Additional 50% off at BCBGMaxazria

Tips:

• For my local peeps, there is a new BCBGMaxazria Final Cut at Grapevine Mills just down from Banana Republic.
• The sale starts today and is "subject to end without notice."

See ya! I'm grabbing my purse...

$30 For Longer Lasting Joy

From thriftyfun.com


"Being frugal does not mean one should not enjoy life, just that we should examine our way of life to see if what we are doing is bringing us pleasure for the cost associated. I recently had the problem of deciding to fill in the artificial nails that was given to me as a gift from my husband or taking them off and saving the money spent for upkeep. I do feel like I'm worth $15 every other week, but in the end I think it just comes down to the fact that I have other interests that I would rather put my money....For me personally, I decided I would get just as much enjoyment for my $30 this month in the following way: I could buy school supplies for a child I do not know or I could buy a lot of pencils and take to the school for use when a child does not have one. The next month I could find a nursing home in my area and take $30 worth of socks in all different sizes or I could save my money for a couple of months and take some nightgowns and pj's for the ones that do not have family.

"My nails were pretty but I found after examining that I can get much more joy for my money. I'm gonna take the same money and buy some polish, calcium and vitamin D (as someone mentioned) and work on my own nails and use the left over money in a more frugal and neighborly use. "

By notwrong

Tips:

• Other ideas for small doses of philanthropy:
• Buy $30 worth of toiletries to donate to a local woman's shelter.
• Take $30 worth of canned goods to a local food pantry.
• Save the $30 a month until the holiday season, and provide a nice meal and gifts for a family in need.
• Buy $30 worth of books to donate to your child's library.
• Do you have other ideas?

From Thriftyfun.com: How to Fill a Stocking For Free

From Thriftyfun.com

"We all love stockings. Up until just a few years ago, my mom would still give me one and it had always been my favourite gift to open. Stockings don't have to cost anything and are supposed to be filled with small trinkets and goodies, not things like $50 gift cards and iPods! Remember when we used to get clementines in there? What happened with that? :)

"Here are some things you can get for free, but plan early for some of these:

• If you happen to go to trade shows or conventions, you can always get free things there. Have a look around. I usually go to a Health Show every year and get a free goodie bag with things in it.


• Go to freebie sites, start collecting early and keep a box set aside for them. There are SO MANY free things to be had out there from big companies. A few years ago I kept a box with all the freebies I got just to see how full it would get. Over the course of a several months it was filled with things like books, cards, samples of makeup or soap, shampoos, cleaning products, amazing.


• Craft Shows. Right around the holidays there are a lot of craft shows. Some crafters give out free samples of things that you can keep and set aside. (like soap pieces for example)


• If you are planning to spend money on some holiday gifts, look for items that you get something free with purchase. This time of year that's easy! Use the free gift for a stocking.


• Best Buy gives you a gift card if you trade in an old cellphone. So dig out that dinosaur phone of yours and bring it in!


• Cash in credit card points or airmiles for free gift cards, magazine subscriptions, video rentals or movie tickets. They often don't cost a lot of points.


• My drugstore often has deals where if you purchase a certain amount of goods at the store, you can get a free gift card of some sort. It is usually movie tickets or coffee cards. I rarely go in and spend $40 in one shot, so sometimes I wait till I need something big or lots of things then make a big trip so I can get the freebie.


• Make some cool Rock Candy! Most people have sugar and food colouring in their pantry, so follow this recipe: http://candy.about.com/od/hardcandyrecipes/r/rock_candy.htm


• Go to a department store and ask for samples of perfume and make up. Maybe get a free makeup application while you are there :)


• PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has a lot of free stuff to give away like stickers and booklets. Check out their website for all the freebies. http://www.peta.org/


• Print out some free Baking and Cooking E-books here: http://www.preparedpantry.com/baking-guides.htm or some other independent books can be found here that are free: http://www.ebook88.com/shelf.html or do a search for free ebooks online.


• Make Compilation CDs with the recipient's favourite music or a new band that they may not have heard of yet. Myspace.com has tons of free indie music that can be downloaded from upcoming artists!


• I don't recommend eating at fast food places, but sometimes they will give away free trinkets for children, even crayons and a colouring sheet or book. I've seen people just come in and not buy anything and ask for a free toy for their child.


• Make candy or caramel apples! Most of us have sugar and apples at home or this time of year you can probably still get some for free from farmers. http://www.allfreecrafts.com/halloween/candy-apples.shtml You can use recycled and washed chopsticks to put in the apple.


• Make a free printable calendar for kids that they can colour in: http://familycrafts.about.com/od/calendars/a/2010calendars.htm


• Have a swap or exchange with friends of items that you no longer want or things that you want to re-gift. This can include clothing, gadgets, handmade crafts, bath and body items (un-used), kids' toys, etc.

"Good luck and happy holidays everyone!"

Tips

• The point is to get creative.


• Last year my daughter requested a nice letter from us as parents instead of a gift in her stocking. The kids loved it, and that idea just might turn into a tradition.
  

Here's Where You'll Find Me on Black Friday

Banana Republic Factory Store

Click here for a list of stores that open at midnight tonight!

Ann Taylor Factory Store

Tips:

• Fight the crowds and go early. The point of these sales is usually to bring in lots of shoppers to clear out the racks. If you wait until the end of the sale, the selection will be picked over.
• Don't forget the clearance racks, where you'll find the biggest savings. That's where I head first.
  

i.d. bare Minerals

Normally, you would never find makeup as deluxe as i.d. bare Minerals in my makeup drawer. My sister, however, bought it for me (along with a mink kabuki brush--I know! She's generous.).

I love i.d. bare Minerals because...

• I hardly feel it on my face.


• it smooths the texture of my skin.


• it hides blemishes.


• it contains sunscreen.

Alas, mine has run out. I was half-tempted to rush to the cosmetic store and pay the $25 pricetag, but then I wouldn't be the Bargain Huntress.

Here's what I found:

• eBay has it for $19.95 with free shipping.


• If you prefer Amazon.com, the marketplace has it for $15.49 + $4.56 shipping.

Then I checked for alternative labels:

• Kirkland Signature Natural Beauty Mineral Color Collection by Borghese, $24.99 + tax (includes foundation, bronzer, eyeshadow base, 3 eyeshadow colors, pressed eyeliner, 2 eyeshadow applicators, kabuki brush, and a retractable brush). Priced separately (at bargain prices) I came up with $75 total. That's a 66% savings.
  

• Loreal Bare Naturale, which got good cyber-reviews, and is available for $12.49 at Target.

Questions to myself:

1. Is i.d. bare Minerals worth the price?


2. Do I really need all the extras in the Costco set?


3. Do I just want to spend the least amount of money?

Answers:

1. If you have to have i.d. bare Minerals, I would choose to buy on eBay, only because the ratings on that seller were excellent.


2. To get the most bang for your buck, try the Costco set.


3. To spend the least amount of money, go with Loreal Bare Naturale.

I chose option 2.

I bought the set at Costco , and love every bit of it. (By the way, the Costco website lists the set for $31.99, but my local warehouse had it for $24.99.) If I put too much foundation on, my daughter tells me it looks orange, but she said the bare minerals looked yellow if I put too much on, so it's a wash. I guess I need to practice a little more. I love the eyeshadow base and the eyeliner. All three eye shadow colors add subtle enhancement to my face.

Tips:

• Want to get it even cheaper? Go to Ulta now, where Loreal Bare Naturale is buy 1 at $12.99) get 1 for 50% off, then use a $3.50 off coupon...2 for $16.50 + tax.

Making Old Tissue Paper Look Like New

"While making gift bags for the local nursing home, I realized I had a lot of tissue paper from events past. All the pretty colors and patterns, I couldn't bear to throw it away so I flattened it out and decided to iron it. Worked like a charm.

"Take 3 sheets of tissue paper put them together put iron on polyester with a tad of steam. Iron on both sides. The one in the middle will be perfect too. Fold it accordion style and bingo: recycled tissue. When you think of how much of this stuff goes to the land fill every year, this is a good way to recycle. "

By Dancer from RGV, TX

Dallas Outdoor Expo

Looking for a fun, low-cost family activity in the Dallas area?

Kids 17 & under are free. Adults are $5.

Tips:

• Check their website for more info.