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Sears’ Friends & Family VIP Night – Sunday 11/15
The upcoming Sears’ Friends & Family VIP night sale is on Sunday, Nov 15 – you can save an extra 5-20% off almost everything Sears sells, so it’s the perfect time to begin holiday shopping even before the official holiday sales get started
The online sale is all day Sunday, while the VIP events are from 6-9 PM in-store:
http://www.sears.com/vip
Here’s a link to the PDF coupons for electronics, apparel, jewelry, shoes and more:
http://www.sears.com/ue/home/NovF&FFlyer28pg-final-6mb.pdf
And here’s the in-store fashion savings pass coupon:
http://www.sears.com/ue/home/FF-Coupon-v2.pdf
(The code to use on Sears.com is NOVFF2)
Retailer's 'doorbuster discounts' reportedly include a 32-inch LCD HDTV for $246 and a $10 free gift card when you spend $100 or more.
Target is hoping to lure this year's Black Friday shoppers with $3 toasters and coffeemakers, deep deals on high-definition televisions, and discounts of 50% on clothes and toys, according to a Web site that says it has received a leaked copy of the retailer's circular.
These include a Westinghouse 32-inch LCD HDTV for $246. "The $246 HDTV is the lowest price that we've ever seen for that model," said Olsen.
Also in the ad: $3 Chefmate appliances such as toasters, coffeemakers and sandwich makers; a 40-inch Apex 1080p LCD HDTV for $449 with a $10 gift card; a TomTom GPS for $97; a Garmin GPS for $179; an RCA dual-screen portable DVD player for $88; a $39 Polaroid V 130 Camcorder; 50% off on select toys; and children's clothing for between $5 to $7.
The ad said the merchant is also offering a free gift card worth $10 if you spend $100 or more at its stores from 5 a.m. to noon on Black Friday.
According to Target's circular, some of the sales are valid only on Black Friday while others are good through Saturday.
Target spokeswoman Sarah Boehle said the company "is unable to confirm the accuracy of any [Black Friday] two-day ads or pricing information that is posted online."
Target is expected to release its weekly circular the week of Nov. 22.
Cut your spending by $500 a month
Shop once a week.
The more trips you make to the store, the likelier you are to buy on impulse because you see more tempting items. About two-thirds of purchases are unplanned; cut that in half to save $143 a month (if you spend $100 a week on groceries).
Give up the bottle.
Stop drinking bottled water and instead buy a filter for your faucet (about $34, plus $25 for replacements). If your family consumes 12 gallons a month, you'll save about $15.
Eat what's ripe.
Out-of-season produce costs 20% to 50% more than it does when it's in season. For a list of what's in season when, go to fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org. Estimated savings: $7 a month.
Differentiate between clean and dirty.
Organic produce costs $1 to $2 more than the conventional kind. Cut your pesticide intake by going organic on the dirtiest produce (apples, lettuce) and conventional on the cleanest (kiwi, tomatoes). For a list of clean and dirty fruits and veggies, go to foodnews.org. Savings: $18 a month.
Visit your local cobbler
Last year's Cole Haans are so ...
in this year. Rather than shell out $150 or more each season to buy a new pair of good shoes, clean up last year's kicks. Your local shoe-repair shop will charge about $10 to fix worn-out heel tips for women. Men can get another year or more out of their dress shoes by replacing the rubber heel and the sole, says veteran cobbler Jim McFarland of Lakeland, Fla. Cost: about $50. If the lady of the house buys four pairs of shoes a year, and the man buys one (at $150 each), you'd save more than $50 a month.
Stretch it out
Look like a million bucks without spending a million by slowing down your personal care regimen.
Go easy on dry cleaning.
Cut the number of trips you make in half: 65% of clothes that are dry cleaned can be washed by hand or machine, says Kathryn Finney, founder of thebudgetfashionista.com. For example, you can put linens in the washer and do most sweaters in cold water by hand (including cashmere and camel hair). Most silks are hand washable too. Exception: bold colors like brick red, deep brown, and navy should still be dry-cleaned.
Do home touchups.
Add at least two weeks to the time between hair coloring appointments ($100 or so a pop) by using over-the-counter products (about $10) from the drugstore to cover up your roots.
Work out for less
Sweat on your high-end health club's StairMaster -- and unwind at the martini bar.
Better: $50-$90
Work out at the YMCA -- there are nearly 3,000 locations throughout the nation.
Best: $0
Free online boot camp whips you into shape at marinecorpsfitness.com.
Step off the gas
You don't have to buy a Prius, trade in your clunker or ride the bus to cut down on the money you spend for gas each month. Just make a few adjustments to your driving habits:
Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving on the highway -- speeding, rapid acceleration and braking -- can lower your mileage by 33%.
Observe the speed limit. Gas mileage decreases rapidly above 60 miles per hour. Reining in your speed will save you up to 23%.
Keep tires inflated properly. Check your owner's manual to list your vehicle's proper tire pressure, buy a good dial-type pressure gauge ($8), and check your tires once a week. Keeping them properly inflated can improve your mileage by about 3%.
Empty the trunk. Don't carry around unnecessary items, especially in small cars. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your miles-per-gallon by up to 2%.
Buy ink, not cartridges
Instead of buying new black and color ink cartridges when your computer printer runs low, just get them refilled at your local drug store or shopping mall. After all, you don't buy a new car every time you get low on gas, do you?
Twitter to save
Get timely if terse tips about bargains by following these twitterers. Not up on the technology? Get a tutorial at twitter.com.
Music; @amazonmp3
Travel: @JetBlueCheeps
Fashion/beauty: @DealDivine
General retail: @DealsPlus
Giveaways: @fstimes
Black Friday Ads for 2009 Have Been Leaked Slowly
Black Friday Deals 2009 are leaking slowly. Black Friday Deals at Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Kohl's, and Target will please even the pickiest of Black Friday shoppers. As Black Friday 2009
Black Friday Deals 2009: Black Friday Deals 2009 at Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Kohl's, and Kmart Sure to Please Black Friday 2009 Shoppers
is roughly 2 and a half weeks away, shoppers are getting increasingly anxious about the prospects of good savings.
Shoppers are sure to be happy this holiday season, as Black Friday sales have already begun early at retailers such as Sears and Wal-Mart. Although these retailers have weekly specials and doorbuster deals, it is only logical to assume that the real Black Friday will bring you the best deals.
Wal-Mart started a series of weekly shopping events. This week, you can get an HP notebook for $298 or a 42" TV for $498. Best Buy also had a deal on a similar 42" TV for $498.99 - only .99 more than Wal-Mart. I expect to see TV price wars this holiday season, so this might be the year to buy your husband that flat screen TV he's been drooling over.
MSN reported on a leaked Kmart ad that hit Black Friday deal Web sites early this week. Among Kmart deals are a Sony Bravia 32 inch for $379, a Nintendo DSI bundle with 5 games for $169.99, and a Fisher Price Handy Manny Fix-It Motorcycle for $17.49.
MSN also reports that Sears has boring ads, even though they pumped up a lot of Black Friday hype by being the first retailer to announce weekly doorbuster sales this season. The only exciting doorbuster in the most recent ad is a Kenmore High-Efficiency Washer/Dryer combo for $579.98.
Blackfriday.info reports on Kohl's leaked Black Friday 2009 ads. Some of my favorite Kohl's deal include a 300 thread count set of twin sheets for $19.99. Shoppers also get $10 Kohl's cash for every $50 spent, and the savings are redeemable the first week in December.
Best Buy has the best opportunity to save of them all. Best Buy is hosting their annual VIP Black Friday contest. In each of their 25 markets, Best Buy will select one lucky shopper to receive a $1,000 Best Buy gift card to use on Black Friday. In addition, they will be chauffeured to their local Best Buy in a limousine.
Many stores open as early as 4 am on Black Friday. This means that you need to get to bed early on Thursday night (which should be easy if you are like me and eat a lot of turkey) and wake up super early so you can get the best savings.
Sources:
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SmartSpending/blog/page.aspx?post=1351899&_blg=1,1351899
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SmartSpending/blog/page.aspx?post=1340458
BlackFriday.info: http://www.blackfriday.info/sales/kohls-black-friday-ad.html
| You're Invited... | For 4 days, enjoy 30% off while we give 5% of the amount you spend to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. So in a time when our communities need it most, your shopping counts for more. |
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| In-store Barcode (For multiple uses) | ||
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| This offer is also good at Gap Outlet and Banana Republic Factory Store! |  |
According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the personal savings rate of Americans has ranged between -1% and approximately 4% between the years 2005 and 2009. Americans' nonchalance was reflected in the negative savings rate of fiscal 2005, which occurred as people reduced their savings and delved further into debt in order to purchase goods and services. Although the savings rate had rebounded to 6% by May of 2009, as global financial crisis forced many consumers to adopt more cautious spending habits. Despite the about-face in consumer spending habits, in many cases, the attempt at saving proved too little, too late. Read on to find out why you need to save no matter what the economic climate.
Why You Need to Save
While individuals should avoid excess (and high interest) leverage/debt and prudently manage cash flow, there is also a longer-term need to ensure one has adequate funding set aside for a comfortable retirement. Given historical trends in the
Many companies are transitioning jobs (such as back office functions, IT, research and even higher margin services such as consulting and financial services) to other regions of the world, including
Financial Scenarios
Saving money and diverting cash away from unnecessary frills and wasteful spending into investment payments such as the stock market translate to huge differences in the size of one's retirement savings over the course of a lifetime. When you purchase a bicycle or go out for a lavish dinner, you are not simply incurring a cost of that bike or dinner (say $100). The amount of the receipt is actually misleading. When you incorporate the basic laws of finance, the opportunity cost of that $100 is much more.
If you eliminate $100 of wasteful spending per month and instead channel that cash to an investment vehicle that yields an annual interest rate of 10%, that translates to more than $75,000 over 20 years, and more than $500,000 over the course of 40 years. Granted, the buying power of figure is chewed up by inflation, but the prudent person still reaps the benefits of not wasting cash on unnecessary things.
Starting principal balance: $0
Monthly investment payments: $100
Interest rate: 10%
Future value: 20 years = $75,936
Future value: 40 years = $632,408
Starting principal balance: $0
Monthly investment payments: $250
Interest rate: 10%
Future value: 20 years = $189,842
Future value: 40 years = $1,581,019
Lets say you can't find a 10% return, and instead find a 5% return
Starting principal balance: $0
Monthly investment payments: $100
Interest rate: 5%
Future value: 20 years = $41,103
Future value: 40 years = $152,602
If someone were motivated enough to find $500 a month and put it away in the form of investment payments, the results lead to an exponential increase in comfort during one's retirement. With an annual rate of return of 10% over 40 years, the figure approaches $3 million for your nest egg.
Starting principal balance: $0
Monthly investment payments: $500
Interest rate: 10%
Future value: 20 years = $379,684
Future value: 40 years = $3,162,039
How much more would your nest egg be if you work for a company that matches your 401(k) dollar for dollar up to a certain amount? Given that the federal government's social safety net programs such as Social Security and Medicare are expected to hit fiscal challenges as the baby boomers retire, such anticipated uncertainties encourage individuals to take their retirement circumstances into their own hands. Secondly, the high cost of healthcare in the
From Wasteful Expenses to Monthly Investment
To redirect cash that might otherwise be spent on junk or unnecessary spending, explore savings opportunities that can increase your monthly contributions to your retirement accounts. These might include:
- Fewer restaurant lunches and dinners can easily save the typical professional between $100 and $200 per month. Using our numbers above, $100 invested monthly in retirement accounts that earn 10% annually becomes $75,000 in 20 years.
- Purchase discipline at groceries and malls. At the end of your life, it is not the accumulation of objects that provides meaning. A lifetime habit of impulse buying has a tremendous opportunity cost when you realize the power of compound interest. Most people can save between a hundred dollars to several hundred dollars a month with greater spending discipline.
The Bottom Line
If you work for a company that matches your retirement savings contributions, absolutely take advantage of it. It is basically free money. Additionally, the increase in monthly contributions translates into an exponentially larger nest egg over the course of a lifetime.
For additional reading, take a look at Are You Saving Too Much?and Compound Your Way To Retirement.
by Marv Dumon,