Can you spot the fake? fairfaxcounty / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Even if you’re not in the market for designer bags or clothes, knowing how to spot counterfeit merchandise is a must to avoid getting duped. This is especially true since common targets include cosmetics, perfumes, computer software, jewelry, and more! The latest issue of ShopSmart lists tips to learn how to spot a fake and what to do if you’re sold inauthentic merchandize. I summarize them below.
Amber325 / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
I have lost several nice shirts due to stains — it happens when you’re the family cook. Aside from wearing an apron now, I’ve also learned to combat spots without the use of expensive store bought stain removers. Below I share my tips to help you save money on laundry and clothes!
Before tackling any stains make sure to read the cleaning instructions of garments. Also, test the solutions in an inconspicuous place like the seem to check for colorfastness.
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
Craft service menu on a TV shoot. AverageJane/flickr
A friend of mine recently asked me, “So, where can I get free food?” Of course, this was just too good of a challenge for me to just let go.
The fact is that there are lots of ways to get free or deeply discounted food. I will start with deep discounts and work my way down to free.
- Grocery store clearance. Fresh & Easy grocery stores discount food on the day of expiration. They discount up to 75% off and place them in a clearance section of the store. More ways to save on groceries.
- Vendors at Farmer’s Markets offer deeply discounted fresh fruits and veggies in the last 15-30 minutes of the market.
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
EvelynGiggles/flickr
My kids recently went to see “The Lorax” and when they came home, my son proudly told me that he discovered a great bargain. From opening until 11:59 a.m., tickets for any movie are $6. After noon, the price jumped almost twice as much.
This got me thinking about the various ways to save money on movie theater tickets. Yazmin also has 12 easy ways to save money at the movies.
sean dreilinger / Flickr
I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.
Living the frugal life – Donna Freedman shares why frugality is the right choice. (MSN Money)
Moving on a budget – Moving? Check out this guide to cutting packaging and moving costs. (MoneyCrashers)
Financial disaster – Learn how to deal with divorce from a financial standpoint. (Bargaineering)
Money 101 – The Silicon Valley Blogger shares a basic financial plan for those starting out. (The Digerati Life)
Save money on your wheels – The Thousandaire shares ten ways to stop wasting money on your car. (Thousandaire)
This post is copyrighted by BargainBabe.com. Any other site posting this content is violating the DMCA.
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
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:
- 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.
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
Soft, soft cashmere - photo by Bobbi Burger Brunoehler
I just scored a cashmere sweater for 99 cents at the 99 cent store. Yep. A cashmere sweater for less than a dollar! This unbelievable discount got me thinking about my Bargain Hall of Fame.
I find bargains every day, but sometimes my finds are special. Here are my personal top 10 best buys:
- Brand new original Leatherman tool for $1.50. Retailed for $50 (but it is retired and you can’t even buy it anymore except as a collector’s item).
- Sewing machine (like new) for free on Freecycle. (more…)
Jasonwoodhead23/flickr
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
Per Southern California Gas Company, home heating is 65% of a residential gas bill during the winter months. (That’s what it said in my bill insert this month.) Wow! If that is true in Southern California, what is it in actual cold parts of the country?
With so much of your utility budget going toward keeping your home warm, anything that you can do to retain heat in your home or keep the heat from leaving is a money saver. Here are 5 tips that will help you to lower your heating bill:
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
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.
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
Soda bottle lantern/Things Deb Loves
I LOVE holiday crafts! They are so sparkly and fun to make with kids of all ages.
Here is a list of 8 of my favorite holiday crafts.
- Soda bottle lanterns. Cut the top off a 2-liter soda bottle. Take off label. Decorate with tissue paper put on with watered down Elmer’s glue. Punch two holes on top and string wire or string for a handle. Put a battery operated tea light or glo-stick inside. This is more beautiful than you can image. (more…)
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
Romantic Crafts/flickr
I love homemade holiday gifts the best. Anyone can go to the store and buy something, but it takes time and thought to give someone a gift that you made.
Here are 7 unusual frugal and homemade holiday gifts. For more gift ideas, check out the Bargain Babe Hot Holiday Gift Guide.
- Firewood. With all the recent storms, it is possible that you are now in possession of lots more wood than you need. Bundle it up and give it as gifts to those you know with fireplaces. Include a couple of mugs, hot chocolate mix and marshmallows. (more…)
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
Keng Susumpow/Flickr
I love presents! I love waking up on Christmas morning to a tree drowning in presents. My family spends the day opening presents, watching movies, eating good food and talking to friends and relatives on the phone. Heavenly.
However, creating that pile of presents without breaking the budget and without gathering ANY credit card debt is a trick. A trick that I have pulled off for many years, by the way.
Here are my top 8 No Debt Santa Claus secrets:
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
ekkmanz/flickr
Some of the most expensive items that anyone buys in their lifetime besides a house or a car are kitchen appliances. Repairing that new washer, dryer or refrigerator is a hidden cost that you can drastically reduce by making the fixes yourself.
The best refrigerator I ever had was at least 20 years old when I paid $25 for it. Nothing ever broke on that beast. I had to leave it on one of my moves and I replaced it with a younger, more breakable, model, which quickly taught me about repairs.
The first thing that broke was
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
Cuca de lllum/flickr
When I was little, the only color nail polish that a “nice” girl wore was clear. And we knew how to use that clear goo in many ways. Here are my top 10 favorite uses for clear nail polish:
- Stop nylons from running. Remember we wore hose ALL the time. Even in the snowy winters of New England during the mini-skirt fashion craze. You just COULDN’T bear to have a run in your stocking. A little dab of clear polish would stop the run. Of course, it would also stick to your leg, so you have to kind of pull the nylon away from your skin until it dried.
- Polish the inside of the yarn you have wrapped around your “steady boyfriend’s” class ring.The fuzzier the yarn the better. But if you put a coat of clear nail polish on the inside, it kept the yarn from unraveling. This entire procedure – wrapping yarn around your boyfriend’s ring- was repeated every night while you talked to your girlfriends on the phone. (more…)
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains.
We all make good and bad financial decisions. Overall, I am pretty happy with mine. They have allowed me to live the kind of life that is important to me. I get to be an at-home mom and have been there to raise my kids. The trade off? Used cars and no fancy address.
Looking back at my choices, my worst financial decisions have been:
- Not buying a house 30 years ago. I knew that I would be moving a lot, so I didn’t want to buy a house. But in fact, I always stayed longer in each place than I meant to and with the rising housing market all those years, I would have made a lot of money on each turn over and I’d own my house now.
- Not putting money into
