Go out shopping on Boxing Day.

God boxing day is the devil! I go a few days after....specials are still on and less people are there!

Here is a neat trick, if you like saving pennies at a time! Today I went to buy the new postage stamps as I know they go up in price every Jan. 1-what else is new.... However I learned that not only do they not go up until Jan. 14 or 15 to 52 cents but the post office personnel informed me that I can continue to use my 51c stamps the whole year that this is new option this year. So I bought a supply of 51 cent stamps, instead of the extra 1 cents ones as planned. Another saver I use is when downtown for extended periods and getting tempted to splurge on fast food restaurants which are getting pricier all the time I head for a nearby large pharmacy or grocery store to buy a yogurt and some fresh fruit like tangerines/bananas to keep on budget-- interesting the cheapest yogurt is 99 cents in the pharmacies and $1.09 in the supermarkets, all of them provide the spoon if asked. As another cheap and satisfying lunch Submarines have a special 6inch sandwich each day so I tend to go on days of my favourites like the real piece of chicken on Sundays. I have also found a few of the rare places you can park downtown(big city) for free after 6pm or on weekends but I am sure any day now I will discover a newly installed parking meters!

buy after-holiday hard candy. Drop one piece into cup
of hot tea. This replaces the sugar and gives an added flavor
that varies with the candy

I don't think I saw anyone mention St Vincent de Paul or Salvation Army. They have THE best deals on everything imaginable.
I began going when my kids were really little. One year I bought my daughter about twenty pieces of Gap clothing , the really expensive pieces (cardigans, kilts, hand emboidered pullovers...), I paid about 15.00 for all of it.
Now, I have a combined house of teens. They can't believe what I find at MY junk stores.
For Christmas, (yes , you can find brand new gift items at the junk shops) in the box Healing Garden Gift set 1.99 (17.99)
Dora the Explorer hand puppet .99 (7.99 at Winners), a sweater for 6.99 (75.00 price tag from specialty store still attached), Klutz craft book 1.00 (25.00 chapters.) Elmo in Big Bird costume , does the chicken dance 1.99( ?)
I give the best gifts for the least money.
The trick to shopping this way is to stop in at least once a week. I can go in and walk through quickly to scan the racks and shelves to easily spot what is new.
These stores in small towns are also very child friendly . The small staff get to know your child. They have a ton of toys , you can afford to treat your child to a new toy or book. Great for video also. I have met so many great people in my small town, because the same group of people frequent these stores.
You have to get over the stigma attached to shopping here. My boyfriend was mortified that I shopped at junk shops until I told him what I paid for things and now he brags about it.
Quality stuff for next to nothing. You will be shocked at what people give away. And, after Christmas is a great time to go because people get rid of older small appliances to make new for the new ones they just got.

And yes, they too have sales. Jeans for a 1.00 a pair, name brands like American Eagle, Parasuco, Gap, ...

Find one in your town and give it a try , and if your little one breaks something in the store, I guarantee you can afford it( but , don't worry they never charge you ) .

I like to think I'm a pretty savvy shopper, too. I absolutely hate to pay full price for retail. When i met my best friend ohh...14years ago? She NEVER would be caught dead in anything but NAME NAME NAME clothing. Then I showed her she can look beautiful and stylish and not pay thru the nose. Now, she brags about the deals she gets. (But I'm still the bargain queen!) Even the BF will say: "Tell me you didnt pay brand prices?!" Of course not.

I really dont like Salvation Army Thrift stores. I have been nickel-dimed there WAY too many times. It is totally not worth the time to argue with these old bittys who think theyre the guardians of the Prime Misters' daughters virtue!! ( Does the PM even have a daughter?) I prefer Value Village ( I lucked into a denim corset bustier there last week for $6.99 compared to the $80 I KNOW they were charging for the same item non-sale at AdditionElle) and Shopping sales (penningtons scratch card sales rule if you go with 2 friends and see who has the best card then pool your purchases, just ask them to subtotal between each persons' clothing groups so you know who owes what). Other good places are: garage sales, church bazaars/whale sales, flea markets and summer fair grab-and-dash events. Walmart usually has clearance items in the clothing depts,stationary/personal hygene and sports depts. SOmetimes they have huge metal trolleys in the dept main aisles with clearance items, like 20$ fat blocker metabolism tabs that sell for 90$ at the specialty nutrition stores. Shoppers Drug Mart usually has an area set aside near the post office for clearance of remainder items where there's only 1 or 2 or 3 of them left. Got a QUO 10 pan eye-shadow Xmas colours there a few times. $5 marked down from $40. Check the area around the cosmetics till after major holidays at SDM for super markdowns on seasonal colour palettes.
Giant Tiger seems to be another place worth looking into. I admit I have browsed but not bought there. Anyone care to comment on the quality of clothing there? They have alot of decent plus sizes there for cheapa! Last I was there they had Roots and Ralph Lauren branded purses for $5. Food there seems to be a decent quality. I know ppl who swear by their frozen birdy boobies.
Otherwise, look in the phonebook for consignment clothing shops. I *used to* have a REALLY NICE one here in the city that sold BEAUTIFUL plus sized clothing only! (The best ever...a sign in the window that said " We now carry SMALLER sizes! Please inquire!") You could buy Anne Klein and Anna Sui, Liz Claiborne, Ulla Popken, Torrid and Polo for uber cheap! Like we're talking 5-40$ per piece. So thats well worth looking into. There's another one in EDM down near the site of the old Ikea. Theyre really good there, too. (plus sizes only)
Good luck!

frozen birdy boobies ?

Originally posted by Denise frozen birdy boobies ?

Im thinking chicken breast.

Originally posted by jacqui Im thinking chicken breast.

LOL.. Priceles

Ooooo! Giant Tiger its my BF we try so many things from there. The clothes are great I have gotten entire outfits for under 20 dollars. We buy a lot of our groceries from there and their frozen fish products are the best. My brother in law sent me Tuna steaks from Vancouver and they cost him 35.00 for 2 and GT has frozen Tuna steaks for 4.95 when you catch a sale(which we always do) and they were larger than the ones from my brother in law. Also the shrimp is always good as well. My sister who loves brand and designer clothes buys tons of her clothes there. Last summer I got 10 tank tops for under $20.00 and got them home and realized that they were Old Navy brand which I had just priced out in their store for 2/20.

Originally posted by Denise frozen birdy boobies ?

Er, yeah. Chicken breast. Sorry, I should have translated that before I wrote it.

The best way to save money is to steal things.

Originally posted by milksopwhiner The best way to save money is to steal things.

I agree because once you go to JAIL you don't have to pay for anything...way to save $$$!

got this from my Dollar Stretcher newsletter:

If you love those packets of oatmeal, you can make your own.
Measure 1/4 cup quick oats, approximately 15 raisins or other
dried fruit, brown sugar, sugar or Splenda, non-fat dried milk
and nuts into a 12- to 16-ounce container. Seal until ready to
use. To fix, add hot water. You'll want to keep and reuse the
container.

Originally posted by Misslascivious I agree because once you go to JAIL you don't have to pay for anything...way to save $$$!

The only thing that costs one anything in prison is the occasional pain in the butt when one needs to pick up a bar of soap that slips out of one's grip in the shower.