A January recap:Tips and tricks to protect yourself, save time and get the most for your money.

January was an quite exciting month. After donning The Vigilant Consumer costume for the first time, I embarked on a journey, spreading the art of proactive consumerism - teaching people to protect themselves, save time and get more for their money. Along the way, I managed to give "The Finger" to BernieMadoff and sit down for a free lunch (which tasted much better than spam) courtesy of OpenTable. When my beloved Chargers lost in the playoffs, I turned up the free, feelgood tunes on my iPod touch (courtesy of Pandora) and drowned my sorrows in some eCommerce , trying to make a dent in the pile of gift cards I received during the holidays. Did I search for promo codes before buying? You betcha... especially since I need to save money after learning that The Governator might be sending me an IOU rather than tax refund this year.

If that read like complete gibberish, then you clearly have not been reading enough of The Vigilant Consumer. Now that Blagojevich will no longer make headlines that consume your each waking hour (I am sure I'll be eating those words), why not spend that freed up time indulging yourself in some more of what I'm throwing down. To make it easy for you to navigate the previous postings, I put links below. Don't worry, just like rollover minutes, they don't expire. Plus new ones are on the way!

If the opening paragraph strangely made sense to you, however, then you are one of the 600 loyal readers that has inspired me to keep this journey going. Please continue sending me feedback and story ideas at thevigilantconsumer.gmail.com. More importantly, spread the word to all your friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances and exes who might enjoy the blog. Are you a recluse, or like Madoff , do you no longer have friends? You can still help the cause. At the end of each posting you'll notice a little green icon with a less than symbol and the words "share this". Simply click this link and click either the "Reddit" or "Digg" service to tell the masses about The Vigilant Consumer. After a quick registration process (it just takes a few minutes), it'll only take a few seconds each time you want to help promote The Vigilant Consumer.

Check out the links to January's stories below.

• What is The Vigilant Consumer? - It's all about proactive consumerism, tips and tricks that can prevent you from getting screwed in the first place. Protect yourself, save time and get more for your money.
• Do you have a promo code? - When buying online, you should ALWAYS search for a "promo code". How to find these codes for huge savings.
• The next Bernie Madoff is knocking on your door. How do you protect yourself? - How to use some easy internet tools to protect yourself when selecting a financial adviser.
• Get spammed and save money. Top brands will throw offers your way! - How to save money by signing up for company newsletters.
• Buying an iPhone, iPod, Mac or any other Apple product? Visit MacRumors first. - One website you should always reference prior to purchasing any Apple product.
• I hate email spam... and I'm also not partial to the meat byproduct after which it is named. - How to use multiple email accounts to avoid spam from retailers, even when you want to receive info and coupon codes from them.
• Live in California? Pay your taxes ASAP or your refund might be an IOU. - Governor Schwarzenegger may be sending you an IOU rather than a tax refund this year. How to protect yourself in the future.
• Out of touch. One reason the newspaper industry is dying. - How trips to Naples just to eat pizza and "glam, glam, glam" are killing the newspaper industry.
• 4 tips to protect your holiday gift cards. - How do you protect your gift cards from getting lost, expiring, or burning a hole in your pocket.
• There ain't no such thing as a free lunch? Think again. OpenTable gets 3 Thumbs Up. - How OpenTable saves you time and money when making restaurant reservations. Take advantage of this service to enjoy Restaurant Weeks across the country - three-course, prix-fixe meals at top restaurants with some even donating money to charity.
• The Blog vs. Blago: A Tale of the Tape - A funny explanation of how The Vigilant Consumer (Blog) is much different than Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich (Blago)!
• Free music on your iPhone, iPod touch or home computer. Pandora scores 3 Thumbs Up. - In this time of change, expand your music horizon. Learn how Pandora.com entertains you as you discover new music on your iPhone,iPod, or home computer – for free.
• Mesothelioma - Things That Make You Go Hmm. - Ever wonder why your TV is dominated by Jacoby and Meyers type ads for lawsuits involving mesothelioma? Find out why these law firms spend so much to advertise online and on TV.
• To all BlackBerry users suffering iPhone envy. Download the Wall Street Journal Mobile Reader and see why it gets 3 Thumbs Up. - Fellow news junkies with BlackBerry mobile devices must check out the Wall Street Journal Mobile Reader.