Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘bargain hunting’

Amazing Shopping Deals

Posted in Blog, tagged , , , , , , , on December 3, 2011 | 1 Comment »

I’m finished with my Christmas shopping, but tagged along with my mom yesterday afternoon to finish up her last couple of gifts.  I had a massive amount of coupons for stores like Express, Hallmark, Victoria Secret and Ulta, so I decided to cash-in and get myself some goodies.

I don’t know if any of you received the VS cards that are worth $10-$500. I had two. I wanted some new sweats (my black ones are so worn in they almost look gray). I asked the cashier if she’d ring up my purchases separate so I could use both cards. One was worth $10 (big surprise, right?). Then, much to my surprise the other was worth $50!!! I was pretty excited about that. Making my purchase just $34 instead of $94.

Then it was on to Ulta, were I had a reward coupon to cash in. I know what you are thinking when you see bright yellow nail polish. Wow, what is this girl thinking. This is Pittsburgh…and I practically live at Heinz Field and Consol Energy Center this time of year. Yellow nail polish is only appropriate. Total cost of this purchase $0.

Next stop, Express. $15 coupon for any purchase totaling $15 or more. Since I didn’t really need anything, I decided to see how much of a bargain I could get with this coupon. My grand total $1.10!  I purchased a wristlet and a lip gloss.

Finally it was onto Hallmark with a $5 coupon. Making my adorable new Pittsburgh Penguins ornaments just $5.

All and all, I’d say this was a very successful shopping trip!

Read Full Post »

Shopping Saturday!

Posted in Blog, Holiday Gift Guide, tagged , , , , , on November 19, 2011 | 2 Comments »

Nothing beats waking up at 8 am on a Saturday to be a human alarm clock (men!). So much for sleeping in on the weekend. Since I’m up and have no chance of going back to bed, might as well be productive right.

The exercise (keep in mind I’m still not supposed to be doing anything crazy and I just needed a little something to get me out of bed and alert!):

  • 2 songs worth of crunches with a medicine ball…it was a country morning even though I’m not much of a country fan. Jason Aldean and Joe Nichols aren’t exactly the kind of songs that get you up and moving in the morning, but that’s okay. I just randomly picked a Pandora station on my iPhone (which I’m pretty sure I didn’t put there) and got at it.
  • 25 cross-legged push-ups.
  • 2 songs worth of bicycles, this time I got a little goofy and selected a Christmas station on Pandora. A workout to Mariah Carey and NSYNC is definitely unique!
The breakfast:
  • Granola
  • Yogurt
I’ve never been much of a breakfast eater…in fact, I never used to eat breakfast at all. So far, I’ve gone 20 days with always eating something for breakfast, which is a challenge for someone who does not like breakfast foods. I’m opened to suggestions, something I can eat quick, tastes great and will actually make me excited about breakfast! Any ideas?

Then it was on to homework…lovely reads about exercise planning for special populations (covered everything from children, to pregnant women to diabetics and everything in between). I can’t believe I’m almost finished with my second Master’s degree.

Now for the fun…Christmas shopping with my sister. We like to be done early…that leaves more time for decorating, wrapping, baking and party planning!

Shopping Trip Highlights:

  • Finished a lot of shopping for my mom (my sister and I do my dad’s and brother’s shopping as well, they do not like malls).
  • The 35 and under event at LOFT. I love a good LOFT sale! Plus I had an additional 20 percent off coupon for opening a credit card.
  • Awesome deals at Bath and Body Works plus I had a gift card so it cost me nothing!
  • 1/2 price holiday drinks at Starbucks…there is just something about those red cups and holiday flavors I can’t resist!

    White chocolate peppermint mocha!

Read Full Post »

Staying Fit on a Budget

Posted in Fitness Ideas, tagged , , , , on November 10, 2011 | Leave a Comment »

Fitness is important regardless of your budget. Whether you are a college student, just starting out or strapped for cash, fitness shouldn’t have to be one of the areas of your life you hold back on. Here are some ways you can get your fitness in without having to spend an arm and a leg.

  • Use daily deal sites. Groupon, Google Offers, and Living Social frequently offer great discounts for gyms in your area. You may be able to get personal training sessions or classes (such as Yoga) at a fraction of the cost.
  • Buy in bulk. Visit warehouse stores to buy protein bars, vitamins, water, etc in bulk. The more you buy, the more you’ll likely save.
  • Look for coupons. Use the internet and the Sunday paper to find coupons on everything from apparel to healthy foods.
  • Take advantage of free trials. Test out numerous gyms or classes before you decide to make any commitments.
  • Check out the sale racks, visit outlets or stores like TJ Maxx for workout gear. Never pay full price.
  • Use social media. Follow your favorite fitness and nutrition brands on Facebook and Twitter for awesome deals.
  • Get together with your friends. Instead of hiring a personal trainer for just yourself, take advantage of small group training sessions and split the costs with friends.
  • Go for a run. It doesn’t cost anything to enjoy the outdoors.

Read Full Post »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 263 other followers

%d bloggers like this: