Craving more shopping news, tips and deals throughout the week?

That’s what the Shoptimist blog is for on Roanoke.com. I update the blog during the week with coupons, sale notifications and bits of news, some of which never makes it into print.

While the easiest way to stay up to date is to visit often and scroll through, there are a few other tricks to getting the most out of the blog.

I often get questions from readers asking when popular sales will be — lately you’ve all been curious about Elizabeth Arden, Old Navy flip flops and J. Crew Warehouse.

Whenever I find out about sale events I post a new blog entry with the sale dates, times and location. If you’re not able to find the blog post you need easily (they can get buried if there are multiple updates in a week), I suggest searching for the topic in the search bar located in the top right corner of the blog (see photo).

This search bar is preferable to a basic Google search or searching on the Roanoke.com home page because it will bring up related blog posts in chronological order. Use simple key words, like “warehouse sale” or a specific brand name, to get the most accurate search results.

It’s common for readers to comment on blog posts that are a year or more old because they’re disappointed they missed an event or because they can no longer sign up for a bargain.

It’s easy to tell if the blog post you’re looking at is relevant by checking the time stamp in the lower right corner. That time stamp will show the date, year and time the entry was originally posted.

I write a new blog post to announce each sale, coupon and event, so if the date isn’t recent, the information has probably expired. Before you head out to a sale be sure to check that time stamp.

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Check the comments section on blog entries related to the subject (you’ll find it in the lower right-hand rail). Someone else may have the same question as you and I may have answered it as a comment of my own.

However, for important updates I will make note of the additional information by adding “Updated” to the subject line and highlighting the new information in the blog post. Of course, you can always ask the question yourself in the comments section or send me an email.

I always welcome reader feedback or tips on the blog as well. I can learn just as much from you as you do from me. I find out about a lot of things the same way you do: by scoping out the newspaper ads, the Flyerboard on Roanoke.com and social media. These resources often have sale information and sometimes even coupons. If you catch something I’ve missed please share it on the blog.

Questions for readers

As we head into summer and beyond, I’d love to hear more feedback on the Shoptimist blog and column.

It seems like folks love the sale notifications and coupons, but what else? What’s your favorite feature on the blog, or what subject would you like to read about on future Saturdays in the newspaper?

The dollar store business in Southwest Virginia is booming.

In March, Roanoke Times retail reporter and blogger Amanda Codispoti reported that between March and April, three new dollar stores were opening in Roanoke alone: one Dollar Tree and two Family Dollar locations. A Dollar General location is also set to open by the end of the year in southeast Roanoke. These are the three major dollar store chains in our area, and it seems everyone has his or her favorite.

When I asked readers on my Shoptimist blog about their preferences, many mentioned that store cleanliness, helpful associates and specific brands kept them coming back to certain stores.

More than 310 readers voted in my poll asking which dollar store is their favorite, and more than 50 percent voted for Dollar Tree. Dollar General followed closely behind with around 39 percent of the vote. About 6 percent said they don’t shop at dollar stores — a total that’s more than the 3.9 percent who said they prefer Family Dollar.

Dollar Tree is the closest store to my home, so I shop there the most out of convenience. It’s my go-to store for wrapping paper and bows, as well as seasonal decorations. I’ve also found some great items in the food department, like brand-name frozen vegetables, candies, salty snacks and bread. It’s also easy to get items for free or nearly free with the use of coupons.

I also like stopping by a Dollar General Market, which has a great selection of produce, seasonal items and party supplies, but the closest one is in Troutville.

What readers like

There are approximately 20 Dollar Tree locations in and bordering the Roanoke and New River valleys, and more than 40 Dollar General locations. Family Dollar has only 15 local retailers, a possible reason why it has fewer fans.

Blog commenter Beth is a Dollar Tree fan. She wrote, “I particularly like the stores that have frozen food sections and carry the Nature’s Own bread products. The bread products are such a great deal. I love that I can get bread products without high fructose corn syrup and artificial flavors and colors at such a bargain price! Especially now that the Dollar Tree takes coupons, I find myself shopping there more and more!”

Jbx2 echoed her response, writing, “Dollar Tree gets my vote! Greeting cards, gift bags, wrapping paper all for a dollar. I also get makeup pads, cotton balls there. And I helped with a wedding where we used dollar store wine glasses as part of the centerpiece. They were super nice and looked great. More recently I bought some storage containers to be used in a closet. The same type of product sells at Target for around $8. They look great and hold everything perfectly.”

Dollar General received some positive feedback as well.

Jeffrey wrote, “Dollar General has my vote, especially the Dollar General Markets. You can get just about anything you need in there.”

Besides the Dollar General Market in Troutville, there’s also one in Christiansburg. These stores have the same policies as regular Dollar General stores but have an expanded grocery section and are larger overall.

Blog reader Kathy has grown to appreciate Dollar General stores all over the country. She wrote, “When we RV’d across the country 3-4 [years] ago we always managed to find one to buy canned goods, bread, cereal, etc. at good deals. Hubby even got a nice camouflage thermal shirt there last year!”

What’s the difference?

Dollar Tree is the only local dollar store where most everything in stores is actually $1, or sometimes less. The biggest drawback to these low prices is that all sales are final and no refunds are issued, unlike at the two other retailers. The store does allow exchanges on everything except seasonal items.

Though each retailer has an online presence, Family Dollar  does not offer online shopping. Dollar Tree requires bulk purchases for online orders, but also offers free in-store pick-up on qualifying products. Dollar General  doesn’t require bulk purchases and offers free shipping on orders more than $25.

All three retailers carry select brand names and accept manufacturer coupons, though Family Dollar and Dollar General also offer store coupons that can be printed from their websites and found in print ads.

These store coupons can be stacked with manufacturer coupons for double savings; however Family Dollar does not accept coupons on sale or clearance items. However, Family Dollar shoppers can use mobile coupons that can be accessed via text message or smartphone browsers.

Dollar Tree started accepting coupons in the past year, and has begun adding more products to its aisles, including clothes, fresh produce, frozen foods and more.

Each retailer accepts printable Internet coupons (like those on Coupons.com), though Dollar Tree limits Internet coupons to two per household, per day.

For readers who aren’t dollar store shoppers, I hope you’ll give them a chance. Start by browsing the Dollar General or Family Dollar ads in newspapers and online. This is a convenient way to compare prices and get a taste of where you could be saving.

I also suggest you stop in various stores from time to time. The merchandise is constantly changing, so you may find something on a second visit.

Do you agree with the results of the poll? If you don’t shop at dollar stores, what’s the reason?

The next J.Crew warehouse sale will be held this weekend, May 25-26. Click here to see a map and get directions to the Lynchburg warehouse, or call 434-316-6324 to get more information.

To get an idea of what this sale is like, read about my experience in this blog post.

To be perfectly honest, I don’t enjoy getting my hair cut.
Even though it’s a necessity of life, I usually get stressed out by the process: making the appointment, blocking out time, worrying if my cut and style will look right, pulling out my debit card for the inevitable bill — it’s just not my favorite way to spend an afternoon.

Luckily, I’ve learned a few ways to cut corners and make the process a little more affordable, and therefore a little more enjoyable.

One positive thing about haircuts is that you truly can pay what you want for them.
Whether you are brazen enough to bring out the trimmers at home or prefer the full salon experience, there’s a price for every budget. Decide what your price-point is and start calling around.
Some salons have different levels of stylists who vary in price. It’s also possible to save by requesting a dry cut (skipping the shampoo). If you’re just looking for a basic trim and not a full cut and style, there could be a price difference, as well.

Most chain locations are significantly cheaper than full-service salons. In between those extremes you’ll find local barbershops and hairdressers that offer a variety of services for a mid-level price. Also, coupons for chain salons are common. They can be found on the backs of grocery receipts, online and in the newspaper.
It’s also possible to find deals for local businesses, though. Salons and beauty shops often offer daily deal vouchers or advertise monthly specials, frequently on their Facebook pages or websites. These deals are great ways to support local businesses, get pampered and save. Keeping an eye out for new salons offering grand opening or seasonal specials (such as back to school) is another option.

Beauty institutes training students often provide affordable services to the public. In most cases, the students have reached a certain point in their education and are closely monitored by instructors while they work. Allowing students to practice on you helps them and can save you 50 percent or more off the cost of a professional salon service.
To get an idea of what’s offered locally, both the Regency Beauty Institute (www.regencybeauty.com) in Roanoke and P.Zaz the School (www.pzaztheschool.com) in Daleville have their services and price lists posted online. You can find other schools by using the Beauty Schools Directory at www.beautyschoolsdirectory.com.

Extending the time between cuts is an easy way to save money. If you have a short hairdo or color your hair, this can be a little more difficult, though.
At-home coloring has come a long way over the years and various brands now sell kits just for root touch-up, which is one way to stretch the time between salon visits. Some women do a daily check for split ends that need to be snipped. This upkeep can help hair look lively between cuts.

Alternating trips between your favorite salon and a more affordable barbershop or chain also is an option. Similarly, you can alternate at-home color with color done by a professional. Both of these options cut costs but still let you enjoy a special treat from time to time.

What’s your favorite tip for saving money on hair care?

It’s easy to lose sight of your spending and debt when so many payments are automatically drafted and carrying cash is nearly obsolete.

With most banks moving away from paper statements, you could go for months without seeing what’s going into and coming out of your bank account each day. That makes it tough to stick to a budget.

With the help of some online tools, though, you can sort out your cents without the help of a pricey financial guru.

Here are some of the best free personal finance tools out there:

Credit Sesame

I downloaded this free app when I was about to buy my first car.

Enter some basic financial information and the program will calculate your credit score as well as your total debt and home value, if you want. I like the charts that show my debt-to-income ratio and how my payments have changed over time. For young adults this program provides an easy entry into personal finance, while seasoned money-crunchers will appreciate the facts and figures this app provides.

You can also visit the website for a detailed view of your accounts and more tips on how you can save.

Devices: PC, Apple and Android
Sign up: www.creditsesame.com

Mint

This is a popular free online service that can open your eyes to how much you’re spending. When you create an account you can link your bank account, retirement account, loans, property, investments and credit cards and Mint will go to work.

Set up budgets for yourself, like a monthly allowance on groceries and entertainment, and Mint tells you how much you’re already spending on each category. If you have over- or underspent, the program tells you by how much and where you can start saving.

Take some time to really utilize all aspects of this service. Check your finance trends to see what’s going on with your money. Set goals for things like paying off loans, saving for college or saving for retirement. The site will calculate a time frame and your total savings for each goal.

Devices: PC, Apple and Android
Sign up: www.mint.com

Ready For Zero

If your goal is to pay off debt, this is a valuable service.

Link your financial accounts to the program and it will help you make a customized payment plan. The basic free tools on Ready For Zero allow you to experiment and see how much you can save by entering various monthly payments. Once you find an amount that fits your budget, the service can take over your payments to ensure they’re done on time.

Your progress will also be tracked, and you can sign up for notifications when there are changes to any of your financial accounts (like large deposits or bank charges).

Devices: PC, Apple
Sign up: www.readyforzero.com

LearnVest

LearnVest is a budgeting program similar to Mint, where you can link and track accounts. The basic service is free, but if you need more assistance you can pay to unlock features of the site, such as one-on-one contact with a financial planner.

I think the best part of this service is the variety of articles available. There are some great tips that clarify a lot of the financial blunders we all encounter from time to time.

Devices: PC, Apple
Sign up: www.learnvest.com

Student Loan Hero

Whether you’re preparing for college or are about to bust into the post-graduate real world, Student Loan Hero is a great free service for understanding student loan payments.

The financial directory can answer most questions students and recent graduates have and familiarize them with terms associated with loans. You can also send an email with specific questions and get personalized advice from the site.

Like the services above, you can link your loan accounts and it tracks and charts your payments. There are some practical tips for saving on monthly payments as well.

Devices: PC, Apple (no mobile apps are available at this time)
Sign up: www.studentloanhero.com

Before signing up for these services and linking your financial accounts to them, I recommend carefully reading their privacy policies. Each of these services is known to be safe and accurate, but there are plenty of scams out there too.

What’s your favorite personal finance service? How do you keep tabs on your money?

Graphic by MCT.

How much can you really learn from reading 140 characters? Well, if you follow the right Twitter feeds, the pay-off can be very valuable.

If you’re not familiar with Twitter, it’s a social media site that allows users to post messages to their followers in 140 characters (which includes letters, spaces and punctuation) or fewer. Due to the limited space, users can get important information and usually a link to read more in just a sentence or two.

I recently started a Shoptimist Twitter account and you can follow me at
@RTShoptimist. My goal is to find the most valuable Twitter accounts to follow so I can pass the best deals on to my readers, saving you time from scouring through hundreds of tweets.

However, if you’re interested in deal hunting on Twitter, I’ve figured out the easiest ways to get the best information.

In the same way that deal-finding blogs (like Roanoke.com’s Shoptimist blog) have exploded in recent years, Twitter is gaining popularity in the same arena. Businesses, brands and coupon sites are tweeting out their deals out into the social media world.

Diving right into Twitter can be overwhelming. Whom should you follow? How can you find what you’re looking for? Well, if you have any practice shopping and couponing online, doing the same on Twitter is very similar.

First of all, I’d recommend creating a Twitter handle just for bargain hunting. That will keep all of your deal news in one spot. If you have a personal Twitter account as well, try using a service like HootSuite, which will allow you to manage both accounts with one login on a computer or on mobile devices.

Then, think about the most important things you’d like to find. Coupons? Travel deals? Specific restaurant or retailer promos? Make yourself a list.

This is an important step because it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all of the information that’s available.

Once you’ve decided what your priorities are, start searching. A good place to start is your favorite shopping blogs. If you like the style of a blog, you’ll most likely like the style of its tweets.

If you love a specific brand it’s also a good idea to search for its Twitter account. Most popular brand names have feeds that publicize special deals, promotions and coupons. The same goes for specific retailers and restaurants.

Some of the best Twitter feeds I’ve found include:

* @Coupons.com: There are announcements every time new coupons are added to the site, plus online promo codes for other websites.

* @allyou: This feed for the popular magazine “All You” provides links to daily freebies, as well as links to short articles full of money saving tips.

* @SouthernSavers: Southern Savers is one of my favorite blogs. The author, Jenny Martin, tweets and blogs about deals specific to the Southeast. She is also great about tweeting only the best deals and not clogging up your feed.

* @SmartSourceCpns and @PGeveryday: SmartSource and P&G make regular appearances in the Sunday paper, but you can keep tabs on what other coupons the companies are offering through their Twitter accounts. They also give hints about what you could find in your Sunday paper from time to time.

* @bradsdeals: You may remember Brads Deals from a column I wrote in November. The website consistently finds the lowest price on popular items. The Twitter feed broadcasts the biggest savings the site hunts down.

It’s not always necessary to follow a specific feed to benefit from Twitter. Hashtags are used to point out keywords and categories tweets may fall under — for example, #coupons or #freebie. Try searching for a specific hashtag. Your search results will provide the public tweets of anyone talking about or publicizing that subject.

What are you favorite Twitter feeds to follow? How do you use social media to find the best bargains?

Graphic by MCT.

In addition to this blog and my Facebook page, there’s a new way to follow me and find freebies, deals and money saving tips.

You can now follow RTShoptimist on Twitter, where I’ll be re-tweeting the best deals that I find and sharing some links of my own. Basically, I’ll follow all of those other Twitter feeds so you don’t have to — that’s a pretty sweet deal in itself, right?

If you don’t have a Twitter account, you can still keep tabs on what’s going on with the widget on the lower right side of the blog. From there you’ll still be able to see what I write and click on any links that are posted.

For those of you who are experienced on Twitter, I’d love your suggestions on what feeds to follow (or which to avoid).

The hype around extreme couponing seems to have slowed recently, maybe because shoppers are returning to their normal habits, especially those who are only shopping for one or two.

That’s the category I fall into. As a 20-something woman who only shops for myself and the occasional visitor, I have certain items I keep back-ups of and hunt for certain coupons, but I don’t have (or need) an entire room dedicated to a stock pile of stuff.

So, what are some ways you can reach this happy medium of couponing and saving money without going overboard? It’s pretty simple.

Coupons

I don’t just write the weekly blog about Sunday inserts for show. I comb through my Sunday paper just like other bargain hunters scoping out the best deals of the week. I clip the coupons I need and at times will do a little trade with my mom. She takes the pet coupons I have no use for and I get coupons for snacks and beauty products in return.

I also print coupons from time to time. Once every week or two I’ll browse through Coupons.com, AllYou.com, Smartsource.com, Redplum.com and Target.com. In an effort not to waste paper I don’t print all the coupons available (there always seems to be an option for that), but instead flip through each page of each site and select which coupons I can actually use. This creates less trash for me and only takes a few minutes.

In addition to the websites, I’ll also check the Facebook pages and websites of my favorite brands when I’m about to run out of a product. More often than not I luck out and find a coupon waiting. It’s especially nice when I find store coupons on Target’s website, as those can be stacked with the manufacturer coupons found elsewhere.

Stocking up on basics

If there’s something on sale that I use a lot, usually pantry staples like chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and various sauces or spice packets, I’ll buy a few — especially if I have the coupons.

I don’t obsess over stacking coupons with sale prices but I do take advantage of the savings if I can. If a product is on sale and I have three coupons for it, I’ll go ahead and buy three to stock up. If it’s not on sale but I need it, I’m still saving a little with my coupons.

I always make a point to stop by the clearance racks. These are the absolute best places to find great deals. I have the most luck clearance shopping at Target and Kroger. More often than not the items I’m interested in purchasing also have coupons available. Most recently I’ve stocked up on Febreze candles, Sally Hansen nail products and Oral B toothbrushes all for about 80 percent off their normal retail price.

Meat is another product I’ll keep stocked. Products that freeze well like chicken breasts, turkey cutlets, ground beef and pork tenderloins can frequently be found discounted. I love finding these deep deals and storing them in my freezer for a future quick dinner. They’re on sale so often I usually just pick up one at a time and replace the product once I’ve used it up.

Luxuries

If I’m shopping for apparel, accessories, home decor or electronics it’s an extreme rarity that I ever pay full price. I love discount retailers like TJ Maxx and Marshall’s. I’ll also scour the clearance racks at Macy’s, Belk and other stores at the mall. If it’s a retailer that frequently offers coupons, I’ll try to hold out for those extra savings, too.

I’ve found that comparing prices to online retailers is a good idea. These websites can be much cheaper than brick-and-mortar stores and seeing the price difference helps me decide on a price point I’d be happy with.

If the product isn’t new on the market, I’ll also check out eBay or the used section on Amazon. Online “outlets” are a good option, too. Sears, Best Buy and Amazon are just a few retailers that offer outlet sites filled with close-outs, refurbished, overstocked, as-is, and returned merchandise.

Shopping around

As I’ve already mentioned, Target and Kroger are my go-to retailers to clearance shop. Once you get in the habit of checking the clearance racks, you’ll really start to save. It also puts the regular retail price of merchandise in perspective.

I also save on my health and beauty products at CVS because of its Extra Bucks rewards program. With the Extra Bucks, store coupons, manufacturer coupons and sale prices, the retailer, whose normal prices can be higher than other retailers, becomes an affordable option.

I’m also a fan of Dollar Tree. This is another spot you have to check frequently because of the always-changing selection. Storage containers, Softsoap and certain frozen foods are a steal at $1 each if you can catch them — especially if you’re lucky enough to have a coupon as well.

Extras

I’ve also figured out a couple of extra little things I can do from day to day to save. Kroger is my most convenient grocery store, so I try to stick to buying Kroger gas because of the savings earned with gas points. I make sure I use my cash rewards credit card for gas, too. The cash back rewards add up surprisingly quick.

I also shop around for just about everything. Unless it’s an absolute necessity that I need immediately, I’ll visit various stores as well as online retailers before making a purchase. As an Amazon Prime member and Shop Runner account holder, I’m able to save on shipping if I do make an online purchase.

For me, it’s most important to pay attention to where my money is going and then decide whether a purchase is worth it. I admittedly buy plenty of everyday items full price, but if there’s any possible way to avoid that I will. For luxury or fun items, the thrill of searching for the best price just makes them that much sweeter once the products are mine.

What are your day-to-day money saving habits?

What do you “like”? Graphic by Wikimedia Commons.

I must admit, I have a Facebook acount just for “liking” pages and getting deals (you can find me here, btw). This keeps my personal feed clear of clutter.

Some of the most rewarding pages I’ve come across include Target (though unfortunately it will no longer be giving out beauty bags), Polished by Claire V., CVS, Edible Arrangements and Old Navy. Of course, that’s just a small sampling — Facebook has a seemingly endless supply of pages offering coupons and deals.

In the past some readers have expressed concern over “liking” certain pages for fear of spam or companies selling your information. You should always be careful about sharing certain details, but if you’re smart about it you can still get big savings. The easiest way to avoid spam is to create a separate account with an email address dedicated to coupons and bargains like I have.

So what are some of your favorite pages? Let me know what they are so I can “like” them and help spread the word of the best deals around.

While making my usual trip to CVS this past weekend I saw something very exciting: makeup clearance.

Avid CVS shoppers may remember this from the past. Throughout the beauty department there are little stickers everywhere offering 25% to 75% off select products. This adds up to huge savings, especially if you have coupons to stack with the discounts.

Tons of popular brands were included in the sale. A few I noticed were Physicians Formula, Revlon, Covergirl, Dove, Herbal Essences and Sally Hansen.

I made some purchases that I would usually consider big splurges: Nexxus hair products and Organix lotion. The lotion even had a coupon for $2 off attached to the bottle.

This sale and the selection will vary by store, but it’s definitely worth checking out. You could find some awesome stocking stuffers or gifts to hold on to for later.

If you find some great deals, tell me about them in the comments section below.

Black Friday has come and gone, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t bargains to be found. You still have 24 more shopping days until Christmas to find a little something for everyone. Here are some tips for making it through the holidays, and beyond, while still saving money.

Add items to your online shopping cart and step away. Some retailers will recognize that you’ve left items in your cart and send a coupon code as an incentive to close the deal. I most recently experienced this with Pottery Barn.

Be wary of rebate offers. Rebates often require the purchase receipt and a UPC code to be mailed in, which would ruin the product’s packaging. If the item is a gift, that could be a problem if it needed to be returned. Look into what’s required before springing for a rebate deal and always ask for a duplicate receipt if you do make the purchase.

Shop around for gift cards. Even though many stores, like Kroger and Walmart, offer gift cards to various restaurants, stores and online services they’re not always the best deal. Occasionally Target and CVS offer rewards or discounts on gift card purchases.
Some stores and restaurants offer incentives, like additional free gift cards, if you purchase them at the brick-and-mortar location. For example, Outback Steakhouse is offering a free $20 bonus card for each $100 purchased in gift cards.
It’s also possible to find discounts on gift cards online. Best Buy.com has offered discounted iTunes gift cards in the past.

Keep all of your receipts in one place. There’s nothing worse than having to return an item and not get the full purchase price back because the receipt went missing. Find a system that works for you.

You’re not safe if you only buy gift cards. It’s wise to hold onto those receipts as well in case there’s an issue redeeming the cards.

If you do happen to lose a receipt, check the store’s return policy. Some retailers, like Lowe’s, can look up the purchase with the credit card merchandise was bought with.

Research offers from your bank and credit card. Many banks and credit companies offer incentives during the holidays for extra cash back or discounts. You’re not always automatically enrolled, but can be as simple as calling or clicking to sign up. I recently received an offer for discounted hotels and airfare from Bank of America.

Look out for frauds. My rule: If a deal seems too good to be true it probably is. This is especially true with online shopping, but can be a problem in retail as well. Research companies before you make a purchase and if possible speak to a real person before you hand over any information.

There’s no shame in coupons. Just because you’re buying a gift doesn’t mean you can’t save as much as possible. Use coupons, daily deals, store rewards and any other discounts you come across. The recipient will enjoy his or her spoils no matter the cost.

Beware of flash sales. Yes, some of these are great deals — but not all of them. If a sale is timed or warns of “limited quantities” our first instinct is to snatch it up. Research all of the items on your shopping list in advance so you know what a good price is and you could avoid paying too much during a “sale.” There’s also a lot of fine print that can be attached to these deals, so research the return policy, shipping costs and any additional fees before you commit.

Consider freebies with purchase, but don’t let those seal the deal. Some freebies are worth it, while others are a decoy. A free $20 gift card with the purchase of a product could be used for more shopping or as an additional gift. Free products with purchase, like free games with the purchase of a game system, are often items with little value. You may not be getting a deal in that case.

Take store rewards into account. If there’s not a better offer available, buying gift cards at Kroger for four times the gas points (available at most stores through Dec. 9) is a good deal. If you’re an avid Walgreens or CVS shopper, buying gift cards at those retailers that are accompanied with big ExtraBucks or Balance Rewards can pay off in the long run.

Use common sense and be a smart shopper. Don’t stress over pennies and don’t shop around so much you run out of time. The holidays are about being around friends and family more than anything, even though finding the perfect gift can feel pretty fantastic, too.

What’s your best tip for making it through the holiday shopping season?

As a shopping enthusiast sometimes you strike gold and sometimes bargain hunting feels like a waste of time.

Luckily, this weekend I struck gold at CVS, Kohl’s and Food Lion.

At CVS I lowered my checkout price from $50 to $17 with coupons and ExtraBucks before being rewarded with another $11 in ExtraBucks. Factor the new ExtraBucks in and my total bill was only $6.
That’s especially awesome when you consider some of my purchases: a new razor, razor refills, tissues, Glade air fresheners and mascara. Those can be pricey items.

I also found some gems hidden on the clearance racks at Kohl’s. I picked up two dresses and one top, which all came out to less than $10 each with my extra 15% off coupon (which they scanned from my phone, a perk I wish other stores would honor more often). I also grabbed up some Starbucks K-cups that were on sale and a few accessories for myself from another clearance rack. Kohl’s coupons are great since there are usually no exclusions, I got a discount on all of my sale and clearance purchases.
My total came out to just over $50, which also meant I got $10 in Kohl’s Cash to spend in the coming weeks. I’m hoping to stock up on some of the fantastic Christmas decor that was already on sale – some of it up to 50% off! 
Even though I spent over $50 in the store on this trip, I left with a big bag full of new stuff. What really helps put the savings in perspective is when you consider this dress that I found on clearance was originally $40, just $10 less than my total purchase for the day.

What was originally a quick stop at Food Lion to pick up ground chicken for dinner turned into big savings. I love Amy’s brand soups, but unfortunately they can be a little more than I want to pay on a regular basis. I was very excited when I found tons of cans on clearance for half-off ($1.99) in the store over the weekend and stocked up. These cans don’t expire until September of 2014.
I also found a great deal on thin-sliced chicken breasts in the meat department. I love cooking with these, but they can also be priced higher than I prefer. Food Lion often discounts its meat on Sundays, so I timed it perfectly to find a family-size pack of the chicken breasts for only $5.40. This was cheaper than the regular size packs in the cooler, and I can split the pack up and use it for multiple meals.

Have you had any shopping victories lately? Tell me about them!
 Tons of retailers already have Christmas specials and most Halloween/autumn goods are on clearance, so it’s time to stock up.

I love J.Crew sample sales (aka warehouse sales). I really, really do. So, I was jumping for joy when I finally got word of the next sale, which is THIS weekend.

The warehouse in Lynchurg (25 Millrace Drive) will be open on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Click “Directions” in the map below to get directions from your house to the sale.

View Larger Map

I’ve written about these sales in the past (check it out here and here) and have gotten some amazing deals — we’re talking over $1000 worth of clothes and accessories for around $100.

After going a couple times, I’ve abandoned the idea that you have to be there early unless you’re looking for an extremely rare item, like a wedding dress. Our local warehouse is constantly replenishing their stock during the sale, so you may not really benefit from getting there early and waiting in line. Last time I went after lunch and walked right in with no trouble. I still managed to find a giant bag full of clothes, too!

The J.Crew discount store next door is also open during sale hours, so you may find some deals in there, as well.

For more information about the sale, call the Lynchburg store at (434) 316-6324. If you’d like to be notified about future sales, ask them to add you to their email list.

Have you ever attended a J.Crew sample sale? What was your experience like?

Graphic by scottbrand.com.

If you haven’t signed up for Scott Shared Values yet, now is a great time.

The site is offering a free $5 Amazon mp3 credit to members who answer one simple question about their buying habits — that’s it!

Once you answer the question you’ll be given a one-time-use code to enter on Amazon and retrieve your $5 credit.

Your mp3 credit won’t expire until Jan. 31, and Amazon runs specials on individual mp3 songs and albums all the time, some as low as 99 cents or $2 per album!

The site was a bit slow when I was entering my codes (presumably from all the sudden traffic), so do be patient.

I had my first experience throwing a baby shower a couple of weeks ago.

I was totally new to this scene — it’s the first baby expected among my immediate family and friends. The pressure of hosting can be overwhelming with so much involved — money, food, gifts, invitations — especially when you’re in unfamiliar territory.

While I’m extremely frugal, I’m also a stickler for detail, so I had a crash course in throwing an affordable and adorable baby shower. With a little research and the help of my co-host — my mother — we were able to put together a great party.

The theme of the shower was jungle animals, coinciding with the prints in the baby boy’s room. After browsing Etsy, Pinterest and Google, my brain was filled with easy ideas.

Here’s what I settled on, and how I managed to cut corners.

Food

At parties, folks tend to be attracted to the foods that are familiar, yet tasty, so that’s what we stuck with.

Ham biscuits, chicken salad croissants, veggies and dip, fruit salad and a pasta salad were on the menu. What made this affordable menu even better was the fact that all of these dishes could be made in advance, saving us a headache on the day of the shower.

For dessert, we served carrot cake cupcakes, the mom-to-be’s favorite, topped with icing and an animal cracker. The easy cake toppers fit the theme perfectly and didn’t cut into our budget. Consider looking for similar pre-made goodies that can accentuate your homemade treats.

Invitations and decor

The invitations and decorations took the most research. We expected just 14 people at the shower, so buying invitations, plates and napkins in bulk was out of the question. We wouldn’t really be saving anything if there were dozens of paper goods left over.

After considering a few products that could be personalized or pre-printed, we finally settled on some sale-priced Hallmark goods from Shindigz.com. Plates, napkins, tablecloths, a banner, invitations and thank-you cards were all purchased for under $40, and they all matched. Providing thank-you cards for the shower recipient is a nice perk if you can find some that fit the bill.

Favors

My mother is an ambitious lady to say the least, and she chose to tackle the feat of providing each of our guests with a box of homemade truffles. She found a simple recipe with simple ingredients, and we ended up with an attractive and delicious favor.

Plain truffle boxes can be purchased at most craft stores, and we chose to line the plain boxes with gold leaf papers. Because we weren’t providing favors for a big crowd, it was an affordable option, but this could turn into a pricey venture. Michaels, A.C. Moore and Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft stores have coupons in the newspaper and online almost weekly. These can lead to big savings if your merchandise is eligible.

One of our best finds was the stickers we used to secure the truffle boxes.

I found a seller on Etsy who offered jungle-themed stickers that could be personalized. I ordered 24 stickers with “Thank you!” printed on them for merely $10 — a bargain for a custom product.

Etsy has endless possibilities in the realm of custom paper products, and there’s something for every budget. Many sellers even offer a print-at-home option.

Luckily, these things were the most we had to worry about. There was a request to leave games off the itinerary, which also saved some money.

The location was free because it was held in the mom-to-be’s home. This ended up being a great plan, as she didn’t have to load all her loot into the car when the party was over. Cleanup was also a breeze because we purchased all paper and plastic products, and all of our food could be put right back into the refrigerator.

Do you have any special tips or tricks when it comes to hosting a shower? Share your ideas!

From time to time, retailers update their policies and smart shoppers need to stay in the know. Here are some changes that effect shoppers locally:

Dollar Tree stores, where everything is $1 or less, are now accepting manufacturer’s coupons.

If you’re shopping in-store, you can use up to two print-at-home coupons per shopping trip and one manufacturer coupon per item. There are a few important details: Coupons for free items with no purchase requirements will not be accepted and coupons cannot be redeemed for more than the purchase price of the item. Management also has the right to refuse any coupon or limit quantities, so certain rules could differ depending on which store you shop. For more information, visit www.dollartree.com.

Target recently introduced Target Baby Alerts. Exclusive baby coupons, deals and other announcements will be texted to shoppers up to six times per month. Some of the deals for August include buy one, get one half-off Gerber onesies, $2 off Burt’s Bees Baby Bee toiletry items, $2 off Huggies and 10 percent off your first baby order. To start receiving these text alerts, text BABY to 827438.

Walgreens is reworking its shopping rewards program and will soon introduce Balance Rewards.

Shoppers can enroll in the new program online early at bit.ly/R7Ohr8, though the program won’t officially start until Sept. 16. Full details haven’t been released yet, but the new program will be points-based, giving shoppers the opportunity to earn points for shopping and redeem them for products and other rewards.

Walmart is bringing back layaway for the 2012 holiday season after a successful run in 2011. Layaway will become available again Sept. 16 and be available through Dec. 14. Customers who “like” their favorite store will have the opportunity to put items on layaway two days early.

This year’s program offers an extended list of eligible categories. Also, shoppers who make their final payment will receive a refund of the $15 layaway fee in the form of a Walmart gift card. According to the retailer’s website, the down payment for layaway is 10 percent or $10 (whichever is greater). To be eligible, individual items must be priced at $15 or more, and the total layaway purchase must be $50 or more. For more information, visit www.walmart.com/layaway.

I’m a big CVS shopper. If you can get in the right rotation with their Extra Bucks rewards program, a lot of money can be saved. If you’re just starting out or an avid CVS shopper, this promotion is very attractive.

From Sept. 16 to Dec. 15, CVS is offering 4 percent back quarterly — double the 2 percent they usually offer — each time you use your Extra Care card in stores or for online purchases. You will have to sign up at bit.ly/PrSO8H to take advantage of this deal, but this could have a huge impact on the Extra Bucks you receive. Have your Extra Care card handy when you sign up, you will need to enter the number on the back.

Details about the evolving Walgreens rewards policy will be updated there as they are released.

Are cards worth the cost to you? I love finding a greeting card that's just right, but I love saving money on them even more.

After a recent column about the quirky things we all do to save a buck, I received multiple messages from readers about greeting cards. I personally love finding the perfect card for an occasion, but I do hate the cost involved. It’s common to find individual cards for $5 or more these days.

A reader named Michelle from Bedford lets her son draw her greeting cards. She wrote, “My son Jared age 10 enjoys drawing things on homemade cards that he knows is their favorite things to cheer them up or bring a smile. This past Mother’s Day he drew a card with butterflies since he knows butterflies are my favorite. He also likes to use construction paper to cut out designs and glue on the paper. It can be a fun together project as well.”

One reader had a humorous trick to share.

Jeri from Roanoke wrote, “I buy two cards at the Dollar Tree for each birthday, anniversary, Valentine. Since they lay them down and don’t pick them up, I take them and put them in an envelope. Then on that day, I give them one of them, then the next year, I give them the other one. Then put that one away. So each year they get a card from the year before and they never remember getting it. If they do, I just say oh I didn’t remember that, I just liked that card. You can keep doing this year after year.”

That’s one way to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Andrea of Fincastle has a special tradition with her husband on their anniversary: “My hubby and I do not exchange gifts to celebrate our wedding anniversary, but we do like to exchange anniversary cards. However, the price of greeting cards (the really nice, sentimental Hallmark-like cards) is really outrageous. So for last 20 years or so on our 8/16 anniversary, we have made our annual trip to Wal-Mart where we each search diligently to find the perfect card with the exact sentiment we wish to convey. My hubby’s goal is to bring tears to my eyes, which he has on more than one occasion. After we read one another’s chosen card, we simply put the cards back on the rack and walk away. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, HONEY!!” she wrote.

If none of these solutions strikes your fancy, try out some of these tips:

* CVS, Target and Walgreens frequently provide coupons or run promotions on greeting cards. Sign up for Target’s mobile coupons and check out their website for printable coupons on cards. It’s also possible to break even by earning Extra Bucks or Register Rewards after the purchase from CVS and Walgreens.

* Hallmark and American Greetings provide coupons and promotions of their own from time to time. I’m a member of Hallmark Gold Crown Rewards and regularly receive coupons in the mail offering dollars off a purchase or free cards with purchase. Both card companies also post printable coupons on their Facebook pages and websites periodically.

* If you’re all about digital communication, there are tons of resources for free eCards. Evite by American Greetings is one of the most popular sites. It allows you to pick from a wide variety of invitations and greeting cards that can be sent with personalized messages. If you’re sending out invitations, the recipients can reply with yes, no or maybe and include a personal message for the host. Most digital options are free and you get to skip postage costs, making them especially attractive.

* Those of you with nice printers may be interested in print-at-home options. If you’re sending out 20 or more cards, the cost of ink can be a factor. But if you have a lone birthday card to send, this could work for you. American Greetings and Blue Mountain are two popular resources for pre-designed printables, but there are many other sites that also print cards. Etsy also offers various print-at-home options.

After graduating from college, I used cardstock and matching envelopes to create my own printable graduation party invitations. I chose a color I liked and designed my text on Microsoft Word. The process was simple, and with coupons regularly available for stores like Michaels, AC Moore and Joann Fabric, it was also inexpensive. If you’d like to add a little more flair to plain card stock, consider framing it with scrapbook paper or cutouts. All of these products can be found on clearance on a regular basis.

* It’s also possible to get free professionally printed cards. Websites such as Shutterfly, Cardstore, Snapfish, Treat and Tiny Prints regularly hold promotions offering free cards to new and current members. Each website also gives the user the power of personalization — choose your own text or add a photo. This option takes a little more research. Some sites require you to order select cards in bulk. Or if you want a free card, you’ll have to hunt for a promotion code.

* If you’re looking for something more instantaneous, photo postcards from stores such as Walgreens, CVS and Walmart can be a bargain if you seek out promotion codes or coupons. Each store regularly has promotions for online orders, which is very convenient if you have your photos uploaded to your computer, but there are also weekly deals in each store’s ad as well.

How do you save on greeting cards? Share your tips and tricks!

Dining out doesn't have to cost a fortune. Share your favorite money saving tips below. File photo.

Working as a waitress on and off since high school has taught me a few things about saving money at restaurants. It’s easy to rack up an expensive tab without even realizing you’re doing so. But there are some simple ways to avoid a pricey bill without depriving yourself.

Before you dine

Doing some research on local restaurants can lead to big savings. Pay attention to the specials each night, various discounts available (such as military, AAA, or student discounts) and kids-eat-free nights.

Have an idea of how much you want to spend before heading out. It’s easy to add on a few small items here and there that can be a shocker when the bill comes (more on that later). Keeping a budget in mind will make you more conscious of your choices.

Consider what time you want to dine as well. Restaurants often have specials during off-hours in the afternoon or early evening. If your schedule allows, opt to eat during those times.

The newspaper isn’t the only place to find restaurant coupons. Even though they’re not always advertised, individual restaurant websites and Facebook pages often have printable coupons. I’ve recently posted coupons on the Shoptimist blog for Carrabba’s, T.G.I. Friday’s, Quiznos and MaggieMoo’s — all of which I found on the individual company websites.

Daily deals and Restaurant.com gift certificates are two other options.

Daily deal vouchers will usually save you at least 50 percent. Additionally, Restaurant.com often runs promotions where you can pick up a gift certificate for as low as $2. Currently, there are 15 restaurants in the Roanoke and New River valleys that are featured on Restaurant.com.

When using daily deals and gift certificates, the most important thing to do is pay attention to the fine print. It also never hurts to call the participating restaurant before you buy and confirm the details.

Once you arrive

As tempting as it is to get a cold soda or adult beverage with dinner, opting for water can save a bundle. Restaurants generally charge $1.50 and up for various drinks. Don’t assume a drink comes with your child’s meal; you could be paying the same amount for a child who will only drink half.

Appetizers vary in price but can add up quickly. If you need something to take the edge off, opt for a side salad, which is often cheaper.

When it comes time to order your entrée, be aware of add-ons. Asking for extra sauces, cheeses, meat or vegetables will often cost you each time. Look for these prices on the menu or consult your server before loading up on the extras.

If you’re not extremely hungry, check the menu for half-plates or ask your server if the restaurant charges extra to split plates. This is especially convenient if what you’re eating isn’t the best re-heated.

Remember to have fun

Saving money doesn’t have to suck the fun out of a night out. My family often opts to enjoy appetizers and happy hour before going out to dinner. This gives everyone an excuse to relax together, which has its own value.

There are also times when it’s fun to splurge and order exactly what you want, no matter the cost. When you try to save a few bucks on weekly dinners, you can feel better about these splurges.

How do you save money when dining out?

Congrats to Andrea Daniels! I had Arts blogger Mike Allen pick a number at random, and your hilarious comment about anniversary cards was the winner.
Andrea said: “

My hubby and I do not exchange gifts to celebrate our wedding anniversary, but we do like to exchange anniversary cards. However, the price of greeting cards (the really nice, sentimental Hallmark-like cards) is really outrageous. So for last 20 years or so on our 8/16 anniversary, we have made our annual trip to Walmart where we each search diligently to find the perfect card with the exact sentiment we wish to convey. My hubby’s goal is to bring tears to my eyes, which he has on more than one occasion. After we read one another’s chosen card, we simply put the cards back on the rack and walk away. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, HONEY!!”

Bargain hunters are always looking to save a buck. They cut corners, shop sales and often have their own unconventional ways to pinch pennies.

For example, I’m so cheap that I save any extra condiment packets and crackers from restaurants. Now, I’m not emptying a basket of crackers into my purse, but if any wrapped packets on my plate don’t get eaten, they’re coming home with me. Those fancy ketchup packets that allow you to dip or squeeze out the contents are also hot commodities for me.

Like my editor Kathy Lu, I also hoard unused napkins in my car’s glove box. You won’t catch me throwing away a holey sock either — that makes a perfectly good dust rag. Lu, on the other hand, adds water to the remnants of a dish detergent bottle to stretch its shelf life.

Botetourt View columnist Cathy Benson refuses to buy meat that’s not on clearance, and purchases permanent markers at Happy’s Flea Market. “They are called Sharpei instead of the name brand and look the same except the strategic change of i and e. They cost less than half,” she said.

Editorial assistant Danielle Dunaway hasn’t paid full price for anything at Staples in years. She turns in her used ink cartridges for $3 in Staples Rewards.

Columnist Lindsey Nair can’t bring herself to throw away an empty condiment jar. “I figure I can use it to make refrigerator pickles or something. Most of them are in a box in the basement,” she said. She also extends the life of Ziploc bags by rinsing and reusing them.

Book giveaway!

It seems everyone has their own level of cheapness and there’s no shame in it.

In fact, if you’re willing to share your “I’m so cheap … ” story below, you might be rewarded.

Submit your quirky habit and you may be selected to win a copy of “How to Shop for Free” by Kathy Spencer with Samantha Rose. This book is full of tips to help you get the most for your money.

I’ll pick a winner at random by noon on Aug. 20.

Smartphone users have access to thousands of apps, so sometimes it’s hard to know where to start if you’re searching for something specific.

Shopping apps are especially popular these days, but there are hundreds to choose from. It’s disappointing to download an app only to figure out it doesn’t work well in your area, so I did some research. I tested some of the most popular shopping apps and how they’d work in Roanoke. Some were more successful than others.

Here are some notes from my experience:

Shopkick

Free: iPhone, Android

Shopkick rewards the user with points, or “kicks,” for visiting participating stores. Start the app when entering a store and shoppers can get a certain number of kicks just for visiting. More kicks can be earned for making purchases, and the app offers exclusive deals and coupons for users. Kicks can be cashed in for gift cards, movie tickets and more, or donated to different causes.

While reading up about this app, I loved the idea. Rewards start as low as three kicks to donate to Carbonfund.org and go as high as 6,250,000 kicks for a Princess cruise. In between there were gift cards for various retailers at about 1,200 kicks.

Unfortunately, this app is very temperamental. You have to activate the app and stand in just the right spot at the front of a store to get your kicks. The only store I visited where the app actually rewarded me was Target, where I got 60 kicks. The app didn’t recognize any of the stores I visited at Valley View Mall, such as Barnes & Noble or Macy’s.

If the kinks can get worked out, this app could ultimately be rewarding — but it’s not quite there.

Wrapp

Free: iPhone, Android

The offer of free gift cards seems too good to be true, but somehow Wrapp manages.

This self-proclaimed “social gift-giving service” has various free gift cards from retailers available for users to give as gifts to Facebook friends and anyone on their phone’s contact list. Wrapp gift cards also can be purchased or users can add money to a free gift card.

The app encourages users to “celebrate” their friends, so they can send gifts for any occasion, or choose to have a gift card sent on the friend’s birthday.

I got a free $5 gift card to Gap upon signing up for this app — an encouraging start. I tested the gift card in the Gap at Valley View. The store employee had never seen or heard of Wrapp, but tested the barcode for me. Sure enough, I received a $5 credit off of a scarf I had found on clearance. Be careful: Once you open the gift card and select “Use in store,” it will expire. The app also suggests that you keep an ID handy in case stores need verification.

I also experimented with sending gift cards to my friends and was successful.

There were free gift cards from Gap, Sephora, Adidas, MLB.com, OmahaSteaks.com, Fab.com, The Wall Street Journal and more. The gifts can be sent via text message, email or Facebook, so it’s not necessary for the recipient to have a Facebook account. It was really simple to select a friend, select a gift card, include my own message and have the gift card delivered instantly.

Zoomingo

Free: iPhone, Android

This app is meant to alert the user of local sales and deals. The app also has its own Pinterest page with alerts to online sales.

The app works by collecting the shopper’s ZIP code once the app is opened, so the information provided is strictly local. Sales can be browsed by store, product or department.

I didn’t find this app very useful. Browsing through sale merchandise and stores is not very convenient on the small screen of a smartphone, and the navigation could use some work. The entire app operated very slowly. The sale prices at local stores did appear to be up to date, with the exception of a few clearance items I found.

Personally, I’d rather physically shop for specific products at stores I know and trust instead of browsing a large list looking for good prices.

Google Shopper

Free: iPhone, Android

Though this app can be used on iPhone or Android, it likely cooperates better on Android because it’s a Google program. Users can use the app to search for specific products and find price comparisons locally and online.

Shoppers also can use Google Shopper to scan barcodes or take a picture of a product and find price comparisons. The app will store the user’s history and a shopping list, plus it provides various lists, such as featured offers, popular items each week and weekly sales.

Price comparison apps have been around for a while, but this is the best one I’ve tried yet. The option to take a photo of a product and get price comparisons is especially impressive. I’m always a little leery of clearance prices at stores, especially if it’s a product I’m not used to buying. Is it really a good price?

I found a Crayola Washable Kaleidoscope 3-D Sidewalk Chalk Activity Set on clearance at Target and decided to test the app. The chalk set was on clearance at Target for $7.49, and Toys R Us right down the street had the same set for $9.99 — it was a deal. The app has up-to-date prices and will show you online deals as well as local deals, making it very convenient.

Barcode Scanner

Free: iPhone, Android

This app has been a popular download for a long time. The app is a no-frills program that allows shoppers to scan barcodes and get price comparisons. After scanning, there are three options: a product search, a Web search or a Google Shopper search.

The simplicity of this app was great, but the best results for each product I scanned came from Google Shopper. Since I had already downloaded that app, Barcode Scanner seemed a bit redundant. The product search and Web search results weren’t very helpful when it came to immediate, local price comparisons. I’ll stick with Google Shopper.

Coupon Sherpa

Free: iPhone, Android

Coupon Sherpa offers hundreds of in-store coupons. The app doesn’t allow retail results to be narrowed by ZIP code, but coupons can be browsed by retail store or grocery store. Grocery coupons can be uploaded to a store shopper card and retail coupons can be scanned from the shopper’s phone (if the store allows it). The expiration date and any limitations also are listed.

Despite being unable to limit the app’s results to Roanoke, I found this app extremely useful. It’s very easy to browse the store list and find coupons. Coupon Sherpa is user-friendly, quick and up-to-date.

The one problem that shoppers may come across is a store’s inability, or noncompliance, to scan the coupon from phones. Some stores have a policy that requires printed coupons, but it often depends on the cashier.

Always try, because the worst thing that could happen is they say no. Many local stores had coupons available, including Kroger, Macy’s, American Eagle, A.C. Moore, Bath & Body Works, Belk and many more.

Do you have a favorite shopping app? Which app are you looking forward to trying?

Some bargain hunters are just not early birds (this girl), so it’s hard to roll out of bed early on Saturdays to take advantage of the low-cost, high-quality items at yard sales.

Luckily, sites like www.craigslist.com make it possible to shop for inexpensive, or even free, stuff any day and any time of the week. I recently found a great chair on Craigslist for only $50. I emailed the seller on a Sunday evening and had it in my room by Tuesday.

Finding a site that allows you to search by a specific region or ZIP code is key. Craigslist allows you to pick a city and only see results in that area. From time to time, local shops even post some of their new merchandise on the site.

If you’re looking for freebies, there’s also a section specifically for those. You’d be surprised what some people are willing to part with at no cost if you’re willing to pick it up. Many sellers include photos, and if it’s not a freebie the seller is usually open to bargaining, helping you narrow down the listings.

FreeCycle is another great spot to find local freebies. Visit freecycle.org and type in your city and state and you can instantly see up-to-date listings of your neighbors’ free stuff. There are also “wanted” listings, so it’s another outlet for getting rid of your own clutter. Be aware that the site is experiencing some hiccups lately as it recently changed formats, so be patient.

As if you need another reason to log on to Facebook, it’s a great resource for buying and selling goods as well.

Montgomery County and the Roanoke Valley both have Facebook pages dedicated to locals trying to sell their stuff. Montgomery County Yard Sale has more than 5,000 members and the Roanoke Valley Yard Sale page has more than 7,000, so users can reach a large audience if they’re trying to sell. Facebook also allows you to view photos of the items for sale and have a direct interaction with the seller via personal messages or the commenting system.

Additionally, Facebook has its own Marketplace app, which is very similar to the two pages mentioned above. Narrow your search results by city and state, and you can see listings created by your friends and others in your area. You can even limit the search results to a specific neighborhood. The marketplace also has an area exclusively for free items.

All of these resources are free to post on and browse, but there are also ways to ensure your ad gets seen by paying for a spot in The Roanoke Times classifieds section.

The classified pages are a little more precisely organized both in print and online at classified.roanoke.com. You can guarantee your listing will be published as many days as you desire and it gets equal viewing with the other listings, unlike with the aforementioned online resources, which are live updated, so your post gets bumped down as the days go on.

Another positive to buying and selling products through these local resources is there are no shipping costs. I would recommend dealing with cash in all instances — it’s the safest and least complicated option.

What’s your favorite shopping resource for picking up local new, used and free merchandise?

Earthbound Farm Organic sends out coupons for fresh produce almost daily in their email newsletter. Learn where to sign up below.

Here are a few printable coupons to help you power through the rest of this week.

*Red Lobster has this printable coupon good for $10 off any two adults entrees — even the Four Course Seafood Feast. Just visit the restaurant’s Facebook page to claim the offer, which is good through August 5.

* Pilot Travel Centers has another great coupon for anyone on the go. Visit the store’s Facebook page you’ll find a coupon good for a free hot or cold beverage. This coupon is good through August 31.

* Shoe Carnival has just released a printable coupon offering $5 off a purchase of $39.98 or higher. This is perfect timing for back to school shoppers! This coupon is good through September 4.

* McDonald’s still has this printable coupon available offering smoothies, frappes, Chillers and frozen lemonade buy one, get one free. This coupon expires July 31.

* Sonic is offering a free small order of tots when you buy a premium beef hotdog with this printable coupon. This coupon is good through August 10.

Produce coupons are pretty rare, but they’re wonderful when they come along.

* Click here to access a printable coupon offering a free avocado when you buy four. This coupon is good through October 16.

* I recently signed up for the Earthbound Farm Organic newsletter. Now, I receive coupons for fresh produce, like spinach and other greens, almost daily. If you pair these coupons, some of which have been as much as 75 cents off, with any clearance prices you could save a ton. Click here to sign up.

Rebates are a great alternative to coupons when it comes to saving money. They can lead to free or discounted products, plus it feels great to have companies paying you to buy their products.

You do need, however, to be careful when it comes to using rebates. If you don’t follow the rules closely, you won’t get anything in return.

Here are some tips to ensure you get your check in the mail:

Keep track of due dates. If a store is advertising a rebate special, be sure you can complete the required actions in the allotted time. If a specific product is offering a rebate, make sure the package isn’t outdated and advertising an expired rebate.

Don’t trash the packaging. Before you toss any boxes or containers, make sure you don’t need an additional proof of purchase besides your receipt. Some rebates require specially marked products and you may be required to send in additional information. It’s also wise to make copies of your materials before mailing them off.

Read the fine print. Some rebates allow the use of coupons, which means you may make more money than you originally spent. I’ve recently taken advantage of a Neutrogena rebate that allowed coupons. However, in some cases coupons or other discounts are prohibited. Know the rules before you head to the register.

Pay attention to your shopping cart. If you have multiple items that are eligible for rebates remember to pay for them separately and get separate receipts. Generally reproductions of receipts are not accepted for rebates.

Don’t let your check expire. Once you complete your rebate successfully and get your check in the mail, open it and look for an expiration date. Often rebate checks are only valid for a short time.

Follow-up if you don’t receive your check. Usually there is a phone number for questions and concerns listed on the rebate form or product packaging. If you don’t receive your check in the specified number of weeks listed, don’t hesitate to call and follow up. The company could be experiencing high demand that has set them back or there could be a problem with your request.

Only buy products you really want or need. Rebates are a great way to try new products for little or no cost, but keep the worst-case scenario in mind — no check. If the product will put any hardship on your financial situation, reconsider the purchase.

It’s important to look for rebates everywhere. You can find cash-back opportunities for just about anything. In the past year I’ve received checks in the mail for purchasing wine, beef, makeup and a variety of Proctor & Gamble products. Keep an eye out for specially marked packages, tags, stickers and retail advertisements altering you to rebate promotions.

Share your tips and experiences with rebates in the comments section below.

Here’s a roundup of some new money-saving tips that might lead you to major bargains:

RedPlum, one of the coupon booklets inserted in Sunday newspapers, has provided printable coupons on its website for quite some time. But the coupons online and the coupons in print are often different.

Recently, RedPlum started offering their Sunday coupon booklets in an eBook online. There is a print limit to the coupons, though, so try to access them as early as possible on Sunday mornings. This will be especially handy for any household that doesn’t regularly receive RedPlum with their paper. To try out the new site, visit ebook.redplum.com.

I’ve had a couple of great experiences at Kohl’s recently that led to big savings. On one visit, the saleswoman gladly scanned a coupon from my smartphone when I realized I had forgotten to print it out. On a second trip, I was able to combine a sale price, a $5-off coupon and $10 in Kohl’s Cash — I ended up saving more than $30 on a single purchase.

So now you know, always remember to stack those coupons at Kohl’s. You can combine two dollar-off coupons or a dollar-off coupon and a percentage-off coupon.

Here are some other ways you may not realize you can save at Kohl’s:

If you come within $2 of the Kohl’s Cash criteria (you spend $48 of the required $50), the retailer will round up and reward you with your $10 Kohl’s Cash.

If you forget to include a promo code in an online order, call (855-564-5705) or email (http://bit.ly/oDVF5U) customer service and they will adjust the price of your order for you. You are allowed two promo codes per online order.

CVS has gone mobile. Download the free CVS/pharmacy app for iPhone or Android and you can use your smartphone in place of your ExtraCare card at the register. Up until now, it was not in CVS’ policy to scan coupons from smartphones and you could not access your ExtraCare Card barcode from your smartphone. Now both can be scanned from a phone at the register.

Additionally, you can access your account to view your ExtraBucks rewards and any other savings. You also can send any available coupons directly to your card and skip the printer.

If you use the pharmacy for your prescriptions, there’s also a tool where you can scan your medications to request a refill. After scanning, you will have the opportunity to select a time and location to pickup your medication.

This is the most useful app I’ve downloaded in a long time.

Many shoppers are aware that Target offers store coupons online, but did you know they also offer manufacturer coupons?

Mixed in with the store coupons you’ll find manufacturer coupons available for printing. This is a great opportunity to find coupons that may have reached their print limit on other coupon sites. The major downside is that you can’t tell which coupons are manufacturer coupons and which are store coupons until they are printed. Either way, you could end up saving a lot.

Target will accept one manufacturer’s coupon and one store coupon for a product, so start stacking. There also are coupons available for apparel, accessories and other products throughout the store.

If you have a smartphone, I would also suggest signing up for text alerts and coupons. Target will send you new coupons every couple of weeks for products in each department, even apparel. Just have the cashier scan the barcode on your phone at checkout to get the savings.

To sign up for text alerts, visit http://www.target.comand click the icon labeled Target Mobile. On the following screen you’ll see an area to enter your cellphone number, time zone and preferred delivery time.

How are you saving an extra buck these days?

Most of the time when we hear the phrase “buyer incentives,” it’s related to large purchases such as a house or a car. For those bigger investments, you sometimes can get a tax break, a special deal on your loan or some sort of cash back reward for making payments early. But flip through retail ads today and you’ll see that stores are offering buyer incentives on just about anything.

Sometimes, however, it means the buyer spends more upfront.

I don’t know anyone who would argue with a sale price. But when it comes to having to buy a product to save in the long run, things get tricky.

For example, both Kohl’s and CVS are popular retailers in our area who offer their own store rewards for select purchases.

Kohl’s offers Kohl’s Cash throughout the year when shoppers spend a certain amount. After the cash is earned, shoppers can return at a later date to use the “cash” on future purchases.

CVS has a similar deal. Shoppers earn Extra Bucks for spending a certain amount on selected products each week. These “bucks” can be used in future shopping trips.

If you are a regular shopper at a store that offers these incentives, they can be very rewarding. I’m in a cycle of shopping at CVS because I prefer to make short shopping trips when what I need is on sale as opposed to big Walmart trips. Even though the normal prices at CVS are higher than those at Walmart, I save 50 percent to 75 percent on each shopping trip thanks to my coupons and Extra Bucks.

However, if you’re enticed to pick up a product at one of these stores because of the rewards you receive with a purchase even though you rarely shop there, think twice. For retailers, part of the appeal of these incentives is that many shoppers will forget to use their rewards or not bother to return. Then you really haven’t gotten a deal at all.

Similar promotions also can be found at Target, which regularly offers free gift cards with selected purchases. The plus side to receiving a gift card with purchase is that it won’t expire like store “cash,” which usually is valid for only a month or less.

Then there is the best kind of incentive, which most of us see as an old-fashioned sale. For many shoppers, there’s not much better than a sign that reads “buy one, get one free.” The free product is indeed an incentive, but the reward is immediate.

Similar deals include “buy one at regular price, get one for a dollar,” or “buy one, get one half-off.” You may not have thought of these purchases as incentives in the past, but it’s important to start doing so to really see the value in what you’re buying.

Do you have a preference when shopping? Are you often enticed by rewards after purchase, or have you been burned by them in the past?

UPDATE:

Congratulations to Jamie and Maria, the two winners of MAC gift packs.
Jamie said, “I’m with Jordan on the hair.. Looking back at my formal pictures, I look like I got my hair done by the women from Toddlers and Tiaras.. I would’ve been happier and richer if I’d just done it myself!”

Maria added, “I’ve been making shoe clips for awhile now. Its easy, and fairly inexpensive to customize them to go with all kinds of outfits, from formal to casual.”

It’s that time of year. Department stores are filled with beautiful gowns and the windows of tuxedo shops feature bright, spring-colored ties and vests. Prom season is here.

Not only can formals be expensive, but everyone also wants to stand out and make a statement — you never want to be seen wearing the same thing as someone else.

That’s where a little bit of do-it-yourself initiative can come in handy. With a few minor details, you can have a prom ensemble unlike any other and even save a little money.

Snazz your shoes

For many girls, shoes are just as important as the dress. If you don’t want to invest in another pair of formal shoes that may never get worn again, consider adding a little glitter to glam up a pair from your closet.

Mix Mod Podge and fine glitter of any color together in a disposable bowl and apply to the heel and/or exposed sole (not the part you walk on) of your shoes with a sponge brush. Once dry, apply a light coat of Mod Podge over the glitter to seal it.

When I tried this project, I was able to pick up all the supplies at Jo-Ann Fabric for about $5.80 (I had one 50 percent off coupon).

Also consider painting a pair of flats or heels with spray paint or fabric paint. Just fill the inside of your shoes with newspaper and wrap the heels in painting tape to keep them paint-free, and then spray the outside in long, even strokes. I wouldn’t suggest this method for shoes you expect to wear often, as the paint usually will crack where the shoes bend after a period of time.

Shoe clips are another easy way to liven up a pair of plain shoes.

I picked up a strip of stretchy gold sequined fabric for $3.11 and bias tape for $2.29 at Jo-Ann Fabric for this project. Just cut a 4-inch strip of fabric and glue it into a loop. Fold the loop in half and tie a strip of bias tape around the center to create the bow shape. Then attach the bows to small paper clips (you may want to wrap these in the bias tape as well if the bows don’t cover them completely) and slide the paper clips onto the back or toe of your shoes. This is an excellent temporary solution for shoes.

In the future, I probably would choose regular ribbon instead of bias tape for this project. Bias tape is more fragile than ribbon and more expensive.

Fabric flowers

Fresh-flower corsages and boutonnieres are big expenses that have a short shelf life. It also can be difficult to find just the right piece to match your look.

Fabric corsages are a great, long-lasting alternative. You can pick from a wide range of fabrics and colors for your flower pieces and add your own bits of flare (such as rhinestones or tulle) to make the piece even more personalized.

For my examples, I bought remnant pieces from Jo-Ann Fabric. These pieces are always marked down to 50 percent off their original price, so it only cost me about $3.70 for almost two yards of satin fabric. In the wedding section of craft stores, you should be able to find prefabricated wristlets for corsages (about $2), or you could attach your flowers to a bracelet or other elastic band. The boutonnieres can be pinned to a tuxedo lapel with a simple straight pin.

The process to make a flower is a bit complicated, so you can find the detailed directions for these corsages on the blog.

Hair and nail bling

Brooches and pins aren’t an everyday accessory for many young ladies these days, but attaching these items to hair clips can give them new life.

I picked up two pins from the clearance bin at Jo-Ann Fabric for $1.97 each and hot-glued them to hair clips I already owned. They also could be glued or pinned to a shiny belt, shoes or a necklace. Another great place to look for pins is antique malls and thrift shops; just be aware that not all of them will be so affordable.

You also can spice up the average manicure with bright colors and glittery polish. Instead of white tips with your French manicure, try a color that goes with your dress. Or try glittery tips that fade into your nail beds. By picking up a manicure kit at the drugstore — for as low as $5 — you can skip the salon price.

Another MAC giveaway!

What is your favorite DIY project for formalwear, or which of these are you dying to try?

Leave a comment belowand you’ll be entered to winone of two MAC makeup gift bags, including lipstick, lip gloss, eye shadow, nail polish and eyeliner.

I’ll choose two winners at random on April 16 at 10 a.m.

They say “April showers bring May flowers,” but what do you do with the kids on rainy days?

And how about the sweltering summer days, which seem to have come early this year?

When I was a kid, I remember spending many of those days making simple but fun crafts. Getting crafty with the kids inside doesn’t have to be expensive — or messy. In fact, you can create some fantastic original artwork and treats with items you probably have in your home.

Tie-dyeing shirts can be labor-intensvie, and possibly expensive when you have to buy multiple colors. A great alternative is dying pieces of clothing with permanent markers and rubbing alcohol. Kids will love this because they can pick out their own marker colors and help with each step.

Lay your shirt over a cup and place a rubber band around the base, creating a tight, round surface. Choose where you want your design to start and make a circle of 6 dots using whatever colors you like. Using a spray bottle or eye dropper, apply rubbing alcohol to the middle of the circle and watch the colors spread. Between 10 and 15 sprays/drops is the most you need for each circle. Let the alcohol dry and wash your creation before wearing it.

After trying this project myself, I decided I would definitely use at least two colors on each circle in the future. I’d also put more thought into the placement of my circles. I absolutely loved this project though. It’s almost identical to real tie-dye with much less mess.

When I was growing up, we had buckets and zip-top bags filled with small, broken pieces of crayons. No one ever wanted to use the leftovers, but it seemed silly to throw them away. While browsing Pinterest.com one day, I saw this technique for making your old crayons new again.

Peel any remaining paper off of each crayon and toss them in a lined muffin pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, place the pan in the oven, turn off the heat and let the crayons sit until melted (about 15 minutes). Then, place the pan in the freezer for about an hour. The liners will lift out easily when they’re solid. The end product is a bigger crayon that kids can be excited about using again.

When I did this project, I used paper pan liners, but some of the wax seeped out. To avoid ruining your pans, I would recommend layering three paper liners or using aluminum pan liners.

If you think you’ll be doing this project often, consider investing in a silicon pan (about $10). By using silicon, you can avoid using pan liners and they are available in shapes. However, if you don’t use pan liners or choose a silicon pan, the pan can no longer be used for cooking because a waxey residue remains on the pan after the crayons are removed. For some of the upcycled crayons, I mixed various colors. But the ones that turned out best were those with pieces from the same color family. Kids probably would love both.

Once you’ve got your new crayons, go online and print off some free coloring pages. Disney Family Fun (familyfun.go.com) always has a great selection of seasonal printables, both coloring and game pages. You can find more free pages online by searching for “free printable coloring pages.”

Newspaper hats are a classic craft for kids, but what about your girly girls? Try making newspaper flowers out of the comics page and attaching them to a headband or barrette.

Cut out a circle from your newspaper and then cut a spiral shape from the circle, leaving a base in the center. Roll up the spiral from the outside edge and then let it loosen over the base. When you have the look you want, hot-glue the “petals” to your base piece. These flowers can be glued directly onto your clips or headband, or easily attached with pipe cleaners for a temporary accessory.

You could try this with colorful magazine paper as well.

 There are tons of crafts that can be easily made with coffee filters, tissue boxes, rubber bands and watercolors, below are some examples:
Milk jug Easter baskets (also would make great buckets for the beach!)
Music makers
Rock paperweights
Coffee filter butterfly
Coffee filter sunflowers
Tissue box dinosaur feet
Tie dye window decorations

Wouldn't life be easier if money worked like this? Stock photo.

Gas prices are up. Food prices are up. It seems like just about everything is “up” — except the economy.

Most people are making various changes in their day-to-day lives to be frugal, but does it really pay off? Some things do and others don’t. Here are a few rules to live frugally by.

Remember your time has value. Unrolling two-ply toilet paper to reroll them as two rolls of single-ply toilet paper (yes, there are people who do this) costs a lot of time and doesn’t save you much cash. Instead, stock up on TP when it’s on sale or buy the cheaper store brand.

The same goes for “diluting” your food. Adding fillers to your meals is a good way to make it go further, but don’t dilute them to an unrecognizable point (like adding water to marinara sauce … yes, again, this actually happens).

You should be able to enjoy what you buy, the enjoyment factor is part of what gives products value. If you feel like you’re wasting your time trying to pinch pennies, then investigate what the payoff really is.

Live below your means whenever possible. Limit restaurant meals, only buy items that aren’t on sale when it’s absolutely necessary and always bring a list when you go shopping.

Browsing can cost you, and bad things can happen when you go to the grocery store hungry. In most cases, your best bet is to put on some blinders and stick to your list. Making an effort to spend less than you could means you should have extra cash left for special treats.

Prioritize your purchases. I’m not picky about most things, but when it comes to soda, shoes and makeup, I’ve got to have certain name brands. I’m willing to pay more for those products when I have to, but it means I cut corners in other areas.

Always check the clearance bin. Just because food is on clearance doesn’t mean it’s bad, and just because apparel is on clearance doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with it.

Shopping for clearance merchandise doesn’t take long and can usually save you 50 percent or more. Foods that are on clearance are generally approaching their “sell by” date; they’re not already expired. Clearance apparel is usually out of season or overstocked. If there’s a problem with the product the store will often note the damage on a special tag.

Skip the drive-through whenever possible. Sure, it’s tempting to grab fast food when everyone in the family needs to be in two places at one time, but even items on a dollar menu can add up quickly — especially when it’s being utilized multiple times a week.

Keep frozen veggies stocked, freeze homemade meals in advance or try using a recipe generator. Web sites such as Super Cook (www.supercook.com) will generate recipes based on what you have in your pantry. If necessary, any additional ingredients are also listed, giving you an easy shopping list. Investing in a slow cooker is another option. Prepare all of your ingredients in the morning, and the crockpot ensures you’ve got a hot meal waiting for you after work.

Car pool whenever possible. Public transportation isn’t a viable option for many of us in the region’s rural and suburban areas, but car pooling is doable with some planning. Even if you don’t car pool daily, cutting out small trips throughout the week can still save a lot of gas. Ride with a friend to the movies instead of meeting there, or have a group meet at a central spot and then ride to your destination together.

Cut out or cut down on TV expenses. During the summer months, most kids will be enjoying the warm weather, so that’s a good time to experiment. On rainy days you can still keep everyone entertained with free online streaming or with free movie rentals from the library.

If you’re not ready to completely cut TV out of your life (I admit that I’m not), consider investing in a cable converter box (for older television models) or a digital antenna (for digital televisions). With these options you can pick up free channels over the airwaves. Be aware that your location can affect what channels you are able to view.

Try couponing. You don’t have to buy extra newspapers or spend hours each week to achieve sizable savings with coupons. Clipping coupons for the products you buy frequently and pairing them with sales is a simple way to step up your frugal lifestyle.

What’s your favorite frugal tip? Discuss what you think is worth your time and money.

You can be frugal and still enjoy a few luxuries in life. If you're really into pinching pennies, check out this shirt from Zazzle.com.

Frugal. Merriam-Webster defines the word as “characterized by or reflecting economy in the use of resources.” But does that mean we can’t be frugal with our luxury purchases?

I don’t think so. After all, you have to live your life, and a luxury buy every now and then is something anyone can appreciate.

When planning a special trip, consider all of your options for booking. Take into account discounts from membership groups, online discounts, frequent customer discounts or points programs. Websites such as Kayak.com simplify price comparisons and make shopping around easy.

The option you think will be cheapest may not always be. For example, a discount from AAA may be worth less than a special promotion directly offered by the hotel. Also, pay attention to the fees associated with your stay. Parking fees can add up quickly, but perks like a continental breakfast can save you money.

Websites such as Rue La La, Gilt Groupe, Haute Look and Beyond the Rack are perfect for fashionistas with expensive tastes.

Each of these sites has daily flash sales with deep deals on high-end, name-brand products. There is a limited amount of merchandise available for a limited amount of time, so if you fall in love with an item you better snatch it up quick.

I’ve had luck with flash sales myself. Earlier this year I picked up a Columbia rain jacket for $35 on Rue La La — it usually retails for about $70.

These websites also feature home decor, small appliances, jewelry, shoes, children’s clothes and men’s clothes.

Layaway had a big resurgence this year, and don’t forget about it now. T.J. Maxx, Burlington Coat Factory and Marshalls all offer the service year-round, and these are also great places to pick up brand-name merchandise for lower prices.

Daily deals are a great opportunity to try nice restaurants and salons in the area that could normally be out of your everyday budget.

Because daily deals have a minimum amount that must be spent before the deal can be used, they are ideal for big groups — such as dinner with family. Be sure to read the fine print, though. In many cases the deals can’t be used on alcohol or in conjunction with other specials or promotions.

For many people a trip to the nail salon or spa is an occasional treat, so pick up a daily deal when you see one and hang on to it until you’re ready for pampering. 

How do you practice frugal living while still enjoying the occasional luxury?

You have 11 shopping days until Christmas, funds are running low and you still have that impossible person to shop for. Here are a few gifts that run about $10 or less and can make a variety of friends and family happy.

Photo gifts are great because they can be personalized so easily. Your favorite pictures can effortlessly be transformed into books, calendars, posters and more with a click of your mouse at sites like Snapfish and Shutterfly, or with the help of stores like Walgreens or Walmart. You can easily get these gifts for a few dollars or even free by using coupons or searching for coupon codes online, sometimes even getting by with only paying for shipping.

Cookie mixes in a jar are an attractive way to present baked goods to others.
Layer the dry ingredients of your favorite cookie recipe in a clear jar, tie a ribbon around the lid and attach the recipe card for a cheap and easy gift.
This would be especially good for someone who may not be the best cook but is trying to learn, or a college student who doesn’t usually have all the ingredients on hand. All the recipient needs to do is add a few simple ingredients like eggs and oil and they’ll have homemade cookies. These jars usually store for up to three months.

Gift baskets are easy to put together and can also be affordable. For a movie lover, pick up a DVD on sale (you can find great older movies in the clearance bin) and pack it with some popcorn and the recipient’s favorite beverage.

A gift basket full of pasta, sauce, a nice loaf of bread and decent bottle of wine would make a great date night basket for newlyweds. Throw in a night of babysitting on the house for a set of parents that could use a special evening to themselves.

Craft stores such as Michaels, AC Moore or Joann Fabric have a big selection of baskets that often go on sale, plus the stores usually offer coupons every week in their circulars.

Magazine subscriptions are a gift that the recipient can enjoy all year long. By shopping for them online you can find subscriptions for around $5 — much cheaper than the cover price or any offers on those cards stuffed between the pages. There are also daily deal offers for magazine subscriptions on a regular basis, so decide what publications you want and keep an eye out.

You don’t necessarily have to have a Kindle or Nook to enjoy eBooks. Amazon, for example, offers their eBooks on a PC format as well. Currently Amazon offers 100 Kindle eBooks for $3.99 or less, while Barnes & Noble offers tons of literature for the Nook for $5 or less; both also offer free books for download. Plus, you can “gift” the books to people over the Internet. For the bookworm who loves his eReader, this would be ideal.

Along the same lines, MP3 singles and albums are easy and affordable. These digital items can also be “gifted” and are a convenient option for a music lover who doesn’t live nearby. Most albums run about $9.99 on iTunes or Amazon, while singles can be as low as 69 cents a piece.

Some of my favorite gifts are accessories — they always fit, plus you can really stock up without spending a ton. Costume jewelry, hats, gloves and scarves are all easy to shop for because the options are so varied. Retailers like Target, Marshalls and TJ Maxx all have a big selection of these items in a wide price range.

What are your favorite go-to gifts on a budget or at the last minute?

The J.Crew Factory Warehouse and Clearance stores are prepping for a big weekend — and you can get a preview tonight!

At both local clearance stores you’ll get an extra 20% off your entire purchase Friday through Sunday. You can get the same deal today at the preview sale from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Also happening this weekend is another J.Crew Factory Warehouse sale. The warehouse will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. I’ve had tons of luck at this sale in the past, and hope to take advantage of weary Black Friday shoppers, check it out late Friday and hopefully miss some of the crowds. 

If you want to check out both sales: the Clearance Store location on Millrace is right next to the warehouse, so you can knock both out at once!

Also, don’t forget about this giant list of printable coupons and deals. The list keeps growing, and many deals are good before and after Black Friday.

A day at the spa is one of the most relaxing ways to spend your time, but that relaxation can be immediately offset when it comes time to pay the bill. With your basic manicure running at least $20 these days, most of us are treating ourselves less and less.

Luckily, at-home manicures, pedicures, facials and hair treatments are easier than ever. Most of us have the ingredients for these remedies in our pantries, and drugstore aisles are stocked with products that have greatly improved over the years.

A co-worker of mine has incorporated a French manicure kit into her beauty routine, and it only runs about $6 per box. These plastic nails glue directly to your nail and last about a week before they need replacing. You can choose to file down nails that are too long for your liking, but she pointed out that Broadway now makes “petite” nails with no filing required. Try a few different brands to see which fits your nail bed the best.

I’ve personally had great luck with the Sally Hansen French Manicure Kit, which you can find anywhere between $5 and $10, depending on which kit you purchase. These kits include stickers that can be used as stencils to get a crisp line on your tips, plus your basic white and pink, or clear, coats for painting. The process is surprisingly easy if you follow the directions and allow plenty of drying time (which is the biggest challenge for me).

The Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail polish strips have also worked for me in the past. These strips run about $8 and last about two weeks. They’re great for someone who wants to liven up their nails, as many of the strips have designs printed on them (which would cost extra in a nail salon). A benefit: These strips also don’t require any drying time.

Sally Hansen often has coupons available both online in print, too, making these two products even more of a bargain.

Masks, oils and scrubs are also much more affordable when you apply them yourself instead of making a trip to the spa. Pick up any of these treatments in the beauty aisles of the drugstore, or consider making them yourself. The ingredients for these products, such as honey, yogurt, milk, cucumbers, oats, lavender, sugar, salt, almonds and various oils (including coconut and tea tree, as well as olive oil), are affordable, and possibly in your kitchen right now.

A quick Google search provides endless recipes for treatments that are great for your scalp, dry skin on elbows, knees and feet, removing unwanted facial oil and other side effects of dry, winter air.

A basic mixture of one part oil (baby oil or coconut oil are my favorites) and two parts sugar or sea salt can be an easy solution for troubling dry skin areas. Salt can be harsher on the skin and can cause more dryness if you don’t moisturize afterward, so consider using sugar if you have sensitive skin.

What do you do to pamper yourself at home?

Share your own tips, tricks and recipes and you’ll be entered to win an Ecotools gift set.

To win the gift set, which includes a bath brush, bath & shower gloves and a hanging travel bag, just leave your tips and/or recipes by Friday at 4 p.m. A winner will be announced that afternoon.

Now, give these beauty treatments a try next time you’re in need of some pampering:

These recipes are courtesy of Erika Katz, author of “Bonding Over Beauty.”

Strawberry Scrub

The strawberry exfoliating scrub smells sweet and truly exfoliates dry flaky skin. Strawberries are also rich in salicylic acid and will help prevent breakouts.
4 pureed strawberries
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 Tbsp. sugar
Mix all the ingredients and store in an air-tight jar.

Bath Salts

2 cups Epsom Salts
1⁄4 cup Cake Mate Red Sugar Crystals (the kind you use to decorate cupcakes)
8 drops essential oil (like lavender, orange or grapefruit)
Place the salt into a bowl. Add the sugar crystals and mix well. Add the essential oil and mix well with a fork. Place the salts in a jar with a tight fitting lid to keep the oils intact. (Canning jars work beautifully.) After a day, mix well again to ensure that the oils have blended.

Banana Hair Mask
1 mashed banana
1 egg
3 Tbsp. milk
5 Tbsp. olive oil
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Using a wide-toothed comb to apply the mask to your hair from the roots to the ends. Let the mask soak into your hair for 15 to 30 minutes. Rinse out the mask with cold water, then shampoo and condition hair as usual.