Happy New Year, dear readers, and I hope you like the new word I am using. Frugalicious is the term for living the lifestyle of the rich and famous on an ordinary person’s budget, and we’re going for it big time in 2009. But first, a confession: I am so embarrassed — in the frenzy of the holidays I went to the supermarket and paid full price for everything! I felt like I was cheating you guys by not living the lifestyle I am teaching you, but I guess the lesson there is that sometimes, time and sanity win out over bargains and thriftiness. (Not always, not often, but sometimes!) Anyway, sorry for being off track, and watch in the next few days for my special report on starting the new year with some great new money-saving habits. Wishing you all a happy, healthy, prosperous 2009. See you soon.

Thinking like that, one of the most valuable gifts we received for our wedding was a $100 gift card for the local movies.  For that $100, my hubby and I were treated to four evenings out, including popcorn.  And we always thought of the the nice relatives who gave them to us, every time we went out.

This year, frugal is in, but does it extend to gifts?  In our humble opinion, give the value, not the gift.  That is, don’t worry so much about how much or how little you’re spending, but think instead of how much the recipient will value it.  Know Your Giftee!  In our humble opinions, the best gifts for Holiday ’09 should replace the little luxuries that people have given up cause they’re cutting back.  Give a massage gift certificate, or one for a manicure or pedicure.  For couples and families, think movies, travel or dining out.  Hotel room certificates can be bought with any cash-back or hotel points you’ve been hoarding, and many restaurants are giving generous rebates.

You can buy discounted cards at PlasticJungle.com, GiftCardsAgain.com, or GiftCardRescue.com.

Special restaurant deals include Red Robin, Chevy’s, Buca di Beppo , Bonefish Grille, Outback Steakhouse, P.F. Chang’s, Yard House, Cheesecake Factory and Applebee’s.   Also, Sports Authority is giving 10 % off of the purchase of the giftee and the gifter gets a coupon for $10 off of a $50 purchase from Dec 26, 2009 to Jan 31, 2010  and  Barnes & Noble is offering a free $10 gift card for every $100 gift card purchase through Dec. 6. The $10 GC may be used as of Dec 26, and is effectively a 10% discount on gift cards. $20 for $200, etc.

Thanks to Julia the Bargain Babe and her readers for some of these.

Most important, always ask for a discount.  Why not?

Happy Shopping.

PS: I put in an application for Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Florida.  Will keep you posted.

Meanwhile, for some more good shopping advice, click here.

Are the savings really so great?  What drives people into the shopping frenzy?

I first pose the question to Therese, a Canadian ex-pat working at Diamonds International (the ubiquitous port of call jewelry retailers) in Costa Maya, Mexico.  “Let’s put it this way,”  she says.  “Would you wake up on a Tuesday morning at home and go shopping for a diamond?  It’s part of the cruise experience, and there is a great selection…but no, the prices are really not the best you can ever find.  But people enjoy it, and it gives them something to show when the trip is over.”

I next approached Phil, our charmingly English cruise shopping guide.  “Oh yes,” he said, “the prices really are so much lower, since everything is duty and tax free.”  He recounts the tale of many couples, newly engaged or honeymooning, who are dismayed to find that the rings they just purchased stateside are far less expensive in the islands.  But, he added, it’s hard to compare when your’e dealing with stones.  The proof, he continued, is in the prices of the branded items.  For example, if someone wanted to buy a Breitling watch, they could instead take a cruise, buy the watch in a port, and essentially get the watch for free, based on the list price compared to the actual island price.  I will, when I return home, do a little research on the validity of that statement, and will report back on my findings.

Diane, a frequent cruiser and former jeweler, loves to buy jewelry when she travels, although she is clear that the savings are not all they’re said to be.  But she buys anyway, citing unique designs and uncommon stones as her reason for purchasing.  Anna, another frequent cruiser, agrees.  But for every Diane, Anna and Therese,  there continue to be dozens, maybe hundreds, of uneducated, free-spending travelers who believe that they could never find such bargains anywhere else.

Besides, they say, it’s fun to tell people, when they admire the new pieces, that they bought them in Mexico, St. Maarten, or the duty-free shop on the cruise ship.

Me, I’ll buy a t-shirt.

Back to civilization this weekend, back to the search for Health Insurance on Monday.  For now, though, the jacuzzi awaits.

Meanwhile, for more on discount cruising, click here.

Hey, this is even more than 20%!

You can thank (if you’re a consumer; blame if you’re a retailer) Bed Bath & Beyond and Linens ‘n Things (RIP) for the fabulous trend of stores selling everything they own for a 20% or more discount off the suggested retail prices.  They’ve started something that has cut stores’ profit margins and added value to almost every consumer shopping trip forever!

(Kudos too, while we’re at it, to Macys, which many years ago started the pre-Christmas sale, and the constant one-day sales, effectively training their customers to never, ever pay full retail.)

I was personally thrilled to find that BB&B had started carrying drugstore items, too.  (See my post Drugstore Junkie for more on this.) Hey, 20% off generally beats the best discounts at the pharmacy chains, and saves a trip. And now, going into the Holiday Shopping season, lots of other stores have jumped on the bandwagon.  Just this week, not even Halloween yet, my local paper carried 20 % or greater discounts from Old Navy, Michaels crafts,  and a local decorator.  If this year is anything like last, you should soon be seeing more and better discounts, right off the top of any purchase, from such varied retailers as Toys R Us, Sports Authority, Party City, Best Buy, Macys, Walmart (They stole my quote: Save Money. Live Better), Ulta Beauty, GNC, Vitamin World, Firestone Tires, Sears and others.   Many of these will accept multiple, expired and competitors’ coupons, too.

While getting my fingers all inky on the Sunday paper is my favorite way of finding coupons, you can now go online to do the same.  These are some of the better sites for coupons and coupon codes:

www.Big Crumbs.com This one also gives you cash back at many retailers!

www.Savings.com

www.retailmenot.com

www.couponwinner.com

www.couponcraze.com

www.fatwallet.com

www.couponcabin.com

www.thegrocerygame.com

Wanna be a savvy couponer?  Check out The Couponizer, for a new way to organize your coupons and maximize your savings.

Getting into the holiday spirit, we’ll be looking at the best and cheapest ways to party, shop, decorate and save on all.  Starting with, of course, Halloween — click here for lots of great ideas for cheap or free costumes.

So, for today and to keep you busy over the weekend, here are a few:

This great info sent in by Mindy in New York, a die-hard coupon clipper and price comparison shopper: New Trade in Program announced by Best Buy.  Click here for info. Thanks, Mindy!

Have dry eyes?  Here’s a FREE bottle of Optive lubricant drops! This is stuff that is just not available at a low price, so Click here to register  your info for a personal rebate coupon.

Now, let’s start talking about Christmas — already???  Yes!  Hot gift items are available NOW at discount prices — we’re doing our best to find them for you.  Shop now, get what you want, and be done, and paid, by December.  Here’s some of the biggies:

Amazon announced last week that they were lowering the price of a new KINDLE Wireless Reading Device (6 e-reader to under $260 with free shipping, the lowest price ever. You can also pre-order the next generation Kindle, launching on October 19, or, if you’re shopping for yourself, there are a limited number of refurbished models for $219.

DIGITALLY REMASTERED BEATLES BOXED SET — We think this is THE gift for baby boomers on your list, and Amazon has the lowest price, free shipping and reliability. They’ll be shipping on 10/31.

Click here to go to Amazon.com, and you could probably get your holiday shopping done by Halloween!

And a few discounts, for gifts or for yourself — Shop THIS WEEKEND for these deals:

Get low $2.99 shipping on purchases at OneHanesPlace.com. Enter promo code 611690 at checkout. This offer is valid through October 25th.

Extra $50 off unlocked BlackBerry Storm. MSRP: $899. Kusho.com price: $499.99. Now, just $449.99! Use code BB_STORM_449 through 11/16

Or, Get an unlocked black Blackberry Pearl Flip (8220) for just $239.99. Use coupon BB8210EARL20OFF thru 11.16.

A great freebie from a great resource for beauty products: FREE 27 Piece Mini Makeup Kit With Any Purchase from ELF COSMETICS! Use code LOYAL thru 11/13

Happy Weekend, Happy Shopping, and let us know what we can find for you!

Next week, we’ll talk about ways to make extra $$$ for the holiday season. Meanwhile, for more on Holiday shopping, click here!

we’re back

We’re Over It!

While we get the old stuff back up to speed, and figure out how to add back all our images, here’s a link for some free Ice Cream!  Look quick cause it’s only for tomorrow!

See you in a few days with more great info on living the good life, for less!

Meanwhile, click here for some more freebie information to feed the bargain-hunter’s soul.

The Queen and I have reached our first destination, New Jersey, where friends await and the gas is cheaper — and they pump it for you!  We came prepared with gas and gift cards from cash-back rewards, and we saved by figuring out how to fix a blown fuse ourselves.

We stayed at budget hotels along the road, splurged on Lottery tickets in most of the states we passed through, and joined a dozen of our childhood friends for a delicious family-style dinner and ate more than our fill for a very reasonable price.  We used Dunkin’ Donuts coupons for a few discounted meals and free drinks and snacks, and munched on nutrition bars purchased by the dozen at Costco.

Between us, the total so far has been less than $300, of which real out-of-pocket cash was probably slightly more than half.  This is a small savings over the current airfare costs, not including the luggage fees and airport transfers, and a huge savings over the AutoTrain, which would have cost us over $700 including us, the car and the accommodations.

We’re keeping a running total of money spent and money saved, and will keep you posted as the trip continues.

Here’s a little video of us taken along the way.

Let me warn you, it’s kind of nauseatingly shaky.  But cute, we think!

Postcards from the Road

Meanwhile, click here for other info on discount traveling.

More to come!

although, truth be told, any astute bargain hunter will always BOLO for a BOGO.  BOGOs go where coupons fear to tread (or are forgotten).

I personally clip coupons, but rarely remember to bring them along when I shop.  (NOTE: I tried a new organizer tool called the Couponizer, and I really liked it.  You may also.  Check out http://www.couponizer.com/ )

However, faced with couponless time in the supermarket aisles, I go for the BOGO.  Shopping in a sort-of-expensive market, I was particularly impressed with the availabilities of these offers, from organic chicken to diet ice cream!  Long story short, I saved $20 on a $40 bill!

Today we received a comment from a reader in Asia with a few tricks of her own:  Bella says:

“Really great list for trade in websites. However if you go for few bargain and coupon sites you can also save money same as trade in items. Personally I use http://www.retailmenot.com/ (for coupons) and http://www.cheapdeals101.com/ (for deal hunting) & many more…hope this helps you…”

Thanks, Bella.  It will definitely help our readers, and here are some more sites that can get you all kinds of coupons, offers, freebies and more.  (Only a few, but guaranteed to keep you busy for a while!)

http://www.couponmom.com/

http://www.thegrocerygame.com/

http://www.eversave.com/ (this one is a little work but GREAT values)

http://www.fatwallet.com/

And finally, a site where you get cash back on your purchases:

http://www.bigcrumbs.com/

For more info on saving on hundreds of items, click here.

Consignment shops are usually nicer than thrift shops and are the best place to start when you have a special occasion and want to wow the crowd. Most good consignment shops offer top-quality, barely used expensive stuff, like LV bags and CK and DK dresses, at a fraction of their original prices. Most of these items have been very gently used, and some have never been used at all, and are actually being sold because of that — maybe they never fit or looked quite right on the original owner, sometimes they’re just out of date (often by only one season, so who cares?).  Sometimes these shops are private, and sometimes they’re affiliated with charities.  Whichever way you go, you’re sure to get a great buy if the store happens to have something that’s right for you. (Plus, if they are charity-connected, you may be able to write off the purchase as a donation.)

A few tips:

1) Shop in good neighborhoods.  You’re more likely to find better items.  These stores usually will not accept anything that’s too out-of-date, and generally insist that items be clean and ready to wear.

2) Find out the favorite charities of your socialite neighbors, and shop at the stores that benefit those organizations. (Of course, careful if you attend their functions that you’re not wearing the chairperson’s dress from last year!)

3) Know your size and, wear proper undergarments, and as always, don’t buy anything if it doesn’t fit or needs too much work. 

4) Be prepared for high but fair prices.  These are not thrift stores.

5) Don’t get carried away by things that don’t fit your lifestyle or budget.  You may fall in love with that Versace gown, but will you really ever have a place to wear it? 

6) If you’re shopping for furniture, bring your measurements and your tape measure.  Consignment shops usually sell all items final sale, and if you snooze, you lose.  Be prepared to pay up, or at least leave a deposit, on the spot.  

Following, compliments of Readers’ Digest, are thirteen things your Consignment Shop proprietors won’t tell you. 

1. They love an economic downturn. Some shops are seeing sales up 35 percent from last year.  This makes them less open to bargaining, so be prepared — know your values.

2. Their margins are shrinking like everybody else’s: Consigners want higher prices, and shoppers want lower ones.  So again, be ready.

3. If you’re donating or selling, your items need to be in nearly new condition. Don’t bring a cookie sheet with crumb-and grease sludge in the corners.  Even you don’t want your old crumbs. (Unless it’s Big Crumbs — click for info).

4. Check out the store before you bring in your items. Make sure it’s a good fit for your stuff.

5. “Nice” and “Salable” are not always one and the same. Know the difference and don’t be pushy!

6. People shop consignment stores because they want a bargain.  While your antique whatever may be worth $250 at an antiques auction, if the dealer tells you they can get $75, take their word for it or sell it yourself.

7. If you sell it yourself, you’ll probably get a better price from eBay than craigslist. But online selling is labor-intensive (photographing and describing items, handling sellers’ questions, dealing with the post office) so measure the time/money ratio.

8. Do not bring designer knockoffs. Neither of you want  to go to jail for selling fake merchandise.

9. Charitable shops run by volunteers can pay consigners a higher percentage: sometimes as much as 75 percent instead of 40 to 50.

10. Clean out your closet before the season begins; that way, your fur coat or wispy sundress gets the best chance to sell.

11. There are some things you should never buy at these shops — children’s car seats, for instance. For all you know, that car seat’s already survived a crash or fallen off the roof of the minivan two or three dozen times.

12. Bigger sizes sell faster. If it’s a size 14 and classic, it’ll sell. If it’s a size 6 and classic, it’s harder.  If you’re a size 6 and you’re shopping, you’re in luck.

13. Avoid weekends if possible.  It’s like amateur hour for bargain shoppers.   I like Monday to Wednesday, when the weekend donations have been sorted.

But this time, it‘s personal.     

eCindy Stein-Wall, a fabulous photographer and friend in New York (check out her site, http://www.ecindy.smugmug.com/) is looking for freebies and bargains on natural skin care.  She writes: “I need you to find me organic skin care bargains. The stuff‘s expensive, but I only use organic. Not preaching, but what I‘ve read and learned about what we‘re absorbing transdermally scares the crap out of me.”  (Great information at www.beauty-with-integrity.com) 

Don‘t be scared, Cindy.  Seems like these days everyone, including the big companies,  is going organic, or at least more natural.  But, bargain finder that I am, I went on the hunt.  And even I had very little luck finding organic anything free.  Did find one: free sample of fresh raw organic Bee Pollen.  Go to www.PollenPower.com.  Also, I did find bunches of free samples as long as you make a (usually expensive) purchase.  

But don‘t despair.  What I have found (with Cindy‘s help) are a lot of good, cheap, easy recipes for skin care and some other products you can make at home.  If you’re planning to make this a way of life, it may pay to buy some of your ingredients in bulk on the internet.  But a lot of the products use just what you have already in the house, and you may be able to transform some of the products that you have and don‘t use into something usable.  If there‘s just no way you‘ll do that, either give the products to friends who will use them, or empty out the jars and save them for the stuff you‘ll make. Clean out the cabinets and make room for more!

Before you start mixing, see what your feet say about your health with a free EWW! Patch at www.gainvitalhealth.com/. Then, relieve your achy legs and feet with a free Neru foot patch at www.nerubiotech.com

Then, the bath.  One thing that‘s easy to make at home is a soothing natural bath milk. Here‘s one, compliments of another great site,  http://www.makeyourcosmetics.com/

1. Put 1/2 cup whole dry oats into a food processor until powdered, add  a few drops your favorite essential oil(s) or a few drops of a perfume sample and mix well.

2. Using a funnel, pour oats into an old pantyhose, clean sock or muslin bag and secure with a tie or string.

3. To use, run a warm or hot bath, put the oat bag into it, and get in. You can also use the bag as a scrubbie (with or without soap) and rub it on your skin, leaving it soft and supple. Soak for as long as you like, then when your ready, towel off and follow with your favorite rich moisturizer. I especially like doing this before bed, then climbing into bed under my nice warm blankie.

We checked out a few recipes for soap, but it seems to be a lot of work, and we‘re not excited about a lot of work. But, face and body scrubs are cheap and easy.  Here‘s one from Cindy: 

“I made my own facial scrub, really easy: shea butter, almond oil, jojoba oil, coconut oil, honey and sugar. Blend it together and place in a jar. It works really nicely. Most of the oils are easy to come by. The unrefined shea butter…I buy on line. You don‘t have to use shea. I just use alot of it throughout the day.

“You‘ll get more volume for the $ making it yourself. You don‘t have to use all the ingredients I use. You can make a great scrub just using honey, sugar and extra virgin olive oil. It‘s your personal preference. Whatever the scrub, you‘re going to have to wash before and after. Before, to be sure your skin is clean, and after because the emollients will leave a heavy residue. Leave it on while you shower for a moisturizing session and wash off just before you‘re done showering.”

Cindy also notes that there are tons of recipes and how-to videos on the web and YouTube. 

Now, some easy products.  I love these recipes from www.KitchenCosmetics.com :

Easy Radish Deodorant:

Extract the juice from about 2 dozen radishes, add 1/4 teaspoon of glycerin. Pour into a squirt bottle and keep refrigerated. Squirt under arms after a bath or pour some into the palm of your hand and rub under the arms.

Eye Care:  

We‘ve all heard of teabags and cucumbers to reduce eye fatigue and puffiness.  But potatoes? Who knew? Here’s a few more ideas:

1) The best overall eye tonic is the herb called eyebright (go figure). Make a tea of it, soak cotton balls or soft gauze in the tea and apply to eyes as a compress while lying down.

2) For puffy and swollen eyes, make a wet compress of 4 Tbsp. freshly grated raw potato. Place on the eyes for about 15 minutes, then rinse with cold water.

3) For dark cirles, cut a fresh fig in half, place a half over each eye.

4) Raw potato slices laid on sore eyes reduces heat and redness.

5) For tired or bloodshot eyes, soak sterile cotton balls or soft cloth in cold skim milk. Place over eyes for 10 minutes. Rinse entire face in warm,then cool, water.

6) To lighten dark circles under your eyes, wrap a grated raw potato in cheesecloth and apply to eyelids for 15-20 minutes. Rinse with warm water.

Now, for the mouth…

Basic Lip Stain Gloss:

                1/4 cup beeswax

                1/4 cup castor oil

                2 tbsp sesame oil

                Beet juice

                Melt beeswax in top of double boiler. Remove from heat and add oils. Add as much beet juice as desired for color, store in jar. Use a lip brush or fingers to apply, or reuse an old case.  Add essential oils for fragrance.

Apricot-Orange Lip Gloss

                1 tsp beeswax

                1 tsp apricot kernel oil

                1 tsp calendula oil

                3-4 drops of essential oil of orange

                Beet juice

Melt beeswax in top of double boiler. Add apricot kernel and calendula oils, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, add beet juice if desired, for color. When partially cooled, add oil of orange. Store in jar. 

Breath Fresheners:

        1) Chew fresh parsley, peppermint or spearmint leaves to sweeten the breath.

        2) Chew fennel seeds or anise seeds to freshen the breath.

        3)  Add 1 drop of myrrh oil to 1 cup of cooled, boiled water. Use as gargle/mouthwash or tea.

Basic Toothpaste

        1 Tsp of the Old Fashioned Tooth Powder

        1/4 Tsp Hydrogen peroxide.  

  1 drop of peppermint or other oil for flavor

        Mix into a paste and brush as usual.

Old Fashioned Tooth Powder

        2 Tbsp dried lemon or orange rind

        1/4 cup baking soda

        2 Tsp salt

        Place rinds in food processor, grind until peel becomes a fine powder. Add baking soda and salt then process a few seconds more until you have a fine powder. Store in an airtight tin or jar. Dip moistened toothbrush into mixture, brush as usual.

Strawberry Tooth Cleanser

        1 Tsp of the above Old Fashioned Tooth Powder

        1 Tbsp crushed ripe strawberries

        Mix strawberries and powder into a paste and brush as usual.

Rosemary-Mint Mouthwash

        2 1/2 cups distilled or mineral water

        1 tsp fresh mint leaves

        1tsp rosemary leaves

        1 tsp anise seeds

        Boil the water, add herbs and seeds, infuse for 20 minutes. Cool, strain and use as a gargle/mouthwash. If you wish to make up a larger quantity, double or triple the recipe then add 1 tsp of tincture of myrrh as a natural preservative.

Finally, a great recipe for a natural facial mask, plus a bonus:

1.  
   • Slice an avocado in half.  Sprinkle a bit of lemon juice over the half you won’t use and put it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator so you can use it later (within a day). Mash the half for the mask and add mayonnaise. Stir the two ingredients together in a bowl until they make a smooth combination.
   • Add the lemon juice and stir. If your skin is normal or oily, add more lemon juice for added astringency.
   • Spread evenly on clean, damp face and leave for about 10-15 minutes. Rinse well with warm water. Tone and moisturize as usual. 
   • Combine the leftover solution with the other avocado half, add sliced cucumbers, onion and tomato, sprouts and cheese if you wish, spread on two slices of bread and enjoy your lunch!

My next post will talk about home remedies and aroma therapy.

Thank you again, Cindy, for all the great info here.  I promise to keep the search up for natural freebies and will post them whenever I do. 

For more about budget-wise spa days, click here.