directfromtx

Everyone has been feeling the pich of the economy lately, some are being laid off or pay is being cut while others are forced to move just to save some money. While I can’t promise you great or overwhelming savings I can point out some tips that may help you save a few dollars here and there, and possibly put a small dent in your shopping bills.

First things first, clothing! Everyone loves to buy clothes, and everyone loves sales as well, and when you can buy that department store look for 1/4-1/2 the price thats even better. One of the places  love shopping is a place called Ross dress for less, mostly shortened to Ross. Ross has just about it all, from mens, womens, juniors, plus size, childrens to even linens and bedding and more. What Ross does is usually get items from other stores, and sells them at a discount price. One example; a pair of pants I bought at lane bryant for $30, the same exact pair at Ross-$12. My mother even bought my brother Tommy Hilfinger jeans one year for $12 a pop and let me tell you my brother whom had a champagne taste on a beer budget became a Ross shoper after that! Ross has a wide selection of items, but because it is a discount store and they do get shipments in weekly, their merchandise does change weekly. And one lesson I have learned the hard way is if you see something you want get it because it won’t be there next time! TJ Maxx is another similar discount store set up like Ross, and some people like it other’s don’t. I feel they are still overpriced on most of their items. When in doubt go to Ross.

Looking for some sales online? How about one I came across called Classiccloseouts.com, they have a range of items ranging from clothing to bedding to jewelry. Prices are low to very low and shipping seems reasonable. Another site that sells merchandise at a relatively cheaper price is overstock.com, with a shipping of 2.95 how can you beat that? The site offers many categories from electronics to luggage, funiture, clothing and more. There are many if not tons of other sites out there but these two I have experienced myself, why not do a search on yahoo or google, or whichever is your preferred search engine and see what you can find.

Grocery stores-Now we all could use a few savings here when it comes to the grocery shopping. A few tips come in mind, and these tips can actually prevent you from spending a good deal more than planned.
1. DO NOT GO HUNGRY!!-This I cannot stress enough, I see this more as a cashier when customers joke/complain that they were hungry and spent an extra hundred on their grocery bill. As well as when me and my mother go shopping we always make sure we eat a lunch or an early dinner before we go shopping, and you really need to be to the point of feeling fufilled otherwise you may still be tempted to grab items that your stomach may be saying “I want, I want”.
2. Use coupons! You may not think those little pieces of paper are worth your time and effort, but seasoned coupon clippers always know the best deals and they can save to anywhere from $30-$98 off of their grocery bills. Stores that offer their own coupons (own manufacturer coupons like target) or special in store coupons (like HEB). I’m going to use HEB for my next example, and for those that are unaware, HEB is a south texas grocery store chain, so sorry guys that are in south texas this next part is going to not make much sense. Heb does what they call ”Meal deals” They offer a series of coupons usually for free if you buy anywhere from one to two items at regular cost. Example-Buy Oscar Meyer lunchmeat and Kraft cheese (approx $5 total) then get bread, chips, jello, mayonaise, and nestle quick chocolate milk free (approx saving  $8-$9). They change their Meal deals weekly but on average when I have shopped I have usually saved $25-40 in their coupons as well as manufacturer coupons. Other stores may offer a discount card, like Food Lion. I had the privelage of shopping at a Food Lion when I was on a 3 day trip in north carolina. Unfortunately like my HEB, Food Lion is off of mainly east coast states. First day I went there I noticed some really really cheap prices, then I found out you got those cheap prices with their discount card, hmmm so I decided what the heck i’m going to get the card also! The card was free, and got it right away and saved about $7 on my trips. When in doubt check the websites of your grocery store you may find information about any specials, coupons or details about any special frequent shopper cards. And if that fails try asking the manager at your store if there are any specials like shopper cards, etc.
3. Use a calculator!- I have found this really helps on trying to stick to a budget and it also shows how much your spending or going over. Also some stores (they will go unnamed) have been under scrutiny for overcharging at the register and for shelf prices not matching up to what the scanning price is. Taking a calculator can help in these situations because this time you know what your spending and may be more aware of any overages.

What about travel? I have found a few sites like Cheaptickets.com to be useful not only do they offer a better price but you can usually find a promotion code and can save anywhere from $25-$75 off of your vacation package. Some hotels also give discounts with promo codes, as well as other places. Just type in the place and promo code after it and see what pops up in your search engine, sometimes it is worth the effort and time to do some research on a bunch of travel sites to see who would offer you the best deal.

I have more helpful hints that I will continue to share, but also if there is something that you know that is useful I would like to hear it from you! So please share your tips and hints because we all could use to save some money.

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