Earth Fare's $5 Lunch Fills You Up ; ON A DIME

Now through Tuesday, get a heck of a lunch deal at all Earth Fare locations.

For $5, you get half of a wrap or a pizza slice, plus chips and a cup of soup. Popular wraps include the chicken Caeser, turkey BLT and hummus veggie. Or you can create your own.

Sign up for emails to hear about Earth Fare's latest deals at earthfare.com, or follow them on Twitter: twitter.com/EarthFare

Christmas shopping in July

You know you're a certified frugal shopper when your holiday shopping starts in the summer. That's because you can save by using layaway plans and if you start payments now you'll be paid off by December.

What is layaway? Of course one smart way to keep your holiday budget in check is to go with layaway plans, an old shopping notion that is making a comeback. Pick your items now (which ensures you'll have everything you want come the holidays), the store puts them aside until you pay off your bill off in monthly increments and you avoid interest charges. Keep in mind, some stores charge a nominal layaway fee.

Who has it? Sears brought back it's storewide layaway plan last year. Other stores that offer the services include Marshalls, TJ Maxx, Burlington Coat Factory and K-Mart. You can also go the way of virtual layaway plans with online retailers, such as HSN.com (Home Shopping Network), elayaway.com and lay-away.com.

Like anything, you have to protect yourself when using layaway services.

Read the store policy and fine print. Look for extra charges and pay-back rules. Keep a copy of the policy with store receipts and records of payment.

Pay on time. Remember, the store holds onto your payments and merchandise until you pay off the bill. Paying late could mean your items go back on the shelf and/or late fees and interest could kick in.

Choose your store carefully. Local mom-and-pop stores may offer layaway, but you want to make sure you deal only with reputable companies. If a store goes out of business, you could lose your gifts and cash.

Worth noting: Kmart.com and Sears.com are already offering holiday deals on gift items, holiday decor and appliances.

Top 10 foods that cause accidents

Drivers who eat while driving run the risk of paying more for car insurance. It's a fact, although it's not officially one of the questions on an application for auto insurance. Eating while driving is one of the most distracting things you can do, according to a study released by the National Highway Traffic Safety. Eighty percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involve driver distraction.

Distractions, like eating, such as eating can become a problem for drivers who can't react quickly to a sharp curve or another driver's sudden stop. Unfortunately, just one accident may increase your car insurance rates as much as 25 percent.

Top 10 foods to avoid while driving

1. Coffee. Even with a travel lid, hot coffee can find its way out of the opening when you hit a bump.

2. Hot soup. Many people drink it like coffee and run the same risks.

3. Tacos. Any food that can disassemble itself will leave your car looking like a salad bar.

4. Chili dogs. Huge potential for drips and slops down the front of clothing.

5. Hamburgers. From the grease to the toppings, it could end up on your hands and the steering wheel.

6. Ribs and wings. What's more distracting than licking your fingers?

7. Fried chicken.Greasy hands.

8. Jelly doughnuts. It's not possible to eat one without watching the center.

9. Soda. Carbonation. Fizz in the nose. Lids that leak. Disaster.

10. Chocolate. Try to clean melted chocolate off the steering wheel without swerving.

Exxon surveyed 1,000 drivers and discovered more than 70 percent of drivers eat while driving and 83 percent drink beverages.