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Independence Day Deals 2016

July 1, 2016 By Amanda Blankenship Leave a Comment

Fourth of July weekend is finally here and many people are preparing for cookouts and other celebrations. Fortune reported that American households are projected to spend an average of $370.75 on the Fourth of July holiday. For many, it will be welcome news that many retailers are holding sales and specials to help you celebrate the Fourth.

WalletHub took a survey of 21 of the largest retailers in the United States to compile a list of Independence Day deals. They vary from technology deals to specials on hot dogs and hamburgers for your Fourth of July cookout. Here are some of the very best:

Apparel Deals on Fourth of July

Dick’s Sporting Goods: 30% – 50% off sports apparel
H&M: 69% off select tops
JCPenny: 40% – 77% off select apparel and accessories
KMART: Up to 50% off beachwear. There is also a BOGO sale going on that will allow for up to 97% off.
Kohl’s: 60% – 90% off select apparel
Macy’s: 50% to 60% off select apparel and accesories
Sears: 56-62% off select apparel items
Save big for July 4th! Rollbacks & more extra-low prices at Walmart.com

Independence Day Deals on Appliances

Best Buy: 30-50% off select kitchen appliances
Big Lots: Char-Broil 4 Burner Stainless Gas Grill for $159.99
Exchange: Select grills will be 5-15% off
HHGregg: 20 to 50 percent off appliances ranging from air conditioners to dishwashers
JCPenny: Up to 65% off select household appliances
KMART: 29% off Kenmore Washer and Dryer
Sears: Up to 50% off select household appliances
Home Depot: Households items like vacuums, stoves, refrigerators, etc. will be on sale (up to 48% off)

Fourth of July Computer & Phone Deals

Exchange: 10% off MacBook Air ($889.00)
Groupon: Select chargers, HDMI cables, headphones and other technology will be on sale (up to 86% off)
Office Depot: HP Pavillion 15.6” Laptop with AMD A10 Processor $399.99
Target: Xbox One 1TB Triple Game Bundle with Gears of War: Ultimate Edition, Rare Replay, and Ori and the Blind Forest $299.99
Walmart: Select smartphones and computers up to 67% off

Electronics Deals for Fourth of July

HHGregg: Samsung 48″ 1080p LED Smart HDTV $498.00
JCPenny: ICHI Flat Irons $69.99
Target: Up to 52% off select electronics
Walmart: Up to 47% off select HDTVs

Furniture, Patio and BBQ Independence Day Deals

Amazon: Various patio sets and grills up to 58% off
Big Lots: 5 Pc. Grand Isle Cushioned Resin Wicker Chat Set $399.99
Exchange: Coleman Quad Chair With Armrest $17.99
Kohl’s: 50-60% off select SONOMA items
KMART: Kenmore 6-burner gas grill $299.99
Lowe’s: Select countertops, grills and smokers are up to 20% off
Sears: Garden Oasis Harrison 7 Piece Dining Set $299.99
Walmart: Select outdoor furniture up to 38% off

Independence Day Toy Sales

Exchange: Up to 50% off select games
Target: 25% off Spalding Premier Volleyball / Badminton Set
ToysRUs: Up to 25% off select toys

Other Independence Day Sales

Big Lots: Perfect Sleeper Harmon Super Pillowtop Queen Set $629.99
JCPenny: 50% off quilts and bedspreads
KMART: Intex 16’X42’’ Easy Set Ring Pool $179.99
Lowe’s: 10-20% off select outdoor items
Macy’s: 60% off 22-Piece Bed Ensembles from Martha Stewart Collection
Sears: Serta Coralee Tight Top Queen Mattress $178.00
Sears: 40% off Craftsman Tools

If you are wondering if your favorite retail store is having a sale Fourth of July weekend, check your local advertisements. You can also give the store a call or visit them for an updated flyer about the holiday deals.

Will you be taking advantage of any of these Independence Day deals?

Photo: Flickr: Alex McClung

Easy Ways to Save Money With Pinterest

January 22, 2016 By Alexa Mason 2 Comments

Pinterest has continually grown in popularity over its short existence. It brings new ideas to people all over the world. You can find creative dinner ideas, crafts, workout plans and even ways to save money. There may be a few things you are passing up when it comes to the “saving money” aspect of Pinterest though.

Cleaning Products on Pinterest

People pin down so many interesting things on Pinterest. A lot of these are DIY projects that users are eager to share with their friends. There are many Pinterest users who post homemade cleaning products that can range from laundry detergent, dish soap, wipes, or stain remover. The best thing about these homemade products is that they usually cost almost nothing to make. Some of the homemade products is that they can cost around $0.10 per tub or container compared to the $5 you’re used to spending.

Clothing on Pinterest

Pinterest is also a great site to use for comparison shopping. By pinning down multiple clothing pieces from different sites, you can compare prices and quality. It’s a great way to see what stores are offering similar items for a cheaper price. Some Pinterest boards also offer ideas on how to make your own trendy apparel using clothing and household items you already own, cutting down on the money you’d spend buying it directly from the store.

Cooking and Groceries on Pinterest

Everyone knows how expensive groceries or eating out is. By browsing Pinterest, you can check out the many different cheap, easy recipes that people have pinned down. Cooking at home often sounds time consuming, but there are many people on Pinterest who are committed to posting recipes that are easy on your wallet and your time.

DIY Pinterest Furniture

Anyone who’s tried to decorate an apartment, house, or dorm room knows that furniture can be expensive and that interest, unique furniture is often very overpriced. Pinterest can offer ideas on how to repurpose your old furniture. For instance, if you search the tags “furniture” and “diy”, you can find dozens upon dozens of tutorials on how to cheaply reupholster furniture, how to create new furniture out of existing materials, or how to paint quirky patterns onto your dressers, bookcases, or coffee tables to give your room some interesting décor. Most of these methods don’t cost much and will save you from buying an entirely new piece of furniture!

DIY Home Decorating

Pinterest is also a great place to look for home decorating ideas. Many of the ideas are DIY projects that take everyday items and turn them into exciting craft projects. Are you wondering how much you’ll have to shell out for a nice vase? Look for some of the pinterest items that suggest using a pretty wine bottle instead. Need some more shelving for your walls, but don’t want to pay for sturdy shelves? One pinterest board suggests using old hardback books: paint the cover and spine (or cover them with any sturdy paper of your choice) and use those as shelves instead.

Pinterest DIY Home Remodeling

As previously discussed with decorating ideas, Pinterest also offers some wonderful DIY ideas for home remodeling. Of course, you’re going to have to spend some money, but the website has plenty of user ideas on how to repurpose cabinets, floor tile, or wallpaper. Looking through other users sites might also give you a great idea on how to save money and remodel your kitchen or bedroom yourself, instead of hiring someone else to do it for you.

Coupons on Pinterest

If you search “coupons” on Pinterest, you’ll have plenty of pins to go through since a lot of users are dedicated to sharing store or website coupons. This is a great resource for people who are looking to save money. Just beware of scam coupons or coupons that are expired. With so many coupon deals, it’s sometimes difficult to keep track of which ones you can use online, in a store, and which ones are still active.

Pinterest Artwork

Most people like to buy art to hang on their walls. It’s a wonderful way to brighten up a room and add some character. But art can be very expensive. Pinterest has many examples of DIY art projects that cost next to nothing. For example, you can buy a canvas from an art store for a couple of dollars and create any type of art you want. Browse through “diy art” to come up with some cheap, fun art projects!

Entertainment on Pinterest

Many Pinterest members are not only interested in DIY projects, but in providing their friends and other Pinterest users with cheap or free activities. Some users have lists of unique activities to do with a friend, family members, or on a date. Or they’ll repost community or city events that are going on that you might not have heard of otherwise. This might not be your cup of tea, but if you’re on a budget and you’re trying to limit your entertainment expenses without sacrificing them entirely, this is something you should definitely check out.

Pin Instead of Shop

Are you still eager to head out to a store and shop, even though you can’t afford to buy anything? Pinning an item you’ve been looking at instead of running out to buy it is one way to combat spending money. There are plenty of fashion or home decorating pinboards you can browse and pin down as a wishlist. Try this and see if it will help calm your urge to shop.

Photo: Flickr: Jurgen Appelo

Over-Saving: Walking the Line Between Saving and Living

July 26, 2010 By Jennifer Derrick 7 Comments

We just bought some new living room furniture. Our old furniture was just that: Old. While it was still serviceable, it was no longer that comfortable. Yes, we could still sit on the couch, but the couch had lost a lot of its support and comfort. It was also no longer a great match for our decor which has changed since we bought the furniture all those years ago. The time had come for us to part ways with our old faithful furniture.

When we last bought furniture, we were newly married with little money. Consequently, we bought cheap furniture. While it has held up better than expected, it was made from cheaper materials and less than solid workmanship. It was good for what it was, but this time we wanted something a bit better. We shopped around and finally found a good deal on some well made furniture that we love. It was expensive, but I think it will be worth it in the long run.

I won’t lie, though. Writing that big check gave me a little heartburn. While we can afford it (i.e., we won’t have to touch our savings for it) and we love it, I still paled at the thought of parting with so much money for something that is technically not a “necessity.” Our old furniture would have lasted a couple of more years. Wanting a replacement was simply a want, a desire for something better. I have to remind myself at times that these types of purchases fall under quality of life and are sometimes just as necessary as a true need. (Note that if you don’t have any money saved and the “quality of life improvement” purchase will have to go on a credit card, you can’t afford it. In that case you need to make the old stuff stretch or do without. I don’t advocate going into debt to improve your quality of life. Too many people do that already and it’s led us to many of the economic problems we’re in.)

When you’re focused on saving for the future, it’s easy sometimes to forget that you have to live (a little) for today, too. I forget this at times and try to hold on to things long after they should have been replaced. I find myself thinking, “But I can get another year out of it! It’s not a necessity,” and putting off the purchase. Never mind that a newer thing might make my life easier, might be more comfortable, or might come with features that are a big improvement on the old product. It’s a fine line and I have to get better a walking it.

You want to save for the future. You want to have a nice retirement and the ability to ride out any emergencies you may face. However, you also want to live a nice life today. After all, you only get one pass through this world and sitting on a couch that pokes you in the butt isn’t fun. This is why we scrimped and saved so much when we were younger. We knew we wanted a better quality of life as we got older, so it was much easier to make the sacrifices while we were young and still used to living cheap from college. Now that we’re older and have money saved, we can look at spending some of it on things that make life more luxurious or easy. But it still hurts at times to part with that money, knowing how hard we worked to get it. It’s why we consider our purchases very carefully to make sure that what we do buy is valuable to us. It’s a constant balance to remind ourselves that we saved for this item, so we can buy it without jeopardizing any of our other goals.

You can go overboard the wrong way, though, and spend on a better life today when you can’t really afford it. People start telling themselves, “Well, I only live once” and using that as justification for all kinds of reckless spending and debt accumulation. While you want to have a decent life today and enjoy it, you still have a future to consider and it will be pretty bleak if you only live for today. You have to find a good balance. It’s easier for some than others.

I know that I am guilty of over-saving at times. Maybe I’m just cheap. I am getting better, however, at spending on things that bring me enjoyment or improve my quality of life. I’m getting better at looking at my big purchases in terms of the enjoyment they bring rather than just the money. I still save a lot, though, and I look for great deals on what I do buy. I guess on the scale of things I’d rather err on the side of saving too much than of living hedonistically today at the expense of a secure future.

Buying Artwork on a Budget

October 21, 2009 By David G. Mitchell 6 Comments

When my wife and I were first married, we spent many weekends searching for art and antiques at auctions, antique shops and thrift shops. We never spent a lot of money on anything we bought and, after a few years, our New England home was full of wonderful 18th and 19th century pieces. Indeed, we found that buying antiques was actually much less expensive, and a lot more fun, than buying new furniture or artwork.

When we moved south, we sold most of our furniture. We had too much to move it all to our new home and we did not believe that the charm of 175 year old furnishings would really be appropriate for our new home in Florida. As a result, our local antique dealer visited our home one day and bought just about everything that my wife and I then owned.

Yes, we sold all of our treasures — almost all of it, anyway. We did not sell our artwork. My wife and I have always loved old canvasses. The artists need not be listed artists. We just need to like the images that they have created. My wife has always studied art and I once worked in a museum so we both like to think that we have good eyes for quality. We also believed that our art could “work” in any environment. We were correct; our home in Florida is now full of “Yankee” art works that are just as home here as they were in Boston.

If you are starting out with a new home, or if you just want to update the look of your current home, adding paintings, etchings and other artistic images to your walls can do wonders, but it does not have to cost you a lot. Here are some of the places that you can look for art, without having to pay the high costs of an art gallery.

Antique Stores

A painting that is not historically significant can still be a good painting. Also, antique store owners often do not know how to price paintings commensurate with their value. If you keep your eyes open, you can find a lot of great bargains.

Auctions

Auctions have always generated great results for my wife and me. Try to find auctions that are offering items without a reserve (minimum price). I have a small collection of Wallace Nutting works, including one that I found for $5 at an auction. Its value is more in the range of $150 so I got a great deal.

Thrift Shops

There are always values to be found in thrift shops. Most readers here know that already. Nevertheless, have you ever thought to look at the dusty prints and the occasional framed canvas? You never know what you will find.

Art Schools

Young artists will often be thrilled to find anyone to purchase their works. Visit local art schools and let the instructors know what you are looking to buy. You may find that you can affordably acquire the work of a future great master!

Craft Shops

You may be able to find ways to create your own art. If you learn how to professionally frame your own projects, you may find that you can develop your craft as a photographer, painter or craftsman so that your home can become your own show room.

Do you have any artwork in your home? Where do you like to search for art? How do you learn about art so that you know what you are buying and whether you are getting a good value?