by Leah G.
Member since:
March 2, 2006

Where do you find the best bargains?

March 19, 2006 02:38 PM EST (Updated: March 19, 2006 02:40 PM EST)
views: 3 | comments: 25

I enjoy the used bookstores that sell their books on Amazon.

I enjoy the clearance racks at Banana Republic, Gap ($3.99 belt this week found on their clearance), JCrew, Target etc.

I enjoy the free shipping offers that come in the e-mail for things I would have bought anyway (say my face cream from Origins). I love when you can get daily staple items for free shipping. So then you save on gas and time in getting yourself there.

I enjoy finding a great deal at the grocery store without coupons. I got my entire New England boiled dinner this week for under $5. Yep, under $5 because Stop & Shop was having a sale.

Finding a great sale one something you really need (i.e. toilet paper) is always very exciting to me. Cat food on sale is wonderful, breakfast cereal on sale is wonderful, finding a $20 rain coat with a hood is wonderful.

What are your favorite ways to find a bargain on stuff you really do need? I mentioned books and clothes--and those are necessary items to survive as far as I'm concerned. :)

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Comments: 25

Edward Nudelman Mar 19, 2006, 3:19pm EST
Leah, I love to haunt used and rare bookshops... one of my favorite things to do!
David C. Mar 19, 2006, 4:01pm EST
This isn't bargain shopping per se, but I enjoy assembling a nice meal with a good but affordable wine, and calculating how much I spent on the meal vs. what we would have spent for the same meal in a restaurant. It's usually 50% less at least, with enough for a second meal. And it usually tastes as good if not better, unless the point of comparison is a very high end restaurant.
Nancy S. Mar 19, 2006, 7:05pm EST
Shopping on ebay is fun, and you can get great bargains, but it's also addictive (like Gather)! I did most of my Christmas shopping on ebay!
Also, Barnes and Noble online has clearance books and connections to used booksellers. I use this not so much to save money as to find books that are out of print.
AiLing K. Mar 19, 2006, 8:10pm EST
There is a store in town that sells/buys/trades books. And the price is really good. That's my fav. place in town:)
Ebay is good too but you have to watch their shipping fees... it can be obscenely high.
I do like shopping at Barnes and Noble too. Amazon is not bad either. Also bargain books at Doubleday Book Club.
Have you tried overstock.com? You can find great bargans there as well.
0000-dashiell5-0000 Mar 19, 2006, 8:27pm EST
I'm trying to swear off "stuff." Bargains inevitably lead to "stuff," and America is turning into one, big "overstuffed" turkey of a nation. Exceptions, of course: purchase of books, music, or food. There. I'll repent of materialism for everything but what I like...
Linda Douglas Mar 19, 2006, 9:19pm EST
I have found that the library is my best bet for books. I can get what I can't find in the library on interlibrary loan. If I absolutely have to shop for a book I go to a locally owned bookstore that has a wonderful selection and can order whatever I need. I don't have to pay shipping and I am helping out a local business. I get all tingling when the grocery store has Perdue Oven Stuffer Roasters for 99 cents a pound. I get one or two and create a few different meals out of each one. I won't buy them at full price.
jessie voigts Mar 19, 2006, 10:45pm EST
used bookstores (incl half price books); costco; thrift stores; garage sales; froogle.com - but we try not to buy too much. we buy food on sale, and have a lot of food from the garden, too (canned, frozen, for the winter)...great topic!
Mimi Mieux Mar 20, 2006, 12:30am EST
99 Cents Only Store for household products and our local mom & pop market for produce and groceries (1/4 the price of the supermarket chains.) Propogating plants gave me a beautiful garden of flowers
lisa marchal Mar 20, 2006, 1:08am EST
There is a store called "Gabrielle Brothers." I am not sure how many states they are in.. but here in wv.. I can get all the cool name brand clothes and shoes my kids want for pennies on the dollar. They have it all .. Timberland shoes.. Nike... any brand you could want.. trust me with seven kids.. i can use all the help I can get.. I must be doing alright since my fifteen year old is one of the best dressed kids in his school..
Leah G. Mar 20, 2006, 8:28am EST
Edward, me too! It's funny because that's exactly what I was talking about Sat night with friends--neat used book shops we've been to.
Leah G. Mar 20, 2006, 8:29am EST
Lisa,
That's a great idea and would work well for grocery shopping too at a place like Whole Foods where everything looks so good.
Leah G. Mar 20, 2006, 8:30am EST
David,
Good point--we've been buying wine at Trader Joe's for much less than a regular store and really saying to ourselves "this would be $20-30 if we were out on the town"
Leah G. Mar 20, 2006, 8:31am EST
Nancy,
Yep, the bargain books make great gifts. Many people are addicted to EBay...I leave that up to my husband to handle as I would never make it out of that 'world' if I got sucked in!
Leah G. Mar 20, 2006, 8:32am EST
Candida,
I'm a huge Le Creuset fan as we got them for wedding gifts and found a place to buy them online for much cheaper (a Canadian website).
I agree on the Lands End...I prefer LL Bean because I get free shipping...but it's the same idea. :)
Leah G. Mar 20, 2006, 8:34am EST
Linda,
I agree, my library is part of a huge system and I order books online and they e-mail when it's ready. I love it and I go 1x per week.
Leah G. Mar 20, 2006, 8:35am EST
KR,
Nice on the turkey. Here in our house we call stuff 'froo' and we've tried to 'move the piles around' to de-clutter. I have one rule in our vacation home that we are building--no frooo!
Kathryn E. Mar 20, 2006, 2:04pm EST
Leah, what is the Canadian website for Le Creuset? Huge fan!!!I bought one in Chicago in 72. Then for an unknown reason, dumped it in 1990. I want it back. Have other enamel cast iron from Holland I love, and some cheap cast iron. But Le Creuset is the best as far as I'm concerned.

I buy bargain clothes, too, at Filene's. Seriously, since I work there, I see the 90 percent off racks plus my discount. Makes shopping anywhere else a joke.
George Corneliussen Mar 20, 2006, 7:11pm EST
Leah,
O.K.,I'm spilling the beans on what has been a tremendous source of bargins on things like new clothes and shoes etc. for us. It's the Goodwill. But, not just any Goodwill, you have to find one that is near a area where a lot of mall-type stores are. Very often these stores donate brand-new goods to the Goodwill and write them off their taxes.
If you find the right Goodwill you can save as much as 90% on brand new clothes and shoes.
Leah G. Mar 21, 2006, 7:39am EST
Kathryn I'll find the site for you because we got my mom a $150 pot for around $50. My mom still has the ones she bought in the 70s. We also have little soup bowls by them with lids that are adorable. I'll send you a message w/ the site. :)
Leah G. Mar 21, 2006, 7:41am EST
George, I like our local thrift shop that is for the charity St. Vincents. It is great. I agree though on the Goodwill. My favorite pair of cargo pants were $1. I'll have to check our Goodwill as well.
Kathryn E. Mar 21, 2006, 7:52am EST
Thanks, Leah!!
Dawn Matley Maselli Mar 22, 2006, 5:48pm EST
If only we were neighbers!!! I love bargain shopping! It is the thrill of the hunt. Aha! Gotcha! I often go to warehouse outlets, going out of business sales etc. Last week, Filene's going out of business, I got 80% off...that's right 80% off everthing in the store. Bought 14K gold earings for si's bday ($8.00); Liz Claireborne POP-out Tote for best galpal ($10.00), Sport coat for Honey ($18.00), Three matching bath towels with 3 washcloths ($3.00). I am currently looking for a quality, affordable knifeset and roaster. Local stores charging $1100.00. I'm waiting them out for a sale! Great post! You have my greatest admiration hunter to hunter!
Leah G. Mar 23, 2006, 7:40am EST
Dawn,
Thank you. And with the deals you got you have my admiration as well.
Leah G. Apr 4, 2006, 5:59pm EDT
Nick,
I agree!!!
But I love the fact that Target sells Kellogs cereal for $1 a box!!!
Target also has wonderful food in their store brand (mmm, cookies)
But I found Levi's Jeans at Walmart last weekend (they were rejects as Walmart does not typically sell Levi's womens jeans).
Happy hunting!

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