Here’s the weekly roundup of eye-opening, headache-erasing, money-saving tips—some wacky, some creative, and some that might even prove to be helpful and practical.
Smart Spending
It’s a Deal: 50% off Halloween Costumes at Kmart
Still in need of a costume? Here’s an upside to procrastination: Kmart has marked down prices on all Halloween costumes, with many available for 50% off. If store-bought costumes aren’t appealing, check out these cheap and easy ideas from previous posts:
It’s a Deal: 50% Off Everything at Jos. A. Bank
See? Half-off deals really are easy to come by. Through Thursday, October 28, everything at Jos. A. Bank, including men’s suits, dress shirts, ties, sweaters, and casual wear, is discounted by 50% off the retail price.
The New Normal: 50% Off
If you’re paying more than half off the retail price, you’re paying too much. And if you’re paying actual retail? Well, then you’re spending waaaaaaaay too much.
4 Places Where Kids Eat Free This Weekend
Candy isn’t the only free food being handed out to kids this weekend. Check out these four restaurant chains also offering freebies for the kids.
It’s a Deal: Up to 75% Off at Pottery Barn Kids
Right now, there’s a Fall Sale at Pottery Barn Kids, and rugs, furniture, toys, bedding, and seasonal items are being discounted by as much as 75% off.
Cheapskate Wisdom … About How Silly It Is to Buy into ‘Anti-Consumer’ Hipster Culture
“Hipster culture is not a counterculture. On the contrary, the neighborhood organization of hipsters—their tight-knit colonies of similar-looking, slouching people—represents not hostility to authority (as among punks or hippies) but a superior community of status where the game of knowing-in-advance can be played with maximum …
Look in Your Closet for Some Perspective on the Great Recession
The average American now owns about 90 articles of clothing, and that total doesn’t include underwear, socks, bras, or pajamas. Guess how many items of clothing the average person had during the Great Depression?
It’s a Deal: $2 ‘Boorito’ at Chipotle on Halloween
If you wear a “horrifying processed food product” (chicken nugget, for instance) as your costume, and you wear it to a Chipotle restaurant on Halloween after 6 p.m., you can get an order of tacos, salad, bowl, or a “boorito” for just $2.
Top Ten Laziest Halloween Costumes
Come on, who are you kidding? You’ve got less than a week left. Stop pretending you’re going to throw that over-the-top Lady Gaga outfit together. Besides, that’s a lot of expensive meat to be wasting on a costume. Here are ten of the easiest free or nearly free alternatives, perfect for procrastinators and cheapskates alike.
It’s a Deal: $5 Fleeces, $15 Sweaters from Old Navy
Now through October 26 at OldNavy.com, fleece vests and pullovers that regularly sell for up to $14.95 are on sale for just $5, and sweaters that normally cost upwards of $34.50 are selling for $15. More special deals will be announced daily through Tuesday, October 26, at the retailer’s site.
Pay TV and At-Home Movies, by the Numbers
Here’s a big roundup of statistics revealing just how much we love watching TV and movies at home, how much couch potatoes are willing to pay for such services, and also where it looks like things are heading from here.