Now you can Finally Buy Back-to-School Clothes at a Good Price!

Last weekend I noticed most of the back-to-school clothes are finally on sale...at least half-off. That's because retailers are putting out the holiday clothes now. I shopped Kohl's and got everything for 55%-off or more. I used my additional 15% off coupon I get in the mail for being a Kohl's credit card holder. I did not buy back-to-school clothes in August or September like everyone else did. Patience is a virtue when you are Classy But Cheap. Click Here to Read More..

Why do Pumpkins Cost so Much this year?

I was surprised when I bought two pumpkins at a pumpkin patch today and the tab came to $20. I expected to pay about half that. The cost of pumpkins is higher this year primarily due to a drought. Click Here to Read More..

Free Shipping on 2009 Entertainment Book

I am a big fan of the Entertainment Book and right now you can get free shipping when you visit their website. There is no reason why everyone shouldn't have at least one of these. My biggest savings last year was the monthly Kroger coupons which take 10-20% off your grocery bill. For 2008 I had two entertainment books so I had two coupons per month for Kroger (please note: Kroger may not be listed in the book this year, check the entertainment.com site for your state before you buy).

I also frequently use the 2-for-1 coupons for restaurants. It's fun to try new places and you can't beat the deals. My family uses them for entertainment: the zoo, miniature golf, movies, go-karts, etc. Even if you use just a few coupons, you've covered your $25 cost. Since I love saving money, I keep a running list in my book and keep track of how much I save every year. It usually comes out to around $300 for one book.

The 2009 books are valid from Nov. 1, 2008, through Nov. 1, 2009. Click Here to Read More..

How I took a 6-Day Luxury Caribbean Vacation for $500 per person

I am a travel enthusiast and despite my limited budget, I manage to do more traveling than most people I know. The key to getting a travel deal is staying open-minded. For instance, I knew I was ready to take a fall vacation so I started looking around. I subscribe to airline special emails and am alerted of any sales. I had been wanting to go to St. Lucia but flights were about $600 per person. One day I saw San Juan, Puerto Rico pop up in a Delta airlines email. It was $89 each way per person. Bingo! Transportation to a tropical island for under $200 per person? That's my kind of deal!

Next the hotel. I frequently travel off-season for the best deals. I found a luxury hotel in San Juan for an October rate of $149 per night. This is a for a nice tropical resort on the ocean! In addition, the resort offered a deal: buy 4 nights, get the 5th free. End result? I just had a very nice 6-day vacation in a luxury resort on the ocean for under $500 per person. It wasn't St. Lucia but I'll get there one day...when it's on sale! Click Here to Read More..

How to Get Free Starbucks Coffee

If you have expensive taste in coffee, consider getting the Starbucks Duetto Card. It doubles as a credit card or a Starbucks card, so when you buy a coffee, you tell the barista which way to charge it. Next you start earning free coffee just by using the card.

Personally, I use my Duetto card to pay for all restaurants I go to each month, then pay the bill off in full when the statement arrives. I wind up earning a few free lattes each month.

To me, this is more rewarding than trying to save miles for an airline ticket. It's something I can earn and enjoy every month and it's saving me money because I know I'd surely splurge on these drinks anyway. I'm addicted to them.

A Starbucks promotion on their website today says if you sign up for the card and use it, you'll automatically get a $10 credit. Click Here to Read More..

Use BailoutSleuth.com to Get Daily Government Bailout Udates

If you are interested in learning more about the government bailout, check out BailoutSleuth.com. The site was founded by Mark Cuban, a billionaire who made his fortune as an American entrepreneur.

BailoutSleuth.com will show what's happening with the $700+ billion dollars in government funds. It will allow the public to keep an eye on the money...where it's going and who's involved.

Sign up for the feed on their site if you want a daily update. Click Here to Read More..

Everything is Negotiable

Learn how to defend your bank account by hanging on to as much of it as possible. In every day life, companies try to pry our money away from us with extra charges and fees...and I'm betting they get away with it 99% of the time.

If you think a fee or charge sounds unreasonable, speak up. When I was a teenager I would get so embarrassed when my parents would haggle over fees or ask for refunds on items they were unsatisfied with. Now I've learned it's perfectly acceptable as long as you do it in a friendly manner. And 9 times out of 10, I end up saving money just by asking.

I received notification that my apartment rent was going up $90 a month. I contacted my leasing office and told them it was too much and that I could not afford to stay at that rate. They offered to drop it down by $50 a month (yes that is $600 a year). I told them I'd sign for 6 months at the new rate or if they dropped it more I'd sign for a year. What do you think they did? They took another $10 off ($720 cheaper for the year than originally quoted). Don't be afraid to tell people the dollar amount you are expecting to pay, as long as it's reasonable.

Sprint charged me a $18 fee for renewing my cell phone contract. I thought this was ridiculous. Here I was signing a year-long contract to stay with them and pay them for 12 more months but they were charging me an additional fee? I don't think so. I emailed their customer service and it was quickly removed from my bill.

I lost my gym membership card and they wanted $10 to replace it. I told them I had been a member for years and this was my first offense. I asked them to remove the fee and they did.

These are instances that just happened to me in the past two months. Imagine how much money I've saved being classy but cheap all year round. Click Here to Read More..

Sign Up for Kohl's Credit Card for Great Discounts

I am so hooked on the Kohl's clearance racks. I stumbled upon summer clothes for 60-90% off today. I'm going to the Caribbean this month so what a great way to pick up a few last minute items for my wardrobe (best find: Vera Wang tank top for $4).

If you are a Kohl's credit card holder, they mail you a monthly discount coupon..anywhere from 15% to 30% off your entire purchase. You CAN use these on clearance items. I buy nice things for my whole family here dirt cheap. Just make sure if you are charging it, you can pay it off the same month, or else the discount you get is negated by the interest they charge. Click Here to Read More..

Buy Off-Season Clothes for the Best Deals

Today I wore a brand-new sweater to work and got a lot of compliments. I bought this sweater in the heat of summer for 90%-off at Kohl's. It was $40 and I paid $4. Why? Because nobody can imagine buying a sweater when it's 90 degrees outside. But me, I could imagine it.

Anyone who can't bear the thought of buying clothes and not being able to wear them for several months, get this...I put all my off-season buys at the top of my storage boxes, leaving the price tags attached. When I later open a box and find brand-new clothes with tags still on them it's terrific! I even like looking at the tags to see how cheap I got them for. It's like unwrapping a big holiday gift! Click Here to Read More..

Free Disney Park Admission on Your Birthday

Is it possible Disney is struggling due to the weak economy? Disney announced a promotion where anyone can get free admission to a Disney World or Disneyland park on their birthday in 2009. Just sign up on the Disney Parks website.

If you're already planning a trip to Disney, make it coincide with one member of your group/family's birthday. Just make sure you register on the website and take a photo identification with you to the park, in order to document your birthday. Click Here to Read More..