Articles on Shopping

10 Things I've Learned From Grocery Shopping on a Budget

Making and sticking to a grocery budget hasn't just helped our finances -- it's taught us a thing or two about money, food and life.

You Can’t Save if You Don’t Try

There has been much discussion about whether certain money-saving strategies are worth your time. In a recent article in Parade Magazine, Tim Harford alerts us to “Bargains That A

These DIY Magazines Can Help You Be Self-Reliant

Everyone’s looking to become less dependent on the traditional economy. As we wean ourselves from manufactured luxuries and discover ways to create for ourselves, it can be diffic

Would You Shop Locally at 10+ Percent Tax?

Today the sales tax in Chicago went up to 10.25 percent after a 1 percent hike in the Cook county rate. The change has me thinking seriously about how much I can afford to pay t

Strategic Thriftstore Shopping

True confessions? I'm a girl and a depression shopper (as in shopping, not unlike cheesecake, makes me momentarily happy like millions of other Sex and the City watching gals). But

Is the Wii Fit a cheap workout?

I’ll be honest, I’m not a fitness nut. I don’t like exercising, it always seems like a chore. But what if it wasn’t? What if it were, dare I say it, almost a game? That’s what Wii

Why "Buy One Get One Free" Is Usually A Bad Deal

Recently, I read about a promotion from a home builder in San Diego where consumers could buy a 4000 square foot house for $1.6 million and get a smaller home by the developer valu

Miss the Big Sale? Claim Your Savings Anyway

Use these techniques to haggle your way to savings, even if you miss a sale.

Buying (and Trading) on Etsy

Want to support artists, artisans,and the little guy while making your gift purchases? Need a new dress for summer but don't want it to look like everything you've just seen at Tar

Cell Phone Relief

Tired of those early termination fees that cell phone companies stick you with? Well, help may be on the way, but it may just be a case of the fox watching the hen-house.

"Can you spare a square?" 5 quick tips on toilet paper usage.

That classic scene from Seinfeld got me thinking over the weekend. Is there a strategy for using toilet paper? Is it worth our time? But when I spend money to literally flush the p

Make Grocery Budgeting A Game, The Price Is Right Style

Growing up, I stayed with my grandparents during the day on summer breaks from school. Our mid-mornings were usually spent casually watching The Price is Right. Maybe those Showca

Sometimes I wish I had beautiful long blonde hair and ample cleavage.

Not on my body of course; that would be freakish. And if you’re visualizing it right now, I’m really sorry…especially if you’re eating. No, I’m basically reacting to several incide

The ethics of hoarding

In the Philippines, they're threatening life sentences for people hoarding rice.   In the United States, grocers need to put limits on rice purchases just to keep their shelves

Healthy, frugal eating

Every so often, I get hit in the face with two facts.  First, Americans (even poor Americans) are unbelievably rich.  Second, Americans (as a group) utterly lack a cultural traditi

Mama Mia! Mother's Day Gifts that Show You Really Care

For a holiday that's supposed to celebrate the precious relationship between a mother and her child, there sure is a lot to distract me from that relationship. Over the years, I

Use Less Cash for Your JCPenney Purchase

A favorite retailer of households across the country since 1902, JCPenney can have some stellar deals for those in the know. Like most stores, JCPenney has a met

The Best (Inexpensive) Souvenirs

As a rule, we don’t buy souvenirs for their usefulness. A t-shirt from the Hard Rock Café or a shell sculpture from Hawaii isn’t going to increase your productivity — in fact, dust

The Man Behind the Bargains - An Interview with Ben Chui - Founder of BensBargains.net

Ben's Bargains is one of the oldest deal and coupon sites on the internet. The man behind this awesome frugal shopping destination is Ben

Is Target Really Just as Bad As Wal-Mart?

There is plenty not to like about the practices of both the nation's leading big-box retailers. But a few subtle differences -- and one h-u-g-e one -- make one of them the o