Spirit Hoods are a unique gift. Credit: SpiritHoods.com
I find teens are the easiest people to buy presents for because when you ask them what they want, they have a long list! Day five of the Bargain Babe Hot Holiday Gift Guide is devoted to buying for these almost-adults.
We’ve also suggested electronics gifts, gifts at Sears, toys for kids, and mens’ shavers. Coming up are 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.
Don’t forget to enter to win a $100 Sears gift card as part of the Gift Guide! Contest ends Monday, Dec. 5!
What is it with teen girls putting
This post is brought to you by Mes Footwork, an online custom shoes retailer.
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…
MizGingerSnaps / Flickr
I share five must read blog posts about saving money every Friday.
Dining out? Save money on eating out with these ten tips. (The Digerati Life)
The most common car repairs and how to avoid them. (Mainstreet)
Money managment tips for newly married couples or spouses who argue about money. (Money Crashers)
Save money and energy! Reduce your heating bill with these frugal ways to keep your home warm this winter. (Wisebread)
Frugalista? Stay in fashion and learn how to buy shoes on a budget. (The Centsible Life)
This is not a picture of Glenn's new shoes. Credit: Stocksnapper/Fotolia.com
Longtime reader Glenn shared an incredible deal he got by triple stacking discounts. His story is almost too good to be true:
I just saved 90% off retail on a pair of Docker dress shoes at the Men’s Warehouse today. This isn’t a savings that everyone can get. As a member of the MW email club, I was sent an email giving me a chance to buy dress shoes for 40% off. Earlier, after buying two pairs of dress slacks, they sent me a $50 gift certificate on any purchase good through 12/31/11. I took the coupon and gift certificate with me, and they said I could use them together.
The shoes I selected were priced at $100. I saved $40 from the coupon and applied the $50 certificate to the balance leaving only $9.99 that wasn’t covered. Add $.87 sales tax, and I got a good pair of dress shoes for only $10.86! Plus, I used my Visa rewards card, so I’ll be earning 1% cash back on the purchase.
Glenn, I should not be surprised after you scored $199 in birthday freebies for just $4, but wow! I haven’t saved 90% off a new item for sometime so this is inspiring.
Got a hot deal to share? Email me.
Illustration by OConnorCartoons.com
This post is brought to you by Vertical Measures, which provides Internet marketing services.
Ends today! CVS 20% off site wide – Through Nov. 23, 2010, get 20% off almost everything at CVS.com, with some brand exclusions. Not valid in stores. Use CVS coupon code HOLIDAY20.
There are a few disclaimers; click here for the complete list on the website.
J.Crew coupon – Get 25% off $150 or more at J.Crew stores and online. Not valid at outlets or factory stores. Use J.Crew coupon code TURKEY. Expires Nov. 28, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Thanks Su May!
Amazon $5 magazine sale – Pick from a handful of $5 titles during Amazon’s magazine sale
Banana Republic coupon - Get 25% off with this Banana Republic coupon that delivers a secret coupon code when you click the above link. Unclear when it expires.
Black Friday deals from eBates – Sales and coupons are a must this Black Friday, but with eBates you get extra cash back when you log into their site, then click through to a retailer of your choice. eBates tracks what you spend and sends you a portion. I’ve gotten hundreds of dollars from eBates since joining years ago. Some sample cash rebates for Black Friday, Nov. 26, 2010: 18% cash back on Lancome, 10% cash back on TOMS shoe, 15% cash back from Art.com, 5% cash back from iTunes, 12% from 7 for All Mankind.
Shoemall coupon – Get 25% off purchases of $25 or more plus free shipping on Nov. 26, 2010. Use Shoemall coupon code FRIDAY25. Or get 15% off plus free shipping with coupon code FROSTY15 on Nov. 27-28, 2010.
BeautyTicket.com coupon – On Nov. 29, 2010 get 30% off everything at BeautyTicket.com with Cyber Monday coupon code CYBER30.
Stay tuned for a huge list of Black Friday freebies coming tomorrow!
Illustrations by OConnorCartoons.com
My frugal friends at Savings.com shared these coupons with me this week.
Get $15 plus free shipping on orders of $75 or more at Smashbox. Expires August 17, 2010.
Get Save $22 on orders of $100 or more at Shoes.com. Expires August 31, 2010.
Get 20% off gifts of $29.99 or more at Cherry Moon Farms. Expires August 22, 2010.
Get $30 off orders of $150 or more at Nautica. Expires September, 30, 2010.
Get 20% on orders at MyJewelryBox. Expires August 31, 2010.
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of BobbisBargains
basykes/Flickr
Should you buy used shoes? My answer used to be a resounding “NO,” but now I answer “maybe.”
When I was little, I was pigeon toed. I had to wear sturdy shoes to correct my stance at a time when sturdy shoes were very OUT. As socially debilitating as the experience was, I learned a thing or two about how shoes affect your feet and how your feet affect the rest of your body.
When you wear someone’s shoes, you are inheriting their improper body alignment and foot problems.
This is because when you are wearing shoes, the weight of your body wears down the heels and bends the fabric to match your pressures. Someone with properly aligned hips and strong ankles would wear out the heels of their shoes in the middle, not to one side or the other.
It used to be that people had one or two pairs of shoes. However, in this day and age of Imelda Marcos shoe shoppers, you can easily find shoes at a yard sale or thrift shop that have never been worn or only worn once or twice. But should you buy them?
Here is how you check if too many miles have been put on the second hand shoes you are considering buying:
- Check the heels for wear. If you see any wear, the shoes have been worn too much to buy.
- Check for wear and tear inside the shoes. Has the size been worn off? Are there indentations in the insoles? Sometimes you won’t see the wear on the heels, but it will show up inside the shoe.
- Is the shoe sitting straight? Are the sides up and down or are they at an angle? Any sag or bulge or deviation from the original shape is a sign that you do not want to inherit the back problems of the previous owner.
If you find a pair of shoes that you just HAVE to have because they perfectly match your new pink taffeta ball gown that you plan to wear to Comic Con, but they have worn heels; don’t despair. Do what your ancestors did. Buy them and take them to a cobbler and have new heels put on them.
Don’t turn your nose up at used shoes. Just make sure to inspect them for wear before purchasing. I got a pair of brand new $200 handmade Brazilian leather shoes for my husband at a Really Free Swap. Score!
It occurred to me last night while listening to a talk on social marketing that my beautiful bargain basement flats were shamefully tacky. The flats – lime green patent leather with a faux animal print tip – were a gift from a good friend who pointed them out to me at the local thrift store. I hesitated so she went ahead and bought the $5 flats, above, for me.
I adore them. If you can’t get away with green patent leather in gaudy LA, where can you? But…I’d like a second opinion. I wear them with dark skinny jeans, a black top, and a fitted black and white jacket.
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Get 50 free photos from CVS when you register on CVSPhoto.com.
Use this Piperlime coupon to get 20% off now through April 1, 2010 when you sign up for their email list.
Get 20-30% off at Coach Factory stores with this Coach coupon. Expires April 5, 2010.
Check out all the coupons and deals on my WalletPop blog.
MyShoes.com
I get pitches to write about new websites allllll the time. The problem is most of them are just new versions of something that has already been done.
Not MyShoes.com. This site rocks and is a serious threat to my budget. Here’s why.
MyShoes.com lets you customize your search for shoes and pairs results with coupons from PromotionalCode.com. So you not only find shoes you like, but you get a good deal.
There are six ways to customize your shoe search, including by heel size, color, brand, style, features, and price range. I’m considering buying a new pair of black boots, seeing how my round-toe flat black boots are going out of style and my cowboy boots are great for certain occasions but not as versatile as I would like. I’m looking for a classic, pointy toe black leather knee or calf boot with a low heel.
MyShoe search results included a pair of rsvp boots with a wrinkled leg for $67, Aerosole synthetic leather boots for $70, an Anne Klein pair for $90, and a Vince Camuto boot with a chunky heel for $110. Great options among the 97 results!
There are drawbacks to the site, however. You can’t exclude certain features. For instance, when I searched for boots I got a lot of results for shorty boots, which I am not interested in. I hadn’t checked the shorty boot feature, but since they fall under boots they appeared in my results.
The site just launched in November, so there are a few kinks. If you sort the results or change how many results you see per page, for example, the site does not save these settings if you click on a particular boot then return to all the search results. That’s annoying.
The site compares shoe prices at Zappos, ShoeBuy.com, Pipperlime, Nordstrom’s, Macy’s, Heels.com but only lists the top few prices. I wish I could see all the results so I would know the range in prices the shoe is selling for. Other than that, I found MyShoes to be easy to use. Maybe a little too easy.
I shared some really great deals on my WalletPop blog today!
Zappos offers free overnight shipping for life, buy you have to sign up today
Merry Christmas! Amazon is giving away 25 free MP3s to get you in the holiday mood.
Plus, get a code for a free rental from Redbox and new coupons from Shortcuts.com worth $50. (Those last two are going to be published soon so check back my Wallet Pop blog this afternoon.
