Upgrading our finances is the place most people want to start, according to MarketWatch personal finance columnist and lifestyle expert Jeanette Pavini, but even more Americans are looking to upgrade their lives in some way. According to a new Harris Interactive poll, commissioned by the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, 93 percent of respondents want to upgrade their lives in 2012.

“It’s all about making small changes that don’t feel like you’re cutting back, and then adding a small indulgence to make you feel good,” says Pavini. “Whether you want to feel better about your relationships, your health or your career, focus on small changes that can turn an average experience into a sensual, enjoyable, satisfying one.”

Pavini offers some financial and lifestyle tips that can help you upgrade your 2012 and get the year off to a great start.

1. An easy way to start saving money is to stop going out for lunch every day. The average deli lunch is close to $9 per day, while making that same sandwich, lunch and drink at home can cost less than $2. “Upgrade the experience by including a piece of premium chocolate,” Pavini suggests. “You’ll add a bit of glamour into your everyday life, while saving a lot of money.” Follow this as often as you can and you can save up to $1,800 per year – perfect to use to start saving for a relaxing vacation somewhere luxurious.

2. Look for easy ways to indulge. Our busy lives can often make it challenging to indulge in a nice meal or vacation, and according to a recent Harris Interactive survey, 63 percent of women and 54 percent of men say they would spend more on premium chocolate when they felt like indulging. Adding a premium chocolate bar to your bag lunch or after a nice dinner at home is one way to indulge without breaking the bank. Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk, the newest line of milk chocolate made for the connoisseur, is one way to do that with three new flavors: Gourmet Milk Creamy Devotion (32 percent cacao milk chocolate), Gourmet Milk Sea Salt Escape and Gourmet Milk Coconut Rendezvous.

3. Cook extra. Another way to save is to cook extra food at night when you make dinner and bring the leftovers for lunch – or keep them in the freezer when you’re in a pinch. Casseroles, soups and chilies freeze well and keep their taste when reheated. Most cooked dishes will last for two to three months in the freezer. Cooking meals on your own ensures that you have the best ingredients and no hidden calories.

4. Indulge at home. A night on the town can be costly but don’t let that discourage you from having a romantic date night. Turn your kitchen into restaurant with a white tablecloth, good dishes and candles.

5. Think long term when it comes to saving money. For most homeowners one extra mortgage payment a year can shave about eight years off their mortgage. It may not seem like a lot at the time, but over a lifetime, that can mean tens of thousands of dollars in savings.

6. Check the benefits of membership. Many museums sell family memberships for a discounted rate, which can sometimes include free or discount admission to hundreds of other museums, aquariums, zoos and science centers.

7. Nothing can add to romance like a relaxing massage. Check out local massage schools for deep discounts. Students who are about to graduate need to get their hours in, and you can benefit by getting a professional massage at a fraction of the cost.

8. If you love a high-end dining experience, eat out for lunch instead of dinner. Many of the same dishes are offered at half the price. And instead of paying for dessert and coffee, which can add another $25, have a Ghirardelli Gourmet Milk chocolate bar waiting at home or the office for a perfect finish to a meal.

The post Eight Savvy Ways to Upgrade your Finances and Lifestyle in 2012 first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

While many consumers are familiar with shopping online, it’s still important to take some necessary precautions to protect your privacy, according to FindLaw.com, the Internet’s leading online source for legal information, and to ensure that what you buy arrives before Santa does.

Here are seven tips from FindLaw.com about shopping online this holiday season:

Shop Early and Save
The best way to avoid the holiday shopping rush, even online, is to shop early. This may sound crazy, but write up a holiday shopping list as early as possible – and start shopping right away – months before the holiday season begins. You’ll not only find more bargains (reducing your overall holiday expenses), but you’ll spread out your shopping so you won’t face a major credit card bill in early January. Plus, you’ll know that your holiday gifts will be there on time, which will allow you to avoid holiday stress.

Shop Reputable Online Retailers
Shopping online with major retailers such as Walmart, Sears, Target, Barnes & Noble and Amazon poses little risk. Organizations such as eBay, Yahoo Shopping and Bing Shopping make some effort to check out and rate merchants who do business through their sites. If you’re shopping with a lesser-known retailer, look for reviews and ratings on Google about the retailer before shopping.

Secure Site
When you place your order, make sure the site where you’re entering your credit card or PayPal information is secure. Here are a couple ways to tell: Look in the Web address bar. If there’s an “s” after “http” and a closed padlock icon to the right of the browser address, the site is secure.

Privacy Policy
Most consumers ignore or overlook a vendor’s privacy policy. A privacy policy states what the vendor will do to safeguard your credit card and personal information. If you don’t see a privacy policy on the vendor’s website, or you don’t like what it says, shop elsewhere.

Return Policies
Regardless of whether you’re shopping for a holiday gift online or from a catalog, make sure you understand the retailer’s return policy. Because you’re buying an item that you can’t see or touch, and because it’s being transported, the product you buy online may not meet your expectations. Make sure you know if and how an online retailer handles returns and exchanges.

Keep your Receipts
When you buy a product online, print out the receipt at the time you’re ordering the product. Save it and make sure to compare it to the receipt that comes with the product when it is delivered to your home or office to ensure that you received everything you ordered, and that you were correctly invoiced.

Coffee Shops and Airports
Many people like to head to their local coffee shop and peruse the Internet on the shop’s free Wi-Fi. What many may not realize is that person sitting next to you sipping a double latte may actually be a hacker attempting to capture your personal data. As tempting as it is, never shop while using a public Wi-Fi network at the coffee shop or in the airport, and never leave your computer unattended, even for a quick trip to the bathroom.

The post Safeguard your Privacy while Shopping Online first appeared on The How Do Gardener.