Cyber Monday has become as legendary as Black Friday but more shrouded in mystery! But what is the deal? Is it really a bargain day? Are there specific things to look for? Is it all phooey?
Well, it is a little complicated. Everyone doesn’t put everything on sale;). It takes a little planning, investigation and watching your money!
(Continue reading at NerdFamily Things)
Cyber Monday has become as legendary as Black Friday but more shrouded in mystery! But what is the deal? Is it really a bargain day? Are there specific things to look for? Is it all phooey?
Well, it is a little complicated. Everyone doesn’t put everything on sale;). It takes a little planning, investigation and watching your money!
3 types of things seem to be on sale across the board.
1) Tech/entertainment (tvs, laptops, phones, game systems, etc)
2) Toys
3) Tech accessories (games, movies, ipad holders, mice) that generally run under $100.
Then there are specific stores and their strategies.
Big box stores like Best Buy and Walmart are advertising sales. There will be a few door busters but in some cases those were already sold out on Sunday. They also have other things on sale but if you read the fine print, they say that those prices may extend;).
Almost every store will be running some sort of sale today. They can be 20% – 30% off across the board and some will have shipping deals too. They are good sales but not barn burners.
The stores that are the must shops are ones that have a primary existence online. Places like Amazon, ThinkGeek, and Etsy are having great sales!!! Ebay is even have great sales from Toys R Us and Best Buy (they have stores on Ebay to sell off their extras). The other stores that tend have a great sale are brand stores. For example Ahava brand products. They sell it in stores but they have a stand alone online store! And they are having a great sale today!
A couple before you buy reminders:
1) Know what you are looking for before you begin looking;). Even if it is just a “type” of gift.
2)Have a budget!
3)Check out the return policy. You can still have things not measure up to your expectations. You need to make sure that you can also return it after Christmas if the recipient doesn’t want it!
Cyber Monday can have some great deals! Just be on the lookout for them and shop smart!!!
Above all things: Be reasonable!!!! If there are 500 people in line for 3 items, don’t have your heart set on those things!!! In seriousness, like all other things you just need as smart strategy.
(Continue reading at NerdFamily Things)
Above all things: Be reasonable!!!! If there are 500 people in line for 3 items, don’t have your heart set on those things!!! In seriousness, like all other things you just need as smart strategy.
1. Do your research! You can already start reviewing Black Friday ads online (I will have links to ads on my blog) and can pour over them on Thanksgiving! Also see what is available online. Some stores don’t do any of the big deals online (like Old Navy) but some (like Best Buy) have a lot online.
2. Make a list of everything you would want that is on sale. Organize it by store and make sure you write down the price.
3. Organize your list by priority and or time frames. A big Black Friday thing that Michaels does every year is a %off coupon for your whole purchase if you are in the store by a set time (this year it is 30%). So while I don’t have a high ticket item from Michaels, I do a a few things and need to be in the store before that time!!!
4. Order what you can online!!! Some things you can order on Thursday and somethings you can order before you go out on Friday.
5. Figure out a relatively reasonable time that you should get started. For example, I usually head out about 6am. It is early enough that I can hit all the deals that are bound by times but just late enough to miss the real die hards/crazies;).
6. Buy everything you might possibly want. The example I always use is jeans. Target and Walmart both usually do a kids’ jean under $10 every year. Walmart may be cheaper but I hit Target first. I will buy 2 sizes for each kid at both stores. I would love to think that the cheaper pairs would work but you never know about cut and each brand sizes different. You can always return the extras next week!!!
7. Have fun & plan breaks! After my first store I always hit Starbucks. Then I meet a friend for lunch every year. She and I don’t shop together but we set a time and meet up. You would be surprised just how empty restaurants are at lunch time.
7. Process everything next week! Get it done and get it out of the way. Wrap the presents, set out the decorations and wash the clothes!
Final note, think about a job your family can do while you are shopping! My husband sets up our fake tree and gets out the Christmas decor boxes. Then I decorate with everyone over the weekend;).
We all love the idea of outlets but do you have a good strategy for shopping them? With a little planning you can get great deals and have fun!
(Continue reading on NerdFamily Things)
We all love the idea of outlets but do you have a good strategy for shopping them? With a little planning you can get great deals and have fun!
1. Know where you are going and what stores they have! Let us not head out to hit a store that has been gone for a year!
2. Coupons?!?!?! Some outlet centers like Premium Outlets (The people who run Gilroy) have center coupons and also post sales on their website. Also many of the stores will have coupons too. I have gotten coupons from Coach and Lane Bryant Outlets.
3. Have a list with the sales prices you can get at home! The outlets don’t always have the best price! You can even download a pricing app (like SavvyShopping) and price compare right there.
When I was pregnant with my first child I was one of many at my church;). So we were all shopping for baby stuff! One headed off to the Carters outlet to get a bouncer that a few of us wanted. She came back empty handed…. Come to find out it was cheaper to buy it at Mervyns (yes, it was still around;) on sale than at the outlet!
4. Make sure they even carry what you want. Some outlets like Lane Bryant carry most set items but it may not be the thing you are looking for. If you are going for a specific thing just call and check!
Last year I made a point to stop by the Tulare outlet for the Lane Bryant outlet in order to buy my favorite bras. I figured that I would get a great deal and I needed them for a trip. Guess what, they didn’t carry the 1 style I specifically stopped by to get. I never checked… Smooth on my behalf.
5. Have a budget and stick to it! It is easy to get all excited that you might get a great deal because it is an outlet and over spend. But the outlets are not super close to us and returns are hard to do. So it is better to under buy!
6. Have a great shopping day! That means planning meals and breaks!!! If you are shopping all day without a break you will be tired, cranky and possibly hurt yourself;). And take a friend to have fun with and to help with accountability.
Pinterest has over 11.7 million users and it is a social bookmarking and sharing site that is all the rage. I get quite a few questions on what Pinterest is and how it works but it is super easy and more fun than it should be. The 1 warning, set time limits or you may do nothing else with your life;).
(Read More on NerdFamily Things)
Pinterest has over 11.7 million users and it is a social bookmarking and sharing site that is all the rage. I get quite a few questions on what Pinterest is and how it works but it is super easy and more fun than it should be. The 1 warning, set time limits or you may do nothing else with your life;).
*Once you sign up (through twitter, facebook or just a login) you set up boards or set them up as you find material for them!
*You can see what all your friends (or people you follow)pinned and re-pin those items
*You can also pin things you find in 2 ways.
-By a link. You just click Add Link right on the Pinterest page
-From discovering something on a blog and from there you can also usually follow the blog owner’s Pinterest boards too!
* It is a great way to find just about everything! Ways to cook, clean, learn and even just for inspiration!
You can follow me on Pinterest too!
We all know that I love a good coupon! Coupons can be an integral step in any smart living strategy. A little thought and planning means that you can make coupons work for you with very little effort!!!
(Continue reading at NerdFamily Food! And make sure you visit NerdFamily Things to get a chance to win the coupon holder!)
If you saw my piece on Central Valley Today you saw my awesome Swagbucks Coupon organizer! I love Swagbucks and have earned many, many dollars in Amazon gift cards over the years! I encourage you all to sign up and give it a whirl. It is free and fun! If you sign up now you can use NERDMOM to get an extra 100 Swagbucks!! That puts you well on the way to a $5 Amazon gift card!
If you would like to win a fabulous Swagbucks coupon organizer it is super easy to enter my giveaway! Make sure that you leave a comment for each entry!
Mandatory Entry – Watch the video and tell me 1 way a person can earn Swagbucks.
Extra Entries:
-Join Swagbucks for 5 extra entries!!!! (Make sure to enter NERDMOM to get an extra 100 Swagbucks)
– Subscribe to my email feed.
– Follow me on Twitter.
The giveaway will be closed Friday, October 12th.
(Disclosure: Yes, Swagbucks gave me the coupon holder, no they didn’t ask me to write about it and I did include affiliate links in this post;)