How To Save Money On Everything Baby Needs ~ Orlando Giveaway

I have said it before, babies need a lot of stuff! And frankly, it doesn’t stop as they get bigger. The stuff just keeps coming…

Besides the obvious, sales and deals, one of my favorite ways to save money on baby/kids’ stuff is by consignment shopping. And my favorite way to consignment shop is at a consignment event. I’ve posted about consignment events in the past, but if you aren’t familiar with this concept here’s the scoop. The events take place in a large venue (like a church multipurpose room), and moms come from far and wide to sell their baby/kids’s outgrown clothes, toys, gear and more (even maternity wear). If you’ve never been to an event like this, you would be amazed at how much stuff appears for sale. The sale only lasts a couple of days, then the items are either returned to the moms or donated to charity. It’s quick, exciting and a great place to score deals.

Now, we aren’t talking garage sale prices, but we aren’t talking garage sale quality either. We are talking about moms selling stuff that moms would buy. Think about it, babies/kids fly through clothes so fast that everyone has pieces of adorable clothing that was only worn once or twice before it was outgrown. You’ll even find items that are new with tags! Most prices are roughly 1/2 of retail for big items less for clothing (because there is just so much of it).

Trust me – once you see the quality of what you can get, you will always want to shop consignment first! (I know I do!)

My favorite local Orlando sale is Boutique for a Week. And if I have gotten you excited about shopping, you are in luck. The next Boutique for a Week sale is coming up September 20-23, 2011. Of course, the key to consignment event shopping is to get their early. The Boutique for a Week sale opens to the public September 21, but expecting moms can pre-register to shop early on September 20 – hint hint expecting moms, do this!

I have participated in several Boutique for a Week events both as a shopper and consignor, and I’ll be back as both again for this event. Here are some pics from previous events.

For this event the ladies of Boutique for a Week have added a new feature, a Betsy Shoppe where moms will be selling their handmade items. (Since I love crafty stuff, I am excited about this new feature!)

If you have never attended Boutique for a Week, I challenge you to set aside time to check it out as a shopper. Once you see how great it is, you will be itching to sell your outgrown stuff at the next event. (BTW – they make it so easy to sell your stuff. I love checking my daily progress and seeing those dollar signs increasing!)

Got questions about Boutique for a Week, ask me

Giveaway – Are you excited yet? How would you like a pre-sale pass that gets you in even before the expecting moms on September 19? That’s what I thought. Normally, these passes are reserved for those who volunteer to assist with the sale, but I get to give one lucky reader a special pass! Yay!

Alright – who’s ready to go shopping?!!?

To enter – Please use the Rafflecopter form below to take advantage of your entry opportunities.

MANDATORY ENTRY MUST BE LEFT AS COMMENT ON BLOG POST BELOW – then you can check off in Rafflecopter that you did it. Otherwise, all other entries will be invalid. (Click instructions for what to comment about.)

Disclosure – This post is brought to you by Boutique for a Week, however, all thoughts and options are my own.

TheSuburbanSanta: Buy a Gift, Get a Gift (Save $!)

You have probably noticed many businesses offering special promos on gift cards. If you haven’t taken advantage of these, it is time. Of course, gift cards make great gifts, so it is a great way to save on gifts for others. But it is also a great way to save money on things you buy all the time buy stocking up on gift cards and racking in the freebies. Every year during the holidays, we stock up on gift cards to our favorite restaurants. It is a fantastic way to plan ahead and save 10% or 20% on eating out.

Here’s the scoop. In order to entice you to buy gift cards business offer a free gift card/bonus card with the purchase of a gift card. So, if you are buying the gift card as a gift (say a $25 gift card to Chipolte for Aunt Sally) you get a free burrito for you. (Or if you really want to sweeten Aunt Sally up, you could give her the freebie making your gift even better.) On the other hand, if you know that you eat at Carrabba’s every few months, you could pick up a $100 gift card and get a free $20 gift card too. It’s like free money!

Of course, you don’t want to tie up all of your cash in gift cards, so don’t go crazy… but think about it as an investment. Just don’t loose your gift cards!

I have rounded up a HUGE list of businesses offering freebies with gift card purchases. Check out the list and think about where you eat/shop often enough to make the investment worth it! Head s up, most of these offers end 12/24, so now’s the time!

Here are a few more ideas using ebillme me to get 10% cash back on gift card purchases:

• Home Depot - Earn 10% eBillme Cash Back Rewards on The Home Depot eGift Cards purchased with eBillme. Ends 01/15/11. **Restrictions apply.
• Amazon - Try eBillme and get $15 Mail-in Rebate on $100 Amazon.com Gift Cards purchased with eBillme. Ends 01/15/11. Restrictions apply**.
• JCPenny - Earn 10% eBillme Cash Back Rewards on JCPenney Gift Cards purchased with eBillme. Ends 01/15/2011.
• OverStock - Earn 10% eBillme Cash Back Rewards on Overstock.com Gift Cards purchased with eBillme. Ends 01/15/2011.
• Zappos - Earn 10% eBillme Cash Back on Zappos.com Gift Cards purchased with eBillme. Ends 01/15/11. No Coupon Required. **Restrictions apply.

25% Off Everything Sale @ MattelShop.com

Mattel’s online store, MattelShop.com, is having an 8-hour sale with 25% off everything. Sale runs from 9 am to 4: 59 pm EST today only. Discount will automatically appear in cart – no coupon necessary.

They have a large online selection of brands including Barbie, Toy Story, Cars, Disney Princess, Hot Wheels, and Matchbox.

Head over to MattelShop to check out the sale.

How to SAVE MONEY with Coupons

With budgets tightening for families everywhere, ours included, coupons are more important for household budgets. I have always been a sales junkie, but coupons (and freebies) have become an important way for me to contribute to our bottom line. I have learned a lot about couponing over the last year, and I am proud of the money I have saved my family on everyday necessities. To me, it is like found money when I save money on things we would have purchased anyway.

Since saving money is such an important way of life for The Suburban Mom, I love to include freebies and good deals on this blog. But the best way to make sure you get the most out of your hard-earned dollars at your favorite stores, it is important to match sales and deals with coupons.

Where to find coupons? The most obvious place to find coupons is the Sunday paper – Red Plum, Smart Source and Proctor and Gamble are the most common inserts. The next place to look for coupons is online. My favorite place is Coupons.com. (Note – you can usually print 2 of each coupon from Coupons.com, but they are limited in quantity, so the best time to check them out is when they reset at the beginning of each month — AKA today! So, if you see a coupon you want, print it right away.)

In order to make the most of coupons and sales, you need to know all of the best match ups. No one pairs match ups better than Jenny over at Southern Savers. With Southern Savers, I find out how to make the most of my coupons at Publix, Walgreens & CVS. (Jenny tracks lots of other stores too, but these are my favs.) Oh – did I mention, Southern Savers is a FREE service!

Check out all of the items I have gotten for FREE over the last few weeks. Note, I am donating all of these items to Harvest Time International to send to Haiti – I actually more free items, but the ones my family is keeping were put to use and put away. (While I got a lot of these from coupon match ups from Southern Savers, some of them came from other places too…)

(Yes, some of those are sample sizes, but most are full-size products! And yes, they were all free! Sometimes I had to pay sales tax on items – depending on the deal – but that is the most I paid for any of the items pictured.)

Saving real money takes effort – it doesn’t happen without work. But it can be a lot of fun – kind of like a game once you get good at it. My best Publix trip, I saved more than $90! The important thing to remember when couponing to save money is that no matter how good the deal is, if you aren’t going to put the item to good use, it isn’t saving money — it’s wasting money! I feel the same way with freebies, even though it is no money out of pocket, if I can’t use the freebie or know someone (or an organization) who can use it – leave it for someone who needs it.

Awesome Deal to Stock Up or Help Haiti!

***Sorry – these are sold out ***

Target has an AMAZING deal right now that is perfect to stock up on medical and toiletry supplies for your house AND to buy to send to the victim of Haiti. (Act Quick – I am sure these won’t last long).  Check it out…

PG Kits regular price $50 on sale for $12.50 each kit.

To Your Health Wellness Kit – “Kit includes 12 caplets of Vicks DayQuil with Vitamin C, 8-oz. bottle of Pepto Bismol liquid, Oral-B toothbrush with medium bristles, 4-oz. Crest ProHealth mint toothpaste, Glide whitening floss with Scope, Crest ProHealth mouthwash, Puffs Plus tissue cube (60 two-ply sheets) and PUR 2-stage CR 6000 oval pitcher.”

Big Man on Campus Grooming – “Kit includes 6.2-oz. Crest Scope mint toothpaste, 44-mL Scope mint mouthwash, Oral-B 40 soft bristle toothbrush, 12-oz. deep cleaning shampoo, 11.5-oz. hydrating conditioner, styling gel mess constructor, 6-oz. styling gel flex, 7-oz. Fusion Hydra moisturizing gel, Fusion razor, 2.6-oz. Gillette clear shield invisible solid antiperspirant and 8.4-oz. Gillette dry skin hydrator and body wash.”

Pretty Fabulous Beauty Kit – “Kit includes Oral-B 40 soft bristle toothbrush, 6.2-oz. Crest Scope mint toothpaste, 44-mL Scope mouthwash, 2.7-oz. Secret solid powder fresh deodorant, 4-oz. Olay Complete All Day UV lotion, Cover Girl Lash Blast black mascara, 10-oz. Olay Body Butter Ribbons body wash, 22-oz. Herbal Essence Volume Body shampoo and conditioner, Venus Embrace razor and 7-oz. Satin Care shave gel.”

Use some to restock your cabinet and take the rest to a drop off location for the victims of Haiti!  (See list from Harvest Time International of things it is collecting to send to Haiti – everything is on this list!)

Make it an even better deal – buy 4 kits (4 x $12.50) = $50. At $50, you get FREE shipping.

There is still 1 more way to make this an even better deal… Shop through Ebates and get 3% of your purchase back. (Don’t have one yet, what are you waiting for? If you shop online, you need to be shopping through Ebates to save!)