I admit I love Birkenstocks, even though I also love all that glitters! In my endless pursuit to add to my spring and summer thongs collections, I wanted to go high-end and comfy. I of course turned to Birkenstocks which now offer a thong sandal yeah! Try a Google search on Women's GIZEH Leather, and I choked on the prices. No, I do not want to pay over $100 for a pair of fancy flip-flops!
I scoured all my fav shopping bargain haunts, and THEN! I found IT!
www.sierratradingpost.com
Wow what great deals on clothing, sporting goods, and footwear. There was my sandal! Women's GIZEH Leather (not the Birken-Flor, German I think for cheesy plastic) Thong sandal. The price? $44.00!!!! Yeah, they're mine.
Authors and bargain hunters Alan Fields and Denise Fields have written many best selling books on saving money for your family. They have done all the leg work for you to save money.
I was introduced to their books many years ago when I was pregnant with my triplets and faced with the fun but overwhelming task of determining what baby things I would really needs and where to get them at the best price. Denise's book:
Baby Bargains, 8th Edition: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on Baby Furniture, Gear, Clothes, Toys, Maternity Wear and Much, Much More! (Paperback)
was a huge help for me. I used the book as a guideline for registering for my baby shower, and referred to it throughout my babies' 1st year.
As an online retailer, I admit it! I now use the Fields' books to help me determine what to best sell in my stores! I found their book for Toddler bargains especially helpful because there is not much concentrated information available once your child hits the toddler years.
Toddler Bargains: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on Toddler Furniture, Clothing, Shoes, Travel Gear, Toys and More
Please keep in mind that most of the book is from the opinions of the Fields. Not every reader will agree with all their choices. Their product reviews are helpful. Although most of the the information can be found on-line, the Fields organize the multitude of products, product reviews and where to buy information available online into one guide so you do not have to do the hunting.
This book is geared for for products for toddlers aged 2-5. There is so much information for baby products, and once you have used everything given to you at your baby shower, you are now on your own! This books is no nonsense and covers the most necessary equipment, clothing, and toys your 2-5 year old needs. The book is straightforward and well-organized so you can get the information you need at a glance. Then go online to get further details, pricing and make a well-educated purchase, quickly and easily.
There are great tips on when to buy discounted furniture, shoes, and more, and get brand name things for less. Also, there is contact information in the book so that you can contact the author. You can also go direct to their website.
The price is so reasonable for this book, especially if you choose one of the used options on Amazon.com. The book easily pays for itself in the time and money it saves you. For example, your child has outgrown his infant seat and now you need a toddler seat. There are so many of brands available, wide price ranges, huge number of online retailers offering these carseats, and many may have safety recalls. Where to you begin to search for a safe, comfortable, reasaonably priced toddler carseat? This book will narrow down your search and then you can go online and make your purchase.
Not every product is covered. Some other reviewers comments on the fact that this book is weak on umbrella strollers and bike racks and bike attachments (I didn't notice because I did not use these items personally).
Other Books by Denise and Alan Fields:
Learn More about Denise and Alan Fields and their books at
I have bookmarked my favorite coupon sites on this blog in the right hand column. This morning, I found another site with the BEST coupons for all of my favorite stores.
These coupons include printable and online discounts. I stumbled upon the site by looking for a specific dollar amount off coupon for Target, trying to find the source of coupons that are being resold on eBay.
The site is www.couponalbum.com.
Very clean and easy to use without all the blinding ads and pop-ups. I didn't know where to click first! All My favorites were there. I search on Target, and used the $5 off any purchase coupon. Then in the right column, I saw Overstock, and Linens n Things. Below was Amazon, and SmartBargains! I had to stop and share. Bookmark it:
As a toy retailer, and an avid toy shopper for my 4 kids, I have found some tried and true websites for good deals on toys.
I would recommend getting on eToys mailing list because they do not generally post coupons online. They do send special offers in emails though!
www.etoys.com This time of year, spring, is a great time for free shipping offers from eToys, and clearance items. They are gettign ready to restock for the next holiday season, and they have some great special. Always check their specials page.
Go through Upromise for an additional 3% savings into your Upromise account!
Walmart.com Clearance toys and site to store option. Their toys are very reasonablly priced all year long. Their clearance prices are great. The new Site to Store feature gets the items shipped to your local store for free pick up.
Target.com Use one fo my suggested coupon sites or just do a Google search above for "Target + Coupons". You will always find a good one for $5 off or 10% off.
Go through Upromise and receive an additional 4% savings into your Upromise account!
Amazon.com Amazon marketplace has opened up a world of savings! All the sellers are trying to be the lowest price seller and usually that means you can get quality toys, like Melissa and Doug wooden toys, Guidecraft, and Kidkraft toys, and more at just a few dollars over wholesale. I used to sell many of these toys on Amazon, and could not compete with the low low price, and Amazon's cut of the deal. That is how I know the prices are low!
When you are looking for a toy on Amazon, always click on the "New and Used" list to see all available merchants.
For example, for the Melissa and Doug Wooden Birthday Party Cake, there are 76 items available from Amazon Marketplace sellers, and the price starts as low as $9.50!!! This usually retails for $19.95. There are 10 sellers selling it for around $13 dollars with FREE SHIPPING. That is a good deal.
Finally, if you like Disney Toys, you cannot beat DisneyShopping.com's Outlet
www.DisneyShopping.com
The only drawback to Disneyshopping is the constant emails from them. However, they always have excellent coupons, flat rate shipping for $5, etc. You can also receive 4% into your Upromise account, and special savings like 20% sitewide by using Upromise! The outlet prices on toys and costumes are excellent! Add the flate rate shipping, Upromise savings, and you are in business!
Each shopping experience may vary especially with consumer electronics. I cannot comment on purchasing consumer electronics online because that is the one thing I feel I need to see, touch, and speak to a live person before purchasing ( or at least have the option of going to a brick and mortar store as well as purchasing online). That's just me. My husband on the other hand, is an online electronics and computer consumer extraordinaire. I will have him share his expertise in another article!
Other than that, I buy almost anything else online. I have shopped at Overstock in the following main categories: furniture, home decor, bedding, sports, books, and toys.
The bedding dept I use to supplement my online stores. The quality and selection of the bedding is excellent. They do not have shabby stuff! There are many styles of quilts and comforters with prices close to wholesale, or at least my wholesale. There have been times I needed to fill a customer order and the manufacturer is out of stock.
Overstock has come to my rescue having the same bedding item for just a few dollars over my wholesale buying price. I understand that overstock purchases overstock and therefore can afford to offer low prices. I have to swallow my pride to make purchases like that since Overstock is also my competitor! I have also purchased sheets and other bedding for personal use.
In the furniture department I have used overstock for an entertainment center, Adirondack chairs, dining room buffet cabinet, dining chairs, and even a birdbath. I did not realize how much I had purchased from them until I decided to write this article! The best buy was my order for 4 Big Wheels I purchased for my kids last spring. 4 Big Wheels, around $20 each with discount coupon of 10% and free shipping.
Overstock pricing on the books is great and shipping time is reasonable. Speaking of shipping, shipping times do vary. If you are in a rush then go somewhere to pay expedited shipping. For me, it is worth the wait for a good deal online. The wait is never that long really. I have never needed anything quickly. The flat rate is only $2.95. Yes, there are extra shipping charges for oversize items. The extra shipping charge is not excessive. You can test that yourself by entering the weight and dimensions into a UPS calculator online and see how much it really costs to move giant heavy boxes around the country.
I think the only shipping problems that may arise will be around the holidays when every other retailer online experiences similar delays. My only suggestion there is shop early.
You can also find a good coupon online 5% or 10% off. They also run free shipping or $1 shipping specials. Once you get on Overstock's mailing list, you will get the coupons automatically. They are very good about not assaulting you with nuisance emails like some other stores.
Overstock now also offers a Best Price Guarantee which they do honor unlike some stores. You can visit their site for more details on this program.
Customer Service: Much much better than most customer service centers online, really! I have had a problem with a broken item needing parts. On that occasion, the customer service representative that helped me even took my cell phone number and called my back 3 times until the issue was resolved. Remember you are dealing with people on the other end of the phone, just like you. If you are nice they will almost always be nice in return.
I have also used their online chat pop-up help to ask questions during a purchase. Their customer service chat representatives are friendly and responsive. They are not experts in anyway on a particular camera or other item you are interested in purchasing. You have to save those questions for the manufacturers.
I believe once you try Overstock, you will be pleased. I am willing to write this article about Overstock and I am just a customer too. I think I will give their affiliate partnership a try. I have certainly purchased enough personally to feel confident enough to resell and market their website and products.
If you are looking to be thrifty online, pay Overstock.com a visit!
WebKinz Deals Online I don't usually go for fads or follow the crowd. However, my kids love stuffed animals and Ganz makes really soft cute ones. So, I gave in to Webkinz. I was concerned with 4 little kids wanting to go online and play in Webkinz world, but they really just love just playing with their Webkinz plush animals. We go online only occasionally, and I admit I love playing the games.
I won't pay full price for a toy, and certainly not when I need 4 of them just to get started. I went to my local Paperstore to get an idea of how much these little guys are going for. Webkinz, the 8.5 inch animals run $10.99 here in MA. The smaller Lil Kinz 6.5 inch go for $8.99. These are my baseline comparison prices for shopping online. The cost plus shipping should not exceed the local store price.
Once I started searching with Google (the search engine not the WebKin by the same name) online, I discovered the first benefit of finding these little WebKinz online: greater selection! There was a huge selection compared to my local store. There were also tons of websites. Everybody is in on it! I started getting lost in surfing for WebKinz.
I discovered there are lots of WebKinz cheat sites. Yeah, you can cheat in WebKinz World. How awful! Of course those sites caught my attention. I had to see what they were about. Geez, just as in real life people have discovered ways around earning money honestly, there are lots of folks out in cyberspace ready to help you cheat and get easy WebKinz money (Kinz cash). Some are legitimate hints on how to play the games better on WebKinz, and buy and sell your WebKinz possessions.
However, others site suggest cheats that looked too much like dark alley dealings for small plush pets! Here I thought these were just sweet innocent little pets and sweet innocent little kids behind them! WebKinz website of course will kick off you and your misbehavin WebKinz pet if you are caught cheating!
Back to shopping for WebKinz deals!
I went to the big toys stores online first, eToys and Toysrus. Toyrus isn't playing with WebKinz. They support Shining Stars where you not only get a plush animal and a magical online virtual world, you also get to register a REAL star in you name in the International Star Registry! Cool, huh? I checked out the Shining Stars, and still wanted a WebKinz (I mean for my kids, not me.)
eToys.com was overpriced, even with any sales they sometimes offered. When I checked the website, some were on sale for $14.99. I will use the white WebKinz Rabbit as an example, since that is one of the ones I eventually purchased (from eBay). eToys: $19.99 + $4.33 shipping! Yikes! Who are you guys kidding??? I can get 3 Rabbits on eBay!
eBay
Speaking of eBay, I looked there next. I purchased WebKinz Rabbit as well as Cheeky Monkey, Koala, Googles, Alley Cat and some Lil Kinz like the Lion, Penguin. Yeah, I got addicted quickly, even for a veteran eBayer. I even got caught up in a LOT auction of WebKinz and ended up with 4 duck-like platypus animals named Googles, which I promptly turned around and resold 3/4 on eBay.
On eBay, do a search for a particular Webkinz you would like. Check the auction description to ensure the tags are unused so you can register your WebKinz on the WebKinz website (otherwise you are purchasing just another plush pet). Also, check the seller's feedback to ensure you are buying from an excellent eBayer seller. ( see my post about smart shopping on eBay: How to Shop and Save on eBay)
Click on completed auctions to see the completed auction final sold prices and shipping costs. You can get some good deals. I don't have the patience for auctions, so usually I only bid if there are less than 10 minutes left. There are enough eBay sellers selling WebKinz that you have plenty of choices. I love the ones that have less than a 1 minute left. That's how I got Rabbit for $2.99 + $5.95 shipping.
Amazon.com My next stop in search of WebKinz was Amazon.com. There, I also discovered there are more Webkinz than you can imagine. Retired or not these furry little guys are taking over the world like "Trouble with Tribbles" on Star Trek! Some animals are retired after a certain time. The retired Webkinz do command a higher price on eBay and Amazon.
For each WebKinz listing on Amazon, you will find about 10 or more sellers offering the same animal for a variety of prices and shipping rates. You can find a WebKinz for a reasonable price on Amazon.com.
I found another good deal at Costco.com wholesale club. You do need a wholesale club membership to shop at Costco. I would not recommend the membership fee just for some WebKinz but if you happen to have a membership, I found some 4-pack variety packs on Costco for $39.99, shipping included. They include the Black Cat which I found out is seasonal for Halloween.
The WebKinz have been around for a while now since Ganz introduced them in 2005. I think that means they are lasting longer than version 1.0 of TY Beanie Babies. They are going for less and less on eBay. I noticed some auctions end at a starting bid of 0.99 cents with $5-$6 shipping. Maybe the fad is nearing an end? Regardless, my kids are loving them, and I may get them one more each.
WebKinz List of Pets If you are not sure who's who in the WebKinz world, start with Wikipedia.org under WebKinz:
The above link is the list of all the WebKinz pets available. On the Webkinz website, once you register and adopt your pet, each pet has a special item and special food. Those items are identified in this list as well.
Stuffed Animal Donation Locations So if you have allowed WebKinz into your home or are planning on letting some of these pets move in, you probably need to discard some other plush toys to make room. There are many places that accept clean, good condition stuff animals as donations. You don't have to take abandoned stuff animals to the landfill.
Clean small stuffed animals are always needed by EMTs, Fire and Police Departments to give to children who are involved in trauma and accidents.
This is one site I have used that is in MA.: Project Smile, "Help Bring Comfort to a Hurting Child." You can send your stuffed animals from anywhere to Project Smile, or do a search on Google for stuffed animal donation centers, near you. Maybe after the year free subscription runs out on some of your Webkinz, and your kids have moved on, your littl Webkinz can make another child smile.
You can probably gather all the retired TY Beanie Babies you may have previously accumulated and any other stuffed animals piled in the corners of your bedrooms, and donate them to a good cause.
By the way, TY Beanie Babies generation 2.0 are online now too in their very own virtual world. It is pretty much unanimous: all stuffed animals now live in a virtual reality! I don't think any child will ever be happy again with just a plain ol' cute stuffed if that animal does not come with a sewed on, tied on, virtually irremovable super secret access code to allow the stuffed animal a life of its own on the Internet!
I am at least happy my children still sleep with their plain ol' loveys (We have Bunny, Pinky Puppy, Beary, and Teddy) which only exist in our real world. Oh, the WebKinz do sleep with them too.
More Information about Webkinz For general information about WebKinz, go to the source, the manufacturer, Ganz:
Talk to Anyone Anywhere over the Internet for FREE with Skype
Here is a great way to save online while staying in touch with your family, friends, and business associates, with Skype.
Initially, when eBay! introduced Skype, as a method of making internet calls, chat, and video calls for free, I disregarded it. In my previous life as an electrical engineer, I spent 6 years in the videoconferencing business. I left the industry just as internet videoconferencing was becoming common yet still bug-ridden.
All I can remember was the hours and hours I spent in labs testing calls, dropped calls, lost data, pixelated images, green screen of death, more testing, and the eventualy successful call! Yeah!
Hey, I met my husband while working at Picturetel so it wasn't all bad! Anyway, I digress. I disregarded Skype because I remembered all the difficulty I encountered in my audio, video and internet conferencing days of old.
Also, when eBay introduced Skype, I wasn't so sure I wanted my customers from my eBay store,A Modern Renaissance Furniture and Toys, to have instant access to me at all times of the day and night, especially since well, I do have 4 kids to take care of!
Well, one day, my dearest cousin in the whole world, Maria, called me from Greece, using Skype! (Internet to landline) She was so excited to now able to now call me every day for cents (well, tiny amounts of Euros) a day! International phone calls cost both of us at least $50 a call, so we didn't get a chance to talk very often.
Well, I was embarassed that I was the computer literate one, running online businesses and spending my entire career in high tech, and my cousin from our my Dad's little village in Greece was telling me to get Skype!!!
I did! It's free! We now talk via the internet whenever we want. We both purchased inexpensive Logictech webcam or video cameras, and we not only talk, we video call. My kids talk to their little cousin. I see my cousin's growing belly with her new baby on the way. I turned the camera out my window and showed her little boy, snow (lots of it!) and our snowman. I loved the excitement in his eyes!
My 6 yr old son put it best when he said, "It looks like we are really in Greece with little cousin Christo. I wish I could go through the computer and hug him!"
Now, if I have a stray thought or question for Maria, I hit the call button and she is there! It works pretty much every time. The only technical difficulties we have encountered is problems with setting up our video cameras, and they were minor.
Well, we got my Dad on Skype. Now I can see my parents whenever I want. They are only 20 minutes away, but through winter in New England, I still didn't get to see them often enough. Now I can "see" them anytime of day. My 6 yr old triplets will call Yiayia and Papou to show them their artwork, their first loose tooth, and new outfits.
Better yet, we conference together, My Dad from home, my cousin Maria in Greece. She call her Dad in the village on the landline puts him on speaker, and now my Dad can talk to his brother. On Christmas, we were able to be together, virtually, for the first time ever.
If only my Grandparents were alive. They would get such a thrill out of this! Heck, I do and I used to write the code to make videoconferencing work! It's just like The Jetsons!
Give it try! It is so easy to create an account. You don't need any equipment beyond your computer and its existing audio properties. If you can connect to the internet, you can Skype. Internet calls are free anywhere in the world. Internet to phone lines do cost a mininal amount per minute: 2.1 cents per minute to over 30 ountries. You can pre-purchase Skype credit to use for internet to phone calls. You can receive cell phone calls to your computer too.
For video calls, you need a webcam or video camera. Logictech is the leader in webcams. We have the following 3 cameras. We use the Logictech QuickCam Pro 9000 on our main computer, and the Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks, on our notebook computer.
We also have the Logitech Quickcam Communicate STX by Logitech, and have given one of those to my Dad when we set him up on Skype.
We purchased all of out webcams on Amazon.com with free supersaver shipping.
Curious about how it all works? Here are some books you can try:
Once you install your camera, then you can go back into Skype, and edit the video settings to auto recognize your camera.
The only thing you can't do with Skype is 911 calls. Skype cannot replace your landline for emergencies. Otherwise, you can pretty much do what your phone does today and soooo much more!
Skype is an eBay company. Skype services are currently available in 28 languages. It is used in almost every country around the world! We can truly talk to anyone at anytime! How cool is that?
So how does Skype make money? Skype gets its revenue through its premium offerings such as internet to and from landline and mobile phones, voicemail, and call forwarding. Internet to internet calls are FREE!
Other features include document sharing, online chat features, and voicemail. Skype has a simple, user-friendly interface. Even a novice can quickly navigate their site, and start Skypeing!
The best part is the money you can save that you would be handing over to your phone company... you know, the monthly long distance fee, line fee, universal service charge (what is that????), , fees, fees, more fees, and oh, let's not forget taxes!
Getting started is simple:
1. Go to www.skype.com. Download the little wizard. It installs on your PC. 2. You select a cool username and password, and your are ready to go. 3. Skype helps you with a test call to make sure everything is ok with your microphone and speakers. 4. Now who to call? Find your friends through their email addresses, or call them up and get them online too! Add your friends to your address book. 5. Double-click on your friend's name from your Skype address book, and you are talking!
Have questions? Need help getting started? Just post a note and I will be happy to help you!
Talk to Anyone Anywhere over the Internet for FREE with Skype
I am a work from home Mom of Triplets plus One.
I am an author and small business owner, previously employed in the high tech industry as an electrical engineer. The birth of my first children in 2001 inspired me to change careers to enjoy my children and still maintain my interests as well as a source of family income.
Always look for a coupon code for FREE SHIPPING or PERCENT OFF before you make a purchase.
These are my favorite sites for discount coupon codes, printable coupons, and free shipping offers. I almost always find a coupon when I check these sites!
The American Bar Association, has created a great site to help you order safely when shopping online.
Shopping online is fast and easy, and SAFE.
Topics include Shopping Tips, Privacy, Security, and More!
work! It's just like 