How to Be Prepared for Black Friday 2013

Shopping for the best 2013 Black Friday Deals? This year, things may be a little different. Be prepared with the following tips, and you’ll get the best prices without being overwhelmed. It is solid advice to get you through the most important shopping day of the year. By making the following preparations now, you’ll be sure not to lose out on those bargains and at the same time, have everything be a positive and fun experience. Prepare for the Changes Swallow that turkey and be out the door by early evening if you want to start your Black Friday shopping. … Continue reading

After Holiday Sales at Barnes & Noble, Target, Michaels, and More!

Did Santa forget to bring you a gift that you had your heart set on this Christmas? Was your Christmas tree a few decorations shy from being as stunning as you hoped for? Did the Christmas lights burn out? If your answer to any of these questions is “yes” then it is definitely time to shop some After Christmas Sales. Here’s a few that are happening right now! Target is having a “Year End Clearance” sale. Items in this clearance will be up to 65% off. As with all clearance sales, you might find different products at individual stores. You … Continue reading

Plenty of After Christmas Sales Today

Get out those gift cards and the Christmas money you got as a gift. The stores are ready to offer you plenty of after Christmas sales starting today. The strategy for this year for many families is to go out shopping today, the day after Christmas to pick up those gifts that they really wanted at bargain prices. Because they know that many people are heading to work today, the stores will be trying to do everything they can to get people to take an extra day off and go shopping. They want to get that last bit of sales … Continue reading

A Very Frugal Christmas Part I

While I try really hard not to get too caught up in the commercialism of Christmas gifting, I absolutely love the magic of Christmas morning with stuffed stockings and a good number of beautifully wrapped presents under the Christmas tree.  In years past, I have purchased moderately expensive gifts for my family and thought nothing of it.  However, the current economic downturn combined with graduate student loans and a car payment, has changed my ability to buy whatever I deemed to be perfect gifts for my family.  This year we are doing something very different. Unlike previous years, we set … Continue reading

Free Christmas Apps for Android

An easy way to get into the holiday spirit is by playing around with a Christmas themed app. Every year, there are some interesting, and free, Christmas apps for Android. They are great for keeping small children happily occupied while you are waiting in line by the registers. Christmas Games is a free app for Android. It has five Christmas themed games for children (and adults) to play. There is a jigsaw puzzle and a shape puzzle. It has connect the dot, a memory game, and a scratch game. The connect the dot game fills in a detailed cartoon image … Continue reading

Why Smart Shopping Strategies Can Ruin Your Holiday Budget

It is usually the early bird that gets the worm, but when it comes to holiday shopping, the early bird may also get the bigger bills. People who shop the sales may also spend more than those who plan on buying items at full price. It sounds crazy, doesn’t it? But according to the American Research Group studying holiday spending, the average family who shopped early spent 14 percent more on gifts on average, and those who shopped the sales spent a whopping 53 percent more on average. what about online Yikes. Want another strange statistic? Those of us who … Continue reading

Three Ways to Control Impulse Buying at Christmas

The shiny decorations, the pretty lights, the wonderful smells, the bustle of shoppers, the increase in commercials, and the demanding kids all combine at Christmas to raise the risk of impulse buying. Many debt services report that the number of phone calls they get for help really drops off in December, as people put aside the idea of debt and just go ahead and spend. Of course, the calls in January are another story. These agencies often see their highest traffic then, as people find themselves in debt crisis. Don’t let this happen to you. Control your impulse buying at … Continue reading

Freebies for Coffee, Christmas, and More!

After the chaos that come with shopping on Black Friday, (or on Thanksgiving day), it is nice to have some time to relax. Pick up a few of these freebies, before they disappear. You can do it from the comfort of your own home, and without having to fight the crowds. This time, I found freebies on coffee, Christmas items, and more! Seattle’s Best Coffee has a free sample of their coffee. To get this freebie, you must click “like” on their Facebook page. Next, go to the Coffee Break tab and grab a free 1.75 ounce sample of Seattle’s … Continue reading

Shopping with Grandma and Grandpa Part IV

After selecting several articles of clothing for my daughter, my mother-in-law and moved on to looking for some clothes for my son, which was surprisingly more difficult than shopping for my daughter. Since jeans were a must, I set my attention on scouring up all the different styles of jeans. The perfect pair was a straight fit jean in a darker wash with a dragon embroidered on the left pant leg (my son is currently fascinated with dragons). Much to my dismay they did not appear to have his size, but the saleswoman was able to track down a pair … Continue reading

Is Your Business Ready For Holiday Shoppers?

Today I began to wonder whether I had missed Thanksgiving. I went grocery shopping at my local grocery store after returning from a vacation, and everything is ready for Christmas. There are Christmas decorations on the store windows, Christmas displays on the shelves, and Christmas music too. I remember a time when stores used to decorate for Thanksgiving, but I saw no sign of that today. In fact, the only things that hinted that it is nearly Thanksgiving were the great prices on frozen turkeys and the end cap displays filled with stuffing mixes, canned pumpkin, and other Thanksgiving must … Continue reading