September deals

September is around the corner. Are you ready?

Time for the deals.

Be sure to look for these items before the month is out (remember, it's only a deal if you really need the item):

Homes (Yes, please! As readers know I'm trying to sell mine; but not at too much of a deal.)

School supplies (the discounts will be deeper as the month goes by)

Canned goods (get a jump start on the items you might need for hearty cold-weather soups)

Grills and grill supplies

Party supplies (again, if you're planning Halloween or Holiday parties -- think now)

Cars (look for the end of year clearance sales)

Lawn mowers

Large appliances

Scooters and bikes

As always, thanks to the sources I rely upon for this information: frugal living at about.com, Real Simple Magazine and bankrate.com.

Get out there and save,

-reenie

Tips for better fall shopping

Last Friday night I had a lovely evening reading my latest InStyle. I sat down and read the massive book from cover to cover. That doesn't usually happen, but I had the time and I was in the mood.

There were great stories on better shopping (they got me thinking about my last piece on shopping for back-to-school). Below find the ideas from the multi-page feature that really resonated with me.

If you know you need to update your Fall wardrobe, make it a priority in your calendar. BUT before you schedule that block of time (yes, I said schedule) -- check out what you have and decide what you need before you even leave the house. Need some new pieces? Add them to your list, but be specific. Need to replace some worn-out staples, make sure you list them.

In terms of that schedule block -- try to do it before Noon. Get staff when they are fresh and the store is still in order. Late in the day may translate into tired sales staff and sizes that are out of order and hard to track down.

Make the excursion easier by bringing the right things with you: the magazine noted that easy on/off items (like slip-on shoes and an easy shift dress) are key. They also stress having the right underwear depending on what you are looking to find. Need a strapless dress? Be sure you wear or bring your fave strapless bra to be sure everything works together. A roomy handbag is a plus. Make sure it goes over the shoulder for easy size-hunting, and because it will have room for your go-to heels if you need to judge looks with a different pair of shoes.

Finally, the after-purchase tips. I love these. Don't remove the tags right away. Hold onto the new items for a day or two to be sure you didn't buy in the heat of the moment. Also, be sure the new items work with the pieces you already have. Don't just assume they will go together. Pull the old pieces out of the closet and try everything on in front of a full length mirror. If they don't work, it may be best to return them and find pieces that have more flexibility.

Ready to shop,

-reenie

School clothes - tips on getting through the shopping experience

School clothes... I still have memories of that shopping ordeal. The bad memories come from my own childhood, not from buying for my daughter -- surprisingly. I was fortunate in that my Aunt took my daughter school-clothes shopping for many years.

BUT, I was reading about fall shopping last night (in one of my many magazines) and it got me thinking about the impending change of season and how we all could shop better with a little extra thought. Today -- clothes for back to school. Next week - ideas for grown-ups.

First and foremost -- know what they need. If you haven't done it already -- do a fashion show with the clothes they already have. See what fits. See what needs to be fixed. AND get rid of the stuff that is either too far gone or is too small and needs to find a new home either with a younger sibling or at your local Goodwill or Salvation Army. This includes everything; socks, underwear, shirts, pants, shoes, sneaks.... You get the idea.

Next, look at the school dress code. Make sure nothing has changed from the year before. Are there rules against text on T-shirts? Do skirts or shorts need to be a certain length? Are jeans OK?

Make a list and stick to it. I say this all the time, but it's so easy to get off track if you don't know what you need. For older kids with eyes on high-end labels, discuss in advance what you are willing to pay for and what they will need to pay for.

Shop summer sales now. A lot of stuff from summer can be used as a layering piece in the fall. Look for sales on tees, jeans, underwear and socks -- again, those will take you into fall and maybe even winter. Lightweight summer sweaters can be a great way to start the fall.

Once you have gotten what you can from sale racks -- check out full price. BUT only buy what they need for the first few weeks of school. There will be more sales as the weeks go by.

Happy shopping!

-reenie

Staying cool

OK, it's hot where I am. It's the middle of August -- it's supposed to be hot. Right? In any case, as this is the summer of selling my house, I elected to leave the ACs out of the windows. They look so ugly to me, and up until this week, it has been OK.

So, to beat the heat over this past weekend I went to a matinee on Saturday afternoon with my daughter. Yes, it was beautiful and sunny outside, and some folks may have picked beach over being inside, but I elected cool. It was the best few dollars I spent all weekend.

With that beat-the-heat idea behind me, I started thinking that there had to be more ways to beat the heat on a budget. Leave it to the Internet. I found a few great ideas on how to stay cool, for less.

Tip 1: Consider visiting your public library. Do some free reading while you're there.

Tip 2: Check out local listings for free or low-cost events happening in your city or town that are likely held in air conditioned space. Thinks theater, art exhibits, music or craft shows.

Tip 3: Hang out in a roller skating or ice skating rink. If you don't skate -- offer to take your kids or your friends' kids. You can always watch them skate and read/relax at the same time.

Tip 4: Take yourself out to lunch during the heat of the day, instead of at dinner. The restaurant will likely be well air conditioned. Be sure to look for money savings gift certificates online before you go.

At home, be sure to keep shades drawn and use ceiling fans when possible. And hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

Stay cool,

-reenie

Tips for home chores

You've heard me talk about my house being on the market. Well, it's still on the market, but that doesn't keep me from reading all kinds of home fix-up tips. I stumbled on a handful that appear to be from This Old House. I love these ideas for those of us looking to do work on our own.

Love this first one, and, yes, I think I've heard it before, but it really doesn't stick unless you know painting is in your future. Make sure you note the paint color of the freshly painted room by writing it on a piece of tape and sticking it on the backside of the the light-switch cover plate. I can't tell you how handy this would have been when I was retouching some of the rooms in my house before the For Sale sign hit the front lawn. This will keep you from guessing and buying the wrong color when you need to touch-up. Don't ask...

Second tip -- and I will say I have not tried this one. Please comment if you have and let us know it it really works. Try canola or corn oil to clean oil-based paint off skin instead of mineral spirits. They say it works great and softens your hands, too. Just wash it off with soap and water. One less thing to buy if you keep vegetable oil in your kitchen.

Third tip, and I am so going to try this. Try spraying Nair hair remover down a clogged-with-hair drain. Again, one less product to buy if you already keep Nair in your bathroom.

I'll share more of these as time goes by, but these were my top faves from the more-than-thirty I found.

Keep it easy,

-reenie

Entertaining kids for FREE!

A friend who knows I write this blog keeps sending me great money saving ways to entertain kids. Now, let it be known that my "kid" is 20 years old and typically does not look to me for entertainment, but I can't help wondering if what my friend sent recently was available when my daughter was younger. Clearly, I was asleep at the switch if these fun how-to classes were available back in the 1990s.

My friend has shared that big box home centers in our area hold simple how-to-build workshops for kids (typically 5-12 years old). For FREE! I checked the one she sent and with their major competitor, and they both have classes. They're not every weekend, but hey, if you can sprinkle in some free with some paid stuff (and hopefully discounted), all the better for your wallet. It may have been a while back, but I still remember how costly summer vacation-entertaining for kids could be. I'm all for a good deal. And here's a personal tip: I'm a fan of locally owned home/hardware stores; maybe check in with one of the local establishments and see if they'll offer the same. What a great way to bring a community/neighborhood together.

Thanks for the tip, Karen!

-reenie

One more reason to use your credit card online

Back around the holidays I mentioned that it was wiser to use a credit card vs. a debit card when shopping online. In fact, a reader asked a specific question on why. Well, a friend just pointed out a recent news story out of New Hampshire that makes the reason crystal clear. So, I feel the need to say it again.

Basically, a man bought a pack of cigarettes at a gas station using his debit card. His account was incorrectly charged over 23 quadrillion dollars. For those wondering (and, yes, I was one of them), a quadrillion is the next step higher above a trillion. Yikes. AND it is a 17-digit number. Double yikes!

Apparently the man spent two hours on the phone with his bank trying to get the mess untangled -- all the while making it that much harder for him to manage his daily cash flow. Not to mention the overdraft fee he must have been fielding. If he had used a credit card -- the issue would have been entirely different. You can issue a challenge on any charge on a credit card, and that allows for resolution time that does not impact your checking account balance.

Now, my question is what did the receipt say? I have only once in my life had the bank do something different than the slip (and that bobo was in my favor -- so it was all good). So, two pieces of wisdom -- it is easier to manage issues with a credit card vs. a debit card. AND always, always look at the receipt if shopping in person!

-reenie