5 Favorite Fast Food Deals

I'm a brown-bagger at lunchtime and generally steer clear of fast food restaurants at nights and on weekends.

But sometimes I succumb to the siren call of the value menu. But that's not the only place to get fast food deals:

1. McDonald's: Two pies for $1. There's not pies like grandma used to make, but they're not too shabby, either. I don't care for the apple, but I like the cherry pies and especially the pumpkin pies in the fall.

2. Au Bon Pain: Half-price baked goods. I've never been at the right place at the right time for this, but I'm anxious to get a discounted creme de fleur. Look for a sign at your local Au Bon Pain. The discounts usually start an hour (or more) before closing.

3. Fazoli's: All-you-can-eat-breadsticks. A friend and former co-worker showed me during our lunch breaks at work that you can order from the kid's menu and get a soda instead of the toy. The ravioli is OK, but I'm really only there to eat those garlicky, buttery breadsticks.

4. Subway: $5 footlongs. Yeah, these are hardly secrets. But I like them even more since they sponsor one of my favorite TV shows, Chuck. When Chuck fans were scared the show wouldn't be renewed, they organized a campaign to buy $5 footlongs on the evening of the season finale and let the restaurant know what they were doing and why. In any case, Chuck was renewed. Ain't it grand when food mixes with entertainment?

5. Papa John's: $1 slices. It's possible that this is just at the pizzeria next to my workplace, but the $1 pieces of cheese pizza are popular at lunchtime. Worth a call to see if your Papa John's does this too.

5 Cheap & Easy Ways to Save the Earth

OK.

Saving the Earth won't be cheap. And it won't be easy.

But today, Earth Day, is a good time to eliminate some bad habits, pick up a few good ones, and maybe save a few bucks in the process.

1. Turn off the faucet. If you keep the water running while you brush your teeth or while you're squirting soap when you wash your hands, you're wasting water without saving any time.


2. Recycle. Happily, it's free in New York City. Look around and you may find free options in your city, too. Some grocery stores collect and recycle used plastic bags. In Columbus, a nearby church collected paper in a large bin in the parking lot.
   


3. Listen to your parents. Turn off those lights! Better yet, turn off those energy-efficient light bulbs. (I'll admit I have yet to switch over.)
   


4. Buy bulk. Individual servings, while convenient, use up too much packaging. You can easily split up food into individual portions in reusable containers. Besides, buying bulk is nearly always cheaper.
   


5. Say "no thanks" to the bag. Do you really need a plastic bag to carry that carton of milk to the car? I didn't think so. And when you do get plastic bags, be sure to reuse them. Ours are mainly trash bag liners and kitty litter collectors.

5 Cheap Knick Knacks for an Easter Basket

You can get some fun gifts for the Easter basket that are just as cheap as chocolate-- and a whole lot better for your teeth. Here's five:

1. Money-- but not what you're thinking. Salvage one of those hollow plastic Easter eggs and stick a Sacajawea dollar coin or (even better) a $2 bill inside. It's not much, but their rarity makes them fun to receive.
2. Slinky. Go old-school with a toy that requires no batteries or electric plug.
3. Stickers. Tiny holiday-appropriate ones can even be used for some last-minute Easter egg decorating.
4. A book. The only think I remember in the Easter baskets of my youth (besides the annual white chocolate bunny) is a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book that Mom and Dad stuck in there one year.
5. Sidewalk chalk. What better reminder that sunny days are around the corner than a bucket full of pristine pastels?

5 Cheap St. Patrick's Day Food & Drinks

Tomorrow's the big day celebrating everything Irish: St. Patrick's Day.

But not everyone has the cash (or vacation days) to take the day off work and spend it downing Guinness in the local pub. If you're hosting or attending a St. Patrick's Day Party, here's 5 cheap "Irish" foods you can present with a few bucks and maybe a bit of food coloring.

1. Potatoes are Irish. Green is Irish. Put a little food coloring in your mashed potatoes for an Ireland-inspired treat. Fun for the kids, and easy.

2. Don't put away the food coloring yet-- now it's time for an adult treat. Bars don't have to be the only ones to serve green beer. Get your favorite light-colored alcoholic beverage and tint it to your heart's content.

3. For a cheap and easy side dish on St. Patrick's Day or any day of the year, cut up a head of cabbage and place it in a large microwavable bowl. Top with a couple of tablespoons of butter and some salt. Heat until the butter is melted and the cabbage is warm. Yum!

4. Drinks all around-- the non-alcoholic kind. Make some Irish breakfast tea for the crowd.

5. No green food coloring in the cupboard? Don't have time to go to the grocery store for some sauerkraut? Tie a big green ribbon on your serving dish and call it a day.

5 Cheap Wedding Favors

Like it or not, the wedding favor has become a staple in the modern day wedding.

But that doesn't mean they have to break you nuptial budget. The gifts for your guests can be simple, elegant and, yes, even cheap.

Here are 5 cheap wedding favors for receptions of all sizes:

1. We had nearly 300 guests at our 2003 wedding, so a cheap wedding favor was essential if I didn't want to break the bank (or, to be fair, my parents' bank). I went to the restaurant supply store GFS, which sells large bags of fortune cookies. I wrapped each cookie in blue plastic wrap and attached a note telling our guests how "fortunate" we felt having them participate in our big day. The other side of the note listed our new address.


2. Instead of individual favors, my sister opted for table-wide gifts at her 2008 wedding. She picked out Hershey's Kisses in silver and rose-colored wrappers (the wedding colors) and sprinkled them in the middle of each table. Each favor doubled as a centerpiece. Certainly sweet on the pocketbook!


3. A friend married in early July, just a few days before Independence Day. She and her husband wrapped a few sparklers with a pretty ribbon for each guest and included a matchbook that proclaimed that they were "A Perfect Match."


4. Cheap and green: Take a cue from my cousin and distribute flower bulbs or seeds to your guests.


5. You can buy tealights in bulk for only a few cents apiece. Wrap each one in netting or cloth and attach a personalized note. Perhaps: "The Light of Our Lives" plus the date of the wedding.

Favors are a nice way for a couple to thank their guests, but you don't have to wipe out your savings to show your appreciation. Cheap wedding favor is *not* an oxymoron!