Best store for you tech needs

Whoops, sorry its been so long! I'm busy trying to NOT spend money while I get ready for the holidays. But when I do finally decide to splurge, it'll be a on a deal of course!


ANywho, I don't know if I've mentioned this here before, but with the holidays upon us, there's lots of picture taking, and the cheapest place to get a SD card for your camera is hands down, MicroCenter. We've gotten them there as low as 1GB for $10, but even $15 is a steal. See if there's a store near you - it's the best store for tech deals. We got our video camera there, my laptop, you name it. SD cards are so expensive in Brasil, last year my husband had to go there during our Christmas vacay when we were back in the states and buy 1o for different people in his office. It made the 15 hour flight worth it:)

YAY MicroCenter!!

oooo, prizes???

Oh SNAP!! My fav baby-on-the-cheap site (babycheapskate!) had this link up - this is now my official web addiction - http://prizey.blogspot.com/ - links to different freebies and contests on the web. It tells you the "hoops" you have to jump through the get them - like e.mailing them or leaving a comment on a blog or whatever.

Hey, if Im going to waste time on the web, I might as well waste it with the possibility to win stuff!

Hackety hack!

4 of my FAVORITE websites that help me hack my way through life:
http://www.familyhack.com/
http://lifehacker.com/
http://www.parenthacks.com/
http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/ (this one gives ideas on different things to try with Ikea items - fab!)

Well anywho, there is arecent post on familyhack that is AWESOME on getting kids clothes on the cheap and the bunch of links to Amazon sales lists is my supppppper favorite!! 99 cents for a sweater??? AMEN!!!!

gifty cookies+free shipping= YUM

Again, what's with me being such a free shipping sap? But seriously, I get sucked in with it every time. Today, I'm craving cookies and sending gift-stuffs (it's close to Christmas, I can't help it!) and I stumbled on this:



Seriously delicious looking stuff, but free shipping is what makes my knees weak. It's my Achilles Heel, if you will:)

Free shipping. My favorite words!!

So there's a new kids clothier that is an off-shoot from Gymboree, but less expensive (figuratively, we all know Gymboree is not cheap!) - and for a limited time, FREE SHIPPING!!! I love that:) Go check out Crazy8.com!

Framed

I've been wanting to put up some posters in the basement, but dangit I can see myself framing them when poster frames can be so expensive, and I don't want to ruin thema nd just nail them to the wall. But this is a great option - poster hangers. A strip goes on the top and the bottom, easy and done. And they are just about $3 each! That's money I can handle:)

Cheapest everyday photos!

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I have found the best onlie or aywhere price for photo develops... $.10 every day?? Go check them out at Yorkphoto.com This just make my day:)

9 cent prints!

So, you've probably logged on and got an account with Snapfish just to get all those free prints. Now what? Well, now until Sept. 8th, the prints for existing account members

is just 9 cents a print! That's cheap, yo! Get all your pictures from the summer did and end the season right Use the code CLOUD9 when ordering.

http://www.snapfish.com/photolibrary/otsc=YES/otsi=cloud_9

Enjoy!

UPDATE:

Just found all these other tasty codes for Snapfish products at http://www.babycheapskate.blogspot.com/:

25% off memory books with code AFFMEMBK0907 (exp. 10/1)

20% off your order with code CCABSEP07 or XPCOUPONSEP07 (exp. 10/2)

$5 off $15 purchase with code AFF15PURCH (exp. 10/1)

Free shipping on 10 4x6 prints with code AFF10SHIP07 (exp. 10/1)

20 free prints plus free Flipbook for new members (exp. 9/30)

.99 Shipping credit with code CCRAZE99 or XPCOUPON99 (exp. 10/2)

Candy!!

Yay for Chelsea (and Olaf, of course - the greatest reader a blogger could ask for!!) and the deals they let us in on. Today, Chelsea turns y'all onto candy!!

So I found this awesome free candy bar offer. (Nestle) It tells
you how many are left that they're giving away (kind of nice) and if you
continue through the quiz they give you an additional buy one get one coupon to
boot.
http://www.playinyourday.com/
Share the love (after requesting one each for you and Jared and Solei
-- can't share, right?)

Note - they give out 2,000 a day, but you have to do it between 9-5pm Pacific Time.

Wooho!!! I'm off!!!

Dang. Cropped. Jacket.

Sorry I've been MIA, lately, every free second on the web has been spent trying to find a blasted cropped jacket for this strapless dress I bought this past summer. Everyone wears these (except for you, Olaf;) but dagnabit, NOONE sells them!! This post is just to brag that I found the faboo jacket at Wet Seal for under $20 after spending almost all bleeping month looking for it. For verrrry trendy clothes and accessories at cheap prices - I always go first to:
www.charlotterusse.com
www.forever21.com
www.wetseal.com
www.sammoon.com (for jewlery, bags, etc.)

Where do you go?

Thanks, SJP!

Am I the last person to hear about this??? Sarah Jessica Parker has a clothing line out where nothing is priced over $19.98. And it's cute, dagnabit!!! You can only buy them and Steve & Barry's stores for now but keep your eye out as they are promising to do online shopping soon.

I love the tagline - "Fashion is not a luxury, it's a right" - I agree!!!!

Prettiness!

I've mentioned it before, and yes we alllll love it, but I thought I'd remind you again about everybody's favorite make-up store, ELF - the $1 for everything play (drools).... I just went and got me some new fun eye shadow shades and for the price of maybe 2 colors at any other store, I got 10, woohoo!!! And check out these freebies:

•Pick your complimentary Product, free with any $10 order. (cannot be combined with any other offer)
A.)Free Cell Phone Lip Gloss charm. Coupon:CHARM
B.)Free Conditioning Balm. Coupon:BALM
c.)Free SOothing Lip Gloss. Coupon:GLOSS

Pick your FREE gift!

(I already have the cell charm and LOVE the colors!) GO pretty people!!

*Oh, and...*
Don't forget this Plumping Lip Glaze - it's my favorite splurge - puffy lips for $1??? Cheap is sooo sexy ;)

freebies!

Yay, freebis from our favorite local cheapskaitin' supporter Olaf!!

Free 3M Post-Its!!

Oo, and a free subscription to a Gourmet, Home or Food mag!

MERCI Olaf!!

Frimp!

OOooo, our master shopper Chelsea (and Etsy goddess!) has given the heads up to a cool site - Frimp, the online yardsale! In her words:

Looks to be a bit like CL, but not as good, yet. something to keep an eye out for.

Hey, I can use as many outlets as I can find to get cheap furniture! Thanks, Chelsea!!

nifty surprise!

Don't know about where you live, but yesterday my trip to Target yielded the coolest surprise - the Dollar Spot was 50% off!!!!!!!!! Hope it is for you - heck, I gotta go back!!!!!!!

Yay toys!!

Quick!!! Just till July 8th there's a massive 75% of sale online at Toys R Us. Lots of stuff is sold out, but I just bagged a few board games for less than $3 and a Mickey Mouse boombox for my bebe's room for $12.50!!

Dang, she's not old enough to use all these toys, but I sure am;)

Best. Shoe. Sale. Ever.

RUN don't walk!!! DSW shoes is having a huuuuge sale - with a whole bunch up to 80% off. I got some amazing shoes originaly $40 for $8, fabulous ones. I can't say enough about it, go, go go!!!!!!



PS I found a pair of adorable Keds that were navy and with $40 off, were still $21 and I just couldn't bring myself to do it. But then I found a white pair of the same shoe (I preferred it anyway) 80% off - they were $7!!!!!!! I'm still doing a happy dance!

See what I do for you??

When I moved to Geogia, I googled my favorite restaurants and retail stores to see what I could expect to find. And 3 years ago, there was ONE Jamba Juice in the entire state. But I found it and went to it plenty of times beforfe some weird company bought it out and ruined the dream. So I have no Jamba Juice, and yet I still let you have the link for a buy-one-get-one-free coupon good until July 7th, 2007?? Heck, I'm even giving you a link for store locations!

You can say it. I'm so wonderful.

Cheaskatin' for babies

Okay, another one for those of us with little 'uns. BabyCheapskate is a mommy blogger and every week in addition to the deals she finds, she also scopes aroundto find the best prices on diapers and formula. You want to know how much your brand of choice is at Target, or CVS, Walmart, etc.? SHe's got them, plus there are links to find the ads and deals at your local stores.

That's some smart mommy-ing ;)

Decorlicious!

My buddy Chelsea has equal love of the deal, and she just also happens to be all crafty and creative. This is a plug for her Etsy shop - CheaperByTheDozen. She made me an adorable sign for my daughter's bedroom, she just don't stop with them creations, and her prices are just right. She still just charged me a cool $5. Heh, for my own custom art?? Go check out the eye candy - you rule, Chelsea!!

Smells like gambling!

Hmmm, found another site like woot (details about the funnest site on the planet here) but I just stumbled on IHAVETOHAVETHAT.com and it looks like the same idea. Hey, it's like playing a free lottery, might as well add it to your list, Olaf!

Cheap List

We all have places that we like to buy certain things, because we know the prices are better. Hey, as veteran cheapskates, we don't just take what one store has to offer! So I thought it would be neat (with your help, please!) to compile a list of the best places we know to get our everyday and not-so-everday items.

Cleaning products- Dollar Tree
Moving into a new place, I needed lots of glass cleaner and the like all at the same time. A trip to Dollar Tree fixed that for super cheap!

Comfy PJs - Target
Love the selection, love the prices.

Tall Floor lamps - Wal-Mart
We just moved into a place without lots of light fixtures and needed some quick fixes to light up our rooms, and dagnabit Wal-Mart had ones for less than $9!

HARRY POTTER BOOK #7!!!!!! - Costco or Sams Club
If you want to stay up all night and pay Barnes and Noble prices for the last book, be my guest, but for cheapos who love their sleep, you can get them the day it comes out for around $10 cheaper than anywhere else. Nope, don't have to pre-order, just head to your local store and there will be a huge pile waiting for you. I did it for book 6 and it was awesome!

Travel-Size Toiletries - Walmart and Target
Ahhh! I'm messing with you! But isn't it true? Wal-mart has the basics for $.88 and Target has them for $.99. But Target has more selection and more fun things that you wouldn't plan on needing (but once you see them, you KNOW you need them, right?) I suggest stocking up on travel-sized necessities first at Wal-mart (like shaving cream, containers for expensive lotions and pills) then head to Target and get the fun (mostly cosmetics) stuff.

Shower Pouf -Wal-mart
At the Dollar stores they are a dollar. Not bad except you know they are not worth a whole 100 cents. 88 cents seems better to me.

Socks - Wal-mart
You know a big pack o' tube socks and such? And as Stephen COlbert says, since it is their policy to not prosecute any theft worth lass than $25, they are basically freeee!! (you know I'm kidding, right?)

Tower Fans - Big Lots
They are faboo and little ones can't get their fingers stuck in them. I shopped around and I got ours for under $20 so all is cool and frugal in our home!

Storage bins - Ikea
Plastic bins to put toys, craft things in and such? Ikea, $.99 in cool colors.

Produce - your local grocery store
No matter where I go, the best price and selection is always at my Kroger. Sometimes I get lucky at an Asian market or at a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods, but usually the most convenient and decent prices I find are at a reg'lar grocery store.

Baby Formula - Wal-mart
I don't scrape around for coupons, the Parent's Choice brand is about $11, whereas the reg'lar brands are about $25. Hmmm... easy choice!

Danielle's List:

(she was shopping at Target when she called me to give me some items for her list, obviously;)

Trident Spearmint Gum - Target
Wal-mart doesn't even carry it. Weidos.

Cotton Balls- Target
Dani is apparently very picky about her cotton balls because other store brands feel more plastic-y and not enough cotton-y to her. She called me from Target and gave me the rundown of their prices in her San Antonio store:
100 for $.89
200 for $1.67
300 for $2.29

Underoos - Target
Better selection, last longer. Maybe it's the brand there, is it Fruit of the Loom? Regardless, I've seen this petite 20-something rock a pair of Batman underoos and it is a sight to behold.


Now join in and tell me what your favorite places are for stuff!! I'll add it here so check back for updates!

Chelsea's Tip:

Sparkling Cider (aka Mormon Champagne) - Big Lots
They don't carry it at the $ store, $3+ at Walmart, but $1.50 at Big Lots! Chelsea says stock up during the summer for the holiday tipsies!

Yankeefied

Oooo, now I have more things to look forward to in the year - Yankee Candle not only HAS a Semi-Annual Sale, they are having their Semi-Annual Sale right now! Use code ASF34 to save $5 off $20+. Shipping is a $6 flat rate for orders under $100. There's probably a store in a mall near you too, so here's the store locator for ya.

Some sale items:

Tarts $1
Samplers $1
Car Jar Air Fresheners $1
Votive Holders $3
Tea Light Holders $3
3.7 oz Jars $5
Fragrance Oils $5
Tea Lights and Pillars $5
Electric Fragrancers Units & Refills $5
Potpourri $7
Jar Shades $7
Other Accessories for $7

Wheee!!!!!!!!!

She's got leeeegs!

Okay, this is not a craft blog, but this post shows how I saved myself $12-$20 plus shipping, heh heh. I am a mom to one very wiggly 8 month old daughter, and I recently got all geeked out about the product Baby Legs, basically, leg warmers for babies. It's a great idea, since you can leave them in a onesie and put them on and you can change their diaper without tugging pants off of them and they still have warm legs - although right now I'm less worried about warmth and more about keeping her from scratching up her knees as she crawls all over the place.

But oh, the pain of looking at all these cute thingys and knowing that the soft rainbow ones I wanted were $20.... good golly, I wouldn't spend that much on leg warmers for me!

And then I remember - I have these rainbow toe socks from my "cool" college days that the toes are getting worn out. The solution - cut 'em off and let her go to town!!The unwanted toes.

Then I really couldn't get a good shot of her in them since she wouldn't stop moving, but here's my brag shots anyway:

So, instead of paying $20 I just recycled some old socks:) It can be done with reg'lar ones too, just find some long socks and cut it at the heel.

Color me smart!

Buck love

This post isn't news, but I must admit one of my favorite parts about returning to the states was.... the dollar. Yes, the idea that just one dollar could get me a can opener (did you know they were at least $20 in Brasil?? Seriously!!) or just about anything for a luau and cards and cups and dish detergent... oh, I do love the dollar and what it can get me.

So yeah, you know about Dollar Tree .... can't say much more about it. We all know it freaking rocks. And then there's the dollar spot at Target - ooo, right now there's a bunch of great outdoor games and bubble things, and Simpsons memorabilia... as I said, this is not news. Just wanted to make a small tribute to all the things we can get for a dollar in this great country!


So here it is... in haiku form!!

entering for socks

then finding shirts and loofas

Twenty bucks buys lots!!

Ahhh... you can buy lots of stuff but they still don't sell talent:)

Work it!

When I was preggo, I wanted to exercize but running hurt and was too high impact, and joining a gym was too much commitment and cost. I did love using an eliptical machine back in the college days what with the low impact on the joints and such, but when I went to health stores to find them, they were always $1,000 and up. The answer?

Yup, Walmart had just the machine and it was just over $200. Now that's a splurge I can handle - I used it every morning as I watched the tube(healhy pregnancy, woohoo), and once we finish all this dang unpacking, I'm going to have loads of fun with it again!

Check out the options there - cheaper than a gym, a easy and great way to get your heart rate up and stay healthy while at home.

Free rootbeer float night!!

Whew! Speaking of free, don't forget, tomorrow June 7th from 8pm-midnight Sonic Drive-In restaurants are kicking off summer with free root beer floats!! Then, after that they are only $. 99 (for the duration of the summer I think?)

too... awesome.... speechless from joy.......

Birthday stuff

It's the husband's birthday (Thursday)!!!!!!! So, he was wondering what the payoff was, since many places have freebies for birthday boys and gals. I am so the right person to ask:)

I already blogged about free Coldstone, so that's one place to hit. Baskin Robbins has a birthday club too, so wheee, lots of brain freeze for your birthday! There's also a free burger at Red Robin and.. well, there's tons of stuff. You can check out a list at CaliforniaFreebies.com (not just for Cali folk) and a huuuuge list at Spoofee.com.

Celebrate, c'mon!!

Update - and anonymous tip for another treat at Macaroni Grill!

Macaroni Grill - smothered chocolate cake for .01 on your birthday. Yep,
one penny. I had it tonight. It was delicious. Thanks for sharing your tips - we
also signed up for the Cold Stone free birthday thing. My husband enjoyed it
last night and I'll have mine this weekend.

Gift survivalist

Okay, I know this is about 6 months early, but I thought I'd blog about it while it was fresh in my mind. I like to stockpile gifts to give to people, so after Christmas I like to hit the stores and grab all the "gift set" clearance I can find. Then throughout the year, if I find out it's someone's birthday or they need a pick-me-up I'm covered.

Yes, I'm just that awesome.

Anywho, the best place I've found is Joanne Fabrics right after Christmas. Stuff is 75% off (and sometimes more) right and left - I get candle sets, beauty stuff, journal/pen sets, all packaged as gift sets with bows already on 'em. Their gift wrap and bows are on sale as well. I'll remind y'all about it later, just spreading the joy now.

(By the way, here's a link to their clearance page... because you can't resist:)

Flash for less cash!

Um, so holy crap, just after I typed up the last post I saw this deal at spoofee.com:

Buy.com has the 4GB Sandisk Cruzer for $18.69 shipped after rebate.
Item has
a rating of 4.5/5.0 from 34 reviews.
Pricegrabber Price : $40 ~ $115 Shipped
1. Click here and click on "Redeem Coupon"
2. Search and Add
SDCZ6-4096-A10 ( Price : $51.25 )
3. Rebate Price : -$30.00 ( Exp : 06/10/07 )
Final Price :
$18.69 Shipped After Rebate

Less than $20 for a 4 Gig flash drive????

Why are you still here???

Microcenter is sooo dreamy.

Your camera needs SD cards, you need a flash drive to take info all over, these are just normal everyday needs. How much have YOU paid for one of these handy dandy little items? I have a fiend that was soo excited for getting a 1GB flash drive for $25. Ha! laughs the MissCheapskate. You call that a deal?? I shall show you a deal!

Microcenter is just about the chepest and best store to get your tech-type stuff, and they have 1 GB flash drives for a cool $9.99, and I've gotten 2GB SD cards there for $14.99. If you are lucky enough to live near one, go check the store out - I'm typing this on a laptop I bought there! They do ship though, so search away.

Now don't you look geeky smart.

Free kids movies all summer long!

Weeeee!! This link was on one of my favorite sites, ParentHacks (Which in itself is an awesome site to know) - Free summer kids movies!! I wanna go right now!!!

Coupon books make me happy.

You are already checking out a website with the word Cheapskate in it so I can easily assume you have no problems using a coupon. Yay, the 2007 Entertainment book (that big fat thing with all the coupons in it) is now $9.99 plus shipping, down from $27.99 Lots of fun buy-one-get-one-free goodness and miniature golf rounds and cheap movie tickets and whoopee!! Go check out what is available for your town here.

And then go mad with coupon-y goodness!

Calling all tall girls

Okay, I may be a little behind the times here, but being an Amazonian woman, I figured that to get a pair of jeans I loved and that would reach the floor, I had to spend at least $50 at the Gap. But ah-ha, not so. I'd previously gotten jeans from Old Navy before and they'd all ended up making me look like a freaking sailor. But yesterday as I was mucking around our local ON, trying to use up my Mother's Day gift card, I discovered that Old Navy jeans have not only gotten cooler over the years, they also have short, regular and LONG sizes!!! And may I say, I look so super hott. The most expensive ones were about $29.95 and mine were a cool $25, which is a fair price for something I'll end up wearing every day. Oh yeah, and my tush looks INCREDIBLE in them.

Just thought you'd like to know ;)

PS It's flip flop season too, and they also have the best selection of $5 and under flops in the land.

Semi-Annual Sale!!!!

It's finally here!!! The semi-annual sales at Bath and Body Works and Victoria's Secret!!!! Mar your calendars, people - June 4th, 9am. If you are of the female persuassion, I'd head to Victoria's first because it's usually packed and you wanna get there to get your size before it's gone. But then, off to Bath and Body Works and go back often, because each week has new sales and such for 3-4 weeks. Some sales I've gleaned so far:

$1 Glycerin Soaps
$1 NEW! Signature Collection Freshwater Cucumber & Sea Island Cotton 2 oz Body Lotion
$2 Select Lip Products (save up to $4)
$3 First Time Ever! ALL Signature Collection Creamy Body Wash & Shower Gel (save up to $6.50) (June 4-6 Only!)
$4 Signature Collection Classic Fragrances (Select Fragrances)
$5 All Wallflowers® Starter Kits and Refills (save up to $7.50) (June 4-10 Only!) - this is a GREAT deal!
and up to 75% off select items

Ask the employees what next week's sale will be because what you want might be on sale then. And stock up for gifts to give throughout the year - who doesn't like smelling purty?? It's the happiest day of the year, people!!!

Airline Experiment

Just heard about this new airline out of Columbus, OH called Skybus that is breaking a heckuvalotta rules when it comes to airlines. Tickets can cost as low as $10 one way. Not a typo. They cut corners everywhere, they don't even have a phone number! You pay for extras you want, like $5 to check in a bag, or for food on the plane, or my personal favorite, $10 to load onto the plane first. They only fly to a few airports now, but if it works out, it could get verra interesting. If you live in any oth these cities you should check it out:
Boston (Portsmouth, NH), Columbus, OH, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Greensboro, NC, Kansas City, MO, Los Angeles (Burbank, CA), Richmond, VA, San Francisco (Oakland, CA), Seattle/Vancouver (Bellingham, WA)

If I did, I'd sure try a weekend getaway just to see what the fuss was about!

nice nails

Okay, so it has been an insanely long time since I posted, but I DID just move back to the states and I'm going through some delightful culture shock. All the shopping available!! SO many deals to be had! Don't know where to start!!!




Buuut, I will start here. I was at Wal-Mart the other day shopping around for nail polish - when I stumbled on a deal. I must use the quick drying stuff or it's a waste, I mess everything up before it dries. But that's usually the most expensive stuff, and most of the colors I found in those brands were blah blah.

And theeennn, haha! I spied the Rimmel brand (you know, the London look) had a new 60-second drying polish in faaabulous colors for around the $1.50 mark! There was also a sparkly version with glitter that was a about dollar more (which I got, I mean it's still a splurge if it's under $3, mmhmm).

So go get your digits all shiny! Goooooo!!

Chaaalllllkboard!!!

Holy crap. Martha Stewart RULES this one people!! Who else has headed through Home Dept and noticed chalboard paint and had the desire to paint something in their house with it so you'd have a chalkboard door or wall?

Martha figured out how to do it without having to buy really expensive chalkboard paint (it is pricey) - you can do it with any color paint you want, too!!! Check it out!!

Oh, and the best price you'll get on paint is at Walmart - I talked to an employee once there, who told me that most of their brands are actually made by the big paint companies you'd find at Home Depot. IIIiiiinteresting. Dang, I need another house so I can do this...

Some kiddie links

Found a new website the other day with some great parenting idears - ParentHacks.com. Lots of delish ideas for anyone, really!

And One the lovely Scrumdillydo, the had the coooolest idea for easy and cheap tub foam!! (you know, that stuff kids can use to write on the walls of the tub during bathtime that washes off, fun but over-priced?) Colored shaving cream - and she's got oodles of ideas to use it with too! Enjoy!

The Doctor is IN!

Oh good golly, I know I am an old woman and when I was in my cool years, Doc Martens were IT. I still have my pair of red patent leather boots - that my mother has stolen. Of course... she DID pay for them... Well, now I can get my OWN Docs, and so can you since they are having a faboo $20 and $30 sale right now! (with free shipping!!!) Go, snap 'em up and be cool. Like me. Ten years ago. I mean it - I WAS cool! My mom has pictures.

Announce yourself

Heeeeelllllloooooooooooooo .............. ?????????????

Sorry for the long hiatus, the cross-planet move has taken more out of me than previously thought, but I have already partaken on the delights of American deals. Gaahh, Target $1 Spot, anyone???

Now for now, here's a DUH moment - but I thought I'd post it anyway. If you are in the market for business cards, there's VistaPrint - the freeeee business card online peoples. 250 free really customizable cards that look fabulous, you just pay shipping. Now, they do have a small advert on the back, but if you want to pay more for them, it is removed. And right now, there is a trial afoot that makes the $19.00 fancy advert-free cards only $3.99. And geez, they look fabulous! Hubby designed e some free ones with my picture, no less!! Only problem is, I can't order them until I have an address and a phone number;) Well, first things first!!

Threadless and loving it

Want to be wity without having to come up with anything ineresting to say? Try a Threadless shirt! Until Monday March 12th, most shirts are only $10, and it's free just to check out the insanely witty shirts on their site, so hop to it!

Mystery Shopping?

I really can't tell you how I stumbled on this, but stumble I did and now I'm curious to see if anyone else has any experience with Mystery Shopping? I found some interesting articles on Stretcher.com, including one that describes in great detail the inner-workings of the biz, another with some handy advice from the horse's mouth, and another article of a woman who has done it for 20 year and has some handy tips. It's the kind of thing that isn't a full time job, but if you work it right, could get you some extra cash or an excuse to go out. Methinks I'll check this out when I gets back to the land of the free...

Accessorize me

So in my many enlesssearches for looong modest tee-shirts, I've come by the Kalon Clothing site a few times, and the think I'm most struck with is how AWESOME their clearance jewlery is, of all things. I'm seriously considering getting the bangley braceltes for gifts for Christmas next year (I know a lot of bangley bracelet-type ladies) and what about this necklace for $4.50???

That's the kind of accessory that is so awesome, you want to buy an outfit just to show it off. And since you're a cheapskate, you probably can get that on clearance too:)

More free photos!!

Another free prints deal because hey, I just had a baby and I have a ton of pictures I need to get printed! Check out Photoworks.com - right now they have 25 free 4" x 6" digital prints AND if you are a new members, you also get another extra 25 free prints. Don't forget the coupon code for the 25 free to everyone is 25FREEPRINTS. You do need to pay $1.99 for shipping, but that's 2 bucks for 50 pictures, people?! I don't know how long this is going so hop to it!

Involves Chocolate.

Holy crap, Amazon.com has a 2LB capacity chocolate fountain for the low low price of $10.99! That's 78% off the original price! It comes with 8 fondue skewers and serving tray and has dishwasher-safe parts (wow, I already have one but it makes me want ANOTHER!) Plus if you need to get anything else on Amazon, get it all at the same time because any orders over $25 are free shipping. Throw a party just because you scored this!!

::EDIT::
Sorry, Chelsea, apparently the deal was for a short time, I'm so sorry!!! I did search around and the best price I found was here at $28.99 with an additional 5% off for St. Pats Day. Gotta snag that early worm!

Tours across America

Just one post for today, I was busy roaming the largest mall in South America (where, might I brag, I snagged a pair of shorts for US$10 that I had considered buying for US$20 in the states? HA!).

But, I did manage to run across a nifty little website called FactoryToursUSA.com that lets you search for factory tours by state. Some are free, some are not, but good golly I do loves to see me some HowIt'sMade-ness. Planning a vacay? Find out what you can snag along the way. Bored in your hometown? See how they make matresses. I for one discovered that a small company actually makes soft drink beverages right in Atlanta. I must check out this Coca-Cola I've just heard about. Hrm.

Intraweb piktures

Okay, this has nothing to do with my shopping addiction, but I just like free junk on the web, sue me. ImageChef.com makes easy, custom pics with your words on it that you can post to your blog, myspace, e.mail, whatever. Why? I dunno, give your blog or e.mails some pop. You can waste some time on the web, since you've been so busy saving money. You've earned it.

Freeeeee kid distract-er!!

Everyone has seen all the childhood obesity warnings in the news lately, right? Well the government is taking a wee bit of action and is sending out free kiddo exercize DVDs to whoever wants them. Well, maybe just Americans. I wonder if it's a problem since my kid is Brasilian? Well, in either case, go snap up a copy. Because free is the best price EVER.

*(Chelsea, I know you don't have kids yet, but you totally can't help but want one, right?? heh heh)

School stuff. But more fun. And more cheap.

Flipping through the intraweb today I found a tasty site called Discount School Supply, with lots of edumacational things as well as craft supplies for the cheapness. And of course, yours truly went to the clearance page first and had everything priced low to high (that's how I roll, yo) and for no reason whatsoever, I want to buy lots and lots of watercolor paints and packages of feathers. Because it's on sale, and that is also how I roll. Yo.

Made in the Shade

Woohoo, Shade is on sale??? For the month of March, get your hands on some of the best long shirts on the market (I have 2 of the $5 Raglans, so cute!). Get crackin!

All bling and no bust!

So it you are lucky enough to find yourself in Dallas (yes, it's not attractive but the people are so freaking sweet), you should get even luckier and stop by Sam Moon Trading Company. My girl Urmi hooked me up with a trip to this place a few years back, and I still have happy dreams about it. SUPER cheap wholesale prices on jewlery, handbags, accessories, you name it. It's funny, because every time I go there there are mobs of women all over the place - still worth it:)

But NOW - you can buy from their website!!! Today I am eyeing cute charm bracelets for under $5. Go treat yourself to a gander - gotta love it.

When to shop!

Found this handy-dandy shopping calendar on Tales From the Crib about when to hit the sales.

Bargain Shopping Calendar

January -Almost everything goes on sale in January. It’s a good time to pick up formal clothing, dressy shoes, and fancy accessories at no-nonsense prices.

February - Stores are in a hurry to clear floor space for spring lines, so look for rock-bottom prices on remaining winter-clothing stock. Snap up a winter coat and boots, and search the bargain bins for steals on hats, scarves, and gloves.

April - Shop "After Easter" sales for children's clothes, dresses, spring coats (slickers and trench coats) .

July - Buy summer clothing, swimsuits, shoes & sandals during sales in July. Many stores have concurrent lingerie and underwear sales.

August - Gear up for next summer now while all summer clothes, bathing suits, sandals, and hats are at a rock bottom prices.

October - Those new school shoes are probably reduced by now, as are sneakers and book bags. Outerwear, from leather jackets to wool coats, is also priced to sell fast. The best coat sales take place in the first half of October, around Columbus Day.

November-December - In the fierce competition for pre-holiday business, stores have begun offering the traditional post-Christmas sales earlier.

Do you Woot?

So, one of my husband's very first web visits of the day is to Woot.com. An insane little website, it only sells one thing a day, and when it's sold out, it's gone. All technology stuffs, all over the place, it's fun and you can get lucky. I have a fabulous mp4 player (video, music, pictures, records off TV, plays onto TV, so freaking awesome) he got me for a cool $120 on the site. My parents got their Roomba there too. You have to check it every day, the descriptions and comments can be hilarious, but all in all, it's a total trip. Today there's an mp3 player for $17.99 that is mighty serviceable.

It's the kind of place that when you get a deal, you really do want to say WOOT!, y'know??

Can you handle the truth??

When we moved into our house, we knew the kitchen needed a major overhaul. Instead of replacing the cabinents, I spent 4 months lovingly repainting them. Hey, I was a newbie so this was all learning process. But I was stunned to discover how expensive handles and knobs were for them! Lucky for us, we happened to live in the same town as an Ikea (insert heavenly angels singing from above) so instead of $2.99 for each handle (we had to buy like 30), we got these that come in a pack of 6 for $1.99. Heh, that's like $.33 each - woooooooot!

Oh, and if you are one of the poor souls that don't know what Ikea is (you probably aren't reading this because you are busy under your rock;) it is not only the funnest furniture store ever, it's the cheapest and oh, oh so magical. Hubby and I have headed there for their $.99 breakfast on lazy Saturdays many a time...... *Ikea I love you. Don't tell the Jetta.*

ps. Sorry for the title, I just HAD to.

New Yooooooork!

Ooo, I don't suggest the website (it's spotty) but if you have time, head over the your local mall with a New York & Co. - they're having a 50% off sale! I've gotten some great clearance items there, so it's worth the excavation.

Generally, I like dollars

My MIL is staying in Florida and informed me of a children's clothing sale at a Dollar General down there - don't know if this is a country-wide things seeing as I'm not in the country, but a trip to your local Dollar General never hurt anyone!

oh baby!

Don't know if anyone else is into figuring out this baby thing, but if you are, here are 2 homeade bargains I found today@ mormonchic.com:

Homemade Baby Food
Fruits & Vegetables
* Wash fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly to remove any chemical residue.

* Steam or boil your baby’s favorite fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables until mushy. Use fresh fruits and veggies for the most nutritional value, frozen next, and canned as a last option. If you use canned veggies, be sure to use the "No Salt" versions. Use little or no spice.

* Puree the fruits or vegetables very well for smaller infants, or leave a bit coarser for older ones. For variety, mix two fruits together. If these are the first foods you are feeding your infant, you may even want to strain the pureed fruit. You can purchase an inexpensive baby food maker that does this for you.

* Spoon into ice-cube trays and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze.

* At meal time, simply pop out a few cubes of food and allow to thaw to room temperature or defrost in the microwave for a few seconds.

* You can make weeks worth of meals at a time!

I'm totally digging the idea of storing it in ice cube trays and just popping them out and nuking them at meal time. Ingenius!

Homemade Baby Wipes
1 roll of Bounty or Viva paper towels (others will shred)
Use a serrated knife or coping saw to cut the roll of paper towels in half.
You'll also need a container-- a leftover "large-size" store-bought wipes container (the kind that comes in a roll) that has a hole in the lid; or a Tupperware container that's about the same size, you will have to lift the lid each time.
2c water
1T Johnson & Johnson Baby Oil
1T Johnson & Johnson Baby Shampoo (other brands will mold before you finish the roll)
After you cut the paper towels in half, put one-half aside for the next batch. In the container, Stir the liquid mixture well, and then place the half-roll of paper towels in the container. Put the lid on, and shake a few times to saturate the towels. Lift the lid and pull the first "wipe" from the middle. They should tear off easily after that. These cost about 50 cents a batch, as opposed to $2.00+ for store bought brands.

Victoria's Secrets on sale

Woohoo! I usually only do my Victoria's Secret shopping at their semi-annual sales, but their site has an up to 70% off sale now, and you're more likely to find what you want on the site than pushing people out of your way digging through the sale bins;) Shoes, shirts under $10, pants, the usual under-goodies and more. Enjoy!

I prefer Frugality to Reality

Sorry for the delay! I've been stranded in the southern hemisphere without a husband it has a way of doubling the workload. No worries, we're moving back to the land of deals and Mexican food in a week and a half, woooot!

Anywho, thanks to our fav newlywed for the tasty website from about.com on frugal living for parents. It's got some handy tips, and I must say my avorite is the first:

I have six kids (four still at home). For a snack, I save the juice from
canned fruit. I add a little water and make pop-cycles. The kids love it and I'm
not throwing the juice down the drain.

Genius! I could got for a mandarin orange pop right about now!

Cutest gift idea ever

As everyone who knows me knows, I am a fondue addict. I have (in my opinion) the world's best cheese recipe, and good golly the easiest chocolate recipe in the world. Heck, my fondue/sushi parties were legends back in college! So a few years ago, I had a roomate get me the utlimate present - the Mini Fondue Kit/Book!

So tiny, yet absolutely fabulous and fun. The book even has tons of recipes, a tiny pot, skewers and a tea light to heat it!! The portions are enough for 1 and a half people but the fun is how it is just a blast to make and have as a conversation piece at a party. A few years ago I got it for a friend of mine, and she equally flipped. It's so tiny and thoughtful and cute and the perfect gift when you have no CLUE what else to get. There are awesome mini book kits that are the same adorable premise, from sushi to gardening to origami!

Amazon.com has a list of some cute mini books available, and then, of couse, you want to shop around;) I got mine at Walmart.com for a cool $6.67 plus $.97 shipping. Hey, if a friend is having a bad day, send them the mini Spa Kit and let them know you're thinking of them. Cheaper than flowers, and funnier too!

Check out her peary whites

Much thanks to her Gabbiness for this great jewelry link!!

Speaking of catalogs: For the craft-minded people out there, one of my favorite
craft sites is http://www.firemountaingems.com/. On the main page you can order their free (humongo), color catalog. It's filled with gorgeous beads (including pearls and Swarovski), jewelry and ideas, and the best part is, since they're wholesale, the more you buy, the more you save! (For example, a 16-in., cultured fresh-water pearl strand, can be as low as $4.85. Granted, you have to be 200 strands to get that price, but.... And if you just want a couple of strands, they're about $9/strand. Also, the quality may not be as great as if you went to a high-end jeweler, but if you're just making something with pearls, this is a great deal.)

Thanks for the new obsession!!

Go out on the town without having to go all out

Ooooo, so I just spied this on spoofee and I'm in hunt mode. Restaurant.com lists local restaurants where you can buy $25 gift certificates there for just $10. Sounds smart? WELLLLL, hurry up folks because if you buy before February 28th and follow these handy dandy directions, you can get 60% off that - that's $4 for $25 worth of food!!

1. Go to restaurant.com.
2. Enter a zip code to shop.
3. Click Add to Cart for the certificates you'd like.
4. Click "Check Out" and enter code DINE for 60% off.
Click "Recalculate Total" to apply your savings.

As my mom says, why should I pay that much for something that is just going to turn into poop?? heehee:)

Pictures of you are even more beautiful when they're free!

I just spied a deal on slickdeals.net that has be thinking happy thoughts -

Snapfish is offering a free 11x14 poster print using coupon code
PUBLIXFREEPOSTER. Shipping is $1.99 and tax is charged in some states.
They also have coupon code FEBAFFSH25 for free shipping up to 25
prints.

Woohoo! I can always use free prints, but a poster??? Good golly, the only problem is figuring out which pic to use!! Now it is for new customers only and expires February 28th, so get moving!!

More links than a fence!

Whew, be careful what you wish for! Much thanks to Olaf for his list of favorite deal sites on the web, they are indeed maaahhhhvelous!! I'm having way to much fun with them:) Here's the rundown of Olaf's Greatest Hits and such:

http://www.hotdealsclub.com/
http://www.slickdeals.net/
http://www.dealcatcher.com/
http://www.xpbargains.com/
http://www.bensbargains.net/
http://www.spoofee.com/
http://www.dealone.net/
http://www.cheapstingybargains.com/
http://dealnews.com/
http://www.techbargains.com/

These all have deals that range all over the place from food to technology. Whatever your niche, you'l probably find something! Much thanks and love to Olaf, and enjoy the surfing!!

Woohooo! free overnight shipping!

Quick quick!! For the rest of the month of February, anything you buy on Endless.com has free overnight shipping!! Of course I clicked on all the sale items first, and it has the most adorable kiddo raingear on clearance. Free instant gratification feels ohhhh so good!

The robots are taking over and I love it!

So you've seen the pictures of those crazy robot vaccums and thought "must be nice to be the ultra-rich and be able to afford such fancy schmancy technological advances," right? Well if you didn't, it's okay. Not many people say the wrds "fancy schmancy," let alone think of them. Truth is, the iRobot Roombas are a lot more affordable than you might think. The basic vaccums have come down in price as they've added newer ones to the mix.

We have a Roomba Red, and we didn't buy it, we got it free with a Home Depot promotion when you had them install new carpet (we were going todshop around on installers and then I saw that beautiful RED, RED Roomba an my husband couldn't talk me out of it!). It's one of the basic models, but for what it does, I'm crazy about it. I just turn it on and walk away (if I can, it's hypnotizing to watch - and if you press any button on your TV remote while it's on, it changes direction heehee!) and when it's done, the carpet looks nice and fluffy. I still need to give it a good regular vacuum every now and then, but in between it maintains the wear of the floor well and I have to do it less. I like less:)

So when we found out his elderly grandmother was having trouble vacuuming her house, he popped on ebay and got one for around $100 shipped to her place and she adored it. Heck, we even found a deal on their new Scooba and bought it because all our floors here are tile, but right after we bought it we got a housekeeper and now we're moving, so we'll have to get a new place to make good use of it:)

Check out ebay and see how doggone cheap they can be. You don't need all the fancy doodads like extra virtual walls or docking stations, and if you do decide you want them later, you can get bargains on them on ebay as well.

Hey, if robots are going to be infiltrating our world, at least we can be the masters for a little while!