Daylight Saving – not Savings – Time Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 14, and the ritual of changing the clocks this time of year reminds me that spring is right around the corner, and summer is not far behind. Although this has been a mild winter compared to previous years, I'm still looking forward to green grass and the bud of spring flowers. The phrase "Spring forward, fall back" often helps people remember how Daylight Saving Time affects their clocks. Before we go to bed – or the next morning, depending on your preference – we set our clocks or "spring forward" an hour ahead of the traditional Eastern Standard Time. In contrast, we return to standard time when we "fall back" at 2 a.m. on the first Sunday in November by setting our clock back one hour. In between, we live life an hour ahead of what we're supposed to, and this adjustment in virtual time was instituted in the U.S. during World War I in order to save energy for war production by taking advantage of the later hours of daylight between April and October. In 1966, Congress passed the Uniform Time Act, which standardized the length of Daylight Saving Time, but it was increased by four weeks in 2007 after passage of the Energy Policy Act in 2005. The Act extended Daylight Saving Time from the second Sunday of March to the first Sunday of November, with the hope that it would save 10,000 barrels of oil each day through reduced use of power by businesses during daylight hours. Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine energy savings from the hour adjustment and quite possible that little or no energy is saved by Daylight Saving Time. Here's your (not so) totally useless facts on DST: • The correct terminology is "Daylight Saving Time," not Daylight Savings Time, as we've been happily calling it all these years. • Hawaii, Arizona, Puerto Rico and other places that are either warm or near the equator don't observe DST because, well, they're just so darn sunny all the time. • According to Wikipedia, DST causes a five percent reduction in crashes fatal to pedestrians, so for the next six months it's technically five percent safer for you to cross the road without looking both ways. (But you didn't hear it from us.) • And lastly, Daylight Saving Time means we can finally enjoy after-work drinks while it's still light out, giving all office drones far and wide one more happy hour in which to get drunk. • On that note: Cheers! And Happy Daylight Saving Time! Here's some great offers for this week: $20 Jackson Hewitt Tax Preparation coupon Enjoy tax preparation savings simply by presenting this printable coupon to a tax preparer at any Jackson Hewitt Tax Service office or store and save $20 on your income tax preparation. Expires 12/31/10 http://www.jacksonhewitt.com/print.aspx?id=10187 Museum on Us – Free admission to over 100 museums Bank of America cardholders can get free general admission to museums, zoos, science centers, botanical gardens and more on the first full weekend of every month just by presenting your Bank of America card. http://museums.bankofamerica.com Free Workout Mix To download your free The Biggest Loser and Subway Workout Mix, enter a valid e-mail address. Your download will begin after you press the "Submit" button. www.podworkoutmusic.com/SUBWAY/ Free Bounce 4-in-1 Dryer Sheets www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?catg=14941 $5 Jennie-O Turkey Rebate Form http://jennieo.apfco.com/ Free week at Curves Valid only at participating locations in the U.S. and Canada. www.curvesinformation.com Kotex Panty Challenge www.kotex.com/na/ChallengeIntro.aspx Walgreens GDA (Good Deal Alert) - Kotex Feminine Care Products Buy three for $2.99 each, and you'll get $5 in Register Rewards. Go to www.coupons.com and use the $1.50/2 Kotex Liners printable coupon or the $1.50/2 Kotex Tampons printable coupon. Final Cost after coupons is as low as $2.50 for three. Walgreens GDA - Motrin PM Buy a 20-count Motrin PM for $2.99, and use the $3 off 2 coupons from the weekend coupon insert along with the $1.50 off 1 coupon found in the Walgreens March Book. Final cost after using the coupons is free. Walgreens GDA - Free Crest 3D Rinse Buy three Crest 3D Rinse for $9 and get $3 in Register Rewards. If you use 3 of the $2 off coupons found in the P&G Insert, your final cost after Register Rewards and coupons is free. Walgreens GDA- Lindsay Olives Buy two for 99 cents each, and if you use the coupon found in the ad along with the $1 off 2 printable coupon at www.lindsayolives.com, your final cost is only 49 cents. Note: All of the Walgreens offers expire Saturday. Free Bora Bora Bar www.boraborafoods.com/couples-retreat.aspx