Every year I put out a "10 Ways to Woo" post around this time (although once I did it in October?), but it seems like I've already given out most of my romantic secrets already.

So this year, I thought I'd round up some of my all-time favorites, and then sprinkle in a few new ones to give you the best of the best. I doubt most of you have seen what I brew in the WOO department anyways ;) So if you're scrounging around this Valentine's day, be sure to give one of these some thought! Here we go...

The Top 10 Ways to Woo on Budget:

1. Set up camp in your living room! This is one of my favorite ideas cuz you get the best of both worlds :) Pop up a tent, gather a few sleeping bags and blankets, and enjoy some peace and quiet in the comfort of your own home. Could probably even do s'mores depending on your stove.
2. Replace the Hershey Kiss tag thingies w/ your own words.** Cut up some small paper strips, pick up a bag of Hersheys, and swap out the tags w/ your own creative ones!
   
3. Make her/him a mixed CD! This is a classic all the way from high school my friends ;) And you KNOW chicks love it. You don't necessarily have to go w/ all romantic songs either - hook it up with those that remind you of each other, or just your favorites.
4. Pick up two matching goldfish, and name them after yourselves. Cutest/cheeziest thing I've ever written, but def. a fave.
5. Put some naughty into your board games. Like Jenga? Try out "lovers" Jenga by writing down some punishments on each of the blocks. That way, EVERY turn is fun!
6. Hook your other half up w/ a massage!** And a decent one too, not your 2 min. quicky she's probably used to ;) (sorry, the Mrs. made me put that...guess she's trying to tell me something)
7. Get all lovey by putting a "Just Married" poster on your car. You'll have to drive around for a bit to get the effect, but it's still cute.
   
8. Place Post-It notes all over the place.** As the link suggests, I've actually done this one before ;) And it wasn't even on Valentine's Day! (Awwwww). That's the beauty of this one - you can rock it any day. Just jot down some lovely memos and then plop 'em throughout your home. On doors, closets, mirrors, cabinets, tv's, anywhere.
9. Cook dinner WITH each other. Find a good recipe, go shopping together, and spend some good quality time together. Whip out the fancy silverware and never-opened candles if you want! Anyone can PAY for a fancy dinner, but making it yourself is sometimes better.
   
10. And my all-time favorite....the whipped cream birthday suit! A la Varsity Blues (sfw, but barely). I swear, you pull this one off ladies and it's a done deal.
    

Whatcha think? Got any better ones to add? We'll be rocking the "make your own dinner" deal ourselves, and then maybe a dabble of #6 and a I-totally-wish-but-it'll-never-happen #10 ;) But as long as we spend it together, it doesn't really matter what we end up doing.

----------------
Previous Woo'age: 2008, 2009
** These are fail-proof, baby!

Labels: awesomely awesome, bargains, holidays, one of my lists

You know the times when you've got something wayyyy cheaper than it should have been? And not because there was a discount, but more like a mistake?

Well, we had another of these last weekend and wondering what you would have done ;) We can't could go back and change it or anything, but it's always a fun topic to discuss on personal finance blogs. (in fact, it was a similar article from I Pick Up Pennies that reminded me of this)

The Item in question: Bocce Balls

While the Mrs and I were returning all our holiday gifts that didn't pass the test last weekend, I came across a set of bocce balls! And not just regular ol' bocce balls, but Eddie Bauer sleek ones ;) I wasn't specifically looking for them or anything, but when I saw they are marked down to $27 from $40 I got excited! I've been playing a lot with my boys lately and thought it would be cool to pick up a set and introduce it to my family - esp during our yearly beach trips. (If you've never played bocce on the sand, you've gotta try it! So fun.)

The "Situation:"

When we went to pay for these magnificent set of balls (that's what she said?) they rang up as $7.99! And even odder, as "Socks." Now, obviously they weren't socks so we asked the cashier to take it off and try again. So she did, and it again showed up as socks for $7.99. We explained to her yet again that something was wrong, but she was just like "it must be on sale even more," and some of the people in line also started commenting like "Wow, you got a great deal there!" No one seemed to care, and all parties were content on us just going about our merry way. So we did. It wasn't until we got to the car when we realized someone had literally TAPED the bar code off from a ripped package of socks and pasted it there on the bocce set. WTF? We thought about going back and trying again (for the 3rd time), but we drove off instead.

Are we bad people?

I'm about 1 for 3 right now with these things (the first was taking gas @ 33 cents, and the other was going back to pay for a skipped beer charge), and each one of them seem to have the same variables going on - the cashier messes up, we bring it to their attention, and they either fix it or they don't. I feel like we *should have* gone back and tried AGAIN with this one, but at what point do you just say F it and move on?

Labels: bargains, in the real world, morality, shopping

On Fridays, it's beer ;) haha...okay okay, it's really pizza. BUT, if you were ever wondering when to buy other important things (say, like houses, cars, electronics) then it's a good thing you're here! But only if you're good at planning and waiting for when the time's right.

Check out this sweet graphic I was forwarded by one of my newsletter readers (thx Kelly!):


According to LifeHacker, these are the Best Times to Buy Anything, All Year Round! I'm neither patient, nor a good purchase planner, but it's good to keep in the back of our minds, no? Maybe download the high res version and save for later use? If you know of any hardcore frugalites you could always sneak onto their computer and save it as their wallpaper ;) I bet they'd love that...

You'll have to click on over to view the products in detail by month, but here's a condensed version for for ya (pay attention to the current Winter things):

• Best things to buy in WINTER: Air conditioners, gas grills, houses (for price), luggage
  
• Best things to buy in SPRING: TVs, houses (for availability), boots & winter gear
• Best things to buy in SUMMER: Big appliances, furniture, laptops, cars
  
• Best things to buy in FALL: Shrubs, trees, and bulbs (that you can store), car parts, wedding dresses, HDTV and home theater equipment.

Makes sense to me! Most of these are off-seasonal items. And as LifeHacker found out, also times when "sales are slow, when new products are just about to roll out, or when every single retailer is selling at a discount." Now I just gotta remember this stuff!

Labels: bargains, money hacks, shopping

I know I've been on a Credit Union kick lately, but I can't help myself. There are just so many benefits! Regardless if you buy into the whole "move your money" movement or not, it's still good to know we as consumers have options.

Jim @ Bargaineering had an excellent list of 10 reasons why credit unions kick ass, and I totally stole it cuz it was that good. In fact, I'd also like to add 1 more to the list! So here are his 10, along with my 11th addition. You can click on his link for future explanations too if you're curious - he goes more in depth for each category - but here's the A.D.D. version:

1. Better interest rates on loans.
2. Personal loans are more likely.
3. Better interest rates on deposits.
4. Lower fees.
5. Fewer customers, better relationships.
6. Fewer customers, you're more important.
7. No call centers.
8. You can be involved at a credit union.
9. NCUA insurance.
10. Less profit-driven, takes fewer risks.
11. FREE Coin machines! No more paying 9% for Coinstars ;) Which isn't *too* bad since it saves you hours of rolling 'em up like you're back in 1985, but still. FREE is better than $5 or $10, or if you're a pimp saver - $20 in fees!

And I'll tell you a secret - you can just walk in and use it! How awesome is that? It's not being sneaky either, at least at the one I went to. When I handed over my receipt to the teller she didn't even ask if I was a member. It's possible she was off her game, but even so what would they do - NOT give you back the money you just gave them? I don't think so...

Regardless, you should totally hit one up next time you're on the coin war path. You deserve to take home as much as you can after all those years of saving!

It took me 6 months to save my latest deposit of $76.48 (pic of coin breakdown), and all I did was empty my pockets when I got home every night. I fill up piggy banks, vases, jars, etc until I deem it worthy of 10 mins of my time. Then it's off to Coin Heaven we go! They get to go home and see all their friends, and I get more money for my Fun Fund. It's a win-win situation (not to be confused with Mike "The Situation" - that guy's interesting, but he sure doesn't save you any money ;)). So start hoarding those pennies folks!

Labels: banking, bargains, interest, money hacks, saving

I would save a crap ton of money! And eat a lot healthier too. I might have to go to bed every night at 9, but it's not like I couldn't use the sleep and steady habit anyways.

In all honesty, I'd give it a shot in a heartbeat. I don't know how long I could last (or that the Mrs. would even allow it (she wouldn't)), but it's definitely something I think about every now and then. Like, every 30 days when the mortgage is due ;) Or when my blogger friends talk about doing it themselves!

While I'm probably the only twenty something actually *wanting* to live back home again, you'd be hard pressed to deny the sweet financial benefits to such a situation. Free rent/mortgage, food, cable, internet, phone, homeowners insurance, condo fees, the list goes on and on. We'd of course have to revert to 6th grade with all the chores and cleaning up we hated to do back in the day, but it's not like we don't have to do them anyways, right? $hit, I'd even move in and pay them half of what our monthly housing costs add up to! We're talking big buckaroos here, friends.

According to our monthly expenses, we'd save roughly $3,000 a month! My freedom is enjoyable, but is it really worth $3,000? And on top of that, all the stuff that un-minimalizes us? I gotta admit, if I weren't married and/or living 2 hours away I'd at least give it a shot. That is, if they upgraded from AOL dial-up and got HDTV ;) Only halfway joking there...

Unfortunately, I'm afraid those glory days are long gone for us. We do live farther away and we do have a lot of stuff that ties us down - not to mention the future family we want to start with some baby-making! While I like it or not, it comes to a point when you really do have to get out there and make something of yourself. At least according to my dad ;) For all I know he wouldn't let me back even if I tried! haha...I'm sure I could convince him (or have mom do it), but I know parents like their freedom just as much as the next person.

Regardless, the financial aspect is extremely intriguing. I may not be able to take advantage of it myself, but if you're in the lucky stage in life I say go for it. There's no shame in saving up and getting your money in order before getting out there on your own - esp. if you've got some debt piled up already. You might not find it as exciting as I do, but if you can stick it out for a bit you'll have a lot less stress and a lot more fun to look forward to.

Labels: bargains, home ownership, in the real world, saving

How's that for brilliant marketing? I wish I could say I came up with it myself, but it was actually ING Direct who coined it - my 2nd favorite online bank (USAA is my first). I'm not sure how long this campaign of theirs has been going on, but I saw this quote on a billboard leaving Philly last weekend and it's been stuck in my mind ever since :) It's SO TRUE!

And oddly enough, I just started banking with them! Yup, I took the plunge with hundreds of other PF bloggers out there and I'll be using this account as my "do whatever I please with" money. You know, the one most husbands have when they want to spend $100+ on shoes or $70 on a video game they'll play for one weekend straight and then give up on? Well, I'm too frugal to do those things exactly, but the idea that I *could* do that if I wanted is still pretty exciting ;)

If you're considering using them yourself, click on one of these referral links below and get a $25 bonus when you open an Orange Savings Account with an initial deposit of $250! Not only will you get a sweet online bank (they usually have some of the best savings rates around) , but you'll also be hooking me up with a tasty $10 as well - a sexy win-win situation if I do say so myself.

• Referral Coupon #1 - Orange Savings Account - $25 for you, $10 for me.
• Referral Coupon #2 - Orange Savings Account - $25 for you, $10 for me.
• Referral Coupon #3 - Orange Savings Account - $25 for you, $10 for me.
• Referral Coupon #4 - Orange Savings Account - $25 for you, $10 for me.
• Referral Coupon #5 - Orange Savings Account - $25 for you, $10 for me.
• Click over to Clever Dude - He has the rest of my referral links ;) (updated: 11-23-09)
  

ING Direct is awesome. And if you don't believe me, check out the hundreds of reviews out there. I'd do one myself but it just sounds awfully boring right now ;) The other bloggers are better at it...

Labels: banking, bargains, free money

The other weekend I experienced something pretty damn exciting - I participated in THREE new activities in 1 day!

I didn't realize it at the time, but looking back it was one of my favorite Summer days I've ever had (at least as an adult). And you know what? It was pretty cheap! So I thought I'd share them with you in hopes you might find them interesting as well :) We've still got a lot of Summer days ahead!

Summer Activity #1: Paintball

Oh man, talk about feeling all GI Joe'ish! There were cars scattered around, old refrigerators, walls of shacks, these fields were no joke. We started out in the forest playing a little 3 on 3, and then we moved over to more of a "rapid-fire" game out in the open with all these big crazy balloons surrounding us. The whole thing was a trip, I'd never seen anything like it before.

And it was really cheap too. For around $20 you get an hour or two out in the field with 500 paintballs - this included your gun, the C02 it needed, your mask, everything you needed to play (and I'm pretty sure it's a lot cheaper if you bring your own gun/gear too). That's a helluva experience for only $20 bucks! And you know what else kind of shocked me? There were an equal amount of guys AND girls on the field! I'm pretty sure there were some dates going on there too, haha...nothing says I Love You like getting shot up by your significant other.

Summer Activity #2: Geocaching

After getting cleaned up, we headed back out to do some geocaching. I've heard of it before but really wasn't sure what, exactly, it was. Here's a brief rundown from The Official Global GPS Cache Hunt Site:

"Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment."

Fun, right?! It sounds like some people get pretty hardcore with it, but my fam likes to just putter around a bit and look for local stuff hidden in our area. We hit up two spots but unfortunately the construction going on made it a bit difficult to locate some of these majestic treasures. After some snooping my dad just told us what was in there (he had found them previously - I want to say it was some sort of McDonald's toy?) and we moved on to the next adventure of the day. Total cost: $0.00. You have to have a GPS and a car to get to most places, but other than that it costs ya zilch.

Summer Activity #3: Ghost Tours

My favorite of all three! Having personally seen a ghost myself (seriously I have! don't laugh), I'm crazy fascinated by this stuff. And to think we hit one up in our own town?! Incredible, I really don't know why I hadn't been on one before. But nevertheless it was exactly what you would think a ghost tour would entail: A tour guide dressed in colonial clothing, a group of excited kids & their parents, and a variety of just great overall story telling! Be sure to bring some good walking shoes too.

We never saw any ghosts, but we did learn about the famous ones that supposedly frequent our streets and the reasons behind it. Whether you believe it or not, it's still an excellent way to spend a couple of hours outside as the sun is setting. Overall cost: $10/person (and most small children are free or discounted)

There you have it! 3 cheap & sexy summer activities to try. There are a couple of others I came close to throwing in (wine tours & kayaking), but I'll post something up on those guys later. For now, give one of these a shot before Winter starts sneaking up! And if you've still got a gaggle of kids clamoring for your attention, check out my 6 Fun & Free Summer Activities for Children (and Adults!) . There's no shame in joining the fun ;)

Labels: bargains, life, one of my lists

I don't have kids yet, but I'm pretty sure I'd be all over these if I did. There's nothing like some creative ways to entertain 'em all with no real impact on the budget!

The first few can be found in ALL YOU Magazine's June edition (thx for the tips!), and the last couple listed were created by yours truly. And just to spice it up a bit, I decided to add a "romantic twist" at the end of each of these (in parentheses) for all who don't have kids, or those who'd like to participate once the kiddies are sleeping! That way everyone gets something out of it. I know this sounds/looks a bit creepy, but I swear I didn't mean it to be. Just read it for what it is and don't mix and match, okay? ;)

6 Fun & Free Activities for Children (and now Adults):

1. Create an underwater spy game in the kiddie pool. Cut a circle from the bottom of an empty plastic milk carton. Stretch two sheets of plastic wrap across the opening and around the sides to create a makeshift spy lens. Throw some cool objects in the pool and place the lens in the water so kids can see them clearly. (Adult option: throw pieces of clothing into the real pool, and then fetch them out together....late at night...with your significant other)
2. Host your own summer Olympics. Complete in egg tosses, tug-o-war, three-legged relays and sack races. (Adult option: play some Olympics yourself - best love poem, best massage, best , um....listener?)
3. Organize an archaeological dig. Use pieces of cardboard to represent fossils, then bury them in mulch, loose dirt or a sandbox. Set kids on the trail. (Adult option: Leave post-it notes around your drawers or purses/wallets and write some romantic messages down for each other to find)
4. Build a backyard fort by covering the patio table with sheets. Decide what the fort is: a preschool, restaurant and so on. Add props such as crayons or pretend pots and pans. (Adult option: Make a fort in your living room! Grab sleeping bags, a tent, and enjoy some quality time together. You might even be able to make s'mores if your stove permits)
5. Go on a treasure hunt! Bury a few goodies around the back yard or around the community, and create an old school pirate map marking the treasure & surroundings. (Adult option: Instead of a treasure map, create a scavenger hunt and design it around the special places you share - place of first kiss, date, etc)
6. Go on a hike with a promise of a slurpee at the end! I know this might sound odd, but I swear it works :) We'd do ANYTHING for a slurpee growing up, and plus the walking/hiking got us to appreciate the outdoors some more. (Adult option: Do the same exact same thing, except swap out the slurpee with something else "worth your while". During mid trail even!)

Okay, that's good for now. This should be plenty of things to conquer over the Summer :) Which reminds me, I really need to check up on our pool passes this year - I swear our condo association screws it up every time...why do they exist again? But whatever, it's the season of love baby. So get on out there and start checking these off the list!

Labels: bargains, one of my lists, saving

Yup, Dillyeo.com (the site competing against Woot.com) is giving away $20.00 gift cards to their site today!

Just click the big ol' "Ship It" button and you're off...The deal ends today @ Midnight so get off your tuckus and grab that free money ;) Once you get it, you have a few days to use it...or not, whatever your heart desires.

Labels: awesomely awesome, bargains, free money

And a HAPPY Monday to boot! haha...it's an incredible way to start the week, that's for sure :)

You may not need all of these freebies, but I'm hoping at least one of them catches your eye. I'll personally be taking advantage of 2 of these bad boys! Here's what the good Lord has provided us with this month:

1. FREE Financial Advice!!! *The awesomest freebie today.
One of my favorite magazines (Kiplinger) does this every year and it's seriously brilliant - you can actually get REAL advice from professionals for FREE! This could be a $100-$250 value depending on what your situation is, and luckily the window to talk w/ someone is pretty big (9 am to 5pm). So mark your calendars as there are 2 days to get hooked up : Jan 13th (tomorrow), and Jan 30th (not tomorrow). Here's a blurb from Kiplinger's site:

"Normally, these fee-only planners, who are well versed in investments, taxes,insurance, estate planning, and saving for college and retirement, charge clients $100 to $250 an hour. But on Jump-Start Days, you don't pay a cent -- not even for the phone call. Just dial 888-919-2345 and a NAPFA adviser will respond to your question. Or, if you prefer, you can participate in an online discussion with a NAPFA adviser anytime from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. eastern time on January 13 or January 30 by visiting our Jump-Start Your Retirement Center."

2. Get a FREE Tax Answer over at FreeTaxQuestion.com!
If you submit a question from now until Jan 31st, TurboTax will hit you back up within 24 hours with your answer :) Saaaweeeeetness! You can only ask 1 question per person though, so make sure it's a good one. (thx Consumerist)

3. Free McAfee Security Software for Comcast Customers!
Comcast may not have the best customer service in the world, but they sure do have some good offers every now and then (think their Triple Play" tv/phone/enternet deals). And the timing is freakin' great at least for us - the Mrs. has needed to renew her security software on her laptop for months now ;) Here's a blurb from Comcast's website, where you can pick it up. (thx Mrs. Micah!):

"The all-new McAfee® Security Suite gives you a whole series of tools to help keep you, your family and your home computers safe, protected and virus-free. It's an all-in-one, comprehensive, easy-to-install solution-and a $120 value, included FREE with your Comcast High-Speed Internet subscription. No strings attached."

So that's it for now, but I'll still have my ears to the ground....I'm sure there'll be a lot more coming out as the economy tries to rebuild itself. In fact, I'm hoping companies will start giving away things like beer or bananas! I'd be allllllllll over that junk ;) haha...a boy can dream, right?

Labels: advice, bargains, taxes

Yup, Suze Orman is giving away another book online! It's called "Suze Orman’s 2009 Action Plan" and it's her newest one. Here's the link - just make sure to download it (it's a pdf) by Jan. 15th @ midnight before it turns into a pumpkin. Btw, is it bad that I haven't read any of her books yet? I know some of you love that girl. Actually, i know some that hate her too, but today she's awesome... because i say so ;) Thanks for the link MyMoneyBlog!

Labels: bargains, suze orman

Right when you think you couldn't love them any more ;) Okay, so maybe this won't cure all the haters out there, but it's still sexy as hell! Especially if you drop as much as I do there - or our company really.

So this is the deal, Starbucks came out with a new V.I.P. card a while ago (i'm a bit slow) that saves you 10% off every time you swipe! Here are the deets:

Starbucks Gold, Starbucks new membership program, elevates the rewards experience for Starbucks most frequent customers - a $25 membership fee qualifies members for a 10 percent discount on most purchases at participating Starbucks - from espresso beverages to espresso machines.

Again, it won't help the average coffee drinker, but if you're as addicted as i am you can save some mad money over time. Our company goes through around $150-$200 of coffee/snacks a week there, so you can imagine my excitement :) That means we save what, $800ish a year? And all for a measly $25 bucks? Holla!

You can check out a flyer on it here (in .pdf), but here's the skinny:

• 10% off most purchases in participating stores*
• A free drink when purchasing the card in-store
• Options to pay for purchases (cash, credit card, Starbucks Card) while still receiving the membership discount

And if you register online, you also get the following goodies:

• Complimentary beverage on one’s birthday
• Free Wi-Fi access for 2 hours each day
• And other exclusive offers and discounts

So there you have it, yet another reason to fall in love with Starbucks ;) haha... nah, just some good savings if you're already spending boatloads over there. Now tell me, WHY don't i work for their marketing team again?

Labels: bargains, starbucks

I almost forgot! Today, December 18th, 2008 is FREE SHIPPING DAY :) Check out http://www.freeshippingday.com/ and click on the merchant to get it while it's hot. Sometimes it pays to be procrastinators! And most stuff is guaranteed by Xmas eve too...

Labels: bargains, shopping

Despite the fact that today is a Woot-Off (my fav!) , they just sent out a mass email telling their members NOT to buy anything!

In fact, their latest newsletter tells us to save all the money we can so we can watch out for our own in this crazy economy! Sincere? Possibly. Creative/borderline genius? Without a doubt ;) Anyone with a sarcasm sensor can read between the lines here...but does that really even matter?

They actually get people to READ their newsletters! haha...And why wouldn't you? They're funny, insightful (to the degree that John Stewart and Colbert are), and they regularly feature items that are discounted by 60-75%! I won't tell you to refresh the site every 30 mins like i'll be doing today, BUT if you're looking for a particular present to buy (esp. an electronic), you might wanna check it out.

But back to the main point here: Woot's marketing team is freakin' good. Take a look at the email they sent out yesterday and decide for yourselves:

Subject: BREAKING: Economists declare water at least 50 percent wet!

Attention, member name:

Welcome to Woot's first official recession-era newsletter! For the next 12 to 24 months, all citizens are expected to fret over, worry about, or even directly experience the nadir of a consumerist society - OMG! What will we do when we stop buying stuff? Economists now agree that we're headed through a prolonged period of decreased consumer spending (you really need an advanced degree to come up with insights like that). Beyond that, it's anybody guess. Will the only growth sectors in the economy be shoe repair, pipe salvage, and roadside apple sales? Or will we bring on a quick recovery by doing patriotic things like buying stuff we can't afford and spending more money than we make?

As a retailer, it'd make sense for us to fall in with the BUY STUFF, AMERICA conga line. But by now, you know that we at Woot never do things the "normal", "sensible", "rational", "intelligent" way. We're not about to follow the herd over a cliff. When we go over a cliff, it's because of our own poor judgment, not someone else's. That's been our credo since about five minutes ago, when we first thought of it. And we've stayed true to it ever since.

That's why we're encouraging you and your fellow wooters to save this holiday season. Save your money! Save until you pull a saving muscle. Horde your money until you are literally choking on it. Save until maybe, like, mid-February or so, when the market will be a-glut with great deals for the taking every day. You'll avoid the crowds, take advantage of desperate retailers, and not have to hear "Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time" even once.

Sure, maybe you'll disappoint some of your loved ones. But if they really love you, they can wait a couple of months, especially if your finances are at stake. Besides, if your so-called loved ones wanted you to set yourself on fire, would you? Of course you wouldn't. And that's the kind of independent thinking that will one day break the mindless conformity of our consumerist holiday ways.

But be warned: you'll want to stay far away from Woot.com this week. The breadth and scope of bargains we'll be offering - especially starting Tuesday morning at midnight - will be powerfully tempting. They could even lead you back down the spend-spend-spend path with the rest of the sheep. And that would make us sad enough to cry while we're taking your money.

See you in February!

Woot.com

Clever as hell, right? My favorite is the whole "Sure, maybe you'll disappoint some of your loved ones." deal...haha....oh man, good times. good times.

Labels: awesomely awesome, bargains, link lovin

Now THAT's what i call getting creative! And these days, i don't blame him - it sure is one way to sell a house (you hear that stupid foreclosure neighbor?!). Imagine, owning a 6,000 square foot 6 bedroom 4.5 bath house for a crisp $50 bill - AMAZING. Here's a clip from the article i found on MSNBC:

"After more than a year of making major improvements on the home, Walters has been hit doubly hard. He's in the mortgage business, and as his property value plummets, his paycheck is also shrinking....Walters has to donate a portion of the ticket sales to charity, so he calculates that he must sell 31,000 tickets by the end of the year to meet his goal. He's already more than a third of the way there, with 10,000 tickets sold."

So is it really worth the shot? Man, i dunno...the gambler in me REALLY wants to play, but the smart-financial side of me says hooooooooooooold up - your odds of winning are slim to none buster.

While this is true, the odds are MUCH better than winning the lottery! Here you have a 1 in 31,000 chance of winning (possibly even less if he can't reach this desired #), whereas you have like a 1 in 175,000,000 chance of hitting the megamillions. True you're also blowing through 50 $1 bills instead of just 1, AND your prize is much smaller, but still - SOMEONE has to win it!

But then again, let's just say for the fun of it you DO win. Now you're a proud owner of a whole bunch of taxes, upkeep, etc...esp if you already own a home (and i'm willing to guess most people playing don't actually NEED this home). So what if someone wins who can't afford to maintain and keep it all up like some neighbors are afraid of? Well, then you just sell it! But now, if you sell it, the neighbors get SUPER pissed! Esp. if you, let's say, unload it for half it's value - $500k. Now it lowers all the other property values in the neighborhood, right? Boy....what a crazy situation! Wanna play yet? Here's some more on it:



So yeah, I'm still considering getting in on the action (visit fiftydollarhouse.com to play), but i'm more likely to chalk it up to a "good idea" and then forget about it tomorrow ;)

Labels: bargains, cockamamy indeed, home ownership, lottery

It's post card size too - how hot is that? I suppose it's the opposite if you're not a fan, but i just couldn't help it. Anything having to do w/ Mr. O and FREE gets my blood pumping...and did i mention shipping also costs $0.00?

But i'll spare you any more Politico mumbo jumbo as i'm sure you've had enough of it - i know i have....unless you have something else for me that's free ;)

If you want one, click here to visit the site. If not, click here and see what happens. he he... me so funny.

Labels: awesomely awesome, bargains, politics

So make sure to keep your "i voted" sticker! Ofcourse, they can't promise how long the lines will be once you get there, but it's still FREE coffee :) Also, Krispy Kreme is giving away free doughnuts...and Ben & Jerry's is giving away a free scoop of ice cream! There's also word on the street that McDonalds, Chick-fil-a, Dunkin' Donuts, and many many others are doing the same. Basically, just show your sticker anywhere and see what you can get :)

Labels: awesomely awesome, bargains, starbucks

Quicken Online Goes FREE - Got an update from the Quicken team stating that:

"Quicken Online will become FREE starting Monday, October 13th. Until recently, Quicken Online was free to try, but cost $2.99 per month after a trial period. Beginning October 13th, there will be no charge to use the Quicken Online program."

Cool! I don't personally use them myself, but if YOU do, or are thinking about it, it sounds like a great deal! I mean, even if it sucks it didnt' cost you anything, right?

Labels: bargains

I just paid $3.98 for a pair of Abercrombie & Fitch jeans and a Polo tee shirt!

How insane is that? I'm pretty sure it would have cost a good $70 at least brand new from the store...not that i'd really know though as i a) NEVER buy anything brand new that's not on sale, and b) have never worn anything Abercrombie before ;) But there was no way i was passing up those bargains last night.

The funniest part was that both of these items were discounted AGAIN at 50% because it was "Family day"! haha...anything with yellow tags got this discount, so while i was perfectly fine paying the $7.96, it was sliced in half. But the odd thing about it was that neither of these items had that yellow tag - they were white.

The only thing i can think of was that the cashier wanted to reward me for my patience since the F-face in front of me couldn't make up his mind as to what the F he wanted. He was sorting through all sorts of things, then coudn't decide how to pay, then kept trying to call someone on his cell phone, all the while the line getting longer and longer behind him. I was actually waiting for the idiot to whip out a checkbook so i can blog about it AGAIN, but sadly no luck. haha....i was pretty proud of myself though as i waited for a very patient 11 full minutes ;) The rest of the line slowly dissapated - half stomping out the door, and half trying to find another line.

I also found it wierd that many of the non-brand named items cost much more than the polos, gaps, etc i found. For any of you LUCKY jean lovers, i found a pair of those bad boys for only $4.98!!! WTF? those usually run over $100. I'm not complaining (except that the jeans didn't fit), I just find it pretty interesting. I'm guessing those who price tag everything are more familiar with your day to day brands.

Either way, I am now the proud owner of 2 practically brand new pairs of clothes, and all for less than a grande iced-double shot latte express 3,000 from Starbucks.

And although i haven't bought clothes from a thrift store since my vagabond NYC years after college, I think it's about time i start adding it to my shopping routine. If i'm perfectly happy with their assortment of LPs and books, why not clothes? I'll let you know if they fall apart when i walk out the door ;)

Labels: bargains, thrift stores

I found a killer rate to St. Louis! And by killer, i mean "the best i can find these days with oil sky high and the economy going down in flames" kinda deal :)

Finding the bargain was nice, but what really piqued my interest was the process in which i got it. I really have no idea what i did, or didn't do, to grab them at the lowest price!

Here's a step by step breakdown of what i did:

• 3 weeks ago: Logged onto Expedia.com and found my flights for a total of $315. Checked out Orbitz and some others, but have always been a fan of Expedia from day one. Decided to wait and make up my mind first before snatching them up right away.
• Yesterday 9:15 am: Logged back onto Expedia.com and found those specific flights for $585!!!! F that, I decided to look for cheaper flights with xfers and other flight times.
• Yesterday 10:30 am: Logged back onto Expedia and found different flights totaling $317. Emailed my dad (who is also going - we have a wedding to attend) and asked if he could pick me up since i was now planning to take different flights. He said that was fine, and to just holler when i know the arrival times.
• Yesterday 2:15 pm: Logged back onto Expedia to booke these new flights, and found that my ORIGINAL flights were now available for only $276!!!

WTF? Did i just randomly get lucky? Was the man upstairs throwing me a bone? I managed to find my original flight for $300 LESS than it was listed for only 5 hours earlier. And not only that, but it was $39 cheaper than it was 3 weeks ago when my dad booked it!

My co-worker says it's because the airlines and ticket broker sites lower their prices every Wednesday and Thursday each week. Have you ever heard of that? It seems like one of those myths to me, but then again yesterday WAS Thursday and i got a helluva break.

The sad part is that i used to work for the airlines (Continental) booking people's fares and checking them in and all, but 99% of what i learned has already oozed out. I don't recall any "secrets" from back then, and I'm pretty sure it all comes down to marketing and bunch of computer formulas anyways.

You never know what the person sitting next to you on the plane paid for his ticket, but more than likely it was a different price than you paid. One time i remember this guy telling me he paid $100 over what i did for the flight, so i had to just smile and play stupid cuz i didn't want to piss him off :) Although, i'm sure i was "that guy" plenty of times before too, so it all works out in the end. Ignorance is bliss baby!

Whether it was dumb luck or not though, my good friend Procrastination pulled through big time! He saved me a good $40 bucks and about 6 hours of flying/xfer time. Here's to you, big man! (and you're not so bad either, Expedia)

Labels: awesomely awesome, bargains, expedia

You know what's more satisfying than knowing your credit history? Getting it for free :) I already had a rough idea of where i stood, but checking it out every now and then helps to make me feel better, not to mention SURE that no one else is trying to be J. Money!

There's a whole gaggle of places to get your credit report, score, monitoring, and 100 other related services, but I usually just use AnnualCreditReport.com. It's 100% free, and can be used every year to pull your report from all 3 major agencies: Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. It's also important to know that it's the ONLY site authorized by the Federal Trade Commission. (so watch out for shady imitators)

I pulled my report for the first time in 2 years last night (i'm lazy), and interestingly enough i had over 27 accounts on there! haha...i knew i had a handful, buy my damn i have to close out a cple old credit cards. Although, in my defense it does show history back from the college days when i got those stupid free t-shirts that i mentioned in yesterday's post. I'm a little more watchful these days :)

Also, for whatever reason I can usually only pull the report online from just 1 of the 3 agencies from that site. It always tells me to call the other two and go that route...but, once again, just too lazy to do it. Does that happen to you guys? I've only been able to get it smoothly from Experian.

A couple of notes if it's your first time doing this too - You usually have to prove a looooooooot of stuff to make sure you are who you say you are. Think old addresses, old credit cards, mortgage amounts, you name it. 2 years ago it took me quite a bit of time in researching it all, but if you're more on top of it than i was it should be easier. Especially when you come back year after year (which is a great idea).

So that's the best place i've found to get your report, but what about your actual SCORE? Yeah, i always forget this isn't included in the whole "Free" part. But don't worry, they give you the opportunity to get it quick as hell for *just* $5.99 ;) And you know what? I fall for it every time. But it's totally worth it cuz i can do it right then and there, and i know for SURE i wont' be coming back anytime soon.

There are different kinds of scores out there, like Vantage and FICO, so just keep that in mind when comparing and all. The top VantageScore is 990, in contrast to the top FICO score of 850. So my 876 looks extremely good *if only* it were a FICO score and not a Vantage score ... although it's still pretty good ;) According to Bankrate, you could multiply your VantageScore by 0.86 (850/990) to get a rough approximation of your FICO score. So a good estimate of my FICO score would be 753 (876x.86).

Ooooooh also, before i forget, i read in this month's Money Mag that some lawsuit got slapped on TransUnion, and they're now giving away a $60 service for FREE until Sept 24th - you get your credit report and unlimited credit SCORE checks for 6 months straight. As long as you have had a credit card in the last 20 years you qualify! Just don't forget to cancel it afterwards, eh? More info is at listclassaction.com or by calling 866-416-3470.

Before i go, i wanna leave you with 3 myths that i read while printing off my report on Experian. I fell for the first one!

1. Myth #1: Checking my own credit report will lower my score.
   "Personal inquiries, also known as "soft inquiries" or "below the line inquiries," are not visible to lenders and therefore are not part of your credit score calculation. So you can rest easy—checking your own credit report or score does NOT negatively impact your score."
2. Myth #2: Applying for new credit will actually lower my score.
   "This depends on the type of credit you're applying for. If you apply for several credit cards within a short period of time, the number of inquiries will go up, which could drop your score. But if you're applying for a mortgage or auto loan, multiple inquiries from these lenders are generally treated as a "single inquiry" and will have little impact on your credit score."
3. Myth #3: My score is the only thing that matters to a lender.
   "In addition to your credit score, credit grantors may consider a number of other factors such as your income, assets, length at current residence and employment history when determining whether to extend credit. The criteria used may differ from one creditor to another."

Alrighty, i'm all credited out now....man, that was a lot of info i just pumped out in 30 minutes! Hopefully this helps anyone who didn't alread know. And remember, knowledge is power! Just ask G.I. Joe.

Labels: bargains, credit report, credit score, myths

Is there a best place to pick up your college books from? That's what the Mrs. set out to discover just yesterday.

As many of you know, Mrs. Budgetsaresexy is starting grad school this month, and is thus trying to find the best bargains out there for her reading material. And I gotta tell you, a LOT has changed since my days at the old university!

One of my favorite things to do was to visit the bookstore and see the hundreds of students mingling around, all excited to be back in school and ready to party ;) In fact, i liked it so much that i even worked there! I tell you one thing, it's a helluva way to meet girls people. he he. Ahhh the good ol' days...*tear*

But anyways, back in the day we only had one real way of getting these books - the college bookstore. It was the #1 cash drainer for our pockets, or should I say some of our parent's pockets (i love you Mom! not that you know this site exists). But these days? Not anymore. There are a plethora of ways to get our hands on them now, and sometimes for much cheaper.

Mrs. Budgetsaresexy literally JUST emailed me a spreadsheet she put together to calculate the best bargains out there for her newest list of books needed. It was intended for MEO (My eyes only), but i got her to share it with us :) There's nothing graphic in there, so why not right? haha...

So, here's the email she sent me word for word which summarizes her findings, minus a few identifying details: (the spreadsheet can be found here, for all you visual people)

"Dear sexiest man alive (editor's note: i put that in...he he)

i compiled a spreadsheet of all the books i need, and their respective costs in 4 places: amazon, half.com, overstock, and the college bookstore.

if the edition or translation of the book was questionable in terms of what the professor wants, and/or if the cost difference wasn't significant enough to matter much (a few cents to a dollar or so), i went with the default college bookstore to make things easier. for all other books that were pretty much standard editions everywhere, OR where the price differentiation was HUGE (was for at least 3 books), i went with any of the other 3 online dealers.

to make a long story short, if i went ONLY with the college bookstore, my total spent on books thus far (not counting whatever i have to spend on my 3rd class), would have been : $254.50. my grand total for what i spent using the methods above? $145.99. i SAVED a total of $108.51!!!!

now, let's just hope that all the books i ordered online arrive on time, AND are the right version of what i need and all. but if they all are? well hot diggidy, i think i am a hefty little save-a-roo!!! :) "

As you can see, going with JUST the college bookstore in this case fails miserably. It seems the best route to take is to pick and choose from a combination of Half.com, Amazon, Overstock, AND the college bookstore. It's a little time consuming, but the $100+ we'll be saving is well worth it!

The Winner: Combination of all 4 places! (Anyone wanna guess what her major is?)

Labels: bargains, education, grad school, link lovin, mrs. budgetsaresexy

Hot dogs! (or coffees, in this case eh?)

This "discount" is a bit weirder than their permanent gift card ones, but it'll definitely help some people out.

Especially those hardcore double-visitor types...and for once, that doesn't include me ;)

It expires September 2nd, just keep that in mind as I'll forget to remind you. Here's what you have to do to get this half-off discount:

1. Buy something earlier in the day (before 2pm)
2. Come back to the same store (after 2pm)
3. Show your receipt from the first visit.
4. and save $2+ dollars!

Something tells me you'll have to actually explain this to the cashier at the time, but you may get lucky. Thanks BeCentsAble for the heads up!

Labels: bargains, coupons, starbucks

Man, competition is getting fierce! Fine by me though.
I'm all for consumer goodness :)

So here's the deal, i got an email last night from a rep saying they're launching this "T-Mobile @ Home" plan today and thought it would be good to get the word out.

And, since i'm always a fan of saving money as well as new technology out there, I agreed! So, from me to you, here is my first piece of Breaking News :) unless you've heard it earlier, in which case it won't be *as* exciting, but it's nonetheless breaking news. so there.

Here's a clip from the email i got:

Labels: bargains, phone service, t-mobile

I'm starting to create some images I find useful, and thought I'd pass them along if anyone else wants to use them as well :) I'll probably end up adding some more down the road too, so be sure to check back every now and then. Now time to post about my newly found "design shop" - woohoo!

165x125 <img src="http://www.budgetsaresexy.com/images/advertising/your_ad_here_165x125.gif" alt="Advertise Here" style="border:none;" />	165x300 <img src="http://www.budgetsaresexy.com/images/advertising/your_ad_here_165x300.gif" alt="Advertise Here" style="border:none;" />	165x300 <img src="http://www.budgetsaresexy.com/images/advertising/this_space_for_rent_165x300.gif" alt="This Space for Rent" style="border:none;" />
468x60 <img src="http://www.budgetsaresexy.com/ads/this_space_for_rent_468x60.gif" alt="Advertise Here" style="border:none;" />
125x125 <img src="http://www.budgetsaresexy.com/ads/this_space_for_rent_125x125.gif" alt="Advertise Here" style="border:none;" />

Also, if you'd like any of these at a certain size, just holler and i'll see what i can do.

Labels: bargains, blogging, graphic design

That's right, I'm venturing off to find the TOP 100 bargains for a dollar or under!

I was staring at my dollar-a-day cup the other day and got to thinking - what on earth will i do w/ all of those $1 bills? In a perfect world i'd like to stick with my million dollar plan, but I also can't help but play the "what if" game.

  If I could, what would I buy with all those George Washingtons? It got me thinking...there are a LOT of great bargains out there for a dollar or less. We've got double cheesburgers, lottery tickets, a whole bunch of things! I started listing them out, and then wondered if I could hit 100...or even better, the TOP 100 bargains out there for $1 or less!

Not to kill the suspense, but unfortunately i didn't make it yet. But that's why I have you guys :) I need help! Not all my bargains made the cut (like playing cards and uniball pens), but I did hit the 20 30 mark.

What have I missed? Here are a few places that I look for these sort of deals, maybe they'll help conjure up a few ideas for ya:

- Target's $1.00 bins
- Michael's $1.00 bins
- Dollar Store (the REAL ones, not the cheaters)
- Vending machines
- $1 menus at McDonald's, Wendy's, etc. (thx Carrie!)

Okay, so without further ado - let the list begin!
100 BARGAINS FOR $1.00 OR LESS:

1. Composition books
2. Mini sharpies
3. Lottery tickets!
4. Double cheeseburgers @ McDonalds
5. Dollar Drafts ;)
6. Runts - from the 25¢ machines
7. Frozen burritos - the 3 for a $1.00 kind
8. Glow sticks
9. Random bag of woot!
10. Fake cigarette candy (remember those?)
11. Movie rentals - oldies
12. Banana or Apple
13. Old records/LP's - from thrift stores
14. Elmer's glue
15. 25¢ wings
16. Dasani bottled water
17. Mini pumpkins from the pumpkin patch
18. Newspapers
19. Cd's at yard sales!
20. Those 99¢ celebrity mags
21. 7-eleven taquitos
22. Homeless donation ;) (Carrie)
23. 3 for $1 candy bars (Carrie)
24. Doughnuts! (L-SpillingBuckets)
25. Bulk chocolate peanuts - 98¢ (L-SpillingBuckets)
26. ***Tip for an "alternative" dancer (Tom)***
27. 25¢ packs of gum! (asgreen)
28. "Theater box" of candy. (Monroe on a Budget)
29. 2 liter bottle of pop. (Monroe on a Budget)
30. ***Box of Little Debbie snack cakes. (Monroe on a Budget)***
31. Spiral notebooks
32. Packets of seeds
33. Travel sized toiletries (tiffanie)
34. Bonnebelle makeup - 88¢ (tiffanie)
35. Fingernail polish - 88¢ (tiffanie)
36.   
37.   
38.   
39.   
40.   

I'll stop here for now as it would look really ridiculous having so many blank lines on here at the present moment ;) haha... i'll update the list as more come to mind, and as people submit their own bargains! Just holler at j at-symbol budgetsaresexy.com, or drop me a comment.

I'm sexcited ... can't wait to hit 100!!!

Labels: bargains

Do you know what that means? It means you get a butt-load of super duper GREAT deals!!! Every time one offer sells out, they throw up a spankin' new one, and the "woot off" usually last for a good 24 hours (sometimes more).

Check it out: Woot.com - Anything from coffee machines, computers, flat screens, watches, vacuums, you name it. AND, they are always incredibly cheap - hence my reason for bringing it up here ;)

Think of it as a warehouse of all "extras" that need to get out the door. They sell buckets full at pretty much the cheapest cost they can do, and then only slap on a $5.00 shipping fee no matter WHAT you buy. (this can be key, esp if you pick up a flat screen, or something pretty heavy).

And SOON, they'll probably start throwing out "random bags of woot"! They usually cost 1$ each, but have sexy surprises in them! I've never been fortunate enough to grab one (they sell out in seconds sometimes - literally) so if you ever get a chance, I recommend picking up 3 at a time, and then mailing me one ;)

ps: if you want more WOOT info, check out my previous woot post.

Labels: bargains, woot

You can get CD's for $1 or $2 dollars! If yard sales had their own MySpace page, I'd be the FIRST one on their "top friends" ;)

Seriously, i am plain ol' a-d-d-i-c-t-e-d to them. I can't help it, there are just soooooo many bargains out there just waiting for people like me (and prob. you).

I had totally forgotten about this until today, but I found a cd that i actually LIKE (and don't have) for only 1 buck!!! How awesome? It's too bad i was in a rush, or i woulda looked for more.

Lucky for me I hit the gold mine of them all - a neighborhood yard sale. These rock, cuz you just park your car, and walk to 10+ of them...all side by side. Finding one of these saves you a massive amount of time, since you don't have to hit up 10 separate ones. it's sometimes actually pretty overwhelming for me at times - I get too excited! haha...

So next time you're out and about and see those home-made signs, take a quick second and swing on by. You might be able to find that New Kids On The Block album you've been dying for ;)

Labels: bargains, yard sales

Oh yeah, that's right! The thought came to me on a whim yesterday, as I rounded the aisles of Petco looking for a new goldfish.

You know how they sell all sorts of exotic fish in the back? Well, instead of picking up those fancier ones for $3-$7 a piece, save some from the "feeder tank"! Every store's a bit different, but if they're selling fish, they're selling "feeder fish".

What are "feeder fish", exactly? They are usually smaller, not as sell-able fish used to feed the hungry fish-eating fish (think piranhas), and are usually found in a huge long tank w/ literally HUNDREDS of others...all swimming around w/ nothing to do except wait to be eaten...or be saved ;) They're still fish-fish, just not the crazy exotic type (although sometimes you can get lucky!) that can bring the store real money.

And the best part - they only cost 2 cents - 26 cents each! Now THAT's the kind of money i like spending. And, as you can see from the picture above, that i did. I picked up two of the biggest & prettiest ones I could find, handed over my 55 cents (52 cents + tax), and filled up my 10 gallon tank!

What about this "FREE" talk? Oh yes, you have two ways of making this happen:

1) When you go in to look for the fish, find a manager and explain that you just wanna try 1 or 2 to start your tank. Then, when you locate the feeders, explain you'd just like two of them to "test it out". Usually, and esp. if you're a young lady and he's a guy, he'll end up scooping up more than 2 AND hand them over for free! i mean, they're only a few pennies, right?

2) If this doesn't work (aka you're a guy), ring out your purchase as usual, and then check the end of the receipt you get. More often than not, it'll have a "survey request" attached to the end of it, esp. if you're a savings card holder. Take the 5 minute over the phone survey, and you'll be rewarded with a nifty little coupon for $2.00 off your next purchase! Even BETTER than free.

And that's all there is to it. Of course, you may need a little luck on your side for one of the above to happen smoothly, but I find that a nice smile and plenty of compliments help bring more of this "luck" your way.

Worst case? You'll walk away w/ a handful a fish for under a $1.00! it's win-win, especially for your brand new non-eaten pets ;)

--------
ps: If you're looking to fill up a larger aquarium with fish, grab a dozen or two of the little babies you'll usually find in the feeder tank. More often than not, they are assorted breeds of tropical fish, and they will procreate like none other! I kid you not, the last time i did this was a year and a half ago....and my original 14 babies turned into 100+ breeds of all kind!

Labels: bargains, money hacks, saving

That's right, you heard it here first. Starbucks is my new best friend. Not that it wasn't top of the list before, but it's now been moved to BFF status. haha....

Why the sudden upgrade? Welllll, from now on you get MAD hook ups as long as you use your registered Starbucks card when ordering! All for being a good little customer.

Check it:
1) Syrup and milk options are now on the house.
2) Brewed coffee refills are F-R-E-E!
3) You get a FREE beverage when you buy whole beans.

SWEETness to the extreme :) now you may be saying to yourself, "Self, but i don't have a starbucks card, so what am i supposed to do?". that's a valid question, so let me propose a solution to that - walk to the nearest starbucks, and pick one up! Or, if you really wanna be creative, create your own online and order it at the same time. The card i have posted at the top is one my sister did for Mrs. Budgetsaresexy. It's fun!!!

if you go on a continual basis, you KNOW you'll be using it, and not only that I bet you'll realize REAL FAST how much you actually spend on coffee when you have to refill your giftcard every other week!

Sooo, by using your new starbucks gift card (which you'll use every visit), you could now:
a) Save up to 80¢ for a fancy pants drink (40¢ for syrup & 40¢ for milk).
b) Save up to $2.50 on a free refill of normal coffee. More if you're a thirsty little badger.
c) Save up to $5.00 on a fancy pants drink if you buy a bag of beans!

Plus, no more searching around your pockets for exact change, or just throwing it on your credit card. The latter adds up fast, and sometimes you don't even realize it! This is a Win-Win situation: Save money AND Budget better!

Now, if you'll excuse me, i'm gonna go put my money where my coffee beans are.
*for more info, check out their site.

Labels: bargains, money hacks, saving, starbucks

Have you ever checked out woot.com? It's seriously one of my favorite bargain sites E-V-E-R (and i'm not getting paid to say that, it's for real a HOT site). They have listed everything from digital cameras, to Dyson vacuums, and all at crazy low prices. PLUS, and a big plus, the writers are freakin' hilarious! Their descriptions will force a smile on your face no matter what the product, and are well worth the free entertainment alone.

Their concept is simple: Each and every day they offer just 1 (one) item up for sale, and at a super low price! So basically, it's like Christmas each and every work day :) And no matter what the item, big or small, lean or fat, shipping is a flat $5.00. How simpler can it get?

The pieces of "woot" are usually electronic to some degree (think flat screen tvs, memory cards, remote controlled cars/robots, vcrs, etc), but they've also been known to throw in the random pots and pans here and there. Oh, and let's not forget the three BEST woot days to watch out for:

1) The favorite: Random Bag of Woots! You never know what you're gonna get, but you DO know that they're only $1 a piece and full of surprises :) You must act fast for these, and scoop them up as SOON as you see them on your screen...they've been known to sell out in 2.4 mins.

2) The treat: "Woot offs!" If the stars line up perfectly and all is well in the world, you might be lucky enough to catch one of these. These events showcase not only 1 or 2 woots, but dozens & dozens until they are completely sold out of their inventory. One minute you can pick up a nice watch, and the next a set of fancy pants knives, each for only $5 shipping. These days are few and far between, but from my experience they fall on Fridays and towards the end of months.

3) The weekly: Two for Tuesdays! Plain and simple, 2 for the price of one on Tuesdays. These are cool as you can pick up one for yourself, and then another for a friend. Makes for awesome presents or random gifts of generosity...especially with the oddball items :)

So there you have it, the best bargain site online. They also feature a blog for fellow wooters to discuss and rant/rave about the products which also makes for some good entertainment. A word from the wise though, checking this daily is an efficient way to dispose of your extra income!

PS: Check out their sister sites as well:
shirt.woot.com - daily t-shirts for $10 + free shipping
wine.wo0t.com - a wine a day!
sellout.woot.com - combo deals w/ Yahoo!

Labels: bargains