OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

Can You Hear Me Now?

          You’re talking to someone, you hear three little beeps, and then the signal on your cell phone goes bye-bye. Now there’s a solution to cell-phone fickleness:  consumers can purchase antennas and amplifiers previously only made for commercial buildings for their homes.  These devices boost weak cell-phone signals and reduce the number of dreaded dead spots. Two Web sites that sell the equipment are www.alternativewireless.com and www.wpsantennas.com. The Federal Trade Commission cautions buyers to verify that the products are approved by them and made by legitimate manufacturers before purchase.

—Danielle Bullen

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

Crafts for a GOOD Cause

     During her July visit to South Africa, First Lady Laura Bush was seen wearing a beaded red AIDS ribbon pin.  This was no ordinary piece of jewelry.  It was hand-beaded by members of the Mothers’ Programmes, a coalition of HIV-positive South African women.  The mothers, who are the primary breadwinners for their families, have achieved financial independence by selling their craftwork internationally. To date, the proceeds have empowered 100 workers to buy their own homes. The most expensive items are the cell phone cases, which sell for $20, a bargain when you consider each one takes three days to create. Their products, including bracelets, ID lanyards and bookmarks, are available at  https://www.givengain.com/cgi-bin/giga.cgi?cmd=unique&unique_page=mc&cause_id=1165

—Danielle Bullen

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

Boyfriends for Hire and Robots for Sale

     Next time your boyfriend or husband refuses to get off the couch or bashfully admits he doesn’t know how to fix the drooping curtain rod, contact “Boyfriend for Hire.” This New York City-based company, started by self-taught handyman Eli Ben-Shoshan, will send out a Mr. Fix It to conquer any task, big or small, that your man may be trying to put off. Leaky showerhead? Deteriorating kitchen? No problem. They’ve got you covered.

Don’t worry: these boyfriends are strictly temporary.  As Eli stated in an interview with WABC News, “We’re here to take care of business, not that business.”  We advise you to assure your guy of this fact before setting up an appointment.  Boyfriend for Hire charges a flat rate of $50 an hour, with no limit on the number of tasks to be completed in that time. Though the company services primarily the New York metro area, there’s a search function on the site:  plug in your area code to see if a branch has opened near you. Franchise opportunities are also available. Visit www.boyfriendforhire.com for more information or to set up your “date.”

If you have $7,000 to spend, you can buy your own little electronic helper. NUVO, the humanoid babysitter and companion (sorry, it doesn’t fix toilets), is available from Tokyo-based ZMP, Inc. This 15-inch-tall robot has a very special feature: a programmable digital camera in its eyes.  Leave NUVO at home to provide built-in surveillance. Or task it with monitoring your sleeping baby, and it will send a steady stream of photos to your cell phone. Writing a check and forgot the date, or want to know what time it is?  Ask NUVO, and in a female Japanese accent, it will give you time and date. Looking to set the mood for a romantic dinner?  Simply ask NUVO for some music, then crank its head to increase the volume. Watch TV with NUVO beside you, and don’t be startled if it blinks, moves its arms, shakes its head in disappointment, or shouts “Yea!” You never have to be lonely again. Visit http://nuvo.jp to view a demonstration video or to order. 

The Web site predicts NUVO soon “will become your …  special partner, making your lifestyle more active and rich.”  We get closer and closer to living The Jetson’s life every day, don’t we?

—Emily Shebak

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

     There’s something about a money clip that spells m-o-n-e-y . . . lots of it.  Until now, money clips have been primarily a man’s accessory. That’s about to change. Visit the Chic Clip$ store, selling “Money clips for hip women” (www.chicclips.com) and you’ll find clips compact and pretty enough to carry your cash and credit cards—even business cards—in an evening bag or tucked into a jacket pocket, for those days when you’re rushing off to the store and don’t want to drag your heavy purse along with you. Can’t beat that for a feeling of freedom! The price for these stylish clips, covered with Swarovski crystals: $45.

            Got a friend who’s recently divorced and in need of a toaster because her ex “took everything”? Visit www.theytookeverything.com, “the gift registry and resource for the newly single.” There you can order her a survival basket, a cookware set, a can opener, even a TV. The selection isn’t the greatest and, especially for the big-ticket items, you can beat the price elsewhere, but the thought is nice. Why not suggest that your friend register there, so that you can get an idea of what she needs, besides sympathy and support.

          Friends and family members will sing your praises, if you give them a gift certificate to Apple’s very cool iTunes Music Store. Electronic gift certificates, sent with your personal message, can be purchased for as low as $10—which, at 99 cents per song, will buy your recipient 10 songs. Prepaid iTunes cards are also now available at Target stores. And here’s an excellent idea: you can set up a recurring allowance account so that your kids have an easy way to legally download their favorite tunes. If you tend to buy a lot of CD’s, the iTunes Music Store is a great way to save money, too, because you can pay for only one or two songs, instead of an entire CD. And, face it; even your favorite artist tends to have several dogs on every CD—songs you just never listen to. Works for MAC and Windows. To learn more, visit www.apple.com/itunes/.

            Worth the Money:  Consider signing up with Women & Company’s financial-planning package. The service isn’t independent—it’s backed by Smith Barney and Citicorp—and it isn’t cheap. But at $125 per year, you get a lot for the money: including access to financial consultants and tax advisers, plus an elder-care referral hotline and discounts on a variety of financial products and services. Go to www.womenandco.com for more information. Gift certificates and a free three-month newsletter are available.

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

          Beauty & Strength” are on sale for $10, in the form of a calendar featuring the faces and stories of some incredible, indomitable homeless women. Faces like that of Arnette Adams, pictured on the cover at left. Proceeds from the calendar benefit the Church of Mary Magdalene and its Mary's Place Day Center for homeless women in Seattle. The next time you meet a homeless woman on the street where you live “look them in the face—don’t look away like they are some kind of lesser being," urges Eve Faulkes, the graphic designer who helped put the calendar together. To purchase the calendar, visit www.churchofmarymagdalene.org.

            In our “Worth the Money” category: if you want smooth legs at a fraction of the time it normally takes to shave them in the morning, try Schick’s new Intuition Razor, with a wide, wide blade area and shaving soap built right in. It costs $7.99 (replacement cartridges are another $7.99 for a package of three). But the time that broad blade saves is priceless. One staffer who tested it said it was like “using a magic hair eraser.”

Best-kept secret for anyone who has dogs who love squeaky toys: www.cherrybrook.com. Shop for all your pet needs where professional breeders and dog-show handlers shop—and where you can get a bag of 12 squeaky toys, normally priced at $3.95 and up a piece, for only $17.56.

Serious Child’s Play: The Hammacher Schlemmer catalogue has a “child’s personal bank teller” that looks and acts like an ATM machine. It’s a great way to teach your young kids the thrill of saving money. Encourage them to deposit their allowance and keep track of their savings. A built-in calculator figures deposits, withdrawals and account balances. Price: $29.95. Also available on www.hammacherschlemmer.com.

Send your suggestions for “worth the money” items or “best-kept secrets” to editor@makingbreadmagazine.com and we will publish them here.

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

A house and a car are the two purchases that define the American Dream for many people, and yet they often seem the hardest to come by. Here are two suggestions for finding good deals in these areas. The first is an old housing trend that’s making a comeback; the other is a brand-new transportation solution that saves money two ways.

If you’re looking for a starter home but are discouraged by the high prices in your area and convinced that you’ll never save enough for a down payment, consider buying a pre-fab, or manufactured home. Made popular by Sears in the early 1900’s when you could actually buy build-it-yourself home “kits” from the Sears & Roebuck catalogue, many of these early prefabricated homes are still standing—and the concept is undergoing a revival. Dwell magazine sponsored a national prefab home contest this year; you can follow the progress of the construction of the winning design at www.thedwellhome.com. The magazine’s editor, Allison Arieff, co-wrote a coffee-table book, “Prefab,” detailing the many advantages and shapes of these dwellings.

With costs ranging from $25,000 to $30,000 for the simple “mobile home” look to $50,000 to $70,000 for a larger, three-bedroom, three-bath rancher and up, experts estimate that you can save 20 to 25 percent off the cost of traditional new-home construction. Even with land not included, that’s a good deal. Though lenders are still a little leery of issuing mortgages on prefabs, that’s changing. If you have good credit and own the land you’re going to put your prefab on, you should have no problem getting a mortgage. For more information about styles, retailers, financing and lots available in your area, visit www.thehomestore.com.           

           Now, for a cheap set of wheels: go look at Toyota’s 2004 hybrid car, the Prius, due out in mid-October. Priced at under $20,000 (invoice price) and getting 59 m.p.g. in the city (51 m.p.g. on the highway) you’ll save money at the dealership and at the gas tank. With gas prices predicted to go up from already peak levels that will save you hundreds of dollars a year. The Prius engine automatically recharges as you drive, so you don’t have to plug it in.  Two other hybrid-car models currently available are the Honda Civic (carrying an invoice price of $12,357) and the Honda Insight ($18,284).

By using these partially electric-powered cars, you help reduce our Nation’s reliance on foreign-oil producers and you’re kind to the environment, as well as your pocketbook.

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

We tend to stay away from pricey stores like Tiffany’s, except to window shop, but as Holly Golightly proved in that classy classic film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” there’s something for everyone and in almost every price range in that elegant temple of diamonds and desire. Today, window-shopping the Web site (www.tiffany.com), we found many items under $150 (you can search by price), from a sterling silver Paloma Picasso zig zag ring ($125, above left) to an oh-so-suave money clip for $75 and a charming basketweave bone china cream pitcher for only $45.

            The same holds true for other high-end retailers. At the legendary toy store FAO Schwarz’s Web site (www.fao.com), for instance, we found a Bargain Bazaar page, featuring a wide range of playthings at discount prices, including the Harry Potter Whomping Willow Game, at right, priced at $29.99, down from $39.99.

            Museum shops are another often-overlooked shoppers’ paradise. They represent one of the best places to find quirky, original, one-of-a-kind gifts for someone else—or yourself. At the American Museum of Natural History (www.amnh.org) store, you can pick up everything from reasonably priced jewelry, games, and dinosaur T-shirts, to a glass cutting board covered in chocolates ($19.99), in honor of the museum’s current Chocolate exhibit. Or, for the genius in your life, an Einstein cereal bowl ($12.00), commemorating the museum’s Einstein exhibit. At the Georgia O’Keefe Museum shop (www.okeeffemuseum.org), admire the beauty and price ($25) of its calla lily scarves (left), patterned after the artist’s bold work.

            Art museums, history museums, natural history museums, children’s museums, regional and theme museums, the gift possibilities are endless: One of our favorite finds were the Civil-War era sewing patterns (17-inch waist and whale-bone corset not included), in case you want to look like you're the belle of your next ball, for sale at the Atlanta History Center in Atlanta, Georgia, priced at $31.50 and $35.00.

        For a comprehensive list of museum shops, visit www.musee.com.

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

If you believe in equal pay, then you’re a feminist—and if you want a cool way to display those sentiments this summer, visit www.msmagazine.com and check out their “This Is What a Feminist Looks Like”—or, if you really want to take a stand with your attire, their “Radical Feminist”—T-shirt. For your daughter, there are T’s with the pro-fem messages “Listen to Girls” and “Girls Rock!” And for those of us over a certain age (what is that age these days?), there’s one with the label “Outrageous Older Woman.”

            More verbose T’s spout: “Feminism is the radical notion that women are people,” and this right-on quote by turn-of-the-century writer Rebecca West, "I have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is; I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat." Then there’s this one with attitude: "Because woman’s work is never done and is underpaid or unpaid or boring or repetitious and we’re the first to get fired and what we look like is more important than what we do and if we get raped it's our fault and if we get beaten we must have provoked it […] for lots and lots of other reasons we are part of the women's movement." That quote’s so long they had to move it to the back of the T!

            Prices range from $15 to $21, and they all come in fitted and loose sizes so that they’ll fit you to a …well . . . a T. Even if you don’t want to walk around with your feminism showing, visit the site for the fun of seeing the flash graphic of Margaret Cho, Whoopi Goldberg, Camryn Manheim and Ashley Judd proudly modeling their “This is what a feminist looks like” shirts.

            And if you want to use your money to help support women in politics who are committed to changing the status quo for women, visit www.emilyslist.org, “the largest financial resource for women running for elective office,” and make a contribution. Supporting political candidates and causes of your choice is one of the most powerful things you can do with your money.

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

          Whether you’re springing for a wedding gift or splurging on some fancy crockery to brighten up your table, you won’t go wrong visiting edish.com (www.edish.com). It’s the perfect place to find replacements for your own wedding china or buy a special gift for another lucky couple. The site specializes in hard-to-find china patterns and offers expert advice to help you identify and value your own heirloom china, plus tips for care and display. Make their “Deep Dish Discounts” page your first stop on the site, where you can find an assortment of patterns, like the assortment of patterns, marked down by 50 percent, marked down by 50 percent. Not only can you buy china here (mix and match for your own unique table settings), you can also sell it.  And if you’ve ever wondered whether there’s really bone in bone china, they have the answer. (Yes, it’s what gives good china its white color.)

          Nothing to serve on your best china? Why not spring for some fortune cookies? Ask www.fancyfortunecookies.com  to customize your fortunes and tuck them into cookies baked in fancy flavors like Luscious Lemon, Double Chocolate and True Blue Blueberry. These colorful, prognosticating treats (right) make great graduation-party or wedding favors. Minimum order is 200, starting at around $76 for the lot. Buy a bag for yourself and eat one every day.

            When spring fever really hits, drop by www.burpees.com and check out its Internet exclusives, like the grape tomatoes at left, priced at three plants for $9.95. Grow them in your ‘victory” garden or on your kitchen window sill, and save money at the supermarket. While you’re there, sign up for Burpee’s great free newsletter and consult the fun “Garden Wizard,” which will identify the plant that’s right for you, even if you don’t have a green thumb!

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

 Valentine’s Day and chocolate go together like a horse and carriage . . . or love and marriage. Appeal to your sweetheart’s sweet tooth and ego by giving the

 best—Godiva. A little of this fine confection goes a long way, and there are gift boxes in all price ranges. Take, for instance, the “Bearer of Sweetness” shown above. Priced at a mere $20, it comes with six luscious, foil-wrapped chocolate hearts and is embroidered with “Godiva 2003.” No purchase is necessary to enter Godiva’s Valentine’s Sweepstakes for the chance to win a matched pair of  “horseless carriages”—BMW Z4’s, valued at $84,000—for your sweetie and yourself, or one of 50 Spa Vacations for two, valued at $2,650.  Look for Godiva Valentine’s Day Gift Boxes marked with a red heart (they contain game prize cards), or write to receive a free game card by mail. For sweepstakes rules and address, visit www.Godiva.com. You must be 18 and a resident of the U.S. or Canada to enter. Game ends February 28, 2003.

            Over the holidays, a MAKING BREAD subscriber, on her way from France to Washington, D.C. to visit family, passed through Philadelphia. We met her at the train station and marveled at her ability to travel light. All of her gifts and clothes for a week’s stay were carried in one large duffel bag and a tote. If you’re planning a trip this winter or spring and are in the market for some large luggage at a small price, check out www.ebags.com. Netpack’s 21” duffel (right) is now on sale for $14.99, a 25 percent markdown. Boyt’s Riviera wheeled duffel, priced at $134.99, is 50 percent off. A deluxe shoe bag comes free with qualified purchases.

            This bargain baggage site also sells business accessories, briefcases, a lovely variety of leather handbags, and wallets….to carry all your dough. The funky, stylish Nicole Miller cell phone case, pictured at left, is priced at $9.99—a 62 percent savings!

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

     With the holidays coming, Barbie is on the wish list of many young girls. Barbie hasn’t aged much since she hit stores in 1959, but Mattel, the company that makes her, has matured with the times, offering an expanding inventory of diminutive dolls. There’s Amazing Nails Barbie, Dream Glow Barbie, Holiday Celebration Barbie, Rapunzel Barbie, Barbie as Bond Girl, African American Barbies and many more; There’s even a “Bank with Me” ATM for Barbie. What money lessons that teaches, we’re not sure. But the Barbie we like best is the “I Can Be …” Barbie. So far, this new series of Career Barbies has two dolls, Doctor Barbie and Art Teacher Barbie.

            Visit www.Barbie.com, and let your daughter vote for the next doll in the “I Can Be…” series, designed to “encourage young girls to explore a wide variety of career possibilities.” Should she be a librarian, an architect or a policewoman? While you’re there, you and your daughter can read interviews with a real pediatrician and art teacher and learn facts about these careers. Did you know that 50 percent of new medical students are women?

            The site has other fun activities for moms and daughters to do together, such as making the “Pumpkin-Turkey Place Setting” at left.  You can even download a Barbie Screensaver and arrange for a “Happy Birthday Call from Barbie” (at $2.49 per call).

            Moms looking for fantasy fashion mannequins of their own can surf on over to www.chanel.com, where real-life models who could double for Barbie strut the runways, showing off Chanel’s Haute Couture Fall and Winter 2002-2003 collection, its Ready-to-Wear Spring and Summer 2003 collection, and its 2003 Cruise collection in a flash photo presentation. Too expensive for this girl’s budget. But it’s fun to dream!

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

     How about helping to pay for financial literacy workshops for battered women who need information to help them secure their independence and safety? If you’d like to make a contribution towards this good cause, and the many other services that the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) supports—and get some rollicking good music in the bargain—visit the organization’s Web site, www.ncadv.org. Order Saffire’s new album, “Ain’t Gonna Hush!”, from Alligator Records and the record company will donate 10 percent of the purchase price ($16.98, including shipping and handling) to NCADV, ranked by Worth Magazine as “one of American’s 100 best charities.”

            The three women who comprise Saffire, also known as “the Uppity Blues Women,” are acclaimed worldwide as a funky, feisty, feminist, acoustic blues band. Since 1990, pianist/guitarist/vocalist Ann Rabson, guitarist/harmonicist/vocalist Gaye Adegbalola and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Andra Faye have been singing original songs and reviving classic blues standards in the spirit of Bessie Smith and Ma Rainey. "Contagious boogie-woogie rhythms and lyrics with enough brass to stock a knuckle factory" is how People magazine has described the trio, known for addressing women’s issues in their sassy songs and bluesy rhythms. Their last album, “Live and Uppity,” featured a song titled  “1-800-799-7233,” the phone number for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

            For a taste of their sound, click here . We guarantee you’ll get up from your chair and start boogying when you hear it.  Saffire’s other albums are available on the site as well, with 10 per cent also going to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

Calling all ice-cream lovers! If you’ve been thinking about switching long-distance service providers, check out the deal that www.workingassets.com is currently offering. Sign up with Working Assets Long Distance and you get 60 free minutes of long-distance calls every month for six months, a 7 cent per minute rate on direct-dialed state-to-state calls, for $4.95 a month, and local toll service where available—plus a coupon for a FREE pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream every month for a year!

      Even sweeter is this part of the deal: Working Assets donates 1 percent of your charges to nonprofit groups selected by Working Assets members (meaning you get to suggest and vote on who will benefit). The site also has a Shop for Change section, listing affiliated merchants who will donate 5 percent of your purchases to nonprofits selected by you, the “Responsible Shoppers,” who frequent their stores. Participating stores are all over the lot, from  Eddie Bauer Outlet and Harry and David to Ethnic Grocer and Nirvana Chocolates. Hmmm…we can’t seem to stay away from those sweets. Nonprofits that have benefited include the Women’s Commission for Refugee Women and Children, Children’s Defense Fund and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. All charities are carefully vetted before inclusion on the list.

 OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

What puts “the coast in roller coasters?”  Name one of the most luminous stars ever known? Parents and grandparents can give students in the family the answers to these and countless other questions by subscribing to www.britannica.com. Sign up for a free 72-hour trial, and browse the Britannica’s legendary breadth of knowledge, archived on the Web, at your leisure. The trial and subsequent subscription, should you choose to subscribe at the monthly rate of $9.95 or annual fee of $59.95, buys you unlimited online access to the complete 32-volume Encyclopedia Britannica, including audio and video clips, a pop-up dictionary and two Britannica offshoots, the Britannica Concise Encyclopedia of Quick Answers to Everyday Questions and the Britannica Student Encyclopedia, geared for children in grades 5 through 9. In short, all knowledge all the time.

            What are the answers to the questions above? Gravity puts the coast in roller coasters, as a fascinating article detailing the history of the giant structures explains. And no, the star in question isn’t Ingrid Bergman (pictured above), whose bio is available on the site, however, but S Doradus—a supergiant star in the constellation Dorado that radiates almost one million times as much energy as the Sun.

            From our DEPARTMENT OF OSTENTATIOUS CONSUMPTION: Spotted on E-bay recently, a mink coat for Yorkies, priced at $1,999. An individual in Germany bid $999.00 on this canine fashion statement. It is chilly in those northern climes, after all….

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

Move over, Half.com! Fifty percent doesn’t cut it any more. It’s a Bargain-Hunter’s Bonanza at Overstock.com (www.overstock.com), a Web site offering brand names at prices marked down as much as 70 and, in some cases, even 90 percent off.

            How can they afford to do it? “Manufacturers produce billions of dollars in excess inventory each year. Overstock.com has built a relationship with select, leading manufacturers to purchase those extra products at deep discounts and pass the savings on to you,” they explain. “Often, the price you pay is far below the manufacturer's cost.”  At companion site Overstock B2B.com (www.OverstockB2B.com), companies can register for savings below wholesale prices. Best of all, under the site’s flat-rate shipping policy, all orders are shipped for $2.95.

            The selection is spotty, based on a constantly changing inventory, and some items are marked Limited Stock. In the Electronics category, where we found some good deals on digital cameras, some were marked as “reconditioned factory models,” which could mean that you’re taking a chance on buying a reconditioned lemon. But Overstock’s 15-day return policy offers a safety net. Customer-review comments are also helpful, as with the Nicole Miller leather jacket pictured at right, about which one pleased purchaser wrote to alert others that it runs small, but it’s “well worth the money,” marked down from $369.99 to $86.99—a 76 percent discount.

            The best bargain we found: the Vera Wang Red Bow Duchesse Gown, pictured above. List price: $2990.00. This red-hot designer dress can be had at Overstock.com for  $299.99. That’s a 90 percent savings!

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

     Lillian Vernon (aka Lilly Menasche) started her specialty mail-order catalogue company in 1951, using $2000 of wedding gift money as her startup capitol. Today, that company brings in $250 million a year. She’s built her success on a reputation of delivering good quality at low prices. Check out the “Christmas in July” specials on www.lillianvernon.com and you may start humming “Oh, Tannenbaum.” The 3-foot-tall light-up topiaries, below, originally priced at $429.98 per pair, are now only $99.98, and icicle light sets, so hard to find last winter, can be had here at half-price for $19.98.

          Other good values spotted on a tour of the site include the delightful 9-foot-tall Garden Gazebo, above, priced at $79.98, and, in the Clearance section, a very cute Garden Peg Rack for only $3.98—down from $12.98. One of Vernon’s specialties is personalizing items at no extra cost to the buyer. The “Best of Personalized” section includes such items as a Wood Growth Chart for kids and a wooden Teacher’s Apple.

            Speaking of “Christmas in July,” don’t forget to take advantage of all those 50% off, Dog Days of Summer sales, which your local malls and retail shops feature this time of year. Get a head start on your holiday shopping. You’ll make it a lot easier on yourself and your budget, come December, if you do.

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

          Can’t get away this summer? There’s no cheaper vacation than the vicarious kind: spending a carefree afternoon by the pool or on your porch, lost in a strange new world of (take your pick) romance, adventure, mystery, travel writing, science, science fiction, poetry, humor, autobiography, history. You name it, the world is yours, in print and online, for hundreds of dollars less than the cheapest airfare you could ever find.

           Headed for the beach? What’s a beach without beach reading? The sexier the better. For an endless supply of bodice-ripping novels (“steamy stories so full of scorching hot passion, you’re liable to singe your fingers just turning the pages!”)—whew!—plus advice on writing your own page-turner, go to www.eharlequin.com (free shipping on orders over $15; “two free books and a free gift” sign-up offer; many books under $5).

            For more cheap reads, try recycled books. The used book selection at www.amazon.com is prolific. Other sites selling used books include  www.abebooks.com, www.powells.com, www.alibris.com, www.bibliofind.com, and the woman-owned small business, www.afamilynook.com , specializing in multicultural titles sold at discount prices.

            Miss Oprah’s Book Club?  The latest selection in Kelly Ripa’s “Reading with Ripa” Book Club, “The Bachelor,” (above, right), by Carly Phillips, purposely offers fluffier fare (“Said book shall haveth no message what-so-ever. It shalleth be fun, frivolous, fast and fiction”), and can be had over at www.barnesandnoble.com for just $4.19.

          Of course, for totally free book fun for you and your kids, don’t overlook the best book bargain around—your local public library.

          Got a great summer book to recommend to other MAKING BREAD readers? E-mail gail@makingbreadmagazine.com with your suggestions and a brief review.

 OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

            Got auction fever? Pull yourself away from e-bay and check out the goods offered for sale at www.shopgoodwill.com. There, you can register as a buyer for free and bid on items listed for sale from Goodwill stores around the country, finds like the “Wags to Riches” numbered plate, right, and the Tommy Hilfiger purse, below. Everything from antiques to clothes, collectibles to cameras, is available, generally for a very reasonable (read: cheap) price. Since you don’t bid on the items for sale at local stores, you’ll probably find a better deal by going to the Goodwill store nearest your home, but the assortment available online is much broader. Either way, you’re helping a good cause: 86 percent of the proceeds raised from sales in Goodwill’s 1,940 retail stores goes toward providing job-training and employment services, job-placement opportunities and post-employment support. In 2001, 544,765 people received career services from Goodwill and 103,765 people were placed in jobs outside the company, in fields such as financial services, computer programming and health care.

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

          Of the top five women on a recently published list of  “The 50 Most Powerful Women in Business,” four have stay-at-home spouses. At the office, what those women also have are administrative assistants. If you are starting your own business and can’t afford to hire the full-time support you need, consider using a “virtual assistant” for special projects. “VA’s are independent contractors who provide administrative support or specialized business service from a distance, through the Internet, fax, telephone or another method of communication. They can help a company that needs extra people to meet seasonal demands; provide unique skills for a special project; or step in to meet the demands of business growth, locally, domestically or globally," says the International Virtual Assistants Association (IVAA). 

          Tasks that VA’s can perform range from word processing and database development and management, to event planning, human-resources support, translations, transcriptions and travel arrangements.  Rates run the gamut from $15 to $100 per hour; monthly retainer fees can be negotiated. “During your initial meeting, be sure to ask questions. Communication between you and your VA is crucial,” says Victoria Parham, a business owner from Anchorage, Alaska.

          The IVAA’s Web site (www.ivaa.org) lists accredited VA’s around the globe—one of them just might be able to pull a rabbit out of a hat or make an emergency disappear when you most need it. You’re on your own in finding a stay-at-home spouse! (But if you’re a stay-at-home spouse yourself, who is looking for a part-time occupation, the job of virtual assistant just might work for you.)

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY! Here’s something to help you shorten your to-do list before you or your daughter say, “I do” this summer. SisterLola.com let’s your fingers do the walking, narrowing down your search for the perfect wedding dress. Just settle in front of your computer with a cuppa tea, log onto www.SisterLola.com, and browse through a lace-and-satin-filled world of gowns of all shapes, sizes and designs. Select the gowns that appeal to you and SisterLola will create a custom-tailored catalogue of your choices, which she’ll mail to you, complete with photos, “customized vouchers” for discounts on your dream dresses, contact information and maps to participating retailers close to your home. Bridesmaid’s dresses, tuxedos, veils and accessories are also featured. Cost of the catalog is $6.95—less than the cost of a bridal magazine subscription.

        Next, head over to www.LegalZoom.com for a prenuptial agreement. This site takes the hassle and expense out of filing many basic legal forms, from prenuptial agreements ($119 for a standard prenuptial agreement created by LegalZoom, compared with the estimated $732 that a lawyer might charge) to wills ($55 versus the $366 that a lawyer might charge), incorporations, trademark filings—and yes, dare we mention it—divorces, as long as they are uncontested ($249 where no minor children are involved, versus the estimated $1880 that a lawyer might charge).   

         The site cannot dispense legal advice, but it was created by lawyers, and all forms are reviewed before they are filed (at no extra cost) with the proper authorities. LegalZoom staffers will alert you if the answers you submit need amending to comply with requirements before filing. Other cheaper sites, such as www.TheWillExpert.com and www.Willmatic.com, do not review submissions. For more complicated legal problems, LegalZoom offers to forward a description of your dilemma to lawyers, who will bid on the job. And here's another feature: Tele-Lawyer puts you in touch with a legal eagle by phone at a cost of $3 per minute. In this case, talk is not cheap!

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

          Want to own a piece of McDonald’s, Disney, or Coca Cola? How about taking a bite of Krispy Kreme, or giving Bill Gates a piece of your mind at the next shareholders’ meeting? You can do all of that and more, for less than $100, when you buy one share of stock in your favorite company from www.oneshare.com.

          Granted, one share a mogul does not make. Still, it’s kind of like buying a piece of the American dream, and it is a good way for kids to begin to learn about the stock market. The site’s My First Stock Program makes a great birthday present. The stock you select for your child under this program comes packaged with “fun projects, online games, and an investment guide for kids to teach them to be owners and not just consumers.”

While the site’s specialty is selling single shares of stock, which they offer to frame for attractive wall display at an additional charge (you can buy a cheaper frame at your local Wal-Mart), one share entitles you to receive annual reports and dividends.

Check out their DRIP Plus list, if you want to get more serious about stock investment. Buying a single share in a company that sponsors a DRIP, or dividend reinvestment fund, allows you to participate in that fund. Under these plans, you purchase stock directly from the company and your dividends are automatically reinvested in purchases of additional stock.  It’s another painless, low-cost  way to “take stock.”

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

           We’ve heard of green thumbs—but green toes? Greenfeet.com wants you to tread lightly on our Earth. To help you do that, it sells natural, environmentally safe products from its e-commerce site, www.greenfeet.com . In honor of Earth Day, April 22, throughout the month of April the site will be offering compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL’s) at cost.

           “The goal is to encourage consumers to give CFL's a try,” says Valerie Reddemann, the founder of Greenfeet.com. “With energy costs continuing to rise, now is the time for consumers to take charge of their electric bills. By swapping out energy-sucking incandescent light bulbs for highly efficient CFL's, lighting costs can be reduced by as much as 75 percent,” she says. “Replacing one incandescent light bulb with an energy-saving CFL bulb reduces carbon dioxide emission to the atmosphere by 1,000 pounds and saves $67 dollars in energy costs over the bulb's lifetime.”

           CFL’s are more expensive than regular bulbs, but they last from eight to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, use about 75 percent less energy, and produce 90 percent less heat while delivering more light per watt. As long as Greenfeet’s Earth Day offer lasts, you can buy a 13 watt CFL, which replaces a 60 watt incandescent bulb, for $4.36 a piece. The same bulb would cost $9 at other stores. Light bulbs going off in your head yet?

            Don’t like “the company” your daughter keeps? Want to teach her the joys of running a hot new company and managing her own money? Get her HOT COMPANY— a board game that lets her experience the ups and downs of being the boss, running a start up and managing it to profitability.  As many as four people can play. It costs $29.95, plus shipping and handling, and is available at www.independentmeans.com. Look at it as an investment in your child’s future!

OH, THE THINGS THAT MONEY CAN BUY!

The 102-story Empire State Building was sold last week for $57.5 million. OK, so that price is a little steep for most of us, but it shouldn’t stop us from setting our sights lower. Real estate, in the form of a “fix-her-up” starter home, rental property, or second vacation home, is the best investment any woman can make, according to many experts. Every mortgage payment you pay buys you equity, or ownership, in an asset that you can use in any number of ways, from collateral for a small business loan to a source of rental income—and always as a tax advantage.

     Don’t have enough for a down payment? Putting your own roof over your head is easier than you might think: investigate lease-with-the-option-to-buy arrangements, check the newspapers for tax sales, and don’t overlook properties in low-rent districts that are on the verge of being rediscovered. Ask whether your city or municipality offers buyer-assistance programs or incentives for purchasing properties in certain neighborhoods. One woman bought a row home in Delaware for $47,000 under just such a program; 10 years later, she sold it for $100,000.

     For those who’ve been in the military, 100 percent financing is available through the Veteran’s Administration.  Also, ask your realtor about county or municipal down-payment assistance programs, which might be available to those in your area who are willing to attend money-management classes.

     Realtors know what mortgage lenders are looking for and they can offer advice on how to get your credit in shape before applying for a mortgage. They’ll “pre-qualify” you and give you an idea of just how much you can afford to spend. In the meantime, start “window-shopping.”  Looking at homes will give you the incentive to increase the amount you’re saving each month towards your down payment.

     While you’re looking, just for laughs check out the three-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath home sweet home in Celoron, New York, pictured at right. Listed on Ebay and priced at $98,000,