The Bargain Hunter

The Quiet Watchdog

2010-12-28T21:36:00.000-08:00

If you dread shopping for a flight even more than flying, then Airfare Watchdog is for you. Their bark is just loud enough to call your attention to the latest airline deals.

Register your email address, enter your preferred route and voila! You're a few clicks away from a bon voyage. Airfare Watchdog will email you when flights for your preferred itinerary go on sale.

Free Museum Days

2010-09-14T21:29:00.000-07:00

We can be cultured and cheap. One of the coolest things about Free Museum Day is that you may actually be surprised by how many museums are in your city.

FMD lists museums by city, noting which days are free &/or when admission fees are reduced.

Name Your Price

2009-12-28T15:42:00.000-08:00

You can with Price Protectr, who claims to be your shopping companion. Although they won't accompany you to the store, they will watch prices of the products you're interested in, and more importantly, let you know when it drops.

The service is free, once you sign up and provide the products you're interested in. Price Protectr does the rest. They track 162 stores including Amazon, The Apple Store, Best Buy, Circuit City, Costco, Future Shop, Sears and Staples. And if you've already bought the item, and find the price is lowered, you may just get an adjustment.

So why waste time chasing sales when they can come to you? Just name your price.

Mind Your Minutes

2009-10-10T16:56:00.001-07:00

Fed up with overage charges? Over My Minutes is a free service to consumers and non-profits. Sign up to receive a warning text message when you're nearing your limit.

Now just make sure the warning message doesn't max out your text allowance.

Leggo My Egg Yo

2009-09-08T14:08:00.000-07:00

Alright. I couldn't resist. But don't let that distract you from making the most of this incredible edible.

Eggs aren't just for scrambling anymore. Here are few tips I found to help you add a little something extra to inexpensive meals:

Make your own "noodles" by beating the egg(s), and pouring a thin layer into a mediumish pan. Allow to set, then flip. Once cooked, cut the egg into short, skinny strips. Add to broth, or salads.

Wrap your leftovers. Pour half (at a time) of a beaten egg into a small nonstick, and swirl for a thin layer. Use medium-low heat, allow to set and lightly brown on the bottom. Place on plate, fill, and wrap.

Add some inexpensive protein to pasta. Crumble hard-boiled eggs, and add a few other ingredients like croutons, butter or oil, and herbs.

Voila. Vivent longtemps la poule.

Ceci N'est Pas Une Bargain

2009-08-03T12:22:00.000-07:00

Slow down Samurai Shopper. "On Sale" does not a bargain make.

Do you suffer from "One Day Sale" mania? These five steps to smart
sale-shopping will help you avoid buying everything you don't need.

1. Count To 10.
Used in many hot-head situations, taking time to step away, breathe and calm down really works. Give yourself 20 minutes before going to the register and let your dopamine levels come down a bit.

2. Lemmings. They're All Lemmings.
Remember you are an individual. Competition fuels desire. So avoid the frenzied crowd mentality which drives people to humiliate themselves by fighting over Elmos.

3. Pay With Greenbacks. Quid. Or Pesos.
Paying with cash eliminates that faux "safe" barrier when paying with a credit card. We spend more money when we use our cards.

4. Why Is This Marked Down Anyway?
Nobody wanted the item at full price, Silly.

5. Stop Tripping.
Focusing on your guilt for buying something will leave you dissatisfied and more likely to continue spending unnecessarily.

Now off you go Grasshopper. Don't spend it all in one place.

Salty Sweet

2009-07-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

Spending time with singles lately? Throw some (Kosher) salt in your budget wounds and stretch those dollars.

Even PDiddy didn't want to be Puffy. Dissolve one tspoon of K-salt in a cup of warm water. Soak cotton pads. Place on your eyes.

Facial in a box. Mix one tspoon of olive oil with one tspoon of K-salt. Massage into your face with gentle upward strokes. Wash off with a mild facial soap.

Don't let the beach hit you back in the wallet. Using a spray bottle, dissolve K-salt in water. Spray. Scrunch. Air Dry. Gorgeous.

Staying beautiful on the cheap. Sweet.

Getting Your Groupon

2009-06-11T12:47:00.000-07:00

You might be one of those who covet the sample sales while laughing at your friends (behind their backs, of course) for buying retail.

Well here's a reason to actually tell your friends about the good deals you're getting. Collective buying power, babies.

Each day Groupon features something cool to do at a major discount.

If the minimum number of groupons are sold, you get the deal. Today's hot deal in SF : 5 power yoga classes for $30.

So if you live in NY, DC, SF, LA, Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, or Detroit, tweet your friends and get your....

Swap 'Til You Drop

2009-06-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

You might be looking in your closet these days, riddled with guilt, wanting to kick yourself for giving in to those $400 Jimmy's.

Well despair no longer. With a little retail therapy of the opposite kind, you can still live in the style a good frugalista was accustomed to.

Dign 'N' Swap provides a forum for you to trade your yesterday's Its for someone else's.

Upload pix of the clothes and accessories you'd like to trade, and then browse away. Once you find what you want, place a bid, and swap.

Dig this, participation is free while the site is in beta.

Pink Slip Got You Pooped?

2009-04-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

It's easy to be depressed these days. Everywhere we go, click, watch, read, everyone seems to be relishing in the telling of how bad it is out there.
A lot of us already know this first-hand and don't need the added negative vibes.

Years ago, after puckering from a few too many of life's lemons, Allison Hemming started the "Pink Slip Parties". Later, she founded
The Hired Guns, a freelance employment agency based in NYC.

Flavorwire published an interview with Allison in which she provides tips on employment survival.

Now go make some lemonade for that LayoffTini.

Tag, You Sold It

2009-04-23T15:06:00.000-07:00

Don't you just want to ransack your closets and get rid of all your junk?

But the thought of spending a weekend waiting for someone to pass by with a yearning for your old candlestick holders just keeps the pack rat in hibernation.

Tagsellit.com could be your path to a clutter-free existence.

You can list up to 200 items on a single page, and your first 5 items list for free.
Tagsellit doesn't charge commissions either.

Best part is you don't have to spend your junk money on a DVD from the Video Professor to figure this site out.

So, if you think they'll like it, you should put a tag on it.

Ain't Nobody's Business But Your Own

2009-04-17T12:19:00.000-07:00

Your business is your own. And just because you sometimes have to do it in a public space, with strangers often too close for comfort, well...it's still business better kept private.

Now thanks to Poof drops you can remain anonymous. Poof is a toilet deoderizer that neutralizes odor without the harsh chemicals of reactive sprays, which often create their own disturbing odors calling more attention to your presence.

Pouring a few Poof drops in the toilet water creates a transluscent seal trapping odors, while releasing the scent of Japanese mint!

Go ahead. Say it. Your Poof doesn't stink.

Point. Shoot. Picnik.

2009-04-07T13:32:00.000-07:00

Wouldn't you just love it if all(any?)of your photos were, um, good?
Oh sure you could read the camera's manual. Read the manual?! Manuals are for people who...aren't me.

Nope. I prefer to shoot now and apologize for the red-eye later.

And obviously the folks at Picnik.com were thinking of folks like me when they dreamed up their site.

Upload your photo. Crop out the ex BF. Click save. Download your new photo.

It's that simple. And it's free. AND - you don't even have to register for the free basic service. That's worth repeating. Repeat. You do NOT have to register for the free basic service.

All that without the ants. Now that's a picnik worth its salt.

Mouse over to The Wright Stop

2009-04-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

One day they wear 3-6 months, the next day they're 12.

Ok, so kids don't grow that fast, but they do fly through clothes faster than budget-conscious moms would like.

If you're looking for ways to clothe your little one without having to wear your birthday suit, check out The Wright Stop.

Run by a stay-at-home mom of 3, the site sells used children's clothing for damn cheap. Prices start at an amazingly low 10 cents.

Power Rangers PJ's for a quarter? That's Wright.

Send My Love to Lynda

2009-03-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

I was surprised to learn that more songs have been written about "Linda" than almost any other girl.

But that was before I was introduced to lynda.com

The leading provider of software training videos online. Over 35,400 professionally produced video tutorials. Slow Down Lynda!

Photoshop, Flash, Final Cut Pro, and more, online, at your own pace.
You can even learn, ahem, excel. Noone but you and Lady Lynda are the wiser.

Subscriptions are as low as $25 a month, and the Lovely Lynda requires no long-term commitment.

Here's Lookin' at Lynda.

No Better Bargain Than Free

2009-03-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

Yeah Yeah. I hear the cynics blah blahing about getting what you paid for. And the math here would = zero.

But seriously folks, if you want to learn something on a budget, don't discount the power of asking for something for free.

From tying a bow tie, to learning guitar, to tweeting all your followers, You Tube is a great resource for free lessons.

Check out your local Chamber of Commerce and Small Business Administration websites, where you can often find free online training classes.

Think you're an expert? Well you can prove it by bartering your know-how. Sites like Craigslist, put you in touch with other smartys looking to trade services.

On SwapTree you can trade books, cd's and dvd's.

So come on and take a free ride.

Happy Hunting.

Pay 1/2 price and get a Goldstar

2009-03-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

You're not cheap. You've just always been smarter. Hence all those shiny stickers around your name.

goldstar.com offers tickets to all types of entertainment for half of the box office cost.

Want to laugh until you cry? Check out their comedy listings.

Looking for a new BFF? Sign up for one of the social events.

Prefer to sit in the dark surrounded by strangers? They sell film tix too.

Goldstar is available in 8 cities and will email you a list of events in your area.

Now get off your computer and go for the gold.

Woot...There it is

2009-03-20T10:58:00.001-07:00

Here today, gone tomorrow.
That's the "One day, One deal" business model of woot.com

They usually sell one (cool) item per day, (usually electronic) at a discounted price. Today's "woot" is an 8G ipod touch.

The item is offered for one day or until it sells out. Offerings are updated each "day" at midnight, central time.

Wooters watch: Read descriptions carefully, some items are refurbished, and woot does not replace defective items. You'd have to contact the manufacturer directly.

Not into gadgets? Check out wine.woot! and shirt.woot!.

The cool stuff sells fast, so woot! woot!

Erin Go Brag About It

2009-03-17T13:46:00.001-07:00

Go ahead tell all your frenemies how you got to Ireland for $150.

Aer Lingus is having a major sale on flights from all over the US to Ireland. In May, one way flights start at $149.00.

If you decide to land in Dublin, the 5 star Dylan hotel is offering midweek stays for 2, starting at 99.50 euros per person per night.

Want to get your Irish up with Champagne taste on a beer budget? Well then fancy yourself a Black Velvet. Legend has it this dark lovely was originally created in 1861 to mourn the death of Prince Albert.

Pour a stout into a Champagne flute. Slowly pour the Champagne or sparkling wine into the stout, careful not to mix.

Guinness turns 250 this year, and the giddyness of it all has prompted them to resurrect propostion 3-17. You can save St. P's Day from being relegated to garish floats, by signing the online petition to make it an official holiday.

Come on, everyone's Irish on St. Paddy's Day.

Want to Jetaway?

2009-03-10T13:07:00.001-07:00

Who doesn't. And if I hear about one more stayca....Jetta please.

If you do some homework, you might be able to swing a little out of town mental cleanse.
Here are some deals I just learned about.

No moolah for me in these mentions.

Happy Hunting.

It's all about the last minute.
Now more than ever hotels, resorts, cruise lines, etcetera would rather (deeply) discount their services than stay empty.

lastminute.com is a great site if you can pick up and leave tomorrow. Unfortunately(?), many of us can. You can also schedule a week out and still find good deals.

hotels.com has hotels in Vegas starting at $25.00/night. I heard that the Palace hotel can be found on hotels.com for as low as $12.50 night.

And speaking of Vegas, the Trump Hotel in LV is offering a "Suite Escape" deal for $89/ night that includes a $50 spa credit and late checkout.

No more pirates please. But do check out cheapcaribbean.com
They advertise "unheard of deals" in Mexico and the Caribbean. Their deal of the moment is an all inclusive 3-4 star resort in the Dominican Republic for $67/ night. And they pay you $$$ if it rains while you're there. Talk about your safe harbor.

Cruisin for a deal? Check out none other than cruisedeals.com. I was surprised to see the higher-end cruise ship offers. So you can jet on the cheap but look like a celeb.

You're Hired

2009-03-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

We all know that searching for a job is a job in itself. And these day's it's as much fun as a paper cut. And if that's not depressing enough, job searches can wind up costing us money we're not making anymore. Seminars, networking functions, resume coaches...and the alcohol to make it all palatable, really add up!

Below are a few finds - free and / or cost-efficient resources to help you in your search.

I am not paid to list these companies. I'm a hunter for a "bargain" of any sort, and I like to share my spoils.

Happy hunting.

Your Intro
Unsure about your resume? Submitting a poorly written resume is like posting a bad photo to, well, anywhere. Why bother? If you cannot afford a resume coach, consider software packages. These were recommended by a consumer advisor.

Kinetic Resume promises to provide you with a tool that will build an impactful resume that speaks Hiring Managerse. They've discounted their price by 50% until 3/16/09. And they have a 30 day money-back guarantee.

ResumeMaker is another such resource. They're pricing starts at $29.95 and they also have a money-back guarantee.

Your Search
Indeed.com performs searches for jobs by city, title, salary, company name, and more. I've used this site and found it helpful to streamline my search to pretty specific parameters.

Linkup "exposes hidden jobs". I don't know about that, but they do search company websites for jobs that are not posted on other sites. So if "Acme Anvil Co." is hiring but they only post the opp on their own site, and you never heard of "Acme Anvil Co." and wouldn't have thought to look up their site, Linkup would have probably found it for you.