Black Friday Getting More Ridiculous

As if the feeding shopping frenzy that is Black Friday could get any worse.  Best Buy has decided to jump on the bandwagon and open up at midnight on Thanksgiving night for Black Friday shopping.  This comes on the heels of recent announcements by Target, Macy’s and Kohl’s.  Seriously? Writes the Wall Street Journal: Best [...]

Cash (Not Credit) Rules Everything Around Me

We finally got the memo!  Cash is king, and credit cards put us in debt.  The New York Times recently reported that consumers are using their cash purchasing power instead of relying on credit cards this holiday season.  I’m right there with them.  As we noted, Black Friday (or any shopping for that matter) may [...]

Giving the Gift of Gift Cards…Hold Up a Minute

Gift cards are my go-to gift for children, teenagers, brides, and mothers-to-be.  Even more so after reading that we spend over $57 billion a year on unwanted gifts.  I think I’ve received at least a couple million dollars worth. So giving the gift of gift cards seems like the best option, right?  Right.  But there [...]

Black Friday Might Not Be For You…

We were having a little fun on Twitter yesterday noting the many reasons why you should not partake in the Black Friday shopping orgy.  And while many observations were said in jest, it is a way of speaking the truth.  Many of these admonitions are based on our own personal failings, mistakes, and lessons learned.  [...]

Last Minute Shopping? Don’t Lose Your Financial Head

Last minute Christmas shopping is usually when all financial sense goes out of the window. If you’re still shopping for that perfect gift, keep the following advice and tips in mind: When in doubt, don’t buy it. Just get a gift card. Afrobella has some great gift ideas for natural sistas (t-shirts, hair products, etc.). [...]

Holiday Shoppers: Don’t Just Take It Anymore

Just finished perusing the sales papers after Thanksgiving dinner.  Everything is on sale if you’ve got the cash (or credit) to spend.  But remember you are in control, not the retailers.  There is a reason for the extended frenzy for the 2009 Holiday Shopping Season.  The economy has many of us counting our pennies and [...]

Get Your Black Friday Deals On

I’ve never been much for Black Friday deals. My mother is into it and would drag me to Kohl’s or Wal-Mart at 7 am to get a $20 DVD player. It has to be about the excitement of the deal, and not the actual purchase. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve gotten some great deals but [...]

Clothes Make the Woman

The economy doesn’t appear to be getting any better any time soon. We’ve all cut back. Life’s simple luxuries, such as my daily Starbucks fix and weekly hair appointments, have given way to free office coffee and stretching that hair appointment out another week.  The same applies for clothing.  No matter the circumstance you must [...]

State Sales Tax Holidays in August

Make sure to take advantage of state sales tax holidays in your area. Great for back to school shopping and stocking up on the essentials. Of course, restrictions apply. There are limits on the types of items you can purchase and the maximum amount of items as well. Alabama: August 7-9 Connecticut: August 16-22 Iowa: [...]

TheStreet.Com’s 10 Commandments for Frugal Living

TheStreet.Com: Frugality often gets a bad rap. Many people misunderstand frugality and assume that it’s nothing more than being “cheap” when, in reality, frugality is making sure that you get the most from the money and resources you have, even if they are limited.   For those who are just beginning to embrace frugality as a [...]

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