Bargain Blogger

Eat Mexican Wednesday - raise funds for kids

2010-03-09T13:54:00.003-05:00

Who doesn't like Chipotle?
Gotta love those chicken burrito bowls topped with a heap of guacamole and splash of hot sauce.
So if I'm making you hungry and you're feeling charitable, I've got a deal for you.
Swing by Chipotle Mexican Grill at 1608 Cortez Road. W. in Bradenton between 5-8 p.m. on March 10 and the restaurant will donate half of all purchases made to Manatee High School. It's all part of a one-day fundraiser coordinated by Chelsea Pillsbury, a Manatee High senior and a Chipolte student brand ambassador.
All you have to do is swing by the high school today, grab a fundraiser flyer, then hand it to Chipotle employees when you make your purchase.
So go ahead and smile as you bite into that burrito or taco.
You just helped out some local kids.

Natalie Alund
Staff Writer

For Italian lovers

2010-02-18T17:05:00.003-05:00

It's that time again.
Italian Days at Publix.
That means buy one, get one on voluminous Italian items throughout the store.
Two Classico sauces for $2.47
Two Progresso bread crumbs for $1.89
You get the idea.
You can save and have lots of yummy pasta meals.
So what are you still reading this?
Get to the store!

Natalie Alund
Staff writer

Help needed on destination weddings

2010-02-08T11:49:00.000-05:00

It's wedding season and I have an adventurous friend who wanted to get married in the Caribbean this spring. Of course, everyone has a nutty friend who thinks everyone will be excited about their wedding in an exotic land, when in reality everyone is grumbling behind the bride and groom's back about the cost. But in the case of my friend, they did a good job makiing it affordable for people by setting up a wedding cruise package to the Bahamas offering attendees discounted prices. So if you are planning a big event and want people there, make sure you try to help them out by looking for the best possible deals.

_Robert Napper, staff writer

Don't buy the warranty

2010-01-25T11:36:00.000-05:00

You go shopping for a big ticket item – i.e., a sweet flat screen TV -- and what does it come with, if you choose? An extended warranty.
Don’t do it.
The extended warranty, that is.
According to Consumer Reports, stores play on the fact electronics are a big investment, scaring you into buying an extended warranty.
It is basically a way to get you to pay way more for the item than you need to, a very profitable deal for the retailer.
If you are concerned about not having an extended warranty, purchase your electronics with a credit card that offers extended warranty protection. Many credit cards do.

_Vin Mannix, staff writer

Back off with pushy sales people

2010-01-12T17:10:00.001-05:00

Resist sales pressure when buying large appliances: I’m in the process of buying a new dishwasher, and I saw a Sears ad for one of them that interested me at 20 percent off, with an extra 5 percent off if I used my Sears credit card to make the purchase. When I called for information, the first person was unable to give me enough detail about the cost, so they transferred me to a salesperson in the appliance department. He was able to tell me more details about the sale, but tried pressuring me, saying I could get a combined 25 percent off the machine, but only for that day. He claimed that the same price might not apply the following day. And when I asked specifics about the machine’s warranty, he was unable to give them. Mushy cost and warranty information and pressure sales tactics do not cut it with me, so I rang off and will buy elsewhere.
Sara Kennedy Staff Writer

Small gifts say a lot

2010-01-12T17:09:00.000-05:00

Every year I save big bucks by baking cranberry-pumpkin cakes to give as gifts to family and friends. I make a huge batch and split it into small loaves, which I freeze. Then, when I need one, I just reach in and haul it out, wrap it up and by the time I get to the recipient’s home, it’s defrosted and ready to eat. This year, I have a couple left over and they’ll make nice Valentine’s Day gifts for elderly relatives, who appreciate being remembered. I lavish the little cakes with pink frosting for a festive air.

Sara Kennedy Staff writer

Debt-free holiday shopping tips

2010-01-12T17:08:00.000-05:00

The thrifty among us are cruising now, because we didn’t charge anything on credit cards in the way of holiday gifts.Over the weekend, I was in a party store, where all the holiday items were 60 percent off. This is the time to buy for next year. Out comes the debit card. Really gorgeous sets of holiday cards that sold a couple of weeks ago for $19.95 each cost me just $2 per box. I was competing for them with a circuit judge who said she sends 100 cards each year for professional reasons, and she probably saved a bundle. Gift tags, bows, gift wrap, wreaths, etc. all are 60-75 percent off. I buy them now and put them in plastic storage boxes in my attic so that at Thanksgiving next year, when I go up there to get the wreath, they’re all ready and waiting. It has a secondary advantage, too: You’re more likely to write holiday cards if you start early, and if they’re already purchased, you can start while you’re supervising the Thanksgiving turkey in the oven.

Sara Kennedy Staff writer

Try some space heaters, new filters to save on home energy costs

2010-01-12T17:06:00.000-05:00

Justin Miante of Sarasota saves money by using space heaters in his home instead of turning on the central heat.
Speaking of heating a house, a tried and true method of saving money is to replace your heating and air conditioning unit’s filter every month rather than every season as most people do, said former Anna Maria Island resident Ciara Knight.
“It reduces the strain on the motor to keep the filter clean,” Knight said.
Richard Dymond Staff writer

Giving dead batteries a second life

2010-01-12T17:05:00.000-05:00

Local resident Anna Danilevskaya puts all her dead batteries in the refrigerator for a day or so and says she can reuse them for a bit after they get cold.
“Maybe to run the flashlight on one mission,” Danilevskaya said.
Believe it or not, Danilevskaya takes her twice-dead batteries and throws them on the ground hard. She says she gets a final gasp of life out of them, enough to change the channels on a TV with a remote for one day.

Richard Dymond, staff writer

Check out the fast-food value menus

2010-01-12T17:04:00.000-05:00

It may sound unhealthy, but once in a while I go to a fast food restaurant to save some money by ordering from value menus that so many burger joints seem to have now. The kicker is most of those menus offer something that is a little better for you than an order of fries – including salads and baked potatoes, usually for a buck. And if you are like me and have a craving for a burger once in a while, the dollar versions are not only cheaper but smaller and less calories. My favorite value menu item happens to be at Wendy’s – where you can get a filling cup of chili for a little more than a dollar.

Robert Napper

Herald staff writer

Making every cent count -- join our blog

2008-11-28T15:06:00.000-05:00

In this tough economy, it pays to make every cent count --- that’s what I have learned from coupon experts I interviewed for Sunday’s story.

I must admit I felt a bit envious when I learned that Vince and Debra Bower have actually gone shopping and had the store pay them for the purchases they bought. By judiciously matching coupons with buy-one-get-one-free specials and in-store reward coupons, the Bowers actually got money back instead of having to spend their hard-earned cash.

For Julie Murphy, the freezer she and her husband bought when they were first married has more than paid for itself with the savings earned by buying family-sized packages of meat and vegetables and then freezing them in individual meal packets.

What impressed me the most about the coupon hunters I interviewed was their discipline. Every week they clip coupons. Every week they read the grocery ads and flyers. Every time they go shopping, they have coupons in hand.

They don’t buy on impulse. They plan their shopping trips around the coupons and specials. Then they stick to that plan.

I didn’t find one who shops on impulse.

They track every penny. Find every bargain. They have fun.

Most of all, they share their tips. They learn from each other --- and that is why the Bradenton Herald has started the Bargain Blogger. The more bargain hunters who share their secrets, the more all of us will save.

Jump in and join the fun. We invite you to share your unique methods of bargain shopping, ways to get great deals and any interesting tips to save us money.

-- Donna Wright