Liz at Silver Charm Events shared some new ideas for keeping wedding costs in line.
When the World Gives You Lemons…Make Wedding Centerpieces out of them. The ultimate in organic, eco-friendly weddings – Stacie over at Blogger Brides talks about using fruit in your centerpieces and decorations. (LOVE this idea, especially if you buy the fruit in bulk. Perhaps you can arrange a deal with a vendor at your farmer’s market or stop by Costco. -Julia)
New Favor Idea Alert – Recyclable Canvas Tote Bags. You can use them for out-of-town guest gift bags, plain, or spice them up with a pretty stamp on front. And Cheap Totes has them for 99 cents each, can’t beat that. Thanks for the head’s up, Wedding Bee!
If you are in LA and planning a wedding, Liz has a Recession Bride’s Workshop this Sunday, Oct. 4 from 1-3 p.m. Its $10 each or $15 per couple, but you can get a $5 discount using code WedCharmFive at checkout – special for Bargain Babe readers. I’m going out of town or I’d be there!
Get $1 off your tab at Peet’s when you buy a drink and a baked good. Ends today, Sept 30, 2009. Get the coupon here.
Nothing goes with coffee/tea like a sweet something. I had a slice of cake with my tea this morning and it was delish!
Caveats: Excludes juice, kids drinks and bottled beverages. Excludes airports, supermarket, BART and other licensed locations. May not be combined with other offers. One per visit.
Do you buy clothes online? Samples sales on the Internet are fast becoming a popular way to shop. Here are the top sites.
TopButton has multiple “private” sales going on simultaneously for mainstream high-end brands like Missoni and Kenneth Cole. Thing is, they’re not really private. To check out the clothes you share your zip code, email, first name and create a password – information needed to process an online purchase at a super selective retailer like The Gap.
The difference is timing. Each TopButton sale lasts 1-3 days, creating artificial pressure to buy NOW! If you refer a friend and they make a purchase, you get a $25 credit. Don’t have an invite? Use invitation code TOPBUTTON. The site also runs a consignment shop for very used, high-end brands.
BillionDollarBabes went online in 2009 after years of hosting in-person events across the country. They hold three designer sales each week and each sale lasts 48 hours with prices slashed by up to 85 percent. The site requires you to register (for free) before peeking at the clothes. Pay $100 to become a VIP and you’ll get unlimited free shipping and get access to their online sales two hours early. For frequent shoppers VIP status will pay off. $10 referral credit. Brands include LA Made, EGG, and Ray-Ban.
The GiltGroupe guarantees that every designer label sold on its site is legit. You have to request a membership via email but the site reassures you that they have a few openings for new members everyday. I added myself to the list of wannabees and received an email about 23 hours later. Not too bad.
HauteLook is more receptive to newbies. Its homepage shouts “Sign Up For Free Instant Access” and does not require an invitation or referral email from someone already in the club. Get a $10 referral credit when a friend joins and makes a purchase. Sales are 36-72 hours long and you can choose to get sale info on specific categories – women, men, home, kids, or special offers. Brands include Kasil, Angel Deal, and Christian Audigier.
RetailHappyHour – is a new site that started with weekend sales, but it is currently not having any sales while they gear up for the holidays, according to the site. Make a note to check back later!
What online sample sites do you like?
I like to laugh, and I bet you do too. Which is why I’m digging Secrets of a Stingy Scoundrel. I can tell this book is funny from the Table of Contents, which makes me like it even more.
Chapter 1. All the free t-shirts, hats, squeeze bottles and hip sacks a man could ever want. How to clothe yourself by signing up for on-the-street credit-card promotions.
Chapter 5. Don’t smoke. That’s it. Just don’t become addicted to cigarettes, you moron.
Chapter 14. Kids eat free. Let your bottomless-pit stomached rugrats punish foolish restaurants.
Chapter 18. Art of the well-timed fight/breakfup. Why you should save your big fights for just before holidays and birthdays.
Are you giggling as much as me? Okay, then. I’ll just share one more.
Chapter 19. Things you never ever have to buy. Napkins, mustard and ketchup packets, and straws – the best things in life are free.
And on till Chapter 100. Each chapter is two or three pages long, so it moves along quickly. And the paper is really nice with curved corners so it feels like a luxurious read. The illustrations by cartoonist Adam Wallenta are also pretty cool.
Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 16: Yay WNBA, that illustrates how sassy and cheap the author, Phil Villarreal, is. Phil is a contributing editor at Consumerist and a reporter for the Arizona Daily Star. His personal blog is called Because I Told You So.
As you flip through the newspaper sports section or watch SportsCenter, it’s common to wonder, “Why the hell does the WNBA exist? The answer is twofold. One is to provide a role model for young girls, teaching them that basketball isn’t as pointless as softball or soccer and could actually pay off if they work hard enough. Never mind that most players make less than your garbageman. The other reason is to provide silver-bullet dates for horny young men looking to pretend they’re evolved and sophisticated.
It’s the second purpose of existence we’ll focus on here.
While the average real NBA ticket price is about $50, the average WNBA admission is less than $15, meaning you won’t have to sell your spleen on the black market in order to afford a game, parking, and a soda.
Volunteering to go to women’s athletic events elevates you to heroic status in the eyes of your potential beloved. All their lives, athletic-minded ladies have had their endeavors belittled and marginalized by even the men they love the most, but you emerge as a white knight who appears to actually take an interest in girls’ meaningless sporting pursuits. You can boost your credibility by reading up on the teams involved so you can toss of little inside-baseball-ish tidbits as you watch the game unfold. And because the tickets cost so little, you won’t even need to wince when she orders at the concession stand.
Got you hooked? I highly recommend this book if you like to save money, have a sense of humor, or are looking for a gift for someone who is frugal.
Contest! Comment on the blog by Friday for a chance to win my dog-eared copy of Secrets of a Stingy Scoundrel!!!! I hate to part with it, but I’m too stingy to buy another copy!
UPDATE: This comment from Kelsey makes an important point.
Some funny stuff. The frugality doesn’t bother me – but if I was dating a guy who faked an interest in “girl’s meaningless sporting pursuits”, I’d dump the a—hole. Is that why the author calls himself a “scoundrel”?
SECOND UPDATE: I told the “Scoundrel” author about all the readers who wanted to win his book and asked for additional copies to satisfy demand! So keep on commenting and maybe he’ll send me some more!
THIRD UPDATE: The publisher just emailed to say he is sending TWO more copies. So I have three to give to readers who comment on the blog by Friday. The most interesting and insightful comments will win!
I just discovered a new site that specializes in free samples. That’s an understatement, actually. MySavings.com is the largest directory of free product samples on the web.
The site aggregates all the free product samples and coupons so it is one stop shopping for saving money. You can find their offers by category, the most popular freebies or by using a search box. To get their free samples and grocery coupons, among others, register with you name, address, birthday and email.
The other big appeal of MySavings.com is the reader forums pages. You wouldn’t believe how active their readers are! People post comments about free samples – sometimes hundreds of comments on one product – and there are forums for games and sweepstakes, product testing, and coupon swaps. The site also has forums for folks living in Canada, Down Under, and the U.K. You can register or browse the forums as a guest.
This is paid content. Interested in buying a sponsored post? Read my Advertise page.
Current and retired educators can get 30 percent off the list price of almost everything at Borders today through Oct. 7, 2009. Bring proof of educator status for the discount. In store only. No coupon needed.
Teachers, school librarians, and home school educators can also get a Classroom Discount Card that is good through the school year on in store purchases. The card gets you 25 percent off the list price of books and music CDs, and 10 percent off the list price of DVDs for professional use. Apply in stores to join the free program. Bring proof of educator status when you apply.
Details on the teacher discount programs here.
Caveats on the 30 percent off deal: cannot be combined with any other offer, including “buy one, get one 50% off” offers. Excludes previous and online purchases, special orders, gift cards, newspapers, magazines, comics, coupon books, eBooks, digital downloads, self-publishing programs, Smatbox products, Rosetta Stone® software, shipping, and all electronics, including but not limited to the Sony® Reader and the Zune™. Also excludes all Dean & DeLuca® and Starbucks® cafe items and products. May not be combined with coupons, sale pricing, or corporate, classroom, or other group discounts.
I found a five dollar bill at the Hollywood farmer’s market Sunday – but I didn’t pick it up.
The crumpled bill was next to bags of green, yellow, and red peppers. Was the real owner nearby? Would anybody see me if I grabbed the money? Should I loudly proclaim my luck and be the envy of the stall?
“Look!” said a person next to me. A long finger pointed at the bill.
I was too late. Someone else had spotted the bill. I backed out of the booth and continued my grocery shopping. On my way back to the car about 15 minutes later I returned to the booth…just to check.
GASP. The bill was still there. Nobody had come by and noticed a free floating five dollar bill?! Even the stall owner was oblivious. I guess everyone was busy looking for celebrities.
The bill was mine!
How lucky did I feel? I felt guilty, actually. But there was no way to find the right owner so it might as well be mine, I reasoned. I could have given it to the farmer, though…
To pay my luck forward and get the stolen money off my hands, I purchased a bag of overpriced, I mean, locally grown organic almonds. Compared to Trader Joe’s I got half as many for almost twice as much! But oh man, do they taste good. And my financial conscience is clear.
Loading ...UPDATE: Reader Christina left a comment worth sharing!
I once found $120 on the sidewalk one night. My friends and I waited about 45 minutes to see if anyone would come and no one did. No one came, so it covered a lot of Christmas shopping that year.
Now that summer’s over swimuits and sun gear are on sale, including protective swim tops, shorts and hats from Gruvywear. Get 40 percent off with code SS09. Unclear when it expires.
Gruvywear carries sizes for babies, kids and adults. This is a modest swim option that protects your skin!
Now is also a good time to check out the clearance racks at department stores for super discounted swim suits.
Thanks, Tori!
Time to stock up on underwear. Double the value of Victoria Secret’s usual underwear offer of 5 pairs for $25 with code 10panties. This makes them just $2.50 a pair!
Expires today, Sept. 28, 2009. Applies to PINK underwear only.
Caveats: sizes are limited because they are selling out quick!
Last week I shared one strategy for tackling your Christmas/Hanukkah shopping – buy gifts little by little. But let’s be real. Most folks procrastinate until Santa has started his sleigh ride. So here’s another strategy that requires less time.
Buy gift cards at discounted rates online and use them to buy presents later or give the cards as gifts.
There are a handful of reputable sites to buy gift cards from. Each one works a little differently, but the main attraction is that you can buy gift cards for less than the value on the card and you can sell cards at a loss but get cash in your pocket.
PlasticJungle.com – offers up to 85 percent of the value of cards you are selling and discounts of up to 40 percent on gift cards you are buying. Cha-ching! The site guarantees their cards and has a refund process if something goes wrong.
GiftCardBuyBack.com – lists the percentage payout (based on the card’s value) for all the retailers they want to buy cards from so you can scan quickly for cards you want to unload. Their sister site, GiftCardsAgain.com, sells discounted gift cards.
GiftCardRescue.com – boasts cards for sale at 30 percent off their value and payouts of up to 80 percent of the cards value. They verify the balance on all the cards they sell and the site covers shipping. Nice.
Savvy folks who are loyal to a retailer could save a bundle by purchasing discounted gift cards. Consider this for groceries or movies!
My recent post about whether buying art was a savvy investment caught the eye of wholesale art seller Fred Parker. He sells art below auction prices at Fred Parker Fine Art and he gives a money back guarantee if you return the painting in the same condition you received it within a reasonable amount of time. Not too shabby!
Fred has been buying and selling art since 1975 and he specializes in European and American oil and watercolor paintings of the 19th and 20th century. “Realism does it for me and is reflected in most of my inventory,” he says. He says he enjoys the hunt for great art more than making a profit.
You can browse his art catalog here. It includes country scenes, still lifes, portraits, and my favorite, candid scenes of people going about their lives.
Fred has done antique shows in Florida, New York and New Jersey, where he is based. You can place an order via email or over the phone at 973-822-1766.
Consumer Reports warns us all to read the fine print or get ripped off like these folks did. Wahoo – I’m not one of the suckers! (This time around.)
The Digerati Life has a chart that buying stocks over the long run, or dollar cost averaging, really does pay off.
Main Street shines the spot light on 9 nutty pet business, like kitty caskets and pet jets. Crazy pet owners. I’d rather waste my money on shoes.
Free Money Finance suggest 12 ways to make your nest egg last a lifetime. The assumption is we’re all going to live a really long time.
Michelle Singletary suggests we all start thinking about taxes. Couldn’t we start the week with some positive news?
Corrinne at Search by Inseam, a site that helps you buy jeans that FIT, just shared these awesome coupon codes with me.
It’s the last day to save an additional 20 percent off sale items at Gap.com with the code EXTRA20.
For 2 days only, take $20 off $75 at Banana Republic with code BRSAVE20 through September 27, 2009.
Save $50 on orders over $150 at CoutureCandy with the code SEPTEMBER through Sunday.
Get 15 percent off any OldNavy.com purchase of $75 or more plus free shipping with the code ONPLUS15 through October 8, 2009.
Alloy.com has 20 percent off fall outerwear.
Reader Tamara shared her Canadian perspective about debit cards. Instead of credit card companies issuing them, banks do!
All this debit stuff in the US is so foreign to me. I was in Chicago recently and most places we went said “we take debit,” but really that means, “we take credit cards, but it’s okay if they are hooked up to your bank account and are kind of like debit.”
In Canada NO ONE carries cash because we all have actual debit cards that are issued by our banks and the money comes right out of our bank accounts. They are not VISA, or MC debit cards, they are *just* bank debit cards. And there is little to no fee to use them, and if there isn’t money in your account, and you haven’t previously set up an overdraft, your transaction is declined and your purchase doesn’t go through.
Also, debit cards are accepted EVERYWHERE from major retailers to 7-11 to the dollar store.
Who wants to move to Canada with me?
One of my favorite personal finance blogs, The Digerati Life, asked in a post this week if there is such a thing as a frugal spender. How we spend and save says a lot about who we are, what values we hold tight, and where we are going in life. What we do with a dollar is like a picture – it says more than a thousand words. She writes:
A long while back, I talked about how I balance my efforts to spend and save money. I’d written a post that covered the science behind money behaviors, discussing how frugality is tied to happiness. The key finding was that spendthrifts (those who can’t stop spending) and tightwads (those who can’t spend at all) weren’t as happy as those who were deemed frugal.
Why so? The experts say it’s because frugal people are considered more “balanced” in the way they view money and while cost conscious, they are free from compulsions that may overwhelm those who have more restrictive or even obsessive relationships with money.
But of course. Having a healthy relationship with anything requires balance. Swing too far one way or another and you’re in trouble. The struggle is to define and maintain that balance. It is easier to lose your balance, even though getting back on track requires more energy than consistently staying balanced. So really, it is being consistent that is the challenge. She continues:
I am familiar with a few people who fall in the extreme ends of what I call “the frugality spectrum” and I’ve seen how negative money behaviors and tendencies have harmed someone’s pocket book and personal relationships with other people. Their inherent attitude towards money has made them miserable — because wanting to fight the urge to constantly spend or save can be frustrating in its own right.
The happiest people out there are those who can find a balance between any extreme, and it also applies to how we handle and manage our money.
Ditto! Next, The Digerati Life provides four profiles of consumers:
- They spend much less than they earn but make so much money that they can afford expensive items.
- They buy a used luxury car because it’s half priced.
- They are selective about the high-priced items that they buy and don’t make impulsive purchases.
- The stuff they buy only looks expensive.
On this note, frugality doesn’t mean you have “cheap tastes.” It means that you are prudent and deliberate with your spending, and that you place your money on what has “good value.” This virtue should describe HOW someone applies their money rather than WHAT gets bought (emphasis hers).
It is soooo tempting to judge people and how much money they have and whether they are spending it “correctly” in a glance. But the truth is you don’t know how someone acquired an item. They could have paid full price, they could have gotten it on super sale, or it might have been a gift! We must withhold judgment unless we know. And even then, does it really benefit us to have an opinion on what someone else is doing with their money?
The Digerati Life calls spenders in the middle of the above spectrum “frugal spenders” or “value spenders.” I prefer savvy-spenders! She defines them as someone who is basically a saver, who is value-minded, but “splurges when they can afford it.”
Do you have a term for your ideal spender? Do your spending habits cause you angst or create tension with friends? I’m sad to admit that I trend towards the tightwad end with occasional splurges that I regret. Well, nobody’s perfect.
