Archive for November, 2009

Cyber Monday is reportedly the biggest online shopping day of the year. What’s on your shopping list today?

Follow me on Twitter @atlbargains for a run throughout the day on the best deals for electronics, toys, books, games and more.

I’ll also add to this blog throughout the day with deals like:

– $100 off Nordica SportMachine RT men’s Ski boots at REI.http://www.rei.com/product/…. Free shipping code http://tr.im/Gd4j

– For Michael Jackson fans: Box set, 4 CDs + DVD on Amazon for $25. Save 58 percent. Only have a few more minutes on this one. http://tr.im/GcyU

– Halfoffdepot.com has a Cyber Monday sale on local attractions, spas and restaurants. P.S.: They’ll never know how much you saved on their gift!

– Professional sports gear of all types on sale here: http://www.footballfanatics.com/NFL_Atlanta_Falcons

– I have a pet turtle, and she doesn’t need this stuff. For dog and cat owners, here’s a deal on pet gifts from Hayneedle.com: http://tr.im/GcaT Take an extra 30 percent …

Continue reading Cyber Monday deals »

The Friday that falls the day after Thanksgiving isn’t an ordinary spin around the mall. Black Friday demands a different approach all together, a strategy that will ensure you’ll find the best deals and get the products you want.

This year, stores have cut back their inventory out of concerns about whether they can actually sell everything they have in stock. Instead, they’ve stocked their Web sites. So, if you want to get your hands on a coveted items, you’ll have to be smarter (and luckier) than ever.

Here are my suggestions, in addition to following @atlbargains on Twitter and using hash tag #atlshop:

– Make a shopping list and an accompanying budget. By now, you should know what items you want and precisely how much they cost. If you haven’t checked out bfads.net, black-friday.net or blackfriday.com, get busy. They’ll have the majority of the Black Friday ads to help you with your bottom line.

– Make sure you have an Atlanta Journal-Constitution in hand Thursday morning. …

Continue reading What’s your Black Friday shopping strategy? | Follow @atlbargains on Black Friday »

Medieval Times: $20, plus a huge Halfoffdepot sale

I’ve looked for far too long for a deal like this one. Medieval Times, the themed-restaurant in Duluth featuring a two-hour show and a four-course meal, is only $20 through Halfoffdepot.com. As always, quantities are limited and I can guarantee these won’t stay around for much longer. That discount is $32.95 off the regular price, a whopping 62 percent discount. That is far better than the regular promotions you’ll see for the restaurant.

Halfoffdepot is promising eye-popping Black Friday deals, so be sure to check there for great bargains this holiday on restaurants and attractions around town. The items will sell for 50 to 90 percent off

Ice Skating…by the pound

Ice Skating isn’t something we Southerners do very often, but when the holiday season strikes, it’s not unusual to find us on the ice. It’s usually at a tiny rink where our clumsiness isn’t as pronounced. At any rate, it’s not limited to the outdoor rink at …

Continue reading Best Medieval Times deal ever | Thanksgiving weekend activities | Ice Skating | Thrashers special | Holiday Guide »

Many of the eye-popping Black Friday deals you’ll see over the next few days will have one catch: “After mail-in rebate.”

According to consumer advocate Clark Howard, those words may as well be sirens screaming in your ear.

Still, the potential savings is practically irresistible. How can you walk away from the chance to save hundreds of dollars on a computer or get a free smartphone with the purchase of another, even if there is the little deal of sending in for a rebate later?

“If I see an ad and it is after rebate, I just ignore it,” Howard said.

Words of advice: To thine own self be true. If you know you are prone to procrastinating or misplacing receipts, you’re probably not likely to correct the problem in time to take advantage of a rebate offer. Said Personalmoneystore.com’s Money blog:

“…Many retailers bank on the fact that the consumer who purchases their rebated products will fail to send in their rebate.”

Howard also says that some of the rebates are just hard to …

Continue reading Beware of Black Friday rebate rip-offs »

Individual store hours may differ from mall hours. All hours have come from the malls’ Web sites. Also, don’t forget to stop by the guest services offices on Friday, Nov. 27, at many of the shopping centers to get giveaways and offers.

Arbor Place Mall

6700 Douglas Blvd.
Douglasville, GA 30135
770-947-4245

Nov. 27: 5 a.m.-10 p.m.

Nov. 28: 8 a.m.-10 p.m.

Nov. 29: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Nov. 30-Dec. 4: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Dec. 5: 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Week of Dec. 6: 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sun; 9 a.m.-10 p.m., Mon-Fri.; 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Sat.

Week of Dec. 13: 9 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun-Thur.; 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri.; 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Sat.

Week of Dec. 20: 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun-Wed.; 7 a.m.-6 p.m., Thur.

Cumberland Mall

1000 Cumberland Mall
Atlanta, GA 30339
770-435-2206

Nov. 27: 5 a.m.-10 p.m.

Nov. 28: 9 a.m.-10 p.m.

Nov. 29: Noon-7 p.m.

Nov. 30: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Dec. 1-5: 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Week of Dec. 6: Noon-7 p.m., Sun.; 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Mon.-Sat.

Week of Dec. 7: Noon-7 p.m, Sun; 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Mon-Sat.

Week of Dec. 13: …

Continue reading Holiday mall shopping hours »

Don’t worry. There’s nothing really scary or dangerous in my closet. It just looks that way.

Photo credit: Rana L. Cash, AJC

Almost everyone I know has that dump space, someplace in their home where all of the things that really have no home find one in a closet or under a bed or on top of a shelf. The picture you see here is mine. What’s in it? A basketball, Christmas decorations, a microwave that was replaced two years ago, the cooler for picnics. You get the idea.

Someone suggested I turn it into a small office space. I’m thinking about it, but first have to move beyond the dread of cleaning the closet out. I do not think I’m alone. That’s why I’ve found this short D.I.Y. video on small tips to help you better organize your closet.

Follow me on Twitter @atlbargains

Continue reading D.I.Y.: Turn closet chaos into office space »

Deals for gadgets on Black Friday

Looking for the best deals on gadgets on Black Friday? I’ve found dealnews.com to have arguably the most thorough roundup of the absolute best deals to be had on Black Friday. The Fox News Tech Tuesday roundup is informative, as well. Here’s a look at what it has posted:

Cheap laptops: Wal-Mart is coming out with a laptop that’s incredibly affordable, at just $198. “A sub-200 dollar price … puts it in the consideration set for a lot of people,” says AOL consumer adviser Regina Willis.

My note: Remember that the best laptop prices usually come in April and September, and you could very well find prices to beat those currently being advertised. Still, the laptop sales are worth taking a look at this weekend. Also, Staples has confirmed the $300 price on the HP Intel Celeron 16-inch laptop.

Cheap Apple gear: The iPod-manufacturing technology giant has already sent Black Friday teasers to customers, advertising a “special Apple one-day …

Continue reading Best Black Friday deals on gadgets: laptops, cameras, HDTVs, Blu-Ray players »

Reminder: Save 25% on The Nutcracker at the Fox

As the holiday season approaches, shows like The Nutcracker are front and center. It helps when you can find discounts on them. You can save 25 percent on select shows of the Atlanta Ballet’s Nutcracker performance by purchasing your ticket online and using promo code ’savvy.’

The Nutcracker is at The Fox Theatre Dec. 11-Dec. 27. There are six discounted shows, including the 7:30 p.m. performances on Dec. 16-18, both the 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. shows on Dec. 26, and the 2 p.m. performance on Dec. 27.

Free Dinner at American Roadhouse

It doesn’t take much to lend a helping hand. In this case, you not only feel good about donating, but you get something in return: Bring in three canned items to American Roadhouse restaurant today through Dec. 4, and get a free entree with the purchase of an entree of equal or lesser value. An 18 percent gratuity will added to the original total. The promotion is valid Monday through Friday only. …

Continue reading Save 25% on The Nutcracker | Free Entree at American Roadhouse | 50% off Rialto shows | more »

There’s a new kind of Black Friday shopper, a person who knows what the deals will be and where to find them. If a competitor catches wind of one store’s discount and counters with one slightly better, this shopper knows about it an instant.

It’s not someone crazed as much as efficient. The new age shopper utilizes every tool available — mobile phone applications, Facebook, Twitter, bargain Web sites, electronic coupons, promotional codes and the printed circulars stuffing the Thursday morning newspaper.

“I enjoy new technology,” said 31-year-old Kelly Lucas of Atlanta. “I see how I can use it to my advantage.”

And she does. Lucas’ primary full-retail price weapons are her apps, including Yowza!!, which uses the GPS technology on her iPhone to alert her to retailers with the best coupons within a 15-mile radius. Then, it brings up the coupon’s bar code that can be scanned at the store. Other online coupon favorites: mobiQpons, Valpak and Coupon Sherpa.

Many retailers are …

Continue reading Maximize your Black Friday shopping with these online tools »

Free Desserts

Before you read this, I must ask: Do you have an exercise plan? If not, move on to the next item. It’s the time of the year when desserts, all kinds and all delicious, find their way onto our plates. Pot luck dinners at work, holiday parties and yes, dessert giveaways. I’d like to indulge — and likely will — but I know I’ll have to work even harder to burn all of the extra calories. Here’s a mouth-watering deal: Piece of Cake bakery in Roswell is holding an open house from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 3, where there will be plenty of delightful goodies to sample including layer cakes in flavors such as red velvet, white chocolate and caramel. I’m told there will also be cupcakes, cookies and brownies to taste. While you’re there, keep in mind there is a one-day only 20 percent discount on all purchases at the Roswell location. The bakery is located at 10971 Crabapple Rd., Suite 1300, Roswell.

3-day sale on “Young Frankenstein”

In honor of the 35th …

Continue reading Free desserts | New deal-saving site | 3-day sale on “Young Frankenstein” »