The Chronic Consumer

I usually don’t buy movie DVDs because there are very few films that I actually want to watch over and over again. Legally Blonde, the 2001 smash hit comedy starring Reese Witherspoon, fits this description. Yeah, it will never be mistaken for an Oscar contender, but I thought Witherspoon was awesome in her role as Elle Woods, and the script holds up even after repeated viewings.

Even though I liked Legally Blonde from the first time I saw it in theaters, I didn’t buy the DVD until a couple months ago. That’s when I learned about a campaign by MGM called DVDs For the Cure. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and during that month, MGM and Fox released special edition DVDs of some of their most popular “chick flick” titles.

For every DVD purchased during that time, MGM and Fox donated $.50 to the Susan G. Komen For The Cure organization. I liked that idea, and thought that would be a great way to get one of my favorite films on DVD and help out a worthy cause at the same time.

When I got the DVD, however, I was a bit disappointed to note that the only thing designating this version as one of the “Think Pink” special editions was a pink cardboard slipcover. Oh, I take that back: there’s also a thin pink line across the top of the DVD jewel case cover; otherwise everything looks exactly like the regular Legally Blonde DVDs you can get anywhere else.

There are just three extra features on this DVD: a Trivia Track that flashes little tidbits of information on the screen as the movie is playing (such as famous blondes, filming locations, actor bios, etc.); an audio commentary featuring Reese Witherspoon, director Robert Luketic, and producer Marc Platt; and another audio commentary featuring the screenwriters.

With this being a comedy and all, I figured there would be a bonus track of outtakes or bloopers, but I guess not. Bummer.

I paid $11.98 for this DVD at the Fox Store, and am happy that I got to help out a good cause. And of course I’ve got one of my favorite movies on DVD to boot, so that’s a pretty good deal all the way around!

As someone who shops a lot, I’ve grown to appreciate the importance of using coupons and discount codes whenever possible. At first, I didn’t bother hunting down extra discounts because I figured something like 10% or free shipping just wasn’t worth the trouble. But now I realize that every little bit helps, so I never purchase anything without checking for coupons first.

One of my favorite websites for coupon codes is eDealFinder.com. I love how easy it is to search for relevant coupons on the site, either by category or by a specific store name. Moreover, I like the fact that the discount codes at eDealFinder.com actually work, so I know that each visit to the site will be worth my time. There’s nothing more frustrating to an eager shopper than to come across a list of expired or unverified coupons!

I’ve discovered that eDealFinder.com is a great place to go for Kohl’s coupons & discounts. I love shopping at Kohl’s because they have low prices to begin with, and the extra discount codes that I get at eDealFinder.com allow me to score some incredible bargains.

For example, right now there’s a new Kohl's coupon for 15% off, so when I combine that with the 60-80% clearance sale going on at the store right now, I can end up saving up to 95% on selected items! You can’t beat that!

So if you want to save even more money on all your purchases this holiday season, I recommend checking out the coupons and discount codes available at eDealFinder.com. Remember, all these savings add up and can really help stretch your budget!

My preschool-aged son was having trouble identifying the ABCs, so I thought it would be helpful to buy him a toy that would make learning the letters more fun. He can say or sing the ABCs with no problem, but actually reading the letters is a different story.

I first tried giving him wooden blocks with letters on the sides or ABC magnets for the refrigerator, but he didn’t play with those for very long. What can I say, kids these days need their toys to light up, flash, and talk to them or they’re just not interested! So I ended up buying a product called the Winnie the Pooh Light-Up Alphabet Log from a discount toy website for about $20.

The Light-Up Alphabet Log (pictured above, click to enlarge) basically consists of buttons featuring the letters A-Z, as well as a song button so kids can sing the alphabet song with Winnie. All the buttons have both uppercase and lowercase letters (Aa, Bb, Cc, etc.) and pictures to reinforce the phonetic sounds that the letters make (apple, boat, cap, etc.). When you push a button, Winnie’s voice kicks in to say the letter and the word that corresponds to the picture.

Kids can choose from four different activities on the Alphabet Log: Learn Letter & Sound (just pushing random buttons and having Winnie say the letters); Can You Find It (Winnie calls out a letter and the child has to push the right button); Before & After (“Press the letter that comes before ‘L’”); and the Memory Challenge (kids build up a sequence of letter buttons to press).

My son definitely likes this toy a lot better than any of the other alphabet-related items that I’ve purchased for him in the past, so that’s a step in the right direction. He has been playing with this toy every day ever since I bought it, and his letter identification skills actually have improved a great deal in that time. He now has a majority of the letters down pat, and I’m sure he’ll learn the rest in due time.

Overall, I’m pleased with the Winnie the Pooh Light-Up Alphabet Log. It’s a little loud for my tastes, but as long as my son likes it and is learning his letters, then I can’t complain too much! This product is manufactured by VTech Toys, and can be purchased from Cheapees.com.

With this being the holiday season, I’m sure a lot of you are thinking about buying some nice jewelry for that special person in your life. This is a great time to do it, of course, as most jewelers are currently offering tremendous discounts on everything from engagement rings to diamond pendants, earrings, and bracelets.

Because of all these sales and discounts, I encourage you to do a lot of comparison shopping at this time. It’s extra work for sure, but you can end up saving hundreds of dollars in the process, which would be worth it (at least for me). Better yet, instead of shopping at bricks-and-mortar stores for your jewelry, why not shop online? It’s much easier and faster to do comparisons that way, plus you’re bound to get even better deals from online retailers anyway.

Hmm, maybe I should email this post to my husband as a not-so-subtle hint about what to buy me for Christmas this year!

I received an email notice of a special offer from ESPN the Magazine. From now until December 31, you can get two subscriptions for the price of one. This is perfect for those of you who’d like to keep a subscription for yourself and give one as a gift to someone on your holiday list.

The two subscriptions will cost you $26 for 26 issues — or, just $.50 per issue. You can also purchase additional gift subscriptions for $13 each. And remember, purchasing a subscription to the magazine gets you automatic access to ESPN Insider on the ESPN.com website. Those two things together make the price of the subscription an even better value.

I’ve been a subscriber to ESPN the Magazine for two years now, and am extremely satisfied with the product. Check it out if you’re stuck for gift ideas!

I don’t wear makeup very much at all. I only use it when I put in office days for my part-time consulting gig (about once a week) or when I go out with my husband or girlfriends (4-5 times per month). I do not bother with makeup if I’m just running errands or going to the mall by myself, so there could be a string of several days in a row when I don’t use any of these products at all.

But when I do get all gussied up, I’m sure to apply the finishing touches to my overall look with Clinique’s Almost Lipstick. This is a product that is marketed as a cross between lipstick and lip gloss, and that’s precisely how it looks. It’s neither too heavy nor too shiny, which is exactly what I want.

My favorite color is Black Honey — one of the most popular shades in the almost lipstick line. Black Honey looks incredibly dark in the tube, so when I first saw it at the makeup counter in Marshall Field’s a couple of years ago, I was hesitant to even try it. I go for a minimalist look, and didn’t think this shade would complement the rest of my makeup very well. But the Clinique rep assured me that the color would be nowhere near as dark when it was actually on my lips, so I agreed to test it.

Well, the rep was right! Black Honey doesn’t so much add color to my lips as enhance the natural color that’s already there. This product gave my lips just the right amount of sheen, so that they appeared a bit moist and shiny without the full-on wet look that most glosses give.

If there’s a drawback to Black Honey, it’s the fact that one application doesn’t last very long at all. I have to reapply several times throughout the day to keep the great look.

I paid about $12.50 for a .07oz tube of Black Honey. Many of my friends feel this is a bit expensive considering how many times reapplication is necessary, but since I only wear makeup a few times a month, one tube lasts me for quite a while and I don’t notice the budget crunch as much.

Overall, Clinique Almost Lipstick in Black Honey is a must-have for my makeup bag. I’ve been wearing this color for about two years now and still love it!

December is a great time to buy a new car because most dealerships are interested in clearing out their inventory to make room for the new model year. That means almost everybody is offering cash back, low APR financing, and other significant discounts, which is definitely to the buyer’s benefit.

If you are going to get a new car, you might want to think about donating your old one instead of trading it in. As you know,car donations are not only tax deductible, but can also be used to promote a good cause. This is especially true when you donate your vehicle to an organization like Car Angel.

Car Angel uses proceeds from the vehicle donations they receive to create videos (like the one below) aimed at helping at-risk kids and teens get their lives back on the right track. They’ve distributed more than 2.4 million videos to date, and are definitely making a difference.

Check out their website to learn more about the donation process. Car Angel makes it easy and convenient for you, so take a look!

I received an email notification the other day about a special “Countdown to Christmas” sale over at AldenGrace.com. I love the personalized stationery available from that site, so I decided to pass this info on to you guys in case you’re interested in buying something in the coming weeks.

For this sale, Alden Grace is offering 20% off on all orders placed between December 1 to December 5. Then, they’ll drop the discount down to 15% from December 6 to December 10, and finally, the discount goes to 10% from December 11 to December 15. All orders placed on or before December 15 are guaranteed to arrive before Christmas.

Obviously, the early bird gets the worm with this particular sale, so don’t delay!