Archive for February, 2012

50% off (and more)

One of my favorite online fashion boutiques has gone smaller — for kids, that is. Ruelala.com just opened Little Rue, featuring designer items for boys, girls and babies at more than 50 percent off. Items are grouped into themed boutiques that are open for quick-turn sales; some are open days, others just hours. You’ll find apparel, swimwear, outerwear, jewelry and even unique, educational toys through a partnership with Toys R Us. I recently found a Little Ella hot pink “pop short” for $29 (regularly $60), but deals change daily. If you aren’t a member, click “not a member” and enter “jessica@jessicashops.com” in the “A Member Invited Me” section before entering your own information.

Bigger sizes, not prices

Torrid: Plus-size fashion doesn’t mean plus-sized prices. Visit Torrid.com and save 10 percent on your entire purchase of blouses, dresses, jeans, capris, shorts, swimsuits and more with code 2AF12OFF at checkout. Expires March …

Continue reading Jessica Shops: 50 percent off kids’ clothes »

March brings a plethora of older electronics dropping in price, thanks to new-model previews at last month’s annual International Consumer Electronics Show. With spring approaching, you’ll also see a few seasonal deals in March:

Automotive: Look for offers on tires, maintenance parts and wax-and-wash supplies. Although Atlanta vehicles don’t regularly suffer the damage from the salt-sand mix northern cities need for traction in the snow, Southerners could still benefit from national deals aimed at consumers planning to spruce up their cars after gritty winters. Consumer site FatWallet.com spokesman Brent Shelton says there’s usually a spike in discounts for tire deals (like buy three, get one free), alignments and tune-ups in March.

TVs: It’s no Black Friday, but March offers some nice deals on TVs. “The new ones will be coming out over the next several months, so you might be able to get deals on last year’s models as the newer ones come out,” says Jim Barry, …

Continue reading Deals on laptops, TVs likely in March »

Have a stack on the house.

Celebrate National Pancake Day with the free pancake giveaway from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday at IHOP, where every guest gets a free short stack of the chain’s signature buttermilk pancakes. During the event you can make a donation to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and other local charities. For metro Atlanta locations, visit the National Pancake Day website.

– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter

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Continue reading Free pancakes at IHOP Tuesday »

Certified financial planner Wes Moss provides personal finance advice and accessible investment strategies. His guest post appears here weekly.

Wes Moss hosts 'Money Matters' Sunday mornings on AM750 and 95.5FM News/Talk WSB

Hooray…Tax season is here again. I’m not sure which bugs me more: writing a check on April 15 (this year extended to April 17), or spending hours of valuable time gathering receipts and filling out forms just for the privilege of paying up – or to get my own money back from Uncle Sam!

I consulted business partner and CPA Woody “The Tax Man” Alpern, who shared some tips on how to minimize your financial liability:

Wipe out your gains. Capital losses can be used to offset capital gains. If, for example, you have a $5,000 gain on one investment and take a $6,000 bath on another, the loss will — for tax purposes — wipe out the gain and leave you with an additional $1,000 to offset capital gains in future years. You can also use up to $3,000 of …

Continue reading Wes Moss: How to reduce your tax bite »

Caffeine fix

Starbucks: Target has Starbucks 11- or 12-ounce bags of coffee on sale for $7.99 each. You will get a $5 Target gift card when you buy two bags, so your net cost will be $5.49 per bag.

25-cent yogurt

Dannon: Target has Dannon Activia yogurt (four-pack cups) on sale for $2 each. Use the $1 coupon in the Feb. 12 SmartSource circular to pay $1, or 25 cents per cup.

Get cereal, milk

General Mills, Nature Valley, Fiber One, Betty Crocker: This week Kmart has General Mills cereals (8.9- to 12.8-ounce boxes), Nature Valley and Fiber One bars (4.1 ounce to 8.9 ounce) or Betty Crocker fruit snacks (4.5- to 9-ounce boxes) on sale for $2.50 each. If you are a Shop Your Way Rewards member, you will get a free gallon of milk when you buy four participating General Mills cereals.

$5 family breakfast

Eggs, bacon, juice: Kmart’s Breakfast Meal Deal this week gives you a free dozen large eggs ($1.99 value) when you buy sale-priced Bar S bacon (12 ounce) for $1.99 and Tropicana …

Continue reading Coupon Mom: Save on Starbucks coffee, Dannon yogurt »

Consumer expert Clark Howard’s column appears here each Thursday in conjunction with Deal Spotter, a weekly print section in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Just a few years ago at the height of the recession when Americans were reluctant to buy anything, auto dealers simply couldn’t move their inventory. And cars were a screaming deal.

But now, purchasing is up, manufacturing is up and cars are moving off the lot as fast as they come in. It’s amazing how high car prices have jumped. Various reports put the average price of a new car in the U.S. today somewhere between $28,000-$30,000.

The recession changed the auto industry. It used to be all about market share, but now it’s about marketability, cutting excess and making sure that every vehicle produced gets sold.

This has affected the car rental business too. In recent years when cars were largely going unsold, car makers were dumping huge lots of excess vehicle inventory onto car rental lots. Rental lots were …

Continue reading Clark Howard: Demand for cars is driving up their prices »

All deals valid today only.

Cantina Taqueria & Tequila Bar: Half-priced margarita pitchers.

No Mas Cantina: Receive a free queso when you purchase any margarita and mention the restaurant’s National Margarita Day tweet.

Pure: Brighten up the dreary day with a $4 Pure Margarita (reg. $5.29) and half-priced appetizers from 5 to 7 p.m.

Raging Burrito: Get a frozen Raging Margarita pint for $4.95.

Red Sky Tapas Bar: Get your house margarita on the rocks tonight for only $3 (reg. $10).

Have a deal that should be added to the list? Let us know in the comments.

– By Lauren Davidson, Atlanta Bargain Hunter

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Continue reading National Margarita Day deals »

It’s not good news for those of us planning a spring break or summer vacation: Gas prices could exceed $4.50 per gallon by the summer, according to a story by AJC reporter Katie Leslie.

There are also those who say gas prices will stay more moderate (read Wes Moss’ explanation of what’s causing the price fears), so who knows what the warmer months will bring?

Although I’m Bing Travel advocate, I’m always looking for new ways to save — whether gas prices increase or not. Here are a couple of new options to try when making vacation plans:

• One new flight tool claiming to find you the best rates on plane tickets is FlightFox, which has an international focus. Pay a $29 finder’s fee to human “hackers” who compete to find you the cheapest price according to your specifications. Not satisfied with the results? The site says the fee is 100 percent refundable if you’re not happy, and that users typically save hundreds per flight.
• Traveling within the states? Try taking Megabus. The …

Continue reading Save on travel with these options »

Online bookstore bound for savings

BetterWorldBooks.com: Read up on my favorite new way to buy books and save at BetterWorldBooks.com. This is an Atlanta-based online bookstore specializing in huge discounts and sharing the love. For every book you buy, the store will donate a book to someone in need — it’s donated more than 6 million books worldwide so far. It also offers free shipping worldwide. Plus, Jessica Shops’ Atlanta Bargain Hunter readers can snag two books for $5 from the bargain bin through March 5. Just click here and enter code JESSICASHOPSBWB (applicable to bargain bin books only).

A family keepsake

Snapfish.com: Photo books make great gifts or coffee table pieces, and thanks to a coupon code with Snapfish, you can save on your order of one. Upload, edit and organize your way to a masterpiece for a friend or a member of the family using coupon code BOOKIT40 to save 40 percent through Wednesday.

Deals for baby, kids

Amazon.com: If you’re a mom, mom-to-be …

Continue reading Jessica Shops: Bargain books, deals on baby clothes »

Surely you can squeeze a massage into your plans next month — especially when they’re 50 percent off.

Wellness Week, a nationwide initiative to help people lead healthier and happier lives, will return to Atlanta March 19-25.

Throughout the week, spas, salons, and other beauty and wellness businesses in the Atlanta area will offer spa treatments, yoga and fitness classes for either 50 percent off or flat-rate $50 deals. Some businesses will also host free consultations, mini-treatments, and workshops to help local residents look and feel their best.

Participating locations include:

• Bella By Alethea (Atlanta)
• Blue Med Spa (Atlanta)
• Serenity Place Massage (Sandy Springs)
• Skin and Body Balance (Brookhaven)
• Wink Couture Lashes (Atlanta)
• Dr. Q Cosmetics (Decatur)
• The GreenTree Spa (Douglasville)
• Invigo Day Spa (Marietta)

Sign-up today or tomorrow (you’ll have to provide your email address and zip code) to be able to book deals before the general public. Booking will open to …

Continue reading Sign up for Wellness Week specials »