Cheaper Hotel Rooms

Just coached a friend through how to stretch her vacation dollars by saving money on hotel rooms. Reserving a hotel room is often the most expensive part of your travel plans. Try some of these great tips on saving money when booking your hotel room.

Bypass the 800# and call the hotel directly. Call the on-site reservation desk and get the deals and rewards associated with the particular hotel. Ask for package deals. and always end with "Is this the best offer you can provide?"

Ask at Check-In. When you arrive at the hotel, ask if any value-added options or room rates reductions have become available since you booked the room.

Celebrating a special occasion. Let the hotel know if you're celebrating a special occasion. It's one of the easiest ways to get a free upgrade.

Know how important the view is. If you're not interested in the ocean view or the size of the room doesn't matter, try negotiating for an alternative view, smaller room, or room in the hotel's annex at a lower price. If you're not going to enjoy the view, why pay for it?

Select off-season locations or of-peak times. It's no secret that room rates are cheaper in the off season and off-peak times. Travel right before or after the peak season for a favorite vacation hotspot. Traveling for a weekend? Select a hotel that caters to business travelers. On the weekends, these hotels are likely to have more rooms available and at cheaper rates.

Choose a University. University often rent their dorm rooms in the summer for a fraction of the price of a hotel. I have a niece who snagged a great room at Cornell Med School Dorms in downtown NYC for $30 a night. Might be no thrills rooming, but it's a bargain hard to beat.

Beware of hidden fees. Make sure you understand what services are available as part of your room rate. It's not uncommon for hotels to charge extra for services as newspaper delivery, wireless access, or parking. It's often less expensive to go off property for these things (e.g., buy the paper at local newsstand, surf for free at a local bake shop or park a few blocks away from the hotel property). If these services are part of a packaged deal and you have no plans to use them, negotiate these services out for a lower rate.

Call the local Chamber of Commerce. You can often get lower hotel rates through special offers at local Chamber of Commerce.

Use your memberships. If you're a AAA member or AARP member, have an Entertainment Book, membership can often save you 10-20% off a room rate.

Shoe Stimulas Plan

In February 1943, during World War II, the Government announced the start of shoe rationing, limiting consumers to buying 3 pairs per person for the rest of the year. Sad, very sad.

Interesting tidbit though- thank goodness, shoes are no longer the ration list. For what would the gals from Sex in the City do, if they couldn't buy Jimmy Choo? Anyhow, for some odd reason, I find this fact motivating me to go shoe shopping - to do my part in getting us out of our current economic mess - Shoe Stimulas Plan. Join me and check out my list of favorite online shoe sites...


Zappos. The ultimate source of all brands of shoes. With free shipping both ways, its hard to beat when you're looking for a quality selection. 365 Day return policy makes it a sweet place to shop.

Shoebuy . Great selection. 10% off your first purchase; 10% additional purchases made within the next 60 days of the previous purchase. Free shipping and returns.

Nordstrom's Shoes. Final clearance on shoes, up to 60% off. Free shipping with $200 purchase.

FootSmart. For the pragmatic shoe buyer, this site also offers products for foot and lower body health. Deal of the week offerings and a solid clearance section as well.

PiperLime. Free shipping. Free Returns. And currently running "Sweet Deal" promotion, offering 20% select spring shoes.

Endless. Free overnight shipping. Free return shipping. 100% price match guarantee. and $25 off purchases of $125 for select styles.

Shop Now. Be Happy. Buy a Pair of Red Shoes.

Surviving Black Friday

Lining up my strategies for surviving the holidays while on the austerity budget. Decided to share with you my time tested tactics for getting the most for your dollar on Black Friday. Here are my 12 tips for surviving Black Friday.


Read your paper. Check Black Friday sites. Thursday’s paper will be stuffed like a thanksgiving turkey with ads, coupons, and circulars. It's your best source for Black Friday savings in your local area. Take a few minutes to map out the savings for the items you’re looking for. Pay attention to the times of specials listed as most stores will be offering special discounts that are time sensitive (e.g, doorbuster or early bird sales.) further capitlize on the coupon deals. Don't have a paper, visit one of the aggregator of Black Friday sales such as blackfriday.info, black-friday.net or Dealtaker

Do your research before Friday. Make your list of big ticket items. Research the product beforehand. Save yourself some buyers remorse caused by buying a bad product at cheap price.

Map out your shopping trip. Map out your travel route based upon your buying priorities. Many of the deals offered this season will be time-sensitive deals requiring early visits (e.g., earlier bird specials) to the store. These deals are offered with a “no rain check” condition. When the supply is gone, it's gone.

Check your prices. Use an online price comparision site like Pricegrabber, Bizrate, Shopping.com, Streetwise, or Dealtaker to help you compare the sales flyers prices for your item. Pay attention to the product options included in the product. Sometimes stores offer a stripped down product at a low ball price to get you in the door. Sounds like a good deal until you start to tally up the costs of the extras needed to make the product run as you’d expect it too. In store and need to do a price check? Dial up FruCall (1.888.d0.frucall), enter the bar code for the item, and learn the price that online retailers are offering the product at.

Be the early bird. The best deals are likely to be the early bird or doorbuster deals. Know when your stores open, get in line at least 1-2 hours in advance of the store’s opening, and run to whatever items you need to buy.

Make nice with your neighbors in line. If you’re standing in line for a few hours, make friends with the people in line around you. Offer up some of your dougnut holes, exchange shopping tips, and most importantly, save your spot in line should you need to dash off to use a restroom.

Order online. pick up at the local store. Lots of retailers will be posting their Black Friday specials before the actual day. Take advantage of the ability to order your items online and pick them up at the local store to save on shipping and the headaches of crowds.

7 days of Black Friday. (Tues – Monday) Stores will start marking down items on Tuesday for the rest of the week to entice consumers into their stores, so it makes sense to shop early if you can. Also, check retailers’ websites in the days prior to Black Friday as there are often “web special” deals in advance of the in-store promotion.

Return and rebuy. If there is a product that you really want and you know its going on sale for Black Friday, buy it in advance. Return it to the store during the sales promotion and rebuy it at the lower price. Make sure you understand the store’s price adjustment and return policies before doing this tactic as the store may have a “no returns” policy or have a time-limit on price adjustments.

Bring the proof to get the lowest price guarantee or a price match. While many stores will offer a “lowest price” guarantee, in order for you to get it, you’ll need to provide proof in order to get it. This means you’ll need to produce a copy of the sales ad where the product is being advertised for less. Save yourself some time, by taking advantage of a store’s price match guarantee. If it’s on sale at a competitor but also at the store you’re at, ask for a price match. This can save you several car trips to other stores on Black Friday.

Know the return policies. Knowing the stores return policy while you figure out where to buy an item. Given less consumer spending due to the faltering economy, I’ve noticed a few changes in store return policies that I’d like to share with you: (1) Elimination of the extended return timeframe. Standard or short return timeframes have been implemented. (2) Implementation of re-stocking fees for big ticket or large items. (3) No receipt; No Return. Also, retailers are clamping down on requiring receipts for returns/exchanges so make sure to ask for gift receipts for hassle free returns.

Charge It. Charge cards like MasterCard, Visa, and Discover offer free benefits that drive up the value of your products above and beyond that offered from a store branded card. Benefits include: extended warranties, Return production, and sales price protection. Of course, charge only what you can afford to pay off.

Happy Shopping!

The Dining Out Stimulas Plan

Even in these tough times, eating out at a restaurant is one of those simple luxuries you just can't seem to give up. And you shouldn't have to. Eat well and spend less by using these tips to managing to a better food budget without going for broke in the process.

1. Use a coupon. Browse your Sunday coupon flyers for discounts at your favorite nationwide chains like Olive Garden, TGIF, and Bugaboo Creek. Use the coupons in your Entertainment book. Flip through the coupon directory of your yellow pages book. Check out Restaurant.com or Open Table for the latest deals and promotions. Call your local chamber of commerce or tourism board for coupons to your local restaurants. (It's ok. You can be a tourist in your own city!)

2. Search for Kids Eat Free. Google "Kids Eat Free" and "Your town" and find out which family friendly restaurants are offering deals or visit a site like Mommysavers.com . You can also use this same tactic for "early bird specials" and "senior citizen" discounts.

3 Enjoy the Freebies. Skip the appetizers at the restaurant and enjoy the basket of bread and that little plate of olive oil.

4. Do Lunch. It's less expansive than dinner and equally delicious. Better yet, do breakfast and save even more.

5. Order Sides/Salads. A nice salad and a tasty appetizer is a great meal for one. And it tends to be $3-5 than a main entree.

6. Split a Dinner. Restaurant dinner portions are equivalent to 2- 3 meals. Tres unhealthy for one person to consume. Rather than order two dinners, spilt one dinner and order an appetizer. When dining with Dreamboat, we typically save $7-9 when we split.

7. Drink the tap. Skip the mineral waters, club sodas, oxygenated water, and holy water. Drink the water from your city tap. Its probably as pure and tasty. And you'll be so "green" -- no bottle means you'll be doing your share of saving the environment.

8. Skip the Special. Always tempting when the waiter reads the special, but rarely do they mention the price. On a recent dinner out, I ordered the special. It wasn't until the bill came that I realized it was $15 more than almost anything else on the menu.

9. Order a Doggie Bag. Leave No Crumbs behind. Today's dinner is tomorrow's lunch. Restaurant portions are typically 2-3 meals worth of food. Stretch your food budget, by leaving 1/3 of what's served on the plate for the doogie bag. You'll be the talk of the lunchroom.

10. Go to new restaurants. A new restaurant that has just opened for business often attract new customers with discounts and specials. These are often advertised in the newspaper, menu mailings, or those Value-Pak direct mailers. Keep an eye out and take advantage.

11. Understand how to menus are designed. Menus are designed to drive profitable choices by the customer by focusing the consumer not on the price but the product.

- Restaurants tend to list the prices into the food descriptions rather than off to the right side margin, and remove the dollar sign to help avoid price shopping by customers.

- Resist buying either one of the first two items or the last item in each menu category. Restaurants tend to place the menu items with the highest gross profits in these spots.

- On three-panel (page) menus, people most often look at the center panel first, and then move counter clockwise. On two-panel (page) menus people most often look at the top right-hand side first. So, restaurants put their high profit items such as specials or specialty drinks in these spots.

-Beware of stars, symbols, icons for house specialities. They're designed and placed near items that are priced higher. Attention grabbing and wallet draining all at once.


See you around town!

Holiday Fun. Go Early. Save Big

Every Christmas season, I plan a day of holiday celebration of fun, laughter, and good cheer with Dreamboat (my husband). It's a day for ourselves to enjoy some simple luxuries offered during the season that don't involve mall shopping. Good cheer at a considerable discount is our focus (and we'll be using our Discover Cash Back Rewards to purchase our tickets so it literally won't cost us anything!) Passing along a few good bargains I've discovered in hopes that you'll plan your own little adventure.

Christmas Festival November 7 - 9. Hundreds of American Craft Artists appear at this Christmas festival hosted at the Seaport World Trade Center. The Festival runs this weekend (November 7 - 9) will put you in the holiday spirit. Buy direct from the artists can save you a holiday bundle. Check The Boston Globe for $2-3 discounts off the admission price. Kids under 2 go free!

BlueMan Group. Now - November 16. Buy tickets early for the holiday season and save a bundle. Tickets only $45 (regularly priced $58) must be purchased by November 16 for shows December 3 - January 4.

City of Boston Tree Lighting. Nov 29@ 6 p,m. Nothing starts the holiday season off like a good 'ole fashion tree lighting. And nobody does it better than the City of Boston with A-list celebrities, local performers, carolers, Santa and more at the Boston Commons and Public Gardens. Free.

Half price tickets within City of Boston. The City of Boston and ArtsBoston are offering a limited number of half-priced tickets for almost every major holiday show in town. Thank you Mayor Menino for pulling this effort together.

Holiday Zoolights at Stoneham Zoo. November 27 - December 23. Get into the holiday spirit by strolling along tree-lined paths lit by thousands of twinkling , visiting some animals, and sitting with Santa for a free photo opp! Tickets cost $4 per person. Visit during opening weekend (Nov. 27 - 30) and save your self $1 per ticket.

Christmas in Salem December 5 -7. Halloween ain't the only game in this town. Spend a day touring Salem’s beautiful and historic homes while they’re decked with boughs of holly. $25 per ticket if you buy in advance; $30 per ticket if you buy on a tour days. And don't forget stop by your local library and reserve a free pass to the Peabody Essex Museum. Its top notch!

See you around town!

Spending some money to get some more money.

Or in other words, get big savings on your next purchase by maximizing your deal margin (the difference between the retail price and what you actually spend). Some times you need to spend some money to get a little more money. And some times you need to put some effort behind getting a great deal. A little planning, quick research and a little store loyalty love can get you a great deal. Combine these two efforts and win big savings on the items you want or need most. Check out my ideas and the example below to get a better understanding of this Nifty and Thrifty shopping tactic.


Buy Gift Cards and Use Them Yourself. Shop at your favorite retailers straight from your credit card's reward program. Use your cashback rewards, get great deals and discounts. For example, using a Discover Card Partner Offer, I spent $60 to get $75 by buying (3) $25 gift cards for $20 each. If you have a favorite retailer, it can make sense to have a few gift cards on hand for future purchases just for the extra dollars you can acquire. Most credit card companies offer similar programs. Some magazines are also starting subscriber loyalty programs (e.g., Good Housekeeping and Parenting) . Use your cashback bonus to purchase the cards and it costs you nothing. Otherwise, charge the purchase and save $15.

Use Member Only Coupons. Join the email listing of only your favorite retailers. Retailers are offering great incentives to draw you into the store. Lands End sent a “Save $15 off a $75 purchase (online or in-store Sears). If you don't want to have the deals come to you via an email black, then take a few minutes to search for deals at online coupon sites such as Couponmom, eCoupons, or ebates.

Drive to avoid the sales tax. I live near the border of three states. If I'm buying a big ticket item or doing multiple shopping errands, it can make sense to drive across the state line and escape the sales tax. It’s a small savings on most items purchases, but I’m on austerity budget so every penny saved is used elsewhere.

Check for In-Store Sales. Sears is currently running 30% off selected Lands End Merchandise. Sometimes the in-store deals are better than its internet counterpart. Stores need to move the inventory to make room for new merchandise, often they mark down the item before the discount posts on the website. You may be able to maximize your savings if what you’re looking for is on the 30% rack.

Now that you have the basics, let me show you how this Nifty and Thrifty plays out with a real life example:

$59: Lands End Dorey Jacket
$49: Canvas Tote with Patent Leather Trim
___
$108.00 Total Retail Value of Items to be Purchased.
- $14.70 (30% off in-store sale for the $49 Canvas Tote)
- $15.00 ($15 off $75 members only coupon for Lands End)
- $15.00 ($15 saved by buying $75 worth of gift cards for $60 via Discover Card Back Rewards Program)
- $03.17 (Save 5% sales tax on canvas tote bought in a sales tax free state)
------------

$63.30 – Actual Total Price Paid ($44.70 – Amount Saved)

Do a Nifty and Thrifty. Be happier being a saavy shopper.

Saving pennies means extra dollars for your lattes

It’s a sign of the time. Money is tight. Folks are cutting back to the bare bone essentials. I’m a firm believer in scaling back, but also believe that you still need to treat yourself to a few simple luxuries to stay happy. So if you need your daily latte, just learn to trim pennies elsewhere. Try a few of these effective tactics and sip away …

Bigger isn’t always better. Check the unit prices. Buy the smaller size package. It’s not uncommon for a supermarket or pharmacy to charge more for the supersized package. To find the best deal, check the unit price of an item before you purchase. You’ll be surprised to discover that the larger size bottle of laundry detergent or saline solution isn’t always your best bet. Rather than buy the large size bottle of saline solution, I could have ought 2 smaller bottles, saving $3. Being thrifty, I went bought generic version to save an additional $3. Grand total savings - $6.

Stick around for the refill. If you’re hanging out at Starbucks, and need a second cup of java. Don’t buy another cup. Ask for a refill. Most Starbucks give refills of brewed coffee or tea for 55-65 cents. $1.25 savings.

Ask for a better rate/discount. When my friend’s daily newspaper subscription increased $6, I had her call Customer Service and ask for a discount. The senior citizen discount reduced the bill by $2 (a small latte). When my friend selected to cancel, Customer Service dropped it another $2. Chia-Ching! $4 savings in total.

Drop Netflicks. Get your DVDs from the library. Netflick charges $4.99;On-Demand Cable movies run $4.50; the library charges $0 –it’s free. Net – Net, with $5 savings, you buy your latte and the scone.

Get the good deal. If you’re standing the aisle and wondering if the store sale really is a good deal, call 1-888-DO-FRUCALL (It’s Free). Type in the bar code number for the product. FRUCALL will tell you the range of prices that online retailers are currently selling the item.

Free Shipping isn’t really free. Retailers with a free shipping policy often charge higher prices. If you return the item, some retailers will charge you back for the original shipping costs. Be sure to check the return policy before you buy. When I was looking for winter boots, I noticed Zappos was selling the boots for $170, but the manufacturer’s website was selling the pair of boots on sale for $145 plus $9 shipping.


Be happy. Shop wisely.

Rug Sale To Die For

Managing to a budget, but not willing to scrimp on a quality rug purchase?

Add a little colour to your home and save yourself some money in the process by visiting the Company C's Annual Tent Sale this weekend at the Flagship Store located at 102 Old Turnpike Road, Concord, NH., (800) 818 - 8288. Closeout deals and clearance items at up to 75% off. All sales are final. (Rugs are retail are somewhat pricey, so 75% off is a really good deal!)

I've been a Company C fan since 2000. Great quality. Fabulous color combinations. Terrific textures. Somewhat pricey. Website gives you a sense of rug offerings, but you really need to see the rugs in a store to clearly appreciate the colors and design. In some cases, the rugs that look ordinary, underwhelming, and/or ho-hum in the online photos look extraordinary when you see them in person.

I love the rug collection, but bedding, pillows, throws, and furniture are also available at this tent sale. As an added bonus, bring a can good for the NH Food Bank and you'll be entered to win a Company C holiday rug!

In addition to the Flagship store, there are also retail stores in Portland, ME and Hingham, MA. Products are also available through dealers (e.g., Pottery Barn, Boston Interiors, Jordan's Furniture, and Board and Bowl) and interior designers, and the Company C website where there is also an online outlet.

Tent Sale hours are: 8am - 5 pm (September 20) and 11am - 5 pm (September 21).

Happy Shopping. See you there!

Saving Money at the Movies

Going to the movies these days can be an expensive proposition. If you're interested in holding down the cost of a trip to the movies, check out these money saving tips:

• Go watch a movie at an off-peak time. Take in the first show of the day or a matinee movie when prices are less.
• Check your local movies for sneak previews and coupons. Watch the movie in advance of its major release. Win free tickets for special promotions
• Remember age matters. Often, movie theatres offer Senior Citizen discounts and kid-friendly prices for certain shows.
• Take a close look at the special program. For example, Showcase Cinemas offers a a number of deals: Silver Screen Classic Movies for $2; Bargain Tuesdays - all shows; all seats for $6; Best of the "B" movies double features for $5.
• Say NO to buying the combos at the concession stand. Too much; and too costly. Stick with the medium sized popcorn which is the best bargain of your popcorn choices.
• Bring your own candy. $1.29 for a large box of Junior Mints at CVS compared to $3.50 at the theatre.
• Buy your tickets offline discounter. Go to your local Costco, Sam's Club or your local AAA office and save yourself up to 40%. (membership required)
• Use coupons. Buy in bulk. Don't forget to use those coupons in your Entertainment Book For example, you can buy up to 12 tickets for $7.50 each (versus $11 per ticket at the ticket booth). Check for online web deals as well (e.g, AMC offers up to 12 drink/snack vouchers for $3 each!). Eversave.com is a website that also offers some great deals
• Support your independent theatre. The major releases typically hit the independent theaters approximately one month after the premieres. Typically, you can buy tickets are usually about 50-70% cheaper than the larger, chain theaters
• Join the loyalty program. Receive concession stand discounts and/or ways to earn free tickets.
• Show your military ID. Also, if you're a military personnel on active duty, some theatre chains will give you a 10% military discount.
• Buy it on Ebay. Deep discounts on tickets offered by people looking to offload their extra tickets.

See you at a silver screen!

Flipping Pages

Looking for a few places to find books cheaply on a regular basis? Check out the places listed below to find good quality used books at a fraction of the full retail price (often for a $1 or $2).

Why go the low cost route for books?
- Cost savings. $1 versus $14 for a trade paperback.
- Low price point of most books will allow you to experiment with new authors or genres that you might otherwise pass on
- Find a book you've been looking for that is no longer carried in a traditional bookstore

So, with these advantages in mind, take a book adventure at one of these bookstores within the Boston Area:

Got Books 104 Glenn St., Lawrence, MA, 01843
(978) 664-6555
Http://www.gotbooks.com
Runs a charity book sale each weekend. Each weekend, the sale benefits a different non-profit organization. Hours are 9AM-6PM on Thursday and Friday) and 9AM - 4PM on Saturday. Most books run $1 each. Store also accepts donation.


Used Book Superstore
256 Cambridge Street, Burlington, MA
http://www.usedbooksuperstore.net
(781) 27 - BOOKS

This superstore is a subsidiary of GotBooks.com. (see above). Larger selection of books generally offered at 90% retail. DVDs and CDs are also sold. Large store, nothing glamorous - just shelves and bins of books.
The hours are: 10AM - 8PM (Tuesday - Saturday); 10AM - 6PM (Sundays)

Wellesley Booksmith Used Book Cellar
82 Central St, Wellesley, ma
http://www.wellesleybooksmith.com/
(781) 431 1160

The Used Book Cellar is open during regular store hours. Purchase "gently used" books at deep discounts. (FYI: excellent inventory of current good reads). Sell books back to the store for additional store credit on the 1st and 3rd Friday and Saturday of each month.

Local Library/Friends of the Library Book Sale.
Your local library

A hidden gem within your own neighborhood. Most libraries offer a bin or shelve of good reads for $1 or less. Books are usually placed near the front door or circulation desk. Donations usually welcomed. Exact change preferred.

Kitchen & Bath Surplus

For anyone looking to do a kitchen or bathroom renovation, I recommend checking out Designer Surplus for potential cost saving deals. Designer Surplus is a sister company of Lumber Liquidators (you know, the guys that donate the flooring on the Extreme Makeover). Find some extraordinary savings on great products. Check out the website (http://www.dsurplus.com/) for the current deals and visit a warehouse location in Florida, Georgia, or Massachusetts to buy. Where else can you find a claw foot tub for $699?

Happy Shopping!

How to Save with Hidden Deals

What ordinary girl doesn't like a good bargain? Get in touch with your inner savvy shopper and score great shopping deals with a few of my favorite shopping strategies below. Have any great tips, send them to me and I'll post them! Let's share the wisdom!

Get the inside deals. Many stores periodically offer 10-20% discounts to friends and family of sales associates. Ask a sales associate for the timing of the next sale, or check websites that track these deals such as (http://www.fatwallet.com/; http://www.dealmaker.com/; or http://www.pricetracker.com/)

Shop before the Sale Starts. It takes alot of time and effort for a store to get ready for a markdown sale. My favorite merchants typically start the afternoon prior to the sale. So, I often make it a point to stop the afternoon/evening the day before the sale starts to purchase a specific item. If it's not marked down, I'll ask if I can get the discount today rather than travel back tomorrow.

Hold the Item and Save Yourself a Hassle! Start shopping a few days prior to the sale. Find the items you want. Ask the Sales associate to hold the items until the sale starts. Get yourself the gift of a better choice of the inventory while you purchase your items at the sales price.

Ask when the item goes on sale. Nothing worse than purchasing an item one day, only to discover that on the next day the item is on sale. Sales associates are often empowered to provide you with the sales price in advance of the sale.

Barter for the bargain. Ask the sales associate the simple question"Is this the best price you can do?" Often times, a sales person can knock an additional 10-15% off an item. Never hurts to ask.

Matching the lowest price. Know the competition's pricing. Check your favorite retailer's pricing policies. In many cases, retailers advertise the low price guarantee - they'll match and beat the another retailer's price on an item.

Use a competitor's coupons to get a deal. Retailers will often accept a competitor's coupon if the product you're purchasing is also available at their store.

Refunds by the Retailer. Watch the flyers after you purchase the product, you just might be entitled to a refund. Several retailer's pricing policies will give you a refund if the same model/item goes on sale within a predetermined period of time (usually 30 days).

Running to the Sneaker Sale

Nothing like a new pair of sneakers to put the workout into high gear! So when is the time to buy ? June/July - when retailers are starting to turn over their stock to make room for the new season's offerings; November when retailers are trying to wind down the Back to School stock and make room for winter boots. Looking for an even better deal on your favorite sneaker? Buy multiples and ask for a volume discount. Take a competitor's coupon and ask if they'll honor it.


And don't forget to give your old pair another life -- donate it the Nike's Reuse A Shoe program. For more information, go to: http://www.letmeplay.com/reuseashoe/. Since 1990, Nike has recycled more than 21 million pairs of athletic shoes toward more than 265 sport surfaces; giving thousands of young people access to new playgrounds and athletic facilities around the world.

Thrifter Shopping at Target

Lately, I’ve had one eye on my shrinking budget, the other on sales pricing trends at local retailers. Thought I would share with you some of my pricing discoveries for Target that I’ve been tracking for a few months so that you can enjoy some thrifty shopping. Enjoy!

Finding the Discount Amount. The amount the product is discounted is positioned in the top right corner of the clearance tag. (example: A display of “30” indicates the item is 30% off the original retail price.)

Discounting by Supply and Demand. Discounts are based on an individual store’s inventory. Smaller discounts indicate the merchandise is moving faster; larger discounts indicate the merchandise is slow moving. (Good to know when you’re deliberating a purchase now vs sometime later/maybe never.) Also, since the discount is based on an individual store’s inventory, don’t expect to pay the same price at two different stores.

Determining Where You Are in the Markdown Cycle. The last digit of the mark down is an indicator for where the time falls in the clearance cycle. Typically, the price per item in the first markdown cycle ends in a “7” (example: $12.97). In the last round of markdowns, the price per item typically ends in a “4” (example: $2.94). BTW - I think it's rare that merchandise stays around that long!

Identifying Markdowns by Dept. Each department has a day of week when markdowns occur. Markdowns typically happen every 2 weeks.
o Children’s clothing – Monday
o Women’s clothing – Tuesday
o Men’s clothing – Wednesday
o Shoes – Thursday
o Electronics – Friday

Knowing the 5 Step Markdowns. 15%, 30%, 50%, 75% and sometimes 90% . Furniture, electronics, and food items are typically the only items discounted at 15%. Seasonal items/theme based items are usually the only items discounted down to 90%. These items go to 90%markdown pretty quickly (2+wks from first markdown - think Target needs to get rid of the inventory for the next batch of seasonal items.)