The Holiday Season

Another Holiday season is upon us and this year as the Frugal Diva, I am not prepared.  So, for me it is window bargain shopping.  But for you, it can be a great day to save.  As I have said before, I do not go and face the crowds on Black Friday, I hit the internet.  Yes, I will be window shopping on the internet.  So, here are my top 3 online bargain shopping sites:

Online

Overstock  www.overstock.com – I used to really love this site.  They advertise a lot more now.  The sad part is that when some sites become more popular, their prices go up, so I would take advantage of shopping here, but I would still pay attention to make sure that I am getting a good bargain.

No more rack  www.nomorerack.com  -  I love this site.  This site has everything, and you can get some great deals.  I have purchased some great quality items from this site.  

I Herb  www.iherb.com  -  If you are into health or you have friends who are health nuts this is the place to go and the prices are right.  They even have health supplements for pets.  Also, depending on how much you order, you can get free shipping.  If you want to make gift baskets or stocking stuffers for Christmas, and your friends or family are into health, this would be a great place to go. 

Now, I do venture out, after Black Friday.  And when I am in Frugal Diva mode, I am in gift basket and stocking stuffer mode.  Here are my top 3 for Bricks and Mortar. 

Bricks and Mortar

Tuesday Morning www.tuesdaymorning.com  - If I am making gift baskets, I usually go here instead of an arts and crafts store.  Why?  I can usually get a higher quality basket for a lower price.  Of course, this store has all types of items that make great stocking stuffers and it wont torture your budget.  

TJ Maxx  www.tjmaxx.tjx.com – This place has clothes, gadgets, snacks and accessories. What else could a girl want?  Don’t get lost in the shoe and purse aisles; you are shopping for others, not for yourself.  (OK, this is what I tell myself.)  You can also shop online with TJ Maxx.  But I think that you will find better deals if you pound the pavement. 

Ross www.rossstores.com – This is TJ Maxx’s competitor, and I have found great deals there as well. 

Stating the Obvious

Well, of course you see the Amazon advertisements on my sites.  Do I shop at www.amazon.com ?   Well, yes I do.  Do they have great savings?  Yes.  So, why aren’t they on my top 3 list?  Well, when I think of Amazon, I think of 3 things first: variety, delivery and books.  And then, I think about the fact that they have great bargains.  When I think of the other sites, I think of bargains first.  Also, Amazon is not a site that I visit only during the Holiday Season; it is a site that I visit all year long.

Happy Holidays!!! 

 

Happy Savings!!

Holiday Reboot!!

November is here!!  The holiday season is upon us.  I am sorry, but I had to take a break, my job was ending and my birthday was coming.  Now, both are gone.  I am back on the lookout for another position.  Hopefully, not short term again, and I have 11 months to another Birthday.  I think of it as a personal reboot.  What does one do, when they have to job hunt during the holidays?  Well, mostly pray and hope that a position comes that will cover their finances through the holiday season.  Since I have moved to the DC area, I have had a few holiday seasons where money was very tight or I was unemployed.  They weren’t the best holidays ever, but, they weren’t the worst.  If you are like me, you visit family during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season.  Well, if you are unemployed, you may not be able to travel or, you may just pick one holiday.  It is nice, if you can get your family to visit you, but, entertaining on a budget may be too difficult.  When money is tight, I usually just pick Christmas to visit my mother.  Also, I drive to Michigan, instead of flying.  However, this depends on the price of gas.  There have been times when driving and flying cost the same amount.  Another method of travel is Greyhound (www.greyhound.com).  I know, the bus sounds unpleasant.  But, it isn’t the same as it used to be.  The seats an atmosphere are more comfortable, and they even have Wi-fi.  A refundable roundtrip ticket from Maryland to Detroit is $230.  That isn’t that bad.  My only other traveling expense is parking, and if I take the Maryland train (MARC) and pay for a roundtrip train ticket, I don’t have to pay for parking.  And, you probably won’t find a flight that cheap.  Also, I can work on my blog along the way home and back.  The next issue for a Frugal Diva during the holidays is gifts.  Obviously, if you are unemployed, your gift list is not going to be very long.  Also, many people will get cards instead of gifts.  Well, at least in my case.  Also, I have noticed that the gifts that I do purchase when I am unemployed tend to be more thoughtful, because I really have to look at what I am purchasing.  I don’t want to buy someone a gift when I am unemployed and it turns out to be something that they re-gift, or “accidentally” throw away.  It is funny how that works, isn’t it.  The first year that I was unemployed, I went to Tuesday morning and I bought two very nice baskets, tissue paper, bath salts, soap, tea (in festive tins), English Biscuits, candy and spa robes (I got lucky).  The baskets were medium sized, well made and could be used to make a gift basket or centerpiece.  I also purchased clear and colored saran wrap.  The local grocery store had red and green for the holidays.  I also went to TJ Maxx and Ross to purchase, slippers, lotions and eye masks.  I packed all of my items in my car and I drove to Detroit.  I assembled my gifts when I got to my destination.  The benefit of making my own baskets was that I was able to decide what items went into them and I was able to stay under $150.  My biggest expenses were the basket ($7 – 12.99) and the robes ($10-15).  The other items ranged between ($2 – 10).  Looking back, it sounded like a well planned strategy.  But, at the time, I was making decisions on the fly to stretch my money as far as possible.  It all worked out, but I didn’t know that it would at the time.  The only thing that I did know then is that I had Frugal Diva skills.  I still don’t know what I am going to do this year.  I am hoping that I will get a job during this 2^nd week of November and I won’t have to worry about unemployment.