Let's get down to bizz nezz. We will follow the outline numerically, since I am geeky beyond all comprehension, and must have order.
1) Greeting cards - I almost busted a gut when greeting cards got to be around $4.99 apiece. That's insane. So of course, I looked for an alternative. 99 Cents Only has them for......... 99 cents. Much better. But then I went to Dollar Tree. Here's what I found there:
2) Shoes - I have found the best deals at DSW - Designer Shoe Warehouse. Not only do they have a huge clearance section, but they send you $10 gift cards about four times per year. The discount is color coded. All I remember is that the yellow tags are 80% off. Once, I got a pair of red Valentino sandals for $40. On the racks, there are charts that tell you how much the shoes will be based on the color of the label. For example, yellow tagged $200 shoes will be $40. Sometimes they have good stuff, sometimes there is nothing. They don't have athletic shoes. When I need new running shoes, I get them when Kohl's sends me a 30% off card. I am very picky about my running shoes - I will only wear Asics, and Kohls' carries them. The last time I got some, they were $138, on sale for $88, and then 30% off that, making them $62.
3) Imported foods - I love to eat weird imported food. My playground for this is a store called Jons. As far as I know, there is only one location, on McFadden and Goldenwest in HB. They have a drool worthy bakery (Mexican and European pastries) and a crazy deli (cheese,bacon, olives, hummus). They have a huge imported booze section. The prices aren't that great for the hooch, but it's interesting to see all the different kinds and the proof (some are 99 proof, wowza). They have imported grocery items as well - frozen blintzes, jars of jelly and ikra, cans of Mid East and European goodies, and jam galore. They also have frozen, meat, dairy and produce. If we are bored and can't decide what to eat, we go to Jons and just pick out something that sounds good.
4) Workout DVDs
There is a store in Westminster Mall called Dollar Books. And they have those. But,they also have DVDs of every imaginable type. The most expensive ones are $5. Many are $3. I go in, look at the $3 Fitness section, and always find one. Once they had a 5 for $5 sale and I totally scored that day. My other great source for these is the Goldenwest College swap meet. There are these vendors that have rows of DVDs. They try to sort them into categories. They usually say $2, but then I say $1 and I'll get 2, and they say okay. So they make $2, and I get 2 DVDs. I got most of my TaeBo collection this way.
5) Any and all forms of clothing - I go to Macy's for general retail. I like their in-house brand, I.N.C. And they have so many sales (like every weekend) and mail out so many 20% off coupons, that I never pay full price. For higher end stuff, like designer items, I go to consignment shops. People bring their things in, and then they get a portion of the sale back in cash or store credit. The really good consignments only take items that are in excellent condition. Many items are unworn, with the tags still attached. My favorites are Happyness Consignment (HB), Return Engagement (HB), Discovery Shop (Belmont Shore and Beverly Hills) and Twice the Style (NB). Twice the Style has a big sale the first weekend of every month, and they slash prices for the sale. The Discovery Shops are run by the American Cancer Society, so the profits go to a good cause.
6)Accessories - When I want to get something inexpensive to match a particular outfit, I go to Forever 21. Their clothing is for teenagers, but they have huge costume jewelry displays. Buyer beware - you get what you pay for. In other words, their stuff falls apart quickly, so don't get too attached. For real gems, or more upscale items, I use Ebay or Amazon. You don't always have to do the bidding thing - most vendors have e-stores. I have never been burned, even when ordering from China. Both sites accept PayPal, which offers the buyer protection from fraud, which I feel is important when dealing with over seas vendors.
So there you have it. I imagine that I will be seeing some of you out and about, hitting up my favorite stores. Just don't EVEN think about grabbing for the item that I am eyeballing - I am not above biting and kicking.
