Shopping Blog

DORMCO

Mary Ellen Geist — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 01:21:00 GMT

if your teenager is about to head off to college, you might already be getting tired of schlepping from mall to mall and store to store to get just the right furniture, supplies, bedding, and appliances. Wouldn’t it be great if everything for your kids dorm was in one place? And at extremely low prices? Guess what: it is. And you don’t even have to leave the house to shop here. It’s a website called dormco. com. It’s filled with stuff that’s made just for dorms - like a flex shower tote for less than 6 bucks; a futon chair for under fifty bucks; and a really cool stainless steel refrigerator for 150 bucks. And they’ll ship the stuff straight to your kid’s dorm, too, which can cut down on back-to-school stress considerably. The address is www.dormco.com.

Solestruck

Mary Ellen Geist — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 01:09:00 GMT

Are you one of those women who starts hyperventilating when you walk into the shoe department? Many men love shoes, too. But women have a very special relationship with shoes. And let’s face it: it’s totally fun to shop for shoes, because your feet stay the same size and fit in a beautiful shoe, and make you feel gorgeous, even if you ate too much at dinner last night It’s hard to re-create the shopping experience you have in a store on line. But I found one website that’s come pretty close. It’s called SOLESTRUCK. The slogan for the store : "it’s like a medical clinic for your shoe addiction." It started as a brick-and-mortar store in Portland, Oregon. The shoes are edgy and cool. But what I like most: even though the homepage of the site isn’t very interesting - .inside - in what are called LOOKBOOKS - are loads of photos of the shoes actually ON women’s feet. They show women walking around, doing NORMAL things! You can really picture yourself in the shoes. You’ll find high fashion shoes including the Holy Grail of boots - Dolce Vita’s Jemma, Ruzak and Riggs wedge by Senso But you’ll also find colorful rain boots and hip hiking boots too. And lots of sales on designer shoes. The website is solestruck.com

Lifehacker

Mary Ellen Geist — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:54:00 GMT

LIFEHACKER

OK, just admit it . a lot of us - women AND men - have fun dreaming, doing research and preparing for major purchases in our lives - from computers to cars to CD players to furniture and appliances. But it’s scary, too. What if after you put down the big bucks, you don’t like what you bought? Or it breaks? Or it just doesn’t work out for your life? A website called LIFEHACKER.COM actually lists the places to shop that have the best return policies, and the ones that have the worst ones, too. A few examples: for computers and electronics, LIFEHACKER says Best Buy, Staples and Apple are really good. They don’t charge restocking fees and they give you two weeks to decide whether you want to keep the stuff you bought. Radioshack and Sony offer good return policies, too. Target however changes its return policies often, so you should always check before you buy. For more on the best and worst return policies for all kinds of products, go to lifehacker.com

Shoe Freaks

Mary Ellen Geist — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:41:00 GMT

Are you a shoe freak?? A new study in Consumer Reports Shop Smart magazine says many of you ARE. In fact, the women they polled had an average of 17 pairs of shoes; more than half the women had more than 10 pairs of shoes, and 13 percent had more than 30 pairs. Why? Editor in Chief Lisa Lee Freeman says because “shoes never make your butt look big, you don’t have to worry about squeezing into them if you’ve put on a couple of pounds, and they can instantly make you feel sexier”. But if you can’t pay the big bucks for a pair of Manolo Blaniks, here’s a website you might like: it’s called - simply - endless. com. It has designer shoes and handbags for up to 50 percent off. It's for men, women and kids. There’s a back-to-school and fall wardrobe guide, too. Check it out!

Being a Facebook Friend Can Save You Money

Mary Ellen Geist — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:27:00 GMT

If you’re a mom or dad, you may have decided to leave Facebook to your kids. But if you’re doing back to school shopping - especially for kids heading back to college - being a friend on Facebook may end up saving you big bucks. This year - more than ever - retailers are using Facebook for everything from deals on back packs to skinny jeans to computers. Target is launching what it calls “one thousand likes” – a Facebook-only back to college sale, with daily deals on things like mini-fridges and futons - up to 50 percent off on some items. Sears has what’s called a " most amazing list" Facebook page aimed at helping busy parents do back to school shopping for their kids. And teen clothing chain Aeropostale has just launched a new "Facebook store” . You never know what deals you imight find by "liking" a store and being their Facebook friend. Good luck!

The Incredible Shrinking Products

Mary Ellen Geist — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:20:00 GMT

When you go grocery shopping, does it seem like you’re getting less for your money these days? Guess what: you are. A new survey sited in Consumer Reports Shop Smart magazine shows package sizes are shrinking, but the prices are NOT. The magazine says you have to be extra careful and pay attention to what’s on the labels and package. Some advice: look at different brands. For instance, Minute Maid still sells its orange juice in half gallons. but Tropicana shrunk theirs from 64 to 59 ounces - but, in some instances, the company is still charging the same price it would for a half gallon. Another case in point: Ben and Jerry’s packs its ice cream in pints, but Haagen Dasz shrunk from 16 to 14 ounces. The lesson: compare the unit price when you can. Try the in-store brands whenever possible. They can be up to 30 percent cheaper than name brands. But when big sales are underway, it's true: you should stock up. especially on things like paper goods, cereal and soup.

Coupon Sherpa

Mary Ellen Geist — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:56:00 GMT

Shopping at big box stores has become a part of many people's lives. Many moms and dads plan trips to big national retailers and come back with a van full of bulk stuff - from toilet paper to pampers to cleaning supplies, soda, beer and more. But a Consumer Reports magazine called SHOP SMART has some advice so you can make the most of your visit to the big box store: before you buy anything, visit what's called COUPON SHERPA.com. It has hundreds of coupons and onine coupon codes, and even has a savings guide for stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond, Macy's, Sears and Target. Not only will you find savings tips specific to each retailer, you'll also find links that guide you to clearance items and free shippping deals. I just visited couponsherpa.com. there are urrently coupons on the site for 55, 000 stores! Happy shopping!

Back to School

Mary Ellen Geist — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:50:00 GMT

So ; you want to give your kids everything they want and need when they head back to school this year, but you’re realiy worried about the money. Turns out there’s a website just for you. It’s called savings.com. The website has obtained exclusive back to school deals from brands like Reebok, Barnes and Noble , The Limited and Bliss. You can get 20 percent off on some items, including from Crayola . Some moms and dads and students need more than sales though. They need help with back-to-school budgeting. You can go to a website called mint.com for budget planning that’s specific to back to school shopping.

KIKKERLAND.com

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:11:00 GMT

Sometimes, the tiniest things can brighten your day and make you smile. I admit: I like weird stuff. I like mixing function with fun. That’s what one company called KIKKERLAND specializes in. It's a website run by designers with a keen eye and a quirky sense of humor. How about animal head chip clips with magnets you can hang on your refrigerator? A pig, a cow and a goat: they crack me up. And they inspire kids and parents to actually use them! Only 9 bucks a set. Allso: a USB battleship: a sleek gray battleship instead of an ugly powerstrip in the corner for plugs and usb cords. It's 22 bucks. Cool cable monkey ties: 5 dollars. And robot measuring cups for ten dollars. And iif these things don’t entertiain you - . . im’ serious .... this is what it’s called: it’s the "orgasmatron head massager " for only ten bucks.Go to kikkerland.com. for more fun, funny and functional stuff you can afford. It's the kind of website that makes shopping a blast!

LOST AT THE MALL?

Mary Ellen Geist — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:55:00 GMT

It happens to the best of us. You get to the mall, park your car, and then realize all the stores you wanted to go to are clear on the other side. Or you're not quite sure where that one store is, but you can't find the map. The search engine Bing has made it so you can get in- and get out. " Bing Maps" is now providing mall directory maps. And you can even pull them up on your mobile phone!There's another app called FIND MY CAR that lets you click in the location of your car using GPS to get you back to the spot where you left you car. no matter where you are. Also, you can use the Mall directory maps on-line to properly plan out your shopping excursion and spend less time wandering... and more time shopping. Just a few tips to make your trip to the mall less of a chore, and more of a fun excursion! And don't forget to bring along a friend - shopping with a friend can be a joyful and memorable experience!