March 4, 2008 | Everyday Wisdom, Groceries

Every now and then I sit down and think about two of my pet topics simultaneously: Feeding my family, and saving money.

And then my head explodes.

If you’re a fellow penny-pincher, you—like me—need to hear it again and again: Food is not the place to go frugal. It just isn’t. It has taken me a long time to come around to the place where saving money on other things allows me to spend the money on food that I should be spending, without guilt.

But other people always say it so much better than I do: Check out The Cleaner Plate Club for a stark visual on what is happening to the food chain in our country, and then, if you find yourself depressed by that (I did), go read Alanna Kelloggs’ kick-butt post on the right way to save money on groceries. And then? Buy real food.

February 21, 2008 | Everyday Wisdom, Bragging on a deal

[But first: What happened with posting this week? Haven’t things seemed a little… well… thin? Why yes, thanks for noticing and not complaining. Sorry about the last few days being a bit light—it’s been one of those chicken-with-my-head-cut-off kinds of weeks, and I hope to return us to our regular programming next week.]

This past weekend I got a few hours to myself with nothing pressing to attend to, so I went over to TJ Maxx hoping to find a bargain. I started out looking for a purse (which is a story in and of itself, for another time), but by sheer luck came across an amazing dress. It was gorgeous. It was the only one left, and it happened to be my size. Original price (as evidenced by the manufacturer’s price tag): $265. TJ Maxx price: $29.99.

I tried it on, and the security tag was attached in such a way that I couldn’t tell if the dress lay properly. But for $29.99 I was willing to risk it. I bought it, brought it home, and immediately went and tried it on again to see if it fit better now that the tag was out. And… it didn’t.

For a minute I considered keeping it, anyway. What a steal! Maybe it was close enough! But there’s no amount of money (or savings) that make an ill-fitting garment a good deal, so back to the store it goes. Alas.

January 8, 2008 | Everyday Wisdom, Mindful Money

Most Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and when you start talking about saving money they get that deer-in-the-headlights stare going on. “I can’t possibly put any money in the bank,” they say. “I’m barely making ends meet as it is.”

If it’s that difficult to make your ends meet, it’s time to start considering different ends.

How you plan your spending and reduce your expenditures is a whole ‘nother topic, of course, and one that deserves its own post (and may get one, at some point, but not right now). What I want to talk about right now is the money that’s going into your savings account on a regular basis. If you don’t have a regular savings plan, you need one. If you think you can’t afford one, you really need one.

Here’s the thing: Don’t tell me you can’t possible afford to save any money if you have a place to live and any income and a means to get to a computer and read this site. If you’re here, you can afford it. Period. (more…)

December 18, 2007 | Everyday Wisdom, Questions Answered

This is the time of year when most of us like to express appreciation to those folks in our lives who’ve made our lives a little easier. It’s a kind and altruistic motivation that quickly turns into a big ball of stress because it can be really difficult to pick out things that say “thank you” and will be truly appreciated by the recipient and don’t cost too much. This is made all the more complicated by the fact that often we’re giving to people we don’t know that well outside of school/work/daycare.

Do not panic! I promise we can get you through it. In fact, I’ll just be lazy and refer you back to the post I wrote last year on this very topic.

But I also got an email on this topic, so let’s talk about it some more; I know Danielle can’t be the only one who’s struggling with this or a similar issue. (more…)

December 17, 2007 | Hot Hot Hot!, Everyday Wisdom

I get questions about what GPS unit to buy more than I get questions about just about anything else. While I would love to believe this is because I appear to be omniscient, I think it has more to do with the fact that 1) I rave about my GPS constantly, and 2) GPS units have finally come down in price enough that most people can afford them if they want one.

The answer I emailed to someone this morning is really the only answer I have: Read the reviews. I find it difficult to tell someone “You want feature XYZ” when XYZ may be important to me but meaningless to you. And I don’t know about you, but there are lots of things I’m sure I’d love if my GPS did, but I certainly wouldn’t have paid extra for them. A lot of it is personal preference, is my point. Do your research and decide what’s important to you, and then start pricing them out.

That said, the Magellan Maestro 3100 is on sale today at Amazon for $129.99. That’s $20 cheaper than Target’s sale price (plus free shipping) and from the reviews it looks like a solid choice. Is it the latest and greatest? No. Will it get the job done? Probably. Have a look if you’re in the market for one, and take the time to go over the features and read what people have to say. I know we tell our kids not to do things “just because everyone else is doing it,” but checking out the opinion of the masses isn’t always a bad thing.

(When you think about it, the greatest thing that online shopping has given us is not the ability to buy gifts in our jammies, but the ability to tap into so much consumer feedback in such an easy way. Even when I’m not making my actual purchase at Amazon, I always hop over there to read reviews.)

December 13, 2007 | Everyday Wisdom, Questions Answered

Call me sexist if you must, but I think that quite often, men are really difficult to buy presents for. Women tend to be pickier, but the men I know are much quicker to spend money on themselves, leaving the rest of us stumped when a birthday or holiday rolls around.

Heidi knows all about this; she writes:

I’ve been married for 13 years, love my husband, but NEVER know what to buy him. If he wants something he buys it. I usually do the stand by gift like a shirt or slippers. Any suggestions?

It’s the “if he wants something he buys it” bit that gets many of us. There are only two ways around it: Either you have to buy something he wanted but didn’t think was affordable (and that means finding a killer deal), or you have to buy something he didn’t know he wanted. (more…)

Everyday Wisdom, Product Talk

It’s no secret that I pink puffy heart Zappos. The truth is that I have affiliate relationships with half a dozen shoe stores, but it’s Zappos that I recommend 90% of the time, because they are quite simply the best. Their customer service is amazing, the ordering, pricematching, and (if need be) return processes couldn’t be simpler, and I am always left with a warm fuzzy feeling after I shop with them. In fact, I nearly always buy from Zappos (with pricematching, because I’m like that and you know I still need to save some dough) when getting shoes for myself or the kids.

You may have noticed that there’s some buzz going ’round the internet about how Zappos has changed their pricematching policy. Read on to set your mind at ease. (more…)

December 3, 2007 | Everyday Wisdom, Questions Answered, For the kids

The very pretty Jean writes:

I looooooooooove your idea of having a gift stash. My question is, how do you decide what to put in there? I want to give gifts that kids will love, but how to figure out what that is? Any suggestions? My son is 3.5 and is already starting to get invited to a ton of bday parties. Thank you your pretty-ness

In addition to being a world-class suck-up (thank you, Jean—you’re looking quite beautiful today, yourself!), Jean asks a pertinent question for those who are new to the idea of a gift closet: How do you know what to buy?

Let’s face it; get this one wrong, and you could be squandering lots of money rather than saving it. Having a stash doesn’t mean “buying everything on sale,” it means “buying things you know you’ll be able to gift throughout the year.” So how do we do that? (more…)

November 27, 2007 | Everyday Wisdom, Questions Answered, What to Wear

Suzanne writes:

Dear Mir,

I was searching the web for tips on how to redo my wardrobe, and I came across the perfect site… yours! I am a 16 year old girl on a rather small income. My parents won’t let me get a job until I’m done with high school, and I have to pay for gas. I get $100 a month from them. While this sounds like more than enough for someone my age, my problem is that I would like to give my wardrobe a little make over. I’ve always been the boring T-shirt and jeans kind of girl. Recently my style taste has changed and I’d like to wear something more fashionable. I am into darker clothing, without going over into the goth/emo area. I really like the layered look too. Also, most of my friends are guys and I like imitating their styles with a feminine touch. I have a closet full of clothes, but it seems like I’m missing what I need to complete my look. Do you have any advice on some key pieces that I could use to boost my style a little (without leaving me stuck at home because I can’t afford gas)?

I’m so touched that there’s a teenager in the world who doesn’t think I’m hopelessly dorky, that I am now mentally hugging Suzanne and stroking her hair. She, on the other hand, is now questioning her decision to write to me.

Today we’re going to do something a little bit special. I shared Suzanne’s query with my buddy Susan over at Friday Style, and we’re teaming up to give a complete answer that covers both style and shopping. (more…)

November 20, 2007 | Everyday Wisdom, Quick Tips

Are you gearing up for serious shopping this Friday? Read this first.

I’ve always been very clear on my opinion, here: I cannot think of a compelling reason to go out on the most insane shopping day of the year. I’d much rather score my deals while still in my pajamas. But if you must do Black Friday, do your research. Read and learn.