This post is brought to you by Credit Loan, offering debt consolidation.
Simple is good. And that’s part of the reason why I like PriceYeti, a new site that tracks prices for anything sold on the Internet. (The other part is the site’s adorable mascot, above!)
Registering is not required to use PriceYeti, though you have to share your email address so the site can alert you to price drops. Just plug in the url (website address) for the item so PriceYeti can find the item’s price.
You can return to the site to add items to your “watch list.” I entered three cashmere sweaters for a price comparison, one from J.Crew (full-price, $145), one from Nordstrom (on sale for $58), and one from Macy’s (on sale for $90).
PriceYeti aims to be your shopping cart for the entire Internet so it can track prices for plane tickets, event tickets, houses, and services – as long as the item has a barcode and a url (website address). If you want to make your wish list private, set up a password. The site makes money when users click through from the site and purchases an item.
The site’s design as a Twitterish feel to it, though it has no connection to the popular social networking site as far as I know. PriceYeti is a privately funded start up from Seattle. Read a little about the four guys behind PriceYeti.
eBates has a slew of double cash back offers – but they are good today only!
MyPublisher, a site similar to Snapfish, has a buy one get one free offer on photobooks that ends today.
Check out all the coupons and freebies I’m blogging about on WalletPop.com.
This post is brought to you by Overstock, offering great deals on your next mattress topper.
Reader Kathleen won my review copy of Return to Beauty: old world recipes for great radiant skin with her comment:
I love the idea of homemade products. Our world is so filled with chemicals. A friend of mine uses sugar as a facial scrub and I would love to learn some other ideas.
If you didn’t see my review of the book, click here. It’s amazing some of the things you can make with basic ingredients from your kitchen.
If you didn’t win, buy a hardback copy of Return to Beauty from Amazon for $16.50 (orig. $25). The book makes a great gift – and it’s a bargain!
Got some great deals for you on my WalletPop blog today:
I spill the beans on the secret way I earn money online while going about my daily life searching the Internet.
Snag a free subscription to US News & World Report – but this deal won’t last!
Movie rentals for $.04-$.09 cents an hour are coming to a city near you!
In the market for new shoes? Get this Steve Madden coupon for 25 percent off plus free shipping.
Or are you buying new clothes? Here’s a Hot Topic coupon for $20 off a purchase of $75 or more.
This post is brought to you by the Gold Pawn Shop. Interested in an ad? Read my advertise page.
Remember that survey I blogged about awhile ago that determined where you fell on the spendthrift-tightwad spectrum? Well I just got my results. The survey conductors at the University of Michigan said:
We needed to wait until the study was complete before notifying participants, and the study ran longer than expected. I’m writing to let you know your score on the Spendthrift-Tightwad scale and to put it in some context.
Scale scores range from 4 to 26. We typically classify those with scores from 4 to 11 as tightwads; 12 to 18 as unconflicted consumers; and 19 to 26 as spendthrifts.
Your survey responses place you on the TIGHTWAD portion of the Spendthrift-Tightwad dimension.
Although the proportions differ from sample to sample…we generally find that 25% of respondents are categorized as tightwads, 60% as unconflicted consumers, and 15% as spendthrifts.
I belong to a minority of people who don’t spend money even when I should, according to these results. Bah humbug! I like saving money. But it is true. I save money even when I really shouldn’t. Case in point: my stash of 8 gift cards totaling $411.
On the other hand, I buy plenty of high-quality goods that cost a pretty penny. Last month I bought myself a fleece from the North Face Outlet that cost just over $100. I am a tightwad who lets loose on occasion.
Did anybody else take the survey? What were your results? It’s not too late to take the survey. If you didn’t take the survey, what group would you put yourself in?
Spendthrifts over spend.
Unconflicted consumers have few issues about spending money.
Tightwads hold onto their money more than they should.
A friend of mine has sworn off gift cards. She doesn’t want to receive any this Christmas and she won’t be giving any. What happened?
She got burned. Badly.
My friend had received more than $100 of gift cards last Christmas for her favorite spa. She decided to string them out so she could pamper herself with mani-pedis every few months, starting with one in March.
But when she called the spa to make an appointment she discovered they had closed in January. Ouch!
To avoid getting into her situation, here’s what to look for if you are buying a gift card.
Pros:
- Store is busy when you visit
- Store is well stocked with goods (indicates good cash flow)
- Store is part of a national chain (not that this makes it a sure-thing!)
- A rival store just went out of business (strengthens survivor)
Cons:
- Store has cut back employees (indicates poor cash flow)
- Store had cut back hours (see above)
- There have been news reports about the store struggling
- The employees/owners say business is bad
What do you look for to decide if a store is safe to buy a gift card from?
Related:
Get a $5 gift card at TGI Friday’s when you buy one for $25 (WalletPop)
Why do you hoard gift cards? (BargainBabe)
Did you know it’s better to buy a gift card from the issuer than from a grocery store? (Get Rich Slowly)
Site to buy and sell gift cards (BargainBabe)
Gift card bonuses and perks (WalletPop)
I upped the ante for sharing deals on BargainBabeLA.com from a $5 Amazon gift card to a $15 iTunes gift card and got some great contributions! Thank you all for sharing so that we can help each other save money. The $15 iTunes gift card goes to a Bargain Buddy who shared not one, not two, but SIX deals in the past week. That is stiff competition! Congrats, AdventureGirl!
Everything is free at the swap meet in Valley Village this Sunday, Dec. 13. Details here. (Shared by hilcat and Rebecca Quinn)
Kids get in FREE this Saturday at Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in Hollywood with a coupon you can print here.
Meet Kevin Costner at a showing of the baseball movie “Field of Dreams” next week in Beverly Hills. Tickets are only $5! (Shared by Adventure Girl)
Adults can get into the Long Beach Aquarium for the price of a kids’ ticket ($12) on select evenings. Get the discount here. (Shared by girl robot)
Get 20 free songs from KCRW now until Dec. 31, 2009 when you sign up for their email list.
Get $100 for opening a new account with Premier America Credit Union by Dec. 31, 2009. Locations in Chatsworth, Santa Monica, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Valendcia and Warner Center. (Shared by bargainbabe)
Get a $25 restaurant gift certificates for just $2 with this Restaurant.com coupon code.
Through the end of the year, you can get a free 8″ x 10″ portrait at Target. Print the coupon here.
Snag a free vitamin plan from NatureMade, with no purchase necessary to get a daily recommendation!
See all the deals I’ve blogged about on WalletPop.
I recently bought $29 worth of clothes at two thrift stores – Salvation Army and Goodwill – and each time I made my purchase I felt like I was taking advantage of a service that was meant for people earning much less than I earn. Not that I’m a Rockefeller, but I make a decent living.
On both shopping trips I saw people who fell into two camps:
- those shopping there out of necessity
- those wanting to get incredible prices
The presence of other bargain hunters didn’t make me feel any better about the shirts, dress, pants, and belt I paid $1.74-$4 each for. Shouldn’t these clothes be going to someone who really needs them? As opposed to me, who was looking for an all-yellow outfit for my Frisbee tournament this weekend (above, team colors).
In the past, readers have commented that if in my gut I feel I have done something wrong, I have. But I’m not so sure this time.
My uneasiness is less about committing a wrong than feeling like I was sucking up a limited resource. I can afford to pay more for clothes, therefore I should, leaving the Salvation Army and Goodwill selection to the poor.
Case in point, after purchasing a pair of black long johns ($4) and a pair of black sweat pants (also $4) from a man who compulsively snorted, I paid $10 to ice skate for 45 minutes, $2 for a bottle of water (forgot mine in my car), and $6 for a beer at a karaoke bar at a friend’s farewell party.
What do you think? Is it unethical to shop at thrift stores intended for poor people when you can afford to pay more?
UPDATE: Readers chimed in to say, for the most part, that my guilt was nonsense.
Living Doll said:
Release your guilt Bargain Babe. You are doing something good by shopping at thrift stores because you are helping support an organization that isn’t in it entirely for profitability. Most of these stores have loads of clothing that is reasonably priced for those less fortunate to purchase. You are not taking from them.
Laura admitted to twinges of guilt:
I love shopping at the thrift stores, and now my boys, away at college, do the same. I must admit though, I do feel a bit guilty, I take off my diamond ring before I go in, and I park my Volvo down the street! I do donate to them also.
Mimi questioned my aptitude:
You cannot be serious about this question. I think you are pulling our collective leg. Do you also feel guilty buying at garage sales, swap meets and flea markets? This has got to be a joke on readers who are ethically and morally challenged. I don’t believe you are so naive to ask the question with a straight face. But I could be wrong.
Actually Mimi, I was serious!
Audrey is succinct:
I agree with most of the posters. The program is not intended to provide clothing to the poor, but rather to generate funds for the outreach programs they provide.
Super fab deals on my WalletPop blog today!
Spirit Airlines is having a major air fare sale with one way flights starting at $16. Holy cow! But you have to book today.
Barbie, Hot Wheels, Toy Story, Dora the Explorer and everything else at Mattel is 20 percent off! Spend $50 and get free shipping,too!
Looking for a free movie rental code from RedBox? Now there is an iPhone app that aggregates all the codes and shares them every 12 hours. Downside is the app costs $.99, but if you use it once it’s a money maker. More info here.
Get a $5 gift card at TGI Friday’s when you buy one for $25 through Dec. 31, 2009.
Here are five hand-picked coupons from my frugal friends at Savings.com, a coupon website that sponsored the Frugal Festival.
$22 off orders of $100 or more with Free Shipping at Shoes.com. Expires Dec. 31, 2009.
20% off orders of $100 or more at Urban Outfitters. Expires Dec. 15, 2009.
$5 off orders of $75 or more at Dell. Expires Jan. 2, 2010.
20% off your entire order at Old Navy. Expires Dec. 15, 2009.
$10 off Flip Camcorders at Flip Video. Expires Dec. 31, 2009.
This is a pretty neat discount. The folks at Julie Hewett, a high-quality make up line, created a special coupon code just for BargainBabe.com readers! Use code BB25 to get 25 percent off your purchase. Expires Dec. 24, 2009.
I especially like the camelia lip balm, which is $14 before the discount. It smells really good, does a great job moisturizing lips, and goes on clear.
Julie Hewett make up has been written about in Oprah, InStyle, Real Simple and lots more magazines. You can buy make up on the site and play with a few fun tools, like which red are you? There is also a page with beauty tricks so you can get a certain look.
Win $134 worth of Julie Hewett make up by signing up for my email list by Dec. 15, 2009!
Disclosure: the prize make up was donated by Julie Hewett.
Get 15 percent off at Ghirardelli chocolate with a coupon code available here.
Pick up a free box of clementines from Safeway today only!
The 23-item grab bag from Burt’s Bees is 50 percent off. Wahoo!
A ton of magazine subscriptions are $5 at Amazon through Dec. 12. Look for titles like Cosmo, Seventeen, Popular Mechanics, SmartMoney, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, and more.
Check out all the deals I blog about on WalletPop.com.
The passion for homemade beauty recipes is clear from the first page of Return to Beauty: old world recipes for great radiant skin. Author and celebrity aesthetician Narine Nikogosian learned from her grandmother to make treatments with whatever she had on hand, even pats of butter!
Many of Narine’s recipes have just three ingredients, including stuff you already have in your kitchen, like eggs, milk, honey, baking soda, lemon juice, and various fruits. The directions are incredibly simple and Narine explains how and why each recipe works.
Here’s her bee sweet moisturizer:
Hydrating and softening, these three ingredients will leave your skin baby soft.
1 tsp honey
1 tsp almond oil
1/2 egg yolk
In a small bowl, mix the ingredients together. Apply to your face every morning and evening after cleansing. Splash with warm water and pat dry.
Return to Beauty is 262-pages divided into six sections. The first has simple recipes by season for each of the four skin types, dry, normal to dry, normal to oily, and oily. The second section has recipes by zodiac sign and the third has “simple solutions” for pimples, fine lines, problematic hair and nails, feet, and dark spots.
The final three sections, which are much shorter, cover pregnancy, how to give yourself a facial, and skin care for men. Here’s another recipe that sounds great.
Baby Mama’s Beautiful Body Cream
When you’re pregnant, it might seem as if all of the moisture has left your body! This lotion will infuse hydration and healthiness into your dry skin, keeping it soft and supple.
2 small cucumbers
2 tsps olive oil
1 egg yolk
1 tsp flour
Peel and chop the cucumbers. In a blender, combine the cucumbers, oil, egg yolk, and flour. Mix well. After showering, apply this cream generously all over your body.
This book would also make an awesome Christmas gift! Leave a comment on this post by 5 p.m. PST Thursday for a chance to win my review copy! You can always buy a copy of Return to Beauty from Amazon for $16.50 (orig. $25). That’s a bargain for a beautifully styled, hardcover book.
Buying this book supports BargainBabe.com!
Shopper alert! Prices at the DLM Off Price warehouse really are too good to be true. That’s because the warehouse usually only sells wholesale, but for the first time ever they are opening to the public. Frugal fashionistas rejoice!
Shoppers will pay pennies on the dollar for top brands during four weekend sales, ending Dec. 18-19. Mark it on your calender, for sure. DLM was just featured on Best Deals TV. Watch the video here.
Okay, get a load of these prices. Women’s gloves for $5 (orig. $24), Elie Tahari dresses for $50 (orig. $335), and juniors’ jeans for $7 (orig. $40).
You can browse their clothes by brand (Calvin Klein, Lucky Brand, Sonoma, Theory, Tommy Bahama) or type of item (footwear, kids, mens, tops, blazers, etc). DLM also sells candles ($2.50 and up), picture frames ($3.50 and up) and throws ($4). I’m NOT kidding!!
They define weekend as Friday and Saturday, so the public sale days are Nov. 20-21, Nov. 27-28, Dec. 4-5, Dec. 11-12, and Dec 18-19. House are 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. They accept cash and credit. Visit DLM at 2343 Saybrook Ave. in Commerce, CA.
Caveats: all sales final.
UPDATE: Living Doll went to the sale and says it was awesome.
Hey Julia,
This place is awesome! However, here are a few things to keep in mind for 1st timers :1) The selection for women is much larger than for men.
2) The Men’s section is predominantly for larger men (XL, XXL, XXXL) but there are still some goodies to be had for other sizes if you hunt a bit.
3) There are no mirrors in this joint, so you just have to wing it based on how it feels or bring a friend to help. NO RETURNS.
4) MOST IMPORTANT – the 80-90% discount is awesome, but is off of the highest price that is on the tag. This can be confusing because the item may be marked down by the original store it came from, but that is irrelevant. Example : if the tag says a price of $100, and then is slashed to $50…you will pay 80% off of the $100 not the $50 reduction.
Melanie was also impressed:
This place was AMAZING!!!! Thank you so much for letting us know about it . . .we literally got $650 worth of stuff for $130! Great clothes. . .I spent 3 hours there on Saturday and plan on going back next weekend. It was huge!!! The only bummer is you can’t try on the clothes, but we only ended up with one $5 shirt that is a little too big. I suggest if you are in the area (or you can get there somehow) you go!!!
This is paid content. Interested in buying a sponsored post? Read my Advertise page.
