Now that summer is here it’s time to pile the kids in the car and head off to a vacation site.  Well in wallet watch, we are determined to help you save some cash when you head out.
The experts say eating out costs more than almost any other part of your trip.
So stay at one of those extended stay hotels. They come with a kitchen and average between 30 and 100 dollars a night depending on the season. Take some groceries with you.

    You’ll save about 5-dollars a person for breakfast, another 10 dollars a person for lunch and 15 dollars a person for dinner…eat in and save about 70 dollars a day. We want to hear your money saving ideas, just type in the key words- wallet watch.

The heat is on!
And we are trying to save you some cash during the summer and during these hard economic times…

Experts with the Institute of Certified Public Accountants have a few ideas. For instance, if you plan to fly on your vacation be sure to book early. You’ll save a lot if you book 60 to 90 days in advance.
Avoid traveling in the month of July. The experts say that is the busiest travel month of the year.

When the kids get bored don’t spend money on a movie.  The air conditioning keeps most public libraries nice and cool when the thermometer climbs near 100 degrees. Dust off that library card and let the kids check out a book or a DVD.
Keep an eye out for end of summer sales clothing sales. You get the best prices on shorts, tee shirts and bathing gear as fall approaches. And retailers say the best time to buy home and garden supplies is the fourth of July.
We’d like to hear your ideas. Go to our home page and type in the keywords: wallet watch to leave your ideas.

If you plan to travel this summer and want to save money here’s something that will help in Wallet Watch.  American, United, Delta, Continental, Northwest and U.S. Airlines have all started charging up to 50-bucks to check a second piece of luggage and if your carry-on is too big, they will make you check it.  But don’t cram everything into one big bag because some carriers charge as much as 200-dollars round trip for a bag that weighs more than 50 pounds.
So, pack light, weight that suitcase before you leave home and you may save yourself some money if you send that extra bag by U-P-S or FedEx.
If you do use those services, you can actually track the bags which will prevent luggage not arriving with you. Tracking is something airlines don’t do. And if you have a third bag, United will charge you $450 round trip for those three bags.
How about a Luggage service? They are generally more expensive, but you get the convenience of pickup and delivery.
For more information go to this website:
http://www.marketwatch.com

Money doesn’t grow on trees: but you can grow savings in your garden. Not all vegetables and fruits take the same bite out of your wallet.  To save green by growing your own: here’s a list of the most expensive produce to buy, according to the Department of Agriculture: vegetables:  mushrooms, collard greens, cherry tomatoes,  green peas, okra, turnip greens, asparagus, mustard greens, kale and cauliflower.  Fruits:  blackberries, raspberries, cherries,  blueberries, apricots, strawberries, pineapple, grapes, plums and avocados.  We want to hear your ideas —right here on our website, type in the keywords: wallet watch and let us know your thoughts about saving money.

This week on Wallet Watch, Annette showed us the do’s and don’ts of clipping coupons.

Now we’ll show you where to get the best deals. 
   
We printed off a stack of easy to use coupons for well known national brands within just a few minutes from the web.  They amount to hundreds of dollars in savings for everything from shampoo to snack cakes.

Some came from boodle.com, but you can do the same on:

1. dealcatcher.com
2. currentcodes.com
3. fatwallet.com
4. wowcoupons.com
5. coolsavings.com

And we want your ideas on how to save money too, just share your ideas right here on WNCT.com!

While many Americans with grills use their outdoor cooker year-round, with Memorial Day about a week away, high grilling season is about to start. If you’re ready to buy a new gas grill, use our shopping tips below and buying advice and watch our video (right) before you head to the store.

Size it up. Match the grill’s cooking area to the number of people generally around your table. Remember, manufacturers might include warming racks in their measurements of cooking area. Our measurements are based on the main cooking area and how much food it will hold. Next factor in how much space the grill will take up on your patio or deck. Some of the large grills we’ve tested are 6 feet wide.

Look over the menu because a basic grill is fine for cooking hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks, kabobs, chicken pieces, and vegetables, but if you regularly cook whole chickens, turkeys, or large roasts, look for a model with a rotisserie burner.

Bring a magnet. Many grills are made of a mix of grades of stainless steel. Our tests have found that 300-series stainless is less likely to rust than cheaper, 400-series stainless. Magnets will usually stick to cheaper grades, so bring a magnet with you to test the metal.

Think safety. The more stable the grill, the better. When shopping, gently push the grill from several angles to see if it tips. Check the cart, firebox, lid, and shelves for sharp corners and edges. Grip the handle. Your knuckles or fingers shouldn’t be too close to the lid or your hand could get burned during use.

Here is another place you can got to get some information that will make your barbeque grilling safe, efficient and profitable:

http://bbq.about.com/od/grillinghelp/tp/grillsafety.htm

One way to watch your wallet is to not only clip coupons, but also go online for them before you shop.

There are lots of coupons available on many websites: 

Our parent company, Media General, owns one of them: Dealtaker.com.

Here are some others:  gottadeal.com, hotcouponworld.com, coupons.com, and stretcher.com.

Stretcher offers these tips:

1. Look for store coupons you can combine with manufacturers’.

2. Keep coupons organized and sort them twice a month.

3. Be willing to switch brands to take advantage of coupons.

You’ve probably heard people say driving the speed limit will save gas money.  Well, it kind of depends on the speed limit.

In this Wallet Watch, studies say the best speed to get the most mileage for a gallon of gas will vary from car to car.

But in general, cars are designed to get maximum gas mileage between 40 and 60 miles per hour. Every 5 miles per hour over 60 will cost you about twenty cents per gallon.
   
Gas mileage gets better as you go from 5 miles per hour up to 40.
   
Idling gets you zero miles per gallon, so don’t do it for long periods.  And don’t drive faster than the speed limit, it saves money and its safer.

Leave your ideas in the comment field below and you may see your advice in a future Wallet Watch segment.

You want to watch your wallet when you shop?
 
Some stores are willing to give you an extra break when you spend your stimulus check money with them.
Here are a few:

Kroger’s offering a ten percent bonus on the purchase of Kroger gift certificates.
 
At Sam’s Club, members get a forty dollar gift card with purchases with stimulus check money.
 
Radio Shack offers ten percent off any fifty dollar or more purchase.
 
If you have ideas that could help, just leave us your idea in the comment field below.

With the economy the way it is, Eyewitness News is On Your Side with ways to help you watch your wallet.

As gas prices shoot up, one way you’ll want to watch your wallet is by spending less on gas.
 
Here are tips to get more mileage for every penny. 

1.  Keep your tires inflated.
 
2.  Invest in a tuneup.  You’ll get better mileage, plus your car will last longer.
 
3.  Avoid idling.  Turn the car off when you’re not driving.
 
4.  Combine trips. Use a list of errands so you make fewer back and forth trips.
 
5.  Slow down.  Your car’s more efficient at lower speeds.

If you have some ideas that could help, leave us your idea in the comment field below.