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Penny-pinching and frugal living through blogs
By Jennifer Wutz-Lopes
Sometimes, being frugal can be cool. What’s better than scoring a new item for half price, minus an extra twenty percent with the coupon from the newspaper? Bargain hunting doesn’t have to start and stop at the mall, though. I find most shopping, at the mall or any old bricks-and-mortar store, to be one of the most loathsome chores there is. I do, however, love to browse and shop online, and apparently I am not alone. According to the US Department of Commerce, consumers spent over $25 billion in e-commerce in 2005. There’s lots of uber-shoppers out there who also happen to be bloggers, basing their entire blogs on hot trends in shopping and reviewing new products while still saving a few bucks. I have several favorite bargain-shopping blogs, many of which focus on finding deals on items ranging from new clothes to electronics to back-to-school supplies.
The Impulsive Buy (www.theimpulsivebuy.com/wordpress) is run solely by Marvin (no last name given) who is based somewhere in Hawaii, but won’t give out an exact location because he is “not really looking for another stalker right now.” Marvin (aka Marvo) posts a few reviews every week, with most items retailing for five bucks or less. Marvo appears to be a fast food freak, as most of his reviews focus on the culinary offerings of Burger King, Taco Bell, McDonald’s, and the like. He also seems to eat a lot of candy, chips, and ice cream. Marvo might not have the healthiest diet (he admits to being about fifteen pounds overweight on the blog) but he is hilarious. Each product review is punctuated with zingers like “I didn’t realize how hard it was to find someone to smell my armpit” (Axe Deodorant) and “There’s something about foods in microwavable bowls that is appealing. I guess it’s because those tubby little bastards are just so damn cute” (Kraft Easy Mac Cups). Marvo’s rating system and pros vs. cons for each product review may convince you to try—or not try—that new McDonald’s Snack Wrap.
Do you have a deep, meaningful relationship with Target? Do you reach for the Target ad in the Sunday paper before anything else? Well, there’s a blog just for you. Slave to Target (www.slavetotarget.blogspot.com) is written for those of you who are too cool to shop at Wal-Mart by “Red Cart Romance,” an anonymous self-proclaimed “endcap whore and dollar section addict.” She posts regularly and covers items on store openings, new designs, and her own shopping experiences. She often details all of her purchases, from the useful (storage bins, band-aids, Tylenol) to the outrageous (a tiara and a Wonder Woman hand mirror). She also waits until her husband falls asleep at night so she can then sneak her Target shopping bags into the house, undetected. Truly, she is a woman after my own heart.
Hot Off the Sales Rack (www.salesrack.blogspot.com) is a very interesting site. “Sales Rack Raider,” a pseudonym for the law student blogger who runs it, likes to post her finds from Goodwill and other local thrift shops. Since many of her purchases are slightly damaged or flawed, Sales Rack Raider gives step-by-step tutorials on what she did to remedy the defects. If you’re a DIY sort of bargain hunter, you’ll enjoy learning how to use nail polish remover or a carefully placed brooch to make something imperfect work for you. You won’t believe how cute a $9 outfit (shirt, skirt, purse) can be.
Dawn Caldwell started her blog Frugal for Life (www.frugalforlife.blogspot.com) as a way to organize all her research on living a frugal lifestyle. When Dawn was younger, she spent herself into bankruptcy but has since learned her lesson and now lives a thrifty lifestyle, sharing tips and tricks with her readers. Her website is very popular, with about 800 readers per day and another 2,000 subscribers to her weekly newsletter. Some of her posts, like the recent “many uses for cardboard,” are kind of silly, but I did like the “many uses for toothpaste” post.
Can you be more straightforward than this? Stop Buying Crap (www.stopbuyingcrap.com) is a blog that, well, tells it like it is. “Cap” tells his readers to stop buying crap like lottery tickets (“You have a better chance of meeting galactic overlord Xenu than winning the lottery”) and bottled water. (He imagines a company executive’s bright idea: “Let’s buy water from the local municipal tap, treat it with our special purification process, mark it up 3,000 percent and watch the profits roll in!”) He also posts useful links to limited-time savings coupons and offers his insight on the logic behind understanding your own credit scores. I agree with Cap on most things except his views on over-priced handbags. He just does not understand the need for some women to possess several Kate Spade bags.
I Bought It on eBay (www.boughtonebay.blogspot.com) is a collaborative blog with contributors from all over the U.S., including a few from right here in Western New York. The bloggers (including yours truly) chronicle their best purchases from the famous online auction site, posting their finds with photos and an occasional tongue-in-cheek backstory. If you’re interested in why I actually can’t wear t-shirts and want to see photographic evidence of my Kate Spade handbag addiction, be sure to check it out. At least before my husband finds out and I have to delete all my posts.
Jennifer Wutz-Lopes lives in Lockport with her husband and son. She really does try to stick to a budget. She blogs at www.Jen14221.com.
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