This post comes from Martin H. Bosworth at partner site ConsumerAffairs.com:

Craigslist founder Craig Newmark announced today that the popular classified-ad site would shut down its "erotic services" section, and relaunch it as an "adult services" category, with much stricter enforcement of rules and higher fees for posting ads.

The decision came in response to mounting criticism from attorneys general in a number of states, who claimed Craiglist was enabling prostitution, human trafficking and child exploitation.

South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster threatened to prosecute Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster if the company did not change its policies.

"We are optimistic that the new balance struck today will be an acceptable compromise from the perspective of these constituencies, and for the diverse U.S. communities that value and rely upon Craigslist," Newmark said.   Read More...

The Food and Drug Administration has smacked down General Mills for its claims on cereal boxes and a company Web site that eating Cheerios can reduce cholesterol and help prevent heart disease. But the way the FDA went about it seems bizarre.

The FDA says the wording in the health claims can be used only about an approved drug. Thus, Cheerios must be a drug and must submit an application to be considered as such.

The nation's most popular cereal is a drug? What's going on here?   Read More...

There’s that saying, “We all scream for ice cream,” so May should be a good month for frugal screamers.

You can enjoy a free root beer float or freeze at all participating A&W outlets through May 30, the day you’ll be able to get a free ice cream from Wal-Mart.

And there are other great deals in May, including a free one-day pass to Sam’s Club.

So, what are the hoops you’ll need to jump through to get these deals?   Read More...

One not-so-subtle change wrought by the economy is how much money you can expect for the stuff you sell at yard or garage sales, "Mrs. Modern Tightwad" says. While 30% of the original purchase price used to be an acceptable goal, now it's more often a mere 10%.

Yard sale shoppers, she says, "are really looking for a bargain."

We imagine that yard sale planners are looking for some good advice now that spring is upon us (although it was snowing here this morning). You'll find it in a post at her blog, Modern Tightwad, called "MT Tips: Top 10 garage sale rules."

Our favorite one is about how the 10% rule doesn't suddenly evaporate when you're selling some old thing that has vintage value in your mind. She writes, "Seriously, I know they now play '90s grunge music on the classic rock stations, but that doesn't mean your 1980s juicer is a priceless relic."   Read More...

This post comes from Myscha Theriault at partner blog Wise Bread.

Plastic packaging is everywhere, isn't it? And once you become more aware of the problem and commit to using less, one walk down any aisle of the grocery store is nearly enough to make you pass out. It's simply overwhelming.

At our house, we still have quite a way to go, but have taken a number of initial steps to start making an  impact. Wanna know how we're doing it?

First, with a great deal of inspiration from Beth Terry. This Wise Bread reader is seriously taking on the plastic-reduction issue to an extreme level. Her site is also where I first saw a video of the Pacific Gyre garbage patch and its effects on marine life. I can't tell you how much of an impact this made on me. I felt physically ill and weak in the knees. I was immediately both motivated about making a difference and paralyzed with a feeling of helplessness.

How much of a difference could I even make? In the end, I obviously decided doing nothing was not an option. There are many more things we need to do, but this list represents how we're starting out.   Read More...

Here are today's hot deals from dealnews.com:

Pyrex cobalt blue baking dishes from $1.99. Apply coupon code A20350 to cut an additional 20% off. (You may need to register for the World Kitchen E-Club list in order to use this code. Signing up is free). With shipping starting at $6.95, most items are the lowest total price we could find.

Polo Ralph Lauren men's striped mesh polo shirt for $19.99. With $5.95 for shipping, it's $50 under list and a very low price for a Polo Ralph Lauren men's polo.   Read More...

Jason at Frugal Dad offered free magazine subscriptions in exchange for readers' best savings tips. The ever-expanding frugalist community did not disappoint him.

"What happened next was one of those magical moments you can only get from blogs, and the sense of community they inspire," Jason wrote in a post called "The ultimate collection of money-saving tips: 122 ways to trim your budget." The list is still growing in his comments section, and you can add to it (or leave yours here).  

Sure, some are standards like ride your bike to work and don't update your cell phone every year. We picked through the list and are sharing some of those that you likely haven't seen elsewhere.   Read More...

Millions of retirees are receiving an extra $250 check as part of the federal government's economic-stimulus plan. (And, the government asks, Please, no calls about "where's my check?" until June 4. It's going to take awhile to get about 50 million checks and direct deposits out.)

But if you're one of those recipients and you're still working, Kevin McCormally of Kiplinger.com has what may be a surprise for you: You're going to have to give that money back when you file your taxes next year.   Read More...

This guest post comes from Coupon Artist at Art of the Coupon.

Inspired by the delightful quizzes I used to fill out in Seventeen magazine back in the day -- and which I think still adorn the pages of Cosmo and other magazines I am too cheap to buy -- I bring you the "Are You a True-Blue Coupon Shopper?" quiz.  Enjoy.

1. The ideal cashier is:

A. A bored-looking young teenager who appears to be using this job as a springboard to a career as a punk rocker, judging by the multiple facial piercings and odd-colored hair.
B. A manager. After all, a manager must know all of the rules of the store and be especially concerned about customer service.
C. A kindly elderly lady. Elderly people are always kind, and if she has spectacles pushed to the end of her nose and a somewhat uptight aura, that only means that she will be more efficient at ringing you out.

2. The appropriate cost of toothpaste is:

A. People pay real money for toothpaste? If they are not paying me to buy it, I'm not taking another tube of that stuff home!
B. If they are giving it to me for free and I only have to pay tax on it, that must be a great deal. I'm going to buy a few tubes and keep them around.
C. Anything under $2 sounds good to me. And if it's $1, well, I'm definitely going to buy a tube.   Read More...

This post comes from Jim Wang at partner blog Bargaineering.

Do you know why credit cards have an expiration date? In the beginning, it was because a credit card had a limited useful lifespan. After a few years, the magnetic stripe on the back would either get demagnetized or damaged so much that it was unreadable.

It wasn't until later that the expiration date was used as a security feature. For many years, you could continue to use expired credit cards because the stripe was fine and the expiration date wasn't used for verification.

So what are you to do with an expired card? You have to destroy it, of course. In our age of identity theft and fraud, only a fool would throw a credit card into the trash without cutting it up first. However, with the economy the way it is and the value of credit card numbers going up, it's important to properly destroy a credit card.

There are two crucial parts of a credit card -- information embossed on the front of the card and the information encoded in the magnetic stripe on the back of the card. Not surprisingly, both locations contain the same information, which is merely displayed differently to the typical "reader." When you want to destroy a card, it's important to destroy both sources of information, and this article will explain how.   Read More...