samyogaclass / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Spring is finally here and even if you’re on a budget, it doesn’t mean you should miss out on the spring trends. Follow my thrift tips below to update your wardrobe without going broke.
Make a gift through Kidworth this Christmas.
As a kid, I loved discovering a mound of presents choking the tree on Christmas morning. But I can’t help but wonder, now that I’m familiar with the website Kidworth, if some of those gifts could have been given as investments.
Did you know that the average child, according to Kidworth founder Rudy DeFelice, comes across $25,000-$30,000 in gifts by the time they are 18? And yet, how many 18-year-olds do you know that have more than a few bucks to their name?
Awesome dino hoodie for kids!
Children’s toys are the focus of Day Three of the Bargain Babe Hot Holiday Gift Guide. Shopping for my nephews is one of my favorite parts of Christmas because I imagine how happy they will be with their new toys!
We’ve also suggested electronics gifts, and gifts at Sears. Over the next two weeks, we will suggest gifts for kids, teens, men, and women. There will also be a day devoted to unique and quirky gifts, and we’ll finish the gift guide on Dec. 9 with a roundup of the best overall gifts.
The Raptor mouth shirt
Earn $10 for joining Kidworth!
With a baby on the way, I’ve been thinking a lot about how to raise my kid so that she is savvy with money. How do I show her to save money, to live frugally, and to make savvy spending decisions? When should we first give her an allowance? How do I instill in her the pride I take in donating money to help others?
Enter Kidworth, a new website founded by a father who was tired of going to kids’ birthday parties and witnessing hundreds of dollars wasted on “plastic junk.”
So this father, Rudy DeFelice, did some research and discovered the average kid comes across $25,000-$30,000 in gifts by the time they are 18. Holy *$(%*#! How many 18-year-olds do you know that have more than a few bucks to their name?
“The way we treat kids reinfornces mindless consumption,” Rudy told me. He wanted a way to counter balance that consumerist message. He wanted a way to train kids to deal with money that would give kids a better chance.
Kidworth is not about creating more money, but about using resources – gifts, allowance, earnings – in a better way. Parents create an account for their kid, from babies to teenagers, and set up save goals, spend goals, and share goals. Depending on how old the kid is, they can get involved, too.
On a practical level, parents can use Kidworth to send out birthday invitations and holiday cards, using the opportunity to share their kid’s goals. It’s a not-so-subtle way to ask for specific gifts and donations, instead of the aforementioned plastic junk.
When you visit a kid’s page, family and friends can see what kind of progress the kid and what the kid is doing with their allowance, gifts, and earnings. Only first names are used, and no identifying information is shared or asked for. Pages do not show up in search engine results, but parents can share their kids’ pages with whomever they wish.
Kidworth is totally free to use, though sending an egift card costs $2.50 and sending a physical card costs $5. Both fees go to covering credit card processing fees.
If you’re dreading an onslaught of unwanted gifts this holiday season, sign up for Kidworth! The next 100 people to sign up via Kidworth’s Facebook page will earn a $10 credit when they create a goal in their Kidworth account.
Behold, the gyrobowl! Credit: BuyGyrobowl.com
I have lost the right to call myself the Bargain Babe.
To my horror, an item on my baby registry is being sold in a catalog I recently ridiculed for it’s high prices and absurd products – SkyMall!
How did this happen? At Babies R Us, my husband caught sight of the Gyrobowl, a small dish kept in balance by a gyroscope. In theory, the tot eating from it never spills her
thinkretail / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
A while back I wrote about saving money by using a retail credit card with perks. This time I saved $90.38 on back to school shopping! I headed to outlets just outside L.A. with my high-school-bound sister and bought several clothing items she can combine with her existing wardrobe in September.
Outlet stores are great for saving money on clothes. Below I’ll share tips for how we got the most out of our outlet shopping experience. But first, let me share what we bought and the cost breakdown. We shopped at the GAP because I had a $10 off reward sent to me. We bought items that are not so trendy and took advantage of big outlet discounts.
Burrs & Berries / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Kids want to look good at school; parents surveyed by the National Retail Federation are committed to “spend where you need to, save where you can.” Here is how to meet both needs by saving money on back to school fashion. So what are this year’s fashion trends?
Tip: We post back to school deals at Staples, Office Depot, Office Max, and more every Thursday.
- Color-blocking- This trend is huge! You may have already seen someone giving it a try by wearing bold colors at the same time, above. If done right, it looks chic, but it can quickly go south. The trick is to stay within the color family. Try a bold pink dress with a bright red cardigan and black patent leather flats. The good thing about this trend is that (more…)
These bacon-wrapped scallops were the closest thing I could find! Credit: Fuzzy Gerdes/Flickr
The five winners of “Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half” have been announced on the Frugal Festival site!
Today’s book giveaway is for “Poor Girl Gourmet,” a cookbook that sticks to a $15 per meal budget.Contest ends 11:59 p.m. EST tonight, June 14, 2011.
More free food announced at this year’s Frugal Festival Food! Libertine will be passing out bacon-wrapped tater tots at the in-person event June 25 in Canoga Park. That line is going to be long!
Shortcuts.com is giving away $5 grocery gift cards at Frugal Festival Food! w/ easy signup!
One of our sponsors, Shortcuts.com, is giving away $5 Ralphs gift cards to anyone at Frugal Festival Food! who joins its email list, which means you essentially make your money back!!!
What? You missed the post about how to get into the Festival on June 25 in Los Angeles for $5? (That’s $5 off the normal ticket price of $10.)
Are kids allowed/invited to Frugal Festival Food!? Readers Arikka, Gina Marie, and Dee have been asking. The answer is yes! Find out what kids activities we’ll have on the Festival blog.
There are some things that make you want to be a kid again, and a romp at the COOP in Studio City may well be one. This indoor-outdoor play area has a garden, reading area, and dance floor for kids ages 2-8, plus coffee WiFi for you. A monthly membership is $45, but take advantage of today’s Daily D and get it for just $20.
Not bad for unlimited visits during the month. The COOP’s hours are Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The voucher expires September 30, 2010.
Caveats: you cannot drop off your child and leave. Not valid with any other offer. New customers only. You can buy vouchers for others as gifts but aren’t supposed to resell them.
This is not paid content, however I earn a commission on every purchase made through Daily D.
Live in Los Angeles? There are some great deals for free family activities, books, dresses, groceries, and more on my do-it-yourself Los Angeles deals site, BargainBabeLA.com.
There is a free childrens/family art festival in the San Fernando Valley this Sunday with live performances from local school children. Thanks for sharing this deal, Meital!
A reader who calls himself The Unethical Man spotted a deal to get $100 when you open a new account at Bank of the West.
The Unethical Man also spotted a great deal on toilet paper. Just $.125 a roll at Superior Grocers!
A&M books in Canoga Park is bringing back their amazing half-off book sale because the last one was partially rained out. Thanks for sharing, honeygram!
Nothing at the Lucy Love dress sale today through monday in Corona del Mar is more than $15. Nice!
If you are near downtown, check out A Grocery Warehouse on Sunset for amazing grocery prices.
Here are the best Los Angeles deals this week from BargainBabeLA.com.
Disneyland tickets are discounted for SoCal residents who take advantage of the 2fer ticket on sale for a limited time.
If you can’t wait for the baseball season to open, get $11 Dodgers tickets to their spring training.
In Encino, reader Franki recommends the newly opened One Dollar Bookstore.
The Long Beach Aquarium is free for teachers in the month of March. Wahoo!
Sign up to sell your kids gently used clothes, toys, and gear and make some serious cash.
This week’s winner of the $10 Starbucks card is EvieK, who won by sharing great Los Angeles deals on BargainBabeLA.com. Congrats!
Kids eat free every Wednesday at El Torrito. Luuuv their chips and salsa. (Bargain Babe shared this deal.)
Still hungry? All you can eat BBQ is just $12 Monday and Tuesday at Willy’s Smokehouse. I am so there! (Shared by EvieK)
Dodgers tickets are half off for many of their early season games. Great prices for the Anaheim Angels, too!
Put this one on your calender for next weekend. The United Methodist Church in Northridge is holding a massive yard sale going on March 6.
The DLM clothing warehouse is opening its doors again to the public for a massive sale with prices at 80-90 percent below retail. Last time I blogged about DLM there was a huge response.
I don’t have kids and I’m excited about a new site I just learned about called ConsignmentMommies.com, which lists kids consignment sales across the country. The site capitalizes on a newish trend – people buying and selling gently used kids clothing, toys, and gear at massive sales that resemble garage sales on steriods. There are 544 sales listed already.
You can search for sales within 5-100 miles of a particular zip code. A search in my hood resulted in two sales I already knew about and four new ones. Now if only I had kids!
You can post a sale on the site and review sales you’ve been to – all for free. Business listings are for a fee, however. A mother-daughter team launched the site in 2009 and they are still adding features, like a page listing all sales by state.
ConsignmentMommies.com also has a blog with helpful tips. One recent post shared pricing guidelines for maternity and kids clothing:
• Tee shirt $1-2
• Casual Top $3-4
• Dress Top $5
• Jeans $5
• Jean Shorts $2-5
• Shorts $1-4
• Pants $1-4
• Dress pants $3-6
• Casual Dress $3-5
• Dress $5-8
• Suit $10-$15
• Swim Suit $5-10
These sound like great prices to me! One parent I interviewed years ago said she made enough money selling her kid’s old gear, clothing, and toys, to buy what they needed for the next growth spurt. I hope this site helps you find a sale with great prices near you.
Get 15 percent off your next purchase at the Children’s Place when you click on the image on the left. Good online and in stores through Nov. 16, 2009.
The store is currently promoting clothes for school pictures but the coupon can be used on pretty much anything.
Caveats: good in the U.S. only, one time use, one per customer, not valid on gift cards or previous purchases.
Using this coupon helps support BargainBabe.com!
