Never Waste Money On Gifts Again!

I've been told that I'm an oddity when it comes to receiving gifts, in that I absolutely adore every single gift I get, from the blingy watch my husband bought for me a few birthdays back to the scribble drawing my three-year-old nephew created for me this birthday. I don't care what it is, as long as I get something. 

Warehouse Club Pricing Codes to Know

I don’t have a car, so I don’t get to shop in bulk at those glorious warehouse stores as much as I’d like. But, don’t cry for me. I’m good at talking a car-owning friend into dropping me off and picking me up; and when I do, my favorite things to buy at Sam’s or Costco are salsa, wine, and batteries – in bulk, of course.

I just found out that many warehouse clubs have secret pricing codes to indicate an item’s status – re-ordered, cancelled, etc. For example, at Sam’s Club if a price ends in $0.01 the price has probably been recently reduced due to cancellation or to make shelf space for newer items. At Costco, look for prices that end in $0.97, as this may indicate a markdown and a great reason to stock up.

Know any other secret pricing codes that I should know to get my salsa, wine and batteries for even less? Do share!

Buy Furniture on a Budget

 Have you ever walked through a model home and thought to yourself: “The house is ehhh, I wouldn’t buy it. But some of the decorations and furniture inhere are perfect!” Me too.

Turns out, you don’t have to just lust over that cute dining room set! If you see something you like in a model home be bold and ask the sales office when the furniture might be available for sale. Such sales offer the model home furnishings for as much as 70 percent cheaper than retail.

How do you find these model homes? Go for a drive through the newer housing developments in your city, as these neighborhoods may still be under construction and still in the selling stages. Check out the websites below, too, which list model home furniture auctions/sales for cities across the country.

Buildersauctioncompany.com

Lagesseauctions.com

Extrafurniture.com

Good Things Come in $1 Packages

I recently read on Washingtonpost.com that the Dollar Tree, the nations third-largest deep-discount retailer, is one of the few retailers that is making gains in this tough economic market. Surprising? I think not.

The Dollar Tree rocks! Where else can you know your total cost just by counting the number of items in your cart?

Here’s a list of some the BEST things I’ve found at the Dollar Tree stores. What are your favorite scores at dollar stores?

Conditioner (use it as a moisturizing shampoo)

Gummy Bears (movie candy...hello!)

Cleaning supplies (buy in bulk)

Birthday cards (buy a batch of them for the entire year)

Picture Frames (get crafty by painting them or dressing them up with beads and crystals)

The Lost Art of Bartering

There’s a weekend flea market in the school yard across the street from my apartment. Vendors sit under umbrellas selling the usual fare – antique furniture, hand-crafted jewelry, homemade cookies.

Then there’s “The Lady in Red.” She is dressed in, well, red and sits cross-legged in the center of a large white sheet surrounded by a variety of baubles (cups, candy, mini-heart pillows). Her wares have no rhyme or reason (other than the fact that they're mostly red) and I recently found out why after trying to buy a cute pair of crimson hope earrings from her. “The Lady in Red” does not accept money for any of her items. If you see something you like, you trade her something of yours – as long as it’s red and/or white.

I ran home and scrounged around for something worth trading and decided upon a red and white popcorn bowl I’ve had lying around, but have yet to use. The Lady in Red was pleased with her new acquisition – as was I!


What’s the best barter/trade you’ve ever made? Click here to tell us about it!

The Country’s Best Dad

Still at a loss of what to get pops for Father’s Day? Here’s an idea: Take him for a scoop of his favorite flavor...for FREE! This Dad’s Day, TCBY (The Country’s Best Yogurt shop) is giving away cups and cones to all dads. Just visit tcby.com and print out the flyer as directed to bring with you.

Free Shipping Made Easy

It’s "Best Things In Life Are Free" Day!

Sponsored by 1-800-Free411 (free directory assistance/directions), today (April 11th) is the day we get to throw a party (cake and ice cream, anyone?) for all of the great things in life that are free. You know, like those free days museums host sometimes or free meals at your favorite restaurant on your birthday. To commemorate the day, I've made a list of all of my favorite no-money-needed things I've encountered in my life.

What do you have to add to the list?

1. A free, annual scoop of Ben and Jerry's ice cream on April 17 (www.benjerry.com)
2. Free Product Samples (www.thefreesite.com)
3. Free Tech Support (help.protonic.com)
4. Blood pressure screenings at supermarkets and pharmacies
5. Home maintenance tips and advice for do-it-yourself projects at free in-store clinics provided by your local Home Depot (www.homedepot.com)
6. Old couches and other home furnishings found at The Freecycle Network (www.freecycle.org)
7. A copy of your credit report to make sure everything is as it should be (www.freecreditreport.com)
8. Books and media from your local public library (www.librarysites.info)
9. A day at the museum on free admission days
10. Online courses offered by MIT (www.ocw.mit.edu) or lessons on how to run a small business (www.sba.gov)
11. Classes offered at your local Apple store on business and entertainment software, music programs and computer basics (www.apple.com)
12. 1-800-FLIGHTS: 1.800.Flights is a new media company providing flight status by phone for nearly every commercial passenger flight arriving and departing the U.S. daily. (www.1800flights.net/index.html)
13. Hire your own (virtual) personal shopper that sifts through millions of products from your favorite stores and brands and proposes a selection of "just what you wanted" items (www.personalshopper.com)
14. Take advantage of a convenient way to find your next companion without having to leave the comfort of your own home (www.petfinder.com)
15. Receive the week's top travel deals straight to your inbox. It's like having your own personal travel agent - free of charge! (www.travelzoo.com)
16. Discover new bands that are tailored to your personal music preferences and listen to them for free over the internet (www.pandora.com)
17. Manage your money by taking advantage of walk-in financial advice from retail locations of investment banks like Charles Schwab (www.charlesschwab.com)
18. Build your new bathroom without breaking the bank by borrowing tools, equipment and "how-to" instructional materials from your local library (yes, library!) (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool_lending_library)
19. Show your smarts by avoiding paying for pricey, premium textbooks and downloading them for free (www.freeloadpress.com)
20. Save time on figuring out who to vote for by getting a free evaluation of your political stance (www.selectsmart.com/president/2008)

Be Star-Studded (Without Going Broke)

Last night I was walking home and every person I passed on the street stopped me to clip, pin, or hang a piece of jewelry on me. By the time I got home I was dripping in bling. When I turned around, flashing lights and people screaming my name blinded me...then I woke up.

Oh, to be rich, famous and draped in expensive looking jewelry -- what a dream!

Thanks to Emitations.com, a retail website best known for their budget-conscious, celebrity inspired jewelry, your (and my) dreams can become a reality...sort of. Angelina Jolie's triple layered pearl necklace? Get it for a mere $45. Cameron Diaz's turquois earrings and necklace? $65 for the set! Alicia Keys' drop earrings? Only $39.

Of course, most of the duds you'll find here aren't real, but they look amazingly identical to celeb picks. Now, I'm ready for my close-up!

Save Big on the Hottest Kids Toys of the Year

Wal-Mart just announced it's offering an added incentive for checking off our gift lists early - more money in our wallets!

Below is Wal-Mart's list of the "Top 12 Toys of Christmas," whose prices will drop a little each week (or "rollback") in an aggressive move to help us save money on some of the most coveted kids toys.

My personal favorite: The Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader game from Hasbro. Santa, are you reading this?


Top 12 Toys of Christmas


· Kid Tough Digital Camera from Fisher Price (Ages 3 & up) A real digital camera that's tough enough-and easy enough-for kids to use.

· Smart Cycle from Fisher Price (Ages 3-6) It's a stationary bike, a learning center, and an arcade game system-all rolled into one!


· Air Hogs Havoc Heli by Spinmaster (Ages 8 & up) An amazingly small, infrared, remote control helicopter, the Air Hogs Havoc features a durable, EPP foam body and a flashing Blue LED for night flying.

· Spider-Man 3 Movie Action Figure from Hasbro (Ages 3-7) Both in his classic red and blue gear and now new black costume, Spider-Man will continue to be a hero that saves the day, specially with his new web accessories.

· Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Doll from Mattel (Ages 18 months & up) Girls will love playing mommy with this sweet baby doll-she's perfect for your child's first doll.

· New Elmo from Fisher Price (Ages 18 months & up) He's back on the list to tickle your funny bone. Find out why and what's new in November!

· Littlest Pet Shop Paws Off Electronic Diary from Hasbro (Ages 6 & up) Keep all your written secrets locked inside this voice-activated, electronic diary!

· Razor Ripstik Caster Board (Ages 6 & up) A cross between a skateboard and a snowboard, this high-action new sport is taking the streets by storm!

· Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader game from Hasbro (Ages 8 & up) Based on the popular game show, this enjoyable diversion features Jeff Foxworthy and five students putting ordinary adults to the test by having them answer real questions from the 5th-grade curriculum.

· Aqua Dots Super Studio from Spin Master (Ages 6 & up) Aqua Dots combine creativity and crafting to create multiple designs - just add water!

· Power Tour Electric Guitar by Hasbro (Ages 10 & up) Be the rock star and learn to play six different rock classics. Connect to your MP3 player and strum along, or rock out solo and compose your own anthem.

· FurReal Squawkers Parrot from Hasbro (Ages 5-7) Talk about cool! Squawkers McCaw is a talkin', squawkin' and totally unpredictable play pal.

No Frills Fragrance for Less

I just found this great website, Scentiments.com, that sells yummy perfumes at unbelievable prices. Of course, there is a catch. But don't stop reading just yet! The scents are sold in tester and sample bottles sans the fancy box or top. Think about it though, when you get a fragrance not many people will see or even care about the packaging. It's the aroma on YOU that matters most! Personally, I'm trying to hold on to summer for as long as I can, so I sway towards fruity florals like Clinique Happy (with notes of Ruby Red Grapefruit, Boysenberry, Bush Flower and Hawaiian Wedding Flower), which is sold for $29 (retail price $36) on Scentiments.com.

Shopping Tip: When you go to the Scentiments.com, enter keywords: "tester" or "mini." The BEST prices will pop up.

Mind Your Own Business Cards

My best friend has always wanted to own her own business. And, boy, is she full of ideas! First, there was her "new-age" Etch-n-Sketch... then, her high-heeled shoe invention. The heel flips up and down to transform the pump into a cute flat shoe. Oh, and how could I ever forget about her weight loss ice cream!

No matter how "different" my pal's ideas are, I support each and every one of them (you never know what might take off), which is why I had business cards made for her at
Vistaprint.com. And guess what? They were free! I just had to pay shipping and handling, but since other services can cost well over $100 this one-time offer was well worth it.

The site also offers free rubber stamps, sticky notes, checks and logo designs -- everything my friend needs to get her business (whichever one it turns out to be) up and running.

Calling All Techies

I am in awe of anyone who knows the difference between a woofer and a tweeter, what you do with a USB port and whether a gigabyte or megabyte is bigger.

As a token of my appreciation for you -- the tech buffs of the world who have talked me through countless blue screens and error messages -- I am sharing this Web site wonder: Woot.com. It's an online electronics store and community that unloads excess inventory of a daily single item at bargain basement prices. One day, it might be a home theater system; the next day, a digital camera. All products stay posted online until they sell out, or until 11:59 p.m. (CT), whichever happens first.

The Nose Knows a Bargain When it Smells One

The most embarrassing thing just happened to me.

I wanted to surprise a friend with her favorite fragrance -- White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor. Instead of sucking it up and paying full price at a department store, I had the not-so-smart idea to buy a bottle from a street vendor (they're all over the place in New York City) who hawks eau de parfums at rock bottom prices.

About a week later, I asked my friend how she liked her just-because-you're-awesome gift, and this was her response: "It smells different than I remembered." She said it in the nicest way possible, but I know what she meant -- "it stinks!" Turns out, the fragrance I bought from the street vendor was half water...or alcohol, or orange juice, or who-knows-what.

I had to right this fragrance travesty immediately, and I didn't even care if I had to pay full price this time.

Lucky me, I STILL didn't have to pay full price because I stumbled upon FragranceNet.com, a website that insures 100% genuine fragrance brands at discounts of up to 70% off. Elizabeth Taylor retails for $60; Fragrance net was selling it for $35!

The website also gives unique ratings on things like "scent life." Elizabeth Taylor's scent life is 6-10 hours...No wonder my friend is so addicted.

And now I'M addicted to Fragrancenet.com.

The World Wide Web of Crafts

A friend who, I assumed, just had a knack for matching every single outfit with a different fabulous handbag turned me onto Etsy.com, a virtual craft fair where independent artisans hawk their reasonably priced rarities. My stylish friend let the cat out the bag, so to speak, by directing me to the part of the site where she sells ingenious handmade bags made out of vintage scarves for as little as $10. (Sala Bags).

After perusing her site, I clicked around Etsy.com some more and discovered tons of cool merchandise that, in some cases, were cheaper than my daily latte!

Not only was I inspired to shop, but I was also excited to let my own creative juices flow so that I could (hopefully!) make and sell some things, earn a little extra money and ... shop some more!

The Best Book EVER For First Time Parents

My best buddy is expecting her first baby in August. She is ecstatic to say the least -- she's even looking forward to 2am feedings! Crazy, I know. But she does admit that she isn't too thrilled about all of the requisite gear the baby will require once born-- strollers, blankets, clothes, furniture, etc. Sure, she'll get a lot of these things as gifts at her baby shower, but not all of it.

I plan on getting her this great book, Baby Bargains Secrets, by Denise and Alan Fields (available at Amazon.com), which gives thrifty ideas and product reviews to help her save up to 50% on all of that "stuff" her bundle of joy will need.

I was sold after I read this quote from the book: "Babies don't care if they're wearing designer clothes or sleeping on designer sheets." Amen!