Goodbye Bargains

Today I spent the morning going to garage sales. Oh, how I love garage sales.

From household items, to clothes to furniture, there's nothing like a good garage sale to get those bargain juices flowing.

Today, I got so many good things -- some to sell, some to keep -- but all great deals. It was bittersweet though, because as I left my house, I could feel the crispness in the air and suddenly knew that the end of the season is near. Soon all our doors will be shut, our yards will be covered snow. And I'll spend the winter going through withdrawals, biding my time until garage sale season starts once again.

In the meantime, I guess I'll have to pass my days getting familiar with our local thrift stores. My hiatus from the mall will end, and I'll venture inside once again to...dare I say...pay retail. Nah...I'm sure I'll come across some good sales and clearance racks in my travels.

Until then, I'm left to dream of my summer days. But right now I'm going to bask in my finds of the day.

Swagbucks

Here at the Cheap Moms Club, I'm all about easy. I usually don't go for the online survey sites or other shopping incentive programs because they end up taking up too much of my time for too little in return. But I was just tipped off to a site that pays me for the things I already do.

Swagbucks is a site that lets you earn points in many ways -- shopping online, referring friends, searching for hidden codes. But the easiest way is to just use their search engine. I just signed up a couple of days ago and I've already earned 11 points. Just to put it in perspective, at 40 points you can get a $25 Restaurant.com gift card. At 45 points, you can earn yourself $5 at Amazon. Granted, its not winning the lottery, but since I'm on my computer anyway, it a little extra something -- and as you know, all those little somethings can add up when you let them.

Try it out if you get a chance.

In the Beginning...

So, where do we start?

I guess a quick run down of my philosophy would be a good idea.

Never buy retail. OK, I guess I should never say never, but RARELY is accurate. There are so many other options out there, this is usually my last resort. And if you must, make sure you wait for whatever it is to go on sale.

Craigslist is your friend. If you haven't already familiarized yourself with this online marketplace, check out www.craigslist.org. You can get everything from clothes to cars to kids toys at a fraction of the cost you'd pay retail. Ebay is a close second, so check out www.ebay.com. But beware. While you can get some awesome deals, there are many items that are overpriced.

Don't be ashamed to garage sale. Yes, they're hit and miss -- and you never know what you'll find, but that's part of the fun. Its like a weekly treasure hunt. I especially like them for household items...because they go for pennies on the dollar.

Coupons count. I used to think these were a waste of time, but when you shop stores that double them, combined with sales, boy can you save yourself a lot of dough. These days, my kids are trained. "Mom can't buy that, she doesn't have a coupon." Besides, I can usually beat the prices at the big box discount stores using this method. So I end up saving on groceries, household items and gas.

Use Online Coupon Codes. I rarely shop for anything online without doing a quick Google search for coupon codes. A few minutes of clicks and you can save big bucks down the line. Plus, I rarely pay shipping for anything. Along the same lines, check discount sites like Ebates or others for rebates at many online retailers.

There are also some basics most of you may already know.

Shop off season. After buying a few items at 75% off, you'll never want to go back to full retail again.

Shop outlets. My favorites are Eddie Bauer Outlet, Lands End Overstocks and REI Outlet. But there are plenty more where these came from.

Always, always look on the clearance rack. I've never met a clearance rack I didn't like. Again, you never know what you'll find, but a few minutes spent can pay off.

Become familiar with your Sunday ad sections. I usually spend a little time going through the ads, then mapping out where I'll go during the week.

There is so much to add, but I think I'll stop for now. Stay tuned for the next exciting installment soon....