Thrift Store Shopping Tips

If you are tired of seeing the same old clothing styles at mall department stores and boutiques, it may be time to add a little spice to your wardrobe. Rather than looking just like everyone else, thrift stores offer access to unique items not found anywhere else- at least not in the last twenty or so years! Not only are thrift store clothes relatively inexpensive, but they can also be ultra hip. If you approach it the right way, you may be able to create your very own personal style by mixing the old and the new.

When you first decide to embark on a thrift store shopping spree, there are a few things to remember. Firstly, a lot of thrift stores only take cash, so if you are used to grabbing Daddy’s credit card and going to town, you’ll have to make other arrangements. Some stores do take checks, so you might want to have your checkbook handy. Secondly, a lot of thrift stores do not have dressing rooms, so you’ll probably want to wear a light t-shirt so you can try on your finds right where you find them. And most importantly, you are probably not going to find anything that fits you absolutely perfectly. You can’t go in looking for “your size.” You will have to try on what looks promising and see if you can alter it in any way if needed.

Believe it or not, thrift stores in the hippest parts of town generally have the least hip clothes. This is because there are hundreds of people just like you who are picking through their stock of wearable items every day. If you want to find authentic vintage clothing at inexpensive prices, you’ll have to drive to the most uncool parts of town. This could mean the suburbs, and it could mean farmland, depending on where you are located. You will find, however, that it is well worth the drive, and that your treasure is definitely another woman’s trash.

Shirts are typically the easiest items to find at thrift stores, because they allow more flexibility in the fitting department. You can find some excellent western shirts in rural areas, and there are always witty t-shirts on the little boy’s racks. If you are looking for a good pair of jeans, however, you might want to check the men’s section. Thrift stores typically stock a plethora of pleated-front tapered-leg acid-washed jeans in the ladies section, so you will rarely find anything cool on those racks. However, the men’s section can be filled with surprisingly girlish slacks in interesting colors and textures. There have also been known to be great pairs of vintage Levi’s hanging in the men’s racks.

If vintage dresses are your think, you will have a field-day going through the strange fashions of yesteryear that you will find in any thrift store. Once you make your way past the obnoxious flowery Sunday dresses and the strange lime green pleated skirts, you may find one or two keepers. Don’t give up until you looked at the last one, because chances are there will be a diamond in the rough there just waiting for a little nip and tuck from your sewing machine.

Thrift stores are also an excellent place to find work clothes for a job interview or a new office job. If you’d rather save your money for more fun items, you can always replenish your work wardrobe with some inexpensive black skirts and dress shirts from the local Salvation Army or Goodwill. Work people will never know that your new suit only cost you five bucks. They’ll just be happy that you’re not wearing your favorite club get-up to the important meeting again.

How to buy a green Fridge Freezer

Many items that we take for granted in the home have undergone major design changes in recent years. Our understanding of those changes has sometimes failed to keep pace. Take the humble fridge freezer, for example. How should you go about examining the features of the various models that are available.

To begin with, you need to understand the various features that are advertised by sales people in high street stores or described online. In the UK all fridge freezers are given an energy rating for starters but what do these ratings really mean?

Fridge freezers will probably be one of the largest users of energy in your home - possibly second only to your central heating. This may come as a surprise!

The reason why fridge freezers use so much energy is because they are switched on all the time - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Having an energy inefficient fridge freezer not only costs you money but also has an environmental impact.

Until the last 5 years or so many popular brands were extremely inefficient. The new energy ratings, however, aim to show the consumer how various machines compare. They also help to name and shame brands who do not take the environment seriously.

The ratings scheme grades every fridge freezer on the market, with an A++ rating being the most energy efficient rating available. The ratings scheme then moves down to A+, A, B and C (with C being the least environmentally friendly).

So, put simply, aim for an A++ or an A+ energy rating if you want to be kind to the environment, while also saving some money on your electricity bills.

How to be a Coupon Queen

So you want to be a Coupon Queen ? Well to be a Coupon Queen you first have to have the right attitude. You have to learn how to think like a Coupon Queen. You have to be willing to work hard and think outside the box. "It's not Impossible to save 75 to 80% off you grocery bill "

For starters you cannot be brand loyal. Be open to try new things.You will find that you can get alot of the top name brands for free or almost free by just simply watching for sales and clipping your coupons. Store brands are not always cheaper than name brands when you are using coupons. .Also buying in bulk is not always cheaper especially when you can catch a sale Now that you have the right mind set lets tell you how to get started!!!


Where To get coupons:
You need to start by subscribing to your local newspaper!
Ask friends and neighbors for their coupons.
Check local coffee shops and book stores for newspapers that people leave.
Check local recycle bins for papers there too!! Look for coupons in your grocery store! Email companies tell them how you like or dislike products and they will send you coupons! We have a page provided for you with a list of companies to write to on my website at http://www.morestealsanddeals.com .


Organizing your coupons:


Start with a small $1 coupon organizer until you've mastered your own system and you want to get serious then you can go to a 3 ring binder with divders and clear baseball card sheets! Label your dividers like:

Canned/Frozen

Dairy/Meat

Produce

Breakfast/Breads

Baking

Pasta/Rice

Boxed helpers

Condiments

Snacks/Drinks

Cleaning

Hba

Baby/kids

Pets

Household

*You can even divide them out further the more coupons you get!!



For multiple inserts:


Start by tearing out pages from your coupon inserts and laying them out on the floor. Continue doing this and matching up identical pages from the rest of your inserts. then staple each stack of like coupons together so you can cut them all out at once and that also keeps your coupons together as well! Invest in an electric stapler and good pair of kitchen sheers!!


Don't forget to save money on gas ,you can take competitors ads and price match at some stores! You can also get extra discounts by shopping at a store that offers a club card or catalina coupons! What is a "Catalina Coupon" you may ask? A catalina coupon is a coupon that spits out at the register when you buy certain items. Sometimes they will apit out for buying certain products.These coupons say manufacturer coupon on them BUT..... Most people have no problems using them with the coupons you get from the sunday paper etc. So more savings for you!!!!

Don't forget about online coupons as well! Many sites like ours offer coupons that you can print out online and take to the store to maximize your savings! Check out at http://www.morestealsanddeals.com

Digital Cameras and Photography Shopping Tips for Electronics Consumers

The majority of digital camera focused tips you will view on the internet are focused on assisting people to research specific digital camera items such as Tamron AF55 200mm F 4 5 6 Di II LD Macro lens and LEICA CAMERA Starter Accessory Kits, locating this type of digital camera guidance may sometimes be very arduous indeed. For people getting merchandise such as Fujifilm Finepix V10 5MP Digital Cameras or Olympus C770 Digital Cameras, it is best advised to speak to a variety of photography specialists before you embark on your search, you might very well be shopping for a special product like a Nikon TC E3ED 3X Teleconverter Lens or a Tiffen 72mm Lens Kit includes Digital Ultra Clear Filter but because of a lack of details take the wrong Sigma APO 70 200mm f 2 8 EX DG Macro HSM Lens. Be aware that this digital camera research tip is fairly important, instead of just searching for a research term such as "digital cameras ", you should certainly use of a longer search engine request such as"digital free people photo" or "top 10 digital camera", if you do this your results will then be highly related to your exact digital camera necessities. Now if you should happen to seek advice on S80 Digital Cameras it could possibly be better to use the information in a digital camera directory in order to make contact with a digital camera supplier, if you then do this you will clearly obtain a fair amount of digital camera guidance for free. Convenience whilst buying specific products such as Canon PowerShot G5 5MP Digital Cameras or Sony DSCP10 Cyber shot 5MP Digital Cameras is something that no person should ever take for granted, learn to value the places that contain reliable digital camera buying info and take note of their info for possible future purchases. Some digital cameras might not be that easy to find, lets say for instance you would like to buy Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ20K 5MP Digital Cameras it might be that you will have to purchase your products direct from a digital camera manufacturer, even the internet may not instantly solve every digital camera shoppers requirements however most digital photography items can be obtained somehow. Many websites will have detailed categories targeted at digital cameras, should a person require a Canon G3 or a Casio Exilim EX S500 5MP Digital Camera you just locate the most appropriate digital camera section. If you will be purchasing something like a Kodak EasyShare V610 6MP Digital Camera it will not always mean purchasing from a digital camera or photography associated website, say you are residing in California for instance, a digital camera internet directory should be able to provide you with the relevant contact info of regional digital camera suppliers who may just be able to help you to find the digital camera you need. This digital camera research tip is very valuable, instead of simply searching for a search engine term like "digital cameras ", you should certainly use of a more particular search engine request like"develop digital photo" or "free digital camera offer", if you use the internet this way your results should hopefully be extremely targeted to your specific digital camera needs. If a person is purchasing merchandise like a Kodak Performance Series Digital Camera it might not always mean purchasing from a digital camera or photography focused site, lets imagine you are living in Arizona for example, a digital camera directory may be able to give you relevant details of closely situated digital camera stores who should with any luck be able to help you to find the digital camera you require.

The Rise Of The Dollar Stores

Sheryl Huenster is a self proclaimed dollar store junkie. The Clifton mother of four makes the trek to various fixed price stores within a ten mile radius of her white clapboard home two or three times per week. “I’m an addict. I admit it. I can’t go more than a week without visiting the stores, unless I’m on vacation. You better believe that when I go to the Jersey Shore I know where the all the stores are in the Toms River area,” she laughed. Years after the close of Woolworth’s and other “Five and Dime” stores, dollar stores are filling the void by opening up around the country, but they seem almost ubiquitous to New Jersey. Many of the stores are operated by immigrants who have a knack for buying low priced goods overseas and having them shipped to the U.S. to sell for a dollar a piece. Like Woolworth’s, the dollar stores carry “sundry” items such as hair brushes, small picture frames, toothpaste, games, toys, etc., as well as harder to find items that the more upscale stores don’t carry. Ice cube trays, magnets, gift bags, flags, paper, coffee mugs, staples, paint brushes, hand cream, eyeglass cases, candles, soap, are some of the things that Sheryl keeps an eye out for. “I found a baster yesterday for my Thanksgiving turkey. I use it just once then I toss it. It is far easier to replace a baster than trying to clean the darn thing!” Elise Brookings of Wayne is another dollar store fan who visits her favorite store at least twice a week. “I go to the store on Hamburg Tpk. You have to go back often as the stock changes all the time; once an item is gone it is rarely seen again.” Elise navigates the store’s aisles with a shopping cart which is quickly filling with gift bags, wrapping paper and what she calls stocking stuffers. “Playing cards, figurines, books, these are some of the items my kids will find in their stocking this year. Most of the stocking stuffers will be things I find in this store; I’ll go to CVS for the candy, but for little else.” Not all the stores prove to be successful. A store in Haledon and another one in Paterson have closed within the past year, while stores in neighboring towns have opened or expanded. Shoppers will tell you that it isn’t always the location, but the type of inventory carried. Jan Chavez of Bloomfield is very selective in choosing which stores to visit. “I can tell almost immediately if a store will be a success or not. If they sell items I could get at the Giants Stadium flea market it won’t work out. Too common and not worth the dollar; I can find the same items discounted at my supermarket.” The diminutive woman with toddler in tow added, “When I visit dollar stores I want a real bargain. It should be something that would have sold for several times the amount originally or would still sell for much more than a dollar if sold elsewhere.” Store manager Pava, who works at one of the area shops, said the reason that his store is so successful is that the store’s buyer travels throughout the Far East making purchases directly. It may seem odd to send a buyer so far away for items that sell for so little, however the store is making money and a quickly turning inventory is what keeps bringing the customers back. Indeed, store owners count on shoppers like Sheryl and Elise who make multiple visits to sustain them. Pava added, “Nobody buys just one item, they buy in bulk. Just this morning a teacher came in and purchased 26 toys. She plans on giving them to each of her students for Christmas.” If Sheryl, Elise, and Jan are the atypical customer, than Pava’s shop and those like his should be considered a raging success. Judging by the lines at the three open registers and the inventory on hand, his shop will probably be around for a long time. “We will be opening a second store next year in the Morristown area. It’ll be even larger than this one”, concluded Pava as he excused himself to go to a nearby counter to help wrap up glass dishes that were just purchased. With a full parking lot and clerks constantly replenishing inventory, the successful dollar store will be an important part of the suburban scene for years to come. Woolworth’s may not only be gone, it may soon be forgotten. This article originally appeared on Townstead.com, a defunct site managed by Matt Keegan. It was part of his "Life in New Jersey" series of articles.

Care For Your Leather: Great tips to keep your leather clean and moist!

Leather is a very durable material and needs to be cared for. To care and protect your leather handbags, backpacks, wallets, fanny packs, etc., you should use good quality water and stain repellant to help prevent stains and dirt build up. For best results:

• Apply protecting products just after purchasing and three to four times a year thereafter as needed.
• Keep your leather moist with a high quality leather lotion.
• Do not use any cleaning products on any leather that is not made specifically for leather.
• If your handbag or other leather product is suede, use a cleaner that is made for suede.

Some cleaners that are made for leather may not be for use on suede. A good rule to go by is to always follow the manufacture’s directions and always test any protection and cleaning product on an inconspicuous area first.

When wearing or carrying leather, do not spray perfumes, hair spray, body sprays, or any other harmful products near your leather product, it will damage it and stain it from the harsh ingredients. Your leather product may be cleaned by simply wiping with a clean, damp cloth. Do not use soap or any chemical products. If there are stains that are too tough to get out, consult a professional leather cleaner.

How you store your leather is very important. Leather must be stored in a breathable container such as a cotton bag or wrapped in a cotton fabric. Do not store your leather in plastic. This may cause your leather to dry out. Store in a well-ventilated, cool, dry place and keep away for excessive heat or dampness such as attics and basements. This may cause your leather to crack from the heat or to mold from the dampness. By using some of the methods mentioned above may keep your leather looking great for many years to come.

Back to School: Shopping Tips

Back to School sales seem to start almost as soon as your kids leave school for the summer. For parents, these sales are one of the best ways to save money and save big. Let's take a look at some the ways for you to realize savings as you prepare to send your children off to school.

1. Sales. Yes, Back to School sales are still real bargains for parents. The national retail chains such as, WalMart, Target, Sears, JC Penney, and KMart all run sales, as well as do the "pharmacy" chains including: CVS, Walgreens, and Eckerds. The former group of stores are great places to shop for clothing and bookbags while the latter group will feature cut rate school supplies.

2. Dollar Stores. Almost every town across America has the "one dollar" stores where everything is, you guessed it, sold for one dollar. Many of these stores are hit or miss as far as what they carry or what they have available. Some items, even at a dollar, are much more expensive than those found "on sale" at regular retailers.

3. Close Outs. Your kids may protest, but the close out stores -- Odd Lots and Big Lots to name two -- will carry items your family can use. Sure, the clothing may be way out of style, but lunchboxes, pens, stationary, bookbags, and the like generally are not.

4. Hand Me Downs. Big bro or big sis may have articles of clothing or items they no longer use. If they are gently worn/used consider passing these things on to your younger kids.

5. Garage and Yard Sales. Your child's lunchbox or calculator may be found at your neighbor's sale instead of at a retailer. Expect prices to be 50-90% less than full retail.

6. Consignment Shops. Did someone say, Salvation Army? Okay, this is a bit of a stretch. Your kids will probably scream if you take them to a consignment shop, so you can go instead. More than likely what you buy will be for your personal use. Use the money saved to purchase the Nike shoes for your sophomore.

7. Tax Free Weeks. If you live in an area of high sales taxes on clothing, wait for a special "tax free week" to come around to save on purchases. New York City, for instance, is one of the cities with a tax free week. At 8.25%, this particularly high sales tax rate often causes residents to flee the city and drive to New Jersey where there is no tax on clothing. Save on gas, tolls, and time, as well as prop up your local economy by waiting for these special weeks.

There are other ways for you to save money on school supplies including shopping online or by buying in bulk. Back to School shouldn't mean back in debt provided you shop carefully and wisely.

9 Tips to Selecting the Perfect Gift

Copyright 2006 Pat Brill

Do you struggle to find great gift ideas? Are you stuck without a gift at the last minute? I understand your frustration and am here to help! I've put together 9 tips to help you select the perfect gift. So grab a cup of coffee, relax, and start shopping!

1. Relax: Stress only make matters worse. Stop and take a deep breath before starting. It will help you refocus and reenergize! You can have fun researching and selecting a gift.

2. Think about the recipient: Ask yourself what makes this person happy. What are their hobbies and interests? Have they mentioned something they needed or wanted? A gift is a special treat to the receiver, so take the time to think about the person.

3. Seek outside help: Don’t be afraid to talk to the people who know the recipient best. They’re likely to have great suggestions. Great ideas come from everywhere. They would probably enjoy brainstorming with you for that perfect gift.

4. Ask why: The gift you choose should match the occasion. You don’t give a food processor on Valentines Day. Find something personal that says you are thinking of them.

5. Set your budget: It’s important to know ahead of time how much you want to spend. As you search for your gift, you can select gifts within your price range. Websites provide gift ideas within price ranges to make it easier to stay within your budget.

6. Go surfing: Shop on your time while relaxing at home. The Web offers a wide range of choices and gift ideas to match the person’s interests. Find a gift idea service to make it even easier.

7. Dress it up: If you decide to purchase a gift certificate, gift baskets, subscription or money, add a special note, or wrap it in an unusual way. Have fun dressing up your gift.

8. Get personal: If you have time, a personalized gift tells the person that you thought ahead of time to find a gift just for them. Personalized gifts are always fun to receive.

9. Stick with the staples: If you don’t know the person well or are going to someone’s home for the first time, traditional gifts of wine, food, candles, flowers, coffees or teas are foolproof.

I hope these 9 tips will help make your next gift a perfect 10! Feel free to share this with others, so they can also benefit.

How to buy a green Fridge Freezer

Many items that we take for granted in the home have undergone major design changes in recent years. Our understanding of those changes has sometimes failed to keep pace. Take the humble fridge freezer, for example. How should you go about examining the features of the various models that are available. To begin with, you need to understand the various features that are advertised by sales people in high street stores or described online. In the UK all fridge freezers are given an energy rating for starters but what do these ratings really mean? Fridge freezers will probably be one of the largest users of energy in your home - possibly second only to your central heating. This may come as a surprise! The reason why fridge freezers use so much energy is because they are switched on all the time - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Having an energy inefficient fridge freezer not only costs you money but also has an environmental impact. Until the last 5 years or so many popular brands were extremely inefficient. The new energy ratings, however, aim to show the consumer how various machines compare. They also help to name and shame brands who do not take the environment seriously. The ratings scheme grades every fridge freezer on the market, with an A++ rating being the most energy efficient rating available. The ratings scheme then moves down to A+, A, B and C (with C being the least environmentally friendly). So, put simply, aim for an A++ or an A+ energy rating if you want to be kind to the environment, while also saving some money on your electricity bills.

Top 10 Tips for a Successful Black Friday

Black Friday is by far the biggest shopping day of the year. Prices are cheap and people start out as early as 5 AM. This year there will be many great deals on gadgets and electronics. Plan ahead and create a winning strategy and you might be able to save a few hundred dollars on your holiday shopping. Here are 10 tips for making Black Friday successful: 1. Show up early! Seriously, many of the stores that have massive sales will sell out fast. The whole purpose of having super cheap items is to get a ton of people in the door. Then, once they sell all of a particular item the plan is for you to buy a more expensive item. Let me explain this again...Get their early, but c'mon, there is no need to camp out in front of CompUSA with your uncle's moldy tent. 2. Keep an eye on the prices of items that are not on sale. Many times these items will be over priced to compensate for the super cheap advertised items. If the store that you are shopping at has run out of the advertised item, make sure you don't over-spend on a similar product. 3. Beware of cheap brands. Sure, you may be able to find a DVD recorder for $60 but it is made in a country that you have never heard of and will probably break before you finish recording the "Saved by the Bell" marathon. A couple of years ago I stocked up on cheap DVD players and their life span was about 3 months. 4. Make a list of people you are shopping for. If you are like many other people, you will not only be trying to score a great deal for yourself, you will also be shopping for others. Spend some time before the big day to make a list of people who you will be shopping for. Next to their name, include a budget and a gift idea. Make sure you keep this list handy while you are strolling through the stores. 5. Make a list of specific items that you MUST have from the ads. Most black friday advertisements come out on Thanksgiving day. As you browse through the paper, circle the items that you think will sell out and grab those first thing in the morning. You don't want to lie to your 8 year old son on Christmas morning and tell him that Santa ran out of Gameboys...he WILL catch on. 6. Don't overlook the DVDs and CDs for great gifts. Stores such as Wal-Mart should have a few bins of super cheap new releases. Everyone loves movies and music, so take advantage of this cheap-o gift selection and snag as many as you can for the holiday. Trust me, nobody wants another red turtleneck for Christmas! 7. File rebates AS SOON as you get home. Black Friday is known for having tons of rebates. Some products have 4-5 rebates attached to them so make sure you are fully aware of all rebate porchases. Trust me, you will feel like a complete dweeb when you are in need of $200 in the new year and realize that you never sent in any of your rebates. Do it ASAP! 8. Be aware of your store's price matching policy. Many stores will honor the sale price if you bought the item a couple days before. You can simply purchase your items in advance and then simple show up to the customer service area and request a price match...it's that simple. 9. Create a winning team. If you plan on hitting multiple stores, create a team of family or friends to do the shopping. One strategy that works well is to have a driver that drops off family members at each store and then picks them up. Even better would be to take multiple vehicles or car pool with friends. You don't want to finally hit an important store at 3 PM. Think outside the box...plan on getting all shopping done in the morning. Remember, create organized lists for each family member and figure the money situation out the night before. 10. Beware of "sale rage". Some people are so pumped about getting a deal that they will do anything in their power to make sure you come second. If there is only one $50 flat screen monitor left and a soccer mom is sprinting towards it with foam at her mouth, you might just want to skip out on it...she is dangerous. There you have it...10 tips to make your Black Friday a huge success. Now, here are a few deals that I have my eye on. 1. CompUSA - 9.99 - 512MB USB 2.0 Flash Drive 2. CompUSA - $29.99 - 200 GB 7200 Drive 3. CompUSA - $117.99 - HP 4.1 Megapixel Digital Camera 4. Wal-Mart - $48.88 - Nintendo Game Boy 5. Wal-Mart - $398 - HP Laptop