General Article

Five Back to School Saving Tips

Back to school shopping can be a bit of a problem. After all, it can really add up! It doesn’t matter if you’re a single mom or wealthy, everyone is looking to save money when it comes to back to school shopping. So, here are a few tips that’ll keep your checking account almost intact.

1. Thrift Stores

Now, this may seem quite tacky, but in fact, thrift stores have quite a nice selection of pretty blouses and shirts and pants and jeans. Don’t think that just because they’ve been donated, that they aren’t in good shape! You also have the potential to find binders and trapper-keepers (if those are permitted at your child’s school) and even a few folders. Now, if there are a few that are a little banged up, you can either overlook them or do a quick patch job. It’s completely up to you!

2. Buy Using Christmas Gift Cards or Certificates

If you happen to get a Christmas gift card, save it! True, you could get all sorts of nice stuff, but using it towards your child’s supplies will save you all quite a bit more money than it would. Or perhaps just save a few dollars.

3. Check Dollar Stores

You never know what you might find at the Dollar Store or Dollar General. You don’t need brand name paper and other supplies to get your through the day. You can find a large portion of the supplies that you are looking for at the Dollar Stores and won’t even have to frequent a more expensive store. Not to mention, you can find cute pencils and erasers for much, much less, if that’s what your kid is really aching for.

4. Back to School Sales

When one hits, you need to hit the shops. Try and check beforehand to see what kind of sales might be available. If possible, head out at about eleven o clock the night before the sale starts. Browse, get your items ready, but don’t check out until the sale officially starts. Also, take this opportunity, especially if you have high school or middle school students, to grab an extra book bag. You never know if it might snap with all of the books that they’re carrying around and having a snapped strap can put a lot of strain and pressure on your kid’s back.

5. Coupons

Make sure that you have any coupons you can find clipped and ready to go. You can’t just leave them behind! These little slips of papers can be a lifesaver when it comes to trying to save your money.

With these tips, you’ll find it more than easy to save your money! It doesn’t matter if you only use one method or if you use several. It’s up to you and what you find available around where you live.…

Finding Affordable Designer Clothing

Is it possible to buy designer clothing that’s not massively expensive? One of the problems with this type of clothing is that it tends to be highly desirable, meaning that many stores can justify buying high prices.

The way in which we, as customers, approach this problem is quite interesting. Some people take the route of avoiding these fashionable items altogether. They reason that it’s simply not worth spending the money – they’d rather use it on other items and instead opt to buy cheaper clothes.

But are they getting clothes that are of a worse quality? It’s certainly the case that most designers and many fashion experts would argue that garments with extremely low price tags are unlikely to offer any real quality.

For those who do want to buy designer clothing there seems to be a clear choice. It can either be bought in traditional stores and retail outlets, or it can be bought online. The question that many would ask is which route offers the cheaper option?

It seems logical that internet retailers should be able to offer the best prices. They’re able to benefit from lower overheads, meaning that these can be passed on to customers in the form of lower prices. Is this the only advantage of shopping for such items online?

Another positive in this approach is the ease with which we can compare prices. It means that we can quickly find out if we’re being offered a good deal. It also means that we have access to information on many more products than would be the case in most high street stores.

Make use of independent reviews too – these can soon help you to see whether a particular retailer or designer has a real reputation for quality. It’s not just about the quality and price of clothing on offer – it’s also about the standard of service that you can expect.

The best way to find affordable clothing is clearly to spend time doing your research online. By doing so, you’ll be able to identify some excellent outlets that sell designer fashion at extremely low prices.…

Ingredients Every Home Cook Needs in the Pantry – The Ten Most Important

If you don’t like to cook, you probably don’t like to go grocery shopping. One of the ways to make your grocery shopping trips shorter is to stock your pantry with staples. These non-perishable items have a long shelf life and are the base of a meal. Keep a running list of these items and replace them as they get low. If you buy them when they’re on sale, you’ll also save money. If you keep your pantry stocked with the following items, you’ll only have to go to the store for the fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy products you’ll need for the week.

Apple cider vinegar is perfect to cook with and to use in salad dressings. It’s not as sharp as white vinegar and not as strong-tasting as red wine vinegar; it gives acidity without an overwhelming taste. You can use it in any recipe that calls for vinegar.

Make a habit of using chicken broth in place of water when you cook rice, stews or vegetable dishes. For a few extra pennies, you’ll take your food from bland to delicious. You can also use chicken broth for beef and pork recipes. There’s no need to stock both types. Buy the chicken broth that has no salt added or that is low salt.

Buy Grey Poupon Dijon mustard made with white wine. Don’t buy a store brand; the taste difference is that significant. Dijon mustard is essential in making salad dressings and for imparting flavor to sauces and stews.

For cooking, extra virgin olive oil is the best fat to use. It has no trans fats, it’s not a saturated fat, you can heat it to high temperatures and it won’t burn, and it tastes great. A good quality olive oil can be expensive, but it’s worth it. Buy small quantities of a few different brands and taste them right out of the bottle. Buy the one that tastes the best to you. Extra virgin olive oil is perfect for salad dressings too.

The best mayonnaise to use changes its name depending on which part of the country you live in. East of the Rockies it’s called Hellmann’sA�; west of the Rockies it’s called Best FoodsA�. Mayonnaise is essential as a base for sauces and dressings. Don’t buy Miracle Whip. It’s made with sugar and tastes too sweet.

If you always have pasta in your pantry, you can always throw together a fast meal. Buy whatever brand, shape, and length of pasta your family prefers. For an easy meal cut any vegetable into small pieces. Heat olive oil and add the vegetable and salt. Cook the pasta and add the cooked pasta to the cooked vegetable. This one dish meal is simple, easy, surprisingly delicious and good for you. With pasta in your pantry, you can always fix a quick meal.

Salt makes other flavors pop. Herbs and spices become more intense when you add a bit of salt. When you add salt to vegetables they cook quicker. No kitchen, or cook, should be without it.

Buy both diced and crushed canned tomatoes. Diced tomatoes have larger tomato pieces and crushed tomatoes have thicker juice. Find a brand of canned tomatoes that you like and stick with it for consistent results. Canned tomatoes have a richer flavor than fresh tomatoes.

Even if you don’t bake, you’ll need white flour to thicken sauces.

Enriched long grain white rice makes an easy side dish. Just add butter and salt to the cooked rice. Always have it in your pantry. Brown rice is better for you, but it takes longer to cook.…

Some Important Information Regarding Shopping Malls

This concept has been around since Ancient Roman times. Basically, it is nothing more than a collection of shopping centers that are in the same building. Back in Roman times, these were simply outdoor business venues. Their design has greatly improved and drastically changed over the years. The development of strip malls took place in the nineteen twenties. They started out as large box like designs, but now enjoy huge and sleek designs. They are designed to catch the attention of shoppers from a distance and up close. There are many impressive designs throughout the world that host millions of shoppers every year.

Some of the Most Popular Malls in the World

There are many popular malls located throughout the world. The most visited mall in the world is the Mall of America. It is located in Bloomington, Minnesota. The Mall of American has five hundred twenty stores. There are fifty different restaurants to choose from. This mall even offers an indoor amusement park and other exciting entertainment options. The King of Prussia Mall is another top shopping mall. It is located in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. It has four hundred shops to choose from.

Extravagant Malls Located in the United States

Saw Grass Mills is a unique mall that has both indoor and outdoor shopping venues. It is located in Sunrise, Florida. Both high end fashion items and bargain deals can all be found under one roof. The Galleria in Houston, Texas is another popular mall that experiences frequent visitors. This mall contains atriums made of glass and an ice skating rink. The Grove is a Los Angeles shopping avenue that contains stores like Sprinkles Cupcakes, Madewell, and Johnny Was.

Chic Malls throughout the Country

Tyson’s Corner is a fabulous mall located in Virginia. The children’s play area in the mall is sponsored by National Geographic. The area is nothing short of exquisite. The South Coast Plaza is located in Costa Mesa, California. It contains roughly two hundred eighty boutiques for shoppers to take advantage of. It even has thirty restaurants. It is located in Orange County. Short Hills Mall is located in Short Hills, New Jersey. This one contains a wide selection of stores. This store is just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Manhattan.

The History of Malls

There are malls located in France and in the United Kingdom that have been present for centuries and are still in operation today. The need for the shopping mall is expected to increase in coming years. One of the first malls in the United States opened in Minnesota in 1916. Presently, the largest mall in operation all across the world is located in China. The second largest mall is also located in China and the third largest mall in the world is located in the Philippines.…

Shopping Carts That Help Your Customers in a Bad Economy

Allowing your shopping cart to offer a payment plan can mean providing the much needed relief that some of your customers or clients need. This could mean the difference between getting a sale and not getting a sale from those not able to afford right now what you have to offer. A high-end cart takes care of recurring billing for you every month until the balance is paid, without you having to lift a finger or worrying about staying on top of it.

Every month a notice goes out a week ahead of the time a customer’s credit card is due to be charged as a reminder. On the designated date the cart automatically processes payment. This prevents you from having to hope payments are made on time. The shopping cart automatically charges their account and keeps you in control.

You also control how you set up your terms for a payment plan. For example, you offer your customer or client the choice of paying $600 in full, or 2 payments of $325 each, or 3 payments of $225. Now rather than a $600 decision your customer or client is only making a $225 decision. And when a person wants or needs a product or service and can’t afford the full price incurring an extra $75 charge can be worth it. It also, clearly, means more money in your pocket.

Offering a payment plan can make good business sense, but trying to extend terms without having it automated in some way can quickly become regrettable. It makes far more sense to utilize this function integrated into a sophisticated shopping cart.…

What Demographics Are Shopping Online for Clothes?

The boom of online shopping has erupted in the past few years and and is only going to increase in the future. E-commerce is becoming a vital tool for businesses to attract shoppers in store and also to the actual purchasing of products online. Online shopping isn’t just restricted to the young population but to the broader demographic. Everyone from students to parents and grandparents are purchasing online.

In a survey in 2000, 22% of Americans said they had purchased online and by 2007 this figure had increased to 49%. This goes to show the rapid improvement and popularity of online sales.

In terms of percentage of users of the internet, the following are figures if the demographic that use the internet for online shopping. 38% of 12-17 years olds have used the internet as a tool of purchasing, 71% of 18-32 year olds have purchased online, 80% of 33-44 year olds have purchased online, 68% of 46-54 year olds practice online shopping, 72% of 55-63 year olds shop online, 56% of 64-72 year olds purchase products online and 47% of over 73 year olds use the internet for online shopping.

When these statistics are examined it goes to show a whopping percentage of internet users shop online. This may only be a segment of the worlds population but these figures just go to show the wave of people beginning to shop online.

And would you blame them? No, is the quick answer. If you were to, lets say search online to purchase a suit for a business man online you would find thousands and thousands of products online of the same suit and massive variations on it. You could be searching for days on the different types of products out there that would would like to wear. There are so many sites that can give you advice and tips on what to purchase, what not to purchase and what accessories to enhance your look. You can find videos online that advice you on what to wear for certain events and this allows for the peace of mind of shoppers in knowing that they have selected the right product for themselves.

With the improvement in online security and privacy in recent years due to court proceedings and legislation, shoppers can go online with a sense of security and purchase whatever they like knowing their private details are as safe as they would be in your local retail shop in town.…

Promoting Colorful Holiday Shopping

Here’s the new retail riddle: What is Black, Green, Brown and Cyber all over?

Color coded holiday shopping days.

Everyone knows Black Friday, the beginning of the traditional holiday shopping season. Cyber Monday is the Monday immediately following Black Friday and was created in 2005 by the National Retail Federation to increase online sales. Supposedly we would eat our turkey on Thursday, go shopping Friday and then shop online Monday while at work or relaxing at home.

Green and Brown Monday are probably less familiar. Green Monday refers to the first Monday in December, typically the busiest online shopping day of the year. Brown Monday is the following week and refers to when retailers start dramatic markdowns to push holiday merchandise out the doors.

The titles are colorful but how accurate are they?

Black Friday has become an event in itself and its start time keeps getting earlier and earlier. But surprisingly it usually is not the busiest shopping day in terms of customer traffic and retail sales. The Saturday before Christmas, known as The Saturday before Christmas, typically ranks first while Black Friday is usually the fifth to tenth busiest day.

Online sales do increase on Cyber Monday but the biggest online shopping day is actually December 14th-the shipping deadline to receive gifts by the 25th-which also happens to be Brown Monday this year.

Now that you are either frustrated or confused, here’s the relevance from a marketing standpoint:

The National Retail Federation identified a creative selling opportunity via online sales the Monday after Thanksgiving. They wisely defined their target market as potential shoppers who could shop online from work or at home that day. They developed a simple, yet memorable message (Shop Online on Cyber Monday!) and utilized a coordinated mix of PR, advertising, promotional discounts, online marketing and word of mouth to effectively communicate that message again and again.

Now Cyber Monday is part of our vernacular and online sales have continued to grow that day each year. While it might not be the biggest online shopping day just yet, Cyber Monday could very well reach that goal in the future.

Then what?…