Shopping..

Think about the occasions when you might buy toys: birthdays, Christmas, celebrating milestones like graduation, or even those “just because” moments (such as trampolines to keep your kids occupied over summer!)  Perhaps one of the best ways these days to buy toys are through the Internet.  The World Wide Web opens up a whole new host of opportunities for shopping.  No longer do you have to fight traffic to get to the nearest mall or toy store.  You do not have to fight the crowds on busy shopping days in order to find the best bargains before someone else grabs them.  Online toy shopping allows you the freedom of ordering twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week!

Read the rest of this entry »

Get to the store early, really, really early!  As a matter of fact, be there an hour or two before the store opens and be prepared to stand in line.  Bargain hunters do not mind waiting in line, and if you want to get your hands on some incredible electronics deals, you do need to make this sacrifice.

Read the rest of this entry »

Quite possibly the age-old question when going shopping for groceries revolves around the idea of generic versus name brand foods.  Which are better?  Which are better for you?  Are generic groceries as good as name brand groceries?  Are name brand groceries tastier?  Here are some shopping pros and cons of choosing generic over the name brand in the grocery store.

Read the rest of this entry »

Con: Compare ingredients and read the food label. Of special importance is the sodium content – some generic foods have added salt to make them taste better rather than higher quality ingredients – and the fat content.  If the generic brand has a lot more sodium or fat than the brand name, you will need to decide how important this is to you.  In some cases, such as purchasing a can of beans, for example, it does not really matter since you will be able to rinse most of the salt off. 

Read the rest of this entry »

July and August are the best months to shop for end of summer items.  Save a lot of money on your patio furniture by purchasing them at cost at the end of the summer season.  Grills, portable fire pits, lily ponds, gardening equipment and lawn tractors are examples of items that you will find on sale at great savings during these months.  These two months are also a great time to pick up bargains on outdoor entertaining house wares such as plastic plates, cups, pitchers and tablecloths.  Other sale items include summer clothing, bathing suits and beach towels.

Read the rest of this entry »

Bargain hunters can’t resist shopping out of season sales for their favorite items.  If you have the patience, nothing beats purchasing items at cost.  Many shoppers on a budget plan their shopping sprees for certain times of the year so they get the most bang for their buck.  The key to shopping out of season is to know when the items that you want will be put in the clearance aisles.

January is the best time to shop for post-holiday decorative items, fall clothing, furniture, linens and towels, computer and electronics and sports equipment.  The sales usually begin shortly after New Year’s Day after people have returned gifts from the holiday season.

February sales usually offer sales on rugs, house wares, gift items and perfume, especially after Valentines Day.

March is a great time to shop for wedding items, pre-season gardening items, outdoor sports equipment, home appliances such as washers, dryers, refrigerators and dishwashers and luggage.

April and May are the best months to shop for bridal gowns and accessories, home improvement supplies such as paint, wallpaper and flooring and pre-season gardening supplies.  April is also a great time to get travel deals on cruises and traveling abroad.

June is a good month to buy home improvement items you may want for the fall.  June sale items include storm windows and doors, insulation, weather stripping and replacement windows for your home.  This is also a good month to buy ahead for next year’s Father’s Day by hitting the post holiday clearance sales.  Many stores also feature sales on camping and fishing gear as well as boats and canoes.

You might still be stuffed from the Christmas turkey or ham, but any serious shopper worth her or his salt knows that the day after Christmas is to shopping what the checkered flag is to car racers – the sign that you have arrived at the sale of the year.  Of course, shopping on this day is usually done by hard-core shop-a-holics or those who are looking for any and every avenue to escape their families on this day, although the latter will usually congregate at the local watering hole. 

Read the rest of this entry »