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Apologies for the Mini Boden coupon confusion

by Mir at 3:24 pm on December 7, 2010 in Questions Answered

Hey folks—thank you so much for bearing with me after the problems with this morning’s post about a coupon code Mini Boden. (I have removed the post per retailer request.)

So here’s the deal: One of the benefits I now enjoy since being selected as a Savings.com DealPro is that I have access to their exclusive offers here on Want Not, which is awesome. I don’t know if you’ve noticed in last month or so, but I’ve had lots of offers to pass along which I formerly didn’t have access to. This is very very cool, and without getting into a bunch of boring details let me just say that it’s a very nice thing the Savings folks are doing for the DealPros and our readers.

That said, allowing all of us to access their deals database is relatively new and sometimes not without hiccups. I saw the Mini Boden deal this morning and grabbed it; several of you let me know it wasn’t working; I contacted Savings immediately (though they’re on the opposite coast and I’d posted quite early, so we had to wait); they contacted Mini Boden, and here is the final result:

We were told that [the posted coupon code] was going to be live this AM, so we posted the deal as planned. As soon as we heard from you that it wasn’t working though, we removed it. The folks at Boden, along with the team here, pass along their apologies for the trouble and confusion your readers experienced.

I’m still trying to find out of this offer might still go into effect at a later point and will keep you posted.

I think most of you know that I’m always trying to bring you the greatest deals I can find, and while that never involves me trying to deceive you or somehow break the rules, sometimes deals change, or things don’t work quite right, or plain ol’ human error comes into play. I’m very sorry this morning’s deal turned out to be a false alarm, and sincerely appreciate those of you who were good-humored about it. You’re very pretty.

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Comments { 14 }

What time on Black Friday?

by Mir at 1:54 pm on November 22, 2010 in Questions Answered, Quick Tips

The very pretty Randi asks:

Genius saving-money guru lady, I have a question or two for you. First, I plan on spending Black Friday in my pajamas – but what time in the morning should I get up? If I remember correctly, some sites have deals REALLY early in the morning. Do you have any advice as to what time would be a good time to start surfing for deals? And secondly, do you believe that Black Friday will be better, or that Cyber Monday will be better?

This is one of the things I talked about in my Black Friday presentation at Save Up (that post now contains video of the presentation), but I’m happy to talk about it again, because this is important stuff.

The short answer: It depends.
The long answer: It depends on what you’re shopping for, and how badly you want something specific. Read on! (more…)

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Comments { 5 }

Wii deals this season?

by Mir at 9:08 am on November 16, 2010 in Product Talk, Questions Answered

The lovely Kim writes:

“Wii” do need your help! For the past 3 years, my husband and I have contemplated getting a Wii for our kids for Christmas. Each year, we talk ourselves out of it. Well, this year we have decided to go for it. With the economy in the tank, and my husband working reduced hours, we figured we would get the kids one gift they would absolutely love. We are obviously looking for the most bang for our buck. Outside of risking my life at the black Friday sales, where do you recommend we look for a system on sale or a decent bundle? I send along my pre-Christmas thank yous from my boys!

Before I get into Wii-specific stuff, let me remind Kim (and the rest of you) that you can take advantage of all kinds of Black Friday deals online, of course. I’ll be here all day on Black Friday, monitoring the deals and posting, so anyone who—like me—would rather stick a fork in their eyeball than step foot in a store on Black Friday can still reap the benefits. (more…)

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Comments { 6 }

Join us at Save Up for Black Friday tips (and more)

by Mir at 8:26 am on November 13, 2010 in Bragging on a deal, Questions Answered

Remember how I told you that my coming to Save Up would have some benefits for all of you? The conference will be livestreaming later today, starting with a Q&A session at 11:00 am Eastern and moving on to a series of short Black Friday presentations at noon, Eastern. (I’ll be presenting on how to get your best online deals on Black Friday on things like clothing, shoes and toys.)

Did you miss it live? Here’s the recording (I’m the last of five presentations, but you should watch the whole thing):



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Comments { 6 }

A few words about Amazon and free speech

by Mir at 6:15 am on November 11, 2010 in Everyday Wisdom, Questions Answered

Several of you have emailed me about yesterday’s dust-up surrounding the discovery that Amazon is carrying a self-published Kindle book about pedophilia, and Amazon’s subsequent refusal to pull the book from its library. I was emailing folks back one by one when I realized it probably just makes more sense to say something here.

I want to be perfectly clear about this:

1) I am—like everyone else, I’m guessing—horrified by the book in question. I would be delighted if it was never available to anyone, anywhere.
2) That said, in this age of the Internet (and Amazon’s self-publishing platform), anyone can release anything to the masses without any sort of quality control.
3) And finally—and this is where, I suspect, I’m going to get into trouble—I do not support the vilification of Amazon over their refusal to pull this book. Amazon is refusing to participate in censorship, and as someone who writes for a living, I respect that.

I completely respect your right to decide for yourself that you don’t want to patronize Amazon because you feel differently, of course. But I’m just telling you how I feel about it.

Two more things:
1) I read an excerpt from the book and feel confident that the whackjob who wrote it is too far into his own mental illness to provide anything in the way of “helpful tips” to fellow pedophiles,
and
2) I am a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. This last point is not really anyone’s business, but I share it because I’m not open to anyone coming and yelling at me about how we need to “protect the children!” I get it, believe me. In my opinion, we protect the children by making our best possible decisions about where they go and who they’re with, and educating and empowering them about their own bodies and rights… not by storming Amazon’s gates with pitchforks in hand.

Again, I’m not here to change your mind, because you’re entitled to your opinion. I just wanted to clarify mine.

[Edited to add: Amazon has now pulled the book, citing violations of their TOS.]

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Comments { 43 }

The right robe for a hot man

by Mir at 12:12 pm on November 4, 2010 in Questions Answered, What to Wear

Don’t go getting all hot ‘n’ bothered, now. It’s not what you think.

The lovely Tafline asks:

I’m hoping to enlist your help and perhaps the help of your pretty readers if this subject deserves such in-depth analysis. My husband needs a new robe and I’d like to get him a good one. He only uses it in winter and judging by his current one he likes calf-length. But he’s a very hot person, so it would need to be fairly light-weight, while still providing the snuggly factor. The one he has now is fleece and he doesn’t like it. It pils terribly and it gets static and sticks to his skin constantly. Satin is clearly out of the question (not snuggly and a little creepy on a man), as is anything as heavy at a terry robe. So what are my options? Flannel? Cotton? Soft polyester? How do I know which of these will not get static?

I really don’t want to get it wrong, because if it’s from me he’ll wear it faithfully even if he hates it (such a sweet man).

Tafline has discovered one of the Great Weirdnesses of American retail: Most of the robes available for men are very thick materials (manly?), in spite of the fact that, overall, most men I know tend to be warmer-blooded than us women. (Dear Every Clothing Manufacturer: You are dumb. Love, Mir.)

The lightweight, non-pilling, low-static solution is a spa-quality waffle weave cotton, Tafline. But you’re going to have trouble finding one cheap. I like this Turkish cotton robe from Overstock, and at $50 it’s probably half what it’ll cost you elsewhere, but that’s still a pretty penny.

Readers? Other suggestions?

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Comments { 13 }

Teen jewelry for the long haul?

by Mir at 2:00 pm on November 2, 2010 in Product Talk, Questions Answered

The very pretty Jessica writes:

My niece turned 13 this summer. I want to get her something to commemorate the “turning into a teenager” year, something that she can hopefully keep and continue to use throughout the years, perhaps something that will “grow” with her. I keep thinking jewelry of some kind, but the only problem I can see is changing fashion senses as she gets older AND just the general fickleness that is a teenager anyway. I know your daughter is getting closer to this age, so I was wondering if you might have any gift ideas that won’t break the bank but also might be something a teen would be willing to keep throughout the years.

Any ideas? Am I just thinking wishfully that a 13-year-old might connect with something and realize its potential value as she gets older? (I received special jewelry when I was 16 that I still have and still wear today. Should I wait for this extra special gift until she’s older?) I’ve asked her, my mom (her grandma), my sister (her mom), and other friends and family, but so far I’ve only struck out. No one has any idea what a 13-year-old might want to keep around. I’m thinking it’s a pipe dream. :(

I feel for you on this, because my own not-quite-13-year-old would lose her own head if it wasn’t attached, and so I’m very reluctant to get her anything of value at this point. At the same time, it’s definitely the I-want-more-grown-up-things age. (more…)

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Comments { 25 }

Please weigh in: Magazines for kids?

by Mir at 2:19 pm on October 21, 2010 in For the kids, Questions Answered

Pretty Theresa writes:

I’m trying to get ready for Christmas, and I have 9 nieces and nephews to buy for. They all have so much STUFF, that I thought magazine subscriptions may be the way to go. I did this for my nephews last year and it was a big hit – they loved getting mail every month, and enjoyed reading the magazines as well (and their sisters were jealous!) In looking on line at the multitude of choices, I can’t decide what’s a good pick – there’s such a large selection. I would like something at least a bit educational, but enjoyable as well. Their ages range from 18 months to 15 years, and while magazines may not be the solution for all of them I’m hoping that it’ll work for at least some. I’ve got girls in preschool, boys in kindergarten, girls in 1st, 3rd and 6th grades and a boy in high school. Do you or your readers have any suggestions?

First, I just want to say that I love that Theresa is doing this. Magazine subscriptions are fabulous gifts for kids with too much stuff, and they foster reading, too. Win!

I have a few suggestions, and then I hope y’all will chime in. (more…)

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Comments { 47 }

Wii will clarify you

by Mir at 2:20 pm on October 5, 2010 in Product Talk, Questions Answered

Very pretty Want Not reader Candi writes:

I have been very good about avoiding video games for my son, but for Christmas this year, I think it might be time for a Wii. I am very Wii-clueless. I have seen frequent postings on your site about good buys here and there but have not paid much attention. Now, I think it might be time – is it possible to get a short informative post about what is new and current in the Wii games – isn’t there a Wii and a Wii 2? Do you get both? Or just the 2? What is a reasonable price on one of the systems and how much comes with one? Which games are the coolest ones to get? My son is 6 and it is just the two of us.

Don’t worry, Candi! If you have not yet been sucked into the Cult of Wii (motto: Just one more game!), we can help you. And it’s probably easier than you think.

Okay: Back when the Wii first came out, and for a few years, the game system itself cost $240, world without end, amen, and it never went on sale ever. Times have changes and the price has become more flexible, thank goodness. So here’s the scoop now: (more…)

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Comments { 25 }

Wild about waffles

by Mir at 9:19 am on September 9, 2010 in Product Talk, Questions Answered

Last week I highlighted a deal on pancake mix, and much to my surprise, several of you took the opportunity in the comments to tell me that you’re looking for a good waffle maker.

I totally understand the conundrum, here: On the one hand, a waffle maker is a specialty item, something you’re only going to use occasionally (unless you’re this guy), and it seems pointless to spend a lot on it. On the other hand, cheap waffle makers are worse than not having one at all—they not only produce a disgusting result, but they make a mess and are really hard to clean. So. What do you do?

After consulting several experts (read: I spent some quality time with my dear friend, the Google), I’ve discovered that there are several outlandlishly expensive waffle irons out there that people love (example A: this one). But if you want an iron at a decent price that actually works, I think I’ve ferreted out your best choices.

If you want a Belgian-style iron, get the Presto 3510 (currently $39ish shipped, with a four-and-a-half stars rating). If you’d rather get a traditional-style iron, go for the Black and Decker G48TD (currently $36ish shipped, with a four star rating). Neither of these will break the bank, and I’m not altogether convinced that a $200+ iron would be that much better, either.

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Comments { 8 }
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