I Just Can't Overpay for Merchandise, Even When I Want To!

So here's the situation. I had a $5 gift card to Border's so I decided to go there to pick something out for myself. I found these really cute spring decorative magnets and really wanted them but they were just a small pack of magnets and they were $7. I just thought $7 was outrageous, even though it would have only cost me $2 cash and the gift card. Instead I shopped the clearance section and bought my friend's kid a birthday gift since I am going to her party. Here I found value prices....$10 items marked down to $2-3 dollars each.
The next day I still wanted the magnets so I went back. I had them in hand but felt too guilty to buy them so I put them back. I knew I could find cute magnets for less somewhere else, maybe even the dollar store. Am I cheap or am I smart? Or maybe both?
As a side note, when I bought the toys, my Border's receipt offered me a buy-one-get-one-free on drinks from the Seattle's Best Coffee shop inside the store. I am a fine coffee addict so I redeemed the coupon for two lattes today. I will save one for tomorrow and it will still taste great.
I always love a deal! [END OF POST] Click Here to Read More..

McDonald's: My New Fave Healthy and Cheap Lunch

I am an espresso addict who tries to get through a day without going to Starbucks just to save a few bucks. Today I found the perfect lunch that was affordable, healthy and fed my espresso addiction. And believe it or not, it was at McDonald's. I got a hamburger, apple dippers and a medium non-fat latte for $5. I think it's going to be my new favorite lunch for awhile.
McDonald's lattes are cheap compared to Starbucks. The beverage ran me $2.80 and would cost about $3.50 at Starbucks. I would like to see lattes even cheaper at McDonald's. Especially in this economy where people are trying desperately to save money. [END OF POST]. Click Here to Read More..

A $2 Lunch, A $150 Dinner

Today is kind of a strange day because I had the cheapest lunch but will have the most expensive dinner. Tonight I get to do a mystery shop at a fine steakhouse that will cost about $150. I will get reimbursed so it will actually be free. I dressed up today, knowing I am going out to dinner. But at lunch time I wanted to just grab some cheap food. I don't have much discretionary income these days so I headed to Taco Bell. I got a taco and order of nachos for a total of $2.12.
If you want to learn more about mystery shopping, browse through my November/December 2008 posts. [END OF POST] Click Here to Read More..

Why Does it Cost So Much Just to Live?

My husband and I have this discussion just about every week. Where does all our money go? How can we never have enough money to live comfortably? Yes, there have been years we have struggled with job loss and unemployment. But other years our salaries combined have exceeded $100k and we still felt broke. By the time you take out taxes, our payroll contributions to benefits and 401k, plus a portion to pay down our credit card debt each month, there's not much. And we live in a modest home and drive lower-end vehicles. When I was in college, I thought couples with more than $100k coming in were truly rich. Now it is hard for people to even stay planted in the middle class on that income. [END OF POST] Click Here to Read More..

Do Your Banking Online to Save Money

Paying my bills online has really saved me a lot of time. No more envelopes to address or trips to the mail box. I realized it has been a LONG time since I bought stamps, too, so that means I'm saving money. Come to think of it, I probably save at least $5.00 a month now because I'm not buying stamps or envelopes. You may think I sound cheap but $5.00 a month equals $60 a year! I've been very pleased with Wachovia Online Banking which is free for account holders.

Two pitfalls I have discovered:

-Paying late. You might think since it's electronic, your payments will be processed immediately. This is not true and I have been burned by this. Make sure you still pay your bills 3-5 days ahead of time like you would with snail mail.
-Forgetting the confirmation page. After you enter in the bills, the system brings up a confirmation page. You have to click at the bottom of the page to process your payments. I have hurried through this procedure and later realized my payments were never processed. So make sure you wait for the confirmation numbers. [END OF POST] Click Here to Read More..

Mexico is a Travel Deal Right Now

I am constantly looking for a deal. And when I see Americans thinking one way, I try to think the opposite. For example, I heard on the news that Americans are not traveling to Mexico due to an increase in violence and a United States travel alert. The way my mind works, I immediately thought 'low prices'. You see, if you read the travel alert, it's nothing we didn't know already. It just says to use common sense and travel during daylight hours on main roads. Do I think it's safe to visit an upscale resort in Cancun? Absolutely. Since the media is busy scaring people away from Mexico, the demand is dropping and I am thinking 'cheap travel'. I did a search for fall trips to Mexico and found incredible deals. As of today on Expedia, you can book a 4-day vacation to the Cancun Westin (including air and hotel) on Thanksgiving weekend for $400 per person. Amazingly cheap! [END OF POST] Click Here to Read More..

So Many Restaurant Coupons Coming to me via Email

I love restaurants and I love coupons so I get really excited about restaurant coupons! More and more chain restaurants are sending email offers, allowing me to eat for less at places like Ruby Tuesday, TGI Fridays, Red Robin, Buca Di Beppo and more. Here's what to do:

--Visit the restaurant's website
--Sign up to get on their email list
--Wait for offers to come to your email
--Print offers and go enjoy!

If you do not like getting spam mail, set up a separate free email account on Yahoo, Gmail or Hotmail and just use that account for coupon emails. You can log on once a week to print what you like.

In the past two weeks alone I've gotten and redeemed several of these:

--A free Arby's Roast Burger
--A free Quizno's Sub
--Buy one, get one free entree at Ruby Tuesday
--Buy one, get one free entree at TGI Fridays
--Buy one, get one free entree at Dave & Buster's
--Free birthday burger at Red Robin
--Free birthday ice cream at Coldstone Creamery

I've seen the cheap food deals and the number of free giveaways increase recently due to the economic recession. [END OF POST] Click Here to Read More..

Netbook is a Cheap Alternative to a Standard Laptop

If you need a cheap laptop computer, you may want to consider a netbook. These cute little things are smaller than standard laptops, and less expensive, too. They are generally used for simple tasks like emailing and surfing the web and may not have all of the software programs you would have on a standard laptop.
My friend bought a netbook and I was amazed at how small and lightweight it is. I would love to get one. You can easily carry it with you wherever you go.
As an alternative, I bought my last regular Dell laptop in used condition on eBay for $150. It was an older model but it served my purposes just fine. I could surf the net and send emails with it. If you're on a budget, there is no need to buy brand new. Save money and pick up a used computer from a reputable seller. [END OF POST] Click Here to Read More..