Tip of the Week: stocking up at sale time

If you can still find them, now is time to score that fabulous pair of designer shoes you’ve been eyeing but didn’t want to buy at full price. If you can find something you can wear year round, bonus! It’s also a good time to buy special clothes you think will still be in style next year. If you’re lucky you can score some great finds.

Seems like my kids are growing like weeds. I’m constantly buying them new clothes to replace the almost-new ones they’ve just outgrown. It’s tough keeping up. If you’re good at estimating how much they grow within a year, end of season sale time is a great time to stock up for next summer.

Keep an eye out for non-seasonal items too. At sale time, I often stumble upon household or gift items at great prices too.

Some of my recent finds:
75% off
• Linen shorts and t-shirts (Club Monaco)
• Guest book and board games (Essence du Papier)

50%
• Board games and coffee mugs (Starbucks)
• Greeting cards (Essence du Papier)

Remember, things are only a bargain if you actually need them. I used to have a bad habit of buying things just because they were marked way down. Problem was, I forgot I had them.

Do you stock up at sale time? If so, what do you buy? Have you ever stocked up then forgot you had something?

photo credit: enda on flickr

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Weekly Wish – a new Apple computer

I know this isn’t the first time I’ve blogged about buying a new computer. But this is the first time Apple has left me with such a big dilemma.

Here’s the scoop:
• I’d like a new computer by September.
• Originally, I thought I wanted a laptop. I’d really like a MacBook Pro but the MacBook is more in my price range.
• Yesterday, Apple released a new iMac: new design, 20” base model, more goodies, and at $1,299 a pretty good value.
• Next, some friends told me I should consider a refurbished one. Never done that before. I’m a bit nervous. Should I be?
• Leopard is scheduled for release in October. If I wait ’til then, it will be included with my computer.

My weekly wish is for Apple just to shower me with laptop and desktop love. Wouldn’t it be nice if they’d let me take a couple for a test drive and let me share my experience with you? I’d even write a daily log. I know it’s just not their style but I like dreaming.

In case you’re wondering why I’m fixated on getting a new Apple when there are some other cool laptops out there at a fraction of the price, I purchased the educational version of Office and I have two extra licences.

But from where I sit, I’d be almost as happy if you share your opinions. What would you do if you were me? Please leave some comments. I know Linda needs some help too.

And by the way, if you’re a university student and you buy a new Apple computer between now and August 31, Apple will throw in a new iPod Nano.

Technorati tags: Apple, computers, iMac, laptop, leopard, Nano, MacBook, MacBook Pro

We picked a winner!

Congratulations to Kathryn Lagden, winner of a ticket to ChickAdvisor’s Queen Street Shop Crawl. Her enthusiasm and sense of humour won the judges over.

Judges chose the winning entry based on two criteria:
1) compelling case for why she should be a Bargainista reporter for a day; and,
2) most engaging writing style

Special shout out to judges Kate Trgovac and Bryan Person. Entries were sent to them without any personal identifying info so they didn’t know whose entries they were judging until after Kathryn was chosen.

Thanks to everyone who participated.

You can read Kathryn’s event coverage this weekend on Bargainista.

Technorati tags: Bryan Person, ChickAdvisor, Kate Trgovac, Kathryn Lagden

Lifelong member of “It’s better in the US”

Note: This is another guest post courtesy of my co-worker, Linda.

I’ve always been a cross-border shopper–when you grow up less than 30 minutes away from the border, it’s a natural rite of passage. I’ve lived the days of our dollar actually being worth more than the US buck, and survived the days it fell down to almost 60¢. High or low, I haven’t been deterred–there’s just something about a US shopping trip.

At this stage of my life, it’s a mindset more than anything. When I try to shop in Toronto, I’m always on the clock–it’s almost always rushed. Get home to feed the family, pick up or drop off kids, etc. When you know you only have so much time, you just don’t have the same amount of patience. My trips over the border are usually more relaxed–leave the kids at home with their grandparents and come home when I decide I’ve had enough. Things have changed a bit the past year or so though–my 14-year-old daughter has caught the shopping bug (finally!) and my trips over the Niagara River are rarely solo anymore.

The biggest problem I have with Canadian retail is our department stores–they are just nothing compared to the US equivalents. While Holts may be the exception, it’s not a store I can afford. The variety of shoes you can find in a US department store, usually on sale, is incredible. Unlike most Winners, the brand name discount stores (TJ Maxx, Marshalls, etc.) actually have brand name, designer items (only certain geographic locations have high-end stock when it comes to Winners). If you’re looking for a suit, they often have racks of designer names for $100 or less.

Grocery stores are something else that amaze me–step into Wegmans flagship store in the suburbs of Rochester, NY and you won’t know where to begin–it’s like nothing you've ever seen (you can always spot the Canadian visitors–they’re the ones “oohing” and “aahing” every minute or so). It’s not just the variety of foods and food products, it’s the design itself–warm and bustling, not like the warehouse style superstores we have in Canada. For people with food allergies, the choices are ten times what they are in Canada (maybe excluding specialty stores).

Like I said though, I know some of it is a mindset–I just seem to have more time to shop in the US. Since this blog is about bargains, I’ll leave you with my latest and greatest find–I bought a pair of Prada black flats in TJ Maxx last weekend for $80. The MSRP was $600, they started at TJ’s for $230–after a couple of markdowns, I now own a pair of Pradas!

Do you agree with Linda? Is shopping really better south of the border or do you prefer shopping in Canada?

Technorati tags: cross-border shopping, Prada, TJ Maxx, Wegmans, Winners