LilSugar

Mommy Alert! Sales

LilSugar — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 15:06:35 PST

If you haven't already spent a fortune on your children over the holidays, there are some great deals to be found right now.

Pottery Barn Kids is offering 30–65 percent on select, bedding, clothing, and more. Amazon has savings of up to 70 percent and Crazy 8 has up to 60 percent on cute clothes for the kids. Since no mom needs another trip to the mall, stay home and take advantage of these steals online!

Velour Hooded Towel ($15)

Disney Princess Tea Time With Me Little Belle ($18)

Velour Skirt ($5)

9 Popular Tax Breaks You Can No Longer Count on in 2012

Kiplinger — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:15:00 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

You’ll face a higher tax bill next spring if Congress doesn’t act to revive a series of tax breaks that expired Dec. 31, 2011. Among the breaks that Congress didn’t extend in all the Sturm und Drang over the payroll tax holiday are:

Alternative minimum tax patch

The AMT is a parallel tax system created more than 40 years ago to prevent excessive use of tax breaks by the very wealthy, ensuring they pay at least some tax. Taxpayers whose income exceeds the AMT exemption – in 2011, $48,450 for individuals and $74,450 for married couples filing jointly - must calculate both regular tax and AMT liability and pay the larger of the two amounts. But exemption levels have, at least tentatively, dropped to $33,750 for individuals and $45,000 for married couples filing jointly in 2012, which will expose 31 million taxpayers to the higher AMT this year, according to Tax Policy Center estimates.

Higher mass transportation benefit

This one's of particular interest to strap-hangers, van-riders, and other users of public transit. A 2009 federal stimulus provision raised the maximum an employee could receive for transit, tax-free, from $120 to $230. That matched the tax-free limit for parking. With the expiration of this break, the maximum for 2012 dropped to $125. Employees who’ve asked to have an amount higher than that withheld from their paycheck to cover their total commuting costs will see their net pay come down, as the difference is now taxed.

Read on for more.

Speakers That Can Go Anywhere: Turtle Shell by Outdoor Technology

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:10:46 PST

Taking your tunes with you wherever you roam is easy with an MP3 player and some solid headphones, but what if you're riding a bike, hanging at the lake with some friends, or camping? Enter the Turtle Shell by Outdoor Technology. This small speaker was made to hit the road (or trail) with you. The geometric-shaped speaker fits in the palm of your hand, is water-resistant, comes with a built-in microphone for connecting to your Bluetooth devices (like an iPhone perhaps), and even connects to a Gorillapod for clamping down on the nearest tree or a specialized rig to attach to the front end of your bike. A bike trail sing-along? I'll take it.

The Turtle Shell won't be out until May of this year, and Outdoor Technology also has some sweet wireless Bluetooth headphones with the same geometric flair going on sale in June, most likely through Urban Outfitters. See more of both products in the gallery!

Net-A-Porter's Designer Blowout - Shop the Best Deals on Holiday-Worthy Party Dresses

Chi Diem Chau — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:48:14 PST

It's easy to forget about yourself while you're busy shopping for friends and family. However, you don't want to end up with nothing to wear during the season of holiday and New Year's soirees. That said, we highly suggest you pop over to Net-A-Porter's gigantic sale happening now. The site just slashed additional markdowns up to 70 percent off designer goods from the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, Alexander Wang, Carven, and Lanvin, to name a few, and we found some pieces that would be perfect for your next party appearance. There are pages and pages of covetable goods to sift through, so we did the work for you and culled the best holiday-worthy dresses for you to shop. The holidays are nothing without a little bit of self-indulgence, right?

What Was the Most Frustrating Move by Companies in 2011?

Emily Co — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:22:01 PST

The year-end is approaching and what a whirlwind of controversial company moves consumers had to face this year! There was plenty of outrage as companies try to cut costs or implement unfavorable business practices. The latest example was retailers trying to cash in on the Black Friday craze and holding their sales on Thanksgiving itself, leaving lots of customers to face the choice of leaving dinner early just to be the first in line. Not to mention, the salespeople manning the stores were not happy campers as well.

From Netflix's pricier plans to the debit card usage fees that banks tried charging to customers - what were you frustrated the most by this year?

The Most-Overlooked Tax Deductions

Kiplinger — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:50:44 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

Every year, the IRS dutifully reports the most common blunders that taxpayers make on their returns. And every year, at or near the top of the “oops” list is forgetting to enter their Social Security number at the top of the tax form - or making a mistake when entering those nine digits.

But think about it for a minute: Do you think that’s the most common mistake . . . or simply the easiest to notice?

One thing we know for sure is that the opportunity to make mistakes is almost unlimited, and missed deductions can be the most costly. About 45 million of us itemize on our 1040s - claiming more than $1 trillion worth of deductions. That’s right: $1,000,000,000,000, a number rarely spoken out loud until Congress started tying itself up in knots trying to deal with the budget deficit and national debt.

Another 92 million taxpayers claim about $700 billion worth using standard deductions - and some of you who take the easy way out probably shortchange yourselves. (If you turned 65 in 2011, remember that you now deserve a bigger standard deduction than the younger folks.)

Yes, friends, tax time is a dangerous time. It’s all too easy to miss a trick and pay too much. Years ago, the fellow who ran the IRS at the time told Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine that he figured millions of taxpayers overpay their taxes every year by overlooking just one of the money-savers listed below

Six Steps For Balancing Work and Cyber Monday Sales

SavvySugar — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:26:38 PST

Usually it's tough to bounce back after a long weekend, but today is not your average Monday - it's Cyber Monday, the biggest online shopping day of the year. For those of you who steered clear of Black Friday, now is your chance to scoop up some gifts at a discount, without leaving your desk.

The brains behind Cyber Monday are no dummies and know that you'll be sitting in front of your computer all day, but you need to make sure shopping doesn't get in the way of completing your work. Here's a plan for balancing your Monday priorities.

5 Top Myths About Saving Money on Black Friday

Bundle — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 05:00:24 PST

We're thrilled to present this smart Bundle story here on Savvy!

As one of the most talked about shopping days of the year, it’s no wonder thousands and thousands of people wake up early and make the trek to their favorite department store in search of great deals. But, will it really save you a lot of money?

In a word, yes. But only if you’re properly prepared. Just as you can find great deals on Black Friday, you can also get sucked into deals that aren’t as great - and probably not worth the stress you’ll go through fighting the crowds.

Below, we’ve put together some of the top myths about saving money on Black Friday - and why you shouldn’t believe them.

Myth #1: All Of The Best Sales are In the Wee Hours of the Morning

While many times this is true, you can also find some pretty great deals late on Thanksgiving night or later in the day on Friday – without waking up early to stand in line with thousands of other shoppers. Check your local paper and it’s likely you’ll find some great deals that are happening later in the day.

Read on for more Black Friday myths.

Black Friday Shopping Tips

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 07:21:47 PST

Thanksgiving is next week, but is quickly followed by the biggest shopping day of the year: Black Friday. Whether you've got your eye on a big screen TV, a laptop, or a new smartphone, follow these tips that will help make your early morning shopping rush a breeze rather than a hailstorm of stress.

Make a list - Just because there's a sale doesn't mean you should buy. Make a list of the items you need and steer clear of those you don't. Black Friday may be great for a discount, but buying gadgets you don't need (or won't use) won't help your credit in the long run.
Plan it out - Before you set your alarm clock, scour all the ads to get an idea of what's on sale and compare prices. Once you've decided where to go for the best deals, map out all your stops for an efficient shopping route based on store hours. You can DIY, or use a site like FindTheBestRoute to cut down on planning time.
Check return policies - Many stores implement special holiday return policies on tech items and usually have year-round restocking fees for big-ticket items like TVs, DSLRs. Know and understand what you're getting into before you buy, so that if by chance you have to return it, you know what to expect.
Use one credit card - Designate one credit card for all of your Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping. Alert your credit provider ahead of time to let them know you'll be shopping up a storm next week, so you don't end up denied at the register. Not only will this help you from overspending (especially if you have a low limit), but it will help keep your risk of fraudulent charges at a minimum since you'll know exactly which credit bill to pull up if there's any questionable activity. Leave your debit cards in your wallet, too; they aren't as safe to use online since they feed directly from your checking account. If there are any disputes (depending on the bank), you might not get your money back right away.
Utilize apps while shopping - If you happen to find an item you weren't planning on buying, use the Amazon Price Checker app or ShopSavvy to compare prices and confirm you're getting the best deal possible.
Keep in contact - If you're shopping in teams (this is a competitive sport, isn't it?), use free apps like iMessage, Facebook Messenger, Google Voice, or Twitter (why not make your own family shopping hashtag to follow?) to keep tabs on each other's whereabouts without racking up the SMS fees.

Savvy Tip: Start Your Cyber Monday Shopping Now

Emily Co — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:35:35 PST

The word "Monday" in Cyber Monday makes you think all the best deals are on that specific day, right? Well, that's actually not the case this year. Retailers are being more aggressive with sales as evidenced by stores holding Black Friday sales on Thursday. Many are providing online discounts earlier than the designated Cyber Monday. SmartMoney says:

"As retailers push online sales more aggressively throughout Thanksgiving week and even earlier in the season, Cyber Monday may lose some of its luster. "Every day this holiday season is Cyber Monday," says Dworsky. Amazon, for example, opened its "Black Friday Deals" store Nov. 1, with offers such as 67% off the complete "Arrested Development" series on DVD and 83% off select high-end watches. That's not to say it isn't worth looking on Cyber Monday, says Mitchell - just don't wait until then to buy thinking you'll get a better price."

You may still find good deals on Cyber Monday, but if you spot some great discounts before then, try not to hold out on buying the items. Keep in mind that the product may also run out of stock by the time you decide to buy it. Of course, make sure you're not buying on impulse and it's something that you need that you've been keeping an eye out for.