http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/ 15 en-us Copyright 2008 Thu, 09 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=4.21-en http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Columbus Day weekend is coming up and that usually means lots of sales. But is it just me or are stores unusually quiet this year? I haven't seen the usual screaming announcements of major markdowns. I found these few: Macy's furniture is marked down this weekend an extra 10% on already reduced items. They're advertising dining room sets for $1,500 and sectional sofas for $1,700 to $2,000. The store also has relatively cheap mattresses, like a Sealy queen-sized one for $449. The store is also promising that it won't be "undersold," so if you can prove that another store is selling the exact same piece of furniture or mattress for a cheaper price, Macy's will match the price. The rest of the store has also marked down items 25 to 50% off. Bloomingdale's isn't calling it a Columbus Day sale but it has marked down cashmere sweaters for women by http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/10/columbus_day_sales.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/10/columbus_day_sales.html Holidays and Special Occasions Thu, 09 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Revealing your presidential pick used to be as taboo as disclosing your salary. My grandmother died at 93 having kept her choice in presidents a deep dark secret. Not these days. Now we have bobbleheads, bumper stickers and baseball caps screaming our choice for president. You can even get a pair of thong underwear with your preferred candidate's logo printed on the front. There are plenty of places to buy this type of gear. Here are a few of them: Political Americana is a small hole in the wall along Pennsylvania Avenue, just a stone's throw from the White House. But it's packed with current campaign gear, as well as memorabilia from previous runs. You can get a Barack Obama or John McCain bobblehead for $20, action figures of the two for $15, presidential playing cards for $10, bumper stickers representing either campaign for $2.50 and T-shirts for as low http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/10/shopping_for_campaign_gear.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/10/shopping_for_campaign_gear.html General Interest Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Ever wish you knew more about your favorite stores? Like when are their biggest sales and where do they get such great items? Those pressing questions will be answered in this blog in a regular feature called 10 Things You Didn't Know About (insert your favorite store here). E-mail me at shoptoit@washingtonpost.com if you want to know some insider knowledge about your favorite store. I'm calling the stores directly and getting answers you can't find their Website. I'm starting with T.J. Maxx, whose spokespeople explained how they're able to offer such great deals on the same stuff as department stores. 1. Don't be surprised if you find the same merchandise at T.J. Maxx and Macy's on the same day but with a significant price difference. That's because T.J. Maxx is an off-price buyer, which means they benefit from ordering mistakes made by mainstream retailers and over-production of items by the http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/10/10_things_you_didnt_know_about.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/10/10_things_you_didnt_know_about.html 10 Things You Didn't Know About... Thu, 02 Oct 2008 03:00:00 -0500 I stood out in the rain on Saturday looking at plants. No, I haven't completely lost my marbles. I was drawn to one of the native plant sales that crop up every fall around my neighborhood. It was worth a little bit of wetness to catch some of the deals on native plants in Parkfairfax and Green Spring Gardens, both in Alexandria. Native plants, which are grown in the community, have become quite popular over the last few years. They require less water and maintenance, they attract more birds, they thrive better in the local region's clay soil and they're often cheaper than what you'd find at Home Depot or Lowe's. I saw Asters, flowering plants, for $3, large aloe plants in decorative pots for $10 and all kinds of cactus plants for $4 to $8. "Native plants are becoming trendy because they're cheap and fun and your garden becomes http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/09/buying_native_cheaper_and_gree.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/09/buying_native_cheaper_and_gree.html General Interest Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Looks like there's going to be a lot of space under our Christmas trees this year. And stockings will hang like sad, skinny socks from our fireplace mantels. At least that's what economists have said, along with a survey of 8,000 Americans. Consumers will be shelling out 2.2 percent more on holiday gifts this year than last, which means we'll be spending a mere $470.4 billion on gifts, according to a recent forecast by the National Retail Federation. Usually our holiday spending goes up 4.4 percent, making this year one of the slowest growth holiday seasons since 2002. A consumer survey by BIGresearch in early September, before the financial crisis hit, found that 52 percent of people said they would be spending less this year and 42 percent said they would be spending the same. And who are the six percent of you that said you would be spending more? http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/09/stores_will_hear_a_pin_drop_th.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/09/stores_will_hear_a_pin_drop_th.html Holidays and Special Occasions Thu, 25 Sep 2008 03:00:00 -0500 I finally got my wallet to snap shut the other day. I haven't been able to do that for the last decade. I took out all the loyalty cards to count how many I've been suckered into signing up for. It was a whopping 15, which is why I could never close my wallet. Some of these cards are worth the space in my wallet and the small effort to whip out when I make a purchase, others are just taking up snap space. Retailers promise to give you discounts in exchange for some facts about you and the ability to track everything you buy at their store. But I know people who stay as far away from these cards as possible. I'm actually a fan of loyalty cards, which means I'll never have a wallet that fully closes. Here are some things I've heard people say about loyalty cards http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/09/a_little_love_for_loyalty.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/09/a_little_love_for_loyalty.html General Interest Tue, 23 Sep 2008 03:00:00 -0500 It's hard to be completely in the dark about store sales, between e-mail sign-ups and being inundated with advertising. But wouldn't it be nice to have someone gather all your favorite stores and brands in one room and point out what's on sale? That's exactly what Shop It To Me does. The free online personal shopping service has attracted 400,000 users since its launch in 2005 through word of mouth. Users sign up for e-mail alerts about sales on some of their favorite brands and stores like Prada, DKNY, Nordstrom, Ann Taylor and Ralph Lauren, along with smaller, lesser known boutiques. You get an e-mail as often as you want with a personalized list of items on sale at the various retailers. You can click on a picture of the item in the e-mail message and it will take you directly to the item at the store's Web site for http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/09/free_personal_shoppers.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/09/free_personal_shoppers.html General Interest Thu, 18 Sep 2008 03:00:00 -0500 The garage is one of those rooms that's meant for one thing but ends up being something else. Aren't garages for cars and lawn equipment? But we stuff all sorts of other things in there, including old furniture, broken appliances, boxes of paperwork and old magazines. There are many ways to transform the space, either as a liveable room or a place to park your wheels. I recently talked to some local experts for some tips on how to transform this multi-functional space. Here are their tips: Tip #1: Before even pulling out a hammer, think about what purpose you want the garage to serve. Some of the options include making it a place for lots of storage, including your car, or a liveable space like a family room, in-law suite or laundry room/mudroom. Tip #2: If you're transforming the space to be a little more functional for storage, be http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/09/tuesday_tips_tackling_the_gara.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/09/tuesday_tips_tackling_the_gara.html Tuesday Tips Tue, 16 Sep 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Every month I write about an area of the Washington region that's good for shopping but a little off the beaten track. So you won't see me writing about Georgetown or Old Town or any kind of mall here. Instead I've found places like Kensington, where you can buy furniture and home decorations from all over the world. Or Del Ray in Alexandria where you'll find art by locals. And there is Takoma Park where you can find vintage clothing and holistic medicine for dogs. These are areas where you go to stroll, armed with a cup of coffee and a lot of time. It's my favorite kind of shopping. Recently I went to Tenleytown up Wisconsin Avenue and strolled two blocks where Wisconsin cuts River Road and Brandywine. Here you shop with a purpose. You go here to get your artwork framed or to buy that electric guitar you've http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/09/every_month_i_write_about.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/09/every_month_i_write_about.html Off the Beaten Path Thu, 11 Sep 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Everyone seems to be talking bikes these days, whether it's to be more green or to cut back on gas. We've even started treating bikes like cars with new self-service bike rental programs like SmartBike DC and bank loans for bikes. Makes me want to run out and get my own set of wheels. So I talked to a local bike salesman on what to look for whether you're buying new or used: Tip #1: If you're looking to ride a bike to and from work, consider a fitness hybrid or a cyclocross bike. The fitness hybrid is in between a road bike and a beach cruiser, according to Chris Peguese, who sells bikes at Spokes Etc., a bike store in Alexandra, Arlington, Ashburn and Vienna. It's recommended for commuting because "it puts you in a little more upright position so you're able to keep your eyes on what's going http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/09/tuesday_tips_buying_a_bike.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/09/tuesday_tips_buying_a_bike.html Tuesday Tips Tue, 09 Sep 2008 00:05:00 -0500 Ever notice how retailers make our one-day national holidays last a whole week with their sales? Labor Day may have ended Monday but it's going on until at least Saturday in the world of retail. If only the rest of us celebrated with a week of no work. At least we can spend away our sorrows with some of these sale prices, which seem to be the most dramatic on appliances, electronics and other household items. Just beware that many of them only offer these prices if you charge it to their store cards. Here are some of this week's best deals: Sears, whose Labor Day sale prices will last until Saturday, is offering 10 percent off any 40-inch or bigger high-def television as long as you pay with your Sears card. Or shoppers can choose two years of no interest payments as long as you pay the full amount http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/09/ever_notice_how_retailers_make.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/09/ever_notice_how_retailers_make.html Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Shop To It is about to celebrate its first birthday and in that time readers have posted lots of suggestions on many different topics, from how to update rooms in our homes to which grocery stores have the best deals. That's exactly what this blog is about. Sharing ideas about what works and what doesn't. So keep posting. You don't even have to include your name, just your wise advice. Here are my favorite reader tips on buying food: Buy in bulk and freeze as much as you can. Cook planned meals and get creative with left-over vegetables and whatever else may be laying around. We tend to lose our creativity when life is easy because we can spend our way out of it. (Sharon's husband) Use online grocery shopping to prevent impulse purchases. (sylviaburkina) SuperFresh is one of the best stores for doubling of coupons since they double up http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/08/the_best_of_your_comments.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/08/the_best_of_your_comments.html Grocery Deals Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Don't panic, but Christmas is only four months away. It sounds like a long time but doesn't it always seem to sneak up on us? Aside from scrambling to get my gifts in line and my decorations in place, I always rush to get my Christmas cards ready, namely having a nice family photo taken by a professional. Mark my words: I will get it done this year. I sought the help of local photographer Greg Knott and the Professional Photographers Association for some tips on how to hire someone to take a family portrait. Here are their tips: Tip #1: Think about what kind of photograph you want -- formal, informal or something in between. A studio setting usually produces a more formal shot and an environmental shot can be more casual. Tip #2: Ask friends for referrals of photographers they've used. The Professional Photographers Association also has a http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/08/tuesday_tips_hiring_a_photogra.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/08/tuesday_tips_hiring_a_photogra.html Tuesday Tips Tue, 26 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0500 Have you ever played the CVS/pharmacy game? The one where you go in and get $30 or $40 worth of toothpaste and diapers for free? Bloggers write about this all the time. They do show and tell, posting pictures of all the stuff they got for free. They even get some press, like Chrissy Thompson in Atlanta, who got $140 worth of CVS/pharmacy stuff for under $10. The NBC station there did a story on her in May and the reporter told me it was one of the most popular segments of the year. Erin Gifford, an Ashburn resident, also did this recently on a smaller scale. She proudly displayed the $30 worth of loot she picked up at CVS/pharmacy for nothing in a blog post titled, "I hit the CVS Jackpot Today!" She paid nothing for stuff like children's medicine, toothpaste and soap using a system of coupons and http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/08/going_for_the_cvs_jackpot.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/08/going_for_the_cvs_jackpot.html General Interest Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0500 How many times have you stuffed an unwanted item in the back of a closet? Eventually those little rooms in our houses start busting at the seams and next thing you know, a simple outdoor excursion that requires a coat turns into a heap of stuff on the floor. So here are a few tips for updating closets without spending a ton of money: Tip #1: Tackle one closet at a time and take everything out. Sort through things and throw out or give away what you haven't used or will never use in the future. A great exercise I read about in Real Simple magazine involved taking out all the clothes in your closet that you haven't worn in awhile and trying them all on. The stuff that doesn't fit anymore gets donated and the rest stays. Tip #2: Figure out how you're going to use the closet space. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/08/tuesday_tips_updating_closets.html http://voices.washingtonpost.com/shoptoit/2008/08/tuesday_tips_updating_closets.html Tuesday Tips Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:00:00 -0500