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Ten Ways to Save Money on Children’s Clothing

August 5, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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Kids are constantly growing (which means that they are constantly OUTGROWING their clothing).  Having little ones doesn’t mean you have to budget!  Here are 10 ways to save on children’s clothing!

Ways to Save on Retail Clothing

 

Sign up to receive newsletters from your favorite companies – Get a heads up on upcoming sales plus get coupons by e-mail when you sign up to receive newsletters from your favorite companies!  Some stores will even have exclusive shopping hours for their preferred customers and will notify you if you are on their e-mail list!

 

Take advantage of free customer rewards programs – Many companies offer customer rewards programs where you can earn points toward gift certificates!  The best part?  They’re FREE to join!

 

Take advantage of bonus cash offers – Some stores offer bonus cash offers at various times throughout the year.  When you spend a certain amount, you will receive your bonus cash to redeem on future purchases!  The best part?  These bonus cash offers can be combined with everyday rewards offers if the store offers them!  Make sure you read the fine print for redemption dates and restrictions.

  • Gymbucks – During promotional periods, spend $50 at Gymboree, and get a Gymbuck for $25 off your next purchase of $50 or more!  You can only redeem Gymbucks at certain times.  Check with your store for details.
  • Kohl’s Cash – During promotional periods, spend $50 and get $10 in Kohl’s cash!  You can redeem your Kohl’s cash on anything during the redemption periods and it can be redeemed in store or online!
  • Place Cash – During promotional periods, spend $40 at The Children’s Place, and earn Place cash for $20 off a future purchase of $40 or more!
  • SUPER Cash – During promotional periods, spend $20 at Old Navy and earn SUPER Cash for $10 off a future purchase of $20 or more!

Shop End of Season Clearance Sales – Many stores have end of season clearance sales.  Combine these sales with coupons and save even more!  When my kids were younger, I used to shop these sales and buy clothes for them to wear the next year!

Ways to Save on Resale Clothing

 

You hear more and more every day about “going green”  Save money on children’s clothing by taking advantage of resale opportunities!

Check out Children’s Resale Stores – Find out what resale stores there are in your area.  They often have pretty strict standards, so you can usually get great clothing (sometimes even new with tags!) for a fraction of the price.  PLUS, you can bring in your children’s old clothing to get credits to help offset expenses!

Check out garage sales – If you’re willing to spend the time, you can find name brand clothing at a fraction of the cost at garage sales.  Check Facebook for online garage/yard sale groups in your area, too!  This is a great way to get rid of items you don’t need and make some extra cash, but you can also get great deals on things you do need!

Check out Freecycle – Sometimes people don’t want to deal with re-selling their items and so they will just give clothing away for FREE on Freecycle!  Find the Freecycle boards for your area and check it out!

Have a swap party – Have a swap party with friends or family members and swap clothing you no longer need for clothing you DO need!  This helps everyone save money.

Check out Consignment sales – Look for information about consignment sales in your area.  This is another great way to get rid of children’s clothing that no longer fits and to pick up some new things, too!  Consignment sales often have strict quality standards, so it’s a great way to get new or gently used clothing at a fraction of the cost!

Check out Craigslist or Ebay – You can sometimes find great deals on name brand clothing on Craigslist or Ebay.  On Ebay, make sure you check the seller’s feedback rating first and also make sure you look at shipping prices.  With Craigslist, make sure you arrange to meet in a public place and don’t go alone!

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Seven Easy Ways to Save Money on Food When You're on Vacation

July 18, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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When you go on vacation, the money you spend on eating out can easily blow your entire food budget!  Here’s a round up of easy ways to save money on food when you’re on vacation!

Make sure you also check out these posts for tips on how to save on a vacation:

Seven Easy Ways to Save Money on Food When You’re on Vacation

1.  Bring your own food – When we went to Disney World last summer, we had a meal plan that included one quick service and one table service meal.  We had a refrigerator in our room and we drove, so we opted to take our own breakfast foods (cereal, Nutrigrain bars, Pop Tarts, etc.) and we ate breakfast in our room every morning.  We also take our own snacks and drinks.  Have you seen the price for a soda in a hotel vending machine?  They are usually $2-3 each and you can get a 12 pack for that price before you leave!  Don’t forget to pack a cooler for your road trip!  Stop at a park or rest stop along the way and have a picnic!

2.  Look for hotels that have free dining options or a kitchen!  Whenever possible, we try to choose a place to stay that at least offers a free breakfast.  Some hotels also offer snacks in the afternoons and even appetizers and drinks in the evening!  Some extended stay hotels have kitchens.  Buy your own food and cook while you’re there!

3.  Use coupons – Sign up for the newsletters with your favorite restaurants and fast food chains so you can get their coupons when they offer them.  I often receive coupons for free kids meals, BOGO free adult entrees, and free appetizers by doing this!  Make sure you sign up for Ibotta, too!  It’s a Smartphone app that lets you earn cash back at restaurants like Chili’s, Quiznos, and Smashburger!  Register here–> Ibotta Registration (you’ll get a $2 bonus just for signing up)

4.  Use gift cards – Even when we are not on vacation, we rarely eat out if we don’t have a coupon or a gift card.  I earn gift cards from various survey sites and cash out when I know we’re going on a trip!  I also earn restaurant gift cards through my credit card rewards program.

Here are some sites I use to earn gift cards:

5.  Check out Restaurant.com – Restaurant.com frequently has promotions where you can get a $25 gift card for just $5!  They have restaurant locations in many cities.  You can view menus and even read reviews!  Make sure you read the fine print on their gift card offers before purchasing because they sometimes have exclusions (such as lunch or dinner only) or minimum purchase requirememnts.

6.  Timing is everything!  The time of day that you choose to dine can help to greatly reduce expenses. For example, most restaurants offer a “lunch menu” and you can typically order from that menu until 4 p.m. If you go to eat just a little bit earlier, you can beat the crowds and still take advantage of less expensive dining options. On that same note, some restaurants offer “happy hour” specials (these are typically served between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.). Happy hour specials often include half price menu items.  Many restaurants also offer “kids eat free” nights. Typically, “kids eat free” nights are on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and choosing to take advantage of this offer can save you $4 to $6 per child.

7.  Skip the extras and watch what you eat! Consider ordering a larger meal portion and then splitting it with someone else. You can ask for an extra plate and you can typically add extra side items such as vegetables or a salad a la carte. If you order water instead of beverages you can also typically save an additional $2 per person. Skip dessert at the restaurant and grab ice cream on the way home instead. If you do opt to have dessert there, share it with someone else.

How do you save on money on food when you’re on vacation?

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Eight Tips for a Successful Yard Sale

July 15, 2013 by 2 Comments

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As seasons change, clear out items and make some extra cash by having a yard sale!  Our neighborhood has a sale every six months and it’s a great way to de-clutter and the extra money is always helpful!  Plus, we get free advertising through the neighborhood!  In this post, you’ll find tips for yard sale pricing, tips for yard sale advertising,

Here are some great times to have a garage sale:

  • March or April – clear out last year’s spring and summer clothing and outdoor “gear” like bikes and scooters that are no longer being used
  • August/September  – when people are back to school shopping, clear out last year’s fall and winter clothing, winter gear, Halloween costumes, etc.

Yard Sales Tips

 

1.  Yard sale Advertising – Take advantage of the free online advertising options listed below a few days before the sale to get the word out about your sale.  It helps to include any HOT or big ticket items in your advertising!  The night before the sale, make big signs using colored poster board to announce and direct people to your sale.

2.  Yard Sale Pricing – Price items as you are gathering them for your garage sale.  Price EVERYTHING!  Then, you won’t be caught off guard or wasting time trying to price items during your sale.  When I’m having a garage sale, my goal is to get rid of items, so I make sure they are priced to sell.  I always price my bigger ticket items a few dollars more than my “rock bottom” price so that I have room for negotiation because there are always going to be people who want a “deal.”  I also sometimes sell my bigger ticket items using Craigslist, eBay, or on a Beg, Barter, and Sell group on Facebook because I know I can get more money that way.  If you’ve got name brand items or clothing that you’re hoping to get more money for, the garage sale is probably not your best option.

3.  Yard sale Organization – Hang up clothing items and if possible organize by size.  For example, group children’s clothing together by gender and size and adult clothing together.   Then, shoppers can easily browse to see if you have what they’re looking for and you don’t end up with clothes thrown all over your driveway.  Have prices attached and visible (I buy the pricing stickers at Dollar Tree and they’re even color coordinated so it’s easy to see how much items are!)  Use tables to lay out other items.  It doesn’t take a lot of extra time to do this, but it makes a big difference!

4.  Get change and have other payment options available –  The biggest mistake I made at my first garage sale was not having enough “change”  At the start of the day, people will often have bigger bills ranging from $20 to $100 and not having change could mean losing a sale!  I try to have at least $100 on hand to start my sale in these denominations:  2 $10 bills, 8 $5 bills, and 40 $1 bills.  You may want to invest in a Counterfeit Bill Detector Pen if you plan to accept larger bills.

You can also have other payment options available.  By doing this, you may be able to sell some of your higher priced items for your asking price!  One option is a free credit card reader and it works with an app on your smart phone!


GoPayment
Get yours here–> Intuit GoPayment Free Credit Card Reader

5.  Have plastic bags handy – A few weeks before your sale, start stashing those plastic bags from the grocery sale.  Have those on hand for shoppers as they check out!

6.  Have a buddy system – Don’t attempt a yard sale alone!  Have one person in charge of the money and “checking out” shoppers and another person on hand to answer questions and keep an eye on things so nothing gets stolen.  Don’t keep big bills out in the open.  I always have my “buddy” stash the bigger bills out of sight.  If you’ve got children, try to find a babysitter because they are just an added distraction.

7.  Have a freebie section – Shoppers often come with their children and I found that my children’s toys that I had for sale were a mess within minutes.  I started adding a “freebie” section with McDonald’s toys and other small items and I let each child grab a toy (while supplies last) and this has really helped me keep things organized.

8.  Donate leftover items – When I have a yard sale, the last thing I want to do is bring the items that did not sell back into my house.  When the sale is over, I donate leftover items to a local charity.  Make a list of what you’re donating before you go and be sure to get a receipt so you can claim it as a tax deduction!

Do you have any more successful yard sales tips?

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Earn $50 when you open an ING Orange Checking Account!

August 19, 2012 by 3 Comments


If you’re like me, you’re always looking for easy ways to make some extra money!  Right now, ING is offering a $50 bonus when you open an Electric Orange checking account!  This would be a GREAT way to start off your 2012 Christmas account!

I have been banking with ING for 8 years now.  I have savings accounts for each of my kids there and that is also where we keep our “sinking funds” for things like Christmas, family vacations, and even our escrow payments!  I love the ING Electric Orange checking account because it makes it easy for me to access the money from my sinking funds using my check card!  During the holidays, I transfer the money from our Christmas fund into my ING checking account and use my card to make holiday purchases!

Click here to open up your ING Electric Orange checking account and get your $50 bonus–>ING Electric Orange checking account $50 bonus offer 

Here’s how you can grab your bonus:

  1. Click on ‘Apply Now.’
  2. Open Electric Orange and make a total of 3 Card purchases or Person2Person Payments (or any combo of the two) within 45 days of account opening.
  3. Your $50 bonus will automatically be deposited into your account on day 50.

Here are some of the benefits offered by ING: 


*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information

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