Tag Archives: bargains

Last-minute gifts on a budget (yes, even gift cards!)

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Beautiful gift cardFrom Sheryl Smolkin’s Retirement Redux blog comes this useful list of budget gift-giving suggestions for the holiday season.

Sheryl is a bit hard on gift cards, which I find perfect for younger people when you have no clue what they really want — plus of course, you can specify precisely how much you will spend for each gift-card recipient.

I find most millennials are quite happy with iTunes gift cards or, if they’re readers, with cards for Chapters or Amazon.

If you’re not convinced about gift cards read this piece from Time a few weeks ago about why some believe gift cards make the best presents of all.

Magazine Subscriptions

Next-Issue-Logos_Vertical-on-darkBeing a magazine guy on and off over my career, I agree magazine subscriptions are both affordable and have the advantage of showing up all year round.  The ultimate here is of course Next Issue, which has been characterized as the “Netflix of magazines.”

If the magazine lover you’re thinking of prefers tablets to filling the blue box with dead-tree editions, then Next Issue may be the way to go. However, at $10/month for monthlies and $15/month for weeklies and all other frequencies, it isn’t quite as affordable as a print subscription to a single publication, which often run about $20/year.

On the other hand, it’s certainly something a whole family could enjoy, with at least 140 magazines  to choose from, there should be something for everyone: a Yoga magazine for mum, for example, a golfing mag for Dad, a gaming magazine for the teens, etc.  It will literally be in your face (or that of the giftees) every day, depending on how many magazines are chosen (there’s no limit)

My only caveat: It can be a real time sucker if you are intent on getting your money’s worth from the subscription.  You may begin a given day all caught up on your magazine reading, only to find yourself at day’s end behind by three or four issues as new editions flow in. You feel a bit like the mythical figure, Sisyphus, forever rolling a boulder up a hill.

e-books

As a postscript, I may as well add a third suggestion: e-books. In particular, if you think US$2.99 or C$3.37 is a bargain price (and it is!), then consider the US or Canadian editions of my own e-book, pictured below.

You can find the US e-book at Amazon here. The Canadian e-book is here.

The good news is that while it may be too late to get physical books delivered from Amazon, you should be able to get an e-book delivered right down to the wire. And of course, Amazon does let you specify an e-book as a gift, provided you have the recipient’s email. If they don’t have a Kindle, they can download a free Kindle app for whatever device they have.

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Pretty Little Poor Girl’s tips for shopping on Black Friday

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Just in time for Black Friday, we’re pleased to present this timely blog from Danielle Kubes, the blogger behind the Pretty Little Poor Girl blog. You can also find the piece at her site here. Love that slogan: “Because financial literacy is hot.” With Danielle’s permission we’re running it below at the Hub too, and  we hope to run more pieces in the future.

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Danielle Kubes, Pretty Little Poor Girl

By Danielle Kubes

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

I only really shop three times a year:

▪ August sales

▪ January sales

▪ Black Friday

It’s a waste of money to buy anything any other time a year. I’m allergic to paying full retail-price for anything so I save up all my money to buy clothes and shoes on sale. And almost everything WILL go on sale eventually.

And by sale, I mean REAL sales. Not those “fake sales,” which are popular with American stores like Bath and Body Works, Ann Taylor and Express. Literally every time I walk into their stores there is “30%” off sweaters, Buy 2 body lotions get 2 free etc.,

If there is ALWAYS a sale, that “sale” price is just the TRUE price.

Which I why I wait until there are legit sales, like when they actually want to move merchandise. Those three time periods are the only time that really happens.

black friday shoppingNotes 

▪ Often Black Friday is NOT the cheapest time to buy things, but it can be if you need something before January, like Christmas gifts, or there is something you need/desperately want that you legitimately feel might be gone by January sales

▪ It’s important to figure out whether further discounts will be applied on Boxing Day, or later in January. This comes with a few years experience shopping sales. I suggest writing down the discounts available this year, so you know what to expect more for next year. They are usually quite similar year-to-year

▪ A week before Black Friday there are usually sales. DO NOT FALL FOR THIS.

▪ For example, this week everything at Old Navy is 30% off. But it will be 50% off on Black Friday.

▪ Ask the salespeople what sorts of sales they will be having Black Friday. Some stores in Canada, especially the Canadians one don’t participate. For these sales you’ll have to wait until after boxing day. But American stores do Black Friday amazingly

▪ In Toronto, I’ve noticed recent American imports Express, Ann Taylor/Loft and JCrew can have amazing Black Friday sales. Don’t bother with Artizia. The best time to shop at Aritzia is in late August and late January. GOLDEN TIP

Danielle Kubes is a freelance journalist in Toronto. She believes in a balanced attitude toward financial independence. What would her weekends be without brunch? Sad and lonely. But you can also find her hand-washing clothes to save a few bucks at the laundromat.