Bargain Brag: Mini Haul-Target, 89 Cents Direct, Dollar Tree

 Hello everyone!  Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.  Here are a few bargains I scored while out shopping today...

 I got these pink and black washed Mossimo jeans at Target.  They were only $6.88!  The great part is they are an "ankle" cut with a 29" inseam.  I'm loving the ankle styles that are all over because as a shorty, it means that I can actually find jeans with trendy washes and other embellishments that are a wearable length for me.  I like the fun color and the stud detail of this pair.  I really wish these weren't low-rise, but with the good length and great price I surely can't complain! 
   

My sister has been looking to buy some under eye cream, and she actually spotted this deal.  This Target-exclusive set contains RoC eye cream and Neutrogena mascara.  It was on clearance for $11.48, but my sister found the exact same RoC eye lotion, same size and all, selling by itself for $20 just an aisle away!  

I've never tried Roc, but my sister said she's heard good things about the brand, so I thought I would give it a try.

I've also never used Neutrogena masacara.  So, this set was a great way to try both of these out at a bargain price.

I believe in the power of massage as a way to encourage circulation, and discourage weight gain and water retention.  I picked up these little massagers for $1 each at Dollar Tree.

I grabbed this 4 pack of colorful mesh bath poufs at 89 Cents Direct for only 89 cents. 

This earring set was an unbeatable bargain...just 89 Cents at 89 Cents Direct!  Twelve pairs of colorful faux pearl earrings for less than a dollar!  OMG-I love this store!!! Although I regularly wear simple earrings like these, I really bought these more for the nice plastic stand.  I plan to take the pearls off and use it to display my favorite stud earrings.

This neon green friendship-style bracelet from 89 Cents Direct features a blingy Hamsa hand.  I think this will go great with festival-style summer looks. 

This darling pearl bracelet from 89 Cents Direct is trimmed with a silver mesh bow. This will be perfect for demure Asian-inspired spring time looks with lots of lace, peachy neutrals, and tan accessories.

So, what beauty or fashion bargains have you picked up lately? 

Christmas Decor on a Budget

Low Cost Holiday Decorating Ideas

This is my first year in a new apartment.  I was so excited to finally create my very own Christmas decor from scratch!  I wanted to make my place feel festive, without spending a fortune.  So, I thought I'd show you how I made it a very Merry Christmas for my home and my wallet.  

This is the only item I did not buy this year.  I bought this adorable ten-inch tree and its trimmings in a craft store when I was 15.  It has been a part of my holidays ever since. 

This poinsettia garland from Dollar Tree was only $1, and adds a pretty touch to my front door.

I added 3 of these glittery snowflake window clings to each of the mirrors in my entryway. They proved difficult to photograph, but in person, they add a subtle holiday sparkle to the mirrors that are a regular fixture in my living room. I got the entire pack of 9 for just 89 cents at 89 Cents Direct.

This mosaic glass vase is also part of my everyday decor.  I added a touch of Christmas with these red velvet poinsettias from Dollar Tree.  

My sister collects nutcrackers.  She has all shapes and sizes.  This little guy is her newest addition. (Dollar Tree-$1)

I created this shiny centerpiece for my coffee table with a glass vase and ornaments from Dollar Tree.  It cost a total of $2 to make.  If you have extra glass vases or bowls and extra Christmas balls, this is also a great way to re-purpose items you already own!  

I plan to use this vase to store nail polish after the holidays are over.   

This 6ft artificial tree pre-lit with clear lights was only $35 at Family Dollar, but there was also an extra 25% off when I bought it, making my tree only about $27!  

The tree trim is almost exclusively from Dollar Tree.  I also got a pack of 6 disco ball style ornaments from 89 Cents Direct. 

This glittery gold filigree star tree-topper compliments my tree perfectly. Can you believe it? I found it at Dollar Tree for only $1 as well!   

I bought various packs of Christmas balls, 2 five-packs of glitter bows in red and gold, and four strings of poinsettia garland.  In total I spent about $15 on all the tree trimmings! (That includes topper and skirt.) 

My sister and I really wanted to add the trendy ribbon trim we have seen around.  I found this gold with poinsettia wire-trimmed ribbon for 50 cents a roll at Dollar Tree!  We used 2 rolls, and only spent $1!  

Dollar Tree was by far the best place I found for low priced ornaments.  While shopping for Christmas tree items, I visited Target, Kmart, and Walmart.  The prices were much higher than Dollar Tree for the same and similar items! This is true even with those large boxes of Christmas balls that they sell.  Because you are buying a lot, I expected them to be cheaper than the five and ten packs from Dollar Tree, but when you do the math, that is simply not the case. 

The only bad thing about shopping for Christmas decor at Dollar Tree is that there is less choice as far as color and styles.  I had a red and gold color scheme in mind for my tree, and luckily, they had many items in these very traditional colors.  If you were looking to do an unconventionally-colored tree, you might not find what you needed in Dollar Tree.  Also, I stuck to classic balls and ornaments that came five to fifteen per pack.  If you want the larger or more stand-out ornaments, or you have a very full tree, you will pay more.  

Even the tree skirt is from Dollar Tree!!!   

I bought this nutcracker for my sister for $2 at Walmart. 

My holiday decor definitely gives my modern-styled apartment Christmas spirit and a more homey feel.  And I'm proud of the fact that the price for all of it was around $50.  Now, I have more money to spend on Christmas gifts!  

Merry Christmas to all my readers who celebrate.  Have you bought any new Christmas decor this year? What trends and colors do prefer?  Do you go for bargains, DIY, or high-end Christmas style?   

Diary of a Cheapo- Freebies!

For the past two years I have been buying Christmas wrap at the after Christmas sale at "Dollar Tree" which is a store where all items are only one dollar.  Once Christmas is over, all the Christmas stuff is 50% off...in other words 50 cents! I stock up on rolls of gift wrap, gift bags, boxes, gift tags, tissue, ribbon, etc.  Then I pack it away for the next year.  I enjoy wrapping gifts beautifully, but I prefer to get the same pretty results while spending more money on gifts, and less on wrapping paper that will end up in the trash anyway.

While I was racking up on my Christmas items for next year, I noticed that the dollar store actually had cough drops that I had a $1.00 off coupon for, meaning that they were free with the coupon!  I have been getting lots of free samples lately, and the companies often send coupons along with the sample.  So, Cepacol sent me a free sample of cough drops, and a coupon that ended up getting me a free full-size pack of the cough drops! How great is that? I'd much rather spend my money on pretty clothes or makeup than waste it on cough drops when I'm sick.

Then, yesterday I opened the door and saw a package with my name on it.  Since I wasn't waiting on any order, I was so curious what it could be.  It turned out to be a full-sized pack of Simple facial wipes courtesy of Glamour Magazine.  According to the card, they sent it because I had used their Facebook app. Wow, what an awesome unexpected gift! I might do a review of these when I try them, so stay tuned.

Bargain Brag- Extreme Couponing?

I love a good bargain! It seems logical that I would be a big coupon-user, but surprisingly, I NEVER use coupons!  They just seem like such a hassle.  I've watched the TV show "Extreme Couponing" and been amazed by the savings the participants got.  Those cases are extreme, though, and those people spend all their time thinking of coupons.  I can imagine a million things I'd rather do than clip and organize coupons. It just seems pointless to do all that work just to save a few cents. I have never had the patience for it.  

But when I visited my dentist for my check-up last week, she gave me a few sets of coupons for Colgate products.  They were for 50 cents off of Colgate toothbrushes and toothpaste, and $1.00 off of Colgate Total toothpaste.  I immediately thought of the fact that they carry Colgate at the Dollar Tree, which is a store where all items are only one dollar.  

I headed over there to rack up on some 50 cent oral hygiene products.  The best part was, they actually had a small size of Colgate Total, which is not something they normally carry.  Since I had three $1 dollar off coupons for Total I snagged three tubes for free!!! AWESOME.  

This whole haul of items cost me only $1.50.  

So, will I become an extreme couponer? I doubt it... but it was pretty cool getting such a good deal!

       
So, do you love or hate coupons? Have you gotten any good coupon deals lately?

Outfit of the Day

It's Christmas time in the city....

So today I'll just be doing a little shopping, and maybe grab something to eat when we are done.  The weather is unseasonably warm, so I'll just throw my leather bomber on top of this outfit.

Xmas Time in the City by artaslife featuring skinny leg pants

Oh and speaking of Christmas, I'm not a huge card-giver but I always like to have some on hand.  So, I was excited when I found these cards at 89 Cents Direct! Each box was only 89 cents and has 15 cards, one larger style and two smaller styles (five each).  They are from Rite-aid, and the original price marked on the box is $9.99, meaning I saved $9.10!!!  

These are a shiny red foil design.

These have glitter accents.

These have shiny foil accents on the lettering.

Philly Bargains- 89 Cents Direct

Today I got one compliment after another on my earrings, which made me smile. Little did my friends know, I got them for only 89 cents! That's right, 89 CENTS! So, it inspired me to spread the word about one of my favorite places to hunt bargains, 89 Cents Direct, right here in Philadelphia.

89 Cents Direct is a store that sells inexpensive products imported from China.  They carry just about any type of item you can imagine, and everything is 89 Cents. Unlike DollarTree, you are not going to find much in the way of brand name merchandise at 89 Cents Direct.  However, what I like about the store is that they have a unique selection of products.  Some of the types of products they sell:

• Seasonal Merchandise- Decorations, holiday themed paper plates, Halloween bags, Costumes, Thanksgiving table decorations, Christmas Wrap
• Greeting Cards
• Party Goods
• Helium Balloons  
• Toys
• Food
• Housewares- Dishes, glasses, chopsticks, plastic containers
• Household Items- Cleaning supplies, gloves, aprons, home improvement
• Gift Items-picture frames, vases, knick knacks
• Clothing Items- Caps, bras, flip flops, scarves, hosiery
• Stationary- Stickers, books, coloring books, notebooks, pens, pencils, art supplies
• Hair Products- Shampoo, Styling Products, hair accessories for women and girls
• Personal Care- Soap, deodorant, makeup
• Jewelry- Earrings, rings, bracelets, necklaces, occasionally anklets, toe rings or body jewelry 

89 Cents Direct is located on Roosevelt Boulevard in North East Philadelphia.  It is in the shopping center nearby Target, so I usually check it out whenever I make a trip to Target.  There is also a DollarTree store, ShopRite, and Sally Beauty Supply in the same strip mall.  Because I only search for certain types of items, the 89 Cents store is hit or miss, so I like to stop in when I have another reason to visit the shopping center. 

What do I buy there? 

I stick to the accessories, because they have a fun assortment and it is sooo cheap! 

I especially love the jewelry.  For 89 cents, it is not high quality, of course, but I enjoy wearing fashion costume jewelry.  I just want something cute, trendy, and now, it doesn't need to last. I have seen some of the very same pieces that 89 Cents Direct carries for sale in juniors stores for much higher prices.  So the quality is not necessarily poorer than other retailers. They sell cards of stud earrings containing 9 pairs for 89 cents! That's only ten cents a pair!  Often, they carry large zirconia studs, so I always grab them when I see them.  Last summer, when arms full of bracelets were so hot, I got some really cute ones at 89 Cents Direct. I also got a few really nice long necklaces. I don't use hair accessories too much, but they sometimes have some pretty ones.  Also, I occasionally buy their stationary supplies such as envelopes, stickers, etc.

This is the store.

It is located at 11000 Roosevelt Blvd back in the corner under the World Gym sign.

Here are a few of the items I purchased there.

These are the earrings that many of my friends liked today. They are little silver tone pearl encrusted bows, about as wide as a dime, with a few rhinestones in the center.

  

My long silver owl necklace. I got him quite awhile ago, but I still love him!

A book of Hello Kitty stickers.

 This is a fleece Burberry-esque scarf.  Can't beat that for 89 cents!

A cute little plastic comb and mirror set.

The comb pulls out and it opens to a mirror....and these random Chinese ladies!!! Hahaha...I think its showing that you can add a picture in there but I left the Chinese ladies because they make me laugh.

This is another mirror compact. It opens to two mirrors inside. It has a cute little doll on the front.

She is one of those moving pictures, her eyes open and close. I saw this very same compact at Joyce Leslie for $3.99.

I hope you enjoyed my introduction to 89 Cents Direct. It is a place I visit regularly hoping to score some good and inexpensive things.  Check it out and see if you find anything!

Click here to visit 89 Cents Direct's Website. 

Do you have any fun shopping stops like this? Share the love, leave a comment below.