DEALCATCHER: NOT YOUR MOTHER’S COUPONS

May 8, 2010

So many coupon sites and mommieblogs are restricted to small stuff like supermarket mac ‘n cheese, diapers, and pet food. I just found this terrific money-saving site called Deal Catcher. They point you to online coupons, products, sales, reviews, and rebates on a variety of items including electronics, home appliances, computers, clothing, housewares, and even groceries for the mac ‘n cheese crowd.

The site is updated throughout the day.

Here some cool samples from today’s offerings:

A 2-2/3-cubic-foot Haier compact refrigerator/freezer combo for $93.54 at Amazon after $129 savings. Free Shipping.

Dell Inspiron 13 13.3-inch Laptop with Pentium Dual Core, 3GB Memory, 250GB HD, Slot DVD Burner + $15 Dell GiftCard costs $399. Original price was $619

Oakley Vault Felon Sunglasses $50. This is reduced from $150.

Me Like!

By Annie Korzen | Posted in Acquiring Stuff | Tagged | Comments (0)

ALWAYS QUESTION THE PRICE

May 3, 2010

I had a buzzing in my ears, and the doctor gave me a prescription for a nasal spray. When the pharmacist told me it would cost $135, I was one flabbergasted frugalista! This was not a medicine that the doctor guaranteed would cure me. It was more a case of “Try this. It might help“.  I don’t find that reassuring enough to make a three-figure investment.

I called Jan Drugs in Canada, and their price was around $90, as was my Medco prescription plan. I was getting crankier and crankier, and finally decided to call the doctor to see if there were any other options. The nurse who picked up was as outraged as I was, and he kindly offered to put aside some free samples for me.

So I went from $135 to zero. Not bad, don’t you think?  I guess it never hurts to ask. Especially since the spray doesn’t seem to be doing much.

By Annie Korzen | Posted in Acquiring Stuff | Tagged | Comment (1)

SAVING MONEY AT WWW.RUBBING NICKELS.COM

April 7, 2010

I just discovered a cool frugalista site called Rubbing Nickels.  I like them because they gave my book a great review.  I also like them because they list a variety of useful cheapo deals on travel, entertainment, eco-living and all that good stuff.

I also like their motto: “Cutting back while moving forward.”

One site they wrote about is called Dinner Garden.org. This is an organization that provides people and community groups with free vegetable seeds and growing tips for cheap gardening in whatever space they have available: patios, backyards, schoolyards, community lots, and church lawns.  “They envision a nation where front lawns, empty lots, medians, parks, schools, churches, and community centers devote space to fruit and vegetable gardens.”  Sounds good to me.

By Annie Korzen | Posted in Acquiring Stuff, House and Garden | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

TRAWLING FOR BARGAINS

March 29, 2010

I hate to go shopping when I need something.  I don’t enjoy having to race against a deadline to find the right thing at the right price.  I prefer to buy stuff when I spot a good deal, and then I have it when I need it.  

My son was wandering through the mall a few weeks ago, not looking for anything in particular.  He noticed that Macy’s had a one-day special: a rack of men’s pants for ten dollars each.  Being his mother’s son, he happily snatched up four pairs.  

My friend Jay regularly checks the clearance sections at Target.  The merchandise in these areas goes from 30% to 50% to 75% off, based on how long it’s been sitting there.  

He knew I needed a small space heater and bought me a box of two for $14.95.  He found a large patio table for himself for seventy bucks.  It had originally retailed for almost $300.  He’s also gotten fountains and other garden accessories at rock-bottom prices.  

Jay also trawls for specials in the grocery aisles.  Last week he scored 8 boxes of cereal for a buck.  That’s a lotta corn flakes!

Through a combo of Radio Shack and Amazon, Jay got four Tivo units (He kept some and sold some) and two one-year subscriptions.  After discounts and rebates, he actually earned $100.00.   He finds a lot of these electronics deals on Fatwallet.com.  

Jay also buys lots of Christmas stuff after the holidays, when they are greatly reduced.  Those greeting cards will be just as effective next year.  Santa won’t go out of style anytime soon.

Off-season shopping is also a good idea for fashion.  February and August are the big clearance months in clothing stores.  Emporiums like Loehmann’s add further reductions to their already discounted goods, so the savings can be major: like $20 for a $200 top.  Of course, if you insist on being up-to-the-minute in the latest styles, you will have to pay full price at the beginning of the season.  Different strokes…

The website Money Saving Mom lists current supermarket and drugstore coupons.  I buy very little processed food, so a lot of this packaged, chemicalized stuff is of no interest to me, but I can always use a free toothpaste!

By Annie Korzen | Posted in Acquiring Stuff | Tagged | Comments (2)

BOOK LOVERS

March 22, 2010

HITTING THE STACKS

Public libraries are one of the biggest cultural bargains around.  Not only do they offer books, magazines, CDs, videos, and internet access, but they have lectures, exhibits, classes, and special events for kids.  Also, they have terrific book sales where the prices are low, low, low.  Plus, I’ve never met a librarian who wasn’t willing – even eager – to help with my stupid questions.

I take advantage of the library system right in my home office.  Let’s say I read a review of a novel that sounds interesting: this is usually a psychological mystery written by a woman that takes place in a gloomy English village. I just reserve it online, and my local branch contacts me when the book is available.  Easy as pie. (An expression I’ve never really understood: what’s so easy about pie? I think pie is difficult.)

 

BOOKS ON THE WEB

I just heard about a book site that functions like Netflix.  It’s called BookSwim.  You sign up for a certain number of books per month, keep them as long as you want, and postage is free.  Another popular site is PaperBack Swap.  You post books that you are offering.  When someone responds, you mail it to them and then your can choose any book on the site and it will be sent to you with free shipping.  They also list hardbacks and audiobooks.


THE USUAL SOURCES

I get most of my books where I get most of my everything-else: yard sales, thrift shops, and rummage sales.  I also borrow from friends.


GROUP READS

Many of my friends belong to book clubs.  This is a great and inexpensive way to combine intellectual stimulation with snacks.  It’s not for me, though, because some of the choices are non-fiction, and I have very little interest in the real world.

One day I’m going to organize a Shakespeare book club.  I’ve read and seen many of the plays, but always feel that I’m missing a lot of it – especially the jokes: there are too many puns based on unfamiliar words. I need help.

By Annie Korzen | Posted in Acquiring Stuff | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (3)

BARGAINING: DOS AND DON’TS

March 18, 2010

I did a radio interview this week with Keith Lucas on Castles Team Radio.  The other guest was John Hamilton, who teaches people the finer points of negotiation.  His website is Keep Negotiating.com.  John is very smart and insightful: I know this because he enthusiastically agreed with all the points I made – and vice-versa.  Here are a few issues we discussed:

  • A lot of people are embarrassed to question the price of something because they’re afraid of looking Cheap.  As I’ve said before, there’s a big difference between being Cheap and Frugal.  There’s nothing shameful in trying to get the best price for something, but it is evil to have your house guests turn blue because you refuse to turn up the thermostat.
  • John correctly pointed out that negotiating is not only about the price of something.  There are often more personal elements that come into play.  My friend Laura was house-hunting and found the place of her dreams: a sprawling ‘60s home on a hill with a striking view.  The house was not in great condition, but Laura is passionate about mid-century architecture.  The competing buyers saw it as a teardown.  Laura was the only one who promised the elderly woman seller that she would respect the integrity of the design, and gradually restore it to its original glory.  She got the house even though the other offers were higher than hers.

I buy so much stuff that I’m forced to have a ginormous yard sale twice a year, with hundreds of tasty items. It’s a great opportunity to study people’s bargaining skills. Here are some approaches I do not recommend.

Read More »

By Annie Korzen | Posted in Acquiring Stuff | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (5)

Money-Saving Websites

February 28, 2010

I thought I’d share a few money-saving sites I’ve discovered in the past few months. Naturally, they are all free to join.

Yard Sale Treasure Map

You enter your location and a map comes up with addresses and info in yard sales in that area. Plus, there’s no charge to list your own sale. The only flaw is that they are not quick enough to take down outdated ads, so that when I asked for Sunday sales on February 26th, I got some listings from February 21st. So make sure you read the fine print! There’s nothing more irritating than driving to a sale that isn’t there.

Black Board Eats

You get emails about restaurant deals in your area. You then have twenty-four hours to click on the discount passcode, and have to use it within 30 days. The day I signed up, I was offered 30% off the entire bill at Sofi, a local Greek place with a lovely garden. I’m already dreaming about the mixed appetizer platter.

Groupon

They email you various kinds of deals. The system here requires a minimum number of takers for the deal to be valid. Today’s offer was a $70 mani-pedi for thirty bucks. Unfortunately, it was miles away from where I live. You can’t register by zip code, so I’m receiving deals that cover the entire suburban sprawl of Los Angeles.

I’m always glad to hear about more cheapo sites, if you want to share.

By Annie Korzen | Posted in Acquiring Stuff | Tagged , , , , , | Comment (1)

FASHIONISTA BARGAINISTA: PART SIX

January 5, 2010

EBAY

This is, needless to say, an incredible resource for bargainistas. I’ve gotten everything from Arche sandals to Chantelle bras at lower-than-low prices. It does take a little effort. You have to study the measurements carefully, or better yet, know your size in each label because all brands vary. High-end European labels tend to run small: yet another reason to hate the French.

One neat little trick is to deliberately misspell the item you’re looking for. You’d be surprised at how many sellers list Chanel as Channel, so you can bid on that bag without much competition. I personally wouldn’t wear Chanel since she was a Nazi collaborator, but not everyone is as politically correct as I (sometimes) am.


CRAIG’S LIST

You can find anything on this site, from a one-month sublet to a gently-used coffin. Some of the listings, though, are quite poignant, and I often wonder about the back story.

• “WEDDING GOWN, Cost over $5,000.00. Asking $750. NEVER WORN.”

• “HUGE DIVORCE SALE – FORTY YEAR COLLECTION – EVERYTHING MUST GO”

There’s a lot of human drama going on here.

Read More »

By Annie Korzen | Posted in Acquiring Stuff | Tagged , , , , | Comment (1)

FREECYCLE: A GREAT SOURCE FOR FREE STUFF

December 14, 2009

I just became a member of the Freecyle network. www.Freecycle.org It’s a really cool site where you can search for free goods, or recycle your own excess. It costs nothing to join, and the no-cost merchandise is varied. A glance at today’s posts included offerings of a vacuum cleaner, a wooden desk, 50 sheets of poster paper, and cherry-flavored Nyquil.

Last week, I scored a shopping bag full of gratis hair products, toiletries, and unused make-up. Then Benni needed to get rid of his computer monitor. I posted a listing, and it was gone within 24 hours, which is a lot better than having to schlep it over to the electronic waste dump.

Freecycle has thousands of local groups representing millions of members. As a result, they are currently keeping over 500 tons a day out of landfills. This amounts to five times the height of Mt. Everest in the past year alone, when stacked in garbage trucks. In spite of the old inspirational song, “Climb Every Mountain,” I say that’s one mountain no one should have to climb.


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FASHIONISTA BARGAINISTA: PART FIVE

November 16, 2009

FLEA MARKETS

These are fun to browse, but the prices of professional dealers are usually too high for me. If I do go to a flea market, I try to get there for the last hour. That’s when the vendors are ready to make deals and clear out the inventory. By the way, I often see those same vendors picking through the goods at yard sales. And they can sometimes be a little arrogant.

Quite a while ago, I fell in love with Bakelite jewelry and started buying it cheaply on country weekends. I wandered into a fancy-dancy shop off Madison bakelite1Avenue and saw that they had duplicates of my pieces, so I offered to sell the owner some of my collection. He sneered at me like I was some kind of filthy rag peddler, “Sorry. I do not buy from the STREET!” I held on to my Bakelite, which is worth a lot more now than it was then. A little while ago, I sold a few pieces to a dealer, who told me that she is a “picker” for that very same shop. I was tempted to include a note, “Regards from the street!”

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