http://www.annadumitriu.com Mon, 22 Feb 2010 04:16:59 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 Article Summary: Frugal shopping Tips save you money on your shopping needs. Why spend more than you have to? Stop wasting your money and start saving everyday. Article Content: Meagan, over at Frugal Fun and Fortune, has all the best CVS deals posted for this week. I am very pleased to be featuring Meagan's CVS coupon match ups each week. I've highlighted just a few of the bargains below, but you'll definitely want to check out all the CVS deals she's discovered for this week. Also, if you're new to CVS, Meagan offers a great primer on CVS & Extra Care Bucks. Thanks Meagan! *Mennen Speed Stick Buy 1 at .99, get back ECB (Limit 2) $.50/1 from 1-31-10 SS /1 from CVS Reinventing Beauty magazine (purchase for $.99 in-store) *As little as FREE after coupon and ECB! The $.50/1 makes it only $.49 each! *Almay Intense i-Color - Buy one @ .99, get back ECB (Limit 1) /1 from 2-7-10 SS *Pay only .99 after coupon and ECB! *Earinse Ear Cleansing Spray Buy 1 package at .99, get back .99 ECB (Limit 1) *FREE after ECB! Head on over for the rest of the deals.... --------------------- http://www.annadumitriu.com/2010/02/online-shopping-cvs-deals-221-227/ Article Summary: Reviews and resources on shopping, fashion, beauty products, cosmetics, skin care, shoes, bags, jewelry, gifts, women's apparel, men's apparel, kid's clothing, digital gadgets, and more.An excellent place to find a wide array of coupon codes for various items is at the nifty UK based site Unbeatable. Whether you are shopping for kitchen goods, games consoles, or a new flat screen TV, this site pretty much has it all.Coupon codes can save a lot of money at the electronic Article Content: An excellent place to find a wide array of coupon codes for various items is at the nifty UK based site Unbeatable. Whether you are shopping for kitchen goods, games consoles, or a new flat screen TV, this site pretty much has it all.Coupon codes can save a lot of money at the electronic checkout. If you can track down a coupon code for a purchase, it's always a good idea to use it. Some codes provide free shipping, some codes will offer a percentage off the listed price and others will offer discounts for purchases over a specified amount.Updated coupon codes appear each day and new offers are added regularly so it is a good idea to check back to hunt for new bargains and special deals.If you are interested in buying a specific product, you can find product comparisons, user generated reviews and comprehensive buying guides to help you make an informed purchase. For example, say that I am interested in purchasing a blu-ray player. I can compare prices from different outlets, find the best model as reviewed by other buyers and read a buying guide such as "Battle between blu-ray and HD DVD - the question is who will win?" as featured on the site. By the time I make my purchase, I will have the best possible price all the relevant information to confidently buy the item. And I may even score a coupon code to further discount my purchase.Here are some examples of the latest discounts.As you can see, some of the offers last from shorter periods up to 14 days. The savings are quite substantial and worth checking out.For convenience you can also follow Unbeatable on Twitter for up to the minute deals and coupon codes so you never miss out on the latest bargains.This post brought to you by Unbeatable.co.uk --------------------- http://www.annadumitriu.com/2010/02/online-shopping-unbeatable-deals/ Article Summary: Reviews and resources on shopping, fashion, beauty products, cosmetics, skin care, shoes, bags, jewelry, gifts, women's apparel, men's apparel, kid's clothing, digital gadgets, and more.There is something about being on holidays that messes with the space-time continuum.1. Time goes waaay to quickly.2. Alarm clocks become increasingly redundant because for some reason I decided that 3pm was a good time to wake up, and 3am was a sensible time to go to sleep.3. Article Content: There is something about being on holidays that messes with the space-time continuum.1. Time goes waaay to quickly.2. Alarm clocks become increasingly redundant because for some reason I decided that 3pm was a good time to wake up, and 3am was a sensible time to go to sleep.3. Calories do not count because I tend to get more exercise on holiday. Being out and about and walking all the time, those chocolate mint sticks have negative calories. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.4. Time is taken up by difficult matters such as whether to play golf or go to the park and go for a walk with hand weights.5. After 2 days of being outdoors my Neapolitan tan (red, white and brown) indicated that I might benefit from the use of sunscreen.6. Exactly three days before holidays end, I remember that I really wanted to do this or that and I have officially run out of time.7. Exactly 1 hour after holidays end, I am planning for my next holiday.technorati tags: holiday, tan, travel, golf, sunscreen, leisure --------------------- http://www.annadumitriu.com/2010/02/go-shopping-holiday-time-warp/ Article Summary: Here featuring shopping for home, kids, moms, shopping guides, product reviews and great gift ideas too.During my online shopping exploits, I have created a large number of collections, be it cookware, DVDs, clothing or gadgets.I am proud to announce: My cookware collection is almost complete (say in Darth Vader voice!)Regular readers of my blog are aware of my Baccarat cookware obsession. Article Content: During my online shopping exploits, I have created a large number of collections, be it cookware, DVDs, clothing or gadgets.I am proud to announce: My cookware collection is almost complete (say in Darth Vader voice!)Regular readers of my blog are aware of my Baccarat cookware obsession. There is something about stainless steel with a copper base that makes cooking that much easier. After hunting around many online shopping outlets, I discovered OO.com.auI ran a search for cookware on the site to see if I could get some kind of deal:My prayers were answered rather quickly as I spied an 18cm Baccarat pot normally priced at selling for .95. Without hesitating I pressed the "buy" button and filled out my details. I was able to pay with paypal, making it even easier for me to... SHOP!!! (insert crazed PayPal convenience induced frenzy here)The pot arrived in mint condition. The speedy delivery was facilitated by a reputable courier service and the item was vaccuum wrapped very carefully. I really couldn't fault the service and would buy from OO.com.au again.Other bargains I have bagged from this site:High Definition Set Top Box with HDMI and DVI - 9 (this was at a time when HD set top boxes were around 9!)I have never had a problem with this unit. It was a bargain at the time and it is still up to date in 2010.Baccarat Pinnacle Stockpot with lid (5.4L) - I told you I was obsessed with Baccarat! Normal retail price was somewhere around 0 but I nabbed it for .95. And I got a special delivery discount during a half-price delivery promotion period, saving another five dollars in the process.Be sure to look out for the slam dunk 24 hour deal - a heavily discounted sale item that only lasts for - you guessed it - 24 hours!I must say that my shopping expeditions are going extremely well and I am saving a heap of money. I will be returning to OO.com.au shortly to search for HD recorders.Searching is simple - for example you can type in "Hard Drive recorder" to see the results:You can then reorder the listings by lowest price, highest price and popularity.This allows you to search within your budget and get the best possible deal. I desperately need to get a hard drive recorder to catch up on all the tennis and golf events that are screened at 3am. And that would be past my bedtime (tee hee!)... But that's another story.... --------------------- http://www.annadumitriu.com/2010/02/go-shopping-bargain-online-shopping/ Article Summary: Here featuring shopping for home, kids, moms, shopping guides, product reviews and great gift ideas too.Febusave is an ANZ initiative to encourage women to save money and develop a habit of saving regularly.ANZ revealed the results of "Women and Money Confidence" research study in January 2010. The results were alarming to say the least.* 58 per cent of women have less than ,000 Article Content: Febusave is an ANZ initiative to encourage women to save money and develop a habit of saving regularly.ANZ revealed the results of "Women and Money Confidence" research study in January 2010. The results were alarming to say the least.* 58 per cent of women have less than ,000 in savings and 33 per cent have less than ,000.* 56 per cent of Australian women do not save money on a regular basis or regularly dip into savings for living expenses* 29 per cent of women are discussing financial matters with friends and family more often than they did 12 months ago.To set the example, I will delve into some detail about my savings habits.* I have more than ,000 in savings.* I have a credit card debt of $content.00If any money is spent on my credit card, it is paid back immediately.* I save at least to per week.Some people are surprised at how much I save and how much I avoid debt. They want to know my secret or philosophy for saving. Only the other day I spoke to bank about another new savings account I was starting up.I was asked "So, you think it's better to save rather than use debt?"Um.... yeah!! But it surprises me that a re-education is needed.So I will share the methods I use to save money in the hope that other women will join the Febusave program and create their own savings goals.Top Five Tips on Saving1. Don't get a loan - whatever it is, a car, a house, a holiday. The truth is, if you need a loan, you can't afford it. If you must get a loan, try to save up a large amount of the principal amount and make sure your loan allows you to pay back lump sums to cut down on interest.2. Get the lowest % rate credit card available. Forget frequent flyer, reward points, bonuses etc. If you have a low interest rate credit card and you pay it back immediately every time you use it, you will be in a great position to reach your savings goals. It is preferable to live without a credit card but for many of us, this just isn't practical.3. Save an amount each week - be it , , or 0 - just make sure you put away SOMETHING each week. It will get you into the habit of saving for the sake of it. Once you are used to saving, it will feel strange when you miss a week. If you make your own lunch every day, you can save anything from to 0 each week. Look at your spending and see if there is one small area in which you can cut back.4. Start a separate savings account. If you try to save in your normal everyday account, you can end up spending rather than conserving. Start up a separate savings account, preferably one that will penalise you for withdrawals and reward you with bonus interest each time you make a new deposit.5. Don't just save towards a goal. I bet this one is a surprise. Why, you ask? Because when you save towards a goal, you reach the goal and then you spend the money. Which brings you back to square one. No savings! So, you also need to get into the habit of saving for no reason whatsoever. Or pick a reason such as "I like to watch the interest go up".I hope this helps to convince you that saving is easier than you think. To participate in Febusave, set a savings goal for February and track your progress. By participating you can also win a ,000 ANZ savings account of your choice.So why not give it a try? Join up on the Febusave website and start saving!! --------------------- http://www.annadumitriu.com/2010/02/go-shopping-febusave-initiative-women-and-saving/ Article Summary: Here featuring shopping for home, kids, moms, shopping guides, product reviews and great gift ideas too.Would you pay 15 thousand dollars for a meat pie?Well I wouldn't, I'm a vegetarian.In a recent NineMSN Travel article, a number of expensive menu items are detailed - here are the Top 6 Expensive Meals:#1 56 Caviar Omelette (Norma's New York)I don't care if they use caviar from Article Content: Would you pay 15 thousand dollars for a meat pie?Well I wouldn't, I'm a vegetarian.In a recent NineMSN Travel article, a number of expensive menu items are detailed - here are the Top 6 Expensive Meals:#1 56 Caviar Omelette (Norma's New York)I don't care if they use caviar from the rarest fish in the world and dodo eggs.I can whip up an omelette in about 7 minutes using free-range Victorian grown eggs. Whack in a bit of caviar from the deli if you must but either way you'll save about 49.#2 3 Chicken Club Sandwich (Cliveden, London)Apparently the kind of meal recommended by Henry IV. A good king by all accounts but rather expensive taste. Made from 30 month air cured ham. Eeew!! Perhaps we are paying by the month for this service...#3 ,820 Wagyu Beef Pie (Fence Gate Inn, Lancashire)Made with 5 per kilo beef. What, did the cows eat gold during their time on this earth? I'm sure it's a nice pie, at almost 00 per slice it would want to be. If it's anything like the pies I have sampled at the footy at the MCG, I'd rather a nice used car if it's all the same to you.#4 46 Ice Cream Sundae (Serendipidy 3, New York)And I thought the Pancake Parlour was expensive! Whee!! 23 carat edible gold leaf. From what I've read, gold is the sort of thing you buy and keep in a safe or under your bed - as opposed to stuffing it in your noggin'. Each to his own I suppose.#5 9 Truffle Chocolate (Knipschild, Conneticut)A rare French perigod truffle surrounded by a... chocolate truffle. It's enough to give you a Knippshion (sic)!Big whoop. Gimme a six pack of Ferrero Rochers and we'll call it even.#6 ,000 Diamond Martini (Algonquin Hotel, New York)I've had expensive nights out. Just last Friday I had in Wild Turkey shots and a lovely hangover to boot. This diamond martini, it appears, hurts your wallet as well as your head. But the bonus? You get a diamond stuffed down the bottom of your glass. Whacko the doodle bang. A real diamond. If I want a martini, I'll buy a martini. If I want a diamond, I'll go to a jeweller's.Important Note: Don't drink this one too fast.Sooo, I could either have the most expensive meal in my life...ORFor ,604 I could buy a 2005 Volkswagen Golf and have ,454 left over for a nice holiday in Byron Bay.Which would you choose?technorati tags: worlds expensive, most expensive, expensive pie, expensive dining, food,restaurant, meal --------------------- http://www.annadumitriu.com/2010/02/online-shopping-would-you-pay-15-grand-for-a-meat-pie/ Article Summary: Here it is about my experiences, reviews, opinions on shopping and fashion, covering the luxurious to the cheapest, quirkiest finds in places where i trod.I love fridge magnets. There really is no end to these little beauties. Whenever I think I've seen every possible configuration, somebody comes up with a new concept. It seems you can put anything on a fridge these days, just attach a magnet and off you go.Here are some of my faves:Ladybug Article Content: I love fridge magnets. There really is no end to these little beauties. Whenever I think I've seen every possible configuration, somebody comes up with a new concept. It seems you can put anything on a fridge these days, just attach a magnet and off you go.Here are some of my faves:Ladybug Fridge MagnetSo cute!!Child Proof House Fridge MagnetI love her deranged smile...Art Deco Travel Poster (Leather) Fridge MagnetI love Art Deco posters, I would pretty much buy Art Deco anything. They don't make 'em like that anymore...Origami Fridge MagnetBeware. I am a black belt in Origami.Leaf Fridge MagnetFrom the people that brought you "Tree" - now here's "Leaf!"You can make magnets out of anything and everything. It would also be fun to make fridge magnets out of ordinary household items. Just buy a pack of magnets on ebay and start creating!!technorati tags: arts & crafts, arts and crafts, arts crafts, craft, craft ideas, etsy, fridge, kidscrafts, magnet, magnetic, magnets, paper crafts, --------------------- http://www.annadumitriu.com/2010/02/shopping-reviews-magnetic-personalities/ Article Summary: Reviews and resources on shopping, fashion, beauty products, cosmetics, skin care, shoes, bags, jewelry, gifts, women's apparel, men's apparel, kid's clothing, digital gadgets, and more.It's that time of the Christmas shopping period where some people are relaxed, all presents wrapped and ready to go, slippers on, eggnog in hand.Other people may be in the midst of mind-bending panic trying to get everything purchased before December 25th. The crowds, the pressure, Article Content: It's that time of the Christmas shopping period where some people are relaxed, all presents wrapped and ready to go, slippers on, eggnog in hand.Other people may be in the midst of mind-bending panic trying to get everything purchased before December 25th. The crowds, the pressure, the "what the heck am I doing in this department - everything's starting to look the same" experience. During my shopping expeditions to the Melbourne CBD, I found myself armed with a list, a credit card, some dollars and the beginnings of a whopper headache. After the third shop my eyes began to glaze over and my mind began to fantasise about settling down with a nice cold beer and potato wedges. I don't know what it is about shopping that makes me so hungry. Maybe it's because I'm in survival mode and my body sends out signals to eat to preserve the continuation of the human race. Shopping will do that to you.I should have taken my own advice and done most of my shopping online. For some reason my online shopping mainly involved buying myself some Christmas presents - perhaps to reward my subconscious for putting up with 2 and a half hours of the most annoying species of shopping humans:1. Slow Walkers - The thing about Christmas shopping is that MOST people are in a hurry. Probably because there are only 72 hours to Christmas and some of us haven't even bought wrapping paper. Slow walkers are content to amble aimlessly, admiring the crowds, staring at concrete and mesmerised by traffic lights. Slow walkers are the natural enemy of efficient shoppers and tend to approach backwards using stealth and cunning.2. Bag Whackers - These shoppers come in two forms - those that whack you with a bag and those that whack the bags you are carrying. I try to keep my bags out of everybody's way, daintily dodging and weaving so as not to gonk anyone in the shins. Bag whackers on the other hand are either training for the marathon, arms waving and thumping every bag in sight, or they are carrying half the shareholder's investment at Myer and try to squeeze past thirty people trying to get in the back carriage at Flinders Street.3. Directional Changers - One of the most dangerous to those carrying anything made from glass or crystal are the directional changers. Like poisonous snakes they wind from side to side, occasionally walking backwards or diagonally without first checking to see if anyone is in their path. If you do see one of these shoppers, stay well clear and hide any breakables.4. Inexplicable Stoppers - Possibly the worst of the lot. Imagine you are walking behind someone who appears to be walking with purpose. And suddenly inexplicable stopper er... stops. They don't do anything or go anywhere - for example, into a shop, to a stall to buy a drink, to give money to a street artist. No, they just stop. In front of nothing. With blank expressions on their faces. It makes me think of that new Bruce Willis film where robots dressed as people suddenly all stop. Perhaps inexplicable stoppers are actually robots, infiltrating our Christmas shopping habits and stopping to report back to base. Or maybe the heat just makes their joints rusty.For some of us, the only things left on the list are stocking fillers. Little knick-knacks and last minute curios that add to the Christmas spirit and make it look like there are more presents under the tree. These examples may give you ideas as to what to put in your own stockings this Christmas.Apple iPod Touch AccessoriesCanon Deluxe Grey Leather CaseSandisk 4GB Memory CardCrayola Glow Stationtechnorati tags: stocking fillers, stocking stuffers, christmas, gifts, cool gift under , gift ideas,Christmas gift ideas, frugalChristmas, gift ideas for christmas, --------------------- http://www.annadumitriu.com/2010/01/go-shopping-stocking-fillers-for-under/ Article Summary: Here it is about my experiences, reviews, opinions on shopping and fashion, covering the luxurious to the cheapest, quirkiest finds in places where i trod.Skype To Go - How You Can Make a 9c International CallHow does Skype to Go Work? I was a little confused about this so I had to do a little research. I wanted to make international calls from my mobile as I have a growing need to talk to overseas contacts. I tried calling using Article Content: Skype To Go - How You Can Make a 9c International CallHow does Skype to Go Work? I was a little confused about this so I had to do a little research. I wanted to make international calls from my mobile as I have a growing need to talk to overseas contacts. I tried calling using normal Skype and although it was cheap and convenient, at times my microphone has managed to cut out at inopportune moments. This can make it difficult to carry on a trans-Atlantic conversation without worrying about the quality of the line.I wanted the freedom to call internationally from my mobile, and it just so happens Skype to Go does just that.I found Skype to Go on the main Skype website and decided to give it a try - I used my existing account with Skype (it's free to sign up) and I decided since I was going to be calling overseas frequently, I would buy around credit. I have called the US around 10 times using this service and the calls are ridiculously cheap. My balance has hardly budged at all and it will probably take me a few years to fully run it down.How it works:You are assigned your own Skype to Go number - I have mine programmed into my mobile phone.On the Skype site you can set up a kind of speed dial phonebook - the great thing about setting up the numbers through Skype is that it automatically puts in the country code - all you need to do is nominate the country you are calling.From your mobile, you can now call your Skype to Go number and the menu gives you the option of calling a number manually or selecting any one of your speed dial contacts.Skype to Go will now put you through to the international number and you pay around 9c per call, which is an amazing deal considering most mobile phone rates for international calls.The brilliant thing is that with credit, I can call Australia to the US over 150 times before I even need to think about recharging.technorati tags: skype, free call, cheap international call, cheap overseas call, cheap calling, skypeto go --------------------- http://www.annadumitriu.com/2010/01/go-shopping-make-cheap-international-calls-from-your-mobile/ Article Summary: Here featuring shopping for home, kids, moms, shopping guides, product reviews and great gift ideas too.Rant time.The old 2 minute noodles had a tangy flavour - a kind of salty, zingy hit. Apparently Maggi have taken it upon themselves to do some sort of focus group study.You know the kind where the "consultant" guy gets paid 0 per hour to talk, well... bollocks."Okaaay. You know Article Content: Rant time.The old 2 minute noodles had a tangy flavour - a kind of salty, zingy hit. Apparently Maggi have taken it upon themselves to do some sort of focus group study.You know the kind where the "consultant" guy gets paid 0 per hour to talk, well... bollocks."Okaaay. You know what 2 minute noodles need? Let's ask a random selection of bland-palated people and see what they think.""Okay, now they have chosen the cardboard tasteless ones, we need a name""We'll brand them as 'EXTRA DELICIOUS' - they'll love it!"Yeah.Extra delicious to who? People with a cold?Thanks to this treachery, we now have 2 minute noodles with very little flavour and barely-recognisable rehydrated vegetables. Vegetables that are still crunchy when the noodles are cooked!! Mmmm....But you know what? They are now 14 grams lower in fat!! And "ovenbaked"...Whoopeee.You know what I want? I want those 14 grams of fat re-absorbed into those noodles so I can have the taste back.What happened to my ridiculously wrong munchy snack that tastes like real (pardon the pun) 2 minute noodles!?!?Grrrr!!! ARgh!!!~End Rant.technorati tags: maggi, 2 minute noodles, extra delicious, oven baked, new 2 minute noodles,maggi noodles --------------------- http://www.annadumitriu.com/2010/01/go-shopping-maggi-extra-delicious-2-minute-noodles-repent/