Category Archives: Stretch your Dollar!

  
Journey to the Manger: Live Nativity & Petting Zoo in Keller
Friday, December 3, 2010 at Northwood Church

Join in for some FREE family Christmas fun this Friday. The Journey
to the Manger live nativity (at Northwood Church in Keller) will allow you to
experience the sights, sounds, and smells of that first Christmas when Jesus
was born in the stable. 

Journey to the Manger features a live petting zoo for kids, including sheep,
goats, rabbits, pigs, cows, and a miniature horse. Enjoy FREE  hot chocolate
and cookies with friends and family, too.

 Details, details
What:  Learn more information about the Journey to the Manger
    family event here.
When: Friday, December 3, 2010 ~ 6:00-8:30PM. Stay as long as you like. 
Where: Northwood Church, Keller ~ 1870 Rufe Snow Drive
Cost: FREE to everyone.  Hot cocoa & cookies are FREE too!

Enjoy and Share! :)

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Black Friday, the official kickoff to the holiday shopping season, is a week from Friday! Apparently no one has informed the nation’s top retailers that THIS is the day that Christmas shopping begins *grin*, as they have been in full swing with their pre-Christmas sales for a while. Stores eager for a bit of our wallets are offering big sales and sneak peeks at their ad circulars and deals long before the doors open on Friday.

After perusing many of the sneak-peek sale ads, I have a few tips to help you get the best deals on your shopping list:

#1 Know what you are going to buy and make your list before you go shopping. It’s easy to get pulled into the excitement of shopping’s “superbowl” day, but if you have a list, it will help you stay on budget and not overspend.

#2 Study the sale ads before you go. After looking at several Black Friday sites, I recommend using the following sites for sale ad research:

• Black-friday.net ~ This site has a LONG list of sneak peek ads for Black Friday which are very organized and easy to navigate (point. click. & voilà! You can see next Friday’s ads for lots of stores). They also have an easy search feature, where you can type in a specific item and compare ad prices. I typed in “iPod” in the search field and every retailer that featured an Apple iPod in their sale ads popped up in a tidy list, making it easy to compare retailers’ offers. I like their “Shopping List” feature too. It allows you to make a handy-dandy list of the items you are interested in, by retailer.
• TheBlackFriday.com ~ If you just want to peruse the ads each day that the “sneak peeks” are released, this is a good spot. It has some of the best quality ad scans and the simplicity of this site makes it easy to see the latest ads at a quick glance.

#3 Compare the sale ad prices to online sites before you go. It is a good idea to compare the total cost product + tax (8.25% in Fort Worth) of purchasing at your local store vs. buying the same item from an online retailer (product + shipping). At an almost 10% increase to the bottom line, tax can add up quickly. Many online stores (like Amazon.com or Buy.com) offer free shipping on some purchases AND are tax-free (plus most of their prices are nicely discounted every day).

#4 Use an online price comparison tool. Ditto #3 above, regarding comparing total cost of purchase (add local tax or online shipping). Some of the most useful sites for comparing online prices include:

• Beatmyprice.com ~ This is one of my favorite sites for finding the best comparisons across many retailers. Rather than using computers to scan the internet to search the best deal, this site is a “people powered” price comparison tool.
• Epinions.com ~ Epinions is a great site for getting online reviews on products you might be considering. It also has a handy price comparison section as well.
• Google.com/products ~ This is a relatively new section of Google that is in beta testing. Out of the gates, I find it is a really good price evaluation tool. Their slogan is “Search for Stuff to Buy.” Need more be said?

#5 Have fun and enjoy yourself. Spread good cheer! Remember that you are blessed to be able to walk through the aisles with enough money to buy something for the people you love most. If they are out of that “to the first 15 customers” flat screen TV or limited edition toy, it is not the end of the world.

Enjoy and Share! :)

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and button down the family finances?

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THROUGH TOMORROW ONLY! Groupon is again, running the 
50% OFF at Nordstrom Rack Stores offer in Fort Worth . When
you buy today’s $25 Groupon, you will get a $50 gift certificate valid on
any in-store, Nordstrom Rack purchase.

Note that you do need to buy the gift certificate TODAY OR TOMORROW
(the offer expires at midnight EST, 11/24/10), however you can use the
certificate anytime at Nordstrom Rack, through Dec. 31, 2010.

How to get the Offer:

1. Go here to sign up for today’s Nordstrom Rack Groupon deal.
2. Select Fort Worth as Your Groupon City.  You’ll find the
   offer in the sidebar. While this is valid at all U.S. Nordstrom
   Rack locations, you’ll need to select Fort Worth’s Groupon Site
   to find and purchase the offer.

The fine print: Limit 1 per person. Good for $50 value of merchandise.
EXPIRES ON December 31, 2010. Valid only at Nordstrom Rack locations.
Must be used in a single transaction. May not be used to purchase Nordstrom
Gift Cards. Offer cannot be combined with any other offers, discounts,
promotions or with a Nordstrom employee discount. Offer not valid in
Nordstrom Stores, Last Chance, nordstrom.com or by phone.
View complete terms.

New to Groupon? You are in for a treat!

A few months ago, Groupon launched its Fort Worth site (AND we
did the happy dance at Frugal in Fort Worth!). If you are not familiar with
Groupon, definitely take a moment to check them out.

Groupon offers a daily deal on local goods, services and cultural events
across the country. Fort Worth is the 51st city launch for Groupon, and
in the last month, I’ve seen their offers include everything from
50% Off Nothing Bundt Cakes to 60% Off Spa Services to 55% Off
carpet cleaning ~ and seemingly everything in between!

Here’s how it works:

1. Each day Groupon features a great deal at an unbeatable price.

2. You have to sign up for the offer that day, and only get the deal
if the minimum number of people join that day (so pass this along
to your friends)!

3. Check back the next day to discover the next Groupon offer!

Taking advantage of this deal supports Frugal in Fort Worth.

Enjoy and Share! :)

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and button down the family finances?

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Preview the Sharon Young & Ladies Designer Fall Warehouse Sale!
A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned the upcoming Sharon Young Fall  Designer Clothes Sale that starts TOMORROW (go here to read) and runs November 18-20th. I had the opportunity to make a preview visit and tour the sale and can tell you that once again, it is well worth the drive to Dallas!

While on my tour, I shot some video so you could see the amazing selection offered. The video is just a couple of minutes long and hopefully gives you a good idea of the goodies in store at the sale.  Be sure to watch the video for a special savings tip (hint: coupon!).

The Sharon Young designer manufacturer’s warehouse sale
offers a HUGE selection of beautiful ladies’ clothes!
The clothes are gorgeous top designer quality and the sizes, styles and
collections span a huge variety. There are LOTS of bargains to choose from
with over 18,000 pieces, 50 to 75% OFF (ranging in price from $20 to
$60) ~ collections you’ll only find at higher end ladies boutiques and
department stores!

• Faux Fur & Leather Jackets ~ $60
• Jackets ~ $50
• Pants, Skirts, Blouses, & Sweaters ~ $30
• Sleeveless Tops ~ $20

Take a peek at the company websites to get a glimpse of some of
the merchandise you will find:

• Sharonyounginc.com
• Citygirl.com
• Multiplesclothingcompany.com 



Details, details
What: The Sharon Young Warehouse Sale will feature over 18,000 pieces
    of ladies’ apparel including designer brands: Sharon Young, A La Carte,
    and City Girl. You will find everything to complete an outfit including
    tops, skirts, pants, and jackets. Ladies & Petite Sizes 2-18 and Women’s
    Plus 14W-24W.
When: November 18-20, 2010: Thursday and Friday – 8:00AM to 8:00PM
    Saturday – 8:00AM to 5:00PM
Where: 10367 Brockwood Rd ~ Dallas. This is the corporate office
    location, and the sale entrance is found on the back of the building.
Do note: There is a large dressing room provided for trying on all your finds.
    However, no men or children under 12 are allowed at the sale.

Enjoy and Share! :)

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and button down the family finances?

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Ooooh ~ a terrific Honey Baked Ham coupon, just in time for the holidays!

Go here and sign up for Honey Baked Ham’s Email, and you’ll get a coupon emailed to you for $9 OFF a Honey Baked Ham, 8lbs or larger.  Let them know that you heard about the coupon on frugalinfortworth.wordpress.com! :)

Be sure to print this out for Christmas & New Years celebrations, too, as the coupon doesn’t expire until January 2, 2011.

Special thanks to reader, Elizabeth S. for passing this along!
 

Enjoy and Share! :)

Want to keep up with fresh ways to save money
and button down the family finances?

Subscribe to Frugal in Fort Worth now. It’s FREE!