than street level, and a great gluteal workout traipsing up three flights each way. Where I live, apartments charge less for units on higher floors.  But the biggest cost eater that you won't find out about until well into your lease is ridiculous heating and (especially) cooling costs.  

Apartments are slapped together with bare bones insulation and cheap A/C units. I have been told in the past in one particular complex that the interior temperature will not be any cooler than 20° below outdoor temperature.  This means suffering through sweltering summers in 83° indoor temps with no recourse. Go for a middle unit for the best insulation and avoid road noise.  

2. Add up the extras.
Does your prospective community charge additional amounts for garbage pickup, water, cable, fitness center, and gas, or are they included in rent?  How much are the initial fees considering the specials offered?  Many of these costs add up over the term of your lease and you'll be looking at hundreds of dollars in price differences.  Several of our apartment communities offered CARES Teams that served free dinners and breakfasts saving the cost of one meal each week, so consider perks as well.

3.  Know your rights and get the number to your local health department.
If the landlord refuses to fix a busted water heater, threaten to call the officials.  When the pool is dangerously disgusting, get on the phone.  The manager can't lease apartments when top amenities are condemned.

4.  When renewing your lease, investigate current specials.
It doesn't matter that you were an ideal tenant paying your rent three weeks early every month and referring all your friends to the neighborhood.  Joe Blow stumbling in off the street will probably get a better deal on an apartment than you will on your renewal.  Despite the costs of tenant turnover, owners are willing to take the chance that you will renew anyway--even with a high rent increase.  Find out what new move-ins are getting and request the same.  Bargaining can't hurt.

Who says finding bargains and saving money can’t be fun? That is what Mr. Free Stuff asks. The cartoon character represents the newest online destination in the frugal living space.

Mr. Free Stuff is a site where visitors can find free samples and product freebies.

Inspired by 'The Incredibles,' Mr. Free Stuff is the first installment in a super hero family of characters that represent their own money saving web sites.

Mr. Free Stuff features offers for freebies in a variety of categories, from Audio & Music and Animals & Pets to Home & Office and Sports & Fitness. On a recent day, the home page showcased access to a free coupon for a Mars Candy Bar, a free quart of eggshell paint from Glidden, a free sample of Hugo Boss Element cologne and a free one-day invitation to shop at Sam’s Club.

All visitors have to do is click on the links to sign up for the free stuff.

Later this week we'll announce the launch of the second installment in this money-saving super hero family, Mr. Free Stuff's better half.

Get your free stuff today!

I once had a frugal co-worker surprise the pants off of me when she announced she bought some concert tickets. The tickets were expensive – well, they were the normal price – but I had never seen her splurge like that before. She explained to me that she doesn’t like to spend money on material items, but has no problem with spending it on experiences – especially when shared with friends.

It made sense, and I liked the concept. New research from San Francisco State University backs it up. Researchers found that “buying life experiences” leads to greater happiness for the person and those around them.

"People still believe that more money will make them happy, even though 35 years of research has suggested the opposite," said Ryan Howell, assistant professor of psychology at San Francisco State University. "Maybe this belief has held because money is making some people happy some of the time, at least when they spend it on life experiences."

So go ahead, blow a little dough on something that will be memory-making, like a big-name concert or a weekend trip. Make room for these splurges in your budget, and you can enjoy them guilt-free. Local coupons, like those in the Entertainment Books for sale, can save you some money while you do it. Most coupons are buy one, get one free deals, so they make sense to use with a friend, and they include coupons and discounts for local attractions and entertainment.

Shared activities and experiences don’t always have to be expensive. Meeting for coffee can be a small indulgence that satisfies your need to connect more often.

Food, Inc. Trailer from TakePart on Vimeo.

If you needed a little extra motivation to start growing your own vegetables (or buying locally) to save money and your health, this film should do the trick.

• For frugal 4th of July foods, check out these fruit kabobs and these burgers.
• Fiscal Fizzle adapts Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People for your finances in parts one and two of a new series.
• Looking for a new car? Chris Walters explains the details behind the government’s "Cash for Clunkers" program.
• A new travel review site, Oyster Hotel Reviews, debuts just as TripAdvisor meets criticism in the press for deficiencies in its system.
• Do you throw milk away after its expiration date or if it smells funny? Frugal Hacks has recipes you can make with sour milk.
• HGTVpro.com has a special new section for professional builders on how to survive and thrive during the recession.
• MSNBC features the growing movement of people who are living debt-free.