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Summer is here and that means it's time to freshen up your closet with a couple of key summer pieces. Lloyd Boston, Jones of New York "Style Guy" and star of Fine Living Network's Closet Cases, helped us put together his picks of essential summer pieces that are stylish yet classic and easy on your budget.

White Denim
"White denim is a must for summer, they're as close to universal as you can get, next to your natural bare legs." Stylist trick: Nude undies will not show through even your lightest weight whites this summer so be sure to have them on standby by for any occasion!

Be Bold
"Summer is all about bold, intense color. The hottest and easiest way to start sporting this look at your next summer fiesta with one item and pair with white to cool it down."

Wrap It Up
"Wraps are a year round essential. They travel perfectly for those unpredictable airplane temperatures and then easily transition into an elegant evening wrap, when the sun goes down during a wonderful dinner by the ocean."

Sunglasses
"Whether you are heading for a day at the beach or just to a brunch with your girlfriends, a simple, yet elegant pair of sunglasses add the finishing touch to any look this summer!" Pictured: Jones of New York Miss Glamour Sunglasses ($38, JNY.com).

With budgets being tight this year more than any other in the recent past, consumers are looking to save cash in easiest, least time consuming way possible. That means they're probably hunting for deals, searching for Web coupons/bargains and making most purchases online.

That said, it's important to stay safe while fishing for our bargains and AVG has a few tips on what we need to know.

1. Know who you are purchasing from: Verify the seller with your local consumer protection agency and the Better Business Bureau. Surf the web for feedback forums to read up on people's experience with the seller. Make sure you have the seller's contact information in case you have to locate them later.
2. Be on guard for super low prices or rebates that are too good to be true: The seller may in fact not have any merchandise at all to send or may not fulfill the promised rebate.
3. Get the low down on the offer: A legitimate shop provides all the details on the product, price, delivery time and refund policies, along with the terms of the warranty.
4. Watch out for an unsolicited email, it could be fraudulent: If you know the company that sent you the email and you don't want to receive any more emails, you may simply ask to be removed from the list. However, if you respond to an unknown sender, your email address may be validated by the sender and you might receive even more unsolicited emails. The best way to deal with unsolicited emails is to simply delete them.
5. Protect your private information: Never provide your credit card or bank information unless you are paying for something. Social security numbers are not needed unless you are applying for credit.

The other day, I was trying to figure out what I had spent the previous week. I'm trying to buuuuudget! (I'm sure y'all can relate.) I, then, realized I'm not so fab with money and I really need to put an end to my spending sprees.

In an effort to save, I had to spend one last time. But, it's not what you think! I didn't go on one more shopping spree as a last hoorah. I bought this Open Sesame Password Journal from WishingFish.com for only $7.99 (it used to be $12) to log all of my guilty purchases, plus the credit card information (including log-ins and passwords) that I used. That way, I'll know how much I'm putting out there in the market, and maybe force me to re-think the next time I plan to make yet another purchase via credit on something I might not necessarily need.

Saving frenzy, here I come!

Times are tough and people are looking to make some extra cash.

Tread carefully, though: Before you start listing your entire closet on eBay, check with an expert and make sure you are not about to sell classic pieces that should be kept!

Michael O'Connor, celebrity style and jewelry expert and TV commentator, gave us his advice as to a starting point on what to sell and what to save.

O'Connor suggests going through your closet by category - pants, suits, skirts, dresses, dress shirts, t-shirts, sweaters, jackets, coats, shoes, etc. While you're going through each category, pick out items that you haven't worn in the past year and determine whether it is a timeless staple or a trend.

Trend items usually go out of style and won't be worn in the future, timeless pieces (such as a little black dress or white button down shirt) are worth saving - as they are versatile and therefore worth keeping.

Be careful though - if you turn around and spend more than you just earned back, you have achieved nothing!

I am a huge fan of Adina Reyter's newest collection, "Dinz," which offers chic vintage inspired pieces under $100.

One of the greatest finds from this collection is the classic "Elsie" Large Link Bracelet, which retails for under $50 (pictured, at left), and can completely steal the look of Diane von Furstenberg's Sutra bracelet in bold gold - which retails for $16,000!!!

How's that for a steal of a deal?

Though several retailers are closing stores as a result of a recession and the worst holiday shopping season in 40 years, all is not doom and gloom for 2009, FreeShipping.org founder Luke Knowles says.

Knowles sees a ray of light for online retailers in 2009 because of what his site, www.freeshipping.org, encountered in 2008, its first full year of business. Numbers show that there is a clear interest in consumers looking for online retailers that offer free shipping, which translates into a willingness to spend money if the price is right. Traffic has increased steadily since the site debuted, as has sales generated for retailers. FreeShipping.org attracted 205,000 visitors last October, 365,000 in November and over 500,000 in December. On Black Friday, the traditional shopping holiday one day after Thanksgiving, the site had over 30,000 visitors.

Free shipping and deep discounts are leading many consumers to shop online, Knowles says. Knowles spearheaded what will become an annual holiday shopping marketing event in Free Shipping Day (www.freeshippingday.com), which is a day late in December when merchants offer free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve day. More than 250 merchants participated, and FreeShippingDay.com attracted 100,000 visitors on the day itself, which was December 18.

Despite the grim news facing many bricks-and-mortar retailers, Knowles believes that online retailers, and bricks-and-mortar retailers that increase their presence on the Internet, will have a more favorable outcome on their bottom line.

Here are some online retailing trends that Knowles forecasts for the remainder of 2009:

1. There will be an increasing number of bricks-and-mortar retailers placing a higher priority on online sales. These same retailers will place a greater emphasis on e-mail marketing to lure consumers into their stores.
2. While 2009 expects to be a rough year for many retailers, it will be a cost-effective one for consumers with disposable cash. Until the economy improves, retailers will have no choice but to offer discounts. There will be bargains available year-round that in a healthy economy would only be offered during peak shopping periods, such as the holiday shopping season.
3. Some merchants that typically don't delve into discounts will experiment with offering them.
4. Free shipping is becoming a requirement for consumers, and not a perk, so there will be even more retailers introducing free shipping in 2009. Free shipping cultivates sales because consumers know the price of the items they place in the cart is the price they will pay at checkout instead of having an unpleasant shipping charge tacked on.
5. Retailers who are solely online, and merchants that record most of their sales through the Internet, should have a much better year than bricks-and-mortar retailers. Because of the low overhead, and the rapidly rising number of consumers who shop online, businesses that focus on online sales can more easily survive in a down economy. A prime example is Zappos.
   
   

Though it is one of my favorite past times, I am well aware that many of my friends are still afraid to shop online! It's time to put a stop to that.

I had a chat recently wtih fashion expert Lilliana Vazquez, author of Cheap Chicas, and she offers some great tips to get you started.

DealHunting.com
 If you're looking for a coupon code for some of your favorite online stores, look no further than www.dealhunting.com. They have deals for over 1500 online merchants and it's super simple to use! Just type in the name of the store or search by a category and all of the corresponding coupons will come up. Happy Shopping!!

Racked.com and RackedLA.com
Finding out about the best sample sales can sometimes feel like mission impossible, but with the help of the Racked team and their "Dealfeed", you'll be scooping up discounts on the latest designer labels in no time. The site is updated at least 5 times a day with fashion news, discounts and of course, details on the hottest sample sales in New York and LA!

The Savvy and HauteLook
So for those of us that live in between coasts, TheSavvy.com and HauteLook.com brings us all of the latest online sample sales. Just create a free account and shop their exclusive selection of designers like La Rok, Elizbeth & James and Catherine Malandrino. But act fast, most of their sales only last for 36 hours!

Compare Prices While Shopping
 Like any good shopper, we all want the best deal. So how do you know that the store across town isn't offering a better price on your designer jeans? Cell phone price-comparison search tools such as Frucall or Scanbuy Shopper enable you to determine whether you're looking at the best deal in town without even leaving the store. Send a simple text message with information about your product and these programs can run an online search to hunt down the best available price and text you back with the results.

There's a new form of OCD on the rise in the U.S. It's called Obsessive Coupon Disorder, and nearly 40 million Americas suffer from at least a mild case of it.

They cash in on hard-copy or online coupons in droves. But what might have been considered a fun hobby for an obsessive-compulsive homemaker a year ago is now becoming a necessity for many. With 75% of online retailers offering discount codes upon checkout, it's almost foolish not to crack the code.

For the pro-leaguers, it means knowing when your local supermarket or discount club offers double coupon day, buy-one-get-ones and money back. It might mean finding the lowest price for an item and coupling it with a high-value coupon... or two (manufactures and store). It's about buying dozens of newspapers, just for the inserts... but most importantly nowadays, it definitely means having online game. And it can save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

Instead of Googling for hours every time you have to make an online purchase, try PromotionalCodes.com. The site allows you to look for the items you need to buy and offers over thousands of coupons from big name online retailers such as Target, Amazon, Apple, OverStock, and Bluefly. It's a must-stop during your e-shopping!

I had a chat recently with fashion expert Lilliana Vazquez, author of Cheap Chicas, and she offers some great tips to get you started in the world of online retail:

Start with a great pair of jeans
Jeans are the foundation of many Hollywood starlets looks and there's no reason to spend $200 on designer denim when so many stores carry similar, if not exact, styles!

Check out the juniors department at Macy's for the latest washes, cuts and styles and if you want something even cheaper, give Old Navy a try! They run countless promotions on their denim for the whole family and they never cost more than $30 anyway!

Know Where to Shop
Certain stores are built around designer looks for less. H&M and Forever 21 are a goldmine of inexpensive trendy style inspired by today's hottest celebrities and runway looks. You can find shirts, tunics, pants, dresses, and all kinds of accessories at very inexpensive prices, which will have you looking just like the Hiltons at a fraction of the cost!

Diffusion Lines
If you're looking for a designer label, but not a designer price, many high-end designers are now partnering with certain retailers to offer lower priced versions of their designer collections. Stores like Wal-Mart, Target and JC Penny have paired up with some of the biggest names in fashion to bring you designer names at budget friendly prices.

Scour Secondhand
One of the best places to find vintage and designer pieces is at secondhand stores like Goodwill and The Salvation Army. You have to be really patient and in the mood to sort through all the bad stuff, but there's so many great finds if you just take the time to look! You'd be totally surprised at what people will just give away!

Mix High + Low
 The reason celebrities like Cameron Diaz and Nicole Ritchie always look so stylish is because they're perfected the art of the mix. Although they could dress in head to toe designer, what gives them their unique look and personal style is that they're not afraid to mix a Balenciaga jacket with a pair of Old Navy shorts. Mixing designer pieces with cheap chic items creates a look that's entirely your own!

What? Isn't the season of giving finally over?

Indeed. But the far worse season  - the season of credit card bills - has arrived!

With tough economic times upon us, this approaching season is instilling panic and fear in the hearts of consumers as they remember the astronomical holiday bills of years past. To cope, many are opting to keep their hands firmly planted in their pockets.

Consider a few simple ways to lessen the burden of this costly tradition by cashing in on your unwanted items: An extra hundred dollars can easily be found in the depths of your jewelry box as a broken gold chain, stray earring or the hideous necklace you received during the holidays last year.

Gold and other precious metals like silver and platinum are reaching historically high prices, causing cash-strapped Americans to turn in their broken jewelry to reputable Web sites like Dollars4Gold.com and Goldfellow.com for cash in return.

After organizing your jewelry box, consider swapping your old gift cards for cash through Swapagift.com. There, you can sell the gift card to the store you've never frequented, swap it for a store of your liking and even buy new gift cards for your loved ones. This is a one-stop gift card e-shop.

If the weather is already too cold to hold a garage sale, organize a virtual one. Through Web sites like E-bay or Amazon Marketplace, one can sell last year's gifts that didn't make the cut to buy new ones.

Gold isn't the only metal that's precious these days. Have any metal scraps hanging out in your garage? Big money can be found there as well, as non-precious metals grow more expensive too. You might even want to cash in on your empty aluminum cans if your state permits it. Let's not forget the piggy bank. Gather the loose change floating around the house, in your car, in your jeans from last season, and turn it in for the much-preferred paper equivalent of money.