During this economic downturn, it can be a challenge to find fun activities to do that don’t require a lot of money. The newest trend, that doesn’t cost a lot, is taking your pet out on a date!

There are groups you join that have weekly or monthly “group dates” for your pet to get some playtime in with other animals. It’s also a great way for you to meet other pet owners. There is usually little or no cost to join these groups.

Where can I sign up for a pet date?

• Find My Dog a Date – If you are located in the Phoenix area, a local man named Michael D’Elena started a group called “Find My Dog a Date.” Visit the website and get connected to other dog owners and sign up for the emails, so you know when the next meeting will be held. Owners can find dog dates by zip code as well as type of dog by using age, weight, breed, temperament and preferred activities.
• Meet Up – Another website to try is called “Meet-Up.” This website offers you an array of groups that “meet up” in your city. You can choose from many different types of pet groups, including ones exclusively for a certain breed of animal, small or large animal, and much more.

Do you know of other great websites for pet dates? Let us know!

Karen Myers is the Marketing Specialist for Arizona Central Credit Union, where she has worked since July 2008. She moved to Phoenix from Boulder, Colorado last year.

If you are in the market for new household appliances, you may want to hold out for the latest $300 million dollar stimulus package, “Cash for Refrigerators.” This federal program is giving consumers rebates for the purchase of high-efficiency appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines, dishwashers, etc.

Cash for Refrigerators is part of the broader $700 billion economic stimulus bill passed earlier this year. It’s similar to the recent popular “Cash for Clunkers” federal program, the only difference is this program does not require you to trade in your old appliances.

Cash for Refrigerators should be taking effect later this year and authorizes rebates of $50 to $200 with the purchase of high-efficiency household appliances. The Arizona Energy Office has been designated to administer the program, and will be in charge of giving away $6.2 million to Arizona consumers.

Only appliances covered by the Energy Star seal and meet energy-efficiency standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy will qualify. Details on how the rebates will be paid out and exactly what appliances will be eligible have not yet been decided.

The home appliance industry has had a significant decline in sales that began when the housing market also started its downward trend in 2006. Leading appliance companies have seen huge drops in sales, as much as 40% this year. Many have had to lay off hundreds of workers, so they welcome the program, hoping it will revive the struggling home appliance industry while saving energy at the same time. Experts say that $300 million in rebates could generate 5 to 10 times that amount in sales, which could make a significant impact.

The Cash for Refrigerators program will vary from state to state and details are still being worked out. The federal government has given state governments a due date of Oct. 15 to send their plans to Washington.

Karen Myers is the Marketing Specialist for Arizona Central Credit Union, where she has worked since July 2008. She moved to Phoenix from Boulder, Colorado last year.

After kissing far too many frogs, you’ve finally met your Prince Charming and can’t wait to share your wedding day with family and friends. The only problem now could be paying for the wedding!

It’s easy to want to purchase an expensive designer couture gown, a five-course steak and lobster dinner and thousands of roses, but in these tough economic times it might be better to give yourself a budget that fits within your financial comfort zone and yet still have your dream wedding.

There are many ways to save money for your wedding, but one of the best money saving tips is to put a little elbow grease into it and do it yourself!

Flowers – Pick flowers that are in season and have friends and family help you put together the bouquets and boutonnieres.

Hair & makeup – A great way to cut back is to do your own hair and makeup. Also, ask around. Your friends and family may know someone who is good at styling hair and applying makeup.

Address your own envelopes – Get your wedding party together to help address envelopes. The more people you have to help, the faster the process will go.

Coordinate the alcohol – Alcohol can be one of the biggest expenses on your wedding day. If the facility you are having your reception will allow, try to coordinate your own alcohol. It will save you tons of money. If they won’t allow off-site vendors, then you may want to consider only serving beer and wine.

Make the favors – Ask family and friends to help, but you can decorate the favors yourself. Have a nice photo of the two of you or make your own CD filled with your favorite tunes. These are great, inexpensive items that everyone will love!

If you would like to find more information and tips to planning a wedding on a budget, visit The Knot or the Wedding Channel. Both of these websites are filled with great tips and suggestions for planning your wedding.

Do you have any other tips? Share your thoughts by commenting on this article.

Karen Myers is the Marketing Specialist for Arizona Central Credit Union, where she has worked since July 2008. She moved to Phoenix from Boulder, Colorado last year.