M. Hall/The Recessionista Blog
Lacking a reliable fashion sense, I asked Mary of The Recessionista Blog where she’s back to school shopping, what the biggest deals are, and how parents are stretching their dollars at thrift stores.
How is the economy affecting back to school shopping? There are people in this economy doing more back to school shopping at Goodwill and the Salvation Army. There are a lot of items that are new with tags on them from the department store. I saw good sneakers in the box, good jeans, tops.
How do you talk to kids, who are often very brand conscious, about shopping at second hand stores? I didn’t see (more…)
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz. Disclosure: Zac Bissonnette used to blog for WalletPop.com, where Bargain Babe Julia Scott currently blogs.
A quality college education does not have to cost a lot of money. That’s the premise behind Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships, orMooching off My Parents
by Zac Bissonnette.
Bissonnette, a college student at the University of Massachusetts and a personal finance expert, says he wrote the book for the 90-plus percent of families that find it difficult to pay tuition at a four-year private university. He writes:
I wrote this book because I’ve met, spoken with, and read e-mails from hundreds of families who are struggling with the burden of college costs – worrying about how they’ll pay for college without bankrupting their retirement or burdening their kids with massive debt loads.
One of the tips that stuck with me is a loophole for making a student eligible for more financial aid. Bissonnette suggests getting married before heading to college. Married students are considered independent from their parents (more…)
alancleaver_2000/Flickr
This list intrigued me because I continually ask myself if I am spending and saving responsibly. If many of these behaviors ring true it is time to consider changing your ways. How many of these habits are you guilty of? See my answer below.
The following list comes from Billshrink, a site that compares plans for cell, cable, and other services to see if you are getting the lowest price.
1. You charge group dinners on your card and keep your friends’ cash to spend.
2. You spend more than 40% of your total income on rent.
3. You’re constantly transferring your balance to get 0% interest on your credit card debt. (more…)
Illustration by OConnorCartoons.com
Walgreens – Get $5 off your next online purchase of $30 or more using this Walgreens coupon. Expires Aug. 21, 2010.
Target - Did you hear they are closing the 262 remaining garden centers by September? That means super garden deals.
Payless – Get free shipping during their buy one get one 50% off sale. Valid on orders of $50 or more. Expires Aug. 20, 2010.
Emergen-C – Get two free samples of this vitamin-packed powder packets.
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.
Forbes declared Groupon the fastest growing business anywhere and as a testament to Groupon’s success, there are many, many imitators. How’s a bargain hunter to keep track of all the incredible “social” coupons?
Enter Yipit.
This new site aggregates deals from Groupon, LivingSocial, Scoop St, HomeRun and about 90 other social deal sites. Who knew so many existed??? I’m so excited about what Yipit has to offer I’ve installed a widget in the Partners section of the right sidebar.
Yipit currently aggregates deals in seven major U.S. cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Diego and San Francisco. The site hopes to be in 30 markets by (more…)
I’m not a mind reader. Aside from this roundup of grocery deals at Ralphs, Safeway/Vons, Albertsons, and Whole Foods, what grocery store do you want to see featured?
Ralphs - Cathy at Chief Family Officer shared four great grocery deals at Ralph’s this week. The Ralphs prices assume coupon doubling up to $1. Highlights include Powerade for $.39, Hot, Lean or Croissant Pockets for $.49, Welch’s Grape Jelly or Jam for $.99 cents, and Dial Liquid Hand Soap for $.30. Get all the Ralphs coupon deals.
Safeway/Vons - Saving Cents with Sense posts Safeway/Vons coupon deals Wednesday afternoon.
Albertsons - Save at Home Mommy shares weekly Albertsons coupon deals sometime Wednesday.
Whole Foods - Thrifty Mama posts her weekly Whole Foods coupon deals Wednesday afternoon.
New to coupons? Check out my post on coupon clipping basics. If you want to take advantage of these deals, make sure to save the coupon inserts you receive in the mail or with your Sunday newspaper. Here’s a great suggestion for how to handle coupon organization.
Anderson Mancini / flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Pest in your garden will destroy your plants and your edible investment. If you’re willing to make your own remedies, your plants will have a chance to thrive. Here’s how to naturally combat some major offenders with supplies you have around your home.
Ants
They crawl all over your plants and transmit diseases from sick to healthy plants. It seems like they just keep on coming, but here’s how to deter them from staying in your garden or coming into your home.
- Ants hate cucumber peels. They dislike the bitterness of the peel so place them where they have made their trails to deter them from crawling on your plants.
- Make a concoction of borax and sugar. A master gardener once told me to use a 50-50 concentration but I use more borax than sugar and it gets the job done. The goal is to have the ants (more…)
Zooboing.com
Free world map – World Vision is mailing free world maps across the globe for a limited time. Great educational tool! UPDATE: There is a spammy diet offer on this page. I’m not sure if the free map site has been hijacked or what, but I would NOT sign up for the diet product. Thanks to reader Judee who gave me the heads up.
Banana Republic – Today only! Get 25% off your online purchase of $100 or more. Get 30% off if you pay with your BR, Gap, or Old Navy credit card.
Restaurant.com - The latest Restaurant.com coupon code gets you 70% off!
Dr. Scholls – Use this Dr. Scholl’s coupon to get $3 off your next pain-relieving foot product purchase.
Free pens - Starting at noon EST every day through Sept. 9, 2010, BIC is giving away 1,000 free pens.
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.
La Grande Farmers' Market/Flickr
Don’t forget to enter the reader giveaway to win a copy of the eBook “Real Food on a Real Budget,” by Stephanie Langford. The book is devoted to eating organic on a budget. Click on the eating organic on a budget link and leave a comment with how much you spend on groceries every month to win.
Enter by Aug. 18, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. EST to be eligible to win. A winner will be announced Thursday, Aug. 19, 2010.
The ebook is currently selling for $19 (orig. $25). A hard copy of the 280-page book is $26.
deb roby/Flickr
Here is an update on what produce is currently in season and a resource for what to plant in your late summer/fall garden. The below list of in-season produce is a good indicator of what fruit and vegetables will have the best prices. Greater supply…lower prices. Plus, in-season produce is often grown closer to home than out-of-season produce, which we import from Chile, Mexico, and other countries. Expect prices for early summer fruits and vegetables to rise.
The following list of fall fruits and vegetables comes from FruitsAndVeggiesMoreMatters.org. The list includes many hardy lettuces and squashes. If you can’t remember what is in season, price is a good indication.
Acorn Squash
Belgian Endive
Broccoli (more…)
Do you plan to buy back to school supplies at your local dollar store? My feeling is back to school supplies do not need to be high quality, with the exception of a sturdy backpack. Pens, pencils, and lunch boxes will disappear like that, so why invest a lot in them?
I’ve seen notebooks, pencils, loose paper, pens, folders, and pen/pencil cases for $1 each at the Dollar Tree. And the latest 99 Cent Only Stores ad (locations in CA, AZ, NV, and TX) advertises the following items for $1 each:
- 12-pack of Paper Mate pens
- 5-pack of mechanical pencils
- 8-pack colored pencils
- 12-pack of crayons (more…)
Bolobilly/Flickr
A friend of mine commented on Facebook that she “will not be shopping at Target any more,” bringing up a fascinating question about how much we know about the politics of the retailers we patronize.
Background: media outlets reported that Target donated to the Yes on Prop 8 campaign in California, which supports a ban on marriage rights for gays. However, a progressive political site debunked the claim, saying that Target employee donations to Prop 8 had mistakenly been reported as corporate donations. Target is still under fire for contributions to an anti-gay gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota. The company released a statement saying that it favors the candidate’s business platform, not his social positions. The debate is raging outside my circle of friends; there is even a Facebook group boycotting Target.
Regardless of how you feel about Prop 8 and the right of gays to marry, my friend’s decision to boycott Target made me think about how little I know about the politics of the retailers I shop at. An About.com story shares this list of prominent brands and their political affiliations. (more…)
Illustration by OConnorCartoons.com
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Reader Gabrielle wins my review copy of “Cash, Credit, and Your Finances: The Teen Years,” for her funny comment about needing the book not only for her spoiled children but her husband as well. She wrote:
My teenager, you mean my hubby. I need this for my teenage like husband! HAHA!! No, but we have two pre-teens whom my mother-in-law has spoiled to no end & ruined any attempt I have put in to teach them about money, saving, & spending when needed instead of on any little thing they can afford.
Gabrielle, I love your honesty about your kids being spoiled. It is my hope that this book helps them learn about money and the importance of saving. Although the book is aimed at teens, I’m sure your husband will also learn a couple of things. When reading the book, I was reminded I had to set money aside from my freelancing paychecks to pay for federal and state taxes when the time comes around. I’m no longer a teen but the learning never stops.
If you missed my review of the book, author Jill Russo Foster says that teaching teens about money is the key to avoiding debt. Her easy-to-read book includes information from creating a budget to avoiding identity theft. This book is the first in a series of three books on personal finances by Foster.
Gabrielle, email me to claim your prize and include an address where I can ship the book to.
If you didn’t win my review copy and would like to get the book for your teen or you’d like to brush up on the basics, Amazon has it for $15.25.
inga_beretta/Flickr
Gap – Use these two Gap coupons to get 20-25% off your next purchase. One expires today and the other is good through Aug. 22, 2010.
TGI Friday’s – Print this TGI Friday’s coupon for $5 off $15, good through Aug. 18, 2010.
REI – Get 20% off any one item at the REI Outlet online. Unclear when this REI coupon expires.
Sephora – Get a bonus free sample at Sephora (you already get three) with any online purchase.
Body Shop - Students can get a free $10 Love Your Body membership at the Body Shop. Members get 10% off purchases, plus special coupons throughout the year.
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.
CVS - There are six freebies at CVS this week. Wahoo! Highlights include free Crest or Oral B Health, free Sobe Lifewater 20 oz. or Gataorade 32 oz., free Pepsi 2 Liter, free Right Guard or Dry Idea, free Zegerid OTC 14 count and free Blink Tears Lubricating Drops .5 oz. Get the coupon match ups and read more CVS deals on BargainBriana.
Walgreens – Highligths include Puffs Facial Tissues for $.83, free Stride gum, free Pilot Frixion pens, and Colgate for $.99. Get the coupon match ups and read more Walgreens deals on CommonSenseWithMoney.
Rite Aid – Higlights include free AMO Complete Multi Purpose Solution, free Rolaids Soft Chews, and BIC Crystal Pens for $.25 each. Get the coupon match ups and read more Rite Aid deals on MoneySavingMom.
New to coupons? Check out my post on coupon clipping basics. If you want to take advantage of these deals, make sure to save the coupon inserts you receive in the mail or with your Sunday newspaper. Here’s a great suggestion for how to handle coupon organization.
