Honestly, I’ve just recently heard of Zhu Zhu pets when I was writing my toy scalper post. It’s not a toy my son has seen. However, what I hear is that these are pretty much the hottest toy of 2009, so I’m guessing some of you are looking for one for your kids.

If so, you’re in luck because according to reports, Kmart has these fun furry friends scurrying-in just in time for Christmas.

On December 18th these electronic pet hamsters will be available for purchase on Kmart.com and on December 20th they will be available for purchase at select Kmart stores. Check Kmart.com for store locations.

Zhu Zhu pets will be available for $10.99 both online and in-store and there is a limit of 2 per customer.

Good luck!

UPDATE: I just got an email from Kmart’s rep noting that these sold out as of the morning of the 18th. Looks like Kmart just wanted the hype but maybe didn’t stock enough. Same old song and dance.

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

As noted yesterday, my son actually wants a popular toy this year. However, it’s been bought up by scalpers which is currently the only way to get one, which brings up the whole should you buy from scalpers question.

Plenty of parents will buy from scalpers. Take the Zhu Zhu issue this holiday season. Parents are paying terribly marked up prices to get their hands on one of these but is that a good idea? I don’t think so. Scalping may not be an actual crime but as I pointed out yesterday it is wrong or at the very least shady. If you don’t agree read Dave Van Domelen’s take on the issue.

Why parents buy from scalpers…

• Because they want to make their kid’s holiday special.
• Because they feel their child has been good and deserves the toy.
• Because it’s easy to rationalize that your child should get the gift they want, especially if they only asked for one toy.

Personally I won’t buy from a scalper. The toy my son wanted, the one you can only get from scalpers, he won’t be getting this Christmas, even though I do think my son is amazing. He’s a great kid who rarely asks for popular or pricey toys. However, I don’t agree with buying from scalpers because…

• Scalpers are in business because consumers will buy from them. If you buy from them you feed their need and make scalping a lucrative endeavor. Stop buying from a scalper and guess what they won’t do – scalp.
• Buying toys from scalpers supports the companies who create a buzz then only release so many of an item to create an even bigger buzz. I get that companies can’t always know which products will be the most popular, but they’ve been in the biz long enough to have a good general idea.
• This is not what the holidays are about. Getting stuff or even that one most wanted toy is not (or should not be) the primary objective of the holidays at my house. It’s nice to get things you like, but this society is so consumer driven that it’s taken away a lot of meaning from the holidays. I don’t want to celebrate like that.
• My ethics and issues will be passed down to my son whether I like it or not. As parents we all pass down values to our kids. If I’m really against something – i.e. scalping, using plastic bags, hitting, what have you, how does it look if I partake in these things?

Well, if you aren’t going to buy from scalpers what should you do?

I’ve been talking to my son about money from the time he was very small. Would he buy a marked up toy with his own money? After I talked to him about the issue it turns out that no, he wouldn’t. This is one benefit to talking about budget issues with your kids from an early age. When tough subjects come up they can handle it. I told my son exactly what’s up with the situation. I explained what scalpers are, how the toy companies only release so many items, and also explained that the toy he wants could cost at least $100 more than what it normally would. Although Cedar did want the toy at first we also discussed other things he might like instead and he’s not upset.

He’s almost nine years old, so I have the luxury of having a child who is old enough to talk to vs. a toddler who won’t understand scalping at all. However, even with young kids you should be discussing commercialism issues. From a young age our kids are hit hard with commercials for all sorts of goods, and as a parent it’s your job to tackle the issue.

You can also talk to your kids about waiting. After the holidays that toy may come back in stock, and he can get it then when it’s a normal price. I told my son this and he said he’d be happy with looking for the toy he wanted after the holidays. Last year my boyfriend couldn’t find a retail priced Wii for his daughters, so he cut out a picture of one, pasted it in a card, and gave it to them, saying that when it came back on the shelves they’d get one. His girls were happy with that.

Some people I’ve talked to think I’m being mean because I won’t buy him the one toy he wants from a scalper one individual even said it was mean of me to ruin the holiday just because I won’t buy from a scalper.

If it truly would ruin the holidays just because my son doesn’t get a specific toy, I’d seriously have to wonder if I’ve been teaching my son the wrong meaning of the season, which in my opinion is spending time with family and friends not scoring the perfect gift. With that in mind my son’s holiday is not ruined. We’ll still be hanging out with family and pals doing fun stuff and he’s excited about that.

Lastly I want my son to have ethics and money smarts and if I don’t discuss the hard issues with him who will? Hopefully he’ll grow up as someone who doesn’t scalp, has ethics, and wants to manage his money well. It’s my job to teach him all of the above so no matter what other people think I am happy with my decision.

What is your take on buying from toy scalpers? Good idea for deserving kids or is it feeding unethical or at the very least, gray area behavior?

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

However this year I did run into issues. My son asked for just one toy this year and the toy company who released it allowed 5 per customer, as did many stores, so scalpers bought them up, which frankly I didn’t expect so I didn’t buy one back in September or October (like I should have). The toy, originally around $50 is now sold out everywhere but is all over the web for sale via greedy scalpers for $85, $100, and more. I’ve seen this particular toy for as much as $150 on eBay.

Ah now that’s the holiday spirit.

In case you’re wondering – toy scalpers research toys at the start of toy season, buy up a bunch of what they assume will be a popular toy, sometimes going from store to store (as most stores have limits) then when the product is sold out the scalpers sell them to parents at dramatically raised prices.

I’ve heard the arguments FOR scalpers over the years but I don’t agree with them, for example…

It’s the only way to make money – what if the scalper has a family to support? Um, get a real job. Trust me as a parent, I’ve been down and out but I’m not going to buy toys kids want and then sell them to kid’s parents at a double markup. If you have kids and need to support them, maybe a job is in order?

BUT there are no jobs and scalpers have just found a clever way to make money. Smart? Or greedy and lazy? Is ruining the holidays for some kids a nice alternative for folks who don’t know how to get a real job? There’s  such a thing as being smart enough to get a real job, and trust me, even in this economy I know many people who have recently gotten new jobs so this excuse doesn’t work for me.

Scalpers are smarter than you because they acted faster. Well, people with jobs are at work, not out looking for toys. People with kids are busy and I don’t think it’s fair to say that scalpers are smarter just because they have better timing.

It’s not like it’s illegal. Nope it’s not. Unless the merchandise is counterfeit or stolen toy scalping is perfectly ok according to current laws. However there’s such a thing as ethics and karma.

It’s the toy company’s fault not the scalper’s. Partially. I totally agree with the assessment that toy companies only release just so many of an item to one, create buzz, and two to make sure they can make the most money possible. Is that right? Probably not. Will I buy from a toy company who creates a large buzz then seemingly, knowingly, releases very few of an item? Not likely. That’s just as lame as scalping but you can’t just blame toy companies because scalping is still wrong. If a toy company jumped off a bridge would all the scalpers?

Only rich parents buy from scalpers anyhow – why should we care if the parents of spoiled kids have to pay more? Not true. I know plenty of families with great kids who simply want a popular toy. Why we should assume only rich kids want toys is beyond me. Some kids from families who are struggling want popular toys too, but at scalper prices they may not get them.

Now all that said, it sucks to be the parent of a child who only asks for one toy and that toy happens to be one of the scalped items of the holiday season. With that in mind, tomorrow we’ll look at the following question…

Should you buy from scalpers? I’ll tell you right now that my answer is no, but we’ll look at why that is tomorrow.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Free Shipping Day is a one day shopping event when participating merchants offer free shipping to customers with guaranteed delivery by Christmas Eve. So far more than 585 retailers have signed on to participate. That’s a major movement as last year only 250 retailers participated.

Al Free Shipping Day promotions for participating merchants will be kept under wraps until Thursday, December 17 at 12:00AM EST. It’s not a total free for all as some merchants may have minimum order restrictions but according to event news, more than half will have free shipping on all orders.

Free Shipping Day is gaining in popularity – last year the FreeShippingDay.com web site had 250,000 unique visitors in a single 10-day period and that included 100,000 on the Free Shipping Day itself. This year should be even better as more than double the amount of retailers have signed up. Some participating retailers include Toys R Us, JCPenney, Apple Store, Nike, Sears, Babies R Us, Eddie Bauer, PacSun, PetSmart, and Ralph Lauren.

Visit Free Shipping Day to learn more.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

If you want to learn how to save more money for this year’s holiday celebration then this handy tips post is for you. Check out the ideas below and see just how thrifty your holidays can be.

SAVE MONEY ON CELEBRATIONS & FUN

• Cutting Back on Your Christmas Expenses
• How to Give Holiday Tips
• Save money on holiday family events
• Stop stress and save money this Christmas
• Tips for Avoiding Christmas Mistakes
• Find a charity you can trust
• After the holidays re-gifting party
• Don’t let Christmas last all year

HAVE THRIFTY FUN WITH THE KIDS

• Get kids into the spirit of giving
• Easy Christmas Craft for the Kids
• Free Fun Winter Activities
• Five ways to teach kids the value of money during the holidays

SAVE MONEY ON HOLIDAY FOOD

• Save more money on Christmas dinner
• Save Money On Holiday Meals

SAVE MONEY ON HOLIDAY GIFTS

• Save Money with a Family Gift
• 24 Things To Make – A Crafty Christmas Countdown
• Save money when shipping holiday gifts
• Saving Money on Holiday Cards
• How to Stay Out of Debt This Christmas
• How to Cut Down Your Christmas Gift List
• Easy ways to save money when gift shopping online

HOLIDAY TOY TIPS

• Save More Cash On Holiday Toys
• Holiday toy safety tips that save money
• Plan ahead for recalled toys

SAVE MONEY ON HOLIDAY EXTRAS

• Save Money on Seasonal Holiday Clothing
• Less expensive last minute holiday travel

[image via stock.xchng; altered by me]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Go homemade: It costs less to cook from scratch AND you get the added benefit of less food wasted. Whenever anyone I know buys one of those precooked holiday meals there’s a ton leftovers because those precooked meals just don’t taste that great. Why buy food if you’re going to toss it? It is more time consuming to cook homemade, but if you gather everyone together to help it makes it faster (and more fun).

Buy frozen holiday food: Normally I say go fresh and organic, however with the sheer bulk of holiday food that most families buy, frozen foods are almost just as healthy and costs less. Go fresh with your salad fixings but buy side veggies like broccoli and corn frozen. Fresh fruit is expensive this time of year, so look for frozen strawberries, raspberries, and other fruits in frozen form for tarts, cookies, pies, and sauces. Most frozen fruits and veggies are available in organic too.

Think cans: On the same note as the above canned fruits for pies can save you cash. I never suggest canned veggies because I think they taste terrible PLUS unless you want a side of BPA for the holidays it’s safer to skip the canned veggies.

Know when to go cheap and when to splurge: You should splurge on an organic turkey and fresh veggies for a raw veggie tray, but empty calorie foods like chips, soda, and so on taste pretty much the same if you buy name brand or store brand. Going cheap on the less meaningful food saves you cash to splurge on nicer foods – i.e. fruit and cheese.

Stretch and compost leftovers: If you bought too much food, the best thing is to make yummy leftovers with it. We have some great holiday leftover ideas here at Thrifty Mommy. You can also compost which is a great way to get an early start on healthy soil for spring.

What are some other ways to save money on Christmas dinner?

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

You may want to consider train travel – while coach train travel can be costly, if you go economy, you might save some cash, and kids love the train.

It’s a little late to get a good deal on plane tickets – technically experts say you should get winter tickets in the summer to get the best deal. However, you can save somewhat by getting online – by shopping for travel deals online you can compare prices, check out hotel and plane reviews, plus get it all done faster. Visit Travelzoo to get deals emailed to you. Also focus on safety; find the safest and best baby approved hotels with Baby Safe Travel. A hotel that’s not baby friendly is no bargain.

If you’re a military family you may be eligible for many military travel discounts.

Consider CAREFULLY if you should stay with family. Case in point; once my son’s dad and me went to stay with my in-laws and it was such a total nightmare (long story short – mean MIL) that we paid a ton of money extra simply to change flights in order to get away sooner. It would have been cheaper to stay in a hotel – and better for everyone’s mood. On the flip side if you can make family stays work you’ll save a lot, but in my opinion it’s not worth your sanity to save a few bucks.

If you’re driving check out Consumer Reports advice on safer and cheaper holiday travel.

If you’re willing to fly ON Christmas or New Years, you can possibly save more because people don’t want to travel on the actual holiday so prices go down. Be aware though, many people I know have been bumped on holidays because of overbooking and end up sitting in a airport.

Plan a trip after the holidays. It’ll cost less, be less hectic, and everyone will be relaxed. No one says you can’t see the family in January.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

• Make family events kid-friendly. Wine and cheese family parties are unnecessary. It’s more fun to include the kids and then no one has to pay for a sitter.
• Plan family meals at home rather than out. You can easily afford a family potluck or even grab a takeout meal for the whole bunch for less than a meal out.
• Plan large not small. It saves time and money when most of the family can attend one large event vs. holding many small events. I know it can take more planning and schedule coordinating, but it’s also less money you’ll spend in the long run.
• Plan for clean-up help. If you’re attending say, four major family meals plan for who will help clean up afterward. This makes folks more inclined to use real dishes vs. expensive disposables.
• Try some easy meal ideas like a gigantic stir-fry, homemade pizzas, or even set up the grill for a winter barbecue if it’s not too cold. Basic, not fancy is a great way to keep everyone happy and costs down for holiday meals.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

• Bikes
• Computers
• Gas grills
• Small consumer electronics
• Toys
• TVs
• Last minute travel deals

Do you have any secret tips for December deals?[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy