June 19, 2006 | Hot Hot Hot!, Quick Tips

DisneyShopping is currently having their semi-annual sale, plus they’ve got this customer appreciation coupon thing going on until midnight on June 21st (save an additional 20% with code APPRECIATE).

If you’re planning a trip to Disney in the future, go check out this sale. I’ll give you three guesses—and the first two don’t count—about which is cheaper and more convenient: Buying everyone t-shirts now, in the comfort of your own home, on sale and with a coupon (and don’t forget free shipping on orders over $75)… or fighting through crowds when you’re hot and tired and feeling very broke so that you can spend $30 apiece for shirts at the park.

I mean… it’s up to you. I’m just sayin’. (I’m just saying don’t be a sucker, in case you didn’t catch that.)

[Sale note: Be aware that DisneyShopping can be a bit wiggy about coupons. LOG IN before you start shopping. If you're not logged in, the coupon won't work; if you log in after shopping to activate the coupon, you lose the contents of your cart. It's dumb. Just log in, first.]

Big Picture

If you’re like me… well, you have a hard time spending money on yourself. Many parents, and in particular, many single parents, are stretching every dollar and feel as though money spent on themselves is somehow money taken away from the kids.

This is utter hooey. I believe the technical term is Equine Stercus.

Look. I’m not going to tell you to carry a Coach purse while your kids carry their school books in brown paper bags; there’s a finite amount of money in your budget, and certain needs that must be met, and some things will remain more than what you might be able to afford.

But I’ll bet you can afford more than you might think. And at least here in America, we’ve all been granted the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and a bit of retail therapy. (more…)

June 18, 2006 | Hot Hot Hot!

For Father’s Day, Wirefly is offering all sorts of deals on cellular service where you get a free Motorola Razr phone (a $249 value). Some plans allow you to get more than one free phone, and you can get them in a variety of colors. Check it out of you’re shopping for new service or are ready for renewal on your current service.

(But don’t go locking yourself into a year or two of service just because you were lured in by the pretty, shiny phone. As always, do your research, read the terms carefully, and don’t make me come over there and smack you.)

Sale ends at midnight tonight.

June 17, 2006 | Hot Hot Hot!

Gearing up for a large purchase? You have until 2:00 EST on June 19th to get a nice discount off your order. Dude. I’m not even sure what you could spend that kind of money on, at Overstock, but maybe you need some furniture…? Or a computer? Ummm… several cases of “Forever Yours Breast Enhancement” pills? (Yes, they really sell that. No, I’m not going to link you.)

Retail gone wrong

Discounted or not, free shipping or not… I can’t eat while my plate stares at me.

June 16, 2006 | Questions Answered

The incredibly baby-wise Denise mailed me about forty questions, so she is very pretty, if a tad bit needy. Ha! I kid, Denise! I kid because I love!

I closed my eyes and reached my hand into the swirling maelstrom of her email and plucked out the following:

Another question too—gas credit cards. Am I going to get a better deal with a BP or Amoco type card instead of putting my gas on a regular credit card?

I think this is a very timely question, given that gas prices always go up in the Summer, and that seems to go double (triple? quintuple?) for this year. Personally, I am still trying to sell my kids on the idea of pulling me around in a rickshaw, but being the ungrateful and lazy beasties that they are, I’m not prepared to get rid of my car just yet. (more…)

Hot Hot Hot!, Product Talk

I have to tell you, I think these are pretty ugly, though they’re the least offensive style of Crocs that I’ve seen. But, see, the thing is? If you simply must have those ugly shoes? You should have them for less.

Make the most of the deal: Have Zappos price match, if you want a color they offer (they will only match on exact style/color/size). And then you have free shipping and hassle-free return/exchange when you come to your senses and realize that grown-ups should not be wearing plastic shoes.

[Edited to add: Zappos' price match procedure is very easy. The Crocs will be $25.94 shipped from them (they do add in the competitor's shipping cost), and we are not going to talk about how I know that. Let's focus on the free return angle, and call it a social experiment.]

June 15, 2006 | Hot Hot Hot!

Check out the Outlet at Eastbay for some fabulous deals on athletic wear. Shipping is limited to the U.S. (sorry Candians! I still think milk in a bag is sort of charming!) and can get a bit pricey, at $5-$8 base charge plus $1.99 per item, but I’ll make it worth your while. Use coupon code LKS16CF6 to take an additional 30% off.

This one expires at midnight tomorrow night (June 16th), so be quick about it if you plan to take advantage.

The code works in the rest of the store, of course, but why would you want to shop there? The outlet’s got a ton of deals, with items already up to 75% off, plus they carry men’s shoes up to size 18. (Does your guy wear a size 18 shoe? Well done, Madame. Well done.)

Product Talk, Questions Answered

Today’s question is long, but because it starts off by telling me that I’m pretty, I’m reproducing it in its entirety:

Hi there!

I’m loving the new site; you’re pretty, too!

I live in NC, and camp occasionally, because I, too, love both the
frugal nature of the activity as well as the NATURE nature.

I want to buy gear; I’ve been borrowing. My camping to date has been
drive-up, but I don’t disregard the possibility of some day doing
some backwoods hiking and camping. I have neither a tent or a
sleeping bag. Both those seem clearly to be necessities. I don’t even
know what else to consider! What about a pad? And what kind of tent?
And what kind of bag? And I’ve used a stove before; that’s super
helpful if you get caught in the rain.

Speaking of weather, I live in North Carolina. I know it’s nowhere
near as cold as the Northeast, but if you head West to the mountains
in October, it gets really cold. Like frost cold. But there’s the
added complication of wanting to be able to beach camp. Um, cause
hello? It’s the beach.

Could you help me make a list of what I’ll need and also how to find
that balance between price and quality?

Thank you very much,
Lastewie

Ahhhh, camping. This one is surprisingly easy to answer. I have two words for you: Bug. Spray. You can have all the gear in the world, and if you forget the bug spray, you will be miserable. Trust me.

Oh, did you want more information than that? Picky, picky, picky. Okay, fine. (more…)

Hot Hot Hot!

Here’s a great deal either for your inner diva or as a stock-up for the gift closet:

First, go surf the clearanced nail polishes at Hard Candy. Nice, yes? $5 per bottle when the regular price is $9.

Let’s make it better. Shipping is only $5 up to $50, and orders over $60 ship for free. Plus, you can take 30% off your order with code FF330 (expiration unknown).

The shipping terms and coupon work on the entire site, of course. I am just enchanted by the polish, because I am all about sparkly toenails. (I think I may need some of the Sell Out shade.)

Obviously you don’t buy this stuff if you’re happy with $2 nail polish from the drugstore. But if you like the good stuff and can afford to indulge (or want to give the gift of swanky), this is a good time to do it.