BargainBabe.com on Yelp!
Check out the latest addition to Yelp. It’s yours truly! Yep, BargainBabe.com now has a page on Yelp. You can add a review of BargainBabe.com on Yelp or make a suggestion to improve the site.
I have been a Yelp fan for years – long before Yelp sponsored last year’s Frugal Festival. Whenever I am in a new place, I use Yelp to find a place to eat. The reviews are honest, varied, and really helpful. I’ve noticed is that Yelpers tend to dislike chains, however. And I really hope the Yelp iPhone app will one day allow me to publish reviews while mobile instead of requiring me to log in back at home.
Thanks for checking out the Bargain Babe.com Yelp page!!
In my latest video with WalletPop, I share my secrets to getting the best Groupon deals. I’m *pretty* sure you don’t know all these tricks.
Stay on top of the latest strategies, coupons, and inspiration to save money everyday with BargainBabe.com’s email list.
Juushika Redgrave/Flickr
I loathe investing in Halloween gear because most of it gets used once a year, and is trampled, consumed, or lost before the holiday comes around again. Here is a list of Halloween costumes, candy, and decorations for sale at four dollar store chains. Selection varies by region.
99 Cents Only Halloween deals (So Cal, AZ, TX, and NV)
Pumpkins
Tootsie Rolls (more…)
tomazstolfa / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
If the busted real estate bubble left you confused about whether it’s better to rent or buy a home, you are not alone. According to a recent USA Today story, the percent of people who believe that home ownership is part of the American dream has gone down from 77 percent in January to 72 percent in August.
“It’s a confusing time in the market,” the story says. “On one hand, mortgage rates are at record lows, and in many cities, home prices have plummeted. But on the other hand, home foreclosures continue to rise, and the economy remains weak.”
There are many free, online rent-to-buy calculators that can help people weigh their options. But here’s a quick look at the pros and cons of renting or buying a home. (more…)
Brand name v. generic groceries
Have you noticed that your local grocery story is pushing their own in-house, generic label over brand names? On a recent shopping trip to my local Shop & Stop, two identical grocery carts greeted me, pictured above.
Each contained 36 items. The one on the left has brand names like Domino Sugar, Lipton Tea, and Quaker Oats. The cart on the right has all the same food stuffs – but made by Shop & Stop’s generic in-house brand.
The generic labels are not as pretty or as recognizable, but the cart on the right costs a whopping $36.39 less: $123.25 versus $86.56.
Another grocery chain, (more…)
Sam Howzit/Flickr
Bowling coupon – Get $20 off your next bowling adventure at AMF in a group of 4 or more. This coupon will not be offered for more than a day or two.
Kate Spade coupon – Get 25% off Kate Spade in stores, online, and at the outlet Oct. 15-16, 2010 with this Kate Spade coupon.
Free Emergen-C – Get a free sample of Emergen-C vitamin packets. For new requesters only (I was denied!)
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog. Or, stay on top of the latest strategies, coupons, and inspiration to save money everyday with BargainBabe.com’s email list.
Illustration by OConnorCartoons.com
Ralphs - Highlights include products that are part of the Mega Sale (buy 10 participating products and get $5 off). Coffee-mate Flavored Creamer is free with coupons, Kellogg’s Fruit Snacks are $.99 each with coupons, Nabisco Oreo Cookies are as low as $1.69 with coupons, and Vitaminwater is $.49. The Ralphs prices assume coupon doubling up to $1. Get all the Ralphs coupons.
Safeway/Vons - Highlights include deals during a 4-day sale (Fri-Mon). Hass Avocados are $0.69, Campbell’s Condensed Soup, Chicken Noodle or Tomato is free after coupons, Colgate Toothpaste is free with coupon, and General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios are as little as $.88 a box with coupons. Get all the Safeway/Vons coupons and deals. (more…)
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of Bobbisbargains.
spookyamd/Flickr
I love road trips. One of the best things about moving from Boston to Los Angeles was the opportunity to drive across America and experience the Crayola Crayon Factory, the Route 66 Museum, the Giant Coke Bottle AND the Giant Milk Bottle. Road trips offer untold opportunities to stop and visit unique tourist attractions. Not to mention the enlightening conversations with the owners of said establishments.
There is simply no better website for finding unusual destinations than Roadside America. Where else can you find a motel to watch a drive-in movie from your motel window? What about a museum in New York where you can learn everything you ever wanted to know about Jello? Or a ranch in Texas where they grow Cadillacs (pictured above)?
Roadside America (per the editors Doug Kirby, Ken Smith, and Mike Wilkins) is devoted to oddball or over-the-top places that make them laugh. They apparently make a lot of other people laugh as well because this site has been growing steadily since it first appeared in 1994. The content is created by the editors as well as attraction owners and visitors. They sell a phone app, Muffler Men memorabilia. However, it looks like they most likely support the site through booking hotel and motel rooms. (more…)
Reader Donna shows off her bag of leaves costume.
Ideas for Halloween costumes continue to flow. Here are the latest. I’ll dress up as the best costume idea as selected by readers (voting begins next week). If you are looking for Halloween coupons, I’m listing everything on my WalletPop blog. Pumpkin carving ideas are here.
Over the weekend a new friend told me about her vending machine costume. Using double sided tape, she stuck a bunch of candy, Advil, and other items you commonly see at vending machines to her top. She dressed in all black and attacked to her upper arm a small canister with a coin slot. Through the night, people bought things from her!
Reader Donna wrote in with a clever costume idea and she shared a picture of her dressed up, above. “Last year for Halloween, I was a bag of leaves. I cut armholes out of a paper recycling leaf bag and attached fake autumn leaves purchased from a dollar store. I rimmed the top of the bag with (more…)
USACE Europe District/Flickr
Diana emailed me with an amazing story about how she racked up $108 in CVS gift cards!
Had to share my experience yesterday which was the best deal I ever got! My husband and I went to CVS to get our flu shots. They charged us $29 each which is a little more than the going rate around town – but . . . they had some sort of promotion going where we were given (more…)
Free movie – Rent a free movie with this Redbox coupon. Unclear when it expires.
Healthy Choice coupon – “Like” the Healthy Choice Facebook page and get a coupon reservation for $.75 a frozen entree. If others like the coupon, it will increase in value. Ends Oct. 25, 2010.
Restaurant.com 70% off – Get 70% off Restaurant.com’s gift certificates using this coupon code. Expires Oct. 17, 2010.
Free moisturizer sample – Get a free sample of Garnier’s Moisture Rescue gel-cream for your face.
Free lotion sample – Vaseline is giving away one million free samples of its Intensive Rescue lotion.
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog. Stay on top of the latest strategies, coupons, and inspiration to save money everyday with BargainBabe.com’s email list.
I strung together a dozen images of carved pumpkins to give you ideas for carving yours. Painting or drawing on pumpkins is a great option for kids who are too young to handle knives. Check out last year’s Halloween pumpkin carving ideas.
Randy Son of Robert/Flickr
Tech pumpkin. Credit: istolethetv/Flickr
Pumpkin witch! Credit: Joe Shlabotnik/Flickr
Clothing swaps have given way to swaps of make up, vegetables, and cars. Credit: alanadanielle88/Flickr
This post was brought to you by Workwear, specialists in uniforms and corporate clothing.
Think swapping is just for clothes fanatics? If you’ve ever used Netflix, Craigslist, or attended a garage sale, you are a swapper. I recently talked to Melissa Massello, co-founder of TheSwapaholics, which was recently acquired by Swap.com, about swapping beauty products, vegetables, and cars. Full disclosure: Melissa and I co-hosted a swapping event called the Frugal Festival this past July. At the end of our interview, I pulled together resources to find a swap near you, what to bring to a swap, and swap tips for newbies.
Clothing swapping is fast becoming main stream. Clothing swaps have been around, as one blogger said, for as long as women knew their friends had closets. (more…)
Starbucks coupon – Get $1 off your next VIA purchase using this Starbucks coupon. Play a 45-second “match” game to get the coupon. You can play as many times as you want!
Coach coupon – Get 20% off at Coach Factory stores through Oct. 17, 2010 with this Coach coupon.
Borders coupons - Use these two Borders coupons to get 50% off Blue-Ray discs or 33% off one item. Discout is off of list price. Some exclusions.
Old Navy coupon – Get 20% off everything online using this Old Navy coupon. Expires Thursday, Oct. 14, 2010.
Check out all the coupons on my WalletPop blog. Stay on top of the latest strategies, coupons, and inspiration to save money everyday with BargainBabe.com’s email list.
Illustration by OConnorCartoons.com
CVS - Go straight to the CVS coupons and deals this week. Highlights include Colgate Total Advanced or Enamel Strength Toothpaste 4 oz. for free with coupons and Extra Bucks. Quaker Quick Oats 18 oz., Instant Oatmeal or Granola Bars 8-10 ct. for free after coupons and Extra Bucks, Dial or Tone Body Wash 16-18 oz. for free after coupons and Extra Bucks, and Method Laundry Detergent 25 loads for $4 after Extra Bucks.
Walgreens – Highlights include Progresso soups for $1 each when you buy four, Huggies Jumpo pack of diapers for $4 per pack after coupons and Register Rewards and more. Get all the Walgreens coupon deals on CommonSenseWithMoney.
Rite Aid – Highlights include free Nivea lip care after coupons and Up Rewards, Suave body wash for $.50 with coupons and Up Rewards, and Tom’s of Maine Dental Care or Deodorant for $1.49 after coupons and single check rebate. Get all the Rite Aid coupon deals on CouponCravings.
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.
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