MONEY TALKS!

"Get it for a Song" - If all we had to do to buy something was croon a ditty, that would be the bargain of the century. For the familiarity of this saying, credit William Shakespeare, who popularized it in 'All's Well That Ends Well'. In the play, a jester tells the tale of a melancholy rich fellow so in need of a little joy that he sells his mansion "for a song". But the next time you're about to pay, don't expect sellers to be so generous. You'll need to lay down some cash-in lieu of tracks

Either..Or Use airline miles for airline tickets? Or for some other item? If you're close to scoring a Free ticket to Rome, we have one word for you: Arrivederci. "The smartest way to spend your miles is on high-cost travel, like an intn'l flight, says George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com, a consumer-travel website. In fact, you should always avoid trading in your miles for goodies like an espresso maker & a DVD player. Why? In comparison with a free plane ticket, the retail items eat up a disproportionate number of miles, says Galia Gichon, founder of Downtoearthfinance.com, an independent financial-education website. Case in point: A recent $516 Delta flight from New York City to London would require 60,000 Delta Sky Miles, whereas a 120-gigabyte Sony PlayStation that retails for less($390)would cost 79,400 miles. Of course, if you have miles that are about to expire or you plan to travel on popular travel dates, such as the winter holidays, the equation changes. In those cases, go ahead and order that juicer or video-game console, guilt free.

Thumbs-Up To...The New Gift Card Rules: As you may have heard, gift cards now cannot lose value or expire until 'five' years after the date of purchase, thanks to Federal Reserve regulations. (Previously, cards could become invalid one year after purchase) And there's more good news: Starting August 22, service fees, including those tacked on for balance inquiries and adding money to the card, are now limited to one fee per month. Plus, a full year has to pass before an inactivity fee (around $2 a month) can be charged, and as of January 31, 2011, the fee amount must be fully disclosed on the back of the card.

HAPPY OCTOBER & HAVE A FALL FILLED WITH COLORS & SMILES!