Did you know that Amazon is offering the top albums of 2008 for $5 each? That’s fifty popular albums from the past year, all available as MP3 downloads for just $5.
If you got a new iPod or Zune or whatever for the holidays, this is your chance to stock it up with new music on the cheap!
True, there’s not much you can do when great-aunt Helga knits you a tunic sweater in chartreuse chenille other than grit your teeth and say thank-you, but most less-than-ideal holiday gifts do present you with several options:
Put it in your gift closet. Regifting isn’t tacky, it’s resourceful. (Just so long as you don’t regift to the person who gave it to you in the first place. That would be tacky.) Sometimes things just aren’t your style or something you need, but someone else might really enjoy it. There’s no harm in recycling a gift. Just make sure you remove any tags or other evidence of your resourcefulness!
Donate it. There’s always someone in need who may benefit from your cast-offs. If you’re like me, handing brand-new items to someplace like Goodwill may feel strange, or maybe even wasteful, but charity is a good thing and this way your unwanted items can help someone else. And then you can tell yourself that the giver simply wanted to give you a bit of good karma this year.
Exchange it. Yes, it helps if you have a receipt, but don’t assume that if you don’t have one you can’t return it. If you can identify the store where it was purchased (often easy to do via the brand, sales tags, or with a bit of research online) you can almost certainly make an exchange. The down side to this, of course, is that you may not get the full price paid—the store will give you the latest sale value—but lots of other stuff is on sale now, too, so it may work out. I brought a gift set back to Bath and Body Works because I wasn’t wild about the scent, and although they only exchanged it for me at half-price, their body lotions were 70% off—so I got a ton of stuff for that amount, anyway.
Don’t be a martyr; decide what to do with those not-quite-right gifts and then move on.
I’m not sure I’m seeing any of those “huge electronics sales” the papers were assuring me would happen after the holidays (I’m still waiting…), but I definitely am seeing all kinds of clearance sales on clothing. I thought this past weekend’s Coldwater Creek coupon was great, but now they’ve decided to let you take an additional 70% off absolutely anything on the site, including Outlet items! Just use coupon code WXH6446 through January 5th, 2009.
This is the time when I’ll stock up on things like plain tops, but I’ll also pick up pretty scarves or jewelry or maybe even home items for the gift closet, too. Hey, at 70% off the already-reduced prices, they’re practically paying me to take it.
If you’ve been waiting for a new free shipping code for Lands’ End, wait no more! Their big winter sale is still going on, and now you can use code WINTERSEND with PIN 2307 through December 30th, 2008, to receive free shipping on any order.
You know it’s bad when they issue a code and your first thought is “Well it’s about time!” Heh.
Goooood morning! Sorry to be a bit late with this post. I’m still moving kind of slowly. But neither rain nor sleet nor dark of night (nor the all tea-and-toast diet) shall deter me from my appointed bargains!
The clearance is on at Old Navy, with items up to 75% off. I shall try to resist. I shall try to resist. (Oh, who am I kidding? I can’t resist.) (Also: I bought my daughter some skinny jeans from there for Christmas. I did not realize that they were all… ummm… glittery. She now thinks she is Da Bomb. I am not certain I am comfortable with my 10-year-old being Da Bomb.)
Through the end of the year, take 80% off your Restaurant.com purchase with coupon code CELEBRATE. That’s $25 of dining for just $2, and while it used to annoy me that most of them exclude weekends, a friend of mine has shown me the light: Having date night on a Wednesday not only makes it easier to find a sitter and less crowded out on the town, it’s a delightful way to break up the week.
Over at ShopPBS, going through this link activates an automatic $10 off of $50+ discount, while this link will take you to all of their clearance.
If you didn’t run out and scoop up the electronics of your dreams the day after Christmas, today is the last day of the Very Merry Christmas Sale over at Best Buy. You know, just in case you want to send me a big flat-screen television or something.
The post-holiday sale is on at Barnes & Noble, and through the weekend you can save 10% on any one item with coupon code P7B4F8B.
While it’s true that few of us here can afford to shop at Nordstrom, if you’re going to do it, the winter savings sale is the time to do it—enjoy 40% off on all sorts of things.
Today (December 27th, 2008) only, everyone can take 15% off their order at Kohls with coupon code JOY15. Shipping is free on orders of $100+, and they have all sorts of things discounted as part of their post-holiday promotion.
Prices have been slashed in the semi-annual sale at DisneyShopping, and you can stack coupon code BONUS20 to save another 20% over the already-reduced price, too.
Take 50% off everything at Coldwater Creek—even Outlet items—with coupon code SAVEBIG! (Thanks, Stacy!)
Has anyone scored any really awesome deals by hitting the actual stores? I don’t usually do that, but I couldn’t have, this year, even if I wanted to, so I’m curious to know if the deals were any good. Please spill if you braved the crowds.
Good morning! Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas this year? I got the stomach flu! Next year I am really hoping for Guitar Hero, instead. Sheesh.
If you’re planning to brave the crowds today, my two favorites are Target and Macy’s for half-off holiday items. Macy’s will have the best ornaments and Target will have absolutely everything. (Though if you’re willing to wait a few days, Target will go to 75% off probably on Sunday.)
If you’d rather stay indoors, you’re in luck—we’ve got the Amazon Friday Sale ready to be shopped in our pajamas. (And, in my case, with a nice glass of ginger ale.)
As soon as I can walk upright again, I’m pretty sure I am going to need these shoes in wine. At 70% off, I’d be a fool not to get them, I’m pretty sure.
If you didn’t stock your gift closet pre-holiday, you might want a couple of these Polly Pocket Pop ‘N Swap sets to have on hand for birthday parties. Sure, they creep me out (just pop off the torso! or the feet!) but little girls seem to love ‘em, and $6.99 for a $20ish toy is hard to beat. (They also have the Polly Pocket Party boat for $7.99—68% off.)
This’d be a hard one to put away because it’s big, but I do love this Melissa and Doug classic deluxe kitchen, especially at 60% off.
Oh, sure, now they have Bakugan packs marked down. Half off?? They’re mocking me. (I will not mention this to my son, who spent $21 of his own money on a 6-pack last month.)
Need a baby gift? (This is one of those rare times when Amazon’s “original price” is actually low. They’re saying it’s 61% off, but this is normally a $20 toy, so really it’s more like 70% off.)
If you didn’t stock up on cheap flannel sheets before the holiday, now’s your chance! (Actually, the ones before Christmas were printed, and I wanted solids. I’m buying mine today now that the solids are on sale. And, seriously, where else am I going to get a set of king-sized sheets for $8.95??)
This Grillslinger belt makes me giggle. I’d buy it for my husband, but… he’d probably wear it.
Stocking up for next Christmas? Why not make the switch to LED Christmas lights? They’re 78% off, and eligible for the 4-for-3 promo (though that would certainly be a lot of lights).
The Numi tea sets are down to just $15, and code NUMITEAC will still take $10 off of two, so buying two gets you them for $10 each. This is a fabulous gift to have on hand.
I can’t decide if this is brilliant or evil—the EnterTRAINER only allows you to turn on the TV when you’re exercising (by monitoring your heart rate). It’s 32% off, but I think it may just be evil.
Instead of the Friday Five, there’s a ton of year-end MP3 deals to be had, and of course, don’t forget to check out the Gold Box and Lightning Deals throughout the day.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with some Saltines.
Hopefully you’re with the friends and family you love, this holiday season, but sometimes distance, circumstance, or the fact that some people we’re related to are really, really annoying means that we can’t be with those we love for the holidays.
And sometimes, in those cases, we send something along to say, “Hey, I’m sorry I’m not there. Well, really, no, I’m not. But here’s a present for you so that you think I am.”
Nothing sends a mixed message like that better than flowers, I find. Which is why you might be interested to know that it’s not too late to order from FTD for Christmas, plus going through that link will give you an additional 10% off your order. True, it’s not much of a discount… but can you really put a price on not suffering through another one of Great Aunt Helga’s shoe-leather roasts?
You can’t. Trust me.
(Merry Christmas Eve, folks! Wishing all of you a wonderful day filled with family, friends, and the knowledge that you saved a ton of money this year!)
What? No, no I’m not crying, I just have something in my eye. Stop looking at me.
And by the way, my Amazon Prime trial is drawing to a close. After Thursday it’ll be a distant memory. And of course today is the very last day to order with an upgrade to one-day shipping (just $3.99 an item, if you have Prime) and still receive it in time for Christmas.
It looks like the Lightning Deals today are going to include a few toys, so I may just have to keep an eye on those. I mean, if my eyes would just stop watering.
Allergies. I have allergies.
I know, I know—Christmas hasn’t even happened yet. It’s not time for the clearance sales. But apparently ShopNBC didn’t get the memo, because they’ve already kicked off their Year-End Clearance Sale with prices up to 70% off and free shipping on select items. (They carry a lot of watches and jewelry and purses, but also some apparel and home items.)
Make your deal even better with a coupon: New customers can use code 1008 for free shipping if it’s not an item that ships for free already, or use 8508 for 15% off your order, instead.
It’s been a crazy holiday season, already, so I give you permission to find a deal on something pretty for you, for a change.
I can pretty much take a nap any time, anywhere; I’m talented that way. But for most little kids, they require a fuzzy friend and maybe a soft blanket, right? That’s why the nap(TM) Bear & Blanket Set at Brookstone is such a steal—$14.99 (down from $50) gets you a 24″ bear and coordinating nap blanket, and hopefully a little peace and quiet. If you’re buying for someone else, well, then won’t you look like the big spender!
Sweeten the deal: Coupon code 20VEND will give you 20% off. That’ll help offset the shipping, at least.
My name is Mir, and I'm a bargainholic. (In my spare time, I'm also a