These are a few of my favorite purchases from today.  My hubby and I have been wanting some new sheets but I have been waiting around for a bargain.  These Wamsutta 500 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets are normally$195.00 but I got them for only $58.19. Oh yeah!  The dry erase/cork board was regularly $40. Not sure who would paid such a crazy price. I got this for my little girl’s room for only $5.99.  I have also been wanting some pilgrim figurines but really didn’t want to spend the money this year.  These were regularly $40, but on clearance for $9.59.  I know it’s hard to see from the picture, but these earrings are really cute. The steriling silver was 70% off so I got these $30 earrings for $9. (These were a doorbuster sale which has now expired.)

A few other highlights from the Belk sale:

• take an additional 40% off red dot clearance
• 60% off sterling silver jewelry
• 30% off slippers
• 25% off New Directions tights and trouser socks
• 25% off Liz Claiborne New York jewelry
• 25% off Napier jewelry
• 50% off New Directions neckwear
• 40% off handbags from Nine West, The Sak, Kristin Davis, & Liz Claiborne New York
• 40% off wallets and clutches by Etienne Aigner, New Directions, Rolfs, and more
• 40-50% off entire stock boots
• 40-50% off select jewelry
• 25% off select watches
• 50-60% off Big & Tall select sportwear and outwear
• 50% off select suit separates
• 30% off select men’s wallets
• 50% off men’s giftable sweaters, loungewear, and robes
• 50-60% off select men’s sportwear
• 40-50% off select women’s jackets, dresses, pantsuits, sportwear sweaters, active and velour sportswear, New Directions sweaters, coats, sleepwear, robes, and more 
• 40-50% off throws
• 60% off pillows including memory foam
• 60% off Home Accents flatware
• 40% + extra 10% off Anchor Hocking portable bakeware sets
• 50% off Wishes and Wonder holiday decor

This sale ends Monday, December 21.  Happy saving!

image (c) Karen Weideman

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Wear cheery colors - Although you probably won’t see me in a Christmas sweater, you’ll likely see me wearing a bright red sweater.  Many of us have something red or green in our closets.

Jazz it up a little - Add some festive tights or a fun scarf to a plain outfit.

Wear some colorful jewelry - Shop discount stores for jewelry or make your own.

Don’t rule out the “cheap” stores - Target has some really cute clothing and fairly inexpensive prices.  Also try stores such as Marshalls, Ross, and T.J. Maxx.

Shop for used clothing and accessories - Last year’s holiday decorations, clothing, and accessories many times end up in yard sales.  People don’t want to bother with them or they grow tired of what they have.  This is a great opportunity for you to end of with a few treasures.

What ways do you save money on your Christmas outfits?

image francberg from sxc

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Wear your black clothing more than once. If you’re wearing your black clothing to church or if you’re working in an office building, then you can probably get away with wearing them several times before laundering.  Sometimes I take a damp washcloth and brush off any dirt or other marks.

Wash them inside out. This will prevent the fabric from being damaged and from losing it’s color.

Use the gentle cycle. If possible, wash your black clothing on the gentle cycle or hand wash it.  The more agitation the garment receives in the wash cycle, the more color it loses.

Wash in cold water. This keeps the color from running and fading.

Use special detergent. There is detergent available that’s specially formulated for dark clothing.

If your black clothing does fade, try this tip – Wash the black solid garments with black Rit dye.  I have done this with some of my black clothing to help freshen it up and make it look newer.

What tips do you have to keep your black clothing from fading?

image sxc

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

I was pretty pleased with the jeans and so were my kids.  Here are some reasons that I like thrift stores.

6)  I don’t have the guilt.  I can’t force myself to pay $10-15 for clothing. And even if I did, there would be some major guilt.

7)  Thrift stores usually give back to the community.  The thrift store where I shop helps others in need with food and other necessary items.

8)  No worries about wear and tear.  I told my daughter this week that I don’t like to buy her new clothes.  The reason is because she stains just about everything she wears.  I can’t tell you the number of times I have put something new on her and been so upset because she permanently stained it.  When I pay $1 for something, I don’t get so upset about stains.

9)  I am able to give to others.  When you’re only paying $1 for clothing items, it’s easy to purchase a few extra things for others.  Since you’re already searching the racks, many times you’ll come across items that others you know can use.  I try to remember the sizes that my younger cousins wear or my friend’s children.  When I was shopping this week, I remembered to look for athletic pants for my friend’s son.  She had mentioned duing an earlier conversation that he needed them.

10)  Sometimes you get your money back.  When I shop for used clothing items, many times I can get my money back for them when we’re done.  Sometimes I can sell them at my yard sale or local consignment store for close to what we paid for them.  It’s also easy to give them away since you don’t have much money invested.

Do you shop at thrift stores?

Please check out part 1 of 10 Reasons I Like Thrift Stores.

image tome213 at sxc.hu

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

You never know what you’ll find at a thrift store.  This week, I was blessed with some bargains.  I found 12 pairs of pants for my kids for only $12!  That’s $1 per pair.

I enjoy shopping at thrift stores.  Here’s some reasons I like them so much.

1)  Shopping at a thrift store is like going on a treasure hunt. You never know what you’ll find.  Sometimes you’re really surprised.

2)  The items are unique.  You don’t have to worry about seeing five other people at school wearing the same shirt.

3)  You can find name brand clothing.  I’m not one to sport a big name brand across the front of my shirt, but it is true that some brands hold up better than others.  Some of the pants I found this week were from Old Navy, Gap, Children’s Place, and JCPenney. 

4)  It helps the environment.  Shopping thrift stores keeps products from landfills.

5)  Shopping thrift stores usually saves so much money!  This is probably my favorite reason!

Do you shop at thrift stores?

Stay tuned for part 2 of 10 Reasons I Like Thrift Stores.

image by tome213 at sxc.hu

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Belk is also offering $10 off your first $50 order, $20 off your $100, and $30 your $150 order.  This offer is good July 2-5, 2009 and includes regular and sale priced merchandise.  You can use printable coupons in the store or use a savings code online or over the phone.

Belk has 60% off select men’s shorts, 50% off boys’ tops and shorts, and women’s and junior’s swimwear (in store only). 

Enjoy the savings!

image from Belk

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

You must have the printable coupon to receive the free eco tote.  Enjoy!

image from avenue

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

I told you earlier this week that I’d have a special surprise for you.  We’re giving away a $100 credit to Lands’ End.  Woohoo!

Image: Lands' End

As usual, I have several ways for you to earn entries.  Of course, the more times you enter, the higher your odds of winning.  Here are your options:

1)  Leave a comment telling me why you like Lands’ End products or what you would buy with the $100.

2)  Tweet this giveaway on twitter.  There is an easy tweet button to your right.  Be sure to leave your twitter name or status url in the comment box.  You can earn 3 tweet entries per day for each tweet.

3)  Follow @thriftymommy on twitter.

4)  Blog about this giveaway or mention it on some sort of forum. Leave a direct url so that I easily find the info for your entry.

5)  Give this post a thumbs up on Stumble Upon, Digg It, add a link on Facebook, or some other way of promoting the giveaway.

6)  Add Thrifty Mommy and/or Keeping the Castle to your blogroll.

You can earn entries for each of these things that you do.  Please leave a separate comment for each one.  It just makes it easier for tallying entries and choosing a winner.

This contest ends Sunday, June 14, 2009.  Winners will be contacted via email and will have 72 hours to respond.

Good luck everyone!

image from Lands’ End

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

The 50% red dot sale is my favorite time to shop at Belk.  Many times I have left the store paying $5-10 for my pants, tops, and skirts. 

Today I shopped at Belk and I purchased two pairs of men’s Izod pants, a boys’ Airwalk t-shirt, and a women’s dress with jacket for only $50.  The dress was the most expensive item.  It’s been a few years since I’ve had a new dress, so I was excited to find such a great deal.

One of the best deals I saw today was for a girls’ white dress.  The regular prices were $120-130. The dresses were on clearance for $20-30 each.  The smallest size they had was a 7 and I was disappointed because I wanted one for my little girl.

I am not certain when this sale ends.  It might be Sunday evening, so you may want to call ahead before shopping.  Happy saving!

image sxc.hu

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

You can shop three ways:

1. Shop in a Belk store and bring this printable coupon with you.  You have to surrender the coupon at time of purchase, so you may want to print the coupons more than once or have only one transaction.
2. Shop online.  In your shopping bag, enter the appropriate code in the Coupon Code entry boxand click ‘Apply Code’.  Once verified, the discount for valid items will appear in the order summary. 
3. Shop by phone.  Call toll free 1-866-235-5443 to shop by phone.  Give the appropriate Coupon Code to one of the Customer Service Representatives.

If you shop online or by phone, be sure to use these codes:

• $10 off your first $50, Coupon Code 14664215
• $20 off your first $100, Coupon Code 62133409
• $30 off your first $150, Coupon Code 77044202

Belk also has some doorbuster sales on Friday and Saturday.  To view the sales, visit the Belk website and view the list on the left side of the screen.

Happy saving!

Post from: Thrifty Mommy