It has come down to the wire. Four days left until Christmas. It always seems to approach us quickly and now here it is! You better believe that there are advertisers that target those certain individuals for "last-minute" shopping offers. They have deals for you and they are ready!
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Saturday, December 15, 2007
The "Techy" On Your List
Technology has become a big part of our lives and has become a significant part of our daily routines. If you take a look back at how far we've come technologically the past 5-10 years, it is simply amazing. Nearly everyone these days has a cellphone. Most everyone has a computer. VCR's are becoming a very rare commodity, while DVD players are quite commonplace. Ipods are the latest trend in music. Our vehicles can now even tell us how to get to our destination per GPS system. We no longer have to develop our 35mm film to only find out the majority of the pictures didn't turn out right. When choosing a television, we have many choices and the terms can get quite confusing if you don't do the proper research: LCD or plasma? Gaming has been taken to new heights. Do you have the latest system, the most sought after holiday gift this year, the Nintendo WII?
With all this to take into consideration, what IS the best gift to give to your techy on your list?
Check out this site to find all kind of cool gadgets and software for your techy.
This is one of my husband's favorites sites. Newegg is one of the leading e-commerce companies that focuses on providing a positive shopping experience and a broad selection of high-quality technology and entertainment retail goods at very competitive prices. And, competitive they are. Many items can be purchased at a great discounted price.
The name says it all. Find some hot buys for the season at Best Buy.
Now for some hidden treasures you may not be familiar with. Be sure to check out these great sites for discount consumer electronics and computer equipment.
onSale has numerous products that will suit any customer’s needs. Some of these products are: desktops, laptops, computer hardware, software, peripherals and accessories, and consumer electronics like digital cameras, MP3 players, surround sound systems, big screen TVs, and digital audio and video players.
PC Mall not only offers great deals on computers and PC's, but they also offer consumer electronics from LCD and plasma TVs to the latest MP3 players and iPods. Brands include: Adobe, Apple, Sony, IBM, Cisco, HP, Toshiba, Microsoft, Viewsonic, Logitech, Intel, Linksys, McAfee, Fujitsu and more.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
The DIVA On Your List
Women can't get enough of beauty, fashion, and makeup. In fact, women spend hundreds of dollars every year on beauty products. So, why not get that woman on your list something you know she will enjoy?
Take a peak at my store "hot-list" for beauty:
1. Beauty.com
Beauty.com sends free samples with every order.
*stocking stuffers
*gifts under $50
*One of my favorite part of this site is that you can shop by "personality". Check it out!
2. Elf Cosmetics:Site visitors can create their own beauty profile.
*Free shipping on orders over $75.
*Gift sets according to budget
*Great gifts under $5! (make great stocking stuffers)
3. Bath-and-Body.com:
Bath bombs are not weapons. The bath bombs from this store are amazing. They fizz. They smell nice. They moisturize AND soften your skin.
Bath-and-body also has homemade soaps, oils and massage, bath accessories, scented candles, gift sets, and more!
4. Buy Beauty.com:
*$1 Deals that aren't junk!
*Check out the Best sellers which include the popular TOO Faced Peep Show Eye Shadow set and the Models Prefer Makeup Palette & Brush Set. Many of the items have been reduced and they are offering free shipping.
*Name-brand fragrances for significantly less!
*I highly recommend this site.
5. Cosmetic Mall.com:
*Clinique
*Bare Escentuals
*Estee Lauder
*Chanel
*Lancomme
*Fake Bake
*Christian Dior
Need I say more? Cosmetic Mall has EVERYTHING.
Beauty lies within, but everyone knows that women love makeup, beauty, and fashion. Give the gal what she wants for crying out loud! Why not? It is Christmas.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
That Hard-to-buy-for Person On Your Gift List
Contrary to what the male species may think, women are by far the easiest to shop for during the holiday season. When you think of all the options there are out there, one's biggest decision would be narrowing it down to which one gift would be the best for that particular person.
Out of all women, my mother is probably the most difficult woman to buy for. If she has an urge to buy something for herself, more than likely she will go ahead and buy it.
When it comes to asking her what type of gift she would like for Christmas (or any holiday for that matter), her reply is usually, "nothing". That response is always a >great help and is one that frustrates me to no end. However, this year when asking her what was on her wish list, I received the response, "oh, a new car...or maybe a new sectional, a new house..". Since those items are not feasible with my budget, I am set right back to square one once again.
My suggestion for that "hard-to-buy-for" or that "who-has-everything" female on your list would be to make your gift personal, one that would not normally be purchased on their own shopping sprees.
What I recommend for THAT person on your gift list:
1. Zazzle.com: Infinite and instant, Zazzle is the only on-demand retail platform for consumers and major brands, offering billions of retail quality, one-of-a-kind products shipped within 24 hours.
You can create calendars, mugs, t-shirts, and many other products that are sure to be a hit!
Last year, I went to Zazzle.com and created a calendar for my mother. She absolutely loved it because it was pictures that I had taken over the past year of my kids and of our family. Personal gifts like calendars or mugs make great holiday gifts.
2. Femail Creations:
This is a site you must check out for yourself! The gifts from this site are one-of-a-kind!
Other hot places for getting that more personalized gift:
Personalization Mall:
Kodak Gallery: 20% OFF Photo books, Calendars & Cards at the Kodak Gallery!
Cafe Press:
When it comes to buying for someone, especially that hard-to-buy for person, it isn't the amount of the gift that matters. It is what comes from the heart! As cheesy as it sounds, it is the truth!
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Making a List and Checking It Twice
'Tis the season for gift giving and creating the trusty ole' Christmas gift list. Some of us write down our Christmas list in an organized fashion, while others choose to store those individuals in their mind. Years ago, I experienced what happens when you choose the latter. It is a last-minute shuffle to get that gift and cause for more stress than needed.
Personally, it is now extremely necessary for me to write each person's name down along with gift ideas for each individual next to their name. Once I locate a deal or purchase a gift for an individual, I simply put a check next to their name. This helps me stay focused and concentrated on each person on my list. Husband? check. Daughter? check. Son? Check.
I love shopping for others and finding the right gift for each person on my list. This year I have 15 individuals on my list that I will be buying actual gifts for, while the remainder of the list will be receiving Christmas cards. Creating that list isn't the difficult part, it is budgeting and searching for the right gift that is the challenging part.
Going on the third year now, the majority of my shopping will take place online. Taking advantage of the free shipping deals and other bargains many online retailers have to offer definitely can be worth it. And, if you can dig up the deals, you won't have to break the bank this Christmas or rack up your credit card debt in the process.
Is your list complete? Have you remembered your children's teacher? Your neighbor? What about your grandmother? Make your list, check it twice, and be sure to write down a few ideas for each person. Once you have looked over your list, it is time for the nitty gritty. The fun of finding those special gifts begins now!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Black Friday vs. Cyber Monday
They are the biggest shopping days of the year. Merchants prepare months in advance for these days of pure insanity, hoping to increase their revenue from years past.
And, shoppers cannot wait to spend their money knowing they will be saving and grabbing that "good" deal.
To prepare for Black Friday can be an ordeal in itself and not just for the merchants. There are several people that take Black Friday as an all-day event. Getting up at 3 in the morning isn't uncommon and brewing that morning coffee is a necessity in order to survive the day's events. One must have a Black Friday shopping game plan indicating which stores take precedent over others based on their deals. Once an order has been established, the wait is on and is sometimes a wait out in the winter chill. Hat, gloves and coffee can help make the wait more bearable.
Often times, Black Friday has become a tradition amongst family and some shopping plans incorporate the "you-go-here-i-go-there" technique and we'll meet at "store C".
That strategy works well if you are adament about getting into the store, making your purchase, and getting out of the store to move onto the next.
How do you measure a successful Black Friday experience? For merchants, it is based on sales. For shoppers, success may be measured differently.
Trying to be unbiased here, but it is extremely difficult.
I love Cyber Monday. I absolutely love it. And, let me tell you why I love it. I can sit in my pajamas all day long in the convenience of my own home. I can lay out my VISA card right next to me, sip on my morning coffee, and go through my list of coupon codes, free shipping offers, and bargains. There are no lines. There is no chaos. It doesn't get any better than that! The only wait you have as a Cyber Monday shopper is the wait for the purchase to arrive at your doorstep.
Shopping online has become a growing trend as shoppers become more comfortable making online purchases. With Black Friday, it is an instant purchase, product in hand. With Cyber Monday, it is an instant purchase, product en route. As technology becomes more advanced and merchants become more competitive amongst each other online, Cyber Monday will be more of a tradition for shoppers. For merchants it is a win-win.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Making Sense of Saving Cents!
As a welcome to the "A Bargain Shopper's Dream" blog, I wanted to save you from the boredom that exudes when reading the first entry of a typical blog entry. You know, the whole "who I am-where I am-what I like to eat for breakfast-why I am writing" type of schpeel. I figured you could read the "About Me" section on your own time if you were in fact interested in knowing. USSearch.com also works as well, however, I believe you have to pay a fee to utilize that service.
The point is, is you're here. There are different scenarios that could have led you here to this particular blog. Perhaps it is a gloomy, boring Sunday afternoon in middle-town America, you are surfing the Internet and bam!, here you are. Definitely a possibility.
Or perhaps you entered "coupons, deals and freebies and coupon codes for bargain shopping online" in that little Google search box and landed here. Not sure if that is a possibility, but I suppose it could be. Eh.
Whatever led you here, I am happy you have taken the time to visit my blog. We are going to research, pick apart, share, question, share some more, and shop. It is time to start making sense of saving cents.
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