I paid $39.22 for 14 items at The Body Shop! PAM Phạm / Flickr

This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.

A few weeks ago, I jump on a Living Social deal for The Body Shop that I shared on one of our freebie and coupon posts. I was holding on to the vouchers till a good sale came along. This week, I redeemed my $20 vouchers and got 14 items for only $39.22 – that’s $2.80 per item!

Right now, The Body Shop shower gels are 4 for $16! That’s just $4 per bottle and it’s half off the original price. Rumor has it they will no longer sell their 8 ounce bottles so they are trying to get rid of them with this sale. SCORE!

I was only able to use one voucher at a time so I had to make two trips. I saved $20 using the Living Social vouchers.

For my first trip, I picked up four shower gels (love their scents!), three hand cleanse gels, and my Love Your Body membership. I saved $29.60 on this trip.

On my second trip, I bought four more shower gels, a grapefruit lip butter for my sis, and a spiced vanilla lip balm on sale for me. I had to add the lip products in to meet the $20 minimum. I saved $32.30.

My total savings adds up to a whopping $81.90!

The Body Shop is a store I like to frequent because I can always find a way to save money on items I need. I also like that their products are natural and they raise awareness with their campaigns.

Julia is also a fan. Read her latest score at The Body Shop.

Do you like to patronize a particular store because you can easily save money? Let us know where you get your deals!

Get a subscription to Weight Watchers for $4!

Don’t miss out on this week’s hot magazine deals including Weight Watchers and Yoga Journal magazines! If you don’t see your go-to magazine listed, browse DiscountMags.com to find your fave and use the coupon code to save 20% off (see the details below).

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Yoga Journal
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Valid Feb. 1-2, 2012

SITEWIDE COUPON
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Use coupon code BARGAINBABE
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Don’t forget to mark your calender so you won’t miss any of these hot magazine deals.

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If you want something you don’t have the money for, figure out how to make it. (I’ve already talked about getting things by swapping or repurposing).

Personally, I have found that learning to make something is the best way to go. I get what I need, and I know how to repair it. Here are my five favorite sites to go to when I want to learn new things:

1. General instructions - Instructables - You can learn anything from how to carve a pumpkin to how to build your own computer to how to construct a rocket ship. Instructables has more pictures and instructions than videos.
2. Video tutorials - YouTube – Now that YouTube has grown beyond silly home videos, you can find all sorts of wonderful how-to videos. Check on the length of the video before choosing which one you want to watch. It’s pretty boring to watch a 10-minute video on how to tie a knot and it’s pretty useless to watch a 30-second video on how to do your taxes.
3. 5 minute Life Videopedia – Five minute videos about all sorts of stuff.
4. The ultimate handyman site - DIYnetwork – I also like HandymanUSA. These are both wonderful sites to go to when you want to know how to fix your broken doorknob or unclog your sink.
5. Hundreds of the best 18-minute talks on Technology, Education & Design - TED talks – Think of the very best speaker you ever heard. Now imagine the talk being no more than 18 minutes long. These are TED talks. My favorite ones are by Sir Ken Richardson on the subject of education.

There are so many things we pay for someone do for us that we could do ourselves. By hiring others to weed our gardens, cook our food, and fix every broken thing, we lose the joy of creating our own lives.  The internet gives us access to information that allows us to learn new things with a few clicks. Use it!

What are your favorite sites to learn new things?

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EE Homepage / Flickr

This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.

Last year, my aunt underwent dental surgery that could have cost her thousands of dollars. The cheapest quote she got in the U.S. was $45,000. To get affordable health options, and save money, she sought out-of-country care. She told me she saved more than $20,000 when I told her about my dental emergency.

I was surprised to learn she’d had her teeth fixed because all I’d heard was that she’d gone on vacation to Mexico during the summer. I interrogated her over the phone.

“What did you get done?”

“Gum surgery and implants” she said.

“Ouch! Guess bad teeth run in the family. How did you pick the dentist?”

“I got quotes last time we went to see your grandma.”

“So how much did you end up paying in total with travel?

“The round-trip cost $500, which we already planned to pay to go visit. The bill was $24,250. Everything was $24,750.”

“What if there would have been complications?”

“That’s why we stayed over the whole summer just in case I had to go back. But everything went well. Plus the dentist studied and worked here [in the U.S.] so I knew he had experience.”

Things worked out well for my aunt. She didn’t have to worry about losing hours at work since she gets the summers off. Housing was also not a problem since she stayed with relatives. These are all things you must take into consideration because they will add to the expenses.

Would I travel to another country to get inexpensive dental or doctor care? I’m not sure. I guess it depends on the kind of care I needed. I wouldn’t do it to take care of a cavity or two. Normally, I’d jump at the opportunity to save that kind of money. But I’m hesitant to say yes because I’d be scared something would go wrong and I’d find myself in a country I know little about.

My aunt’s surgery went without a glitch, but if something had gone wrong her health and dental insurance from work wouldn’t have covered expenses. Since all her expenses where covered out of pocket, she would’ve had to fork over more money. Not only that, according to this NPR story, if something goes wrong in surgeries abroad there may not be much you can do. At least, in the states we have malpractice laws and medical standards that can help right a wrong.

Would you consider going out of country to get low-cost medical or dental care?

Get a subscription to Shape mag for only $4!

This week’s hot magazine deals include Shape and Family Fun magazines. Get in on these hot magazine deals EXCLUSIVE to BargainBabe.com before it’s too late! Don’t see your favorite magazine listed? Browse DiscountMags.com to find your fave and use the coupon code below to save 20% off (see the details below).

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Valid Feb. 1-2, 2012

SITEWIDE COUPON
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Use coupon code BARGAINBABE
Valid Feb. 3-Mar. 31, 2012

Don’t forget to mark your calender so you won’t miss any of these hot magazine deals.

Clicking on these links supports BargainBabe.com. Thank you for helping make blogging my full time job! This post is copyrighted by BargainBabe.com. Other sites posting this content are violating the DMCA.

rachel_titiriga/flickr

I live in Southern California, the land of the lemon tree. With so many donations from friends, I have found tons of uses for the mighty little lemon.

Here are ten of my favorites:

1. Lemon juice and salt on your copper bottom pans make an instant cleaning miracle. Just sprinkle the salt on the copper bottom, then squirt on some lemon juice and give a gentle scrub. Your copper will shine like the day it was made. This works on any copper surface, not just pot bottoms.

2. Put lemon juice in a spray bottle and go for a little sunbath. Spritz the lemon juice on your hair and let the sun do its job. You will end up with a summer blond look.
3. Turn those lemons into lemonade. The very best lemonade that I ever had was at a yard sale. The little boy who sold it to me was proud to tell me that the lemons came from the tree in his backyard. Lemon juice + filtered water + honey + ice = yummy lemonade
4. After shampoo rinse. When I was little, my mom used to pour lemon juice over my hair as an after shampoo rinse. Some people don’t use shampoo or conditioner at all – only water and some lemon juice.
5. Deodorize your garbage disposal. After you are done squeezing the juice out of the lemon, cut it up into strips and put down your disposal. Not only does it help break up the grease and gunk on the blades, but it leaves a pleasant lemon scent.
6. Keep guacamole from turning brown. Avocado turns brown when exposed to air, so your wonderful homemade guacamole can look yucky while still tasting great. Spritz the top of your guac with lemon juice to keep a bright green.
7. Similar to the avocado, apple slices will also turn brown when left out to the air. Dip the slices in lemon juice to keep them nice looking. The taste of the lemon compliments the apples.
8. Help soften elbows and heels by rubbing a squeezed lemon rind on them. Make sure you don’t have any cuts in your skin or they will sting.
9. Lemon and honey in hot water is good for a sore throat or a cold. If nothing else, the honey tastes good and the heat soothes.
10. Kill weeds in the cracks in your sidewalk. Much like the tip that Bargain Babe gave us with vinegar, it turns out that lemon juice also kills weeds. Soak the area with lemon juice instead of toxic chemicals. You will definitely want a friend with an overloaded lemon tree for this tip.

I know that there are tons more uses for this great little fruit. What are your favorite uses for lemons?

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Last week I ordered Bon Appetit for $4.99 for one year. How awesome is that?! You can still get in on these hot magazine deals EXCLUSIVE to BargainBabe.com! If these mags are not your fave, browse DiscountMags.com to find ones you like and use the coupon code below to save 20% off (see the details below).

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jypsygen / Flickr

This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.

A while back, I wrote about the many uses of vinegar. Julia even gushed about vinegar in a video. More recently I haven’t been able to live without hydrogen peroxide. It all started after my dental emergency. Below I share 25 uses for the liquid in the brown bottle, H2O2. (It’s usually sold with a 3% active ingredient concentration.)

DISCLOSURE: I’m not attempting to give medical advice. You should consult your dentist or doctor before using hydrogen peroxide to treat ailments.

1. My dentist suggested I soak my toothbrush in hydrogen peroxide between uses to keep it clean and prevent the transfer of germs. This is particularly helpful when you or someone in your family has a cold or the flu. I’ve been fighting a bug!
2. Use hydrogen peroxide as a mouthwash to freshen breath. It kills the bacteria that causes halitosis.
3. Mixed with salt and baking soda, hydrogen peroxide works as a whitening toothpaste.
4. It’s said to helps with early stages of gingivitis as it kills bacteria.
5. Clean a wound with hydrogen peroxide.
6. Use a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide to clean and freshen kitchen counters.
7. Clean your cutting boards to kill salmonella and other bacteria.
8. Sanitize your kids’ lunch boxes/bags.
9. Wash vegetables and fruits with hydrogen peroxide. Add 1/4 cup of H2O2 to a sink of cold water. After washing rinse thoroughly with cool water.
10. Dab hydrogen peroxide on pimples or acne to help clear skin.
11. Use a mixture of 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 32 parts water to improve your plants’ root system. It’s said to help with rotting.
12. Hydrogen peroxide helps to sprout seeds for new plantings. Use a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution once a day and spritz the seed every time you re-moisten.
13. Use H2O2 instead of using chlorine bleach when washing a white load. Toss in half a cup straight out of the bottle along with your usual laundry detergent. Did you know it’s one of the main ingredients in Oxiclean? It works well against grass, blood and red wine stains.
14. Remove yellowing from lace curtains or tablecloths. Fill a sink with cold water and a 2 cups of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Soak for at least an hour, rinse in cold water and air dry.
15. Soaking your feet in a peroxide solution helps soften calluses and corns, and disinfects minor cuts.
16. Spritz a weak solution of H2O2 on your hair to bring out your natural highlights.
17. Can kill harmful bacteria, including E. coli, viral agents, and mold and mildew spores.
18. Use it to remove ear wax. Use a solution of 3% with olive or almond oil. Add a couple drops of oil first then H2O2. After a few minutes, tilt head to remove solution and wax.
19. Helps with foot fungus. Spray a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry.
20. Clean with hydrogen peroxide to remove mold.
21. Spraying down the shower with hydrogen peroxide to kill bacteria and viruses.
22. Use 1 pint of 3% hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of water to clean humidifiers and steamers.
23. Wash shower curtains with hydrogen peroxide to remove mildew and soap scum. Place curtains in machine with a bath towel and your regular detergent. Add 1 cup full strength 3% hydrogen peroxide to the rinse cycle.
24. Scrub the toilet bowl with 2 quarts water and 1 cup 3% hydrogen peroxide. Let stand 30 minutes. Then scrub with brush.
25. Use hydrogen peroxide to control fungi present in aquariums. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt your fish. Use sparingly for this purpose.

What do you use hydrogen peroxide for?

Urban Woodstalker/flickr

Do you know the main idea that separates people who live over-budget from those who live under-budget?

People who go over-budget do so because they think they must have NEW stuff. This often translates into buying at the highest price. Go to the mall and buy a new shirt. Top dollar. Go to the car dealer and buy a new replacement part for your car. Super top dollar. Go to the bookstore and buy a just published book. Very expensive.

Some people feel that it is “bad” or “uncool” or “low class” to buy recycled, used, or discounted. Well, if you are super rich and have money to burn, then, be my guest and buy retail. I surely want to go to your yard sales and I certainly don’t want to try and balance your budget.

People who live under-budget think new stuff is a waste of money. They would rather get used stuff and re-purpose it.

So where are the best places to get great re-purposed stuff? Here is my top 7 list:

1. Yard Sales – You just can’t beat a yard sale for great prices and wild diversity. I love the adventure of yard sales. Go to a family neighborhood for kid stuff. Go to an area with lots of artists for cool and unique items. Utilize Yard Sale Treasure Map to find the yard sales in your area.

2. Thrift Stores – You never know what kind of great buys you will get in a thrift store. I’ve seen designer suits for $9.95 and service-for-12 Noritake china for $29.95. It’s important that you check for nicks, tears, broken zippers, stains, etc. when buying at a thrift store. There is no returning. On the flip side, I love donating to my local thrift store. I get a tax deduction plus I know I’m putting treasures into someone else’s hand and out of the landfill.

3. Swaps - Find a swap, attend a swap, create a swap. Just swap! The best way to recycle and re-purpose and end up with new-to-you stuff. Many swaps have some sort of minimal entrance fee plus you need to bring stuff to swap. I’m hooked on swaps.

4. Your friends and/or co-workers – Have a closet clean out with your friend. Get your co-workers to swap clothing, books, electronics. It can be as simple as putting a basket in the office lunchroom for a book exchange.

5. On the curb of the sidewalk – I have found the most wonderful stuff on the curb. I’ve gotten a great light table for graphics, an end table and a treadmill. Keep the universe happy and put your cool stuff out on the curb for others to find.

6. Consignment stores – Not as good as a thrift store, but sometimes you can get GREAT deals on very high quality designer clothes for young and old.

7. Specialized consignment sales – Some sales, like the LA Kids Consignment sale specialize in public such as kids, plus size or sports equipment

Learn to love the re-purposed lifestyle and do what you REALLY want with the money you save. How do you re-purpose?

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Get Bon Appetit for $5!

I’m working with DiscountMags.com to offer a number of really hot magazine deals, two each week. Year long subscriptions. Mark your calender because these deals are EXCLUSIVE to BargainBabe.com!!!

Bon Appetit
$4.99 with coupon code BARGAINBABE
Expires Jan. 12, 2012
(checking exact time this code expires today)

Rachel Ray
$4 with coupon code BARGAINBABE
Valid Jan. 17-18, 2012

Family Circle
$4 with coupon code BARGAINBABE
Valid Jan. 18-19, 2012

Shape
$4 with coupon code BARGAINBABE
Valid Jan. 24-25, 2012

Family Fun
$4 with coupon code BARGAINBABE
Valid Jan. 25-26, 2012

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$4 with coupon code BARGAINBABE
Valid Jan. 31-Feb 1, 2012

Yoga Journal
$4 with coupon code BARGAINBABE
Valid Feb. 1-2, 2012

SITEWIDE COUPON
20% off your order at DiscountMags.com
Use coupon code BARGAINBABE
Valid Feb. 3-Mar. 31, 2012

Don’t forget to mark your calender so you won’t miss any of these hot magazine deals.

Clicking on these links supports BargainBabe.com. Thank you for helping make blogging my full time job! This post is copyrighted by BargainBabe.com. Other sites posting this content are violating the DMCA.

lululemon athletica / Flickr

This post is brought to you by CentrSource, where you will find great offers.

This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.

I’m in the market for new workout clothes. The pairs of yoga pants I’ve had for more than five years are beginning to thin at the inner thigh. Since I practically live in workout clothes, I need them to stand up to constant wear. Here’s how I find workout clothes at affordable prices.

1. Avoid name brand retailers- Stores like Nike and Adidas are so expensive. Even with discounts or coupons the prices are still high, at least for my price range. I do like to frequent these stores to see what’s new and gauge prices.
2. Avoid secondhand stores – If I were looking for non-workout clothes, I would look at secondhand stores to save money. Maybe it’s just me, but I do not want to wear other peoples’ old gym clothes. Eww! For hygiene purposes, I also avoid shopping for old tennis shoes. Bobbi says used shoes can be a hot deal as long as you follow these rules.
3. Ask for hand me downs – A while back I received name brand athletic wear from my cousin who had lost weight. Although she had worn the clothes, they were in good condition. Plus, they were free! I am open to wearing workout clothes from people I know.
4. Outlets – I’ve found workout clothes to be up to 50% off at outlets. To get these deals you have to shop a full season after you see the clothes in the regular stores. Athletic shoe outlets are also good sources of deals, especially if you can score coupons to bring the price down even further. If you sign up for an outlet’s email, you may be able to score a free VIP coupon booklet.
5. Off-price retailers – Stores like Ross, TJ Maxx, and Marshall’s are great places to look for workout clothes. The prices can be just as good as shopping at outlets, if not better. I also really like these stores because they have more recent styles.
6. Shop less known brands – You don’t have to buy name brands. Shopping for less known brands will save you a bundle.
7. Shop the teen’s section – Because of my stature, I can get away with shopping in the teens section. I’ve found large sizes are perfect and there’s no need to get pants altered. Prices tend to be lower for some items. Before paying make sure to compare prices!
8. Use old clothes – I have shirts that have bleach spots and have seen better days, but are perfect to wear underneath a sweater when jogging. Don’t through out old clothes, use it to workout in.

Check out our tips to get fit on a budget and find out why money is not an excuse not to exercise. How do you save on workout clothes?

Four years ago, Dove beauty products ran one of the most successful viral video campaigns of the time. It graphical showed that our perception of beauty is twisted by the ability of makeup and graphic artists to make the human body look drastically different than it actually is. In the hands of an expert, Photoshop graphic software can drastically change the way that anybody looks.

These constant visual illusions set the stage for cosmetic companies to sell overpriced and unnecessary products to young and old, male and female, rich and poor. Do we really need toxic chemicals from cosmetics added to our skin and our budgets? No.

The best beauty is natural beauty. It is lasting. Really.

Here are 8 tried and true simple steps you can do to bring out your natural beauty.

1. Drink water. Pure, clean water. Water is what the body uses to flush out the toxins that accumulate and cause unwanted and unbeautiful conditions like pimples, wrinkles and bags under your eyes.
2. Get a good and restful night’s sleep every night. I know that this is very hard for many people to do, but you can help yourself by turning off the computer or tv and going to sleep early enough that you can get a good 8 hours of sleep. For those of you with young kids… sorry, I know that probably isn’t possible.
3. Avoid eating sugar. Wow. Yep. Sugar is not good for your beauty when eaten, but it can be used as a sugar scrub to exfoliate your skin.
4. Eat your dark green veggies. Your mom was right. Green leafy vegetables are really good for you.
5. Avoid and/or release stress. Figure out what that means for you. Perhaps you need to do yoga or take some walks or run the marathon. Perhaps reading a book relaxes you are getting a massage.
6. Get rid of negative people from your life. If you feel worse every time you are with a certain someone, then you probably shouldn’t hang out with them. If it is a family member, that is kind of hard, but if it is a friend, then perhaps it is time to let go of that friendship. A great saying that is floating around facebook goes something like: “Before you decide to take anti-depressants, find out if you are just surrounded by jerks.”
7. Find work in life that you enjoy. Living tends to take up all of your time, so it is best to be doing something that you like.
8. Make your own all natural beauty products or buy them from a company that only uses ingredients that you can pronounce. Return to Beauty is a great book devoted to homemade beauty recipes.

I hope these above tips help you. You can also check out these frugal beauty tips from Yazmin. Have you ever made your own beauty products?

This post is copyrighted by BargainBabe.com. Other sites posting this content are violating the DMCA.

This looks like a really fun DIY project! Just think how fun it would be to go to a holiday party in these bad boys, and how much money you’d save compared to buying designer brands. I wonder how long the glitter really stays on, though…

All this cost me just $48.60 - 70% off!!!

Time to brag. Yesterday I went to The Body Shop and saved 70% off my total bill by stacking coupons and discounts. WOWIE! Here’s how I pulled it off. (If you don’t have a store nearby, you can shop directly through the site or get built-in discounts on The Body Shop products on Amazon.)

I bought 13 items that rang up for $162, including Seaweed Mattifying Moisture Lotion SPF 15, Seaweek Mattifying Day Cream (that I use at night), and gift-size lip balm, lip butter, body scrub, body butter, and conditioner , pictured above.

I used a Buy One Get One Free holiday promotion coupon from a mystery bag that the clerk offered me. As soon as I entered the store she told me about the promotion, so as long as you shop in store you should be able to get a similar discount. The coupons vary but I pulled a really good one! This took off $68.

I redeemed two Groupons, worth a combined $80, that I paid $40 for. This saved me $40.

I used my Love Your Body Card, which takes 10% off . This shaved off $9.20.

At the store I paid just $8.60 for all this loot. That’s $3.70 per item!

Part of the reason why I was able to stack so many coupons and discounts was that the sales clerk was willing to help! I’ve noticed this in past trips so I’m guessing The Body Shop has a corporate policy to help their customers save as much as possible. By the end of the transaction, I felt guilty getting so many great skincare products for so little! Plus, my receipt has a 20% off coupon for any in store purchase before Nov. 30, 2011. Hot dang!

Tell me about your latest score or leave a comment.

Daquella Manera/flickr

I am a firm believer in returning products. If I get it home and find out that it doesn’t fit, work, or do what the advertising promised, I return it. However, I hate the time, effort, and gas it takes to make a return.

Most stores have very good return policies. However, it often costs more to return the item than its purchase price. For instance,

if I bought an under $10 item from a store 20 miles from me – which happens a lot in a big city like Los Angeles – then it will cost me almost that much in gas to return the item. Not to mention the time it takes to run the errand. Even items purchased online take time to return and sometimes you have to pay postage.

What’s a bargain hunter to do?

The key is to REALLY look at what you are trying to replace or buy BEFORE you go shopping. Check on size, shape, color, length and width. Comparison shop online and scan reviews. Take pictures and measurements. If you are bad with color (like I am) then bring a swatch you are trying to match, or the actual item.

Because we have a huge selection of just about everything that we can buy, we really need to narrow it down.

For instance, I just bought a home phone. I wanted a corded phone that didn’t plug into an electrical outlet and I was so excited when I found one. It was a great price. When I set it up, I realized it didn’t have an answering machine, a feature I absolutely wanted. In my excitement, I forgot to check if it had everything I needed.

I had to make a special trip to the store to return the phone and get another (more expensive) one.

Unfortunately, all of the information that you need when buying an item – especially electronics – is not on the outside of the box. Often the sales personnel is also pretty clueless, unless you insist on talking to a manager who knows the product. Some stores will search online for additional product info or you can do this on your smartphone.

Researching a product ahead of shopping will save you money. I know because at yard sales I have picked up brand new items from people who said they just never returned it. This is especially true if you buying an item that can’t be returned because it is a final sale or second-hand.

Are you a returner, a should-have-returner, or a can’t-returner?