Mrs. Mecomber’s Scrapbook

Looking for used stuff? Used to be, we had to wait for summertime garage sales to hunt for great deals on used items, Not any more! The Internet never ceases to amaze me! Check out UsedPrices.com for a great selection of used stuff at fair market value. The website is very well-organized. Find guns, electronics, appliances, cameras, musical instruments, vintage music, power tools, and more! I’m very impressed with the site. They also have price guides and equipment calculators. They’ve joined with Orion Bluebook to expand their selection. Frugal Hacks, you have GOT to check out this site! It’s like an online garage sale. You can also sign up to register, and list things yourself. Go to the UsedPrices.com FAQ section for more information.

Need new eyeglasses? It’s easy to buy them online! Check out zennioptical.com. We’ve ordered from them and have been pleased with their incredible low costs and great quality. There are a ton of frames to choose from, including the most popular styles available today.

Zenni Optical eliminates the middle man, so you save. You will need to know your prescription when ordering (get the stats from your optometrist’s office). You may need to adjust the glasses to fit your face when they arrive, too. My husband was able to do this easily with a set of jeweler’s screwdrivers (the tiny screwdrivers that you can find at any Dollar Store or department store). We’re impressed with Zenni Optical. We saved about $125 dollars by ordering from them!

I’m a simple lady. I like things.. well, simple! No bells, no whistles, no fancy packaging. It is really difficult to find a cell phone these days– there are far too many and there are too many choices! Right now I have a meager Tracfone. I’m not crazy about the service, and am looking for a replacement. I just don’t want a billion little buttons and additions to service. I prefer the KISS method.*

It would be obvious that I need something like a “cell phone” checker, or a cell phone comparing website. I have too many other things going on around here to know all that there is to know about everything concerning cell phones! Well, guess what? I found one! It’s bestincellphones.com. They have a complete listing of all the cell phone companies and their services, including but not limited to:

AT&T
T-Mobile
Sprint
Verizon Wireless
Sprint Instinct

You can shop by brand (all the major companies are there), service (family plans, etc), features (Including Bluetooth, camera phones, flip phones), and more. I also saw a great offer for a free cell phone with bonus Bluetooth Headsets while supplies last. The site is pretty cool. It’s organized extremely well and I’ve been finding it easy to figure out my choices. The deals are great with all their numerous offers for free phones, free RAZR deals, headsets, and free ringtones. Check them out!

And remember, always read the small print when entering a contract. Also, be sure to check out a company’s website and contact information, and make sure you are dealing with a reputable company. You don’t save any money by being careless!

* if you have never heard of it, the KISS method is Keep It Simple, Silly. LOL!

Need some electronic gadgets? I have this thing about computer mouses (or mice, or whatever you call them). I go through them at phenomenal rates. I need a new one every six months or so! Crazy! I work at my computer, so that’s why.

In my opinion, Buy.com is THE primo place to go for the best buy anywhere. They have a weekly specials page now, and I have found computer mouses (mice, whatEVER!) for $10! Brand new! They have a lot of other stuff. Check them out if you are so inclined.

I never thought in a million years that buying eyeglasses could be done via the Internet. Surprisingly, it turned out to be the best thing found: Zenni Optical. My husband got a pair a few months ago, and they are the best pair of glasses he’s ever bought. After seeing the prices at the local eyeglasses stores ($125 and up), he gulped. He took the leap after making a great discovery: Zenni Optical!

He got these kinds of frames (in the color gray).

Guess how much these frames cost him?

Eight bucks! Yep, the Zenni Optical $8 Rx Glasses special. There are more expensive models (some are $20). Hubs got bifocals, too. When I have to get a new pair, I’m trying them out. Can’t go wrong with $8 frames!

It was only a few months ago. Remember it? All those hot deals promised to us, screamed at us, bombarding us every day on the television, newspapers, and on the Internet? How did it go for you?

For me, it went… ok. I did actually line up at 4am! I was trying to nab a dirt-cheap Acer laptop. I never did get it. I will never do that again– the temperature was near zero and we waited over an hour only to have all the worthwhile stuff sold out in 15 minutes. (There was no limit to purchases, so the college kids who had camped out all night bought up all the laptops). Grrrrr. What a waste. I needed a new laptop, because my old HP was near death, and since I work from my computer (like, all day), I had to have a new one.

However, the good news is that I did nab a dirt-cheap laptop online at Office Depot! This, thanks to some great Thanksgiving deals I found at Black Friday.info, online. And all from the comfort of my very own (warm) home! I just *happened* to see a deep discount price, and got it! Woo! It was perfect timing, because things were selling very quickly. (If you are interested in deals for next year, sign up for their email alerts– that’s what I am going to do). It’s a good site to bookmark for all year ’round. For your future reference, I’ve included it in my “Shopping” widget in the sidebar.

I’ve been scouring local retail stores and the Internet, looking for software deals. My daughter received a “pre-owned” laptop as an early graduation gift, but it needs reformatting something fierce. Unfortunately, the Windows OS disks did not come with the laptop. Before I will allow her to connect the laptop to our network and the Internet, the machine must be reformatted. I was looking around online for prices on Windows XP (which we decided she would use), and was appalled at the cost of the operating system! I was so, so tempted to just install Ubuntu (which is free)! But for my daughter’s sake, I can’t; a lot of her programs wouldn’t work and she is accustomed to XP. Retail stores still had this seven-year OS for $200! My eyeballs were a-popping! I surfed around eBay, and prices were lower… but to be honest, I’m not terribly keen on eBay, especially when it comes to electronics and software. You just can’t be sure that it’s the real thing until you buy it. Too risky for this cautious shopper.

I have been using online “retail” stores (like Tiger Direct, Overstock, Amazon), and even with shipping costs, these stores still win, hands down. I have had good experience with them. However, if you are shopping online, be sure to check for coupons and promo codes first! This is a must. My sidebar has a list of good shopping links, so check them out. I have yet to add Coupon Chief, my new favorite coupon store. I think they have every store on the planet, even have Bluefly coupons for the intense shopping fans, and even Home Depot coupons, lol!

I have found online stores to offer better deals. If you are looking for even better discounts, always check for coupons and promo codes. Check my “Shopping” sidebar for my favorite stores and links.

Update: Coupon Chief link added. Check out the links if you shop online. As I discover more discount sites, I’ll add them. Look in the sidebar for the dropdown menu “Shopping.”