Frugal Mom Blog

Archive for the ‘Frugal Shopping’ Category

With Christmas right around the corner, we are all thinking of last minute ways to earn extra money and find inexpensive gifts. One idea is to buy and sell using eBay or Craigslist. Most of us are familiar with eBay, and it is the safest way to sell your belongings. But Craiglist is an alternative that has a lot of benefits.

When buying on Craigslist, you can get your purchased items faster since the exchange is done in person rather than through the mail. The price is also cheaper since you won’t have shipping costs included. The main drawback however is Craigslist does not have a feedback system like eBay. You really don’t know anything about the person you will be doing business with other than what they communicate through their posted ad or email correspondence. For that reason, we have to take precautions when using Craigslist. The following are 5  tips for staying safe when using Craigslist.

How to stay safe using Craig’s List:

1. Don’t Share Personal Information. There is no need to tell your buyer you live alone, or you have children at home. Keep those details to yourself.

2. Take a Friend. When you are meeting your Craigslist buyer, don’t go alone. Bring a friend or spouse with you.

3. Pay with Cash. If you are buying something, use cash. Using a check will give the seller access to your life. He or she will know where you live, can find your phone number, and will have your bank account number. To protect yourself from identity theft, your best defense is to pay with cash.

4. Use a Dedicated Email Address. Rather than using your work email address, or your personal email address, get a free one from places such as Yahoo.com. When you set up your email address, only use a first name. Do all of your Craigslist business through this new email address. You’ll stay more organized, and it will keep anyone from knowing your full name.

5. Meet in a Public Location. Rather than inviting your Craigslist contact to your home, plan on meeting in a public location where there will be other people around. You will be much safer than meeting in your home or their home.

So you never thought raising a child could be so expensive?  Well guess what- it is.  So every chance that you get to save a few dollars, take it.  Finding places outside of the toy store and Babies R’ Us to purchase baby items at a steep discount  is a golden opportunity to help inflate your bank account.

If you head out your front door on any given Saturday or Sunday morning you will more than likely notice that families all across America are selling off their old household items via a pastime known as Garage Sales.  These weekend treasure hunting expeditions are great for many reasons:

• Ability to buy items for pennies on the dollar
• Negotiable prices
• Don’t have to drive far (no wasting gas)

A parent recently was able to purchase a once expensive dollhouse that has never been used for $5.00. The original cost of this doll house was $124.99.

This is very common, and some other great finds for babies at a yard sale consist of:

• Fisher price items
• Cribs
• Books
• Stroller
• Video games
• Electronics
• Toddler gyms
• Jumparoo’s.

All of these items and tons more are available every weekend and can be purchased for more than reasonable prices – which is great for the frugally conscious shopper. In the long run, this creates a huge savings for parents.

So next time your young one is in need of some toys or necessities like a stroller, search around the neighborhood or the internet for a neighborhood Garage Sale!

We love to hear about the bargains you’ve found, so tell us in the comments the deals you’ve found at garage sales!

I love Christmas shopping.   Call me crazy, but the hustle and bustle, the crowds, the decorations, the Christmas music, the fighting for a parking space…it all screams Christmas and makes me so happy. Now before you get upset with me, I truly do know the true meaning of Christmas. Jesus is my Lord and Savior and I am so thankful for his birth.  But I still love shopping.

My husband thinks I am crazy – why fight the crowds when you can shop from home with the convenience of the internet? Well just in case any of you are on his side, I’ve found some great gifts online. Best part? They are all under $10.00!

Men: Men’s Contrast-Yoke Waffle-Knit Tees - $9.00

With a contrast color yoke and exposed stitching, this standout waffle-knit tee doesn’t need to hide under button-front shirts or hoodies. But it will if you ask nicely.

Other colors available: Heather Gray, Dark Sea Blue, and Bright White.

These are regularly $16.50!

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Personalized Snowman Family Ornament – $8.95

This cute ceramic ornament is perfect for a family of 5. Or a family of 4 with 1 dog. Or a family of 3 with 2 cats. The 5 snowmen are personalized with family member names, making it a memorable ornament that will be cherished for years.

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Leather Utility Case – $10.00

This brown leather utility case makes a great gift or any man who travels, or needs a place to keep his toiletries.

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Blank Mini Journal – $5.95

I happen to be of the belief that you can never have too many journals. That is why this is the perfect gift! It is the perfect size for your purse, and has blank pages to fill in with whatever you want.

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Magazine Subsciption - $10 and under

There are a lot of great magazines you can get subscriptions for that cost less than $10.00: Field & Stream, Family Fun, Good Housekeeping, Women’s Day, Parenting, Outdoor Life, Motor Trend, Shape…and so many more!

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6-piece Screwdriver Set - $7.99

This 6-piece set ensures you will have the right screwdriver, when you need it. The set features comfort grip handles with chrome vanadium steel blades, and precision black oxide tip to securely grip fastener. All of which I am sure are really great features!

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Snowman and Two Green Trees Candleholder – $9.99

This darling winter wonderland scene doesn’t need to be packed up after Christmas – it can be used all winter long. The snowman and 2 trees warmly glow with the use of a single tealight.

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Corsair 8GB Flash Voyager USB Flash Drive – $9.99 (after rebate)

This USB drive works with most operating systems including PCs and MACs. The rubber casing makes it easy to hold, and water resistant. And with 8 GB of memory, it is a great solution for transporting MP3’s, pictures, digital files, presentations, and so much more!

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Shanghai Blossoms Write Away Stationery- $9.00

Let’s bring letter writing back in style! With an overall kimono-style pattern of chrysanthemums and exotic blooms, Shanghai Blossoms comes in tones of heathery lavendar and blue and in pink and apricot hues. Perfectly adaptable for warm or cool moods. 10 melon, 10 heather envelopes to mix and match. 20 5-7/8 x 8-1/4″ letter sheets, 2 complementary designs, 20 matching envelopes with interior designs, 20 colorful seals. Sturdy string-fastened acetate case.

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Silpat Nonstick Silicone Baking Mat – $9.99

In case anyone is taking notes, this is high on my Christmas list this year! This baking mat works wonderfully as baking pan liner or as a working surface because of its silicon and fiberglass non-stick surface which makes it very easy to clean. It is completely safe in freezers or microwaves. Up to 3,000 uses or more per mat.

So what great gift deals have you found this season? Tell me all about it ’cause I love hearing about deals and ways you’ve saved money!!

Black Friday

It is such a strange name isn’t it? Since about the 1960’s, the day after Thanksgiving has been known as Black Friday, and is touted as the biggest shopping day of the year. The term began in Philadelphia because of all of the traffic that was out that day each year. Also, since Black Friday signals the official beginning of the Christmas season, many retailers refer to it as the time when they will be in the black, instead of the red. So the name Black Friday stuck.

Save Money!

What does Black Friday mean to us? Deals, deals, and more deals! For us frugal shoppers, Black Friday can be one of the best days of the year to get our Christmas shopping done. My advice? Save gas, save time and shop online! Here are some deals that I’ve found on the Internet. In the interest of full disclosure, I will tell you that these links have an affiliate code in them. What that means is if you buy something through the link, you are helping to support Frugal Mom. Just keeping it real.

Black Friday Deals

• Amazon.com:Great Black Friday Deals
• Bare Necessities: Doorbuster Prices & Additional Savings on Clearance Items! (ends 12/2)
• Brookstone: Black Friday Deals from Brookstone.
• Lumber Liquidators: Need Flooring? Lumber Liquidators: Nothing down. No Interest. No Payments For 12 Months! Limited Time Only! Valid Through Sunday, 30-Nov-08.
• Joann.com:Free Shipping at Joann.com. No Minimum! (Code: AFSNOWMIN)
• Rugman: Code CJBFCM08 $100 – save $5, $250 save $20, $500 save $50, $750 save $75, $1000 save $100,$1500 save $150, $2000 save $200 Exp 12/02/08
• VistaPrint: Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deal at VistaPrint. 50% Off Holiday Cards and Free Shipping
• Jos A Banks: Jos A Bank’s Black Friday DOORBUSTERS: (Starts Early) Thanksgiving Day, Nov 27-Friday, 4pm ET Nov 28th
• Irv’s Luggage: BLACK FRIDAY SALE- Save up to 60% on Checkpoint Friendly Laptop Bags! and…Shop Irv’s Luggage BLACK FRIDAY Sale- 20-30% off All Handbags!
• Taylor Gifts: Black Friday Savings Solar Powered Christmas LIghts now only $14.98 at Taylor Gifts. Offer valid 11/28/08 – 12/5/08.
• American Blinds:Extra 40% Off All Brushstrokes
• Justice: Take 25% off all products at Justice with code JSTHOL08 (thru 12/10)
• The Hairstyler.com: Take 30% off all sign-ups! 11/27/2008 12/01/2008
• Emitations: Free Domestic Shipping with orders of $50 or more and…Save $15 off $100 – 5 Days only!
• Happy Mothers: Free shipping on any purchase at Happy Mothers 11/28/2008 12/01/2008, and… Purchase any Ameda Breast Pump and Save $25! 11/24/2008 12/31/2008
• Pet Nutrition Products: 10% off everything in the store! 11/27-11/28
• Paper.com: 15% off storewide 11/27/08 – 12/1/08
  
• Signing Time: 50% off all single DVDs and…$15 off any $50 11/28/2008 11/29/2008
• Jewel Basket: 20% off any purchase 11/27/2008 -12/01/2008
• Crazy for Bargains: Free standard shipping on fun sleepwear orders of $35 or more 11/28/2008 -11/29/2008
• A Gift Personalized: 25% off any purchase and free shipping 11/27/2008 -12/05/2008
• Kimmy Shop: 83% off High School Musical Messenger Bag 11/27/2008- 12/31/2008
• Just 4 Pooches: 15% off all purchases 11/27/2008 – 12/01/2008
• Only Natural Pet: 20% off Holiday Gifts for Pets 11/27/2008- 12/02/2008
• Craftsbury Kids: 10% off any purchase 11/27/2008- 12/01/2008
• A Cherry on Top Scrapbook Shoppe: Save 40% On One Item (ends 12/31/08)
• International Bible Society: Almost 100 Scripture products from 10-60% off
• Heirloom Wooden Toys: Save $15 when purchasing all 4 pieces of the Children’s Sunflower Furniture Set
• Pierced Body: Free Shipping
• Overstock: 10% Jewelry & 10-20% Watches Offer valid 11.24 to 12.01