Designer Clothes At Non-Designer Prices

Do you want the designer look but can't afford the designer prices?  There are ways you can still have that exact look without wearing imitation designer clothes and without paying the price.  Here are a few tips.

1.  Know when to buy.  You can save money if you buy at the right times when sales kick in.  Keep an eye on your favorite stores and you will start to see a trend of when the sales are held.  If you don't mind being slightly behind the curve on the trend you can also shop at the end of the season to stock up for the next season.  Step out to your favorite store now.  I am sure you will see winter clothes already on clearance.  Maybe pick up a few things for next winter at much much lower prices.  Wait long enough and you could save up to 70%!

2.  Shop at discount stores especially high end ones.  You can find lower end designer clothes at reasonable prices at TJ Maxx and Marshalls.  Should you want to raise the bar go to Loehmann's.  Loehmann's has some of the best deals on high end fashion.

3.  Shop at discount stores online.  I wanted to buy an English Laundry shirt for my brother.  When I went to the mall all the shirts I saw were in the $90 price range which was way out of my budget.  I knew I could probably find one cheaper elsewhere.  Overstock.com had some for $23!  Talk about a savings!  As an added bonus, Overstock.com also has low shipping charges.   Another great site is Smart Bargains.  For those that are high end fashion addicts check out BluFly.

4.  Visit retail, vintage, and thrift stores.  You never know what people get rid of and where you will find a bargain.  Patience is also needed.  I have had several experiences where I have found brand new designer clothes with tags still on at thrift stores.  I even once found a pair of Stuart Weitzman shoes that were hardly worn and only paid $5.00!

Use What You Have - DIY Tech Fixes

Paul Boudin of the Wall Street Journal wrote recently how we may be entering a time similiar to postwar Japan where their economy wasn't so good so people found multiple uses for common household products.  Some engineers have shared some great tips on ways to solve high tech issues spending money.  There are some great ideas.  Its worth trying to save money on repairs.

1.  Cell phone battery issues.  Does your cell battery not hold a charge good.  Do you carry it in your pocket?  Batteries hold charge better in cooler places.  If you carry yours in your pocket try changing to your purse or belt loop.

2.  Dry ink cartridge.  Has you ink cartridge began to run dry in the middle of a big print job?  Try taking it out and running a blow dryer over it for a few minutes.  The heat will loosen the remaining ink to finish the job.

3.  Cell phone in water.  Ever dropped your cell phone in water?  If this happens remove the batter immediately. Then wipe the everything off with a towel.  Put your cell in a jar with rice. Yes, rice.  Rice has a chemical affinity to water and will act like a magnet and draw it out.

4.  Crashed hard drive.  If you hard drive ever crashes put it in the freezer.  Yes!  Put it in the freezer overnight.  The cold will contract parts and sometimes free anything that is binding.  A tip from Fred Langa on his Windows Secret Website.

For more tips check out Paul Boudin's article.

Use Gas More Efficiently

While gas prices seem to be holding steady near or under the $2 mark it is still high and will probably increase again in the future.  Why not get in the mode of using gas more efficiently now and making it a habit.  Helping to save money in the end. While I am sure we all have learned of ways to operate our vehicles better to save gas including using gradual acceleration, using cruise control to maintain efficient speeds, and performing regular maintenance there are other things we can do outside of the way we operate our vehicles.

1.  For working professionals.  Use the phone a little more rather than making in person visits to clients.  I am not suggesting elimination of visits.  Just try scaling back a bit.  Or call before meetings to ensure they are still on.  If they are canceled it will save you a trip.

2. Make a driving plan.  Try to make appointments that are located near each other around the same time to eliminate driving back and forth.  Or plan your errands.  When I go to the gym which is 10 miles from my house I make stops along the way.  It saves me having to drive back out again after I get home.

3.  Park and walk.  Do you have appointments that are within blocks of each other. Rather than drive around looking for the perfect spot for each appointment try parking in a central location and walking to them.  It will also provide a little excercise.

4.  Adjust your working hours.  If you employer allows it try altering your working hours around rush hour.  Sitting in rush hour traffic uses more gas.

5.  Cut down on eating out for lunch at work.  Eating in the office more often will eliminate the daily trips to get lunch.

For even more tips please visit Rhonda Abrams, 'Strategies: How To Save Money On Gas'.

Great Big Offers for Detroiters

Great Stuff and WWJ Newsradio 950 have paired up to offer some great deals from Michigan Half Off. Be sure to check out this week’s special offers, including discounts to Angelina's Italian Bistro, Girlie Girlie Spa and Boutique, Signs By Your Design, and a whole lot more. Click here or above to find out more.  There are lots of great deals and you can register your email address to receive alerts for new deals as they become available.

Use The Internet To Save On Groceries

I can remember growing up how great my Dad was at saving money on groceries for the family he raised on a single income.  But, I also can recall all that was involved to do so.  The time spent cutting coupons.  And knowing when to use the coupons.  This meant keeping an eye on all the sales ads to match the coupons up to.  But, also knowing whether it even made sense to use the coupon on a sale item.  This involved consumer knowledge of just knowing your prices for products and when the prices were hitting the lowest.  Basically, it involved a lot of time.  My Dad became a master at this without the use of technology (things weren't as sophisticated then).  We joked about it often and at one point even bought him a license plate that read 'Coupon King'.  With the internet we can now save time AND money so easily.  

Laura Rowley recently wrote about this and in her article even spoke to how you could save $400 a month on groceries.  All through the internet!  Here are some quick tips.

Watch the prices.  This doesn't have to be time consuming manual anymore.  There is a site called 'The Grocery Game'  that tracks prices for thousands of products in hundreds of stores. This allows you to see when products hit their lowest price.  

You can also print coupons off the Internet.  The Grocery Game does offer them.  Other sites do as well including:  CouponClipper.com and  The Coupon Mom. While The Coupon Mom is a great source and does track sales across multiple stores as well it does not tell you when the lowest prices hit like The Grocery Game.   Also, The Coupon Mom is solely funded by advertising so bear with the navigation of the site.  Additionally, this may not be for everyone.  You have to plan well and have storage because you may find that hitting products when they are low to get the best value may mean stocking up on some items that may keep well over time.  But, save a lot in the long run.  

Plan, plan, plan.  Plan ahead and be flexible of brands.  Also, keep an eye on unit prices. Retailers today point everyone towards buying big or in bulk.  You may find that the better deal is in the smaller size.  Learn more from Gary Foreman at The Dollar Stretcher.

Do you shop a warehouse store to save money?  If you do, did you know that Amazon.com has a grocery service and you can buy in bulk for non perishable items and receive free shipping  if you spend more than $25!

Great Money Savings Tips

I just read an article by Brett Arends from the Wallstreet Journal Online (Small Investments With Big Returns) that had some good ways to save a few bucks. With the state of the economy today this could be helpful.  Here are a few tips that he shared which I thought were great ideas.

• "Buy a bread maker.  You can buy one for $55.  If it saves you just $4 a week on store-bought bread, that's $208 a year.  A 280% return."
• Don't forget about the library. "If it even saves you $10 a month on books thats a savings of $120 a year."
• Grow your own herbs, vegetables, etc. We all know this one and some of us have tried it. Others may not be able to.  "But, if you spend even $10 on seeds and saved a mere $50 on the year. That is a 400% return on investment."
• Make your own coffee to take to work.  A good thermos may run you $20, $10 for filters and papers, and maybe $60 for ground coffee for the year. "Then skip the $4 per day drive thru. It saves you $1,000 per year!"

Hmmmmm...... Something to think about.