Inexpensively Frugal Blog Network » Shopping

{The New Home Ec} Send Your Husband to the Store…And Still Get What You Need

Heather Sokol — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:45:43 +0000

Household chores are a pretty even split around here. I do the laundry. He does the ironing. I cook. He does dishes. Truly, he’s better at cleaning than I am. I’m not even allowed to dust. So, it should come as no surprise that he helps out...
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{The New Home Ec} 10 Ways to Save Money on Books

Heather Sokol — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:36:36 +0000

I am an avid reader. Fiction, non-fiction, chick lit, YA — I devour it all, on a daily basis. I've been called a bookworm for as long as I can remember, but I've been living frugal for nearly as long! [Continue reading on Babble.com...]
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{The New Home Ec} How to Save Money on Groceries Without Clipping Coupons

Heather Sokol — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:43:19 +0000

Every time I share coupon tips for beginners or discuss extreme couponing strategies, someone always tells me coupons are just too much trouble. And, I get it. I do. But, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing — you can save money at the groc...
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{The New Home Ec} Where Is the Best Place to Shop for Groceries?

Heather Sokol — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:33:49 +0000

While out and about today, I stopped at my old favorite grocery store, which I have abandoned in favor of one built in my neighborhood. I got out of there for less than half what I usually spend. Maybe I bought a little less than usual. Maybe I hit a few really good sales. But, [...]
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{The New Home Ec} Best! Deal! Ever! (Until Next Time)

Heather Sokol — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:32:39 +0000

“Lowest price of the season!” “Our best deal yet!” “Biggest sale of the year!” You’ll see this type of advertisement all year long. Does it make you twitchy to buy right away, while the price is right? That&#82...
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Christmas Clearance: Beyond Trees and Lights

Heather Sokol — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 13:23:19 +0000

There are only 363 days until Christmas—it’s time to stockup on wrapping paper, greeting cards and stocking stuffers. Of course, I’m only partly kidding. Holiday clearance deals began yesterday, and the prices will continue to drop all week. This is when I purchase my wrapping paper, gift tags and holiday trinkets to use in next year’s stockings. Most stores are at 50% off for all Christmas products. This includes not just decorations, wrapping supplies and other obviously Christmas items but great deals on products you can use all year long.

Christmas is the best time to stockup on linens—if you use tablecloths, napkins and decorative table runners all year as we do, you’ll find awesome prices on “holiday” packages. Most of them are not Christmas specific so keep an eye out for your favorite sizes. This is also a great time to buy items that are designed as gifts—watch for gift-boxed items such as gloves, electronics and toys. You’ll also notice a lot of “stocking stuffers” that can be used for Easter baskets, party favors and chore rewards. Look for toys, beauty products and trinkets free of snowflakes, holly and Christmas designs.

Beyond the holiday aisles, markdowns are also happening throughout the stores. Retailers keep overstock of electronics and toys for the holiday shopping season. At Target, there is already an entire aisle of 30% off toys, every end cap is stocked with clearance and you’ll find more toy markdowns up every aisle. My oldest has a birthday in just over a week so I used to do all my shopping for her during the first week of January. Of course, she has moved beyond toys as she turns 14 but winter clothing is being clearanced already as well!

If you venture out, I’d love to hear about your bargains. For the last few years, I’ve set about to increase our Christmas music collection and with Amazon’s 25 Days of Free, I think we’re all set there. I think this year’s splurge will be on new outdoor lights. It’s been awhile since we’ve gotten our outdoor lights up so I’m hoping a couple new pieces will inspire me next season. Happy shopping!

Originally published 12/29/09

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{The New Home Ec} Store Hours for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

Heather Sokol — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:04:27 +0000

We’re coming down to the wire — are you ready yet? If you still need a few gifts, we’ve got you covered! I’m out of time for last minute handmade gifts, but several retail stores have extended hours today & tomorrow. Plus, I’ll probably need to make a stop on Christmas Eve for tape. [Continue [...]
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{The New Home Ec} Cyber Monday Deals vs. Black Friday Deals

Heather Sokol — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 17:06:35 +0000

I’m a big Black Friday shopper — plans have been in the works for weeks already — but the hubby prefers to do his shopping online. Luckily, there’s a new(ish) shopping holiday for that. [Continue reading on Babble.com...]
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{The New Home Ec} 10 More Tips for Extreme Couponing

Heather Sokol — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:53:45 +0000

If you’re just getting started with coupons, check out my tips for beginner couponing. It’s a great way to shave a lot of money off your grocery bill each week...Once you have begun to learn the art of couponing, it’s time to move on to something more extreme. Here are 10 more tips for even [...]
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Coupon Clipping Services

Heather Sokol — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:45:20 +0000

How do you feel about letting someone else clip your coupons?

Let’s face it—clipping coupons is a lot of work! You have to track down enough coupons to stock up on your favorite sales. Then you have to cut the coupons out and organize them into your coupon storage system. And, then you can finally go shop & save.

There are several coupon clipping services that will do the bulk of the work for you. You can’t buy coupons, but you can pay someone to find & clip them for you. You choose the coupons you want, pay for the service and neatly clipped coupons will arrive in your mailbox. Here are a few of the services I have used:

I know it’s a bit of a gray area when it comes to ethical couponing, but sometimes I just don’t have the time to track down the coupons I need. I either learn to budget without coupons or gratefully take advantage of the services these companies offer.

What do you think about coupon clipping services—do you use one?

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