Take It Back, Use It Up, or Pass It On

Chances are that your closets and maybe even other parts of your home have items that are new with the tags on or still in their original bags and packaging. These are items that were purchased (or gifted) but are not being used. In other words, they are a waste of money. Purge these reminders of spending from your life in one of the following three ways. This is Part One in a three-part series. Take It Back Many stores are quite generous with taking new items back fro a full refund or for store credit. It helps if you … Continue reading

Amazon.com Lowers Price on Kindle

Do you dream of reading your books electronically? If so, you may be excited by the latest news about the Kindle device on Amazon.com. The Internet retail giant announced a 10 percent price cut on the Kindle, bringing the device down from $400 to $360. Will it make a difference. I suppose for people who have been debating buying a Kindle, the $40 price cut may just be the little push off of the fence that they need. Shipping on the Kindle is free, too. The price cut comes at a strange time. We are still so very far away … Continue reading

The Price of Rice Up 70 Percent

There is more bad news in terms of food prices. Some types of rice have soared in price and analysts are predicting a possible world shortage. There are at least two large chain stores that are limiting the sale of rice. Read on, so you can be informed and prepared. I am a big advocate in using rice in meals. It has always been a big staple of economical cooking. Rice goes with so many other foods, and it can be used as a filler to stretch out meals. You can even use it in deserts. With prices on other … Continue reading

Off-Season Savings

Reset your season and save. Shopping against the season for goods and services is one of the best ways to save on practically everything. Why? Because when other people aren’t spending money on certain items or services, companies need to up the incentives to generate interest. One big example of seasonal savings is on travel. You’ll pay a lot less for travel in the off-peak seasons. For example, you can pay up to 80 percent higher for accommodations at Disney World during the Easter or Spring season as you will during the value or off-peak season. This makes sense since … Continue reading

Benefits of Shopping the Easter Clearance Deals

Head to your favorite stores the day after to get some great Easter clearance deals. The bargains are so good that I know one mom who puts off the Easter baskets and the egg hunts until after Easter, just so she doesn’t have to pay full price. Smart lady. Many stores start there Easter clearance on Monday, the day after Easter, with bargains from 50 to 90 percent off. Don’t wait long, though, because these clearance sales, especially for popular stores such as Target, are very popular. Zone in on the candy first, and freeze it for later use. You … Continue reading

What’s the Best Value: Buying Big vs Buying Small?

Sometimes you have to buy big and sometimes you have to buy small if you want to get the best value for your money. It all depends on the circumstance. At the grocery store, you want to buy big when buying in bulk will save you the most money. Of course, it doesn’t always work that way. Always check unit price and do a comparison of your various options. Usually this works well on items that aren’t otherwise on sale, don’t have coupons, can be used up before they expire or are purchased at a bulk warehouse store where normal … Continue reading

The Budget-Conscious Cruiser

You can learn a lot from penny-pinching travelers who enjoy cruising the high seas.  These budget-conscious voyagers know what it takes to get the most bang for their buck.  When it comes to stretching your dollar on a fun-filled cruise, consider the following: Seek Out Sales:  Many large cruise companies, such as Carnival, Princess and Royal Caribbean offer special deals throughout the year.  Some of the most popular promotions include: reserve one full fare booking and get a certain percentage off the second passenger or reserve a 14-day cruise and get seven days free.  The deals can save you up … Continue reading

Seven Ways to Save $1,000 for Your Emergency Fund

Dave Ramsey, financial guru who has helped so many families get out of debt, recommends that most of us start on the path to financial solvency by first saving up $1,000 toward an emergency fund. By having a solid emergency fund, we are less likely to go into debt, should the unexpected happen, such as the home furnace needing to be replaced, the car needing to be repaired, or the experience of a medical crisis. Saving that $1,000 is the first step of Ramsey’s overall get-out-of-debt plan. How can you save that much when there doesn’t seem to be any … Continue reading

Online Shopping Secrets: Seven Websites that Will Save You Money

Grab the lowest prices on everything you buy online by checking out the following seven websites before you make a purchase. Retailmenot.com and Fatwallet.com Check Retailmenot.com and Fatwallet.com for coupons and coupons codes that you can use to get discounts on the things that you buy online. There are coupon codes for both products and online stores. In some cases, you’ll also find rebates to redeem. Just search for the store or the product to see what might be available. Some coupon codes are straight forward, such as 10 percent off a purchase or free shipping, while others have specific … Continue reading

Furniture Deals and Discounts in February

Last Saturday, my family and I spent most of the afternoon at IKEA. We are finally at the  point of furnishing the living room, and we wanted to get some good ideas. Plus, I needed to pick up some personal laundry hampers for two of the kids, since their clothes never seem to find their way into the main upstairs laundry hamper. One of the things that we noticed while at IKEA is that there were a number of furniture items that were discounted by up to 30 percent. These were tagged “last chance” because they were being discontinued to … Continue reading