What was that? Did another week just woosh past us?  Welcome to February 2012, and the Fab & Fru Week in Review!

Komen Foundation Reversal

Today, the Susan G. Komen For The Cure Foundation reversed a controversial move to cut off funding to many Planned Parenthood clinics.  News of the initial cut triggered huge backlash for it’s impact on women’s health – particularly breast cancer screening, for which many women rely on Planned Parenthood.  In addition to receiving it’s Komen funding again, PP also received a whopping $400,000 in online donations within 24 hours after the initial announcement – and that wasn’t including a $250,000 donation personally made to PP from NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg.  Ladies, we’re sure you know, in this crucial election year, battles involving women’s health, politics and money are just getting started…

Inspiring Illinois

Brandi and I are both from the great state of Illinois, so you’ll understand our home state pride in Governor Pat Quinn this morning on CNN.  As Soledad O’Brien was interviewing him about a new Dodge car plant coming to Belvedere, Illinois,  he didn’t stop at just promoting the 1,800 new jobs being created – he went into a full-on pitch for the new Dodge Dart! Even though he is governor – clearly has the chops to make it as a car salesman if need be.  And though the CNN team was poking fun as him for promoting Dodge, he kept right on going, and I have to say, I for one am going to check out the Dodge Dart, which he convinced me is “roomy, and a great family car.” You go, Governor Quinn!

Hiring Heating Up

Though Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil has indicated 6 more weeks of winter, the January Jobs report shows hiring is beginning to heat up!  Employers added 243,000 jobs in January – and the unemployment rate now stands at 8.3 % – certainly not great, but the lowest level since January 2009.  To keep the positive trend going, President Obama should seriously consider getting Illinois Gov. Quinn on the trail to continue his “Made In America” marketing.  Keep the jobs coming!

Romney Gets Trumped

The week started out pretty good for Mitt Romney – he was the landslide winner of the Florida Republican Primary.  Not so good? Putting both feet in his mouth the next day with his now infamous comment about not caring about the very poor.  The only thing that could make him seem even more detached from the plight of impoverished Americans?  Probably if, let’s say, Donald Trump decides to endorse you for president the same week.

How Was Your Week?!

Chic Does Not Always Mean Safe

Last night I met a couple of friends for a glass of wine at the Fab but not so Fru Soho House in New York City.  As the international crowd of New York’s upwardly mobile sipped their fancy cocktails and mingled, it never crossed my mind that a private club was a place that I needed to worry about getting my phone stolen….

Like the others sitting at the bar, I was waiting for a call and had placed my phone on the bar right in front of me – no big deal…  But when we went to leave for the night, my beloved iPhone in the purple case – filled with memorable pictures that I had yet to download – was gone.  Had I dropped it?  Had my friend Betsy picked it up by mistake?  We looked everywhere.  Finally, I left my email at the front desk, and I went home to track it on Find Your Phone.  Poof!  It was gone just like that – without a trace.  –It just goes to show you that, even in upscale places, people steal – and it sucks.

Prepare & Protect Your Phone

It goes without saying that losing or getting a smart phone of any kind stolen is one BIG expensive pain in the butt.  We carry our lives around in those little devices, and no one takes pity on you with the price – especially Apple – even if you’re a long time, valued customer.

There are some ways however, to protect and prepare yourself if you ever find yourself in my shoes.  So, take a second and take note, because it can happen to you too!

Find Your Phone in a Cloud

If you have an iPhone, for $99 a year, you can sign up for Cloud and Mobileme to help synch all of your devices together instantly.  But the other invaluable feature is that if you link your iPhone to the service, you’ll be able to track your phone’s whereabouts right from your computer.  The Find Your Phone App can help do the trick too.  They’re worth the money, and I highly recommend getting one of them.  But there is one catch… The location service must be turned on in the settings for the phone’s GPS to work.  Unfortunately for me, I had shut mine off to avoid extra fees while traveling in Europe last week, and forgot to turn it back on.  Don’t make the same mistake!

Lock It Up & Wipe It Clean

The Find Your Phone app or service on Cloud or Mobileme also allows you to remotely lock or wipe out all the data from your phone instantly.  This security feature alone is worth the $99 Cloud annual fee.  And remember – always set up a password to be able to use your phone, but if you haven’t or want to change the number, Find Your Phone is an invaluable tool!

Timing Is Everything

The expense of having to replace an iPhone is simply painful.  The latest iPhones can run upwards of $650-$850 retail (when you’re not getting a new service contract).  If you’re lucky, and your eligible for an upgrade, your new phone will cost you $199.  However, iPhones are not eligible for the full discounted upgrade price until you’ve had it for 20 months!  AT&T and Verizon do offer a reduced early upgrade rate of about $450 for the latest model.  But keep in mind, that does involve renewing your service contract for another 2 years.

Is Getting Extra Insurance Worth It?

At $99 a year, Apple Care for the iPhone may just be worth it if you’re prone to breaking your phone often, but it does NOT cover loss or theft.  AT&T does offer a loss and theft insurance plan for $6.99 a month, but your deductible on the plan is $199.  This means even if you’re eligible for the upgrade price at the time your phone gets stolen, you will be paying the $199 – plus the monthly insurance rate.  For $84 a year, the insurance plan would have saved me $165 on my early upgrade replacement phone, but in the 6 years I have owned an iPhone, I’ve never lost a phone before …even after yesterday, I’m not convinced it’s worth it.

Renters & Home Owners Insurance

If you have renters or homeowners insurance, your smartphone is likely covered if stolen outside of the home.  It is also likely your deductible is too high for it to really be beneficial.  However, it’s worth it to always call in and check.  You never know!

Go to the Store In Person Before Buying a New Phone

After talking to an AT&T customer service rep on the phone and finding out I was only eligible for am ‘early  upgrade’, I decided to visit the AT&T store in person before settling for the $450 offer.   Sure enough, the salesman in the store found a creative way to knock $150 off my early upgrade fee.  So, if your willing to be a flexible with how your bill is structured, a live sales rep may be able to help you save in the short and long term.  I even have insurance now – at no extra charge!

The Price of the Modern Age

As much as I feel this incident is unfair and annoying, the truth is, owning an item like an iPhone is a luxury.  If you choose to spend your money on modern portable conveniences, you need to be prepared.  Carrying your life around in a single gadget is a responsibility with a risky price tag.  No one wants to pay hundreds of bucks, but if you know the potential costs, the the choice is yours!

Join Us at #savvysavings Tomorrow at 6p PST/ 9pEST

Fab & Fru is beyond delighted to be co-hosting a “Savvy Savings” Twitter party this Thursday, Feb 2nd!  Join us on Twitter – #savvysavings – at  6pm PST/9pm EST for tips on how to give a BIG boost your savings account in 2012.  We will also be sharing fabulous finds and amazing giveaways – plus a very special savings superstar will be giving us all tips on how to maximize online deals and coupons.

RSVP NOW to be eligible to WIN one of our great giveaways: a  $250 Gift Card from Cafe Press.com’s Home Goods section,  plus TWO $50 Gift Cards to Whole Foods!  And of course, please feel free to invite all your friends – it’s a party after all – the more the merrier!

Meet Our Co-Hosts!

We like to party with the most savvy savers – which is why we are so excited about our co-hosts:  Citibank’s Women & Co. and deal experts Savings.com! These ladies sure know how to liven up your Twitter feed — and, more importantly, how to save a buck.  From your BIG financial picture, to how small changes can save you loads of cash, we’ll be tweeting you tips all hour on how to save more money – in 2012 and beyond! 

And Our Special Guest…

Also, joining us is our special savings star – The Thrifty Mama  herself – Crystal Collins! You won’t want to miss Crystal’s MUST KNOW tips on how to use online deals and coupons to help you cut your budget and instantly find more money to put towards building your financial future!

The Latest Dairy Free & Delicious Deals!

I am sure I am not the only lactose intolerant lady out there — so I went a-looking for deals on some DAIRY ALTERNATIVES!

From Whole Foods this Week: 

75 cents off any ONE Earth Balance Organic Soymilk

$1.00 off any TWO Aseptic Blue Diamond Almond Breeze

50 cents off any ONE Organic Valley Soy Creamer

And From Dream (makers of Rice Dream, Almond Dream and Soy Dream)…

Go to Tastethedream.com for a $1.00 coupon for any non-dairy beverage or frozen dessert (plus check out their recipes for “Milk” Shakes and Cappuccino Smoothies!)

And From So Delicious 

So Delicious frozen desserts are addictive – we love their mini coconut milk “ice cream” sandwiches!  Which, of course, means we go through them too quickly! Luckily, you can go to their website and sign up for them to send So Delicious coupons right to your inbox!

Enjoy!

Turn Your Vices Into Victories at Our #savvysavings Twitter Party!

WHEN: This Thursday – February 2, 2012 – 9p EST, 8p CST, 6p PST

WHERE: Twitter Hash Tag #savvysavings

WHY: Get Savvy Saving Tips To Build Your Financial Future!  –Plus, WIN  Fabulous Giveaways and Get Super Savings Deals for Everyday!

Hosts: Fabulous & Frugal, Citibank’s Women & Co., Savings.com

LADIES– There’s no time like the present to start revamping your budget in favor of your financial future!  This Thursday, Fab & Fru is hosting a Twitter Party along with our co-hosts, Citibank’s Women & Co. and Savings.com.  Fab & Fru be talking about how to find money in your current budget to put towards building your savings up NOW.  Then, Linda Descano from Citibanks’s Women & Co. will give our party goers nuts and bolts tips on how to start saving most effectively.  And Savings.com come will load us up with daily discount party favors & GIVEAWAYS.  This party is all about how to turn your wallet wilting vices into money making victories! Mark your calenders for February 2nd, 2012 at 9PM Eastern, 8pm Central, and 6pm Pacific.

RSVP on our Facebook page today to be eligible to win a $50 Gift Card to Whole Foods or a $250 Gift Card to Cafepress.com‘s Home Good’s section!

…there’s nothing more Fab & Fru than FREE MONEY  and invaluable MONEY SAVING tips – so make sure you’re in it to win it and RSVP today!

On a recent trip to Norway, I experienced something that would NEVER happen here in the States.  I was out for a working dinner with nine other people at a lovely sushi restaurant.  I assumed that our bill would be covered by the company who invited us, but we were informed during the meal that each of us would be responsible for our own portion of the check.  When we were finished, a very unexpected Norwegian phenomenon ensued…

The waitress literally walked around the table to make sure that she had everybody’s entrees straight (not so strange), and everyone of us told her how much of each appetizers and portion of each bottle of wine ordered that we consumed.   For example, I told her I had 1/4 of the seaweed salad and one glass of from the each bottle ordered at my end of the table.  And she went through this with all ten of us!  It ended with her bringing us all separate checks.

As an American, unless a diner or big chain restaurant was asked to do separate checks from the get go, I can not begin to imagine a restaurant in the States being willing to split the bill more than 3 ways – let alone allow people to say they ate a quarter portion of something!  Is this a brilliant concept that makes splitting the bill ultra fair and precise?  Or, is it just kinda cheap and cumbersome?  In the end, is it the restaurant that makes out the best?

Should we adopt this idea here at home?? Tell us what you think!