consumerism

Don't fret once the glow of Tax Day freebies wears off. Earth Day is another great day that's chock-full of free stuff and discounts. Retailers everywhere celebrate being green by offering consumers free loot that, naturally, has an eco tie-in. Here are some you shouldn't miss out on:

Amazon: The online retailer is offering many products for sale in its Earth Day store, including 15 percent off select Brita pitchers. 

Anthropologie: Check out these Anthropologie locations to see what free Earth Day craft workshops will be held near you.

The Body Shop: Get a free Earth Lovers Shower Gel with any purchase using this coupon or using the 3MINUTE promo code at checkout.

Caribou Coffee: Get a free cup of coffee at any Caribou location on April 22 when you bring in a reusable cup.

Disney: Get a free (and really cute!) tote bag at the Disney store in exchange for five plastic bags on April 22. 

Drugstore.com: Shop green products that are natural and organic at Drugstore.com today, and get 20 percent off.

Evos: Get a free organic milkshake at Evos on April 22. 

Jo-Ann: On April 21, stop by your local Jo-Ann's fabric and craft store and participate in a workshop and get a free bell-jar planter. The first 50 customers on April 22 will get a free reusuable bag. 

Michael's: Free t-shirt upcycling demonstration on April 20. 

National Parks: Enter a national park from April 22-26, and you won't have to pay an admission fee! 

Origins: Get a tree planted for free if you buy one of these products.

Pottery Barn: Pottery Barn Kids is giving away free seeds from April 20-22.

Peet's: Get a free medium beverage with every purchased tumbler or mug from April 20-22. 

Target: Every customer gets one free reusable bag on April 21 starting at 10 a.m. while supplies last.

Wegman's: At your local Wegman's on April 20, the first 300 customers can exchange a plastic bag for a reusable one. 

We tend to rationalize our impulse spending, and often enough, we're telling ourselves lies to feel better. LearnVest explores different situations in which we tend to spend more and make excuses for it. 

It's 9 p.m. — do you know where your wallet is?

If you're like many women, then it may be right there next to you on the couch as you idly peruse Spring dresses and pastel pumps.

Or at least that's what Gilt.com has found: the members-only retail site recently added 9 p.m. flash sales on Wednesdays and Sundays to cater to our apparently growing penchant for mid-evening impulse buys.

As my friend put it over dinner the other night, "It's the new post-happy hour. My weak point is 9 or 10 p.m. I get home, kick my shoes off, and online-shop. It's not like I need anything; it's just a way to detox from work."

In other words, after a tiring day, she feels like she deserves it. My friend has fallen prey to what consumer behavior experts call a "spending trigger" — an emotional state that makes us more vulnerable to parting with our money.

Related: How I Beat My Online Shopping Addiction

And as Gilt knows, she's definitely not the only one.

The good news? If you know your triggers, then there are ways to avoid financial regrets. Read up on five other states in which we all tend to overspend — and what you can do about it.

You're in the Dating Market

We recently analyzed which was more expensive: being married or single. While the tax advantages of either are a toss-up, single people definitely spend more at the prospect of a promising date. Putting your best face forward sets off spending triggers galore: there's temptation to splurge on everything from hair and makeup to waxing and wardrobe.

While we're all for feeling confident, remember that if this is someone new in your life, he or she doesn't know whether that dress you're wearing is brand new or your favorite go-to. Your best bet is to pick an honest friend who knows you well and to have her help you choose the hottest look from your closet.

And always remember that a good portion of a first impression comes down to not what you're wearing, but what you convey. So take a good look at your body language, and simply have fun.

Read on for more.

Tax day is here! If you're done, then breathe a sigh of relief and celebrate, because it's also a day when a lot of businesses, who are sympathetic to your tax stress, are gifting consumers with a lot of freebies. Reward yourself for getting your taxes done in time (if you're not filing for an extension) by taking advantage of one of these free giveaways: 

• 7-Eleven: Receive a free medium slurpee when you text "Slurp7" to "711711" — the offer ends at the end of this month. 
• Arby’s: Get free curly fries or potato cakes at participating Arby's restaurants on April 15. Keep an eye on its Facebook page to get the coupon on tax day.
• AMC theater: Free small popcorn at participating AMC theaters from April 12 to April 15. Use this coupon.
• Boston Market: Get two rib meals for just $10.40 on tax day. No coupon needed.
• Bruegger's: "Like" Bruegger's Facebook page, and you'll have access to a coupon that'll get you a dozen bagels and two tubs of cream cheese for $10.40.
• Chili's: Like their facebook page to get a free appetizer or dessert. Offer lasts until April 15.
• Cinnabon: Get two free Cinnabon Bites on April 15, while stocks last at participating outlets.
• Great American Cookies: Get a free b'day cake cookie on April 15.
• HydroMassage: Make an appointment at your free HydroMassage outlet using this coupon. Offer ends April 19.
• Panda Express: Free samurai surf and turf with this coupon on April 17.
• Pinkberry: Every Wednesday this month, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., get a free full-size serving of pinkberrygreek. 
• Office Depot: Shred up to five pounds of sensitive paperwork for free at Office Depot with this coupon. 
• Schlotzsky’s: Get a free small The Original^® sandwich with the purchase of a 32 oz. drink and chips on tax day.
• Sonic: Drinks and slushes for 50 percent off at participating restaurants on April 15.
• Subway: Buy a six-inch sandwich before 9 a.m. to get one more for free. Ends April 30.

We will be updating this list as more companies announce their tax day freebies, so keep watching this spot!

Deciding which customer loyalty program you want to enroll in is like picking your favorite food: there are just way too many options. Thankfully, our friends at LearnVest got their hands dirty and dug up some of the most rewarding programs. Which one sounds best to you?

My key chain is heavy with rewards memberships and my inbox is perpetually overloaded with “exclusive” and “members only” offers. I'm not a dedicated “couponer,” per se, but I do love a good deal.

Yet, off the top of my head, I don’t even know how many loyalty programs I’m actually signed up for. That's a sign it’s probably too many.

Read on for more.

Thrift stores are veritable gold mines when it comes to finding some new stuff just for you! Head over to Wise Bread for tips on where to go and what to buy!

If you’re an avid thrift shopper like me, you know that every second-hand store has its own unique personality. Some stores are great for furniture, others for clothing; some seem to have the market cornered on books, and a few just seem to have older and more unique items than all the rest. But regardless of the personality of your favorite store, there are five standard items that you should always be on the lookout for in every thrift store. Here’s my not-so-scientific list of the top five items that offer the highest savings when compared to retail.

RELATED: 10 Things to Look for Every Time You Visit a Thrift Store

1. Shoes

If you can get over the mental roadblock of buying used shoes, it’ll do wonders for your budget. With decent-quality leather shoes ranging anywhere from $65.00-$85.00 retail, scoring a gently used pair for $6.00 means you’re saving at least 90%. Focus on condition and pay special attention soles and heels wear; avoid wear patterns that might affect your stride. Give leather some TLC with mink oil or shoe polish.

2. Belts

When did a buckled strip of leather with some holes at one end become worth $32.00? I’m pretty picky and my wardrobe reflects it, but I haven’t paid more than $4.00 for a belt in years. Sure, sometimes you walk away empty-handed. But if you’re willing to look and wait for just the right item, you can find great deals on all kinds of leather accessories like belts, wallets, and purses too.

Read on to Find More.

Buying a wedding dress that someone has only worn once will help you save plenty of bucks, and although it sounds like a great deal, you need to be aware that there are some risks involved. To reduce the chances of a purchase gone wrong, make sure you ask the seller these questions before whipping out your credit card.

• Dress Care: Ask the seller what her method of cleaning and preservation is. It’s better if she took it to a professional cleaner who specializes in wedding dresses to lower the risks of “invisible stains” that may show up when you take the dress to the cleaners. You can also ask whether the wedding was held (outdoors or on a beach) so you’ll have a better idea of the condition of the dress was put through. Reader Vanonymous suggested asking if the dress was kept in a smoke-free environment. It might be a good idea to ask if the dress was kept in a house with pets.
• Legitimacy: Make sure you trust the seller before you make a purchase — you don’t want to be swindled. Ask for personal references if you feel that you need it or talk to the admin of the site if you're suspicious.
• The Measurements: You and the seller might be using different measurement systems, so it’s very important to ask for the specific measurements instead of just the sizes. The bride may also have altered the dress, so you need to know what the measurements are post alternations.
• Location and Return Policy: Where is the dress being shipped from and is delivery costs included? Will the seller pay for the mailing fee if you want to return the dress? There are very important things to consider when you’re buying a dress off the Internet.
• The History: Find out when the wedding was to have a better gauge on the condition the dress is in. If it’s important to you to find out the story behind the dress, you might want to consider asking if the wedding led to a fairy-tale marriage or an unhappy divorce. If you’re the superstitious kind, you might want check with the seller about that.

For more tips, read after the jump.

You'd by surprised how many objects really do last a lifetime. Here are a couple that Business Insider rounded up into a list.

In an age when the Next Big iGadget is always around the corner and people go through cell phones like pairs of socks, it's nice to know there are some products that can never be replaced.

Related: 13 Things You're Better Off Buying Used

In a popular Reddit thread, more than 500 users shared the "trustiest" products they've relied on for years — and in some cases, a lifetime. 

We rounded up 22 of our favorites.

• "My Gameboy color is still going strong as well as my Pokemon games."
• "Samsung Blackjack II. Dropped it a million times, still works perfectly. I've had it for over five years."
• "2001 Honda Accord. Not a single problem in all my years of ownership."
• "Playstation 2 or Nintendo 64. Last forever and I still play them every day."
• "I've had one of those $12 Wahl beard trimmers from Walmart for 5 years now. Use (well, abuse) it almost daily. Coupled with 2 rechargeable AAs it's unstoppable."
• "KitchenAid mixers. My mother's KitchenAid is so reliable she actually named it in her will. Sorry, sis, I'm getting it."
• "My black north face jacket. it will never die. Almost 10 years and it looks like it did the day I bought it."
• "My Nalgene. 15 years old. Thing is bulletproof."

Read on for more.

We all wash our clothes to keep ourselves and our clothes smelling so fresh and oh-so-clean, but there is such a thing as too much washing and too little. There are downsides to both extremes: laundering your clothes more than you need to can shorten their lifespan and wear them out quickly, but washing too rarely can be unhygienic and cause a lot of icky bacteria growth. Here's a general guide to follow:

• Bras: After three to four wears.
• Underwear: After every wear.
• Socks and stockings: One to two wears.
• Sportswear and swimwear: After every wear.
• Jeans: Five to six wears. Although there are some that advocate washing as little as possible. In fact, the director of brand concepts and special projects for Levi Strauss & Co. washes his once every six months.
• Tops: One to two wears.
• Dresses: One to two wears.
• Leggings: One to two wears.
• Pants, skirts, and shorts: Three to four wears.
• Jackets and blazers: Five to six wears.
• Coats: Once every two months of wear.
• PJs: Three to four wears.

Of course, this guide doesn't apply to the days when excessive sweating or accidental spills happen, and to those who have different hygiene preferences.

Living chemical-free seems like an expensive way to live. Buying products that are chemical-free do tend to be more expensive, but there are ways to save money on this lifestyle. You can start by changing one product at a time so that you're not investing too much money in this switch all at once. We turned to Beth Greer, an environmental health consultant and the author of Super Natural Home, to see which chemical-free product is worth splurging on. Here's what she had to say:

"I'd say buying natural makeup is worth splurging. Makeup has been around for centuries, but not the kind we put on ourselves today. Modern makeup is largely chemically based and to a large extent has never been tested for safety. Out of all those expensive perfumes at the beauty counter for example, almost none uses natural essences — they’re made from chemicals rather than flowers. If you’ve ever walked into an empty room or elevator and could still smell the cologne of someone who’d left, you can bet that it was made from a synthetic fragrance because unlike natural flower essences, synthetic chemicals have a strong, long-lasting smell.

Many untested chemicals that we put on our skin go in our skin as well. Some of these chemicals that are in our make-up and skin creams are the very same ones used in industrial manufacturing to soften plastics, clean equipment and stabilize pesticides. Some, known as endocrine disrupters, can work in subtle ways by disrupting the body's ability to produce adequate quantities of hormones or by interfering with the body's hormonal pathways.

Become a good label reader and know that like ingredients on food packaging, labels on cosmetics are written in descending order, so the first ingredients on the list make up the majority of the product. Manufacturers may add some natural ingredients to make their product seem natural, but if you see the good stuff listed last instead of first, there could be less than one percent that’s actually natural, and the rest being nasty chemicals. Keep it simple and buy products with the fewest and safest ingredients possible. I have a list of safe cosmetics in my book Super Natural Home. You can also check the website www.safecosmetics.org for reviews and ratings on cosmetics. In general, the makeup you’ll find at stores like Whole Foods or Pharmaca will be much safer than those found in department stores and drug stores."