NJ Best Buys Daily Deals

Good labor policies

It’s time to pack away the white shoes and belts and time to  take advantage of these five promo codes from PromoCodes.us to reinvigorate your closet and life.

Sears – Take $5 off orders of $50 or more with promo code SCHOOLFUN.

Target – Get $5 off orders of $50 or more.

Finish Line – Get $20 off orders of $125 or more with promo code GAN2011.

Old Navy – Free shipping on orders of $50 or more.

Kohl’s – Get 15% off your order with promo code THANKU15AF (valid Sept. 2 to 4).

and…

Here are six ways to maximize your savings on Labor Day, courtesy of Andrea Woroch,   consumer and money-saving expert:

1. Do Your Due Diligence
Find out the average price of your coveted purchase before Labor Day, using sites like Pricespider.com. This will keep you from being fooled by false promotions, and help you identify the best sale price.

2. Shop in Your PJs
Labor Day triggers the holiday shopping madness that continues into the New Year. Let the masses scurry about the stores and highways while you casually shop multiple online stores in the comfort of your own home. Not only will your blood pressure thank you, but you’ll realize savings in fuel, too.

3. Save More
In addition to Labor Day price reductions, be sure to find online coupons for more savings. Shipping should also be free or greatly reduced; merchants like Lands’ End and JCPenney typically offer free shipping codes during this high-volume weekend.

4. Negotiate
Major sale events represent an excellent opportunity to hone your haggling skills, especially on big items like televisions and appliances. Compare prices between various competitors and ask retailers if they can meet or beat your preferred price. Not comfortable with bartering? Check out this article on ConsumerReports.org for tips on making the negotiating practice work for you.

5. Socialize
Before hitting a store’s sale rack or browsing Labor Day deals online, remember to follow or “like” the retailer or brand on Facebook and/orTwitter to find exclusive coupon codes and promotional offers. It pays to join these social media networks.

6. Use Tunnel Vision Knowing what you want before Labor Day is easy; sticking to just that in the heat of the moment can be challenging. Be strong. Whenever you find yourself straying from the main purchase, gently remind yourself to “stay focused” and move on.

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A close shave

 The hottest trend amongst consumers today is the desire to have everything delivered to their doorstep;  where there is demand, there is delivery.

Like The Dollar Shave Club, a new e-commerce venture created for every man who shaves.  The Dollar Shave Club is the first of its kind, offering a monthly subscription program for shavers:  For as low as $1 a month (plus postage), they’ll send you five of original “Ninja” razor cartridges – and the compatible stick – right to your door.

“We started the company because we were tired of spending $20 a month on razor blades,” explains Michael Dubin, Founder of Dollar Shave Club. “Razor cartridges have gotten so complicated.  Who needs their razor to light up, vibrate, or squirt shaving cream? We just need a good shave and mostly, we need to remember to buy blades.”

The two most common complaints by men who shave: they never have a fresh razor blade when they need one and most blades that fit into today’s fancy razors are overpriced.   As such, the goals of the Dollar Shave Club are convenience and affordability – without sacrificing quality.

The Ninja Blade has everything a razor should: stainless steel twin blades, an Aloe Vera lubricating strip, a pivot head, and the Ninja Blades are compatible with all Gillette SensorÒ Sticks.

Joining the club is easy.  Simply enter the site www.dollarshaveclub.com, select the blade, choose your plan and checkout. Plans come in 2-Year ($24), 1-Year ($18), 6-Month ($10.74), and there is even a pay-as-you-go plan ($1.99) for the commitment-phobic shaver.  There’s a one-time only membership fee of $9.99, and you can cancel anytime.

“Gone are the days of showing up to work looking like you slept in a motel because you forgot to buy blades, borrowing your girlfriend’s razor, and spending hundreds of dollars a year on razor blades,” continues Dubin.  Join the club at  www.dollarshaveclub.com

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Locator, Locator, Locator

Back to school shopping is in full swing;  SaleLocator (http://salelocator.com), a shopping and sales search engine and mobile app, offers parents tips for stretching their budget this school year:

1) Get organized – Make a master school supplies and clothing list and cross check with an inventory of what you already have to best plan your shopping destinations.

2) Use online resources – Search in-store sales before you shop to compare big box vs. specialty stores for the best deals.

3) Comparison shop – Search SaleLocator and other shopping sites for sales on name brands like Crayola, Sharpie, Levi’s, Jansport etc. to find the best bargains. Prioritize which items are worth the premium.

4) Choose timing wisely – Shop off hours and at least one week before school starts to avoid crowds – you won’t be as likely to grab items you don’t need.

5) Stock up for next year – This is the time summer clearance sales really kick in so stock up on clothing and shoes for next spring and summer.

“Back to school shopping is one of the biggest sales seasons of the year and a time when consumers can easily overspend. It is also unique in that many purchases are still made at brick and mortar locations,” said Michael Falkson, co-founder and CEO of SaleLocator.  “With a still tenuous economy we want to help shoppers make the most of their back to school budgets by organizing what’s on sale in typical back to school retail hubs like Wal-Mart, Target, Office Depot, Staples and more.”

Shoppers can search SaleLocator for local brick-and-mortar retail sales by keyword, location and through categories including Clothing and Apparel, Office, Computer and Software, Shoes and Footwear and more. Also available as an iPhone or Android app, SaleLocator lists on average more than 275,000 local in-store sales each day from nearly 1,000 retailers, drugstores and grocers. 

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Once upon a mattress

 www.Create-A-Mattress.com offers the best prices year ‘round on mattresses, pillows and more.  For Labor Day, Create-A-Mattress is offering 2 FREE visco pillows with any memory foam mattress purchase ($130 value) or $150 off orders over $999.

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Gilt-y as charged (and Office Depot too!)

And those in-store penny saver deals keep coming from Office Depot!

This week’s deals include:

• Fiskars Student Scissor (1 dollar)
• Mechanical Pencil (1 dollar)
• 2PK Paper Towel (1 dollar)
• Slider Pencil Box (1 cent)

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WSJ Magazine’s September Fall Fashion issue is online now and has hit the newsstands  in the Journal’s weekend paper. The issue is the magazine’s biggest issue to date and includes:

·       Actress Rachel Weisz, who cuts an alluring figure on the cover – with exclusive online photos;

 ·       Marc Jacobs and his partner, Robert Duffy who spill on their business partnership, couture, and their longstanding friendship;

·       Jil Sander designer Raf Simons shows who offers a rare peek inside his Antwerp home;

·       The Battle for Hermes, an investigative look at the powerhouse fashion label and its battle with LVMH’s Bernard Arnault;

·       An interview with the elusive and enigmatic Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garçons.

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By the Sea

It’s not too late to drink in that good sea air..well, figuratively speaking: The “Mare-Mer-Seashore” exhibition is still on display at our favorite gallery, Bernardsville’s Design Domaine  Gallery, at 67 Mine Brook Road. Lose yourself in the waves of your favorite beach, with your favorite sunset, your favorite family moment, walking along the seashore or just taking a swim.

Featured artists  include James McGinley, Marcel Favreau, Arville Pustrom-Uus, F. Lisa Hannick, Tung Lee, Chris Coyne, Ken Ahlering, Doreen Tighe, John Reilly, Gordon Haas, Jean Lochet, Jill Olivito, Frank Cannas, Lorraine Robertson,Ramona Dooley, Laurie Harden, Edward Sprafkin, Hon Eng, Tony Lasalle, Patrick Antonelle and others.

AND FOR SATURDAY AUGUST 27:

Saturday August 27, 11AM-PM, the Randolph Animal Pound  holds a Special Pet Adoption at Pet Valu, 84 E. Main Street in Mendham.

Suzy Mae and Seth Max are just 2 of the kittens that will be at our adoption events (this brother and sister pair were bottle fed and are as sweet and loving as can be.)

Mark and Sissy – two kittens in foster care – super sweet, love to sleep with their foster mommy.

And Booda – a 15 year old Pekingese whose owner died.  (Booda has a great disposition.  Loves to ride in the car, gets along great with other dogs and cats.  Never barks or makes a mess in the house.)

For more information (and to see if any hurricane impact on this event) contact Claudine at 973-886-1485, Doggie54@optonline.net

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Borders-line

In the wake of Borders recent closing announcement,  Andrea Woroch, consumer and money-saving expert for Kinoli Inc. , offers advice for shoppers holding gift cards for this and other shops going out of business:

1. Move Fast
Store liquidations usually begin rapidly so it’s often best to use up gift cards online, rather than wait until you have time to visit a retail store. Borders liquidation website says all 399 remaining stores will close by September, but they may start writing the final chapter on your local store much earlier.

2. Research the Bankruptcy Status
Borders was refused bankruptcy, meaning they had no choice but to liquidate. Other retailers, however, filed for bankruptcy and turned things around. Sometimes a company that’s filed for Chapter 11 is allowed by the bankruptcy court to honor its gift cards.

3. Consider the Company’s Stability
If you hear tales of other merchants threatening to close shop, research their financial stability via such sites as BBB.com and Forbes Risk List. Also, ScripSmart.com regularly updates its list of “Gift Cards to Avoid.”

4. Use It or Sell It
If you’ve received a gift card for a merchant you wouldn’t frequent, don’t wait until a store goes out of business. You can exchange gift cards for cash right now on such sites as GiftCardGranny.com and receive up to 95 percent of the card’s value in cash.

5. Use a Credit Card
If you’re concerned about a retailer’s financial stability but still want to buy a gift card, do so using a credit instead of a debit card. You can then ask the card issuer to withhold payment until you’re sure of the merchant’s status.

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Tumble wheee!

Kangaroo Kidz has just announced its fall 2011 schedule—an exciting roster of classes like Mommy and Me, Boyz Only, Let’s Tumble, private lessons, open gym and more! In fact, the new classes include back handspring, back tuck front handspring, front tuck class and Girlfriendz (an exercise class for girlz only). Visit their website to catch all the info: www.kangarookidz.com

Fall 2011 session starts September 7. You can register for classes by phone, online or by mail. At 80 Morristown Road, Bernardsville; 908-766-0300.

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Supplies in demand

Office Depot continues to offer those great in-store penny saver deals  just when it’s time to start shopping for school supplies. The deals for this week include:

• 1 subject note books (1 cent)
• Scholastic glue sticks (50 cents)
• Ream of paper (50 Cents) After MIR
• Vinyl binder (50 cents)
• Purell (50 cents)
• 3pk High Lighter (50 cents)
• Office Depot Eraser Caps (1 cent)

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