Get free ice cream on Valentine's Day!
There are 11 freebies and coupons total today!
Today only! Free glasses - If you missed this yesterday, today CoastalContacts.com is giving away 5,000 pairs of free glasses to CA residents!
Free ice cream – On Valentine’s Day from 3-6 p.m., Marble Slab Creamery will be giving away free ice cream. Yum!
Free DVD rentals – Here’s one nice Valentine’s Day freebie. Send a card through Redbox and get a free movie rental coupon!
Free phones – T-Mobile is giving away free phones (with a few catches) Feb. 11-12, 2011. Stay tuned for details! (more…)
Splurging at Macy's and Out of the Closet
I went shopping yesterday and came home with three pairs of pants and two pairs of shoes, $139 later. I started at Macy’s, where I found two pairs of shoes that I loved. They were on sale, plus I had a 10% off coupon. Cha-ching!
The soft leather, hardy sole, and distinctive look of this pair of creamy tan slingbacks sold me. They are made by Lucky Brand, which I didn’t even realize made shoes. I wear flats ALL the time and was down to one lime green pair. I paid $49.77 for them (orig. $79, on sale for $55.30).
I rarely find appealing shoes in the jumbled clearance racks (more…)
The reason I love shopping at thrift stores is the truly amazing deals. I set my budget at $25 for a new-to-me pair of jeans (both my current pairs are one squat away from ripping in the crotch) and came away with eight items for $14.49. She shoots…she scores!
I bought:
- Two baskets for holding fruit and potatoes/onions/yams – $1 each
- A wooden tray for holding garlic and onions – $3
- Two juice glasses – $1 each
- A brick red scarf with brown and creme accents – $1 (I’m still on the fence about this purchase because I can’t tell if it screams “retro” or “grandma”)
- A ring of four measuring spoons – $.49
- A pair of jeans that make my butt look bigger than it is (a plus in my book) – $6
The cool thing is that everything but the scarf was on my list of items to look out for until I found a good deal. I could have paid $10-$15 per basket at Pier 1 Imports or Ikea, $4 a glass at Crate & Barrel, and who knows how much for a new wooden carved tray. Earlier in the day I stopped in at a high-end thrift store and saw used jeans for as much as $70. Ridiculous!
Now to settle the scarf issue. A picture of it is above. Do you think it is retro or grandmotherly? How would you wear it?
Related:
Money Morality: legit to shop at thrift stores?
Friday Fun: Are my bargain basement shoes tacky?
Getting bargains at thrift stores
back_garage/Flickr
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains
Bargainistas know not to pay retail for clothes (except for undergarments.) We all have our favorite thrift shops and know when the new stuff is put out.
But, what to do when you are on vacation? Are you really going to pay $25 for a t-shirt at the seaside resort when you know there is a gently used version for $2.99 at a second-hand shop within blocks?
Let me introduce you to my favorite “don’t leave home without it” web site – The National Thrift Store Directory. No matter where you are in the United States, plug in your zip code and you will find a thrift store near you. Oh be still my beating heart!
I would much rather visit the local thrift shop in some small town than spend time in a tourist trap. Not only can you pick up local souvenirs for a fraction of the cost (mugs that go for $25 at Disneyland are a dollar or two at a thrift store) but you can talk to fellow shoppers and possibly find out about a local event that you would never know was happening (like a pancake breakfast at the community center or a free concert at the high school.)
The National Thrift Store Directory currently has almost 10,000 listings, but you can help other bargain hunters by adding your favorite store.
What is the best item you ever found at a thrift store?
TheConsumerist.com
Jetblue is selling a bunch of flights from JFK for $10 each. The site was getting hammered last time I checked so give the pages time to load.
New customers can get a free photobook from Picaboo or, if you already have an account with them, there is a BOGO free coupon that is good through March 31, 2010.
Use this Gap coupon code to get jeans at 30 percent off. Just trade-in an old pair by Sunday, March 14, 2010.
Snag a bag of free dog treats from Science Diet when you share your name, email and address.
Coldwater Creek coupons! Get 20-25 percent off when you buy $100 or more. Good in stores and online.
Do you live near a Dunkin Donuts? Then get free coffee every Monday in March.
Get a free one-week gym membership and a customized fitness plan to help you lose weight through Curves. Note, you’ll have to share your name and phone number to take advantage of this deal.
Emergen-C has new flavors of its vitamin-packed powder mixes, including some that suggest cocktails! Get a free sample here.
Coming later today to my WalletPop blog: a free sample of dog treats, and a tip on how to get 30 percent off Gap jeans.
